#130: not just for clothes.

from the preppy wedding

get them really cheap at ikea.

#129: smile!

bird and banner as featured yesterday on oh happy day

not unlike the sticker idea!

i'd take 1 actual photobooth picture (they're pricey!) and send it in to get professional sticker copies made. then i'd stick them onto cardstock and voila. i think the idea would work for save the dates or invites because it ultimately sets the tone of 'whimsical, fun and casual' for the wedding.

by the way, do you send out save the dates to everyone...or just out of towners? i'm still teetering on whether or not i'd want to send them out at all.

#128: photos.

captivating.

i would never be able to afford her. packages start at $7500. yikes. but is she worth it? abso-effing-lutely.

jessica claire.

do you think she'd do those free sessions again...?

EVERYONE CROSS YOUR FINGERS! :)

#127: out of my @$$.

i attempted my very first budget wayyy back when, during the baby stages of this blog. it was my fifth post! i hadn't really researched anything...and any budget lists i found online were way too intimidating for me at that point. so. i kept it very general and only covered what i felt were the items i could actually build small budgets around if only i had the right ideas. and as of now, it's still very raw around the edges. $150 for invites? maybe unrealistic...but really, also maybe possible. the more i research, the more i think it can be done.

#126: goccorize in the USA.

dangit. i JUST ordered mine all the way in australia! wha~! if i had only known welsh products distributed in the states! doh.

"Yes, PG5's and PG11's are available. I can figure out your shipping charges and taxes once I get your mailing address. California taxes are per city, so until I know what that is I can't proceed. Also, since our customers pay for shipping, we determine the least expensive way. Shipping could be UPS Ground, FedX, First Class mail, Priority Mail, etc.

Additionally, if you want to place an order, I will need the following information:
1. Name.
2. Address.
3. Order: Are you just ordering a PG5 or PG11, or did you want additional items?
4. Phone Number: I will need your phone number.
5. Payment: Our preferred methods are Visa, Master card, or Paypal."

#125: done did it.

+-----
Stock items
-----+

All items ordered are in stock.
Total: AU$229.60
Australian Dollar 229.60 = U.S. Dollar 203.0351

nehoc has been brilliantly responsive. it's been ordered! i have an invoice number! i'm going to hopefully be holding it in my hands in 2-3 weeks. whoopeeee!

SO CLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!


here it is on ebay. i have an idea...YOU get it too and then let's be gocco buds! PG5 rules!!!

(i hope!)

EDIT: whoa, nelly. what's this? i emailed them. i'll let you know what they say!

#124: budget time. again.

after making the fake guest list last time, i really don't think 100 is a realistic number.

so how much for 120 guests?

IF i commission the lindley-scott house:

3 bm/gm
$400 – bride
$100 – groom
$150 – bm
$150 – gm
$7000 - reception (incl tax and tip)
$200 – flowers
$100 – centerpieces
$150 – invites
$2000 - photos
$300 - bridal party gifts
$10550 TOTAL

what do you think? overbudget $550. is that fly?

#123: another potential!

searched here next. (the last list on my list of lists!)

lindley-scott house

Catering - Provided
Alcohol - BYO

$2000 site fee plus $850 for ceremony setup. dinners start at $30/pp.

what's unique about this place is that everything besides alcohol (including the cake...!) is provided. tables/chairs/linens/dancefloor/silver/night lighting.

#122: jersey girl.

is that the sucky j.lo movie? i don't remember. i'm guessing i'm in the majority when i say i haven't seen it.

tif from NJ asked on my previous post what search terms i use for my venue finds.

well...i'm going to say first...that you must google like crazy. don't ever give up on google. keep googling. google like you've never googled before. google like you'll get your wallet stolen if you don't. because really...without doing the research, that's a real possibility!

p.s. what the hell did we do before google?!?!?! *shrugs*

now that i've said my google peace, what i've done is use key words in various combos and include the city.

"rent mansion wedding los angeles"
"reception los angeles"
"wedding venue los angeles"
"outdoor wedding los angeles"

the world is your google oyster...because any combo of wedding words will throw lists of venues at your feet.

from the results of my googling, i click on a site that seems relevant and i find the page where they feature a list of venues. then i scan the venues and if any shout out at me, i go directly to the venue website and try to find how much $$$ it's going to cost. and by $$$, i mean $.

another tip: i've found that if i link to a venue that uses an offsite caterer, and then google the caterer to get to the caterer's website, the caterer oftentimes also has a list of venues they work closely with. and bingo, another list to scan.

basically, it's kind of like how you ended up at my blogpage. you click on a link that takes you to another link and so on and so forth. keep clicking and keep looking. it takes some time...but the thought of having a gem of a location to have the wedding of your dreams (on a budget nonetheless!)...should keep you motivated. a quick google search took me to what should be a good starting point for NJ wedding venues. happy hunting tif!

#121: there's a maybe off the second list.

searched here next.

peach tree islands
Located on a private peach ranch in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, this gorgeous location is the perfect place for your next special event. Peach Tree Island features 2 unique sites and a complete event program.

There is an island surrounded by weeping willow trees. It has a dance floor, integrated sound and lighting system and comes complete with our food and beverage program. Accommodates up to 120 guests. The West Lawn increases the capacity to 250.

as for their onsite caterer:

100 to 199 guests . . . . . . $18.00/guest
Prices include choice of two meats, two side dish, and choice of one salad, Iced Tea, Lemonade, rolls, appetizers, china plates, silverware, bandana print napkin,and 2 hour Buffet Service.
Additional items may be added for an additional fee.
Meals are served buffet style and are all you can eat.
Applicable sales tax will be added.
A 15% service charge will be added to events requiring more than 2 hours of serving time.

my thoughts: i'd hold off on the bandana print napkin. and it IS kind of in the middle of nowhere. but...a peach ranch? that's almost too romantic...*swoon*

#120: nothing yet.

searched here first.
i'm posting these pictures even though the venues are WAY out of my budget because they're pretty and i love twinkle lights.


city club on bunker hill
i didn't bother calling them because i think you have to be a member. and i'm not a member.



marvimon, also found on the knot
i actually called them. it's $5500 on saturday plus a $30/hr doorman fee plus a $30/hr site management fee plus $10/car for valet. they don't provide all the tables and chairs so you'd have to rent s'more on your own. why did i even call? why did i let myself hope? so i could torture myself i guess. goodness.

everything else on the list i was drawn to happened to be hotels. and hotels are $$$. i refuse to have my wedding at a hotel. unless i win a prize "wedding reception for free" or somehow get a ridiculous discount.

hey...but here's a thought. how about bed and breakfasts?...project!

#119: lists.

http://www.gatheringguide.com/event_directory/rc/ca_california/los_angeles/evl_event_venues.html

http://losangeles.allwedding.com/reception_locations/index.html

http://www.silentmovietheatre.com/events/

http://www.weddingwire.com/weddingreceptionvenues?pcode=xjcryk&gclid=COaY3qbPvo0CFQNzHgodHCmhEw (hm, i wonder if i have to be a member.)

i will be combing through these and hope to encounter some juicy findings.

#118: sis boom bah!

i hadn't given much thought to college campuses but when teana mentioned them as an affordable alternative, i remembered a couple of weddings i'd attended. one of my friends got married at a reception hall in UCLA and another got married in the CSULB japanese gardens.

the UCLA wedding was huge. 300+ people. they had to split the guests into 2 separate rooms. there was a dance floor...but the wedding was dry (no alcohol). everyone was served a chicken dish (no choice) but i remember it being really tasty. i think it's a great venue...but without the $$ to splurge on decorations, the place could easily blend with the familiarity of any other wedding. as someone who would consider commissioning an in-n-out-truck to be 'different', i think you know what i'm thinking.

the gardens at CSULB is a stunning venue for a small wedding. the wedding i attended had approximately 120 guests. the reception was buffet-style which i loved because i got to heap my plate with food! one negative was that the sound system faltered a bit and there were airplanes above us during the ceremony so we didn't get to hear much of the sermon. it didn't help that the wedding party was on a bridge over the pond the entire time. don't get me wrong, it looked absolutely beautiful...but without being able to hear anything, they looked and felt kind of far away. some points to consider...it became dark during dinner and soon we weren't able to see much of each other, even around the same table. and...the tables were far apart and set up around the pond, so mingling wasn't really an option. i'd suggest you have extra lighting for evening receptions or hold your reception during the day. i also think this venue is mostly ideal for weddings where a majority of the guests know each other; that way, there would be a lot more interaction between all the attendees and not just at each table.

for myself, the first campus in socal i thought of was pepperdine in malibu. malibu = beach, fun, vacation, in my eyes. plus, it'd be a mini-destination location since no one i know actually lives so far up pch.

however, as it turns out, that's a strike against me. because you can't even reserve the reception hall and renting the chapel will set you back $1200 if you're not affiliated with the university.

http://www.pepperdine.edu/specialprograms/weddings/information.htm

#117: do you like it?

from perfectbound

this centerpiece is so simple but somehow, it works and the table doesn't look too bare or cheesy.

maybe it's all the colors?

if this were my ta-dow, i would also set up cakestands with cheese/fruit or arrange favors in between the vases to give the table a little more eye candy.

from MS linked from the preppy wedding

#116: drink to be merry.

a bunch of the bf's friends were over this weekend and they lamented about several things wedding.

the first thing they talked about was registries. this came up because we're all attending a wedding where the couple is registered only at williams-sonoma and neiman marcus. whilst i personally love those two places, i don't think the guys had ever stepped foot in either store. they wondered aloud as to whatever happened to target and bed bath & beyond.

and then the second thing they talked about was open bars. and oh how much they love them. and oh how much they need them.

and that sealed the deal for me. must. have. open. bar. this also means that my venue should allow me to bring my own liquor.

if bevmo and costco were to duke it out, who do you think would win?

