If your honeymoon destination includes a dip in the pool or ocean, and you'll be in the NYC area this week, you may want to stop by the Vix and Lisa Curran Swimwear Sample Sale.  The sale will have swimsuits for $65-$125, cover-ups for $30-$80 and Haviana flip-flops for $10-$16.

The showroom is open to the public (no appointment necessary) all this week, May 13th through the 16th, 9:30a.m. to 8p.m.  Here's the address: 250 W. 39th St., b/t Seventh & Eighth Aves., ste. 510 (212-221-2349), and it's cash only.

There are a lot of wedding events happening in New York City this month.  I just learned about an event at the W Union Square hotel in conjunction with BFF Bridal on Tuesday, April 29th from 7-9pm. 

At the event the top beauty and style experts in the city will be on hand to answer your questions.  You’ll also be able to get a free hair consultation, brow shaping, makeover, dieting tips and advice on dress and lingerie fittings.

Some of the experts participating include: Bliss Spa, Completely Bare Hair Removal and Laura Mercier.  You’ll also get to go home with a fabulous goody-bag!

So call or email your girlfriends to see who’s free – you may not want to drag your fiance to this event, though he would enjoy the hors d’oeuvres from Olives Restaurant – and RSVP at events@bffbridal.com.  Tickets to the event are $75 per person, or $125 for two. 

Looking for a great deal on a gorgeous dress?  This week couture wedding gowns (some by Monique Lhuillier and Angel Sanchez) will be on sale - up to 80% off! - at the Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier.

The sale will run from tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8th (12noon - 8pm) through Wednesday, April 9th (10am - 4pm) at 110 E 55th Street, 8th floor.  Call 212-319-6778 to schedule an appointment.

Remember that gowns bought at a sample sale CANNOT be returned, so make sure you absolutely love the dress before you buy it.  And ask the salesperson if she can recommend a seamstress who can do your alterations, since you will most likely not be able to get them done at the salon.

Click here to visit the salon's website.

There are a lot of wedding events coming up in the next few weeks that I want to share with all of you.

The first is The Wedding Salon, celebrating the 5th anniversary of their luxury show in New York City on Monday, April 21st.   Unlike other bridal shows, The Wedding Salon is set up to resemble a wedding - complete with passed hors d'ouerves, signature drinks and my favorite, wedding cakes. 

Celebrity wedding vendors featured at the event include Sylvia Weinstock, David Tutera, Michael George and Thomas Noel, along with dozens of stationers, makeup and hair stylists, photographers and videographers, honeymoon destinations and musicians.

The event costs $75 for 2 tickets, but you can save $40 by entering the following promotional code on the registration page, and you'll receive 2 tickets for $35 - iVillageNY08P

If you won't be in New York on the 21st, The Wedding Salon will be in several other cities over the next few months:

Somerset, NJ - Wednesday, June 25th

Los Angeles, CA - Monday, September 22nd

Miami, FL - Monday, November 10th

If you go to any of the shows, please let us know if you meet any interesting vendors, or find a unique wedding idea!

Worried that your dream dress will blow your budget? Bridal Mecca, Kleinfeld, is holding a one-day blowout sample sale next week!

Tuesday, February 5th from 3-7pm you can find designer gowns - Amsale, Carolina Herrera, Christos, Kenneth Pool, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra and more! – headpieces, veils and accessories at up to 70% off – and some items are marked down another 25%. You may be able to find your gown for as little as $499!

No appointment necessary. Major credit cards accepted and you will be able to try on dresses.

Here’s an older post on what a sample sale is, how to shop at one and where to get your gown cleaned before you have it altered.

Have fun and let us know if you find anything great!

I just heard that Wifeville is having a one day sale today — 25% off all merchandise! So if you’re wedding is coming up, you might want to grab a fun tee, tank or pair of cozy pants for the honeymoon!

Just enter "MERRY KISS-MAS" at checkout to receive the disoucnt.

Happy Shopping!

Still looking for your wedding dress? If you'll be in the NY Metro Area this Saturday, December, 15, swing by the Vera Wang Bridal Collection Sample Sale at the The New Yorker Hotel (481 Eighth Ave., b/t 34th & 35th Streets). Doors open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. but you should defintely get there earlier - the line starts in the middle of the night. The designer gowns will be marked 30-70 percent off retail prices.

I went to the sale when I got engaged in 2001. We got there at 6am and we were like the 200th person there. They let us in in shifts, so we didn't get in till about 10 a.m.

Wedding Planning Tip: Remember that when shopping at a sample sale you have to be 100% sure that it is the dress you want. You can't return or exchange it and they won't hold it for you. Bring your mom, sister or friend with you - someone whose fashion opinion you trust. Don't buy a dress just because it's discounted. Buy it becasue it's the dress. You do not want to get stuck with a $2,000 dress that you don't want to wear to your wedding. And reselling a dress is not easy. You will probably lose money on it.

Let us know if you find something!

Still looking for your dress and live in the New York Tri-State Area? Saks Fifth Avenue’s Wedding Gown Sample Sale is on this week!

Starting today, November 28th, and running through Wednesday, Dec 5th, you can browse through hundreds of gowns, including designs by Vera Wang, Reem Acra and Monique Lhuillier. The sale is on the 3rd floor. (The photo above is a stock image, and does not reflect what will be available.)

The savings is huge – up to 70% off the original retail price. I bought my $10,000 Vera Wang ball gown there in 2002 for $2,500! So if you know what you’re looking for it’s definitely worth checking out.

And remember, they will not hold a dress for you, and you can’t return it, so before you buy a wedding dress make sure you are sure because even though $2,000 is better thank $10,000, it’s still a lot of money.

If you don’t have a Saks Fifth Avenue credit card, ask the sales consultant if you can signup for one and get an additional 10% off the price of the dress.

Wedding Tip: If you buy your dress at a sample sale have it cleaned by a professional BEFORE you take it for alterations - I recommend two companies - J. Scheer and Imperial Gown Restoration.

**Saks will not offer you alterations if you buy your dress at their sample sale, however you may be able to get a recommendation from them.