Posts in the 'Contributors' Category
September 3rd, 2010 by liz
Oh, I know how it goes. You’re on a budget – a strict budget. And finding vendors, especially the triumvirate – your venue, catering and photographer - can be frustrating. You can spend a lot of weekends searching and meeting and pricing and at some point, you may think to yourself: screw it, I’m just going to go with this place/vendor because I just don’t want to look any more. Even though it’s thousands of dollars over our budget, we’ll make it work. Somehow.
Wow, think how pretty this centerpiece would be at half the size!
NO. Giving up is not an option, you just have to think about it differently. Seriously, even if it doesn’t feel like you have time, you actually do, so let time take the place of money. One more hour-long online research session or $1,000? One more weekend or $5,000? I think we all known the right answers. But don’t set yourself up, either. The wedding site that starts at $100 per person is not going to chop their rates in half for you. Stay away from couture gowns unless you’re willing to go pre-owned. Steak and lobster are expensive if you’re not having your wedding in Mexico. If you have to save money, stay away from these options. It’s the same reason I avoid the shoe section in Macys – the heart covets what the eye sees. Take a deep breath, take a break, scream out loud and stomp your feet if you have to, then ask around and use the resources you have to find the resources you need. It’s not true that what you’re looking for isn’t possible or available, you just haven’t found it, yet. And the last vendor you met with is not the last choice that you have.
Turn away from the light! Specifically, lights like this one, they're expensive.
In a way, it’s a lot like dieting. The Wedding Stuff is gorgeous, you KNOW it’s going to taste great, but it’s not going to help you reach your goal. As a matter fact, it’s going to send you careening in the opposite direction. I’m not the girl telling you that it’s always going to be easy. But as Dumbledore would say, wedding planning can often be a choice between what is easy, and what is right. Or in this case, right for you and your bank account. And you are going to feel like such a rock star at the end of the day, guaranteed.
Letting time take the place of money should extend past your Big Three picks, too. I’m not just talking about DIY, I’m talking about sitting down with your other vendors, actual and potential, and figuring out how to cut costs. You can get invite kits at Target or Michael’s, or you can ask about cheaper options in an email to online vendors or ask at the stationery store. Just because it’s not in front of the store on the home page, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Go for the massive centerpieces, or ask how you can get comparable pretty for a lower price? One hour of your life (plus travel, maybe) vs $500 (plus postage!). Again, you know the answer to that one, too. Less flowers, more candles? Printing instead of calligraphy? Make your own favors or do away with them all together? What can you pick up and deliver yourself? And since it’s your money, or even your family’s money, don’t worry about what other people think.
Take the time and save the money! So, how have you let time take the place of money? Or do you have any questions about how to go about doing that with your wedding?
This Week’s Wedding Deals:
Courtesy of Etsy.com
Oooh, Etsy. I should stay away from that site just like I stay away from that site, but every week they get more and more of my money. This week, they’re rocking the birdcage veils, starting for as little at $20, like this one. You’re welcome!
Wedding Chicks and Green Bride Guide are teaming up to give one lucky reader a $300 shopping spree. Green Bride Guide is one of the most comprehensive and credible resource for eco-friendly wedding ideas, products and services. Just go their online store, pick out a few of your favorite items, and leave a comment about them on this post on Wedding Chicks. The winner will be picked next Thursday, September 9th.
And if that’s not enough, Green Bride Guide also has a coupon code that’s good for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more. Just Type in “10OFF50″ at checkout.
For real, for serious, you need to sign up for the Broke-Ass Brigade newsletter. It’s finally about to launch and it promises to be jam packed with hella awesome deals, squeals, and steals… and its going to be the exclusive way to get them. So sign up, why dontcha?
See you at the end of the aisle, and enjoy the long weekend,
September 2nd, 2010 by maddie
This week’s wedding inspiration comes in flashback form…..straight from the roaring twenties! One of my favorite novels in High School was “The Great Gatsby” and ever since reading about the fabulous parties in the book, I can’t help but imagine how diving a twenties themed wedding would be. Jazz bands, canapes, champagne fountains….doesn’t it sound beyond fabu?! I think so.
I’m having a passionate love affair with that divine sparkly dress right there! I love love love it!
Find the sequin dress here the ruffle dress here Find the wine colored dress here. The best part? All of these dresses are under 100 bucks! SCORE. Big time, yo! The black jewels are from Kenneth Jay Lane for $150 and the other jewelry and shoes can be found on net-a-porter. (Except for the pink shoes that can be found here for $170!)
This vintage engagement ring is TO DIE FOR! It’s from Fay Cullen and it is divine!
I imagine a party with a jazz band under a huge white tent would be simply spectacular for this event. Plenty of florals like gardenias and lilies to grace the tables would look fabulous too! One easy way to decorate would be to use vintage photographs from the nineteen twenties to place on the tables or hang on the walls like the one below.
Use vintage photographs like this to decorate your space. It’s cheap and easy!
Also, I had to post the two pictures of Katy Perry and Drew Barrymore because their 20’s style hairdo’s are simply stunning! Try out some vintage jewels in your pin curled hair and dark dramatic makeup to make your look complete!
Love this hair style!
Red lips and charcoal eyes hidden by a bird cage veil
create the perfect 20’s style!
What is your favorite era? Will you be incorporating it into your wedding?
August 31st, 2010 by Britt
If you’re engaged, you’ve probably made, or attempted to make, what we here in the wedding industry call a wedding “Inspiration Board.” An inspiration board is a mix of images that reflect what you desire your wedding to look and feel like, and what elements you want to incorporate into it.
The first board I ever made incorporated a host of images that matched exactly what I wanted our wedding to look like — or at least what I thought I wanted it to look like. I had the beautifully dressed banquet tables… with perfect lanterns… and DIY decor that looks entirely too professional to be DIY that I could actually recreate. I also included the dress I thought I wanted… and the giant hair flower that I tried to convince myself would look good on me… BUT in the end, this board gave me more frustration than inspiration. There was no way I could have recreated such perfection, and it kind of drove me nuts thinking that I could. Here’s the first board I ever made:
Britt Inspiration Board #1
image sources: oncewed, watters, weddingbee, joetheguitarman, foldingtrees
After I realized I couldn’t possibly make our wedding look like this board, I made another one. One that was more eclectic… one with more of a loose color scheme… one that inspired ‘look and feeling’ as opposed to total re-creation. One that I made out of magazine clippings instead of images I found on bride blogs. Check it out:
Britt Inspiration Board #2
However, even though I connected more with this board than the previous one, I still didn’t know how the inspiration would manifest in our wedding. I would look at this board and think, “ooo pretty, but what exactly am I getting from this?” And the answer was always, “nothing much. Well, maybe in terms of color scheme? Sure…”
In the end, I stopped looking at and making inspiration boards many months before the wedding. Instead, I turned my attention to the venue and based my decor decisions on the vibe of the physical space, and on what we were actually capable of achieving. That’s when I decided to scrap a strict color scheme and just let it ride. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted it to look as cohesive as possible, but we didn’t have the funds, the talent, or the patience to completely back that desire. But it was a great feeling to finally let go of the inspiration board parameters. It was then and only then that I could let our true personalities shine… and the results were better than I could have ever imagined… turns out I needed to follow my own “Just be You” advice and let our wedding reflect who we are and what we love — even if who we are and what we love isn’t the picture of matched perfection, or doesn’t showcase Martha Stewart-quality DIY.
So if you are having trouble sticking to your initial inspiration board, take a look at an inspiration board I made from the actual pictures from our wedding and from the elements that we incorporated. How do you think these boards compare? Personally, I much prefer the board from our actual wedding. The first two are pretty, but this one screams US. And who doesn’t want the most personal day of their lives to reflect them? So if you are having similar troubles with recreating your wedding inspiration board, I’m here to tell you it’s okay to let go and and above all, just be you!
Britt Inspiration Board #3: Our Actual Wedding
How many inspirations boards have you created? Did your actual wedding look anything like the inspiration board you initially created? If not, how did it change and why?
August 27th, 2010 by liz
Ah, the end of summer is fast approaching. On my blog this summer, I started listing all the cool wedding pics, accessories, cakes, what have you that I found online… pretty much anything that made me squee out loud. Just in case you missed them, here’s a few of this year’s faves:
When Zombies Attack...Your Wedding
I’m just saying, I want a man who will stand back to back with me against an army of zombies, even if I was the one who had to bring the chainsaws. Luckily, that man is in my house right now. And the chainsaws? Are in the garage.
Yeah. That's it.
When I saw this, my first thought was, “Groom’s Cake!” My second thought was “Breakfast.” Whatever you’d want it for, it’s all awesome.
All it needs are the balloons...
Oh, you know you cried through the opening montage of UP, too. Some lovely man did one better and had a model of the house in the move made into a ring box to propose to his fiancee. Do you think she can ever get mad at him, again?
Useful and YUMMY.
In these eco-concious and health-conscious days that we live in, these are the perfect wedding placecards. And they’re almost as easy to make as they look.
