Remember the post I made the other day, about what I should do about the fact that I suddenly am going to have more money for this than I dreamt? In case you were wondering about my decision, I talked to RoyBoy, and he said to let it go. So, here's my plan:
-RoyBoy's parents are going to pay for the rehearsal dinner, which they plan on making cheap themselves. We will be having a low country boil. This is basically when you boil potatoes, carrots, sea food, and I don't even know what else, all together in a huge pot. It's an all-in-one meal. We will have it at the Fellowship Hall of the church my uncle is pastor at. It won't be very expensive, but a lot of fun. RoyBoy's parents are also generously giving us some money for our honeymoon.
-My parents will pay for the catering of the reception.
I think that that will make it pretty balanced for both sides. I will pretty much pay for the rest, which I am fine with.
Of course, the groom's side is 'responsible' for certain parts of the wedding, but I think I'll just do it all. The flowers and stuff that fall under their costs are so few, and I have ideas to make it cheap, that I don't think it will matter much.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Bring on the Savings!
Part of planning a wedding is budgeting. Part of planning a cheap wedding is saving. One really great thing to do when you want to save money is by becoming a Rewards Member of the stores you will be utilizing and by using coupons.
I am making all the invitations and other stationary by hand (except the thank you cards, which I will explain later in the post). I am getting them printed at Staples, so I signed up to be a rewards member. Guess what? All printing done by Nov. 14th earns 50% back in rewards. Nice!
The embellishment for each invitation is a small gerbera daisy sticker and a dotted border made from a special border punch (think a hole punch, but larger and with lots of dots). So cute! I signed up to be an A.C.Moore rewards member, so each $1 I spend will get me 1 point, and certain purchases get double points. When you get 200 points, you get a $10 gift card or something. (The only snafu here is that a) the points will start over in January and I won't be at 200 points by then and b) I doubt I will get up to 200 points anyways!) But oh well. The other really cool thing about A.C.Moore (and Michael's, but you have to be special to be their rewards member or something) is that every Sunday there are 40% off coupons in the paper, AND pretty much every time you buy something there, they print you out ANOTHER coupon! I plan on buying 7 sheets of gerbera stickers (each has 12 stickers I can use, and I have roughly 80 invites to make, so it comes rounds up to 7 sheets), and each sheet is $1.99. That gives me $13.93 (no sales tax in my state, woo!). However, I plan on buying the sheets separately, in order to use the coupons to my best advantage (each coupon is 40% off one item, and you can only use one coup at a time). Each sheet will then cost $1.20, making 7 sheets cost $8.36, which means I will save $5.57. That doesn't seem much, but that will then let me buy two bags of those decorative rocks for the bottom of vases. o0o0o0o. I feel so smart :D
Another thing I'm doing is taking surveys. I am a member of MyPoints.com, and they send you surveys. Each survey gives you points, and then you can redeem them for gift cards. I plan on using mine to buy a card for Staples- nothing like printing stuff for free AND getting 50% in rewards!
I am so pleased with myself!
So. Why aren't I making my own thank you cards? Mainly because a while back I found a ton of super cute cards for sale at Michael's with daisies on them. I loved them. I bought them. They were $12. So, there you go!
I am making all the invitations and other stationary by hand (except the thank you cards, which I will explain later in the post). I am getting them printed at Staples, so I signed up to be a rewards member. Guess what? All printing done by Nov. 14th earns 50% back in rewards. Nice!
