http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/rss.xml A blog about magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/?a=35111 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>It&rsquo;s becoming increasingly more difficult to plan a wedding with a budget in mind with the cost of everything going higher every year, but if you try it is still feasible to plan that special day on a shoestring. Here are a few tips to help you pinch those pennies and make the dollar stretch as far as possible.<br /><br />If you have already started thinking about getting married and have looked into prices at all then you already know that the rental of a church or other indoor facility will definitely cost you money. This was a surprise to me when I got married; I thought the church would supply their building for free! It was $200 for us to use it from 9am to 11:30. Another requirement with most churches is that you must be a member of the church to be able to get married there. <br /><br />If you opt for some other venue they will probably ask for a deposit and they will usually have a minimum rate that is charged. There are other choices that can erase this part of your bill. If it is a time of the year that is not cold where you live you could get married in a park, on a lake, or if you are lucky, on a beach! <br /><br />The cost of floral arrangements and flowers can be higher or lower depending on the season. You may be able to choose flowers that are similar to the ones you really want but cost an arm and a leg. Also remember that buying a package of some kind will drastically lower your total cost as opposed to buying single flowers.<br /><br />The price of a good wedding photographer can be the single most expensive part of the entire event. If you and your groom are agreeable and have a friend or relative who is good with a camera, why not give them a show at it? You may even be able to get a few people to do it. One idea I saw once was to give everyone disposable cameras to take pictures then they left the cameras at the reception to be collected and developed.<br /><br />Contrary to the opinion in some debutante magazines you don&rsquo;t have to spend thousands of dollars to get a nice wedding dress. You can now find factory outlets that offer wedding gowns just like other clothes. Sometimes you can find them as low as a hundred bucks! Shopping online is another choice. For the groom the easiest thing to do is to rent a tuxedo if you are having a formal wedding, if you are having a beach wedding you may just go with a tropical print shirt and light colored pants!<br /><br />You can cut costs for the reception by having yours at a friend&rsquo;s or neighbor&rsquo;s home if they have a nice yard with a cool setting. If you need more space and need indoor seating then a place like a legion hall may be an option. For catering try your local grocery store first, they usually offer large platters at reasonable prices.<br /><br />The choice to skimp on the honeymoon has to be mutually agreeable by both the bride and groom. You may choose to just do a small simple 3 day weekend and have a full blown honeymoon later. It is up to you. I hope you have found this helpful.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find <a href="http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/">discount magazines</a> to help you choose the right budget for your wedding at http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com</p> 2006-07-18T23:56-04:00 http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/?a=35110 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Choosing a wedding photographer is a very important part of wedding planning and as your special day approaches this needs to be at the top of your list. If you have already got your dress handled, ordered the cake and set the location it&rsquo;s time to lock in a photographer. Here are a few tips to help you with the process.<br /><br />The pictures that you get from your wedding can really only be taken at the event so it is absolutely crucial that you get a professional wedding photographer, there will be no second chances to get the shots. There are many things to think about including the cost and what kinds of packages are offered. <br /><br />The price of a good photographer can rival the cost of your honeymoon so you definitely want to plan it into your budget. There will be many options available to you from basic shots of just the ceremony to a complete history of the entire day from preparing for the wedding all the way through the reception. Most people choose for a package that is a compromise somewhere between the two extremes. <br /><br />Just as if you were contracting a painter or even someone to do work at your home you will want to see samples of the person&rsquo;s work and check out their portfolio. If you are talking to a photographer that is a professional they should have a website available with samples of their work available online. This is how we found the photographer we used for our wedding. I also recommend choosing one who uses digital cameras as this almost guarantees good shots since they get to see the picture as soon as they take it. As I said earlier there are no second chances are and this is supposed to be the biggest day of your life. You want someone who can capture that day for you so you will have it forever.<br /><br />The next thing you will want to do is decide on the number of prints you will require so that you will have enough for both sides of the family as well as yourselves. Of course, as the bride you will want one large one to frame and hang up in a main room. Be prepared for the prices of larger prints, they are not cheap! Usually the photos taken right after the ceremony are the most expensive as these where the photographer spends most of his time. We were very lucky and the photographer we chose liked us and ended up taking more pictures than we had paid for including hanging out at our reception for two hours.<br /><br />You can also ask if they do video, if not maybe a friend or family member could do an amateur video for you. Another cool idea that sometimes gets shots that were not seen elsewhere is to give throw away cameras to your guests who can take pictures from their vantage point! Just take your time and you will find the right person to shoot your wedding!</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find <a href="http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/">discount magazines</a> wedding photographer at http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com</p> 2006-07-18T23:52-04:00 http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/?a=35109 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Lots of couple these days are deciding on outdoor weddings just to get away from the traditional church wedding. One of the big benefits to outdoor weddings is that they are much less expensive and sometimes cost nothing. These events take some special planning to be sure they go off without a hitch while you are getting hitched. For example, if you are being married in a public place you will most likely have to hold the reception in another location. Weather is also a huge concern, if you live in an area prone to hurricanes like Florida you may want to have a backup plan if you are getting married during hurricane season! Here are some guidelines to keep in mind while planning your big day.