Tag: wedding
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What to Do if You Can't Afford to Attend A Wedding
Posted on October 24, 2008 by Her
The economy is in a slump, and wedding attendance is seriously hurting. Traditionally, brides planned on 10% to 20% of their guests declining the invitation. Today that the average is more like 40% to 60%. It can be sad for a bride and groom not to have their friends and family in attendance, so what can you do if you're one of those guests who has to decline because you can't afford to attend?
- Send your R.s.v.p. as soon as you know you can't attend. This allows the couple to possibly invite someone else who didn't fit into the original list, or to make arrangements with their vendors for a reduced price.
- Tell the real reason why you can't attend. Saying, "I really wish I could come, but finances don't permit me to travel right now" is a lot kinder than lying, "I can't come, I'm going to a flea market that weekend." (yes, this was a response we received)
- Send a card before the wedding. In it you can mention that you are sad to miss the big day, but that you'll be thinking of them and wishing them well. There's no need to include a gift, just the kind thought is plenty.
- Send an email the day before the wedding, wishing them luck and sunshine. This shows that you remembered the day.
- After the wedding, ask if you can see their photos or video. It shows you care and genuinely wish you could have been there.
Have you used any of these tips when you couldn't attend a wedding? Has anyone done these things when they couldn't attend your wedding? Let us know!
Holy Wedding Spending
Posted on September 09, 2008 by Him
Our wedding is coming up soon. You know what that means?
VENDOR PAYMENTS. WOO.
If there's a silver lining to this dark cloud, it is that we're actually going to have money left in our bank accounts. No debt for us, no sir!
It's open bar, people. Drink up and get our money's worth.
It's Kind of Weird to Put a $20 Bill in Your RSVP Envelope
Posted on August 25, 2008 by Her
Dear Uncle Ray,
I received your R.s.v.p. for our wedding today and I'm sorry you will not be able to attend. I also received the $20 bill you stuck in the envelope. Without a note of explanation, I can only assume that this is a wedding gift and hope you didn't accidentally put your phone bill payment in the wrong envelope. Financial times are tough and I appreciate your kindness, and you'll definitely get a thank you note from us.
Still, it's kind of weird to put a $20 bill in your R.s.v.p. envelope. I'm just sayin'.
Love,
Her
It's Kind of Weird to RSVP For An Extra Dinner
Posted on August 22, 2008 by Her
Dear Mike & Christine,
I received your R.s.v.p. for our wedding today and am thrilled that you plan to attend. However, I can't help but notice that you selected three entrees for the two of you. I don't think you're planning to bring an uninvited guest (or at least, you did not indicate so on the guest total), so I can only assume that you are planning to work up quite an appetite. We can't wait to see you burn those calories on the dance floor!
It's just kind of weird that you're planning on eating two dinners. Just sayin'.
Love,
Her
Shower Gifts, Oh My!
Posted on August 18, 2008 by Her
Recently Him's mother and my bridesmaids hosted a bridal shower for me. It was really lovely and was attended primarily by family friends of Him's mother. These women are very close and I've gotten to know several of them well over the years. All the same, I was completely floored by the lavish gifts they presented me with. We were very careful to register for lots of items in a variety of prices, expecting to receive the smaller items (kitchen utensils, cutting boards, etc) as shower gifts. But we received only two of the affordable items. The rest were very expensive pieces like crystal, china, and kitchen appliances. I would guess that the average gift we received was well over $100. I've been a guest at many showers and usually spend $35-$60 on a shower gift, depending on how well I know the bride. Now I'm wondering if I've been a Scrooge all this time! Either way, I'm hopeful that my gifts have shown the brides as much love as the gifts we received.
How much do you typically spend of a shower gift?
Stupid Prioritization
Posted on August 01, 2008 by Him
This weekend, Lollapalooza descends upon the city of Chicago for another 3-days of festival goodness.
And for the first time in 4 years, we're not going. Something about saving money for a wedding and honeymoon or something like that.
In fact, we've been to no summer music festivals this summer.
Le sigh. To have everything would be to go into debt. We wouldn't want that now, would we?
The Big Dreams Savings Fund
Posted on July 22, 2008 by Her
This weekend we received our first cash wedding gift ($50). As we sat down to write a thank you note, we considered what to do with the cash. If we deposited it into our regular account, it would be gone almost immediately; probably spent on something frivolous and forgettable. So our first thought was to designate a separate account just for wedding gifts. But what to do with this account? Save up for our first home? Plan an anniversary vacation?
