Friday Frocks: Maggie Sottero RD1105

This dress is from Maggie Sottero's Destinations collection. It's got some cute details (those flowers!) and I do like the structure of the bodice. It's a little bit shiny for my taste, but overall its a cute yet elegant gown that would be at home on the beach, on the farm, or at an intimate restaurant reception!

Friday Frocks: BHLDN Pinwheel Tea Dress

I just love the dresses and the styling at BHLDN. Such a great blend of casual and elegant, quirky and romantic. This particular dress would be a little beyond my budget at $1400, but it's made of sumptuous dupioni silk. I love the wrap detail on the bodice, the monochrome appliques, and the layers of tulle peeking out at the bottom! And naturally this dress gets high marks from me because it has POCKETS!

Using Christmas Sales To Save Money On Your Wedding

This is a little off-topic from the usual posts about wedding dresses, but seeing the Christmas displays set up in stores got me thinking--the holidays are a great time of year for anyone planning on doing a lot of diy for their wedding, or who are looking for deals on wedding decor. Of course, if you're planning a December 2012 wedding, you're probably on it already, but even those of you planning for next summer should be checking out holiday and post-holiday sales.

So many people are planning parties, decorating, and entertaining during the holidays season, so a frugal bride can find a lot of great stuff on sale that they can use for their wedding--even if it isn't Christmas-themed. And spreading out your purchases over the year can make it much less financially overwhelming. Plus you can feel prepared, which is something I didn't feel too often in the months leading up to my wedding!

Here are a few things you can find on sale either pre-Christmas, or on the holiday clearance rack:

Christmas Lights

Yes, some wedding venues do have decor packages that will include these, but what if you're diy decorating a community hall or other location? If you can't borrow twinkle lights in large quantities, these are a great deal right after the holidays--buying them at other times of year seems to incur the "wedding tax" and makes them ridiculously expensive. And that's if you can find them at all! White lights are always elegant, and can be used to improve the lighting situation at many venues. You can create a border around tables, along the walls, string them from the ceiling--really the possibilities are endless. And it's a cheap way to create a festive, romantic atmosphere.

Christmas Decorations

While you might not want to use Santa centrepieces in August, Christmas decorations can still have a place at your wedding any time of year. Christmas balls in your wedding colors, colored ribbon, tree branches, and artificial flowers can all be used as decorations for the ceremony, the reception, or both. Red, gold, and silver are always popular in wedding color palettes, and these are in abundant supply during the holidays.

Candles

Candles are everywhere during the holiday season, and the clearance racks are a great place to find these on sale. If you're planning on using candles as centrepieces, you should always check with your venue for their policy on open flame. Fortunately, the hurricane jars or other candle holders you're looking for will probably also be on sale in the holiday section.

Picture Frames
We used picture frames for our centrepieces, and I never realized how expensive they could be, or how hard it could be to find a lot of matching frames. These can sometimes be found on sale, and they don't necessarily have to be matchy-matchy to have an elegant impact--we also used them for the seating plan, and I've seen many weddings that had a memorial table to display photos of loved ones who had passed away, or for family photos.

Linens and Accessories
Table linens and accessories are often on sale after the holidays, often in a variety of colors. Brides planning a low budget wedding can find tablecloths, napkins, napkin rings, table runners, and charger plates on sale.

Craft Supplies

Since Christmas is such a craft-inspiring time of year, you may very well find crafting supplies on sale after the holidays--from "evening wear" fabrics, to lace, to card-making supplies, to stamps, to anything else you can think of can often be found at reduced prices in pre or post holiday sales.

Remember, your wedding doesn't have to look like Christmas in July for you to save money using holiday stuff. What else have you found around the holidays that might be useful to someone planning their wedding?