As you begin to plan your dream wedding on a budget to count out eBay as a source for all your wedding needs.

What can you find on eBay for your wedding?  Anything!!

• Wedding Dress
• Bride’s Maid Dresses
• Flower Girl Dress
• Flowers
• Veil
• Tiara
• Shoes
• Bridal Accessories
• Wedding Favors
• Wedding Decorations
• Wedding Rings
• Honeymoon

Virtually anything you can think of for a wedding can be found on eBay.

Follow along with us as we embark on a series of posts geared toward helping you plan your budget dream wedding with eBay.

Click Here for Weddings on eBay!

Wedding Planning, eBargains | No Comments »

While there are no absolute or “official” rules on who pays for what, I hope to shed some light for the most commonly used guidelines.

Traditionally, the majority of the wedding is paid for by the brides’ family. But because of today’s society with increasing costs of weddings, these obligations will usually depend on the circumstance and/or situation.

It is best to discuss this when both families can be present so they can decide on the best possible solution for each family’s needs. Below I have compiled a list of whom (traditionally speaking) pays for what.

The Bride
• The wedding ring for the groom
• A wedding gift for the groom
• Gifts for all bridal attendants
• Accommodations for out of town guests

The Groom
• The bride’s engagement ring and wedding rings
• A wedding gift for the bride to be
• Gifts for the best man and ushers
• Grooms wedding attire (tux rental, etc..)
• Bride’s bouquet and going-away corsage
• Mothers’ corsage
• Boutonnieres for attendants and fathers
• Marriage license
• Clergyman’s fee
• The honeymoon expenses
• Bachelor’s dinner (if not already given by best man)

The Bride’s Family
• Engagement party (optional)
• Ceremony cost: location, rental, music, & all related expenses
• Entire cost of reception: food, beverages, entertainment, rental items, decorations, wedding cake
• Bride’s wedding attire and accessories
• A wedding gift for the couple
• Wedding invitations, announcements, and mailing costs
• Bridesmaids’ bouquets
• Transportation for bridal party from bride’s home to where the ceremony will be taken place at
• Bridesmaids’ luncheon
• Photography (groom’s parents might pay for the pictures they want)
• Personal wedding attire
• Floral decorations
• Special items they may wish to purchase: toasting goblets, ring pillow, etc…

The Groom’s Family
• Rehearsal dinner party
• Personal wedding attire
• Travel and accommodations for groom’s family
• Wedding gifts for the bride and the groom
• Special items that they may wish to purchase: toasting goblets, ring pillow, etc…
• Any general expenses they may wish to purchase

The Attendants
• Wedding attire for themselves
• Any travel expenses
• Wedding gifts for the bride and groom
• Showers given by maid of honor or bridesmaids
• Bachelor party given by the best man or ushers

The Bride and Groom
• Gifts of appreciation for parents or others who have helped with your wedding
• Expenses of items desired which have exceeded the original budget allocations

Wedding Planning | 3 Comments »

The wedding is just the beginning. There’s plenty of excitement planning the honeymoon as well, from choosing a travel adventure to deciding on what to bring along on the journey. And for many, planning this great “escape” is just as important as planning the actual wedding.

Regardless of where you decide to go, there are some things you should know to make it the kind of experience you want it to be.

First, you must decide on a budget. If money is not an issue, bon-voyage! However, if you’re like most engaged couples, you’re already paying more than you anticipated. Establish a budget and use it as a guide.

You’ll also need to decide whether you want an all-inclusive, one-price-does-it-all, leave-the-wallet-at-home type of trip, or a more do-it-yourself package with car rental, lodging, food, and activities on an a la carte basis. Cruises technically fall under the all-inclusive category, as do resorts.

Of course, honeymoon budgeting takes on a new meaning if you decide to do a “destination wedding”. These are becoming very popular as more and more couples decide to forego the traditional wedding costs in addition to the honeymoon expense and are especially popular for second marriages. It’s easier to get married in some countries than others, so be sure to check with a reliable source, like a country’s consulate or the U.S. Department of State, before making any arrangements.

