In the early stages of wedding planning, many brides have a lot of fun perusing bridal magazines and wedding websites for inspiration. The only problem is that when it comes time to start bringing your vision to life, many of the elements can end up being way more costly than you ever imagined. To trim expenses while still having the beautiful wedding you designed, try substituting similar, but more affordable, elements for your ceremony and reception. You can end up with a wedding that meets your every expectation, including the total budget.

Instead of this: A six tier wedding cake decorated with handmade sugar flowers, a la Silvia Weinstock.

Substitute this: A cake with a real bottom tier and upper tiers made from Styrofoam. Once the whole cake is frosted, it will be impossible to tell that the top layers are fake. Decorate with fresh flowers instead of labor intensive sugar blossoms to save even more money.

Instead of this: A stack of diamond bracelets from Harry Winston (sorry, girls, they only let you borrow them if you are a movie star headed for the Academy Awards!).

Substitute this: A stack of sparkling Swarovski crystal bracelets. The Swarovski crystal bracelets will be glamorous and sparkly, yet won’t cost as much as a down payment on a house.

Instead of this: Custom letterpress wedding invitations, save-the-date cards, and thank you notes with your monogram on them.

Substitute this: Imprintable wedding stationery with a letterpress motif, such as a flower or a bird. The paper will have a lovely letterpress design on it, but you will save hundreds by doing the printing of the words yourself on a high quality home printer. There are a huge number of beautiful letterpress imprintable invitations from which you can order, both online and through traditional stationers.

Instead of this: A silk wedding gown which is heavily embellished with intricate crystal beadwork.

Substitute this: A simple silk wedding gown with a bold crystal trim around the waistline. You can get more sparkle by choosing a veil with crystal accents, crystal bridal jewelry, and a crystal tiara, but none of it will add up to as much as a gown which has been painstakingly handbeaded for countless hours.

Instead of this: Thousands of roses for your bridal bouquets, reception centerpieces, and ceremony decor.

Substitute this: A combination of roses with less costly flowers. Lisianthus are a favorite secret weapon of florists when trying to cut the cost of the floral budget as they have a very similar look to roses at a lower price. Use them to add fullness to your wedding arrangements without driving the price sky high.

About the Author Laura Firenze

Laura helps brides with their wedding plans by offering advice on selecting bridesmaids gifts,reception ideas and other aspects of planning a wedding. Visit us at http://silverlandjewelry.com/ to see our spectacular collection of Swarovski crystal bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. All jewelry orders over $99 ship for free, so visit today!

Before the show

1. Make a list of what services you are looking for. Do you have a photographer yet? If not, put that on the list. If you don’t have flowers yet then put that on the list also.

2. Print out labels with your name, phone #, email address, and wedding date! (If you have room add your address also.) Many of the booths have drawings for prizes. They have forms to fill out to register for the drawing. By printing out labels you can just stick that to the vendors form and then get to the important stuff…checking out the vendors products and/or services! I’ve noticed some people just print out paper with their info on but labels are better as you can stick them onto the vendors form. If you don’t want to print out your own check out online companies like Vista Print where you can often get some printed for free!

3. Check out the wedding shows website to see what vendors will be there. If you need a photographer then check out all the photographers that will be there. If you need a cake…do the same.

4. Decide what you’re looking for in the vendors you still need. For example, for a DJ do you want one that plays games with the guests to get them involved or one that plays songs to keep the dance floor packed? Do you want a photographer that provides you with albums or do you just want a full resolution disk of your photos to do what you want with? Make a list of what you are looking for and questions you want to ask them.

5. Once you see what vendors will be there in the categories you need then check out their websites. By doing this you can get a preview of their work and get an idea if it’s a vendor you’d like to work with. Add the vendors you’re interested in to your list of services needed.
wedding flowers, bridal flowers

At the show

1. Bring with you the list of services needed and vendors you’re interested in as well as your labels. Also bring a notepad and pen to take notes.

