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Have you joined the Pinterest Craze? Pinterest users are growing by leaps and bounds – we read that visitors shot up 50% between January and February of this year!

Brides are certainly making good use of this social media. Pinterest estimates there are now tens of thousands of wedding-related boards! That’s a lot of inspiration!

So what’s the attraction? It’s like a scrapbook – with pictures of related items all on one page. To see all the ideas for your wedding side by side helps you better visualize how it might all come together on your wedding day. The visual  impact is like no other – and really helps to pull your vision of your wedding theme together.

If you have joined Pinterest, you may soon be referring to your “pinterest addiction!” It really is hard to stop pinning once you start!

So, you guessed it – I’m now addicted to Pinterest! In one short month I have created 16 boards and have over 100 followers. Most popular pin? My pin of these black and white damask wine glass shade covers was pinned 111 times in just a few short hours!

Black and White Damask Wine Glass Shades

They are a part of our “Black and White Wedding” Board.

http://pinterest.com/affordablebridl/black-and-white-wedding/

So come on and join us!

You can Follow Affordable Elegance Bridal on Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/affordablebridl

Malinda

Affordable Elegance Bridal

www.affordableelegancebridal.com

https://www.facebook.com/AffordableEleganceBrid

So what bride is not on a budget?  Every bride wants to have the wedding of their dreams and still be able to pay the bills, so we are here to help with a few of our favorite money-saving tips for purchasing bridal attire and accessories.

1) Shop early and buy necessary items well before your wedding date. You can save not only stress but $ from not having to rush your order. We have worked with many brides who have to pay for Express mail shipping to get their items on time for the wedding. Overnight mail is expensive – and is not always overnight! Save yourself the hassle and order early.

2) Get a package deal – many retailers are willing to give you a better per item price when you buy several items at the same time. I know we are – we call it a multi-purchase discount. You save twice because your price per piece is smaller and your shipping cost is smaller too!

3) Buy decor from brides who just got married! We love www.weddingbee.com and www.recycledbride.com  – and similar sites where you can purchase gently used decor items from other brides. What a great idea! PLUS once your dream wedding is over, you can sell your own items the same way!

4) Shop the sale rack – most bridal shops have a sale rack of dresses that have been recently discontinued. The styles are current and the prices are great! Buy off the rack and save hundreds off the original price! Plus you’ll be trying on the actual dress you will receive – no hoping your dress fits when it arrives or that it arrives in time! (another double win – less money and less stress!)

5) Find the website’s sale category – likewise, many online accessory websites have an “On sale” category -we do:

http://www.affordableelegancebridal.com/onsale.html

Look for the bargains  – don’t purchase just because it’s on sale, but if you find what you are looking for, by all means buy it on sale!

6) Use those coupons! Did you know most online websites have a coupon that can be used? Use google to search for the website name and coupon! Also visit coupon sites such as www.retailmenot.com and www.befrugal.com for extra coupons! Affordable Elegance Bridal has a standard coupon available for $5 off any item any time – even sale items! Use coupon code “WB05″ at checkout!

Check back often for more money-saving ideas and happy frugal shopping!

Malinda

https://www.facebook.com/AffordableEleganceBrid

We love the latest bridal fashion trend… the beaded wedding dress belt!

Jewered Wedding Dress Belt 19b

What a great way to customize your gown and add instant glamor and sparkle! Adding a sash or  belt can drastically change the look of your wedding gown. A simple gown can be instantly dressed up and an elaborate gown can become uniquely your own.

And the belt will help accentuate your waistline, giving definition to your shape!

We have lots of possibilities for belts – you might add a black ribbon sash to incorporate your black wedding color

Black Wedding Dress Sash b3136b

- or add a pearl embellished belt to coordinate with your jewelry…

…the possibilities are endless!

You can view our large collection of wedding dress belts here:

http://www.affordableelegancebridal.com/jeweledbelts.html

Wow – It’s Royal Wedding Week and the excitement is mounting over the April 29 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton! I can’t wait to see what type of gown she will wear! How will she combine tradition with her contemporary flair? And what about her jewelry and headpiece?

Speculation abounds over Kate’s tiara! Will she wear a tiara provided by her family as Priness Diana did when she wore the Spencer family tiara? Many think it is likely she will wear a crown given to her by the Queen–who is said to have, in the royal collection, the largest selection of tiaras in the world!

Many think she will wear the $10.5 million “Strathmore Rose” diamond tiara, which was last worn by the late Queen Mother.

Or maybe the “Fringe” tiara, which the queen wore on her own wedding day when she married Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Or the princess-like “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland” tiara given to the queen by her grandmother, Queen Mary?

Decisions, decisions!

What about your tiara? You may not have access to “the largest selection of tiaras in the world” for your wedding day, but there are plenty of options!

Here are some of our top picks for “regal” looking tiaras!

Elaborate Rhinestone Royal Wedding Tiara

Freshwater Pearl and Rhinestone Bridal Tiara

Couture Silver Crystal and Pearl Bridal Tiara

Fairytale Silver Plated 2" Rhinestone Bridal Tiara

Whatever your headpiece choice, we hope you feel like royalty on your special day!

“What’s a fascinator,” you say? It’s a remarkably trendy hair accessory that usually includes feathers and/or flowers on a comb, clip or headband. A “mini-hat” if you will!

Fascinators are the perfect accessory for adding vintage flair!

You have probably seen them being worn lately to formal as well as casual events. We’ve enjoyed the many online pictures of Kate Middleton wearing the most fabulous of fascinators as well as hats! We love this new trend in hair accessories and hope you will consider including fascinators in your wedding!

Here are some fabulous fascinator ideas!

Affordable Elegance Bridal has a wide variety of fascinators for the bride as well as her bridesmaids.

We hope you’ll peruse our selection of fabulous fascinators here:

http://www.affordableelegancebridal.com/fascinators.html

Bridal Brooches can add Sparkle and Charm to Your Wedding!

Looking for a way to add a little bling to your wedding decor without breaking the bank?

The Bridal brooch may be your answer! This versatile jewelry can add sparkle and flair to your wedding and bridesmaid dresses, bouquet stems, cake ribbons, purses, wraps, reception accessories,  and more!

See how fabulous this pearl and crystal brooch looks on this cake ribbon?

Brooches can add a splash of color to your decor as well!

Imagine how these brooches could be used to accent your wedding colors!

Rose, fuchsia, turquoise, ruby red and peridot join together in this colorful pin! Add this pin to your wrap, dress, cake ribbon, etc. to beautifully reflect your wedding day colors and add flair to your decorations!

Amethyst and AB Crystals add color to this vintage inspired brooch!

Brooches can also reflect the theme of your wedding – modern vintage, beach, autumn, butterfly, etc.

Visit our Bridal Pins and Brooches section today for inspiration for your wedding planning!

Wow! About 10 percent of all wedding proposals happen on Valentine’s day! That’s a lot of proposing! Here’s to all those who will soon be brides to be!

And for everyone who has a special love, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Some popular expressions of love on Valentine’s Day – and every day – include:

2) Doves  – theses birds are symbols of loyalty and love because they mate for life and share the care of their babies.

3) Chocolate (our personal favorite!)  – Sales of chocolate account for more than $345 million out of the more than $448 million dollars in candy consumers will purchase to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

4) Heart Shaped Cards, Boxes and Jewelry!

Maybe you are planing  a heart theme or Valentine’s Day Wedding! We have lots of heart theme bridal and wedding accessories to choose from!

Romantic Red Rose Wedding Accessories Collection

We have heart shaped Wedding Cake toppers, jewelry, bracelets, earrings, bouquet jewelry, and more! Just type in “heart” to the search box and you’ll find lots of ideas for your Heart Theme, Romantic or Valentine’s Day Wedding!

Mariell’s new catalogue has just arrived with hundreds of new bridal accessories! We are listing them as quickly as we can, but thought we’d give you some highlights!

Bridal Cloaks with Faux Angora Trim!

Just in time for your Winter Wedding!

Mid length and Full length!

Matching muffs!

We also love these new  fascinators! Perfect for the peacock theme and vintage theme weddings!

Watch the website for new listings every day!

Affordable Elegance Bridal Blog

January 12, 2011

Are you using some contemporary and some vintage inspired ideas for your wedding? Love all things romantic? Love the simple yet elegant wedding looks of days gone by? Maybe you consider yours a Modern Vintage Wedding!

Blending the old with the new is what it’s all about! Maybe you’ll have a new wedding dress with a vintage look to it or coupled with a vintage inspired headpiece or birdcage veil! Maybe a few Vintage Look brooches to decorate your cake, wrap, purse or to accent the gowns of your bridesmaids or Mother of the Bride and Groom! Or feather fascinators for everyone!

If you love Modern Vintage, then we’ve got the accessories for you! We have a section of our website just for Modern Vintage Lovers! Modern Vintage Wedding Jewelry and Accessories

From Vintage Inspired jewelry and headpieces to Baroque design place card holders, this section is full of Modern Vintage Ideas! And many of them like this Birdcage Veil with Hat are On Sale Now!

Affordable Elegance Bridal Blog

December 30, 2010

Happy New Year to You and Yours from Affordable Elegance Bridal!

Thank you for a Wonderful 2010! We’re Looking forward to serving you in 2011!

Many new 2011 Styles of Veils, Headbands, Tiaras, Jewelry, Earrings, Bracelets and Favors have just been added! Come see what’s new!

The Gorgeous Symphony Bridal Side Accent Headband 4719CR is back in stock and we’ve Lowered the price! Order yours now while in stock and on sale!