Details, details, details!
This past weekend, my friend Rachel and I went to go have the first meeting with the florist for the wedding. The meeting went wonderfully (the woman we talked to was very helpful, didn’t try to "sell" us on things like a lot of other vendors would, and was very easy to talk to) and I feel confident in the decisions that I made. Of course, nothing is set in stone until about 4-6 weeks before the wedding.
As a bride-to-be, I’ve been doing the responsible (and smart) thing when it has come down to the details… research. I honestly don’t know how people put together weddings in any less than 9 months without getting gypped.
What I mean by that is, you attach the word "wedding" to a product, and it seems that retailers take the liberty of marking the price of it up at least 20%. I’m not an unreasonable person, and I know that a lot of wedding needs are specially made, and I expect to pay more for that. However, when I look online for a simple pair of white satin house shoes to wear for the wedding (no one sees my feet… so I can wear whatever is most comfortable!), and type in the search terms "wedding slippers", the products that come up cost at least $30.00. This may not seem unreasonable for a pair of shoes; however, they’re not really worth that much. I do another search for house shoes, then narrow my search from there and I find the exact shoes I want, and they’re $12.00.
Do you see what I mean? I guess this rant is better saved for another blog. :0)
One of the many good things about having a wedding in the month of December is that a lot of the "decorating" is done for you, due to it being Christmastime. I’m using that fact to my advantage, more than anything! I love how lush Christmas trees are, and as long as they don’t sport a 10ft tall plastic (or plaster!) Santa Claus on it, I’m pretty happy with the way it looks! The reception hall will have at least one in it, and the chapel usually has one in it as well.
So back to the main topic- I was meeting with the florist and I expressed my concern about being on a budget. She understood what I was saying and mentioned that a lot of brides do things a little bit differently now than even just 10 years ago. Some people like to have a lot of flowers for the ceremony and reception, and that’s a personal choice, but it’s not a "requirement".
An example of what I’m talking about is with the ceremony itself. There are the customary flowers for the bridal party, and for the mothers, grandmothers, father, and grandfather, but other than that, I’m playing the minimalist. This isn’t just because I am on a budget (it is a factor, don’t get me wrong), but because I want the chapel to be its own decoration. It’s a beautiful place with relief sculptures, and a military theme. Also, I will be working in decorations like tulle, small lights (like Christmas tree lights), and the unity candle setup. One thing that I keep in my mind going through all of this is: you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a classy wedding.