Straight From The Knot - 30 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding

Reception

1. Cut the guest list. This will slash your catering costs and save on invitations and even the number of centerpieces.

2. Think off-peak season and save thousands!

3. Hold your ceremony and reception in one spot -- it will cut travel time for vendors you pay by the hour.

4. Skip the Saturday wedding.

5. Have bigger tables so you need fewer centerpieces and tablecloths.

6. Shop the off-season for extra decor -- get modern black vases on sale after Halloween and pretty pink ones after Valentine's Day.

Flowers

7. Use more greenery than flowers.

8. Swap out costly flowers -- did you know peonies can be five times more expensive than roses?

9. Stick to just one or two kinds of flowers.

10. Buy flowers that are in season.

11. Include non-florals, like lanterns.

Food & Drink

12. Serve entree duets.

13. Skip the main course -- apps and drinks are fine too.

14. Offer beer, wine, and a signature cocktail instead of a full bar.

15. Serve comfort foods like barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, and corn. It's fun and often cheaper.

16. Skip the champagne toast.

Cakes

17. Order a small one or two-tiered cake and then supplement cake with a larger sheet cake (hidden back in the kitchen).

18. Keep the add-ons simple.

19. Use fresh flowers, not sugar ones.

20. Reuse ceremony flowers for the cake table.

21. Skip exotic fillings like guava and mango.

Stationery & Favors

22. Get single-page invites to save on postage.

23. Give out one favor per couple.

24. Make your cake the favors.

25. Have favors double as escort cards.

26. Email your save-the-dates.

27. Make your own menu cards, escort cards, and wedding favor packaging.

Photo, Video & Music

28. Have a photographer you love but can't afford the prices? Ask them if they have an associate shooter who will do your wedding for less.

29. Opt for a smaller band.

30. Hire a band or DJ who can do both the ceremony and the reception.

-- Meredith Bodgas

Wow! Etch Your Own Glass CREAM....I Never Knew!

Thanks Westside Bride, for opening my eyes to something new. I hope you don't mind me blogging about it myself. I never knew that there was an etching cream for you to etch and personalize your own glassware. I love it!
After reading Westside Bride's blog on the cream she just bought, I too decided that I will run out and get this stuff. It is such a great idea that requires basically no skill at all!
Here is Martha Stewart's article on DIY etched glass:

Flea-market finds and dollar-a-glass specials can be transformed with monograms, stripes, and whimsical polka dots. All you need is etching cream (available at craft and art-supply stores), masking tape, and a steady hand to cut a template. When using etching cream, wear plastic gloves and an old shirt with long sleeves, and be sure to work in a well-ventilated area. Start by deciding upon your design. We used masking tape to make the stripes and adhesive hole-reinforcers (for loose-leaf paper) to make the polka dots. The M stencil was created by enlarging the typeface on a photocopy machine and cutting a stencil. (To make a monogram stencil, place the enlarged letter on a piece of Con-Tact paper, which has a sticky back that will adhere to glass. Trace the letter, then cut it out with a utility knife, discarding the letter itself and reserving the template -- remember to reserve the center cutouts of letters with closed shapes, like O and A.) When applying your design, always clean and dry the glass first; press the design onto the glass, and rub hard. Using a paintbrush, apply a thick layer of etching cream to the glass. (Avoid spills, since cream will leave permanent marks.) Wait 5 minutes, then rinse off the cream with warm water, and remove the stencil. Practice on a jar until you're comfortable with the process; the cream is simple to use, but for best results, the design must be applied carefully and smoothly.

Ten Things We Won't Have For The Wedding

These are things that have definitely been ruled out of being any part of our wedding plans. Not because we're against any of these, mind you. They are just either just not part of our wedding vision, or outside of our budget.


#1 A fondant cake. So very beautiful....I love the look. But it's not BUTTERCREAM!

