Real Wedding Budget: Under $12K in Vancouver

Some of you may have already seen this on Wedding Bee, but I just had to share: a $12K wedding, all inclusive (including honeymoon!) in Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver isn't a cheap town and to score this gorgeous wedding for under $12K is amazing!

What seemed to really work in our bride's favor was finding true gems on Craigslist -- vendors who are just starting out and are willing work for pennies (or in her videographer's case-- FREE!) just to build their portfolio. She certainly struck gold because her vendors all did an amazing job!

Now. finding the same kind of deals on Craigslist is very possible. It's not guaranteed, but they are out there. But remember, trusting a novice at their craft is extrememely risky. I, sadly, had bad luck in that department. So, yes, definitely check out deals on Craigslist--you might score big like our Vancouver bride did, but definitely have some caution when dealing with newbies. If your gut says no, it's not worth it!

But on the upside, our Vancouver bride also scored huge on giveaways and contests (a free wedding band and a honeymoon!). As a winner of several giveaways, I say yes, enter those contests! The more you enter, the more chances to win...just use a separate email account for those potential spam messages!

Vendor Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: Custom Printables

At some point in your wedding planning you're going to come across these...and yes, I admit, they're irresistable. They're the wedding monogram, the lovely designs that make you and your future hubby's names look so darn cute together! Put them on your wedding invitations, address labels, wedding programs, favors...just anything you can think of! But having your own custom monogram can be a pretty penny if you don't have the graphic design skillz to pull it off. But don't fret, Valerie from Custom Printables offers an array of monograms to choose from all for an affordable price! Choose from contemporary and classic, traditional and unique designs to fit your budget-savvy, yet stylish tastes. Instead of paying for the design and the print, Custom Printables sends a custom design directly to you so you can print on your paper. Imagine my delight when Valerie made us our own monogram:

Adorable ain't it? And yes, some of you might recall, we used the design to make our own monogram rubber stamp for our invitations. The result? These embossed cuties on our envelope!

Not only does Custom Printables also offers custom wedding programs and water bottle labels! Go to their site, and you can even download free, yes free, invitation and place card templates!

So here she is, Valerie from Custom Printables!

Why did you start making wedding designs

I picked up an interest in graphic design at a young age, but actualized it mainly through school art projects and posters. A few years ago when I started a new job, my office computer came with the entire Adobe Creative Suite and so I just started playing around. I took a few classes in Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator through the local community college, and got great feedback from my classmates. When I discovered Etsy and some wedding blogs that I read regularly (including I Do Budget Weddings!), I decided there might be a niche market for folks who want great wedding stationery and artwork, lots of choices, and the option to be able to use the designs however they choose. In particular, I found that couples want someone else to create an elegant, unique wedding program but be able to print it themselves to save money.

Your custom work are great for the couple looking for a personalized touch at an affordable price. Which of your designs are the most popular?

The monograms and wedding programs for Jewish couples are quite popular. I offer a variety of designs with Hebrew phrases that come from Jewish texts and traditions, such as "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" and "I have found the one in whom my soul delights." Additionally, I can include the Hebrew text of the seven blessings said at a Jewish wedding, and for all weddings, depending on the length of the program, I can include descriptions of the traditions and rituals. Of course, any design offered with Hebrew can be made with English text and vice versa! My most popular monograms are Erin, Renee, Amelia, and Ellisha, and the most popular invitation is based off the New Orleans Save-the-Date found on Zazzle.

Besides invitations and programs, what are some of the unique ways you've seen couples use your designs?

One couple asked for the word "Love" in a swirly frame that matched their monogram and wedding stationery. This was given to their baker, who printed out the image onto a sheet of edible paper and placed it on one of the cake tiers! The cake was then decorated to match the swirls.

What was the most unique detail you've seen at a wedding?
When my best friend got married, on the morning of her wedding she found that her soon-to-be husband had written love notes all over the bottom of her shoes. I thought it was such a cute and unexpected surprise! At another wedding I attended, the entire event was vintage-themed with mint green, black, and white. The bridesmaids wore these lovely vintage dresses that evoked the 20s and 30s, and their hair was coiffed to match the era. The bride, instead of a full-length gown, wore a sailor-inspired white dress that was not at all costume-y. It was an elegant theme wedding that strayed far from kitsch!

Anything else you'd like to share about your shop?
I don't just do weddings! I have created designs for baby showers and birthday parties, military homecomings and retirement celebrations. Additionally, I offer candy wrappers and water bottle labels. Finally, I'm beginning to delve into the world of printing myself - I have found a remarkably reliable and inexpensive vendor - so I am able to offer the complete package for my clients.

