Looking To Save On Special Day? 30 Tips To A Fabulously Affordable Wedding!

Elegant Affairs, AV's first choice in Wedding & Reception venues. 661.951.2261

Wedding Budget: 30 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding

We get it: Weddings are expensive. But you can cut costs without anyone missing, well, what's missing.

Reception

1. Cut the guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces.

2. Think off-peak season and save thousands!

3. Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot -- it will cut travel time for vendors you pay by the hour.

4. Skip the Saturday wedding.

5. Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths.

6. Shop the off-season for extra decor -- get modern black vases on sale after Halloween and pretty pink ones after Valentine's Day.

Flowers

7. Use more greenery than flowers.

8. Swap out costly flowers -- did you know peonies can be five times more expensive than roses?

9. Stick to just one or two kinds of flowers.

10. Buy flowers that are in season.

11. Include non-florals, like lanterns.

Food & Drink

12. Serve entree duets.

13. Skip the main course -- apps and drinks are fine too.

14. Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.

15. Serve comfort foods like barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, and corn. It's fun and often cheaper.

16. Skip the champagne toast.

Cakes

17. Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden back in the kitchen).

18. Keep the add-ons simple.

19. Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.

20. Reuse ceremony flowers for the cake table.

21. Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.

Stationery & Favors

22. Get single-page invites to save on postage.

23. Give out one favor per couple.

24. Make your cake the favors.

25. Have favors double as escort cards.

26. Email your save-the-dates.

27. Make your own menu cards, escort cards, and wedding favor packaging.

Photo, Video & Music

28. Have a photographer you love but can't afford the prices? Ask them if they have an associate shooter who will do your wedding for less.
29. Opt for a smaller band.

30. Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception.

-- Meredith Bodgas

Elegant Affairs, AV's first choice in Wedding & Reception venues. 661.951.2261

Reference Link: The Wedding Planning Institute

Elegant Affairs 42525 10th Street West
Lancaster, California 93534
Phone (661) 951-2261
Email Address: AVAffairs@yahoo.com

Who Loves Makeup? AV Elegant Affairs...

Having fun with Faith today playing with some funky makeup looks. I love using feathers for a really different fantasy look.

Whether you are looking for bridal makeup, funky makeup, or subtle makeup I'm your girl!

Not only do I have 20 yrs. experience as a Wedding Planner I am a makeup artist specializing in airbrush makeup for Brides. 

Wedding Tips Before Your Big Day Presented By: Huffington Post

10 Wedding Tips from the Mean Minister*
*mean, because I care

1. A wedding, a marriage, does not make. 
Let's start with this one. Bridal magazines and Pinterest boards don't often speak of this, but I will: Your wedding day is one day of your life. Your marriage, God willing, will last longer than one day.

Case in point:
Once, a few years after I got married, I lamented to an older friend about the torrential rain that fell on my wedding day.

She replied simply, "My daughter's wedding was picture perfect. Her wedding was out of a magazine, everything elegant, tasteful, lovely. We spent $30,000 on it; it couldn't have gone more smoothly, everything according to plan."

I didn't know where she was going with this?

"I had to hold my dress up to my chest to avoid the streams of water flowing past my feet," I complained.

"My daughter was divorced within the year," she continued, "The wedding, a marriage, does not make. You can have a perfect wedding, but that's just the wedding, that's not the marriage. They are not the same thing."

2. The Perfect Wedding? No.
Meaningful, yes. Perfect? So over it. Here's the thing. The flowers will be late or wrong, someone in the wedding party will be hung over, a hem will rip. These are not "signs" that the wedding should be called off, that you shouldn't get married. These can serve as reminders that you're not going for a "perfect" wedding day, you're aiming at meaningful with your wedding day -- maybe memorable too -- but meaningful is the aim. When you say your vows to your partner, look into her/his eyes, say that you mean it, and mean it. Have a Kleenex handy.

Case in point:
A couple I knew married during World War II in Newfoundland, and as would happen in Newfoundland, sled dogs ate their wedding cake. The couple were incredibly happy together. Theirs was a story of a wedding gone wrong, and a marriage gone right. Sally Quinn, in her book The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining, points out that sometimes when crazy stuff happens, it makes it all the more memorable, it'll be something people talk about for years.