Soft, fuzzy and out-of the box. Everything a wedding bouquet should be. (Courtesy of the Duck Collective)
This is another one of those ideas that makes me want to have a re-commitment ceremony some day, because this is totally the bouquet I would have. Or this one, courtesy of Martha Stewart (of course):
Smile, your wedding is going to rock!
And this one? This one just makes me smile. Molly Ann, the photographer, is known for her cool wedding ring pics. This is my all-time favorite one.
So, what are the coolest wedding things you’ve seen out there? And seriously, how about that donut cake, huh?
This Week’s Wedding Deals:
Heads up if you’re in Los Angeles this weekend – Encore Bridal is having a sample sale. Get the most beautiful designer and couture bridal gowns, jewelry and accessories at up to 60% off.
There’s a new wedding reality show coming to town, and they’re looking for brides this fall. The CW and the creators and producers of “THE BIGGEST LOSER” have come together to give one lucky couple their dream wedding. With help from fitness experts, couples will compete in weekly challenges to shed those extra pounds on the way to the end of the aisle. So, if you and your fiance must want to lose between 50-100 lbs each, Please send pictures of the both of you to Lisette Pinnon at castingtoshed@gmail.com along with a brief description of yourselves and what you want for your dream wedding. Be creative – theme weddings are a plus!
Brooke Fitts of Brookelyn Photography, and You + ME* Lifestylists have teamed together for a great contest – readers can win a free photo shoot styled by You+Me. You+Me helps you build those special moments in your life, whether it’s the perfect birthday surprise or dinner party, a fabulous vacation, anything you need that requires just the right combination of pretty things, thoughtful gestures, and personal touches. To enter, just hop over to Brooke’s website and leave a comment on You+Me’s blog, letting them know which of Brooke’s pics is your favorite. The only caveat is that you have to be able to come to New York City between October 4 and 9.
See you at the end of the aisle,
August 25th, 2010 by maddie
When coming up with this week’s wedding inspiration, I decided to pay homage to one of Dana’s favorite TV shows, Mad Men. How cool would that theme be for a wedding?
I looooove the 50’s and the 60’s, and my favorite wedding dress of all time (worn by Jackie O.) is the epitome of everything a wedding dress and wedding should be. Flirty, fun, girly, and above all, classic!
Soooooooooo dreamy!
Perfect wedding attire: ivory gown, satin pumps, red lips, and diamonds and pearls
Have your guests don their vintage attire, cat eye glasses, and sip a Tom Collins on some plastic lawn furniture
Serve up some fun 50’s favorites like Coca-Cola out of glass bottles, jello molds (for centerpieces!), pot roast, a mashed potato bar, and Tom Collins or Old Fashioned cocktails to sip as signature cocktails. Skip the DJ and rent a jukebox for your favorite tunes, or hire an old-school band. Serve up inexpensive homemade punch out of a big bowl, and keep the cake simple and frosted with butter cream! Don’t forget to ride off in a sweet vintage ride, too!
PS – have you seen this dress? Still available, only $695, and to freaking die for! Please buy it. Jeebus cripes.
Are any of you incorporating vintage elements into your wedding? Dish your deets in the comments!
August 24th, 2010 by Britt
Compromising wedding design aesthetics between you and your partner can be tricky. What if your feminine, flirty, vintage personal style doesn’t quite mesh with your future husband’s modern, to-cool-for-school, hip hop personal style? He’s telling you he wouldn’t be caught dead in that vintage bowtie and newsboy cap you have picked out for him. And you’re telling him there’s no way he’s allowed to wear his favorite pair of Nike’s during the ceremony.
Your personal styles may be completely different from one another, but I’m here to tell you that both of you can rock your individual styles during your wedding without being incongruous. Take a look at this board. Every element has its own personality, yet it all meshes together seamlessly.
Let’s start with the fem-flirty side of the wedding. You and your bridesmaids could keep the fem-look alive with your attire. I found a pile of the cutest ballet slippers that would look adorable and girly on the women in your wedding party, while at the same time looking hip. Real ballet shoes will be the new Chucks at weddings. Just you wait and see 
And I don’t care what style of dress your partner likes to see you in, it’s your body and your wedding day, you pick out the dress that you feel beautiful and confident in — even if it’s a tad on the fem-side. Your partner will likely love any dress you choose to wear, just as long as he isn’t made to wear that bowtie and newsboy cap.
As for your guy’s attire… since his style runs more closely to Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock as opposed to Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, I suggest finding him a style guru that he’d actually take advice from… because he’s clearly not listening to what you want him to wear. And that person I will suggest, for this instance only, is Kanye West. The man knows how to rock a unique suit — one with a slight hip hop edge, but one that doesn’t make him look like he just stepped off the Big Pimpin’ yacht in a Jay-z video.
