2008 December | 12k Wedding Blog

December 31, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Reception

I may have mentioned this before, but we have known for a while who our DJ would be. Like Elton, our photographer, he’s a good friend of ours who we know from high school.

Introducing DJ MealDue! Not the most striking DJ name – I know - but he’s a really good guy and a really good DJ. We’d mentioned it to him before but the deal wasn’t closed until the other day when he was at our house during a party. The next day we went to our venue (in case you forgot, I know it’s been a while, it’s the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History) and he checked out the system they’re already working with. According to MealDue the soundboard and speakers they have are pretty good so he should just be able to plugin to what they have there and get the party started!

DJ MealDue is in New York now, so he’ll just have to make the trip for our wedding in August. So what I’m saying is, if you find yourself in need of a DJ and/or a DJ recommendation, just let me know and I’ll pass you his info.

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Technorati Tags: dj, DJ MealDue, Entertainment, friend, friendor, MealDue, Reception, vendor, Venue

I’m Back!

December 31, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: News and Notes

Hey guys,

It feels like I’ve been neglecting the blog forever. I didn’t mean to be gone for so long but the holiday season and other stuff had me in a headlock for the past weeks. I’ve checked off a couple wedding-related tasks since we last talked so I’ll have to fill you all in everything.

Anyway, it’s good to be back and hopefully I won’t leave you missing me so long next time

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Detroit Grand Prix Canceled-Belle Isle Casino May be Available

December 18, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Venue

This just in!

The Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle has been canceled for next summer. This means that the Belle Isle Casino may now be available on dates it was previously booked. When I called in July, apparently it was all booked up for every weekend next year, with a lot of those summer dates reserved for private events related to the Grand Prix. Well now that that little detail is out of the way, some of those summer dates might be available.

The reasons I liked the Casino building:

Cheapest venue of them all. It’s run by the city so the rental fee was very reasonable. Less than $1500 if I remember correctly.
2 floors, with both accommodating around 200 people each
Plenty of free and convenient parking
Bring your own alcohol
Bring your own caterer
Beautiful building full of character
What’s says Detroit more than Belle Isle?

If you’re interested in renting the building and need help getting info on the rental, let me know and I’d be glad to help.

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Technorati Tags: Belle Isle, Casino, Detroit, Detroit Grand Prix, Venue

Top 5 Wedding Money Wasters

December 14, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Behind the Scenes

Let me just say upfront that I can not take credit for this list. I found it at About.com and thought that it would be worth sharing. Not everyone will agree with every item, but you can probably take away at least one thing. So without further ado:

Top 5 Wedding Money Wasters

Meaningless and expensive wedding favors

Wedding favors can be a thoughtful way of saying thank you to your guests. But far too often they’re a meaningless knickknack. Your guests don’t need a candy dish, or a little silver bell. Don’t think their cute place card holder doubles as a favor; what are they going to do with one place card? And do you really want a plastic Frisbee with your friends’ wedding date on it?

You’re going to spend a lot of money on things that will just collect dust, or end up in the trash. I think it’s far better to not give favors, or to make a donation to a charity. But cute favors include ones that are personal to the bride and groom. You might give food favors from the city you live in, or a box of your very favorite chocolates.

One of my favorite ideas is a breakfast bag. Send guests home with some beautiful muffins, a couple of good quality tea bags, and perhaps a little pot of jam or honey. The next morning they’ll be sure to enjoy your treat as they reminisce about everything that happened.

Money Saving Tip: Some of the most thoughtful wedding favors can be handmade. Put together a booklet of family recipes, or create a CD with an insert explaining why you chose each song.
Endless bride and groom swag

It may be fun to have a pair of track pants that say “Bride” across your butt, but how long are you really going to wear them? You certainly don’t need to own multiple pieces of clothing that say “bride” or “groom” because they’ve got a limited shelf-life. And, you do have an identity beyond that of a bride. You don’t own a sweatshirt that trumpets your profession, do you? So why would you want people out in public to see you first and foremost as a bride?

Perhaps the biggest money waster of all is giving your bridal party “bridesmaid” and “groomsman” gear. Do you really think that groomsman is ever going to wear that tacky hat ever again? Do you think he’ll even enjoy wearing it the first time?

Money Saving Tip Buy a pair of pajama pants or underwear that says “bride” or “groom.” Rather than feeling embarrassed about wearing a bride sweatshirt out in public, clothing meant for the home will remind the two of you of your wedding day. Leave the other bridal swag at the store.
Huge wedding cakes

Some couples only invite 50 guests, but they still order a cake that serves 300. With cakes going for $2-$15 a slice, that extra size adds up quickly. While a large cake looks impressive, a small cake can be charming. If height is a priority, consider asking your baker to use a separator set, and adding fresh flowers between the layers. Or, use a large cake topper, such as this tiered floral centerpiece.

Money Saving Tip If you are having more than 100 guests, ask for a display cake that only feeds 100 people. Use inexpensive sheet cakes in the back to feed the extra guests. No one will know the difference!

