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!

Reception Connection

We got really lucky with our reception location-- The Solarium at Scottish Rite does special pricing for residents of the 30030 zip code within a certain set of parameters. Since we got married in the winter time, we felt comfortable waiting for the six week deadline so we could snag this amazing venue! Look at community related venues to see if they have similar deals; you could end up changing the venue at the last minute, but that isn't a given and with communication so readily available it's much easier to alert guests to a change in plans!

If you're looking for a deal on a smaller reception venue, say you have a more intimate group of people, you can always look at Wahoo's setup-- they're open for private parties and you can even find a deal in the Savvy Shopper (a local coupon publication we get stuck in our mailbox once a month) for anywhere from $50 off to 10% off your whole bill. The ambiance there is delightful and the food... well, if I talk about the food I'm just going to get hungry all over again!

If you look at restaurants in the area, you're likely to find they do have private party rooms that are available for a minimal price compared to renting an entire venue and paying for a caterer, plus you don't have to worry about setup and breakdown! Also, if you choose a restaurant with a Groupon, etc. deal they may let you take that amount off your tab if they're feeling generous!