Unexpected Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day!

Today I want to talk about a couple things that could save you money on your wedding day!

Over the summer, and into the Fall, three of the couples I am working with have opted to not have a bridal party.  A bridal party is something that people just assume needs to be part of your big day.  The biggest cost to the bride and groom when it comes to a bridal party is the flowers.  If you have five bridesmaids and five groomsman in your bridal party, plus parents, grandparents, and the two of you, you could be close to $700 in just bouquets and boutonnieres.  There are many expenses the bridal party takes care of, but flowers isn't one of them.

Something else is bridal party gifts. No one says you have to give them gifts, but it is expected.  Spending at least $50 on each person is pretty standard.  With ten members of your bridal party, that's around $500 that you probably didn't budget for.

Also, if you don't have a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary.  It's again, a large cost, and if the two of you are paying for it yourself, it could break the bank.  If someone else has offered to pay for the rehearsal (it's traditional for the grooms parents to pay), you can still have it with family, close friends and out of town guests.  You could also explain to the person that offered to pay that since you're not having a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary, and maybe that money can be put to better use somewhere else in the budget.

It's becoming more and more popular to have a close friend of family member marry the couple  instead of hiring an efficient or minister for their wedding day.  I have three couples this year that have opted for this option! If you're getting married outside, or at a venue other than a church, you're going to have to hire an officiant or a minister to marry you.  It's again a cost most couples don't think about. Good officiants charge between $250-$400, and some even charge for traveling and the rehearsal!  If you have someone you know marry you, it will be much more personal. You should offer to pay the fee for them to get ordained, but that's only around $50.  Get them a nice gift to thank them, but even then you're saving so much money.


Hope this helped!!
xo, Val

outside wedding. by vebullock featuring bridal gowns

Nicole Miller bridal gown
nicolemiller.com

Home decor
paperstyle.com

Wedding Planning Timeline | Ten/Nine Month Mark.

Hi everyone!

Around the ten and nine month mark leading up to your wedding, you need to start making decisions!

If you've had a a year or more to plan your wedding, by the ten month mark you really need to finalize your venue.  You've done your research, visited several places, so now the contract needs to be signed, and the deposit needs to be made.  You really don't want to lose your dream venue because you don't want to commit, because believe me, you will lose it!

You also need to find the place you're having your ceremony- if it's not the same as the location of the reception. If you're having it in a church, outside, or somewhere else, you need to make a decision!

Depending on if you book your ceremony space first, or your reception space first, you should keep them relatively close in location.

At this point in the planning process, you most likely have your dream guest list written out.  You have everyone you'd love to have, but you know it's unrealistic.  You should now break your list down into an 'A list' and a 'B list'.  The 'A list' is all the people you know have to be there.  It's also about what fits into your guest list based on what the venue allows, and/or your budget allows.  The 'B list' is other people you'd love to have at your wedding, but they'd understand if they weren't invited.

Depending on how many people you invite to your wedding, expect around 15% of those people to not be able to make it for some reason or another. 

No one wants  to know that they are on your B list.  It's obviously not something you want to talk about.  You however have this list incase you start getting a lot of 'no's' right away.  You are going to get 'No's' from people no matter what, but sometimes it seems like some couples get more 'no's' than average. This is where the 'B list' comes in handy. You don't want to be sending these invitations a week before your wedding; send them out as soon as possible so it's no obvious to them! If you invite 220, you should expect 200 "yes's". If your numbers start getting lower than that, you need your B list. 

You should also purchase your wedding dress at this point in the planning process.  The dress could take up to eight months to come in.  You'll want a little time once it comes in to have it altered.

Happy Planning!! 

xo, Val.

wedding. by vebullock featuring evening shoes

Reem Acra pleated maxi skirt
shopbop.com

Evening shoes
modcloth.com

Home decor
minted.com

Wedding Invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations & Announcements by...
weddingpaperdivas.com

What to do When a Friend is in the Wedding Industry?

