“Homemade” Wedding Party Gifts – Using Snapfish makes it a Snap
When it comes to wedding photo gifts, you have a lot of options for online digital processing of photo books to coffee mugs, and I have tried several of them myself for a variety of gifts. While they are all a little bit different with some focusing mainly on their price, some that focus strongly on their quality, some that have user friendly websites and some that don’t, my vote for the most ease of use, good customer service, and best quality for your “wedding” dollars is Snapfish.com .
To me, for creating “homemade” wedding party gifts, Snapfish.com offers the best balance of quality and price, and with their unique 110% guarantee (if users are unhappy with any Snapfish purchase, the site will refund the cost of the order and issue a 10-percent-off coupon for a future order), they win our vote hands down. PC Magazine and Consumer Reports each compare a large number of digital photo printing services, and they both agree that Snapfish.com
is a good choice, with Shutterfly
being another recommendation of theirs. Shutterfly
, however, while their product is of a high quality it was on the pricey side, which is why they were not our number one choice, but if you are OK with their pricing, then Shutterfly
is certainly a wonderful source as well for photo type “homemade” wedding party gifts and they do offer some different options.
Snapfish is owned by Hewlett Packard and offers competitively priced photo gifts as well as a wide variety of photo gift ideas perfect for your wedding and bridal party gifts, including novelty items like photo boxer shorts, tote bags and neckties, as well as traditional mugs, calendars and photo books. In fact, the huge choice of photo gifts they offer is something that sets Snapfish.com apart from other online photo printing services, and they seem to regularly introduce new photo gift products.
Getting started with Snapfish.com is a snap (pun intended). There is a very simple sign up form that asks for your name and email address and of course you will have to create a password and then that’s it, after which you can get started right away creating your photo gifts.
Sometimes, uploading photos can be a challenge, but in Snapfish.com I find it very easy. Photos within your account are organized into albums, which allows you to divide photos based on an event, by date, by person or any other way that makes it easy for you. Most digital processing options have one downfall or another and for Snapfish.com
, I believe it’s the inability to easily move photos between albums, but considering the average photo bound book would probably only have 20 to 30 photos, and a gift such as mugs or tote bags would have just a few photos, this “issue” will probably not cause you any concern.
All products in the photo gifts area are easy to create by choosing the photo(s) you wish to use, and then viewing the online proof of the gift that will be created. You will be given plenty of time to rotate, crop and move your photos around, and there are lots of great templates to choose from.
So, start thinking about and creating your “homemade” wedding party gifts for all to enjoy and if you want to check Snapfish.com out, just click on their logo below:
P.S. Some of you might wonder why I put the word homemade in quotes in this article; it’s because this is a gift that might not really be considered homemade (I mean you didn’t labor over a sewing machine or a stove), but it is “homemade” because of the time and care you take to choose just the right pictures and just the right “article” to put them on!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com. See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
Getting Married, Change Name Services Save You Time
If you just got married, you definitely need to legally make a name change (maiden to married – yeah!) But is it true that you could find all the forms you need for free and not use a “married change name service? Yes, of course, you “could.” But the real question is do you really have the time? You just got married, “change name” is probably at the bottom of your list of things to do — spend time shopping together for a new bedroom set; now we’re talking! I mean it could take hours and hours of tedious research, and I mean hours. First you even have to figure out all the different things you even need to change your name for, not to mention tracking down all their individual forms and finding out where to submit them to. Just the organizational part of it sets my head spinning.
You just got married, “change name” is probably at the bottom of your list of things to do — but it shouldn’t be and doesn’t have to be an ordeal.
We’ve all heard the saying that time is money. Well, when it comes to using one of these bridal change name kit services versus doing all the legwork yourself, be thankful there are some great services out there that make this process a piece of cake. A study has shown that the average bride can save over 13 hours of research, form completion, and filing mishaps through using a name-change service.
