Wedding Layers

It is said that the “average wedding” today costs around $20,000. Now of course that depends on where you live and who you are! If you are planning a wedding on a budget, I have some advice for you.

To some people $20,000 could be a new car or a down payment on a house. If you go out and borrow $20,000 for a wedding, shame on you. You need some financial advice! Planning a wedding on a budget would be the least of your problems.

The two most important keys to planning a wedding on a budget are: planning and organization. You will not save any money on your wedding if you start planning a month before the wedding. So get yourself a 3 ring binder, some paper, and dividers.

Make a section for EVERY expense of the wedding. Cut pictures out of magazines. Print pages off of the internet. Write down every idea that you have. This will be part of the brainstorming process. Go through each section periodically and jot down any money saving thoughts. I will get you started.

Let’s start with the wedding dress. If you are planning a wedding on a budget, a $10,000 dress would be a bad start! This is a dress that you will wear one time. It could be one of the most expensive items for your wedding. Just because a dress is expensive, doesn’t mean that it will flatter you. Think about possibly renting a dress or even buying a second hand dress. Another possibility would be to buy one on line. You would be surprised at the places that sell wedding dresses. Amazon and Ebay, just to name a couple. Just make sure that you check the seller’s reputation and return policies thoroughly.

Photography is a place where you can save some money, but be cautious. After the big wedding day the photos will be about all that is left (with the exception of your spouse)! Trusting this job to a friend with a camera is not a good idea. Wedding photography is unique in that your photographer has to take many photos in a short period of time. And you will want them to be creative and unique to your wedding. If you find a photographer who is fairly new, but has some good weddings under his or her belt, you could save a lot of money. Make sure that you talk with some people who used the photographer. Also make sure that you like the personality of your photographer. They could change the mood of the wedding in a hurry.

If you are planning a wedding on a budget, you may want to forget about the wedding coordinator/planner. Unless you are totally useless at planning and research, they may cost more than they save you. There are many software programs and books that have checklists and helpful shortcuts. I would recommend that you have a trusted friend or relative with the list of events to watch over things, just to make sure that everything goes as planned. Someone with a strong personality!

Using friends and relatives to help with tasks at your wedding can save you a bundle! A word of caution here. Saving a few dollars is not worth ruining the biggest day of your life! Make sure that the people helping are trustworthy. If they are doing a big job, make sure that they know what they are doing. Make sure that you have a clear understanding with them about your expectations. Imagine having your second cousin showing up to DJ your reception in his favorite cut off shorts and a tee shirt. Then he starts playing his records on his 20 year old sound system. That would surely be the memory that everyone would carry away from your biggest day!

So let’s do a quick recap on planning a wedding on a budget. The keys are planning and organization. Do your research and keep track of everything. Get a couple of books and some software programs to help. Make sure that you have a clear understanding from everyone involved as to what will happen and how it will happen. Using these planning keys will insure that you have that dream wedding on a budget that you can afford!

For more ideas and help on planning a wedding on a budget, visit Bob’s web site at: Your Perfect Wedding

Author: Bob Willoughby
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

It is said that the “average wedding” today costs around $20,000. Now of course that depends on where you live and who you are! If you are planning a wedding on a budget, I have some advice for you.

To some people $20,000 could be a new car or a down payment on a house. If you go out and borrow $20,000 for a wedding, shame on you. You need some financial advice! Planning a wedding on a budget would be the least of your problems.

The two most important keys to planning a wedding on a budget are: planning and organization. You will not save any money on your wedding if you start planning a month before the wedding. So get yourself a 3 ring binder, some paper, and dividers.

Make a section for EVERY expense of the wedding. Cut pictures out of magazines. Print pages off of the internet. Write down every idea that you have. This will be part of the brainstorming process. Go through each section periodically and jot down any money saving thoughts. I will get you started.

Let’s start with the wedding dress. If you are planning a wedding on a budget, a $10,000 dress would be a bad start! This is a dress that you will wear one time. It could be one of the most expensive items for your wedding. Just because a dress is expensive, doesn’t mean that it will flatter you. Think about possibly renting a dress or even buying a second hand dress. Another possibility would be to buy one on line. You would be surprised at the places that sell wedding dresses. Amazon and Ebay, just to name a couple. Just make sure that you check the seller’s reputation and return policies thoroughly.

Photography is a place where you can save some money, but be cautious. After the big wedding day the photos will be about all that is left (with the exception of your spouse)! Trusting this job to a friend with a camera is not a good idea. Wedding photography is unique in that your photographer has to take many photos in a short period of time. And you will want them to be creative and unique to your wedding. If you find a photographer who is fairly new, but has some good weddings under his or her belt, you could save a lot of money. Make sure that you talk with some people who used the photographer. Also make sure that you like the personality of your photographer. They could change the mood of the wedding in a hurry.

