Sunday, April 12, 2009

Should we get a loan to pay for the wedding?

And what are just the basics we can get by on? I%26#039;m thinking the whole budget should be about $4000 to:


order invitations


buy a dress


pay the ceremony fee for the church


rent a reception site


have floral arrangements


have a photgrapher


have enough hor d%26#039;ourves and wedding cake for 50-60 people.





Am I missing anything? Is it a bad idea to get a loan for just a one-day celebration that might take 3 or more years to pay off?

Should we get a loan to pay for the wedding?
Hi.





Please DO NOT get a loan!! My son talked about the same thing...until I told him absolutely not!





What are the basics?


A bride - check


A groom - check


Someone to officiate the wedding. That%26#039;s it! The rest is %26quot;fluff%26quot;.





Now...here is the way I figure it, going down your list:





Invitations: Do you live by a Michael%26#039;s, Target, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Office Max, Staples? All of these stores sell %26quot;boxed sets%26quot; of BEAUTIFUL invitations. You get 50 in a box for about $25. You simply print them up on your computer.





Ok - so invitations $26 (with tax)...+ stamps $20 (that would be if you were mailing ALL 50, which you probably would not need to). Save your money and DO NOT do RSVP%26#039;s, unless you really think it%26#039;s necessary.


(Invites and stamps) = $46





Dress: Allow $200 for the dress and shoes! You can find beautiful dresses online at Target.com (yes, Target!) or JCPenney.com


Do you like %26quot;vintage%26quot; dreses? Some vintage wedding dresses on Ebay go for $10!! They are so pretty! You can update them a little by removing the sleeves!


Shoes....go to a Payless





Groom: $100 for a tux





Ceremony: I%26#039;m not sure what the church fee would be. Do you belong to a church? Most do NOT charge if you are a member....it%26#039;s just the honorarium that you pay the pastor. Say allow $100 for the pastor. Perhaps the pastor would be willing to lower his fee if you explain your fianancial situation.





Reception: now here is where you can really save. If you do belong to a church, or know of a church that you can use....do they have a fellowship hall that you can use for a reception? I work as a church secretary (Lutheran Church) and most churches do have facilities like this.





What I would do would be to have an early afternoon wedding...say 2 p.m. and have a small reception after with %26quot;finger foods%26quot; of finger sandwiches, assorted cheeses and crackers, fruit tray, veggie tray, nuts, cake, punch and coffee. All of this to feed 50-60 people will NOT be a lot of money. Do all the food yourself. If you have family that will help...let them!





Do you know of someone that can bake? See if they would be willing to make a cake. OR....go to a Walmart, Costco, Sams Club, or a bakery in a grocery store....LOTS cheaper than a regular bakery and the cakes are soooo good!





OR....another %26quot;alternative%26quot; reception would be to again have your wedding at 2 p.m., and then have a %26quot;dessert%26quot; reception. Cake, of course...but mabe also some bars, like lemon bars, brownies, some cookies, cheesecake bars, etc. You could also add some fruit. Serve with cofee, tea and punch! Easy!





Floral arrangements: Again, do you live by a Walmart or Costco? Walmart is my favorite place for flowers! You can get a dozen roses for $10. And....you can special order certain colors! Is anyone in your family good with flowers? See if they would be willing to help you.





Here is a picture that I have given others.....about 1/2 way down on this page....on the left...look at the caption titled %26quot;pink roses to carry%26quot; it%26#039;s 3 simple roses and some greens, tied with a satin ribbon. This is SO EASY to do yourself!!! Have a small bouquet like this for you and one for your maid of honor. It%26#039;s also easy to make a simple boutonniere for your groom and best man too. Look online for directions. Basically, you simply cut off the thorns, cut down the stem, push a wire into the stem, wrap it in floral tape (sold at craft stores like Michael%26#039;s and also at Walmart) and your done! (The picture is of pink roses, but, of course, you can use whatever color YOU like.)


http://www.atkinsfarms.com/wedfloalbum.h...





Decorations: Keep things simple. It is more elegant that way. If you do have a reception at the church, perhaps they have linens you can use. If you have 60 people with 6 at a table...that is 10 tables that you need (or less). Do you have a Family Dollar store by you? They have tablecloths for $5 each!





Use simple and easy table centerpieces. Get a round glass vase (sold at Michael%26#039;s, Walmart, Dollar Tree)....some glass %26quot;vase gems%26quot;, fill the vase about 2/3 with water and put a few floating candles in them. All of the above items can be purchased at dollar stores...so the total cost for each table would be $3.





I hope I have given you some alternatives to think about. Really, I think you can do this for less than $1,000. You just really need to think of what is important. Also...if ANYONE is willing to help...let THEM!!





Oh...I forgot about the photographer.....DO get a photographer. That is ONE thing I would spend money on.





Everything can come in cheaper if you are willing to look around and go %26quot;outside the box%26quot; of what the bridal industry tells you that you HAVE to have. Use Google to search for inexpensive ideas.





Good luck!
Reply:NO, that is the WORST thing you could possibly do, going into debt before you are even married!





My fiance and I are paying with money we have now, not credit cards or loans.
Reply:Dont do it. Being debt free is the best gift you and your spouse can give each other. Most marriages end because of money problems. Save yourself that headache. If you can only afford a small wedding with hotdogs and digital pics from friends, then so be it. You%26#039;ll be a lot happier in the long run. Best of luck
Reply:Try to save a little while longer and do it without the loan. If you can%26#039;t save money then you can%26#039;t manage a loan especially as there will be interest on top of the amount you borrow.


Your budget sounds reasonable and not over the top.


Maybe ask a parent to loan the money to you, usually they are more understanding than the banks if you miss a payment :) Also they may not ask for interest.
Reply:Taking a loan to pay for your wedding is a bad way to start your married life and your marital finances. Save up until you have enough. Soon enough you%26#039;re going to have auto payments and a mortgage. It%26#039;s best to get in the habit early of not buying what you don%26#039;t have the cash to pay for. It doesn%26#039;t sound like a good idea to saddle yourself with a loan payment so early in your marriage. I would save up and avoid having to pay interest.


If $4000 is what you want to spend you can do it for $4000. It will just require more work on your part to comparison shop for everything! It can be done.


Best wishes!
Reply:Absolutely not. Just don%26#039;t do this. Get your family to help you make the food for the dinner, it doesn%26#039;t cost that much to have ham or turkey, some salads, etc. for fifty people.


For the other things, get a family member to do photos, keep your flowers simple. As for location, maybe there%26#039;s a church hall or community centre you could use, or even someone%26#039;s home.


You need to just sit down with your guy, and seriously make out a budget.
Reply:It%26#039;s never smart to get in debt. Period. I worry that you%26#039;re just getting married and are already thinking of starting out in debt. Only do what you can pay for up front. The big ceremony isn%26#039;t what matters anyway. I%26#039;ve never understood the need for a huge celebration when you barely even know half the people there. Also, a thought, to help pay for the wedding, ask the guests for money instead of gifts.
Reply:You do not want to start the rest of your life %26#039;together%26#039; by going into debt. My advice is to pay for what you can, save, be budget minded, etc....





You CAN have a wonderful wedding on a very little budget. Email me if you don%26#039;t believe me, if want me to send you photos of mine :)





Cheers
Reply:You have received some great advice from people who have taken the time to answer your question. If you really have your heart set on a wedding that may cost around $4,000 you should save the money and pay for it in cash. I promise you that you won%26#039;t forget it. If you start out your marriage $4,000 in the debt you%26#039;ll have nothing but regret. By the time you tack interest onto that money the wedding will have cost you well over $5,000. Be smart and pay in cash.
Reply:Hey, I just wanted to put in my 2 cents--





Have just a cake and punch reception to save money. It can still be very beautiful and elegant!
Reply:Don%26#039;t get a loan unless you have to. If you don%26#039;t have mony to save, you don%26#039;t have money to make loan payments.
Reply:if your family expects a big day let them pay for it.. does a relative have a nice big yard? have it there and save up a few hundred dollars for food to BBQ.. have friends and family take photos, get a cheap dress from david%26#039;s bridal or a dept store, get a bouquet from the florist at your grocery store.. you don%26#039;t really need any other flowers.. ask your parents or his to pay for the invitations as a wedding gift..





don%26#039;t take a loan for it and don%26#039;t put more than $1000 on your credit cards for it..
Reply:NO! DO NOT go in debt for what is basically a party. If you can%26#039;t afford the type of wedding you want, scale back on the nonessentials (stuff that isn%26#039;t important to you). If you don%26#039;t want to scale back, then don%26#039;t get married until you can afford it.





Only go into debt for a home, an education or maybe a car.
Reply:DON%26#039;T GET A LOAN! You don%26#039;t want to start your new life together in debt that way. Plan a budget within your means or push back the date so that you have more time to save for your %26quot;dream wedding%26quot;.
Reply:NO! Elope and have a bigger shindig on your anniversary...whichever one is the one you can afford it at, whether its your 5th or 10th. Good luck!
Reply:Don%26#039;t get a loan! Just be creative. Instead of a big fancy reception, have a barbecue in someone%26#039;s back yard or a pavilion at a park. I know a lot of people who did this, and said it was just as special as a typical reception. A barbecue would be definitely be cheaper then hor d%26#039;ourves. Also, you don%26#039;t have to go to a fancy wedding cake. My sister had her cake made by the grocery store bakery and no one could tell. The dress? Look to a department store. The white party dresses there are generally under $200, much less expensive than bridal dresses. Or, just get a white or an ivory bridesmaid dress (also much cheaper).





Remember, the day is about you and your future husband%26#039;s union, not the money spent.





And you are missing flowers. I suggest Costco for those.
Reply:Ask youself %26quot;Do you want to start your life together in debt?%26quot; Hopefully the answer is no. It is easy to get caught up in all the excitment, but remember you should be planning your lives more than you are planning a wedding, because that is just one day out of hopefully many more. Best wishes!
Reply:If your family expect a big day, then it%26#039;s only fair that they should help with the cost. Don%26#039;t get yourself into debt just to keep everyone else happy.
Reply:Yes, I will advise you to save up for 3 more years rather than to get a loan that will take 3 years to pay off.





you say that you%26#039;ve been pushing it back, how come you haven%26#039;t saved up any money? if you can%26#039;t save up money, how are you going to pay loan payments?
Reply:i would its your day why not have everything you want.



makeup tips

Daytime Wedding Reception Centerpiece ideas?

Do you have any creative centerpiece ideas for a wedding reception to be held in the afternoon (inside) which doesn%26#039;t include floral arrangements, because they%26#039;re too expensive. Candles are wonderful but I%26#039;m not sure they%26#039;d be right for a daytime wedding.

Daytime Wedding Reception Centerpiece ideas?
Hi and congratulations:





Personally, I love flowers and they are not that expensive if you buy them wholesale. Here are two sites:


http://www.growersbox.com/


http://www.rosesource.com/





I%26#039;m not sure where you are located, but the above wholesalers only ship to the U.S.....sorry. But if you are in the U.S., I highly recommend checking them out. I used rosesource for my son%26#039;s wedding and can vouch for their service.





Without flowers you can still do a variety of things, such as:





~ What about stacking favor boxes on a cake pedestal? Here is a link with a picture:


http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site...





