Booked! (And a Freebie!)

Yesterday's post really did inspire to buckle down and finish up the main plans for our honeymoon.

I spent hours yesterday researching hotels, scouring the internet for deals, rating hotels on qualities, features, locations, specials, etc., and sending top choices to Tom for input.

We had originally planned on using our credit card rewards for the hotel cost, but we found out that are type of card doesn't allow transfers to our hotel rewards program. Major bummer. Despite that setback, we were still able to book five-star hotels, get upgraded rooms, and save over $400!

I'll admit that I'm a bit of a hotel snob, and I didn't want to settle for anything less than perfect. You only get one honeymoon, and in reality, probably only one trip to Australia in your lifetime. Armed with that knowledge, and a free sweet upgrade, we booked this glam hotel in the heart of Sydney:



It was originally the old post office, which was converted to super swanky rooms!

While this isn't our exact room, ours will be similar:



We're about 1-2 miles from most of the major tourist attractions (Darling Harbor, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, etc.). Exciting!

Halfway through the trip we fly from Sydney to Port Douglas, a resort town located off of the Great Barrier Reef.

We're staying at a resort here, so while it's not as modern and swanky as Sydney, it's still pretty awesome. Our room includes a private balcony, and a private entrance into the pool. How cool is that??

With the great deal on airfare, along with my lovely hotel finds, we've saved over $700 off of what we originally budgeted for this trip. That doesn't factor in the actual savings off of the rack rates for the hotels and plane tickets. With the current currency rate, I'd venture to say that we've saved well over $2,000.

And if that's not all, since we weren't able to use our credit card points towards our hotel program, we were able to apply half towards our credit card balance (reducing what we pay for the hotels by about $115), and use the other half to get a new camera for free! (Tom brought my camera to Colorado, and there was a baggage handling incident that caused it to die an early death).

Seriously, a money-saving day indeed! :)

A Money Celebration!

So I know the last time I posted about money, I made a lot of eyes glaze over.

Sorry. I just like to talk about it. A lot. But I promise, this will be MUCH shorter!

As we found out early on in the planning, having a budget and sticking to it is key. Okay, fine. Sounds fairly straightforward, right?

But in reality, where does that budget come from? How in the world is a young couple just starting out supposed to come up with upwards of $20,000???

For us, our budget was set by what we could afford to put aside everything month, while still saving for other important things (cars, house, vacations, etc.). When we decided to move the wedding up an entire year, we lost 12 months of savings. While the cost of the wedding has decreased, it still is costing us a fairly large chunk of money. But, we've been diligent in putting money aside every month, and Tom and I are very happy to announce that...

We're OFFICIALLY done saving for the wedding and honeymoon!!!! It's SUCH a great feeling (especially because we're 3 months early!!).

The good news is that now we have a bit more flexibility with our budget. We'd been debating about an after-party, and now know that would be easy to do, or we can spend the money on some FANTASTIC bridal party gifts we had nixed because of cost...

We'll see! For now, Tom and I are just thrilled to have this taken care of and off of our minds!

The Big Money Debacle

So let's talk about a topic that I tend to dance around....money.

I read a great article yesterday from the Wall Street Journal: With This Debt, I Thee Wed. It discusses how finances, and specifically debt, can cause strife within a marriage, and how important it is to have a similar philosophy.

I just gonna put this out there: I love money. I love studying it, I love having it, I love budgeting it, I love reading about it. I own 4 books on personal finance, investing, etc. Because it's something I have such an interest in, it's become a central part of my relationship with Tom. When you combine that with weddings and moving out/starting a life together, money becomes a big factor.

We always tend to err on the side of caution, always spending less than more. This isn't to say that we're misers, because we certainly spend our money and have a good time with it, but we're careful to save and invest, always with the future in mind.

We have lots of honest, open conversations about money: how much we have now, how much we need, how much we want, etc. Because of all these conversations, we're completely on the same page in terms of saving, spending and investing. One thing that's really helped us has been setting concrete goals for where we want to be, not just "dreaming" about it. When planning the wedding budget, we figured out a rough estimate of what we'd need, then figured out how much a month we had to put aside for it. We're doing the same thing for a house --- we've figured out how much of a down payment we want, and we set aside a certain amount of money a month for it.

One book that's really helped is Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, Revisited. While the book is really geared towards couples with debt, it did help teach us a few certain principles about money management. One of the biggest things he preaches is about savings. He advocates that every couple should have 4-6 months of living expenses saved as an "emergency fund." While that can quickly add up to a startling number, it makes a lot of sense (especially in this economy!). Once that is saved (assuming you have no credit card debt), you begin maxing out retirement savings, paying down mortgages (and other "good" debts), and investing your money in other places (stocks, child savings accounts, etc.).

