Bonjour! It's day three for us in Paris and I cannot tell you how much I am in love with this city. They say it's the city of love and oh how true that is. I have fallen in love with the culture, architecture, food, landscapes, and of course, the coffee. We started the week visiting the Eiffel Tower, a tourist must-see. We wandered around until we found the most stunning views and we just decided to take it all in. I'm sure it's like seeing the statue of Liberty for the first time (which I have yet to see) or Mount Rushmore. When you've only seen photos your entire life of monuments or far away places, once you are there, it's quite surreal.
If you haven't yet, follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more behind-the-scenes looks, travel stories, tips, and food!

This post is going to be a long one but it's worth the read if you're looking to cut costs but still have the best wedding ever.

1. Pick the right vendors. Of all the things that add to the bill for your wedding, picking the right vendors is essential to saving money but also having a great time. Getting the cheapest vendor in town doesn't necessarily mean you will be saving money - they could be awful! It's so important to ask around, read reviews, and 'interview' each one of them.  Below I am sharing how you can cut costs dramatically for each vendor but still get what you want.

• Venue - this will be one of your most expensive if you don't look around. Hotels, large convention centers, and actual wedding venues are going to be pricey. Use The Knot to find local vendors, their website tells you which ones are inexpensive.
• Tour all inexpensive venues listed and read the contract thoroughly so you can detect hidden fees.
• Try to stay under or around $1,000 for the venue.
• Caterer - this will be the most expensive vendor if you don't do your research. I would again look at the The Knot's website but also try to negotiate with the caterer you're interested in. If you can rent napkins, plates, silverware for cheaper at a rental company - see if that will reduce your cost. A lot of times that works and the caterers want your business so they're happy to oblige. 
• Catering will range from $2,500-$7,000 - do your research! You can find places that will cater good food, for cheap!
• Photography - This day in age, everyone can hold a camera and take a picture. If you want great photos, hire a photographer that is not the most established and expensive in town but the may be an up & comer. They are also paid by the hour - stick to a tight timeline with them.
• Hire a photographer for the essentials, then, have a DIY photo station or polaroid cameras for guests to use to take their own photos. This is definitely the most personal way to capture the day.
• There are also apps on iPads that can take photos and save them to an album. 
• DJ - Consider finding DJ's that are very inexpensive but will take requests and play specific songs that you want. 
• To cut costs, see if the venue where you are getting married has their own AV system. If they do, you can create playlists yourself and have the music on continuously. That will save you the DJ bill completely
• Also look into music programs at various colleges or high-schools. There are a lot of kids that start up DJ businesses that are cheap but are "hip" and play great tunes.
• Florist - If you are really looking to cut costs then consider doing all the arrangements yourself. Costco and Sam's Club have beautiful flowers for a very low cost. You can order them all so they get to you a few days before the wedding. 
• Choose non-floral centerpieces such as candles, lanterns, etc.
• Use faux-flowers if necessary. I wouldn't go overboard on the faux-flowers because these can be expensive too but it's something to consider to cut costs!
• Cake - Consider renting your display cake and having sheet cakes for your guests. There is a place in Iowa that does this and the owner is phenomenal and the bill is super cheap! 
• If you aren't hip on cake, cupcakes are a lot cheaper, as are donuts! Think outside of the box here - what is your favorite sweet treat and how much will it cost to have a large amount?
• Officiant - Don't forget to tip the officiant. Tips can range from $400-$800 depending on how large your church is. Consider having a friend or family member become ordained and give them a small gift of your appreciation. 
• Dress - There are so many great boutiques you can go to now to find gowns at great prices. Places like BHLDN, J.Crew Weddings, & Lauren Conrad's Paper Crown  all have incredibly chic options at not-bridal store costs. 
• Shop for dresses off-the-rack and at trunk shows
• Also shop closeout sales or large seasonal sales. Once you find your gown and know your size, look online to see if you can find it anywhere else that will ship it to you free. 

