Get Bridal Guide For Free For Two Years (It's Back!)

This is back, so I wanted to repost it. One of the best gifts you can give an engaged person is a wedding magazine. Seriously. There are tons of photos of dresses for the bride and her bridemaids, there are articles about everything from losing the last five pounds to destination weddings to saving money. And each issue has a one-year timeline, so the bride can check off what she's done -- and see what she needs to do.

If you are engaged and you aren't reading a magazine, now is the time to get one.

Yes. Now. Literally.

Right now, you can get two years of Bridal Guide magazine for free. Just click that link, enter your info, and your first issue should arrive in about six weeks.

Bridal Guide is actually the magazine that I receive right now. I've gotten a bunch of great ideas from the magazine. It really is a huge help for anyone planning a wedding (or helping to plan a wedding).

Big thanks to my friend Nicole for letting me know this is back.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Are you subscribing for yourself or for a friend?

Cake Tasting (My real life experience)

When you first start planning your wedding, you have to set a budget. You arbitrarily assign dollar amounts to items without having a clue what things actually cost.

Once you start figuring an actual budget, you realize you can't afford everything. You have to decide what is a top priority and spend your money there.

One of my top priorities is the cake. I love dessert and I'm often underwhelmed by wedding cakes. I wanted to make sure my wedding cake wowed me.

So we tried cakes. A lot of cakes. Fifteen to twenty cakes between various expos and events. They all had an incredibly sweet and grain buttercream that I refused to have my wedding.

I was at a meeting with a cake designer who understood my frustration and suggested Imaginary Cakes to us. Apparently, it has the least sweet buttercream in the county. I had to try it.

Before our tasting, we were able to pick three cake flavors and three filling/icing choices. Imaginary Cakes also gives vanilla buttercream and fondant, since most of the cakes they make is covered in vanilla buttercream.

I was excited about that because I really wanted to check out this buttercream that was rumored to be less sweet than the others.

When we got there, a "map" was put in front of us. It was exactly like the back of a chocolate box (you know, the one that ruins Forest Gump's mama's theory).

The map completely matched up with our choices (even down to the shapes of the cakes).

My mom and I were left with the cakes and fillings, plus an iPad slideshow of cakes that the company had made.

I wanted to watch the slideshow, but the moment of truth was in front of me. Literally. Could this be the buttercream I had hoped for?

I decided to try a bite of cake first.

"Try this filling," my mom said, talking about the strawberry filling made from berries picked and frozen from a local place.

So I tried a bite of cake and strawberry filling. Delish.

"Did you try the buttercream?" she asked.

It was good. Actually, better than good. It was the best buttercream that I had tried since moving to North Carolina.

The chocolate cake was amazing and the filling we paired with it, oh my gosh, we wanted to take home a funnel's worth. All the cakes were great, actually. They weren't sweet alone, and the fillings and icing weren't incredibly sweet either, but when it was all paired together, it was amazing.

After we tasted the cakes and decided what we were going to pick, we went through the photos I saved from the slideshow. I showed ones I liked and what I liked about them, but I couldn't find exactly what I wanted.

So I did what any normal bride to be does: I went to Pinterest. I had pinned cakes, lots of cakes, and went through them to remind myself of what I wanted.

Professional bakers are amazing and can pretty much make anything you want, so don't be afraid to ask for what you want. It's your wedding. You can find someone who will give you what you want.

And finding those people can be easy. You can go to an expo, you can ask around, or you can ask your venue. Our venue, coincidentally, has this bakery on its preferred vendor list. That means that our cake can actually just be added into our package and we don't have to worry about making sure we pay someone else. One less check to write; one less headache.

So, I'll be honest: We didn't finish our cake samples. So at the end, when we were asked if we had any questions, I said, "Can we take the rest home in a box?" I laughed because, well, this is a bakery that makes custom orders only. It's not a storefront. No one can walk in and purchase something. We were told yes ... and we were given the fillings to take home too.

That night, we had a second cake tasting with Pete and the leftovers. He's not a sweets guy at all. In fact, if we didn't have a cake, I'm not sure he would miss it. And even he loved the cake. I can't wait to have it again in four months (and then a year and four months since we are keeping our top piece for good luck).

BRIDAL BABBLE: Have you done a cake tasting yet? How was yours?

Tuxedo Shopping (What every bride needs to know)

I've been dress shopping quite a bit. I went prom dress shopping once upon a time, I've been dress shopping for weddings, I've been wedding dress shopping, and bridesmaid dress shopping.

So I had an idea of how that stuff goes. Which means I had an idea of how tuxedo shopping would go.

