One cute invitation idea I saw online used these bracelets:
Of course, the more you buy, the cheaper they get, and it depends on the style you pick, and any other options you choose.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Reminder Bands
A new favor idea I've seen is to have custom made rubber bracelets. AKA Reminder Bands. These aren't so much my style, but the idea is really cute. I do buy them regularly to support causes, but typically they end up with my nephew to be, and he wears them everywhere. They're popular with the kids these days apparently. I did think they were really cute favor ideas, and I also stumbled upon a site that will make them for you. ReminderBand.com has many different styles and options to choose from, including, but not limited to:
One cute invitation idea I saw online used these bracelets:
Of course, the more you buy, the cheaper they get, and it depends on the style you pick, and any other options you choose.
One cute invitation idea I saw online used these bracelets:
Of course, the more you buy, the cheaper they get, and it depends on the style you pick, and any other options you choose.
DIY: Photo Cube
These are quite cute and seem very easy to create, even if you didn't use the program from Tabblo. They could make great centerpieces, fun accents, or whatever. Favors even. Create a free user account at Tabblo, upload 5 photos, then download the pdf (adobe acrobat file), print, and cut out.
Go to Tabblo for your free account and to start creating your photo cubes.
Go to Tabblo for your free account and to start creating your photo cubes.
Friday, June 15, 2007
RE: Comment from Mike
Thanks Mike! I love to get comments, although you're only my second comment, and one was from one of my bored friends. lol It lets me know that someone out there has read my blog, and I'm very very happy to hear that one of my posts has helped someone out. I guess my blogging is not futile. To answer your question, my wedding will be (barring the unexpected that may bring a need to change) September 8th, 2008. We were engaged on December 22nd, 2006 and I wanted to have a good amount of time to plan everything, lots of time to DIY and try to save some money through careful planning. Congratulations to your daughter and your family(ies) on the upcoming wedding. I took a look at the website URL you left, and it is beautiful. I'm sure she will be thrilled with it.
We live in a smaller city, Estevan, approx 13000 people, in southeastern Saskatchewan. If we went to the capital city of Regina things would be even more expensive there, but being a smaller center, costs are smaller in reflection. But as far as the Plaza goes, it is very expensive for around this area. I have a couple other venues to interview yet, but their base pricing starts between $250-275, which is by far less than the Plaza.
Lol. Call me cheap, call me stingy, but I can't imagine starting a life together in debt. I want to remember the wedding day for all the glory and happy memories it brings, not the parts I'm still paying for down the road. But we're paying for our wedding all ourselves. I'm paying most of the wedding and my fiance is taking care of our honeymoon, which we'll take 6 months or so after the wedding. I'll be 25 when we marry and Dan will be 30. We've been together for a couple years already and have lived together for the last year and a bit. We have known each other for quite a while before we started dating.
We own a little house and thusly have a mortgage and a couple of car payments of course, so all and all, we can't afford, or in some cases, just don't want to afford to sink a lot of money into our wedding, but we don't want to sacrifice too much in getting a day that is uniquely us. Fortunately I have a very crafty mother and a Mother in Law and Grandmother in Law to be that are willing to help do anything they can. I'm sure we'll pull it all off somehow. :) Makes me very happy that things aren't too expensive here as in comparison to elsewhere.
Thank you very much again for your reply Mike. It was a highlight of my day. :) I look forward to possibly hearing from you again. If there's anything that you guys are researching, let me know. I have a lot of resources I haven't yet posted on. I was somewhat starting to give up a little until your comment let me know that I'm not the only one that reads this. lol.
My Mood: Enthralled
We live in a smaller city, Estevan, approx 13000 people, in southeastern Saskatchewan. If we went to the capital city of Regina things would be even more expensive there, but being a smaller center, costs are smaller in reflection. But as far as the Plaza goes, it is very expensive for around this area. I have a couple other venues to interview yet, but their base pricing starts between $250-275, which is by far less than the Plaza.
