Tag Archives: wedding planning

23May2013

10 Wedding Planning Myths

banner: 10 Wedding Planning Myths

Every couple learns as they go when it comes to wedding planning but we wanted to put your mind at ease about a few things by highlighting a few common wedding myths and misconceptions.

 

Myth #1 DIY wedding invitations will save you money.

Don’t get me wrong, they can be cheaper but you have to really research all the materials needed and how much those materials will end up costing. In the end, you might find a simple, professionally printed wedding invitation is similar in cost and A LOT less work.

 

Myth #2 Response cards are still the norm; there are no acceptable alternatives.

This is no longer true. There was a time when response cards were the most acceptable method for responding to a wedding invitation, but today some couples are choosing online response services or providing email addresses and phone numbers on their invitations. Some couples do both response cards and an alternate response method on the invitation. Do whatever you think you, and your wedding guests, will be most comfortable with. Be sure to be considerate of older guests. We recommend providing them a non-electronic way to respond.

 mason jar invitation with response wording 

Myth #3 Every guest will respond to your wedding invitation.

People forget and they procrastinate. It’s okay. Just assume you’ll be making some phone calls prior to the wedding. Ask the person in charge of responses to do this for you. If that person is you, ask your mom or a friend to help make the calls.

 

Myth #4 You shouldn’t have an adult only wedding.

Sometimes the wedding venue is simply not conducive to children, and that’s okay. However, we don’t recommend including “Adult only reception” on the invitation or reception card. Let your guests know children aren’t invited by clearly addressing the invitations to those who are invited. Check out these helpful tips for addressing your wedding invitations.

 

Myth #5 It’s not okay to invite your exes.

Granted, we do believe you should carefully consider if it is appropriate to invite your exes to your wedding, but we also understand that sometimes your exes become good friends or are a part of your close social network. Most importantly, make sure you and your soon-to-be spouse are perfectly comfortable with the idea. If not, don’t invite the ex.

 

Myth #6 You have to invite all of your coworkers or none.

There is no reason to feel obligated to invite all of your coworkers. A wedding is for your closest friends and family. The same rule applies to coworkers.

 

Myth #7 You should invite people who invited you to their wedding.

Just because you attended someone’s wedding doesn’t mean you have to invite them to yours. If you’re already questioning whether to invite them, they can probably be cut from your guest list.

 

Myth #8 You should include registry info with your invitation.

Wedding guests are not required to give you a gift, and including registry information with the invitation can make people feel obligated. Place registry information on your wedding website and let your closest friends and family spread the word. The same goes for cash gifts. Tell a few friends and family and let them spread the word. It is never appropriate to ask for cash gifts directly.

 

9. Plan to give one favor to each guest attending the wedding.

Wedding favors can get spendy and sometimes time-consuming if making them yourself, but one way to cut down on the cost and effort is to give one favor to single guests and one favor per couple. The tricky part is handing them out. We recommend having assigned seating and having place cards at each setting. This way you can provide one favor for single guests and you can place one favor between the place settings for couples. That being said, wedding favors are often sold in bulk. So if you want to make sure everyone gets a favor (and maybe an extra or two), you can probably up the quantity for a reasonable price.

 yellow favor boxes with black ribbon and square, white seal

10. Guests should not have to pay for drinks.

Sometimes it’s simply not in the budget. Guests aren’t going to refuse to celebrate with you because they have to pay for a drink or two. They are there for you, not the bar…hopefully. Many couples avoid the cash bar by limiting drinks to beer and wine, which can dramatically cut down on costs. You could also consider a cash bar but still provide one or two signature drinks and soda for free.

 

We hope this helps ease your mind as you’re wedding planning and you run across some of these common wedding myths. Check back often for more helpful advice, or feel free to comment and leave us a question. We’re happy to answer it!

 

 

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20Apr2013

Checking it off the list! Confirming wedding day services and reservations.

