July 2014 Weddings

July '13 Brides Invasion: Our advice for the July '14 Brides!

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Re: July '13 Brides Invasion: Our advice for the July '14 Brides!

  • keyaira04 said:
    Hello July 2014 ladies! I pray your day is everything like ours on July 5, 2013 and better! Special shout out to any ladies w/ questions about getting married during the 4th of July weekend, feel free to contact me via personal message and use me as a resource, if needed. 

    Our day was intimate, blessed, and just the way HUBBY AND I WANTED!

    ~Something you thought you had to have and realized AFTER it was not that deep
    At the END: Flowers. I hate to admit it. They were so pretty and everything I wanted. It was my baby breathe vision come true! But it was an extra $500 that I didn't HAVE to spend. I could have done it with real touch baby breathe and been ok. 

    Early on, INVITES! I spent so much time and energy on invites and STDs when people didn't read them, didnt open them, didnt post them...I'm not kidding. If I had a dollar for every time I had a guest (including my dad) who thought our wedding was July 6 or 4th...during the month of June 2013...I would have a cool $100 on me now. Most of my issues was I tried to DYI kangaroo invites and spend some much money and time on them only to do something simple on VistaPrint (your new BBF). I went to guests homes and found our invites were throw in with old mail. Save your money in this area; don't settle but do not over think it either.

    ~Something you wasted too much $ on/ or not enough $ on:
    See above regarding invites/STDs. IF I had just thought things thru and went with VistaPrint early on, I would have saved over $100. 

    We could have spent more money on better gifts for our wedding party. Many of the July 2013 ladies got their bridesmaids Coach wristlets/purses on sale and I know my girls would have LOVED that compared to what I gave them. 

    What I will say about money is that I saved much money due to planning ahead. We were under budget at the end of the day. PLEASE don't let people talk you into the whole "you have time, you don't need to book/plan/buy that now". I used EVERYTHING I bought (I repurposed those invites BTW) and saved money because I locked/booked 2013 rates in 2011/2012, used semi-annual sales, coupons, etc. Sometimes its good to wait and sometimes its not; you be the judge and make the best decision for FI and your budget at that time. 
    ~Words of advice, a moment of clarity or moment of craziness that you look back and laugh at now

    My Dad gave me the best advice. 
    "Your expectations are too high for people during your wedding. You are expecting people to act different (nicer, be understanding, accommodate you, think of you), BUT they are going to act the way they are; like its any other day." 
    After that, every drama filled issue that came up, I heard those words and reminded myself that this person, while they are being inconsiderate, is acting like that would any other day, so don't trip. This allowed me to enjoy my wedding week. I only wish he had told me this sooner. Keep this in mind early on as your mom start to think its her wedding or your bridesmaids don't help out or even worse, drops out or the cater does not answer your emails for weeks OR your FI not only acts but SAYS he does not care about planning for the wedding...Use this group to vent when it does happen, though :)

    Get a coordinator: day of, month of, or full time. I DYI 80% of our wedding and was in full control of every part of it. But at the end of the day, that last month, I was glad my MOC was here to take over. And from the rehearsal to the wedding after party, she took care of everything and I let her. And I was able to enjoy my day. And yep, mines was a well trusted relative w/ experience. Family/Friends can be great business partners when contracts and expectations are clear...and followed. 

    Lastly, if you are a DYI bride like was, plan your projects and DO MOCK UPS! This saves money and allows you to know early on if you need a pro to implement your vision. For me, invites/STDs and flowers is when I needed a pro to step in. 

    Many high blessings to you, 
    July 2013 bride, Sharee
    Thanks for the advice I some invitations I like and they are really pricey. You reminded me nobody pays them any attention. And flowers are another thing I wants lots of and they are expensive.

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  • Tls769 said:
    Thanks for the advice I some invitations I like and they are really pricey. You reminded me nobody pays them any attention. And flowers are another thing I wants lots of and they are expensive.

    Check your local grocery florist to save on flowers. I got all my flowers for the cost quoted for just my bouquet at retail florist shops! I used Kroger and they got the ribbon color wrong, red instead of white - but still one of the wedding colors. But I didn't care considering I save hundreds of dollars! :-)

    Vistaprint can be your best friend for invite, STDs, programs, etc! Or the Michael's phone app with weekly coupons. 
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • Hey all!