Now you need to book and pay for this trip. Many honeymoon suppliers offer special rates for early booking, which may or may not include airfare. Packages that include airfare can offer significant savings because retailers buy airline seats in at a discount, then package hotel, and sometimes car rentals as well.

You may also want to consider using a honeymoon gift registry to help with expenses. Check with your local travel agent to see if they offer this kind of service or you can investigate more on the internet.

Here’s a quick list of Honeymoon Registry Sites:

• HoneyLuna.com
• TravelersJoy.com
• HoneymoonWishes.com
• Sandals.com

Honeymoon registries allow guests, friends and family to contribute toward specific elements of your honeymoon, like shore excursions, parasailing, spa services, and tours.

Wedding Night & Honeymoon Worksheet

Your Honeymoon Budget

Before You Go… Wardrobe necessities: _____ Luggage: _________________ Passport/passport photos: ________________ Inoculations/medicines: ___ Sundries (suntan lotion): __ Extra pair of sun/glasses: _ Child care/pet care: _______ Camera & film: ___________ Transportation To Your Honeymoon IF FLYING… Airfare for two: ___________ Transportation to/from airport: _________________________ _________________________ Long-term parking: ______ IF DRIVING… Rental car: ______________ Gasoline: _______________ Tolls: ___________________ Snacks/meals on the road: _________________________ Other: _________________________

avel Package Yes No Total Cost: _______________ Expenses while at destination Lodging (rate x nights): ___ Transfers form airport: ____ Breakfast for ____ days: ___ Lunch for ____ days: ______ Dinner for ____ nights: ____ Snack for ____ days: ______ Tips for ____ days: ________ Entertainment (such as shows, tours, local sights, museums, etc..): __________________ Mementos from trip: ________ Other: _____________________ ___________________________ Transportation while at destination Rental car: ________________ Gas: ______________________ Public transportation: ______ Taxi: _____________________ Rail express (Europe): _____ Inter-island transfers: _____ Other:____________________

After The Honeymoon Checklist

Write thank-you notes for your gifts. Every gift-giver should receive a handwritten note within a month of the wedding.

Preserve your wedding dress. Have your gown, veil and headpiece professionally dry-cleaned. Inquire about various storage methods.

Deposit wedding gift checks, bonds, stock certificates. Pay outstanding wedding bills.

Develop film, choose photographs & review the videos. Develop any film taken at the wedding and on the honeymoon. Review photographer’s proofs; review wedding video to determine edited length and special editing techniques. Choose photos for wedding album and order wedding prints for yourselves, relatives and friends. Put other photos in albums.

Get together with family and friends. Invite attendants, friends and family members to your home to view the honeymoon photos and video.

Discuss a home budget and financial goals.

Evaluate your insurance needs. Consult your agent on health, car and life insurance, which may have to be adjusted to reflect married status. Have wedding gifts appraised and insured.

Gifts & Registeries, Honeymoon | No Comments »

Planning for a wedding is not an easy task.

It could be an extremely stressful, and trying time, especially as the big day approaches. When couples worry about coordinating all of the details of the wedding, just to make sure everything goes according to plan.

Probably, one of the most important details of the wedding that a couple has to decide on is the actual date of the wedding. This is usually the detail that is taken care of first. Factors in choosing a date include: the availability of the venue where the wedding will take place. Availability of friends and family on the assigned date.

Some venues where weddings are held offer discounts on days when traditionally, weddings are not held. Also, the time the wedding takes place also become a factor in the expense. For example, mornings, and afternoon receptions are somewhat more cheaper that receptions held at nighttime.

It is also advisable to set a budget, even before a couple start to make plans. This way they’d be able to organize the details according to the budget they could afford.

Once you’ve done this, you can now choose a venue for the wedding. Some places offer discounts, depending on the time of year. Just after the holidays, would be a good time to hold a wedding, if you are considering the cost. This time is not considered a ‘peak time’, therefore the price tend to be less expensive.

For couples who are about to get married, it is important to talk about the size of wedding they both have in mind. The dream wedding of one person might not be that of the other. So it is necessary for couples to discuss details regarding the arrangement of the wedding, such as: the location of the venue/reception, the number of people who get invited to the wedding reception, and the choice of entertainment.

