Wedding advice ;)

[Kaiser2012]

Sooooo...I'm engaged!! It still sounds "new" to me, and the first moment I said "fiance" I think I blushed, but I am so happy I can hardly stand it In fact, the energy was so positive, and the emotions so high after my now-FIANCE (with the little boopy-doop over the "e") asked me to marry him, that Dakota and Kaiser jumped up from a nap and started to play with one another

This just happened Saturday night so I am still floating on cloud nine from the initial excitement. We are going to take our time and enjoy our engagement as opposed to jumping into wedding planning with a short time line. We do have some things to figure out (mainly who is moving, since we are long distance) and we are going to have to pay for everything ourselves, but he is super supportive and I am SO lucky for that. I'm not fru-fru by any means, but I AM very anal retentive about details so I want to make sure that I am as organized as possible...and I hate rushing...so I wanted to look to my GSD web-friends for advice and ideas.

Going back to my lack of fru-fru-ness, I am not that girl who has had a wedding book since she was 13. In fact, I absolutely refused to watch romantic movies (even the comedies) until recently, and aside from having a general idea of what I THINK I would like my dress to look like, I have NO idea about where I want the wedding or any other details related to "the big day". I've registered at theknot.com and I'm planning on browsing a B&N bookstore this coming weekend to get a feel for magazines and books that are out there. Like I said, I'm not trying to jump into the planning part right now...but I DO want to get my resources ready for when the planning phase DOES begin.

For money saving purposes, I am going to talk to the credit union about a joint savings account (or some sort of account with no limitations or minimums for when we start USING that money for payments) that will have a previously set amount direct deposited from our respective checking accounts each month. Right now we are both on a super tight budget, but I want to start saving NOW, even if its only $50/month.

I know this is a general first question, and I promise you that I will have more refined questions for you all soon, but what advice would you offer a newly engaged couple? Mistakes you made and learned from? Sites/books/magazines you loved? Tricks of the trade, so to speak? And especially how to save money, when money is tight to begin with? etc etc etc

And, one...two...three...GO!

[kiya]

Congratulations!!!!!
Just take one day at a time and remember its a partnership 50/50 even though sometimes there has to be a little give & take on both ends. Enjoy this special time without worrying about down the road.

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

Congrats!! I am studying right now so I have to make this quick, but I found theknot.com (which I see you said you signed up already) to be probably the most helpful in planning. Make sure to browse through the forums there (I think the link is "community")-almost any question you have has been answered there, plus there are local forums for advice on local venues, etc, money saving ideas, DIY ideas, pretty much everything!

[Kaiser2012]

My fiance keeps saying that the wedding is a day for the bride...and I keep correcting him that it is a day for US and that I want him to be involved 50/50 I think he would be happy getting married on the courthouse steps if I let him, haha, but I do want the day to be special for us, and a day that is at least a little bit different from the norm, even with our budget, because it IS special

[Kaiser2012]

Originally Posted by I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO

Congrats!! I am studying right now so I have to make this quick, but I found theknot.com (which I see you said you signed up already) to be probably the most helpful in planning. Make sure to browse through the forums there (I think the link is "community")-almost any question you have has been answered there, plus there are local forums for advice on local venues, etc, money saving ideas, DIY ideas, pretty much everything!

Thanks!! I'll check it out. I signed up but haven't had a chance to browse yet. In part, I was wanting to wait for him to have some time to browse with me

[Kyleigh]

LMAO at your fiance ... a day for the bride ... does that mean he wants you do to all the work since it's "your" day!!!!

Huge congrats, and I am super happy for you ... cloud 9 is a wonderful place to be!

[Kaiser2012]

Originally Posted by Kyleigh

LMAO at your fiance ... a day for the bride ... does that mean he wants you do to all the work since it's "your" day!!!!

Huge congrats, and I am super happy for you ... cloud 9 is a wonderful place to be!

Lol I honestly dont think he would mind if I did all (or most) of the work, but he's the type of guy who is happy if I am happy. I mean TRULY happy when I'm happy. He is the sweetest, most caring and sensitive guy, and has no qualms about putting me first. I've told him many times that I WANT him to be a little selfish, because I get the same joy from seeing HIM happy that he gets from seeing me

And thank you!! If the furkids approve, I approve

[LoveEcho]

CONGRATS!!!

I did the wedding thing in a sort of roundabout way. My husband and I eloped (secretly, at the time) about 5 years ago. We're renewing our vows this May and all the planning has reminded me why I eloped the first time You sound very much like me... no frills, no nonsense.