You’re one to two weeks out from your wedding day and there are just a few final details to address so everything goes smoothly. We’ve put together some tasks you’ll want to check off the to-do list at this point in your wedding planning.

Confirm Appointments with Wedding Vendors

 First, we recommend making final payments for all services that require payment. That way you won’t have an overabundance of bills to deal right after the wedding. If you want to give your vendor a tip the day of the wedding, have it ready in an envelope and choose a responsible family member or friend to hand them out.

One to two weeks out means you will want to confirm all dates, times, locations, services, reservations and arrival times for the following:

Call Guests – contact guests who have not responded to your invitation. This is the only way you will truly get an accurate count for your ceremony and reception.

Rehearsal Dinner - Meet with your contact at the rehearsal dinner site and/or your caterers for final details.

Hair and Makeup – confirm your appointment. Be sure to take any hair adornments to the appointment.

Ceremony – review details with the wedding contact at your ceremony venue. Review plans for the rehearsal with the officiant and wedding party.

Reception Site / Caterer – Recap with an overview of the reception. Give them a final guest tally. Typically you will need this information anywhere from two weeks to 72 hours in advance so items can be ordered and organized ahead of time. Tell them the names of the cake baker, florist, band or DJ and ask whom those vendors should check-in with when they arrive.

• Plan for your wedding toasts and be sure a microphone is available.

• Prepare and plan seating for the reception. Prepare place cards.

Specific questions for your reception site are:

• How, when, and where will the wedding vendors deliver their goods? Who do they report to?

• If there is a caterer, what electrical or kitchen needs they will require? What kind of delivery needs do they require and can they be accommodated?

• Where can equipment be stored when not in use (i.e., photographers, musicians, etc.)?

• What kind of delivery needs do the musicians have and can they be accommodated?

• Is there adequate parking for guests?

Cake Baker – confirm their delivery needs, set up day, time and location. If needed, give him/her a map to the reception site.

Florist – review all items ordered and give him/her a map to the ceremony and reception sites. Finalize arrangements for delivery day, time and location.

Photographer / Videographer – provide maps for your ceremony and reception locations. Provide a list for both vendors about any specific pictures or video you want and when.

Musicians / Band / DJ – review starting times and any special song requests. Learn if there are any special set-up requests at the reception site. If needed, give him/her a map to the reception site.

Transportation - How will you get to the wedding site? To the reception? Arrange for friends or family to drive you and confirm pick-up times, schedules, and locations with the driver. If you’re having a limousine driver, confirm times and locations.

Last, but not least - compile an emergency list of all wedding vendors with phone numbers to give to your go-to person (wedding coordinator, parent or personal attendant).

Plan now for returns and pick-ups – know the time line and return requirements for any rental items such as candelabras, tables, chairs, tuxedoes, etc. Make arrangements for these items to be returned if you’re away on your honeymoon.

Make your way through this list a week or two before the wedding and the rest will be smooth sailing!

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27Feb2013

Real Wedding Highlight: Terry & Kristi – Part 3

Terry & Kristi's Real Wedding - Part 3

Photos Courtesy of Kendra Elizabeth Photography and Terry & Kristi's Family

The Ceremony Venue

My husband and I got married on June 16th, 2012, at the church where we are members. We got to know the pastor very well through marriage counseling. He is awesome! He took the time to tailor our ceremony to our personalities and the challenges we may have in our relationship. It was perfect. My only regret is not having it videotaped.

Our church has a gorgeous, ornamental alter and beautiful stained glass windows, so we didn’t feel the need to decorate a lot. We rented candelabras, white bows and ivy from the church to decorate the ends of the pews, which the church’s wedding coordinator’s took care of.

The Reception Venue

We had our reception at Farmamerica, a venue dedicated to preserving a bit of Minnesota’s farm history. The land is home to a 1850s farm, a 1930s farm, a country church and a schoolhouse. These made great backdrops for our outdoor photos. Our reception was in the Minnesota Agricultural Interpretive Center (a.k.a. visitor’s center). The tables and dance floor were set up in the ballroom. The guest book table, cake table, food and bar were set up just outside the ballroom.

