12 Things I Learned

1. How to create a Blogger account
2. How to create a Webs account
3. How to create an eBook
4. How to create a Business Development Plan
5. How to setup a Click Bank account
6. How to setup an affiliate account
7. How to setup a Google AdSense account
8. How to add AdSense ads to my page
9. How to create a privacy policy 
10. How to create CafePress accounts
11. How to setup a Google Analytics account
12. I learned about the use of crowdsourcing

Anti-Bridezilla: Honorable Mentions

I know what you're thinking - you have three months worth of blog posts, and a website with even more articles.  How am I supposed to find anything?  Well, you are in luck my friend!  Today I will wrap up my blogging journey with what is known as a sneeze page.  Despite the silly name I hope you find this summary to be helpful.

I am a firm believer in promoting others and sharing knowledge.  I've compiled a list of my past blog posts and articles that revolve around recommendations.  These posts include my kudos to other vendors.

• Pinterest - where brides can go for inspiration, or if they want to waste hours on end.
• I Heart Offbeat Bride - a fellow blogger, and anti-bridezilla extraordinaire. She is a good source for inspiration and comic relief.  I promise you both of those will come in handy for you!
• Destination I Do Magazine Blog - a blog dedicated to all things destination wedding.
• My Custom Stamps Product Recommendation - one of the coolest and most affordable return address stamps.  Sure to make your life easier.
• A Destination Bride's Best Friend - put thousands of brides in one room and what would you get? Most likely chaos.  Put thousands of brides together in an online forum and it is pure genius!
• Oriental Trading - online event decor and supply heaven.  
• Etsy - handmade heaven.
• Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa (Wedding Package) - a review of the wedding services offered at the Dreams resort
• Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa (Resort Review) - a review of the resort itself, great for those looking to honeymoon in Mexico!

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Check out my Website

By now you should be familiar with me and this blog.  I have grown to like Blogger and the simplicity of it all.  It only takes a few minutes to format and publish each post.  Another feature I have found to be helpful is the fact that it is connected to my Gmail account.  This makes it easy to work with Googlle AdSense and Google Analytics.  If you have ever tried to open a Word document on a Mac – you know how important compatibility can be.

All that aside, Blogger can only do so much.  To fulfill the gaps, I created a similar web site through a site called Webs.  On my website you can find more information than what is available on my blog.  The additional features include a page that includes a short biography, a page that explains the purpose of the site, my contact information, a page for donations, my privacy policy, and finally articles that are designed to provide a little more information than my typical blog posts.

Because of the advanced editing, formatting, and design options, Webs is more aesthetically pleasing.  Not only is my website easier to look at, it is better organized and easier to read.  The tone of my website matches my blog and keeps the laid-back, non-formal tone.  Head on over to my website at http://antibridezilla.webs.com/ where you can find great content in a nice and pretty package.  I hope you enjoy my site and I welcome any feedback you may have!

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

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Offbeat Bride Review

Today you will not find wedding planning advice, or any do-it-yourself tutorials, instead I will be reviewing a post found in another blog.  This particular blog was one of my favorites throughout the planning process, and I could always count on the site to lift my spirits, or bring me back down to planet Earth.

The blog I am referring to, is of course, Offbeat Bride - a blog who urges you to "Altar Your Thinking."  The title of the blog post I will be reviewing is, "The unplugged wedding: couples tell guests to put down their devices."  The author, Ariel Meadow Stallings also happens to be the inventor, creator, wedding extraordinaire behind the Offbeat Bride.


As you probably could have guessed, the post discusses the complications that can come with guests glued to their mobile phones.  I like that Ariel discussed both ends of the spectrum and was not suggesting brides simply do as she said.  She made it clear to readers that she understands technology can be helpful for those brides on a budget, and that it is ultimately up to the bride and groom to decide how they wish to handle the new tech-crazy generation.


