Happy Thanksgiving Folks

DEAR READERS,

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

EAT WHATEVER AND BE MERRY!

(Try to save your self embarrassment and invest in elastic pants)

I WISH YOU LOTS OF LOVE, SUCCESS, KINDNESS & FOOD!!!!!

Remember to give to those less fortunate (yes even to the homeless guy with a fur coat and a 14k gold watch!)

FOR THE THANKSGIVING BRIDES AND GROOMS: CONGRATS & GOBBLE GOBBLE!

(Enjoy ur party and embrace you future together)

-LOVE ME

THE CREATOR OF THE UNDER $2000 WEDDING!

Say "save your money and cheese"

Photography and videography is a touchy subject in the bridal world. I can understand why. You spend whatever you have on your wedding. You oversee every detail and spend months planning it so you need your pictures perfect. But you dont want to lose an arm doing it. So whats a gal to do? Well some say "DIY" and others say "Dont even try" and unlike catering which all the big wigs say that you should never try to do, I think that so care and professionalism should go into pictures.

Here are some cool sites I like:

Ritz Pix: Here you can send your prints or digitals via pc, phone or online and they will enlarge your pics (4x6) in an hour or they're free. You can share them with friends or family. You can also go into any Ritz Pix location and make a dvd out of camcorder/film, design your wedding album in a hardcover book and much more for less. http://www.ritzpix.com/

YouShoot.com: This site is super cool!!!!! YouShoot lets you rent out digital cameras for your big day!!!! Rent a digital camera for only $19.95! Seriously!!! Keep only your best pics, record video and more! I love it: https://youshoot.com/s_home.php

Panraven: is another great site! You can make a story book (hard copy) with your wedding pics for only $29.95 for twenty pages.The pages are beautiful! Edit your photos here, share your "stories" with your friends and family and more. http://www.panraven.com/home/homepage.html

IdoStream: What do you do if people cant come to your wedding? Let them watch it online live! For $395 (the basic service), you can have a live webcast of your nuptials.Also it includes On Demand access to video for 30 days after the event, live technical support chat for viewers, guestbook for your viewers to sign, up to 50 concurrent viewers and more! No one has to miss anything!http://www.idostream.com/index.html

Here are some ways to get professional pics without the money drama:

1. Ceremony only: Have a professional take pics of the ceremony only.
2. Be on the lookout: For talented photography students at universities or community colleges. Ads in the local newspapers (city papers or criagslist) or online too. Be sure to take a look at their work before booking!!!
3. Disposable cameras at the reception: Yea some pics may be total flops but there will alot to choose from. or you can use YouShoot.com!
4. Get the proof with proofs: hire a photography who will sell you the proofs.
5. Get to see CDs: Hire a photographer who will put your prints on a cd. You can use your prints to make your wedding album, or get more pics etc.

there you have it some tips for DIY and/or budget savvy folks! love ya! picture from Budget Travel Magazine. which rocks!

What does it Mean? Putting You into Your wedding.

I am into weddings....a lot. I love bridal fashion, crazy flower wedding cakes and different color schemes so its easy to lose sight of the BIGGER picture:

You Are Getting Married To Your Partner Whom You Love! (I hope...)

There is nothing bigger then that fact. No matter how big or small your wedding is that is the one variable that will never change. You can take away the fancy dress, the nice cake, the cool shoes and your massage and still get married.You really don't NEED away of those things.

Yea as a bridal Diva, I am trying to get the most bang for my tiny buck but the worst advice ANYONE can give you is that if you don't have that one or a million special things your wedding wasn't or isn't elegant.

Its impossible to have everything and still have an elegant wedding. Imagine this: A nine tier cake with hundreds of sugar flowers, A dress with a 15 ft train, flowers imported from all around the world, firework displays, a red carpet aisle,a dog as a ring bearer, fifty man gospel choir...

