That's alot of weddings..

Did you know last year (2008) in Tennessee there were 65,861 weddings?
-The average cost for a wedding photographer was $1,455 and $618 for engagement pictures
-The average amount spent on flowers was $1,235
-Couples spent $1,005 on stationary
- $11,140 was spent on the Reception
- They spent $455 on their cake

(photo courtesy of John Dunahoo Photography)

Discouraged by these numbers? Economy got you down and don't think you can spend this kind of money. Don't let it! Many brides are opting for smaller more intimate weddings and cutting back on many things. Make your day your own and it will fit into budget! And most importantly, Hire a wedding planner. They can make vendor recommendations that fit your budget and make sure you don't get in over your head and most importantly, keep you calm, cool and collected on your wedding day!

Be Inspired,

Real Weddings Planning Tips Monday Part 1: Creating the Budget

This starts a weekly series of wedding planning tips from the views of a professional as a bride to be.

When James (my fiance) and I first started planning our wedding, we knew that we wouldn't have a lot of money for the budget because I was going to be working on my Master's degree and James is working on his bachelor's degree. We knew my parents would contribute some, but it would not be a lot. The first thing we did was sit and talk about what kind of wedding we dreamed about and what we could realistically afford. We choose a modest budget, but one we knew would provide us with the wedding of our dreams.
Create a chart of the things about your wedding that are most important to you and your fiance. For our wedding, our list looked something like this:

1. Photographer
2. Flowers
3. Decorations
4. Catering
5. Venue
6. Attire
7. Videography
8. Transportation
9. Rentals

So I divided up a portion of our budget to go towards each category and if I did my calculations right it should come out on budget! :)
Another way to be creative and still maintain a sense of budget, is making the wedding your own! Who says your brides maids have to carry flowers or that you have to have cake! It's your day so make it your own!

A modest budget doesn't mean that you can't have a fabulous wedding! One thing that really is hot right now is DIYing a great deal of your wedding things!

(source: The knot.com)

From invitations to favors, there are numerous things that can be DIYed for a wedding. Let your creative juices flow and most importantly have fun with your wedding!

Be Creative!

New Wedding Inventory :)

To better serve our clients, Your Day of Fairy Tales has come up with a new way of getting to know our brides better! Call today to schedule your meeting and we can help plan your "Fairy Tale" Day

Why You Should Hire a Wedding Planner!

I found this on Youtube tonight and could not resist sharing! ENJOY!

NEW NEW NEW!

Be on the look out for an all new Your Day of Fairy Tales Website! It should be up and running around the 30th of this month!

Keep on Planning,

Hillary

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone of you that stumble upon this blog had a blessed and Merry Christmas and that you will have an even better 2009!

This is going to be a great year for the wedding industry no matter what the economy says! Couples are not letting the state of the economy come between their love and that is an amazing thing!

For those of you who don't know, or haven't visited the myspace site, I am now engaged as of December 12. James is a wonderful man and I can't wait until I can say he is my husband!

With that being said, I have done a lot of searching for items that are unique that we can include to make our day our own! One thing I saw while watching WE last night was very unique table numbers! For every table number, you use a picture of you and your fiance at that age!
This is a thrown together example, but you get the idea! These would be a great way to incorporate pictures of you and deceased family members too and that can pay tribute to them as well!
I think several of the same trends are going to stay popular this year! The photo booth is a favorite of mine that will continue to grow more popularity, as well as specialty drinks for each wedding instead of a full bar!
Well That's it for this Blog! Tomorrow starts my last "full" semester of college! It is going to be a busy one with wedding planning, working, and classes, but it will all be worth it in the end! As always, contact me if you or anyone you know needs help with their wedding!! :)

Shana and Daniel Nolan

I had the privilege today of coordinating the wedding for this beautiful couple. The wedding was gorgeous and showcased the love that these two have. Patricia Capes did an absolute gorgeous job on the flowers for the ceremony and reception, and Mary Davidson Photography took what will be some gorgeous photos. Everyone loved all the extra touches that tied everything together. As soon as the pictures are finished, I will upload some! :) As always, feel free to call or e-mail if you need assistance with your wedding!