The Ultimate Guide To Save The Date Cards (& win 2 sets of custom cards, ends 3/5)

This The Ultimate Guide To Save The Date Cards is sponsored. All thoughts and opinions belong to A Bride On A Budget.

One of the very first wedding planning tasks you'll tackle is your save the dates. This is one of the first ways that your guests will get any details on your wedding ... and the first way that they'll know they're invited to your wedding. You want to set a tone with them -- and you also want to make sure you have everything you need on them.

Worry not. I'm here to help. This Ultimate Guide To Save The Date Cards will give you all the information you need to send out the perfect save the date.

The Ultimate Guide To Save The Date Cards

You need to pick your date and venue before you send out your save the dates. You'll also need to put together your guest list.

1. Who gets a save the date?
The simple answer: Send one to everyone you are planning to invite to your wedding. This is why you need to make your wedding guest list before your save the dates are ordered. You need to send one to everyone who you plan on inviting to your wedding. Keep in mind, though, if you ask someone to save the date, you do have to invite them to the wedding. So don't send a save the date to people who may not be invited.

2. What do you put on the save the dates?
You may not have all the information you need, but put everything you have on the save the date, including:
Your names (Last names are optional if you're putting a photo of you on it.)
Your wedding date
Your wedding location (You can put the venue's name if you want; if not, just city and/or state if it's an out of state wedding work.)
Your Website (if you have one)
"Formal invitation to follow"

3. When do you send your save the dates?
As soon as possible. But, typically, six months beforehand for a local wedding, twelve months ahead of a destination wedding. You want to give people as much time to prepare as possible. If you have a short engagement, you want to get these out as soon as you have a date and venue booked.

4. Do your save the dates have to match your wedding's theme?
At the point when you're sending your save the dates, you might not even know what your wedding theme will be. You might not even have your colors picked out yet. If that's the case, it'll be impossible for your save the dates to match your theme. And that's okay.

We were lucky in the fact that I had a lot decided by the time we sent our save the dates. We knew we were having a beach reception (and a beach theme by extension) and we knew the colors were purple. So Pete wore a purple shirt when we took our save the date photo at the beach.

5. What type of save the dates should you send?
You have a lot of options when it comes to types of save the dates. Typically, you'll choose between magnets (which we did), post cards (which I'd try and deter you from), and cards (which my brother did).

My brother and his fiancee just made save the dates at Artsy Couture. They are amazing! The site is really easy to use. You choose from a variety of layouts and then get to editing.

My best suggestion is for you to create an account on the site before you start to design your cards. That way, you'll be able to save your revisions and any uploads while you are creating your save the date.

Once you choose the save the dates you like, upload the image(s) you want for the card. Definitely upload a couple options, though. Most of the save the date cards have text on them and you're not sure where exactly that text will fall on your image until you upload them. You might have your heart set on one photo, but it might not sit right once you start designing, so make sure you have a few choices.

After you pick your card and images, you still have a few other options. You can add a border, change the color of the foil (if you picked foil cards) and you can change the corners of the card itself (in case you want rounded instead of square, etc.).

You'll review your cards before and at checkout. Double and triple check to make sure everything is spelled correctly, the name of the venue is correct, and you have the right year on the card.

Worry more about the spelling and less about the coloring on the images. My brother and his fiance were a little worried that the writing would be a bit dark on their photo, which was a little dark, but it was what they wanted so they went with it. When the cards arrived, they were so happy. Because they selected a foil card, the foil really stood out on the image and it was easy to read. Plus, the shimmer of the foil added something really special to the cards.

6. How many save the dates should you order?
You want to send one card per person/couple who is invited to the wedding, so make sure you order enough cards. Sometimes, you'll be sending two save the dates to one house, if an adult child is invited and lives with his/her parents. When we did ours, I actually had one address with three invitations sent there.

The ones that my brother and his wife-to-be ordered came in packs of 26, so they needed to order four packs. It's better to order a few extras than not order enough.

7. Do you write and guest on save the dates?
Once your save the dates are ready to go, you want to address them. You want to address them similar to how you will address your wedding invitations. So if you are inviting a couple, write "Mr. & Mrs. Lastname" on the envelope. If you are inviting someone who is in a serious -- but not married -- relationship, put both of their names on the envelope, but mail it only to the address of the person you are closest with, not the significant other.

That's the easy part. It starts to get complicated when you are wondering if someone, who is not in a serious relationship, should get a guest or not. In that case, I would suggest that you address the save the date only to the person and do not write "and guest." The truth is, once you get further into the wedding planning process, you'll have a better idea of if you can afford a plus one for every single guest or if you are adopting the no ring no bring policy. You don't want to tell someone now that they are allowed a plus one and then take it away later. So, to be on the safe side, just address it to the single person.