#115: not so fake.

remember when i got punked? well, the disdain was shortlived. another one of my girlfriends got engaged on friday! love it!

#114: the 8 things.

i remember when i went to a camp in 8th grade or so. my best friend at the time was THAT GIRL. you know...the one all the boys would start snowfights with. apparently, that was how you showed interest in someone. and basically, no one ever threw snowballs at me. feeling left out, i'd toss a lame snowball at someone hoping that he'd throw one back at me. sometimes he would. and sometimes, yeah not so much.

i don't know why, but getting tagged reminded me of those times...and made me realize how far i've come. thanks sarah dennis!

so here are 8 facts about me. you'll probably regret getting to know about 7 of these.

1) i have three vices: food, coffee, cigarettes. which reminds me, i need to get my teeth whitened.
2) i broke my leg, in the same spot, twice when i was in 2nd grade.
3) disloyal and ungrateful people drive me nuts; so i try hard not to be those.
4) i love learning new things from interesting people. wedding related or otherwise.
5) i've been to europe 3 times and asia once...and never stayed in a hotel.
6) i can cry whenever i want.
7) the bf had to chase me pretty hard. quite a tough lad! but i love him more each day.
8) i have mafia-ish tendencies (see #3). anything...ANYTHING...for my family.

that's me, in a nutshell. and now i'm tagging...

e
rachel
leah
chelsea
lisa
perfectbound
another shade of grey
emily and laura

#113: so divine.

took a quick gander at craigslist today and found: www.sodivinecatering.com

here's a sample menu from their post.

Backyard BBQ
Herb marinated tri tip w/ your choice of horseraddish cream
BBQ chicken w/ a honey bbq sauce
Salt & peppers crusted baked potatoes w/ sour cream, butter, scallions & cheese
Cole slaw
Grilled vegetable salad w/ BBQ ranch sauce
Corn bread w/ honey butter
Seasonal fruit platter
Assorted Cookie & brownie platter

i don't know if it's just because i'm hungry...but doesn't that sound SO GOOD? and...served up buffet style...$28/pp.

i can live with that. plus they have bartenders for sale, i mean hire. one stop shop!

#112: martha's brilliance.

invites like these (featured today on 'frolic') are perfect for a buffet or family style reception. there are no other decisions to be made besides 'yes/no' and 'how many'. if your guests are as fun as you are (and if you send these out, YOU ARE FUN!), the responses you get, i'm sure, would be heartbreakingly sensational.

when i saw those cards, i remembered this idea! it's a spin on the above rsvp card in that you'd be requesting 'artistic' renditions of you as a couple. but if the guests wanted to also write a message, they could totally go ahead and do so.

my heart is beating faster and i'm liking this idea more and more. besides...with all the gocco-love i plan to make...it's a match made in invite-heaven. (p.s. i had a bugger of a time trying to find my old entry because i hadn't filed it under 'invites'. into the right category it goes!)

#111: rec centers = not just for seniors?

i was victorious in creating a clean link (post #109) but then my fonts got all screwy. strange! but that's ok. i say it's worth it to give a little to get a little. (thanks r&a!!!)

back to business. so i recognize that at this point, i still don't know how i'd pull off a $10,000 wedding. but i do know something. and that something is...that the very first step of a $10,000 budget should always be...FIND THE VENUE.

once you determine the venue, you hold a steadier reign over how much you're going to spend on everything else. it's at that point you can decide how fancy the invites are going to be and whether favors will be handed out at all.

so i'm set on digging deeper for venues. and i'm going to start putting my finds in a new category called 'venue'.

so far, i've looked at a mansion and a penthouse and venues off the knot.

next up. rec centers!

first thing i found was the grace e. simons lodge.

Grace E. Simons Lodge is a beautiful location nestled in a quiet park setting, surrounded by gorgeous and luxurious landscaping. A small brook cascades down a hill and feeds the lovely pond outside the lodge. It is a wonderful place to have a wedding reception, outdoor ceremony, business meeting, or even a birthday party.

