California is certainly having its share of April showers this Spring.  Do not let this wet weather put a damper on your wedding day.  Incorporate the rain into your wedding ceremony and reception by including complimentary umbrella bags at the front door of the ceremony and reception venues.   If your budget allows, include large colorful umbrellas for your guest to use for an outdoor ceremony or as they transfer from the ceremony to the reception.   Not only will such favors keep your guests dry, these bright additions will provide for some outstanding photographs for your wedding album.

Rain boots are unique and fabulous additions to your bridal party’s attire providing just that splash of color you need.  If only for a few comedic photo ops, rain boots are sure to bring personality to your wedding day.   Adding rain boots to your flower girls’ and ring bearers’ attire is sure to bring some appropriate laughter at the ceremony.   And do not forget the memories such looks will add to your wedding album!

Speaking of the wedding album, how about the newly married couple taking romantic and fun pictures by using those colorful umbrellas and the rain to show their cool and collected personality, even under unexpected weather.

There are many natural aspects of rainy weather that will add personality to your wedding pictures, such as the bridal party running through puddles wearing Spring flower-colored boots.  Or the bride and groom pretending to throw mud at one another.   How about the bride and groom dancing in the rain with bright umbrellas.  If that does not capture the couple’s happiness in one photo, there probably is not a photograph that can capture such happiness.

Rain on your wedding day does not have to ruin the wedding you have planned for the past 12 months.   The wedding is a celebration of the marriage.   Marriage is about sacrifice, acceptance, love, respect and having the ability to navigate safely through stormy weather.   Starting your marriage off during the rain and handling it with ease and grace is a positive indicator that you and your soon-to-be spouse have the ability to weather the storm.

Whether rain or shine, remember the reason for the celebration and focus on your soon-to-be spouse and your family and enjoy your day.   Just look back on your fondest childhood memories and how much fun you had in the rain.  Incorporate the weather into your day, even if it is stormy and wet.  Happy planning in the rain!

Brides-to-be, pay close attention not only to your wedding dreams, but to the mini bridal party participants.   You must pay particular attention to your little princesses.   Traditionally, the flower girl wears white along with the bride.  Modernly, the flower girl dresses might mimic the bridesmaids’ dresses or white with splashes of color.  Whatever flower girl dress you decide on, please consider the following must-do suggestions:

1.  Age – Yes, it is your wedding and you probably have your idea of what your flower girls must wear.  However, please keep the age of your flower girls in mind.  How comfortable will a long flowing ball gown be for a toddler?  Not so comfortable.  You wouldn’t want tears to take the spot light off of you during your special day.  So, before selecting a floor length gown with lots of tulle, make sure you consider whether the gown is age appropriate for your flower girls.  The same goes for a gown revealing a bit too much skin.

2.  Personality – Like your bridesmaids, your flower girls will have diverse personalities and style.  Please consider your girls uniqueness when selecting a dress for them.  Some little girls will love wearing a princess type gown while other will feel more comfortable in a tea length dress.   Again, happy flower girls, happy wedding.

3.  Budget – Now it goes without saying that you should keep your budget in mind when selecting most things for your wedding. However, also remember to keep the flower girl’s parent’s budget in mind when selecting the flower girl’s dress.  It is tradition that the bridal party covers their own cost for their wedding attire.  So selecting a $200 designer flower girl dress is likely not going to fit well in most budgets; especially for a dress the little girl is likely to wear once and out grow in a month or so.

4.  Season – Remember to consider the weather on your wedding date.  Nothing is worse than a hot and miserable child wearing a long sleeve, floor length ball gown during an outside wedding in July.

5.  Venue – Again, you don’t want your flower girls absolutely miserable during your wedding.  Outside weddings during the summer call for lighter fabrics, spaghetti straps and tea length dresses.

If you’re looking for gowns designed by:

Amsale

Kenneth Pool

Jenny Lee

Monique Lhuillier (my all time favorite)

Rivini

Lazaro

Are you looking for one of these beauties?  Well then RUN to The Unique Bride!  What are you waiting for?  I said RUN!!!  The sample sale ends on April 3, 2010.   

The Unique Bride is also having a fabulous sale on special occasion and bridesmaid dresses.  These dresses are going or as low as $40.   If you are a fan of Watters, After Six, Dessy Siri, Bill Levkoff, Lazaro or Alvina Valenta, you are sure to find what you are looking for at The Unique Bride for under $100. 

As with all great things, you will need to come prepared, so make an appointment today by calling The Unique Bride at (650) 347-7001 or go to their website at www.uniquebride.com.    Happy Savings! 

(Fab Frugal Find:  Check out the listing on TheKnot.com and you’ll receive a special offer exclusive to TheKnot.com readers.  Go to www.theknot.com.)

Are you looking to save a bundle on your dream gown.  Below are tips on purchasing your affordable gown (used and new) and some online vendors offering designer gowns for the frugal.  Happy dress hunting… and surfing!

