Bridesmaids Gifts -- Sale Ends Feb. 16

American Bridal has a whole bunch of cute tote bags on sale . . . for just $5 a bag! A lot of these bags are priced between $35 and $50, so this sale is a really great deal and would make great gifts for your bridesmaids. You can even have the bags personalized for an extra $10 bag. Or, you can buy them as is and find a place to do the embroidery or even do it yourself if you're that talented (I'm not).













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American Bridal also has some cute makeup bags, jewelry cases, and duffel bags at the $5 price. I even got myself a super cute garment bag!













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At $5/bag, you can't beat the price. Sale ends February 16!

Picking Out My Wedding Dress -- Part 3

After vetoing certain styles in Part 1 and adding others to my "favorites" list Part 2, it was time to venture to the actual store.

Bridesmaid L and I were greeted with bright flourescent lights, and massive amounts of racks; bridesmaids dresses on the left, wedding dresses on the right and shoes/accessories in the back. We stood by the desk by the front, thumbing through their catalogs as we waited for someone to assist us. "Do you have an appointment?" one of the sales associates asked when she noticed us. I nodded and she told me to start looking for dresses I liked while she found the consultant assigned to me.

I headed to the racks with Bridesmaid L, beginning in their woefully tiny size 0 section. There were exactly two dresses there -- one baby blue princess-y monstrosity (which looked remarkably like my ballet recital costume from 3rd grade...and even though I was going for something with a splash of color, I still wanted some semblance of a white dress!) and another that was simply too ornate for my tastes (think metallic embroidery and beading).

We found a couple of dresses on my list in the size 2 and size 4 section as well as a few others that I either didn't see online or looked way better in person. Our bridal consultant found us browsing through more gowns and led us to the dressing room. On the way Bridesmaid L spotted a gorgeous dress on the manequin and we asked our consultant to add that one to the pile as well.

The consultant stuck me in the room and handed me the most amazing strapless bra ever -- seriously, after a couple hours of wearing it, dressing and undressing, the thing stayed up the entire time -- and a poofy looking slip while Bridesmaid L sat in an adjacent chair, flipping through the wedding dress catalog.

We took lots of pictures, laughing about the truly hideous ones whenever the consultant left us to help her other customers or went looking for more dresses. I didn't actually end up trying all the ones in my initial pile because once our consultant got a sense of what I was looking for, she hunted down dresses she thought would fit my style. Unfortunately, many of those were on my "no" list and I didn't like them on me any better than I did in online. I tried to be diplomatic "I just don't think it's my style. It's a very pretty dress, though" but in retrospect, it might have been better to be firm. Then, I wouldn't have ended up trying on so many that I didn't like.

By the end of it all -- 15 dresses (including three from my "favorites" list and three from my "no" list) and 3 veils later -- I was tired of changing in and out of dresses and honestly couldn't stand to look at another one. I'm the type of girl who hates trying on clothes. Whenever I go to the store, I can fairly accurately guess whether something will fit and look good on me. I've mastered this talent when it comes to jeans, skirts, sweaters and tops. I still have some trouble with dresses and dress shirts, though. But I digress. As I was saying, I have very little patience for trying clothes on. Especially when, after I make an immediate assesment that I don't like it, I have to wait in the dress for 10 or 15 minutes because my consultant has run off again.* In the end I loved the first two dresses I tried on and the very last one. The first two were on my "favorites" list while the last one was dress Bridesmaid L spotted on the manequin. Ready to see which ones they were? Anyone want to go back to Part 2 of this saga and make guesses as to which two made my final list?


Yup! Option #5, the one that I said was probably my favorite ended up being the first dress I tried on and I loved it! It was very simple in the front and I loved the two tone split/cutaway in the front. The champagne color was gorgeous, the simple a-line has always been my favorite for skirts (though I didnt know the proper term for the style) and the beading on the train and very top of the dress was enough to give it something extra while still remaining somewhat simple. Bridesmaid L loved it too! We shall now rename this choice "Option A" for ease of description in Part 4 (forthcoming).