How We Saved

1. When choosing wedding vendors, we did two things to help keep prices low. We used local vendors as much as possible, and we used our connections for the rest. All of our wedding vendors were wonderful.

2. I purchased my dress from a store that includes alterations in the price of the dress. I chose a dress that fit my personality and figure, at a cost that was much lower than most dresses ($671).

3. We are members at the church where we had our ceremony, and that made it very affordable. We paid $140 for the ceremony, wedding coordinators, the pastor and the decorations for the church. We did hire a musician, but she was also a member of the church and gave us a very good price.

4. We chose the local bakery for our cake, and found out she does catering, too. We had a buffet to avoid additional costs of table service. We chose plastic plates, plastic silverware and paper napkins to keep prices low. We bought them online to save even more money. We chose a small, decorated cake for display and sheet cakes for our guests.

5. The caterer’s mother was the local florist, so the caterer recommended decorating the cake with fresh flowers to match our bouquets (super cheap). Our bouquets included inexpensive flowers, such as gerbera daisies, alstroemeria, mini carnations and a variety of greens.

6. Our reception venue did not have a liquor license, so we brought in liquor and beer ourselves. This allowed us to offer unlimited free drinks to our guests. We used plastic cups for the drinks and can coolers, which doubled as favors, to keep the beer cold. The venue had a portable bar we could rent, which had unlimited soda.

7. My stepdaughter works part-time for a DJ. Naturally, she asked him to DJ the dance at our wedding. He also brought the pink up-lighting we used to enhance the decorations.

8. My husband and I set a budget before we started planning and agreed to stick to it, but we both chose one thing that was most important to us to splurge on. That happened to be photography. We felt it was important to have quality pictures to remember our wedding day. We interviewed ten different photographers, but the ones we liked were out of our price range. My sister’s friend, who is a photographer herself, helped us out. She found us five different photographers who were available on our wedding day in our price range. She recommended one in particular, which is the person we chose. Her price was excellent for two photographers, unlimited time and rights to reproduce the images.

So there you have it.  All the things we did to have a beautiful wedding on a $15,000 budget. Feel free to comment!  We’re more than happy to answer your questions.

Photos Courtesy of Kendra Elizabeth Photography and Terry & Kristi’s Family.

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26Feb2013

Real Wedding Highlight: Terry & Kristi – Part 2

Terry & Kristi's Wedding - Part 2

Photos Courtesy of Kendra Elizabeth Photography

Our wedding turned out absolutely wonderful. There were things we could have done better, but I wouldn’t change them for the world. We had 200 guests at our wedding, served a full meal, had unlimited drinks and beer, and a dance with a DJ — all for about $15,000. What was even better is that our vendors, friends and family were so great that we didn’t have to worry about a thing on the day of our wedding. We were able to enjoy every minute of it.

Planning the Wedding

I don’t consider myself a fashionable person, and I hate decorating. I’m not good at it. So when it came time to plan the wedding, I kept things simple. I started with the color fuchsia and from there we chose our invitation. We wanted an invitation that was simple, yet formal enough for a wedding. We chose Ann’s Filigree Perch invitation with black ink. Filigree Perch is a thermography invitation, which means the ink is raised. That made the invitation elegant yet simple. After choosing our invitation, we decided our colors would be fuchsia, black and white.  I wanted my bouquet to be full of bright colors, including fuchsia to match the bridesmaids’ dresses and some greens to balance it out. We planned our reception decorations using the flowers from the bouquet and the filigree design from our invitations.

Planning the Reception Decorations

You might remember me mentioning above how much I hate decorating. Well, planning our reception décor was probably the most difficult thing for me. We were on a budget, but I didn’t want it to be so plain that it was boring.

