Does featuring myself on Fabulous Friday make me a total jerk? Yes? Oh. Ok. Sorry I’m not sorry.  Just love our Thank You notes — and wanted to give a shout to Jessie from Jessica Smith Photography, because I love her. (and a shout to Cris of Kiss My Tulle for the football idea!!)

I got our Thank You’s printed (and they’re almost all sent out… it’s only taken 7 months) by Overnight Prints, and they did a great job.  Simple postcard, with envelope… and SUPER affordable (I think it was under $30 to print 200 of them…)!

Note: I played with this picture in Instagram prior to posting, in real life, there’s no glare and the pic is perfectly perfect Thanks, Jess! xo

Your guest blogger, Claire, grew up in the North of England where frugality is a way of life… which, as you can imagine, strikes a chord with me. Claire contacted me wanting to guest blog about her experience planning her wedding in Central Park.  You’re probably thinking the same thing I’m thinking… There’s no freakin’ way that you can have a “frugal” wedding in Central Park.  Welps, she’ll do to you what she did to me: prove that thought WRONG.  Check it out!

(anybody else LOVING Claire’s dress and adorable flats?)

A Run-down of Claire’s Big Day:

• Location: Ladies’ Pavilion, Central Park, about a mile from our apartment.
• Date: July 1, 2011
• Colors:  Green!  We were surrounded by the beautiful natural colors of Central Park.  I wore white, for the first (and last) time in my clumsy food-spilling life (and got away with it), and we both had white roses.
• Theme: Functional and fun.
• Food: OK, this bit was a bit more frivolous, lunch with our witnesses at 80 year old Russian Tea Rooms, fancy gold-plated restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, and dinner at a lesser-known but equally fabulous restaurant, with views of the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline
• Drink: Wine with lunch, Manhattan cocktails with dinner
• Dress:  J Crew, white, linen, classic.
• Veil: none
• The Boys: Husband in navy suit, our beagle puppy declined to dress up.
• The Girls: Our two beautiful witnesses came in their puppy-proof summer finery.
• The Ceremony: Quick. 15 minute maximum.  Groom is a man of few words and Bride was afraid of tears, so our officiant did most of the talking for us.

It is my firm belief that time, money and stress should never be expended if it’s not necessary.  I moved from England to New York City in January of 2011.  I had taken voluntary redundancy to follow my boyfriend at the time to New York, where he had a job offer. The plan was that I would find a job, continuing to work in the Energy Industry, as I had for the previous ten years.  This was not to be, and in the end, I accepted that I would take a little time off work to enjoy this incredible city.

I found various fun and fascinating ways to spend my time, but there are only so many museums in New York, and only so many restaurant lunches a girl can eat, so I decided I needed to find an outdoors hobby.  I started volunteering as a Greensward Guide for the Central Park Conservancy.  I fell in love with Central Park, and when my man and I decided to get married, it was an easy decision to do it there.  We had never felt a burning desire to formalize our relationship, but the US government required it in order for me to stay in the country.

To get married in New York City both parties must take photo ID to pick up your license from City Hall at least 24 hours before your ceremony.  This costs $35, and in our case, the price of lunch from a nearby cafe, it’s a loooong wait for your number to come up to see the official.  You also have to get a permit from Central Park Conservancy for your chosen location, but this is a small fee (only $20!), when you consider that they are a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping this park is such great shape for so many people to enjoy. (Big Day Blog Interjection – LOOK FOR PLACES LIKE THIS! Non-profits, historical sites, etc! They will save. you. money.)

I had a friend who had gotten married in Shakespeare Garden in Central Park, and she recommended her officiant, who we met with some weeks before our wedding and she advised us on what to put in our vows, and helped us write them.  I had a friend who had a friend who was a wedding and event photographer, and as luck would have it, her partner is a videographer, and we needed one of those to provide a film of the ceremony for our families back home.

 It occurred to me that there must be other foreigners, like myself, and other people from out-of-state, or even other New Yorkers who just don’t have the time to work out all the logistics, find out the paperwork needed to get married, and to find good, reliable people to make their day happen (which can be especially difficult in a big city like New York).  So, I decided to start my own wedding planning business, Weddings in Central Park.  I am in the unique position of knowing (and loving) Central Park very well, from my volunteering there, and I had the time on my hands to start this business.

Some budget-saving tips from Big Day Blog:

• Seek out non-profits, historical sites, and other locations that may not be top of mind when it comes to wedding, you’ll typically find a much smaller price tag (and won’t have to compromise on beauty at all!)
• Do your own flowers. Seriously. I did, and I saved well over a thousand dollars AT LEAST (all our flowers cost me $244 and the time it took to put them together… maybe 3-4 hours).
• Keep your guest list small… easier said than done, I know, but play with numbers, see what you can swing!
• Two words: Standing ceremony.  You’ll save crazy money on chairs.

Got questions? Want to get married in Central Park? You can contact Claire at info@wedincentralpark.com

Ever considered having your Big Day in paradise? Tempting, isn’t it? Here’s a reader’s take (the lovely Allie of Allie’s New Day) on all things destination wedding… Thanks, Allie for the post!!