I was wrong. Completely wrong. So I figured I would help out other brides and put together a guide to tuxedo shopping.

We did our tuxedo shopping at Men's Wearhouse because we had that good coupon where you could get $40 off each of the groomsmen's tux rentals. Also, Men's Wearhouse is the sister store of David's Bridal and that's where we got the bridesmaids dresses from.

You don't have to go to Men's Wearhouse if you go to David's Bridal, but it's so much easier. See, David's Bridal has its core colors. And Men's Wearhouse stocks that same color palette. So if you go to Men's Wearhouse, you can just tell them the color of the dresses and you can be assured that the groomsmen's ties and vests with match the bridesmaids.

We were in the store at the same time as another couple. Their colors were mint and brown and she was bemoaning the fact that she couldn't find a green that matched the bridesmaids' dresses. So keep that in mind.

We made an appointment, but the store was slammed. A computer had gone down and it was slowing down the entire process. While we were waiting to be helped, we were able to peruse the store and sort of decide what we wanted.
Pete was sure he wanted a suit because a tuxedo was too "penguin" for him. He was thinking of a khaki when we were looking around. But the more time we spent looking around, the more he thought about it, and he decided on a gray suit.

When the associate came to help us, we said we were there so Pete could try on suits for the wedding.
"Well," she said ... then went on to tell us that you don't actually try on the suit until two days before the wedding. You choose the components now but it's not like a dress where you try on different styles and sizes until you find the one to order.
So then we said we were looking for a gray suit.
"Well," she said ... then went on to tell us the only suit they rent is a really pale khaki. She then went on to tell us that the only difference between suits and tuxes, basically, is a tux has silk buttons, plus a little silk on the lapel.
We went to see the tuxes and there were a few black ones to choose from (that's your penguin style) but also gray tuxedos.
He selected the one he liked, then the associate brought out the vest and tie that matched the bridesmaids' dresses, and that part was over.
She showed us a few white shirt options that were on a display, and he picked one.
She brought out a book with "jewelry" (buttons and cufflinks) and he picked one.
She showed us a few choices for shoes and Pete picked one, although we did call the next day to take them off the package. It's a good moment to note that at Men's Wearhouse, the only item you are not required to rent for a package is the shoes.
After everything was selected, we gave the associate the names of the groomsmen and she took Pete's measurements. She went to the computer to input the information, and this is when the computers bit us in the butt again.

The computer went down and lost all the information. So she had to enter it twice, which was a painstakingly long process because Pete has seven groomsmen.

So we walked around the store, checking out accessories like socks, and eventually found a mini golf putter to play with. As soon as we did, two young children spotted us and we gave up our clubs before even hitting a ball. I think Men's Wearhouse owes us a round of mini golf.

When golf was a no go, we checked out suits. You can do retail or rental at Men's Wearhouse. I was originally trying to get Pete to opt for retail (since I had in my head that the bridesmaids buy their dresses), but rental made more sense. If he had done retail, he could have gotten that khaki suit he originally had in mind.

The associate finally got the information into the computer and she gave us a group number. That's the number we give to the groomsmen so they can call and reserve their tux. When they call, they will automatically get $40 off their total, which is great. The coupon expired a few days after we got to the store and I was hoping the guys wouldn't have to rush and order. She said no.

The guys are requested to order within 30 days from when we went to the store. Styles can change and she wanted to make sure they didn't wait too long.

With dresses, they come in a few weeks to a few months, the girls pick them up, and that's the end. With Men's Wearhouse, the tuxes will arrive at the store two days before the wedding. Each groomsman will try on the suit and make sure it fits. No changes can be made after 5pm the day before the wedding. Then, each groomsman must return the tux the day after the wedding. The tuxes can be returned in bulk so you can put the best man or father of the groom in charge of collection.

The entire process took a half hour ... unless you count the 90 minutes we were stalled due to the computer malfunctions.

I think that about covers it. Now you know exactly what to expect so you don't trip over yourself like we did.

BRIDAL BABBLE: How was your tuxedo shopping experience?

Review & Giveaway: Personalized Cufflinks From Kustom Kufflinks (Ends 3/3)

We rented Pete's tux over the weekend and as part of the package, you must also rent the "jewelry."

Having no experience with tuxedos whatsoever, I had no idea what jewelry had to do with a tux. When the sales woman brought over a book with images of the jewelry, I realized she was talking about cufflinks. And I wanted to tell her about the beauty of personalized cufflinks.

Until she mentioned the only one who would actually have the jewelry showing would be Pete because everyone else was wearing a long tie.

