Snapfish photo cards are here!

I posted on Wednesday when I ordered our holiday greeting cards from Snapfish.com. They arrived in 2 days even though they said it would take 5-7 business days. I'll be addressing them tomorrow so I can start spreading the holiday "joy" asap! Here they are:

Valid only until tomorrow, December 1st, 30% off orders of $30 or more. Just enter coupon code: AFFORDER30.




We ordered 80 glossy photo cards and by using the 30% off coupon code, they cost $.46each which included tax and delivery! I'd highly recommend Snapfish after such a great turn around time, great prices and a great product.

Rings and Change

Last night on the new BeeTV chat, the topic of ring finger sizes came up. There was some amazement at how small my fingers are (2 3/4 -- yes that's two and three quarters) and you all wanted proof. So, as promised, I photographed my wedding ring, e-ring and Mr. Onion's wedding ring next to a dime, penny and quarter for reference and my finger next to a pencil.









The one thing I didn't photograph was my ring inside Mr. Onion's ring -- I should have because it's really cute! Mr. Onion's ring finger is about a size 9 although we're not sure because it had to be re-sized to fit perfectly.

So, what size is your wedding ring finger?!

Wedding photos = holiday cards!

What is the perfect thing to do with wedding photos hot off the presses? Why make a photo greeting card of course. Last year Mr. Onion & I bought our first couple holiday card with an few engagement photos from Kodak Gallery. While we were happy with the product and the customer service we ended up having to go back and forth with them for too long to make me happy.



This year I decided to see what Snapfish.com had to offer and I just fell in love with this hip retro style green card that was a perfect color contrast for the candid photo I picked of us right after our ceremony. The card is under their "holiday chic" section. Coupon Code Below!





I love that we look so happy and are looking toward the word "JOY" on the card. It's simple and festive and for $.45 each, I think it's a great bargin. I'll be sure to take a few photos of it when they arrive.

Of course I never place an on-line order without looking for a coupon code and hooray -- I found a 30% off orders of $30 or more. Just enter coupon code: AFFORDER30. Valid through December 1, 2007.

Photo Credit: Daria Bishop Photography

Great Sales!

A great way to save on bridal party gifts, wedding items and holiday gifts is to sign up for email lists of companies you enjoy. This way you are "in the know" about special events and sales. Just today I got two great email notices.





1) from Ann Taylor about FREE SHIPPING today only (enter CYBERMON at checkout)
2) from Dasha Boutiques about their 25% OFF family & friends sale between November 25th and December 3rd (enter code FRIEND at checkout).

Click to enlarge

I bought my bridesmaid dresses at Ann Taylor and one of my bridesmaid's gifts, beautiful pearl earrings, from Dasha Boutiques (thanks to a sale notice on weddingbee)! You can see the dress and earrings above.

Note: Dasha Boutiques is offering a referral gift certificate for each new customer I refer. The "referred friend" (that's you) must make a purchase of any amount on www.dashaboutique.com and must enter Mrs. Onion upon checkout in the "referred by" box. Referral program is good until December 15th, 2007 although 25% Friends & Family sale ends December 3rd, 2007. If you decide to take advantage I'd be so grateful if let them know so I can enjoy too!

50% off Snapfish photo books!

Just in time for the holidays you can get 50% off on 5x7 Snapfish photo books. Offer expires November 30, 2007. Just enter coupon code PHOTOBOOK07 and the book will be $5.99 (used to be $11.99). I made a Snapfish photo book of our engagement photos for my mother and this is a perfect size for a "brag book" for your mother and mother-in-law to carry in her purse.

PS. We recently got our professional photo proofs on-line so as soon as I get a disc in the mail I'll be ready to share all the wonderful details of our wedding with you all -- I can't wait!

A sneak peak

Recently I posted about our walk from the ceremony to the reception. Today I wanted to share a short video clip of the walk as a sneak peak of our wedding day.



We are still waiting for our professional video footage from Wes Jones of Film Jones, but luckily for us, our dear friend and father of our flower girl, sent us some footage he took during the day.

