Thursday, August 26th, 2010
I recently got engaged and have been spending time online looking for ideas for dresses and different things for my wedding. I recently found a site that has designer wedding gowns at discouhnt prices. Does anyone know of someone who has bought a wedding dress online or can someone give me some opinions as to if this is a good idea or not?
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
When shopping for your wedding needs, whether it’s wedding dresses, wedding shoes, wedding veils, wedding favors, wedding invitations, etc., it’s hard to beat the Web as there are indeed great prices to be had! But there is an abundance of online stores making the choices overwhelming and that means there are some”fly-by-nights” that we don’t want you to fall prey to, so we hope this 5 minute read (yes, we clocked it) of tips for shopping online will help prepare you for the challenge of finding your ultimate wedding dress for the best price. As is true with many things – no pain, no gain… It’s the same when searching for a deal online; they don’t just fall into your lap. You have to look for it, but we’re certain these tips will help put you in the driver’s seat.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
There are many wedding dress stores online. Whatever store you are considering, check out their testimonials, but remember when you do that there are always going to be a few disgruntled shoppers because quite frankly there are people out there that just aren’t happy campers no matter what and bad luck seems to follow them, so when you look through the testimonials, don’t discount a wedding dress store because of a couple bad reviews compared to hundreds of good ones. There are a couple our magazine personally recommends that you can find by going to YourWeddingDollars.com.
Find out what their return policy is. Custom made items and down and dirty priced items will probably not be returnable, unless it is damaged. So that is something else for you to weigh – for the right price – if it’s not damaged and looks anything like you saw on their website – will you be able to be happy?
Visit the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org to see if they are in good standing.
Call the company – this is a big one… Do they answer the phone, is the person that answers the phone knowledgeable?
You are probably all over the web looking at things for your wedding and with that you will see websites that advertise online wedding dress stores. Notice which ones you see most often because they will be the most reputable ones.
When it comes to the concern about not being able to try the wedding gowns on ahead of time to make sure the style suits you. That’s what the bridal stores are for. Go try on sleeveless and long sleeve, straight and sleek or big and full, ivory and white, short, long, with trains and without. Then armed with your notes, go online and find the one you want. You can even go to designer stores and look at specific brands like Dessy, Alfred Angelo, Jessica McClintock and Vera Wang and then go to your online wedding dress store of choice (after doing all your homework from above on them) and find either the exact designer dresses or really good copycats by dozens of wonderful designers.
Buying online offers convenience and great pricing, but it also can have some risk. You’re paying upfront without directly seeing or trying on merchandise and you could potentially be opening yourself up to identify theft, but here are some ways to reduce that risk:
SHOP SAFELY
When looking for your wedding dress online, go with brands and websites you know.
Shop online stores that have been recommended to you from friends, family, and websites you know and trust.
Be sure you see https:// at the top of your screen where the Web address is displayed. The “s” after “http” indicates the site is secure.
You may also want to call the company to ask about its privacy policy or look for their privacy policy on their website.
Do not send money to a site that doesn’t have a physical address or a phone number for customer service.
Pay for your wedding dress with a credit card. This is another biggy! If you are unsatisfied, quite often you can get your credit card company to reverse the charges, if your reasons are valid.
Trust your instincts; if you don’t feel comfortable or if you feel pressured, don’t buy it.
OTHER NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING A WEDDING DRESS ONLINE:
Obviously, the fit of your wedding dress is also a concern when buying online, but that shouldn’t be a big worry. If it’s not a perfect fit (although it should be really close so long as you measure yourself accurately and use your website’s size charts), wedding dresses can usually be altered up to 2 sizes in either direction, and even with any added cost to alter the dress, you’re wedding dress is still sure to be priced well below retail!
Many of the wedding gowns can take some time to get, so ORDER EARLY. Online Designer dresses at prices well below retail are not “off the rack” orders. Be sure you call them to check stock information. Do not just order online; talk to a live person. It’s worth the extra couple of minutes to confirm your choice is available!
Cheryl has experience with weddings! She is part owner in a Wedding Venue, Wedding Catering company, and Beach Wedding Service & Boutique and the owner of Your Wedding Dollars, an Internet Magazine created to help couples stay within their wedding budget. She loves this industry and is motivated by being able to give you the best possible advice during your wedding planning journey. Visit her at Your Wedding Dollars, Beach Wedding Boutique, and Gatherings – A Wedding Venue
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
How in the world can we say that you would actually save money on your wedding by buying wedding favors? It’s actually rather simple – you save money overall if you use those favors as not just gifts to give away to your guests but as a way to round out your decorations or even take the place of certain decorations such as your centerpieces.
