Charm City Budget Bride

Boutonniere tutorial

2009-03-01T18:42:00.015-05:00

I found these little paper flowers in the bridal section at Michaels, they match my colors perfectly, so I though I would give boutonniere making a shot. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. The entire cost for 8 bouts.....10.00!!!!!! You can't beat that :)

Supplies:

Paper flowers, or any other type of flower that you want to use.

Floral tape

Floral wire, I used what I had on hand and it is 26 guage.

Wire clippers

Buttons (I used 3 of various sizes)

Leaves, you can use whatever comes with the flowers or you can also purchase the silk leaves specifically made for boutinnieres at Michaels as well. I ran out of those, so just used what I had on hand.

Step 1: Cut a piece of wire about 6 inches in length, it doesn't have to be exact, you will trim this later.

Step 2: Thread the wire through one hole in the buttons, cross over the top of the buttons and thread the wire back down.

Step 3: Pull the wire tight and twist, I held the ends in my left hand and just twisted the buttons.

Step 4: Trim the button stem to about 2-3 inches, you will end up with something like this:

Step 5: Arrange your flowers and leaves in whatever fashion you have chosen:

Side view:

Step 6: Add your button or other accent stem:

Step 7: Twist the stems around each other:

Step 8: Cut a piece of floral tape about 8 inches or so in length and start at the top of the stems, twist the tape around the stems.

Step 9: Continue wrapping tape firmly around stems.

Step 10: Smooth the tape down and twist the end into a little swirl.

And........viola!!!!!! A bona fide boutonniere!!!!!!!!

We booked our honeymoon!!!!!

2009-02-18T12:53:00.008-05:00

With things being so bad in the economy right now, we didn't want to spend a whole ton of money on a honeymoon (or the wedding for that matter), but still wanted something nice so we decided to choose a location in the states. I really wanted to go to Italy, but we are going to save that trip for another time when the exchange rate isn't so bad.

Where are we going, you ask? Well.........here is a hint:

Yes, thats right, we chose the world's corniest honeymoon location ever....Niagara Falls, but I must say I'm kind of excited about it. Neither of us have ever been there, and there looks like there will be a ton to do. Its not within the states, but almost :) and the exchange rate is actually in our favor, woohoo!!!!

We are going to be staying here. This is also a new experience for both of us, we have never stayed in a bed and breakfast, hopefully we will enjoy it and it won't be a waste of our money.

Here are some pics of the place:

We are staying in the last room, its a suite with a living area and fireplace, and a sunken claw foot tub......I can't wait!!!!!

Have any of you ever been to Niagara Falls? Is there any particular place or thing that we should do? It looks like there are tons of options for people of all ages.

Budget-friendly venues in Maryland

2009-01-28T16:15:00.021-05:00

In the quest for a venue in our area I found some beautiful places that just didn't fit our theme/rustic vibe for our wedding. Some of these are amazingly affordable, and most have facilities for the wedding and the reception. I hope this helps some of the brides out there who feel like pulling out their hair in the search for the perfect venue!

Linganore Winery in Mt Airy Maryland. Majestically nestled on 230 acres of rolling countryside surrounded by acres of vineyards. Linganore Winecellars welcomes you to experience the art of winemaking so close to home yet a world apart. Enjoy a guided tour of the winery and taste our extensive line of award winning wines. Since 1976 we have been known for exceptional wines and fun times.

This was our first place to visit and I fell in love! It is incredible, but in the end, it was a little larger then we needed. Rental rates are reasonable, chairs and tables are free and you receive 10% your wine purchase for the wedding.

I can't find the current rental rates on the website, but in October when looked at it, the Abisso Banquet Hall was around 1500.00 for 7 hours.

Liriodendron Mansion in Bel Air, Harford County Maryland is absolutely exquisite, its a 1898 historic summer home for John Hopkins Founder, Dr.Howard Kelly. It has areas for your ceremony and reception both indoors and out. Beautiful staircase and fireplace indoors. Rental rates start as low as 600.00 (for a weekday, off-season event) and the highest rate is 2000.00. They also have chairs and tables available to rent.

