Location, Location, Location: Tips on choosing a wedding venue.

FACT When you mention the word 'wedding' versus a retirement or birthday party, the price automatically jumps up.
1. Take the time to think outside the box and find locations that are atypical to weddings which is a cost saver if you are not too picky about what the place looks like.  
2. Make a list will help break down what you really want versus what you don't really need. 
3. For us, we wanted the Chinese food but not the Chinese banquet hall. If it wasn't for that, we would just do a Chinatown wedding. 
Our List of non-negotiable: Ability to have Open Bar/outside liquor ( always a hit for the guests) Amount of guests it could fit (150-200) Outside catering Close to Boston (within 20 miles) Have parking or garages available
With this list, it came down to 6 locations. I will share my list with you so that if you are interested you can find them in your local area. Every location is different but you can see the price differences in each one. 
Community Center such as ELKS/American Legion Post

Pros:
- Full kitchen where the cater can do everything.
- Super affordable rental- Only $550 for 5 hours and included all the chairs/tables.

Cons:
- Too tight of a space and the ceilings were not high enough for our entrance
- Open Bar was only possible if we use their bartender ( $40) plus cost of drinks, which there was no way to really track it and could overcharge us.
- Total privacy would not be possible because they can't close the bar to the community veterans which would make for some awkwardness or party crashers.

Elks Lodge

American Legion Post

Nightclub

Room Rental: 5000-7500/4 hours. 1000/additional hour. Pros: - They have a stage so if you want some separation for the bride/groom and dinner guests or if you want performances at your wedding.  - Full DJ Booth, full sound and lighting system, and sound system available.  Cons: - Since it is a nightclub, they will definitely kick your party out by 10/11pm since they have to prepare for the clubbers. In all honestly I felt that if we did get married at a nightclub, our friends would NOT be surprised. Especially since that is how we first met. 

Royale

Hotel
Hotels can be pricey! But not only are you paying for atmosphere but also the service. Most all of these places includes a day of coordinator or some sort of event planner that helps you with your day so you don't have to worry.  For Boston Park Plaza Hotel, it's expensive, it's beautiful and it best represents Boston- Sophisticated, Elegant, Luxurious. Floor to ceiling windows, ballrooms, crystal chandeliers, and white glove service! Room for up to 250+ guests Cost can be anywhere between $15,000- 30,000.
We said no because the costs of bartenders and guests were around $13,000.   Boston Park Plaza Hotel

I put the library because my friends recently got married here and it's a really beautiful venue! The pricing is similar to hotel prices especially since you have to go through a specific catering company. 
Library

Image by henryandmac

Image by shangchenphoto

Function Space
(e.g. Spring Step, Cyclorama, Art Studio)  These are the types of places that you wouldn't think to get married in but are actually quite popular due to price and just out of the box locations. Rentals for the location is not too bad, can range about $500-1,000/hr. Keep in mind the location may not have items such as chairs, tables, plates, etc which can increase your budget especially if you have to rent items.  For some function spaces, there is an anything goes policy so you could get away with some things that a hotel may not let you get away with ( AS LONG AS ITS LEGAL!).  Cyclorama

Image by kellydillonphoto

Spring Step

Good luck in finding your location :) 

Our Wedding: Style Me Pretty

A few years ago before I even thought about getting married and before I even met the Mister, my auntie emailed my sister and I wedding websites to check out. 

I never really took any of those websites seriously until I got engaged. At that point of my life I would read blogs and look for DIY inspiration but never thought I would be one of those lucky beautiful brides that you see on there.
BUT thanks to my husband and the talented team we had, especially Kelly Dillon Photography , Brighter Lights Media, Lemon Drop Team, and others that supported us, WE GOT FEATURED.
For the full story click HERE

I highly recommend the talented people we hired! If you want them here's a list: HERE
P.S. MY AUNT'S GOING TO FREAK OUT WHEN SHE SEES THIS! 

Our Wedding: Photobooth Props DIY

This is something I really wanted to post about because EVERYONE loves the photobooth! Renting photobooths can be pricey but there are so many alternatives to the regular booth box. It can be as simple as using bed sheets as a backdrop or leftover tinsel from the holidays or even streamers.  
For more fun, you can add props! We made some superhero masks because the hubby LOVES Marvel. 