There are many possibilities and we haven't exactly mapped out our future just yet. We logged in to ING Direct so that we could create a sub-account and not open an entirely new account. Him suggested we name the account the "The Big Dreams" fund. We'll save all our wedding gifts there, and someday when we have a really important purchase to make, we'll use the cash for that. This way we'll have something wonderful to remind us of our wedding and the kindness of our friends and family.
What did you do with your cash wedding gifts?
The Dollar Dance
Posted on June 26, 2008 by Her
One of the most controversial wedding traditions is the Dollar Dance (also called the Money Dance). Expected in some cultures and regions, abhorred in others, the Dollar Dance is a dance where guests line up and give a dollar to the bride or groom in exchange for a dance. Though each couple only dances for a few moments, the dance can go on for a while until everyone has had a turn. One nice aspect of this is that the bride and groom have the opportunity to personally thank each guest for coming and chat for a moment with them. However, it can also be seen as a tacky way to extort more money from guests who have already spent quite a bit on transportation, lodging, and a wedding gift. We made the decision to have the Dollar Dance because it is expected in Him's culture. Unfortunately, my family will probably be offended. In turn, Him is offended that my family will be offended. Sheesh! To qualm everyone's emotions, we are going to put a note at each table explaining what the Dollar Dance is and that it is a cultural tradition for Him's family.
Have you ever had to negotiate a tricky financial landscape between families?
Now That's A Bad Idea
Posted on May 21, 2008 by Him
Yes, we're spending a lot of money on our wedding and honeymoon.
But we're not borrowing any money to pay for your wedding and honeymoon. We'll even have a sizable amount of cash left over after everything is said and done.
For the love of <insert deity>, please do not borrow money for your wedding or honeymoon. That's right Prosper, I'm looking at you.
Brides Beware: Renting Can Cost As Much As Buying
Posted on March 05, 2008 by Her
When planning a wedding, caterers will often encourage the couple to rent many of the necessary items such as plates, glassware, linens, etc (when the venue does not already provide them). They typically rent those items from a third-party rental company, pad the fee with a markup, and may even receive a kick-back from the rental agency. Still, many couples choose to go this route, believing that it is always cheaper to rent than to buy. This is simply not true! For a couple willing to do some legwork, it is often possible to purchase these items wholesale, secondhand, or on clearance, then resell them and recoup some of the cost. The cost (even ignoring any proceeds from selling them afterward) can sometimes be less than renting. Here are some examples from our own wedding:
Charger plates: Purchased secondhand for $1.50 each. Quoted $8.00 to rent similar item. Will sell them afterwards for $1.50 each. Total cost: FREE.
Satin table linens: Purchased secondhand for $400 (less than the previous bride paid for the fabric she used to make them). Quoted $600 to rent similar item. Will sell them afterwards for $400. Total cost: FREE.
Tall vases for centerpieces: Will purchase on sale for $8.00 each. Quoted $24 to rent similar item. Will sell them for $5.00 each afterwards. Total savings vs. renting: $45.
If you are planning to purchase items rather than rent them, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure you have room to store them until the big day. The savings might not be worth the hassle if you have to store boxes in your shower for 8 months! Second, make sure you have a way to transport them. These items can be bulky or heavy and might also be fragile. Finally, if you are planning to resell them, it's not a good idea to advertise them for sale until after the big day. Things can be broken or lost, or even taken home by guests. It would be unfair to promise your leftovers to another bride and then end up with less than you expected.
Unexpected Wedding Bonus
Posted on January 11, 2008 by Him
The place where we're having our reception has a list of 15 caterers or so authorized to serve food there. Since we've had an extended engagement, we've had the chance to speak with all of them. They range in price from pretty ridiculous to absolutely ridiculous.
Of course since they are catering our wedding, we have to evaluate their food. Therefore, that means going to tastings! Since they want to impress us, they usually put on a good demo, offering to us the equivalent of a full 5 course meal. To get our business, they make the food much more palatable than what will be served at the actual reception; quite a boon to us. Do this 15 times, and we've saved a few bucks on groceries.
Sure this is probably all a wash in the end, but it is nice to get some "free" food.
