Did I Do It?

Hello, faithful followers. It has been almost three months since my last post. Since then, the wedding came (almost) flawlessly, and we have settled into our precious apartment. As of this week, I am not working (and loving it). Needless to say, I am finally at a point where I can blog. Now I can answer the question that may have been looming in your minds: "Did I do it?" Yes, I did!!! In the end, we went a little bit over. But not a few thousand, only a few hundred. I will provide a budget rundown, but first, some pictures:

The incredible chapel:


My precious bridesmaids (please note the bouquets- I made them ALL, including mine!!!):


Ceremony:


Our awesome wedding party:


My amazing husband and I:


Jane Austen-esque:


Reception Decor:







First dance:


And of course, the downtown view from the roof of our venue:


Now for the rundown (I am rounding estimates, because I don't have all the receipts (nor the patience) to calculate to the nearest dollar):

Estimated Total: $10,600

Ceremony Venue: $1,500
Reception Venue: $4,300 (with security & damage deposits)
Rentals: $900
Dress, Alterations, Shoes, & Accessories: $450
Flowers: $400
Centerpiece items, Glassware, & Accessories: $600
DJ: $500
Gifts: $200
Food & Candy: $500
Paper (programs, name cards, etc.): $100
Photographer: $900
Cake: $310 (It looked terrible-- this was a mistake!)

As a final word... YOU CAN DO IT! Don't stress out about going an eentsy, weentsy, bit over. When you buy things here and there with coupons and gift cards, it really helps lessen the blow. I would love to hear how you pulled (or are going to pull) off your budget wedding, so shoot me an email at laurabeth8705@hotmail.com to share stories, or if you need advice! It has been a pleasure, but now I must move on to my new blog, Pretty Little House (prettylittlehousetx.blogspot.com). I hope you will stop by!

Uh oh...

Hello all... I know, I know. I'm in trouble. I do this a lot- I get inspired, write a bunch, and then... nothing! I just quit. I'm so sorry. My wedding is in 19 days and I am SO excited- yet so busy! Sadly it's not only wedding plans keeping me busy. Weddings of friends, work, graduations, etc., have also kept me away from my dear blog. All is not lost. I DO have some inspiration to offer.

I am a firm advocate for a new-found love in the wedding world- PAPER! Now, I don't recommend the Martha Stewart pictures where she makes bouquets out of paper (that is unrealistic for most). But I do believe that paper can make a BOLD statement in your decor for little cash.

Let me give you some pictures for inspiration:


From: The Knot


From: The Knot


From: Martha Stewart Weddings

(I'm having to hold myself back- there are so many awesome pictures of paper decor online!)

In the near future, I will give you pictures of what I have decided to do with paper. It takes some trial and error, but the result is a unique and creative touch on your wedding!

A DIY Weekend

Finally, I have had a weekend where I have actually done a bunch of my wedding projects that I've been planning! I was very productive, and I couldn't wait to share the results with you :)

First up is the finished product of my branch/hydrangea centerpiece:




My mom and I had a debate about whether or not to use three hydrangeas of five... I think three is more natural, but she feels that five is cuter. What are your thoughts?

Next, I made a prototype of my bouquet- I am in love with it! Since we are ordering our flowers wholesale, I thought I should practice making my bouquet at least once. I decided to spice it up by adding white ranunculas and light pink godetias. Here is the progress and finished product! Click on the pics to make them bigger- I love the detail :)








Finally, I spray painted some "S" letters that will be tied to the back of mine and Dillon's chairs at the receptions. They matched my bouquet perfectly!

DIY Centerpieces

As we are entering into the last two months of our wedding countdown, I have not found much time to blog. However, I have noticed that the less I blog, the less inspired I am in my budget creativity. So hopefully, I will get back into blog mode, and, therefore, back into budget creativity mode!

A couple of weeks ago, my fiance helped me spray branches for a centerpiece I am using. We bought the bundles of branches for $1.00 at Dollar Tree. My fiance used his spray gun to spray the branches completely white. This has taken more than one try, as the branches were stained to look natural, and when cheap spray paint is used, they bleed through and turn a neon color. You never know what to expect with a DIY project. Our sprayer also continually clogs, since we have been using Killz primer on the branches, so that the stain will not bleed through. However, we have not given up! So, here's the run down:

Supplies Needed:
Bunches of natural-looking twigs, $1 each (I bought about 30 bunches to make 7 centerpieces)
Killz white primer- about $25 for a large can, or you can buy small individual cans if you do not have a sprayer
Professional spray paint machine (ask your day, grandpa, neighbor, etc. for one of these. They're actually pretty common.)
Large cyliner vases, about 3 feet tall, $19.99 at Michaels Craft Store, or $12.00 with a 40% off coupon :)
1 good looking, hard working fiance (ok, you could do it yourself, but if he's willing, why not?)
About 30 Artifical birds- I bought mine for $1.99/four at Hobby Lobby
Total Project Cost: about $160 for 7 large centerpieces

Here are some pictures from our project:
The setup...

The unsprayed branches:

Branches from the first attempt:

The spraying process:

Waiting to dry!

Pictures of the final product will be available soon!

Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too!

Saturday my mom and I met with a cake decorator at Market Street. This is a special foods grocery store chain in our area. I had heard that going through special markets, such as Central Market, can cut down the cost of the cake. I would have been skeptical, but a friend of mine had hers done through Central Market, and it looked just like it came out of a custom bakery. After meeting with the decorator, we were thrilled. We booked a two tiered, light blue cake with fondant for a total of $310.10, which included the delivery fee.

If you're nervous that the decorators at these types of locations don't have enough experience, ask if they have a portfolio of past work. Ask around and see if anyone you know has seen a cake come from the same decorator. This is a great way to cut costs but not skimp on style or taste!

Hello, sweet readers. I've missed you. My blog has been kind of lame lately... I'm sorry. I wish I had more to say. Honestly, I feel like I have the majority of wedding planning finished. Many things cannot be completed until the weeks and days before. So now I am patiently waiting.

Here is one budget attempt I am currently making: hand calligraphying my invitations. It's actually going pretty well, but I still need some practice (especially with my d's, as you can see):



I wouldn't advise doing this if you have 300 guests, but if you break it up and do a few each day, beginning at least six weeks in advance, it is certainly achievable.

Again!

Well friends, I've got to toot my own horn again. I was placed on the front of the Style Circle page, again :) I am so excited- I love this! It makes me feel like all my endless hours (yes, hours) of wedding planning and scrutinizing have not gone to waste. I used the peach in my wedding colors to inspire this board, named "Just Peachy Keen." Though I don't plan to use an excessive amount of peach in my wedding, I love peach accents. Here is my newest board: