Most brides have a lot on their minds as they plan their wedding. Things like selecting the perfect dress and shoes, choosing the theme and decorations, and picking the right meal and cake are all important, but one thing brides shouldn’t forget is mother of the bride outfits. The outfit the mother of the bride is going to wear is just as important as the clothing for the rest of the wedding party. To ensure the outfit is perfect there are two things the bride can do.

First, the bride should ensure that her mother is included in all of the planning and selecting of the bride’s dress and even the green bridesmaid dresses. When the bride’s mother is included, she will be able to know more clearly what the bride likes in terms of her wedding party. In addition, the mother of the bride will be present at important events like the search for the bridesmaid’s dresses, so the bride can get her mother to try on mother of the bride outfits at the same time. Having her mother involved will make it a lot easier for the bride to ensure that the outfit that is selected fits in with the rest of the wedding party.

Second, the bride should talk to her mother about mother of the bride outfits. Keeping the lines of communication open with the mother of the bride ensures that if the mother wants to wear something different or unusual the bride will be aware of it. Though there’s nothing wrong with the mother of the bride wearing something that doesn’t match with the rest of the wedding party, if the bride knows what her mother is going to be wearing, it can stop possible conflicts. In addition, many mothers prefer not to match with the wedding party so they wear something that makes them stand out as an important person, which the mother of the bride clearly is.

There are two things a bride can do to help her mother find the perfect dress. Keeping mothers involved will help ensure that they are present at all of the fittings and searches for the wedding party’s clothing. In this way, brides can help pick the mother of the bride outfits. In addition, keeping the lines of communication open can help mothers and brides talk about the best outfit for her to wear.

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beach wedding invitations

A lot of artistic people have come up with unique destination wedding invitations which guests can keep as souvenirs. The couple can have their invitations printed out like airline tickets complete with the wedding details appear as flight information. Along with this invitation would be luggage tags which also as place cards for the guests. They are inexpensive and can be found in craft stores. These beach wedding invitations with tags add to the over-all theme to the venue. It also gives a more personal touch to your invitations with the names of the guests, written underneath the flaps of the tags, and surely is a very functional wedding favor.

Beach themes are a big hit to many couples for many years probably because it is simply more fun. The women can actually get the men participate in the preparation because this theme is so laid back and does not involve so much feminine frill. Another idea for beach wedding invitations that couples can put together is something they can even just print out from their computer. Simply choose a favorite seaside photo of the couple, or have their picture taken together by the beach. Even an informal pose like bursting-out-of-the water with arms spelling out love. On the other hand, the cliched stroll along the shore with a sunset background will always have that intimate flair that is always appreciated by guests. Print the invites and use straw to bind the sheets together and finish off with a flower. Get creative with a starfish or tiny shells and include inside your box instead of the usual envelope.

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Marriage is certainly romantic and one of the most special occasions a couple can share, yet statistics repeatedly show that sound financial management forms the basis of long-term marital bliss. Research conducted by Professor Dew of Utah State University shows that those who argue about money weekly are 30% more likely to get divorced that those couples who have financial disagreements only about once or twice per month. Dew’s research also shows that those couples who accrue substantial debt
are also more likely to be dissatisfied with their marriage over the long term.

weddings and money

Results such as these show that it is important to discuss the “rules of money management” before rings are exchanged and the bills start arriving. To lessen the emotional impact, treat the discussion as a business meeting by setting a date and agenda of topics.

Below are six financial issues to discuss before getting married:

1. Discuss financial style. Just as people have personality styles, so do they have financial styles. Are you a penny pincher but your partner a free-spender? Do you go into debt carefully while your partner is always researching the best credit card deals and completing a slew of credit card applications? What are each of your short- and long-term financial goals? The answers to these questions will help you identify your financial styles and discuss how to effectively navigate through these differences.

2. Review financial history. Finances cannot be buried under the sand but need to be fully disclosed. Issues to discuss include how much debt you will bring to the marriage, your credit score, and whether you have ever declared bankruptcy. One suggestion is to pull each of your credit reports to share during the meeting.

3. Review financial documents. Share portfolio statements, bank statements, and credit card bills. Also include life insurance policies and named beneficiaries, pension documents, and credit card statements.

4. Discuss how to set up financial accounts. Will you set up joint bank accounts or separate? There is no right or wrong way of doing this, and the best strategy is simply to do what makes both of you most comfortable.

