San Diego Budget Wedding - It Happened!

I recently helped my stepsister with planning her August wedding in San Diego.  You might be asking yourself how "San Diego wedding" and "budget" could possibly show up in the same sentence.  But they do, and it was a beautiful day!

Here were her basic tricks...

Location:  her ceremony took place FOR FREE on the beautiful cliffs of La Jolla.  They simply sent someone to stake out their spot early that afternoon and set up the chairs.  It's a public strip of land.  There were people picnicking about 100 feet away.  Anyone can use that space!

Guest List: 30 people.  Simple as that :)

Reception: House party with catering of various delicious hors d'oeuvres- no sit down dinner.  We hung out on the upstairs deck and lower patio/ yard and mingled.  It was great!

Built in Honeymoon:  Who doesn't love San Diego?!

I offered to do a video of the ceremony and tidbits of the reception with my flip cam, since she wasn't planning on hiring a videographer.  I wasn't expecting it to be great or anything, seeing as I'm not a professional.  But I really thought I could capture all of the important moments and put something nice together for her.

I was seriously dissapointed- I have used the flip for over a year now, and it has never steered me wrong. Crystal clear quality, so easy to work.  But I guess I never used the zoom feature before.  Well, at the most important time I needed it (for a wedding), it made everything blurry whenever I zoomed in.  I don't know if it's something I did, or if that's just what I should expect from a $200 mini video cam.

Anyway, if the blurriness had not been an issue, I would have been pretty happy with this video.  And I only used Windows Movie Maker, which is automatically installed in most computers these days.  The point is, if I can do it, anyone can do it.  Give it a stab some time :)

Signature Drink of the Month

The Cranberry Kiss

This is a great alternative to the common cranberry vodka.  It's has a little bit of an "island" feel with that spiced rum, and has that little extra zip with the collins mix/ sprite (as opposed to just cranberry and alcohol).  It would be a good for a summer/ beach wedding.  I try to pick signature drinks that don't have too many ingredients to keep it less expensive.  Enjoy!

• 3/4 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• 2 ounce(s) collins mix, or sprite (for less sweet version)
• 2 ounce(s) cranberry juice
• 1 wedge(s) lemon

Recipe & Photo Credit: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/cranberry-kiss-drink-recipes 

A San Diego Wedding

Thanks for stopping by.  I'm going to San Diego to help my step sister pull off an intimate ceremony at the cliffs of La Jolla followed by an informal reception party for friends and family at her house.  I helped her plan her wedding in just 2 months, so if we can do it, so can you!  I'll be back with tons of pictures, stories, and video to share.

In the meantime, here's a great article from The Knot:
Wedding Budget: 30 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

I'll be back on the blog next Wednesday.  See you then :)

Tip of the Week

Reduce Stress whenever you can...  Weigh the pros and cons of saving money in certain scenarios.  Sometimes, you can save a lot of money and have a lot of fun doing something yourself.  Other times, it isn't worth the stress, so you'll want to consider all options.

For example, you can find very reasonable invitations online that will be printed with everything you want (and you can order a sample first to make sure it's what you're looking for).  If you need 100 invitations, you can easily find options online for $2 or less per invitation-- printed and ready to go.

You might think, why don't I just get some blank invites from a craft store and print them myself for $1 per invitation?  Yes, you are saving $100, but if you aren't the most computer savvy person, you could end up pulling your hair out, or worse- ruin the invitations because they print out with the writing half off the page.

Say your wedding budget is $12,000.  In the scheme of things, $100 is not that much.

On the other hand, if you can save $10 per plate by picking a different style meal or different time of day, that might be something worth considering- it doesn't involve stressing you out; it's just a change of theme.  That's a savings of $1,000.

Just consider your priorities and time commitment and make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew :)

Have a great weekend!

Photo Credit: messed up wedding invitation

Wedding Inspiration

Use this inspiration board to make a budget wise version for your wedding...

This dress is from Target!

Q & A: Unnecessary Details

Q: What are some easy things to cut back on or remove all together, that my guests won't notice? 

