2014's Anniversary Challenge

  It's MAYYYYYYY

 

The awesome thing about May for our family involves my mother-in-law's birthday and Ryan and my wedding anniversary!  Last year's anniversary didn't go so well...

Emily & Matt Tie the Knot

I flew back to Wisconsin last weekend to celebrate my best-friend's wedding. Emily and I have known each other since Middle School and she is the most selfless person that I know.  She and Matt have been dating for eight years! We all became friends in marching band and traveling to different cities to perform in the summers. Emily and I headed off to different universities, but we've always remained close.  She was the first person I confided in about Ryan thinking about marrying me.  It was an exciting and difficult time because people were really confused about it and very judgmental. She, however, always had my back.  Being her Matron-of-Honor this weekend was such a privilege.

Emily's parents grew these flowers in their backyard for their centerpieces. What an amazing budget saver and they turned out gorgeous!  They cut several flowers, filled them in individual containers and let us arrange them.  Emily had the vases filled with water and water beads and let us have at them.

Nathan, one of the groomsmen, and Matt, the groom, 

both helped us arrange the flowers and it was a blast!

I picked up coffee for all of us and of course had to have the barista write on the cups. I thought they turned out pretty cute :)

Look at all of those centerpieces!

The bride and groom at the hotel where the reception was held.

Sprinkling powdered sugar over the kolaches :)

The groomsmen at the rehearsal dinner, celebrating with a shot

Emily gave her bridesmaids this beautiful, engraved jewelry box and each one held a necklace with our first initial. I definitely wore mine throughout the weekend.

I chose to do my hair and make-up at home as a cost saver.  Salons for me are tricky.  I don't like having to pay for up-do's and because of that I learned how to do them myself.  I also find that many hair stylists have difficulty working with my hair or I end up having to fix the hairstyle. I joined the ladies a couple hours later at the salon.  It was perfect timing because the ladies were still getting their hair done and I had time to capture pictures.

Missing a couple of the bridesmaids, but here's Emily's bridal party

Me and my bestie

I designed the programs for the wedding and I loved how they turned out!

My favorite element was the "for happy tears" page which I added as a sentimental part and perfect for the ceremony.  Matt and Emily are both musicians, and Matt is a music teacher so the bar of music was perfect!

It was a Catholic ceremony and we got ready at the church.  Emily looked so beautiful in her dress!

The picture to the right is the speech I wrote for me and Kristen, the Maid of Honor, to say at the reception.  I framed it against scrapbook paper and gave it to Emily the next day at brunch.  I also gave each of the bridesmaids a CD of twelve songs out of the hundreds that we listened to the day before while getting ready.

This Kristen and I at the salon and I had a really great time having her as a co-partner in all of this. 

I learned a ton from this experience, especially being a MOH long distance.

I poured over Pinterest to help Emily in creating special details for her wedding and read a ton of articles.  The wedding turned out beautifully and I would love to share what I've learned and some of my thoughts on wedding planning/assisting in a later post!

If you liked this post, share it with others! If you feel particularly moved by it, leave a comment because I love feedback and discussion. Social media links are provided below and thanks for reading!

Why I Chose to Buy My Wedding Dress Online

There's a discount code and free giveaway at the end of this post, so read on!

It was a cold and windy day in Southern California when Ryan proposed to me.  About a month before, he suggested the idea of us getting married and I thought he was crazy.  In fact, in talking about our dating history today in the kitchen, Ryan didn't think of us as dating when I thought we were dating (this is totally Girl Code material).  So if we used Ryan's terms of being "chill," then we went from being chill to getting married.  Yep, just us two crazy kids getting hitched.

