Look for less: Wedding Essentials

It's been a while since I posted any deals from Groupon but for those of you who are new to this, pay close attention. Groupon is an awesome site that has many local and online deals that can save you sometimes more than 50%. The best part is that you can get $10 for every friend you refer and makes a purchase. Invite enough friends and they can practically pay for your honeymoon.

The reason I am writing about Groupon is because I just saw a Dream Wedding section, where it features your wedding essentials at a fraction of the price.  From spa treatment to booking your honeymoon, Groupon will definitely give you the Look for Less:) Check it out. Just a heads up some deals expire in less than a week, move fast:) Here are some of this week's deals:

Blue Nile $25 for $50 worth:

More options:

$25 for $50 worth of jewelry and gifts

$50 for $100 worth of jewelry and gifts

$100 for $200 worth of jewelry and gifts

My Own Labels $19 for $40 worth

 

Delphine Wedding Invitations

$99 for $225 worth

In love yet?

Free Sandals Wedding Package

For those who want to take the stress away from wedding planning and want the serenity of a getaway, have you considered having a destination wedding? I will confess this was my idea of a stress free wedding and I did plan on having a destination wedding. I was in love with the Sandals Resort in the Bahamas and was determined to have a small intimate wedding in the islands. The wedding was booked and the date was set I was looking forward to this...the only issue and most important one was that not all of our family was going to be able to attend due to financial reasons.  My solution to this was to have a great celebration with family and friends after we got married.  Not to get into too much details, all my plans changed and I ended up having the wedding 2 hours away from where we lived.  This was the venue I wanted to have our wedding at but feared that everyone would complain about the distance. So at the end it worked in my favor...So I asked my family, Would you rather spend money going to the Bahamas or travel 2 hours?  Travel 2 hours was the response:)

I will be honest, once we went on our honeymoon we were able to witness a bride and groom with their photographer on the beach.  It all looks like a fairytale and a dream on pictures but what you don't see is the people on the beach staring at you as you take your romantic wedding pictures.  It then hit me that I did not regret having our wedding back home.  It was more important to me to have all my family attend our wedding.  But many brides feel the stress of planning a wedding too overwhelming and see the option of a destination wedding very appealing and stress free, so to those brides I say, " Weigh out your options first then decide if this is truly what you want, If so go for it if not get to planning" :)

Don't mean to burst your bubble if you are planning the have a destination wedding, on the contrary I want to give you insight on what I experienced. So if you are still considering a destination wedding, I want to  tell you about a promotion that Sandals is having if you book your destination wedding with them.  Don't know about you but I like Free things. My husband says, "If it's free, its for me!" So true.


Below is what the Free Sandals Wedding Package includes. Visit the site for more information: Free Weddings At Sandals Resorts. Did I mention that Sandals partnered with Martha Stewart to create your perfect wedding destionation Look? That's cool:)

Personal pre-planning wedding consultant
Personal on-resort wedding consultant and dedicated resort wedding team
• Wedding styled by Martha Stewart
• Bridal bouquet and groom's boutonniere
• Pre-recorded musical accompaniment
• Marriage officiant
• Sparkling wine & chilled hors d'oeuvres reception for bride, groom and six guests
• An elegant reception table set for eight with a floral centerpiece
• Two-tiered wedding cake
• Preparation of marriage documents
• Certified marriage certificate
• Wedding gift from Sandals Resorts
• One (1) 5x7 honeymoon photograph
• Honeymoon dinner for bride and groom at a resort specialty restaurant with white-glove service and a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine
• Decorated honeymoon room
• Full breakfast-in-bed and mimosas on a morning of your choice

Not sure what this package is valued at but the other packages range from $1600 to $3700, not including your stay. Either way you put it, it's money saved...it's free.

 

Best Budget Honeymoons this Week

Thought it would be fun to write some facts about honeymoons and how you can afford your own on a budget. The average honeymoon budget can range from $2000 - $5000.  

Honeymoons comprise a $12 billion-dollar-a-year industry.

Couples spend an average of $3,700 on their honeymoon. That's three times as much as the average U.S. adult spends on a vacation.

The honeymoon, on average, accounts for 14 percent of the wedding budget.

The length of an average honeymoon is eight days.

Source



Quick Honeymoon Tip:

In this tough economy, the 7 night stay at your 5 star all inclusive resort is not as attainable. But on the opposite hand,  this tough economy can be a blessing in disguise, as hotels compete for your business.  Look for honeymoon incentives.  Some hotels may offer free spa credit, free meals, free air fare, free transportation, free attractions, or even free wine to lure you in. So don't settle, shop around and see what you can get for free.  Like my husband says,  " If it's Free, It's for Me!" 

Also, take advantage of price matches.  If you are consulting with a travel agent for your honeymoon but have seen something cheaper online, ask them if they can price match the deal.  It's always worth the shot.  You get the best of both worlds: Someone you can talk to in person and money saved on your honeymoon.


Best Budget Honeymoons this Week through Groupon

UPDATE:  DEALS ARE EXPIRED BUT YOU CAN STILL CHECK OUT THE SITE FOR  UPDATED GETAWAY DEALS ON A BUDGET.

Honeymoon Staycation in the United States


NOTE:

The Following Budget Honeymoon Getaways are only valid for the next 6 days. So, if you really like something...book it or you will miss out on these awesome deals.


ABOUT GROUPON:

Remember you can potentially get PAID $10 per referral when you sign up for GROUPON then refer a friend.  You get PAID once the friends you invite make their first purchase.  You can potentially pay for your own honeymoon!!!  So sign up and start emailing your friends.  Sign up here.