Option #4 was the second dress I tried on and it also made my top three! I hated the bow on the front, but the bridal consultant showed me how it was tacked on and assured me that it could be removed. This bride is definitely anti-bow. It was a lot more ornate than I wanted, but was something I could deal with. I also adored the back of the dress which was a lace-up/corset style which gave me a fantastic figure. The skirt, a trumpet style, looked great on me and I was surprised to find out that I did like trumpet and mermaid gowns. At this point I was afraid that I was going to fall in love with every dress I tried on, but luckily it didn't turn out that way. When I didn't like something, I knew immediately. While there were plenty of other dresses that I did like, they just didn't make my final cut. Bridesmaid L also agreed that this dress, Option B, was just as good as Option A.


Finally, the last dress. This one I had to try on in a size 14 because it was the smallest one they had in the store. Seriously? Me in a size 14? The consultant tried her very best to pull the dress back after I was in it to show me what it would look like on me when I got it in the proper size and had it tailored. She also showed me the view from the back which, minus the huge bow, I loved. I have to hand it to her, for something that I was swimming in when I first put it on, she made look really great. This one had no additional beading or embroidery, but I loved the rouching (is that what it's called?) and the twisted fabric around the shoulders and back. Option C definitely made the cut too. It was a nice way to start and end the day -- my first two dresses and my last one making the final list.

I have to say, that it was sometimes very hard to determine what would look good on me since all the dresses I tried on were massive on me -- I did not end up trying on anything in my actual size and most that I did try on were 4 or 5 sizes too big. They were pinned with clothespins and binder clips in so many places that sometimes all you could see were a row of clamps! Overall, the consultant did a great job and I asked her to write down the above three styles so I could bring my mom back with me to make the final decision.

*I liked my consultant, I really did...and I understand she was super busy. It's just that trying clothes on is not my cup of tea so doing it for so long, and doing anything that extended this period was hard for me. I also felt super bad for Bridesmaid L who had the patience of a saint.

Pocketfold Cost Breakdown

This weekend, my friends and I made pocketfold invitations. I thought I got it done in under $30, but it turns out that it was closer to $40, mainly because of the stupid paper scorer that I bought (otherwise it would've been just over $30). Not bad, though, considering if I'd purchased them online, it would've been upwards of $80.

Anyway, here's the cost breakdown:

3 packages the "value pack" cardstock. Each pack had 50 sheets of paper, but I only liked three of the colors (about 30 sheets) so we needed 3 packages to get the 75 sheets needed. $9.50 (One was 50% off when I bought it and the other two were 25% off). I do plan on using the remaining sheets (i.e. the colors we didn't use) for the cards that are going inside the pocketfolds, like our RSVP cards and directions, so they're not going to waste!

Corner rounder by Fiskars $7.20 (used a 40% off coupon)

Stamp $5.40 (again, used a 40% off coupon)

Stamp pad $5.40 (used a 40% off coupon)

Paper scorer that didn't really work $8.40 (used a 40% off coupon)

Two boxes of zips $5.00 (used 50% off coupons on them)

Total cost: $40.90

Not bad, yes? The cost should've been $8 less...or at least $5 less if I'd found the bone folder I'd originally been looking for. I also have half a roll of zips left and a corner rounder that I'm planning on using for other projects. (See how I like to justify costs to myself?)

Weekend of wedding crafts (with tutorial)

The invitations are almost done! Well, they will be once we actually get all the details (times, etc...) locked down. But the hard part (at least I hope it was the hard part) is done! Three of my girlfriends got together with me this weekend and we had a wedding crafting party.

We watched wedding movies (including Wedding Crashers, Sex and the City and 27 Dresses before getting chick-flicked out and switching to The Tudors) while putting together 75 pocketfolds . . . and for under $30 as long as you don't count the guillotine paper cutter that I purchased (but will use for other projects as well).

I found inspiration for pocketfolds just about everywhere. Ultimately, I had Bridesmaid C design them and she used these instructions by Mrs. Daffodil as guidance. I knew I wanted rectangular invites, though, since square envelopes (for whatever random reason) cost more to mail.