Best book: Real Simple's wedding book...it's just that--simple.

Best advice: Don't listen to anyone else (within reason, of course). It's YOUR (meaning you and your fiance's) day. If you don't want to do a garter, don't. You don't want a cake? Don't have one. You don't want a white dress? Don't have one. A lot of people come out of the woodwork telling you what you SHOULD do, or what THEY want (again, within reason... my SIL flipping out because I didn't want a bridal shower is one example). The reality is, you don't HAVE to do anything.

Do what speaks to you. We're forgoing a lot of the traditional stuff and are doing a beautiful ceremony/reception for 50 people for about $4,000... most of that is tent/catering. I'm the queen of wedding on a budget, lol. My cousin's wedding was $75,000 (including a $7,000 dress) and it was so impersonal. The stuff that can help you save money is often the same stuff that makes it very personal.

A good site for DIY stuff is Martha Stewart's wedding site, and Pinterest is GREAT for wedding ideas. Our wedding is rustic-themed, so I frequent rusticweddingchic.com

Enjoy the process! Actually I can't give that advice because I've hated every minute of the process because I hate the frills, but enjoy coming up with this that are meaningful to you guys as a couple and to your family.

[Bear GSD]

Congratulations! What an exciting time for you. Good luck with all the planning, it can be overwelming if you let it. I can't offer you any advice, I also was not the fru fru girl, but I walso wanted a simple wedding so we planned for a simple wedding in our loft with just close friends and family. I made the flower arrangements and had food catered and I opted for a non traditional wedding dress.

I think in hind sight the only thing that I would change is that I now would opt for a more traditional wedding dress. Everything else was perfect including the groom, which after 24 years is an accomplishment by today's standards.

I think there was a thread on here named "The Wedding Thread" I forget whose it was, but maybe you could go back and look through it or start your own!

Happy Planning

[Kaiser2012]

Originally Posted by LoveEcho

CONGRATS!!!

I did the wedding thing in a sort of roundabout way. My husband and I eloped (secretly, at the time) about 5 years ago. We're renewing our vows this May and all the planning has reminded me why I eloped the first time You sound very much like me... no frills, no nonsense.

Best book: Real Simple's wedding book...it's just that--simple.

Best advice: Don't listen to anyone else (within reason, of course). It's YOUR (meaning you and your fiance's) day. If you don't want to do a garter, don't. You don't want a cake? Don't have one. You don't want a white dress? Don't have one. A lot of people come out of the woodwork telling you what you SHOULD do, or what THEY want (again, within reason... my SIL flipping out because I didn't want a bridal shower is one example). The reality is, you don't HAVE to do anything.

Do what speaks to you. We're forgoing a lot of the traditional stuff and are doing a beautiful ceremony/reception for 50 people for about $4,000... most of that is tent/catering. I'm the queen of wedding on a budget, lol. My cousin's wedding was $75,000 (including a $7,000 dress) and it was so impersonal. The stuff that can help you save money is often the same stuff that makes it very personal.

A good site for DIY stuff is Martha Stewart's wedding site, and Pinterest is GREAT for wedding ideas. Our wedding is rustic-themed, so I frequent rusticweddingchic.com

Enjoy the process! Actually I can't give that advice because I've hated every minute of the process because I hate the frills, but enjoy coming up with this that are meaningful to you guys as a couple and to your family.

Yay thank you so much! I do like the rustic theme and I have no qualms about making things myself (as long as I can figure out how, lol). I'm not really the princess-y ball gown, crystal stemware, $50k plus wedding type of girl. I could probably spend $30k with no trouble, with most of it going toward yummy food and a unique, yet goregous venue, but that is FAR from my budget, lol. What matters to me is a quality wedding photographer, my dress/hair/makeup (looking my best for my fiance), making sure whatever food we have is delicious, and that the guests have fun...because due to our budget (which hasn't been set yet, but will be tight), we will likely have just family and a few friends. I could probably come up with 150 people (just myself) that would show up to celebrate, and while that would be a blast, I cant afford it and most of them are more associates than anything.

My brother just got married in August and my parents were clueless to the process (they had never even heard of a wedding shower, lol). So, I don't expect much help from them, aside from their love and support I just remember my mom expressing her shock at my now SIL's wedding dress, which was only a couple hundred dollars (thinking it was expensive!). I felt like saying, "Mom...you will flip when you look at the price tag of the dresses I'm considering...they start at $1k, just because I love the vintage/lace look...but an updated, sleek, little sexy little chic look.

Whew lol