2. Bring a camera to take pictures of any ideas you want to incorporate into your wedding.

3. Bring your checkbook. Many vendors offer specials if you book while at the show. However, don’t book a vendor just because of a show special. If you have any doubts about them…wait until you get to have a one on one meeting with them to book.

4. Bring your mom or a friend whose opinion you trust. Plus, as a bonus, they can help you carry things!

5. Register when you get to the show and be sure to grab the map or program they provide so you can locate the vendors you’re interested in.

6. Many people attending bridal shows head straight for the cake vendors because they are giving out free cake. I know it’s tempting to do this…but if you already have a cake vendor booked…don’t get caught up in the long lines just for a free piece of cake! If you do need a cake vendor then definitely check them out, but keep them for the end of the show as that’s when the lines will be the shortest.

7. Take notes! You will probably meet with multiple vendors offering the same services so be sure to take notes so you remember who you like and why. And be sure to ask the questions you listed before the show.

After the show

1. Pull out the brochures and/or business cards from the vendors you liked.

2. Call or email those vendors to set up consultations so you can see more of their work and so you can get to know them to make sure your personalities “click”!

I hope these tips help you! Now find some bridal shows to attend and have fun!

About the Author

Melissa Miville is owner and event planner of Stylish Occasions by Melissa Miville. Melissa specializes in wedding day coordination as well as full and partial wedding planning. Check out her website at http://www.yourstylishoccasions.com and her blog at http://stylishoccasions.wordpress.com to get more info.

If you want to have a eco-friendly wedding visit Charm City as she shares information on how to attend the Mid-Atlantic Green Wedding Bridal Show.

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It may be the “bride’s day,” but remember that you can’t get there alone. A wedding planner can be your advocate and your voice, especially when you’re not around. The key to a successful working relationship begins with finding the right person to join forces with as an invincible team. Once you’ve decided that you’d like to hand over some wedding tasks to a seasoned pro, you’ll need to schedule some phone or face-to-face consultations with a few in your area. These meetings should leave you with a clear idea of which planner best suits your needs and personality, so it’s best to come prepared with the right questions. Here’s what you need to know to find the perfect match.

1. The Know How - Does the wedding planner offer all the services you need? Come prepared with a list of things you’d like help with, and review your list together. To give you an idea, this printable wedding planner can walk you through each wedding task that you can potentially hand over to a professional.

2. Money Talks - Does the planner’s service fees work within your budget, and is the planner able to commit to your total wedding budget while planning your event?

3. The Right Connections - Does the planner have a network of reliable professionals and can s/he refer you to those that match your style and budget?

4. Prime Negotiator - Will the planner be able to help you save on any aspects of your wedding – either by negotiating the best prices, scoring vendor discounts or obtaining added extras?

5. Etiquette Guru – Is the wedding planner knowledgeable on etiquette matters, and can s/he steer you in the right direction?

6. Trend Savvy - Is the planner in-the-know on the latest wedding trends and styles?

7. Straight Troubleshooter - Can the planner coordinate all logistics with vendors and the wedding party to ensure everything runs smoothly? With a professional on hand – you should be able to enjoy your day like a guest and leave the details to them.

8. Personality Plus - In the end, it’s all about a positive relationship and trust. Do you like this person? Try to get a sense for how well you think you’ll work together.

9. Always the Professional – Ask to see the planner’s business license, professional organization membership or any indication that s/he is a certified business professional and not just moonlighting as a wedding planner.

10. Seal of Approval - Ask to see reference letters. Be wary if s/he cannot provide any.

Still have questions about wedding planners? This complete guide has everything you need to know about hiring and working with a wedding planner.

Cori Russell is editor for Elegala.com and Gala Weddings Magazine. Elegala.com is a complete Weddings and Wedding Planning resource with a national directory of wedding venues and services, how-to guides, photo galleries, checklists, and expert advice to walk brides through every step of the wedding planning process.

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