Thursday, July 19, 2012

Tying the Knot

A few weeks ago ML and I were on vacation, just lounging around and drinking whiskey, when all of a sudden he was all, "hey, we should get married" and I was all, "okay, sounds good" and he said, "you sure?" and I said, "hell yes" and poof! We were engaged.

No, really, that's pretty much how it went down, except I think I was drinking wine, not whiskey. I don't remember.

 Whoever officiates my wedding MUST speak like this.

Eventually we got around to telling everyone (well, I emailed STY and crew pretty much four seconds after it happened) and my family was all, "Yay! Also, about fucking time".

So now I get to plan a wedding, which I figured couldn't be much more difficult than planning last year's trip to Forks. In fact, I figured it would be even easier, since there wouldn't be three brides involved and I wasn't working with vendors three thousand miles away.

Here's the thing -- it's not the wedding planning that's difficult. It's the wedding planning with a budget that's fucking hard. I knew that weddings were expensive, but I had no idea just how expensive they really were.

I had a really simple plan for this shindig. Rent a barn or something similar, have some good eats and drinks and party like a rockstar. Nothing fancy-shmancy, just rustic and down-home. How expensive could that be?

 This may fit in my budget.

A boatload of expensive, that's how much.

But still, I'm going to do this shit, and it's going to be awesome and not cost me an entire year's worth of my salary.  Because what this post really is is a-not-so-subtle plea for ideas from some of the most creative and snarky women around.

HELP!!!

 More or less how I feel at the moment.

So Twitards, married, unmarried, whatever -- Give it to me! Got an idea for cool rustic-y centerpieces? Hook me up! Saw some really nifty wedding invitations on Etsy or somewhere else? Send me the link!! If you know of any interesting online stores for favors or dresses or anything, please leave the deets in the comments below. I need to pick your brains! Any and all ideas are more than welcome.

I'll even bet that there are a bunch of you who will get ideas for your own weddings!

Just one thing - apparently ML doesn't want to have a Twilight themed wedding. I know, I know, what a lame-o.

But that doesn't mean the FSE's won't be smuggled into the venue on the big day...

66 comments:

  1. Check out offbeat bride. I totally, hands down, without reservation recommend Angie Gaul of Milestone Images in Metro NYC as a photog. Check out her website and blog for a ton of cool and unique ideas. Milestoneimages.us.

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  2. Congratulations!

    Friends sent their save the date via email & then an online invite via paperless post for the Groom's dinner. They sent a paper invite for the wedding, but you could probably just do it all paperless.

    Another friend did a DIY photo booth. Instead of hiring someone, they set up a backdrop and left a camera for people to use. It was great.

    I had a rustic reception under a tent and I would say keep the decor minmal because it's a lot of work to set up & take down. Plus you have to rent everything (chairs, linens, plates...) Honestly, I dont' even remember what was on our tables...we made our own table number & place cards (ink stamp & recruited someone with good hand writing). Just use something that represents the two of you.

    In the end, don't get too caught up in the details. It's all a blur and as long as there is good music, food & booze everyone is happy.

    Good luck!

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  3. There are websites where you can order inexpensive wedding dresses (probably made in China). I have no personal knowledge about the quality of these dresses, but what the heck. It only has to hold up for a couple of hours, eh? Here is one - lightinthebox.com

    Oh yeah! Congrats!

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  4. Congrats!! I have planned my own wedding for less than $3500 and my SIL's cake, DJ, centerpieces and favors for less than her budget.

    I'm giving away a wedding dress actually...;) Maybe you can totally "Pretty in Pink" it and make it your own.

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  5. Congratulations, woman!!! That's pretty much exactly how my engagement to Mr Boyz went down. :) The wedding was low-key, but I still managed to stress. I should have gotten drunk before the ceremony. Word to the wise.