    I am getting married on July 4th and I am currently in the process of picking out bridesmaids dresses.  They are all going to pick out their own, I am just going to tell them the color, designer, fabric and long/short.  What are your suggestions on short and long?  I have always had my heart set on long because of the elegance and formality of them, but after looking for a while the short style is growing on me because I feel like you can sometimes see the details better on the shorter dresses.  Also, it's the summer so obviously short would be cooler.  I'm going back and forth and definitely could use some advice!  The colors I'm looking at are blush pink and pale yellow (or possibly some type of neutral color depending on what looks good on the BMs).  I have a vintagey theme.

    Thanks!! :)
  • jap92488 said:
    Hey all!

    I am getting married on July 4th and I am currently in the process of picking out bridesmaids dresses.  They are all going to pick out their own, I am just going to tell them the color, designer, fabric and long/short.  What are your suggestions on short and long?  I have always had my heart set on long because of the elegance and formality of them, but after looking for a while the short style is growing on me because I feel like you can sometimes see the details better on the shorter dresses.  Also, it's the summer so obviously short would be cooler.  I'm going back and forth and definitely could use some advice!  The colors I'm looking at are blush pink and pale yellow (or possibly some type of neutral color depending on what looks good on the BMs).  I have a vintagey theme.

    Thanks!! :)
    We did long dresses because of the formality of our wedding. Luckily July was really mild in terms of weather and heat, so it wasn't too hot for my girls.

    If you're really split on it ask family members and your bridesmaids what their opinion is. Or go have them try on various dresses and see how they look in person. Much the same as bridal dresses, your vision of bridesmaids dresses may change when you see it in real life.
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  • Yes, that is what I was thinking!! Thanks :)
  • Tls769 said:
    Thanks for the advice I some invitations I like and they are really pricey. You reminded me nobody pays them any attention. And flowers are another thing I wants lots of and they are expensive.

    Check your local grocery florist to save on flowers. I got all my flowers for the cost quoted for just my bouquet at retail florist shops! I used Kroger and they got the ribbon color wrong, red instead of white - but still one of the wedding colors. But I didn't care considering I save hundreds of dollars! :-)

    Vistaprint can be your best friend for invite, STDs, programs, etc! Or the Michael's phone app with weekly coupons. 
    Oh wow. I was looking at flowers at Sams Club. But I guess I would need somebody to put them together. But the price was good for roses.

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  • Belle0720Belle0720 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited August 2013
    Tls769 said:
    Tls769 said:
    Thanks for the advice I some invitations I like and they are really pricey. You reminded me nobody pays them any attention. And flowers are another thing I wants lots of and they are expensive.

    Check your local grocery florist to save on flowers. I got all my flowers for the cost quoted for just my bouquet at retail florist shops! I used Kroger and they got the ribbon color wrong, red instead of white - but still one of the wedding colors. But I didn't care considering I save hundreds of dollars! :-)

    Vistaprint can be your best friend for invite, STDs, programs, etc! Or the Michael's phone app with weekly coupons. 
    Oh wow. I was looking at flowers at Sams Club. But I guess I would need somebody to put them together. But the price was good for roses.

    We DIYed some of our flowers and ordered from fiftyflowers.com. They have a much wider selection than Sam's Club and were really good quality. They lasted longer than the flowers that our florist provided and they were sooo much cheaper! Putting flowers into vases really isn't hard at all; decide if you want to use aqua tubes, floral foam, or just set in water and practice before hand. You can save A LOT of money going the DIY route for flowers.

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  • Belle0720 said:
    Tls769 said:
    Tls769 said:
    Thanks for the advice I some invitations I like and they are really pricey. You reminded me nobody pays them any attention. And flowers are another thing I wants lots of and they are expensive.

    Check your local grocery florist to save on flowers. I got all my flowers for the cost quoted for just my bouquet at retail florist shops! I used Kroger and they got the ribbon color wrong, red instead of white - but still one of the wedding colors. But I didn't care considering I save hundreds of dollars! :-)

    Vistaprint can be your best friend for invite, STDs, programs, etc! Or the Michael's phone app with weekly coupons. 
    Oh wow. I was looking at flowers at Sams Club. But I guess I would need somebody to put them together. But the price was good for roses.

    We DIYed some of our flowers and ordered from fiftyflowers.com. They have a much wider selection than Sam's Club and were really good quality. They lasted longer than the flowers that our florist provided and they were sooo much cheaper! Putting flowers into vases really isn't hard at all; decide if you want to use aqua tubes, floral foam, or just set in water and practice before hand. You can save A LOT of money going the DIY route for flowers.

