Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Sunday, 7 June 2009
I wonder...
I know we have already chosen that Dessy dress for Wils but I've been thinking maybe we should look for something more suitable. By that I mean cheaper, we are doing everything on a budget for this wedding and although the dress is only £170 in comparison to everything its quite hefty. For example I wouldn't dream of spending that on my own outfit. Anyway I have found this dress from Olivia Mae and its a much better colour, more of a pastel yellow I'm not sure of the price but they are having a 50% sale so could be worth a look. Its a bit more conservative i think understated and whimsical I prefer it.
Friday, 29 May 2009
homemade flowers
i've finally made some good wedding flowers - its taken ages to get them looking anywhere near good enough! I've done some buttonholes too - what d'ya think?
Sunday, 10 May 2009
I've been buying vintage tea cups and saucers as and when i see them in charity shops, car boots and antique shops and now i'm ready to make 1 element of the table centres - tea cup candles. I thought the idea was mine and inspired by the whole alice/tea party theme and vintage floral patterns in the fabrics i want and also by an episode of Kirstie's homemade home but it seems i must have already seen it somewhere coz there's a few mentions of them out there on the world wide web. Here for example
this one pictured is one you can buy ready made (and therefore no fun at all lol!) for a staggering £22!!! click pic for link.
i have 8 teacups and saucers all similar to this and mismatched and none cost me more than £2 and some cost 50p! the ingredients to make the candle work out about £1 a cup. Hardly worth the retail value of £22! Cant wait to get started - i've sourced an online company for the candle making supplies but i want to ring around a few local places tomorrow to see if they have anything. I'd rather support local businesses if i can plus then i can avoid the delivery charge lol!
this one pictured is one you can buy ready made (and therefore no fun at all lol!) for a staggering £22!!! click pic for link.
i have 8 teacups and saucers all similar to this and mismatched and none cost me more than £2 and some cost 50p! the ingredients to make the candle work out about £1 a cup. Hardly worth the retail value of £22! Cant wait to get started - i've sourced an online company for the candle making supplies but i want to ring around a few local places tomorrow to see if they have anything. I'd rather support local businesses if i can plus then i can avoid the delivery charge lol!
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
I am so doing this
make your own cake stand
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/05/diy-project-kates-recycled-cakestands.html
http://armellejewelry.blogspot.com/2007/03/make-your-own-cake-stand.html
http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-cake-stand-for-cupcakes-or-mini-cakes
http://blog.betzwhite.com/2006/09/display-dish-play.html
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tabletop/how-to-make-your-own-cake-stands-029374
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/05/diy-project-kates-recycled-cakestands.html
http://armellejewelry.blogspot.com/2007/03/make-your-own-cake-stand.html
http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-cake-stand-for-cupcakes-or-mini-cakes
http://blog.betzwhite.com/2006/09/display-dish-play.html
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tabletop/how-to-make-your-own-cake-stands-029374
Monday, 10 November 2008
Top 10 Wedding Don'ts
10. Don't pick the location based on its physical beauty.
Pick it based on how fun it is. Seriously. People will enjoy having a good time more than they will enjoy looking at a stunning vista. Tonight's wedding was at a children's science museum. They rented out the whole place, and we were free to romp around like kids (if only I had worn shorts under my dress!). We played in the bubble room, climbed on the vertical maze, and talked in the whisper phone.
9. Don't wear an uncomfortable dress.
You don't really need to live out some warped princess fairy tale. The more comfortable you are, the more beautiful you will look. You need to be able to walk and move and dance around your wedding. The bride at tonight's wedding wore a random sun dress with colored stripes. Was it cute? Yes. Was it spectacular? Not particularly. Did she look spectacular anyway? Absolutely. She was radiant (not because of some mineral make-up). She was deeply content. The dress, hair, and make-up were irrelevant.
8. Don't let anyone put fondant on your wedding cake.
Admit it. It's disgusting. It has the texture (and taste) of plastic. And what the cake tastes like is more important than what it looks like. At tonight's wedding they had several real cakes. Real ones. They were absolutely delicious. I was forced to eat two pieces.
7. Don't let someone else's voice dominate your ceremony.
It's your wedding. It's about you and your future partner and the coming together of your lives. Why should someone else talk all about it? At tonight's wedding, the bride and groom walked out together. The bride's sister did a brief introduction and then left the bride and groom alone up there. They talked about each other and then to each other. It lasted only about seven minutes, but it was the most sincere and touching ceremony I have ever witnessed. Tears streamed down my cheeks (and that never happens to me at weddings!).
