Father of the Bride

My dad gets pretty nervous anytime I mention the wedding (even though it's 2 years away).  He wants me to be 'happy, but happy long term.'  And Craig's lack of... well, let's just say Dad would be less concerned if Craig was a doctor/lawyer/hedge fund manager - and preferably all three.  This stresses me out quite a bit sometimes.  There are certainly days I just want to yell, "Be happy for me damn it or shut up!"  But that's not a nice thing to say.  And I know my dad's a good guy, and just wants what (he thinks) is best for me.  

So, I saw this video, and it does remind me that he's probably just having some difficulty.  Poor guy.

More Important Than the Wedding

Flipping through channels last night, I ended up watching 'Bridezilla.'  One woman used a whistle (yes, a whistle) to command people's attention, yell at them, and order them around.  Another took her poor fiance to dance lessons till 1am.  Ok, it is TV, and probably the worst of the worse.  But whenever things aren't going the why I 'planned' or I have to make comprises because of a tight budget, I remember why I'm doing this.  

Because I'm marrying the person I love!!!

With that prospective, the rest- the wedding, the party, the reception, the honeymoon... they're all icing on the (wedding) cake of life.  Here is a free way to stress less when things don't go as planned or you ha

ve to cut costs.  Just remember- you

're marrying this wonderful person.

Whenever I get stressed about a tight budget, I just try to remember what I'm getting, no matter if we have centerpieces or not.

My Fiance...

He's weird, and he's mine!

• Makes me dinner when I come home tired and hungry from work.
• Does the dishes when I'm too tired (even if he cooked dinner).
• Let's me keep another cat.
• Keeps trying to teach me how to maintain my car, even though I'm terrible at checking the air and changing tires.
• Doesn't get upset when I'm uber-cranky because I'm hungry.  He'll even get me a snack.
• Listens to me when we argue, and always ends fighting by hugging and making up.
• Does the heavy lifting, kills the bugs, and gets the glasses on the high shelf.
• Indulges me- whether it's getting me Ben & Jerry's Dublin Mudslide ice cream at 11pm or driving over an hour to my favorite restaurant for my birthday.
• Love me and is there to support me- no matter what.  Lucky me.    
  

Craig, being useful.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what helps you un-stress about your wedding!

Funny Wedding Commercial

I saw this commercial while watching TV.  It made me smile.  

Always Room For Jello (Shots!)

While looking through old photos I found some pics of gourmet jello shots I made for a party.  Relatively simple, though somewhat time intensive, these shots are a beautiful and grown-up version of a college favorite. 

I think they are a great DIY treat for engagement parties, bachelor(ette) parties, or even the wilder of wedding receptions.  (Just make sure if there are kids around, that they can't get these!  I made a kid-friendly version at my party- ie no alcohol.)  

The Basic

1 (6oz) box of Jello

2 cups boiling water

2 cups vodka

Directions: Mix boiling water with Jello and stir till it's dissolved.  Let mixture cool to room temperature.  Stir in vodka and pour mixture into small cups or ice cube trays.  I also poured some onto pans and then cut into shapes.  Refrigerate till set, about 6 hours.  Approximately 32 1oz shots.

Rum and Coke

1 (6oz) box of cherry Jello

1 cup boiling Coke

1 cup cold Coke

2 cups rum

Directions: Mix boiling Coke and Jello and allow to cool.  Stir in cold Coke and rum.  Pour mixture into small cups.  If you like, put a maraschino cherry in each shot.  Refrigerate till set.

Screwdrivers

1 (6oz) box of orange Jello

2 cups boiling orange juice

2 cups vodka

Directions: Mix orange juice and Jello and allow to cool.  Add vodka and pour into cups.  Refrigerate till set.  Note: For extra pizzaz, cut fresh oranges in half.  Juice the oranges for the juice, then pour the mixture into the oranges.  Support them with foil in the fridge.  Once set, slice the oranges into slices.

Champagne Shots

1 (6oz) box of white grape Jello

2 cups boiling water

2 cups sparkling wine

Directions: Mix water and Jello and cool.  Add wine.  Pour and set.  (Getting the hang of this, 

right?)

