Posts Tagged ‘budget planning’

Tips for finding a wedding dress for less

bridalShhhhhh…can you keep a secret? I never told anyone how much I spent on my wedding dress (15 years ago) because I didn’t want them to think I was super cheap (even though I was). I had a very low budget to plan the wedding of my dreams and had to think creatively. With alterations, I only spent about $400 (not including accessories or shoes). How did I do it? Well, I went to a dress shop, known for budget dresses, and then scoured their clearance rack. I had asked my hubby what kind of dress he would like me in and he said nothing with a lot of rhinestones and bling. So, simple it was. My theme was literally Cinderella, so I knew I wanted a fluffy tulle dress with gloves. I actually found it on the clearance rack for around $300. It wasn’t until later that I realized it wasn’t a bridal gown at all but a fancy bridesmaid dress, go figure. It worked for me and I loved it!

brides against breast cancer

IMG_0329

dresses

 

One organization that I support is Brides Against Breast Cancer. I have volunteered a couple of times when they have done a show here in San Antonio. The way it works is past brides donate their dress to this organization and then they travel across the nation and sell these dresses to other brides at a fraction of the cost through shows at mostly hotels. The best part is most of the proceeds go back to breast cancer research. A close friend of mine that was in my wedding, and I in hers, just won her battle with breast cancer and is in remission. I am a strong supporter of this organization.

wedding_dressSo, now that the internet is in full force there are a lot more choices than there was 15 years ago for searching for your bridal gown. PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com  is a great website where past brides post their gown on their website and actually earn a commission if the dress sells. There are over 19,000 gowns from more than 350 different designers and nearly 30% of their listings are for new, unaltered, unworn gowns. They stated that typically a used wedding dress that’s 2.5 year or younger will sell for 50% of the retail. They also have listings for bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses, flower girl dresses and accessories.

100_3238Some other tips for purchasing an inexpensive dress are:

  • Purchase a simple dress and add accessories to it (i.e. sash, brooch, stand out jewelry, tiara, gloves, a wrap, etc.) to personalize it to your liking.
  • At any bridal shop go to the clearance rack for discontinued dresses or those dresses that have been tried on numerous times. Look for makeup marks are rips (the salesclerk might even make a better deal than what the sticker says).
  • Ask the sales clerk if they carry sample gowns at reduced prices. This might be your opportunity to actually get the exact dress you wanted from the bridal magazines.
  • Ask to see the slightly damaged dresses or the dresses that have been purchased by other brides and returned to the shop. They might agree to sell to you instead of avoiding the expense of returning it to the supplier.
  • Other locations to try – consignment shops, bridal outlet stores and even department stores (the formalwear and prom sections).
  • If worse comes to worse, think about borrowing a dress or renting it from a friend.

One last thing I want to mention is to please be careful when purchasing your dress online. There are a lot of fraud sites out there. Only buy from a reputable company. But, do keep in mind that you are purchasing a dress that you haven’t tried on and it could completely fit and look different on than in the picture.

bridal connectionThe Bridal Connection, a bridal shop currently located in Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio, Texas, will be moving to the Stone Oak area soon and I am super excited! They offer a lot of beautiful, high quality dresses and will work within your budget. Be looking for their grand opening.

If you need any other recommendations for your bridal gown purchase please call or email me at 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I am a professional wedding consulting/invitation company in San Antonio. I am here to help with your wedding planning! Please go to my website for more information about my services and be sure to “like” my Facebook page to keep up with what is going on with Royalty Event Parties.

San Antonio Wedding Consultant Offers Invitations

I have been working diligently this past month ordering invitation albums, learning all the etiquette, affiliating myself with printers and invitation companies, learning their ordering process, and updating my website. I have been so excited about when I could finally launch and tell the world that I now offer invitation services. The time has finally come!

I have actually been dealing with invitation companies for over 9 years with my previous company, Royal Tea Princess Parties. I ordered in bulk, created all the invitation wording myself and took orders for my customers, typeset the invitation, sent the proof, printed them myself and then mailed (or even dropped them off – I really feel strongly about customer service!). After doing this for so long, adding wedding invitation services was a logical one for me!

I will devote half of my blogs to invitation & party etiquette. The rest of the time my blogs will still focus on other wedding related topics. Here are the invitation lines I am working with.

