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| Introduction | |
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| Introduction | |
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| So, Who Are You Guys? | |
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| The 4 Truths About Weddings You Won't Read In Etiquette Books | |
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| The Goal of this Book | |
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| Wow! There's No Advertising! | |
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| How Much Does the Average U.S. Wedding Cost? | |
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| The Six Fields' Commandments for Bridal Bargains | |
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| The Bridal Clock | |
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| What's New In This Edition? | |
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| Your Wedding | |
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| Apparel for the Bride | |
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| The Olympics of Shopping | |
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| Hidden Costs Can Add Up | |
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| Web Sites To Ease Gown Shopping | |
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| Why Ordering a Gown Takes So Long | |
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| 17 Step-by-Step Shopping Strategies | |
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| Good vs. Bad Gown Quality | |
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| Questions to Ask Before You Order the Gown | |
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| Special Warning: Use Your Credit Card! | |
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| Destination Wedding Tips: Gowns | |
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| 26 Money-Saving Secrets | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: eBay Success Stories | |
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| The Running of the Brides: Filene's Sale | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Make you Own Headpiece | |
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| Games Bridal Shops Play | |
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| Top Excuses for Why Bridal Shops Rip Tags | |
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| Designer Trunk Shows: Tips & Traps | |
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| The Myth of Italian Satin & 4 More Dress Myths | |
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| "Over-Sizing" and 15 More Pitfalls | |
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| Bridal 911: What Happens If the Shop Disappears | |
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| Also Known As: Designer Aliases | |
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| Chart: Top Bridal Designers Rated & Compared | |
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| Best Buy: Discount Gown Web Sites | |
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| Table: Pros & Cons of Buying a Discount Gown | |
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| Best Buy: China Direct Gowns | |
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| Best Buy: Bridal Outlets | |
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| Factory Stores New Twist on Outlets | |
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| Big Mark-Ups Ahead: Accessories & Extras | |
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| Not Recommended: David's Bridal | |
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| Looking for a Large Size | |
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| Gown Preservation | |
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| Apparel for the Wedding Party | |
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| Bridesmaids' Gowns | |
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| Our Buying Strategy | |
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| 5 Shopping Strategies | |
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| Do it Online & 12 More Money-Savers | |
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| Which Maids Gowns Are Easiest To Alter? | |
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| Chart: Bridesmaids Options | |
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| Square Peg, Round Hole and 6 More Pitfalls | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Delivery, Sizing Problems | |
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| Flower Girl Dresses: Our Savings Tips | |
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| Chart: Top Maids Designers Rated & Compared | |
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| Tuxedos: The Three Options | |
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| Grooms in Cyberspace | |
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| Tux Shopping Tips & Recommendations | |
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| 5 Money-Saving Secrets | |
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| Ceremony Sites | |
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| Religious vs. Civil Ceremonies | |
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| 8 Sources for Ceremony Sites & Officiants | |
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| Important Questions to Ask the Site Coordinator | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Church Fees Can Add Up | |
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| Most/Least Popular Wedding Months by State | |
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| Why Civic Sites are Best Bargains | |
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| Destination Wedding Tips: License 411 & More | |
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| Wedding Flowers | |
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| Average Floral Costs | |
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| Florists Come in Three Flavors | |
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| Four Floral Web Sites for Advice, Bargains | |
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| Florist Shopping: 9 Steps & 11 Questions to Ask | |
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| 26 Money-Savers | |
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| Table Centerpieces On the Cheap | |
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| Seven Floral Best Buys | |
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| Label Flowers and 8 More Helpful Tips | |
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| The Mercedes Syndrome and 5 More Pitfalls | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: The Surprise Consulting Fee | |
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| Trends: Bouquet Bling & More | |
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| Destination Wedding Tips: Flowers | |
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| Spotlight on Roses: Types & Colors | |
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| Best Buy: Buying Flowers at Wholesale on the 'Net | |
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| Best Buy: Craft Stores | |
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| Dictionary of Wedding Flowers | |
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| Invitations | |
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| Why Invitations Are Priced a La Carte | |
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| Where to Buy: Retail vs. Mail-Order | |
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| 8 Cool Invitation Web Sites | |
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| 9 Steps in the Ordering Process | |
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| 5 Questions to Ask A Stationer | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: How Many Should You Invite? | |
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| Thermography and 13 More Money-Savers | |
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| Brazen Bridal Registries & Four More Helpful Hints | |
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| The "Engraved Invitation" Myth | |
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| "Pet Postal Peeves" and 7 More Pitfalls | |
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| 11 of the Best Stationary Printers | |
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| Do It By Mail: 12 Invitation Catalogs | |
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| Chart: Mail-Order Invites Compared | |
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| Trends: Belly Bands, Color and More | |
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| Best Buy: Wedding Invitation Kit | |
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| Best Buy: Online Invitation Discounters | |
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| Best Buy: Do-it-yourself Paper Supplies | |
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| Spotlight: Wedding Favors: 12 Ideas | |
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| Your Reception | |
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| Reception Sites | |
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| The Big Trade-Off | |
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| Six Surprising Sources | |
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| Finding Sites on the Web | |
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| 11 Questions to Ask Any Site | |
