Tag: budget

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Wedding Dress Shopping: Key Preparation Tips for a Seamless Experience!

via Best for Bride

Wedding dress shopping is fun and exciting, but it can also be overwhelming if you don’t know what you want. To find the right wedding dress, you may first have to look at hundreds of options. So, don’t hit the stores until you have narrowed your preferences to a select few. Plan in advance and your wedding shopping will be productive and enjoyable.

This article will help you understand how to prepare for your bridal boutique appointment, so you can make the most of your experience.

Begin early

There are three main processes, when it comes wedding shopping –determining the type of dress you want, finding the right bridal boutique and finding the dress. The entire process may take anywhere between 6 and 12 months. A little research before shopping will make it easier and much more effective.

How to start?

While some brides know exactly how they want to look on their wedding day, others may not have a clue on where to begin. Don’t worry, we’ll help you get there.

First, find a silent spot and sit down with a pen and paper. Close your eyes and imagine your wedding day. Do you envision yourself as a traditional bride in a classic white wedding gown? Or do you picture yourself as a fashionable, stylish bride in a modern wedding dress?

Depending on your preferences, write down a few describing words for the gown you have in mind.

Now, look for dresses that match your idea. Browse through online wedding gown collections and photos in bridal magazines to find inspiration. Save these for reference, and make notes on what you like and what you don’t in a particular dress.

Ask your friends for suggestions on what would look good on you. Once you begin doing this, you will slowly zero-in on the features you want, and eliminate those you don’t. You should soon be able to shortlist suitable silhouettes, type of sleeves, neckline and length. It’s now time to move on to the next step.

Fix a budget, find a boutique

The worst thing that can happen when you go shopping, is to fall in love with a dress you cannot afford. So, fix the maximum amount you can spend on your wedding dress and make sure you stick to it. Budget for accessories like veils and shoes too.

Now, find a boutique that carries the dress collections you like. You can check online or call them to confirm availability of these collections. Although you can buy a dress online, remember that you may not be able to judge how the dress would look on you till you actually try it on.

Book your appointment and go shopping!

Once you finalize the boutique, fix an appointment with them on a day when you have plenty of time to shop. If there are any particular dresses that you liked, inform them so they will have it ready when you arrive.

Take a friend or two with you, when you go shopping. Limit the number of people who accompany you, as too many opinions will only make the decision difficult. Choose someone who is fair in judgement and will give you an honest opinion.

Now, all you have to do is attend your appointment and find your dream dress!

Visit Best for Bride to browse through our vast selection of wedding dresses and for all your other wedding needs.

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The Right steps to finding the Best wedding planner

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The term “wedding planner” broadly encompasses a number of services. Who you choose to hire for your wedding, should depend on what you want them to do. You can select between full service wedding planners and partial services. Either way, the final intention is to reduce your stress as the big day approaches, and have everything on track, in time.

We will now look at how you can find the right wedding planner from the numerous options available.

Full-service planner, a “day of” coordinator or Part-time Professional

If you want a professional to handle all the details of your wedding and you can afford it, choose a full-service planner. They will take care of all tasks including hiring and decorating the venue, creating invitations, booking the florists, caterers and band, all the way up to sending your thank you notes.

A day-of coordinator will take charge for everything on your actual wedding day. If you prefer to plan and execute everything yourself, but want help on the day, this is the ideal choice for you. Part-time professionals can help you perform chosen tasks. For example, you can hire them for décor suggestions, assistance with booking vendors etc. They charge a flat fee for the service they provide, and it is hence less expensive than a full-service planner.

Factors to account for when booking the service

The most important factor when booking a planner is your budget. A full-service planner is expensive, and they may cost up to 10 to 20% of your total budget. A “day-of” coordinator charges a flat fee for his job, and relieves you of the pressure of handling things on the day.

Compare costs of various planners and shortlist the option/options that seem ideal. Make sure that the names on the list are all professionals who are experienced and well-trained. The next part is conducting interviews to zero-in on the right choice.

Interviews and decisions

At the interview, obtain references of past weddings your wedding planner has conducted. Ask them how they work, how they handle emergencies and what ideas they can contribute to your wedding. The basic idea of this discussion is to determine how well the two of you can work together.

You will be spending a lot of time with your wedding planner, so it is important that you strike a rapport right from the start. You should be comfortable discussing your ideas, and he/she should welcome your ideas and be ready to build on it. If you are struggling to convince him/her of what you want, it is obviously not the right choice.

Discuss what will be included in the cost and make sure all the terms and conditions are included in the contract. Once you have finalized everything and your wedding planner has begun the planning process, be in touch regularly and ask for updates on the progress. With the right person to help you, you can be certain that your dream of having the perfect wedding will be realized with no difficulty.

Best for Bride has everything you need from wedding dresses, to décor ideas, invitations and more. Visit us today to get started with your wedding plans today.

