Tips for Cash-Conscious Couples

The theme as of late seems to be brides on a budget--and this is great! Let no dwindling economy or tightly drawn purse strings keep you from having a celebration to remember. Below are some tips for cash-conscious couples looking for ways to keep their bridal bucks in check. Good luck and happy saving!

Post: Hello David, I am a future bride; my name is Verna and my fiancé, Darren and I are planning a wedding for January 2010. I really need your help in finding silver snowflake confetti. I would like this thrown instead of the traditional rice and such. I though it would be pretty considering we are having a winter wedding. Of course our theme is "winter". I would also like to as for your advice on reception decorations, our colors are silver and white with maybe a hint of blue. I would like the tables to be silver, white and glass. The thing is we want a beautiful wedding without the enormous price tag. We don't mind spending, we just don't want to go overboard. (And please don't ask if I have a budget because I have no clue)We want glitter or "bling" as you so eloquently put it on your shows. I just don't know if what we want is truly beyond our reach. If you could help in any way I would greatly appreciate any tips, advice and/or references you could provide. I just want you to know that I am a fan a great big fan, I TIVO your shows (My Fair Wedding and Platinum Weddings). I must admit I am trying to duplicate many of your ideas. I am doing this not only for my own wedding but because I want to follow in your footsteps (not take your business or compete). I enjoy planning and decorating then witnessing the finished product, so to speak. Thankfully. Verna and Darren

Verna, Congratulations!!!! For snowflake confetti, visit http://www.chicoparty.com/snowflakeconfetti.aspx.

Having your colors be silver and white with the hint of blue is great. Now for table cloths: a white cloth with a silver overlay is a strong way to begin. Have your overlay be sheer, and with sparkle, it will look wonderful on each table and throughout the room, too. To add some soft blue, have the napkins be the ice blue color, and have a "bling" piece of custom jewelry (or anything that sparkles) added to each napkin. You can also have a single flower head with a faux diamond added into the center of the flower head for bridal touch with sparkle. A trip to an arts and crafts store (or on-line) is where you can purchase great embellishments if bling is your thing! You can buy bags of plastic faux jewels that you can add to invitations, flowers and napkins, and dropping jewels loose in clusters on the table looks good, too. Lots of candles will add to this overall design. You can decorate pillar candles, add a ribbon around the outside of them (about halfway down) and then glue a large "bling" stone to the ribbon--and it looks amazing!

You can also take simple glass votive candle holders and spray them silver or with frosted paint for snow. Let them dry, then spray them with spray glue and roll them in glitter in your ice blue color, white or silver. Add some scattered faux diamonds like we mentioned before.

My last idea for you is to purchase "fairy dust" that you can add to your flowers. Ask your florist for this sparking sheen spray. It will give them the illusion of snow and ice and it's a great final look. Have fun and hope these tips help!

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Post: Dear David: My fiancé and I have just started looking for a reception site for our Summer 2010 wedding. We really want somewhere with amazing food (big Italian families to keep happy!). We definitely do not want your "typical" wedding hall. Our guest list is around 175 people and we're paying for the majority of the wedding so our budget must be kept in mind (we figure to be roughly $130 per person for the reception). Most sites do not have tastings more than 6 weeks before the wedding, which doesn't really help. Family and friends haven't been much help as far as referrals. Any suggestions on what we should do? -- Deanna

Deanna, your question is very, very important. Please, you can NOT book a space without knowing if it (and the food!) is good! A tasting is important to make sure the food you want is right for your wedding... and six weeks prior to your wedding (the normal timeline for a tasting) is not the time to find out if their food is good enough overall for a wedding, so you must be sure you either speak with several people who have had a wedding there or insist on a mini-tasting of their food to make you feel comfortable prior to contracting them. This mini-tasting is not in replacement of your tasting six weeks prior, though! You must still have that, too. So, you are worried about the right thing, however, you still must get as much concrete info prior to you deciding if this is the right place for you. Bon Apetit!

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Post: Morning David: I met you yesterday on the R train (34th Street), remember Natasha. As I told you, I have been married for almost 7 years now, and we are thinking to have a small wedding celebration with our family and some close friends. I wanted to do this sometime in the summer of 2010, so I wanted to start planning as soon as possible. We wanted to invite about 80 guess but no more than 100 with a budget of $8,000 (I am not sure if this is realistic, but....). If we can spend less I will. (Not including my dress or the grooms suit.) Also, what is your fee as a wedding planner? Natasha Sealy-Dorvelus

Yes, I do remember you! I was seated and you were standing, and we chatted a bit. It is always nice to meet people that love the show.

