Wedding Pickle

Friday, January 7, 2011

Emergency Kit: Jewelry pt. 1

1. Jewelry pliers- fix, tighten or loosen some pieces to make it look perfect.

2. Super Glue- Stones and crystals can get loose and fall out. Have something to stick those babies back in place!

3. Earring Backings- I lose these all the time. It would not be cool to lose your wedding pair on your big day. You might look at your photos always saying, "I had the cutest earrings and I couldn't wear them!"

4. Fake Wedding Bands- Whoever is in charge of the bands may not have those rings for any number of reasons. At least have a stand in pair just in case. Saying your vows and sealing it without a ring might be a bit awkward.

Photo Credit: weddingringcentre.net

5. Extra Jewelry- My husband's grandma lost her earrings on the wedding day, and one of my bridesmaids had an extra pair of studs for her. I wouldn't have been a big deal to anyone else, but we women need all aspects of feeling dolled up to be dolled up right? Have some extra jewelry for anyone to use, but remember those earring backings? An earring can be lost that way too. I would suggest having a wedding earring back-up pair, so that you won't have to say what I mentioned in #3.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Dialogue: Write or Print Invitation Mailing Labels?

I always hear that it is a huge no-no to print the mailing labels for your wedding invitations. It isn't formal etiquette and some people look down on it. However, wedding trends are so different and some even non-traditional. Is it really necessary? Calligraphy wouldn't match an upbeat techno wedding just as Comic Sans would not fit an elegant ritzy wedding.

I did not want to write the addresses or have family or friends waste valuable time writing addresses for so many invites to many people I didn't even know. I didn't want to pay for someone to do it for me either. (Of course, had it been the intimate, small crowd I wanted, I would've written it to give it a personal touch.)

Photo Credit: ohsobeautifulpaper.com

Now, if a bride were to ask me what they should do, I would say do whatever you want! Whatever makes your life easier and whatever fits your wedding style. It is your wedding so who cares! If you need to, just print them out in a nice, elegant, legible font on clear labels and they look just as nice. In a time when so many of us are working full time, and living on tight budgets, no one should judge that you used a printed label instead of writing their name and address. Besides, it goes in the trash anyway right? And, they should be happy for you instead of talking about what was wrong on the envelope. What do you think about this etiquette issue?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Pickle: You Get What You Pay For?

So we just talked about budget. You have set your priorities and know what you are willing to spend. However, there are some things you just shouldn't cheat yourself on. I recently read on a forum that a common mistake brides make is going for the cheapest vendor. Sometimes a vendor can be cheap and not that good. Sometimes a vendor may not be aware of typical pricing, charge cheaply and be really good. I kinda had it both ways. I went cheap on my caterer/cake maker, I got what I paid for. I went cheap on my photographer, 50% off deal. Red flag? Not in this case. I got a steal for some real talent.

The Pickle: How can I avoid getting what I paid for in price and quality?

The Solution: There are a few things you should makes as part of your priority so that you have enough in budget to not cheat yourself. Never be cheap with your photographer and cake. You can also throw in the videographer as a secondary priority.

Why Photographer and Cake: This is simple. Your wedding day will fly by so fast that your photos will be what you hang on to to relive your day. This is number one because there are so many moments to catch that you will want to see, that you need to make sure you have someone who knows weddings enough to catch those moments in a beautiful artistic way. If you get a deal like I had, check the portfolios and recommendations to make sure it isn't a red flag. What ever you do, DO NOT hire your friend to take your photos. It is not worth the missed shots, the resentment that can cause, and they don't get to be a guest at your wedding! Not cool. (Now if you got a professional wedding photographer friend or family member begging to do your wedding, and you like their portfolio, well, I say why not? It helps build their portfolio!)

Now, the cake might be important to some and not to others. I made the mistake of thinking the cake wasn't a big deal. I urge you to reconsider making the cake as important as your photos. Here is why. It is such a centerpiece to your whole event. People leave talking about the dress and the cake. In fact, the cake is so important, it even has its own ceremony! You will have so many photos around the cake, you do not want to cheat yourself.

My photograher and videographer catching the cake-cutting (and my ugly cake lol).

