So...is the wedding totally planned?

[appletini]

I''m so excited! I''ve started talking with Lesley at Whiteflash and the BF and I are going to meet with her on Monday!!! Also less than 48 hours until he gets home! But he''s flying back to Brazil on Monday night, but will be back in time for V-day, so get ready for the start of another count down next week.

MS: I really like BM dress #4. I think I''m going to find pics of all the dresses I like and let my BM''s take a vote.

Ginger: I''m actually going to do everything in Richmond b/c of my grandma''s impaired vision it will make things very easy on her to be there (she raised me). BF really wants a Church wedding (so that will be St. John''s Methodist in Richmond if it is), but I don''t have an opinion on that. The reception will either be at the Richmond House (gorgeous!) or my grandma''s house, but now I''m leaning towards the RH b/c its fewer vendors that I have to deal with and less stress on me, not to mention depending on how low I can get the guest list, the cost will probably even out b/c of all the rentals I''d have to do at home. Hoping for a guest list of ~150 that show up max. If I did get married in Houston, the church would definitely be St. Lukes (Westheimer at Edloe), and I have no clue on what reception location I''d do b/c there are so many. I wouldn''t do the Junior League, just b/c it is so overdone. I want my wedding to be unique and not just another wedding. I did go to one at Rockefeller''s a few years ago and that was cool as well as Parasio Marvanilla or whatever its called. I think my dream would be the Warwick, but the Houstonian is super nice too! The BF does have two cajun friends that could do the crawfish too, but I''d rather them be able to enjoy the party.

 

[MelissaSue]

Golden - Copper or gold would look really really pretty for a fall wedding. I saw a bridesmaid in an almost bronzey colored dress for a wedding the day after christmas (I wasn''t at the wedding.. I just saw her all dressed up for it) and it was so unique and it looked very appropriate for the season. But.. wouldn''t it be so nutty to have your wedding the day after christmas? Imagine the stress!

Which pink dessy do you mean? the one that we both posted? or the other one. The other one is like my absolute favorite right now. They both come in tons of colors, either way.

The one that we both posted (2001) I saw on a BM in a wedding that I went to over the summer and it was super cute! She was teeny though. I worry about my bridesmaids not all fitting their boobs in the teeny little top (my best friend has 38DDs)

 

[MelissaSue]

here is the long version of that After Six you like GG.

Its clearly just a photoshop of the other picture.. but it gives you a good idea. The style # of the long version is #a6227

 

[palmbaybabe]

MS, GG & BR - THANKS!

MS - thanks for the link, I loved the bm dress short but now that it comes in long I can''t decide which I would like, and yes you found my wedding dress! it is the style #415!!!!!

for as long as I can remember, I have always said that I wanted a red wedding dress so when I saw that one I was hooked, and when my sister saw it she thought that it was perfect for me too. the only thing is I havent tried it on yet but I am almost to the point that i don''t care i just want it

 

[appletini]

I just took my planning to the next level...I''ve had a knot membership for almost a year so that I can browse, well I just started to input my guestlist! Although its a lot to do all at once, so I''ll have to do it in spurts when I am bored at home or work.

 

[goldengirl]

MS, I didn''t know I posted a Dessy, lol!! The first one you posted. I like the top and the slight flare of the skirt. I figure if I play my cards right, my sister might get a prom dress out of the deal.

 

[MelissaSue]

yeah.. its a really pretty dress. I looked at the dessy site earlier and it comes in a gold/tan color.. its hard to tell from the site which it really is.. and also in several pretty deep reds that you might like. Or you could always go with black.

 

[palmbaybabe]

Today I booked the DJ and the Photographer!!!!
can somebody tell me what the average going rate for a DJ is? I choose this one because my sister used him back in 96 for her wedding, my cousin used him and about 3 years ago we used him for our parents anniversary party so I know he is good and like him - I booked him at $350 for 4 hrs. I thought that was really a great deal but I never check anybody else so I don''t what dj''s are going for. now the search is on for THE CAKE, and ever since I saw the post about the cupcakes that is what I want!

 

[appletini]

$350 sounds great for a DJ, plus since your family has used him several times there is room to negotiate. From what I have seen DJs can go from $400-$800.

 

[palmbaybabe]

Thanks appletini, I''m pretty sure that he gave me a discount already. same thing with the photographer, my sister used him, we used him for the anniversary party, my sisters church used him and he works with my brother-in-law aunt and my aunt (it''s a small world sometimes) I don''t have any prices from him yet but I really like his work and I don''t care. I see him at the grocery store all the time and he did our parents anniversary party just for his dinner - he took the pics and gave us the film at the end of the night so we could get it developed ourselves. so when I talked to him tonight (he actually laughed at me for wanting to book him so early) he said we could talk prices later when it closer like in another year and half but anyhow he did give me the option of having him do everything from formals to videoing the ceremony to pics and him developing the pics or to save some money I could have the film developed myself. oh well, I am so anal about getting everything booked now that I won''t have anything left to do later

 

[goldengirl]

PBB, DJs are the ONE thing I haven''t priced out yet, but from listening to other girls gripe I think $350 sounds like a great deal.

 

[Blue824]

I think my friend got her dj for $500 and she had said that was a good price so $350 sounds pretty great to me! Congrats on the good deal

 

[MelissaSue]

yeah. they are pretty much $500 and up around here! $350 is very good.