To add a girly touch I made Hello Kitty bows, lips, and mustaches.

Making your own props saves money from renting/buying them and it was convenient for us because we were able to personalized it into our 'Superhero theme'.  This project was about 2 days worth of time but all you need is:  Foam Sheets 6x9 (we bought a pack of various colors) 2.99 Wood Dowels (15pc/pack)  ~$2-3 Dry Eraser 2 Sheets 5.99 for speech bubbles Exacto Knife Hot glue gun + glue sticks Total spent: ~$10.00

Tips: 1. I found shapes of masks online so I was able to use it as a frame for making sure I cut out the placement of the eyes correctly (I always mess up on that part! Links below).  2. To save time, print out the masks on regular paper using color ink and then paste it on the foam using it as support. (ex: Hello Kitty and Batman masks) 3. It can also be counted as a party favor because guests get to bring home a memento.  Photo booths can be incorporated into any event from birthdays to holiday parties to weddings. This is an interactive treat for ALL guests, young and old. I seriously cracked up when I saw photos of my grandma having a ball with the bright red boa and batman mask!

I love my guests. They were hilarious!  Here are the sites I used. Each have downloadable links to use as a template: TiffanyKelley DIY Mustaches Photobooth Prop First Palette Superhero Masks Oh Happy Day Photobooth Props
Tip #5 If you wanted to use words as props instead of masks, another suggestion is to make speech bubbles so friends can write special messages or whatever to EXPRESS THEMSELVES! And if you can read their bubbles...our friends expressed themselves VERY clearly! 

P.S.  We ain't making babies anytime soon!!!

Our Wedding: DIY Bathroom Basket

Since we had some time I thought it would be a nice thing to make for the guests in case they needed to pamper themselves in the restroom. We made a sign for each basket so the guests would know it was made for them.  Women's Basket: "Stay Sexy!" I bought the black basket at Goodwill for $5 and still use it in our home.  Men's Basket: "Stay Classy!" I use a leftover box I had at home, wrapped it with purple paper and done. 

Baskets had: - Pads/Tampons (Women's only) - Hair pins and hair bands ( Women's only) - Qtips - First Aid Kit - Hairspray  - Body Lotion  - Bathroom Spray - Lint Roller - Altoids (fresh breath) - Ibuprofen ( if the music was too loud) I found this project to be pretty quick and very affordable especially since many of the items you have in your bathroom.  Just a warning:  DO NOT put anything in the basket or out at your wedding you are NOT prepared to lose.  Some more ideas:

Our Wedding: Doilie Envelopes

Envelopes wasn't as bad as I thought. Yep- we made our own envelopes out of dollies. This is what happens when I start pinning! I was never really a lace lover but once he put a ring on it, I've been in love with lace! Since my wedding dress was super lacey I thought adding dollies to the invite could incorporate that.

This is the tutorial I used: DIY Paper Doily Envelopes

To add some support we bought wax paper (can be found at Michaels and CVS!) as an inner liner and spray painted it with purple that I had leftover from another project. We went Jackson Pollock on that!

Becky (MOH) made a cardboard cutout to construct the dollies into envelopes. You can either leave it alone so it opens completely but we sprayed it with adhesive spray (had no clue something like this existed- SUPER COOL!!!!) so it stays in envelope shape.

Since these were too fragile to mail out, we bought outer envelopes on Amazon. I think this is a great idea if you love lace and doilies. Spray painting can be messy but I really love how the color pops and each and everyone's envelopes are unique! All made with lots of love <3

Dollies 10inch: Bought on Ebay 500 sheets for $25.00
Purple Outer Envelopes 5 x7 (HERE): $3.65
Adhesive Spray (Target): ~$8.99

My husband still yells at me today when he finds itty bitty purple paint in the crevices of our kitchen floor. Hes OCD like that.

