TAKING A BREAK

We are taking a break from wedding planning to focus on 3 big weddings that we have coming up in 2010. We will still be doing small social events and we will post pictures of the events and the decor that we do. We will attempt to keep the blog updated.

HOBBY LOBBY SALES

For all of you DIY brides...Hobby Lobby is having their BRIDAL BLOWOUT SALE. This means that everything in the Bridal section of Hobby Lobby is currently 50% off. Starting Monday May 11th and going to Saturday May 16th.

AVERAGE COST OF A KANSAS CITY

While assisting a bride who is on a serious budget, her mother asked me what the average cost of a wedding in the metro area was. So I googled it and came across the website Real Simple.
It is the state average but I think that it still gives a great

Missouri...

Attire: $1,773 to $2,923

• Bride accessories: $225 to $371
• Groom accessories: $119 to $196
• Groom suit/tux: $163 to $269
• Hair/makeup service: $119 to $196
• Headpiece/veil: $211 to $348
• Wedding dress: $936 to $1,543
  

Ceremony: $2,041 to $3,368

• Ceremony accessories: $132 to $218
• Ceremony decorations: $393 to $648
• Ceremony location: $459 to $758
• Officiate/pastor/priest: $165 to $272
• Rehearsal dinner: $892 to $1,472
  

Entertainment: $2,275 to $3,754

• Ceremony/reception band: $1,341 to $2,212
• Ceremony/reception DJ: $512 to $845
• Ceremony/reception musicians: $422 to $697
  

Flowers: $1,430 to $2,359

• Boutonnieres/corsages: $125 to $206
• Bride bouquet: $107 to $176
• Bridesmaid bouquets: $170 to $281
• Ceremony flowers: $305 to $503
• Flower girl flowers: $34 to $57
• Reception flowers: $689 to $1,136
  

Gifts and Favors: $719 to $1,184

• Gifts for attendant: $333 to $548
• Gifts for each other: $268 to $442
• Gifts for parents: $118 to $194
  

Invitations and Stationery: $678 to $1,118

• Bridal shower invitations: $71 to $117
• Guestbook: $34 to $57
• Invitations & reply cards: $300 to $495
• Personal stationery: $95 to $156
• Save the date cards: $116 to $191
• Thank you cards: $62 to $102
  

Jewelry: $4,350 to $7,176

• Engagement ring: $3,237 to $5,340
• Her ring: $653 to $1,077
• His ring: $460 to $759
  

Honeymoon/Planning: $3,543 to $5,845

• Honeymoon: $2,607 to $4,300
• Bridal consultant/planner: $936 to $1,545
  

Photographer/Videographer: $2,559 to $4,072

• Photographer: $1,430 to $2,358
• Videographer: $1,039 to $1,714
  

Reception: $10,996 to $18,137

• Reception beverages/bartender: $1,558 to $2,570
• Bride/groom hotel: $196 to $323
• Cake: $377 to $621
• Cake knife set: $30 to $50
• Cake topper: $29 to $48
• Reception decorations/centerpieces: $753 to $1,242
• Favors: $251 to $414
• Reception food service: $5,305 to $8,750
• Reception location: $1,725 to $2,845
• Reception rentals: $772 to $1,274
  

Transportation: $682 to $1,124

• Car rental: $213 to $351
• Limo rental: $469 to $773

Kansas...

Attire: $1,889 to $3,113

• Bride accessories: $240 to $396
• Groom accessories: $126 to $208
• Groom suit/tux: $174 to $286
• Hair/makeup service: $126 to $208
• Headpiece/veil: $225 to $371
• Wedding dress: $998 to $1,644
  

Ceremony: $2,177 to $3,587

• Ceremony accessories: $141 to $232
• Ceremony decorations: $419 to $690
• Ceremony location: $490 to $807
• Officiate/pastor/priest: $176 to $290
• Rehearsal dinner: $951 to $1,568
  

Entertainment: $2,426 to $3,998

• Ceremony/reception band: $1,430 to $2,356
• Ceremony/reception DJ: $546 to $900
• Ceremony/reception musicians: $450 to $742
  

Flowers: $1,525 to $2,511

• Boutonnieres/corsages: $133 to $219
• Bride bouquet: $114 to $187
• Bridesmaid bouquets: $182 to $299
• Ceremony flowers: $325 to $536
• Flower girl flowers: $37 to $60
• Reception flowers: $734 to $1,210
  

Gifts and Favors: $766 to $1,262

• Gifts for attendant: $354 to $584
• Gifts for each other: $286 to $471
• Gifts for parents: $126 to $207
  

