jotting jennifer

Mr. PB and I had an 18-month engagement, so we knew we had some time to look at venues. We were open to buffets or stations and definitely wanted open bar to be part of our package. We wanted a venue that had some character to it but didn’t give off a formal vibe. After calculating our budget, I figured $55 per person after tax and gratuity was the highest I wanted to go.

I had some hesitancy with looking at venues during the fall/early winter. I wanted to make sure that I saw the venue in March before signing on the line. Perfectly landscaped grounds, bright flowers and sunshine aren’t exactly staples in March but they’re things likely to be found in sample photos. I didn’t want to fall in love with something I wouldn’t have on my wedding day. I considered being able to see my venue during the same month I’d use it as an advantage to a longer engagement.

I started browsing venues online and began to realize that a lot of places were one of three things: a) out of our price range; b) way too fancy for our style; c) combination of a and b. I decided to start making a spreadsheet with Google Docs to help sort the venues.

Disclaimer: These prices may not be current pricing for the above venues. These were prices I gathered from their websites, special discounts or via verbal estimates. For actual pricing, please contact the venues. *steps off soapbox*

Without boring everyone with all the details, my spreadsheet allowed me to calculate prices for different venues including tax and gratuity and based on the percentage of guests who RSVP yes. For example, I quickly knew that venues such as Westminster were definitely out of our range but places like Whittier had varied pricing that could fit into our budget. Based on these estimates, I started scheduling visits with various venues.

What helped you narrow down the venue search? Are you a number-loving bride like me?

Before we had a location, before we were 100 percent set on our date, before we were sure what anyone was wearing, we had a couple of vendors already inked. Well, not officially but there was no way we weren’t going to use them.

Hair & Makeup: Mini & ELLA Salon

I had my first hair appointment with Laura, aka Mini, just before Frack’s bachelorette party in 2010. Before then, I didn’t really invest in my hair or revisit a particular hairdresser. I tended to go to salons that didn’t require appointments, sit in whichever chair was available first and go for something basic. Since meeting Mini, I’ve changed up hair colors, let her do what she thinks is best and loved my hair. I even drive about 30 minutes to Strands for an appointment with her. I may go a bit too long between appointments and wear my hair in a ponytail more often than Mini likes but she is totally amazeballs. Mini has done wedding day styles for Frack and another friend and her work is superb.

While Mini will be doing my hair, I needed a crew for my other ladies. A family friend, Carmen, recently opened a salon called Ella in Harmony salon and it was a no brainer to have her crew come to the hotel in the morning as the glam squad! I can’t wait to see all of the ladies all fancy pants!

Photography: Mitch’s Studio

Before I babble, let’s let some of Mitch’s work do the talking for me.

Even if I didn’t know the photographer or the couple, I’d still love this photo. (That’s Frack and Gee, btw) // Source: Mitch’s Studio

 I don’t know these people but I do know that Mitch perfectly captured their joy. // Source: Mitch’s Studio

Bling and flowers – how can you go wrong? // Source: Mitch’s Studio

Too much cuteness for one photo! This is Sharpie and Mitch’s daughter, who I am sure has become his favorite subject to photograph. // Source: Mitch’s Studio

I could continue on and show off more of Mitch’s work, but I’m sure you’ll see lots of his photos post-wedding. Mitch is married to Sharpie so technically he’s my cousin-in-law but our family doesn’t roll like that. He’s officially a cousin now. He is an architect by day, a husband and father by night and a photographer on the weekends. I love the photography work that he does and I’m excited to have him documenting our big day.

DJ: Showcase Sound

Gee is somewhat crazy about music and DJs so when he picked Showcase Sound for his wedding DJ, I figured they had to be good. They were GREAT. The dance floor was always going and they were able to capture Gee and Frack’s personality, reflect it in the music choices and help make the night super memorable. Gee loved them so much that he applied to work as a DJ for them afterwards. Owners Ben and Lisa welcomed Gee onto their team and Gee ended up working at Sharpie and Mitch’s wedding with Ben. Once again, Showcase Sound did not disappoint.

