Our DIY Wedding on a Budget

When my husband and I began planning our wedding, the first concern was money.  We have large families, and most of them had to travel to attend the wedding.  But, being the budget-er and do-it-yourself-er that I am, we made it happen.  Our wedding, which had about 130 guests and was held in Saratoga Springs, NY was made a reality for about $8,000 total, including our stay-cation honeymoon and an open bar.  Here's some things we did to cut down on costs:

The Dress

I went into dress shopping with no real idea of what I wanted, so off I went with most of my bridesmaids, my 3-month old son, my mom and mother-in-law.  I tried on a bunch, but (probably because I had just had a baby) a lot of them looked maternity and I didn't like any of them.  Except one, which when I walked out of the dressing room and in front of my clan, it was an overwhelming SAY YES TO THAT DRESS!  I was lucky enough to find my dress on the first stab at dress shopping; a one-of-kind dress, no less.  There weren't even any photos of it anywhere.  Best part: to my utter shock and surprise the price tag read $99. 


Bridesmaids

I wanted to be sure my bridesmaids didn't need to spend a fortune for our wedding, so I gave them a color, and let them choose what they wanted to wear.  Because we had a fall wedding, it was perfect, because the dresses reminded me of leaves changing in the fall.  For their gifts, I wanted them to personal, so I made each one a crocheted clutch.  Even if you don't crochet, there are so many awesome options on Etsy.  (if you want some just like these, visit my shop Crooked By Design and just send me a message!)

Date and Location
When it came time to set a date, my husband immediately told me he wanted a fall wedding, specifically on 11.11.11.  To our surprise, the venue was available and we booked right away.  Our reception was at the Saratoga Elks Lodge, and the menu was a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.  Of all the things at our wedding, the delicious food was the most talked about part.  It was amazing. 

Though we were on a tight budget, we wanted to treat our guests to an open bar, since most of them were traveling and had the added cost of hotels.  I didn't think it was going to be budget-friendly, but it was only $8 per person the entire reception.  This did include even children, who could get sodas, but still, it was an amazing deal.


Invitations
We went with Vistaprint for both save the dates and formal invitations.  They were a great deal, and once we purchased the dates, we received a coupon 20% our next order, which was used on our invitations. 

Center Pieces
Center pieces are a very DIY friendly part of the wedding.  We made ours from mason jars, filled them with frozen cranberries (which were in season and super cheap) and then added a plain white candle in them.  Around we put some leave printed ribbon (about a dollar for a roll) and created a wreath like bed for the jar sit on.  They were easy and quick to assemble and looked great.  To add a little to it, we put ceramic pumpkins on each table too. 

One of my favorite parts were the table numbers.  We had my brother take photos of us holding up a chalk board sign and made a different one for each table.  We loved the idea of our guests seeing personal photos of us together and we had fun with the editing, making some very saturated and some black and white.  To assemble them, all we did was cut a slit on a wine bottle cork and placed it on the table.

Flowers
Arguably one of the most expensive parts of a wedding, I was determined not to spend a fortune on them.  One of my bridesmaids gave the idea to make a brooch bouquet and it came out wonderful.  Ok, truth be told, I had absolutely nothing to do with it since my husband surprised me by staying up one night and assembling it for me.

You're probably wondering where we got all the brooches, and that's the best part! For my bridal shower, the invitations asked each guest to bring a brooch and we made it from all the ones we received.  At the reception we set it in a vase and it made for a great talking piece for our guests.  One of my favorite parts about it was that I will always have it.

For the bridesmaids bouquets, we went to the grocery store the day before the wedding and got a bunch of bouquets (I believe we spent $40 total for six bridesmaids and both moms) and had them assemble their own using all different flowers while they waited to get their hair done.  Add some ribbon and ka-bam! Bouquets on a budget.

 

The Cake
I'm gluten free so we were unsure what to do about the cake situation.  We opted to do a cupcake tower for our guests and a small gluten free one for us.  This cut way down on cost and people loved them!  The cupcakes were $90 total and the gluten free cake was about $40 and made by the amazing Cake.

Photography
Another huge cost is a photographer.  We were so lucky to have an amazing photographer friend who helped us out and saved us tons, but there are other ways to save too.  A lot of new photographers are looking for experience and are fabulous, so look into college students studying photography or friends who are great with a camera.  Having someone who knows you take the photos makes them that much more personal.

 

The Stay-cation
We had a one year old to think about when planning our honeymoon and I wasn't ready to leave him for a prolonged period of time.  Also, we had recently moved to Saratoga and were still getting to know the amazing town, so we decided a staycation was just what we needed.  We had the grandparents stay with Atticus and we stayed at the amazing Gideon Putnam Resort.
Because we didn't have to pay for airfare or travel, we explored our new city and went to all the restaurants we otherwise wouldn't have been able to go to and indulged in a couples massage at the spa.  We went bowling and saw a movie.  It was a great few days away!


In case you're dying for a sappy love story video, I have prepared this one about how we met:

Gluten-Free At Disney

When my family decided to go to Disney recently, the first thought I had was, what the hell am I going to eat!?  My mother, being the amazing vacation planner that she is, called ahead to each restaurant we planned on visiting and verified there were options.  I was still a little skeptical, thinking I'd be dining on salads the whole time (no thanks).  When we got there, however, I was magically surprised at not only the options and variety, but how exceedingly helpful and friendly the staff was about my dietary needs.  So here's a breakdown of my eating experience at Disney (aren't you fascinated?) 

We were part of the meal plan, which I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone doing to the Disney thing.  For about $40 a day per person, you save a boat load of money and don't have the stress of budgeting for meals.  We stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort but were able to take shuttles or the ferry boat to the other resorts to get meals.  I only ate one meal at Fort Wilderness, a breakfast of gf Mickey shaped waffles.

1. Disney's Wilderness Lodge where I was delighted to find they had FRIED FOODS specifically for gluten-free guests.  Ok, it was chicken tendeys and fries, but still, fried, for us gluten-free-ers!  Before ordering, the manager spoke to me about options (they had gf pancakes for breakfast, gf rolls for sandwiches/burgers, pizza, cookies and brownies).  I got the tenders and fries (obviously).  I asked about the fryer and is designated to only gf and the fries, which I checked the ingredients on and asked about 15 times to make sure they don't put anything else the fryer. I am very sensitive to gluten and my belly was great after the meal. 

2. Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort was where we had my favorite meal of the vacation.  Aside from the fact that this resort, which opened in 2004, is modeled after the town near us which was really neat, the food and service was spectacular.  They serve Saratoga Water (my fave), great wine, and the chef came out to the table to take my gf order.  Though they don't have a separate menu for gf guests, pretty much anything could be altered.  They even have gf rolls and dessert!  I went with the prime rib which was hands-down the best I've ever had.

3. Disney's Contemporary Resort was a really neat place!  The dishes are smaller portions, but fancier than some of the others.  It was good, but I wasn't wowed by it.  As with all the sit-down restaurants, the chef came out to take my order here, and I was delighted they had a gf mushroom risotto.  I went with this chicken, which I enjoyed (it is boneless, save for that one bone sticking out...I was confused).

4. Disney's Grand Floridian has a lot of different places to eat at the one resort.  We didn't have a reservation, but only had a few minute wait at for the cafe.  This was one of the few places which didn't serve gf rolls, but I asked and they did have gf penne pasta.  It wasn't listed on the menu, so just ask.  I didn't, however, get the pasta but instead opted for the steak.  It was good, but not as good as the Saratoga Springs Resort one.  For dessert, I had the fondu, which was yummy.

5. Beast's Castle is a new addition to Disney's Magical Kingdom.  I'd say the atmosphere was more exciting than the food.  The ordering process was a little confusing, as you order through a computer where you choose your options, then find your seat in one of the three dining rooms and then the meal is served to you.  They did have some gf options, including a turkey sandwich and even a cream puff pastry desert, but overall, the food wasn't the best part of this dining experience. 

6. House of Blue's in Downtown Disney was part of our meal plan, which was awesome.  There was a pretty long wait, even with reservations, but the food was awesome.  Again, no formal gf menu, but just ask and they'll tell you.  The chef doesn't come out to talk to you here, but the waiter was good about asking the kitchen anything I need to know. 

A few tips for planning your meals at Disney:
1. Make reservations!  Most require you have them, and it makes planning your days easier.
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions! It's your stomach and your vacation. They are happy to help!
3. Make the most of your meal plan.  Our last day, we had a few meals left, so I went to the Fort Wilderness Lodge and grabbed a couple gf meals for the airport, since airports offer pretty much nothing for us gluten-free-ers. 
4. Take your to-go cups with you everywhere.  They come with your meal plan and you get free-refills.
5. Indulge in the awesome meals.  Because of the meal plan, we ordered big meals like a $37 steak and it was included (except tip of course).  We ate like royalty and it was amazing not having to worry about getting sick because of gluten. 

Free Family Fun

My son is obsessed with trains.  Well, really, its transportation in general. Airplanes, cars, trucks, monster trucks, he'll take them all, but trains are his favorite.  So recently my husband suggested an afternoon trip to the local Amtrak station to watch a train come in and leave, horn tooting and everything.

 Some tips:
1. Call ahead, or check online for the times the trains come in. 

 2. Prepare for them to be late (like ours was)

 3. Bring a snack! We stopped for coffee and doughnuts. The sugar made it that much more exciting!

 4. Take pictures of their faces. It was priceless.

 5. Have fun!!

For information on the Saratoga Amtrak, visit their website.

Prize Pack Details!

One lucky winner will get this prize pack! Be sure to check out this page for contest details.

This handmade zippered tote, with a scarf and tie-on headband inside, plus two coupons to use later!

Contest Time!

May is a big month for Crooked By Design (May 27th is the 1st birthday!) so here's a contest giveaway.  The rules are really very easy.  Order anything from the shop from now, April 17 until May 31st will be entered to win a FREE gift pack from Crooked By Design.  Details to come on what the free gifts will be. Here's the breakdown:

1. Order must be placed between April 17-May 31st.
2. You must "like" the Crooked By Design Facebook page to be entered.
3. Anyone who purchases from the shop will be entered to win, as long as you have also "liked" the Facebook page.
4. You CAN enter multiple times.  For example, order two items, you get two entries and so on.
5. Don't forget to "like" the Facebook page, so you are eligible!  And feel free to tell all your friends!

Drawing will be held on June 1st!

Stay tuned for details on the prize!

Free Stuff at Crooked By Design!

There's lots of fun stuff coming up in my shop.  May 27th is Crooked By Design's 1st Birthday and to show my appreciation for all your support, there will giveaways, contests and other fun things.  But first, lets have a little fun now too!

If you want to keep up with all the discounts and deals going on and to see sneak peeks of new stuff, be sure to LIKE the Crooked By Design Facebook Page.

**UPDATE** 3 PRIZES LEFT! One lucky customer just won themselves a surprise coupon code!

The next four orders to be placed will get a FREE SURPRISE with their order! Two are free items and two are awesome coupon codes.  Past free surprises have been these:

Hershey's Gluten-Free Candy (as stated by them)

Here's a helpful list of Hershey's gluten-free delights as well, straight from the company website http://www.thehersheycompany.com/brands/special-nutrition.aspx#/Gluten-Free:

Hershey is committed to providing products that meet your dietary needs, and many people today are interested in gluten-free foods.

A food bearing a gluten-free claim does not contain the protein from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticole, farina, vital gluten semolina, malt vinegar or protein derivatives of these foods.