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How a smart mother of the bride can help with her daughter’s wedding

via Best for Bride

Isn’t it exciting that your little girl is getting married? Deciding to get married is the easy part, planning the wedding and getting all the arrangements done on time is the tough part. The good news is that you are there to help!

So, let’s find out how you can make the task easier for her.

The planning phase is perhaps the toughest of all. There are hundreds of details to be looked at and budgets to prepare and adhere to. These are the things you can do to help.

Make a comprehensive list

You can begin by listing down every arrangement to be done, and see to it that no detail is spared. Your daughter will probably be doing the same too. So, when you combine the two lists, it is unlikely any detail will be missed.

This would be the right time to prepare the guest list too. Also get the guest list from the groom’s side. Remember that everything costs money, and so it is necessary to chalk out this list before working on the budget for expenses.

Discuss family traditions

If there are specific wedding rituals that are followed in your family, or heirlooms to be used in the ceremony, it is wise to inform the couple ahead of time. Provide them all the necessary information, so they can accommodate this into the wedding plan.

Help budget the expenses

Once the list is ready, help her budget the expenses. If you are contributing, let her know the amount you will be footing. Break down the budget into individual components. This can be difficult to do, so help her research the costs of various components, so she doesn’t run short of funds towards the end.

Make the bookings

Now, its time to make arrangements. You can help her visit venues, draft invitations, book caterers, photographers, florists and the band. Just remember that it is her wedding, so don’t go overboard with making the decisions for her. Facilitate what she wants, provide your valuable suggestions, but go with what she decides. If your daughter is busy, offer to shoulder certain responsibilities on your own. This will allow her some breathing space, and let her relax.

Help her shop

If your daughter invites you, attend the bridal dress appointments and help her select her wedding dress. Also help with choosing the bridesmaids dresses. Once this is done, discuss your attire with her. Let her suggest the style and colors, so you can make an appropriate choice. Inform the mother of the groom of your dress choice, so she can also choose one that blends in.

Last minute arrangements, and being there when she needs you

You can oversee the last minute arrangements and deliveries. The days leading up to the wedding can seem overwhelming, so be there for your daughter. Support her when she seems worried. Keep up her spirits, remind her of how well she is doing, and how great she looks. She will be relieved by your encouragement. After all, mom knows best!

To look special on your daughter’s wedding day, check out the beautiful collection of dresses at Best for Bride for the mother of the bride.

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Choosing the right music for your wedding: Band or DJ

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Planning your wedding involves several decisions and choices, including the choice of music. The success of your wedding reception is greatly determined by the music for the event. You have to make the important choice: a live band or a DJ. So, which of these do you go for? Let us look at the pros and cons of both, to help you decide.

The importance of choosing the right kind of music

Music has the power to set the right tone for an event. The right choice would complement the theme of your wedding, and enhance the experience for you and your guests. To make this happen, you should be closely involved in selecting the tunes to be played.

Before you decide whether you want a band or a DJ, sit down with your partner and discuss the genre of music that should set the tone of the evening. As your guests will be from different age groups and with differing personalities, not all of them may enjoy the same music as you do. Make a list of your favorite numbers, and also include some popular tunes and traditional favorites. This way, there will be songs for everyone to tap their feet to. Both bands and DJ’s should be able to play a variety of tunes, so this shouldn’t be difficult to incorporate.

Live band or DJ: Making the decision

Once you have an idea of the music you want, it is time to decide who is to deliver it. Here are the advantages and disadvantages associated with bands and DJ’s.

The energy of a good wedding band is far more than a DJ can generate. The quality of sound will be better, and a talented group of musicians can awe the crowd with their performance. Also,a group of performing musicians are a visual treat. But this comes at a price! Bands are costlier than DJ’s, so you should accommodate this factor into your wedding budget. Good bands are fully booked months in advance. So, if you intend to go with a live band, do your research ahead of time and book them early.

If you are going by a recommendation, make sure you listen to the band’s music before signing the contract. If you cannot attend a live performance, ask for tapes of previous recordings. Just make sure that it has the same musicians who will be performing at your wedding. Discuss your song selection with the band leader and see if the band can comfortably handle it.

There are two main benefits to having a DJ—the cost and a guarantee of what you get. It is easier to select a DJ; you just have to just zero-in on a charismatic candidate who has the necessary musical equipment to play the music you want. Since the original tracks will be played, you needn’t worry about how it will sound. Even with the DJ, ask for a record of his previous performance, and make sure that you like the way he conducts it.

If you are planning a wedding in Kelowna, you may consider local Kelowna DJs who are familiar with the wedding venues and have experience catering to similar events. They may have a better understanding of the flow of the reception and how to keep the guests entertained.

Either way,make sure that you entrust the task to professionals who handle their responsibilities seriously. Have all the details added to your contract, and discuss all possible concerns, to avoid any disappointments later.

For more wedding advice and all your wedding shopping needs, visit us at BestforBride.