Find inspiration for your save the dates are more at the Artsy Couture blog. You can easily go from the brand's blog to its website, where you can see all the products the Maryland-based company has to offer in addition to wedding save the date cards. So wherever you're at in the wedding stationery process, you'll be able to find what you need. Plus, be sure to follow the brand on social media:

Artsy Couture: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Following Artsy Couture is part of our giveaway entries. Yup, giveaway! We are giving one lucky person two sets of custom cards!

This giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on March 6. The winner must be a US resident who is 18 or older at the time of entry. The winner must respond to a winning email within 24 hours in order to claim the prize or another winner may be selected. A Bride On A Budget is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

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Good luck.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which of the tips in The Ultimate Guide To Save The Date Cards was most helpful?

5 Ways To Share Your Wedding Photos

When we got our wedding photos back, we had over 1,300 photos. Those were the touched up, edited, good versions of our photos. I can't even imagine how many there were when you add in the raw photos.

But even with 1,300, it was near impossible to print them all and mail them to our parents. Those would be such heavy envelopes to mail. You want to get the photos to your families, though, so I came up with a few ways help you share.

5 Ways To Share Your Wedding Photos

1. Google Drive.
When we went to Japan, we took a ton of photos. Pete took the photos, loaded them to his computer, and put them on Google Drive. Everyone who had the link was able to edit and add their own photos. That way, we could all share our photos. And anyone who didn't have photos were still able to access the link and download whatever they wanted.

You can do the same with your wedding photos. Create a link on Google (or something similar) and add it to your wedding website. Make it so anyone with the link can edit, so every one of your guests will be able to add their own photos. Then, everyone can download their favorites and do with them as they please.

2. Prints.
When we sent out thank you cards, we included one photo in every card. I went through all our photos and found one photo of every friend/couple. I had them printed and put one photo print in every card. That way, our friends and family who came to the wedding but didn't have access to our professional wedding photos were able to see at least one photo of themselves.

They were also able to see photos of us. I put a few of my favorite photos on our thank you cards. One was from the ceremony, two from downtown, and one from the reception. So, if our guests missed any part of our day, they were able to see it in photos.

For other people (our parents, and those who really helped us out), I actually gifted them prints in frames. I only put frames on dressers and shelves, not on walls. If you are sharing photos with someone like that, go with either smaller frames or canvas wraps.

3. Custom USB Drive.
This one is very similar to what we did. We got our photos on a custom USB drive from our photographers. Our names and wedding date were printed on the outside and our photos were loaded to the drive. It was in a box with our photographers' logo on it. I. Was. Floored. I had never seen something like this before and I thought it was incredible.

When it was time for us to share the photos with Pete's dad, we picked up a standard USB drive and loaded the photos on to it. But, oh how I wish I could have made it a little more special.

So you wouldn't believe how I felt when I learned about Artsy Couture recently and, guys, the boutique photo lab sells custom USB drives. You can add your own photos to the drive itself (horizontal photos are recommended) when you order it. When it arrives, you can load it with all your wedding photos. You can choose either an 8GB or 16GB drive, but I recommend getting the larger one. High-res photos take up a lot of room, so you want to get one that can hold all your photos. You can also choose premium acrylic, premium wood, or standard white. Plus, you can add a customize presentation box, which makes for a great gift idea.

4. Photo Books.
Our wedding photographer gave us a book of photo proofs with our USB drive. Each photo was labeled with the same file name as the photo on the USB drive so it was easy to figure out which was which.

When my mom was in town after we got married, I let her look at the book of photo proofs. She wrote her favorites down, then I downloaded them in a file from the USB drive to create a photo book for her. She wrote down a separate list for a photo book for my grandma too, so I made her a book as well. It was a great way to narrow down the photos and show my grandma photos that she would care about. She was able to see all her grandchildren and friends in her photo book and didn't have to skip through photos of our friends and anyone she didn't know to get to the photos she wanted to see.

I don't care how independent you are or how much you want to buck the system. Let your dad walk you down the aisle on your wedding day. It's something he's been thinking about since you were born. Give him that moment, regardless of how you feel about it because wedding traditions are important. And they become so much more important after the fact, when it's too late to go back and redo them. Find out why they're so important in the latest post on www.abrideonabudget.com (clickable link in profile).

A post shared by Lisa from A Bride On A Budget (@abrideonabudget) on Dec 1, 2016 at 6:12am PST

5. Social Media.
If you have time to upload a ton of photos, social media is a great option. I only uploaded a handful of ours, but I don't use Facebook that often. Some of my friends upload hundreds of their wedding photos, and I just love it -- especially if I wasn't able to make it to the wedding. Being able to see photos from when the couple is getting ready until when they're leaving the reception, it really makes you feel like you're there.

