Three years ago my handsome husband and I were married, and although it seems ages ago that our little family was just the two of us, that special day is still as fresh as ever in my head!

Even though this blog was not around when we were married, my luxe for less motto guided me in all the wedding decisions we made, and I was on a mission to make our wedding as special as possible - but of course on a budget we could afford!

Here are just a few ways we saved on cost but not on taste for our big day...

1. Affordable Save the Dates...

We wanted a "save the date" card that was attractive but didn't break the bank.  I was so impressed with the price point and selection at Wedding Paper Divas, and our order arrived in less than a week!

3. Think OUTSIDE THE BOX for your venue...

We saw several gorgeous venues when looking for a spot for our reception, but we wanted it to be a place that was gorgeous, with great food and service, and that would be affordable.  After many trips out to CT, we stumbled upon the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT, and of all places, this is where we decided to have the reception.  The event staff on site did such an incredible job, and we did not have to worry about spending a lot of money on decor because the venue itself was so interesting - it barely needed any sprucing up!  Can you see the seals peeking through in the background??

4. Be creative when it comes to photography...

I certainly don't think that a few disposable cameras are going to give you the memories you deserve for your special day, but that being said there are so many ways you can be creative when it comes to finding a reasonable price for your wedding photos.  When we first started looking for a photographer I was surprised by the number of people that require you to choose a wedding package with an album.  This will automatically increase the cost of your wedding photos.  We chose NYC photographer Patricia Kantzos who has several wedding package options, one of which does not require the purchase of a wedding album. 

Are any of your friends photographers?  Maybe you could enlist the local talent of a good friend to help you on your special day.

And never discount how many photos will be gathered by all your friends and family!  Some of my favorite wedding photos are candids taken by my friends.  It may seem like a daunting task to contact all of your friends and family after the wedding to find their pictures of your special day, but that is where the brilliant new company Kaptur comes in...

Kaptur is a website that will help you bring together your wedding guests' photos of your special day or weekend within seconds.  Just login into Kaptur with your Facebook account, search for family and friends who were at the event, and within 30 seconds you could have hundreds of photos, videos, and status updates from your wedding via Facebook, Flickr, and other social networking sites.  If you are planning a wedding and you have not checked out Kaptur you need to look into it NOW!

6. Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but CZ isn't half bad either...
In my opinion Overstock Jeweler has a beautiful selection of elegant imitation jewelry for brides.  See how my ears sparkled even though my only real bling was on my left hand...

8. Choose a color, not a bloom...

We used a local florist/garden center for our flowers and we could not have been happier with our arrangements.  When I met with our florist the first advice he gave me was to choose the color I wanted, but to be flexible with the flowers and to go with what was in season.  For example I love dahlias, but I did not love the idea of importing in expensive out of season flowers.  We went with pink and green and what was in season, and we loved what they came up with!  And of course I was thrilled that he was able to find some late season peonies...

It is such an exciting time to be planning a wedding - no matter your budget make sure you do what you love and you have fun!

This weekend I was lucky enough to go away with my friends to the beach for my good friend's bachelorette weekend!

Just a few things I think are essential for the beach are a good sunscreen, a generous straw tote, some light reading, and a few inexpensive but attractive accessories.

I'm also loving the idea of a beach blanket in addition to a towel - this way you have lots of room for you and your pals to cozy up on the beach for the day, and you can dry off without having to lie down on a wet towel after taking a dip in the ocean.

Everything here is $50 or less - and can you believe this bag is only $9???

Happy sunning!

I'm always excited to take out my warm weather handbags when summer rolls around!

As opposed to the brown, black, or navy bags that I'm more likely to carry in the fall and winter, summer gives me an excuse to accessorize with a bag in a bold bright color, and coastal inspired textures like raffia, straw, or jute.

There are so many colorful and affordable summer clutch options this season.  Here are just a few of my favorites - most of these handbags are less than $100, and many are under $50!  If I was going to splurge on a new summer clutch than I would pick up #4 - I love the contrast of hot pink and poppy red - it's hard for me to think of any color this purse would not compliment!  And it's on sale...always an added bonus.

Happy shopping!