And then I realized that jewelry was actually cufflinks and shirt buttons, and I was so confused about a button-less shirt for rent. But that is, apparently, what we had rented. So I kept my custom cufflinks comments to myself and decided to save them for this post.

Because we were able to review gorgeous personalized cufflinks from Kustom Kufflinks.

Personalized cufflinks are absolutely perfect for a wedding. It's a little pop for the groom to express himself and what he likes but not in such an over the top way that takes away from the wedding.

Have a groom who is really into comic books? Each groomsman can wear a different superhero on their cufflink.

Is your groom really into sports? Get the groomsmen cufflinks with the logo of the groom's favorite sports team.

Kustom Kufflinks can do them all. And for a reasonable price too. The cufflinks run about $17 each, which is awesome.

You can head to the brand's website and choose a design to order or you can get one completely customized with your own text or images.

Yes, images. You can email them over and they will appear on your cufflink.

We worked with Scott to create out cufflinks and I can't say enough nice things about him.

If you've been involved with me for any part of this wedding process (or if you just read this blog on a regular basis), you know that indecision is my frienemy. It takes me a long time to figure out what I want.

I start with a really vague idea of what I have in mind. And then through talking and googling, I start to form this idea into something else. And then I use that to spin off into the direction that I really want and I get transfixed on that, decide it's exactly what I want, and need to figure out how to make that happen.

And that's what happened when I was working with Scott at Kustom Kufflinks.

Unfortunately with him (or for him, maybe), it was over email. So there was a lag time between my responses and his. And during that time, I got another idea in my head and wanted to revamp.

I felt like a pain in the neck but Scott was awesome and made the adjustments as I asked and kept sending me example after example until the final product exceeded my expectations.

The cufflinks arrived in a bag inside of a bag, which made me know they were very safe. There is three lines of text crammed onto the size of a penny, but everything is clear and legible, which is really important.

The cufflinks are on the lighter side, as far as weight goes, but I don't think cufflinks really need that much weight to them. You're sticking them into a hole and they're just going to stay there. And the weight isn't why they stay put. These cufflinks have a bullet back closure, so that is going to keep your cufflink in place all day.

I definitely definitely definitely suggest getting custom cuflinks for your groomsmen, or the very least the fathers of the couple. And the groom. And the best man. And heck, just get them for everyone. It's so much nicer than the rental jewelry from the tuxedo shop.

Plus, you are looking for groomsmen gifts anyway so you can give these as something practical and that the groomsmen will use again.

Would you like to win a pair and see what all the fuss is about? We are giving a pair away.

One lucky winner will be able to select his or her own personalized pair of cufflinks. The giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on March 3.

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. You must be a resident of the US or Canada who is 18 or older to enter.

Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bride On A Budget received these cufflinks for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to A Bride On A Budget.

Review: Personalized Glass Charms From Everlasting Crafting

I'm a big fan of personalized items. It just makes things more personalized.

I know, I know. That's like defining a word with the word. It doesn't make sense. But that sentence above, it really does.

It's like the difference between giving someone a gift card versus cash for a birthday. Cash seems like you totally forgot and just opened your wallet and threw what you had inside into a card. A gift card seems like you thought about the person and picked up a gift card to their favorite store.

Personalized items are the same. If I am giving you a gift with your name on it, it's because I bought it specifically for you (or you happen to have the same name as someone who I actually bought it for and this is a great coincidence).

So -- fair warning -- if you are in my bridal party: Stop reading. Or, if you continue on, act surprised when you see what will be waiting for you in a few months.

I was lucky to get a chance to check out personalized glass charms from Everlasting Crafting.

Our colors are eggplant, lilac, and silver, and Theresa was able to make these charms to exactly match our colors. The letters are silver as are the flowers, some of the girl's beads are a dark purple and some are light. If you look closely, the ribbon of the bag actually matches the beads on the charm.

The charms are only 99p if you are in the UK or $1.65 if you're in the US, plus postage. That includes the entire charm, regardless of how long someone's name is.

What I love is you can choose the shaped bead in either hearts, stars, or flowers. I figured hearts made sense for a wedding, but I wanted this to be something my bridesmaids could use at any time. I went with flowers and I couldn't be happier.

For the colors of the beads, you can choose from 20 color choices. And for the bags, you have a choice of 14 colors. You can check out the full color list here. A variety of choices will make it easy for you to match these to your wedding colors. And, if you don't like the silver letters, you can choose white ones instead.

The charms are gorgeous in person. The photo doesn't do them justice. All the beads are really shiny so they definitely pop. The wire the beads are on is sturdy, so you don't have to worry about it bending out of shape, but it's really flexible too so you are able to wrap the charm around a wine glass and close it with ease.