A: There are definitely a lot of extras these days that aren't going to make or break your wedding.  I think the following list would be a good place to start cutting out the details that aren't really necessary...

• Definitely don't need:
• bubbles/rice
• programs 
• menu cards
• aisle runner
• pew/chair decorations and/or sashes

• Might consider doing away with:
• favors (most guests forget to take them)
• table numbers and name cards (let everyone seat themselves freely)
• boutonnieres and corsages outside of the immediate wedding party (we didn't do boutonnieres or corsages at all for our wedding and it looked fine)
• limo (borrow a friend/parent's nice car and decorate with "just married" decorations)

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER OUR SUMMER GIVEAWAY!!

Signature Drink of the Month

ABSOLUT PEARTINI is a wonderful fruity yet subtle signature drink.  It's great for a wedding because it's fun, unique and classy all at the same time.  There aren't too many ingredients, which will keep it more affordable.  You can nix one of the garnishes or opt for both, if you have it in the budget.

ABSOLUT PEARTINI

3 parts ABSOLUT PEARS
2 parts white cranberry juice
1 1/2 parts fresh squeezed lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a well chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a pear slice and a few blueberries as shown.

Recipe found on www.weddingshoneymoons.com/signature_wedding_drinks

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER OUR SUMMER GIVEAWAY!!

Q & A: The "B" List

Q:  We can only afford to have 100 people at our wedding. We have a really big "B" list and we're hoping we can invite some of them, but we really can't do anything until we get some "no" responses. How do we tactfully rush the people on the "A" list to respond and then invite the "B" listers without being obvious that they weren't first choice?

A:  A lot of people are in this same situation, so you don't need to feel tacky. Just make sure you don't let anyone know that they're on the "B" list. Here are a few ideas:

• Send out your "A" list invitations early (8-10 weeks in advance), hoping that you'll get some early responses. 
• Put out the feelers.  Moms and girlfriends are really good at this.  Get them on the phone with the family/ friends and start talking about the wedding.  People will most likely share their plans, if they'll be able to make it or not, if they have heard anything from anyone else, etc.
• Give people an option to rsvp on your wedding website.  This is generally easier, faster, and more motivating than snail mail.

Don't forget to enter our SUMMER GIVEAWAY!

Tip of the Week

Try not to let the wedding planning process and to-do list take over your entire head.  Give yourself realistic deadlines and don't think about the wedding when you've finished for the day.  It can be difficult to enjoy your time with your fiancee and friends if your mind is always somewhere else.

Don't hesitate to give yourself a break and start again on Monday.  You don't want to have bad memories of planning your wedding; it should be a happy time.  Although the timing/planning can be tricky and certainly a bit stressful at times, be sure to make it manageable for you.  If you need extra help, call in the friends and family.

Don't forget to enter our SUMMER GIVEAWAY!

Budget Wedding Demo

I'm going to start a series of example wedding budgets, ranging anywhere from $5-20K.  I'll give a breakdown of what the potential bride could spend on certain aspects of her wedding. Some weddings might have a small guest list, so they can spend more elsewhere... and others might have a lot of people, but focus on several DIY components to stay on budget.  Enjoy!

Budget: $12K

Guest List: 125 people

Wedding Party: 4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen

Ceremony: 1pm

Colors/Theme:  "Fiesta on the green"- orange, green, yellow

Q&A: Hurting Feelings

Q: My fiancee and I are on a tight budget, but we have several close friends plus siblings.  I have 4 best friends from high school (all in a tight knit group) and 2 close friends from college, as well as a sister and future sister-in-law.  I can't imagine not including them all, but I imagine that's going to get very expensive. Any suggestions?

A: Having 8 bridesmaids and groomsmen will definitely cost you- from the size of the limo, to the time needed from the photographer, to the bouquets, bridesmaid luncheon, and wedding party gifts.  One way to handle this without hurting anyone's feelings is to only include your sister and sister in law as the bridesmaids and find other ways for your friends to have a small part.

