Thursday, June 25, 2009

Videographer/Photographer & DJ

Sorry I thought I put this up but I guess I never posted this. I got my Videographer, Photographer, and DJ with one service. REM Photography. I really love his work. The pictures are traditional and he does photojournalistic (which is unique shots that I like!) I get 2 videographers and 1 photographer for almost the whole day. We get to keep all the pictures and video footage that he takes. There is no limit to the amount of pictures he takes or footage he records. Also they aren't watermarked! He really worked with our budget. He should us what he can offer and custom made a package for what I wanted. Since we got Photography and Videography we get the owner to be one of our videographers and because we also got the DJ service, he also put himself as the editor of our video service (so you know he'll do a great job). With the DJ services they provide a bunch of lighting effects and he showed us the equipment. It's so prestine! He hids all the cords so there are no wires hanging around. The cameras will hook into the sound system so the audio on our video will be prestine. During the ceremony we will also have wireless mics. He has even impressed Joey of what this guy can do that we can't wait to see what he does. He showed us some things that he's only done on special requests and you know that I asked for all of that in my materials. One is a collage of video work. I can't wait for the wedding so I can see the product. OH... I almost forgot! He doesn't work with last minute people because he prefers to work with people that are detail oriented and plan ahead. Well, A day or two before I was going to call him to say we want to sign with you... another couple was trying to steal him from us. Because we saw him first (like 5 days earlier) he gave us the option to come in and sign before these other people! Thank you! I get my wish to have them do video and photo! 

FYI... I found him and was so scared that I wouldn't be able to afford him. I even played a game with Joey. The bet was if I win, I got a final say on something in the wedding and if he won he would have a final say. Guess what... I won... BUT I didn't have to use it on this guy!.... hehehe... I should find out what I want it for... and I think I know what it will be! :) 

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sorry for not writing! - Invitations

Sorry for not posting for a while. I've been having a hard time figuring out what to write. My life has been a little crazy. My mom's in Poland having a great time! I just came back from the annual Anime Convention. I didn't spend as much money as last year but I did spend enough. I'm trying to scan an image that I had commissioned there but it seems my printer is acting up. 

So I've been looking around at invitations mostly. I've been getting a lot of samples in the mail and nothing really wowed me. I also went to a invitation store to see what the store could do. I got some great ideas but what they were offering me I could make myself. I want an invitation that I can't make myself. I finally found something that I really like. I don't want to show you cause I got to leave some things a surprise for the wedding. What I like about it is it's a dark background and white writing.  

I'm probably going to by the invitations and reception cards from them. I think I'll make my own RSVP cards though. Joey and I are concerned about how postage keeps going up. It's $0.44 for 1 letter! So for every 2 families we need to spend a dollar at least for the return cards. Mostly everyone will have their invitations hand delivered. Joey and I are trying to find out how to save money and we're possibly thinking of making the RSVP cards as postcards since postage is cheaper for postcards. I guess having people to call and RSVP is a little tacky as well as having people to pay for their own postage. Another idea Joey and I have is maybe when we get people's home addresses we also get their e-mail addresses and we'll send Save the Dates through e-mail. What is your opinion on that? Is it tacky or smart? Also if anyone has any ideas... PLEASE... let me know! Remember you don't need a sign in name to comment.

I also found ideas for what I want to do for wedding programs.  To the right is what I want to do. It's a layered program. Top page is the cover then the next page would be the wedding party list, then next page would be the ceremony outline, then I would do acknowledgments. I really like this and I can probably make this myself fairly easily. 

I just looked at the timeline of what I should do and I guess looking at invitations should happen way later in the planning process. They say I should send them out 2-4 months before wedding. Right now I should be looking at DJs and Photographers. That's fine with me because Photographers/Videographers I'm pretty picky on. Now DJs.... i don't have a clue! BUT... I refuse to have a bad DJs. I want everyone dancing all night so I will do a good job!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Dress Shopping


So I went shopping with 2 of my friends. We have an idea of what kind of bridesmaid dresses that they like. One of dresses that the girls like is the one to the right. It's about $125.00 and my mom even negotiated it down to $120.00 since we would need to buy 9 dresses.

The Second dress I haven't been able to find a picture of online. It's a nice 1 color dress with some ruffles on the bottom and a tie up back. It's $160.00 but I haven't had mom work on them to get a discount.

Now... I also tried on wedding dresses. I really liked a few of them. One only comes in off white but they are going to see if the designer can make the dress in white for me. Even though I really like the dress (if you want an idea of what it looks like search Maggie Sottero dress and find the Monalisa style- it's the closest style I've found that is similar to the one I tried on.) I'm not willing to give up searching for dresses. I mean the best part of getting married is to try on dresses! But I can see myself going back and getting that dress if it comes in white.  

