Halloween Inspiration

As October begins tomorrow, I thought I would publish my Halloween Wedding inspiration board. I saw a wedding show with a Halloween wedding, and there are so many creative options that a bride can do! All the guests wore costumes!

FYI: I will be cutting down my blog to just Monday through Friday. As I embark on a full time job and moving to a new city, I need some extra time to adjust! Thank you for following!! I have so many more great posts to come!

Get back on Track!

OneWed had a great article about getting your wedding budget back on track! I wanted to share with you. Planning a wedding can be difficult, but with a little creativity, your dream wedding can come true within your budget.

1. It’s a number’s game

While it’s a hard task; one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep costs down is to invite fewer guests. Although it would be nice to invite your Mom’s third cousin who met you once when you were a baby, she probably doesn’t need to attend your wedding. Yes, this may offend some people but you can politely explain that you are keeping your wedding small and only inviting immediate family and very close friends. With the average cost of $80 per wedding guest, you can see how quickly the budget can balloon by inviting too many people.

2. Once loved Wedding Items
There are a lot of items you have to buy for a wedding such as your dress, accessories, wedding bands and even decorations. Many of these items will be barely used and only for a few hours so consider buying some used wedding items. Not only is it good for your wallet and budget but it’s earth friendly too.

3. Check Please
Many couples are getting married later in life and may already have the type of household items that would be part of a wedding registry. A new trend is to use a cash gift registry such as DepositAGift.com. With a cash gift registry you can use the money you receive for your honeymoon, a down payment towards a house or to help pay for your wedding costs. Using a service like this can definitely keep your budget in check.

4 Get By With a Little Help From Your Friends
Do you have talented friends? Use their expertise! You can quickly cut wedding costs by asking your graphic designer friend to help create your wedding invitations or ask your cousin’s girlfriend with the great voice to sing at your wedding ceremony. Not only is this cost effective but it makes your wedding that much more personal and hopefully your friends will be flattered to be a part of your big day.

5. Know What Your Spending
An easy way to keep your budget in line is to know what you’re spending. It’s easy to go overboard when you lose track of everything you’ve ordered, put a deposit down on and still need to buy. Many websites like OneWed.com have very helpful wedding budget tools that you can access anytime online. Use these tools when you’re shopping and planning and let the numbers help you decide what’s really important and what you can do without.

Wacky Wednesday: Movie Set

This week's Wacky Wednesday takes us to Los Angeles, California. You can get married at movie studios such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. and Fox.

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Creative Dress Buying

The bride I planned a wedding for this summer gave me one of the best ideas! Instead of having your bridesmaids buy expensive dresses at bridal salons which can cost them over $200, consider looking at department store dresses to see if any of their dresses catch your eye! You never know what beautiful dresses you can find in chain stores. It's great because stores like Kohls, Sears, JCPenneys.. etc carry the same stock so  the Penneys in California has the same dresses as Florida, so your bridesmaids can buy them at their local mall!

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Drowning Flowers

One of my new favorite trends in centerpieces is drowning flowers or more likely known as  floating flowers. It looks so elegant and pretty especially when you shine light up through the vase.

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Barney Bag!

The best idea at a wedding is to have an emergency bag full of supplies in case something happens! In my experience this bag is known as the emergency kit, barney bag, Mary Poppins bag... I like to think of it as Hermione Granger's purse. If you aren't a Harry Potter lover, basically her bag has everything for emergencies! It doesn't matter what you call the bag as long as you have one.

Here are the essentials:

Bobby Pins

Hairspray

Duck Tape (White)

Safety Pins

Lighters

Band-Aids

Mints

Hairbrush

Extra Make up

Deodorant

Dental Floss

Boutonniere Pins 

Tissues 

Lint Brush

Granola Bar

Bottled Water 

Static Cling Spray

Pepto Bismal/ Antacid 

Chalk (covers stains) 

Female sanitation 

Hand wipes

Smelling Salts

Ibuprofin

Eye drops

Sunscreen

Bug Spray 

Mouth wash

Contact Solution 

Sewing Kit

Lotion

Krazy Glue

Scissors

Clear Nail Polish 

Of course, there are a ton of other items that can be on the list depending on your location. The items listed above are ones that I would make sure I would have. Hiring a wedding planner is a great options, because we already have these bags put together! Plus we know all the secret tricks to fixing wedding things!

 

Cookie Bar!

My sister Sarah has been sending me cute wedding ideas. One of the ideas was a cookie bar, but better than that the cookies are personalized. Normally personalization of items costs an arm and a leg, but for these cookies all you need to do is have a stamp made with your monogram and ta da, beautiful cookies!

