bachelorette party gift buckets

So I survived my bachelorette party in Vegas last weekend & one of the "projects" I decided to take on was to make gift buckets (instead of baskets?) for the rooms. I figured this would be a nice treat for the girls who so graciously joined me on this trip to help me celebrate! :) Here's some pics of the buckets I made...

I found the pink buckets at Target in the dollar bin (score!). I was originally going to fill the chinese take-out boxes with goodies for each girl, but this was so much more economical.

I filled the bottom of the buckets with kraft paper crinkle filler (?) that I found at Michael's on sale. Next, we (and by we I mean my mom and I) tied the pink, silver & black beads together with pink ribbon. I wrote each girl a little note thanking them for joining me and how much they meant to me - that's what the scrolls are with the names on them. I filled them up with advil, lots of snacks I bought at Trader Joe's, Bachelorette Party napkins & plates that I bought at Party City, pins with funny sayings and mini cans of Champagne with the paper pink straws. I found the straws on ebay for a great deal (25 for $4).

I wanted all the girls to have the champagne together on our second night out so I attached little notes that said "Please save me for Saturday night!". I knew some of them would see the goodies and dive right in :)

Here's some more pictures of the trip!

awesome tool

On twitter today I saw a link to this very helpful tool from Real Simple. Awesome!


Wedding Wine & Liquor Calculator

Based on this tool, here's what Real Simple suggests we need for our 100 person wedding.

100 Guests
Red Wine: 12 bottles
White Wine: 12 bottles
Champagne: 20 bottles
Beer: 120 bottles
Vodka: 4 bottles
Gin: 2 bottles
Rum: 2 bottles
Bourbon: 2 bottles
Scotch (blended): 1 bottle

...Lord knows we're going to have PLENTY of liquor. We're doing a keg for the beer, which is the equivalent of 160 bottles. Perfect. My plan is to hit up the 5 cent wine sale today at Bev Mo to look for some Wine & Champagne options. Cheers! :)

Tuxedo Deal!

I found this online, seems like a pretty great deal. Travis and I are going to work on the tuxedo/suit situation after he finishes the GRE next week. We looked at Men's Warehouse and weren't too thrilled about their selection - and not to mention the fact that you can't try it on! That's nuts!

Here's a list of locations in Southern California:

lining an envelope

Just received our Save the Date cards in the mail...now to prep them and get them sent! I'm going to line the envelopes myself, so I found this demo video to help. Wish me luck!!

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/7030-how-to-line-a-wedding-invitation-envelope

shoes!

Well, at this point I have most of my accessories figured out for the day...bracelet (christmas gift!), necklace borrowed from my mom (something borrowed!), earrings (I know what I want but haven't found them yet, hmmm...), and my hair piece.

Other than undergarments, to be tackled at a later date and probably in private, I am yet to find my SHOES!

For my dress, since I'm somewhat normal height, I need to find 3" to 3.5" heels - 3.5" preferably. This way I don't have to have my dress hemmed.

Here are some I've seen so far in the SAVE and SPLURGE versions. Just like your dress, you don't need to spend a small fortune for something you're going to wear once. Look amazing in an almost replica without the brand name for less than half the price. LESS THAN HALF! That's just crazyness...Nina at Zappos - reasonably priced - $99.95

Splurge version - Badgley Mischka from Piperlime - $215
RSPVP also at Zappos - only $89


Bagdley Mischka at Piperlime - $215! Do they not look almost EXACTLY the same?!?
Another Nina at Zappos - $89
Kate Spade - Nordstroms - $285

I will find more...to come in another post...I'm determined...

master timeline

I found this fantastic article on DIY Bride on creating a master timeline to streamline your day and plan so everything goes perfectly...

A timeline will be the single most important document you will create for your wedding. Without a realistic timeline, your wedding may have unforeseen challenges and actually create more work for you (or your family) on your big day.

As a wedding planner we create one master itinerary for our couples. The only time they will see this master plan is before the wedding. This document will include both wedding party information and vendor information (which we like to call a production schedule). We personally like to color code because at the wedding any member of our team can easily glance at the itinerary and know immediately which tasks apply to vendors vs. wedding party. This may be an option you would like to consider, because it is important to understand both vendor needs and personal needs when planning your wedding day.

