I know this week has been alot of personal stuff… but today I’m going to follow suit. I just have to tell you all how excited I am for the Not So Big Wedding Boutique in DC this weekend!! It’s hard to put into words the amount of amazingness that has come into my life as a result of starting this blog. I mean, I’m getting flown to DC to be a judge and a panelist about budget weddings?! I never in a million years would have thought this could happen.

You can read more about my fellow panelists here. I am so incredibly excited to meet them- especially the lovely Nole of Oh So Beautiful Paper. Her wedding was the first real budget-savvy wedding I ever featured here on my blog. (See posts here here here and here.)She was a inspiration to me in my planning process and she also has an extreme love for paper which I can relate to. I can only hope that someday one of my designs could make its way onto her blog! I’m also looking forward to meeting some other DC blog and twitter friends! E thinks I’m a tad bit crazy and that I might be meeting serial killers or something… but I assured him that these are friends I talk to regularly!

I gotta get me a new outfit for the occasion I think. Don’t you think this calls for a new outfit? Considering we’ve been so ‘budget-savvy’ in saving up for the house that I haven’t really bought ANYTHING new since I shopped for honeymoon clothes… LIKE 6 MONTHS AGO… I think this calls for a new outfit. Yes, I do. Don’t worry… I won’t be shopping at J.Crew or Banana Republic. I’ll still be hitting ROSS and Marshall’s… cuz that’s how I roll.

I hope if you’re in the DC area you can make it out for this – it’s sure to be a unique and fun event! Be sure to check their website as they’ve recently updated with more info about the day! And it’s an event that’s free to the public so what a fun way to spend a Sunday!

*this is a sponsored/compensated post

I’m so excited to share this incredibly beautiful destination wedding with you. Doesn’t it just look like a dream? All the sunshine makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and the whole vibe is just relaxed and full of love. I just about melted when I saw these images and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Being a wedding planner herself, Vicki has a keen eye for details and everything just works so well together. You can see recent work of her company, My Simple Details, on her blog- where you will find some truly stunning images! Thank you Vicki & Phong for sharing your beautiful wedding with us!

What was your budget?

It was 10K but we ended up spending around 12K which included our flights and the villa for 3 nights for our wedding party and ourselves.

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

As a wedding planner, I designed the entire event, we wanted clean simple and white flowy design that did not detract form the location.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Having a remote destination wedding definitely reduced the guest counts and enabled us to spend money on all the details. It also made it a more relaxed, personal event.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Make sure you pay attention to the details you personally love, don’t let others dictate what is important. It is your wedding and it should reflect you, your style, and the things you love. If you have a strict budget, keep it simple and clean, and put your money towards a few decor items that pop or make a statement.

What was your biggest splurge?

The platform in the center of the pool. It was one of the most expensive decor pieces, but made a huge difference with images, it was a centerpiece for the ceremony, and a perfect place for our first dance.

What was your favorite detail?

The place cards served double duty. They showed our guests where to sit and they were gifts that our guest would treasure forever. On the top side of a large black river rock their first names were carved and highlighted with white paint, on the other side “Bali 6.28.08″ was carved. It was a personalized favor and a reminder of when they took an unforgettable trip to Bali.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

Our first dance was extremely memorable as the sun began to set and we danced to “By your side” by Sade. It was truly magical, but it was soon surpassed as two blue stripes appeared in the sky during dinner, which Phong’s Dad quickly explained meant good luck in Vietnamese culture. It was a very lucky day!

Photography-Photo Factory Bali
Catering- Bali Catering Company
Day-of-Coordination- Bali Weddings International
Flowers- Gloriosa Flower House

Had to share these pics from Chris and Adrienne Scott’s Halloween party we attended on Saturday! They had a photobooth… I mean… “Spooky Booth” set up in their garage where we took these super fun pics!

all images courtesy of Chris and Adrienne Scott, Photographers

We also carved a pumpkin this year!

Go Vols!!

It’s our half-iversary!! I can’t believe it’s been 6 WHOLE MONTHS since E & I tied the knot. The last 6 months have gone by SO fast it blows my mind.

These months have been filled with much joy. We’ve shared laughter, we’ve traveled together, we bought our first home. My hubby is the most supportive, hard-working, loving, and kind person I’ve ever known. I am so so proud to call E my husband. He is my best friend and I love sharing my life with him!