If your album is public, your friends will be able to tag themselves and share the photos that they want to their own timeline. That way, they'll have them easily accessible when they want to print them.


BRIDAL BABBLE: What ways are you planning on sharing your wedding photos?

Items To Pack For A Summer Wedding

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

Do you have a summer wedding coming up? What you need to bring varies a little than any other season. I mean, you're not worried about packing gloves in case your date wants to go outside. But, sunscreen in case your date wants to go outside, you need that. Plus a few essentials that you want to make sure you pack for a summer wedding, lest you want to wake up the next morning feeling like a hungover lobster.

But don't worry. We have you covered. I put together a list of nine items to pack for a summer wedding. And, even better: we are giving away one of them!

Items To Pack For A Summer Wedding

1. Mosquito Repellent Bracelets
2. Light Shawl
3. Flip Flops
4. Water Bottle
5. Cute Hair Clip
6. Sunscreen
7. Blotting Paper
8. Sunglasses

Mosquito Repellent Bracelets

This is the time of year when bugs are out ... and hungry. I feel like I can't sit outside without swatting away a mosquito. And if you get bit, it's so itchy and annoying. You don't want to be annoyed at a wedding, but you also don't want to feel sticky from a spray. So go with mosquito repellent bracelets. Personally, I love them. You can pick them up in a variety of styles and colors, so you can find one to match your dress. You can wear them as an anklet too, in case you don't want it on your wrist.

Purchase here.

Light Shawl

I'm always cold. It could be 100 degrees out, and there's a chance I'll be cold. It's just how I am. I pack a shirt with sleeves every time I go out ... but you can't do that at a wedding. I mean, you can because I have, but you definitely want to go with a light shawl instead. They're more wedding fashion friendly than a zip up.

Purchase here.

Flip Flops

Heels are so cute, but after a lot of dancing, they usually come off. And dancing barefoot isn't the best idea. And, with summer weddings, there's a chance you'll be on a beach and you don't want to wear your nice shoes on sand. So packing flip flops is a huge must for summer weddings.

Purchase here.

Collapsible Water Bottle

When you're at a wedding, there's usually an open bar and you can get water if you're thirsty. But what about pre-reception? It's up to you to hydrate. Packing water in your purse is a smart idea. You can either go with a disposable water bottle so you can throw it away when you're done or a collapsible water bottle. Those will roll up easily and fit in your purse when you're done.

Purchase here.

Cute Hair Clip

Summer weddings can be hot. Really hot. And when it's hot, you probably toss your hair up into a ponytail. It's what I do. But at a wedding, you don't want to ruin your cute curls with a rubber band. Instead, pack a cute hair clip. That way, you can still have styled hair while keeping it off your neck.

Purchase here.

Sunscreen

A big part about summer weddings is the weather. It's great to be able to be outdoors. But ... that means you need to worry about your skin and use sunscreen. I mean, how painful would the morning after be if you're dealing with a hangover and a sunburn.

Purchase here.

Blotting Paper

I love blotting paper. I can't even tell you what a fan I am of them. They're great when you start getting oily. You just blot your face and your skin is done being shiny. What a lifesaver because that shine will show in photos, and that's the last thing you want.

Purchase here.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses are the most important thing on this list. The others might be provided for you at the wedding, but sunglasses are something you need to bring yourself. And you need them during summer weddings, especially if you plan on stepping outdoors. And if the ceremony is outside, you won't be able to see a thing if you're squinting.

Purchase here.

Speaking of sunglasses, Pete and I actually each got a pair from AC Lens recently. I got the Velvet Eyewear Preacher and Pete got the Proof Cosmo Skate. They came in the mail late last week and we've been wearing them daily since.

Both of our sunglasses came with carrying cases, which is great. We both have awful habits of scratching our lenses, so this has kept them completely safe. Plus, they match everything. There hasn't been an outfit where either of us felt our shades were a contrast. Pete loves that his are made from a skate deck and that his are polarized. I'm super happy that my pair has rubber on the arms because they haven't once bothered my ears.

It took us a while to decide what we wanted from AC Lens. The site has so many options (it boasts 699 pairs!). You could pick up a pair and use them in wedding photos (we have a shot of us standing on the beach, reflected in a sunglasses lens), you could pick up a pair for everyone coming to your bachelorette party so you all match, you could get them for your groomsmen as thank you gifts ... if you're throwing a summer wedding, the ideas are pretty endless.

One of you may have to make the difficult choice of which pair you like best because we are teaming up with AC Lens to give away one pair (up to a $200 value). The giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on July 20. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to the winning email before another winner is selected. The winner will need to respond with a sunglasses selection, so be sure to have that ready.