So, if you are looking to make a name change from maiden to married, the two name-change kits that we especially like are MissNowMrs.com and the Official New Bride Name Change Kit:
- Simple three-step system that is completed online
- Answer questions, print all of the necessary forms that contain your answers, and file
- “The Best Wedding Websites from A to Z”
- Contains instructions, checklist, all government name change forms and mailing labels
- Forms are customized based on your state and zip code
- Each kit is delivered to your door in an elegant pink box
What’s the difference between the two? The main difference (besides if packaging sways you one way or another and you have a preference for pink or blue), would be that the MissNowMrs.com married change name kit is completed online and if you do everything with a computer, like me, then you might want to lean toward this one. The Official New Bride Name Change (“maiden to married”) Kit is equally reliable and filled with all the necessary forms, but it is an actual “kit” that will be shipped to you for you to manually fill out the forms. I think MissNowMrs.com could be a bit more of a time saver from that perspective, but again, it boils down to how you personally like to deal with things – on a computer or more hands on.
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com. See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
Review of Wedding Tracker for Creating Wedding Website
As we all know, whether your wedding style ideas are for a small wedding, a large wedding, simple or elaborate, there are still a certain number of things that need to be attended to for all wedding styles that require your undivided attention. And, forgetting the planning phase for a minute (just a minute though), what about FUN! Online personal wedding websites offer a wonderful way to keep a diary of sorts through the whole wedding process and be able to share it with your family and friends.
Two of my favorite wedding website created on Wedding Tracker are Carrie & Chris’s and Judson & Martina’s.
Well, as you can imagine, just like for everything else, there are many options out there when it comes to finding a service for creating wedding website for our special day. But as online hosts for the creation of wedding websites go, we found Wedding Tracker to be our first choice because is is a very diverse program and they seem to have all the bases covered that you might be interested in and all in an easy to use, flexible layout. However; don’t let my having said that scare you into thinking it might be “too much” of a program for you to deal with because that’s my favorite part of this program – it’s Easy to Create! Creating your wedding website couldn’t be easier with their 12-step wizard.
And, if you all you care about is creating a wedding website to share pictures and stories, then that’s all you need to use of the program and it is perfect for that with the many professional designs you can choose from and the capability to upload over 200 photos. But there’s so much more you can do with this that is so simple to implement and so helpful such as creating beautifully customized wedding invitations, have your guests RSVP right on your webpage, creating a calendar of events for everyone to see and even track gift registries and the gifts themselves.
And two of my other favorite pluses is 1) that this is a web-based program, so there is no dealing with downloading programs and you are always assured of having the latest and greatest as it is automatically updated whenever they make upgrades to the program, and 2) when the wedding day has passed and you’re ready to “turn off” your website, you can order a keepsake copy of your website on CDROM and preserve the memories for a lifetime – way cool!
If you would like to check it out more, you can start with a 2-week FREE trial and Wedding Tracker has offered YourWeddingDollars.com visitors 25% off a 1 year Wedding Tracker subscription — just use promo code AFF25. Start your free trial today! By the way, while there, click on the “Home Page” link and then click on “Featured Real Couples Sites” to get ideas from couples who have created their personal wedding website with the help of Wedding Tracker.
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever! — A Book Review
The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever! is authored by Peter Merry who owns Merry Weddings and lives in Southern California with his wife. Peter served nationally as President of the American Disc Jockey Association, and his entertainment background includes performing stand-up comedy at the Improv and hosting his very own talk radio show. He describes himself as a “Wedding Entertainment Director” and is passionate about helping couples create unforgettably fun wedding receptions, and he proves it with all his great tips and ideas in The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever!
“If you could only choose three words to describe your dream reception . . . What 3 words would you choose? If one of your top choices is FUN, this book was written just for you.”
What do most people remember most often about a wedding? Surveys indicate that the most memorable moments occurred at the reception celebration following the wedding ceremony and this book helps you create many of those memorable moments with a wealth of fun ideas from personalizing the wedding party’s grand entrance to memorable father/daughter dances and learning creative ways to liven up the dinner hour. As Peter puts it . . . “If you could only choose three words to describe your dream reception . . . What 3 words would you choose? If one of your top choices is FUN, this book was written just for you.”
Most brides and grooms say they want to have FUN at their reception, but can’t really pull the trigger on what “fun” is. They know they have been to weddings that didn’t really cut it in the entertainment department, but can’t quite put into words how to make their own wedding better and more entertaining for their guests.
YourWeddingDollars.com believes The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever!
