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, 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 Friday, December 4, 2009 by Fran Hansen When trying to save money and still have an amazing wedding, seriously think about scheduling your nuptials for the "off season!" During the off-season, reception venues are typically less expensive for obvious reasons. There are not nearly as many brides competing for the space - meaning you have a greater chance for a discount. Of course, off-season depends en...

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, August 12, 2009 by Fran Hansen Double weddings are certainly not a new idea.  But they are a GREAT idea for saving at least 50% of your wedding budget, and maybe even more!! ...

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 Ask Fran Little girls all dream about their perfect wedding with lots of guests, an extravagant dress and beautiful flowers. Unfortunately the dream and the costs involved don’t always meet eye to eye. Having a sit-down meal as well as providing the drinks or having an open bar can add up to a massive amount at the end of the day. Removing just a few people from you...

Published on Thursday, January 15, 2009 by Fran Hansen Showpiece –Backdrop – Prop - Expression – Dessert Whether you see your wedding cake as a backdrop or prop to some of the most beautiful photographs taken at your wedding, or a unique expression of your wedding theme, a showpiece to impress your guests or simply dessert, you will want to take some time deciding on the perfect delicacy for your guests. However ...