How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: Other Important Necessities

Miss Boa's big three, (venue, dress, and photographer,) were decided upon in a crazy short amount of time! This is one determined bride, lol.

But a few things were still needed...

1) Someone to marry them and make it official
2) Someone to get the party started at the reception
3) Something to eat for dessert
4) Something to invite the guests

The Officiant:

Finding an officiant in short notice was becoming similar to her photographer search, many were booked already and were simply out of the running by default! D:

One of the groomsmen mentioned a family member of his officiated weddings, Miss Boa had met him before and for a while was considering him to officiate, but she still had pending potentials at the time that she found on WeddingWire.

Finally, she received a reply that one of the potential officiants was free! She ending up going with D and J Ministry. They only book one wedding per day, and the ceremony and rehearsal cost $250.

Most important part of the wedding, (the actual marriage): check!

The DJ:

Miss Boa really lucked out on this one, because she used one of the best things in the wedding industry---a friendor!

A friendor is an awesome friend who does something wedding-related and is willing to help you out on your special day! Usually at a lovely, discounted friends-and-family-only price, lol.

After discussing the details with said friend from Blackrrock Sound Solutions, an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception, he suggested that two separate systems be set up: one for the indoor party and one for the outdoors, so Miss Boa's carefully selected ceremony music could be played and so the ceremony could be heard clearly by all guests!

Always a tragedy when the most beautiful vows are spoken yet no one can hear them!

Usually this would have cost quite a pretty penny, given that Blackrrock Sound would need double the amount of equipment to make the event work, not to mention an extra employee to help with setup... But Miss Boa was given the wonderful offer of half the price of the whole package! :D

And this, my friends, is why friendors ROCK!

(Miss Boa plans to tip her pal handsomely for his generosity and hard work. :) )

The Cake:

Miss Boa know where she was getting her cake long before getting engaged!

The sweet confections of Dessert Deli has enchanted many a female in the Western NY area, including me! *sighs*

Their cakes are luscious and decadent, not to mention just plain gorgeous:

Some tasty cakes being offered this month that I have yet to sink my teeth into... *drool*
Miss Boa's favorite has always been their red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

So naturally she ordered a red velvet tiered cake, with alternating ivory and dark brown tiers. (fillings to be decided later) It will be decorated with climbing branches dotted with delicate teal cherry blossoms.

I haven't seen the design, but it will probably look something like this, except in the proper colors:

Ooooo, ahhhh! So pretty. :)

And there's an extra bonus too! If you get your wedding cake through them, you get 10% off all future cakes and cookies for life. o.0 So much cake...so little time! XD

The Invitations:

Getting her invitations was simple enough, due to the fact that they were the only thing she needed to purchase to obtain her fabulous wedding planner! As long as she purchased the invitations through her, Miss Boa would receive her guidance and assistance.

And surprisingly, there was a wide selection of price points, she ending up spending only $2 per invite for a invite/envelope/RSVP suite in her wedding colors!

Affordable invitations without the agony of printing, cutting, pasting, stamping, etc. over 100+ pieces of paper?! Sounds like a good deal to me!

She does plan on saving money on calligraphy by printing out the envelope addresses on her own. Very smart, I approve. :)

She mentioned that the design was hard to describe, so I guess I'll have to wait until I help her with addressing the envelopes...

---

So by the time the holidays ended, Miss Boa managed to scratch off the following wedding to-do items:

-Wedding planner
-Venue
-Ceremony Site
-Food
-Rentals (included with venue package)
-Wedding dress
-Photographer
-Officiant
-DJ
-Cake
-Invitations

Whew! Makes me tired just looking at it! XD

A big round of applause please to Miss Boa!

She has done something I know I could never do, haha.

How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: The Photographer

You can't have all this wonderful eye candy of a venue and a dress without someone to capture it! A photographer was desperately in order!

The Photographer:

The search for a photographer started out bleak. (i.e. Expensive!)

Her planner wanted her to hire the best of the best, Ayres Photography.

And you have to admit, their photos are amazing...

All photos copyright of Ayres Photography.
But not their $4,000 price tag... o.0

To be fair, Miss Boa realized that the package her planner was suggesting to her was much more than she needed--12 hours of coverage and a (rather pricey) wedding album was not necessary! The engagement photo shoot, however, was going to stay!

Still, $3,000 for their 8 hour package wasn't exactly affordable either...so the search continued!

The pricing of Kaz Photography appealed to her instantly, and the photos were just as eye catching!

All photos copyright of Kaz Photography.
The Premier Plus package sounded perfect, 8 hours of wedding coverage, a DVD of all images with copyright release, $100 print credit, and an engagement shoot for $2,450!