The embellishment for each invitation is a small gerbera daisy sticker and a dotted border made from a special border punch (think a hole punch, but larger and with lots of dots). So cute! I signed up to be an A.C.Moore rewards member, so each $1 I spend will get me 1 point, and certain purchases get double points. When you get 200 points, you get a $10 gift card or something. (The only snafu here is that a) the points will start over in January and I won't be at 200 points by then and b) I doubt I will get up to 200 points anyways!) But oh well. The other really cool thing about A.C.Moore (and Michael's, but you have to be special to be their rewards member or something) is that every Sunday there are 40% off coupons in the paper, AND pretty much every time you buy something there, they print you out ANOTHER coupon! I plan on buying 7 sheets of gerbera stickers (each has 12 stickers I can use, and I have roughly 80 invites to make, so it comes rounds up to 7 sheets), and each sheet is $1.99. That gives me $13.93 (no sales tax in my state, woo!). However, I plan on buying the sheets separately, in order to use the coupons to my best advantage (each coupon is 40% off one item, and you can only use one coup at a time). Each sheet will then cost $1.20, making 7 sheets cost $8.36, which means I will save $5.57. That doesn't seem much, but that will then let me buy two bags of those decorative rocks for the bottom of vases. o0o0o0o. I feel so smart :D
Another thing I'm doing is taking surveys. I am a member of MyPoints.com, and they send you surveys. Each survey gives you points, and then you can redeem them for gift cards. I plan on using mine to buy a card for Staples- nothing like printing stuff for free AND getting 50% in rewards!
I am so pleased with myself!
So. Why aren't I making my own thank you cards? Mainly because a while back I found a ton of super cute cards for sale at Michael's with daisies on them. I loved them. I bought them. They were $12. So, there you go!
Tale as Old as Time.
I loved my 9th grade English teacher. He was fun, and understanding, and he was also the director for the school plays I was in. One day in English class, we were discussing Disney heroines (a.k.a. the Princesses). I’m not sure why, but we often talked about weird things, like “Zen Stapling” and the deities that you could identify in Disney’s movie Hercules. So this one day he was talking about how he didn’t like how the Princesses because they never fend for themselves and had to wait to the Princes and stuff… (Except Mulan. He really liked her. Why? Because She kicked Hun Butt. And got a guy in the end. So that’s cool. ) He also said how he doesn’t like Belle and her story. Here is my version of what he said: “There she was, loving a guy for what he was: a beast. Then, suddenly he’s a good lookin’ guy! Why couldn’t they have just kept the story with her loving an ugly guy?”
Now, at the time I just laughed with the class over this. But since then, I’ve given it more thought from time to time. Here are my thoughts on this love story: Belle made the Beast handsome. I didn’t matter what the rest of the world thought of him. She knew his heart, and knew that, beneath the rough exterior, there was a gentle soul that just wanted to be loved. She broke through his exterior and found something beautiful. Love makes things beautiful. It takes a hold of something inside you, then radiates out. When people are loved and love back, you can tell in the way they look and act. They know that someone loves them, no matter how they look. And it changes them.
(Please Note: I know, and I’m positive my teacher knew, that many Disney stories are based off of fairy tales. That was beside the point, though.)
Now, at the time I just laughed with the class over this. But since then, I’ve given it more thought from time to time. Here are my thoughts on this love story: Belle made the Beast handsome. I didn’t matter what the rest of the world thought of him. She knew his heart, and knew that, beneath the rough exterior, there was a gentle soul that just wanted to be loved. She broke through his exterior and found something beautiful. Love makes things beautiful. It takes a hold of something inside you, then radiates out. When people are loved and love back, you can tell in the way they look and act. They know that someone loves them, no matter how they look. And it changes them.
(Please Note: I know, and I’m positive my teacher knew, that many Disney stories are based off of fairy tales. That was beside the point, though.)
Monday, October 26, 2009
OHMYGOD. SHOES.
This past Friday I went to David's Bridal with four of my five bride's maids. (Lil'Fus is in her home state.) The Princess and The Showgirl ordered their dresses... yay! We also went to look at shoes for the girls. They tried on white, ivory, black, silver, and gold. They chose ivory, to compliment my dress. How sweet of them. That's why we're BFFLs.
The girls also were thinking about wearing pearl necklaces... me, too! Nice. The Barbie suggested that their jewelry have yellow in it, to compliment what the guys will wear.
Personally, I will be wearing a pearl necklace, pearl earrings (both gifts from my parents), my mother's blue sapphire studs, and something colorful for shoes. I loved a picture of a bride with bright yellow heels, and I want to do something fun like that.
The girls also were thinking about wearing pearl necklaces... me, too! Nice. The Barbie suggested that their jewelry have yellow in it, to compliment what the guys will wear.