Following his random stream of conscious thoughts and ideas of getting married, I started to warm up to the concept.  We were madly in love in our chill state of being.  I was going to spend spring break in Oceanside, California where Ryan was stationed and was thinking that he might propose.  I spent most of my spring break having to entertain myself in a small chain hotel across the street from a trailer park.  I would go off on my own adventures with purse and camera in hand.  I walked to the pier and got a shake at Ruby's and visited the surf museum.  I also explored the road that the hotel was located on.  There wasn't much besides nail salons, a McDonald's and a grocery store.  When Ryan would get off work, we would simply enjoy the time together, go for drives, and just check out Southern California.  We didn't have a lot of money and I had spent most of it buying plane tickets.  One day he texted me asking if I wanted to walk on the beach after he got off of work.  That was so unlike him and my cue to get my nails done.  Like I said, where that street lacked entertainment value, it made up for the number of nail salons it had.

After we became engaged, I was swept up in the process of finishing my junior year of college, announcing the exciting news to friends and family and planning a wedding.  I was met with a lot of resistance from family and some friends.  This was during a large hit from the recession and my dad had lost his job.  It was not the most ideal of times for a wedding but like I said, us crazy kids were getting hitched.  My family didn't have any money to contribute and neither did Ryan's.  Due to his difficulties of getting leave, we decided to get married in California.

I was obsessed with weddings while I was growing up.  While little girls dreamed of their weddings, I could actually plan one.  I knew tips, tricks, and money savers by the age of 10.  I adored the wedding planning issues that would come out in the summer newspapers and magazines.  I'm weird like that.  However, it definitely came in handy when dealing with an insanely small budget.  Ryan basically told me that we had like $800 for the entire thing and besides the rings, we did spend less than that.

I knew it was going to be small and that our families were going to have a difficult time affording plane tickets and hotel accommodations so it was probably going to be just me and him and whoever else could make it.  We decided to get married on the beach on Coronado and it would be some family and friends.  I ended up spending hours on Etsy finding military and beach-themed items.  Ryan's father passed away the week of our wedding, so we flew back home and ended up getting married there.  Weddings can be tricky like that but I could only imagine if we had spent more and had to cancel, that would have been really hard on our budget and our families.

I knew that I would have to buy my wedding dress with my wages and on a college budget, that was going to be tricky.  That's when I remembered reading about the cost benefits of purchasing your dress online.  So the hunt began with me Googling wedding dress sites and comparing that to store costs.  The difference was in hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.  It was a stressful time for me because I felt like the expectations seen on Pinterest, Say Yes to the Dress which was always on in my sorority house, and every dream wedding out there was making it difficult to work with our budget.  While creating this post, I actually looked back at old Facebook messages I sent my best-friend Emily.  I was venting to her about wedding costs, going to bridal shows where I could absolutely not afford the $1,000 photobooths and cupcakes, and my fiance (hubby now) feeling terrible about us not having a "dream" wedding.  Saving on the dress was a major aspect of my budget and online shopping helped tremendously.

That's why when SimplyBridal contacted me, I knew this would be a great opportunity to share with all of you.  The only thing that I'm getting through this sponsorship is an opportunity to share with you a great business that will not only save you money but they have offered a discount code and a giveaway of a product from their jewelery line.  Not only does this website have wedding gowns, but also bridesmaid dresses, so if you're looking for something for a wedding coming up soon, this is a great stop.  What's great about them is that they're based in the U.S. and can customize your gown through tailoring and embroidery to fit what you want for your special occasion.  Just because of your budget, doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice on the dress you want or its quality.  I ordered my dress from a website that had its factory/store overseas and was stressed about having it arrive on time.  You don't have to worry about international shipping here.  They have their own seamstresses, sample makers, and designers so that the dresses are finished in 20 days and you get the best cost possible!

I went through and chose some great gowns that caught my eye and thought I'd share their prices below to give you an idea of what to expect from your browsing experience.