Here’s how this works. When your guests arrive at your reception you want them to be greeted with a beautiful layout and this includes the individual tables. Most brides choose very expensive centerpieces for each table but your wedding favors can actually do double duty here. When you purchase your favors, be sure to wrap them in festive wrapping paper or something that matches your reception’s d?cor and then stack them in a nice arrangement at each table. Remember that you don’t want to just pile them up but arrange everything neatly.
You can also use your wedding favors as decoration at each table by putting them in the middle of the top plate if you’re having a plated dinner, or put them at the place setting the same way you would the wine glasses. If your tables are not going to be set when guests arrive such as for a buffet meal, arrange the wedding favors in front of each chair the way you would when setting a table. By using your wedding favors this way you are making your table look very festive so you don’t need to spend extra on your centerpieces.
Dressing up your wedding favors is important when using them this way. For those in boxes you can definitely use that nice wrapping paper and make them even more special by tying them with long ribbon that you gently drape over the table. You can use ribbon for wedding favors that you don’t wrap such as for candles. And to go the extra mile you can use something special for the ribbon such as strings of crystal beads, fabric trim, lace, or even tassels. You can take your time to browse a sewing supply store, craft supply store, or even a scrapbooking supplier to find just the right material to make your favors really stand out.
Another way to use wedding favors to dress up your table is to sprinkle the tables with flowers petals or confetti and then set up your favors. This way your table looks very festive but you’re saving money on decorations and centerpieces; flower petals or confetti is almost always going to be more affordable than centerpieces!
Remember that your guests are very happy to be at your wedding and are happy for you, but they still needed to get dressed up, have purchased a gift, and are there for you and your big day. Purchasing wedding favors is your way of thanking them for being there for you and helping to make your day even more special. While everyone is concerned about their budget today, you want to reconsider any impulse to forego wedding favors altogether and instead get as much life out of them as you can by having them help to fill out your decorations and the look and feel of your venue.
Linda Ellison is a freelance writer who specializes in trends and lifestyles. Her previously published fiction works, including the Dana Ford Mystery Series, have been on bookshelves nationwide. Visit www.FavorsAndWraps.com to read more about the latest trends in wedding favors.
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
History of wedding favors
Historically, the giving of wedding favors is thought to date back to old European aristocracy, who gave small boxes filled with sugar to their wedding guests. Since sugar was scarce in their time, it was considered the ultimate prestigious gift.
Eventually, the idea of wedding favors spread to the masses and took the form of five sugar-coated almonds wrapped in delicate cloths or boxes. The almonds were thought to symbolize longevity, fertility, health, wealth, and happiness.
Today’s wedding favors and gifts for your guest
Today wedding favors have become completely unique and depends on the theme of the wedding and the couple getting married.
With this in mind, it is the bride and groom’s responsibility to choose a gift or keepsake that not only goes with their wedding theme, but represents them as well.
Unique wedding favors and wedding keepsake favors
Unique wedding favors and wedding keepsake favors come in myriad styles and theme ideas are limited only to the couple’s imagination. Many couples choose to buy wedding favors that are personalized with the couple’s names and with the date of the wedding so guests can remember the occasion.
Other wedding guest favors include edible wedding favors, like customized chocolate bars, flower & garden wedding favors. Wedding keepsake favors include trinkets, pens, goblets, and more. Choosing and buying wedding favors
Choosing and buying your wedding favors is relatively easy. While many retail stores have cheap wedding favors and expensive wedding favors, online merchants often have access to a better selection and more reasonable prices. Larger sites like americanbridal.com have many options to choose from and make finding your favors much easier and less expensive.
A time-honored tradition that today has become almost important as the bridal dress itself, the giving of wedding favors to guests is a sign of gratitude or appreciation from the bride and groom. Thus choosing and buying wedding favors has become one of the most integral tasks when planning a wedding.
Abigail Newsom writes for the American Bridal. Please visit for more helpful information on Unique wedding favors and on Wedding keepsake favors.