    The florist wants 235 dollars for a bridal bouquet. And between 50-90 dollars for bridal. 15 dollars for boutonnière I about passed out

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  • This is all amazing! I imagine I'll be pestering you all with questions as July approaches... :)
  • edited August 2013
    Tls769 said:
    The florist wants 235 dollars for a bridal bouquet. And between 50-90 dollars for bridal. 15 dollars for boutonnière I about passed out

    I think you are in Central Ohio...right? I highly recommend Kroger Graceland or Kroger German Village. 
    My sister got a gerber daisy bridal bouquet for $25. Flower girl gerber daisy bouquet - $10. 
    I got 2 identical roses and blue thistle 10 inch bridal bouquets, 2 bouts, and all the baby's breathe for 20 tables for $140! Something will be slightly different from what you talked about - my stem wrap ribbon was red instead of white - totally not a big deal and well worth the cost difference if you ask me :-)
    PM me if you want to see photos.
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • So I have a deal to buy an return address stamp for the save the dates and invites and I am wondering what's the proper way to write our names since we aren't married yet.  Can we put just our first names or is it more proper to write his full name on one line and my full name on the next line? Or can we just do initials?  I'd like to do something without our last names so that we can use it again after the wedding when we have the same last name, but I'm not sure if it would be too informal.  Thanks guys!!
  • I made one that said both of our first names only. But I had our address printed on the STDs and Response cards - both were postcards made at Vistaprint to save on postage costs. I used our full names on the response cards and just the address on the STDs, no names as that was stating int he STD text. I used the stamper on our invite and then again on the thank you notes. I used a pretty font to make it seem formal still  since I thought the same thing about leaving a last name off. Actually I got the stamper really cheap with my order on Vistaprint, too!
    GL!
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • I'm late to this thread but thank you so much for the advice 2013 brides!  I'm also debating long vs short dresses.  I like the elegance of a long dress and it fits well with my venue.  Two of my bridesmaids prefer short and the other 2 prefer long, so I'm very torn.  Probably something I will look back and wish I hadn't worried so much about :)

  • woodschr said:
    Hey!  Sorry I'm late- we're still on our honeymoon!  I got married a month ago today!  So far, it's been pretty awesome.  It's a little surreal to hear my voice saying "husband" to random people.  Here's my answers:

    ~Something you thought you had to have and realized AFTER it was NBD
    That silly "something new, old, blue, ect." rhyme.  I started trying to figure it all out, but then it ended up with like five things pinned to the inside of my dress, and that just seemed ridiculous.  

    ~Something you wasted too much $ on/ or not enough $ on
    Too much? My sash.  I got caught up in the "ohmygodifoundmydress" feeling, and bought a crazy expensive blush satin sash at the salon.  When I got it, I realized I could have bought ten rolls of the exact ribbon at Michaels for the cost of the sash.  Oh well.  Not enough?  Nothing that I can think of!

    ~Words of advice, a moment of clarity or moment of craziness that you look back and laugh at now

    Something will go wrong. It just will.  You can choose to let it affect your day, or not.  My photographer's assistant quit in between the ceremony and the reception, then held her side of the photos hostage (J13 ladies, I'll update you in the group in a bit!  It's a good story.)

    Also, you are going to get a crash course in etiquette over the next eleven months.  It's going to be overwhelming, and you are going to annoy everyone else in your life by sticking to it.  Really, the major rule to remember in all this planning is "Would I like this if I was a guest at this wedding?"  Don't expect your friends to honestly answer this question for you.  I was originally planning on having a traditional head table and separating the bridal party and their SOs.  I told my best friend, and she told me that was fine.  Then, it occurred to me that they're going to be married in a year or so, and I'll be in the bridal party.  Would I like it if DH had to sit somewhere else?  No.  So, all bridal party and all SOs sat at our head table!  When I told her my change in plans, she told me she was so relieved!  Of course she was going to tell me she was fine with it, but she really wasn't.  And she's my friend who's usually crazy honest!  This question can be useful for other things, too.  "There's regular chairs instead of chiavari.  Would I like this if I was a guest at this wedding?" It probably doesn't matter all that much.  "The napkins are unmonogrammed.  Would I like this if I was a guest at this wedding?" Do they still remove food?  Then it's fine!  "There's address labels instead of calligraphy! Would I like this if I was a guest at this wedding?"  Okay, who the hell are you inviting- Martha effing Stewart?!  Generally, this question will get you on the right side of things as long as you answer it honestly to yourself.