In your situation, I wouldn't be able to choose between any of those friends, but as long as none of them were individually left out, they should understand.  You can ask them to do a reading, share some of their talents (if any of them sing, enjoy photography or videography, etc), help with giving out programs, bringing up the gifts if it's in a church, etc.  You could even ask these girls to wear a certain color/style dress and sit in the front row to make them feel included and know that they're special to you.

Photo Credit: http://www.lusterstudios.com/images/stephaniemike/sister-reading-wedding-ceremony-church.jpg

If you only have 2 bridesmaids who are family, you are covering your bases of anyone's feelings being hurt.  It's obviously something you had to do to keep the wedding smaller and not an issue of them being a good enough or close enough friend.  I would only worry if you started splitting hairs over including some of these friends and not others.  Making the wedding party significantly smaller is a much safer- and cheaper- bet.

Make It Yours

It wasn’t until I started planning my wedding over 2 years ago that I realized rules are meant to be broken. I couldn’t believe how many “musts” are involved in the traditional wedding. It never occurred to me that my wedding should reflect my wants and personality (and my husband’s). I was more concerned about people being disappointed to experience something against the wedding norm.

But then I wised up. We were on a fairly tight budget, so obviously some of these traditions weren’t going to work out. So, which ones could we throw out? All of them, as it turns out. We started thinking about what was most important to us and how we envisioned the most perfect day of our lives. From there, things just started getting easier-- even fun! And looking back on the way it turned out, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I have always been much more of a day person than night, so I decided to have the ceremony at 1pm, followed by the reception at 3. Instead of the traditional chicken, starch & veg dinner, we opted for a pig roast— my husband’s favorite. The dressed pig made for a great decoration (my apologies to the vegetarians) and it was a pleasant change from the typical wedding menu. There were a variety of sauces for the pork, and our sides included pasta salad and grilled marinated peppers, onions & squash. Everyone commented on what a great meal it was.

The next thing I nixed was the veil because it’s just not me. I had some real qualms about this one because you’re only a bride once and I really wanted to look like one. But I also wanted to look like me and the veil just seemed too serious. Along those same lines, I took the liberty of choosing the most ridiculous bible reading of all time because I thought all of the options were a little outdated and silly (I’m a devout Catholic, but you have to be able to laugh at yourself sometimes!)… The reading I chose had something to do with “my lover leaping like a gazelle.” I figured I might as well have a little fun with the limited selection. It lightened the mood, too-- everyone had a good laugh.

I am also Irish, which if you know us, we like to shout it from the rooftops. It’s not a detail you leave out of conversations with people you’ve just met. So, I not only canned “Here Comes the Bride”; I hired a bagpiper to do all of my church music. Then, my cousins and I did an Irish dance to open the reception and get people going.

My absolute favorite thing about my wedding was the location of the reception. We were thrilled to find out that my in-laws were willing to let us use their bay house in southern Maryland. We grew up near the water, so having our reception on the St. Clement’s Bay was really a reflection of who we are. People walked along the hill overlooking the water or sat down by the pier over the course of the afternoon. It was truly a relaxed wedding and we were relaxed as a result.

The bottom line is that you don’t have to do anything for your special day. The more you free yourself from the traditional norms, the better your day will turn out—because it will be about you!

The Gown of Your Dreams

Any girl (woman, I should say) who has been recently engaged has surely spent a lot of hours thinking about her dress.  It probably started long before she got that ring on her finger, and may have been the first thing she considered when the planning began.  The perfect wedding dress seems to be something that girls dream about their whole lives, envisioning the room beaming and time standing still as they enter the room.  So where does the dream intersect with reality?

There are a few things that make picking the perfect wedding dress tricky.  First, your style and second, your budget.  It seems that a lot of woman see themselves in a very puffy, very intricate, very busy dress just because they want to match the big day.  There is so much hype to live up to; the dress has to make the grade.  But it's not always "you."  Then, there are brides who really do see themselves in a more simple (and still beautiful) dress, but feel guilty for not getting something more flashy.  They feel like they'll be disappointing everyone and themselves if their dress doesn't scream "I'm getting married!!!"