I think there are pros and cons to banning devices from your wedding.  One on hand, I could see why brides would be anti-technology because I do have wedding photos where each one of my guests is holding up their phone or camera to take a picture of us.  I also had amateur photographers at my wedding who seemed to interfere with the photographer that we paid to shoot our wedding.  But, on the other hand, our guests and the amateur photographers both captured some really great moments that our photographers missed, or weren't able to capture because of the multiple flashes.  We also have been guilty of using our phones at other people's wedding so it would be hard to tell our guests to put them away.


Ultimately, it's your day and guests should respect your wishes, whatever they may be!


Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla   

Tools of the Trade: RSVP's

I've scoured all of the INTER-WEB to try and help you lovely ladies, or gents..avoid a meltdown over RSVP's (if that's even possible)!

Tips to Make Sure your Guests RSVP

1. Send your invites out on time - that seems like a no-brainer.  If you want your guests to act in a timely fashion, you should do the same.
2. Make the RSVP date prominent - again, you're like, duh! BOLD that sucka, make it 110 pt font, highlight it.  Even still, people will find an excuse of why they missed it.  Ha!
3. Make People Want to Fill out your Response Card - see below for ways to spice up that boring card.  Throw out tradition, most guests no longer know what that little "M" is for, some people forget to write their name at all.
4. Provide multiple ways for guests to RSVP - as I did, give them more than one out, and make sure one of them does not involve technology, for the n00bs out there.
5. Mention your RSVP cards - post a Facebook status asking people about them, bring it up in conversation, repetition helps people remember! 

Revamp That Outdated RSVP Card

1. KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) - I try to live by that motto.  Make your cards easy to fill out, don't include a bunch of nonsense.  Check out this sample that is straight to the point, no confusion!
2. Track Them - If you're still worried guests will screw it up, after all, they're human.  Check out this James Bond like method of tracking your guests.
3. Include a Line For Music Requests - Guests like to participate, and they will likely head to the dancefloor when they hear there song at the reception.

You've Done All The Above, and Guests Still Did Not RSVP: Now What?

1. Do it Old School, Pick up the Phone - If they won't respond to text messages, or Facebook messages you have got to call them out.  If they are screening calls, leave them a nasty gram!
2. Don't Save them a Seat - chances are if they really wanted to be there they would have let you know sooner.  If however they did not, FUHGETABOUTEM!

Do you have any success stories?--or major meltdowns? Please share!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

My almost bridezilla moment: RSVP's!

Let me start by saying, I hate RSVP's.  If there was one moment throughtout my entire planning process that I turned borderline bridezilla, it was over RSVP's.  Talk about annoying.

So what is all this nonsense behind RSVP's anyway? RSVP stands for répondez s'il vous plaît, or "respond, if you please."  I don't know if getting people to respond has always been a problem, or if it's a sign of the times.  I struggled with RSVP's for my own wedding, and also while being in the maid-of-honor role for a friends wedding.  The bridal shower, bachelorette party, the wedding -- I had to hunt people down for everything!

In an effort to make things easier for our guests, and save us some money, we decided to do a non-traditional RSVP system.  Instead of including a pre-postaged response card we included an "informational insert" that read:

Visit our wedding website for accommodations, directions, suggested attire, and more.  www.mywedding.com/MrandMrsSmith.  

RSVP

Please reply by May 2, 2012

with number and names attending or regrets

via our wedding website, phone, or email

(309)123-4567

emailaddress@gmail.com

Easy enough, right? We gave them 3 options!!! As we were tracking people down and forcing them to RSVP, you wouldn't believe how many people said, "Oh we already sent you the response card." -- THERE WASN'T A RESPONSE CARD!!!!!!  So totally frustrating!  These days people are not found far from their cell phones, so don't tell me you didn't have a second to respond with a quick, "Yep, we are coming!".  We thought the headache was over when we finally received all responses, until our wedding day and TWENTY-NINE people who RSVP'd did not show up.  Are you freaking kidding me? You don't know how tempted I was to send them a bill.  You cost us extra for food, alcohol, table settings.  How rude!  

Stay tuned for my next post where I attempt to scour the internet for tips and tricks related to RSVP's!

