...goes bridal

Pretty much all my thoughts and shopping trips lately have been centered around my upcoming wedding. This is not likely to change in the near future. So for a little while, this may turn more into: things we actually bought, but that were a lot cheaper than other things we could have bought(en?)

We have a pretty tight budget we are working with and I am determined to stay within it. The one thing that doesn't help me in my quest? All the wedding blogs/magazines/books that tell me how our wedding should or shouldn't be, along with gorgeous pictures of everything from flowers to dresses to decorations. It seems that all I need to do is hire an event planner, a day of coordinator, and have a wedding budget the size of my yearly income.

Not gonna happen.

But, oh! It is so easy to get swept away. "I think I am going to NEED the beachside reception location." "There is no way that we can do this without an old fashioned limo/5' centerpieces/award-winning photographer!" Thankfully, I snap back to reality before most of my ridiculous ideas make it to Scott's ears.

With that being said, here are a few things I have learned so far:

1. It is definitely possible to stay within your budget: whatever it may be, $500 or $50,000. Its all about adjusting your expectations. But whatever you do, it can and will be a beautiful memory for you and your family.
2. Adjust your expectations: Really quickly, I had to realize that we couldn't have the venue I thought I wanted or the letterpress invitations. That won't change how much we want to be together or how much we love each other.
3. Remember what your wedding is about: bride, groom, in love, committed, family, forever. bride, groom, in love, committed, family, forever. write it down. memorize it. keep perspective.
   
4. You can do so much yourself: Never underestimate what you can do. You can make invitations. You can craft flowers for your hair. Boutonnieres are surprisingly easy to make.
5. When someone offers to help, Let them! Planning a wedding is a lot like finding a job. The key is networking. Think a little bit about who you know and how they can help. Your co-worker's sister wants to be a photographer? Done! You just got your pictures covered at 1/8 of the price. In our case, we are tapping into the amazing talents of our friends and family members for the food, cake, decorations, flowers, photography etc etc etc. This is not to say we aren't paying any of these people, but many have offered their services at a fraction of the price or as their wedding gift to us.
   

Basically, I am aiming for something between this:
and this:
Totally doable, right?