Theme Weddings
Possible or Not! Totally possible reguardless of the theme you choose. Most people think that a theme wedding is going to blow their budget right out of their pockets, but not always true. I had a beautiful Irish Renesance wedding on a fixed income. Luckily I am good on a sewing machine but you don't have to be. I went through the costume patterns and made all of our outfits without a problem. This can save you a lot, but also if you can find someone that does sew they will usually make the costumes for you at a resonable price with your choice of materials. If you don't know someone run an add in your local paper, your sure to find someone you can work with.
Don't ever think your dream is impossible, cause where there is a will there is a way! Time to call in your friends and family to find out who has what talent. What they may be willing to do to help you have the wedding of your dreams. I know, your thinking I can't get them to do anything any other time, but weddings bring out the best in most people. They usually want to see a bride have her dream come true. They are also more apt to put up with your bridezilla days, without getting offend. Not just that but you can count on them for honest opinions on your choices, cause they know you and what you like.
You have a lot of options available to you, for example: you can find more great deals on line at half the price the stores charge than you would believe. I ordered most everything I needed on line and shipping cost was reasonable if there was any at all on somethings. I wanted a castle for my wedding topper and I found it. It is beautiful, I couldn't of asked for a prettier one. White, blue and trimmed out in gold. I even found a wonderful way to keep it and look at it when ever I wanted. Since it is ceramic, your going to laugh, but I put it in my huge fish tank and added a variety of stuff to match. Now I am reminded daily of that wonderful day I walked down the isle. Oh, what did that cost me? Well, a mind blowing ten dollars. You can't buy a castle for a fish tank for that price and its more than that. It is a wonderful memory!
Pull a few tricks out of your hat and use your imagination. Make your own favors. If you are like most brides that want that big wedding well you have scheduled it a year away and have a few hours every weekend to put some stuff together. Put it in a box and label it and check it off your list as done! My favors were shot size brandy glasses with gold ribbon curling all around the stem and filled with crushed life savors. All the mixed colors sparkled in a rainbow of colors when the candles were all lit. Parents and kids were happy and they had a shot glass to take home. Depends on how ritzy you want it to be as to what you put together, but anything is possible and much easier than you think. Yes, I had the mad dash the day before getting everything lined up and decorated but you will have that reguardless. Getting organized is the key to it all, so start with a list of things you want. Take care of them one at a time and reward yourself with a nice glass of wine after you have checked something else off that list. Don't forget to reward those wonderful helpers with a thank you here and there.
If you don't have a friend or family member that does flower arrangements, then get to all your local florist and find out what flowers are in season when your wedding is taking place. If you promise to recommend them or mention them in your news paper announcement(flowers provide by____ florist), some will give you a discount for the advertisement. Ordering flowers that are in season is obiviously much cheaper. If you pick up what the center pieces are made in, instead of them providing it, you will save yourself the mark up price. Again this is where the internet comes in handy. Before you place any orders of any kind make sure you have your guest list figured out and have touched base with everyone on it as to whether they know if they will probably be able to attend. This will give you an ideal of your number count for amount of tables you will need. Now, before ordering those center pieces to be filled with flowers. Decide on a defent location for the reception and find out what tables your using and how many each table seats. You don't want to be three center pieces short at the last minute.
My best advice to someone planning their own wedding is to get the guest list down and double check it with hubby to be and don't leave out the parents that will undoubtly want a few of their friends to attend that have watched that boy grow into your man! Here is the biggy of all time, consult with both of your parents make sure they don't have something special they want to be in on with you. Lets not start out this new life with the in-laws offended. They probably won't have anything for you to worry about but its the thought they will remember.
A few other helpful hints on saving some money you might think about. Is there a local band that you like they usually do weddings for reasonable amounts. Do you have some teenagers in the family that you would like to let them know how special and responsible you think they are. Well, this can do that and take care of another costly item. Ask them to be your photographers, give them some camera's and a list of the most important shots to you. Find one that really like's this kind of thing and set them up with a camcorder. You will make some friends for life with this gesture. If you can remember your teen years and I am sure you do, then you know what it felt like to be left out! You really will get some great picture's this way. With all the photo workshop programs for the pc you will find you enjoy turning those picture's into what you really want, after the honeymoon is over!
When you have the guest list settled for sure! Then location, location, location, I can't stress enough how important it is to have that nailed down. This is one thing you don't want to do over the phone. You want to see it and ask questions. No question is to trivial at this point you want to know everything. When those things are taken care of then you can get down to the fun part, shopping! Get your girlfriends and go look at all the wedding shops for ideals then get on line and see what you can find! I hope you have a wonderful wedding, a blissful life, and that all this informaion has helped you.
