Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding!

I understand that everyone has a budget, and there are plenty of ways to keep costs down:  

• Trim your guest list by eliminating kids, and plus ones.  
• Use candles instead of flowers as some, or all of your centerpieces. 
• Check with your venue and see if they have vases, votives you can use before you buy/rent them.
• Skip chair covers and sashes if it's an extra cost at your venue.  
• Have a buffet, or family style instead of a sit down dinner. 
• Have a small cake for the two of you to cut, and have sheet cakes (hidden in the back of course!) or cupcakes/cake pops for your guests. 
• Forget the limo and/or Photo Booth unless it fits into your budget. They're both fun, but not necessary.  
• Try to borrow a veil, sash/belt, and/or jewelry from a family member or friend as your "something borrowed/old". It will save you so much money!

Here are some examples of things not to do when looking to save money: 

• Not feeding your vendors. I once saw an article about ways to save money on your wedding, and one was not serving your vendors, or giving them a cheaper meal.  This is something that is not okay.  Your vendors will work VERY hard on your wedding day, and they deserve more than a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips.  

• A cash bar. It's NEVER okay to have a cash bar.  When someone gets invited to your wedding, they won't expect to have to pay for their own alcohol.  Limit it to just beer and wine and one or two signature drinks if you have to cut bar costs, but don't make people pay.  

• Only having one entree.  Some people think that a good way to cut costs is to limit people's choices to only 1 entree instead of the standard 2 or 3.  You will probably save $2-3 per person that way, but not everyone likes/wants chicken.  It's best to have chicken or fish, a red meat, and a vegetarian option. 

• Not having a DJ.  Some couples feel like hiring a DJ is an unnecessary cost when you could use your friends speakers and an iPod.  This is fine if you're just looking for some background music throughout the night, but not if you want people to dance and have a fun time.  A DJ is what really gets the party started.  There are ways to find a cheaper- but still a good- DJ.

• Skipping Hors d'oeuvres.  My number one rule is: your guests should NEVER be hungry! When your guests arrive at the venue for cocktail hour, there needs to be food! I'm not saying you need to spend $5-$10 extra per person for a ton of food that will fill up your guests before dinner.  You should however have some kind of cheese, fruit, veggies, etc. to hold them over.  

Happy Planning!!

XO, Val.  

just married. by vebullock featuring silk scarves

Kate Spade silk scarve
katespade.com

Rosey and Josh's Wedding | September 20, 2014

I met Rosey and Josh almost a year ago when they were looking for some help planning their September wedding. We went to Quail Hallow State Park in Hartville, and we all fell in love with it!  They were such an easy couple to work with!! If things didn't go exactly how they wanted, all they cared about was getting married.  What more could you ask for?!

The Ceremony.

I was a good blogger and actually brought my camera with me to this wedding! I somehow had a few seconds during the craziness to capture the brides creativity, and the happy couple! 

Because September 20th is so unpredictable when it comes to weather, we decided it would be best to rent a tent from Sullys Rental, and have the reception under there incase it rained, or was really cold.

If I would have guessed what the weather would be, 80 degrees and sunny would not be it!! Besides it being a little windy, we couldn't have asked for a better day!  Even though renting the tent was originally for rain/cold, it was a good thing we had it to keep the sun off everyone!

Rosey was one of the biggest DIY brides I've ever met, and to top it off she is EXTREMELY creative and crafty!

Toni from Dishes by Design and her team made the best wedding food I have ever had in my life, and I've had A LOT of wedding food! Rosey wanted some autumn food, so Toni suggested butternut squash ravioli with pecan cinnamon sauce!! It was my favorite part of the dinner! Everything else was a 10 out of 10, but those ravioli were a 12! I meant to take a picture of the dinner, but I ate it WAY too fast! Even the Hors d'oeuvres were superb! Toni and her staff were all extremely professional, and helpful.  

When Rosey told me that the woman making her cake was making a couple different flavors of cake and cupcakes, I didn't image such verity! It was such an adorable setup, and to top it off, everything was delicious!!

Having an outdoor wedding will ALWAYS have it's challenges, but we couldn't have asked for a better day! In my opinion it was a perfect wedding.  It was a beautiful venue, the weather was great, the food was delicious, and the guests had a great time! All those things together are what make an excellent wedding!  I was so happy with the way to day turned out, and I hope Rosey and Josh feel the same way! 

XO, Val. 

Julie and Dave's Wedding | July 19, 2014

I've known Julie for years, and helped with two weddings that she was a bridesmaid in.  I'm really happy both weddings went well, because soon after she got engaged, she called me asking to help her on her big day! She explained that she didn't want to worry about anything that day, and really wanted to enjoy it! Julie was a VERY DIY bride, and worked so hard on her wedding day! I wanted nothing more than to make the day she planned so perfectly to go as smoothy as possible.

Olivia Grace Perspective

Something VERY important to the couple was that people had a good time, and they did! The DJ was great and made sure people were out on the dance floor all night long!  Since Dave is a DJ, and does weddings all the time, I knew he'd have the best DJ for his own wedding.

