Does Frugality trump Expression

Does saving money trump expression? In the case of everything not called "Wedding", probably. As you all know, the US Postal Service is raising their price stamps for the 10th time in a year (cause not like we are in a recession or nothing). Now they are selling those simple, yet not very pretty forever stamps that last forever! The price stays forever. The stamp stays ugly forever also. Now if you haven't sent out those invites yet, these forever cents would save you a couple of bux. LOL, couple of bux. That is the epitomy of a cheap ass.

So the question is, are cute little expressive stamps worth the extra 2 bux you could be saving by buying forever stamps?

How many is too many?

I am looking at this stanger's wedding and I've got a question: "How many bridesmaids/groomsmen is too many?" This couple has got 13 couples on each side. Lucky 13? Really? Maybe they watched 21 Dresses with lead star of Chucky the Bride and thought "Hey, let's switch it up and go all Friday the 13th and jinx our marriage from the very beginning." I can just see myself if I was in that situation, "Great, should I get a lawyer to draw up the docs right now? Maybe we should make this a destination wedding so I don't have to give up half." But seriously, what do you do with 26 people? I don't even have 26 friends. Ok I lie, but still. They should put everyone at the head table. It would be like Knights of the Round times TWO!

I should go, "Honey, I think we should add 10 more groomsmen." Her immediate response would be, "Hell no! Love you though."

This Countdown Even Work?

I am looking at this countdown and it is such a big number, but when you break it down into months, it is not so big. So we are under the 6 month mark and still got stuff to do. What do we got to do? Lots of stuff. It is easier to recite the things that we have done (much shorter list) rather than the things we have to do. But like I said, it only takes like a week to pull this off, so 5.5 months or 179 days or something seems like an eternity. It is like how the final 2 minutes of a basketball game takes 20 minutes. AN ETERNITY!

Yeah, I don't know what to blog about since I haven't been doing anything since I got back from skiing. The only thing I did manage to do is to change the splash screen for our website and put a new song. I love being unproductive. Hmm..maybe working on the website would be a good idea...I wonder what's on TV.

What is your last name again?

We've hit a dilemma. The soon to be wifey is changing job in which she wears a lab coat. The new employer was gracious enough to embroider the lab coat with her name. What name should she put? Current or future? I say just embrace the future. It is inevitable, take my name forever!!!

MUAHAHAHA!

Registry Tip

Here is a little tip from my friend about Macy's registry.

Macy's has a lot of stuff. If you don't want something that you have been given, they give you store credit. A secret to getting cash back is to open a Macy's card. When you have a Macy's card, you can ask them to put it back on the card. Now I think there is some tag on the transaction that tells that it is a store credit, but wait a few months and then ask for the negative balance back because credit card companies do not like cards with negative balance. If they refuse to give it back to you, then cancel the card and they have to give it back to you.

This should work for other stores with credit cards also. Enjoy!

Skepticle of the Live Band

I always thought it was interesting to have a live band. To truly do it right I think you have to have a combination of Live Band and DJ. The band always has to take a break and generally just puts on a CD of music. This turns into down time. All of the sudden the music is gone and people are just like, what do we do? You hope that they fill the air with events and speeches to pass the time, but sometimes you can't fill the whole space. I must say that this band that I saw this weekend at my friend's wedding was nice. They were really good. So good that I would even forgo a DJ. I always thought that if someone got a live band that it would be boring and people wouldn't dance, etc... I was wrong. That is what happens when you get a SHITTY band. The band we saw was Entourage, part of duBois Productions. These guys were worth the money. The guy had a really nice voice and even when his mic blew during the first dance, he jumped off the stage and sang a cappella to the couple. It was a nice and quick touch. He also has 2 other female singers with him who can both blow. If you got the 5 figs to get these guys, I definitely recommend them because they totally changed my mind on live bands @ weddings for all time.

Defeated!

So I have been defeated. Well, the budget that we agreed on has been blown away. I mean it was already blown away in our projection of costs, but I can officially declare it dead. How did it die? Hmm...maybe cuz I am just a guest and have no say (well that is what the vendors tell me). Ok, I have a big say, but now I got a Suga Mama, so no worries. Plus she is uprooting herself to move to my neck of the woods way earlier than anticipated, so we figured we ought to get something we are happy with rather than compromising all the time. But yeah. Also one of the reasons is that we still can't find a photog that we both like. We had 1. He was cheap, but also cannot book for another 2 MONTHS. Shoot at this rate, we might not even book someone by then. So I have ventured out. Reaching out to photogs in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, and Arizona. But we are raising the budget on the photog. Simply there is no one we like in the middle ground area. Oh well. Defeated. Maybe I should change the heading.

Ugly Vendor

Would you hire an ugly vendor?

I don't know if I would. I know that sounds superficial, but I mean your guests are looking at your caterer, DJ, videographer, or photographer. Generally most of the vendors are ok, middle of the road looking, but then sometimes you get some fugly people. I know I sound like an ass, but you really want to subject your guests to that. Are your friends ugly? Of course not. Not to you, but to someone else, one of your friends might be ugly. So if think of all the various guests that you are inviting who don't know each other but know you. Now think that they have all different thoughts about what ugly looks like. Then think of your vendor. Did they fall off ugly tree? I am not hiring someone who looks like Freddy Krueger. Just like you aren't going to see Shamu @ New York Fashion Week (ok, that was from "The City", I know, I know, I know). To be honest, I haven't met any Freddy's, nor expect to. But I have met/seen some borderlines that make me think. Call Pretty or Call Borderline? Hmm..I'll call pretty.

I love the free stuff

So I went to my first registry event over the weekend. I didn't even know they had registry events, but it totally makes sense. All these companies want a piece of the wedding cake, so why not open a couple hours early and host an event for all the couples. The one I attended was at Crate and Barrel. Now, Crate is just overpriced in general. Most of the stuff is all one brand and there isn't really any diversity. They sell Wustof, but not Henckel. They sell All-Clad and Calphalon, and not, well I guess you shouldn't be using anything else. They sell OXO, but not Glad. I am just looking at all this crap and going, "Man, I could go to Chinatown or Daiso and buy all this stuff for like a dollar." I was actually looking at an All-Clad 12" stainless steel fry pan and it was at full retail price of 160, when I just bought it for 70 bux a couple weeks ago. So here I am with 70+ other couples wading through all that Crate has to offer, looking might go lucky (don't know how to they do it since it is freakin like 9 in da morn), and all I can see is free stuff. Free waffles so that they can pimp the waffle maker. Free panini sandwiches so they can pimp the panini press. Free coffee so people can be wired and scan like maniacs. Free mimosa's and champagne so your vision will be blurry and won't be able to make out the prices. Free cookies because everyone just loves a cookie. Another nice thing was the free bowl. Ok not really. It is this heart shape thing that should only show its face during V day. A couple years ago it is was two champagne flutes, which are way more useful. But another little surprise was the free kitchen shears we got for talking with the Wustof rep. Ding ding ding, winner winner chicken dinner. Take that off the registry.

I think I will go on being a newly engaged for the next 20 yrs and just show up to these things and mooch off some free stuff. Boo yah!

Are you stalking us?

So I bashed on this vendor before in this post and didn't reveal their name. But now that I am thinking back on this, it is time for the unveiling of this retarded vendor. The not so winner is...

Ray & Rob DJ Service by Ray Tomlinson

This is guy is stalking me. He came in at a really good price and wanted to save some cash money. After he talked my ear off and make a dissed his partner because his phone kept ringing, he is now stalking us. He calls me. I don't answer. He leaves a voicemail. He calls me again. He leaves another voicemail. Then at the same time, he calls my fiancee, and hangs up. Calls again and hangs up never leaving a voicemail for her. Like a stalker I tell you. He is hoping for the pick up, but doesn't want to reveal it is him who is calling over and over and over and over and over and over. ENOUGH ALREADY! Just stop. Go Away. Or leave a message and stop stalking me. I don't swing that way bucko. Yuck.

I am not going with him and neither should you. Be safe, don't book Ray & Rob.