The Search For the Budget Wedding: Wed Without DEBT

It's official. People are freaked out about the economy.

It's only natural that it's going to affect your wedding and the decisions you make.

But DON'T lose heart! You can still have your Dream Wedding, on your terms. In fact, those wedding vendors are even more likely to cut you a deal to get your business. Think advantage!

You've got to get CREATIVE and COMMITTED to making it happen.

Check out this article for some of the ways couples are getting married for less without sacrificing their dreams. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/BUSINESS/809280341 I spill even more insider savings ideas at www.SimplyYourSpecialDay.com.

The key is to do what's right for you. Forget about "traditional" and "supposed to." Make it work for YOU.

How is the economy affecting your wedding plans? Leave me a comment.



(Photo by Dan Simpson http://www.threadless.com/ used under terms at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en.)

Checklist Wedding Wonders

Got tasks to do for your wedding?

You bet you do.

You need a wedding checklist to keep you on track. Without one, you'll end up stressed out and panicked with a wicked case of "Wedding Overwhelm."

Problem is, most of the wedding checklists out there just don't fit every bride. They just don't make one size fits all to-do lists like they used to.

I'm working on a checklist on my website at http://www.simplyyourspecialday.com/wedding/checklist.cfm. Now it's in its infancy stages--so be gentle--but what to you think? What's missing? What would make this more useful for YOU?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts and I'll get my computer geeks to work immediately. (Gotta love those minions!)

(Photo courtesy of www.puckphotos.com used with permission http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en)

How To Make Your Wedding Unique...Without Breaking the Bank

You want--and DESERVE--to have the wedding of your dreams...in a beautiful location surrounded by your closest family and friends...having the time of your lives...a wedding that really represents YOU.

A unique wedding.

But with over 2 million weddings held in the United States each year, how is yours supposed to be unique?



No, you don't have to have your wedding in a bunker like the couple in this photo...



You just need to use your two most powerful assets...



YOU and your CREATIVITY.

What's the one thing that no other wedding in the history of weddings has ever had?

You and your fiance. Only your wedding will have your particular set of interests, quirks, and personality traits.

All you need to do is use your creativity to find ways to express it on your wedding day.

Tell your love story. Incorporate pictures from your past. Highlight your hobbies, obsessions, the things you have in common...or the ways you are completely different.

Your special events are a great place to display your unique personality. A couple ideas involving creative centerpiece give aways from our recent weddings:

• Our groom, Rob, is a Texas Hold Em Poker fanatic. So we're hiding 5 playing cards underneath the centerpiece at each table. Each guest will have 2 cards hidden under their plate. The guest with the best hand takes home the centerpiece. Yee haw!
• Karin and Cooper printed up an index card telling the details of how they met and hid it under the plate of one guest at each table. The guest with the card had to tell the story to the rest of the table, and in return, they got to take home the centerpiece.

Cool, eh? Bet you've never seen THAT at a wedding. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Start using your creativity to show off what makes you unique. It's a sure fire way to a unique wedding your guests will remember forever. Now hop to it!

Your Friend & Wedding Coach,

Stephanie

P.S. I dish on lots more unique reception ideas at www.SimplyYourSpecialDay.com. Check it out and then post a comment on my blog.

(Photo by Puja Parakh http://www.pujaparakh.com. See restrictions on use at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/deed.en.)

Tell Me Your Dream Wedding Savings Story and Win $1,000!

My Dream Wedding Story Contest is going on RIGHT NOW. And the feedback has been great!

Have you downloaded my book yet? It's only FREE until Oct 5th. What are you waiting for?

Are you committed to having your Dream Wedding on budget, or what?

You'll learn how to plan your dream wedding on your budget, create a timeline wedding, and make your wedding unique.

This is your chance to not only learn how to easily save BIG on planning your wedding--the winner gets an EXTRA $1,000 for her Dream Wedding. It's a Win-Win!

Here's what to do:

1. Download my book and get on my mailing list at http://www.simplyyourspecialday.com/.
2. Use what you learn to rack up the savings for your Dream Wedding.
3. Post your savings story right here on my blog.

I'll read through all the stories and pick the winner on December 15th.

It's easy, but you've got to get in action NOW. You've got less than 3 months to save as much as you can.

GUIDELINES TO KEEP IN MIND FOR YOUR SAVINGS STORY

• You must be a bride or groom planning your own actual wedding.
• Your Dream Wedding savings must happen between SEPTEMBER 17th and DECEMBER 15th as a result of the techniques you've learned from my book and newsletter. (It isn't fair to everyone if we count savings before the contest began.)
• Your story should be personal, engaging and well-told. It should demonstrate the specific challenges you faced, what you learned, how you implemented what you learned, and how much money you saved. A true, relatable story and demonstrating that you really learned something are MUCH more important the the $ amount of your savings.
• The winner agrees to a telephone interview with me to discuss your savings story.

That's it! Let the fun begin...

Stephanie

P.S. If you have questions about the contest or have trouble getting your copy of the book, please email me at Stephanie@SimplyYourSpecialDay.com.

My Book Is Done!

My book is finally complete!

My heart felt thanks go out to all my past and future brides who helped by sharing their stories. Your courage and honesty has made it possible for me to put together a book that will help every bride plan her Dream Wedding--on budget and with her sanity intact. Your passion to have the wedding your dreams inspired me every step of the way.

NOW it's time to share the knowledge!

Every bride DESERVES the wedding of her dreams--no matter what her budget--and I am determined to help make it happen.

Thank you so much!

Stephanie

P.S. I'm celebrating the completion of my book with a Dream Wedding Story contest. The winner gets $1,000 toward her Dream Wedding! More info on this coming over the next day or two. Keep your eyes peeled--you are definitely going to want in on this one!

Win $1,000 Toward Your Dream Wedding!

I'm celebrating the completion of How To Plan Your Dream Wedding--On YOUR Budget--In Only 10 Days with a Dream Wedding Story Contest.



The winner gets $1,000 toward her Dream Wedding!



Here's how to enter:

1. Download my eBook.


2. Use what you learn to rack up the savings on your Dream Wedding.


3. Post your savings story right here in my blog.

I'll read through all your stories. The bride with the best savings story WINS $1,000.

It's that simple!

But wait--it gets even BETTER.

Until October 5th, you can download my book for FREE. Not only will you learn how to save $1,000's on your Dream Wedding...you qualify to win and extra $1,000 just by telling your story. And you don't even have to buy the book!

You've got nothing to lose...and $1,000 to gain...along with the wedding of your dreams.

Go to www.SimplyYourSpecialDay.com/free to download your copy TODAY. And let the savings begin.

Good luck!

Stephanie

P.S. The book is only free until October 5th. After that, you'll have to BUY it. So act now!

P.P.S. The winner will be chosen on December 15, 2008. That gives you almost 3 months to save as much as possible on your Dream Wedding. I KNOW you can do it.