Supplies:

1 sheet of 8.5" x 11" cardstock per pocketfold

1 paper cutter (I highly recommend a guillotine)

1 paper scorer/bone folder (or if you don't have one, use the edge of scissors like I did . . . but it was REALLY hard)

1 stamp of your choice (optional)
1 stamp pad (optional)

1 corner rounder (optional; after reading weddingbee religiously, I made sure to find the kind where you use your whole hand instead of just the thumb punch)

2 boxes of zips (make sure it's high adhesive!)
3 dedicated friends

Steps:

1) Cut the paper into proper dimensions. Make one cut so that you have a 5.5" x 11" sheet. Using the remaining piece of scrap (the 3" x 11" side) make a 5.75" cut. And that other scrap you have? the 5.25" x 3" piece? We found it fits nicely into the pocketfold and can be a little reception card. Waste not, want not . . .

2) Using the 5.75" strip, score the paper .25" from the edge on the bottom and right edge. Cut the strip diagonally from one corner of the scoring to the other (see diagram; cut from point A to point B). Cut triangles on outside of score line to make sure that there isn't a flap sticking out when you fold the score lines up (again, see diagram.) Note that you're cutting the part that will be folded, not the triangle itself! Fold the scored lines and trim as necessary.

3) Now that big piece you have? The 5.5" x 11" sheet? Make two score lines, one 4" from the bottom, the second line 8" from the bottom. Thus, you should end up with three sections: one 3" section on top, a 4" section in the middle and 4" section on the bottom. Fold the scored lines. I used a corner rounder for the top section so that when it folds over it looks a little less harsh, but that's completely optional.

So, the bottom third will be the part with the pocket and will hold our RSVP card, directions and reception card. The middle third will be the ceremony info (we're going to print it out on beige or cream colored paper then glue it into the middle).

4) Go back to your triangle and place a zips strip on the .25" strip that's been folded up. Try not to touch the zips! The beauty of zips is that you can cut the strip to the length desired, press it onto your paper then peel off the backing. That way you don't have to touch this super sticky tape and it will adhere better. Now stick it onto the bottom edge of your big piece. Press it down firmly, otherwise it's not going to stick. For good measure, stick them between heavy books. I found that this project made excellent use of my now retired law school casebooks. Pictured below, in order of size: Constitutional Law, Trade Regulation (a.k.a. Antitrust), Immigration (okay, this one is my fiance's but I figured he wouldn't mind), and Contracts.

5) Prettify your invitation however you choose. Or don't because it looks pretty the way it is. I found a pretty little scrolly/flowery stamp and used it on the front outside of the pocketfold. Be very careful if you use the brilliance ink pad made by tsukineko. Even though it says fast drying, it took a good few hours to fully dry. Thus, a few of ours ended up smudged, but I wasn't really going for perfection and I like the handmade look they have. Do NOT stack the pocketfolds on top of each other while they dry if you stamp them. You will end up with silver ink (or whatever color you choose to use) on the back of each invitation. After they dry, you may want to stack them up and stick them under law books (or telephone books or other heavy items) overnight to make sure those pockets really stay down.

We're not entirely sure yet how to close the invite. Bridesmaid C (and designer/engineer of these pocketfolds) really wants a wide ribbon to tie it all together. Originaly, I was opting for a thin ribbon. Now that I think about it, and given our theme, I'm starting to look into wax seals, maybe with our monogram. I think it would look really awesome, but am a little concerned with the cost.

Anyway, that's what I did this weekend! I'm super excited about how well it all turned out and how much we accomplished. Bridesmaid C was the first to show up around 10 a.m. followed by Bridesmaid L at around 11 and then Friend D at about 1. By 5 p.m. or so we were completely done and Bridesmaid L even got a start on monogram letters. Having three friends really made everything so much more efficient and was a lot of fun! We had a paper cutter, a paper scorerer, paper folder and pocket gluer. Before I knew it we had 75 pocketfolds nestled between a stack of law books. Great job ladies! Thank you for all your help!