Mr. PB and Gee cheesin’ at Sharpie and Mitch’s wedding. // Personal photo

Sharpie and Mitch even had a photo booth at their wedding from Showcase Sound so Mr. PB and I got to test that out. Showcase Sound was definitely a sure thing since our engagement and I can’t wait to dance the night away!

Did you have any vendors that you knew you’d use? Are any of your friendors family?

Some of you may judge me for a statement I am about to make. However, I made a decision a long time ago that I would have no shame in my likes or interests. (I was the girl in eighth grade that wore Hanson shirts to school on the regular while no one else in my grade thought they were cool.)

So here it is: I’m Miss Phone Booth and I wish I was a Kardashian.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. My name doesn’t start with a K, I obviously wouldn’t fit in. Welp, thanks for raining on my parade. (That was what you were thinking, right?)

One of the many reasons that I’d be content with becoming a Kardashian (even if I did have to change my name) is the money that they have been able to spend on their weddings. Yes, their weddings could be called outrageous and over the top and sure, Kim’s marriage only lasted 72 days and now Khloe has filed for divorce. However, the inspiration that can be found in their weddings is plentiful. So if you’re a Kardashian hater, put on some rose colored sunglasses and join me as I oogle the photos a bit.

The tenting. The chandelier. Their body language. Sigh. (Side note: SO sad to hear things didn’t work out for them… sniffle sniffle) // Source: Khloe Kardashian

Look at all those flowers in the background! And her sisters in different color dresses! In the same color family! Carrying all white bouquets! Be still my beating heart… // Source: Ok! Magazine by way of QuoteKO

Hate on haters, but Kim’s commitment to theme during her wedding was amazing. She had a vision and found a way to execute it to the fullest. // Source: People Magazine

Now that I’m in a good mood because of the photos above, let’s snap back to reality and talk about the meaning of this post: the wedding budget.

Source: The Knot

A price tag of $28,427 and according to the infographic, that include a honeymoon. The most recent honeymoon statistics I could find state that the average honeymoon in 2010 cost $4,466. So $28,427 plus $4,466 equals $32,893, so about $33,000. The average amount is obviously way below that of a Kardashian wedding (or any other big celebrity wedding) but it’s still a good chunk of money in my eyes.

Mr. PB and I knew from the beginning that we would be footing most of the bill for the wedding. This didn’t worry me because I knew that we were giving ourselves 18 months to save. On top of that, the 18-month engagement allows me time to hunt for the best deals possible. Sure, we wouldn’t be able to have a Kardashian-type extravagant wedding but that’s not who we are anyways (even if I like to pretend I am every once in a while). We could make the wedding reflect us and fit what we can afford.

To figure out what the budget would be, I went to my favorite tool: Google Drive. Many bloggers have written about the great features of Drive and I will sing its praises all day long as well. I relied upon Drive for many things before we were engaged, have been using it almost daily since we became engaged and foresee myself using it long into the future.

I take care of the majority of our finances and have since we moved in together. To help sort things out and make the financial planning transparent, I created a spreadsheet in Drive that I share with Mr. PB. I plan out all of our bills normally about a year at a time in biweekly increments. The system has worked out really well for both our personal and joint finances. I figured it would be no different when it came to the wedding.

Utilizing our already in place budget spreadsheet, I figured out how much money we could save throughout the engagement while still paying all bills on time, paying off any debts we have and stowing away some savings. Once I had that figured out for both our joint account and our personal accounts, I added in any contributions we would be getting from other sources (parents, family, projected additional income, etc.) and resulted in our budget.

While our budget is not Kardashian sized and is a bit below the supposed average, I think our budget gives us plenty to work with. With the right attitude and savvy shopping, the day will be amazeballs and we’ll feel like celebrities.

Do you have any celebrity weddings you drool over? Anyone else using Google Drive to help with wedding budgeting?