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  6. Congrats!!! Totally surprised at you wanting a barn wedding - you strike me as an Elvis Drive-Thru kinda girl :) If you have not already, please get yourself directly over to pinterest and start browsing and pinning. It is only the best thing to happen to the interwebs since Twitarded and the Pattinson Panties.

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  7. I was married 18 years ago. Planned in 3 weeks. 22 people attended. I bought an off-white dressy suit, hubs wore a suit, we each had 1 person stand up w/ us (they wore whatever they wanted). No photog--just snapshots. Only flowers were my bouquet & the rose in his lapel. It was in the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa--a famous wedding chapel. I was the last of all my friends to get married, and I heard them all say, at some point, "We should have eloped." Well, I came as close to that as any of them, & I don't regret it one bit. So my advice: no-frills wedding, kickass honeymoon. It's your day, after all. JMHO. Congrats!

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  8. * sniff sniff* our JJ is getting mawwied... God, pinterest has a shit ton of ideas and crafty stuff...dresses, decor, I love pinterest. I'm so happy for you and the Mr. Did you pick a date yet? Again congrats. Xoxo.

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    1. I'm on Pinterest now and I officially blame you and everyone else who recommended it.

      Also, thanks, lol. It's given me a lot of ideas.

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  9. Congrats, i was hoping for a happy ennding!

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  10. There are lots of wedding resale websites like http://fromonebridetoanother.com and http://www.recycledbride.com that sell all kinds of decorations, dresses, etc. that are like new for great prices.

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  11. Yay!! Congratulations! And, 2000dollarwedding.com. Also, I found a lady on etsy who designed Renesmo's birthday invitations, then emailed me the whole package of printables - invites, gift tags, juice box labels (like I'm gonna use those - come ON), party hats, the whole nine yards, and I have printed it all myself at home. I bet you could find someone on etsy to do wedding invitations and then print them yourself.

    Good luck!

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  12. Congratulations!!!

    We were piss poor college kids when we got married in 1999. I could only get a credit card with a 1000.00 limit FFS! I bought my wedding dress and my maid of honor's dress in the prom clearance of JCPenney's. It really was a beautiful dress for $80, I went to Claire's for jewelry, Wal-Mart for invitations, rented a park pavilion and hung a million white twinkle lights, white Chinese lanterns, center pieces were fat white candles on lily pads.
    When's the date??
    Best wishes!

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  13. Congrats!!! How awesome is that?

    so, wedding on a budget, huh? What is your budget?

    I made my own bouquet, the bridesmaids bouquets, bouttonieres(sp?), and corsages for the MILs from silk flowers I bought at Jo-Ann Fabrics. They got a whole section for wedding stuff. Also made my own veil. $25 for what would have cost me six times that much at David's bridal.

    Venue - if you want rustic, find someone who knows someone who has a barn. If you live in a rural area, this shouldn't be too hard. If you have a friend that's a notary, he/she should be able to marry you (FL law, not sure about your state), or get a justice of the peace for cheap.

    For invitations, get stock cards from Target (they have some with pretty decor), then design the text on your PC and print them at home.

    Food can be catered or prepared ahead of time. Most grocery stores have bakeries that will do a fabulous wedding and groom's cake for less than what a 'real' bakery would charge.

    Do your research. I did my wedding, at a church, with a sit down dinner at a local hotel, cake, dress, shoes, tux rental, bridesmaid dress, flowers, beer and wine and soda, rehearsal dinner, everything, for less than 5K. I even made the table decorations.

    It's totally doable, but you have to be willing to make stuff yourself.

    Best wishes to you and your new fiance. :) And don't forget to have fun!

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  14. Went to a barn wedding and the centerpieces were mason jars (can buy them by the case at walmart...for canning apparently! ha!)...with a couple inches of sand in the bottom and small candles...cheap, easy, minimal fire hazard :)....and very cute...they also hung paper lanterns, twinkle lights, and empty rustic wood frames from rafters...behind the cake table they strung jute string and used wooden clothespins to display old photos of bride and groom growing up...and instead of a sign in book they had a basket of river rocks and paint pens for people to leave a message and sign...then they used as a centerpiece after the wedding on their coffee table in a big glass bowl....hope this helped!

