{Partnered Post} Personalized Wedding Napkins!

You know, there were so many little things that I wanted to add into my wedding that I simply never got around to. Time. Money. Time. Did I mention time? One of those things was personalized wedding napkins like these. I totally envisioned my little crab stuffed cucumber wheels being passed about with napkins with our names or “Eat, Drink and Be Married” on them.

Yes, I know. This might be cliché in our little wedding blog world we live in around here, but to guests? It’s all pretty unique and fun. To me? Totally cute.

Back when I was a bride, I had read on some blog somewhere about Gocco-ing some napkins and when I looked into that process, I was floored by the cost of the Gocco machine! That was definitely one of those instances where the DIY was way more costly than the item itself.

I knew stamping was an option, but it had the potential to bleed ink on the cheap paper napkins and I really didn’t want to deal with the mess, to be honest.

I should have just ordered them because, for goodness sake, they aren’t that expensive at all!

In fact, the folks over at American Bridal.com have a ton of super-cute options but a very affordable rate! With over 28 napkin colors, 9 ink colors and 40 designs, you can create a wedding napkin that matches the style and colors of your wedding perfectly. I would have done the eco-friendly kraft colored cocktail napkin with the “Eat, Drink & Be Married” logo and our names and wedding date in chocolate brown. Done. And 100 of them are only $21.95. WHA? Seriously. I probably spent that much in time alone researching how to DIY them on-line. CLASSIC bride error. Some things are just easier to buy, y’know?

Personalized eco-friendly beverage napkins.

Personalized guest towels.

Personalized dinner napkins.

So what do you think about personalized napkins? For a smidge over $20 (before shipping, natch), you can order them from AmericanBridal.com and be done. And here’s a cost savings idea if you’re thinking “But wait! I have more than 100 people coming and they will certainly have more than one drink!” Order the 100 napkins and mix them in with an alternating color. That way when they are presented on the bar, or cocktail tray, or even the hand towels in the ladie’s loo, it will still look cool and you’ll save a little dough!

See, I’m always thinkin’…

*This is a Sponsored Post.

Budget Bashing?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the hullabaloo that happened last week here on T30SB. I’ve read through all the comments over on Wedding Wire. Lots of people think I was wrong to comment and some folks supported me here on this blog, fewer on Wedding Wire.  I knew when I hit the “submit” button that I’d end up with a shit storm of negativity and I was right. Not that creating a shit storm was my intent, mind you. Nor the negativity. There are times however, that I must write what I feel and that’s what I did.

What I saw afterwards is what compels me to write today’s post. It’s the thread of comments that happened on Wedding Wire afterwards as well as some comments made here on that post. The issue? Brides verbally beating the shit out of each other over the cost of a gown.

As I understood it, the original poster was hurt because her friend slammed her inexpensive gown. I think everyone can agree that kind of comment can hurt. Then someone slammed me saying that my $1300 was a waste of money for something I wore for half a day.

So wait a minute. Let me get this right. It’s NOT okay to slam someone for having an inexpensive gown but it IS okay to slam someone for having an expensive gown? How does that work?

I did some quick research. The Bridal Association of America listed the average cost of a wedding gown to be  $1505 in 2006 (most recent info from them). The Knot and The Wedding Channel did a survey and in 2010 listed the average cost to be $1099. I got married in 2009, so the trending down of the price of a gowns puts me right about average, methinks. But this isn’t about me defending the price of my gown. It really isn’t.

What I want to talk about is why the cost of my gown matters? Or why the cost of anyone’s gown other than yours is important? My knee jerk response to this is that we’re jealous. We spend too much time on the eye-candy, comparing what we want to what we can afford. Do brides start to slam one another out of sheer jealousy?

I can only look to myself for these answers at this red hot second. Yes, I had wedding envy. ALL. THE. TIME. There were so many things I wanted. I wanted the wedding on a Saturday, but we couldn’t find a venue we could afford to do so. So we had it on a Sunday. I wanted to wear Louboutins. Silly, but true. I wanted letterpress. I wanted garden roses and ranunculus. I wanted I wanted I wanted. But, I did what I could afford and it ended up being fantastic for us, letterpress be damned.

I think we’re all quick to judge certain weddings. One of my besties got married ( you can see her Unfake Wedding recaps here, here, here and here) and the budget for my wedding could fit in the back pocket of the budget for her wedding. Her gown cost more than my entire reception. Now, am I mad at her for that? Do I think she’s stupid for spending that much money? Do I judge her for the vintage car that delivered her to the ceremony? Do I begrudge her the vodka ice luge? Of course not! First of all, she’s my friend. I’m happy she found the love of her life. I’m happy she got her dream wedding. Was I a little jealous? Of course!