#2 An open bar. Way out of our budget!
#3 The dollar dance. Just not our thing.
#4 Cake in the face? Oh he better not! I'm all for fun, but I'll pass on this one.
#5 The drink fountain. I don't know.....I just never envisioned this at my wedding. And actually, a bit messy......
#6 Fresh flower centerpieces. I would have loved to, but again, out of our budget. It seemed candles were more budget minded for us.
#7 Cook our own food. Uhhhhhm.....nope.
#8 The throw away bouquet. I just recently learned of this while researching things for my wedding. ......having a smaller version of a bouquet to toss instead of your own. I'm not planning to keep mine (who has the space?) so I will be throwing my bridal bouquet instead.
#9 Live entertainment. Definitely not in our budget either. My son-in-law DJ's, so this is a better way to go for us.
#10 The wedding party. This would have also been nice, but we would like to keep the wedding more simple and less complicated. If anything, we will only have a flower girl (my granddaughter, who will be 4 by then) and a ring bearer (his grandson who will be 7 by then). Dang we're old!

Another Article On Saving Money

I hope that the articles I find for "brides to be" on how to save some money and have a not-so-expensive wedding are helpful. This article came from Suite101.com and was written by Naomi Rockler-Gladen.

Cheap Wedding Venue Ideas

Money Saving Tips on Inexpensive Ceremony and Reception Locations

Even if you don't get married at the most lavish place in town, you can still have a spectacular wedding. Here are some money saving tips on how to find a wedding venue.

So, you've found the person you want to marry-- now, the question is where? When it comes to your wedding planning budget, choosing the right wedding venue can make a big difference in how much you spend. Here are some tips on how to choose a ceremony or reception location that will save you money.

Wedding Date Considerations

First of all, you can often save a bundle simply by getting married during a less popular time period! Weddings that fall on a Saturday--either during the afternoon or at night-- quite frequently are more expensive than weddings on any other day. For an alternative time that's often convenient for your guests, consider a Sunday afternoon wedding.

In addition, you can sometimes save money by getting married during a less popular month. January, February, March, and November are considered "off-season" months (at least if you live in the Northern hemisphere). The warmer months are much more popular, as is December, especially around Christmas. And keep in mind that while a February wedding can be cheaper, prices may spike around Valentine's Day.

Ceremony and Reception Combination

Another money saving wedding venue tip: hold the ceremony and reception at the same location. This can save you quite a bit of money on rental and decoration fees, as well as the cost of transporting the wedding party from one site to another. If you want to get married in a church, synagogue, or other religious facility, consider having the reception in a room in that building.

Community Center Buildings

Many communities of all sizes have a center that the public can rent for events such as weddings. Many couples overlook these locations because they think the facilities will be expensive or unattractive. However, community centers usually rent out for reasonable prices and can be quite the undiscovered gems.

University Facilities

Many colleges and universities have chapels and lovely rooms that can be used for weddings and receptions. Rental rates at universities can be quite reasonable, and alumni may be eligible for discounts. For a couple who met in college, this can be a sentimental option.

Home Weddings

You know that home wedding from Father of the Bride that cost over $100,000? Ignore that. If someone in your family has a large enough home and is willing to let you use it, think of the money you can save in rental costs. Don't worry if no one in your family owns a grand estate-- a large and cozy house will do, especially if you pay for a professional cleaning ahead of time. And you can still hire and caterer and decorator. A home wedding doesn't mean that your aunts will have to make casseroles.

Parks

A wedding is a community park can be surprisingly inexpensive. Look for smaller parks that aren't the most popular ones in town, and you may find yourself with a gorgeous and affordable place to get married. Of course, you'll want to find a backup location in case of bad weather.

Pants VS. Panties

I got this in my email this morning. Just had to share!

Pants VS. Panties

Mike was going to be married to Karen
so his father sat him down for a little chat.

He said, 'Mike, let me tell you something.
On my wedding night in our honeymoon suite, I took off my pants, handed
them to your mother, and said, 'Here, try these on.''

She did and said, 'These are too big.
I can't wear them.'

I replied, 'Exactly.. I wear the pants in
this family and I always will.'

Ever since that night, we have
never had any problems.

'Hmmm,' said Mike.. He thought that might be a good thing to try.

On his honeymoon, Mike took off his pants and said to Karen, 'Here, try
these on..'

She tried them on and said, 'These are too large. They don't fit me..'

Mike said, 'Exactly. I wear the pants in this family
and I always will. I don't want you to ever forget that.'

Then Karen took off her panties and handed them to Mike. She said,
'Here, you try on mine..'

Mike did and said,
'I can't get into your panties.'

Karen said, 'Exactly. And if you don't change
your smart-ass attitude, you never will..'

