WHAT MAKES SHOPPING AT A FAB EVENT SO SPECIAL?  

“It’s the atmosphere, the absolute energy in the ballroom!  The fun, the frenzy, the FABulous gowns, all in one place, at one time, with absolutely NO pressure to buy, and prices so amazing, how can you not?”

Beautiful brides of all sizes, trying on gowns together, literally becoming models to one another, in a dressing room charged with excitement, as the quest to find the perfect gown of their dreams, becomes a reality, BEFORE the bride-to-be across the room boldly asks if she might try it on next.  Share and share alike!  But only until the claim of ownership has been stamped “DO NOT TOUCH – THIS ONE IS GOING HOME WITH ME!”

 

No yanking, No pulling, NO harsh treatment of gowns allowed, and none intended by brides who eagerly dash to the racks.  Gowns are carefully arranged in a labyrinth of silk, satin and lace, with interconnected crisscrossing and weaving paths of differing shades of white and ivory. All waiting for the shoppers to lose themselves  in their pursuit, searching for the perfect designer or couture gown!  All priced up to 85% off their original retail, and beginning as low as $99 in select cities!

Fran Hansen, director and show producer for the nationwide FABulous Bridal Affair, encourages brides to bring family and friends to assist in their search!  “It never ceases to amaze me, exclaims Hansen, that a bride-to-be, whose mind is made up in regards to one particular style, walks away with something so entirely different, you wonder  if it’s the same girl, arriving two hours earlier insisting on a mermaid dress,  as she walks out with a flowing ball gown.”   When asked why the sudden change of heart, a recent bride replied, “I can’t explain it!  I tried it on because my friend begged to see what it would look like. It was only to humor her; I knew I would never buy something that would make me look like I just stepped off a cake top! But it took my breath away.”

As enthusiasm mounts, and while up to 200 brides await the opening of each FAB event, Hansen assures them that there are more than enough gowns to go around!   And if you’re not into crowds and an overflowing dressing room, that’s okay too!  By noon each day, hundreds of gowns will have been returned to the racks and ready for the next round of shoppers, all hoping to find a treasured keepsake to be be passed down for generations to come.

 

TEN things to remember when shopping a FAB Affair!

1)  Be early!  You really don’t have to show up at 5 am to get first place in line, but make plans to be there IF POSSIBLE when the doors open!  That’s when you’ll have the biggest selection to choose from.

2)  Wear appropriate underwear.  You will be trying on gowns in a common area dressing room, meaning as many as 70 to 100 other brides may be dressing at the same time.

3) Keep in mind that you can only take 3 gowns at a time into the dressing room.  That is PER BRIDE, not per each friend you bring along! Of course, swapping gowns in the dressing room with other brides is both permitted and encouraged.  You are allowed to try on as many gowns as you like, for as long as you like, simply returning unwanted selections to the “Go Back Rack” just outside the dressing room.  You and/or your friends can then go back for the next round of try-ons.

4)  Wedding gowns fit incredibly SMALL in most cases!  Start your search for at least one, and often times two sizes larger than you wear in street clothing. Remember it is easier to take a gown in, rather than to let it out if you fall in love with a design that doesn’t fit perfectly.  ALSO, most bridal seamstresses today are very adept at removing zippers, and replacing them with back loops, meaning if your favorite gown misses zipping by several inches, it can be made to fit by lacing it up.

5)  No more than two gowns can be “hoarded” at a time.  Once you have tried on a gown, if another bride sees you in “her” perfect gown, she may ask to try it on, UNLESS it is one of the two you are hoarding.  Two hoarding tags are provided to each bride upon arrival to the event. Once tagged, it is off limits until you remove the tag and place it on another gown.

6)  If you’re bringing a team of helpers, dress them alike!  Make it fun!  Crazy hats, colorful t-shirts, signs if you like, but remember, this is NOT your typical dash, yank and grab gown sale. Our event is exciting and upscale, with only the most beautiful gowns available for sale. Care for each gown as you try it on as if it were to be the gown of YOUR dreams, because it truly will be the gown of SOMEONE’s dreams.  That is, unless you damage it in your attempt to zip a size 14 body into a size 10 gown, or step through fragile netting or a chiffon skirt. Please be as careful, and gentle with each dress you try on, as if it were to become YOUR wedding gown.

7)  Each gown in our FABulous collection has come from bridal shop overstock and/or liquidation, manufacturers overruns, designer showrooms, trunk shows, and some fashion show/runway samples. All this means incredible savings to brides across the nation as they attend our FABulous Bridal Affair.

8)  What to do if you find just the right gown, but with small flaws, a few dangling or missing beads, or needing a little restyling, cleaning or repair.   A list of alteration specialists in your area will be provided, and in select cities seamstresses will be on hand to answer all your questions.

9)  Save on your wedding gown with Breast Cancer Research Stamps! Support Breast Cancer Research by purchasing 100 Breast Cancer Awareness Postage Stamps at your local post office. (Your cost $55) FAB will redeem those stamps for up to an ADDITIONAL $100 off the price of your wedding gown during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and every other month of the year! Breast Cancer deserves 12 month Awareness!

10) Don’t have Breast Cancer Research Stamps to redeem?  Pledge a donation of any amount to YOUR favorite charity prior to your upcoming wedding and receive up to an additional $100 off the gown of your dreams. (additional 5% off purchase price up to $100) Sorry ladies, special offers cannot be combined.  Remember to LIKE us on Facebook www.facebook.com/fabulousaffordablebridal prior to attending our event and receive a FREE veil with your wedding gown purchase.  Veils up to $100 included in this free offer.

Save on your wedding gown with Breast Cancer Research Stamps!  Support Breast Cancer Research by purchasing 100 Breast Cancer Research Postage Stamps at your local post office. (Your cost $55)  FAB will redeem those stamps for up to an ADDITIONAL $100 off the price of your wedding gown during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and every other month of the year!  Breast Cancer deserves 12 month Awareness!  Thank you for making a difference!

It’s official!  FAB is coming soon to a city near you, bringing a SPECTACULAR Bridal Event!  If you’re a brides-to-be you won’t want to miss this amazing sale!  Over 1,000 FABulous, NEW, designer and couture wedding gowns will be on display and available for purchase during each designer gown sale.  No waiting, No special orders! Purchase and take home the gown of your dreams the very same day!  FREE admission and FREE GIFT valued at $34.95 to the first 100 brides in line each day!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  Save up to an additional $100 off your wedding gown with a pledge of any amount to your favorite Breast Cancer charity during October 2011 events.

Our events open each day at 9 am, closing Friday and Saturday at 8 pm.  Sundays, 9 am - 6 pm!

This is  NOT your typical bridal show!  This FABulous Bridal Affair and designer wedding gown sale will save you up to 85% off the orignal price of the gown of your dreams!  You will save HUNDREDS!  You May save THOUSANDS!!  Sizes 4 – 44, and prices beginning as low as $99.  Whatever you do, wherever you are, do NOT miss you local event! Click here for our current schedule.

Showpiece –Backdrop – Prop – Expression – Dessert

Exquisite Backdrop

If you’re like most brides, you see your wedding cake as the focal point, backdrop or prop to many of the most beautiful photographs taken on your wedding day.

A unique expression of your wedding theme, a showpiece to impress your guests or simply dessert, you will want to take some time deciding on just the perfect delicacy for your guests.

Regardless how you see your cake, and whether you want it stylish, and elegant or wild, and crazy, you can get it for a price that won’t break the bank if you use a bit of resourcefulness and a little ingenuity.

One thing to remember and take into account when you head out to find your decorator and place your order is that unlike any other cake you will ever purchase, wedding cakes are priced by the slice, or in some cases, by the number of persons it will serve. They can range in price from fifty cents to five or six dollars per slice and upward for cakes that are incredible works of art.

Can you even dream or imagine someone paying $2500 or more for a cake to feed 200 guests?  And why would you?  But just open the current issue of your latest bridal magazine and I can almost guarantee you will find a fabulous cake, just begging to find its way into your wedding budget with a price tag of over $2,000. 

I don’t know what you call that, but I call it insane!  It’s only cake for crying out loud!!

 

If you’re like me, you no longer believe that chocolate is just for breakfast anymore! 

And what better way to apply your new found freedom, than to plan a fabulous dessert reception to the delight of your family and friends!  Planning a dessert reception in place of traditional wedding faire can be both elegant and charming.  

So just how many different kinds of chocolate treats can you provide for your guests?  When you begin looking, you will find there is an endless supply of amazing desserts, both readily available to “pick up and lay out” or incredible recipes to create fantastic chocolate delights in your own kitchen for a fraction of the price!   

I’m sure I heard somewhere that chocolate licked from the fingertips of a bride planning her dessert reception, has NO calories!   Would anyone dispute that?

Hearty desserts, particularly if you are planning a fall or winter wedding, can easily play a central role for your afternoon reception, as opposed to the full meal deal!  Offering a delightful punch, coffee and tea service, along with a few bottles of bubbly delight, and your guests will be satisfied in every way!

Do be sure to add a fresh fruit platter for those who aren’t sweet eaters, or for the diabetics in your group of family and friends. And don’t forget the strawberries! Every wedding needs strawberries, don’t you agree?  Especially if you have a flowing chocolate fountain to dip them in!

Ideas for your dessert reception include:

· Strawberries and Chocolate fondue

· Apple Cobbler

· Chocolate Mousse

· Strawberries and Cream

· Crème Brule

· Vanilla Pudding and Fresh Berries

· Cheesecakes of all types and flavors

· Tiramisu

· Decorated Sugar Cookies

· Hot Fudge Brownies

· Vanilla Ice Cream

· French Vanilla Yogurt and Almonds

· Glazed Fruit Quiche

 

The temptation to order a multi-tiered cake to serve as the focal centerpiece of your wedding reception, rather than as dessert, is one faced by most brides. But if you’re on a tight budget that just doesn’t make sense! Seriously consider only ordering the actual size wedding cake you need to serve your guests!

Of course, whether special ordering or creating your own wedding cake, you want to be assured that you have enough, but not too much! A vast majority of brides end up ordering a cake that is too large, having one or more layers left over!      

The general rule of thumb is to multiply your number of guests by 1.5 to arrive at just the precise amount of cake you should expect to serve, and if alcohol is on the bill of fare, you can safely plan for just one slice per guest, since a smaller number of people will eat cake when they are consuming alcohol.

If you’re planning an outdoor reception, choose your cake carefully and have it delivered just prior to your guests’ arrival. High heat or humidity can do unbelievably sad things to a lovely buttery frosting, and let’s not even discuss ice cream cake.

Final Thought … If after your wedding you have more cake left over than you want to pass around to all your calorie conscious friends, remember there is a nursing home nearby that would love to share your joy with their elderly residents.

Personal preferences and a solid wedding budget will determine what you should expect to pay for your wedding flowers.  With the national average climbing to over $27,000 for today’s wedding and most brides spending between 7% and 10% of their wedding dollar on flowers, the bottom line can translate into thousands!

It is not uncommon for a professionally designed bridal bouquet to cost over $200.  Because the beauty of the event weighs heavy on the floral accoutrements and trimmings, it’s not out of line to find the floral budget exceeding $3,000, with many of those dollars creeping in and finding their way listed as miscellaneous expenses, when the cost of small decorative  supplies are overlooked as part of the flower budget.

The trick to cutting costs  and creating  an exquisite wedding and reception, beautifully ornamented and adorned, without spending the cost of redecorating your entire home doing so, lays in careful planning and being well informed.  But most importantly, it depends on you keeping track of every dime you spend, knowing that it is going to create the wedding of your dreams, on a budget that you can live with!

Regardless the time of year you’re planning your wedding, you can save hundreds of dollars by choosing flowers that are in season.  For your springtime wedding, beautiful bouquets, and centerpieces for your reception could include tulips, daffodils, bird of paradise, anomones, and calla lilies.

Carnations, daisies, lavender, or freesia round out the perfect look for an April wedding. If your wedding is in late spring add a few touches of lily of the valley for fragrance and texture.

Tulips, being a long time wedding favorite, comes in many beautiful light pastel colors, while daffodils, inexpensive and colorful, bring vibrant color to bridal bouquets and reception centerpieces. Anomones are a beautiful addition in both pastel and jewel tones.

Pizza!  Really?  For a Rehearsal Dinner?

Today with so many couples paying for their own wedding entirely, or contributing  a much higher dollar figure than ever before,  does it really make sense to spend hundreds, if not a few thousand, on a formal sit-down dinner the night before?  

When planning your rehearsal dinner you have more than a few options to consider when looking to save HUNDREDS of dollars on this one pre-wedding party alone! 

Consider pizza!  It’s true, you can feed up to thirty people for under $200 and that includes tip and non-alcoholic beverages.  Be sure to call ahead to check on private room availability.  (Most pizza establishments have additional menu items for guests who aren’t fond of pizza, but who love Italian food!)

No formality here while you save it for tomorrows wedding!  Dress casual and comfortable!  The rehearsal dinner has always been a place for relaxation, fun and celebration. It’s the perfect opportunity for family members and the wedding party to get to know one another better. Out of town guests who are part of your wedding party and unfamiliar with your family or other attendants will appreciate this opportunity to share time together before the big day!

Pizza party not for you?  Then let’s look at a few other ideas where you can save hundreds!  Think about it, who said your rehearsal dinner has to be indoors?

Unless it’s early spring, late fall, or the middle of the winter, why not plan a barbecue or a backyard picnic?  How about a potluck affair where everyone brings their favorite dish (and a recipe card to share)?   A luau would certainly take more planning, but with enough help from friends and family, it could make for a fun and entertaining evening.  And who doesn’t love hula girls!!  I’d say a contest would make for great entertainment!

One of my favorite rehearsal dinner memories was the invitation to an Italian dinner, complete with card tables covered in red and white checkered clothes, old fashion wine bottles being the centerpiece décor, twinkle lights stretched over the deck for mood lighting, and a few friends, white shirt, black pants, with a towel draped over their arm, filling plates with spaghetti, offering a choice of three sauces.  Coupled with a green tossed salad and garlic bread, the entire dinner came to under $200 and served over 40 guests! With disposable dinnerware, cleanup was a breeze!

Keep in mind that it is not a requirement that you invite anyone other than your wedding party and parents to your rehearsal dinner. If you’re planning an informal affair as being suggested here, then extending invitations to your officiant, the spouse or date of each attendant and special out of town guests are certainly encouraged.

One last comment – invitations to your rehearsal dinner may be made by a personal invitation, email or by phone.

FREE is a very good price!!  And keeping in mind that if you don’t ASK, you don’t GET, then asking for your cake to be delivered FREE is the only sensible thing to do!

You’re not the only one who knows there are many places to order a wedding cake!  Your decorator is quite aware as well, AND wants your business! 

 Depending on where your reception is held in comparison to where you ordered your cake, a delivery fee can reach $60 or more, and a $100 delivery charge is not unheard of. However, if delivering a wedding cake at no charge is all it takes to get your business, then that should be a no brainer for them! But remember, you will have to ASK!

Of course, if they refuse, given the fact that your wedding is twenty plus miles away, or some other “not so flimsy excuse” (wrinkling my nose as I think of gas prices), and if you, knowing this is the ONLY place you will be happy and forever satisfied with your choice of a wedding cake, then ask what the savings would be if you picked it up yourself instead of having it delivered. 

If the savings are great enough, and the extra hassle worth the distraction the morning of your wedding, then ask a friend or family member to actually pick it up for you. The day of your wedding will be hectic enough without trying to work a trip to the bakery into your schedule!

A great money saving idea is to design your own wedding invitations.

Using either basic or a specialty card stock created especially for formal invitations, (found at any office supply store) you can save over 50% on the cost of your wedding invitations and other associated paper products (wedding program, wedding place cards, wedding thank you cards, etc.)

While the cost savings alone is enough to seriously consider printing your own rather than ordering from your local stationery shop or online – (remember shipping charges really add up fast) – the best part is that you can design a one-of-kind, unique wedding invitation that reflects your style and personality!

Speciality card stock is available in everything from vellum and linen to earth friendly collections, all offering innumerable ways to set your wedding apart.