Because she’s my friend I am privy to certain info. I know that her parents had been saving for her wedding since she was born. I know Marie herself saved for it. For her and her family, weddings matter. The celebration mattered. But what matters to one bride, may not matter to another, budget or no.

The only time I might personally pass judgment on a bride is of she and/or her family went into serious debt for a wedding. In this day and age, I don’t believe that’s the right thing to do. I certainly wouldn’t tell a bride I was thinking that because it’s really none of my damn business.

Which brings us back to the question. Why are brides lashing out at each other over the cost of a wedding? So you think it’s stupid to spend a lot of money on a gown. OK, you don’t have to. But WHY  lash out at someone who does? Because it doesn’t fit into your personal belief system or idea of what a wedding budget should be?

Message boards are a snapshot. They don’t tell you what a person’s financial situation is, what they’re relationship status is. It goes back to a post I wrote a long time ago about things that happen behind closed doors. We can’t look at a snapshot, at someone from the outside and think we know it all. I know I’m guilty of this still, though I write about it. I try not to. I try to remember that I don’t know a person simply from a post on Facebook or what I see of a friend’s marriage from the night we had out together. How can we as brides (me, as a former bride) be so thoughtless to one another? And perhaps the defense of myself and the post I wrote was thoughtless (Yes, yes. I know there are many of you who think so.). I haven’t come to that conclusion yet though because I did put a lot of thought into it and how I felt, so my personal jury is still out.

It just doesn’t seem right though, this back and forth about what’s right, stupid, meaningful or otherwise. Is there something I’m missing that explains this away? Tell me, what are your thoughts on budget bashing? 

Dear Pan X.

I got a shit-ton of hits this week from Wedding Wire from a bride who decidedly did NOT like my post on Vera Wang’s White line offered at David’s Bridal.

Here’s the comment:

Soooooo just had a friend trash my dress because it isn't a "real" Vera Wang dress. She likes this blog http://www.thethirtysomethingbride.com/imported-20100102151706/2011/2/1/davids-bridal-vs-vera-wang.html Which is the thin [sic]I blame for this situation. I really do not like that blog, because the blogger is such a snob all the time while pretending to understand and sympathize, even support brides on a budget. I hate dress snobs. You can afford Vera Wang made of 100% silk? Good for you. Now leave me alone to enjoy my polyester dress in peace please. This is one of those girls who spends $400 on a Coach Wallet she really can't afford, because God forbid she pay bills if she has to use a cheap wallet.

Thought I'd reply here to a few accusations tossed my way....

First, if you don't like me or my blog, I am way OK with that. Lots of people don’t. If you don't think I'm supportive of brides and the choices they make, I'm OK with that too. The great thing about being human is that we get to make decisions about what we read and don't read, do and don't do. It’s good to be human, no?

As for being a dress snob - perhaps I am. I've attempted, over time, to explain the differences in the price of gowns so that brides who might not know the difference between the quality of a DB dress and designer dress don't become overwhelmed and/or feel inferior about about their dress choice. It appears that what I think I’m doing and how you feel about that are not one in the same. Please note that it is not my intention to be a dress snob. I will admit that I am a quality snob, but that’s not limited to dresses.

However, I do feel somewhat personally attacked. Some of the things you said in your comment lead me to believe you’re not a regular reader, so I want to clarify simply because  like a lot of people, I’m insecure and don’t like to be spoken about negatively.

For the record:

