Whenever we throw a party, guest-ertainment is always at the top of our list. Getting your guests involved can be the thing that takes your party from ho-hum hoedown to an all out throw-down… so when we started working on the Kick Ass Cake Bash, Hunter, Leslie, Earl, Beth and I immediately started hatching plans for fun.
The event space looked amazing, thanks to Beth Helmstetter’s hardworking team. One of my favorite details was these Origami Cranes hanging from the rafters.
Origami cranes by Michelle Chang.
The Dollhouse Hair & Makeup team was on hand to do glittery and bedazzled bad-ass cupcake tattoos, or chopstick accessorizing for the ladies’ hair.
I kinda love it. PS: my dress cost all of $12 thanks to a sale at Tulle!
They also dolled up our Alfred Angelo wedding gown models from NTA Talent – and those ladies were looking super lovely!
The models loved their Alfred Angelo gowns!
We love photo booths, but wanted something unexpected and quirky to match the kitschy Japanese inspired theme… and Oh, Snap! Studios was the perfect find! They brought in a freaking adorable Japanese tea house setup and some of the craziest props I’ve ever seen! The silly poses people came up with kept me laughing every time I walked past their station. I loved it! Check out more of our funny photos on the Oh, Snap! website gallery!
I love the hamburger helper hands!
As a couple of serious foodies, we know there’s nothing worse than being at a party and leaving hungry, so we had food and drink coming out the wazoo, yo. Not only were there sweets enough to send a nation into diabetic shock from Fantasy Frostings stunningly gorgeous dessert display, but delicious savory bites from The Food Matters, yummy and healthy cocktails from O.N.E. beverages, and a Pinkberry yogurt bar on the way out the door at the end of the night. If that wasn’t enough, we sent home Kick Ass Cake Bash cookies from Weddingish in the gift bags, along with issues of The Bride & Bloom magazine, lipgloss tins from e.l.f. cosmetics, and a few other goodies. Yeah, we like our guests fat and happy. And who could resist the adorable “maids” of Royal/T Cafe?
The waitresses at Royal/T Cafe dress in these adorable outfits!
Speaking of the dessert display, Leslie had a stroke of brilliance when she invited her girlfriends from The Bachelor to create inspiration boards from which she then designed the cakes and displays. DeAnna Pappas, Amanda Rantuccio, Holly Durst, and one of our intrepid photographers, Holly Steen from Cakes and Kisses Photography created diverse and dreamy inspirations that we hung next to the confections so our guests would understand that each cake in the Fantasy Frostings’ Broke-Ass Cake Collection is custom designed with the bride and groom with the same full-service attention that their celebrity clients love so much.
Holly's was pink, feminine and romantic.
....And her cake was just as girlie and delicate as she is.
DeAnna’s was my favorite, and they designed the whole dessert table after hers – all pink lemonade-y and refreshing.
A mouthwatering feast for the senses.
A flavor party in your mouth!
Holly Flora’s work was a huge influence on our wedding flowers, so when Beth suggested having her create a work of floral art for the event, I was so hyped! The floral mural she created was unbelievably luscious and exquisite. The guys from Aspect Lighting came in and made this mural absolutely glow in an ethereal warmth. It was stunning! They made the party spaces so much warmer and sexier, and projected some ultra trippy and cool effect onto the dance floor.
I just wanted to lay on it and roll around.
As broke-asses, we’re suckers for free swag, and we definitely wanted to give our partying buddies something to remember the night by, so having Family Industries on hand to do on-demand custom screen printing of Broke-Ass T-shirts was ridiculously awesome. The guys who run Family Industries are straight up rad dudes, the kind you want to grab a beer with, and so creative and nice. They brought 4 screens and let guests choose which artwork they wanted and where to place it. Most popular style? Strategically placed boobie cupcakes. They also printed a cuppie onto Hunter’s tie so he was the most stylin’ (and sweet) hubby in the room. I smell a new wedding trend… how dope would it be to go to a friend’s wedding and get a cool tie or t-shirt as a favor?
Guerilla fashion.
