Monday, December 13, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: Custom Stationary

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!

I absolutely love stationary. Everytime I go to Marshalls or TJ Maxx I always find my way to the stationary aisle to pick up thank you cards and blank note cards. They come in handy for job interviews or cute notes to friends.

Note cards are also great gifts to give to friends. Many of us have friends who are aspiring wedding planners, chefs, photographers, make-up artist and the list can go on and on. What better gift to give them than personalize stationary with their name or business name on it.

Below are some beautiful stationary cards that I found on Etsy.


Image via The Sweet Unfolding... Set of 10 Note Cards for $18.00


Image via Daily Slip... Set of 10 Note Cards for $18.00



Image via Posh Girl Boutique... Set of 8 Note Cards $10.00


Image via Even Andy... Set of 8 Note Cards $14.00



Image via Take Note... Set of 12 Note Cards $14.50


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Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: Engraved Bracelets

Happy Wednesday Budget Brides!!!

I stumbled upon the Sarah Chloe bracelets below while reading this month's (dec/Jan) People Style Watch Issue. I think these bracelets are so cute and adorable especially for the little women in your bridal party. They are engraved bangles that remind me of the bangles I had as a little girl. Any girlie little girl would just love this bracelet to twirl around her little arm.



Image via Sarah Chloe

Bangle Bracelets are available in 6 metals including vermeil, silver and gold. You can also have them engraved with initals, name or monogram in block or script print. With the costing starting at $79 this will be a great gift that can last for a long time.



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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: Personalized Cufflinks

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!!

Cufflinks are always a perfect gift for any man. Here are a few options from the sellers over at Esty that will definitely give your groom, dads, and groomsmen big smiles.


Find here

When I first saw this fingerprint cufflink I thought it was so cool. It is definitely a very personal gift that any Groom will enjoy. Add your fingerprint or the prints of your children and your groom will definitely feel warm inside. (Get him all ripe for the ceremony tears... LMBO)


Find Here

These Best Man Cufflinks is classic, clean and not your ordinary cufflinks. Your best man will get alot of use out of it even years after your special day.

Find Here


Your Dad will love these low key but beautiful cufflinks that will remind him of all the gifts you gave him through your journeythrough life together.

Find Here


Give your groomsmen a set of great cufflinks that have their initals and some color. This seller offers these cufflinks in about 15 colors including black which is perfect for your color scheme. Just remember the gift is for the groomsmen. So if you have a crazy color like Robins Egg Blue just do it in Navy.

Cost for all cufflinks featured ranged from $58 to $230.

*** Buying tip... If you are purchasing more than three cufflinks at any vendor you should email them and ask for a quantity discount and/or free shipping.

Images found where indicated by "Find Here"





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Monday, December 6, 2010

Holiday Gift Guide: Shop Emma Gordon London & Save

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!

Today we are beginning our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide!!! Now this gift guide is pretty different then the guides you will find on other blogs. We are searching high and low for great deals on items that can be good for you, your fiance and the bridal party.

Today's holiday deal is from Emma Gordon London. Now I originally saw Emma Gordon clutches and accessories here. However, once I visited her website and facebook page I fell absolutely in LOVE. Her clutches and accessories are handcrafted and created in very trendy styles. Perfect for a bride and her bridal party you can even customize your handbags where everyone can have something different. Checkout Emma Gordon London hangbags and accessories below.

Don't forget to visit her website where you can receive
FREE SHIPPING and 20% OFF EVERYTHING.

....... Oh sorry I had to take a pause because that discount plus free shipping is amazing!!
Right?



Great coin purses which will serve as a perfect gift to your bridesmaids.
We LOVE the fuchsia/leopard!!!!





I just love this handbag as a bridesmaid clutch. It serves as a great gift for your bridesmaids as well as an amazing subsititue to flowers when walking down the aisle. Just love the front pleated detail. (Think about it. IF you use this as their "walk down the aisle accessory" you are killing two birds with one stone.)



Another amazing bridesmaid bag with a flower and trim detail, definitely a cutie for an outdoor wedding.



Now I have to say I love this lace clutch and adding the leather flower detail.... Simply Amazing... Prefect for any wedding a bride would love this handbag to hold all her small wedding day essentials.


Don't forget you can have your bags customize. Just visit the Emma Gordon London website and leave her a note.

With prices ranging from $40 to $60, I am sure you will find some just for your girls. Don't forget to checkout the headbands on the site. They are really cute for a flower girl.
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Friday, December 3, 2010

Introducing Our 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

Happy Friday Budget Brides!!!




2010 Holiday Gift Guide

Come back everyday to see all the goodies we have to help you outfit you and your entire wedding party.

