Saving Money on the Groom's Tuxedo

The traditional choice of wedding attire for the groom is a tuxedo. However, buying a tuxedo is virtually unheard of in many places. Renting is probably the way to go to realize the ultimate savings on the groom’s attire. If you were to buy a tuxedo, the average cost would be somewhere between $300 and $500. This is not exactly the way to go when trying to save money on a wedding!

If you do want to buy a tux, check in thrift stores, consignment shops and online to find discounted tuxes. Buying off the rack will cost you a lot more money.

Typically, renting a tux will cost you anywhere from $50 to $100. That rental will include everything the groom will need to look like Prince Charming. This means cuff links, shoes, vest and tie.

Many places offer the groom’s tux rental free when the wedding party rents from the same store. Be sure to ask about a perk like this.

If the groom wants to own his own tuxedo, we suggest a local thrift store or consignment shop. You may also want to consider a discount wedding store or you could even buy online e.g. at eBay.

Yet another great consideration when outfitting the guys in the wedding party is to have them wear nice suits or even casual slacks and a nice shirt. Not every wedding party has to be ultra formal - it’s all up to you!

Source: Zimbio

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With all the expenses involved in planning a wedding, you will want to save money wherever you can. Unlike the wedding dress, the groom’s tuxedo is usually rented, making the expense much less. If you are planning a wedding on a budget, you can save money on the groom’s rental by following these steps.

Start looking for tuxedo rentals early. The longer you wait to rent the groom’s tuxedo, the less chance you will have to find a good deal. Start looking for the groom’s tuxedo as soon as you begin planning for the wedding.

Step2
Wear your own shoes. When you have black dress shoes, wear these instead of the rental shoes. This can save you a lot of money and rental shoes tend to be uncomfortable.

Step3
Borrow a tuxedo from someone that owns one. When you have a friend that owns a tuxedo in the same size as the groom, borrowing the tux would be a great way to cut costs.

Step4
Watch for specials and coupons for tuxedo rentals. Keep an eye on the newspaper for specials on tuxedo rental. Check expos for coupons that could save money on the groom’s tuxedo rental.

Step5
Get the package discount. Have the groom and the groomsmen rent their tuxedos together. Most tuxedo rental stores offer package discounts when you rent multiple tuxedos at one time.

Source: eHow: Weddings

Saving on the Wedding Cake

♥ Fresh finds
Top your cake with fresh fruit or flowers. Sugar-icing and marzipan decorations are labor-intensive and costly. Think lightweight fruits that won't sink into the cake, such as cherries, strawberries or small bunches of sugared grapes.

♥ Simple designs
An easy-to-make Swiss dot pattern, for example, is less expensive than labor-intensive basket weaves or lace patterns. Cut costs even more by asking for a perfectly smooth surface with strips of wide ribbon tied around each tier.

♥ Just for show
Have a small, beautiful wedding cake on display for the ceremonial cutting with extra sheet cakes waiting in the kitchen to serve your guests.

♥ Delicious desserts
Do away with the traditional wedding cake in favor of cupcakes, pies, cheesecakes or pastries stacked on trays in tiers.

♥ Fake it
If you want a tall, dramatic cake but don't have the cash to pay for it, ask your confectioner to make the bottom tiers out of real cake and the rest out of iced Styrofoam.

♥ Nix the groom's cake
Though a fun tradition, groom's cakes can be pricey—especially if you're going for an elaborate theme.

♥ Stick to one flavor
Variety is nice, but you'll save money if your baker only has to create one type of cake and filling.

♥ Sizing it up
The savings are in the shape. A square cake will serve 10 to 30 percent more people than a round cake of the same dimensions.

♥ Go with a pro
Novices, even a well-meaning friend, could end up costing you more in failed attempts.

♥ Treasured toppers
An heirloom antique topper adds a personal touch—and a free way to decorate your cake.

Source: TeamSugar

Save Money on a Wedding Photographer

The top three wedding expenses are usually the wedding location, the wedding dress, and the photographer. When so much time, effort, money and love have gone into this one special day, it's understandable that one would want it to be preserved beautifully on film. There are ways however
to save significant money on a wedding photographer without sacrificing quality.

College Students- If your local college has an art program, it's highly likely they have photography program within it. By calling the college directory, you can get the names of photography professors or department heads. When you reach them, ask if they have senior level students who are excelling at action and portrait photography. More than likely, they will be able to give you the contact information for a few bright and talented students who have the training to take beautiful pictures, yet not charge you an arm and a leg.

Craig's List- Many fledgling photographers advertise on this site. These photographers often offer great deals if allow them to use your photographs to help build up their professional photographers.

The Knot- This website is an incredible wedding resource, and includes listings for local photographers, both who have a studio and who are freelance. This will give you a great idea of who's out there in your area so that you can compare prices. If you're looking to save money, your best bet is to go with a freelance photographer who doesn't have a studio. This avoids raised rates due to high overhead.

Ask around- More than likely, you have a friend, relative or co-worker who knows a good photographer. This could be someone they've used in the past, or know personally. A personal connection can often help to get you a great price reduction, or give you a lead to a photographer who might not advertise to the general public.

When dealing with an amateur photographer or student, there are a few things you can do to ensure you still get professional grade photos at a reasonable rate.

Source: Associated Content

Ways to Save Money on the Honeymoon

Some couples worry that they can't afford a great honeymoon, especially after footing the bill for parts of the wedding and the reception. However, there are a number of ways you can save money on your honeymoon plans.

First, choose a closer location. It is much cheaper to fly to Mexico than Italy, for example. Many places in the continental United States or just outside its boundaries can be wonderful honeymoon locales. Another option is to opt on driving to your destination � you'll save money on airfare.Second, pick a cheaper room in a nicer hotel. No one wants to spend their honeymoon in a dumpy motel on the side of the road, but you can usually find very affordable rates for some rooms in the more upscale hotels. Sure, you may not have a view of the beach or the mountains or whatever, but you're not really going to spend much time in your room looking out the window, right?

Third, look for package deals. Package deals often include everything � meals, room, local transportation, etc. In the long run, these packages may cost you a few extra hundred dollars but that's a lot less than you would be paying if you paid for each thing separately. Packages can often be booked online which might spell even bigger savings.

Fourth, choose off-season destinations. Almost every location you could choose has a time when they are more packed with tourists. Everyone in the tourism business knows this and raises rates during that time in order to increase their profits. By going during the off-season, you can save hundreds of dollars on the cost of your hotel.

Fifth, if your budget is limited then you may want to consider using a honeymoon registry. With the registry, you plan the details of your honeymoon through a travel site or agent, then your guests contribute money to cover those costs. This is especially effective if you don't really need traditional wedding gifts.

Sixth, if you're planning on a stay of more than a couple of days, you should book a room that includes kitchen facilities. You can save a ton of money by preparing your own food and having romantic dinners or breakfasts in the coziness of your romantic hideaway. You might still want to take away some money for a few restaurant splurges, but not dining out two to three times a day can save you almost $100 daily on the costs of your vacation.

Seventh, you should let everyone know you're on your honeymoon. You might not save money this way but many hotels will provide you with bonuses just because you're a newly married couple. For example, some hotels will include a free bottle of champagne in your room while others will upgrade your room to a suite free of charge. When you're dining out, talking up the fact that you're on your honeymoon could get you a better table, free wine, and maybe even a free dessert.

Even if you're low on money now, you can still book a room in your city for a couple of nights and spend that time alone together without interruptions from the outside world. It may not be Aruba or an African safari, but it will be a magical honeymoon. Then, maybe a few years down the road, you can save up the money to go on a fabulous trip as a second honeymoon.

Source: Your Honeymoon

Biggest Wedding Money Wasters

It's great to find ways of throwing a lavish bash without a lavish budget. But the best way to save money on your wedding is to avoid the things that aren't worth it at any price.

Regardless of budget size, brides of all kinds say that after the wedding, there were several things on which they wished that they hadn't wasted their money. For every person, this list will be different of course. But here is a brutally honest look at what I think are simply not worth it.

