Stress-free Wedding Planning

All the little details matter.
Photo by Norman Yu Photography

Hi all!  As many of you know, planning your wedding can be very stressful due to the amount of work, decisions and money that goes into it!  As I near the end of my countdown, here are a few tips that have helped me along the way:

1.  Use a checklist

Whether you choose to use an online version or print one out, these tools are invaluable!  Personally, I'm using the knot.com checklist because it has everything broken down by when it needs to get done.  It really does help you to make sure you don't forget anything or leave anything to the last minute!

2.  Don't put things off

I know it seems like forever before you're walking down the aisle, but trust me...that time FLIES.  Aim to check off at least one item per week on your checklist to keep up with things.  Set reminders on your calendar for deadlines such as payments to your vendors and dress fittings.

3.  Decide on a theme early

The sooner you have an overall vision for your wedding, the less time it will take you to decide on other things.  For example...if you decided that your theme will be "Starry Night" after the VanGogh painting, you can rule out the butterfly motif on all your paper products.

4.  Keep your fiance in the loop

Most guys don't care about the wedding day...they just want to know when and where to show up.  However, it never hurts to let them know what's going on to avoid any problems later.  For me, I'd assumed that since we're a fairly non-traditional couple that we'd be doing our wedding pictures before the ceremony to save time.  When I talked to my fiance about our day-of schedule, he informed me that he actually didn't want us to see each other until we met at the aisle.  Big surprise!  So yes...make sure that you check in with him from time to time to make sure he gets what he wants out of the wedding...it's his wedding too!

5.  Take some time off from wedding talk

Yes, your wedding is a big deal and deserves your attention and hard work, but don't run yourself ragged.  This is a special time in your life and you should get to enjoy it.  If you're feeling really stressed out, take a break!  Enjoy coffee with your friends or a date night with your fiance...and DON'T talk about the wedding! Or just chill out on your own with a good book and a piece of chocolate!

It's always good to treat yourself!

Pretty Programs

Photo by Norman Yu Photography

As I mentioned in my last post, a great way to save on your wedding is to keep it simple with your paper products.  Even basic wedding programs can cost big bucks when you pay someone else to do them.  Let me be real with you for a minute...no one else gives a crap what your programs look like.  Seriously.  I'm sorry, I know, your heart is breaking and the image of fancy programs complete with ribbons and pearls and hand calligraphy are turning to mist before your eyes.  I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I had to be honest with you.

The fact of the matter is, once the wedding is over, most guests will throw those programs away and never think about them again...if they even remember to take them home at all.  The purpose of a program is to let your guests know the order of ceremony and maybe the who's who of your wedding party.  Anything else is extra.  Yes, it's nice to share your love story in 10 pages or less, but come ON people...most of them know your story and if they don't, it's ok...they know how it ends!

So.  Now that we've gotten over ourselves let's get down to business making the nicest possible programs for the least amount of money...because the less you spend on paper the more you can spend on that honeymoon you want!

First...to the paper aisle!!
I'd recommend something heavier than printer paper.  You want it to be stiff enough to hold it's own.  I would go with card stock, which comes in a variety of colors and finishes.  I chose a pearl finish ivory card stock...very classy looking.  50 sheets for $11.99 at my Office Depot.

Second...formatting
To make an inexpensive project look more professional, I chose to print my programs two to a page longways...so they're long and thin.  You can definitely do yours differently, but I thought these looked more modern.  Unless you're going for a more contemporary design, center your text.  Test out different fonts to make sure that they are legible and that they fit on the page.  I know the calligraphy-like fonts are pretty, but they're no go to you if no one can read them.  I'd also save anything super fancy for the headings and let the regular text be a little more structured.

Third...TEST PAGE!
I cannot stress this enough: print. a. test. page.  DO IT.  You would be really pissed if you hit print on 100 programs only to find out that it cut off a line at the bottom or the heading was just a smidge too low on the page.  Plus, this give you and extra opportunity to check spellings and such.  Trust me...it's better to triple check something than to have to do it over.