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Etsy

So there is this funky little place online, you may have heard of it - Etsy, otherwise known as the world's handmade marketplace.  Where all crafty people can unite - or at least the crafty people can do the selling, and the rest of us can do the buying.

Etsy's mission is to, "empower people to change the way the global economy works.  We see a world in which very-very small businessess have much-much more sway in shaping the economy, local living economies are thriving everywhere, and people value authorship and provenance as much as price and convenience.  We are bringing heart to commerce and making the world more fair, more sustainable, and more fun."

Pretty neat stuff, right? As I mentioned in an earlier post I purchased a return address stamp from a seller on Etsy and could not have been more pleased with the product.  I also purchased one of those cutesy personalized hangers, unfortunately the seller is no longer is business - but lucky for you there are plenty of other sellers offering the same product.  Instead of having Mrs. Smith - I opted to just have Bride.  Only because I knew the only time I would use the hanger is so I could hang the dress up at the resort and get cutesy pictures with it.  Beyond that, I had absolutely no use for the hanger (they are not the most durable things).  So being the frugal bride that I am, I turned around and sold the hanger to another bride.  Cha-ching! Totally made my money back!

Any Etsy sellers you can't get enough of?

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Oriental Trading

All you brides on a budget -- Oriental Trading just might become your best friend! And you should know, they recently won a major award! (Kudos if you get that reference, haha!)

"Every year, brides on TheKnot.com vote for their favorite wedding services, and since 2011, Oriental Trading Company has been voted a Best of Weddings winner! As a winner of The Knot Best of Weddings, Oriental Trading received the highest praise...endorsement from real brides!"

You all know how picky brides can be, so that is a huge accomplishment!

You will definitely want to request a free wedding catalog!  Once you've requested the wedding catalog, you should start receiving their catalogs almost every month.  If you can't wait until the catalog comes - no worries.  All of the same items can be found online through their website as well! What's nice is you can shop by color and collection (cherry blossom, monogrammed wedding, peacock--which is totally hot right now!, western, etc.)

I ordered these luau party lanyards and had no complaints with the quality.  I removed the paper insert and replaced it with name tags for our wedding guests, one side read:

"Guest Name"

Smith Wedding

VIP

the other side read:

To Have and to Hold:

ID, Credit Card, Room Key, etc.

Our guests loved them! The trick to Oriental Trading is to not limit yourself to the wedding section.  A lot of the items we found were actually more related to the luaus and tropical themed parties, there are also quite a few really good props under the costume section if you planned on having a photo booth.

What have been your go-to sites for all of your wedding projects?

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Hair and Makeup

Every girl wants to look stunning on her wedding day - and who can blame her?! There are so many options when it comes to getting your hair and makeup done on your big day.  Depending on your budget, you may find limitations on the services you select. 
Regardless of your budget, your first step should be to decide how you want your hair and makeup, or at least start an inspiration board.  I would recommend you wait until you have picked your dress to start looking for styles.  Certain hair styles may compliment a dress better than others, or there may be intracet details your hair may cover up.

So where do you begin? Whether you have an account or not, I would start with Pinterest.  As I mentioned in a prior post, Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can compile an inspirtation board, for just about anything!  Simply do a search for "wedding hair" or "wedding makeup" - you will be amazed at the results!  Of course, if you prefer, you can get more specific with your search terms.

Another option is to do a Google search.  The Knot is also a great resource, as there are photo galleries you can browse.

Once you have an idea of what you want, you can start selecting your vendor.  To help you save on some of the costs, try asking a friend whom you trust, to do your hair and makeup.  You can also check out your local cosmetology schools, many of these facilities offer guest services at a fraction of the cost that you would find at a typical salon.

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

A Destination Bride's Best Friend

For all my destination brides out there - you MUST check out Best Destination Wedding.  Definitely create an account and be prepared to spend hours shuffling through the forums and image galleries.  This site is where brides all around the world unite.  You can find ideas, inspiration, advice, reviews, and a bunch of girls who are going through all the same things you are!  It's nice to know you're not the only one dealing with the headache of planning a wedding long-distance.