Gives new meaning to the nickname "sweet tits"
Then of course, we had the amazing, the radical badical, the ever-jamtastic Flashdance DJ spinning beats all night. I can’t count how many compliments we got on the DJ that night, and it just proved once again, that Michael is the only DJ for us. As Hunter so eloquently put it during our (spastic and ineloquent thank you’s) when recalling the time I sprained my ankle dancing my face off at our wedding – “Michael is the only man who ever hurt my wife, and I thanked him for it”. Not only a totally genius musical ninja, but a good friend that I love partying with whether its over beers at a neighborhood haunt, or in a room with 400 caked-up revelers.
Spinning beats like a freak!
And my favorite entertainment moment of the evening, when after our thank you’s, Hunter and our friend K.U. performed a rap they had composed especially for the occasion, surprising everyone in attendance and showing off their mad skillz. There are few things sexier than a husband who writes raps for his wife, I’ll tell ya…. I love to watch him perform!
"Rock your Broke-Ass"
I really have to give it up to Beth Helmstetter, without who’s planning prowess and flawless execution of the evening, we’d have been utterly lost. She brought some amazing ideas to the table, and made our vision for the evening come to life in unexpected and wonderful ways. I can’t imagine doing it without her, she was a lifesaver of awesomeness.
We also want to give major props to our sponsors The Bride & Bloom magazine and NTA Talent. Without their support and generosity, none of this would have been possible. We are so proud to have had them be such a major part of the evening – and loved getting to celebrate all together!
All in all, it was a totally memorable and unique event, and so nice to get to host all our friends with fun and interactive elements, lots of delicious food and drink, and all the broke-ass love in our hearts.
Broke-Ass Headquarters has been all a flurry prepping for the Kick Ass Cake Bash, the launch party for our exclusive Broke-Ass Cake Collection. When launching a cake line with partners like Fantasy Frostings you have to party at full throttle. I mean c’mon, they made J. Lo’s cake, and Jenny from the block knows how to PAARTAY!
We’ve teamed up with some of our favorite and most inspiring colleagues, The Bride and Bloom (one of the best wedding magazines in the world), NTA Talent Agency (representing the top models and talent in L.A. and…moi.) and Beth Helmstetter Events (So you know this party is gonna rock AND look good doing it)
This Tuesday, Beth Helmstetter Events, will be taking our party mojo to the next level, as we dance all night with the hottest DJ in town (the man responsible for Dana spraining her ankle at our wedding) The Flashdance, getting our drink, our groove, and our cake on. With many many maaaany more surprises (ooooh I can’t wait to tell you about the one I’ve been working on).
Here’s how excited one of the hardest working members of our team is:
While we wish we could invite all our readers to Kick some Ass at our kicking Cake Bash, we don’t want the fire warden to shut us down (and he is sure to show up ,’cause the roof is gonna be ON FIRE!!!). You guys are our favorites, and it is important to us to pull back that velvet rope and have you walk the red carpet. So we are giving away 10 tickets! 5 Pairs of 2.
How do I enter?
Dana and I love T-shirts. So if you were making a t-shirt for either The Kick Ass Cake Bash, The Broke-Ass Bride or Fantasy Frostings what would it say?
1) Tweet your funniest, witty or matter- of-fact T-shirt phrases with the hashtag #KickAssCakeBash
2) email us your funniest, witty or matter of fact T-shirt phrases to info@brokeassbride.com
You can submit one entry a day via email, but on Twitter as long as each entry is original, you can enter as many times as you want. So bring the funny and get ready to bring the party. ‘Cause we’re gonna have FUUUUN!!!
Contest ends at 5pm Monday! Winners will be notified shortly after.
P.S. If you are already coming, we still want to see your brilliant T-shirt sayings
Being able to negotiate is a sure sign of bridal bad-assery, but its something that scares the jeebus out of most of us. It took me years of fear, trial and error to get as comfortable as I am now. But its an essential life skill that has treated me quite rightly, but not everyone knows where to start for themselves, so I’m spreading the wealth (cuz that’s how I do!). It took baby steps and several years of practice, but starting small, I began to conquer the fear and eventually, came to enjoy the art. I’m now proud to say I take the helm in almost all of our negotiations—wedding or otherwise. I’m hard core!
In my research, I’ve noticed that many bridal resources encourage negotiation, but few offer solid suggestions on how to best approach the game, and being able to hold your own in negotiation is the gift that keeps on giving. I want you brides to feel empowered to fight for what you want, so I’m sharing some of my best tricks for handling the mighty task of haggling.
