First Post!

Welcome to the first post on my new blog!! It's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm back with new ideas! The goal of this blog is to show brides out there that you don't have to have a $100,000 budget to have a beautiful wedding. How many of you brides-to-be are planning on DIY'ing your wedding?? Well, if you're a budget bride, you probably will become one with your inner Martha as you learn the ins and outs of DIY. As for me, I am planning on DIY'ing LOTS of things for my upcoming wedding: Invites, STD's (save the dates), programs, flowers, monogram, aisle runner, centerpieces, cake topper, unity candle and anything else I can think of! I don't have a lot of DIY experience, but I have been known to let my crafty side out on occasion. I have found some fabulous resources for all the info I could ever need about my DIY projects. I bet you're wondering what they could be, huh?? Well, they're no big secret, but are sometimes overlooked. Should I tell you? Okay, I give in, here they are......The Knot and Weddingbee. Some of you are thinking, "duh". But I bet there just as many that have't utilized either of these websites to their full potential. Actually, most of the women I know have NEVER heard of either of these! Insane, right?? Sadly, I'm not kidding. Both of these websites are full of women, just like you, who are trying to pull off a fabulous wedding. More and more brides are taking on DIY projects these days. Some are for budget reasons, others are to impart a more personal feel on their big day. If you're new to all of this, I would suggest trying weddingbee first.

It is very user friendly and you won't find any snarky brides on their boards. The bloggers on this website, known as 'bees', post frequently about their wedding adventures. You can post any question you like on their message boards and will very quickly start receiving advice. The knot is also a great place to look for advice.

The knot, is better known for its forums. These are message boards, but with particular subjects for each one. For instance, one board is called 'Getting in Shape'. As you can guess, it's about fitness. They also have: 'Making it Personal', 'Planning and Etiquette' and 'Interfaith Weddings' just to name a few. You can also join your wedding month board. They have boards that are specifically for women getting married in a certain month of a certain year (i.e. October '09). Then, you have local boards (Chicago, New york, etc.)

No matter which site you choose, there are thousands of women out there to help you on your way. Is there a particular wedding website that you love??