Married woman!

It's done, I shall make a few more entries on here to discuss my wedding diy, money saving projects, coupons as well as what went right and wrong on the big day. But for now I'm going to just break down the budget for everyone who is wondering if we kept it within the tight budget of $5000.

Before I continue it is important to realize that in this budget we did not include the three things that we would have still had if we had instead chose to elope. Those three things were our rings, which we still couponed for and got for nearly 50% off and just over a grand combined. Our Justice of the Peace & our Marriage License.

Now, let's get down to the math shall we? I am not going to include all prices as I do not want to get any vendor in any sort of complicated situation. I will however let you know how much they saved us off their competitors and the total for the event. DIY stuff shall have prices and savings.

Ceremony:

The breakdown:

• Veil - typical cost of veil at a bridal shop is $80. I bought mine on clearance for $5.75. Total Savings = $74.25 
• Bouquets - I had my bouquets priced. The cheapest I could get for real flowers was $324. The cheapest I could get for fake was $350 (how does that even make sense?!) I went out, purchased my own flowers on sale a year before my wedding and DIY'd my beautiful bouquets. I then sprayed them with my favorite scents for an added touch. Total cost of my DIY project for all bouquets was $27.49 total savings with couponing and diy projects = $322.51
• Jewelry - Typical Cost for bridal jewelry is $140 I bought mine second hand as well as through sales and my total came to $5.75...and I looked beautiful!! The daisies in my jewelry matched my theme and the y-style necklace was exactly what I was looking for! Total savings = $134.25
• Flower girl outfits (shoes and dress etc.) - typically cost $120 I picked ours and waited nervously until they went on sale. Not just on sale, BOGO (in both cases). I bought the flowers second hand and the total cost was $36.49. Total Savings = $83.51
• Tux rentals - we called in a favor/gift from a friend and saved $32.21 off the competitors price.
• Bubbles - for the ceremony - typical cost was $22.43 for the amount we needed. I bought mine and DIY'd tags for $16.10. Total savings $6.33
• Photography - The photography was a wedding present from a dear friend saving us $2000!!!
• Save the Dates - Typical Save the Dates including postage run you $64.06 for our amount. Ours was a video that I DIY'd and e-mailed to all our guests. Total Savings $64.06. ;) 
• Wedding invitations - Average cost for what we were wanting and in the amount we wanted them was $170.4 postage included. I DIY'd what we wanted and our total came to $37.50. Total Savings $132.90
• Shoes - My shoes were my old prom shoes. They were my something old. Unfortunately being that they are 8 year old shoes .... they broke on the way to pick up invitation material. We're going to guess that new (NICE) wedding shoes typically cost at least $50. My wedding shoes cost me $2.06 in super glue to repair the strap. Total savings $47.94. I did have back up shoes which I purchased on sale 40% off and then couponed to get an additional 15% off. Although these didn't end up being my wedding shoes I was still quite proud of myself for saving $60 off the market price for my spare shoes.
• Videographer - We were very blessed in finding our videographer. He was able and willing to provide me with raw footage for my own editing. This saved us $700 off the lowest priced competitor and he was worth every cent. 
• Hair & Make-up - Didn't bargain too much off this because I wanted to look my best on the big day. Typical cost was $130 with couponing I was able to get mine done for $86.25. Total savings $43.75
• Wedding dress - Now, this is a tough one. You see I bought my dress before finishing my weightloss. It fit me almost perfectly when I bought it but after I finished losing weight the alterations were necessary. However, had I lost the weight before shopping I'd have not been able to get the deal I got and therefor would have had to spend more on the dress and likely still get alterations. Therefore it is still a savings. The wedding dress budget was $600 which I just barely went over. the cost of my dress was discounted because I was buying it off the rack and saved me $230. 
• Dress alterations - As it turned out, the tailor was a cousin of my friends. Out of the kindness of his heart he saved me $28.75 off the comparable price. 