5. Discuss who will be responsible for paying bills. If you choose to open separate bank accounts, discuss who will pay for certain bills. This will help develop a sense of shared financial responsibility. For example, you may decide to pay your own credit card bills but share utility expenses.

6. Set up a monthly meeting. Financial discussions should not be a one-time meeting but an ongoing dialogue to review your financial picture. Once a month, make some time to review all of your accounts (savings, checking, credit, etc.) and plan for future purchases. Planning will help you stay within budget and lessen the stress associated with overtaxing your combined income. This can then reduce any financial arguments and make for a happy family!

Daniela Baker is a social media advocate at CreditDonkey. She just celebrated her 10 year wedding anniversary and hopes this article will help you get ready for your big wedding day.

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Titanium Mens Wedding Ring

While many men love the look of expensive wedding rings, few adore the accompanying price tag. Fortunately, it is possible to get high quality and expensive-looking men’s rings at attainable prices. Here are some of the most popular precious metals being used in expensive wedding rings, and their more cost-effective (yet equally handsome) men’s rings alternatives.

White Metals

The Buy: Platinum. Platinum is considered to be the most expensive and desirable material for men’s rings on the market today, but this is no recent development – King Louis XV of France famously declared it to be the only metal fit for a king. Offering an attractive and gleaming silvery white appearance, platinum is fairly durable but can tend to scratch easily, though due to its inherent density scratches tend to create a pleasant patina rather than an obvious volume loss.

The Save: Cobalt Chrome or White Tungsten. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to platinum, cobalt chrome has a similar lustrous white metal look at a fraction of the price tag. A metallic alloy of cobalt and chromium, cobalt chrome men’s rings (or simply cobalt men’s rings, as they are often referred to as) are durable, scratch and crack-resistant, as well as biocompatible.

White tungsten boasts tungsten’s incredible hardness and strength with a more classic silvery white look that can easily be mistaken for platinum. White tungsten is scratch-resistant and has platinum’s weighty feel, though due to its natural brittleness it can be cracked if slammed against a hard enough surface.

Colored Metals

The Buy: Gold. Most often seen in its classic aureate hue, gold holds the exclusive distinction of being the only naturally occurring yellow metal. This classification has led to gold being a much desired precious metal throughout history starting with the ancient Egyptians, who symbolically linked gold to the power of the sun. Gold has even served as a currency equivalent through the ages, demonstrating its perceived value. Because pure 24K gold is too soft to be regularly used in jewelry, gold men’s rings are usually alloyed with another metal and are most frequently seen in 10K, 14K and 18K varieties. As karat purity increases, so does the price of these expensive wedding rings. In addition to classic yellow or white gold, men’s rings can also be found in rose, green, black or grey gold.

The Save: Titanium with Gold Accents or Gold Plated Tungsten. If nothing but the incomparable look of yellow gold will do, try an alternative material that either employs yellow gold accents or gold plating. The combination of yellow gold with the natural gunmetal shade of tungsten or titanium always proves to be a striking combination, and one that is infinitely less expensive than a solid gold band, no matter how low the karat grade is.

Hypoallergenic Materials

The Buy: Palladium. Rare and precious white metal palladium is certainly a less expensive choice than platinum or white gold, but it can still exceed the threshold of many budgets. Palladium has a natural star-like gleam, and is durable and scratch-resistant. Its hypoallergenic and biocompatible qualities have made it a primary choice for wedding rings for men rings for those with sensitive or allergic skin.

The Save: Titanium or Cobalt Chrome. As previously mentioned, cobalt chrome is an excellent contemporary material that pairs hypoallergenic qualities with a classic white precious metal look. In fact, because of its biocompatibility, cobalt chrome has been used extensively in medical applications, particularly in implants. Titanium is similarly hypoallergenic, and has the added benefit of an incredibly light weight – something particularly appealing to those who dislike wearing jewelry.

As you can see, there are plenty of alternatives to expensive wedding rings that allow you to enjoy a pricy look at a mere fraction of the cost – while perhaps even having a little money left over.

Author Box:

Samantha writes for Mens Wedding Rings . MWR is an online shop that offers expensive wedding rings for men as well as affordable ones. They have a wide selection of unique men’s wedding rings, traditional rings and many alternative styles.