We are at the beginning of peak wedding season and that means a lot of weddings to attend. If you're anything like me then you love having options. I'm definitely not the type of gal to wear the same dress over to events unless I switch up accessories, shoes, and hairstyles. You can however, find different pieces that are affordable, chic, and re-wearable!

I've rounded up some of my favorite dresses of the season that are perfect for weddings, bridal showers, special occasions, etc.! Oh, and they are all under $50 for those budget-friendly loving people.

Whether you are wearing a simple cami dress, sundress, or printed floral - all of these styles will be beautiful! Share your wedding attire options below!

I love being an event coordinator. I get to help people plan one of the happiest days of their life - not many people can say that. There are so many things an event coordinator can do, we are YES people and will do everything to make your day perfect. That's not to say that you won't need to do your part either. There are things a lot of people forget and they find themselves scrambling at the last minute to get everything together. Let me tell you, we can surely make some wedding day magic happen, even pull things from nowhere just to make your day perfect - but there are some things that will just go wrong if you don't plan right.
Wedding Day Tip: Something will go wrong. Whether it's the cake, bar, weather, flowers, bugs, animals, drunk guests, screaming kids, etc., there will be something that doesn't go quite as you planned and THAT'S OK! Know in the back of your mind that the only perfect part of the day needs to be you and your loved one saying your vows - the rest will fall into place. 

With that, I wanted to share my top 10 tips you shouldn't forget when planning your wedding.

1 // Don't forget to read all the contracts and highlight all the fees! I am putting this one first because some people think a venue or caterer is very cheap and they don't read the contract...so they miss all the hidden fees.

Just the other day I was reading over a venue contract - the venue only cost $4,000, not bad I thought. Then I read on....the final bill for that venue, $28,000. I chocked on my coffee. Sad part is most people don't read their contracts nor do they ask about all the fees that are associated (if any).

Wedding Tip: Pick vendors where all of the costs are up front and listed as one price. This will save you so much time and energy throughout the planning process because you won't be scraping more money together for a fee you didn't plan on paying...

2 // Don't forget about the timeline. Make sure the venue, caterer, bar service, DJ, and venue all have the same timeline. Send your final timeline 1-2 weeks before the wedding. I cannot tell you how many times the caterer thought dinner was at 6pm, the DJ planned a grand entrance at 6:30pm, and the bar didn't open until 7pm - not good! Vendors will definitely collaborate with one another but you have to remember how many other events we are doing...your final timeline is much appreciated so we are all on the same page!

3 // Don't forget to pick your must-haves. A lot of people don't understand this but I think it's super important - pick 2-3 must-haves that you want at your wedding and budget the rest. For example, at my wedding someday the photography, flowers, and location are very important to me. I want amazing photos, beautiful flowers, and a great location.

Flowers can be expensive and location can too, thus, if I have a very small destination wedding, I save money on the size and the location can be the backdrop (which will help reduce costs of flowers).

Some people try to pour everything into each vendor they choose. It's okay to get married in a not-so-common place, you can use all faux flowers to save money, and you don't need a 5-course meal...pick and choose what is most important to you!

4 // Don't overspend on alcohol. These days, weddings have become events all for the guests...you want them to have a good time. I cannot tell you though, how many people overspend on alcohol. Out of all the people you are inviting, how many are over 21? Are there a lot of older folks? About how many are really heavy drinkers?

These are questions you need to ask yourself! If you're inviting 200 guests but only 100 guests will drink that is a lot of money you can save! Bar services no how much to pack to sustain 100 people - don't worry about that. If you are doing your own alcohol, I would talk to the experts for advice!

5 // Don't forget to assign people to help at the end of the night! Riddle me this, you've all had a great time, a great party was thrown, the bar just closed down and the guests have left - you're stuck with the leftovers. Save yourself the time, make sure you have everything packed (i.e., if you got ready somewhere) before the ceremony starts so you can grab and go. ALSO, assign people to help at the end of the night. Your personal attendants are great for this - whether they are collecting the centerpieces, packing up gifts, etc., make sure you have people to do this!