Hi folks! I’m Allie, from Allie’s New Day. And I’m smack in the middle of planning my destination wedding (aka “DW”). In case some of you other Big Day for $10k readers are also thinking about planning your nuptials on the beach, I wanted to share some of the tips I’ve learned along the way.

Let’s start with the basics: what’s a destination wedding and where can we go??
A destination wedding can be held anywhere that you (and the majority of your guests) aren’t. If you’re looking for an all-inclusive resort setting (which we were), the “big 3″ are Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Mexico. Sure, sure – there are other locations in the Bahamas, St. Lucia and all over the Caribbean, and we can’t forget Vegas! I’ve heard of brides and their entourage traveling to Italy, Hawaii, even Fiji, Bali or Thailand too (The Hangover II anyone?).

Credit: SMP | Photog: Rebecca Davidson Wedding Photography

We chose Riviera Maya for the cost factor and travel time – 2 hours from Texas and Florida, and less expensive than DR, Jamaica or even Cabo. Oh, and my fiancé KO’d both Jamaica and DR as options. So Mexico it is!

1. TRUTH: Getting married has different legal requirements based on your destination. If you’ve chosen Vegas, it’s pretty simple. However, Mexico is one of the more stringent, with requirements of a blood test, translation of documents (including birth certificates and passports), and a pre-determined set of vows in order for the marriage to be legal. Be sure to check these out as you’re making your decision on the location. I’m a little nervous and bummed about the whole blood test thing as I’m a MAJOR wimp. But..for reasons stated above, Mexico it is.

Credit: WeddingsInTuscany.com

2. TRUTH: Even destination weddings come with drama of some sort. Yeah – this was one huge misconception I had. It smacked me in the face rather quickly. I say this just as a reality check. Brides, there will be drama that you will have to overcome. There’s just no way around it. Be prepared to deal with it as gracefully as possible. I’m hoping the worst of the drama is behind me, and all that remains is to get there and get hitched.

Credit: Charlotte Magazine

3. MYTH: Destination weddings are less expensive than hometown weddings. Sure, they CAN be. But I’ve also read of brides spending $20k or more to add all the extras. I’m aiming for a total of $10k, including our travel/resort say. I think we’ll be pretty close to that.

Credit: Wedding Wire

4. TRUTH: Not everyone thinks a DW is a fabulous idea. There will be someone in your family and/or your group of friends who is absolutely flabbergasted that you would even CONSIDER planning a vacation for your nearest and dearest. Yes, I had someone (whom I thought was my best friend!!) say this to me. They will pitch a fit about it, and at the end of the day, they either will go and have a fabulous time, or won’t go. It’s as simple as that. See #3.

Credit: BridalBlvd.biz

5. MYTH: There’s a certain type of dress for destination weddings. Yeah this is SO NOT TRUE. So go try on your dresses and wear whatever you want. Just know that if you choose a satin beaded ball gown, you will probably be a bit hot and sweaty (it’s a little warm and humid in the caribbean most of the year!). If you’re ok with that, then DO IT. In my case, the “typical destination wedding” dress (sheath-style or goddess-style, usually chiffon and flowing) looked like a night gown on me. There was no way I could picture myself getting married in those dresses. I have – oh, you thought I was going to tell you about my dress before my Big Day? sorry friends, I am trying to surprise my ever-nosey friends and family on the day-of. Suffice it to say it’s an a-line with a chapel length train. Booya!!

Credit: OnceWed

6. MYTH: A DW means it’s a small wedding with only a few friends and family. It totally depends on what you want. A friend of mine did a DW with a total of 12 guests. It looks like ours will have about 50. And seriously y’all? 50 is more than I expected would EVER attend my wedding. I’ve also heard of DW’s with 80+ people. So do cull your guest list carefully and consider how big (or small) you want your wedding to be.

Credit: RedPillMixTape

7. MYTH: A DW means spending your honeymoon with your nearest and dearest. Again – it totally depends on what you want. We are choosing not to change resorts after our Big Day, though we will be in a more secluded part of the resort (one of the reasons we chose that specific resort). We thought about Vegas (yes, really), and decided we didn’t want to have to travel once for the ceremony and again for the honeymoon. A number of destination brides stay in the same area, but change resorts (maybe from a family friendly resort to an adults-only resort).

8. MYTH: a DW means you can’t DIY all the special touches you’ve always dreamed about. Lies, lies I say!! You can. Just remember all that lovely DIY must be packed into suitcases and hauled with you to your destination. And a number of DW brides choose to have another acronym: AHR – the at home reception. If you do an AHR, you can DIY to your heart’s content!

Credit: Sweet Pea Event Blog

Oh – you want to know my DIY plans? Are you sure? (is your wedding planning like mine – it tends to throw up on the unsuspecting-but-well-meaning-casual-interest-showing-but-not-really-interested-friend? no, oh. sorry.)

