Wedding Tips start here...

System

Aw thanks, Georgina! ;D

I've only had a few cursory glances through a few shops so far, but the real shoe shopping will start this weekend (or maybe next!) I'll start with M & S - thanks for that.

Then I'm planning to hit the Bull Ring in B'ham as they've got Debenhams with fantastic prices, and loads and loads of other shoe shops (with not so fantastic prices, but the shoes is one of the extravagances I'm allowing myself as I'll wear them after the wedding too.)

Another quick update - we've narrowed the honeymoon down to 2 villas we like from the same website. One of them offers a 10% discount for couples, but we really like the other one, too. So we've asked if the discount could be made available on that one to a honeymooning couple like ourselves! You can only ask!

Ms T

System

Oh, I think I've forgotten to say I've got my dress!

Well, I've ordered it and it will be in the shop in May sometime, for my fitting.

I have to admit it's not exactly what you'd call cheap, but it is value for money. It's about half what I've seen similar dresses for, and it's just perfect! (And as you might have noticed, I'm very, very hard to please with typical wedding stuff!)

su

I am getting married next april 05 and i have planned everything and sort out the cheepest options but getting everything i want.

the photographer being the most expensive at 1650. i know it's not very money saving but there are two of them and they stay from getting ready to midnight give you all the proofs and set up a studio at the reception for extra photo's.

the cheepest being the meal as my parents are paying for it as a wedding present this will cost them about 1500.

the bridesmaid dresses(which we are not paying for) cost £25. for debenhams in the sale knock down from £80.

the cake is being made for us another wedding presant

so all in all it's going to cost us about 5000. which might not sound good to some but we budgeted 6000. so saving 1000. i think is quite an achievement for me as i like to spend.
This site is a councelling service to me and helps to tighten the purse strings

nh

When is the best time to get a wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses in the sales? I wasn't going to get my dress in the sales but I can't decide which one to get, they all look the same to me so I reckon I might as well get one cheap.

mini

Picked up Asda's magazine today (may edition) it has bidesmaids dresses in it, some style age from 4- 10 years price £15/£16, others from 1 - 10 years £17/£18, they are pink or a deep lilac there are 3 different types in the pictures, they also have some ballet style shoes with a bow detail sizes 7-1 price £7.

They are not available in all stores, may be worth picking up a magazine then if you like them to ring round stores.

Mrs_Thrift

That sounds like a bargain, mini! If I was having little bridesmaids I'd be down my local Asda....... but I'm saving even more by only having one adult one! If anyone else is having young bridesmaids, though, less than £20 has got to be a good buy, especially as they'll probably only wear the dress once.

And nh, I know some sales were on Nov / Dec as new stock came in January. So I guess the next season might be six months later, with the sales just before it?

But, can I just say please, please shop around a bit more before you "settle" for a dress? I generally don't like wedding stuff, and found it so hard to get excited about my own dress.

But I went round countless shops, explaining in each one that I'd be hard to please - and I was! A few times I was ready to settle, but thankfully my Mum insisted we keep going until I found a dress that at least made me smile at my reflection.

Eventually, I found one, and I LOVE it! Me, who doesn't like wedding stuff! So, please keep looking, it's worth it in the end! Just go with your gut feeling to find what you really like, nevermind what anyone else says. But be open minded about styles and so on - I didn't want to try my dress on at first because it wasn't what I had in mind. I'm glad I was persuaded.

Mrs_Thrift

Oh, forgot to say - found my shoes on the weekend!

Again (like the dress) they might not sound like a bargain, but they are just over half the price of Kurt Geiger and other designer shoes I was looking at.

The shop (Office) didn't have the colour I wanted in the size I wanted, so I will need to order them from their online shop.

At first I thought that was a pain, but the girl told me that getting them online meant I could return them if I didn't like them, whereas if I bought them in the shop that was it.

So I'll be able to order them, try them on with my dress (which should be ready this month sometime!) and return them if they don't look right - but I think they will!

nh

Thanks for the advice on the dress. I will keep going!

WeirdoMagnet

Designer Wedding Dress Sale - up to 70% off at the Confetti Charing Cross shop:

http://www.confetti.co.uk/fashion/features/designer_sale/default.asp

minardiforever

Hi there,

This is my pet subject, odd for a bloke ;D . I'm involved in a wedding forum called https://www.mygroovywedding.com which was started by a bride nearly 3 years ago to do just this - share tips of planning weddings, including sticking to a budget.

I'll try to put a few things down here that I think are good things to bear in mind when planning a wedding and some good ideas on where to save money along the way (probably duplicating other ideas, but what the hell!) :

1. Decide on a budget from the outset and STICK TO IT!!!! Mention the word "wedding" and suppliers think its a license to print money. Its only one day, no need to go into debt for it.
2. Try not to compare your plans to other people's plans or you'll end up trying to "keep up with the Joneses"
3. If you're artistic, or know a friend who is, then make the invitations/order of service, etc yourself. You just need some good paper and a good printer and a bit of flair, and you can create things just as well as the professionals. Why pay someone else's overhead?
4. Wedding cars - do you have a family friend with a nice car? If they're coming to the wedding anyway, ask if you can use their car. I used my own car for the best man and bridesmaids, it was only a silver Astra but it looked nice polished up with a ribbon on it.
5. Table favours - really, don't bother. Noone is really that fussed about them or will remember them.
6. Flowers - don't go over the top with them, if you're in a largish venue (or church) you need a LOT of flowers to make an impact so just don't bother. Do a couple of free-standing arrangements for the entrance and leave it at that. Why not consider a silk flower arrangement, so at least you can keep the arrangement after for your house rather than chucking the flowers out after a week or so.
7. Go to places like Matalan - their home furnishings section are great for bargains like glass bowls for table centres, look great with a simple church candle stuck on them
8. If you want a nice cake, don't feel you need to get a huge one to feed all your guests. Get a nice small cake for the photos and cutting the cake picture, and have a large "blank" fruit cake in the kitchens at the back that you can cut up and serve to your guests. If anyone asks, say its a modern day loaves and fishes, lol!
9. It IS quite imprtant not to skimp on photos as they are cherished memories, but I personally think professional videographers are a waste of money. Enough people shoot footage at weddings, just ask for copies.

Can;t think of much more for now, but I'll pop back if I think of any biggies.

Good luck, Jon