You want thing-a-ma-bobs? I’ve got twenty…

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Yes, please note the Disney movie reference. You know, the scene where Ariel is swimming around her treasure trove of gadgets and gizmos? Ah, so many delightful things…

Well, I haven’t mentioned this previously, but my venue happens to have its own little treasure trove of goodies…

Back in July when we first toured Carlouel, Mommy Buttons and I were escorted into a storage room upstairs…and it was filled with some pretty awesome things…vases, candles, lanterns galore!!! Shelf upon shelf of materials for weddings or events. Chuck (the manager) explained to us that he has had a lot of brides who didn’t want these things at the end of their wedding, and just left them at the site. WHAT?!?! Left there!??! Does…not…compute…I don’t see myself ever doing that, but hey…ask me again in 6 months and perhaps my story will change.

Anyway, Chuck continues to inform us that we are able to use anything and everything we find in this room, absolutely free of charge! The staff will clean containers and have them sparkling and ready to go for us. And, if we want to swing by on the week of the wedding and pick things up so we can arrange/prepare them at home, we are able to do so as well!

Yep...pretty sure these topiaries will find a home somewhere amongst my reception decor...

When he first told us this, I’m quite sure that both my mom’s and my chin hit the floor. This is un-freakin-real! There are multiple bins FILLED with different tea light candles in different shaped containers…which we will definitely be using on the reception tables…

My favorite shelf happens to be this one…it is packed from front to back with white pillar candles of different heights…these will be topping the mantle in the front entryway, as well as other locations throughout the venue!

So, overall, this wonderful discovery is going to help tremendously with some of the décor cost! Although we’d only be using small candles on each table, I want to use many of them throughout the venue…and now we don’t have to buy a single one! Pillar candles can add up in price as well, so I am so excited that we can cross that off of our “to-purchase” list!

Did your venue include some awesome extras as part of the package???

Copycat Conundrum

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Ok, I know that I can't be the only one who feels this way! Do you ever look at other brides' inspiration or ideas and think, "holy crap! That is EXACTLY what I was going for!?!?"

I am have experienced that sinking feeling in my stomach during my planning thus far. I cringe because I don't want to be viewed as a copycat!!!!

Realistically, I know that the guests at my wedding will have absolutely no idea if my choices are very similar to that of someone they don't even know...but it just gets my goat at times! It makes no sense...there is no way that my guests are scouring wedding blogs on a daily basis; they aren't going to know that my idea is similar to the one that "so and so" did!

I feel like I am so irrational...but how is it that there is someone else out there that is picking the same music, the same ceremonies, the same guest book ideas, etc. etc. etc.! I have always been someone who has fresh perspectives on things...someone who has cute ideas and inspirations. Apparently, I have a twin (or twins) out there. Frustration...galore!

Has anyone else out there experienced this feeling? What did you do to calm your frustration?

The Inexperienced Bride

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I have a confession to make. Wedding planning scares me to death sometimes!

…and why is this, you might ask? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret about myself:

I am inexperienced…at weddings.

To date, I have only attended two (yes, count ‘em…TWO) weddings. One of them was my aunt and uncle’s wedding when I was a pre-teen, and the other was on Valentine’s Day last year (one of Mr. Buttons' best friends/now groomsman). So, as you can imagine…I have not exactly been inundated with ideas from viewing the nuptials of others firsthand.

This is good and bad. On one hand, since I am the first out of my group of friends to tie the knot, I get to “set the bar,” if you will, for wedding expectations. I am the first to pick color schemes, select bridesmaid dresses, etc, and I don’t have to worry that I’m copying someone else’s look. Although personally, that really doesn’t matter in the end (I can say with confidence that no one’s wedding in my group of friends is going to be exactly the same…so who cares if colors or dresses are similar?).

On the other hand, I really wish that I had the experience under my belt of attending a wedding of a friend at this point. I feel so unknowledgeable in regards to etiquette, the order of how things progress throughout the ceremony and reception, and the like! My own wedding is going to be the first time that I’ve really been able to experience the full effect of one of these events…and I feel as though I’m going to be unprepared…or leave out something important! I sometimes wish that I had some friend nearby with experience in wedding planning to help me out (although…yay! My MOH has now joined the ranks of engaged gals). However, I do thank my lucky stars for the online support that I have received in the past months (through Weddingbee, other bloggers, etc). I am amazed at all of the creative ideas that I’ve stumbled upon, and what a supportive community I have found in the wedding world…its very impressive! I can only hope that I can inspire or help someone else the way that many of my fellow bloggers have!

