BeautifulBridetoBe

Quote: Originally Posted by KimmyG I love this thread! What I've been wondering- when getting things together for your welcome bags, how do you know HOW MANY to prepare for? RSVPs won't be finalized for a loooong time and I don't know how to estimate how many people will actually come! ANyone have advice? I started my OOTS right after I got engaged, because I know our Dollarama in Toronto..they have great stuff, but once it is gone, it's gone! I estimated how many people I thought would be coming. Realistically, I estimated about 30 by the time I considered our immmediate families only...anyone else was a bonus. So ballparked it at 15 bags...thinking if I need more, that's Ok and if I need less, I'll just have extra. I think is is easier to add if you need more than to end up with tons of stuff you won't use. (On a side note, you can always sell it one here!) I also started buying things in 15s...15 Spanish for Dummies books, 15 Devotionals, 15 puzzle books, etc. because for me, it is one bag per room, not one per person. It has worked for me....I have 14 bags accounted for and it looks like I may have a few more people joining us, so I may have to create a few more bags, which is fine. They can get the same type of items, if I do not find the exact same ones. Can I just interject a personal budgeting OOT Bag tip of mine here? To fill your OOT bags, buy what your guests will forgo or forget - not what they will already be bringing. For mine, we are filling them with things that guests will overlook/ not think of bringing. So we did not fill them with sunscreen, shampoo,hair spray,OTC medications, etc. because guests will most likely be bringing their own favourite brands and will not use our cheaper dollar store versions. This way your dollars are free to go to things that they would like and not think to bring for themselves, like the travel mugs, puzzle books, first aid kits, etc. And you'll have more money to add in those funny gag items like the beach ball and Spanish for Dummies. Just another two cents of mine

Quote: Originally Posted by abandcraig It looks great...my vote would be for the more bling the better. If not I would outline it. On a side note...where did you get the letter from? Ebay. It was $6.99 for a 4.5 inch mirrorred acrylic cake topper.That size is great for most cakes and decorated with diamond stones, it packs a great punch and won't get lost on your cake. A store in Buffalo quoted me $35 for the same thing and it was an inch shorter! Shipping to Canada cost $6, so I paid $13 for it in total. It's the crystals that are pricey.... I have decided....FULL BLING! I will post pictures when I'm done!

Making OOTS on a Budget: All of these ideas are great...and I just had a thought that may give you more bang for your buck... FI and I decided against putting anything into the OOTs that people would most likely bring for themselves...like sunscreen, hair spray,shampoo, etc. because they then become a waste. Some people are also particular about their brands. We chose to focus on the items they WOULDN'T bring. So for example, they may not bring their own travel mugs, hand sanitzer, room sprays, etc. So think, what would they overlook/ forget to bring that would be great to have? This gave us a list of useful items. Next, we decided that some things were gag gifts to get a laugh and add an element of vacation bliss....like the Spanish for Dummies and the beach balls. They are not entirely practical, but they are fun. About the drugs and first aid kits- Motrin, Tylenol, Immodium, bandaids, etc. We decided to buy a bottle ourselves and suggest that people bring these in the packing list newsletter we will provide. Most people travel with this stuff already anyway. We will buy a big box of bandaids and bring them with us to distribute as needed. We want to foster a large family environment so we are encouraging sharing...no one needs a bottle of 70 Tylenol for themselves. If so, they don't need Tylenol...they need a doctor!

Quote: Originally Posted by Erin6341 Those are great! I thought I got a good deal when I found the luggage tags you were talking about from Dollarama, but it looks like I could have done it even cheaper. The pics don't show how you tied the gimp. Did you just tie a knot before you put them on the tag? Hey: I tied the two ends of the gimp in a knot...so it now looks like a loop. I then put the loop into the punched hole and weaved it through itself...does that make sense? So the end on the card is very neat and secure. The knotted end is on the outside.

Another Tip: Keep an expense record. I am keeping an expense record as well. I write down every 25 cents we spend on the wedding here...to keep track and in truth, it prevents me from spending and not realizing what we spent the $ on. It really works...I can now say that in my initial engagement excitement, I wasted about $400 on "stuff" that we most likely will not use. It did not look like much at first because it was $5 here, $10 there..but then I added it up and saw it for what it really was....a waste! It is quite sobering....