Photo Credit: http://tackyweddings.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/yohji_crop.jpg

Now consider your budget.  If you have decided that the dress is THE most important aspect of your entire wedding (which is completely fine), you will probably have to cut back in several other areas.  Now, there are more simple designs that are still pricey because of the brand name and fabric... but the rule of thumb is generally "the more layers, the more beading, the more intricacies, the higher the price."  So, if you're torn between a dress that is more you or a dress that is more for the show, think about the money that you could spend on other things and feel more comfortable on your special day.

This goes for accessories, too.  I see so many people take a beautiful dress and make it so much less than what it is by over-accessorizing.  If your dress has a lot of detail, you don't need a tiara and a bracelet and drop earrings and a big necklace.  In fact, it will downplay that beautiful dress you spent so much time picking out.  Vice versa, if you get a more simple dress, keep in mind that you can always dress is up with some beautiful jewelry.

Just make sure you're not overspending and over-doing it just because you feel obligated to do so.  Be happy with your decision and be true to yourself.  The goal is to be the prettiest, best version of you-- not someone else.

My Guest Blog on Savvy Cinderella

I was fortunate enough to be asked for an interview by the bloggers of a website called Savvy Cinderella, a which allows newlyweds and soon to be brides to exchange wedding goods/items and advice for staying on a budget.  Here is the article...

Ask the Expert: Kerry McCullough, DIY Centerpiece Extraordinaire

by Maggie Lusher on Jun 03, 2010

Kerry McCullough is an expert on creating DIY centerpieces on a budget.  She has created a YouTube channel where she creates a new and unique centerpiece every month.  Her tips and suggestions will help that bride who is thinking about making her own centerpieces but doesn’t want it to cost a fortune! Kerry offers some great advice and helpful hints for our savvy readers.

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you got involved in creating ‘do-it-yourself’, savvy centerpieces?
I got married in September of 2008 and didn’t have a clue about wedding planning, never mind planning on a budget.  I decided not to go with a wedding planner to save money (which is a debatable subject in itself).  So, I started doing extensive researching on what things generally cost and how to lower those costs.  It can be really difficult planning a budget wedding when you don’t even know what is considered reasonable versus expensive.  After the wedding, I had learned so much and was able to help several friends save money with their weddings.  Then, I decided to start a website for planning an affordable wedding in Maryland (where I’m from), as well as a general budget wedding planning blog.

What is a good price range for a DIY centerpiece and what are some tips to stay within that budget?
It really depends on your budget, but I’d say that the least expensive DIY centerpiece you could make that would still look really good would be between $20-30.

What types of flowers look gorgeous in centerpieces but won’t go over budget?
The trick is to find really great fillers.  I think that you should be able to use your favorite flowers in your wedding centerpieces- just not a ton of them.  If you love hydrangeas, use one or two and use your creativity to find other ways to fill up the rest of the centerpiece.  Things like limes, lemons, water, sea glass, sand, flower petals and bear grass are great accents to compliment your central flower.  If you don’t have a particular flower in mind, the best way to go is by checking out what is in season at your local farmer’s market.

What are some staple items for a DIY centerpiece and where can you find them for the best price?
The number one staple item you need for a DIY centerpiece is the vase.  You can buy bulk vases online and save a lot of money.  Check out several sites and make sure you’re getting the best deal.  Google phrases like “discount glassware” or “discount vases” to find these websites.  Other staple items would be votive candles with holders, flower petals to spread around the tablecloth, some kind of filler accent for the vase (like the ones mentioned above).  You might also pick up some round mirrors to place your centerpiece on top of for an extra bit of flash.

Every month you create a DIY centerpiece on a budget.  Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration honestly comes from walking around the grocery store or farmer’s market.  I don’t go into it with any preconceived ideas.  I just walk around and see what is reasonably priced and then I try to envision the entire centerpiece as I start collecting things.

If a bride wants to create a unique, creative centerpiece, what ideas or suggestions would you give to her?
I would say to search Google Images and YouTube videos on wedding centerpieces, add your own personality and taste, and combine all of your favorite aspects to really make it your own.