Ten Financial Considerations For Newlyweds
Posted on January 08, 2008 by Him
Somehow sometime during this long engagement of ours I was signed up to receive the "Groom's News" in my email inbox a few times a week. Along with cheerfully telling my how many days until the upcoming wedding and trying to sell me often unneeded high end trinkets and vacations, it points to articles that may be useful to newlyweds. In today's issue was this gem: Ten Financial Considerations For Newlyweds. Let's discuss, shall we?
1. From the beginning, save 15 - 20% of your income. By combining households, you should reduce your expenses a lot which should allow you to save. You should save to build your cash reserves, in your 401k plans and in a mutual fund.
This is a great tip to start off with. We're currently saving about 10% of our gross income, and after the wedding we're likely to increase that. It will be a balancing act with paying off student loans, though.
2. Rather than simply keeping two checkbooks like before you were married, pool your money into one checkbook and one savings account or money market.
We've spoken about how the joint checking account is working for us. We also have an allowance system to give us a little more freedom in making "guilt-free" purchases.
3. Change all of the beneficiaries on life insurance plans, retirement and other plans at work, and IRAs to your new spouse.
A nice reminder. We don't have life insurance, but we do have retirement accounts and bank accounts we'll have to check.
4. Decide how debts accumulated by each individual prior to the marriage (i.e. student loans) will be handled.
Since we've been living together and have had our finances combined for a while now, we've been living the "everything is ours" way of things - even debt - for a while now.
5. Work together on budgeting and tracking expenditures.
We've made efforts to budget in the past - this year we've implemented a new system that closely resembles the 60% solution. We'll detail that in a later post.
6. Discuss your approaches to handling money -- is one person a spender and one a saver? Create some ground rules on handling any differences.
Haha, it's more like "He's a spender, she's a spender." I mean, uh, we love to save money.
7. If both incomes are needed to pay expenses, be sure to have adequate life insurance.
We're definitely going to have to look at adequate life insurance after we get hitched.
8. Be sure to let each other know where important documents are kept.
More importantly, we need to get a safety deposit box to keep all that stuff. That's been on our to-do list for the past 2 years.
9. Consolidate your credit cards to avoid having double the number of credit cards needed.
Not sure if I agree with this one. We believe that we both should have individual credit. We've even opened some duplicate credit cards in order to take advantage of rewards.
10. Make a list of upcoming purchases together and prioritize them. You should decide jointly how to spend your money now.
Of course, communication is key. Her probably wouldn't like it if I just came home with a 52" plasma screen TV, and I don't quite know how I'd react if she brought home a couple pairs of Manolo Blahniks.
This list actually wasn't that bad. It will serve as a good reminder of things to-do after we're married.
How The Rising Cost of Gold Affected Us
Posted on December 17, 2007 by Him
photo: CaroWallis1
Last year around this time, Her and I went to the place where I purchased her engagement ring to shop for my wedding band. We ended up both liking a simple yet classic, plain, polished wedding band. The price for getting it in platinum was ~$800; the price for the same ring in white gold was ~$250. There was little discernible difference between the two metals except for the price, so we thought that we'd go with white gold. Since we knew that the wedding was more than a year away, we decided that we wouldn't purchase anything that day and would give ourselves time to mull over the choice for a while.
That while turned out to be another year. This past weekend, Her and I went back to the same jewelry store, spoke with the salesperson, and looked at the same simple yet classic, plain, polished wedding band. Except that this time, the price for the wedding band in white gold increased to $450. We finally decided to purchase it.
I've read headlines about the rising price of gold and whether to invest in it, but never really paid attention. I was pretty blindsided that the rising prices of gold would affect us in this part of our life. The salesperson was all too familiar with this and the daily fluctuations of the price of gold; she said that we wouldn't have to pay the difference if the price of gold rose even more during the period it took for them to order the ring.
At the end of the day though, it was a great feeling to be one step closer to being married.
Wedding Budget Tips From Caterers
Posted on September 21, 2007 by Her
photo: churl
In the last year we have met with many caterers during our wedding planning. Each of them had some cost-saving tips to offer us. I thought it would be fun to compile them and pass them on.
1. Dress up only the head table
If you want a fancy look but can't afford to do every table, do only the head table. You can use inexpensive complementary linens, plates and centerpieces at the guest tables, and splurge on a fancy tablecloth and fancy plates for the head table. That's the table that will be photographed the most, and dressing it up a bit more will make it look special without adding huge expense.
2. Pass the champagne
Renting a champagne flute and buying champagne for every guest is expensive, especially when some people won't even drink theirs. Instead of placing a flute at each place setting, have a waiter hand them out at the entrance. Not every guest will take one, saving on rentals and liquor.
3. Cake and coffee buffet
Even if your meal is plated, you can still save money by doing a dessert buffet with the cake and coffee. Again, not every guest will want dessert and coffee, so you can serve a smaller cake. You can use plastic plates and forks instead of china, saving on rental costs. You also won't need to rent a sugar/creamer/carafe for every single table.
4. Use Fancy Linens Sparingly
Expensive table linen rentals can cost as much as $40 per table cloth. To get the same look for less, use a basic table cloth and a fancy table runner - these cost about $5 each to rent.
5. Serve Prosecco Instead of Champagne
Prosecco is a sparkling white wine that runs about half the cost of champagne, but looks just as pretty in the glass.
Financially Savvy Wedding Gifts
Posted on July 30, 2007 by Her
Do you know a bride and groom who are financially savvy (or who could use some help in this area)? If so, then the Chicago Tribune has some great wedding gift suggestions. Instead of a stock pot, how about blue chip stocks for the happy couple? Or how about giving financial advice along with your marriage advice? A financial book instead of a cookbook? The article even recommends a favorite book of ours, Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. I think Him and I would be surprised and pleased to receive any of these gifts at our upcoming wedding. What do you think? Would you ever give this kind of wedding gift?
Downtown Hotel Room Blocks for Wedding Guests Cost a Fortune
Posted on June 29, 2007 by Her
This week I set out to try to arrange a hotel room block for our out-of-town wedding guests. I called many of the nicer hotels in downtown Chicago to ask for information and was shocked by the answers I got. Here we are, sending lots of potential customers to a particular hotel, and the hotels want to thank us...by charging us a fortune in "food and beverage minimums." Almost all the hotels I spoke with wanted us to sign a contract agreeing to spend a minimum between $500 and $2,000 on a "catered event" at the hotel, just for the privilege of reserving the room block! The managers cheerfully explained that this won't be a problem of we host our rehearsal dinner or farewell brunch at the hotel. But we already have a special place chosen for each of these events, and it's not at a hotel. I don't think I should have to pay a hotel for sending it customers. We decided we'll just send our guests a list of recommended hotels and their prices and let guests book their own accommodations. They'll probably be able to find these rooms at cheaper prices online anyway.
Weddings: I Do = I Debt?
Posted on June 25, 2007 by Her
I took an online survey this week for engaged brides. Question 54 asks how you intend to pay for your wedding. Most of the options involved taking on debt in one way or another. The first option on the list, "Refinance your house" is also probably the worst option on the list. Mortgage debt is secured by your home, so if you are unable to pay it back, you could lose your home. I can't imagine a scenario where it would make sense to risk the roof over your head to pay for a wedding.
We decided a long time ago not to incur any debt for our wedding. We had a yard sale to raise some money this summer and we are also saving as much as we can so that can pay cash for everything. We also decided to have a very long engagement (almost 3 years) so that we could have time to save up enough cash and wait for the best deals with vendors.
Bachelorette Party Expense
Posted on May 11, 2007 by Her
My friend is getting married and I've been invited to her bachelorette party. Her $135 (without hotel) to $250 (including hotel) per person bachelorette party. Plus I am expected to bring a gift. Says so right on the invitation. Is this typical? I've been to a few bachelorette parties before, but never been expected to spend so much on the event. Him is fine with it and wants me to go and have a good time. This just seems a little pricey. What is the typical cost of attending a bachelorette party?
Decorate Your Wedding Car for Under $8
Posted on March 19, 2007 by Her
There are lots of companies that sell "wedding car decorating kits" for upwards of $50. Save your money and do it yourself. Here's how.
What you need:
(18) tin cans (saved from soup etc.) lids removed, rinsed
(6) 9'-0" spools of 1/12" wide ribbon
(1) 1/2" dia. wood dowel
Tools:
Hammer
1 sharp nail or screw
Drill
Pliers
1/2" drill bit (the kind that looks like this:)
Step 1
Make sure cans are clean and dry. Turn each can over and use the hammer and sharp nail to tap a dent into the center of the bottom of the can. This will keep the drill from slipping around.
