Deco Disaster

I have been working on the decorations for the venue and ceremony space as my next wedding task, and I've been finding this one a little more difficult than everything I've encountered so far.  With the venue, ceremony space, photographer, videographer, and dress decision, it's pretty cut and dry.  You like it, you buy it.  You don't, you keep looking.

But with decorations, it's becoming a month long process now with no end in sight.  Research different deco ideas online.  Contact a few different decoration providers.  Wait five days for anyone to get back to you.  Receive form letter response email with standard pricing and few details.  Email back asking for more specifics.  Wait five days for anyone to get back to you.  Receive another response with vague information, mostly focusing on how they can't accommodate your requests but they do partner with this other business that you should contact to get half your services from, and they will provide the rest.  ARGH!  I just want some decorations!  I'm just like...

 

I'm pretty sure this is why people hire a wedding planner.  The thought of bringing all these different moving pieces together to form a seamless presentation to the guests on the wedding day is starting to feel super overwhelming.  So I'm at home on the computer thinking about how I am ever going to make sure that Centerpiece Rental Business A arrives before Florist B both of which have to arrive after Deco Company C but stay out of the way of Lighting Man D so he can set up the cake spotlight for Cake Lady E who also happens to be the MOB who will be dealing with Relatives F, G, H and I who Printing Company J needs the correct spelling of names for the seating plan which we can't finalize until we receive RSVPs for the invites that Invitation Printer K hasn't started yet, because I want those to match the decoration theme but I want quotes from Deco Company L and M first before going with Deco Company C. 

And I'm all...

 

And meanwhile my cat is flomped beside me thinking...

I've also found that each business that deals in some way with providing wedding services has their selling strategy down pat.  This involves one key point and that is, "make the bride feel like her wedding is going to be a crappy piece of shit ugly horrible event unless she buys the most expensive package".  And I'm like....

Case in point, Eric and I decided that some uplighting would look nice at the Millennium Centre.  You know, create some ambience, tie in the color scheme, all that jazz.  I'm looking at all these great photos on Pinterest of uplit rooms and I'm all...

 

 

 

 

So then after the aforementioned runaround I get from the deco company that says they don't do lights but they partner with this other light guy, I contact him and he sends me this pricing structure (paraphrased from actual pricing structure):

 

 

Package 1:  $295

Includes:  Don't even bother asking.  If you're looking at this package, you should just forget about the whole thing.

 

Package 2:  $595

Includes:  Okay I guess I'll talk to you, even though I don't need your business or your measly 600 bucks.  You'll get a couple lights, but all your guests will leave early because your wedding will suck.  Also I'll be turning them off and taking them home at 9:30 pm.  And I won't shower before I come and do that.

 

Package 3:  $1,095

Includes:  10 wall lights (keep in mind this isn't enough to make an impact on the room, but it's your wedding), Custom monogram display of your initials (obviously this is a MUST so do not even THINK about saying you don't need one), a cake spotlight (but judging by how much you're considering spending on lighting I don't even want to imagine what your cake looks like so maybe you shouldn't put a spotlight on it) and set up (showering) fees.

 

PACKAGE 4!  BEST DEAL!  EXTREME SAVINGS!  $2,495

Includes:  40 amazing lights that change color throughout the night!  3 intelligent moving spotlights that follow the bride throughout the night and only shine on her good side!  Wall texture lights!  Dance floor lights!  Ceiling and draping lights!  Custom made monogram and family crest lights!  Lighting controller!  Lightning technician!  No, those are not the same thing!   We will work with you and design the most beautifully lit space your mind could ever imagine!  After all, it's your wedding day!  You're worth it, beautiful!

 

 

And that can pretty much be applied to any wedding service there is. I read it, and I'm all...

 

 

But, I'm not going to let this get me down.  I'm determined that I can find gorgeous decorations and lighting that will fit my budget and all my guests will be all...

And I'll be like...

Happy Wedding Wednesday!!!

~M

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Get 'Em While They're Hot!

I'm very excited today as we have finally launched our social planning with our much-anticipated ticket release!

That's right folks, our social tickets are officially on sale!  All the info you need to know is right here.  Make sure you get your tickets early, as they are sure to sell out!  Prizes will be updated on the Facebook page often, so be sure to check back!  ;)

 

Yay!  <3

 

 

Happy Wedding Wednesday!!!


~M

A Girl's Best Friend

It's Wedding Wednesday but it is also 10 months to the day today until our wedding.  I can't believe it!  Time has flown by so fast!  I can remember getting engaged last September, and after we set a date thinking that it was SO far away and it would be SO long until we got to start planning things.  Now it feels like time is flying by and I'm worried that I'm going to run out of time for all these grandiose ideas I have cooking...

But, it also means we get to start tackling some of the fun stuff!  We have the big stuff out of the way - venue location, ceremony location, photographer, videographer, dress.  Now the next four things on the list are of medium-sized importance and need to be planned soon, and that is the florist, the invitations, the shoes, and the wedding bands. 

 

Ah love...

To say that I'm excited to shop for wedding bands is a gross understatement.  What girl doesn't look forward to going shopping for jewellery, and more specifically, diamonds?!  Squee!  So over the next little while Eric and I are going to be headed to the jewellery stores for this very important purchase.  We exchange these rings at the most important moment of our lives, so they need to be perfect.

I am going to wear this ring every day for forever, so I believe it should be timeless, elegant, and classic.  Wedding bands go far beyond the traditional gold circles of the past and now you can really get anything you want.  However, much like a bad tattoo, there is a chance that later on in life you may look down and wonder..."what was I thinking?"

 

Case in point....ouch!

 

 

I have a pretty strict set of requirements for my wedding band, and they are as follows: sparkle, sparkle, sparkle.  Obviously, I'm attracted to shiny objects.  (It's one of the 24 similarities between women and fish.)  So naturally, I'm very drawn to the pave style of wedding band, something like this:

 

 

 

Whee, my pulse is quickening just looking at it!



 

Now, I went to a jewellery store back in March to get my engagement ring cleaned and polished, and while I was there I mayyyy or may not have tried on a few wedding bands, just for fun.  (Translation: picture a lady pretending to be polite as I'm frantically pointing and saying "I'll try on those three, and that one, OHHH and THAT one, and might as well bring up that whole tray...oh I won't be buying anything today, my fiancé is not here.")  And while I was there, I realized that my engagement ring is cut a certain way that regular rings don't sit flush against it.  So...oh darn...we have to get one specially made.  ;)  And I cannot sing the praises of my wonderful fiancé enough for being so sweet and telling me I can get whatever setting my little heart desires...YAY!

 

SING IT, Marilyn!  PREACH.

Throughout this whole wedding process, I have been floored and impressed again and again with Eric's involvement.  Not only does he have ideas to contribute, which already put him ahead of most grooms that just show up the day of and ask where to stand, but they are GOOD ideas!  Not the kind of ideas that make a bride start sweating as she shakily says, "Suuuure honeyyyyy!  Of course we can serve fried chicken as the main courrrrrrse....it's your wedding tooooooooo!"  Forget it.  So when I asked him if he was planning on picking a white gold, yellow gold or platinum band, he said none of the above, and showed me a cool new trend in men's wedding bands...tungsten!

 

My man has great taste....obviously.  Just look at who he chose for a bride...

Again, I was beyond impressed.  I love the dark metal, the elegant designs, and the fact that something like this will look good on a hand forever and will never go out of style.  Go Eric!

Very excited!  Soon my pretty engagement ring will have a pretty friend!  I love it!

Happy Wedding Wednesday!!!


~M