I Heart Weddings

It's been exactly 153 days since Pepe and I got hitched! However, the wedding day is still very fresh in my mind. I can easily recall the tender loving moments we exchanged at the altar. I cried because I was so overcome with emotion. The sight of my husband to be and our love ones around us simply tugged at my heart strings. It really was the happiest day of my life.

So when people ask me about my wedding. I can't help but go on and on about it. But it isn't just my wedding that I love. I love weddings in general. Weddings are a day of celebration, pure and simple. It's two people coming together, two families coming together and how their lives will become inextricably intertwined. And the best weddings are those that celebrate the couple in love and showcase details that are meaningful to their relationship.

I may not be planning my own wedding anymore but I still have the DVR set to record a host of wedding shows. I still have mod duties on The Knot R.I board. I am also really looking forward to my friend's wedding next week and my nephew and niece's wedding in the fall of 2012. Years from now, Pepe and I would love to have a vow renewal to celebrate our love all over again. It's also a good excuse to throw a fabulous party!

So for those brides-to-be that are a little doubt plagued about taking the leap into matrimonial bliss. It may not be an easy ride but hang in there. The cloud of stress you are feeling while you plan your wedding will be lifted and it will be worth it because your love is worth all of the hard work, time and money you put into making that one special day perfect. Yeah, it is just one day but you know it's significant and you are committing forever....So just remember to enjoy it. :-)

Love,
Moni

Tying the Knot: Budget Breakdown

I was never planning on doing this post. But after getting a few requests, I decided to share the nitty-gritty details of our budget. This post is an ode to my good work- my hours and hours of hunting for the best vendors and feeling like we really did spend our money well.

That said, here is a fairly accurate estimate of all the gory details. I did round up the numbers since I did not include what we gave in tips. This was a Newport wedding for close to 200 guests (178 lovely people showed up)We are incredibly thankful for all of the monetary gifts we received from our friends and family. They were so very generous.

Venue: $2,000
Damage Deposit: $200
Insurance/Host Liquor License: $175 (required by our venue)

Photography: $3,250
Video:$1350

Band: $1500

Catering (Cocktail & Reception):$7060
Catering Rentals:$484.00
Bar Expense: $500 (Bar tending service fee plus all the fixings)
Alcohol: $1100 (we hosted an open bar but bought our own alcohol)
Dessert Bar:$450

Officiant/Monks: $100
Cambodian Ceremony Food & Drinks: $250
Cambodian Wedding Clothes Rental: $200 ( The hubby and I only wore TWO outfits and my bridal party wore 1)

Day of Coordinator: $750

Invitations: $275
Save the Dates: $45

Flowers & Non-Floral Centerpiece:$852
Decor: $229
Linens:$375
Misc. items: $189.00

Wedding Dress & Alterations:$528

Bridal Beauty:$580 (I also paid to have my sister and my MOH and BM have their make up done professionally)

Bridal Accessories: $191 (including two veils, two pairs of shoes and a custom couture hair accessory)

Groom & Groomsmen attire/accessories:$512

Transportation:$206

All in all, not too shabby considering we got what we wanted and our day was beautiful and memorable. We did go over budget by a few grand which means I didn't stick to the budget but in the end, we both felt it was worth every penny. The average cost of a wedding varies from state to state. It is actually very expensive to get married in R.I (MA even higher). The national average is $26,542 so we are under by a bit. If you want to find out more about wedding costs in your area, check out the link below. G.L and happy planning!

Cost of Wedding