My Stunning Wedding for Less

Wedding planning checklist

2013-10-19T13:04:00.001-07:00

Hey there!

Planning a wedding can be stressful and at times overwhelming. That's why it is so important to be organized! One way to stay on top of things is by using a wedding planning checklist.

Here's a printable wedding checklist pdf I created specifically for budget-savvy brides, on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WeddingForLess

This 13-page guide includes a month-by-month wedding timeline, tons of money-saving tips for the frugal bride, budget planning tips, invitation wording templates, wedding reception timeline, flower guide by season, and more. All of these proven strategies can save you thousands.

Get the best wedding to do list here!

etsy.com/shop/weddingforless

Wedding checklist COMING SOON!

2013-10-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

Getting rid of acne before your wedding day

2013-10-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

There is so much to be excited about when it comes to planning your wedding, especially when it comes to selecting your dream wedding gown, the perfect hair style, and gorgeous makeup. Unfortunately, with the stress of planning a wedding, acne can become a problem, and that's the last thing a bride should have to worry about. So don't wait until the last minute; start getting your skin ready for your wedding ASAP.

Fortunately, with a background in beauty and personal experience and research, this is a subject I'm an expert in! So I've launch a blog dedicated solely to helping you get rid of acne. I hope you'll take a look!

Clearskinguru.blogspot.com

See ya there!

~Anna

Jewelry & accessories for your bridesmaids

2013-10-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, it's your big day, so maybe you haven't really thought that much about what jewelry your bridesmaids will be wearing. But you should be thinking about it! Why? Because jewelry doubles as both a perfect bridesmaid gift, and a decorative detail that showcases your wedding's personality and style.

For example, sharp angles and geometric designs look modern and chic. These golden triangle art deco dangle earrings would totally dress up a simple navy bridesmaid dress. Or below, a geometric envelope clutch is the perfect sharp purse to accent the dress with flare, without looking over-the-top.

You can purchase the earrings online here.

The dress above is Alfred Sung (which is who I used for my bridesmaid dresses! There are so many awesome short or long styles to choose from).

Cork and leather geometric bag can be found here. Gray bridesmaid dress by Alfred sung.

Fall wedding colors

2013-09-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

When it comes to choosing wedding color themes, the season plays a big role! With the weather turning cool and the leaves getting ready to change, it's the perfect time to consider some fall wedding colors for your autumn wedding! Take a hike, do a corn maze, or go apple picking to get inspired for the season, or ... just check out these ideas here! My tip: The best way to save money is to use things that are beautiful but free. Buy vases cheap in bulk online or even at dollar stores, then fill them with either little pumpkins, gords, pinecones, even twigs -- anything autumn-like. Just add a few candlesticks or tea candles and you'll have a romantic and elegant centerpiece that was so cheap and easy to make.

Drink station ideas

2013-08-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

If your guests are self-serving their beverages, just add a few pretty blooms, a chalkboard and some paper straws, and you're on your way to a shabby chic drink station. It's all about the personal rustic touches! Save money by picking wildflowers (FREE!), make your own chalkboard with an old mirror and chalkboard paint, and ask a family member to prepare his/her famous punch!

Beach-themed wedding ideas

2013-08-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

If you're planning a coastal-themed wedding -- whether inside a luxurious ballroom, on the sandy shores of your favorite beach, or in your Aunt Betty's backyard -- small details are what this theme's all about. Too over-the-top, and you may be crossing into birthday party territory. Here are a few ideas:

dress up the bouquet with starfish and a sand dollar

party favor idea: saltwater taffy in little buckets

seaglass on the table around the lantern

centerpiece: a white lantern with a candle, sand, a starfish and some shells inside

a treasure box over fishing net for dropping cards in

color palette obsession: coral and mint

2013-02-20T17:53:00.001-08:00

Coral & aqua = my fave wedding color combo

2013-01-20T13:19:00.001-08:00

Easy DIY centerpieces, decorations: Fall wedding

2012-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you're on a budget, like most brides, you need to find ways to cut the costs because let's face it, wedding vendors know they can pull on your heart strings and anything wedding related is way overpriced. So, sometimes you have got to create your own personalized decorations to avoid the jacked up cost of fresh flowers! Or, just include a few fresh blooms where you want them, and opt for candles in other places. After all, candles are quite romantic and everyone looks fabulous in candle light. Here's some inspiration to get you started:

Coral and navy, perfect for end of the summer wedding!