Fourth...when in doubt, get some help.
For some reason, my printer hates me.  It never cooperates with anything I try to print.  I took my program in to Office Depot on a flash drive, and the girls at the printing desk did the rest...they even put my full sheets into their handy dandy cutting contraption and sliced my programs for me...a much better job than I could have done myself.

The end result was lovely and exactly what I wanted.  In total I spent $23 and some change for 100 programs.  That included the cardstock, formatting fee, printing, and cutting.  If you're looking for something even more fancy, you are welcome to print on vellum and use ribbon to attach them to some cardstock or doll them up with stick on gems (Martha Stewart's line has some really pretty ones).  Bottom line...you don't have to spend big bucks to have something nice!

Wedding Planning Tips

Ok, so I've been trying not to post about wedding stuffs so the big day will remain a surprise to my guests who also read my blog.  But...I'm an impatient person and I can't wait any longer...sad because there are only 43 days left!

Here are my most basic tips on keep your costs down and still have a beautiful wedding.

1.  Cut the guest list.
Ever wonder why this is on EVERY list about wedding budgets?  It's because it's the best tip out there...it really is!  Our original guest list was around 200 people...as you can imagine, that gets pricey.  We widdled it down to 75 and it was a lot easier than we thought.  We cut out friends we hadn't seen within the last year and we cut out the extended family that we rarely see or talk to...no 2nd cousins and the like unless we're close to them.
If someone approaches you about why they weren't invited, simply explain that you are working within a budget and you had to make tough choices about the guest list and chose to keep it to family and close friends only.

2.  Cut down on your decorations.
Flowers and linens and lighting all cost big bucks.  In order to cut our costs here, we opted for a venue that provided it's own beauty.  The only decor we're purchasing are the floral arrangements for the tables and the backdrop for the ceremony.  Realistically, it's better to invest in a nice venue than a bunch of decorations that you'll have to try to get rid of later.

3.  Cut back your bridal party.
I know, I know, you have 12 sorority sisters and they're all your besties, but the reality is, the more attendants you have, the more it's going to cost you.  Yes, they pay for their own dresses and such, but you have to give them each a gift and you have to feed them both at the wedding and at the rehearsal dinner...and their dates (traditionally).

4.  Food!
I've been to many weddings in my life and let me tell you, the food is always what I remember the most.  I went to a wedding where we had a lovely plated meal with steak and the like...it sucked.  There was another wedding I went to where they chose to go with their country wedding theme and roasted a whole pig and had homemade salsas and it was de-lic-ious!  Don't assume that because it's fancy that it tastes good or that because it's expensive that it's better.  Do the tasting.  Be honest with yourself about what you think people will eat.  If the caterer is too pricey, try asking for a lower price.  Sometimes, they're willing to give you a deal in order to keep your business.

5. Pay cash as much as possible.
I found that vendors were more willing to give me a discount when I offered to pay cash up front.  It guarantees that you're not going to stiff them or be late with payments.  Also, cash vs. credit saves them a percentage...credit cards charge businesses to use them.  A word of caution on this...be absolutely certain that's the vendor you want before paying because a lot of them won't refund your cash.  Make sure to get a very specific contract before handing over any money.

6. Don't waste your money on paper.
I know those fancy pants invitations and cutesy save the dates are very, very tempting.  But you and your parents are probably the ONLY people who will ever think twice about them.  Most people will throw them in the trash right after the wedding.  Same goes for programs.  There are tons of great DIY kits out there and the friendly folks at your local Office Depot are more than happy to help you print everything out juuuust right.

7.  Take a deep breath and remember the most important thing.
This is your wedding.  At the end of the day, as long as you two are married, it was a perfect day.  Don't let the details stress you out because 50 years from now, you'll probably forget the pattern of the linens and the cute little escort card details...you'll remember the way you looked at each other when you said, "I do."

Home-grown Goodness!

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but this year, my mother-in-law helped me start a winter garden.  Since we live in FL, that's pretty much a regular garden to those of you up North.  We planted tomatoes, onions of all shapes and sizes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, beans, lettuce, swiss chard, squash, radishes and cucumbers.  Whew!  That was quite a list!  Not everything survived...we lost the cucumbers and squash and the peppers never got big enough...maybe next year!  

