If you are planning your honeymoon or a romantic vacation away, now is the time to book with Sandals with some great deals available.

• Click here to sit in the lap of luxury @ Sandals.com

Sandals has some awesome deals on right now, depending on the resort you pick:

• Up to $555 airfare credit when you book six paid nights or longer or up to $250 air credit for stays over three nights
• $100 spa credit when you book seven nights or more (expires today!)
• Free couples massage when you book seven nights or more
• Free catamaran cruise when you book six nights or more
• Free golf at championship courses
• If you are a firefighter and member of IAFF, you’ll save an additional 10% on top of these deals
• If you are in the military and have military I.D., you also qualify for an additional 10% off

Depending on what resort you book, there are also deals with up to 65% off a minimum of three nights, booked by today and two free nights on seven booked, if you book by today.

I actually got married at Sandals Ocho Rios (now Grande Riviera). While we were there, they were renovating the entire resort, which honestly was not the greatest for us, but what they have done with it is fantastic. I loved staying at Sandals as it had a real romantic, couples-type feel. Since it was our wedding, we didn’t want a party atmosphere – we wanted something that catered to couples – and that is what Sandals is best known for. We felt very pampered and relaxed. I’d love to go back to renew our vows in a couple of years and I have my eye set on the Royal Bahamian, which has an island all to itself or the new LaSource Grenada.

(Expiry: 30th May 2013 for most deals)

If you are anything like me, you have a ton of old art and photo frames in the storage area in your basement. You don’t just want to toss something that sat in a special place in your home for years, until you decided the new Umbra frame you bought better showcased your trip to Hawaii. Or maybe, also like me, your mother didn’t want to throw out these special frames, so she gave them to you, making it now your responsibility not to throw it out. I call that Hoarders: Pass it On edition. But, seriously, here are some great ideas for creative ways to use those frames and not have to pitch them.

Love Of Family and Home took an old frame that was her grandmothers, removed the artwork, added burlap and a self-painted letter for a beautiful monogram wall hanging. This was very cheap and easy!

This could be one of the most awesome ideas I’ve ever seen. Wedding Paper Divas gave us this idea for a wedding frame wall, with photos of your family, plus two inconspicuous trap doors within the frame for the happy couple to pop out of. I love the vintage look of this one, but you could do it according to whatever style you fancy.

Homedit has a ton of great ideas for old picture frames, but I love this one where they framed old letters. You could frame letters from family members, from your loved ones, even your children. Whatever letter is sentimental to you, which you’d rather not keep in a box would be great for this idea. You could even take a copy of a page from a deceased family member’s journal. This idea costs literally nothing, but means so much.

HandMakeMyDay had this fabulous idea to make a rainbow out of cardboard and glitter and glue it on to the glass of an old frame. They added the hat and it instantly became the perfect backdrop for a St. Patrick’s Day photo session. You could also do other themes like an Easter bunny for Easter or elves for Christmas. Use your imagination! Again, another cheap idea, although this one looks like it took a bit of time.

Melissa at 320 Sycamore used tea towels and old frames (this one had hooks, bonus!) to make amazing jewellery holders. This is one idea I’m passing on to my crafty hubby to make for me. How awesome would it be to see all of your jewellery right in front of you, instead of having to dig through a cluttered storage case? Love it!

I always adore anything Shanty 2 Chic blogs about and this frame is no exception! They painted the frame, added fabric rosettes and used a staple gun to apply the jute in a haphazard manner. Then simple clips like laundry pins do the job to hang your photos and you can change them out whenever you want.

Meadow Lake Road was very crafty and sentimental when she put together this frame with thoughts from her heart, using of all things, a sharpie. Imagine your family waking up each day to see how you feel written out in plain words, just in case they need a reminder. Beautiful thought!

I love this Father’s Day idea from Positively Splendid. She took photos of her kids with chalkboard quote signs that said what they loved about their dad. She put the collage of pictures into a frame and this was his cheap and from the heart Father’s Day gift. I have had this pinned since last year because I really want to do this!

Spam me with your old photo frame ideas and let me know if you create any of these masterpieces. I’m on my way downstairs to find those old frames of my mom’s. Happy crafting!

(Image credit: maury.mccown)

If you want to save money on your wedding, then be prepared for the term DIY to become a very important part of your vocabulary. That being said, once the wedding bells have stopped ringing, if you want to recoup some of your costs then the names eBay, Etsy, and Craigslist will also become very familiar to you. What’s the point of learning how to make boutonnieres out of ribbon and cake stands out of old plates and glasses if you can’t also start selling these unique handicrafts online for some extra cash? I’ve made a number of wedding essentials for my own wedding and you better believe that after I’ve said “I do” I’m gonna turn my skills for making chalkboard paint signs and bedazzled tea lights into a money-making side hustle. Here are a few of the most in demand wedding must-haves that you can make then sell online for a profit.

