Our Save The Dates (mock up)

This is a mock up of our Save The Dates.

The back part is the postcard.

The middle part is a magnet

I will use "sticky dots" to join them together

And finish it up with some twine (the dodgy bow part!)

Changes in the Budget

Thank you for your comments yesterday :)

You had some fantastic ideas.

I thought I might break down everything and explain a bit more?:

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Ceremony Site - $303 (inc wet weather option) - $181 for the amphitheatre, $122 for the wet weather back up - We COULD always not book the wet weather back up but we do not want to risk it! Thankfully we do not need to get permits etc.
Celebrant - $580 - The running rate for celebrants in Melb seems to be $500....
Reception Food (Pizza) - $500 - We are having 100 people at the reception (approx). Feeding them for $5 per head is obviously a bargain.
Drinks - $750 - I think we can make this $500. We had nearly 2 slabs (from 5), 6 bottles of champagne (from 12), 5 bottles of white (from 9) and 5 bottles of red (from 7) left over from the engagement party. Just need to do a bit of research and grab things when they are on special.
My Dress - $300 - This is from an online site Becky gave me. There is no way we can get a dress cheaper than this (unless I bid on something local on Ebay)
My Shoes, Accessories - $75.00 - Thongs $20, so $55 for accessories - I am going to wear simple pearls, just a stranded necklace, stud earrings, perhaps a bracelet. I will stalk Diva for these on special. Re: Thongs - Can I get the $3 target ones when they are on sale? If so, we could make this $50
Bridesmaid Shoes - $200 - A lot of people have said we shouldn't pay for the shoes, or either to pay for the shoes and not give them presents. I have decided to pay for their shoes/accessories, and to bake cookies and give it to them in a giftbag. Once again - Can I get the $3 cheap thongs from Target (They look the same, but aren't really as comfy as Haviannahs) So this COULD go down to $24.00
Bridesmaid Accessories - $100 - See above - This is a very ROUGH estimate for how much. I am slowly gathering jewellery when I see it go on sale (Diva etc) and I am also going to DIY head pieces/flowers/belts.
Hair for ALL of us - $200 (Sos friends sister) - This is mega cheap already.......
Make Up - $0.00 (BF#1's sister is doing) - Free
BF#1 Suit - $200 - This is a rough guess.
BF#1 Shoes - $20.00 - Thongs again. Or perhaps his black ninja shoes he already owns? He has a problem with getting grumpy when his feet are uncomfy - maybe ninja is the best option! This could go down to $0
Groomsmen Shoes - $120 - Once again - Can I get the $3 cheap thongs from Target - This could go down to $18
Groomsmen Ties -$120 - This is another guesstimate. I am wanting simple black thin ties - Can anyone suggest where to get them?
Puffing Billy - $20 trip x 20ppl = $400 - We aren't hiring limos, etc, and we feel this will make the day so special for us to have that 1hr alone with our bridal party and parents. $400 is a lot but it's something we don't want to sacrifice. It's one of our "luxuries" I guess.
Marquees - $600 - 3 x 3mx9m Marquees with Walls from ebay - $200 each. They are $500 each to HIRE. We are having the reception in the backyard so this will provide a wet weather option, as well as privacy. I will email ebay sellers asking for discounts perhaps?
Stationery/Invitations - $200 - Yes this is high, but this also includes the stamps. We will be making all the stationery. I really think we can do it for under $100. Change the budget to $100. Thanks
Photographer - $500 - Cheap.
Cars other than Puffing Billy (Thankfully working at prestige car companies - we will get these for free).
Flowers - Sos and Tin's (2 BMs) Mum owns a florist - I am budgeting $500.00 - I honestly have NO idea how much flowers cost. I will go in to see her on saturday. She is basically my second Mum and I hightly doubt it will cost $500. I have also offered to go in on the saturday and help MAKE the flower arrangements! Lets take that down to $300?
Decorations for the Reception AND Ceremony (inc favours) - $500.00 - For favours, BF#1 and I are going to be giving everyone a plant - We will grow these :) Ikea have white planters for 99c each x 100 = $100., $100 for fairy lights (will get a lot while on sale after Christmas) and perhaps $100 for other decorations (we are getting everyone to save their jars etc) = $300
Other hire equipment - $500.00 - Chairs, Portaloo, ROUGH guess. Will do more research
Dessert Buffet - $300.00 - Ok I know we can change this to $100 already. Tin has volunteered to make cupcakes. I will make a whole heap of slices etc, we will spend $100 on getting 2 x cafe cakes. Ooo
Plates, glasses etc - $300.00 - I am researching this also - I do NOT want to serve the pizza on paper plates - I am sorry.

