Budget Friendly Bride 101 | Choosing Your Wedding Date

If you’ve stumbled upon this post, you are probably getting married, Yay! Congratulations! But let’s face it, what is the FIRST thing people love to ask once you announce your engagement, “When is the wedding?”. 

True Story: I did not choose my wedding date until 2 months after we were engaged. During the initial planning process the date changed several times. What we learned? Choose a date that you love and THEN also, pick a backup date!

Now, I HAVE to share what I’ve learned to help you choose your date and a cost effective one at that! Originally, I wanted a simple, beautiful seaside wedding and I assumed that for the time of year I wanted, it would be no big deal. WRONG!! I quickly learned that there are so many elements of a beach wedding (even on a low scale) that had NEVER crossed my mind! It became incredibly complicated and I backed away. I then realized that choosing the right time of year can save you A LOT of coins! 

Helpful Tip: If you’re considering a beach wedding, keep it small unless you have a designated space for your reception (i.e. hotel or offsite venue). Most beaches are open to the public and unfortunately, you cannot control your background as much as you would like. You may have to have a permit as well.

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In our case, we thought it would be fun to turn our dating anniversary into our wedding date. Our dating anniversary is May 7 and May is prime time for weddings. To our surprise, we saw a huge up-charge on pricing and that simply was not in the budget. Our goal is to not be left with a tremendous amount of debt after the wedding so it was back to the drawing board! 

The Peak Season for wedding venues is generally April-June and September – October with of course some variations depending on where you live. Here in the south, we tend to favor more outdoor events and choose a wedding in late spring or early summer. However, if you are open to any date, consider choosing a date that is “off season”! You will quickly see that you will save at least $1,000 or more. You will also save big if you choose to do a weekday wedding.

It’s important to have more than one date. Wedding venues book quickly especially for peak season times.

We chose our date based on a few things:

1.     Time of year

2.     Important family obligations (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)

3.     Pricing

Don’t forget, you also have to consider how long you want to plan your wedding. The average couple spends an average of 15 months planning for their wedding. 

Having a beautiful wedding can be done efficiently and economically! 

I hope you find this helpful and I can’t wait to hear all about your big day!

Stay tuned for part two on how to choose your venue!!

I’m Getting Married!!!

#ISaidYes

It almost feels weird to say that but I’m so happy. If you would have told me 4 years ago that this is where I would be I wouldn’t have believed you. I was in such a dark place and then I met Cleveland April of 2017 and the rest is history!

So let me tell you what you really want to know…the proposal! Cleveland foreshowed our engagement. On a recent trip to Myrtle Beach he said we’re going to be married before this (COVID-19) is all over. I laughed it off and we went on about our weekend. A few days after our return he hit me with “We getting married?” and “You gonna be my wife?” text and all I could do was laugh and yes. He gave me a proper proposal a few weeks later but that’s him and considering everything going on right now we would not have been able to have family and friends around for the moment.

Now, I’m counting down the days to #TheMiddletonMerger! I’m enjoying planning every moment and I can’t wait to take you on the ride with me.

And to the woman that doesn’t think marriage is in her cards…I was you. Heartbroken and a little bitter. I thought I could never love again. I was even told that I would never find someone wanting to be with me because I had two children. LIES! He took me and the kids and now we have a handsome son. What I’ve learned is when you stop looking you’ll find exactly what you need.

I am a BLACK Mom

"Every mother of every race should have felt that. If you are a mother and you are silent about this, f--- you. I said what I said and we hear your silence!" – Taraji P. Henson

I am a black mom.

I have beautiful black babies. They are well mannered and want nothing more than to be accepted by a world that doesn’t always accept them.

I haven’t had the words to express the pain I felt in the loss of George Floyd. I’ve had to take time to feel every valid emotion that came my way. I have not watched the video. I can’t bring myself to do it. It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that the world has witnessed this man die because he was SUSPECTED of using a counterfeit bill.

Where was the humanity?

If we thought it was scary to be black 100 years ago, think about how we feel now.

Black men and women are dying for NOTHING – other than being black.

When will this end? When can I no longer worry?

I’m scared for my sons. I’m scared for the men in my life.

No one knows that they are harmless and would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it. I encourage you to see people without judgement.

I don’t believe this was Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.

I have been fortunate to know some people of different races to stand for equality and truly understand that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Our skin color should not offend you.

To my fellow black mothers, I feel your pain. I hear you. I see you.

I also challenge you - start having those tough conversations with your children. They need to understand the world we live in. The last thing you want is for them to be put in a situation and think they are untouchable.