Pete put on Judge Greg Mathis, then went outside. I left it on because there's a bachelor party incident.
Turns out, the groom didn't want strippers but the friend planning the party wanted them and said he would pay. The groom selected the strippers. The friend thought they were ugly and refused to pay.
What a mess!
BRIDAL BABBLE: What is your biggest bachelor or bachelorette party horror story?
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Appropriate Wedding Gift?
What would you do if you received this gift basket as a wedding gift?
Honestly, I would probably (internally) freak out.
They say it's the thought, not the gift that counts, but let's talk numbers here. You just spent about a year of your life planning the perfect wedding, saving to pay (in our case) $150 a head. You don't expect cards with a check in them, but it's often the gift given. I am planning our wedding with a $150 a head budget, and I'm not at all expecting anyone to give us a card with that "in return." I'm sticking to my budget, inviting who I can afford to pay for, and that's that.
I don't know where the concept of "pay for your plate" came from. It was established long before I was invited to weddings, and it's a custom I follow. It's a custom most people follow. You don't expect people to pay for your wedding. I know I don't. But I do expect people to bring a gift because you don't show up anywhere -- not even a backyard BBQ -- empty handed.
Come wedding time, you're high strung. Heck, I'm super high strung right now, flipping out over everything, and we're not getting married until next summer. I'm stressed, I'm stressing Pete out, and we have a ways to go. I can only imagine that the stress is going to get worse.
So wedding day comes, it's the happiest most stressful day of your life. And you get a wicker basket filled with $30 worth of junk food. There's lemon pepper dill something (eww), Sour Patch Kids, Marshmallow Fluff, and some other sugary items that will go straight to your waistline.
Great gift or party foul?
That's the debate going on right now. I was reading this article the other day about a couple who actually gave that as a gift at a wedding -- and the brides who were pretty offended by it.
I was talking about it with Pete in the car yesterday, and he was on the side of the couple that gave the gift. He agreed with the logic that you shouldn't expect someone to pay for your wedding and a gift is a gift.
And then I reminded him it was a gift for a wedding and how we got a gift at our engagement party that was borderline insulting in the same manner. And I said I would rather have had nothing than that gift. The thought counts, but how much thought was put into that gift? I mean, seriously. It kinda looks like the couple went into one store, filled half a basket with random items, and that was it especially since one half of the receiving couple said she is gluten intolerant and cannot eat the items. So it's not like a basket of her favorites or anything.
I'm not saying a couple should be greedy and expect their guests to pay for the wedding. I'm just saying a basket of Jolly Ranchers isn't an appropriate wedding gift if the wedding is at a venue that costs $100 a head (which, according to the article, it was).
If I received this gift, I would have just sent a thank you card and have been done with it. That's exactly how we handled a questionable gift we received at our party. I didn't complain, I didn't text the gift giver and throw a fit like these brides, but I was very confused by the gift (and trust me, our was a lot worse than this one). I didn't explain what appropriate gift giving was. I just let it be. But inside, I was definitely taken aback by it. So I do definitely see how the brides would have been confused by this gift. But I think their immaturity about how they handled it is appalling.
What do you think?
BRIDAL BABBLE: Great gift or party foul?
Honestly, I would probably (internally) freak out.
They say it's the thought, not the gift that counts, but let's talk numbers here. You just spent about a year of your life planning the perfect wedding, saving to pay (in our case) $150 a head. You don't expect cards with a check in them, but it's often the gift given. I am planning our wedding with a $150 a head budget, and I'm not at all expecting anyone to give us a card with that "in return." I'm sticking to my budget, inviting who I can afford to pay for, and that's that.
I don't know where the concept of "pay for your plate" came from. It was established long before I was invited to weddings, and it's a custom I follow. It's a custom most people follow. You don't expect people to pay for your wedding. I know I don't. But I do expect people to bring a gift because you don't show up anywhere -- not even a backyard BBQ -- empty handed.
Come wedding time, you're high strung. Heck, I'm super high strung right now, flipping out over everything, and we're not getting married until next summer. I'm stressed, I'm stressing Pete out, and we have a ways to go. I can only imagine that the stress is going to get worse.
So wedding day comes, it's the happiest most stressful day of your life. And you get a wicker basket filled with $30 worth of junk food. There's lemon pepper dill something (eww), Sour Patch Kids, Marshmallow Fluff, and some other sugary items that will go straight to your waistline.
Great gift or party foul?
That's the debate going on right now. I was reading this article the other day about a couple who actually gave that as a gift at a wedding -- and the brides who were pretty offended by it.