After you have sorted through the design aesthetics you don’t agree on, make a list of the things you do agree on. Let’s say you both want the occasion to be laid back, creative, fun, and a wee bit nerdy… ’cause let’s face it, despite how cool you and future hubby think you are, you know you can’t hide your computer game loving, geeks out for Lord of the Rings, nerdy sides. In fact, why not wear your nerdiness on your sleeve finger, and buy a set of ethernet rings?! You will be virtually connected as long as you both shall live. And maybe your future husband geeks out on music, and wants to be responsible for picking out the DJ, but you don’t have the budget for one. Then suggest that he take up a new hobby: iPod DJing. Believe it or not, there is a dual iPod docking station that actually has crossfaders and transport controls. It’s not quite as tricked out as a real turntable with records and whatnot, but it’s something to consider, especially if you or your partner have interest in amateur DJing and/or saving money on the music played at the wedding while still being cool.
As long as you both are in the mood for a laid back kinda wedding, why not make your catering reflect that mutual desire as well? Food trucks have had emerging popularity at weddings as of late. I had one at my wedding and it was a total hit. So that got me thinking, what about food CARTS? You ever walk out of a concert and see a host of bacon hot dog carts lining the street? If you haven’t, they’re literally carts with little stoves that cook bacon wrapped hot dogs to perfection. Pure deliciousness that’s more than portable. Even our own Broke-Ass Bride hired a taco cart for her e-party. Why not, right? And as long as we’re on street food carts… why not go for a street food-esque type of dessert like a churro cart? We all know that churro carts are one of the top reasons we go to Disneyland anyway, so why not bring a little Disney deliciousness to your wedding guests?
Have you and your partner had to compromise on design aesthetics for your wedding? If so, how have you dealt with it?
Also, I am selling my wedding dress, a veil, and a few hair accessories on my personal blog. If you need any wedding goods, head here to check out the loot!
August 20th, 2010 by liz
Yes, a Friday Wedding in January can be this much fun. (Picture courtesy of B&G Photography)
Ah, the pleasure of having options. By now, you’ve already found out that most wedding venues have off-peak days. They’re less expensive on Fridays and Sundays and less expensive for lunch than for dinner. And there’s off-peak seasons, too. Here In Los Angeles, for instance, winter is usually pretty open. We like outdoor weddings here, and that’s not really something that you can do in the middle of January. And August is not that popular a month in Midwest and Southeast, when the heat is rivaled only by the humidity. This is where air-conditioned indoor venues come in handy.
And you can make your own off-peak wedding day, too. A photographer I worked with a few weeks ago floated the idea of creating your own three day weekend by having your wedding on any given Monday. Your out-of-town guests can fly in on a Saturday or Sunday, have a great time in your city and then fly out on Tuesday, when airfare is generally cheaper. In-towners only need to leave work early to join in the fun. And it’s also another strategy to cut down your guest list, since there are lots of folks who won’t be able to do it, and insures that those who really want to be there will be there. I know, I know, it sounds a little cutthroat, but all’s fair at $79.95 a person!
So, where do you start?
First of all, you need to figure out what “off-peak” means in the city you live in. Any given wedding vendor, from a photographer to a hotel manager, to a florist can tell you that, just like I told you about L.A. Then you need to decide what other parts of “off-peak” you’re comfortable with. If you want to have an outdoor wedding, February in New York is not going to work. Your wedding on a weeknight? Lunch instead of dinner? The last one gives you a little more time at the end of the day to hang with your sweetie and with your friends, but the idea of dancing until dawn has some powerful mojo, too.
From there, start venue shopping, and the usual rules apply. Confirm what their off-peak times are. Start with your budget, cut half of that, let them know that’s what you have to spend on your wedding and reception, and see what they can do.
And your guests. First of all, give them plenty of notice – this is where Save the Dates come in handy. And, there are two tactics you can employ to explain why your wedding is on a Tuesday in the middle of November. The first is a story – I coordinated a wedding on September 21st a few years back, picked because the couple liked the song (Earth, Wind and Fire – “do you remember/the 21st night of September…”). Or, Wednesday, July 14th is Bastille Day. Or you’re having your wedding on Monday to celebrate the first weekday of the rest of your lives, by making everyone take it off. Come up with something fun and/or memorable. The second explanation is the truth, whatever it is. You’re trying to save money, you can’t take the weekend off for some reason, most of your guests are in town, any variation of those. Pick one, stick to it, don’t over explain, tell them that you hope they can make it. Because that’s the truth, too.
So, how did you have an off-peak wedding? Or what do you think of any of the ideas here?
