By Maria Athanasopoulos

The staff keeps staring, as if you have food all over your face, and the Maitre ’D has not stopped walking in circles and flashing his not so pearly whites at you. These actions alone are enough to make any female over the edge insecure or at least extremely nervous. You begin to wonder what gives, did you subconsciously do something wrong? Suddenly, your boyfriend downs his 5th glass of pinot noir and begins to heavily sweat. When you ask him to slow down and if there is something wrong, he jumps up and shouts no loud enough for even those outside the restaurant to hear. Okay, super embarrassing and strange, time to order dessert and leave quickly!

As you anxiously wait for your dessert to arrive, you are mentally planning a clever exit strategy while your boyfriend continues to ramble on and on about nothing. When your waiter arrives with your dessert, it’s not the chocolate soufflé you ordered, rather it’s a stale looking fruit tart, ick! While you are trying to motion your waiter to come back, your boyfriend seems to have fallen… or maybe not. He is down wobbling on one knee with a little black velvet box in his hands and appears to be twitching. Goosebumps rapidly cover your body and you know what’s coming…now it all makes sense and you begin to cry uncontrollably. Then you hear the four words that every girl wishes to be asked all her life from her prince charming, “Will you marry me?”

Now girls, we’d be bluntly lying to each other if we didn’t admit that the planning for our BIG DAY had begun from the moment our man stood on one knee. He’s talking, but your thinking: flowers, limos, the cake, the venue and most importantly the dress! As you smile at him lovingly, you realize that he is still waiting for your answer. Quickly, you snap out of it and say YES!

From this moment on, many times unwillingly, you will slowly be transformed and develop two personalities. One is the caring and sweet person your fiancé loves and wants to be with until eternity and two, the wedding monster aka “bridezilla” that wants what she wants and is willing to do anything to get it when she wants it. Whether you spend weeks, months or years planning your big day, it is extremely imperative to think the process through and having a non family member step in to help for a wide variety of reasons.

Now enter the role of the must needed wedding planner! Meet Helen, a creative and classy wedding consultant that is always seen with a smile on her face despite the chaotic conditions that often dwell around her. Helen, owner of the wedding planning company, An Unforgettable Affair, has worked with a variety of brides whose budgets range from $800,000.00 to $10,000.00 and has seen and heard it all. “It’s my day… I am the princess… My daddy…I want, I want, I want!” Somewhere along the never ending wedding related rants, brides tend to forget they’re not alone and that there is a groom involved. Doesn’t he have at least a little say in all this? The answer sadly is no, the fact that there wouldn’t be a wedding without him barely crosses a bride’s mind. However, having a wedding planner can change all this and is much more affordable than you may think. Our unpredictable and weak economic climate can help in keeping wedding costs within your budget, you just have to speak up and demand your vendors to give you a discount. Trust me, they need your business! If the thought alone of trying to bargain makes you cringe, then once again, bring in the wedding planner! Their insider industry connections and professional negotiating skills will save you more time and money than you ever imagined.

Whatever your plans ladies, (and gentlemen) remember this, when your big day arrives you will want it to be the fairytale you’ve always dreamed of. This is the celebration of your love for one another and the start of your life together. It shouldn’t be the gateway to marriage counselling or filing for bankruptcy. So take a step back and re-evaluate the situation, remember, your wedding day will come and go faster than the blink of an eye. In the end, the exotic Cymbidium orchids arranged perfectly, the uber elegant venue and gourmet spread of food will definitely make you happy, but will not make or break your day. The materialistic things that will matter are the multiple vendor payments that are due and the fact that when you return from your honeymoon, you still don’t have your own home. The majority or even all of your savings went into your “one big day” and now you are left financially insecure. Is this something you want to have happen to you?

You can have a stunning wedding if you don’t allow yourself to fall prey to what society expects. There are tons of ways to have it all and not spend it all. Plan wisely and be smart. In the end, remember, it is just One Day whether it be “big” or small.

Here are some of Helen’s great money saving tips for your upcoming wedding:

• Wedding venues often offer cheaper ‘off-peak’ rates for non-Saturday weddings. If you don’t mind getting hitched on a Friday or Sunday, this could save you loads.

• Think long and hard about your guest list because this is where you can save a huge deal of money. If you haven’t seen someone for a very long time, (for example: over a year), do they really need to be invited to your wedding? Will you be friends with them in 5 or 10 years?

• Make your own invitations by visiting your local craft shop and purchasing all the materials you need to add that personal touch. Ask friends who are very creative to help you make up a gorgeous invite, one that is unique and specific to your wedding theme.

• If you have a friend who is great at doing makeup, why not ask her to do yours on your special day? You’ll not only save money, but your friend will be honored that you asked.

• Save by choosing seasonal flowers vs. imported or green house flowers in your bouquets and centerpieces. Flowers that are not in season significantly up the cost.

For more helpful wedding advice and tips on saving money, feel free to email Helen at kefalas_helen@hotmail.com