by Helen Rankin

With the average wedding now costing £17,000, many couples are now looking for ways to have a ‘celebrity’ stylish wedding, without the celebrity price tag. The first tip is simple – ask for a discount. The worst that can happen is that they say ‘No’. You might be a bit embarrassed, but what have you lost? We’ve pulled together 5 other top tips to help you create your dream wedding on a shoestring
budget.

1. Choosing The Wedding Venue

Your venue is probably going to be the single biggest wedding expense that you’ll have to pay, with many of the more popular venues charging £2000 upwards. But you don’t need to spend this sort of money to have a fabulous venue.

Wedding Venue Cost Saving Tip:

Many village halls, golf and rugby clubs have suitable rooms available for a fraction of the price. The trick is to see past the existing décor and imagine it sprinkled with hundreds of fairy lights or candles – think of Ross’s wedding on the hit show Friends that Rachel ruined!

If you’ve found the wedding venue of your dreams, but it looks as if it will be out of your budget, don’t despair. Many venues offer significant discounts for mid-week or ‘out of season’ weddings which can run into thousands of pounds.

2. Food At The Wedding

Deciding what kind of menu you want to offer for your wedding can be difficult enough without having to see the price tag that goes along with it!

Food Budget Cost Saving Tip:

There are lots of ways to cut back on your food budget, and still have a memorable day. Selecting a venue where you can bring in your own caterers is often a much better value than using the existing venue catering. You can even go as far as preparing all the food yourself, though be careful of taking too much.

If you don’t have a choice about which caterer you use, there are still ways that you can trim your spending costs. Try replacing the starter course with canapés, instead of having both. Or, replace dessert with your wedding cake – so often wedding cake gets forgotten about because guests have already had so much to eat.

A new idea that brides are buzzing about is the wedding ‘cheese’ cake. Literally, it is three slabs of cheese turned into a wedding cake for that special ‘cutting of the cake’ photograph and ceremony. Why not combine the two instead of having a separate cheese and cake course? Or serve this with crackers, chutney and pate for your evening guests?

3. Drinks At The Wedding

To have a free bar, or cash bar? Such a difficult question to answer. Of course, it would be fantastic to offer a free bar to all your guests, all day, but with limited funds, it’s not a realistic option for most people.

Booze Budget Cost Saving Tip:

The ideal in this instance is to use a venue where you can bring your own booze. I was lucky enough to be able to do this at our wedding and managed to pop across to France and buy 180 bottles of wine and 240 beers, plus Pimms and cassis for under £500. We had stacks left and our guests were restricted to beer, wine or soft drinks, but no one seemed to mind.

Another option is to come to an arrangement with the hotel regarding corkage. A friend got married in a hotel, which charged £10 per bottle of wine. She arranged a flat fee of £500 for all of her beer and wine opening. Although it seems like a lot, it meant that she could afford to supply beer and wine for her guests.

4. Bridalwear

With most bridal dresses starting around £600 and running into thousands of pounds, this is a huge expense.

Bridalwear Cost Saving Tip:

You can still look fabulous for a fraction of the price and feel that you’re minimising the eco-footprint of your wedding by buying a ‘pre-loved’ wedding dress.

Many charity shops have specialist ‘bridalwear’ departments where you can purchase new and designer dresses that have been worn once. You can try the dresses on before buying and you’ll get a warm glow from doing something for ‘Charidee’.

If you’re a little braver, you can venture online, where there are some fantastic bargains to be had in the ‘pre-loved’ lines. Take a look at some of the ‘For Sale’ forums of the popular wedding websites and you’ll see bridal dresses, veils, tiaras and those Jimmy Choo shoes that you know you want for a fraction of the cost.

5. The Wedding Photography

Many couples feel that photography is a major part of the day and are prepared to pay upwards of £2000 for a beautifully presented wedding album. Photographers have confirmed that it isn’t the actual photography, which is the major part of this expense, but printing and preparation of the formal wedding albums.

