Happy Friday friends! Hope you’ve all had a lovely week! I’m getting excited to attend the National Stationery Show starting this weekend- I’ll be checking out some budget savvy invitation and paper options for your big day! I’m excited to see lots of friends from the wedding and paper industries who will be in town, as well! In other news, the hubby and I are starting our hunt for our new apartment – so there are lots of things going on in my neck of the woods! How about you? Got anything fun planned this weekend- wedding related or otherwise? 

PS- I’ve notified our new guest bloggers about my decision, and the new gals will start posting next week! Yay! Excited for you to meet these girls, as they have lots of good ideas for saving money on the wedding! I am sure you’ll love them, too! And I also think you’ll love these links I found to share this week- check them out below!

• Love this DIY post with ways to paint mason jars.
• Pretty much in love with this beachy wedding over on DIY bride.
• Great advice on Burnett’s Boards about finding inspiration for your wedding!
• Bridal Musings shared some great advice on choosing your wedding caterer.
• This great post from Brides.com about ways to slash your wedding budget. 

• Shutterfly 25% off Site Wide Up to 1.5% Cash Back
• Simply to Impress (creative innovative personalized invitations and announcements) 20% off Site Wide +4% Cash Back
• Variety of Personal Wine Coupons & Promo Codes
• Ettika Jewlery Save 15% on Entire Purchase +4% Cash Back
•  Enjoy 15% off wedding orders of $149 or more, 20% off orders of $249 or more or 25% off orders of $299 or more from Wedding Paper Divas using the code WEDMAY25 at checkout. Offer expires 5/21/2013 at 11:59 pm (PT).

The giveaway will run through June 3rd when they will choose and announce the winner. Click here to enter the contest!

 

 

Don’t forget about the $100 Gift Card giveaway from Love vs. Design! Find the details in this post from earlier this week!

 

That’s all she wrote. Have a fabulous weekend!!

_________________ Thanks for reading Favorite Links + Things: May 17, 2013 from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

Sometimes a great way to save money is just right in front of your face.

When I attended my first wedding event, just six weeks into our engagement, I thought I had found THE ONE. My wedding ring. A local jeweler had it on display and it was so lovely, and so delicate, and so unique… and so Ashley. Said ring, though, was a bit out of my budget. But after agonizing over this decision, and pining for this perfect circle of platinum, I decided it was worth the splurge. After all, I will look at this ring every day for the rest of my life.

While I am a big believer in living modestly, I also think it’s important — on arguably one of the most important days of your life — to treat yourself, within reason. When I first started dedicating funds to our wedding, I decided there were a few things that I prioritized, and on those items I allowed my budget enough wiggle room to get what I (or we) wanted. Because Matt and I are tying the knot in New York, it seemed obvious that far more than half of our budget would need to be reserved for our reception space and food/bar. Such is the case with just about everything in the city — space just costs more here. I’ve lived here long enough to know that.

Our wedding bands were the other X factor — I wanted both of us to get something we would love now and for many (many, many, many…) years to come. Especially Matt, and partially for selfish reasons — I am so eager to look down at his hand and see a wedding ring there. The idea of that makes me so happy.

Last weekend, while visiting my hometown for my bridal shower (hosted by my mama!), I asked Matt if he’d be willing to go to the nearby outlet center simply to get sized for a ring. After hearing me mention our wedding bands for the umpteenth time, he agreed (to shut me up? Probably.). I really only had that intention while driving there… and then it hit me. I bet we could get a pretty sick deal at the Zales outlet store… Genius! I’m not sure why it hadn’t occurred to me earlier — OF COURSE going to a jewelry store outlet would be substantially less expensive than its full-priced counter part! 

So, there, my husband-to-be found his wedding band-to-be, making his wife-to-be very, very happy. We scored an incredible deal — like almost 70% off the original price kind of incredible — and it felt so good to pocket that dough that I decided to roll the dice and go on the hunt for me as well. And to continue our hot streak, I found a very similar ring to the one I fell in love with months earlier for about ONE-SIXTH of the cost! We left the store wedding bands in tow, and with about $700 of our original ring budget remaining!

#winning

Beyonce knows what’s up.

_________________ Thanks for reading And the (Wedding) Band Played On (at the Outlets) from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

I’ve got another cute printable today for you designed by Jessica Bishop Paperie to match the table numbers from last week! These are blank printable place cards in a striped pattern in three different color options – the PDFs have the cards placed 6-up on a sheet. You can import the file into Microsoft Word or another editing program and add your guests’ names via your computer, or print them out and hand write them! The files also include cut lines so you can trim them out, and a light line for where to fold them. Hope you like- and please let me know if you use them in your wedding! I’d love to see pictures!