1. David’s Bridal

David’s Bridal is probably the most recognized name in the bridal business. This bridal super store is known for it’s fabulous wedding gown sales and its huge selection of wedding gowns. It is also best known for it’s one-stop-shopping approach.

2. Weddingbee.com Classifieds

Weddingbee should be your second stop for all things wedding, Sui Generis Events & Designs being the first. Weddingbee Classifieds has daily postings of many things for sale by Weddingbee members and guest. Included in these classifieds is a section dedicated to wedding gowns. Generally the gowns are used, but there have been quite a few new-with-tags gowns. The price ranges from quite affordable to ummm not really in my budget. There have been posting of designer gowns for half the cost, some of them being worn once and professionally cleaned. Keep in mind that these gowns have more than likely be altered, so remember to know your measurements before asking for more details on the gown. 

3. PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com is an online bridal consignment store. As it’s name suggests, it has a large collection of previously worn wedding gowns at low prices. If you do not see the gown of your dreams on the website, they will work with you and find it for you!  Now, how awesome is that?  This is probably the best frugal find of the year! PreOwnedWeddingDresses connects buyers to sellers and you are able to negotiate directly with the seller. Many of the sellers are willing to cover the shipping cost and cleaning costs, if the gown is not already cleaned.  As with most online shopping experience, remember to ask a lot of questions and be cautious if someone is not willing to provide you with specific details of the gown, pictures of the gown, location of the gown, etc.  Also, I highly suggest you only purchase from individuals (and vendors) accepting PayPal.

Be frugal.  Be fashionable.  Be fresh.  Happy gown shopping!

(Photo credit:  John Bayley Photography)

Although the economy appears to be heading in a positive direction, not a lot of us can reasonably afford to spend $20,000 on our wedding. However, most of us have imagined our weddings since childhood and can’t fathom having anything less. Never fear, it is possible to have the wedding of your dreams with a $5,000 or less budget. How you might ask? You will need to first and foremost be realistic and know what you can and can’t live without. Then you’ll need to make a list of all the things you’ll need for your wedding and number them in order of priority. Lastly, take the tips below in consideration when planning your $5,000 (or less) budget wedding.

1. Your Wedding Dress

A huge percentage of a wedding’s budget is spent on the bride’s wedding dress. In order to save big in this area, budget brides should consider second-hand gowns or purchase a gown from a discount bridal store. You can find second-hand gowns at thrift stores, consignment shops, eBay, the classifieds section of wedding blogs (e.g. Weddingbee.com) and e-stores selling used wedding gowns (PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com). You can also borrow a gown from a friend or family member. Also, check with the older women in your family to see if they still have their wedding gowns. These older gowns are vintage and you may be surprised to see how a few alterations can modernize a vintage gown. If you have your heart set on owning a gown never worn by another. Your best bet in saving money is to shop the clearance racks of bridal shops, or department stores like Nordstrom or Macy’s. If the clearance prices are still out of your budget, which as some bridal shops may actually be the case. Check out discount wedding stores like David’s Bridal or Wedding Center USA located in Modesto, CA. These discount stores generally carry wedding gowns for under $100.

2. Your Save-the-Date Cards & Wedding Invitations

Your wedding announcements, save-the-date cards and wedding invitations can cost you up to $1,000 or more depending on the vendor, style and size of each. You can keep a lot of money on your money tree by making your own save-the-date and wedding invitations (including RSVP cards, return envelopes and place cards). You can find DIY kits at Walmart, Target and Micheals. You can also search online for templates which you can download, customize and print on your printer (check out ThePaperMillStore.com for FREE wedding invitation templates). Creative brides can design their own invitations and purchase card stock paper from any office supply store or art store. Making your invitations yourself might take you a little time, but it will save you hundreds of dollars in the end. You might spend $50 for your invitations. Please remember, when creating your invitations and save-the-date cards, take postage in consideration. A save-the-date card or invitation may look beautiful, but cost just a little too much to mail. If you are into something unique, also consider hand delivering your invitations personally, if all your guest are in close proximity to your home.

3. Your Wedding Decor

Flowers, balloons, tableware, silverware, linens, lighting, candles, etc., all fall into the category of wedding decor. These items can take up to 40% of your total budget. It does not have to though. You can save big on Flowers by selecting silk flower instead of live flowers. If you are not much for silk flowers, go with in season live flowers, they’re a lot more affordable. Also, if you go with live flowers, keep your centerpieces and bouquets simple (i.e. as few flowers as possible, held together by a ribbon). Forget about the balloons, unless you’ll be using them as centerpieces as opposed to flowers. As for your place settings, check out Costco’s plastic flatware that looks just like silver flatware, until you touch it of course. Linens… This small detail can get very expensive. You can save on linens by making your own or just going without, if possible. Lighting is not necessary, depending on the time of your wedding and the reception. To save more money, plan your wedding during the day in order to use natural light from the sun. If you must have an evening wedding, a romantic candle light room always works. Please remember to check with your venue on their policy with candles. If your venue does not allow candles, look for the LCD votive candles. You can always find them at Dollar Tree (by the way, Dollar Tree has a huge selection of wedding decorations for the DIY bride or budget conscious bride), Walmart or Target. Whatever you do to save on your decor, remember to keep it simple, stylish and classic. Nothing is worse than a wedding that looks like a child’s birthday party.

