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Affiliate Articles
Here are some PLR articles for your use. NB the articles can be used by you on your own sites or e-mail as they are now, but if you want to put them on any other sites such as article directories then you would have to rewrite them completely (or at least 75% different from what they are now). So here are the 5 articles: Low Budget Weddings Low budget weddings do not have to be low quality weddings. A low budget does not need to stop anyone from planning an outstanding and memorable wedding. It just takes a little thought, some creativity, some research and on that special day no one would guess the size of the budget that produced the celebration that everyone so thoroughly enjoyed. So just how are those who have a low budget able to plan their weddings with such great success? Here are some suggestions that will help the young wedding planners stay well within their low budget. 1. First thing to consider is the guest list. After writing down the names of family and friends you may end up with a huge list. Here is a way to cut your guest list way back. Go through the list and ask yourself this question about everyone on the list: Does this person really care about our happiness, or would they come just for the festivities? Now answering that question honestly should reduce the size of the list. 2. Be creative with the wedding invitations. Printing can be costly. Many young wedding planners are now considering designing and printing their own invitations. There is some great software available to help create a very professional print job with a very low budget. Make use of the internet and email also especially for the RSVP. 3. Weddings held a day after holiday events when the churches are still decorated with flowers for Mother's day, Easter or even Valentine's day can take advantage of these decorations and so cut costs. 4. Low budget weddings can be successfully achieved by choosing some creative options to an expensive reception. One of great option is to try a potluck meal. Buffet meals are always popular, and potlucks are popular events when celebrating most events. Pot luck dinners create a very social atmosphere allowing guests to relax, chat, meet new friends and simply enjoy themselves. This would also allow the bride and groom more time to mingle with their guests creating a great family atmosphere which all close friends and family are sure to enjoy. Other options can be finding a low cost catering package that includes the location. Buffet meals are always lower cost than a plated meal. 5. The cake and photography. If you call around your city undoubtedly you will find a photographer offering a special package deal that includes the photography along with the wedding cake. This can be a great deal. 6. Visiting local bridal expos can be very helpful and lots of free stuff is given away there. Check out the sales and search for coupons also. Here is one source of coupons: http://couponing.about.com/library/blwedcoupdir.htm 7. The music at many weddings now is very successfully provided by a simple DJ. Bands I am told are no longer “cool”. A DJ instead of a band of course is a great way to cut the cost of any wedding while still providing high quality music. 8. The wedding dress may be simple yet spectacular and designed by a local seamstress who may offer a discount rate for her work. A low budget wedding dress can also be obtained by checking out EBay or Craigslist on the internet. With some careful planning and creativity, the guests and the bride and groom and the family can all enjoy a very memorable and successful wedding day even if it was a low budget wedding. ------------------------------ How To Find The Perfect Wedding Dress Without Breaking The BankFinding the perfect wedding dress is the dream of every bride; finding the perfect wedding dress at an affordable price, is the dream of every bride’s parents! It is no small task. A wise bride knows how to do a little research to get the wedding dress that she loves, at a price that doesn’t break the bank. The first order of business is finding the bride’s preference of the design of the dress. Most brides are up on the latest designs because of the bridal magazines and bridal shows that are put on to showcase the latest trends and fashions. A bride can, and usually does, make it a special occasion to go out with their bridesmaids, and or their mother, to check out the availability of the dresses that they prefer to wear. Once a dress design or style has been picked they can begin comparing prices. A bride, today, has a multitude of tools at their disposal to do price comparisons. Prices can be compared in person, in the stores, in the magazines, or online. Once you have a general idea of the style, the approximate cost of the dress, alteration costs; and or, accessories, you can help yourself reduce the cost of those items. You can do this by asking about the store’s policy on sales, coupons, or discounts, for purchasing multiple items such as the bridesmaids dress and accessories, at the same time. There are even stores that will allow a payment plan or lay-away plan; allowing the purchaser to pay the cost of the dress over time. There are some great discount bridal stores out there; again, it pays to check out their ads, their discount programs, and compare those to other outlet stores available to you. A wedding dress may be able to discount the price by combining a coupon with a sale; or, maybe a dress is being discontinued; possibly, a bride could save money by buying the dress of her dreams out of season. These are all wonderful, money saving opportunities. Some brides do not have a strong need