Maid of Honor Duties

Being chosen as a maid of honor is a great privilege, but it also requires a large number of responsibilities in the wedding planning process. The maid of honor will likely be spending a great deal of time with the best man, since their duties are often the same and require them to work hand-in-hand in order for the wedding to be a success. Once you have dealt with the excitement of being part of the wedding party and of wearing a great dress, it's time to start planning immediately. Here is a list of common duties the maid of honor must fulfill: 

1. It is the maid of honor's responsibility to shop with the bride and attend all dress fittings. The maid of honor may want to help the bridesmaids shop for their dresses as well. 

2. The maid of honor will be required to help with wedding invitations, wedding favors, flower arrangements, centerpieces or anything else at the bride's request. 

3. A large part of the maid of honor's duties requires her to throw the bridal shower and bachelorette parties. The maid of honor will be responsible for planning and hosting all of these parties. If the couple decides they want a stag and doe (as opposed to bachelor and bachelorette parties) the maid of honor and best man will work together to plan and host the event. 

4. It's the maid of honor's duty to record the names of the guests at the bridal party as well as their gifts. It is also her job to send out thank you cards to all guests. 

5. During the wedding ceremony, it's the maid of honor's responsibility to hold onto the groom's ring (the best man is required to hold onto the bride's ring). 

6. It's the maid of honor's responsibility (as well as the best man's) to sign the wedding license as a witness. 

7. Finally, it is tradition for the maid of honor and best man to dance together at the reception. 

If you are a first-time maid of honor and need help planning there are many people who would be eager to help out starting with the bride's mom or the bridesmaids. There are also a number of Internet resources to assist you with bridal planning and ideas. 

The maid of honor has many responsibilities, but it's important to remember that the bride would not have chosen you if she didn't think you were capable of fulfilling these obligations.

Maid Of Honor: The Bride's First Lieutenant

What Does A Maid Of Honor Do? 

The scope of the maid of honor's role in the wedding depends upon (1) how much responsibility she is willing to take on, and (2) how much responsibility the bride is willing to delegate. Usually the maid of honor is chosen because she is 1 of the bride's very closest friends, and her job description as maid of honor is similar to her activities as a friend. 

Aide-De-Camp 

The maid of honor does much more than simply walk down the aisle ahead of the bride and stand beside her during the ceremony. She is the "highest ranking" personal assistant to the bride during the wedding preparations. The maid of honor shoulders some large responsibilities, such as hosting the bridal shower and bachelorette party, and helping to choose the bridesmaid's dresses. 

But she is also there just to be supportive of the bride, to act as a friend and confidante, and to help her in ways both great and small. Throughout the weeks and months of wedding planning, the maid of honor is involved every step of the way, from choosing a dress and wedding location to helping wrap favors and set up for the reception. 

Party Hostess 

2 of the larger responsibilities of the maid of honor are hosting the bridal shower and the bachelorette party. As 1 of the bride's closest friends, the maid of honor is the ideal candidate to host these gatherings. She knows best what type of party the bride will enjoy, and what types of gifts are most suitable for the bride's taste. Because the bridal shower and bachelorette party are aspects of the wedding preparation the bride usually has little control over, she'll have the pleasure of not stressing about them. She delegates these duties to her maid of honor, and rests assured that her friend will handle them admirably. 

Wardrobe Consultant 

Many times the maid of honor plays a key role in selecting dresses for the wedding. She ordinarily chooses her own dress for the wedding from a selection provided by the bride. Once the color and style of the maid of honor's dress has been selected, she works hand-in-hand with the bride to choose the bridesmaids' dresses. Their style and color will complement the maid of honor's dress, while taking into consideration what looks best on each of the bridesmaids. The maid of honor often assists the bride in choosing her own wedding dress. 

Adviser And Confidante 

The wedding day is understandably hectic for the maid of honor. Although she has supported the bride throughout the planning process, her most important responsibilities take place on the actual day of the wedding. Besides standing at the altar beside her friend, the most important role of the maid of honor this day is to keep the bride calm and to handle any last-minute problems that may arise. 