• I could not afford a Vera Wang dress. My original budget was $800 for my gown. I ended up with a Mikaella gown that cost me $1300 before alterations. The ONLY reason I could afford the dress was because my mom slipped me an extra $500 on the sly because she knew I was having a hard time finding a gown I loved in my price range.
• As I’ve mentioned many times before (though you may not be aware), I am a seamstress and designer by trade and training. The reason I talk about the differences in the gowns is to educate; to explain why one dress is more expensive than another. If you don’t care, that’s fine. For me, it pisses me off when I see cheap dresses being sold at any price just because of the label on it, hence my Vera Wang White post.
• Now, as for the bit about the Coach wallet and paying my bills? Um, screw you. Yeah, I said it. And everyone who might be supporting Pan X. and her comment and rant on dress snobs? THINK for just a minute about how a comment like that might make you FEEL. Screw the bits about the dress snobbery- that’s just superficial fluff in the big-life-picture. What if, for the sake of her comment, that I am reckless with my money? What if I have regrets a-plenty about the money I’ve spent? I certainly don’t want to see that and have it thrown in my face, deserved or not. Would you? HOWEVER, you Pan X., could not be more wrong about me and the state of my financial affairs, as if they were any of your business to begin with. I learned a long, hard lesson about finances when I was in my early 20’s and I paid for it, literally, for years. Since then, I have NEVER purchased a product (other than my house) that I could not pay for in cash. Ever. Whether that thing be a $400 Coach wallet (for the record, nope) or the 2 for $15 t-shirts at Old Navy (for the record, MANY times). I have a credit score that would make your head swim and I helped my husband increase his over 100 points with smart financial planning. We paid for our wedding ourselves without going a penny into debt, our assistance amounting to the $500 my mom gave me. I have been unemployed for a year and have JUST dipped into our “big” savings account to help us along. I can be unemployed for at least another 13-14 months before worry sets in. Why? Because I planned. Because I saved. Because I never lived beyond my means. Because I played it smart when everyone else I knew was throwing money around like it was confetti. Because I work hard for my money.  And you know what?  I’m PROUD of this fact. So do me favor, OK? Before you go talking about people and assuming certain things about their personal lives, dig a little deeper (or just ask). All that crap is somewhere on this blog, you just have to read.
• Lastly, instead of blaming me because I choose to put my thoughts, experience and knowledge out there regarding the differences in the DB Vera Wang and the real deal, I might consider your choice of friends. People who say that kind of shit to each other are generally insecure or unhappy about something. I honestly don’t think this is about you, this blog, your dress or Vera Wang. I think this is about the “friend” who said a mean thing that upset you. And for that I’m sorry. No one, and I mean no one should be made to feel bad about their choice of dress, or anything associated with their weddings, despite what this blog, your friend or any other website might tell you. Period.

I wrote all this here only because it wouldn’t fit in the comment section on Wedding Wire.

The Pretty vs. The Real

So this is my third attempt at writing a post today. The first was an Unfake Nashville Wedding. Can’t post that because of the stupid and ongoing issues with Time Warner Cable. Thought everything was fixed on Friday. Wrong. There are things trapped in my desktop computer that must stay there because I can’t get them to my laptop to get them up and online. Fan-freaking-tastic. Thanks, TWC! Assholes.

The second attempt was to post some eye-candy wedding pictures that were submitted to me. The particular platform that I (as well as just about every other wedding blog out there) use for wedding submissions allows for a photographer to submit to anyone they want. As an editor, I can request exclusivity, but I don’t. The pictures in question were submitted to like, everybody. I could go through the steps to make it an Unfake Wedding, but it just doesn’t feel like an Unfake Wedding to me because it looks so perfect.  I tend to shy away from weddings that are visually perfect because that’s NOT what a wedding is about. Nothing is perfect. If your wedding goes off without a hitch? Lucky you. It doesn’t mean your marriage will be perfect. It doesn’t mean YOU are perfect. You get my drift, right?

I like to see pictures where the flower girl has her finger up her nose. Those pictures are funny. And real. I want to keep it real.

But I’m also drawn to the eye-candy. I’m a sucker for The Pretty. It’s why I love to hate and hate to love SMP. Visually? I’m hooked. Mentally? I still get pissed off.

Recently, I had an email conversation with Hindsight Bride regarding The Pretty versus The Real. As wedding blog editors we can dance on a very thin line between the two. The Pretty CAN be real and it CAN be affordable, but it takes work and thought and preparation. I believe it’s sites like Hindsight and many, many others that can help brides get The Pretty while maintaining The Real.

But what if I can’t (or choose not to) actually share the work, thought and preparation behind The Pretty, does it make it any less real?

If someone can afford an expensive wedding, do we think them shallow? Less in love than those of us with strict budgets? I would hope not. Might we secretly think them bitches and mope about in green wedding envy? Oh yeah. I’ll totally own up to that.

But does any of this mean you can’t be inspired by that which cannot be afforded? The further away I get from my own wedding, the less irritated I become with The Pretty in regards to its connection with The Real, mostly because I know more about weddings in general. I must not forget though, that brides reading this are nowhere near where I am in my own head.

Recently, I was accused of conspiring to The Pretty, without regard to The Real. I got my panties all in a twist over it and was all, “I ONLY POST REAL STUFF!” and then checked myself later, wondering if what I had thought was really, honest-to-goodness true.