Before we begin there are key vendors that you need to contact to know their schedule needs.

1. Your Photographer – knowing when he/she wants to begin your pictures is very important (taking into consideration if you are getting all your photos done before the wedding or some before/after your wedding). You’ll also want to check the length of time you contracted them for to be at your wedding so you won’t schedule events after they are suppose to leave.

2. Caterer – have a detailed conversation with your caterer to understand their needs for setup (for instance; if you are providing rented linens they may want those a day before your wedding so they can set your tables). You will also need to know how long it will take to serve your wedding guests so you can appropriately gauge the timeline at the reception.

3. Florist/Decorator – they will need to know all the setup times that they can get into the reception venue and church as well as break out times. Remember if the reception venue says that you need to be out of their facility by midnight, you can’t end your wedding at 12:00am. You’ll have to end earlier so all decorations, personal items and your entertainment has time to breakdown and remove their items.

4. Hairdresser/Makeup Artist- this person is important because you’ll get information as to when to start your wedding day and know how long it will take to be ready to get to the church to start pictures. More often, the entire wedding party is joining you, so we see entire wedding parties starting their hair/makeup at the salon at 8am in the morning so they can all be done to make to the church for photos.

Creating the Timeline

So let’s begin. Always start at the start time of your wedding and work backwards to figure out the timeline at the beginning of your day. Let’s say your wedding ceremony starts at 1:30pm (that is what is printed on the invitation). That would mean that you need to have everything done (photos, décor, etc) by half an hour before hand. So 1:00pm because the “starting time” for your wedding for all the vendors and wedding party.

Now you will work your way backwards from that point, beginning with start time and finish time for your photography and then to your hair/makeup. You’ll want to be sure to schedule setup times for your cake, caterer, entertainment, reception decorating, bartenders, and caterer.

We like to create timelines that are in 15 minute increments. Understanding that may not always be possible or realistic, but it is always a good idea to “pad” your timeline with extra minutes. For example, if it takes 20 minutes to get from your hair salon to the church, then simply allow 30 minutes in the timeline.

It will read:

10am Girls conclude hair appointments and leave for the church

10:30am Girls arrive at church to dress

11am Photos begin for bride (insert your name), bridesmaids and bride’s family

11:30pm Groom (insert real name), groomsmen and ushers arrive at church, dressed

It is our experience that weddings take a life of their own and sometimes you are ahead of schedule and then behind schedule, and then suddenly on time! It’s no big deal…it all works out in the end, but you can’t foresee one of your bride maids taking longer on their hair or a flat tire. The one constant will be the time you actually walk down the aisle, especially if you are having a church wedding. Priests and Pastors like to start ON TIME, because there may be more activities going on in the church after your wedding (confessions, mass, etc).

After the wedding you’ll want to estimate how much time it will take to complete the ceremonial activities. For instance, 300 guests and you want to do a receiving line? Let’s calculate, if it took only 30 seconds to greet every guest it would take 45 minutes! You may have backed yourself into a corner for post wedding photo opportunities.

In the timeline, you’ll want to include every single vendor you have contracted. You will want to have an arrival time and a departure time. This allows you to look at your wedding on paper and you can literally walk yourself through the day.

Finally when you have completed this master itinerary document (don’t be surprised if it is 5-6 pages long), you’ll want to remove most of the vendor information and downsize it for the wedding party to distribute at rehearsal. Your bridesmaids don’t need to know when your cake is going to be delivered at the reception venue.

You will want to include these important times for everyone:
start time Hair/Makeup
start time Arrival at Church
start time Starting time for photos: (break it out for wedding party/parents, grandparents, children, extra family members. Usually it is not necessary for grandparents to show up 2 hours before the wedding for photos).
est times General flow of the day for special events; toasts, dances, cake cutting, etc.

Finally when you have completed this beautiful master plan of your entire day, give it to someone else. NO BRIDE should be ever be holding her wedding day itinerary. If you are not hiring a wedding planner or coordinator for your wedding day, then ask a family member or friend to implement your plans. But it should NOT be a person in your wedding party. That’s right! Your MOH should be with YOU, helping YOU…not running around contacting vendors or answering the hundreds of questions that happen during a wedding.
Plan on!

