Engagement Pictures!

Here they are! Some of Jerome and I's engagement pictures taken at Mingo Park! Can you tell how excited I am by all the exclamation points I'm using?!?!

But before we start... I have to tell you that taking engagement pictures is not as easy I imagined it. I thought that I was well prepared as I have spent many hours examining photos on Pinterest. However, once Jerome and I started trying to pose in front of both my sisters and my mom...it did not come so naturally. There was a lot of awkward embracing, kissing, and quite a few laughing hysterically at ourselves, none of which resulted in us looking good on camera. 

If you know me, what happened next won't come as much of a shock, and if you don't know me well, let's just say I have a flair for being dramatic. I may have had a minor meltdown that resulted in a few tears being shed. It was out of frustration people, and we were competing with the setting sun, and I got a little stressed! Totally normal...(don't roll your eyes). You'll be glad to know after my meltdown, I got my sh*t together and we proceeded on with the shoot. And luckily, we did get some great shots thanks to my mom, who helped direct us, my sister Kassy, who held the lighting thing (shiny, circular object that reflects light?) and pulled up Pinterest on her phone, and mostly Heather, who took and edited these wonderful photos. Oh and Jerome of course. Who unfathomably and thankfully, puts up with the craziness, and loves me still.

We're also going to be doing more sessions, so stay tuned for a different shoot.

And finally...HERE ARE OUR PICTURES!!!! :)

One of my favorites <3

Oh you know, just Jerome being Jerome. 

And they lived happily ever after. Or until we fight over what to put on TV or who's doing the dishes...but mostly happily ever after. 

Your pre-marital meltdown bride-to-be,

~Shane

PS- My sister, Heather Spirik took these pictures. This is her website: http://heatherspirikphotography.blogspot.com/    She also does senior pictures or whatever you want really. So feel free to contact to her. 

Using Your Resources

Since this blog is after all, about my wedding, but also about being budget saavy, I have found that one of the best ways to save money is to use your resources. And by this I mean, start pulling favors from family/friends/aquaintances, etc. Now, I don't mean it to sound like I'm encouraging you to use the people closest to you, BUT what I am saying is that if you know someone who's a DJ or knows a DJ- use that connection! Hiring all the people required to make a wedding function (photographer/videographer, florist, DJ, caterer, and so on) can get pricey quick. So talk to everyone you know and see what happens. You might not get anything for free, but you can get discounts, or even just find great advice on good people/companies to use. And really, with deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial, and there's always resale like thrift stores and yard sales- there's no need to pay full price for anything.

Take me for example. I am blessed to have a sister (I use the term blessed loosely, as sometimes I want to kill her. But would never, because I love her!) Heather, who is going to school for photography. I will not make her work during my wedding, but guess what her being in college means for me? It means she has other photographer friends! So while I will still be paying for a photographer, I will be employing students who are just building portfolios and gaining experience. No highway robbery here. It's a win all around. Another bonus- my sister Heather is taking my engagement photos! Now I'm really saving some cash. I'll still throw some money her way for her efforts, and I'll have to pay for prints, but trust me people, I'm coming out ahead in this deal. 

I've got a few caterer ideas lined up- my gram "knows" a guy. And my sister's friend's mom (see, you never know what connections might exist) works as a florist. My wonderful uncle has many hotel connections (that I will use for both my bridal party and for our out-of-towner guests). Instead of paying for a huge cake, we're getting a small one and having a dessert table. I'm asking my nearest and dearest to make cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, etc., to also help save money. Lastly, as I've mentioned before, we be crafty folk, so many things will be DIY. 

So you see, it's important to work what you got- just be sure you say endless thank you's and lend a hand when it's your turn around. 

Before I end this post, I mentioned how my engagement photo shoot is quickly approaching (next weekend!). We're going for a woodsy/country/natural feel. Pretty surroundings, pretty light. We're working on the pretty faces... But here's some visuals on the things that are inspiring my own shoot.

      

Change is a Good Thing

Change of plans! I know, I literally just announced the wedding venue. However, I just thought I'd keep everyone posted. And we have decided that while the reception will still be taking place at the gorgeous Robin Hill Mansion, the ceremony is taking place elsewhere.