I was talking about it with Pete in the car yesterday, and he was on the side of the couple that gave the gift. He agreed with the logic that you shouldn't expect someone to pay for your wedding and a gift is a gift.
And then I reminded him it was a gift for a wedding and how we got a gift at our engagement party that was borderline insulting in the same manner. And I said I would rather have had nothing than that gift. The thought counts, but how much thought was put into that gift? I mean, seriously. It kinda looks like the couple went into one store, filled half a basket with random items, and that was it especially since one half of the receiving couple said she is gluten intolerant and cannot eat the items. So it's not like a basket of her favorites or anything.
I'm not saying a couple should be greedy and expect their guests to pay for the wedding. I'm just saying a basket of Jolly Ranchers isn't an appropriate wedding gift if the wedding is at a venue that costs $100 a head (which, according to the article, it was).
If I received this gift, I would have just sent a thank you card and have been done with it. That's exactly how we handled a questionable gift we received at our party. I didn't complain, I didn't text the gift giver and throw a fit like these brides, but I was very confused by the gift (and trust me, our was a lot worse than this one). I didn't explain what appropriate gift giving was. I just let it be. But inside, I was definitely taken aback by it. So I do definitely see how the brides would have been confused by this gift. But I think their immaturity about how they handled it is appalling.
What do you think?
BRIDAL BABBLE: Great gift or party foul?
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Don't Design Your Own Invitations (And the perks of hiring a designer)
I remember back in the day, when we got our very first computer. We got Print Shop Deluxe and started designing and printing every single birthday card, thank you card, and party invitation. We would design certificates for no reason, other than the fact that we had this computer program.
At the time, we thought the cards were the most amazing things ever created. But, in hindsight, the cards were pretty awful and probably used up more time and ink than was really worth it.
Technology has come a long way, but I still would not suggest designing and printing your own wedding invitations. Sure, it could save you a bit of money, but in the long run, this is your wedding, not some random birthday party. If you design a crummy birthday party invite, you have next year to make up for it. If your wedding invitation is awful, well, that's it. You will forever have had a bad invitation.
Plus, can you design something like this bridal shower invitation that Rachel from Printed Ink Designs?
I was chatting with Rachel on Twitter and I asked her if she would be able to design a coozie for me. I had seen the idea on Pinterest, but had no capabilities of actually designing it. I thought about doing it myself but it was just a messy idea.
Rachel was right on top it. I gave her the text and linked her to the pin where I originally saw the idea, and she came up with the following:
It's perfect.
But it wasn't. See, originally, she had the ampersand on the left side of the text. To me, it just read funny. So I sent her an email, asking if she could move to the right side. That same day, she sent me back a revised copy.
That's the great thing about working directly with a designer. The design is created for you and can be adapted and created to exactly what you would like. You can't do that with a store bought invitation.
And, with a designer, you can just give her an idea and let her at it. Right now, chalkboards are the in thing. People are using chalkboard as the focal point of a theme, using them in table numbers, to label food, and to give directions. If you want a chalkboard wedding theme, you can just tell Rachel, and she will create something like the following:
It is a great way to marry your theme to your invitations. And, remember, the invitations (or save the dates, if you send them) are the way that your guests will be introduced to your wedding. They really set the tone so you do want to make sure you present your wedding in a fantastic way.
1. Find a designer you mesh with.
When you're picking a designer to work with, make sure you find one with a body of work that you can view online. You want something that is completely unique to you and your fiance, but you do need to see what the designer has created previously. Just like with every other aspect of your wedding, there will be designers whose style will mesh with yours and designers whose styles won't.
If you have something specific in mind, ask for a sample. Before we started working with Nicole from Glossie.ca on our wedding invitations, she sent us a sample of an invitation that was similar to what I was thinking. Knowing that she could come up with something similar made me confident that she could design what I wanted. And the fact that she would reply to emails that I sent at 1:30am (because that was the only time of day I would get a break) was a huge help.
2. Who gets possession of the design?
You also want to discuss printing. Will you receive a high-resolution image that you can use anywhere or do you have to order all the invitations directly from the designer? Personally, I think it's better for you to get a hi-res image because that way you are able to print additional invitations if you need. Imagine how awful it would be to have ordered 50 invitations, sent them all ... and then realized you forgot to invite Aunt Edna. If you have the image in your possession, you are able to print one more and send it out ... before your aunt even notices.
3. Get what you pay for.
Remember, with a designer, you are paying him or her to create something unique for you. If you get the proof and it isn't what you were envisioning or expecting, ask for a change. I didn't like where the ampersand was on the coozie, so I asked for it to be moved. It was a simple fix for the designer and something I would have agonized over if I didn't ask for the change. You are paying the designer to create what you want. Don't be timid and just accept the design as is if there is something you completely hate. It's better to inconvenience the designer by asking her to fix a typo than sending out half your invitations with your father-in-law-to-be's name spelled incorrectly because you were too timid to speak up.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you buy boxed invitations or did you work with a designer?
