Having trouble affording your ideal reception? Try these thrifty alternatives. 1. Minimize your catering bill. √ Individual meals can get costly, so try a family-style meal instead. Each table will be given platters of food instead of individually plated meals and guests can serve themselves as much as they like. In traditional Russian weddings, tables are given multiple plates of meat and other side dishes as well as a bottle of vodka so that guests can serve themselves throughout the meal. If supplying vodka for each guest is not a family tradition, then a ‘family style’ meal can be less expensive than an individually prepared and served dinner for each of your guests. 2. Minimize your bar tab √ Offer one or two signature cocktails or types of wine instead of a fully stocked bar. You can even skip a floral arrangement on the bar and instead personalize the area by writing  the name of your drinks on a mini chalkboard. Personalize your signature drinks by choosing a colored drink to match your theme or rename your signature cocktails with names such as White Weddingtini, Something Blue, True Love, or try naming your drinks after the newlyweds with names like Blushing Bride or the Groom’s Gimlet. √ Look for a venue that does not have a liquor license such as a home, barn, loft, museum or city center where you can bring your own libations thereby cutting out any of the restaurant venue’s pricing ‘add-ons’.  Discuss your options with your wedding planner, caterer or favorite liquor store when it comes to choosing the amount you want to spend and the estimated amount to include at your reception.  Many liquor stores will deliver and even set up all the extras such as limes, lemons, sodas, and ice and some may allow you to return unused bottles. 3. Minimize your venue costs. √ Look for a venue that specializes in weddings. Venues that don’t specialize exclusively in weddingsmay have more requirements or minimums for various arrangements, so you will have to pay fees for things such as cake cutting, or a corkage fee for champagne toasts. √ Host an afternoon reception for just close family and friends invited to your ceremony. Later in the evening host an “after-party” in place of a private reception and invite friends and family to a karaoke bar, a bowling alley or even a roller rink. Order some pizzas and pitchers of beer and let the rest of the night be a fun, less formal celebration. √ Host a brunch reception in place of a dinner reception. Brunch menus and venues tend to be less expensive than dinner menus and rentals for a Friday or Saturday evening and a liquor tab will be significantly less since most people don’t typically hit the Scotch before noon. You could offer...

  A Musical Mind Many studies show that performing and listening to music actually can improve your memory, your language and math skills, as well as your basic motor functions. As a fun pre-wedding activity, take a weekly dance or music lesson with your partner. Learning to play the piano or the guitar, mastering the tango or the cha-cha, or even practicing a duet you may like to perform at your wedding will not only be a terrific bonding experience for you as a couple, but it also will wow your guests on your Big Day. Not to mention, you’ll be building your mental powers in the...

When it comes to preparing for your honeymoon, be sure to pack the right stuff. Here are a few things to consider before zipping up your luggage.√ Climate It may seem obvious to pack according to the climate and the weather forecast of your honeymoon destination, but there are a few catches. Resorts in cold places typically have steam rooms, saunas, pools, Jacuzzis and fireplaces, not to mention the heat cranked up, so you should pack a swimsuit and a few lighter layers for when you’re indoors. On the other hand, the warmer a desert climate is during the day, the colder it can get at night, and the wind chill from a body of water can easily make temperatures drop at night, so you should pack a jacket and a few heavier layers for nighttime. Traveling to Europe, men should pack a sports coat, and women should pack a shawl or sweater no matter what the forecast. Lastly, don’t forget to pack appropriate footwear. Bring a comfortable pair and a dress pair, and pick neutral colors that can match all your outfits. √ Trip Length The general rule of thumb is to pack as many outfits as days you’ll be away plus three. You may spill on a white shirt, feel too full to wear that tight-fitting dress or end up needing a fancier outfit for a restaurant you discover while you’re there. Whatever the reason may be, you should pack a few backup outfits just in case. √ Activities Pack for comfort if you think you’ll be out and about. Pack for style if you expect to go on lots of romantic dates while you’re away. Pack for whatever activities you think you may be doing. Realistically, you may plan to spend much of your time relaxing and decompressing from all thewedding planning, but you still should think about all the activities you and your partner might encounter. √ Luggage Feel free to register for your honeymoon luggage. When you register for luggage, check that the store has a solid return policy in case any pieces break or get damaged while you’re on vacation. Consider packing one large suitcase for the both of you and taking separate carry-ons. The large suitcase should have a band around it so you can buckle your carry-ons for easier carrying. Pack a soft bag like a duffle in case you make additional purchases while on your trip.  Select suitcases that have keys, with locks approved by the TSA so they won’t have to break the locks at security. Bring a laundry bag and a few large sealable plastic bags for any spills, mud, sand, or other messes on clothes or shoes. Test your suitcase at home:...

Q. How can we show our appreciation to our service providers after our wedding?    A. Sometime after your wedding, send some copies of your wedding photos to your venue, vendors, such as your florist, wedding planner, reception manager. They’ll want to see how beautiful you and all the arrangements looked, especially those they contributed to, and they’ll probably like to include quality photos in their portfolio for future couples. Vendors will not only appreciate the consideration, but your wedding pictures could inspire brides-to-be for years to come....

It’s the day you’ve been waiting for and everything is going smoothly. You’re excited to walk down the aisle and marry the man of your dreams. But it’s the middle of a heat wave and you’re boiling. Your makeup is in danger of melting off your face. How do you prevent looking the wrong kind of hot? Whether you are using a makeup artist or doing your own makeup, invest in waterproof products. Waterproof mascara is a weeping bride’s best friend, and products made with silicone are best for hot weather. Witch hazel toner is also a good oil-stopping product to use before your makeup application. If you don’t need a heavy foundation, opt for a tinted moisturizer to give your skin an even tone and lightly powder to finish. Many brands make an oil-absorbing powder that can be applied on top or under your makeup. Have your maid-of-honor keep a stash of oil absorbing sheets for touchups. Witch hazel toner is also a good oil-stopping product to use before your makeup application. Unless you’re set on having long flowing locks, choose a hairstyle that keeps your hair off your face and neck. Long, heavy hair can add 10 degrees to your body temperature. Try a hairstyle with interwoven braids or a low bun and add a few flowers to complete the look. Be aware of pulling out pieces of hair to curl if your hair is prone to frizz. There is nothing elegant about the effects of humidity on the pieces of hair framing your face. For a bride on- the-go a good, quick fix is a dry shampoo spray. It helps to get rid of that pesky moisture clinging to your hair and may even restore some of the volume taken by the heat and humidity. Don’t be embarrassed to dust some talc powder with baking soda on, especially in sweaty areas. Baking soda is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and the powder can prevent skin irritations. If you’re wearing a strapless dress, powdered armpits could be unsightly, but for your feet, back, bra-line or other covered places, a bit of baby powder could go a long way. Dust the inside of your shoes to cut down on swollen piggies. For your underarms, deodorants just curb odor, not moisture; a deodorant and antiperspirant combo tackles both, so use both. For the best results, apply antiperspirant before bed when your calm and cool so it has the best chance of actually absorbing into your skin -which has to happen for it to work- and then reapply it in the morning with deodorant. For excessive sweating (largely determined by your genetics), talk with your dermatologist about laser hair removal to prevent...