Angel-In-Chief 

Like most things in life, few weddings go exactly as planned, and it is the maid of honor's duty to be sure that any problem does not upset the bride. Emergency supplies the maid of honor should keep on hand include: extra stockings, lipstick in the bride's color, tissues, safety pins and hairpins. These can come in handy if the bride has any last-minute trouble with her attire, hair or makeup. The maid of honor plays the important role of ensuring that the bride looks her best throughout the day. 

Counselor And Friend 

When all is said and done, the most significant role of the maid of honor is to be a friend to the bride. The planning and preparations, and the actual wedding itself can be very stressful and emotional for the bride. What the bride needs more than anything else during this time is someone who will offer a sympathetic ear and practical advice. This, then, is the most important function of the maid of honor.

Keeping the Costs of Wedding Cakes Down

A special part of any reception or wedding is the wedding cake. Wedding cakes come in many sizes and shapes and can be designed to accommodate any taste or budget. 

Wedding cakes are a necessary part of the festivities and require much thought and consideration to your theme. Traditionally, people often think of the tiered cakes when they think of weddings, but there are many ways that you can accommodate your own creativity into making your cake stand out on its own. 

Here are some tips to keeping your cake costs down: 

· Make your own wedding cake creations 

· Serve cupcakes and a smaller cake for the cake toppers 

· Ask a guest with a baking passion to make the cake for you instead of giving you a gift. Just remember to buy the ingredients and toppers yourself. 

· Have a baker make the cake but you can put it together yourself 

· Buy your own cake toppers and other decorative additions 

· Pick up the cake rather than have it delivered. 

· Use your own decorations like flowers, autumn leaves as accents rather than theirs etc. 

· Use extra candies and Hershey’s kisses as accents 

Extra cake accents and dividers that can be made at home for your wedding cake can be done by you and your wedding party. 

Nice homemade dividers are: 

Oversized Brandy Glasses: you can accent these with ribbons tied around the bottom flute of the glass and flip the glasses upside down in order to allow room for the cake sections. 

The glass bottoms will also make a nice sturdy separator for the cake layers to sit on. The best part about this decoration is that you can also place candles or other nice things inside of the flipped upside down glass as an added accent. Aside from the ribbons, you can also use rhinestones or anything else that you might think would make your cake stand out. It’s beautiful, it elegant, and the decoration can be re-used later. 

When ordering your cake from a professional, you should be sure to do the following to make sure that you have the smoothest transition possible. Here are the best tips to get you the right cake at the right time, without any hassles: 

· Order your cake at least 6-8 weeks ahead of time 

· Be prepared to leave a deposit when you place your order 

· If you don’t know much about the cake that you want be ready to make an appointment for a taste test of different samples. If this is required, you might need to give yourself a larger amount of time for the cake like 6 months or more 

· Know that you will be paying for the decorator’s time as well as the baker’s and the reserved time for your cake 

· Think seasonal when it comes to your cake, for example, you can’t get a mousse cake in the summer months because it will go bad 

· Remember that the simpler your cake design is the cheaper it will be · If you are planning an outdoor wedding, remember that the heat will melt the icing, flies loves sweet stuff etc. think of this before choosing your cake 

· Have a big enough cake to serve all of your guests 

· Try to be mindful of allergies and tastes of your guests when choosing your cake 

· Choose ornaments that are not misplaced on your cake or too heavy etc. 

· Don’t forget to confirm later 

· If you have to cancel the cake, do it sooner rather than later or you might get stuck with the bill anyway.

How to Find, Select, and Afford a Wedding Photographer

You are engaged and one of the most important days in your life is fast approaching. Your wedding day will be filled with happiness and emotion. Family and friends will be there; some you have not seen in many years. It will be a wonderful day for you to remember and share. There will be so many things going on of which most you will not even know about until you look at the wedding photographs. 

Choosing a photographer may be a difficult and daunting task; and affording it may be even more cumbersome. You may be apt to ask a friend or relative to photograph it for you; this is surely to be a bad idea for many reasons. A professional wedding photographer knows how to capture all the moments of your wedding day with the best results by having years of experience and photography knowledge. 

