Wedding Blog - Big Day minus 194
- gsabc
- Posts: 6492
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:03 am
- Location: Federal Bureaucracy City
- Contact:
Wedding Blog - Big Day minus 194
Quick entry in the middle of work and other time wasters. I may have spoken too soon about the DJ. While we have this nice local company, BD informs me that they haven't looked at anyone else, so she doesn't know if others are better and/or cheaper. I would think convenience would count for something here, but a couple of hundred saved here and there (without a drop in quality of the service or product) adds up.
I keep harping on the costs, I know. It's a large part of the stress involved with the whole affair (pun intended). The stress isn't so much the cost in itself, it's more about having the money in the first place. GW is paranoid about our retirement (objects are closer than they appear), having lost much of her funds when her company went belly-up and the invested money was Enroned. Major expenses such as this make her cringe. The internal conflict is that she WANTS to have a big and nice wedding, but doesn't want to shell out the bucks. While there is some paring of costs possible, the only way to make significant headway would be to eliminate items that are considered essentials. Granted, our essentials are not those of others. Your mileage may vary. But certain cuts would be very painful. We are doing what we can, so there will be more options checked out for DJ's.
I keep harping on the costs, I know. It's a large part of the stress involved with the whole affair (pun intended). The stress isn't so much the cost in itself, it's more about having the money in the first place. GW is paranoid about our retirement (objects are closer than they appear), having lost much of her funds when her company went belly-up and the invested money was Enroned. Major expenses such as this make her cringe. The internal conflict is that she WANTS to have a big and nice wedding, but doesn't want to shell out the bucks. While there is some paring of costs possible, the only way to make significant headway would be to eliminate items that are considered essentials. Granted, our essentials are not those of others. Your mileage may vary. But certain cuts would be very painful. We are doing what we can, so there will be more options checked out for DJ's.
I just ordered chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.
- MarleysGh0st
- Posts: 27966
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:55 am
- Location: Elsewhere
Re: Wedding Blog - Big Day minus 194
Ouch! Did she have all her 401-K invested in the company stock?gsabc wrote:GW is paranoid about our retirement (objects are closer than they appear), having lost much of her funds when her company went belly-up and the invested money was Enroned.
Essentials:gsabc wrote:While there is some paring of costs possible, the only way to make significant headway would be to eliminate items that are considered essentials.
- Bride
- Groom
- Clergy/Justice of the Peace/Officiator of your choice
- Two witnesses
Everything else is a non-essential!

- christie1111
- 11:11
- Posts: 11630
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:54 am
- Location: CT
- MarleysGh0st
- Posts: 27966
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:55 am
- Location: Elsewhere
- kayrharris
- Miss Congeniality
- Posts: 11968
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:48 am
- Location: Auburn, AL
- Contact:
A very good segment on GMA this morning. Check this out.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints ... 659&page=1
This may be totally unacceptable, but they mentioned taking an Ipod and loading all the bride and grooms favorite music on it. You can get a great speaker for it, set it up in the reception area and have music for hours.
Won't cost near what a DJ would. Who needs the extra chatter anyway?
Just a thought.
We have our Ipod connected to the stereo system in the house. Just put it in on the receptacle on the wall, hit the play button and we have music without interruption for hours.
Good luck!
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints ... 659&page=1
This may be totally unacceptable, but they mentioned taking an Ipod and loading all the bride and grooms favorite music on it. You can get a great speaker for it, set it up in the reception area and have music for hours.
Won't cost near what a DJ would. Who needs the extra chatter anyway?
Just a thought.
We have our Ipod connected to the stereo system in the house. Just put it in on the receptacle on the wall, hit the play button and we have music without interruption for hours.
Good luck!
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. "
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
- cindy.wellman
- LOLOLOL
- Posts: 1641
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
- Location: Alaska
Well, it hadn't gotten to me (a non-bachelor) either, until earlier this week! We eloped back in the day.MarleysGh0st wrote:Exactly. The Wedding Industrial Complex hasn't brainwashed me, yet!christie1111 wrote:Spoken like a bachelor who has never had to go through this.Essentials:
- Bride
- Groom
- Clergy/Justice of the Peace/Officiator of your choice
- Two witnesses
Everything else is a non-essential!