In my experience, no one, and I mean no one, wants to pick things up that they brought. Either pay your florist or assign your personal attendants. It will make your night much more fun!

Wedding Day Tip: You should have personal attendants just as you should have bridesmaids and groomsmen. These folks are your right hand men. Coordinate with them, go over the details, decor, and give them a gift of your appreciation. You will wish you had them if you don't!

6 //  Don't forget about the cake! Make sure you have someone helping with the cake (and don't forget the cake knives!). More often than not, most people use a smaller cake to cut the cake and use sheet cakes in the back. It's important to know if the caterers are cutting the cake or if you need to assign someone. Also, don't forget your cake knives! This happens more often than you'd think.

7 // Don't forget to have a strict timeline before dinner. The one vendor you don't want to make mad is the caterer. Make sure you stick to the timeline until dinner has been served. Why? Food can only be kept warm for a certain amount of time and the process of reheating or trying to keep it warm is not an easy feat. If you are going to take photos/bar hop after the ceremony - give yourself time to come back!
I know planning weddings aren't easy, there are hiccups and things go on. But I can tell you 100% if you treat your vendors kindly, they will reciprocate. The event world doesn't sleep - event coordinators are on their toes if a mis-hap happens but, if you are not happy with something you need to say so! Letting it fester will only turn you into Bridezilla and we don't want that. I will be the first to tell you that I try to add in extra things when I can - to make you happy! Make sure you do the same.

9 // Don't forget to drink water and eat the week of and day of. I know you will have a lot on your plate but the last thing you want to be is dehydrated and hungry. Drink plenty of water every day and plan meals for the day of! Make sure someone brings breakfast and someone orders lunch - stuff your face for dinner then hit the dance floor. You will be so thankful for a full stomach once you start the party.

10 // Don't forget to enjoy the day! I'm going to lay it all out there. Families can be frustrating, friends can be snippy, people can be judgmental, and things will not go as planned. This is your day with your loved one and that's all you should worry about. Have fun and don't let people or events get to you - you will regret letting yourself get worked up! Sip some champagne and EAT CAKE, because you just got married! :)

Routines are something I strongly live by. It's important for me to have some sort of daily routine. It starts right when I wake up to the way I get ready for bed...and everything in between. A significant part of that routine when I'm on my period involves the using the right feminine care products. From work, to working out, to a night on the town it is very important that you do too! I wanted to break down my day and give you an exclusive look into my life so you could see why I use different Tampax products. Let's start from the beginning!
By day, I'm an Event Coordinator. Planning weddings, business events, and social parties involves a lot more than desk work. I am constantly running around the venue, unboxing linens, setting up for the next event, sampling color swatches, giving tours, and meeting with brides and grooms to help plan their big day! I rarely have time to step into the office for a break, so I always carry Tampax Pocket Pearl with me. Not only do I love that it provides the same protection as Tampax Pearl tampons, but it fits nicely in my pocket and is so discrete that no one else notices. The hustle and bustle of my busy and eventful days are no match for the Pocket Pearl.
Workout:
After work I try to get some exercise, whether that's a walk with the pup, run, or yoga. I used to go to a workout class but I work 10-12 hour days and there is just no time. I 100% trust Tampax Pearl Active for any moderate to heavy exercise. All of my yoga pants have the zipper pocket in the back, so when Aunt Flow comes to visit, all I do is stick some Tampax Pearl Active in my yoga back pocket. It's so efficient!
Night Out: 
Once my workout is finished, 9 times out of 10 I run errands, go out to dinner, or blog. With that, I really only use Tampax Radiant or Tampax Pearl. I know that I am protected from leaks when I am out in a cute dress, wandering the aisles of Target, or sipping a latte at Starbucks.  Part of my "routine" involves having backup plans and not swaying from that routine. I don't have time in my schedule to deal with leaks - those uh-oh moments have become virtually non-existent  because I have adjusted the type of tampon I wear to the activity. I am telling you, it makes a world of difference!

