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Monday, December 7, 2009

Holiday Gifts For The Bride from the Practical to the Ridiculous



OK, I'm on my third cup of coffee and my mind is racing. I'm not ready for the holidays and I have to find a gift for a bride to be. So here's some ideas I've come up with and maybe while I'm brainstorming with my virtual world friends, I'll find the perfect gift.

The usual culprits: A gift card for the couple from their registry store. They get to choose what they want or what they need. Simple to pick up a gift card, not very imaginative, but very useful.

A frilly sexy nightie for the honeymoon.


A spa day if she's all stressed out.


Bridal Party Tees for a personalized tee shirt telling the world she's about to wed.

If the bride and groom have a great sense of humor:
a cake topper called the Love Pinch. From the front, its a traditional wedding
cake topper, from the back, woo hoo! I love it! This might be THE
gift.




Run for the hills when she opens this gift: A portable
Stripper Pole! Who knew you could actually buy something like this online? Cross that idea off my list, but I'm bookmarking the site because you never know. ;)

Wedding Blog of the Week

Just discovered a way cool wedding blog with a fresh perspective written by a friend. I am thrilled that Kerrie is sharing her finds and trends with all of us so please visit her blog. Kerrie has a knack for finding and ID-ing trends before they happen. How does she do it? I don't know. Where DID she find that?

Bridal Gown Blog has a cool slant on weddings. Not only is Kerrie a wedding industry pro, but she's a recent bride who had a fab, elegant, trendy, fun wedding!

Kerrie's managed to find the most fun, outrageous accessories that made her wedding freaking ah-mazing. She did a black and white polka dot theme with hot pink accents. She had a candy bar with personalized cookies using chinese take out containers. Yum. Ate the candy all the flight home...the plane hit turbulence, you could hear the black and pink candy jangling under the seat. The flight attendant had to come and check it out, we ended up sharing with everyone around us and still had candy stashed for later.

Kerrie also did a monogramed aisle cloth that was light years ahead of its time. And she wore three wedding dresses...well, one and a combo of two dresses. Read her story here: Confessions of A Three Dress Bride. What she didn't tell you is that the the designer of one of the dresses was a guest at her wedding. Actually, she designed the top of the tea length dress. When asked which dress she designed...she answered....I think the top of the reception dress. Don't hate me for spilling your secrets!
Go read Kerrie's blog. You'll love her.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Buy Your Wedding Dress in December and Save Money!

Holiday Purple


Now is the time to buy that wedding dress if you want to save
yourself a lot of cash. December is the doldrums in the bridal
industry. Bridal shops are willing to make a deal and eBay
has deals on CURRENT, NAME BRAND wedding dresses
at a fraction of retail.

Bridal shops have to make room for new inventory, pay
year end taxes and make payroll. Ask for a discount,
nicely, of course. Don't expect to get a wedding dress
for three grand for a hundred bucks, but make a
reasonable offer.They may offer to throw in some
freebies that you need like
a veil, tiara, crinoline or bra. Free is good, its money
in the bank in savings. Ask them "Is this the best you
can do on this dress? What if I take the sample on
the rack and pay today?" Smile, smile, smile!
Most will be willing to negotiate in this economy.
You'll have your dress, they'll have some cash flow.
Win/win situation.

eBay has great deals on wedding dresses just make
sure you are not buying a knock off from China.
If the deal is too good to be true, it probably
is...you can't buy a wedding dress for 97 cents.
Geeze, you can't buy a tee shirt for 97 cents. But
now is the time to snag that deal on a bargain
wedding dress.

Here are two sellers that I know personally that
are selling name brand dresses at a steal!
I can personally vouch for them both:

Name brand wedding dresses at a discount!
Casablanca current styles at below retail, other
famous name wedding dresses starting at $90!

