Wedding Scheduling Savings - Are They Worth It?

There are a lot of ways to save money on your wedding - including savings based on how you schedule your wedding. Some of them will save you a lot of money. But the question that must be asked of every opportunity is, "At what cost?" Like everything in life, there is no such thing as a freebie. There is a cost to any decision we make in the scheduling of a wedding the important thing is that we think it through before we make the choice so that we won't have the rude awakening of a ill informed decision.

One such option to save money - sometimes big money - presents itself when a bride chooses a wedding date other than on Saturday. The reason is simple. Saturday is the most popular day for weddings so wedding professionals are busiest on Saturdays. Choosing another wedding day often rewards you with lower prices.

But... the cost of these savings based on when you schedule your wedding can be staggering. There is a reason, after all, that Saturday's became the preferred choice to schedule a wedding in our culture so we discard that option at our own peril if we don't think through the decision first.

• The cost in Guests: Imagine a couple who saves huge money on their facility rental by choosing a date other than Saturday. They send out their invitations and receive their RSVP's. Only a couple of potential guests indicate that they might have been able to come if the ceremony had been on Saturday. But what about the other's who simply RSVP'd in the negative?
• The Cost in Family Relations: Think about the extended family - people who genuinely want to come to your wedding, but through whatever circumstances don't have vacation time to spare. If you wedding was on Saturday they could have jumped in the car Friday night and driven hard to make it to your wedding and done the same on Sunday and not had to miss work. This is a recipe for family tension and resentment. Is that how you want to join each other's families?
• The Cost in Wedding Professionals: Many of the best wedding professionals are those individuals who do it as a side business just because they love weddings and they love their discipline. For them it is a labor of love, so they limit their business so they can focus on what they love without having to divide their attention with things like payroll etc. The trade off is that these men and women often have day jobs so not only might they not be able to offer you a lower price... they might have to charge you a higher price to compensate for the income lost from their day job! Yikes.

These are just a few of the costs associated with trying to save money by your wedding scheduling choices where is pertains to the days of the week. No doubt there are many more deeply hidden costs than we could cover in this space.

It is important, though, to recognize that there are some ways to save money on your wedding simply by your scheduling choices that not only don't have the same costs, but will benefit your guests at the same time.

• Check your community's calendar before you choose a date: Steer clear of dates that coincide with community parades, events, or conventions that are coming to town that might make traffic difficult and hotel rooms nearly impossible to get.
• Consider the weather patterns in your area: Avoid time periods when extreme weather is likely for the area where your wedding is to be held or you could end up paying for some elements of your wedding even when a storm has made it impossible to hold the wedding.
• Choose a date that falls outside the traditional peak season for weddings: Needless to say, your wedding professionals aren't going to be particularly inclined to give you a price break when they are already swamped, but approach them for a date when they are likely to be sitting on their hands and they might. You never know. Of course, even with this you have to be careful - peak season is peak season for a reason and whatever that reason is in your area, it could affect you.

The point is that while you can save big money on your wedding by how you schedule your wedding, to get a wedding that is a real bargain you have to think beyond the dollar signs.

How to Make Your Budget Work for Your Wedding

This is going to sound obvious. I know that. Yet I can't tell you how often I see brides trying to stretch an already thin wedding budget to the point of breaking.

The answer is simple: Prioritize.

By prioritizing you can set a budget that puts the emphasis on the elements of the wedding that are important to you. It might mean that you get that grand, dramatic ceremony that you have always dreamed of with spotlights illuminating you as you enter the otherwise darkened room. In exchange you sacrifice the catered dinner in a local hotel ballroom in favor of a simple, yet elegant garden tea reception. Or maybe you forgo the professional photographer and get friends with digital camera's to record your day. Maybe it's the cake that's not important to you...

It's all a matter of how to create a wedding day that you will look back at with fondness when all is taken into consideration. Decide what's important to you. Do those things, and leave the rest alone. It's not worth the stress of trying to create something from a budget that approaches nothing.

Remember, weddings don't have to be expensive to be memorable but they do have to be personal. If your wedding budget is too thin, don't try make it stretch so you end up with a bunch of shoddy elements scattered about your wedding. Get married in a local farmer's cherry or pear orchard in the spring while the trees are in full blossom and skip most (or all) of the rest of the flowers. Skip the three tiered cake that tastes like sawdust covered in sweet lard if you can't afford a quality cake and serve some pre-cut deserts instead.

Take some time to study each of the disciplines involved in the wedding industry and learn what you are really buying from them (hint: It is rarely what it appears at first glance) and then decide what you can do without to make your budget provide you with the best nuptial celebration your budget can afford.

Wedding Dresses: The Medieval Theme

What could be more romantic than a medieval themed wedding? But to have this type of wedding you need to look for wedding dresses with a medieval theme. After all, would your favorite movie work for you if the actors were in clothing that didn't fit the theme of the movie? The same is true with planning a medieval themed wedding. You will end up undermining your own medieval themed wedding if you don't take the effort to find a wedding dress that will support your wedding theme.

Fortunately, finding this type of wedding gown is normally fairly simple since most bridal shops now carry medieval themed wedding gowns. But even if no shop in your area carries a gown that fits your theme there are more options for finding your wedding dress than we can discuss here.