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| Best Bargains: Biz Hotels, Civic Sites and More | |
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| Tent Rental 101 | |
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| The Marriage Mark-Up | |
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| Destination Wedding Tips & Advice | |
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| Kickbacks and 6 More Pitfalls to Avoid | |
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| 6 Most Common Site Types: Good, Bad News | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Catering Insider Dishes Dirt | |
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| Hotels: Never Pay the Rack Rate! | |
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| The Amazing Send-Off: Fireworks | |
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| Catering | |
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| The Big Bucks: Food, Beverages, Labor, Rentals | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Open vs. Cash Bars | |
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| Average Catering Costs | |
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| The Two Types of Caterers | |
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| When To Book a Caterer | |
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| 18 Questions to Ask a Caterer | |
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| The Dessert Reception & 24 More Money-Savers | |
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| Deals at Wholesale Clubs | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Tips on Tipping | |
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| Plastic Plate Myth | |
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| How to Feed 100 for $100 | |
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| "Frozen Food" and 5 More Pitfalls | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Liquor Slight of Hand | |
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| Photography | |
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| What You're Buying: Candids, Albums, Portraits | |
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| Digital Albums: The Latest Craze | |
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| What Are Exposures, Proofs, Prints? | |
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| Are Wedding Photographers Overpaid? | |
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| Where Not to Look For a Good Photographer | |
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| Digital vs. Medium-Format Cameras | |
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| Proofless Studios Speed Album Deliveries | |
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| Why Personality is Just As Important As Skill | |
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| 9 Shopping Strategies | |
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| 16 Questions to Ask Any Wedding Photographer | |
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| Art Leather Albums: The Inside Story | |
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| 12 Money-Savers on Photography | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Mail-Order Albums | |
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| The Great Before or After Controversy | |
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| "Bait & Switch" and 8 More Pitfalls | |
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| Odd Angles & Blurred Shots: Latest Trends | |
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| Cakes | |
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| Average Total Costs | |
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| 8 Wedding Cake Trends | |
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| The Three Types of Bakeries | |
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| How Soon To Book the Baker? | |
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| Taste Tests and More Shopping Strategies | |
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| Five Questions to Ask | |
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| Cake Slight-Of-Hand & 11 More Bargains | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: That's Nuts! | |
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| The "Mystery White Icing" and 4 More Pitfalls | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Small vs. Large Bakeries | |
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| Wedding Videos | |
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| "In-Camera" vs Post-Editing | |
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| Average Costs | |
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| How to Find a Good Videographer | |
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| 5 Basics of a Good Wedding Video | |
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| Videos: Good, Bad, Ugly | |
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| 11 Questions to Ask | |
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| The Balkans of Bridal | |
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| Ceremony Only Packages and 12 More Bargains | |
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| "Director's Disease" and 6 More Video Pitfalls | |
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| New trends: HDTV, TV Themes, Retrospectives | |
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| Entertainment | |
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| Ceremony Music: Prelude, Processional/Recessional | |
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| Reception Music: Bands & DJs | |
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| 10 Surprising Sources for Musicians | |
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| Finding a DJ on the 'Net | |
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| Step-by-Step Shopping Strategies | |
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| 11 Questions to Ask Musicians | |
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| iPod Weddings and 9 More Money-Savers | |
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| Real Wedding Tip: Hiring Student Musicians | |
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| The "Yucky DJ Myth" | |
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| Canned vs. Fresh: Hire a Band or DJ? | |
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| Ashlee Simpson Demo Tapes and 4 More Pitfalls | |
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| Agents: Helping Hand or Scum of the Earth? | |
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| Etcetera | |
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| Limousines | |
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| Shopping Strategies, Money-Savers | |
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| Rent a Caddy and 8 other money-savers | |
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| Watch out: Sleazy Limo Driver | |
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| Wedding Rings | |
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| Best Buy: Get Your Rings at a Discount | |
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| Royal Prestige Cookware Pitch Exposed | |
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| Dubious Items: Wedding Insurance, Name Change Kits | |
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| Bridal Shows: Highway to Bridal Hell? | |
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| Wedding Consultants | |
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| Question to Ask a Bridal Planner | |
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| Pitfalls to Avoid With Planners | |
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| Gift Registries | |
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| 16 Salt-N-Pepper Shakers and 3 More Pitfalls | |
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| 6 Money-Saving Tips | |
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| How to turn unwanted gifts into cash | |
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| Honeymoons | |
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| 15 Honeymoon Bargains | |
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| Chart: When is the Off Season? | |
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| Hurricane Proof Your Honeymoon | |
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| How to Create Your Own Wedding Web Site | |
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| Canada | |
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| Bridal Gowns: Money-Saving Ideas | |
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| Invitations: Canadian Mail-Order Catalogs | |
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| A Web Site for Canada Brides | |
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| Bridal 911: Last Minute Consumer Tips | |
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| Meet the Surrogate Bad Cop | |
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| The Final Checkup | |
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| Wedding Day Crises: How to Survive Them | |
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| Conclusion: What Does it All Mean? | |
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| Setting a Budget | |
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| Phone/Web Directory | |
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| Index | |
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| About the Authors | |