Often times, people are resistant to the truth. I was working with a vendor I didn’t know a few months back regarding the cost of a bouquet and centerpieces she did for an inspiration shoot. I wanted to write about it because she used unique flowers that I knew were seasonal and I wanted to direct brides to consider the seasonality of flowers because its generally more cost effective. This is not new news, but the pictures were so beautiful that I wanted to share the cost benefit (The Real) with the to-die-for-photography (The Pretty). That florist? She REFUSED to quote me a price. She REFUSED to even give me a ballpark or a range of costs. Why? Because she didn’t want a bride to see it, call her looking for that same bouquet and expect the same price. Now I know prices vary on flowers from season to season and state to state and all that, but if you don’t even feel comfortable giving a range on the flowers that YOU designed? Um, that’s a red flag for me. BIG RED FLAG. I tried to tell the florist that this was a BIG RED FLAG and she just didn’t give a flying you-know-what.

So is there a point to this post? I don’t even know. I think I’m finding myself struggling with wanting to show The Pretty without giving up The Real. What do YOU think?

{A Styled Shoot} A Fake Wedding, REVEALED!

Last week I posted my first Fake Wedding here on The Thirty-Something Bride. In it, I revealed my past contempt for styled shoots and how they made me crazy insane during my wedding planning process. I always felt that somehow my wedding wasn’t quite good enough. I know now that thinking is plain silly. I loved my wedding Still do. I love all kinds of weddings! Back yard, big cathedral, small church- whatever it is, I love them. I love them because they express love. Sometimes when I see a styled shoot, it’s missing the love of the couple and that frustrates me. But usually a styled shoot is just so freaking unbelievably gorgeous, you can help but love what you see. How can a bride balance the dichotomy? 

Something I realized in putting this next post together is that a styled shoot can very much be about love. It may not be between the “bride” and “groom” but it’s an expression of love through the people who put it together. Honestly, the folks who do this kind of work do it because they are artists. They love what they do. They love creativity. It’s not often that a wedding vendor can create a look purely for the sake of creativity. They have clients they must answer to, limitations and budget and bills and everything that goes into running a business.

This shoot was about that limitless creativity: a no holds barred of self-expression and imagination. Just think, what would you do if you had unlimited resources!?

A group of vendors in Seattle did just that! When I was first approached about featuring this shoot, I had some reservations regarding how crazy insane it might make some brides.  I engaged the photographers and vendors and asked a few questions. I got them involved, definitely a little more so than they expected. When I asked what inspired this shoot, this was Eliza’s initial response:

It's funny you asked what inspired this shoot, because it actually came out of an "Inspiration Group" that meets about every other Monday morning over breakfast to talk about what's inspiring us and to try to inspire each other in the work we do. We're a group of four Seattle wedding vendors: Barbie Hull (Barbie Hull Photography), Kim Neff (Lilies and Lemon Drops floral design), Heather Driscoll (Heathoriginal paper design) and me (Eliza Truitt Photography). This shoot grew out of some of the brainstorming we did at our breakfast meetings.

Um, I want to be  part of a breakfast inspiration group! *Stomping feet like a child* So here are some of the Q&A I floated past them as well as some additional research I did on cost and stuff. To be 100% honest, there was some reservations about sharing costs on this shoot. Those reservations came from an honest place – that this shoot was a creative outlet for these vendors, not something that was meant to be priced out and sold as a commodity. It was the opportunity to get creative and to express themselves as artists. I totally get that. But I also want to share facts and costs about this shoot because it inspired me to do so. I love this shoot. I want someone to have this wedding and I want a bride to have the tools in which to make it happen. That is my goal – to inspire and to assist in that inspiration.

Many, many thanks to the folks who put this styled shoot together and who were willing to go that extra step with me, talk with me and  to help inform and inspire all brides! Show them some link love, OK?

Photographers  Eliza Truitt Photography and Barbie Hull Photography

Favors and Gifts   Heather Driscoll, Heathoriginal

Floral Designer  Kimberly Neff, Lilies & Lemon Drops

Reception Venue  Clise Mansion

Dress La Belle Reve

Cake Designer  High 5 Pie

Hair/Makeup Artist  Michelle Chappron

Transportation  British Motor Coach

Q. What inspired you and the team to do this?

A. We love creating and always have new ideas to share. This was the perfect way to both create items we’d wanted to make and share them with others. We also found inspiration from the venue, Clise Mansion: the willow tree, brick wall, and gazebo all became elements in the shoot. Our overall theme "Preppy Meets Romantic Vintage".