Cake stand

The wedding cake is a major part of the wedding experience, but most of the time you have to either rent or buy a cake stand and those things don’t come cheap. I’ve been on the look out for a reasonably priced cake stand to buy for weeks and I still haven’t found anything under $50. Instead, I’m going to make my own out of some old dishes, and lucky for me it’ll be the perfect touch of shabby-chic for my special day. Not only that, I’ve seen dozens of these same homemade cake stands on Etsy selling for $70 and up, so it should be a piece of cake to sell it later on. I found a great how-to guide on Pin Cookie’s blog too!

Cake topper

As silly as it may sound, the first thing I bought after getting engaged was my wedding cake topper. I spent $50 on a ceramic bride and groom high-fiving when I could have just made my own for under $5 with materials from the craft store. It may be too late for my wedding, but I bet I know a number of brides who would pay me at least $15 for one of these handmade creations. Thanks to Confetti Daydreams for the inspiration.

Boutonnieres

Flowers are expensive no matter what season you get married in, so making your own boutonnieres using ribbon or other fabric will save you a ton of cash. Moreover, many brides like to be unique when it comes to styling their groom and groomsmen, so it wouldn’t be difficult to sell these thrifty and fashionable accessories after the wedding. Polka Dot Bride and Hip Hostess have some great tutorials on how to make them, so make sure to check them out.

Garter

As cute as all of the different wedding garters are splashed all over Pinterest, the fact remains that you’ll only wear the thing for a day. After that it’s either sell it or keep it in a memory box for decades to come. That being said, spending more than $10 on an item that almost no one will see anyways just seems silly. If you follow A Beautiful Mess’ instructions, you can make your own with ease, and since the blogger had such a hard time finding a garter like this for her wedding, I bet you won’t have any trouble trying to sell these online to other brides too.

(Image credit: rgbstock)

Vista Print has a great sale on right now with 33% off everything on their site. This deal can only be activated by clicking the link below. It will not work if you just go to the Vistaprint site.

• Click here to shop @ Vistaprint Canada

Vistaprint has everything custom-made that you can think of that you’d need to print, including marketing materials, photo gifts, business cards, signs and banners, invitations and stationery, clothing and much more. They also have very easy-to-use templates for building your website.

With baseball season fast approaching, custom caps are a hot commodity. You can get yours done at Vistaprint starting at only $10.05, regularly $15.

These Mommy cards are super-cool! Ever met someone at the park or at a playgroup and wanted to pass on your information for future get-togethers? Well, these mommy cards make it very easy for you to do so. Being a mom is a full-time job, why not have a business card? Get 25 for only $3.74, regularly $6.

Wedding season is almost here and have you invited your guests to your big day yet? You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars and many hours looking through books to get the perfect invitation. Vistaprint makes it so easy with many styles to choose from, including the simple, the funky and the downright elegant. Starting at only $6.49 for 10, regularly $10.

Shipping starts at $7.49, but allows you to get however many items you want for one flat-rate.

(Expiry: 18th March 2013)

Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day have come and gone, and now is the time for all you recently engaged brides to start planning for your big day. Even if your wedding isn’t for another year or two, from one bride to another, the coming months will go by faster than you think, so the sooner you start getting everything together the better. My wedding is only a few short months away and lately my weekends can be summed up with three little letters: D-I-Y. I’m definitely no Martha Stewart, but I am a frugal bride who will do anything to save a buck, and I’ve saved hundreds of dollars so far by making my own decorations with materials from the dollar store. If you don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty, and can stand spending a few nights cutting, gluing, and bedazzling, then you might want to try out some of these cheap and easy-to-make creations for your wedding day too.  

Chalkboard Sign ($10 – $15)

If you’ve ever been on the wedding section of Pinterest, then you know that chalkboard signage is all the rage right now. And it’s a good thing too because it’s both cheap and easy to make at home. All you need is a bottle of chalkboard paint from your local craft store ($8 – $10), and either a metal serving platter or a large picture frame from the dollar store ($2-$5). It’s recommended to coat the surface of the platter or frame at least 3 times before using. The bonus with this type of signage is not only will it give your wedding a hint of trendiness, but you can also easily wipe the board clean and write something new on it to use again and again. Cheap and reusable? Now that’s my kind of craft!

Floating Candle Centerpieces ($20)

Any wedding magazine will tell you to set aside 8% – 10% of your budget for flowers, but the thought of spending $1,000 on flowers for a one day only event just boggles my mind. Instead, you can save your money and make your own floating candle centerpieces instead. To put it together you’ll need 3 vases ($2 each), a bag of small rocks ($1), 3 floating candles ($5 for a 24 pack), and an orchid with multiple blooms ($10). After gathering all of these materials, it literally took me 10 minutes to assemble and the candles lasted about 6 hours before they burnt out.