You get the idea. Its not a wedding, its a circus. Its way too distracting the bride will get lost it its glory. I'm not saying that fancy weddings suck. What I'm saying is that there is a beauty in simplicity and carefree fun.

My Advice: If you are on a budget esp. an under $2000, two splurges are okay but your life wont end if you don't have the super pimp wedding. Pay for the basics first: Venue location, Food, Photography, Legal Stuff and then the less basic: Music, Transportation, Dress n tux, Decor and Finally the fun stuff: makeup hair, cool shoes etc.

DIY is your friend, ladies!!

Consider writing your own vows which is a popular way to personalize your ceremony. Have your family say special prayers or give their blessings publicly at the ceremony. Its ok to add your culture into your ceremony or to even combined traditions into one ceremony.

Before the ceremony send your partner a love poem or a letter with your traditional gift. Or send boudoir pics that are meant to be private.

Make your own invites and get save the dates from affordable sites like Pingg and Vista Print.

www.pingg.com

www.vistaprint.com

Favors don't have to be expensive. DIY edible favors are cool and donations to your favorite charities are awesome. I plan on giving some money to Breast Cancer charities. (I love the pink ribbon and my grandma died of breast cancer)

Avoid Saturday nights and try a Sunday instead or a Friday or whenever else!

Have a family member/ friend/helper cater your wedding. Have her pick up the food and put it on display. Or have a family style buffet. It will save you tons.

There are tons of ways to save money, add personal touches and still have an elegant wedding.

Sales! Sales! Sales!

"What do I have to do in order to get a deal on a wedding dress ?"

Nothing violent. You just have to be on the lookout for deals locally and online. I love online deals cus its easy to just have a dress sent to your house. No hassle or fuss and alot of deals are exclusive to online stores.

Check out some I have found recently:

1. Yup ladies get to your nearest Davids Bridal and get your dresses! The $99 bridal sale is in its final days! Also, Check out its online only section!www.davidsbridal.com 2. On Target online the Isaac Mizrahi for Target® Eyelet Sheath Gown - Igloo is only $129.99! Supplies are limited but cute! http://www.target.com/ 3. J.Crew.com has beautiful beautiful gowns at pretty good prices! For my under $2000 brides I'm really feeling the Silk tricotine Cecelia long dress. Its only $300 now and its a simple classic dress for the bride who doesnt like alot of fuss. Check it out : http://www.jcrew.com/ 4. At Dillard's online store, there are tons of dresses under $300. My favorite brands are the JS Collection, Betsey & Adams and Scala. http://www.dillards.com/ 5. Jcpenney's White Cuff Ballgown is clean, traditional and crisp. Its only $49.99! http://www.jcpenney.com/ 6. I am loving the One-Shoulder Dress Item # 2104-52016-1160 from Chadwick's online site. Its on sale for only $159.99! 7. Bridal Online Store is a great site to order affordable gowns.The sales reps are super friendly, some of the dresses come with sashes/purses and the designs are unique. Some of my favorites are the Leena ($199), Cleopatra ($299), Chloe($299), J809W ($249.99), Destiny ($279.99) and Diana($299). http://www.bridalonlinestore.com/

Pic Courtesy of Flicker.

Thats it. Thanks and happy hunting!!

Love advice from Dr. No Love Degree!

