My favorite wedding tools

Hiring a wedding consultant will help simplify the planning process immensely but if you decide to take on many of the details yourself, make sure to take advantage of all the great tools and Web sites available. Here are some of my faves:

• My Seating from Wedding Wire will help you save time and stress when it comes to assigning seats at the reception. Instead of breaking out the eraser each time your in-laws ask to move Uncle Eddy, just use the drag and drop function instead! When it's complete, print out the seating chart and hand it off to your coordinator.
• Wedding Mapper is a super easy tool that allows you to create a map that highlights special locations for your guests, from the ceremony location to the reception site and even fun destinations like the beach or the local bar where the bride and groom met. Just add icons for each location and add directions, then import the map on your inviation "directions" card.
• Wedding Web sites are almost always used nowadays. Some of the best, most customizable sites are NearlyWeds.com and WeddingWindow.com.

 What planning tools do you love?

Destination: Puerto Rico

When it comes to destination weddings, one of the obvious choices is Mexico. But if you're on the lookout for another location that's just as affordable, beautiful and not too far away, then look no further then Puerto Rico.

My husband and I recently went to Puerto Rico to celebrate our one year anniversary. It was our first trip to PR and we stayed in Fajardo, a town about 45-minutes from San Juan. We booked through a third party travel company and weren't quite sure what to expect, so we were extremely excited when we pulled up to our hotel El Conquistador. 

Driving up the long winding road, my husband was in awe of the golf course while I was pumped to see the spa up ahead. The resort is huge and absolutely gorgeous. There's no beach because it's located above a marina, but guests can take a free boat ride to a private island just 10 minutes away. Being located on a clif and above the marina, you get a fantastic view of the surrounding area - just check out the photo from our hotel room balcony.

What makes this such an ideal location for a wedding - besides the views - is that there's so much to do for you and your guests from a casino, several large pools and Coqui waterpark. There are three casual restaurants, a steakhouse (it was closed during our stay) and a seafood restaurant down by the marina. But, my favorite restaurant during our stay was by far La Estacion, what looks like a run-down shack from the street but was the perfect combo of authentic Puerto Rican food in a casual, fun setting. It's just a 5-minute drive from the resort. Don't miss out on the mofongo - it's unreal!

What is your top pick for a destination wedding?

Off the Shelf: My new favorite wedding mag!

Have you seen Get Married the magazine? Let me tell you, it is amaaazing! I have always loved flipping through wedding mags, but the one major flaw I’ve found in them all is that the products they recommend are often too expensive for the average bride. But Get Married has really nailed the concept of offering real brides affordable ideas to make their wedding as special as they always dreamed.

I received a copy of the first issue in the mail and was pleasantly surprised, because I’ve seen the TV show by the same name that airs early weekday mornings on WE TV (check your local listings for airtimes). The show is full of valuable info and makes wedding planning seem doable even to the novice planner. However, the show’s content actually works better in a magazine format, because they’re able to offer the bride so much more information at one time. From invitations to bridal gowns and table settings, I can’t get enough of their fresh and reasonably priced ideas.

Flipping through Get Married, I was psyched to see that for every product featured, they offered a website where you could purchase it. Most items are available on the magazine’s site, http://shop.getmarried.com/index.jsp, which makes comparing options even easier. The site is a perfect companion to the magazine and TV show, giving stylish, budget-conscious brides a one-stop shop for all their wedding needs. Register for your free issue or view the October issue here: http://www.getmarried.com/magazine/.

Have you read Get Married? Tell me what you think!

Save the Date!

The concept of sending "Save the Date" announcements is fairly new - mostly due to the increase in long engagements. Typically long engagements only took place when someone was reporting for duty or finishing up their degree. Nowadays, many couples are engaged for a minimum of one year, some up to two years. What does that extra time give you? You may think peace of mind because you can take your time to plan out all the details, but that actually could be your demise. Without the pressure to make decisions quickly, you will find yourself spending hours agonizing over which bridesmaid dress to choose, what invitations to pick, etc.

But knowing that most brides choose Save the Date's these days, many companies have come up with creative ways the couple can kick start a long year of wedding planning. Here are some of my favorites that will help set the tone for the entire wedding:

• Plantable Cards: Your eco-conscious friends will love this! These handmade cards are embedded with real plant seeds and can be customized with your own message. They can be planted and grow beautiful flowers that will last much longer than the wedding day.
• The Calendar Save the Date: Calendars serve as some of the greatest reminders, plus you can customize them in your wedding colors. The cute heart around your wedding date makes these stand out.
• Funny Photos: The strip of photos from a photo booth are always hilarious, so find a photo booth (www.photobooth.net) and make each other laugh! Afterwards, make copies of the strip and glue them on hard card stock with the Save the Date message on the back.

What other ideas are out there for unique Save the Date's?

Chicago Bridal Bargains

Walking though the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago, you're bound to come across a bridal boutique on almost every block. They're tucked between stores like Barneys New York, Prada and Sak's, which can be very intimidating for some brides, especially those on a budget. My recommendation to any bride, even if they have the money to buy a custom designer gown, is to check out the "designer sample" stores first in hopes of snagging an amazing dress for less than half the money. You may have to make the trek out to the 'burbs, but finding the perfect dress for way less is going to be worth the trip.

Here are my favorites throughout the Chicago area:

• Wedding Belles, LTD. - Located in Barrington, Wedding Belles offers a large variety of dresses "off the rack," including designers like Jim Hjelm, Vera Wang and Melissa Sweet. The homey (literally, it looks like someone's grandma's house) shop includes private dressing rooms and attentive staff to help you find your dream dress. This store has sentimental value to me too, because it's wear I found my Jim Hjelm dress for $1,400, far less than the $3,000-$5,000 it would've cost in other stores. (My dress is no longer online, but the one pictured is pretty close.) Brides to be, make sure to check out Wedding Belles soon, because they're celebrating their 20th anniversary right now and offering 15% off of all accessories including shoes, veils, jewelry, slips and bras. So hurry!
• Weddings 826 - This boutique is located on the trendy Armitage Ave. in a Lincoln Park brownstone walk-up. They carry more than 100 dress styles - from designers like Melissa Sweet, Jim Hjelm, Marisa, & Paula Varsalona - so you'll have the option to try on a variety during your appointment. Many of the dresses at Weddings 826 end up there due to manufacturer over-runs and under-runs, in which manufacturers produce too many or too few dresses in a certain size or color. Though it's a rare find, you may even come across a handmade one-of-a-kind dress made by a local designers. After checking out the dresses at 826, make sure to stop by next store at Lori's Shoes, where you can find some stilettos to go with your dress!
• Here Comes the Bride - Don't be fooled by this Addison, Ill. store's outside appearance. It may be located in a stripmall, but it offers more than 300 unique couture wedding gowns from designers like Nicole Miller and Mori Lee. From sizes 4 to 26, it's hard not to find something in your favorite style and size. Since everything's sold at 30% to 70% off suggested retail prize, it's a great place for brides on a tight budget. They also offer bridal accessories.

What are your favorite sample stores in the Chicagoland area? Let me know if I missed any or if you've gotten a steal at any of the stores I mentioned!