CarlsonCraft

stationers_logos_invitations

I have 2 online storefronts…one with Carlson Craft and the other with the remainder of the invitation & stationery companies. You can click on the above images to go directly to them.

For a limited time I will be offering 10% off all online and in-person orders (excludes Disney from Carlson Craft)! I will have a SPECIAL offer for brides that use my consulting services – 15% off all invitation & stationery orders (except Disney)!

Here is my current promotion as well (for in-person orders only):

carlson_craft_promotion_thank_yous

I offer a huge selection of:

  • Shower Invitations
  • Bachelorette Party Invitations
  • Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
  • Wedding Invitations with Enclosures
  • Ceremony Programs
  • Save The Date Cards
  • Menu Cards
  • Place Cards
  • Stickers
  • Notecards
  • Thank You Cards
  • Personalized Items
invitations_roseanne_beckwedding_invitations_showers_bachelorettecarlson_craft_invitations_san_antonioContact me today to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions. I want to make your event a success! 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com

5 Budget Ideas For Fabulous Guest Tables

Every bride has a vision about her wedding and how she wants the reception to look and feel. Here are 5 ideas on ways you can still have your table décor look fabulous at your wedding reception even when you are on a budget.

candles1. Use various sized candle holders & vases to create a dramatic look for evening weddings. Putting water in the taller vases with a floating candle will add “sparkle” to the table from the reflection of the water and candles. This centerpiece was from a past bride who got married at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio.

DSC_01502. Use the bridal bouquets as centerpieces for the head table or even on the guest tables. Purchase plastic vases and you can save a fortune! These gold vases were plastic and you couldn’t even tell. McNay Art Museum, San Antonio.

hydrangeas centerpieces votives wedding table

hydrangeas centerpieces votives wedding table

3. Hydrangeas are great filler flowers and come in a variety of colors. Use a few in a vase with a little of greenery & even some twigs you find in your yard and you have a very beautiful, yet inexpensive centerpiece. Add petals and votives for a nice addition to the table as well.

vintage pearls picture wedding reception table

vintage pearls picture wedding reception table

4. This past bride of mine wanted an antique feel to her reception. For the tables she added faux pearls place around the table along with picture frames she had gotten at a dollar store. Because some of the flowers were out of season that the bride wanted, the florist mixed in some faux flowers in the centerpiece. Can you tell which are the fake ones? No one ever knew.

various vases inexpensive flowers doilies budget table

various vases inexpensive flowers doilies budget table

5. This bride was on a very tight budget. She collected various sized vases from garage sales, dollar tree, and food containers to create a collage as the focal point. She then use cheaper flowers and baby’s breath to give the vintage look she was going for. The paper doilies & votive add the last touch to the table & tie the colors together. Simple but cute! Botanical Gardens, San Antonio.

I have so many more ideas for budget friendly décor. If you would like to ask me a question about your wedding please feel free to contact me. http://www.royaltyeventparties.com, 210-595-9263.

Ideas on Transforming Venues for Wedding Receptions

It seems these days that many couples are paying for their own wedding which means they might be on a tight budget. They are getting creative in their planning and doing a lot of DIY projects along with finding good deals on venues. One option is having it at the church you are a member of. A wedding I just coordinated in San Antonio is exactly what they did. They had the reception at the church’s Parish Hall. The room was pretty basic and we knew that having other focal points throughout the room was going to be needed to add to the ambiance of a wedding.

I thought it would be fun to show you the behind the scenes of how the room was transformed for the reception.room transformation at receptionwedding_reception_preparing_3wedding_reception_preparing_4 - Copywedding_reception_preparing_5wedding_reception_preparing_6wedding_reception_preparing_7wedding_reception_preparing_8wedding_reception_preparing_9Legendary Linens did a great job in creating a focal point on the ceiling with lights and drapery. They also added uplights around the room and a canopy for the bride and groom’s sweetheart table. The couple decided to add some elegance with china, chargers, chair covers and sashes as well. Throughout the room there were added touches of pictures, antique items, flowers, lanterns, candles, a slide show and more. For a wedding on a budget, it turned out beautiful!

Trudy Scott, Royalty Event Parties, 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com