Weddings are big business.  According to Theknot.com, the cost of the average wedding last year was $32,641.  And that's an average. That means that while, yes, some people are spending significantly less, another [crazy] portion are spending significantly more.

Why so high?

Thanks to movies, magazines, tv and the internet, we've all grown up with this idea of a huge, sparkling, fairy-tale day complete with dancing, candlelight, an abundance of flowers and a dress that makes us feel like a glittery cupcake.  And there's nothing inherently wrong with that.  But the truth of the matter is that it's a cornered market.  It's a once in a lifetime event that companies know you're not going to want to skimp on, so the rates for all of the pieces go sky high. (Sadly, this is also true of funerals, but that's another rant for a different day.  Also, there tends to be less dancing there.)

For those who are budget conscious (read: strapped for cash), those wedding costs are no where near acceptable.

I'm currently in the process of planning another budget wedding, and as I sift through notes and ideas, I thought I'd pass some tips on to the rest of the Do-Not-Pass-Go crowd.  Over the next couple of weeks I'll outline some of my best ideas for ways to save while still turning out a spectacular event.

So, without further ado...



Money Talks...

Create a Savings Plan
This kind of goes hand in hand with setting a budget.  These both may seem obvious, but in the excitement of All Things Wedding, they both often get overlooked til later in the process.  If you do that, you may find yourself having to make some major changes to plans you already had in the works.  So to start...

How much do you already have in your savings that you're willing to put toward your big day?  What changes can you make to your current lifestyle to increase that number?  Are you planning to add to that savings with odd jobs or yard sales (etc)?

A year before our wedding, we made some major decisions on how much we would spend for bills, how much we would spend on going out (trust me, that's still important), and how much we would be putting away for our wedding.  I also took on a few small jobs in addition to my full time one to increase our savings.  And that leads into...

Set a budget
Much like losing weight, having a very specific number in mind when you start planning makes meeting your goal much more attainable.  You know how much you have and/or will have in your account - so how much can you realistically afford?  What is the max you can pull out of your savings and still feel comfortable?  What is the max you can put on a credit card without putting yourself in a tough position later on?

Once you have this number, stick to it.  Revisit it on a regular basis and match it against all of the decisions you're making and going to make.  Make sure all of the key players (financiers) are on the same page.


Making a List; Prioritizin' It Twice
Okay, it's not as fun as trying on dresses or crafting something but the single best thing you can do for yourself (after setting a budget), starts by creating an itemized list of all of the expenses associated with a wedding.  Include everything - from the invites to the DJ to the place cards to the cake - and then, spend some real time prioritizing.  What are you willing to scale back on?  What can you nix completely?  Be brutal.  The costs add up quickly.

For our wedding, the limo, live music and other assorted things like aisle makers, a runner and tschotchke favors were among the items axed.  On the other hand, the location and food were very important to us, so we allotted more money to those categories. 

Plan to DIY... In Moderation 
Pinterest is a B****.  Don't get me wrong - I love it.  But when it comes to planning anything, it has the magical ability to make you feel like you A) Must create a Martha Stewart worthy affair and B) Should be capable of doing it all yourself.  Do Not Get Sucked Into This Trap.

Your wedding does not need to have every little detail ever thought of incorporated into it.  The wedding is about you and your honey and celebrating a beautiful promise of a life together.  Do not overbook your time, resources or sanity.

That said, doing some things yourself can be a great way to save money.  I saved a ton of money by doing my flowers, programs, invitations and favors myself.  But more on that later...

We were able to save over 75% on our site fee by having our wedding on a Thursday night before a holiday weekend.  That means we got THIS gorgeous venue for far cheaper than smaller, more run of the mill venues!

Out of the Box 

Saturday's are Over-Rated Priced
Have your wedding on a weekday or a Sunday night.  Generally, the price structure from most expensive to least goes: Saturday night, Saturday afternoon, Friday night, Sunday Afternoon, Weekday.  If you can have your wedding mid-week it will drop your price significantly (it also may cut down on the available guests, which will cut down on your costs as well...) 

Gift It
Consider registering for some parts of your wedding.  There are sites that allow you to register for anything you find on the web.  Add items that you could use for the wedding (tablecloths, gift cards to a bakery or wine store etc.).   Be prepared, however: some people (particularly older generations) may find this tacky - like you're asking for money.  

I personally feel that in an era where many people have established an arsenal of household goods pre-nuptials, registering for something a little less mainstream can simply be more practical.  That said, if you choose to go this route, make sure that you still have a more traditional registry for those who are uncomfortable with this avant-garde direction.  (FYI you can also register for honeymoons and house funds.)