Olivia Grace Perspective 

Unfortunately it rained on and off all day, but they made it outside at the right time, and got some AMAZING pictures! Olivia of Oliva Grace Perspective did SUCH a beautiful job! She's so sweet, so easy going, and such a professional photographer for being so young!    

  

The best way to explain Julie is 'Classic Beauty'.  She has beautiful pale skin, that doesn't need a drop of makeup, and then that gorgeous dark hair a la Audrey Hepburn.  I couldn't wait to see how lovely she'd look on her wedding day, and as you see, she was stunning!  Julie told me how great the day was, and how happy she was to finally be married.  Dave on the other hand didn't need to tell me.  I don't know Dave very well, but what I do know is he absolutely adores Julie. Dave couldn't keep his eyes off his new bride the whole night, there was such love and happiness in that look.  It was very special to witness their love. 

Olivia Grace Perspective 

Olivia Grace Perspective

Chris of Chris' Floral worked very hard with Julie to get the exact color of flowers she wanted.  The bright colors REALLY popped with the bridesmaids classic black Vera Wang dresses. 

Olivia Grace Perspective

Olivia Grace Perspective

The team of stylist at MC Hair did an amazing job on hair and makeup for the bride and bridesmaids! 

Olivia Grace Perspective

Olivia Grace Perspective

Julie and Dave were a pleasure to work with.  I'm so happy they chose me to help them on their special day! 

XO, Val.

Jen and Mike's Wedding | July 11, 2014

I had the pleasure of working with Jen only nine months after I helped her older sister Rachelle with her wedding. Being laid back is something that runs in the family! They both cared about getting married, and the rest of the details didn't matter much!

On the day of the wedding, Jen- who's already gorgeous- was STUNNING!! She would have loved to have her wedding outside, walk barefoot through a field, and put fresh flowers in her hair.  But being Catholic, that wasn't really an option for them.  She settled for a beautiful church wedding, a great pair of shoes, and a lovely crown of fresh flowers (and bouquet) from Chris' Floral, in her hair.  

Jen and Mike's First Look with Gra Photography, and the reception took place at St. George Fellowship Centre in Akron.  

Right after they their first look! So happy!!

I'm so happy I got a picture with the newly weds!!! 

Jen and Mike were such a pleasure to work with.  They are so in love and couldn't stop smiling the entire night!! 

XO, Val. 

The Perfect Fall Wedding!

When you think of a fall wedding, you might think rustic, and a red, orange, yellow and brown color scheme, but it can be much more than that! When I think of a fall wedding, I of course think of the beautiful changing leaves, and crisp fall air, but I also think of rich colors, and hearty food!

Fall weddings have always been a very popular time to get married.  If you’re having a fall wedding, don’t think that you have to have bales of hay, pumpkins, and burlap.  It also doesn't mean you have to have a halloween themed wedding!!

Instead of putting your bridal party in orange, try plum!  Orange, yellow, and red flowers will really pop!

Some couples think that since they are having a fall wedding, they need to have part or all of their wedding outdoors.  In Ohio the weather is VERY unpredictable! If you have your wedding in early fall- september, and early october- you could have nice weather to be outside, but the leaves probably won't change by then.  If you wait until mid-October into early November, you'll have a much better chance of beautiful fall leaves, but it could be 30 or 40 degrees and there could even be snow by then!! Everyone wants that perfect 60 degree day with the beautiful leaves, and the slight chill in the air.  The chances of getting that are, unfortunately, very rare.

You can still have the feel of a fall wedding without being outside.  Your centerpieces can have fall colors, you can have pumpkin flavored desserts, or your favors could be a delicious caramel apple.  You can even have a "candy bar" where guest fill a bag with candy!  It's like adult trick-or-treating! YUM!!

fall wedding by vebullock featuring fall home decor

As you can clearly see I LOVE fall! It's my favorite time of the year! If you can't/don't want to have your wedding in fall, it's also a great time to do engagement pictures!

Happy Planning!
Val



Red Arrow Photography

Fall home decor
etsy.com

Fall silk wedding bouquet in rust and burnt yellow, bridal bouquet
etsy.com

Wedding Trend | #WeddingHashtag

Hashtags are nothing new when it comes to social media. It's also not new for couples to have a hashtag for their wedding.  There are definite pros of wedding hashtags, but there are also cons! I for one love them, but I understand why people have a problem with them. Getting the guests perspective is nothing new! Remember when everyone had disposable cameras on every  table at their reception? It's like a modern version of that!

The Pros:

• It's a fun way for your guests to feel involved during your wedding!
• You and your new spouse get to see some wedding pictures the next day easily by just looking up your hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
• You could get to see a moment of the wedding that your photographer didn't get. (Not that your photographer would miss anything important, but most of the time photographers don't stay until the end of the reception!)
• You might end up getting one of your favorite candid shots from the wedding that a guest just happened to catch! 
• If you don't choose your own hashtag, guests will try to make up their own. It's best to have one posted somewhere at the wedding so there's not 4 different hashtags floating around with your wedding pictures. You could put it in your invitations, in the program at the ceremony, or somewhere at the reception. 