To me its so cliche when you hear brides say "I knew he was going to be the one." Yea right. Its impossible to know if someone is going to be the one. I think its better to say " I knew he was going to be special and unique" I feel that way for my hub, that clarity in my mind came one night and I knew this maybe the big it for me. It wasn't love at first sight for us.(Which was kind of refreshing, since I normally crush hard in my relationships. I later learned that crushing was a bad sign for me. Its like shaking a soda can and then opening it up. Its a big rush but nothing meaningful left. Not enough meaning to have a lasting relationship) I can say that we have very different ways of doing things but have very strong core beliefs. Which to me is important in a relationship. I'm like "You say yada and I say yada as long as we are one the same page" Sometimes we drive each other nuts...most times we drive each other nuts.It takes alot of work. However, we normally come to the ultimate decision together. Most of my friends ask me,"what can I do to have a strong relationship?" or "why don't guys take me seriously?" or "Why do I get so jealous?" or etc. Well I'm not perfect but here is what I have to say. I hope it helps people. My advice for any relationship are: 1.To not sweat the small things. Who cares if you like polka dots and he/she hates them. 2. Compromise and figure out ways to keep both of you happy. 3. Have open communication even when it hurts. Some times there isn't a way to say something nicely. However, I rather have my partner say than hide it. And vice versa. Hiding leads to dishonesty and dishonesty leads to anger. 4. Know your core beliefs and expectations: These are things that you can not live without. Its like air for your soul. Your partner should mirror or at least acknowledge and respect those beliefs. 5. Know when enough is enough: its good to have an exit strategy and know when its time to part ways. To many times girls become beggars in their own relationships. We beg to be treated right, we beg for companionship and we beg to stay in a relationship. I have done it before but no longer. It is what gives you self respect in your relationship. Its not a threat device like " If you don't give me a pony, I'm leaving you!" but its a "I know my worth but you don't so I leave." I learned that from Kimora Lee Simmons' book and Isaac Sykes. 6. Show Love to get Love: Smiles bring smiles and love equals love. No one wants a zombie for a mate. 7. Know when to back down: Women are so use to fighting. We have a fighting spirit. We have to be tough at our jobs and to the outside world. However in our relationships, it shouldn't feel like a battle. Part of that is knowing when to back down. There isn't any good to a I'm always right contest. 8. Know your place: This isn't what some ladies may think. Knowing your place isn't about being a servant to your partner but its about knowing your place in the life of your partner. Its about jealousy. Its very interesting how you can never find a date until you are in a relationship. Well, your partner is probably seeing the same coincidence. Before you boil in hate. Stop and think is a cheater worthy of your love. The point is that you cant be with your partner 24/7 and it isn't your job to intimidate every lady/man who winks at your partner. Its your partners job. You must know your place as your lover's love, you have the right to be the only one/whatever and your mate must respect that right.Any questions read rule 5. 9. Be ready to work: All relationships take work, prayer, more work and wisdom. There isn't a ready made relationship, it takes time to build something beautiful. If you cant put the effort into a relationship then its best to read rule 5. 10. Have a tough skin: There are people on this Earth that are miserable. Just miserable and they can be family, friends or strangers. These folks have one job to bring problems into your space. They can be permanent bullies or just moody folks but they will come and you will have to deal with them. Its best to be kind and keep on moving since they like confrontation. So there you have it....I'm not a love guru but here is what works for me. love ya!

Real Love with Real Smarts: Chelle & Dave

So many couples have this idea of the perfect wedding. The big church, the holy choir, the princess gown etc...then the real life kicks in.

Chelle, a pretty bride who is wise beyond her years told me her story: " To give you some background, we started out with the plan to do a big church wedding, but I got a little overwhelmed by it all and decided to do something smaller at a location away from everybody. I figured those that wanted to be there would then make the effort to be a part of our day. You have no idea how many people will try to help you plan your wedding, even telling you who you should invite! I chose a destination wedding to keep it neutral...so that both my family and my husband's family would have equal opportunity to attend."

How did she do with the moola: Awesome for 100 people. Here are her stats: "Invitations: I did my own, purchasing one of those kits from a paper supply store and printing them on my home computer. It took a lot of time, but saved us a considerable amount of money. Invites, ink, postage all cost around $300.

Flowers:I really wanted real flowers at my wedding, so this was probably my biggest expense aside from lodging and feeding everyone. I think I spent around $600 on flowers.Officiant: We were married by the Justice of the Peace for the county in which we were being married. We paid him $100 for his service.

