Why White? » Budget Saver

Budget Saver – Invitations

Why White — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:16:27 +0000

With invitations, you are already spending hundreds of dollars just to let friends know your wedding date and invite them to your wedding. And you haven’t even gotten to your actual wedding yet! Save some much needed cash with DIY invitations! And get the chance to create them exactly how you like.

Several options are open for you to use when creating your own invitations.

Do you have a close friend or family member who is talented at design? Have him create your invitations on the computer and then print them out. This could be his wedding gift to you.

If you are into stamping, drawing, embossing, or other creative card work, why not make your own invitations from scratch?! This could be a very time consuming project if you have many guests to invite, but the invitations will be extremely special. Enlist a creative friend to help or start working on your invitations early enough to get them all out in time. If you have a smaller guest list, this would be a very feasible option.

Print invitations online. This isn’t quite as creative as making them yourself, but you can still pick colors, font, wording, etc. Check out DIY invitation websites, such as Invitation Kits Direct, where you can print off invitations for under a dollar a piece! Or Formal Invitations for invitation templates and ideas how to embellish. (Note: if you are using vellum, be sure to give the ink plenty of time to dry after printing the wording out)

Send out wedding postcards. Though postcards are simple, they can be elegant or playful, depending on the design of the card. Include your engagement picture for an added touch. Postcards are extremely economical. They are cheaper to mail and you cut back on the cost of envelopes. Because postcards don’t have much space for details, be sure to include your wedding website. Then on your website, give the extra details which usually go on all the extra paper included in invitations, such as the location, maps, gift registries, RSVP, etc. This drastically cuts down on paper and postage costs!

While save-the-date cards are growing in popularity right now, consider skipping them. You will be saving money and another wedding detail to figure out. If you want to send out announcements before your invitations, consider using email or ecards.

Budget Saver – Homemade Favors!

Why White — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:59:34 +0000

How many times have you left a wedding and dumped your favor in the trash after getting home? Don’t let your wedding favors fall into the same cheesy category. Get creative and make up your own favors which are both meaningful and useful. Ones guests will truly appreciate and remember. Plus, you will be saving some money yourself.

Some of the cheapest and most useable favors are edible. Food is fun, and it’s hard to go wrong with a creative treat!

- Bottled water: Put your engagement picture with your wedding date on bottled water. This is especially a hit if your wedding is on a hot summer day!

Photo Credit: Anna_174

- Carmel/candy-covered apples: What’s more tantalizing than carmel-coated apples?! Easy—and fun!—to make. Push a popsicle stick into a apple and roll in hot caramel. Leave apples caramelized, or roll them in graham crackers, sprinkles, your favorite candies, nuts…the list goes on! Gently wrap in cellophane.

- Chocolate covered coffee beans: A coffee connoisseur? Share your love of coffee with your guests. Plus, coffee beans are cheap to purchase.

- Chocolate dipped biscotti: You can bake biscotti a month in advance and freeze until the wedding. Pull them out in time to thaw, wrap them up, or set them out in jars for guests to munch on on their way out.

Photo Credit: tnswedding

- Cookie bar: Bake up bunches of your favorite cookie recipes, place in labeled baskets (or jars), and provide guests with their own snack bags to pick three or four cookies to take home. Definite hit! (Hint: To make baking easier, make cookies with similar ingredients, i.e., chocolate chip, oatmeal. Bake ahead of time and freeze.)

- Hugs and kisses candy: Wrap a few hugs and kisses candy and tie with a note saying, “Hugs and kisses from (your names).”

Photo Credit: Segars1106

- Rock candy: Easy to make, colorful, and tasty—plus very creative!

- Wedding mints: If you’re making your own mints, wrap several in cellophane with a coordinating ribbon, and place them at each guest’s plate (or hand them out as guests walk into the reception room)

Shoes Budget Saver

Why White — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 16:03:27 +0000

Photo Credit: midiman

For us girls, our wedding shoes are about as important to us as our gown. Which can be discouraging when you see the triple-digit price tag on wedding shoes. But you really can save money and still have the cutest pair of wedding shoes! Get creative—and let your personality really pop with your shoes!