At the time, we thought the cards were the most amazing things ever created. But, in hindsight, the cards were pretty awful and probably used up more time and ink than was really worth it.
Technology has come a long way, but I still would not suggest designing and printing your own wedding invitations. Sure, it could save you a bit of money, but in the long run, this is your wedding, not some random birthday party. If you design a crummy birthday party invite, you have next year to make up for it. If your wedding invitation is awful, well, that's it. You will forever have had a bad invitation.
Plus, can you design something like this bridal shower invitation that Rachel from Printed Ink Designs?
I was chatting with Rachel on Twitter and I asked her if she would be able to design a coozie for me. I had seen the idea on Pinterest, but had no capabilities of actually designing it. I thought about doing it myself but it was just a messy idea.
Rachel was right on top it. I gave her the text and linked her to the pin where I originally saw the idea, and she came up with the following:
It's perfect.
But it wasn't. See, originally, she had the ampersand on the left side of the text. To me, it just read funny. So I sent her an email, asking if she could move to the right side. That same day, she sent me back a revised copy.
That's the great thing about working directly with a designer. The design is created for you and can be adapted and created to exactly what you would like. You can't do that with a store bought invitation.
And, with a designer, you can just give her an idea and let her at it. Right now, chalkboards are the in thing. People are using chalkboard as the focal point of a theme, using them in table numbers, to label food, and to give directions. If you want a chalkboard wedding theme, you can just tell Rachel, and she will create something like the following:
It is a great way to marry your theme to your invitations. And, remember, the invitations (or save the dates, if you send them) are the way that your guests will be introduced to your wedding. They really set the tone so you do want to make sure you present your wedding in a fantastic way.
Three things to remember when working with a designer
1. Find a designer you mesh with.
When you're picking a designer to work with, make sure you find one with a body of work that you can view online. You want something that is completely unique to you and your fiance, but you do need to see what the designer has created previously. Just like with every other aspect of your wedding, there will be designers whose style will mesh with yours and designers whose styles won't.
If you have something specific in mind, ask for a sample. Before we started working with Nicole from Glossie.ca on our wedding invitations, she sent us a sample of an invitation that was similar to what I was thinking. Knowing that she could come up with something similar made me confident that she could design what I wanted. And the fact that she would reply to emails that I sent at 1:30am (because that was the only time of day I would get a break) was a huge help.
2. Who gets possession of the design?
You also want to discuss printing. Will you receive a high-resolution image that you can use anywhere or do you have to order all the invitations directly from the designer? Personally, I think it's better for you to get a hi-res image because that way you are able to print additional invitations if you need. Imagine how awful it would be to have ordered 50 invitations, sent them all ... and then realized you forgot to invite Aunt Edna. If you have the image in your possession, you are able to print one more and send it out ... before your aunt even notices.
3. Get what you pay for.
Remember, with a designer, you are paying him or her to create something unique for you. If you get the proof and it isn't what you were envisioning or expecting, ask for a change. I didn't like where the ampersand was on the coozie, so I asked for it to be moved. It was a simple fix for the designer and something I would have agonized over if I didn't ask for the change. You are paying the designer to create what you want. Don't be timid and just accept the design as is if there is something you completely hate. It's better to inconvenience the designer by asking her to fix a typo than sending out half your invitations with your father-in-law-to-be's name spelled incorrectly because you were too timid to speak up.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Did you buy boxed invitations or did you work with a designer?
Friday, June 7, 2013
Star Struck: A celebrity in the wedding industry is following me on Twitter
I usually don't get star struck. I worked at newspapers for seven years and worked with bands for a few years. You name someone in the music industry, and I probably met or interviewed them. Someone famous, and we probably brushed paths.
BB King? Interviewed him.
Kiefer Sutherland? Introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Kiefer." To which I replied, "Nice to meet you. I'm Lisa."
Weird Al? Check. Ricky Havens? Yup. Isaac Hanson? Yes.
It was my job, and I took my job very seriously, and didn't get flustered or star struck.
But in the wedding industry, I'm a nobody. I'm a very very small blogger, trying to carve a name for myself. I don't have a big publication to back me. I have myself and my staff of one (I'm the one). So, in the wedding industry, when something big (or something small to most people) happens, well, I get a little star struck and give myself a little fist pump.