Ceremony average cost $5852.61 Compared to my total cost of $1979.29! 66% savings

Reception:

The breakdown:

• Venue - Our venue gave us a deal & then combined that with a generous contribution from the grooms parents and our total savings off the compared market was $1060
• Wedding Cake - Our cake price changed as time went on but even in it's final realm it was a bargain as compared to the next lowest quote I was given. Total Savings $60
• Food & Misc. - This was HUGE for us! Not only did they work with our budget but they also helped to customize our meal so we (the vegetarians) could have a delicious and special meal for our wedding day. If anyone is looking for a place to get married they can't do much better than our venue! Although we did have some wedding crashers in the end we still managed to stay within budget. Our total savings as compared to market $4513.63 and with their help was $1012.65. I'm not going to use the total as compared to market as the two venues were very different. But it still gives you an idea of what we were dealing with before finding them. 
• Centerpieces - I had what I wanted priced by several independent and company owned locations and the average cost per centerpiece was $55. I bought all my own stuff and DIY'd my centerpieces. With a contribution from a dear friend my DIY'd Centerpieces cost me $35 in total! Saving me $597.5!!
• DJ - Our DJ was a long time friend of mine whom I used to have DJ our school dances. I had always teased him in High School that someday he'd DJ my wedding. I was so glad that when I contacted him he was actually still interested in DJing my wedding. Because our wedding was on a Monday the market had offered us a deal which my friend gave me an additional deal on. Total savings for the Monday wedding + a friend DJing the dance was $200. 

Reception average cost $5849.02 Compared to my cost of $2918.87! 50% savings

So our budget to start was $5000. I thought I was too ambitious but in the end our wedding came to a value of $11,701.63 and with couponing, DIY and shopping around for a better deal our total cost came to $4898.16 meaning we stayed under budget by $101.84! 

With a time machine would I change anything? Not a thing. The personalized DIY details were some of my favorite parts. I made a lot of new friends in the industry as a result of shopping around and I learned a lot about sticking to a tight budget over the year. We survived the crazy budget and can tell the tale about how we saved 58% off our entire wedding cost.

Thank you to everyone who helped us make it down the aisle!!

Day 276 - Fun ideas!

I seem to just be running around gathering ideas lately. Mostly fun things for the guests and photography areas. 

This one idea popped up on pinterest and although I don't yet have an account I snatched the photo. 
The idea is a scavenger hunt for your guests, I very well may do this.

Day 276 - Take a photo, it lasts longer

Had our engagement photos taken today by Shawn of Artistic Lens Photography. Although I am aware he has a website it is still under construction. I will update with one later.
The morning started off a bit rough, we had foolishly stayed up until 2am watching old episodes of The New Adventures of Superman. I shot awake at 8am and then 9am both times concerned that we should wake. 9:30 work started with a loud annoying buzz at the door and the work phone calls had been ongoing since 8:30 so we gave up on sleeping in and the three of us had breakfast in bed. A quick text to the photographer to solidify times and we were off. I was barefoot for the entire photo shoot, of course, feeding into my hippie ways.

 We had 3 locations selected for our photo shoot. First was the parking lot where it all "began". This is the apartment complex where I lived when David first came to visit me in the city. It is where I was living when we started dating, when he moved in with me and where he would subsequently propose to me years later. So as much as it is only a parking lot to the naked eye, to us it is a starting point.

 

The second location was a drive down the road, it is a look off over the harbour.

 Such a beautiful spot where we would sometimes go to relax together. We had taken many friends there and had ourselves discovered it's existence quite by accident on a road trip one day. The location itself wasn't as meaningful as the other two but it is such a beautiful spot with so much opportunity for beautiful photographs that we simply had to go there.

On our way to the third and final location our poor photographer had a bit of car trouble. This resulted in an adventure addition as we abandoned the car with David and sought out water to help cool the engine. Once this was done it was off to our final destination.