• 200 Seating only
• 175 Dinner and Dancing
• Kitchen area and full facilities
• Outdoor barbecues
• Outdoor patios
• Covered picnic pavilion
• Stage, speaker podium, and stand up microphone
• Free parking

key word = barbecues. YUM! my next budget scheme will definitely incorporate this place. can you hear the wheels turning?

#110: html.

with new readers (welcome!), comes responsibility.

as you can probably tell, i don't know how to cleanly refer a link. what i do right now is copy/paste the web address. idiot, absolutely...but that is me.

bf taught me once before but by the time i was writing my next entry, i had forgotten how to write out the dang <> code. so. i will learn again...and the second time around, i will remember.

#109: not just for cakes.

from http://toastandtables.blogspot.com/2007/07/cake-stands-are-stacking-up-as-top.html

check out the 'toast and tables' post for more pictures. but i'm pretty much in love with the hurricane + oil lamps centerpiece. i've always had a soft spot for cakestands but the practical side of me never let me buy one. i mean, how often do i bake cake, right? but alas, i may just have to dig into my wallet. there is just so much you could do with them.

*a cheese and fruit spread on a white cakestand to double as a centerpiece and starter (i love me some cheese)

*a basket of warm bread or biscuits

*cupcakes

*stack favor boxes

*place a potted plant in the center (could also be used as the table number)

basically, adding the little bit of height to whatever you plan to do for the centerpiece, will dramatically up the ante. and...because cakestands are understandably gaining momentum right now, that means they will soon be available to the masses at even lower prices. dollar store, target, walmart, etc. and there is always, of course, ebay.

#108: i think i know what i need to do.

http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/450682.html?cm_id=2995.010

the PG6 large is now offered at papersource. but for $395. not incl tax (though shipping is free). ouch right?

so then i asked 'the scoop' for help JUST IN CASE australians also happened to be fans of gocco (http://www.orangebeautiful.com/blog/post.php?post_id=246#comment). found a retailer in sydney, which is where i'll be traipsing around in august.

Hello: Do you have the PG-5 printer in your shop?

Yes we do have a Print gocco PG-5 in our store. The Kit is $299.95 and we are happy to open it and explain its functions and the various parts that come in the kit.
Kind Regards
Eckersleys Art and Craft
Sydney City
93 York St,
Sydney 2000
PH: 9299 - 4151
FX: 9290 - 1169
Email: sydney@eckersleys.com.au
Web: http://www.eckersleys.com.au/

with some handy dandy exchange calculations:

299.95 AUD=263.826 USD

hmmmm!

and then i thought...hey, why don't i get it straight from the distributor and get it shipped to our friends who we're visiting and reside in sydney.

http://www.nehoc.com.au/shop/NEHOCdirect/nopayment/index.html

Sub Total: $199.00
Delivery: $6.40

GST: $19.90
TOTAL: $225.30

225.30 AUD=198.079 USD

exactly. now all i need to figure out is if i should also order additional supplies. like bulbs and mesh screens and ink.

#107: theme = vintage.

http://elseachelsea.typepad.com/frolic/2007/07/guest-blogge-13.html

i had talked about going secondhand to get goods for the wedding reception (http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/2007/05/3-is-secondhand-good-enough.html). the pictures on frolic today are inspirational for that whole 'california casual' theme, don't you think?

that's it. i need to set up an ebay account. stat!

#106: it was a good day.

Rosie & Andy said... Did you see you were featured on weddingbee.com yesterday?!?

YES!!!

i'm a 9 to 5'er and, as with most 9 to 5'ers, not particularly challenged to the core. with time in one hand and desire in the other, i decided to bend all the rules and start gathering my wedding ideas early...even though i am not engaged and have no idea when i'm going to get married. but i figured, if i want creativity to trump cost, time is what i need. so why not just start. and i didn't think it'd be fruitful to print all my findings (which is 100% via internet)...so i decided to collect them in this blog.

lawd! i had no idea that people would actually read my blog, offer suggestions, spark ideas...and most of all, be so. damn. encouraging. makes me feel all mushy inside...

...and even after 100+ entries, i still don't know how i'd execute a $10k wedding of my dreams. which means this blog lives on.

i pretty much almost couldn't handle it yesterday when i read weddingbee. the bf calls me a 'movie star' now. and is it wrong that i kind of feel like one?...

#105: keeping it real.

yes. i hate bugs. but nature can also be good.

i was scrolling through the blog, looking for spelling errors (o.c.d. = y.e.s.) and was inspired by comments on a previous post: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7906032051076130258&postID=3701736088673150678

"...a centerpiece of tiny little succulents planted in small terracotta pots..." - e
"...low planters full of fragrant herbs..." - michelle

i love those ideas because even if guests choose not to take these centerpieces home with them, as michelle suggests, you can replant the beauties on hanging pots on your balcony or by the window in your kitchen after the wedding...and watch them bloom and grow along with your marriage. *SWOON!*

or, if you're one of the lucky ones who have a backyard garden to call your own, apparently grass is cheap, easy to plant, and looks good to boot.


from http://blackeiffel.blogspot.com/2007/04/good-kind-of-grass.html

#104: new plan.

another shot at the budget. IF lawry's was commissioned, this here would be the barebone budget.