Barter
If you're a photographer, a writer, a tax specialist, a graphic designer, whatever, consider offering small businesses a trade.  I WISH I had done this.  Sure, some people might say no.  But if a new business sees it as an opportunity to get their name out there or acquire a service they need, they might be very willing to create your bouquet or give you a tux rental (or whatever) for free! 

Charge People Admittance
Totally kidding.  But wouldn't it be nice...? 
 

Some Related Sites

The Knot has tons of great information and resources, including a free website builder and a free Wedding Cost Calculator
Simple Registry lets you register for anything on the web
Honey Fund is a honeymoon registry first and foremost but has several other unconventional registries

Check here for more money saving tips in the Budget Savvy Bride Part 2: Venues, Food & Alcohol 

 Happy Saturday, guys!

This week seems to have flown by.  Last Friday was my baby's first birthday, and we've had friends and family staying with up until today.  Whew!  I really enjoy hosting people but I always feel like lose contact with the outside world when I do.  Maybe that's just the sign of a good visit. :)

The Bean's first birthday was...eventful.  We had far fewer people than we anticipated, so we had
LOTS of food.  We also had planned to have it outdoors at a nearby lake, and I had all of these games, decorations and plans for the tables and two marquees.  What I didn't expect was gale force winds when we got there - lol.  The best laid plans of mice and moms...

The truth is, I've never had an event that has gone exactly the way I wanted it to.  Food has burned or fallen; weather hasn't cooperated; decorations, outfits, arrangements, crafts haven't turned out properly and had to be scrapped last minute, my loving husband has put a stake through his foot the day of... basically, anything that could go wrong, has.  So, when something goes pear-shaped, what's a girl to do?

EG's 6 Tips for Dealing with Event Fails

1. Give yourself a minute to be frustrated, then regroup and move on.  Although I'm not in most things, I'm very type A when it comes to entertaining.  I put a lot of thought and effort into preparations and I want everything to be perfect.   But, when the proverbial poo does hit the fan (thankfully that has yet to be an actual problem at one of my events), I take a minute to let myself get frustrated or annoyed, I vent about it to someone that I'm close to (yay, good friends!) and then I do my best to let it go and work with the circumstances. 

2.  Prioritize - truthfully and practically.  Yeah, sure, you can say "that everyone has a great time" is the top priority.  But practically speaking, what do you feel brings about those results?  Is it a killer decor?  Lots of food?  Really impressive food?  Music?  Games?  A good space to sit and chat?  Once you've figured that out, focus on making those top pieces happen and let the others go.

For the Bee's party, the wind was the major issue.  It meant that I couldn't put up the marquees or the decorations.  This was tremendously frustrating as I'd spent time on them.  But the truth was, they weren't really important.  Instead, feeding the guests was far more essential to me.  So, the main task became trying to get the food out and anchored. 

3.  Recruit backup.  I tend to be a flying-solo kinda gal when it comes to planning and executing a party (at least for the big stuff).  But even I know my limits.  Forget your pride and obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and grab a friend to help you get things back on track.

After about an hour at A's birthday party, the wind was, if anything, worse.  I absolutely hated to do it, but I finally made the call to pack everything up and move the party back to my apartment.  My amazing best friend, husband and family cheerfully hauled platters of sandwiches, presents and unused decorations to their cars for transport.  And when we got home?  They just as cheerfully bustled around with me making my apartment pink and froofy for the birthday girl (who thought the whole day was just grand!).


4.  Remember that most guests won't know the difference.  So, you painstakingly made a gorgeous cake sure to wow the masses and then proceeded to drop it on the floor twenty minutes before the party.  After a few creative expletives, have a friend grab some store bought cupcakes and do your best to forget it.  The guests can't miss what they didn't know was coming.

5. Work with it.  Some of the best event details I've seen have come from people making the most of something gone wrong.

When a special effect intended for our bathroom didn't come together well one Halloween, I scrapped it last minute.  Instead, I anchored two black lights, threw a highlighter in the tank of my toilet, and added left over glow sticks to every surface.  I was super bummed at my half-hearted decor, but it wound up being the hit of the party and people had a blast getting pictures in there all night  (because, who DOESN'T want a picture in the loo...?). 

One of the cutest wedding shoots I've seen occurred when it happened to pour on the big day and the bride and groom grabbed an umbrella, borrowed some sneakers and went for a jaunt in the puddles. 

Girl scout cookies out of girl scouts, my friends.

6.   Laugh about it.  Sometimes there's just no way around it - things just bombed.  But epic fails make great stories and life is far too ridiculous not to laugh at.  

The Bee's birthday didn't quite turn out the way I'd dreamt, but it certainly was memorable.  And, hey, on the upside, the bar for her second birthday has been set comfortably low!



I'd love to hear from you!  Do you have any amazing party failures?  How did you handle it at the time?  Is there anything you wish you'd done differently or advice that you can offer? 

