Cost Effective Invitations When On A Budget

I had set myself a strict budget as well having our post destination wedding reception in my home town.  I knew would be saving tons of money by having at a venue is my small home town.  Hence all other details, was looking for a deal.  Depending on your venue, I found "PARTY CITY" Whom did a tri fold wedding invitation for us.  It saves money to not have to buy additional cost in additional envelopes for the rsvp card.  You just place one stamp to send and one stamp on the rsvp card in which your guest will tear off and put back in the mail to rsvp.  It's a cost saver type of invitation of a multi fold.  For 150 invitations with set up fee was around $147 and some change. 

It is a great option for invitations when on a budget.

Weather Mishaps and Outdoor Venues

Ok so my wedding pre and post tornado storm mishap was not quite as bad as this movie clip but it gave me a heads up on what I should have asked of my venue.

Remember ladies and gentlemen, we are in it to save some money with utilizing a smaller venue, restaurant patio, public place.  However I never thought having our wedding reception venue during the summer of Colorado would go wrong.  It's your wedding planning and everything is supposed to be perfect damnit! 

Well I would have never have thought that a tornado was an option during the summer or anytime in Colorado as always thought those tornado drills they made us partake in in grade school were just to keep us in check.  NEVER EVER IN MY LIFE have seen or heard of a tornado in this area and VOILA... day of my wedding reception came the strong rains and then the tornado warnings.  Driving to my venue had strong winds and some rain.  The tornado came and hit west of town.  Nature was nice enough to at least let my guests partake of the hard work of décor put together and for us all to have dinner on the patio of the restaurant venue, but right about three minutes past second helpings, the post tornado rain storms set in all over the immediate area!

My husbands BFF gave our speech in the pre sprinkles but by the end of his speech, my uncles and cousins were helping the DJ to move his equipment inside the venue.  NOW.  The venue ironically, the inside of the restaurant is about a fourth of the size of the gorgeous patio I booked for my reception.  He had another party inside the restaurant and a pretty full house of customers.  So aside from running under and overhang, eventually we were moved inside but it was just something I never thought could possibly happen.  The venue did not have the room to move my whole reception inside immediately and honestly no tent any venue could have had could have withstood the heavy post rains and wind. 

What I am trying to tell you is when utilizing a option to save money, ask the venue should you get a rainstorm if they have a back up plan for you.   A tornado that day was seriously a fluke for us but if you have an outdoor venue in an area where a storm or gosh forbid, a tornado could kick up; have a back up plan.  It is something that should always be discussed with your venue.  I certainly would have never thought of having to but after our experience, I encourage you when planning your frugal affair to ask of your outdoor venue. 

PS.  No rain or wind stopped my guests from having a blast anyway but it would have been nice if the tornado hit the day after:)

It's Finally Over!

 

The finale of the long planned wedding reception and I am traumatized at all the money that was washed away.  Too many games by others and a lovely post tornado rain storm.  Yup we arrived to some rain as a tornado warning had just passed.  By the way I had a outdoor venue of a restaurant whose lounge area and the restaurant were full of two other parties until at least 9pm. 

 

I arrived and the friend who promised to have everything perfect was doing early shots at the bar as my wedding favors and goodie bags still sat in a storage closet of the restaurant.  I love how she looked so tired of putting everything together as she drunkenly pulled tampons out of her purse while ordering another shot. 

 

My assigned bartender was pouring like we were a bar on the port of Oakland when the sailors used to dock.  Then she had the nerve to put out a tip jar to my guests which promptly came down since I was paying them 18% on top of the total cost.  That is very generous in a small town.

 

The rain subsided enough to be dry and we could eat but then promptly high winds came in as well the rain.  Our best man stood there doing his speech as the guests had retreated to the overhang.  Of course had to yell at my early starter to SHUT UP so folks could hear him. 

 

The cookies were raided before their time and many guests did not get any.  Our slow dance song started to sound like a broken dragged record which knew at that point the DJ's equipment was going south due to the rain and stop dancing to tell him to shut it down. 