~ Here is another link with a favor and centerpiece combination:


http://www.wanderfuls.com/





~ Sugared fruit always makes a beautiful centerpiece and is easy to do.





~ Another idea: Have your parents, family and friends make copies of their wedding photos and put them in nice frames to use as centerpieces. Your guests can enjoy the look of weddings past - especially with parents and grandparents%26#039; wedding photos.





~ You can still do candles even though it%26#039;s daytime. I think candles are nice anytime. Perhaps something with a floating candle? This site has lots of ideas:


http://www.surroundings.com/





Good luck!
Reply:This really depends on your personal tastes, the colors and theme of your wedding, and what time of year your wedding is taking place.





Since we are avoiding flowers, have you considered fruit? Arrangements of citrus fruit (oranges, Lemons, limes) in glass pillars with greenery (fake or real) can be striking displays for spring and summer. Red and Golden apples, or pumpkins are beautiful centerpiece additions for a fall wedding. Small real Pine trees can be perfect for Christmas/Winter weddings.





Other possibilities: Cakes! Individual cakes for each table can be used as centerpieces, and then eaten by the guests seated at the table. (Provide them with cutting instruments). This often will result in the bride and groom spending less on the huge wedding cake, and for %26quot;cake cutting%26quot; pictures, the bride and groom cut a smaller decorative cake at the Headtable.





Your Centerpiece can also be made from your favors, depending on what your favors are. My favors are going to be bags of gold foil wrapped chocolate coins, and I could easily make my centerpieces out of treasure chests, or glass bowls, filled with bags of gold coins. (Our quotes are about treasuring each other, and our card box is a white treasure chest)





If you like the idea of fishbowls with water, you can float 3 flower heads on the water, with a floating candle. You can also suspend one single flower (rose, lilly, tulip) in a tall thin glass vase..submurging the flower completely gives an impression of magnified size, through the water.





Whatever you do, please don%26#039;t use live fish or any other living creature. No one wants to get stuck with an unwanted pet, They just want to be a guest at your wedding. :)





Have fun with it, dear. Don%26#039;t get stressed..try to think out of the box. I%26#039;ve heard of people who had billiards as the theme of their wedding...and on each table they had mini pool tables. Unusual? Yes. Fun? Absolutely!





~Kat
Reply:how about small bowls ( like a fishbowl), filled with colorful beads and a votive candle. I%26#039;m having the same problem with decorations.
Reply:Find a Dollar store by your house.Get flower pots(the small ones) that goes with your wedding colors.Then get some tissue paper that goes.Next go to Walmart and get a 1.99 set of 6 plants that have your color.Take the flower pot,put a piece of tissue paper in and set the plant inside of it.Now crumple some tissue paper up and set the pot on ot.Color is there.Just put one in center for round tables,or 2-one on each end for long tables.Now enjoy it,try it out and have ready 2 days before the wedding...
Reply:candles are good anytime. boy this is a tough one. no flowers at all? not even plastic ones? i don%26#039;t think i%26#039;ve ever been to a wedding/reception without flowers.





if you get creative, make a modern art centerpiece that is wedding related.
Reply:A unique idea would be to adorn your tables with herbs rather than flowers, they would be fragrant and inexpensive.





I don%26#039;t think candles are inappropriate for a daytime wedding, If you can%26#039;t afford a full bouquet of flowers on each table, then place just a few heads (like roses or orchids) around a few votive candles. Simple, yet elegant!
Reply:We are having a daytime reception and the center pieces are glass bowls with floating gerber daisies, very inexpensive if you can find cheap glass bowls, and gerber daisies come in so many different colors and you only need 3 per centerpiece. we have tealights around ours just for nice mood lighting.
Reply:Can you give more details? Colors, is there a theme, what type of location? As a party designer I am chock full of ideas but without knowing a little more its hard to give one that will truly fit you. I understand your candle delimma since we are looking at an afternoon reception as well.





A very chic idea that has been catching on lately is to plant wheat grass in containers, or wheat for fall, etc. Use them as a living centerpiece and surround with river stones. For a spring wedding you can use silk flowers (cheaper than real) or you can use candy to make %26quot;flowers%26quot; and have them growing out of the grass.





Another option is to go to the nursery and pick up bedding plants in your colors like mums, pansies, whatever they have on hand. You can get an entire flat for like $12 which would do several tables and all you would need to do is transplant them into prettier containers or for a rustic look you can just cover the existing containers with burlap, nice fabric, or ribbon. After the wedding use them for your home or donate them to a park. (Note: if you donate them it%26#039;s a tax deduction so you pay less at the end of the year)





You could also get lanterns. Remove the candles and instead you can put a single flower or even a butterfly (provided they have enough room to flutter a bit and you provide air supply and a few leaves or something to munch on, then release into wild afterwards)
Reply:Do a basket with flowers in it. Get the flowers that match your colors it will look cute. You can get baskets at the dollar tree. Very cheap.
Reply:A cute and cheap thing a friend of mine did for her centerpieces was to take a glass dish and fill it with different candies (in their wedding colors) then spread some fake rose petals around the dish. That candy was a huge hit! People were chowing on it while waiting for dinner and at the end of the night, guests were scrambling to take the rest home.
Reply:no candles wrong time of the day why not use petals and garland. ]


or if you have a theme, try to find some nic naks to go with it.


Did you try silk flowers?



tax credit

Flowers for an indian wedding?

Dose anyone know where i can get Floral arrangements %26amp; garlands for an indian wedding or dholki in Georgia?

Flowers for an indian wedding?
in a FLORIST
Reply:Have you considered creating your own?



beauty

Does planning a wedding make you feel poor?

