Paper Lanterns.. Simple but pretty!

and did I mention reasonably priced?

I love the look of it and Im seriously thinking of going down this path for decor.

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Quick update

So what have I been doing the last few days?

Absolutely nothing.... I decided to have a break with a few things. And I realised I hadn't blogged in 6 days!! YEE GOODNESS!

well, with my little break over.... I made a few decisions!

With the project of button balls that I have been creating, I'm nearly there! They were originally going to be used as centrepieces but instead we are lining the aisle with them! Make the ceremony a bit more DIY than reception. I still have no idea what to use on 6 empty tables as centre pieces. I have been scouring stores for ideas and FH has given me a challenge. I must not spend more that $25.00 on each centrepiece. I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge!

I also started on some baskets to hold the favours.. Attempt 1 failed so trying that one over again :(

My dress fitting is coming up... April 17th :S

This week I am starting the Couch to 5k program. Its a 9 week exercising program pretty much exactly what the title says... going from the couch to running 5k. I am really looking forward to it and the program seems really great! For the program click here: http://www.c25k.com/

Also my exciting news.. Coastal City Bride has hit over 1000 views!! Since I uploaded the statcounter on Feb 22 2010! WOOHOOO, many thanks to those who read my blog. I appreciate the support!

Anyway Ill have something worthwhile post soon, just thought Id give you a quick update!


Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Sparklers.. your so cool!

I have decided I want sparklers at my wedding.. just cause these photos make it look cool. (Im probably copying millions of other weddings with this idea, but I figure its ok, because I generally love it!)

So whose with me? :) anyone having them at their wedding?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Can I have lighting like this please?

I want lighting in our reception exactly like this... I hope people wont see this as over the top, but there alot of blank wall at our reception!

Just an idea.. My brother is an electrician so I might run this by him and hope its ok with the venue.. I found this while reading Eric egwers website.. So talented! http://www.erichegwer.com/wedding-stuff/wedding-decoration-lights

Are you having lighting at your wedding?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Invitations - take forever!

So the last few days, I have been tweaking and creating our invitations, and I'm happy to report all is done on the way of printing side except the map.

Here's were we are at now!

The Invitation:

The RSVP Card

The Reception Card

So its all coming together after my disaster of my last invitations. The idea from here is to create the map, and then create the paper band that I'm going to use to keep these together. A friend of mine is letting me use her cuttlebug machine, so there could be some fancy embossing going on.

But I'm keen to have a play on the cuttlebug machine as I don't have one.... yet... :P

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Omgoodness I forgot to update you on venue!

I was flicking through the blog and I just seriously forgot to mention that WE FOUND A VENUE and ITS BOOKED!!! EOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

This happened last week, and I updated everyone everywhere else but not here! How could I be so stupid!

So with excitement I give to you our venue: Dog Rock Convention Centre(going by the title, not very appealing!) But inside is a different story than the title... :)

The Entrance

The Bar

The Bar Area done up for a sit down wedding (even tho ours is cocktail)

If you spin around this what you will be facing in the bar area.

Down the other end of the building (can you see the bar way up the back?)

Its a really good deal to hire the venue under 1k inclusive of bar staff, dance floor and PA system and we can access the venue from 5am - Midnight the day of the wedding :)

Stoked that its booked!


Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

My latest DIY - button balls!

I started a button ball the other night my latest DIY project with this one as a mock up.. and I couldn't wait till it was all completed i.e on a stand, before sharing. They look really good in person, so I hope the photos do it justice. I finished the mock up tonight :D

We are using these button balls to decorate the reception venue as we are not allowed to have candles according to the venue contract and I think we will only be making 8. (4 orange and 4 red) to sit in between our twig centrepieces. I think it would be best if they sat on vases. Its mainly just to add color to the reception place.

I haven't covered it in gloss yet, like I was planning to do.. but that can wait till tomorrow.

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

More inspiration for decor!

Just a few piccies, that I loveeeee the colors too and style. Hope you like too!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

cmon dj... PLAY MY SONG!

A few posts ago I was inspired by wedding chicks to create DJ request cards.

After a few issues with my printer... and the card I wanted.. I deemed, stuff the template. I'm creating my own!

1hr and a half later, they are all done.




I used blank cards that I already from card making days as the backing.. Project Zero dollars

I wanted simple but a cheery design, as they are not going to be anywhere really prominent just going to sit next to our mazanita/wish tree at the reception. Easy DIY!


Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Twigs in vases.. oh you could be good!

I've been inspired.. well in fact I'm always inspired but this time I LIKE IT!

Check these out.. twigs in vases with nice little candles?

Art deco but a cheap option. And I think I will give it a go!

Now to go find a tree...... *wanders off* here twiggy twiggy!!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Another reception place found - but not booked.

Today I found another venue, after all Saturdays venue upset.

