Tips for a Less Expensive Wedding – #4 Call In Those Favors!

Tip #1   Prioritize!

Tip #2   Have the “Money Chat”

Tip #3   Set a Realistic Budget

Tip #4   Call in those favors!

Now is not the time to be shy!  You are getting married and hopefully your friends are ecstatic for you!  If any of them happen to be photographers, florists, or designers of any kind, it’s not out of line to ask if they’d be willing to donate some of their time or talents in place of a more traditional gift.  Especially if you’ve helped them out before; an exchange of talents is only fair!  PLEASE keep in mind, though, that expecting them to do everything for free may be asking too much! Knowing how much you could be spending for another professional will help you gauge how your friend’s time is worth, so do your homework before approaching them!  This is vital, as it will avoid awkward situations in a serious way.

I have a pretty big family.  And, lucky for my wedding budget, they also happen to be pretty talented!  My older sister—a graphic designer—designed our wedding announcement.  My cousin—a seamstress—created the frilly over-dress that I wanted at a discount for me.  My husband’s mother—a pastry chef—did a lot of the food herself, including our delicious cake.  I also have two amazing friends who took care of our photography on the big day and a couple of co-workers (who owned a floral business) got me a discount on the floral elements I used.

And, remember my friend, Julianna?  Well, her gorgeous pictures were taken by a phenomenally talented friend of the family, who was willing to give Julianna a huge discount in exchange for getting to use the photos in her budding portfolio.  Never hurts to ask!

An Enchanted Affair with an Eclectic Flair

Check out this shimmery sparkly spectacular treasury created by Wed Eclectic team member Keri O’Hara from Delany Photo Jewelry.  It’s a collection of beautiful items for the eclectic bride.

Build A Bride’s Bracelet

By DelaneyJewelry

 

As a child I learned to make beaded jewelry from my mother.  When I was old enough to work in her book store I spent a great deal of time reading and learned a lot about the meanings for crystals and stones. Once I had started selling my jewelry, I felt it would be helpful for the recipient to know the meanings, and I tried to include it whenever possible. This knowledge was very beneficial during a period of time that I worked as a Certified Childbirth Educator for Swedish Hospital in Seattle. I noticed soon-to-be mom’s really connecting with one another by the end of the class series. Occasionally, on the last class, women would even bring gifts for the other expecting mom’s. These gifts were always something that was intended to welcome their baby, give them strength in labor or to use as a focal point during their labors.  I was moved by this gesture time and time again, as were the recipients of the gifts.

This happened often enough that I started using a Birthing Bracelet idea for each of my classes. I asked every couple to bring one bead for each of the other expecting mothers in the class.  I would bring the supplies and we would string the beads into bracelets that they could keep forever.  Each participant handed out their beads and shared the reason for the bead they chose.  Many times it was the color, or the healing properties of the stone, and often it was a charm that held a special meaning.  Over the course of many classes I learned the properties of stones that I hadn’t even heard of.  One day I ran into a woman that had taken my class years prior and she told me that she wore the bracelet on her second pregnancy as well, and that her youngest daughter occasionally wears the bracelet.

You can use this same idea to build a bride’s bracelet. A sweet gesture and a fun moment for a wedding shower. All the attendees could bring a stone or bead to contribute to the bracelet? One with a meaning, or a wish for them to take into their new married life. Whether they wear it, or keep it tucked away in a safe place, your wishes will be with them always. What a fabulous ‘something old’, or ‘something new’ to give a bride. You can add charms to an existing bracelet like these below:

Or suggest a color scheme, or a theme such as Vintage, or Pearls as in these next two.

If it ends up being something that doesn’t fit the bride’s style or color scheme, just make it long enough to be worn as an anklet under her wedding gown.

Here are some of the meanings I have discovered (Alternate stones are listed in parentheses):

 

Zodiac Stones

Capricorn (De c 22 – Jan 20) – Ruby
Aquarius (Jan 21 – Feb 21) – Garnet
Pisces (Feb 22 – March 21) – Amethyst
Aries (March 22 – April 20) – Bloodstone (Jasper)
Taurus (April 21 – May 21) – Sapphire
Gemini (May 22 – June 21) – Agate
Cancer (June 22 – July 22) – Emerald
Leo (July 23 – August 22) – Onyx
Virgo (August 23 – Sept 22) – Carnelian
Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 23) – Chrysolite (Peridot)
Scorpio (Oct 24 – Nov 21) – Aquamarine
Sagittarius (Nov 23 – Dec 21) – Topaz

Stone Meanings

Amazonite  – prosperity
Crystal quartz  – harmony
Jasper  – grounding
Lapis lazuli  – intuition
Onyx  – balance
Pearl  – purity
Peridot  – health and wealth
Rhodochrosite  – love
Serpentine  – clarity
Sodalite  – wisdom
Tourmaline  – strength
Turquoise  – peace

Modern Birthstones

January – Garnet
February – Amethyst
March – Aquamarine
April – Diamond
May – Emerald
June – Pearl
July – Ruby
August – Peridot
September – Sapphire
October – Opal
November – Topaz
December – Turquoise / Blue Zircon / Blue Topaz

Traditional Birthstones

January – Garnet
February – Amethyst
March – Bloodstone
April – Diamond
May – Emerald
June – Alexandrite
July – Ruby
August – Sardonyx
September – Sapphire
October – Tourmaline
November – Citrine
December – Turquoise

Wedding Anniversary Stones:

