I re-read my previous Royal Wedding post and decided that it sounded very Windsor-hater-ish.
To the contrary.
I loved Diana.
I adore William.
And I really love Kate.
Love her trench coats.
Love her blue ISSA dress that I may one day just have to own. (Although, I’ll be wearing it with my Christian Louboutin peep-toed heels.) J
Love, Love, Love Harry. Lord knows that family needed some spunk!
But no matter where you go, you just can’t escape Royal Wedding fever. (Even Disney Jr is getting in on it.)
So I’ve given in.
Although I will DVR the event, Friday, I am dragging myself out of bed at 3:15 (IN THE MORNING!!!!) and going to a Royal Wedding Party - with the Queen of my family and the Queen Mum herself, my Nanny.
And I can't wait.
But, despite all the excitement, I feel a bit bad for anyone attempting to have a wedding any time soon.
This will be the wedding of all weddings.
And while none of your guests will expect a wedding of that scale (not all of us have a country to pay for our shindig,) how awful to even have to compete with what will be a very recent memory for everyone.
And this post is dedicated to all the girls who are trying to green with envy at the enormity of the Royal Nuptials.
If you, like me, don’t have $100 million readily at your disposal, here are some tips to keep your affair regal, but reasonable.
1. Photography – I’m not a big fan of skimping in this area. Believe it or not, your memories from that day will gradually fade. Much of what you are able to remember will be from pictures. But, you can get some rock bottom rates by finding un-professionals (meaning they don’t do it for a living.) Check their work and references. You’d be surprised how many awesome photographers there are that teach kindergarten…or sit behind a computer. (Ahem, this may or may not be an UNpaid ad for my favorite photographer....)
2. Flowers – Check with local schools horticulture department! My wedding flowers were the final exam/project for a middle school’s horticulture class. I only had to pay for the flowers. They were pretty amazing and ridiculously cheap!
3. Tuxes – You can often get a discount by using a men’s wear store related to where the bride purchases her dress, but don’t go with the first suit they show you. They always start with their most expensive label. Ask to see the store brand. Many times, they’re just as nice and much, much less! (Wish I had posted this six months ago!) And for you military folks, just go the easy route and enjoy at least one of the benefits by wearing your dress uniforms.
4. Food – Here in the South, the food at the wedding is what is most talked about. (Sorry, brides.) Having enough is more important that what you have. It’s better to serve beef tips in gravy and have plenty, than to serve filet to only three-quarters of your guests. Remember, Southern hospitality demands no mouth go unfed, and no belly's go hungry. And really, I don't know a soul who doesn't enjoy beef tips in gravy.
And can we talk about cake? Cake is possibly more important than the food. There should be plenty of cake. But avoid the price for a multi-tiered cake to feed your crowd and enjoy the benefit of sheet cakes. The price is almost half that of a 3-4 tiered cake!
5. The Dress – This is a biggie. Because most brides forget that alterations cut into your budget. Meaning that if your dress cost $1499 and your budget is $1500, chances are that with the cost of alterations, you are going to go over.
(And for heaven's sake, don’t buy new undergarments and all the trimmings from the bridal store. Check around with your friends. Chances are some one has the corset, tiered slip, veil & tiara from their wedding that they wouldn’t mind loaning you. Those add-ons can really add up.)
I could go on and on forever about ways to save money while you are planning a wedding, but for now, I will leave you with my top 5 and be thankful for the fact that I don't have to plan a wedding in the light of the Royal affair.
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