Enter Ikea’s Salong (bud) Vase at $7.99

What about DIYing a Pet Mondrian-esque vases with your wedding colors? You can find plain vases like this at places like  CB2 for a few dollars.

Look at this cute and irreverent take on the single bud dilemma! It is way pricey on Generate Design, but can be DIYed and made elegant. All you need is a dollhouse size vase , a square base, a base container, spray paint (?) and a little imagination.

Looking for handmade jewlery with grown-up sophistocation at a ressession proof price? Me too! Tryst Jewelry has given me hope that I won’t go completely broke in my quest for pretty vintage gifts. THESE EARRINGS ARE 14 BUCKS!!!

I’m loving this reinvented DIY Candelabra from Portovert , a lovely Green wedding site. I’m not sold on the look( especially the penis like candle at the top there), but if tweaked it could be a great idea. Maybe put fruits and berries in each cup along with beautiful little plants from home depot?

Valsey and Me

MookaSoap

Bonghi Natura

SOME GREAT SHOPS

DaliDecals on Etsy.com has some great ones that come in lots of colors!

Kisastyledecor has some great ones too!

THE ART BAR

Swiss chocolate bars in various flavors that comes with a reproduction of art in the wrapper!

A minimum of ten percent of the profits from Art Bar sales is donated to the following organizations:

-The Community School for Music & Arts, Ithaca, NY, whose innovative Kaleidoscope outreach program fosters creativity and confidence in people of all ages and backgrounds.

www.csma-ithaca.org

-The International Child Art Foundation, Washington, DC, which prepares children for a creative and cooperative future through extraordinary programs like the Arts Olympiad and Peace through Art.

www.icaf.org

FEED YOUR SOUL COOKIES come pre-wrapped in biodegradable packaging in lots of flavors!!

Treat your guests to a delicious reminder of the best memories in life!  We have an extraordinary selection of decadent cookies, brownies and mini cakes.  Everything about your gift may be personalized to fit your specific needs.  Choose from our elegant line of tins, boxes & favor bags, tied with soft satin ribbon.  A portion of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to your charity choice. *

Bridal Bargains by Denise & Alan Fields. KNOW THY ENEMY!

Practical money saving advice & gorgeous bouquets

By Michelle Rago..The Godess of Wedding inspo.

This is probably the most natural part for most of us. We know what works for us and what doesn’t. If  you don’t know what suits you then watch TLC’s Say Yes to The Dress for a perspective on real women wearing real gowns. It will give you a sense of what is out there fashion wise as well.

I recommend going to only 3-4 bridal salons in order to minimize the chaos and NEVER BUY on the spot. The dress is not going anywhere for godsake. They make them year round in China!!

if you don’t want to do the traditional salon thing then check out a seamstress in your local area to make you the dress you want. If you don’t know any, then go onto a great site like Yelp.com — if you’re in or near a major US city– and search, or ask members in the talk section. You can also buy a less “traditional” wedding dress my favorite new discovery Kelima K!!! She has AMAZINGly refined dresses that aren’t boring and well priced for the non-platinum budget crowd.

If all fails….bridal alternative lines like nicole miller, J. crew, and even a gorgeous evening gown will do! At least you can wear the evening gown again with no alteration fees! Treat yourself to that designer gown you always wanted!

What I did

For me, it’s all about my gogeous boobs and giving myself a 1950′s starlet coke bottle shape and beading that wasn’t overwhelming. I wanted something decidedly bridal, not princess and not too simple.

I went to the Kleinfeld’s sample sale. They had gorgeous gowns, but if you’re not in the first 20 then you’re going to be forced in the 3,000 range. If you manage to get something under that then it’s not silk, baby…it’s polyester. Do not trust Randy if you’re short and voluptuous! He will ALWAYS try to put you in a ball gown!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bridal Garden was another one of my picks. It is a nonprofit charitable organization that sells used bridal gowns EXTREMELY cheaply for the benifit of NYC Kids . Search for organizations like it in your area , or consignment shops if you don’t want to kill your budget on a dress. The selection was a bit more plentiful for those size 6 and below and not white, but I found a real contender designer gown here. It was a great place to learn what worked for me shape wise without sales pressure. You can donate your gown to them after the wedding for a tax write-off!!!

I also went to Lotus Bridal in Brooklyn.. This beautiful store was recommended by Theknot.com, but the sales experience had me in tears when I left and I am not an emotional person. The woman rushed me through my appointment. She paid more attention to the bride who was going in for a fitting. She told me I had no idea what I was talking about in dress shapes ( even though I was proven right at Kleinfeld’s) and then told me I had” no right to try on a dress I couldn’t afford” when I told her who I was hoping to find on sale at another shop.BITCH! She did end up picking a great dress for me though…which I bought at another store and gave another lady the commission!

RK Bridal was where I ended up getting a gorgeous Sonia Cholette gown from her spring ’07 collection for $300 cheaper! They have a crap site , but they can order damn near anything for you with no hassle! Highly reccomended for  US brides if you want less stress in your life.