So you're getting married and your close friend is a photographer, or your cousin is a DJ, what do you do?

It's a difficult situation because on one hand it's their profession, and sometimes it's their business, so you want to give them the job.  On the other hand, you want them to enjoy themselves and be a guest at your wedding.  

Here's my advice: Talk to them about it and give them the option.  Say "we'd love for you to be our DJ, but it's up to you if you'd rather be a guest and enjoy the night!" 

Saying it this way shows you think they are good at what they do,  and they will appreciate the choice.  Most of the time they'll be working every weekend during wedding season, so it will be nice for them to be able to relax and enjoy a wedding for a change! Make sure you give them plenty of notice on the date of your nuptials, so they don't book another wedding for that day!

If they'd rather not be your vendor, they can help you find someone they recommend and trust.

If you do have someone close who is a photographer, ask them to shoot your engagement pictures.  That way they still get to be involved.  

Hope this helped!!

xo, Val.

Buying the Perfect Wedding Dress!

Hi everyone!!

I recently bought my wedding dress, and I wanted to give some advice that I have learned from other brides, and also my own recent experience!  

I did buy my dress a little early (about eleven months before my wedding), but since my sister lives out of state, I wanted her to be there for my appointment, and it just happened that when she was in town, it worked out for everyone to go.

Before my appointment, I'll admit I looked at hundreds of wedding dresses online.  I went into the appointment with an idea of the style I wanted.  I also went in with an open-mind, however.  Even though I thought I knew the exact style I wanted, I still tried on other styles.  I was surprised at how much I liked the other styles I tried on!

I made an appointment at a salon called 'All Brides Beautiful' in Hudson, Ohio and a consultant worked with me throughout my entire appointment. I told her my budget, what style I liked, and what style I didn't like.  Since we already chose our venue-which is very modern- I knew I didn't want lace, or anything vintage-looking (even though there were many beautiful lace dresses, especially Jim Hjelm!)

It's important to pick a dress that fits your venue/feel of your wedding.  If you're having a rustic backyard, or beach wedding, a huge tulle ball gown might not be the best option. Your dress should reflect your wedding.

Dress by Rivini. (not mine)

I trusted my consultant to find me the right dress. It's very important to trust your consultant during your appointment. They will be extremely knowledgable of all of the dresses in the shop and the prices of each dress.  My consultant actually did show me a dress way out of my price range, which I wasn't happy about, but I'm lucky I didn't fall in love with it! Always check the price before you decide if you like it or not! Also, don't purposely try on a dress out of your price range, even though it's beautiful.  You will most likely fall in love with it, and you'll be disappointed when it's twice your budget. A cheaper dress most likely won't compare once you have something so luxurious on. 

Dresses at the shop I went to were definitely on the higher end. However,  I knew I wanted to spend more to get a higher quality, designer dress (I bought a stunning Rivini gown). I also discussed it with my fiancé.  We agreed that my budget was acceptable, even though it was a bit tough saying my budget out loud!  I am not, however, saying you need to spend $5,000 on a dress!! It's all about what's a priority in your wedding budget.  Do you want to spend a little more on a dress, or do you need a massive five-tired wedding cake? It's all about your priorities! 


Hope this helps you when you pick out your wedding dress!

XO, Val

Hidden Wedding Costs.

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about hidden wedding costs.  It's good to think about this in the beginning of your wedding planning process, so you can account for the extra cost right off the bat.  

1. This one is no secret, but you must account for tax for EVERYTHING!  If it's a legitimate business, there's going to be tax. Most halls, or caterer's will charge 18% of food costs, so you have to factor that in.  If your wedding dress costs $800, it actually doesn't. Theres tax on that, too. Aim for a dress thats closer to $700 if you want it to end up being $800.  The important thing is that you're prepared for these costs ahead of time!

2. Tips: You're most likely going to be tipping a few of your vendors throughout the night of your wedding.   

3. Something else brides sometimes don't think about is bridal party gifts.  It's not like you have to buy all your girls designer bags, or jewelry with real diamonds (that would be amazing, though!) but factor in a couple hundred dollars, or more depending on how many girls you have.

