Planning I Do

Hyacinth Bulb Centerpiece

2010-08-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

I like this Hyacinth Bulb Centerpiece as shown on Martha Stewart Weddings

Apparently, bulbs generally cost less than cut flowers. Plus, the centerpieces can be made ahead by pouring a layer of small stones into a clear vase, and placing the rinsed bulbs in the stones so that the stems stand upright. A few days later. the bulbs will bloom. Their tip is to use warm water to open the petals, or cold water to keep them from opening too fast.

Add only enough to cover the roots, not the bulb.

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: Wedding Flowers by Color – Martha Stewart Weddings

The Budget - Round 2

2010-07-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

When I first got engaged (4 months ago) I anticipated a budget of $5,000, but my future husband helped me realize that 5K just isn't realistic in the Bay Area (California) with our expectations. So after finding our perfect venue that cost $5,000 alone (completely killing my original budget on just the site fee), I've estimated $15,000 as a more obtainable budget. I'm budgeting another $5,000 for food and beverages, $2,000 for photography (the one area that I wish I had a bigger budget), $1,000 for rentals (tables, chairs, dishes, etc.), $500 for gratuities, $300 for gifts/favors, $200 for DIY flowers (we're getting married outdoors with views of the bay/beach), $250 for invitations and our website, $250 for guest transportation, $250 for the officiant, and about $250 for miscellaneous stuff.

I guess I should also say that we are paying for the wedding. We are both older and well beyond getting assistance from our family (even if it was available). Plus, I like having full control of all of the decisions.

I should also say that I am not counting our rings or our attire in this budget. Frankly my ring just blows it all to hell and even though I saved a bundle on my dress, I think our attire is more of an individual choice than a wedding budget item.

The Dress

2010-07-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

I found the dress. It's perfect for our outdoor beach/bay view wedding. I can't believe I found it after less than 4 months of engagement and 4 leisurely visits (with no appointment) to bridal shops. I still have 14 months to go before the wedding and I told myself that I wouldn't buy something too soon because I wanted to give myself plenty of time to find the perfect (and affordable) dress. But, just like the venue which we found less than 2 months after our engagement, I knew I wasn't going to find a better bargain than this. $99. Yep! Stunning. And to top it off, I received a $100 credit towards accessories (which I still need to pick out). So even IF I found something more perfect than this, I basically got the dress for free after I cash in my credit. Whoo Hoo!

Casablanca (style #1829)

I found the dress at Trudy's sample sale.

P.S. No, that isn't me in the photos above. In fact, I'm a lot bigger on top than the model. Enough so that I seriously need to consider having the top altered with a little more material. The photo below is me in the dress. I want people to talk to me, not my cleavage. What would you do to to alter the top?

Asparagus Flowers

2010-07-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Love this idea for using asparagus as the stems in this DIY flower arrangement.

Source: Wedding Chicks

map

2010-07-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

Source: One White Dress & Natty Michelle

I think I'm going to create a map like this for our guests. I imagine it won't be too difficult to do. I'll copy a snapshot from google maps, then sketch over it with transparent paper, color in the beach and grass areas, outline the streets and write in their names, trace-out some wedding icons, and voila!

brooch bouquet

2010-07-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

There's a gal in Southern California who makes these. I'm thinking of asking friends to donate (or buy as a bridal shower gift) flower brooches in our wedding colors (yet to be determined).

Here's a photo from Amanda Heer's website:

Wedding Dress Giveaway

2010-06-29T23:09:00.001-07:00

Bonny Bridal is giving away a wedding dress. I found out about just in time for their June 30th deadline. You can checkout their website by clicking on the button on the top right corner of my blog.

save-the-date

2010-06-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this card, although it doesn't quite have the personal touch that I predict our save-the-date cards will have, plus I'm not sure I have the patience to actually make these. But very very cool none the less.

I found these on Martha Stewart Weddings. They are made from card stock and number punches with a hole punch, and 1/4-inch ribbon bows. Affix with glue stick. The download for the envelope liner is here, or use a word-processing program and printer.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com

and here is a source for buying the numbers: http://www.littleextrasdiecuts.com/diecuts-2inchnumbers.htm

Butterfly Silhouette Cards

2010-06-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

From the same wedding as the butterfly bouquet, these give me a great idea for something other than actual place setters.