Click here to download the grey striped place cards!

Click here to download the black striped place cards!

Click here to download the navy striped place cards!

_________________ Thanks for reading Free Printable Place Cards from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

On Sunday, April 28, I was blessed enough to have had a simply lovely bridal shower. You know that word, “lovely”? Well, be prepared to hear it a lot. My shower, as it turns out, was also budget-savvy, from what I understand. So here is the low-down.

My fabulous bridesmaid organized my shower. Unfortunately, my resort is becoming adults-only shortly before we arrive, and she has a 3 month old baby, so she is going to miss out. But she wants to be a part of the wedding, and I want to think of her still as my bridesmaid, so my bridesmaid she is. She loves planning, and organized the shower and my stagette and will play a major role in our at home reception in August.

Anyway…

She asked if I wanted a shower. Due to the fact we are having a destination wedding, I was unsure if it would be appropriate, but she assured me and organized the whole thing, with help from my sister (who is my maid of honour). 

Unfortunately, I do not have many pictures (am relying on family and friends to send me them soon!) but I was able to take a few.

The Theme/Decor:

The theme of the decor was vintage travel. Appropriate, since I love vintage, travel, and because of the whole destination thing. She made centrepieces (mason jars borrowed from her grandmother, with old maps torn from an old atlas to decorate each). Most jars had a candle in them; the one on my table, the gifts table (we actually ended up having to use two tables!), and the immediate family table (mom, grandmas, etc.) had tulips in each. There were also little hearts cut from maps sprinkled on the tables.

She also made bunting out of the old maps (and old kraft-style paper) and “Welcome” letters to hang on the invitation I made (which she used as decor at the entrance with framed pictures of Brandon and I). She borrowed lace (and lace-style) table cloths from my family and hers, and used lace-style paper doilies under each centrepiece as well. It was fabulous!

A close-up of the welcome display… and the sign was part of my gift! So I got to keep it!

The Food:

My bridesmaid made cheesecakes (my favourites… soooo good), and my sister made brownies. My mom brought a meat tray and a veggie tray, and my grandma made a tray with cookies and squares. That was the food that was organized, and would have been more than enough. My bridesmaid and her mom (who is awesome and came along to help, celebrate, and look after the new baby when mom was busy being hostess) had coffee going, tea, and had made punch. Heck, they even found colour coordinated napkins (which my sister alternated in every tray to help decorate). Loved the attention to detail!

But I am from a small town, and most of the attendees are also from said town. Most are older ladies and friends of the family… so most showed up with treats! My other grandma came with another square, and a friend’s mom came with a treat she used to make us all the time when we were growing up… When we were cleaning up, we didn’t even know where some of the treats came from!

The Location:

My shower was held on Sunday (as I said) in the basement of my family’s church. I do not believe there was any price to rent that space.

The Games:

My bridesmaid (and host) began the festivities with a little blurb about me, she and I, and Brandon and I. It totally worked, since I met her and Brandon on the exact same day! It was just lovely. Each of my ladies also organized a game. I love shower games, and know that there was another one ready to go, but we skipped it. Too bad… I hope we can play it at my stagette in a few weeks instead. I love games! I know they are cheesy… and I love cheesy!

I had not played either of the games we played before, but had heard of one. The first one all the girls went through their purses (since I love accessories – who doesn’t?) and got points for what they found. The more outrageous, the more points, according to a list. The winners (with the most points, obviously) got hand lotions I believe. The second game was based on my love of cheesy puns. There was a list of types of cake, using hints to fill in the blank (such as “This cake is the name of a boy.” Answer: Johnny Cake.) The table that won was asked a trivia question about me and Brandon, and were awarded a prize. (little plants for this one). 

For the guest book, each lady was asked to fill out a little note saying “Advice and Wishes for the Soon-to-Be Mrs.” So sweet! Then they were instructed to put it in the “spice jar”. I loved reading the notes later… some great advice, some funny tidbits, some sweet notes… and from some elderly ladies, tips about actually using spices! I laughed so much, but totally treasure that. 

My lovely and talented (crafty queen for sure!) bridesmaid and hostess, writing out her advice for me for my “guestbook”.

Overall, I was spoiled absolutely rotten, it was absolutely lovely (no other word fits so well!) and I only wish I could do it all again. The best part, for me, was having so many people show up, getting to catch up with them. I felt completely overwhelmed and supported. It was just… well… lovely. One of my favourite days ever. So much so, I am even looking forward to writing thank you cards so I can go through everything again! 