The Venue, Clise Mansion – To rent this lovely space on a Saturday night (6pm-midnight) during peak season will cost $2825. Please note that this is only to rent the space, other costs like rentals and food and service are all separate.

Hair and make-up for the “bride” (the “bride” and “groom” are actually married, so the love pictures here is real!) was done by Michelle Chappron and her rates are:

Consultation: $75

On-site day-of is $150

Bridesmaids, MOB’s, etc. are $130 on the day of.

I spoke to Michelle and asked her if there was one thing she could communicate to my readers, what would it be? She wanted to stress to all brides that having a hair and make-up professional is an important part of both looking good and feeling good on your wedding day. From my personal experience, I couldn’t agree more! It’s pampering, it’s stress free and you know you’re going to look fantastic!

The gown is from Seattle bridal shop La Belle Reve. It’s a WToo, Watters gown, style #6819 and it costs $1248. The gown’s name is “Liane” and it’s an ivory silky taffeta strapless dress with ruched bodice and cascading pleated ruffle skirt with a puddle train. Honestly, I thought this dress looked a lot more expensive than $1248!

Q. What kind of research did you do for this shoot?

A. Kim from Lilies and Lemon Drops had to research a bit to see what flowers & greens would be available and in season, but mostly she used items and flowers that she loves and that inspire her. Heather of Heathoriginal said that she just created items based on what she likes and what is inspiring her these days!

The flowers Kim used included: Mint, Peonies, Scabiosa, Poppy Pods, Ranunculus, Baby's Breath, and a variety of greens. She handmade the greenery garland for the get-away car and all the various floral arrangements

Remember to keep the seasonality of flowers in mind. For instance, peonies (used in the bouquet) bloom in late spring and early summer and will have better availability/price at that time. For a winter wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, you’re going to pay more for those peonies. Keep that in mind when working with your florist. There are about a million billion websites out there that can tell you the seasonality of the flowers you love. The more informed you are, the easier it will be to work with your florist.

 

Q. What about the food goodies?

A. For the picnic, Jones Soda is a local Seattle favorite (and they do custom labels!). The pies, both the full-sized and pie-in-a-jar came from the fabulous Seattle shop High 5 Pie.

Jones Soda is definitely a cool way to add color and pop (no pun intended) to a tablescape. They have a rainbow of colors and flavors and like Eliza mentioned you can customized the labels. You can buy Jones Soda at many, many retailers or you can buy them online for anywhere between a $1.50 and $1.75 each, NOT including shipping. Customized labels through the Jones Soda website are $29.99 plus shipping for a 12 pack.

The pies-in-a-jar from High 5 Pie are $5 each. If you have the time or inclination, you can also DIY these suckers. I wrote about that here. I can’t imagine they’d turn out as cute as these though, right? The High 5 Pie 9” pies are $21 for fruit and $23 for cream filled. The Candyman and I paid about that much per cake for our cake buffet, so much less expensive than a traditional wedding cake and for us, by FAR tastier! And pies are just so on-trend right now!

Where'd you get the props?

All the non-floral handcrafted goodness was created by Heather from Heathoriginal. All floral and tablescape decor was from the Lilies & Lemon Drops collection. Kim loves shopping for antiques and has started a collection of white milk glass & other vintage items. If you're looking to start your own collection, thrift stores and antique stores are a great place to start. If you want to buy online, Etsy and Ebay have tons of this stuff, ranging from the reasonably priced to the not-so-reasonably priced. She used a variety of milk glass containers for the flower arrangements and a vintage toolbox stored all of the desserts for our picnic. She purchased fabric from our local craft store to create the sweetheart table tablecloth and found a silk scarf while antique shopping that I used as the table runner. The plates on the sweetheart table were a gift her parents received at their wedding and were perfect for our shoot!  

There is nothing truer than these words right here. You can find all sorts of goodies at Goodwill, thrift and resale shops. At privately owned thrift shops, you can totally negotiate. I do it all the time. Recently, I purchased (based on the original price tag cost) $423 worth of TruLu Couture goodies for $45. Yes, I did too. The guy was having a sale, half off of everything, so it would have been $211.50. I didn’t want to pay that much, I wanted to pay $45. I asked. He got uncomfortable and shuffled around and scratched his head and complained. I let him do that and remained silent as he did his math. At half off and a store jam packed with product, I knew his inventory needed some relief and felt comfortable going so low. These deals are few and far between and I have a long background in negotiating, so don’t go and be a big bitch to these shop owners, but definitely negotiate. If you tell them what you need and why, you’d be surprised at how generous some people can be. Don’t believe me? Check out this post.

