I found two gorgeous Maggie Sottero gowns on eBay today that I just had to share! If you are on a budget, either of these gorgeous, formal gowns would be a great deal!

First - a brand new Maggie Sottero gown, with an amazing lace up back and beaded detailing. This gown was purchased for a wedding and then never used. It is a white, size large (10-12) and they are asking $650. The listing does not show the style name, but I am fairly sure it is Capri Royale. Click here for more Maggie Sottero deals on eBay

The second gown is a Maggie Sottero Capri that has been used for one wedding but has never been altered. It retails for over $1000, and they are asking $199, which is quite a steal! The dress is a medium (6-8) in ivory/blush. Click here for more Maggie Sottero deals on eBay

Click here for more Maggie Sottero deals on eBay

The Real Deal | No Comments »

The most heavily populated city in Nevada, Las Vegas is considered not only as a major vacation and shopping destination but also the center of gambling in the United States.

Although it is often called Sin City because of legalized gambling and prostitution, availability of alcoholic beverages, and various forms and degrees of adult entertainment, its glamorous and enchanting image has made it a popular setting in the movies and television programs.

Dubbed as “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” Las Vegas is as well known for its infamous ‘Las Vegas Weddings’ as it is for its tourist attractions.

Las Vegas is by far the most popular destination-wedding spot in the United States (and perhaps the world).

About 120,000 weddings are held in Las Vegas every year, and it is a perfect place for couples (especially celebrities) who want to get married in a quick and different (or unusual) way.

A lot of couples prefer to have a Las Vegas wedding because of the following advantages:

· It is affordable. Las Vegas weddings cost less than traditional wedding ceremonies.

· It can be held on short notice. Most chapels in Las Vegas allow couples to book for their wedding right away - others even accommodate walk-ins!

· It is convenient. Hotels in Las Vegas usually have their own wedding chapels, with a wedding coordinator that takes in charge of all the preparations - from the flowers and music to the officiant and the souvenirs - and can get in touch with the couple on the phone or even online.

· It is fun. Las Vegas weddings offer couples with a fun and amusing way to get married - even with an Elvis impersonator as their officiant!

· It allows couples to start their honeymoon early. After the wedding, there is no need for couples to board a plane and head out of town - Las Vegas is a great honeymoon destination in itself!

Are you (and your partner) thinking of having a destination wedding? Below is a step-by-step guide that will help you get married in Las Vegas:

1. Set a wedding date.

2. Decide on a Las Vegas wedding chapel (check out the chapels in casino-hotels).

3. Speak to a wedding coordinator to know about the information on wedding packages.

4. Book for the date and time of the ceremony that you desire.

5. Make plane and hotel reservations for your friends and families who will come over (and for you if you are not yet in Las Vegas).

6. Make reservations for a festive lunch or dinner (don’t forget the wedding cake!)

7. Obtain a marriage license at the Clark County courthouse at least a day before your wedding.

8. Slip away after the ceremony and the celebration.

Aside from these guidelines, below are the things that you also need to consider when getting married in Las Vegas:

· The holidays. Watch out for ‘peak seasons’ that result to busy wedding days, such as Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve.

· The weather. An extremely hot weather in Las Vegas can be uncomfortable when you are in a tuxedo or a heavy gown (not to mention your makeup and the icing on your wedding cake).

· The dress. There are a number of places in Las Vegas where you can rent wedding dresses for that ’spur-of-the-moment’ weddings.

· The legalities. Make sure that you meet the legal requirements and that you are issued a marriage license before you hold the wedding ceremony.

Now you are ready for the wild and wacky experience of a Las Vegas destination wedding.

Just remember that the most important thing is to recite your vows from the heart, and live them all throuh your marriage.

All the best!

Destination Weddings | 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.

Misc. | 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.

General Planning Tips | No Comments »

If you are planning a small, intimate or informal wedding - this just might be the dress for you! This adorable Suzi Chin Silk Dress with Sash has a sweet vintage feel to it and would be perfect for a summer garden or beach wedding.

It would also make a great reception dress for a more formal wedding! And at $138 - you might actually be able to afford to be a two dress bride!

This champagne colored tea length gown would also make a lovely bridesmaids gown, reception dinner dress, party gown or honeymoon dinner gown!

Available at Macy’s for $138.

Bride's Attire | No Comments »

Hey guys - yesterday I picked up the July/August copy of Brides Magazine and inside, in a JCPenney fold out ad, I found a coupon for $100 off any jewelry purchase of $500 or more in store. If you are still looking to purchase your wedding set, your fiance’s band, your wedding day bling, or gifts for your bridesmaids - this could save you money:) Here is some eye candy from the JC Penney jewelry collection:

Coupon Links | No Comments »

Visit your local Michaels on Saturday, June 28th from 1pm-4pm for their Summer Wedding Event.

They will have FREE demos to help you get started (or finished) with invitations, favors and centerpieces for your wedding.

If you aren’t able to make it you can get the instructions by clicking the links below.

1pm-2pm Chocolate Pocket Invite Kit

Available exclusively at Michaels, this simple do-it-yourself kit comes complete with everything you’ll need to create and customize 30 stylish invitations and response cards.

The Kit includes printable invites, response cards, ribbon, jackets, address labels and seals to make 30. Response card and envelope fits in invite jacket.

Just “wrap” invite in ribbon jacket, seal, label and send.

2pm-3pm Beaded Flower Favor

Wrap 5 jordan almonds in a tulle circle and wrap with coordinating ribbon as a traditional favor idea.

Why five almonds?

Five sugared almonds for each guest to eat to remind us that life is both bitter and sweet. Five wishes for the new husband and wife — Health, wealth, happiness, children, and a long life!

3pm-4pm Princess Candlescape

A terrific trio of candles surrounded by Stephanotis creates a gorgeous presentation in the center of all the reception tables. Coordinate the candles or flowers to your wedding colors.

The significance of stephanotis = Fit for a crown, something special - The Bridal Good Luck flower.

If you attend the event, take photos and let us know what you used and where we can see the pictures.

Uncategorized | No Comments »

It’s been a while since we had an installment of The Real Deal - so I thought i would put one together for you. I always love flipping through page after page of “designer wedding gowns” on ebay to find the ones that are really a good deal (aka - not a cheap knock off, lol) Take a look at some of my favorites today:

VERA WANG baby! This gorgeous gown is an authentic Vera Wang that normally retails for $4k. It was a bridal shop sample, and is a size 10. It is a definite steal at $1450!

Pallas Athena is the designer behind this gorgeous number. This one is a used gown, which has been worn for one wedding but it looks to be in pristine condition. It is a size 8, and is currently listed for $299.

I’m not sure who the designer behind this one is, but I love it anyway! It’s a soft pink color, with gorgeous detailing and a very sexy silhouette! This one is currently listed at $295 with a Buy It Now of only $495 and it is approximately a size 6-8.

The Real Deal | No Comments »

We’ve written about candy buffets A LOT! (Click here for the other posts and pics!) Check out this amazing pic that Darcy posted on the Martha Stewart Weddings Blog! LOVE IT!

Candy Buffets | No Comments »

I discovered this stunning deal on Lee Valley thanks to Miss Hummingbird. Little tin favor cases are a great way to package your wedding favors - and the prices on these are unbelievable! These ones from Lee Valley come in three sizes, and I would probably go for the middle size. That size comes in sets of 12 for $5.20 - that’s about 43 cents each! You can decorate them with a label showcasing your theme or monogram, some ribbon or just fill with a matching candy color and use as is with today’s popular silver themed weddings!

Uncategorized | No Comments »