Invitations and Stationery: $723 to $1,188

• Bridal shower invitations: $76 to $124
• Guestbook: $37 to $60
• Invitations & reply cards: $320 to $527
• Personal stationery: $101 to $166
• Save the date cards: $123 to $203
• Thank you cards: $66 to $108
  

Jewelry: $4,639 to $7,642

• Engagement ring: $3,452 to $5,687
• Her ring: $696 to $1,147
• His ring: $491 to $808
  

Honeymoon/Planning: $3,777 to $6,224

• Honeymoon: $2,779 to $4,579
• Bridal consultant/planner: $998 to $1,645
  

Photographer/Videographer: $2,632 to $4,336

• Photographer: $1,524 to $2,511
• Videographer: $1,108 to $1,825
  

Reception: $11,723 to $19,315

• Reception beverages/bartender: $1,661 to $2,737
• Bride/groom hotel: $209 to $344
• Cake: $402 to $662
• Cake knife set: $32 to $53
• Cake topper: $31 to $50
• Reception decorations/centerpieces: $802 to $1,322
• Favors: $268 to $441
• Reception food service: $5,656 to $9,319
• Reception location: $1,839 to $3,030
• Reception rentals: $823 to $1,357
  

Transportation: $727 to $1,196

• Car rental: $227 to $373
• Limo rental: $500 to $823

from Real Simple the source is COST OF WEDDINGS

BACK TO THE DAILY GRIND

BLOWING THE DUST OFF IN HERE......I am back to getting blogging....STAY TUNED.

SPECIAL WEDDING KEEPSAKES

For a special addition to your wedding album you can send a copy of your wedding invation to the President, the Queen of England, The Pope, (if you're Canadian) the Canadian Prime minister. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery so include your address where you'll be 6-8 weeks after you send out your inviation.
If you wish to invite other famous celebrities, such as movie stars, rock stars, etc., search online for their official fan sites. Many will list an address where to send mail. Or you can send it to them in care of their movie studio, record label, etc.

Mail your invitation to the Obamas here:
The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Prefer to fax it over? Use: 202-395-1232

Queen of England
Queen Elizabeth II
Buckingham Palace
London, England
SW1A 1AA

~ ~ * ~ ~

The Pope
His Holiness John Paul II
Prefettura della Casa Pontifica
00120 Citta del Vaticano, Italia

~ ~ * ~ ~

Canadian Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Jean Chretien
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's Office
Langevin Block 80 Wellington St.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0A2

If you are Catholic, for a small fee ($48) you can also receive a Papal Blessing certificate. It features a picture of the Pope and is entirely handwritten by a professional calligrapher. You can either contact your local diocesan Chancery office or order one online at http://www.vatican-souvenirs.com/oexec/religion.cfm.

$5000 Kansas City Wedding

CostOfWedding.com says that the average Kansas City wedding cost between 18,000 and 30,000. I assisted a bride a few months ago who had a strict $5000 budget for approx 200 guest (including the wedding party) and she begged me to stay within that budget due to the fact that they still had to pay for their rings and their honeymoon. So I looked over her file the other day and realized that everything (prices are rounded either up or down to the nearest dollar depending upon if the change was more or less than 50 cents.)

Through DIY, sales, clearance, coupons, and the infamous EBAY her final cost was $4855.
Her generalized break down was $109 for all stationery cost (save the dates, invites, RSVPs, maps, and programs). The ceremony which took place at Theis Park cost $336. The reception at Union Hill Veterans Hall cost $2434. Their attire which was all purchased including his tux cost $451. Her hair, make up, and nails were all DIY and cost $65. Photography which we negotiated the time and the rights to the pictures and she did the printing herself cost $700. She got the lowest package of a videographer's package which was just the ceremony and 2 hours of the reception cost $400. Gifts for the bridal party and family cost $80. And for the transportation they rented a 300m for half the week and it cost them $200. Giving a grand total of $4855.

Her wedding was BEAUTIFUL and it was all on a very modest budget.

BRIDE 2 B RESOLUTIONS

I hope that everyone rang in the New Year on a good note. I hope that everyone has a great 2009.

I am an avid reader of all blogs. And on AWAYS A BRIDESMAID (Xochitl Gonzalez one of my FAVORITE wedding planners from Whose Wedding is it Anyway; **side note: see fav pages list for her blog) she wrote a list of resolutions for the bride to be. Now I wont C&P the entire post but I'll post a few of the resoultions for the suggestions on keeping them click the link below and check them out.

1. Resolve to not lose sight of the Day After the Wedding.
4. Resolve to Trust your Team.
7. Resolve to Accept Possible Setbacks.
This one has to be my favorite....8. Resolve to Do What You Can Afford.

ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID BLOG