Preserving Wedding Flowers

It is common human nature that we all want more for less. Especially the ones who have tight budgets. And naturally, before locking the deal, couples ask for bargains and discounts. So what we are doing at Events by Candace is throwing in some extra services by creating custom packages for couples with modest means? After all, everyone feels good if they take back a little more than what they bargained for.

One idea we have come up with is creating a personalized collage of their invitation and flowers from the bride's bouquet. Preserving them in a painting as a keepsake. Click on this link for a better understanding and examples, Flowers Into Paintings . Below is some artwork from Flowers Into Paintings that I wanted to share with you so that you can get a better idea of what we are offering (the paintings below and above are created by Missy Cannon of Flowers Into Paintings) .


-Taiyaba Khan

* * * *

Taiyaba Khan is my assistant who has great budget ideas for brides and grooms and I wanted to share with you her idea of flower preservation. She also knows how to do the art work herself. This is a fantastic idea for those brides who love flowers and do not know what to do with them after the wedding. Why not preserve them and create artwork out of the flowers from the most important day of your lives? If you are interested in this work, please contact Taiyaba at tk@eventsbycandace.net and she will answer your questions regarding this, but for now...

Happy Planning!

Find this blog interesting? Mention us in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support.

Photo credits: Flowers Into Paintings, by Missy Cannon

Platinum Weddings on a Budget

The month of May is the start of the wedding season and I started this month discussing cost-effective solutions and 5 ways to save and still have a fabulous wedding. That being said, I decided to end the month by sharing the video below from WeTV, which discusses how to create a platinum wedding without a platinum budget, their advice is to focus on things your guests will see and add more handmade elements.

As I stated in my previous blogs this month under Wedding Budget, there are many cost-effective solutions to having a fabulous wedding. You should not ever think that you cannot have an elegant and chic wedding simply because you do not have the money. Do your research or hire a wedding consultant who will help you have that platinum wedding on a budget, but for now...

Happy Planning!

Find this blog interesting? Mention us in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support.

5 Ways to Save Money & Still Have a Fabulous Wedding

In part two of my series of Cost-Effective Solutions (Weddings), I'd thought I would share five ways to save you money and still have a fabulous wedding.

Prioritize your Wedding Must Haves

{Discuss with your fiancé or bride to be what you both simply must have at your wedding and are willing to splurge on a little. If you both love photography and must have a better and more expensive photographer, then put it down on your priority list. List approximately 5 items and start trimming it down to your top 3 priorities and adjust your budget accordingly}.

Wedding Rings
{Sure, the gorgeous Harry Winston 1-carat solitaire diamond ring or platinum ring looks beautiful but if you are working with a tight budget, it will eat up a sizable part of your budget. For a start, why not purchase cheaper gold or silver wedding bands and upgrade to platinum and diamonds on your first wedding anniversary? It gives you something both to look forward to!}

Flowers

{Flowers are gorgeous and make a wedding look magical. They are also, unfortunately, expensive especially if they are out of season or unique blooms. Do some research and look out for cheaper florists or floral warehouses selling blooms at a cheaper price. It is important to be upfront with florist about your budget so that there are no surprises. I am finding that florists will work to accommodate your budget}.

Couture Wedding Gown

Photo courtesy of Dennis Lee Photography

{Every bride dreams of a Vera Wang wedding gown to get married in…until they see the price tag! However, you can still have your haute couture designer wedding gown by asking a good tailor to copy your favorite wedding gown design for less. You can opt for cheaper satin or fabric and it will cost you a fraction of the designer price! Go for something simple and you will find that a wedding dress does not need to cost you an arm and a leg}.

Wedding Favors

Garrett's Popcorn

{Wedding favors have become a common feature at weddings. However, if you are looking to trim your budget, this is one great place to start. Most of the time, favors look pretty but your guests may not have much use or appreciation for matches or scented candles. So do without them and your guests may not even notice that they are missing! If you absolutely must have some wedding favors, consider DIY wedding favors to save costs}.

Most Common Question: "Why hire a wedding consultant if we are on a tight budget?"

A Wedding Consultant has built cost cutting procedures and relationships with vendors who normally would not offer individualized discounts. This specialized group knows this business well, and can help in creating an organized, low cost, strategic event- allowing for any couple to relax on their wedding day. Events by Candace has worked and continues to work hard building relationships with vendors and venues throughout the Chicagoland area, and have done and continue to do extensive research so that we will accommodate any budget that our clients have. At Events by Candace we will always plan events to accentuate each person’s individual needs, but for now...

Happy Planning!

Find this blog interesting? Mention us in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support.

Photo Credits: The Knot, Dennis Lee Photography, Garrett's Popcorn

Cost-Effective Solutions (Weddings)

The Month of May is the beginning of the Wedding season. Many brides that I meet feel they will not be able to afford the wedding of their dreams due to the economic crisis that the U.S. is facing today. I just wanted to share with you some money saving tips for your wedding day (which includes your reception), as well as some cost-effective solutions for brides and grooms who are planning their wedding during this troubling economy.

Many modern brides and grooms are looking for a well put together wedding event that won’t cost them a bundle. I am offering some suggestions for the budget minded couple who is seeking an elegant and fabulous wedding without hidden costs or perhaps may be on a limited budget.

The most common question that brides and grooms have often asked me is “How can you save us money?” One answer to this question is that it is not necessary to spend most of the wedding budget on invitations, as personalized invitations can be easily made by the wedding party, but to spend a reasonable amount of your budget on photography. It is more important to have a reputable photographer to capture this once in a lifetime event and to secure those precious memories that will last forever. You can also save money by having your wedding on a Sunday (and surprisingly MANY downtown hotels offer awesome prices for Sunday weddings) or having a brunch reception instead of an afternoon or evening reception. On an episode of Get Married, Colin Cowie stated that you can save $$$ by having an afternoon reception versus an evening reception (the cost of food in the afternoon is cheaper than the cost of food for dinner). Another way to cut costs is to offer a buffet instead of a three course meal {tip: many think by just having passed hors d'oeuvres will save you money, this can actually cost you more than a three course meal}.

Another cost-effective tip is creative gift baskets for out of town guests. Small to mid-size baskets can be purchased at any local arts and crafts store or via the Internet. Many of these stores will provide weekly discount coupons online or through the local newspaper. These stores from time to time will also offer craft education, information and project ideas, classes and events for those seeking a more creative approach.

Some suggestions for these baskets would be items that are local to Chicago or the hosted city of the wedding celebration. These could be anything from a map of Chicago, bottled water (with the bride & groom's name), magnets of the City of Chicago and other City paraphernalia, and if there are sports fans in attendance, a small token of any Chicago based sports team would do. Also, any item that represents Millennium Park, and of course a bag of Garrett's Popcorn could also be a welcoming addition. I also suggest that the bride invite her wedding party for a "Making Baskets Extravaganza" one weekend close to the wedding date. This will save money, having the store make the gift baskets for you will cost you anywhere between $60-200 a piece.

Third-party vendors that I work with are offering creative ways that will adjust to any budget. For instance, a photographer I work with offers free HD upgrade, and raw footage in her packages. Even some of the vendors are experiencing difficulties during this time and I am seeing many of them, florists, videographers, hotels, etc. offering price incentives.

At Events by Candace, we strongly believe in planning events to accentuate your needs, but for now...

Happy Planning!

Find this blog interesting? Mention us in your post, subscribe to our feed, link to us, or bookmark this site. Thanks for your support.