Jerome and I were brainstorming ideas for our engagement photo shoot (which is happening in two weeks! YAY!) and we came up with a great idea. I was looking at a lot of photo websites, and many of them say that you should incorporate things that are important to you as a couple- like where your first date was, your favorite place, interests, etc. Weeeeell, we didn't have a lot of ideas. Jerome and I don't really hunt so the whole camo thing wouldn't work. While we love sports, there isn't really one team we die over, so I was kind of stumped. But then I realized a great place would be Robert Morris University, where we met and ultimately, fell in love (cue the corniness, folks). RMU has a pretty campus, so we'll get some great pictures. Then Jerome had ANOTHER brilliant idea. He says why don't we look into maybe renting the chapel on campus. So we went to look at it today...

And now we have a ceremony location! (I mean, I still have to call them and everything, but I love it!) It's called Rogel Family Chapel and for my non-RMU peeps, it looks like this:

 

I am so relieved that we thought of this! One of the biggest issues with Robin Hill is that in the event it rains or is cold (we are planning on October, so it's possible), there is no indoor ceremony location at Robin Hill. Which means I would've been stressing FOREVER over things like, moving the entire ceremony to this weird little stage thing located elsewhere in the park, getting the decorations there in the rain, getting ME there in the rain, renting a tent...but alas, those problems are gone with the addition of Rogal Chapel. And honestly, I'm kind of in love with the corniness of being able to see where we literally first met right from our wedding and incorporating that into our ceremony. It's like it was meant to be! 

Barns, and Fields, and Mansions...Oh My!

As I prepared to write this post, I gathered my Pumpkin Spice Latte (delish) and fleece blanket (cozy), to curl up on the porch because it is truly, a gorgeous, Pennsylvanian fall day. However, as I slid the screen door closed behind me, I took notice of the extremely large, black, un-nameable bug the size of a half dollar, that was clinging to the door. I yelled for my bug savior (Jerome of course), and even he was disturbed by this creature. Neither of us have ever seen a bug like this. It looked like a stink bug meets dung beetle meets prehistoric insect. After its prompt death, I tried to shake off the goosebumps and itchy feeling I was getting, and pulled out a chair to sit. Being the cautious person I am, I lifted the cushion to ensure my safety. Low and behold, a spider spinning a nest lay beneath where my tush was supposed to rest. With that and a sigh, I re-gathered my items and promptly returned to the house. I will just have to admire this fine day from the safe confines of the living room and a screen. Although I love the outdoors, I do not like bugs. If that makes me a wimp, so be it.

But I digress. This post is all about wedding venues and how I stumbled upon mine. As I've said before, I really just wanted a simple, rustic barn and a field for the wedding. Not that there's anything wrong with a firehall wedding or banquet hall, that's just not what I want. An added difficulty in our search was that we needed both a ceremony and reception site. As I began to search, I found these venues were not as easy to come by. Let me give you an idea of my dream location.

It is called Lingrow Farms. And it is beautiful. Here's their website: http://lingrowfarm.com/

Yeah, insanely gorgeous right?

Old wooden boards, twinkle lights...what's not to love?

They even have a boat.

But because I am a budget bride, this breathtaking place is out of my price range. I will state that this is not a direct quote from anyone at Lingrow, but a bride who had her wedding their posted her expenses on a different wedding site and priced it at around $8,500. Many other comments also stated that this place is pricey- and pretty much, rightly so. It's gorgeous!

The next place I looked at was Armstrong Farms. http://www.armstrongfarms.com/index.html

  

Now the great thing about this place, aside from also being lovely, is that your rental includes an overnight stay for 12-14 guests, and my personal favorite, a bonfire for the reception and after party. A-mazing. They also have 3 different locations for weddings so while you get to pick the perfect site for you, there would be other weddings going on at the same time. (Could be kind of fun though...) Again, unfortunately for me, the only site available for October of next year wasn't on the weekend I wanted, was in a smaller barn, and would cost between $7,000-$7,500. Ouch. 

So onto the next. I won't bore you with my entire search, because near the end, I was even getting disheartened. Here are some other great places I checked out, but just weren't the one for me:

Mayernik Center- Located in Avonworth Park, this place is pretty and affordable ($2,200), but was booked every Saturday in October and didn't have a great ceremony site (I would have to rent the whole park, meaning more $$$$). 

