Part 2 "Budget: Who pays for What?"

"R" For Rachel's wedding. We made these using a coupon for silk
flowers found online at Michael's. We made these months before
the wedding. 

Weddings are not cheap, and I don't think anyone wants to have a wedding that looks cheap. There are people out there that say "get a free venue like a park". With that you need to check into sound ordinances, permits, curfews, outside caterers, insurance, and I personally think that is a headache. "Just do appetizers", um maybe, but not for anyone that I know. Yes, appetizers are cheaper than a full dinner, but isn't your wedding a way to thank all those wonderful people in your life for all they have done for you, believed in your love, watched you grow up, and now are celebrating in a milestone in your life? Do you want them to feel that all they are worth are a few appetizers? I don't think so. Part 2 of the wedding series is dedicated to your Budget, and ways to realistically cut costs without sacrificing etiquette! 

     

       According to The Knot this is an example of a budget breakdown:

48-50% of your total budget goes to Reception

Ceremony= 2-3%

Attire= 8-10%

Flowers= 8-10%

Music= 8-10%

Photography/Videography= 10-12%

Stationary= 2-3%

Rings= 2-3%

Transportation= 2-3%

Gifts= 2-3%

Miscellaneous= 8%

This is obviously just one of the many ways to break up your budget. For instance, my parents paid for my wedding so I was NOT going to have them pay for my husbands ring, or mine, and I was not going to have them pay for gifts. Their gift to me was wedding, so I was not going to have them also pay for gifts for family, and bridal party. Therefore, about 5% was allotted to something else. It's all up to you, but this is an idea.

        Like I said earlier, my parents paid for my wedding. Nowadays, that isn't the norm. Many Bride and Grooms pay for their own wedding, or it is broken up into many different ways amongst the family. However, traditionally the family of the Bride pays for pretty much everything, but the Groom's family does help out in a few areas. And they are as follows:

The Officiants fee, and gratuity

Groom's Attire

Groom's cake (if you are doing one)

Bride's bouquet

Family members corsages

Bride's going away corsage (very old school)

Bride's Wedding Gift

Usher and Groomsman's Gifts

Rehearsal Dinner

Marriage License

Prenuptial Agreement

*These can be paid by either the Groom or his family if you are going the traditional route

I have just decided that Budget is such an important part of the Wedding that I am dedicating 2 articles to it. You just read Part 1 " Who pays for what?"

Part 2, "Realistic ways to cut costs without sacrificing etiquette is coming up"

Advice from the Newly Hitched

      I love getting advice from people! It's free information that you can chose to listen to or forget. I am the first in my family to get married so I never looked at the big picture of planning a wedding. I bought a wedding planning book and dove right in. With the guidance of my mother I feel like we got it right, but it would have been nice to have a little heads up as to what you should be ready for. So here's your heads up! I compiled a list of 15 tips from people who are recently married. Maybe a tip or two can help fend off a headache for you!

1. Make your budget and stick to it! There is nothing worse than realizing you just made a big financial mistake by signing a contract and not having the money! People need to get paid for the work they are doing, but going into debt because your eyes are bigger than you budget will cause a few problems!
2. Make your guest list early! You should know how many people you want to invite and what your budget is before you do anything else. If you can't afford for 200 people to come than maybe you need to rethink a few things. Decide if you want 100 people to eat fillet mignon, or 175 eat chicken. It is up to you but you need to be aware of this before you sign on the dotted line.
3. If you want your guests to have fun hire a great DJ. Ask to if they dj at any clubs so you can see how they work a crowd. Or do they have a video of them in action? If you want to have a party, have people on the dance floor celebrating, your DJ needs to understand your taste, and your crowd to get it right.
4. Enjoy yourself!- The engagement period was for planning, but your wedding day is to experience all your hard work. So relax and enjoy!
5. "Separate yourself from all the mess and drama and enjoy your fiance and this experience." Mrs. Rachel Van Buskirk
6. Don't sweat the small stuff. Nothing in life is perfect so don't expect your wedding day to be the exception. Just go with the flow.
7. This is your wedding day so do things your way. If you compromise to make other people happy, you wont be. Mrs. Mia Pokrywka
8. Think about what you really want and what you really need. Mrs. Sarah Hanners
9. Know what you can do yourselves and know what you should leave to the professionals. Of course Aunt Betty takes nice pictures but she's a guest, not hired help.
10. Do your bachelor and bachelorette parties way before the wedding. You definitely don't want you or your groom to be tired or hungover on your wedding day!
11. Do an Engagement photo shoot with your photographer. This way you create a rapport with the photographer who will be shooting your wedding. You can see how they work so you will be less nervous the day of the wedding. And your photographer can learn how you and your husband-to-be photograph.
12. Be Thankful! Nobody likes a Bridezilla. A gracious bride is way more beautiful than a greedy bride. And I am sure you'd still like to have friends once you become a Mrs.
13. Make lists and hand them out! A photo list for your photographer, a ceremony and reception diagram for the coordinator, a timeline for the vendors, bridal party, and other important people, a checklist for you and your groom, and a song list for your DJ.
14. Don't wait until the last minute. If your guest list is 120 you know at least 60 people will be there so start making your favors if they are nonperishable, get your bridal party gifts, make your card box,start writing your vows, get your guestbook, etc. Everything that you can get done early do it. Why wait?
15. Make a decision and stick with it. The more you change your mind the more stress you create for yourself and everyone involved.

