[LearningAsIGo]

My best tips:

Netbride for dresses - find a style and they will give you a free email quote. I asked for a quote 5x (over a few months) on my dress and got a price of $300 - it was $800+ in the salon.

I had one bridesmaid and found her dress -new with tags - on eBay for $21.21 with shipping. I just searched for her size and the color I wanted (it was 1 size too big and she paid alterations) I took a chace that she wouldn't like it, but at that price, she was glad to have a nice dress that she could wear again. She told me later that was better than having to spend more on a dress she had to go out and find.

Easy centerpieces can be flower petals, tealights, or any combination.

My centerpieces were "silver" trays I found at the Dollar Store, 3 tea lights and white rose petals. Search for freeze-dried flower petals online - I used them and I think I spent around $25 for enough to sprinkle over 15 tables. They're great - soft and real but they don't turn yellow and they last for weeks! The centerpiece total for each table was about $2.50 each.

Favors - forget them! If you want a cheap alternative, buy cardstock and print a poem to create bookmarks. Some ribbon at the end finishes them off - I bet you could do it all for $10 or less!

At one friend's wedding she had 1 candle (small) as a centerpiece and sprinkled candy Kisses all over to work as both centerpieces/favors for guests to eat.

Flowers - I just bought the "essentials" I wanted. Bridesmaids can carry a single flower, for example.

Shoes - mine came from Payless - $7!

A friend might like to "donate" her services to create a guestbook. I made one for my wedding shower that was a labor of love and its still a favorite memento. It was a small scrapbook -craft store- and each page was left for people to sign.

Craft stores have great print-yourself invitations now - usually $20+ a box.

Personally, I think the most beautiful weddings are the simpliest - focused on friends and family so I'm sure it will be wonderful. Good luck!

[firmbeliever]

A beautiful DIY centerpiece
DIY Cheap Glamorous Centerpiece

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ePPR-Y1JMa...enterpiece.jpg

branch+centerpiece+2.jpg (image)



Take out boxes for wedding favor boxes
Wedding Cookie Table: How To, Tips and Ideas

Or
DIY Favor Boxes for Your Wedding

Decorating a simple cake with flowers is always a good idea.
http://francoiseweeks.com/wordpress/...ise-weeks1.jpg

You could always go for an origami theme:)
Origami Wedding

[Golden_Girl]

Thanks guys again. I feel more at ease now planning the wedding. The invitations and wedding website I am designing for her, and I have called some of our craftier friends to assist. I like the tiara and veil idea J_9, I can see my friend would look nice with a tiara. About the brides maids dresses, I figured we will pick a nice dress of different hues of the same color. She wants green in her wedding, so I was thinking of a light green as I don't want it to be too bold. The grooms men can rent their tux.

LearningAsIGo, I think rose petals, hershey kisses, and tea lights will be very nice. I was even thinking of making a bouquet with artificial flowers and buy them and the vases either at the dollar store or Michaels. I agree, the simplest weddings can be the most beautiful and personal.

She can wear white or clear shoes. But I don't know what color shoes though for the bridesmaids, as the theme color is light green, I thought of gold or cream being the second color used as an accent. I was thinking either black shoes or another color for bridesmaids.

Firmbeliever I love origami, I used to make these when I was a kid! And I love the pict with the stones in the glass vase with the tea lights, I really like that idea. I have a notebook where I'm sketching and writing the ideas that I like most along with the cost and how to collaborate them. I don't think I would have been able to come up with so many creative ideas on my own.

[LearningAsIGo]

Golden_Girl agrees: so when is your book coming out so I can be first in line to buy it. Thanks

Boy, I should write a book! That would have given me more $$ for our wedding! Lol

p.s. my wedding shoes were orange - to honor a loved one ;) Think outside of the box - that's what I do!

[Golden_Girl]

Lol... I agree, thinking outside of the box will make it more unique and personal. My brother's wife chose a tangerine/mango color and it came out to look really nice and the bouquets were beautiful.

[unaffected]

Most have said this, but I would definitely forgo the favors. I throw them away after weddings I go to. Unfortunately, the favors mean way more to the bride than they do the guests! We didn't have favors at our wedding, and I highly doubt anyone was upset over it :)

Good luck!