1^st           Gold (Peridot)
2^nd         Garnet
3^rd       Pearl (Jade)
4^th       Blue Topaz (Blue Zircon)
5^th       Sapphire (Pink Tourmaline)
6^th       Amethyst (Turquoise)
7^th       Onyx (Yellow Sapphire, Golden Beryl)
8^th       Tourmaline (Tanzanite)
9^th          Lapis Lazuli (Amethyst, Green Spinel)
10^th     Diamond (Blue Sapphire)
11^th         Turquoise (Citrine, Yellow Zircon)
12^th      Jade (Opal)
13^th      Citrine (Moonstone, Hawk’s Eye)
14^th        Opal (Agate, Bloodstone)
15^th        Ruby (Rhodolite Garnet, Alexandrite)
16^th        Peridot (Red Spinel)
17^th      Wristwatch (Carnelian)
18^th      Cat’s Eye / Chrysoberyl (Aquamarine)
19^th      Aquamarine (Almandine Garnet)
20^th       Emerald (Yellow or Golden Diamond)
21^st      Iolite
22^nd     Spinel
23^rd        Imperial Topaz
24^th      Tanzanite
25^th      Silver (Tsavorite, Green Garnet)
30^th      Pearl
35^th      Emerald
40^th      Ruby
45^th         Sapphire (Cat’s Eye)
50^th      Golden (Imperial / Golden Topaz)
55^th      Alexandrite
60^th      Diamond (Star Ruby)
65^th      Blue Spinel
70^th        Sapphire (Smoky Quartz)
75^th      Diamond

80^th       Ruby

Tips for a Less Expensive Wedding – #3 Set (and STICK to!) a Realistic Budget

by ArtisanMaskers

I know, I know.  Tip number THREE, is setting a budget?  Most people want to jump right in and start here.  But, trust me, this vital step will be so much easier if you’ve already taken the time to prioritize your wedding preferences and talk over money with the involved parties!

Let’s start by taking a look over your list of who is paying for what and figure out what you and your fiancé have to cover.  Now draw up a quick list of those things and be realistic about what you think you can spend on each item, keeping in mind the priorities you’ve set!  If you really can’t face setting it all down on paper from scratch, here are two budget planners I found through a quick online search:

Here is one which is a little “detail” lacking, but a good start.  I do like that they’ve given you a column for “anticipated” cash flow, as well as “actual” cash flow.  If you use those columns as you go along, you can make slight adjustments here and there, and will hopefully know if you have enough extra to cover any unexpected expenses.

Here’s another drafted budget.  This one looks good, but I would highly recommend changing those percentages to better reflect what you decided your priorities would be!  You may also want to break down those large categories into smaller, more manageable shopping lists.

I am almost certain there isn’t a bride-to-be out there who hasn’t heard the advice of setting and sticking to a realistic budget.  And yet, isn’t it strange how many attempt to ignore that advice?  Ignoring your budget not only encourages you to stop hunting for better deals, but it often causes greater financial stress among families, including the one you’re about to start!  Having the budget written down and keeping it with the things you are using to plan the wedding will help you visualize the process and help you stick to it!

As I mentioned in my second post, my parents gave me cash to cover our reception costs.  This worked out as a great budgeting tool for me, because I could quickly see just how much we spent, and how much we had left, as we went along.  I also pulled certain amounts aside for specific, more expensive, things on our shopping list (like my dress and the rings) ahead of time, so that I knew I’d have that money when I needed it.

Sign Me Up

Wedding signs don’t need to be typical.  I love the idea of using the couples personality to make a wedding unique.  Here are some sign ideas that can be customized to a couple.

Wedding Pets

By EdenGallery

Pets are part of our family.  It’s only natural to think of including them in your ceremony.  If you have made the decision to have your fluffy family member there on your special day then I’m sure that your pet will happily agree to fill the role.  First, learn whether or not your ceremony location is a pet friendly one.  Then, you can decide on their responsibility.  Pet friendly roles can include Ring bearer, flower pet, or bride announcer.  I’m sure there are others that you can imagine as well.  Keep in mind that you’ll need a leash and a caring friend or family member to make sure you fuzzy (or scaly!) loved one stays their calmest and gets where they need to go!  I’ve found a few items to help spice up their apparel and help them look their best on this extraordinary occasion!

Happy Blooms Flower Dog Collar by Pecan Puppies

Rustic Chic Weddings Old Barn Wood Hand Painted Here Comes The Bride Sign For Dog Pet Photo Prop by bragginbags

Dog Bow Tie and Neck Tie Double Shirt Collar Set Blue Checkered and White Reversible by furkidscloset

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March Giveaway!

This month’s WedEclectic giveaway is hosted by:

delightworthyn ART/wares

She creates upcycled art – fabulous hats, fascinators, hat pins, neckties, boutonnieres, jewelry, wristlets…the list goes on and on! They would be perfect accessories for your unique wedding, or for wearing a different one everyday.

Take a look at some of her designs…. : )

For your wedding…

Gorgeous hats!

To embellish your hats or hair…

 

She has graciously offered an Orange Blossom Fascinator, a $30 value.

This giveaway will run until midnight, March 31st, but don’t wait!

Your initial entries will be accepted for:

A comment including your favorite item from delightworthyn ART/wares shop

Extra entries for comments indicating that you: (Please include your email, handle, etc for verification & contacting you when you win!)

Heart  delightworthyn ART/wares  shop

Friend/Like  delightworthyn ART/wares on  Facebook

Follow @WedEclectic  on Twitter… Friend WedEclectic on Facebook

Tweeted this giveaway (please copy your tweet here)

Posted this giveaway on your Facebook page (please copy your post here)

Posted this giveaway on your blog (please include the link here)

Posted this giveaway on a wedding/social network (please include the link here)

The giveaway is open worldwide.

The winner will be chosen randomly, verified, and contacted on April 1st via email with the good news!

March Desktop Calendar

Thank you to Adaleta, from Polkadile, for our March calendar. : )