Things that make you go hmmm....

So I made a huge mistake by trolling the internets for wedding blogs.

I found this - http://2000dollarwedding.com/
(and funny side story - Sara and Matt from the blog lived right down the street from us before they lived in Colorado) ((I don't know them, but I learned this from an old blog post on that blog))

I read this blog in almost it's entirety and their wedding looked like so.much.fun.  It was very personal and sweet, and low key, and very DIY.  Then I think, maybe I am going about this all wrong, maybe I should try and have a more personal and reasonably priced reception.  A (and my Mom) is all for us not blowing our life savings, and we have this silly life dream of becoming incredibly wealthy by owning a lot of laundromats - so the money we save could be parlayed into our laundry empire.  It is very tempting.

So now instead of checking out all the hotels and such downtown, should I add parks and public buildings?

A few problems for A and I's situation.
1. We live in Houston.  Sara and Matt lived in Colorado when they got married, so naturally the scenery is incredible.  Houston, not so much - it is all concrete and flat.  Sure we have parks and stuff, so that could work, but A and I aren't really nature people.  We like the inside with air conditioning and no bugs.
2. A and I are pretty set on a January wedding.  Houston weather is really weird in the winter - this time last year there was ice on the road and they were canceling school, this year we can eat lunch on patios and I have hardly turned my heater on at all.  So I would feel uncomfortable doing anything outside during that time.  Also in the Orthodox Church, there are certain times when you cannot get married, including fasting times before Easter and Christmas, so if it isn't January we'd have to wait until May and we are far too impatient for that.  Plus the summer here is totally gross and we don't want to do anything smack in the middle of the school semester.
3. We are getting married at our Church.  This is a blessing in disguise because it narrows reception places down to 20 instead of 100 only because I don't want our guests to sit for over an hour at our wedding then have to drive 45 minutes somewhere for the party.  I guess that is a problem for people living in gigantic cities.  So this limits the options of places to find a super cheap or free venue.  And also, getting married at the church already bumps up the formalness of the occasion as well.  So I would have to incorporate an outfit change if we go from church to a park or something, and I'd rather not have to do that.

I feel like I am talking myself out of a super-budget wedding right out of the gate but I don't mean to.  I think super budget weddings such as Sara and Matt are great if that is your style and personality - and the weird thing is that A and I are totally low key/no frills kind of people.  We don't dress super well, we live in an apartment building that is older than our parents (who are very young, but still ;) ), we drive modest cars, etc.  But when I am doing a one shot thing, my spending style is 'go bold or go home'.  My wedding is one of those times I think.

But then I also think about the 8000 couples whom, after the fact, say that they wish they didn't spend so much money on their wedding.  Money is also a huge source of tension and fighting between couples, so maybe we should consider that as well.  And I totally dig Sara's message of making a good lasting marriage is waaaay more important that one day will ever be, so don't worry about it so much and rock your $15 Target dress.

I don't know what A and I's big day will be like just yet - the amount of different possibilities are overwhelming!  But I think if at the end of the day I am Mrs. A and we are surrounded by family and friends, it'll be all good. :)