 

He as well was playing a lot of songs never asked for.  Eventually we were able to move into the lounge area and the cake was cut by a staff member as I had had it between the loud drunken one the restaurant owner told me I was legally responsible for.  The DJ doing his own thing.  The bartender doing sailor pours and having to negotiate another three bottles of alcohol.  There was barely any room to dance.  And about the last hour I was hitting some double Johnny Walker Black neats compliments of the owner as think he felt a bit bad for our rain issue.  After three doubles I said buckle up bitches and it was on.  I gave most of all the décor away to one of the servers as well the rest of the cake.  Did some dancing and was elated the venue closed it up for me. 

 

All had to say is despite my attention to detail being washed away and the legal liability guest, the food was awesome.  The cake was delicious.  Guess one of my fave memories of the evening was dancing in the rain to Earth Wind and Fire.  Then we were off to a private party.. with a roof:)  Oh well one day will look back and laugh.  Until then don't even want to hear John Legend's name!

 

RSVP Etiquette. Does it really exist!

I wish I could have put the following disclosure into my wedding invitations.

 

Dear guest.  Please RSVP, yes that means stick this little card back in the mail with your names checked and your menu choice by the date listed. There is a reason there is a stamp on there.  Not following this common courtesy could result in the following.

 

I have a restaurant venue doing a special menu for me.  In fact it is a Indian Restaurant who will be doing a more Lebanese style menu for my guests inclusive of beef kabobs which they normally do not serve beef at their restaurant so I have to know what your dinner choice is. If you show up and there is no beef kabob for you, I don't want to hear about you griping over having to go with the Mango Chicken!  And as with any wedding we are paying a caterer, venue or hotel to feed you.  Depending where or what your venue is this could be anywhere from $20.00 to $90.00 or more per person.  And that is just the food!  If you happen to be lucky enough for me to let you drink for free, my per person costs arise and I have accounted for you but I don't need to be getting your daughters boyfriends fed and his drink on.  I also don't need the venue thinking I am sneaking in more people than paid them for and I don't need you going hungry because you did not rsvp. 

 

But wait.  You see I am the bride and I will not be working the door as I am supposed to be having a blast on my special day.  Your names have to be on the list and if you were given a plus one option, I need your guests name because security will be checking you off the list with instructions that no one not on the list be allowed to enter.  Bringing the gal you picked up at the bar the night before is probably not going to fly with me anyway but I do need to know who you are bringing somewhat reasonably prior to me handing over the list to the security company. 

 

Last but not least folks when you are sent a invitation with specific names, it normally is not acceptable to write in your husbands half side of the family or that new girl your son is seeing unless I gave you free reign to put any names.  Even with that option, be courteous to me.  There is a reason for specific names and usually the reason is because there is a budget!  I am trying to keep my reception financially friendly to my budget as it is not a social event where I am spending half a grand on your family alone to eat and drink for free! I fail to see where you do not understand this when I got your rsvp back with five extra names written on it. 

 

Thanking you kindly for your on time rsvp in the mail and me not having to give you a hasty call.

 

 

Having a 'Adult Only Wedding'!

I knew it was going to come eventually.  The scorn or comments regarding someone's children attending our venue. 

 

"What.  Are our girls now allowed at your wedding reception?"  (huff huff)

"I am not sure if you got to see the invitation but we made it a adult only affair.  C'mon it's a fun night out with your lovely wife.  Alone.  Having a blast!"

 

No matter how you put it.  You will have those who praise you for giving them a reason for their parents to watch the kids for the night.  Or you are going to be table gossip for some time until someone else's decisions deem their attention.
"Oh I know have you ever heard anything so ridiculous!  No children.  Just unbelievable she would do something like that to exclude the children!"

 

Either way in life or business, you are not going to please everyone.  They will get over it.  And if they don't, probably need a life!

Defining the 'Vegan' guest to your venues.

 

 

 

 

My husband's BFF wife is vegan.  And honestly if only can be a fly on the wall in their life for a week.  She is die hard 1001% Vegan and the husband is a big time meat, potatoes and everything with meat type of guy. 

