A friend of mine asked us how we're managing to keep the cost of our wedding down.
Here's how:
DO NOT TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE. At one stage, we were looking at a ceremony and reception combined. One day. $12,000. 150 guests. And the stress! Do we invite my relatives whom I only see once every few years? Mum and Dad's friends? Primary school friends? Where do you draw the line?
GO OVERSEAS!!!This string of questions led us to joking about eloping. Then we looked into booking our honeymoon as a distraction. That led to us investigating having our wedding ceremony and honeymoon combined in Vanuatu. My advice, if and where possible, The fact we're not shelling out extra money on TOP of a wedding here in Perth has meant we've got money for smaller things, and for our house deposit.
HAVE A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT!!! Easier said than done, I know, but be realistic about what you do need, what you don't need, and what you may be able to comprimise on/beg/borrow/steal.
Have a friend who is great with a camera? Wedding photographer. Someone close to you who is an amazing baker and cake decorator? Wedding Cake. Have a friend or family member with a lovely, big home or garden? Ask if you can have the wedding ceremony/reception there. Do not be afraid to ask. It never hurts.Do you really,really need a 3 couse, sit down meal AND cake? Do you really need wedding favours, flower girls, a horse and carriage to get there, a $3000 meringue dress? By defining what you will really, really need will help. For us it was a good photographer, an area for on outdoor wedding, alcohol and our honeymoon. The rest, we've managed to cut out or find alternatives.
ENTER COMPETETIONS!!!!!! We won our wedding photography by simply entering online. It was a complete fluke, but it took me about a minute. Go to Bridal Fairs/Expos- write down your details and enter every and any competition on offer. All of them. Take a friend and get them to help you! It's how we ended up choosing who to build our house with- at a bridal expo!
BE REALISTIC! Not the sort of person who wears a dress regularly? Don't go the whole hog in a meringue, white, tulle covered dress, with a full on veil and a boquet of 100 roses. Stick with what you're comfortable in. I am having a halter neck, cream dress that is very simple. It is lovely, but I'll feel like myself. Not the sort of person who is good a public speaking? Don't have a wedding ceremony and reception with 200 people. Keep it simple. Maybe don't even have anyone except witnesses. On a budget? Don't have the full on schebang wedding. If you explain, people will understand that your priorities lie in something other than spending money on one day.
FIND ALTERNATIVES!! Is there something you can't "let go of"? For me, it was the idea of roses for my wedding boquet. Then I got a quote for 3 post style boquets. $500, straight up. THEN, we decided to have the ceremony overseas. Does Vanuatu have roses? Probably not, being a tropical island.
Here's how we have found alternatives to pricey or unavailable issues
Decorations: Beg/Borrow/Steal. We're having a reception at home, and are planning to buy, rather than hire, a marquee. Hire- $5000 plus. Buying-$500. And we can use it again. Or just sell it. The decorations will be simple. Think fairy lights, candles and vases of flowers with a teal and white/cream theme. All of which have been purchased or borrowed for our engagement party. Re-use where possible!
Flowers: Look up Special Occastions on Facebook, then tell me you MUST have real flowers for your boquet. For a total of $250 covering postage too, I'm recieiving 3 boquets in cream roses, and 3 hair pins with the same colour rose attached. And I'm not talking small boquets, I'm talking really big, expensive looking ones. And I can take them to Vanuatu. And I don't have to worry about keeping them in water. And I can keep them. Maybe.
Dresses: Have a design, but they're all out of your price range? Get quotes from a dress maker. Is the style simple? Maybe a family member or friend can make your dress, or the bridesmaids dresses? Pale skin? Can't wear white- well, don't wear it! I have the most stunning "diamond" white dress, which suits my skin tone beautifully. A friend of mine wore the most stunning deep RED wedding gown. She looked amazing. Scour shops for ball dresses- see if they come in a more "bridey" colour. Ball gowns tend to be a fraction of the cost of a wedding gown.
DO NOT MENTION THE "W" WORD ( Wedding)!!!! As an experiment, I called a florist for a quote for a posy of white roses for a wedding. Then rang the next day for the same thing, but did not define the purpose. The difference in price? $100. Ring around. Get quotes, ask why the difference for a wedding is so vast. We're having our reception catered, but there will be no mention of a wedding. After all, it is really just a party. With a wedding cake. And music.
Monday 12 December 2011
Sunday 20 November 2011
Dress
Forgot to post a link to the site with a sample of my dress!
