My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Wedding Review- Tips from a frugal bride…

I cant even remember how I found this site, but I am thankful I did, because it made me realize I was not alone in the craziness that can become planning a wedding. Thanks for the support given when needed, for the opinions and reviews of prior brides and for making the planning process seem more normal (something people that haven’t planned a wedding cannot understand).

DH and I met almost 10 yrs ago, HS sweet hearts introduced by my best friend. I am in law school, and he is an environmental tech (I am soooooo proud of him). He has always put his dreams of owning his own business, going to school (etc.) to help put me through law school. With over $70k in student loans and parents that we wouldn’t dare ask for $$ (cause they are not of means) for the wedding we decided to do this on our own. Technically we got married 5 yrs ago, at the Queens court house, very simple (we wanted to be married but had no $ for a bigger event.) We’d talk about an actual wedding for a while, and then one day last year he surprised me by telling me he’d save some money. We took that money, some funds my mother gave me as an undergrad graduation present, our tax returns and placed them in an interest bearing account (yielding an additional $1k).

Proposal: (this was a proposal to marry him again). I had seen the ring I wanted and he knew exactly which one it was, after he bought it, he hid it in our house and during our anniversary this yr he took me to the place where he’d asked me 9 yrs earlier to be his girlfriend and asked me to once again marry him. We had already begun the wedding planning but there was never a “proposal” until that day.

Wedding planning:
I began with an unrealistic budget (6k…I know… I know) and 50 people. In the end I ended up with 90 people and $15k (this includes rings and honey moon). I didn’t want to write my review at first, because the hall I got married in is not popular, not in long island (with the in-kids….lol) and my budget was so limited. But after I got and FM a few months back from a bride…wont mention names, it made me realize that there where other brides like me…struggling to have a dream wedding with a budget that became a nightmare.

So here it goes….

I began by buying a crapload of magazines, reading online sites and enlisting my maid of honor to help me figure out how I could have a nice wedding and not owe money. I visited several halls, call a couple dozen more and decided that I could not afford LI halls. I looked around Queens and Brooklyn but places where either too small, too much money, a little outdated, only 4 hr receptions, too far or I’d never heard of them and was scared to fork over money and then get crappy food and crappy service. Right when I was about to sign a contract with Riccardo’s in Astoria (which I liked, but wasn’t too familiar with), my MOH convinced me to check out a couple more places in Ozone Park (La Bella Vita, Villa Russos and one other I cant remember). I’d been to several parties at La Bella and the food and services where always pretty good.
After budgeting, getting a good deal worked out and thinking it over we went with La Bella (we knew them and felt more comfortable with them). Not as fancy as I’d like…but on the day of I was greatly surprised by the transformation of the room.

**** don’t be afraid to haggle, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want (you are paying). Shop around, and give people a chance to show you if their price reflects their work (cheap price isn’t always a bad thing, it will not always equal cheap work).******

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Invites and Save the Dates: A
I found her through this site. Someone else had used her, but I cant remember the brides name. It’s a small company owned by Kristen. I worked with her for over 6 months via email designing my STD and Invites. Loved her work, her price was great and she was very patient. (www.simplydesignedinvites.com). She did a few errors but nothing major, she fixed most of them. There are some pics of the samples in my albums


Favors, place card and cake topper: online vendor Blue Rainbow Design. A
Fast shipping, and cheapest around. Cake topper was kissing couple, favor was Love coasters, I added pink ribbon to make it cutter

Miscellaneous: Michaels & AC Moore A
Candles, ribbon for favors, LOVE letters, paint for Love letters, picture frames for table numbers and engagement pictures. I used coupons and was able to save, there isn’t much to say that people don’t already know about them.

Hair: Isabel at Miriam’s Hair Salon in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. A++++++++
She’s been doing my hair for a couple of years, she does great work and did a free trial. My hair looked fabulous and lasted all night. I got home at 2am and it was still looking neat and in place.