    Oh, and final words of wisdom?  Yes, people get weird around weddings.  Friends will act different. Some members of your families will freak out.  Yes, it is them, not you, as long as you've answered the 'would I like this' question honestly.  It gets better after the wedding.

    Please, ask us questions!  It's hard to get bridal brain to go away!
    Thanks for all of you advice and this is ^^^ is what I needed.  We were going to skip a videographer, but I think we'll skip the fancy linen instead and hire a videographer.
  • Thanks for all of you advice and this is ^^^ is what I needed.  We were going to skip a videographer, but I think we'll skip the fancy linen instead and hire a videographer.
    Videographer FTW! Best money spent all day =o)
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • I ended up having a great consultant that brought one final dress to try on before our appointment was up and it was perfect...hi-low giving my BM what they wanted and me what I wanted and yet it is still a formal enough dress for the look I was hoping to get. 
  • Great advice, everyone--this is so helpful! I am on the fence about the videographer, too...already so far over budget...but y'all are making me reconsider! 
  • Thank you guys for all your advise! I am getting married July 6, 2014 and this has been most helpful. I hadn't planned on having a videographer but it seems like it is very important to have. Also anyone have an outdoor wedding ceremony? If so, was it extremely hot??? I will be on the water but was just wondering....
  • Thank you guys for all your advise! I am getting married July 6, 2014 and this has been most helpful. I hadn't planned on having a videographer but it seems like it is very important to have. Also anyone have an outdoor wedding ceremony? If so, was it extremely hot??? I will be on the water but was just wondering....
    This is an older thread from last year so I'm not sure that it'll generate much response from PP, but worth a shot.

    We're not having a videographer as it's not important to us - totally up to you & your FI if it's something you would like. Our wedding is July 19 and it's also on the water (lakeside). I'm not so much worried about the heat as I am the wind. Just keeping fingers crossed for a calm day!
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  • Thank you guys for all your advise! I am getting married July 6, 2014 and this has been most helpful. I hadn't planned on having a videographer but it seems like it is very important to have. Also anyone have an outdoor wedding ceremony? If so, was it extremely hot??? I will be on the water but was just wondering....
    I did not have an outdoor wedding bc of the heat concerns. I got married on July 3rd and the year before it was 102 degrees and in 2011 it rained. I also didn't want to pay an extra $250 for the option of having it outdoors when I knew it would probably end up being inside bc I didn't want people to be uncomfortable.

    I think it depend on your average climate. Also if it has shade it is a lot better. Consider how long your ceremony will be and will guests be able to retreat to AC immediately or d they have to get in a hot car? Older guests should be your biggest concern. I'm not trying to be a downer, bc I wanted the outdoor wedding too…but in the end we decided our guests comfort was more important. We chose correctly, bc it was blazing hot that day! ;-p

    Again, videographer = best money I spent all day!

    GL! =)
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • Hey there everyone! It's hard to believe how close the wedding is! I can't wait! July 19th will be here before I know it!

    I'm trying to figure out day of logistics. The ceremony starts at 2pm but we'd like to get there at 12:30 to all get in our dresses and that's the time the videographer is arriving at the church. One of the salons I'm looking at says in order to get there on time (the salon is 20 minutes away) we'd have to arrive at the salon at 8am. That seems really early! Maybe I'm crazy or maybe it's because I'm not a morning person. We do have 9 people doing hair and makeup.

    What time did you all start getting ready? Was it enough time? Did you feel rushed at all?
  • @itslizzyC Its best to listen to the salon owner/manager when they direct you on the amount of time it will take to get everyone ready. My aunt and uncle own a salon that I work at sometimes and people always tend to underestimate how much time updo's will take.

    I'm planning an hour for hair, hour for makeup, and hour to put my dress on. Obviously, it won't take that long to do each of those, but then i'll have time inbetween to eat, have some champagne, chat, etc.

    Maybe you don't necessarily need to be there at 8am. Do you have any bridesmaids/mom's that are early risers and wouldn't mind taking the first appointments? You could have a few people start at 8am and then you could get there around 9am and start at 9:30. Although, it might not be best practice to ask people to do something that you're not willing to do. But moms, grandmothers, or other bridesmaids might not think twice about getting started early!
  • @afabear24 I agree that I should probably listen to the salon owner. 8 just seemed really early. I know my FMIL will want an early appointment so she can go meet up with the boys and see her son get ready. I think I'll just suck it up and we'll all get there early. The salon will let me bring in coffee and food and mimosas so it shouldn't be too bad. Plus we will all be so excited the day of we won't notice were tired! Lol
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