Have a fab week guys!  Happy planning!

Party Tip #317: as long as a party includes cupcakes, it's a success.

I realize that admitting this is akin to high treason, but I've never been a big fan of french toast.  (Can we still be friends?)  Something about soaking thin slices of Wonder bread in a weird eggy mixture just didn't do it for me.  Any time someone would make it for me, I would wind up pushing it around my plate willing it to be a little less, you know, French. 

I have recently come to recognize the error of my ways, however (or perhaps, more accurately, the error in my bread).  My Culinarily Inclined Significant Other whipped up an absolutely delicious french toast using challah bread and his own favorite recipe and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's one of the Best. Breakfasts. Ever. 

Challah bread, a braided Jewish bread, is a denser, sweeter bread with a soft shiny crust (you can find it most grocery store bakeries).  The texture creates the perfect medium for soaking up the egg, vanilla, honey and orange mixture and you're left with a french toast that's moist, thick and infused with flavor.  It's so wonderfully rich, in fact, that half the time I don't even bother to top it (though it's pretty amazing either way). 

It has become one of our favorite special occasion foods, and this week we'll add some crispy bacon, fruit salad, coffee (and with any luck, mimosas), and ring in the New Year right.  (I'll start my resolutions after breakfast...)  :)



Ingredients 

Happy One Week Until Christmas!

Just like everyone else, our week will be spent dashing around making all of the last minute purchases, finalizing menus, scrubbing the surfaces and hiding all of the random items that we don't have time to put away properly in a pile in our closet.  But truly, I love this time.

We're hosting family and friends and planning everything from a beautiful sit-down Christmas eve dinner to a Christmas morning brunch and Christmas night cocktails.  Our house will be full to the brim with overnight guests, too, so certainly there is plenty left to do.  But, as to decor, everything is pretty close to what it's going to be.  Below are some shots of the twinkling lights, colorful packages and playful touches that I love.

Enjoy!  (PS Many of these photos were taken at night because I love the look of the house in the string lights!)

I went for an elegant mantle with streamlined glitter trees, a beautiful carved deer and tall hurricanes with golden candles.  Though the greenery, ribbons and baubles remain on the top, the stockings have been relocated to places where little hands can't accidentally pull something down on themselves.

The photobomber in the chair is Griffin,the resident Scrooge of the household.  His favorite part of Christmas is taking his displeasure out on the ornaments on the trees. :)

I think my favorite thing about our decorations is that almost every one of them is something personal.  The little bear on the side table was sown for my baby by my Texas mama; the angel next to him was the first decoration in my collection and purchased for me as a gift from my mom when I was in high school; the ornaments on the tree represent different events that happen each year in our lives. There are Santas carved and painted by my father-in-law, a wooden rocking chair I used as a child, a nutcracker from the first ballet my husband and I saw together...  Christmas for us remains the magic that has surrounded and accompanied us throughout our lives.

With close to ten people here for Christmas morning, we have huge piles of presents stacked in all corners (Not all of them are FROM us! We have my mom's in advance!).  The advantage is that they serve as decoration and made my job easier!

The demilune is piled with toys and more gifts.  The stack of blocks at the top is actually an advent calendar that holds treat behind each numbered door.  And of course that sweet little face is the true magic this year.  (She was very curious about the camera.  I'm fairly sure the inner monologue was "I could eat that.")

Due to the tiny, mobile little munchkin, the tree is sporting fewer ornaments this year, and all of the ones at the bottom are large (so they can't be swallowed), plastic (so they can't be broken) and have ribbon ties (so I don't have to worry about her eating a metal S hook).  I also tied jingle bells to each of the lower branches as a sort of warning system should they be under attack!

I used to hang garland around the front door, but I actually really like it swagged across the large dining room window.  I wove pinecones, berries, and golden bells throughout for a simple, classic design.

I love how the mirror over the buffet reflects the glittering lights of the dining room tree!

In the dining room, a beverage station for adults sits at the end of the bar.  In the kitchen, a cocoa station invites little and big kids alike to help themselves.

And a few more of the sparkly details...


I'd love to see or hear how your plans and house are coming together!  Have a wonderful (stress free!) weekend, friends, and try to enjoy all the last minute details!


Happy Christmasing!

Boy Howdy!  I have been running my little tail off these past few days (weeks, months...).  But the house is really coming together.  I promised some more pics (Click HERE for part 1!) and, amazingly, I'm actually posting them pre-Halloween! (okay, BARELY, but still...).  You may notice a difference in the light quality - that's because some of these were taken last night to show off the string lights and candles a little better. 

Our guests will actually be dining in the living room next to the fireplace and under the "chandelier."  A large beaded spiderweb spans the corner, while ravens and crows look on from their various perches around the room.