Barton Hill Hotel & Spa – Lewiston, New York

Two-Night Stay for Two in Riverview Retreat King Room

from$169            Value  $353       Discount 52%         You Save $184

Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa – Whitefield, New Hampshire

Two-Night Stay for Up to Four in a Classic or Historic Room, $30 Resort Credit, and Bottle of Wine

from$219           Value  $434         Discount  50%         You Save $215

 

Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa – Young Harris, Georgia

One-Night Stay for Up to Four in Lodge or Cottage Guest Room with Activities for Two. Combine Up to Five Nights.

from$139            Value $304          Discount 54%          You Save $165

Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa – Branson, Missouri

Two-Night Stay for Two Adults and Up to Two Kids in Lake-View Room or Lakefront Ambassador Suite. Combine Up to Six Nights.

from$159            Value $363         Discount 56%            You Save $204

Hotel Alsace & Spa Resort – Castroville, Texas

One- or Two-Night Stay for Up to Five with Dining Credit or Dining and Spa Credit. Combine Up to Five Nights

from$69             Value $153           Discount 55%             You Save $84

 

This Week's Honeymoon For Less: Under $100/ night

Update: These deals are no longer available.  I will be posting the new honeymoon getaways soon or check out the site, Groupon.


One thing to keep in mind when deciding how much you can afford to spend on your honeymoon, is to be open minded. Many people underestimate the landmarks our country has to offer.  So before you start thinking outside the border, think inside the border.  Below are affordable honeymoons, for those who are looking to save money on this aspect of their wedding. 

Here are this week's Groupon deal.  All deals I posted today are available to be booked for the next 6 days, remember these deals are very limited. All deals are under $100.00/night.

The St. Anthony Riverwalk Wyndham Hotel – San Antonio, Texas 

One- or Two-Night Stay for Two in Elegant King or Queen Room with Dining Credit. Combine Up to Four Nights.

from$80                   Value$159                 Discount 50%                  You Save$79

Marriott Hunt Valley Inn – Hunt Valley, Maryland 

One-Night Stay for Up to Three in a Deluxe King Room. Combine Up to Three Nights.

$82                           Value $139                Discount 41%                  You Save$57

Crestwood Resort & Spa – Boone, North Carolina 

Two-Night Stay for Up to Four. Combine Up to Four Nights.

$199                          Value $430               Discount 54%                    You Save $231

Mont Rest Inn – Bellevue, Iowa 

One-Night Stay for Two

$99                          Value$199                   Discount50%                     You Save$100

Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens – Springdale, Utah 

Two-Night Stay for Two Adults and Up to Four Kids in Canyon-View Room or Riverside One- or Two-Bedroom Suite

from$99                 Value $198                    Discount 50%                     You Save $99

Flying L Guest Ranch – Bandera, Texas 

Two-Night All-Inclusive Stay for One Adult and Up to One Child. Combine Multiple Nights.

$149                      Value $298                   Discount 50%                      You Save$149

Can you picture yourself at any of these places?  All the pictures below are from the deals I have posted.  So picture yourself there...with a couple extra bucks to spend with these affordable honeymoon getaways.

 

You Can Potentially Earn Some Money to Put towards Your Honeymoon

  As if figuring out your wedding budget weren't enough, you also have to calculate perhaps one of your highest expenses...the honeymoon.  Most couples cannot not afford a lavish honeymoon.  Some wait a couple months before taking one.  First thing is first.  Reanalyze your budget.  Figure out what you are willing to sacrifice to be able afford the honeymoon you truly want. 

   While an ice sculpture looks so fancy and may wow your guests, ask yourself...Do I prefer to watch our hand carved names melt away or do I prefer to melt away in my future husband's arms as we watch the sunrise in Mexico? Okay, maybe I'm being too dramatic.  But truth be told, take it from a bride who was so detailed oriented, there are things that your guests aren't even going to notice.  Those personalized M&Ms, the exact color purse to match your shoes, the details on your veil that matches your dress, or the monogramed champagne glasses. Trust me you can do without many of these things.
 
    Place priorites on what it is you really want.  If your dress is what you really want to splurge on, then go ahead you are the queen of the night.  If your honeymoon is what you really want to splurge on, then be willing to make some sacrifices.  Sometimes sacrificing shines the light upon new possibilities...take that risk! 

  Ever thought you could get paid a couple bucks when shopping for your honeymoon getaway.  Well, look again.  I came across a website, some of you might have heard of it, called Groupon.  This site has local deals from spa deals to photo deals, to restaurant deals, to vacation deals, you name it.  Usually you can save 50-90% off the value price.  Some restrictions apply, but nothing too serious to scare one away.  So how do you get paid. Simple.  For every person you refer to the website and they purchase something you get $10. Get enough people and you can practically pay for your own honeymoon!


Here are some deals I found.  Please take notice that many of these deals are limited and have time frames.  So if you really like a deal...Jump on it!

UPDATE: These deals are no longer valid. The deals on  Groupon are time sensitive and only last a couple of days. But you can still visit Groupon for the lastest deals.

Search Groupon to book the honeymoon you want with the budget you can afford! - Click Here

Tropicana Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada

One-Night Stay for Two People with Tickets to Las Vegas Mob Experience. Combine Up to Two Nights.

from $66   Value $169      Discount 61%       You Save $103

Worldwide Vacation & Travel, Inc. – Greater Orlando, Florida

Seven-Night Stay for Up to Six in an Up to One-Bedroom or Up to Two-Bedroom Unit

from $339    Value $700    Discount 52%      You Save $361

Villas Sol Hotel & Beach Resort – Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Three- or Four-Night All-Inclusive Stay for Two in Standard Room

from $299     Value $747   Discount 60%    You Save $448