Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Free Tuxedo Or Suit Rental From Men's Wearhouse

A woman picking out her wedding dress is a really long process (at least, for most women. I know there are some who bought the second dress they tried on, but the majority of women I've spoken to have tried on many dresses before finding the one).

For men, it's a little easier. You are pretty much narrowed down to a couple stores, one of which is Men's Wearhouse (the "brother store" if you will, of David's Bridal).

At the beginning of planning, I told Pete that no matter where he gets his suit, he needs the ties and pocket squares from Men's Wearhouse because my bridesmaids got their dresses at David's Bridal and so the colors will be identical.

And then, on the first mail day after that conversation, a coupon for a free tuxedo or suit rental from Men's Wearhouse came in the mail.

Of course, it was addressed to Pete but he was sitting right by me when I got the mail, so I opened it.

Inside was a card to bring to Men's Wearhouse when you book your wedding party tuxedos. You could get a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate, a free tuxedo rental for the groom, and $40 off every tux rental.

You might be able to score a free tuxedo or suit rental from Men's Wearhouse. We did! Find out how at www.abrideonabudget.com.

Originally, Pete didn't want to do a tuxedo. He was set on a suit. But when we got this card, we noticed the photos of the men that accompanied the coupon card didn't look like they were in a tux.

"Maybe the tuxes look like suits?" I wondered. And they do, actually. So if your man is on the fence, it's definitely worth a trip to the store. Pete actually went with a tuxedo, after all that, in case you were wondering.

I picked up the card and read the fine print. It  read: "With 5 paid tux rental packages (must include coat and pant, rental shirt, rental tie and cummerbund or retail tie, and rental jewelry) or suit rental packages (must include coat and pant, rental shirt, and rental vest) (each "Rental Package"), choose between (1) retails offer of up to $500 off one regular-priced retail tuxedo or suit, OR (2) rental offer of one free Rental Package, which must be the same coat and pant style as the paid Rental Packages, with a maximum value of up to $219.99."

That is awesome, in case your husband-to-be is definitely anti-tuxedo.

It also says, "$40 off each rental package for your wedding party with coupon ... " And since rental package was defined as suit or tux, this is a way to save all the groomsmen some money.

If you get this coupon in the mail and, like us, were planning on renting from Men's Wearhouse anyway, this is perfect. And if you don't get it in the mail, it seems that the store actually offers this on a consistent basis, so be sure to ask about it when you're there. Or head over to this link, enter your information, and get an offer delivered to you. The store associate will add the offer to your account so when the groomsmen call to place their rental, they'll automatically get the $40 off. They don't even have to ask for it, but they'll still save.

And, we did get Pete's tux rental for free. That was a great way to keep our wedding budget in check.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you groom rent a suit or tux?



Confused about tuxedo rentals?


Check out Pete's post about How To Rent A Tuxedo.


flip-flop-wedding-basket



Monday, August 29, 2016

5 At-Home Bachelorette Party Ideas (that don't involve strippers)

Some of the best nights Pete and I have are the ones where we just stay home. It's the company, not the venue, that makes for some of the best memories.

If you agree, an at-home bachelorette party is for you. Have all the bridesmaids and the bride's best girl friends over to one house and throw a great party. And you don't even need to hire a stripper. There are a ton of other great ideas that are even more fun than sipping drinks from penis straws.

Would you rather stay in and have your bachelorette party at home?  Get 5 At-Home Bachelorette Party ideas from www.abrideonabudget.com.

5 At-Home Bachelorette Party Ideas (that don't involve strippers)


Fortune Teller
What do the cards hold for the bride and groom? Will they have a huge house with a white picket fence? Will they move to a foreign country? Have kids? Live happily ever after? Okay, that last one is one everyone can figure out, but those other ones, you may need a fortune teller to fill in all the details. Hire one and have her come over, read palms and tarot cards, and just give the guests a bit of insight into their futures.

I'm gonna be honest: This would be so much fun, even for the most skeptical of brides. And it's a great group activity because in the future, when the bride is thinking about something or an event happens that the fortune teller brought up, it turns into a big inside joke/shared memory between all the guests.

