Wedding Dress "Buy This Not That"

We know many brides fall in love with designer dresses they cannot afford, I mean let's be honest, not everyone has $1000 to spend on a dress that they will use one day in their life. Yes, the wedding gown is one of the most important parts of your wedding and it is your day so you should have the one you want. But the reality is that not everyone has thousands of dollars, and some would just rather spend it on a honeymoon. If you are a bride on a budget who doesn't have thousands to spend on your wedding dress you are going to like today's "Buy This Not That". So here is,

The wedding dress on the left retails for $1459, the wedding gown on the right retails for only $475. And another great thing about the budget wedding gown is that it can be tailored made. So if you are looking for an inexpensive wedding dress that you will love you'll find it at All Bridal Store.

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Karima & Joseph

Karima & Joseph

Married on April 8^th, 2012 in Hollywood Florida.

Karima purchased her wedding gown at All Bridal Store in Hollywood, Fl with just 6 weeks until the wedding. It was custom made in her size and came in with enough time for her to get one minor alteration. The rest is history.

Bridal Shoes "Buy This Not That"

So you fall in love with these expensive bridal shoes just because they are sooo cute, and you just got to have them. Well, with a little creativity you can save a lot of money and end up with the same result.  Here’s what we have on today’s “Buy this not That”.

1.       These are Badgley Mischka pumps that retail for $245. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way I’m spending $245 on a pair of shoes. I can get at least four great pairs of shoes for that amount of money at either Macy’s, Express or Baker’s.

2.     White Aldo pumps from Amazon.com that retail for about $80. Now, I know what you are thinking, these are just too plain and cannot compare to the Badgley Mischka pumps. Well, you are right! They are very plain, and are definitely missing those beautiful feathers.

3.     These are feather shoe clips which you can buy in white, ivory or cream from etsy.com for just $40. That means that you can accessorise your pumps to look like the expensive Mischka and end up spending only $120 for your beautiful bridal shoes. That’s a wopping $125 less than the over priced alternative. 

If you are a bride on a budget always think outside of the box to achieve your perfect bridal look.

Complete Bridal Look for Under $700

Some brides pay thousands of dollars just for their wedding gown, here you can get the wedding dress, shoes and accessories to complete the look for under $700.

1. Ambar wedding dress for $419

2. Bridal shoes for $60

3. Rhinestone hair comb for $29.95

4. Bridal Jewelry set for $49.99

5. Flyaway veil for $34.95

6. Something blue garter $24.95

7. Petticoat for your dress for $29.95

For a grand total of $648.79. Definitely for the budget bride.

Mother of the Groom Fashion Trends – Yvone Kon

There’s an old saying about being the mother of the groom - show up, shut up and wear beige.  In years gone by, wedding day attire for the mother of the groom (MOG), as well as the mother of the bride (MOB) was bland.  Moms were expected to wear shapeless pastel or beige frocks or suits and blend into the background.  Thankfully, designers have brought wedding day fashion into the new millennium.  Now moms have a wide variety of choices and can select an outfit that suits their own personal style and taste.   Even though it’s the bride’s day to be the center of attention, these new fashion trends will allow moms to shine too, in a tasteful and elegant way.

Special occasion retailers are reporting that the average age of MOG’s and MOB’s is younger than ever before.  Designers have taken notice and are now creating outfits that reflect a more youthful vibe and are translating many of the popular styles into special occasion outfits.  When you go shopping for your mother of the groom dress for the first time, you’ll notice the similarity between many of the outfits and gowns you’ve seen on the red carpet.  Designers are interpreting these popular styles into mother of the groom outfits that are elegant, tasteful, fashion forward and age appropriate.

