They say that giving is far better than receiving. Obviously the proverbial "they" never received much or they would have noticed that receiving outshines giving a million to one. And when it comes to receiving wedding gifts not even Christmas can hold a candle up to it.

This is the fun part of getting married. It works by going to your favourite store and creating a list (or registry) of all the things you wouldn't mind having adorn your new love nest. You'll need a toaster, kettle, clock, bed linen - maybe a couple of clocks - and perhaps 3 toasters all exactly the same. If people would only just stick to the list!

There seem to be a few variations on wedding gift registries these days. One option is to ignore the registry idea altogether and ask people to give money for . Another option is a Honeymoon Registry with the idea of having our honeymoon purchased by your guests.

The most important thing to remember though is that 66% of people who are invited to your wedding will buy you a gift. So make sure you have a list of people who you know won't attend your wedding and 2 out of 3 will buy you a gift. Works a treat!

Posted by Stuart at 6:36 AM | Permalink

When you plan your honeymoon it never enters your mind that you would need to buy the luxury bungalow you nested in. And instead of hiring the wedding cars imagine deciding to buy them just for that one special day. Ludicrous really, isn't it?

So, why does a wedding gown which usually costs upwards of $800 need to be purchased when it will only be worn once? Grooms have been hiring their suits for years along with the their groomsmen yet it is still common place for a bride to buy a dress and also expect her bridesmaids to shell out for a dress themselves.

Now I'm a guy so I don't get the whole wedding dress thing but it seems simple enough that if you were trying to be smart about your finances the choice to rent the gown and accessories would be a no-brainer. For while the dress will only be worn once most brides seem obsessed with keeping it long after the event which also requires drycleaning and storage space.

It would be interesting to find out some ladies views on this one. Those who have been married, would you buy a gown again? And to those who may be getting married - would you consider renting a gown or does it have to be that one special dress?

Posted by Stuart at 6:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You've bought the engagement ring, hired a wedding planner/purchased some wedding planner software/decided to do it all yourself. The next thing to organise is the wedding location and who will be the officiating as the wedding celebrant.

Is it just a matter of looking in the phone book and ringing the first officiant that stands out in bold lettering or is there more to it? What about the location? Can you just decide to have your wedding in a local park and then turn up on the day with 300+ guests stolling across some council lawns?

Read on for some tips..

Continue reading "Day 3 - Choosing a wedding celebrant / officiant" »

Posted by Stuart at 6:15 AM | Permalink

The biggest hurdle's been successful - she said "YES". Now the road to your wedding day starts. There's bridesmaids and groomsmen to organise, a wedding location to be sourced, the caterers, the flowers, what colour paper will go with the bridesmaid dresses but doesn't clash with grandma's dress that she always wears to special occassions, and on and on it goes.

The next challenge after popping the question is to organise this magnificent day within a limited timespan. The average engagement period is only 16 months (check out more wedding facts) which becomes a pressure cooker as those months disappear.

One option to save some time and stress, and possibly even some money is to employ the services of a wedding planner. To see how they will be able to help you, read on...

Continue reading "Day 2 - The Wedding Planner" »

Posted by Stuart at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The first step toward any wedding day is the engagement ring. It says romance; "Marry Me"; excitement; but above all it says "cheap and frugal" or "elegant and classy". An engagement ring should never be viewed as an investment. If it is, it is the most non-liquid investment you will every purchase.

While it needs to last a lifetime and choices of quality are paramount, it doesn't need to cost the most moolah either. How do you make your purchase speak "elegant and classy" while being "cheap and frugal"?

Read on for tips to buying well...

Continue reading "Day 1 - Buying an engagement ring" »

Posted by Stuart at 6:58 AM | Permalink

Probably the largest one-off expense you will incur in your lifetime will be for a wedding. So over the next 11 days we're going to look at some of the biggest costs involved and ways to save money without compromising on quality.

Planning a wedding has become a multi-billion dollar industry with everyone wanting their piece of the action. And with every wedding there's a marriage to consider but that's the last thing on the bride and groom's mind as they head towards the deadline of other people's expectations. The wedding day is the pinnacle moment and it's not a day that goes well with disappointment though it inevitably rears its head.

So, if a wedding is on the not-too-distant horizon, tune in for the next week and a bit to take stock of keeping a little more in your wallet.

Posted by Stuart at 7:02 AM | Permalink