Read More: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Cake Designer
Too many mementos

The wedding industry loves to sell you goods by promising they will be keepsakes you can pass down to your children. Having mementos of your special day is a good thing, but you don’t need very many. Put together a wedding album, and perhaps preserve your wedding dress. But deeply consider every other item. Do you really need a personalized pen to sign the guest book? Is preserving your bouquet worth the money and the space in your home? You don’t need to have a wedding video, unless you will really watch it and enjoy it regularly. And not every toasting glass, picture frame, and photo album needs to be monogrammed with your wedding date.

Rather than filling up your house with tons of wedding mementos, leave room for creating new memories.

Money Saving Tip If an album is not included in your wedding photography package, consider doing it for yourself! That way, you can include the shots that are most important to you, as well as any mementos like your wedding program.

Read More: Capture those memories on film with a Wedding Photography Shot Checklist
Too many bridesmaids and groomsmen

Have you ever seen a wedding with more than a dozen attendants? It starts to look like a wedding army. Of course, if you are inviting lots of guests, it makes sense to have a large wedding party. But before you start adding your friend who you haven’t seen since high school, and all of your cousins, consider what the role of the wedding party should be.

Even if you’re not paying for the wedding party’s attire, each of those attendants requires a bouquet or boutonniere, a thank you gift, and an invitation to the rehearsal dinner and other parties. Tack on just a few unnecessary bridesmaids or groomsmen and you’re potentially talking about hundreds of dollars.

Money Saving Tip Give some of your friends and loved ones different roles in the wedding. Consider asking them to read during the ceremony or give them a special role at the reception. You might even just thank them in the program for helping to support you during the wedding planning process.

Read More: How Many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Should You Have?

What’s missing from the list? What, in your opinion is a waste of money and could just be eliminated?

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Technorati Tags: Bridesmaids, Budget, Cake, Favors, Groomsmen, Wedding, wedding budget

Wedding Photographer Has Been Chosen! Elton Anderson Photography it is!

December 12, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Photography

Wedding Photographer. Check!

I know we just got our venue, but I’ve been so ready to get to the other stuff, I already some of the other vendors waiting in the wings.

I’ve been looking at wedding photographers for a while now. I secretly love good photography and there couldn’t be a better excuse to pore over photographers websites. Of course, I primarily looked at Michigan wedding photographers so I could avoid the travel fee, but I definitely had my eye on a few out of towners.

Even after looking at probably hundreds of photographers, I still came back to the person I figured I would go with from the start. He’s both talented and economical and I’m very happy with our choice.

Our wedding will be photographed by Elton Anderson of (get this) Elton Anderson Photography. Elton and I have known each other for about 12 or 13 years now (whew!) and not only is a really good photographer, but he’s also a really nice guy.

Elton Anderson Blog – Weddings

Elton Anderson Photography

Elton is based in Florida, so I was super excited when he said he’d come hear to shoot our wedding. I’m not sure how long he’s been shooting he’s only started shooting professionally within the past few years, but I’ve watched his work go from good to really good really quickly. What can I say – he’s a natural

Since this is still a 12k Wedding (in theory, at least), cost was very important. Now – I won’t call Elton a cheap wedding photographer. That would imply that his work is sub-par and chintzy. That it is not. It is simply really good photography at an even better price. All of the other photographers I looked at seemed to start at around $2500. Elton has wedding photo packages starting at about half of that. Big difference.

No matter where you’re located, if you’re interested in using Elton as your wedding photographer, check him out and make sure you tell him you saw him on 12k Wedding.

Elton will be doing an engagement session with us in a few weeks. I’ll be sure let you all know how it goes!

*Both photos courtesy of Elton Anderson Photography

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Technorati Tags: Budget, Cheap, engagement session, Inexpensive, photo, Photography, vendor, wedding photography

DIY Wedding Invitation Supplies

December 8, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Behind the Scenes, DIY

also known as “The Spoils of Black Friday”

Armed with my two coupons from Micheal’s Weekly Ad Black Friday edition, I headed to the store. Sure I had my list, but my eagle eye was on the prowl for sales and clearance of any kind.

I picked up:

red construction paper
black construction paper
assorted neutral cardstock
embossing powder
bone folder
rubber stamp
square envelopes
feather picks and
single white flower
embossing powder

I know someone with an embossing heat tool who has so kindly agreed to allow me to borrow hers (Shout out to Jan!)

I did stop by the wedding aisle and I immediately ran in the other direction. Everything associated with weddings doesn’t have to be white and covered in lace and flowers. Nor, do I have to be relegated to invitation templates.

I started playing around with some ideas for the design of the invitation too. I was told that I should use Adobe Illustrator, but since I only have Adobe Photoshop, it’ll have to do.

The design will loosely follow the following criteria:

some folded aspect
a belly band or ribbon or other holding-it-together component
printed in black ink to save dough
some inclination that the wedding is rooted in the city of Detroit
RSVP return card

I’m sure I’ll probably go through 50 ideas before I settle on one. But you can count on me to keep you posted with the progress.