SimplyBridal: $233.99 Retail: $1,403.99

SimplyBridal: $99.99  Retail: $599.99

SimplyBridal: $215.99  Retail: $1,295.99

These dresses are incredibly gorgeous and at great prices.  If you're nervous about sizing, try a local store first and get a good idea of what your size is in gowns and long dresses.  Don't be afraid to call SimplyBridal's customer service and ask questions.  They have some really great sales going on and you're getting quality dresses for a great price.  I know some ladies out there may be looking for that Say Yes to the Dress Experience but if you're also looking to save on cost, think about alternatives.  Maybe have a dress reveal party for your friends and turn it into a girl's night or even brunch.  When budgeting for your wedding,  certain things will definitely cost more than others.  For me, I wanted a beautiful dress but I didn't want to break the bank and this is a great solution for that. 

SimplyBridal has offered a great opportunity with a 15% discount to their site that lasts until July 5th.

This will only last for the first 10 users and if for some reason it doesn't work for you, send me an e-mail.

Code: SBL176TS

Discount: 15% (shipping not included)

Expiration: 07/05/2013

Not only that but they're also hosting a giveaway for a 

free piece from their jewelry line, up to $20.  

 

In order to enter, you need to do 3 things

1. Like SimplyBridal's Facebook Page  

2. Like The Simplicity's Facebook Page

3. Leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite wedding detail is from Pinterest, from your own wedding, or what is your favorite dress from the site.  Leave a link, I totally want to see :)

   

DIY Bachelorette Sassy Veil Tutorial

As the bachelorette party series continues, I'm sharing my next DIY tuorial on how to make a fun and sassy bachelorette veil.  Now this is ideal for bar crawling, taking shots, playing games, and taking fabulous pictures.  You laugh, but I seriously had to take some of the tulle off because I knew it would get in the way of the bride- ain't nobody got time for that.

In the original picture, you can see many of the supplies you'll need.  I recommend a sewing machine, tape measure, spools of tulle, a sewing needle, thread, a hair comb to hold it in place and some creative touches.

 The first step is to cut the tulle to your desired lengths.  I've seen tutorials use two lengths and some use three.  I used two.  Initially I used 18 inches and then 30 but that was too long.  I ended up trimming the 30 to make it shorter, sassier veil.  I would recommend creating various lengths to build up the volume of the veil and experimenting with what you like.  Remember, you can always cut it down if you don't like the length but you can't add to it once it's cut.

I created three different sections of tulle, of various sizes, to be sewn together.  One section was all pink and the other two were a combination of silver and purple.  You'll gather the tulle by the ends and sew the first section together a few inches down and creating a horizontal seam.  Do this with the other three sections.  Create whatever sections that you feel look best.  I recommend mixing and blending the colors because it looks really neat and with shades of pink, silver, and purple- it's very bachelorette party-esque.

Now that you've sewn the ends of those three sections of tulle, trim off the excess.  You'll want a shorter end to work with as you'll be wrapping that smaller section around the end of the comb.



Wrap the shorter end of a sewn section of tulle onto the middle portion of the comb.  You'll be hand sewing this part through the tulle and through the ends of the comb. 

It will look a little something like that where the stitches go horizontally and not over the top.  Be sure to play with the tulle and adjust accordingly.  Remember to keep in mind where the comb will sit in the bride's hair and how the tulle will be placed around her head.  Sew the other two sections on either side of that middle piece.  Now you have a veil!

Did I try on the veil 50x to make sure Emily could rock it? Absolutely! I also got glitter on every square foot of my house and so I highly recommend having a vacuum nearby for this project.  I had my hair up for this and I actually did readjust my hairstyle a few times to see what would fit best and to make sure it was secure.  You don't want to use too much tulle otherwise the comb will become impossible to have it stay in place, so adding variations of tulle at different lengths helps to create that volume.  Like I said earlier, I started off with too much tulle in terms of how long it was but was able to trim it and you can see that it's at shoulder length.  It won't get in her way of bachelorette shenanigans and it also won't become a nuisance throughout the night.

I'm hoping that if you have a bachelorette party coming up for yourself soon or for a friend that you all can enjoy this tutorial.  It's perfect for birthday parties as well! Thanks again for reading and enjoy the bachelorette party!

My anniversary is coming up

Our second year anniversary is rapidly approaching and if you don't know I have a mad love the Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Neil Patrick Harris, one of my favorite actors, was recently on and shared his 40th birthday experience, albeit a few months early.

