Photog Budget Help

The past couple weeks I have been researching photographers online and it seems the prices range immensely. We had originally set our budget for $1,500 (only because I literally had NO idea the cost). I know that I want at least 6-7 hours of full photog coverage. That will include getting ready pictures, ceremony, and reception pictures.

My research the past couple weeks has proved that photographers range anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 plus.

There are so many out there how do you even begin to know which one to chose?! Do you go by style, creativity, packages they offer, cost, their actual personality??

What is an approximate budget for a photographer? Was I way off in thinking that I could get a decent photographer for $1500???

Recommendations in the Central Florida area are certainly appreciated.

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Need More Pictures!

I realized what a poor visual blogger I am. I need to start carrying my camera with me EVERYWHERE I go. Even I know that I am more enticed and easily lured in to blog posts that incorporate pictures into posts. There is just something about it that creates a stronger bond with the writer by enabling you to see into their experiences through their photos. So I promise to be better about posting more pictures that are relevant to me, my wedding planning, and my life with Groomzilla.

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Chili-riffic

Since we missed out on yesterday's chili cookoff, Groomzilla and I decided to dig out the big old stock pot and make ourselves a little of our favortie chili recipe. We went grocery shopping this morning and now the chili is stewing on the stove. The smell is driving me mad. I included our very easy chili recipe below. I made it for my family while I was home over Christmas and everyone raved about it. I will give you the recipe under one condition: if you do make it, you must report back on how it came out!

2 cans chili beans, do not drain
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
2 cans tomatos with hot or green chilis
1 sm. can tomato paste
2 lbs of hamburger
1 medium onion chopped
1/8 to 1/4 cup chili powder (I use about 1/4 c)
1 and a half cans of water (tom paste can)

Brown hamburger and chopped onion..drain..add everything else and simmer for about an hour. Will seem thick at first but will loosen up as it cooks.

That is it..I serve over rice or noodles, or use fritos for dipping, and sour cream of course!!

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Finally Friday

This quite possibly could be a new Friday segment in hopes to jump-start the weekend. There are some days when I really have a hankering to blog about something but just don’t really have anything new to say about the wedding. I also don’t want to bore my readers with only ever talking about the wedding. God I hope I have not turned into one of those people in real life.

Any who so here’s the run down for the weekend for Groomzilla and yours truly:

Tonight: Cooking dinner or date night with Groomzilla and the pooch.

Saturday: Groomzilla and I have been so looking forward to the annual chili cook off since pretty much the day after last years 1st annual chili cook off. Last year when we purchased our $5 tickets we had no idea what to even expect. We both agreed after that it was the most worthwhile $5 we had ever spent. We spent the day milling around sampling 50+ different kinds of chilies. It’s truly amazing how creative you can be with the ingredients that go into making chili. We left with our bellies full and inspiration to create our own chili recipe.

Unfortunately, Groomzilla found out he has to work on Saturday. We are both so bummed, yet Groomzilla is insisting that I shouldn’t miss out on the event too. I was really looking forward to going with Groomzilla because we both share the same love for food. Still undecided on this.

Sunday: No plans as of yet. Hoping for a bike ride but still waiting for Groomzilla to replace his bike that got stolen out of his car around Christmas time. Right after this happened he vouched to listen to me more because the night before I reminded him to take his bike out of his car because someone may steal it..He laughed at me and said “nobody would that steal bike”. We woke up the next morning and lo and behold it was gone. MEN, don’t they know we know everything?!

What’s on tap for your weekend? I hope you find time to enjoy yourselves!

Me on my baby blue beach cruiser inwhich I attached my own basket with velcro!


Groomzilla's $89 Walmart bike that no longer resides in our posession. :(

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Tic Tock the Clock

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Saving is Fun..or Not?

I stumbled across this interesting article My spending fast: I paid off $18,000 in a year on CNNmoney.com. This woman completed a personal challenge where she only purchased the absolute necessities for an entire year in order to save money and pay off her debt. You can read all about it here on her blog.

