Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 4 Comments

Elegant on a Budget: Smart Cost-Cutting Strategies for Your Dream Wedding!

Weddings are expensive affairs, but with smart planning, you have scope to cut your wedding costs. A few small adjustments that won’t significantly affect the overall picture will help you save money. Even so, you can still have the fantastic wedding you wished for.

Let us look at some ideas that will help you make this possible.

Venue and date

Weekend weddings are the costliest. Consider getting married on a weekday, and you can cut expenses. Make it a long weekend by getting married on Friday instead of Saturday.

Summer and spring are peak wedding seasons. Get married in fall or winter, and you can book your chosen venue at an off-peak season rate, and save up to 15%. Use it to splurge on your honeymoon. An added bonus is that it is easier to book your favorite vendors and venue, as there is lesser competition for dates in winter.

Look for venues that already look good with the available details, so you won’t have to spend too much on dressing it up. This is easier if your wedding theme is rustic or casual.

Cut down guests

Excuse children and coworkers from your wedding list, and you will cut your guest list considerably. Keep the ceremony small but meaningful by having those who really matter to you in it. Similarly stick to the essential number of attendants at your wedding. This will help you cut down on bouquet and boutonniere costs, dressing up expenses, favours, accommodation and transportation.

Look for all-inclusive or discount deals

This may not allow you to have all the details you wanted in your wedding, but remember that all-inclusive packages and discount deals are way cheaper than when you make separate arrangements for everything. If you can get a discount voucher for your wedding accessories when you buy your wedding gown, it is a good deal that will allow you to save some money.

Also check out gowns in the clearance and discount section, and find one that is cheaper, yet works. Similarly, if a wedding venue comes with an on-site co-ordinator, you can have them do necessary arrangements at a reduced cost than if you hired someone just for the job.

Opt for seasonal elements

Where flower and food choices for your reception are concerned, you can snag a better bargain by going for what is in-season and available locally. There are plenty of flowers that make spectacular bouquets and centerpieces, and you needn’t always choose the exotic varieties for it to look attractive. Think out of the box, and you may be able to create a unique statement without breaking the bank. Reduce the height of centerpieces and use colorful and cost-effective flowers like carnations that aren’t expensive, but still impress.

Master the art of DIY

You shouldn’t attempt some things, like altering your wedding dress, unless you know what you are doing. But, you can do plenty otherwise, and save some money without hiring someone to do it for you. These include your makeup and hairstyle, finding party favors and writing thank-you notes. Ask your friends or family to pitch-in and help. Search for bargains and bulk deals for party favors, customize them yourself and avoid spending a fortune.

For more wedding tips and advice, visit us on Best for Bride.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 6 Comments

Capture the Magic: Compelling Reasons Why a Wedding Video is an Absolute Must-Have!

You have booked your wedding photographer, and you are pretty certain that photos are all that’s needed to capture your milestone event. Many brides who took a similar stand, now regret not having had their weddings videographed. So, before you make this decision, look at why you should consider a wedding video, even when you already have a wedding photographer.

Videos capture moments as it is

However capable your wedding photographer is, photos are what they are called—Stills!

To remember and enjoy the exact moment as it was, a video is better. It also captures all the in-between moments between photos. Another thing to remember is that videos are not choreographed, and so it is the best way to capture people naturally. If you are a bride who is conscious in front of the camera, you do not have to worry about looking stiff and posed in a video, like you do in photos.

It is a keepsake of the beautiful moments at your wedding

Your father’s speech, the tears of joy that rolled down your mother’s eyes as she watched you walk down the aisle, the laughter and cheer while dancing at your reception, the commotion when you threw your bouquet—there is no way photos can recreate this like a video can. Videos have sound and motion, and hence allow you to preserve every moment of your wedding day as it occurred. It is the perfect way to remember the day as it was, and you will enjoy watching it again on your anniversary or other special days in the future.

Keep it short and it will be interesting

Your videographer may have been around for the entire day, but that doesn’t mean your wedding video should go on forever. Have him capture and edit the highlights, while also adding the special moments and interesting things that happened. Videos also allow you to remember the fun moments on the day, like the jokes you shared with your bridesmaids as you dressed up. Another factor is that it is almost impossible to get your video wrong. While the quality of your photographs depend on how talented your photographer is, you can be certain that your videos will cover it and make up for anything your photographer may have missed.

It allows you to remember everyone long after they are gone

Photos can achieve this too, but videos are the way to remember the older members of your bridal party as they were in flesh and blood, long after they are gone. Similarly, children at your wedding party would love to see how they were, long after they’ve grown up. Your video holds the key to the past, and it will be wonderful for your children and grandchildren to see all the people they’ve only heard of, when they watch your wedding video.

If you are still wondering if video is a must or a maybe at your wedding, we say go for it! After all, it is not everyday that you get married. So, capturing every moment of your big day is worth every dime you spend.