Many ladies are intimidated by the thought of negotiating, but a bride in charge of “wearing the pants” (if you’ll pardon the antiquated phrase) has one of three possible effects: 1. It commands respect 2. It serves as a disarming distraction, or 3. It doesn’t faze the vendor at all. None of those reactions put you at risk, so just suck it up and try. Now, let’s be straight. I’m not talking about pushy bridezilla pants. I’m talking about respectful, savvy negotiator pants. Trust me ladies, they’re much more flattering on you.
The key principle I operate upon in many life situations, is one my parents taught me growing up: It never hurts to ask. The worst they could say is no, right? But they might just surprise you with a yes…and wouldn’t you rather be sure than miss an opportunity due to insecurity? This is the hallmark of my approach to negotiation.
If above is the entree to a negotiation, it is crucial to have a good side dish: Ask nicely. It will make or break your deal. People like to help nice people. They may not reciprocate. They might even act like you’ll be lucky if they deign to accept your booking, but don’t be distracted by their style. Always keep cool and positive.
But I’m not talking about acting nice. People can smell that a mile away. Treat them more as a potential friend than a business deal. Get to know them a bit and relate to them on a human level. Be genuine. Its something that rarely happens in business transactions these days, and that’s whack. A good relationship may make them more inclined to have a vested interest in your business. This isn’t about manipulation, its about being open. After all, wouldn’t you rather have a friend at your wedding than just another vendor? I’ve come to learn some really cool things about the people I’m working with—and I loved feeling such camaraderie with my vendors.
Now listen. Don’t be afraid to speak on their level. Show them that you know your stuff. While there’s no guarantee they’ll respect your knowledge, at least they’ll know better than to try pulling the wool over your eyes, which will save you both time and effort. Great expectations yield great results, so be confident and it will inspire confidence in you.
The best way to get comfortable with speaking on their level is to know your product or service inside and out. Research which companies are in your budget range, and evaluate which are most likely to be a good negotiation candidate for your situation. Keep in mind:
What’s your wedding date? Are they in high demand during that season/on that day of the week? Or are you in off season/on an off day? Are you flexible on the date?
Are they a promising new company, talented small business or an industry star? Do they need to build a portfolio, or can they afford to be picky?
What reviews can you find about the customer service and employees? What’s your experience with them (ie: response time, friendliness)?
What similar companies are out there, and what are their prices? Try to seek out any specials or discount offers you can find, from all competing vendors in your area.
Know everything possible about what you want and what it’s worth, and then determine your bottom line. Know both your “dream price” and your absolute maximum, be armed with specifics. Sometimes competitive company statistics win the battle. Let them know that they’re your first choice, and ask if they’ll beat competitors’ pricing.
Another tactic: simply make an offer. Even if a company advertises a specific price, they may respond to fair and respectfully made offers. Even my high-end wedding photographer is starting a name our own price option for some couples! This is especially common among smaller and newer companies with a need to build a portfolio or word-of-mouth, or made more likely depending on the specs of your event. But, remember to be fair. Be aware and respectful of the value of their expertise, talent, time, goods and overhead. A good approach is: “This is what I need for my event, and this is my budget for this item. I’d love to work with your company because of (insert flattering but honest reason here), and I hope we can work something out.” You’re really just opening a dialogue!
Now this one is the battleship of my bargain army: Barter. Whenever possible, offer something in exchange for a discount. Play to your strengths. What can you do well for people? What service can you provide? Anything from cleaning their office/studio to a trade of service like marketing or graphic design could be appropriate, depending on the company. Try and identify any needs they have, and politely offer your assistance in exchange for a discount or full trade. I did work-trade for my dream wedding dress, by doing invoicing and fabric cutting for the designer in my spare time… major win!
So, c’mon ladies – start small…but be brave. After all, the worst they can say is no, right? Trust me, if you approach with preparation, openness and confidence on your side—you can be one bad-ass negotiator—and experience the empowerment of getting what you want at a price you can afford.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this post – more tips, and pitfalls to avoid!
My partner and I are both college students so we are trying to stay as cheap as possible. Plus I don’t see the point in wasting all that paper…Do you think it’s inappropriate to send out postcard wedding invites?
