fresh off my wonderful vacation with the hubby and la familial and ready to get back to work! I had nothing but downtime and relaxation for the past 2 weeks and it gave me plenty of time to think. One of the family topics that was covered was what to do about our upcoming anniversary. As you my readers know we have decided to throw out the idea of a big bash and instead do a low-key bbq and housewarming party ( low-key meaning 75+ guests!!!!). I broke the news to my fam and it was agreed that we were making the best decision for us but that got me thinking bout weddings in general and the question going round my brain is how much is too much? When does a wedding stop becoming a celebration of your new marriage and life together and start becoming a way to one up and impress people you haven’t seen in years. I sit in my office day in and day out and am inundated with nothing but wedding paraphanilia and I gotta tell you sometimes even I think it’s over the top and ridiculous. In 2007 the average cost of a wedding reception was 28,000$ twice the amount spent in 1990 and currently the wedding industry nets 161 billion dollars annually!! 28,000$ for an event that lasts 1 day just a mere 14 hours, to me that’s crazy and this is what I do for a living. People ask me all the time ” don’t you watch the wedding shows on t.v.”? Honestly, NO! I can’t stomach it. I have a hard time watching a girl spend 7,000$ on a dress she will wear for less than 8 hours or 45,000$ on a reception site. 200$ a person favors.. really! people are just going to throw it out! Don’t get me wrong I am not against spending some money to have a great wedding with good food and good drinks with the people you care about, but when you start to get into the 10’s of thousands maybe you should reconsider how better that money could be used like on your home or a tuition fund for you children. No marriage should begin with a massive amount of debt looming over your head. Remember the most important part of that day is the seriousness of the commitment you are making to one another, not the chaircover color being the exact same shade as the bridesmaids dresses.
Keep it in perspective!
Brooke
Category Archives: budget
Wide world of flowers
Today’s topic is for girls like me, let’s call us “Brides on a budget”. If florals are what you envision in your centerpieces than below is a quick and easy color guide to let you know what’ sin season during the month of your wedding. If you stick to these flowers your budget with your florist will be significantly lower. Anytime you order florals that are out of season or not grown local your price can skyrocket! A helpful hint get pics of things you like and a color scheme you want then let your florist do the rest. Remember they are professionals in what they do and they have a better knowledge of flowers and what will and will not work well. I walked into my floral appointment and said I want flowers in a long low rectangle shaped vase and I want them in all blues and whites, that was the extent of my involvement with the florals. I trusted my florist knew better than I did and below is the finished product!
My table before it was set
Summer Flowers
Alstromeria- Orange, pink, yellow and cream
Chrysanthemum- White yellow, orange and pink
Gerber Daisies- Pink, yellow, orange, red and white
Hydrangea- White, blue, purple and pink
Statice- Purple
Sunflower- Yellow
Zinnia- Red, Orange and Pink
Fall Flowers
Aster- White and pink
Chrysanthemum- White, yellow, orange and pink
Dahlia- variety of colors
Statice- Purple
Zinnia- red, orange and pink
Winter Flowers
Amaryllis- Red and white
Bells of Ireland- Green
Poinsettia- Red and white
Ranunculus- white, pink, red/coral, lavender/purple
Tulip- Many colors
Jasmine- White
Spring Flowers
Anemone- Blue, red, pink, white
Casa Blanca Lily- White
Delphinium- White and blue
Peony- Pink or white
Sweetpea- white, pink, red/coral and lavender/purple
Hyacinth- Purple, Pink or white.
The list above are just a start, for more info on seasonal flowers check out http://www.datehookup.com type in seasonal wedding flowers. They have a more complete list.
Most importantly find a florist who listens to your budget and trust them to do the rest!
Have fun!
Brooke
Brooke@Farinas 