Meet this woman.  Her name is Kimberly Aya.

If it were up to me, she would win the Nobel Peace Prize.

I’ve jumped ahead of myself again, haven’t I?  To take a cue from Sophia from the Golden Girls:  “Picture it…your wedding…2008. You’re on a tight budget.  You have so many family and friends you would like to invite.  So many design ideas.  So many food selections. You don’t know where to draw the line…..”

Kimberly Aya of Fun Cakes can rent your wedding cake masterpiece dressed in decadent fondant and styrofoam all for the hefty price of $100…plus shipping.  You get your dream cake, without the cost! We’ve all told brides before to have a smal cake in their favorite design for picture and design purposes and serve guests from a sheet cake kept in the kitchen. This has always been an agreeable idea, as the sheet cake is flavored in the same specifications as the “tiny cake”.  Now you don’t even need two cakes! You can have the huge cake you’ve drooled over since you bought your first bridal magazine (you’re on number 568 now, aren’t you?) and get to have the taste that you want! You can literally have your cake and eat it too. 

Fun Cakes does ship nationwide and Kim can even hide a piece of real cake in the bottom layer so that you can still cut the cake and exchange bites. (If you won’t tell, we won’t tell!)

I had a shopping outing this past weekend. Besides shuffling my two year old out from underneath the clothes, or prying my four year old down from the mannequin stands (“I’m working, Mommy” aka modeling), I had a good time. We journeyed over to Macy’s, and right there on the top level (at least in my mall), there were the MOST GORGEOUS special occasion dresses. Not like 1986 Prom dresses, I mean HOT.  I thought “WOW, a bride and her BP could really go to town in here…dress, accessories, shoes and possibly even make up…all for under $200 or less”. I know we always talk about being a gracious bride and finding something that the party can wear again.  When is the last time you saw someone out in a hot pink ruched fuchsia ball gown? Don’t worry. I’ll wait.  But seriously, think about it. The more functional the gown is, the more likely it is to be worn again. This is also a great idea if your bridesmaids are strapped for cash.

Case(s) in point:

Gorgeous, and on sale for $87 bucks	A simpler design for only $58	Going beachy or casual?  $81 dollars
Ruched and ruffled:   $59 dollars.	Goddess style dress: $81.	Lacy and hot: $49.

Mind you, the dresses in the store were of a better variety in terms of cut, color and size selection etc.  So, if your BP is on a budget, definitely look into this alternative.  And remember, these dresses can always be dressed up with a little bling– It could be so much as a rhinestone brooch in the neckline or shoulder or the right accessories that could jazz it up for you!