2012-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

These photos speak for themselves. Could you go wrong with coral and navy? Nope. It's a flawless match. And it's great for the end of summer beginning of fall, for August, September, October weddings. This combo fuses together the sophistication of a new fall season with the tail end of summer. I couldn't love this combo any more!

Coral and aqua, my favorite wedding color combo

2012-08-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

Wedding colors for any season! Green, black, white

2012-08-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

When I was planning my wedding, my number 1 obsession was colors! I could spend hours a day making collages and googling different combinations. Now, wedding planning is so much more simple with Pinterest. You can easily create inspiration boards and find really creative inspiration, crafts and gorgeous color combos for all seasons. Well ladies (and gents?), look what I found: Green, white, and black. I think these three colors would look modern, trendy and elegant at a winter, fall, summer, or spring wedding. And here's an extra bonus: Your fiance won't be moaning and groaning about a girly color palette! Yay gender neutral colors!

Hot summer wedding colors -- shades of orange, aqua, tangerine, fuscia

2012-05-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Summer 2012 is here, and for many of you, that means the big day is right around the corner! Whether you're getting married in the summer months or not, I hope the hot hues of summer will inspire your wedding planning. Shades of orange and tangerine are super hot, and that spans from the cosmetic industry to fashion to weddings. Pair sherbert orange with vibrant aqua, tangerine with fuscia, or coral with aqua. Think hot sun with cool ocean -- doesn't get much more perfect than that for a summer wedding! If you don't like the bright shades, tone it down by pairing aqua with grey; it has a hip, vintage vibe to it. Even orange and grey look classy and elegant (I love the grey suit with the orange tie above). Well, happy planning and let me know if there's anything I can blog about in particular that would help in your wedding planning.

OUR WEDDING!!

2011-09-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Coral and aqua- great color choices right? Also, check out the starfish boutenierre! Our beach-themed wedding turned out to be quite beautiful and all we could have hoped for and more. Here are a few photos to inspire your planning. Sorry I have been MIA lately. Newly wed stuff! :)

Brides Magazine, May 2011 edition

2011-05-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

I love wedding magazines in general, but I have to say, this month's issue of BRIDES has just about everything I could want. They list their favorite sites for buying anything from personalized gifts to napkin rings, the best (by vote) beauty products, honeymoon ideas and much more. I took a few pictures on my phone to give you a little preview! Anyways, I am not affiliated with the magazine, but I like to pass along good resources when I find them to my fellow brides!

Fabulous garters.

2011-04-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

If you don't want your garter to look like a cliche 80s prom accessory, glad you came here.
Bridal, chic, sexy. I am thinking about order one, so thought I'd share! Enjoy!
Check out Bleu Garters.

The Royal Wedding is FRIDAY!

2011-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

The world class sweetheart and commoner, Catherine Middleton, will live out every girl's fantasy of marrying a prince Friday, April 29 at the Westminster Abbey. I can't confirm that Miss Middleton will be taking William's name, but I can only assume so. William's last name? Mountbatten-Windsor.

As anticipation has built up for the big day, global fans have been grappling for every detail they could get. Miss Middleton's allure is in her mystery and her likeability reminds us of Diana. In 1997, we watched as William and his brother, Harry, trailed behind their mother's casket toward the Abbey. Now, in 2011, we will watch William walk toward the Abbey in processional once again, only this time, celebrating a new life with his love. Sources say William has been very intentional about including his late mother in the big day. His fiance wears Diana's sapphire ring and Elton John is among the attendees (John sang "Candle in the Wind" at Diana's funeral). We'll likely see more tributes to Princess Diana tomorrow.

