Money-Saving Tips
1. Know Your Budget
o Take a good look at your wedding budget. Your dress should be no more than 10% of the total cost of the wedding! Write your dress budget downand STICK TO IT!
o If your budget is small, consider request that, in lieu of sexy lingerie at your bridal shower that your friends donate to the overall price of your wedding dress! This could easily add a couple hundred dollars to your dress budget!

2. Resist the Temptation to Overspend!
o Remember that you’re only wearing this dress once, so don’t even try on expensive designer dresses. You might find yourself pining for something you can’t afford.
o DO NOT equate your worth with the price tag on your dress – it has absolutely NO relation.
o Benefit you and your new hubby by making smart financial planning decisions and feel good about being a sensible bride.
o Salespeople will try to upsell you don’t fall for it! Salespeople are out to make money and this may leave your budget in turmoil!
o Think about what you could put that money toward: a down payment on a house; your honeymoon or that new outfit you have been dying to get for your rehearsal.

3. Focus on the Cut:
o It’s the shape of the dress that flatters you, fancy lace, beading or embellishments can be expensive. Add a beautiful necklace to a simple & elegant dress to make it shine.
4. Buy Off-Season Dresses from a Sample Sale:
o Call local bridal shops and designer boutiques to ask when they have sample sales. If sample sales are happening in your area, read these shopping tips before you go.

5. Shop Online:
o You can save by comparing prices and shopping online where you can look through a variety of wedding dresses, from simple summer dresses to couture styles, in an affordable price range.
6. Buy from a Bridal Chain Store:
o Shopping at a chain store like David’s Bridal, which has over 280 locations, is an option for women who want plenty of affordable options and don’t want to spend a lot of time shopping and waiting for alterations.

7. Buy a Used Dress:
o Because so many brides overspend on their dresses — and only wise up about money when their wedded bliss is interrupted by a pile of bills — there are many used dresses out there to choose from. In fact, buying used dresses is becoming quite a trend.
1. Visit local consignment shops.
2. Search online at sites like:
Ebay
Craigslist
Preownedweddingdresses.com
SellYourWeddingDress.com
8. Rent a Dress:
o If saving money is a bigger priority than preserving your wedding gown, ask local boutiques if they offer this money-saving option.

Good Luck Shopping!

Angela Schrempf
Executive Wedding Planner
Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting
www.sweetoccasionsbanff.com

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Making your own wedding veil is a simple and inexpensive process that can give you runway results without the price tag! Simple enough for just about everyone, this is a stress free project because if you muck it up, it is inexpensive enough to just start again!
Just follow this simple tutorial to create your vivacious veil!

STEP 1 – Style & Length

When creating your own wedding veil the first step is to choose which style and length suites you and your dress best. You might want to visit some bridal shops and try veils on to get a better idea of what you like and what looks good on. If possible try veils on with your dress. Here are your length options:
Blusher: Shoulder

Waist Length

Fingertip length

Knee Length

Chapel: Floor Length

Cathedral: Dragging on the Floor

STEP 2 – Choosing a Clip or Tiara

Your veil can be attached to a headband, comb, tiara or any other creative object that you can fasten into your hair. You can purchase these accessories at various crafts stores like Michaels or a fashion jewelry shop. There are also wedding veil combs at most fabric stores and are usually under $10! You can also just use a plain, unadorned comb and you can stick into your hair for under a $1. Elaborate crowns, tiaras or decorated combs can cost more. You can always decorate your plain comb with come pears, beads or other accessories.

STEP 3 – Choosing your Tulle

Your tulle is your veil material. After deciding the length of your veil you can purchase your tulle. Tulle is available at many craft stores but I would recommend a fabric store as they have a better selection. Tulle is very inexpensive and can frequently be purchased for under $1.00 a yard, however the better the quality the better the higher the cost. After shopping around you will find that not all tulle is the same. It comes in many different colors, qualities textures and can vary so much that it is a good idea to purchase a yard of tulle you are considering to match it to your dress.
Upon finding the right tulle consider how many layers your veil will be, the length and your creative ability (if you’re not too creative you might have to start over a couple times).

STEP 3 – Cutting the Veil

You will need a workspace large enough to lay the fabric out flat and cut it. If your table isn’t large enough, clear out a space on your clean floor. You can purchase a veil patter at the fabric store or you don’t have to use a pattern at all! The shape of the fabric should basically a large oval. You can also just fold the tulle over lengthwise, pin it together so it doesn’t shift, and cut the bottom end, rounding off the corners. You can leave the sides straight, with just the bottom rounded, leaving the top end squared. The squared end will be the top of the veil that will be gathered on the comb. If you want a double layer veil, so that you have veil will cover your face, cut a smaller rounded piece of tulle.