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  15. So happy for you! I had a similar "proposal." My hubs and I were watching Father of the Bride and just started talking about what our wedding would have. No "will you marry me?" just an understanding that it was going to happen. Worked for us. *shrugs*

    We did the whole thing for around $5K. I sewed my own dress (that my sister also wore at her wedding), got married in my MOH's living room officiated by a family friend, then had a blow out at the local Moose Lodge. It was laid back and fun and unpretentious and just what we wanted.

    Quick suggestion: have a friend take the pictures for you. With most cameras shooting digital now you can get all the shots on disc and then just print what you want. Saves a ton of cash on the pro-photog fees and you get them back right away instead of having to wait weeks or months for the proofs.

    Just remember - it's your day. Don't let anyone bully you into doing anything you don't want.

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  16. Congrats! We got married last May and managed it for less £4500. My advice is utilise your friends. Of my four bridesmaids, 1 did the flowers, 1 is a trained make up artist, and 1 made the wedding cake (chocolate sponge!) And did cupcake favours. Ebay is a godsend! And look around for newly reopened venues who have introductory offers on venue hire. Good.luck!.

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  17. Budget?! Shit, I don't do budgets..........

    My friend was at a Barn wedding last week, in dreary, wet England. She loved it. Every guest brought their favourite bottle or two to drink. Alcohol really is one of the most expensive parts of a wedding. And any left, the bride and groom got to keep - stocking the bar deal there!

    In terms of food, they had various friends help out with barbecue food - burgers, sausages, chicken etc. the sides were the usual salads etc. I gotta say, the best weddings I've ever been to, I remember them for the simple, not too pretentious food, that actually fills you up!

    As an aside, due to all the pissing rain, the guests all wore their wellies in the barn. I liked that idea too - very British, I know.

    I'm sure you will be sorted for music!

    Well that's my contribution, from across the pond......

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  18. First of all, Congrats!!! Second of all, you know what this means... BACHELORETTE PARTY!!!!!

    I planned my wedding in 10 days because we wouldn't wait and DH had to get approval from his NCO for out of state time off. You can TOTALLY do this.

    To be fair my wedding was pretty small but it was still nice. I bought the bouquets and flowers from Central Market. We got a plain white 3 tiered cake and used the flowers to decorate it.

    If you are near a David's Bridal, they are now having their $99 sale and $50-$300 off sale.

    We didn't do a dinner at all. We had little sandwiches and finger foods, there was a lot of food just not an actual meal. It was cheaper that way and there was much more variety. No one got stuck with a meal they didn't like. When my SIL is not around, everyone in my family still talks about how that was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. My family knows that it wouldn't have hurt my feelings if they didn't like the food. Publicly my family tells my SIL that her food was the best because she had to pay for it herself and was so proud of it being vegan; worst wedding food EVER.

    No bar because I was a little pregnant and if I had to go through a night with my irritating relatives sober, everyone else did too. Open bar is expensive and people say they hate paying for booze at a wedding but in my experience that's usually because they don't expect it and show up without cash to pay for it.

    We also put disposable cameras on each table, which actually turned out to be only so-so since apparently half my family (in laws and blood) is stupid and didn't realize what they were for. *rolls eyes*

    This is such nice news to wake up to on a day like today. SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!

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  19. WHAT? You're getting married and I had to hear about it on the blog?? Bitch.

    Two words: PIG ROAST!!!!!

    We eloped. Best decision ever. And then had a Pig Roast in a local hall which was so much fun and so delicious. Although your vegetarian might not appreciate that...LOL

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  20. Had a HUGE post full of great advice and fucking blog wouldn't take me. Deleted all that shit.