So…let’s hear it…are there any other “inexperienced” brides out there like myself? How have you managed to find planning help/advice?

When reality strikes…and what I am doing about it

I had been waiting for the moment when the reality of wedding planning was going to strike me. It struck…hard...about 3 months into our engagement.

When I started the process of wedding planning, everything seemed like rainbows and unicorns and sunshine…it was so fun! I had so much inspiration (and still do), and it seemed like there was an endless list of aspects that I wanted to incorporate into our day.

Then…you get price quotes from vendors. And for me at least, I wanted to just throw up. Mind you, I did realize that the price quotes were going to be extremely high, and most likely much more that I’d be willing to pay for certain things (around $1000 just for ceremony flowers?!?!?! Gasp…), but nevertheless, seeing the numbers on a piece of paper or a computer screen really make the reality sink in.

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I’ve said it before; I am a bargain shopper. And, I’d like to think that I’m a pretty creative/crafty person. Therefore, in light of the pricing information, I began my DIY quest. Of course, there are going to be some aspects of the event that I will have to hire someone to complete for me, but here is my hope: I want to DIY certain projects for a portion of the full retail price (I’d like to do it at half price…we’ll see if I can manage that!).

What am I planning to create, you ask? Here is my current list:

*Guestbook

*Ceremony decor

*Table linens (with the help of Grandma Buttons)

*Cocktail hour and reception centerpieces

*Escort cards

*Favors

Obviously, there are more odds and ends that are going to sneak up over the course of planning, but these are the largest items on my list! So, now that I’ve made it public, I am going to have to stick to my guns to deliver on my promise. I know I can accomplish DIY'ing aspects of the wedding, and I will appreciate any helpful links, tips, etc, that you are able to throw my way as I journey through the process. Wish me luck!

How much do you plan to "DIY" for your wedding? What projects are on your list?

Hunting for a venue…

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The process of selecting our venue was relatively short lived. In an ideal world, I wanted to hold the ceremony and the reception at the same location for the ease of our guests. After some discussion with Mr. Buttons, we decided that we wanted to include the beach in some way, whether it would be to have the ceremony on the beach itself, or to simply find a venue that is nearby/on the beach. Since many of our guests will be coming from out of town, we knew that the individuals attending our wedding would be eager to hit the sand and surf during their time in Florida. I mean, how can you take a trip to Florida and NOT go to the beach? That would surely be a crime, no? After narrowing down some of my criteria for selecting a venue, it was time to hit the pavement, so to speak!

My heart started to sink....slightly...because I knew from the start that beach weddings in FL = expensive (at times).

Option 1 – Hilton Clearwater Beach

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Pro: On the beach, great location for guests

Con: Very limited flexibility for timing and menu, prices are high (especially since there was not much wiggle room on choices)

I scrapped this venue and moved on.

Option 2 – Nova 535

Both images from Nova 535

Pro: Decor is limited (it is a blank slate to decorate), modern and sophisticated

Con: Not the beach, tables/chairs/linens would have to be rented

In the end, even if the venue itself didn't cost much to rent, I'd be adding exorbitant costs for everything else. Option 2 - nixed.

Option 3 - Sandpearl Resort

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Pro: On the beach, the hotel is newly renovated (aka BEAUTIFUL), many menu options

Con: Low ceilings in banquet room, room has no windows, very large food/beverage minimum

The manager was nice enough to mention that if I were to book the smaller ballroom at first, and when my wedding date rolls around, if the grand ballroom wasn’t booked, I could automatically be moved into it at no charge. Well, that is nice…but could leave us with some logistical nightmares (how we decorate a small vs. a large room could be vastly different).

I was feeling rather frustrated. My heart wasn’t singing out that this was the place. Mom and I decided that we’d contemplate it…until we found Carlouel...

Carlouel is a private club, so it hadn’t even been on my original list of venues…I was intrigued to check it out! As soon as Mommy Buttons and I took a tour of the venue, I got the feeling that this location would be the perfect one! It is on the beach, it feels cozy inside, and the kitchen allows you to dictate the entire menu (talk about flexibility!). After visiting Carlouel, Mommy Buttons and I suspended our search for the venue...this was it!

Did you struggle to find your venue?