Top 5 Biggest Wedding Money Wasters

1. Meaningless and Expensive Wedding Favors Wedding favors can be a thoughtful way of saying thank you to your guests. But far too often they're a meaningless knickknack. Your guests don't need a candy dish, or a little silver bell. Don't think their cute place card holder doubles as a favor; what are they going to do with one place card? And do you really want a plastic Frisbee with your friends' wedding date on it?

You're going to spend a lot of money on things that will just collect dust, or end up in the trash. I think it's far better to not give favors, or to make a donation to a charity. But cute favors include ones that are personal to the bride and groom. You might give food favors from the city you live in, or a box of your very favorite chocolates.

One of my favorite ideas is a breakfast bag. Send guests home with some beautiful muffins, a couple of good quality tea bags, and perhaps a little pot of jam or honey. The next morning they'll be sure to enjoy your treat as they reminisce about everything that happened.

Money Saving Tip: Some of the most thoughtful wedding favors can be handmade. Put together a booklet of family recipes, or create a CD with an insert explaining why you chose each song.

2. Endless Bride and Groom Swag It may be fun to have a pair of track pants that say "Bride" across your butt, but how long are you really going to wear them? You certainly don't need to own multiple pieces of clothing that say "bride" or "groom" because they've got a limited shelf-life. And, you do have an identity beyond that of a bride. You don't own a sweatshirt that trumpets your profession, do you? So why would you want people out in public to see you first and foremost as a bride?

Perhaps the biggest money waster of all is giving your bridal party "bridesmaid" and "groomsman" gear. Do you really think that groomsman is ever going to wear that tacky hat ever again? Do you think he'll even enjoy wearing it the first time?

Money Saving Tip Buy a pair of pajama pants or underwear that says "bride" or "groom." Rather than feeling embarrassed about wearing a bride sweatshirt out in public, clothing meant for the home will remind the two of you of your wedding day. Leave the other bridal swag at the store.

3. Huge Wedding Cakes Some couples only invite 50 guests, but they still order a cake that serves 300. With cakes going for $2-$15 a slice, that extra size adds up quickly. While a large cake looks impressive, a small cake can be charming. If height is a priority, consider asking your baker to use a separator set, and adding fresh flowers between the layers. Or, use a large cake topper, such as this tiered floral centerpiece.

Money Saving Tip If you are having more than 100 guests, ask for a display cake that only feeds 100 people. Use inexpensive sheet cakes in the back to feed the extra guests. No one will know the difference!

Read More: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Cake Designer

4. Too Many Mementos The wedding industry loves to sell you goods by promising they will be keepsakes you can pass down to your children. Having mementos of your special day is a good thing, but you don't need very many. Put together a wedding album, and perhaps preserve your wedding dress. But deeply consider every other item. Do you really need a personalized pen to sign the guest book? Is preserving your bouquet worth the money and the space in your home? You don't need to have a wedding video, unless you will really watch it and enjoy it regularly. And not every toasting glass, picture frame, and photo album needs to be monogrammed with your wedding date.

Rather than filling up your house with tons of wedding mementos, leave room for creating new memories.

Money Saving Tip If an album is not included in your wedding photography package, consider doing it for yourself! That way, you can include the shots that are most important to you, as well as any mementos like your wedding program.

Read More: Capture those memories on film with a Wedding Photography Shot Checklist

5. Too Many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Have you ever seen a wedding with more than a dozen attendants? It starts to look like a wedding army. Of course, if you are inviting lots of guests, it makes sense to have a large wedding party. But before you start adding your friend who you haven't seen since high school, and all of your cousins, consider what the role of the wedding party should be.

Even if you're not paying for the wedding party's attire, each of those attendants requires a bouquet or boutonniere, a thank you gift, and an invitation to the rehearsal dinner and other parties. Tack on just a few unnecessary bridesmaids or groomsmen and you're potentially talking about hundreds of dollars.