Sure, why not? Sure, your Aunt Edna may scoff at it, but guess what? IT AIN’T HER WEDDING – its yours! You can do what you like
I knew a couple who sent adorable postcard invites! They did their own version of the ipod ads with their silhouettes and white headphone cords on the front, and the back was set up like an iPhone screen with the relevant info and their wedding website address. I loved it!
How did you develop your writing style and blog sense?
I was born with it, yo! *wink*
I basically write like I talk, but smarter and funnier (I hope). And ballsier. I write my best self, the one I’m sometimes shy to share in person (but I’m working on it!). Does that make sense? Its all authentically me, though. All Dana, all the time
I developed my blog sense by drinking in as much bloggy goodness as possible. I saw what others did and I learned from it. From the successes and failures I see in other blogs. And I still am doing it, I never stop learning, plotting, revising, etc. Its a lot of trial and error. Lots of firing bullets with one hand over my eyes. Sometimes I fail, and try again. Sometimes I win! (I like winning).
If you’re trying to find your own voice, I have two pieces of advice:
1. Be yourself. Authentically, genuinely you. No one does it better
2. Write write and write some more. The more you do, the more you’ll find your voice and the courage to let it sing loud and proud!
What was your favorite wedding accessory?
My fly-ass husband, yo!
Ok, I know that’s not what you were looking for, but its the truth
I loved my dress more than words can tell. But I also loved my headpiece and earrings, my shrug, my bouquet and my shoes a whole lot. BUT the wifey pimp cup? That one was balls out awesome.
In conclusion, while everything I wore made my heart sing, my husband was the best accessory of all.
How do you slow down and find balance on days that feel just completely overwhelming? What do you do to cope and take control again?
GREAT question! And one that I still haven’t perfected the answer to… yet.
When I am completely overwhelmed and I feel like I’m drowning, the following things help:
1. Make a list of all there is to do
2. Prioritize it as much as I can
3. Do the 2 easiest things just to be able to cross them off. Even if #1 is “make a list”
Other great things that help me:
1. Take a 10 minute break and get away from my desk. Outside if possible. Even if I feel I don’t have the time to spare, just getting fresh air and a change of scenery can really help with my mindset.
2. Changing up my music. Something productive and happy can help me shift my perspective.
3. List 10 things I’m grateful for (especially good for when overwhelmed = blue)
4. Take a day off. I know a day off for a business owner is pretty different from that of a 9-5er, but just gifting myself with the time and freedom to see a movie or have girlfriend time over a manicure can really improve my mental health.
5. Exercise. Again, I never feel like I have time. But even just 20 minutes for the Shred can really clear my head and make me feel in control of myself again.
6. Ask for help. Hunter helps me so much, and I’d be lost without him. But asking for help is sometimes the last thing that occurs to me when I’m stressed! Go fig…
Hope this helps! Good luck!
What is the recipe of your most favorite healthy meal to cook at home?
Oh, man – there are so many, and yet, most of them are originals without recipes. We’re the kind of cooks who throw something together based on what’s around, usually.
But, I happen to LOVE this easy, peas-y soup. Its a snap to make, super healthy, and leaves guests wowed:
Chilled, Minted Pea Soup!
*3 cups frozen green peas
*2 cups vegetable stock
*handful of fresh mint leaves
*salt/pepper to taste
*juice of 1/2 lemon or lime (optional)
Put all the ingredients into your blender, hit GO, and let it all be pureed into a delicious delight. If you’re feeling extra fancy, strain it, but its good either way.
Garnish with a few mint leaves and a dollop of creme fraiche (if you’re extra fancy), throw a hunk of crusty bread with some olive oil on the side, and enjoy the flavor party in your mouth!
Your ability to put yourself out there is very inspiring. What is your biggest motivator?
Desperation. Seriously. Pretty simple.
I’m DESPERATE to give myself the gift of the life I’ve always dreamt of. Desperate to get out of my dayjob doldrums. Desperate to be creative for a living. To be heard. To get out of debt. To be fulfilled. To make a difference. To inspire others. TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
I can’t tolerate the alternative of always wondering “What if?”, so I use all of that desperation and turn it into motivation to take the bull by the horns and lay my balls on the table to make it happen. Life is for living!
