I just love finding deals for you, belles! LivingSocial is currently offering a discount on tickets to the Greater Carolina Bridal Show in Durham: $10 for 2 tickets, which is half off the regular price. The show will take place from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. on March 1, 2015 at the Durham Convention Center. You can find a list of the vendors that will be at the show on the show’s website. In addition to meeting local area vendors, you will also have a chance to see two bridal fashion shows and win lots of door prizes!
via LivingSocial
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Are you looking for a fun and fresh idea for your bachelorette party? Look no further! What could be better than your own private wine tasting? Wines for Humanity, a wine tasting company serving Wake, Durham, Orange, Granville, and Person Counties in NC, brings the fun to you by traveling to your personal residence for a wine tasting. As you sample, your wine consultant will teach you how to taste wine and pair the various wines with food. The best part? They help prevent homelessness by donating 12-17% of their proceeds to a local organization that helps community members who are struggling with their utility bills. Oh, and LivingSocial is currently offering a discounted deal one one of their wine tasting packages, so that’s pretty fabulous as well.
via Sharrott Winery
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It is officially that time in the middle of winter when I am desperately craving color. Green grass, deep blue skies, golden sun…I want it all! If you’re more than ready for spring and summer like I am, you are going to love Hope and Ian’s engagement session courtesy of Dianne Personett Photography. Their photos are sweet, laid back, and saturated with beautiful colors. Enjoy!
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When my own beautiful mother was searching for her MOB dress, she had quite a time finding something that felt like “her.” All of the dresses marketed for MOBs at the bridal salons had jackets, which my mom never wears. Many of the dresses were cut quite straight, leaving my mom saying again and again, “This feels like a bag!,” or “I feel like I’m wearing a sack!” And yet, heading for the bridesmaid section again left her feeling like she was in the wrong place. The dresses often felt too short, too low-cut, too casual for a MOB. While my own mother ended up going the custom route for her dress, I don’t think that has to be the only way for other youthful MOBs who want fashionable wedding attire. Here are some beautiful dresses I’ve rounded up that are stylish, tasteful, and elegant…perfect for your sweet mama!
“Kinley” by Tadashi Shoji | via Brides
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Today’s Internet roundup is all about money, money, money…how to save it, how to budget it, how to make the most of what you’ve got when it comes to your wedding! Here are the articles I’ve been loving lately on the web:
1. The Ultimate Bridesmaid Budget Guide. Please read this if you think you might be a bridesmaid someday…really helpful info on who pays for what, average costs, etc. Being in a bridal party can be costly, and it helps to know ahead of time!
via Loverly
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It is no secret that I love scouting Groupon and Jane for wedding-related steals (well, all steals in general, really). Another of my favorite daily deal websites is groopdealz, which is a lot like Jane in terms of what they feature. The cutest bridesmaid gift idea popped up in my daily groopdealz email yesterday, so of course I have to share. Possibly the best part is that they’re made locally in Fayetteville, NC. Check out these personalized champagne flutes…aren’t they adorable?
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Y’all, flowers can be expensive. If you’ve actually grown flowers yourself, you probably understand why. It takes lots of nurturing to grow a beautiful flower, which has to then be carefully cut and transported. And, if you’re purchasing from a florist, you’re also paying for the time, materials, and skill that go into professional arrangements. And you know where most beautiful wedding bouquets and reception arrangements go come midnight when the party is over? A big white trash bag. Yes, most wedding flowers are tossed in the trash mere hours or minutes after they stood in all of their splendor at one of the most important events of your life. That’s hundreds, often thousands of dollars worth of gorgeous flowers, headed to the landfill. Doesn’t the thought make you sick? Thankfully, I’m bringing you some wonderful alternatives today that will allow your gorgeous flowers to be enjoyed just a bit longer.
1. Donate. It would probably really make someone’s day to receive one of your beautiful arrangements! Thankfully there are programs out there that will come pick up your wedding flowers and deliver them to local nursing homes, hospice facilities, etc. I used one after my own wedding! The Flower Shuttle, based out of Raleigh, NC, has used recycled event flowers to create 123,802 arrangements since 2006. So amazing! Look for similar organizations in your area, or contact local Meals on Wheels groups, assisted living facilities, and other such programs to see if they might be interested in your flowers.
via The News & Observer
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Y’all, as someone who was on a mission not to spend more than $1,000 on a wedding dress myself, I appreciate how truly difficult such a task can be! At many of the bridal shops I went to, it seemed like prices started around $1,500 and just kept going up, up, up from there. Even at David’s Bridal, which touts itself as being an affordable option, many of the dresses were out of my budget. If you’re lucky enough to stumble across a sample sale or score an already-loved version of your dream gown, you can definitely find a great deal. Or, you can check out the awesome finds below, which are all under $1,000 completely new! Brides recently published a slideshow of 44 such dresses, and the eight featured below are my favorites from their selection.
“Ines” by Tadashi Shoji, $700
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Today’s roundup of articles I’m loving lately is definitely sprinkled with a little humor! Anyone who’s ever planned a wedding (or helped someone plan a wedding) knows that things often go awry. Today, we’re going to share a laugh (or groan) with those who did experience some misfortune, while at the same time learning how to not make some common wedding mistakes ourselves. Here you go, belles:
1. What not to wear for your engagement photos.
via Brides
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Who loves locally picked apples and Ferris wheels and gorgeous golden light? Everyone, that’s who. Y’all are going to love the stunning real engagement photos I have to share with you today courtesy of Rob + Kristen Photography. Erin and Casey chose to have their photos taken at the North Carolina State Fair this past October, and the results are simultaneously playful, intimate, and a little bit whimsical. The love these two have for each other is so obvious and tender.
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