It is possible to be both realistic and creative and to spend wisely without cutting corners. However, planning and research are essential in order to create an outstanding, memorable experience for your friends and family and that is why Peter goes over the planning and research in detail. His example weddings and lists of pros and cons provide brides and grooms with a number of realistic examples of how their planning might turn out given different choices you might make, and his years of experience as a “Wedding Entertainment Director” allow him to address a variety of options, such as the daytime wedding vs. the evening wedding, scheduling a wedding at different times throughout the year, when and how to schedule photos, and what type of entertainment to hire.
Peter helps you to think about just what your priorities really are. If your wedding reception is a “photography event” or a “flower event” or a “food event,”, then The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever! won’t be of any help to you. But, if you truly want to entertain your guests and have The Best Wedding Reception . . . Ever! . . .
then we highly recommend this resource.
Weddings can be a big expense and take months if not a year or two to plan, reading a few books and articles on how to invest your time and money only makes sense. If FUN is a priority to you, then we recommend you get a hold of this book, and you can do so through Amazon.com.
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
What’s the BEST Thing You Can Do Before You Get Married
The BEST thing you can do before you get married is REALLY GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER! And the best way to do that is to read 1000 Questions for Couples together.
Whether you are already engaged or have found the soul mate that you feel certain you will soon become engaged to, make the rest of your life together, rather than the wedding day, your first priority. Certainly, as they did for me, your first thoughts probably go right to all the fun, and overwhelming, plans that need to be made. But I would like to suggest there is plenty of time for that AFTER you have put some valuable time in on your relationship.
There’s a lot more to marriage than just the chemistry! I know that’s hard to believe right now and at this moment you’re not even thinking about any possible adversity between you and your soul mate, but keep in mind that you will be spending a lot of time with your partner for many, many years and you cannot possibly see eye-to-eye on every single subject.
1000 Questions for Couples was written by Michael Webb who is regarded in the media as one of the nation’s top experts on relationship matters. So you can be certain that the questions in this book are exactly what you need to help successfully marry or keep your relationship together.
Michael Webb has appeared on over 500 radio and television shows including Oprah, NBC News, To Tell the Truth and FOX News. He has been featured in practically every major newspaper in the United States and is regularly mentioned in the nation’s top magazines like Men’s Health, Bridal Guide, Cosmopolitan and Women’s Day.
The questions posed throughout his book are thought provoking, honest and certainly add to creating a solid base to start any marriage and they cover the gamut of life’s dealings, such as:
- Personality, Feelings & Emotions
- Favorites
- Pets
- Attractions
- Health, Food & Well Being
- Vacations
- Morals, Convictions and Beliefs
- Religion & Spiritual Matters
- Home & Home Life
- Past & Future
- Hobbies & Entertainment
- Love, Romance & Date Nights
- Friends & Family
- Communication
- Career and Education
- Money
- Relationships – Past & Present
- Children & Child Rearing
- Wedding & Honeymoon
- Sex
If you and your partner answer these 1000 questions, Michael guarantee’s that you will know each other better than 99% of couples on the face of the earth. Heck, I say if you even get through only 200 of the questions, you are off to a better start than the majority of newlyweds out there.
I read a statistic somewhere that if you go to pre-marital counseling before you get married it will cut down your probability of getting divorced by 75%. I’m not sure if that is true but it certainly makes sense to have some sort of thorough discussion on all the vital topics before you say I do.
Our review of 1000 Questions for Couples leads us to believe that it is an excellent resource for couples. With the thoroughness this book covers and the fact that it even comes with a money-back guarantee, I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to make this investment in the rest of their life together.
To find out more, visit Michael’s website at 1000 Questions for Couples.
All of us at YourWeddingDollars.com, wish you a very long and healthy relationship!!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
6 Basic Pre Marriage Questions – Be Prepared
An unfortunate reality of society today is that the divorce rate is climbing. Nobody wants to be part of that statistic so many people, before deciding to walk down the aisle, decide to seek out some basic pre marriage questions and make sure they are making the right decision at the right time in their lives, giving them peace of mind that their relationship is ready and they are perfect for one another.
Whether you are already engaged or hoping to be soon, you and your loved one should ask yourself a few questions to make sure you’re both ready for the road ahead. If you haven’t covered the “tough” topics about love and marriage, it’s never too late to sit down with your fiance and make a very important investment in the rest of your lives by going over some pre marriage questions.