( http://www.henryroth.com.au/our-gowns/informal-garden-weddings/india.html )
The style I ended up getting was in "Diamond White" in a.... size (!) 6, with an incredible amount of room for alterations.
I am in love.
This dress will be for the ceremony etc in Vanutau, and I am having a 2nd dress made for the reception at home;
Hoping to have something very similar to this made, but in coffee, with or without the lace overlay. We'll see....
( http://www.henryroth.com.au/our-gowns/informal-garden-weddings/india.html )
The style I ended up getting was in "Diamond White" in a.... size (!) 6, with an incredible amount of room for alterations.
I am in love.
This dress will be for the ceremony etc in Vanutau, and I am having a 2nd dress made for the reception at home;
August-Present
Last time I checked, we were planning to hold the ceremony and reception, on the 26th April, 2013, at Araluen Golf Resort.
At a cost of close to $12,000....
As many of you know, we're planning to save for a decent deposit and build a house by next August- that is where we want our money to go to.
SO, we revise our wedding, and found an amazing way to cut costs, have our dream honeymoon, and keep everyone happy,
Stop the press- new plan.
Vanuatu, 2013- October, most likely.
That is "the" plan. Comine our wedding ceremony with our honeymoon, those who care enough will be there. In total, for our ceremony, small reception and 8 nights in Vanuatu, at Sunset Bungalows Resort, it is costing us a total of approximatley $6000.
Much better than nearly 12k, that's for sure!
Then the plan is to have formal wedding portraits done when we return (more on the photography in a moment), and hold a casual reception when we're home again, at our house.
The best bit about it is that we can hire caterers, and still have all the bits and pieces we want, but for around $3000, including alcohol, caterers, decorations and buying a marquee.
I can see it- lots of beautiful fresh flowers, fairy lights and candles, as well as good music, surrounded by the people we love.
I have covered the "But we won't get to see you get married" whine too!
The plan is to have an informal, sit down, 2 course meal. Followed by speeches, toasts, and a video of the actual ceremony, followed by cake cutting, photography with family and friends, followed by bulk champagne.
I think we've negotiated this pretty well, and I am so stress free about it now, I am happy!
I even have someone ORGANISING the Vanuatu side of things for me! Amazing!
Oh, photographer!
A while back, I entered a competition to win our wedding photgraphy for free. I didn't win, and cast it to the back of my mind. Then, in September, I recieved and email from Terence Boylen Photography ( http://tboylen.info/ ). In a paragraph, we had to describe why we should win. This was my response;
"
At a cost of close to $12,000....
As many of you know, we're planning to save for a decent deposit and build a house by next August- that is where we want our money to go to.
SO, we revise our wedding, and found an amazing way to cut costs, have our dream honeymoon, and keep everyone happy,
Stop the press- new plan.
Vanuatu, 2013- October, most likely.
That is "the" plan. Comine our wedding ceremony with our honeymoon, those who care enough will be there. In total, for our ceremony, small reception and 8 nights in Vanuatu, at Sunset Bungalows Resort, it is costing us a total of approximatley $6000.
Much better than nearly 12k, that's for sure!
Then the plan is to have formal wedding portraits done when we return (more on the photography in a moment), and hold a casual reception when we're home again, at our house.
The best bit about it is that we can hire caterers, and still have all the bits and pieces we want, but for around $3000, including alcohol, caterers, decorations and buying a marquee.
I can see it- lots of beautiful fresh flowers, fairy lights and candles, as well as good music, surrounded by the people we love.
I have covered the "But we won't get to see you get married" whine too!
The plan is to have an informal, sit down, 2 course meal. Followed by speeches, toasts, and a video of the actual ceremony, followed by cake cutting, photography with family and friends, followed by bulk champagne.
I think we've negotiated this pretty well, and I am so stress free about it now, I am happy!
I even have someone ORGANISING the Vanuatu side of things for me! Amazing!
Oh, photographer!
A while back, I entered a competition to win our wedding photgraphy for free. I didn't win, and cast it to the back of my mind. Then, in September, I recieved and email from Terence Boylen Photography ( http://tboylen.info/ ). In a paragraph, we had to describe why we should win. This was my response;
"
Thursday 25 August 2011
Updates!
Dress- completely different from the original plan. It is currently on lay-by, and it is amazing! Off white, halter neck, backless dress with dimonte accents, and...a train! It sounds OTT, but on, it is lovely! I fell in love with it as soon as I slipped it on. I hear horror stories of brides trawling from store to store, looking for "the one". Me? I try on the second dress, and know instantly that it is "the one".