OUR WEDDING: Hot Beverage Bar 101

Me and the Hubby aren't totally into sweets and didn't want to have a dessert table just to have a dessert table. Thinking outside the box and something that reflected us, we thought,   'Wouldn't it be cool to have a Keurig table?'  I started furiously pinning for inspiration. I even made a Beverage Bar Board (HERE). Our game plan: Set up a table of Keurig machines and multiple flavors so guests can pick their own flavors and self serve.  The flavors: 

My biggest worry was how can I make something so robotic, more romantic? hmmm...What else can these hands make? HEART SHAPE MARSHMALLOWS AND SUGAR CUBES!!!!!!!!!!!! O YA! Perfect toppings for your hot cocoa or coffee/tea.  Heart Shape Marshmallows-  Tutorial HERE I won't talk about 'the incident' in which I drove to every supermarket in my area for those darn jumbo marshmallows, or that I  LITERALLY was on sitting Indian style on the floors of TARGET emptying those shelves looking for those darn jumbo marshmallows. As I was about to have a heart attack because it was 3 days before my wedding ( SLACKER- YES!), this angel/sales associate 'Marvin' found them in the back storage room.  Heart Sugar Cubes-  Sugar cubes ( found in your local supermarket) Honey and toothpick mini heart sprinkles First I used the edible marker method-  CRAPPY! The ink bleeds onto the sugar cube so my hearts do not look like hearts, more like a disfigured C's. I've heard of people using ketchup but I AM NOT using ketchup on sugar cubes for my guests.  1. With a toothpick grab some honey and place it on the sugar cube.   2. Stick a heart sprinkle on the honey. Press lightly.  3. Leave alone for 1 minute  ( I am extra cautious). Done!

To help our guests with how it works, we made steps: 1. Pick a flavor...                          2. Brew it!                         3. TOP IT OFF!

Thanks JY for taking photos of my beloved sweat and tears! These are SERIOUSLY THE ONLY PHOTOS I HAVE of the Beverage Bar. So sad but very grateful!

Because I love making signage so much, I made a toppings sign.

.. and that is how our KickAss Hot Beverage Bar came to be. 

TIP: When thinking of ideas for your wedding, it doesn't matter what you do as long as it makes you happy!!!! You are the bride, do what YOU WANT! Who cares about theme or colors. If you want a dessert bar, DO IT. If you don't care for it, then DON'T.   For me, I didn't care if it stuck to a theme or not, all I cared about is 'does this represent a part of us'.  Include items/things you want but don't do something just because it is the thing to do.  Happy Planning! 

Our Wedding: Invitations

The process of my invitations is a bit too long for one blog post so I will have to separate it into different posts! Not sure how many but follow me if you would love to learn more! ***

I love the vintage letterpress embossed look but after checking online for pricing, it wasn't worth the cost for me. 

I'm not a perfectionist but it took me a longggggggg time to figure out the design of the invite but once everything came together, I was very happy with the end result. THANK YOU PAINT!

The Easy:
- Theme color is plum and silver so I made the font that color.
- I was going for the bare branch look for my wedding so I added that as a backdrop to my invitation.
The Hard:
- I didn't know the right words to say.
- I didn't know if it would look better centered or if the words looked better there or here.
- I had so many drafts!!!! Sometimes I wish I was more creative or even have the Photoshop program to learn how to do these things better.

When it came down to printing at staples, it was bad.
I had to drive back and forth from home to staples 3 TIMES.

The first time, I didn't save my document on PDF so when they opened my invite, it didn't look like how it was suppose to. WHAT A WASTE OF GAS! ARGH! Still annoys me to this day.

Lesson Learned:
Whenever I go to Staples for a print job, carry laptop with me....Just in case.

and
always save your document on PDF.

I stayed too long at Staples and the reason being, I could NOT for the life of me make up my mind on what type of paper to print on.

 Silver, ivory, or velum,???

Seriously, I just wanted to slap myself silly with these minute decisions. I had to print out samples and contrast them against my envelopes before making a final decision.  
As I think back on it, I don't know how these little things got to me. 
BUT I WAS CRAZY.

Thanks babe. I think we got it. 

In the end the silver made my purple font pop out more to the color I desired and it happily matched my color theme! 

Project costs: Staples Pearlized Cardstock 1.39 each. 50 sheets (100 invites) for $70.66 w/tax

and the cutting continues...

Back to the grind

If you look closely at the photo, you can see what else I was working on for invitations.
In a future post coming to you!

TIPS:
For more ideas on how to make your invitations creative, scour all the wedding blogs! MY favorite invitation website to be inspired from is ohsobeautifulpaper.com. There are so many pretty stationary projects/DIY on there.