Planning a wedding makes me feel so poor! I mean, who has $400 to spend on invitations!?! That%26#039;s insane! And $2,500 for four measly hours of photography! It%26#039;s like sticker shock at every turn! Is anyone else just SHOCKED by how much all this stuff costs? My budget is about 10 thousand (not including the honeymoon or rehearsal or rings or anything...just ceremony and recepetion) and I feel like I have to cut corners and be cheap to stay on budget (I am making my own invitations and floral arrangements to save $). It%26#039;s just ridiculous how much weddings cost! I know Im not poor but this industry sure does a good job of making me feel like Im being cheap. Am I the only one?

Does planning a wedding make you feel poor?
nah...those things are damn expensive....remember you dont need to invite your cousins aunts husbands dog.....keep it close that will help you save
Reply:NOOOO...It is crazy how much they want for things. My wedding is costing me $20,000 and I did everything as cheaply a I possible could.
Reply:No. We knew how much we could afford to spend as a couple, how much we had saved, and how much we could afford to spend leading up to the wedding. It just means good budgeting.


Your cost for photography is WAY too much, by the way.
Reply:I too am spending 10,000 and I feel so poor!!! We%26#039;re only having between 50 - 60 guests, so I don%26#039;t know were else to cut corners without the wedding looking cheap or tacky!!


This is my major area of stress right now - trying to figure out how we will pay for everything!
Reply:No you are certainly NOT the only one. Your not being cheap or cutting corners you are being sane. My friends did whatever they could to save money and they did it well. Find a photography student or shop around. Make your own stuff...sentimental things look and feel better anyway. As a guest I wasn%26#039;t there for the dog and pony show...I was there to support my friends and celebrate their marriage. Think about all the things you could do with the money you save...things that could maybe last more than 8 or so hours! I wish you wedding bliss and bliss beyond.
Reply:Just avoid buying those stupid magazines-- they usually feature $75,000 weddings. We had a wonderful, beautiful wedding but kept to a low budget--- less than yours. If you keep shopping around, you can find vendors who have decided to forgo the big dollar clients and make a good living serving the %26quot;normal%26quot; people.


I got my invitations online and they were less than $150
Reply:yeah your poor if your wedding costs a lot then you wont be able to afford house and food and marriage and fighting.
Reply:Don%26#039;t let the merchandizers get to you!





It is all hype.





When you look at Vogue or other magazines, do you expect your real-life wardrobe to be made of those expensive items? Do you feel inferior that you don%26#039;t live that way? Of course not (hopefully)! Wedding magazines are the same. Trying to up-sell the most expensive tier of designer items, even though it is completely unrealistic for 99.99% of the potential audience. And yet we PAY, to be advertised to, when we buy the magazines!





As long as you fulfill your hosting responsibilities properly (get a reliable etiquette book and follow closely!) there is NO SHAME in having a modest wedding, and at $10K, honestly, that is a pretty expensive wedding, on average. I%26#039;m surprised you feel you have to cut so many corners.





Only when people start to reject this fake %26quot;magazine ideal%26quot; will the industry begin to change. Stop buying the (tacky, ostentatious) ideas they are selling, and have better, more real weddings.
Reply:No, you aren%26#039;t the only one. Weddings are very expensive. What I suggest is that determine your budget and stick to it. Let the vendors earn your business, and don%26#039;t let them guilt you into anything. Look at it as an adventure or project, and see how much you can get for the least amount of money. Other suggestions: keep your bridal party small, your guest count low, do and make as much as you can yourselves. Look for wedding dresses that are on clearance, or look at bridesmaids dresses that come in white. Buy plain white shoes that you%26#039;ll wear again. Look for items at the dollar store. Accept offers of money or help from anyone who offers. Borrow things you%26#039;ll only use once. Cut out the thrills that don%26#039;t matter, and concentrate on the important things. Don%26#039;t be afraid to negotiate or let vendors know that you%26#039;re on a budget, and see if they%26#039;re willing to come down in price--especially that photographer. Don%26#039;t hire the first vendor, get price comparisons. And avoid the word %26quot;wedding%26quot;. It seems that anything that has that word attached to it, also has a huge mark-up. With some ingenuity and creativity, you can do it. Good luck.
Reply:I am an Event Planner a.k.a. Wedding Coordinator too, and the average wedding nowdays somehow rates between the $15,000 to $25,000 so yes it a lot of tricky to find what is best to pick in good quality at the good cost.





You go with what you want to look more fascinating in terms of decorations, food, your dress, flowers, etc...and then play with how much of the big bulk of the money you want to place at it high. Then you go with the rest, mostly of the case the 37% of the cost of the Wedding goes to the Reception and Catering.





Look for this book %26quot;Bridal Bargains, Secrets of Throwing a fantastic Wedding on a realistic budget%26quot; 8th Edition from authors Denise and Alan Fields ( check on Borders) is a GREAT source and I follow lots of their ideas in my plans.......





Good Luck
Reply:Yes, it%26#039;s totally ridiculous...I went to weddingpaperdivas.com and got a good price for invites...after tax it was around $180,


http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product...


i went to Group USA and found a beautiful dress before tax is $399 with a $50 off coupon


http://www.groupusa.com/c-product.cfm?ic...


and went to michaels and found a book to make centerpieces that are not all about the flowers...