If you are planning a wedding on a budget, you may want to forget about the wedding coordinator/planner. Unless you are totally useless at planning and research, they may cost more than they save you. There are many software programs and books that have checklists and helpful shortcuts. I would recommend that you have a trusted friend or relative with the list of events to watch over things, just to make sure that everything goes as planned. Someone with a strong personality!

Using friends and relatives to help with tasks at your wedding can save you a bundle! A word of caution here. Saving a few dollars is not worth ruining the biggest day of your life! Make sure that the people helping are trustworthy. If they are doing a big job, make sure that they know what they are doing. Make sure that you have a clear understanding with them about your expectations. Imagine having your second cousin showing up to DJ your reception in his favorite cut off shorts and a tee shirt. Then he starts playing his records on his 20 year old sound system. That would surely be the memory that everyone would carry away from your biggest day!

So let’s do a quick recap on planning a wedding on a budget. The keys are planning and organization. Do your research and keep track of everything. Get a couple of books and some software programs to help. Make sure that you have a clear understanding from everyone involved as to what will happen and how it will happen. Using these planning keys will insure that you have that dream wedding on a budget that you can afford!

For more ideas and help on planning a wedding on a budget, visit Bob’s web site at: Your Perfect Wedding

Author: Bob Willoughby
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Humorous photo captions

When brides march down the aisle, all eyes are riveted on the wedding dress; the bridal dress is the cherry on the cake so to speak and all brides are beautiful in their stunning wedding dresses. What’s about these dresses that fire the imagination of little girls and stoke the longings for grand weddings?

The Dress of a Lifetime

Every girl has her favorite dress and there are dresses to mark milestones in their growing-up years and during their transition from girls to women. But the best dress of all is the wedding dress. Girls have visions of satin and lace, pearls and bows, misty veils, and flowers, running in their minds when they imagine themselves in a bridal dress. They see themselves as princesses ready to float away to a magical land.

The wedding gown or dress is the ultimate dress; it transforms ordinary-looking women into gorgeous brides. There must be something about wedding dresses. No wonder, brides spend three-fourths of the preparation time planning their dress. They want the best wedding dress whether it’s a discount dress or an heirloom or a second-hand dress or custom-made gown from top Parisian designer houses.

Wedding dresses are worn once and never used again for a second wedding. It would rather be passed on from bride to another. For a woman who is getting into a second marriage, the dress is still an important detail in the planning. Either it must surpass the first wedding gown or must be less glamorous, but nevertheless, it must still be the best of all wedding dresses. Second wedding or not, this is still the ultimate dress.

The Evolution of Bridal Dresses

Different decades have made their mark on the wedding dress. Traditionally, these dresses were dark in color for white gowns or dresses were difficult to clean. As time marched on, dresses for wedding rituals favored long white wedding gowns. All these changed with each incoming generation. Currently there is breakaway from traditional white nuptial dresses.

The modest styles of these dresses have been replaced with shorter versions and these days it is not unusual to see dresses with thigh-high slits or red or even black dresses. Whatever the changes, the glam does not disappear; instead it comes on hotter than ever to please every woman’s secret fantasy of a wedding dress.

Brides wear their wedding gowns to bungee weddings, parachute weddings, and underwater wedding rites. The more the unusual the wedding, the more brides insist on the traditional white wedding dress. It’s a matter of choice and style and there’s no stopping brides from choosing their style for their wedding getup.

Follow the Glam

If you have a fixation for wedding dresses and planning to have the best wedding dress when the time comes, follow the glam. Keep up with the wedding fashion of celebrities and royalty. You can get several ideas for your dream wedding gown; mix and match some styles, and copy accessories that would impress yourself and your wedding guests.

While you are still waiting for your dream wedding or for your man to pop the question, keep a vigilant watch on wedding dresses to keep up with changing styles. It’s the glam of your wedding dress and beautiful bride that will make your man proud as peacock when you march down the aisle.

Best for Bride – Wedding Dresses and Bridesmaid Dresses
5359 Dundas St. West (at Kipling)
Etobicoke, ON, Canada, M9B 1B1

Shopping for a wedding dress? Take a look at the glam wedding dresses that money can buy. You can always get a stunning bridesmaid dress for your bridesmaid too. For gorgeous wedding flowers Toronto bridal shops have these too. Visit BestforBride.com today.

Author: Sarrah Beaumont
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Pressure Cooker

I’m getting married January 2010 and know what I want (not exactly but I know what flatters me and what kind of style I am looking for – 1950s by the way!). A friend of mine is getting married two years from now and is shopping frantically for wedding and bridesmaid dresses with her girlfriends – is it just me or is she crazy? Should I be freaking out and grabbing what I want too?