Finding a wedding photographer is not difficult because there are so many. There are many ways to go about finding one and many things you should know. The best way of course is to be referred from another wedding couple that recently had their wedding photographed by a specific photographer. Notice I said “photographer” not business or studio. Your decision should be based off of one photographer’s work; not the work of a group or large wedding photography studio with multiple photographers. Always check who will be photographing your wedding. 

There are many other ways to find wedding photographers including the phone book, newspapers, billboards, and of course the internet. Over 70% of all brides and grooms search for wedding professionals online. There are a few things you should know about searching on the internet. 

Take your time - The first photographers you will find are mostly because of large advertising budgets. This is not a bad thing but you should see all options available to you. 

Be specific - When using a search engine search for your “state” and “professional wedding photographer”. Your search may look like this: Massachusetts “professional wedding photographer”. (Use everything that is italicized.) The part in quotes will eliminate all general photographers and just focus on wedding ones. You could even add your city/town for just local results. (Add the town after the state; do not put in the quoted part.) I recommend using Google (www.google.com). 

Ok, so know you know how to find a wedding photographer. Now which one to choose? There are three primary factors that come into play when choosing a photographer; style, price, and personality. Style and price can usually be found on their website so we will start there. 

Style – There are many styles such as traditional, photojournalism, candid, formal, etc. Some photographers offer only one style, but the best photographers can offer all of the styles and would normally incorporate them all into your wedding day coverage. It all depends on what you want. When viewing a photographer’s portfolio, remember these are their best shots. Always ask to see a full wedding. 

Price – You can spend from $500 to $10,000 on a wedding photographer. The norm is to spend about 10% of your entire wedding budget on the photographer. Most photographers have packages that will include everything from the coverage to the album and final prints. Some photographers have complete al la carte pricing; if you are on a small budget this is the best way to go. You will be able select just what you want. There are two things you need, the coverage and the ability to purchase the negatives or high resolution digital images. Watch out with the coverage; many photographers will charge an hourly fee beyond their normal time offered. When you receive your negatives or digitals images you can print what you want when you want wherever you like. Of course as a professional I recommend using a professional photography lab for your prints but you could certainly use Wal-Mart and save a bundle. Just keep in mind that the quality would be slightly lower. As for your wedding album buy it yourself and put it together yourself. The cost of buying an album from the photographer is usually double the actual cost. Then of course doing it this way you can get it when you want and when you have the money. Visit www.albumsinc.com to view many albums and you can purchase them right online. 

Considering style and price select three top choices and schedule a meeting with them. There should be no cost for this. Before you meet with them you should pretty much want to hire them from what you learned about their style and price. 

Personality - You want to meet with them to see how they present themselves and if your personalities match. You want someone that is personable and nice so that they will get along well with you, your family, and friends. Never make the decision at the meeting always go home and think about it and wait until you have met with all three. The best in the business will let their work, pricing, and personality do all the talking. The meeting should be a casual conversation to get to know each other and discuss your wedding day in general. There is no need to go into great detail now. Some photographer will try to “sell” you their services; never get sold on something. Remember you already decided you like the work and price before you got there so what are they trying to sell? Just meet with them to get to know them. 

Once you make your decision contact the photographer and let them know. Also, be sure to contact the other two and thank them for their time but you have decided to use another photographer. They should be considerate and not try to continue selling you their services; if they do you made a good choice to go with the other photographer. With the photographer you chose go over the details on the phone and have them right up a wedding contract for you to review and sign. Do not pay a deposit until you have read and signed the contract (the photographer should sign the contract also). Read the contract thoroughly; everything you are supposed to receive should be written down and have the price and payment schedule. Always make note of their cancellation policy. 

Congratulations you found a photographer and have one scheduled. You should now schedule to meet with them about a month before your wedding date to go over the details again.

How To Save Money on Your Wedding Music & Entertainment

The music and entertainment at your wedding reception should be organized based on the ages, tastes, and preferences of the guest who will be in attendance. And, depending on the type of reception you want to have, you may only want to spend money on music—or you may not need to spend too much on entertainment at all. Here are the top ways to save on music and entertainment for your wedding reception that will keep you within budget, and keep your guests entertained. 

Hire a live band. 

