How to Plan the Wedding of your Dreams

and Still Not Break The Bank!

Common Mistake #1: Choosing Your Wedding Date

Couples choose their month and day to get married on for various reasons; some choose the day because it is the anniversary of the day they met, or maybe the month is chosen because it is the Groom’s birthday. When choosing when to get married, remember that will infl uence your budget as well.

Do you have to get married on a Saturday evening? The date and time of day that you choose to have your wedding makes a BIG impact on your budget. Saturday evening is the most popular time and therefore the most expensive pricing. It’s the law of supply and demand. Why not have a morning wedding and serve breakfast or brunch?

June is the busiest month for weddings, therefore once again, you run into the law of supply and demand. Why not a beautiful winter wedding? You can do some amazing decorations and create your own winter wonderland!

#2: Choosing a Venue

Save money by having your wedding ceremony and reception at the same location. This will reduce the number of venue fees, there will only be 1! It will also save on transportation costs. You don’t have to worry about transporting guests or the bridal party to and from both venues.

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eddings.com#3: Your Guest List

Your guest list is one of the fi rst things to look at when looking for ways to save. Yes, you would like to invite everyone you know to watch you marry the one you have chosen to spend your life with, but unless you have an unlimited budget, this is not feasible. So take a look at your guest list; and think, look over, think and look over again. How important is it that you invite a childhood friend that you have not seen since 6th grade and talk to twice a year?

#4: Your Wedding Dress

There is a Vera Wang dress that you must have but you also know you cannot afford to spend $10,000 on a dress. That could equate to your whole budget! How can you save and still have the dress of your dreams? You can rent one. Renting gowns is increasingly becoming popular. It gives you the dream dress without the dream price.

So go ahead and get your Vera Wang! You could also purchase a previously owned dress. Sample sales are also a great way to go when purchasing a dress. You can get a dress at a fraction of the cost.

Your Alterations Many times an independent tailor is less expensive that the alterations where you purchased your gown. Don’t know where to go? Check out the many bridal forums that are out there. You can defi nitely fi nd someone there. That is the great thing about bridal forums; you can fi nd out where to go and where not to go!

Your VeilSome bridal salons will offer a free headpiece with your veil purchase. The key? You will never know until you ask.

#5 PhotographerIf at all possible, try to fi nd a company that provides both services.

Do you have a local Art Institute in your area? Contact the career services offi ce and submit a job posting for a graduate student. This is a great way for the student to build his/her portfolio and a great way to save money.

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eddings.com#6 Invitations

Make sure to order a few extra, about 25.

There is usually always a mistake in addressing or you have a couple of people that you would like to invite after you have received them.

This removes having to purchase an additional 25 at a higher price. Remember that oversized invitations require extra postage. So does having a “heavy” envelope.

Rather than including all of the information for out of town guests, such as things to do, include that information on your wedding website; just include a card with the link.

#7 Catering Of course, remember that chicken and salmon are always the least expensive food choices. Bread baskets are wonderful. Bread baskets on each table are always great fi llers. When someone has eaten bread, they tend to eat less. Many people always think that buffet dinners are always less expensive than plated dinners. That is not always the case. Why not have cocktail or dessert receptions? Think of how fun it would be to invite your guests to share your wonderful union while enjoying the happy couple’s favorite desserts? It’s fun, unique, and different.

#8 Bridal Accessories

Jewelry: You have on a beautiful dress. Do you really need to spend a lot on jewelry? Remember simple and elegant. This is also great for your something old or something borrowed.

Flower Girl’s Basket: To watch your Flower Girl as she walks down the aisle is such an adorable part of your ceremony.

Think about it? Will you use that basket again or will it end up in the back of the closet? Do you already have a basket at home that you could spray paint and/or add some ribbon to it? Why not ask your Florist if she has a basket that you may borrow? As for her fl owers, don’t be ashamed to use silk fl owers. They are just as beautiful.

Guest Book: There are some amazing guest books out there, but with amazement comes a higher price tag. Why not go to your local craft store and gather the supplies to make your own? What a great way for you and your honey-to-be to spend some time together by working on this project together!

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eddings.com#9 Music

If you are having a band, could a 2 or 3 band member play at your ceremony rather than a 6 or 7 piece band??

