So you want six wedding dresses...

I don't know about you, but I have a serious problem with wedding reality shows.  I spend most Sunday and Monday nights indulging in these awesomely horrible shows and usually end up with a sinking stomach and anxiety when they are over.  I spend the whole time making notes in my head. "Oh, so people really do notice what type of chairs they are sitting on." "I must have gourmet food or else my guests won't be happy." "Should I buy another wedding dress." (<---that thought was after the Bridezilla Finale when one of the brides had SIX, yes six, wedding gowns.) And then I see these brides budgets.  "Theresa is having a DIY wedding for150 guests.  Her budget is $30,000!"  Then my head begins spinning. Wendell starts going into convulsions.  And we are wedding zombies for the rest of the night.  The thought of spending $30,000 for one day boggles my mind and I strain to figure out what I could possibly have to buy that would all equal up to that amount of money.  I start to hear echos of all the price quotes I have received, I tally up the money we have already spent, and I say,"damnit, there goes my $5,000 budget."  This brings me to the DO'S and DON'T to staying on your wedding budget.  In this post I will tell about rule numéro un and deux.

(1) Your venue sets your budget. 

Say that over and over in your head.  Your venue sets your budget.  And I shall tell you why.  ;)

Wendell and I are having our wedding at a venue that is 15 years shy of being 100 years old.  The building reflects Greek, Roman, and Byzantine architecture.  The main chandelier a.k.a. "The Duchess" is two tons of Marie Therese cut Czechoslovakian crystal, bronze, and awesomeness. And every single bit of the reception area is a replica of either the Palace of Versailles or the Arc de Triomphe.  The ceilings have engravings of picture interpretations of the Greek gods.  Absolutely everything is drowning in gold and just screams, "Holy crap. This is beautiful."  The place is more of an experience than a venue.  It's breath taking.  And after leaving the place high on happiness...I pretty much got punched in the face with the idea of how in the hell am I going to decorate.  I graced plenty of DIY wedding websites and I am sorry but I can't just stick some fresh wildflowers in a Balls jar and call it a centerpiece when they are going to be on tables in a theater that cost $2 million dollars to build in 1926!! If you are spending a few bucks on your venue...pretty much everything else you are going to buy will be more that expected.  Buying all those antique goblets and trinkets wasn't exactly cheap.  Cheaper than going to a florist, but not the most penny pinching wedding decor. So when it comes time to your venue hunting, really make sure that you can afford the place as a whole package.  This is not to say that every ritzy place will be not affordable, I'm just saying that the decorating, the outfits, the dining ware might have to be upgraded a bit so that the place doesn't feel awkward or mismatched.  If that's your thang than be my guest, but it isn't mine.  Wendell and I walked into The Rialto with a budget of $5,000 for the whole wedding. We walked out with that budget already spent.  We still have catering, the DJ, the videographer, the photographer, bridal party outfits, rental items, centerpieces, wedding gifts, honeymoon, invitations, and miscellaneous items that are necessities at a wedding to pay for.  So with that info remember this...its hard to frame a million dollar painting with a $10 frame. 

(2) You don't need two wedding gowns.

I don't get this whole thing.  Do you?  A dress for the ceremony and a dress for the reception.  Sense no make.  Just don't do it.  It's excessive and stupid.  I don't think I would be able to find another dress that made me feel the way my dress did when I put it on for the first time.  And also...if the dress is ridiculously big...it looks ridiculous.

I name this "Case and Point"

Keep reading for Amanda's future DO'S and DON'T.