Having live music at your wedding reception is a very classy way to set the mood for the event, and the sound quality is much better than recorded music. You may also save money when you hire a live band-- depending on the band’s experience and number of opportunities to play, they may be more willing to accept a lower payment than a disc jockey or accomplished soloist. A band can also vary the speed or variation of songs, depending on the type of atmosphere you want for the reception. There are times when a band will cost considerably more than a DJ, but you may be able to work around this if you agree to feed the band and allow them the amount of breaks they request. Sites like www.usabride.com, www.livesuperdj.com, and www.wedalert.com will give you more information on the pros and cons of hiring a live band, along with a list of ideas for wedding reception entertainment. 

Ask a "qualified" friend or family member to be the DJ for the reception. 

Many couples shy away from having a DJ at the wedding reception, since a disc jockey may create a casual atmosphere. If you don’t mind this and want your reception to be more of a party than a formal celebration, you may consider hiring a DJ to handle the music for the reception. However, you may not like all the music that is being played with a DJ, and depending on the contract, you may not be able to change the music during the ceremony. So, why not ask a qualified friend or family member to DJ? Make sure that you know the songs that are going to be played, and that your family member feels comfortable with the job in front of a lot of people. You can also create a CD of songs you’ll want at the reception to use as background music while people are talking and having dinner, as well as a CD with songs you’ll use for dancing during the reception. 


Decide whether or not you want live entertainment. 

You may want more than just music at the reception, and if so, you’ll need to make sure that you book the live entertainment as soon as you can. If you want to have someone sing, dance, or emcee the reception, make these arrangements while you’re planning the wedding ceremony. You may want to ask for the help of friends and family members when it comes to entertainment as well, since they will probably be more than happy to perform at your reception as a wedding gift. Live entertainment is a great way to make your reception entertaining, and depending on how far in advance you can book the entertainment, you can save a considerable amount of money on your wedding celebration, and your guest will be talking about the fun they had at your wedding for years to come. 

Findings Deals On The Internet 

http://www.WeDj.com -Has a great search engine to find music and entertainment for weddings. Just enter your city and state and it will pull up a list of dj's. I did a search in New York City and found 140 listings describing each company, contact information, website address or email link. 

http://www.adja.org/- The ADJA (American Disc Jockey Association) is an association of professional mobile entertainers. The mission of the American Disc Jockey Association is to encourage success for its members through continuous education, camaraderie, and networking. The American Disc Jockey Association is an organization of professional Disc Jockeys. 
You can do a search for a local dj in your area. All listings show contact name, phone number and website.

How to Save on Wedding Catering Services

If you're not being able to pay for a wedding catering service to fully cater your event you can save with some low-cost ideas. If presented with flair, even the simplest of foods can be special. Don't forget about the wedding cake and the beverages. As a rule of thumb, buffets are cheaper than sit-downs because of less staff needed by the catering service. 

Here are four ideas that can help save on the catering services. 

1. Salad Luncheon/Reception 
If the wedding is late morning you can provide a wonderful salad luncheon. It's cheaper than a sit-down meal and you can offer a wide selection of salads with salads dressings, fruits and breads. 

2. Hors d'oeuvres Reception - Deli/Party Trays Reception 
This event is best placed between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM or after an evening wedding. Light finger foods should be provided, like fruit and vegetable platters, chips and dips, and crackers. You can also provide more substantial foods like meat and cheese trays, oysters, shrimp cocktails chicken wings and egg rolls. 

3. Decadent Dessert Reception or Dessert Party 
It's appropriate between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM and after an evening wedding. An extensive assortment of rich desserts should be served, and beverages like coffee and tea. 

4. A Simple Cake and Punch Reception 
As long as it's not during meal time you can let your guests serve cake. You can have a simple and elegant cake and punch reception. The planning should be for the mid morning, afternoon or after an evening wedding. You should make sure that your guests are informed in time that they will not receive a full meal.

How to Save Money on Wedding and Baby Shower Favors

Planning on having a wedding or baby shower soon? Getting favors is a nice way of saying thank you to your guests for coming. Here are some tips for saving money when purchasing baby shower or wedding favors. 

