Coo Coo For Crystals

I loooooooooooooooooooove crystals in a wedding! I think they add such a gorgeous touch to any wedding, traditional or non-traditional. I definitely want these gorgeous strands at my wedding hanging from the trees at our altar. I think with the pearlescent white on the trees these crystal strands will really pop!



I am also having a hard time deciding on what kind of crystals to us on our tables. I am debating between rhinestone-type crystals like these that I found on Save On Crafts



Or these, also from Save On Crafts



I think either would be beautiful with the candlelight bouncing off of them, but it is so hard to decide!

For The Mr. and Mrs.

I haven't decided if we are going to do a sweetheart table or sit amongst our guests at the reception, but one thing I have decided on is that I love these signs for the new Mr. and Mrs. at the reception and have to do these!!

I would love for us to have these with the beautiful feathers, but want the card to have some fuschia in it as well.



The Perfect Pair



Mr. and Mrs.



Just Married



How adorable are these? I can't wait to do them...and of course, from a bride on a budget, you can DIY these very easily!

Doggone It!

Thinking about including your furbaby in your upcoming wedding? I am, and although I have gotten some strange looks over it, I still want to do it. I have had my sweet "little" man Chance for going on 12 years now. I got him when he was 5 1/2 weeks old and we have been through a lot together. He doesn't have many more years left in him and I just want him there! No, I am not sure what role he will play in the wedding..but he will be there!

Check out these totally adorable pictures of furbabies in weddings that I found on one of my favorite blogs Green Wedding Shoes, as well as some tips on including them.





Make sure your dog is well behaved. If not, you may find your sweet ball of
cuteness eating off of Aunt Edna's plate...NOT cool!

Once your pet's behavior is in check, you will need to get with your ceremony and reception site to make sure they will allow you to bring your dog.

Your pet will need to be well groomed at least a couple of days before the wedding to make sure he or she smells and looks their best.

Just like you on your wedding day, you need to be sure that your pet eats before all the festivities begin...see Tip #1.

Assign someone you know or hire someone to take care of your dog before, during and after the ceremony and reception. This person will also need to take your dog outside on several occasions to let your dog go potty.

You should ensure there is a quiet spot for your dog where you can place it's kennel or bed in case the party winds up being just too much for him or her.

Last but not least, make sure your pet has somewhere to go after the festivities if you are not taking your dog with you once the wedding is over!

Savvy Silhouettes

I am totally in love with these silhouettes from this glamorous Hawaiian wedding from the Little Black Book Blog!! The frames are from Ikea Everything about this wedding is so US. I really, really want these awesome silhouettes for our wedding and have to figure out how do get them done in the black and white like pictured here, instead of your traditional all black silhouette.

Fill Me In Friday!

I know I already made a post for today, but I forgot it was Fill Me In Friday! So here is a second post for today…

I really feel a little behind the ball lately. There is so much I want to do for the wedding but money is definitely an issue, hence the name of my blog!! I can’t the remaining vendors I need to book without deposits and well, without the money I can’t put down a deposit. I think things will get a little better in the next few weeks once Future Hubby’s second income kicks in, so we will see. Our reception site has $1,000.00 due this week so once I send that in I will see where we stand.

In more news, the dress from hell has returned. This is like a bad dream….Credit card company has come back again telling me that they are going to recharge me the $450.00 due to me not sending in supporting documents to support the dispute. This is AFTER they told me on 3/30/09 to disregard the letter telling me to send in said documents. Apparently the guy who told me that on March 30th didn’t know what he was talking about. Thank goodness I saved everything and will now send the paperwork to get my dispute approved and move on!!

Stand Up!

Yesterday’s post was about cupcakes, and to do a follow-up, I thought featuring cupcake stands would be a good idea for those of you who are doing the cupcake option instead of a traditional wedding cake. If I were doing cupcakes instead of cake, I would do this one since it's done in our wedding colors!



This one is adorable and more traditional looking. I love the vintage look and feel of this one.



And of course, for your money saving pleasure...a DIY one! This cupcake stand idea comes from the awesome site of Once Wed. This one is great because it's cost effective and you can make it YOURS by personalizing it with different colors, patterns and textures!

To Cupcake, Or Not To Cupcake....

That is a question that is asked a lot lately due to a lot of Brides are doing cupcakes these days....some to save money and some to do something a little different. For those of you who are thinking to do cupcakes to save money, you may want to think again! These beautifully crafted mini delights could set you back just as much as a wedding cake would...if not more!

