Monday, August 31, 2009

Money Mondays: Teaming Up

A great way to save money on your wedding is by teaming up with other brides. The Wedding Bee Classifieds has an online listing of used wedding items such as paper lanterns, charger plates, card boxes, gowns...basically anything you can think of. There are some pretty good deals to be found.

You can also ask wedding coordinators for help. I have a pretty extensive inventory of rental items that are available for rent to anyone, not just coordination clients. In addition, I deal with many brides on a daily basis, and may be able to help you share things with them such as vases, candy buffet jars, place card holders, table numbers and more. When you are planning a wedding, you want it to be uniquely yours - I get that. It's my job to take the same items and make them work for both of you. What could be better than two happy brides who paid half the price for their wedding decor!

Here's an example of the same container (a hurricane vase) used for two different events...


A wedding centerpiece designed by Distinctive Occasions for a Fall wedding.



A centerpiece designed by Distinctive Occasions for a New Year's Eve party.

With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can save money without sacrificing the overall look of your wedding!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Real Weddings: Amy and Patrick

I recently worked on a gorgeous wedding with Amy and Patrick. Their ceremony was held at St. Joseph's Cathedral, and the reception at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The Hyatt recently underwent some major renovations, and it definitely shows! If you haven't been there since your High School Prom you should check it out - I promise you won't be disappointed!

It was a beautiful day (no rain for once!), and everything about this wedding was exquisite. Amy has fabulous taste (check out her stunning gown!), both families were wonderful, the couple had a great time, and the day flowed so smoothly. We did have the occasional "blip" (Patrick's dad lost a button before the ceremony, we were asked to convert some of the women's pin on corsages to wrist corsages, we finessed a couple of issues with decor and cake at the reception site, etc.), but that is our job - and the bride and groom never knew. The benefit of hiring an experienced team of professionals for your wedding is that we gracefully handle all the little things so that you can relax and enjoy your day. Plus, we manage the flow of the day, communicate with all the vendors, and make sure that everything proceeds as it should. Here are some photos of the day taken by Robert Knight of Knight Photography, who I highly recommend:

The beautiful bride.


St. Joseph's Cathedral is a lovely location for a ceremony - it didn't even need any extra decor.

Could this family be any more good looking?!

Wow - what a great photo!


The little details truly make a difference. Amy chose to do all purple orchids at the reception, and the effect was breathtaking!

Amy & Pat - best wishes for the future and thank you for letting us be part of your day!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Money Mondays: DIY Wedding Stationary

It is easier than you may think to create your own wedding stationary. If you don't have the skills to design the items yourselves, you can hire a designer to create a monogram and other stationary pieces for you to use. You can use a monogram on programs, menu cards, water bottles, place cards, table numbers, favor tags...the possibilities are endless. Check out Etsy for affordable graphic design services.

Envelopper Inc. is a fantastic site where you can order blank card stock, table tents, favor tags & more already cut to your preferred size. They offer a large variety of colors, and you can usually run the cards right through your home printer.

When all your stationary is coordinated, it gives your wedding a more polished look.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Money Mondays: Signature Drinks

No doubt about it - an open bar at any event can put a strain on your wallet. Rather than offering a full open bar, you may want to consider limiting the bar to a few signature drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) for guests to choose from. You can match the colors & names of the drinks to the theme of your event. If it is for a wedding, you can design it based upon your honeymoon location, the place you met, or a name it after a shared interest. The possibilities are endless! You can ask your caterer for suggestions in your color scheme, or you can search online.

Guests love having fun drinks to choose from, and you will save money without making it look like you are skimping.

{Source: Brides}

Check out this adorable custom cocktail menu card designed by Belletristics.



To add even more personal touches, you can design customized stir sticks at For Your Party, or make your own flags for stir sticks like in this photo from Style Me Pretty.

Instructions for these DIY stir stick flags can be found here.

Signature drinks are easy on the budget, and add stylish touches to your event - I'll drink to that!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Money Mondays: Adorn Brides Fine Jewelry Rentals

Want to look like a million bucks on your wedding day without the high price tag? Consider renting a beautiful piece of jewelry from Adorn Brides. We are pleased to announce a partnership with Adorn Brides, allowing you to bring some "red carpet" elegance to your big day at a fraction of the cost. Simply reserve your rentals online at Adorn Brides, and they will ship the jewelry to your door a few days before your wedding. When you're done, all you have to do is ship it back - it's that easy!!

Use our exclusive promotional code below, and save 10% on your jewelry rental!