Lol. Call me cheap, call me stingy, but I can't imagine starting a life together in debt. I want to remember the wedding day for all the glory and happy memories it brings, not the parts I'm still paying for down the road. But we're paying for our wedding all ourselves. I'm paying most of the wedding and my fiance is taking care of our honeymoon, which we'll take 6 months or so after the wedding. I'll be 25 when we marry and Dan will be 30. We've been together for a couple years already and have lived together for the last year and a bit. We have known each other for quite a while before we started dating.
We own a little house and thusly have a mortgage and a couple of car payments of course, so all and all, we can't afford, or in some cases, just don't want to afford to sink a lot of money into our wedding, but we don't want to sacrifice too much in getting a day that is uniquely us. Fortunately I have a very crafty mother and a Mother in Law and Grandmother in Law to be that are willing to help do anything they can. I'm sure we'll pull it all off somehow. :) Makes me very happy that things aren't too expensive here as in comparison to elsewhere.
Thank you very much again for your reply Mike. It was a highlight of my day. :) I look forward to possibly hearing from you again. If there's anything that you guys are researching, let me know. I have a lot of resources I haven't yet posted on. I was somewhat starting to give up a little until your comment let me know that I'm not the only one that reads this. lol.
My Mood: Enthralled
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Venue Hunting: A Couple Options In
So, we've now spoken to 2 venues.
One, the Beefeater Plaza here at home, is quite pricey, $550.00 to start, plus all the add ons for things that they "require" you to have. I haven't done all the pricing, but it's seeming to look like $900-$1000 in the end... maybe more.
It is handy in some ways, they set up, they tear down, they clean, you just put up your decorations and call it good. They will supply bartenders... but they require 1 per 100 people (so we're looking at 3) at $13.00 per hour each. We'd have to get our own liquor license, but they will pick up our alcohol 2 days before the wedding and start chilling it for us. They have table cloths, but unless you have a supper (and they cater), the cloths are $3.50 each to rent... and required. Corkage fee for your wine, of course, I doubt we'll have wine, but if we decided to down the road... it's $2.75 per head corkage fee. But there's no cake cutting fee. Whoo-pa-dee-doo. Then of course if you want a midnight lunch, a helper for that is $13.00 per hour and 2 are required. Unless you have them cater the midnight lunch, for $6 a plate, then they'll throw in the helper. And the same with the bar. If you let them do the bar at their prices, they'll throw in the bartenders. But you could buy their bar prices down, if you still wanted a cheaper bar, because the prices they told us they charge people for their bar were certainly not cheap.
But on the other end, they do throw in some freebies. When booked with them, they supply a "change room/break room" in the hotel for the wedding party. They will throw in a hotel room for the night for the bride and groom (approx $83.00 value), but for an extra $25.00 they'll upgrade you to the jacuzzi suite. And they will book a block of discounted rooms for out of town guests to reserve. If we were to decide to have the ceremony there as well, they would set up for the ceremony, then switch to the reception seating themselves, but you have to send someone to go change your decorations around. And the ceremony, the ceremony setup, and the ceremony teardown, is apparently included in your rental price.
Our second venue is the Midale curling rink's Cabaret Hall I spoke about before. It was certainly different speaking to Treba than it was speaking to Melody from the Plaza. Treba said it was $150.00 to rent the hall. We might have to get our own liquor license because they usually only have theirs over the winter, but if we book with her to check back closer to the wedding and if there's a lot happening they may have it already again. Tables and chairs are all there, speakers and whatnot are all there, they don't have table cloths, they don't restrict anything, but if you have confetti, they ask that you clean that up or try to do that outside. And basically we're on our own. We find our own help, they just hand over the key and say Have Fun.
I've a couple more places to speak to before we make a decision, but there's the update on our venue front.
My Mood: Tired
One, the Beefeater Plaza here at home, is quite pricey, $550.00 to start, plus all the add ons for things that they "require" you to have. I haven't done all the pricing, but it's seeming to look like $900-$1000 in the end... maybe more.