Money Saving Tip Give some of your friends and loved ones different roles in the wedding. Consider asking them to read during the ceremony or give them a special role at the reception. You might even just thank them in the program for helping to support you during the wedding planning process.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Do It Yourself- Save Money on Your Wedding

Many brides, especially those on a budget, want to save money by making things for their weddings themselves. But what is really feasible for the average bride to handle on her own? Here is a list of things you can do yourself, and what you should call in the experts for.
DIY It: Wedding tasks you can do yourself

* Wedding Favors
* Simple Floral and Candle Centerpieces
* Cupcakes (instead of a wedding cake)
* Ring Pillow
* Flower Girl Basket
* Using an Ipod instead of an MP3 player. (Enlist a tech-savvy friend to make sure your first dance song, entrance music, cake cutting music etc. is playing at the right time)
* Bridal Hair and Makeup
* Save the Date Cards, Programs, and Seating Cards
* A decorated guest book, card box, photo album, or other keepsake

For the Pros: Wedding tasks that should be left to the professionals

* Large Flower Arrangements and Centerpieces
* Bridal and Bridesmaid bouquets
* Your Wedding Dress
* A Wedding Cake
* Catering
* Photography

If your aim is to save money on your wedding, start out by making a budget for each DIY project. You'll be surprised to find that some projects are cheaper for the experts to do, and others can be either extremely inexpensive or breaking the bank, depending on the materials you use. (If you want to DIY it because you love crafts and want to show off your handiwork, then stick to your original wedding budget.)

I also recommend that any DIY bride limit the amount of projects she is taking on. Limit yourself to one DIY project per month, and make sure you are done with any projects at least a week before the wedding. DIY stands for Do it Yourself, not Drive Yourself Insane!

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Your Wedding Flower Arrangements

Question: Can I make my own flower arrangements and boutonnieres?


Answer: If you are someone who has done flower arrangements before (or you have a willing friend or wedding consultant who has) you might consider creating your own wedding flowers. The benefits are of course that you could save a considerable amount of money and that you'll be sure of having creative control to get what you want.

You'll want to find a bulk flower provider - you can find these on the internet, such as at freshroses.com or at freshflowersandmore.com. If you're working with a wedding consultant, he or she probably has a wholesaler id and may be able to purchase the flowers for you at your city's flower market.

Keep in mind that your job will entail more than just arranging the flowers. Bulk flowers arrive with a lot of work needing to be done- you'll need to remove outer petals, work to open the flowers at the right time, and keep them watered and misted. (each kind of flower needs a different kind of care.) You'll typically get the flowers three days before you need to have them, so that you have time to force them open and care for them. You'll need a cool dark place for this time.

When you're thinking about how much this will save you, consider that you'll need to purchase not only the flowers, but also containers for both caring for them and for arranging them, floral tape, wire, and oasis, and other incidentals. Also remember that florists build in overage costs, assuming that they won't be able to use every flower they buy. In the end, it may be easier and not much more expensive to find an inexpensive florist who is willing to work within your budget.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Wedding Flowers

While the average price of weddings in the United States has risen to more than $20,000 (and $40,000 in large cities such as New York), brides are finding creative ways to spend that money more wisely, and discovering cheap wedding ideas that help them save money. Here are some cheap wedding ideas for the flowers -- ways to have a beautiful visual impact without spending a fortune.


* Use only in season and readily available flowers. Be honest with your florist about your budget, and have them recommend the most inexpensive flowers.

* Give your florist a general style and color scheme, and any “banned” flowers that you hate, but generally allow them flexibility so they can use what is in season and cheapest. There are some times when peonies cost a fortune, and other times when they are so cheap you can fill your hall with them. Make sure this flexibility will be reflected in your final price tag.

* Hold your wedding during the Christmas season or immediately after Easter when a church will already be decorated.

* Avoid holding your wedding in February when flower prices are at an annual high due to Valentine's Day.

* Large arrangements on an altar will only be seen from far away. Use inexpensive flowers such as carnations, or large filling flowers such as snowball mums.

* Some people think they can save money by moving the ceremony flowers to the reception. However, keep in mind that many churches and houses of worship require you to leave any flowers. Florists also hate to do this because large arrangements are hard to transport, and can become easily bruised or damaged in transit. (It's probably also least partially because it does cut down their bill.) You also will need to coordinate it so that the reception will not be held up by waiting for the ceremony flowers to arrive.