We started out thinking we were going to have to buy or rent all of the pieces for the decorations, and then take the time to assemble them. We did a bit of shopping around and found the rental prices for vases, table cloths and lighting to be very expensive. Plus, we would be the ones decorating the reception venue before the wedding. My mother-in-law suggested we see how much it would cost for a decorator to do it.

The Decorator

We met with the decorator at her showroom and she had all kinds of centerpieces and other displays. I would never have been able to come up with these ideas on my own. She told us to pick items as if we were going to be able to afford everything we wanted. When she told us to dream big, we were a bit scared of the price tag. About a week later she sent us the estimate. It was too much, but not so much that we couldn’t handle it if we did some trimming. We met with her again to make some changes.  She pointed out the more expensive items and gave us some alternatives that cost less. We ended up choosing four different centerpieces to have on the tables. Our initial estimate was $1,400. After adjusting our centerpieces and removing a few items that were not needed, our new estimate was $1,200. The estimates were based on 300 guests, but we ended up having only 200. In the end, we paid $1,050 for the decorations and decorating services. They set it all up, and they took it all down. It was stress free and gorgeous!

Suggestions for Decorating

A good rule of thumb when shopping for centerpieces is the higher the centerpiece the higher the price.  Choose multiple styles of centerpieces that range in price. Use the expensive centerpieces less and the inexpensive ones more. This works out really well because taller, more expensive centerpieces can block the guest’s view of the people sitting across from them.

Another way to save a ton of money on wedding decorations is to use silk flowers instead of real flowers. If we had used real flowers in our centerpieces, we would have had an additional $500+ in costs. As you can see by the pictures, our centerpieces were beautiful and the overall look of the room was gorgeous.

Come back tomorrow for more pictures of the wedding and to find out how I saved money when choosing our venues and vendors. We’d love to hear what you think or answer questions if you have any. Just leave a comment on this post and we will respond.

Photos Courtesy of Kendra Elizabeth Photography.

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03Jan2013

How to Set a Wedding Budget

How to Set a Wedding Budget

Congratulations – You’re engaged! Now comes the fun of planning your special day! But where do you begin when there are so many decisions to make?

 

An easy first step is to create your budget. A budget will be the most important factor in planning your wedding. To give you a general starting point, here is a breakdown of percentages for important wedding needs.

 

Expense Percentage

Ceremony                                                             2%

Reception                                                           48%

Attire (bride and groom)                             10%

Flowers and decorations                                8%

Music                                                                      7%

Photos & Video                                                10%

Wedding Stationery                                          3%

Wedding Rings                                                    3%

Transportation (limo)                                      1%

Gifts for wedding party                                    3%

License, Fees, Tips, taxes and overages   5%

Wedding Consultant (optional) up to 10% of budget

 

Your budget is not only a way to keep track of what you’re spending, but it’s also a handy checklist of things that need to be done. For a printable wedding budget worksheet, click here.

 

This general guideline will help you decide where your money will be best spent. However, every couple’s priorities are different and there may be areas that are more important to you. You can certainly allot more money to those areas and scale back the ones that are less important.

 

Be sure to check out the blog posts in our “Wedding Planning Guide.” We go into detail about each of the topics listed above to help you make well-informed decisions.

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27Dec2012

Resolve to Stay On Budget with our Top 10 Wedding Budget Tips

 

1. Cut the guest list! We know it’s hard, but we guarantee it will save you a lot of money.  You can also select certain people, like coworkers and college buddies, to invite to the dance only.

 

2. Don’t purchase a “bridal gown.” Shop white bridesmaid dresses or white evening gowns at local department stores. Also look for credible online sites selling wedding gowns, bridal shops that include tailoring in the price of the gown and check out those online bridal classifieds where you can find dresses for sale that have never been worn. Don’t be afraid to shop at a bridal store where you can try on the dresses and then look online for them afterwards.

 

3. Schedule your wedding date in the off-season. Late fall and winter months are generally cheaper than spring, summer and early fall. Choose any day but Saturday, or choose to have a morning/early afternoon wedding. Imagine how beautiful a brunch or lunch reception would be, and how much cheaper! Destination weddings are often on a weekday since all the guests are on vacation with you.