Charms are made to order and there's no minimum order -- and no maximum order either. At this price, you could actually purchase one for all your guests as their favors and have them at their seats.

Everlasting Crafting makes a few other items too, like charms for angel babies and christening bracelets. You can head to see the brand on Facebook to see additional photos of items she has made.

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you were to make these, what beads would you have selected?

Saving On Your Wedding Using Valentine's Day Clearance

Tis the season for love. Not just love. Discounted love.

Valentine's Day just passed, which means that a ton of heart-shaped items and love-centric items are marked down at least 50% off. Hello wedding savings.

This week alone, I've seen 50% off clearance at CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and Food Lion.

I haven't seen it anywhere else because I haven't been anywhere else.

You can look at discounted candy, but everything I found does say Valentine's on it and although you want to save money, you don't want to look like you saved money. So you have to get a little creative. Buying Valentine's items is a great way to save, but unless you are getting married on Valentine's Day, the branding doesn't make sense.

There's more than just candy on sale.

My friend Erika found those wooden words spelling out "Amore" and "Love" at her Walmart for $4. Those are super cute for a welcome table, a lounge, or a buffet table.

She loves how they look as is. Personally, I would spray paint them my colors so they were a little more subdued and didn't take away from the rest of my decor. But that's what's great about saving money. You have that extra money, then, to buy things like spray paint and glitter.

Erika also found fake rose petals at her Walmart for under $1. That's awesome -- and a ton cheaper than actually buying rose petals.

Flowers are so expensive so any way you can save in that department is something I support.

I found this felt garland at Walgreens and I thought it was cute. If your venue has a mantle, this would be awesome. Or at the bar. Or welcome table.

Seriously, for $1, you can find a spot for it.

Keep an eye out for small toys too, in case you're having young kids at your wedding. You are going to want to make them goodie bags to help entertain them during the reception. I'm not sure if those whistles are your best bet, but those spinning tops look great. Plus, an 18-count bag for $1.50 is a great way to keep your budget down.
You may have to get creative, and you may have to search through a sea of cardboard cards, but it's worth it.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you pick up any clearance items for your wedding?

Review & Giveaway: Personalized Cutting Board From Urban Farmhouse (Ends 2/21)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. We cook all the time here. I don't mean dinner a few nights a week, I mean we make every meal at home. As I'm typing this, Pete is actually making smoothies in the blender.

Our registry was filled with a ton of kitchen items, everything from a blender/food processor to pepper grinders to a mortar and pestle.

We got the majority of what we asked for and something we didn't: bamboo cutting boards. We actually had two already so that's why we didn't register for any, but we got a three pack. Of course we kept it. Who doesn't love bamboo cutting boards?

We're actually sort of obsessed with them over here.

Speaking of bamboo cutting boards, we got a chance to check out a personalized bamboo cutting board from Urban Farmhouse.

If you click on the link above, you can check out all the other items from the brand. Urban Farmhouse will pretty much engrave everything. You can get personalized mason jar mugs, flasks, and baseball bats. You can also purchase a wooden guest book (which is gorgeous and I'm kind of obsessed with it).

If you head over to the Urban Farmhouse etsy page, you can see 22 pages worth of items available for sale. But for now, we're going to focus on the personalized cutting board.

The board is great. You can choose two first names, one last name, and a date and they will be engraved onto the bamboo board. The date would be printed under the last name on the board. We went without a date and just one name, but if you were going for a wedding gift idea, two names and a wedding date would make sense.

The board arrived and I immediately started looking at the engraving. There have been times I've ordered engraved items and they look "unfinished." There are splinters that you have to pull off. This is not the case with the cutting board. Everything was engraved and cleaned up perfectly. There wasn't any splinters or sawdust to brush away.

The backside is blank except for the name of the company and its web address on the back. So, if you're worried about cutting in the engraving and ruining it, you can use the flat backside to chop and the engraved front side to display.

To be honest, I haven't chopped on this exact cutting board (it's a gift), but it feels like our other boards. You will end up with slice marks in them, so it won't look perfect forever. That's why I suggest using the backside. Bamboo is really sustainable, which is why we have so much of it in our kitchen. Plus, it just looks really nice.

I want you to understand how nice this cutting board is firsthand so we are giving one away to one lucky winner. This giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on February 21. The winner must be a US resident who is 18 or older. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to a winning email (sent to the email address used in the Rafflecopter) or another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bride On A Budget received this cutting board for this review. All thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB. ABOAB is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.