Personally, I will be wearing a pearl necklace, pearl earrings (both gifts from my parents), my mother's blue sapphire studs, and something colorful for shoes. I loved a picture of a bride with bright yellow heels, and I want to do something fun like that.
Silver and Gold.
My engagement ring used to belong to my great grandmother, Dorothy Mae Cook Richardson. My mother wore the ring through my childhood. I fell in love with it when I was very young, and told my mother that I wanted it when she died. Or sooner. It has daises on the side, which was one of the reasons I loved it then and love it now (oxeye daisies are my favorite flowers). I also am a sentimentalist, so the idea of owning a family heirloom only got stronger as I got older.
It is 18K White Gold. As any good girl knows, white gold is not just naturally "white." It is an alloy of gold and white metals. 18kt white gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals such as silver and palladium (from http://gilletts.com.au/information.php?info_id=13). Rhodium is then used to plate the rings, and it lasts a while and looks great.
Many times skin chemicals can cause discoloration as it wears down the rhodium plating.
My ring has probably been re-plated at some point- I doubt it could look this good otherwise. I have been wearing it since mid-May, when it got re-sized and fixed up so the diamond wouldn't fall out. Despite the fact that I have only been wearing it for 5 months, my skin is very special and is already wearing down the plating. This doesn't come as a huge surprise; I can't wear 10K because it gives me a rash, and when I got a 10K plated with something to prevent the rash, I wore through it and just got another rash. Still, I am kind of unhappy. This ring is going to have to be polished pretty much every year. Bah. Stupid skin.
Still... it's worth it. :)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Branded
I have to say, the "Knotties" (members of wedding website TheKnot.com) who are savvy at using TheKnot.com come up with the cutest things. Check out these badges!
how fun :)
how fun :)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
$$$s
This summer I managed to land a pretty well-paying temp job. It was only supposed to last until the end of August, but then it got extended to the end of September, and then vaguely another month or two, and now officially into late December. It also has the opportunity to last into, and beyond, January- depending on the projects and if I can be used for them. This job pays almost double my last hourly job, and it is also a 40 hour/week job. Given that I have no real expenses (my parents graciously pay for pretty much everything and I live at home), I am able to save for the wedding, pay off my credit card, and also save for my student loan pay-back.
Where am I going with this? There is a great possibility that I can pay for most of this wedding by myself (with the exception of the tent from RoyBoy’s parents and perhaps food). This also means that $5,000 may not be a hard ceiling- I mean, my parents said they could do $4,000, the tent will be around $1,000, and I already have $1,000 saved myself. That gets us to $6,000, and I project that I will have another $2,490 worth of savings, for a grand budget of $8,490.
WOAH. That is double what I first though I would be able to spend on this wedding. I am pretty amazed, honestly.
Now, that figure does not mean that I am going to get all extravagant- I still want this to be a simple, cheap affair. All it means is that I will have some wiggle room and that my parents don’t have to go into debt. It also means that I should tell my future in-laws that we are not as bad-off as I thought… as long as I can keep all my savings for the wedding. I’ll talk to RoyBoy about it first, then his parents. (It’d still be super if they paid for the tent.)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Moons of Honey
So many posts in one day! Haha. But I like to keep the different subjects as seperate entries.
RoyBoy told me last night that his parents were saving some money for us for a honeymoon. That is so generous of them. RoyBoy and I were basically planning on simply going to my grandparent’s cottage for a weekend, since we probably won’t have the money to go anywhere. Now, I don’t know how much they plan on giving us, and I don’t really care, but their gift means that we may be able to do something nicer for ourselves. Or maybe we could save it for a honeymoon in the future, depending on what our jobs/lives are looking like in June 2010. Either way, it is very kind of them.
RoyBoy told me last night that his parents were saving some money for us for a honeymoon. That is so generous of them. RoyBoy and I were basically planning on simply going to my grandparent’s cottage for a weekend, since we probably won’t have the money to go anywhere. Now, I don’t know how much they plan on giving us, and I don’t really care, but their gift means that we may be able to do something nicer for ourselves. Or maybe we could save it for a honeymoon in the future, depending on what our jobs/lives are looking like in June 2010. Either way, it is very kind of them.
