SavvySugar

New Bride's Guide to Changing Her Name

SavvySugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:31:01 -0700

Updating your email address to reflect your new married name is the easiest step of all, but unfortunately the laundry list of other changes is much more time consuming. Some women end up dragging out the process because it can be a bit tedious - the DMV and Social Security don't exactly elicit excitement, after all.

If you've decided that changing your name is the right move for you, commit to the process by following my New Bride's Guide to Changing Her Name. Simply print out the checklist to learn what steps you may need to take. You'll find that some areas require more attention and paperwork than others, but keep in mind you only need to (hopefully) do this once! Make copies of all of the documents for your records, just in case.

5 Tips For Buying a Second Hand Wedding Dress

SavvySugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:30:33 -0700

Second hand wedding gowns aren't for everyone, but for some brides on a budget, they can mean the difference between hiring a DJ and asking a friend to be in charge of the iPod. Consignment / second hand / thrift store wedding dress shopping takes a little technique, and Good Morning America's Becky Worley (a self-proclaimed thrift-store fashionista) has a few tips for brides on the hunt for a dress-for-less.

"Give yourself a lot of time." Becky spent a month searching second hand shops and found seven dresses that she deemed worthy of another wear.
"Don't limit your searches." Look everywhere; shop in all types of stores and in a variety of neighborhoods.
Ask, and you may receive. When she didn't see any wedding dresses at a couple thrift stores, Becky asked and was pointed in the right direction. She also recommends giving your contact information to store clerks if there aren't any dresses at that time. That way, they can call you when a dress is donated.

To see two more tips, read more.

"Don't judge a dress by its condition." A good cleaning service can remove most dirt stains. But if you see anything yellowed, like caramelized food or perspiration, keep shopping for a different dress.
Budget for alterations: Seamstress Lynn Gallagher said, "Minor alterations, like taking a dress in slightly, altering the hem, or adjusting straps can cost $200-$300. But you would probably also have to do that with a dress you bought new. It's part of the process."

Would you consider wearing a second hand wedding dress?

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Your Two Cents: Is the Wedding Cake a Disposable Expense?

SavvySugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:30:13 -0700

All of you Hills fans may recall Heidi's obsession with her wedding cake on the show's season finale featuring the Montag-Pratt nuptials. The bedazzled bride went so far as calling the cake the most important detail.

There was no cake in sight at my own wedding; my dessert of choice was something nontraditional. The elimination of a cake allowed me to designate those funds to other expenses that were more important in my book. But for some, like the new Mrs. Pratt, getting rid of the wedding cake is sacrilege.

What's your take on the cake - is it a disposable expense?

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Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season, Part I

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 04:03:04 -0700

Memorial Day weekend suggests that Summer is just around the corner and is also the unofficial kickoff to an eventful wedding season. I've suggested plenty of budgeting tips for brides to be, but this edition is all about budgeting for your friends' big days. Looking ahead at the rest of 2008 has got me slightly stressed because of the many bachelorette parties and weddings that I'll be attending, and every event will require plane tickets, hotel stays, new apparel, and gifts. I know through good planning I'll be able to enjoy my Summer of witnessing wedding love and be the best bridesmaid and guest possible.

First and foremost, try and take the bitter out of the equation. Yes, weddings can be insanely expensive as a bridesmaid or guest, and I know that costs add up. But don't make your friends feel badly for all deciding to get married at the same time - it isn't a plot against you or your bank account. Like any relationship, friendships involve give and take, and your newlywed friends will be there when it's your turn or have been there for you already. Your friends will sense your bitterness and will prove that bitterness goes both ways. This is a time to make good memories, not to be talking behind each other's backs about so and so's ridiculously expensive tastes.

That doesn't mean that you should let the bride kick you around and be insensitive to her friends or unrealistic about her needs and wants. Some brides are highly demanding, but if you go into the situation with a good attitude, you're more likely to win her over with some of your lower-cost suggestions. Whether you're in the bridal party or you're a guest at the wedding, the bride-to-be has included you because you're her friend, and it's not part of some evil plot to make you go broke. Keep that in mind when the bitter-bug starts creeping.

Stay tuned for some of my tips for surviving a busy wedding season, and check out all our wedding coverage at IDoSugar.

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Resolve to Pick Up a DIY Hobby Like Kate Hudson

SavvySugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:30:56 -0800

Your version of getting crafty might be limited to stickers and colored pencils, but it's never too late to expand your horizons, especially if branching out could lead to saving some cash. During this season of cocktail parties and family gatherings, consider that finding out what everyone has been up to could inspire you to pick up a money-saving hobby. Ask around about what the other guests enjoy doing outside of the office and you might be surprised at the answers - even Kate Hudson is getting in on the DIY gifting fun.

At a press conference for Bride Wars, the actress told People that she's giving homemade gifts for the holidays and said, "I think it’s a really weird time and I think that everyone is feeling it. We’ve always been pretty crafty anyway. We all knit. The girls knit. This year I’m doing these great big knit . . . well, actually I shouldn’t even talk about it because I can’t say it!"

Why not include a new, money-saving hobby to your list of resolutions for the New Year? Are there any hobbies that you'd like to add to your repertoire?