I've been bit by the travel bug. No money woes can stop me from seeing the world - there is too much history and beauty to not see anything and everything. Whether you are traveling in the US or traveling overseas, there are ways you can travel even if you are kinda, slightly, totally BROKE. Granted, it would be much easier to travel if you weren't broke, but these are still good tips to know if you are trying to save money and travel on a budget.
1. Use Airline Alerts - This will be one of the main places you want to save, save, save. I got a round-trip ticket to Europe for less than $450. That is incredible. I have paid that much to fly in the US! The trick is to sign up for alerts. I have about 3-4 alerts that I get for trips I'm planning for later in the year. My favorite website for this is Skyscanner (Helene from Helene In Between introduced me to it!). You can either choose a specific destination and a specific date OR you can give a general location (like Greece) and choose a wide timeframe. If you have flexibility, that is the best way to find the lowest prices. Once you select your destination and timeframe, Skyscanner can email you with ticket updates.  For my trip to Europe, my tickets were anywhere from $600-800 but one day the price dropped to $439. I knew that's when I had to book! It saves you the time and hassle from scouring through hundreds of airline sites to find the best price.  2. Stay in Hostels - 90% of the places I am staying in Europe are in hostels. I think there is a misconception that hostels are only where poor people stay, or not as nice as hotels and b&b's. They definitely are not as nice BUT you only need a place to sleep, dress, and hopefully get a free breakfast. When I travel, I'm generally up very late and wake up very early. There is too much to see and to do to be sleeping. Check ratings for hostels and read reviews - also look at what benefits they offer. Don't be surprised if most of these hostels surprise you :).  3. Sign Up For Email Alerts For Transportation Specials (i.e., train passes) - Since I'm going to be in Europe for three weeks it only makes sense to have a train pass that can get me through the whole trip. Thankfully, there was a promotion going on a few weeks ago that reduced the price of my sister and I's tickets a lot! Sign up for email alerts for rental places, train stations, buses, etc., so you can get good deals. A lot of them run promotions and you can save a lot of money if you can get them on sale.  4. Visit Places Off The Beaten Path - Whenever I travel, I definitely want to see all the touristy hot-spots. However, I think it's incredibly fun to wander off the beaten path and find something different. Maybe it's a coffee shop, new landscapes, eclectic stores, or a hole-in-the-wall restaurant - these are the best ways to absorb the most culture. Also note, very touristy spots will be a lot more expensive because they know people will pay. If you find something local, chances are, you will save a lot more - and enjoy a better cultural experience!  5. Visit Towns & Cities That Are Not That Touristy - If you're looking to travel a lot, it may be a good idea to visit places that are not chalk full of tourists. We are traveling to a lot of smaller cities and towns in Northern France - places I have never heard of, but they look incredible. I truly believe the best way to immerse yourself culturally is to see places that aren't overrun with tourists. I try to have a good mix of popular spots and not so popular spots.  Extras...Bring lots of your own snacks and water bottle! While you may be saying "duh" I think this one is easily forgotten. I try to pack a lot of granola bars or snack mix when I travel and my water bottle. You will be doing a lot of walking and while it's fun to treat yourself overtime you're hungry - a pack of almonds or a fig bar could just do the trick. Oh, and I always bring a water bottle (bring one that keeps it cold all day) to fill up. I don't know about you but I hate buying water - it's a weird thing I have where I know I can get it for free at a water fountain or from my house so I try to always carry some with me.  Share items with your friends or families that you're going with! Whether you share meals, rooms, cameras, international converters, etc., find a way to share as much as you can - this will help reduce costs. My sister works for a hotel company so she booked us a room in September in Nashville for only $29/night. Obviously we are using our resources but this already helps us to significantly lower the cost of our trip and since we are sharing a room we both won't have to pay.  Try not to check a bag when you don't have too. I'm basically telling you to become an expert packer. The less money you spend on the actual travel itself, the more you will have for when you arrive or when you return back home, lol! Roll your clothes and pack efficiently. Plan your outfits and also try to mix and match pieces that can go together so you can re-wear a lot of the items.  Okay that's all I have - share your tips below!!