Gettin' stuff done.
This past weekend I got to see RoyBoy. YAY! It was great. We were able to do some wedding things together, which was good.
We went to a mall and looked at rings. It was kind of funny because he kept asking me what I thought, and I kept saying I didn’t care as long as he liked it. (Obviously if it was a garish ring, then I’d step in, but otherwise, whatever.) Given that he has to deal with this thing, he needs to like it and it has to be comfortable. There aren’t as many styles for guys that are still innately simple. We, well really he, got some ideas of what he likes and doesn’t like, and that is all I wanted. He wants white gold and a simple band but with an element of style- the mill grain, a texture, etc. They had some wicked cool rings with wire in them.
We also went to a tux rental store to check out styles and colors. RoyBoy likes the idea of a 2- or 3-button, black suit. He’s not sure about the vest, but possibly ivory to match me. It’s an idea, anyways. Also, we are thinking that the groom’s men may have yellow ties (and vests if we do them, I guess) because the orange vest was to orange. He was also glad to see that the vest in watermelon (the counterpart to my bride’s maids’ dresses) wasn’t an overly bright pink… so maybe it’s still an option! We’ll see. Can I tell you how cheap this all is? Like, less than $175 for a head-to-toe outfit. Crazy awesome. And if you rent 4 or 5 suits (I forget which) then the groom’s suit is free.
I also talked to his mom about the announcement, and gave them the form/picture, so they can do it when they choose.
The last thing we also touched on was registering. Given that we went to a wedding, and so had to go to a store they had registered at to get a gift, having RoyBoy see it was helpful. I think that we will be able to make some good decisions when we do ours.
All in all, a very great trip to see my beloved.
We went to a mall and looked at rings. It was kind of funny because he kept asking me what I thought, and I kept saying I didn’t care as long as he liked it. (Obviously if it was a garish ring, then I’d step in, but otherwise, whatever.) Given that he has to deal with this thing, he needs to like it and it has to be comfortable. There aren’t as many styles for guys that are still innately simple. We, well really he, got some ideas of what he likes and doesn’t like, and that is all I wanted. He wants white gold and a simple band but with an element of style- the mill grain, a texture, etc. They had some wicked cool rings with wire in them.
We also went to a tux rental store to check out styles and colors. RoyBoy likes the idea of a 2- or 3-button, black suit. He’s not sure about the vest, but possibly ivory to match me. It’s an idea, anyways. Also, we are thinking that the groom’s men may have yellow ties (and vests if we do them, I guess) because the orange vest was to orange. He was also glad to see that the vest in watermelon (the counterpart to my bride’s maids’ dresses) wasn’t an overly bright pink… so maybe it’s still an option! We’ll see. Can I tell you how cheap this all is? Like, less than $175 for a head-to-toe outfit. Crazy awesome. And if you rent 4 or 5 suits (I forget which) then the groom’s suit is free.
I also talked to his mom about the announcement, and gave them the form/picture, so they can do it when they choose.
The last thing we also touched on was registering. Given that we went to a wedding, and so had to go to a store they had registered at to get a gift, having RoyBoy see it was helpful. I think that we will be able to make some good decisions when we do ours.
All in all, a very great trip to see my beloved.
Inspirations
We recently went to a wedding in SC. It was an Eastern Orthodox ceremony, which was very interesting. While it was nice to see the lucky couple, this is the third wedding I’ve been to since July, and I’ve really loved getting ideas from the weddings. Here’s what I really love…
Wedding of HE&TH: 1) The reception was at the bride’s parents’ house. It was lovely as well as special because that was where she grew up and where the couple would be living one day. 2) They had a slideshow playing on the roof of the tent at one point; very cool.
Wedding of MD&SB: 1) The reception was at a Chunky’s theater (they have a dinner and movie screen in one room) so they had trivia and pictures playing the whole time. It really set the mood as fun and relaxing. 2) The couple didn’t dance. Now, RoyBoy and I will be dancing, but it’s refreshing to know that people aren’t pressing it if they don’t want to. 3) The bride and groom gave each their mothers a gift, to say thank you for the way they had raised them. It was very touching.