She used a decorative rubber stamp (with smooth outer edge), ink pads, 3" x 6" card, bone folder, straightedge, and craft knife. She inked the stamp, pressed it to the paper so most of the design extends above the halfway point of the card. Once the ink was dry, she used a fine-tipped craft knife to cut around the design above the halfway point. Then she used the straightedge to score the card across the middle, between the two long sides, around the butterfly; this marked the fold line and gave a clean, neat fold on the bone folder.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com

adirondack chair invitation

2010-06-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

This is cute and fun! but the white color and small print ink is a little bland. Still searching....

Source: Wedding Channel

Plant Favors

2010-06-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

I couldn't afford to do this for every guest, but they would make great center pieces and a nice take home gift (one at each table) for those who wanted it.... The paper bags hold the flowers (or herb pots) for easy travel and are printed with a sweet thank-you note. Love it!

Source: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com

candles that look like a cake

2010-06-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

Cute beach theme candles. Not sure how they would actually look in person but they're cute....

Source: Wedding Dish

Adirondack Favors

2010-06-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

These are too cute. I'm considering stationary with a pair of Adirondack chairs (will post soon), so these would be perfect if we went with that theme....

Source: Wedding Dish

card holders

2010-06-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Thought these would be cute for displaying food descriptions. I realize they are meant for table numbers but we're not planning to be that formal....

Source: Wedding Dish - things we love

Sunscreen

2010-06-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

A must for our guests to enjoy our afternoon beach bluff wedding (even if they aren't personalized)

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

white cake topped with fruit

2010-06-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Pretty! And looks delicious!

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/good-things/baskets-of-berries

Mini Sorbet Wedding Cakes

2010-06-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Mini Sorbet Wedding Cakes. These are cute and creative but I wonder how quickly they'd melt outdoors....

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

Butterfly Bouquet

2010-06-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

The Bride used silk and feather butterflies secured on thin wires (pre-packaged that way for simplicity) "so that they float and flutter realistically" in this gorgeous bouquet. The wires were then taped close to the butterfly bodies with white floral tape to cover them and create a uniform appearance.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/

Vintage Brooch Bouquet

2010-06-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is a neat idea; a bouquet made of brooches - something old, something borrowed....

From http://www.strictlyweddings.com

Elizabeth Fillmore’s Spring Bridal Collection 2011

2010-06-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

I like the longer version. Really pretty, but perhaps a little too lingerie like...

http://www.strictlyweddings.com

Elizabeth Fillmore’s Spring Bridal Collection 2011

2010-06-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

I love the back of this dress (but not the front)

From http://www.strictlyweddings.com

Elizabeth Fillmore’s Spring Bridal Collection 2011

2010-06-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

I really like this dress. While very simplistic, it shows off the shoulders with just enough strap to keep the dress up comfortably and the design covers up your pooch if you haven't quite got the washboard stomach you planned for.

From http://www.strictlyweddings.com

ideas for our non-traditional reception

2010-05-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

We're having a non-traditional outdoor wedding. I'm thinking about things to do other than the usual, since we won't be having the traditional father-daughter dance, tossing the bouquet, cake cutting, sit-down dinner, etc....).

Rather than have a sit-down dinner where everyone eats at the same time, we are going to have on-going appetizers and a buffet. Our guests would be free to sit-down and eat at anytime or walk around the beautiful grounds overlooking Monterey Bay.

I'd love to have a bocce ball court but unfortunately, that isn't in place at our site. In lieu of that, I think I'll set up croquet and/or horseshoes somewhere on the lawn.

For the guest book, I will be asking guests (and others who can't attend the wedding) to submit a recipe for a cookbook. I'll have the cookbook printed prior to the wedding and then each person can sign the cookbook with a note or two. I'll probably title the cookbook "Ingredients for a Happy Marriage" or something like that.

An idea for some of the wedding photos is to get a Polaroid camera and have someone take pictures of each of the guests following the ceremony, then have guests create an individual album page with their photo and some sentiments for the bride and groom.

Since we won't be having a "first dance" perhaps we could have a sort-of "newlywed" type game where guests have been asked to come up with questions when they first arrive. Following the ceremony (while the Polaroid event is happening), the bride and groom could be separated to answer the questions before getting back together to play the game during the reception. . I got some great ideas from another website including putting the questions on large poster-board paper and playing the "newlywed game" theme song in the background. It could be just the two of us or we could have a few more couples play the game for prizes...

The venue - Monarch Cove Inn - Capitola California

2010-05-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

Monarch Cove Inn

I need to take my own pictures. In the mean time, the picture above is from the venue website. You can see more pictures by clicking on the link above.