I'm extremely glad that Tom and I began having conversations about money early on in our relationship. It's really saved us a lot of trouble, because now, as we really "combine" finances, we're finding it much easier. It's so exciting to see our savings build and our student loans go down. :-)

While we're not experts by any stretch of the imagination, here are a few things that have helped us:

• Being completely open and honest with each other. You can't make any headway when one partner is hiding something, and that's certainly no way to start a marriage.
• Being honest with ourselves. Don't kid yourself into thinking you can afford something if you can't. It gets you nowhere.
• Having fun. Just because you're saving money doesn't mean you don't have fun. Spend some, just not more than you have.
• Communicate constantly. Set up clear understandings of what it's okay to buy or not buy with consulting each other (say, purchases under $50 or under $100), and check in at certain times of the month (we like to do it on pay days!)
• Set goals. Figure out what you want to have/do in the future, and set financial goals accordingly (i.e. if you want a certain amount of money in savings, if you plan on buying a house, even if you plan on financing future children's educations --- it's never too early to starting thinking/planning/saving)
• Don't forget about retirement. The more money you save earlier, the better off you are. Compound interest is your friend. You don't have to have a company 401(k) to start saving, either. You can open a Roth at a variety of places and start saving as early as 18. Also, discuss when you both want to retire. Make sure you're on the same page (or at least understand the other person!)
• Get help. When you're really planning long term (retirement, IRAs, stocks, etc.) a good financial planner is worth the cost. Plus, having some accountability can't hurt either.
• Automatic savings are your friend. Payroll deductions have saved us some serious strife. We don't even have to think about setting the money aside --- it's already done for us.
• Set up separate savings accounts. We have separate savings, house, and travel accounts that help us keep track better. It's nice to know in 1 click where we stand.
• Think twice before you purchase anything major. Do you really need it, or do you just want it? Chances are it's probably a want.
• Live below your means. Just because you make a certain amount of money doesn't mean you have to spend that much.
• Figure out what works for you. I can preach until I'm blue in the face, but if you don't find a solution that works for you, nothing ever will.
• Relax. In the end, it's just money. Sure, it will make your life more comfortable, but having a savings account won't stop you from being miserable and unhappy.

Bargain Hunting Success!

Being the super internet sleuth that I am, I was able to track down the ring that Tom wants, and save over 50% off the list price...

While most people are afraid of using the internet for expensive purchases, I do not shy away. It's a fantastic medium that allows for easy price comparing, provides extra information, and can offer some great deals.

The trick to buying jewelry on the internet is to research and know your product. Check out the product in-stores, get the prices, try it on for size, then head to the internet. Read reviews of the product, the stores, check out the Better Business Bureau, etc.

Before purchasing Tom's ring, we visited several stores. We first determined the style that Tom likes --- white gold, simple, no design or diamonds. Then, we sized his finger. (We promptly forgot it, so in the end, he had to print off a sizer and do it himself...). I searched for about 2 months, reading reviews of various vendors and websites, watching the Christmas sales, signing up for promo codes, etc. I'd send him links to different rings, and he'd reply with what he liked and didn't like about them.

In the end, he chose this ring:

It's the exact ring he tried on at a jeweler's, and even with their "20% wedding jewelry" sale, it was completely out of our budget. While we realize that rings are not something to skimp on, since we'll be wearing them the rest of our lives, we still did have a budget that we had to stick to. By searching out the ring online, I found a Chicago-based store that had an online shop. Then, I searched for the store on eBay, finding the ring to be $30 cheaper (and included free shipping) than was listed on their website. In the end, I saved more than 50% of what the jeweler quoted us. Before I purchased it, though, I read the terms and conditions, refund and exchange policies, and the warranty and appraisal information. Since all checked out, I went ahead with the transaction.

Tom opted for white gold, as it holds up better than most other metals against scratches, but can still be easily buffed. Because he uses his hands so much with weightlifting and throwing, we needed to be sure that the ring could be cut off at any point in case of an injury. We'd heard many conflicting reports about titanium, palladium and tungsten, so we just decided to be on the safe side and choose gold.

All in all, we're both pretty happy with our ring selections. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures once they're in! :)

The Catering Chronicles: Part 1,004,567th

So the saga to find a flexible, delicious and budget-friendly caterer continues...

I finally received the last proposal I'd been waiting on --- the one that I think would be workable in our budget. As is the running theme here, I was pretty disappointed when the total was higher than what we discussed. The food was a bit on the haughty side, they included a wedding cake (which we're opting not to have), and they had the whole reception timed incorrectly. Ugh.

