Squeezing that Penny 'til Lincoln Says Ouchie!

At times, I can sometimes cross the line from being thrifty to being downright cheap. Planning a wedding is really challenging my ability to spend great deals of money on fancy things.

So, it was a real debacle when it came to choosing a venue for our ceremony and reception. Talk about some expensive rental fees! As Robert and I got more and more embroiled in wedding planning, I found myself getting increasingly annoyed. Why does everyone want a piece of me? Why do so many people strive to get their hands on my time and money just because I'm getting married? What's the deal with weddings costing so much????

We looked at several places. I made lists of pros and cons. We took all the costs of the various reception places and tallied them up. This wedding is a big investment, so I want to make sure we get our money's worth!

We finally settled on Clise Mansion last week. It had everything we wanted in a wedding reception location: outdoor garden for the ceremony, indoor option in case it rains, peaceful location in a park, nearby our place, and it seemed rather affordable. Unfortunately, after going to sign the contract, we were stunned that the invoice looked a lot higher than we had anticipated. To their credit, the people at Clise Mansion were trying to be nice to us and show the highest possible cost for the reception -- including their house wine, champagne, and additional set up and clean up services that we might not need. It was these costs that made me want to flee in panic, tail between legs.

We had our prefered date held while we mulled over the costs and benefits of Clise. We continued looking into other options. Nothing seemed to fit our needs correctly, no matter how I crunched the numbers and tried to use my imagination for how we could make less more. Finally, after an agonizing Memorial Day weekend, we reverted back to preferring Clise Mansion. We decided the price was fair (by comparison) and now are in the process of the contract and cutting the check. (this process should be completed tomorrow)

So now, after so much work, we have our date: August 23, 2009. About *bleeping* time, huh?

Now, to re-assume my money-saving passions, I'm looking to cut costs elsewhere in the wedding process. I'm looking for an inexpensive wedding dress on Craig's List; we're using an mp3 player as opposed to a band; for the table center pieces, I'll look for seasonal flowers from the market instead of a lot of individual florist creations. Also, to continue with my list-making-mania, I have an ever-growing wedding to do list, in approximate chronological order no less. If you ever want to feel your head spin, I'll let you take a look.

My mom somewhat disapproves of these money-saving techniques. They're unromantic maybe. She is very excited about the wedding and thrills over discussing the traditions, options, and details. But, I'm very excited to have money left over for the honeymoon and eating during our first married year together.