New York Just Got A Whole Lot More Fun!

The law allowing same-sex marriages in New York went into effect on July 24th, which is awesome. What an incredible step forward for one of our most populated states to take. That being said, the legalization of same sex marriages in in New York might not be nearly as good for your pocket book. According to this article in the Baltimore Sun, the legalization of same sex marriages has created a huge demand for weddings. And you know how good ole’ “supply and demand” works, right? The more demand, the less supply, and the more expensive. So what’s a New Yorker planning her (or his) wedding to do?

Good thing you’ve come to the rejuvenated wedding blog that’s all about wedding savings advice. If you’re in the Empire State and noticing a rising cost in weddings, let PEA.com offer a good solution: Wait to book. Yup… you read that right. PEA.com loves a wedding just as much as anyone else (OK… a lot more than everyone else) but if you’ve got time to wait, hold off. That includes holding off on booking everything from venues and wedding transportation, to florists, caterers, and even plane tickets. Why? Because the wedding rush is going to lead to an inevitable wedding bust. Right now wedding planners and wedding industries are getting hit with hundreds of extra requests, but in a few months, New York weddings will normalize again, and all those extra service providers will be desperate for more business, meaning you’ll be back in the driver’s seat.

So if you can afford the time to wait on your wedding purchases, know that you’ll be able to afford a lot more of them in a few months when wedding vendors in New York are desperate for more clients.

This has nothing to do with wedding savings, but I think it is very important.  Finally, someone has addressed Facebook Wedding Etiquette.  Check it out!

My shower is today!!!  I know, exciting right?  I wish we could have registered at Ikea… in any case, how cute are these pictures?

I remember a dollar tree at some event growing up.  I can’t remember if it was at a wedding or an anniversary celebration.  It must have been for an anniversary because my family is a very big fan of the money dance.  I suppose they are both ways to re-coop some of your wending spending but I wouldn’t make them a budget line item.

But, this isn’t about that type of dollar tree.  This post is about THE Dollar Tree.  Did you know the Dollar Tree has a wedding website or section?  Check it out here. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it.  Yes, I might scope out the Dollar Tree for some wedding items; however, it saddens to know that even the Dollar Tree is trying to exploit the wedding industry.

I have been contemplating wedding gifts for our friends and family that are participating or helping with our wedding and I came to a realization: wedding savings can mean savings for others.

I’ve always been a “useful” gift giver; however, I didn’t think twice about what I wanted to buy my bridesmaids.  They have to get fancy for my wedding, so why don’t I purchase things that will go towards that: jewelry and shoes?  I will need their help with the shoes, but the jewelry I can get on my own.

I also have some close friends that will be acting as our ushers.  I’ve been thinking about what they might need.  So far, I like the idea of gift cards, particularly gift cards for gasoline.  The ushers have to drive the wedding, why not take the expense out of it.

I understand the concept that a gift should be something for someone to enjoy, and that practical gifts do not really fit into that genre.  But, do my bridesmaids need a tote with their initials on it?  Or, do our ushers need an engraved flask?  Probably not…

We were thinking of going on a cruise for our honeymoon, but maybe we should have had our wedding on a cruise ship.  Do you think a cruise wedding could be budget friendly?  Check out this article from the NY Times to see if having a wedding on a cruise ship will increase your wedding savings.

Mr. soon-to-be-Heather and I did contemplate a destination wedding.  We even considered going to Vegas and just bring a few friends a long for a weekend of celebration.  The other day I came across this article which identifies how to have a budget wedding in Italy.  I’m not sure that a destination wedding can really classify itself as a budget wedding, but a girl can dream.

Beware of the green eyed monster: jealousy.  Brides are not only subjected to other friend’s or relative’s weddings, but they are also overwhelmed with wedding TV shows, magazines, blogs, etc.  Wedding envy can be very dangerous and damaging, here are some important things to remember while you are planning your budget affair:

1-  Your wedding is about marrying your soul-mate, and committing to one another.  Your commitment to one another should not be about throwing a platinum wedding.

2-  Your friends and family will come to your wedding because they love and support you, not because you will have string quartet, an all you can eat sushi buffet, or fireworks.

3-  Finance troubles and money arguments are one of the leading causes of divorce.  You’re getting married to start a life together, not hate each other.  Why spend an exorbitant amount of money on a wedding to start your your life together in debt?

4-  Many guests won’t actually admire frivolous details that just look like price tags, they will just think about how much money you wasted.

5-  Your wedding represents you and your soon-to-be-Mr.  Your wedding should not represent the latest bridal trend or the fancy thing that your friends did.

You don’t want to look back and regret your special day.  If you need to save money on your wedding, then that’s what you have to do.  Your day will still be special, perfect, and represent the right ideals.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

Whether you know or not, or whether you are prepared, the bridal party may play a practical joke on your wedding day.  The groom is typically the recipient of any wedding day jokes, but both the bride and groom should be prepared.  Here are some standard pranks:

Jacket Swap:  The groom goes to put on his jacket, and realizes it’s too small.

Secret Messages:  “Friends” may put “help me” or “kick me” messages on the bottom of your shoes or on the back of your jacket.

Long lost child:  When and if the marriage officiant asks “does anyone object to this marriage”, someone may send a mystery child down the aisle yelling “Daddy, Daddy!”

Key return:  The best man might ask all of the ladies who had keys to the grooms house to go and return their keys now that he is married.

Squeaky toy in bed:  It’s your wedding night, just think about it…

Obviously this doesn’t include all pranks, but keep on the look out- some people like to be the center of attention.   Good luck today, and on your wedding day!

Did you know that wedding hair, spa, nails and make-up appointments are often more expensive than non-wedding appointments?  I know you are probably really excited about your wedding and being a bride, but do some research before you call to set-up your appointment and drop the “w” word.  Is the stylist or artist not going to do as nice a job if it’s not for your wedding?  They will probably do the same quality work, and it will cost you half the price.  Granted, if you are having the stylist put in your veil or come to your venue it will be hard to hide your wedding, but if you’re just swinging by the salon perhaps you could be attending a formal or a family reunion instead.