What are the pros and cons to creating your own centerpieces rather than having them professionally done by a florist?
The only cons I see are a) finding the time to do it all and b) preserving the flowers for a couple of days (since you can’t do it all the morning of your wedding).  Everything else about creating your own wedding flowers is so much fun, in my opinion.  I had all of my bridesmaids and family over two days before the wedding and we put together the centerpieces and bouquets.  We had so much fun, and the bridesmaids really took pride in what they made.

Any other tips or suggestions for our followers?
Do a test run! I can’t stress how important it is to put a sample centerpiece together weeks ahead of time, and leave it out to see how many days it takes before it starts looking limp and dingy.  You might see something that looks great in a picture, but it might not hold up so well when you try it yourself.  Just be prepared to modify and have a back up plan if something doesn’t work the way you thought it would.

How can our followers contact you?

Email is best: kerry@budgetwiseweddingmd.com

Additional Information about Maryland Budget Wise Weddings:

This website was designed to help Maryland brides who are getting married on a budget.  It features local affordable vendors, a budget calculator, a timeline for people who are working while they plan, tricks and tips for saving money, local bridal shows, articles, and a community advice board.  For those who aren’t in Maryland, you will find all of the pages helpful except for the vendors and bridal shows.  The goal of Maryland Budget Wise Weddings is to take away the stress of planning a wedding on a budget and make it a fun experience.

Maryland Budget Wise Weddings

Location, Location, Location!

Guest Blog by Celia Milton
 

There are SO many places you could choose to be married! Of course, there are churches and temples; reception halls and fire houses, but if you’re on a budget you might want to get a little more creative! Here are some ideas to get you started...

• Sports Stadiums; I did several weddings at the old Yankee Stadium a few summers ago (okay, okay, we snuck in…) What a perfect backdrop for a true sports fan, one that will provide your officiant (Well, that and maybe a permit; it never hurts to check…... with great metaphors for your ceremony script! Some of your more local stadiums may think this is just a wonderful publicity idea for them (and if you both wear team jerseys, think of the savings on wardrobe?)

• Retirement Homes/Assisted Living Facilities; many of these have beautiful party rooms or outdoor gardens, and you couldn’t have a more delighted if spontaneous audience!

• Train stations; how wonderful for a long distance relationship! Many of them are historic, lots of them are cute, some of them are landmarks. Check with the transit authority.

• Museums and gallery spaces; if you have a small group on a weekday, this could be the perfect path for you. A small donation would be in order for a non profit, maybe a goodie gift of chocolate or great stylish cookies for the staff in a gallery. Check your local art schools and colleges too; they may have quirky fun studio or exhibition spaces.

• Libraries; public and college libraries very often have private rooms or collections, which may be the perfect backdrop for a literary couple.

• College greenhouses; my alma mater has a wonderful little greenhouse that would be just perfect! (Note to self…make call…) Private greenhouses or garden centers…

• Local parks, gardens, zoos, skating rinks, ball fields; if you have a little group, a short ceremony and no amplified music, this shouldn’t be a problem, but you might call the parks department to ask about a permit. While being arrested might prove to be an entertaining photo opp, this might not be the way you want to start your married life together...

• Wine Cellar; many restaurants have little private rooms or wine cellars and having a short ceremony in the dining room would be a bright spot for anyone’s dining out experience!

• A box seat at the opera! (Probably only good for the two of you, your officiant and the witnesses!)

• Observations decks on giant buildings. Best to call about this one! Probably have to buy tickets, but what the heck! (And no, the Empire State Building will not let you do this except on Valentines’ day. If you’re thinking of a ceremony in say, 2015 you might have time to apply.

• Ferries and water taxis; how fun is this one! Have your officiant check on the legality of being married on the water, or do a quick vow on the dock.

• Do you have a friend or family member with a wonderful garden? Beautiful library? Gorgeous living room? I bet they would love to have you! Again, a sweet little present would be a great gesture of thanks.

 

Photo Credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/2326839401_89085c0287.jpg?v=0

• If you met somewhere interesting; that might be a thought; I’ve done weddings next to the bears at Bear Mountain, on a pier in Wildwood, in a swamp in northern NJ.  If the spot is sentimental and meaningful to you, that is really all that matters.
  

