And There Goes the Budget...

My plan to stick to a budget is out the window.  There is still hope depending on our headcount, but Mr. Pug and I have made the decision to indulge a bit.  When we first started planning, I knew the $5/seat chair covers would never fit into our budget.  We are expecting about 250 guests, so that would easily be over $1,200.  To cover a chair!  I had pushed the idea to the back of my mind and tried to convince myself that it would be crazy to get them.

Well, on our latest trip to our venue, we were waiting to speak to the catering manager, and Mr. Pug started flipping through a photobook with before and after pictures of the reception room.  Before chair covers and after.  "Wow!  It makes a big difference!" he exclaimed.  He didn't have to tell me twice.  I still didn't think it was realistic, so I agreed but dismissed it.  When we got home that night, though, he was still thinking about the chair covers.  I told him there was a website I had seen where we could get it a little cheaper.  He urged me to do some research and see if we could make it work.

I emailed Chair Covers Express and scheduled an appointment to visit their showroom.  Like almost everything, the prices in Hawaii are higher than what is stated on their website (*sigh*), but still cheaper than other places I had seen.  At the showroom, we looked at the white polyester chair cover ($2.30/each) and the white satin chair cover ($3.00/each).  They had all the organza ($0.70/each) and satin ($1.00/each) sashes lined up.  Set-up costs $1.00/chair or we could do it ourselves.  I had wanted to visit the showroom not only to see the materials and colors in person, but to see how easy (or hard) it would be to set-up ourselves.  We practiced throwing the cover over the chair and tying the sash.  Mr. Pug and I liked the combination of the white polyester chair cover with the grape sash.

I talked to Mr. Pug that night, showed him our budget, and asked him what he wanted to do.  We were right at the max of our budget, and this would be "the straw that broke the camel's back."  Our conversation went something like this:

Mr. P: Wow!  We're spending that much on the wedding?!?!  (Mr. Pug had previously been somewhat detached from the financial aspects of the wedding)

Me: Yeah...this stuff adds up!

Mr. P: Let's get the chair covers.

Me: Even if it puts us over budget?

Mr. P: It makes the whole room look more elegant.  This is a once a life time thing...we want it to be nice!

I've always been the one to pull in the reigns when it comes to spending money, but I thought it was really cute that Mr. Pug wanted the wedding to be "elegant" and "nice".  I think he is really getting into this wedding planning thing!  We went ahead and splurged on the chair covers.  Although I'm a little disappointed about going over-budget, Mr. Pug is happy, and so am I  :)

An Extravagant, Budget Bride

I am the definition of "champagne taste on a beer budget." I love designer clothes, going to the spa, traveling to exotic places and staying in luxury hotels, eating at the top restaurants, and so on, but I hate the price tag associated with it. I will splurge occasionally, but I'll rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. I don't mind scouring the racks at Ross to find my $15 Juicy Sweats or driving 30 miles to buy $60 Sevens and Citizens jeans. Finding a $30 SEI scrapbook set on sale for $5 makes me feel accomplished. I live for good deals.

Ever since I was old enough to have an allowance, I have worked hard to manage my money responsibly. I've managed to afford some luxuries while keeping my spending in check. I've dutifully tracked every penny earned and spent. I've maintained a good credit score and paid off my student loan to be debt-free.

I am also a cost accountant by profession. I make my living by creating and managing budgets. I monitor performance to plan and compare actuals to budget. I am an Excel freak. It only seems fitting that all of this carry over to my wedding planning as well.

I want my wedding to be elegant -- a nice resort with chiavari chairs, lush flowers, and to-die-for food -- BUT, I absolutely refuse to go into debt for it. Once I started wedding planning, I was blown away by the prices and knew this would be difficult -- $8.50 to rent a chair (times 250-300 people)? $200 for a bouquet that is made out of flowers I could buy at Costco for $30? $80/head for dinner plus $7/drink and a 23% service fee? Eeeek! I'll have to make sacrifices along the way, but I'm still hoping to have my dream wedding at a reasonable price.

What are some of the best budget-saving tips you've come across in your wedding planning process?