I will DIY:

• my invitations – these are being printed by a pro, but I will assemble them, add an envelope liner, and DIY some sort of folder or wrap
• some sort of survival/welcome bag
• table decorations
• decorations for the gazebo and our reception venue (I’m purchasing paper lanterns and such to decorate with – instant color, inexpensive, and folds flat for travel)
• small personal touches that will be surprises for our guests

9. TRUTH: a DW means giving up some of the control over your Big Day. I really can’t argue with this one. And for an OCD, planner, control-freakish type like me, this can be a difficult one. This is why it’s so important to research your resort, know what they can and can’t do (and what it may cost you). For instance, one of my compromises is my cake. I love cake. I mean really, really, REALLY love cake.

Our resort offers vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. I hear ya – zzzzz. No almond, no champagne flavors, nothing. And they can ONLY do fondant. BLECH!!!! Oh, sure I could try to find a bakery in Mexico to deliver it to the resort. The catch? I’d have to pay the bank-robbing-resort an extra $800 to bring in anything from an outside vendor. See why I said you need to know what your resort allows? You may be wondering why on earth I chose that resort with the Great Cake Dilemma. It was because I really, really loved everything else the resort has to offer. I figured that as an all inclusive resort, it’s highly unlikely that my guests will be sober by the time we get around to cutting/passing out the cake. So I’m letting it go. You can bet your dress I’m going to order a small, custom cake from a local bakery when we get back!!

And I saved the best for last:

10. MYTH: I don’t need a travel agent. My guests can book on Travelocity/Orbitz/Expedia. Yeah. Do yourself a favor. Get a travel agent. Not just any ole travel agent – but one who specializes in destination weddings. He or she can help you select the right resort, get quotes and deal with the headaches of booking your nearest and dearest. They will have worked with the resorts before and know the ins and outs of planning events with that resort. Don’t you have enough on your plate dear bride??

There are great resources on the internet to help you with your research, and learn from past brides at various resorts or locations. Do a google search for Destination Weddings, and I’m sure you’ll find some fabulous forums, travel agents, inspiration, pictures and stories.

And if I can answer any questions, I’d be more than happy to share what I’ve learned.

Happy (Destination) Wedding Planning!!

~Allie

Stella & Dot will donate 20% of proceeds from the 4 bracelets above (I bought the Shine Bracelet and love it!) to Autism Speaks… but it gets better.  Buy any of those bracelets or even ANYTHING from Stella & Dot (via this link only) and Lucie will donate an additional 20% off EVERYTHING sold before 4/22 (via this link only) to Autism Speaks!

Take a peek at the new Summer Collection:

I don’t know about you… but I’ve got my eye on those Carrie Bangles and the Palamino Necklace… love ‘em!

So, quick… you have 4 more days.  Shop the Autism Awareness Trunk Show here and you’ll kill two birds with one stone: killer accessories for yourself (for your Big Day even!?) AND support a good cause!

The Big Day Blog is hosting a little fundraiser with our friend Lucie from Stella & Dot.
Starting April 1, Stella & Dot is releasing the Shine Bracelet, a bracelet created to raise Autism awareness. Its dark grey braided cord features a single pave bead with Czech stones in red, amethyst, black diamond and topaz.

Stella & Dot is donating 20% of all Shine Bracelet sales to Autism Speaks, but Lucie is doing even better for us… this “fundraiser” will also be a trunk show.

Lucie will be donating 20% of the proceeds from everything purchased during the month of April through this link… how generous and totally awesome is she?

So, that being said… get your shop on and support Autism awareness.

Remember: You MUST use the link below to shop, or your purchase(s) won’t count toward the fundraiser.

Shop the Autism Awareness Trunk Show Here

Hi friends, I know it’s kinda been forever.  My apologies for that. I got a new job and have been CRAZY BUSY getting adjusted and started with the new gig.  Give me a little bit more and I promise I’ll update more often!

In the meanwhile, check out the Big Day Blog Facebook page… I’ll still post wedding-related goodies there! xo

Also, if you’re getting hitched soon and contemplating DIYing your flowers, check out Blooms By The Box… they have a TON of DIYs, tips… and most importantly, wholesale flowers that’ll make your DIYing WORLDS easier (trust me, I DIYed my flowers AND used them… so awesome).

I’m super pleased to report that we have our very first boy winner! No, I’m not giving a boy away, a boy WON the Minted giveaway!

But wait, check out the cuteness he left as his comment:

Would love to win these for my fiancee — she is trying to keep it simple with the invites, but an extra $100 would let her splurge on all the other rsvp cards and fancy, lacy stuff. (Not sure completely how it all works. It’s her domain.)

Adorbs. Nice job, Robert! I think you just earned about oh… say… $100 worth of brownie points (or $100 toward save the dates, invitations, or lacy stuff… your call)!

Congratulations Robert!! I’ll be reaching out shortly via email and will be sharing your email address with my contact over at Minted so they can provide you with a coupon code for $100 off as well as free shipping via FedEx Ground.

Thanks to everyone who entered… tons of you! I was amazed! Don’t worry, we’ll have more kick ass giveaways coming!

xo