This Week’s Wedding Deals
The Knot is continuing their August sales fest, so get your bridesmaid gifts here! Unfortunately, most of my friends are already married, so I’ll have to find another excuse to get this $9.99 water bottle, which I want very badly. But, hey, my birthday is coming up, cross your fingers!
Exquisite Weddings in Chicago is offering a fabulous deal on wedding flowers through wedobo – 50% off 8 wedding party pieces, the bridal bouquet, three bridesmaids bouquets, groom and three groomsmen boutonnieres.
See you at the end of the aisle,
August 18th, 2010 by maddie
This weekend I was thinking of what would be the FUNNEST freaking wedding of all time. I thought of Santa Monica Pier and a wedding I had seen there once, and thought “Yes! A circus wedding!” How awesome would that be?
Put on some glittery shoes, take photos with the bearded lady, and eat loads of pink and fluffy cotton candy. You can serve popcorn and mini hotdogs and ride the ferris wheel with your new honey. So. Perfect.
Inspiration Board Sources: ♥ the dress ♥ the shoes ♥ the peach bangle ♥ princess crown ring ♥ the earrings ♥ the clutch ♥
Be sure to have a kissing booth….or even name the sweethearts table or photo booth “the kissing booth!” How cute.
Serve up some mini hot doggies and popcorn balls and all the fun foods you loved as a kid!
I love all of the stripes and fun funky fresh colors on this cake.
This wedding would be such a fun day for your family and friends. With all of the colors and bright lights at the circus too, your photos of the big day would be completely magical! Who says your wedding has to be a formal and grown up affair? Have fun with it!
August 17th, 2010 by Britt
You did not just slave over a year’s worth of crafting for your wedding just to throw it all away in the end. No way. I allowed myself to throw away certain items, namely the ones that I couldn’t stand to look at anymore. Case in point: flag and crane strings had to go.
But for the most part, reusing our wedding decor and supplies for our home has been working out quite nicely. In fact, I would go as far as to say our home has never looked more stylish than it does now. And for a couple whose home decor has consisted of everything Ikea for the last 5 years, it’s nice to see a unique, one-of-a-kind change.
2 bouquets, 6 vases, 2 record sleeves, 4 painted bottles, and a hot pink reindeer. All used at our wedding. All re-used to make our home pretty!
We even used our cake topper and a pair of photo lounge shutter shades as decor!
I call this one: "pimp my bookcase."
Neon drink coasters from the wedding are now water catchers for our plants!
And this one I will of course call: "pimp my windowsill"
My bouquet, a lantern, and a couple tins from the wedding: Now being displayed as decor in our bedroom. Underneath our Bowie "Heroes" poster, naturally.
More bouquets, bottles, and lanterns used as decor!
Make any DIY signs? Use them as wall decor. Sure, "Parking Hitchfest 2010" doesn't quite make sense in the context of your home... BUT it will serve as a fun memory for us until we get sick of looking at it.
More reusable DIY signage! Our "Food Truck" sign brings a smile to my face everytime I sit down to play piano.
Sure, we may not need to keep this "Photo Lounge" sign hanging around the house... BUT I wonder if another engaged couple would get some use out of it at their wedding???
You can also use your decor for functional purposes. I got the idea from Mrs. Broke-Ass herself (she’s so clevah!) about re-using our mason jars as drinking glasses. Just today I cleaned out all the wax from the jars (just use really hot water), washed ‘em up nice, and now we can use them for beverages!
These puppies are just *waiting* for me to pour beer in them!
And there I go! Reuse-ifying feels so good!
We also reused a few hand-painted bottles to act as book-ends.
Functional & beautiful!
AND lastly, we are keeping 2 of the 10 of our handcrafted beer bottle chandeliers to act as lighting for our dining area. We are hoping to use them as outdoor lighting… eventually… when we can finally find an affordable place in Los Angeles with a yard!
Home dining room lighting at it's weirdest... errr... I mean, "finest." 
What the chandeliers look like all lit up! Can't wait to get a backyard!
Seeing all the wedding crafts come together as decor for our home has brought so much joy to my heart. I had planned from the start to reuse our DIY decor, and I am over the moon proud of ourselves that we actually followed through with the OG plan. I feel the payback on our investment already!
And for everything that we didn’t reuse — which was surprisingly very little — we will either Brideshare or sell. I will keep you all updated on everything we are selling/sharing. Please contact me if you would like to reuse any of our decor for your own wedding: i.e. bouquets, bottles, mason jars, signs, lanterns, etc. We’re happy to share!
How about you guys? Have any ideas for reusing wedding decor in your home? How about outside the home?