Microsoft paint/word skills: Saves the Dates Magnets

After receiving our engagement photos from the talented Ms.Shang Chen (more photos HERE!), we wanted to personalize our Save the Dates with them. Since I am not a pro whatsoever in Photoshop my go to is paint and Microsoft word. My favorite functions is Ctrl-c and Ctrl-v!

After living with the Mister he throws away anything that isn't of use whereas I love to hold on -slash- HOARD memories. Which led to -> if you can have another use for it, you keep it around longer, and

TA DA

Save the Dates Magnets

!!!

Our save the dates were very simple in terms of design but clear in terms of message: Here's our website and code for more information about our wedding. No invitation needed. RSVP Online!

Side note: We highly recommend Appycouple as a wedding website! It was very easy to use and a cool feature it offered was the downloadable app so all the information would be easy to get right off your phone as your driving to the event. (Get it? APP-y Couple!!!!)

***

We bought the adhesive magnet sheets from Micheal's and printed my design on photo sheets using our home printer.

1. We printed 9 magnets per 8 x 11 sheet and had to cut the sheet into thirds for easier cutting and less damage on your photo. (3 x 2.5 dimensions for 1 magnet)

2. Carefully place the photo on the adhesive and once it touches, it won't be able to get off. THIS ADHESIVE IS NO JOKE- IT WAS VERY STRONG!

3. I have read on other DIY sites to use an exacto knife but we found that really hard to cut through the photo AND thick magnet roll so we just used scissors and just tried to cut it as straight as possible using a ruler. I would also suggest buying a strong paper cutter because it is also useful for future projects AKA invitations! 

4. ....and a mess later.... YOU'RE DONE!

Project costs: Magnetic Roll $9.99 ( with Coupon paid $4.99). I had supplies for everything else lying around the house so it didn't cost much at all.

TIPS:

For arts and crafts, use AC Moore and Michael's 50% coupon.

I highly recommend getting the Magnet roll from arts/crafts store! They are pretty strong and are still standing on my fridge after 6+ months. I have read up on issues with the Avery printable magnets sheets from printing problems to the magnet not sticking strong enough on the wall, etc.

Our Wedding: Song Choice

Not sure why I want to talk about music, perhaps its because this previous weekend I fist pumped the night away for a friend's birthday! 

Music is so important to the Mister. It pumps him up, gets him in that MODE. He knows song titles and artists and lyrics to all his favs. I am the type of person that only has music in the background to just have while doing the business in the bathroom. :P

Song and lyric became more important as we dated because we would start youtubing songs to each other. I am a memory hoard and I saved a list of songs he would send me and we actually used a few of them in our wedding and one for our First Dance! <3

When guests walk in the door, I want them to reminisce their childhood memories and Disney songs would be perfect.  If you ever look at our alphabetized movie shelf, you can notice most of the Blu-rays that we own are Disney so that one day we can bond with our children watching Lion King.  There was one song, JUST ONE, that was the most important to us but unfortunately couldn't be played Utada Hikaru- First Love because of time! Gosh Darn it!   I have no idea what she is saying but it sounds beautiful when she does sing a part in English: "You will always be inside my heart I hope that I have a place in your heart too
Now and forever you are still the one You are always gonna be my love" When I hear these words, I think of high school. I think about moments where we were in the same places, had similar friends, but never met until later in life. I even remember watching a performance of a group of Newton guys singing a backstreet boys song at a high school Asian Night and after dating, I found that he was one of the singers. We never knew each other in high school but its funny when songs can tie people together.

YOUTUBE LINKS: Canon in D Full Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli – Con Te Partiro, Taylor Swift – Enchanted

I really really wanted the Andrea Bocelli song. The mister actually fought against it but after listening to it, he fell in love with the song as much as I did. I first heard it from a Will Ferrell Movie 'Blades of Glory' and just thought wow. It is makes me feel like I am floating on clouds.

*TIP: When walking down the aisle, I had to remember not to walk too fast. Take your time because it will go by soooo fast and keep your back straight! 

YOUTUBE LINKS: JOHN STAMOS FOREVER, 

ITS FULL HOUSEEEE!!!!!!! 'nough said. 

The first dance choice was pretty important to us since this was the 1st dance as Husband and Wife and we didn't want the typical first dance songs. It was really hard to pick one. The mister was thinking of using this Taylor swift song (Safe and Sound) as our first dance. My first thoughts: Sounds like we are killing ourselves- no offense. I like this music/lyrics but maybe not for a wedding? 

