Azar Jazestani | Principal Planner Ok so is it terribly wrong to fake the cake? Well, I say go for it! Ladies and lads, if you don’t already know this, those beautiful cakes you see in your favorite magazines are almost always dummy cakes. Stand ins! Can you tell? Why not bring a little faux fab to your wedding day?!

Cakes cost a fortune and the option of settling for an ugly one that fits into your budget is just wrong. This is a great alternative for the bride who has the style, but wants to save a pretty penny.  Always dreamt of having a lavish eight tiered bad boy for your big day? Well, this may be the answer to your dreams.

Meet with your favorite cake designer and tell them what you are thinking of doing for your big day. They will design your cake based on your colors, theme + overall feel and deliver a perfect piece of art with a few fake tiers. You can still have a diva’s cake on a less than diva-ish budget!

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So, when the big moment comes, cut the cake and ever so gently feed each other the real stuff (just remember which tiers are faux!) As for the guests… wheel your cake out of the reception and into the kitchen where you can secretly get rid of the evidence! Once the cake slices are plated and garnished to perfection, all your unsuspecting guests will think is how delicious it is! It’ll be our little secret.

The Look For Less is a regular feature on our blog.  Get amazing style tips from top wedding experts who can help you get a great look at your wedding, without breaking the bank.

Today’s feature was written by Azar Jazestani of Principal Planner in Montreal, Quebec. Principal Planner coordinates every event with exceptional grace and a  trendy touch creating unforgettable results.

Wedding Cake Photos  by Luisa Galuppo.

Morgan Gallo | Morgan Gallo Events: Oh jewels, How I love thee!? I’m liking a freaking child, wave something shiny in front of me and forget it… distracted for hours. Jewelry is a big part of your wedding day, but it really doesn’t have to cost a million bucks. I mean lets get real, who can actually afford “real” pieces unless they are hand-me-downs or somebody in the family owns a hotel chain. So unless you’ve recently come into money, let’s assume that you are looking for some bargain jewelry… Everything I am picturing today is under 100 dollars!!! Holy heck yeah!!!

Okay. When it comes to jewelry I have two go-to spots that always have beautiful and well priced products. Good ole’ Banana Republic and J.Crew. At both places you get a quality product at reasonable prices. Can you ask for any more?! Both stores understand the current trends, but also capture a timeless chic that I really just love.

I know what you are thinking… J.Crew!?! It’s as far from a bargain as you can possibly get. Whoa there. Hold your horses. It’s true J.Crew is absurd when it comes to their clothes. Don’t get me wrong, they are super cute, but they are also super expensive. The two deals that you can find there are the reasonably priced wedding dresses and the jewelry. Now these baubles aren’t cheap, but they are really well made and compared to the real deal they are crazy inexpensive. So do me a favor and check our Banana and J.Crew for some ah-mazing deals. Banana’s sale bin in the store will blow your mind, the downside is, of course, you don’t know what you are gonna get at your local, but you can find brilliant deals. So what’s the harm!? Definitely check that out before making a purchase.

Now, another favorite of mine is Piperlime.com! This online retailer will fill your heart with joy. They have an ah-mazing selection of shoes, bags, apparel, and wait for it… JEWELRY! Yay!! This store rocks my socks. I am in love. And with fun and affordable designers like, Hive and Honey, Sequin, and Tinely Road, you are guaranteed to find pieces that you love. They also carry big brands like, House of Harlow, Juicy Couture, and Marc by Marc Jacobs. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite places to shop. It’s wonderful because it also offers free shipping and returns. Ahhhhh, hassle free, my favorite.

The Look For Less is a regular feature on our blog.  We’ve reached out to leading wedding planners to get their expert advice on how to get a great look at your wedding, without breaking the bank.

Today’s feature was written by Morgan Gallo of Morgan Gallo Events – a luxury wedding planning and event design service that treats each couple and wedding as their very own.

Serving the Low Country and Savannah, GA area, their specialty is destination wedding management for professional couples that have little time to juggle everyday life, work and the added hours that planning their wedding brings.

Emily Moise | Keely Thorne Events: Every bride wants her wedding to reflect her own style, personality and the love between her and her soon-to-be husband.  Adding personal touches can get extremely expensive if you don’t do it right.

A simple way to make your wedding your own is to think about items that could be used at your wedding and also used again in your new house with your new husband! A Bride tends to like similar things for the wedding that she would in her day to day life.

For example, if you are a zebra print girl, then use a simple zebra rug under the place card table. It would be adorable!

Have a lounge area?  Why not add a rug to it?!? You’re probably going to be buying one for your new home anyways so why not use the same one? Here are some great rugs from Urban Outfitters…

Also many lounge furniture rental companies will offer rental pillows.  But why not go out and buy some that will be in your house? Here are some great ones from Urban Outfitters.

Blankets can make for a great outdoor wedding. Here are some from Ikea for only $3.49! Simply roll them up, tie with a ribbon and put a little sign on them. Every new household needs extra blankets!

Have a great piece of art work for your wall or find one you love? Why not incorporate that into your favor station for a little fun?  Or want a cool lamp on your guest sign in table? Well buy one for your house to use! Need a cool vase or basket for well wishes? I am sure there is one out there with a purpose in your new house.

Great places to look for all of these suggestions are antique stores, Hobby Lobby, Pier1, Etsy.com, anthropologie, Pottery Barn, etc.!  There is literally inspiration and stuff to use for your wedding all over your new home!

All of these tips are inspired not only to help save you money, but to also keep reminders all throughout your new home of that special day that you committed your love and lives together!

The Look For Less is a regular feature on our blog.  We’ve reached out to leading wedding planners to get their expert advice on how to get a great look at your wedding, without breaking the bank.

Today’s feature was written by Emily Moise of Keely Thorne Events – a boutique special events firm that plans exquisite weddings and unforgettable social events in Southeast Texas and worldwide.

Emily’s enthusiasm, wit and charm quickly win over her client’s hearts, but it is her creativity, knowledge and exceptional attention to detail that enable them to trust her with their most important events.

Daisy Pagan | Perfect Settings: Everyone (or most, I would think) knows that you can re-purpose the flowers from the Ceremony for some blank spots at the reception.  But what about re-purposing the centerpiece?

What do I mean?  Well, what about taking a minute and calling all of those near and dear to you…ask if they have a special cake plate, cake plateau, compote or riser.

Photos courtesy of: Amazon, Style Me Pretty, Country Living, Vintage Indie, The Haystack Needle

Ask those very women to make their most special and favorite cookie recipe and fill those cake plates with 2-3 dozen of cookies.  Use these as your centerpieces… they will be the hit… trust me!

Not interested in having cookie centers but would like something edible?  How about cakes or cup cakes?

Photos courtesy of Clara French

If that doesn’t stir any excitement, not to worry, you could also use the cake plates as flower or candle bases.  You could also mix and match with some tables having cookies, some having cakes, some having candles and the others having flowers.   Just be sure that you are tying the wedding colors into the centerpiece.

Photos courtesy of: Martha Stewart, Country Living, Ilovelolliblog

Lots of family and friends want to help with the daunting tasks of wedding planning but don’t know how to ask or where they can be of help.  This is a perfect fit from all perspectives.

The Look For Less is a regular feature on our blog.  We’ve reached out to leading wedding planners to get their expert advice on how to get a great look at your wedding, without breaking the bank.

Daisy Pagan is an event and wedding planning professional with more than 14 years experience in the coordinating industry.  She has planned weddings as small as 12 guests to the grandest of 500 guests. Find her at Perfect Settings in Columbia, PA.