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Shelling Out For Wedding Dresses Dates Back to Depression

SavvySugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:54 -0700

Our eyes grow wider as the average price of a wedding keeps rising, and the nearly $30,000 price tag makes some brides stop and wonder how it's possible that everything wedding-related seems so inflated. The New York Times reported something very interesting this weekend that points out how long the tradition of marriage has been paired with the tradition of spending lots of money.

According to the article, called "Party Peer Pressure, and Why You Shouldn’t Succumb to It," wedding sections were introduced to department stores in the 1930s. Marketers adopted a "love knows no Depression" slogan in spreading the trend, and assumed that even when times were tough, brides would still find the money for a wedding dress. Wedding sections are staples in many department stores nowadays - looks like those 1930s marketers knew their stuff.

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Three Ideas For Saving Money on Your Wedding

SavvySugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:30:22 -0700

Weddings haven’t halted with the economic slowdown, but couples have been reconsidering the budgets for their big day. Old tricks like hiring local music students to perform as an orchestra, opting for seasonal floral arrangements, and pouring wine but nixing the bar are becoming more common. The New York Times interviewed some budget-conscious brides and grooms that have a few other tricks up their sleeves.

One couple posted an ad on Craigslist for a photographer and offered a flat $200 fee. In just a few hours they received 70 responses and chose one that was trying to build a career as a wedding photographer. They gave her $40 extra to buy a better lens to shoot their wedding - $240 total for a photographer is inexpensive and avoids having to ask family members to be responsible for taking pictures.
A planner suggests that if the wedding needs to be indoors, consider a restaurant. Event spaces usually charge a venue fee but restaurants typically do not.
If you need to rent tables and chairs through a rental company, do your research. Some companies require higher minimums than others.

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Don't Let Your Wedding Budget Get You Down

SavvySugar — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:05:42 -0700

The vendors at the New York magazine Weddings Showcase in Manhattan said their businesses are in full bloom as wedding season inches nearer. While many brides are busy toning up for their stroll down the aisle, there's no sign of them toning down their budgets in the midst of the poor credit and housing markets. As one planner pointed out, people will still get married during recessions. What caught my attention was the quote from one bride who told CNBC, "I had a very small budget in mind so the financial situation isn't playing such a big role. It's quite conservative at $20,000."

But "very small" and "conservative" compared to what? It's important for brides to stay focused on their own wedding - without letting their friends' wedding plans and budgets skew how great your wedding will be. So what if their save the dates look like actual wedding invitations? It doesn't mean people will be any less excited to receive your sliver of paper announcing your special day - and it will only take up one magnet on their refrigerators! Your wedding will be a beautiful occasion no matter how many dollars it took to make it happen.

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Health Care Pushing Couples to the Altar

SavvySugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:05:11 -0700

Love isn't the only reason people decide to exchange vows, and a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that in just the past year 7 percent of adults in the US married for health insurance. These weren't fake relationships, rather most were couples that ultimately chose marriage when they may not have otherwise. Even if both individuals are working it's likely that for one reason or another - usually cost - one person's insurance is more appealing than the other.

ABC News gives the example of a couple that marries several months before schedule so that the groom could have his teeth fixed. His employer didn't offer dental insurance and his teeth needed extensive (and expensive) surgery. Another couple lived together for 30 years and finally decided to get married because the self-employed bride was paying many times more for insurance than she would if covered by her new husband's plan.

And isn't it interesting that this story was published on the same day as one criticizing the quality of health care in the US? On average, we're spending twice as much per person as most other industrialized countries, yet 75 million people are without adequate insurance and the quality of care here is hardly up to par.

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Should Your Guest List Include Your Boss and Co-Workers?

SavvySugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:33:20 -0700

Ah, the guest list - something that should be so simple in theory that can often turn into a nightmare of political distress, and is the cause of so many lamenting brides-to-be wishing they could just elope. While the average guest list has 153 names on it, that number doesn't seem so forgiving when you take in to account all of the family and friends whom without your event would feel incomplete. The question of inviting your boss and your co-workers is one that can be tougher to solve than the kid question because of the possible repercussions, and the last thing you want to face when you get back from your honeymoon is to be met with awkwardness at work. To see my take on whether or not office folks should receive a coveted place on your guest list, just read more.

It's obvious that you'll invite the friends you've made at work who also serve as friends outside of the office. They know your fiancé's last name, and not just from asking what your new last name will be and if you're going to take it. But just as you have friendly acquaintances that fall into a gray zone in your personal life, there are usually co-workers who also fit this bill of uncertainty. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but your wedding is expensive and the guest list isn't superelastic.

Some jobs are much more political in nature than others, and the higher up you get on the office food chain the more sensitive you'd be to inviting your colleagues. Unless you have these obvious obligations to inviting certain people out of respect for their position and yours, it's OK to only invite those co-workers who you call your friends. This can be trickier if you work in a very small office, but aside from making the effort not to single anyone out as the only person not invited, the general rule still applies. Be aware of those around you once your invitations have been sealed and delivered - you may even want to ask the few invited to keep their invitee status to themselves at work and hold the wedding chatter to a minimum.

Just because someone tells you they're happy for you, it doesn't mean they expect a wedding invitation. It's your (expensive) wedding, and it's a personal affair - remember that while being sensitive to others is a great quality, it doesn't mean you should feel pressured to expand your intimate wedding of close friends and family.

To see all of our wedding season coverage, check out IDoSugar.

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