The final destination is the most meaningful of all and is in fact where we intend to have our wedding photographs taken. It is the location we went to the day I knew we would make it as a couple. I had been through the ringer with a previous relationship and had decided to never again date. He had been coming around most days of the week and had therefore stirred up conversation with many friends as to our future relationship. I had shrugged all these off until this day, March 23rd. I had worked that day and the whole time at work I was thinking about all the chores I had to do when I returned home. Laundry, dishes, toilet bowl, tub, carpet, make supper etc. etc. He showed up at the end of my shift to drive me home. I should have known then that something was up. He seemed so happy. I was tired already, thinking about all the chores that waited for me at home. I came inside and went straight to my room where I found my bed made, my laundry done and put away and the floor vacumed. I was shocked, turned on my heel to see him smirking. I peeked over his shoulder and the dishes were done, even the pots. I returned my gaze to him and he smiled, "I even washed the toilet!"
I stood there stunned....what was I to do with this sudden amount of free time? We decided on a roadtrip and ended up at the hill where we took video and pictures of each other goofing off.

We ended up with one, most meaningful picture. Realize that at this point we had not kissed, we were not dating, he was spending night after endless night by my side and although I kept telling him I'd be single forever...he just wouldn't leave. It was such a beautiful day I decided to get a photograph of us looking out over the city. I had him stand so I could position the camera to adjust for his height. Set the timer, ran by his side and at the last moment he put his arm around me. It caught me off guard at first but my walls were being tore down and at that point I knew.

We return to that location every year on March 23rd to take another photograph in celebration of another wonderful year together. Although our anniversary is April 23rd this spot has been monumental in our relationship.

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2011 

2011

 Although we didn't go to the exact spot where we take our March 23rd photo due to tourists we did have our photographs taken elsewhere on the hill which is all I had intended anyway.
The next time we go there will be our last March 23rd before we are married. So excited!

 And of course a quick costume change before we were done. :)

There you have it, our engagement photos. Only a sprinkling of them of course. 

Day 131 - Food for thought

Although we have not yet booked our venue I am browsing through the menu of the main venue option we have right now. As a vegetarian with a vegetarian daughter I am admittedly a little flustered at the idea of spending thousands of dollars for a bunch of plates of death when my lifestyle choice is significantly less expensive!! Then to have to decide which plate of death is to be served when I myself could care less.... a little difficult.

I began discussing this openly on facebook when I was reminded about allergies, of course our best man is allergic to fish which is the only meat option who's price matches that of the vegetarian option. Now I feel guilty picking it though as that would decide for him what he was eating. I then turned to the pork and was reminded that 3 of my guests are jewish. I threw my hands up in the air, "Vegetarians, allergies, religions...anything else to consider when working out a menu? Can't we all eat salad and dance the night away?" Amazingly all of my friends piped up saying I should just order all vegetarian since it's my wedding and people should just be happy to spend it with us. As much as that thought sounds great, I don't think it would resonate with the less open minded more obligatory guests on my list.

Speaking of guest lists I was reviewing my electronic guest list today and discovered a few doubles. I was inviting the same guests twice. That's what happens when your guest gets a divorce and you add them once by their maiden name and once by their married name. Both times adding their children to the list as well. Whoops.

Everything aside I seem to be on the ball more than hubby to be. I have my wedding dress, I am 90% sure I have my venue, I have my bridesmaid, I have my photographer, I've decided on my venue. But still no groomsmen from David. *le sigh*