Now, next week my coworkers are throwing me a shower too… It won’t be “doing it all again”… but at least I get to prolong the celebration!

And, as you can see from the details, it was pretty budget savvy too!

Are you having a bridal shower? Would you like a vintage, handmade shower like me, or something more modern?

_________________ Thanks for reading My Bridal Shower from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

One of the major trends we see here on BSB is wedding with a rustic and/or vintage theme. For some reason, it seems that lots of budget brides love this style – maybe because it can be so easy to create a gorgeous look by thrifting and such – either way – we LOVE rustic/vintage brides! If you’ve been looking for the perfect rustic wedding invitations to complement your wedding theme, look no further! Our friends at Invitations by Dawn have the rustic vintage thing down- just see for yourself!

Here are some of our favorite rustic and vintage wedding invitations from Invitations by Dawn!

LOVE the floral wreath on this invite!

Mason jars = rustic vintage chic!

This photographic invite is so lovely!

Absolutely LOVE the wood texture and lace detail on this design. So simple but chic!

This design has the most incredible texture, paired with the painted flower and bird design- just lovely!

I’m a sucker for turquoise and this vintage wooden frame is so pretty!

Love this linen texture- it looks like real fabric, doesn’t it?

Kraft and lace = so chic! I love the rustic kraft mixed with vintage lace!

Gorgeous foldable invite- how cool is this?

This painted mason jar die cut invite is TOO gorgeous! I could see this for a shower, too!

About Invitations by Dawn’s Rustic & Vintage Wedding Invitations
Vintage is a wedding trend that caught on in the past few years and has held on strong. Nudging in on its territory as top trend though is Rustic, something we’ve seen more and more of in the past year. We say, why choose? Create a wedding that takes these two styles and fuses them together. Think lace, burlap and the oh-so-versatile Mason jar!  

Some of the things that Budget Savvy Bride readers will LOVE about Invitations by Dawn:

• They are the experts in the art of wedding inviting – they’ve been in the biz for over 30 YEARS!! These gals know their wedding paper y’all.
• They care about their brides and want them to be IN LOVE with their invites as much as they are with their fiancé
• They’ve got etiquette tips and assembly guides to make the whole process a breeze!
• HUGE variety of styles plus FREE SAMPLES so you can preview the designs before you commit!
• Price ranges to fit every bride’s budget! From high end laser-cuts to affordable seal and sends- you are sure to find the invitation of your dreams at a price you can afford!

If you’re still in the market for invitations for your wedding, whether you’re a rustic/vintage bride or not, I definitely recommend checking out our friends at Invitations by Dawn for all your wedding paper needs!

_________________ Thanks for reading {Sponsor Love} Rustic Meets Vintage Wedding Invitations from Invitations by Dawn! from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

Love that this couple was able to have their wedding for just $4,000 – and it was a destination wedding! They kept things intimate which REALLY helped saved them money! Check out the bride’s advice and experiences below! xoxo-Jessica

Anthony + Jessica

August 10, 2012

Neptune Park – St. Simons Island, GA

What was your budget? Please give us a breakdown of how you spent your budget– rough estimates are fine!

Expenses: Park Rental: $80

               Flowers: $350

               Cake: $300

               Cake Topper: $65

               Stationery: $100

               St. Simons Elopements (Ceremony, 50 chairs, guitarist): $1,400

               Dress with veil: $500 (Mori Lee)

               Dinner Reception: $1,800 (our families covered this expense)

               Decor and other expenses: $200

               Photography: $850

Total Expense for wedding: Less than $4,000

How many guests did you have?     

Around 30

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

The biggest thing I did to save money was having a dinner reception at a local restaurant. The restaurant owner was so nice to work with and we didn’t even have to pay to rent it. We had such a large party tht the restaurant was closed to the public at 8pm for our dinner. The wedding consisted of only close family members and our best friends, so they each opted to pay for their own meal so we could have an excellent dinner while mingling with out of state family.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

 Be sure to allow more than enough time for photos. Once the day is passed, you can never take another photo on your wedding day. Take your time and take plenty of photos! Also, if it is a destination wedding, be sure to give a few family members certain duties to do on your special day. Do not try to put out decorations yourself because you will not have time and you won’t want to have to worry about it on the day of. Some of my decor didn’t get placed out because I didn’t want to ask others to help me- in hindsight, I wish I would’ve asked for help!

What was your biggest splurge?

My biggest splurge was all of the small expenses that goes along with a destination wedding. Hotel rooms, food, traveling expenses or other items like that add up really fast!