3. Speaking of meaning it: Do you? 
Weight on your chest? Think again. If you begin to feel a lion sitting on your chest every morning before your wedding day, if you feel drained completely by the notion of being married to this person, if going through with the wedding makes you nauseous, then, "Houston, we have a problem."

If, as the day gets closer, you know in your gut it's a bad idea, then stop. Don't go through with it.

Yes, you sampled wedding cake, and purchased a cake that's non-refundable. Yes, the flower girl's dress is adorable and her heart is set on wearing it. Yes, your groomsmen and bridesmaids have plane tickets. Yes, countless people will be really, really angry with you and you'll have to return gifts. Sometimes the momentum of a wedding sweeps up people, who aren't quite sure, in the glorious wrappings and trappings of a big event. If dread sits on your chest like a lion, stop the madness, stop the forward motion, stop the wedding. People will be upset with you. Hopefully that's short term. Marriage? Long term.

Case in point:
When I was first ordained as a Presbyterian minister, I asked, "What's needed to perform a wedding?" The answers were easy:

• Have the couple show their legal identification, pay the application fee to get a marriage license, and obtain it in the county in which they'll be getting married within 60 days of the wedding. Valid legal identification is needed to obtain such a license.
• Have the couple state they're entering into the wedding as willing participants, acknowledging they know what they're doing, and that they are not getting married under duress.
• Have the couple state that they know this is a long term commitment, not a flash in the pan, which is where the "I do" comes in. "I do" get this, is what you're saying, "I do understand that I'm getting married."
• Sign and mail in the wedding license after the wedding ceremony (Note: make sure the person performing your wedding ceremony signs this, and mails it in after the service)

All of this can be quick and easy, and in truth, doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Divorce is rarely quick, rarely easy. With divorce, there will be casualties. Just sayin'.

READ MORE:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-susan-ballershepard/10-wedding-tips-before-yo_b_5353433.html

Thank You To All Of Our Loyal Supporters! If You Had A Great Experience With Us Write Us A Review Please!

Kassandra Wohlers

Karen and her DJ Jody were amazing. They kept me nice and calm and collective. Beautiful experience, and when someone was asking me too many questions, Karen jumped in and helped take the stress away from me. It was lovely. Thank you, and I will recommend Elegant Affairs to everyone I know or come across.!

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LET ME MAKE YOUR SPECIAL DAY UNFORGETTABLE!

Sunday & Monday: closed
Tuesday & Thursday: 11am-2pm
Wednesday 1pm-5pm
Friday 1pm-5:30pm
Saturday: appointment only
Hours may vary; please call ahead!
661.951.2261
42525 10th Street West, Lancaster, CA 93534
avaffairs@yahoo.com

I Love What I Do & Love To Make Other's Dream Weddings A Reality!

Airbrush Makeup, Bridal Makeup;Certified Makeup Artist Here For YOU!

Airbrush Makeup, Bridal Makeup, I LOVE Makeup!
Looking your best on your wedding day is EXCEPTIONALLY important. The right makeup, the right hairstyle, and the right dress all tie into helping make your wedding day as special as can be. Finding a good bridal makeup artist is key. Don't choose just ANYONE to help you on your big day! Choose a certified makeup artist, like myself, to get the job done right! As a professional makeup artist, specializing in bridal airbrush makeup, I understand the key elements to help those lips say "POW" and your eyes "POP"!
Below is a link to a great blog that offers tutorials, videos, blogs, and good information regarding bridal makeup and fashion! I liked it, and thought i'd share with all of YOU! Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/cosmetics/101-wedding-makeup-looks/

In the mean time CHECK OUT MY TUTORIAL as I transform one of my brides into the perfect princess!

For ALL of your wedding planning needs, contact me, Karen Goodell at 661.951.2261 

Antelope Valley Elegant Affairs; All Inclusive Wedding venue!