Luckily, I had the day off of work and was able to put a call into our rep right away to make a few amendments. So, I'm awaiting the "official" proposal, but it should include:

• Passed hors d'oeurves (mini hotdogs, bacon wrapped dates, etc.)
• Cheese & cracker display
• Fresh veggie display
• Carved beef & turkey stations
• Mashed potato bar
• Made to order salad bar (this might be nixed...I can't remember!)
• Dessert table to include assorted brownies (rocky road, peanut butter, cream cheese), cheesecake squares, fresh fruit, and chocolate covered strawberries

And hopefully this quote will fall within (or near) our budget, making it that much easier for us to make our choice.

In other semi-related caterer news, how delicious does this look?

I'm Lucky I'm Good at Darts...

After working with these caterers, I have a feeling that we might be reducing the guest list.

I'm actually kidding, because there are absolutely no "frivolous" guests on our lists. We really have no way to cut, which is depressing. More guests = more tables. More tables = more linens & centerpieces. More linens & centerpieces = overspending the budget.

Maybe we'll win the lottery in the next 18 months??

Photographer - Check!

Yesterday we met with 2 photographers who had made our "short list." It was great to meet them both, especially within a shortened amount of time, so we could make easier comparisons on work, price, personality, etc. Plus, we got to see some albums in person, which was nice. I guess I wasn't expecting them to be as great as they were, and now I want one :(

Anyway, we decided on the photographer about 2 minutes after getting into the car, and are in the process of sending in the contract and deposit. Exciting stuff :)

Once everything's completely "official," I'll definitely post a few of her pics and link up to her website or blog so you all can enjoy the goodness!

So besides her being friendly and helpful as well as the quality of her work, we were impressed by everything offered in her package. For a great price (well within budget), this is what we're getting:

• 2 engagement sessions (in case 1 doesn't turn out well or we wanted to do them at different times of the year)
• Unlimited photography the day of the wedding (great since we'll be there in the morning and are potentially having an after-party)
• A post-session (in case we don't have time for all the "artistic" type photos that I want the day of the wedding --- allowing us more flexibility to spend more time with the guests...
• Printing rights to ALL of our pictures, sent to us on DVD within 6 weeks of the wedding, once they've been edited and retouched

I really loved the option of having the printing rights, because I thought that not only would we have ALL of our pictures in a great medium for sharing (via blog, email, website, etc.), we can also purchase our prints when it's financially convenient --- there's no rush to spend hundreds of dollars on prints weeks after the wedding. Plus, as we move into new and different houses, we can always conveniently order more to fit the new spaces...

The option also allows us to extend the printing rights to family and friends. Prints can either be distributed and ordered through us, or they can be ordered through her. What Tom and I were really impressed with was that she doesn't price the additional prints to make profit, so those are really affordable as well.

All in all, we're pretty happy, and looking forward to the engagement sessions next year :)

Catering Proposal - Take 2

So even though my mind's quieted down a bit since yesterday, I still can't get over that number. Well, 5 numbers, to be exact. Twice the amount of my student loans. A year of college tuition.

So in a mad rush to distract myself with other numbers, I started frantically contacting all the other caterers on the preferred list. Either the proposals will be more reasonable, or I'll just learn that goat-cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes really do cost $1,000.

While at work today, I received a phone call from one of said caterers. I found the woman to be extremely pleasant and personable. As I began to discuss the nightmare of yesterday, I found her to be extremely professional --- she wasn't trying to pry, but was trying to figure out what our real budget is, and where I felt yesterday's quote went wrong. I give her credit for not laughing when I told her what the actual budget was.

All in all, we had a really pleasant chat about the flow and logistics of cocktail receptions, and she gave me lots of advice on the ins and outs of the Danada House, amounts of food, seating arrangements and bar menus. I'm really crossing my fingers that her proposal will be much closer to our budget, as I really heard an air of confidence in her that I liked.

And above all, I'd rather have knowledgeable, confident vendors that I can trust rather than vendors trying to save a buck and cutting corners.

We even talked about moving the ceremony time up to 1:30, that way it's a bit more clear that we're having an afternoon reception. Fine by me :)

So I guess now I just wait. Next week we should have several more quotes coming in from various caterers, so I should have a good base of comparison.

And this Sunday, Tom and I are meeting with 2 photographers. With any luck, we could have everything signed up and confirmed before the end of the month!!! :)

Happy Weekend Everybody!

Inhale, Exhale, Repeat.

Oh man. Oh jeez. Whooo. Aaaahhh. I can't (gasp) seem to get (gasp) enough air over here (gasp).

I just received the first "official" quote from one of the many (and by many, I mean 8) caterers we're interviewing. And by interviewing, I mean being tortured by.

