FRUGAL FIANCÉE NO MORE!

Yay! I just got back from a wonderful two weeks away after an amazing wedding! Here is a little bit of more to come! I dont' have professional pictures yet but here's a great pic of my husband and I walking down the aisle.

The dress, if you are wondering, was custom made by my cousin who made couture wedding dresses professionally for years and did mine as a family favor. It is actually a two piece! The big skirt comes off to reveal a short satin dress. I didn't think this double-dress idea was even possible, but it worked out so well!

More to come!

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Somebody's Getting Married!

Sorry to have been away for the past week, it has been very busy over here in Wedding Preparation Land as I'm getting married this Saturday! I have spent a lot of time on all the details and I will be posting features on everything from the dress to the shoes to the cake topper. Can't wait to share it with you, see you when I'm no longer a fiancee!

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Awesome or Ugly?

Bridal Shoes:

Awesome?

Or Ugly?

BUY THEM

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Bridal Blemish Emergency!

After several years of relatively blemish-free skin, I awoke a couple weeks ago to a massive zit on my face. After a week of trying to make it go away without success, TWO MORE showed up to join it, AACK! I needed something I could count on to make them disappear before the big day. My fiancé is actually the one who found Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion.

This stuff is similar to calamine lotion and has some specific directions (whatever you do DON'T SHAKE IT) but it has worked great and I'll definitely keep it on hand as the Wedding Day nears (T-18).

Made By: Mario Badescu

Price: $17 (cheaper then a trip to the dermatologist or a pre-wedding breakdown)

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Perfect Present.

For the wedding night, while you might be a bit tipsy, or tired, or just giddy with excitement, you might also want to slip into something more "comfortable" to enjoy with your new spouse. I think these undies a sexy, cute, and very bridal.

Made By: BHLDN

Price: $64

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Buff Brides.

It's no secret that Brides and Grooms want to look their best on their wedding day. You will be seeing pictures of your self from your wedding day for the rest of your life, so you want to look super-good.

A major part of my plan has been working out with a trainer at Crunch, its really fun, keeps me motivated, and I'm hoping to have some serious guns by the wedding day (only half kidding here). On Gilt City they are offering 5 training sessions for $149 if you sign up as a new Crunch member which is much MUCH cheaper than their standard rates. Jump on this and then drop and give me 20.

Made By: Crunch

Price: $149 (originally $405)

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Dancing Shoes.

By LyndseyWhat are you going to wear to dance in at your wedding? While you might have some really hot heels to wear during the ceremony and early part of the reception, your feet might need a break from the height if you want to dance till the early morning hours. Grab yourself some cute flats like the ones above and party the best night of your life away!

Made By: Steve Madden

Price: $49.90 (originally$59.95)

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Bridal Purse.

By Lyndsey

Okay, I'm not going to lie: it's just over three weeks till my wedding and so my posts will focus around items I have yet to finalize! I don't have a purse so I need to buy one NOW. The above is a very pretty, elegant clutch. I like the decorative flower and interesting texture but its not just another purse with crystals on it.

Made By: rejenerate on Etsy

Price: $69

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Awesome or Ugly?

Awesome?

Or Ugly?

Tell me in the comments!

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Spring Time Is Here?

Spring is here! Right? I mean its been raining for 6 days straight in New York, so I can't tell but I'm sure its arrived somewhere and I love love love this dress for a spring wedding. Kate Spade never fails to combine sophistication and girliness without going too far in either direction.

Made By: Kate Spade

Price: $375

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Sashy.

I'm not a big fan of accessories for accessory's sake, I think everything should add to an outfit and if it doesn't add something that was missing, remove it! So, I'm not big on throwing a sash on just any old bridesmaid's dress, but if you are looking for one to oomph your look, this one is super cute. The grossgrain is a great texture and the double-bow is unique, not tired.

Made By: BHLDN

Price: $60

BUY IT

(Okay, I admit that this post might be a hint to my leading ladies in case they still need a navy accent piece!)

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Tie The (Half-Windsor) Knot

If you hadn't noticed, prep is back, and prep is not that tough to use as a basis for a wedding theme. The classic navy/red striped tie above is a great groom's and groomsmen tie (and comes in other navy/color combos).

If red is your color, don't feel like you have to do red, black, and white, or red and grey, pair it with navy and raid the Tommy Hilfiger section of Macy's for your bridesmaid dresses. I promise you, you won't run short on ways to incorporate Prep into the small details.

Made By: Brooks Brothers

Price: $79.50 (Buy one, get one 30% off)

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Twosie.

By Lyndsey

I've been to several weddings where the bride wore two dresses: a ceremony dress and a reception dress. I can see how the idea of two dresses can make your head spin since just ONE costs an arm and a leg, so, what about a two-sie dress? I know it sounds a bit frightening but the reviews on the dress above have been great.

You get a long, dramatic look for the ceremony and then a cute, short number to party the night away in. Love (x2).

Made By: David's Bridal Collection

Price:$549 (originally $599)

BUY IT

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: BHLDN Decorations.

I have been a fan of BHLDN (Anthropologie's bridal line) since it came out and their new Decor items are no exception. The table numbers above are stylish and you can't tell from the photo but they are letterpress which, if you had done custom just for you, would be much more expensive than $40. Here's to looking like you had a personal Wedding stylist without paying for one!

Made By: BHLDN

Price: $40

BUY THEM

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: All Hail Princess Kate!

So the dust has had a bit of time to settle and mostly the reviews are positive about Kate's dress and overall style. I wasn't kidding when I said that as go princesses, so goes bridal fashion. Grace Kelly was a style icon of her time and Princess Kate is bringing that impeccable elegance back.

The lace on the dress isn't matronly, its delicate and even adds a bit of sexiness to the dress but still in a way that makes it appropriate for the occasion and stature of the event.

The train I think was necessary ( if you are getting married in Westminster Abbey, you need a train) but I liked that it didn't extend all the way to the back of the Cathedral. Her sister Pippa has been getting quite the buzz too (pictured above holding the train). Pippa looked beautiful in her white dress, though I'm not sure if an all white bridal party trend will make it to the U.S.

If you want a dress like hers, the above is a great option from White by Vera Wang. It's not a one-of-a-kind, but it has a similar feel. I cant wait to see more dresses like it.

Made By: White by Vera Wang for David's Bridal

Price: $1300

BUY IT

All in all, I'm excited to see what Princess Kate will influence in fashion generally, and, as a fellow 2011 Bride I say: Best Wishes!

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Princess Catherine.

She looks effortlessly stunning! I love the Grace Kelly inspired dress and doesn't she look a tad like Audrey Hepburn? I can't wait for this trend to continue, as princesses so, so goes bridal fashion!

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Crown Jewels.

So much about the Royal Wedding has been speculated about and we'll find out tomorrow morning if we were all wrong, so I'm not going to make any dress predictions. However the word on the street is Kate will borrow a tiara from Queen Elizabeth for the wedding.

Above is the tiara worn by (from left to right), Queen Mary, the Queen Mum, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Anne. Now, Kate is a real princess and so gets to wear a tiara down the aisle. Us common folk, however, can look a bit silly in a wedding tiara, and the trends have moved decidedly away from donning such princess headware and towards flowers and hair fascinators.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and, just in case you don't see it anywhere else (impossible), I'll post pics of Kate's dress and outfit tomorrow morning!

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Royally Generous

Opting for donations in your name instead of a traditional registry is a great way to honor the causes you care about. It is also seen as a pretty classy thing to do if you are already well-off and don't need any more housewares; I'm pretty sure Kate and Wills qualify in that category.

Also, I'm debating whether or not I should get up at 4 a.m. to blog about it live and since I'm on the fence, I leave it to you, readers. If enough of you want me to get up and blog it for you, I will, just let me know in the comments! (Let's say 10 people demanding this coverage is "enough.")

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: You're On Sapphire.

Man that is a big rock!Kate Middelton is not the first to don a sapphire engagement ring, in fact she's not even the first to don HER sapphire engagement ring, and this once-old trend is new again as many brides-to-be are choosing not to have a diamond solitaire as their engagement ring.

I am totally biased because I have a sapphire engagement ring and I had it before Kate sparked the whole new rage. I love that it is (was?) more individual and reflects my personality better than a diamond would. If you want to rock a gemstone, sapphire is a great way to go and will be significantly cheaper than a diamond of equal size and quality, but can still be elegant.

BUY ONE

FRUGAL FIANCÉE: Royal Icing.

Welcome to Royal Wedding Week! Seeing as there is expected to be more than one billion (with a "b") viewers of this event, I'll be posting this week about the Royal Wedding and themes you can take from their wedding to yours.

Has Dunkin' Donuts ever made a special donut for you? I doubt it; but they have made the above donut in honor of the Royal Wedding this week! From the company's press release: "The heart signifies the love between Prince William and Catherine, and the donut is filled with jelly to represent how their lives are to be ever-filled with happiness. The white frosting is reminiscent of the traditional white wedding gown, and the chocolate drizzle is symbolic of William’s love for chocolate."

Donuts are becoming a wedding trend in general, giving the "cupcake" idea a run for its money. If you are going to serve donuts at your reception i'd shy away from the desire to stack them up as a tiered wedding cake (it might not come out the way you pictured it), and find some cute boxes or trays to display them in.

EAT IT