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Sweepstakes, Giveaways, Prizes!

Money is a big deal with a wedding. So I decided I'm going to sign up for any sweepstakes, Giveaways, or Contests I can find. Not only am I going to sign up for them but I'm going to hunt them down. Hopefully between now and the wedding I might win something! Also if I hunt down ones that don't get a lot of applicants then I have a greater chance of winning. 

Wish me luck!

Oh and if anyone finds any giveaways... feel free to sign me up for it or let me know

Thanks!!!!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Bridesmaid Dress Shopping / Bridal Party

So I'm really excited because this Saturday the 25th Stephanie, Shannon, Melissa (if she makes it back from Wisconsin in time) and I will be going Bridesmaid Dress Shopping! I have 3 appointments. 1st is at Bella Bridal at 12:00, then we go to Wolsfelts Victorian Bridal. Since we don't need an appointment to go bridesmaid dress shopping I made an appointment for 2:30 for me to try on some Bridal Dresses. I have a designer I like and in Illinois she sells her designs in two locations in Aurora at Wolsfelts and in Urbana which is hours away... so while I'm there I might as well try on some dresses. Finally at 4:00 we're going to House of Brides where I hear the bridesmaid collection is huge and affordable.

I just realized that not everyone knows who is in the bridal party... (IT'S HUGE!... sorry about the spelling)

                 Bridesmaids                                                      Groomsmen

  • Stephanie (Maid of Honor)                                Chris (Best Man)
  • Shannon- Friend                                                 Dan- Joey's Old roommate
  • Melissa- Sylvia's Sister                                      Anthony- Joey's Brother
  • Jessica- Sylvia's Sister                                       Tristan- Joey's Brother
  • Lindsey- Joey's Sister                                        Romi- Joey's Cousin
  • Rena- Joey's Sister                                             Mark- Joey's Cousin
  • Karolina- Sylvia's Cousin                                   Chris- Old Friend
  • Nicole- Sylvia's Cousin                                       Matt- Old Friend
  • Izabella- Sylvia's Cousin                                    (********)
  • (********)- (Flower Girl)                                 David- (Ring Bearer)

As of Right Now- Joey's is deciding on the final Groosmen. He has an idea of who he wants but he want to wait before officially making a decision. As for me... I found out that my Uncle from Poland might come to the wedding so I would probably use my cousin if she comes with but if she doesn't I have a few options. My friend is pregnant and will have a baby girl soon so I'm thinking of her as a flower girl in case my cousin can't make it.

This wedding is definatly a family wedding. I'm so excited about that. I want to share my wedding day with all my friends, family, and soon to be family. Also... if everyone of my Aunts and Uncles on my Mom's side come... It'll be a family reunion on top of a wedding. I don't known when my mom has been with all her brothers and sisters at once. I also hope that my Babcia will be healthy enough to travel to see not only Joey and I get married but to see all her children and grandchildren together.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Work Out Exercise Plans!

As you know... Joey and I got a gym membership. I've noticed I've done Cardio for 30 minutes, Abs, then either legs or arms. Also I like to stick to the same machines. I want to do more and really get a more overall workout then what I'm sticking to. These workout plans were kind of annoying to find. So I hope I help some people out with their workout routines by putting up these links.

With Summer Coming - The Bikini Workout

Back Shaping Workouts - Dumbbell Workout

                                           - Gym Equipment Workout

                                           - Resistance Band Workout

Chest Defining Workouts - Dumbbell Workout

                                             - Gym Equipment Workout

                                             - Equipment-Free Workout

Arm Toning Workouts - Dumbbell Workout

                                         - Gym Equipment Workout

                                         - Equipment Free Workout

                                         - Resistance Band Workout

Body Shaping Workouts - Dumbbell Workout

                                           - Equipment Free Workout

                                           - Gym Equipment Workout

                                           - Resistance Band Workout

                                           - Stability Ball Workout

Leg Defining Workouts - Dumbbell Workout

                                         - Equipment Free Workout

                                         - Gym Equipment Workout

                                         - Resistance Band Workout

                                         - Stability Ball Workout



Article- Tips for Booking Air Travel on a Budget

Airfares are trending down, and travelers who do their homework and shop around can find some fantastic deals.