The first things brides-to-be do when they get engaged is think about the wedding dress. We all want to look breathtaking on our wedding day and the dress seems to be the most important factor. There are so many options, styles and different prizes when it comes to Wedding Dresses and it can be very overwhelming in the beginning. It is therefore very important to ask yourself a few questions before running to the nearest boutique.

The theme, style, season and venue will play a big role in the selection of your dress.

Another thing to decide on is whether you’re going to buy your dress in a Boutique or Online. A few years ago, there wasn’t even an option, as it was very risky to buy a wedding dress online. But not everyone lives in a big city with a lot of dress options and buying online has never been easier.

Buying a dress in a Boutique: Advantages:

• Professional help fitting the dress: Boutiques usually have qualified people that work with brides everyday. They know body types and what would suite your figure the best.
• Fit your favorite dresses: In a boutique, you will be able to try on a few dresses, which will give you a good idea of what style of dress fits you best.
• Get good help and advise about your Accessories. When you buy a dress in a boutique, you can be sure to get the best advise about your accessories and lingerie. They will know all the secrets about good undergarments and can give you ideas for your jewelry, veil and tiara. Most of the time you can even buy these accessories at the same boutique.

Disadvantages:

• Pay to try on a few dresses: Most of the time, you will have to pay an amount to fit a few dresses. And there is usually a 3-5 fit limit per appointment.
• Expensive choice: Dresses bought in a Bridal Boutique can be much more expensive than the ones you get online.
• View and fit only with an appointment: You will have to make an appointment to fit wedding dresses. You sometimes need an appointment just to enter the premises. The working brides-to-be will have to make appointments for the weekends which are also their busiest time.
• You might miss out on the dress of your dreams: It can be very overwhelming to see rows and rows of dresses on hangers. It is very difficult to brows through gown pressed together on a rail and then imagining your body in them.

Buying a dress Online: Advantages:

• Save hundreds of dollars: Online Dresses are usually a lot cheaper to buy. You can sometimes buy two or three dresses online for the prize of one boutique dress.
• Variety: You can see a huge variety with the click of a button.
• Any time or day: You can go online and view or buy a dress any time or day and the delivery time is usually quick.
• Real picture of the dress: You can see the dress on an actual person, even though it’s just a photo.
• Exchange and Alterations: Most of the online stores will give you the opportunity to exchange or make alterations if you are not satisfied.

Disadvantages:

• Quality risk: You can’t always get an accurate idea of the quality of the dress and the fabric it’s made of from just viewing it on your computer.

Make sure you have considered all of your options before buying your dress. You can sometimes find the exact same style of dress you saw in the Boutique, for a lot less online.

We know how it feels to dream about a big, expensive & romantic wedding and not being able to have the budget for it. There are a lot of great ideas and products out there that can help you plan the wedding of your dreams. For more Budget tips and advise for your wedding day, visit http://bellsandbrides.com.

Author: Estie Higgs
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate

I don’t think I would choose a big fluffy dress anyway but my mother acts like I should wear a pants-suit down the aisle because of my age. What do you think is age appropriate for a first time bride of my age? I would love to see sample pictures if you would post links, that would be excellent! Thank you. Please, no rude answers.

Most women have dreamed about the day they would walk down the aisle since they were girls. Now they are engaged and the wedding day is approaching, it is time to start looking for the perfect wedding dress.

The first step is to start your search at least six months ahead of time. Remember, if you have to special order a wedding dress then it could take months not including the time for alterations. Just give yourself plenty of time just in case something unexpected comes up.

Step 2 is to make a list of all the wedding dresses you like from magazines, stores, websites and any other place you have looked. The best way is to create a folder and keep pictures of all the dresses and keep notes on the dress with the picture. If you like a dress but you would change something about it then keep notes so you won’t forget.

Step 3 is to start narrowing down your choice of wedding dress by choosing a style that is appropriate for the ceremony. Depending on your wedding style you might want to go with a formal evening wedding dress that is floor-length, in an ivory, white or cream color, a semi-formal dress that is without the train, or a less formal dress that may be shorter or even a two piece suit. There are many styles and colors to choose from and the sooner you choose the style the quicker you can start choosing the dress and doing the alterations.

The next step, step 4, is to start searching for the dress. Don’t rule out department stores as they have a wide variety of styles to choose from. Make sure you take an honest person you trust with you to give you the feedback you may not want to hear but you need to hear. Sometimes the wedding dresses you try on will look great but be unflattering on you. The dress must be comfortable and you must be able to move around in the dress easily. Try on a few dresses and a few designer gowns so you recognize the quality of the dress and then you can choose a dress in your price range of good quality.

