June 15, 2012

A few Piggy Bank Wedding photos!


Here's a glimpse into our Piggy Bank Wedding!
 One of my favorite pictures of Mr. J and I on our wedding day!

 My grandparents' wedding cake topper, complete with a swatch of my mother's veil.

 My dad and I breaking it down in the middle of our Father/Daughter dance.

My spring bouquet!

April 5, 2012

Piggy Bank Wedding Success and a Photo Deal

Hi! Okay...so it has been a VERY long time since I last update Piggy Bank Dating blog! I guess I had a great excuse...I planned a wedding on a budget WITHOUT a wedding planner!

And, guess what?! I'm a married lady! Woohoo!

Mr. J and I had a BLAST our entire wedding day! We enjoyed every second of it! All of that planning - the weeks and months of stressing about little details and timelines and venues - turned out to be worth it! I can't wait to share with you over the next few months about our wedding day and the process and plans we made to achieve our goals.

Here's a little sneak peak of my Priscilla of Boston dotted swiss wedding dress:

For an added treat: Make sure to hit up Walgreens.com today for an incredible photo print deal! Register or sign in to their photo section, upload your photos (like bridal or honeymoon pics!), and use the code FREEDEAL at the checkout. You will receive 25 FREE 4x6 prints! Opt to pick them up at your local store to receive this deal completely free!

September 16, 2011

PIGGY BANK WEDDING: Honeymoon

I'm excited to say, "We've booked our honeymoon!"

This is where we will be in exactly 192 days:


I can't wait!

{Tips on saving money on your honeymoon at a resort...} Reserve ahead! We booked our honeymoon room and airfare over 6 months in advance and some of the less expensive rooms (but still fab rooms) were already "sold out".

September 1, 2011

PIGGY BANK WEDDING: THE Dress!

I've contemplated writing a post about my wedding dress for a while. It's one of those "keep it a secret or perish" things. Without giving away too many details, here goes...

I found my wedding dress before I was engaged. Yep. Four days before THE PROPOSAL. I never planned that it would work out that way, but I'm so glad it did.

I had visited several local wedding shops back when I was a bridesmaid in my best friend's wedding, so I had an idea of the stores I liked. I was most impressed with an upscale, small boutique in the ritzy area of my city. (Of course...) They sell designer gowns-- Vera Wang, Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, etc. You know, the ones off limits to a bride-on-a-b*dg*t. But one day Tim and I drove past the store and there was a large sign that boasted the word my heart longed to hear: SALE. Tim encouraged me to check it out, but I resisted because I didn't want to "jump the gun" before I even had the ring. Of course he knew I would have the ring in a matter of days...

It so happened that one of my bridesmaids, who resides in Boston, was in town visiting family. Because of the distance, she won't be able to be involved in any of the bridal festivities other than the wedding. I had been at her dress appointments, and I wanted her to be there for at least one of mine. It was the right timing, and I figured I would end up at several different bridal salons looking for a dress. So, after talking it over with my mom and a couple bridesmaids I made the appointment.

I had no idea what type of dress I wanted. I knew I wanted something between traditional and obscure. (That's a huge scale, right?!) I didn't know what style would look best on me...a princess ballgown or a form-fitting lace dress? We found the sale rack and I picked about ten dresses to try on. As I tried on each one, we saw a pattern of what worked best with my figure and what dress features we liked best on me.

And then I found it. The dress. The one that had ALL the features we had admired on other dresses. The one that was unique, but elegant. The one that hinted at a vintage style, but didn't scream 1953. At first I questioned it's features and listened to affirmation from my peers. It didn't look like me on the hanger, but once I slipped it on, I didn't want to take it off. I had to step into my dressing room to keep from crying. After all of us talked and gushed about THE DRESS, I tried it on twice and had my MOH take tons of pictures. And, it was on drastic SALE. Like, affordable sale.

We bought it the next day. The ladies at the shop were so sweet and helpful and didn't fuss that I was on a tight budget. I can't wait to get it altered and find the perfect veil to go with it!

Unfortunately, since my appointment my dress designer, Priscilla of Boston, has announced they will no longer create gorgeous wedding dresses. It's sad to think I will be one of the last brides to wear one of her designs. On a happier note, I'm thankful PofB stayed around long enough for me to find my perfect dress!
These 80s wedding magazines did not give me wedding dress inspiration!