Links where we can find more info. on your shop:

Store: http://www.customprintablesonline.com
Blog: http://customprintables.blogspot.com
Zazzle: http://www.zazzle.com/valie520*
Etsy: http://valie520.etsy.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carrboro-NC/Custom-Printables/60997847258?ref=ts

Now onto our GIVEAWAY!

WIN IT:
Valerie is giving one lucky winner five catalog monograms and a custom two-page wedding program (or, if the couple wants more than two pages, the price of a multiple page program minus the cost of a two-page program, or $20).

The Rules
1) MANDATORY ENTRY! Go to Custom Printables Online Shop and comment on your favorite monogram or design for one entry. This is mandatory! Contestants who do not do this will be disqualified. Remember to leave your email address or some way to contact you with each entry!


Additional entries (remember to leave separate comments for each additional entry)

2) Become a new follower of this blog. You must follow publicly (1 entry)
3) Are currently a follower of my blog (2 entries)
4) Like “I Do” Budget Weddings on Facebook (2 entries)
5) Like Custom Printables on Facebook (2 entries)
6) Blog about the contest and include a link to the giveaway. Each entrant must also include a link to Custom Printables in their post (3 entries) Please include a direct link to your blog post in your comment.
7) Buy anything from Custom Printables (5 entries)
8) Follow “I Do” Budget Weddings on Twitter (1 entry)
9) Follow Custom Printables on Twitter (2 entries)
10) Tweet on this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your tweet (1 entry)
11) Grab my button and place it on your blog (1 entry)
12) Subscribe to "I Do" Budget Weddings emails (1 entry)
13) Become a follower on Networked Blogs (1 entry)
The deadline to enter this contest is 11:59 p.m., Saturday, June 26, 2010 (PST). A winner will be randomly chosen. Good luck!

Our Friendors

I must admit, being anywhere near our budget would not be possible without the help of our friendors--friends/family who are offering their services at a extremely discounted price or even free. We feel really fortunate and blessed that people are willing to do that for us. But while discussing budget weddings with a former bride, she said that she wouldn't consider our wedding as a budget wedding.

You're getting a lot of help from your family and friends, she sniffed. That doesn't count.

But why wouldn't that count?

As a budget bride, you have to be resourceful. It's always a good thing to maximize your resources. You're likely to get a better deal and service from people you know. If they're willing to help you out (and be careful, make sure your friendors will help you more than hinder), then why not? Also, talk to friends and family about people they know. Chances are they may know of a really good baker, or a place where they ordered affordable bridesmaid dresses, or a gorgeous venue.

But we wanted to be careful when we approached our friendors. We didn't want to appear we're asking for handouts, but at the same time we wanted to negotatiate the best possible price. We never asked for anything for free unless they offered. If we knew we were being offered a really awesome deal, we didn't push it further. We believe friendship or good family ties are worth more than the extra money we may haved saved.

Some of the items provided by our friendors include:
-Alterations and custom-made veil (done by my aunt)
- DJ and MC (by two of our friends)
- Choir (my sister sings in her church choir and a few of her choir-members agreed to sing at our ceremony)
- Engagement session and STD's (A friend shot our lovely engagement session and designed our Save the Dates!)
 -Day-of Coordinator (a friend of my MOH)
- Discounted photography and videography (a friend from work does awesome wedding photography and gave us a sweet deal!)
- A great deal on a Samoan dance group to perform at our reception. (Through our MOH)
- Friends and family are also helping with transportation, cooking (for our rehearsal dinner) and floral arrangements.

Are friends and family helping with wedding day festivities? Who are your friendors?

Budget Honeymoon tips for Kauai

Waimea Canyon, Kauai (via Pacific Bride Guide)

Just got some really helpful traveling tips from Tara at Pacific Bride Guide. I emailed her a few days ago asking her about budget-friendly suggestions for Kauai where the FH and I are honeymooning. As you might know, Hawaii is one expensive place ($4 for a gallon of milk!). While we got a deal for our airfare, condo and rental car, I wondered how we could make the best of our limited budget while on the island. Tara offered some great inexpensive, and even free ideas--including kayaking and hiking the gorgeous Na Pali coast! Also, how can you visit Kauai without heading out to the breathtaking Waimea Canyon?

Via Pacific Bride Guide

Read more about Tara's tips on honeymooning in Kauai on a budget! Thanks, Tara!

