Thanks Mom and Dad, in case I haven’t said it lately!

Of course, there are still things that J and I will need to fund on our own. Our wedding bands, our marriage license, photography, videography, rehearsal dinner, honeymoon, premarital retreat required by the Church, his tux, his daughter’s dress and travel. It’s getting to be quite the list. I work full time at the television network and part time at a portrait studio. I’m doing all I can to earn enough money to pay cash for as many things on this list as possible. I’m trying to live even more frugally than normal; I haven’t had Starbucks in MONTHS! And I FULLY avoid all shoe departments of every store I go in to. Please don’t think I’m complaining… I’m fully aware that many many girls have to pay for all of the things on my list and EVERYTHING else that goes along with a wedding too.

BUT on Saturday J and I went for a drive. We ended up in a town I’d never been to before. It was great. Small, quiet, quaint. And it had a downtown straight out of a novel, complete with soda shops and cute boutiques. It was a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon. But then we went in to one of those fore mentioned cute boutiques and my day took a significant turn for the worst (okay, that’s a grave overdramatization) as I laid my eyes on an authentic Burberry quilted jacked. I was shocked #1. to see such a high end designer haphazardly scattered amongst Koret and Rafeal’s shoulder padded sweaters and #2. to see the VERY jacket I’d been lusting over for years in Small Town Alabama.

Clearly, I’m under no financial disillusionment or I wouldn’t be writing a post for a budget bridal blog and I would have spent the $400 for the jacket years ago when I first discovered it. But today. Today was such a ridiculous temptation I could BARELY contain myself. The jacket. Authentic Burberry. In my size. Was marked down from $400 to $100! $100! For a timeless jacket I’ve wanted for forever!

But alas, I have a wedding to save for. I put the jacket back on the rack. Turned to J and said “we must leave immediately before I do something I might regret”.

What kind of sacrifices have you had to make to save $$ for the wedding of your dreams?

Photo courtesy Bloomingdales

Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, Michaels, and Garden Ridge present the biggest tests to my self control. It seems everywhere I turn there is some damask trinket that I’m dying to own. I shouldn’t even go in these stores. I mean seriously. Do I NEED a damask Chinese take out box? Damask wrapping paper? Damask napkins? Damask throw pillows? Damask wall stickers? Damask shelf organizers?

I’m a creative girl; can’t I find SOME wedding related use for these things? But alas, I know better, and despite these and countless other items beckoning me, I have stuck SOLELY to things that I KNOW I will use in the wedding, rather than trying my hardest to come up with a use for a damask bicycle. Yes. A. Damask. Bicycle. (J recommended that I RIDE down the aisle on it, rather than merely walking! Haha!)

There’s a Garden Ridge a mile from where I work. Yikes! I could do some SERIOUS damask damage in there. I found a 10 x 20 black frame with a damask mat before I was even engaged. I’ve been waiting and waiting for it to go on sale. But the more I wait, the more I think I could probably make just as nice of a frame using a cheapo frame (I’m sure I have one somewhere) and some damask paper. AHA! I KNEW I’d come up with a reason to buy that damask wrapping paper! Yes!

Gorgeous right? I LOVE this idea – and it’s made entirely out of push pins. I think this would make a wonderful backdrop for a ceremony, head table, candy buffet, dance floor, etc. Of course – you might want a different message. Maybe your initials, your monogram, or just the word “Love”.

It’s time consuming of course – but very cheap. Check out this video to see how they did it.

I found this gorgeous table setting on Design Sponge. I love the colors and the modern, crafty design. This would be gorgeous for spring wedding and would be perfect for the DIY budget bride!

For more info and photos, check out Design Sponge.

My first dilemma: I don’t want to spend a fortune on my bouquet. And my favorite flowers are roses, garden roses, and peonies (all white/off white). But of course, these are some of the most expensive flowers out there. Good way to smash the budget to smithereens! I’m torn between “Ahhh, let’s just go with carnations” and “but my flowers will be in every picture”. *Sigh* I want them to make a statement… but I don’t want to have to include BYOB in the invitations. Haha! 

Thankfully bewildered budget brides have great internet resources to help us out! Not only did I find great inspiration from our own Dream Weddings on a Budget (search “Flowers” under the categories tab), but according to The Knot I discovered that “ranunculus is a cost effective alternative to roses and peonies and to carry ranunculus is to tell your partner, in the Victorian language of flowers, ‘I am dazzled by your charms.’” Perfecto! And SO true, J is QUITE the charmer!!  Does anyone have any other suggestions for cost effective flowers that pack a punch?

Ranunculus

Peonies

Dilemma numero dos: I have chosen ice blue as my bridesmaid color to pair with the black and white damask. What color flowers go with blue dresses??? Other than dyed blue carnations (what my mom had) or blue hydrangeas (okay, but not for the whole bouquet). I took a peak at a color wheel for some inspiration. The complementary (opposite) color of blue on the color wheel is yellow. That would be pretty, very springy. But I hesitate to introduce a WHOLE NEW color into our wedding palate.

I could go with different shades of blues and purples, but I worry that that will be too dark for a spring time wedding.

WHEN DID THIS GET SO COMPLICATED?!?!?!?!?!?

All photos courtesy the Knot

Yes. It says “come to our wedding or we’ll kick your butt”. I thought it was hysterical. In fact it made me laugh out loud. Literally. I showed J. He laughed out loud. I showed my mom. She laughed out loud. See, it’s funny because neither J nor I would ever hurt a fly.

This pic was taken right after we got in a horrible car accident and J’s face made friends with the windshield. On a side note, PLEASE don’t text and drive. J and I were driving in the slow lane of the interstate and a car slammed into the back of us, catapulted us across three lanes of interstate traffic, we crashed into the cement median and spun around so we were facing traffic. We ended up with some bumps, bruises, cuts,  and a broken nose… but we could have easily been killed.

The driver of the other car was texting. (If you still need convincing watch this video *warning, it’s graphic*).

Anyway, back to Zazzle. I’m pretty much obsessed with it. As I mentioned in a previous post, we already have our invites, but since so many of our guests are coming from out of town, there’s no way to get around sending Save the Dates. I think the most cost effective way to send STD’s is to send the post card version. And since I double as a photographer and J and I have enough pictures of ourselves to fill a municipal library… I thought it would only be fitting to have a photo on our STD’s. Here are some options… What do you think?

They caught my eye and stole my heart!  I didn’t have a plan for them but I knew I had to own them! Ha ha!  They are long enough that if I place them side by side on the head table they will make quite an impact!  I love how big the rhinestones are and that the back portion is mirrored.  I also like that I got them on sale  for (drum roll please) $5.49 each!  As I placed them on a shelf to get a good picture of them for the world to see, a lady came by and picked one up, I screamed “NO, THOSE ARE MINE” like some ridiculous bridezilla.  She slowly backed away.  And wished me well on my wedding… How did she know?

(Notice the lady’s hand in the left corner… just before I smacked it away! haha! Jk. )

Really, the fact that they caught her eye and that she liked them so well (them, not me) served as quite the confirmation that I really truly DID need to own them!  As if there was any doubt.  Now, my friends,  help me figure out exactly what to do with them! Side by side they total 2.5 feet.  Is that long enough to make an impact?  Dare I venture off into unknown suburbs to try to find even MORE of them? Should I put votives / flowers / picture frames in between them?  What would make them the most impactful?

Or should I scrap the head table idea all together and put them somewhere else???