Okay- so we so didnt get married in TN (did a French Quarter St Pattys thing), but our band was from Memphis and freakin rocked our universe. I had to tell yall...I alllwaaaays wanted a mo-town band, and he wanted this party band from college. He won with the band Super 5. And I am so happy!!
My planner has called to tell me she is booking them for other weddings, and my photog just called to get their info to pass along to another bride. We are still getting texts and calls from friends and fam to tell us how awesome they were.
They were the MOST fun band I have ever been around and made our wedding a complete party.
I used a ton of Etsy vendors, so I know I cannot help too much- but had to let you know about the band!
Paper/Invites/Calligraphy
Save the Dates- Etsy, Seller Rouxbee1 (Kristy Watts) A+
They were cute and cheap- and fleur de lis themed! Kristy is reopening her shop on May 1st, I loved her Save the Dates and will probably order some custom stationary with my new initials!!
Invitations- Gem Printing A++++
Are you kidding me? How are these things so cheap here?
After being price shocked all over the place...I took my fave and uber-expensive William Arthur sample here and they totally designed something oh-so similar in house for 1/10th of the price.
175 invites, outer envelopes with printed return addresses, inner envelopes with my address pre printed for mailing back, RSVP cards, and tissue for $390!!!! Everywhere else in Birmingham and NOLA quoted me like $1000. We were in town doing wedding stuff and ordered them 12/12 and got them 1/12, so worth the $88 Southwest plane tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calligraphy- Etsy Seller 2inspire A+++
Super inexpensive, super wonderful and super freakin fast. Love, love, love Eleanor. She (sigh) put up with Mom's last minute additions and overnighted all my stuff back to me. Her writing is GORGEOUS and not creepy old timey calligraphy, but a more modern version, which was just breathtaking and looked like I had spent a ton more than I did. I love when that happens.
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Photographer- Meg Baisden Photography A+++++
Seriously. All you have to do is look at her blog at www.megphoto.com/blog">www.megphoto.com/blog">www.megphoto.com/blog">www.megphoto.com/blog and you will not have any questions about the grade. Part planner, part therapist, all photogrpaher, I love her and her husband more than life itself. I get emotional every time I look at our engagement pictures. Yes, they are a little more pricey than some- BUT she released all of your pictures (and enhances them) on a CD for you to print out as many and however cheaply you want to do it. Yes, she has printing services, but I printed out 150 for 10-cents a piece at Walgreens for our Christmas cards, and the power to not have your pictures held hostage is wonderful. She and her husband (BOTH award winning photogs, I may add) spend 8 hours with you that day- he gets the guys and she gets the girls.
Custom Watercolor Maps for Guests- Etsy Seller designsbyrobynlove A
Since we got married St Pattys weekend and the weekend of the largest medical conference in this hemisphere, I was unable to get a room block anywhere. And since the guests were scattered everywhere, I sent out welcome packets with these maps, a letter from us, a list of places, restaurants and an article about NOLA (since many of our guests had not been before). These welcome packets opened with the map and our guests loved them! Mom framed one on really nice paper for us as a gift...HERE IS A PICTURE
www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40600583">www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40600583">www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40600583">http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40600583
Cootie Catcher Fortune Tellers- Etsy Seller katskrafts A+
Once I saw Katrina's work in Martha Stewart magazine, I knew I had to have Cootie Catchers. You know, the little oragami things that you used in grade school that told you who you were going to marry? Well, I had that part locked up, so we did these for the cocktail hour entertainment...with 8 trivia questions about Allan and I. Super cute, and a great way for the guests to get talking:
www.etsy.com/shop/katskrafts">www.etsy.com/shop/katskrafts">www.etsy.com/shop/katskrafts">http://www.etsy.com/shop/katskrafts
Band- The Super 5 A+++++++++++++
Our wedding happens to also be the best party I have ever been to. We wanted a throw down party, and that is what we got. This band out of Memphis is thousands cheaper than the bands in NOLA. They drove down for free, just had to get them 3 hotel rooms for the band for one night (which was like $300 total). They cover 80s and 90s music and are the best party band EVER. My hubby used to book them for his fraternity house band parties and I booked them as a surprise to him. I am SO glad we didn't do a motown band like all of our friends. And yes, I did take the mic and sing Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns and Roses in a wedding dress. It rocked, I rocked, it was the most fun of our lives. Our guests, my parents, our friends and us have not gotten our voices back from singing along with them.
The only thing is...since they are not DJ's...we should have asked them to wrap up the father/daughter and mother/son dance a little sooner than the actual end of the song. Our fault, not theirs.
Wedding Party Gifts
Bridemaids Gifts- Overstock.com A+
Fleur de lis necklaces.
Groomsmen Gifts- Perlis A+
Vineyard Vines Fleur de lis silk ties
DIY Stuff that Worked Out Well:
I had two giant buckets of flip flops at the front of the dance floor. Our guests (mostly female) kicked off their shoes and wore these. After a long second line and dancing, you have got to get those heels off. Found super cheap pairs at Target, Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
This board from Martha Stewart...every guest has a pin flag with their name on it, they place it on a board on which year they met you. Turned out 8 million times cuter than I thought it would, and I think we are going to hang it in our kitchen.
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Instead of a guest book(I am sure you get by now that this was not a stuffy event)...I bought 100 postcards when I got to town from a souvenier shop on Bourbon for like 4 for a $1. My BMs and I while getting ready addressed them to Allan and I in Birmingham, stuck a postcard stamp on them and put them out on a table with a $8 mailbox from Home Depot (yep, we put the red flag up on it) that I painted with our last name. Guests put well wishes, advice and randomt things, but thats what you get when you have an open bar and postcards. I will probably frame some and put the rest in a book.