As a little girl, you may recall playing dress-up in white
dresses and pretending to marry your Ken doll. Getting married was as simple as
slipping on a dress. Now, as a woman on the verge of this life-changing
commitment, you realize how naive you once were. Between choosing a venue to
picking the hors d'oeuvres you are completely overwhelmed. Fortunately, you
have the benefit of planning your wedding using the web.
Online Coupons and Mobile Apps
Starting with the venue, you can score great deals from
your local country club to a tropical resort often for a huge discount thanks
to Living Social. Also, search for deals with
Groupon to save on your honeymoon. Imagine spending your honeymoon at a five
star spa resort, even though your budget is more suited for a round at a mini
golf course. Deals are all over the Internet. Try to snag some dry cleaning coupons that can be used to
clean the used tuxedoes you have purchased for cheap for your groomsmen and
lucky hubby-to-be. They’ll never be able to smell the moth balls and cheap
cologne from the previous owners!
Web-based Wedding Communities
The Knot and Bridal Tweet are two social networking sites
dedicated to those with minds like you -- brides to be. One site, The Knot,
includes the Ask Carley Q+A where you can learn all about the dos and don’ts of
the “I Do.” Wedding ceremonies are constantly changing and evolving. For
instance, when your parents got married it was most likely not common to have
food or music at the rehearsal; weddings were just simpler functions. The Ask
Carley Q+A also keeps you up to date on wedding faux pas and evolutions. For
instance, you may have no idea how common it is for wedding couples to have
mix-sex attendants. Nowadays more brides and grooms are having their siblings
or close friends included in the wedding party despite their sex. This totally
makes sense, and it makes bachelor/ette party planning easier.
Bridal Tweet is less like the Twitter it sounds like, and
more like a wedding information station. You can find videos and photos of real
weddings that you can “borrow” from for your own event. However, the real prize
is being able to find a local DJ. For instance, living in the Midwest, finding
a professional wedding entertainer is harder than finding someone to act like a
mime for a backyard barbecue. Fortunately, you can find a music entertainer that specializes in
weddings even in Iowa, thanks to Bridal Tweet, which can save you lots of time
and headache.
Social Sharing Sites
So, one of the best ways to save money (which is a high
priority) without sacrificing in your personal style is to do as much of the
wedding yourself. Make the invitations? Check. Bake the groom’s cake? Got it covered.
The key to your confidence is the visually arranged social sites: WeddingGawker
and Pinterest. WeddingGawker has several sister sites including CraftGawker and
FoodGawker, but they all have a common theme. Bloggers post images that are
linked to their blogs that give DIY ideas for projects. On WeddingGawker,
you can discover wedding ideas from all over the world. Now, you can even
contemplate eloping to Norway!
On Pinterest, you can create a pin board for your wedding
that has a picture of your wedding dress and engagement ring to share with your
wedding party and friends. Put up some images of ideas for bridesmaid dresses
to share with your wedding party. You’ll also be able to find some cool ideas
for serving homemade cocktails, as well as some adorable photograph setups.
Imagine having DIY funky props for your guests to hold during the impromptu
photo booths. Both inexpensive and entertaining, don’t expect to have a single
guest complain when it’s time to take family photos!
Using the Web to plan a wedding can be a lifesaver. You
can take your wedding plans into your own hands. Borrow some terrific ideas and
themes from other wedding parties. Get inspired from weddings all over the
world. Most importantly, transform your big day into something you can truly
call your own.
Jessica is interested weddings and event planning. She enjoys
integrating her love of design and styling into memorable events for friends
and family.