Paper Banner ($5)

The great thing about the Internet these days is that there are a number of websites that have free printables that you can use. I used the printables from Shanty 2 Chic’s website, and printed the words “JUST MARRIED” using my ink jet printer. You can go fancy and buy some shimmery or textured paper from the craft store, but I just used some regular white printing paper for the letters, then spent $5 on some colored card stock to give it a pop of color around the edges.

Wedding Card Box ($5 – $20)

I’m not doing a gift registry for my wedding, but instead am following the popular trend of only accepting cards or monetary gifts. I may not need to worry about setting up a gift table anymore, but I do need a nice looking box for guests to drop their cards into. So far, my two favorite ideas for this are the vintage suitcase and the mailbox card box. Not only are they both very unique looking, but you can also find either of them for cheap or free on Craigslist or at a garage sale. Another idea that is equally frugal friendly and unique is the faux present card box. It’s great because all you need to do is wrap a few boxes together like a present, cut a slit in the top, then put it in the recycling bin when you’re done!

Bargainmoosers, what other dollar store creations can you suggest to all the future brides out there?

(Image credit: rkirbycom; welcometogirlworld; etsy; ruffledblog; weddinglands; shanty2chic; ohmy-creative; etsy; synfullydelicious)

Groupon Canada has some great deals on right now that will help you start or finish your wedding planning.

• Click here to get a great wedding Groupon

Wedding season is fast approaching, so if you are getting married this year (or even next), Groupon has you covered with all sorts of great deals. I loved planning my wedding and in fact wanted to become a wedding planner, except for the fact that I would have to deal with frantic brides and grooms.

First things first, you need to pick a location. If you’ve decided to run away to Vegas, well Groupon has a great deal for that! For $549 for weekdays and $639 for weekends, you get a two-night stay at Treasure Island hotel in a strip-view room plus a wedding package. The wedding package includes your half-hour wedding ceremony, half an hour of chapel time for up to 50 guests, plus a photography package with a photo album. This entire package is valued at up to $1,060.

After you get your dress and choose your wedding party, you need to invite the guests. This deal from Delphine gives you:

• C$99 for US$225 worth of wedding invitations, stationery, and fine paper goods
• C$179 for US$450 worth of wedding invitations, stationery, and fine paper goods
• C$299 for US$800 worth of wedding invitations, stationery, and fine paper goods

If you are someone that is planning a wedding or large event in the near future, then this is definitely the store to help you do that.  Invitations by Dawn is a great store to help plan your big day and save money while doing it.  Right now they have a coupon code out that will save you $30 on your order of $199 or more.

• Click here to shop @ Invitations by Dawn

Here are the details for this coupon:

• Coupon Code: August30
• Discount: Save $30 on orders of $199 or more
• Expiry: 20th August 2012

One of the biggest stresses of planning a wedding is the expense; you’ll want to save money every chance you get.  It is also stressful to get everything purchased on time, and you can easily get lots of your wedding supplies here.  You can make beautiful invitations, save the date cards, party favor boxes, engraved wedding party gifts and much more, all in one place.

Invitations by Dawn also offers free samples of any invitation and a free catalog so that you can choose exactly what you want.  For all of the latest Invitations by Dawn promotional codes, make sure to check out the Bargainmoose coupon forum on a regular basis.

Have you noticed a few more wedding invitations in your mailbox than usual? Well, if you’ve ever had to plan a wedding you know that June, July, and August are the most popular months for getting hitched. What does this mean for you as a wedding guest? It means postponed vacation plans, a scramble to find a date perhaps, and a few unexpected costs that you didn’t budget for. Of course you don’t have to pay anywhere near the sum that the bride and groom are shelling out for their big day, but being a wedding guest doesn’t just mean taking advantage of the buffet and chocolate fountain. It means wedding gifts, outfits, travel costs, and maybe even chipping in to pay for one of the numerous pre-wedding parties.

But being a good friend or relative doesn’t have to mean going into overdraft. There are plenty of ways to save money while not looking like a cheapskate who only came for the free booze. Whether the wedding is a grand black tie affair or a backyard wedding complete with mason jar flower arrangements, with these 6 tips you can celebrate anyone’s nuptials without spending much money.

1. Try not to buy a new outfit – Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but the first thing that pops into my head when I get a wedding invitation is, “What will I wear?” If you have a few weddings to go to this summer, make sure to look through your closet before running to the mall to buy a new dress or suit. If there’s nothing appropriate in your wardrobe, see if a friend or family member has an outfit you can borrow. If that doesn’t work, then try to buy an outfit that is classic and can be worn to several different types of weddings, and try to recycle your look whenever you can (if Kate Middleton can do it, so can you!).