    1. No wedding dress.
    2. No hotel hall. Go VFW, American Legion, Community Center, public park, old barn, empty field.
    3. I love the pig roast, we did one for our rehersal dinner. Freaked out my upscale friends: priceless!
    4. Do as much as possible online re: invites, napkins, ect. And hit Walmart for wedding favor crap. They have a whole section of that shit.
    5. No open bar. You love them, they love you, but let's be real.

    And congratulations! Love, Vermonstermom

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  21. Oh, oh, and I have a wedding dress I've saved, let me know if you're interested. I'm a size 12 and the dress is HOT!

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  22. Also, I'd like to mention that if anyone has any fantastic bridal shower ideas, they should also chime in *wink wink*

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  23. If you haven't joined Pinterest do so....there are a ton of ideas floating around on there!

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  24. Congrats JJ! Super exciting. I think you have been with ML the amount of time I was with DG before we finally got engaged. We got married around the time we'd been together for 7 years...living in sin for 5 or 6 lol.

    Weddings are expensive. Ridiculously. It's like you slap the word wedding on a pack of $2.99 bologna and all of a sudden it costs $20. WTF?!

    I got my invitations from Wedding Paper Diva...not expensive, but not SUPER cheap. I paid for those, but my parents paid for the venue and other things. I still had a pretty budget friendly wedding. I used connections...my Mom's friend was our florist, another one of her old friends was our DJ...kept the cost down significantly. My dress was $400 I think...Grandma paid for that. I would check out Pinterest for ideas. Some of the stuff will make you want to jump off of a cliff Bella-style because it's just so darn cute but too detailed and too expensive. We got centerpiece accessories (for the florist) at one of the wholesale flower shops. See if you can find one, they have tons of stuff. Also ebay is good for wedding stuff people never used.

    That's all I've got lady.

    So happy for you and try to remain calm. The time is going to fly by before you know it...one step at a time.

    x Jen

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    1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gimiDBAK2wA What you said about the bologna totally reminded me of this sketch from the British comedy show Man Stroke Woman.

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  25. Congrats to you. That is exactly the way my husband proposed to me & we have been married for 23 years now. We were 20 years old at the time with a 3 year old daughter. We made it work & I know you will too. Just remember, small wedding....HUGE RECEPTION.

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  26. My daughter is getting married soon, and this is how we are doing hers: Mason jars with candles on the tables. square hay bales in a half circle. more mason jars with candles hanging from the rafters of the barn with old timey looking oil lanterns mixed in.
    she bought what flowers she wanted but I wanted to go with just wildflowers. use daisys and ivy. In leu of gifts, just have a potluck dinner and everyone bring a covered dish along with the recipe so you can put them in a book. you only have to buy meat like chicken or ribs. have the men in jeans and a white button down shirt and black vest. easy peasy.

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    1. I absolutely love the mason jar idea. I've seen so many different variations and designs that use mason jars. Good to know!

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  27. CONGRATS!!

    I think I did pretty good with the budget for my wedding. My hubs and I have huge families and we of course had to invite them all so that caused us to spend a lot on the food/booze. If I had to do it again then I would have done it small with only my immediate family and friends. The thing we didn't go cheap on was the music. I HATE DJs so we went with a live band. It cost an arm and a leg but it was the best decision we ever made. People still rave about our wedding because of the band and it was 5 years ago! My suggestion is that since you're a big time music enthusiast, do it up right and don't skimp on that aspect of the party! Other things I did that were cheap:
    - my centerpieces were potted plants and herbs that were in season. I just wrapped a pretty piece of ribbon around the pot. People took those home and planted them (I hope lol).
    - My sister was a budding tattoo artist so I had her make all my table numbers.
    - don't go crazy with the favors (if you decide to do them at all. I'm actually not a fan of favors but my Mom insisted.). My Mom and I just assembled little boxes of chocolates for everyone.
    I agree with everyone about signing up for Pinterest. There's a shit ton of wedding stuff on there. That's all I can think of for now. :) Happy planning!

