Confessions From a 30-Year Old Bride

pic courtesy of WeddBook

 

I titled this Confessions of a Thirty Year Old Bride, not because there is anything wrong with being 30 and walking down the aisle, nor because it is even out of the ordinary. I just feel that perspective is different as a 30+ year old than a 20ish year old bride. Not better, not worse, just different. *Please note, I will be celebrating my second-29th birthday next month. Yikes.

For one thing, by the time people hit their 30th year, they have likely been to 225 weddings, or at least it feels that way between showers, bachelorettes, rehearsals and the actual event. Every wedding is beautiful and special in it's own way, but after attending multiple weddings you have a much better idea of what works and what matters.

pic courtesy of GreyLikesWeddings

Justin and I are largely paying for our wedding ourselves. Although, I am doing everything I can to keep costs down, it still manages to add up quick. I am definitely not the only one that has shared so-called tips and tricks on saving money. There are countless books, articles and magazines that are targeted to budget-minded brides. However, I feel as though they all say the same thing and often their definition of 'inexpensive' is quite different than my own. Plus, it's a much different feeling when you are paying for a wedding yourself, along with a mortgage. Oh the joys of adulthood!

Here's How We Have Attacked The Wedding Planning Craziness Without Breaking The Bank-

1. First and foremost, identify what is important to you...and what isn't

pic courtesy of ProjectWedding

 

For Justin, a music lover, he was immediately focused on finding a good band. As I look back upon the dozens of weddings I have attended the past few years, the things that stand out to me are whether or not I had a great time. I don't define 'a great time' by the color scheme, the number of bridesmaids or even the food within reason. It typically comes down to whether the DJ was super lame, the band super cheesy or if I danced all night long. Our band was our splurge item.

 

pic courtesy of Burnett'sBoards

 

Our invites and paper goods were not. We decided to forgo sending save-the-dates, as we are having a fairly intimate event between 80-100 guests and everyone already knows the date. . We are forgoing traditional programs and will be placing a single sheet at each seat for the ceremony, which will thank our guests for coming and introduce our small bridal party. I also designing and printing our actual invitations myself, which saves an unbelievable amount of money. I will share all of the details of our DIY invites, once they are completed.


2. Be flexible

We knew we wanted an early-Fall wedding. For one, it's my favorite time of year and for another, the weather is typically nice in KC then. We focused on the month of September but weren't set on a particular day. This helped tremendously. Our dream venue had one opening from August through November, which happened to be a Friday. We thought about this and weighed the options of losing our favorite design space and decided to go with it. Not only was a Friday evening rental several thousand dollars cheaper, we found our band and photographer charged a little less for Fridays too.

pic courtesy of OnceWed

3. Multi-task

Have the ceremony and reception at the same place. Not only is this considerate for your guests so they don't have to travel to different venues, but it also saves money. One venue means your altar flower arrangements can quickly double as center pieces etc. etc. There is typically just a nominal charge for adding ceremony time to your reception.

4. Bring in the booze

pic courtesy of OnceWed

 

Find a venue that allows you to bring in your own food and alcohol. Our venue takes care of the food, but we can bring in our own alcohol. We are buying bottles in bulk at a local liquor store. Costco also allows you to purchase in bulk, plus you can return unopened bottles after the event. You will be amazed at how much this can save you. Speaking of libations, offering a signature cocktail or two can  drastically shrink your bar tab.

5. Google is your friend

So is Etsy, Pinterest and The Knot. BUT...too much of a good thing is not good at all. Visiting a message board on any wedding website can cause you to second guess your decision on your cake, dress, invites, whatever. It can also cause a case of bridezilla-ness. Normally sane women will start over-analyzing the shape of their cake, the shade of the ribbon tying their bouquet together, etc. It's easy to get lost in all the details, but remember to keep your eye on the prize...your sweet hubby-to-be. Use wedding websites to scout out deals and unique ideas but don't forget to step away from the computer every now and again.

6. Do your research before signing any contract

pic courtesy of EtsySellerArtSeed

 

I read vendor reviews like it was my job. I chatted with my girlfriends who are currently engaged or have gotten married in the past few years. I used every resource I could to ensure that A) we were getting the best deal possible and B) we selected reliable vendors. This has given me enormous peace of mind, and I feel very confident that our vendors will deliver on the big day. This also gave me confidence to negotiate with vendors. We got a few hundred dollars off of our venue simply for asking. Our florist came highly recommended as offering gorgeous bouquets but also keeping costs down.

A few general guidelines to keep you sane during wedding planning-

7. Make it your own

It's easy to fall into the cookie-cutter wedding: white dress, black tux, I  do, me too, time to eat cake.
The weddings that have stood out to me are the ones that I felt best represented the couple. The ones with personal touches. I went to a wedding several years ago where the bride wore a short white dress and fun red heels. It was just so her. I loved that she looked like herself and let her strong sense of style show-through.

pic courtesy of DetailsDetails Love that the bride wore a daring black gown

 

I remember when Justin and I were first dating, he brought over a bottle of champagne on a mundane night. We weren't celebrating any milestone, just eating dinner at home. I asked him what the bottle of bubbly was for and he just said, 'we're celebrating being together, in love and enjoying a night in with each other.' This is one of the reasons why I feel in love with this man. He never ceases to surprise me and he has taught me to stop and smell the roses so-to-speak. This memory has become the theme of our wedding. Lots of champagne and celebrating...each other...love...life.
With this in mind, we want guests to know they are in for a true party as soon as they walk in. Guests will be offered champagne or sparkling cider as soon as they enter (pre-ceremony). Music (upbeat, contemporary music) will be playing as well. In lieu of a traditional guest book, we will have a Wish Tree, where guests will write sweet notes that we can cherish forever. We are also planning a few unique surprises during our ceremony, but I will wait to share those until after the big day.

8. Don't forget the reason for the wedding

pic courtesy of Pinterest

 

I have had a few moments of getting caught up in wedding planning stress. The 'You meant to tell me you STILL haven't put together your side of the guest list,' moments. This will happen to even the most mellow of brides. Just don't let your stress affect your relationship. Because once the wedding is done (and it will go by quick!), you will be married...to the person you are currently screaming at. You don't want wedding stress to cause the beginning of your marriage to be strained.

9. Know that everyone has an opinion but yours and your fiance's is the one that matters most

Weddings seem to being out the best and the worst in people. Some people prefer sit-down dinners, when you love buffets or suggest a DJ after you've booked a band. Just smile, acknowledge their suggestion and remain confident in your choice. Weddings can also bring up old family feuds. Aunt Susie isn't speaking to Aunt Carol or your second-cousin Mary is upset that you didn't invite her 7 kids. Whatever it is, you can't let that impact your day.

pic courtesy of JuneBugWeddings

 

However, do accept help when offered. You may think you can handle assembling 150 invitations, envelopes, programs, menu cards and place cards yourself, but I can assure you that's it's a lot of work. Invite your bridesmaids, friends, mom over for some wine and wedding crafts. (Which reminds me- Meghan, Sarah, Meryl and Linda: I'll be calling you soon:).

10. If at the end of the day you married your best friend, than your wedding was a success

pic courtesy of TheKnot

Even the most well-planned events can go wrong. It may be a windy, rainy grey day. Your veil may tear (a 'la Pam from The Office). Your cake may melt (which actually happened to my future in-laws who have been happily married for well over 40 years now). It's these types of things that can make for some funny memories later on. Don't let a minor incident put a damper on your day.

 

With less than 4 months to go until our big day, we are getting excited! I wrote this post as much for myself as for other future brides and grooms:)

pic courtesy of WantThatWedding

 

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?
xoxo, Suzanne

Pretty and Peaceful Nursery for Baby Girl #2

I have mentioned my dear friend, Jessica, on here before. (Click HERE to see her thrifted dresser makeover)You know, the girl that is a dead ringer for Jessica Alba and who makes pregnancy look gorgeous, stylish and effortless. Her keen sense of style and shared passion for up cycling goods extends beyond her closet and into her decor.

Jes is currently expecting her second daughter this July and just finished the final touches on the new nursery. This pretty space just put my baby fever in overdrive.

I love nurseries that are soft and pretty and without any cheesy themes, like this one. I think Jes did a great job picking beautiful, neutral pieces and adding in just the right mix of textures and patterns to keep it interesting.

 

Jessica said that about 95% of this room was upcycled, which goes to show that beautiful rooms don't have to cost a fortune.

This armoire was a lucky Craigslist score!

Aren't little girl nurseries the sweetest rooms ever?

Thank you Jessica for letting me share another one of your fabulous projects. I can't wait to meet your new baby girl in a few short weeks! Love you!

Hope you all are having a great week! -Suzanne

Spring-ified

The weather was FINALLY nice this weekend, so Justin and I did some much needed yard maintenance. It felt so nice to enjoy the sunshine, while making the exterior of our home look better. Flowers just breathe nice life onto our porch.

After a long winter, our porch looked a little bare-

Thanks to those copper planters that adorned our porch last Summer, we were left with terrible stains on our concrete:( I tried everything to remove/fade these stains but nothing worked. To remedy this and prevent future stains, we covered the spots up with 16x16 slabs. At less than $2 each, it was a quick and cheap fix.

After a trip to Home Depot, we got to work.

I then added new planters from Target. These large bad-boys measure 21inches wide and make a pretty dramatic impact. We loved them instantly.

Quick tip- I purchase hanging flower baskets for my planters. It was super quick to transport the hanging basket to the planter and it filled up the container perfectly.

This year, I fell in love with ferns. Something about them makes me think of wild, carefree curly hair. We added a hanging fern basket to our front porch and I am digging the texture. Here Justin is drilling a hole for the hook to hang the basket.

One last addition to our front porch was this iron scroll from Old Time Pottery. It wasn't exactly what I was trying to find, but it was close enough. I think it helps define the porch area and breaks up that long, plain wall.

Here's some pictures of our front exterior taken this evening-

Our next step is to add shutters to our 2 second-story windows. We are picking the shutters up this week. We're just trying to figure out how to install them, because the window above the garage is WAY up there and makes me super nervous. We will see...

Have you been doing Spring yard work? Any exterior projects coming up?

Have a great week! xoxo, S

Our Easy DIY Board and Batten Tutorial

A few weeks back, I shared our plan for decorating our guest bath. You may recall it looked like this-

After 3 trips to Home Depot, 4 layers of paint, numerous pieces of sandpaper and an iPod loaded with our favorite 80s hits, it now looks like this-

I have been a fan of board and batten for quite some time. I love the classic, traditional-yet-fresh look. Because our guest bath has no windows, it can get very dark in there. The soft off-white trim color brightens the whole space up tremendously.

My sweet hubby-to-be installed the boards himself, with some direction from his dad. The actual install of the trim boards was pretty easy. It's the caulking, sanding, painting and repeat process that proves to be exhausting.

DIY Board and Batten Instructions

1. Measure the wall and figure out spacing of the boards.

First, we decided that we wanted the top of the board and batten to be 64 inches from the floor, as this is what looked best to us. We then decided to use 5 vertical boards across the longest wall (the space between the door and the shower). Again, there was no science to this; it was just what we thought looked the best. 

*For reference, we used 1x6 for the baseboard and 1x4s for the top piece and horizontal pieces. Justin used 2'' drywall screws to attach each piece. 

2. Gather your supplies and prep the wall.

 *I strongly suggest actually drawing out your design plan and triple checking the measurements.
 
For us, this meant removing the existing baseboard-

 

 3. Cut your boards down to size. Home Depot will do this for you for no extra charge

We used primed MDF, as it's easy to work with, affordable and perfectly smooth. MDF can retain moisture though, so if you use this in a bathroom like we did, you will want to generously caulk around each side. 

 

4. Attach your trim boards. Start with the baseboard first. You will want to ensure that you attach the trim boards to studs as well.

We installed our boards in the following order: baseboard first, then top horizontal piece, finally adding the vertical boards.

5. Caulk nail holes and around all sides of trim.

 

6. Paint. Paint. Paint some more. It took us 4 coats of semi-gloss paint to cover all nail holes perfectly, We caulked and sanded between each coat of paint. Although this is the part that took the longest, it was well worth it. Our finished look is just about flawless.

We used my favorite paint in semi-glass for the board and batten, and in satin for the wall.

 

 

7. Step back and marvel at your work.

Next up is tiling the floor, replacing the faucets and adding accessories and art. We are just about sold on using the hardwood-look ceramic tile in a deep mocha color. I think it's going to look great in here.

This makes me want to put additional trim in every room in the house!
best, Suzanne

Affordable Finds...by Jonathon Adler

I, along with thousands of others I'm sure, have lusted over Jonathon Adler's designs. His bright color combos are always pleasing to the eye. Add a few of his fun accessories and a boring room transforms into a happy, hip oasis.

The price tag for his pieces? Well, let's just say they're not quite as friendly. So, when I heard that Jonathon Adler would be creating a line for JC Penney called Happy Chic, I couldn't wait to check it out.

The result? Color me happy.
The Happy Chic Collection offers Adler's signature bold colors, and crisp patterns, but the price point is fantastic. Here are some of my favorite finds-

Lola Flower accent pillow $32

 

A great range of vases from $22-$90

 

 

 

Lacquered console table

Bleeker TV Cabinet

Crescent Heights Tufted Sofa

Retro Floral Wool Rug

 

Crescent Heights Upholstered Bed

Charlotte Ribbed Lamp just $24

 

Did you also know that JCP now carries a line by Pantone, British designer Sir Terence Conran and Michael Graves? I know JCP has been struggling the past few years, so it's nice to see them branching out and offering more modern lines. I hope it does well for them.

 

*Please note that this is NOT a sponsored post. This is simply by own opinion. I discovered this online and wanted to share with my readers.

 

Have a great weekend! xoxo, S