The budget wedding ring

Good news! The FH and I have purchased our bands! We knew the exact style we each wanted, headed to the jewelry district in LA and was prepared to haggle and bargain until they kicked us out of the store. We budgeted just $300 total for both rings, a laughable budget according to one jeweler who demonstrated for us when we disclosed how much we were willing to spend early in our search. Luckily, the whole process overall was easy peasy!

My e-ring is a simple Tiffany band with a solitaire diamond seen here (a snapshot we took of the ring right after he proposed!)

I wanted something simple to go with it, but maybe with a little more bling. After some research and trying on other rings, I decided I wanted a channel set band with princess cut diamonds. I loved the style, the price? Not so much. I was getting prices between $500-$2000. That was way out of our league!

The FH decided he wanted a Titanium wedding band. He liked the size, the more masculine look...and the fact that most were around $40 was even better! While there were decent prices online for the bands we wanted, we knew we wanted to see the bands in person and try them on.

We decided to deal with a family friend who sold jewelry in the Jewelry District in LA. If you've never been there, you can find great deals at wholesale prices. There are so many shops/stalls it can get overwhelming, so it's best to have an idea of what you want, and who you want to deal with (refererals are good!)

After describing what I wanted, our jeweler pulled out three rings. One with diamonds but without the princess cut, a guard ring (not channel set), and an 18K, princess cut channel ring (exactly what I wanted). Of course, I fell in love with the latter. The price? $320. Not bad considering the retail price was $799. But...that was $20 over our total budget, and that didn't even include his ring yet! I decided to wait to see what the future hubs picked before I kissed our budget goodbye.

18K white gold princess diamond cut

The fiance decided he liked this titanium ring:

Simple 6mm band with two grooved stripes. We loved it! The price? Even better! $40!

Our jewelers gave both rings to us for $350. $50 over our original budget, but we figured it was still a pretty good deal, especially with my ring being 18K white gold with diamonds. The rings were a good fit and size for both of us, so we we were able to bring them home!

My new band with my e-ring

But get this, we showed his ring to some friends. They liked it, said it looked great and asked us how much it was. Guess, we told them.

$400? $500? They gasped when the heard the actual price. $40? Why do you want such a cheap ring? Titanium? Who's ever heard of a titanium ring?

Actually, titanium is a very popular metal for a wedding band. Many consider it more durable and lasting than gold as it doesn't scratch. Titanium doesn't rust, and while gold naturally loses its luster over the years, titanium stays consistent. Titanium is also lightweight and very comfortable to wear.

So what's the big deal? Let's examine some of the arguments against titanium, shall we?

1)Wearing titanium is dangerous. The band is so durable, that if you gain excessive weight, or were to have some kind of accident, hospital workers won't be able to cut through the metal. Not so. Hospitals are equipped with tools to cut through nearly every kind of metal, including titanium and tungsten for that matter.

2) You won't be able to resize it. True, titanium, as well as tungsten, can't be resized all. That's why you should make sure measurements are properly taken care of. Luckily, with our jeweler, if we need a new size, we are able to switch rings at no extra cost. But honestly, at $40, you can buy another titanium ring without much of a dent to your pocket.

3) Titanium is less shiny than precious metals. True, but that might be what makes it attractive, especially to guys. I know the future hubs didn't want anything too extravagant, and actually liked the luster of titanium. Although some jewelers say that over time, gold loses it luster and may look more "dull" than a titanium ring. Titanium will pretty much look the same forever.

4) Titanium is way too affordable. You don't want to wear a cheap ring. Since when did being affordable be such  a disadvantage? As I've said before, price isn't always in direct proportion to quality, and titanium rings are one such example. Some elitists won't wear titanium just because of the price, and well, to each his/her own.

So, titanium is a great quality, cost-effective option for couples on a budget. Maybe you don't have to tell people how much you paid for your titanium ring. When they ask, keep them guessing and enjoy listening to those three digit numbers they throw at you!

Our jewelers: 

Sue & Sam Jewelry Co.

