Weddingbee boards

I am going to be married before the end of the year! No, he still has yet to "formally" ask me, but we talk about it ALL the time and we know it's coming.  He has to go out of town to take care of some family legal matters and while we are hoping it can be done in two weeks, it may take more time and I haven't been away from him longer then a three or four day business trip!

We have talked that as soon as this mess is cleaned up and he has returend it is all out wedding planning time - date, location, EVERYTHING and it will be crazy and fun and I'm SO thankful that I already bought the invitaions and have ideas on every other plan, so it won't be as crazy as it could be. (And let me be honest with you - I will have the location, the dress and everything but the date picked out before he comes home!)

So that is my joy - we know it will be before the end of the year, we know it will be fantastic and we know it will be a wonderful day full of friends!

 As for my saddness - I'm totally undoing the tight buget band and cutting it over half and then I will try to cut it in half again.  I know that this can be done.  I know that it doesn't take the income of a small country to have a beautiful day, but it was going to cost me $5,000 for my day the way I thought I wanted it.  But then life happened and as I have to take care of my family (daughter, him and me) before I go spending money we don't have on ONE day.

So, instead of his beloved USC for the wedding I am looking at a club house where a friend lives that will be free (savings of $1300).  Instead of having my other friend's cousin cater it, we will just be doing cake and drinks (savings of at least $800).  Instead of hiring a DOC and a DJ, I will trust that I won't become totally insane and do as much the night before and trust my crafty friends to work their magic (savings of yet another $1000).  Instead of a morning of getting my hair done at the salon, I will be either doing it myself or one of my girlfriends will do it (savings of yet another $200 - my hair and my daughters - oh and least I forget the trials!)

And while I have saddness over this change, I'm still totally in love with him and I can't wait to start our lives together.  I think I'm just sad because I have not ever thought of getting married anywhere but USC once I found out it could be done.  And the funny thing is I was doing that for him and while I know he would get a kick out of it, he just wants to marry me and give me the day I want.

I know I could "demand" that we have the original day the way I planned over the past months.  I know he would give it to me.  He wouldn't say a word and he would pay and it would be.  Yet, how selfish am I that I ask for this when we don't have the money right now.  When that money could be used to move in to the new place and buy new things for our home why would I want to spend it on a day that will last in pictures and in my memory but that will be in?

So the few things I can't let go of are the dress and the photos.  I just want that.  Everything else is great but I just want to be a princess for a day and marry my prince.  I'm still planning on getting it on line through the discount site I found so it will only be $200.  And thank goodness for our friend who is giving us a great deal on the pictures!

So, the day will still be ours.  We will still have all of the people who love us supporting us while we commit ourselves to one another.  And I am so LESS stressed about the money and how to make it all happen.

Has anyone else decided to scale back due to money concerns?  What are you doing to make it a fabulous day without costing too much money?