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
As you prepare for your wedding day, be sure you are properly accessorized with jewelry beyond your ring. Wedding jewelry includes necklaces, bracelets, the groom’s watch, cuff links and his ring as well.
Your wedding day is rich in tradition, and so is your wedding jewelry. The ring symbolizes the never-ending circle of love you have for each other. You wear it on your left ring finger because of the fabled ‘vein of love’ that runs from that special place on your hand to your heart. Ancient scholars believed this kept love from escaping. Traditionally, wedding rings have been gold, but in recent memory, diamonds have started to replace them. Diamonds, of course, last forever, as does your commit to your spouse.
When it comes to buying the wedding jewelry, there are a multitude of options. If you are looking for something traditional that will certainly be in fashion ’til death do us part,’ a simple band may be for you. They are available in white or yellow gold and 14K, 18K or 24K gold as well as silver, and platinum. If you want a band but maybe not quite as plain, you can get one that is engraved or has a beaded edging.
Another option, of course is the diamond engagement ring . They are available in many designs, channel, or recessed, set is a good choice of you don’t want the stone getting stuck on your favorite sweater or getting in the way when you put your hand in your pocket. You need to put a lot of thought into what type of diamond you would want.Wedding Jewelry
When picking out your wedding jewelry, don’t forget out the groom. Do you want his ring to match the brides? Does he want a diamond? Again, don’t forget about the options when it comes to metals.
Also, is there a tie tack he would like to wear? Maybe his father or grandfather’s from when they married. His cuff links are another important item to keep in mind when putting together your wedding jewelry ensemble. When ever possible, if you start with gold, finish with it also. You don’t want to have gold, silver and platinum all on the same person. This will keep the wedding jewelry from clashing.
Summary of Wedding Jewelry – A Guide To The Symbolism, Styles And Buying
As you prepare for your wedding day, be sure you are properly accessorized with jewelry beyond your ring. Wedding jewelry includes necklaces, bracelets, the groom’s watch, cuff links and his ring as well.
For more information you might want to visit http://www.appealingweddingbands.com/education/. There are extensive information about wedding jewelry such as diamonds, wedding rings, wedding bands, ring sizer and also;
Are Diamonds Rarely Found?
Bonded Diamonds
Colored Diamonds
Diamond Certificates
Diamond Clarity
Diamond Color
Diamond Grading Reports
Diamond Scams
Diamond Shapes
Diamond Weights
Diamond’s Cutting Process
How to Avoid Buying Fake Diamonds ?
How to Choose Cut of a Diamond ?
How to Clean Diamonds ?
How to Determine the Engagement Ring ?
How to Determine the Price of Diamonds ?
How to Select Diamonds ?
How to Sell a Diamond ?
Insuring Diamonds
Maintenance of Diamonds
Most Popular Diamonds
Online Purchase of Diamonds
Process of Mining Diamonds
Synthetic Diamonds
Expert writer of Wedding Jewelry Articles Specialized in wedding ring articles. And also in wedding bands
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
Here come the bride and the groom! The most beautiful moments of their wedding have just begun! Love and happiness are in the air and everybody is waiting for that very special moment famous for sweetness and happiness! It is definitely the moment when the bride and the groom cut the wedding cake together and crown their love and unity. This symbolical custom of sharing joy, happiness and sweetness is worth every second of waiting. When combined with appropriate romantic and breathtaking love lyrics, sentimental flesh of lights and smell of pure love and devotion, it makes the world go round! For this and many other reasons, you have to choose wedding cakes in most meticulous way. Wedding cakes are a cut above all others and their image and taste are never-ending and magic!
The story about wedding cakes should start as soon as possible. After first morning whispers and kisses, ask your beloved one what she thinks your perfect wedding cake should look like. Include all possible details such as color, style, and material, number of tiers, topper, and decorations, even messages written all over or somewhere on the cake! Each part of your wedding cake is part of you two. Wedding cakes are here to glorify your hilarious feeling of belonging so make them be wonderful and do that together! What you need to know when buying wedding cakes is the budget you have. To be precise, it is the number of people that you are going to invite that will determine all wedding cakes characteristics. The more people you invite, the bigger wedding cake should be! In that way, all guests will enjoy that magnificent taste of your love in the shape of delicious and beautiful wedding cake. Another possibility is to have more than one smaller wedding cake, which will be part of wedding tables. Everything is up to you and your plans! It is important to be imaginative but not too much and consider everything with eyes wide open.