Wedding dresses from $99.00. This seller has
a lot of couture dresses at give away prices.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Holiday Diet Tips & Fitting Into Your Wedding Dress

Dear Weddingzilla,

I am getting married in February. How
can I get through the holidays and not gain
weight? I'm freaking out that my wedding dress
won't fit!!
Abbie

Dear Abby,
We took your question to our diet guru, Eileen.
I would tell you to have fun and have your dress
let out, but Eileen has the inside scoop..so here
goes:

Abby: The number one diet busters at the holidays
are alcohol and sweets. If you avoid both of them,
you'll avoid large weight gains. But its not easy to
do, so here are some suggestions.

  • Eat healthy low calorie foods before the party so you aren't tempted to over indulge.
  • Nibble on fresh veggies at the party and avoid "over dipping" because the dips are laden with calories.
  • Drink soda water, diet drinks or cut a glass of wine with club soda or diet soda like Sprite or 7Up. Less calories and you still get to enjoy a wine cooler.
  • Pass on dishes with heavy creams, cheeses and heavy butter.
  • Take smaller portions of whatever is tempting you at that moment so you won't feel deprived and over indulge later on.
  • Have fresh fruit for desert.
  • Exercise! Take a walk, ride a bike, hit the gym to work off any extra calories. Or get physical and play the Wii, some of the games give you a decent workout!


Easy weight loss that works! Eat FREE for 3 weeks!


Thanks Eileen... its Weddingzilla again.
Now here's my tip: It will cost you a lot
of $$$ and stress if your dress doesn't fit
as the wedding nears. Avoid the stress by
following Eileen's tips. If you fall off the
wagon at a holiday party, don't beat yourself
up, just don't repeat! Happy holidays!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Go Green: Recycle a Bridesmaid Dress Into a Holiday Dress

Its holiday time and you need a party dress
for the holidays and your budget is busted.
Join the crowd! Your closet can be your friend
and its easier than you think! Grab a bridesmaid
dress and think of how it can be redesigned
to fit the occasion. Dark colored dresses or
holiday colors are the best bets. Nix the
poofed rouched skirts, you'll never wear them
again except for a Halloween costume.

First, remove everything on the dress that looks
like a bridesmaid dress...get rid of the bows
and the streamers. Put the dress on and look
at how it would look shortened. Tuck it up or
get help from a friend to see how it would
look shortened. If you sew or someone you know
does, shorten it yourself. If you are afraid
to tackle it, take it to a seamstress. Its
a lot less expensive to pay for a hem than
to buy a new dress.

Does it have spaghetti straps?
Will it stay up without them? Remove them or
add straps to give it a different look.

Add great accessories! Lots of chain necklaces
or a bold necklace from your own collection,
a belt in place of the ribbon at the waistline,
cool shoes and bag. Voila...recycling, saving
a lot of money and you'll look like a million.

Weird Strange Wedding Dress, Its See Through!




I see England, I see France,
I see the brides under pants!
OMG, just when you think you've seen
it all, a designer from Spain designs
a completely see through wedding dress.
I love the interplay of sweet ruffles and
the bib on the front of the dress,
the virginal puffed sleeves and then
its completely see through!!!
I thought it was a costume from the Follies
Bergere can can scene...where the ladies
get naughty with their skirts. But, nooooo,
its a wedding dress!

Are you kidding me? You think you'll ever
see anything like this on the rack at the
bridal salon? Think it will ever be
mass produced?

I can picture the mother of the grooms face
just before she drops on the floor screaming.
Or the face of the officiant as the bride
walks down the aisle. Or the grooms face
as she prances down the aisle in front of
his grandmother and his buddies. This dress
won't pass muster even in granny panties and
granny's bra. Its ridiculous.

Line the damn thing and sell it to some
chick who set the clock back 20 years.
Those hi neck ruffly confections went out
with the 80's. Its a complete head
smacker! And now we know why the
model looks so pissed off....

