Monthly Archives: March 2009

If you always wanted something nice and elegant, then there are ways that it could be done without spending a whole lot of money. You don’t have to go to the courthouse to get married. You can get an officiant to come to you. All you have to do is have a location and find out if they will travel there. Find a nice park or restaurant where you can get married and book it or make reservations. Then book the officiant. I believe that it would be great to have pics so hire a photographer if it is within budget. If not, then ask the waiter, I am sure that they wouldn’t mind. Get a small cake or cute little cupcakes and if you want flowers, order a bouquet or make one yourself. It doesn’t take much to get married – all you need is someone to marry and an officiant. All of the other stuff is extra. Whatever you do, make it uniquely you.

Can’t afford a ring to propose to your sweetie? Be honest with her and let her now what is going on. There are alternatives to diamonds that would look just as gorgeous on her hand. You could try a totally different gemstone and spend so much less. Stores from Wal-Mart to Macy’s to Jared’s have beautiful jewelry that offer great options for you. If you just want to buy a glamorous piece of jewelry to use a stand-in, try http://www.emitations.com/.

My husband and I have fallen in love with the Tervis Tumber line. The cups don’t sweat and hot drinks like coffee and tea are bearable to touch with a Tervis Tumbler. Tervis Tumblers will make great wedding gifts. Get your favorite couple a set to use in their home.

Who wouldn’t love a gift card to a major hotel chain as a wedding/couples gift? I know my husband and I would have loved it. The gift could even be to a not so popular place just as long as it is nice. In Atlanta there are several short getaways that are less than two hours away.

Chateau Elan is just a short hour drive from the city. This establishment offers “Hot Dates” on various days throughout the year. FYI – the dates are usually on Sundays. The Hot Dates are about $99. Other places would be Serenbe in Palmetto, GA and the Ritz Carlton in the Greensboro, GA area.

I know that an Italian restaurant may not be the ideal place for a wedding reception, but I witnessed an event there with my own eyes. The reception was nice. It was small and intimate…the way I like it. My husband and I arrived at the restaurant and we were greeted by the staff who directed us to our banquet room. Once in the room, a wedding hostess showed us to our table and we chatted and listened to the jazzy music flowing throughout the venue.

Once everyone arrived, the event started with a prayerful blessing over the happy couple as well as the food. We were served a delicious family style meal with salad, appetizer, main course and dessert. My favs included the cheese ravioli, the lasagna, and cheesecake. I also would like to add that the chicken was quite tasty. There was a lot of food and I ate to my satisfaction.

I have to admit that the room was a bit small, but it was a nice space for entertaining. The only other minor complaint would be the parking. Parking is horrible at Perimeter Mall; however, valet parking is available for all mall guests. You are allowed bring in your own music if you like. There was a DJ at our event and people were able to dance and have a lot of fun.

As far as décor, there is no need for anything over the top because the restaurant is decorated nicely. The centerpieces consisted of tall vases filled with marbles and floating candles. Wedding favors and place cards were neatly positioned at each setting. Definitely use the space to your advantage and try not to overcrowd the table. Keep in mind that there will need to be enough room on the table for the food if you have chosen the family style meal.

Upon deciding to get married this year, my fiance and I initially wanted to get married in Savannah. We were going to use Byous Photography. The company consists of a husband and wife team that provides everything you need to get married. You can marry on one of the infamous squares in Savannah or take a short drive to Tybee Island and marry on the beach. Occasionally, they will have specials that include flowers, officiant, pictures and online viewing for family and friends. You could even bring a few people to attend based on the owners approval. The whole time I dealt with Becky Byous and I have to tell you that she is the nicest person ever. She made me feel so at ease with the whole idea of eloping. The reason that were not able to use Byous Photography is that we waited until the last minute to make a decision and they were booked. If you plan to elope to Savannah, I highly recommend Byous Photography.

When my hubby and I were planning to marry, we didn’t decide to use a judge until well after we applied for our marriage license. I thought that it would be fairly easy to get a judge to marry us so I just called the Fulton County probate court main office to ask for a list of judges and they said that they couldn’t give it out over the phone. I clearly thought that this was absurd so I tried the North Fulton probate court office and received the same answer. Neither one our work schedules were flexible enough to take off work to go and visit the probate office. I knew that there had to be a way to find it on-line and at last I found the sacred list.

Tip: You can just get the list when you apply for your marriage license.

Looking for nice spicy recipes? Check out the Bobby Flay way of cooking. Bobby uses lots of interesting flavors and seasoning to make his foods tasty. His website lists new and exciting ways to cook just about everything.

If you live in the Metro Atlanta area, you should take advantage of the Buyer’s Edge newspaper. It is delivered free to my house every Thursday, and I always look forward to getting it. In this small section of the AJC, you can find recipes, places to eat, coupons and weekly store ads. I shop at about three different grocery stores depending on where I find the best deals, but I do like the buy one get one free (bogof) specials at Publix. Every now and then I am able to find things on sale that I have never tried.

Because of Publix I have tried…

Pillbury Savorings (Cheese & Spinach) – Oh wow!!!! These little bites are the best ever and serve as great snacks or appetizers.

Bertolli Oven Bake Meals – These meals are as close as you can get to homemade and they taste amazing.

Edwards Pies – Delicious for a grocery store dessert.