Budget-Savers Archives - Page 2 of 2

Help Your Bridesmaids Get Budget Savings for your Wedding!

January 11, 2013 By Sharon 2 Comments

Bridesmaids today spend over $1,000 to be in a wedding — that is, to be in each wedding, and they may be in more than one bridal party this year! So be the best bride possible by giving them my new book Bridesmaid on a Budget which I filled with budget-savers and my favorite resources, so that they can cut their spending waaaaaay down!

They’ll find savings ideas on the following top bridesmaid expenses:

* The Dress

* The Shoes

* Hair and Makeup

* Bridal Shower Decor

* Bridal Shower Menus

* Bridal Shower Cakes

* Bridal Shower Drinks

* Bridal Shower Games

* The Bachelorette Party

* Travel and Lodging for the Wedding

* Gifts for You (!)

* Travel and expenses for shopping trips

* And more…

I’ve packed this book with ways they can get FREEBIES as well! And some things YOU can do to get them price breaks.

Bridesmaid on a Budget is available on Kindle as well, so either get copies for your ladies, or tell them to Kindle it up!

Weddings and Parties: Give The Mashed Potato Bar a Makeover With Omaha Steaks

January 10, 2013 By Sharon Leave a Comment

The mashed potato bar at weddings has become a Don’t…it’s too predictable, too done-that, too boring. As much as wedding guests enjoyed the novelty of fixing their own mashed potato ‘sundae’ in a martini glass, it became too much of a fad. But since potatoes are such a budget-friendly option for wedding menus — as well as engagement parties, bridal showers, co-ed bridal showers, and after-parties — I thought I’d give the old mashed potato bar a twist with these fabulous potato-chic bites from Omaha Steaks.

Take the Cheddar Cheese Hash Browns shown above — how great would those be as a late-night snack at the reception, or as a station at the cocktail party, a budget-friendly station at the engagement party. Since so many co-ed bridal showers are of the barbecue style, these crispy, yummy hash browns would be fabulous as an unexpected side.

Add some spice with Omaha Steaks Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries , which can be hand-passed as an appetizer, always served right out of the oven, crispy and hot.

Potatoes Au Gratin add a formal flair to hand-passed hors d’oeuvres, and since they’re so big and full, I’d serve them plated individually on their own station at an engagement party.

Omaha Steaks Pepper Jack Risotto Cakes add some uniqueness to the party, since everyone’s getting tired of those rice balls served at weddings. With the added pepper jack flair, these big balls of flavor can populate a potato station, and may also be paired with another of the potato-ey goodness items on this list. A full potato variety bar is always an option, so guests can choose their level of heat, their crunchy faves, and maybe a bite to share with a date.

Omaha Steaks Garlic Mashed Potatoes can keep it old-style, in this pretty presentation from which guests can scoop their own servings.

As a twist on the classic garlic mashed potatoes, how about smashed red potatoes, Omaha Steaks’ newest potato dish?

And then there’s the Omaha Steaks Stuffed Baked Potato, which can be a side at an engagement party, the centerpiece of your potato bar, a barbecue treat, and especially a scrumptious dish for the late-night hours of the wedding, when things are winding down and guests are extra-hungry.

Presentation is key, so for these potato dishes, offer a few different serving styles, like hand-passed, set-out silver platters, fun baskets of fries, stations with serving scoops for those classic mashies, and be sure to set out identification cards so that guests know exactly what they’re getting into.

Your twist on the mashed potato bar will be a hit with your guests, and a smart way to fill up your menu with your budget still intact. If you are planning to serve Omaha Steaks at your wedding or on a bigger scale than an at-home party, ask for gift cards to the company for your birthday present, grad gifts, or other present-getting occasions, so that you can get even more on your menu.

"Bridesmaid on a Budget" is on Kindle Super-Sale!

December 6, 2012 By Sharon Leave a Comment

Tell your Bridesmaids: my new wedding book “Bridesmaid on a Budget” is on super-sale at Kindle for $4.27 right now! Help your bridesmaids save tons of money on everything from their bridesmaid dresses to the bridal shower to their travel and lodging, gifts, beauty expenses, accessories and more! Bridesmaids shouldn’t have to pay $1,000+ to be in your bridal party! They’ll love you for looking out for them, and showing them this post so they can get their own Kindle versions of the book!

WeddingMapper.com Question of the Day: Rehearsal Dinner Guest List Solution

December 6, 2012 By Sharon Leave a Comment

This great wedding planning question came in to my column at www.weddingmapper.com, and it’s a dilemma for a lot of parents. So I thought I’d share it here, in case you’re facing the same rehearsal dinner guest list questions:

Question:
Hi Sharon,
I am the Mother of the Groom planning a rehearsal dinner in July. My husband and I have our own idea of who is invited to this affair, based on 30 years ago, but today’s generation of 20 somethings have a different idea! My problem is considering what the Bride and Groom want-inviting all guests to the rehearsal dinner who will be coming in to town for the wedding, “after all they have to have someplace to eat dinner”, will turn the Rehearsal Dinner into another, although slightly smaller,’reception’. Most of my family will be the out of towners, all of whom my future daughter in law has met and knows very well. The only guests she doesn’t know are some close friends of ours from high school and college, who wouldn’t expect to be invited to the rehearsal dinner. Where do we draw the line in inviting guests to the Rehearsal Dinner? I thought it was supposed to be a time for the B & G to say thanks to their wedding party, and anyone else involved in the ceremony, and give gifts to them. That would be very awkward with alot of other guests around who they will be seeing the next day.
Thank you for your thoughts.

Answer:

Hi Terry!