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Sole Mates!

Ladies, at one time or another we have all experienced the annoyance of sinking in when walking through grass or other soft surfaces while wearing high heels. I hate it when dirt gets all over my fabric heels, plus it leaves holes in the nice grass. Well, a new product is here to save the day! This is one of those things where I'm kicking myself for not thinking about inventing them! Solemates to the rescue!

Fun Idea!

While going through Pinterest, I saw this cute and creative idea for your guests to do during the cocktail hour and reception.

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You can easily make this on Microsoft Word, and then take it to Office Depot to have copies made! These will make great keepsakes, and it will be fun to read them with your hubby! Make sure you leave out plenty of pens and have a basket for the completed mad libs!

Wacky Wednesday: London Eye

My summer travels took me to England this year. I traveled up North to the Scotland border than down to London for a couple days. I got to see the Famous London Eye. This is a huge ferris wheel with capsules that hold up to 25 people. To make one revolution, it takes 30 minutes!

The London Eye website states, "Your vows will be exchanged at the top of the wheel, 135 metres above London surrounded by friends, family and breathtaking scenery - the perfect backdrop for photographs. On the descent the signing of the register will take place whilst the corks are popped and the party are served chilled Pommery Brut Royal Champagne.

When you and your partner arrive, you will meet the representatives from Lambeth Register office in a private room for the pre-ceremony interview. Following this interview, you and up to 19 guests are escorted to your own private capsule to begin your hour experience which is two rotations of the London Eye."

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Helpful Website: Cost Helper

While researching a recent blog post, I ran across this wonderful website. It is called Cost Helper. They have a tab purely for weddings. This site will help you see what the average cost of typical wedding items are. Of course, the prices are just an estimate and will give you a ball park range. The prices might be higher or lower depending on the area you live in and the current economy! This website is great for checking the average cost of many different items as well, not just wedding things. Check it out!

Bridesmaids' Dresses

Lately I have been seeing a major improvement in the Bridesmaids' dresses that Brides are selecting for their Bridal party. No longer are bridesmaids forced to buy hideous dresses that can only be worn once!! I have even been seeing non-conforming dresses. Some Brides choose to allow their bridesmaids to wear different style dresses or even different color dresses! Check out the pictures below and let me know what you think about having different style dresses. I think the different styles are ok, but not different colors. Not everyone looks good in the same style!

Uniform Bridal Party

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Different Styles

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Hate the color, but love the idea of having the MOH in a different color. 

Source: Colors of the rainbow! 

Pinterest

My sister Sarah sent me an invitation to a website called "Pinterest." The basic idea behind it is a mash up of facebook and twitter. Basically, you create boards which are broad categories such as "Inspirational Quotes or My Wedding Ideas" and then you "pin" pictures and videos to those boards. Pinning is just another term for posting.

According to the Pinterest website, Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from other people who share your interests. 


It is quite addicting! You can follow your friends and share ideas back and forth and comment on their ideas or give them suggestions. I am currently using it to plan my wedding. The reason I love this site so much is because people who live far away from me i.e. My sister in Iowa, can participate in my wedding planning. She created her own board entitled "Lizzie's Wedding" and she posts pictures in there that she thinks I might like! Check it out. You have to request an invite. If you need an invite, just comment on this post with your email and I will invite you. 

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Wedding Video!

The videographer, Mark Hicks from One Giant Leap Productions, sent me a mash up of all the summer weddings he videoed! One of those weddings happens to be one I planned. The couple I worked with is first show at :36. Check it out!

Sunflower Inspiration!

One of my college friends is getting married next month, and she is having sunflowers as her flower! So this inspiration board is for her! These flowers are perfect for a Fall Wedding. They are inexpensive, and sunflowers offer so many creative options!

Cake, Placecards, Table, Bouquet, Bride, Invitation, Boutonniere, Fence

           

Picture Perfect!

I have been exposed to a new trend in Weddings. Personally, I am not a fan of it. Here's the deal: The tradition is that the Groom is not to see the Bride until the moment she steps on the aisle. Then after the ceremony, all the bridal party and bride and groom pictures need to be taken. In that time when the pictures are happening, the guests are at cocktail hour. So the Bride and Groom miss their entire cocktail hour.

What couples have been doing lately is something called a first look. This is where a scene is set up with the photographers: the groom is standing in a particular location and then the bride walks in and the groom turns around to see his beautiful wife to be. They take all the wedding pictures before the actual ceremony. Therefore, they can enjoy their cocktail hour. This option is amazing for Wedding Planners and photographers because all the stress of staying on the time line pretty much goes away as the biggest time eater at weddings is taking pictures. Photographers say that in order to get all the pictures they want they need two hours with the couple and bridal party!! That's a long time, and cocktail hour is only one hour, so it's a high stress situation trying to fit all those pictures into an hour. That's why this option is a good one.