It is handy in some ways, they set up, they tear down, they clean, you just put up your decorations and call it good. They will supply bartenders... but they require 1 per 100 people (so we're looking at 3) at $13.00 per hour each. We'd have to get our own liquor license, but they will pick up our alcohol 2 days before the wedding and start chilling it for us. They have table cloths, but unless you have a supper (and they cater), the cloths are $3.50 each to rent... and required. Corkage fee for your wine, of course, I doubt we'll have wine, but if we decided to down the road... it's $2.75 per head corkage fee. But there's no cake cutting fee. Whoo-pa-dee-doo. Then of course if you want a midnight lunch, a helper for that is $13.00 per hour and 2 are required. Unless you have them cater the midnight lunch, for $6 a plate, then they'll throw in the helper. And the same with the bar. If you let them do the bar at their prices, they'll throw in the bartenders. But you could buy their bar prices down, if you still wanted a cheaper bar, because the prices they told us they charge people for their bar were certainly not cheap.
But on the other end, they do throw in some freebies. When booked with them, they supply a "change room/break room" in the hotel for the wedding party. They will throw in a hotel room for the night for the bride and groom (approx $83.00 value), but for an extra $25.00 they'll upgrade you to the jacuzzi suite. And they will book a block of discounted rooms for out of town guests to reserve. If we were to decide to have the ceremony there as well, they would set up for the ceremony, then switch to the reception seating themselves, but you have to send someone to go change your decorations around. And the ceremony, the ceremony setup, and the ceremony teardown, is apparently included in your rental price.
Our second venue is the Midale curling rink's Cabaret Hall I spoke about before. It was certainly different speaking to Treba than it was speaking to Melody from the Plaza. Treba said it was $150.00 to rent the hall. We might have to get our own liquor license because they usually only have theirs over the winter, but if we book with her to check back closer to the wedding and if there's a lot happening they may have it already again. Tables and chairs are all there, speakers and whatnot are all there, they don't have table cloths, they don't restrict anything, but if you have confetti, they ask that you clean that up or try to do that outside. And basically we're on our own. We find our own help, they just hand over the key and say Have Fun.
I've a couple more places to speak to before we make a decision, but there's the update on our venue front.
My Mood: Tired
Friday, June 8, 2007
Venue Hunting: Getting ready
We have our first venue viewing tonight after work. We're going to go see the Plaza, ask a few questions that we have, and get a quote. I'm pretty nervous and not particularly looking forward to it. I suppose in our town, it is THE place for a wedding reception, not the only place, but the most popular. Which could be among the reasons why I don't really want to have it there...
But I did realize last night that when I envision the whole event, I don't see the Plaza, I see the hall above the hockey rink in a little town (very little town) approx 20 minutes away from where we live. The rink where his brother plays Big Six Hockey. The little hall that we've spent many nights after the hockey games, drinking and laughing with the boys. The little hall where a man I'd just met that knew my father got quite inebriated and decided to teach me to polka.
It's not a fancy hall by any stretch, it doesn't have much for windows, except those that look over the curling rink in the back side of the building, and a few at the front of the entry way. It's all hardwood flooring... and hardwood walls / ceiling...
But there are options around town that I can learn to like more. We'll have to do more scoping and figure out what our best bet is.
But I did realize last night that when I envision the whole event, I don't see the Plaza, I see the hall above the hockey rink in a little town (very little town) approx 20 minutes away from where we live. The rink where his brother plays Big Six Hockey. The little hall that we've spent many nights after the hockey games, drinking and laughing with the boys. The little hall where a man I'd just met that knew my father got quite inebriated and decided to teach me to polka.
It's not a fancy hall by any stretch, it doesn't have much for windows, except those that look over the curling rink in the back side of the building, and a few at the front of the entry way. It's all hardwood flooring... and hardwood walls / ceiling...