If you're early in the planning process their General Wedding Planning Forum is a good place to start.  Here you can find threads dedicated to brides selling their post-wedding items (great for those brides working within a strict budget),  at-home receptions, out-of-town (OOT) bags, invitations, etiquette, traditions, and so much more!

If you have already determined the resort or location of your destination wedding check out the threads dedicated to your area and/or resort.  The Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa thread was an absolute life-saver for me!  It was such a relief to read reviews from past brides who raved about the resort and how beautiful their ceremony was.  It really can help put your mind at ease.

The site was great for all those minor details destination brides struggle with.  What is the best way to travel with my dress? How do you transport all of your wedding related items? How is the food down (or up) there? You name it - you can find the answer you're looking for on this site.  It is like a little bride army!

What site helped you through the planning process?

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

My Custom Stamps Product Recommendation

Is your wedding right around the corner?  You might want to stock up on stamps.  Think about all the crap that is going to be leaving your mailbox in the next few months.  You have your save-the-dates, invitations, your response cards inside the invitations, you will need to send thank you cards for your bridal shower, bachelorette party, and finally thank you cards for your wedding!  Whew!--Talk about carpal tunnel!

After months of finagling we finalized our guest list and I immediately started an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of our guests and their addresses.  If you are computer savvy you can use mail merge to create address labels for all your "to-be-mailed goodies".  I highly recommend this.  Can you imagine writing out each and every envelope?! Of course not!!  So the labels will definitely save you some time and effort.  Now what about the return address? I've got a solution for that as well.

I came across this cute little shop on Etsy - love that place! A bride's dream!  The shop is My Custom Stamps - I am sure you can guess what it is they are selling. Ha!  The address stamps start at $6.50 - a complete bargain and well worth every penny!  I opted for the cheapest one, but was blown away by the quality of the stamp.  The ordering process was easy, you simply email the seller exactly how you want the stamp to read.  A week or two later and your stamp is in the mail! Because I ordered the cheapest stamp it did not come with the self-inking pad, which was fine.  I was able to buy an ink pad for a couple bucks at Wal-Mart.  Again, this saved me so much time, and gave each envelope a cute personalized touch!  I highly recommend you head on over and order one or two -- one with your maiden name, one with your married name!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Wedding Jams

The traditional "Bridal Chorus" better known as Here Comes the Bride dates back to the 1850's.  We have definitely come a long way but one thing is for sure, music and weddings go hand in hand.

"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words." -Robert G. Ingersoll 

Music speaks to me, so much so that both of my tattoos reference song lyrics.  Needless to say, music was extremely important for my big day.  Like most of my wedding projects, I spent a lot of time "researching".  I had to make sure the lyrics were just right.  I cried the minute I heard each one of my songs played..I'd say I made the right choices.  :-)

Here are the songs I picked for our special day:

Prelude - played as guests are being seated
Zac Brown Band - Free
The instrumentals fit our beach wedding, and of course the lyrics...

"We'll end up hand in hand, somewhere down on the sand, just me and you..."

Bridal Entrance - obviously, played as I walked down the aisle

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

The girl can SANG, not sing..she's better than that.  Her voice gives me chills!  Again, she got me with the lyrics...

"One step closer...I have died everyday waiting for you, Darlin' don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more"

Sand Ceremony (or unity candle)
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours

Postlude - played as guests leave
Jack Johnson - Better Together


First Dance
Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You (total tear-jerker!)

Having a hard time picking out your wedding songs? Head on over to Project Wedding they have done an AMAZING job of cataloging music based on the song you need.

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Planning and Packing Checklists

Planning a destination wedding comes with some interesting challenges.  The main one of course is how difficult it can be to plan a wedding long distance.  Unfortunately you do not have the convenience of simply picking up the phone (unless you have an international calling plan) or setting up a meeting.  Because I'm so meticulous and borderline OCD one of my biggest pain points was trying to compile the "master packing list" to ensure I would not forget anything.  If your destination wedding is still in the states, this may not be as big of a deal.