Great Personalized Gifts For Him and the Groomsmen

Looking for an unusual gift for your man
or for the men in your life? What about
the groomsmen? We got turned on to this
web site called A Gift Personalized
that has the coolest, most unusual
gifts that are personalized and affordable.
I've ordered some for the men on my gift
list...none of them want ANOTHER sweater
or shirt and I am tired of beating my
head against the wall looking for ideas.
When I found this site, it was like Woo Hoo!
Here's a coupon to get you started:
Save $10 on engraved gifts when you spend $75. Use coupon 10off75.







Your biker buddies will appreciate this cruiser inspired personalized sign. Makes the perfect personalized gift for anyone who owns a bike or just wishes they did. Each design is printed directly onto the wood base for lasting quality. Measures 9" x 12". Personalized with first name, last name and year established.










This roadhouse pub sign lets your guests know they can enjoy some rockin' music at your all-American establishment. Suitable for home or place of business, this colorful vintage sign on an imitation brick background includes name of owner and date. Measures 9" x 12". Personalized with first name, last name and year established.









Here's a new way to honor your favorite team! Shots taste great in this officially licensed NFL shot glass, available with all 32 NFL team logos imprinted on front. On the back of the heavy-duty glass, you'll find plenty of room for a name and a proclamation of his devotion to the team. Holds 2 ounces. Personalized with two lines of up to 15 characters per line.



Groomsmen Gifts. Free engraving, fast shipping, huge selection.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Wedding Bargains, Wedding Coupons, Wedding Deals, Wedding Freebies

The best bridal coupon EVER from
the Knot. Don't waste any time!
It ends up being FREE!! I love free.
Take $10 off $10+ at The Knot Wedding Shop this weekend only! Enter code BRIDECASH at checkout. Hurry – offer expires 10/25.
You'll never know what you'll find on sale
at the Knot, but it will always be less money
than you'll pay elsewhere. Everything from favors,
ribbons, wedding accessories, you name it, you'll
probably find it here and you'll find it at great
prices.
On Sale at The Knot Wedding Shop
The Knot currently has a screaming deal on
wedding bubbles.....yours can be FREE!!

Bridal Favors from Hanson Ellis
Free Standard Shipping on orders $75 or more. Enter code: FREESHIP09


From My Wedding Favors:
Enter coupon code TAKE25 to receive $25 off orders over $200.

From BeauCoup Favors:
Free Shipping for orders over $125 (Code: FREESHIP)

There are always coupons for wedding
invitations here and their invitations
are awesome!
Wedding Paper Divas
Wedding Invitations & Bridal Shower Invitations

Here's a current coupon:
Stylish Save the Dates, Wedding Invites and More - Save $10 on orders of $99. Use coupon AFL10

Wedding Supplies- NOW 80% OFF. Save the date cards, announcments, invitations and more!

Check out the wedding freebies at Vista Print,
I love this stuff and its real quality. We use
them all the time. You can use the postcards
for shower invitations or response cards.
Everything is Free at VistaPrint!

Get Your Own Wedding Website:
Get 25% off a 1 year Wedding Tracker subscription with promo code AFF25. Start your free trial today!

Save on your wedding dress:
Designer Wedding Dress & Bridal Gowns at 80% off retail prices. In stock and ready to ship in you size.

600 free photos from your wedding

Free! Wedding Hairstyle help, this is so cool!
Sign-Up for FREE at TheHairStyler.com!

From Things Remembered:
15% Off Any Online Order! Use Code: FALLGIFT *Not Valid on Sale Items and Personalization.

Everyone Has A Wedding Budget!

Every wedding couple struggles with
their wedding budget. We spend hours
figuring it out and then weeks trying to
keep in budget. Its work, its stress,
its hard and its a point of contention.

You've all heard of people who've had a
huge bash and did it all on a budget that
even you can afford. Every bride is on the
internet telling you how to do it. Sometimes
it involves a huge amount of luck, knowing
the right people or being in the right
place at the right time to get the deal.
It ALWAYS involves a lot of hard work
and time.