1. Big Buddha Angle Bag, $50
2. Candy Stripe Jute Clutch, On sale for $69.99* + 30% off with code SHOPNOW
3. Melie Bianco Riley Clutch, $48
4. Havana Clutch, On sale for $68* + 30% off with code SHOPNOW
5. Trina Turk Box Clutch, $98
6. Elliott Lucca Cordoba Clutch, $98
7. Brompton Clutch, $128
8. Asos Metal Bar Envelope Clutch, $29.83
9. Trouve Large Envelope Clutch, $89
10. Lilly Pulitzer Summer Chic Clutch, $118
11. Kelly and Katie Turnlock Clutch, $29.99
12. Halogen Leather Clutch, $98
13. Sondra Roberts Linen and Wood Clutch, $98
14. Sharp Hill Designs Clutch, $59
15. Colorbluck Clutch, $28

After celebrating father's day year after year it can be hard to think out of the box and come up with a new gift for  Dad...here are five gifts that are an unexpected upgrade from your standard Father's Day gift fare...there is something for everyone, and all a great deal!

If your guy likes GOLF...

Daily Candy Deals is offering a great discount on private lessons at Golf Manhattan - an indoor golf lounge.  You can get your special guy an hour long golf lesson for $55 - almost 50% off the retail price of $100.

If your guy likes WINE...

Why not indulge him in the Wall Street Journal's Wine Club?  Their introductory rate of just $69.99 is a phenomenal deal.  For this low price you get 15 expert picked vinos - white, red, or a mixed case - you decide! This is at least a $150 discount on the retail value of these wines.

If your guy loves to READ...

He needs a Kindle!  For just $79 you can buy your guy the Kindle e-reader with Wi-Fi, same 6 inch screen as before, but now it weighs only 6 ounces.  We all know most guys don't carry the big bags we ladies do, so this small size makes it perfect for a guy to carry - he can just slip it in his pocket and he is all set to be entertained on the beach or traveling.

And if you want to pick out some summer reading for your guy, I suggest Restaurant Man - this is the story of how Joe Bastianich rose to fame and became the food and wine mogul he is today.  Whether your husband or father is into business or burgers, he will find something fascinating about this story.

If your guy cannot get enough of going to the MOVIES...

Than he needs to become a member of MOVIEPASS!  This subscription based company is $50 a month, and for this flat monthly rate you can see as many movies in the theater as you like!  With an app on your smartphone you select the show you want to see, and you swipe your phone when you get to the theater in lieu of your standard movie ticket.  This is a great deal if see more than 5 movies a month.

And finally, if your guy is addicted to his DIGITAL DEVICE of choice (I know there are more of you out there than you like to admit!) find a way for him to still be in tune with his family with a photo mousepad or iphone case from Shutterfly...

Do you have an inexpensive out of the box surprise planned for your father or husband this year?

Once you have children you enter the confusing spiral of constantly wanting them to have more toys so they have a new material to explore and interact with...but then there is the problem of what to do with all those large and sometimes unattractive toys once you get them. 

When we moved into our new home a few months ago I made the mistake of thinking that I could have a "toy corner" in our new living room and still have the rest of the room look polished and chic - every time I walked into that room all I saw were those toys staring me in the face!

So we moved the toys downstairs for good and we are now using our downstairs level as a playroom, but it also needs to function as a family room.

To incorporate my daughter's play space into the rest of our family room decor I have picked up a few pieces that I believe blend her toys and books with the rest of the space in an attractive way.

First we bought this bookcase from Crate and Barrel...

I am a big fan of this bookcase!  Most toy storage solutions include multiple baskets and a bookcase, and are usually upwards of $300 once you buy all the components for the storage system.  Like this one below...

One of the things I like so much about the Shift Bookcase from Crate and Barrel besides the low price is that the shelves are at varying levels, with some being high enough to store my daughter's tall toys.  Most bookshelves cannot accommodate very large toys, and picking the toys off the ground and putting them on the shelf instantly neatens up our space.

For all of my daughter's smaller toys we are using two of these storage ottomans from Target...

Buying two of these ottomans was a bit of a splurge for us, even given their low price, but I believe it was a great investment as they double as both storage and seating when we have friends over for a play date.