4. Hair and makeup trials: It's always a great idea to get a trial for your wedding day hair and makeup! However, the trial will be its own separate price. This could be an extra $150 you weren't accounting for. Try to plan your makeup trial on the day of your engagement pictures, so you can get a good feel for how it will look on your wedding day, and in pictures!

5. Postage: Some people forget about postage when it comes to their wedding. It's also not just the wedding invitations that require postage.  You need to account for save the dates, rsvp cards, and thank you cards. Try to keep your invitations light, so they require less postage. 

Thanks for reading! Hope it helped! 

XO, Val.

Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark pt. 2.

Hi Everyone!!

When you're a year out from your wedding, in addition to determining budget, guest list and the overall feel of your wedding, there are a few other things you need to start thinking about.

Deciding on your bridal party is something that should be done as soon as possible.  Like your fiancé and yourself, your bridal party is going to need time to prepare and save money as well.  Asking someone to be in your wedding is a big commitment.  They may need to travel from out of town, so giving them time to make arrangements is best.

via: the knot.

Something else to do a year out from your wedding is hire your wedding planner. Weather you're having someone to help with every aspect of your wedding or just a day of coordinator, finding them at the beginning of the planning process is a good idea.

Having an engagement party is also something that happens right after the engagement. Not everyone has one, but it's a good way to celebrate your recent engagement.

This is also a good time to start trying on wedding dresses.  You need around eight months to have your dress ordered, so having extra time to try on dresses will be great. This will give you time to figure out what you like and what looks good on you before you decide on the right dress.

Jim Hjelm. Picture via: the knot.

You should also start looking at photographers and videographers.  Try to decide what style you prefer, and ask friends and family for recommendations. 

Trying to get most of the big details of your wedding out of the way in the beginning is a great idea, but not necessary.  If things kind of fall into place a year out from your wedding you're very lucky.  Don't think you have to have everything done right away, though. Really think about what you want, and enjoy the planning of your wedding! 

I hope this helped! 
XO. Val

Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark.

Hi everyone!

I recently got engaged, so it's been a VERY exciting couple weeks! It is very different planning my own wedding, however.   I'm very used to the process of planning weddings. I know what should be done, and when it needs to be done. 

This is right after we got engaged! 

As I plan my own wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to post each month leading up to my wedding next June. I'm going to be posting what needs to be done at the year mark, nine month mark, etc.  

If you have a year or more to plan your wedding, that is great! If you have less time, it's still possible to accomplish everything you need to.

When it's a year until your wedding, or right after the excitement of the engagement wears off, it's time to accomplish the first steps in your wedding planning process!

Most girls have dreamed up their perfect wedding long before they have the ring, but it's still important to discuss with your fiancé the overall feel and style of the wedding. So pull up your secret wedding Pinterest board, because this is the fun part!! Is it going to be laid-back and casual, or classic and elegant? This is important to figure out right off the bat, because it will determine budget and venue. 

Most importantly, you need to determine the budget of your wedding! If your fiancé and yourself are paying for the wedding, the two of you need to sit down and discuss what you are able to spend realistically. Don't go into debt over your wedding! 

If your parents, and/or your fiancé's parents are paying for the wedding, you need to talk to them before any decisions are made.  When they are helping out financially, their opinion on the wedding is also important.  

Once you figure out the budget, other aspects of your wedding can be determined.  You next need to figure out the guest list.  You don't need an exact number, but something close will help determine the venue you chose.  

Once you have the guest list figured out, you can start looking at venues.  You need to decide if you want to have your wedding all in one place, have your ceremony in a church, opt for an outside wedding, etc. Venues will have a max number of people, and they will sometimes have a minimum as well.  These are important factors to consider when you're picking a venue. 

Ok. I'm going to wrap this post up here for today! There are a few other things you should think about at the one year mark that I'll talk about in my next post!

XO, Val