Step 5 is to set a budget for your wedding dress now that you have tried on and seen many dresses. You can buy a wedding dress off the rack starting at about $250 and spend as much as $10,000 for a designer dress. Check with bridal stores that are having sales or may have a discontinued styles or overstocks.

The final step in choosing your wedding dress is to put down a deposit on your dress. Make sure to get an itemized invoice stating every detail of the dress and the services to be performed on the dress such as alterations. Specify a due date for your dress and state that the deal can be canceled if the dress isn’t delivered by a specific date.

Get more information from Cynthia at Wedding-Reviews.com She has listed great wedding speeches in the Wedding Speeches section.

Author: Cynthia Bell
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Duty on LCD/Plasma TV

You said yes and the wedding date is set. Now comes the challenging part — planning the wedding. Where and how do you start planning a wedding? Who do you go to for help? When the warm feeling of having been proposed to passes, you’ll likely feel the stress of having to plan for the wedding soon. The fact is that if you have no clue where or how to start planning your wedding, you are sure to experience days when you just want to pull your hair out or stay in bed all day.

However, planning a wedding need not be a cause for the wrinkle lines to start showing right away. If you absolutely have no clue about how to plan your wedding, the first thing you need to realize is that you don’t have to do it alone. Repeat that — You Don’t Have to Plan Your Wedding ALONE. You need help planning your wedding. All you need is to ask and be willing to accept help and advice from others.

Hiring a wedding coordinator is the easiest way to plan a wedding, especially if you have the budget. A wedding coordinator has experience planning weddings so if you have any questions or concerns, he or she is the best person to help you. However, not everyone can afford the services of a wedding coordinator. In this case, you can turn to your family or network of friends to help you plan your wedding. However, be careful when enlisting the help of family members. You want your wedding to be the wedding you and your future spouse want, not what your parents want.

You can also turn to the Internet for your wedding planning woes and concerns. There are thousands of websites, online forums and bulletin boards that can help and give advice on planning a wedding. In addition, take a day off and visit the libraries in your area. These libraries would have books about weddings and all the other aspects — from wedding flowers to wedding favors, wedding cakes to wedding dresses, and everything in between.

With some persistence and patience, you’ll have the wedding you want — with a lot of help from a wedding coordinator, family and friends, the Internet or wedding planning books.

If you’re still stuck trying to plan your perfect wedding then try visiting http://www.plan-the-perfect-wedding.info, a website that specializes in wedding planning, wedding rings, invitations and cheap wedding favor ideas.

Author: Christy Baker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: US Dollar credit card

Most people get married wearing a white wedding dress, I want to be different, apart from anything other than the color of a white wedding dress the most appropriate?

Getting married can be one of the most exciting times in anyone’s life but it’s certainly not the cheapest. Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for the majority of the wedding but these days it’s much more common for the couple to pay for their own wedding.

Weddings are expensive – even the smallest weddings still carry the costs of rings, wedding dresses, suit hire, photographs and as a result, it’s easy to blow the budget. If you are planning to pay for some or all of your wedding expenses on a credit card, here are some useful tips.

Think about applying for and using a rewards card to help fund your wedding. Some reward cards, like the ANZ Frequent Flyer Card or the American Express Qantas Premium Card allow you to earn frequent flyer points. Wedding planning starts months (if not years) in advance and to secure your favourite wedding suppliers, you need to book early. Pay your wedding deposits on your rewards card and earn frequent flyer points which you can subsequently redeem against your honeymoon flights. If you’re not interested in the flights, you can always choose a card with other rewards such as cash back, shopping and fuel discounts.

After the wedding, if you are not able to pay off the debt in full, then it might be better to opt for a low interest rate card [http://www.creditcardking.com.au/low-interest-rate-credit-cards.htm] which gives you a bit longer to pay the debt off without incurring as much interest. A huge debt is the last thing you want to start your married life with so make sure you are getting the best credit card deal available.

If you already have a credit card, make sure you know what rates are attached to that card. Chances are, you will be spending more money than ever on your card in the lead up to your big day and the last thing you want to incur is unnecessary interest charges. There are some great introductory offers available on certain cards and it may make sense to transfer your balance to a provider who can give you a better deal.

Finally, in the lead up to the big day plan carefully. Keep a record of what you owe your suppliers and make sure you find out if they accept credit card payments or cash on the day. Most importantly, relax and be confident that you have the best possible credit card deal available for your wedding day so that you can start your married life on the right financial foot.

Good luck and enjoy the big day.

The Credit Card King: http://www.creditcardking.com.au

Author: Clare Witham
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty rate