As you can tell from the picture above this room is still a work in progress, but when it is complete I will share photos here.

In the meantime I plan on buying a few lamps to put on top of the bookcase for extra lighting...

An acrylic tray that gives the look of lucite for less to hold drinks and snacks...

And to cover up those bare walls I plan on framing images from some of my daughter's favorite books like is shown here on Apartment Therapy...

Do you have any clever ways to elevate the look of your child's play space for less?

Jack Rogers are without a doubt my favorite summer sandal.  This classic and elegant shoe was born in the lovely isle of Capri, and became popular in America by Jackie Kennedy Onassis. 

Even though Jack Rogers are on the expensive side for a sandal, I think they are worth the splurge because of their versatility - in my book they go with almost any summer outfit.  And anyone who has a few pairs of Jacks knows that this stylish sandal rarely goes on sale, but this weekend Lord and Taylor is offering 25% off almost their entire stock for their Friends and Family sale.  The promo code for the sale is FRIENDS.

I think given this generous discount it is the perfect time to scoop up a pair of Jack Rogers.  The classic Jack Rogers Navajo sandal usually retails for $105, but with this discount they are down to $78.75!

Here are three looks for the weekend that each incorporate a different Navajo sandal - each item in these looks is $60 or less - except for the sandals...

Will you be picking up a new pair of Jack Rogers this weekend?

Happy summer shopping!

Yesterday I featured a sweet little bathing suit that I had my eye on for our little girl...today it's a roomy canvas tote with a square bottom to hold all of our essentials for the beach and pool.

This large canvas tote from J. McLaughlin is sturdy, attractive, and is big enough to fit all your towels and beach accessories.  Another plus is that you can personalize it with your zip code or anything you like to make it more "you."

But $100 for a beach bag is a little steep for me...then I saw this similar version in the Ballard Designs catalog!  This bag has the same look and utility for just half the price!

I think I would get it monogrammed with something simple like our little girl's initials, or maybe something like SUN or SURF for fun!

And while we are on the subject of summer essentials...check out these sunglasses that I just saw at Banana Repubic!  Is it just me or are they almost identical to the Tom Ford version that retails for close to $400?!

I just can't seem to get enough of fun accessories for summer!

Now that the pool is open and the warm weather is here I cannot wait to take our little girl swimming.  And of course she has got to have a fabulous bathing suit for her first summer hitting the beach and pool.  The Lilly Pulitzer Ruth Bathing Suit for infants has been on my wish list for awhile, but at $54 it seems a little steep for a suit that she will only wear one summer!

Isn't it sweet though...

So I did some searching online and found this same bathing suit on sale for $38 at of all places - Garnet Hill!  I guess they aren't just for sheets and towels any more!

And if your baby could fit in 3-6 or 6-12 month you could scoop up this adorable version of the same bathing suit for over 50% off!

This lightweight slub henley from Michael Stars would make a great top for summer...except for the price tag that is close to $100!

Earlier in the week I featured two looks for summer, and my weekend look included this slub henley tank top from Banana Republic that is only $29.50, and this weekend everything at BR online is an additional 30% off with the code BREXCUSE making it just $21.50!

I may just have to pick one up today!

Why is it that the shortest weeks somehow always seem the longest?  Even with Monday off this week it felt like the weekend was just never going to get here!

Do you plan on starting the weekend off with a cocktail?  I'm more of a beer and wine girl myself, but I took a sip of a Manhattan a few weeks ago for the first time and I was surprised by how much I liked it!

It also could not be simpler to make...all you need is whiskey, sweet vermouth, ice, cherries, and a cocktail shaker and you are all set to start shaking.   You can experiment with the type of whiskey you use, but Ina Garten suggests using Bourbon which sounds good to me!

And if your bar at home is bare and you are need of the proper accessories to make this tasty cocktail, I suggest picking up the Core Martini Set from CB2.  For $24.95 you get two martini glasses, a cocktail shaker, and a jigger.  At less than $25 this would be a great hostess gift, and you don't have to feel bad about picking one up for yourself too!

Do you have any special cocktails planned for the weekend?