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  28. Congrats! I just got married and can relate to the anxiety. I can recommend some stuff that worked for me to cut costs:
    1. Do a blog and not a paid website for your wedding. They are expensive and NO ONE reads it! Guests will still call you to ask you questions you have already answered. Save yourself the $100.00 fee.
    2. Get your dress second hand. I bought mine at Bridal Garden in NYC and it was just perfect. And you are helping a nonprofit. Here's the link: http://www.bridalgarden.org/
    3. Unless you make invitations for a living, don't waste money on invitations. People don't care. They will throw them away. You might accidentally throw yours away, too. I bought mine at David's Bridal and it was one of the best saving decisions I made.

    I hope this helps! Congrats again!

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  29. Hey congrats, I spent last year making decorations for my brother's wedding. My first recommendation would be to join pinterest if you haven't already, because it's super easy to find cheap ideas there. My second recommendation would be http://www.paperandmore.com/ they have THE best prices I found on reams of cardstock and paper, if you're planning to print your own anything(they sell invites too, but I didn't order any of them so I don't know much about it). The customer service was the best I think I've ever had from any online business and they make it cheap and easy to get samples before you commit to buying. http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ has decent prices on things and a lot of good ideas, but most of them are more froufrou than rustic. If you want basic candles or vases I suggest looking at dollar tree,you can order cases of things and have them delivered to the store for free.

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  30. Don't look at Pinterest! It's an evil (wonderful) blackhole for a future bride on a budget. The more you see, the more you'll wish for.

    Keep everything simple, simple, simple. No guest favors! (They're usually just thrown away, and who started this idea that guests should get gifts/favors for attending a wedding?)

    I say focus on finding a nice simple place (know of someone who has a beautiful backyard?), good food (we catered from our favorite restaurant), and good friends. Order flowers online throw up a few white christmas lights and go bohemian/country! All the little stuff is just a waste of energy! I've been a wedding planner for two wedddings, plus my own, trust me.

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  31. Pinterest is a wonderful place to get ideas for wedding stuff. Beth (JakeBlacksH00R) has gotten TONS of ideas from there. She's having a country/farm/rustic type wedding. I am a bridesmaid & we are wearing sun dresses & cowboy boots. She got Mason jars & tied Rafia bows around them, I am sure she's done other stuff too but I am not a crafty person so I just don't keep track of it. Do you know any people with property or anything?

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  32. Ladies! How I love ALL OF YOU!!! You have all given me some fantastic advice and links to websites I never even knew could possibly exist!!!

    I cannot thank you enough for all of this. This is why Twiland is best place EVER.

    P.S. Pinterest frightens and frustrates me (mainly because I'm special and can't figure out how to use it)... I'm off to Pinterest land!!

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    1. Voolly from The TwitterJuly 20, 2012 at 7:49 PM

      I tend to side with LatchKey--elopement was a hell of a lot of fun. We got hitched downtown in the morning, went for lunch and got made a spectacle of at the local Hard Rock, then napped until we could go out and shoot pool/eat/drink with a small bunch of friends that night. We did throw a housewarming + mawwiage party in our back yard when the weather warmed up. It was a blast.

      No matter what you do, it's going to kick ass. You'll be with the people who matter, in whatever format, and all of us will be there in spirit. And then we'll collectively break into your honeymoon suite and Twilight it all up. Because we're nothing if not clever and resourceful.

      FELICITATIONS!

      Delete
  33. Yay! Congrats! Pinching pennies is my favorite subject, so this might be long...

