Wedding Planning

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Save Money On Your Wedding Dress

If you don’t want to shell out a lot of money on your wedding dress, you are not alone. I know many who have saved a lot of money on their dress by buying something that was deeply discounted because it was a year off-season. If you're not able to find a wedding dress this way, it might be better to consider purchasing a second-hand wedding dress. Don't dismiss this idea, remember there are many brides to be who use their mother's or grandmother's wedding dress on the day. I know wearing a second-hand dress is not the same, but remember the principle is the same.

Most wedding dresses have only been used once, depending on where you purchase them.

Anyway, wedding dresses are usually worn once then cleaned and stored away, or even sold. Some used wedding dresses are sometimes brand new. There are occasions weddings are cancelled and the bride wants to urgently get rid of her dress. Usually the bride wants to get her money back and also the memory of the day that never happened.  Yes very sad but a reality.

You should be able to find second-hand wedding dresses everywhere.   There are many online sites you can purchase these from. Don’t forget to check auction sites like eBay, TradeMe (if in New Zealand) and classifieds for your area. You have to consider what size you want, and perhaps what style, and this will make your search for used wedding dresses a little easier by helping you weed out what won’t fit or what you don’t like early. If you're really only wanting a second-hand wedding dress for fancy dress or Halloween, just go down to your local fancy dress store, second-hand shop or thrift shop. 

There is the added expense of cleaning a second-hand wedding dress, so make sure you keep that in mind when purchasing.

It is probably important you get your dress cleaned if second-hand, even if the previous owner claims they had already cleaned it.  You will also still have to pay for alterations, but these shouldn’t be too bad. All these added expenses beats paying thousands for a new wedding dress when you could possibly get it as cheap as $200. If you are really lucky, you will find a dress that fits perfectly, but this is a rarity. Most bridal stores will do alterations for you if you make an appointment, even if you didn’t get your dress through them. Make sure you call ahead to find out though. If they can't do it themselves, they may be able to pass you on to someone else.

So good luck in your search for that perfect wedding dress!

Thursday 1 May 2014

13 Great Wedding Tips to Save Money on Your Wedding


·         Cut your guest list down. You'll save in many areas, e.g. catering costs, wedding invitations,  place settings, etc. Yes I know some people will be disappointed they're not invited, but people are quite understanding nowadays.  I'm sure, as long as you explain they'll be fine. 

·         Why have your wedding on a Saturday.  Why not change to a Friday instead.  The added bonus is you have all day Saturday and/or Sunday to catch up with family and friends before going off  on your honeymoon. 

·         Honeymoon - keep an eye out for holiday specials before your wedding. 

·         Plan your wedding for off-peak season.  You'll be amazed at how much you will save in many areas, i.e. wedding venues.    

·         Shop in off -peak season for extra decor.  You can pick up pretty red or pink vases after Valentines Day or modern black after Halloween.

·         Hold the ceremony and reception at the same place.  Some suppliers charge by the hour so you'll make savings on travel time.

·         Flowers - use more greenery than flowers or look around your neighborhood,  or family and friends' gardens, see what you can find in their gardens.  Maybe stick to just one or two kinds of flowers. Buy flowers that are in season.  You can also include non-floral decorations, like lanterns.

·         Collect wines on special during the year before your wedding.  If you pick up two bottles of wine a week for a whole year, that's 52 bottles of wine.  Red wine is better as it matures, but white wine, make sure it's not too old.

·         Cakes - order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden out the back).  Remember fruit cake can be more expensive than a banana or chocolate cake.

·         Reuse the wedding flowers to put on the cake table if you've got a small and simple cake.

·         Do your own wedding invites on the computer, or there are a lot of printing websites with specials all the time. Take advantage of these.

·         Make your cake part of the wedding favours.

·         Photographs - ask a few of your best friends to take photos for you, the more organized photos, and ask friends for copies of theirs after the wedding.  You may find them on Facebook later on anyway.