Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Sh*t People Say to Brides

I know this is a popular topic lately on YouTube.  I got a kick out of this article, so I thought I'd share.  Some of the comments were more amusing to me than the article though.


The top questions I keep getting that are kinddd of annoying are...
- So what do you still have left to do?
- Do you have your dress?  (Followed by: Can I see it?)


I think I was asked these about 5 times in the last week.  I should just answer "Yes, I'm done with EVERYTHING..." because answering truthfully takes me like 20 minutes because they ask details for everything I still have left to do. lol

But I think the WORST is... *drum roll*
"What's your date again?"

I sent you a Save the Date more than a month ago for a REASON!! lol

Feel free to comment with top annoying questions you get!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Bridal Shows are totally worth it!

Since the day of my engagement... I sought out, found, and wanted to go to bridal shows.  And now, there's one in Syracuse tomorrow... so I figured I'd share my experiences and thoughts about them.

In Central New York we are lucky enough to have a company called Syracuse Weddings (the same people also own Rochester Weddings and Utica Weddings).  They host bridal shows about 2 times a year in each city.  Brides plus unlimited guests can go for free.  

You can pre-register online, which I suggest because otherwise you have to wait on a line and fill out forms.  If you pre-register they mail your ticket to you, so if just hand it in and go.  Or if you forget your ticket you can just give your name, they find it on a list and you can go in.  Once you get there, your ticket is your door to prizes.

One of the best parts of a bridal show is that many vendor tables have individual raffles you can stick your name into and the bridal show itself has drawings after the fashion show for lots of great prizes.  They often have the big ending prize as a free honeymoon or free wedding.  Plus the diamond dash is always fun to watch.  Four women get picked to dig into a wedding cake, find a token, and they win a piece of jewelry.

Some bridal shows charge per group.  I've seen bridal shows popping up hosted by a company Brides World lately.  They charge $4 at the door or $3 if you pre-register.  I haven't attended any shows by this company as of yet.  I've only seen about 2 happening, and always miss them.

Than some reception sites have their own mini-bridal shows that vary if they choose to charge.  From what I've seen they don't usually charge though.  They are much smaller than the ones I mentioned above.  Often they only have one vendor for each type of service that they consider their preferred partners.  I've also never gone to what I will call a mini-bridal show mostly just because I am never available for them.  I often find out only a few days before and I already have plans for the day.

In downstate New York area I have heard there are not that many bridal shows to speak of, and the ones there do charge money and it's certainly not in the $5 range.  So I think we're pretty lucky in the Central New York area to have these available to us because although they can feel overwhelming at first, I think they are a great asset to wedding planning.

My first bridal show was actually in Rochester (1 1/2 hours from where I live in Syracuse), but I just wanted to go and experience it.  It was considered a smaller show, and not that I suggest to you to drive out 1 1/2 hours to attend a bridal show, but I was very happy it was my first one.  Although it was considered small by Rochester Wedding, I was extremely overwhelmed.  It spanned through three rooms in a hotel!  

Because it was in Rochester, many of the more local vendors were not applicable for me, so it was able to help me filter out who to speak to.  The problem with when you first start planning is... you don't even know where to begin!  I wanted to look at everything and see what it all was about. Well let me tell you, if you do that you too will be overwhelmed and probably just not want to go to bridal shows by the end of the day!

I was able to learn for the bridal show in Syracuse what I'm going to suggest to you right now.  Pick one or two things you want to search for, and go to those types of vendors only.  Than you can get information for those specific needs you're looking for, and then if you have time after hitting up those booths go to the next item on your list you might want to look into.  Or when going to those third and under on your list needs you can just grab pamphlets for those vendors and review them in a non-crazed setting.  Although, to be honest a lot of the time can easily be filled up by all of the free raffles at vendor tables and free samples (photobooth pictures, cake, and sometimes drinks or desserts).

So a quick bullet list for you...
Bridal shows are great because:
1. All of the vendors come to you in one location! 
2. Many vendors give great discounts.  Often you have to book THAT day... but here's a little secret -- if you sign up for information at their table they will email you extending the deadline of the deal for another week or two.  I've only had this happen with local venues, but not chains.
3. You get to see/touch/feel examples of their product.  Photographers have countless albums on display.  Photobooth companies let you take your picture for free and you can see the product (and even better keep it).  :)  You cake taste-test cakes and sometimes even hors d'oeurves or desserts.
4. Who doesn't love raffles and prizes that you get to enter for free??
5. It's a fun bonding experience with whomever you decide to bring: mother, mother-in-law-to-be, bridesmaids, maid of honor, or fiance.  Although I will warn, they are quite crowded, so I wouldn't go too crazy.