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Good luck.

A Bride On A Budget is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Win $500 In Wedding Items From Oriental Trading (Enter Weekly Until December 29)

How is your wedding planning going?

Have you gone to all the bridal expos? Do you feel comfortable to sit down, go through the information, and start booking vendors? (If you haven't been yet, be sure to check out our post on How To Survive A Bridal Expo.)

Don't forget to start thinking about the minor details, like centerpieces and favors. Those definitely add to the cost of the wedding (and really, the last thing you need is to add to the cost).

If you're feeling the pain in your wallet already, worry not. I was just looking online and found Oriental Trading's weekly wedding giveaway. Each week, you can enter to win a $500 gift card. Only one person per household can enter, so if you live with your fiance, you can't both register (but if you don't, you're in luck!).

We've actually done a ton of wedding DIY posts using items from Oriental Trading. You can check them out below so you can get ideas of items you would make if you won:

• Candy Buckets For A Beach Wedding
• Wedding Welcome Bags
• Mason Jar Luminary Leaf Centerpieces
• Simple Snow-Covered Tree Winter Wedding Favor
• Hot Chocolate Spoon Favors

BRIDAL BABBLE: What would you buy if you won?

Top 5 Tips For Newlyweds (based off my five months of wedding bliss)

The day after Pete and I got engaged, we were standing in the kitchen of our apartment. "Does it feel different to you?" he asked me.

It did. For some reason, we felt different. It was the same us, living in the same apartment, the only noticeable difference was I had a ring on my finger for the last 18 or so hours. But we felt different. It's a strange thing to explain until it happens to you. Every time one of my friends gets engaged now, I always ask them if it feels different. And they say yes. There's just something that's different, even if you were already living together or already knew the ring was coming.

I felt the same thing on our wedding night. Pete was going to meet his friends at the resort's bar and I just wanted to crash, but I felt like I had to go with him. I felt responsible for him now. Not that I didn't feel that way before. The day before, if anything had happened to him when he met his friends at that very same bar, I would have been devastated. But that night, something was just different.

Being married, it's different than dating or being engaged. And, I'm no expert at it. I mean, it's been five months so far. We are living in the same apartment with the same cat and lack of children. Not much has changed (not my last name, our bank accounts, or our credit cards), but we have changed. We've gotten a lot better at choosing love and choosing marriage because marriage is a choice and a job and work, just like Ben Affleck said in that awards speech. People gave him a lot of flack for it, which I think is ridiculous because marriage is work. It's not always rainbows and roses. So, I put together a list of my Top 5 Tips For Newlyweds (based off my five months of wedding bliss).

Top 5 Tips For Newlyweds

1. Remember, you married the man he is, not the man you want him to be.

So many women have this crazy idea that they want a man they can change. No. Just no. You fell in love with someone and that is who you are marrying. If he leaves the toilet seat up all.the.time, don't expect that when he gets married he will magically start putting it down. Sorry lady, but you married a man who leaves the toilet seat up. You can ask him to put it down, while explaining to him that you've fallen in during the middle of the night or you can just accept the fact that the man you love and married leaves the seat up and maybe you need to be the one to change and remember to turn the light on when you enter the bathroom. You can make that change in yourself. You can remember to flick on the light so that you don't fall in the bowl. They say, "Be the change you want to see in the world" and I'm saying, "Be the change you want to see in the bathroom." You can't expect him to start remembering to put it down and you can't get mad at him when he doesn't remember.

That's such a silly example, but it can apply to everything. Just because your man said "I do" doesn't mean he is going to turn into some magical Prince Charming who is everything you read in a fairy tale. He is still the man you said yes to when he proposed. That's the man you fell in love with and decided to marry. That's the man you need to let him be when you get married. And you can't get mad at him for being himself just because you wanted him to be someone else. If that was really the case, well, you need to figure that out before you say your vows.

2. Don't get overwhelmed.

Marriage isn't easy. You will have amazing days and you'll have bad days. You'll get frustrated at work and take it home. He'll burn dinner. You'll miss a turn and get lost. He'll get home late and you'll be late getting to a friend's house. This is real life, folks.

When you're planning a wedding, that's all you can focus on. You set your eyes on the ceremony, the reception, the cake, the toasts. You forget that when the guests go home, you have a lifetime of being married to your best friend ahead of you. It's a lot to take in and something that people tend to forget about during the chaos of planning. When the dust settles, you sit back and realize you're someone's wife and now you have to figure out health insurance and if you want to combine car insurance. It's a lot, especially at the beginning. Just breathe. You have a lifetime to decide if you want to pay your cell phone bill via autopay or not. And you can always change your mind. Don't let the zillions of tasks that come along with being married overshadow the fact that you have started your forever with your best friend.

