Think Thrifty!

Over the weekend Kristian and I visited New Orleans. A family friend was getting married and Kristian's parents were joining us for the celebration. For weeks his mom and I planned what we would do with our Saturday morning together. We would go wedding shopping. I know what I want, she has good taste, it seems like a perfect plan. However, when Saturday came around I was tired, cranky, and it was not shaping up to be the Saturday morning Mrs. Yvonne and I envisioned. Although it doesn't sound like it, I have gone through the explantion of my moodiness to say that I am obsessed with my wedding. Even though I didn't feel like getting out of bed Saturday morning the vision I had for centerpieces was my driving force. I met up with the future in-laws, put a smile on, and the search began.Creating My Wedding The venue for the wedding is a lush, historic house. It has fountains and is full of greenery and flowers so I know that the decor I add should be minimal. I picture old hardback books as centerpieces, mixed with pillar candles on different stands. Of course, what better place to look for old books than a thrift store? Genius! Immediately following this genius idea however, was a small vision of me and the in-laws driving around in search of a thrift store. Then after coming up empty, searching for the second and third thrift store to rummage. Even though I grew up in New Orleans my sense of direction is horrible and I dread the thought of making anyone suffer through my aimless driving. Ok, scratch the old book idea. Pillar candles, totally do-able. I picture the dining tables having a romantic feel, personified through vintage items, carefully chosen and thoughfully placed. While this sounds nice I think finding my exact image will be a harder task than it seemed in my mind. Now let me interject to say, when planning your wedding, make it your wedding. While flowers are elegant and can set the mood, sometimes your personality needs to shine, and your wedding day is one of those times. But I digress. Our first stop in the search, Big Lots. I love a good discount and usually Big Lots is full of them, but as we wandered the two home decor aisles, nothing catches my eye. We left a little disappointed and needless to say my bad mood lingered. Little did I know, my luck was about to change. Kristian's dad and I notice the local craft store next door and suggest going in. Jackpot Entering is a little overwhelming. We pass through the Saints section, 9 foot Christmas trees, and the Silly Bandz rack, to find the aisle that catches my eye. An aisle full of fleur de lis decor! Most girls go ga ga over flowers but that feeling for me lies in finding all things fleur de lis. I can't believe it, exactly what I pictured is situated on this one aisle! Kristian's mom figures out the logistics while his dad pictures how it will look. We all fill the basket excitedly and head to check out. Now for the best part. All of the centerpieces come in under three hundred dollars! I think I can speak for the future in-laws who so graciously offered to foot the bill, when I say WHEW! Don't Believe the Myth Ladies, I speak from experience when saying too often we fall into the myth that our wedding has to look like everyone else's. While there are so many beautiful weddings photographed, attended, and shown on Martha Stewart's website, they may not necessarily be your wedding. Maybe you want a circus theme or a Haloween wedding. Whatever the case, I say go for it! Make it your own! Think outside the box! Garage sales, thrift stores, craft stores, all of these places offer unique items at good prices. They allow the option of customizing your wedding without breaking the bank. As I learned, the process doesn't need to be exhausting or overwhelming. All it takes sometimes is creativity and a little thrifty thinking.