Dream Weddings

Ok so I realized real fast that all little girls have a dream wedding that sometimes seems really out of reach. And if you have a family like mine or am in a position like me you are forced to choose between dream and reality. Or that's what it seems. I come from a lower middle class family and am considered upper lower class myself. I make less than $5000 and my fiance' is just barely pushing $20000 with two jobs and side jobs. Though my father has two nice paying jobs as well he also is paying mortgage and other important bills. My mother runs her own cleaning business and lives well but not with much to spare.

But my dream wedding is expensive.... No my dream venue is. It runs at $7500 + tax and that doesn't include anything like catering or photographers or any of the things you may think would be in a price that high. It does however have history and priceless pieces of art and beautiful statues and use of the art museum on it's property and a consultant and two hours use of all 17 anchors (give or take) for photos and security and clean-up. But more importantly to me it comes with memories I have with my father, my sister, and my soul mate.

We went to look at it this past Saturday and needless to say it just made me fall in love with it all over. But let's face it. If I saved every penny from my paychecks all year it still wouldn't be enough and there are still other costs to a wedding. But how do you just turn away from your dream?

Here's a word of advise to other brides out there facing a similar problem, if it's the venue, a caterer you love, the perfect dress, or something as simple as a hair piece for your flower girl, Don't give up just because it seems out of reach. There's a reason we don't get married a week after our engagement. It's to save! It's to get all the pieces together for that one perfect day when a little girl becomes a woman and a wife.

Now I'm not saying to over look the price and go into debt. ALWAYS have a back up plan and a back up plan for your back up plan. But don't just settle for less than what you deserve because of a price tag. Sometimes you can get around it and trim it just enough. One of my best friends offered free cleaning service to a club for two months to bring the venue price down to just below her budget for it. One of my best guy friends babysat seven kids at once for a year in return for their father both a videographer and a photographer and staff.

My mom and dad and I are creating a joint savings account so none of us can touch it without one other of us being there to help save and me and my mom are planning on doing a few bake-sales and car washes to help. I am also offering a special for other brides looking for bridesmaids dresses and flower girl dresses. Since I make them cheap to begin with I am now going to be doing them for only $3 per hour plus cost of material and shipping. I am actually going to be making a second page on this blog just for that to give more information.

Money is tight and the dream wedding takes a lot of it some times, but it is reachable.

By the way if you are wondering the picture above is my dream venue. It is the Ringling Brother's Museum of Art founded by John and Mable Ringling. The couples house is also on this property along with a museum for the circus John ran with his brothers and a beautiful rose garden that Mable started literally one hundred years ago. I first visited this amazing place thirteen years ago and have loves it ever since.

Well that's it for now. Remember if you're in a pinch and need help with lowering you wedding costs, please check out my second page. The dresses are all custom made and help me get a little closer to my own dream wedding