Tie One On!

Back in March I bought the greatest shoes for the wedding!! They are perfect and so "me".




Sooooooo...since Future Hubby is wearing an all black tux I thought it would perfect if he wore a tie to match my shoes...it took A LOT of convincing but he finally agreed! The hard part...finding a tie that actually matched. After a lot of searching I finally found one on 2002Ties.com, and I think it's a pretty good match! For $8.00 that's not bad and I can return it for a refund if it's too off in color.

A Little Fill In...

Since I have been gone so long, I wanted to fill everyone in on what all has been happening. A LOT has happened!

We ordered the girls bridesmaid's dresses a couple of weeks ago from Netbride.com, and saved a TON of money. In the bridal salons, these babies were going for $210.00 and we got them for $147.00 each including shipping! I highly recommend this place if you are looking to save your girls some money. We ordered these in black...Take a look!


You may recall my post Fill Me In Friday 6.5.09, where Future Mom In Law and I went on a hunt for a rehearsal dinner location. Well the Future In Laws debated and they finally decided on Provinos Italian Restaurant in Cumming, GA. We booked the Library Room pictured below:


My friend Amy who also helped me put together our Save The Dates is also going to help me put together my invites that I designed. We met last weekend to plan it all out and to see what all I needed. This time, I am challenging myself to make all of these for less than $200.00 not including postage...We will have to see how that turns out...Stay Tuned!

Holy Honeymoon!

Ok, so Future Hubby and I didn't know if we would even have the money to go on a honeymoon. We finally decided that a cruise would be our best way to go. Not a lot of work and planning on our part, and for the most part they are all-inclusive with the exception of alcohol and shore excursions.

So I started to look on Travelocity.com to see what we could find. I found a 5-Night, 6-Day cruise that left from Miami, Florida and sailed to Turks and Caicos, Naussau and Half Moon Cay. The price was great at $459.00 per person for room with a balcony. So I put it off for a while so I could see if we could afford it after all is said and done.

So about a month ago, I went back to Travelocity.com to see if those prices were still the same or if they had gone up. To my surprise, they stayed the same..but there was just one problem...There were only 4 rooms left!! I thought about it for 5minutes and just thought "We gotta book it"...So I called Travelocity and put a deposit down.

Fast-forward to my birthday...I got a strange package in the mail from my dad. I opened it up, and there was a binder sitting in front of my. I immediately opened it and before me I saw a picture of a Suite on a cruise ship! My dad had called the Future In Laws and got them to get info from me on what I had booked. They passed the info along to him and he upgraded our room to a suite on the Carnival Destiny!!

We will be able to see both the Starboad and Port side of the boat off of our balcony and my dad also ordered a bottle of champagne for when we arrive in our room. To top it off, he is sending my deposit back to me so we can use it for something else. We are so excited we can't stand it! We are so lucky and thankful, and couldn't be more greatful! Here's a picture of our room:



And here is one of the ship!

Save That Date!

Our Save The Dates are finished and in the mail. I couldn't have done it without the help of my friend and bridesmaid, Amy.

The design was by Moi, and I really love the way they came out. Some of you may recall from my post Save The Date Saturday, that my goal was to make 60 Save The Dates for under $50.00 excluding postage.

Well I am happy to announce we did just that! Here is the breakdown:

Photo Printing: $8.82, Costco
Black Cardstock: Free Because I Already Had A Pack Of 50 Sheets Of Black Cardstock
White Cardstock: $5.90, Archiver's
Pink Ribbon: $1.05, Hobby Lobby
White Stamping Ink: $9.53, Archiver's
Magnet Backing: $4.21, Walmart
Eyelets: $9.39, Ebay
Envelopes: $5.99, JoAnn's
Ez Runner Tape Adhesive: $4.16, Archiver's
Printing: Free Thanks To The Use Of Amy's Printer!

Total: $49.05...That's .81 cents a piece!