What was your favorite detail?

 My favorite detail of my wedding was my cake. It was not a traditional wedding cake. It was chocolate cake with all pink and orange butter cream icing. (Our favorite kind of cake!) The cake topper was what really made it special and even more unique. Anthony and I met in flight school and both have our pilot’s license so when we found an aviation related cake topper we knew we had to get it. It was an airplane with the groom in the front flying, the bride in the back and “Just Married” is written on the back of plane. 

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

 The most memorable moment of the day was saying our vows. My husband was so beautiful and I could see the excitement in his eyes. It was if no one else existed. I loved every second of it!

 Photographer:  Lone Pine Photography  //  Dress Store: Bride Beautiful  //  Hair Stylist:Hair Unlimited  //  Floral Designer:Lily of Angeles  //  Reception Venue: Ocean Lodge  //  Musicians: Terry Thrift  //  Event Planner: St. Simons Elopements//

Submitted via Two Bright Lights

_________________ Thanks for reading Destination Budget Wedding by Lone Pine Photography from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

Chalkboard wedding invitation designs – I love the script on the design on the right!

_________________ Thanks for reading {Giveaway} Win $100 Gift Card from Love vs. Design from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

Image found here http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzxuhl55VF1qew6kmo1_500.jpg

My favorite gentleman and I met when were 11 years old, and started out as friends. Early in our planning we decided to have some nods to friendship and childhood present at our wedding; our cake has in bold capital letters “FIRST COMES FRIENDSHIP” and our “guestbook” is an 11×17 sheet of paper with a rainbow of balloons on it.

In the process of cleaning our apartment, I noticed just how many flavor syrups we have that you can put into milk. Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla and Coffee. Then I realized just how many varieties of milk there are; skim, 1%, 2%, whole, soy, and lactaid. Immediately, I thought to myself

“A milk bar!”

It was such a fun idea, and so affordable. We plan on using a 4 foot table and setting it up like a buffet; get a cup, pour yourself a glass of milk, add syrup if desired, stir and enjoy! We’re still going to have an open bar, but this way, kids and non-drinkers can enjoy the process of choosing a beverage too.

For our wedding we are anticipating ~80 guests
5 gallons of milk (makes 80 eight-ounce glasses) = $4 x 5 = $20
4 flavor syrups (Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla & Coffee) = $3 x 4 = $12
2 powdered flavoring (Ovaltine, malt) = $5 x 2 = $10

Total Cost = $42 for a wedding of 80 guests

_________________ Thanks for reading Milk Bar – A fun non-alcoholic option from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

Wow, I can’t believe I have passed the 1 year mark before mine and Kyle’s 2014 wedding! I’m pumped and so excited to get back into planning mode!

I kicked started the one year countdown by re-asking my friends to be my bridesmaids. I didn’t do anything fancy, except send out a mass email.  However, I was a bit more thoughtful and creative the first time I asked my bridesmaids to be in the wedding.

A former colleague of mine (turned wedding planner) posted this idea to their blog (Will You Be My Bridesmaid). I fell in love with it, and wanted to do something just as thoughtful and meaningful for my friends.

So, a trip to Michaels® left me with this

Photo by Renae

Inside of the box, I pasted a “Will You Be My Bridesmaid” printable I’d found on Wedding Chicks.

Photo By Renae

I also included important details and pictures to reference for their attire.

Photo by Renae

Not all of my bridesmaids received a box (I still have 3 that I’ve yet to mail out…I know HORRIBLE!) For them, I put together a simple card with the printable and reference information; which still had the same effect.  My Bridesmaids loved their box and card, and thought the reference materials were (and still are) very helpful. 

Since then, there’ve been many variations as to how to ‘Ask the Girls’. 

*Custom Handkerchiefs on Style Unveiled

*Wine Bottle Labels from My Own Labels

How are you going to ask your friends to join #TeamBridesmaids? 

_________________ Thanks for reading Asking your bridesmaids from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::

This post was brought to you by Blooms by the Box, a fabulous DIY floral resource. Their floral selection is great for brides and party throwers alike because you can buy their catalog of blooms by the bunch rather than in larger lots. Thank you to the team at Blooms by the Box for supporting our Blooms on a Budget series!

_________________ Thanks for reading Blooms on a Budget 15 from: The Budget Savvy Bride

Looking for more budget savvy weddings? Visit our Real Weddings gallery! Need to find some DIY projects to save you money and create beautiful details? Check out our DIY project gallery! Connect with The Budget Savvy Bride on the web: Pinterest :: Twitter :: Facebook ::