There is a huge difference between
want and affording. Here's how we help
brides get figure out what is important
and what isn't.

Make a list of 5 things that you can't
compromise on at your wedding.
Mine would be:
Wedding Dress
Good food
Music and dancing etc.

Then make a list of 5 things that aren't
all that important at your wedding.
Mine would be:
Calligraphy seating cards
Favors
Champagne or chocolate fountain, etc.

Then make a list of 5 things you can do
to achieve you must haves and get more $$$.
Mine would be:
Forgo Starbucks and brew my own
Brown bag lunch
Pizza instead of an expensive dinner
Garage sale for extra cash

Then work your plan!

Doing it yourself (DIY) will help you save money
but it involves time. I'm going to start a series of
the very best deals I can find on the internet
to save you money, time and effort. If you don't
have the talent to DIY or the time to DIY, we'll
find you the deal to save you time and money!

Are Wedding Magazines Out Of Touch?

The last issue of Modern Bride just arrived in
my mailbox. Conde Nast just axed Elegant
Bride and Modern Bride. No official word why,
but thumbing through the pages gives some hints:
Who is their audience? Little girls with fantasies
of Prince Charming playing dress up?
Who can afford this crap and who has the money
to pay for this stuff? How many of us can afford to
go to Tahiti and Bora Bora on their honeymoon for
two weeks? And WHO has a bedroom that
looks like the suite of a hotel? Mine is just lucky to
have matching sheets on the bed. Geeze.

The dresses are fugly....totally fugly and not what
brides want. Who wants to look like a ruffled
wedding cake on the dance floor? And how many
brides can pull off a one shouldered gown? OMG..
lets accent the hips so everyone can see and make
comments that we were born to bear children.

Weddings are getting simpler and dresses are
getting rufflier and fancier. Out of touch with
brides? Yup. Have these magazine editors and
designers ever spent a day in the bridal salons to see
what real brides are buying? Give the people what they
want and they'll buy the magazines. Give them a dress
they want and they'll buy it.

Elegant Bride featured a see through dress with a
pinafore top. I threw up a little in my mouth.
No self respecting drag queen who would put on that
ruffled confection and no real life bride would want to
walk down the aisle looking like a naked Little Bo Peep.

These magazines show "real life weddings" that are
out of reach of the average couple's budget. Who can
relate? Sure, its fun to look at the pictures and get
ideas, but come on....these weddings are the exceptions
to the norm. We can't afford them. And if we could,
would we? Or would we buy a house? For all of
us who weren't born with a silver spoon in our
mouth, we can't comprehend their budget. We are
too busy trying to pay the rent, put gas in our cars
and food on the table. And we aren't buying fantasy
magazines....

Monday, October 12, 2009

Tips For Buying Your Wedding Shoes

Next to the search for the wedding dress, looking for your wedding shoes are one of the hardest things on your to do list. You might have to sacrifice comfort for style. You might have to choose comfort over style. You might have to choose price over comfort. Or you can go on the quest for comfort, style and price as most brides do. Expect to do a lot of shopping and expect a lot of frustration.


Wedding shoes are a once in a lifetime purchase. They are part of your wedding attire and will show when you take off your garter, so you want them to complete your look. Remember to budget in wedding shoes so you don't think of them as an additional afterthought expense.


Why are wedding shoes so hard to find?


Most retail stores don't stock them, they order them because its expensive to stock a lot of shoes that will go out of style or may discolor if they sit on their shelf for long periods of time. Most shoes will not discolor, but if they are cheap shoes with glued on satin, the glue may yellow and give the shoes a yellowish color.


Wedding shoes are special occasion shoes and the demand isn't the same as a flip flop or pair of cute boots.


Wedding shoe buying tips:


Shop early and keep your options open. Shop so that you have your shoes in time for alterations because your hem length on your dress is dependent on the size of your shoe heel. You may need to buy the shoes before you order your wedding dress if you are having your dress ordered with your hem length.