And there you have it! A little heads up from those of us who just recently tied the knot. If you have any other tips please feel to comment below! Thanks for stopping by!

My Husband and I being announced as Husband and wife. Photo taken by my Mother in Law.

Tips to fend off Wedding Stress

A Three Part Series

     In 2011, I personally know of 10 ladies who tied the knot. To me that is a lot, and I was one of those ladies. Wedding planning can be very stressful, but it should be fun! Many of us have dreamt of our wedding since we were little girls and now we have found that special someone to spend forever with. Now that we are engaged we go into a semi-panic mode. What if the dress doesn't fit? What if I can't find a venue I like for the date I want? Or my budget is really small, and what if my bridal party doesn't get along? All these things happen, but it shouldn't ruin your day, and many problems can be avoided. 

     I am creating a 3 part series dedicated to fending off wedding stress during the engagement period. Part 1, "Advice from the newly Hitched" is a list compiled from a few of those 10 beautiful ladies, and myself. Part 2, "Budget: Ways to save Money but Still have a Beautiful Wedding" will go into depth about creating a gorgeous wedding on any budget.  You don't need to have $40,000 to make your wedding incredible. There are ways to cut the budget down without sacrificing your vision. And last but not least, Part 3, "Photographs: How to get the Best from you and your Photographer".  This last one is obviously near and dear to my heart being a photographer myself ( www.avinyardimage.com), but I can understand how uncomfortable some people might be in front of the camera. You will feel like a supermodel on your wedding day, but your groom might not feel like a stud in front of the camera. Take the Engagement time to get acquainted with your photographer, so on your big day you are ready to rock and roll!

       Please feel free to comment, or ask any questions that you have about ways to fend off wedding stress! Once again Congratulations! This is a (hopefully) once in a lifetime experience. Allow yourself to have fun, and take it all in! 

Modeling Tips for Everyone

           Thank you for visiting! If you are here I am assuming you are interested in taking the best picture possible, so best of luck! I compiled this list from personal experience. I am not saying that these tips will change your life, or make you look like a supermodel in your pictures.  But I do hope you find some helpful tips that might make you more comfortable in front of the camera! So here we go!

Breathe

1. Breathe- You may think that holding your breath or sucking in the stomach will make you look two sizes smaller. Stand in front of a mirror, breathe in and hold it. Go ahead. What did you see? Your ribcage got bigger, actually making your upper body look bigger, and your face might have actually changed colors. That's not flattering for anyone. So breathe, and relax.
2. Smeyes- You've heard Tyra Banks say it before. Smile with your eyes. If your eyes are expressionless you have a flat photo. Slightly lift your eyebrows, think of something happy, and open your eyes. Don't be afraid to look into the camera. It is capturing you, don't be afraid to capture it!
3. Don't sit, Don't lean, Don't touch- We all have extra skin and by sitting, leaning, and touching we bring all that excess skin forward for the lens to see. So when you are "sitting" on a park bench, for example, don't sit all the way back. Scoot forward and use your leg muscles to hold you up.
4. Clothing- Be comfortable. Don't wear anything too tight to restrict your movement, but don't wear any billowy tops, dresses, or pants either. If you lean forward, sideways, backwards, etc your clothes will fall away from you, creating the illusion that you are bigger than you really are. So wear something comfortable that lays nicely, and doesn't have excess fabric.
5. Continue to move... Slowly- Photographers can only shoot so fast and if you are moving quickly they may miss an amazing photo. Let the photographer put you in a pose, stay there for a little bit, but then make slow little movements so you don't have twenty frames that are identical. Look in different directions, play with your hair, shift your weight, change your facial expression, or tilt your head.
6. Girls, wear makeup- Make up looks great on camera. My first photo shoot I thought I looked like a lady of the night my makeup was so heavy, but it turned out great. Even if you are going for the natural look, put some on. If you don't, you could lose dimension in your face. Mascara and lip gloss go a long way!
7. Make sure your fingernails are identical- Chipped, black nail polish can sure sure ruin an otherwise nice photo. Yes, it can be fixed in Photoshop, but why would you want to make more work for your photographer? Trendy polish also dates your photo, and you may not realize that until you get your photos back.
8. Get rid of that Double Chin- Elongating your neck is flattering for pretty much everyone. Photos where you are looking down, and over your shoulder, can sometimes give you that dreaded double chin. But by elongating your neck it won't be as noticeable. 
9. Wear heels if you can- Heels aren't the most comfortable shoes out there, but they create longer, leaner legs, and instantly help your posture.
10. Enjoy yourself- The more fun you are having the better your photos will be. If you are nervous and tense the lens will capture it. So, let go, breath, and enjoy this moment.