Getting married can be an expensive affair. Though some lucky brides have families that can afford to pay for the wedding of their dreams, that is not a reality for many that are getting married today. For one, weddings cost more and more, and for second, the economy has taken a chunk out of savings that were at one time very safe. If you are paying for your own wedding, or if you are looking to save money when helping your son or daughter pay for theirs, you should think about places to save on wedding reception supplies.

Before you buy your wedding reception supplies, you have to have a plan in place. Many brides take great pride in planning the wedding of their dreams, but that wedding is not always possible. However, you can come close while saving money if you use your imagination and look around for the best options within your budget. That makes your budget the very first thing to consider. Think about every single aspect of the day and break it down into what you think you can pay and then go from there. Be as detailed as possible with this budget if you are tight so you do not run out when you need money the most.

Next, you should think about what you want for your wedding reception supplies. Are these things that you can rent? If so, call around to see what it would set you back for your guest list. Take those numbers into consideration and then see what your alternatives might be. This math may be very simple, but may not be as easy emotionally. Remember that your wedding is but one day, and no one is going to care if you had to cut corners. They are there for you, not your expensive wedding reception supplies.

Then you can take what is left to buy, make a list, and see what you have to go with in your budget. Things like favors, cake service, personalized items, and other smaller items may have to be cut if you can not seem to find a way to get them more cheaply. What you envisioned may not go with your budget. Some will go out and get a loan for this reason, but think carefully before you do this. Marriage is hard and the economy is not the best. You may not want that loan hanging over your head when you start off your married life. Wedding reception supplies will be but a distant memory by then.

Once you have made your final choices for what wedding reception supplies you need and what you do not, you can then start your bargain shopping. You will be amazed at what you can find for much less money. Shop at local party supply and wedding stores, and then search extensively online for deals on what you need. You may have to worry about shipping when ordering online, but at the same time, you can save so much that you can still find the best deal through your Internet connection.

If you are from the era of the tape, then you may have been a little apprehensive to switch to the DVD mania that has swept just about everyone. If you have a library of your favorite shows on tapes, then it is understandable to worry if you think that all of your precious artifacts are going to waste. But wait, before you abandon the idea of the DVD and the DVD recorder, you will be glad to know that all of your memorabilia will not necessarily be lost if you decide to buy a DVD player. It is possible to transfer your video library to DVD. The only challenge is, what DVD recorder are you going to purchase?

You will realize that if you decide to buy a DVD recorder, you will be confused by a torrent of options and acronyms such as DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM … the list does not seem to end. You will not be able to tell the difference by just looking at them since they look virtually identical. In fact, the only information that you may get from the label is the formats supported by the recorder and whether it has a hard disk or not. When it comes to formats, do not let that stress you since there is no manufacturer that supports all of the available formats. In any case, the formats are usually quite similar and in most cases most recorders will get the job done anyway.

From experience, it has been noted however that the – format discs take longer when initializing and finalizing. This means that before the recording actually begins or before the recording ends, you need to give it anywhere between 5 and 120 seconds. So if you are recording live TV, you will need to have your finger on the record button not to miss any part of the show. In order to record plenty of TV shows, a DVD recorder with an integrated Tivo service will prove invaluable. This service offers you the ability to add weeks’ worth of program guides and even comes with artificial intelligence to help you locate and record programs you might enjoy. This service offers personalized features and appealing graphical interfaces.

If you buy a DVD recorder, ensure that it offers an automatic creation of a navigational menu. This service is invaluable if you will be using the cheap write-once media. Whatever you decide to go for, you will realize that a DVD recorder is a great device to have around.

Kids in grade school usually spend some of the art lesson periods making holiday kid’s crafts projects, directed by their teachers. However, there’s always room for a few more decorations, right? On a blustery, rainy fall Saturday, why not let the kids get creative with some simple and inexpensive materials, adding a few more holiday decorations for the home? Here we have four Thanksgiving kid’s crafts which are easy, fun and keep the kids happily occupied for an afternoon.

Some of these Thanksgiving kid’s crafts do require some supervision by an adult or older child.

1.Thanksgiving wreaths are fertile ground for kid’s imaginations. The raffia or straw wreath forms make a nice base for the Thanksgiving theme. The neutral color accommodates all the traditional fall colors. Have the kids collect brightly colored fall leaves. Lay the leaves out on some newspaper and spray them with a clear acrylic coating. When the leaves are dry, turn them over and spray the other side. The acrylic spray seals out the air, so the leaves retain their bright colors for years. You’ll be surprised at the number of ‘found’ objects right in your back yard. With a little glue to attach these objects and a bow-tied ribbon, you’ve got a front door wreath the kids will be proud to hang.

2.All (I think) kids love making things out of Play-Dough(TM). Ask them to make small figurines of anything associated with Thanksgiving. Pumpkins, pilgrims, gourds, a miniature Mayflower or Native American figurines are just a few ideas. Give them a big can of Play-Dough(TM) and see what an interesting assortment they put together. You might find anything from a gobbler to a loaf of bread and beyond! Let the figures dry overnight. Hand out paintbrushes and a set of small jars of acrylic paint. When it’s time to set the table for Thanksgiving dinner, let the kids place a grouping of figures in front of each place setting. A small mirror under each group makes each stand out beautifully. (This Thanksgiving kid’s crafts project was a big hit in our household every year.)

3.Our next Thanksgiving kid’s crafts project dovetails nicely with the one described above. Too often, the holiday season is so heavily commercialized that we, along with our kids, tend to forget what we’re supposed to be celebrating. Thanksgiving is no different. Lots of people think of the Thanksgiving holiday as a day of extraordinary feasts, football and a long weekend. One way to teach kids the meaning behind this holiday? Get a few sheets of heavy paper and have each of the kids write a ‘Thanksgiving prayer’, naming the things they’re thankful for and their hopes for the future of humanity. Fold them in half and lay them like place cards on each family member’s dinner plate. Before you begin eating, go around the dinner table, reading each aloud.

4.Making a paper mache fruit bowl is a little messy, as Thanksgiving kid’s crafts go, but cleanup is easy and the kids end up with a stunning centerpiece for the table. Lay out plenty of newspaper and supervise this project when younger children are involved. If you’ve got older teens, delegating the supervision of the project gets them involved and they usually enjoy helping the kids learn this art. Use a lightly oiled plastic bowl, turned face down, and let them go for it! When the paper mache has dried, it easily slips off the bowl. With a pair of scissors, snip off any excess paper around the rim. Get out those acrylic paints! When the bowl is decorated to the kid’s satisfaction, seal their painting with a couple of coatings of clear acrylic spray. Load the bowl with fruit. Beautiful!

All of these Thanksgiving kid’s crafts projects help spark those creative juices, build fond memories, beautify your home and make a fun, rainy afternoon.