Why I'm Dreading Wedding Dress Shopping

Guys, I thought I would have a fun time looking for my wedding dress.

I'm flipping out.

Why?  Because of my &$%-&$^@ expensive taste! XP

What do I like?
Texture

  Dimensional lace

  Unique

What does every budget dress look like?!?

Meh.  Simple and streamlined I am not.

Yes, I mentioned the eBay dresses before, but now that I'm doing more research, I have found that these are just "inspiration" photographs, and not what really comes shipped to your home.

There are some great sites here and here where you can see the difference...

Nice, but not the same...

I mean I could try out eBay and see what happens, I have enough time, I'm just worried that they can't do the complicated things I would want in a gown.

So my next step is researching these knock-off sellers and see if any have more positive reviews than most, try them out, and if it doesn't work out, go to plan B.

What's plan B?

A LOT of research.

Plan B is searching on Craigslist, eBay, WeddingBee Classifieds, BravoBride, RecycledBride, sample sales, etc. to find that one used or sample gown that is going for a reasonable enough price.

Like finding a needle in a haystack my friends.

So now I'm incredibly deflated...and getting a headache :p

I mean why does the WIC (Wedding Industrial Complex) have to be this way? Any white prom gown costs *more* than the same thing colored would be.  All wedding dresses are labeled as "affordable" if they're less than $1K.

Sometimes this seems like the cheaper option...

You what I think is affordable? $250
Highest price? $400, and it BETTER look like the dress from the Gods! ):<

I'm starting to feel that I can't escape this wedding budget blunder...yes, my mom IS going to pay for the dress, but it's just the damn principle of the thing!  I don't want anyone to pay more than $400 for a one-day deal for me.  And that's that.

And is it my fault that I like a little style???

Meh, maybe my new edition of Bridal Bargains can help me :P

Hopefully my dress ideas start becoming a bit clearer and the dress will come to me...but I think it will be playing hard to get.

Wish me luck <3

Why I Can't Stand BHLDN

What did you say? *GASP!* How could you!?

Everyone loves BHLDN! With their lovely vintage style, how could you refuse?!

Well, in my opinion, their prices suck and are horribly high.

Clothes? Fine, let the dresses be overpriced, clothes have always varied greatly in price for no good reason.

But with the new wedding decor line, come on! XP

Paper chargers for $1.70 each?! Really?! You can MAKE these, it doesn't take rocket science to cut out a scalloped circle! (Especially if you own a Cricut...)


Again, paper polka dot garland, 8ft for $18, you could also make this yourself with some metallic paper or foil covered cardboard, and some fishing line.


They even admit this LOVE banner is made of cardboard, not even 2ft in length for $28?! You can make this with cardboard letters, fine glitter, and ribbon. Cardboard is cheap, Dollar Tree sells ribbon, so the most expensive thing here is the glitter. You can buy ultra-fine glitter at Joann Fabrics for $5...


More paper nonsense, Cake-To-Go boxes that they sell unassembled, for $2.50 apiece. Yep, you're paying $2.50 for a piece of paper-covered cardboard with a stupid adhesive strip on it... XP


Paper wrapped votives for $5.67 a piece when you can buy glass votives in bulk and wrap them in patterned paper yourself. Geez...


Selling a FELT leaf garland for $1.16 a foot?! That you can tell is just connected loosely?!


You can buy a 3'x6' piece of felt at Joann Fabrics for $4.99, and cut out the pattern yourself.

The site says it's 3" at its widest, and each piece is either 7.5" or 9" long. So let's say 4" are needed to cut each width of leaf garland on the piece of Joann felt, and you make them all 12" long. You get 54 leaf sections from the piece of felt, and since they're all a foot long you get 54 feet of garland, making each foot cost $0.10 each and a bit of your time!

A $178 9" CAKE TOPPER THAT IS CLEARLY FAKE FLOWERS TIED AROUND A WIRE WREATH WITH A WIRE RIBBON BOW AND SOME WOOD BELLS TIED TO IT!?! PLEASE TELL ME HOW THAT IS $178 TO MAKE?!


See?!?! WAAAYY overpriced! D:<

I could go on and on and ON with this stupid decor line! D:<

So my lovely readers, please, use BHLDN's decor for inspiration only and try to find the products somewhere else. You will find cheaper alternatives, or you can try making most of them yourself.

But save your precious hard-earned money.

*end of rant*

The Reasons Why I Greatly Dislike Chiavari Chairs

Omg, how could you Sarah?!

You have just committed a wedding blog travesty!

How could you not love the beauty that is the Chiavari chair? Just look at how it transforms a space!

Yes, I have to admit, they are very lovely.

But I don't like them. They kinda annoy me greatly. >XP

Why you ask?

Because this is one of the few remaining grips the WIC (Wedding Industrial Complex) has on us lovely ladies.

We can DIY a centerpiece, decor, bouquets, table linens, ring pillows/flower girl baskets, mood lighting, DJ music, veils, invitations, tiered cakes, booze, our food even, (although I wouldn't try it)...

...but we cannot recreate the Chiavari chair.

The only way to get them is to rent or purchase them, and since most brides don't have a use for 100+ chairs, we rent them. For $6-$7 a piece at the absolute lowest. Because there is nothing else we can do.

And even when we try to find a bargain with these, we risk dealing with people who take advantage of their high prices, and many scams crop up, just involving cheap Chiavari chair rentals!

So they gouge out our wallets because they're counting on us to fawn over them.


Poor Miss Brooch was feeling the pain of being financially responsible, and with pictures like this, who can blame her? This is why I will not have those chairs in my wedding. They are not worth the money, no matter how much we may try to rationalize it.

If you are freaking out, desperately trying to re-arrange your budget to somehow fit these elegant chairs into your special day, take a deep breath. It's okay. You are better than the chairs. They are not worth it.

Put your money to a better use. You will feel much better about it later, when your bills are paid and you remember your wedding with great fondness.

Just trust me on this one :)