Dance Through Wedding Season on a Budget

LearnVest — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:15:00 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Flowers, dresses, friends, yummy food, cake, and dancing. What’s not to like about weddings? Well, just one little thing: its drain on our bank accounts.

Getting married is a big deal, and you want to be there to celebrate with your friends. But that often entails shelling out for an engagement gift, a shower present, the bachelorette party, the wedding gift, a dress to wear, the right shoes–plus, hotel and transportation if the wedding isn’t local.

Multiply that by the number of weddings you have in a year, and your friends’ nuptials can put you in the poorhouse.

Make your way through wedding season gracefully while going easy on your budget with these tips:

Gifts 1. Be The First Person On The Registry

“Get in on the registry early so you have the widest variety of price points available,” says Amy Eisinger, associate editor of WeddingChannel.com. This way you won’t be stuck with the $800 mixer or the $10 napkin holders.

2. Buy A Registry Item-From Another Site

One of our staffers loves this savvy tip. Registries are often just a representation of what the couple is in need of, and they may not be wedded to the exact version they selected. Search online for a gift from the registry to see if you can find the same or similar item for a lower price. After you’ve placed your order, go back to the registry and mark the item as fulfilled. Don’t use this tip for the patterned china, of course-stick with items that are likely to be more generic, like towels or kitchen appliances.

3. Go In On Group Gifts

Team up with a few friends to get a present beyond your budget. Perhaps each of you pitches in $100 to get them a few nights at a B&B for a getaway weekend, or you each drop $50 to get them a couples massage.

4. Buy In Bulk

This one is a bit trickier. There aren’t that many things you can buy in bulk that you’d actually give as a wedding gift, but we did think of one great wedding season standby: champagne. Get a discount case, and it can be your no-brainer go-to gift for showers, engagement parties, and other wedding events.

For more ways to save your bucks during this pricey wedding season, read on.

6 Delicious Wedding Gifts Not on the Registry

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:15:56 PDT

When it comes to wedding gifts, it's standard to select something practical, like china, off of the registry. However, if the bride and groom are foodies, why not consider presenting them with an awesome culinary experience instead? I've got six scrumptious suggestions that would also make wonderful birthday, anniversary, or Father's Day gifts.

Gift certificate to a restaurant. Select a fancy restaurant in the couples' home town. Place the gift certificate in a pretty card and write a note suggesting that they enjoy a meal together to celebrate their six-month anniversary. (For those couples who prefer to register for special dinners, you can do so at FoodieRegistry.)
Cooking classes. There's tons of awesome culinary classes out there, select one that suits the cooking style of the happy couple. If the bride and groom are really into cheese, purchase tickets to a cheese-making class. Likewise, if they're adventurous, present them with passes to a butchery class.

Check out the other four suggestions after the break.

BuzzSugar

Dance Through Wedding Season on a Budget

6 Delicious Wedding Gifts Not on the Registry