I really enjoyed making these with Amy, and couldn't be happier with the way they turned out. We decided to do two different photos from our engagement photo session, so not everyone would have the same picture. I would like to notate that I excluded the stamp from the cost of this project because I bought the stamp for our invites but decided to use it on our Save The Dates as well.

Take A Peek!


Side By Side

My Dear Readers.....

I am so sorry for being MIA lately! I have just been so busy with wedding planning and life that I let blogging fall by the wayside! So look for more updates, coming very soon!

Seating Woes Anyone?

Although I am not doing assigned seating, I am doing assigned tables. I have the cuteset escort cards using chess pieces and you can find this in my previous post Please Be Seated.

To go along with the assigned tables comes the daunting task of assigning the correct people to the correct tables. I found this handy dandy seating chart tool on WeddingWire.com, all which is FREE! Another broke bride approved helpful tool!

My Save The Date Saturday!

For months now I have been anticipating having to figure out a design for my Save The Dates. I knew I wanted something a little different but I also wanted to include an engagement picture which is not so original. After looking and looking through tons of websites and phots, I decided to DIY them.

I met one of my Bridesmaids yesterday at Archiver's to begin designing them. I figured I would need about 60 to make sure we cover everyone and have extras just in case. Once we sat down and I told her what I wanted to do, she loved the idea! We only have a couple weeks before they need to go out so I have to get cracking!

So far I have budgeted myself $50.00 without postage to do these and I think I can! Once I get them all finished and completed, I will post a picture and post the final totals of what they cost to make! $50.00 for Save The Dates is definitely broke bride approved since that's not even $1.00 each!

Fill Me In Friday 6.5.09

Well this week has been interesting week wedding-wise!

FMIL and I went to Cumming this past weekend to get some wedding related things marked off our list! If you read my last , you would know that I had a potential problem with the possibilities of being able to use our condlesticks as centerpieces or not. The venue had a concern about them being a fire hazard since they were open flame. Once we got there and showed Jennifer how the centerpieces were going to be setup, it was not an issue! I was so glad to hear that news, because I really had my heart set on using them. I was also really excited to see how pretty the centerpieces looked set up since it was my first time setting it all up..they were gorgeous!

We had also had a bit of a difficult time finding a rehearsal dinner spot close to the wedding site so I scouted a few places online. Our first choice was to do something fun and different, especially since we didn't want a "cookie cutter" wedding per sae. Our first fun thought was renting a room at Stars and Strikes, which is a facility that includes bowling, laser tag, etc. and then have them cater food in-house. Once we got the prices for that, it was not an option. Even though the price included bowling, the price per person for the type of food they offered, was not feasable. It also wound up being more per person than our reception site! For a broke bride on a budget, that is not broke bride approved!

I also found two other places that were possibilities for us, if the price was right. The first was Provinos, which is local, well know Italian chain here in Atlanta. They have a brand new restaurant that just opened right down the street from our site! FMIL and I went there on Saturday before the restaurant opened to look at their private rooms. Jason the manager was very accomodating and showed us the room that would fit our party whcih was "The Library". It was beautiful and perfect! The prices were not too shabby either, and with them offering only beer and wine, that helps cut the budget way down as well. Here's a picture of "The Library":



Our second stop was Kani House, which is a Japenese Steakhouse that was also brand new. I loved this place and thought it was perfect since Tim and I wanted something different. I mean, how many times have you been to a Hibachi for a rehearsal dinner? Mike was very nice and accomodating. I inquired whether or not they had Yuengling or not, he told me to let him know if we wanted it, and he would get it! The prices were higher than Provinos, but I really did love this place!



Aside from that, I started designing our programs, save the dates and invitations this week. I am meeting one of my Bridesmaids tomorrow morning at Archivers so she can help me with the design of our Save The Dates. Then from there I have to meet with Monique from Blossoms Atlanta to get some input from her.

Wow, what a long post! Hopefully next weeks will be short and sweet!