 637-639 South Hill Street

Booth B-8 &C-8

Los Angeles, CA 90014

(213) 623-9083

Links on titanium:

http://www.ehow.com/about_5370345_pros-cons-titanium-rings.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Titanium-Rings&id=69639

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/titanium-rings-pros-and-cons.html

Looking to purchase titanium wedding bands online? Try Titanium Knights on Etsy

Excel is your friend

So you've set a budget for your wedding...but along the way those $200 pair of shoes look so dreamy! It's easy for your once strict budget to fall by the wayside when you don't have a clear picture of what your budget looks like. I strongly suggest to start a budget spreadsheet early on in your planning process. We have our budget itemized and categorized down to every minute detail. If there's something missing that we've left out, we account for it, then adjust our numbers to accommodate it. If something ends up costing more than what we've budgeted for, we adjust. If I'm tempted to pay more than what we've allocated, I take a look at our spreadsheet to see where we would need to cut to make it work, or if I just have to turn a blind to temptation!

There are a few free wedding budget spreadsheets out there, including one on The Knot, but there were a few things left out or items we didn't really need. So, I decided to make our own with items that pertained to us. I made the following spreadsheet with Excel :

Next to each item is how much we budgeted, followed by how much we actually spent, and then the difference.

Each column ends with the total. Once I make any changes to a cell, the difference and/or total sum automatically changes to reflect the new sum.

If you've never used Excel before, it can be pretty intimidating. But just remember, each cell is assigned a code such as A3 or B21. You can figure out what each cell is as if you're reading an XY chart.

If you're still following me, all you need to know is these two formulas:
Subtraction between two cells:  
=(Cell1- Cell2)

Ex. =A1 - B1

The sum of a column or two cells:

=SUM(Cell1:Cell2)

Ex.

=SUM(C4:C95)

That's it! Just type your formula into the cell you want and you have own customized budget spreadsheet!

Wedding gowns for under $250

Sure, I went over my intended $250 dress budget with my own wedding gown, but not by much --$50 to be exact. Not too shabby for the Alfred Angelo gown I love! But after having gone through what was for me a very frustrating wedding gown shopping experience, I still have faith that one can find a gorgeous gown to spark dress envy everywhere for a fraction of the expected price! There are online retailers that can offer great deals (RKbridal.com, Netbride.com, and Pearlsplace.com just to name a few), but you will have to call or email to find out the best price on your chosen dress (worth the research. I saved 50% on my gown!).

But here some of my favorite Internet finds for under $250:

1) I heart Little White Dress. No really, I do! This little shop is one of my favorites on Etsy and you only need to look at one handmade gown to see why. I fell in love with the shop after stumbling onto this blog full of modern vintage chic (serious swooning going on here!).  You can order this gorgeous Audrey-inspired gown for your own casual wedding or reception dress, or maybe just to add to your stylish wardrobe! And this tea length dress is just $125!

If you want more vintage chic, how about this Grace Kelly look?

This satin dress is only $120!

2) Unique Vintage is full of non-traditional, modern vintage goodness! Some of my faves:

Left to right: $130, $238, $170

3) Etsy's the word!
Found Ellana Couture on Etsy and many gorgeous, affordable possibilities! Here's my favorite deal:

This A-line, retro chic gown has a chapel train and a built in French bustle (all for $240!)

4) Eden Bridals
This was a gown I was debating over before I finally chose the one I'll wear come wedding day. But I thought I'd still share--modest, simple and lovely. Satin slim A-line with beaded cap sleeves and chapel train.

$209 at Netbride. Yup.

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Rehearsal Dinner Downlow

As most of you know by now, our budget includes our rehearsal dinner for about 50 or so people. I couldn't imagine throwing another mini-wedding reception at a fancy restaurant with our budget, so we decided on a no-frills, home-cookin' casual affair in my FSIL's backyard.

But we're not scaling back on formality with our rehearsal dinner just because of our limited budget. We actually prefer it this way. We're just as excited about our laidback backyard BBQ/potluck as we are with our semi-formal wedding reception. We wanted our rehearsal dinner to be an opportunity where both families would feel comfortable interacting and getting to know each other. No seating arrangements, buffet style with some tables and chairs in the backyard. The menu? We're not sure yet, but we envision a mix of catered Chinese food with some homemade Filipino and Samoan food. We're probably going to fire up the grill with some Korean BBQ (my fiance's favorite). Maybe some candles and paper lanterns for a little decorative fun. Just a good ol' family get together with great food! We've had family parties for about 50-70 people and we've always had tons of food leftover (all on a budget of about $400-$600!)  That's usually how we roll anyway when we celebrate, so having a casual, initimate get-together before the big shebang will be well worth it!

What are you planning for your rehearsal dinner?

Our wedding budget...5 months later

Because I write a blog about budget weddings, I have received some skepticism about how “budget” our wedding budget really is. $15,000 sounds like loads of money to a lot of people. It is a lot of money. We’re both very fortunate to have that much available to us.