Non-traditional is in right now, and just about anything goes for shoes. Or no shoes. Want a care-free feel: go barefoot! This especially works well with beach and outdoor weddings.

One of the best ways to save money on your wedding shoes is to not even glance at the shoes offered at wedding stores. Because they’re called “wedding shoes,” the prices automatically go up. If, though, you find your dream shoes at a bridal store, look online on Amazon and eBay to see if you can find the same pair at a discounted price.

If you want a traditional white pair of shoes, look instead at stores such as Payless or even Wal-Mart. They offer a variety of different styles which could work for a traditional wedding styled shoe.

Search through thrift stores or even your sister’s closet. Even if the shoe is a little worn, shoe polish can do wonders.

Comfort should be high on your list when picking out a pair of wedding shoes. You will be on your feet for most—if not all—of your day. Thankfully, though, comfort doesn’t have to mean frumpy and granny. But keep in mind that wearing six-inch heels all day might not help you get the most enjoyment out of your wedding. If you do want to wear less-than comfy shoes, consider getting two pairs—one for the wedding and a comfortable pair for the reception.

Choose a pair you will wear many times over. Even if they run a little higher, you can still get lots of use out of them later.

Go for flip flops! They come in every imaginable color, and you can decorate them with jewels, crystals, fake flowers, rosettes, ribbons, buttons, whatever you want. Old Navy sells durable flip flops at amazing sale prices.

Photo Credit: sunnyxblax

Wear Converse tennis shoes, picking from their rainbow of color options. Have your bridesmaids wear theirs, or purchase them matching (or mix-matched!) Converse as your gift to them. If you plan to buy Converse brand, look on eBay for good deals or take advantage of sales at local athletic stores.

Live in Texas or just a cowgirl at heart? Cowboy boots are way cute under your frilly gown!

Whatever shoe style you pick, be sure to break them in before your wedding. The last thing you want is to be limping around during your reception and later on your honeymoon because of blisters. Wear them occasionally for an hour around the house to get used to them. If they are slick on the bottom, scuff the soles up with sandpaper to keep from slipping.

Take your shoes with you to your dress alterations. This is essential to get the right length for your dress. If you haven’t picked out your specific shoes yet, make sure you wear the same height of heel you will be wearing at your wedding.

Mints Budget Saver

Why White — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:10:46 +0000

Photo Credit: Flickr/MBK

This wedding mint recipe is so easy! Skip purchasing your wedding mints from a caterer: save money and have fun creating your very own. Simply choose the food colorings to match your wedding colors, pick a few mint molds which coordinate with your theme, and you have mints made exactly to order. Make them yourself or ask a friend!

Wedding Mints

8 oz package cream cheese
2 lb bag powdered sugar
Dash of food coloring
1 tsp mint flavoring
Mint molds
Granulated sugar

Mix together (will be play dough consistency). Tear small amounts away from lump, roll in granulated sugar, and press into mint molds.

Pop them out when you are ready to serve!

A beautiful, easy—and inexpensive—punch for your wedding reception!

Why White — Mon, 24 May 2010 00:07:24 +0000

Making your own wedding punch is a simple yet effective way to cut down on some of your reception costs! It only takes a quick couple minutes to mix together, and you have a delicious drink to serve to your guests. Grab the ingredients while you are out grocery shopping and keep them in your refrigerator to have ready.

This punch recipe is small and only makes three quarts, which serves twelve (one cup servings). Multiply the ingredients to fit your reception size.

46oz can of unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled
¾ cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
20 oz bottle club soda, chilled
1 small fresh lemon, thinly sliced
1 c frozen raspberries

Mix liquids together. Garnish by placing a single raspberry in the middle of each floating lemon slice.

A beautiful, easy—and inexpensive—punch for your wedding reception!