Don’t get me wrong. Its scary as hell. I get butterflies in my stomach. I get nauseous with fear. I procrastinate. I fret. I cry. But at the end of the day, I push myself to do the scary things because that’s when change happens. I go to sleep proud, because I didn’t let the fear paralyze me. Instead, I made it work for me. I took control. Whether I win or lose the goal I’m working toward, I always win the self-respect that comes with trying as hard as I can… balls to the walls.
At first it felt like pretend. I was ACTING brave, but it felt like a mask. But over the years I’ve realized it was always in me… I just needed to exercise that muscle and welcome it in. Now I can’t see myself living any other way!
I see friends and colleagues stuck. Inert. Stagnate. And they’re miserable. But they don’t do anything. They don’t affect change because they’re too busy waiting for life to happen to them. It makes me so sad, because I’ve been there too. I just want to shake them awake and help them. But people can’t be helped unless they’re ready to help themselves. That lesson, I’m still learning.
I spent 25 years waiting for life to happen to me. I’ve always been ballsy and took risks, but only sometimes and always in soulquaking fear. In opposition, I spent many years paralyzed in self-doubt, fear, and misery… hoping for something to change. Little did I know what needed changing was my attitude! I try to look back on those times with gentle eyes, and see how going through that helped me build up what I needed to turn around…. but I also look back on that time as life lost. And that burns.
So I resolved to actively participate in the change of my life, and every day I step into and through my fear to reach that goal. Because I’m absolutely desperate to make it happen.
When we left off…. I was just arriving at the ceremony site, along with the ladies of my bridal party. We took off our shoes before ascending the stairs, as was tradition at the Shumei Center, in whose Hollywood garden we had our ceremony.
I knew the time had come, and all I wanted was to peer out the upstairs window at the guests gathering, but I was quarantined upstairs so as to avoid being spotted by Hunter. We hid out in a spare room, and waited, all a-buzz with bridal delight.
Ta-Dizzle!
Our dear friends own a company specializing in tea, accessories, and gourmet goods called Algabar (in whose former shop I worked for years) which also offers marvelous tea-inspired catering as Fete du The. As a wedding gift to us, they offered to serve a ceremony refreshment, and we loved the idea!
They served our favorite tea cocktail that they had invented, The Mrs. Palmer: a lavender-infused lemonade blended with earl grey and lavender tea, (with an option to spike with vodka), and sweetened with lavender syrup. As soon as we got upstairs, I was all… “someone get this bride a drink!” Just one… to take the edge off. Hey, I may be an actress – but standing in front of everyone without a character to hide behind, is still intimidating. And, I was about to get freaking married!
wetting my wedding whistle
Our friends served the drinks in mason jars that I BrideShared with a bride I met on the indiebride kvetch forum, at a table off to the side of the ceremony seating. The guests later gushed about how much they loved and appreciated the tasty drinks.
Then of course, thanks to my drink and the nerves, I had to pee. Now, I am posting this out of love for you readers, and because I keeps it real. But you gotta know, it probably will happen to you. And you’ll need help. That’s what your maid of honor is for. That’s what sisters are for. So, ladies and gentleman (that’s you, dad)… I give you, The Broke-Ass Bride at her very finest!
It happens to the best of us...
I just had to post this picture because MaPo took it and I love it. (and in the hopes it will help you forget the previous photo)
Next thing I knew, Sharlene our intrepid DOC, was upstairs telling the ladies it was time to line up for the processional. I quickly rallied the troops for some last-minute wall pushups to get strong and make ourselves feel ultra bad-ass.
for last minute toning...
And it was time to go! I took a moment to be alone upstairs after the girls left, to breathe, to give myself a moment. I gave myself a “be present” pep talk and felt a HUGE smile creep across my face. I was nervous, but mostly just excited and calm and steady and ready.
I could hear the processional music beginning, and I knew that everyone was lined up downstairs, ready to walk that aisle before me. That my father was waiting to walk with me on that path. That the garden would be full of my favorite faces and most beloved friends and family. I knew at the end of that aisle stood my husband.
Hang onto your socks, peeps. My girl Kat from Rock n Roll Bride is bringing the pretty (and smart) today! Give her a warm welcome!
