Tweet: @BrideOnBudget 16 more days until the wedding!

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@BrideOnBudget 16 more days until the wedding!

Wow...I can't believe there's only two weeks left until our wedding.  That's absolutely crazy.  So this post is just going to include a whole slew of things because I have so much to tell you.

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@BrideOnBudget This seating chart is going to be the death of me.

Well, we have the majority of our numbers in for the wedding.  It looks like we're going to have about 60 people at the wedding.  Considering that we invited 110, that was a really high percentage of declines.  Normally it's not that high, but considering we had a lot of out-of-town guests and also how bad the economy is, I guess we're lucky we're having 60 people there!  I'm a little bummed that some many people can't make it, but there's not much I can do about it.  It will save us a good bit of money and we'll be able to spend even more time with the people who are able to come.

I've been working on the seating chart and it's definitely giving me a headache.  Most of my family doesn't get a long and then we're inviting a bunch of different groups of people.  Like we have each of our families, and then we have family friends, and then we have work friends, military friends, etc.  It's a little crazy trying to make sure someone knows at least someone else at the table and that everyone gets along.  I think I have it figured out now though.

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@BrideOnBudget What do I need to make sure to go over at my last venue meeting? They are not supplying food or alcohol.

This week, I'm getting all the final vendor meetings out of the way.  On Tuesday we met with our venue and I paid off the balance over there.  We also did a layout of the reception hall so that they knew where to place the tables.  Tonight I'm going to my final dress fitting and hopefully no more alterations need to be done.  Then on Saturday, I'm paying off my final balance on our cake and then meeting with our florist to see a bouquet mock-up (it's going to be gorgeous).  Sunday I'm meeting with my photographer to pay off that final balance and talk about must take pictures and the time line.  Then next week we're meeting with the DJ and that's it!  Our coordinators are dealing with our caterer because one of them is a waitress at the restaurant.  So, we're slowly getting everything out of the way.

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@BrideOnBudget I've got an official tweeter for my wedding. I'll give you the information to follow the wedding closer to the date!

On other news, I have an official wedding tweeter!  My friend Angela is going to tweet throughout the wedding day.  I'm going to give her a hashtag to use (don't know what it's going to be yet) and I'll let all my followers know so they can follow the wedding day.  I can't wait for her to be able to share her experience and pictures with you.  I'm so excited!

@CelestialAxis – Oh my goodness, I'm ordering my bridesmaids' dresses and shoes and the groom and groomsmen's ties! This #wedding is getting real!

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@CelestialAxis – Oh my goodness, I'm ordering my bridesmaids' dresses and shoes and the groom and groomsmen's ties! This #wedding is getting real!

Well I did it.  I just spent a bunch of money outfitting my wedding party.  We’re really doing this!

I already bought mine and my bridesmaids’ jewelry, and headbands for myself and my MoH.  Now I have purchased the dresses for all three of them, shoes for them, pashminas for them and myself, and ties for the groom and groomsmen.  I also already purchased my shoes, a white version of what I bought the bridesmaids.  The men will all be in black suits with white shirts.  They can either use their own or rent or buy one, but I figured it was something general and more comfortable than a tux.  Plus, the wedding is not very formal.

So here we go!  Pics of what I bought! 

Bridesmaids’ dresses:

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Bridesmaids’ shoes:

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Pashminas for bridesmaids and I:

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Groom's (red) and groomsmen's (brown) ties:

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I took a Twitter poll regarding the pashminas.  Since we’ll all be sleeveless in October, despite the room being indoors and heated I wanted something to throw over our shoulders just in case.  Dessy just started offering the ones above in colors to match their bridesmaid dresses.  Brown (latte) was not an option,  and neither was white, but the red (claret) trim of my ladies’ dresses was.  I figure it’ll be a nice complement to their dresses, and a splash of color for me.  These are for the reception; we won’t be wearing them in the ceremony.  I was debating between those, or getting less expensive ones from another company, in white or a color that may not match them exactly.  I decided to spend the extra and get them from Dessy, as they’re a comfy-sounding wool/silk blend and obviously the same shade as in the wedding party.

 

Since the dresses, shoes, jewelry, and pashminas are my gifts to the bridesmaids, and the ties are for the groomsmen, I need more things for the groomsmen now.  I don’t want anything too “gift-y,” as the girls are all getting stuff for the wedding.  Here’s where I need help.  You only use cufflinks on French cuff shirts, right?  So they won’t be able to use them if they wear regular dress shirts?  Should I get their shirt sizes and buy them nice shirts and cufflinks so they only have to worry about suits and shoes?  Any other ideas?  Thanks as always!  J

Also, I cannot WAIT to get those dresses in the mail and finally see them in person!  The only one available for them to try on was a god-awful shade of green, lol.

That was $220 in the salon, bought it online for $140.  Boy do they try to gouge you!

@BrokeBride2Be True effing story: carpet cleaner leaves; dog pees on rug. Fml.

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@BrokeBride2Be True effing story: carpet cleaner leaves; dog pees on rug. Fml.

OK, seriously.  I'll start by saying I don't make this stuff up.  I couldn't.  In my reality, children DO crawl under fitting room dividers and now even worse - my dog pees on my freshly "cleaned" rug.  And I use the term clean loosely.  From the beginning - Fiance and I purchase ah-mazing new area rug for close to half price and are absolutely ELATED because we've spied the EXACT rug at Pottery Barn for like $1300.  (Mistake #1 - it's off white and wool.  But gorg, so you understand).  Dad comes for dinner.  We eat in the dining room like normal people, and then I make coffee for after dinner.  I contemplate forcing them to drink the coffee in the kitchen because I'm deathly afraid of something spilling on the rug, but don't.  (Mistake #2 - not listening to my gut).  I guess I was figuring that you have to actually live in your house, no?  And that includes drinking in rooms other than the kitchen?  So, two cups of coffee on the table in the living room.  (MIstake #3 in 3...2...1...) One 105 pound dog on the sofa.  I'm sure you can imagine what comes next.  Dog leaps off sofa, hits table, sends coffee mugs flying, and one huge spill on our brand. new. rug.  DYING. 

Before I could google "emergency coffee stain removal", Dad is rubbing the stain in rather than blotting with a dry paper towel and I'm ready to have a coniptch.  Fiance looks ready to cry.  A zillion attempts later (vinegar and water, baking soda, Bissell wet vac solution, praying), the stain is large and in charge.  Time to call in the big guns. 

Saturday, a professional carpet cleaner comes to the house.  I'm talking long thick tubes running from some apparatus in his truck all the way inside the house.  Serious suction and chemicals that were specially mixed to suck the stain out.  And OMG, what do you know.  It's still there and I'm out $50.  Can't get worse, right?  Wrong.  Guy leaves.  Dog wanders into the living room and I hear a faint, strange noise.  What could it be but a STREAM OF PEE spraying my rug?!?!?!  Out of desperation, I call the cleaning guy and beg him to turn around and come back.  He does.  Pee crisis averted, but WTF.  Seriously.

It's the day after the cleaner came, and I just got home from work and was greeted by that irritating stain.  So, I moved the couches.  Voila.  Irritating, but the only solution, I suppose.  Now, The Bachelor: Jason and Molly's Wedding to distract me from my miz.  No, I won't be drinking anything while watching TV.

xo