Veil- I am planning to wear my mum's. It was worn by my nanna, then my mum at her wedding, so I thought it only fitting that I carried on the tradition.
My wedding band- I recently inherited a beautiful gold and diamond engagement ring from my grandmother. It used to belong to my great-aunt. I am planning to have it re-resigned to be a little more modern and to suit my engagement ring- think engagement ring minus the center diamond, that is how I am thinking.
Bridesmaids- Have found "the" perfect style and colour for the dresses, and they're available at a store in Perth, so just have to take the girls in and try them out. Think flowy, full length dresses in teal.
Venue- I KNEW I'd (We?) would find somewhere with a little patience. After the disaster of the last idea, I got referred (by a lovely man at a winery in Roleystone) to The Enchanted Valley: Araluen Golf Resort. It even sounds lovely! Have a look at the website for an idea of how lovely it is. ( http://www.araluenresort.com.au/welcome/index.mhtml ) If we build in the area/s we have narrowed down, it will only be about 15 minutes from home. Which is great! It's pretty direct to get to, no matter where and which direction you are coming from.
Theme: Cocktail style reception, think finger foods, champagne and...Wedding cake! Roaming wait staff, very laid-back. Still going with a teal/off white colour scheme, but seeing as the sit-down reception is no longer a go-er, I don't need to worry about tables, centerpieces and decorations!
Photographer- A friend of a friend is shooting our pre-wedding/Engagement photos for us. I am really looking forward to it, because even though Royce and I have been together for four and a half years, we don't actually have any super nice photos of us to send to the family and all of that jazz. So that's what the engagement shoot is for.
I have almost narrowed the wedding day photogapher as well. Zoe and I went to the E-Bridal expo on Sunday, and spoke to a lovely photographer. He was open, honest and even said that photographers who charge to take the photos AND to print them for the couple was "bullshit". I knew I liked him then! All we are after is photography for the preperations, the ceremony, formal shots of us and our family etc, and then the beginning of the reception. Probably about 5 hours of work. All of it on a disc, all images high resolution for us to do what we wish with.
This photographer offers this at a well priced $900.
Have a look at CK Images.
Date: ALMOST have it! After chatting, we realised a weekend would be better. So we've (I) narrowed it down to two weekends in April 2013- either the 20th, or the 27th. Looking like it will most likely be the 27th/4/2013. :D
Honeymoon: Probably the easiest thing so far- 7 nights in Vanuatu for $2,500. Easy. Done.
Engagement Party- Ummm, that. Seeing as the whole wedding is planned, may need to get onto that one!
Veil- I am planning to wear my mum's. It was worn by my nanna, then my mum at her wedding, so I thought it only fitting that I carried on the tradition.
My wedding band- I recently inherited a beautiful gold and diamond engagement ring from my grandmother. It used to belong to my great-aunt. I am planning to have it re-resigned to be a little more modern and to suit my engagement ring- think engagement ring minus the center diamond, that is how I am thinking.
Bridesmaids- Have found "the" perfect style and colour for the dresses, and they're available at a store in Perth, so just have to take the girls in and try them out. Think flowy, full length dresses in teal.
Venue- I KNEW I'd (We?) would find somewhere with a little patience. After the disaster of the last idea, I got referred (by a lovely man at a winery in Roleystone) to The Enchanted Valley: Araluen Golf Resort. It even sounds lovely! Have a look at the website for an idea of how lovely it is. ( http://www.araluenresort.com.au/welcome/index.mhtml ) If we build in the area/s we have narrowed down, it will only be about 15 minutes from home. Which is great! It's pretty direct to get to, no matter where and which direction you are coming from.
Theme: Cocktail style reception, think finger foods, champagne and...Wedding cake! Roaming wait staff, very laid-back. Still going with a teal/off white colour scheme, but seeing as the sit-down reception is no longer a go-er, I don't need to worry about tables, centerpieces and decorations!
Photographer- A friend of a friend is shooting our pre-wedding/Engagement photos for us. I am really looking forward to it, because even though Royce and I have been together for four and a half years, we don't actually have any super nice photos of us to send to the family and all of that jazz. So that's what the engagement shoot is for.
I have almost narrowed the wedding day photogapher as well. Zoe and I went to the E-Bridal expo on Sunday, and spoke to a lovely photographer. He was open, honest and even said that photographers who charge to take the photos AND to print them for the couple was "bullshit". I knew I liked him then! All we are after is photography for the preperations, the ceremony, formal shots of us and our family etc, and then the beginning of the reception. Probably about 5 hours of work. All of it on a disc, all images high resolution for us to do what we wish with.