It is important to reach an agreement pertaining to the guest list and the entourage. Whether you want to keep the wedding an intimate affair, in which case the bride and groom will just invite their family and friends; or  maybe, they’d want to make this affair, into the wedding of the century. In which case, the bride and groom get to invite the whole neighborhood, long lost relatives, high school buddies, etc., in  addition to their friends and family. When making the guest list, consider the space capacity of your chosen venue.

Hire a professional to capture this momentous occasion. Sure you friends can take good pictures, and most of them own a camcorder. But for this special occasion, you would want something special, lasting, and visually presentable. So you’d have something to remember this occasion by. This way you could also share them with your friends and family.
Don’t forget the cake! It’s best to have a tasting first, before settling on a cake. Invite your family and friends, for the cake tasting. This way, this task becomes fun for everyone!

Order wedding invitations. If you want to get creative, you can always print your own invites. This way, you can customize them, and add a more personal touch to the invitation.

Don’t forget to start looking for a wedding gown months before the wedding. This way, the bride has plenty of time to make a selection. Also, the groom should make arrangement to rent or buy a tuxedo, preferably in advance also. Just in case you encounter some trouble with the fitting, you’d have some time to make other arrangements.
Couples who don’t have enough time on their hands, or just find the preparations that go into planning a wedding too overwhelming, can always just hire a wedding planner! This way, everything gets organized and coordinated for them.

Getting Started | No Comments »

Sending Thank You Notes to Wedding Guests

After the wedding is over and the hot steamy honey moon is almost done, you will have to pause and think about the people who showed up to your wedding day.

Thinking of those people will never be sufficient. Adhering to wedding etiquette, you should appreciate your guests and show your appreciation through a material token.

That is where thank you notes come into the picture. Wedding experts and society or lifestyle gurus advise married couples to send out tokens of appreciation or simple thank you notes to their wedding guests at least two weeks after the event.

Thank you notes should or must be sent especially for those friends or guests who showed up with wedding gifts. Wedding etiquette will also have you send thank you notes to people who were not able to come to the wedding, but sent in their gifts, or even to people you have invited but did not show up at all and did not even bother to buy you any gift.

It is not against wedding etiquette to buy thank you note templates, but be sure to personalize it by adding your personal hand written notes of appreciation.

Writing The Thank You Notes

There are a few do’s and don’ts to help you write your wedding thank you notes.

Paper choice is important but not as strict as it once was.  Used to be the paper used for the notes was written on white or ivory-colored paper.  Today you have more choice and can use Thank You cards that match the rest of your wedding stationery. Some couple prefer to have their thank you notes monogrammed, but others feel its just okay if everything is handwritten. It’s completely up to you.
Quick Thank You Note Guidelines:

o  Remember to send Thank You notes to relatives and people who coordinated showers and parties for the both of you. It would be okay if you thank them for the efforts within the same card sent to them for their gifts.

o  Wedding etiquette suggests that you appreciate each gift you have received. That means each and every gift should be recognized through its own thank you note. Perhaps you can include a personal note about where you’ll display Aunt Kelly’s Fruit Bowl.

o  Make sure you send Thank You notes to people that sent gifts that arrived before the wedding.  You will get them out of the way and have less of a chance to forget sending out thank you notes for them.

o  It might be time and money saving, but it is not advisable to send out preprinted thank you notes. Sending preprinted cards will give the person receiving the thank you note the impression that his or her effort or gift was not totally appreciated. A personal handwritten note relays the depth of your appreciation of the gift.

o  Personalize your Thank You note by handwriting the message. Warm but short thank you notes are better than longer but non-personalized or insincere notes.

o  Write your thank you note message in blue or black ink. It is for the simple reason that the colors are far more readable.

o  It is “proper wedding etiquette” to include your new return address on every thank you note you have sent. The recipients will greatly appreciate the gesture if he or she is informed or posted of your new and correct address.

Sending Thank You note can be an easy process.  Just remember to include them on your wedding checklist - you have one, right?

Etiquette | No Comments »

And for the rest of their lives, the man and woman shall be together….