I just checked A Bride On A Budget's Twitter (@abrideabudget) and guess who is following me ...
David Tutera. Yes the David Tutera. Celebrity wedding planner and host of WE tv's My Fair Wedding, David Tutera. Wedding book author, David Tutera.
And sure David Tutera is also following 47,163 people who aren't me. But he is following one person who is me, and that's kinda exciting, kinda makes me feel like, "Well if he knows who I am, maybe there is a chance other people will know who I am and I can really carve a place out for myself in the wedding industry."
When you're thisclose to going crazy from wedding planning, it's things like this that brighten your day.
BRIDAL BABBLE: What's the last little thing that you thought was a big deal?
BB King? Interviewed him.
Kiefer Sutherland? Introduced himself by saying, "Hi, I'm Kiefer." To which I replied, "Nice to meet you. I'm Lisa."
Weird Al? Check. Ricky Havens? Yup. Isaac Hanson? Yes.
It was my job, and I took my job very seriously, and didn't get flustered or star struck.
But in the wedding industry, I'm a nobody. I'm a very very small blogger, trying to carve a name for myself. I don't have a big publication to back me. I have myself and my staff of one (I'm the one). So, in the wedding industry, when something big (or something small to most people) happens, well, I get a little star struck and give myself a little fist pump.
I just checked A Bride On A Budget's Twitter (@abrideabudget) and guess who is following me ...
David Tutera. Yes the David Tutera. Celebrity wedding planner and host of WE tv's My Fair Wedding, David Tutera. Wedding book author, David Tutera.
And sure David Tutera is also following 47,163 people who aren't me. But he is following one person who is me, and that's kinda exciting, kinda makes me feel like, "Well if he knows who I am, maybe there is a chance other people will know who I am and I can really carve a place out for myself in the wedding industry."
When you're thisclose to going crazy from wedding planning, it's things like this that brighten your day.
BRIDAL BABBLE: What's the last little thing that you thought was a big deal?
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Friday Weddings
There are things you don't think about as an unwed wedding guest. And there are things you look at in a different way when you're planning a wedding.
Like Friday weddings.
Like Friday weddings.
I always looked at Friday weddings and thought, "Wow, this person must be saving a lot of money having it on a Friday."
It's not really that big of a savings, to be honest. Every venue I've seen is about $1,000 cheaper if you pick a Friday over a Saturday. It's not making your reception half price. And $1,000, that's like chump change when the average wedding is around $30,000.
But you can make that $1,000 go pretty far. For a wedding where the cost is $140 per head, you can invite an additional seven people at that price. Or, for a place where open bar is $12 an hour per head, that's an extra hour of the bar (if you have around 80 guests). Or that's your wedding favors. Or invitations for 200 (assuming the average of $5 a pop). Or you can just save it.
Before you start counting your money saved, you need to consider your guests. Having a Friday wedding means that you are asking everyone to take a half day from work (or a full day for your bridal party). You are going to be hosting your rehearsal dinner on a work night. Is that $1,000 savings worth inconveniencing many of your guests?
For a destination wedding, though, the day of the week doesn't really matter. Everyone is going to be on vacation anyway, so you can realistically have it on a Tuesday and it's all the same to your guests.
It's not an easy answer, but then again, nothing as far as wedding planning is easy. You have to do what is right and best for you and your groom, but you also have to consider your guest list as well.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Friday weddings. Do or don't?
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Review: Mom Necklace From Dogeared's Bridal Suite
A Bride On A Budget received this necklace for this review. All thoughts are my own.
When my cousin got married in March, she gave all her bridesmaids gorgeous necklaces that we all wore on her wedding day. (I actually ended up giving my bridemaids necklaces in their bridesmaids thank you gifts).
It was such a sweet and very special item to wear around our necks.
The necklaces were all the same, but all had different meanings to each of us bridesmaids. She wrote us a note with the necklaces, letting us all know how special we were to her.
What if your necklace could say it for you?
That's where Dogeared Jewels & Gifts comes in. The Dogeared Bridal Suite was launched recently and it is the absolute perfect place to find jewelry for your bridal party.
The site sells rings, bracelets, and more, but the Bridal Suite sticks to pearl earrings and gorgeous necklaces that will make you cry.
Well, not the necklace itself; it's the what's written on the card behind the necklace that makes a difference.
I received a necklace for my mom that reads: make a wish and put on your necklace. sharing this day with you is so special, and this is a celebration i will never forget. i am so grateful for your love, wisdom, encouragement and all that you do ... wear your necklace as a reminder that i love you.
So sweet, right?