 

4. Find a cheap reception location: outdoor parks, a family member’s place in the country, church halls or something totally new like a bowling alley. Make sure to weigh the cost difference between a facility that provides the tables, chairs and dishes for you versus a facility where you will have to rent those things.

 

5. Find a reception location that allows you to bring alcohol in. Many wedding venues increase the cost of alcohol way beyond what you could purchase it for yourself.  Liquor stores often give discounts to customers purchasing bulk amounts of liquor, and you can typically get an even deeper discount if you pay cash for it.

 

6. If you can’t bring in your own alcohol, limit the open bar to a few wines, a few beers and a few signature drinks. Guests can pay for any drinks not included in that selection. We’ve also seen couples use tickets. When using the ticket method, you purchase a certain amount of tickets in advance and someone at the reception is responsible for sharing them with the guests. Each guest should get one or two tickets, but you can give additional tickets to the bridal party and anyone else you feel should get more.

 

7. Choose flowers that are in season or go with fake flowers. Roses, hydrangeas, orchids and stephanotis are all flowers that are more expensive.  If you would like to have real flowers in your bouquet but would like to keep the cost low, some inexpensive flower options include carnations, alstroemeria, gerbera daisies and greenery.

 

8. Choose inexpensive menu items. Chicken, turkey and pork are cheaper than other meats, and any kind of pasta or rice entrée is an economical option. Buffet’s are often less expensive than having meals served to your guests at their tables.

 

9. Choose a small wedding cake for display and use cheaper sheet cakes for serving to wedding guests. If you like different flavors of cake, this is your opportunity to choose a few of your favorites depending on the size of your wedding.

 

10. Negotiate, negotiate and negotiate some more. Most prices for wedding vendors are not set in stone. Make vendors aware of your budget. That way they will show you things completely within your budget or just over it. Don’t be afraid to tell them you like their service, but it just doesn’t fit into your budget. Often times they will try to lower the price where it is agreeable between the both of you or they may have payment plans available.

 

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09Aug2012

Share Your Best Budget Tips for a Chance to Win $250

Win $250 at Ann's with your best budget wedding advice!

Ann’s Bridal Bargains is creating a Bargain Talk Pin to share on Pinterest, and we want your best budget wedding advice to fill it up! Post a comment by Thursday, August 16, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $250 shopping spree to Ann’s.

Check back on Thursday, August 23, when we announce the winner and reveal the Bargain Talk Pin. Our Bargainista Brides are brimming with great advice you can’t afford to miss. We can’t wait to hear it all!

Get extra chances to win by

• Liking Ann’s on Facebook

• Liking this post on Facebook

• Pinning this blog post

Leave a separate comment for each way you follow us to get your extra chance(s) to win.

In the meantime, keep up the good work planning your wedding on a budget with these affordable outdoor decorating tips: Great Budget Wedding Ideas for Your Backyard Wedding

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28May2011

Checking it off the list! A guide to shopping diamonds and diamond alternatives

Wedding Planning Checklist: Section 4: Part 2 of 2

 

 

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but these days money has become a pretty close friend of the bride and groom as well. We’re giving you a quick rundown of what to look for when shopping genuine diamonds, but we’re also providing you with some less expensive alternatives that look gorgeous but won’t leave you in the poor house.

 

 

Shopping genuine diamonds? Remember the four Cs.

Cut – During the cutting process, artisans sculpt tiny angles — known as facets — into a raw stone. Poor sculpting creates dullness. The cutting process also creates the shape. Shapes include round brilliant (more that 80% of diamonds), pear, marquis, emerald, asscher, cushion, princess and heart. When shopping for diamond rings, look for brilliance (how it reflects light), fire (it flashes color) and scintillation (it sparkles). Be sure to examine the stone in a variety of different lighting.

Color – There are two categories of color: colorless and fancy. Colorless diamonds are graded on a scale of D (completely clear) to Z (traces of yellow, brown or gray). Most colorless diamonds found in jewelry stores range from D to L. Fancy diamonds (yellow, pink, blue and other naturally colored stones) are rare and more expensive.

Clarity – Most diamonds contain two types of imperfections: internal flaws (inclusions) and surface flaws (blemishes). Flawless stones exist but are very rare. Most jewelers have never seen one. Many jewelry stores sell diamonds that are considered “eye clean,” which means inclusions are only seen under 10x magnification. And believe it or not, a few inclusions can be a good thing. They’re like fingerprints, making each diamond unique.

Carat – Carat refers to a diamond’s weight. Each carat contains 100 points. A 75-point diamond weighs 75 carats and is smaller than a 100-point diamond that weighs 100 carats. Carats aren’t always a reflection of cost. A diamond cutter could choose to leave in a flaw and the stone would be bigger but less brilliant and less expensive. When shopping, remember that stones weighing just under full are much less expensive.

 

Looking for affordable alternatives?

Why should your fiancé pay two months worth of salary for something you can find at a much lower cost — and just as beautiful and meaningful? If you’re interested in diamond alternatives, check these places out.

Synthetic diamonds are created to be gorgeous, conflict-free and affordable. 

Moissanite, a fairly new discovery, has become a popular alternative to diamonds. It’s just as brilliant, very durable and more affordable.

High-grade cubic zirconia is a lovely and super affordable alternative to diamonds.

If you’re a more down-to-earth kind of couple, check out Turtle Love Co. for unique, beautiful options — many of which include colorful gemstones.

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26May2011

Checking it off the list! Things to remember when ordering wedding bands

Wedding Planning Checklist: Section 4: Part 1 of 2

We packed this post with so much great information, we had to divide it up! Today we’ll cover interesting statistics from The Wedding Report for 2011, 5 tips for purchasing wedding bands and a quick guide to wedding band metals. Check back tomorrow for another quick guide about shopping genuine diamonds AND affordable diamond alternatives!

The 2011 Wedding Report Says…

• In 2010, brides and grooms spent $9.64 billion on engagement rings and wedding bands.

• Most couples purchase their engagement and wedding rings from large local (national chain) jewelers.

• Diamond use for groom wedding bands saw the biggest increase in demand.

• Engagement ring average carat weight is 1.18.

• The diamond shape “Round” makes up more than half of what consumers want.

• White gold continues to be the most popular metal choice.

• Approximately 26% of couples said they personalize or customize their engagement ring and wedding bands.

• When it comes to engagement rings and wedding bands, brides and grooms say that durability, design and style are most important.

• The prime timeframe appears to be at least 6 months plus for both researching and paying for the engagement ring and wedding bands.

 

5 Purchasing Tips

1. On average, couples spend about 2% of their wedding budget on the wedding bands.

2. Order wedding bands no later than four months before the wedding date.

3. Wedding bands don’t have to match.

4. A lower karat gold is actually more durable.

5. White gold is popular because it looks like silver, it’s durable and it’s reasonably priced.

 

A Quick Guide to Wedding Bands

• 24k = 100% gold

• 18k = 74% gold

• 14k = 58.5% gold

• Yellow gold – The higher the gold percentage, the richer the color and softer the band. Therefore, 14k is actually more durable than solid gold due to the metal additives.

• White gold – White gold looks like silver and is stronger than yellow gold.

• Platinum – Also looks like silver but stronger than gold and more expensive.

 

Check back Saturday for the diamond-shopping guide and great diamond alternatives!

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21May2011

Win Lenox China from GetMarried.com!

We are so excited to present this giveaway from GetMarried.com.  Everyone loves fine china especially when it is made by Lenox! Lenox shares a passion for design and style with those who love to entertain and celebrate with family and friends. Now is your chance to WIN a set of four place settings. Get all the details from our partner, GetMarried.com!

Good Luck!

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