5

9/8/2008 12:12:07 AM

any other tips on what we should ask the photographer and caterer? we're sitting down with a couple of caterers on Wednesday for some tastings and to check out their menu and price sheet. we're only sitting down with one photographer...that could turn out to be a rookie mistake, but I found him online and fell in love with his online portfolio. He's also at the right price.

9/8/2008 8:54:29 AM

Ummm find out what it would cost them to uncork if you brought in your own liquor compared to them supplying (if you're going to have a bar).

Remember your gurantee!! (The number of people you agreed on.) If less show up you will still get charged for the number you say, and if more show up you'll get charged extra. Usually they are good at calculating and getting it right. Be weary of crashers

Get everything in writing!!!!! Make sure they include EVERYTHING on there too. You don't want to show up that day saying you were supposed to have butter knives (just an example) and they pull out the order and it's not on there.

I love doing this stuff lol.

9/8/2008 10:52:23 AM

^^Ask your photographer if you will have shared or sole rights to your pictures after the wedding.

p.s. Nice meeting you!

[Edited on September 8, 2008 at 4:32 PM. Reason : ]

9/8/2008 4:32:15 PM

thanks for the advice Diva and Haley

and we decided on bridesmaid dresses today!! w00t! Siri it is i love them! this is one of the styles...i'm doing the same color, same fabric, girls chose a different/their favorite style deal...color Hazelnut with a Hazelnut, Chocolate or Almond sash

9/11/2008 4:19:58 PM

In a week or so I'm wearing a dress that looks almost exactly like that except it's navy.

9/11/2008 4:21:53 PM

^^Love the color of the dress in that photo!

Good color choice for your dresses, mine were going to be champagne with chocolate sashes:

9/11/2008 4:50:10 PM

here's two more of the styles they're choosing from.

i love this one as it has pockets! Empire Puff Dress


Natasha...this is the same as the fuzzy one in ^


there's more at their website...http://www.siriinc.com/bridesmaid-dresses.html
also looking the the Marilyn Monroe.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

i think i'm gonna get one just for the hell of it, hehe i absolutely adore these

[Edited on September 11, 2008 at 5:46 PM. Reason : ]

9/11/2008 5:45:28 PM

Which caterers are you looking at right now?

9/11/2008 7:02:07 PM

We're getting married in Southport, so we're looking at caterers in the Wilmington area--either A Southern Thyme or Bon Appetit. these were recommended by our reception site. not sure which one we're going with yet...it's a tough one! we've been recommended a few others in the area by our planner, but i don't know if we're going to check them out.

We're going with Tom Sapp for our photographer--http://tomsapp.com/

we were also recommended Matt McGraw, which we really liked but he was just a bit out of our price range http://www.mattmcgrawphotography.com/

another amazing one I was recommended was Azul photography--WHOA, $texas but there's a good reason! http://www.azulphotography.com/main.php

9/12/2008 6:27:44 PM

anyone know of or can recommend a good string quartet? we had a friend who plays violin that tried to put a quartet together but she has been slack. they haven't even practiced and the wedding is in 3 and a half weeks.

9/16/2008 3:17:15 PM

i'm getting married 3 weeks from saturday in Vegas

Started the South Beach Diet last Friday and have lost 4 pounds as of Tuesday night.

Getting the dress back from alterations next Wednesday.

9/18/2008 3:54:44 PM

I got married Sept 20! And Skwinkle - you looked lovely in your dress.

10/2/2008 12:09:59 AM

Where are some places in the triangle area to go looking for bridesmaids dresses? Did anyone have any great experiences in particular or personal recommendations on stores?

I'm looking at this dress specifically, and the website says it is available in Cary, but I am definitely wanting to look around as much as possible before I choose:

10/2/2008 3:28:26 PM

i like that dress better than any other dress posted on this page. it looks super chic and comfortable.

10/2/2008 3:48:19 PM

It's only $80 if we get it online! But it's $164 if we order it from a store.

10/2/2008 5:27:14 PM

could you try it on at the store and then order the right size online? if so that would be awesome.

10/2/2008 7:03:52 PM

I can, if I can find the dress in the area. If all else fails, I can find the designer and have them try on other dresses by the same designer, then order it online. I'd probably feel really guilty doing that though.

10/2/2008 7:06:36 PM

The dresses (Siri) I've shown above can be found at Tre Bella in Durham. They also carried Jim Hjelm bridesmaid and flower girl dresses. Kate, one of the owners, was super nice and helpful.


oh yeah...why I came to post here in the first place
Does anyone know a non-denominational minister or magistrate in New Hanover or Brunswick Co.?

[Edited on October 6, 2008 at 4:25 PM. Reason : ]

10/6/2008 4:24:29 PM

What were the prices like a Tre Bella? I like several of Jim Hjelm's dresses, but they tend to be on the expensive side.

10/6/2008 5:41:12 PM

I'm not sure what they were as I was just looking at siri...siri range from $175-275

10/6/2008 6:48:14 PM

Would any of you ever put it upon a friend to make your wedding dress for you, of a design you've both worked on?

Assuming, of course, that they're willing and able?