It seriously just feels like someone has sucked all the air out of the room. Melodramatic...maybe. But really, I'm absolutely shaking right now.

By now, I'm sure you've realized that this was not a good quote. Nope. The quote, not including 15% gratuity, is almost 3 TIMES our budget!!! 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Granted it includes absolutely EVERYTHING we want, including the mashed potato martini bar, the custom groom's cake, the 3 signature cocktails, the made-to-order salad station, the fruit & fresh cream bar, gourmet coffee bar, countless hor d'oeurves, and a wedding coordinator, I just wasn't expecting the final number to be more than a new car. A very expensive new car.

And now comes the fork in the road. Of course we'll be entertaining quotes from the other 7 vendors (well, probably 6 because I might have offended one by calling her "Susan" instead of "Diane" in an email...whoops), but the likelihood is that they'll all be just as expensive.

At first glance, the quote seemed very reasonable. The food and beverages were almost on budget. But as I continued to scroll down, I saw more numbers. $12 for napkins for the bread baskets. $0.50 per fork. And we need a lot of forks. $600 just for table linens. $100 for fresh flower garnishes for the buffet table.

Oh man, here comes the panic attack again. Oh no. Aaargh.

Excuse me while I go hyperventilate into a brown paper bag.

PS - Did I mention the quote was higher than the ENTIRE wedding budget?? Ughhhhhh.

All in the Details...

So as I spend more time looking at pictures, thinking about venues, etc., the vision of the day becomes a clearer picture in my mind. Though I'm prone to changing it often (I've "planned" for at least 4 different places/dates now), I feel fairly certain that this vision will stick.

But that's partly because I've already spent money on the paper for the invites and the dress, so there's no way to turn back now! ;)

So anyhoodle, I've spent some time the past few days thinking about what the wedding would be like at any of the sites below, and the vision is fairly similar. I'd like to stick with the common chord of "garden elegance" but still have the fun, fresh touches that stop this from becoming a stuffy affair.

Idea #1: Lace.

I like lace in small quantities. I certainly don't want it everywhere, lest this look like the special occasion fabric section at a craft store, but I'd like to incorporate it in small touches. For instance, the tables:


(DeNormandie Party Linens)

Please ignore the crazy centerpiece and chair that could double as a fancy toilet. However, please pay special attention to the lace topper. Picture that on top of both pool blue and apple green linens. In my head, I think the blue will look better, but I like the color green more.

I'd also like to incorporate it into the ceremony (if it is outdoors, that is), but having it become part of the canopy (sorta like a chuppa), or even as an aisle runner (in lieu of flower petals).

And I love it at the bottom of this dress too:


(Jenny Yoo Bridal)

Just barely noticeable :)


Idea #2: Flowers.

Fairly self-explanatory, right? Too bad there's this little problem called a BUDGET. So, my thoughts for fresh flower centerpieces without the cost are this:



or actually doing a simple DIY project the night before. I can get vases as cheap as $2 a piece, and we could make a run to Trader Joe's or even a regular grocery store and buy several of their mixed bouquets. They can easily be split in half (or smaller depending on the size of the vases), running the cost to approx. $5 per arrangement.

Sigh. Roses and lace? I really am a lot more girly than I let on to be.

...And Scene.

Okay, so I think that my elopement freakout from last week is almost over. Almost.

Not that I really need to explain myself (because I do believe that the reasons for it were justified...), but work's been crazy and it just seems insane to think that we still have 21 months until the wedding. Blah.

So, after crunching lots of numbers, several heart-to-hearts that always seemed to include an obscene amount of eye-rolling from Tom, and a few chats with family and friends, I'm back to setting my sights on a June '10 wedding.

BUT, last week was eye-opening for both Tom and I in a few ways. I think that most couples, in the throes of wedding planning, forget to take a step back every once in a while and reevaluate their priorities. And last week helped us do just that.

Tom's Priorities:

• Wedding after graduation
• Catholic wedding
• Complete guest list
• Fairly traditional in structure
• Tuxedos (I'm not really sure why on this one...he just wants them as opposed to suits)

Beth's Priorities:

• Intimate affair (even if there are 200 people there...)
• Photojournalistic photography
• Personal, customized touches (as opposed to doing things for tradition)
• Good food :)
• Elegant romantic feel to ceremony / fun, fresh feel at reception
• Not spending the GDP of a small country

So, it appears that our priorities are fairly opposite. The strategy? Compromise.

For instance, Tom has already acquiesced to having a non-traditional cocktail or dessert reception as long as the guest list remains untouched. I've given in to the Catholic ceremony, as long as it's held at my family's church.

The rest? Well, that all remains to be worked out. But, be on the lookout for lots more posts exploring new directions we may be taking.