to own their dress. That bride might consider renting her wedding dress along with the tuxes for the wedding party. For the bride who sews or is fortunate enough to know someone who is skilled with needle and thread; they have an even greater opportunity to save money. Start out by picking the pattern. The dress can be made elaborate or not according to budget and sense of personal style. Another great budget saving idea is to check out vintage clothing stores, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. A favorite idea of mine is to wear a bridal dress of friends or family members. A one of a kind dress can be created by taking a bridal dress that was previously worn and adding some updated decorative trimmings. This money saving technique adds an additional benefit; the perfect wedding dress can be created for the bride by combining a dress that she loves, along with a deep emotional connection to the previous bride who wore it. ----------------------------------------- Honeymoon Planning, How To Get Where You Want To Go An interesting fact about marriages today is that for first time, adult, marriages, people are waiting longer to get married. The median age is 27 for women and 29 for men. This trend could prove to have some positive outcomes for those marriages. For couples waiting longer to get married; the hoped for outcome would be that those marriages would last. With a divorce rate of 50% or more; anything that could help to improve the quality and longevity of that marriage is a good thing. Getting married later in life should also mean that each half of the couple should be a little better financially prepared going into the marriage. One would presume that they would have many of the household goods that many younger couples need when they unite in marriage. Often, in lieu of gifts many wedding guests will instead gift the couple with money. Honeymoons can be costly; couples spend an average of $3,700. Most honeymoons last approximately 7-10 days in length. So anything that a couple can do to reduce costs and still allow for a memorable honeymoon is something to strive for. There are many options for saving money on a honeymoon. You can plan for a more local honeymoon stay at a location that has a special meaning for the couple; or the couple may be able to find some great deals either online at a discount travel service or possibly even use frequent flyer miles to trade in to be used for tickets for their honeymoon. All inclusive resorts are very popular because the cost is right up- front and clearly understood. In nearly 10% of new marriages, those newlyweds take a cruise for their honeymoon lasting approximately 3-7 days in length. Cruise costs can also be in a way, all inclusive. The meals and entertainment are right there on the ship for the newlyweds to enjoy; the costs figured into the price of a ticket. If a couple lives close to one of the cruise ship ports that saves even more money, as the couple will not have to pay to fly to the ship’s port. Back in Victorian times, it was often the groom’s family that paid for a young couple to take a wedding trip (honeymoon); since the bride’s family paid for the bulk of the wedding costs. In today’s world of financial chaos…that just isn’t practical for most families. So couples that desire to have a grand honeymoon often have to be creative and plan wisely to get the most out of the money that they spend. A little in-depth pre-planning can go a long way to helping you do your honeymoon planning to get you where you want to go! ------------------------------------------
Budget Wedding Decorating Tips Make a beautiful wedding on a budget by doing it yourself and getting creative. Save on your floral budget by placing the emphasis on green plants—either live or fake. Decorate the plants with white or clear LED lights. They are low temperature so won’t harm the living or be a fire danger. Borrow: Ask friends and family if they have potted plants you can borrow your wedding ceremony or reception. Keep in mind transporting the plants to the venue—height and weight can be an issue! Rent: Check out rental services to see if they have potted plants along with swags and bows in addition to any table linens. Find out if they deliver or if you will have to pick up. Some florists also rent potted plants—and if you are getting your flowers through them they may offer the best deal. Buy plants at your local nursery or home improvement center Get creative for decorating for the reception. Keep your wedding theme and colors in mind then start by walking through craft stores, thrift shops and dollar stores. Keep an open mind and bring a couple crafty and creative friends and get ready to be inspired. Remember spray paint is a cheap way to alter the color of just about anything. Also check online for discount wedding favors which can double as decorations—be sure to check “Party Favors” which can save you money just because they don’t come with a wedding label! Use inexpensive LED lights to decorate for the reception. Plan your table decorations based on the tables you will be using—are they the traditional rounds, or are you renting long tables? Long tables look great with runners—narrow bands of decoration. Rounds will want centerpieces. Buy live flowers in bulk or buy fake flowers for the tables, a single orchid potted orchid can be beautiful and elegant, especially surrounded by color coordinated fabric. Buy wired ribbon and lightweight gauzy fabric and wrap with beads, wired flowers or ribbons. Loosely gather in the center of the table for a festive look. Buy polystyrene balls of various sizes, and ribbons, fabric and beads. Use balloons filled with helium—you can rent the tank