1. Day-of time is just a portion of what they are putting in.

2. There is a huge quality difference between people who just mash a shutter and those who really know what they are doing.

If you hire a $900 photog you're likely to get someone who won't notice that there's a wall post jutting out of the back of someone's head, or who washes people out with lighting, or over-processes the pics, or any number of other things. If you look at their portfolio and like what you see you should be fine to go with a cheaper option. Not everyone really cares about, or even notices, the difference between crappy and OK, OK and good, good and great. If you don't see anything that bothers you with the work they're putting out go as cheap as you feel like.

[Edited on September 24, 2012 at 6:03 PM. Reason : and their equipment and insurance are $$]

9/24/2012 6:03:06 PM

Looking for a suggestion for a wedding ceremony venue: Our wedding is on May 4th.

Our reception is at the Stockroom. We are planning on having 60-80 people. Here is where we have looked:

1. Rose garden: (available at 6 pm)
2. JC Paulson Arboretum (available)
3. Borden house (not available)
4. Tucker house looks small (not sure if it is available)

It seems like most churches are only available for members or super expensive.

Any suggestions would be great. I'd like to keep is reasonably priced. We are open to indoor or outdoor.

9/24/2012 9:23:11 PM

I've been to a wedding at the rose garden and it was very nice. Have you looked at All Saints Chapel?

Grits, that seems like a very reasonable photography price. I paid $1800 last year and that was day of and a DVD only. Keep in mind that a good photographer is spending many hours editing your photos as well.

9/24/2012 9:39:24 PM

Thanks Swinkle and Wolfpackgrr for the insight. My future MIL will be paying for the photos and she wants to know what is covered under that price. I have a CD of our engagement photos and I still haven't made prints because even that is pretty expensive. I know back in the day before everything was digital, prints came along with the packages. Meh, I guess it is what it is. She did pretty well with our engagement photos even though I am not photogenic at all . Not to mention, she is putting a lot of time into preparation by looking at the site and visualizing which places would be best. And we get two photographers that day too

9/25/2012 9:31:41 AM

My wife's (still getting used to saying that) cousin uploaded some photos she took of our wedding. We're still waiting on the pictures from the photographer. Also, we had a photobooth and those pictures came out pretty well.

Here's what we have so far....enjoy!

http://cheronmeganbruce.shutterfly.com/pictures

9/25/2012 9:47:26 AM

Flowers are expensive!

9/29/2012 6:47:17 PM

Haha yeah that's why we got ours at the farmers market.

9/30/2012 10:26:42 AM

There is a florist in the town where we are getting married that has known me since I was 8, and my mom uses him for any event she is planning, and honestly so does most of the town. If it hadn't been for that I would have preferred the farmer's market. He is cutting us a decent deal, and said the estimate was higher than he expected the end price would be, but still. That was a big hunk of money.

9/30/2012 10:41:18 AM

I think we spent just over $500 on our flowers for a basic church wedding (but I only had 2 attendants). I've been reading where a fair number of folks just got their flowers in bulk from Sam's Club.

9/30/2012 11:01:56 AM

Well, I'm here now. Though honestly I kind of wish I could somehow skip this part.

9/30/2012 11:05:31 AM

This is what he's basing my bouquet on, and the bridesmaids will be smaller of the same, with little gold glitter lego men on them. It won't be exactly the same but it will definitely be bright and bold.



He is going to work in some sangria calla lilies because that is what the groomsmen are wearing(also with gold glitter legomens), and I think that is what the moms picked for themselves and the dads, grandmas, and grandpa. I kind of tuned out.




Welcome, Skwinkle! I'm kind of in hell right now. 6 weeks to go and I'm so tired of planning. It's gonna be a kick ass party though. Just remember this!





[Edited on September 30, 2012 at 11:35 AM. Reason : ]

9/30/2012 11:32:50 AM

Skwinkle, it doesn't have to be scary

or big

it just has to be what you and your fiance want to happen that day

and don't let anyone pressure you into anything otherwise

[Edited on September 30, 2012 at 1:45 PM. Reason : mine only had 7 people in attendance and it rocked]

9/30/2012 1:44:42 PM

Oh I won't. I think we both agree pretty well on what we want. It's just a matter of going from zero to wedding. The thought of starting the planning is daunting but I know we'll get it done.