Riversdale House Museum, Riversdale Park, Maryland

Riversdale, a National Historic Landmark, is a restored, five-part, stucco-covered brick plantation home built between 1801 and 1807. Construction of this elegant manor house was begun by Henri Stier, a Flemish aristocrat, and was completed by his daughter Rosalie and her husband George Calvert, grandson of the fifth Lord Baltimore. The Federal style mansion has particularly fine interior decorative detail.

Saturday rates: 1150 for 7 hours.

2009-01-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

Wedding giveaway!

2009-01-28T15:41:00.005-05:00

Here is an awesome wedding giveaway for those couples who don't mind something out of the ordinary!

The Style Network is going BIG to celebrate the 100th episode of Whose Wedding is it Anyway? We are searching for one lucky couple who is ready for the adventure of a lifetime, all while planning their wedding -- and getting married!

We are looking for a couple to go on a wild ride with one of our featured Whose Wedding planners as we give them the most unforgettable wedding. This experience is for the couple who doesn't want anything ordinary....but an EXTRAORDINARY wedding of their dreams!

Please send your contact info, love story and photos to WhoseWedding100@trueentertainment.net

All participants must be 21 years of age or older and available in early March 2009.

The deadline to apply is February 16, 2009.

Good Luck!!!!

ModCloth

2009-01-20T09:04:00.008-05:00

Thanks to the lovely vintageglam blog, I stumbled upon this awesome website, ModCloth. They are a vintage inspired clothing, shoes, accessories and home products, all from independant designers. They are giving away one item up to 80.00, you can check out their website for details. Here are some of my faves: There stuff is adorable, and at a wide range of prices very affordable. So what are you waiting for? Go check them out!

Happy New Year!!!! (I know, I know, I'm a little late)

2009-01-06T11:35:00.010-05:00

Hopefully, everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season, I know that I did, but I am glad to be back to normal. I started off the year full of wedding ideas and plans.

So far, I have the following things done/decided:
Dress
Shoes
Cake
Invitations bought, we are going to print them ourselves
Save the dates designed and ordered from Vistaprint
Venue
DJ
Photographer
Flowers.....DIY'ing

Need to do the following:
Find an officiant
Men's attire, decide and order
ceremony musician
chair rental for ceremony
decide on food
linens

And a whole host of other items that I can't think of at the moment :)

I will leave you with some of my favorite wedding images.....I tried to credit the photographers, but did not have all of the information. If these are your images please let me know and I will post your information.

Freckles Photography by Alison Harbaugh

The list...Not wedding related

2008-12-09T16:24:00.002-05:00

I know, I have been very lazy when it comes to blogging lately, just a lot going on. So, I'm going to continue to be lazy today and post this:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Italize out any items that you would never consider eating.

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I’ve had alligator so I think that counts)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom Tomatoes-
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder in Soudough Bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects-covered in chocolate!
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin-I ate this without knowing!
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu-not yet but will in 2010
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Birds, birds, birds......

2008-11-20T16:17:00.002-05:00

I love the quirky little birds that I am seeing everywhere, they are so adorable! Anyway, I was on one of the most awesome blogs ever idiy.com and I found this wonderful calendar for 2009. They are from the UK designer mibo , sign up for their newsletters and they will send you a PDF file of the calendar. Each month features a different bird that you can print out. Would be a great xmas gift for those of us on a budget!

I was chosen!!!!!

2008-11-17T23:50:00.002-05:00

I am excited to anounce that I am one of the lucky 10 bride to be's who will be blogging on the website weddingchicks.com and can't wait to get started. Come by and check out the awesome website!

Lace and frills and pretty little things.....

2008-11-06T11:17:00.005-05:00

I was a prissy little girl as my father often reminds me :) Completely in love with anything girly, lacey and frilly. The parasols still call out to me everytime I see one.....They are sooooo pretty, but I can't really justify spending the money on one for the wedding, it probably wouldn't get used and would make me the laughingstock of The Man and his Boys. On the other hand....maybe I'll buy one and hang it in our living room, hehe. All parasols are courtesy of the awesome website lace-parasols.com. The prices are really reasonable and they have a variety of different items for sale. Hope you enjoy!