___________________
When Dana asked me to write a little something for you Broke-Ass Bride readers I thought what could be a better opportunity than to go through the blogging archives and dig out my all time favourite budget-wise, DIY kick ass wedding awesomeness to share? I think us bloggers, who’ve been engrossed in all things wedding for quite a while now, might sometimes forget that not everyone will have seen everything we have – and that’s shocking – terrible almost. These weddings need to be seen and appreciated!
So I got my thinking hat on and decided that the best way to share these weddings in all their glory was to ask the people behind them to share their secrets, tip and tricks, ideas which made their weddings great. So behold, 5 of my favourite budget conscious, diy weddings from the last few years.
♥ Jose & Dani’s wedding sent me through the roof with excitement when I first laid eyes on it. The retro styling, the over the top excitement and the rockabilly pink hair! But just how did they make it all happen?
Jose & I wanted to make our wedding very “us,” while the super-thrifty gal in me wanted to do it as inexpensively as possible. Our beach ceremony was free, and the beautiful scenery needed no decoration. I created our save-the-dates and invitations myself using Photoshop. My crafty mom made my veil, boutonnieres, and a carnival banner. My dad’s eighteen piece swing band played and many of the members played for just a meal. Our amazing photographer, a photo student at my university, was found through craigslist.
♥ Abigail & Michael’s wedding was so gorgeous I couldn’t wait to blog it. The sparkles sent me crazy! Completely different to Jose & Dani’s but just as inspiring!
I have always been a thrifty girl so when my now husband proposed the second-hand inclined wheels of my brain immediately starting turning. I knew I wanted a unique wedding that wouldn’t break the bank. Sure, we splurged on several elements of our big day, but we would not have been able to do so had we gone the traditional wedding budget route. We mixed almost all of the traditional delegated expenses and hopped on the do-it-yourself train. Traditional florists can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars for arrangements and bouquets so we nixed them and opted for wholesale potted plants and pumpkins. We made bouquets and boutonnières from store bought flowers purchased the day before. Our centrepieces were mismatched collections of vases, flowers and spray painted pumpkins instead of large expensive arrangements. Decorations were mostly crafted, from thrift stores or stalked until they were retired tosale racks. Planning and time is key to a thrifty wedding. With a few strokes of the keyboard you can easily find a tutorial teaching you how to do something you might pay someone else loads of money to do.We also saved money by catering our own wedding with the help of many friends. One of my cousins is a DJ so we used his equipment along with a playlist I made for our music. I bought my $470 dress at a non-bridal dress store saving tons of money and I made my veil from a vintage headpiece my Mother once wore. By saving on all of these elements were able to splurge on some unforgettable elements like our fabulous photographer and the photo booth we used for favors and entertainment. It was a lot of work but in the end it was definitely worth it.
♥ Rhiannon & Ben’s British wedding was one of the first I saw when planning my own wedding that I got the green eyed monster over! I just wished I was as creative and full of brilliant ideas! Rhiannon and I have since become great friends and often meet up for a coffee and to discuss all things wedding (she continued her wedding obsession by starting her own stationary company – Under the Cherry Moon).
Looking back, planning our wedding was a total labour of love. We had a comparatively small budget (£12k), 90 guests, 30 kids, all needing accommodation. A certain amount of pressure to be traditional, to live up to expectations of previous weddings of family and friends. All wrapped up within our overwhelming desire to have a fun wedding reflective of our tastes and style. What’s a girl to do? D.I.Y.
I bought reams of cheap card and designed, printed and cut out all of our stationery and paper goods at home. We made gift bags for each hotel room, with a weekend itinerary, snacks, water, painkillers… The men wore their own suits and added ties we’d got them. I made fascinators for the maids, and their dresses came from TK Maxx at £20 each. Bags stuffed with games amused the kids for hours, and they all loved the wedding activity book I designed for them. We bought lasting rose bushes as gifts for the mums, gave silly prizes for a golf competition, opened the floor for speeches, had a tower of French Fancies. Husband even made a ring pillow with some previously hidden sewing machine skills. It was a blast, and it was us.
♥ What I loved the moss about Katie & Clinton’s wedding was not only all the quirky details and the pure passion and individuality that had gone into it, but it was the photography. Isn’t it fantastic?
