Hey everyone!
For the shoes, I'm not going to be particular about the shoes that you will be wearing, but I just wanted to give some guidelines when you are looking for the shoe.
I was thinking that the shoe can be any height or style you want that is in a darker silver color.
That's all!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Invitations
Upon recommendation from Lynnette of D'Andrea Banquets, we decided to go with Vista Print for our invitations.
Yes, this may seem unconventional, but they have very nice wedding invitation sets at a very reasonable price.
Here's the design we chose.
We liked this invitation since it was simple, elegant, and our color, royal blue!
There are matching items that you can order, and here's a list of what we ordered:
-RSVP cards with envelopes
-Reception cards
-Thank you notes with envelopes
-Table number cards
-Wedding/Reception invitation with envelopes
-Personalized stickers for envelopes
Our total order (for approximately 135 people) was $197 with $17 of shipping and processing, $13 of sales tax for a grand total of $229!
I think that we could not have gotten a better deal.
We ordered these on February 27 and the website estimates that we will get them on March 14th. Hopefully we will then get these all addressed and mailed out by May 10th, which is about 2 months before our wedding date.
Yes, this may seem unconventional, but they have very nice wedding invitation sets at a very reasonable price.
Here's the design we chose.
We liked this invitation since it was simple, elegant, and our color, royal blue!
There are matching items that you can order, and here's a list of what we ordered:
-RSVP cards with envelopes
-Reception cards
-Thank you notes with envelopes
-Table number cards
-Wedding/Reception invitation with envelopes
-Personalized stickers for envelopes
Our total order (for approximately 135 people) was $197 with $17 of shipping and processing, $13 of sales tax for a grand total of $229!
I think that we could not have gotten a better deal.
We ordered these on February 27 and the website estimates that we will get them on March 14th. Hopefully we will then get these all addressed and mailed out by May 10th, which is about 2 months before our wedding date.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Our wedding registry
I have read somewhere that wedding registries can be optional. I, however, think this is a great opportunity to get a personalized gift instead of cash (and it's something that you can actually use!)
John and Lauren absolutely love Bed, Bath and Beyond. They have a large selection for home items in many categories, and it is a good decision to register here for other reasons, too.
First, there are many BBB's that people have access to, which means more gifts from these registries. If you pick a store that is too sparse, it's not worth people to drive great distances just to get a gift.
Then, BBB seems to always have some kind of 15 or 20 percent off coupon that you can use towards a purchase, which in turn means that your guests pay less for the gift than at another store. Think about an expensive appliance ($300), and you have a 20% off coupon. That's $60 worth of savings that you didn't have to spend.
Finally, the store has been a great experience with us registering. We had an employee walk us through the process and give recommendations, which you can either consider for being something you want or not. Since the employee is trained to know what is important in a registry and the quality of the products, then you do less research in the end.
Or you could.
After making a lot of decisions, we are able to view our registry online to edit ANYTHING. Whether we want more or less of an item, take off or add an item, or even search the online store to see if there was something you didn't see in the store but is available online.
Since we haven't set a date for the bridal shower yet, nothing has been purchased by our guests, so we will give an overall rating in the future!
My Wedding Dress
I watch Say Yes to the Dress on occasion. But then I turn it off because I cannot believe how much people spend on wedding dresses! Yes, I know that it is the most important day of your life, but it still is just ONE day.
The Monday after I got engaged (two days later), I was home with my mom and I proposed that we go dress shopping just to look. Well, I also found the dress that best suited me that day.
We were able to get a day-of appointment at House of Brides in Schaumburg, Illinois. Their selection is HUGE! They also have dresses that you can buy that were sample dresses at a considerable discount if that is what you would like to do. I tried on sample dresses to eventually order my own dress, and the price range I was looking for was between $400-900.
When I walked in, I could not tell the consultant what I liked. I sincerely had no clue what I liked, just things that I did not like. From that, I was given the opportunity to explore the racks and pick out 5 dresses that I liked. This made the process a lot easier.