STEP 4 – Attaching the Tulle to the Comb

After you have finished cutting your veil you can gather your veil by using a gathering stitch on the straight edge of the fabric. The tulle is now ready to attach to the comb.
You can attach the veil directly to your hand band or tiara or directly to the comb. I sigest attaching directly to the comb to avoid damaging delicate jewelry, and you can also take out the comb for the reception and still enjoy a headpiece.
Sew the gathered veil directly onto the comb or crown and it is ready to stick in into your hair!
MISSION COMPLETED! Wasn’t that easy!

STEP 5 – Finishing

You can chose to leave the tulle edge unfinished for a wispy look or you can finish the edge, by rolling it and sewing it. You can also choose to decorate the body of the veil by sewing of gluing small pearls, crystals or rhinestones on the veil.

Good Luck!

Angela Schrempf
Executive Wedding Planner
Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting
www.sweetoccasionsbanff.com

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Being prepared on your wedding is something I do best, so here is a secret that can save your sanity! Don’t let the little things create a big problem, be prepared for anything and everything the Rocky Mountains can throw at you by creating your own Wedding Day Survival Kit!

The Rocky Mountains can throw some unexpected scenarios at you on your wedding day so here are some useful items to include in your Rocky Mountain Wedding Survival Kit.

Start with a small purse, pouch or makeup bag and begin adding the following contents for those unforeseen emergencies.

Here are some key items to include:

Clothes

* Tide Pen
* White chalk (works amazing for hiding any stains that might appear on your dress)
* Static Guard
* Double sided tape
*Lint brush
* Packing tape (go for the clear)
* Sewing kit including scissor
* Safety pins

Face

* Makeup for touchups
* Powder (to banish shine in the photos!)
* Mirror
* Tissues
* Blotting tissues
* Q-tips

Hair

* Brush
* Bobby Pins
* Hairspray

Smile

* Gum
* Breath Freshener
* Floss
* Toothbrush and toothpaste
* Mints

Nails

* Clear nail polish
* Super glue
* Nail polish remover
* Nail file

Body

* Sun Screen
* Bug Spray
* Tampons
* Deodorant
* Advil/Tylenol/Motrin
* Alka-Seltzer
* Tums
* Band-aids
* Visine
* Purell

Feet

* Slippers
* Band-Aid Blister Blocks

Good Luck!

Angela Schrempf
Executive Wedding Planner
Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting
www.sweetoccasionsbanff.com

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Who said you had to walk down the aisle? WHY NOT DANCE?! It is a celebration isn’t it?!

Here is a creative bride and groom that shook up the traditional processional. I LOVE the idea of customizing a wedding day exactly to fit the personality of the couple! Way to go!

As a dancer and figure skater for 14 years, why not merge my choreography skills with wedding planning?

Just Dance!

Angela Schrempf
Executive Wedding Planner
Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting
www.sweetoccasionsbanff.com

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Being prepared for the unexpected on your wedding day is what I do best! With hundreds of things to handle on the day of the wedding the last thing I want to do is to put the ceremony on hold while the groom searches frantically for a Tide to go Pen to get the coffee out of his freshly pressed shirt or for the bride to have a meltdown while searching high and low for an extra bobby pin to keep her veil safely attached. This is why I ALWAYS say “Yes” to no stress and prepare my brides with a Bridal Survival Kit.

Tucked in a slim silver case, this Bridal Survival Kit is compact enough to tote around for the entire wedding day. And with 25 essentials inside—including a “Something Blue” Heart-Shaped Crystal—this survival kit is comprehensive enough to conquer almost any wedding day calamity!

This fantastic little kit contents:
Folding Hair Brush with Mirror, Hair Spray, Bobby Pins, Earring Backs, Facial Tissues, Blotting Tissues, Emery Board, Clear Nail Polish, Nail Polish Remover, Mending Kit, Scissors, Safety Pins, Double-Sided Tape, Stain Remover, Static Remover, Antacid, Pain Reliever, Breath Freshener, Dental Floss, Deodorant Towelette, Adhesive Bandages, Tampon, Super Glue, “Something Blue” Heart-Shaped Crystal, Extra Wedding Bands

Its always best to be prepared!

Angela Schrempf
Executive Wedding Planner
Sweet Occasions Bridal Consulting
www.sweetoccasionsbanff.com

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