On a side note, to bullet number 5.  My fiance has gone to all of the bridal shows with me except maybe 1.  (I've probably gone to like 3 in Rochester, all of the ones in Syracuse, and 1 in Utica.)  He is often 1 of a handful of fiances.  Many don't want to go at all, and although he's tired of going to them by now he still soldiers on and attends with me.  Often, it's because I'm looking at vendors and I want him there to give his thoughts/feedback if I decide to put money down at the show.  I think he's also just a sucker for raffles/prizes.

In all of the shows I have attended, I have never won a prize given away by the show itself.  However, a friend of mine has, which was pretty cool.  I've been close (1 or 2 numbers away from my ticket... isn't that how it always is?).  

But I have won quite a few vendor-specific prizes.  We won a restaurant gift certificate to Rachel's Restaurant (located in the Sheraton).  The food was delicious!  A spa day for me plus up to 10 guests.  I won't share the company name because this was a little sketchy in that they said they never picked a name, but because I decided to work with their company they wanted to offered it to me.  I think I was just 1 of maybe 2 people whose business they got from the show.  However, I had to use it within 2 months so I couldn't even use it for my bridal party right before the wedding or anything like that.  My fiance won cuff links from Tuxedo Junction by spinning a wheel.  I'm not sure if he just had to share his information to spin the wheel or put down a deposit, which was 100% refundable.  I will talk about tuxes some other time though.  So, not too shabby in the prize department I'd say.  :)

So far from bridal shows, I found my wedding planner and DJ.  I'm still searching for a florist, so perhaps tomorrow's bridal show will lead me to a florist.

Another quick suggestion I would make is that all the walking and holding things can be tiring, so if you have someone that needs a break send them off to the room where the fashion show will be held and have them hold some seats for you and your party.  That room fills up quickly, and often many people have to stand around the perimeter of the room.  It's a bit more enjoyable to NOT be one of those people.  :)

Just try to relax and have fun!  And good luck!!
~ A Rosey Bride

Monday, January 9, 2012

And the envelope goes to...

So almost a year later... and I'm on my third post...!

Bad, I know... Maybe I will turn a new leaf for this new year and actually blog as I set out to do originally.  Now only 2 days less than 6 months away from my wedding day.

So, I just purchased my envelope paper!  Let me back up a smidge.  I decided to make my own pocketfold envelopes (will post about this some other time).  The price was $.10-$.15 versus $1.00-$2.00 per an envelope.  So you KNOW I had to DIY-up.  I was very happy with how they came out, but the main problem is custom invites... means custom envelopes!  I realized the pocketfolds would be at least an inch and a half short width-wise in a normal invitation envelope, and I feel that would look stupid.

Therefore, in my mind that logically means... I must make the envelopes too!  I am insane, I know and admit and accept this.  :)

So, getting the paper turned out to be quite the adventure.

On a whim last Monday, I decided to stop in at Michael's (a craft store in my area) to simply look at scrapbook cardstock paper.  I had already created an envelope template using an 8 1/2 by 11 page piece of paper, and it was not big enough so I had to go with a 12 by 12 piece of paper.  I decided to go with cardstock too because I was going to do it, I was going to do it right.  Unbeknown to me, there was a sale on this cardstock - normally $.39 a piece it was on sale for $.25 cents each.

Well, luckily for me I found a great orange (that's my wedding accent color) linen cardstock that was on sale.  I went through the stack of papers and found 40 that were in perfect shape (a few were banged up, so I left those).  I go to check out and the worker mentions to her co-worker, "Ugh... these aren't in the computer... I hate the manager. I don't want to call her over... I'll just do it by hand."  Well, let me say -- she MUST greatly dislike the manager to spend about 3 times more time and energy to manually change each price.  Plus she kept loosing count so she had to recount how many she scanned.  I pointed out that if she just does it until its $10 before tax that will be 40 pieces.  So she gets to like $10.08 after tax and says, "I'm sick of this... you'll just get some for free." LOL  Well I certainly didn't mind, but really she probably only needed to scan like 4 more... but whatever.

Then since I cleaned them out, they offered to call another store in the area to put more paper on hold.  I needed 80 more sheets, so that worked for me.  A worker at the other store told us that they had 25 sheets to put on hold for me.  The next day I go to the store, and... it turns out I went to the wrong store!  Which had only 1 sheet...  and that led me to find out the $.25 per a piece was a 1-day sale...! 