Ceremony: Everyone stood for the ceremony, except for the grandparents, who sat on benches on the observation deck. The only decorations we had were rose petals that had been strewn on the ground along the path and up the stairs of the observation deck.

The dress: I found my dress at a bridal shop on a clearance rack. It was originally $600 and had been marked down to $250. As I was looking through the dresses, the owner of the shop told me she was marking them all down to $99. So that was a lucky break, but many non-bridal stores have gorgeous bridal-looking dresses for a fraction of the cost. I did have to get the dress altered, which added another $75 to the total cost of the dress. We decided on only one attendant each and my maid of honor and I searched consignment stores for a dress suitable for her. We found one for $26 (color was not something I was too concerned about...this dress was navy and looked great.) My husband rented a tux to match the dressiness of my dress and his brother as best man, wore a suit that he already owned. Guests wore dressy but comfortable clothing and in the invitations, I specified comfortable shoes for the hike up to the falls. You've already seen the white Nike's I wore under my dress!

The food: We chose to keep it as easy as possible, so we went ahead and paid for everyone to eat at the Lodge's buffet. I think it was $15 per person plus the cost of beverages, but you could easily skip this expense and bring your own food or have it catered. The Lodge was going to charge us an arm and a leg if we chose to have a catered reception, so I chose this avenue instead. Total cost was close to $2,000 for about 100 people to eat and drink (that included tip). They did give us our own room in which to eat, away from the rest of the Lodge's guests, at no extra charge.

The reception: We rented one of the meeting rooms to host the reception and my brother put together the music on a laptop, brought speakers, and played deejay for me for free. We decorated ourselves the morning of and had made the place settings and everything else ahead of time. We also purchased disposable cameras for the guests to use at the reception. I chose not to have a professional photographer and decided to do this instead. If there is one thing I would change, it would be to hire a professional photographer for the ceremony. The cake was purchased from a local bakery and we had beer, wine, tea and soda for the guests. The reception, including rental fee, cameras, drinks, decorations, and the cake, cost around $1000."

Congrats of Chelle & Dave! Thank you for your tips! Love ya!

Do me a favor and save money on Favors! Cookies Edition

Ah yes, favors. The proof you give your guest that your wedding existed. Favors are a way of thanking your guests for coming to your party. I think favors are vital because its a way of adding your final touch to your party. However, I do not think its okay to spend tons of money nor do I think its ok to give out free junk. Look, no one wants a candle with your face on it!

I think edible favors with a message are the best.

Cookies are a great good bye treat for your wedding

DIY Tip: The easiest way to have fun and flavorful favors is to make them. Buy your favorite cookie dough, bake, let cool then put them in cute bags like this. Add a message and pesto, you have great favors! This is cost efficient, no fuss since alot of people live in a two mile radius of a supermarket and you can get alot of variety in flavors. Have exotic cranberry white chocolate and macadamia cookies or traditional but yummy chocolate chip cookies, its whatever you choose.

Another option is buying your favorite cookies in bulk and using them as favors.

There are many online sites available for the busy bride who doesn't have the time to bake cookies for all of her guest. Here are some that got my attention:

1. Cookie Dough Creations: Affordable cookies already made and easy to order. Plus raw cookie dough sandwiches with NO eggs! Cool!

http://www.cookiedoughcreations.com/cgi-bin/Agora/agora.cgi?cart_id=4820930.18921*4t2eN3&page=home.html

2. 1-800-Bakery: a cool site for everything baked. The best buys here are the two pound mini bite cookies and cookie dough tubs for bulk cookies.(Its also a great site for cakes too!) http://www.1-800-bakery.com/index.php?osCsid=045af8c975a330d52435231a4023ed67

3. Brown House Bakery- Great assortment of brownies, coffee cakes and a low price on cookies. Only $17.95 for a dozen! http://www.brownhousebakery.com/