6. Don't hire an obnoxious photographer.
The experience is more important than pictures of the experience (and you'll have plenty of pictures anyway if you just ask your friends and family to share their photos). At receptions, I honestly avoid dancing next to the bride or groom because the photographer is always right there with an interrogation bulb flashing in your face. Argh! At tonight's wedding, in the absence of such a photographer, it occurred to me just how annoying they really are!
5. Don't hire a DJ.You don't really need one.
Either have a live band or hook up an iPod. You just need good, danceable music. Well, if you do hire a DJ, just use him/her to monitor the mood of the crowd and select the most appropriate song. Whatever you do, don't let them speak. They really don't contribute anything to the experience. At tonight's wedding, we just danced to some classic dance tunes coming from an iPod.
4. Don't serve a sit-down dinner.
Sit-down dinners are long, stuffy, and contrived. People have to be assigned to tables. If they aren't interested in the people or the conversation at their table, they have to suffer through it. It's just not necessary. At tonight's wedding, we just served ourselves buffet style. We could eat when we were hungry, we could go back for leftovers, and we could sit next to whomever we wanted.
3. Don't spend an insane amount of money on the alcohol.
Beer and wine are fine. Seriously. People can still get their drink on with those classics. The addition of a signature drink (they did Grandma's Punch) is definitely cool, but you don't need to blow your savings on something that hinders people's ability to remember the event.
2. Don't invite people who aren't close to you.
The more random family friends you invite, the more uncomfortable you're going to feel. Don't feel obligated to invite anyone you don't want to. Invite people you're close to and leave it at that. At tonight's wedding, it was very clear that only the most important people were invited. And the atmosphere felt a lot more intimate and comfortable because of it.
1. Don't obsess about details.
Wedding colors don't really matter. Flowers don't matter all that much. Napkins don't matter. Remember that a wedding is a public declaration and celebration of your mutual love and commitment amidst a community of support. Focus on those things. Write your own vows. Make yourself and everyone else as comfortable as possible so you can really celebrate. And only invite a community of support.
Courtesy of 2000 dollar budget wedding
Pick it based on how fun it is. Seriously. People will enjoy having a good time more than they will enjoy looking at a stunning vista. Tonight's wedding was at a children's science museum. They rented out the whole place, and we were free to romp around like kids (if only I had worn shorts under my dress!). We played in the bubble room, climbed on the vertical maze, and talked in the whisper phone.
9. Don't wear an uncomfortable dress.
You don't really need to live out some warped princess fairy tale. The more comfortable you are, the more beautiful you will look. You need to be able to walk and move and dance around your wedding. The bride at tonight's wedding wore a random sun dress with colored stripes. Was it cute? Yes. Was it spectacular? Not particularly. Did she look spectacular anyway? Absolutely. She was radiant (not because of some mineral make-up). She was deeply content. The dress, hair, and make-up were irrelevant.
8. Don't let anyone put fondant on your wedding cake.
Admit it. It's disgusting. It has the texture (and taste) of plastic. And what the cake tastes like is more important than what it looks like. At tonight's wedding they had several real cakes. Real ones. They were absolutely delicious. I was forced to eat two pieces.
7. Don't let someone else's voice dominate your ceremony.
It's your wedding. It's about you and your future partner and the coming together of your lives. Why should someone else talk all about it? At tonight's wedding, the bride and groom walked out together. The bride's sister did a brief introduction and then left the bride and groom alone up there. They talked about each other and then to each other. It lasted only about seven minutes, but it was the most sincere and touching ceremony I have ever witnessed. Tears streamed down my cheeks (and that never happens to me at weddings!).
6. Don't hire an obnoxious photographer.
The experience is more important than pictures of the experience (and you'll have plenty of pictures anyway if you just ask your friends and family to share their photos). At receptions, I honestly avoid dancing next to the bride or groom because the photographer is always right there with an interrogation bulb flashing in your face. Argh! At tonight's wedding, in the absence of such a photographer, it occurred to me just how annoying they really are!