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As you probably know, the current economy is hurting most of us and whether or not it is your most memorable day of your life, choosing budget wedding venues that will not hurt your pocket is going to be the key. No one wants to go into a marriage with a ton of debt that will take you years to pay off so saving your dollars from the very beginning is going to be crucial in having a financially healthy marriage. Here we will give you some of the most popular budget wedding venues for people like you and I.

Beach Wedding
With the summer being right around the corner, the increase in beach wedding is hitting its highest point. Not only because it is a great savings for many couples, but because they are also beautiful. Many people think that having a “dream” beach wedding is costly, but you will find that it is probably one of the better options when looking for budget wedding venues. A beach provides an exotic getaway with a natural beauty for a great price. When looking at having your outdoor beach wedding, you will want to contact the city where you are in to get the details as to how you will need to reserve that spot, but you will be rest assured to know that it is not going to cost you a ton of money.

Budget Wedding Venues

Country Clubs
Country clubs are usually overlooked at, but are a very great place to have a budget wedding. Most golf clubhouses are built for large events and will book your wedding without hesitation, so you may want to check out the golf country clubs that are in your area where you may be able to hold your wedding ceremony and reception.

Restaurants
Don’t underestimate the look of a restaurant. You will find many beautiful restaurants that can be fully transformed into a beautiful place to have a wedding. There are some that have an outdoor area with a garden that would make a fabulous place to say your vows.

College/Universities
You would be surprised at how many people are getting married at college and universities all across the U.S. many colleges have a beautiful garden area that has been used time and time again for events, so why not call and see what is available in a college or university near you.

Choosing budget wedding venues is not too hard since during this time and age people are getting married in places that may seem unusual, but when you see them, they are fully transformed for a wonderful wedding ceremony. Be sure to figure out your budget first and you will be on your way to finding a great place to have a beautiful wedding for the fraction of the cost.

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As you probably already know, outdoor weddings can be a hit or miss sometimes and it truly all depends on Mother Nature and whether or not she wants to be nice to us on that day. With that being said, there are many couples that simply decide to host their wedding indoors and of course one of the first things that are being asked is what indoor wedding venues are available and how to go about finding the best spot. Well, first and foremost you want to make sure that you know what type of budget you have for your wedding venue because this can determine where you can and can’t go. Additionally, being that there are endless amounts of places to do a wedding and a wedding reception, you can be as creative as you would like because a lot of the indoor wedding venues are like white canvases waiting to be transformed. As far as indoor wedding venues, you will find the following as top choices for many couples across the nation.

Indoor wedding venues

Church Hall
Of course this is a typical one because there are many people that really do want to get married in a church. If you do think that you would like to have your wedding in a church, then you may want to do a little research to see what church you would like to hold your wedding in, if you are not a member of a church at the moment. A lot of churches do provide that service and they just require that you take a pre-marital class with them in order to do the service. Additionally, some of the bigger churches even have a place where you can hold a reception.

Hotel Ballrooms
There are many hotels that have indoor ballrooms that are accessible for weddings. In fact, there are a lot of really nice hotels around town that are notorious for holding wedding ceremonies and even receptions, so finding one should definitely not be a hard task. These ballrooms can pretty much be transformed into just about anything that you have ever dreamed of.

Restaurants/Clubs
There are many upscale restaurants that are a bit larger that will allow you to hold your wedding ceremony there. Like any other venue, you would be in charge of the decorating, but provided you have a good event planner or if you are doing it yourself you decorate it well, it could be a great choice. Likewise, there are clubs that are big enough and even nice enough to transform to the perfect, dream place to have a wedding ceremony.

Indoor wedding venues are a perfect choice due to the fact that you are playing it safe with the weather. Most importantly, you want to get your budget in place to make sure that you know exactly what is available to spend on a venue, since that would be your first expense.

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Now that we are going into the summertime, there are hundreds of engaged couples that are thinking of the best wedding ideas for summer. Summer is one of the most popular times to have a wedding simply because it is beautiful outdoors. Many women dream of an outdoor wedding and because of this it makes more sense to hold your wedding ceremony during the summer months. With that being said, you are probably wondering where to hold your wedding ceremony, reception, how to decorate for the event, and possibly what to feed the guests, right? Well, here you will find that we cover some very sought after wedding ideas for summer. Let’s take a look at some of the top wedding ideas that you can opt for this year for your wedding.

