SavvySugar

Would You Use Any of These Tactics to Save on a Wedding Dress?

SavvySugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:21:08 -0700

Wedding gowns come in countless styles and fabrics, and boy do they run the gamut in price points. Most costs associated with weddings are bumped up just because the word wedding is attached, and gowns generally aren't excluded from that expensive reality. There are some alternatives when purchasing a bridal gown to call your own, and you couldn't help but save money by opting for one of them. From gowns on eBay to nonbridal dresses and renting, there are plenty of options for a bride on a budget - which of these tactics would you use?

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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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Coming Up With a Wedding Budget, Part I

SavvySugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:30:18 -0700

Engagement is absolute bliss until you realize the long wedding planning road ahead. Sure, it's overwhelming: What will you wear? Who will be in your wedding party? Will you get married on the beach or in a ballroom? Curb the train of thought questions and focus on one thing at a time.

First thing's first: Come up with your wedding budget. It's certainly not as fun as wedding dress shopping, but really, what is? Your budget will determine how you can proceed with the details for your big day, so it must be set before doing anything else. To see my tips on figuring out a magic number, read more.

Nail down who is contributing to the marital cause. If there's more than one party paying, find out how much everyone can commit or use spending categories to divide the financial responsibilities. For example, his family pays for flowers, yours pays for the photographer, you and your fiance pay for the music, etc.
Footing the bill all by yourselves? Discuss how much you can afford to pay and how much you realistically want to spend on your wedding. You're in total control, so there's no reason to go into debt together. Create a separate savings account for your wedding fund and set up automatic withdrawals from your bank accounts each month. Be realistic: if you're unable to save enough by the time you want to get married, choose a wedding date further in the future.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar Network’s wedding coverage here.

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Unemployed Ex-Bachelorette's Budget Wedding Planning Tips

SavvySugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 06:30:42 -0700

We got to know Jen Schefft back in 2003 when she became engaged to Andrew Firestone as winner of The Bachelor's third season. After they broke up and she appeared on The Bachelorette with another unsuccessful love story, Jen met her soon-to-be husband but was laid-off from her sales job a month after he proposed. Us Weekly got the scoop from the unemployed lady-in-love about how she's planning a low-cost wedding. Here are the highlights.

The details: Instead of renting chairs and linens and ordering a cake from an outside source, they're "going with everything that comes with the venue [an Italian restaurant]," saved money by booking a DJ instead of a band, and isn't worrying about matching ribbons on the programs and invitations. She said, "Even saving $200 is saving $200."

To see more of Jen's tips for keeping costs down, read more.

The head-count: They're keeping the guest list to close friends and family and will end up with about 100 guests.
Saving on attire: Jen said, "You can save a lot on shoes - no one really even sees them . . . The bracelet I'll buy, but it won't be, you know, real pearls." She's also mindful of how much she's spending on the dress and explained, "I'm not going to wear a $20,000, or even a $10,000 dress. I just don't think it's worth it for one day."
Hair and makeup: She's doing her own makeup, and as for hair, she's having the girl who normally cuts her hair style it for the wedding day.

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Celebrity Apprentice: Was the Right Candidate Fired?

SavvySugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:30:01 -0700

The celebrity candidates were challenged to sell 125 wedding dresses from an empty shop last night on The Celebrity Apprentice, prompting retail jitters from both teams. For the second time this season the celebrities phoned friends in order to get ahead, and both sides fought to sell dresses on short notice despite their lack of sales experience.

The women's team seemed to have a natural advantage on the topic of wedding dresses and used their connections in the industry to decorate their shop and make it look lively; However, with the exception of a $5,000 donation from Khloe Kardashian's friend Joe Francis, the female team, which was led by Playboy Playmate Brande Roderick, struggled to get friends to chip in for charity. The male team, which was led by a very hung over and tardy comedian Tom Green, made great sales at first, but had to scramble throughout the day and had some serious morale and commitment setbacks. Dennis Rodman failed to show up after a night of binge drinking with Green (Rodman had a very suspicious story about a dog or cat allergy).