This woman is my hero. I have always wanted to complete a personal challenge similar to this. People like the “Super Size Me” guy who live solely on the bare minimum and document for the world to see their hardships and experiences ignites a fire inside me. I would love to ditch my 2010 Nissan Altima in lieu of the Lynx bus and live to tell about it!!

Of course completing the challenge this year is completely out of the question for me since I am pretty sure most of what currently resides on my wedding shopping list does not qualify as a bare necessity. Could it be possible that Anna’s blog could inspire all of us brides on a budget how to effectively save money for what could quite possibly be one of the most expensive days of our lives?

Groomzilla and I started saving pretty early on and we still continue to do so. What about you, how did your saving skills change once you started planning a wedding?? What luxuries did you sacrifice in order to save for your wedding day?

Lets see, can you picture me on this crowded city bus?

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Non-Wedding Wednesday

Tax Refund Season! I already prepared my taxes by using Turbo Tax and because I have been enrolled in school for the past few years I normally end up receiving a somewhat considerable return. Most would run right out and buy a big screen TV, plan a trip to Europe, or hit the mall, but me; well I am a bit more practical. In the past I have turned it right around and applied the funds toward my ever mounting student loans. I am one of those individuals who despise paying more for something than I originally actually paid for it. With that said, what should I do with this years tax refund; contribute it towards my student loans or deposit directly into my wedding fund?? Split it 50/50, 60/40, 70/30?

What are you doing with your tax refund??

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Groomzilla and his Peeps

I am proud of Groomzilla for finally asking his boys to be in our wedding party. I gave him the deadline of asking them at the year mark out from our wedding date and he succeeded. Of course their first and most important concern was the planning of the bachelor party. I can only imagine the flurry of phone calls and emails that were passed back and forth that Monday when he returned back to work after asking his boys over the weekend.

I wonder what the general consensus is for being asked to be in a wedding. I for one feel honored when I am asked to participate but wonder if some groan at the thought of buying/renting another suit/dress and the commitment that follows.

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Cake Inspiration

I am envisioning something very simple but classy and elegant for our wedding cake. Here are a few of my original inspiration cake ideas until a co-worker reminded me of the taste of fondant. So now I am leaning more towards the butter cream frosting cake. I do love the navy ribbon and if possible I would like to have my florist incorporate some hot pink flowers the day of the wedding. I love how it’s so simple but still so pretty. I also love the Hexagon like cake but with pink flowers instead of the blue. I wonder if these can still be made somewhat similar but with butter cream frosting instead of fondant??

I am thinking 3 or 4 small tiers and either vanilla or red velvet. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I have heard that cake tastings are so much fun and since Groomzilla does not eat cake, means more for me. I can’t wait for that!!

Our cake budget is $500. Is that about right? What was your cake budget, did you come in under or over??

I'd love for past brides to email me pictures of the cake you chose for your wedding day.

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

New Email

I have created a new email address specifically for my readers who would like to email, comment, ask questions, or send picture references through a private email. The new email is blogzillabride@gmail.com. Please feel free to use it at anytime. I have also added it as a signature to the bottom of every post for easy finding.

With your permission I would like to post your pictures to my blog posts if they are relevant.

Here's hoping to hear from you!

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I'd love to hear from you. Email questions, comments, or photos to blogzillabride@gmail.com

Gloomy Groomzilla

Groomzilla was legitimately disappointed that we didn’t have any wedding tasks/chores/appointments to do this weekend. Way back when I started this blog I posted here about the involvement of the Groom in the planning process.

I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed Groomzilla's involvement in our wedding planning process thus far. Groomzilla has acted as my confidant, a sounding board to bounce my crazy ideas off, and has even reeled me in a few times when I have wandered a little too close to Bridezilla/Blogzilla territory.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest) how involved was/is your groom? I'd say Groomzilla falls right about in the 7-8 range.

Poor Sad Groomzilla

Out of the 400s!!