100 guests, 3 bm/gm
$500 – bride
$100 – groom
$150 – bm
$150 – gm
$6700 - $67/person
$200 – flowers
$100 – centerpieces
$150 – invites
$2000 - photos
$300 - bridal party gifts
$10350 TOTAL

p.s. just for kicks i did a fake guest list. my family (the people i remembered) alone is 43 peeps. good luck to me!

#103: some color.

so, if you've been following the entries on...MEMEME...you'll recall that i'm trying to spiff up my house. aka, i'm trying to make my house...a home.

one of the important lessons i'm learning...is that you need to kind of plan ahead. kind of. i say kind of because first of all, you don't know what something will ACTUALLY look like until you DO IT...and second, you can drive yourself nuts trying to just picture all the different layouts and plans in your head (been there!). anyway, that's how i justify why i didn't plan.

my living room is pretty much finito. i finally got all the furniture i wanted in place...and i'm planning to hit antique fairs to gather the goods for the finishing touches. however, the other day, i was looking around at my living room...and i realized...that all my furniture. is. brown. in my attempt to somewhat coordinate color, i filled up my tiny living area with a bunch of brown furniture. oops. my regrets...my desk should have been white...the dining table should have been turquoise...the t.v. stand should have been glass...etc. something should have just NOT been brown. because now it's almost like i live in a tree. oh well. lesson learned.

so now i have to fix it, right?

to kind of deneutralize the neutral color scheme, i think it'd be brilliant to toss in something like this as my desk chair. (found on today's 'more ways to waste time' entry)


it's from urban outfitters and at $200, not at all offensive on the wallet! but then i thought to myself...self, you do not have space for yet aNOTHER chair. so now i'm thinking...chair cushions.

and yes, you've guessed it, my chairs (for the desk and for the dining table) are brown. all. brown. i know anthropologie has some amazing chair cushions. but too bad they're completely offensive on the wallet. time to ask 'more ways to waste time' for etsy recs!

it's a blogger world and i'm a blogger girl.

#102: can you fake it?

and the answer is YES! i think you could make this arrangement way (with fake flora of course!) ahead of time and keep it super cost effective. the lantern in the middle...picture various lanterns strewn all around the room on the tables. i'm loving it.


from miss emerald: http://www.weddingbee.com/2007/07/18/clapping-hands-in-glee/

#101: mansions.

http://www.weddingcompass.com/LocationDetails.cfm?id=369

goodness. is it really that difficult to provide prices directly on the website?

(2 minutes later) sooooo...i called them. i can't help it, i have a disease. it's called "i need to know and i need to know NOW."

of course, i'd have to do a run through...but check this out.

basically, you have the option of renting the 1st floor only (indoor) or patio only or both the indoor and patio.

4 hours is the minimum rental period which would also include set up and clean up. i'd guesstimate that i'd need 6 hours. i'd have the setup begin at 4:30, ceremony at 6, buffet dinner at 7, party until 10:30.

1st floor only = $475/hr
patio only = $175/hr
both = $650/hr

though i would love a set up indoors, that patio-only fee is looking better by the minute. bonus: this place comes with tables and chairs. i'd just have to take care of the linens and buffet set up. not too shabby!

#100: nothing too special.

i am so lame that i want to throw a party and invite my two faithful readers/commenters/wedding connoisseurs "r&a" and "e" to celebrate my 100th entry with me! and by 'party', i mean sitting around eating a great meal and talking shop, of course. ha!

however, this is a blogger's world...so i have to resort to a shout-out instead. holla!

"r&a", again by suggesting something, made the teeny wheels in my head start turning.

i was never a huge fan of boston market...but i freaking love a rotisserie place called 'california chicken cafe'.


check out the pdf menu here:
http://www.californiachickencafe.com/downloads/catering_menu_1_18_2007.pdf

3 of the 30-40 ppl chicken meal @ 220 = 660
throw in a few extra sides = 250
throw in a server = 60

and i'm at 970. what a pretty number!

i'm picturing an indoor buffet setup. either at a venue that will allow for it (and have everything else like buffet trays/table/linens/ware included in the site fee) or at a friend's mansion. which reminds me...anybody have a mansion and more importantly, do you want to be my friend?

the theme would be 'california casual'...and yes, i would absolutely wear flowers in my hair.