Once you have determined the wedding cake size, you can visualize certain number of tiers. No matter how many tiers you plan to have, you should combine them in the way that they make a perfect match. This considers they flavor, color and decorations. Do not mix everything and remember the phrase- simply the best! Wedding cakes can be very simple but still delicious and unforgettable. What you need to know when buying wedding cakes is that they come in numerous colors and flavors. They can be as white as snow or as colorful as rainbow. Wedding cakes are mouthwatering if they are chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, ice cream or all fruit, just because they are wedding cakes. Their special part is the topper, the part that traditionally belongs just to you. You are the one who will make it extraordinary. One more thing before you rush to the best bakery and buy your wedding cake, you need to know what you want and to express yourself in details. Wedding cakes convey the message of unity, eternity and never-ending love! They are worth visualizing and buying!
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
There are some important details to become familiar with when choosing wedding invitations. If you are shopping for wedding invitations, it is easy to get confused by all the terminology, etiquette and available styles. Other pieces of a wedding invitation such as Save the Date cards, table cards and place cards need to be decided on as well. Both the amount of information and the presentation of the information also need to be nailed down. Considering all of the choices to be made, choosing wedding invitations can be confusing and stressful as well.
Just to make this process a bit easier, take a look at the following checklist of important information you need to know for buying wedding invitations:
How many wedding invitations do you need?
Wedding invitations are expensive, so you certainly do not want to order too many. On the other hand, you do not want to run out and have to re-order, which will end up costing you more money in setup fees and shipping. Before you order your wedding invitations, sit down with your guest list and count up how many invitations you will need to send out. A few guidelines:
- a husband and wife get one invitation
- a couple living together get one invitation
- adult roommates each get their own invitation
- adult children living with parents should each get their own invitation
- children under the age of 18 can be included on their parents invitation
- a couple who don’t live together each get their own invitation
Which pieces of wedding stationery do you need to order?
Wedding invitations have several pieces that can all be bought as one or bought a la carte. In addition, there are other pieces of wedding stationery that you may or may not want to purchase. The most commonly used wedding stationery includes:
- Wedding invitation
- Inner envelope
- Outer envelope
- Response Card and Envelope
- Reception Card if the reception is held somewhere other than the ceremony
- Save the Date cards for out of town guests or those that need a lot of advance notice
- Table Cards are printed with a table number for each table
- Place Cards tell your guests where they are seated
- Programs
- Menu Cards
- Thank You Cards
Obviously, you do not need to order every single one of these, but it is helpful to know what they each are.
Invitation Etiquette – the Words
Contemporary wedding invitations are much freer in terms of the words that are printed on the invitation. If you want to adhere to the most traditional and formal wedding invitation, you can find tutorials and templates online to help you word your invitations properly.
More importantly, though, you will need to supply the wording that you want printed on your invitation when you order them, so you need to know what you are going to have printed on the invitation before you buy them.
When should you order your invitations?
Invitations should be sent out about 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date to give people time to plan. Your order will typically take about 4 to 6 weeks to arrive so you should order your wedding invitation at least 12 weeks before your wedding so you have time to address them and get them sent out in time.
How much do you plan to spend for your wedding invitations?
Many couples plan to spend about 2% of your wedding budget on their wedding invitations, including postage. It is helpful to have an idea of your price range for wedding invitations before you start looking so that you can choose invitations in your budget range.
Get familiar with the terminology
It’s helpful to know some of the terminology used in printing when you are looking at wedding invitations. This is far from an exhaustive wedding invitation glossary, but it will help you get started.
Border – a design around the edge of the invitation. It may be printed or embossed
Deckle Edge – an irregular edge that looks almost torn like homemade paper
Die-cut – paper that is cut into a distinctive shape or outline
Ecru – an off-white neutral color that is commonly used for formal stationery
Embossing – a printing technique that creates a raised surface
Envelope Liners – inner envelopes or linings for the inside of the outer invitation envelope
Flat Cards or Panel Cards – a single, unfolded card used as an invitation
What are your wedding colors?
If you want to coordinate your wedding invitations with your wedding colors, you will need to know what those colors are. Most traditional and formal wedding invitations don’t include color, but it can be an important consideration for contemporary wedding invitations.