However, I am not a fan of it. Yes, I know, that is odd since I am a wedding planner. But a seasoned planner can anticipate how much time is needed for the couple's pictures and will adjust the time line accordingly. This becomes easier for a planner when they work with the same photographers. 

Here's why I do not like it. Every bride has this image in her head of walking down the aisle and having her husband to be look up at her and see her for the first time in the wedding dress in front of all their family and friends. That is such a powerful moment of the wedding and when the couple sees each other before the wedding that powerful feeling is taken away. I'm a traditional bride in this respect. 

What is your opinion?

First look

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Traditional

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Wacky Wednesday: Horseback Wedding!

I got the inspiration from this Wacky Wednesday from 27 Dresses! Horse lovers can get married on horseback. Even your wedding party can be on horseback. Just make sure everyone is comfortable around horses.

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Photo Booth!

A trend that has taken off quickly at weddings is having a photo booth! This is a fun, entertaining idea to have for guests. What I love is at the bottom of the photo strip, you can put your wedding insignia on it. These photo booths aren't just for weddings. You can use them for other events too. A creative idea to make the photo booth even better is to gather fun props like feather boas, beaded necklaces, funny glasses and hats,  etc... That way your guests can have a long lasting memory from your event. Another great benefit of having a photo booth is that during cocktail hour when you are taking your pictures, the guests have something fun to do!

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Fun props for the photo booth

The Indian Wedding Website gave 5 awesome reasons to have a photo booth:

1. The photo strips make excellent wedding favors.

2. They provide priceless entertainment and immediate gratification for the sober as well as the inebriated, the old and the young, and the bored and the lively. They’ll be even more fun if you provide props- poofy scarves, goofy glasses, etc.

3. You’ll see the photo strips go up on everyone’s Facebook profiles the next day.

4. Great entertainment for you – towards the end of the night, your guests will try to stuff as many people as they can into a single booth.

5. At around $600, they are relatively cheap

My how times have changed.

I was looking at my fiance's family wedding pictures. I had to laugh at some of the dress styling back then. People thought they looked so fashionable! I wonder if 100 years from now if people will be looking back on the wedding pictures now thinking, "wow those dresses are ugly"!

Enjoy these photos!

 Mrs. Claus' dresses???

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Honestly having ugly bridesmaids dresses does not make the bride look better. 

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Proud to be an American

I'm taking a break from my normal posting to remember the tragedy that occurred 10 years ago. Those who died will never be forgotten.Those people on Flight 93 are the true heroes, not sports players or movie stars. Those firefighter, police men, and regular people who ran into burning buildings to save people, those are the heroes. God Bless our Soldiers and the USA!

I feel like some people have forgotten and are apathetic to terrorism. Remember this song:

I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

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Deal or no deal?

My goal is to keep my wedding budget under $10,000, but still have the event of the year! I will be doing all the decorations myself, so to get deals on items, I have been going to a lot of garage sales! Don't under estimate them! People get rid of such nice items. So far I have spend $30 for at least $150 worth of wedding vases, baskets, lights, candle holders, and miscellaneous decorations! The caliber of garage sales depends on what kind of area you live in. Up here in Northern Wisconsin, garage sales are plentiful! If you ever see a garage sale sign, stop on in and see if you can find a treasure! Remember that you can negotiate with the seller to even get cheaper price. 

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Scrumptious Delight!

One of the best perks about being a Wedding Planner is getting to sample all the delicious foods and desserts. One of the best desserts I have ever had at a wedding were Cake Truffles. The basic concept of these truffles: bake a cake, crumble the cake, mix frosting with cake, roll into balls, then coat in chocolate! The best ones I had were white cake with raspberry filling covered in white chocolate. The white chocolate was even sparkly! How could I not love it!  I could not stuff my face quick enough. Those wonderful treats came from a Wedding cake baker in Gainesville called KB Kakes.  If you are ever in Gainesville, Florida, call these ladies up and have them make you some cake truffles.

These are a great substitute for a wedding cake. Cake truffles offer a creative alternative to traditional wedding cake. They taste amazing and they are so rich and flavorful, that after two or three of them, you feel satisfied! 

All of these photos are from KB Kakes blog. 

                                                                                       
                                                                          This pink cake below was one that I had the
                                                                              pleasure of tasting at a wedding I helped plan. 

Pictured is Kathy the owner of KB Kakes!