1.        Start early – although many people trend towards an afternoon or evening affair, you can spend more time celebrating with the ones you love most by starting in the morning.  Think AM ceremony followed by a large brunch, short break, more intimate cocktail hour and dinner and dancing the night away!

2.       Royal Style – even though the most popular dress style is strapless, take it from Kate – sleeves and lace can be just as flattering as any strapless dress!  Plus having sleeves or straps can be both practical and on many shapes and sizes.

3.       Costume Change – Combining the above 2 ideas and what do you get? Well with a short break between celebrating and a more traditional gown for your ceremony, there can be only one thing missing – a dress change…Having two gowns can allow you to satisfy both your timeless and trendy sides.  Find something a little sassier for your evening celebration and stun your guests with your excellent style!

4.       Go big or go home! No we’re not talking about money…A tradition practiced more in Europe is starting with a large guest list for the ceremony, fewer guests for a brunch, a smaller group for cocktails and dinner and so on and so forth.  Just be cautious how you word this on your invites, it’s not as widely accepted in the US and may not work for every situation.

5.       Keep it techie – staying on top of your wedding website is just one of the things that Wills and Kate did well.  Keep your guests informed on the schedule and events and things will naturally run smoother.

6.       Request a dress code – politely of course…Don’t be afraid to state a dress code on the invitations.  This will keep the formality clear (besides – everyone wants an excuse to dress up once in a while!) and make the theme more cohesive.

7.       Rent a carriage.  If it’s possible in your area, check around to see if there is a carriage for rent.  Depending on the season and style of your wedding, it may be the perfect touch.

8.       Make a grand exit.  Although it may not be a tradition for many people, especially those who want to stay and party-it-up – but leaving before the last dance of the night can save you many headaches and allow you and your new husband/wife to enjoy the honeymoon suite or just to get some sleep before the post celebration breakfast the day after.

9.       An all-white wedding.  Yes, this is daring and takes just the right personality, but using white flowers, bridesmaid dresses and cake can be a classy alternative.

10.   Customizing old traditions.  Yes, you can still have a traditional wedding but add your own modern touches.  Take lessons from William and Kate – personalizing the vows, a few less ‘mandatory’ guests and a few more ‘intimate friends’, as well as favorite foods, desserts and cake are just a few ways the happy couple made their wedding special for them.

10. An Intimate Affair. Picking and choosing your guest list can be tough, especially when you’re dealing with family. But when you’re on a budget, it’s a must. Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob, who have seen you since you still had your baby teeth don’t need an invitation, and neither does your entire graduating class. Invite the people who are closest to you; it will keep costs down and make your night more enjoyable!

9. A Cake to be Served at a Wedding: If your heart is set on a traditional wedding cake, go for a smaller version. Use this cake for the cutting ceremony. Also, throw out the idea that this has to be a “wedding” cake. When ordering from a cake company or bakery, just like with anything else associated with a wedding, there will likely be a markup for wedding cakes. For your guests, go with a variety of sheet cakes. They really won’t know the difference or care when they’re served a different piece of cake than you had!

8. Young Talent: Many students will jump at the opportunity to get photography experience and add samples to their portfolio. An occasion such as a wedding is a great event for student’s to showcase their fresh skills and talent while gaining valuable experience. Contact the local universities, most often the career centers and the advisors will direct you students looking for work.

7. BYOB! Look for a venue that allows you to bring your own alcohol. Alcohol is by far one of the most marked up items at a restaurant or hotel, so you can only imagine how much its marked up for a wedding. Purchasing all of your alcohol from a warehouse store such as Costco will save you a lot of money.

6. ‘Tis the Season: Lilacs may be beautiful, but they can also be extremely expensive, depending on when you buy them. When choosing your wedding flowers, take into consideration what is in season. Flowers in bloom are easier to come by, tend to be more durable and are significantly less expensive.

5. What a Beautiful Day for a Wedding: While it is nice to book your wedding for a weekend so that you and your friends and family don’t have to take time off work, booking your wedding day for a weekday can save you a lot of money! Not only will you save money on the venue fee, but vendors will likely charge you less as well since they aren’t as busy during the week. Your friends and family will understand and will be thankful when they’re not at work and watching you get married!

4. Hey DJ! An easy way to save some money on your big day is hiring a DJ over a live band. Not only are DJ’s less expensive, but they are more appealing to a diverse audience. DJ’s have access to thousands of songs, from all different music genres and guests can even request their favorite songs!

3. Hire your own caterer. Many venues will make you use their in-house catering company. Choose a venue that allows you to bring in your own caterer, which will likely save you a lot of money that the venue would tack on bringing you the caterer. In addition, if you are bringing in a catering company to a venue, make sure that you are not paying double for services. If the catering company provides plates, glassware, tablecloths, etc., make sure the venue does not include this in their fee as well.