Our wedding was completely & totally us. We are both artists & wanted to put our special touches on everything. We DIYed as much as we could from the invites to the centre-pieces. We had many homemade touches including gingham ribbons & table overlays & sweet little pillows & fabric touches everywhere. My mother & mother in law did all of the sewing for those. My husband Clinton is a glass blower, so we had blown glass flowers as favors, and from me, photo stickers and temporary tattoos with our name & date on them. Lots of photo touches everywhere including polaroid table number & photo paper dolls of us. I wore my mother’s wedding dress from 1976, although we did alter it some to make it a bit more modern. My mother was so flattered that I would want too wear her dress, so it was very special to us both. I am a photographer and an art teacher so of course we had to have an arts & craft table & a photo booth. Hula Hoops, Badminton and bubbles were fun for everyone as was the local jazz band that we hired because they were a fantastic real jazz band, not a wedding cover band. But the very very best part of our wedding was the love & support we felt surrounded by everyone and our beautiful Buddhist ceremony where I couldn’t take my eyes off my husband. This was our day.
♥ Meegan & Jean-Louis’ wedding was certainly one with a difference! The couple shocked their friends and family by turning their engagement party into their wedding! No one knew that they had planned this all along!
I am a hair stylist so I see quite a few brides a year- lucky for me I have been inspired by the incredible strong women in my life and in my chair daily! I think the most budget conscious thing I did while planning our wedding was keeping my husband to be in mind – He wanted to get married not spend a year of his life watching me freak out over all the “to do’s” of planning a wedding. By the way we planned our wedding in 3 months…it can be done!!! So we kept it simple and straight forward; questioning every tradition and idea making sure that what we did on our day was for us (not because a bride magazine told us to do so…)
So let’s be honest being on a budget sucks and it makes everything really difficult…on the flip side of that it forced me to remain inspired and creative through the whole process. We shopped around for the cheapest everything and when “it” was too much we went back to the drawing board to think of a different way to do it. Here are some $ saving examples: The wedding was in a back yard, we used a simple card stock invitation, our cake tasted better than it looked (it was smooth white frosting 3 tiers with a cake topper-no fancy creations!), buffet style Italian food made by my dad (he’s an amazing cook), the centre-pieces were home made by a friend, my grandma, mother-in-law, my husband and myself…we got the flowers at a wholesale flower shop and I must say not only was it fun to do but they looked amazing (huge savings!)-my bouquet was made by a professional but I made my brides maids bouquets, my dress was on the cheaper side of the dress prices and my jewellery was my moms. The areas we spent the doe in are the areas that really matter like the photographer, the open bar and the staff. My guests gave me amazing feed back because it was relaxed, inspired and just slightly out of the box. Our wedding was amazing and we could do it 1000 different ways but I am so grateful that we are not in debt over it! So to the budget bride: don’t worry if you can’t afford your initials on the cocktail napkins, nobody cares anyway…
♥ You might remember Hannah & Landon if you’ve been wedding obsessed (like me) for a while now. Their wedding made waves all over blog-land mainly because people were trying to work out if there wedding was a recent one or if their shots were dug out from the 1970s. Their simple boat wedding is definitely one of my all time favorites.
Our wedding was tossed together in three weeks. Initially we had planned on a private exchange of vows with just our parents present and having a big friend filled party on our first anniversary. I think it started heading in a different direction when we were shopping for shoes (which proved fruitless and we ended up barefoot) and I had a swooning moment when I realized that I would need a lady friend present at this ceremony and so Landon decided he would need his best friend and his best friend would come with his girlfriend and mine with her significant other. After that we just started inviting friends that we’d bump into that week and it slowly grew into the intimate and wonderful gathering that it was. My dress I drew out and brought to a friend of mine that sewed beautiful and delicate garments (sadly she is no longer working on her sewing projects but has moved on to something equally delightful and a great deal more delicious – cooking!) she did a magnificent job even adding “something old” – glass buttons that belonged to her grandmum. Landon had his white vintage suit altered to fit and borrowed a pink button-up from a local vintage store that we were chummy with. After a beautiful sunny ceremony on the beach we all hopped aboard a lovely yacht (courtesy of my Dad) and watched the sunset from the sea, enjoyed delicious beverages, salmon and cupcakes and jams from our laptop on the top deck. At the end of the night instead of tossing my bouquet I took it apart and gave flowers to all my beautiful lads and ladies. It was a truly magical (and with the exception of the yacht cheap) day and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it!