Quote: Originally Posted by calchik we opened a wedding account first thing when we got engaged 9 months ago. nothing but wedding stuff gets paid out of it. and we both put a certain amount in every pay check. stuff like wedding attire, rings, MOH, best man, wedding gifts are the own person's responsibility. we're both paying for our own trip on our own too. everything else comes out of the wedding account. we pay for things as they come up. anything huge (like our AHR venue deposit) got paid on one of our credit cards then promptly paid off with the money from the wedding account. we're on budget for our wedding...honeymoon, not so much. lol We are following almost exactly the same path, except that the rings, wedding attire, luggage, airfares, even the passport renewal fee were budgeted to come out of our new joint account. The wedding is equally ours, so we decided to pay for everything together. We both put aside the same amount of money into the account every pay cheque and we have a budget. Nothing that is not wedding related comes out of that account. We pay for larger ticket items on credit card as well, just as a safety measure. If need be, we can dispute any charges that way...if we pay cash, we would be out of luck just in case. And we also pay it off from the account immediately. I am keeping an expense record as well. I write down every 25 cents we spend on the wedding here...to keep track and in truth, it prevents me from spending and not realizing what we spent the $ on. It really works...I can now say that in my initial engagement excitement, I wasted about $400 on "stuff" that we most likely not use. It did not look like much beacuse it was $5 here, $10 there..but then I added it up and saw it for what it really was....a waste! So I recommend keeping an expense log. Our goal is to go on the honeymoon WEDDING DEBT FREE! We'll most likely enjoy it more that way!

Mine just came so I will answer my own question They are more of an off-white/ magnolia white as opposed to a pristine white. This will not matter in the sunlight as I am sure they will show up as bright white. All 12 of mine came in great condition. I read on the OT website that some people recieved their order with stains and rips, so only 2 of the 12 were usable. But not the case with mine. I prayed about this...as I do with everything The construction is a little rough...the wooden handles are not very smooth or refined. At first, you may be afraid to open them becaue they are paper and do not open readily/ easily. But once up, they are fine. They are not overly large. They can be used for adults and will not overwhelm a flower girl. But I am not sure that two people could fit under them without huddling...very closely. So if you are thinking one parasol for two people...hmmmm...you may want to think about that. What else? They will need some sort of decor. Their original purpose is for painting projects, so I don't think they were created to stand alone...ribbons, paint or crystals will definately up their potential. If you want more refined elegance, I would try the nylon or silk parasols. I live in Toronto and mine came in 10 business days, instead of the 20 business days they quoted me. Think about it...20 business days is ONE MONTH! So Canadian brides, get on this, just in case shipping is slow or they run out. They cost me $59.04 CAD with shipping...so yes, that is double the cost for us Canadian girls! But they're here and all set up in my living room...I am excited to start doing something to them!

Excellent and thanks! I just found it in Tammy's Free Fonts post. Downloaded and ready to go!

Excellent! I was trying to find and download Scriptina...got it! Thanks!

That is a beautiful idea. And now you will always have a place to put the reminders of your mother's love...given to you by the man who loves you...and inscribed by those who love you too. Love surrounds you...what a blessing.

Hey ladies: Look at the font that the "Best" in the Best Destination Wedding logo is written in...what font is that? If you look at Jewel567...it's there too. Susanandmo use it too.... AugustBride2010 uses it too... Many people are using it...I love it! It's like that handwritten scrawl...

Simply beautiful. The sparkle of the stones when the sunlight catches your hair will be amazing.

Quote: Originally Posted by lolkitteh Hmm.. Thanks for the insightful advice. I guess you don't think "....that's all we need in life. Your thoughts and good wishes are the best presents we could ever hope and be grateful for" indicates that we don't even want monetary gifts? Maybe we could add that if someone wanted to commemerate the wedding with something other than good thoughts that they could do an hour of volunteer work or contribute to a charity of their choice as a tribute? I should probably also add that it's not like either of us are 20-somethings that could use the money. As mentioned, we are both well-established (with good jobs) and this is FH's second marriage. It would actually be kind of weird for some of our guests (who may be younger and more in the starting-out stage in life) to give us money, so I hadn't even thought that saying we don't have a registry might be interpreted as that we are asking for money instead. It seems to me that money as a gift is something you give to younger people under 30-35. I personally like the addition of that idea to what you already have. I think including something about volunteering or a donation to a charity sends the message that no gifts for the couple in any form are necessary. It does away with the "Is money preferred?" question by inadvertently saying "we would prefer you donate your time and resources to a worthy cause." I hear what you're saying about being financially stable...it's just that some people do not make distinctions using age or circumstance when it comes to a wedding. To them, a wedding is a wedding and in keeping with tradition, some sort of gift is proper. Because it is a celebration, regardless of your circumstances, your guests may want to give you something. So suggesting that if they want to, they can give to you by giving to others is wonderful.