We found it - the Wedding Venue

2010-05-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

We found it - the perfect venue. But I admit that it's a little bittersweet. Don't get the wrong idea. I LOVE the venue - the venue is perfect.... It's just that... I liked looking! It was fun. It was an adventure. It required forethought and planning and I love planning....

So, where is our perfect place and what makes it so perfect?

The Monarch Cove Inn.
in Capitola (Santa Cruz) California.

The criteria: by the water, private, intimate, inexpensive (less than $1,000 for the rental & bring your own caterer/alcohol) and ideally with lodging (at least nearby) for friends and family who don't live close by.

....OK, so we got everything but the less than $1,000 rental part. In fact the rental alone (no food, etc.) is my entire budget (which has since been adjusted from $5,000 to $15,000 after I did the calculations, post venue find). So why did we stop looking? We certainly had plenty of time to find something else. But what made this place so special? In a word; family. And when you read my story, you'll understand that our perfect place is priceless....

As I was marveling at the beauty: the 90 degree view of the Bay, the trees, and the flowers... The functionality: the deck, the bar, the lodging for 14, the privacy (2.5 acre B&B on a quiet residential street), the location (1/2 hour from home), the fact that we can bring our own caterer and alcohol... While I was thinking how perfect the venue was for all of the above reasons, my dear husband to be was looking over the bluff at the beach down below, and looking and thinking and looking and thinking.... I went over to him to find out what he was thinking. And when he told me, I cried, and I shivered, and I smiled.... He told me... that just down below where the beach met the Bay.... is where he spread his mother's ashes, just over a year ago. Once I composed myself, I told my dear husband to be that I was ready to write a check right then and there. So we went to lunch and talked about it and then we went back and we booked it! IT'S PERFECT! in every way!

Soquel Farmhouse

2010-05-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

My FH isn't crazy about this one because he doesn't think it's private enough but it is definitely in my top 5. It has a large nicely landscaped yard, rooms for family, and we can bring our own caterer, alcohol, etc. And the owner was really nice.

The search for the Venue (part 3)

2010-05-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

While thoughts of getting married at a gorgeous winery fill my head, I am still hoping for a $5,000 budget and still hoping for a venue that meets (or at least comes close to) our ideal criteria. Thus, vacation rentals, boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts that allow small parties/weddings seems ideal and seems to fit my budget- many with a very reasonable rental rate depending on location and number of bedrooms.

San Juan Oaks Golf Club - San Juan Bautista

2010-05-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

This would be a nice place for a big formal wedding but it was too "corporate" feeling for my taste and too formal for what we envision for our wedding.

Pietra Santa Winery - Hollister

2010-05-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a member of this winery. And the property is beautiful. But it's a bit out of the way and the price to rent out this place is too high in my opinion.

Peachwoods - Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz

2010-05-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

This place was OK. The price was decent and the catering seemed like a good value. But the entrance left much to be desired. While my future husband (FH) put it in his top five, I wasn't quite sold...

Hollins House - Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz

2010-05-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! Breathtaking! My future husband (FH) predicts that this is where we'll get married. And while I love it, it is way out of my ideal budget.

Seascape Beach Resort - Aptos

2010-04-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Also not in the budget but we just had to check it out!

The Ritz-Carlton - Half Moon Bay

2010-04-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Obviously, this was not a real consideration ($100,000 is not in the budget). And it was quite the joke when we walked in and my FH was wearing ragged dirty work shorts. But they treated us like any other serious contender....

La Hacienda Inn - Saratoga

2010-04-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

I think this place was much nicer at some point, but it's not in the running for our wedding

Los Gatos Lodge

2010-04-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

This one is also close to home but just not the right fit..

Hakone Gardens - Saratoga

2010-04-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

The first time I saw this place, I knew it would be perfect for a wedding. t is definitely in my top 5.

Saratoga Foothill Club

2010-04-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

This venue is close to home and in the City where my FH and I met but the outside area is really small and the parking is less than ideal.

The search for the Venue (part 2)

2010-04-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

After the FH shot down the inexpensive (but too rustic for his taste) public parks, my research has moved on to more expensive locations: town halls, club rooms, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, wineries...

We've begun the search and I'll post some pictures and comments next, but I feel that some of these locations are either too corporate or too expensive, so the hunt is still on...

Highlands Park - Santa Cruz County Parks

2010-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

I also liked this one, but it was next to a ballpark with lots of kids and noise.

Quail Hollow Ranch - Santa Cruz County Parks

2010-04-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

I liked this one (the price was right) but it was a bit out of the way and no ocean/bay view.