Now, this of course all depends on how elaborate your design is and what kind of flavors and fillings you are using, along with the type of icing you choose. If you go with something simple, like a chocolate cupcake with buttercream icing swirled on top, you may save money. But if you go with these babies below..look to spend some dough..I found on average these tend to cost $4.50 each and up!

Please Be Seated!

I am all about original escort cards! Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a tent card telling your guest where to sit, but I am not a traditional bride, so I found these ideas below so endearing!

These are perfect for a New York Wedding....TAXI!!!!!



You can find these little yellow babies at Plum Party. They sell in sets of twelve so average to be about $4.00 each which isn't exactly budget friendly, but if you doubled these as favors it just might work!



Now these little shovels would be adorable for a garden wedding! If you find them cheap enough, you could even tie an envelope of flower seeds to each one!




I love these fun pinwheels and think they are great for a Spring or Summertime outdoor wedding! You can DIY these to save tons of bucks..visit Vintage Glam's Blog for detailed instructions! These also very versatile as you can customize colors and patterns with these just like the Table Lanterns I mentioned in yesterday's post.

For our upcoming nuptuals, we are going with.....Da Da Da Dum...

CHESS PIECES!!!



Yes, chess sets are normally ivory and white, but I found these sets on Ebay for $14.99 a set with FREE shipping! Once I get them, I can spray paint the ivory pieces a glossy white. My plan is to either write the guests names and table number on the chess pieces or tie a ribbon around each one with a tag directing them where to go.

The Three C's...Cost Cutting Centerpieces

Many of us Brides know how expensive centerpieces can be, and for those of us who are on a really tight budget, these babies can be budget breakers! Here are a few fun, yet totally doable centerpieces that will make your tables look gorgeous and will feel good to your wallet!



These are totally DIY. You can make these lanterns for literally only a couple of bucks! How awesome is that? The best part about it?...You have total control! You can mix and match patterns and colors, do varying heights or several all in a row down a long table. I just love the versatility of these
Table Lanterns

How about these? I love the different shapes and colors. You could even insert a small votive in the bottom of each Paper Lantern to give it a beautiful glow.


I love these for a soft, subtle glow with a hint of flair! Group just a few of these together to make a beautiful statement!


These are also cute! I think they are perfect for an outdoor wedding with vibrant colors!


You can find these tea tins at Pearl River, most for under $5.00! These are great to make homegrown looking centerpieces with a pop! Now that is what I call a steal...

Sweet Mother Of....Chocolate!

Who doesn't love chocolate? And for us brides to be...who doesn't love chocolate that can be personalized just for YOUR wedding? Well this local Atlanta company can help with just that! Dreamy Gelato and Chocolates located in Cumming is amazing. The owner, Suki, makes the chocolates EVERY day! Her chocolates are perfect for favors, and gifts. They are unique and can be personalized just for you and the event you are putting together. Look at these gorgeous chocolates!

So Long!! Farewell!!

I have been trying to think of what we were going to do for our send off once we left the reception. There were all the traditional things to do such as having guests blow bubbles, throw birdseed, rice or rose petals or even light sparklers...but there was just one problem..we didn't want a traditional send off!!

Then I found it! On The Knot they have videos that feature real weddings. I caught a glimpse as I was closing the page one day of these wonderful Night Sky Lanterns

They are gorgeous, original and fun! It's interactive and I think will make for incredible photos. I would like for Future Hubby and I to light one together and send it off!

To Dye For

One of my many latest obsessions is colorful crinolines! It like a little secret that the bride is hiding, and then when somone sees the beautiful pop of color it's a great surprise. Many brides do this to match their shoes, their wedding colors or even make it their Something Blue!For me, it's going to be black, to go with our colors of black and white, and to match my gorgeous fuschia and black shoes!

Most brides do choose to do this themselves, trusting their good ole' washing machine and some RIT Dye. For those girls who are a little weary, there is help! You can send your crinny to The Wedding Cabaret, and they can do it for you! Check out their awesome Blog too!

Take a gander at these crinnies!


Courtesy of Karen Karki Photography



Courtesy of Aaron Delesie

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Ok, so this post is totally non-wedding related, but had to "vent". Future hubby and I just moved into the cutest apartment back in February. We got a great deal on it and it was perfect for the time being. We never heard our neighbors...until now..Apparently our new neighbors like Dance Dance Revolution...or so it sounds.