This is one of my favorite clips -- we are leading all 45 of our guests up the church street marketplace to our reception at Adrianas. At the end you can hear our guitarist playing "My Romance," as we approach. I can't wait to see more footage and pictures! Like Mrs. Gummi bear, the wait is killing me!

O&CO Family & Friends Sale

I first discovered Oliviers and Co. about four years ago and my favorite gift to give are their olive oils, balsamic vinagers and tapenades. This is the perfect gift for your parents, your soon-to-be or new in-laws, or anyone you know that LOVES to cook and appreciates fantastic food. See their gift ideas here.

I'd recommend their tapendae set which includes four different kind -- Green Olives & Pistachios, Black Olives & Tomatoes, Black Olives & Capers, and Black Olives with Orléans Mustard. At $39 it is a perfect gift -- or take it apart and use them as stocking stuffers!



25% Coupon Code: OFNF25 on-line or mention this code and call 1-877-828-6620. They are also offering FREE standard shipping on all items over $75 for a limited time.

The sale is over this Sunday, November 18th!

A Different Processional

One of my favorite things from our wedding day was processing from the church up the Church Street Marketplace to our reception with all of our guests. We stopped traffic and as we approached the restaurant we could already hear our guitarist, Brendan Burns, playing "My Romance." It set the mood perfectly!

As always, click to enlarge

Strangers were smiling and a number of people said "Congratulations!," as we walked by. A few kids squealed "A bride, a bride!" It was fantastic to walk hand in hand with my new husband with all our friends and family right behind us. There was a great sense of the energy on the marketplace and what a beautiful day it was! We were so lucky -- it was sunny and in the low 70's that day. The next morning it was raining and about 15-20 degrees colder!

How are you getting from your ceremony to your reception? Do you have anything special planned? If you have the chance to walk with your guests I'd HIGHLY recommend it!

As always, credit and thanks to our photographer, Daria Bishop.

Savings and budgeting

Miss Toucan posted earlier today about a savings "account" they use -- a change jar for all their loose change! Mr. Onion and I do this as well. I had a gallon jar filled with change before we moved in together and cashed it in for extra moving expenses and it was about $400!



Our first vacation together led us to Burlington, VT, where we ended up getting married. On that trip we took a tour of the Magic Hat Brewery and we went home with a growler of what they had on tap that weekend. We kept the bottle and now put our change in it as we're saving up for our first home. They actually wrote "new apartment fund" on it at Magic Hat and we didn't notice until we got home!



And speaking of saving, last night we spent a better part of the evening dealing with finances -- budgets, health coverage, life insurance etc. As I mentioned in a previous post, we are looking for our first apartment to own. We knew what we could afford for a down payment but weren't sure about what we could afford on a monthly basis. We made an excel sheet with the following categories:

Monthly Income:
Mr. Onion's paycheck
Mrs. Onion's paycheck

Monthly Expenses:
Housing
Transportation
Insurance
Food
Personal Care
Entertainment
Loans
Taxes
Savings/Investments
Gifts and Donations

It was a fantastic exercise. Now only did it help us see we need to lower our upper price range of our apartment search to lower our monthly carrying costs, but it gave us a chance to talk about saving goals over the next 5, 10, 20 years. We decided to budget a certain amount each month from both our pay checks to be sure we can contribute the maximum to our Roth IRA each year (I have one already, Mr. Onion will be opening one shortly).

Now that we have everything in one place we can carefully track our spending and live comfortably within our means instead of being surprised by unexpected expenses we can't afford. If you'd like detailed subcategories from our budget let me know and I'd be happy to share.

What steps did you and your FH/DH take toward your financial goals? Are you thinking about the future? The most important thing I can say is be totally honest about your fiances -- your debt (loans, credit cards etc) and your spending habits so you can make the budget reflect reality. Honesty is one of the most important qualities in a marriage, and while you might have a different approach to finances, be sure to share everything so you can work together towards those goals.

Ann Taylor Beauty

I'm a big fan of Ann Taylor's clothes and shoes. I've been shopping at Ann Taylor since high school and when they introduced their petite line I was thrilled. I even bought my bridesmaids dresses from the Ann Taylor Celebrations Collection.