Inexpensive Venues

Like I've said before.....I don't feel that you have to go broke to have a nice wedding. You can have it at a park....................(something I had considered)
....or at a Donut Shop like this couple did.....................(something I didn't consider)
.....McDonald's..............(never considered this either)
.....or even Walmart! (Uhmmmm....not for me) But you don't even have to go to this extreme to find an inexpensive venue.

Here is an article I found at About.Com on cheap wedding locations. In addition to the article I'd like to add that you can also check out your local community centers, Woman's Clubs, Fire Stations, and men's lodge clubs.

Inexpensive Wedding Locations

Ways to Save Money on a Cheap Wedding Location

By Nina Callaway, About.com

If you're a bride or groom on a small budget, you might have gotten sticker shock at the location rental charges and catering prices of most popular wedding locations. A friend of mine is newly engaged in New York City, and we've been scouting inexpensive wedding locations that won't eat her whole budget. She's determined to save enough for that fabulous wedding dress! Here are some places to look for that might save you money:
Restaurants
Talk to your favorite restaurant to see how much it would cost to rent a private room or even the whole place. Look for a restaurant with a pretty back garden that you can set up for the ceremony, and can be used for dancing later. This is an option that works best during non-peak hours, as the restaurant might not want to lose their busy Saturday night crowd.

• Parks
  Many city parks allow you to have a wedding there for a nominal fee. Look for ones that have a covered patio, special details like fountains, or grassy picnic areas.
  
  
• Theaters and Performance Halls
  A theater might seem like an unusual wedding venue, but they can be quite magical, and you will be helping to support the arts. For example, the majestic Brooklyn Academy of Music is available for rental. You can have your wedding ceremony in a number of locations, and your reception in the grand second-floor lobby. (The bonus is that there are steep discounts for local residents!) Many towns have under-used old-fashioned movie theaters that will add vaudeville charm. For a more modern feel, look into contemporary local theater companies who rent out their spaces during the off-season or dark nights. Getting married on a stage can make you feel like a star!
  
  
• Your College
  Remember that charming chapel and alumni house at your college? It's usually very cheap for alumni to have their weddings on campus and sometimes not much more for non-alumni. Just make sure it's picturesque - we're talking ivy-covered halls and green hills, not barren concrete industrial buildings.
  
  
• Creative and Unusual Places
  Whether it's the top of a roller coaster, an old mill, or the unique place you met, a creative wedding location will instantly give your wedding lots of personality. Because these places aren't used to having weddings, you might be able to snag them for a steal, though you'll often have to bring in extra rentals. (200 people and one bathroom isn't pretty.) I know one couple who got married in a rustic and charming beer brewery, and another who got hitched in the laundromat where they met!

Another Of My Very Inexpensive Favors

I bought these boxes at Oriental Trading Co. $3.99 per 50. So I basically paid $8 for 100 boxes. In this picture, I filled it with some candy almonds I had handy, but for the reception I plan on buying wrapped butter creams from Oriental Trading at $5.99 per 120, so I will buy 2 bags and put 2 butter creams in each box (that's all that will fit). They have really cute wedding butter creams.
So bottom line is I will have spent $20 total ($8 for boxes +$12 for candy). Divide that by 100 favors= .20 each complete favor.
I also threw my own sticker on it with a thank you from us. These could also double as escort cards by putting guests names on them.
So there it is....our own personalized favors with candy for .20 each!

Our Wedding Vows

I've been thinking about our wedding vows a lot lately. I think I decided in the very beginning that we would have our own....or at least incorporate some of our own wording. Those thoughts immediately made my mind flash back to wedding ceremonies I myself have been to. And from what I can remember, it's always been very difficult to hear the bride and groom. So.....did they not have a microphone? Are microphones only for the pastor? Or did I not hear them because there was only one mic pointing at the pastor? Should we have our own mic? So many questions! But I figure if we say our own vows, I want people to hear us loud and clear. I don't want them to hear meek little mumbles, but at the same time I don't want to stand there, mic in hand, saying my vows to an audience as if I were reciting Shakespeare in a play. So how do we look into each others eyes, professing our love to one another loud enough for everyone to hear clearly? AND not look awkward?
I still have to meet with the pastor at the church we'll be getting married at, but that won't be until about this time next year. That's when I'll be able to discuss the whole microphone thing with him. So until then, I guess I'm stuck with just working on the wording.....which I do every so often in my head, but then forget the brilliant things that I thought of. I really need to start jotting them down.

