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.

      

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