I've tried to compile some of the best checklists the web can offer - hopefully between all of these you will not have to worry about forgetting anything!

• Weddings Abroad Guide - this link is twice as helpful, not only does it have a packing checklist, it also has a planning checklist which can help you to make sure you have accounted for everything.  This is a great place to start and helps you to organize your thoughts, and hopefully by now your wedding binder.
• Destination Wedding Checklist - this link is nice because it gives you an idea of the wedding planning timeline.  It becomes really easy to tell yourself you have a year to plan, which you think is plenty of time.  Next thing you know it's two months until the big day and you've been slacking off.  True story.
• Google Wedding Planning - Oh Google, is there anything you can't do?? Google can help you with your budget, guest list, to-do list, music list, and even your reception menu.  Crazy, right?
• The Knot Packing List - perfect for the OCD bride, this checklist separates each item into categories.  For example, carry-on luggage, checked luggage bag #1, checked luggage bag #2, leave behind with friends, etc.

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Destination I Do Magazine Blog

It's time to give credit where credit is due.  This blog will give kudos to a successful blog in the destination wedding niche.  Not only will I give praises to the women who paved the way, but I will do some analysis of the blog to give you an idea of what can be found on the site.

The blog can be found at http://www.destinationidomagblog.com/.  The blog is from the editors of Destination I Do Magazine.  According to their website, the blog was started to "be a helpful tool in creating the spectacular destination wedding, honeymoon or romantic getaway you've been dreaming of."

The content is of course related to the wedding industry, with a strong focus on destination weddings.  Some topics include, bachelorette parties, bridal shoes and jewelry, destination wedding etiquette, honeymoon and destination giveaways, and much more.

The majority of posts I've read have been written by Kelly Ryan, one of multiple contributors for the Destination I Do blog.  Kelly seems to write in a more journalistic tone versus a conversationalist tone, unlike some of the other bloggers.

Incredibly, you can find daily posts on the blog.

There does not seem to be a lot of interaction between the readers.  Comments are at a minimum, if any at all.  However, readers do tend to utilize social media to share the posts relating to honeymoon and destination wedding giveaways.  One blog post titled, "Win a Dream Military Wedding While Helping Charity" had 1 re-tweet and 13 shares via Facebook.

Overall, this blog can be an excellent resource for brides! I highly recommend you check it out!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Paying it Forward

Public Service Announcement: If I ever become self-absorbed I give each and every one of you permission to slap me!

I'm a firm believer in paying it forward and helping those in need, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  I wanted my wedding day to be no different.

When it came time to decide on wedding favors, I found a million ideas.  Most of them were knick-knacks personalized with your names and wedding dates, or some sort of DIY project.  I figured my guests would appreciate something practical versus a coaster with our names on it that would probably get tossed in a junk drawer anyway...so I was leaning towards making chocolate covered pretzels.  Like most of my ideas, the pretzels only lasted a few days.

I finally made the decision to make a donation to charity in lieu of a traditional favor.  It was a win-win for me.  I wasn't throwing away money on a favor that (a) my guests could care less about or (b) would forget to take anyway and more importantly (c) the money would be going to a cause I felt strongly about.  --Check back for a post where I talk about the donations in lieu of favors!

Another way to pay it forward is to donate any leftovers from your reception.  Your caterer will typically ask you what you would like to do with any extra food.  I asked that my caterer donate any leftovers to the local food bank.

Another great opportunity to pay it forward is donating your floral arrangements to local hospitals or nursing homes.

How awesome to be able to share your joy with a stranger! Just makes me warm and fuzzy inside!!! :-)

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

I Heart Offbeat Bride!

Hello, readers! Today I'm leaving the blogging to someone else!  With hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, it's hard to find those that stand out from the crowd and actually have something interesting to say.  Offbeat Bride does just that!

To give you some background, Offbeat Bride was launched as a way to promote the release of Seattle author Ariel Meadow Stallings book, Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides.