2. Go in on a group gift – If you have friends or family attending the same wedding as you, suggest buying a wedding gift together. Those Dyson vacuums and Kitchenaid stand mixers aren’t cheap, but splitting the cost will make them significantly more affordable.

3. Don’t stay at a hotel – If the wedding is out of town, staying at a hotel for a night or two can really add up. Sure, you can find a deal on one of the many hotel deal sites, but if you really want to be frugal you can always stay at a hostel instead (E.g use Hostelbookers.com). Or if you’re a bit more adventurous, you could always stay the night for free on a stranger’s couch using couchsurfing.org.

4. Pick and choose which parties to attend – If you are part of the wedding party, then rule of thumb is to show up to all the main wedding events leading up to the nuptials. If you’re just a regular guest, you can be a bit more selective and only attend the events you feel are the most important to be at. As much as a bachelor or bachelorette party in Las Vegas sounds fun, it might be wiser to pass and save your money for the wedding shower instead.

5. Stock up when you see a deal – If you have an inkling that you’ll be attending a few weddings this summer, or even this year, if you see a deal on a pair of dress shoes, wedding cards, or even a mani/pedi, jump on it! As that old adage goes, a dollar saved is a dollar earned.

6. Ditch the limo and carpool – I definitely recommend not driving yourself if you want to celebrate at the reception with champagne, wine, and any other liquor they are giving away for free, but booking a limo or paying for a cab can be pretty pricey. If you know some of the other wedding guests, see if anyone wants to carpool with you. Otherwise, it might be worth looking into a designated driver service such as Sober Ride or You Drink, We Drive.

What other ways can you save money as a wedding guest?

(Image credits: bigpresh, oskay, dps)

Wants and Wishes is a great destination for all things wedding and party related! I found a great deal in their clearance section on a Gold Scalloped Edge Veil with Rhinestones: originally $59.98 – on sale for $29.98! You are saving $30 (50%).

• Get a veil on sale from Wants & Wishes

About the veil:

The 2-Tier Soft White Tulle with Gold Scalloped Edge and Rhinestones Veil is a subtle way to add extra details to your outfit without it overpowering the dress. This design features gold edging with scalloped edges and rhinestones all throughout the body of the veil.

It comes with the comb. 2 tier is the only way to go in my opinion – I am such a traditionalist when it comes to veils. I remember pricing them out for my wedding and goodness they can get expensive.

If you have a little girl in your house who loves to dress up this is a great idea for her too – very reasonably priced and authentic! She could go as a bride for Halloween!

Be sure to check out the rest of their clearance section for amazing prices on wedding and party favours n’ decorations.

Even though everything is priced USD the company is actually out of Edmonton, Alberta!

So this is a cool little site I found when I was planning my wedding. It came to mind again when I thought of all the weddings that people have around the Christmas and New Years season, and I thought it is a great resource for brides. Though I never ended up buying from their (which is a shame as they are located in Alberta) I did get a lot of inspiration. Right now they have a 20% off everything fall sale.

• Click here to shop Wants and Wishes

This website helped put things in perspecitve for me, it reminded me of little things like aisle runners, candle holders, wedding tiaras and just everything! This place is extensive.

My favourite catagory and what I probably spent hours looking at was their selection of place card holders. They have 126… if you can’t find what you want you are.. very picky. I loved the wooden die-cut leaves and had dreams of inscribing each guest’s name on each leaf and having it hang off their wine glass. Of course some people are more traditional than I in their tastes.

Hope you have fun looking at the stuff, even after getting married I could spend hours just browsing. I still want a couple of their candle holders, so pretty. Oh… and my favourite thing of ALL was and still is this cake topper: Gone Fishing! I just couldn’t convince my hubby to let me put it on the wedding cake!

Note: They will show their prices in every currency imaginable so make sure to click the “change currency” button and change it to CAN.

Wantsandwishes.com is holding a spring sale right now!

• Click here to shop online @ Wantsandwishes.com

The Wantsandwishes promotion is as follows:

• 10% off everything
• 15% off $150+
• 20% off $250+

The discounts can be seen when you add an item to your cart.

Wantsandwishes.com is a Canadian business, actually based out of Alberta. They supply loads of wedding products, such as stationery, accessories, decorations and more. Prices seem to be shown in US dollars. If you are looking for deals for your wedding items, then Wantsandwishes is a good place to check out.

I was looking at the wedding stationery and some of the pieces are really quite nice. For example, these Lucky Elephant Card Holders with Brushed Silver Finish are cute! I don’t have a wedding planned any time soon, but I could probably spend a fortune on that site alone.