Pina Colada

1 (6oz) box of pineapple Jello

2 cups boiling pineapple juice

2 cups coconut rum

Directions: Mix juice and Jello and cool.  Add rum.  Pour and set.

Optional: Add dried coconut into the cups before placing them in the fridge.  (Well done!)

Margarita (authentic version)

1 (6oz) box of lime Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups tequila

1/4 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau

1/4 cup lime juice

Directions: Do you still need them?  Top with salt after the shots set (optional).

Margarita (easy version)

1 (6oz) box of lime Jello

1 cup boiling margarita mix

1 cup cold margarita mix

2 cups tequila

Enjoy!

Something old, new, borrowed, and blue

I'm a bit of a jewelry nut.  I love shiny things and probably know more about diamond cuts and settings than most guys shopping for engagement rings.  That said, Craig and I don't have a lot of money.  We had to get kinda creative after I popped the question.  We needed something affordable, but also a ring I absolutely loved and would be happy to wear for the rest of my life.  So we came up with a few options:

Option 1: Something Old

I have an engagement ring that belonged to my great-grandmother.  Until I got my engagement ring, I wore this one.  Family heirlooms are a wonderful way to have something that is both affordable and sentimental.  Are there rings in your family that could be passed down and used as an engagement ring?  

Option 2: Something Blue 

Craig doesn't like diamonds.  He thinks they're boring.  Ok, it's not his ring, he doesn't have to wear it, and I do like diamonds.  But it did get me thinking about other stones.  Sapphires are especially popular as center stones.  They are elegant, strong, and less expensive than diamonds.  Plus, they are a different spin on the usual engagement ring- and I love unique!  I have a lot of friends who have substituted their center diamond for a sapphire or ruby or another precious gem.  One option is to get a precious gem as a center stone with smaller diamond accents.

Option 3: Something Old and Blue

With the idea of using a sapphire, it was back to the family jewelry box.  My mom had a beautiful star sapphire- which is a round-cut sapphire that forms when a light hits it.  I loved it.  It was interesting and unique.  My mom gave me the sapphire ring.  Since the setting was pretty plain, I decided to have the sapphire reset.  But already having a center stone saved us a ton of money on the ring.  We could put our full budget on the setting.

Option 4: Something New

With this lovely stone, it was time to go setting shopping.  I highly 

recommend visiting several jewelry stores.  On Valentine's day, Craig and I went shopping after I was done with class.  Luckily, there were four stores all Westwood, which is the area right next to UCLA, where I am going to school.  After finding a few settings I liked, I found one I loved.  It was at Michael's Jeweler's, and if you're in Los Angeles, I highly recommend him.  He was able to custom make the setting I liked for under my budget.

Winner!

PS Appreciate those who love you.

Finally, don't forget to thank family if they pass down heirlooms to you.  My way of saying thanks to my mom for her sapphire was to reset the setting the stone came in.  I knew she liked blue, so, while I couldn't afford a sapphire, I knew it would look great with a blue topaz.  It made a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

And for the guy who spent most of the day shopping for engagement rings?  My Valentine's gift to Craig was to take him out to go go-karting for the rest of the day.  And I'm actually a better go-kart driver than I would have thought.  

Hello all you lovely people and welcome to the new Thrifty Thrilling Bride blog!  I recently proposed to the love of my life (yes, I proposed to him!).  While our wedding is not for a while (9.10.11 to be exact), it is giving us a lot of time to plan the wedding.  Considering he is an ex-punk pacifist and I love shiny things, it will take a while to plan a wedding that will suit both of us.  I've found that planning (and even re-planning) is a ton of fun.  I'll come up with several themes a week.  I think I may need to throw a bunch of parties to use up all these themes.

What I've noticed is that with some creativity and work, weddings can look absolutely amazing and be a ton of fun without costing a fortune.  And so I've created this blog to help you have a fabulous and wonderful wedding without breaking the bank.  Stay tuned for idea, thoughts, and photos.  Feel free to email me any suggestions or photos and stories from your own wedding or wedding planning adventures.

Best,

Brandie