Casino Night
My family loves playing card games when we're together. We all sit around the table and play for hours. Of course, we play for money, but you could also play for fun. You could set up a poker table, one for dice games, or heck, even Left Right Center (which is super fun and easy for everyone to understand).

If you're playing poker, you could say everyone needs to bring a bottle of wine as a buy in. Then, gift all the wine to the bride (and maybe let the winner take a bottle home).

Wine Tasting
Don't feel like playing for wine? I get it. Why not have a wine tasting instead? You can have each guest bring a bottle of wine to sample. You should definitely order fun personalized wine glasses too. And don't forget about the cheese, crackers, and grapes too. No wine tasting is completely without those.

Make it even more fun and turn it into an arts and crafts night. Pick up wooden coasters and paint or washi tape to decorate them.

Paint Night
Have you heard of paint nights? They're so much fun. The canvas and paints are supplied, and you can usually bring (or buy) beverages. Wouldn't it be fun to do it at home? Purchase one canvas per guest, a few paints and brushes, and maybe smocks, just to get in the mood.

You can have one guest lead the painting, and you can all paint the same one like they do at paint nights, or you can just let everyone have a free for all.

Masseuses 
When I was wedding planning, I just wanted to relax. I kept thinking of Pete and I having a spa day, but we just ran out of time. Your bride probably doesn't have time either, so bring the spa to her. Have everyone wear personalized robes, hire masseuses to come to give massages, and then end the night with clay masks and cucumbers over your eyes.

If I was getting married right now, that would be my choice. Heck, just from running a wedding blog I think I should have a spa night at home!

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of these at-home bachelorette party ideas is your favorite?


Rather go out?


Check out our 5 Bachelorette Party Ideas (That Don't Include Chippedales).


bachelorette-party-ideas



Friday, August 26, 2016

Best Bridal Sashes For The Bride-To-Be

A Bride On A Budget was provided one of these sashes for review. All thoughts are my own.

A while ago, someone asked me for budget-friendly home style bachelorette party ideas. I thought of a pot luck (where everyone brings an app, cocktail, etc.), followed by going to a comedy club.

I didn't, however, mention my friend's "bachelorette party," which involved doing errands all over town (getting our nails done, our eyebrows done, passing alpacas on the street), all while she wore a bridal sash.

Oh the awesome, yet sometimes dreaded, bridal sash. Personally, I think they're awesome ... but maybe that's because I've never actually been the one forced to wear it all day long.

If you're getting married, get ready for the sash. And if you're planning a bachelorette party, this is a great list for you.

Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.


Best Bridal Sashes For The Bride-To-Be

  1. Lace Bachelorette Sash
  2. Bride-To-Be Sash
  3. Personalized Bridal Sash
  4. Champagne Bride-To Be-Bachelorette Party Sash
  5. Super Glam Rhinestone Sash
Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.
Lace Bachelorette Sash
This lace bachelorette sash is my favorite, which is why I'm kicking this post off with it. It's a pretty lace, which means it won't take away from the dress the bride is wearing that night. Plus, with it being lace, it just looks fancier than any other bridal sash. And if your bride is sort of fancy, and planning on wearing a fancy dress, this is perfect.

You can pick it up in white, black, or pink (if you choose the latter two, the letters are silver, not black).

Purchase here.

Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.
Bride-To-Be Sash
How cute is this bride-to-be sash? It's pretty sweet and understated, in case your bride doesn't really want to stand out while she's wearing this. But, it's not too plain either. It has an engagement ring embroidered on it, making it a little more special.

Unlike most of the sashes that are one-size fits all, this one actually is fastened with Velcro. That way, you can actually adjust the length and make sure it fits your bride-to-be.

Purchase here.

Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.
Personalized Bridal Sash
I didn't actually change my last name. I've had this one for so long, so I just kept it. I actually have a ton of friends who did the same, so maybe our generation is completely balking at this. But, if your bride is changing her name, this personalized bridal sash is for her.

You can personalize this with up to 20 letters, which means you have some room to be creative.

Purchase here.

Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.
Champagne Bride-To-Be Bachelorette Party Sash
I really like this champagne bride-to-be bachelorette party sash. It's just so pretty and feminine. And the champagne color is just gorgeous. It's such a break from the normal white, pink, and black that these often come in. And the font on this is just super pretty too. It doesn't look cheap or cheesy, which perfect for any bride.

Purchase here.

Part of the fun of a bachelorette party is getting your bride to wear a bride-to-be sash.  Check out the list put together here by www.abrideonabudget.com.
Super Glam Rhinestone Sash
Aside from the color, I like the Super Glam Rhinestone Sash a lot. The rhinestones are affixed very well to the sash, which means your sash should still say "Bride To Be" after a night of bachelorette debauchery.

The sash is made of a slippery material (I want to guess some sort of poly-blend) but it doesn't slide. When you put it on, it stays put. It's not going to twist and turn, hiding the B on your shoulder so this reads "Ride To Be" by the end of the night (since that is absolutely not what you're going for). So it's good to know this will stay put.

Purchase here.

This is something that you can pass along from girlfriend to girlfriend and the sash will definitely hold up. Just don't wash it in a machine. Spot clean only works for them. And don't iron on the side with the rhinestones. Use low heat on the backside to help the sash's longevity.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you get a bridal sash to wear for your bachelorette party?

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

'Bout To Get Married Bacon-Wrapped Egg Muffins

If you love this recipe, be sure to Yum it here: Yum

When you're a maid of honor, your most important job should be making sure the bride eats on her wedding morning.

Heck, you should be worried about her eating at all during wedding week.

I didn't. I just didn't have time to sit at eat from the Wednesday before our wedding to the Sunday after it. And wedding morning? I had half a cup of orange juice and that was that.

I wouldn't recommend it. Instead, I would recommend making these 'Bout To Get Married Bacon-Wrapped Egg Muffins. They're super easy to make ahead of time. Then, bring them to where the bride is getting ready, pop them in the microwave, and enjoy.

You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.

'Bout To Get Married Bacon-Wrapped Egg Muffins


This is actually a spin on a recipe I've made before, but completely forgot about until my cousin blogged about it at Tales Of A Tired Mom.

So of course, I went ahead and made this batch so Pete and I could have breakfast for the week. It's so easy, plus, it sure beats having cereal or a granola bar every morning. And, I've gotta be honest: any morning that starts with bacon leads to a good day.

You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.

What You'll Need:
  • 12 eggs
  • 3 leaves of kale
  • 1/2 an onion
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 6 green onions
  • 12 slices of bacon
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • saute pan
  • muffin tin
  • small bowl
  • fork
What You'll Do:

Pre-heat the oven to 350.
You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.
Chop the onions and put them in a saute pan. Cook them over medium heat (with an optional drizzle of olive oil) until they start to become translucent.
You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.
While that's cooking, chop the onion and finely chop the kale (remove it from the "ribs" and then slice the leaves). If you're a slow chopper, the onions should be translucent when you're done chopping.

Saute everything until the kale is very wilted. Toss in a optional two pinches of salt if kale is bitter for you. If you're not into kale like me (I eat it raw, by itself), you can swap this for spinach. If you do, just make sure to check your teeth a zillion times before taking any wedding photos.

When this is done, remove it from the heat.

You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.

Line a muffin tin with a slice of bacon. Do this for every cavity in the tin.
You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.
Crack one egg into a small bowl, add the veggie mixture, and stir. 

Pour that into the bacon-lined muffin tin.

I would recommend doing these one by one. I know, it's a little more time consuming, but you can assure they all have veggies that way. If you crack a dozen eggs into a bowl with the veggies and then scoop it that way, you'll end up with the vegetables sinking to the bottom of the mixture and only making it into the last few cups.

You need to eat wedding morning, but you also need something easy. Check out these 'Bout To Get Married bacon-wrapped egg muffins from www.abrideonabudget.com. They're the perfect make-ahead wedding morning breakfast.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the bacon is cooked.

Store in an air-tight container until wedding morning. Pop them in the microwave and you're ready to go.

