Progress is Being Made

Thanks to my amazing mother who has helped me tremendously with staying on task, we have booked a few of our big vendors!

Venue:

Hidden Oaks is located in Rancho Cucamonga and is quite the gem. It is surrounded by oak trees, has a beautiful gazebo and a historical house. Take a look at the website to see 360 degree tours of the ceremony and reception cite! Total cost: $3000


Photography:

To me, the most important aspect is the photography because at the end of the day, I will have my man and my pictures. All of the time and effort I spend in planning this wedding is for one day, and it will be gone in the blink of an eye. So, I was willing to splurge a little bit for a better photographer. We Heart Photography is ran by Jacob and Christin Willis and they have such vibrant beautiful pictures! Total cost: $2600


Flowers:

Cupid's Arrow Florist is conveniently located in Rancho. My mom and I were impressed with Heather's work and are looking forward to working with her. I can't wait until April when we hash out all of the details! Total cost: $2000

Dress:

It's absolutely beautiful and my dream dress!! Now I know you want a picture, but I can't risk Matt seeing it! So you will just have to take me word for it. :] I actually got it on sale for $99! But after the slip and alterations, the total is about $450. I am still searching for a veil and shoes!

The Challenge

Like I said, the budget is $10,000.  With the cost of the venue, the florist, and the photographer, I have $2400 left over to do EVERYTHING else.  That is, the dress, veil, shoes, decor, DJ, cake, drinks, linens, favors, invitations, stamps, guestbook, and everything else that I can't think of off the top of my head.  Praise the Lord that Matt's parents are willing to pay for the food.  If I had to fit the food in my budget, I would be calling the taco truck. 

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DIY Central

I have a $10,000 budget for my wedding. Difficult but doable, right? Did I mention how many people we are inviting? Oh, only 200.

It sounds impossible, I know. But I am determined to get creative and handmake what ever I can in hopes of cutting down costs.

My list of DIY projects thus far:



Mismatch plates:

My mom and I have been shopping at different thrift stores in hopes of finding vintage looking china. It will give the look of a vintage backyard wedding and adds a personal touch. Although it is time consuming, it's not much more expensive than renting plates and it's adorable! Total cost: $300


Mismatched Vases:

Along with the plates, I wanted mismatched vases to add a vintage feel. I borrowed a lot of these from my grandma, and the others I got from thrift stores. There will be 3 vases of varying height at each table. Total cost: $60


Favor Bags:

When I saw these posted on Intimate Weddings I knew they were the ones. I liked the neutral colored peony with the neutral burlap, but I decided to add other colors as well, such as pink, yellow and ivory. The price is right with burlap about $2/yard, felt $4/yard, jute twine for $3 a roll and a bag of buttons I got at a flea market for $8. If you are thinking about doing this project, make sure you have a lot of time and a lot of help. It is quite the task. Total cost: $75


Doilies:

I went to the flea market and found tons of doilies for $1-$5 a piece, depending on the size. I will use about 3 at the center of each table to put under the vases. Total cost: $70


Vintage Handkerchiefs:

I also got a couple dozen handkerchiefs that I will hang somewhere for the reception. Total cost: $40


Card Box:

Instead of the traditional card box, I wanted to continue my vintage theme. I found my inspiration from Ruffled Blog. I bought a suitcase at a thrift store for $10, made the letters out of paper that I got from Michaels, my mom had a crocheted runner, and I am going to add a handkerchief that I bought at the flea market. Total cost: $13


Photobooth:

I haven't gotten all of the materials for this yet, but we do have a few props done. I am still looking for the material to make the backdrop (possibly a sheet) and I need to find a way to hang it up. We are thinking about setting up Matt's iMac to take the pictures and we will have the guest write down their email address and photo number so we can email them the photos as well as send them in the Thank you cards. Total cost: hopefully under $50


Guestbook:

Instead of having the traditional guestbook, I love the idea of the thumbprint tree. I haven't bought the materials for this yet either, but all I need is a canvas, some paint and ink pads. Total cost: hopefully under $20



These projects are far from being done, but I am having SO much fun doing them! Praise God that I have amazing friends and family willing to help me out. I hosted a craft party a couple weeks ago, and it was so much fun! Here are a few pictures:

Great work ladies!!!

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Vintage Wedding

As you can probably assume, the past few months of my life have been consumed with wedding planning. I have spent hours and hours online looking at weddings into the wee hours of the night. Sure, I might not have been getting as much homework, or sleep for that matter, accomplished, but I've decided on a style [Vintage] and theme [Love Birds]. I have put some pictures together to give you an idea of what I have in mind.

The color palette will consist of: pinks, oranges, yellows, ivory, and a hint of blue. :]

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A New Journey Lies Ahead

Hello all,

It has been quite a while since my last post, but I've decided to start blogging once again due to the exciting circumstances of my life. I only have 101 days left before I am married to the love of my life. That's right, I am engaged (Whooohooo!!!) and I want to document this journey so I am able to look back and relive the joy it has truly been.

If you don't already know how he popped the question, here is the enchanting story:

We had plans to go on a hike that Friday morning and I could not get a hold of Matt. I figured he was just sleeping in, when, little to my knowledge, he was setting everything up along the trail we were about to hike. I decided to head over to his house anyway, and, luckily he arrived back home just before I got there, he told me he wasn't by his phone. We made lunch and then proceeded to head up to Mount Baldy to Ice House Canyon Trail.


The weather was could not have been more perfect, and there was even snow still on the ground! It was absolutely beautiful. Matt did a good job at acting surprised by the snow because it was his third trip up the mountain that morning. We had been hiking for about 20 minutes, and Matt suggests that we go off of the trail towards the river. Not thinking anything of it, I said, "ok!" and continued to walk off the trail. Not only had I not realized that Matt stopped following me, but I had completely missed his entire set up! In my defense, it was hidden pretty well. The next thing I heard was Matt saying, "Saleena, look!" and I turned around. For a split second, I thought to my self, "aw how cute" not even realizing that the entire set up was for me! Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, and my heart started to race. As I walked over I admired Matt's handy work.

I had told him in the past that I dreamt of getting engaged under the Eiffel Tower, so he stitched the Eiffel Tower into a huge 6 x 9 canvas... it looked awesome! Beneath it was a bottle of wine, a bouquet of flowers, and his computer for music. As I stood there with a huge smile on my face, he got down on one knee and told me how much he loved me and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He pulled a small box out of his pocket, and opened it towards me. Of course the ring falls to the ground, and Matt quickly picks it up and starts blowing all the dirt off, which causes us both to laugh. He popped the question, I said, "YES!!!" and we kissed for the first time as fiancés! He opened the bottle of wine and made a toast to our lives together. I made a toast as well and my emotions caught up with me. I began to cry tears of joy and excitement. It was perfect. <3

Thank goodness Matt has friends who know how to use a camera. Thanks again Nick for capturing this moment for us!!!

More posts to come :]

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