QOTD | 9.25.13

You guys had great responses yesterday, I loved hearing everyone's little personal touches for their big day!

Right now, my current assignment is invitations and all other paper items involved in the wedding, which leads me to my next question!

First, give me the one thing that you know you HAVE to spend money on for the wedding, but it absolutely kills you.

Next, and much more fun, what is one thing that you know is ridiculous and completely frivolous but you just couldn't resist?

For me, it KILLS me to have to set money aside to tip vendors. I can get behind tipping servers or delivery people, but when it comes to tipping my photographer, my banquet manager, my florist, it drives me CRAZY. I don't understand tipping people who I am already paying plenty of money to to not just do their job, but their career!

Now for the good part (so much easier to come up with this part!)! There were many frivolous ventures, however the place where I really went big or went home was photography and videography. Our grand total for both was wayyyy up there. Yes, it's a lot, but I figure if there's just one area that you go all out on, it's on the one part of the wedding that'll last a lifetime! It's my biggest expense (after the venue), but I'm so psyched about it, no regrets!

Can't wait to hear you gripe about the required expenses, but gush about your favorite splurges!

Required expenses? That would definitely be invitation related. Although I'm not willing to do cheap ugly ones, I also know that once the wedding is over, those go in the trash... so that hurts a bit!

Frivolous? I suppose some people would think my 9 piece live band is just that... but I think they will be worth every single penny. I've always wanted a live band at my wedding- FH and I are both musicians in our own way and knew it was one thing we wouldn't settle on. Now did we get a 12,000 band? no way in hell... but we are very happy with our decision :)

There's nothing I have to pay for that is killing me. I knew what went into weddings going in.
I guess the one frivolous thing is a photobooth. I don't need it but I want it.

i agree with FutureMap. Invitations are so overpriced yet I refuse to do cheap ones. I need a formal invite but it kills me that it is literally money in the garbage! I also agree that tipping every vendor is crazy! Its not the tip itself that bothers me its just the grand total of the tips that kill me.

frivolous? I feel like its all my extras that aren't a 'necessity' but I wanted to have.

Definitly the invitations!! I am trying to keep that cost down as much as possible by having a dear friend of mine help me.. I hate that I have to pay for the all that paper and postage just for it to end up in the garbage!! I really wish we were getting married in a time where Evite was a acceptible way of inviting people to a wedding LMAO(we know it will come to that eventually right?)

The one thing we splurged a little on was DJ/photobooth. We probably could have shopped around but honestly I went to weddings and communions that my DJ was working and he really does make a party so I did not want anyone else.. Plus he does all FH's family parties so FH baically told me the one thing he had to have was this DJ! LOL.. We really want all of our guests up shaking thier booties adn having a good time and we know he will do it!!

It kills me to spend money on anything! Haha I'm so crazy with budget but Invitations for sure were something I was not willing to budge on AT ALL. Not only am I not doing a formal wedding (so fancy formal invites not needed) but to spend sooo much money on a piece of paper that gets thrown out kills me! But Its hard because I do love pretty paper and paper crafts so I have put a lot of time and effort into all my paper stuff just not a lot of money lol.
The biggest expense now that I think we have is the Honeymoon, we weren't going to go over the top, but we've stayed on budget so well we have some wiggle room, and hey It's a once in a lifetime thing so we decided to upgrade a little.

I'll keep going with the invitation trend... Im not so upset at how much they are costing. I am DIYing using cardsandpockets.com and I am actually really excited about them. HOWEVER, what gets me really angry is paying for stamps. I despise that they cost more for weird shapes and sizes. On top of the invite, there is the RSVP envelope to stamp as well. SOO annoying.

The thing I wouldn't really budge on was the reception hall and wedding date. I suppose that doesnt fall into the frivolous category you described but I definitely could have saved major $$ if I had kept looking. I was so set on having a Saturday evening in July bc FH and I would be working in schools. Little did I know we would move to NC where they have year round schools and the first day of school is the Monday before my wedding. Either way, I knew I was not budging on amount/quality of food or the look of the place.

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Posted by Kroedel87

You guys had great responses yesterday, I loved hearing everyone's little personal touches for their big day!