This is not about one of those “free marriage compatibility tests.” Instead going over pre marriage questions with your partner should be considered more of a very important checklist! While a lot of us can get caught up in marriage, or the whole wedding planning thing for that matter, a little foresight can help solve the basic reasons for conflict and put you on the fast track for a prosperous, healthy and happy life together.
“. . . sit down with your fiance and make a very important investment in the rest of your lives by going over some pre marriage questions.”
Because there is no way to even come close to covering all the various facets of life that can occur in your marriage in this short article, at the end of this article you will find our recommendation of a very valuable book for pre marriage questions — it very well might be the most important purchase you will make for your marriage. However, if your budget does not allow for that purchase, the following will give you some great ideas on the basic minimum of discussions you should have before tying the knot.
6 Basic Pre Marriage Questions & Things to Consider
- Talk about your likes and dislikes together. You should work to understand your own likes and dislikes, as well as your partner’s. See how they are similar and different and if they might cause any tension. If so, work on a solution that will please you both.
- Identify and discuss your religious and political beliefs. These can be hot button issues for some so if you have dramatic differences, are you going to have huge conflicts in your home?
- This question may seem like a job interview, but it’s important to know the answers and to be open with one another. Ask what your partner’s credit score is and if they have ever been convicted of a crime.
- What jobs and career goals does your partner have for themselves and are they something you can see yourself supporting?
- You should also consider things like each others relatives, customs, and traditions and which ones will be honored.
- Think about finances and who will handle them the best.
While some of these pre marriage questions can often come off as a job interview, it’s important, though, that you truly understand one another, and make sure you can work towards compromise and resolution.
Proper planning can lead to a lifetime of happiness, which is why we believe the 1000 Questions for Couples book recommended below is very worthwhile for any couple looking at matrimony; it will help you go over life’s “things” with your soon-to-be-spouse that you might not have thought about on your own.
Recommended Book for Pre Marriage Questions
1000 Questions for Couples. You can find detailed information about 1000 Questions for Couples and the author, Michael Webb, under our Resources & Reviews section. The review is titled What’s the Best Thing you can do Before you get Married?
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
Our Top 2 Software for Weddings Programs
We researched several of the Wedding Planning Software programs on the market and have come up with our Top 2 choices for software for weddings. For about the cost of one week’s worth of Caffe Lattes from Starbucks, you could be benefiting from either of these great tools. OK, I know it’s hard to give up that Latte, but you have a very important event ahead of you, and if you want help keeping track of your wedding dollars, I think the investment is well worth it.
Of course, it may just be me that feels this way, but I definitely find financial and organizational software programs worth their weight in gold. I’ve kept my finances on Quicken for years and I know it’s saved me tons of dollars by being able to run budgets or quickly getting a reality check on things such as How much did we spend on eating out last month? Wow, that much? Time to get back to barbecuing some chicken at home… Much healthier too! OK, enough of that, on to the Reviews; oh, and did I mention that both of these software for weddings offer a 30 day money back guarantee!
1. My Wedding Companion
Get information on My Wedding Companion
My Wedding Companion has been producing planning software for weddings since 1995, but the release of version 5.0 has improved an already great program with much more flexibility making it truly convenient to use. And if that weren’t enough, another plus to this software is that it comes with 4 helpful bonuses: an eBook titled Essential Wedding Planning Tips and Checklists, a calligraphy font package, the Ultimate Bridal Shower Guide eBook, and a keepsake eBook called Treasured Moments.
A few of the great planning tools that are a part of My Wedding Companion include:
- A guest manager to help track details for even the longest of guest lists
- A gift manager to store all information regarding who gave what and whether or not thank you cards have been sent; and this manager can track items on your gift registry from a number of stores.
- A budget manager that helps you to stay ahead of the countless wedding expenses (IMPORTANT!).
- A label and envelope manager for printing address labels and customized inner and outer invitation envelopes.
- And many other pages to help organize music, menus, vendors, seating and more.
Quality software from a dependable company combined with added bonuses makes this a program worth looking into further, not to mention having, either of which you can do by clicking here.