BUT yes, this industry stinks - hair places will charge you more than normal to get your wedding hair done...and nail salons often hike the prices too for the same reason....it really sucks.
Reply:Honey, I feel your pain! I am getting married March 21, 2009 (basically 2 years away) and I have about the same budget! I started early so I could help to cut corners but GEEZ things are so pricey! I am doing my own decor for the reception, my arrangements and bouquets, and some of my great college friends have agreed to bartend and wait tables for the reception...FOR FREE. Its insane how much goes into this. As much as I feel irritated but those price stickers, I know that when its all said and done, it will be amazing! A great tip someone gave to me was to sign up at the Knot.com! They offer brides to be great discounts on favors, decorations, and other bridal items! I got some great table decorations for 200 guests (approx. 25 tables) for only $100.00! They are large,so it takes up most of the table! It really has been a nice relief. They even have great %26quot;to-do lists%26quot; for all members of the bridal party! Just remember that you aren%26#039;t alone, so just talk to your %26#039;maids and they can console you! Another way to %26quot;cut corners%26quot; is have a girls night with margaritas and have the girls help you do some party planning! A few cocktails with your closest friends never made anyone feel bad! Best of Luck and CONGRATS!
Reply:You%26#039;re not the only one! I feel poor on a good day but when I started wedding planning I nearly had a heart attack! Now I see why my Dad made the offer of $10K if I%26#039;d just elope... :-)
Reply:Yep! I get totally boggled every time I see how much something costs. I just saw how much hair and makeup for the bride would cost... $330!!


That%26#039;s just a lot of money. I think as soon as the word wedding or bridal is included in anything where money exchanges hands, the price goes way up.





Most people who are getting married for the first time are young and just starting out. It%26#039;s really awful to make everything so expensive for weddings - making even just a nice simple wedding unattainable for a lot of people without cutting corners and doing a lot of it yourself.
Reply:yes this is normal when planning any event.
Reply:yes.. i have done a great job at cutting all the corners


my family isn%26#039;t overly rich, and my htb and i are both students (we can afford to live though)


i have decided to make my own cake, use fake flowers, have a friend of mind (who is a brilliant photographer, not pro, but really good) to do the pics, i bought a sample wedding dress, my cousin will be the wedding singer and will have everything done under about $6000.. nothing looks shabby, but its saving me thousands
Reply:No planning a wedding does not make me feel poor it makes me feel creative. I can do a better job than those coordinators and I%26#039;ll prove it. Take on the challenge of your wedding as a game or sport and know you can win.
Reply:yup!! wedding is a matter of u 2. If u want to do it in grand , it will cost very expensive .





Of course , if u make it simple it will save u a lot . Try to budget it like buffet type as well as hotel invitation . For this u already save a lot.





As the wedding gown , try a more simple and budget type.. dont look for those in the magazine ..





Thus , do more market survey before make decision. Dont too stress to it .. Just relax and enjoy survey the things u need .. Just remember u will get more information or knowledge while u doing market survey .. Mayb , in future these may also help ur friends needs .





Good Luck !!!
Reply:I had a budget of 12K, and it turned out beautiful you just have to do your research to find the best prices. I found a hall where we can bring in our own alcohol and paid their bartendars $20 per hour they worked. I ended up spending about $400 in alcoohol and 800 on a photographer, I had him for 10 hours the pics were magnificent the videographer was 1700 that turned out great. I ordered most of my stuff like invites and cake toppers online at discount stores I googled. Good luck
Reply:yes...
Reply:I do think its insane how much people charge when the word %26quot;wedding%26quot; comes up. I am not one of those brides who will fork over three times what I would normally pay just because its %26quot;my special day and only once%26quot; like the vendors keep telling me.





I don%26#039;t feel poor and am proud of myself when I get an amazing price on something or figure out how to make the 100 centerpieces myself for 30. I just get ticked when people look down on me, treat me like I%26#039;m trash, or tell me that I%26#039;m not ready to get married just because I WONT be spending the average $30,000. In some ways it has helped build my confidence by showing me how resourceful and crafty I can really be.
Reply:Oh, I know! Everytime I write a check to one of these vendors I can feel it in the pit of my stomach. It is amazing to me how one day can effect your finances for the entire year! This wedding industry cleans up!
Reply:Try to remember that a lovely wedding is great but a lovely marriage is better. What I mean is the wedding lasts a day. Marriage is the commitment.
Reply:I am planning mine to. I am getting invitations for like 260 and my photographer is 600 and the ceremony and reception is going to be 8500. So you just have to look to be able to find good worthwhile stuff.
Reply:You%26#039;re not alone!! I%26#039;m about to get married and it shocked my friends and family to see how expensive they are!





We%26#039;ve found a few ways of cutting corners without taking away any of the essentials. For example, I bought my invitations at a craft store and printed them myself. It cost me $35 plus the cost of stamps.





Just a word of warning, it%26#039; dangerous to compare your costs to what others are paying without taking into consideration the location of the wedding. I guarantee that $10,000 can get you a lot more in some states than it can in others.





The first place I considered having my wedding would have cost me about $20,000 for an appetizer only, no dinner, very little dancing, very basic wedding. When we changed locations, we were able to go all out and do dinner, drinks, dancing, flowers, cake, rings, honeymoon and everything exactly how we wanted for $15,000. And that was even in the same state!





So make sure you take the %26quot;budget guides%26quot; with a grain of salt and find out what is appropriate for your area before you feel like you are getting ripped off.
Reply:I think its CRAZY how one special day can cost so MUCH. Its more insance when other people spend 200 thousand on their wedding when they can put that in a house or something. A wedding is special but wow 200 thousand on a wedding I think is just insane. And my fiances cousin just spent that much on her wedding. Our wedding will be about 13 thousand and that is with everything but the honeymoon.
Reply:$10,000 is more than enough for an incredible wedding!!! My wedding may have cost $6000 and it was perfect! We had all of the traditional things and a great photgrapher, dj , flowers invitations catering etc... You just have to do your homework and not trust the first company you see.
Reply:Aw sweetie you are definitely not the only one! I%26#039;m in the same boat. My budget started off being 5,000 dollars but sheesh everything adds up. I tried to cut my guest list in half and still came up with 100 people! That%26#039;s 100 mouths to feed! Oi. That%26#039;s very smart to make your own invitations and flower arrangements, it will add your own unique touch to the wedding as well. It%26#039;s a win-win. I%26#039;m having my wedding in Okinawa and so all my family and my fiance%26#039;s family is going to fly out. My fiance has 8 siblings plus his parents so now we have to find accomidations for them and play tour guide and driver amongst all the other things we have to do. It will be great memory builders though. The more you employ your friends and wedding party the more memories you will build and more costs you can avoid. Do you have a friend who is good with arts and crafts? Have them help you with the flowers or the center pieces. :-) Good luck. And congratulations.



beauty

Can Someone tell me???