Wedding of EC&TC: 1) They had an outdoor reception and ceremony in the same way RoyBoy and I will: ceremony in the front, reception in the back! Great! They had a tent over the ceremony, though, and I just want one for the reception. Their tent didn’t have sides, and I really like that. It was breezy, casual, and easy access. 2) They had the walkway defined by mason jars hung from stakes used for plant holders. In the jars were flowers or candles. It was very sweet, autumnal, and rustic, which was what they were going for. 3) They didn’t have a lot of tables or chairs, which was what RoyBoy and I plan as well, and people were just fine. They walked, they mingled- just what RoyBoy and I want. 4) They made little sofas out of hay bales, covered with a sheet and pillows. This was SUCH a good idea. It made great seating that was perfect for the outdoors. They also had special, cushioned chairs for the grandparents, which was very kind and thoughtful. 5) They had a total of four different cakes, two pies, and a plum tart. This was a great variety, and they got them done from a local bakery. Again, very rustic, very simple, very country. (The cake they ate from was a sweet potato cake- yum! They also didn’t feed each other, which I thought was interesting.)
What I’m incorporating:
-Dancing. RoyRoy and I will dance, and I will dance with my dad. RoyBoy and FMIL (future mom-in-law) will dance if they want- there is no way I am choosing that one haha. We may or may not have a part that is all about everyone dancing (Macarena, Electric Slide, etc.). I kind of really want to, so that people will have something to do… Oh, to heck with it! We’re dancing! I love talking myself into these things… :)
-The hay bale sofas. Ok, we won’t use hay bales, but I love the idea. Also, the comfy chairs for older family- when you’re that old, you deserve a great seat!
-The different desserts, maybe. RoyBoy really liked that. We are definitely doing something different. RoyBoy doesn’t like cake, so one interesting alternative that we both like is a small cheesecake just for us.
-I liked the candles and flowers lining the way. I will be walking down a driveway to the ceremony site, and I think it would look nice to have something like that.
-A new idea I got was using potted flowers. Easily movable from one place to the other and also simple and cute.
Wedding of HE&TH: 1) The reception was at the bride’s parents’ house. It was lovely as well as special because that was where she grew up and where the couple would be living one day. 2) They had a slideshow playing on the roof of the tent at one point; very cool.
Wedding of MD&SB: 1) The reception was at a Chunky’s theater (they have a dinner and movie screen in one room) so they had trivia and pictures playing the whole time. It really set the mood as fun and relaxing. 2) The couple didn’t dance. Now, RoyBoy and I will be dancing, but it’s refreshing to know that people aren’t pressing it if they don’t want to. 3) The bride and groom gave each their mothers a gift, to say thank you for the way they had raised them. It was very touching.
Wedding of EC&TC: 1) They had an outdoor reception and ceremony in the same way RoyBoy and I will: ceremony in the front, reception in the back! Great! They had a tent over the ceremony, though, and I just want one for the reception. Their tent didn’t have sides, and I really like that. It was breezy, casual, and easy access. 2) They had the walkway defined by mason jars hung from stakes used for plant holders. In the jars were flowers or candles. It was very sweet, autumnal, and rustic, which was what they were going for. 3) They didn’t have a lot of tables or chairs, which was what RoyBoy and I plan as well, and people were just fine. They walked, they mingled- just what RoyBoy and I want. 4) They made little sofas out of hay bales, covered with a sheet and pillows. This was SUCH a good idea. It made great seating that was perfect for the outdoors. They also had special, cushioned chairs for the grandparents, which was very kind and thoughtful. 5) They had a total of four different cakes, two pies, and a plum tart. This was a great variety, and they got them done from a local bakery. Again, very rustic, very simple, very country. (The cake they ate from was a sweet potato cake- yum! They also didn’t feed each other, which I thought was interesting.)
What I’m incorporating:
-Dancing. RoyRoy and I will dance, and I will dance with my dad. RoyBoy and FMIL (future mom-in-law) will dance if they want- there is no way I am choosing that one haha. We may or may not have a part that is all about everyone dancing (Macarena, Electric Slide, etc.). I kind of really want to, so that people will have something to do… Oh, to heck with it! We’re dancing! I love talking myself into these things… :)
-The hay bale sofas. Ok, we won’t use hay bales, but I love the idea. Also, the comfy chairs for older family- when you’re that old, you deserve a great seat!