Remember how I hoard? Well I forgot that I had that list of songs that me and the mister shared together and by accident I opened the file and we saw the songs and voilà! It was that easy. 

We actually played the whole 3 minute song and swayed for 3 minutes. The parent dances made us a little more nervous because typically we aren't that way at all. I ONLY just started hugging my parents when I left to go to away for graduate school. So dancing for a full song was super scary and we shortened to 1 minute. 

 I was hesitate with the bouquet toss and garter toss.  I have been to many weddings where it is like a force to get up there. The mister thought it would be fun and wanted to include it. The minute I came up for the bouquet toss I was super nervous because I thought 'DAMN no one will come up' because honestly I WOULD NOT COME UP! One minute it was completely empty and the next minute a stampede of girls were waiting behind me!!!! Even my aunt mentioned that she has never seen so many single ladies before.  I felt so happy that I had so many friends to support me!  To get the garter belt off me I remember he had to do a push up under my dress, it was hilarious and overly embarrassing. 

Fortunately the world did not end on 12-21-12 so we were able to get married that weekend but I thought these last songs would be good for the end of year.

Photo by David Tith

To involve guests in the planning of our wedding, I asked if they had any song choices they wanted to hear. Along with the mister's music choices we got so many responses back. So I hope you got a chance to hear what you asked for and had a great time!

12-22-12

The Mister and I tied the knot!!!!  Saturday 12-22-12. So much has happened and I have so many ideas for blog posts but I don't know where to begin.  I want to post ALL my DIY wedding crafts on individual posts so maybe start with that? We have dedicated so much time to them that I just want to show it off- even if it looks ugly!   Next post??? :)

Today I just want to give recognition to all my vendors, friends, and family for all the help and support they have given us to make our day... OUR DAY.  The Wedding Details Wedding Day of Coordinator: Linda Lee of Lemon Drop Team Photography: Kelly Dillon Photography Videography: Brighter Lights Media DJ: Peter Hallisey from Sound Choice Events Wedding Cake: Konditor Meister Catering: China Pearl Hair & Makeup : Bride Makeup 2 Die 4. Bridesmaids May Chin Hair and Makeup Ceremony & Reception: Cyclorama Boston Center for the Arts Linens & Rentals: Rentals Unlimited & Felicia's Bridal Production & Lighting: Alexandra Bombard Advanced Lighting & Production Services Wedding Gown + Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal Bride's Shoes: Brian Atwood Groom + Groomsmen's Attire: Vera Wang
Floral Designs: My AHHMAZINGGG Aunt from EC Florist who made the beautiful ceremony and reception centerpieces! Photobooth: Red Eye Photobooth. Logo made my moi. Bride and Groom's Ring: Customized by Groom & Maid of Honor at Jewelry Square  Bride's Hairpieces (3): My Great Aunt made them. Bride's Earrings: From my Mother Dress Hanger: Made by my Uncle and friend Hanh N.  Stationary: Save the Dates, Invitations designed by me.  Program, Logo designed by friend Cathy C.

Programs always gets thrown away so to save some trees we had our friend design the program that can be projected against the wall before the ceremony started. The main reason we decided on doing a program was to remind our guests that it was an 'UNPLUGGED CEREMONY'.  She does great designs and webpages so if you want more information, leave a comment! ***
The best part is we didn't just have one wedding, but TWO! We had a Sunday reception which had an entirely different feel from the Saturday one. The Saturday reception was modern that included immediate family and close friends and the Sunday reception was tradition/conservative with the tea ceremony and everyone in my family ( I have a HUGE FAMILY!). It was tiring but it was the best of both worlds and I am happy how my wedding weekend turned out. 

Sunday Details I will make this short and sweet! Photography: Kenny Vu Photography DJ and Entertainment: Heart to Heart Weddings  Wedding Cake: Bao Bao Bakery Catering: Hei Lo Moon Stationary: Table numbers/Menus: made by Me. Invitations: Best Printing A BIG SHOUT OUT to the Mister for being super planner for Saturday and my Mom for planning Sunday.  I am a VERY lucky bride to have had so much support and help from my loved ones.  THANK YOU!