4. Your Wedding & Reception

Venue The location of your wedding and reception is what accounts for over half of your budget. You can spend a majority of your wedding funds on this area. The best advice for saving on your venue is to think about having an outdoors wedding at locations that are free to the public, such as a local beach or local city park. You should also consider the home of family member who has a large enough place to have a wedding and your reception. It is nothing more intimate than a wedding at your parent’s home with a small picnic type lunch or cocktail party immediately following out in the backyard. If the above are not options you’re open to, then you should shop around for venues new to the wedding industry. They are likely more affordable and may give you a discount if you allow them to use your wedding for marketing purposes. You should also check with local motels to see if they have a banquet or meeting room in which you could have a small intimate wedding and reception. Also, if you’re having a Church wedding, it is often a lot more affordable to have your wedding a Church where you are a member. Most Churches also have banquet or meeting rooms which you can use as your reception area. Once you decide on a venue, you can save more money by having your wedding on a Sunday or early in the week (e.g. Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night wedding). These days might seem less convenient for your guest, but if you give your guest enough prior notice, they can prepare in advance to attend your early week wedding.

5. Reception Food & Drinks

You can save huge by having a family member or friend cook the food for your wedding. If you don’t have a friend or a family member that can cook for you, consider a cocktail type reception where fruit, cheese and meat trays strategically placed through your reception venue for your guest to serve themselves while mingling. So you have your hear set on a more formal dinner. Look for up and coming caters and see if they will give you a discount if you allow them to use your wedding for marketing their services. Just remember to try out the food before committing to anything. You can also ask a local Mom & Pop restaurant to cater, which is likely to save you 10-20% on what wedding caters would charge. If you are having an afternoon wedding, consider having a picnic style reception where you and your bridal party prepare lunch boxes for your guests the day or night before the wedding and have them ready on the tables. This is not only unique and non-traditional, it will receive a lot of smiles from your guest if you are able to personalize each lunch. You can save on your wedding cake by locating a new and upcoming baker or even ordering your cake from your local super market. With any other baker, you’ll need to do a taste test and make sure you get everything in writing. The drinks… You can save huge in this area if you do not serve alcoholic beverages. Depending on the time of your reception, keeping the drinks alcohol free might be the best option. However, if you must have your signature martini drink present, purchase all your drinks in bulk and ask a friend or family member with bartending skills to serve the drinks at the reception. Lastly, the entertainment at your reception is very important. A DJ can cost you between $250 and $500 and that is on the low end. A band can cost over a $1,000. You can save huge by playing your iPod. While planning your wedding, you should create a Wedding and a Reception playlist and include all the songs you want heard on your special day. If you are strongly opposed to the iPod, check with the local high schools and colleges for music students looking to gain additional experience performing. Want a DJ, you can also look to music students and local radio stations for low cost recommendations.

Having the wedding of your dreams on a $5,000 budget is not impossible. It is actually within arm’s reach. It will take discipline and a lot of your time and energy, but it will keep those dollar bills on your money tree for more important things like your first home. I hope these frugal tips help you during your wedding planning.   Happy planning & saving!

Courtesy of Therez Fleetwood: Ayana Gown

Therez Fleetwood studied fashion design at The Fashion Institute of Technology and as the interview below will show has been sewing since childhood.    She worked as a production manager in New York for years perfecting her garment construction and garment making process skills.   For the past 11 years, Therez has been designing and making wedding gowns under her own name, Therez Fleetwood.   Her designs have been featured in top magazines, shown on many television shows and on display at Museum of the City in New York and the Black Fashion Museum.   Therez Fleetwood is the epitome of a self-made fashion designer making her mark on the world with her own exotic and distinct style.    Not only is she a talented and successful designer, Therez is also a writer.   So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce to Northern California, the talented, creative and exotic wedding gown designer, Therez Fleetwood.   

Courtesy of Therez Fleetwood: Disney’s Micky & Minnie Mouse

                                           

 

                                                  

 For more info: Go to www.therezfleetwoodbridal.com to check out more of Therez’s gowns.   (All photos courtesy of Therez Fleetwood)

Blackweddings.com is looking for two couples planning a 2010 wedding.   Are you a couple with a platinum wedding budget (budget of $50,000 or more) or a couple with a do-it-yourself wedding?  Would you like to be featured in a national publication?  If so, please contact Senior Contributing Writer, Danielle Shelbourne at sui.generis.events@gmail.com. Or comment on this post.  Thanks!