{P.S. Maybe I can upload photos of the wedding shopping day after my wedding!}

August 5, 2011

PIGGY BANK WEDDING: 1st month of planning and EMOTIONS!

Over the past month, I have experienced the ups and downs of wedding planning. I know I haven't handled my emotions as well as I should have, but I'm keeping it together...I'm still sane!

My emotions (+ and -) list for the 1st month of wedding planning:
+The initial excitement after the proposal and the blingin' ring!
-The moment you freak out because you realize HOW MUCH work/planning you're about to have to do.
+The feeling you get when your friends "Ooh" and "Ahh" over your ring and proposal story!
+The moment you put on THE dress. The one you never pictured until you saw it on your body. The one your mom teared over. The perfect one.
-The moment you realize that all those gorgeous churches downtown are WAY out of your price range.
-Looking over the budget for the first time. And the second time. Third...
-+Moving money around in your budget to splurge in areas.
+The second you tour the perfect venue at the right price.
-The text you receive informing you one of your favorite people in the entire world won't be able to attend your wedding or make your cake.
+The butterflies you get in your tummy when you hear him tell you he loves you.
+The excitement of planning to decorate and make a future home together.
+The moment brilliant wedding inspiration hits you!
-The day you discover your favorite flowers/plants won't be in season.
+The same day you discover your dad can grow those out of season plants so you can have them in your wedding.
+The joys of picking out your Fiesta colors!
+The email that informs you that your favorite photographer is available on your wedding date!

The list can go on...
Upgrade?!

Friends and Family: Thank you for all your encouragement and ideas over the past month! You know we've (I) needed it!

August 2, 2011

PIGGY BANK WEDDING: "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" Project

One of my favorite wedding projects has been my "Secret Bridal Project"
AKA "MISSION: Will you be my bridesmaid?"

My close friends have always been very important to me. I value their relationships and the time we've spent together. So, when I got engaged, I knew I wanted my sweet friends by my side...and I wanted to ask them to stand by me in a way I hoped would be special. Unfortunately, I don't have unlimited funds, so I wasn't able to have a blow-out evening out or buy them something extravagant. I decided to do something simple and affordable that represents me and my tastes.

I love vintage hankies--there is something so soft and romantic about each one. My grandmother gave me two of hers that I will incorporate into my wedding (possibly wrapped around my bouquet). My mom graciously gave me a small collection to also use for my wedding, and I knew I wanted to share them with my six girls!



The materials I used: a variety of vintage floral handkerchiefs, corsage pins, scrapbook paper, brown gift bags, ink and dress form stamp, tissue paper.



Using scrapbook paper, I wrote the very important question and pinned the tag and a polka dotted translucent layer to the hankie. I folded it and wrapped it in coordinating tissue paper. I put them into small brown gift bags that I dressed up with a cute stamp of a vintage dress form. I hand delivered all but one (that I mailed to Boston). It was so much fun to watch each girl open her floral hankie! I hope they enjoyed receiving them as much as I enjoyed putting them together and delivering them!



They all said, "Yes!"

August 1, 2011

Piggy Bank Wedding Planning: Stress

I was definitely not prepared for the level of stress I would mentally, physically, and emotionally endure after becoming engaged. I should have known. But, I was hoping I would magically be one of those calm, cool and collected brides. Instead, my hair started falling out at the speed of lightning, venue after venue fell through, and budgets became a blur of dollar signs and numbers!

Let me tell you...I've had some incredible support! My mom has done a bulk of the wedding research, calling almost every single church and venue in our area, moving dollars around in our budget and just being absolutely fabulous. My MOH and MatronOH have both been exceptionally supportive with ideas and calming me down when I have freak outs about the most bizarre things. My bridesmaids are all excited for me! And, of course, my fiance has been by my side with every decision and question.

I am happy to say that after a few weeks, we have accomplished much. We have a date, venues (at the right prices), a dress, my bridesmaids, and an almost completed guest list. And, I am also happy to say...I've mellowed out so much since making these decisions! I feel like I can relax a little!

Any suggestions on ways to keep stress from keeping me from enjoying the planning process and engagement period?

For a little comical relief...Lucy sleeping on her new donut bed! Super cute, right?