* Find a venue such as a park or garden that is already lush and beautiful.

* Talk to your venues and see if any other brides have booked for the same day. If the two of you can coordinate flowers and split the cost, you’ll save a lot of money.

* Carnations are one of the cheapest flowers out there. A lot of people, myself included, really dislike them. But when they are used in abundance so that the blooms are packed together, they can be quite striking. Consider a low square table centerpiece of 20 carnation blooms with all of their stems and greenery removed.

* Talk to party rental suppliers about renting large potted plants such as tropical palms or ficus. They visually fill a lot of space, and will help frame your ceremony site or warm up your reception. Best of all, renting a potted plant is far cheaper than buying large flower arrangements. Also, you may consider purchasing these large plants and using them in your home afterwards to get more use out of them.

* More and more brides these days are arranging their own flowers such as bouquets of simple roses tied with a ribbon. Four or five pillar candles on top of rose petals makes an easy and cheap centerpiece. You can also easily create a centerpiece using wide shallow bowls filled with water and several floating gerber daisy blooms. If making boutonnieres and corsages intimidates you, these are generally inexpensive to order from a florist.

* Consider ordering flowers from an online wholesaler where you can get some of the best prices. Unlike at a florist, you will be responsible for all of the prep work of cleaning and trimming them, and keeping them alive until the wedding.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Save Money on Wedding Location

If you're a bride or groom on a small budget, you might have gotten sticker shock at the location rental charges and catering prices of most popular wedding locations. A friend of mine is newly engaged in New York City, and we've been scouting inexpensive wedding locations that won't eat her whole budget. She's determined to save enough for that fabulous wedding dress! Here are some places to look for that might save you money:

* Restaurants~ Talk to your favorite restaurant to see how much it would cost to rent a private room or even the whole place. Look for a restaurant with a pretty back garden that you can set up for the ceremony, and can be used for dancing later. This is an option that works best during non-peak hours, as the restaurant might not want to lose their busy Saturday night crowd.

* Parks~ Many city parks allow you to have a wedding there for a nominal fee. Look for ones that have a covered pation, special details like fountains, or grassy picnic areas.

* Theaters and Performance Venues~ Here in Brooklyn, the majestic Brooklyn Academy of Music is available for rental. You can have your wedding ceremony in a number of locations, and your reception in the grand second-floor lobby. The bonus is that there are steep discounts for Brooklyn residents. Look for similar venues in your town, especially old-fashioned theaters. Getting married on a stage can make you feel like a star!

* Your College~ Remember that charming chapel and alumni house at your college? It's usually very cheap for alumni to have their weddings on campus. If your school is picturesque, why not see how much it would be?

* Creative and Unusual Places~ Whether it's the top of a rollercoaster, an old mill, or the unique place you met, a creative wedding location will instantly give your wedding lots of personality. Because these places aren't used to having weddings, you might be able to snag them for a steal, though you'll often have to bring in extra rentals. (200 people and one bathroom isn't pretty.) I know one couple who got married in a rustic and charming beer brewery, and another who got hitched in the landromat where they met!

Source: About.com: Weddings

Top 10 Ways to Save Money on a Wedding

Do you have champagne taste and caviar dreams, on a white bread and soda pop budget? Don't worry, you can still have a beautiful but cheap wedding. Check out these great ways to cut costs and save money.

1. Trim Your Wedding Guest List
Each time you add a name to your invitation list, you're increasing your budget significantly. It's not just the catering costs, but also the extra centerpieces, favors, rentals, etc. Don't invite anyone you haven't talked to in five years. Don't feel obligated to let single people bring a date. Avoid feeling pressured to invite all your work colleagues. And don't let your friends bring their children. You can also decide to eliminate categories like "relatives more distant than first cousins" or "friends from volunteer work." By not inviting anyone from that group, you'll help avoid hurt feelings.