I'll get him on it sooner or later. <3 your hippie bride

Day 82 - Photos last longer

Today we had a photoshoot with who will be our wedding photographer. This was to see whether or not we enjoyed his style and talent. Photography, to me, is a subject of which I know I can be a total c*nt. You see, I know some people believe they are photographers just because they have great cameras. I have seen some people take beautiful photos and get lots of praise, but the photo itself has nothing to do with their talent and more to do with their camera. These same people would use a creased bedsheet as a backdrop. This is not terrible, provided you are honest with yourself and your limitations. If you are trying to pass yourself off as a professional photographer and I can see the folds in your bedsheets behind your subjects ... I am not spending hundreds of dollars on a photoshoot with you.
I never had a concern that this would  be the case with Shawn (my photographer) however for me the real test would be, how quick can he capture a moment. I don't want a lot of posed pictures at my wedding. I want a natural candid style photography. When it comes to capturing the emotion and the moment with a photo you have to be right on and focused. Some people have it and some don't. What better way to test this than to have a candid photoshoot of our two daughters (my ring bearer and flowergirl) running around playing. No fancy backdrops, no on site location, just a simple moment when all he had to rely on was his ability to capture the girls with their moms and all the precious moments that happen throughout a day. To add a challenge my ring bearer has days where she is full of the dramatics. This, was one of those days. I swear the moment we stepped out of the car she screamed and hollered the whole time. You couldn't even LOOK at her at some points and she would pitch a fit. Of course this raises the stress factor for most people, including her mom, and so it can make it that much more difficult to work under. But Shawn kept at it and didn't flinch. And although there were probably many a snotty nosed shot there were still many others that caught the moment. Some of the girls playing, some of me with our little diva blowing kisses, others where you could see the tired love in her moms eyes as she held her. When I look at that one photo I can see the expression on her face of, "please...don't you know I love you? Can't you please stop crying? PLEASE!" Many of my daughter and I playing and her swinging from their rocking chair. One of my favorites, however, is one of myself with our little diva. I had sat down on my knees and was speaking to her about how she had to be nice to her mommy. I told her that when she cries all the time it makes her mommy sad. In the photo you can see her looking off to the side, holding her hands in front of her and looking genuinely remorseful for making her mother sad. Not everyone would have captured this moment, it's not a particularly flamboyant moment of sunshine and lolipops and THAT is what I love about it. It's real, it's honest and it's what I want. I didn't tell him to take that photo, he saw a genuine moment and he captured it and that is what I want in a photographer. Sold! 

Day 15 - Photographs last longer than money

I'm down 7.7 lbs so far and if I go with some of the photographers I'll be down 100 lbs pretty fast as I'll be too broke to feed myself. I was looking at Jeff Cooke's photography today and I nearly wept. I saw this one photo that IS what we want for our photos. At least the location. The moment I saw the clock in the background tears came to my eyes. I knew instantly I could not afford this photographer and confirmed it through communication with him later. $4000 as a starting cost. Well geez that'd leave me $1000 for our venue, dress, flowes, tux, cake etc. I don't know how we're going to make this work. I'm trying so hard to stay under $5000 but with a venue costing likely $2500 and a dress being at least $600 photographer is at least $2000 flowers $300 and you haven't even touched the rings yet nor the marriage license, the videographer, the dj, the license. This is so frustrating. I have the wedding planned I just don't have the how to pay for it planned.
I need to walk away now or I'm going to cry.

Day 10 - MEN!

What is with men?! Not all men, I don't like to stereotype but if my romantic, loving man can be so uninvolved in a wedding there certainly must be a lot of other men.

He is glad to be getting married but asking him to look at two cake samples and he acts as though you told him to bend over and cough. I love him, I do, I just worry that I might slap him a little in his sleep and deny knowing where the bruises came from in the morning. "I swear, I had this dream that you were hovering over me and gave me a whack on the arm!" "Oh sweetheart, that's silly! Now, could you take a peak at these two photos, do you want the white daisies or the pink?"

Outside of my fiancée's collapse in testosterone this weekend was very successful. We have learned more about our venue, prices and options.

Now I'm torn though, both venues are good in their own ways and a little lacking in luster in other ways.

Venue A Pros:

• Personal and sentimental in it's location
• 2 seconds walking from where we want our wedding photos to be taken
• Would only cost $1500 - $1800 and would include tent set up
• Would not be inside a building but would still remain away from the elements

Venue A Cons:

• The location lacks in beauty and is a bit more military than we ever could be.
• Not sure of how we'd hook up our sound system for walking down the aisle.
• There isn't really an..aisle to walk down.

Venue B Pros:

• It's gorgeous! Absolutely breathtaking! Stone steps leading down a grassy hill to a gazebo on a lake beach. GORGEOUS!
• It would cost $1000 for the wedding, $1500 for the wedding plus the booking of the additional room inside in case of rain. It'd be $2000 if I want them to take photos and $2500 with the extra room and photos. Considering the photographer would cost me $1200-$1500 that potentially saves me $500....if they take nice photos ;) 

Venue B Cons:

• It holds no sentimental value to us what-so-ever
• It's a 27 minute drive from where we want to have our wedding photos taken.
• I'm not sure again how we'd hook up our sound system for walking down the stone path into the gazebo. 