Sadly, Kaz Photography was booked for the day of her wedding :( So Miss Boa went on to the next contenders...

Since I may oogle at wedding photos that show up on my facebook feed from time to time, :P , I suggested Tess Moran Photography because those photos really stuck out in my wedding-crazed mind!

Great photographs...

All photos copyright of Tess Moran Photography.
...with packages that start at $3,000. Darn it! Nevermind then I told her, keep looking!

While finding photographs of the reception rooms in Templeton Landing, Miss Boa discovered Knight Studio Photography.

She liked their style of photography:

All photos copyright of Knight Studio Photography.
Their pricing was alright starting at $2,500, however to include the engagement photo shoot she wanted, the price would have to rise to $2,850.

Plus this company was also booked for her wedding date. XP

Needless to say she was starting to worry a bit about booking a photographer in time!

Determined to find someone who would fit their budget and schedule, Miss Boa did a very, very through search, considering eight other various photographers, all starting at $3K for what she wanted.

Till she found Robin Fox Photography!

*cue heavens parting*

All photos copyright of Robin Fox Photography.
Photographs that take your breath away, 10 hours of wedding coverage, DVD of images with copyright, 5-10 prints, an engagement session AND a wedding album for a grand total of $2,150.

o.0

I almost didn't want to tell you about this photographer so maybe Robin Fox would still be up-and-coming (and thus still affordable,) by the time I get married! XD

Being available for Miss Boa's special day, it was settled! The photographer was booked!

There still were some big elements still missing from Miss Boa's wedding, find out which next post!

How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: The Dress

While searching for the all important venue, Miss Boa went to track down a very important wedding purchase--

The Dress:

Now, to start off, I have been sworn to secrecy on the dress. Sorry guys!

(But, I'll be sure to post the stunning beauty the day after the wedding! XD)

What I can tell you, is the process Miss Boa went through to find the dress in just two appointments!

She first went to Alfred Angelo to give herself a general idea of what she was looking for.
She quickly confirmed that she didn't like over-the-top, billowy ballgowns...

Pretty, but not for Miss Boa
...but became a bit confused about what she did like, and who can blame her?! There are a LOT of gorgeous dresses out there!

The very next day, she went to Victoria's Bridal Shoppe, which was highly recommended, and by the end of our appointment, we could see why!

The women there were very friendly and warm, and after a few dresses they understood what Miss Boa was looking for. They pulled something that was just perfect for her!

The fog of confusion was lifted and the dress was purchased!

Next item on the to-do list...the photographer!

How to Plan a Wedding in Two Weeks: The Venue

Miss Boa got engaged in December, and set her sights on a summer 2012 wedding. She knew this did not leave her with much time, but with finals and projects coming due, wedding planning was simply not in the cards yet.

But, once the last page of classwork was complete, she set her sights on getting this wedding show on the road! (And onto vendors' calendars!)

The first things she went to tackle:

1) The venue
2) The dress
3) The photographer

The Venue:

Miss Boa and her finance's search for a Buffalo, NY venue evolved as they conducted their search, at first they were going for a sophisticated reception locale and an outdoor ceremony.

They visited the Delaware Mansion first.

They didn't like it.

While the building was charming, the interior was not their style. They didn't like that the dance floor was separate from the banquet room, and the couple could only have a sweetheart table, so this diminished the fun atmosphere they were looking for.

Tie in the high price tag and no tasting of the food beforehand...this venue was out!

Next was the Niagara Country Club:

Miss Boa loved the outdoor location for the ceremony, the look of the reception rooms, and the stunning view of the grounds! The price was reasonable and the food was good, BUT...

...they needed a sponsor from the Country Club in order to have their wedding there.

Apparently, not knowing too many golfers, :p their search continued...

Next stop on their venue travels--Pearl Street Grill and Brewery:

This one stood out from the other choices due to its more modern atmosphere. Plus the building had tons of character, outdoor patio space, and really tasty food!

But by this point Miss Boa snagged herself a wedding planner for a steal! (Cost of invitations through the planner plus $50/hour for day-of coordination! o.0) And with some discussion she and her finance decided that one location for their ceremony and reception was best for them and their guests.

And Pearl Street simply did not have a large enough ceremony space.

Her planner suggested Templeton Landing for their next consideration:

The venue was on the waterfront of downtown Buffalo, and had fabulous views of the water and pier!

A large dance floor was the center of the room, bringing in a cozy and mingling type of environment. The decor was tasteful with gorgeous chandeliers and stone facade on the walls.