I just got an email today announcing this beauty line -- possibilities. I can't wait to check out these new products. You can learn more on the Ann Taylor website HERE. Great gift idea for your bridesmaids and/or the holiday season fast approaching!

Guest List Decisions

Finalizing your guest list is one of those wedding related tasks that is filled with drama for most couples. How many people for the bride's parents, the groom's parents, the bride and groom? Does who pays for the bulk of the wedding effect who gets invited? What if there is a big conflict over family members?

I had a pretty straight forward rule while narrowing down our guest list -- I didn't want to say "Thank you for coming," while thinking "who is that?!" Because we kept it small (invited 70, ended up with 45 in attendance), Mr. Onion and I were really able to share our celebration with our closest family and friends. This is not to say all the decisions were easy.

There were two people we didn't invite -- my sisters. I know -- I can hear the gasps now! Well, actually, they are my half sisters (my father's girls from his first marriage). Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say, they would take the focus away from the happy couple and my father was worried that they'd drink too much and make a scene. They are both "grown women" but have not made the best choices in their lives.

It was my father's decision not to invite them and he was the one to tell them they wouldn't be coming. Sadly, one of them just said "OK," and moved on. This is the same sister who tackled a nine year old Mrs. Onion to the ground for the other sister's bouquet once I'd caught it (ouch). The bride was married and divorced in less than a year.

So, I want to support those of you who are struggling with their guest list and whether or not to invite that questionable relative. I will say, once all excitements calms down -- it will be OK not to have them there. It's a choice I'm proud of my father for making. He didn't want to be embarrassed by them, but most importantly, he didn't want everyone's evening to be in jeopardy for fear of my sister's behavior.

Have any of your gone through something similar? Please share you stories and how you handled the situation -- I'm sure it will be a great comfort to other bees and readers to know they aren't alone.

loans for a wedding?!

There has been a lot of talk about money and opulent wedding related spending on the bee today -- Mrs. Caterpillar's "The Weight of the World" post and Miss Jasmine's "Opulent Wedding Spending" post.



I wanted to address this too. When we started planning our wedding my mother saw an advertisement for a local bank in our small town. I wish I'd kept it so I could show it to you. There was a picture of a bride and her father ready to walk down the isle in their back yard (a la "Father of the Bride" [1991] with Steve Martin). The advertisement was encouraging you to take out a second mortgage on your home to give your daughter "the day of her dreams!"

When my mother found this she nearly died. She decided there was no way we'd let our planning get to that point -- she had "x dollars" to contribute to the wedding and that was it. We could use this money towards the wedding, towards a down payment on an apartment -- whatever we wanted to do.

With hard work and serious prioritising we were able to come in 4% under budget when all was said and done! I am very proud of the wedding we pulled off and love that our guests felt welcome and thought it was tasteful and fun.

What to do:

My advice, to those of you who are just starting to plan, is decide what you have to spend BEFORE you start planning. I know this sounds basic, but so many people jump right in with out talking about money first and end up WAY over their heads. Talk with both sets of parents and come to a solid bottom line. Then from there make priorities. If a wedding in the city where you met is what you value most, then make certain compromises -- you'll have less people, buy a dress off the rack, forgo a cake etc.

How we did it:

We set up a solid budget (including tip, tax and delivery costs) for the total number of guests we were inviting -- not how many people we thought would attend. Then did some research in each area to get a ball park of the costs and then started looking for vendors knowing what we had to spend in each category. It can be done on a budget -- restaurant receptions, off season, Friday nights -- there are so many ways to host a wedding that won't put you in debt before you even begin your lives together!

If any of you have money saving tips or have questions about choices we made along the way, please comment below.

Fall/Winter wedding ideas -- SALE!

I was looking at the Pottery Barn website this morning and saw some great sale items that would be cozy for fall or winter wedding decor.


POMEGRANATE CENTERPIECE CANDLEHOLDER -- Was $79.00, Now $54.00


6" - 23" Pillar Holders -- Was $14.00 - $44, Now $9.00 - $29


OAKLEAF GARLAND -- Was $34.00, Now $16.99
(forget the "boo" in the middle)


POMEGRANATE PHEASANT WREATH -- Was $79.00, Now $54.00


PUMPKIN CANDLES -- Tall Candle Was $24.00, Now $11.99


WOODEN PHOTO DISPLAY -- Was $49.00, Now $39.99

How great would this be for a photo display near your guest book?!