If you are doing video, you don't want to cheat yourself there for the same reasons as a photographer. Moving images of your day is like really reliving it and you don't want to miss those vital moments! The beautiful thing about video is that you see all the beauty of your day and not all the things that went wrong. You can see your day the way it truly was. :)

Check out my videographer's blog for samples of her videos. Tear-jerkers! Below you will find my wedding video trailer. Are you planning on using a videographer?

Melina + Michael | Oklahoma City Wedding Video from Sarah Pendergraft on Vimeo.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Poll Follow-Up: Wedding Budget

The last poll I posted asked about what your budget plan is. You either have a strict budget, rounded budget, or no budget either because you haven't thought about it or because money is no option for you (lucky!)

However, even celebrities have a limit and so should you. Think about it, if a millionaire said do what you want to their vendors and planner, they might just be milked all they are worth. It could be a scary thing if your wedding is just a drain sucking your money and you have to idea what you have spent. Rich or not you need to have a grasp on your wedding budget or you might be in for the surprise of your life!

There are some percentages you could base your budget on but it needs to be based on your priorities. Sit down with your fiance and family. Talk about what is most important. Do you want the venue of your dreams no matter what? Is the dress your number one? Is it important for you to have a sit down dinner for your guests? Maybe you have had your eyes set on a cake maker since you were a child and you will have it no matter what the cost. Make your priority list then shift the budget around that.

Some calculators will allow you to adjust your budget and it will recalculate your budget for based on your customization. You can google and find many wedding budget calculators, but for this post I will use Wedding Channel's budget tool as an example.

Plug in your info and let it do the number crunching for you.

What I like about WeddingChannel's budget tool is it also explains each item. As you can see, they will tell you what you should spend, but you can change the cost to what you actually plan to spend. For example, you might know you want to spend $3,000 on your gown and center the budget around that.

There will probably be some items you know you will not use. You have the option to remove those and recalculate the budget.

You may or may not use your budget calculator but it at least will give you an idea and will put you ahead of the game by knowing where your money should go. Then you will have no surprises. Nobody wants to start a marriage with debt!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Pickle: It Costs How Much to Alter My Dress?

The holidays are over. I hope everyone had a great one! I'm back to posting regularly, so no more waiting.

If you are on pretty tight budget, this is an issue you cannot overlook. You maybe found the perfect dress but it is right at budget or a little over budget. You are debating that it is totally worth it. And, it might be but there are some extra costs brides often overlook.

How much will it cost to alter your dress?

The Pickle: You found the dress, but it may the thing that busts your budget. You didn't take into account the cost for alterations, tax, and the veil/headpiece. All together, the costs can have your jaw dropping to the floor.

The Solution: I am a strong believer in the dream dress and never settling for less. So the key to finding the best price for your dress to to check with as many bridal stores that carry the dress designer as you can.

I found my dress at one store, the only store in town that carried the exact dress for me to try on. Once, I knew it was The One, I didn't buy it right away. I searched and found another store that I knew carried the designer of my dress. The plus was that they had a $200 dollar off anniversary sale and free alterations. This not only covered the cost for my headpiece but my shoes as well! Talk about a deal!

Steps to take:
1. Make a list of as many bridal stores you can, and are willing to drive to, that carry your dress designer. (Remember, they don't have to carry the actual dress)

2. Check the tax rate in the different areas that those stores are located. This can help you determine what you save in addition to what they offer.

3. Ask for any sales or specials. They may not mention it right away, so it never hurts to ask. There might be discounts or free stuff thrown in with your purchase up to a certain amount. You may get a free veil out of this!

4. Ask about alterations. Do they have their own in-store tailor? Is it discounted? Is it included with your purchase?

If you are on the fence on some dresses, take these things into consideration as well to save some money.
~ See if the dress model has a corset back option instead of a zipper. If you gain or lose a little weight, a corset can be more forgiving and will keep the dress from having to be altered again.
~ Lacier designs can cost more to alter. For example, below the first dress will be a lot simpler to shorten then the second one, which will no doubt take extra work just to move the lace floral designs up. (P.S. I am a Maggie Sottero fan if you haven't noticed!)