All about the Benjamins

Groomzilla and I had a budget set in place from the beginning of our engagement but I can see how QUICKLY that budget can spiral out of control. As of late I feel like we are both treating our wedding expenses as “Oh its okay, it’s for the wedding”. I feel I am in that mind set if I want something for my wedding; I am going to pay the extra to have it. I just want my day to be special and beautiful and it pains me to realize that probably only few will notice half of the detail and thought we put into making our wedding day beautiful. I’m just curious where and when we went through the transformation from wedding budget conscience David and Tiffany to wedding extraordinaire Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Did anyone else experience similar experiences? Were you able to stay within your planned budget? What one thing did you completely splurge on?

Non-Wedding Wednesday

I’ve never been a big reality TV fan but the one show that I have remained true to is The Bachelor/Bachelorette. I am not sure if what I enjoy watching the most is the awkwardness of first dates, the crazy girls who cry after they have been asked to leave on the first episode claiming they were in love, or the hope that someone on this show really and truly will fall deeply in love and have the fairy tail ending.

Groomzilla will never understand why I read the spoilers on realitysteve.com before each season starts. Before the first episode even airs I already know who goes home each week, what each date entails, the outcome of each scandal as Chris Harrison puts it before every episode “the most dramatic ending of any season yet”, and who wins the final rose, yet somehow I still remain glued to the DVR every week.

What is your guilty reality TV pleasure? We also enjoy watching the Jersey Shore kids make fools of themselves every Thursday night. I am sure their dads are proud, but its like a train wreck, you can’t take your eyes off for a second.

SPOILER Warning - Do NOT click on the link above if you do not want to know everything that happens this season.

I watch each episode and then dissect Reality Steve’s blog post/recap. To be honest, he is quite hilarious. Check it out at your own Risk!

Too Much Too Soon?

I know many of you are probably thinking I am crazy by being so far ahead of the game but I had read a blog written by a bride who had just gotten married and one of her suggestions was to get smaller tasks like programs, etc. out of the way during your limbo time. Well I am currently smack dab in the middle of that limbo period and I figure I mine as well get a head start on a few of the smaller tasks so that when I am stressing and overwhelmed closer to the date these tasks will not end up falling by the waste side. While I had some time yesterday I googled the flow/itinerary for a usual 4 hour wedding reception and below is what I decided upon. I also used the knowledge from what I remembered of how my sisters wedding flowed so wonderfully back last June.

I typed something similar up with obviously more details and I know this is still tentative and subject to change but at least I have it done and all I have to do is print off a few copies the day before and hand em’ right over to the EC and band Emcee.

Here is how I picture the flow of our reception to go after the close of the ceremony.

1. Cocktail hour/Bridal pictures
2. Introduction of parents and wedding party
3. Bride and Groom first dance
4. Toasts
5. Dinner Service
6. Cut the cake
7. Father Daughter dance
8. Open the dance floor
9. Last Dance send off

I did not leave off the bouquet or garter toss in oversight, I am just not your traditional bride, Groomzilla and I both discussed we would not be doing these two traditions. I am still working on Groomzilla regarding the Mother/Son dance but he is concerned about his mother’s ability in getting around easily.

Do you think this will flow? And do you think people will leave right after the cake cutting missing all the dancing fun? I am pretty confident that we have a partying crowd, put that together with free drinks all night and I’m sure we will have to force these people out the door at the end of the night!

Next up; Programs.

A picture from my sisters wedding of their first dance where we were all asked to join in. I think we will do something similar to mask the fact that neither Groomzilla nor I have any dancing skills.

Happy Valentine's Day

Its gotten late and I didn't have time to post anything relevant this evening. I do have some exciting blog posts brewing so stay tuned later this week. Groomzilla and I had a busy weekend since we had some friends in town visiting so we decided to just stay home and cook dinner ourselves and celebrate Valentines with the pooch. I made chicken picatta, one of my specialites and also one of Groomzilla's favorites.