Remembering Mom At Our Wedding

This is the picture that we will use in the church and also might be seated with us at the reception.
This is the double framed picture with a poem. Not sure if I will use this one to be seated with us at reception, or the bigger one. Whichever one doesn't sit with us will be placed at the picture table.

At the end of last year, my Mr. lost his mom to cancer. My one big regret: We didn't get married sooner so she could share in our joy. The wedding certainly won't be complete without her.
Even as I'm planning, I begin to think of what would have pleased her, or what I feel she would have liked, and then I get sad. I want her to be there! But I know she will be with us in spirit.

As a memorial to her, we decided to put her picture in a nice frame, and place it where she would have been sitting in the church. We haven't figured out the exact details yet, but after the seating of my mom, the Mr. will go to where his mom's picture is seated and place flowers there as a memorial. This will also be listed in the programs so everyone will know what's going on.
We will also put her picture at her seat at our table at the reception. That way it will feel more like she's there with us.
I will also have on display a plastic double framed picture with poem. I put her picture on one side, and printed out a poem that I created for her on the other side. I decorated them with scrapbook paper.
The poem reads like this:

Mom, we miss you so very much
On this very special day.
And not just now, but every minute,
Since you went away.

I know you are looking down at us,
Watching from above.
Yet how I wish you were here today
Sharing your joy, support and your love.

We will celebrate the life you lived.
All you've given us will never perish.
All the beautiful memories and life lessons
We learned......
Those are the things we will always cherish.

We love you Mom, and we know you are
smiling.

Help! Please! I Need Cake Advice

I think I've decided that I will make these for our wedding. They are so cute, and so inexpensive to make. I found them on the Martha Stewart site. The only thing is, we will be having the pretty round cake displayed for all to see, and sheet cake in the kitchen to serve to the guests. So how can I make this work? The pieces from the sheet cake will be square, right?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I really want to make these cute lil boxes!

Oh Wow! Just Found A New One!

Oh my gosh! I think this one is perfect. I had just written the previous article, and went to check me email. There was an email from Nature's Jewelry, so I went to go check it out. That's when I found this beauty! Now this I know I could wear! I could wear a thin chain with it, and it wouldn't make my neck look shorter.
Here's their description:
Genuine Mother of Pearl Beaded Heart Pendant 18in
A beautiful symbol of love and friendship. Genuine mother-of-pearl beads are woven together to create our dimensional heart pendant that slides on an 18" sterling silver chain.

If you like it you can click on the pick to take you to the store.

To Bling, Or Not To Bling

This one is a bit over bling, has sharp corners and is far from simple, but it's so beautiful!
This is more of what I am really looking for....small Swarovski crystals set all the way around the necklace....
I like this too, but I'm not too sure about the pearls with it...........
....and another favorite. Simple and delicate, even though the Swarovski crystals don't go all the way around.




Do I want To Wear A Necklace?

I know that for sure I will wear earrings, but I'm not quite sure about a necklace. You see, I have a bit of a short neck and I'm afraid it will make my neck look even shorter if I wear a necklace. Especially since I plan on wearing my hair down. You know what I mean?
I guess I really won't know until I put them on together.....but if I do decide on wearing one, the styles above are what I would like. I love Swarovski crystals!

I hate my short neck!

I'm Not Keeping Much From My Wedding.....

(image by erinchris Photography)


I know that it's customary to keep your wedding dress. To pay extra money to have it preserved in a box. To keep the top layer of the cake for your 1st anniversary (ewww), and to pay yet even more cash to preserve the gosh darned bouquet.
Well, I'm not saving any of those. I will sell my dress on Craigslist or Ebay, eat all I can of my wedding cake, and throw my actual bouquet at the bouquet toss. I consider myself to be a sentimental kind of gal, but I really don't feel the need to take up a bunch of extra space with stuff that's just going to sit there. Will my daughters or granddaughters ever wear the dress that I wore? I seriously doubt it.
Pictures, scrapbooks, videos, our rings and each other are all I will need. These are all easily handed down to the next generation without imposing. Yes, even each other can be handed down as long as we're cremated or made into diamonds. Have you ever heard of that? Being made into diamonds when you die? Well, if you haven't, check this out: LifeGem Cool stuff!

Well, I think I've gone off track.....I do that from time to time......ok....often!

