Money Saving Tips Part One

Ooh, I have so much to say about what Dani already posted!

First off, invitations:

DIY is great but printing them yourself is not for the faint-hearted. I found wonderful invites at Target. Then I returned them and bought other ones I liked even better! Then I returned THOSE and got some that matched my color scheme perfectly. (Can't beat Target! However, this is another one of my tips: don't settle just because you're trying to save a few dollars.)

They turned out fine, but I could've saved myself three afternoons, sitting on the floor next to the laser printer, feeding in sheets ten at a time.

Like she said, these days, there are a million web sites where you can get your invitations printed. The prices are reasonable and they arrive at your door ready to assemble!

For supplemental material, I used http://www.vistaprint.com/. Once you get on their mailing list, they send you FREE FREE FREE e-mails all the time. (You still pay shipping, but you can't beat free.) I used vistaprint for the rehearsal dinner invitations, the directions sheet for inside the invites, and address labels. I used the same label on the outside of the invites and to address RSVP card back to us. If you don't want to use calligraphy, this is a great way to go (of course, our wedding was somewhat casual, and the invitations reflected this).

Both my sister (maid of honor) and I got our dresses on eBay (Buy It Now, of course. I wouldn't want to lose on THE dress!!). We went to the store (Alfred Angelo) and tried them on first to get the right size, but then we found them on eBay--new, from reputable, established bridal boutiques--CHEAPER! If you have twelve women in your bridal party, this might not be an option, but for a small bridal party, you might be surprised what's available. (I added a sash that matched my sister's dress, and I finally had to call Alfred Angelo for this because I couldn't find them online anywhere.) I needed very minor alterations, and I found a local place specializing in formal wear and wedding dresses that came highly recommended that was, again, much cheaper than than having the boutique do them.

Get out on the web and start exploring your options!