Wedding dresses with a medieval theme have become so popular today, that there are designers who devote their efforts to creating masterpieces in this specific fashion. Dresses from popular designers are often available to view on the Internet. Why not take some time and browse around for that perfect dress to set off your medieval theme.

The generally accepted medieval style of wedding dress is slim fitting – flaring out to fullness at the hem. A girdle or corset is generally worn above the hips and laced in front. The sleeves are generally tight to the wrist with a shorter open sleeve cascading to hem level.

These wedding dresses with a medieval theme usually have... more

Get Your Groom Involved

Virtually every bride in North America has the same problem. Their groom seems reluctant to get involved in the process of planning the wedding. There are many theories about why grooms tend to shy away from the wedding planning arena, and no doubt many of them have merit. But the real question at hand is what do we do about it? Is it possible to get your groom active in the wedding planning process?

Actually, the answer is yes - and in many cases it's an easy fix. Often not only can you get them involved in your wedding plans but you can get them to gladly take over many of the tasks that take up so much of your time. We're talking about things like taking charge of the responsibility to communicate all the important details about your wedding to your wedding guests as your plans evolve. Likewise, youmight be surprise how much they'll be willing to take over responsibilities like haring your love story through pictures, music, and video. Things like managing your RSVP's.

Seriously.

By investing in a wedding website you can give him something to do that he will enjoy doing in the wedding planning process because it caters to his strengths and interests. After all, boys do tend to love their toys – and the more high tech the better in most cases.

But how can a wedding website help the planning process? And ultimately, what jobs from your massive list might you be able to shed?

Instant Communication with Your Guests

Without a wedding website a major change in your plans after you invitation went out means a second mailing. That can cost a lot of money. A website devoted to your wedding plans can save you time and hassle because it provides a centralized place that anyone with access to the Internet can go to find your wedding information. That means that you can be rid of the worries about making sure that your cousin John or Aunt Debbie has the date and time of your wedding. This is because once they have the web address and password for your wedding website they can check on the latest changes whenever they want to so now, instead of a second formal mailing a simple email reminder to check the website for the latest information is all that is needed.

Instant Access to Your Planner

Imagine being able to access your wedding planner anytime of the day and anywhere you can get an Internet connection. Wouldn't that be useful?

• Wouldn't it be helpful to be able to pull up a list of the people that have RSVP'd when you are at your caterer office?
• Wouldn't it be nice to pull up a copy of your facility agreement's list of do's and don'ts while you are at your florist?
• Wouldn't... more

Stop Planning Your Wedding! (Until You've Read This)

This is one of those things that sounds like something you can skip over in the wedding planning process... but if you do you'll kick yourself later. So do yourself a favor and slow down long enough to read this carefully and act on it. It will really save you a lot of time in the long run.

Planning a wedding is a big job... No, it's a HUGE job that in many cases is comparable to staging a theatrical show. And more, it's a job most of us only do once or twice in a lifetime which means that unless you are hiring a wedding planner - someone with experience pulling all the threads together - you are going to have to be more organized than ever before.

So however you like to organize your self; whether you are using a part of a drawer in a filing cabinet, an expandable file, or computer software to organize all your wedding plans - know this: Your wedding organizational system will only work for you as long as you actually use one!

It's not enough to choose a system to organize your wedding plans. If all of the quotes and magazine clippings you get end up in piles spread out all over your home your organizational system won't help you a bit.

So, if you haven't chosen a organizational system for your wedding plans, stop what you are doing and chose one now. You can always change systems later if you find something that works better - and I will give you some ideas for things that have worked for other people soon... It will save you a ton of time down the road.

Fun Wedding Planning Organizational System

This really is an incredibly useful tool. By using this one single tool you will find your self more prepared to plan each step of your wedding as the time comes.

What is this tool?

Scrap booking!

You read that right. Create a scrapbook of wedding ideas from pictures that you find... wherever you find them.

You see, every bride needs a way of organizing her wedding planning materials and if you are already one that likes to scrap book then this option is a natural - assuming you take the time to actually do it.

If you attend a wedding and see something you like, take a snapshot of it, then print the picture out when you get home and put it in your wedding planning scrapbook. If you see a picture of a wedding cake or dress in a magazine, get a copy and put it in your scrapbook. If you find a picture of a bouquet on the Internet print it out and put it in your scrapbook. That way when you get to time to plan any particular aspect of your wedding you aren't wasting time looking for that picture of... and your wedding professional will actually be able to see exactly what you have in mind. It saves a lot of time and difficulty. And it's fun too!

Now you have an excuse to play! Have fun.

Barefoot Sandals: Bridal Comfort

Nothing's more comfortable than bare feet - which is why Barefoot Sandals created with genuine Swarovski Crystals and pearls are the bridal footwear accessory to help you shine on your wedding day. Whether you're having a wedding on the beach, in a garden setting, or in a traditional church setting there's going to come a time when you are going to want to loose those high heels in favor of something more comfortable.

Your wedding reception is your chance to celebrate. But that's not all. It's also your opportunity to see friends and family that you probably haven't seen for quite a while... which means that you'll be on your feet most of the day - so make sure you can do it with bridal footwear that provides the comfort and style of Barefoot Sandals.

What are Barefoot Sandals?

Not to be mistaken for bridal flip flops, Barefoot Sandals are a kind of bridal footwear that amounts jewelry for your feet. With the result being that you have the beauty of elegant sandals and the freedom of being barefoot. This is because... more