9/30/2012 6:47:34 PM

yay! welcome Skwinkle. like StillFuchsia said, it doesn't have to be scary or daunting - once you guys figured out what you're wanting to do and start to get a plan going, everything starts to fall into place.

i didn't particularly enjoy the planning process (i found i wasn't interested so much in the details) but everything turned out exactly how we wanted it to and everyone had a good time

[Edited on September 30, 2012 at 7:03 PM. Reason : correct user names]

9/30/2012 7:03:30 PM

Since I'm moving out of state sometime in the next, uh, we'll say month, I figure I should at least check out a few venues before I move so we don't regret that I didn't. What we are looking for:

1) place for indoor ceremony and reception
2) handicap accessible (necessity)
3) preferably amenable to BYOB
4) somewhere in central NC. His family is from the coast and mine is from GA. We have some friends in Raleigh but many will be traveling back to town, so if we can get a more unique/cost effective place by going out of the Triangle that's fine

I am not opposed to a different ceremony/reception sites except I would like them to be walking distance or very close, and I'm guessing that having to get two separate spaces would raise the overall cost. Places that do weekend reservations so you can have your rehearsal/dinner there on Friday and come clean up Sunday morning are doubly awesome. I also prefer places with a rustic/romantic feel, which seem to be wood/stone/brick rather than more hotel or country club type places.

Snipes Farm Retreat is the first place that comes to mind because I think it meets most of those, but not sure if they can do ceremony inside and flip for reception. Any other suggestions?

10/3/2012 9:16:58 PM

What is the real rule when it comes down to asking a girl to marry you? Length of dating and how many months salary for a ring?

10/4/2012 2:07:25 AM

Quote :

"What is the real rule when it comes down to asking a girl to marry you? Length of dating and how many months salary for a ring?"

No set rules...but I'm fan of at least 2 years. I think the ring is suppose to be 2/3 months salary. I feel like it use to be 3 months...now its sliding towards 2 months with the shitty economy. Mine was about 2.5 months.

10/4/2012 6:38:01 AM

^^
rules for anything on this subject

you ask when you're dang well ready. asking because you're "supposed to" or just because she or someone else wants you to is one of the dumbest mistakes you can make.

as for the ring: spend what's appropriate. i spent a good amount but i intentionally saved for it and also knew that i wouldn't be struggling to eat afterwards.

10/4/2012 8:49:17 AM

Quote :

"Snipes Farm Retreat is the first place that comes to mind because I think it meets most of those, but not sure if they can do ceremony inside and flip for reception. Any other suggestions?"

I'm sure that they can flip it. You can have an outdoor cocktail hour for guests while you do photos after the ceremony. That should give them enough time to set up the tables.

10/4/2012 9:40:38 AM

Yeah, I will talk to them. But I hope to also have a couple other places to consider.

10/4/2012 9:51:06 AM

has anybody else checked out Crenshaw house in Wake Forest? they do BYOB and have "preferred" vendors that you have to choose from. no outside vendors at all... but the price is favorable compared to some of the other places we've checked out around Raleigh

10/5/2012 5:12:34 PM

Quote :

"Spoke with the pit: 2 entrees, 3 sides, alcohol + lenins are $27 per plate. Includes service before, during and after the meal."

bull. talked to the pit, this is 51 bucks per person. you got my hopes up.

you get a discount or got connections or something?

10/6/2012 9:49:17 AM

bet the quotes are different if you say "wedding"

10/6/2012 12:57:26 PM

Any suggestions for rehearsal dinner locations within a reasonable distance from Our Lady of Lourdes in Raleigh next October? Trying to take my mother out to a few this week while I am home visiting to hopefully settle on one.

10/6/2012 1:42:41 PM

I bought a dress today.

Holy crap.

Since I'm moving soon and wanted to go visit my parents this weekend I decided to go looking with my mom. That's the one thing she really cared about and wanted to be a part of, so my thought was while I probably wouldn't be able to buy one in Ga. I'd go with her to shop at least once and then she hopefully wouldn't be mad if I bought one later in Texassipicolalina. But then I found it.

10/6/2012 4:18:44 PM

^pics or it didn't happen.

10/6/2012 4:27:17 PM

I know someone needs some photography.

Want TWW discount on some rad photos? Let me know. I'm sure I can make something work with any budget.

10/6/2012 6:44:37 PM

Well in all honesty I met a girl this summer. I already know. Thing is I won't ask until at least the end of next summer. Thing is I travel a lot and like to not sit still. I kind of want to now and want to keep a little bit of that life as well. I want to use this thread for helping me figure out what is reasonable for me to buy ring wise and also time periods etc.

10/11/2012 2:02:36 AM

30 days to go. I have to have a phone meeting with my photographer and book my hairstylist and make a few small signs for the guest book table and I'm done! I think I'll get a massage the Thursday before my wedding.

