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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Will you be registering?

Posted in Inspired Bride, Wedding Planning Tip

Is everyone ready for a quick history lesson!? (I promise this looks long, but it’s informative!! haha)

Believe it or not, the tradition of the bridal registry has been around for as long as we humans have been getting hitched! However, it has not always been referred to as a “registry”. Prior to 1924, when Marshall Field’s, a department store in Chicago, introduced the first gift registry, the idea of gift giving to newlyweds came in the form of a dowry. Dowries have been around for centuries and included necessary items a couple would need to start a successful household, which usually came from the bride’s family. The dowry eventually evolved into the traditional Hope Chest, which many now know as the modern wedding registry. How was that little bit of Wedding History 101? Hopefully not too boring, but I figured there needed to be a foundation laid for this post to really get the message across about why bridal registries came to be, and how they have evolved over the years.

The registry has changed dramatically and its purpose is not the same for today’s couples as it was for those of matrimonial past. Since many young individuals tend to move out of the home and live on their own or with a significant other prior to marriage, and many are choosing to get married later in life, they already have the necessary household items one would find in a traditional registry. Therefore, the need for things like silverware, china and linens has diminished, which means couples are either eliminating this tradition from their wedding plans all together, or they are seeking out unique alternatives. I have put together a list of some of the most popular registry options that couple’s are utilizing in today’s wedding world. Take a look and maybe you will be inspired to incorporate one of these ideas into your big day!

1. Registering with a favourite charity/ charities

This is a great alternative for couples that may not like the idea of traditional department store registries and/ or are financially stable. They can register with their favourite organization(s) and friends and family can make donations in the couple’s name. A number of local and national charities offer their own registry services. For example, World Wildlife Fund offers their Weddings and Celebration Site and Registry. Couples can create their own web page and registry with the organization, which gives guests the option of making a donation to one of WWF’s conservation programs!

2. Registering for a dream honeymoon

This has become a very popular option for couples. What is great about this is that couples can set up their registry so that guests can choose which element of the honeymoon they would like to subsidize (i.e. airfare, hotel, spa services). Some popular sites include ehoneymoonregistry.com and flightcentre.ca.

3. Registering for a “big-ticket” item

This alternative registry option is an open and honest method for couples to use without setting an inappropriate precedent for their guests by simply asking them for money. A couple can select one desired item (i.e. a down payment on their first home or a mortgage) and guests know that their money is going to that specific item and not something they would not want to contribute towards. Ask your bank if they offer this type of service or visit Home for the Honeymoon!

4. Registering for an education fund

I never even thought about this before reading it on weddingbells.com, but it is such a great idea! A number of couples hope to start families after they are married and do not need household items or assistance with the purchase of a home. Everyone knows how expensive post-secondary education is and you can never start saving too early for such an important part of a child’s future. Check out Upon Our Star, it is great for this type of registry!

5. Registering with a local nursery

I love this idea because this type of registry can literally be everlasting. Some nurseries take donations toward trees and shrubs for country houses and backyards. Sheridan Nurseries in Toronto offers a registry service that allows a couple to select the plants and accessories they want for their home. Getting something like a tree as a wedding gift is special because it becomes a permanent part of your home. My family gave a plum tree to a cousin and her husband for their wedding and it reminds her every day of the love shared between us. This registry option allows memories to bloom and last forever.

I personally love how unique registries have become. Even though it is no longer a necessary element of the wedding planning process, it is an option that has countless possibilities. Couples can really have fun with all of these options, and so can their guests!

Happy planning!

How do you feel about wedding registries? What are some unique registry options you have stumbled across?

Leave us some love!

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Article written by Katie Dennison – Intern at The Little White Dress

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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Tip No. 10 – Added Services

Posted in Inspired Bride, Wedding Planning Tip

Top 10 Tips to Getting the Most Bang for Your Wedding Planning Budget Revealed!!

I’m sorry this post isn’t very ‘pretty’…but I promise, it’s informative!!

Are ‘value added’ services provided by wedding vendors really adding value to your wedding? This is a question you should be keeping top of mind at every meeting throughout your planning process. When a vendor asks if you would like this or that to your quote for an additional fee, just be wary that these things might be costing you more than they’re worth. Don’t get me wrong…this isn’t true in every case and some services are very much worth your money (ex. cake delivery/floral delivery….BELIEVE ME these things are scary to transport!) Just be cautious of what kind of bill you’re racking up as you say yes to all of these seemingly lovely ‘little’ additions.

The thing about vendors adding extra elements to their service packages is that they offer them to you right from the get go at your very first meeting and you don’t know much yet about where your budget will end up. They may all seem well and good when you’re just getting started with your wedding plans – but once you have all of the additional components added to your quote and have paid a deposit, you generally can’t have them removed later. And once you account for the added services from each vendor compounded by the number of vendors you’ve hired, you may end up with a laundry list of items you wish you could take back.

A few examples of added services you could probably do without:

1. Photo albums or large prints from your photographer are things that you can definitely have done yourself by another company after the fact – and usually for a much better price!

2. DJ’s are fabulous and I would never EVER suggest hiring a DJ at a discount (refer to ‘Tip No. 4 – Don’t Skimp on Your DJ’) but they also do come with a lot of added bells and whistles that they will offer you at an additional price. My advice is not to worry about those bells and whistles. Having fabulous music + fabulous guests = oodles of fun on the dance floor regardless of flashing lights and dry ice!

3. Gown alterations (ugh! my worst nightmare) – this, for me, was one of the most irritating and stressful parts of my wedding planning. My suggestion (to save you some money) is to purchase your wedding gown, and then run away haha (not literally). Just pick up the gown from the bridal store and take it to a well known and well respected seamstress in the area. For example – my wedding dress alterations were apparently going to cost me upwards of $500 if I’d done them through the bridal salon and that was “IF” they could do them. They weren’t entirely sure. So I took the gown to my mom’s long time seamstress in town and the alterations were done in 2 weeks for $120 total. Best decision ever.

4. Renting (or buying) tons of vases from a florist will put you out a fair chunk of cash. An alternative would be to have your florist quote you on flowers per table and then supply them with all of your own vases! You’d be amazed at what you can find at Value Village/IKEA/online for a steal! AND…the best part is…if you’re left with a ton of vases in the end – take some of the photos from the wedding of the fabulous décor setup and post the items on Kijiji, Ruffled’s Recycle Your Wedding, Recycled Bride (or a similar site) and bride’s will buy them from you! Ta da – you may actually make your money back!

Stick with the components that you NEED and then be on the lookout for sales and better deals for the rest.

The moral of the story is: You can almost always add things later on, but it’s much more difficult (and sometimes impossible) to take them away. Be cautious of your budget up front so you don’t end up in a pickle, and if it ends up that you’ve got some wiggle room later on, go back through each of your vendors and their service offerings with your fiance and have the things that are most important to the two of you added to your quote(s).

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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Welcome Katie!

Posted in Inspired Bride

I wanted to take a moment to quickly introduce the newest member of The Little White Dress team! Please give a warm welcome to Katie, my new ridiculously awesome intern!

I’ve had a bit of a rough go the last couple of months and the timing of this internship could not be more perfect. I am beyond thrilled to have such an incredible lady join my team and get immersed in the world of weddings. She’s jumping in with both feet and she’s been such an amazing help already – I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings! She will be posting daily on the Facebook page and will be helping out with blog posts too so make sure to check them out and show her some love.

Get ready Katie…wedding season starts NOW!

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