But there are options around town that I can learn to like more. We'll have to do more scoping and figure out what our best bet is.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Quote the Walls, "Nevermore"
This could be used in a wedding setting, but likely is easier to do this at home where you are allowed to stick permanent things to your walls. But they sure are cute. These can be found at "Quote the Walls". See some samples below:
Big Changes
Well, we just discovered this past Friday that my Fiance has been picked to begin an industrial mechanics apprenticeship. This is great and horrible all at the same time. I am soo stressed out about it! The good thing is that he gets to acquire a skilled trade, the company he works for pays for all his schooling and tools, and that he will no longer have to be on shift work. Weekends are optional, except during "overhauls", and overtime is plenty. He'll be working once again with a few good work friends of his.
The horrible thing is that now he'll be gone for 2 months at a time, once a year, for the next four years. We don't know when these will occur, where he will be sent to school (2 or 5 hours away). The company does put him up while he's at school, whether in company owned condos or a hotel, but it doesn't ease anything in my head. He can get sent off to another town for a few weeks for an overhaul at the drop of a hat. So any plans that may have came up about kids or moving or buying/building a new home will have to be postponed for about 4 years. And to kick it all off it's about a $6 an hour pay drop. Yes, I said Drop.
We don't know when he's going to start in the new position. His hours are going to change, could be good, could be bad. We're used to 12 hour shift work. When he's working, he's working, but he gets some nice stretches of 5 - 6 days off at a time. Now he'll be back to a daily 8-4 job, so it'll take a bit of getting used to the new schedule.
I know we'll be alright, but it's a change I definitely was not prepared for. Horribly unexpected and we don't know all the finite little details, too many questions without answers as of yet. It makes me very nervous, worried, and certainly scared. But we'll make it, I know we will. We'll know more details on Tuesday when he's back to work. Or at least, so I hope.
My Mood: Stressed
The horrible thing is that now he'll be gone for 2 months at a time, once a year, for the next four years. We don't know when these will occur, where he will be sent to school (2 or 5 hours away). The company does put him up while he's at school, whether in company owned condos or a hotel, but it doesn't ease anything in my head. He can get sent off to another town for a few weeks for an overhaul at the drop of a hat. So any plans that may have came up about kids or moving or buying/building a new home will have to be postponed for about 4 years. And to kick it all off it's about a $6 an hour pay drop. Yes, I said Drop.
We don't know when he's going to start in the new position. His hours are going to change, could be good, could be bad. We're used to 12 hour shift work. When he's working, he's working, but he gets some nice stretches of 5 - 6 days off at a time. Now he'll be back to a daily 8-4 job, so it'll take a bit of getting used to the new schedule.
I know we'll be alright, but it's a change I definitely was not prepared for. Horribly unexpected and we don't know all the finite little details, too many questions without answers as of yet. It makes me very nervous, worried, and certainly scared. But we'll make it, I know we will. We'll know more details on Tuesday when he's back to work. Or at least, so I hope.
My Mood: Stressed
My Invitations
Well, I've been going through the invitation ideas a lot lately. Since I'm going to be handmaking them, I want to have a pretty good idea what I want pretty early to have lots of time to work of them. But I'm having trouble deciding exactly what I want, there are a few options that I've seen with this style:
Casey: Ribbon in top half. Contrast paper backing/matting.
Holli: Ribbon in Bottom half. Contrast paper backing/matting.
Jana: Ribbon in top or bottom half (top shown). Single sheet cardstock, no matting/backing.
Here is a quick and horrible MSPaint representation of my colors put onto one of these invite styles.
Here is a quick and horrible MSPaint representation of my colors put onto one of these invite styles.
Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.
My Mood: Stressed
My Mood: Stressed
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
DIY: Aisle Runner Tips
Tips on making your own aisle runners from DIYBride members:
From Dani "I bought 8 yards of a white cotton fabric. I took the monogram image that I had made on my cocktail napkins and had it enlarged at Kinkos. I took that image and traced it onto the fabric. I then took fabric paint and painted in the letters. If you were to do this I would suggest using fabric paint pens rather then paint and a brush, it was hard to use. I then lined the edges of the "runner" with black satin ribbon for the finishing touch. Since I used paint and a brush I have a few drips. I took some fabric rose petals and hot glued them over my mistakes, once the fresh rose petals are down I doubt you will be able to tell the difference, and that way my mistakes will never be known. Good luck."