Doesn’t it sound romantic? For the man and the woman to leave their families to be as one, to form a new family? It has been like this from time immemorial. And throughout the millennia, the concept of family and marriage have been so closely knotted together that it is sometimes impossible to separate one from the other.

Marriage is present in every culture in some form. Although the laws, norms, and cultures may differ, they all still recognize the union of man and woman under one roof.

Marriage has evolved in so many ways from the different cultures all throughout the world throughout the ages. For each culture, there are diverse ways of celebrating something like marriage. But in each culture, there has always been one thing that has remained the same – that in every culture, and every tribe, marriage has always been one to be celebrated with the utmost of festivities, with singing, eating, and celebrating.

Along with these festivities, man has also adopted a growing, and evolving number of traditions each filled with meaning and – believe it or not – shocking origins.

The Wedding Cake

Today’s tall, elaborated, and delicately crafted wedding cakes evolved from the simple grooms-cakes made by family members for the bride. Before the wedding day, one of theses cakes was put under the pillow of the bride. The bride would then sleep and “dream” of the groom, and yes, squish that cake into oblivion.

The real wedding cake would be a pound cake that would be “pound up” and crumbled and tossed at the couple as a sign of fertility. That is where we get today’s custom of sprinkling the couple with rice after the wedding.

Cakes during weddings are usually stacked up in large layers. The higher the stack, the more ‘glamorous’ the cake. People usually regard these arrangements are mere style. However, they were done so in the past as a symbol of fertility. Couples would stack these cakes to symbolize how many children the wished to have. So in the past, the higher the stack, the more the children.

Tying the Knot

Now the truth can be told. Tying the knot did not necessarily mean getting knotted together.

During ancient tribal times, the bride would usually be wrapped in a sheet with a knot out in front. This was to symbolize virginity. ‘Untying the knot’ was the groom’s privilege after the wedding the night.

Best Man – Secret Agent

And startling enough, the best man used to play a different role in the early days. During tribal times, it was the best man’s duty to abduct potential brides from other tribes. He would usually do so by clubbing the poor damsel over the head and drag her back home – just like those comic skits about cavemen seem to suggest. It was also the best man’s job to ward off the angry relatives of the bride. So in the early days, it was the best man swinging his axe while the groom got hitched.

Today
Although we are a little less barbaric than earlier times, we still see an evolution of the wedding ceremony and its tradition. These traditions are filled with meaning and can only serve to make your wedding day more memorable.

Wedding Planning | No Comments »

Almost every girl has a picture of her ideal wedding in her mind.  She may dream up something that she can visualize when reading fairy tales that end with “…and they live happily ever after.”  She sees flowers, ribbons and laces.

However, when her wedding day comes, she may have other considerations on her mind.

She still dreams of her ideal wedding but she starts incorporating other subjects that represent her and her groom.  The bride will probably consider the current trends in wedding fashion and decoration.  And the most important subject to talk about when choosing decorations - the cost.

Nobody wants to spend the first few months of being married paying of debts made during the wedding preparations so we’ve prepared a list of budget saving wedding ideas.

Personalize The Decorations -Not only does this add a personal touch to the celebration but this also cuts down on the cost.  For example, if the bride or the groom is a photographer, they may choose having photos from their collection made the main subjects for the reception design.  The photos may also be used for invitations and keepsakes,

Consider Renting -Most of the items that will be used for decorations will not be used again.  These include the centerpieces, the vases, the arc ways and the artificial flower arrangements.  So ask your wedding decorator for options to rent these pieces.

Kids can get bored during the wedding reception.  So instead of having kids seated at the same table with the adults, you can have an area where kids can be more casual and can have a small party of their own.

Marriage is a union of families - During the wedding ceremony, if possible, you may alter some of the practices to include the children of the bride or groom from previous marriage or the parents and families of the couple.  Having them perform a special union rite will signify that the wedding is not just a union of two people but also of two families.

For the food during the reception, you may inquire with cooking or culinary arts schools.  They may agree to cater for the reception for just the price of the food, or perhaps, a little more.  You may also have a pot luck by asking family members and close friends to cook a dish.

If you wanted to cut down on the cost for the wedding party, you can just invite more people to the engagement party.  Usually, only cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are served, which cost less than the full set of meals for the wedding reception guests.