10/11/2012 8:53:43 AM

^^ In my personal opinion less than a year is way too soon. All but one couple I know who got engaged less than two years after meeting are divorced. And that one couple just recently got married so it's too soon to write them off in the divorce category

10/11/2012 10:02:56 AM

Its too complicated of a thing to really have any rules to go by. Every person/couple is different so you just gotta go with what feels right. A lot has to do with age and life situations and such as getting married in your early 20s or your 30s are two completely different sets of circumstances.

10/11/2012 10:10:21 AM

My fiance's grandparents were engaged after one month married in 4 moonths, still married 60 years later, his parents were engaged and married less than a year after their first date and are still married 40 years later. My parents, on the other hand met in college were married the next year at 19 years old, married for 13 years and then divorced. It all depends on the relationship and the people.

10/11/2012 10:16:11 AM

^ I agree with you...but I would say that those relationships are outliers and the probability of the marriage going sour is much higher the less you've been with someone.

Bottom line is to not put time constraints on relationships. If you feel its the right time and you've put a lot of thought into it...then knock yourself out.

10/11/2012 10:24:14 AM

Also, getting engaged and actually married are two different things. I wouldnt want to necessarily marry someone within a year of meeting them but getting engaged after about a year seems fairly reasonable. Figure it will likely be another year or so for most people to actually marry and now its been two years. There comes my age thing, in your early twenties 2 years can change a person a lot. If you are in your 30s or 40s you really should know within a year where things are headed in a relationship by that point. If you dont want to marry the person by then you should probably be moving on anyways unless neither of you ever actually wants to get married.

[Edited on October 11, 2012 at 11:07 AM. Reason : .]

10/11/2012 11:07:06 AM

My parents dated for 6 months and then got married


Married for 40 years this year

10/11/2012 12:18:16 PM

well we will be in our 30's. IF we met a long time ago it wouldn't have worked. Now maybe so?

10/11/2012 11:39:13 PM

hahahahah

this is funny

10/15/2012 6:45:08 PM

Hello All! Well we did it and tied the knot! We couldn't be more happy and we enjoyed the planning process. Happy to have been part of the thread! Below are our vendor reviews. Hope these are helpful for other planners... Good luck!

Part 1:

Photography: Margaux Novak- margauxnovak.com
Amazing! Margaux and her assistant did really well. They came to the Barber Shop, the Hair Salon, in between, ceremony, and reception. She was flexible and patient with guests, the wedding party, parents, and myself. She handled spur of the moment events with grace and ease. We loved her photos and she got shots from really unique angles. However, my favorite thing about Margaux was that she was not noticeable during the ceremony and the reception. A lot of guests asked whether we had a photographer… but… she just blended in really well. Best of all, she is reasonably priced, easy to work with, and responsive. Couldn’t ask for a better experience!

DJ- South Eastern Entertainment- Steven Penny
Steve Penny was good. He really kept the party going and played songs that guests enjoyed. Easy to work with and quick to get into contact with him.

Florist- Karla Scales
Karla at Fallon's Flowers did an excellent job. She contacted us several times to make sure we were all on the same page about the look and style of the flowers. Everything came out beautiful. There was variety, but all the flowers blended to create a stylish look. All areas of the venue were decorated with flowers and any leftover were put to good use. Ms. Scales did a great job taking our ideas and style to create an elegant, rustic feel.

Hair Salon- Salon Blu (North Hills)
EXCELLENT! Big props to Chasity and Angie! Chasity did an excellent up-do and was really creative. She listened to my style and taste and she was able to design something elegant that matched. Angie worked with my sister and was extremely patient with her special needs. She made my sister look beautiful and feel the same as everyone else. Salon Blu was able to make adjustments with ease when situations arose, were easy to contact, and created a relaxed atmosphere. Mimosas and bagels were allowed and everyone had a great time.

Pie- Upper Crust Bakery
Delicious! We ordered 20 pies (5 of each: Bumble Berry, Apple, Chocolate Chess, and Chocolate Pecan Bourbon). They created a “Cutting” pie with our initial and tags to label the flavor of each pie. The owner is available and met with us twice to discuss details. Picking up and transporting the pies was easy. Since it is recommended they stay in a cool, dry area until the event, storing them couldn’t be simpler! The price was appropriate. One note- Upper Crust recommends cutting the pies in 6 slices. This is a great suggestion and they certainly know about pies! However, caterers tend to be less comfortable with pies. Although we mentioned multiple times to cut in 6ths, they were cut into 8ths. We ended up with A LOT more pie slices then we intended. It all worked out just fine, but… be aware.


[Edited on March 13, 2013 at 5:27 PM. Reason : .]