I think the message of no toasters is very clear in this, but I think we may just want to clarify your meaning a little more. Are monetary gifts OK? Reading your message (which was very nicely stated, BTW) let me know that you do not want towels because you have not registered. But it didn't really answer the money question...people can wonder "Is this their way of saying 'We did not register so don't buy us a blender...but we did not say anything about cheques...'" As couples are getting creative in their wording to request money, it's become like asking without really asking...but in the "not asking" there is a hidden message of cash is better, please. The thing about NO GIFTS is that it is a harsh, but clear message. It really gets the point across that no gifts of any kind are necessary. People might assume you would prefer enveloped gifts instead of no gift at all. So here is where word of mouth to solidify and clarify the message of NO GIFTS will be crucial. I like what you have written...I think it may just need to be verbally reinforced as well to ensure guests understand your intent and meaning.

So I have started project #2, my crystalized DIY monogrammed cake topper. This one has been expensive, as I love the look and glisten of real swarovski/ austrian crystals! I lay the crystals flat on the surface to get an idea...and I love it. The thing is that I need to buy more crystals...which are expensive and FI says let's just do with what we have. Less is more... My idea: crystallize the whole cake topper. Yes it is pricey....but it's so pretty! And we will use it on anniversaries to come, christening cakes for our children, etc. His idea: do not completely crystallize the topper...just add a few touches of crystals here and there to add some diamond shine, like in the corners Here is it, with the crystals just laid out on the mirrored topper... What do you think?

Quote: Originally Posted by punkie569 Wow I hope my tags turn out as good as these. The self laminating scared me so I went and bought the badge holders. Hope that was a good choice on my part. Thanks for sharing! The self-laminating is REALLY EASY. It's like a sticker pouch...you insert your tag and peel off the backing. It's already precisely measured and fits together. You can't mess it up!

Yay! One thing down.....

And here they are! Works out to $0.16 cents a tag! Oh, and I used Becks' template.

Hey ladies: I just finished my 60 luggage tags for under $10! How? As I said in the 10 Budgeting Tips thread, the Dollarstore is your best friend! I live in Toronto, so I went to our local Dollarama. They have self-laminating CARD holders, not the luggage tags, 10 in a package for a dollar. The luggage tags come five in a package, so this is more bang for your buck! So I bought 6 packages of those. I then borrowed a template from this forum. (aside: I really have to thank the girls that have posted their templates here...it helps us all so much!) I chose a photo from Microsoft Office Online...they have millions of brightly coloured clip art to choose from. I pasted the picture in the template and added our personal info. For the back, I copied everyone's address from our invitations list. The font is Copperplate Gothic in Word. Around the edge, I have scrolled " Bless this Bag"...we pray all luggage arrives...and arrives in good condition! I printed it on card stock, cut it out and sealed it into the laminating pouch. Lastly, for the strap, I punched a hole in the card and used clear gimp or boondoggle...(that's what one lady at a store in Buffalo called it), laced it through and tied a knot. Voila! Instant luggage tags! FI loves them and you cannot beat that cost! 6 pkgs. self laminating card holders: $ 6.00 White cardstock : 12 sheets @ 10 cents a sheet: $ 1.20 Clear gimp: 3 packages at .79 cents a pks.: $2.40 60 tags for Under $10! And the result: Let me see if I can post this..... Hmmm...give me a minute...

Very cute!

Thanks very much...I have so loved not having to re-invent the wheel!

Very nice. Pray for me...I am making mine soon!

Used over and over. Thanks so much for making my life easier!

KevsGirl: Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for!

Ladies who ordered the parasols...what is the quality like?