3. Do stuff together.

Yes, you're married now, but you don't have to turn into an old married couple. Being married is like having a live in playmate. You always have someone willing to do fun stuff with you. Do it. Yes, you just spent a ton of money on a wedding and a honeymoon, but that doesn't mean you have to stay home every night eating Ramen. Take a cooking class together, go to the park and take a walk, go to the beach, take a weekend road trip, rent a Jaguar and kiss in front of the cemetery (I know, I know, what a silly background for this photo. I don't know why I didn't realize that until after we had taken them. But I absolutely love this photo, even though I had already changed out of my beautiful heels into much more comfortable flip flops. But look how in love we look, how our legs are crossed towards each other, oh I would frame it if not for that wacky background). Or stay home and watch a movie. Just make sure you spend time with each other and loving each other. You're married now, but that doesn't mean you turn into roommates who just come and go. Make sure you carve out time together to just hang out and have fun.

4. Move forward.

Just because you're married doesn't mean that you need to stop growing as a couple or as people. Life doesn't hit pause because you're married. Learn together, teach each other things, and tackle huge projects together. Maybe it's taking a move, buying a house, having a child, or just getting a pet. Whatever it is, do it. Don't think that just because you got married you are stuck now. Yes, you have to consider another person before you make decisions (which can be hard!), but you have someone in your corner to support your big ideas and vice versa. Do them. Support each other. Don't get stuck in a rut now (or ever).

5. Choose love.

At the end of the day, you have to choose love. This is marriage. It's not some fleeting relationship that you can just throw away when things get hard (and, unfortunately, they will). You have to choose love just like you chose each other. Tell your husband you love him every single day, and really, really mean that. Choose him and choose to love him.

I was actually really inspired by the Marriage365 t-shirt line on Sun Frog Shirts. The shirt above is actually from that line. It's a really great reminder to choose love and your husband and your relationship. I've known people who have given up on their relationship because it got hard, and that's horribly sad to me. Divorce is an option that many people choose, and sometimes it's because they've given up on the other person (and, always, I would guess, because they've given up on the relationship). They say 50% of marriages end in divorce. Talk about a glass half empty stat. I'd rather hear that 50% of marriages are amazing and incredible and work and have a couple who works at it. Choose love. Choose the better half of that statistic. Choose the man you said yes to, the vows you took, and the life you are building together.

Choose love.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What are your tips for newlyweds?

Review Reed & Barton Soho Trumpet Vase

A Bride On A Budget received this vase for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to A Bride On A Budget.

They say that relationships get stale after a while. Who that "they" is remains to be seen, but there is probably truth in that.

I mean, be honest: When was the last time your fiance gave you flowers? Now, think about it: When was the last time your dad gave your mom flowers?

Who has had a longer gap?

If you're lucky and still get flowers on the regular, you're going to want somewhere pretty to display them, like the Reed & Barton Soho Trumpet Vase.

This vase is part of the Soho crystal collection. I was talking about it with my friend who asked what the difference between crystal and glass was.

I honestly had no idea so I turned to Google. I started reading about percentages of lead, got confused, and then got that Miranda Lambert song stuck in my head. So, moving right along ...

The Soho vase is part of the 25th anniversary collection by Reed & Barton. The brand, if you don't know, makes more than just crystal vases. You can buy flatware, stemware, picture frames, and more.

The vase is beautiful. It is flared and made for large arrangements. I really like the shape because it does make flowers easier to display. When vases are completely straight, you lose the shape of the arrangement and you need to know a little more about cutting and placement. With a vase like this, you get a little help in that department.

The bottom is solid so I don't worry about the vase getting knocked over (not even by our new kitten who has a tendency to knock over everything). What I really like about the vase is when you look down on it, you get a beautiful star burst. The details on the vase really do stick out.

We've actually used this every time we've had flowers since we got it. It's so pretty and every arrangement matches in it, since it's crystal. And it looks as good as it did on Day 1. Part of that is because we treated it before its first use, as stated in the directions. Keep that in mind if you add any crystal to your registry. It has to be treated first, which isn't really a hassle, just a little bit of work.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Who would you give this Reed & Barton vase to?

Virtual Engagement Party: Party Time (& Prizes time ... win one of five prizes)

UPDATE: This has now ended.

Did you get your invitation to the Virtual Engagement Party?

It's here.

All week, I've been posting reviews to products that we have found to really help out with your wedding.

We featured a review on Glass With A Twist, which is a great  gift idea for the new couple. We have reviews from eFavorMart, Oriental Trading, Shabby Apple, and Night Owl Paper Goods. We also featured a veil from Simply Bridal, a personalized Blushbox from BlushBox, and a sixpence in her shoe from Waldo Sluggo and ME.

