A Productive Weekend

Happy Monday! I've been feeling pretty lazy lately in the wedding planning department, so this weekend had an extensive plan to get some shiz done:

• Bought the Little Noodle his wedding apparel-I couldn't believe how closely the shirt color matched to the groomsmen ties and bridesmaid dresses! $25 at good 'ol JCPenney. Can't beat that price, especially when he will probably only wear it the one time.

Boys 4 pc Suit Set (shirt, vest, pants and a cute little clip on tie) - JCPenney

• Bought the groomsmen ties and Mr. S's tie. I had a coupon for 50% off accessories at Men's Wearhouse, but they were on sale buy 1 get 1 free anyway, which ended up being the same price in the end.

The Groomsman's Tie - $10 on sale at Men's Wearhouse

A similar tie to Mr. S's (no pic available online of the actual one)-$20 on sale at Men's Wearhouse

• Finished our registry at Bed Bath & Beyond. I had already started it online (so convenient!), but I wanted us to go in to pick out certain things, like towels and sheets. I'm pretty picky on the softness and texture for stuff like that. As a prize for Mr. S being so patient and helpful as we ran through the store scanning things (I don't think many guys actually enjoy that), I bought him one of the items off the registry that he was really wanting...

Calphalon 2 Piece Egg and Omelet Utensil Set - $11.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond

You see, he likes to make scrambled eggs, but he only likes to use a fork, which is NOT acceptable on non-stick pans! I found these for him, and used a 20% off coupon. Now we're both happy :)

On the schedule for next weekend: buy a grey dress shirt and black vest for Mr. S to try on. MOH K and I are working on the guys apparel, and I really need a visual to see if it's going to work. More on that next time! Also, we are going to stop in at a couple local fresh flower markets to get some ideas and prices for bouquet flowers.

What wedding shtuff did you accomplish this weekend?

Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti

Let The Music Play

In other words, we've found our DJ! We met with Mike from Studio 616 on Wednesday. I can't say enough about how helpful he was with figuring out what we really need for a DJ. Remember when I talked about their DJ & photo booth package? Turns out we didn't really even need or want the photo booth, and Mike worked with us to create a package that was in our budget, but also gave us enough time for the DJ to be there for the whole event, ceremony included!

Even Mr. S, who is pretty hard to win over, was ready to sign him right then and there. So to everyone who is looking for a DJ in the Grand Rapids area, check them out!

Now that we have the tunage figured out, my next task is the flowers. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to go with real or artificial, and whether I want to DIY or let a pro handle it. So basically all I know at this point, is that I want some pretty purple flowers ;)

I love love love the look of an all Dahlia bouquet, but sadly, they will not be in season for my June wedding.

So delicate and natural! Dahlias wrapped with lily grasses. Image courtesy of Flowers by Shirley blog

I've asked a couple local florists if they have any other suggestions that might be a similar look. My budget will definitely play a factor, since I don't want to spend more than $200. I actually don't want to spend more than $100, but considering everything I need, I've accepted that I have to plan for a bit more. I need:

• 1 bridal bouquet
• 4 bridesmaid bouquets
• 1 grooms boutonierre
• 4 groomsmens boutonierres
• 2 dads boutonierres
• 6 mother/grandmother corsages

If anyone can do all that for under $100, sign me up! I'm pretty confident I could do it myself if I find the right flowers. I've heard Costco has a good variety and pricing. And there are a few fresh flower markets around here that we might have to stop in and check out this weekend. Did anyone else DIY their flowers? Any tips or regrets?

Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti

"Hey Mister DJ..."

Remember that song from back in the day? I think it was Madonna...anyway, we are meeting with a DJ today after work. Since we are now only 4 MONTHS away from our wedding, a DJ is one of those things we should probably get booked!

Funny side story: at MOH Sissy K's wedding this past Saturday (YAY!) everything turned out gorgeous, including her. Sneak peek at some pics (all images copyright Autumn Rae Photography):

Look at that profile! She was breathtaking!

The snow let up and the sun came out just in time for some outdoor pics.

I just love her fur wrap!