The trend of inviting all out of towners to the rehearsal dinner has actually faded out a bit now, given the economy and the expense of the wedding. While it’s completely understandable that the bride and groom want to have their out of town guests’ dinner provided, what’s being done now, more often, is just the immediate family and bridal party invited to the rehearsal dinner — for the reasons you mentioned — and out of town guests provided with a list of nearby eateries, or a cocktail party planned for LATER the night before….after the rehearsal dinner. The out of town guests get the picture that they’re not invited to the rehearsal dinner (which may be early at 6pm) when they’re invited to a Welcome Cocktail Party at the hotel, where drinks and light hors d’oeuvres are served. They can take their time arriving, unpacking and mingling, perhaps going to the hotel lounge on their own to eat, and then they know they’ll see you all at the cocktail party later. It keeps costs down, creates a festive atmosphere for that night, gives the bride and groom quality time with their guests, and keeps the toats and gift-giving at the rehearsal dinner to the smaller group.

It’s always the host’s choice of which plan to do…if the bride and groom really want all of the guests at the rehearsal dinner, then think about doing a heavier-appetizers cocktail party for all to keep expenses lower, limit the bar list, and have the bride and groom give their bridal party members their gifts at an earlier arrival time set for them. Toasts can still be made, so this might be a good compromise plan.

Talk to the bride and groom to see what you can arrange…they might be looking for more relaxed time to spend with a greater circle of incoming guests.
Sharon Naylor

Win It! The First Copy of my New Book "The Bride's Guide to Freebies!"

November 27, 2012 By Sharon 2 Comments

My new wedding book has arrived! And I’m giving away my own, personal, very first copy to a lucky bride who wants to find out how to get great freebies for her wedding…without selling out, and without risking wedding disasters.

Check out what Bridal Guide’s editor-in-chief had to say about it:

“The definitive guide for couples looking to slash their wedding budgets without sacrificing style. Sharon Naylor spells out which freebies are accessible and which not to expect for free. A must-read for couples who want a fantastic wedding and a debt-free start to married life.” — Diane Forden, Editor in Chief, Bridal Guide

With the average cost of weddings today at over $20,000, it’s no wonder that today’s savvy, budget-conscious brides are looking for deals to get the wedding of their dreams at a fraction of the cost. But in today’s world where extreme couponing and the number of wedding sweepstakes competitions is on the rise, for the modern bride, discounts and bargains are simply not enough. For these brides, only free will do.

Enter The Bride’s Guide to Freebies, the book that shares insider secrets on how to potentially get thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and products for your wedding for free. No, this is not a book of suggested bargains and discounts. Rather, this book provides freebie-finding strategies on everything from the dress to the food to the entertainment, information on what to say (and not say) to score lots of swag, and how to foster positive relationships with vendors that result in spectacular add-ins. And each and every tip and strategy featured in the book is designed to give the budget-conscious bride the ultimate payoff: lots of wedding goods and extras… for absolutely zero money.

Visit my site www.sharonnaylor.net for more info on this book, as well as my 35 additional wedding books, and get your copy at Amazon or Barnes and Noble if you’re not the lucky winner chosen on December 5th!

Here’s how to enter: RT this post on Twitter, or leave a comment here sharing what you’d love to get for free for your wedding plans! Good luck!

Bridesmaid Master Class: Lesson 4 — Forget About 'Looking Cheap'

May 8, 2012 By Sharon Leave a Comment

SO many bridesmaids out there have spent way more than they hoped to — surpassing that national average of (yikes!) over $1,400 from dress to shoes to gifts. And they spend months after the wedding marinating in regrets: “Why didn’t I say no to that expensive dress?” “Why did I agree to split the cost of the bridal shower without finding out what they were planning?”

I can help you avoid post-wedding regrets….Drop any fears you might have about ‘looking cheap’…especially when it comes to approaching the group with coupons, Groupons, LivingSocials, RetailMeNot.com’s and other price-savers.

I have no idea where this came from — perhaps those over-the-top Coupon-Crazy stockpiling television shows — but many bridesmaids worry about looking cheap, or not successful, or like the ‘crazy coupon lady’ to their fashionista bridesmaid sisters. But let me tell you something: those fashionista, brand-name-dropping bridesmaid sisters are so using coupons, Groupons, LivingSocial deals and even getting their Gucci bags on eBay, second-hand for $100. Don’t let ’em fool you if they’re talking high-priced everything and mentioning their vacation to St. Bart’s. Bridesmaid make a big mistake in letting themselves feel inferior around brand-slingers.

Sure, you might be in a bridesmaid circle with trust fund babes, but what do you care if they roll their mink-lashed eyes at your offer of a $5 for $30 in cakepops deal? Most of the monied bridesmaids I know talk to me about the fabulous coupon deal another bridesmaid found…happy that the ka-ching on the bridal shower isn’t going to be too much, nor take away from their St. Bart’s fund. You might not see it or hear it, depending on their character, but they’re going to be happy about your coupon/LivingSocial ways.

So shake off that anxiety about being judged, and consider yourself a brilliant hunter of deals, a savior of the bridesmaid budget, and your own best friend in the bunch. You might be the reason the bride gets those sugar flower-topped cake pops at her bridal shower (which you know she wanted,) or a free night and suite upgrade for the bachelorette party getaway.

Master Class Lesson 4: look for coupons and deals, show them to the maid of honor, bring it up at the bridesmaid planning meeting, and offer to handle the purchase or the booking. The money you save will be your own, too. Imagine getting 50% off everything you need to buy as a bridesmaid? It’s possible with coupons and savings deals. Having them in your hand and not mentioning them? You’ll regret that.