Guest Post By Rachael Zebrowski, Vintage&Lace, Wedding Planner

One of the best pieces of wedding planning advice I received shortly after my engagement came from a newly wed friend who said, “Negotiate! Negotiate! Negotiate!”

From my friend’s insight, I soon learned that one of the best-kept secrets in the wedding industry is the incredible willingness of most vendors to negotiate a trade.

Many couples on a tight budget take one look at the price of a venue and write it off as out of their range.  However, if you get creative, there are ways to craft a better deal.

Instead of just asking for a discounted rate, ask yourself what you have to offer that might be of value. For example, my husband and I chose a brand new wedding venue to host our reception. Knowing that the venue would need photos for their marketing material, we offered them the use of our wedding photos in exchange for waiving the Event Use Fee. Recognizing the offer as a win-win for both parties, the venue took the deal. They received loads of professional photographs to use in their marketing campaign while we saved $2,000 (which we then used to hire a top-notch photographer)!

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Last time, I reviewed one of my favorite chapels on the Las Vegas Strip: The Chapel at Mandalay Bay. Unfortunately, not all of Vegas’s wedding establishments are as elegant as Mandalay Bay, so for the couple who are thinking about trekking out to sin city for their nuptials, a little research is always important. Don’t stick with the first place you’ve set your mind to – the perfect Vegas chapel, like a good Christmas tree, is hardly ever in the first lot.

The Chapel at the Luxor Hotel and Casino, for example, would not be my first choice for tying the knot in Las Vegas. Here’s why:

Unlike the quiet, out-of-the-way location of the Chapel at Mandalay Bay, the Luxor’s chapel is located adjacent to the food court. The chapel is right over the lobby and directly behind the major seasonal attractions that rotate every few months. Though the lobby and main rooms of the chapel seemed more or less soundproof, don’t expect your entrance to be subtle or private.

The view from the Chapel at The Luxor

Like Mandalay Bay, I was invited to browse the chapel as I pleased, but no one seemed particularly enthusiastic to show me around. I was told that there were three main rooms, but I’m still not sure where the third was. (If you’re doing your own research in Vegas, pay attention to how you’re treated by the staff. If they don’t seem to care that you’re there while you’re looking around, think about the kind of service you’ll receive on your wedding day. You want someone willing to adjust your tiara and guide you through a wedding favor mishap, not someone who will abandon you before the music starts).

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Royal Manor, Abacus Wedding Studios

Beautiful fountains, and a perfectly decorated entrance, will  greet each guest as they arrive at this, white glove, reception location. Each guest will truly receive a taste of royalty at the Royal Manor in Garfield New Jersey.

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In the middle of the cold, snowy East coast winter {which actually has been fairly mild this year} I crave outdoor weddings.  Dana and Ben’s nuptials at the pastoral Armstrong Farms Allyson Anne barn are just the fix.  With gorgeous photos by Carden’s Photography, and a TON of DIY creativity by Dana, not to mention a scrumptious pie bar by JPC Event Group, this wedding will feed your need for pretty, rustic and outdoor beauty!

Dana and Ben are both mechanical engineers for a large aeronautics company, and they embraced their “science” geek with creative “formula” and equation table markers amidst a setting of rustic ribbons, fabric flags and carefully crafted details.  Their shaker-style ceremony featured hand crafted vows and speeches, surrounded by family and friends.  And did I mention the killer photo booth that Dana created with oh-so-amazing props?

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Getting married in Vegas isn’t what is used to be. Gone are the days of driving down to the skeezy end of the strip for a quick “hey-there-you’re-married” with an obese octogenarian Elvis. The swanky hotels are stepping it up with entire bridal teams and lavish in-house chapels, ready to paint you pretty for your big day. “Caesars Palace” offers lush garden ceremony just steps away from their opulent pool; “Mandalay Bay” has a wedding package that has you reciting your vows under a shiver of sharks; and “Treasure Island” lets you smooch your fiancé on the same pirate ship that’s home to a clan of scantily-clad singing wenches.

So, in short, your choices are a little more varied than you might think. I recently took a short trip over to Las Vegas and collected some shaky, blurry pictorials and reviews for your knowledge and benefit. If you’re thinking about getting hitched in Sin City, break out your Vegas Cake Toppers – Here’s my review of one of the most highly-rated chapels on the strip: The Wedding Chapel at Mandalay Bay:

One of the chapels at Mandalay Bay

The Mandalay Bay Chapel makes a good first impression right of the bat, as it isn’t located right in the heart of all the hotel hustle and bustle. It’s tucked away from the casino and shopping district – so much so that I almost missed it.

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Guest Post By: Mark Rhodus, of Elizabeth Diamond Company

At Elizabeth Diamond Company we are often asked by our customers, “What are the most popular designer engagement rings?” As a result, we did some research on our recent past sales and interviewed representatives from TACORI, Verragio and Simon G. Although we could easily point out which engagement rings were EDC’s most popular, we were interested in the factual data across the board.

Additionally, we also conducted our own Pinterest study. Pinterest (Pinterest.com) lets you organize and share with others, items, ideas and information in order to determine favorites through feedback, comments and votes. We used Pinterest to determine the most popular TACORI, Verragio, and Simon G engagement rings.  We placed pictures of each designer’s rings on Pinterest and created a couple different boards; then posted the group to each board to see if the results varied or stayed the same. Whichever picture got the most repins, likes, and/or comments were deemed the most popular. Overall, the choices were similar with the findings from Elizabeth Diamond Company and TACORI, Verragio and Simon G.

With all the research from these reliable sources, we proudly present the Top Five Designer Diamond Engagement Rings in order of popularity.

TACORI 2620RDMDP from the Dantella Collection

When you’ve decided to go in a different direction for a wedding registry – by registering for something like a home or a honeymoon – questions about the shower are sure to come up. After all, the point of a shower is to “shower” the couple with gifts. But what if there are no physical gifts yet? A couple shouldn’t miss out on the fun of a shower because their gifts aren’t being handled in the traditional way. In fact, it’s an opportunity to get as creative with the shower as they did with the registry! Here’s some inspiration to get your juices flowing…

• Presenting the Gift Certificate: When guests make a purchase on your cash gift registry, they have the option to print a gift certificate, which they can simply put in a card or have a little fun with: For a tropical honeymoon gift, maybe include the certificate in a basket with a beach towel and sunscreen. For a home renovation gift, try wrapping the gift around a screwdriver. Possibilities are endless!

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www.abacuswedding.com

Some of the trends in wedding photography moving into 2012 is purchasing the high resolution images, and creating your own album, or creating an album at a later time, after the wedding.

Although our studio has seen a rise in this trend, the majority of the couples we meet, have an album and parent albums included with their package.

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