Wedding Day Nails Idea - French Manicure With Flower Decals

I really like the simple, romantic approach of the French manicure with dainty flower decals, for wedding day nails. You can replicate this look at home by following the video tutorial, below. Note that as a busy mom, I did the bare minimum of a manicure for myself on my wedding day. But then, I barely do my nails in regular life! Here's the video... cute and easy.

Beautiful Wedding Up Do's at Dragonfly Salon in Haskell, NJ

For any North Jersey bride-to-be and/or bridesmaids who may be in search of a great, wedding-day up-do... the girls at Dragonfly Salon in Haskell, NJ do a beautiful job. They are located at 1089 Ringwood Ave. Give them a call to learn more at (973) 835-5130. If anyone asks, tell them you saw Meghan's Facebook pictures published on this blog!

Image property of Dragonfly Salon.

Image property of Dragonfly Salon.

What's the Going Rate for a Wedding Gift in NJ in 2016?

Image belongs to FocusontheFamily.com

I came across a good article from NJ 101.5 that reveals what an acceptable amount for a wedding gift is, based on number of factors that will be unique to each person's situation.

The numbers they came up with appear to be a consensus of NJ 101.5 listeners and readers, which is why some of them are "funny" - $142?? But that's fine... I mean, isn't appropriateness typically a group decision? Hence the need to come up with an "average" - the going rate.

Based on what I read in their article, it appears that my rounded figures will still work fine when deciding how much to give the bride and groom on their wedding day.

I stated elsewhere in this blog that $100 per head is the average that you should calculate when trying to determine if you'll be able to cover your wedding-day expenses and maybe even come away with a little nest egg.

But, when giving a wedding gift, that simple, round number of $100 can acceptably increase or decrease depending on how well you know the bride and groom.

Close family members tend to give a little closer to $300 per couple, or $150 a head.

Work friends might be more likely to give $75... it depends on the relationship.

The age of the wedding guests may also come into play here. A young couple just starting out may not have as much to extend to the bride and groom as a well-off aunt or uncle.

The article on NJ 101.5's website reminds us of other deciding factors which may include:

Additional expenses that you may rack up on the day of the wedding. For example, gas, tolls, hotel, restaurant meals, shower gift, engagement gift, formal attire.

Your own, financial situation at the time of the wedding. Anyone who is experiencing financial difficulties should not be expected to make the "going wedding-gift rate," whatever it may be.

But if you are a "by the books" kind of guest, then you'll appreciate knowing that $100 per head still flies in the world of NJ weddings!

NJ Wedding Photographer Nick Speer - Review

NJ Photographer Nick Speer of Speer Images impresses his clients with a skilled eye, and will capture all the action, emotion, subtle details and special nuances of your wedding day. Below find a review of Speer Images, from a happy client of Nick's.

Copyright Speer Images, www.speerimages.com. Phone: 973-903-6926

David's Bridal "Final Sale" Page

I put this pic up just because I think this dress is really cute. It's totally something I'd love to wear as a bridesmaid, or even for just a formal occasion. Image property of David's Bridal. All rights reserved.

I thought it was worth mentioning here on the NJ Wedding on a Budget blog that they have some really low-priced bridesmaid dresses on the David's Bridal Website. In my circle of friends, the most bridesmaid action I saw was in the late 1990s to early 2000s. I would say that I typically paid around $150 for a bridesmaid dress. More recently, I was a bridesmaid again in 2013, and still that price point hasn't really changed much. Although it's worth mentioning that the dress I wore this time around was above the knee, as opposed to full or tea-length which is what I wore back in the day.

Looking at the current offerings on the David's Bridal Final Sale page, and they're running as low as $30-something, which is quite amazing to me. But it also goes to show that even popular wedding vendors are trying to catch the attention of today's economical bridal party. Let's face it, times are getting tougher, starting salaries are lower, and maybe NJ brides and bridesmaids are taking a more frugal approach.

Plus, stores like David's Bridal are competing with all the secondhand bridal gown shops and online stores. So maybe they aren't getting as much of a markup as they once were. Or maybe the merchandise is coming in from China under a generic name which can greatly reduce the value of the dress. Whatever the reason, if you're shopping for low-cost bridesmaid dresses and a budget bridal gown, you should probably head over to David's Bridal's website and peruse their online offerings.

My guess is that the dresses that are being offered for the lowest prices are probably not available to try on in the store. The workaround for that is just to take your measurements, and the buy the closest size dress you can find. If you're worried about your problem areas, maybe go for the next size up and pay a local seamstress (or hit up your ma) for alterations.

Some of the gowns being shown on the David's Bridal Final Sale page are probably not suitable for a wedding that will take place in the upcoming season. For instance, if you look there now (May) you'll see dark-colored dresses that would be more appropriate for a winter wedding. Well... do some advance planning, and assuming that as a frugal bride you're not going to be picky about last year's bridesmaid dress trends... snap some up and you'll be ready for the coming fall and winter months!