Style

Before shopping for your mother of the groom outfit, it is customary for the mother of the bride to select her outfit first.  Since she is considered the “hostess” of the event, she is afforded the courtesy of choosing her dress first.  Then she is to inform you as to the style and color of her outfit so you can choose an outfit that isn’t dressier than hers and doesn’t clash.  If you are on good terms with your son’s future mother-in-law, you can certainly have a conversation about what style and color you would both like to wear for the wedding.  Of course, this conversation should happen after you’ve both discussed what the bride envisions everyone wearing for her wedding day.  If she is going for more of an elegant affair, she may request that you purchase formal evening gowns.  If the wedding will be held in the afternoon with an evening reception, she may request that you purchase a cocktail dress.  Many brides have a very specific idea in mind for their wedding, so it’s best to know this before you go shopping.  Keeping the lines of communication open during this time will eliminate a lot of stress and possibly hurt feelings later.

Color

MOG’s are no longer stuck wearing pastel or beige to their sons’ weddings.  Those colors are difficult for many women to wear and you can end up looking washed out in the photos.  Now, MOG’s can choose virtually any color they wish, provided it’s alright with the bride and doesn’t clash with what her mother is wearing. 

For many years, it was considered completely taboo to wear black to a wedding, especially if you were the mother of the bride or groom.  Wearing black was seen as sending a message that you were in mourning about the wedding and didn’t approve of your child’s choice in a future spouse.  Thankfully those days are long gone.   Black is slimming, classic and elegant and can be a tasteful choice provided the style of the dress is appropriate for the event.

Whatever style and color outfit you decide on for your son’s big day, be sure it is age appropriate and not too revealing or flashy.  It’s more than ok to take pride in your appearance and to select an outfit that makes you look and feel fabulous for this special day.  Ultimately though, it is the bride’s day to be in the spotlight (and the groom’s too) and nothing can drive a wedge between you, your son and his new wife quicker than hurt feelings from the day of the wedding.  Choosing an outfit that might cause embarrassment for the new bride and groom on their wedding day won’t start your relationship off on the right foot.  The wedding will only last a day, but their marriage will last a lifetime, so choose an outfit that is classy and elegant and you’ll shine in your own way.

Yvone Kon is a freelance writer and available for a variety of writing projects.  She has over 11 years of experience in event planning, marketing, writing and sales.  She is the author of the blog EventSpiration - providing inspiration and ideas for weddings, parties and holidays.  She also writes three columns for Examiner.com: National Wedding Planning, Pittsburgh Event Planning and Pittsburgh Animal Advocacy.  Additionally she writes for Examiner’s ACE program, which has partnered with local CBS websites.  She is passionate about animal advocacy, rescue and adoption and believes adopting “used” dogs is always better than buying new.  For writing projects, Ms. Kon can be contacted via her blog.

An Alternative to the Open Bar

The open bar has to be one of the biggest cash drainers of a wedding. Some couples will opt out of the open bar in order to save money, and some even consider having a cash bar and have their guests pay for their drinks. I personally would rather not have the bar at all then have guests pay.  

But another option that would be less expensive and will still allow your guests to get their little buzz is offering wine at each table and having one signature drink. You can have four bottles of wine per table, maybe offering two whites and two reds. Buy a few cases from your nearest Sam's Club, Costco or even your local supermarket. The supermarkets will sometimes give you a 10-15% discount when buying a full case. If you spend $7 per bottle you are looking at only $280 for 10 tables or 100 or less guests. That's pretty good. If you can spend a bit more you can make a signature drink that takes one or two brands of alcohol and you would only need to get 4-6 bottles to make enough for the entire party. It's a great way to save money while still offering alcoholic beverages.

Bride Tote and Bling Ring Holder GIVEAWAY!

Win This Bling Embroidered Bride-To-Be Tote to keep your planning papers and Bling Bling Ring Holder to keep your new ring. Tote includes wedding survival tip card and measures 11"x12". Ceramic Bling Bling ring holder has "Bling Bling I got the Ring" on the outside. Coutesy of All Bridal Store  where you Pay Less for your Wedding Dress! and where you'll find all the bridal accessories for your special day.