1. What was Michael Jordan%26#039;s scoring average during his last year in high school?


• Why did Jordan choose the #23 to wear as his signature number?


• What year did he join the NBA?


2. Where is the nearest Ben and Jerry%26#039;s scoop shop?


3. Which American President dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on September 2, 1940?


4. How many birthday floral arrangements are available through 1800FLOWERS for more than $65?


5. How many miles long was the ancient Olympics race track?


• Where exactly were the Olympics held?


• Which sport did Milo of Kroton compete in?





6. What color suit was Cuba Gooding Jr. wearing on December 10, 1996 when he appeared on the Rosie O%26#039;Donnell show?


7. How much do the Hickory Smoked Baby Back Ribs cost at Michael Jordan%26#039;s restaurant?


8. What is inside of the Coca-Cola bottle from the Netherlands that is featured in the Salute to Folk Art exhibit?


9. What is the most frightening ride at Disney World%26#039;s MGM Studios Theme Park?


• How

Can Someone tell me???
you dont want much for your 5 points do you? i dont mind doing a bit of leg work but your taking the p*ss there
Reply:No...but google can
Reply:Good luck, hope you%26#039;ll get all the answers.
Reply:No, because I like to answer questions from OTHER peoples, not spend hours answering questions from ONE peoples.



skin disease

Consignment Booth?

I am considering opening a consignment booth at a local shop in my very small town. It is inside an old grocery store. The lady who runs it sells artificial floral arrangements and gifts and has booths set up around the perimeter. She wants $40/month plus 10% of sales for a 12%26#039; x 10%26#039; area. Sounds reasonable to me? Anyone ever done this or do this? How well did you do. I will sell mostly new womens and mens clothing and accessories.

Consignment Booth?
Sounds pretty reasonable to me. Just don%26#039;t lock yourself into a long term contract.





If you do real well, you can negotiate the 10% in the future as it may seem way too high!





Some questions to ask her (or yourself):





How will she require your sales reporting? Actual %26quot;z%26quot; tape (report from cash register) or will you just submit a form with totals?





Does she advertise?


Will you be required to be there all hours the store is open? Can you secure your items if you are not there?


If you can%26#039;t secure items, who would ring up sales if your items are left in the open?


How much traffic does she get?


Can you advertise? (check your lease agreement)





From your question I take it that this will be a pretty informal contract, so your biggest problems will be your inventory security (from experience, you are more likely to have stock stolen from other vendors than from actual shoplifters).





Good luck!



computer

My sister and her fiance's weddings going to top 50 grand..?

She tells me thats about average for a %26quot;good%26quot; wedding, from the floral arrangements to the event cordination, each was averaging 3500. I was told not to be surprised if it runs more than 60 grand!!! HOW MUCH WAS YOUR WEDDING?

My sister and her fiance%26#039;s weddings going to top 50 grand..?
I think what she is spending is normal...especially if it%26#039;s held at a hotel...
Reply:Our wedding was: FREE


Photographer: FREE


Cake: FREE


Videographer: FREE


Flowers: FREE


Honeymoon breakfast in bed: FREE





We got married at Breezes Club at Turks and Caicos. It was just the two of us. On the beach. Very romantic. I found a deal on the internet and the whole seven day %26quot;wedding-moon%26quot; was about $4000. (all meals, drinks included)





It honestly makes me go crazy when people spend so much on a wedding. I have a theory that the more you spend on the wedding, the shorter the marriage will be.
Reply:You know something? On my sister%26#039;s wedding day (and her wedding cost about 60 grand) I e-mailed my then-girlfriend and said, %26quot;Promise me, if we ever get to this point, that we will not do this. I%26#039;m overwhelmed and my entire job is to escort my mother to her seat.%26quot;





Our wedding, to be held in Las Vegas, is going to cost less than $2000. We%26#039;re also going to renew our vows in September (for the friends/family who can%26#039;t make it to Vegas) and I expect that to cost less than $5000.





Now, granted, we%26#039;re getting a lot of help (a friend is making the cake for cost, another is doing the wedding dress for no charge, pictures done by a friend who is a professional photographer who is giving us a sizable discount as his wedding gift ...) but no, it doesn%26#039;t have to cost so much.