Wedding Ideas For Summer

Bright and Bold
Being that summer is the time when you can bring out all of the pops of colors, you will find that many weddings are done in beautiful bold and bright colors. For a vibrant and crisp look you can use white and add two pops of color. For example, white, fuchsia and orange are a beautiful mixed when done properly. White is a base color and it allows the other colors that are used to stand out the way that they should. Bright and bold doesn’t necessarily have to be those two colors that were mentioned above, but they can be just about any color that you desire. Especially if you are having an outdoor wedding, it would be a beautiful scenery to have a nice outdoor wedding that showcases all of the bold and beautiful summer colors.

Chic and Classic
Some of us may not be a huge fan of the bright and bold colors and are a little reserved when it comes to adding colors, so for those of us that are, then having a Chic and Classic wedding event is a perfect choice. You can opt for maybe just one brighter color such as a pink or an orange, but pairing it with neutral colors like a brown and crème will definitely tone it down a bit and give it a different look. To add a little classiness to the décor, you can keep the decorations a little more toned down. Possibly floating candles in a vase, clear plates and glasses, and then keeping everything simple, yet beautiful. Sometimes doing too much when you are going for a simple, chic, and classy look is overkill, so knowing when enough is enough is key and one of the main wedding ideas for summer when it comes to decorating your wedding properly.

Overall, there are a ton of wedding ideas for summer that you can do, but you will first want to get with your partner and see which route you would like to go for. Choosing the wedding location is going to be key in deciding how to decorate and how to get everything to look the way that you desire.

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Your wedding is the most important day of your life, but when you are planning a wedding on a budget you have to be willing to maneuver a bit. One of the best ways to save money on a wedding is to have it at a time when the vendors are not fighting off customers.

Timing
By having your wedding at a time of year (or a day of the week) when there are not many other weddings going on you should be able to negotiate some discounts with your vendors. Most couples get married on a Saturday with Friday coming a close second, this means wedding vendors may be so happy to get a job for a Wednesday that they will give you a large discount.

Not every wedding vendor will offer discounts, but you will never know if you do not ask and if they say no you have the option to pay the full amount. When you want to save money on a wedding you really need to be brave and be willing to ask for a discount at every turn.

Wedding Food
If you have an late afternoon reception you will almost certainly need to plan on dinner for everyone. Lunch is always cheaper than dinner, so getting married at 11am and then serving a light lunch will be a lot cheaper than serving a 3 course dinner. You can still have a wedding cake but you will just serve light refreshments , this will save you money on a bar bill and will mean that you can consider different venues for your wedding (as not everywhere allows alcohol).

One other trick that has been used to save money on wedding food is to get sponsored, you tell the catering company that they can include their name on the wedding placement cards, or even include a business card with each invite. This gets their name out there more and if their food is good people will contact them. You could even offer to blast their name all over Facebook for them.

Save money on a wedding

Location, Location
Hotels make a lot of money by holding weddings on their premises. If you or your family belong to any associations, The Elks, The American Legion or  any local social clubs ask them if you can hire their premises. They may not have a perfectly manicured garden for your photos but they will be a lot cheaper than a hotel and you can always find another location for photos.

Book and Pay Early
Not every business will do this, but some will give you a discount if you book and pay for their service early. The obvious risk is if you cancel or more your wedding, but if you can save 10% of your wedding costs then it is worth it isnt it?

Pair this with the request a discount idea and you may be able to save some good money. Ask for the discount first, then see if they can give you an extra 5% if you pay cash now rather than close to the wedding.

Best Way To Save Money on a Wedding
The best way to save money on a wedding in my experience is to plan ahead, or go very simple. If you want a big wedding where people come from far and wide and you have to have a specific dress then you are going to need to plan everything to the last detail to stay on budget.

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http://tailored.co/

The site features nothing but wedding dresses. Yes that is right one complete site with nothing but bridal things, place settings, signs and everything in between. Just like on pinterest you can items from other people or ones you sell yourself. I think the original plan may well have been to specialize in wedding dresses but they have expanded far beyond that.

I have just looked at clutch bags, wedding cake boxes and wedding gift boxes in just about every shape, color and style. Amazing is the word that comes to mind. The image I have used on this page is of a here comes the bride sign and I think it is awesome.

http://tailored.co/shop/etsy/here-comes-the-bride-wedding-sign-hand-painted-shabby-chic-wedding-decor-photo-prop

Many of the items listed are from etsy which is another site that every bride to be should be visiting when they start planning a wedding. If you are trying to stick to a tight budget you really should be getting ideas from Pinterest, Etsy and now from Tailored. Go and get yourself a cup of coffee or herbal tea and take some time looking through the sites and bookmarking all the fun things you want to buy.