Makeup A+
Mac Products but done by MOH…she did all our makeup (MOB, MOH, Bridesmaids and bride) ..We had a trial at Mac, but I dint not like how the makeyup artist did it, it didn’t look like me. I decided to ask MOH, who left me looking radian, and best of all, I looked like myself. We ran 1 hr late but we looked great and it lasted all night

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Photographer & Video: Hybrid Media Productions (HMP)- www.bridesnyc.com
Also note that all the pics here are taken by Elena (she gave me all my pics...all I mean all 2000+)
Before:A+
After: A+++++ for photo (e pics, wedding pics, trash the dress)
Vide: pending

Back when I began planning I had hired a woman who was just beginning as a photog to do my wedding pics, I didn’t want to spend too much (didn’t have too much). By pure luck I found Hybrid Media and one of the owner’s Elena Baute (also known as Elena Henry). I canceled my old contract and signed with Hybrid and Elena.
Elena is awesome…did I say awesome….!!! She has been patient through my many times of canceling my e-pic appointment (we ended up doing them the Monday before the wedding), choosing a package- she worked a great price for me for exactly what I needed and threw in a few things….She also brought in an assistant and did a day after/trash the dress shoot a few weeks later.
She is genuine, talented and great to work with. I’ve gotten my wedding and e pics already…but wont get the video for a more weeks. …her partner and husband is great, friendly…on top of shooting important stuff and their sample work was great…I will hold his grading until I receive my final product (although I know I have nothing to worry about, they showed me so many samples during our first meeting that I trust it will be great)...I'll update it when I get it.

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Ceremony: El Salvador Pentecostal Church (no rating cause they are our church, but if I had to A++++++)
This is the church my husband grew up in. It is a Christian church, Although I shouldn’t give him a grade Pastor Carrion gets a A++++++++ he was so open, even with the fact that I was raised catholic, and explained things to me that I was unafamiliar with. Many of my guest (including my mom who alsmost had a heart attack when she found out I wasnt marrying in a Catholict Church) said that his was the most beautiful wedding service they had ever seen.
Additonally, a lovely lady from the Church offered to do my décor, simple and elegant so I dint have to worry about it.

Reception:
La Bella Vita
Pre Planning B+
I got a great deal but I felt like every time I called, the Banquet manager talked to me as if I was bothering him.

Day Of A-
Everything was (almost) perfect, except that I paid additional money to have an ice cream bar but nothing ever came out (I didn’t realize it till after the wedding.) when I told them about it they said I should have told them when to bring it out.
Right…like in the middle of me dancing or doing a toast I was gonna remember that
The banquet manager offered to make it up by having DH, myself and 5 people come and eat dinner for free (not free cause it pays off what I paid). Although I’d much rather have $$$ back, it allowed me to enjoy the food, which I didn’t on that day. Also, not all the tables got coffee with the cake…My guests are raving about the food and service (aside from already mentioned issue).

Limo & Tuxes: Tuxedo King and Limo, Queens office A-
Wow they were a surprise. The quality of the tux is not the best, but what can you expect for a rented tux (that’s why they get a minus). However, the service was great, FH tux fit weird and they worked with us until he was happy. Also they gave us a discount for the limo; we originally rented a Chrysler 300; but to my surprise a Porsche Cayenne shows up at my door (they upgraded us for free). The driver was friendly and drove fast and safe, got us to the different drop points right on time.

DJ- DJ360 (part of DJ Kings from 97.9 La Mega)- he is a dear friend of the family who my husband and I have known since we were 12 yrs old. He gave us a deal that generally goes for over $1500 for free!!! it included lights, giveaways etc. He only DJ's at clubs but used to do weddings, and offered this as his present to us! He gets an A+++++++++++++

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Flowers: D’Rosas Flower Shop (Rose of Sharon), Cypress Hills Brooklyn
A- for planning
We met a few times and I changed the package I wanted more than once, she was patient, and even made me a free sample (perhaps because she knows my mother). Her sample was ok in my opinion, but DH loved it and he asked that we hire her. I was very worried that the day of she’d screw up my flowers…but OMG was she awesome…

A+++++++++++++++ Day of.
I picked up the BP flowers because it was a few blocks from my hair salon, so I’d figure I might as well. When I arrived my flowers looked just like I’d wanted them to, she’d begun working on the centerpieces and they were gorgeous. The flowers where fresh, ready on time and exactly the colors I wanted. She is not a major vendor, but if you are looking for a bargain and great work, give her a chance. You wont regret it.