The ceremony would be done by the water on the neighboring grounds:

Not to mention it had a really cute outdoor patio:

Then include reasonable pricing and great food, and it was clear. Miss Boa declared that this was it! She would get married at Templeton Landing!

(Can you believe she viewed all these venues in a 1 week timespan?!?)

Now she would cross her fingers, pray for good weather, and move quickly on to the next step: the dress!

How to Get A Phantom Wedding Like David Tutera's My Fair Wedding: Venue

Intrigued? Well good! Because I would like to happily debunk the myth that you have to spend ton of money to have a beautiful wedding, so here it goes.

How to Get David Tutera's My Fair Wedding - Phantom of the Opera Wedding:

Step 1: Find the right venue

Okay, you're lucky with this one, because pretty much any ballroom/hotel reception area will do for Phantom. Since you're going for classic, you don't have to worry about the unique aspect of the venue, more rather the opulence of the place. Chandeliers are a really big plus, and gold and red decor/color scheme is very helpful as well.

If you can afford a lavish looking venue, good for you! The venue is a vital choice for a wedding, however remember some may not let you use a different caterer, so be sure to check those menu prices first!

Since there are hundreds thousands of venues out there, I will just pick out a few affordable suggestions for my hometown Buffalo, NY area:

Samuel's Grand Manor -

First choice, hands down, no doubt, sign me up if I wanted a Phantom wedding, is Samuel's Grand Manor. Perfect ambiance. Just look at the place!

Cost for Wedding Package #1 = $48.95 per person

Package includes the following:
-Sit-down dinner with soup, salad, entree, dessert and coffee
-champagne toast for all guests
-wine served with dinner
-choice of 9 hors d'oeurves served for one hour
-4 1/2 hours of upgraded open bar

There is a lot of nice perks included with this package, plus all the menu choices have a great variety.

Total for 100 guests = $4895
8.75% sales tax = $428
17% gratuity = $832

Grand total for 100 guests = $6155

Note that their prices can be reduced with Friday/Sunday bookings or with off-season winter weddings! Definitely something to check out if you're in the area! :D


The Millennium Hotel -

This next choice that is just as beautiful, and cheaper to boot!

Cost for Wedding Package #2 = $39.95 per person

Package includes the following:
-Sit-down dinner with salad, rolls, entree and coffee
-a Butterwood wedding cake!!! (OMG I kinda really want that XD)
-assorted bruschetta display, fresh fruit/veggie/cheese board, and crudites for appetizers
-4 hours of open house bar
-champagne toast for all guests
-complementary accommodations for the newlyweds
-complementary shuttle service from the airport and Amtrak station
-special room rates for overnight guests
-complementary parking
-15% off a rehearsal dinner or brunch

Great looking ballroom, with tons of extras! The menu choices are a little limited, but it is wonderful to not have to worry about rooms for your guests or transportation for your out-of-towners. Booyah!

Total for 100 guests = $3995
8.75% sales tax = $350
18% gratuity = $719

Grand total for 100 guests = $5064


The Hamlin House -

Now for the more budget-inclined, there are some very lovely choices out there for you too! My pick for you is the Hamlin House.

Cost for dinner with a soup or salad, rolls, entree, dessert and coffee = $14.95 per person

The menu choices are not anything fancy, but they do say on their website that other possibilities are available as well. A banquet dinner includes plating of any cookies, pastries or cake that are brought on location, plus bud vases, candles, and some linen color choices for the tables.

Cost for 4 hours house open bar = $13.75 per person

Note that extras like appetizers and whatnot are also available for extra.

Even with the costs being so reasonable, the space is actually very sophisticated!

The next lowest contender I found started at $36.50, and it didn't look as polished as this one. (You know the type of place...with the faux flowers everywhere...awkward room design and video from the 80s...yeah) You're really better off splurging a little more on The Millennium Hotel if you want something more upscale.

Total for 100 guests = $2870
8.75% sales tax = $251
18% gratuity = $517

Grand total for 100 guests = $3638

And that's how you get a lovely Phantom of the Opera venue without the (extremely) large price tag!

On to Step 2: Lighting!

Attention Buffalo Brides! Voucher for Half-Off Men's Apparel!

Are you a Buffalo gal and need gifts for your groomsmen?

Then sign up for SweetFind on the double and get their latest deal for the Riverside Men's Shop: $100 vouchers for $45!

You could get half off ties, socks, hats, pocket squares, button-down shirts, etc.!


There's a time limit for SweetFind deals however, so you have approx 16 hours left to snatch this one up!

So go over and plan your guy's ensembles for half price! :D

Just thought you'd like to know!