    My friends got married and had the rustic/antique theme. We made almost all of the decorations, invitations, and favors ourselves and most everything else was borrowed - even furniture, china, and glasses. You would not believe how beautiful (and cheap!) torn fabric, twisted yarn, and scrap wood can be if you are creative! Pinterest is AWESOME for weddings if you are a do-it-yourself-er. They rented a tent, tables, chairs, and had it in her parent's backyard. She also had a photo booth (you can make your own "mustache/sombrero/Elvis hair on a stick" costumes) where the background was an old quilt and people used their own cameras, and had hay bails around a fire pit for 'smores. (Here's a short video of inside the tent if you are interested in how it fit together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M1vK9k_wXs, and I have several close up pics of our cheap handmade goodies - let me know if you want to see them - I am a BIT proud of the sweet wedding she pulled off, can you tell? haha)

    If you have a decent printer, the other posts are right - there are some great options at Wal-Mart/Target/Office supply stores. You can buy special fonts from people on Etsy, or you can download a billion for free from dafont.com. You could even just print onto cardstock and trim the edges with fancy scissors or dye cutters from art and hobby stores.

    My wedding was much less involved - very simple chapel in a graveyard with lots of open windows cause the surrounding trees were green and pretty, and the only decor in the room was a table of candles on upside down vases to make them different heights. Super simple and we got so many compliments.

    Cheap stuff:

    Find a cheap but pretty space that you don't have to decorate much and that will save a ton of money and worry. Use pre-recorded music instead of a band at the reception. You can get cheap but nice flowers at Costco (if you have one up there). Go with the "mixed patterns" theme, and make your own table cloths and napkins by cutting up old sheets from thrift stores with pinking sheers. Have the wedding early in the afternoon so people don't expect a fancy dinner. Have some family/friends make food the day before for the reception - meatballs, sandwiches, fruit/veggie/cheese plates, crackers and cheese balls... then have someone leave ASAP after you say "I do" to start pulling out the pre-made food. (I have seen fancy mashed potatoes scooped into martini glasses - funky and tasty!). Throw some chopped up fruit into lemonade and sprite (or tea) and call it "citrus punch", and serve it from a beverage dispenser with some plastic punch cups from the dollar store. Have someone throw you a "wine" themed shower where the gifts are bottles of wine, print your own personalized wine labels, slap them on the bottles, and use them at the reception as your alcohol.

    I think the best thing you can do is write a list of what you want in order of priority, so you know where you want your money to go before you get too attached to something that doesn't really matter to you in the end. The first thing on the priority list should be what you want others to go home talking about.

    AND HAVE FUN!

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  34. GEEZ that was long... sorry!

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    1. It may have been long but it was super helpful!! Thank you!

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  35. I have no suggestions - I did the thing 30 years ago on a harbor tour boat, which influenced most of the plans,and I know if my daughter ever gets married she'll refuse to take any suggestions from me,so I've wiped weddings from my brain.You are getting some great suggestions from the troops.

    But those FSES really, really have to make an appearance.

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  36. Wedding Tips:

    1. Get a full body massage the day of the wedding -- nothing will piss you off (too much)
    2. Get a list of 'die-overs' that for those items, and ONLY those items, are you allowed to be a Bridezilla (cunt) about. Mine were A) if groom is a no-show; and B) if someone spills red wine down my white-ish dress. That was it. When it poured crazy rain, I said, "is that on my list? No? Then I can't be a cunt about it."
    3. Don't drink too much - desire will be there, but you'll want to remember your wonderful day.

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  37. First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! OMGGGG, That's so exciting!!!! YAYYYYYYYYY!!!

    Now, I'm sure this may have already been stated (I'm sorry, I don't have the patience to read 37 comments right now), but search tags on Tumblr for "rustic wedding" etc. I love tumblr and I know most of you do too! Such a great source of inspiration!

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  38. Love all these ideas, and I have a shitton to share, but it's prolly easiest to send you an email...which you probably won't look at until the night before "I Do"...

    I'll try it.

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  39. First of all congrats, honey. Like I said on twitter, don't spend a shit ton of money on crap that doesn't matter. Like little bubble bottles and outrageously priced centerpieces. This is where you take total advantage of your craftier friends and make this shit for half the price. It's what ai did and cut a grand off the final cost. Keep it small and intimate as possible and have fun. I know it goes against your nature but don't stress.