2. Save Postage on Your Wedding Invitations
Forgo the inner envelope and blotter paper, which are leftover relics from times when ink needed time to dry, and people wanted a pristine envelope. Rather than having a reply card, ask guests to reply online or by the telephone. Not only will you save money from the printer bill, it should also reduce your postage expense.

3. Shop Sample Sales and the Internet for Cheap Wedding Dresses
If you wear a 6, 8, or 10, check out sample sales, which generally happen once a year. It's a great opportunity to get a designer dress at rock-bottom prices. You can also look on eBay, Craigslist and other websites for deals on used wedding dresses. Remember that cleaning the delicate fabric of a wedding dress may cost up to $250, so avoid the cheap dress with the filthy hem. And many towns have a shop where you can rent a wedding dress, saving you hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

4. Change the Day of the Week
Have your wedding on a weeknight or a Sunday. There is less demand for these dates, so vendors will often be willing to give you a better rate.

5. Save Money on Church Decorations
For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers. On other days, look for simplicity. A candlelit ceremony can be romantic, gorgeous, and inexpensive.

Not having your wedding in a church?

6. Learn to Ask for Help to Save Money
If you want to have a cheap wedding, pool your friends' and family's resources. Think of musicians you know, well-spoken friends who could be your officiant, and crafty people who can help you assemble things. They will generally be honored to be a special part of your big day. Also look for money-saving tips everywhere. Check websites such as wedfrugal.com and frugalbride.com, and ask friends and family members for what they did to save money on their big day.

7. Get Crafty - Do It Yourself
Throw a "pitch-in party," where you ask your friends to be a special part of your wedding by helping you assemble favors and make invitations, centerpieces, and other homemade inexpensive touches. Be sure to put out delicious snacks and have inspiring tunes on the stereo, so that your friends feel like they're at a party, not just part of an assembly line. Click the link below for DIY wedding projects.

8. Look for Cheap Wedding Food and Drink
Be honest with your caterer about your need to save money. Ask them which are the least expensive entrees and whether a buffet is cheaper than a seated dinner. See if they'll let you provide your own liquor, or if serving only wine and beer will be cheaper than a full bar. Also consider only having the bar open during your cocktail hour, then serving an inexpensive wine with dinner. Especially if you and your fiance don't drink, consider having a dry wedding.

9. Make the Most of eBay
eBay, eBay, eBay. It's a great source for everything from second-hand dresses to wedding favors, cake toppers, ring pillows and more. Be sure to allow ample time for the auction to end, and for shipping. Look for trusted sellers whose feedback indicates they have accurately represented what they have sold.

10. Consider Cheap Wedding Invitations
Don't go for engraving - regular printed invites work just as well. There are a variety of cheap wedding invitations available on the internet. For a casual wedding, consider printing your own invites from your home computer. Stationery stores now sell printed paper meant to use in a home printer as cheap wedding invitations.

Source: About.com: Weddings

Wedding Tips

Wedding Tips:

* Plan the time of your wedding so that it falls in between meals if possible. That way if your wedding is at 2:00 in the afternoon most people will have eaten lunch and will be leaving the wedding before dinner.

* Don't worry if you can only afford to serve cake, punch, coffee, mints and nuts at your wedding. Having been a guest at many weddings, I have never given a second thought to what I was served. There is always that one person who will have something negative to say, but if you had had an expensive sit down dinner that person would have had something negative to say about it, too.

* Delegate, delegate, delegate. I could never have pulled off my wedding or my daughter's wedding if I hadn't had a lot of help from friends and family. Don't be afraid to ask for help. People love weddings and usually enjoy being a part of one. Pick one person to be in charge of the food, especially for the day of the wedding, and ask others to help you to prepare it.

Menus:

I will mostly be giving hints for what I call a "finger food buffet". It is a happy medium between just cake and punch and a sit-down dinner. Be sure to pick things that can be prepared in advance to make it easier.

The things I list are just a few ideas of things that you could use. Some things will be more expensive than others. Use only what will fit into your budget.

Large platters of fruit with or without dips

* Use in-season fruit that can be prepared ahead of time without turning brown. Strawberries, kiwi, oranges and pineapple work well.