For more wedding advice and tips, visit us on Best for Bride.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 6 Comments

Wedding Flowers for Every Season

Just like there are brides for every season, there are flowers that go along with every season. While this may make it difficult if your favorite flower is not in season when it comes time for your wedding, this is great for brides who are looking to be married during less popular seasons. Below, you will find flower options that will work with weddings depending on the particular season.

Summer

Summer is a great time for a wedding and one of the most popular seasons. There are many flower options to choose from here and brides will look beautiful when they select any of them:

Orchids
Poppy
Chrysanthemum
Sunflower
Freesia
Rose
Hydrangea
Snapdragon

Spring

Spring is also a popular time for weddings and one of the best times when it comes to flowers. There are so many in bloom during this season that a bride can easily get carried away with selecting her flowers:

Iris
Peony
Orchid
Rose
Sweet Pea
Calla Lilly
Hyacinth
Lilac
Tulip

Fall

While it may not be the most popular time of the year to plan a wedding, fall is a great time for a number of reasons. You can easily plan an outdoor wedding during this time due to the fantastic colors and there is an interesting arrangement of flowers available. Be sure to consider the following flowers when your wedding is in the fall:

Asiatic Lily
Dahlia
Chrysanthemum
Rose
Bi-color rose

Winter

Even though there are many flowers that do not bloom during the winter, don’t think that you will have to forgo them for your winter wedding. In fact, there are many different flowers that you can choose from that will create a beautiful look for your wedding. The following are all fantastic options for winter weddings:

Carnation
Rose
Tulip
Gardenia
Narcissus
Lily
Orchid
Star of Bethlehem

Making the Choice

When you are ready to choose your flowers, one of the first thing that you should do is to make sure that you know what flowers are available during the season that your wedding will be taking place. While it can be disappointing to learn that some flowers are not available year round, there are many options that will help make your wedding special and memorable.

f you plan a wedding in Abu Dhabi or the UAE, you may consider ordering your flowers from an online flower shop in Abu Dhabi. Ordering online can save you time, effort, and money while ensuring you get fresh and beautiful blooms that suit your style and theme.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a great number of flowers that you can select from regardless of the season that your wedding falls in. These flowers can also be mixed and matched to create the most perfect wedding design available. Whether you are getting married when it is warm or when snow is on the ground, you can easily add flowers to your big day.

Best for Bride

Best for Bride is a bridal shop that offers everything that a bride needs to plan her big day. With wedding gowns, dresses for the bridesmaids and décor options, you will be able to find everything that you need to begin planning your wedding around the flowers that you have chosen. They will even help you to find the best dress to go along with those flowers.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 4 Comments

How to tackle wedding day dress disasters

As much as we hate to tell you this, wedding day dress disasters can and do happen! A white dress with delicate details on expensive fabric is an invitation for trouble in the form of stains, tears and more.

The best way to stop worrying about a wedding dress mishap is to be prepared for every likely scenario. If you have a wedding planner, she will be equipped to handle most situations. If not, don’t worry. With this handy guide, you will be set to tackle most wedding dress disasters yourself. So, prepare yourself for the worst, and then hope with all your heart that you will not need it.

Prepare your emergency bridal kit in advance

When you put your bridal kit together, include not only your makeup and face towels, but also all the items to fix likely wedding dress disasters. Your kit should contain

safety pins
transparent tape
fabric glue
extra buttons
emergency sewing kit with threads and needles
tissues
talcum powder
Q-tips and
white chalk

Or you could purchase a ready-made emergency bridal kit, that contains all these supplies and more, if you don’t have the time to do it yourself.

Removing stains

Attack any stain on your dress immediately, so it doesn’t settle. But, make sure you use the right stain remover, or you may end up doing more damage. It is a good idea to find out what will take out stains from the fabric of your wedding dress, and keep it handy.

Attack ink stains with hairspray and make-up stains with club soda. Cover up the color difference with white chalk and it will not be obvious. Should you notice an oil mark over your dress, quickly spray talcum powder over it and let it soak up the oil. Then dust it off. If marks remain, it can be taken out when you send your gown in for preservation.

Rips or tears

Attend to any rip or tear promptly with your emergency kit supplies. Get someone who knows their way with threads and needles to do it for you. Whether it is to darn the tear quickly, or stick a piece of fabric beneath it, make sure this last-minute repair is done without making the existing rip any bigger. Try to camouflage the spot by holding your bridal bouquet over it, or bunching up your veil over the spot.

Hem your dress to the perfect length

A little extra length is all it takes to have you trip over your dress and fall on your pretty face. Since we aren’t used to wearing long-flowing gowns and maneuvering our way through a maze of tables, we should prepare ourselves ahead for it.

Get your wedding dress hemline correct, by wearing your wedding shoes to the alteration sessions. This will allow your seamstress to get the length right. Also, practice walking in your bridal gown before you wear it on your wedding day, so you are accustomed to it. Ask your bridal consultant to teach your MoH how to bustle the train, so it doesn’t pose a problem during the reception.

You are now covered for most wedding disasters and let’s hope that despite all this preparation, you will need none of it. For more wedding day tips, shopping needs and advice, or to buy your wedding emergency kit, visit us at Best for Bride.