Wedding Tips start here...

waterbaby30

Hi, I'm going to be a bridesmaid next year- very excited! it's a very low budget wedding. They've kindly bought me the dress but i'm sorting hair and makeup myself. I don't know anyone who could help with these and am not confident doing it myself. i've recently moved to live in Chelmsford. Can anyone recommend anyone who charges a reasonable amount for these? thanks

utopia2004

I have a 2,500 budget (not including family flights to Pennslyvania- USA).

I got a beautifull venue (B and B restuarant) and 3 course meal for 55 people and cermony in the venue (set up etc) for £1000.

His wedding ring £250

Priest for free- hopefully- friend of a friend.

DJ for £100 (friend of a friend)

Photographer for £450 (present of relatives)

Shoes £20?

alchole?

Flowers?

Its this feb- thats how far ive got so far!

Flights for 3 family members and me, cake, and bridesmades dresses not in budget (they are paying).

vezza_2

Just a quick update. Have bought the centre pieces from wilkos sweety jars for £3.50 each so bargain there!
Mum has taken up the role of bits and bobs buyer and is currently stocking up on colour themed sweets for the big day bless her.
I found a great bargain in the way of seat covers which can cost up to £4 which if you have alot of guest turns out extortionate. I looked on ebay and you can get seat cover and sash hire for £1 a pop! by far the cheapest.

Im having a think on my bridesmaids dresses at the moment. original plan was to go to ebay and get made to measure dresses made in china at £35 quid a pop for the adults and £25 for the kids which i thought was reasonable. however because you arent quite sure of the quality i was going to price up dressmakers. I can get the pattern cheap enough and look out for an appropriate fabric. Just need some one to make it, i want 4 dresses in different colours so it isnt really a possibility for me to shop buy as i want them all to be in the exact same dress just different colours.
Im in Hull, East Yorkshire so if any one has a contact that would be much appreciated!

abistar

There's an amazing lady called Linda Davey who is based in Keighley. She works from home and her website is dressesatno9.co.uk Her dresses look really expensive but she's really reasonable. Email her for a quote

Dr_Dr

Dear Mrs Thrift
My daughter is currently planning her wedding. She found a dress that she liked in quite a posh shop. It cost £1200.
Not wanting to pay that amount, she typed in the dress make and number into google, and out popped a large number of sites that provided copies of that dress. Generally they came from China, Australia or America, claims were that they are 90% the same and use the same materials. The costs were minute by comparison, between 100 and 300 pounds.
She is now in a dilema, she has no way of knowing the quality of the dress and is also concerned about it being a copy and the conditions under which it is being made.
Has anyone else made such a purchase and how did it turn out?

Perhaps this would be a good topic for Martin's Money Moral Dilemma

bubbles0169

Dr-Dr alot of people have had problems with copies but a few have been ok its just pot luck. has she tried sites like preloved where the dresses are nearly new but bargain prices

abistar

Dr_Dr wrote: »

Dear Mrs Thrift
My daughter is currently planning her wedding. She found a dress that she liked in quite a posh shop. It cost £1200.
Not wanting to pay that amount, she typed in the dress make and number into google, and out popped a large number of sites that provided copies of that dress. Generally they came from China, Australia or America, claims were that they are 90% the same and use the same materials. The costs were minute by comparison, between 100 and 300 pounds.
She is now in a dilema, she has no way of knowing the quality of the dress and is also concerned about it being a copy and the conditions under which it is being made.
Has anyone else made such a purchase and how did it turn out?

Perhaps this would be a good topic for Martin's Money Moral Dilemma

I wouldn't buys from abroad. You only (normally) get ONE wedding dress in your life - why would you want to compromise and risk something so important? I appreciate the money aspect but you can get something just as stunning here in the UK for a LOT less.

Have a look at this dressesatno9.blogspot.com/2010/09/buying-your-dress-online.html[/url] and then look at her website; she's making my wedding dress because I didn't want to pay>£500 for my dress but wanted on of the same quality as those in the bridal shops.

Let me know what you think! xx

vezza_2

Out of interest, do you have a link to the dress that you are wanting made with this lady?
Also how much she is charging you for it, if im being too nosey you dont have to tell :P

abistar

hiya

Well she doesn't do copies or knock offs, she designs the dress with you; so if there's something out there you like she can do something similar. Because I knew I wanted her to make mine I hadn't gone out looking for "the one" dress, just styles I liked.

So back in the summer I emailed her with what I thought I wanted in a dress which was an A-line dress, in silk organza or silk tulle, with lace up back, sweetheart neckline, with lace on the bust or skirt.

The far left one of these dresses is one that I emailed her a picture of and she said she'd be able to do something similar, with real silk within my budget which I'd said was roughly £500.

thebridalgalleryfinedon.co.uk/designers/sassi-holford

(You'll have to copy and paste and put www. in front cos I'm a newbie!)

I didn't get any further than that or get a quote because after I'd emailed her I entered her competition to win my wedding dress by her.:T On her website she does say though that none of the dresses had cost more than £1000, and there are some elaborate dresses there.

Your best bet is to email her with your budget, and what you want, and see what she can do!

If you fancied helping me with the competition though...:A To win I have to get the most 'likes' on a note on the Dresses at No.9 page on facebook...

All you have to do is go to facebook.com/pages/Dresses-at-No-9/112855082059629 and click the 'like' button, then go to the notes section and you'll find the first one is titled 'Abi Thomas' - just click on it and 'like' it.

You have to like both the page and my note for it to count though.

If I get the most 'likes' out of the 5 finalists I win my wedding dress bespoke designed and hand-made by the above mentioned fab Linda.

Anyway, that's a rather long and rambly post but I hope it helps! And that maybe you can help me too!

abi xxx

cutiepieabf

vezza wrote: »

I like this idea! thanks bubbles. Do you know any where that we could buy the mirror plates cheap as i would need 15 of them :O

an alternative is to use tiles for the centre piece instead of mirrors.
my friend designed her own centre pieces. She bought 3 different heights of vases, lay a few inches of stones in the bottom, half filled with water and floated tea lights on top. She sat them at angles in the centre of the table so it could be viewed from all guests around the round table, and they were sat on a 3x3 square of tiles. these were alternating in shades of brown as that was her colour theme, and the price of a box of them in b&q/homebase is next to nothing. if i can find a photo of them i will post it on here. we decided on this instead of mirrors because the right sized ones were going to cost more on ebay.