10/6/2008 7:06:31 PM

^^ you're making your bridesmaids pay ~$200 (before altering) for a dress they'll never wear again? how excited about that are they?

my wife's been a bridesmaid a few times and she's never put any of the dresses on except for the wedding day - of course they are still sitting in the closet because as most brides say "i picked a dress you can wear again if you want to" and that's mostly never true

most bridesmaids won't say that they're pissed to the bride - so brides-to-be please think of the boyfriends / friends / husbands that have to hear that shit

10/6/2008 7:13:58 PM

They're not MAKING their bridesmaids pay anything. If you don't want to tell the bride she is not being reasonable then that's your fault! When anyone agrees to be a bridesmaid, there are costs that come along with it! If you don't want to pay it, then don't be a bridesmaid! My bridesmaids dresses were 100 bucks. I bought their shoes, I had a luncheon for them, I bought them bags and other stuff. Financially, it cost me more to have them in my wedding than it cost them, but I love them and I wouldn't have been happy without them there. That being said, don't be ridiculous brides and put your bridesmaids in a financial bind. Nobody cares if your dress is designer. It does not need to cost several hundred bucks.

10/6/2008 7:26:57 PM

^I agree with everything you just said. I would be offended if I chose a dress and my bridesmaid didn't tell me she had a problem with it. Then again, I know everyone in my wedding well enough that I know what they would want to put towards a dress in the first place. It's not like they're strangers and afraid to speak their mind.

10/6/2008 8:12:36 PM

^^^Actually...I'm paying for $100.00 of each dress plus the first alteration, and shipment of their (my bridesmaids are located all over) to them. If any alterations are needed after that, then they are on their own. They are also very excited about the dresses b/c I'm not making them wear the same thing. They are all choosing a style by this designer (and there are many) that they like and compliment their body type, in the same color and fabric.

I also offered a much cheaper dress in the beginning ($100-150 depending on the style as some styles cost more), but when my MOH and another bridesmaid saw my notebook with the Siri dresses, they liked those more and encouraged me to share them with everyone else to see what they thought. Everyone hands down was more thrilled with the Siri, and wanted those instead. I told them they were more, but they didn't mind. Knowing their financial positions, I told them I was uncomfortable with that and would pay the first $100 and alterations keeping them in approx the same price range of the original dresses.

[Edited on October 6, 2008 at 10:11 PM. Reason : style + price range]

Quote :

"Would any of you ever put it upon a friend to make your wedding dress for you, of a design you've both worked on? Assuming, of course, that they're willing and able?"

yes, but only if they designed clothes and made dresses for a living or often enough that it was their passion and main hobby. in other words, not if he/she was a first timer
[Edited on October 6, 2008 at 10:13 PM. Reason : paragraphs]

[Edited on October 6, 2008 at 10:20 PM. Reason : ]

10/6/2008 10:07:24 PM

Selling my wedding veil


http://raleigh.craigslist.org/clo/878134755.html


I did not have a traditional wedding cake. We had a poker groom's cake that we cut and bought gambling cake plates for every table and bought a different cake for every table.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/hsh/878129101.html



I am also selling standard 6 ft. White banquet tablecloths. I bought them from a mill. They are really durable. We have 26.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/hsh/878121474.html


I am also selling candles and tons of other decorations. I will be posting more. I am willing to trades or negotiation.

[Edited on October 14, 2008 at 6:44 PM. Reason : fixing link]

10/14/2008 6:00:02 PM

^You may want to edit the link so that it's not linking to manage your post. Wouldn't want anything to happen!

Good luck with selling, those table cloths look very nice, I might have to convince my fiance to do that.

10/14/2008 6:16:52 PM

^ Who is the designer for the black dress you posted? It has great lines, but it's still simple. A link would be even better [and if I find it anywere, I'd be sure to let you know!!]

10/15/2008 7:38:57 PM

It's Mori Lee Bridesmaids style 734

It's here for $116: http://www.bestbridalprices.com/mori-lee-affairs-cocktail-dress-734-p-12152.html

I found it one place online for $80, but that website sold out fairly quickly. The Bridal Gallery in Cary has this line of dresses, so I'm hoping they'll have it there.

10/15/2008 9:06:48 PM

Thanks!

10/15/2008 9:38:30 PM

i just saw this gown, i'm in love (although the picture is rather odd)

it's Sagrera by Manuel Mota Pronovias....

10/21/2008 9:54:30 PM

I do like that dress!

On a different note, did any other brides have problems with the rules the church allowed? The church we really wanted to get married in has a lot of restrictions, and I wasn't sure if that was normal. Some of the rules were no flash photography, no secular music, and a set order of service was required. I don't know if this is normal, or something I can be reasonably perturbed with.

10/21/2008 9:59:30 PM

Flash photography is regularly banned during more conservative or traditional ceremonies. The photogs will know how to deal, I was trained not to freak out under those circumstances. They usually check with the officiant beforehand to get clearance.

10/21/2008 10:06:34 PM

I was married in a Catholic Shrine. It had more rules than a typical place.

-Only Fresh flowers inside
-All music had to be approved a month prior
-etc....

