The weeks are flying by.  I have been under the weather and unable to blog this week. I have received many emails, calls, texts, and Facebook messages asking about our progress. I decided to dedicate this blog to update everyone.  Dollar for a Wedding has grown far more than we would have ever imagined. Cole and I are excited and thankful for all the love and support. We are still in need of financial contributions and sponsors for our big day. I have listed all of our current sponsors below. Each sponsor will receive signage on our website, signage at the wedding and included in a giveaway bag for our guests. Thank you again for all of your continued support and feedback.

Venue:                          Loft at Castleberry Hill
Wedding Dress:         Fashenelle/ Nikki Darling & Co.
Makeup:                       Make Up by Alicia/ Nikki Darling & Co.
DJ:                                 Atl Wedding DJs
Officiate:                       Chaplin Nichelle Nance
Bouquet/Flowers:        The Flower Chef
Candy Buffet:                Peachy Treats
Wedding Planning:      The Coordinating Factors
Engagement Photos:  Carolina Avendano
Personal Training:       Vision 2 Reality
PR/Writing Support:      TWS Public Relations Firm

We are still in need of a photographer, attire for Cole and ring bearers, dress for flower girl, linen, liquor sponsor, programs and limousine.  Please email me if you would like to sponsor or if you know of anyone that could use a little advertising for their business. Again, thank you for all the help and support thus far; we cannot wait to see you all on our big day!  
 
Shoe Diva 08/20/2009
 
If you know anything about me there is one thing in life that I just have to have. CUTE SHOES! I love shoes. I think shoes bring our your personality and add style to your attire. I love shoes so much I collect little miniature shoes (Just the Right Shoe; www.justtherightshoe.com)

Because I plan to wear a short wedding dress, I have to have the perfect shoes. I have gone back and forth and have narrowed down the selection. I plan to accent the dress with purple so I think purple shoes might help to bring out the color. I found a website that has great looking dyeable shoes (www.myglassslipper.com) This way I can dye the shoes the exact purple that I need. The second and third choice are from my absolute favorite designer, Chrisitan Louboutin.  Of course they are a little out of my budget but maybe they can inspire me to find a similar style somewhere. Please leave comments or email your thoughts about these shoe choices or if you know any great websites for me to view.
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I have been searching high and low for the perfect dress and have yet to find it.  Thanks to Nikki Darling & Co. and her support she has found my solution, Fashenelle. Shenelle Evans, owner and designer for Fashenelle has offered to sponsor my wedding dress for my big day!

Shenelle is a well sought after celebrity designer here in Atlanta. She is a graduate of Bauder College and aspires to become one of the leading designers of Atlanta. Fashenelle is very unique and innovative and a great fit for our big day. I have posted a photo of her work and a YouTube video of her designs for EF Magazine’s photoshoot at the Glenn Hotel.  Post your comments or email me your feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZQ88Xn6zIc
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Birdcage Veil 08/14/2009
 
I am still on the hunt for the perfect dress. Thanks to the owner, Marlissa, of Nikki Darling & Co Styling Agency I do not have to stress too much about my dress. She has been providing me with great ideas and has offered to sponsor the wedding dress. I will keep you all posted on the ideas as we finalize them.

The next item on the agenda is the veil.  Typically in a second marriage the bride does not wear a veil.  I decided that I wanted to wear a veil no matter people say but I wanted something that was very fashion forward. I started looking online and found the perfect fit, a birdcage veil. The birdcage veil was very popular years ago but it is making a comeback.  I found many websites that offer instructions on how to make your own veils for the budget brides and many websites that sell birdcage veils. I have listed them below for you to view. I think the birdcage veil will give me the look of a young, contemporary bride. Below is a picture of one of my dear friends, Mary, wearing a birdcage veil designed by Unveiled Bridal Designs.  She looked absolutely beautiful.  Please email me or comment to give me feedback.

http://www.aisledash.com/2008/03/10/make-your-own-birdcage-veil/ (Make your own veil)
http://laurenandanthony.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-birdcage-veil-finished-product.html (Blog from another bride)
http://www.unveiledbridaldesigns.com (Mary’s Designer)
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Thank you so much for all of your comments and emails about the candy buffet and the timing is perfect. Cole was a judge at a business plan competition the other day and there was a young lady there named Heather Norwood that has started her own business called Peachy Treats. Peachy Treats offers a full service candy buffet to all of your special events. How perfect is that! I was so excited to meet her and hired her on the spot. Candy buffets are very affordable and a great favor for your guest. Visit www.peachytreats.com today and help get her new business up and going.
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Now that the location has been selected we need to start working on the menu. Cole and I decided that the theme of our reception should be Candy & Cocktails.
We have decided to have a candy buffet and a dessert bar for our guest to indulge. I have seen many ideas of a candy buffet and I think it is a cute touch to our nontraditional wedding. The candy buffet is inexpensive and allows us to be a little creative with colors. I found a website that sells old school candy for a great price. (http://www.oldtimecandy.com) They have a variety of candy like Candy Necklaces, Bazooka gum and Pix Stix. I am going to start looking for jars and creative ideas to display the candy. I have posted a few pictures for you to get a sneak preview. Tell me what you think.
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The Bridal Bar 08/05/2009
 
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Thanks so much for all the comments and emails about the location. We have made a decision on the location based on all the feedback. I will reveal the location at a later date.

Well time is winding down and I have a lot more decisions to make and I need a little professional help. I found this great new business that is brand new to the metro Atlanta area and I believe it is the answer to every brides overwhelming wedding planning.

The store is called The Bridal Bar (http://www.bridalbar.com) and it is located in Perimeter at the Perimeter Place Shopping Center.  It is an interactive boutique that supplies complimentary consulting for brides and represents the very best wedding vendors in the metro Atlanta area. It is a beautiful boutique that you can bring your bridesmaids or friends to sip champagne, taste cakes, view invitation samples all in one place. No more internet searching or scrambling to find a photographer, bakery, printer The Bridal Bar takes the stress away from planning your big day. Jami Beckerman, one of the consultants, spent time helping me pick out a baker and invitations. I had a great time and I am going to go back soon. Even if you are not a bride just yet go by and check it out, it is fabulous!!! Maybe I will meet you there.
 
 
First, I would like to thank everyone that has supported us and contributed to our big day. The idea to create dollar for a wedding was to allow our friends and family to become a part of the planning and contribute to our love. We never imagined that we would receive so much love and support from people we did not know. This has been a crazy ride and we are getting more support then we could ever imagine. So, thank you because without your help this day could not be possible.

Ok now for the decision of the day. We have only 37 days away and I need your help. We have decided that Atlanta will be the wedding location due to family getting to Destin and the short time to plan. I have posted 3 options for our wedding venue. Please let me know which one you think fits our personality.

Option 1: Loft at Castleberry

I love this venue. It is so beautiful and centrally located for everyone. It is a little over the budget but I think it fits our personality. The staff is very friendly and supportive.  The negative side is we have to use their bar and bartender instead of providing our own. http://www.loftatch.com


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Option 2: The Solarium

This place has its own character. It is the old Scottish Rite Hospital built in 1918. It would give our wedding a very unique setting and it is located in one of the cutest neighborhoods in Atlanta. The negative side is the location may be more suited for a traditional wedding. http://www.thesolarium.com
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Option 3: The Ellis Hotel

The Ellis is a new boutique style hotel in Downtown Atlanta. Absolutely beautiful! This venue will give the wedding a more upscale look and feel. The negative side is parking. Our guest will have to valet or park in a nearby parking garage.
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I have visited all three locations and they are pretty much the same in price.  Post your comments today to help me decide.