As you can read on the website,
"What initially began as a book promotional project slowly grew into a completely different beast -- a blog updated daily with tons of "wedding porn" (photos from real people's really offbeat weddings), advice, and inspiration for couples who are working their asses off to create authentic weddings full of intention and personality.  It's now our pleasure to serve up inspiration for over 480,000 readers every month."

Pretty cool stuff, am I right?

The blog post I'd like to direct you to is a DIY piece.  Yay! A way to be crafty and save money at the same time! :)  The title of the post is; Puff, puff, paint: How to freehand etch glassware with fabric paint - pretty self-explanatory!

Etched glassware is like the coolest thing since sliced bread! Everyone loves to have things personalized - it shows an extra bit of love went into it!  Whether you use the tutorial as a way to make your wedding guests feel special, or keep it in your back pocket to use come gift-giving time -- it's sure to be a big hit!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Alternatives to Wedding Cake

So I'm one of those goof balls who doesn't like cake..I know, un-American, right? Ok - so it's not so much that I don't like cake - I don't like icing.  Naturally, when it came to deciding on a wedding cake I said absolutely not!  If you're like me, and prefer to go against the grain then you have come to the right spot!  Below are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing and toss out the boring wedding cake!

• S'mores - stay tuned for a blog post detailing how you can make your very own s'mores bar!
• Candy bar complete with your favorite goodies, or coordinate the colors to match your wedding
• Cookies and milk
• Cupcakes
• Ice cream cake
• Cake pops
• Snack packs! Who doesn't love pudding!?
• Cookie cakes - my favorite!
• Little Debbie / Hostess snacks
• Donuts
• Chocolate fountain with all the fixins'
• Build your own ice cream sundae, complete with all the fun toppings!
• Cheesecake
• Sno-cones
• Build your own fruit parfait
• Rice Krispy treats
• Caramel apples
• Fruit pizza
• Pies - so many varieties! 
• Arrange for the ice cream man to arrive at your venue and let everyone pick their favorite!

After making this list I want to take over someone's wedding so I can try all of these ideas! How fun! Who says a wedding cake is necessary? To hell with tradition, it's your day..pick your favorite dessert!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Changing Your Name

He stole your heart, now it's time to steal his last name!

After looking into the name change process, I could understand why brides kept their maiden name.  What a pain in the butt!  Below is a list to get you started, it's also a good idea to make sure your state does not have any goofy requirements.

• Driver's license - this is done in-person at the DMV.  Don't forget to bring your marriage license.  A quick eye-exam and $30 later, you're good to go.
• Passport - I thought this could be taken care of at the DMV, they not-so-politely informed me that passports are a federal matter! Pop-over to the U.S. Department of State's website for the requirements, which will vary depending on when your passport was issued.  Your local post office will typically have any forms you may need.
• Social Security Card - this is also something that cannot be handled at the DMV, instead you have to go to the social security office (in some states you may be able to mail the documents).  You can find the requirements here.  They will need an original or certified copy of a marriage document.
• FOID Card (Illinois residents) - Finally, an easy change!!  Just submit a quick online form.  
• Home/Renter's, Health, Auto Insurance
• Employer
• Will
• Bank accounts, credit unions
• Credit cards
• Investments (stocks, bonds, money markets, IRAs)
• School/Alumni associations
• Gyms, Netflix, cell phone companies, utility bills, magazine subscriptions

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Saying Yes to the Dress

By now you've probably seen a couple dozen episodes of Say Yes to the Dress.  If you're like me, your only knowledge of dress shopping has come from this show.  By the time I started dress shopping I had my mind made up about the type of dress I wanted - a halter with an empire waist.  Based on Say Yes to the Dress, I fully expected to I would have to take out a small loan to be able to afford the dress of my dreams...I also expected to have a consultant who could could work magic and offer expert advice.  I was wrong - about everything.  :-)

As I mentioned in my Top 10 Things to Know Before Planning a Wedding - do not assume anything!   While TV can give you an idea of the style of dresses that are available, they do not offer much else.  Once again I urge you to learn from my mistakes.  :-)