-The different desserts, maybe. RoyBoy really liked that. We are definitely doing something different. RoyBoy doesn’t like cake, so one interesting alternative that we both like is a small cheesecake just for us.
-I liked the candles and flowers lining the way. I will be walking down a driveway to the ceremony site, and I think it would look nice to have something like that.
-A new idea I got was using potted flowers. Easily movable from one place to the other and also simple and cute.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Long time no see.
I haven't seen RoyBoy since May. We graduated from ERAU on a May 5th, a Tuesday, and then Mum and I drove home to NH on Saturday the 9th. It's been a while. 5 months, actually. Today I am flying down South to see him, his family, and go to the wedding of his childhood best friend.
I'm excited! It will be great to see him. Plus, we need to talk about rings, his attire, registering (just in general, mind), and other stuff. It's hard to plan those things without him around.
We will also get to celebrate my birthday (which was in August) and our 4 year anniversary (Sept. 26)! Lovely. :)
I'm excited! It will be great to see him. Plus, we need to talk about rings, his attire, registering (just in general, mind), and other stuff. It's hard to plan those things without him around.
We will also get to celebrate my birthday (which was in August) and our 4 year anniversary (Sept. 26)! Lovely. :)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Hear ye, hear ye!
Engagment/Wedding Announcements. They’re important, right? They tell all the neighbors what’s up, and they tell the old people from high school what’s up, and they inform anyone not in the loop at the local church/what-have-you. They share your joy and excitement with the community. I know I skim through our paper’s announcement page every Sunday. I never know anyone, but it could happen.
They are also expensive. RoyBoy’s local paper has a charge of $50 with a 3 inch photo. It’s $150 if you want a 7 inch photo. I don’t know what the charge is for our local paper, just that there is one.
I do not recall seeing this in my wedding budget planner. Gah. I mean, we’re going to do it at least in my home paper. RoyBoy’s paper is up to them. I think they’ll do it. I hope they’ll do it. Boo charges!
Once you throw the word ‘wedding’ into the conversation, things go different ways. Hotels, etc. may give you deals so that you spend your honeymoon with them. Caterers and bakers tend to go up in price it seems. And wedding stationary is just through the roof. Oh man. Ohmanohmanohman.
There are many things I am willing to give up. For example, the champagne toast. It’s not really necessary. (Just fun.) But something like this seems like it’s important. So we will do it. I just wish they would give up a break…
They are also expensive. RoyBoy’s local paper has a charge of $50 with a 3 inch photo. It’s $150 if you want a 7 inch photo. I don’t know what the charge is for our local paper, just that there is one.
I do not recall seeing this in my wedding budget planner. Gah. I mean, we’re going to do it at least in my home paper. RoyBoy’s paper is up to them. I think they’ll do it. I hope they’ll do it. Boo charges!
Once you throw the word ‘wedding’ into the conversation, things go different ways. Hotels, etc. may give you deals so that you spend your honeymoon with them. Caterers and bakers tend to go up in price it seems. And wedding stationary is just through the roof. Oh man. Ohmanohmanohman.
There are many things I am willing to give up. For example, the champagne toast. It’s not really necessary. (Just fun.) But something like this seems like it’s important. So we will do it. I just wish they would give up a break…
Sunday, October 4, 2009
O.M.G.
Long story short: I looked up my dress style number (Galina Style T9337) on Google, and I learned that there is a Sims2 version of it. Waaaay too funny.
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=341948
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=341948
Weddings are in-tents.
RoyBoy's family is graciously going to pay for a large, white tent for the backyard reception! Yay! I measured the space with my cousin, and it can easily hold a 35'x80' tent. And a tent that size would easily hold enough tables for everyone to sit at. Given that we are not having a formal, sit-down meal, nor are we providing a ton of tables, we can get a smaller tent. But I'm going to leave that one to my in-laws. I'm so grateful! I'm even putting them on the invitation. :)
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