Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing A Fantastic Wedding On A Realistic Budget [Paperback]

Denise Fields (Author), Alan Fields (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 19, 2010 | Series: Bridal Bargains

Wow! Finally, a wedding book for the rest of us. With average wedding costs soaring over $25,000, you need real life solutions and creative ideas to plan a wedding without going bankrupt. Bridal Bargains is the answer! Now in its 10th edition with over 700,000 copies in print, Bridal Bargains shows you:

♥    How to save up to 40% on brand new, nationally advertised wedding  dresses.
 

♥    The best web sites to save on everything from flowers to gowns, invitations to, well, you name it.
 

♥    Fourteen creative ways to cut the catering bill at your reception.
 

♥    How to order flowers at wholesale online.
 

♥    Eleven questions you should ask any photographer—and seven money-saving tips to lower that photo expense.           
 

♥    Affordable ways to print your own invitations at a 70% savings.
 

♥    A clever trick to save big bucks on your wedding cake.
 

♥    The best bargains on honeymoons, gift registries, rings, wedding videos  and more!
 

♥    New! Green your wedding with eco-friendly invites, catering tips and more!

 

 

The brand new, 20th year anniversary edition is completely re-written, with revised and updated tips on tying the knot without going bankrupt.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The How To Cheaper I Do's!"

People Magazine

From the Back Cover

Wow! Finally, a wedding book for the rest of us. With average wedding costs soaring over $25,000, you need real life solutions and creative ideas to plan a wedding without going bankrupt. Bridal Bargains is the answer! Now in its 9th edition with over 700,000 copies in print, Bridal Bargains shows you:

♥    How to save up to 40% on brand new, nationally advertised wedding  dresses.
♥    The best web sites to save on everything from flowers to gowns, invitations to, well, you name it.
♥    Fourteen creative ways to cut the catering bill at your reception.
♥    How to order flowers at wholesale online.
♥    Eleven questions you should ask any photographer—and seven money-saving tips to lower that photo expense.           
♥    Affordable ways to print your own invitations at a 70% savings.
♥    A clever trick to save big bucks on your wedding cake.
♥    The best bargains on honeymoons, gift registries, rings, wedding videos  and more!
♥    New! Green your wedding with eco-friendly invites, catering tips and more! 

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE Our $500 promise.
If Bridal Bargains doesn’t save you at least $500 onyour wedding, then we will give you a completerefund. No kidding. (See inside for details.)

 

Denise & Alan Fields are the nationally renowned “wedding watchdogs” who’ve appeared on Oprah, The Today Show and Dateline NBC. Their best-selling books include Baby Bargains, Baby 411 and Toddler 411.  They live in Boulder, CO.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Windsor Peak Press; Tenth Edition, Revised, 20th Year Anniversary Edition edition (November 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889392391
• ISBN-13: 978-1889392394
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (372 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Weddings
  • #11 in Books > Education & Reference > Consumer Guides
  • #50 in Books > Self-Help > Relationships > Marriage

More About the Author

DENISE AND ALAN FIELDS have been dubbed the "wedding watchdogs" for their efforts as consumer advocates for engaged couples. But how do two seemingly normal people end up writing consumer books for a living?

The Fields met while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder. Denise was a history major specializing in Elizabethan England; Alan was in the business school, studying the marketing of products to Albania. We wish there was some fairy-tale story about how the couple met, but it is actually quite boring--they ran into each other in a dormitory during the infamous Bronco Blizzard.

Denise and Alan became writers because they couldn't find any other gainful employment. After college, Denise realized that the unemployment rate for Elizabethan England scholars was 132%. Alan's career as a college newspaper columnist and disc jockey fizzled out as well. Since they had a lot of free time, they authored a small book called Austin Weddings, about their travails planning their own wedding in the capital of Texas (where they had moved after graduating from CU).

Then something clicked. The Fields' consumer advice was a hit with brides and the book became a local best-seller. Realizing they had perhaps found a way to make a living without having to get real jobs, Denise and Alan turned out wedding guides to Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, San Diego and Denver.

By this time, the Fields recognized something most other so-called wedding experts refused to admit. Forget all this fancy etiquette stuff--what brides and grooms really wanted to know was how to get a good deal on the items for their wedding. Following that theme, the Fields wrote their first national book on weddings, Bridal Bargains.

To say the book was unpopular among members of the "wedding industry" was an understatement. The Fields were banned from attending bridal shows; an editor from a major bridal magazine lambasted the Fields in a letter to the Wall Street Journal. Fortunately, the Fields did have one fan in the media--a talk show host by the name of Oprah Winfrey. Oprah told her viewers to buy the book. 400,000 copies later, the book is the Fields best-selling title to date.