The Cons:

• Depending on the ages of your guests, some people might not understand the concept of hashtags, and will just be confused by the whole thing.
• You could get really disappointed that only a handful of people post pictures.  You might see 12 pictures of your cousin and her boyfriend,  and one blurry picture of you walking down the isle. 
• People might want to take and edit pictures during the ceremony and reception, so they might not be paying attention during important parts of the wedding.
• As a photographer it can get REALLY annoying when all the guests are trying to get pictures and might get in their way! If guests are using flash, it's even more annoying for them!
• The first picture that ends up on social media of your wedding could be a very unflattering picture of you. Do you want that to be the first picture people see?

Advice:

• Research your hashtag before hand! Make sure you don't have the same one as another couples wedding!

Are you having a hashtag at your wedding?

xo, Val.

Unexpected Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day!

Today I want to talk about a couple things that could save you money on your wedding day!

Over the summer, and into the Fall, three of the couples I am working with have opted to not have a bridal party.  A bridal party is something that people just assume needs to be part of your big day.  The biggest cost to the bride and groom when it comes to a bridal party is the flowers.  If you have five bridesmaids and five groomsman in your bridal party, plus parents, grandparents, and the two of you, you could be close to $700 in just bouquets and boutonnieres.  There are many expenses the bridal party takes care of, but flowers isn't one of them.

Something else is bridal party gifts. No one says you have to give them gifts, but it is expected.  Spending at least $50 on each person is pretty standard.  With ten members of your bridal party, that's around $500 that you probably didn't budget for.

Also, if you don't have a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary.  It's again, a large cost, and if the two of you are paying for it yourself, it could break the bank.  If someone else has offered to pay for the rehearsal (it's traditional for the grooms parents to pay), you can still have it with family, close friends and out of town guests.  You could also explain to the person that offered to pay that since you're not having a bridal party, a rehearsal dinner isn't necessary, and maybe that money can be put to better use somewhere else in the budget.

It's becoming more and more popular to have a close friend of family member marry the couple  instead of hiring an efficient or minister for their wedding day.  I have three couples this year that have opted for this option! If you're getting married outside, or at a venue other than a church, you're going to have to hire an officiant or a minister to marry you.  It's again a cost most couples don't think about. Good officiants charge between $250-$400, and some even charge for traveling and the rehearsal!  If you have someone you know marry you, it will be much more personal. You should offer to pay the fee for them to get ordained, but that's only around $50.  Get them a nice gift to thank them, but even then you're saving so much money.


Hope this helped!!
xo, Val

outside wedding. by vebullock featuring bridal gowns

Nicole Miller bridal gown
nicolemiller.com

Home decor
paperstyle.com

Wedding Planning Timeline | Ten/Nine Month Mark.

Hi everyone!

Around the ten and nine month mark leading up to your wedding, you need to start making decisions!

If you've had a a year or more to plan your wedding, by the ten month mark you really need to finalize your venue.  You've done your research, visited several places, so now the contract needs to be signed, and the deposit needs to be made.  You really don't want to lose your dream venue because you don't want to commit, because believe me, you will lose it!

You also need to find the place you're having your ceremony- if it's not the same as the location of the reception. If you're having it in a church, outside, or somewhere else, you need to make a decision!

Depending on if you book your ceremony space first, or your reception space first, you should keep them relatively close in location.

At this point in the planning process, you most likely have your dream guest list written out.  You have everyone you'd love to have, but you know it's unrealistic.  You should now break your list down into an 'A list' and a 'B list'.  The 'A list' is all the people you know have to be there.  It's also about what fits into your guest list based on what the venue allows, and/or your budget allows.  The 'B list' is other people you'd love to have at your wedding, but they'd understand if they weren't invited.

Depending on how many people you invite to your wedding, expect around 15% of those people to not be able to make it for some reason or another. 

No one wants  to know that they are on your B list.  It's obviously not something you want to talk about.  You however have this list incase you start getting a lot of 'no's' right away.  You are going to get 'No's' from people no matter what, but sometimes it seems like some couples get more 'no's' than average. This is where the 'B list' comes in handy. You don't want to be sending these invitations a week before your wedding; send them out as soon as possible so it's no obvious to them! If you invite 220, you should expect 200 "yes's". If your numbers start getting lower than that, you need your B list. 

You should also purchase your wedding dress at this point in the planning process.  The dress could take up to eight months to come in.  You'll want a little time once it comes in to have it altered.

Happy Planning!! 

xo, Val.

wedding. by vebullock featuring evening shoes

Reem Acra pleated maxi skirt
shopbop.com

Evening shoes
modcloth.com

Home decor
minted.com

Wedding Invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations & Announcements by...
weddingpaperdivas.com