Large platters of veggies with or without dip

* Check out a garnish book at the library to learn how to make them special instead of just making the usual carrot sticks. You can also serve olives, pickles, pickled veggies, etcetera with your veggie platter.

Sandwiches

* Sandwiches should be like "tea" sandwiches, with the crusts cut off and cut into shapes like triangles, circles or diamonds.

* Most sandwiches can be made way ahead of time and frozen. Spread each side of the bread with softened butter to prevent it from becoming soggy. This really works great. Wrap well before freezing.

Inexpensive Cold Cut Platters

Cheese and Cracker Platter

* Use a variety of cheeses. Once again, these should be cut into shapes like bells, hearts or cubes.

* Use a variety of crackers, too, not only in various shapes (round, square or rectangle), but also different colors.

Cold Cut Platter

* In place of sandwiches, you can have a platter of cold cuts (attractively arranged by rolling them up) and served with a variety of small rolls or breads.

Use Mints*, nuts or spiced nuts



Additional Tips:

If you want to go one step further than just finger foods, you can add in any number of different types of salads.

Everything you serve should be attractively cut, arranged on platters and garnished. You can buy some very nice silver or crystal like platters at party stores. Don't forget to plan for decorations for the food table.

This all may seem like a lot of work but remember, you can do a good portion ahead of time, you don't have to serve everything listed and enlist help. Also you can cut corners in some areas. For example I will be giving you a recipe for wedding mints to make but if you don't have time for those, just substitute some of those pastel party mints that you can buy. In the same way if you don't want the work of "tea" sandwiches, just have a cold cut platter.

*Molded Mints

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 (3oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. peppermint flavoring
Food coloring
Sugar
Candy mold

Mix first 4 ingredients. Knead several times. When dough is smooth, roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 2 hours. Roll into small balls, dip in sugar and press into mold. If mints stick to mold, knead in more powdered sugar. Remove from mold and let dry 1/2 hour. Store in airtight container. Can be frozen or refrigerated. Makes 100 one inch mints.

Use food coloring to match the bride's colors. You can buy molds in the craft section at Wal-Mart, or a cake decorating shop. Use anything you like - hearts, leaves and shells all work well.
From A Reader:

"I wanted to add a tip to your "Molded Mints" recipe. If you don't have molds for your mints, you can roll them into balls and use an initial imprint stamp with the bride and groom's last name. Just push the stamp down in the center of the mint and use even pressure. It makes them look like designer mints. If you powder the mints with more sugar, do so before you stamp the mint. Thanks for letting me put in my two cents."

-Kristina

Source: Living on a Dime

Saving on your Wedding

One of the most frequently asked questions we get, especially at this time of year is "How do I save on my wedding?" When you talk about money, emotions run high and if you talk about weddings emotions get even higher. Put the two together and you've got an explosive situation. In spite of that I will be brave, jump in and try to answer your questions.

I think the best way to help you get ideas is to use my daughter's wedding as an example of some do's and don'ts that we learned. We paid about $1500 for a wedding with 100 guests and 2 attendants. She had the whole works; white gown, flowers, cake etc. In spite of spending so little, we managed to make it the wedding of any girl's dreams and one that the guests really enjoyed too.

As you read about these ideas, I hope it becomes clear that your special day is not made special because of the money that is spent but rather the love that is shared, first of all between the bride and groom and second of all between the couple and the guests. That brings me to the first way you can save money.

The Guests

Be selective when making your guest list. Decide on a reasonable number of guests that you can afford and stick to it. Don't invite every Tom, Dick and Harry (well unless Tom, Dick and Harry happen to be your brothers or your best friends!). I am continually shocked at how often couples invite people they hardly know to their wedding just to impress them or so they can get more gifts. If you do this, you have already started your wedding off on the wrong foot. A wedding is an intimate and special time. Most people don't share their intimate times with total strangers.