Right now, my current assignment is invitations and all other paper items involved in the wedding, which leads me to my next question!

First, give me the one thing that you know you HAVE to spend money on for the wedding, but it absolutely kills you.

Next, and much more fun, what is one thing that you know is ridiculous and completely frivolous but you just couldn't resist?

For me, it KILLS me to have to set money aside to tip vendors. I can get behind tipping servers or delivery people, but when it comes to tipping my photographer, my banquet manager, my florist, it drives me CRAZY. I don't understand tipping people who I am already paying plenty of money to to not just do their job, but their career!

Now for the good part (so much easier to come up with this part!)! There were many frivolous ventures, however the place where I really went big or went home was photography and videography. Our grand total for both was wayyyy up there. Yes, it's a lot, but I figure if there's just one area that you go all out on, it's on the one part of the wedding that'll last a lifetime! It's my biggest expense (after the venue), but I'm so psyched about it, no regrets!

Can't wait to hear you gripe about the required expenses, but gush about your favorite splurges!

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The Tipping kills me also!!.. PAINS MEEEEEEEEEE

I loved spending money on the dress and shoes :) and all the gifts for our bridal party

Something I have to spend money on but it kills me....great question....the DJ package we got was really pricey and over our budget but we wanted the works so we just went for it.

I agree on all the tipping. I have no problem tipping certain vendors but there are some tips that just seem unnecessary. Can I get a tip for waking up this morning? Lol

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Posted by ladygoodman

There's nothing I have to pay for that is killing me. I knew what went into weddings going in.
I guess the one frivolous thing is a photobooth. I don't need it but I want it.

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I know what you mean. I knew it was going to be a lot going into it especially because of the size of the wedding. I think I subconsciously mentally prepared myself the minute we got serious! He comes from a big Italian family.

Good question. I knew things were going to be expensive and I had a general idea of the cost EXCEPT FOR invitations. I have expensive taste with the invites, I want thermography or letterpress, hand calligraphy envelopes, the whole nine yards but I had no idea how much it would be per invite. To me the invites are so important though because I do think they set the tone for the affair.

One splurge that I think will be worth it is the boudoir shoot for FH. I went with a photographer that was a little more expensive than others but I fell in love with the style of her work, it is a little less sexy and more artsy which I love and which makes me more comfortable with it.

like everyone else invitations are killing me the ones I love come to about $10 each, which i do not seem to think is terrible, but my mother thinks it's insane and since she is paying I have to zip it!! I refuse to have some basic white boring invitation that is not who I am. We splurged on Photo / video, that is so important to me and the DJ we went with the most expensive one but I know I will have nothing to worry about day of.
Tipping is so annoying, I understand it for service workers but really Mr. DJ, you get paid to do your job like I do and no one tips me!!

One THOUSAND percent agree about tipping AND invitations. It might literally kill me, lol.

So far we haven't really planned much (I have time, right?! lol) so we haven't really splurged much. I do plan on having a photobooth, it's probably not necessary but I waaannntttt it!! So, I'm gonna have it!

Omg, almost immediately after I posted this and reading everyone's posts about the cost of invitations, postage, etc. I get this email from CNN Breaking News:

U.S. Postal Service to raise price of stamps by three cents, to 49 cents

I'm with everyone else....invitations are ridiculous. I absolutely will not go cheap but I don't want to spend too much on them.

I splurged on my dress. The accessories where a lot more than I originally thought :)

Invitations too I mean it is paper and it's almost or more than the cost of my really important vendors. Yeah I will keep one and turn it into a shadow box but everyone else will just throw them away which yeah totally kills me. I can get behind tipping but it's the amount of people you have to tip that get's me like I have to save an addition several thousand just to make sure everyone gets tips.

I splurged on my toasting glasses they cost $169 and are real crystal and everyone thinks it is way to expensive for toasting glasses but fh and I love them. We are also splurging on a photo booth.

What do I not hate spending money on at this point!? I guess the one expense that bothers me the most is the limos. It's such a rip-off for someone to drive myself and my friends around for a half hour. I just don't understand why it's so $$$.


And don't even get me started on tipping.