How to Plan Your Cheap Wedding!

A case for the choreographed first dance

You guys know what a big fan I am of the idea of having a choreographed first wedding dance... (See this blog post for evidence: http://www.planmycheapwedding.com/2008/09/rock-the-reception-baby.html) If there was ever a case in support of my assertion, it would have to be this video I found of the web of the most adorable first wedding dance I've seen in a long time! Choreographed to Sonny and Cher's "I've Got You Babe", this dance will make you think twice about shunning the idea of planning the moves for your first public groove as a married couple;) Check it out: http://www.wagesvideo.com/clients/shana_rob/dances.html

Let me know what you think...did I sway anyone's opinion about choreographed wedding dances?

Wedding Fever!

How many weddings have there been in the past week?! We've got Bruce Willis and his beautiful VS model's nuptials, Dave Letterman and his longtime girlfriend (surprised much? I am!) tying the knot after 23 years together, and my personal favorite Danica McKellar (aka Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years) and her music man got married with both their real parents and TV parents in attendance. Can I get a collective: Awwwwww!!:) Now we all just have to wait for some of the details to see what ideas we can nab to bring a little Hollywood to the best of the cheap weddings out there;)

Peculiar wedding dresses much?

I think most little girls dream of the perfect wedding dress that they'll have one day. Whether they'll be the belle of the ball, barbie princess, Greek goddess, or a vintage bride there is no doubt that ladies out there have some serious preconceived notions about what a traditional wedding dress should consist of. So let's change our perspectives a bit and think out of the box, shall we? 

These wedding dresses are not for the faint of heart! Some may say they're crazy, some may say they're visionary. I say they are interesting at the very least:) Check out a gallery of avant gard wedding dresses and post your thoughts below: http://www.whats-wrong-with-the-zoo.com/10-unusual-wedding-dresses/

A little shell-shocked? This snazzy wedding dress website is a site for sore eyes: www.bridepower.com

 Comments? Let's chat below...

Walk a mile in these wedding shoes...

I know it may not seem to be a big deal, but a common last-minute question/concern I've been hearing from brides is: what shoes do I wear on the big day?! I know that it's tempting to go for a beautiful pair of elegant, but extremely painful shoes like these:

But really, it should be about comfortability: 

You'd be surprised how many brides wear decorative flip-flops for their weddings. I'm not kidding! And who could blame them? The average wedding dress is going to be skimming the floor the whole ceremony, so it really doesn't matter what kind of shoes you wear under it. And what about the reception? I don't know about y'all, but I plan to be bustin' many moves on the dance floor and it would be much simpler in some cute ballet flats instead of 4 1'2 inch Jessica Simpson stilettos, no?

What do you guys think? Should brides stay traditional and go for the white satin high heels with no questions asked or does the new trend of wedding flip flops and flats sound like a better way to go?

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Rock the Reception, baby!

Hey all,

So remember when I wrote a wedding trend watch article about the 'fancy first dance'? Well, I was so stoked to finally get a see an episode of the TLC show "Rock the Reception"which features my favorite wedding trend of late: choreographed first dances. I'm amazed that this trend has caught so much speed in recent months that we're actually starting to see reality tv shows crop up to cash in on this pop culture phenom. I think a major pull for the show is the amazing choreography duo: Napoleon and Tabitha! If there are any 'So You Think You Can Dance' fans out there(holla!) y'all will recognize this dynamic team from season 4's line up. I'm super impressed with the show and I think you guys will like it too. Watch it sometime and tell me if it lives up to all the hype;)

Wedding Trend Watch: Green Weddings

In an increasingly earth-conscious society (thank heavens), what is a modern bride to do when deciding to incorporate green concepts into her wedding? And on a budget no less?! Well, the good news is that it's easier than you think to make your ceremony a little more eco-friendly while still maintaining a reasonable budget! Here are a few tips:

• Start at the beginning: make a choice to invest in recycled gold wedding bands and if possible conflict-free diamonds.
• Paper basics: choose to use recycled paper to print your invites and wedding programs on. 
• Eco-dresses: your wedding dress can make less of a negative impact on the environment when it's made form all natural materials such as cotton and silk.
• Natural food goodness: Use organic foods and free-range livestock for your guests entrees;)
• Give back: give guests an option to donate to the charity of your choice instead of buying a wedding gift.
• Believe it or not: There are eco-friendly resorts in numerous places that could be possible honeymoon spots for you and your honey!

What am I forgetting? Leave me some suggestions/comments below!

Definition of a Bridezilla?

Hey folks! Let's explore a little pop culture reference known as a 'bridezilla'...

Wiki describes a bridezilla as: "(a portmanteau of bride and Godzilla) is a generic term used to describe a difficult, unpleasant, perfectionist bride who leaves aggravated family, friends and bridal vendors in her wake. A bridezilla is obsessed with her wedding as her perfect day and will disregard the feelings of the family, bridesmaids and even her groom in her quest for the perfect wedding."

Hmmm...

Then we have a totally cool website dedicated to the ultimate bridezillas, complete with this hall of fame (great,witty read- check it out): http://www.bridezilla.com/2007/03/bridezilla_hall_of_fame_the_mo.cfm

And of course there's the WE tv show that's sure to become a cult classic: "Bridezillas!" which now features the family fighting back against their whiny, demanding bridzillas;) Not sure if you fall under the bridezilla category? Take a peek at the "You might be a bridezilla if..." section at:  http://www.wetv.com/bridezillas/you-might-be-a-bridezilla-if and find out!

And of course, let us know your best (or worst!) bridezilla moments in the comments:D

Wedding Trend Watch: Fancy First Dance

Maybe it's from the mainstream popularity of dance reality shows like 'So You Think You an Dance' and 'Dancing With The Stars' or maybe it's from wedding guests growing tired of seeing recently married couples dance like they're awkward 6th graders at their first school dance, but whatever the reason may be we are now seeing a new trend of fabulous (and sometimes choreographed) first dances at weddings! I for one am very excited to see this new wedding trend grow some momentum. After all, how amazing would it be to be able to show off at your wedding by surprising your guests with some foxy moves they didn't realize you had! It wouldn't be that hard to plan either:

1. Choose a song with a good beat or theme: go for a traditional piece that can be waltzed to, dare to be dramatic with a tango, or shake your groove thing with a disco routine!

2. Start practicing around six months in advance: save money and ask a friend with dancing experience for help with the choreo, otherwise take a group couple's dance class offered at a local ballroom studio to get your feet wet.

3.  Add in your own personal flair: don't be afraid to throw in dips, lifts, spins, poses, and more! It's all about showing off your flair as a couple and giving your guests something to cheer about;)

Wedding Trend Watch: Groom's Cake

So being a recent Southern transplant, I hadn't heard of the Southern tradition called the 'groom's cake'. Apparently, this wedding tradition is spreading from the South and finding popularity all over the country including swanky Hollywood. The idea is to present your groom with a personal wedding cake that reflects his personality and perhaps uses it as an amends for all the wedding planning and bridezilla behavior he's been exposed to over the past several months;) There's some folklore that goes along with the cake too...

It seems that the single ladies at the wedding are supposed to take a slice of the groom's wedding cake home and sleep with it under their pillow. Messy much? However, the mess is supposed to be rewarded with a dream revealing their future husband's face. In any event, I'm not sure how practical the groom's cake is as an addition to a frugal wedding; however it's definitely something to ponder adding to your ceremony to make your groom's presence and personality a part of the big day too.