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Technorati Tags: Cardstock, DIY, envelopes, Invitations, paper, supplies

Update: Venue Sneak Peek Revealed

December 7, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Ceremony, Reception, Venue

Hey guys,
I know I told you about my venue, but one of my readers, Suzanne, brought it to my attention that I was still keeping secrets. I completely forgot that I never revealed the venue from this sneak peek post.

Well, it is….. The Detroit Public Library. Obviously, we didn’t end up choosing it as our venue, but it definitely could work for someone else. I’ll give you the run down:

The room in the picture is Adam Strohm Hall. It’s a pretty big room and I would venture to say it could comfortably seat 250-300 with a dance floor.
There is also another room on the same floor that is available, Old Fine Arts. It’s smaller, and long rather than square like Adam Strohm, but still has lots of character.
Both Adam Strohm Hall and Old Fine Arts rent for $5000 each + fees for security staff.
The library is a bureaucracy and even though our contact there was very nice and helpful, she had to get approval from higher ups on everything we asked about.
Both rooms are on the third floor and there is no running water on the third floor. This means guests will have to go downstairs to use the restroom and the caterer can’t prepare any food on site.
No ceremonies can be held on site, whether religious or civil. They just don’t allow it.
Your event must start after the library closes to patrons, which is after 6pm on Saturday.
The library is not available for events on Sundays.
There is a parking lot available for guests which is normally only for staff during operating hours.

To see lots more pictures, photographer Anne Ruthmann, shot this wedding reception at the Detroit Public Library, held in the Old Fine Arts room. This is one of my favorites, because of the book backdrop.

That’s all I can think of for now. If I missed something let me know, or if you’d like my contact’s info, let me know.

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Technorati Tags: Detroit, library, Venue

More Bridesmaid Dress Ideas

December 4, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

I was in Anthropologie today picking up a few tops and I saw this dress. I really like it, but I don’t know if it would work as a bridesmaid dress. Plus, it’s $188. And while I don’t think that’s out of the question, we’ve definitely already seen some dresses for less that we like more. But I still like it.

I also like this idea, posted by Heather at We Met in a Bar. All the bridesmaids wore black dresses of their own choosing and they were all tied together with a red ribbon around the waist. This way my girls could save some money if they wanted to and wear something already have. And everyone would still look coherent and it would be apparent that they are in fact bridesmaid. The one change I’d make: I’d probably tie the ribbons in front.

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Technorati Tags: Black, Bridesmaid Dress, Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids

It’s About Time! Our Ceremony and Reception Venue is the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History!

December 2, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Ceremony, Reception, Venue

Disclaimer: You know how you would read comics as a kid and all of the sentences would either end an exclamation point or a question mark? Well this post might feel a little like that.

——————————————————————

Well loyal readers, you can all release your collective breaths – we finally found a venue!

And we have a date!

We will be married August 22, 2009 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History!

I’d of course considered the museum right from the beginning because it’s in the Cultural District and it’s a beautiful building. I’d immediately ruled it out because the website states, “Absolutely no dancing is permitted in the Ford Freedom Rotunda.” Well, pffftt to that! There’s no way we’d have a wedding with no dancing!

Months later, we saw someone’s wedding pictures posted on Facebook with -get this – dancing in the Ford Freedom Rotunda! Imagine my surprise. So He called up one of the event coordinators to get the scoop. We could rent the space, it was available on our date and we were allowed to dance in the Ford Freedom Rotunda as long as we rent a dance floor. I was at work, so later that night I checked out the other details, like the catering situation. I was all amp’d at that point but He told me, “Let’s not get too excited and shout it from the rooftop just yet. I don’t want to you to get your hopes up again.” So…that’s why I haven’t mentioned it till now.

Anyway, all three event coordinators were on what seemed like a 2 week vacation. Their voicemail said they’d be back today so I stalked the woman He’d spoken to like a hawk. I called her at 9am when they opened and left a message. She didn’t call me back, so I called her again at 10:15. By 11am, we were signing our contract!

We will get married in the General Motors Theater and the reception will be where else, but the Ford Freedom Rotunda.

We do have to choose from one of their caterers but they all have menus and pricing online and at least 3 of the 4 are very reasonable.

One of the most expensive things we were up against is the bar. We really wanted to have an open bar and now we can. The Museum offers two different bar packages starting at a flat $15/person. There is no tax I believe because they are a non-profit organization.

One downside is that we may have to pay for valet parking for our guests. It’s still up in the air, but if we decide to, it’ll come to around $700 for a guest list of our size. Still not too bad. I’ve seen worse.

If you’d like my contact’s information at the Museum let me know. She was really helpful and willing to accommodate our needs.

So, now that I am a completely happy camper, I can move on to the other parts of the wedding planning process. I’m thinking about booking the photographer next. What do you guys think? What should I conquer next, while I’m still feeling invincible?

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Technorati Tags: Caterer, Ceremony, coordinator, Detroit, Ford Freedom Rotunda, General Motors Theater, Reception, Venue

Non-Floral Centerpiece Example: Sticks and Feathers

December 1, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Reception

Ms. Avocado at Weddingbee fashioned her centerpieces out of sticks, feathers and crystals. Left to my own devices, I don’t think I could be this creative, but she pulled it off and it definitely looks like they were professionally done.