This article was submitted by the uber-fabulous Saundra Hadley.
Saundra is owner and event engineer with planning…forever events

registering!

Well, we began our registering during our Holiday vacations. I of course loved it, and lets just say he only "liked" it :) No, but it really is kind of stressful. Especially for my fiance and I, since we're not living together until after the big day, we really don't have much. Which means we're hoping for all necessities as wedding gifts.

Here's our run-down as of now...

We have registries set up at Crate & Barrel, Macy's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. We're inviting around 75 couples/single people to make around 100 guests. They suggest we register for around 150 gifts to accommodate for showers, etc.

So far we have...

29 items at Crate & Barrel
16 items at Macy's
32 items at Bed, Bath & Beyond

...for a grand total of 77 items!

Yikes! We have some shopping to do!!!

hotel accomodations

Something I've been working on/thining more about lately is where we're going to stay, and blocking rooms for guests. I went through our list and at least 85% of our guests are from out of town! (Meaning they don't live in Orange County). So, techincally it's a destination wedding :)

This site gives great information on hotels in San Clemente.

I've been calling around, and a few hotel managers have been really helpful. The first is San Clemente's Little Inn by the Beach. They're able to block rooms for us, or give our guests a discounted rate of $85/night. Pretty amazing for a holiday weekend! They're less than a mile from the Casa Romantica, too!

There's only 18 rooms in the hotel, which obviously won't accomodate all our guests, but maybe wedding party and family...

The next two hotels we'll look into and maybe block rooms at are the Hampton Inn in San Clemente and the Travel Lodge.

There are also lots of really cute B&Bs in San Clemente, and also the option to rent a beach house for the weekend. I'd suggest booking anything early, though, since our wedding is over a holiday weekend.

We're getting closer and closer to our big day! I can't believe it's already the week of Thanksgiving. Before we know it the holidays will be here and it'll be 2010! Woohooo!

philosophy wedding giveaway

My friend Lisa, another soon-to-be-bride, sent me this link to share! I definitely entered this, along with every other wedding giveaway I see.

Check it out!

caterers, djs, oh my!

Booked our DJ today. Here he is in action, Emiliano! :) We're going with "Fly By Nights" DJs because they were the most affordable I could find, but at the same time giving us everything I need/wanted. They're going to be there an hour early to set everything up, including music for the ceremony and reception. I chose this guy here because I like how he mixes all the music together! Check him out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYtjhlQ4D98

I also got really excited (see how the little things excite you while planning a wedding) when I saw this picture of the buffet recently on our caterer's blog, Jay's Catering. This is just like the one we're going to have! So pretty!

We're still deciding on the chairs we're going to have. Our catering package comes with these chairs shown, but we're thinking of upgrading. Help! Ideas?

We also set our date for our engagement shots with our photographer, He & She Photography, which I'm SO excited about! January 7th!

inspired by martha

So you may or may not know this, but I have a major girl crush on Martha Stewart (I know, pathetic). She is just so classy (minus the whole prison thing) with the perfect mix of crafty-do it yourself-ness. Does that make sense? Haha.

I saw these today while browsing Martha Stewart Weddings (no need to buy the glossy magazine, browse for FREE). Such great ideas to add to the list...yikes, do I like too much??

I am loving the top right STD (woah, weird) with the finger and string. It'll fit perfect with our invite look, maybe with a picture on the back? Hmm...ideas are flowing.


I'm also loving this guest book featured from a wedding on Martha Stewart. Their whole them was elementary school because the bride & groom met when they were kids. Looks so cute. See, you can do anything and class it up. I already purchased my polaroid online, just waiting for it to come in. I found a "like new" pre-used camera on amazon for around $17. I just need to find the film, and I love this idea of placing the photo corners in the book for guests to place their pictures in. I was wondering how I would go about having everyone stick their picture into the book...problem solved!

ring bearer bowl!

I got this in the mail today...custom made from Elm Studios on etsy! I love it, and they were so great about customizing my bowl to be exactly what I want it to look like. I'm excited to have this as a keepsake for us to have in our new place after our big day!

wedding budget tips

I found these budget tips on Style Me Pretty...how to bring your dream wedding to life, while planning on a budget. Why spend a fortune? Let's see how I'm (we're) doing...

