Tips and Tricks

Most likely you realized before I did that I can't find you a bargain in and of itself every Monday, but tips and tricks are the way to go when a bargain isn't at hand! One of the best books given to me when I was planning my own wedding was Bridal Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields-- they've got a very pragmatic look at the way the wedding industry works, and include tips on just about everything from how to deal with the caterers to stubborn seamstresses during dress fittings! Of course, my version was from 1995, but they have a new edition out from 2010 which can be found on Amazon for a very reasonable price! Even if you have a wedding planner, this is a great investment for any bride-and-groom-to-be!

My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend...

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I know I've probably mentioned this before, but when you're trying to get venue, food, and beverages settled for your party (whether it's a wedding, birthday, or other celebration) the people you know are going to be key to your ability to afford the things you really want!

We got a good deal on our rehearsal dinner because I sweet talked my old boss in to giving us a portion of it as a wedding present, my friend Iggy got a good deal on the wine for her sister's wedding (which was her wedding gift to the couple) by spending a lot of time with the employees of the liquor store and being patient and gracious, and another friend got a deal on a baby shower because her brother-in-law rents office space out of a building with a rockin' community room.

Whether you're the closest friend ever with someone or not doesn't matter-- people love to help other people out, and especially in this economy the word of mouth recommendations of customers is worth its weight in gold. When you go to a liquor store for anything, get to know the employees and get business cards if they're available-- when you go back, ask for them by name. Same at restaurants and venues if you attend a party somewhere else. Ask your friends if they have ideas about venues since they have a vested interest in your happiness; if they have an in somewhere they'll be happy to help you out!

Once you've completed your event, be sure to send a thank you card or stop by and thank the individual in person. If appropriate, get them a little gift or make them something small-- nothing extravagant, just a little trinket to say thank you for helping out! Just like you get your wedding party small gifts, the same applies for anyone who helps you out with your event. You never know when you'll need their help again, or if you can return the favor!

(If you can finish the quote from the title, you get a treat!)

Going back a few pages..

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I would do a post on why it's so important to take your time planning a wedding. If you're an indecisive person, it might not be the best fit, but if you're someone who needs to watch your budget then a year's engagement might be just what you need.

First step always is creating your budget-- if you don't know what you have to spend, you'll end up spending too much, and that applies in all areas of life! Sometimes this takes more than a few minutes because you will ALWAYS forget something! "What's that you say? We need something for people to toast with? Can't they just do that with air?"

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Secondly is creating your "look"-- do you want it to be a simple spring wedding or are you looking for the pretty pretty princess wedding with jewels, a big dress, and a cake taller than yourself? Either way, you'll want time to make the centerpieces made from Bell jars OR to save up a little extra coin to rent out the Kennedy family jewels and find a baker who does the best combination of almond cake with raspberry filling.

Thirdly is dress shopping, for you AND your wedding party-- since we gave my bridesmaids a lot of notice, they were able to find their dresses on sale which saved a few of them almost $50!! For a volunteer position that requires such a financial commitment (especially on the part of out of towners), it's not just nice but polite to give your wedding party as much forewarning of possible.

There are a thousand other little details to think about with your wedding and there won't ever be a time when you have everything covered, which is why my profession exists! If you can't afford to hire a wedding planner, I've got you covered-- once our move is finished I will start producing my own DIY planning handbooks to be sold on Etsy! (don't you worry, I'll keep you posted on that)

All of that said, the biggest tip I could ever give you is... write it all down! Take a little note pad with you and jot down every idea that comes in to your head from the second you start thinking you might get engaged-- when you have a date set, you can finally start working everything in to your calendar!

My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend...

(via)

I know I've probably mentioned this before, but when you're trying to get venue, food, and beverages settled for your party (whether it's a wedding, birthday, or other celebration) the people you know are going to be key to your ability to afford the things you really want!

We got a good deal on our rehearsal dinner because I sweet talked my old boss in to giving us a portion of it as a wedding present, my friend Iggy got a good deal on the wine for her sister's wedding (which was her wedding gift to the couple) by spending a lot of time with the employees of the liquor store and being patient and gracious, and another friend got a deal on a baby shower because her brother-in-law rents office space out of a building with a rockin' community room.

Whether you're the closest friend ever with someone or not doesn't matter-- people love to help other people out, and especially in this economy the word of mouth recommendations of customers is worth its weight in gold. When you go to a liquor store for anything, get to know the employees and get business cards if they're available-- when you go back, ask for them by name. Same at restaurants and venues if you attend a party somewhere else. Ask your friends if they have ideas about venues since they have a vested interest in your happiness; if they have an in somewhere they'll be happy to help you out!

Once you've completed your event, be sure to send a thank you card or stop by and thank the individual in person. If appropriate, get them a little gift or make them something small-- nothing extravagant, just a little trinket to say thank you for helping out! Just like you get your wedding party small gifts, the same applies for anyone who helps you out with your event. You never know when you'll need their help again, or if you can return the favor!

(If you can finish the quote from the title, you get a treat!)