1) Buy extras off other people - Oftentimes, people get too many favors for their occasion. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry. Once the celebration is over, however, these people may be willing to sell you their leftover favors at a sharp discount. If you don't know anyone personally, then look in the classifieds in both local and national papers as well as online auction sites like ebay. 

2) Buy in bulk and sell the leftovers - Sometimes you will be able to save money by buying in bulk. You can sell the extras to other people. If you know other people that are having weddings or baby showers, then you can combine your orders and benefit from lower costs and possibly bulk purchase incentives like free shipping. 

3) Make your own favors - If you are crafty, then you can make your own favors. Purchase all the materials at your local craft shop or online. Since you are making them from scratch, you can customize and personalize as well. People will appreciate the effort that went into making your own favors. 

4) Find a craftsman - If you find a local craftsman or artist, then there is a chance that you can get a great price from them for your favors. Another possibility is an art student that is still in school. They will usually work for less money than a full time professional. 

5) Flea markets and thrift shops - Flea markets and thrift shops are great places to locate bargain items. Also check out closeouts, store sales, garage sales, and live auctions. Oftentimes, you can also negotiate prices with these vendors. 

As you can see, there are many ways to save money when shopping for gifts for your guests. Follow these tips and you are sure to save money or favors and supplies for your wedding, baby shower, or any other special occasion.

How To Hire A Disc Jockey For Your Wedding

Hiring music entertainment can arguably be the most important booking made for your wedding. Guests remember whether or not they had fun at your wedding. What you pay for is what you get is a good rule of thumb. However, I would like to educate the consumer, future brides and grooms, of how to hire a DJ and things to consider. The following are 9 important factors to consider when hiring a disc jockey BEFORE you sign the contract. 

1. Who would be the DJ for your occasion? Many DJ companies are a multi-system operation. Be sure to have in writing of who your DJ will be at your event. I would recommend meeting your DJ before hiring the company at a neutral place, like a restaurant. 

2. How many years experience does your DJ have with your type of function? Anyone can pretend to be a DJ. If you are having a formal event, does your DJ know how to organize a wedding reception or a grand entrance? The DJ should perform the type of show that you want! 

3. Does the DJ get everyone involved dancing or do they just play music? You have to ask yourself if you want a DJ that will get everyone dancing? For example, will the DJ involve guests by playing and conducting motivational dances like the Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, Cha Cha Slide or just play music? 

4. Will the DJ be dressed appropriately? Formal means tuxedo or dress. Semi-formal means dress pants, shirt & tie or slacks and blouse. Casual means polo shirt or company shirt. Be sure the DJ is dressed appropriately during set-up and takedown of equipment. Some guests do arrive early and stay late. 

5. What is the DJ's fee? How much is overtime? Is a tip included in the fee? Will there be an extra charge for lighting-what does the lighting include? How much is travel to your location? Are you ONLY paying for the time the DJ performs? 

6. Does the DJ include a contract? Be sure to have all details of your function in writing. The DJ must know the date, place, and time! You must know each other's names and phone numbers including the DAY of the occasion. 

7. Is the DJ company professional? This may sound silly, but does the DJ have insurance? Accidents do happen. It's better to be prepared. Also, is the DJ a member of a national DJ association like ADJA or NAME? If they are, then they care about what they do and are a better chance of being professional. 

8. What kind of equipment does the DJ use? Typically, if a DJ is using a brand of equipment you can buy at your local retail store, then that's what you will get. Excellent brand names include: JBL, Community, Denon, Gemini, QSC, Crown, etc. Always, and I mean always, ask if the DJ has back-up equipment WITH them for your function. Also, be sure the DJ brings the right amount of sound for the number of guests expected. 

9. What music do you play? How many music selections will the DJ have WITH them? Be sure your DJ takes requests before and during your function. Also, give them a guideline of what you want played. However, this is what the DJ is paid to do. Don't limit the DJ by saying you want all of one kind of music or a list of 100 songs they must play. The best scenario is to play any type of music that gets people dancing and having fun. By the way, it should be understood the DJ does not play any offensive music. 

I hope this helps!

How To Have A Fairytale Wedding On A Sensible Budget

Congratulations! So now that you both have agreed to take the big step and get married – the excitement of a long and happy life together lays ahead for you both. 