So many choices!

2008-11-04T23:41:00.009-05:00

One of the things that I have not focused too much on is the wedding cake, a friend of ours has offered to make our cake and I know it will be beautiful. Here are some pics of cakes that I have saved over the past few months

Really cool!

2008-10-31T16:07:00.007-04:00

Saw this on peoniesandpolaroids blog today and it is so much fun! Here are the instructions:

You type your answers to the questions below into Flickr's search engine and choose a picture from the first page of results to make an image board with. Copy the urls into mosaic maker and voilà, an instant blog post with very little thinking required!

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you?
12. Your Flickr name?

My responses
1. So what girls name is a purple flower? The tree is just a bonus. Ok, won't make you wonder, its Heather :)
2. Mexican....every day if I could....no good mexican food on the east coast :(
3. No pics come up for my HS, so using the letter jacket....Go Bluejays!
4. I love this picture....I want to crawl into it.....Main color btw is my favorite (orange) This changes on a yearly basis it seems.
5. Josh Holloway aka Sawyer on the tv show LOST. Wow!
6. Apple martini, mmmmmmm......Could use one about now.
7. A tour of France has been my lifelong dream, sigh......Maybe some day......
8. Cupcakes! I love them....This is one done for a wedding.....Would love to know how to create something so beautiful!
9. If I could do it all over again I would be a photographer and travel the world taking awesome pictures. Of course, I don't have the funds for that, but a girl can dream right?
10. Not monkeys, silly....My family who at times act like a bunch of monkeys
11. Today, the word is.....melancholy......Could it have something to do with the snow flurries outside and the early xmas music on the radio? And the fact that I miss my Mom? Yeah, I think so.
12. I couldn't find the exact name, so the little nurses will have to do......I didn't want a pic of some slutty girl with my name in a nurses costume!

Links:

1. What is your first name?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9083222@N03/2787951214/
2. What is your favorite food?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guccibear2005/190436550/
3. What high school did you attend?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sgfsoccer/56763439/
4. What is your favorite color?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jup3nep/2392346841/
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21819941@N00/160461473/
6. Favorite drink?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorrainemd/29787629/
7. Dream vacation?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51661271@N00/2197813930/
8. Favorite dessert?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lecupcake/168314987/
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/h19/2242625461/
10. What do you love most in life?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/floridapfe/2140013039/
11. One word to describe you?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/punture/384649000/
12. Your Flickr name?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockymountainroz/2399433294/

I love my hubbie to be! Look what he made me....

2008-10-23T09:06:00.001-04:00

Cute budget-friendly options

2008-10-23T08:35:00.007-04:00

Non-conflict diamonds

2008-10-17T11:48:00.003-04:00

This is a really neat website if like so many others you are concerned about where your diamond is coming from. If anyone has ever watched the movie Blood Diamond you will know what I'm talking about, that movie really opens your eyes to people's misfortunes in other parts of the world. This website donates 5% of their money to Africa, to help stop the devastating civil wars, and the destruction of the environment. The demand for these beautiful stones aides to the funding for these wars to continue and destroy lives. You can check out the website here.

First inspiration board!

2008-10-15T17:42:00.003-04:00

Today, October 15th, is Blog Action Day

2008-10-15T14:16:00.002-04:00

Join fellow bloggers from around the world and write about poverty in some way, shape or form. I know, its not wedding related, but its a neat idea and I am proud to be a part of it. Will post more later.

Free giveaway!!!!!

2008-10-13T11:45:00.007-04:00

Not really bride related, but these t-shirts are soooo cute! Whether you are a mom or if you want to try to win one for your mom, everyone will love these shirts from Promom couture. Sign up to win your choice of cute, unique t-shirts. Contest ends October 17, 2008. Good luck! The one pictured is my favorite :)

Target clearance wedding items

2008-10-13T10:36:00.002-04:00

Those of you who are DIY'ing your invites, Target has several of their invitation sets on sale for 50% off. I saw some as low as 12.00. They come in a box of 50 which includes the invitation, envelopes and response card. They even have the ones that look like letterpress which is nice for those on a budget! I also saw Save-the-dates for 4.98, and little gifts for your bridesmaids and attendants. Here are some of the selections, but it looks like most of the clearance prices were in the store. Have a great week everybody!