Compared to each other one is personal, one isn't. One is Gorgeous one isn't. As far as price goes they are tied but location not so much. It's tough. When I went to show him the photos of Venue B (he already is familiar with Venue A) he wanted nothing to do with it. Not with the venue mind you, with the pictures. He says, "As long as you're happy" and has the resolve that seeing any pictures would make him quite unhappy. So what is a girl to do? Bitch and moan and insist their fiancée look of course! I'll try him again in a few days. I still have more questions for the operators of said venues. 

Past week one, your hippie bride! <3 

Day 7 - A Rolling Ring Gathers No Moss!

WHOA! What a productive day. It seems the moment I knew my colors would work I moved on. Almost like it was a big speed bump and once past I could just fly! Today started conversation with a friend who would be honored to marry us. What followed was a message to the photographer, conversations with the DJ and planning the venue. Even planning the events of the day so they would work. It is all coming together and we still have so many months to go! 604 days to be precise!

So what did we figure out today? Well to start, it's sounding very reasonable to have our friend marry us which is super exciting. That will make the day that much more personal. The venue is still a bit of a juggle but I feel when we actually go check places out it'll be more final. We may even have our ceremony and reception at one place and simply have it set up while we have our photos taken and then return for the reception. That would make sense right?! Would certainly cost less ;)

I then tracked down the photographer and assuming he does work in my city we have our photographer for a lovely $1200-$1500 (I giggle because Single Ladies - Beyonce just came on my track. The song he was singing all month) My only question and concern for the photographer is does he also do videography? I assume not... but one should never assume. Really though, how can you expect him to be taking photographs of you walking down the aisle if he's manning a video camera? So who will we get to do that?! *STRESSER* I really desire a video of my wedding day, the wedding and our first dance. Some other bits but those are the most important videos I want. We plan on having a special dance for our first dance (it's a surprise) so a videographer is a MUST! :) But I'll figure it out. 604 days left ;)

I sent my old DJ a message and he has expressed he is available to me within our budget. I then asked if he'd mind doing the ceremony as well. We have special songs selected that are not standard piano played songs. He hasn't objected so that'll be grand :)

The colors seemed to be my writers block and now the book is just flying! Honestly, if it weren't for our financial situation we could EASILY send out wedding invitations for this summer. But I want to do this right as it's the only wedding I'm ever going to have! :)

Feel the excitement people!

The only additional things my bombarded fiancée and I have discussed are things like:

• Photographer sharing - I would like the photographer be there when the girls and I are getting ready. Yet I also want photographic memories of his day. The solution? Simple, assuming we are still living in this building I will get ready with the girls in our apartment and he will use another tenants apartment. We are fortunate enough to have a very tight knit community in this building and I am sure the tenants would be more than thrilled to share their dwelling for the day. That way the photographer could simply run back and forth between us which would be no different than going to a room down the hall in a big house! :) We'd have the maid of honors and the best men ensuring that neither bride nor groom exited at the same time. As much as we will likely spend the night together the night before the wedding we will not be seeing each other all dressed up before the wedding.
  
• Soundtrack - Music means a lot to us and it's something we're being very selective of. We have unique entrance music for the wedding party as well as mine. Our exit music and then the entrance to the reception. All of it is planned out :)
  
• Goofy is the new Happy - Just that he's loving how goofy happy I am and I'm loving how quietly full of smiles he's been.
  
• The Groom will not wear pink - "Honey what about this wedding is important to you?" D- "You're happiness. As long as you don't make me look like a complete Jack ass!" I later tested this and with a very serious tone I said, "Honey, I was thinking a Yellow Tux with pink stripes and then a hot pink vest." D - "Excuse me?!" Me - "Yes, I figure if we had a lemon yellow tux with vertical powder pink stripes and then a hot pink vest - " D - "I am not wearing pink!" Me - "Just making sure you'd draw a line! *smiles* Oh by the way, you're wearing a wine colored vest." 

Well I wasn't planning on posting today but it was too productive not to talk about. Now to lose 50lbs in a year! *stress* Hippie Bride