Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Pressures

We drove to my parents' place last weekend to visit my family, something we hadn't done since Christmas as we are spoiled with my family continuously travelling our way for appointments and just plain old visits.

When we were driving home on Sunday, the BF commented on the fact that there sure was a lot of pressure on us to get married now, from my mother and others. He wasn't exaggerating and I'm partially to blame as I didn't discourage the comments.

Example:
My mother's best friend's 8 year old granddaughter - "Are you married?" No. "Are you engaged?" LOL No but why don't you ask him why that is... BF's response "Uhhh..."

I told him not to stress about it and to consider it a huge compliment that at least he KNOWS my family likes him. I didn't hear this 'pressure' when I was with my ex.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Budget friendly Manitoba

This week I saw a post on Martha Stewart's Wedding Blog about a bride that has created a blog where she is asking people, strangers, to help pay for her wedding. In fact she even has a link built into the site where you can click to Donate.

With the economic uncertainty the way it is around the world right now, its no surprise that more and more brides are realizing that they can't afford to go into debt over their weddings and even reducing their budgets to $10,000 or less isn't enough, as they have NO money saved for it.

Its times like this that I puzzle over why more communities outside of Manitoba, Canada don't embrace the idea of a PRE-WEDDING SOCIAL. What is a pre-wedding social you ask? Well just the bestest friend to the budget savy bride!

A social, something that is apparently unique to Manitoba, is an event much like a high school dance for adults that you sell tickets for. It is primarily used as a fundraiser and is very popular here for brides and grooms to throw prior their wedding to make money to put towards their wedding, hence 'pre-wedding social'.

Basically you rent a hall, much like planning a wedding reception, book your music, stock the bar and have a midnight snack available. People pay between $10-15/ticket to attend, purchase drink tickets for their alcohol and then additional tickets to enter into draws for prizes. Some couples will add additional games that cost money to play and add to the fundraising. If done right you can make a few thousand dollars after expenses.

To those that aren't familiar with this they tend to respond with distaste, marking this up to basically just ASKING people for money but the truth is people that attend are actually very happy to spend the money. How is buying a ticket to attend a dance any difference then spending money on cover at a bar? And at least they know its going to help a couple to start off their lives debt free (hopefully!).

The nice thing about the social verses a reception is that it is very casual and there isn't the same pressures to decorate, have center pieces and provide favors, and yet it is still an opportunity for friends and family to get together and have fun.

Personally I plan to have a social where the money I make will go toward the cost of the open bar at my future wedding, if I plan it right I might even have enough to cover part of the food costs as well.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April Fools...Hilarious?

This morning on my way to work I get a text from my sister informing me that my brother and his girl friend are engaged. I then get a second message from my best friend asking if it is true.

What the F**K! Is my first thought.

Then I remember that my brother tried calling me last night so I assume that was the reason why.

And then I start thinking that my 19yr old brother SHOULD NOT be engaged before me. I mean come on! I'm freakin' 27yrs old. He hasn't even left his teens!!! (He turns 20 this summer).

I'm ashamed to admit that I kinda got a little choked up as I dialed his cell phone number. No answer.

Called his girlfriend's number, got her but he wasn't around and she said she didn't know why he would be calling yesterday. Arrrgh, at this point it still doesn't dawn on me that its April Fools and that they could be making this crap up. I'm annoyed when I hang up as I assume she's being secretive about the engagement...not really rational since she posted it on facebook.

I finally get through to him and apparently he was only calling about his trip down to visit me next week, and when I mentioned the 'engagement' news he laughs and says that was his gf's idea of an April Fools joke. Ughhhh. Not funny but all I could think was 'I still have time to get engaged before him'. Sad, I know.