DIY Flowers

Real Simple is my savior. I should really think about getting a subscription of it next year (after we're done saving for the wedding and honeymoon) because there are always tons of great tips -- from cooking to cleaning to gift ideas -- I love the unique ideas they have and how simple it all seems.

My current favorite Real Simple project? Turning ordinary supermarket flowers into a bridal boquet! Now, I knew from the start that I was going to do my own flowers because they are so expensive to get them from a florist. Upwards of $200 for just the bridal bouquet and I'd much rather reallocate that money and put it toward our photographer. Wedding budgets are really all about prioritizing -- photography was our top priority and flowers were close to our last priority, but that's just worked for us.

Anwyay, I was a bit terrified about DIYing my own flowers because I have no experience with floral arranging. Real Simple, though, makes it seem so easy and other bloggers have inspired me that one can do her own flowers!

Turn this:



















From Real Simple

Into this:

From Real Simple

There's also a great video tutorial on about.com on how to do your own wedding flowers. When it gets closer to our wedding date, I'll do a test run and post pictures!

Shopping at Michael's, One Week at a Time

Because we have a pretty limited budget, we decided to do as many DIY projects as possible. We want to do our invitations, reply cards, programs, bouquets, reception decorations (including table cloths), aisle runner, accessories (such as jewelry, garter and veil) and possibly even food items ourselves or through the help of friends and family. Also, we agreed to go to Michael's once a week and buy one item at a time (or two if I can drag Fiance with me) with the 40% off coupons that we get with our newspaper each week. Sounds like a plan, yes?

Here's what we've learned.

First, it's not really necessary to hunt down the Michael's coupon each week in our throw-away mail or newspaper. Turns out every time you make a purchase from Michael's, along with your receipt comes a coupon to use for the following week. Sometimes the coupon is 40% or 50% off any single item or occassionally you get a 20% off entire purchase coupon. Personally, I much perfer the single item coupons because I don't mind picking up one item at a time.

Second, Saturday afternoons in the month before Christmas are a terrible time to make your weekly stop at Michael's. I went there yesterday to return a rotary paper cutterthat I bought from Michael's on Black Friday (it was a great deal! It was regularly priced at $70, but was selling for $30 and then I used a 20% off coupon so I got it for $24...but then I decided I really wanted a guillotine cutter instead and will pay the extra $ for what I really want) and buy some silver ink. After battling a Ford Ranger who did NOT want to let me merge into his lane, I get to the parking lot and . . . what?! No parking spaces?! Now, other than Black Friday at 8 a.m., I've only been to this particular Michael's on weekdays either in the early morning or early afternoon and have easily found parking immediately adjacent to the door. Turns out, the story is quite different on the weekend. Ordinarily I would've said "Screw it!" and come back midweek, but I was meeting one of my bridesmaids so we could decide exactly what design we were going to use for my wedding invites. Michael's is indeed a madhouse with the line snaking through the holiday stocking stuff displays, past the cardstock, and halfway through the back of the store. Yeah, definitely not going back there on a weekend, at least not in the month of December.

Third, not all Michael's are created equal. The Michael's closest to where we're currently living has a woefully small paper-product (i.e. scrapbooking) section (and instead is replaced with a ginormous Crayola section for 7 year olds). Sad. Which means every time I visit my old stomping grounds (really only about half an hour away) I must stop into Michael's there.

Fourth, seasonal sales clerks are no help at all. I actually understand this one having worked a number of retail jobs throughout high school and college. Seasonal employees are there only to help with the huge crowds, they get hired in November or so and don't have a lot of time to learn the store, hey often don't care about customer service because they have no real ties to the company. Even so, I get a teensy bit frustrated by the blank stares I get when I ask for help. "Excuse me, but do you know where your envelopes are?" *Blank stare* "Hi, can you help me find your paint pens?" *Blank stare* Worse still is when I get a similar response from an assistant manager: "Excuse me, but do you know where I could find flat glass ornaments to decorate?" I asked, showing him a picture of what I want. *Blank stare* accompanied by, "Uh...if it's not on the shelf, then we probably don't have it." Wonderful.

