Bridal Bargains : Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget

by Fields, Denise

• ISBN13: 9781889392226
• ISBN10: 1889392227
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-16
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

The national best-seller the wedding industry does NOT want you to read! Bridal Bargains teaches couples all the tricks to saving money on a wedding--and how to avoid pitfalls and scams. With the average wedding costing $20,000, Bridal Bargains is the solution to tying the knot without breaking the bank.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Introduction	p. 1
So, Who Are You Guys?	p. 1
The 4 Truths About Weddings You Won't Read In Etiquette Books	p. 2
The Goal of this Book	p. 5
Wow! There's No Advertising!	p. 5
How Much Does the Average U.S. Wedding Cost?	p. 5
The Six Fields' Commandments for Bridal Bargains	p. 9
The Bridal Clock	p. 11
What's New In This Edition?	p. 12
Your Wedding
Apparel for the Bride	p. 17
The Olympics of Shopping	p. 17
Hidden Costs Can Add Up	p. 19
Web Sites To Ease Gown Shopping	p. 21
Why Ordering a Gown Takes So Long	p. 24
17 Step-by-Step Shopping Strategies	p. 26
Good vs. Bad Gown Quality	p. 27
Questions to Ask Before You Order the Gown	p. 31
Special Warning: Use Your Credit Card!	p. 32
Destination Wedding Tips: Gowns	p. 35
26 Money-Saving Secrets	p. 36
Real Wedding Tip: eBay Success Stories	p. 38
The Running of the Brides: Filene's Sale	p. 42
Real Wedding Tip: Make you Own Headpiece	p. 48
Games Bridal Shops Play	p. 48
Top Excuses for Why Bridal Shops Rip Tags	p. 51
Designer Trunk Shows: Tips & Traps	p. 54
The Myth of Italian Satin & 4 More Dress Myths	p. 61
"Over-Sizing" and 15 More Pitfalls	p. 64
Bridal 911: What Happens If the Shop Disappears	p. 66
Also Known As: Designer Aliases	p. 76
Chart: Top Bridal Designers Rated & Compared	p. 80
Best Buy: Discount Gown Web Sites	p. 84
Table: Pros & Cons of Buying a Discount Gown	p. 91
Best Buy: China Direct Gowns	p. 91
Best Buy: Bridal Outlets	p. 94
Factory Stores New Twist on Outlets	p. 97
Big Mark-Ups Ahead: Accessories & Extras	p. 100
Not Recommended: David's Bridal	p. 102
Looking for a Large Size	p. 103
Gown Preservation	p. 107
Apparel for the Wedding Party	p. 111
Bridesmaids' Gowns	p. 111
Our Buying Strategy	p. 112
5 Shopping Strategies	p. 114
Do it Online & 12 More Money-Savers	p. 115
Which Maids Gowns Are Easiest To Alter?	p. 115
Chart: Bridesmaids Options	p. 118
Square Peg, Round Hole and 6 More Pitfalls	p. 122
Real Wedding Tip: Delivery, Sizing Problems	p. 123
Flower Girl Dresses: Our Savings Tips	p. 124
Chart: Top Maids Designers Rated & Compared	p. 130
Tuxedos: The Three Options	p. 132
Grooms in Cyberspace	p. 134
Tux Shopping Tips & Recommendations	p. 135
5 Money-Saving Secrets	p. 136
Ceremony Sites	p. 139
Religious vs. Civil Ceremonies	p. 140
8 Sources for Ceremony Sites & Officiants	p. 141
Important Questions to Ask the Site Coordinator	p. 143
Real Wedding Tip: Church Fees Can Add Up	p. 143