<br /><br />The location you choose is the most crucial part on an outdoor wedding and if you are choosing a true outdoor locale like a beach or lake then you need to be sure that you have shelter available in case of rain. Considering that you plan the event months ahead of time there is no way of knowing what the weather will be like on that particular day. So be sure to have your option B ready in case Mother Nature is being uncooperative. You could also opt for a home wedding around a pool; I have attended weddings like this that are very beautiful. <br /><br />If you are holding the event at a beach or park check with the city or county government to see if they require any kind of permit. Sometimes you only have to get written permission but other times you may have to have a specific permit. Some other things you need to know are whether you can decorate and bring your own tables and chairs, if you can serve food, have music, etc. If your reception will be at the same place and you will be serving alcohol you need to find out if it is allowed. Many parks and beaches do not allow alcohol to be consumed on their grounds. This will prevent any unpleasant situations on your special day, so take the time to plan it properly.<br /><br />If you are planning to be married outside you can take advantage of natural beauty which will save you some money on floral arrangements and other decorations. Just be sure that if you are using a public location or one run by local government that you have permission to put up any decorations. Most will allow you to decorate but you have to make sure that you take all of it with you when you leave. <br /><br />Make sure that you let your guests know ahead of time that the event will be held outside so that they can plan accordingly. You don&rsquo;t want people coming thinking they are going to be inside and not be clothed properly or otherwise prepared for the elements.<br /><br />Be prepared for foul weather if you have your mind set on a place like the beach and be sure that everyone in the wedding party has lightweight clothes that will dry easily if you get wet. You should also abort the idea of a fancy long dress with a train because if it rains it will just get wet and muddy. Be prepared and have a fun special day!</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find <a href="http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/">discount magazines</a> plan for your outdoor wedding at http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com</p> 2006-07-18T23:49-04:00 http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/?a=35108 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Planning how you are going to style your hair on your wedding day is one of the biggest issues in planning a wedding. Of course how many options you have depends upon the length of your hair because the longer it is the more choices you will have. You should be sure to choose a hair style that both accentuates your face and compliments your wedding dress and your groom. <br /><br />If you have shorter hair then the sassy look is definitely in so have some fun with it so that your hair isn&rsquo;t just lying flat like some of those styles from the 1920&rsquo;s! Add highlights to your hair and put some stuff in it to make your hair stand up like &ldquo;BedHead&rdquo;. If your hair is thin or straight think about having a wave put in it or have it set for the special day. Have fun with it, it&rsquo;s your day! Put some playful curls in youe hair.<br /><br />If you have hair that is more of a medium length then you have a few more options. You can choose to leave it up or down. Putting your hair up gives a look of elegance and goes really well with a traditional dress and wedding. If you have curly hair you can really accentuate your curls and leave your hair down choosing a beautiful headpiece to compliment your curls. <br /><br />If you have straight hair and choose to wear it down then you may want to have some highlights added to it and maybe a little curl. For a really stunning hairstyle, have your hair put up with braids or twists. You can even have things like pearls woven into it. There is so much that you can do with this type of style, you can even let wisps of hair hang down on one side to draw attention to your face.<br /><br />If you have really long hair this gives you more choices than short hair but in a lot of cases it can be restrictive than if you had a medium length. You can choose to let it go straight, you can go all the way curly or just curls on the bottom or you can bring up part and leave part of it down with the use of braids, twists and clips. This makes for a very elegant look with your hair appearing up from the front yet long and beautiful from the back. <br /><br />If your hair is super long you may have issues with putting it all up but your hairstylist can go over lots of ideas with you. You can get ideas on hairstyles for your big day by looking online and in bridal magazines.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find <a href="http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/">discount magazines</a> on wedding hairstyles and bridal accessories at http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com</p> 2006-07-18T23:45-04:00 http://articles.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/?a=35107 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>So you have made it to the wedding planning stage, congratulations! Now that you have set a date you need to start getting everything together that you will need for the big day. You need to take it in steps so that you won&rsquo;t be overwhelmed; you know eat the elephant one bite at a time! <br /><br />Some of the things you need to plan are what kind of dress, make up, your hairstyle, what kind of jewelry, and other things that you want included in your special day. There are lots of helpful resources available to help you with the planning stage of your wedding, especially online, plus you can pick up some wedding and bridal magazines. <br /><br />When you are choosing a wedding dress don&rsquo;t just choose it because it looks pretty on the model. Your wedding dress should be something that you really like, but it should also go with your body type as well. Choose a wedding dress that accentuates the positive aspects and minimizes any negatives. Look at a lot of different styles before making a choice. Take a friend along, or better yet make it a fun event and take several friends or your sisters and go make a day of it. When you find a dress you like, try it on and make sure it isn&rsquo;t too tight. You want it to fit well and still be comfortable and be able to move around so that you will be able to dance and have fun at the reception afterwards!<br /><br />After you have chosen a dress that you are happy with you have to find a pair of shoes that will look good with it. If you are going with the traditional look of a white wedding dress then you will want some sort of white shoe. The exact type of shoe is a personal preference. You can choose everything from a shoe that is like a ballet slipper to sandals, to a pump. I do recommend however that if you are very tall, not to wear a heel. The length of the dress you have chosen will have a lot to do with the decision of shoes as well.<br /><br />Now that you have covered the main parts of your wedding day wardrobe, you may want to add some customization to your apparel to personalize it a bit. One excellent way of doing this is by accessorizing with jewelry. The jewelry should accentuate your wedding dress and not draw attention away from it as the dress should be the focal point. A nice necklace and earrings and possibly something woven into your hair will do nicely. Remember not to wear any rings at all other than your wedding ring that you will receive on your big day.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author and internet marketing consultant living in Navarre Florida. Find <a href="http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com/">discount magazines</a> on weddings and bridal accessories at http://www.magazinesubscriptionsdiscounted.com</p> 2006-07-18T23:41-04:00