Making it.

Throughout this whole wedding process, money has been a pretty big concern. While each of our parents are contributing significant amounts, there's always a stress around being able to accomodate and entertain large groups of people. Money automatically comes with it - whether it's DIY or not. While our invitations didn't cost a lot of money, we still paid for paper, envelopes, stamps, ribbon, etc.

One thing that was really important to Sean and me was that we didn't have "friendors" - you know, the people who would rather be enjoying themselves at the party than working for you. Anyone that we invited automatically did not have a "job". This wedding is a celebration and a party, not a networking experience. While we have friends and acquantinces that are extremely talented people, I don't want them to work for us. I don't want to have to set rules and guidelines and expectations for them. I want them to enjoy themselves. This, in turn, drives our cost up a bit. We can't bank on Grandma to bake our cake for free, or our parents to cook the dinner.

Yesterday, we really crunched the numbers. Money is due really soon (or has already been paid, in the case of our photographer) for our vendors, and we needed to double check everything. We're making it. We're planning this gala for 230 some-odd people, and we're going to make it. In fact, we're gonna have a little left over. We could easily pay it all in cash too, though we are going to put a bit on credit cards so we can have some buffer room - just in case. We'll simply pay it off after the wedding.

Even better? My bonus for the month will cover my girls' getting their hair done. It was something I really wanted, so, because I'm "requiring" it, I'm also paying for it. The bonus is just an extra drop in the bucket. It's really nice to have.

So while tonight I'm punching out favor tags and cutting ribbon, I can rest easy knowing that we're not going into debt for this. We've managed to squeeze everything out, and money is no longer a concern.

So what is my biggest concern? Making sure everything gets to St. Louis...and that nothing is forgotten in KC. Which is why our wedding rings are already there, and the dress (and anything else I have done) will be going with me next weekend.

The Final Reveal - Invitations!

 This is a super pic-heavy post, but I can't help but brag about my invitations! These babies took forever to assemble, and they're a huge work of love (and sweat and frustration). I'm so relieved that they're finally out - but I love hearing about how people love them. :)


They're totally worth everything. In the end, they still only cost 61 cents to mail, so I spent less than $3 on each of them - which was my goal. The actual total was $2.68 a piece - and that includes the ridiculous amount of adhesives I ended up purchasing. It doesn't include the stamps (I already had them), or the liners (left over Costco wrapping paper!). So, ready for the reveal? Here it goes!!

 

 When the envelope is opened, here's what our guests first see

 

 Here's the pocketfold closed and ready to be opened

And here's the pocketfold opened!

The main panel of the invitation

 

Our RSVP postcard

The map and directions card - I made the map myself (on Power Point believe it not!)

 

And all of the inserts together

I love the way they turned out! It kind of makes me sad that I still haven't found my camera cord (and therefore still have crappy cell phone pics). At least I have an awesome phone, right? So there you have it folks. The great invitations of the Seanmanda wedding.

It just means that it's that much closer - and the official countdown? 36 days!!

My Super Ridiculously Awesome Cake Topper.

I love my cake topper. Really, I love all cake toppers. I think they're a great way for people to personalize one little element without thought. It can be as ridiculous or classic as imaginable. I've been keeping an eye out for a great topper for quite awhile, but I hadn't really found anything that really screamed "us". We're not very defined people. There's no game or television show that we're obsessed with. While we're band kids at heart, Sean hasn't really played in nearly 4 years, and it's not as big of a part of our lives as it once was. We're true Mizzou fans, but sometimes I feel like it gets overboard.

And then. Then, I discovered Keren at MudCards on Etsy. She's pretty popular on the Bee front, which is exactly where I found her. Her toppers are kind of expensive, but I fell in love. I adore her custom designed, personal toppers. I think they're adorable and I immediately fell in love.

I bought one.

I couldn't be happier with the results. Keren worked with me to personalize my topper (even to the details of my dress and flowers!). Because we didn't want a theme like most of her others, she put a heart on ours with our wedding date. It's super light, and we won't have any problems putting it on top of the cake (which was a fear I had). And don't those little people look just like us?

I'm so excited to see our awesome cake with this baby on top of it!!

frivolous things and a pretty hanger.

Let's talk about spending money frivolously in wedding planning. It happens. You see one of those things, and all of the sudden its *omgihavetohaveitoriwilldie*. These are the items that don't matter. The things that won't impact your day in the end and that no one will notice if they're not there. They are, for most purposes, completely useless.

But. They are the items you will remember. They're the items you will swoon over on pictures, that others will awe over, and that you will always love.

This is the first of those items. I fell in love with this hanger and I couldn't imagine anything more perfect. You know those beautiful pictures of the dress hanging before the bride puts it on? This is for those pictures. It's also one of the first things (okay the only thing) I've purchased that says Mrs. Byrne. Crazy!!

Take a look at my gorgeous hanger, purchased from Aressa - an awesome Etsy seller :)

I'm super excited to see this baby hanging in the window, with my dress on it, waiting to be worn. Exciting!!

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Giving Thanks.

This past Thursday was Thanksgiving, and there's so much I have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my family. For Sean, for my parents, my siblings (and my new brother!), Sean's family, and my friends. Sean and I moving in together has been so seamless for the most part, and our families have been so great in supporting us the best they can from 300 miles away. Sean supports everything I do, regardless of how crazy it is. When I'm so frustrated I'm in tears, he helps me see the light. We've worked really hard to have an equal partnership, and even though we're both busy a lot of the time, we make it work.

I'm thankful for my job. Even though I had to work on Thanksgiving (and have yet to eat any turkey), I'm thankful I have it. So many people don't have jobs right now, or don't have jobs that make a difference. My job pays all of our bills, and, while money is a little short for food, we make it work just fine. My job isn't the best in the world, but it's a great place to start.

I'm thankful for Sean's school. He's so happy in law school, and it's definitely where he should be. He doesn't complain about having to read 200+ pages a week, or that his finals are 4 hours long, because he loves it so much. Plus, him being in school gives us a discount on the apartment and the student loans that help close the gaps so that we can live without a fear of starvation. I love that he loves what he's doing.

I'm thankful for our kitten. Ella is so well behaved, and it's so nice to have a loving kitten to come home to at night. She's our lovely foot warmer at night, and our cuddler during the day. I love having her, no matter what she costs (which thankfully hasn't been much yet).

I'm thankful that we're able to plan the wedding of our dreams. It's been a struggle to do it long distance and with no-so-eager family and friends (until now, now that everything is planned :P), but it's everything we've wanted. We've budgeted, we've worked overtime, and we've hunted for deals. Our parents are graciously helping us get the day of our dreams, and I couldn't be more grateful. Let's hope the day goes smoothly!!

This year has been a whirlwind of change for us for sure. I've moved twice in less than six months, I've had 3 jobs, and we're now living less than 100 miles apart for the first time in five years. Despite all of that, we're getting there. We'll be married in 42 days (the answer to life?). I'm looking forward to starting an MBA program next year, getting another promotion (hopefully), and going on our fabulous honeymoon. The next 3 years are going to be incredibly busy, but incredibly rewarding at the same time.

More than anything, I'm thankful that I have the opportunities that I do, and that I've met the love of my life, who is incredibly supportive of everything I do. Life may be hard, but it's going somewhere. You can't see the sunshine until you break through the clouds, and slowly but surely they're clearing away. I'm thankful for my life.