design them using eInvite’s were there for the picking. (Note that free Web service. varieties may change.)

Wedding

smarts

To get started, visit costco. For those partial to exotics, costco.com’s bulk com and click on “floral & tropicals include bird of paradise, ginger, Spanish events,” then “invitations & pineapple and anthurium. They make the perfect announcements” and “Wed- tie-in for couples planning a Hawaiian honeymoon. ding Invitations.” The beauty of these programs (sorry, not cur-Costco’seight Print Shop rently offered in Alaska and Hawaii) is that and Copy Centers, located in the flowers are shipped directly to the wedding or select West Coast warehouses rehearsal site. and Costco Business Centers, Roses in many colors, as well as masses of sea-provide wedding-invitation sonal varieties, are available at the warehouse floral printing services, too. coolers. And because the flowers are delivered to the warehouse for member pickup, there are no ship- Flowers ping and delivery charges. For details, talk with the One place couples-to-be floral merchandiser found at each floral cooler. can save money is through

Costco’s online and ware- Photographs and albums
house floral programs. Costco’s 1-Hour Photo department is a dream
What could be easier than come true for engaged couples. Digital photos, up-
going to costco.com, clicking loaded and ordered on the Costco Photo Center on
onthe“floral & events” section costco.com, are ready for pickup within an hour.
and then “wedding floral col- Photo announcement cards, photos on CDs, reprints
lections?” There you’ll find and enlargements are also available. (Tip: Place Fuji
stunning, premade wedding one-time-use cameras on tables at the reception.
^{IRIDIO PHO TOGRAPH Y} floral arrangements for a frac- This is a fun way to get more pictures of guests danc-
tion of what is normally charged. Each natural ing and celebrating the bigoccasion.)
flower collection is created by a designer accredited A hip approach to digital-image wedding
by the American Institute of Floral Designers. albums is MyPublisher PhotoBooks, a software pro-
Freshness is assured, thanks to a streamlined three- gram. The program is available on costco.com (type
day picking-assembly-shipping policy. “MyPublisher” in the search box). Just download the
Collections come in assorted varieties and de- free MyPublisher BookMaker software; select pho-
signs to match many moods, from formal to casual. tos from your hard drive, CD or digital camera; then
(I’m wild about the Simply Elegant Wedding White organize, edit and lay out your choices, place your
Rose Collection, Item #902615. Pearl pins peek out order, and you’ll receive your customized album in
of the rose bridal bouquet, and tiny white ‘Million about a week. (Tip: Order additional albums for the
Star’ gypsophila flowers surround the matching weddingpartyasthank-yougifts.)
beribboned boutonnieres.) Each grouping usually
includes an impressive bridal bouquet, plus harmo- For the honeymoon
nizing toss-away bouquet, maids’ bouquets, corsages For a honeymoon a little bit out of the ordinary,
and flower-girl petals. (For further information, call consider Costco Travel’s always-expanding travel
toll-free 1-888-620-8895.) repertoire. These include specialty boutique hotels
Creative wedding do-it-yourselfers may want at some of the world’s most romantic destinations,
to consider the online bulk flower groupings. I found luxury cruises, mountain lodges, condominiums,
a wide array of romantic flowers suitable for wed- RVs, Grand Canyon river rafting, over-water bunga-
dings, in 25- to 150-count bundles. My favorites— lows in Tahiti, Disneyland (perhaps the Cinderella
calla lilies, gerbera daisies, alstroemerias, Oriental wedding package?) and even a private island in Fiji.
lilies, premier roses, sunflowers and hydrangeas— For more information, pick up a Costco Travel
brochure, found in warehouse kiosks, or go to
costco.com and click on “Travel.”

Costco flower power

FLOWERS

COSTCO.COM DELIVERY COSTCO

FEE SAVINGS

Rose & Star Collection $899.99 none 19% from costco.com delivered

Exact package from $1, 015 $55 online competitor

Prices based on surveys taken in March 2006.

Don’t forget car rentals and travel insurance. To book, call Costco Travel toll-free at 1-877-849-2730.

Wedding by Costco? There’s only one correct response to such a question: that’s to joyfully say, “I do.” C

For more Costco wedding resources and tips, visit costco.com, click on “Costco magazine,” then “Buying Smart.”

MEMBER Becki Fowler is one smart Costco bride, as shown by our recent correspondence.

Hi Pat,

I had to plan our wedding by long distance. A couple of weeks before the date, we found out our caterer was moving. My soon-to-be husband and I discussed our options and decided that Costco was our best hope in rescuing this stressful situation.

We ordered meat platters, veggie trays and sandwiches, as well as some frozen lasagna that we put directly into a rented chafing pan. We grabbed a case of champagne on the way out and we were set!

The trays were beautiful and we had compliments all night on the food. Everyone was surprised to hear our wedding was catered by Costco!—Becki Fowler

Dear Becki,

What a great Costco story. I hope you remembered to purchase a Costco cake, too. With fancy wedding cakes running up to $15 (or more) per slice, I always suggest buying a smaller wedding cake for the cutting ceremony and then serving one of Costco’s made-fresh-daily sheet cakes to guests. You’ll save lots (and lots) of money and time.

Or purchase three Kirkland Signature All-American four-layer chocolate cakes. Place the cakes on stands at different levels and arrange in a spiral-staircase design. Total cost is less than $45 and the cakes serve more than 60 guests ( 5 ounces each).

Don’t forget to pick up the champagne at Costco.

—Pat

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