Five of those brands (Simply Bridal, eFavorMart, BlushBox, Oriental Trading, and Waldo Sluggo & Me) have generously donated prizes for the Virtual Engagement Party. Feel free to enter all the giveaways because you could sweep and win all the prizes.

The giveaways are all live now but bonus entries will be added during the giveaways. There will be two #BridalBabble Twitter chats (Wednesdays at 4pm EST) and a secret word will be announced. For the rest of the day, you can enter the secret word to get a bonus entry (the word will be the same for all giveaways). There will be other bonus entries too, so stay tuned.

The giveaways start now and end at 11:59pm EST on October 31, 2013. All entrants must be US residents who are 18 or older. The winners will be selected and contacted via the email address left in the Rafflecopter. The winners will have 24 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.

*NEW* Win a Brix Collection 4-pack of wine paring chocolate (five winners)

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Win a veil from Simply Bridal

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Win a centerpiece prize pack (put together by Lisa at A Bride On  Budget) from eFavorMart (two winners)

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Win the A Bride On A Budget curated BlushBox

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Win a $50 Oriental Trading certificate

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Win a sixpence in her shoe from Waldo Sluggo & Me (two winners)

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You're Invited To A Bride On A Budget's Virtual Engagement Party

Who doesn't love a party? No one I know. So we are throwing the best party of the year ... and you are invited.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Who's coming?

Wedding Gift Idea: Good Voodoo Dolls From Waldo, Sluggo & ME

A Bride On A Budget received these dolls for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and options belong to ABOAB.

When we got engaged, we had an engagement party. My mom explained to our guests that their presence was their present ... but people still asked where we were registered.

We weren't yet. Even now, months later and with our wedding date a mere ten months away (from today actually. Wow, exactly ten months from today actually), we still haven't registered. I guess we should probably do that.

When people ask me where we're registered, I joke and say "Wells Fargo," which is actually very funny to me and possibly not funny at all to anyone else. Honestly, I think it probably causes people frustration because people want to get you something and they want to make sure that something is useful.

But me? I don't want useful. We already have pots and pans (and now, we actually have a really awesome K-Cup holder thanks to my brother and his girlfriend). I want unique. And I want to give gifts that are unique.

If you agree, look no further than the Good Voodoo Dolls we received for review from Waldo, Sluggo & Me.

There are four dolls in the bridal collection: groom, bridal, bridesmaid, and love (counterclockwise). You can choose either brown or blonde hair to match your bride, but the other dolls (which cost $22) aren't able to be customized in that sense.
The brand has dolls for everything from graduation to menopause. Not only are these cool for your friends, but they are for celebrities too. In fact, the new baby dolls have been sent by Hollywood Celebrity Swag Bags to celebrities like Kristin Bell and Jessica Simpson.

The dolls are the brainchild of Dolly (aka Mary Ellen aka the "me" in Waldo, Sluggo and me). She made the first bride doll for Beth (aka Waldo), the daughter of Dolly's college roommate, for her bridal shower. The doll was "such a huge hit" that the company was started, Dolly said.

What I absolutely love about the dolls is how "good" they actually are. They're made from recycled materials (which is great to me because I'm the person who cuts Post-it's in pieces to conserve). The dolls are sewn by a seamstress in the US (yay for domestic labor), they're actually embellished by the owners (and you ... which we'll get to in a minute), and then community workshops who provide work for special needs adults pack them (which made me think of Penn's charity from this season's Celebrity Apprentice. When I saw that his charity did that, I was crying and rooting for him. Such a great cause).

The dolls come with tags pinned to them with all good wishes, like "weak in the knees" (as opposed to a bad voodoo doll, which would say something like "broken knees"). If some of the tags are things you don't want to wish for someone, like maybe you feel uncomfortable with "lunchtime quicky," no worries. The tags are attached with a very small pin, so you can just remove them. Plus, the dolls are made in such a way that you will not see a pin hole if you do remove a tag.

The dolls also come with two blank tags and two extra pins so you are able to add your own wishes.

The bride and groom doll are for Pete and I to keep, but I decided that I would give the Love doll to my friend who recently got married. My mom, who should totally be a hand model now that she has a bunch in her portfolio from this post and my favors post, was enlisted to write the tags. We sat and tried to figure out what wishes we wanted to offer my friend and her new groom.

I decided no fights because fights are terrible (although, now that I think about it, a fast recovery time is probably a more attainable wish, but the papers weren't that long) and BFF's because your spouse should be your best friend.

I pinned our wishes onto the voodoo doll ...