Wedding Photography Cost Savings Tip:

Many photographers are prepared to attend your wedding day and then provide you with a DVD of your photos for around £600. With the DVD, you can then use some of the fantastic online services to prepare your own ‘Photo Book’ - costing much less. Or, as many guests will no doubt have digital cameras with them, combine place cards with little notes asking them to share their wedding photos on your online directory.

Another excellent tip for having a photo keepsake of your wedding is to use several Instant Photo Guest Books, which combine Polaroid Instant Photos and hand-written sentiments from your guests. These photo guest books are ready to enjoy the “instant” your wedding is over — and creating them adds great fun to the wedding reception!

Helen Rankin, Founder of Instant Forever — http://www.instantforever.com/ and distributor of Adesso Albums in the UK and Europe, helps you capture your wedding memories forever. The Adesso Album is the only guest book alternative that captures your wedding event in an Instant in both pictures and words, and preserves it Forever. Capture your wedding in an instant with a Wedding Photo Guest Book
Provided By: Family

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by Rafi Michael

Your wedding is one of the most pleasant and memorable events of your life. It is once-in-a-lifetime event. This is the day you remember for years to come. You spend a significant amount of time planning for this day. After months of anxious waiting for this day, it finally arrives. From the time you wake up till you say bye to your last guest, you hardly get the time to think that it is actually happening. Then you find that the event is over and what you are left with is all your memories of the day.

Every time you think about it, you start living those moments again and again. This is the time you realize why it is so important to have a professional photographer and videographer on that special day to capture those magical moments of your wedding. These people capture an d create the unforgettable images and video that will be treasured for years to come. As you won’t be able to look at all corners of the reception hall at once to catch all of the special moments of the day, it the duty of a professional photographer to take care of all that. After years, it will be priceless to watch and listen your friends and relatives just as they were, gathered around you on this day of days. Your wedding video also tells the true story of your event from start to finish. V ideo is a great way to capture the moments of your event forever. It preserves the moments exactly as they happened. A videographer follows alongside you in your closest moments to capture all those personalities that make the day special for you.

Event photography and videography are two sides of the same coin. They run in parallel to each other. Event photography runs in many sessions throughout the day. It is not just limited to the wedding ceremony and reception. It includes informal engagement, pre-ceremonies at home or site, formal group photos of families and guests and a lot more. Event photography is like an art which demands proper equipment and the right skills. It requires the person to be creative and effective under pressure. A professional event photographer has all the training and experience required to create unforgettable images and preserve the memories of your event day. He has in depth technical knowledge of all aspects of conventional and digital photography.

To select the right event photographer and videographer is vital in ensuring that your event runs smoothly. As soon as your event date is finalized, you should start your search for a professional photographer and videographer. At this point, it becomes difficult to decide which one to choose for the day. What’s good for one may not be the best option for another. A lot of your friends and relatives might tell you about different photographers, but whomever you choose, it is important to feel comfortable with the person. He should be someone whom you can trust as well as enjoy his or her company.

When you ask for photographers’ portfolios for sample work, it is better to look for whole event albums. An album from beginning to end is much more accurate representation of a photographer’s work. Try to judge the photographer’s style from his work. Try to search for the images where the photographer has shown the alertness to capture natural spontaneous images. For videography, inquire about the type of video camera and technology that they will use. Use of highest quality technology such as wireless microphone in videography provides a better sounding movie throughout the video.

After you have selected a photographer and videographer, discuss about the prices, deposits, packages, quantity of pictures, etc. Most studios offer a number of packages to work within your budget varying in number of hours, images, and a definite number of final pictures in an album. Better photographers charge the higher rates.

After you have finalized the photographer and videographer, discuss your event day schedule with them so that everything runs smoothly without confusions.

After the event is over, receive proofs from your photographer so that you can choose your favorite images to be developed and enlarged. You can also purchase the additional copies in the future as photographers keep the negatives for a specified number of years.