  The gears in my head started to turn and all the creative juices started working. Originally Ryan and I were happy with settling for dinner at home and we're doing a joint gift of getting a new TV, but it definitely doesn't hurt to be a little creative with love. Our budget is pretty tight with paying car loans and my students loans, but I think it's a welcome challenge to work with a budget.  I could put together a scavenger hunt but I also don't have a ton of cash.  Any ideas?

For those who are married or dating, what did you do to celebrate your second anniversary or any anniversary?

Importance of Saying "No" to Being a Bridesmaid

Xochitl Gonzales recently wrote an article for HuffPost on why it's important to say "no" if you really don't feel like you can fulfill the roles of being a bridesmaid.  I thought this article was so spot on and although she shared her personal experience with it, I felt that I could definitely relate through more than one occasion. 

One of my absolute best-friends is getting married this year.  Emily is an absolute doll and I love her more than anything.  One of these reasons is that she is smart.  I live in Montana and that is just simply too far away to be a major planning part of a wedding in Wisconsin.  However, I am one of youngest of my friends that's not in the military.  Therefore I get the specialty Matron-of-Honor card.  Matron = married, maid = not.  So Emily has a Matron-of-Honor and a Maid-of-Honor.

We've had the conversation numerous times about how I wish I was there and I could be more of the planning process but the fact is, I can't.  I live 14+ hours away and it's difficult to take leave for occasions like a bridal shower or bachelorette party.  When it's wedding time, I've blocked off a section of days that are dedicated to Emily and saying "hello" to my family.  Emily has the assistance of her family, her maid of honor, bridesmaids, and her fiance's family back home.  I trust that she's in good hands, especially since I get Facebook and text updates.

I said "yes" with all of this as part of the understanding.  However, I have witnessed other ladies for other weddings say "yes" when it really should have been a "no."

Being a bridesmaid requires a great deal of work and commitment. You are there for the bride on the couple's special day.  I know it's the "bride's day" but honestly, two people are committing to each other for the rest of their lives.  That's a bigger deal than the shade of peach the bridesmaid dresses seem to be.  It's their day.  That means the role of a bridesmaid differentiates per wedding but overall you are there to help in anyway you can.  It may mean having to help in the DIY department, sending out e-mails, being there for dress fittings, footing the bill for a dress, etc.

There are costs with being a bridesmaid including probably over $100 for the dress, then the shoes, then accessories, then your hair, probably your nails, a hotel room, plane tickets if you're flying in, etc.   I've seen young women enthusiastically accept being a bridesmaid when asked but then they don't follow through.  One of my friends who recently got married, had a bridesmaid essentially back out a few months before the wedding because she didn't think she could afford the plane ticket.  On one side I can understand the financial difficulties that comes with flying to a wedding and being a part of it but ultimately, if there's a possibility that you can't afford this then you need to communicate that with the bride.  Weddings can be very expensive and that's not fair to your friend to back out on her that close to the wedding.

I have always loved weddings, ever since I was a little kid.  I learned everything I could about them, including etiquette and the roles of the bridal party.  When I married Ryan, it was so stressful because I was trying to plan a very small wedding in California while I was in Wisconsin and we were all in college.  My sorority sisters threw me an awesome bachelorette party but it was difficult to plan anything else because you were working with young women at an age where none of use were really used to weddings.  From this lesson, I would highly recommend brides express their expectations and when they need help to their bridal party.  I had been so stressed out that when our ceremony got cancelled due to the passing of Ryan's father, I basically let Ryan's mom coordinate our small ceremony and low key reception.  I had like zero interest in doing it because I didn't have any help from my family.  Ryan and I would like to renew our vows but I feel like I'll still keep it a small occasion just because I think weddings get out of hand and I still want to be friends with my bridesmaids after the day ;)

How was your wedding?  If you're in the midst of the planning process, what would you recommend to other brides on their planning process?