#99: 2 or 1.

the bf and i sent in the reply card to a wedding invite we recently received...

and three days later, we received a second piece of mail from the couple. a printed note with directions to the ceremony/reception and registry info.

huh.

that's the first time i've ever seen that! does that save on postage or paper? is it etiquette? hm, maybe they just forgot to include the information the first time around...?

#98: faking it.

i missed a call from one of my close friends yesterday. when i checked my voicemail, her message was: "i'm getting married".

naturally, i teared up a little and then proceeded to freak out. too bad for me she's in a faraway country and i couldn't call her back right away. i told the bf (who eerily got amped about it) as well as my family. and i've never tried to call her before (she calls me cheap but the truth is...i can't remember 30 digit phone numbers...and besides, when we regularly use email and snail mail to keep in touch, why is the phone so important?) but the bf insisted that i call her back. he set up some account on skype.com and i called her a bunch of times. but of course it didn't really work. so then i called her using our landline due to the bf's continued persistance...and i was finally able to get a hold of her.

are you ready for this? turns out she's not really getting married. yet. as in...her bf hasn't proposed. her family wants her to get hitched asap so her mom told her she has until the end of this year to tie the knot in order to receive her dowry/inheritance. (faraway country, remember?) my first question to her was "how did he propose??" her answer was "oh, he hasn't yet."

say what?

anyways, all the excitement and heart palpitations were for no reason. and basically, i called her just to have her laugh at me and lovingly call me cheap and a damn gossip for telling the bf and my family that she's getting married.

i told her she was out of her mind to leave me that kind of message in the first place and proceeded to ask wtf was her problem.

*sigh* i miss her.

#97: real budgets.

http://www.weddingbee.com/2007/07/17/10-12000-real-wedding-budgets/

another one of my daily reads featured brides with real budgets of $10-12k. how relevant! some of the most important takeaways for me...

*catering costs at $15 pp. i almost keeled over. i asked for details...hopefully they will respond and we will have a better idea of how to do this for ourselves!

*photography at <$2000. for some reason, a lot of the websites i've found myself drooling at start wedding packages at $6000. next! if these brides are happy with their photogs, i can find mine too. great to have a real gauge.

*95 guests = $150 for DIY invites and postage. i'm assuming she invited 120 guests...which is kind of what i have in mind for myself.

#96: DIY invites.

from http://budgetdreamweddings.com/weddingplanning/?p=1369

#95: restaurants.

i spent a good part of yesterday looking up restaurants and checking banquet prices. i thought this would be a good idea because i know hotel receptions can run up to $150 a head. and we're talking marriott, not ritz. yuck.

so, i figured restaurants that hold wedding receptions would be safer. and actually, they were, with prices ranging from $40-$75 a head. but that doesn't include tax and service charges. and site fees. and drinks.

man.

i even looked at brunch, lunch, and buffet options. i'm not down and out yet...just wondering how to make it easy on the wallet without looking 'cheesy' or 'cheap'.

#94: i don't know much about art.

http://www.southersalazar.net/#

but this painting made me shed a tear (um, i THINK it's a painting. again, don't know much about art). it so perfectly captures my relationship with the bf...

daaaaaaamn! art is powerful. who knew.

#93: my precious.

i'm getting closer!
i'm getting closer!
i'm getting closer!
i'm getting closer!
i'm getting closer!

http://www.nehoc.com.au/printgocco/systems/index.htm

#92: size matters.

"manolo for the brides!" posted about unique cakes. but in her post, she also had a link that sent me to this:


http://manolobrides.com/2007/02/22/scale-it-down/

mini cakes! how brilliant. they're not as played out as cupcakes (+1 point), they're so gorgeous (+1 point) AND...apparently they taste just as divine (+1000 points). if you pool the funds for dessert, centerpiece, favors and wedding cake together...this could be a really unique and memorable part of your wedding. i'm especially drawn to the idea because i've been trying to figure out a way to avoid cupcakes but use something like them. and...i think the theme of my wedding (as a reminder, i'm not yet engaged!) is going to revolve around FOOD. basically, unless the mini-cakes are $20 each, they hit the mark quite well. i'm so pleased.