Without further ado, here are Angela of Lulu Events cost cutting tips…

1. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize – by creating a theme or sticking to a cohesive look you can make a wedding or event look very sophisticated with just a few ideas that guests will always remember. Prioritize what is important and spend the money there.

We're going to have a "vintage" inspired cohesive look for our wedding. I love this idea, as I see many a vintage wedding online, and because our venue is a vintage, 1920s estate in San Clemente. Check!

2. Identify your color palette and stick to it. Remember you always need an accent color. One main color and 2 accent colors are ideal.

Hmm...my color palette is going to be greens, chocolate browns, and "pops" of purple. Do I need another accent color? Check!

3. Party Rentals – by selecting a colored or textured linen you get more bang for your buck than spending money on lots of colorful flowers on a white table cloth. The linen color will transform the space immediately and set the tone for your wedding reception.

I'm meeting with our caterer this weekend to taste food (yum!) and I'll have to ask about linens. I'm not planning on spending lots on flowers anyway...but I do love the idea of a colored or textured linen (brown probably).

4. Choose flowers that are in season and go for a monochromatic look, buying flowers in bulk is less expensive than buying many different types of flowers and my favorite trick is to incorporate fruit in to the centerpieces!

We haven't yet decided on flowers either, but I'm thinking I want to try and make the center pieces ourselves. We'll have the bouquets and boutonnieres probably done at a florist, but the rest we'll tackle ourselves. How hard can it be? Fruit in the centerpiece? I don't know if that goes with our "theme"...we'll see...

5. Choose a live musician for the ceremony and cocktail hour but nix the band and stick to a dj for the reception. It will save thousands of dollars. Just make sure to choose a play list that reflects the mood of the event and personality of the couple.

We're going to have a DJ who will be there with music for the ceremony and reception. Check!

6. By booking a wedding venue off season or on Fridays /Sundays – wedding venues and vendors will likely give you discounts so you can save your money for a honeymoon splurge!

Sunday, September 5, 2010! Check!

7. Consider hiring a wedding planner – we really are experts and our tips & ideas can save you time, money and get you discounts with vendors.

I'm not hiring a wedding planner. Although along the way I've been thinking about having one, it seems like just too much money for something I could figure out myself. How much of a discount can they really get you? More than the price for the coordinator - which sometimes starts at $1,000 just to be there the day of the wedding?!

I must say though, if you can afford it, a wedding coordinator must be fabulous. Putting all their creativity & your ideas to life without you having to do all the work- worth it!

8. Select one signature cocktail for the cocktail hour such as a Bellini or Kir Royale that will be passed by the waiters and offer wine and beer only the rest of the evening. You will be amazed at the cost savings!

We're planning a signature cocktail (or a few) for our wedding. I definitely want to have some sort of Mojito, maybe a bellini, and some "old" cocktails - to fit our vintage theme. Check!

9. Minimize the guest list- do you really need to invite that neighbor that you pass thru the hall or your second cousin Vinny that lives across the country?

Our guest list is definitely minimized. Sticking to only 100 is tough, especially when you have fairly large families. We're not doing many "plus ones", and inviting strictly close friends and family, which makes me so very happy! Check!

10. Skip the wedding favors (do we really need to see another Godiva chocolate at the place setting?), instead spend the money on a signature cocktail or a favor the guest will use during the course of the evening like a black and white photo booth!

We are having wedding favors, but they're homemade. And you're gonna love em!

11. Never ever try to skimp on a photographer- a talented photographer will capture memories that will last a lifetime!

We definitely didn't skimp on our photographer. This is the one area where I'm really digging into my savings for. So excited, check em out - He & She Photography. They're amazing! Can't wait! Check!

jewelry giveaway!

Woah!

Another fabulous giveaway - this time from Pre-Owned Wedding Dresses. They're giving away a jewelry rental with Adorn Brides worth $2,500!

Click here!

cool giveaway!