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Now that you are engaged and you have picked a date for your wedding, you have many decisions to make and many hours of shopping ahead of you. It is definitely possible to create the wedding of your dreams while staying within a strict, tight budget. Let me share a few ways we have used to cut the cost of weddings we have been involved with.

Wedding Dress
When anyone is looking for easy ways to cut the cost of weddings the brides dress is the first place to look.When shopping for your wedding dress, you are noticing the price of one dress is nearly as much as the budget for your entire wedding! How are you going to be able to look fantastic while still saving money? First, you should look for sales and coupons. By getting a dress on sale, you can save up to 50% or more. Since wedding dresses have only been worn once, you could shop at a thrift store, on eBay or even borrow a dress from a friend or family member.

Bridesmaid Dresses
As with the dresses for the Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids, you could buy an “off the rack” dress and simply dress it up for the wedding. After the wedding, you can shorten the hemline or sleeves and still wear this same dress to formal and informal events. A matching (colored) belt, shoes, handbag and necklace looks really great on a white dress.

Renting is another way to cut the cost of weddings. Renting a wedding dress will save you lots of money and renting clothing is also a terrific idea for the men in the wedding party. By renting dark suits for the men, rather than purchasing a suit for each person, you will save hundreds of dollars. By renting a wedding dress AND suits, you will save well over $1,000 in the total cost of your wedding.

Cut The Cost Of Weddings

Save Money On Wedding Reception
It’s very easy to cut the cost of weddings by looking at what is spent on your wedding reception. Normally, you have to rent the venue and serve food to dozens or even hundreds of people. You will have the costs of the plates, napkins, forks, picks, food, centerpieces, and the list goes on and on. Alternatively, you could have an informal open house with only close friends and family. This is much more intimate and the cost will be much less than a formal reception. A wedding dinner at your favorite restaurant is also a great way to save money, but will involve far fewer guests.

By having an outdoor reception, you will save money on decorations, as the natural landscape of the garden will be nearly enough. You could borrow lawn furniture, umbrellas, canopy’s and screens from friends and neighbors. By purchasing fresh potted flowers as decorations or centerpieces, you can give them to the wedding party as gifts following the reception or use them to decorate your newlywed home.

Serve a few simple finger foods as refreshments. You and your family can make some punch, cut up fresh fruit or bake a few treats. This will make your guests feel more than welcome and your budget will remain intact. You can use home made wedding favors rather than store bought ones, again the personal touch will make these far more memorable than anything you could buy in store.

Save Money On Wedding Invites
You can cut the cost of weddings with the invitations also. Instead of invitations, send out announcements simply stating that the wedding has already taken place. Of course, those who only receive an announcement, rather than an invitation, may not send a gift, but that is a one of the downsides of having a more inexpensive wedding. This may seem a bit extreme for some, so if you are having invites just find ways to do cheap wedding invites.

When preparing the invitations be careful that you do not end up spending more on ink than you save on buying ready made ones, it’s not always cheaper to print them yourself or use a tri-fold design. You will have to do lots of research to find the cheapest alternative for invitations and announcements. Be sure to figure in the cost of postage in your calculations.

Save Money On Wedding Photography
When you are looking to cut the cost of weddings the photographer is often the first one to go. I can almost understand this as they can be so expensive, but there are some things you can do to save some money.

If you insist on having professional photographs of your wedding, then consider hiring an apprentice to do the work. Alternatively, friends and relatives can take photos and email them to you after the reception. Everyone owns a camera or, at the very least, a cell phone capable of taking pictures or video. These obviously won’t be high quality, but it is an option to save you some money on your overall bill.

Think Outside The Box
You can almost certainly cut the cost of weddings bygetting married on  day other than Saturday? Most wedding reception venues will be quiet the rest of the week and catering companies will also have their equipment sitting around, ask for a 20% discount if you hold the reception on a Sunday. The worst that anyone can say is no. You could also consider sponsorship, will the local printers give you a discount if you include a link to their site on the back of each invite?

There are many ways to cut corners and save a few dollars here and there and cut the cost of weddings. You will be amazed how clever you can be when you have limited resources. You may have to sacrifice a bit of luxury, but probably no one will notice and you will save hundreds or thousands in the process.

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