From Zoe: Same as Dani, but instead of tracing, we're cutting out the monogram like a stencil, placing over the runner, and spray-painting. FI has advised that acrylic paint will work best on a vinyl runner, so it can be rolled back up. Acrylic is more flexible. Another suggestion: use spray-glue over stencil, then sprinkle with glitter or rose petals. That part of the runner may not roll back up, but it would be a neat look."
My Mood: Inspired
From Dani "I bought 8 yards of a white cotton fabric. I took the monogram image that I had made on my cocktail napkins and had it enlarged at Kinkos. I took that image and traced it onto the fabric. I then took fabric paint and painted in the letters. If you were to do this I would suggest using fabric paint pens rather then paint and a brush, it was hard to use. I then lined the edges of the "runner" with black satin ribbon for the finishing touch. Since I used paint and a brush I have a few drips. I took some fabric rose petals and hot glued them over my mistakes, once the fresh rose petals are down I doubt you will be able to tell the difference, and that way my mistakes will never be known. Good luck."
From Zoe: Same as Dani, but instead of tracing, we're cutting out the monogram like a stencil, placing over the runner, and spray-painting. FI has advised that acrylic paint will work best on a vinyl runner, so it can be rolled back up. Acrylic is more flexible. Another suggestion: use spray-glue over stencil, then sprinkle with glitter or rose petals. That part of the runner may not roll back up, but it would be a neat look."
My Mood: Inspired
Sample Programs
I saved these to my computer a while back for sample program wordings and set up, and I thought, "why not share?". I don't know if anyone else is looking for ideas on setting up their programs or not, but why not post it anyway, gets them on my blog and off my desktop if nothing else. Lol.
If you're looking for quotes or something, go here:
Favor Ideas - They have some cute quotes and they are search able. If you are looking for golf quips, search golf. And etc., etc..
If you're looking for quotes or something, go here:
Favor Ideas - They have some cute quotes and they are search able. If you are looking for golf quips, search golf. And etc., etc..
My Mood: Bored 
Cake Stands (and a couple more cute cakes)
Well, one of my almost forgotten items was a cake stand. Good thing I have lots of time, because these things seem to hide in the woodwork and suddenly it's like... "Oh For F*** Sakes, I'll need a ______!" So this time we'll fill in the blank with "Cake Stand". I started looking online in a Google search for cake stands, and I found some gorgeous ones with less than gorgeous price tags, such as these:
But not gorgeous enough to spend $150 - $250 on.
So I searched through websites for Walmart, K-mart, and Target. I found the best (online at least) selection at Target. Who also covered what I did see at the other two. Here are some cute, although less flashy, cake stands from Target:
But for ranging around $20 - 40, they can be prettied up and would be just as good as the expensive ones.
But as for a couple more cute cakes: Here they are.
Ahh, Porn for the Bride to Be. Lol.
My Mood: Happy
But not gorgeous enough to spend $150 - $250 on.
So I searched through websites for Walmart, K-mart, and Target. I found the best (online at least) selection at Target. Who also covered what I did see at the other two. Here are some cute, although less flashy, cake stands from Target:
But for ranging around $20 - 40, they can be prettied up and would be just as good as the expensive ones.
But as for a couple more cute cakes: Here they are.
Ahh, Porn for the Bride to Be. Lol.
My Mood: Happy
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Another Book
So I picked up another book. I had finished my book "The Offbeat Bride" and have been flipping through the Wedding Survival Guide, which I find somewhat interesting, somewhat dry, but it is good for letting you know what you have to think about, flowers, venues, etc.
But I found this book, Altared. I'd noticed reviews about it online and found it at a local book store, I've just read the first chapter, but I find it quite good already. I enjoyed the introduction even. It really portrayed how I'm feeling going into the wedding planning. My fears, worries, hopes. I'll keep you all updated as I read more of it.