5. Don't hire a DJ.You don't really need one.
Either have a live band or hook up an iPod. You just need good, danceable music. Well, if you do hire a DJ, just use him/her to monitor the mood of the crowd and select the most appropriate song. Whatever you do, don't let them speak. They really don't contribute anything to the experience. At tonight's wedding, we just danced to some classic dance tunes coming from an iPod.
4. Don't serve a sit-down dinner.
Sit-down dinners are long, stuffy, and contrived. People have to be assigned to tables. If they aren't interested in the people or the conversation at their table, they have to suffer through it. It's just not necessary. At tonight's wedding, we just served ourselves buffet style. We could eat when we were hungry, we could go back for leftovers, and we could sit next to whomever we wanted.
3. Don't spend an insane amount of money on the alcohol.
Beer and wine are fine. Seriously. People can still get their drink on with those classics. The addition of a signature drink (they did Grandma's Punch) is definitely cool, but you don't need to blow your savings on something that hinders people's ability to remember the event.
2. Don't invite people who aren't close to you.
The more random family friends you invite, the more uncomfortable you're going to feel. Don't feel obligated to invite anyone you don't want to. Invite people you're close to and leave it at that. At tonight's wedding, it was very clear that only the most important people were invited. And the atmosphere felt a lot more intimate and comfortable because of it.
1. Don't obsess about details.
Wedding colors don't really matter. Flowers don't matter all that much. Napkins don't matter. Remember that a wedding is a public declaration and celebration of your mutual love and commitment amidst a community of support. Focus on those things. Write your own vows. Make yourself and everyone else as comfortable as possible so you can really celebrate. And only invite a community of support.
Courtesy of 2000 dollar budget wedding
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Letter to the Brides
Here is a lovely piece from 2000 Dollar Budget Wedding
The 12-18 months of wedding planning will pass in a matter of hours or days. When it’s all said and done, the photos will be the primary artifact remaining.
Letter to the Bride
Dearest Bride-to-Be:The 12-18 months of wedding planning will pass in a matter of hours or days. When it’s all said and done, the photos will be the primary artifact remaining.
My wish for you—when you look back at those photos—is for you to think:
Fully present in the moment.
Basking in it. Soaking it in.
I was not saturated in stress.
My shoes and dress were comfortable enough for dancing. My beauty radiated out of me; it was not applied to me.
I got to spend quality time with my friends and family. I was myself, not a show. In fact, I was my fullest expression of self.
I do not remember whether the invitations were letterpress or whether the flowers at the ceremony were the same ones at the reception.
The wedding favors or the fanciness of the food did not make memories. The sincerity did. The connection did. The time together did.
It did not matter whether every last detail conformed to the signature colors. Instead of saying, “What a beautiful bouquet,” the guests said, “What a beautiful love.”
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Todays Musings
Sorry if this doesn't make any sense or is not grammatically correct just needing to scribble down what I've thought of today.
I have sat and done a breakdown of prices only estimations of what things will cost
Plas £1235, Photographer £1000, Car Free, Cake £100, Stationery £100, Clothes £600, Shoes £200, Hair Free, BBQ £100, Beers and Food £500, Rings £200, Flowers £50, Stereo and Karaoke £250. Obviously we are doing most of the work ourselves so this can all change depending on what we have to buy to make stuff.
Things we don't know about costing wise are the registrar, the reception venue, accommodation, and the legal costs of naming ceremony. So in the next couple of weeks we will need to do a reccy and arrange to go to coed cottages , Llandonna, and oak lodge, Also it must be a weekday so we can go to llangefni registry office to check out the procedure. Munch to arrange day off asap so we can call to make appointments.
Also I'm starting to think maybe oak lodge will be cheaper or as cheap considering the hassle, I worked the reception out to about £1000 but that was just a guess we will know more when we visit. So if you look at all the money we would need to spend on buying a BBQ, food, music, drink etc it might be worthwhile having BBQ there, no work for us before or after. I just don't know now. It would mean we would'nt get to make all the delicious food on the mood board.
Also must remember to get Plas stuff out for photographers visit Sunday pm.
I have sat and done a breakdown of prices only estimations of what things will cost
Plas £1235, Photographer £1000, Car Free, Cake £100, Stationery £100, Clothes £600, Shoes £200, Hair Free, BBQ £100, Beers and Food £500, Rings £200, Flowers £50, Stereo and Karaoke £250. Obviously we are doing most of the work ourselves so this can all change depending on what we have to buy to make stuff.