Now, $8,000 is not a lot of money, so you have to handle things with careful attention to all the elements needed. Food and drink is the large area that will use up most of your budget, so you must begin here. Deciding on your guest count and then figuring out the food will allow you to see what is left for everything else for your wedding plans.

I suggest you do a lot of the pieces of your wedding yourself to save money. Invites you can do by hand, or print on your computer and they can truly look lovely. Add elements of decor to them to bring out the overall design of your wedding. Keep flowers for the tables limited but unique so they look both interesting and beautiful for your special day. Adding lots of candles will make your wedding look fantastic, romantic and dramatic. Finally, music! You can run music form your iPod (which is no money at all!) or you can have a DJ which is much less expensive then a band. If you do have some money in your budget, I highly recommend a DJ to make your wedding feel more special. Hope these tips help, and enjoy the wedding planning process! Remember, it's supposed to be fun no matter what your budget is. Enjoy!

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Post: Hi David, My name is Jackie I am 26-years-old have been engaged since 11/15/2005. I watch your show all the time and I love what you do every time. You do such a beautiful job! I am getting married June 20, 2009 and the only thing I have is my ceremony and my dress I don't have a place for my reception or dance the places I have gone to cost way to much for me to afford so I was thinking of maybe just having it at the house my question to you is how do I do that and still make it look beautiful without going over $3,000? Is it even possible? - Jackie

Your decision to have it at your house is a great decision based on your budget. For budgeting, you need to work on your food and drink first, and with what you have left, I suggest using lots of glass enclosed candles everywhere. This will make a beautiful look throughout your home where the guests will be. Now if you want to be a bit more unique, save money AND do something your guests will really remember, you can do a cocktail party instead of a full dinner or buffet, and this will be less money and sometimes more fun! Or, you can host a dessert party later in the day, and serve all sweets and fun drinks (now that is a truly unique idea I love!) The trick for wedding spending is in using your budget creatively, without trying to do everything you think you are supposed to do (or shall I say, what everyone tells you that you have to do!) Also having it at home can really make your wedding just that: YOUR wedding, and very special and very connected to you and your fiancé by celebrating your love at your home.

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Post: Dear Mr. Tutera, Thank you so much for your fabulous show!!! My fiancé' and I are in love with you! I am writing you for two reasons; one seems to be rather unconventional. The focus is always on the bride and, "Oh it is your special day!" "What ever you want it's your day." Well it's the groom's special day as well. My fiancé' Ryan is just as excited about our wedding on 7/11/09 in Santa Barbara Ca. as I am, and I would like him to feel as special as all of your wonderful brides do. Any ideas as to what I could do to make him feel like A prince? For he truly is the prince to my princess. Also my Maids we dead set on teal for their dresses, my gown is cream any ideas on what colors I should use for flowers and linens? Thank You for your time and best regards, Lori in So Cal

I adore you for thinking of your groom! So sweet! Have him included in the wedding planning process... Many grooms love it. Bring him along for music selections, food tastings and along for other wedding decisions--as often as you think he will want to be included. Including him will make him feel special and will make him feel like your Prince.

As for flowers for the girls: Teal is a great color in fashion but a difficult color for flowers, so stick to white, cream and perhaps an accent color. I love coral and peach with teal. Roses, orchids, lilies and calla lilies are wonderful and totally available to you that time of year.

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Subject: Ideas for Reception Center Piece & Church pews

Post: I am getting married in Houston Texas in October and my colors are pink and chocolate. I would like ideas for the tables and church pews. Something reasonable that perhaps my mother and girls could make but it has to be nice. I would like something tall for the center pieces. I love how you make the girls wedding day so beautiful and special. -- Larrie

I know you may not like what I'm about to say as a flower suggestion, but wait! Hear me out! Pink carnations when used in abundance and designed in clusters look so beautiful. Take the pink carnations and make a sphere out of them. Stud them with fake diamonds you can purchase at an arts and crafts store or on-line. Then, find brown satin ribbon, and have flowing trails of the brown ribbon falling from the pink ball of flowers. You can then add pink rose petals glued to the ribbon for more color and texture. This is a great look for the church pews. I love your color scheme, by the way! Hope this is a help for you and this is something your mom and girls can do...and have fun doing!

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Subject: Very Budgeted 20's Themed Wedding (finished)

Post: Dear David, My fiancé and I are getting married in July of this year and don't come from families with much to spare so we are paying for it all ourselves. I'm sure to many people, especially you, the amount I am about to tell you will be a bit shocking. The entire wedding, and I mean attire, food, decor, favors, venue, music, and photography, etc. will come to less than $4,000.00 on the high side for 200 people. We know a lot of good people who are skilled and prepared to do a million different things for us and in a time of crisis I find I am a bit crafty myself. My question for you is are there any brilliant 1920's ideas you could share with me that could be accomplished DIY? The entire thing will be held at our church so alcohol is out (which is the biggest part of the 20's history). I am incorporating a lot of shine and sparkle with different large martini and wine glasses as the centerpieces filled with diamonds, or pearls and some floating candles. I've brought in some peacock feathers as well and a few other odds and ends but then I'm stuck. I don't know if any more can be done or if you think any of that is even a good idea. Our first dance will also be a very elaborate swing dance that should get people in the mood. We can't afford flowers except for the bouquets or linens except the plastic rolls at party stores and I don't have too much going on with our colors which are Oasis (teal) and Palm Beach Coral (kind of peach). I could use any help you can give me. -- Amanda

Amanda, I am quite impressed actually! You know the exact elements that are perfect for great a 1920s soiree. Lots of pearls (fake that is), and feathers (I would add some white plumes too.) Martini glasses are great as that was a huge element of entertaining in the 1920s. Having floating candles in martini glasses filled with water is fabulous. Take the faux pearls and have them falling from the inside of the martini glasses and onto the table. Then have lots of votive candles surrounding a martini glass in the center of the table. You can also use the martini glasses as the votive and have a larger container in the middle with the feathers bursting from the center and pearls coming out of that onto the table: this will give you a little bit more drama to the table setting. Teal and coral is very Hollywood 1920's and 1930's: it was big in fashion and interior design, too. If you have just a little bit of money, purchase yards of fabric on sale in a solid color and lay it onto the tables. You can seam them together with fabric tape from underneath. You can also hem them with the same fabric tape. I would suggest alternating color and teal from table to table. So between lots of candles, color fabric on the tables, and feathers as you said, you are truly moving in a great direction, so bravo!

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Post: Dear David, My name is Ashley I have written to you on two previous occasions. I am so happy that you have such great talent and you share hat with people of an average lifestyle. You are truly inspirational I what I like to call you masterpieces. Each wedding you have laid your hands on has become much more the marvelous. The true reason I am writing to you is that my wedding is June 20, 2009 I had a ceremony and reception hall all prepared for what I like to call my grandest dream. Everything was set. This week I received disturbing news from my fiancé as I woke up to go to school they had just laid of 150 people from his job. All of a sudden I have to call of the reception and it killed me because it was all I ever hoped for. I had to fight and sacrifice so much to get to the point i was at and in a matter of seconds my dream was shattered by the outcome of this economical crisis. I have been crying ever since but I don't want my fiancé to feel worse than he already does. Dear David what can I do I have the favors, decorations, and lights the only thing I was missing was the invitations and DJ and photographer. Even the week before I had went to David's bridal with the girls to pick and buy their dresses and now those who paid for it will only be able to wear it to the church. I can't believe everything happened so fast what is your advice I'm desperate. I've told only some of the member of my family that there wouldn't be a reception this is a big Italian family they basically look at the situation with much disappointment. I wanted a place to enjoy my beautiful wedding dress now I can only wear it to church please email me with a response if there is anyway for you to help me please. -- Pinkdov@aol.com

Take a deep breath and relax. First off, the great news is that you have your man and you are getting married. That is what must shine right now. I suggest that you have a less elaborate party, but you still have a party. You must always remember your wedding as a day of celebration and from your note, it sounds as if you only will be sad and disappointed! Have a fabulous dessert party where it's all about sweets. Get the DJ, have the girls show up in their dresses to dance away with your wonderful self, and have a party. Don't have a lot of perks, but focus on that you will be together. Have it at someone's home in the backyard. Serve some great festive drinks and then have a wonderful celebration for your 5th or 10th anniversary that can be something you can look forward to and plan that will be the big blow out celebration you have always wanted. (I've heard of lots of couples doing that--getting married because it's most important, and then throwing a great anniversary party years later when you're financially stronger as a couple.) If you call off your wedding party your guests, family and friends will be just as disappointed as you will be. I hope my words of advice can lend a bit of help, but remember you must enjoy your day and remember it as a great day, not a sad day!!!!