1. As difficult as it is, try to hold off as long as you can on dress shopping
   Bridal stores will try to convince you that you need to purchase right away, and that alterations can take months.  From my experiences, that is completely untrue.  The reason I recommend you wait is because there is a good chance you will get caught up in the moment, convince yourself that you've found THE dress, only to later realize you have total dress envy and decide on something else.
2.   Beware of the David's Bridal $99 sale
   If you are a frugal bride it's hard not to get excited for a $99 price tag, I mean c'mon, what a steal!  I fell victim to the $99 trap.  After not finding a dress during my first visit to David's Bridal I returned after hearing about the sale.  I ended up finding a dress - I didn't cry like the girls on TV, but I was convinced it was the one and was super happy about finding a dress for so cheap.  As you probably guessed, I later had dress envy and decided I HATED my $99 dress.  Which leads me to #3....
3. Ways to Find "THE" Dress
   Don't judge a dress by the way it looks on a hanger, try it on!  Make sure your comfortable..can you sit down okay?...can you bust a move?...are you borderline wardrobe malfunction?  Try on jewelry with the dress so you can see the full picture.  Did it make you cry like a baby?

Go get em' gorgeous!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Bridal Shows

One of the must-do's after getting engaged is attending bridal shows.  Bridal shows typically occur every year around late February, early March, in the bigger cities they can occur twice a year with a second show taking place in the fall. Do a Google search for bridal shows in your area and be sure to mark your calendar!

Bridal shows are nice because all of the vendors come to you.  This can be a bit overwhelming at times, but have no fear, I have some tips that I will share a bit later.  Not only can you discover vendors in your area but there are a lot of opportunities to win free stuff - who doesn't love free stuff?!!  Each vendor booth will no doubt shove a clipboard in your face and have you fill out a form with your information.  The form not only serves as your entry for their super awesome giveaway, but it gives them permission to enter you into their database.  Get ready to be bombarded with emails, phone calls, and flyers in the mail!

Here is where my tips come in:

1. Create a Gmail account dedicated to all things wedding.
2. Print labels that include your name, your groom's name, address, phone number, your new wedding email address, wedding date, wedding location (if known) - this will save you from having to write all of this information down when they shove that clipboard in your face
3. Bring a camera to take pictures of the booths.  Bridal shows can be overwhelming and it's easy to forget the vendors you spoke with.  You will leave the show with hundreds of flyers and brochures but sometimes it's easier to simply look at a photo.

Hope these help! As always...

Happy Planning,

Anti-Bridezilla

Pinterest

If you're not on Pinterest, hurry - request an invitation now!  Because Pinterest has become this super exclusive club there is a good chance you will be put on a waiting list.  Good news is, if you have a friend who is already a member, they can send you an invitation.

I will warn you now - Pinterest is ridiculously addicting.  Not just for wedding planning, but life planning! Don't be surprised, or embarrassed if you spend half the day "pinning" - it happens to the best of us.  :-)

So you're a member of the Pinterest club - now what? First, you want to create your boards.  Think of it like a virtual bulletin board where you can pin hundreds of articles, photos, and websites.  I would recommend you avoid one giant wedding board, otherwise you will end up like me and have 332 pins and unable to find anything!  Take a look at my "Here Comes the Bride" board to give you an idea of the chaos that can ensue.  :-)

So learn from my mistake and create your separate your boards, here are some ideas to get you started:
Shoes
Hair and Makeup
Cakes
Invitations
Dresses
For Him (Attire, Groomsman, etc)
Flowers
Decor
Bachelorette Party
Bridal Shower
Favors
Photography

Now that my big day is over, it's fun to look back at some of my pins.  It's funny to see how many different directions I took.  Some of them make me wonder what I was thinking - paper flowers? Major DIY fail!

Do you have any board ideas, or successful Pinterest stories? Please share!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

Reality TV - Bride Style

Before you were engaged you gave all those bridal TV shows the cold shoulder.  Let's be honest, you were jealous of those happy (most of the time) brides clearly taking your spotlight.  That should be you on TV - why hasn't he asked you already??!!

