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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 — 7 Comments

Wedding Dress Tips For Brides In Their Forties

It isn’t unusual to find brides who wait till they are in their forties to tie the knot. However, our opinion is that forty is the new twenty, and many women look their best at this age. So, if you are a bride in your 40s, plan your wedding just like you would when you were in your twenties or thirties.

This article is dedicated to those of you beautiful women who are worried about the appropriate wedding attire when you plan your wedding in your forties. So, here goes.

Posted on by Olga Pomeransky — 6 Comments

How to co-ordinate your bridesmaids and groomsmen wedding day looks

Your bridesmaids and groomsmen will share the frame in many of your wedding pictures. So, it is necessary that their looks are well-planned and go together. Coordinating your bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen attires will help you do this. If you are not sure of how to go about it, here is some help. We bring you three great ideas to get this done at your wedding. So, read on.

Matching Bows and ties for mismatched bridesmaids dresses

The current trend is to go with mismatched bridesmaids dresses, so each girl looks unique. Despite this, there is usually, a cohesive element that brings their looks together. Use this element to plan the groomsmen outfits. If the color palette is the same, get the guys bows or ties in the same shades as the corresponding bridesmaid dress. If it is the fabric that is the same, choose ties that have a similar texture and they will go together. For bridesmaids dresses from the Alfred Angelo collection, you can also find coordinated bows and ties for most of the dresses at Bows n Ties.

Match your bridesmaids dress color to the vest or pocket square

Matching the tie is the easy option. But, if you don’t mind going the extra mile to co-ordinate both the men and women in another style, choose the same color for the vest and dress, or have the pocket in the same color. The only thing you need to remember when doing this is that you should choose bridesmaids dresses in colors that can possibly be incorporated into the groomsmen outfits. Colors like gray, chocolate, beige, navy, yellow or black should be possible options.

Match the colors to the boutonniere

If you do not want the same color pattern for the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen ties or vests, consider matching the color of the dress to the boutonniere. This is especially good in cases where your bridesmaids dress colors are unusual or awkward with dark tuxes. For orange bridesmaids dresses with a ruffled texture, have the boutonniere with orange roses or chrysanthemums, and you will not only replicate the colors, but also the texture. Keep the palette consistent, but vary the hues and you will have a stylish and chic mix.

Play with patterns

Now what do you do if your bridesmaids are to wear dresses that are entirely different in fabric, cut and print? It is simple! Just do the same with your groomsmen. Assuming that you will have one shade that will tie all the dresses together, make sure that the men too have this color incorporated into their attires, and all will be good. Why should women have all the fun? If your girls are going for patterned dresses, go wild with the prints on the ties too. Just make sure that they don’t look completely disjoint and confused when both groups come together.

To find bridesmaids dresses for all these groups, visit our collection at Best for Bride and you will find something for everyone. Head over to Bows and Ties for matching pieces for the guys, and you will have everything sorted out in no time.

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.