They moved in two weeks ago and I swear I have not had a good night's rest since. They both are VERY heavy walkers. Future hubby likes to say "I think they fall down a lot", or "Oops..someone just fell again!". They also have a Maltese who barks constantly..and it seems to always start right as I am drifting off to sleep.I have also noticed cigarette butts in front of my door appearing all of the sudden...coincidence? I think not..read on..

Then last night comes..We go to be really early last night because he is tired. At about 10:30, stompy pants one and two start their evening stomping activities and then their yappy dog starts her evening yapping activities. At 11:15, I can't take it anymore..I call the courtesy officer, with no response. It quiets down a little around 12 and I am thinking to myself "ok, now I can sleep" WRONG! At 1:00 it starts all over again, and this time REALLY loud! Music is blaring, dog is barking, stompies are stomping.

At 2AM I give up again and call for the courtesy officer without a response. So I get my BIG AZZ Dog and take him outside with me to "confront" the neighbors while Future Hubby is sound asleep. Big Dog goes potty and as I am walking back a man standing in the breezeway smoking a cigarette says "We're not being too loud are we"..My response: "Honestly, yes..and I am pissed".

At that time Stompy Pants #1 walks out, cigarette in hand, drink in the other...She overhears and is like "Oh my Gawd, I am so sorry".."Let me come introduce myself"..She proceeds to come down, introduce herself and apologize. I tell her that her dog's barking is out of control, they are so loud that I can't sleep at night, etc. Her response???? "Why didn't you just tell us"

WHAT??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? YOU ARE HAVING A PARTY ON A TUESDAY NIGHT AT 2AM!!!!! PLUS, I DON'T KNOW YOU LADY!!!

Then Stompy Pants #2 comes down (this is Stompy Pants #1's Boyfriend) and not the same guy that asked if they were being loud. He comes down and proceeds to tell me that their dog never barks and it must be the dog next door..HMMMMMM Let's see...we've been here and have never had a barking dog issue until 2 weeks ago, which is the same time you moved in! Another coincidence? I think not.

So I called the leasing office today, they said they will take care of it and if the problem continues they will have to transfer one of us to another apartment. Bottom line is, how do you not hear your own dog barking in the middle of the night? How do you have a party during the work week knowing that you have neighbors that are trying to sleep? Do you hear what I hear? I guess not...

Inspire Me!

This past week, I went to Google, and searched for images for Winter Weddings. And although our wedding is in the winter, our theme isn't neccessarily "winter" themed.

I came across many Wedding Inspiration Boards, that I got a lot of great ideas from. I had a fellow knottie create my board, and it was gorgeous! Her blog, The Perfect Palette, has hundreds of wondrful ideas, and she has a real talent in putting these boards together.

Here is the Inspiration Board she made for me..I love it!!



I got a lot of great ideas for the wedding this weekend, and can't wait to put them into the plan and share them all with you!

The Easter Bunny Has Come And Gone....

Happy Easter Everyone! We had a great morning! The Easter Bunny visited me early yesterday in the form of a pristinely cleaned house, Almond Joys and a sweet card. For some reason, the Easter Bunny didn't visit us at the same time. Tim's basket came this morning.

We had a great breakfast followed by a great service at Northstar Church, and now I am sitting here tapping my foot while waiting on my habitually late mother so we can make our way to Tim's family's house.

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy Easter and I hope you all enjoy your time with your family and friends!

Fill Me In Friday! 4-10-09

Good Morning Everyone! Another rainy day here, but we do need the rain. The great news is that the rest of the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous, which is going to be nice on Easter so the kids can hunt all their eggs!

A very busy weekend lies ahead..Tonight I am making three cakes, a batch of brownies and a batch of cookies for MUST Ministries Easter Dinner. They have over 350 people to feed this year, and our church, Northstar Church asked for volunteers.

Tomorrow, my Matron of Honor is having another garage sale, where I hope to sell my Dress From HELL. I do have another buyer for the dress, but what she wants to spend was less than what I wanted to sell it for..My thinking is if it doesn't sell, I will go with her..

Sunday is Easter and of course we will head over to Northstar Church for Easter services, and then my mom will join myself, Tim and Tim's mom at our place where will head to Cartersville for a big family celebration complete with good food and an Easter Egg Hunt!

I haven't gotten a lot of wedding stuff done this week like I wanted to, but hope to maybe make headway over the weekend and get some stuff done next week as well.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Easter weekend!

Top 20 Signs You Are a Bridezilla...