An Awesome One Dollar Find

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this at a new independent dollar store they opened near my home. It stands just shy of 16" and has a place to put a picture with glass protector over it.
When I saw this I thought, "Wow, this might make a good centerpiece....and even double as a table number. I could make the table numbers with our pics smaller and square and put some flowers around the base!" I went to the Mr. who was looking at paper supplies at the store and told him my idea. Mind you, I had already bought all the stuff for my other centerpieces months before. Well, needless to say, he did not like the idea. He said that they were too tall and big, and they would interfere with the guests talking to each other across the table. I laughed at the thought and put the item in front of my face and pretended as if I couldn't see through it to talk to him. He's so funny.......but bottom line was that he did not like the idea. I'm kind of glad, mostly because I didn't want to feel as if I wasted money on the other ones. But I did manage to buy one to use ......SOMEWHERE. ........maybe on the guest book table. And of course, I will be painting it silver.
Just wanted to share.....

An Old Sample Picture

This is a sample of my tables that I did back in April. This was before I got my square purple place mats to put under the centerpieces. It's just a rough draft. There will also be rose petals or potpourri scattered on the table just surrounding the charger.
I'm using "like linen" type tablecloths, although I would have loved to have had real linen. But paying over $100 to rent tablecloths is a bit out of our budget. Even if it were just a little under $100, it would be out of our budget. The same goes for napkins. They will also be paper. BUT.....if when the time comes for the wedding....we've saved up more than we needed, I will DEFINITELY, at the very least, get real linens for the tables.
You will see in the picture that only one of the bubble favors is decorated with a bow. I pretty much took this pic for myself...just to get an idea of what it would look like.

Our Simple Centerpieces

These will be the centerpieces for the tables. In the first picture the glass gems look a bit yellowed, but they really aren't. There are white pearly ones, white frosted, and clear. Inside the heart are also purple ones.
This is a very simple design, and pretty inexpensive.

MATERIALS:
I bought some platinum look chargers from Big Lots (12 for $18), but I will only be using 9 for the centerpieces. Glass hearts from Dollar Tree (9 for $9), floating candles from Michael's ($4), lots of glass gems from Michael's and Big Lots($22) and purple square place mats from Dollar tree (9 for $9).

Comes out to approx. $7 for each setting. 9 settings in all. Not bad, but I really thought it was going to come out to less. That's one of the biggest reasons why I didn't opt for flowers....budget! I love the look of flowers, and I'm not a big fan of fake flowers, so I went with a candle theme. Plus, having flowers means florist ($) or if you do it yourself it could mean having to stress buying flowers days before the wedding AND keeping them preserved. I really don't want to have any extra stress the week of my wedding. I just want to concentrate on me, and since we are basically doing all the decorating ourselves, I went with something simple, sturdy, easy, and something that has no shelf life.
So....ta-da! Centerpieces are all done a year before the wedding, with minimal assembly required the night before.

That's what I'm talkin' about!

DIY Table Numbers

I made my own table numbers by adding a white heart, lined in purple, with the table number (also purple) inside of it. I made 2 copies of each picture (Walgreen's .10 each) so that I could have table number and pictures showing in front and back. I attached each picture to white cardstock. I'm thinking about laminating them........
I'm using dove, bell, and heart place card holders to hold them up. They are very simple, but very personalized to our sort of "black and white picture" theme we have going.
I bought the place card holders at Party City, almost immediately after setting the date for our wedding. I should have waited, as I have seen them for less at other places. Oh well, chalk it up to experience. It's much too late to return them now. All in all, I'm very happy with the way they came out.

7 Wedding Cake Trends- from the knot

Here is a part of the article from the knot, titled "7 Wedding Cake Trends".

Wedding Cake Trend #1: Buttercream-frosted Cakes There's nothing more irresistible than buttercream frosting piped on thick. Go back to basics -- have your wedding cake covered with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate or just-wanna-lick-the-bowl buttercream.


Cake: A Simple Cake by Gail Watson, New York Story by Anja Winikka and Krissy Tiglias Photography by Antonis Achilleos Styling by Dominique Baynes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am so happy to have read this, because the kind of cake I want is a regular good old fashioned cake.
I know that fondant looks really smooth, fun and beautiful, but it's not BUTTERCREAM! It just tastes....different.
The cake on the top is the one I've been planning on having made for my wedding, although the one from the article (2nd pic) is also very nice....but with with some purple flowers, of course.
We'll see......still plenty of time.