The Holiday Gift Guide begins Monday, December 6, 2010. Don't miss out on all the cool gifts and savings.



Happy Shopping!!!




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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Wedding Style Deals: Sample Sale on DVF

Happy Thursday Budget Brides!!!



If you live or work in the NYC area, here is a great little treat that I am sure you will love.



Diane Von Furstenberg Sample Sale


Dates: December 7th - December 10th


Times:


Tuesday 9:00am - 6:30pm


Wednesday 10:00am - 8:00pm


Thursday 10:00am - 7:00pm


Friday 9:00am - 5pm



Location: 260 Fifth Avenue Between 28th and 29th Street



Items will be up to 75% off original prices. Shoppers will find iconic DVF silk jersey wrap dresses marked down from $325 to $150, flowy maxi dresses originally $325, will be marked down to $125, and colorful beach coverup, originally $250, will be marked down to $100.


Now Budget Brides a sample sale is always great but a DVF sample sale just makes me drowl. You can get tons of good deals like a classic DVF wrap dress for your rehearsal dinner or after wedding brunch. As well as flowy maxi dresses and colorful beach coverups to wear on your honeymoon.
So take advantage and enjoy.
Sale originally found here.


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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Wedding Style Deals: Valentino vs. Paris Hilton

Happy Wednesday Budget Brides!!!

So below are the Valentino shoes that I have been lusting after for the past few months since I saw them in the Winter 2010 Issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (pg. 41). I absolutely love these shoes but the price tag is a little outrageous for my beer budget. At $695 (available at Nordstrom) they cost more than the wedding dress that I have been eyeing. So you budget brides know that they are way out of my budget.

**Attention: Before reading the rest of the post just swoon over them for a minute.



Valentino Patent Leather d'Orsay Pump @ Nordstrom

Are you finish swooning yet? As much as I would love to have these shoes I just cannot justify having them for a wedding or everyday use. But I did stumble upon a great replacement while shopping for a birthday dress. The Paris Hilton Senorita shoes are a perfect substitute for the must die for Valentinos. At just $119 (available at heels.com) they fit right into my budget and are just as cute. Check them out below and find out just how much they are at Marshalls.

Paris Hilton Senorita @ Heels.com

Since I have upgraded to the Blackberry Bold I am now able to take well quality pictures with my phone. So I took a quick snapshot of the Paris Hilton Senorita shoes in Marshalls as well as the price tag which had the price of $49.99. Yep you read it exactly right $49.99. Don't you just love that price.

Image via The Budget Brides Handbook

With these shoes being sold at $49.99 it saves $645.05 on the Valentino shoes and $69.01 on the shoes from the Heels.com website. I am still in awe at this Wedding Style Deal.

Image via The Budget Brides Handbook


Lesson to Learn: Always do your research, use Google and/or Bing and finally go to your local bargain department store. You never know what gem you may find.



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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Name Jacked!!!

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!!

I know I have been MIA for a while but November is an exciting and tough month for me. If you guys can think back this time last November is when my grandmother died. About 12 years ago my other grandmother died in you guessed it right in the month of November. Then just last week a really good friend of mine died at the young age of 28 years old. So as you can see my month has been crazy while also planning a birthday party for myself. Actually the last few months have been crazy and I have really not been about to really focus on The BBH's business.

So now to the title of this post. Budget Brides we have been NAME JACKED. Yes because I did not realize that the subscription had expired and the credit card that I had on file was no longer valid, we have been NAME JACKED by a UK company. These blood suckers want me to pay them $5,000 to get the domain name back. So I had to put myself on pause...... For one I don't have $5k to pay nobody for a domain name and for two it's my damn name. So now I have the daunting task of thinking of a new name and all new everything. I have been going over a few options in my head.

Here are a few options that I was thinking about.....
http://www.thebudgetbrideshandbookonline.com/
http://www.budgetbridesmagazine.com/
http://www.budgetbrideshandbook.com/

Let me know which on you like the best and it just maybe the new name of The Budget Brides Handbook.

Tomorrow I will post a lessons learned about this experience. Hopefully it will help some on self.
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wedding Style Deals: Lulu*s

Happy Tuesday Budget Brides!!!

I stumble upon a great little website called Lulu*s. This site offers amazing dresses at even more amazing prices. Most dress are anywhere between $30 - $80. This price range is amazing for any Budget Bride. See below for The Budget Brides Handbook's favorite styles to outfit your wedding weekend and more.



This vintage dress is absolutely gorgeous for an afternoon hanging with your closest friends and family at your bridal shower. Perfect for a fall or winter day you will look chic and stylish to your girls and an appropiate blast from the past for the elder women in your family.