Rafi Michael Offers Toronto Wedding Services . He is also webmaster of babylon production wedding directory
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by Lesley Mattos

Magazines and websites are bursting with the latest trends in wedding ideas and themes - and just trying to sift through them can be as overwhelming as actually planning an entire wedding! So take a deep breath, relax and consider this: some of the most unique wedding ideas can be found by looking back to fashions and trends of days gone by.

If you’re considering going the black-tie route, how about an Art Deco 1930s look? It was an era that is reminiscent of elegant Hollywood-style glamour, and you’d be surprised at how much you can accomplish on any budget, large or small.

And for something completely different: what could be more fun than a wedding that evokes the spirit of the groovy 1960s, a time of “peace, love and understanding” – could there be a better theme to start off your married life?

Whether you’re going for funky or formal, here are some suggestions to help plan your idea of a retro wedding:

Polaroid Instant Photo Guest Books

Capture every moment of your wedding day with Polaroid instant pictures and hand-written sentiments from your guests! Polaroid instant photo guest books buck the digital trend and are all the rage among brides today.

Polaroid cameras and photos are definitely retro, and they’re making a ‘new age’ come back because unlike digital or 35mm photos, the Polaroids develop instantly. When they’re combined with notes from all your friends and family the instant photo guest book becomes a memento filled with memories that will last forever!

Hint: Put a couple of outgoing friends in charge of taking the photos and making sure that all your guests write something in your instant photo guest book. They can either circulate during the reception taking the pictures and getting the notes or you can set up a table for guests to visit. And be sure to have a back up camera and plenty of film for “do-overs”!

The Honor of Your Presence is Requested … Retro Wedding Invitations

Set the tone you’re trying to create from the start with wedding invitations that reveal the theme you’ve chosen for your wedding. Custom designs can be easily accomplished with just a few keyboard strokes! Display 1930s-era sophistication with heavy, cream-colored paper stock and deco-style type fonts which can be further accented with period clip art. For your 60s-style invitations, use paper stock in the pastel colors that were popular then – or go all-out and have tie dyed invitations! Think about including flowers in the design as well. These can be printed on the invitation itself – or how about adding some dried wildflowers inside the invitation envelope?

Hint: You can order custom-designed stamps from the Post Office that will reflect the mood you’re trying to convey before your guests even open the invitation envelope! (Some suggested examples: New York’s Deco Rockefeller Center or Empire State Building, vintage cars, a yellow happy face icon, even a Grateful Dead logo)

Dressing the Part … Retro Bridal Ware

There’s no need to wear a bandana or headband or go barefoot on your big day, but a lace dress (mini in length if you dare!) will evoke the hippie era nicely, as will a floral headpiece and bridesmaid dresses in pastels or bright floral prints. If you want an early 60s look, consider a cocktail dress or Jackie Kennedy-style sheath with a white pillbox hat and a netted veil. For a Deco glamour wedding idea, sleek and satiny 1930s-era dresses can be found in vintage dress shops or even at flea markets or thrift shops (there are vintage clothes and used clothing boutiques all over!) They can also be custom made using new or vintage fabric and old patterns – these are often reissued by pattern manufacturers or easily found on eBay.

Hint: When planning your retro wedding, eBay and other shopping websites are terrific resources for all sorts of period bridal ware, decorations and inspirational wedding ideas.

Flour Power … Wedding Day Cup Cakes

Nothing says retro like a tasty, frosting-topped cupcake. You loved them as a kid, and now they’re back in vogue as the height of food fashion. Delicious, colorful cupcakes can be served as the main wedding dessert attraction, substituted for the traditional wedding cake or in addition to a conventional wedding cake. Stack them like a skyscraper or arrange them in a circle to make a peace sign. Cupcakes can easily be decorated in day-glo icing colors for your 1960s look or with silvery accents for a Deco finish.

Hint: Make sure there are enough cupcakes so that your guests can take one home to enjoy later!