Most venues don't provide a centerpiece for your special day and the cost for centerpieces can quickly exceed your budget. One of the many specialty items we provide is a centerpiece.

I love creating new and different looks while using items I already have in my inventory.

Being creative is what I do best. I go the distance for my brides and will create something amazing and beautiful for you while saving you money! 

Congrats to all my amazing couples over the past several weeks. It was an honor and pleasure to be part of your special day!

Congrats to all my amazing couples over the past several weeks.

It was an honor and pleasure to be part of your special day!

5 Wedding Makeup Tips Every Bride Should Know; Brought To You By BellaSugar!

5 Wedding Makeup Tips Every Bride Should Know

Keep your makeup looking natural with these five can't-live-without tips. From our friends at BellaSugar

Read more: Wedding Makeup Tips - Natural Bridal Makeup - Real Beauty 

It's important to feel your best on your wedding day, but that's hard to do when you're wearing thick layers of powder and seven coats of mascara. Fortunately, says makeup artist Jeffrey Tasker, it doesn't take much to create stunning yet natural-looking bridal makeup. "More doesn't necessarily mean better," he says. Read his advice for boosting a bride's natural beauty — without overdoing it.

Go beyond your usual routine: Tasker suggests wearing a little more makeup than feels natural. "Makeup can be tricky for brides, because you may think you have a lot on," he says. "But when the pictures are being taken, it looks like you have nothing on."

Layer on the blush: To appear flushed and fresh-faced, use a cream cheek color. Dusting a powder blush on top will make the color pop.

Apply a hidden liner: For a natural look, don't apply eyeliner directly on the lid. Instead, Tasker recommends using Laura Mercier Tightline Cake Eyeliner ($22) with a flat eyeliner brush ($25) to tightline. Wet the brush, and apply the eyeliner underneath the top lashes. "It makes the eyes very crisp," he says. "By applying the liner inside the lid and not on top of it, it doesn't take away from the size and shape of the lid."

Make lips one shade pinker: No need to wear a bold lipstick. To make lips stand out in pictures, Tasker recommends going one shade brighter than your natural lip color.

Think sheen: Don't try to powder over natural shine, because it will only make you appear cakey. Tasker loves the dewy look. "Always use something with a little bit of a sheen to make you look glowing," he says.

More from BellaSugar
3 Tips For Achieving Timeless Makeup in Your Wedding Photos 
Makeup Tips For the DIY Bride
Nail Your Black-Tie Beauty Look - Without Upstaging the Bride
8 Clever Makeup Tips You Haven't Heard Before
Groom Your Groom Flawlessly With These Wedding Day Tips!

Read more: Wedding Makeup Tips - Natural Bridal Makeup - Real Beauty 

Antelope Valley's #1 Wedding & Event Planner; AV Elegant Affairs-Where It Began

Have you ever wondered how did I end up here? Well for me I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. From a very early age it was all about the details for everything I did. My family

referred to me as” little miss perfectionist“.
Even personally every detail from hair, make-up and wardrobe was crucial.

So being a wedding/event planner I was a natural. I found Elegant Affairs back in 2001 when I was looking for a location for one my brides. The previous owner was Sandy Davis started this amazing
journey that I am continuing. She
started Elegant Affairs after her daughter Melissa got married and they realized there
really wasn’t an all inclusive venue in the AV for weddings and receptions. So
her vision became a reality. Once I
found Elegant Affairs and did my first wedding I continued to use the venue for future
brides and events I planned.

I was absolutely in love with the wedding venue and everything it had to offer. After a few years, and a wonderful new friendship with Sandy, she was considering retiring and had a perfect plan
to do so. Sandy knew she couldn’t retire
and sell her business to just anyone. So the perfect plan was Sandy had chosen
me to carry on with the Elegant Affairs. So, now five years since Sandy has
retired we are still AV’s first choice for a wedding and reception venue. I
love owning and operating my own business. I also now have the pleasure of
being a Certified Instructor and teach a course through The Wedding Planning
Institute for individuals desiring to become certified wedding and event planners.
I am also a Certified Professional Wedding and Event Planner, which I can offer
my experience and knowledge to my future brides.