The 2009 wedding season included at least 6 engagements, 5 weddings, 5 bachelorette parties, 5 bridal showers, 4 round trip plane tickets to and from wedding events, 3 bridesmaid dresses, 2 engagement parties and 1 partridge, no wait, 1 bridal shower. Did I attend them all? Almost all.

How did I survive wedding season this year? For starters I had to learn how to say no. While I still have to purchase 3 wedding gifts - thank you holiday bonus and the understanding of my newlywed friends - I learned a multitude of ways to survive this year and want to share with you my top picks for 2009:

1. Staying within a budget ala The Wedding Diet.
2. Getting money back by either Reselling Your Bridesmaid Dress or getting a tax break by Donating Your Dress To Charity.
3. Increasing shoe longevity and wear-ability with Solemates.
4. Discovering affordable lingerie at Loehmanns and quality guest gifts at Ross.
5. Identifying killer wedding products like Canditto’s creative and easy-to-use solution for archiving and sharing wedding guest photos and Creative Custom Cardboxes‘ beautiful and original designs.
6. Trying on the best Bridesmaid dress ever by TwoBirds Bridesmaid that I will absolutely re-wear in 2010, and always showing up prepared with a cover-up.
7. Uncovering unique Bachelorette Party themes and resources including a shooting range celebration, a scavenger hunt, yoga on the beach and a bachelorette party planner: Bride’s Night Out!
8. Learning not only where to party in Las Vegas and Miami but also what to expect at a Hindu wedding and a Rehearsal Dinner.
9. Looking outside the wedding registry and uncovering truly distinctive gift alternatives like custom garters, the vinturi wine aerator, cooking classes, Tastebooks, Nature’s Notebook custom prints, personalized wedding poems and one-of-a-kind dbO Home accessories.
10. Remembering that traditionally you have a year to purchase a wedding gift but no matter what, always remember to bring a card.

Happy Holidays, Elle Shapiro

Have a great wedding survival tip to share with the Survive Wedding Season community? Email your tips to solutions@surviveweddingseason.com.

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Tags: Bridal Shower Advice, Bridesmaids, Elle Shapiro, How To Survive Wedding Season On A Budget, Planning a Bachelorette Party, Wedding Blog, wedding fashion, Wedding Trends 2009

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