#91: not etsy friendly either.

as you know, i'm not ebay friendly. it's not that i don't like the site. i actually love browsing through all the merchandise. especially when it's, you know, just for fun. but i have yet to sign up and actually buy something. i tried to be serious with my search...once...when i was looking for sconces for my apartment. i put in as much detail as i could (gold, candle, wall) but i still had to look through something like 30,000 pages. i don't know about you but i found it exhausting combing through all of that. so, i haven't been back since. however, i will say that your comments are encouraging and i'm rather close to convincing myself to really give it a try. the bargains are obviously unbeatable. and who's down for a bargain? me.

another one of those sites that trouble me because you have to be a 'member' and sign up (though yes, it's free) and do all this extra dilly dangle is etsy.com. i like online stores where you just click 'buy' and it dumps your pick into a shopping cart and then all you have to do is relinquish your plastic and wait for the UPS guy to grace you with his presence. it seems to work a lot better for me than trying to join something like etsy. i tried to join etsy about a month ago so i could be a buyer. but when i tried to purchase something, the system went awry on me. i don't recall the exact error but i had to do all this extra stuff and by that time, i had determined it wasn't worth it. patience...a virtue? i hadn't heard...


but as you know and i know...there are several standout amazing etsy sellers. i admire and want to be like the talented artists who sell their wares on that site. the problem is...you need to FIND them. cut through the smog, so they say.

and that's when the blessings of the blogs that feature specific ebay AND etsy finds pour down upon us. these blogs feature items from sellers they've hand-selected to share with us (and literally, there are hundreds, thousands, MILLIONS of sellers! - i mean, there might as well be), thus eliminating the entire practice of having to sift through everything on your own and, if your taste is similar to theirs, double whammy, you have a personal etsy shopper.

now that's my kind of blog!

so here is a seller i feel strongly enough about to keep track of, introduced by and featured today on "another shade of grey":
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5191272

seller SEA GLASS VINTAGE


even the name is ridiculously sexy, don't you think? i would snag the vases/bowls as they come up on this site and use them for the centerpieces.

#90: jugs.

from 'another shade of grey'.

i am honestly not very...what folks lately have been calling 'green'. i drink bottled water, i throw butts onto the street...basically, i create a lot of waste for just 1 person. but that doesn't mean i'm completely absurd (p.s. the word 'absurd' is totally subjective and i know that). i like form AND functionality. so when i saw this gorgeous bone china jug, i immediately thought...hells no i can't afford to use these as centerpieces. but then i thought...hey, that's what knock-offs are for! what a fantastic vase substitute...or even really to serve a spiked drink in at each table...or to fill with ice and have a bottle of champagne sitting pretty inside. and it doubles as a PRACTICAL centerpiece people could take home. afterall, everybody could use more jugs. especially if they're as beautiful as this one.

#89: inspiration.

to add a little oomph, how about incorporating current movie posters as such? for example, if you're doing a paris themed wedding, this poster is to die for, oui no? i bet you could get a bunch of them for free. how, i don't know. but i'm sure you could. and then you could frame them or cut them up (i.e. i'd cut out the heart and use that for SOMEthing...)...etc. the idea is reaching a bit far...but...it's an idea!

#88: STD alternative.

http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/studio3.aspx?icparts=yes&cfs=-1&amp;pf_id=064&combo_id=4298&combo1=904.100.18.11339113391370&gallery_id=64&category_id=11

has anyone else had a difficult time adjusting to the whole "STD" acronym? just wondering.

so i came across this site...that offers free business cards. i say free because as you know, nothing in life is really free. i can't speak of the quality, having never ordered these myself...but i think you get 250 cards for free and you pay shipping costs of $10 or so depending on urgency. i say these little cards are a good insert if you plan to send something out along with your STD's (ew!) or...as a magnet?...or...

i composed the mock up below but they do offer more...um...mature-looking templates to work with.

#87: gocco fever.

i want one. i want one so bad. but i don't want the mondo-sized gocco they're selling for a bajillion dollars over at paper source. i want the B6.

i've read the instructions of how to use a gocco a bunch of times...but i still don't understand how it works. i need to see it to believe it. i need to feel the machine in my hands. i need to work it myself. i need to practice. i. just. need. it.

let me tell you a sad story. i like to custom design blank cards. with stamps and ink. but that's not that sad part. the sad part is that my stamp collection consists of:

1) a packet of seasonal greetings and pictures purchased as a set from target i.e. 'i love you' and 'happy holidays' and 'easter eggs' etc.
2) the alphabet.

and that's it. crying yet?

so to expand my creative horizon, i want the gocco. plus, the thought of DIY invites, std's, menus, place cards...gets my you-know-whats all in a bunch!

so back to the gocco search. since they don't distribute in the US, the only other option, it seems, is to get the B6 off ebay. i have never purchased anything off ebay. i don't even know how to use paypal, whatever that is. add the fact that i'm leary about getting screwed...and scared about getting addicted to the online auction site...and i'd rather purchase a brand spankin' new machine.

i asked the scoop (http://www.orangebeautiful.com/blog/post.php?post_id=254#comments) to help me since they recently posted goccorific info on their site. crossing my fingers for good news.