As for my sister: she admits, in retrospect, she spent way, way, WAY too much money, especially for something that%26#039;s over in six hours.
Reply:I have done a lot of weddings ... the national average is about 25k, for now, but is growing steadily. If you are in large cities, that price is probably going to be much higher. I have done them for as little as 15k to as much as 100k+ so it really depends on the couple. I%26#039;m sure your sister%26#039;s wedding is going to be beautiful!!!
Reply:it%26#039;s ALOT of money.......they should buy a house instead !
Reply:that%26#039;s just crazy. i would prefer to just take the cash instead of a lavish wedding. my wedding was cheap and small. 60 people invited. it was under $5000 altogether. if your sister and fiance had to pay for it out of their own pocket like i did, things would get a lot less fancy.
Reply:18k and it was awesome.. money does not matter..what matters is that everything went well and everyone you loved was there having fun ..that is it
Reply:under 3 grand
Reply:TO ME THATS CRAZY AND FOOLISH CAUSE THERES NO NEED FOR SPENDING ALL THAT MONEY ON A FANCY WEDDING WHEN YOU CAN SAVE THE MONEY AND HAVE A SMALL WEDDING AND USE THE EXSTRA MONEY FOR THINGS IN LIFE HOPE THIS HELPS.......
Reply:No the average for a wedding is around 30,000 which is about what mine will cost. over 50 grand is not unusual but it is over the average.
Reply:my wedding was about $3000...50 grand could be used as a really nice payment on a house. I would rather have that than a huge, flashy wedding that only she and her husband will really ever remember. is she nuts?
Reply:Wow...Thats a lot of subway sandwiches.
Reply:That%26#039;s insane! My boyfriend and I agree that money like that should be spent on a dowmpayment on a house, or an education.


And as someone told me, in a wedding, there are a lot of people to please (friends and family), but the honey moon is all about you and your spouse.
Reply:The first one was about $5,000. The one I am planning now will be about $3,500. Good for your sister if they have that kind of money to spend on the event!!! If I had the money, cost would be no object to make the most wonderful day of my life perfect!
Reply:Don%26#039;t laugh, because its true, but in 1965 my wedding cost $4500 and that is total..everything. It was held in a beautiful wedding hall, sit down dinner, with a 4 pc. live band. 150 people. We had beautiful flowers, at church and on each table in the wedding hall and bouquets, corsages, boutinieers for the men. Also 2 limos. But your sister is right, because weddings today cost a fortune. Especially on the eastcoast of the U.S. like New York, Connecticut, New Jersey. But frankly it has gotten out of hand and weddings can be done a little less expensive if everyone shopped around a bit more and cut a few corners. But that is a special day for brides and they spare no expense.
Reply:Obviously someone who thinks a %26quot;good%26quot; wedding is judged by a 50,000 dollar price tag isn%26#039;t invested in the real reason for a wedding - the marriage!!! I%26#039;d much rather get married by a JP and be in love and happy for the rest of my life. I guess the more the wedding costs, the more the divorce will cost! :P
Reply:My wedding is probably going to end up costing about $15,000 by the time I am done!!!! There will be 300 people, an ungodly amount of food, a photobooth....Oh and we don%26#039;t have to pay anything at all for the ceremony except the officiants fee!!!! So its pretty much just for the reception except for the obvious things like my dress, the photographer, the limo ETC.
Reply:I am getting married in 4 weeks and I didn%26#039;t/haven%26#039;t/wouldn%26#039;t spend that much on my wedding. The most expensive thing we are paying for is our food, which will cost $2275.00 and thats with 125 guests. Our floral arrangements are only costing us about $315.00. Your sister has expensive taste...or didn%26#039;t shop around. I didn%26#039;t have an event coordinator...I had the help of my mom and stepmom. Quite frankly...we needed to keep a tight budget, because we paid for everything ourselves, but a nice wedding can run as cheap as 5 grand...or less. It doesn%26#039;t need to be something you are paying on for the rest of your life.
Reply:$5500 for the reception


$100 for the favors


$1500 for the photographer


$150 centerpieces and decorations


$4000 for honeymoon, including travel, hotel and all expenses





A fantastic wedding at a great price, being told by many many people who attended it was the best wedding they%26#039;ve ever been to....priceless.
Reply:My wedding wasn%26#039;t even $5,000 and we had a very nice wedding. If you%26#039;re spending $50,000 on a wedding either you%26#039;ve got too much money or not enough brains.





Do you realize what 50K could do to get a young couple started in life? That is a half of a first home (1/3-1/4 of a second home), a great start to a retirement fund, or college to a good school for the first born child.
Reply:My wedding has already cost me $14,500 and I%26#039;m not even half way done with the preparations.
Reply:you know that%26#039;s a really rude question, right?


If this is just a curious question, pose it differently without specifics. Tone it down. If you%26#039;re concerned for her financial security, don%26#039;t be. She knows what she%26#039;s doing.



dental

What are some cost effective ways to ship delicate items?

I am going to be shipping floral arrangements. How do I go about obtaining the best rates from the best shippers like UPS, Fed-Ex, etc. Who are the more reliable shippers?

What are some cost effective ways to ship delicate items?
Are your arrangement live or silk?





If silk - go to your local office supply store and purchase some bubble wrap - great for packing and virtually weightless. Wrap well in bubble wrap for protection and then place in box. Tape well and mark fragile. Then go on-line and check the best rates for your destination and weight and time frame for arrival.





If it is live - your local florist can send for you - they have the packing experience for live plants and great rates already established with their shipper.
Reply:Shipping delicate items is never cheap.. if you absolutely have to ship them, use a professional courier company, such as FedEx or DHL.
Reply:i think fed ex is a good place to start and get it insured
Reply:Problem is how your package is handled by each individual employee. Both Fed-Ex and UPS work well. But you have to assume your package will take some mishandling and abuse. Make sure to label %26quot;fragile%26quot; multiple times, and package well enough to survive mild crushing and drops.
Reply:fed ex



Payday Loan

What are your thoughts on a cyber-coffee shop with $6. a month membership fee?

I am in the process of opening a %26#039;cyber-coffee shop%26#039; and need an informal survey on the idea of a coffee shop with internet stations, wi-fi access, for a membership fee of $6 a month. There will be many different kinds of coffee, cappucino, espresso, herbal teas, and pastries. There will also be an in house selection of books and local news papers available. A selection of home made candles, professional silk floral arrangements, and novelty gifts for sale as well.


What are you thoughts? Would you frequent a real live %26quot;Central Perk%26quot; type place in your area?