2. Smart Wedding
Get information on Smart Wedding Planning Software
Smart Wedding costs a little more than the other one, but as a much awarded software for weddings program, this wedding planning software really understands what’s important to maintain organization in the midst of such a complicated event as planning a wedding. Smart Wedding covers all sorts of details and allows even the most scatter-brained couples (which of course I am not implying any of my wedding couples are) to stay on top of their wedding plans!
Some of the tools this software package includes are:
- A guest list manager that allows you to divide your guests into meaningful groups such as local or out of town guests, and then include other important details such as their accommodation and transportation needs.
- An events section which helps you plan everything from the engagement party to the actual wedding and all the other parties in between.
- A task list manager which is used to specify who does what and when, allowing the bride and groom-to-be to feel confident that people understand what is expected of them.
- A budget template that can be automatically generated or customized and then used to calculate costs and store details about every wedding expense (IMPORTANT!).
- Not to mention, a RSVP manager, a seating manager, a gift tracker, a stationary wizard, and the ability to print reports about almost anything pertaining to the wedding
Wow — there’s a lot of valuable tools packed into this software for weddings planning program! If you want to find out more about Smart Wedding, or wish to purchase it, just click here.
Either of these software for weddings planning programs offer you the “facility” to have somewhere to sort and store all of the intricate details of planning your wedding – which will help you to stay in control of each step of the process – which better helps you stay on top of watching your wedding dollars, and that is what we’re all about!
Please come back to give us your feedback on your experience with either one of these planning programs. We know the future brides and grooms that follow in your footsteps would greatly appreciate and benefit from your personal reviews as well!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
The Best Wedding Planning Guides
I have a friend whose motto is NOT less is more, but rather the more you know the better. When it comes to important decisions in our lives, I entirely agree!
So, now that you are engaged, GET INFORMED! The more information, knowledge, and know-how you are armed with, the better equipped you will be to make decisions on how to spend, or not spend, your wedding dollars!
To help you gain knowledge about all the different facets of putting a wedding together, we found the two wedding planning guides reviewed below to be of great value for your money –giving you a wealth of information, ideas, a wedding planning guide checklist, and cost savings tips.
1. The Wedding Planner’s Bible
The author of this guide, Maggie Terrance, really understands what information is truly valuable. With over thirty years of experience as a wedding planner, and now planning 40-65 weddings a year in America and Europe, Maggie Terrance knows her stuff when it comes to wedding planning.
This wedding guide covers every aspect of your wedding from engagement to the big day itself and is packed with many great tips and ideas to help save time, money, and reduce stress, including a great wedding planning guide checklist. It also comes with wedding planning software for free; however, we actually don’t consider the software portion of this wedding guide as one of our top wedding planning programs (see our review on wedding planning software), but whether or not you choose to use the software doesn’t have any bearing on the value of the book.
If you use the information in this wedding planning book to its fullest, you can expect to save up to 65% on the cost of your wedding. You can find out more about The Wedding Planners Bible, as well as order it if you wish, by clicking here.
2. Master Wedding Planning Guide
The Master Wedding Planning Guide is filled with useful tips and techniques that demonstrate how to save thousands without sacrificing quality, and also includes a terrific wedding planning guide checklist! Some of the information covered by this book includes:
An extensive wedding timeline- Budgeting tables
- Photo and video checklists
- Roles of the bridal party
- Etiquette guides
The Master Wedding Planning Guide is an excellent value and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee; if you are in any way unhappy with it you have two months to get a full refund. You can find out more about this terrific wedding guide, as well as order it if you wish, by clicking here. (P.S. Don’t let the “cartoon” character scare you — the author, Amy Waterman, writes a serious informational book.)
As a final note… the friend I mentioned above — he’s also a previous boss of mine and has done VERY well for himself in his various financial endeavors which helps to solidify for me that he knows what he is talking about when he continually says to me… Cheryl, you can’t have too much information when making important decisions!
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These 2 guides are eBooks. There are many great reasons to purchase eBooks as opposed to a printed book. One is that you can get it right now — but the best thing about an ebook is its cut and paste ability. If you want to take a thought, question, checklist, etc. with you, you can just print that page out as opposed to having to carry around a book that you’ve put post-it notes all over to remind you of pages of interest and since it is on you computer, you can search for things of interest quickly as opposed to trying to figure out in the contents where specific information is located. You can of course also print out the whole book and put it in a binder, or stay “green” and keep it on the computer saving the paper.
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.