By the end of the day the men's team sold 21 dresses for $63,450, and the women's team sold 22 dresses for $103,000. Tom Green was put in the hot seat for showing up late to his challenge, not raising any money and defending his party partner Rodman. Trump seemed to have a tough choice picking between a leader that didn't have command of his team and a no-show, but ultimately sent Green packing. Do you think he made the right choice?

Photos courtesy of NBC

Do You See Your Wedding as an Opportunity to Splurge?

SavvySugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:00:33 -0700

Some brides allow themselves to go all out by spending more than they normally would, like buying full-priced Manolos to wear under their dress when they normally wouldn't think of spending that much on shoes. Do you (or did you) see your wedding as an opportunity to splurge?

Surviving a Pricey Wedding Season, Part II

SavvySugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:28:45 -0700

Is your Summer calendar full of weddings and all of the events surrounding them? Are you trying not to make anymore female friends so that you don't have to add another one to the list? Just kidding. But wedding season can make you realize how many people you actually know, and how much money it will take for you to attend the Summer lovefest. Here are some of my survival tips.

Only attend the events that you can afford! If you really can't manage to pay for a bachelorette party / bridal shower / plane tickets to fly to a destination, simply don't go. The wedding is not optional if you're a close friend or in the wedding party, but brides will likely understand if you can't attend one of the other events because of money issues. Be honest with the bride and don't make up some lame excuse - she'll likely be understanding, thank you for your candor, and focus on the time you will have together.
Save on shoes: If you don't already have shoes that go with your bridesmaids dresses, try and buy a pair in a neutral color that will go with many shades of dress. And if the bride insists that everyone get matching shoes and presents an unreasonably priced pair, there's always room for suggestions. Try and hunt down a pair that looks similar and costs less - a bride has so many decisions to make, it's likely she didn't exhaust her bridal party footwear search and will be open to alternatives.

I have two more tips for wedding guests and bridesmaids alike, so just read more

Wedding gifts: Some people are naturally gifted in a crafty way and can create an inexpensive gift that's better and more thoughtful than anything on a registry. For the rest of us, there's the beautiful thing that is collective gifts. If you can't bear to give your friends a cookbook holder and mixing bowls, why not pitch in on one of the bigger ticket items with some other girls? The bride will appreciate that you all took the time to pick out a gift together and won't think anything of the fact that the card is signed by more than one person.
Swap dresses: If you have girlfriends who are the same size, suggest sharing dresses throughout wedding season to make your wardrobes stretch. Just make sure to respect something borrowed and take good care so you don't find yourself shelling out money to replace a damaged dress!

Check out all of our wedding season coverage at IDoSugar.

Bella Pictures

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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What British Brides Shell Out For Their Big Day

SavvySugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:02:07 -0700

The $30,000 average price tag on an American wedding seems high to many of us, but compared to what? Everything is relative according to our location and budget flexibility, so for some fun food-for-thought let's consider what UK brides are spending on their nuptials. Taking into account the dumpy dollar and its low value compared to the British pound, life as a US bride continues to brighten against that alternative. Find out how much the average bride across the Atlantic pays for their wedding when you read more.

According to survey results released just yesterday by You and Your Wedding magazine, the average cost of getting hitched as a 2008 UK bride is £20,273. The dollar equivalent to that juicy number is approximately $40,005. Their survey of 1,500 brides uncovered these average expenditures: £7,724 for wedding reception; £977 on wedding dress; £1,927 for bride's accessories, gym memberships, and cosmetic treatments. Will the US become a place for British brides to hold a cheaper destination wedding?!

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

Bella Pictures

Would You Be Offended If Asked About Your Wedding Costs?

SavvySugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:32:13 -0700

Much of your busy engagement revolves around finding vendors and securing each of their services with a deposit, representing a percentage of the total cost. Your upcoming wedding is likely a source of small talk when you're sharing an elevator ride with a coworker, and surely you share the status of how your wedding is coming along and the corresponding details with close friends. So how have you responded or how would you respond to questions about specific wedding vendor costs, the price tag on your dress, or about the overall cost of your wedding?

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

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