Fill Me In Friday 5.29.09

This has been a busy wedding week!! I secured an appointment with a second florist, Monique from Blossoms Atlanta. Our meeting is next Saturday and I am really excited to meet her!

We have had a small hiccup in the fact that I ordered these gorgeous candlesticks that look like mercury glass from CB2 while they were on clearance. I thought they would make for gorgeous centerpieces, and also cut costs since we won't need floral centerpieces and would add a lot of candlelight for ambiance. At $1.95 a piece, those were a steal! I bought 40 and plan on putting 5 on each table with white tapered candles.

Well, someone told me that I should check with the reception site since most places don't allow open flame because of the fire hazard...then it dawned on me that I should have checked with them before I bought them!

So now, FMIL and I have to drive up to the site tomorrow to show the coordinator what the centerpieces will look like and try to talk her into letting us use them!

While we are out there we are going to check on some rehearsal dinner locations, and maybe go look at the hotel where we blocked off some rooms.

I also bought some hot pink votives from a local girl who used them in her wedding, and I am really excited about them! I got 144 of these for $40.00!


I have also been eyeing the black ones but I can't decide on those yet or not..More to come everyone!

Toughen It Up Thursday

For those of you who personally know me, you know that I have lost weight successfully with Weight Watchers. Well from Thanksgiving to current, I have gained back almost 9 pounds!! I was shocked because I didn't think it was that much, and it was depressing to hear.

So as of this yesterday, I am back on track. I am determined to lose 10 pounds by my birthday, which is at the end of July. After that, I hope to lose another 10 before 1.9.2010!

Please help support me through this so I can meet my goal!

Fabulous Find

I can tell you that shopping for a pretty, yet unique clutch to have on my wedding day has been challenging...until now!

While on one of my newest favorite sites Etsy, I came across a shop out of Australia called Percy Handmade. The KIKI Clutch is the one I adore! It's perfect for the look I am going for and of course, it matches my colors...for the most part.

I contacted the seller to see if this purse can be made in custom colors and guess what...Yes it can! She is now on the lookout for me for some pretty white fabric to replace the gold fabric with. I can't wait to see what she finds..This is one clutch I definitely won't let go of!

Fill Me In Friday 5.22.09

Sorry I have been away guys! The past week and a half have been very busy in broke bride world!!

This past Saturday was a busy one for sure! My best friend and Matron of Honor and I made Cupcake Pops from the famous Bakerella Blog. They were messy but a ton of fun to make!! Afterwards we went to lunch and got manicures for the super incredible engagement party this past Saturday hosted by Future Mother and Father In Law.

My dad and step mom came into town from South Carolina and so many of our friends and close family were there. It couldn't have been better, and we really enjoyed seeing everyone. The food was good as was the company. Vickie was there taking lots of pictures and Bammer came to help too. Here are some of the pictures from the party!

Food Table Set Up



Dessert Table Set Up (Notice The Hott Cupcake Pops)



Future Hubby And I With My Mom



Us With Future Hubby's Parents



Us With Future Hubby's Family



Matron Of Honor And I



With Ricky and Bammer



Future Hubby and I



We are so thankful for everyone that helped, and especially to Future Hubby's parents!! Thank you so much to the both of you..I can't wait to officially be a part of the family!

Chair Dilemma

Ok, so as you all know, our colors are black and white. The room where both our ceremony and reception look like this:



Notice the gold colors..and the chair covers. The chair covers are an additional $4.00 each. If I don't use them, the chairs are covered in a goldish upholstery. The other option is to use their brand new gold chivari chairs which look like this:



I am not crazy about the black and white chair covers, but am stuck on the gold..will it clash or will it look fine? Should I pay for the prettier chairs or just use the ballroom chairs?

Decisions, Decisions.....

Monogram Mania!