Celia Milton is a wedding officiant serving New Jersey and New York. She is, so far, unincarcerated for her public space antics with her couples! www.celiamilton.com

Best Signature Drinks for Your Buck

One great way to save money on the bar tab is to go with a signature drink. Sometimes, though, people get carried away with a really intricate drink that might get pricey. Here is a list of great crowd pleasers that don't involve too many components...

Sangria
Try providing some red and some white to accommodate everyone!
white/red wine
club soda
sugar
sliced oranges, limes & lemons
(Let soak for 24 hours in refrigerator prior to wedding)

Spiked Iced Tea
Pre-made sweetened iced tea OR homemade tea (add sugar and refrigerate several hours)
vodka OR light rum
lemon wedges

Margarita on the rocks
sour mix
tequila
lime wedges

Bay Breeze
Cranberry juice
pineapple juice
vodka

Summer Beer
This might sound like a really strange combo but it's sooo delicious!
Lemonade
vodka
Corona

Free Wedding Entertainment!

Everyone wants to be entertained at a wedding.  There's always that awkward half hour or so when the dance music starts, when nobody wants to be the first one out on the floor.  Sometimes the DJ does a good job of getting everyone into it, but what if he doesn't?  There's nothing worse than a boring wedding reception and we've all probably been to one.

So think about this-where is talent hiding in your group of family and friends?  My husband's cousins are Irish dancers and decided to put together a routine as their wedding present to us.  Everyone was going crazy for it- what a hit!  Then, completely unexpectedly, my friends shoved me out on the dance floor because I used to Irish dance.  So, I hiked up my dress and did a few steps.  People still tell me that it was the most unique and entertaining wedding they've ever been to.

Think about your group of friends- I'm sure you have some goofballs in the wedding party.  Put together a funny skit to do before the dancing starts to lighten the mood.  Most people also have at least one friend with a beautiful voice or musical talent with an instrument.  Ask him or her to sing/ play for your wedding.  Most people would be honored by this request.

Kids are always a blast- consider having the kids start off the party with a little freeze dance contest.  When the music plays, they dance and when it stops, they have to freeze in the exact position they are in.  You could also have a limbo contest or something along those lines.  I'm not saying every second of your wedding has to be filled with party pleasers, but one or two little things like this will make people laugh, smile and get in the mood to have a good time.

To Do... Or Not To Do (by yourself)

The subject of budget weddings always brings up the important topic of DIY (do-it-yourself).  Part of the fun (and frustration) of having a lower budget wedding is that it usually involves a lot creativity and hands-on projects.  So, what should you do yourself and what should you leave to the professionals?  Well, you will get different answers from different people, which is what I'm hoping to get from this post.  I'll go ahead and share my opinion and I welcome anyone in agreement or disagreement to post your comments...

When I got married a year and a half ago, I decided to do the following things myself.  I'll tell you what went well and what I wished I had turned over to the pros.

Makeup- This really depends on your comfort level.  I really liked doing my own makeup because I was always horrified when I got my makeup done for prom/ homecoming, etc.  I looked like a completely different person!  I just got some really pretty colors and practiced a few times to make sure I knew what I wanted.  I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out.

Favors- I made my own mix cds, which sounds like a really great idea in theory... but I could have saved myself hours of hard work and headache by ordering something equally as inexpensive like candies or seedling packets or personalized matchbooks.  I wouldn't recommend doing favors yourself unless you have lots of helping hands or a really small number of guests.

Flowers- I absolutely loved making my own bouquets and centerpieces with the help of my wedding party and family.  Keyword: HELP.  I would never have done it alone.  I ordered the flowers I liked (3 different kinds- don't get too ambitious) to be delivered to the house a few days ahead of time and kept them in coolers with water.  Then, I had a bridesmaid/ family luncheon where we enjoyed some lunch and drinks and put everything together.  It was so much fun and they turned out great!

Things I considered but I'm glad I didn't...