By Beth J. Harpaz, AP

If you're on a budget but you'd like to fly somewhere for your next vacation, there's good news. "Domestic fares are down 9 percent over a year ago, and summer fares to Europe are down 19 percent," said Mike Fridgen, product manager for Farecast.com.

These and many other deals are easy to find online. But there are some strategies you can use to make sure you get the lowest possible airfares. Here are some tips from the experts.

Research: "The most important thing is to do your homework," said Michele Perry, spokeswoman for TripAdvisor.com, which just launched a new flight search aggregator.


To do your research right, you'll need to compare fares from many different sources. "Too many people get cozy with their favorite search engine, blithely thinking that it's the best," Hobica said.

Sign up for newsletters and e-mail alerts from airlines that serve the routes you're shopping for, and from sites like AirfareWatchdog, JohnnyJet, Farecast and others, including FareCompare, Kayak, Orbitz and Travelocity. Many airlines post their best fares only on their own Web sites, including Southwest, Allegiant Air, SAS, Aloha, Aer Lingus, Qantas, Alaska, Air New Zealand and JetBlue, Hobica said.

Absurdly cheap fares, like a recent $14 flight on JetBlue from New York to San Francisco, don't show up on booking sites because the sites can't earn a commission on them. But that fare was mentioned in an alert from AirfareWatchdog, in JetBlue's e-mail stream and on Twitter, Hobica said.

Airlines may also make deals with some sites and not others, so you may find fares differ for the same flight on different Web sites.

Another source for news about cheap fares, DiScala said, is the message boards of Webflyer.com.

And don't overlook promotional codes. "If you sign up for an airline's frequent-flier program or the airline newsletter, some airlines will generate a promotional code that you can use to get a discount when you book," Hobica said. Often these codes are generated individually and can be used only once, so you won't find them on Web sites.

Finally, as crazy as it sounds, check out package deals. Sometimes it's cheaper to book a hotel and airfare package even if you don't need lodging.

Hobica said the news on the economy just keeps getting worse, and "the airlines are panicking again. Spring fares softened and they're softening more. I expect to see summer fares soften, too." He added, "We're seeing a lot more low fares with no advance purchase, or just three days' advance, because the airlines realize that people are afraid to plan way ahead in this uncertain economy."


If you book now and the fare goes down later, some airlines, including JetBlue, Southwest and Alaska, give a voucher good for future travel for the difference, Hobica said. Others will refund the difference but charge a fee of $150 or more.

Watch the hype: Sometimes a fare is so low it seems too good to be true. And it just might be.

1st- a lot of really cheap deals are one-way, and the return fare may be more, depending on when you want to come back.

2nd- look for those pesky little asterisks next to the price. On international flights, taxes and surcharges could add up to several hundred dollars.

TripAdvisor's new Flights finder has a "Fees Estimator" function that can also help you keep track of little things — charges for food, checking baggage, even headphones. "If you're traveling with a family of four and everybody sends a bag, you could end up spending the price of a ticket on checking your luggage," Perry said.


Dates matter: Look for deals early in the week: "A lot of airlines release their sale fares on Tuesday," Perry said.

And be flexible about when you travel. "It's usually cheapest to fly midweek," she said.

You could also save big on summer fares if you fly early or late in the season, during the shoulder periods of May to mid-June or late August to September, in the weeks before and after peak summer travel, according to Fridgen of Farecast.com.

Hobica recommends using a flexible date search. "Orbitz and CheapTickets.com search over any 30-day period, and include all international routes; Travelocity and CheapAir.com search over a 330-day period, but don't offer all international routes," he said.

Compare routes: "Connecting is usually cheaper than a nonstop if you're willing to take a connecting flight," Perry said.

But weigh the risks: If you're switching planes, is there enough time to make your next flight? If there's a long layover, are you going to blow a day of your vacation in the airport, spending money on food?

And check out alternative airports. Perry's home airport is Logan in Boston, so she always looks at flights out of Providence, R.I., and Manchester, N.H., too. "Sometimes nearby airports will be cheaper," she said.

AirfareWatchdog has a search option to see the cheapest fares to any destination from a wide range of cities at a glance — for example, you can ask to see all the lowest fares to Paris from anywhere in the U.S.

In Europe, the cheapest destination airports include Dublin, Frankfurt, Shannon and London Gatwick (not Heathrow), Hobica said. Even if you're not headed to those cities, you might save money by flying in and connecting to a cheap European airline like Ryanair or EasyJet to get where you're going.

For a quick directory of which budget airlines serve which markets, visit WhichBudget.com.

Just remember that it's not always easy to transfer between two airports near one city. It could take hours and cost a bundle to travel between London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports.