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Resources, Statistics, Articles, Blogs, Discounts and more for Weddings & Engagements

Stage of Life is here to assist future brides and grooms by offering a place to share frustrations and joys leading up to the "big day." Take a moment to share a story, advice or ask a question.

Featured Wedding Writers, Bloggers and Articles

What's The Big Deal About Weddings?

Written by: bigdreamer1, on 7/15/2010

Read more about me and my wedding at: http://becauseeverybodyhasastory.blogspot.com/

I was never that little girl who dreamed of having a wedding. I never had visions of where I wanted it or what dress I would wear. Not that I didn't want one. I think I mostly just believed it was something I could never have. For me it was something that other people do. Not something I would never be able to afford or ever be lucky enough to get the chance to do.

I was so blase about it at the beginning. Is it worth the money? Do we really need to do all of this? We are buying a house this year-can we really justify it? Now that I have done it I completely understand what all of the fuss is about and I am so glad I didn't miss out. It is worth every penny. This amazing night was ... Read More

Minimalist Bride

Written by: bigdreamer1, on 6/4/2010

From My Blog: http://becauseeverybodyhasastory.blogspot.com/

There are a lot of things I'm not doing for my wedding. We aren't doing engagement photos. There will be no out of town bags, petal tosses, programs, menu cards, bathroom baskets, or monograms just to name a few. But, I will spring for chair covers to liven up our venue and I am hoping to host some extra alcohol for our guests.

I am now and have always been low fuss, simple, easy to please and all about business when it comes to budget. It turns out that my wedding is no exception. The invites I found online were simple yet elegant and I refused to spend more then I was comfortable with. I started out planning on only 2 bridesmaids and having them pick their own dresses. I ended up with 4 and coordinated... Read More

What's Really Important About Your Wedding?

Written by: bigdreamer1, on 4/28/2010

Choices I make generally always come down to price and unfortunately my wedding is no exception. I've had to pick and choose what matters most to me focusing on those and letting the others go. For me that is venue and photographer. Our venue is a newly renovated hotel ballroom for the reception. It has a gorgeous garden area outside for the ceremony. I felt that if I could find a venue that was pretty on its own it would save me on additional decorating costs later. Generic maybe, but the price fit. It will be beautiful and also convenient for everyone especially our out of town guests to have everything in one spot. There were some amazing photographers I would have loved to have do our wedding starting at $2500 and up but I just couldn't do it. I like our photographer's portfolio and t... Read More

Your Wedding Questions & Stories

Wedding Essentials

Posted by: etiquetteguy, on 7/7/2010

Tradition Plays a Role in Informal Weddings

When asked what essential elements I would recommend be included in a wedding of today, and what traditions might be appropriate I thought, wow, traditions - that's an ideal way to help structure a contemporary wedding. And here I am in the glorious Catskill Mountains away from my library of reference books. What follows therefore are my raw and unresearched thoughts about old traditions and modern informal weddings.

The guidelines which govern wedding etiquette are as flexible or inflexible as you want them to be. Personally, for informal weddings, I prefer to be more flexible. There are many different variables to consider today. For example, many people marry later in life; couples often pay for their own weddings and d... Read More

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Bridal Shower Activities

Posted by: I Run in Heels, on 5/21/2010

My brother Seth is getting married this June, and the past three Saturdays I've been at and/or hosted showers for my future sis-in-law Ali. I thought I'd share two fun ideas from the family shower we had for her.

My dad is one of 8 and lots of his siblings live in Southern CA, so we had about 12 of us, including aunts, cousins, my grandma, my mom, and the bride, Ali.

I came up with a game that would give Ali a little more insight into our family. Each person was given a cute card (matching Ali's wedding colors) that I'd decorated with a Martha Stewart flower sticker. Across the top of the card, I wrote "You know you're a Marcus if..." and that had each of them fill in the blank with funny things about our family.

The answers were hilarious, including "you... Read More

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How are you handling planning a wedding during the recession?

Posted by: stephpadovani, on 5/15/2010

Pretty much all the couples we work with are thinking about price these days, even the ones who are blessed enough to be working with an above average budget. I'm seeing a lot more do it yourself projects, cutting back in decor and flowers, and putting more focus on meaning and personalization.

How are you dealing with the stresses of staying on budget for your wedding in this economy?... Read More

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Money Management After Your Wedding

Financial Planning for Newlyweds

Stage of Life™ has partnered with Quicken to help create the awareness on the best practices for managing your money after your wedding.

Take a test drive with Quicken using their free online tool - Free Quicken Online.

Navigating the in's and out's of combined household incomes can be difficult, but Quicken Online is a wealth of information on helping organize your finances from paying your new household bills, finding ways to save money together and watching where you spend your money.

The staff at Stage of Life recommend it to you because the online tool is robust, free and is backed by Quicken...one of the most trusted names in personal financal assistance. It takes less than 5 minutes to get started and there is a free iPhone App available too. Let us know how it worked for you.

Stage of Life™ recommends this article from Quicken too: Household Budgeting Secrets to Marital and Money Bliss