... and put him back in the box. That's actually how you're supposed to display him. I texted a photo of the doll to my bridesmaid Michelle to ask if she thought it was a good gift for my friend (since she knows her as well) and she immediately said that she wanted one. So maybe I'll have to send her the bridesmaid one for her birthday. It's perfect, actually, because I'm going to have my girls wear eggplant and the bridesmaid doll is purple. You do really have to know your audience for this one. Some people might be like my mom, who was just used to voodoo dolls you pin to hurt people so she couldn't wrap her mind around the concept of good voodoo. But if you have a friend who is more open-minded and enjoys something unique, this is for them.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Which is your favorite?

Expired Giveaway: Koa Wood Ring ($219 Value!) From Komo Koa (Ends 8/16)

Update: This giveaway has ended.

A wedding band is something that is so hard to pick out for a man. I knew Pete would pick the perfect engagement ring for me (mostly because I gave him a lot of help when we looked together -- and because I sent him a photo of what I loved). The ring he picked for me was perfect.

For him, though, I got nervous. I was worried I wouldn't pick something perfect. I wanted something timeless, but something a unique.

That's where Komo Koa, maker of Koa Wood Rings, came in.

The rings fit every characteristic of what I think makes a great wedding band. The rings are made from titanium with a Koa wood inlay. Koa, if you're unaware, is a tree that's native to Hawaii. Pete was so excited when I mentioned Koa to him. Turns out, a very expensive guitar is made from Koa -- and Pete loves guitars. Koa, according to Wikipedia, means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior. Sounds like something you would want in your husband, so it's perfect for his wedding band.

The rings can be personalized. They can be purchased with the Hawaiian Islands engraved inside or you are able to personally engrave them. That makes them unique to you, which is perfect.

You can actually read our full review and see the ring Pete picked at our Koa Wood Ring review.

Sound great? We are giving one lucky reader a ring from Komo Koa. The winner can choose from the mens wedding rings (which can also be worn by women). The winner can select any ring, up to a $219 value. If you win and you would prefer a ring with 14k gold, a $219 certificate will be applied (and you would just pay the difference).

The giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on Friday, August 16, 2013. Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The winner must be a US resident who is 18 or older. The winner will be contacted via the email address left in the Rafflecopter and will be 24 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: eFavorMart $30 Gift Card (Two Winners), Ends 7/22

Update: This giveaway has ended.

As you know, I'm planning our wedding. And it's expensive. You have to pay for everything. From place cards to aisle runners, everything is a place to spend money.

Thank goodness for sites like eFavorMart. All the items are really budget friendly, and they're great quality too. You can pick up everything from tablecloths to favors. Plus, the site always has discount codes to increase your savings.

Two lucky winners will get $30 gift cards to eFavorMart to spend on anything they'd like. The code will count towards shipping and can be combined with other codes.

The giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on July 22, 2013. To enter, just use the Rafflecopter below. The winners must be 18 or older and US residents. The winners will be contacted via the email address left in the Rafflecopter and will have 24 hours to respond before another winner will be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bride On A Budget also received a gift card to eFavorMart. A Bride On A Budget is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Giveaway: 300-Thread Count Sheet Set From Brylane Home (Ends 6/5)

In case you haven't been around the last few days, I've been telling you about bedding at Brylane Home.


We were able to review the 300-thread count sheet set (which I think definitely needs to make an appearance on your wedding registry).


Our sister blog, Drugstore Divas, was able to review a comforter set.

Speaking of, we are joining together to give away a 300-thread count sheet set to one winner. You are able to select the bed size and the color. These sheets are amazingly soft, so I'm super excited that someone else gets the chance to try them out. 

Entering is easy. Just use the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm EST on June 5. The winner must be 18 or older and a US resident. The winner will be contacted via the email address left in the Rafflecopter form and will have 24 hours to respond before another winner may be selected. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bride on A Budget received no compensation for this giveaway and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you won, what color sheet set would you choose?

Giveaway: Cuff Links From Cuff Smart (Ends 4/5)

As a woman, I worry about items like earrings and a necklace when I'm getting dressed. I worry that Pete has a tie, and that's that.

I think that's most women's focus. But cuff links, oh, they just make a suit, especially if they have a special meaning to you (like the cuff links from our cuff link review).

If you agree, you're going to want to enter our giveaway to win a pair of cuff links from CuffSmart. If you missed my review, CuffSmart sells a bunch of cuff links, everything from silver links you can engrave to Iron Man cuff links to roulette wheels. The trouble for the winner will be choosing just one.

One winner will be able to select any pair of cuff links, up to a $29.99 value.

The giveaway starts now and is open to US residents, 18 and older. It goes until 11:59pm EST on April 5, 2013. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The winner will be contacted via the email address left in the Rafflecopter and will have 24 hours to respond before another winner may be selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Bride On A Budget received no compensation for this post and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Little Things Favors: I Won The February Contest

I don't often enter giveaways. We have so much stuff already in this apartment, I don't need anything more.