Gifts for Bridal Party - $400.00 = See above - $50 (for the bags etc)
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NEW total = $6045.00

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That's a bit better (and still includes some REALLY rough estimates)

I'll post pretty things later on :)

Mock Budget/Pricelist.

I would really love to say that we are going to stick to our $5k budget but I can already tell we are going to break it......

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I'm just going to write a quick tally of what we are/think we will spend.

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• Ceremony Site - $303 (inc wet weather option)
• Celebrant - $580
• Reception Food (Pizza) - $500
• Drinks - $750
• My Dress - $300
• My Shoes, Accessories - $75.00
• Bridesmaid Shoes - $200
• Bridesmaid Accessories - $100
• Hair for ALL of us - $200 (Sos friends sister)
• Make Up - $0.00 (BF#1's sister is doing)
• BF#1 Suit - $200
• BF#1 Shoes - $20.00
• Groomsmen Shoes - $120
• Groomsmen Ties -$120
• Puffing Billy - $20 trip x 20ppl = $400
• Marquees - $600
• Stationery/Invitations - $200
• Photographer - $500

= $5168.00

This does not include the following

--> Cars other than Puffing Billy (Thankfully working at prestige car companies - we will get these for free).

--> Flowers - Sos and Tin's (2 BMs) Mum owns a florist - I am budgeting $500.00

--> Decorations for the Reception AND Ceremony (inc favours) - $500.00

--> Other hire equipment - $500.00

--> Dessert Buffet - $300.00

--> Plates, glasses etc - $300.00

--> Gifts for Bridal Party - $400.00

TOTAL with this added in = $7668.00

Shit, fuck, shit - I mean it's not the end of the world, but it's not what we budgeted.

Do you have any ideas on how we can cut costs?

(p.s - I must remind you that a lot of these are GUESSTIMATES - eg: Flowers, Decorations etc and we may spend A LOT less than guesstimated)

We ARE Making Progress!

Last night BF#1 and I met up with our Photographer.
Tin, one of my BM's, is a photographer herself and offered to take photos of the day.
I laughed at her - "NO WAY are you taking photos! You are a BM You need to enjoy yourself"
I asked her if she had any photography student friends, who would do the day for say $500 not including prints - She stepped up one better and got us a professional!
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I was a little overwhelmed when she turned up. She started asking all these questions "What time will you be leaving the house - Where will you be getting ready" etc etc and honestly, we hadn't thought of those things yet so it was a great eye opener.
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We now have a schedule for the afternoon/evening:
1pm Leave house/hotel
2:30pm Catch Puffing Billy
3:30pm Arrive at Lakeside
3:30 -> 5pm Photos
4:30pm Guests start arriving
5pm Ceremony start
6pm Ceremony finish
6:15pm Guests leave
7:30pm Reception starts
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Sos, Tin, BF#1 and I were discussing a "Dessert Buffet" and they are 100% for it.
And surprisingly enough, my very "traditional wedding" friends, are 110% for PIZZA for the reception.
"How relaxed would that make everything" - "Who doesn't LIKE pizza!?"
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The "We are getting married in: 4 months and 21 days" alert on my iWedding iPhone application is starting to scare me so we better get cracking!

Ceremony Location - The Risk

We don't love the Old Cheese Factory anymore. I bet you knew it would happen.

We haven't even gone down there to check it out, but after seeing their brochure we were really not impressed.

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I have contacted a few other places - Jells Park - Boronia Park - Emerald Lake Park - asking for more information.

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Boronia Park

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Emerald Lake Park
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I don't know why I am so obsessed with getting married in some sort of Garden/Park - but I honestly couldn't see it any other way. I can imagine the birds singing in the trees while we are saying our vows.
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I was hooked on Boronia Park simply because of the Amphitheatre. I contacted them yesterday via email and received this response:
"The Arboretum can not actually be booked, it is sort of like a "first in best dressed" basis on the day."
WOW........ This does mean it is free.... but would you want to save $500 to risk having 10 kids on skateboards crashing your ceremony? Or to have everyone turn up and a family is sitting there having a picnic........ What is your opinion?
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Jells Park is going to be a tricky one. I completed 4 pages of forms yesterday in order to just query having an event there. I haven't heard back. One good thing about Jells is that it is SO close to our house and a lot of the guests will be familiar with where abouts it would be. The minus is that we would need to hire chairs and bring them in.
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And then I discovered Emerald Lake Park. I am in LOVE. Please please please let the Amphitheatres for our size event be available on our wedding day. Please let the largest undercover area also be available! Please please please! You "Hire" the areas so no doubt the Ranger would make sure no one crashes it. Oh please please please. The total charge of the hire (including the backup covered area) would be $303.00
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I will keep you posted.