Monday, August 8, 2016

Mason Jar Luminary Leaf Centerpieces

When you think of a fall wedding, you think of tones that are warm and inviting. You think of being cozy. And you think of leaves.

At least, that's what I thought of when I was coming up with ideas for a fall wedding centerpiece. I also decided this was a good time to create a mason jar craft since I actually haven't done any of those on A Bride On A Budget yet, despite mason jars crawling their way into a ton of wedding themes. After a ton of thought (I actually enlisted three people to help), I came up with these mason jar luminary leaf centerpieces. They're perfect as a fall wedding centerpiece or a centerpiece for any other fall party you might be having.

Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

They were easy to make, although they did take a bit of time since I left them to dry overnight before finishing them. After I added everything up, these are under $5. For a centerpiece, that's an incredible price.

Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

Mason Jar Luminary Leaf Centerpieces


What You'll Need:
What You'll Do:


Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

Paint Mod Podge on a section of the mason jar.

Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

Stick one of the leaves onto the jar.

Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

Paint Mod Podge over the leaf.

Mason-Jar-Luminary-Leaf-Centerpieces

Continue around the jar, layering the leaves as you want.

Now, this is a good time to point out that many of the leaves came folded. It was a big part of the reviews on Oriental Trading's site, but for this project, I didn't care. The leaves would be flat with a layer of Mod Podge over and under them, so folds wouldn't affect my project. If you were using these to decorate on their own, you need to keep this in mind.

Don't worry about being neat with the Mod Podge or that you can see white on the jar. This will dry clear.

At this point, leave these overnight to dry completely.

mason jar centerpiece

The next day, wrap the jute cording around the top of the jar. Double knot it and cut the excess cording.

mason jar centerpiece

Drop a flameless tea light into the jar.

mason jar centerpiece

Scatter some of the leaves around as decorations and your mason jar luminary leaf centerpieces are complete.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make these mason jar luminary leaf centerpieces as fall wedding centerpieces?

Friday, August 5, 2016

Wedding Door Hangers

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

I was on Pinterest once upon a time and saw wedding door hangers. They were so cute. You add them to your wedding welcome bag so your guests can hang them on the hotel doors the day after the wedding.

Looking for a fun wedding idea? Create these wedding door hangers. Get all the details at www.abrideonabudget.com.

I was determined to have these.

I looked all over, though, and couldn't find wedding-related companies that actually made these. I found ones that printed similar items, and found companies that tried to get me to print on other items and then DIY the rest, and I even thought about printing as 4x6 prints at the drugstore and cutting them.

And then I found door hangers at 123Print. That's not the only product at 123Print, though. You can get full stationery suites, starting from save the dates and ending at thank yous ... plus everything in-between. For every item, you can use a pre-made design and edit to add your own information, or you can upload your own image.

Personally, I knew I wanted to design my own door hangers. See, the ones that are pre-made are mostly for businesses, since they usually hang these door to door for advertising. The pizza chain here hangs one on our door once a week, at least. There's no way the pizza chain and I needed the same template, so it was easier for me to just head to PicMonkey, design, and upload my design.

You have to understand that these are not print at home items, so you won't get them as immediately as you would if you printed them on your own printer. You do have to wait for the designer to set it up, print, and ship. It took mine a bit longer than a week to arrive. I wasn't in a rush, so that was fine with me, but this isn't something you should save until the last minute.

Looking for a fun wedding idea? Create these wedding door hangers. Get all the details at www.abrideonabudget.com.

When they did arrive, they were perfect. They were bundled in sets of three and, since there was room between the product's edge and the box's, there was tissue paper stuffed between. That way, the product didn't shuffle around in the mail and get ruined. I was super happy about that -- and would definitely have felt secure ordering wedding invitations from them.

With wedding stationery, you do want it to be perfect and want to assure that the corners aren't rounded (unless that's the style you picked, of course).

Looking for a fun wedding idea? Create these wedding door hangers. Get all the details at www.abrideonabudget.com.

I pulled one out of the box, and it was perfect. That's the only word I can use to describe it.

The door hanger was printed on a glossy paper, so it has this beautiful shine to it. And it just looks really, really expensive. They're not, but they look that way (which is exactly what you want for your wedding).