This photographer offers this at a well priced $900.
Have a look at CK Images.
Date: ALMOST have it! After chatting, we realised a weekend would be better. So we've (I) narrowed it down to two weekends in April 2013- either the 20th, or the 27th. Looking like it will most likely be the 27th/4/2013. :D
Honeymoon: Probably the easiest thing so far- 7 nights in Vanuatu for $2,500. Easy. Done.
Engagement Party- Ummm, that. Seeing as the whole wedding is planned, may need to get onto that one!
Sunday 14 August 2011
A change of plans...
So, bridesmaid #1 (Grace) and I took a trip to the potential Venue spot I blogged about previously.
According to the website, the place was open.
In a very abrupt fashion, we were quickly told that it was not.
So there went that plan.
Back to the drawing board.
I have stumbled across an incredibly lovely golf resort in the hills.
( http://www.araluenresort.com.au/welcome/index.mhtml ) Bearing in mind that I am *such* a fan of golf, I thought the surrounds were near on perfect.
We just have to finalise guest lists for both of us, and know roughly how many we'd need to cater for. Then, we can suss out the food situation and most importantly, drinks.
The cost of having a sit down recpeion following a simple outdoor ceremony is proving less expensive than I was first imagining.
Thankfully!
More to come :)
Emma
According to the website, the place was open.
In a very abrupt fashion, we were quickly told that it was not.
So there went that plan.
Back to the drawing board.
I have stumbled across an incredibly lovely golf resort in the hills.
( http://www.araluenresort.com.au/welcome/index.mhtml ) Bearing in mind that I am *such* a fan of golf, I thought the surrounds were near on perfect.
We just have to finalise guest lists for both of us, and know roughly how many we'd need to cater for. Then, we can suss out the food situation and most importantly, drinks.
The cost of having a sit down recpeion following a simple outdoor ceremony is proving less expensive than I was first imagining.
Thankfully!
More to come :)
Emma
Friday 29 July 2011
Monday 18 July 2011
Dress
When I think of what our wedding could be, I think of something elegant, simple and classy. Something that dosen't cost the earth.
I have in mind exactly what goes with the idea in my head for my wedding dress. Something simple, un-fussy, elegant. I don't believe I will have a veil, however I do like the idea of wearing the same one that my Mum and my Nanna wore on their wedding days.
I am undecided about how I wear my hair, but I a thinking a low bun with a hairpiece of flowers that match the boquets, or a pretty decoration.
I think that this pretty much sums up what I would like to have, except in an off white colour.
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I know that eventually, one day, we'll find the right dress!
Until then, I'm going to keep looking!
:)
I have in mind exactly what goes with the idea in my head for my wedding dress. Something simple, un-fussy, elegant. I don't believe I will have a veil, however I do like the idea of wearing the same one that my Mum and my Nanna wore on their wedding days.
I am undecided about how I wear my hair, but I a thinking a low bun with a hairpiece of flowers that match the boquets, or a pretty decoration.
I think that this pretty much sums up what I would like to have, except in an off white colour.
Until then, I'm going to keep looking!
:)
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Dates....
I have been planning an "official" engagement party for a little while now. It has been a struggle to find somewhere suitable, and somwehere that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg and a kidney.
I am beiginning to entertain the idea of having it at home, and in order to have the space, it has to wait until we move again in November.... So December/January is looking pretty good to us at the moment.
We ( Royce, Zoe and I) have also had serious discussions about when the wedding will take place. 2013 is still a goer, but it was looking like October. Now, because of travelling/cost/kids for Royce's extended family, it is probably going to be in April. :)
More plans to be made!
I am beiginning to entertain the idea of having it at home, and in order to have the space, it has to wait until we move again in November.... So December/January is looking pretty good to us at the moment.
We ( Royce, Zoe and I) have also had serious discussions about when the wedding will take place. 2013 is still a goer, but it was looking like October. Now, because of travelling/cost/kids for Royce's extended family, it is probably going to be in April. :)
More plans to be made!
Saturday 28 May 2011
Colour scheme- WORKS!
In my head, I knew I somehow wanted to incorporate my favourite colour, red, into the scheme of our wedding. I originally wanted red and ivory, but due to the skin tones of my lovely bridesmaids, I had to change it. I am not disappointed, but I am thrilled that I can do it! This is a sample of what I think we can do, and I love it.
