Published on Tuesday, December 7, 2010 by Fran Hansen Gone are the days of the bride's family paying for the wedding, or the groom's parents getting off of the hook completely! Today's couples are actually picking up a greater portion of the wedding costs themselves rather than going to their parents. The first step in coming up with your wedding budget is to sit down together with a pencil, paper and a calculator. Fi...

Published on Thursday, December 2, 2010 by Ask Fran To be chosen as a best man is always considered to be an honor.  Traditionally, the best man’s shoes are filled by someone who is very dear or close to the groom. He is usually someone the groom trusts deeply and will be his main source of support throughout the entire occasion.  It is the best man’s role to stand by the groom's side before, during and aft...

Published on Thursday, November 4, 2010 by Ask Fran The Early Bird Gets the Dream Wedding A wedding is one of  life's  most important events, and as such, it is meant to be a memorable, beautiful and poignant affair.  But before the actual ceremony can take place,  you know there is a tremendous amount of planning that needs to be done. A bride has a certain vision of her ideal wedding – where it is...

Published on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 by Fran Hansen Plan your wedding for a Friday or Sunday night and save big bucks!  Saturdays are obviously the most popular day for weddings – but popular comes at a premium price. Unbelievable but true, if you were to decide on a mid-week wedding at your favorite hotel or reception venue you could save as much as 35% off the Saturday evening bid for the exact same services an...

Published on Friday, November 6, 2009 by Fran Hansen Hollywood would have you believe that every bride is a June bride, but the truth is that there are eleven other months out there to choose from, and a wedding at any time of year a cause for celebration, even on the most stringent of budgets. Winter brings with it thoughts of holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza, of brightly colored lights twinklin...

Published on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 by Fran Hansen Order the size wedding cake that you actually need to serve your guests! Whether you are ordering or making your own cake, you will still want to be assured that you have enough, but not too much! Most brides will order a cake that is too large and have one or more layers left over! On a budget, that just doesn't make sense! A good rule of thumb is to multiply your...

Published on Saturday, September 26, 2009 by Fran Hansen Seriously consider holding your wedding and reception in the same location. Right off the bat, this can save you a small fortune as much of your ceremony décor might also be used to enhance your reception.  (Floral and altar candelabra displays showcased behind your cake table, etc.) Your guests will love it as there is no need to transport themselves to the party. ...

Published on Saturday, July 4, 2009 by Fran Hansen Jordon almonds have long been a favorite wedding favor - So long ago in fact, that it was the favor of choice at my own wedding in 1966.  And yes, I was a child bride :) You can't get any simpler than buying pre-cut tulle at your local dollar store  and a few pounds of Jordon Almonds. Place 5 - 7 almonds in the center of the tulle, tying it closed with a complimen...

Published on Monday, May 11, 2009 by Fran Hansen While the wedding cake will normally be on the to-do list of a bride, the stand for the cake is sometimes forgotten. It is also something you don’t want to spend a fortune on or by the time you get to the stand your budget can be stretched to the limit. Fortunately there are many ways around this problem. To begin with, if you have a chosen to have a tradit...

Published on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 by Fran Hansen No one, but no one says you have to have a “wedding” cake!  Why not “wedding” pie, “wedding” cupcakes, “wedding” cookies or “wedding” brownies? Do you like cheesecake? Bake several and make them your reception table centerpiece by placing a few sprigs of greenery and flowers around their base. And who doesn’t love strawberries atop a fre...