For the music, you can look for a local college band or DJ.  You can also have your favorite songs just downloaded from the Internet and saved to an mp3 player or CD to be played over the speakers during the reception.

When considering the cost of church decorations, check if there will be another couple that will get married on the same day.  They may want to coordinate what decorations can be used for both wedding ceremonies to lessen the need to change decorations before or after the wedding and to split the cost.

So, there you have it.  Seven ideas that will help save your wedding budget.

Wedding Planning | No Comments »

Most of us can’t afford to hire a wedding planner like Mindy Weiss - her services were behind some of hollywoods gorgeous weddings including Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey, Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale and Heidi Klum and Seal. Fortunately for us, Mindy Weiss has decided to publish her own wedding planning book, called The Wedding Book: The Big Book for your Big Day!

The book includes planning ideas, tips, worksheets, terms to know, and plenty more. SO - you can have a “mindy weiss” wedding without the “mindy weiss” price tag. This great book is available at bookstores, or online through Amazon.com for about $14!.  There are also book tour dates coming up, check out the schedule here.

In The News, Wedding Planning | No Comments »

There are a lot of different ways to describe a ring. Material, diamond shape, carat, diamond color, diamond clarity, etc. I found a site called 77 Diamonds that actually helps simplify this a little. First - you pick the diamond shape and ring style. Then you can change the color, clarity and carat to see what the different price ranges are for that style.

For example, lets take a look at this trilogy engagement ring design:

Now, for this ring, you have the options of carats ranging from .4 to 2 carats or more. Their carat weight chart gives you an idea of what the actual diamond size is for each carat. The larger the carat weight, the bigger the diamond.

You also have a choice of colors from K (light yellow) to D (perfectly white). Most brides will probably choose a diamond somewhere between H (white) and D (perfectly white).  Ratings of D, E and F are the purest, rarest and of course, most expensive diamonds. Diamonds rated G or H may have a slight coloration, but so slight that it would only be noticeable if compared with a higher graded diamond. This makes them a great option for a bride who needs an affordable engagement ring without sacrificing size.    How much difference does color make? Well, a 1 carat ring like the one above, with a VS2 clarity (to be discussed shortly) and a color rating of D would cost you $5000. The same ring, with a color rating of H would cost you $3400.

The other option will see is the clarity. Clarity is ranked from SI3 (slightly included) to IF (internally flawless). This refers to the natural inclusions which can be seen under a 10x magnification. So - an IF is much rarer and much more costly then a SI3.  Most brides will go with a VS1 or VS2, which has natural inclusions barely visible under magnification. If you are on a budget, you might consider an SI1, which has noticable inclusions under magnification but is barely noticable to the human eye. How much difference does this make? Lets use the same example, 1 carat, with an H color rating. With a IF rating, your cost will be $7259. With a SI1, you would be looking at $2700! Now that is a HUGE difference, but the actual look and size of the ring to the human eye is the same.

One more quick case study, using the same ring above:

.5 Carat, D color, IF clarity: $2900

.5 Carat, H color,  VS2 clarity: $1150

Yes- the first ring has diamonds that have a higher value and will always be worth more. But - both rings are the same size and look, and for a bride with a limited budget, color and clarity considerations are a great way to make sure you are getting an engagement ring you love, and can afford!

Wedding Planning | No Comments »

You may heard that the average cost of a single wedding is around $27,000.

Now get ready for this one.

Can you believe that the average cost of a SECOND  wedding is around $12,000?

In other words, the first timers (probably without any experience) spend more than twice of what the second timers spend.

That tells me that having experience can save you more than $10,000.

Of course, there may be other factors like number of guests and wedding qualities. But I guarantee that experience and know-how’s are the main factors.

If you want to know how you can save $1,000’s or even $10,000’s for your wedding, I strongly recommend that you read Erica Yoon’s Amazing Wedding Planning guide. She has saved over $10,000 on her wedding and reveals just exactly how she did it.

And she will also layout the process in easy to follow step-by-step so you can duplicate the process.

For more information… visit her website

You choose whether you want to spend $27,000 or $12,000.

Getting Started, Wedding Planning | 1 Comment »