Most/Least Popular Wedding Months by State	p. 144
Why Civic Sites are Best Bargains	p. 147
Destination Wedding Tips: License 411 & More	p. 148
Wedding Flowers	p. 149
Average Floral Costs	p. 150
Florists Come in Three Flavors	p. 150
Four Floral Web Sites for Advice, Bargains	p. 151
Florist Shopping: 9 Steps & 11 Questions to Ask	p. 153
26 Money-Savers	p. 156
Table Centerpieces On the Cheap	p. 158
Seven Floral Best Buys	p. 163
Label Flowers and 8 More Helpful Tips	p. 165
The Mercedes Syndrome and 5 More Pitfalls	p. 166
Real Wedding Tip: The Surprise Consulting Fee	p. 167
Trends: Bouquet Bling & More	p. 170
Destination Wedding Tips: Flowers	p. 171
Spotlight on Roses: Types & Colors	p. 171
Best Buy: Buying Flowers at Wholesale on the 'Net	p. 174
Best Buy: Craft Stores	p. 178
Dictionary of Wedding Flowers	p. 180
Invitations	p. 181
Why Invitations Are Priced a La Carte	p. 181
Where to Buy: Retail vs. Mail-Order	p. 182
8 Cool Invitation Web Sites	p. 185
9 Steps in the Ordering Process	p. 188
5 Questions to Ask A Stationer	p. 190
Real Wedding Tip: How Many Should You Invite?	p. 190
Thermography and 13 More Money-Savers	p. 192
Brazen Bridal Registries & Four More Helpful Hints	p. 197
The "Engraved Invitation" Myth	p. 198
"Pet Postal Peeves" and 7 More Pitfalls	p. 199
11 of the Best Stationary Printers	p. 204
Do It By Mail: 12 Invitation Catalogs	p. 208
Chart: Mail-Order Invites Compared	p. 210
Trends: Belly Bands, Color and More	p. 212
Best Buy: Wedding Invitation Kit	p. 213
Best Buy: Online Invitation Discounters	p. 214
Best Buy: Do-it-yourself Paper Supplies	p. 215
Spotlight: Wedding Favors: 12 Ideas	p. 216
Your Reception
Reception Sites	p. 223
The Big Trade-Off	p. 224
Six Surprising Sources	p. 224
Finding Sites on the Web	p. 226
11 Questions to Ask Any Site	p. 228
Best Bargains: Biz Hotels, Civic Sites and More	p. 230
Tent Rental 101	p. 232
The Marriage Mark-Up	p. 234
Destination Wedding Tips & Advice	p. 236
Kickbacks and 6 More Pitfalls to Avoid	p. 237
6 Most Common Site Types: Good, Bad News	p. 241
Real Wedding Tip: Catering Insider Dishes Dirt	p. 242
Hotels: Never Pay the Rack Rate!	p. 243
The Amazing Send-Off: Fireworks	p. 250
Catering	p. 253
The Big Bucks: Food, Beverages, Labor, Rentals	p. 253
Real Wedding Tip: Open vs. Cash Bars	p. 255
Average Catering Costs	p. 257
The Two Types of Caterers	p. 257
When To Book a Caterer	p. 258
18 Questions to Ask a Caterer	p. 260
The Dessert Reception & 24 More Money-Savers	p. 263
Deals at Wholesale Clubs	p. 268
Real Wedding Tip: Tips on Tipping	p. 270
Plastic Plate Myth	p. 271
How to Feed 100 for $100	p. 271
"Frozen Food" and 5 More Pitfalls	p. 275
Real Wedding Tip: Liquor Slight of Hand	p. 277
Photography	p. 281
What You're Buying: Candids, Albums, Portraits	p. 281
Digital Albums: The Latest Craze	p. 282
What Are Exposures, Proofs, Prints?	p. 283
Are Wedding Photographers Overpaid?	p. 285
Where Not to Look For a Good Photographer	p. 286
Digital vs. Medium-Format Cameras	p. 288
Proofless Studios Speed Album Deliveries	p. 290
