Right off the bat/post-panic-attack, Ted and I decided that the most important thing to us about getting married, was celebrating our union and love with our friends and family in a way that represents who we are, and on the cheap.
Wedding checklists are thorough, encompassing everything you could possibly need/want in your celebration, and exhausting. We took a list provided by a domesticated-maven-extrodinaire, and karate-chopped it until it looked liked a Ted-Shay party.
Here's what didn't make the cut:
Bridal Party
Professional DJ/Band
Sit-down dinner
Tux Rental
Wedding dress/alterations
Full open bar
Centerpieces
Rental cars
Rented Ceremony Venue
Rented Reception Venue
Wedding ring for me
European honeymoon
Invitations/printed materials
On the chopping block:
Decorations
Flowers
Rehearsal Dinner
Things we are willing to spend money on:
Photography: note some our amazing engagement photos, via the masters at LaceHanky (and featured on Rock 'n Roll Bride) vs. the photos on our "About Us" page... It's priceless for us to have photos where we're not making ridiculous faces, just ask our moms.
Greasy bar food nibblies: you won't get a sit-down din-din at our reception, but keep your eyes open for the mini-corndog volcano (can't find a picture of one, but Sarah J's magic-mathematician brain figured out how to engineer it the other night over swampy martinis)! It beats dried out chicken breasts any day of the week!
Lots of cake: one already decided on, an Elvis cake via Cake Eater Bakery. It's going to blow your mind!
Booze/beer/vino for our ceremony guests: if you're going to sit out the whole damn wedding day with us, you deserve a night full o'booze! We'll treat you right, even if you don't remember it the next day...
Annnd that's about it!
Keep an eye on this blog to find out how we do it, and by do it, I mean do-it-ourselves.
xoshayox