AIRES LANTERN - Was $14 - $179, Now $9.99 - $124.99
These would be so cool as part of a centerpiece


BRONZE TAG PLACE CARD HOLDERS, Set of 4 was $14.00, Now $9.00

And this would be my favorite!


GLASS PANEL PILLAR CHANDELIER -- Was $279.00, Now $199.00

Maybe over the head table?! This is a little more expensive, but you could keep it for your own dinning room after the wedding!

For all of the current sale items click here.

Your first home

Buying your first home as husband and wife is a huge accomplishment and no easy task. Mr. Onion and I have started seriously looking for an apartment in NYC. We did the math and figured out what we would be spending on rent over the next 4-5 years (assuming we stayed where we are and our rent was never increased -- ha) and realized it would be more than enough for a down payment! We want to start building equity, make a good investment and it would be so nice to have a place to call our own.


An example of my dream apartment -- anyone have 8-10 million dollars to loan us? Or better yet, a generous wedding gift?! Haha.

Because of our budget we are limited in location and we know we want to remain in Manhattan proper (not move to NJ, Queens or far out in Brooklyn). So our search has been limited to upper Manhattan. The most helpful website we've found while hunting for a place in the city has been www.streeteasy.com.

Streeteasy is pretty comprehensive, pulls from all different real estate agencies listings and gives some really helpful information like how long the property has been on the market, the asking price history etc. I feel like we've learned so much in just the past month and can't wait to take that step. We've been pre-approved for a mortgage and are working with an real estate agent we trust so when we find the best place for us we're ready to make an offer.

But before you can get to that big step you have to address your financial situation. I'd highly recommend you have this conversation while you're still engaged long before the wedding. Find out what kind of debt you each have -- credit cards, college loans, car payments etc. Then talk about savings -- how much do you each have saved, do you have a retirement account, what is your outlook on long term saving? Everyone has a different approach to personal finances and knowing where you each stand BEFORE the wedding will make big financial decisions easier to make down the road. The last thing you want is to be turned down for a mortgage because one of you had terrible credit and were too scared to tell the other.

Any advice from those of you who've already bought your first place together? I'm interested to hear from NYC apartment owners as well as just general feedback from all over the country.

Love is sweet...

I'm still waiting for our proofs from our photographer, but I just couldn't resist posting this photo from the end of the evening. While everyone was enjoying their cake, Mr. Onion and I headed across the Church Street Marketplace to Ben & Jerry's! What would a Vermont wedding be with out some B&J ice cream?! Yum -- mint chocolate chunk!



The funny thing is because I wasn't in a typical wedding dress and wasn't wearing my veil any more no one even noticed us until they saw Daria and her husband Andy with their cameras!


Such a funny experience to blend in on the one day where you think you'd be the center of attention. I loved it actually!

I had this ice cream run planned -- I ate hardly any cake (so sad, because it was SO good) because I was saving room for ice cream. Anyway, I asked Mr. Onion to carry two things with him on our wedding day.

1) Enough money to buy me an ice cream
2) A migraine pill for me (nothing can ruin your wedding day faster then a migraine)! Luckily for me, I didn't need the medicine, but I did enjoy my ice cream ;)

Any other brides stop for ice cream with their new husband? I'd love to see photos if you did!

Registry Completion

On Saturday after the great bee meet-up, Mr. Onion and I went to the Crate and Barrel on Madison Avenue and 60th Street to complete our registry. Crate and Barrel offers a 10% discount after your wedding on the items left on your registry. Tips below -- keep reading!




Above are the items we decided to buy -- All Clad Stainless Steel 14 piece set (we LOVE to cook and this is something we'll have for a lifetime -- in fact, it has a lifetime guarantee), our dishes -- Kita Dinnerware, and our silver ware -- Thompson Place Settings.

I wanted to highlight a few things that weren't clear to us and hope it saves you time, trouble and money!

1) The 10% discount can be used twice -- once on-line and once in stores.

2) If you decide to use your 10% discount in the store you have to have the completion card they mail to you after your event.