A friend sent me a link to this website, which happens to be one of my favorite places to visit in the world, asking if I knew that you could rent the whole place for weddings. (or other events)
http://castellodiduino.it/eng.html (click services, then weddings)
I may have changed my mind a little bit now. Poor, Eric. LOL

- kayrharris
- Miss Congeniality
- Posts: 11968
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:48 am
- Location: Auburn, AL
- Contact:
- ulysses5019
- Purveyor of Avatars
- Posts: 19442
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:52 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- gsabc
- Posts: 6492
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:03 am
- Location: Federal Bureaucracy City
- Contact:
Re: Wedding Blog - Big Day minus 194
To answer the first question, yes, but she had no choice. The company had a trust (ironic appellation) that held the pension money. Most of it went into the privately held stock of the company. I'm still amazed the trustees never got sued for mismanagement.MarleysGh0st wrote:Ouch! Did she have all her 401-K invested in the company stock?gsabc wrote:GW is paranoid about our retirement (objects are closer than they appear), having lost much of her funds when her company went belly-up and the invested money was Enroned.
Essentials:gsabc wrote:While there is some paring of costs possible, the only way to make significant headway would be to eliminate items that are considered essentials.
- Bride
- Groom
- Clergy/Justice of the Peace/Officiator of your choice
- Two witnesses
Everything else is a non-essential!
As far as the essentials go: What? No parachuting Elvis imitator?
I just ordered chicken and an egg from Amazon. I'll let you know.
- cindy.wellman
- LOLOLOL
- Posts: 1641
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
- Location: Alaska
- kayrharris
- Miss Congeniality
- Posts: 11968
- Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 10:48 am
- Location: Auburn, AL
- Contact:
- cindy.wellman
- LOLOLOL
- Posts: 1641
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
- Location: Alaska
- tlynn78
- Posts: 9409
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:31 am
- Location: Montana
Essentials:
- Bride
- Groom
- Clergy/Justice of the Peace/Officiator of your choice
- Two witnesses
and cake. THere must be cake. White cake with raspberry white chocolate mousse filling. mmmmm.
Too bad you don't live closer, I'd make it.
t.
To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. -Thomas Paine
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. -Ayn Rand
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. -Ayn Rand
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
- MarleysGh0st
- Posts: 27966
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:55 am
- Location: Elsewhere
- Appa23
- Posts: 3770
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 8:04 pm
I see the DJ as being more of an essential, especially for the chatter.(Using microphone to get groups of people together)kayrharris wrote:A very good segment on GMA this morning. Check this out.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints ... 659&page=1
This may be totally unacceptable, but they mentioned taking an Ipod and loading all the bride and grooms favorite music on it. You can get a great speaker for it, set it up in the reception area and have music for hours.
Won't cost near what a DJ would. Who needs the extra chatter anyway?
Just a thought.
We have our Ipod connected to the stereo system in the house. Just put it in on the receptacle on the wall, hit the play button and we have music without interruption for hours.
Good luck!
I liked our DJ because he also brought a video camera, so we could look at it later and see who was at the reception.
I have like 20 years to get ready, gsabc, so take this with that thought in mond, but I might suggest that BD and FSIL prioritize the essentiality of the various aspects. (We can scrimp some on the cake and flowers so that we get a really good photogapher, for example.)
Getting married within a few years of college, music and dancing were pretty important to us.
- tanstaafl2
- Posts: 3494
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:45 pm
- Location: I dunno. Let me check Google maps.
And of course the shotgun.ulysses5019 wrote:Hey! Where's the photographer?Essentials:
- Bride
- Groom
- Clergy/Justice of the Peace/Officiator of your choice
- Two witnesses
Everything else is a non-essential
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
~Mark Twain
Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...
~tanstaafl2
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium
Ne Illegitimi Carborundum
Cumann na gClann Uí Thighearnaigh
~Mark Twain
Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...
~tanstaafl2
Nullum Gratuitum Prandium
Ne Illegitimi Carborundum
Cumann na gClann Uí Thighearnaigh
- tlynn78
- Posts: 9409
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:31 am
- Location: Montana
The bridesmaids and groomsmen carried these at my brother's wedding. He and his (I think it was #3) ran a small stunt crew in So.Cal at the time. It was a western-themed wedding. At the part where the preacher says If there is anyone here...speak now or forever...., several guests stood and began to speak. They were summarily gunned down by the wedding party. Yep, not a dry eye in the crowd.And of course the shotgun.
yeehaw.
t.
To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. -Thomas Paine
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. -Ayn Rand
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
You can ignore reality, but you can't ignore the consequences of ignoring reality. -Ayn Rand
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire
- ulysses5019
- Purveyor of Avatars
- Posts: 19442
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:52 am
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- peacock2121
- Posts: 18451
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:58 am
Money is such a hard conversation. Let's have GW get through it, even if just for the wedding expenses. The best outcome will be for her (translate you two) to come up with a figure and be happy with it and then figure out things from there.
I am of the opinion that parents are not obligated to pay for a wedding.
I am of the opinion that parents are not obligated to pay for a wedding.