Step 2
Next, center the drill bit in the dent and drill a hole in each can. Drill only until the center point of the bit has gone through the can, do NOT drill through with the outer parts of the drill bit. You want to end up with a 1/4" hole, not a 1/2" hole.
Step 3
Unroll the ribbon from each spool and cut into 3 equal lengths (approx 3'-0" each). For each ribbon, tightly roll up one corner of ribbon and thread it through the hole in the can. Use the pliers to pull the ribbon through until it extends just past the inside edge of the can. Tie a thick knot inside the can. Gently pull the ribbon back through the hole, being careful not to snag or tear the ribbon. Repeat for each can.
Step 4
Tie the loose end of each ribbon around the dowel. Space the ribbons evenly across the dowel.
Step 5
Toss the dowel into the trunk of the car, close the trunk and TA-DAH! Instant car decoration.
The total cost of this project can be under $8. Choose ribbon that is on sale for 99 cents, so the ribbon is only $6.00. The dowel is another $1. The cans are free. No need to spend $50 on a car decorating kit!
Wedding Vendor to Us: "Cool Kids Don't Stick to Budgets!"
Posted on March 05, 2007 by Her
This week a wedding vendor told us to be like the cool kids and forget about a wedding budget. Here's how it went down (approximately).
Her: Dear Vendor, how much do you charge?
Vendor: MILLIONS of dollars, plus your KIDNEYS!!!
Her: Oh dear! We can't afford that. One of your competitors has offered to charge us just one tonsil for the same services. Can you match their price, which fits in our budget?
Vendor: NO! And you should forget about your budget if you care about your guests. You are a BAD BRIDE if you don't spend MILLIONS of dollars, plus your KIDNEYS! Anyway, I've never met a bride that came in on budget, so let me just tear that budget up for you and get started on your kidney removal...
Her: AGGGHHHH!!!!
I am tempted to send the vendor a link to this educational film, Your Thrift Habits. Enjoy!
Save Money on Your Wedding (Without Looking Cheap)
Posted on February 26, 2007 by Her
We've been planning our wedding for over a year now and have found lots of ways to make an inexpensive wedding look expensive. Here are some tips:
Buy Secondhand
Buying secondhand items is always cheaper than buying them new, and is even sometimes cheaper than renting them! By scouring Craigslist, ebay, and your own local shops, you can save tons of money. Often you can buy a very good quality used item for less than you could purchase a new poor quality item. Some items to consider: wedding gown, veil, tiara, purse, bridesmaids dresses, favors, centerpieces, candles, ring pillow, wedding rings, lights, serving pieces, cake knife set, etc. One wedding gown I saw for sale on Craigslist was a custom design by a world-renowned designer, and included an original signed sketch of the gown! It was selling for about the same price as a new gown from David's Bridal. Plus, many secondhand items are actually new: sometimes the bride just changed her mind before the wedding.
Spend on the Details, Skimp on the Big Stuff
People notice and remember the special little details of your wedding, and coordinated details make a wedding look more expensive than it was. For example, instead of renting expensive coordinated napkins, you could rent basic white napkins (or even use plain paper napkins) and make napkin rings out of inexpensive plastic pearls. Or you could spend an afternoon folding the napkins into a shape that matches the theme of your wedding.
Double-Duty Items
It's a waste to spend money on something you will only use once. For each item, consider if you can find a way to resell or reuse it after the wedding. For our reception, we purchased pretty photo frames to display the table numbers. After the wedding, we'll place our photo inside and give them as gifts to our families. We also purchased Japanese lanterns to decorate the reception. We'll list them for sale online after the wedding to recoup the cost.
Coupons and Discounts
Always ask your vendors what specials or coupons they are currently offering. Vendors almost always give away coupons during bridal expos. Attend these (free) events and you can save hundreds on each of your vendors.
Negotiate Like A Pro
Always, always, always negotiate the price. There are lots of books on negotiating at the library, and usually you can get a better price just by asking for it.
Get a Damage Discount
Be on the lookout for slightly damaged goods that are easy to repair. Shops will usually give you a 10% discount on slightly damaged goods if you ask fro a damage discount. Just be sure you really can repair the item inexpensively, or that the damage is unnoticeable.