This gold glitter dress will make you the center of attention for your bachelorette party. Anywhere you go the attention will definitely be on you. Who wouldn't want this dress for your last night of singleness.



This black and white one shoulder dress will be an amazing fit for your church rehearsal and dinner the night before the wedding. Great for taking pictures to add to your wedding weekend scrapbook.



Who wants to be dress to the nines the morning after a wild night of celebrating your new union. Here is an ultra comfy maxi dress to slip on the last minute and go.


Who said looking hot stops on the wedding day. This cute little color block dress is perfect to bring with you on your honeymoon. Sexy doesn't end with I Do it's just the beginning.

They also have dress cocktail dress options for your bridal party.

So Budget Bride, how did you outfit yourself for your wedding weekend?

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Monday, November 1, 2010

Something Blue....

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!


As many of you may or may not know I am moonlighting as a Wedding Dress Consultant at a bridal shop in NYC. I really love this position as it gives me an opportunity to have some real initmate time with brides. Well this Saturday I had the pleasure of helping a bride named Ramona who for unforseen circumstances has to get married in a hurry. Usually when brides come in at the last minute (Ramona's wedding is on Tuesday, November 2nd) they have a very limited budget (under $300). So Ramona, her fiance and myself went through the racks to find the perfect dress under $400. Together we picked about 6 or 7 dresses within her price range and headed to the dressing room. As Ramona hopped in and out of the dresses I could tell that none of them were really THE DRESS. So I went and pull another dress that was right up her alley and she LOVED it. Now it was time to finish the look. Since her budget was really small I showed Ramona our blushers to use in the place of a veil and a nice pearl earring and necklace set for her jewelry. Then out of nowhere she said I need my something blue. I was a little taken a back since the couple was from Romania and committed to doing a justice of peace ceremony with just the two of them.


Below is a picture of the dress that Ramona fell in love with.




Ramona's Dress $249

So I recommended that she purchase a little hankie that was baby blue and pin it to the inside of her dress. However, on my way home I began to think about what something blues can a bride get in a short time and at a good price.

Below are a few items that I found from various online retailers that would go perfect with her dress.



Fantasy Jewelry Box Adeline's Vintage Style Statement Necklaces $63.95


So Budget Brides, how many months before your wedding did you purchase your wedding dress? Did you follow all of the wedding traditions (Old, New, Borrowed, Blue)? What was your something blue?

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Monday, October 25, 2010

Making the Ordinary Original.... Macarons

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!


Over the last couple of months a friend of mine has been discussing with me some of the details of her friends' weddings. She was a little taken back because she had shared her own wedding details with this friend and come to find out those details was definitely in the friends wedding so it got me to think. Two brides can definitely have the same idea but what makes the ideas special is originality.

Below are two images of a Macaron Tower with sparkles sprouting out of it. The Macarons are definitely ordinary but the flair of the tower and sparklers is so original.







Here are some ideas to make your Ordinary Ideas Original.


1. Decide on a theme and emerse your entire wedding in it. For example, if you and your fiance love Chinese food. Emerse yourself in the Chinese wedding culture and incorporate those details in your wedding. Maybe have a 10 course meal, wear a red kimono reception dress or create a invitation in chinese with a decoder feature.


2. Having a black tie wedding make it a masquerade theme and provide the masks. Your guests will love it.


3. Take a favorite dish you love and incorporate it into your wedding. Mr. Budget and I love his grandmother's receipe of Jewish Salad so we'll probably have it has our salad course when we get married.



So Budget Brides, what Ordinary ideas are you/ have you made orginial? And if possible let us know what your budget was.



Images via Swanky Tables via Cherry Blossom Girl



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Monday, October 11, 2010

Real Budget Weddings.... Heather & Stephen

Happy Monday Budget Brides!!!


I hope you guys had a great weekend. Below is the feature that we promised you on Saturday. A special thanks to Heather from Bicoastal Bride for allowing us to feature her beautiful wedding.



Heather & Stephen Walrath
June 4, 2010
Thousand Oaks, California



















What was your wedding day budget?

Our budget came to roughly $20,000, which may sound high to many brides out there, but is actually pretty frugal for the particular Southern California region where our wedding was held. Stephen and I were careful to "spend within our means" and prioritize those areas that meant the most to us.

Ceremony $675 (included church site, musical director, coordinator, officiating priest and marriage license fees.)

Reception $6,300 (no site fee, plus a reasonable food and drink minimum. The cost included a Mexican buffet dinner, plus three hours of hosted beer, wine and signature sangria.)

Cake $430 (Our three-tier wine-themed cake featured grapevine designs. We splurged a little on luster dust to give the cake a touch of sparkle, but were careful to avoid any labor-intensive decorations that would dramatically raise the price.)