The one for the maid of honor hit me the most (but maybe that's because my maid of honor was just here visiting). it reads: make a wish and put on your necklace. thank you for your love and encouragement and all you've done to make this day unforgettable. you have a very special place in my wedding and in my heart... wear your necklace as a reminder that i love you.
And then there's the bridesmaids ones that say: make a wish and put on your necklace. wear it as a reminder that i am so grateful for your presence in my life. thank you for standing with me on this special day, as you have so many times before!
It was such a sweet and very special item to wear around our necks.
The necklaces were all the same, but all had different meanings to each of us bridesmaids. She wrote us a note with the necklaces, letting us all know how special we were to her.
What if your necklace could say it for you?
That's where Dogeared Jewels & Gifts comes in. The Dogeared Bridal Suite was launched recently and it is the absolute perfect place to find jewelry for your bridal party.
The site sells rings, bracelets, and more, but the Bridal Suite sticks to pearl earrings and gorgeous necklaces that will make you cry.
Well, not the necklace itself; it's the what's written on the card behind the necklace that makes a difference.
I received a necklace for my mom that reads: make a wish and put on your necklace. sharing this day with you is so special, and this is a celebration i will never forget. i am so grateful for your love, wisdom, encouragement and all that you do ... wear your necklace as a reminder that i love you.
So sweet, right?
The one for the maid of honor hit me the most (but maybe that's because my maid of honor was just here visiting). it reads: make a wish and put on your necklace. thank you for your love and encouragement and all you've done to make this day unforgettable. you have a very special place in my wedding and in my heart... wear your necklace as a reminder that i love you.
And then there's the bridesmaids ones that say: make a wish and put on your necklace. wear it as a reminder that i am so grateful for your presence in my life. thank you for standing with me on this special day, as you have so many times before!
You can purchase the necklaces at 16 or 18 inches, unless you decide to customize them, then you also have the option of 20 inches.
If you do customize, you also have the choice of the background card and charm. You can choose anything from hearts to horseshoes. Personally, pearls are really special to my family (my grandparents honeymoon in my grandma's native Japan was in a place called Pearl Island) so the pearl on my mom's necklace was perfect.
The pearl charm is actually a really decent size. It isn't small too long cheap, but it isn't too large to look gaudy. The chain is thin but not flimsy. The entire necklace is lightweight, so it can be worn throughout the entire wedding day without anyone actually realizing that they have a piece on.
The necklace I got my mom was $56. It's sterling silver. I could have had it gold dipped for an extra $6, but I'm not a fan of yellow gold, so silver worked for me.
With the prices being so reasonable, you could buy these for everyone in your wedding party. Each necklace comes in a gorgeous pearl-colored box made in the United States from recycled materials.
The only thing that I didn't like is that there isn't a grandma necklace in the bridal collection. Dogeared does sell a grandma necklace, but the card doesn't make mention of the special day (aka the wedding) like the other bridal items do. I'm bummed because I would definitely pick one up for my grandma.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Who would you pick one up for?
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Favor Idea: Bride & Groom Mini Vodka Bottles
We are still venueless, but I'm not letting that stop me from thinking about favor ideas. And going to a ton of bridal expos has helped me with favor ideas.
We went to bridal speed dating and met with a DJ who gave us this parting gift:
There was some story that I couldn't recall after we left his booth (we did only have two minutes per vendor) about having a friend who is a Pearl Vodka distributor.
Pearl Vodka actually makes a wedding cake vodka, which is completely fitting (that's the light blue bottle on the right; the left is a plain vodka).
Pearl Vodka also sells the bow tie and wedding veil for the mini bottles(bottles are not included) for $1.25. You can buy them for full-size bottles as well, for $2, but I would advise against purchasing full size bottles to give as favors. That can get pricey.
Pearl Vodka no longer sells these via the link previously posted, but you can check out this link for something similar from Amazon.
We went to bridal speed dating and met with a DJ who gave us this parting gift:
There was some story that I couldn't recall after we left his booth (we did only have two minutes per vendor) about having a friend who is a Pearl Vodka distributor.
Pearl Vodka actually makes a wedding cake vodka, which is completely fitting (that's the light blue bottle on the right; the left is a plain vodka).
Pearl Vodka no longer sells these via the link previously posted, but you can check out this link for something similar from Amazon.
The bow tie and veil are on elastics, so even if you aren't a vodka fan, you can always find other mini liquor bottles that are the same size and just attach them. The only place I've found to buy the bow tie and veil are on the Pearl Vodka site, though.
Someone told me once that the best wedding favors are food ones ... but I think there are a lot of people who would argue that liquor is the way to go.
BRIDAL BABBLE: Mini liquor bottles as a favor ... yes or no?
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