So now comes the fun of planning the wedding, the big day, the main event! The most important part of the planning is setting the budget. Did you know the average wedding costs $19,000? So you need to set your budget carefully and stuck to it. If you overrun, even a little, it could cost you thousands of dollars. 

Set your budget very carefully – nobody wants to spend every last nickel they have on their wedding yet every couple dreams of the perfect wedding. Gone are the days of parents footing the bill for the wedding, in fact 4 out of 5 couples today pay for their own weddings. So that probably means you are 

Fortunately there are many things you can do to have your dream wedding without breaking the bank. But be prepared for the hard sell! Every vendor out there just loves it when a newly engaged girl walks into their store – they start seeing the dollar signs! Make sure you shop around and get at least 3 quotes for each service – you will be surprised how much they vary.

Also do not be afraid to negotiate with the vendors. If you find a florist you just love but they are $1000 more expensive - then talk them. Maybe tell them you just adore their work but they are a little too expensive – ask them what they could do to make the price fit within your budget. 

Additionally be very careful when telling any vendor the budget you have for their service. Somehow all the photographers will quote you $1500 when you tell them your budget is $1500! Ask them their price first. If they try to tell you they have many packages ask them what their most popular price point is. It also doesn’t hurt to let it slip that you will be visiting some of their competitors as well! 

Finally don’t forget this is supposed to be FUN! Your wedding day WILL be wonderful, sure there will be some hiccups, but trust me, in the end it will go off wonderfully if you just apply a little planning and commonsense. 

Enjoy your life together!

How To Cut Your Wedding Catering Bill Cost

Maybe you’ve got the details of the actual wedding ceremony worked out, but what about the reception? One of the major costs of the wedding reception will definitely be the food, so you’ll want to make sure you’ll have enough food for everyone without spending too much money. Here are some top ways to cut on your catering bill that will ensure that your guests enjoy your reception—and you save money. 

Don’t order more food than you need. 

Most couples want to order an extra tray or two of hors d’oeuvres in case extra guests show up. This is fine (and usually a smart idea), but you should still make sure that you’re not order more appetizers than you actually need; use your discretion based on the guest list. For instance, if you know a number of your guests are vegetarian, you may not need to order as many appetizers with meat. Also, ordering two or three types of hors d’oeuvres will help to reduce your catering bill. If you buy more of the same dish, you can usually save money with most catering companies—different kinds of foods will increase the bill, so it’s important to keep it classy but simple at the wedding—even when it comes to food. 

Caterers will also try to encourage you to spend more than you may need to on the actual meal as well. You may not need a five course meal if you’ve already purchased three types of appetizers and a salad, or three extra desserts if you already have a pretty large wedding cake. The time of day that you hold your wedding will give you a good indication of how much food to serve; if you’re having the ceremony in the afternoon or early evening, you may want to serve more food. 

Pay attention to the types of foods you order. 

There are some foods that are always going to be expensive, even if you only order small amounts. So, since you have to order a considerable amount of food, ordering dishes that aren’t so costly will help you to keep your catering bill reasonable. Certain seafood, like shrimp, lobster and salmon will definitely make your catering bill higher, so if you have to have them, try to use them as only one of the course choices for dinner, or purchase these foods as appetizers to save on costs. 


Have food stations. 

Food stations are a unique way to serve a variety of foods at your wedding reception, and you can be sure that everyone will find something they like to eat. This way, you won’t have to worry about people changing their minds about their meal choices once they arrive at the reception. A food station with different types of pasta is usually a hit with most guests, and can be very economical. You can also include food stations with other types of the ethnic foods, such as Mexican or Indian fare, to celebrate the cultures of the people who will be attending your wedding, or to acknowledge your backgrounds. 

You may also be able to cut your catering bill by not requesting an elaborate setup for your food stations and tables. Using a single color for tablecloths, usually white, will cut down on labor costs. To add more color to your reception decorations, you may want to add elaborate centerpieces, so that you can spend as much as you need to on the meals for the reception.

Don't let a friend shoot your wedding

Your wedding budget is starting to get a little high and you need to cut a few corners to save some cash and so you ask your buddy to get behind the camera. Wrong move. Never let your friend, be it your best friend or even a close family member, run the camera at your wedding. There are a few reasons for this. 