Awesome centerpice ideas!

2008-10-10T11:12:00.004-04:00

These are a bit too fancy for our wedding plans but the glamour girl in me sure does love them! Check out the directions and tutorial here.

A heavy heart

2008-10-07T22:56:00.002-04:00

This is what I feel when I read this incredibly sad and sobering story of vestine. I hope that anyone who reads her story will take a minute to reflect on how incredibly lucky and blessed we are.

Free handbags giveaway on handbag planet!

2008-10-07T18:30:00.004-04:00

Who can't use an awesome new bag for fall? I can't resist this giveaway, sign up on handbag planet for their 24 hr contest. It starts on 10/15/08 and one bag is given away each hour, check it out!

http://www.handbagplanet.com/

I chose this one:

Venue found, woo hoo!

2008-10-07T18:01:00.003-04:00

Yay!!!!!! We finally found something beautiful but affordable. The Man and I went and looked at it Saturday and I went back yesterday to get pictures and information. Its a beautiful park in the middle of the woods that open out to a view of the bay, so awesome! So many picture oppurtunities, I can't wait. They have a garden area for the wedding and a room that you can rent for the reception, nothing fancy but it does have a view of the water or you can rent a pavilion. We haven't decided which one we will do yet since we are a little concerned about October weather, but either way it is very cheap. The only downfall is no alcohol is allowed since it is a county park, but we are going to come up with some cool non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy. Will post pics soon.

2008-09-27T14:22:00.003-04:00

Look at these adorable completely unique flowers from Princess Lasertron's blog, she makes these to order for brides. I love them, so cute and a great way to be able to keep your bouquet! I just found her blog this week and am loving it already!

rainy days

2008-09-27T13:45:00.013-04:00

Barn inside loft

Barn outside area

Ouside of reception area at park

Garden/park area

Inside view of winery

It is pouring cats and dogs outside, so I thought the best way to spend the afternoon is doing more wedding research, woo hoo! DF is taking a computer class so he isn't around to fuss at me about being on the computer yet again :) I have finally narrowed down the possible venue choices to these three:

#1. Winery....Unique, beautiful space, went to check it out a couple of weeks ago. Fairly inexpensive, but a little on the high side for our budget, plus they charge you 500 more to have the ceremony there as well which would bring the total to 2000.00 before food. I love this place, but am beginning to think we might have to do something cheaper. It includes chairs and tables for reception but not ceremony.

#2. Local park/garden area with banquet hall. I have not wanted a "banquet hall" feel for our wedding from the get go, but this place looks like it could be very nice. It has a waterview of the bay and it also has a beautiful garden area for the ceremony. My other concern is that our wedding is in October, and I'm not sure about weather, you can move the ceremony inside if needed but it wouldn't be nearly as pretty. The other downside is no alcohol allowed as it is owned by the county, ughhhh. Not that all of the guests are big drinkers, but I would at least like to have the option. The best part of all is the fact that for ceremony and reception the total price is only 800.00 AND that is for 8 hrs. Includes all tables and chairs.

#3. A reconstructed/restored barn with outside garden area, no charge to use the garden area for ceremony. Includes all tables and chairs. Has a huge kitchen and allows self-catering. The pics available on their website are ok, but we want to go check it out first. Only 700.00 for 8 hrs.

What are your thoughts?

Shoes to die for

2008-09-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

The elusive unique budget-friendly venue

2008-09-25T11:05:00.005-04:00

Does such a thing exist in this city? I am beginning to think that it does not. So many options have been found, reviewed, received a quote and viola! no, they won't work, too expensive honey, arghhhhhhhhhh! All I want is one beautiful, classy, inexpensive venue, is that too much to ask???? Ok, my rant is over now.

My ideal wedding location

http://www.thorpewood.org/meetings/weddings.html#

Sigh, oh well, maybe in another life.