Pamper The Bride Within (While Cutting Costs!)

If you are a DIY bride, chances are you don't have the biggest budget. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the luxuries big-spending brides live by!



Why not tap into a local cosmetology school for pampering services at minimal costs? Just search in your state (google or yahoo)and you should be able to find one. These schools don't just do makeup and hair! They do skincare, nails, body treatments, and waxing! And everything is done under the supervision of a licensed professional.

For example, the one I found offers the following services that I am interested in:

Deluxe European Facial for 1 hour $17.50
(add-ons like customized facial mask, for an extra $5)
Full Body Spa Massage for 1 hour $17.50
French Twist and Up-do's $15 to $25
Hair extensions $10 an hour
Shampoo and Styles $5.50
Eyebrow Arch/Lip $4 each

A cool idea for strapless gown brides, a one hour back facial for $17.50.

Someone please tell me they are thinking about doing this. I will be calling this school tomorrow to set up appointments to primp myself for Valentine's Day and our engagement shoots in March. I will let you know what services I choose and how it all turns out!

Arizona brides, the school I'm talking about is maricopabeautycollege.com.

Oh, and FYI...

We're paying of the wedding venue today!




Feels good. This is where the majority of our budget is going, and glad we could pay for it ourselves.

Lol at this photo! I wish!

My Next DIY Project

Yay! I thought of another project to do. I am so happy, because it seems easy, it is another craft, and will really make a statement at my ceremony!

I'm going to make my very own....





Wedding fans! I'm sure it will be a hit with the guests because it will be June in Arizona, hello!

I got the idea after browsing a wedding product catalog sent to my home. They were so simple, just nice shaped paper on a popsicle stick. I thought "I could do that." Michael's would have a box of craft sticks somewhere, I'm sure. Then I knew it was a good idea when I presented the catalog to my mom.

Here's where I'm a master manipulator. (Haha, not really). Sometimes, when I want to get validation for a good idea, I'll present information to someone else the same way I received it and let them connect the dots. I showed my mom the fans.

And she said, "We could make those."

And I said "With what?"

"Popsicle sticks?"

"Mom, that's exactly what I was thinking!"

Brilliant, I know. I'm just happy that I have another simple project to do and my mom actually agreed to do it with me. So we got on the computer and started messing around and made the design we will put on them. Can't wait to show you guys! But we will make the fans closer to the wedding date because we don't want them sitting around for five months. I'll show you a mock-up though. Who else is making fans?

Goodies

Well, last week when I went to Michael's the cashier gave me some 50% off coupons to use for this week.

So I went in with the intent of getting my last batch of butterflies for the cake, and the gift bags I had eyed that I wanted to use for my bridesmaids gifts. I got exactly what I was looking for, and nothing else!

Here are the butterflies in the package.



And here is one of the butterflies. It is on a pliable wire which will make it easy to stick in all kinds of places (baskets, cake, fg's hair).



I was happy I found this package of 12 butterflies for $4.99. I didn't even see them until the last minute, and was about to buy a pack of 3 small ones for $2.99. Well, these looked way better and gave me variety in color and size. I think I am all done with the butterflies, I should have enough to use them wherever I need them! Once the coupon was applied, they came out to be about $2.63.

And these gift bags came in a package of 13.



There are four polka dot, four striped, and five floral patterned bags. The cost was $7.99 and I had another 50% off coupon so they were around 4.60ish.

They are pictured with the *start* of what will be my bridesmaids giftbags.

I bought the lotion from bath and body works during their after Christmas sale. The scent is Pink Grapefruit and it smells great. I love how it goes with my theme! It will definitely go with the feel of a summer wedding, and citrus is my favorite base for any smell. I hope my bridesmaids like it! I like how I was able to tie that in with my theme :)

I will use the other bags for gifts for my MIL, and her sister who agreed to do the programs (!!!), my mother and any other important women who are helping out with the wedding.

Wedding Inspiration

All photos were taken from theknot.com

A Special Breakfast for the Bride and Groom

(image taken from gettyimages.com)

So I am very close with my MIL. She is a wonderful woman with great ideas, and she has been a wonderful source of support for my relationship with my fiance.

Yesterday, while we were out doing errands, she intorduced a brilliant idea to us. She thinks the day of the wedding, we should have a special breakfast set up just for the two of us. It will be a chance for the two of us to actually eat breakfast that day (very important!) and share a special private moment.

I love the idea. I always liked the sentementality of a first look, and this way we will be getting one in our own special way.

Here is what I would love to see on our dream breakfast menu:

French toast
Easy over eggs
Beef or turkey beacon
Fresh Strawberries and peaches
Toast and Jam
Tea and orange juice

Well, that's just what I have a taste for today. The menu is subject to change. I imagine we will be dressed in robes like this:



And we will talk and laugh and have our own special moment. It sounds nice.

We have to figure out what we will eat and where. I really hope things go as planned so we can fit this into our schedule. Are you doing anything outside of tradition on your wedding day that will be special for you and your groom?

We Have Chosen Our Cake

Today was a busy wedding day for myself, MIL, fiance and one of my bridesmaids. We spent the day finalizing some key wedding points to check off on "the list." First up was our baker for our wedding cake!



This is the design both the fiance and I loved. We will tweak the colors. We will add flowers from the florist in the colors of orange and yellow. In place of the white ribbon design that borders the base of each layer, we will have it in hot pink. We will probably add a butterfly to the top of the cake to match our theme (I will go out to Michael's and buy more, even if they are regular price).

Our cake will be three tiers and serve 82 people. We are not planning on freezing the top layer of the cake to eat a year later on our anniversary-that really adds to the serving size. The top layer will be red velvet (groom's favorite), the second layer will be triple chocolate, and the third layer will be lemon. We tasted the flavors and they were wonderful!

Our vendor is Brian with mygoodnesscakes.com, here in Phoenix, AZ. We met him today and he was so genuine, helpful and professional. We trust him to do a good job. He gave us a quote and we will finalize and actually tell him we chose him some time next week.

Things I like about the cake:

1. Square shape! I love square cakes. And square cakes mean more servings!
2. Its simplistic, clean and sophisticated look.
3. The bright colors will really stand out against the white fondant. (We chose white, not colored.)
4. The lemon layer! It's my favorite :)
5. My fiance and I both liked it the most of all the designs!


We only looked at one cake vendor. That's all I (we) needed!

Then we met with the photographer, who agreed to do two engagement photo shoots with us at the request of my MIL. She has great connects and he is very affordable.

I am excited; one of the shoots will be where I originally dreamed of doing our engagement pictures, the Civic Space Park in Phoenix.


It just opened a year ago. It was seconds from the dorm I lived in last year and I fell in love with the space because it is beautiful and modern. Phoenix is the desert, meaning we don't have a lot of grea parks to choose from. The light rail stations are also edgy and cool, and will make for great pictures. We will do the shoot during Spring Break in March. We will also have two photographers at the wedding.

I am surprised at how things are coming together; especially since I thought we would probably have no vendors because of the cost. Weddings are so expensive! Our families have been so, so, supportive and our wedding is really turning out to be a collaborative effort. I am glad, because we can have some really nice things like a fancy schmancy wedding cake, nice photography, and good music.

I'll keep you updated on whatever else we tackle! I'm starting to feel like a real bride. I never thought I would go cake tasting! Lots more details to tell you in the coming days.