First, when talking about budget weddings, you have to consider several factors. $20K sounds like a huge budget, but for 200 people in the Manhattan area, suddenly $20K ain’t that much. For us, in the Los Angeles area, average weddings are about $30K (not including the honeymoon). Cost of living is higher than in other parts of the country. In some cases, it's double the cost. I'm not saying a sub $10K wedding isn't possible in LA. It certainly is, especially when all you need to get married anywhere in the US is a couple, an officiant and some witnesses. But you have to look more than just the dollar amount. You have to look at what you want your budget to include.

Things could be worse

For the last couple of days, wedding planning has kind of taken a backseat again. You see, my fiance's family is going through a crisis right now and he kind of hinted that it may affect our anticipated budget for the wedding. I haven't really thought about the impact of that right now, or it hasn't really hit me as I thought it would. A lot of self-centered brides would be crying over this "tragic" development, but um, no. For one thing, there are more important things to take care of. Things beyond the wedding that are far more "tragic." Family crisis needs to be resolved. The well-being of loved ones are our priority.

How much is our budget now? I don't know. But if we thought we had to be resourceful and creative before, we definitely need to turn it up several notches. But I'm not worried. We're still going to be married, regardless. That's just how I see it. Things happen, s!%t happens. Move on. There are worse things that can happen. (Thanks, $2000 Wedding Budget for putting it into perspective!). But you know what? Despite not really do anything for wedding, things are kind of getting done.

Well, I met up with some friends for pho (Vietnamese noodles, yo!), and I told them a little bit of what's been going on. My good friend's boyfriend graciously offered his talents to DJ for our wedding, for FREE! I was really touched by his generous offer and he insisted it was his wedding gift to us! Wow! I mean, really, wow! Even though things might be a little bleak right now as far as funds, we have been really blessed. A friend just offering to volunteer to help plan the wedding, another friend agreeing to do both photography and video for way, way less than he normally charges, and now someone DJing for free. People have been really good to us and we're so completely grateful.

Planning for the future

I know this blog focuses a lot on the steps and planning of a wedding day, but really, all of that doesn't really matter if you don't have the days and years after the wedding day all figured out. OK, no one has anything all figured out, but it would be foolish not to even give it a thought.

Today, we made some serious steps toward financial planning as husband and wife, meeting with fiancial consultants to discuss options for our future. Granted, it was just a consultation, but we are seriously considering hiring professionals to give us some realistic financial goals to shoot for.

I had been both anticipating and dreading this talk. Anticipating because, well our future is much too important not to have a structured plan. My fiance and I are both ambitious people and we know the importance of planning and goal-setting. But I've also kind of dreaded this discussion -- especially with strangers-- cuz, well, my income has dwindled down to zero, or pretty much close to that in recent months. Recession sucks. Who wants to listen to how bleak your financial future is based on your bleak present status?

But the two consultants we met with today were a good balance between realistic and encouraging. They looked at our assests and our income, our goals and told us what we needed to do to get there. It was also a helpful overview of stocks, bonds and savings strategies. So, no, it wasn't the dismal, guilt-ridden, ego-crushing lecture to send me further into financial depression as expected, but rather a positive reality check to make us feel confident and take charge of our future with both ambitious and realistic goals. Our choice to set our wedding budget to $15,000 was made because we'd rather make sure we have funds left over to build on life after the wedding. You know, for marriage.

What were some of the tips we got out of our first session? Well, it starts by laying out some basic steps (Remember, these are questions you should ask between your fiance and yourself, as you make decisions together):

1. Set goals: Where do we want to be? Career-wise? Fiancially? Do you want to be fiancially independent? Do you want to buy a house? When? Do you want to set aside a fund for regular travel?

2. Look at your current fiancial status:  This can be ultra-sensitive area, because it hits you where you might be hurting. How much income are you both taking in? Do you have any assests? Retirement fund? Savings fund? Do you have any debt, credit cards, college loans, etc.

3. Develop strategies to get to your goals: How do you go from point A (which might be at the bottom of the gutter) to point B (the light at the end of the tunnel)? This might require some help as not everyone (including myself) are savvy about their fiancial options. IRA? Stocks? Bonds? Taxes? Huh? It definitely helps to do your research or get some helpful advice to navigate through all of this. Also, goals always change as life will always change. Always reassessing goals is key.

I encourage everyone to seek out fiancial planning assistance -- whether you hire someone or seek advice from someone you know. Sure, you want a nice wedding, but it all won't matter if you don't put that same energy, focus and planning into your future and well-being.

