Wedding planning

Just over three months until the wedding. Wow. I'm still blow away by the fact that I'm getting married. The wedding planning is going okay. Shawne (Dave's mother) has been wonderful by offering to search around and help find a church. We seriously considered my sister's beautiful church for two reasons: one, they weren't going to charge us anything (maybe request a donation but that was it. How amazing is that?!) and two: it is an absolutely beautiful church. I loved it. However, it is about two hours away. Much too far for planning your own wedding. If I had a wedding planner and vendors and all that jazz, I might, but my budget just does not cover those.

On that note, I have been looking at websites and blogs and books that claim to help brides on budgets plan their dream weddings without going over budget. However, what they consider to be a "shoe string budget" is typically twice my annual salary. Not exactly what I would call a small, shoe string budget. My mom has encouraged me to write my own book chronicling my adventures in serious budget wedding planning. At first I laughed it off. Me? Write a book? Haha! You're funny. However, I am now seriously considering it. There are so many brides out there who are planning weddings on "nothing budgets" like I am. My wedding dress is costing me very little. I was given a dress (Praise God!) that I am going to have slightly altered to fit me better and make it more "me". The only alteration I am actually paying for will be the addition of a zipper by a friend of the family who is a very good seamstress, the rest, we are doing ourselves. I am probably going to end up making my own veil and I'm making the guy's boutonnieres and probably doing all of the flowers and decorations as well. Lots of work? Yes, it is, but so is marriage. And like marriage, totally worth it.

I keep seeing all these wedding blogs and things of girls so happy that they were able to find their favorite designer dress for only $2,000 on sale!!! Oh. Em. Gee. That's like, so totally over my total wedding budget. Like, totally. (I think I threw up a little in my mouth, I apologize, both for the valley-girl display and of my own reaction) Seriously, though, that's not budget. If you think that is budget, you have another thing coming. That is extravagant. And when you're a bride on a nothing budget, reading things like that is really discouraging. You start thinking, oh no, I can't get a nice wedding dress for under $2000? What about flowers? And decorations? Food? Wedding party gifts? Photographer? Location fees? Officiant fees?

Next thing you know, you've spiraled into a pit of despair and discouragement because you just watched your entire budget go to someone's designer wedding dress or caviar hor d'oeuvres and cocktails (not to mention their caterer's bill, YIKES.)

I've been there, and since I am still not done with my wedding, I'm sure I will be there again. However, I think that will some help (oooh, I get by with a little help from my friends), I could maybe write a nothing budget wedding book.

Thoughts?