Chair Sashes on the Cheap

Picture this....as guests walk up to the venue, they will be greeted by a gurgling fountain, dotted with pink and white Gerber Daisies...Just past the fountain will be a sign (ala Mrs. Petunia of Wedding Bee fame) that says "This way to the wedding" in our colors. As guests arrive at the ceremony site, they will find a table with 3 baskets arranged in ascending order, one containing sunscreen, another containing bubbles and another containing pink and brown fans. Next to these baskets will be a framed sign that says "Please help yourself" in our wedding font/colors to match our stationery. As guests face the aisle, the backs of the last row of chairs will be tied with the brown organza ribbon pictured above. 54 sashes were a steal at $77 total with shipping (rounded). Yes, that is $1.42 a piece! I got them at http://www.bbcrafts.com/. On either side of the aisle will be pink stock flowers in large galvanized pails. Walking up the aisle, guests will see small pails of pink Gerber Daisies arranged loosely in miniature galvanized pails, hanging from the chairs by brown satin bows. An arch decorated with pink flowers will mark the altar. Guests will find a program (more on that later) and personalized water (more later on that too) at each seat. I hope it will look as lovely as I picture it in my mind. How are you decorating your ceremony site?

1/2 Price House

Throughout the wedding planning process, I have always counted one blessing consistently. We (or at this point I) already have a house with a very low mortgage payment. This helps to ease my financial worries whenever I am stressed out. And, as the title eludes to, I bought my house for 1/2 price. How did I do that, you might wonder? I bought my house through the federal Good Neighbor Program (http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/reo/goodn/gnndabot.cfm). Through the Good Neighbor Program, public servants (teachers, police officers, fire fighters, and EMTs) can purchase a home in a revitalizing neighborhood for 1/2 price. It must be your only home, and you must live in it for three years. When I got my home, there were no closing costs, and I was able to roll a construction loan (for renovations) and realtor's fees into my main loan; the program has changed a bit, but the costs are still minimal. The best part, at the end of the three years, you can sell your home for the fuill cost and keep the difference. And, sometimes you get lucky. My "revitalizing neighborhood" ended up being a Denver hotspot (the Baker neighborhood for any Denverites) and my property values have already gone up 30%. Happy house hunting!

Love (and Valentine's Day)

How do I love my venue? Let me count the ways....

As any bride-to-be knows, planning a wedding can place a major strain on one's budget. The usual upscale dinner and huge bouquet are often expenses to be spared for an engaged couple. That is why I LOVE our venue, Lionscrest Manor. Each year, they host a "Sweetheart Tasting" for couples who will be wed at their venue. The tasting is from 6-9 and includes a cocktail hour, a sit-down meal, dessert and dancing. The best part is that it is completely FREE and the vendors providing services at the tasting are the same ones the venue works with for their all-inclusive package. What a great way to get a vendor preview and to see what the hall looks like all dressed up.

We decided to celebrate by going to the tasting tonight. I can't wait! And, we used the $ we saved on V-Day to get a hotel room in gorgeous Estes Park, so we can go snowshoeing at Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday.

And, in case you wondered, Andrew came through with a gift anyway. A beautiful black dress from Banana Republic and a bouquet of 12 pink (my favorite color) roses awaited me last night when I got home from work. I'm going to wear it tonight!

Ways to Save

While the trunk sale is on my mind.... I thought I might share; I have several friends who are newly engaged and I thought they might appreciate this scoop!

Having a wedding is expensive! Here are some ways that I have saved some money in planning my own:

1. I bought my dress at a trunk sale. It was 10% off. I also had a friend who bought hers as a sample. She got 50% off. Stores often sell samples at the end of a season.


2. Sign with your vendors early. I got engaged in late summer 2007 and am getting married in 2009. I signed many contracts in 2007 and locked in the rates for that year. So far I have saves $1,000 on my hall and $200 on ceremony musicians!


3. Shop for favors and wedding paraphanelia at the end of the high season(late summer). I got my favors for 50% off at the Knot Shop and a matching cake cutting/toasting flute set for half price at Things Remembered.


4. I have two friends who are each saving mucho dinero on their venues. One is getting married on a Saturday afternoon(less popular time) and the other is getting married in December(off season date). Bonus for the December bride-she doesn't need decorations for the church because it is already beautifully decorated for the holidays!


5. Use a credit card with a "bonus" program if you can pay it off right away. I have already gotten $100 back from my Charles Schwab Visa, and it has great interest rates! http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/banking_lending/credit_card?cmsid=P-990780&lvl1=banking_lending&lvl2=credit_card