Whew! I looked over this list and thankfully, none of this applies to me....YET. I found this hilariously funny and thought I would share this with you from the blog Bridezilla

1.) You got your wedding gown before the engagement ring. And it came from Milan.

2.) You imported rare tropical flowers from Fiji for your bouquet. You told everyone it's because you love the way they look. Secretly, you wanted to make sure no one but a far-away Fijian could get the same wedding flowers.

3.) You whine the bridezilla mantra: "it's my day," to anyone who will listen. Even your chihuahua, Princess Cuteness turns away when you say it.

4.) Everything from your wedding cake to your fingernails is jewel-encrusted.

5.) You can't say "VFW Hall" without snickering.

6.) You were banned from having your wedding in a church because you suggested they replace a sacred statue with a life-size portrait of you.

7.) You've had 17 hair and make-up run-throughs (and counting). You text your stylist pictures of updos everyday. She has ceased taking your texts.

8.) You fired at least one wedding planner because of negligence. Who doesn't accept calls at 4:00 a.m.?

9.) You held an open casting call for "rosy-cheeked flower girls with prior wedding experience." Your sniffling niece with the underbite just won't do.

10.) You're on your second Maid of Honor. The first one mysteriously vanished after she refused to get John Mayer to "perform" at your bachelorette party.

11.) Your cake costs more than your mortgage.

12.) Your cake weighs more than you do.

13.) Your cake is an exact replica of yourself.

14.) When someone asks, "What does the groom-to-be want?" you chuckle.

15.) You replaced the size-12 tag in your gown with a size 6.

16.) You demand that the photographer only snap pictures of your good side. When he asks "What side is that?" you smash his camera.

17.) Your veil is hand-spun from real angel hair.

18.) Your getaway vehicle is a unicorn.

19.) You were escorted out of Macy's because you refused to put down the registry scan gun.

20.) Like the Great Wall of China, your wedding is visible from space.

So Much To Do...So Little Time!

Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day and 4th Of July...Not to mention birthdays in between!

With all that being said, thank goodness for time and money saving tips!

Check out this site that has been so helpful to me in my planning, with over 100 wedding related sites and blogs.
Top 100 Wedding Blogs I have already gotten so many ideas and tips from this, so check it out!

Also, Mother's Day is just around the corner! A fellow Knottie posted on her blog
Deals, Steals & Heels that you can create a card with your favorite photo on it for FREE!

I have offered to make desserts for this year's Easter dinner. So I am going to make Not Yo Momma's Banana Pudding from the lovely Paula Deen, along with Better Than Sex Cake.

After all the festivities of Easter are over, I really need to kick it in gear and finish paying deposits on all of my other vendors that I have yet to "book" via payment, the florist, DJ and cake baker!

The Diary Of A Broke Bride

Dear Diary,

Why do weddings have to be SOOOOOOOOOO expensive? And why do I have to have platinum and champagne taste on a beer and pewter budget?

These are my woes...trying to plan a gorgeous, yet budget friendly budget. Thank goodness for tax returns and second jobs! What used to be "play" money is now all going into savings, which I can honestly say I am happy about, but sweet Fiance is not. In the end, we will look back and be happy about our choices, but winning the lottery sure would make it a lot easier!

On Saturday, my bridesmaid Courtney went to the dress shop with me and she loved the dress I picked out for the girls to wear, which was great...she looked so pretty in it! I already had a thumb's up from Sarah who had tried it on earlier, and some of the other girls still have yet to see it in person, but they all liked the pictures which is great!

Fill Me In Friday! 4.03.09

Can I tell you how glad I am that it’s Friday? It’s been a busy week at work with all the rain, and I am looking forward to having a great weekend! Also, I am going to try to do this blog every Friday to fill everyone in!

I am going to try the dress from HELL tomorrow at my friend (and Matron of Honor) Sarah’s garage sale. Cross your fingers for me!

Also tomorrow two of my Bridesmaid’s Courtney and Amy are going with me to A Formal Occasion in Kennesaw to look at the dress I picked out for them. It’s from Bella Bridesmaids and this is what it looks like: Venus Bridals

I think all black would be nice since it is an evening wedding and our colors are black and white…I can’t wait to see what the girls think. I am hoping to get a lot of planning done this weekend, so we will see what comes out of it!!

Follow Our Wedding On Facebook!

For those of you who are friends with either of us on Facebook, you can follow our wedding plans and get updates on all the great things that are going on!

http://apps.facebook.com/wedsnap_wedding/view_home.php?view=edit&owner=1403254764