Things we don't know about costing wise are the registrar, the reception venue, accommodation, and the legal costs of naming ceremony. So in the next couple of weeks we will need to do a reccy and arrange to go to coed cottages , Llandonna, and oak lodge, Also it must be a weekday so we can go to llangefni registry office to check out the procedure. Munch to arrange day off asap so we can call to make appointments.
Also I'm starting to think maybe oak lodge will be cheaper or as cheap considering the hassle, I worked the reception out to about £1000 but that was just a guess we will know more when we visit. So if you look at all the money we would need to spend on buying a BBQ, food, music, drink etc it might be worthwhile having BBQ there, no work for us before or after. I just don't know now. It would mean we would'nt get to make all the delicious food on the mood board.
Also must remember to get Plas stuff out for photographers visit Sunday pm.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
The Album
Defo the best find so far is this. Basically we fell in love with the coffee book/ magazine layout style wedding album that Damian showed us. But we discussed it and felt that we could really do with cutting back on the photography budget. I had a look around the web and came up with Fotoinsight who produce a really similar product for you from your photos. Obviously with Damian you get his eye for design and style with the layout and with this option the layout is totally down to you but for this price i think i can handle it!
Monday, 3 November 2008
Location, location, location
OH MY look at all that gorgeous food...
Well today we have been working on the wedding all day, we have looked at dresses, shoes, cakes, BBQ food, accommodation, reception, photographers, you name it ideas have been batted around, completely changed and totally re thought.
We have decided that Kacey should wear a little white dress as you can see below.
We have worked out with lovely Barbara that we can pay Plas Newyyd monthly which should really help us out.
Also I know what we said about not compromising on having Damion as a photographer but I really think we need to. We simply cannot justify 2 grand when there is a local photographer that I think is really good for half for the price, I'm leaving it with munch to decide.
We are looking at hiring a country home for the reception where alot of people can sleep and we can have the BBQ in the grounds, its very close to Plas Newydd so that's a bonus. Also there is a campsite with cottages to rent that I love but its an hour away. I think we need to go and view these locations as soon as possible. In case they get booked up.
So yes alot has gone on today, I also think I want to do a black and white mood board as I've seen some shoes I really want!
Well today we have been working on the wedding all day, we have looked at dresses, shoes, cakes, BBQ food, accommodation, reception, photographers, you name it ideas have been batted around, completely changed and totally re thought.
We have decided that Kacey should wear a little white dress as you can see below.
We have worked out with lovely Barbara that we can pay Plas Newyyd monthly which should really help us out.
Also I know what we said about not compromising on having Damion as a photographer but I really think we need to. We simply cannot justify 2 grand when there is a local photographer that I think is really good for half for the price, I'm leaving it with munch to decide.
We are looking at hiring a country home for the reception where alot of people can sleep and we can have the BBQ in the grounds, its very close to Plas Newydd so that's a bonus. Also there is a campsite with cottages to rent that I love but its an hour away. I think we need to go and view these locations as soon as possible. In case they get booked up.
So yes alot has gone on today, I also think I want to do a black and white mood board as I've seen some shoes I really want!
Sunday, 2 November 2008
Sites of the day! 1
Here are the websites I have found useful/interesting today.
www.weddingwardrobe.co.uk
www.oliviamae.com
www.monsoon.co.uk
www.marksandspencers.co.uk
www.twiceasnice.co.uk
www.kissthebride.co.uk
All of the above were to look at dresses and I found some really good options.
I also looked at www.minted.com this is an american stationery company that I love, we have entered a competition to win save the date cards from them.
Lastly munch found www.vistaprint.co.uk that specialise in magnets at an absolutely bargain price of £9.99 for 50 so if we dont win minted comp we will definately be having these.
Also looking at the amazing cakes on AprilReed.com
www.weddingwardrobe.co.uk
www.oliviamae.com
www.monsoon.co.uk
www.marksandspencers.co.uk
www.twiceasnice.co.uk
www.kissthebride.co.uk
All of the above were to look at dresses and I found some really good options.
I also looked at www.minted.com this is an american stationery company that I love, we have entered a competition to win save the date cards from them.
Lastly munch found www.vistaprint.co.uk that specialise in magnets at an absolutely bargain price of £9.99 for 50 so if we dont win minted comp we will definately be having these.
Also looking at the amazing cakes on AprilReed.com
Friday, 31 October 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
