Jen thanks! I did visit the website but it doesn't show the kinds of dresses for $99. There is one in MD we may check out in the fall (I think they do the $99 sale 2x a year). I just wonder how many dresses will be less than $250 -- which is all we can afford to pay, you know?
Jenn - You should also see if there are any bridal gown rental shops around. I am very short and I rented a tea length gown (I think it was a size 20) for my second wedding. It was really pretty and only about a hundred for a gown that retailed around a thousand. I do have two gowns in my closet from my first and third marriages that were made especially for me but I don't know why I keep them since my son sure isn't going to wear them! The last one was a powder blue and really pretty. I bet it hangs on me now. But I'd love to try the one on from when I was 19 and see how I have changed in size.
Barb, that's a great idea. I haven't even thought about that for myself. I don't know why so many women buy dresses that they will only wear once. Plus, everyone knows that the daughters will want to pick out their own new dress anyway. Styles change sooo much. I don't want a dress with the puffy shoulders, like the ones that were in style when my mom and dad got married, lol. I am going strapless...
Jenn, you are so right about the knot not being gay user friendly, but when it comes to a place that has every dress imagineable and a great search engine for them, the Knot is it!
I found my dress on the Knot, then called around to see what prices I could get at different places. Found mine at a discount bridal store...they got it for me at about $400 less than the retail price.
Good luck with the dress hunting, chickies! When you have them picked out, I, for one, would love to see!
Ladies, look for Bridal Shops with basements! Seriously! One of my clients owned a bridal shop here locally and after she sold it to her assistant, she gave me the tip of digging through the basement. It is absolutely loaded with dresses, organized by size, that all are $100! They're not 80s styles or anything over the top like that either.
Jen, I just read the first page...hon, if you and HB really don't want to wear the traditional wedding dresses, that's fine. But if you aren't doing it because of cost, definitely look around. I know there are lots of places to get a dress at a much lower cost. You can definitely do it if you want to.
My hubby and I got married 3 years ago and I have to tell you I loved The Knot. It was so much help. I picked out the dress style I wanted and the had it look for large size wedding dress shops in my area. It was a god send for me when I was planning my wedding.
We were also on a very limited budget. As far as favors we took tulle (sp?) that I found on sale and then make up little bags of hershey hugs and kisses with a little strip of paper tying it all together that said "Hugs and Kisses from Roy and Karla and our wedding date" on it. Everyone really seamed to enjoy them.
Our decoration theme was teddy bears. Even our invitation had a bride and groom teddy bear on it. I watched all of the sales and hit the dollar stores alot. It is amazing what you can get at the dollar store and then add a few flowers or ribbon and make something fabulous. I also watched for the craft store sales in July and at Christmas and got most of the ribbon, tulle and flowers for about 1/2-3/4 the cost of the original price.
Our pew decorations were a bride and groom teddy bears in a swing. My hubby is an advid woodworker and he made the swings out of junk lumber he found at construciton sights. Got the bears at the dollar store, hot glued a little tulle on the bride bear to look like a veil and one flower from a bunch in her hand and then we put a top hat on the groom bear and gold ring in one hand. Did basically the same bears for our table center pieces and then just sprinkled the table with glittery hearts. I think when we were all done each bear cost us about $2.50 and the swings cost about $1.00 each. When we were through with everything we offered each or the attendants a set of bears and then donated what was left to one of charies in the area.
You all have lots of time if I remember your dates correctly. The biggest thing for us was to pick a theme and then stay with it. What really set our theme for us was when we went and looked for invitations. I think we spent 3-4 hours going through the books and when we came to the teddy bear one we quit looking. It was the right one.
Good luck to all of you!!!!
Last edited by Sheba's Mom; 06-15-2005 at 12:09 AM.
Hey girls congratulations on your upcoming weddings, I adore them and also like helping plan! My older sister got married two years ago in August. I thought I could help a little by sharing what they used for favors and etc.
Dress: She went gown shopping and picked two places she liked, they both had summer style dresses on clearance since they were getting ready to bring in the fall dresses, so try and shop between seasons, she then used her barganing skills to bargain between the two saying the other was higher but they did offer pressings and etc, so eventually the cheaper one had threw in two pressings with the sale price of the dress. She save over 4 hundred on the dress by hitting the sales between seasons and bargaining. Small bridal shops strive in competition so you would be suprised how much you can save. Also one more thing go to places that have an open show room where you can try on any dress and a lot of times they have spots of dirt on the trains and stuff from trying them on they sale those dirt cheap and you can get it dry cleaned way less then paying full price.
Rice/Birdseed: They had to use birdseed by the churches request so be sure to ask! They made satin roses and put the birdseed in them, they put the rosses in a big basket on the steps leaving the church, guest could pick them up as they went outside. All the guest had to do was thrust them toward the bride&groom/bride&bride and the seed came out very easy and were easy to fold back up so you could keep the satin rose! These were very cute, you can order them in any color online but my mom and myself made these! The directions can be found online as well went to a discount fabric store and bought satin fabric in the color for $10.00 for a big bulk of it. Something I thought some of you may like!
Favors: My sister had cd's made of their favorite love songs etc, she got hers off of ebay, they do the cd, the cd label and cases and its really cheap. However it can get cheaper if you have the time and things to do it with at home! Burnable cd's are cheap I think at most 12 dollars for 50-60 at BigLots or Wal-Mart. Burn your own and they have the program to make cd labels and case covers as well. Only downside would be the time and I know brides are busy, so if you have computer savy cousins, nieces, nephews etc con them into doing it!
Also for favors try going to the dollar tree someone mentioned this earlier they have lots of wedding stuff! Believe it or not, I saw it their yesterday, they have white garters, favor boxes if you decide to do candy! Place cards, tule and lots of ribbon, the down the street from me has all this and bubbles and bells. My sister-in-law bought silver picture frames from their as their favors they printed out a piece of paper that had ""thanks for sharing our special day" etc and it was noted at the bottom the paper can be removed and used as a picture frame. The were very elegant looking all set up on a table for the guest to pick up, wal-mart and party city always have marked down wedding stuff so check them out.
Decorations: Opt to make all the bows and things yourselfs! Except the bouquet/s I think those should be made for you! Bows are so easy to make thousands of insturctions online and also at craft stores like Michales they will have classes or someone would be glad to show you how. These places also have sales on flowers all the time if you would like to use artificial to save money. Center pieces get a simple glass vase add some clear pepples or colored if you can find a matching color in the bottom fill with water and add the flowers, around it add small little glass votive candle holders with tea lights or votives depending on how much light you want, this would look very nice with dim lights, also table clothes can be very expensive!!!! Trust me my sister spent a lot of money on them! My sister-in-law did something very smart she went to plejs (if you have ever been their then you know they have sales on things like this constantly and you get this stuff soooooo cheap) she got sheets plain white sheets, she then dyed them sage green with store bought dye, and had white china (rented) wine glasses they could take home (dollar trees) and the vases with pepples described before with different color pink flowers and mixed green vines and ivy in with it, had clear votives and pink candles inside them. This was beautiful!! Everyone was talking about how nice it was.
I think thats all I can think of for now if their is something else then I will post it for you girls. I hope this might have gave you some ideas to consider. Again congrats on your weddings.
Here's the ring. I get it today. Deciding when to officially pop the question!!! UGH!!!
Here are the options, opinions?
(thanks Laurie, already!)
1-ask her on the plane/in the airport on the way to Maine in August when we go to look at prospective places. Complete on bended knee. That way she has the ring to show her parents and it will be tough for her to run away
2-Plan to meet her in DC (say I have a meeting that morning or something) at Caribou Coffee, since it's our place, earlier like in mid-July. I first fell for her on our daily trips there before the work board meeting. I told her I wanted to serve Caribou at our wedding Sit outside, her with her darned steamed milk and me with a coffee and get down on one knee on the sidewalk in front of everyone and do it.
3-We're planning on going camping July 4th weekend. It's her most favorite thing to do. I can do it the first night, after dinner and under the stars. Romantic and such.
4-I took her to see the Cherry Blossoms this year. She said it was the single most nicest thing anyone has ever done for her (she casually mentioned it and I made it happen, despite many obstacles). I can bring her back to the Jefferson Memorial at night when it's not touristy crowded, and ask there as well.
My only thing is, we both want to be proposed to first. She doesn't have the means to ($ to get a ring). I don't want her to be upset that I am doing it first so I don't know if I should hold off...Plus, she's a private person so I don't know if the ones in public will work.
The more I think about it, the more I am torn between camping and the Jefferson Memorial. July 4th is soooo right around the corner!
My Fiance proposed to me on the 4th of July. It was awesome. Will there be fireworks where you are camping? I think the best would be to propose right before the fireworks start. Now, everytime we watch fireworks, it reminds me of the day he proposed. I think that's perfect. I get butterflies just talking about it. Also, it's Independence Day, it brings it a whole new meaning.
PS, that ring is very pretty. Mine is white gold too (or platinum, not sure). It has a round diamond in the center, with two little round diamonds on each side (so 5 all together). It's not huge, which is perfect because I have small hands.
Jenn, WOW!!! HB is one seriously lucky girl...that ring is classic, gorgeous, and just lovely! I don't think she'll ever want to 'trade up'...what a beautiful ring!!!
Love the fireworks thought...that's super-romantic!
I just heard the cutest sappy story and figured you brides-to-be would enjoy it. My coworker went to a 50th anniversary party for her friends. She just found out that they kiss each other at 3:00 on their anniversary, because that was when they got married. This year, they kissed underneath a tree they planted on their 25th. Isn't that like something out of a novel?
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