Grow your love

As we have been plannng our wedding I've thought about messages or themes we wanted to convey. Yes, it's a party, and yes, we want aesthetically pleasing images, but we wanted it all to mean something in the end, rather than wedding-porn-worthy photos. That's when I became fixated on the theme of growth. Marriage is not the pinnacle of love -- it moves forward, it progresses, it evolves from the day vows are exchanged.
Yes, I am guilty of looking at hundreds upon hundreds of wedding photos in the blogosphere and I've coveted countless dresses, centerpieces, decorations and photography angles. But I noticed something when I drew up a preliminary timeline for our ceremony and reception. All of this will last five hours -- just five. All these months of planning and daydreaming culminates in five hours. When put in that perspective, you start to realize that letting you life revolve around five hours is pathetic. The abundant, lush centerpieces you see in that photo will all wither and die in a matter of days, hours even! That $1000 you paid that florist was used for a whole 5 hours, and only remembered by you. Sure, your photographer may have captured lovely shots of your bouquet, but who else besides yourself and a few family members are going to look at it again?
Nothing material will ever really take the place of two people's love and their commitment to nurture that love. But thinking about it, all these shortlived, materialistic things that we spend on does nothing to really convey what our love is about.
 So how do I balance the practical side of me -- the one that's screaming at me to forget all these materialistic things and high-tail it the altar in my jeans, with the girly side of me-- the one who likes things chic, stylish and a bit more refined?
There's no easy compromise, but I think I found one area that both sides can agree on--the centerpieces. Walking around the Asian Mall in Westminster, CA, my fiance and I noticed gorgeous potted orchid plants. They were in stylish bamboo pots and were only $12 each. They were simple and minimal, but our eyes were instantly attracted to them.
If I were a guest, I would rather take home flowers that will last longer than a day. Guests can keep it, plant it or water it at home. The orchids would be long-lasting tokens from our wedding that would only need nurturing care. My fiance and I loved the idea of potted orchids as our centerpieces --especially since they're beautiful, eco-friendly, affordable and they fit nicely with our theme--growth.
Here are some potted orchid centerpiece examples. We thought of dressing up the base with extra flowers and candles.

Not bad, huh?

Our dream budget

So far, we have booked our ceremony site, reception venue and photographer, and I've purchased my dress and DIY invitations. So far, everything is within budget. We feel really happy with all of decisions we've made and things are materializing into the wedding we really want. While I had an anxiety attack over my dress the following morning after I purchased it, I have since realize that I made a smart buy. I really do love this dress. I even tried it on again last night and danced around my room.

But if you're wondering why the fiance and I are strictly following the numbers down to every penny when we seem to have so much room to work with in our $15,000 budget...well, we're actually shooting for way less than that. $15k is the absolute maximum we can spend. Meaning, 15K is the number we can safely afford without cleaning us out of money and savings. But my fiance and I don't make loads of cash right now and spending even less will help us out even more. We have no choice but to spend no more than 15K on everything, but our actual dream goal? 13K would be more like it. That would mean about 10k for the wedding (yes, the popular goal amount for most budget weddings) and 3K for our honeymoon. Going through our expenses so far, seeing how much everything costs and exploring cost-efficient alternatives, I think a 10K budget encompasses all the things we want and excluding things we don't need. It will be a tight squeeze, but here's trying.

I've realized that I don't need to spend $1000 on a wedding dress. I found one I love for a fraction of that cost. I don't need the $700 veil or the silly boudoir photo shoot. We realized that with some research we can find places, products and services that we're happy with for much less than what the wedding industry says we need to spend. We realized we don't need a florist to do all of our flowers, we don't need a wedding planner or a stylist. We're not being cheapskates, we're just saving ourselves tons of money for a wedding that actually reflects us and our tastes. That's what we really want, and if we go a tad over--it's ok. We've budgeted for that flexibility and we'll still have the wedding that reflects us. Amen!

But some folks in the blogosphere will say, "Oh, well why not have your wedding in the park? It's sooo much cheaper. Or just have a picnic at home. Just serve finger foods or little desserts. If you don't have a wedding that's hipper, greener and cheaper, you're not being true to yourself!" If I want a semi-traditional wedding, with a some formality then who is to say that's not being genuine? People who know us know that we looove to eat. Having vegetarian finger foods does not reflect us at all. And we like to dress up a bit. What I'm saying is just as you shouldn't feel bad for wanting what you want--no matter how conventional or unconventional it is, just as long it's what you want and not what anyone tells you should want. Whatever it is, there are ways to achieve it practically, cost efficient and within the amount of money you can spend. Word!