I cheated and bought peanut butter cut and bake cookies for dessert and can you tell that Groomzilla was in charge of making the cookies???

One Large Peanut Butter Cookie..what the hec??

White or Navy, Navy or White?

The pictures below have been my inspiration from the beginning ever since I chose my navy and pink color scheme. I have thought I wanted white table cloths with navy napkins and similar arrangements to the pictures below. And if I wanted to add an accent I could purchase some fabric and make them myself.

source

After meeting with our EC today I told her I really wanted the chiavari chairs rather than chair covers. She emailed me right away with an extremely reasonable chair rental price. I really think the chivalry chairs can turn any room from drab to elegant.

I started looking at pictures and found that I fancy the thought of navy table cloths with white napkins, white chairs, and the pink and green flower arrangements still from the picture above.

sourcesource

I’m just afraid if I do go with the white table cloths and white chairs the color scheme will be far too much white. I’m thinking the navy table cloths will really add some color to the room.

What do you all think..white table cloths with navy napkins and white chairs, or navy table cloths, white napkins, and white chairs? Decisions Decisions.

These are the chiavari chairs for those of you who don't know what they look like

Productive Saturday Morning

Groomzilla and I met with our new Event Coordinator this morning and we both couldn't agree more that she seems fantastic. We were both silently pleased that she replaced the previous lady and are both confident that no detail will go missed on our special day! After meeting with her I can't wait to jump back on the planning bandwagon.

I also booked three bridal appointments for the Boston Dress Marathon in March. Things are really moving along now!

After our meeting with L, Groomzilla and I stopped off at the Amway Arena auction, I can't believe the money people were willing to pay for a tattered old arena seat and then we treated ourselves to a nice lunch at a restaurant downtown. We would have chosen to sit and eat outside on the patio but (all you northerners don't hate me for saying this but it was a little too chilly) and now we are home relaxing.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Oh and Groomzilla created a new name for me after our meeting this morning; Planzilla. I can't win!

Keep on Track with Google

Google Wedding is available to simplify all your wedding plans. Click here to get started!

This looks fun, I can’t wait to explore! I think it’s finally time to put all my lists into one location, and to finally start our wedding website that I have been putting off.

Does anyone use any of the wedding planning websites out there; Google, The Knot, Wedding Wire, or something else to keep track of all your wedding happenings? Please share, which works, which doesn’t?

Non-Wedding Wednesday

As I sat listening to the last speaker of the day ramble on about Health Care Reform at the conference I was attending for the past two days, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander off to thoughts of more important things. Like for one, what I should wear to a beach wedding I will be attending in April.

This is where I hope you will come into play; I need some fashion advice. The thought crossed my mind of recycling the beautiful green bridesmaid dress I wore in my sisters wedding back in June. I am sure she would be ecstatic to know I would be wearing the dress again. Unfortunately, that may not pose as the easiest option; I may or may not have jumped into my parent’s chlorinated pool wearing the dress with a few of the other bridesmaids at the after party of her wedding. My mother washed the dress but it still needs some restoration.

But beside the point, given I do find a good dry cleaner out there who would be willing to help, just curious if I ditched the pink sash for maybe a gold belt what color shoes would go? I’m afraid a gold belt with gold shoes would be a bit too matchy matchy. Could I get away with black or gold flip flops or dressy flat sandals?

And then what about accessories, jewelry and clutch? What colors?

Thoughts or help on this one?? Keep in mind this is a beach wedding.

This is also given that I am able repair the dress back to wearing capability. I am hopeful and optimistic!

I am grateful for any suggestions you have on this one!

Yep that is me playing the air guitar to who knows what after I had changed into my gold dancing flats

Beauty is Pain..So why do we Partake?!

When I went to see my dentist last, they were running a special for a lifetime whitening treatment for $99. With the impending wedding on the horizon I thought what better time to spruce up my somewhat yellowing teeth? I was fitted for trays that day and sent on my way. Now that I am sitting here with these trays on my teeth, what was I thinking?! This is a very uncomfortable experience and the bleach is turning my gums white. Thank God Groomzilla is not here to witness this scene because I feel like I am chewing tobacco but instead of spitting out dip I am spitting out bleach into a coffee mug.