He already gave me an anniversary card- at like 6 AM. LOL. He knows how much it means to me when he writes me love notes (Words of affirmation is my love language- for those of you who’ve read the Five Love Languages). I still have every card he’s ever given me!

My husband loves me SO much, he even agreed to dress up as Chuck Bass to coordinate with my Blair Waldorf costume. He loves me even more because he actually sits through Gossip Girl with me most Monday nights.

I love you my darling husband! Thank you for making these last six months the best of my life! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!

2006

Devil… my friend is pinning on my tail in this pic, LOL

2007

I was a cop and E was Dwight from ‘The Office.’ Not so coordinated.

2008

Last year we went as Mario and Luigi and it was flippin’ awesome. Best costumes ever.

How are we gonna top it? I don’t know that it can be done honestly… Only a few days left until Halloween and we haven’t gotten our costumes yet!! Guess we’ll see what happens!

I am thrilled to share this beautiful beach wedding with you after taking a week off from the BSWOW last week. I know you’ll love this uniquely fabulous casual wedding. Thanks so much to Amanda for sharing her special day with us!

What was your budget?

Our budget was $10,000 and we were about $3000 over
(I should mention that this did include a week’s worth of rent for the six-bedroom beach house that we used for the ceremony/reception! So it was like a mini vacation before the wedding… and no hotel rooms needed for immediate family members!)

What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?

As far as personal aspects go: My family is big into doing “Low Country Boils”, which is basically a big pot of shrimp, crab, chicken, sausage, potatoes and corn boiled with yummy seasonings. When everything’s finished cooking, you dump it onto newspaper-lined tables and everyone grabs a plate! It’s so much fun and I was so thrilled we were able to share that experience with all of our friends and family. It also worked out great with our casual beach theme (and we were – afterall — in the Low Country!).
We got really creative with a lot of the details: our favors were these cute little mismatched bottles filled with sand from right outside the house, we printed the escort cards and tied them to crab crackers, metal buckets filled with bibs doubled as trash receptacles for guests’ crab and shrimp shells, one of my bridesmaids created little flower arrangements in mason jars (we bought the flowers earlier in the week from the local grocery store… 3 bouquets for like $12!), etc.

What was the biggest thing you did to save money?

Providing our own food really saved us TONS of money. We spent about $1,000 at Sam’s Club and that fed 50 people for the cocktail hour and reception (and we’re talking about 50 lbs of crab legs, too!) and about 20-30 at the rehearsal dinner and morning-after brunch.

What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?

Be yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Everyone kept saying over and over how unique our wedding was and how it was totally us. We just did what felt right… We had an abundance of guys in the bridal party so I put my brother on MY side (he was such a trooper, he didn’t even sweat it when somehow my bouquet was handed to him to hold during the ceremony). I couldn’t decide on a bridesmaid dress so I picked a color scheme and had the girls choose their own styles. We didn’t want to pay all this money for a cake so we got cupcakes instead! And who thought having people eat shrimp and crab legs with their hands while all dressed up was a good idea? But it was fun! I think if you let your personalities really shine through, don’t be surprised when everyone keeps telling you it’s the best wedding they’ve ever been to!

What was your biggest splurge?

The house was definitely our biggest expense ($5,500 for the week) but I don’t really see that as a bad thing… We had an amazing master bedroom all to ourselves for a week (when will we ever get the master on a family vacation again, right!?). Plus, family members trickled in throughout the week and didn’t have to get hotel rooms. And we all got to spend some quality time together as a new family (but don’t think we didn’t put everyone to work!).
But other than that… The second big thing would be photography. I’m a photographer so having amazing pictures to look at years from now was definitely really important… so we didn’t skimp in this area!

What was your favorite detail?