Photographer booked!

I'm happy to report that we have booked our photographer! Our budget for a photographer is quite paltry and we knew they would have to be under $1000. We interviewed and researched dozens of photographers, but they were either too expensive or just not the right style we were looking for.

I love photography and the things that stand out to me are color, lighting, composition, texture and angles. I want someone with a true concept of photojournalism and art. Every photographer we came across claimed they did photojournalism work, but as someone with a journalism background, I know what photojournalism looks like. Having a group of people stand in front of a camera while frozen in a pose is not photojournalism. I love looking at the unique ways photographers can tell a story and relive a moment through their camerawork. We found a photographer at our last expo who was offering the main things we wanted--unlimited hours and all copies of unedited raw images--for $900. But I just wasn't excited about his work: boring front-on angles and stiff poses. No personality, no spontaneity, no fun.

Then I remembered someone I had worked with before -- a photographer whose work I thought captured the kind of photos I was looking for. He is relatively new to the wedding photography world and was able to offer me an affordable rate for all the things we wanted-- unlimited hours, 2 photographers, copies of raw images and 20 edited photos. And because he knew me, we were able to negotiate the price down. I can't really say exactly how much we agreed on (it was mostly a friend discount and I can't say if he'll do it for anyone else at that price) but I will say it was well within our range (actually much better than I expected).

So how was I able to find a quality photographer below $1000? Well, networking and connections was definitely key. But the main thing was the art of haggling. When our photographer first quoted a price it was still a tad over our budget. Then, at the risk of total rejection, we told him what we could afford. I was afraid to look at his reaction when we named the price, but he was willing to work with us. That's when he reworked the package down to a very affordable price, taking out the items that weren't our priority (videography, coffee table book, etc) and reached the price we could afford. Not only did we score a photographer in our budget range, but someone whose work is very quality. YAY!!!!

So I'll quit yapping and introduce our photographer - Don Le

Real Wedding: It can be done!

This is giving me a whole lot of hope! I found this wedding on Weddingbee and I had to share. This couple from Finger Lakes, NY had their rehearsal dinner, Catholic church ceremony, outdoor reception for 120 people and honeymoon for under $15000 -- $13,264.02 to be exact!

They seemed to save a lot by going through their local grocery for catering, help from friends and family and DIYing their floral arrangements. I'm not sure if cost of living in Finger Lakes, NY is much different from the Los Angeles area, but they sure seemed to have stretched their buck to have a really awesome wedding!

Coupon crazy

I figure the folks at Michaels are starting to recognize us. We're the crazy couple always trying to redeem our coupons. Well, why not? When you have a 40% off coupon, why not use them, right? We heard we can combine our internet coupons w/ the bounce-back receipt coupons. Well, you could...but they have to be of different values. I can combine a 40% coupon with another 50% coupon, but not with another 40% coupon. Oh, and combining a 50% and 40% coupon doesn't give you 90% off. 50% will give you the discount for the most expensive item in your cart. the 40% percent will apply to the rest of the items in your cart.

Since we're on the topic of coupons--use them. Find them, scour the web for them. We saved ourselves a ton of money by doing so!

DIY Invitations...sort of

OK, I know I said I was going to make my own pocketfold invitations from scratch. I was completely jazzed about it, thoroughly convinced it was going to happen. Well, it is going to happen...just not in the super-crafty glorious vision I had imagined.
The fiance and I decided to take advantage of Michael's crazy 50% off coupons this week. Yep, that's right. This week, take an extra 50% any regular priced item (check your Sunday paper!). Then we saw these invitation kits at my local Michaels:

They're from the wedding collection of Brides Magazine--there are 30 invitations in each box, including  pocketfold envelopes, response cards and envelopes, address labels, direction cards, seals and ribbon. 

Sure, the design is very simple, but I think they're elegant. And there are ways to personalize the look (you don't have to stick to their template.) We're going to switch out the cream-colored ribbon with a purple one, and we may add some more purple in the design, but I think they're rather chic! Not the grand pocketfolds I was thinking of making myself, but I think these are much better than anything I would have produced, and probably much cheaper!

We bought two kits for a total of $48. (We're buying another kit tomorrow using an online coupon we printed this evening). With our 50% coupons, each box was $24. That means each invitation comes out to about $0.75 per unit. For 90 invitations that includes the whole shebang, this is a great deal! With postage, we may even come in under our $150  invitation budget!