Personalization, royal class and celebration have made this wedding more than a moderate affair. In wedding dollars, perhaps it is modest, but to the rest of us, extravagent. You thought your wedding was expensive? The Royal Wedding could cost $40 million, according to the Today Show.
Though expensive, the wedding will stay down to earth through endearing touches. The sweet couple has made a brilliant effort to weave royal tradition and heritage with modernity and personalized touches. For example, Kate has dropped the "to obey" segment of the traditional wedding vows. A special family recipe will be used to create William's favorite chocolate biscuit cake, to be created by McVitie's Cake Company. More on the cake.
The music selected will carry a "largely British theme." The offical website reads, "The Couple have put considerable thought into selecting the music, and their choices blend traditional music with some newly commissioned pieces." For details on the music selection, click here.
Coveted invitations range from royalty and superstars to close friends. The Beckhams and Mr. Bean received an invite, but the last two prime ministers did not, what some are calling a "political snub."
For details on seating arrangements, click here.
For a slideshow of guests who are invited, click here.
http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/

Another blog to check out :)

2011-04-10T20:57:00.000-07:00

Another blog...
Have you ever gone through a phase where you make a bunch of blogs because you can't decide what to blog about? Well, I've done that quite a bit. Anyways, this lovely wedding blog is really the only one I pay much attention to and that I truly love. But, as usual, I did start one up about Corey and my relationship. Mostly, it's just us writing about our random adventures. If interested, here's the link!
http://annaandcoreyshow.tumblr.com/

Today was a fairytale.

2011-04-07T08:57:00.001-07:00

Green, watermelon, pale pink. Gardens, ribbons, vines, Romeo & Juliet, royal jewels, elegant lace and dainty details.

Royal Blue, Vibrant Orange, Yellow, Hot Pink

2011-04-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

If you ever need inspiration, I recommend greylikesweddings.com. Sometimes I take some of the gorgeous weddings I love and try and think of ways that could be done as cost-efficiently as possible. For me, if I were trying to imitate the photo above, I'd get the vases I wanted but maybe smaller and with smaller bouquets or without flowers- maybe long, elegant twigs for a different feel.

Anyways, I simply love the bright, warm and vibrant shades of the flowers juxtaposed with the rich royal blue. It reminds me of the Mediterranean, even though I've never been. If you like the boldness but you'd like to tone it down, try this same royal blue with a marigold yellow (match the glasses with the yellow of the flowers in the center.) If you can't afford to buy all those blue glasses and your venue does not have them, consider buying pretty satin ribbon to tie in bows on the stem of each glass to add that same pop of color. If your wedding is outdoors, the clementines are neat, but if it's indoors they might be a little out of place. Instead, say for a ballroom, you could use glass beads that you'd buy at a craft store, sea glass, or decorative balls in a little vase.

The above photo from prettychicky.com. Thought I'd share some more pretty inspiration for you! If I find more helpful websites, I'll letcha know ;).

As you plan your wedding, if all else fails...

All about the shoes.

2011-03-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Perfecting your wedding look is all in the details. What makes you different from the next bride is your personal flare. One way brides are making their statements are through shoes- colorful converse, sparkly flats, cowboy boots, & flirty heels.

Home-spun wedding: dare to add crochet?

2011-03-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with that crochet coral flower (first photo above) on Etsy. The artist is kindly making 5 with pearl centers, instead of rhinestone. I ordered them for my bridesmaids, to glue onto thin headbeands. The dresses are a light tiffany blue, called "seaside," and I have been wanting to add more coral to the wedding, so I thought a hair accessory would add the desired pop of warm August heat. I love the hand-made, homespun look, so, what do you think? Does it look too childish? Or feminine and earthy, home-y? Anyways, they were very inexpensive (great deal!) so if we don't use them for the wedding, they'd be nice gifts anyways. I like the look.

Shades of coral.

2011-03-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Weathers getting warmer and that means... summer colors!
...Or of course if you live in South Florida (eh hem, me) then you don't appreciate the season transitions quite as much as you did when you lived in New England... but nonetheless, spring is still my favorite season. And I do love summer and am very VERY much looking forward to my August wedding! Eek!
Anyways, my colors are coral, aqua and accents of silver. So, with aqua bridesmaid dresses (Alfred Sung- color "seaside," knee-length, duponi fabric), I am trying to find more ways to incorporate coral. Here is my "shades of coral" collage. J'espère que vous apprécierez! :)

**Photos are not my property, taken from browsing the internet to find wedding inspiration. Not for commercial or profit.

Lilac and grey inspiration for you!

2011-03-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

So victorian, graceful, feminine, dreamy... anything but cliche. Lilac and grey. Hope you enjoy the collage! I like the splashes of silver and sequins, adds a lil more glam to the mellow tones.

** I do not own these photos, simply made a collage for fun with what I found online.