I was debating what kind of wedding themes and tips I’d like to share with you for the first blog post of 2013, but instead I decided to share a little new year resolution of mine.  I came across And Then We Saved blog by Anna Newell Jones awhile back, and I was so intrigued by her devotion to get out of debt in a couple of years that I kept reading her blog from beginning to the end.  Although I’m not in a huge student loan debt, nor do I have shopping sprees, I do want to start saving money for the rainy days, future business investments, more craft projects, baby/college funds and also donation for my choice of charity.  Also since we just bought a house, there’s unlimited things I want to do for it.  I sat down with my husband yesterday to do our budgets for the future, and told him about my new plan.  I’m thinking of putting him in the Spending Diet first, while I go on the Spending Fast.

I think the most challenge for us is eating at home every day, every week, every month.  We usually go eat out 3 dinners out of the week, giving me a break from cooking every other day.  That also means I’ll have to start going to grocery stores more frequently, which is probably the biggest problem of me not cooking everyday.  So for this month January, that will be my goal.

Also, we’re going to start paying by cash.  Every pay check we get, we’ll deposit, take out our budget in cash for food + gas, and only spend that much.  Whatever we get left over will go into paying the card.  And the money we get from any side jobs, we’ll keep 10% for our allowance (that way we have some incentive to try harder), the rest will again go into paying the card.

Who’s with me?
🙂

I’m so honored to be featuring Chris & Marcy’s barn wedding, photographed by Brita Photography.  All of Brittany’s photography has so much light and color in them, I feel warm and happy just looking at them.  She has captured all the stunning characteristics of Chris & Marcy’s DIY barn wedding at the Reid Barn Georgia.  Marcy has coordinated all the hues of the purple very well, which is pretty hard to do.  I think the pops of orange in their bouquet has helped it empower the colors.  Loving the program on a popsicle stick, birch wood vase, twine wrapped bottles and the vintage fabric ribbon hanging buntings. Just simple gorgeous!

Photography | Brita Photography
Ceremony + Reception Venue  |  The Reid Barn
Wedding Coordinator | Signature Wedding & Events, Corrie Kirk & Swoon Designs
Floral Design | Bedazzled Florist, Valerie
Wedding Cake & Whoopie Pies  |  Bonne Bedingfield
DJ |  Randy Herrin
Ceremony Duet | Leslie Rummel & Phillip Dingler
Bridal Gown | Elite Bridal, Essense
Bridesmaid Dresses | Enzoani, Love 2012
Hair + Makeup |  Rhonda McLain
Shoes | Brianna Leigh
Invitations | Moore Custom Creations

Beautiful minimalist country wedding photography by Landon Jacob.  I love all the dark red with contrast to all the green from the garden, highlighted with ivory and the wooden grains.  These photos tells you that less is sometimes more powerful!  The combination of figs and pomegranate gives a lot of rich colors to the neutral ivory.

Photographer: Landon Jacob
Event Design and Production: Spencer Special Events
Venue and Catering: Belfair Plantation
Floral Design: Branches
Cake: Sheri’s Edible Designs
Mini Desserts: M Sweet Desserts
Shortbread Favors: Heritage Shortbread
Figs: Californiafigs.com.
Stationery: Emma J Designs
Calligraphy: Bride Kielty Whelan of Savannah Calligraphy
Linen: Party Tables. Rentals: Ranco Tent Rental & Savannah Special Events
Glassware: Pier 1 Imports.
Measuring Spoons: World Market
Soap: Baltimore Soaps
Streamers: Extravagant Exits
Mr. and Mrs. Forks: Lazy Lightning Art
Bride’s Dresses and Veil: Aster and Ivy
Earrings: Vintage.
Bridesmaid Attire: Forever 21
Hair and Makeup: Christine Stephens

Here’s a cool infographics I found from Divine Caroline that I wanted to share.  It shows what other brides and grooms are going through, roughly, average.  This I believe is from 2011, but I doubt the numbers has changed much since.  Average wedding cost is $27,000, average bridal party is 4 each.  Enjoy!

Hello!  Continued from the tutorials How to make Paper Flowers, I thought I’d make another post concentrating on roses.  If you’re not sure on some steps of any tutorials, feel free to ask me for advice!

^ DIY Paper Rose Templates

^ Paper Rose Tutorial

^ How to Make Enchanted Paper Roses

^ Watercolor paper rose

^ Paper Flowers DIY

^ Photo by Momichka, Tutorial by Paula’s Paper Playground

^ DIY Paper Rose Wedding Bouquet

^ DIY Story Book Paper Roses

^ Big bow Headband via BeSomethingNew

^ Bow Wedding Dress

^ Big Bow Wedding Cake

^ Big Bow Wedding Shoe

^ Bow Ring

^ Outdoor Whimsical Winter Wedding Inspiration  

^ Pink Bow Syndrome

^ Bow clutch

^ Vera Wang Dress

^ Yellow Bow Dress

^ Bow Napkins

Things you must have in Bride’s or Bridesmaids’ Emergency Kit

1. Advil
2. Band-aid (Louis Vuitton Bandage)3. Safety Pin
4. Nail Polish (that the bride is wearing)
5. Double side tape
6. Super Glue
7. Breath Mint
8. Tide To Go
9. Visine (or extra set of contact lens + solution)
10. Eyelash Kit (tweezers, eyelash glue, extra lashes)
11. Sewing Kit
12. Oil Absorbing Sheets
13. Bobby Pins
14. Hair Spray
15. Emergen-C

These are the basic kit.  I ended up using Advil, band-aid for the back of my heel, safety pin for the veil, double sided tape for the top of my dress, Visine, the eyelash glue for one of the girls and of course, breath mint! Try to not take gum, because you might forget to spit it out and be stuck with it during the ceremony, and have an awkward smile.  Lol! A lot of these you can find it for 50 cents-$1 at CVS or Rite Aid in the traveler’s section.

Other things that you might also want to add:

-Matching makeup
-Chocolate or Candy
-Water
-Deodorant
-Tissue
-Wet Wipes
-Lotion
-Tampons
-Umbrella
-Lint Roller

How gorgeous are these paper ranunculus flower bouquet from Sunny & Stumpy??  I would love to learn how to make them.  Luckily they sell the paper flower template in the Etsy shop.

^ Origami Wedding Decor

^ Charlotte NC Wedding of Ashley and Mark

^ Origami Crane Themed Wedding: 2 Ways

^ Julie & Sam

^ A Beautiful Washington D. C. Fusion Wedding from Offbeat Bride

^ Origami Table Setting

^ The DIY Origami Heart Invitations are in the mail

^ Orange Park Wedding by Browne Photography

^ Origami roses for my wedding

^ Marissa + Brandon at Nestldown

^ DIY vintage chic wedding

^ Romantic wedding centrepiece

^ DIY Picnic Wedding: 500 Paper Cranes Under The Willow Tree 2

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Great for Christmas gift or bridal party gifts.