2. DIY! Taking matters into your own hands is probably one of the easiest ways to save money on your wedding. Avoid hiring a wedding planner to handle every aspect of your big day for you. And if you feel up for it, get creative! Make your own invitations, guest book, programs, etc. You’ll gain some extra personal satisfaction, and everything will be blessed with your own personal flare.

1. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue…and Something Gently Used: The dress is by far the most important part of a wedding for a girl, well most girls. They dream about their wedding dress from the time they are young, playing dress up. But let’s be honest, you wear your dress for how long and just once?! Even if you are planning to pass your dress on to your daughter, gently used wedding dresses can be absolutely stunning and perfect just like a brand new one. There are many dress shops that will take used wedding dress and clean them up to be just like new. This can save hundreds to even thousands of dollars depending on the designer you’re looking for.

Modern myth:  Brides don’t want to see the groom before the wedding ceremony.  The reality is that no matter what seeing the groom for the first time is a special moment which can be captured by photography, but waiting until after the ceremony to take wedding photos can be rushed and stressful.  As if your wedding day doesn’t fly by fast enough, your wedding photos are NOT something you want to skip over.  The number one regret of brides is that they wish they would have gotten more OR better quality wedding photos.  In fact, brides nowadays are even opting for two wedding photographers instead of one just to ensure they get the photo memories captured.

Photographers recommend that the majority of the wedding photos are taken BEFORE the ceremony.  There are lots of reasons for this, including not making guests wait too long at the reception while the couple takes their wedding photos.  Another is running out of time or daylight when photos are being taken, or trying to track down important wedding party members for photos after the cocktail hour has begun.  It can be extremely difficult if the wedding ceremony and reception are at two different locations and some of the wedding party has left for the reception before the photos are finished.

Most photographers recommend taking most wedding photos before the ceremony with plenty of time allowed for taking all the photos requested by the bride and groom – However, if you are completely set on NOT seeing the groom beforehand, photographers still recommend getting all the photos done that do NOT require both the bride and groom together, such as family photos, bride and bridesmaids or groom and groomsmen– then take ONLY the bride and groom photos after the ceremony and allow time for guests to mingle before the reception starts without much dead time so guests do not have to wait longer than necessary.

For more great wedding photography ideas, check back next week and there will be more wedding tips from the wedding professionals and WeddingTrendista.com!

 Wedding Blogs are another great way to get ideas (like Wedding Trendista – for people who are very visual; there are lots of great “Real Weddings” to be found on photographer and wedding blog sites.  You can get ideas of what other brides did using the same color combo as you, same wedding theme or even similar locations as you.  With so many great ideas floating around on the web, wedding blogs are a prime location to find ones for your special day!

Finally, brides all over the globe are turning to Wedding Directories to get ideas and point them in the right direction of top websites.  Directories are designed to offer lots of websites in specific categories.  This makes your job of searching all over the net for a specific site MUCH easier!  Wedding directory websites like Various Wedding helps you find wedding information and ideas including wedding invitation, wedding gift, wedding jewelry, wedding dress, wedding flower, wedding cake and more.

On the flipside – with so many wedding planning websites out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed…So stick with a few and the ones that are focused on your location and needs. Good Luck!

Choosing a venue that serves as the ceremony AND reception location is a great way to save money.  Not only will it cut out renting a limo for the drive from the ceremony to reception, but the rate may be cheaper than renting many different locations (church, dinner,.  However, moving guests around does generate excitement so to keep that level of energy, think about moving from one room or outdoors for the ceremony, and then another room for cocktail hour and greeting and yet another for dinner and finally dancing.  Also, not only will you save on transportation, but you will save on gas money when rehearsing, decorating, and cleaning up.  Plus, vendors such as florists, caterers and may negotiate with you on cost since they will not have to travel to other locations as well.

When choosing a reception site, make sure you ask about any restrictions that may apply to the location, some venues will restrict the time that alcohol can be served, or prohibit red wine altogether due to carpet stains.  Other venues may have contracts with certain caterers that you will need to know about before signing any contracts.

Depending on the site, you could save up to 50 percent on your wedding by having it on a Thursday evening, however you will want to decide if that is worth it based on the type of crowd and activities involved.  If guests are traveling from out of town, it could be inconvenient for them, as well as for everyone who will be working that day (drive home, shower, get ready, and get to wedding) – it might not be possible for many of the guests.

When choosing your reception venue, ask to see previous photos of events (both weddings and other events) that have taken place at the location.  Not only could you get a reference of someone to call and ask about their experience with your location, but you’ll also get some good ideas and inspiration as well.

When it comes to one of the largest – if not THE largest expense of the reception it is the food.  After having the chance to talk to a variety of brides, there are a few great money saving ideas when it comes to food.  First try a pasta bar where guests can choose their own pastas, topping and sauces (giving them lots of options but still saving you money).  Doing a wedding brunch is also way cheaper than serving a dinner meal (which is the most expensive).  And for my favorite reception food idea – a dessert bar.  Create an array of your favorite dessert dishes and allow guests to talk and mingle over everyone’s favorite ‘meal’.  With lots of dessert options, you won’t have to serve a full meal and your budget will like it as well.

Hope you’ve got some ideas that will help you plan for your BIG DAY and check back, we’ll have more great ideas coming soon!

Set the date or pick a venue.  Depending on which one is more important to you, you may have a certain time that you want or can get married (summer time, between work schedules, etc.) – in this case, you’ll want to set the date first.  However if you’re more concerned with the location or venue of your wedding, then you’ll want to call and see what is available.  Remember you might have to be flexible on the date, if the location is set in stone.

Tip #1 :  When deciding on the wedding date or venue, there are a couple things that can make it more affordable and easier to plan.  First, if you want a summer-style wedding with summer flowers or fresh fruits and vegetables, then don’t plan your wedding in October or November – you can pay up to twice as much for the flowers and food that aren’t in season.

Tip #2 :  If you’re interested in creating an entirely unique venue, you might decide on a venue that is a blank canvas (like a park or hotel), but just remember  that starting from scratch can be time consuming and pricey if you don’t have a wedding coordinator.  Plus locations that are set-up for weddings may have connections or deals with local caterers and florists which can make the prices lower.

These are just a couple things to brainstorm when you’re planning your special day.  Once you’ve picked a wedding venue or set the date, the next step will be planning your wedding budget.

Weddings have always been a fascination for me, ever since I was 3 years old watching my mother custom design and construct wedding gowns for brides.  I instantly began helping in any way I could (which wasn’t much besides staying out of the way) but I was able to watch women step into beautiful white gowns that made them glow and sparkle.  There was always an aura about brides and I knew that “the dress” was a huge part of that.  When I turned 8 years old and was preparing for my first communion in the spring, my mother allowed me to design my own dress – a white gown with beautiful ruffles, basque waist, and lace and beads came to my mind.  After that, I was hooked and wedding dresses and still am to this day.

Gradually my passion (or obsession) with wedding dresses grew into a passion for everything related to weddings: decor, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, cakes, etc., etc.  I feel so strongly about weddings that I feel each and every bride should be able to have her very OWN dream wedding come true, and finding her dream wedding dress at an affordable price, is just one way to accomplish that.  I feel each bride should find a gown that complements not only her style, but her body type and wedding fantasy as well.

My education that focused in fashion and fine arts have led me to create WeddingTrendista.com.  However, I feel that it should be more than just a place to buy and sell your used wedding dresses, but a valuable planning resource for brides (which is partly why I started this blog).  Sharing years of wedding research and tips, as well as advice from other wedding professionals and brides, is one way I hope to make your planning go easily and smoothly.  If you have any questions for me, please feel free to contact info [@] weddingtrendista.com

Have a wonderful day!

First things first – get together with friends and family and celebrate your engagement.  Start off your process with a little fun and relaxation.  Then when you’re ready to start making some decisions, brainstorm locations and the time of year that you want to get married.  Talk it over with parents and other family members, but don’t try to be so flexible around everyone else’s schedule that you break.  When it comes down to it, your wedding is about you and others WILL make schedule changes for you as well.

Focus on special moments in your relationship for inspiration for your wedding.  If you love being on the water, boating and water sports, think of having a wedding by a lake or the ocean.  After all it’s YOUR wedding and should be about what it most important to you and your fiancé.  If family is your number one…think about having it in a traditional place in your hometown.

Pick a date and stick with it – but if something does come up, know that you can always change it.  Just check with the venue to make sure that it is possible.  Once the wedding date and venue have been decided – that’s when the fun begins.  Start by sketching out a budget, getting price quotes from vendors and envisioning your dream wedding.  Colors, flowers, and invitations will float through your head as you make your journey to the aisle.  Good luck and check back for money saving tips and unique wedding themes next week!

At the WeddingTrendista blog, we’ll keep you posted on:

• the latest wedding trends
• great wedding ideas
• money saving wedding planning tips
• local vendors and wedding professionals
• sweepstakes and giveaways!

Check back often for this and much, much more at WeddingTrendista.com!

And don’t forget to check out our wide selection of new, sample and used wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding accessories.