As Wendy puts it:
“After reading all the entries, I narrowed it down to an awesome 7 ladies. I had some lovely people help me vote for their favorite out of my seven and wa-lah! Yesenia was the popular choice! Congratulations! I look forward to meeting and working with you!
To all the other brides, we would still love to work with you! If you contact us within the month of January and book us we’ll offer you a “broke-ass” discount! Contact us @ wendy@justwenderful.com”
Congrats Yesenia! You’re in good hands, now! Please email Wendy to claim your prize.
My awesome future sister-in-law is launching a wonderful new service for Chicago-area brides – one that I wish I’d had access to while planning, a million times over! Check it out:Harmonious Brides is hosting a bridal support workshop at Flourish Studios in Chicago on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Many couples became engaged this holiday season, and many new brides will struggle with the feelings and responsibilities engagement and the impending marriage bring. The Harmonious Brides Workshop focuses on supporting women during the engagement period in ways that their friends, families, and fiancés can’t.
Photographers and DJs abound in the Chicago area, but until now there has been little in the way of emotional support for brides. Conflict resolution, emotional turmoil, and wedding-day chaos are featured topics in this one-of-a-kind workshop. Harmonious Brides is committed to using creative and solution-focused approaches in a supportive and comfortable atmosphere. This workshop helps brides develop the skills they need to overcome the emotional issues associated with marriage preparation.
“The planning, the organization, the family dynamics–you never realize just how stressful getting married is until you’re right in the middle of it. Harmonious Brides knows what you’re going through and puts the magic back by providing invaluable pre-marriage and wedding day support services.” – Stephanie, just married
New brides finally have access to the guidance to build a solid emotional foundation. Register now for this unique Bridal Support Workshop provided by Harmonious Brides on February 20th at Flourish Studios in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.
Harmonious Brides offers a variety of wedding and engagement-related services. We believe in the importance of supporting brides and their loved ones in several key areas of the marital process, including emotional exploration and resolution, functional skills building, and organization and coordination strategies. We provide one-day bridal support workshops, short- and long-term counseling for individuals, couples, and groups, and wedding-day coordination services. In addition, our website offers access to an online forum for brides-to-be. http://www.harmoniousbrides.com
So, what are you waiting for? Go get your harmony on!
It had been a year since I first tried on my dress, an ill-fitting runway sample that still made me feel like some bridal angel from heaven. I spent hours daydreaming about it over the year, sneaking peeks at the sample in Deborah’s studio during my work-trade hours, or using it as motivation to sweat my back fat off. Putting it on was the holy grail of my pre-ceremony prep, and I was dizzily giddy with glee when the time came to step into that swathe of frothy, creamy, lacy confection.
Even though Deborah (my fairy godmother/dress designer) was there to help me change, I didn’t want my mom or maid of honor to miss out on their part in the dressing honor. So I invited them up to get me started….
My mom and MOH as Cinderella's little birdies
Make. Me. PRETTY!
I have a tendency to let adrenaline and excitement overwhelm and keep me from really being present in a moment, so as often as possible throughout the day, I’d try to quiet down and let the moments really sink in, instead of merely washing over me.
Feelin' it.
But, on the real, it was hard to keep from bursting the seams of my joy every minute.
Deb stepped in to lace me up….
My sister is looking so perplexed!
I just kept looking down at the gown, in awe of it all.
Then it was time to tie my sash…
My paparazzi moment.
Like a perfect present.
We almost forgot my garter! A few years back, Hunter caught the garter at my sister Kim’s wedding, so we thought it would be fun to use it as a “something borrowed”
Momma, your leg smells like bride!
How does it look?
Fashion tape time! Ah, how innocent I was, how badly it let me down.
Got some sassy glitter to decorate my decolletage!
My girls need some glitter!
I took a last look before running out the door…
Is my halo on straight?
Back fat check! All clear!
…..and it was time to roll! We all piled into a van and headed towards the ceremony site, feeling high on happiness and full of joyous anticipation. My vows in hand, I looked down at the words I was getting ready to utter, and remembered to switch my engagement ring over to my right hand, as something different would soon be taking its place. I was off to be married. I was on my way to the arms of my husband.