Why Personality is Just As Important As Skill	p. 293
9 Shopping Strategies	p. 294
16 Questions to Ask Any Wedding Photographer	p. 296
Art Leather Albums: The Inside Story	p. 298
12 Money-Savers on Photography	p. 301
Real Wedding Tip: Mail-Order Albums	p. 304
The Great Before or After Controversy	p. 306
"Bait & Switch" and 8 More Pitfalls	p. 311
Odd Angles & Blurred Shots: Latest Trends	p. 317
Cakes	p. 319
Average Total Costs	p. 320
8 Wedding Cake Trends	p. 321
The Three Types of Bakeries	p. 322
How Soon To Book the Baker?	p. 324
Taste Tests and More Shopping Strategies	p. 324
Five Questions to Ask	p. 325
Cake Slight-Of-Hand & 11 More Bargains	p. 326
Real Wedding Tip: That's Nuts!	p. 328
The "Mystery White Icing" and 4 More Pitfalls	p. 329
Real Wedding Tip: Small vs. Large Bakeries	p. 331
Wedding Videos	p. 333
"In-Camera" vs Post-Editing	p. 334
Average Costs	p. 334
How to Find a Good Videographer	p. 335
5 Basics of a Good Wedding Video	p. 337
Videos: Good, Bad, Ugly	p. 340
11 Questions to Ask	p. 342
The Balkans of Bridal	p. 344
Ceremony Only Packages and 12 More Bargains	p. 345
"Director's Disease" and 6 More Video Pitfalls	p. 349
New trends: HDTV, TV Themes, Retrospectives	p. 352
Entertainment	p. 355
Ceremony Music: Prelude, Processional/Recessional	p. 355
Reception Music: Bands & DJs	p. 356
10 Surprising Sources for Musicians	p. 357
Finding a DJ on the 'Net	p. 359
Step-by-Step Shopping Strategies	p. 360
11 Questions to Ask Musicians	p. 363
iPod Weddings and 9 More Money-Savers	p. 364
Real Wedding Tip: Hiring Student Musicians	p. 366
The "Yucky DJ Myth"	p. 367
Canned vs. Fresh: Hire a Band or DJ?	p. 368
Ashlee Simpson Demo Tapes and 4 More Pitfalls	p. 370
Agents: Helping Hand or Scum of the Earth?	p. 375
Etcetera	p. 375
Limousines	p. 375
Shopping Strategies, Money-Savers	p. 377
Rent a Caddy and 8 other money-savers	p. 378
Watch out: Sleazy Limo Driver	p. 380
Wedding Rings	p. 381
Best Buy: Get Your Rings at a Discount	p. 383
Royal Prestige Cookware Pitch Exposed	p. 388
Dubious Items: Wedding Insurance, Name Change Kits	p. 390
Bridal Shows: Highway to Bridal Hell?	p. 391
Wedding Consultants	p. 393
Question to Ask a Bridal Planner	p. 394
Pitfalls to Avoid With Planners	p. 395
Gift Registries	p. 398
16 Salt-N-Pepper Shakers and 3 More Pitfalls	p. 401
6 Money-Saving Tips	p. 402
How to turn unwanted gifts into cash	p. 403
Honeymoons	p. 403
15 Honeymoon Bargains	p. 404
Chart: When is the Off Season?	p. 405
Hurricane Proof Your Honeymoon	p. 407
How to Create Your Own Wedding Web Site	p. 410
Canada	p. 411
Bridal Gowns: Money-Saving Ideas	p. 411
Invitations: Canadian Mail-Order Catalogs	p. 414
A Web Site for Canada Brides	p. 414
Bridal 911: Last Minute Consumer Tips	p. 417
Meet the Surrogate Bad Cop	p. 417
The Final Checkup	p. 419
Wedding Day Crises: How to Survive Them	p. 419
Conclusion: What Does it All Mean?	p. 421
Setting a Budget	p. 422
Phone/Web Directory	p. 429
Index
About the Authors
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.