The funny thing was that the first dress that I tried on was the one that I decided would be my dress! Since I don't want curious eyes (hint, hint John) to find out what it looks like, I'm just going to say that the dress was about $700 and by Allure Bridals.
After the wedding day, I will post the design on here.
Alterations cost me about $200. My first fitting for alterations is June... which I think is cutting it close but I was assured that it would be "plenty of time". Makes me nervous, but maybe I'm overreacting. After all, everyone's goal is to lose weight before the wedding day, and the best time to measure is about a month before because of the possible drastic differences in measurements.
Final review is pending and will be published after the wedding.
Our DJ
When it comes down to music for the reception, you may only choose from two types of entertainment. That is, either having a DJ or a live band.
Now, this is all personal preference. I believe for a more "unique" experience, people book bands. However, I want everyone to have fun based on proven songs that get the crowd going regardless of who is your DJ.
That was an easy decision for us.
When we attended the D'Andrea Banquets Bridal Show, we had not considered any DJ business yet. Actually, we had not considered much outside of our ceremony and reception space.
While walking through all the vendors, the daughter of our DJ (A Sound Sensation) came up to us and inquired about whether we had booked a DJ yet. We didn't have any reservations, so we decided to hear the sales pitch. We enjoyed what we heard and were really impressed by their booth and display. Since we attended the show, there are special prices that were set for us for various services, which included DJ, photography, and videography. We wanted to set an appointment with them going over their services and was able to schedule one that same week!
Our DJ, Matty D, runs A Sound Sensation as a mobile DJ from his house. He has been in the industry for over 20 years and showed us some video of previous weddings for us to drool over.
But what makes him special? That's a question that you should consider when booking a DJ.
Well, Matty's personality is amazing. He is a very easy-going, funny guy to talk to. This is quite important when choosing a DJ because they are the person who will be speaking over the microphone to guests. His personality closely reflects what we want in a wedding reception, which is that everyone has a fun time. John and Lauren believe that someone who can make you laugh is someone who is interested in everyone having a good time.
Another thing that is unique about A Sound Sensation is that they have a laser that will scroll messages and display images that correspond with the event. We have seen this in person at the wedding shows and it is awesome! The package we got included that and free uplighting for the event! The uplighting can change colors to the beat of the music, and it provides a great environment at the reception!
We are very excited to dance the night away and hope that this information helps anyone considering a DJ service in the Crystal Lake area. Our total cost is $995, which is quite a good price considering all that we have included in the package!
Now, this is all personal preference. I believe for a more "unique" experience, people book bands. However, I want everyone to have fun based on proven songs that get the crowd going regardless of who is your DJ.
That was an easy decision for us.
When we attended the D'Andrea Banquets Bridal Show, we had not considered any DJ business yet. Actually, we had not considered much outside of our ceremony and reception space.
While walking through all the vendors, the daughter of our DJ (A Sound Sensation) came up to us and inquired about whether we had booked a DJ yet. We didn't have any reservations, so we decided to hear the sales pitch. We enjoyed what we heard and were really impressed by their booth and display. Since we attended the show, there are special prices that were set for us for various services, which included DJ, photography, and videography. We wanted to set an appointment with them going over their services and was able to schedule one that same week!
Our DJ, Matty D, runs A Sound Sensation as a mobile DJ from his house. He has been in the industry for over 20 years and showed us some video of previous weddings for us to drool over.
But what makes him special? That's a question that you should consider when booking a DJ.
Well, Matty's personality is amazing. He is a very easy-going, funny guy to talk to. This is quite important when choosing a DJ because they are the person who will be speaking over the microphone to guests. His personality closely reflects what we want in a wedding reception, which is that everyone has a fun time. John and Lauren believe that someone who can make you laugh is someone who is interested in everyone having a good time.
Another thing that is unique about A Sound Sensation is that they have a laser that will scroll messages and display images that correspond with the event. We have seen this in person at the wedding shows and it is awesome! The package we got included that and free uplighting for the event! The uplighting can change colors to the beat of the music, and it provides a great environment at the reception!