Budget Savers: With a Little Help From Our Friends

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:33:14 +0000

One of the best ways to cut down on your wedding costs is to ask family and friends to help out with some of your numerous wedding details. Many you know have talents which they could easily apply to your wedding for a professionally done appearance.

Usually, those close to you are more than willing to lend a helping hand for anything you could require. It makes them feel special and needed when they play an important part in helping you get ready for your big day. As an added incentive and to let them know how much you appreciate all they do for you, let their help be their wedding gifts to you.

The following are a few ideas you can have others help you with.

Flowers: Ask someone to home grow them for you. Or have someone arrange your flower decorations and bouquets.
Music: Have a musical friend play for your wedding. Or if you know a DJ, ask him to organize the music for you.
Website: Ask your computer geek friend to organize a wedding website for you
Photography: Your wedding photography doesn’t have to be taken by a professional. Ask a couple friends good with a camera to take the pictures of your wedding.
Invitations: An artsy friend could design your invitations and help you get them addressed and mailed.
Food: Depending on how big you want your reception spread, ask various people to make specific dishes for you, instead of having it all catered.
Cake/cupcakes: A friend who likes to bake can make your cake or cupcakes, rather than ordering one from a bakery.
Punch: Ask a bridesmaid to grab some ingredients from the local grocery store and stir up an easy but tasty punch recipe
Mints: Wedding mints are simple to make. Spend an afternoon with a friend, creating these out of ingredients you probably already have at home.
Dress alteration: A friend who knows how to sew can save you hundreds by helping you alter your wedding gown to fit perfectly.
Wedding favors: Have your bridesmaids help you put together homemade wedding favors, rather than buying them already made.
Hair: Some people have a real knack for making hair look gorgeous. Enlist their help for styling you and your bridesmaids’ hair.
Makeup: A Mary Kay or Avon friend could get your makeup ready.
Wedding organizer: Have a reliable, organized friend help you with all the details, rather than hiring one.
Location: A beautiful backyard, home, or farm could be the perfect setting for your wedding. Ask if you can host your wedding or reception at a friend’s home.

Check back for articles on making your own punch and wedding mints—on a budget!

Budget Saver: eBay Wedding Gowns

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:34:34 +0000

Photo Credit: Flickr/Dunikowski

Planning a wedding on a budget doesn't mean you have to skimp on your wedding gown. You can still be the princess you always dreamed of without spending thousands—or even hundreds—on a dress. Instead, head to eBay.com and start saving. eBay has hundreds of discounted wedding dresses for sale—including 2010 designer wedding gowns for just over $100/£80, including postage!

Before searching on eBay for your dress, be sure to get your current measurements, preferably taken by a seamstress. As wedding dresses typically run much smaller, you don't want to shop for your gown online by your typical dress size. Carefully read the gown measurements outlined on the seller's page.

As you obviously will not have the opportunity to try on a dress before making a purchase, it is helpful to know what dress style you like the best and flatters you the most. Browse bridal shops and try on a few dresses to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

When searching for a dress on eBay, use the “wedding dress finder,” located after you type in a wedding dress search. It will be on the left-hand side of the page. Use this to help you sift through the dress options.

When you find a gown you like, give close attention to the details given on the eBay seller's page. Check on the return and insurance shipping policies covering your dress. You will need to be familiar with these in case your dress is not what you were expecting once you receive it, or if it comes damaged in the mail.

Read the details in the seller's feedback. Oftentimes negative feedbacks are left because a disgruntled or inexperienced buyer hasn't sought to solve problems correctly before posting a rating. See how the seller has handled these problems. If it's less than satisfactory, shop elsewhere.

Don't be afraid to ask the seller for more specific information on a dress, or to ask for other pictures. It's an important purchase, and you have the prerogative to gather all the details you need to know. The seller should be happy to accommodate you.

For a real budget saver after the wedding, consider reselling your dress (on eBay, of course), helping another future bride save on her wedding.