I had a friend recommend a local hall (not as flash as our previous choice) but well, it was actually really nice! It has sent my brain into DIY mode and I feel once again that I am back on the creative wagon. My parents have left the coastal city and have gone away till Thursday so we haven't booked anything(yet) It was a considerable amount cheaper and by considerable.. I mean.. costing 1/6th of the cost of the amount cheaper than the hire of our other venue.

The plus side was; more space, not outdoors, really nice outlook of the local harbour and gives me the opportunity for DIY and etsy shopping!!!

We agreed that with the reduction in cost we can spend a lot more on the reception and even have a possibilty of a sit down dinner after working out the figures! (I never thought we would be able to have a sit down meal due to numbers of people and cost per head with the caterer)

Sheridan and I are pretty keen on it, and I think we will go ahead and make our booking.

I feel as tho that once the venue is booked everything can settle. I wont be upset or stressed.

Anyway Ill post pictures soon. Maybe you can give me ideas?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

To do this month!!

Things I need to do this month;

1. Find/ Book the music and entertainment for ceremony and reception.


2. Start thinking about a bridal registry.


3. Start my search for my wedding cake.


4. Give my reception venue a call to talk about caterer.


5. Pay deposit for caterer and talk menus.


6. Determine my budget for my flowers.


7. Send out our Save the Dates.
   

DIY

1. Finish my flower project for reception venue or at least complete half.


2. Finish the letters for hanging on arch way (at the moment they are just painted and looking boringggggg!)

3. Complete attachment of RSVP wraps for inside the invitation.

I have alot of things to do this month... *gulp* oh dear.

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

My candle bargain- light my glittery fire!

Today on my way to do a few errands in town, I noticed a local homeware store having an after Christmas sale ,the thoughts in my head turned overdrive and I just started thinking centrepieces!! (even tho I'm not having a sit down meal wedding but I am having a few tables)

I almost feel as tho I have to walk into any homeware store or gift store since I have started planning our wedding) Anyone else feel this??

Well in the first 30 seconds of walking into the store, I found is what I think a great bargain and some very pretty candles. So with a reduced cost from $10 AUD down to $5 AUD dollars for a set of six, I felt this obligation to buy!!! After a quick call to FH explaining want I found, I walked out of there with 30 candles for $25.00! These I think we will use these on some of the smaller tables - guest book so forth.

I like them alot!

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Crepe Paper Flowers - I may be crazy but I'm game!

Well I have been inspired by the creator of a blog called A Very Chocolate Wedding http://www.averychocolatewedding.blogspot.com/ and hers were awesome!! I decided about a week ago to tackle the crepe paper flowers for decorations and I'm even using them for the ceremony (depends how my confidence goes with it all)
So here is my progress so far;

I have the next few days off work so hopefully I will be able to get a few more done. Practice makes perfect. What you think?

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx

Reception Venue - I do love.

As I became engaged in July the next few posts is to clue you in to of what I have done since being engaged till now- I'm not superwoman and have done all this overnight! (however many times in talking to wedding vendors I wish I was and could do this all myself!)

FH and I have decided on our criteria for our venue;

1. fit 150 people for a cocktail reception (we don't want a sit down meal as FH and I love to mingle!)
2. able to bring in our own caterer (as being in a small coastal city people think that because they have a venue they can charge exorbitant price for minimal food so selecting our own caterer was important!)
3. able to BYO drinks. (A family friend has graciously volunteered to provide the wine for the entire wedding. We are ever so grateful for this generous offer so in order to take up the offer we needed to be able to BYO drinks.)

In a small coastal city there were not too many venues that could fit this criteria. But after about 2 months of on and off searching we found our venue;

Flinders Park Lodge (a bed and breakfast) that will!

On our booking we are able to have the whole venue to ourselves allowing us to be there at 10am to get ready and our package provides accommodation for the night for 8 couples! (we are asking some close out of town guests to stay as well as spend our honeymoon night there)

Our only reservation was the price, They had a package for two nights but we negotiated for us to only have the one night to halve our cost.

We also had to have a marquee over the deck due to the possibility of bad weather. The Lodge have negotiated with the local Marquee hire to give us a discount of more than half price for a marquee to go over the deck. We were very excited as to see a vision become a reality. We had gone to the Marquee hire place previously and been given a rough estimate that it would cost $1000 dollars for the marquee to go over the deck. After receiving that news we were devastated but resilient to the fact that sometimes we will need to find the alternate option. So Flinders saying that they had negotiated the price for us and had it considerably marked down, we were thrilled.

We have verbally booked but due to make a payment soon (Mid January)

Since making our booking we have found out that the husband that runs the business with his wife has passed away. He was only in his mid 40s. We have not called to check booking as we would like to give the wife her space over the busy period of Christmas in New Year and follow up with a phone call soon.We hope we can still go ahead with the booking, if not our backup plan is a to have a marquee on a friends vacant block in secluded area of our coastal city.

Coastal City Bride - Charis xx