We are very excited to dance the night away and hope that this information helps anyone considering a DJ service in the Crystal Lake area. Our total cost is $995, which is quite a good price considering all that we have included in the package!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Our florist
At the D'Andrea Banquets Bridal Show, we got a chance to meet with Mary's Flowers of McHenry. Since we were totally clueless with the flowers, it was nice to set up a free consultation with Mary to see what our needs were and what our expenses would be.
To be honest, I am not a fan of roses. Yes, they are pretty; however, I think they are overdone at weddings. I wanted something different, but had NO clue where to start. After all, I honestly know not a thing about flowers.
Mary walked us through the process of what types of flowers come in what colors, and what types of bouquets we could build (lots of texture, little texture, etc). We figured out what flowers would look best and the various necessary items for our ceremony (bouquets, corsages, boutineers, etc)
With having four bridesmaids, four groomsmen, us, two sets of parents, two grandfathers and three grandmothers, and one aunt and uncle, our total was only $640. This was with a 10% off deal for going to the Bridal Show.
I'm looking forward to the finished product as the flowers will be dropped off at St. Thomas on the wedding day.
Also, I would love to show my appreciation towards my Aunt Sherri and Uncle Mike, who has given us a generous gift that covers a significant part of the cost of our flowers! We are extremely blessed by their generosity and hope they love their flowers we're giving them as a thank you!
To be honest, I am not a fan of roses. Yes, they are pretty; however, I think they are overdone at weddings. I wanted something different, but had NO clue where to start. After all, I honestly know not a thing about flowers.
Mary walked us through the process of what types of flowers come in what colors, and what types of bouquets we could build (lots of texture, little texture, etc). We figured out what flowers would look best and the various necessary items for our ceremony (bouquets, corsages, boutineers, etc)
With having four bridesmaids, four groomsmen, us, two sets of parents, two grandfathers and three grandmothers, and one aunt and uncle, our total was only $640. This was with a 10% off deal for going to the Bridal Show.
I'm looking forward to the finished product as the flowers will be dropped off at St. Thomas on the wedding day.
Also, I would love to show my appreciation towards my Aunt Sherri and Uncle Mike, who has given us a generous gift that covers a significant part of the cost of our flowers! We are extremely blessed by their generosity and hope they love their flowers we're giving them as a thank you!
Our photographer
We have booked A Photo Sensation last January.
After meeting with our DJ, Matty D, we were in love with the pictures of weddings that were previously done around his office. We had already booked with a photography service before this meeting, but after meeting with him and seeing some of his previous work, we decided we wanted his service!
Although Matty D is our DJ, he employs professional photographers to work with him on the special day. The service is great and the photographer will be with us ALL DAY, no time limit! With our wedding being earlier in the day, we would probably start photography around 9 or 10 and our reception will not be over until midnight. There's no extra hours charge at all!
We are also getting our engagement photo shoot done with A Photo Sensation! When the weather improves (there's about a foot of snow on the ground now), we will be getting those done and use for our wedding website since John and I have amateur pictures of ourselves.
Our final review of this service will be posted after our wedding, along with any updates throughout the process if needed!
After meeting with our DJ, Matty D, we were in love with the pictures of weddings that were previously done around his office. We had already booked with a photography service before this meeting, but after meeting with him and seeing some of his previous work, we decided we wanted his service!
Although Matty D is our DJ, he employs professional photographers to work with him on the special day. The service is great and the photographer will be with us ALL DAY, no time limit! With our wedding being earlier in the day, we would probably start photography around 9 or 10 and our reception will not be over until midnight. There's no extra hours charge at all!
We are also getting our engagement photo shoot done with A Photo Sensation! When the weather improves (there's about a foot of snow on the ground now), we will be getting those done and use for our wedding website since John and I have amateur pictures of ourselves.
Our final review of this service will be posted after our wedding, along with any updates throughout the process if needed!
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