Then, finally, the day comes! He proposes! All of a sudden you can't get enough of TLC! I would love to see the ratings spike after a girl gets engaged.  Cha-ching!!

I wanted to share some of my favorites:
Four Weddings - Four brides compete to see who can pull off the best wedding...the twist, they are guests of each others wedding.  Pssh, we all know YOURS would win!
Say Yes to the Dress - Watch brides play dress up, argue with their bridal party, and go way over budget.  It's fun to live vicariously through the girl who just bought a dress that carried the same price tag as a car!
My Fair Wedding - David Tutera, wedding planner extraordinaire plays Fairy Godmother to tragic brides with an outlandish theme.  This show made me fall in love with David Tutera - extremely handsome, always well put-together, knew the perfect ways to compliment a women...oh wait...he married his partner back in 2003.  :-)    
Platinum Weddings - Money is definitely not an object for these bride-to-be's.  Oh, only $10,000 to have a tiara covered in Swarovski crystals?--No problem!

Of course I have to mention the show that serves as inspiration for this blog...that is, inspiration of what NOT to be!!  Bridezillas - if you can make it through an entire episode, congratulations.  What I would give to jump through the TV's and tell these brides how ridiculous they are, then shake their future husbands for actually putting up with it.  Nike should sponsor the show and give the grooms running shoes so they can bolt from the altar!

It goes without saying that most of reality TV is staged, so don't believe everything you see! :-)

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

10 Things You Should Know Before Planning a Wedding (Cont.)

Welcome back!  Below is the final 5 things to know before planning a wedding.

6.     Despite all your efforts, something is bound to go wrong
See #3 in the last post, no matter how hard you try there is bound to be a few hiccups.  Don't sweat it! Relax! It's those very moments you will look back on twenty years from now and laugh!

7.     Do not try to please everyone
I cannot stress this enough.  It's impossible to please everyone.  There will always be that Negative Nancy who has an opinion about everything.  Just remember, it's your day, don't let others try to persuade you.  Don't spend the rest of your marriage wishing you would have done things differently.

8.     A destination is less stressful than a traditional wedding
WRONG! -- A wedding is a wedding no matter where you have it.  The key is how you handle the stress!  A destination wedding is not for everyone so weigh the pros and cons.

9.     A destination wedding is more affordable than a traditional wedding
WRONG! -- A destination wedding can be just as expensive, if not more expensive than a traditional wedding.  A wedding can be as affordable as you make it, shop around and don’t be afraid to haggle!  Make sure you establish a budget early on.

10. Have fun!
You spend months of planning and the big day is gone before you know it, enjoy it!  Once the planning is finally over, I promise you will miss it!

Happy Planning,
Anti-Bridezilla

10 Things You Should Know Before Planning a Wedding

Congratulations -- you're engaged! Prepare yourself for the barrage of advice that will soon follow.  Your friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers will proceed to tell you how to plan your wedding.  If you’re like me, most of this advice will go in one ear and out the other!  However, I’ll admit there are lessons to be learned and things I wish I would have known.  I have compiled a list below of the Top 10 Things You Should Know Before Planning a Wedding.

1.     Create a Wedding Binder
You would be amazed at all of the "junk" you acquire.  Stay organized by keeping all of your documents, receipts, and inspirations in one place.

2.     Simplify your RSVP system
Do not try to reinvent the wheel, there are hundreds of templates available online that can help you get started - customize them to fit your specific needs.

3.     Never assume anything!
Don't assume your family will help with wedding expenses, don't assume your best friend for the last 10 years will be the supportive maid-of-honor you hope she will be, don't assume your future husband wants no part of the planning process.  In other words, as soon as you think you have something figured out - it changes!

4.     Decide early on what's most important
Fast forward 10 years, do you really think anyone will care about those cute monogrammed napkins? Hardly!

5.     Changing your name is a hassle - do your homework!
Do not step foot into the DMV without knowing exactly what they require, unless of course you like cruel and unusual punishment.

Stay tuned for the final 5 things to know before planning a wedding....