Invitations- I have enough trouble trying to get a Word Document formatted correctly.  I can just envision myself ripping my hair out when invitations come out of the printer with words trailing off the page

Music- I can definitely see why people would opt to put together a playlist on their ipod and plugging it into some speakers, but I would make sure you have a friend em-cee for the fun announcements that a DJ would make (like introducing the wedding party and cutting the cake)

Hair- I always worried that letting someone else do my hair would end in disaster.  They might think that something looks really pretty while my eyes start welling up with tears.  But even worse than that would be me trying to deal with the pressure of making my own hair look gorgeous with everything else going on that morning.  Go get a practice run with the stylist and make sure you get exactly what you want (and take pictures!)

Do you have any advice or comments on what you should leave to the pros??  Please share!

[Technorati Blog Claim Code]
VQH5GA5ZHNJW

DIY Centerpiece from guest blogger Judy Yublosky

Tall Wedding Balloon Centerpieces For Do-It-Yourself Brides

A bride has to be very budget conscious in these trying economic times. Someone who is crafty and able to do-it-herself has an advantage. Likewise if she has close friends or family who can lend a hand.

Judy Yublosky, president of A-BnC Parties and More, Inc. says many brides come to her through her Web site. Most seek to save money through the do it yourself route. They long for simple yet elegant centerpieces they can make themselves.

A tall balloon centerpiece is an ideal answer for many. Although elegant enough for any wedding, it avoids breaking the wedding budget. A tall flexible tube in the centerpiece's center elevates the balloons. It is light and flexible and makes for easy construction and transport.



Balloons cover the base and are added to the crown. They easily match the wedding décor since they come in so many colors, as does the tulle. Real or artificial flowers may be added for additional highlight decoration. All balloons are inflated with air which allows pre-preparation.

The tube raises the crown height of the centerpiece so it does not obstruct the guests' views at the reception table. This arrangement allows conversations across the table and provides an elegant and festive party experience.

                                                      * * * * *

Judy Yublosky combines over 18 years of professional experience and a life-long practical approach to her party planning efforts. Her specialties include wedding and rehearsal planning and coordinating, Bar and Bat Mitzvah party celebrations, as well as corporate and other personal celebrations and events. Judy works with do-it-yourselfers and brides on a budget.. Her company, A-BnC Parties and More, Inc. provides customers with one stop shopping and a variety of party products including invitations and decorations as well as other services. Do it yourself centerpiece kits and supplies, as well as free instructional videos, are seen at her Do It Yourself website. Free party planning guides and checklists are also available. Her blog features many ideas and information for brides and party planners on a budget.

Winter Wonderland

As I'm sitting here in my house, looking out the window at the 30 inches of snow, I can't help but wonder "what if I were getting married this weekend?"  Some friends of mine got married this very weekend last year and it was unseasonably warm (about 65 degrees!).  This year, unfortunately, people who planned their wedding on this weekend will most likely have to cancel. I can't even see my car right now, never mind go outside in wedding attire.  You'd have to be decked out in a complete snowsuit to get out in this!  I should also mention that I'm not in Maine or Utah or one of these places that snow like this is to be expected.  I'm in Maryland.

I thought this would be an interesting discussion.  Have any of you thought about a back up plan if you had to cancel your wedding for unforeseen circumstances?  It would be a good idea to discuss these potential bumps in the road with your vendors and write it into your contract.  Of course, they're going to have to charge something to compensate for reserving that time slot, but maybe they would be willing to work out some kind of a contingency plan with you so that you wouldn't lose all of your money.

On a weekend like this, it's possible that all wedding plans could be completely ruined and those people who traveled will not be able to turn around a few weekends later for a re-scheduled event.  You may want to consider having a considerably smaller event a week or two later at your own house.  Although this would be very upsetting to the bride who has dreamed of a certain kind of day her whole life, it is good to be prepared.  If it's any consolation, a wedding is about the 2 of you, and your closest family and friends are supposed to be there to support you.  The big reception and all the glam are fun and wonderful, but they're not the most important thing.  In a situation like this, although not ideal, you can really focus on the true spirit and meaning of a wedding.