Wedding Mood Board

Planning this wedding has been hard - like I really understand Bridezillas now. Completely. I've been struggling creating a "vision". Of course EVERYONE wants me to do red and/or green because our wedding is in December but I'd literally rather not get married than do red or green. I do NOT want our wedding associated with Christmas... at all. I'm sticking to my guns and keeping it in a color scheme I've always loved and that Jesse likes too, although I swear I could put anything in front of him and he'd say it looks great, so there is that. 

Now that red and green are out of the picture, we can talk color. And by color, I mean black, white, a little gold, and mauvey-pink. I want our wedding to be moody, romantic, and warm. Candles. A lot of them. Like a fire hazard. And lanterns down the aisle and down the stairs. And black table settles, acrylic seating charts, and an unplugged ceremony sign. I stg if I see someone with their iPhone in the aisle as I walk down.......

Of course everyone wants "traditional" things... traditional photos, flowers, blah blah blah. But if there is one thing I am not, its traditional. I will do and wear and decorate as we please on our wedding day. And if a flower tiara and veil is "too much" for some, feel free to escort yourself to someone else's wedding.  

Because we are getting married in December, lighting will be minimal and we will be relying on indoor lighting, which is fine, but I definitely want to amp it up a little (or a lot) with candles in tall vases and lanterns. I want it to feel warm and expensive (but not cost a lot of $$$). I'm thinking aliexpress for BULK lanterns and vases. We are hoping to get some pictures at golden hour, which should be doable considering our ceremony does not start until 6 & sun sets around 5 in December.

As for color, I want some sage green on the table with mauve flowers, maybe some DARK red roses, and white flowers of some sort. I'm not a florist - I have no idea what I'm talking about. I haven't thought much about my bouquet or bridesmaids, but I do know I want white/pink/dark red all mixed in there. 

And if in 10 months this vision does not come to life and I went with airy whites, light pinks, and grey, DO NOT be surprised. I swear I have a new style every day. 

What theme did you do for your wedding and what was the hardest part of planning? For me its photographers. 

Leave a comment on here or my instagram of what you want to see from me - wedding planning, diet, exercise, fashion, beauty? 

Check back in a month or so for save the dates and invitations because that is another entire fiasco. 

if you see a picture you like above, make sure you follow me on Pinterest, which is entirely where my wedding is from.

xo 

grace

Planning our Wedding on a Budget

Welcome to my first wedding planning post! If you're new here, I'd suggest you check out my Youtube channel, that is where most of my content is! But, my name is Grace and I a third year law student in New York. I got engaged on Christmas 2018 and my fiancé, Jesse, and I are planning our wedding for December 2020. This post is an introduction to everything I've planned so far, just to get you up to speed.

We are definitely trying to spend the least amount of money possible, which has so far been going pretty well. If you get married in the "off season" (Dec. - March, depending on where you live), you can get HEFTY discounts since most venues are not booked or even half booked in those times. We saved about $8,000 on our venue alone by having our wedding in December. 

I've been loving wearing my "wifey" & "mrs." sweatshirt because I feel there is only a limited amount of time to wear these items before it becomes overdone. They are so comfy and great to wear to run to get coffee or run in any direction away from wedding planning (kidding but also not).

// dress I wore //similar dress //

So far we have booked our venue and videographer ... thats it. I also picked out a dress, but haven't put a payment down yet, one could say I'm indecisive.  I've been using this wedding planner to keep track of companies I've contacted, companies I won't be using so I don't keep emailing them, and things I am looking for in vendors and things I need to keep in mind. I definitely recommend a planner, whether it be paper or digital, because there are SO many vendors to keep track of. I really like the one I purchased because there is a timeline and a lot of room to write. Clearly, I can write a lot. I also linked the cutest diamond pens that I always use to plan. I also gave them to my bridesmaids as little gifts.

The next thing we need to plan is our photographer, that is so important to us. I want someone more modern, "moody", but also bright. I don't want the typical, barely edited photos. I want some glamour, some filters, some brightness and editing. It has been difficult to find a photographer that edits the way I want but doesn't cost $6,000+. I'm hoping to pay at most $3,500... which is proving difficult.

After that is florals. Our venue has a deal with a local florist/decor company who would provide all the florals, decor, table settings, seating charts, etc. at a flat cost, which is good. I'm just hoping we can come to a consensus on style, because I'm still a little unsure what direction to go in.

Jesse is in charge of the DJ so I am completely leaving that to him - I truly do not care who does it as long as they play the music we want and DO NOT get on the microphone... pretty much ever lol. 

The three words I want people to think of when people are at our wedding is classic, romantic, and bright. I don't want any decor that I will regret in 5 or 10 years. We are keeping our color scheme pretty muted with a lot of white, light gold, mauvey pinks, and black. Romantic because I want the wedding to be centered around our love story. I don't a romantic ceremony with speeches by friends, family, our personal vows, and speeches during dinner from my sisters and Jesse's best man. 

After the lovey-dovey things are done, I want people to have fun! There is a top shelf open bar for a reason. I want people to dance, drink, and enjoy. 

The next thing, which is not really that important, but I am nevertheless worried about, is finding the perfect "getting ready" outfits for myself and my bridesmaids. I am definitely thinking robes because we will be getting ready in a hotel and I'm sure it will be warm. Also, gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I know what I want for the girls - personalized champagne glasses, a robe, jewelry, and maybe a personalized tote? If you are a small shop owner and want me to check out your shop PLEASE let me know! I am always looking for these little things for my bridesmaids.

Below are the cards & champagne bottles I gave my bridesmaids (along with this pen). I think I spent about $50 - $60 total on all of this. I wasn't going to do some extravagant "proposal" when I have 6 bridesmaids, almost all of whom I am related to, haha. I will save the fun and more expensive gifts for the wedding day.

matron of honor card // bridesmaid card // bottle label

If you live in NYC or the surrounding area - please let me know who you used for photography, florals, and DJs (and price, if you don't mind!)
engagement photos by Natalie

love,

grace 

Cheap Chloé Bag Dupes on Amazon

Chloé bags are so popular right now, and for good reason because they are really cute & functional! I have been loving cross body bags and smaller purses in general and Chloé makes the best ones. However, over $1,000 for a small bag is out of my price range. I have found the cutest dupes on Amazon for the most popular Chloé bags!

1 Chloé | 1 Amazon |

2 Chloé | 2 Amazon |

3 Chloé | 3 Amazon |

4 Chloé | 4 Amazon |

1. Chloe Faye Small $795 vs. Amazon $50

The small Chloe Faye is great for a night or or any time you don't need to carry much. It is quite a tiny bag, which is why the Amazon dupe is great. The amazon one seems to have a suede flap while the Chloe one is all regular leather.

2. Chloe Drew $1,850 vs. Amazon $70

I am obsessed with the Drew bag. The only annoying part is the strap, which is just a chain, which makes it hard to hang it on the back of a chair. However, the bag is so cute and a unique design. The Amazon dupe is great and basically identical.

3.  Chloe Faye Medium $1,950 vs. Amazon $80

I am going to buy the Amazon dupe of the Faye medium bag because it looks so cute for summer. I love brown purses for the summer because I wear a lot of white. This bag seems like it can fit a lot!

4. Chloe Marcie Medium $1,990 vs. Amazon $81

The Marcie bag seems like it could fit the most out of all of these purses. It isn't just for a night out or just an ID and phone. You could totally use this as your work bag or everyday bag.

I hope you guys like these dupes! I ordered the small Chloe Faye one on Sunday so I will be posting a lot of pictures on my Instagram! make sure you're following me!

xo 

grace

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