Garden in late October

Anyway...I just wanted to share the progress with you!  A while back, I started harvesting the green onions. Those suckers grow fast!  The great thing about them is after you snip them, they grow back.  I also picked some lettuce a while ago and a few radishes.  Today, I picked a bunch of green onions and chives, tomatoes, and green beans!  I'm so proud of my small bounty and I just couldn't contain myself.  I am very excited to cook and eat my veggies.  

My veggies!!  Chives, green onions, green beans, tomatoes.

Just a little note to those of you who don't think you can do this kind of thing...I have the blackest of black thumbs.  Seriously...I've killed an aloe plant...who does that?  It's a freaking cactus!  Yup, I did it.  I'm shocked that I've been able to keep multiple plants alive long enough to actually grow food...so if I can do it, anyone can do it.  All I've been doing to maintain my garden is watering it every day (sometimes less depending on the rain/humidity), and Miracle Grow once a week.

Another little thing I did was mix used coffee grounds into the soil.  You can pick these up for free from your local Starbucks.  Mine has a little area outside where they will bag up 5 lbs of grounds and leave them for your garden.  If you don't see any at yours, try asking...most locations are happy to let you take their used coffee. Why coffee grounds?  Glad you asked!  Brewed grounds add nitrogen to the soil which is a valuable nutrient for growing plants.  They also help to keep away snails and slugs!

I suspect he knows the big one is his...

Well readers, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season.  Our family had a great Christmas...three of them, to be exact.  We spent a day with my mom and sister on the 22nd.  We opted out of the traditional Christmas dinner in favor of steaks and twice baked potatoes followed by a trip to SeaWorld.  This being Ayden's first trip to the park, he really enjoyed Shamu and the fireworks the most.  On Christmas day, we spent the day with Aaron's family snacking on all our favorite appetizers including my 'famous' spinach and artichoke dip (recipe coming soon) and the family trivia game.  Our third and final Christmas celebration was another trip to Aaron's family's house for a lovely ham dinner with his grandmother.  We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family to spend time with.  We're really looking forward to the new year and wish you all nothing but the very best in 2013!

Last Minute Christmas

Merry Christmas, All!  I hope you're all enjoying your holiday traditions with the ones you love the most!  Now if you're like me, you probably got your shopping done early...I was finished by mid October.  What can I say, I'm not a patient person.  However, it seems like no matter how much I plan in advance, I always end up buying a gift at the last minute.  Sometimes, like today, it works to my benefit.

My two closest friends and I are all planning to get together sometime after the holidays to exchange gifts and have a 'girls day' since we all are so busy with our families.  Also, one of my friends JUST had her baby a few weeks ago.  So yeah, there was just no way we were getting together anytime soon.  Which brings me to my problem...

I had originally planned to make their gift this year.  As in, I was going to make and bring them a butt-load of cookies and candy.  I made two kinds of fudge, caramels, and a variety of cookies.  I even dipped marshmallows in chocolate for hot cocoa treats.  I spray painted all my ugly old tins a beautiful antiqued copper and dolled them up with ribbons to hold all my little confections.  And they made excellent gifts for all our other friends.  Buuuutttttt...they won't be good by the time I get to my girlfriends.  Boo :-(

So when the fiance (I just love saying that now!) asked me to go out to Old Time Pottery today to pick up a last minute gift for him (yeah...he's one of THOSE people) I figured I'd take a peek and see what I could come up with for my girls.

All of us having had babies in the last year, I figured what we all needed most was relaxation.  So I went with a spa basket.  Yes, yes, yes, these are a tad overdone but hear me out...it's all consumable stuff or at the very least USEFUL stuff.  So I'm not crowding their cabinets with a random painted wine glass or their walls with another picture frame.  And the best part is these LOOK really cute but they didn't cost me a lot!

