Paper Tigers

One of the things I am quickly finding out is how expensive a wedding really is! The more I think about it, the more it makes me queasy...I mean, it's only ONE day! One of the first things that needs to be established when planning your wedding is a budget. Absolutely vital. Once that is in place, you can find ways to tweak and trim the things that are of high and low priorities.
One big expense is flowers. Remembering to purchase flowers in season (*on your wedding day*) can save you beaucoup. Flowers aren't a high priority for me so we are entertaining the idea of having paper flowers.

(photo from Martha Stewart Weddings)

I love the color palette of these paper decorations.

(photo from Martha Stewart Weddings)

It's hard to believe these paper flowers are made from coffee filters! Check out the DIY tutorial here from Design Sponge.

(photo via Aunt Peaches)

Another option is to attempt to make your own bouquets. I have been warned that this might be biting off more than you can chew however, I like a challenge. These projects might take a little more time and energy, but it will definitely save you a hefty portion of your budget to spend elsewhere.

Where else can I save some money??

The Tux

I recently went to my first big bridal show since being engaged....I was absolutely flooded with all of the options that are available for weddings these days. Between the sheer size of the event and the blood thirsty brides-to-be, the only thing we managed to check off our list were the tuxedos...and a gagillion phone calls from vendors that I thought were a good idea to fork over my information. You just get so excited about all of the cool booths and forget that maybe a honeymoon in Branson, MO wouldn't be ideal after all. Oh well, I imagine the calls will continue throughout the year :)

As for the tuxes, we decided to go the non-traditional route. The circus theme alone is pretty unconventional so we thought we'd keep it consistent for the tux. With the exception of the 80's, most weddings I've been to the groom/groomsmen look like penguins. The black and white, extremely thick, extremely heavy and extremely uncomfortable traditional tux. At the show, we stumbled upon these dapper suits from Men's Warehouse. After a thorough pat down of the young man modeling it (kidding), we discovered how amazingly thin and light it was! Your welcome boys for not letting you melt in your tuxes...

(photo from Men's Warehouse)

So now, my Andy won't look like my waiter--he'll look like my husband!

Here Comes the Bride...

Welcome to my new little place on the web :) My name is Lindsay, Your Blushing Bride. For the next year, I will be planning my own wedding with my wonderful fiance. We have been together for a little over 3 years and FINALLY decided to make it official (love you babe ;) ). We are best friends that have the best time with each other. There is no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. Alright, enough with the sap!

For our big day, we wanted to make it an event that would be fun, light and something people would definitely not forget. It didn't take long for us to arrive on the idea of having a circus/carnival themed wedding! Before you jump to conclusions, we recognize the extremely fine line with this type of theme...we could very easily let this event slip from classy to trashy. That is why I have you guys now :)

I invite you to take the journey with me as I scour the web for the little details that will make our day truly unforgettable. Let the games begin...(insert circus music "root doot da doot")