Tag: wedding planning

Coffee Break, wedding

Wedding Wednesday | What’s A Budget?

India
Now this is not going to be a how to budget for your wedding. There are plenty of resources and I found this one to be helpful, along with some of her other learning tools for event planning. I say i’m not going to help you budget because I don’t know how. I don’t even have a budget. Now that’s not to say that I have all the money because that is definitely not the case. Also first figure it out is the wedding something you and your fiancé are going to split, are you going to traditional of brides family pays for the wedding, or are both families going to help. Figure out where you’re getting this money from and don’t be afraid to ask for help, like I was.
I did do a lot of research on what was average in my area and then I decided what prices were absolutely ridiculous for me. For example to me a venue of $10,000 that also does not include food, alcohol, or a wedding planner sounded ridiculous to me. So, you’re saying I also have to pay for catering and someone to plan my wedding for me, or keep things moving on the day of my wedding. I did not want to do that. I also had to have a long conversation with my fiancé about how we wanted to do alcohol because that can be a large chunk of whatever “budget” you set for yourself. Deciding on whether or not you want to have an open bar, a cash bar, an open bar for a certain amount of time and then a cash bar, or maybe you just want to do beer and wine. Then is your venue providing it or do you have to provide all of the alcohol for your wedding.
Some people have that budget and that is good for them. There were some things I was not willing to go cheap on though and that was my photographer. I wanted all of my pictures to be fabulous because these are memories and moments that you can’t get back, but want to see them forever.
I know nothing about flowers…like nothing… when he gets me flowers, I’m just like those are pretty…. but that’s it. So I have been requesting quotes from different shops to try and figure out what I think isn’t ridiculous. I mean come on! $200 for a bouquet that’s not lasting for ever?!?! That’s crazy to me. Then you have to add on delivery feet and set up fee, which quickly adds up to $500 for just that. Next thing you know you spent $2000 on something that isn’t lasting forever. Now I know some people have started to go to wood flowers or these super detailed styrofoam flowers, and I’m highly considering it for decorations and center pieces.
Which brings me to my next thing, DIY. DIY is only a good option if you are crafty, or you have a large amount of the craft supplies already. If you’re going to spend $300 on a machine, before getting the supplies you’re already putting yourself in hole. There are so many Etsy shops and of course Amazon, that can get you to those personalized gifts you really want. Also don’t take on too many DIY projects if things like that don’t make you happy. There can be so many projects, but overdoing them will put a lot of stress on you during this joyous time.
If something seems outrageously priced, do your research and see what the average is. If it’s something that you don’t need then hold off getting it. If it’s something you really, really want pay for the things that you need to pay for first and then get the things you want. Just remember going into debt to impress your friends and family doesn’t make your big day anymore special! Everything is going to turn out beautifully and don’t sweat the small stuff! Let me know how you budgeted for your beautiful day, so I can have some help! Until next time,
Keep Turning the Pages
India
Coffee Break

Wedding Wednesday | So Now What?

India
First things first DON’T PANIC!
I know you’re really excited, but you’re coming down off the high of being engaged. If you were like me you had some idea it was coming, or you might have been completely surprised! Either way is fantastic, but now it’s time to get to planning, or at least thinking about the wedding.
You’ve got a million ideas going a mile a minute, but you’re not sure what fits you and your significant other. Here are some things that I would recommend you do next to try and figure out where you want to see your wedding.
First of course talk to your significant other and find out how each of you want to celebrate and how can you compromise? For example and especially being an interracial couple we can have some very different tastes. He would like to be very rural and I would like to be in the city, but we have to compromise somewhere, and make it fit both of our tastes.
Second, set up an account on The Knot ( no, this is not affiliated) and do the “taste test” as I like to call it, where it can help you figure out what kind of style you see your dream wedding going. I don’t like their search feature very much for looking for venues, but that’s a whole different topic. I did like that it could put what “theme” I wanted into words. It can be hard if you’re not having a complete theme like Harry Potter or the Roaring 20s, to put your theme into words.
Third, maybe start a Pinterest board to put things there of your vibe or theme. Not any and all things that you see on the internet that has to deal with weddings. That will not help you feel less overwhelmed! People do a lot of comparisons of weddings, try not to fall into that because just because someone else can afford to do something doesn’t mean that you can or should try to make to happen.
Finally, remember to take it one day at a time in these beginning phases. People are going to keep asking you when is the big day and it does get annoying, but they mean well. Just remind that you just got engaged and still have to pick. Also I was told I couldn’t tell people they weren’t invited to wedding on social media…so I guess don’t do that either.  Have fun do a little bit every day, and take it one step at a time. Don’t think of the little details of the big day until you have the big details taken care of. You can do this. What are some good next steps that have helped you out? Let me know! Until next time,
Keep turning the pages
India
Thinking about all the things that have to be done now.
Coffee Break