Items included in my baskets:

• One plastic utility tote-they're small, yes, but they will work perfectly to hold bath soaps and stuff or for something else around the house.
• Two washcloths
• A long, braided loofah
• A small candle
• Apricot scrub
• A small bag of truffles- you can't have a luxurious spa day without some chocolate!
• Argon Oil shampoo and conditioner (trial sized)- I know I would never purchase these for myself because the full size is so expensive, so I thought it'd be nice in the basket
• Nivea Soft moisturizing cream- this is a multitasker since it can be used on 
• One pair of super fuzzy socks

Each basket cost me approximately $10. I could have easily cut the cost down a little more by purchasing a less expensive shampoo/conditioner set or by using tissue paper instead of the washcloths.  That's the great thing about gift baskets...you can really make a little money go far.  My best tips are to not spend a lot on packaging- if they don't have a use for the basket or tote you give them, they will probably just throw it out and there went serious $$$ out the window.  Don't stress over the size of the items you put into it.  Bigger is not always better; you can put a bunch of sample sizes in and get a good variety.  On the other hand, don't go crazy on a bunch of little things...the price can add up fast.  You could spend $1 a piece on 20 items that are tiny or you could spend $20 and get a four larger items that may look nicer in a basket.  Go with a theme...spa (and choose a color/scent), cooking (choose a cuisine or a specific meal), etc. 

One more note on the packaging:  when in doubt, go a size DOWN.  An overstuffed/overflowing basket looks way better than a sparse one.  If you found or already have a basket that you want to use but are struggling to fill it up, think inexpensive things that take up a lot of real estate...towels (you could even line a cooking themed basket with a kitchen towel or a couple cloth napkins), candies (kisses, mints, etc), or even use some paper shreds (you can find these in the gift wrap aisle).  

Christmas Gift Wrap

Ever heard the saying, "you eat with your eyes first,"?  I 100% agree with that and I like to take it a step further...  I believe when you receive a beautifully wrapped package, you instantly get excited about what's inside.  I also believe that festive gifts can really make your home look like it's ready for Christmas!

These are my first few gifts that I got to wrapping this year.  Aren't they pretty?  Here's how I made them look so nifty:

The center gift is wrapped in plain brown packing paper...not unlike a paper bag, but in a roll.  I found mine on sale at Walgreens, but you can find this stuff anywhere they sell office supplies.  I tied a ribbon around it vertically with no bow but extra give in the front allowing for the gather.  I used red curling ribbon to cinch the middle and attached two jingle bells and a glittery gold "Merry Christmas" ornament (both purchased at the dollar store...bells 9/$1 and ornaments 5/$1).  

The gift on the right is a plain red bag with two floral picks attached and a bow in the middle...all of that also from the dollar store.  

Not bad, huh?  There are lots of ways to make your gifts look extra special without spending a lot on fancy wrapping paper and big bows.  If you have some tips, please share in the comments below!

Big News!

Well it's official...we're engaged!  Finally!  After being together for 5 years...yeah that's right, 5...and one sweet baby boy, we're finally tying the knot!  Aaron's proposal was definitely 'him' and so sweet.  Want to know how he did it?  Glad you asked!

The ring!

We were having a few friends over for a bonfire and of course, I had no hot dogs in the house.  So my friend Carl, and I went to the store to get some.  When we arrived back home, Aaron was waiting in the yard for me and excitedly told me that I have to see what he and Bobby did with the Christmas lights on the roof.  I looked and didn't see anything, so I was really confused.  He told me, "No no no, you have to go ON the roof to see it!"  Seriously?!  God made me short for a reason...I hate being that high off the ground!  Reluctantly, I climbed the ladder to the roof and once to the top, I saw a path of candles leading me over the thatch of the roof.  On the ground below in the backyard, waited a huge heart of Christmas lights with the words "marry me" in the middle and Aaron on one knee, our song playing in the background.  It was a great moment and I couldn't be happier!

Now, this is a blog with fun tips, so I'll be incorporating wedding tips in here as I find them!  We've set the date for March 31st, 2013.  Yup, not a lot of time, but I'm confident we can pull it together!  Stay tuned!