My Reception Must Haves

• A large amount of mix matched vases
• Excessive amount of Candle light
• Seats for my grandparents (whom have passed away)

Hairy Days

Have you decided how you would like to have your hair done for your big day?

I have decided I will be getting a hair piece.

I have decided my hair will be black (or very dark brown)

[This is a big decision - I change my hair colour a lot]

I would love to have it to the side and quite simple.

And I would love some sort of accessory in my hair (haven't decided yes or no to a veil yet!).

How will your hair be done?

(Images from: Brides Cafe and Vintage Glam Blog)

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosey

The above ring is my engagement ring.

BF#1 and I picked it together.

We would prefer not to use Michael Hill Jewellers for the wedding bands.

Can anyone in Melbourne suggest a jeweller for our Wedding Bands?

How to pick a wedding dress?

I have an image of my wedding dress in my head.

That image keeps changing and it's starting to drive me crazy.

Straps? No Straps? Sleeves? No Sleeves?

One thing is fairly obvious to me now, after trying on 15 dresses with one of my BM, The above is the silouette I need to suit my body.

These images are from DuoSheng an online store based in China! The dresses are about $200 including delivery (Thank you to Beck for this site)

Flowergirl Dresses

Tonight our flowergirl, Zara, and I went shopping for her dress.

I didn't expect to walk out with one on laybuy, but of course she managed to talk me into it!

This is the dress Zara chose.

"I like this one because it spins a lot"

She wanted to walk out wearing it she loved it so much.

I've decided the thick straps need to go.

I will modify it to be a strapless dress.

Because my dress will have a fair amount of lace on it (I think), I will also add a lace layer to the bottom of hers.

Hurray for $44.95 flower girl dresses! Thank you Myer.

I loved this dress. It's from Best and Less.

I was looking forward to creating a layer underneath with tulle and boofing it up a bit.

Unfortunately, Zara loves it, but only for the engagement party.

One dress organised!

Open Your Eyes - See my vision

You have seen our blank canvas for the Reception.... Our backyard.

I have just stumbled across THIS blog - A Backyard Wedding.

This is their reception.

Can you see my vision now?

A blank canvas

Here is our wedding reception
I can hear your thoughts.... "WTF! How will you pull this off"
I can see everything in my head.
The backyard is a decent size. I think we can fit between 6-9 3m x 3m marquees. We will make a dancefloor (sort of like a portable decking).
I have this idea of making some sort of screening around the fence areas and painting them white
What would be your ideas??

Ceremony Venue

I think I have found our Ceremony venue....

Please tell me what you think of it.

Introducing......

THE OLD CHEESE FACTORY (Berwick)

There is a little crappy website HERE (this is where the pics are from)

I am awaiting to hear back in regards to prices etc.

UPDATE:

Just heard back

$450.00 to hire the gardens for 2hrs

They aren't available on the 6th of March

But the GARDENS are available on the 7th of March

The 8th is a public holiday in Melb!!!!

Will go check it out tomorrow I think!

Finding a Celebrant....

How are you meant to find a marriage celebrant?

I feel bad getting several of them out to our house to have a "chat" and then picking one.

What a waste of time for them!

The celebrant sites that said things like; "For the casual wedding, I am modern and young at heart .... cool." I straight away closed. COOL

I have emailed 2 celebrants today, before I came across this website.

http://www.theceremonystore.com/

I think I just found our celebrant! (Melissa)

This quote makes me want to cry

'Today I will marry my best friend
The one I have laughed and cried with,
The one I have learned from and shared with,
The one I have chosen to support, encourage and give myself to,
Through all the days given us to share.
Today I marry the one that I love'
Unknown

$580 - Is that expensive?

Our Colour Scheme

Finally we have decided on our colour scheme.

Thank you to BF#1 for adding the green, here it is :)