and fill them yourself—or have a couple friends take care of that on decorating day. Place bowls or baskets on the tables filled with Christmas ornaments, decorated polystyrene balls, sea shells, pretty stones, fresh or artificial fruit or float a single flower or candle in a water-filled bowl. The bowls don’t have to match—pick a common color, white or silver—or use clear—and let the shapes be of all varieties. Or eliminate the bowls and place shells and driftwood, stones, colorful leaves, pine boughs and cones directly on the tables. Add candles especially if the reception is at night…small pillars or tea light don’t require holders. Use color coordinating holders for tapers or be sure the holders are hidden by other decorative elements. Use mirrored tiles to reflect candle light in the centerpiece. Find small pots at discount or thrift stores and pot with miniature evergreens or flowering plants. Buy plain plastic pots and spray paint to coordinate with your wedding colors. If your wedding is near a holiday, arrange for quantity discounts of miniature Christmas trees, amaryllis, lilies or spring bulbs. Plan ahead and get the help of your friends in creating the decorations by making it a party. Provide the materials, a sample and directions—and plenty of good music and snacks! If you plan on painting anything, make sure you have plenty of fresh air and paint a couple days before you want to handle them. If possible, decorate the night before for a day time wedding or early in the morning for an evening event. ---------------------------------------- Budget Wedding Cake—Get the Perfect Cake for Less When budgeting for your cake, you need to know how many guests you will be having. Have in mind some ideas of what you like, in terms of flavor and style. Refer to bridal magazines for ideas. If you are using a caterer, ask if the cake is included in the price. To save the most on your wedding cake consider one made at home. If you aren’t a baker, or you just can’t imagine having the time or energy to make you own wedding cake, if you have a friend or family member who is good in the kitchen, this could be a great way for her to contribute to your special day. Unless you have a lot of decorating experience, keep the design simple. Top with silk flowers or edible flowers—picked fresh the day prior—or practice making sugar flowers which you can make and store ahead. Or decorate the cake with pretty candies in colors that match your theme. If a homemade cake is not an option, be sure to shop around. Check your local grocery store’s in-house bakery. Often you can get a beautiful cake at a great price. You typically will have to pick up and set up the cake—so enlist the help of someone to get that done. Also check online…there may be a local business that offers a great cake at a great price. And ask around—talk to other people who recently got married. Find out where they bought their cake, what they liked about the experience and if they would recommend that person. When buying a cake, check to see if any options are “extra” before you fall in love with a budget-buster! Fancy shapes, colors, extra decorations and some fillings may put you over the top. Be upfront with your baker and let them know your wedding is on a budget and see if they can offer any money saving tips. Consider having a small fancy cake for displaying at the reception—and for cutting of the cake photo opportunity, and have a large sheet cake for the guests. This speeds up the serving and because the sheet cake isn’t for display, the decorating will be much simpler and it will save you a lot of money. Do you have any additional cakes that you will need? Ordering all together will often give you a discount rather than adding cakes at a later date. Will you want an anniversary cake or a groom’s cake? Or cakes for bachelor or bachelorette parties? Or for the rehearsal dinner? One trend these days is to have your cake actually made of cupcakes. They can be frosted together so from a distance they resemble one cake if you prefer, serving is a snap, and allows for flexibility in flavor variety. Layer the cupcakes so it is easy for guests to know what the flavors are. The cake topper is another area where you can save. Even if you use a traditional bakery for your cake you are not required to buy their topper. No longer restricted to a typical bride and groom figurine for your topper, use this opportunity to express your individual personality. You can use flowers or something that indicates a favorite hobby. Just keep in mind that it should not be anything too heavy as it will be sitting on top of cake! If you do want a traditional bride and groom figurine for your cake, scour thrift stores and check eBay and Craig’s List for pre-owned options. Displaying the cake requires a cake stand. You will need to have decided what shape cake and the size before choosing the stand. Once you have that decision made, check with friends and relatives to see if they have a stand that will work. Also check with the reception hall if you are using one—they may have a cake stand that you can use. If you are buying the cake from a baker, get them to include borrowing the stand as part of the price. If you can’t find a stand through these methods, look at eBay or place an ad on Craig’s List in your area. You can construct your own simple cake stand—just be sure it is sturdy enough to hold the cake. Create the stand out of a strong paper box or build one from wood. It should be slightly larger than the cake. Place the box on the cake table, which already has a table cloth on it. Drape an extra table cloth over the box. Then place the cake on the box.
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