Woah, it's been a while. I guess I've been kinda crazy busy with school - I really haven't thought too much about the wedding lately at all! Which I think is probably a good thing (I may or may not be making the future hubs a little crazy...hehe)

I saw this though, and had to share. Bare Escentuals, my favorite makeup that I wear EVERY DAY, is giving away a makeup artist for your wedding day. My mom & I were just talking about this, figuring out how we're going to do this part of my day down in Orange County...I feel for you girls who plan your wedding from far away (and I'm only an hour).

So great of them to give this away. To enter, click here.

DIY Bridesmaid Cards

Although I'm very pleased with the bridesmaid's gifts I sent to my girls, I just LOVED this when I saw it. From Once Wed, one of my go-to blogs, this is such a cute and (easy?) way to personalize your invitation to your wedding party. I also love that it lets everyone know who will be in the entire bridal party!Check out all the crafty how-to details here!

Something else this inspires me to do is learn how to calligraphy! And not old-English calligraphy, beautiful, unique, stand-out handwriting like on these envelopes....

cocktail time!

Something I've been considering lately is how we're going to approach the cocktail/bar situation at our wedding. The caterer we're hiring is allowing us to bring our own booze (HUGE money saver), which was really important to us, especially since both my dad and brother are in the liquor business (cocktails at cost!).

I've read over and over that another way to save money and personalize your wedding is to have signature cocktails, along with beer and wine. I love this idea - and think it would be easier than trying to guess how much of each mixer, liquor, etc. to buy.



How delicious does this one look? Perfect for fall - it's an apple pie cocktail! It's made with agave nectar, apple pie spice, lemon juice, and apple vodka (they make apple vodka?)



Yummm...pink grapefruit mojito? Made with mint, lime, simple syrup, rum, grapefruit juice, grapefruit liquor, and sparkling water.

An idea I love that I might adopt for our day is having a cocktail menu themed "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue". I've seen classic cocktails for the "old" - like a gin and tonic; A "new" cocktail like a mango martini; "something borrowed" could be from a family member's past or best man/maid of honor's favorite drink; and "something blue" could be a blue cocktail like a Blue Hawaiian...

Hostess with the Mostess has tons of creative cocktail recipes - from a vanilla pumpkin pie martini to a strawberry peach daiquiri!

Another great resource is The Knot, you can search for cocktails by season, color, or watch a slideshow with lots of yummy drinks.

Bottoms Up! Cheers!!

utterly engaged

I found the most beautiful e-zine (apparently an on-line magazine) this morning. I love that everything in here is Southern California. How refreshing that they actually include the budget details from their real weddings also. It is SO nice to see that other people are spending according to their own plans, not just what the knot has told them how to spend their wedding budget!

Here's another beautiful picture from the e-zine...
This just could be my new favorite thing. Check it out!

bridesmaid dresses

I wasn't really trying, but came across a post on Style Me Pretty that showed some beautiful bridesmaid dresses that I really like.

Okay, so they're kinda hard to see in these pictures. If you want a closer look, click here. The bride wrote on the site that her girls' dresses are Butter by Nadia. Cool site, but CRAZY expensive. I would never expect my girls to pay over $250 for a dress they're going to wear for a day - even if these are ones that you might actually wear again.

Well, I did a little research and looks like there are some alternatives. I had seen Two Birds Bridesmaids before, which is the same concept, and pretty much the same price tag. What I did find that I'm excited about is a dress from Victoria's Secret that's pretty darn close!

It's the same idea, that you can twist the straps around to different styles. Theirs is called the Convertible Dress and it's only about $100! That's more like it! I ordered one to see for myself if I liked it and how it fit, and I figure if it's a no-go I can always return.

See, once again - don't pay the big bucks until you do a little research first!

printablepress.com

This could be one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. Like I mentioned before, I love browsing wedding blogs (I've added more below - seriously check them out!) and always have to see their "budget" ideas and DIY sections. Well, I found this invitation company that provides beautiful stationary designs that you print yourself. You can print them from your own computer or take them to a print shop - and you only pay once! You can print as many as you want for one price. They also have thank you's, menus, etc. I'm in love! What a great budget friendly way to have beautiful invites...

Aren't they pretty? If I were getting married at a honey bee farm I would definitely use the bee design. Or maybe if I were a bee farmer (do those exist?)

http://www.printablepress.com/

And no, I'm not being paid to endorse them...(I wish!)