Truthfully I found this made my life easy following these guidelines. On the one point we disagreed we talked to the priest and he was quite accommodating.

10/22/2008 12:34:40 AM

Quote :

"no secular music"

So no http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM ?

10/22/2008 1:38:57 AM

Okay, thanks for all the answers. We're waiting to hear if they'll clear our music selections. The song I really wanted to walk down the aisle to is "Buon Giorno Principessa" from Life is Beautiful.

10/22/2008 8:42:50 AM

I don't know if any of you have, but I would suggest NOT signing up on ForeverBridal.net. I did two months ago just to receive info from them about area bridal shows. I never actually attended one, did not select anything on the website to have vendors call me, and I've still been put on a mailing/phone/e-mail list. The mailing/e-mail list isn't that bad b/c I can easily ignore it, but the phone list is very annoying. I've gotten two calls just this morning making that 6 for this week. It's been like this since I signed up.

I sent them an email asking them to remove me--we'll see how it goes.

[Edited on October 31, 2008 at 12:40 PM. Reason : ]

10/31/2008 12:39:57 PM

So now...we're looking into places for the ceremony. Neither of us are members in good standing of a church (and my first wedding was in the church of which I was a member).

And I'm at a loss. We're not going to have a big wedding, just not financially doable, as we're going to be taking care of most of it. But we want it to be a warm and intimate affair, preferrably indoors. Any ideas?

11/1/2008 12:17:17 AM

Some sort of country club???....but you typically have to know a member that will sponsor you

11/1/2008 12:26:37 AM

Do you want to have it in Raleigh? or some other town? You could look into some historic houses or Bed and Breakfasts if you aren't having that many people. If you don't mind traveling, prices get MUCH cheaper if you go out east. I'd recommend looking into Yankee Hall in Greenville. We were quoted $5,000 for a wedding of 100 people that included EVERYTHING, even an open bar. You could do an indoor or outdoor ceremony, and obviously that price would go down for fewer people. We ended up not going with the place because they were mostly booked up for next summer, but it was definitely tempting to.

11/1/2008 12:10:42 PM

Greenville is a bit far away for us. Some options might include Clayton or Smithfield (because I'm from Smithfield).

The big catch to a country club is finding a member to sponsor us. That and cost. The only one I could consider right off the bat would be Johnston County Country Club because I know more members there than Carter has Liver Pills.

Any other suggestions?

11/2/2008 1:01:01 PM

http://www.theknot.com/vs_NORTH_CAROLINA_CAR.shtml

have you tried looking at this list? I know it's for the entire state-- and I don't know anything about their pricing, but it might help you to come up with some ideas!

I have seen lots of beautiful weddings/receptions held at Caffe Luna (from the outside, of course... )

I wonder if you could do something with the new convention center, sheraton downtown, fayetteville street mall... maybe even one of the museums downtown or a renovated historic house in the area?

[too bad they got rid of the hot rod museum in downtown wake forest... that could've been really cool. maybe rent out a dodge dealership and get them to park a couple diesels in there for decoration [super dodge in attendance too- of course]...JK- I kid, I kid...]

D & I are planning to use this place :
http://www.blackberryfields.net/gallery.html

11/2/2008 2:19:37 PM

we went to a wedding last night...they got married at a church, but the reception was at the River Ridge Golf Community at the Wake/Johnston Co border. Located off 70 business after getting off 40 east. They had a covered pavillion and they put tent walls up to keep it insulated from the cold. it was a good location for an event. food was good, but i'm not sure if they used an outside caterer or inhouse. i know you said you wanted indoor, but with the cover and walls it was very nice. handicap access and plenty of parking.

http://www.golfriverridge.com/weddings.html

[Edited on November 2, 2008 at 5:10 PM. Reason : food]

11/2/2008 5:08:46 PM

we had our reception in the lobby of the Museum of History in downtown Raleigh... it was amazingly dramatic... built in dance floor, used the main desk as the bar. came down dramatic staircase during introductions. lots of room to spread out... short distance from glenwood south for afterwards... it was incredible.

11/2/2008 5:14:06 PM

wow that sounds really cool

11/2/2008 5:31:56 PM

^^ I thought I had heard of people doing that before! That does sound really cool.

11/2/2008 5:37:15 PM

i bet the reception in the museum was nice..

however..

i went to a dance there with my wife.... i didn't like dodging nice exhibits when i was trying to dance to hip/hop music, etc....plus they kept the lights on

11/2/2008 5:45:32 PM

dodging exhibits? there are only a couple of exhibits in the main area, and they are roped off and aren't in the way.


we tore up the dance floor all night (which happened to be the large area of granite floor in the main entrance.)

it was awesome... we had to do minimal decorating and the people really enjoyed it. we came out to the song from 2001 and walked down the staircase to the dance floor. later in the night when everyone was a little bit tipsy we went outside and posed with the statues out front.

11/2/2008 9:57:39 PM

^ I'm glad you posted this My friend is planning her wedding now and she really wants to do it downtown, but other places she looked at were too expensive.

Did they require you use one of their "preferred" caterers or could you bring in whoever?

11/2/2008 10:06:04 PM