During the reception, my sis had specifically asked the DJ NOT to play the Chicken Dance song. Well, the groom's dad was not aware of this and requested it about 10 times. Finally, the DJ gave in. My sister freaked out, and ripped the DJ a new one. It's not funny, but it is :) We all kept telling her "it's just a two minute song, no one will even remember they played it", and finally, she calmed down. Not worth ruining your mood for it! Other than that one misfortune, things went so smoothly and as scheduled that it was hard to believe it was a wedding. Nothing was forgotten, misplaced, ruined, or unused. What a happy day! The Chicken Dance is still a sore subject though!

So, back to the point of my post. The DJ we are meeting with is Studio 616. They have a package that includes 5 hours of DJ and 3 hours of photo booth for $616. When I contacted him, he said I could rearrange the time for each if I wanted, as long as it was still equal to 8 hours. I like the flexibility they offer!

There are a couple other DJ's that I've gotten quotes from, ranging from $575 and up. My goal is to spend less than $650, and I don't think we will have a problem staying in that budget. Originally, I didn't think I'd need the DJ there more than a few hours. But as I thought it through, I realized it was cheaper and easier to have them there for both the ceremony and reception, so I don't need to ask someone to play music for the ceremony. I researched local musicians to play guitar during the ceremony (which I think would be beautiful and unique) but was quoted more than $200. The idea is still on the table if I can find someone who won't charge that much.

I'll update after our meeting tonight, and let you all know how it went! Is there anything you liked/didn't like about your DJ? Did you get a good deal (if you've booked one already)?

Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti

4 Month Check-in & MOH K's Wedding

Well readers, you may have noticed that I've been absent the past few weeks. With the exception of my blog posts about hosting my sister and MOH K's Bachelorette Party, and bridesmaid dress shopping, I haven't had a whole lot to say. But there is a reason for that...MOH K's wedding is TOMORROW!

I just can't believe how quickly the time has gone. Just like when we were planning for BM S's wedding back in October, we seemed to have so much time and then all of a sudden BAM it's here. The arrival of MOH K's wedding means that our own wedding is only 4 months away. Luckily, I've got a lot the big stuff done. Here's what I've checked off the list so far...

• Catering - JT's Catering (remember our tasty pizza/pasta feast!)
• Photography - Katy Batdorff Photography
• Venue - Johnson Park
• Wedding Dress - David's Bridal (stay tuned after the wedding for the reveal!)
• Bridesmaid Dresses - David's Bridal

Things I'm working on now:

• DJ
• Flowers
• Choosing hotel for room block
• Invitation design

As for the rest, I'm not thinking about any of it until after this weekend is over. I've been hard at work getting all the paper goods printed for K's wedding, which I will post after the weekend is through. Until then, stay tuned for lots more wedding planning goodies on the way!

Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti

Just A Little Venting

Well...it's Monday. And it's a 3-day work week for me, which means it will feel like an eternity in which I will accomplish nothing and the piles on my desk will just sit here over the 4-day weekend and bite me in the butt when I return next Monday. Don't mind me, just feeling a little overwhelmed today! I did manage to clean my desk this morning which gave my lovely cubicle a little more positive energy. It's hard to concentrate on work when there is so much going on that is not work-related. Now that BM S's wedding is done, I'm really concentrating on helping MOH K finish her planning. She's just 3 months out now! This means invitation suites and other paper stationery need to be designed like NOW. And I've really got to get busy planning her bachelorette party, which is set for January 19th.

Meanwhile, my own wedding planning is creeping along sluggishly. I've given a few tasks to Mr. S, like finding a DJ. He knows a couple people who do it, so he's contacted them for pricing. He also has the responsibility of obtaining the remaining addresses of his side of the family in order to complete our guest list. My goal is to send out save-the-dates by December 1st. We will be just over 6 months out at that time. Holy crap!

In the meantime, the Little Noodle found a boys' suit section at Macy's the other day and just had to try on the suit coat. He's so excited about getting to wear one at our wedding!

Here he is-looking quite dapper! - Personal Photo

Anyone else beginning to feel overwhelmed with wedding or non-wedding related (NWR) things going on in their lives? Maybe it's just the anticipation of the holidays...

Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti