The battle of the wedding planners are big fat liars

Did anyone see The Battle of the Wedding Planners on TLC Friday? MOH/cousin & I happened to be watching TLC Friday night, after getting sucked into what seemed like a marathon of Say Yes to the Dress. The show starts & it shows 3 planners that with have their own theme, MOH/Cousin points at the TV and yells "that girls theme is bitch!" - it's fun watching TV with my cousin, because she doesn't watch TV that often and when she does she likes to talk to the people on the screen as if they can hear her. So here is the breakdown of what happened:
The cute couple is shown on the TV & says their budget is 15K, they live in L.A but are originally from New Jersey so they want a wedding with a "no-frills attitude that pays homage to their roots" & 3 wedding planners will present them with ideas for a wedding & in the end the couple picks what planner wins & get to plan their wedding. Now hold up, everyone that is planning a wedding knows that you can't just give a figure like that, you need to say how many guest are going to come, this makes a HUGE difference - 15K for 50 people or 15K for 350 people?!

This show had me yelling at the TV with my cousin, because they misrepresented what 15k can get you in L.A & I really hope that people who are actually planning a wedding in L.A don't watch this show for ideas because it is bull caca! They are show big fat liars for saying that the three options shown are $15k. The only one that could have been 15k is the Griffith Park option.

Planner #1: I recognized the Marvimon as soon as I saw it & f to the no would a wedding there cost 15K, unless you plan on serving Mc D's & wearing your mama's wedding dress. I did extensive research when looking for my L.A venue, so I know The Marimon cost 7k just to rent, but they require valet & other things so it's really 12k for the space, & that planner mentioned snake charmers & other things that would cost a lot- thanks to Miss Sprinkle on weddingbee who shared her budget recently for her wedding & gave us all an honest breakdown of her wedding and it was 40k. I would think a wedding there would cost a min of 20K for everything (again depends on guest list)

Planner # 2: Griffith Park. Now this one is a possible 15K wedding. It cost $300 to rent the space. I don't know the details of this place because it is all outside and that was not an option for us. I know it's possible to have a budget wedding here because I saw it on a wedding photographer's site *here*. The couple seemed to like it because "you didn't think you were in L.A" - A statement like that my friends is one of my pet peeves, I *hate* when people say it's so L.A, or that L.A is suppose to be a certain way, or that everyone is superficial because it is just not so. L.A is so diverse that there is no way you can say L.A is suppose to be like "this or that". To say that being at Griffith Park makes you feel you are not in L.A is pretty ignorant. But I digress..

Planner #3: The most ridiculous of the 3 for a 15K wedding was The London. The London is Gordon Ramsay's restaurant. The meals per person are around $100 so that alone (with tax & gratuity) is almost 15k not including decorations, favors, drinks, photography, space rental etc. They tried making it seem like the planner called in a lot of favors but it still wouldn't be a 15k wedding.

Although the couple said they wanted a "no-frills attitude and pays homage to their roots" they ended up choosing something they would consider to be "very L.A".

Free Holiday Class from Jessica Sprague

I signed up last week for a free class from http://www.jessicasprague.com/ called Holidays in Hand. In the class they will be teaching us how to tell our holiday stories both past and present, go *here* for instructions. I thought it would be the perfect way to get me in the DIY/crafty mood!

I need a new piggy bank

I need a new piggy bank the one I got at target a while ago is full, I'm thinking I may get this one from Velocity Art and Design and put it in the living room.

Book Report: The Quintessential Wedding Guide ... Maid of Honor

Wanna get your MOH in line? Make her read this book! Granted, it's pretty thin, but I FINALLY got around to reading The Quintessential Wedding Guide ... Maid of Honor

Great read. Lots of good tips on etiquette, planning, roles and how to best approach any bride 911 in a cool, calm, collected spunky side kick manner. I am not a big fan of the cover (seriously, I almost didn't buy it) but content is well worth it!

Your blog is Super Cute!

Thank you so much to A Chocolate Lover's Confession for awarding me the "Your blog is Super Cute!" award!
The rules for this award: Pass the award to 10 other bloggers and leave them a message to let them know.
I think these blogs are super cute!
Bride Side of Life
Very Married
BP Wedding

Girl with a ring

After Yes, Before I do and Everything in Between
Lost in White Chiffon
Bridechka and the Wedding
PDX Bride
Don't Eat The Paste

The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blog Award!

Thank you to Stanley Makes 3 and The Alternative Bride for awarding me the The Fabulous Sugar Doll Blog Award !! Since I told you 7 things for my last kreative/sugar award and 10 things yesterday for my 2nd kreativ award, for my 2nd Sugar award I thought it would be awesome MOH/cousin/co-blogger Concepcion shares 10 interesting facts about her! Luckily she happily obliged!
The instructions for the suagr award are to write 10 interesting things about yourself, and then pass it on to 10 other bloggers.

Without further adieu here are ten Fun/interesting facts about MOH/cousin/co-blogger Concepcion:

1) I like to get metaphysical. Actually, I was a Philosophy major at Yale. I like to tell people that I majored in Philo with a Metaphysics concentration. Those were most of my classes but Yale doesn't have concentrations for majors. So in actuality, I'm just a compulsive liar. Kidding! (Sort of.)

2) 100% Californian with Texan accents. One of the most interesting times in my life so far was living in Downtown Dallas for about a year. I ran with a pretty crazy club promoter group and used to host/promote after hours trance/dance parties at my loft.

3) I run. A lot. I'm a no-where-near-pro endurance athlete currently training for half marathons 5,6,7,8... and marathon number 2 in March (LA Marathon)... first 100 mile relay in April and I'm on two ultra marathoners teams as a pacer! I've contributed to a lot of running/training/racing social networking sites and own more Nike clothing than I'm willing to admit.

4) These boots were made for walking. Signature outfit - cute/trendy/sexy dress with cowboy boots. Didn't I say Texan accents (see bullet #2).

5) I came in 2nd place at a karaoke contest. I sang Weezer - Say It Ain't So. Next contest I plan to Shanghai (2011/2012) I plan to sign Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way... WITH a blond wig and hippie dress.

6) I came in 2nd place at a go-go dancing competition at a gay club in West Hollywood. (2007)

7) I have a black belt in tae kwon do and fought on the varsity team in college.

8) My favorite sign is the sign of the beast (see also: rock horns).

9) I'm HUGE on twitter (@anotorias + @jennsteria for ww). (Not really but I saw a shirt that says that once.) I tweeted about needing help and one of my followers tweeted this to me:

rlauwers: @anotorias An example of social scene convergence- social, business, leisure all viewable in the same person like thru facets on a diamond.

I have no flipping clue what that means but I'll take it!

10) I'm part mountain goat. My favorite place to spend alone time in the whole wide world is up the high trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.

***Thank you MOH/cousin/co-blogger Concepcion for sharing 10 things about you!***

I'm passing the Fabulous Sugar Doll Blog Award to these 10 awesome bloggers

The Less Than Domestic Goddess
Things I love
You can’t take it with you
The I got to thinking

Chaotic Bliss

The Opposite of Zen
Diaries of a Restless Bride

7 Year Wedding

12K Wedding Blog
Bride on a budget

Kreative Blogger Award & My birthday!

Thank you to Chic 'n Cheap, A Cape Code Bride & Miss Mojito from for awarding me my second Kreativ Award! I'm honored to receive this award from these Kreativ bloggers, they rock! It truly means a lot to me to receive these awards, as I mentioned before I am a little behind blogging about the awards but as it turns out it's better this way because I get to re award them on my bday week! So the rules as we remeber are to name 7 things about yourself that people may not know be it fun, interesting, or even embarrassing and then nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

1. I research the heck out of everything. I think you guys already know this considering how much research I did to find the right venue, church, photographer & dress (although still looking for dress).
2. I never believed in Santa Claus but I would pretend I did for my parents sake.
3. About a year ago, my cousin/MOH went to a pole dancing class at the Treasure Chest in West Hollywood. We loved it, there were ladies of differant ages (20-50), different races & backgrounds, it was so great to be amongst a group of women that were so sweet & supportive. Too many times woman are the first ones to put down another woman. The class was not only about pole dancing but about self empowerment, it was how to be comfortable in your own skin, to be proud to be a woman & be aware of your sexuality. We all had a great time in class.
4. I was playing trivia pursuit with mi amor & his dad, and one answer was yogi bear (or so I thought) I told them I know who that is! & they looked at me shocked and replied you do?!?! I said "of course! hello Hanna-Barbera!!" they laughed hysterically & said NOT yogi bear, it's Yogi Berra the baseball player. whoops!
5. If I see a drawer, cupboard or closet door open, I must close it, & I wonder how that person could just leave it open, it makes me wonder about their ability to finish things, but in the end I know it has nothing to do with them & 100% to do with my inability to be ok leaving such items open :-)
6. My 3 initials spell out a short version of my name.
7. Ever since I graduated from college I like taking my birthday off & being by myself during the day, not doing anything special per se, just being alone & reflecting. So today that is what I'm doing. Also on the list for today is a dress apt (still need to catch up on dress posts) & tonight mi amor is taking me out to a romantic dinner whoo hoo!

I'm passing the Kreativ Blog award to these amazing kreative bloggers:

Anna and the Ring

A Cupcake Wedding

A Very Chocolate Wedding

Born to be Mrs. Beever

Cheap Wife

New Mexico Bride

The Thirty Something Bride

Your Blog is Fabulous Award

Thank you to Born to be Mrs. Beever for awarding me the Your Blog is Fabulous Award, I think her blog is super fab too! For this one, you list 5 things you are obsessed with and then pass the award onto five of the most fabulous blogs you read.

1. Finding my wedding dress
2. Making to do lists
   
3. Losing the last 3 freaking pounds to meet my goal weight
4. Finding the right moisturizer (I have combination skin)
5. For the next few days I will be obsessed with cleaning my apt. It looks clean, but I am giving it some hard core cleaning, I'm talking about blinds & grout peeps!
   

I'm passing the award to these fabulous bloggers!

A Chocolate Lover's Confession

Handcrafted Hitching Post

Stanley Makes 3

Pink Argyle

Truly Engaging

Your Blog is Over the Top!

As I mentioned before I am *way* behind in my google reader & my posts - all the free time has been going to the never ending search of "the dress" but I feel it's within my grasp, so I hope to be all caught up muy pronto! As I was looking at my google reader, I saw I received some awards whoopee!!! and since it's my bday week (bday is on Thursday) I've decided to give each award it's own post and spread the love, I was first planning on doing one post and giving each blogger a different award but it was taking too long for me to decide which one goes with which, then I also wanted to make sure to give them an award they hadn't already received, and so a bday week awards was born!
Thank you oh so much to New Mexican Bride for awarding me the Over the Top Award!

For the Over the Top Award you are supposed to answer the following questions with one word answers and then pass the award onto six fellow bloggers. ---whoops I just re read this right before posting & did not follow directions with the one word- oh well story of my life...

1. Where is your cell phone? Next to me as always.

2. Your hair? Long & unmanageable- sometimes it's wavy, sometimes it's not. I have long hair & although my bf/brides man would like me to try out a bob, I keep reminding him that I had such bob my freshman year in high school & it would like to do a flip on one side, not both, just one - not pretty.

3. Your mother? The tie that binds my family

4. Your father? My hero

5. Your favorite food? Nicaraguan tamale & steak nachos
6. Your dream last night? X rated (mi amor)
7. Your favorite drink? water or coke zero
8. Your dream/goal? find love of my life (check)/be able to make enough money to travel most of the year
9. What room are you in? home - office
10. Your hobby? photography, excel, organizing, making lists, finding recipes & never cooking them.
11. Your fear? drowning
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Having a higher position in my job, happily married and living in a house.
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something you aren’t? A snooper
15. Muffins? pass, but give me a chocolate donut with custard feeling & I am good to go.
16. Wish list item? never ending. As Nick said in Flash Dance to Alex " When you give up your dream, you die"
17. Where did you grow up? City of Angels
18. Last thing you did? made up a new song and dance
19. What are you wearing? a moo moo. I freaking love my moo moo, slap on a pair of high cork wedges & some aviators and your ready to go out n about town, then come home & kick off your heels & relax in your moo moo. My moo moo is what some people call a Mexican tent dress as shown in this wedding.
20. Your TV? 42' LCD High def, my tv is actually bigger than mi amor's. I'm the only girl I know that has more electronics then her (bf/fiancée), I get it from my dad. You don't even want to know how many flash drives, hard drives, or ipods I have.
21. Your pets? none. I had a cat Hobbes, he thought he was a dog, he would fetch his cat toy ball, & he also use to hide his food by putting a newspaper over it, or shirt or whatever he could find. He also slept with me side by side like he was a person.
22. Your friends? around
23. Your life? muy bien
24. Your mood? energetic
25. Missing someone? my mom's chihuahua Paquito who passed away last year, he taught my mom how to love a pet and how to have patience.
26. Vehicle? silver ford mustang (I love it)
27. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
28. Your favorite store? Target
29. Your favorite color? rainbow ;-)
30. When was the last time you laughed? a few moments ago when my loves was dancing for me
31. Last time you cried? I use to never cry, even as a kid I wouldn't cry in front of people, I didn't want them to know that part of me. But my goodness ever since I got engaged I am as mi amor called me during the movie "Australia" a big ol mush. I freaking cry at all the touching parts, don't even get me started on the times travelers wife.
32. Your best friend? brides man
33. One place that I go over and over? my head
34. One person who emails me regularly? cousin/MOH
35. Favorite place to eat? Momma's house

And the lovely 6 Over the Top bloggers I'd like to pass on this award to:

Chic N Cheap

Miss Mojito @ With This Ring

The Alternative Bride

Blog Googles

A Bowie Bride

A Cape Code Bride

Ruffles galore

{Cymbeline Carissa} {Cymbeline:Cherie}

I dig ruffles on wedding dresses, I have yet to try on a wedding dress with ruffles like the ones shown in this post, most likely because they are muy expensive. Like my bf/bridesman tells me, my taste is more than my budget. Is it weird that I love dresses with ruffles, yet I also love satin trumpet dresses with clean lines and no ruching? Not for me it isn't, in fact it is very typical for me to like two things that seem to be completely different, I think it brings balance. If I could, I would wear a ruffle dress for the ceremony & a trumpet dress for the reception, but that's not a possibility, right now I would just be happy finding 1 dress :-) . Btw I almost found "the one" four times in the last 2 weeks, I have not posted about it yet because I still have to get caught up on the rest of the dress shopping that lead up to these. In retrospect, I think I just started wanting anything that resembled what I wanted to be "the one" because I am tired of looking for it, & also I have had to invest in more boy short undies due to going to all these bridal places. I feel closer to it though, I *know* I will find "her" this week, that or I will find someone to custom make her for me :-)



{Edgardo Bonilla:Agatha} {Watters Brides:4043B}