You really need to decide what is most important to you. An elegant setting and luxurious ambiance or casual atmosphere and homey decor.
I've longed for that elegant wedding, that fairytale princess moment when, surrounded by luxury, grace, and beauty, you realize that this is the moment, this is the day to be that princess, savor it for ever...I've longed and dreamed and fantasized about that moment for the better part of 7 years.
Thus, key elements were vital to creating, capturing and savoring that princess moment:
1) Venue / Location
2) Photographer
3) Princess Dress
Everything else is built around these elements. Thus the church was cut from the equation (sniff, sniff*), guest list paired down to 35, food being made myself, florist eliminated, decor done myself. (Sometimes being creative and perfectionist comes in handy, most times its just annoying).
The dress (amazingly) cost me $100, though I still need to have it bustled, buy the headpiece, and the undergarments.
Take venue's discount for day rates. I have to be out of mansion by 4pm.
Shop for bargains!
Wedding Reception decor: Michael's crafts
Flowers and Centerpieces. Imagine pink and white flowers cascading from a thin, elegant vase wrapped in lush greens and surrounded with crystal pink flowers, shimmering white butterflies, and flickering votive candles....
Not only did I create and put together the above centerpiece, but bought all the flowers for the buffet, cake, etc. tables, as well as other decor like candles, accents (shimmering white peacocks, etc).
Amazingly, I really think it will look like an enchanted ballroom. I was beginning to lose hope.
TOTAL COST: $102
That was buying mostly clearance at 60-70% off, some wedding stuff at 50% off, and then a coupon for 15% off the entire order.
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Favors, Floral, and misc: DOLLAR STORE
Some greens, the vases, the favor boxes, the ring bearers pillow and garter belt (very elastic, won't make me feel fat by indenting my thing, and creating rolls of squishiness -- yea!)Who ever heard of a dollar store with a wedding section? Not me, a girl friend told me about it. Very odd, but handy!
Total Cost: $50
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Cake Tier Stand: EBAY
I found a 3 tier cake stand on ebay for $20. That's awesome considering most start at $70 and run into the 300's. I snatched it up immediately.
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Rings: Various Online Jewelers
We finally found the rings, or should I say, i finally settled on a ring setting, then scoured the Internet (and found them less expensive), paid for and ordered them....so they should be in the mail. Engagement and band were bought separate, so he is going to wait for both to come and ensure they "go" be fore proposing.
They are 10k White gold instead of 14k, and the diamond of course is a CZ -- our plan is to replace it with a real stone on our 7th anniversary.
Total Cost: $375 (instead of 670)
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Misc Stuff and What I'm still working on:
There is no way I can afford the scroll wedding invitations I want. :( Or even the castle embossed invitations, so am trying to think up another idea to have fairytale like invites for my fairytale like wedding.
Bad news -- the event coordinator at mansion says the oven doesn't work, and that caterers don't use it. !!!!!!!! Um, I can't afford a caterer, so I was buying all my own stuff at BJ's, so how in the world am I supposed to cook it? Apparently, I'm not. So....cold hor dourves anyone?
FOOD
I finally found affordable chaffer pans, so I guess dinner will be cooked on the stove top (meatballs, pasta with red sauce, pasta with white sauce, french green beans). I am also making up Cesar salad.
Oh, before anyone panics, I do have a waitstaff of one -- I have someone to keep an eye on the food, refresh trays, etc. But I am buying the food myself at BJ's, cooking it the night before (since it needs to be reheated on stove top and for all I know this antiquated stove won't boil water).
Hor d'ourves
And now for the hor d'orves -- I am so excited about these! Trays and silver platters of cheeses and gourmet crackers and garnished with blueberries and pecan, decorated with greens, lush clusters of grapes, and an array of fried fruit. Everything is coming from BJ's, and the silver trays from Goodwill. I already purchased stands of ivy garland from the dollar store to wound in between the trays.
Cocktails
And I came up with these drinks (i think 4 of us actually drink alcohol, but I wanted something that seemed special and extravagant):
Punch Bowl: Cranberry juice and Ginger Ale w/ cranberries in the bottom of the bowl/glass, garnished with lime
Punch Bowl: Pineapple juice and sprite – garnished with orange
Punch Bowl: Coke Cola with vanilla ice cream and maraschino cherries
Pitcher: Ice Tea – garnished with lemon (1 Gallon / 3 liters)
On a separate table:
6 bottles of wine, 4 white, 2 red
Peach Champagne Punch – Pitcher or Bowl, haven't decided
1 cup frozen sliced peaches
2 ounces champagne
1 ounce peach schnapps (skip?)
1 ounce peach vodka
Vanilla ice cream
Ok, including the chaffer pans, the drinks and appetizers and all the food which also includes the dinner rolls and butter -- under $250.
Linens:
It's another $200 for the chair covers, table linens, plates, and silverware (those first impressions looks like linen/china/silver stuff).
And $100 for my one-person waitstaff.
So $550 total. I can't even get someone to cater food (meal and apps) for that much let alone have drinks and the linens and chair covers included. Needless to say, I am pretty happy/satisfied. It came to more than I initially estimated, but after exploring all options, this is the most cost effective. If I find myself with a little extra as the weeks approach, I am going to hire another waitstaff, atleast during cocktail hour if not also the dinner hour.
I am trying to see how much a friend of mine (a professional DJ) will DJ for 1 hour. But I still need to fly my brother in (buy his tickets), book hotel rooms, find a florist, get measurements for tuxes, buy, address, and mail invitations, get a marriage license, find a headpiece, find a hairstylist, order all the things in this post hat I've simply acquired the prices on, order cake, get proposed too and lose weight to fit into the dress.
But that's all. No need to panic.