But giveaways for wedding stuff? I'll enter every single one because we definitely need wedding items.

So when I heard Little Things Favors was having a contest last month, where you could enter daily for a chance to win a $150 credit, you better believe I entered daily (well, two-thirds daily; I missed a few days). I was determined that I was going to win that I already knew what I was going to spend it on. I narrowed it down to 70 of these flip flop bottle openers or 100 of these personalized shot glasses, if you were curious. We're planning on 150 to 200 for the wedding and so we need favors for the wedding itself and for the bags for out of towners, which is everyone we're inviting, so that's a lot of favors needed.

I was so excited when I received an email that I was a runner up. I didn't win the $150 credit, but I did win this cute just married camisole and boyshort set.

It just came in the mail today and I love it.

I took it out of the package to photograph it, and now it's in the closet until I pack my honeymoon suitcase.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you wear this?

Giveaway: $500 Gift Certificate to Emma Parker Diamonds (Ends 3/15)

I remember getting engaged like it was yesterday ... mostly because it didn't happen all that long ago. I was so happy, started crying a little, said yes, kissed Pete, and then, before he was even off his knee, said, "Can I see the ring?"


Regardless of what the ring looked like, I was going to say yes. But it's something I wear all day every day (except when I'm in the shower, washing dishes, or putting on lotion).

The ring is important. The guy, of course he's the most important, but the ring follows closely behind.

Rings can get expensive though, so here at A Bride On A Budget, we're going to help one lucky person save a bit on that. One person will win a $500 gift certificate to Emma Parker Diamonds, good towards the purchase of any Engagement Ring Setting and center stone combination, or $250 towards any empty setting, meaning without a center stone.

I would love to win this. I've been checking out the site and the rings are gorgeous. My wedding band is already picked out because it fits like a puzzle piece with my engagement ring (it's a bypass cut, so a flat band won't sit against it).

This giveaway starts now and is open to US residents who are 18 or older. It ends at 11:59pm EST on March 15, 2013. The winner will be contacted via the email in the Rafflecopter and will have 24 hours to respond before another winner may be selected.

To enter, leave a comment on this post letting me know: What is your ideal month to get married? Then, fill out the rest of the entries in the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

A Bride On A Budget received no compensation for this giveaway and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Expired -- Giveaway: $25 eFavorMart.com Gift Card -- 3 Winners, Ends 12/14

This giveaway is sponsored by eFavorMart.com. All thoughts are my own. All photos are the property of eFavorMart.

When I was looking for favor ideas for our engagement party, I spent a lot of time looking at Pinterest for ideas. When I finally figured out what I wanted, it was a lot easier to look at sites that are dedicated to selling favors. I was there on a mission, so it sure helped me navigate through sites with thousands of favors.

Now that the party is over, I have a different take on websites that sell favors, like Beau Coup and Bachelorette.com. I was approached by eFavorMart.com so I had to check the site out. Instead of going to the site with a set idea, I checked it out completely open mindedly.

There is so much on the site, from balloons to cameras, I didn't know where to start.

My love of baking started me at the heart-shaped measuring spoons. I don't know why, but I love these so much. If Pete decides to open a restaurant before we get married then I will have these as my favors. If not, I really just need to stop looking at them because they do not match my beach theme. But I love them and it's hard not to be drawn to them all the time.

I was checking around the site and stumbled on these mirrored plates. They come in a four pack and just make your centerpieces look more cohesive and less disjointed. I mean, imagine that without a mirrored plate beneath. It looks like three random objects placed on a table. Add the mirror and it looks like a really classy centerpiece.

It's the little things that really make a big difference.

Speaking of little things, I love love love the idea of personalized matches as a favor. I saw them on Pinterest before and I didn't get it. And then it hit me. A perfect match. And that's when I decided I was in love with the idea. I really love things that make you think.  Now, I know there are laws saying you can't smoke indoors, but there aren't any laws about giving out matches.

So all those things, I've seen them before. But this, this I haven't seen: 

How un-freaking-believable are those chair place card holders? I really dislike names written on a folded piece of paper. They're kinda overdone and cliche. But these, oh my gosh, they stand out and are fantastic and are just a little extra at your wedding. I love them.

Honestly, there's a lot of stuff to love on the site. Check out eFavorMart.com and let me know via a comment what your favorite favor is. Three lucky winners will receive a $25 gift certificate to eFavorMart (the gift certificate will work towards the flat rate shipping fee of $6.95 and you can combine it with percentage-off codes).

The giveaway starts now and will run until 11:59pm EST on December 14. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Winners will be notified via the email address left in the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What is your favorite favor?