No Impulse Purchases
Purchase nothing - NOTHING - on impulse. Always get a price quote in writing, then take 24 hours to mull it over. Take the time to compare prices, check that the item will absolutely fit in with your wedding and that you are allowed to use it (some churches prohibit confetti, for example), and that it is absolutely what you want.
I Bought My Wedding Gown (Under Budget!)
Posted on September 05, 2006 by Her
I bought my wedding gown! I went to the Filene's Basement Running of the Brides Sale and found my gown for $249 - far less than the original $1,000 price tag! We've been using the wedding budget calculator at www.theknot.com to plan our budget, and the calculator allowed $1,500 for my gown (with alterations). My gown will still need to be cleaned, altered and repaired (there are a few tiny beads that need to be re-attached), but even with all that I will still be waaaay under budget!
My gown is a satin semi-cathedral Alfred Angelo gown with glass and sterling silver beadwork. It fit like a dream and is the most beautiful gown I could have ever found. And I beat our budget by 85%! To top off the deal, I paid for it with a rewards card, which we will pay off as soon as the bill comes in.
Rock the Filene's Basement "Running of the Brides" Sale
Posted on September 01, 2006 by Her
I went to the Running of the Brides Sale at Filene's Basement and was really surprised. The sale was completely different than I had anticipated, and I have some tips for making the sale work for you.
1. Don't be the first in line.
The sale stocks over 1,000 gowns and fewer than a hundred will sell in the morning rush. That means there are still plenty of gowns left in the afternoon. If you go between 2-5 PM, the dresses will all be hung back up on the racks, the dressing room will be tidy, the aisles won't be crowded, and the sales women have already seen most of the gowns tried on. This means they can point you toward a gown that looks blah on the hanger but amazing when it's on.
2. Don't get caught up in the excitement.
Several brides purchased gowns in the rush and excitement of the morning, only to go home and decide they made a bad selection. All sales are final, so be certain when you buy. These girls were back in the afternoon, looking for a second gown.
3. Know what a quality gown looks like.
The only way to know what a quality gown looks and feels like is to spend some time trying on quality gowns beforehand, in a quiet and unhurried bridal salon. Examine every aspect of these quality gowns and get familiar with the details that make a gown fit well. Also spend some time learning about different designers. Know which are good quality and which make styles you like.
4. Be able to tell the quality of a gown at a glance.
The sale stocks gowns from a range of designers, all the way up to Dior and Pucci. To maximize your budget, you'll want to quickly sort out the quality gowns from the rest. Look for the brand or designer. Look at the hanger loops (some are printed with the designer's name), the dress tags (if they are still attached), and inside for a label.
Check the materials of the gown. Look inside for materials and care tags. You want natural materials such as pure silk, and quality embellishments such as glass or crystal beads. Avoid synthetic materials and plastic embellishments. Examine the fabric itself. The fabric should be tightly woven and have a matte finish. Cheaper fabrics often seem "shiny". Look for telltale details of quality construction. Quality gowns often have two zippers in the back (one inside for structure and one outside for aesthetics), an attached petticoat, a weighted hem, and a packet of extra beads/sequins.
5. Know your size.
Bridal gowns run about 2 sized smaller than casual clothes. So if you usually wear a size 6, you'll need to look for a wedding gown in a size 10.
6. Analyze the condition of the gown.
Find a clear, quiet area and spread out your gown. Check every inch for tears, stains, missing embellishments, and signs of missing pieces (such as snaps at the bustline but no straps). Determine if the repairs will be difficult or expensive.
6. Budget for the dress, plus cleaning, repairs, bustling, and alterations.
After you bring home the dress you will first want to check it once again for damage. Make a list of all the repairs needed and find a tailor who can repair it. Then you'll want to take it to a specialty cleaner who can remove the body oil from the gown being handled and tried on. Don't wait too long or these hidden stains can yellow your gown. You will also need to have the gown bustled (this is how the train is pinned up for dancing), and altered to fit. A gown that fits properly will appear much more refined than a gown that has not been altered.
7. Bring help, or ask for it.
You'll need help to get into your gown, get it zipped up, and take photos. If you can't bring a friend, buddy up with another bride and help each other. You can't tell how a dress really looks until you have it completely on.