The Pictures
Decide which aspects of the wedding are most important to you and spend a little more on that area and less on some of the other less important areas. For example, my daughter's main desire was to have really nice photos so we didn't skimp on that. We hired the best photographer in town, but spent less on the cake by having my mom make it. That ended up being a mistake. Grandma's cake that cost us nothing, turned out to be more beautiful than the pictures the expensive photographer took. Lesson learned: Just because something costs a lot doesn't mean that it is the best or what you need or want.

If you want nice photos but flowers or a cake take higher priority, you might hire a professional to take just a few main pictures, like those of the bride and groom, family members and attendants and then ask someone else to take all the other general shots or videotape it. I found at both my wedding and my daughter's wedding that the pictures I enjoyed the most were the ones family members had randomly taken with their own cameras and given me later.

In this day and age of computers, digital cameras, and other such things, you can get some really nice photos without the expense of a professional. And even though professional photos seem very important and you envision having lovely photos of that day displayed all over your home, the reality is that in a year or two most of them will be put in an album or tossed in a box to be replaced by pictures of baby #1.

"The Gown"

Though a girl's wedding gown is probably the most important dress she will ever wear, you still don't have to break the bank to have a beautiful and special dress. My mom is a great seamstress and she made both my dress and, years later, my daughter's dress. They didn't cost us an arm and leg and they have even more meaning to us because they were made by her.

If you don't know anyone who sews, don't despair. Buy a used gown. There is nothing wrong with that. I have seen some of the most beautiful gowns in thrift shops. They were gowns that were worth hundreds of dollars selling for as little a $50. Don't allow pride to keep you from having a beautiful, stress free (because you don't have to worry about coming up with the money to pay for it) gown of your dreams.

Along with the gown is the veil. When Tawra (my daughter) got married we went to buy a veil. The least expensive one was $100 and it was "cheap" looking, so instead we bought some tulle, lace and a comb to make our own. We hot glued ribbons, strings of pearls and flowers to the comb. We spent $5 making her beautiful veil that looked richer and more expensive than anything we had seen at the bridal shop.

I used a very plain veil for my own wedding. My future mother-in-law gave me a string of pearls that she had worn at her wedding. Since I also had jewelry that my husband had given me to wear, I took the pearls and carefully sewed them to the head piece of my veil. It cost me nothing, had lots of meaning and looked very elegant.

Using the same thoughtfulness we used making the veil, we made other things. We took the left over scraps of fabric, lace, and pearls and made a ring bearer's pillow. It turned out so cute that we started making and selling them to the bridal shop in town. There is nothing wrong with making a lot of these items yourself and just because you make them doesn't mean that they have to look homemade or cheesy.


The Bridesmaid's Dresses and Other Essentials

I know that it is proper for the bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses, but I personally have never felt that is right. If possible, pay for your bridesmaids dresses or consider splitting the cost. Maybe you could buy the material and accessories and then have the bridesmaids find someone to make the dresses for them.

Don't just hit bridal shops when looking for dresses. They are often much more expensive. I was a matron of honor once and we went to a regular dress shop and found a gorgeous dress for me to wear. The nice part about it was that it was dressy enough for the wedding but not so dressy that I couldn't wear it to church, so I was able to get lots of use out of it.

Be careful of those little hidden costs like manicures, pedicures, hair and other things. They're small costs, but they add up. Most brides can do their own manicures and pedicures just fine and usually only have these things done to pamper themselves. It is fine to do that if you have the money but if you don't, this is a good area to save by doing your own. You may do a lot of these little things to pamper yourself and to help you de-stress before the wedding but if you can't afford it, you will find them coming back to haunt you a couple of weeks after the honeymoon in the form of exorbitant bills that will end up causing you 10 times more stress.

One way you can have these extras done and still save is to go to a beauty college. If you don't want to chance having your hair done there that's fine but you might consider having your nails and toes or a facial done there. They do all kinds of beauty treatments that you don't always think about so check into them.

You could also have a girls night "in" before the wedding and let the bridesmaids give the bride a manicure or pedicure or everyone give each other one.

One important tip to remember: Don't have your first facial the day or week before the wedding. If you aren't doing them on a regular basis, they can cause your face to break out the first couple of times you do it.

Source: Living On A Dime