You met the guy. You don't want to admit it, because it is so cliche, but part of you knew the second you met him. You can finally put that wedding Pinterest board to use; the one that you put on "secret" mode because you'd sooner die than allow Becky to steal your color scheme. You probably heard rumblings before you got engaged, but weddings are ridiculously expensive. I was especially lucky to live, and therefore get married, in one of the top wedding destinations in the world: Charleston, SC. Even though the budget my parents gave me was more than generous, it wasn't going to get me far in this town. But have no fear! You can have the wedding of your dreams with any budget. And you don't need some fancy wedding planner to do so (because that sh*t is pricey). Step 1: Prioritize Sit down and make a list of all the things you need to secure and purchase for your wedding: dress, tuxes (or suits!), food, music, photography, invitations, etc. Once you have done that, go down the list and rate them in order of importance. This little exercise will help you see the areas that are most important to you and your betrothed. Figure out your Top 3 and secure those first. These will be your splurge areas. My top 3 were Photographer, Venue, and Food. Step 2: Call on your talented friends Odds are, you roll with a pretty fabulous crew. I just so happened to have a cousin on my husband's side that used to be a florist, a friend of a friend that was in film school, and a co-worker that once worked for a wedding planner. Flowers, videographer, and day-of coordinator - check! Step 3: DIY like a mofo This is where I saved BIG bucks. I designed and printed by own save the dates, invitations, and program. You can purchase one of my custom printable invites here. We bought the flowers at a wholesale flower shop and my cousin-in-law put the arrangements together the day before the wedding. I had a great family friend that made my rustic backdrop dreams come true with doors from Habitat for Humanity. I made the wreaths hanging on them with a glue gun and fake flowers from Michaels. Step 4: The Dress I blame Say Yes to the Dress, but I do not know where it is written that you have to have a designer wedding dress. Not a single time did anyone dig around in my dress to find the tag. I found my dress at David's Bridal, on sale! I wore my mother's vale, which was both special and inexpensive. Step 5: Other Ways to Save Give those distant family friends the axe. Ok, not literally. But seriously, if you haven't spoken to them in years, and especially if you are paying for the wedding yourself, don't feel obligated to invite them! Since my parents were paying for the wedding, we compromised. They invited their distant family friends, but their grown children and S.O.'s were left off the guest list. You pay per head for these things - so let a few roll. Consider a buffet. I don't happen to have a lot of fancy pants friends, so a buffet was always the plan for our wedding. Plus, we got married in a barn and we live in the South - so BBQ and Lowcountry Boil it was! Some may scoff, but I am still hearing about how great our food was 3 years later. Set a booze limit. Of course you want everyone to loosen up and have a good time, but it's not your job to enable their buzz all night long. Give the bartender a monetary limit that would allow the drinkers to have 2 or 3 drinks. Odds are, everyone is heading to a bar after the official wedding festivities wrap anyways. Also, consider beer and wine only to really save some dough. Step 6: Other Tips to Consider Give your squad a break. Bridesmaid's dresses are pretty pricey, especially the ones that aren't hideous. To save my Maid's a buck, I headed to Lowe's and grabbed some paint swatches of acceptable colors for dresses. They each set off to find dresses that flattered them, were inexpensive, and most importantly, that they would actually wear again. Pair it with some nude heels, and we were good to go! #squadgoals Hire a day-of coordinator. For your sanity. My mother and I both agreed that this was the best money we ever spent. I had a co-worker that used to work for a wedding planner. I planned the whole wedding, then gave her a run down a few days before the big day. She had copies of all the vendors and a timeline of the day - and she rocked it! We were able to actually relax and get ready, while she ran around getting sh*t done. MOST IMPORTANTLY, be in the moment. When it is all said and done, you are marrying the love of your life. If you do not feel this way, run. Now. All of this wedding hoopla will not matter when you hop on that plane to a tropical paradise with your husband. It will be the perfect day because you will be surrounded by all the people you love the most, in a dress that you look damn good in, dancing the night away with your best friend. Sit back and revel in it, girlfriend!
0 Comments
Unless you have been living under a rock, or just living in the blissful eden that is No Facebook Land, you may have noticed that social media has gone to sh*t.
It has become a non-stop, passive-aggressive, political, propaganda parade (try saying that ten times fast) that, frankly, I can no longer stand. I have always tried to take a Kacey Musgraves approach to the controversial crapola that tends to come with being digital friends with keyboard warriors. That being: "mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy." I quickly adopted this as my mantra. So much so, that I have a print of the creed framed in my kitchen. You can get that bad boy here. That's not to say I don't have opinions. Boyyyyy, do I have opinions. The difference is that I know no one cares. Especially on social media, and especially if I am being so dang nasty about it. Sure, you write this long, thought-out, eloquent tirade about women's rights and equality and race and religion. It's profound, really. But then you put in the "I can't believe someone wouldn't agree to this..." or "prove me wrong" .. or "you can unfriend me if you think otherwise" (will do, thanks for the tip). The sad thing is, these are among the rather mild digs I have seen. The even sadder thing: the hypocrisy. All you have done is isolate your friends. Yes, real friends that you actually enjoy the company of, despite the fact that they are - *gasp* - Democrats. Oh, and your post did zip for the issue at hand. But, let me be clear. I applaud anyone for using that squishy thing inside their heads. Push for change, absolutely. Stand up for what you feel is right. Express yourself! March on, girlfriend! Or do absolutely none of that - that's cool, too. In any case, listen, open your mind, be respectful, embrace differences, and above all else, love thy neighbor. |
CategoriesAboutHello! I'm Jena, a self-taught graphic designer living in a small town just outside of Charleston, SC. Currently, my house is filled with my husband and two fur-children. This blog is the place for me to share life, design, and tail wags.
Archives
February 2017
|