8. Come prepared to buy.
The dresses are priced between $250 and $700.
9. Know which color you want.
Gowns range in color from pure white to ivory, cream and ballet pink. Know beforehand which color flatters you, and narrow your search to only those gowns.
10. Know the season and formality of your wedding.
You wouldn't wear a dress with fur trim in August, and you wouldn't wear a cathedral train to the beach. Knowing the season and formality can narrow your search to appropriate gowns.
Book Review: 1000 Best Wedding Bargains (3 Stars)
Posted on June 30, 2006 by Her
I've been using 1000 Best Wedding Bargains as a constant reference for several months now, so I figured it was time to post a book review. I love this book. A good percentage of the ideas are things I never would have thought of on my own. For example, bargain #735 says to ask your liquor supplier if you can purchase their "dead stock." These are vintages that have been removed from their menu, and the excess stock is sitting in their basement. They may let you purchase this stock at a deep discount.
The book can be repetitive at times. Sometime the same bargain is re-stated four different ways throughout the book. They could have done a better editing job. Reading this book is kind of like listening to advice from your batty aunt - she'll repeat the same sentence ten times, but then come up with something profound.
The other dislike I have for this book is the way it was bound. The book is tall and fat, with a glued soft cover binding. Trying to hold it open is like trying to part the Dead Sea. There's no way to do it without bending the binding, which is unfortunate since I like to take care with my books.
Overall this is a great book that can really help a bride plan things inexpensively while creating an upscale look. One of my favorite upscale ideas, creating a wedding monogram, came right from this book. I recommend it for anyone planning a wedding no matter the budget, since this book will keep you from over-paying on everything. If it weren't for the sloppy editing and poor binding design, it would earn four stars. As is, I give it three.
Midwest Conference Center and Wedding Receptions
Posted on May 24, 2006 by Her
We recently toured the Skyline Ballroom at the Midwest Conference Center to see if it would work for our wedding reception. Their website has very little information so I thought it would be helpful to our readers to post what we learned.
Cost
According to theknot.com, the Midwest Conference Center is one of the least expensive reception locations in the Chicago area. The MCC website says their wedding packages start at $18.95 per person. This is not exactly true. This package exists, but includes only 1 entree selection (a Mexican entree) and no alcohol or cake. Their traditional wedding packages start at $33.95 per person (for a chicken entree and open bar) and go as high as $55.95 per person (for a beef entree and premium bar, as well as other upgrades). In any case there is a $5,000 minimum. You are not allowed to bring in outside food, although you may provide the cake. There are no price deductions for anything you reduce or substitute from the packages, including the cake.
Location
The Conference Center is located at 400 West Lake Street in Northlake, IL. Although they are located just off the highway, it is a difficult place to find. You actually need to do a U-turn at one point because Lake Street is a divided boulevard and you cannot enter it and turn left. We were worried our out-of-town guests would have too much trouble with the directions. They do offer plenty of free parking though.
Views
The "Skyline Ballroom" is advertised as having great views of the Chicago skyline. This is true...sort of. The ballroom has floor to ceiling glass on three sides, and it is possible to see the skyline way off in the distance. The immediate views, however, leave much to be desired. One side has a view of the highway interchange, with highways as far as the eye can see. The sound of highway traffic is quite audible, even up on the 16th floor. The far end has a view of the American manufacturing industry, with the factory rooftops and parking lots as far as the eye can see. The last side has a view of an industrial train yard. Tracks criss-cross the landscape in all directions and there are red and blue trian cars piled high and far. There are so many you could not ever count them all. The views are certainly interesting and my dad would probably enjoy seeing this view of America. It just isn't very romantic or wedding-y. There is also no place to take wedding photos outside, so this would have to be done elsewhere.
Decor
The ballroom is reasonably nicely decorated. The room seemed small (the dimensions are about 72 feet by 48 feet) but was pleasant. Six large columns that interrupted the space, but the hostess assured me they take care not to seat guests behind the columns. The room accommodates between 100 and 185 guests. The room is done in wood paneling and a green and gold carpet. A 18'x18' dance floor is available. The tables and chairs were sturdy and in good condition, although the bright green chairs would probably need to be covered with chair covers.
Overall Impression
We both felt the space was workable, but not ideal. We'd like something with more aesthetic appeal.
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