Lisa Parkeris a freelance writer who writes about weddings, often focusing on a specific aspect of weddings such aswedding invitations.
Monday, April 12th, 2010
It seems that everyone is on a budget these days. For this reason, purchases are more heavily scrutinized, and decisions are more thought out. While planning a wedding on a budget can be delicate process, an incredible event can still be orchestrated even while the purse strings are held tightly. There are opportunities for saving money in many areas of a wedding, from the wedding invitations to the thank you cards.
Deciding on wedding invitations is one of the first choices the bride and groom will make. This is a great time to investigate all styles, colors and options available in order to find the best invitations, at the best price as well.
Of course, the happy couple does not want their wedding invitations to look like budget wedding invitations. Fortunately, there are so many wedding invitation options out there that you can find beautiful wedding invitations that do not put a major dent in your wedding budget. Here are just some of the ways that you can save money when buying wedding invitations.
Shop for wedding invitations online
Shopping online gives you a huge marketplace to shop in. You are not confined to the prices that your local printers might charge. Instead, you get to pick from a wide selection of wedding invitation vendors. Be sure to compare prices, delivery dates and quality. A lot of the wedding invitations styles you will find on one site are similar if not identical to wedding invitations that you will find at other wedding web sites. If you keep a watchful eye when comparing price, quality and style, you should have no problem finding invitations you will be excited to send out.
Decide what wedding stationery you need before you order
Do you really need every single piece of stationery that’s offered just because it coordinates with your wedding invitations? Be selective and only order the pieces that you really need. Wedding invitations and envelopes are a must, of course, but can you wait on thank you cards until after the wedding? Also, eliminating save the date cards as well as menu cards are another way to cut costs. Pick and choose only what you need, but be sure to order everything at once so you can save money on shipping costs.
Consider what parts you can do yourself
Beribboned invitations are among the most stylish options available to today’s bride. You can save about 5% off the cost of your invitations by buying double-faced satin ribbon and adding ribbon embellishments to your invitations before you slip them into the envelope.
The ultimate in DIY wedding invitations, of course, is to print your own invitations at home. With a purchased wedding invitation kit, you can even duplicate complicated and beautiful wedding overlay photo invitations that are usually only available through the highest priced printers.
Choose simple themed wedding invitations with one color printing
The more colors that are involved in the printing process, the more the invitation will cost. To keep costs low, choose a wedding invitation style that is printed in one color only. There are some very elegant invitations with silhouette designs printed in one color that can be further embellished if your heart desires.
Order completely coordinated wedding “sets”
You can find beautiful sets of invitations that are designed to coordinate with your entire wedding party. The advantage to choosing wedding invitations at a site that offers everything you need for your wedding is that the colors available for your invitations will be available throughout the full range of their invitation supplies. That means that you can choose a simple invitation and then embellish it with envelope foil inserts, ribbons and insert cards that match each other perfectly.
It also means that you can choose the invitations that you love, and then choose other wedding stationery that coordinates in color, but is from a less expensive line. Mixing and matching that way lets you put your money into the pieces that are more important to you and save on pieces that will coordinate without matching precisely. Your wedding will be unique and beautiful, and within your budget.
Choose a basic invitation and embellish to your heart’s content
The most basic invitations can easily be the most elegant. Choose a simple, one panel flat invitation and then customize it to make it your own. Choose ink color that coordinates with envelope liners, add a vellum wrap and tied it with a matching ribbon. Buy it a la carte and assemble it yourself to save big money on invitations that look like the most expensive ones in the store.
Your wedding invitations are the first impression that your guests will have of your wedding, and your thank you cards are their lasting memory. Choose well, and feel free to mix and match within the range of invitations to find your own perfect style. Your wedding invitations will not only make a lasting impression, they will fit right into your budget and reflect your own unique style for less.
Lisa Parker is a freelance writer who writes about weddings, often focusing on a specific aspect of weddings such aswedding invitations.
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
I found a wedding dress that I absolutely love. However it is a size 10 and I currently am a size16. My wedding is over 18 months away, and I do want to loose the weight; but is 3-4 dress sizes too much?
I’m not buying it form a dress shop
Sunday, March 14th, 2010
I am looking for websites where I can purchase wholesale wedding accessories, for example: garters, chair covers, tiaras, veils, decorations, favors, invitations, etc.. I am looking to buy in bulk, and for wholesale prices. Thanks!
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