Wedding dress & Brides Maid Dress- David’s Bridal in Long Island City Queens
B+ for brides maids and MOB shopping experience
A for bride’s shopping experience

A for alterations
The bridesmaids shopping experience was ok, they had time to try on many dresses, and out girl was nice, except she kept trying to push them to buy bigger sizes than needed, perhaps because they wanted to make sure that alterations were needed.

This was the first store I visited, I tried on a bunch of dresses, but kept coming back to the one I bought. I loved it and the price had gone from over $700 to a ridiculously low $250!!!!!! I bought it and love it! I had to exchange it cause it fit me big, and I lost a lot of weight (22 lbs!).

Alterations came out great, they were on time and even when we had a few issues, they were fixed right away.

Cake: El Mana Bakery (Cypress Hills Brooklyn) A-
DH’s input in the wedding was limited, he asked that I let him choose the cake and to have an opinion in the decoration of the RH (flowers, etc). He wanted a tres leches cake and would not budge.
We began a journey of looking for the best tres leches in Brooklyn, we began at El Mana and after visiting about 5 other places came back here. My mother has bough all our B-day cakes from here and always tres leches.
The decoration came out pretty good, not exactly as the picture I took them, but they where on time, and the cake tasted so fresh…people are still raving about it.
The cake was $250 for 100 people, but it was a present from DH's mom's best friend.

Honeymoon-
American Airline- A
Riu Negril:A
Jamaica Tours: A
Like I mentioned before I am in school, and for reasons of scheduling we took our honeymoon pre-wedding. We went to Negril Jamaica for a week. We flew AA and stayed at the Riu Negril. The service was good, not great (we’ve stayed at other Rius, other all inclusive and other 4 star hotels where the service was better). The food was good, the beach was great and the drinks plentiful. We took 2 tours, one to Ricks Café and one to Dunns River Falls/Black river, both with Jamaica Tours.


Last but not least some advise: be patient, not just with the planning but with your FH, this can get stressful and you must keep in perspective that its about you and him, and not the wedding itself. Its about being married and not having a wedding…know the difference.
Many things will go wrong before and on that day- stay calm. About a month before the wedding, DH's dad had a massive heart attack and almost died, thank the Lord, he is better now. Two weeks before the wedding my mother got mugged and had to be taken to the hospital, she was all bruised up but not seriously hurt. The day of the wedding I ran 1 hr late, and my mother got lost getting to the reception hall, the CD with the song I was gonna dance with my grandfather got stuck (but later was fixed)...things will go wrong...expect them to...but dont let that ruin your-and your husband's day!!!

Research a lot, know what you want, how much you have, how much are you willing to compromise and go from there. I accomplished what I wanted…a great wedding...for a great price.

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Rings-
E ring and Grooms wedding band- Kay Jewlers A- shopping was easy and got it on sale!
Brides wedding Band- Macys A (pink saphire and diamond band)- fell in love with the ring and it was pink!!!

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

These are our e-pics

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

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Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Congrats! Great pics!

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Love your trash the dress shoot!!!!!!!!! And I agree you can have a wedding on a budget!!!!!!!!!

Congrats

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

I tried to post more pics...but they are too large...how do I do it?

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

gr8 review!!! and there is nothing wrong with being a bride on a budget!

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

What an awesome review!! You looked beautiful! Congrats on the great wedding! And I'm going to go check out the invite website now!

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Congrats!! You looked amazing!! The day after shots are gorgeous!!!

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Gorgeous, your story is very touching. I think it is wonderful how you and you Dh started out. Its so nice to see you can have the wedding of your dreams and not go into debt for the next 10 years. Congrats.

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Loved the review! Congrats!

Re: My wonderfully pink and green- LOVE filled-budget friendly wedding

Great review! You looked beautiful!