Here is also a link to some great wedding cake tips and information:

WEDDING CAKE DECORATING TIPS GUIDE

Our Shutterfly Book

This is a free book I made on Shutterfly. I'm not quite done with it yet. There is a poem I wrote to my fiance when we were first dating, and I wanted to put it on the last page (which I added for an extra charge). The only trouble is, I have to find it.
I'll update when it's complete.

Click here to view this photo book larger

My DIY Save The Date Cards

These are just a few of our Save the Date cards. It started off with me just making a bunch of samples to have printed at Walgreens to see how they would come out. All I did was make a collage of the two pics, then added the wording. I made them so that 2 STD cards would print onto one 4" x 6" print. I would then cut them in half and glue a magnet on the back (haven't done that yet). I made so many different samples, that all together they were all I needed for all of my guests. So I thought, what the heck? I may as well just use all the different samples I had. Who says they all have to be the same? So that is what I will do.
Anyways, they came out great! I had them printed for .10 for each 4" x 6"print. Picked them up, so no shipping. For 50 Save the Dates it ended up costing $2.50. Magnets were $0.95 each pkg. from Walmart...so I bought 2 which was more than enough for my project. So $4.40 total to make 50 Save the Dates.
Still need envelopes, but I will be looking at thrift stores for a bulk of envelopes. I've seen them there before.....or maybe even make my own. OH....do I smell a new project?

Having A Budget Wedding During These Tough Times

My fiance an I got engaged a few years ago, and we were in no rush to set the date. I didn't even know what I wanted my wedding to be like. I had no clue as to how much it costs to have a wedding. I mean, not even a ballpark figure. So when we finally decided to set the date, I began researching what a wedding costs. Wow! Was I blown away! All the articles I read said about the same.....$15,000-$25,000 average. And if you wanted a REALLY grand wedding, we're talking about WAY more than that. I was stunned. I certainly didn't want to spend that much money on one day....not even for my wedding day! What was I going to do? After all, I had just lost my job. The economy was at its worst, and I didn't want to just go to city hall or Vegas to get married. We wanted our family and close friends share this with us, so to the internet I went.

I searched anything and everything wedding related that I could find. After all, I had time on my hands to do it.
I wrote about my wedding dress mishap in a previous blog, and also wrote about falling in love with paper lanterns and how I knew the moment I saw them that I just HAD to have them at my reception. As I scoured the internet for tips and ideas, I learned quite a bit. And I'm still learning. I search every day for anything wedding related. I decided to do my own programs, invites, centerpieces, favors and decorations.
I don't want to have a wedding that's too la-ti-da, but still nice. I want it to be economical, but not cheesy cheap. It will be obviously DIY, but it will give it a quaint personal touch.
So I found a community center nearby that rents for $90/hour. I figure I'll need it for about 5 hours, and they only charge $20/hour for any time that you need it to decorate (including the day before) . We do, however, have to hire a security guard or two per community center rules, so I don't know yet how much that will be. But full use of kitchen, refrigerators, freezers, ice machine, stove, etc. at no extra charge. Nine round 72" tables, several 6 and 8 foot tables, and chairs (padded, ugly and bulky) included free of charge also. They said to just draw a chart of where we want the tables, and they would arrange them for us, and take any away we didn't want. So we will be removing the chairs and bringing in our own. The Mr. has a co-worker who does catering on the side and along with the food brings chairs, tables, plates, etc. I haven't called her yet, but if I choose her to cater, I will have her bring chairs. If not, I will rent the chairs from a rental co.
As far as catering goes, I think one of the most economical type of dishes are Mexican. So that's really what I'm looking for. I've already found a few caterers that I can get for less than $1,000 ( My guest list is a little less than 100 people). But I've yet to sit down with one and go over details.
The church, which is right around the corner from the reception area, is an adorable, very old, cobblestone church. It's perfect! And the cost to have my wedding there is something like $100-$150, and that includes the minister.
On the subject of alcohol.......well. we're on the fence about that. We may have some beer and wine, but we're still tossing that around. How we do on the rest of our budget should decide it.
But, that's about it for our venues. We've had to cut out quite a few people from our list because of our budget and the size of our venue. It's a shame, but unfortunately, necessary. We wish we could invite the world, but not at the price of going into debt. We don't even own our own home yet, so first things first.

