The Perfect Wedding Doesn't Have to Cost Your Life's Savings Relax. You don't have to mortgage your future to have the wedding of your dreams. According to mother-daughter wedding consultants Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman, the secret is in the planning. Here they tell you everything you need to know to plan a wedding that is both beautiful and affordable. Inside you'll find a wealth of creative ideas and invaluable advice from couples who have saved a fortune on their weddings. Jan and Beth guide you through every step of the process—right up to the day of the ceremony—and show you how to: ·Organize and prioritize using a month-by-month checklist ·Select gowns and tuxedos that look wonderful but don't cost a mint ·Find unique yet affordable ceremony and reception locations ·Decorate with style—without breaking the bank ·And much, much more! "It is possible to have a beautiful wedding without going broke, and Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman show you how in this extremely comprehensive and practical book." —Diane Forden, editor in chief, Bridal Guide magazine "You might be able to keep wedding costs to $5,000 on your own but it probably would be anything but elegant. Jan Wilson and Beth Wilson Hickman give you the tips that make it possible." —Bob Masullo, consumer writer, The Sacramento Bee

This New York Times bestselling book is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up your home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts and millions of hits per month on their blog YoungHouseLove.com, Sherry and John Petersik are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Packed with 243 tips and ideas—both classic and unexpected—and more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

A companion to the popular website APracticalWedding.com and A Practical Wedding Planner, A Practical Wedding helps you sort through the basics to create the wedding you want -- without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day is not so much how it looked as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship. You'll discover: The real purpose of engagement (hint: it's not just about the planning) How to pinpoint what matters most to you and your partner DIY-ing your wedding: brilliant or crazy? How to communicate decisions to your family Why that color-coded spreadsheet is actually worth it Wedding Zen can be yours. Meg walks you through everything from choosing a venue to writing vows, complete with stories and advice from women who have been in the trenches: the Team Practical brides. So here's to the joyful wedding, the sensible wedding, the unbelievably fun wedding! A Practical Wedding is your complete guide to getting married with grace.

A guide to planning a small-budget wedding includes tips on determining a budget, negotiating with vendors, finding low-cost ceremony sites, and incorporating unique ideas.

Bring your big day to life without breaking the bank Congratulations! Getting married is a thrilling time and a major milestone—but you might be overwhelmed at how much there is to do and how much it’s going to cost. Here’s the secret: You don’t need to spend a year’s salary on your wedding day for it to be unique and memorable. This complete wedding planning book shows you how. YOUR ULTIMATE WEDDING ORGANIZER: Worksheets, lists, and tips from an expert wedding planner to help you prioritize the things you want most and create a wedding that’s affordable, stress-free, and totally yours. FLEXIBLE BUDGET ADVICE: Learn how to save money and avoid common industry traps, so you can throw a beautiful wedding whether your budget is $1,500 or $50,000. THE CEREMONY & BEYOND: Find chapters that cover every aspect of your wedding, from your initial vision, to the venue, photography, food, music, and even the honeymoon. Pick up The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer today and start planning an affordable wedding you’ll never forget.

Previous ed. entitled: Offbeat bride: taffeta-free alternatives for independent brides, 2007.

RusticWeddingChic.com is the number one online resource for rustic & country weddings. Rustic weddings are the hottest alternative to the traditional hotel ballroom, allowing couples to make their day more personal. Maggie Lord, founder of RusticWeddingChic.com shares inspiration, ideas and advice on planning a rustic and country wedding. Get an insider’s look at real weddings set in rustic locations, country and farm destinations, and backyard venues, all with an independent, eco-friendly and creative approach. Rustic Wedding Chic is also the inspiration for a collection of rustic wedding favors and goods from Whispering Pines.

Congratulations! You are getting married and want a beautiful, memorable event, yet you need to stick to a tight budget. Don't despair! There are hundreds of proven ways to have your dream wedding without breaking your budget. The average cost of a wedding in the United States is approaching $30,000, a 73 percent increase since 1992, according to a recent study. What's astonishing is how quickly all the other smaller expenses those you don't immediately think of add up. The stationery, invitations, announcements, thank-you notes, postage, make up, hair stylist, limousines, menus, and so on, not including the cost for an engagement party, rehearsal dinner, gifts, honeymoon, engagement ring, and bridal consultant or wedding planner. Just imagine what you could do if you could save $30,000 as you start out your new life together. Whether your budget is $1,000 or $50,000, in this easy to read and comprehensive book you will learn hundreds of simple ways to cut down on your wedding expenses without serving a roomful of guests hamburgers and hot dogs at your reception. Reducing your wedding costs doesn't have to mean plastic forks and pitching a tent on your aunt's front lawn. This new book will teach you hundreds of insider secrets to nip the overcharges out of your wedding budget. The author tackles invitations, facility, catering, gifts, bar-liquor, tables and chairs, decorations, napkins, centerpieces, flowers, limousine, dishes and glasses, music, candles, photography, videographer, ring pillow, linens, guest favors, tents, dance floor, cake, matches, place cards, thank you notes, and dozens more. Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president's garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

Newly updated for a new audience of independent, out-of-the-bridal-box thinkers, Offbeat Bride is today's go-to source of support for couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted by -- and horribly distanced from -- the nuances of traditional nuptials. So, she chose the aisle less-traveled for her own wedding day. In this newly updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding -- hers -- and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She provides plenty of insider tips for avoiding extra costs and cumbersome obligations, along with a clever planner to help you create your own special day. Both practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process--from unique ideas on how to announce the engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?" Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, encouraging every bride and groom to create their own distinctive celebrations of partnership and love.

The real-life Nickel and Dimed—the author of the wildly popular “Poverty Thoughts” essay tells what it’s like to be working poor in America. ONE OF THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT BOOKS OF THE YEAR--Esquire “DEVASTATINGLY SMART AND FUNNY. I am the author of Nickel and Dimed, which tells the story of my own brief attempt, as a semi-undercover journalist, to survive on low-wage retail and service jobs. TIRADO IS THE REAL THING.”—Barbara Ehrenreich, from the Foreword As the haves and have-nots grow more separate and unequal in America, the working poor don’t get heard from much. Now they have a voice—and it’s forthright, funny, and just a little bit furious. Here, Linda Tirado tells what it’s like, day after day, to work, eat, shop, raise kids, and keep a roof over your head without enough money. She also answers questions often asked about those who live on or near minimum wage: Why don’t they get better jobs? Why don’t they make better choices? Why do they smoke cigarettes and have ugly lawns? Why don’t they borrow from their parents? Enlightening and entertaining, Hand to Mouth opens up a new and much-needed dialogue between the people who just don’t have it and the people who just don’t get it.