I expected these to be printed on matte cardstock. Why, I don't know. I couldn't actually find anything about paper type when I ordered, but I just expected it. So you can understand why this glossy paper surprised me.

Looking for a fun wedding idea? Create these wedding door hangers. Get all the details at www.abrideonabudget.com.
The door hangers come with the door hole left it and it's up to you to pop them all out (or don't, if you don't have the patience, but then you run the risk of your guests not using them and that would be a waste of your money). If you were to try to print these at home, you would  literally have to cut every door hole. You wouldn't be able to just drop these in your wedding welcome bags and expect your guests to have packed scissors in their suitcases. So even though popping these holes out might seem tedious, it's easier than DIY and cutting (and this is coming from the girl who spent 13 hours cutting wedding invitations).
I'm seriously so impressed with the quality of the door hangers that I feel completely confident that all the other products the site provides are "wedding quality."

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you order these wedding door hangers for your wedding?

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Save On The Bar With Signature Wedding Cocktails

A Bride On A Budget received the three small bottles of Couvoisier for this post. 

If you love these recipes, be sure to Yum them here: Yum


When you're making your wedding budget, the bulk of your money will go towards your reception. Food and drinks for your guests is expensive, but you can't expect your guests to show up on a full stomach. If you want to save money on the venue, make smart decisions about the bar.

You have a couple options. You can have a cash bar (so your guests pay for their own drinks, although I'm not a fan of that at all); you can have a set tab (and when your guests drink through your set budget it turns into a cash bar); you can close the bar during dinner hour (so your five hour reception only costs you four hours of an open bar); or you can serve beer and wine without liquor. If you choose the latter, consider tweaking it just a bit and serve signature cocktails. That way, if your guests do want mixed drinks, you can still provide them, but at a much cheaper cost. See, by offering signature wedding cocktails, you only have to stock the bar with a couple types of liquor instead of a full bar of them. Less liquor equals less cost.

Cocktails are hot right now and craft cocktail bars popping up all over. In fact, we went to two last summer for Pete's birthday that had very cool and different -- and extensive -- menus. Neither of them had taps, and I actually don't think you could get bottled beer either. There was a lot on the menus that I had never heard of (although, I don't drink alcohol, so it's not exactly difficult to find drinks that are new to me).

If your guests are the kind of people who order the usual every time they're at the bar, you might want to introduce them to something new. You can either create a signature cocktail for your wedding (if you're into craft cocktails, this is the way to go) or you can just suggest drinks they might not choose otherwise. But you're not going to be tending bar so you can offer options. Instead, create a cocktail menu for the bar, then hand a recipe menu to the bartenders.

Save on your wedding bar tab with signature wedding cocktails.Get an idea of what to serve at www.abrideonabudget.com.
Photo credit, MilkBananaStudio on Etsy
I found the above menu made by MilkBananaStudio on Etsy. You can base your wedding bar menu off those signature wedding cocktails or you can use our suggestions.

WEDDING SIGNATURE COCKTAIL

Courvoisier Sidecar
Ingredients:
2 parts Couvoisier VSOP cognac (50 mL bottle)
1/2 part lemon juice (2.5 tsp.)
1/5 part sugar syrup (1 tsp.)
1/2 part orange liqueur (2.5 tsp.)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a glass.

WEDDING BRUNCH

Bloody Mary
3 parts tomato juice
1 1/2 parts vodka
1/2 part lemon juice
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
To taste:
Ground pepper
Hot pepper sauce
Horseradish
Garnish:
Celery stalk

Mimosa
3 parts champagne
1 part orange juice
(Check out my DIY Mimosa Bar from our wedding)

EVENING WEDDING

Tuxedo
1.5 ounces gin
1.5 ounces dry vermouth
0.25 teaspoon maraschino liqueur
0.25 teaspoon anise liqueur
2 dashes bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Wedding Cake Vodka Tonics
1 part wedding cake vodka
2 parts tonic water

If you like signature cocktails, be sure to check out our wedding signature cocktails by season:


BRIDAL BABBLE: What signature wedding cocktails would you add to your menu?