What are your thoughts on a cyber-coffee shop with $6. a month membership fee?
Ehhh... I%26#039;m a cheap ***, so probably not honestly. :) But don%26#039;t let me stop ya!
Reply:if you make the internet access free as part of the membership benfits, why yes! you%26#039;d also have to make quiet environments for people to work peacfully without all the noise that is so common in most cybercafes.
Reply:if 6 buck is for the access, you%26#039;ll go broke inside of 1 month
Reply:So if I spend 4 hrs. a day for a month in this %26quot;Central Perk%26quot; it only cost me $6.00?
Reply:What does the membership include? . . . Internet access? Is coffee gonna be five bucks like at %26quot;Fivebucks%26quot;? (Oh, Starbucks, whoops)
Reply:Six bucks a month is cheap, especially if you are talking broadband. Sounds like it will be %26#039;the spot%26#039;. Good Luck!


Hope it goes extremely well for you.


PS not everywhere with WiFi is free..... some places charge by the hour and give you a security key.



Soles

Anybody else here make things?

I make crafts like candles that look just like a real ice cream sundae, floral arrangements, sewing and crocheting. What do you make? I was just wondering and maybe hoping to get a new idea.

Anybody else here make things?
I carve Leather, Custom make tool pouches, saddle bags and seats for Harley-Davidsom and other motorcycles.... In other words I craft Steel and Leather.......Kool


..............: 0
Reply:I crochet and do plastic canvas. Right now I%26#039;m working on a banner flag for Christmas it%26#039;s almost done! If you want you can email me and we can discuss crafts. Have you looked into the Yahoo groups? There are a lot of them for different crafts.
Reply:I like to knit %26amp; cross stitch.
Reply:I love to crochet. I just finished making my baby girl a winter hat and blanket.
Reply:i can make sculptures with my poop does that count
Reply:I make pieced paper greeting cards. They never sell though since I do not go around flogging them! I like to make them for other people and give them as gifts, and they do the writing inside and mail them off.
Reply:I love crafting. I make jewelry and glue buttons onto frames. I get a lot of ideas from Martha Stewart. Check out this site for some good ideas: http://forums.marthastewart.com/n/pfx/fo... And she always has ideas in every magazine. Here%26#039;s a list of projects too: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?...
Reply:I enjoy making beaded jewelry. I sell some pieces, but mostly give them as gifts. My daughter likes to wear a lot of the items I make.





I also like to scrapbook and make stamped greeting cards.
Reply:try garden ridge
Reply:Wow... where do I start??


I am in the middle of making a beautiful rose quilt.


I am also crocheting 3 afghans and a infant baby dress.


I crochet doilies, placemats, scarfs, mittens, taboggins, and beautiful coasters.


I like to make cabins and houses out of popcicle sticks.


I also make christmas ornaments and decorations out of construction paper such as large frilly wreaths to hang on the door, Large garland candy canes for a display in my living room along with a huge snowman with balled up colored tissue, silver bells with aluminum foil, small puzzle pieces christmas tree ornaments.


I pretty much make all kinds of things when it comes to holidays. I decorated a whole room full of Halloween decorations from construction paper and plastic bags


I make bunny cakes for Easter and Christmas tree Cakes for Christmas.


I would like to start learning to knit. That is my next challenge if I can finish all that I have already started.
Reply:I make beaded crosses and other wire-%26amp;-bead jewelry, I knit all sorts of things -- I prefer making my own patterns, and I do share if you email me -- and I sew most of my own clothes. I make my own patterns there, too. That way, I get what I want. It%26#039;s always seemed silly to me to let someone halfway around the world, whom I%26#039;ve never even met, decide what I%26#039;m going to be wearing this season. Makes no sense to me.





If you want to see my jewelry (yes, I share instructions) email me and I%26#039;ll send you my website.
Reply:I make bedspreads, I make them light so they can be used year round- the way I make them you can do 1 in less than a week - e-mail me and I will tell you how. with no fiber filling.
Reply:With the holidays near, I make %26quot;snow families%26quot;. I use different size styrofoam balls. I attach 3 together using toothpicks and then decorate them with felt, buttons, googly eyes, hats, etc.


You can use a glue gun to attach these.



acne scar

Gardening folks...who knows where that blue green/purple thistle gorws?

It is commonly used in floral arrangements. I live in Pittsburgh....warm climate during the growing season. Anyone know what it is or how to grow it? Thanks

Gardening folks...who knows where that blue green/purple thistle gorws?
protea is the name and tropical is the location
Reply:Are you talking about the weedy thistle that grows wild in fields due to birds pooping their undigested seeds out? Because I know they have a purple bloom.



hairstyles hair style

What native Maine flowers are in bloom in Fall (September 22 wedding)?

Wedding is September 22nd in coastal Maine and we are looking to use native floral arrangements. Any orchid or day lilly substitute available at this time of year in Maine?

What native Maine flowers are in bloom in Fall (September 22 wedding)?
I don%26#039;t think there will be too much in bloom at that time of year. There will be mums (not necessarily native, but will be blooming) You may also have some hydrangeas (these also look beautiful dried). There might be some wildflowers blooming such as black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne%26#039;s lace, goldenrod etc. Don%26#039;t forget about berries such as bittersweet. If the leaves are starting to turn you could also use those for some color. I would suggest finding a good local florist who will help you create the look that you want for your wedding.
Reply:How about New England asters or Jerusalem artichokes ---both beautiful and native to Maine... Report It

Reply:flowers bloom at the time
Reply:I just looked this up under google, fall flowers in bloom in maine, there is a bit of information but depneds on where your having your wedding and so on....click the link and look around, they even have a spot to ask questions.



genealogy mormon