 

[MelissaSue]

oh gosh.. palmbaybabe.. your wedding is 2/07.. right? and you already have a photographer AND a DJ? Do you have the venues booked too? Thats impressive. I have pretty much NOTHING officially booked. Only my church is official.. everything else is up in the air. Even my dress.. I have $$ down on it.. but I could tranfer that money to another dress if I wanted until I order it.. not that I will!

I have seen some photographers I like. but my best friend has been raving about hers and claims she is affordable, so I am waiting to see how her pictures come out.. (her wedding is April 2nd) and maybe I can save some money.

I have no idea what I want to do for a cake.. I have seen some cute ideas.. but its not that exciting to me

Our DJ will probably be a friend of my fathers. He is normally pretty expensive, but I''m sure he''ll give us some sort of a deal.

We all know the story about my reception venue

 

[palmbaybabe]

MS - When you say venues, do you mean where the reception is held? I am so out of all the terms used these days, around here we just call it the hall or reception site - and yes i have that booked too. it''s not that i have done alot of planning, i just knew for years where i would have my reception and who i would use for the dj and photographer that is why i booked them all so far in advance just to make sure i got them. I just have to find a bakery to get my wedding cupcake cake.

 

[palmbaybabe]

oh and thanks to all for your input on the dj prices - i was very happy with the 350 but then I started thinking (and that is always dangerous) that geeze I don''t know what they go for, was I being silly by not checking around but then again I wanted this dj no matter the price

 

[Erin]

I think I''ve found my reception (and wedding ceremony) site!

I''m going to go look at it in person on Saturday morning.
The ceremony would hopefully - weather permitting - be held on the patio and the reception inside. http://www.pinnacle-usa.com/kitchen.htm

 

[Erin]

this room was imported from Spain

 

[Erin]

The dining room has an 18ft black granite table

 

[Erin]

It has a state of the art kitchen where they will prepare, display, full wait staff service the food, rent the whole building which also has a pond and beautiful scenery, and DECORATE the whole building and patio with flowers and such on a per person charge.

 

[heartsonfire]

Erin: Every picture you posted looks stunning. I can picture a lovely wedding ceremony and celebration at that location! I hope it works for you. Keep us posted how you like it after you've seen it in person.

 

[MelissaSue]

erin- OH MY GOSH. I love that reception site. Its so unique. The dining room and the little imported spain room are AMAZING!!! So do you get the whole building? I''m looking at the website and some of those lounge areas look like they''d make for such an intimate reception.

 

[Erin]

She said I could use the whole building if I needed it. It was just built a few years ago as an alternitive for up-scale conference rooms with an intimate feel - instead of hotel conference spaces and such.

If the weather is nice - it''d be perfect - lots of room to mingle with a bar also set up outside.

The pictures don''t give me the best idea on actual size and I don''t think the website mentioned total square footage - however there is a downstairs (where the bodega is) so I think it will be fine.

 

[blueroses]

Erin, what a gorgeous location!!! That Spanish room has the feel of a wine cellar-tasting room or something--very Mediterranean. Love it!!!

 

[esperanza]

Yeah I have definetly planned. I have several wedding dress ideas, reception sites, and preliminary guest list...of about 150 people and I have no idea where to put them all.

We have looked at several location including Crater Lake Oregon, San Diego California, Arches National Park in Utah, a winery in Missouri, and some friends homes, None of which will fit all the people. Colors, flowers, season. I have a very nice planning book, and no engagment ring

yet. I have even researched his wedding band. (The infinity band on Boone''s site with rose gold instead of yellow.

Now to explain myself a little I am a stage manager by trade so I couldn''t help it, it''s a compulsion.

 

[blueroses]

Esperanza, you are going to plan a hell of a wedding. I''m an actor, so I bow to all SMs!!!! Your organizational skills--as a group--always blow me away!! (One of my dear friends and someday-bridesmaids is also an SM--or was anyway....she is equity and has worked for some great theatres but has gone back to school to study film and get into directing.)

It''s the pre-planning guest lists that impress me the most. Haven''t even begun to think about that and I think that''s the part that scares me the most.

 

[eks6426]

Ok, so this weekend I had free time and decided to just drop by the main bridal store to take a peek. Going on a Saturday without an appointment this time of year usually means no one bothers you. But not this week. The staff was actually nice and accomodating. Well, looking turned into trying on...turned into buying right there on the spot. I fit in the floor model they had just got in and bought it...rather than ordering and waiting weeks and weeks. I didn''t even have anyone with me, but the dress just spoke to me. Silly thing is that I am not even "officially" engaged yet. The ring is due this weekend. We have a date set (July 3, 05) but it''s truly not official (i.e. the parents don''t know yet). Am I nuts for buying the dress before I get the ring?

 

[appletini]

Well you are about the have the ring, it is definitely coming, so you are okay in buying the dress. That is awesome that you found it so easily, plus the no waiting, escpecially with the wedding so close.

I bought some bridal **** last night "southern weddings." I found some cakes and invitations I really like.

Check out these invitations...they are so cute...and one of their recommended calligraphers is local for me... www.notfromabox.com

 

[MelissaSue]

no you''re not crazy!!! Your wedding is in 5 months!!! I would be going nuts if my wedding was in july and i didn''t have a dress yet.. (or a ring yet for that matter!)

Show us pictures!!!

 

[MelissaSue]

applietini - I just saw an ad for those invites the other day and have been meaning to check them out. They look so cute and different!

I epseicially like these ones

They seem REALLY EXPENSIVE THOUGH!!!!!!! Most of the other invite sites I''ve seen are like $90-$100 for $100.. These would be like $700 for 100!!! THATS CRAZY!!