By the way, I believe that the “groom's” suit is vintage. It’s by Frederick & Nelson, which is an old department store based out of Seattle. In 1992 they were taken over by Nordstrom’s, who made the original Frederick & Nelson location their flagship store. It’s a hip suit, no?

Q. Can you give more info on sourcing--if you bought the cute little ice cream chairs, where did you get them and how much were they?

A. The chairs had been sitting around Heather’s parents house for over 20 years; she dug them out and gave them a little love (sanding, painting, reupholstering). You can find similar ones on eBay if you search “ice cream parlor chairs.” There are awesome vintage toolboxes on Etsy  and Ebay . Or you can just ask if you can poke around in your grandparent’s basement...

This is SO TRUE! Me and The Candyman have some ice cream chairs that I inherited from my parents, who got them from my grandparents! Also, check out Craig’s List for this kind of stuff. You can get it for so cheap! The same thrift shop that I got the great deal at? Oh. My. God. They had a crap-load of white hobnail milk glass stuff – more than enough for a single wedding. I bet some great deals could be made there….buying in bulk, particularly from a source that normally doesn’t sell in bulk, always means a cheaper price. If the store won’t budge on a bulk sale, move on.

I love vintage cars! The Candyman and I had a 1939 Packard for our wedding!  I love the look of this one! The kind folks over at Seattle’s British Motor Coach were nice enough to send their rates and honestly, they seem to be pretty much in line with what other vintage cars cost. Again this will vary from place to place and city to city.

Vintage Cars (Bentley, Rolls Royce): $110/hr plus 20% gratuity and 6% fuel surcharge. There is a 2-consecutive hour minimum charge unless a “split package” is requested.The “split” is useful if you only want the car from the ceremony to the reception and then the reception to a hotel, providing that the events are local and that there are at least 3 hours between trips. The split is then $165++ versus the $220++.

The total all-inclusive price of the 2-hour minimum is $277.20

The total all-inclusive price of the split package is $415.80

British Motor Coach offers stretch limos and vans and all sorts of other transportation goodies.

The Candyman and I negotiated a split with our driver, though it wasn’t offered as part of a package like this one is (handy!). It was a last minute need (remember The Candyman’s ride was stolen 2 weeks before our wedding?!) for us and since our driver was available, we worked out a deal. Remember, ask for what you want or need – you might just get it!

Can you give me all the details on the items you used?

All the paper goods were created by hand by Heather and can be found through her Etsy shop  or website . Items include: Sewn crepe paper streamers, Mr. and Mrs. pennant flags, The Happy Couple sign, "&" sign, drink flags, sheet music rosettes, "Enjoy" pie flags, "Just Married" vinyl decal and tulle pom car decorations, Thank You pennants, sparkler display, matchboxes, hand-sewn "Toss Me" bags, send-off flags/pennants (Huzzah, Yay!, Love), farewell banner and "Away We Go" banner. 

Here’s a list of the costs from Heathoriginals:

Sewn crepe paper streamers: $2.50 per yard.

Mr. & Mrs. pennant flags: $2.50 each

The Happy Couple sign: $25.00

“&” Sign: $10.00

Drink flags: $1.00-$1.50 each

Sheet music rosettes: $3.00 each

“Enjoy” pie flags: $1.00 each

“Just Married” vinyl decal: $40.00

Tulle Garland (on car): $18.00 per 6 feet.  

“Thank You” pennants: $4.00 each

Matchboxes: $2.00 each

Hand sewn “Toss Me” bags: $2.50 each

Send off flags/pennants: $4.00 each

“Farewell” Banner: $15.00

“Away we go!” banner: $35.00

*Pricing is for items shown "as is". Custom items may vary based on quantity, sizes and materials used.

Giant Sparklers? Try Sparklers R Us. Their 36” sparklers are $1.03 each, the cheapest I was able to find! There are shorter lengths (generally 10” and 20”) that are even less expensive.

So I know this was a crazy-ass long post, but I thought it would be worth the effort to share the creativity of some talented artist with just a touch of reality – to truly inspire a bride and to show that dreamy weddings have resources that you can access.

Again, I want to thank all the vendors involved for sharing their time and information with me so that I could make this styled and inspirational shoot a little less scary and a lot more fun!

So ladies (and gentlemen?), you must tell me what you think. Was this helpful? Was it inspiring? Was it information overload? Do tell. 

*This is not a sponsored post, just one I believe in.