Wedding Wednesday | I’m Engaged!

India
I’ve been higher than the moon lately being engaged to my boyfriend, fiancé, I have to get used to saying that. If you don’t follow me on social media, you should because that’s where everything hits first!
Eric and I were on vacation when he  proposed to me at one of our cruise ship stops in Amber Cove, Dominican Republic. I’m not going to lie I had an idea that it might happen on vacation, but I didn’t know when or where. I also would have been pretty sad if it had not happened on vacation. He did it perfectly and now I get to call him forever mine, well almost.
Eric proposing to India in Amber Cove
I have been thinking about my wedding to Eric for awhile now because the thought of wedding planning has excited me for awhile. Now that I actually get to plan my wedding it’s a little overwhelming. There are so many websites out there that are designed to help you with your wedding planning, but that also can stress you out. On top of that I’ve been trying to figure out how people pay for weddings with average jobs! They’re expensive as hell!! Especially if you’re not getting married in a church that you attend.
I might have had an idea that he was going to propose
So, with me planning my own wedding I’m thinking about doing a Wedding Wednesday series here on my blog, and maybe doing a Wedding Wednesday once a month on my youtube channel! I don’t promise any budgeting tips, how to be efficient, or how to get the best deals, but I do promise to share how I deal with the stress and what takes I do to plan my dream wedding in whatever “budget” that I may have. I hope you enjoy these updates! I’m doing this a lot for me, so that I can also keep me level headed and remember the steps along the way. Have you planned a wedding before?! Let me know down below! Until next time,
Keep turning the Pages
India
Book Reviews

Once and For All, Sarah Dessen

India

– Short Story – 

Weddings are supposed to be the most beautiful and memorable day of your relationship. For Louna, it’s just another day, another wedding, and another client that she has to help her mom deal with. It should be a flawless day of wedding and reception with all attention on the bride, but that doesn’t happen by itself, someone has to make the magic happen. The lure of love has been wasted on Louna with her mom, Natalie, and her mom’s best friend and coworker William, always betting on how long the happy couple will stay together after the wedding. That is until she meets someone at a wedding, which breaks all types of her own rules, and finally understands what love feels like. Unfortunately for them they live long distance, and don’t get to see each other after this fated night at a beach wedding. Until the unimaginable happens, and she is left feeling a heart break no one should ever have to feel, and she is stuck with Ambrose, whom her mom hired, who might possibly be the most positive guy in Colby, if not the world. Louna is trying to keep going and to fill the void with whatever work her mom has her do for the summer.

– What I Think – 

Sarah Dessen always manages to find a way to make you believe in love. During Once and For All I remembered what it was like to have that first love. The one that you believed would be forever only for something to happen to it that ruins the relationship, and the notion of love. To be wrapped in the feelings that love would never find you again until all of a sudden the unexpected happens, and there is someone right in front of you. There is a sameness to this novel from the others of hers, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. If you are a Sarah Dessen fan then you will not be disappointed. She still makes you want to look for a love that can last. Definitely pick this one up, until next time.
Keep Turning the Pages
90s Born Reader