Have a DJ instead of a band. In many cases, a DJ is less expensive and has a wider variety of music that can be played. You can always see if one of the church musicians is available to play at your ceremony.

Have an iPod? A great way to make your guests feel a part of your day is to ask them for song requests. Create the playlists and let your iPod provide your music.

#10 Alcohol and Your Wedding Cake

Alcohol Ask your Venue or fi nd a Venue that will let you provide your own alcohol. Even if there is a corkage fee, you will still save. Limit your bar. Instead of having a full bar, you can limit it to wine and beer only or just have champagne for the toast.

Have your own drink! You and your spouse to be can work with your Caterer or Venue to create your own drink. What a great way to spend time together and imagine how much fun it will be to create it and name it...together.

Wedding Cake Find out if you can bring your own cake. Even if there is a cake cutting fee, you will still save.

Only have a top layer. Rather than having a full cake, why not have a top layer for you and your new spouse to cut and the remaining layers can be decorated Styrofoam to be decorated like your cake with actual sheet cake I the kitchen to have brought out to your guests.

You can also have a top layer for you and your new spouse to cut and the remaining tiers are cupcakes!

As you plan your wedding, remember what the true meaning of the day is, that you are joining you life together with your best friend, the person you love.

Regardless if your budget is $10,000 or $100,000, you can still have a beautiful wedding, the one that you dreamed of, the one that you envision. Congratulations on your engagement and on behalf of Heels Above Weddings, we wish you many, many years of happiness!

Lynn White, MBA Your Happiness Consultant-Specializing in BridesHeels Above Weddings congratulations@heelsaboveplanning.com www.heelsaboveweddings.com

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eddings.comABOUT LYNN WHITE, MBA

Event Planning entrepreneur, Lynn White, MBA, owner of Heels Above Weddings, a division of Heels Above Event Planning, LLC realized her true passion after planning weddings and events for friends, family, co-workers, and past positions. She has held positions in various industries, but these positions did not give her the joy and fulfi llment she has when planning.

Having been the Maid of Honor and the Bridesmaid in several friends’ weddings, She was happy to play such an important role in such a big day in their lives, but the one

thing she noticed was that many of them were not able to have the wedding they wanted or the planning process left them stressed out, crying, and just plain unhappy. It was sad that such a joyous, memorable occasion left them so unhappy.

“I make sure that my Brides are able to relax and enjoy the planning process. If I can hear the words, I feel so much better, or my nightmares have stopped about something not being done! From a Bride, to me that is one of the biggest compliments that I can receive. Regardless of a Bride’s budget, her wedding day should be magical.”

Lynn has a Masters in business Administration and received her event and wedding planner certifi cations from US Event Guide. She has been featured on News Channel 8’s “Let’s Talk Live” for her creative decorating ideas.

Here are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...“A friend of mine referred me to Lynn as my search for a well-rounded wedding planner left me frustrated and unsatisfi ed. Lynn was super responsive from the beginning and has continued to impress me with her eagerness to please me. She goes above and beyond to offer ideas and advice that is usually spot on to what I’m looking for at my wedding. Lynn has a great work ethic and stays in close contact with me even though my wedding is still months away. I would say that Lynn is an expert in the fi eld because of how many resources she has to offer. If you have had any trouble fi nding the right wedding vendor for you, call Lynn! She has endless amounts of knowledge and loads of contacts in the wedding industry. I can honestly say that I am a picky bride, but Lynn has exceeded my expectations. My only complaint is that I hadn’t found her sooner!” ~Desiree, VA

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eddings.com“Heels Above is a wonderful business. Would highly recommend her. Very professional and friendly.” ~Renee, MD

“Thorough, punctual and very attentive makes Lynn one of the best Event Planners in the Washington, DC area. I will recommend her to everyone I know.” ~Eric, MD

“You have been a pleasure to work with and I’m grateful that you were able to work within my budget. I appreciate your ability to listen to my ideas and bring them to fruition. The outcome was wonderful! Your personal sense of style paired with my general "feel" for the gathering created an amazing atmosphere - it was the perfect party. My guests are still raving about it! You defi nitely exceeded my expectations. I wish you much continued success in the future.~Andrea, VA