GOT THE DRESS.

So this weekend I was able to reunite with my bridesmaids...aka best friends who I never get to see anymore. It was amazing, and after just 4 dresses....I found the one I love.
Now to be honest, I was not looking to spend so much on the dress, BUT. After breaking down and crying in it....I figured it had to be mine.
The dress itself was $447, not great but not horrible either.
I will have to get something small added to it, which they estimated would cost me under $85 for alterations.
Overall, the dress fit perfectly and did not break the bank. yaaaay David's Bridal
I am. SO. excited!

blog link

Been looking at this blog for some new ideas:

http://www.snippetandink.com/photo-features/romantic-pink-farm-wedding/

FINALLY. a year later. I am going dress shopping with the bridesmaids, wish me luck!

Invitations

Cheap, printable invitations we are looking at. You like?
There is this woman who offers to get it all together so you can print your own at home or a local kinkos. I beliiieve the cost was $35. Not bad.

My Sister's Wedding

Trial and error my friends.
My sister had a fantastic wedding that was also inexpensive, so we will be basing a lot of our decisions on how things work at her wedding.My mom took pictures, as well as our uncle Eddie.
Based on her wedding we have determined the cheapest option for food is to buy a bunch of appetizers and cases of different types of beer.
Her wedding was about 50 people, so we are going to need to spend a little bit more money but they were able to have a beautiful and inexpensive wedding.

Coming soon....I am looking to get someone to get ordained for us, it costs 40 dollars total and is going to allow us to have a really special ceremony.

Photography can be cheap

So another way I am trying to save a few dollars in the wedding is by finding family friends to take our pictures.
That being said, this is my mom:
She loves taking pictures, and actually took some for us in the beginning of our relationship that turned out pretty good
So there is really no point in getting a photographer. I would suggest to all of you future brides-to-be you take a look around at your friends and family first before investing a lot of money on a photographer that may or may not have the ideas you want.


Because we are less like a family who wants pictures like this:
and more of a family wanting pictures like this:SO. Having that in mind..my mom will be taking the pictures...as well as my friend Rere..

isn't she beeaauutiful. I have asked to take pictures for us as well for the pictures my mom needs to be in and during the ceremony.

Here's the story...

..hmmm maybe there is a cute way to put this....



There once was a girl named Sammy....


Who had a really big family...

She fell in love with George..

Never was bored...

So now they decided to get MARRIED!

....good? no?



My name is Sammy Stedem, and I am getting married to the love of my life on May 12, 2012.
Due to the size of my family, and economic times we are unable to spend your typical outrageous amount of money on the wedding.

TRUTHFULLY....I do not find it necessary to spend an entire life's savings on one beautiful day anyways.

While blogging I plan to share with you the steps I am taking to make this day memorable, yet affordable.

For starters we have located a location that cost us about $500, where the ceremony will take place outside, and the reception inside.



Normally, your typical bride pays separate for a reception location, or ceremony location, but by searching local parks and rec places I was able to eliminate cost by hosting both at the same spot.


Also for example, I have been searching online for inexpensive invitations.
I don't personally find SAVE THE DATE cards, or RSVP cars necessary. So to cut cost, we will just have guests RSVP on our wedding website when the time comes:

http://sammyandgeorge.ourwedding.com/view/8830396009755918/5262921

To create your own webpage it is free, and a good way to inform everyone of the engagement so that a SAVE THE DATE card....can be saved the cost.

Hopefully, by blogging our expenses I will be able to help someone else out there who is interested in a similar budget, has a large family or just plain doesn't want to spend every dime and still have an amazing wedding day.