#86: isaac mizrahi dresses.

if you need some inspiration for bridesmaids dresses, turn no further than the clearance rack at tarjay. i'm not a huge fan of his new and highly bloggerized 'bridal line'...but these non-bridal dresses are fantastic. i especially love the black lace dress. imagine your bridesmaids wearing it with a hot pink thin sash at the waist...and hair piled up and minimal jewelry. hot. non-traditional. modern. vintage. all at the same time. who's with me.


30% off at 27.99

50% off at 22.49

50% off at 24.99

#85: toasted.

i have a friend who has the most amazing eye for photography. i literally stare at his pictures and take the time to create full, complete stories in my head. they are...captivating.

we were chatting one day and i was complaining about that whole gifting situation when he mentioned that he always buys a toaster as a wedding gift. no matter if the couple registered and already received it. that's HIS THING. always and forever, toaster it is. quirky? yes, absolutely.

in any case, for some reason, i felt compelled to share one of my ideas with him. "hey, you know what your gift to me is going to be, right?!"

"toaster?"

"no! my engagement pictures, silly! wouldn't that be fun??"

*silence*

this idea has been on my mind and i was going to ask him to do this for me (and my future hubs) when i um, eventually got engaged. but somehow, my masta-plan spilled out of me years ahead of time and his reaction: less than thrilled.

needless to say, i'm a little disappointed. first, in myself for not being able to...hold it in. second, in myself for delivering the message the way i did (i swear, i had a way more tactful approach in mind. but that all went to sh*t when i said what i said). third, in my friend for not sharing in my excitement. haa. the third one is all about me being needy...but i mean, a little fake enthusiasm would have been nice.

basically, in doing this, i shot myself in the foot. or face. either one. because how am i going to graciously ask him...again...when the time actually comes? and the answer is...i can't. i already disgustingly communicated my idea as a demand. ew, right? DAMN. so there goes all my dreams of having my friend's eye capture all the lovely that would have been my engagement session. damn damn damn.

#84: a little bit more ikea.

50 clothespins for $2.99 or something? geez! i would cook up an idea just so i could use these. (the magic of ikea prices is so...magical.) place cards? centerpieces?


3 for $0.99. not the cutest container...but with a little personalization, could totally work.

#83: will i ever outgrow ikea?

here's what i want my bedroom to look like.


courtesy www.girlmeetsglamour.blogspot.com

gorgeous, no? i have a poster bed too (though plain and not nearly as beautiful as the vintage inspired piece above) with a similar layout. and though i would seriously give my left arm for a wallpaper job as such, my place is not MY place if you know what i mean. i don't plan to dwell in my current abode for too long so i refuse to invest any more sweat and tears than i absolutely have to. thus, my hunts at ikea.

as of right now, i have a 6-drawer tall MALM dresser to the right of the bed and a 6-drawer horizontal MALM dresser in front of the bed. i would love to get rid of the horizontal dresser...but no can do because i need a lot more storage space as is. (hm, time for a garage sale...?)

in any case, as i was searching for lamps and side tables and little dressers to replicate the look as much as i possibly can, i found these!


magnetic frames. $2.99 for 6 various sizes.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20120049
decorate object of a couple. $19.99 for anyone who wants a sleek (albeit a little too mod for me) cake topper.

#82: bulk.

from http://kenziekate.blogspot.com/

i'm sure buying in bulk has never been so easy. i think flowers are an evil necessity. evil because they DIE immediately. but necessary because they're so dang pretty.

http://www.growersbox.com/index.html

#81: wtf.

i can appreciate good photography. what i don't appreciate is the mind-boggling price tag. $6000 starting rate for a wedding photo package?!?!?!

*sigh*

#80: in n out no mo.

in my opinion, i feel like outdoor, casual affairs are easier to construct cost-effectively. does that sentence NOT make sense or what. anyways, there's a lot less pressure to serve gourmet food and even dress and attitude automatically veers from stiff and traditional (aka $$$).

but. i seriously SERIOULY seriously do not photograph well outdoors. i don't know if it's my brows or my skin or just my face...um, probably all of it, actually...but sunlight wrecks what little wittle beauty i feel like i possess. come wedding day, i want to look bangin'. i want to have that confidence that all brides should have. i want my FOREVER-photos to be amazing. and i just don't think i can do that outdoors. at least not during the daytime.

so...i think i'm going to have to scrap the in-n-out idea for sure. i don't want outdoor. i want indoor. or, if i have outdoor, it can't be during the day. and for some reason, in-n-out trucks for an evening wedding makes it exponentially ghettoer. *shrugs*

#79: resourceful guests.

from 'the preppy wedding'

she had these corkscrews from the dollar tree set up as the favors for a wine-themed bridal shower. but...i'm sure all guests could appreciate a handy and nifty and basic and CHEAP corkscrew/bottle opener!