We had our gifts shipped to my parents house because we don't have a doorman and we thought this would be safer/easier. So, the completion form was apparently mailed to them and we had no idea. If you do not have this form with you, you cannot receive your 10% discount!!

3) Even though there are a ton of items on the website that say "free shipping" (pretty much everything except furniture), that apparently doesn't apply to registry completion. So it works out that the 10% you "save" goes right back to paying for shipping your order. Serious bummer!

4) If the item is not on your registry you do not get the 10% discount. However, you can put anything on your registry after your event before you decide to make your one time purchase and the 10% will apply.

5) Your 10% discount is only good for 6 months after your wedding so make sure to take advantage of it before the clock runs out.

Learn more about Crate and Barrel's gift registry HERE. I'd recommend you call customer service if you have any questions before you register so you're not surprised after your wedding. We had some issues but the customer service representatives were very helpful and came up with a happy solution to our problems.

Seeing each other before the ceremony?

Whether or not to see each other before the ceremony is a big decision for most couples. More and more couples are choosing to see each other prior to the ceremony for a number of reasons.


As always, click to enlarge images

We decided to see each other before the ceremony for a few reasons. At first, I thought it would be very romantic to have the first time we saw each other be when I walked down the isle. Then I realized that, as I'm slightly nearsighted and wasn't planning to wear my glasses on our wedding day, that I simply wouldn't be able to make out the expression on Mr. Onion's face that I was so looking forward to.

Also, it was very important to us to enjoy our entire day with our guests, which also meant attending our cocktail hour instead of spending that time with our photographer.

I am thrilled we decided to do this. My only regret was we didn't have as much time as I'd hoped because it took about 45 minutes longer than I'd planned to get my girls rounded up and seated at Mirabelle's Cafe (who made our beautiful cake) for lunch after I got my hair and make-up done. This cut our "just us" photo time down significantly.

The guys all got sandwiches and brought them back to the inn (so much smarter). So I guess my advice here is don't try to have a nice seated meal -- order sandwiches! Haha.


Photo taken by my BIL/GM.

But seriously, no matter how much you plan every hour of your day, you never know when something might hold you up -- so add extra "just in case time" to you schedule. I'd say 20-30 minutes between each appointment.

OK -- now on with the pictures we took in the time we had to run over to the University of Vermont campus...prior to our wedding party/family photos...all of which had to happen before 4 PM when our ceremony began! Pfew!








Did you/do you plan to see each other before the ceremony? Time for another poll (it's just too fun to see a quick over view of what you all think)!

Yes

No

Please elaborate about what choice you made, why and how you felt about it afterwards (if you're already married).

Blogging leading to bridal competition?

In my recent post, "Getting Ready Teasers" I talked about the effect blogs have had on wedding planning and reader Rosie brought up an interesting point.

"Speaking of the effect of wedding blogs: the double edged sword is that while it allows people to share thoughts, it also creates an unintentional sense of competition and one-upmanship. Not to be sensational, but does anybody else ever feel this way at all?"

I feel a poll coming on...keep reading.


OOT Basket


DIY Fourtune Cookie Escort Cards


DIY Table Numbers


DIY Water Bottle Labels

All pictures above from beautiful knottie, Mrs. Safari's wedding. I call the "DIY Queen!" She put so much of herself into her wedding. Above are a few of her efforts completed (Photos by Kenny Pang).

I was surprised to read Rosie's comment because not once did I think I had to do something, or do it better, because I saw it on-line. There are lots of things that are done at weddings I saw on theknot or weddingbee that I didn't do -- bathroom baskets, slipper basket, candy buffet, tissue packets, "will you be my BM?" cards, table numbers etc.

I did however get some great ideas I wouldn't have known about -- my picture slide show, my boidoir photo session and save-the-dates for instance. I found myself generally inspired by all the wonderful ideas and attention to detail but honestly didn't feel like I had to compete in any way.

So let's do this anonymously so you can be honest with yourself...a POLL.

Did/do you feel a sense of competition or one-upmanship because of wedding communities like weddingbee or theknot?

Yes

No

Feel free to comment or elaborate in the comments section.