First off, there is so much more involved in capturing a wedding on video than your friend will think about. Sound, lighting, positioning, framing, storyline, style, each of these broad categories has numerous tiny little elements where if one is off the whole thing doesn't look or sound right. Normally a friend will wait until the last minute to get equipment and then not know what they need usually showing up with a less than quality camcorder and only a built in microphone. Batteries, tapes, they don't think about these things. The less they know, the less they will show up with. 

Secondly, holding a camcorder and capturing a wedding and reception isn't like being there enjoying the moment, It's work and you need to concentrate on what your doing such as how the shot looks, sounds, where you need to be next, iris, focus, and a bunch of other little nuances. That lends very little time to enjoy the wedding and the people involved which is what you want your family and friends to do while they are there. 

Lastly, if something should go wrong it could possibly ruin a friendship. It's happened many times before and will happen again, a friend wants to be involved with the wedding and only shoots a little bit of footage and not good video because he wants to get that part over with. Or, he forgets the sound, or he forgets to hit record, or he's out of focus or he just doesn't know where to be and when, all in all the video recorded isn't good and most of your wedding is unusable. This will definitely put a strain on any friendship because a wedding video is very important, avoid this potential hazardous situation and hire someone, outsource the videographer, it's your best bet.

Getting Fantastic Deals on the Wedding Clothing

If you are planning to have a full wedding that includes bridesmaids, and groomsmen etc. it could run you a great deal of money to cover your gown as well as the other women and men’s clothing as well. 

Bridesmaid’s dresses get more and more costly with every extra woman in the wedding party. When you are deciding how much money you can afford to spend on the wedding clothes, you have to consider the fittings and the flowers or accessories as well. 

If you can, you might do better to allow for casual wear for the bridesmaids so that they can wear less expensive dresses or skirts. This is particularly good if you are planning an outdoor or beach wedding. 

The less formal the ceremony, the less money that you are required to spend. Perhaps that is why outdoor ceremonies are getting more and more popular these days. 

You can also save money on the ladies dresses by purchasing them off season from a bridal store. You can always shop for out of season or discontinued dresses as a means of getting great discounts on gorgeous dresses. If you really want to, you can ask that your bridesmaids forget about the wedding shower gifts in favor of buying their dresses. That is a common compromise that is made these days. 

If the cost of the dresses is really going to be a matter of stress for you, just reduce the bridesmaids to just having a maid/matron of honor and a best man only for the groom. 

Many couples opt to forego the extras all together and simply do not have anyone standing up with them at all. After all, there is no law that states that you have to have a maid of honor or best man present during the ceremony. 

When it comes to the tuxedos for the male participants and the groom, you can often find good deals when renting if you just shop around. It helps is you limit the number of participants if you must in order to reduce costs or if the men involved have their own tuxedos already. 

Either way, research and comparison shopping really is the best chance. 

You can also choose to rent the ladies gowns as well as the tuxedos. Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that they will wear once. Or spend that much money on many dresses that you will never be worn more than once. 

Many bridal shops will let you rent a dress rather than buy one. The only difference with rented dresses is that you have to take it as is. They are not custom fitted to you. Other than that, you can save hundreds of dollars doing this. 

Wearing your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress is also an option; especially if your are choosing a period theme where the dress was used. For example, if you are wearing your grandmother’s dress and the dress was worn in the 40’s, you can make the 40’s your wedding theme. 

If the dress is your mother’s from the 60’s or 70’s, you can do the same thing. It will save you money and provides you with a fun theme. 

You can also opt to make your own dress from scratch. Many women are choosing to go with home made pieces because they can get truly original in the make of the dress and the style.

It can be made in any fashion that you like and of any material also. Making your own dress is a good way to save money and it is also guaranteed to make sure that no one else has the same style as you. 

When you make it yourself, you are guaranteed a custom fit without paying a custom price. 

Finally, you can save bundles on your whole wedding party clothing, including the wedding dress by dressing according to your theme. 

For example, if you choose a Hawaiian theme, you can wear island clothes. As part of your theme, you can dress in costumes to make the festivities more fun and as an added bonus; you can make the guests and wedding party dress in costume too. 