After Oprah, the Fields embarked on their next greatest adventure. They built a new home. And like everything they would do in their lives, the experience inspired a book of its own: Your New House, was picked as one of the top 10 real estate books in 1993 by the San Francisco Examiner. "This book is, by far, the best book available on how to buy or build a new home," raved syndicated columnist Robert Bruss, imploring his readers to buy the book. Your New House was revised for a second edition in 1996, and again in 1999 for a third edition.

Baby Bargains, the Fields' third book, was inspired by the birth of their son, Benjamin in 1993. The book (which debuted in 1994) was also featured on Oprah, the Today Show and in Child Magazine. The Fields scoured the country for the best deals on cribs, bedding, maternity clothes and more. Next, they interviewed more than 100 first-time parents across the country, who provided insights into which baby products were best buys-and which were wastes of money. Baby Bargains' editor's panel of juvenile products retailers provided crucial safety and technical background for the book's extensive list of recommended brands and products. The birth of the Fields second son (Jack) in November 1996 inspired the release of the 2nd edition of this book in March 1997. The 3rd edition of Baby Bargains was released in March 1999, with updated material, new bargains and more.

The Fields' latest book is Baby 411, co-authored by Dr. Ari Brown. Baby 411 is the ultimate FAQ for new parents. Written in an easy-to-read question and answer format, Baby 411 explores infant health from a fresh and non-judgemental approach.

If you liked Baby 411, you'll love Toddler 411---the sequel! All your questions on toddlers, answered!

The Bridal Bargains Wedding Planner, a companion wedding planner to Bridal Bargains, is the Fields most recent project. The Bridal Passport is the first FINANCIAL wedding planner, helping couples save on their wedding with detailed worksheets, checklists and advice.

The Fields currently live in Boulder, CO with their sons Ben and Jack.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 136 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was my bible. . . December 6, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I used the 4th edition to plan my wedding last year, and was able to save a considerable amount of money. To be honest, I was amazed to find several negative reviews stating the book was "tacky" and "paranoid". Everytime one of my friends becomes engaged I send a copy to them as an engagement gift, and they all love it too. By following most of the Fields advice, we had the wedding we wanted for a reasonable price. Most of the scams they discuss I encountered. Such as the charge to cut a cake if you don't use the caterers baker. They are especially on target about Bridal shops. After spending over $1,400.00 for my dress, shoes, veil, and alterations, the repairs that the shop assured me would be made to my dress, were never made. Even though I had provided them with a detailed list of needed repairs and writing a letter to the shop manager expressing my concern that these repairs would not be done. I had to spend the day before my wedding back at the the bridal shop,and stand there and watch to make sure the repairs were done. Their advice on saving money on the reception was fabulous. We found a site that allowed us to provide our own alochol and only pay for the bartender. Our total bill for champagne, wine, and beer was only $350.00.

The unfortunate reality of the bridal industry is there are plenty of vendors who will rip you off, and they provide you with the advice and know how to avoid bad vendors and their scams.

118 of 123 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for overall planning, not just saving money. October 25, 2002

By Beth Cholette #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I just got engaged a few months ago, and another bride-to-be recommended this book. I've already found it to be extremely helpful in my planning, as the book thoroughly reviews your options for various aspects of the wedding such as bride/bridesmaids dresses, invitations, photography, etc. I particularly liked the lists of suggested questions for vendors--when I emailed one photographer with some of the questions in the book, he wrote back and said "you couldn't have asked better questions if I had given them to you myself!" I've actually found the book to be less helpful in the area of saving money. This might be partly due to the fact that we're having a pretty small wedding--we only expect about 40 guests to attend, and we're not having a bridal party. Another minor negative is that when I tried some of the websites in the book, the URLs were no longer valid; although they talked about use of the internet in planning quite a bit, I wish they had addressed this area even more, especially use of email to get information from potential vendors. Overall, however, this is a great book that you definitely will use frequently in your planning--I find myself referring to my copy again and again.

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Wedding Budget Planner August 20, 2000

By Matthew M. Yau

Format:Paperback

As the Best Man of my friend's wedding, I referred to this book in a zillion occasions for practical advice. From the wedding count-down clock to ceremony etiquette to wedding apparels and catering and limousines, this book has got it all! You might not need everything covered in this guide yet it will be very useful for almost every aspect of your wedding. I personally find the sections on reception sites and catering particularly interesting and useful. The book provides a lot of hand-on tips that are not usually commonly known. Ever wondered about a dessert reception instead of a traditional 2-entree banquet? What about a wedding being held at a local university faculty club that offers in-site catering? This is the one book that you will have to keep your fingers on throughout wedding planning. The newest edition of this book will come out this fall, yet don't worry about the up-to-date figures and costs. Focus on the variables that will directly affect the cost of your Big Day. Each topic features a section of questions to ask the service provider (i.e. florist, entertainer, DJ, caterer, reception site...) If you really want to make the most of your budget, read this book carefully and read over again.