Linens: Rent or Buy?

Linens are probably one of the most obnoxious thing you have to purchase for your wedding. If you're savvy, you can really save some money, especially if you have a lot of guests. Rental prices vary greatly depending on your city, sometimes it's cheaper to rent, sometimes it's not. For Gainesville, it is definitely cheaper to buy when you account for resale profits. The two things that will determine whether to rent or buy are time and money. Renting is generally more expensive, but much easier. Buying can save a significant amount of money, but require a great deal of time, patience and organization. I bought the linens for my wedding and if I hadn't been on such a tight budget, and I had it to do over again, I would rent. The biggest hassle for me was reselling the linens. Sure you make back most of your money, but it takes FORever because you have to take pics, make an ad, communicate with tons of "interested" brides, and ship the linens. If you know a friend or someone local, that would be much easier. Sometimes brides will presell their linens before the wedding to avoid the hassle later, which would probably be another good option. The other hassle, which I didn't realize until I received my linens was they get REALLY wrinkled in the mail. Luckily I had some help ironing all of my tablecloths and chair covers, but it took hours. If you still want to buy, linentablecloth.com is the cheapest website for your linens and they're good quality, even my caterer buys her linens from there. Look out for good sales, especially around the holiday. You can join their email list to be notified for sales, I was able to get my linens for half of the price of renting this way. Right now they are giving 15% off until midnight with the code: nomoreprocrastinating

DIY Makeup Part 2

Now that you know the general guidelines for your wedding makeup from my Part 1, I can now tell you the makeup you will need and the best products for the job. 

On your wedding day, make sure you follow your normal face routine (wash, lotion etc.).  If you have oily skin a good tip is to use a clay mask that morning, to help keep your oil under control.  It is also a good idea to exfoliate the day of or before to insure a smooth surface.

For makeup I recommend, applying in this order: Primer, Foundation, Eye Primer, Concealer, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Mascara, Blush, Finishing Powder and Lip Stain.  Some people like to do their eye makeup first, just in case you have some fallout on your cheekbones from the eyeshadow, but I like putting foundation under my brows to even out skin tone.  Also, make sure to curl your eyelashes!

These are the products I used for my wedding.  Keep in mind my skin is oily so these products may not work for you, if your skin is different.  Make sure you test EVERY product months before the wedding.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation, $34

 
MAKE UP FOR EVER All Mat, $45

MAKE UP FOR EVER Full Cover Concealer, $30

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, $24

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes, $18

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Smoky Lash, $22

Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection ($73 Value), $36

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush, $25

MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Powder, $30

Pixi Lip Blush - Purity , $18

 The best products here are the Nars Eye Primer, it will keep your eyeshadow on FOREVER.  Also, I love the Make Up For Ever mascara and eyeliner, they are both waterproof and mine lasted until the next morning.  The Pixi lip stain was the only stain I found lasted and the microfinish powder brides swear by.  I also wore fake eyelashes, that my salon put on and they made a huge difference.