Some brides decide to wear a color to match the accent on their wedding dress. If you decide to do color, make sure you wear color accents in your jewelry to tie it all together.


Don't rule out leather shoes. There is no rule that your wedding shoes have to be fabric. Fabric shoes don't breathe like leather and don't stretch like leather.


Look for a shoe that supports your foot and ankle and that you can stand and dance in for long periods of time.


If you choose a heel, look for a shoe that has padding in the ball of the foot so your feet don't start to burn and hurt.

Strappy shoes can cut into your feet after standing a long time and cause blisters.


Feet will swell as the day goes on. Buy them large enough to accommodate dancing and happy feet. You can put in a comfort gel pad and take it out as your feet swell.


Buy shoes that you can wear all day. Taking off your shoes at the reception looks tacky and will make your dress too long. You risk falling or tripping if your dress is too long, not to mention having your feet stepped on with your dance partner.


There is a huge difference in quality in wedding shoes. Price doesn't always indicate quality. Sometimes you are paying for the designers name. Sometimes you are paying for silk shoes versus satin or polyester fabric. Some of the same shoes that are unaffordable in silk can be ordered in a less expensive fabric so you have the same look at a more affordable price.


If the shoe rubs your foot, pinches or feels like it won't bend, don't buy it.


If the shoe is too big at the heel of the shoe, see if adding a heel pad will make a difference or try a shoe size down. If you walk out of the shoe, don't buy it.


If the shoe is too narrow, don't buy it, you will be miserable. Some wedding shoes come in wide widths, some don't. If you wear a very narrow width, it may be unavailable except in the most expensive custom shoes. Consider buying a leather shoe if your foot is very narrow.


After you buy your shoes, make sure you break them in. Wear them around the house with a pair of socks to make them comfortable. If they have a leather sole, make sure you take them to a shoe shop to have a non skid pad put on the bottom so you don't fall. Bring along some self adhesive moleskin to the reception that can be applied to the part of the shoe that is rubbing so you don't get blisters.


Rose Trifero is an internationally known expert in the field of weddings and bridal fashions. She has been involved in the industry for over 30 years and has written and been quoted in national bridal magazines including Vows, the magazine for bridal professionals. She is also the force behind http://www.Beachbridetobe.com a source of information for destination weddings and http://www.Weddingloco.com, a free wedding planning source.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Looking for the perfect flat or small heel wedding shoe?

Its hard to find the perfect small heel or flat wedding shoe. A lot of brides don't want to limp around in 5 inch heels on their wedding day. Other brides want a small heel so they don't tower over their groom and others just want comfort. But along with comfort, they want style in their wedding shoes. We've searched for cute and comfortable low heeled shoes and flat wedding shoes with style. Some even come in wide widths! Check them out:

Camelia by Pink Paradox London have a 1 1/4" heel and are available in wide widths also. Check out the rhinestone buckle. This is style!


Andie by Coloriffics, one inch kitten heel, cute rhinestone accent done in satin. This is available also in wide width.


Coloriffics Lindsay, 1.5" kitten heel, available
in medium widths only.


Lilly by Pink Paradox London has a 1 1/4" heel with rhinestone accents on the vamp of the shoe.
Very affordable at under $40 US, is available in medium widths only.



Touch Ups Monaco, a sturdy 1 3/4" heel
and they are available in WIDE widths..
woo hoo!





How cute is this flat? Heaven by Pink Paradox London, medium widths only, has braided crystal rhinestones. This would make a great shoe for a beach wedding!



Adorable flat with rhinestone and crystal accents by Pink Paradox London.
This is called Bubbles and comes medium width only.



The ultimate flat, done in white or ivory duchesse silk by Benjamin Adams. The inside is kid leather, its a handcrafted shoe with genuine Swarovski crystals. Medium width only, this is a stunningly styled shoe!