My DIY Map for Invitations

I made a DIY map for my invites. You know, I don't even know if I will end up using these or not. I read about these "Do It Yourself" maps on another site (don't remember which one....sorry) and thought it was such a CUTE idea! And it seemed to me that making and printing them would be like spending next to nothing. I mean, you just get a map of your location areas, draw it in whatever fashion you would like (I went for the "cutesy" look) and then scan and print. Costs next to nothing!
What I actually did was make a collage using 2 of these maps by putting one on top of the other so that I could get 2 maps out of a single 8 1/2" x 11" paper( not pictured). That way they could fit in the invite also.
I don't know.....maybe I'll use them. Or maybe at the very least I'll use them for the guests that I know don't know the area. Awww....what the heck. If I do THAT, I may as well send them to everyone. Well, we'll see. Whatever I end up deciding, I had lots of fun making them and am very satisfied with the results.
On to the next project............

I Feel Like A Princess In A Tiara

I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to wear a Tiara. I found this one on Ebay for what I thought was a really good price. The stones are absolutely beautiful (the picture doesn't do it justice).
I also bought a 2 tier fingertip veil to wear with it, although I haven't tried them on together to figure out placement for them. But I have plenty of time for that. In the meantime, I will scour the internet for pics of other brides for some tips and ideas.
It's funny how much you learn as you investigate things for your wedding. I knew basically zero, zilch and now.....well, let's just say I know quite a bit now. I really don't know how I would have done it without the internet. Simply amazing.

Incredible Finds For My Wedding At The Thrift Store

Aren't they absolutely beautiful? I occasionally wander into the thrift store to see if there are any great bargains that I can use for my wedding. On this particular visit, I think I scored!
In the first picture is a heavy wire metal heart shaped basket that I will probably use for napkins at my cake table. I don't know....what do you think? It stands about 9" high, and cost me $1.95.

I will of course paint both items pictured in silver to match my decor. Right now they are both an antique gold color.
In the second picture is the beautiful bird cage I found (same visit) and it stands about 18" tall without the hook and cost me $5.95. I don't know what I will do with the colored gems on it....the colors don't exactly match my color scheme.....but I'll figure something out. I also don't exactly know what I will use it for....maybe a card holder? Or maybe just a decoration for the guest book table? I don't know....any ideas?

I will post another pic later after I've painted them. But it may be a while before I get to that!

One Of My Wedding Favors at 14 Cents A Piece!

O.K., so this is one of the wedding favors I will be using for my wedding. As I've said before, we are on a very strict budget and I bought these plain bubbles from Dollar Tree. They were 12 to a box for $1.00. So I bought 7 boxes. ($7)
The ribbon was .50 for a 6 yard roll on sale from Michael's. I cut the ribbon every 12", so each roll made 18 ribbons. So that would be about 5 rolls ($2.50) to complete 84 bubbles. Then I made little thank you tags on my computer. I bought plain white cardstock (75 pages for $2) at Big Lots which is way more than enough paper!
So let's see what that comes out to for 84 decorated and personalized bottles each.
$7 + $2.50 + $2 = $11.50 Now, we divide 84 bottles into $11.50, and that gives us.....drum roll please........
.14 each bottle! Fully complete!
Now that's a favor I can afford! This will not be the only favor I have on my tables, but I will share the other(s) with you later when I take some better pics. The ones I have on my computer are a bit blurry.
I'm not 100% on the guest list yet either, but I may have to buy one more box of bubbles. But at this kind of pricing, I don't think it will break me.

Paper Lanterns!

Don't you just love the look of paper lanterns? I do! In fact, as soon as I started searching online for anything that I could lay my eyes on about weddings, I saw these and fell in love. I knew immediately that I would HAVE TO have these romantic, whimsical, floating colorful paper balls at my reception. Besides my dress, they are one of the first things I bought.
I researched high and low to find the best price I could possibly get. Then I bought them. From ebay. These....in the picture on the very top....are not my actual paper lanterns, but the same color scheme. I've just added one extra color to the scheme....mulberry. The mulberry paper lantern in the picture all by itself is mine. Oh, I can't wait to see them hung up at my reception....but alas, I must have patience.
I LOVE PAPER LANTERNS!