My Hygienist said only a small amount of bleach was necessary but perhaps I went a bit overkill?

Did anyone else try to whiten your teeth before the big day and have this problem?? And how many of these treatments do I have to do before I start seeing results? I am not sure how many I will be able to get through if the rest are as uncomfortable as the first.

I am also going to need a foot massage from Groomzilla when he gets home from work, apparently the black stilettos I wore to the work conference today were not the most fitting shoes for walking two miles to your destination. Why does looking cute have to be so painful?

Here are some before pictures of my pearly yellow whites. I know they look pretty white in the pictures but I think the flash helped contribute to that.

More Joy Brought to you on Valentine's Day

BFF Kiki let me in on a wonderful little secret. Anthropologie is launching a new BHLDN wedding line and on what more romantic day than Valentine's Day?!

You can view the email announcement here with all the deets on the new BHLDN line.

I can’t help but love the antiquey vintage feel that it eludes to be. Simply Gorgeous!!

Non-Wedding Wednesday

Blogzilla was born.

From the beginning Groomzilla has not been completely ecstatic that I refer to him as Groomzilla throughout my blog. I have reassured him that it is just a facetious name and does not at all ring to be true. So naturally in retaliation he birthed a new name for me “Blogzilla”.

A few weeks back I blogged here about wanting more out of my blog. Over the course of the few short weeks that followed, that idea could not have turned out to be more untrue. Once I realized that money could be made from blogging I instantly became obsessed with my number of followers, my stats, and researching how I could gain commissions from my blog. Unfortunately with being a bit technically challenged the time and frustrations that went into creating intense blog posts with pretty pictures and links was encouraging my stress level to rise a bit higher.

It was then that I had a revelation; here I am writing a blog about getting married when in turn the blog is taking me away from time being spent with Groomzilla, causing me frustration through technical difficulties, and by the end of it Groomzilla won’t even want to marry me anymore!

I had initially started out this blog with the intentions of doing it completely just for fun and as a way to update my friends and family of the happenings of my wedding planning. I have decided that just for fun is what I am going to continue doing until we finally do say “I Do”.

It just dawned on me; what will happen to the blog after we do say I Do? I suppose if you’re lucky the honeymoon will be recapped, maybe some high and low points from the wedding as well as any regrets, but hopefully there won’t be any of those, and then I suppose it will be time for us to part ways.

Can you really see someone with a face like this as a blogzilla??

Boston Marathon Here I Come!

Dress trial marathon that is! Since one of my sisters (MOH 1) and my best friend (BM) live in Boston I thought it would be the easiest for me to take a weekend trip to Boston where we can all be together for the dress trying on extravaganza. The plan is to have my mom and my other sister (MOH 2) take the train or drive into Boston for the day so we can all spend the day together traipsing through the finest bridal boutiques in the Boston area. I pray that it will be much easier than I am anticipating finding a dress for my gals that we all fall in love with.

For my wedding dress, I still have yet to sample a gown on my own body and vouched that I would not do so until we could all be together that weekend in March. I guess I just wanted the first experience to be shared with my mother and besties where we can cock our heads to the side and shrivel our noses, laugh at the hideousness, and cry when we find “the one”.

What was your first wedding dress experience? How many marathons did it take for you to find “the one”? Did you instantly know it was “the one” when you tried it on?

FYI - I apologize for the lack of wedding dress photos but Groomzilla has made it quite clear that he does not want to see or have any idea of what my dress may look like. He does not even want to have any ideas of the type of dresses I like. He wants to be 100% surprised the first time he sees me walk down the aisle..and since he reads my blog I don't want to ruin the one thing he has been adamant about. The only unfortunate thing for my readers is that it will be a suprise for you too until I walk down the aisle (or post pictures post-wedding)!