I can't have an event without fresh flowers.  The orange poms and scraggly greenery give these white roses an eerie Halloween-y slant.

As the dining room is not being used for, well, dining, it will serve as a cocktail and hors d'ouevres station.  A moss runner was added to the table, along with the greenery and cloche.  The table was slid to one corner of the room to make space for another project (that I will most likely NOT be featuring pre-Halloween)

This fab moon is a two foot paper lantern.  The facial features are from BHG and have been Mod Podged on.  The entire piece got a coating of pearl and sliver acrylic paint and it hangs, lit from within.

Along with cocktails, I always make sure to have a fun non-alcoholic beverage available.  I'd like to say it's solely because I'm being responsible, but the truth is that I also just REALLY enjoy showing off my mother's cut glass punch bowl.

Instead of a traditional leaf garland, I created a feather version out of a bunch of feather boas (purchased at Goodwill for very little!).  The feathers give a nod to the raven theme while the metallic gold skull, satin top hat and fabulous cravat show this handsome fella is dressed for dinner.  The wall behind the stairs is lined with three chandelier silhouettes intended for pre-teen rooms and purchased on Clearance for $2.50 each.

Oh, I'd love to say I'm all done, but there is still much to do!  I'm off to add grommets to my dress, buy dry ice, introduce the reaper to our cemetery, hang some lights and mix some drinks.  And then drink some of those drinks.  Hmmm... maybe I should buy more alcohol too.

Have a spectacularly spooky Halloween, my friends, and please send me your pictures and comments!!

Urgh! I swear the weeks are going at double speed.  Now that we're in the build up to Christmas, my guess is they'll only go faster from here on out!

In preparation for this year's Halloween party, I have about 8 projects in progress.  My living and dining rooms kinda make me look like I'm about a half a step away from going full Grey Gardens.  I'm hoping to have things almost completely pulled together by the beginning of this next week, but for now, I wanted to give you a sneak peak of how it's starting to shape up.



My fabulous Interactive Halloween Invites (which I'm pleased to say received rave reviews) set the scene for a spooky raven filled cemetery theme.  As this may be one of the last opportunities for a grown up celebration, I'm taking full advantage by prepping for a glam All Hallows Eve seated dinner. 


The mantel is almost always where I start. I tend to feature some of my favorite pieces, identify a theme and build out from there.

Instead of a pressed tablecloth, the highly polished wood of the table itself brings warmth and depth.  It allows the whites and pastels to pop off of the dark background and doesn't compete with the linens or silver accents.

Small details like Pottery Barn bunny salt and pepper shakers and a painted ceramic menu card add whimsical and elegant touches.


Beautiful napkins embroidered with pink and blue flowers add color to the silver and white place settings.  The coordinating but not matching blooms seem more relaxed (but not too casual).


This Vera Wang stemware is one of my absolute favorite possessions.  I pull it out for every occasion I can.

Instead of traditional wine tags, I tied miniature mercury glass eggs (Pottery Barn) in pink, green, blue and silver to the stems of wine and water glasses with pretty scalloped ribbon. 


To protect the table and add a little extra shine, I used these gorgeous embossed chargers to back each place setting.  I'm a big fan of mixing high and low end pieces - the chargers were from Amazon (no longer available, unfortunately) and cost around $20 for a set of six, while the silver rimmed place settings are from the Parchment collection by Mikasa and were wedding gifts from generous relatives!


The centerpiece - a pure white, heirloom soup tureen filled with 3 dozen pink roses - is elegant and simple to put together.  Thanks to a local farmers market, it also looks much more expensive than it actually was.


Easter and spring themed details on the buffet and round serving table add color, and sweet yet playful touches.


I love this hatbox overflowing with hydrangea and peonies - it looks like something out of an English garden!  The hobnail bowl is filled with paper mache eggs purchased for $4 at Michael's.  I used some gold Rub n Buff to add shine - easiest egg decorating ever.  (And no funky smell after two days!)


The buffet will most likely be filled with tasty goodness by the time Easter dinner rolls around and the little extras that sit there now will probably move to our mantle.  Currently they include a fresh bouquet of hydrangea, roses and wildflowers, a small Boyd's bunny (named Emily Babbit!), and an antique tea cup filled with more gold-flecked eggs.  On the other side, sits my own very-loved stuffed bunny (I named him Benjamin), and a small bird cage featuring another antique tea cup, and nest of eggs and flowers.



I have to say, keeping it simple is making my life much easier this year.  With the table taken care of, I can focus on a wonderfully scrumptious menu (perhaps I'll use one of my top five favorite ham glaze recipes that I featured last year) and take some time to sit and enjoy the meaning of the holiday and the friends and family that it brings to the door.

Do you have any plans or traditions that you'll be breaking out this weekend?