It's True...My Book Is Gone

Yep, the rumors are true. My wedding planning book has gone away.

But there is still hope!

If you're feeling depressed by high wedding prices and frustrated trying to find wedding discounts so you can plan your dream wedding on a budget, remember this:

This recession is absolutely the best time to plan a wedding.

No, I'm not crazy. Let me explain...

Wedding professionals are feeling the pain of the recession, just like you are. They are desperate to book jobs, which means they are even MORE likely to lower their price.

Just ask. It's that's simple.

You've got nothing to lose.

All the best and happy planning!

This Blog Has Officially Moved...

This blog has moved over to my wedding planning website at www.SimplyYourSpecialDay.com/blog where I'm adding to it daily.

See you there!

Tell Me Your Dream Wedding Savings Story HERE

Calling all brides on a budget, all ye seekers of Dream Weddings for less, the struggling budgeters, the creative bargainers, and Dream Wedding Divas…

Enough with the fanfare.

THIS is where you post your Dream Wedding Savings Story.

Haven’t downloaded my book yet? Go to www.SimplyYourSpecialDay.com to learn the best insider secrets that will save you $1,000’s on your Dream Wedding.

Use what you learn to save, then come back here to my blog and post your savings story in a comment below.

The bride with the best savings story WINS $1,000 for her Dream Wedding.

So what am I looking for in a winning story?
• The true, well-written story of a bride (and/or groom) planning her own wedding and how she did it on budget using what she learned from my eBook and newsletter.
• Your story should be specific, relatable, and engaging.
• Include your personal challenges, frustrations and fears. What did you learn? How did you do it? How much did you save?
• It’s not JUST about the savings. I want to hear about the ACTIONS you took, the mistakes you made and how you overcame them. How did it make your life as a bride BETTER?

It's easy to enter. All you’ve go to do is start saving NOW. The winner will be chosen on December 15, 2008.

Good luck!

Stephanie

P.S. PASS IT ON. Tell everyone and anyone about this contest. It’s time to spread the word that you CAN have your Dream Wedding on a budget!

Wedding Etiquette Hell

In need of a little wedding stress relief?

Check out the stories of Bridezillas and Groomonsters at www.EtiquetteHell.com.

You'll be hooked in no time. And you thought your mother-in-law was a demon...

Are you experiencing wedding etiquette hell? Leave me a comment.






(Photo by Mash Down Babylon, Devon Hollahan, used under terms http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en.)

Ipod Wedding: Savings Strategy or Wedding Nightmare?

Ever since the invention of the Ipod, DJs have been sweating it out, fearing their replacement by a tiny machine. If a bride can download all her favorite songs into a tiny Ipod and play whatever she wants at her wedding…does that mean she won’t need ME?

This is a sore spot for a lot of wedding DJs. But not for me! I’ll tell you why…

I encourage all my brides to THINK FOR THEMSELVES. You need to decide what’s important to you and what’s right for you and DO IT, come hell or high water. That’s the attitude you need to plan your Dream Wedding on your terms.

In some situations, an Ipod wedding might be the way to go. But there are some points to consider…

You won’t have a trained professional to do your announcement and guide the flow of events. You and your guests will be all on your own.

You won’t have an expert reading the crowd and taking requests to maximize the dance floor.

If something goes wrong with the equipment, you’re out of luck…your wedding will be nothing but DEAD AIR.

WARNING: DON’T have an Ipod wedding if you want a packed dance floor or if you have special events planned, like a First Dance and Toasts. It will be a Ipod disaster.

If you want your guests to have the best time of their lives, a wedding they’ll be talking about for years…you NEED a skilled professional entertainer. It’s like they say (whoever they is), “Your DJ makes or breaks your party.”

On the other hand, you should consider an Ipod wedding IF:

You don’t have a dance floor. (For instance, you’re renting a restaurant.)

You aren't having any special events.

You’re hosting a cocktail party type reception and you aren't expecting your guests to dance.

Think about it like this: have you ever been to a house party and had a great time? Guests sort of wander in and out of the house, grab food when they want it, chat and listen to background music. Everyone has a great time. But it’s NOT a wedding.

If you try the "house party vibe" in a room with a big, empty dance floor, it’s going to feel really awkward.

So that’s my professional opinion. As in all things, decide for yourself. And if you have any questions (or if you think I’m crazy) shoot me an email.

(Photo by Tim De Backer www.hln.be under terms http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en.)

Online Wedding Savings

Always on the lookout for a bargain, I found some great ways to save on your online purchases, so I'm passing them on to you.

(In case you're new to the idea, using the internet to buy things for your wedding can save you A BUNDLE.)

www.retailmenot.com You can search alphabetically, by category, or by the over 15,000 stores listed. Before you buy an item online, check this site to see if you can find a discount code. They also have a printing coupons section.

www.fatwallet.com This site gives you a rebate for purchases made through their site. It's not as good as a coupon, since the rebate takes up to 3 weeks to process. Just don't forget to submit your rebate!

www.dealcatcher.com You get listings of coupons, rebates, and weekly specials.

www.pricegrabber.com This site lets you search for the best prices online by seller, product, retailer or ratings. Just make sure you sort by price.

Found a great online savings site? Leave me a comment and we'll share the info.

Shop Esty.com To Make Your Wedding Unique

If you're looking for ways to make your wedding unique, you have GOT to check out Etsy.

They have an awesome selection of unique, hand crafted items that make perfect wedding accessories, favors and invitations...especially if you like to think outside the box.

Even if you're not in the market for hand crafted goods, just do a search for the term "wedding" and you'll get thousands of ideas. If you're a crafty gal, you might be able to pull them off yourself.

Or if you're all thumbs, like me, you can leave the craftiness to the experts...

Find any fun, unique touches for your wedding? Leave a comment and share the wealth!