I don’t want to spend much on our rehearsal dinner. But I still want our table to be pretty. So after scouring the internet for beautiful centerpieces, I found recycled mason jars and cans. They’re beautiful and free (from my own collection)!

Cans

Mason Jars

Then I saw these pretty potted plants.  They’re eco-friendly, people can take them home and they last for weeks, if not months.  They can also be more affordable than freshly-cut flowers.

Potted Plants

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I live in NY and my wedding is in Newport RI.  So the two ways I usually communicate with wedding vendors are phone and email.  But I prefer email over phone for a few reasons.

Image from The Moxie Mash

• Whenever I think of something to tell or ask a vendor, I feel like I’m less intrusive when I just email them and they can respond to me whenever they can.  Unless of course I need an answer right away, then I call.
• I am able to gather my thoughts better in an email.  Sometimes I forget things I need to say over the phone.
• I can proofread what I wrote in an email and make sure I said things correctly and tactfully.  I am able to control my emotions better while writing an email than talking on the phone.
• And my number 1 reason… Using email, I have written proof of the conversation.  Unfortunately, I have had vendors or representatives of vendors forget (or pretend to forget) what they told me over the phone.

It definitely helps that I have access to my emails most of the time.  But there are other cases that I prefer phone over email, like if I want an answer right away or when the conversation requires quick responses back and forth.  Best Practices has a good list of pros and cons of using phone and email.

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I’ve been shopping for welcome bags to give my out-of-town (OOT) guests.  But I can’t decide so I need your help!  Here are the bags I’ve been looking at:

1.  Canvas Zipper Tote Bag
Size:  15.5″ x 12″ x 2.5″
Color:  natural
Features:  zippered top, braided rope handle, bottle pocket, small side pocket

2.  Double Pocket Canvas Tote
Size:  16.25″ x 11.75″ x 5″
Color:  natural
Features:  2 front pockets, hook and loop closure, pinstripe lining

3.  Daily Boat Tote
Size:  18″ x 9.5″ x 4″
Color:  white and royal blue
Features:  1 front pocket

4. Baggu Reusable Bag
Size: 18″ x 10″ x 4″
Color: white and navy
Features: folds into 4×4 pouch

5. Bridgewater Eco Bag
Color: natural jute
Features: eco-friendly

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I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m just so excited that I had to share.  It arrived at the store last Thursday and I have an appointment on Thursday for my first fitting.

I owe it all to very helpful friends who shared their advice on getting a dress for less when I posted about my first dress hunt.  I got my dress for a lot less than I budgeted for.  Here’s a summary of the cost-saving tips:

• Sale and sample sale events
• Discount stores
• Pre-owned (tip from Jessica)
• Student or up and coming designer/seamstress (tip from Daphne)
• Bridesmaid dress (tip from Lexi)

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At the moment, John and I have no plans of having a child.  It is still possible that I will change my mind in the future.  Right now, that’s not the future I see.  But if that time happens, before we start conceiving, there’s one important question we need to answer: Can we afford parenthood?

Photo from ReasonForLiberty.com

• It costs between $148,000 to $299,000 to raise a child through the first 17 years of the child’s life.
• Obviously kids will add to your expenses, so it is recommended that high interest credit cards are almost paid, if not paid in full.
• Will you be able to afford your currently monthly expenses plus expenses on food, clothing, diapers, healthcare / family health insurance, and other miscellaneous expenses for your baby?  Don’t forget to allocate a few hundred dollars of wiggle room as well.
• Will you be able to afford being on maternity leave, paid or not?
• Will you be able to afford making your home kid-friendly?  Is it big enough for an additional family member?

There are so many things to consider.  But all parents I know will never trade parenthood with anything else.  Their kids are the loves of their lives.

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We aren’t planning on having a big wedding party.  In fact, we might not even have a maid-of-honor and a best man.  But as I go through my wedding planning, my wonderful friends have been there for me like a bride’s dream team of bridesmaids.

Photo from Getty Images

Then I saw this article at A Practical Wedding about asking friends to be “non-bridesmaids” when you’re not having a bridal party / bridesmaids at your wedding.  I think it’s an interesting idea.  Even though I’m not having a wedding party, I still want my friends to be part of my wedding and I want them to know how much I appreciate them.  As a non-bridesmaid, they won’t need to shell out money for bridesmaid dresses (that they might not be able to wear again), shoes, accessories, hair, make-up, etc.  They are free to do what bridesmaids do, but are not obligated to do so.  And of course, they get special treats from me

But before I decide whether to have non-bridesmaids or not, I would like to know how others would feel if they are asked to be non-bridesmaids.

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MySpace and the movie “The Proposal” have teamed up to bring you “Married on MySpace.”  The winning couple of course gets a free wedding that is televised on MySpace.  The catch(es)… MySpace members get to plan every detail of the wedding from the first dance song to the registry, and the MySpace camera crew is there to capture everything.  However, the couple won’t know how it turns out until it actually happens.

So are you up for the wedding of the century? To enter, upload a video of your proposal story by April 17th.

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Photo from National Wedding Show

At the beginning of our wedding planning, we were set on having an intimate affair with 50 guests.  A couple of months into the planning, the number of guests has gone up to 80.  Now, our guest list is nearing 100 and we’re still more than a year away from the wedding.  I wonder if the number will just keep increasing.

We might eventually have to cut back on the number of guests before we send our save-the-date’s.  I don’t know how we’ll do that, but we will have to find a way.

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Yes, you can invite the President to your wedding.  He is most likely not able to attend, but you’ll receive a personal response signed by him and the First Lady.  Won’t that make a wonderful wedding keepsake?

Photo by J.Karlsson for Vanity Fair

Send your invitation to the Obamas here:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

You can also fax your invitation to (202) 395-1232.

Allow at least 6 weeks to receive your response.  Make sure to include your current and future mailing addresses just in case the response is sent later into the future.

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Some people think that having a theme for a wedding is tacky and juvenile. I’m having one and hopefully my wedding will still come out beautifully. I didn’t think about having a theme at first. But when I started to gather ideas for my wedding, I got so confused and my thoughts and ideas were all over the place. I want too many things and they don’t all go together. So I decided to stick to a theme that fits my venue and location – we’re going nautical.

• Having a theme enables me to narrow down the list of ideas and items I like and will use.
• It makes it easier to figure out all the details and have them all tie together.
• Establishing a theme at the beginning of my wedding planning allows me to focus on certain ideas which in turn gives me more time to focus on finding cheaper ways to implement those ideas.

Here are some tips I picked up:

• Do a theme that represents who you are or what you like.
• Do not go overboard.  Having a theme does not mean every little detail should follow that theme.
• Themes do not have to be all out.  It can be as simple as having a color motif.

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If you’re having a theme, please do share by leaving a comment below.