You can also get a good deal by buying your wedding items at vintage or used stores. Many people bring back their wedding clothing after they have used so that they can recoup some of their money later. 

This is a great way to save money for you and the rest of your wedding party. Used clothing items can also be found in bridal shops or tuxedo warehouses because the average person doesn’t wear these items more than once and because of this they will return it to the store that they got it from later. 

When you are not afraid of vintage clothing, you can find some truly beautiful designer clothing for great prices. Some of the stores that offer used items will not force you to buy them, but they may request that you pay a bit of an extra fee for dry cleaning etc. 

Either way, you will still be saving yourself a great deal of money that you would spend if you bought your items outright.

Don't Forget To Plan For Wedding Favors In Your Budget

Wedding favors are small, inexpensive gifts or souvenirs that you present to your guests as 

a way of saying "thank-you for attending our wedding celebration". It has become customary 

to give something in return to your guests that they can keep as a memory of your special 

day. 

Favors don't have to be large or expensive. Some are elegant, some are practical and some 

are just plain fun. Choose a favor that reflects your wedding theme in some way. Many favor 

ideas can easily be interchanged with various themes just by substituting a decoration or 

color on the favor. 

Budget For The Cost of Wedding Favors 

When planning out your wedding budget, be sure to allot about 3% of your money toward 

favors. Make sure you know the approximate number of guests that will be attending your 

reception, then you will be better able to estimate the maximum amount of how much each 

favor can cost. The fewer guests that you have, the more expensive your favors can be, if 

you so choose. 

When making or buying any favors, keep in mind the color scheme of your wedding and use 

ribbons, tulle, flowers, etc. decorations that reflect your wedding colors. 

Once the favors are completed, attach personalized favor tags that have your names and 

wedding date printed on them. You can use paper tags or monogrammed ribbons that you either 

create yourself or purchase from a vendor. Some couples also add a small saying to their 

tags as well. 

Delight Your Guests With Unique and Creative Favors 

Wedding party favors are only limited by your imagination, so mix and match, and have fun 

creating your own unique bridal favors.

Dressing the Mother-of-the-Bride

So you are getting married. You are so excited infact your whole family is so excited! What do you want as a present? What will your hair be like? Are you really going to wear that color of dress? All questions that may be fired at you during the course of the next few months. But one question can strike fear and trepidation into the strongest of brides. What is your mother going to wear? 

The mother-of-the-bride outfit is probably the most talked about outfit other than what the bride is wearing. Not even the grooms choice of morning suit, kilt or sneakers and jeans will be talked about as much as what the mother-of-the-bride will be wearing. 

Even if bride and mother-of-the-bride have a fantastic relationship outside of wedding planning, when it comes to what your mother is going to wear on your wedding day things can go horribly wrong! 

She will have dreamt about this day from the moment you first opened your eyes and stared into hers. She will have planned and re-planned her outfit several times, over each decade that has passed, hopefully moving with the times! 

She will have a definate idea of the image she wishes to project and how she wants to look on this wonderous day and hopefully that will coincide with your own ideas. 

If you are lucky she will co-ordinate with the rest of the bridal party and your photographs will be a riot of harmonious color. If you fall into the not so lucky catergory then the photographer may experience diffculty placing her beside someone she doesnt clash with or horror of horrors the mother-of-the-groom turns up in the same dress!!! 

If your parents have divorced and re-married then this situation can actually get worse. You only have one mother and she carries the mother-of-the-bride mantle but people, and its just human nature, will be looking at your fathers second wife's oufit almost as closely as the mother-of-the-bride's. 

I did hear a story where a bride in this situation suddenly realised that the two women in question had indeed bought the same dress. Approaching her mother tactfully she mentioned that it might be an idea to take back the dress as she would have no other appropriate celebration to wear it to. Her mother smiled and replied that of course she would get another dress for her daughters big day but would be wearing the original dress to the wedding rehearsal dinner! 

When is comes down to it the main thing is that everyone is happy and it would be foolish to let a disagreement over a mother-of-the-bride dress get in the way of your wedding. Always remember girls one day you may be the mother-of-the-bride!