 

Regardless she is the only 'Vegan' I have attending our venue.  Now the term 'Vegetarian' has hit my little old home town but 'Vegan' is quite foreign to them.  I am sure if my reception was at a five star hotel they could handle this a bit better.  Hence a all veggie kabob for dinner is about as Vegan as my venue can get for me. 

 

We are hosting a meet and greet dinner for the out of town guests the evening prior with a bit of a fiesta theme.  My cousin and her husband are doing this for me in their beautiful huge garden.  A margarita machine and fajita's.  I asked if she would do a meatless green chile and keep all the ingredients separate.  And I told her I was going to pick up a 'Soyrizo' for my Vegan guest.  Now of course the name and term of a meatless chorizo is also foreign to folks in little town Colorado. 

"Oh well then she can eat shrimp fajitas!" My cousin bellowed in all her naivetés.  Hahaha.

 

No no my dear folks.  Vegetarian no meat.  Pescatarian, way off. Raw Foodies and different league overkill.  Vegan., nothing made of any animal or living thing with eyes and a pulse.  No meat, no fish, shellfish, nothing made of eggs, butter, dairy.  Which also set off another reminder that the desserts and such are made in traditional ways. 

 

So I have one Vegan guest but will be stopping off at 'Whole Foods' on our way in from the Denver airport to also buy some vegan cookies and a vegan cupcake for dessert for her for our wedding reception.  I hope they notice that I am going above and beyond appeasing her diet wishes from creating a protein packed flavor punch you can't tell it's not chorizo fajita filling for her with fried potatoes and black beans.  I first learned of 'Soyrizo' when saw a before she was famous episode of Aarti Paarti. 

I went out and found the product at my local Safeway, Sprouts and Whole Foods here in Northern California.  But also think my knowledge of these various levels of being Veg and living in California has helped me figure out where to go for such product when I am not in Northern California.  I have my cousin separating the grilled veggies from the meats and a meatless chile.  We got cookies and a cupcake and think that is about as high as I can go on the 'vegan'mometer' of hospitality:)  Ole!!

 

When 'Step-Family' and mis-step's of Family rears it's ugly head in your wedding planning!

 

I am sure this story many of you have.  Unfortunately 'bridezilla's not only surfaces out of stress of detail, but can also surface out of family issues.  My story is somewhat of a half a familiar tale.  Dad meet's woman with two kids.  Before his only daughter returns from a graduation trip her kids are moved into her room and office as their own bedroom.  Dad picks fight with real daughter.  Real daughter flees to Arizona with a aunt and attends college.  Real daughter even though has done nothing wrong comes back and kisses the father's ass as the new wife looks on puffing on her cigarette pissed as hell they have reconciled.  Dumb ass real daughter thinks all if fine throughout the course of the next 20 or so years.  Real daughter meets man she will marry who has a daughter and then realizes what a sneaky low down lying woman her Father's wife has been all these years..  Step sister decides to pick fight with real daughter over something out of the blue that the real daughter still has no idea where stemmed from. 

 

Real daughter is now engaged and gives these two females a closed case pass to attend a congratulatory dinner in which they both declined and made fools of themselves.  Not only that they no showed with lies of work and kids events to having a tooth pulled...and obviously how much respect they have for the real daughters father..  The man they call Husband and Dad now. 

 

Real daughter is over it and gives a second pass sending them invitations in to which whatever is being fed to the real father, is making his life hell.  They supposedly want me to sit down and kiss their asses because per the message, "They are willing to sit down and forgive you!"

 

FOR WHAT!  And since the Father is now older and obviously losing his memory big time of all the evil things these women said behind his real daughter's back; the real daughter has had to put her foot down.  Thank goodness for surrogate family in times like this like your venue owners, close friends, family who have your back!  Not in a rabble rousing sense but to say, 'We don't like the way you have treated your daughter and let her be treated over the years!  We will not be there to see you and your royal family but to see our beloved friend, niece, cousin and her lifelong love!  Shape up evil family members. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU.. IT'S ABOUT THE WEDDING COUPLE SO DON'T MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF!  As even I am hiring security and will have your ass escorted out!