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    1. Oh, I forgot to say, I bought my dress off Ebay. I know I know, it sounds insane. But I bought a $1200 dress for $200.00! It needed to be taylored to my size but it worked.

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  40. My friend Jake in Brooklyn does awesome wedding photography! https://www.facebook.com/jbmweddings

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  41. Congratulations! Unfortunately, I have no clue!

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  42. Congrats JJ! The one thing I love almost as much as Rob is wedding stuff. I seriously never had more fun than when I was planning mine.

    I had potted topiaries for centerpieces and put votive candles in mini terra-cotta flower pots. The live band was a must - made the wedding.

    My one main regret was not having someone specifically assigned or hired to assist me the day of my wedding. I tried to do it all myself and there were way too many issues. You seriously don't need to be addressing tilted dance floors and missing chunks of sod on your wedding day.

    I rented an historic inn for the weekend and had my family staying there (they paid for the rooms, which got us the inn to ourselves). I had no interest in limos or having to get to a location the day of the wedding. I loved being able to wake up and get ready right where everything was taking place.

    We were at a wedding last weekend and everyone was baking in the sun during the ceremony. Don't do that to your guests - outside ceremonies are beautiful, but do it under some trees people! The highlight was the photo booth - everyone was having a blast with the props.

    Pig roasts are so last century. Human roasts are the way to go. Or just toasts. Much more humane. :>)

    Bottom line is have fun and do it your way... and share the experience with us, please!

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  43. http://www.paperandmore.com/category/wood-grain Just saw this and thought I'd mention it. They have a whole line of paper with wood grain embossed in it. It comes in white and two shades of brown. I don't know if this is what you're going for when you say rustic, but I thought this was unique and you could probably do a lot of crafty things with it. Pinterest is full of paper craft ideas.

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  44. I haven't ready the comments so maybe someone already said this. For centerpieces you could have mason jar candles http://pinterest.com/pin/198369558556320248/ some of them have floating candles and some have sand or something holding the candles in place but they're supper pretty and rustic looking. Just don't burn down the barn!
    I agree with Robs Bitch on having someone in charge of making things go smoothly. I had little fun at my own wedding because I was worried about doing stuff my self instead of just relaxing and enjoying the day.
    Oh... and CONGRATS!

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  45. Congrats and happy engagement. Your proposal sounds like mine... my husband handed me a ring over dinner and said "I hope you like it." Then we didn't talk about anything serious until hours later when he look at the ring and said "you know what this means don't you?" I said "Uh, not really." He said "We're engaged." to which I replied "nice proposal asshole!" and we've been marrried for 19 years...
    As for tips, my step-sister made CD's with the wedding songs (like their 1st dance, the one she walked down the aisle to and the father/daughter/mother/son dances) as the keepsakes. Also, my wedding dress was simple, beautiful and cheap. I got a quinceniera dress instead of a traditional wedding dress and saved a ton! Happy planning!

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  46. Congrats! I won't be much help, but I do have a couple of "don't" suggestions..

    --don't make your guests pay for booze. I just find that incredibly tacky. If you can only afford beer and/or wine, just do that.

    --don't rely on friends to take the photos. Hire a professional; you won't regret it.

    -- lisa

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  47. I'm here too late and am too drunk to read through all the comments, so apologies in advance if I repeat anyone's advice. First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You should get married in Forks, I bet it's cheap, and a bunch of us will be there in October, just saying. ;) That said, your FSE's HAVE to be your bridesmaids.