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Post: David I need your help! I love your shows, especially "My Fair Wedding." I'm planning my 10 year anniversary/first wedding my husband, and I wanted us to renew our vows in June 2010.When we first got married we went to justice of the peace and our son was the witness he was too young at the time, we now have three children and my older daughter keep asking me where is our wedding pictures. I felt bad because I don't have any thing to show them only my engagement ring/wedding band. My parents never remember my anniversary because they were not there at that time. We have been to so much wedding the last one was in Jamaica it was beautiful so it let me feel jealous knowing that we never have a real wedding. Know I want my wedding to be the best of all the weddings that I attended. Please David tell me where to start I need some ideas and some comments. The wedding I wanted is 'Simple and Elegant that is breath taking. -- Sophia

OK Sophia....it's time to start planning. I love that fact that you want to create the day you did not have. Create that chic, elegant and simply wonderful party now. You can still do everything from the wedding cake to the favors and of course all things in between. Create a party that echoes the elements you would traditionally have at a wedding, but this celebration--your celebration--can truly be more unique. Have fun! Send out an invitation with the wedding date being your actual wedding date, but then have a mark go through it and have the correct date. It's like you saved the original invites for this big day, and waited until now to mail them out with a new date. You must be playful with this. Think of things that were in at that time. Perhaps your first dance can be a song from ten years ago that you both love. Your kids will love this, your family and friends will love it, and most of all, you now will have something that NO one else has: a very unique memory. What is wonderful too is that you have been married all these years and have a great family to share your wedding with you.

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Subject: Please help Mother of the Groom

Post: As a prospective mother of the groom, I have certainly enjoyed your wonderful shows. My son, age 30, is marrying a wonderful girl next October. Plans are coming along nicely, but I haven't started looking for my dress. The wedding will be in a garden, with reception following on the grounds. As someone with a not so temporary weight issue, it would be ideal if I could lose a lot of weight before the wedding, but the chances of that just aren't a reality. I would love to see a show that covers dresses for those of us who are plus size mothers, and what type of dress to look for. Thank you. -- dzquilter

Well, we are starting to film season two, and I will be sure to focus on beautiful women of all sizes. Make sure when you are looking for your dress, your choices are first colors that match your season as well as your skin and hair tone. Then, once you know the right color to wear, find the right dress for your body type. Size and weight is not the answer to "What is your body type?" You need to know what cuts and dress styles make you look special and beautiful. I would also suggest wearing a wrap for the ceremony that can be later removed for the party. Also decide what you are UNcomfortable wearing... and avoid it! I want you to feel amazing in the dress you select and not self-conscious when you are on the dance floor or walking down the aisle. Confidence is key here, so wherever you shop, ask them to show you dresses that are right for you body type and not just for your size.

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Subject: Wedding on a Yacht

Post: Hi David. First, let me say how very much I enjoy watching "My Fair Wedding." Your show is great and my daughter and I have learned so many things about wedding planning. I'm in the process of helping my daughter plan her September 2010 wedding in Newport Beach, California. Both the ceremony and reception will be held onboard a yacht, with the ceremony beginning at 6:00 p.m. She's chosen eggplant as her primary color, with accents of fuchsia, light pink and sage green. So, question number one is, what would you recommend as far as flowers and colors? Secondly, what are your thoughts about wedding favors? Generally, it seems like most brides do the favor boxes with candies, etc. We're looking at approximately 200 guests and are trying to keep the costs manageable. -- lcrenshw

Great color scheme you have selected! There are eggplant mini-calla lilies that are stunning, especially along with fuchsia roses and lilies. I love jade green roses and sage orchids with soft pink roses. Soft pink/blush hydrangea is a great addition too. I love the contrast of deep colors with the soft tones, so nice job! Now for favors: I only like favors if they complete the wedding story. Perhaps it should be something related to the yacht and being on the sea. Have the favor be one that the guests will look at and remember something about the bride and groom they may not have known until they received the favor.