Plan Your Dream Wedding on a Budget

As a follow-up to my Mashable post on How To: Plan a Wedding on the Web, I've posted some additional wedding planning information.

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially when considering the price tag. With so many details to take care of and options to choose from, it’s no wonder that there are professional wedding planners to coordinate their dream wedding. But for couples on a budget (or those who just want a more active role planning their wedding) this may not be an option. Fortunately, there are many online resources available to offer advice, ideas, and even some deals. Your big day can be everything you had hoped for- without breaking your bank account.

Go Beyond the Big Sites for Inspiration
The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings are incredibly rich with resources (more on that below). However, they’re not the only wedding websites out there. Many smaller sites and blogs provide inspiration with gorgeous photos, in depth information, and suggestions from real weddings. Best of all, they feature emerging brands (who generally have friendlier price tags) and thrifty ideas. Some of my favorites include:

Green Wedding Shoes
Kiss The Groom
Polka Dot Bride
Something Old, Something New
Sugar Love Weddings
Vintage Glam Weddings

Find Affordable Attire
National retailers like J. Crew have added Wedding sections with reasonably-priced options for the entire wedding party. Ann Taylor sells mix-and-match bridesmaids’ dresses, and hosts a user-uploaded photo collection of their dresses in real weddings. David’s Bridal is another affordable retailer that further streamlines the process with its Dress Your Wedding tool. The web app is a “virtual dress rehearsal” that enables couples to try out styles and color combinations on virtual models. If you’re dying for a designer dress, check online for sample sales and trunk shows. Even Kleinfeld has a sale coming up.

Dazzle With DIY Details
Printable invitations have come a long way. Invite Site and Paper Source offer high quality designs that could easily be confused for custom work. For finishing touches, print with a custom font, add ribbon, or even create a stamp with your picture on it. Glö, which launches next month, will offer customizable paperless invitations that combine with wedding websites and guest list management. Crafty individuals can find ideas for favors and decor on My DIY Wedding Day and I-Do-It-Yourself.

Create a Registry for the Things You Want
Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. If you prefer something other than a blender or gravy boat, consider some alternative registry options. Have your sights set on an amazing honeymoon? Websites like Traveler’s Joy and Honey Luna enable guests to contribute to individual experiences (candlelit dinner, gondola ride) or the trip as a whole. Even Starwood Hotels, home of Sheraton and W Hotels, have caught on to the honeymoon registry trend.

Want to use your big day as an opportunity to give back? JustGive.org has a database of nearly 1.5 million charities and the aptly named I Do Foundation has partnered with non-profits in a variety of fields, from healthcare and education to the environment and social justice. Additionally, Heifer International, an established organization committed to. creating sustainable sources of food and income, offers its own registry.

Love wine? Check out Morrell’s. Passionate about art? Art-Exchange has its own registry. Want a little bit of everything? My Registry, Zank You, and Wish Pot enable couples to add individual items from any store.

Use Local Forums to Find Deals
As previously mentioned, the large wedding sites have their advantages, one of them being their broad reach. The Knot has local boards based on region, with at least one dedicated board per state. Brides has a local vendors section, complete with photos from real weddings. On the Wedding Channel’s community, user profiles include location, making it easy to reach out to other brides in the area.

Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Wedding planning can have its stressful moments, but don’t forget to have fun! After all, the wedding is a celebration of your love and commitment to one another, gifts more valuable than anything money can buy.

At Zankyou, Wedding Lists Go Straight to Your Bank Account

European wedding site Zankyou provides a variety of services for soon-to-be married couples and their guests. Zankyou enables couples to create private, personal wedding websites that not only keep guests informed about the ceremony but also solicit their input in a fun, non-obligitory way. The wedding pages go beyond providing ceremony information and directions-leaving room for nearby activities, recommended hotels, etc. They even programmed the site in five languages (English, Spanish, Italian, French and German) to make things easier for international guests.

Zankyou not only makes wedding websites more fun for guests, but also provides additional benefits to the bride and groom. Couples can use Zankyou to poll guests. They can also encourage guests to share photos, videos, and add songs to the wedding playlist. The site also offers wedding planning content in their "Zk Magazine" section, with suggestions for dress, themes, favors, and celebrity wedding gossip.

The best feature on Zankyou is the wedding list feature. On the site, couples can create wedding registry items not only for kitchenware and furniture, but also parts of their honeymoon, gifts to charity, etc. Zankyou does not purchase these items but puts the funds directly into the couples' bank account, allowing them to decide what they will ultimately use the money for. It allows users to get creative with their registry and provides couples with the freedom to decide what kind of presents they want. Zankyou is a great alternative for couples who may not necessarily want or need items from a department store, but feel awkward asking for checks or putting bank account information on their invitation.

Brides Use Internet to Plan Wedding Registry

Emarketer recently reported that, in a study conducted by The Knot, engaged and recently married couples were making changes to their wedding registries, with affordable retailers and online shopping now in the spotlight. 44% of the 12,398 adults surveyed reported that the affordability of items is “extremely important” when selecting a registry store. 27% consider it “somewhat important.” Affordable retailers, such as Target, Wal-Mart and JCPenney are a more registry popular choice among brides, with Target representing 18% of all primary bridal registries.

According to Miriam Alexander, The Knot's vice president,“Brides are looking at the whole package and making some decisions. They’re becoming more savvy, interviewing service providers and negotiating.” The recent economic pressure is causing brides to conduct more research online while planning their wedding registries, with the Internet now ranked higher than friends and family as "very influential" in brides' planning.