Valencia Hall - Santa Cruz County Park

2010-04-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Inexpensive but nowhere to have a cermony/reception outside, so this one is out of the running.

Aptos Village - Santa Cruz County Park

2010-04-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

Nice, but not private. We'll keep looking.

The search for the Venue (part 1)

2010-04-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

The prices are all over the board and I've began visiting the more affordable locations from my research: city and state parks. You get what you pay for with the parks and I'm fine with these venues; after all, our wedding is just an event and what's really important is the people and the celebration, not the aesthetics. However, my FH felt the park locations that we looked at were too rustic.....

I'll post pictures and brief comments next.

Ceremony / Reception Goals

2010-04-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned that I'd like to keep the wedding costs down to $5,000. My FH doesn't think this is realistic so it's time to think about what we really want from our wedding.

My FH would like the ceremony and reception to be in the same place. He's not asking for much so I want to honor this request as I start putting together the list of venues to check out....

We'd like the wedding to be by the beach/bay/lake, private, intimate, the ability to bring our own caterer and alcohol, ideally with lodging (at least nearby) for friends and family who don't live close by.

The ring

2010-04-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to going to the Jeweler to pick out the setting, I enlisted my friend E. to help. E. has been friends with my FH long before I met him and she has become a good friend of mine. I thought she would be the perfect person to help me pick out a ring that he and I would both love. I had preconceived thoughts of what the setting would be. I really liked the three-stone setting and the channel cut setting. But when I tried these two settings on, they just didn't seem right. The three-stone setting seemed too bulky and the channel cut setting just didn't wow me. I also determined that I didn't really like a lot of band showing which both of these styles had. I really loved my temporary engagement setting because the stone was placed high on the band in a "trellis" setting. Knowing this, the jeweler's assistant handed me a ring with a split band and pave diamonds on the top of the band as well as the sides. This setting didn't really grab me at first so we put it aside and tried on a number of other rings. Eventually we got back to the pave setting and the uniqueness of it really started to wow me. And E. gave it the big thumbs up too. So, with that we had my finger sized and we called my FH to tell him the big news. He wasn't able to come that day but that was OK because I needed to come back the following week to pick up the ring after it had been resized.

Here's a picture from the designer:

The Budget - Round 1

2010-04-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

When the Future Husband (FH) proposed, I was thrilled! Excited and ready to start planning the wonderful event! Being the frugal gal that I am, I immediately thought of the budget. $5,000 seems reasonable since it will be a small informal wedding with approximately 75 people. We do not envision an elaborate or even traditional wedding. It will be more like a fun reunion of family and friends. When I told my FH that I thought $5,000 would be enough, he politely responded that it just couldn't happen. He based this on a birthday party he had given me (for about 25 people) that had cost about a $1,000 with a pretty big discount from the restaurant where he knows the manager....

I still feel like it is possible to have a wedding in the Bay Area for $5,000. And, being the confident gal that I am, I immediately began researching the internet for "budget weddings" and so the story begins.....

The proposal

2010-04-01T23:59:00.000-07:00

My future husband (FH) is building a new home. He had the plans approved long before we met but started construction in January of this year. On the fourth Saturday in March he told me he was planning on making me dinner and serving it on the 2nd story deck of the house. The house has only been framed but the stairs are in place and the deck leading out from the Master Bedroom is stable. Having an overly analytical mind, I thought this would be the perfect setting for a proposal but I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I showed up to the dinner with the mindset that it was going to be a romantic evening no matter what.

He had set up a small table on the deck with a white table cloth, candles, wine glasses, plates, utensils, etc. For dinner we had salmon, pasta, and salad. He had my favorite bottle of Chardonnay - Rombauer. I can't remember what we had for dessert. All along, I kept wondering "Is it going to happen now" "is the ring in the wine glass?" No. "Is the ring in the dessert?" No. Finally after a yummy dinner and dessert and a full bottle of wine, he said he wished we had more wine... And then we chatted some more. And he took my hand in his. And told me how happy he was. And he asked me to marry him. I knew it was coming but I think I was a little in disbelief. My FH is quite the funny guy and he has joked before about us getting married... Perhaps I was nervous but I said "are you serious?" Oh gee, not the answer he was looking for, I'm sure... But he said yes, of course I'm serious. And I said yes, I will marry you.....

And then he gave me the most beautiful and thoughtful diamond ring. I love it so much. We had actually talked about the ring; the shape, the size, the setting. He had the ring set in a temporary setting so I could pick something out that I really liked.