I have a florist!

Do not underestimate the power of Craigslist. Sure, there are a ton of people on there who aren't what they claim to be and all they do is offer scam after scam. But do not let that deter you from finding something in your price range.


While randomly browsing Craigslist a while ago I found a post about a florist who works from home. Figuring it would be cheaper than any store, I emailed her what I was interested in and what my budget was.


Brittany emailed me back right away and told me of course she could work in that budget. It wasn't a problem at all. And yes, I could even have the flowers I wanted. So, we agreed that since she lives close to the winery, when FI and I made the trip up there we would visit her to look at everything.


Then came the great budget cut. My $600 flower budget was now $300. I needed my bouquet, 5 bridesmaid bouquets, a bout for FI, corsages for our moms and centerpiece flowers. So, I emailed Brittany again and she responded that it wasn't a problem. Obviously, I wasn't going to have the most expensive flowers, but my wedding would still have flowers and look nice.


I ended up finding the exact centerpieces I wanted on the Trash to Treasure board of theknot. So, I bought them. $87 and flowers were included because they were true touch silk ones. Woo Hoo!


Today FI and I met with Brittany. I was kind of hesistant because I have really expensive flower taste. I like calla lilies, orchids, and pretty much any other expensive flower. We sat down and went through everything.


Now here is the shocker:


My bouquet - mini calla liles in white with purple filler flowers, approx. 8 inches. $50
Bridesmaids - 5 bouquets of 5 lavendar roses with babies breath or other filler flower. $10 EACH
FI Bout - white calla lily $10
Mom's Corsages - carnations or roses, able to be pinned or worn on wrist, $10 EACH
Cake Flowers - approx 5 lavendar roses to put on cake. $10
Delivery and Tax: $46

Total Cost: $186.

I damn near fell over. Seriously, I dont even think the grocery store can give you that kind of price!

And since my bouquet is kind of small, depending on where we save money elsewhere, she told me that I can upgrade it to a bigger one up until a week before the wedding. So, the more I think about it, I might as well see what another $20 will get me size wise on the bouquet. I mean, I don't want it huge since I'm short, but I want it noticeable too.

Oh and another awesome thing - she asked if we had a photographer yet. I told her no and she said "I'm not trying to sell myself, but since you are on a budget and its hard to find a photographer on a budget, I do photography too. Its nothing super fancy, I can edit the pictures if you want, but I'll stay the entire night and take a ton of pictures for $300." So, thats another thing we can think about. She said she would email me the pictures of the wedding shes taking in Oct.

Officiant

When I first thought about all of the vendors we would need for the wedding, I figured an officiant would be pretty easy to find and pretty affordable. I was thinking $250 max.


Then I actually start researching for officiants and found out that its a lot more expensive than I thought. Like, $350 if you want them to spout out some basic vows and thats all. $400-$800 if you want to add in anything that you like. Well, I damn near had a heart attack when it sank in that an officiant could cost us more than my dress.


Then a miracle happened yesterday. I was searching on craigslist and came across a Reverend who does non-denominational weddings. It said her prices were really affordable. So, I emailed her.


She responded and said that she typically does do Friday night weddings, but she could do it for $100 and we could use standard vows or completely customize it. I really did almost fall out of my chair at work. I think I sat there with my mouth hanging open staring at the computer screen for a good 2 minutes. And then I got hesitant. How did I know that this wasn't just some fraud, I mean it is Craigslist after all. So I emailed her back and said "although I am interested, I'm hesitant. Everyone that I've found charges $350 and up. How are you able to afford such low prices?"


She told me that she only does this on the side, she has a regular 9-5 job and just thinks its fun to marry people so she doesn't need to charge exorbitant fees for it. I emailed her back and now FI and I are going to meet with her.


Wish me luck that everything works out! Her prices are just too good to pass up.

Photographer - Update

If you happened to catch the post I made over the weekend about the photographer, I'm sure you'll notice its now gone. Here's what happened:

I found an amazing photographer. Her pictures were exactly what I wanted. I emailed her in hopes we could work out something because she was more expensive than we can afford. I got a response back on Saturday saying that we could work something out.

On Monday, I got another email saying I'm sorry, I don't lower my prices for anyone. If you want 6 hours of photography its $1800. I can't do any better. Maybe since you're on such a small budget you can find a student photographer to help you.

I was furious when I got the email. I emailed this lady, gushed about how much I loved her work and she basically told me to F off because I don't have $1800. When I responded back about the initial email I was told oh thats just a generic email.

So, I deleted the last post because it gave out her website. Maybe its immature but I'm not going to gush about someone and recommend their work when they are so unwilling to budge on anything.

I'm not stupid, I understand that everyone needs to make money and be paid what they are worth, but last time I checked there is this little thing called a recession going on and it tends to make most people think about their prices. Obviously there are still enough people out there who can pay her $1800 for 6 hours and $5000 for 8 hours with a CD and engagement session that I'm not important enough to consider. So yeah whatever. Back to looking for a photographer.

Questions to Ask A Photographer

After my last post, I realized that this would definitely come in handy for anyone who is on the photographer hunt. I suggest that once you meet with the photographer you ask them questions that are already listed on their website just to make sure nothing has changed.


One thing I learned is that some photographers will only offer you some of the photos they took, the ones that they believed are the best. I think the bride and groom should make that decision. So, if thats something you want, make sure you ask if you get copies of all proofs.


Some of these questions are catered more towards what I was looking for, but obviously feel free to adjust them as necessary.


I compiled this list from google and bios on theknot.com.


1. What type of camera do you use?
2. Are there any extra fees associated for travel?
3. Do you have back up equipment?
4. What happens if you are sick that day?
5. Can guests take photos during the ceremony too?
6. Can we provide a "must-take photo" list?
7. How long after the wedding will we receive the photos?
8. Do we get to choose which photos we would like to have touched up or switched to black and white?
9. Do you have a limited amount of photos to take?
10. What happens if you reach that number?
11. How do you describe photojournalistic photos?
12. When is a deposit required?
13. When is the final payment due?
14. What happens if we need to cancel?
15. Are there any other fees not included in the price?
16. What happens if we go over on the ceremony?
17. Will you visit the location beforehand?
18. Do you create custom packages?
19. Can we add or take away from a package?
20. What type of photos will be taken? (black/white, sepia)
21. Do the hours in the package include travel time?
22. Do we receive all of the proofs?
23. Do we need to order photos from you?
24. Will you have any other events that day?
25. How long have you been a wedding photographer?
26. Did you take formal classes for photography?
27. What do you do about people who do not photograph well?
28. What was the most difficult wedding you ever photographed and why?
29. How did it turn out?
30. How long do you keep the negatives?