10/15/2012 9:13:19 PM

Part 2:

Lighting- Peelman Productions-
Excellent! We were very satisfied with their service and creativity. They made unique suggestions and stayed within our budget. Their prices were very reasonable for what we received. Our guests LOVED the mason jar chandeliers and the mason jar lights in the trees. It added to the rustic, southern charm style we were looking for. We worked primarily with Nick. He was easy to work with, communicated ideas well, listened to our ides, and created something to match our style. We really appreciated his responsiveness via email and telephone.

Sandscripts- Bibs and Wetnaps
We chose to have BBQ at our wedding to emphasize food in the Carolinas. We ordered personalized bibs and wet naps for the event. I LOVED it! It was an excellent addition to the casual, BBQ experience. Sandscripts was the least expensive vendor for these products that I found. The bibs came out great and the wet naps were decent. It added a personal touch to the event that our guests really appreciated. That being said- Sandscripts customer service is pretty bad. I recommend ordering at least 2 months prior to your event and ordering a few extras (a couple items were not usable). Things take a lot of time with this company- be patient, check in, and order ahead of time.

Wedding Coordinator- Orangerie Events-
Orangerie Events did a decent job with our wedding. They were organized and made sure all of the predetermined details of the wedding went smoothly. We used them for their Day of Coordinator offering and they supplied us with a team of two to manage the events of our wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception. Orangerie Events is reasonably priced compared to their competitors. They have good follow through and answered questions as they came up. Although there were a few problems along the way, overall, we were satisfied with the results.

Catering By Design- Jen Hernly
They were easy to work with, flexible, and experienced. Organizing the event was stress free and we had an opportunity to taste the food before deciding on a menu. We liked that everything was taken care of (plates, napkins, bartending, clean-up, food service) with one vendor. Their service at the event was phenomenal and everyone commented on how kind and tentative the bartenders and service staff were. They went above and beyond to make the event fantastic.

Bella Monica
Food was excellent, service was superb! It was simple to set-up our rehearsal dinner with Bella Monica and the Manager/Owner (Arron) was very helpful with choosing a menu. We enjoyed having a family style meal to bring everyone together. Bella Monica kept the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable. Even when the unexpected happen, they went with the flow and handled things calmly. The food was excellent and we took the leftovers home! Our family has been talking about Bella Monica’s food and service since the wedding. Everyone is excited to return!

Adger Rothwell- Sealed with Appeal
Awesome! We used Adger to create our invitations. She was willing to work within our budget and listened to our idea concepts and styles. Adger sent us multiple ideas based on our conversation. She is comfortable making revisions to the mock-up and final product to make sure things look right. Adger was responsive via email and telephone and very easy to work with. I couldn’t have been happier choosing her!

10/15/2012 9:14:28 PM

That's a shame about The Oaks. But I have to wonder what the hell your day-of coordinator was doing because it kind of sounds like nothing. Isn't the point of the day-of coordinator to work with the crazy venue owner and get things smoothed over without your guests noticing there's issues going on? Granted if the owner was being a real bitch then I guess there's not much the day-of coordinator could do about that either. I'm glad despite those issues you still had a great wedding!

10/16/2012 8:26:43 AM

Agree with you about the planner and our concerns were addressed with Orangerie as well. One thing I liked about Orangerie was when we emailed expressing our concerns, they quickly emailed us back with an explanation and openly discussed the situation. We really appreciated this open discussion and explanation. However, we never heard from The Oaks regarding our concerns. There were a lot of vendors we really loved and who were a breeze to work with. We still had a great time
Happy planning,
Afripino's wife

10/16/2012 4:05:16 PM

What do you guys think about either Rehearsal Dinner or Engagement Party at Vinnies Steakhouse in Raleigh? Would love to do the reception there but I need something for 300 people. When it happens in 2014. LOL.

10/18/2012 1:47:27 AM

Well I will offficially be joining this thread as of this past Saturday

10/18/2012 9:52:29 AM

flowers from whole foods are beautiful and cheap. I am trying to make the fiance use them.

10/18/2012 10:46:17 AM

^ Farmer's Market ones are even cheaper

10/18/2012 4:19:35 PM

Congrats Doss!

10/19/2012 2:48:21 PM

Thank you

10/20/2012 9:31:00 AM

Running errands with wedding trial hair also, it did not last

10/20/2012 4:21:35 PM

They always use more hairspray the day of. The amount of spray used on wedding day hair is bad for the environment, your lungs, and business.

10/20/2012 7:43:35 PM

She used an iron and halfway through realized my hair was too heavy. She is going to use rollers day of.

10/20/2012 9:27:09 PM