4. Liz Lovely Organic Fair Trade Cookies and Chocolates. Vegan Cookies at their best. http://www.lizlovely.com/

5. Cornerstone cookie Company- really pretty packaged cookies for a good price. http://www.cornerstonecookiegifts.com/cookies-brownies/cookies

6. Simply Scrumptous Gourmet Cookies & Brownies. Great prices!!

http://www.simplyscrumptous.com/default.asp

7. David's Cookies- Alot of cookies for a great price. http://www.davidscookies.com/

8. Alternative Baking Concepts - A personal favorite! I love these cookies!!!!http://www.alternativebaking.com/

When you have you perfect cookies then put them in baggies and freeze until the big day. Place sets of two to three cookies in little boxes like this one from Save On Crafts.com:

Wedding Favor Box The Groom only 12 for $7.92 ($.66 ea)

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/favorboxes1.html

There are ton of favor boxes on Save On Crafts! Try carryout boxes or little baggies....whatever you want!!! DIY TIP- Add a great Thank you Good Bye message.

take care love ya!

Super Deals: Bridal Shoes!!!

I hate uncomfortable shoes. I think high heels are from the devil. They are sent to tempt women. I rarely wear heels and if I could I would have them banished...forever. However there is a gal inside me who loves fashion. The same gal who secretly reads fashion magazines in the bathroom...lol. And that gal loves the way they look. My laid back slob girl and my high fashion diva both like sales (thus the creation of this blog) and want affordable heels that look like luxury shoes. They both agree with my wallet: I'm broke. So today I'm writing about affordable wedding shoes. Here are my top picks: Touch-ups Carly Bridal Shoes $41.99 available at Bellissima Shoes I love the sparkling metallic strip! Its festive and fun. This shoe is for the bride who loves bling! She is a little more flirty and bubbly like champagne. http://www.bellissimabridalshoes.com/ These are from whatapair.com, The info : Steve Madden Danzel sandal only $19.99! SKU# 0824706853421 Coloriffics Erin Bridal Shoe $49.99 Also at Belissima Shoes I love the futuristic look of this shoe. The peep toes is a must have fashion trend. This is for the more edgier bride who has a funky but trendy style. Wanna wear cool shoes and be animal friendly on your special day? Try these affordable vegan shoes from Ragazzivegan.com. Why did I pick red? Cus I love the idea of ruby red slippers under a long princess dress! The Info: ITEM NO.: ANCHOR-01-RED ANCHOR-01 Vegan Price: $48! Touch-ups Nona Bridal Shoes color- white dyeable shoes $49.99 Available at Belissima Shoes Classic and sophisticated This shoe is for the lady who knows what she wants. Versatile, this shoe is a staple for the classy bride after her I dos. Ankle-Strap Sandal available at Newport News only $39.00 Super cute bow but sexy patent look. Need comfort but love style? Try these pairs from Ragazzivegan.com! Here's the info : ITEM NO.: DIDI-1 GOLD VEGAN-DIDI-1 Vegan Price: $48 This is for the Bride who wants to showoff! Be a golden goddess in these sexy sandals by Pazzo- Luna courtesy of whatapair.com! Appropriately named Romance these shoes are only $39.99! SKU# PA-ROMANCEGLD I think these shoes are super cute! You can find them at Zapppos.com The Info: RSVP Peaches SKU# 7404201 $65.00 the color is Ivory.

The Hopeful Pump is available at Payless for only $19.99! Lot Number: 059123

I found this pair at myglassslipper.com. They are from Touch Ups (Style # BREEZE-661)$51.00

Another comfort shoe. I found these at Rampage.com. The Frankie-9 are fun easy to wear and comfortable. If you want some glitter but with a relaxed elegance this is your shoe. Here's the info : Frankie-9 $38.00

Looking for more cool places to find affordable shoes? Try: DSW.com nordstrom.com jcpenney.com macys.com Also local stores/ boutiques are great places to score big. love ya!