I am at the height of trying to pick some monograms for various things for our wedding. At the first sight of what Creative Montage offers, I was hooked! I can get any of their Standard Monograms two ways: 3 for $15.00 or 5 for $20.00. I can also do it in my colors, not just the colors as shown in their galleries! As you peruse the Creative Montage standard monogram page, look at the options we are considering for our I Do's!

6C
8B
8C
13C
18A
21C
31A


I can't post pictures, but below is somewhat of an example of one of the types of monograms we are going for.

It's Been A While

Hey ya'll! Sorry it's been several days since my last post, I have been pretty busy. To give you an update, FMIL (Future Mother In Law) and I had a productive Saturday getting some final things purchased for the engagement party that Future Hubby's parents are throwing for us THIS SATURDAY! I am so excited, I can hardly wait. It's going to be so much fun and I will be happy to see my dad and step-mom who are coming in from South Carolina!

Since I can't afford Scarlett Lillian who was featured on my blog last week, I can OBSESS over her!! I have decided that I will dedicate my blog on Sunday's to her and her incredibly amazing work...Starting this Sunday, I will feature a blog called Scarlett Sunday.

On another note, I found the table numbers I want! I found them on Etsy, by the seller Damask Diva Designs. She has some great stuff in her store, and I just love these table numbers!



The good thing here is that she can customize them! I think I want to change the number, our names and date to fuchsia. She can also change the size, make them two sided, etc! This is one more idea crossed off my list!

Locks Of Love

I have fallen in love with House Of Tesla on Etsy. Her headpieces are handmade and stunning, gorgeous, hot, beautiful...I could go on.

Now I have two problems...deciding on what headpiece to order. When I first saw both of these I loved them..then I started to second guess myself and thought "I can't pull this look off"! So I have decided I am going to give it a try anyway. These will match my super hot shoes...and my tattoo (sorry Bob and Jane!). So I need help deciding..HELP!!

Is it the the Molly?



Or the Fuschia Rosette?

Wrap It!

I saw this really pretty black and white photo and just about died! I would LOVE to do this for our card box. Come to find out, you can download and use these templates for FREE! If that's not broke bride approved, I don't know what is!



I don't know how to personalize these yet, I think you could use Power Point or Power Point, but free is free right? Download this gorgeous paper and how to's
here!

If I Only Had A Girl....

A flowergirl that is! I would have her wear this super cute, super affordable dress by Shabby Apple!

They come in an array of colors and styles, but this one below matches our theme and could not be more adorable! This is definitely broke bride approved at less than $40.00!

Oh Scarlet!!

I will have to warn you that the following post is not, and I repeat NOT broke bride friendly, but I love this photographer so much, I just have to share her incredible talents with you. Enter Miss Scarlett Lillian.

This girl has got some serious talent! If only I could afford her! I would really love after the wedding for Future Hubby and I to get a shoot done with her just because. Here are some of my favorite pictures of work from her site.

Fill Me In Friday 5.1.09

TGIF ya'll!!

This has been a long week at work and I am really looking forward to the weekend. The e-party is about 2 weeks away so Future Mother In Law and I are going to do a few things for that this weekend, and I will be doing a few wedding things.

I think I have figured out what I want to do for our Save The Dates, but since I am going to do them myself, I will have to play with the layout and such.

Sending in $1,000.00 to the reception site made me want to vomit for a second, but I quickly got over it because I know we're going to have the hottest wedding eva!

I am having a hard time getting the director or music at our church to get back with me. This is really starting to get on my nerves because I can't book our DJ until I figure out what is doing what and where music wise. I have had some issues with this since the beginning and I am hoping this isn't a sign of what is to come in the future as we get closer to time. I do not have patience for people who can't take 5 minutes to get back to me. Hopefully I can get this issue resolved soon.

I decided on a cake topper a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to post pictures so here is my gorgeous cake topper that my fabulous cake baker Eileen Carter is going to put into motion for me!



Right now I am trying to figure out how to get some silhouettes made almost exactly like the ones from my post in because I love them so much!

That's it for this week...stay tuned everybody!