    OK, but for real. Decide what's most important to you and ML(food, music, etc) and do the rest on the cheap. The internet (which I'm pretty sure you know how to use, yes?) has a TON of tips on how to do virtually everything on the cheap, so splurge on your priorities and cut back on the rest. I'm sure you will have a gorgeous, perfectly-you day, and can't wait to hear/read all about it!!! Congrats, JJ!! <3

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  48. http://shopruche.com/bridal-1/bridal-dresses.html?limit=all&utm_source=bridalpage&utm_content=bridal-dresses&utm_campaign=bridalmainpage_2012_07_12_1

    http://shopruche.com/timeless-treasure-crochet-dress-by-tulle.html
    http://shopruche.com/precious-memories-lace-dress.html
    http://shopruche.com/sweet-embrace-eyelet-dress.html
    http://shopruche.com/countryside-love-lace-dress.html
    Sorry to keep posting, but someone posted this store on facebook and I thought they had some really unique pieces. I don't know what your style is, but I love vintage inspired things and some of these were a good bargain and would look cute at a barn wedding.

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  49. Lots of great ideas here. I ususally just ask My After Car to make a spreadsheet for me and give my day by day to do lists. She is a planning GODDESS!!!

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  50. Congrats, JJ! I'm so excited for you and ML! I don't really have any planning advice, seeing as I have never come close to planning a wedding, but I'm sure everyone else has provided a plethora of great ideas for you. I can't wait to hear all about it! :)

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  51. Cheap yummy wedding cake: get 3 different sized chocolate mudcakes from a cake shop, tier them, dust with icing sugar and decorate with flowers (cover up the joins); serve with berry coulis (ie, berry sauce) and cream... the best! Ours only cost $100 for the cakes. Equivalent sized wedding cake here in Oz is $400 and up.

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  52. @Amers425 & @JakeBlacksH00R I have to tell you this. TheRugbyboy is getting married soon and my daughter is a bridesmaid. When we were picking up her shoes for the wedding last Saturday, the saleswoman started telling us about a wedding where the bridesmaids were wearing cowboy boots and carrying sunflowers!

    I had just read the blog post & comments to my daughter before we went shopping. We looked at each other in shock when we realized what she said! I'm sure the lady mistakenly assumed that we thought that was a strange idea, but that wasn't it at all. We were just excited because I don't know any other Twitards in the neighborhood. (Boots are always cool BTW.)

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  53. Well I'm a little late to party... Congratulations!
    I myself made my wedding dress, bridesmaid dress and an after dress, did my own invitations and we got married on a beach in Tofino. ("That's were they filmed the beach scenes") It was a lot of work, but I had a custom celtic themed wedding all the dresses had celtic knots embroidered on them.

    That being said if you need help with anything don't hesitate to ask! I'll make a custom garter belt for you if you like, I can embroider on organza your names date of the wedding and any images that you like. I can do it with ribbon matching your wedding colors. It's a nice keepsake from the wedding.

    I know how we can sneak a little twi in.... How about a nice pair of silk "Eddy Undies" for the big day or we could do scary clown face undies..... The possibilities are endless....

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  54. Squeeeee, I'm so freakin excited for you guys! We (I know, hate us lol) got married in Hawaii, and that's land of weddings. It's so easy to hire 99% of it out for very cheap. I'd say one of our best ideas was an open bar and good music. We only offered two different types of mixed drinks, certain beers and red or white wine. It wasn't too expensive and we didn't have a large wedding... I think 65 showed up. I agree with everybody who said focus most of your budget on 2 or 3 main things, go easy on the rest. Also, ask for help! Use your bridal party! Give them decisions you don't want to make and ask them to help with the little details... that helps so much!

    I'm so happy for you guys, I can't wait to see pics! Even if we have to hire our own paparazzi to get the pics out of ya. ;)

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  55. SisHaw is getting married in November. I feel your pain.

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  56. Potluck wedding. Make the guests bring their own food and beer in exchange for not bringing gifts.

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  57. You need to go to South Africa and get married here:

    http://saducky.blogspot.com/2012/07/wedding-bells-are-gonna-chime.html

    NixHaw's sister is getting married here and it looks perfect for you. So just a destination wedding in South Africa, how expensive could that be?? :)

    I need to think about ways to help you, I will get back to you :)

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  58. JFC!! This is what I get for being out of the loop (aka head up my ass). Congrats, JJ!

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