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Items that I'm looking to buy from Michael's in the next couple months: guillotine paper cutter, cardstock, envelopes, ribbon, eyelets, hole punch, floral wire, double-sided sticky tape, ink...

Dresses on sale

At David's Bridal until December 1. I know, I know. David's Bridal gets really mixed reviews. Personally, I think if you're strong enough to ignore the sales pitch of the rep helping you and bring a friend with you to give his or her honest opinion, you'll be fine. Some complain that the quality of the dress isn't that great, but they seemed fine to me. I can't imagine that it wouldn't hold up for one day -- which is exactly how long I plan on wearing it. At $350, I couldn't really beat that price for what I wanted (I didn't want a previously worn dress because I'm superstitious like that and couldn't shop the samples because dresses in sample sizes are about 8 sizes too large for me).

Also, if you purchase your dress from David's Bridal you can save your bridesmaids some money ($20 off each of their dresses) and get a discount from Men's Wearhouse for tuxes as well.

What the budget includes:

Everyone has a different definition of exactly what is included in the wedding budget. We have decided that our wedding budget includes:

• Venue rentals (for both the ceremony and reception site; including clean up fees, permit fees, insurance if required, etc...)
• Food
• Alcohol (but we will limit the types of alcohol we serve and likely cap the time we host the bar)
• Attire for the bride and groom
• Entertainment (i.e., music)
• Decorations
• Flowers
• Marriage license fees
• Invitations, reply cards, postage, programs
• Wedding photography
• Transportation on our wedding day (transportation for the bridal party; discussing possibility of transportation for all wedding guests between ceremony and reception site as well)
• Hair/makeup
• Gifts for the wedding party and favors for guests

What our wedding budget does not include:

• Honeymoon
• Wedding rings
• Engagement photography

You can find a useful (and free!) budget worksheetat Real Simple. We nixed a few things from the worksheet (as well as other items that wedding magazines/books/websites claim you need) that we decided we really didn't need at our wedding:

• Corsages (bridesmaids don't need boquets and corsages!)
• Ring bearer pillow (no ring bearer; best man's going to hold onto those)
• Flower girl's buds and basket (see, neither of us have nieces or nephews or anyone else close to us with children in the ring bearer/flower girl age . . . turns out, we don't mind because it lets us cut a things from the budget!)
• Cocktail hour musicians and DJ/band (we're going the iPod route, though we are entertaining the idea -- budget permitting, of course -- of having acoustic music for our ceremony)
• Videography (I certainly am not going to watch my wedding again and again . . . I'd rather allocate this money for a better photographer)
• Welcome gifts for out of town guests (the vast majority of our guests are out-of-town and there's no way we could afford welcome baskets for everyone; we are trying to do some other cost-effective things to welcome them, including transportation services between the hotel and wedding day events, hosting picnics, etc...)
• Save-the-date cards (saves not only on the cards themselves, but also postage which adds up!)
• Seating and place cards (sit where you like! Also, we're probably hosting a more informal cocktail-type reception so place cards are really unnecessary)

Introduction

Hello and welcome to "A 10K wedding." By way of introduction, I am a 24 year old living in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the nation with a whole lot of student loan debt and a goal of buying a house within the next year. Because of what seems to me to be a better use of income and savings (paying off said loans and saving for a down payment), my fiance and I have a goal of spending no more than $10,000 on our wedding. Actually, because we know that everyone goes over budget, we're trying to plan for a $7,000 or $8,000 wedding in hopes that we'll be able to keep it under $10,000.

We're expecting about 80 guests total (including our guests' dates) and it'll be a challenge given how expensive everything is where we live. Our goal is to have a classy and fun wedding that is stress-free on the big day (so, yes, we have decided to use a day-of-coordinator)! We want it to be budget friendly, but not look cheap. Wish us luck!