But I found this book, Altared. I'd noticed reviews about it online and found it at a local book store, I've just read the first chapter, but I find it quite good already. I enjoyed the introduction even. It really portrayed how I'm feeling going into the wedding planning. My fears, worries, hopes. I'll keep you all updated as I read more of it.
My Mood: Bored
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Cute Candles
I found these today on a website for a local business, Gale's Wholesale locating in Regina, Saskatchewan. They do have a website that is worth taking a look at, they offer a lot of different products for reasonable prices. I was surfing around there just trying to get some pricing ideas, and found these. The orange and blue would be perfect for us, and when the wedding is over they would look great at home. For only $2.14 each, we could incorporate many of them into different areas of the wedding decor.
My Mood: Jubilant
My Mood: Jubilant
Picking Favorites
So, I'd posted not long ago about the dresses I liked for a wedding dress. As everyone I'm sure has figured out, I'm not a traditional girl. So here goes my favorites out of the last post.
Number 1: so far. I don't know why or how to explain why I love this dress so much. The flirty short/long combination just grabs my attention. It does come in white and I think it would look good in the white too. It's certainly different... maybe that's why...
Number 2: I also love the matching shawl, which does come with the dress. I think it would look really cute in white.
Number 3: I like this very much, it comes in white, but I'd likely lose the fade at the bottom, I'd have to contact the designer and find out if I can get white with a blue or orange fade.
Number 4: Comes in white, again, quite cute, was my number 1 favorite until I saw the top two dresses.
Number 5: I like the one shown in red, I think it would look alright in white.
Number 6: I like the opening in the back, I'm not too sure about the ribbon wrapping under the breasts though. Might not look as good in white.
Number 7: I LOVE this, but unlike the others it only comes in black. :(
Number 1: so far. I don't know why or how to explain why I love this dress so much. The flirty short/long combination just grabs my attention. It does come in white and I think it would look good in the white too. It's certainly different... maybe that's why...
Number 2: I also love the matching shawl, which does come with the dress. I think it would look really cute in white.
Number 3: I like this very much, it comes in white, but I'd likely lose the fade at the bottom, I'd have to contact the designer and find out if I can get white with a blue or orange fade.
Number 4: Comes in white, again, quite cute, was my number 1 favorite until I saw the top two dresses.
Number 5: I like the one shown in red, I think it would look alright in white.
Number 6: I like the opening in the back, I'm not too sure about the ribbon wrapping under the breasts though. Might not look as good in white.
Number 7: I LOVE this, but unlike the others it only comes in black. :(
My Mood: Bored
Monday, May 28, 2007
Golf Wedding
I very much want to be married on our favorite golf course, but it is a bit out of the way and I don't want to make the guests have to take a 30 minute trek for the ceremony when the reception will be in town, as much as I would like to at the same time. So I've been thinking about how to incorporate our golf, while giving up the course itself. So, I'm trying to plan a putting green for the reception. I thought it would be cute and could give us some really fantastic candid pictures.
Does anyone else have any golf related ideas?
My Mood: Anxious (for the end of the day)
Does anyone else have any golf related ideas?
My Mood: Anxious (for the end of the day)
Invitations: Research and Development
I posted before about my favorite type of invitation style. I've done a little research, and I've figured that I'll need probably (aka... so far) almost 200 invitations. To order them from the company that offers that particular style, I am looking at $799.00 for 200, with envelopes. $126.00 if I want them to print 200 RSVP cards for me. Now, I priced it out to buy all the supplies and them print and make them myself. I priced out cardstock, envelopes, and ribbon, enough to make 200 (plus extra) invitations and reply cards. I got a price of $80.00. Now am I the only one that is absolutely shocked by this difference? $80.00 compared to $925.00. It sure made my decision to invest the time into making them much easier, plus by making them I am no longer restricted to their colors and options. I can print whatever I please and use the bold colors that I want.
My Mood: Shocked
My Mood: Shocked
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