Stonebridge Farm and Nursery- This place was more nursery than farm, but did have lovely gardens. The people were great, but I would've had to rent a tent and much more tables, chairs, etc. because there is no actual building on the property for weddings. (Price was reasonable $5,000, but once food and decorations are added, we're getting out of my range.)

Old Economy Village- This place is in Ambridge and is a hidden gem! It's this preserved village from the 1800's that was founded by a group called the Harmonists, who emigrated from Germany, seeking religious and economic freedom. They were however, celibate, and eventually died out. It was a really interesting place that had a gorgeous garden and old barn, but again, out of my price range. I really fell in love with this place though because of its unique history and old buildings.

And the list goes on...

Destiny Farms

Phipps Conservatory

The Great Hall

The Hayloft

...and there were more.

Now what I haven't told you, is the good news. I must admit I've been keeping something from you. The very first place we looked, is where we're having the wedding. I know, I know, I should've told you sooner because now I'm all out of order, but I had to build some suspense! 

It's called Robin Hill Mansion. It's located in Moon Township, and is a part of Moon Parks. Here are some pictures:

Now it's not exactly a barn, but it's got a great history and is so pretty. I love it! The ceremony will take place in the gazebo out back and the reception will be in the house and smaller back yard. The dance floor's going to be on the porch under a twinkle light lit awning. I can't wait already! And the best news is... the rental price is only $500!!! That's right people, that number is not missing a zero. Of course, there are other costs like renting for additional nights, etc., but it is by far the cheapest place I found. It's a win, win, win! 

Now that I've got the venue, decoration planning is in full swing. I've already got an idea for centerpieces...stay tuned.

Pinterest- A Girl's Best Friend.

Don't get me wrong. Diamonds are great. Sparkly and pretty. And I love having one on my finger. But it's time to get real. And Pinterest is where it's at. Just what is it, you ask? The answer is EVERYTHING.

Pinterest has everything. If you don't know what Pinterest is, I mean it when I say you're missing out. Pinterest is this wonderful, virtual place where you can "pin" things that you like. You can find anything on the internet and pin it to a coinciding board. You can follow your friends or total strangers and re-pin the things they pinned that you think are pin-worthy. For example, I found this on the internet:

So I pinned it to my "That's Funny" board, because well, c'mon that seal is freaking funny!

You can find anything on Pinterest, but for me, the best things are the ideas. There are tons of ideas for crafts, decorating, style, cooking, and the list goes on. Now, I swear Pinterest isn't paying me for this advertisment, I just seriously enjoy wasting countless hours clicking through the wonderful pin-tastic place that Pinterest is. Here are some super cool things I found on Pinterest:

This chart showing me exactly what I did wrong to my poor chocolate chip cookies.
http://theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com/instruct.php

This idea of putting hot glue on hangers so your clothes don't slide off and onto the floor. GENIUS.


This dream laundry room.
http://www.houzz.com/photos/159476/inspiration-contemporary--other-metros



     
These adorable photos.
http://www.refinery29.com/susan-koger-modcloth-home/slideshow#slide-1
http://www.mabyn.com/
http://www.thefancy.com/



This disturbing photo.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/



This funny and true statement.
http://www.lolsotrue.com/rule/1223

Okay, okay, I'll stop because I could do this shit all day. But you get the point, right? In 8 photos I have summed up the beauty that is Pinterest. As I discover awesome crap and ideas, I'll share them. And when I make/create/cook/buy things, I'll let you know what's good and what flunks.

Now that you've got a good understanding of just how much I love Pinterest (I love it so much, I'd put a ring on it if I could), I'll get back to the real point of this blog, which is sharing about the wedding. Here is a little sample of the things that are inspiring me for the wedding.

                

   

    

And last but not least, my wedding colors. (Found on Pinterest of course.)

Now that I've got the time of year and general theme down, it's time to pick a location. Alright, well that's not 100% true- I have a location picked out already. BUT, I didn't have the blog when searching for venues, so in my next post, we'll relive my experiences as I searched the western PA area for rustic, unique venues that don't break the bank. 

So until next time. 

I remain your dedicated-to-staying-out-of debt bride-to-be,

                      Shane