Our date is reserved and things are starting to feel very real now! Subject to a few details, we really feel like we are making good progress at the moment. Did I mention? WE ARE GETTING MARRIED!!  We visited the venue once more with my dad and sister who were more than happy with our choice. Dad’s only concern was the price of a pint (!) Glad to know he has his priorities right… Although this made us laugh, it did remind us to look at the bar prices in the evening as we were planning on a cash bar, and didn’t want our guests to break the bank in order to have a few whilst they dance all night. Although they are expensive (£5.50 for a single spirit and mixer) I have been told this is around average for a wedding reception bar. It sounds silly but don’t forget to check these details; I have heard of some guests having to pay over £9 for a small glass of white wine at another venue. Ouch!

On the subject of money; although our budget is healthy I am a big D-I-Y fan and thoroughly enjoy a project. We will spend good money on our priorities, and make up for it in other areas not so important to us. You may think I’m crazy, but this has lead to me making a few cheeky purchases already! Deals too good to be missed obviously…

This gold metal birdcage tealight  holder is currently on sale for just £1.93 at Homebase.(They are a discontinued line, hence the price.) I knew this matched our vision perfectly in a country-chic kind of way, and I couldn’t miss such a deal. I’m thinking they may work as part of the table decorations, or they may line the patio outside at night.

We weren’t originally intending to do favours for our guests, we felt this was a tradition we didn’t need to keep. They tend to get left behind or discarded quickly anyway! However, another deal too good to miss suggested maybe we should do favours after all to enhance the place settings and thank everybody for coming. These gorgeous laser cut butterfly favour boxes were on sale in Hobbycraft from £6.99 for a pack of 20 down to £3.99. (Buy online here as in store they are back up to full price!) We will then fill them with Love Hearts or similar.

Fancy getting your fingers mucky? Paper Mache is a great way to transform ordinary boring items into a work of art. We are thinking of getting some large cardboard letters, possibly ‘A’ ‘&’ ‘D’ to then cover in floral paper, and put on the window ledge above the top table, or even on the card table. The possibilities here are endless; you could spell ‘Thankyou’ in preparation for your thank you cards, you could just hold a heart up, or use just the ‘&’ sign and have your photographer capture you and your husband in the background and the sign in the foreground.  For only a few pounds you can transform a table or blank space, or create a stunning image.

It may sound silly that we have purchased these items or at least have these projects in mind already, but we do have a clear vision of the overall feel of our wedding, and we do have a strong idea of where it is we will be getting married. It is part excitement, and part bargain spotting! Why wait and pay full price in the future? I have also bought my shoes already, discontinued vintage inspired shoes from £170 down to £20 with only my size remaining. Having bought my ‘day’ shoes at such a fantastic price, it is only reasonable I continue to look out for those Jimmy Choos on offer for the evening…

Until next time,

Acacia X

Images courtesy of:

http://ruffledblog.com
http://emmalinebride.com/tags/paper-mache