I was 20 minutes away from the correct store... and it closed in 30 minutes.  My fiance was with me, and he proceeded to informed me that he didn't think we'd make it... which I responded with, “That isn’t helping! Get in the car – I’m driving!”  I insisted on driving because I knew if we didn't make it, I'd have no choice but to turn my anger toward him.  At least if I drove, I'd only have myself to blame.  Even though it was my fault we were at the wrong store in the first place...!

So we get in and... we make it there with 10 minutes to spare!  They have the paper waiting for me behind the counter, and it says "25 sheets" on a little piece of paper.  I explain that I was at the wrong store, so I already know the paper is no longer on sale -- but if I knew that it was a 1-day sale I would have come the day I put them on hold...  And the call the manager over, kindly put the sale price in for me, and I pay and go.  Well, actually we leave after my fiance bought some plastic toy pigs that were also on sale... don't ask.  :P

We get in the car... and I tell fiancĂ©, “My adrenaline from rushing like a maniac to get the store before they closed has gone... and I'm exhausted.  Please drive!”  As we are on our way home I look at the bag of paper... and realize that it looks like there are more than 25 pieces of paper... and proceed to count... 30... 35... 40... FOURTY-FIVE pieces!! WHAT A DEAL!  I was so excited and beaming.  That's like $.13 a piece!  AWESOME!

All that crazed rushing was totally worth it!  (I am aware that adds to all of a few dollars, but I am a sales-aholic!) 

Then yesterday's newspaper brought news of a sale at A.C. Moore (another craft store nearby me) has cardstock paper for 3 for $1.00.  I stopped in and found linen paper in similar shades of orange.  I was able to get the 35 more sheets I needed.  So now I'm set!  I just made a template for the envelope, and am quite happy with it.  I hope it looks even better in orange linen paper!  :)

(I will post a how to on the envelopes at some point.)

Ah, wedding craziness.  I know I am a little crazier than some… or even most… but I’m sure everyone has some crazy adventure you had while planning your wedding – please share in the comments section!

~ A Rosey Bride

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Monthly tasks...

For the new year, I had made a plan of action for one task to be completed every month. Of course, some things may get delayed or overlap with other things... but I figure it will give me some goals. I'm the type of person that needs that To Do List and to check things off of it.


My general plan for the next 18 months is actually somewhat fast-tracked, as I'm hoping to finish choosing all of my vendors by the end of this summer. Then I can solely work on my smaller projects, which there are a lot of. I feel that finding vendors is the main time consuming task for me.


January - Sign contract with reception hall, planner, and ceremony locations
February - DJ
March - Fashion (Wedding dress, Tuxes, Bridesmaid's dresses, Flower girl dress, Dog ring bearer outfit)
April - Cake
May - Hotel Accommodations for Guests
June - Save the Dates and Invitations
July - Flowers
August - Rehearsal Dinner Locations
September - Videographer
October - Hair/Makeup


Somewhere in there I need to also figure out how to either budget in or find an alternative to a photobooth (high up on my wishlist).


Luckily I don't need to find a photographer, as my sister is one and has a friend who she got at a great price for me! One more think I can check off of my to do list. :)

To new beginnings...

Hello, and welcome to A Rosey Wedding! I've always wanted to start a blog, and I finally have a reason to do it.

I'm newly engaged (since April 2010 which doesn't feel so "newly"). I hope to relay my experience and findings in planning my wedding. I hope to fill it with posts about random yet adorable wedding nicknacks, great contests I find, affordable DIY ideas, suggestions on good questions to ask, and hopefully some words of wisdom along the way.

My goal is to make one decision a month so I don't get overwhelmed with the planning. My fiance and I were originally looking to have the wedding during the summer of 2010, but as we looked at locations we found that there was little left in the summer on a Saturday. We also were quite naive in knowing the cost of weddings. In our minds we could get away with a nice, but quaint $5,000 wedding.

Well, our expectations are now a little more realistic. We decided to move the date to the summer of 2011 and to boost our budget up to 10-15 thousand. The change of date means we have a lot more time for planning and negotiating, and for the most part getting the pick of the litter. Plus the extra time means extra saving! The increase in budget means we can have something more than a backyard BBQ (nothing wrong with those mind you, but just not what I envisioned for my own wedding day).

I look forward to this new endeavor, and I hope to make some new online friends along the way. :)

A Rosey Bride