A Few of my Favor-ite Things … Retro Wedding Favors

Since your wedding is the start of your own personal love-in, treat your guests to some retro style wedding favors like love beads or peace sign jewelry. Or how about putting together a custom-made CD of classic rock tunes? For the 1930s wedding theme idea, linen handkerchiefs for both men and women will add a nice vintage touch. Or DVD copies of your favorite old comedy movie are sure to delight your guests – and the cover can feature you and your groom in place of Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn for a fun reminder of your own classic romance!

Hint: If you’re making custom CDs as favors, take a picture with you and your husband-to-be in some vintage clothes to use as cover art to remember the day’s unique wedding idea “old is new”!

Lesley Mattos, Founder of Adesso Albums helps people all over the world capture the Now in life’s most important moments. Of all the ways to capture your wedding memories, the Adesso Instant Wedding Photo Guest Book is the only guest book alternative that provides an instant memory of your wedding event in both pictures and words. Shop the complete photo guest book package - including the retro Polaroid camera and film at: http://www.adessoalbums.com/shop.html
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by John Kunkle

Usually at most weddings, something in the plans goes wrong. At our wedding, the limousine didn’t show up.

My wife insisted that she go to our house to get dressed for the wedding. This is a Russian custom. During that time, all of her relatives called the house and offered congratulations.

Her Maid of Honor drove her thirty miles from the hairdresser to our house to get dressed. The limo driver was supposed to pick her up at the house and bring her to the church, forty miles away. He never showed up.

Luckily the photographer was at the house taking pictures of her getting dressed. The photographer, his son, the Maid of Honor, and my wife squeezed into his small Japanese car and headed to the church.

Her wedding dress got crushed squeezing into his compact car. Her Maid of Honor talked her into coming to the wedding. My wife cried all the way to the church.

At the end of the reception, we drove home together. My wife grabbed a bottle of champagne before our drive home.

The disappointments starting pouring out of her. She drank the entire bottle during the one-hour trip home and proceeded to dress me down about what a lousy job I did planning the wedding and the reception.

This went on for the next several hours, during which time, she called her parents, her friends, and even her old boyfriend to tell them what a bum I was. I don’t know exactly what she said in Russian, but the tone of her voice was such that the subject matter was unmistakable.

John has been successfully married to a Belarussian wife for over five years. He has traveled extensively through Russia and other CIS countries. He will tell you why you should consider Russian women, how to meet them, how to bring your special woman home, and how to survive married life.
www.russian-luv.com/yourattitude.html

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by Chad Barker

Wedding albums come in all shapes and sizes and they often have just one goal. That goal is to provide you with the memories that will last a lifetime that came from your wedding. Your wedding was a wonderful day, filled with laughter, love and unique smells, sensations, tastes and even touches. For those reasons, when you want to keep those memories alive, you should create a wedding album that somehow brings these things through.

There are many different ways that you can do this. The most important will be to select the right style of wedding album for you. Not only do you want an album that is safe to your pictures with no acid in the pages and something that will preserve them for years to come, but you also want to be able to add in special touches. Here are some ideas.

• To remember the smells of your wedding day, add the flower petals from that day into your wedding album dried and preserved. Just one or two is all that’s needed.
• To remember the sensations of walking down the aisle, include a piece of fabric that’s like your wedding dress. As you walked, your dress brushed your legs.
• To remember the sights of the day, make sure to include pictures of the flowers, the aisle runner, and the wedding favors.
• To remember the tastes of that day include into your wedding album a picture of the cake, the dinner that you ate and perhaps even a photo of the deserts you enjoyed the most.

When you add these things into the wedding album, you allow yourself to re-experience everything. Each element comes back at you, like a wave of emotions. While the pictures are the most important thing in your wedding album, recreate the day by choosing a wedding album that helps you to experience all of your moments that day.

http://www.pictureframesplanet.com/

Provided By: Family

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For more News, Articles, Guides, Tips, Tricks and various Wedding Planning information… visit our site at http://www.wedding-bells-central.com/.

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