The teal and red DO go together!
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Bridesmaids Dresses
We are having 2 bridesmaids ( Royce's sister, Zoe, and my cousin, Grace). Anything more for the casual style of wedding we want, and it would look silly.
I think we all have horror stories of bridesmaids being forced into frilly, fluffy, hideous coloured meringue dresses at one stage or another in the name of holy matrimony.
Some that I have seen are enough to make you shiver!
I like to think that the style I have chosen is nice, but if the girls don't like it, then I am happy for a different style to be chosen! The colour has also been changed from red to teal-blue. I can see this colour on the both of them, and it will look stunning against ivory!
Style
Colour
Boquet colour (ivory/cream)
I think we all have horror stories of bridesmaids being forced into frilly, fluffy, hideous coloured meringue dresses at one stage or another in the name of holy matrimony.
Some that I have seen are enough to make you shiver!
I like to think that the style I have chosen is nice, but if the girls don't like it, then I am happy for a different style to be chosen! The colour has also been changed from red to teal-blue. I can see this colour on the both of them, and it will look stunning against ivory!
Style
ColourBoquet colour (ivory/cream)I am hoping that the style and colour is ok for all, and I am hoping that because of the design, it should be easy enough to find online/in store/be made by a dressmaker. Hair and make-up can be the choice of the bridesmaid! I'm really not fussed- so long as they're happy. We shall see what happens. Stay tuned for more. I think the bridesmaid's dresses were probably the easiest decision so far!
Monday 4 April 2011
The Engagement
We didn't have much planned,except for a nice dinner at Hillary's- we had planned Little Ceasar's Pizza place, but it was booked.
Royce walked in the door from work and gave me a kiss, did the "happy Valentine's day" thing and told me he had my gift upstairs for me.
Me, not suspecting anything, followed him into our bedroom where he told me to close my eyes. I did, but I was wary, as I was honestly expecting something like a book or flowers.
He put something in my hand, and I opened my eyes. It was a little gold jewellery box.
My heart honestly began to race at this point!
I opened it, and there nestled in the cream velvet, was a stunning gold and diamond ring.
"What's this?" I asked him.
He replied "Well, what do you think it is?"
"An engagement ring?? Are you proposing to me!?"
He nodded and smiled.
I am not an overly "cry at everything" person, but I cried as I took it out of the box and placed it on my finger.
I can honestly say that Royce's proposal took me by surprise, but the answer to his "Will you marry me?" was a resonating, definite "YES!"
We joke with each other that one day, we're going to trade each other in for a "hotter" model. At the end of the day, my happiness in out relationship is not because I am, or Royce is, the most amazing looking person in the world.
Neither of us take a person on face value, and for those who do- you need to take a good long look at yourself in the mirror, because lets face it- if you judge someone on their looks, you're pretty damn shallow.
He is so lovely to me, treats me amazingly, listens to me when I am having a bad day, supports me through the rough times, we celebrate the good times together, and above all- we laugh at each other, and with each other. We are honest, open and rarely fight. The most important thing is that we have RESPECT for each other. Without resepct, you do not have the solid foundation that all relationships should be built on.
I promised him I wouldn't begin to make plans, or even talk about doves/horse-drawn carriages/fluffy dresses until November. But mentally organising it isn't going to hurt anyone! :)
Why "Vanilla Shades"?
I wanted something punchy, something that would be easy to remember, something that combined my love of art with our wedding. I tried for "Shades of White", as I am trying to choose what shade will suit my skin tone the best in my wedding dress. But alas, taken. So the next choice was another word for white. And there you have it. A blog name that wasn't taken!
The process from engagement to wedding is going to be a long one. I have my degree to finish in November of this year, and Royce has his training to finish also- hopefully by October! So to even begin to think about it, and to afford it, we're thinking some time in 2013, but I'd love October 2012. Stay tuned for "THE DATE" announcement!
Concentrating our enerigies on this is what is important, but it dosen't mean I can't begin to plan!
It is an exciting,amazing time in which we begin to change and grow as individuals, but most importantly, as a couple.
The process from engagement to wedding is going to be a long one. I have my degree to finish in November of this year, and Royce has his training to finish also- hopefully by October! So to even begin to think about it, and to afford it, we're thinking some time in 2013, but I'd love October 2012. Stay tuned for "THE DATE" announcement!
Concentrating our enerigies on this is what is important, but it dosen't mean I can't begin to plan!
It is an exciting,amazing time in which we begin to change and grow as individuals, but most importantly, as a couple.
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