The tables really turned out SO much better than I ever dreamed! I bought all the pieces from different places: brown craft paper from Walmart (Low Country Boils get a little messy!), buckets and water carafes from Cost Plus World Market, table runners from a favors website, silverware and seafood crackers from a restaurant supply website, wood frames for centerpieces (that we filled with sand, shells & candles) from Michael’s, glass mosaic plates from Big Lots (my mom stopped at every store between south Florida and our place in Atlanta to find the 14 we needed!), etc., etc. Ok, seriously? I can’t believe all that came together as well as it did! When we first walked down into the reception, I was just floored! All that hard work and bargain shopping really paid off!
Also, we were planning on having the reception on the deck out back but earlier in the week we noticed it got really windy and chilly at night. Plus, we figured out it would be pretty tight if we crammed all the tables we needed into that space. So we made the last minute decision to move the reception area to under the house… Ugh, I’m having my reception in a GARAGE??? I thought. But everyone chipped in (this was an awesome project for the dads!) and wrapped Christmas lights (that we got discounted after the holidays were over of course!) and tulle around the wood beams. They also strung lanterns across the ceiling. The total effect was just perfect.

What is the most memorable moment of your day?

One of my cousins stepped up that week and basically became my day-of coordinator… she thought of EVERYTHING including having a bottle of champagne and glasses ready to go in the master bedroom. So right after the ceremony, the bridal party went in, gathered in a circle and everyone toasted us. Because we did everything ourselves, we were constantly on the go both the week before the wedding and the day of. Even during the ceremony I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. So I think that moment was the first real moment because we were finally able to stop, breathe and just enjoy it. And how amazing to look around the room and be surrounded by your very best friends and to see how truly happy they were for you… it was just amazing and it’s bringing me to tears just thinking about it!
Vendors:

Photography: Kelli Nixon Photography
Cupcake: Fresh Cupcakes
Florist: The Greenery Florist
Rentals: Snyder Event Rentals
Service Staff: Culi Events & Staffing
Music: Palmetto Strings
Accomodations/Event space: Avocet Properties (“Palmetto House”)

Holy mackerel time slipped by me and I forgot to choose a winner for this contest! I told you all that I am losing my mind… So even though it’s late, I am happy to announce the winner of the beegee bag giveaway!

Congratulations to Corie who wrote:

There are so many great bags it’s hard to choose just one favorite. I’m loving the Ruby Red Clutch and the Orangina 8 incher Clutch! These bags look like they can spice up any outfit! Love them.

Sorry again about the delay. I truly apologize for the mix-up! Thanks to all who entered- we had well over 100 entries between facebook and the blog comments!

I never used to make my bed. But now that I have a pretty bed, it gets made every day.

In a time of economic recession, Montgomery Parks’ NOT-SO-BIG WEDDING BOUTIQUE to showcase affordable and ELEGANT WEDDING options for $15k or less

POTOMAC, MD— The Montgomery County Department of Parks will showcase the results of a competition that gave teams of wedding vendors three weeks to plan a wedding with a budget of just $15,000. Ten teams of wedding vendors will reveal their elegant, yet economical, wedding packages to brides, grooms and their families and friends at the Not-So-Big Wedding Boutique on Sunday, November 8, 2009 at Rockwood Manor in Potomac. The event is FREE to the public.

Each package will include the cost of a ceremony and reception for 65 guests with catering, floral arrangements, music, photography and the rental of a Montgomery Parks event center: Brookside Gardens, Rockwood Manor, Seneca Lodge or Woodlawn Manor. “The ‘not-so-big’ wedding is the new reality for many brides and grooms as the effects of the recession continue to play out,” said Laura Gosse, marketing specialist for the Montgomery County Department of Parks event centers. “But small doesn’t have to mean plain. The challenge teams’ wedding displays will show couples how they can have a wedding day to remember—without breaking the bank.”

The boutique will also feature a panel moderated by Ellen McCarthy of The Washington Post’s wedding section. Panelists will include brides and newlyweds who have successfully planned weddings under $15,000. In addition, Deb McCoy, wedding planner and author of “I Do…: How To Have the Elegant Wedding of Your Dreams for $15,000 or Less!” and Lynn Young, author of “Let’s Elope,” will take part in the “wedding-wisdom” talks. Also at the Not-So-Big Wedding Boutique, St. Anthony’s Bridal, a local non-profit whose mission is to help people have an affordable wedding, will be showing and selling new and once-worn designer wedding gowns for $150. The Not-So-Big Wedding Boutique will be held from 12 noon to 5 pm at Rockwood Manor, 11001 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. For more information, visit www.NotSoBigWedding.com .

*this is a sponsored post.

Congrats to Shamika Reese who was commenter #22 who wrote:

I love the message in a bottle-Pink Arglye invitations and I would use them for an upcoming shower I am planning for my cousin

Thanks to everyone who entered!!