FYI: Sign up for Michael's email newsletter and you can get weekly 40% coupons. We're told that we can combine these coupons with the bounce back receipt coupons we receive after each purchase. We going to try this tomorrow to see if this works!

Money-saving tip: To cut costs we decided we will have our guests RSVP online. Our website will have a separate page just for RSVPs, so instead of reply cards, our invitation will include  instructions on how to RSVP online. Since our rehearsal dinner will be more of an informal welcome dinner, we will send out evites instead of another invitation that requires more postage. Besides, snail mail is so last century!

Save the Date!

Yes!!!! Our date has been secured!

Our top two priority items are crossed off!

Church site for the ceremony: check!

Affordable reception venue: check!

Sooo, without further delay, here they are:

Ceremony Site:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church
1879 N. Lake Ave.
Altadena, CA

As I blogged before, St. Elizabeth is a lovely church in Altadena. While we weren't able to afford our first choice, the grand St. Andrew church in Old Town Pasadena, we are very happy with our alternative find. In fact, I love the small intimate feel of the church much better than the echo-y accoustics at St. Andrew. The surrounding courtyard is beautiful and it's only 3 miles from our reception site in Old Town Pasadena!

Reception Venue:

Cafe Santorini Rococo Room

64 West Union Street

Old Town Pasadena, CA 91103

The Rococo Room at Cafe Santorini is a place we've been eyeing for awhile, and just couldn't book it until we had our church squared away.  We chose this place for a variety of different reasons:

1) Location: Old Town Pasadena. 'nuff said.

2) Price: For roughly $30 a person, you get 2 appetizers, bread, salad, a choice of two entrees, two sides, drinks and dessert.

3) Quality: Food is plentiful and D-lish. Mouth still waters whenever I think of their Chicken Marsala. Great service as well!

4) More for your buck: The tables, silverware, plates, glasses, linens and (my favorite) Chiavari chairs are already included. I don't have to purchase a huge wedding cake--a variety of cake (including tiramisu!) is included. (We will, of course cut into a smaller cake for that photo...got to). For $125 extra, they will even set up decorations, which pretty much eliminates the need for a Day of Coordinator (the church provides their own ceremony coordinator).

Overall, for a Saturday afternoon reception for 110 guests with food, drinks, cash bar and champagne toast, we are looking at a $5,500 bill (out the door). High five to our wedding team!

99 tips for staying within budget

Saw this on The One.

May I add one?

#100 - Haggle your arse off.

Budget saving tip: Downsizing the wedding cake

Need ideas for a cheap wedding cake, but not digging your local supermarket bakery? When I heard the average wedding cake costs $500 and that my future sister-in-law spent a whopping $800 on her's, I was floored...$800 on cake! No way! We thought of budget-friendly alternatives including a cupcake tree. But even that may turn out to be out of our league with most gourmet cupcakes selling at $36 a dozen. With a cupcake tree and decorations, the whole thing could cost about $400.

But then I heard this great tip--buy a smaller gorgeous wedding cake for display and the traditional cake cutting. It will probably only be enough to feed your wedding party, but you can buy a full sheet of cake to slice up and hide in the back.These slices are for the rest of your guests.

My sister recently had a birthday party with about 50 or so guests. She bought a 3/4 sheet of chocolate and mocha cake from Red Ribbon Bakery, the mother of all Filipino bakeries. It was delicious and so was the price. The cake was just $118 for a 3/4 sheet which can feed about 75 people. Smaller, decorated wedding cakes feeding 10 people or more can be less than $50.

Here's a small, very pretty wedding cake from Red Ribbon. It can feed about 30 people (your wedding party and maybe a few extra). Imagine this with purple flowers and a champagne lining...mmmm. the possibilities!

Asian bakeries tend to be much cheaper than mainstream ones, so check them out! The whole thing can be done for about $200 for sure. That's saving you hundreds of dollars for pretty much flour and sugar!

*EDITOR'S NOTE: I went to Red Ribbon Bakery today...good news and bad news: the full sheets are still $130 and the 3/4 sheets are still $118. The smaller cakes run a bit more than expected. Just the word "wedding" in front of "cake" doubles the price. Tip: Look for a nice "all occasion" birthday cake. You can ask that they not put on any writing and they pass for really cute small wedding cakes. The cheapest I found was a 10" white birthday cake topped with lovely floral decorations for about $52. While I love Red Ribbon cakes, I think we'll look elsewhere for the smaller cake.