Transportation $90 (To save money we rented a black van, which Stephen's sister drove. She also split the cost with us.)

Photography $3,400 (Damien Smith, my good friend and fabulous wedding photographer, shot complimentary "getting ready" photos for me, while Alex Neumann , whose artistry is simply incredible, wowed us throughout the rest of the day.)

Videography $1000 (By choosing an up-and-coming videographer, we were able to score eight hours at a great price.)

DJ $1,175 (We saved 10% by holding the wedding on a Friday.)

Stationary $300 (We saved a bundle by going DIY with our invites, escort cards and programs.)

Decorations/Favors $450 (Including items as our guestbook, white chocolate favors, card cage and other small decorative items, such as wine bottles and plastic grapes.)

Flowers $1,550 (By keeping our ceremony floral decor simple, consisting mainly of two altar arrangements which we later reused for the reception, we kept costs at a comfortable level. Our florist Lei-Ann also went above and beyond for us in all areas, especially by enhancing our cake with a dusting of flower petals and designing the most gorgeous bridal bouquet.)

Bride's Attire $2,400 (Including gown, alterations, tiara, veil, shoes, lingerie, garter and jewelry. My shoes from Payless' bridal collection were a steal at just $25!)

Bride's Hair & Makeup $520 (This was a definite splurge that was completely worth it. I felt beautiful and confident throughout the day, and the professional styling was picture perfect.)

Groom's Attire $0 (Since we had six groomsmen and two fathers renting their tuxes from Men's Wearhouse, Stephen's entire rental was FREE!)
Rings $900

Wedding Party Gifts $250

Month/Day of Coordinator $1,500

Wedding Hotel $95

First Dance Lessons $200

What was your wedding day theme and colors?

Our "California Romance" theme allowed us to tie in wine-related elements like grapes, wine bottles and corks, as well as postcards from our favorite California cities. Our colors were grape, white and silver, with touches of lavender here and there for added softness and contrast. We're big believers in "less is more," and our wedding was a simple yet elegant affair.

How many guests attended your wedding?

We held an intimate celebration for just 75 close friends relatives and friends. Keeping our guest count to no more than 80 was important to us, not only due to budget considerations, but also because we envisioned our day as a chance truly spend time with our loved ones without feeling rushed.

Which service or item was your budget buster?

Great photography was definitely our biggest splurge, but I wouldn't necessarily consider it a "budget buster" at all, since it was worth every penny! He blew us away with his skills, and most importantly, he made the entire day fun and relaxing, which shows in every one of our pictures.

Which item/service did you save the most money on?

Scoring eight hours of video coverage for $1,000 was a steal in our area. My great friend and fabulous wedding photographer, shot complimentary "getting ready" photos for me, while Alex Neumann wowed us throughout the rest of the day. While our video is not fancy high-definition or cinematic masterpiece, the hour-long finished product captures all the highlights of our day, including full ceremony, and is of a much higher quality than what we would have gotten had we relied on family or friends.

What DIY money saving projects did you use to maintain your budget?

Stationary and decor were two areas where we saved big by taking things into our own hands. Our DIY invites, made from a Brides kit sold at Michaels, were simple but classy. We also created our own map inserts, wine-cork escort-card holders, wine-bottle table name stands, a crossword puzzle challenge, pew bows, programs, custom tissue packets and more. Our motto was that DIY elements didn't have to be elaborate and definitely didn't have to stress us out!

What aspect of your wedding will you never forget?

After pouring so much love and effort into planning our day, seeing it all come together filled me with more happiness than ever before. I was fully present and in-the-moment, taking it all in sharing the once-in-a-lifetime experience with Stephen and our loved ones. Usually a "behind-the-scenes" girl, I truly enjoyed my day in the spotlight as I married my best friend.

Ceremony Venue

Saint Paschal Baylon Catholic Church

Reception Venue

Los Robles Greens Golf Course

Florist

Happy Flowers

Photographer

Alex Neumann Photography
Damien Smith Photography

Videogrpaher

Max Maclver Videography

Dress Salon

Alfredo Angelo

Men's Apparel Store

Men's Wearhouse

Entertainment (DJ or Band)

Cover 2 Cover Music & Entertainment

Cake

Skiff's Cakes

Hair & Makeup

Makeup and Hair Design by Jana
Invitations

Michaels

Coordinator

All Occasions Event Planning

Thanks Heather for the amazing feature and photos. Don't forget to check out Heather's blog Bicoastal Bride.

Would you like to see your wedding feature here? Email us at thebudgetbrideshandbook@hotmail.com.


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