For your convenience, the current products listed below have been fully evaluated and qualify as gluten-free using standards proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Please note, this list is not all inclusive as we have other products that do not have gluten containing ingredients.

The best way to determine if our products contain a gluten ingredient is to read our product label. This label includes an accurate, current listing of the ingredients in our products. Because, on occasion, the list of ingredients can change, we strongly encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package each time before you make a purchase.

Last updated March 15, 2013

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS Gluten Free As Always

ALMOND JOY and MOUNDS Bars - ALL

HERSHEY'S - BAKING Chips

HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips

HERSHEY'S Cinnamon Chips

HERSHEY'S KISSES MINI KISSES Milk Chocolate

HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips

HERSHEY'S MINI CHIPS Semi-Sweet Chocolate

HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips

HERSHEY'S Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chips

HERSHEY'S SUGAR FREE Chocolate Chips

REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

HERSHEY'S - Baking Bars

HERSHEY'S Semi Sweet Baking Bar

HERSHEY'S - Cocoa

HERSHEY'S Cocoa

HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa

DAGOBA Baking and Beverages - ALL

HEATH Bars - ALL

HERSHEY'S KISSES and NUGGETS

HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolate

HERSHEY'S KISSES Filled Chocolates - ALL

HERSHEY'S NUGGETS Candies - ALL

HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar

HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar (1.55oz only)

HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate with Almonds Bar (1.45oz only)

HERSHEY'S Syrup and REESE'S Toppings

HERSHEY'S Caramel Syrup

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Syrup with Calcium

HERSHEY'S Chocolate Sugar Free Syrup

HERSHEY'S Lite Chocolate Syrup

HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Syrup

HERSHEY'S Strawberry Syrup

REESE'S Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping

REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups – ALL Except Seasonal Shaped Items

SCHARFFEN BERGER – ALL

SKOR

SKOR Toffee Bar

YORK Peppermint Pattie - ALL

GLUTEN-FREE BAKING Gluten Free As Always

Remember: Always read the label of ingredients before using in gluten-free recipes and make sure that the ingredients do not include components that are derived from wheat, rye, barley or triticale.

Happy Gluten-Free Easter!

So there I was, staring at the bowl of Easter candy, overwhelming with potential delight. Then I remembered: those babies are potential gluten-filled stomach grenades.  So here's a list I found to answer some questions (copied directly from About.com):


 Here's the list, updated as of March 2013, of gluten-free Easter candy — as you'll see below, there are plenty of options you can use to make up a really nice gluten-free Easter basket.
Unless otherwise noted, these candies are considered by their manufacturers to contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten, which makes them "gluten-free" according to the currently accepted definition.
One note: there seems to be plenty of debate each year over whether Cadbury Creme Eggs are gluten-free or not. In the U.S., Cadbury Easter products are made by Hershey's, which does not consider them to be gluten-free due to the potential risk of gluten cross-contamination in manufacturing.
However, the eggs appear to contain no gluten ingredients (Hershey's will specify any gluten-containing ingredients on the label). So the bottom line is, use caution with Cadbury Creme Eggs, and eat them at your own risk — they may contain trace gluten due to shared manufacturing lines or facilities.
Here's the list of gluten-free Easter candy. If you're wondering about the gluten status of a candy product not on this list, you should be able to find information on it in my main candy article, Gluten-Free Candy. Happy Easter!

Gluten-Free Easter Candy

• Easter-themed Dove chocolate products, including Dove chocolate Easter bunnies, Dove egg-shaped candies and Easter-themed Dove bars (always check the label, as I've occasionally seen Dove chocolate products with "made on equipment shared with wheat" warnings)
• Easter-themed M&Ms chocolate products (EXCEPT for pretzel M&Ms), including M&Ms solid milk chocolate Easter bunny, M&M candies in Easter colors, and egg-shaped M&M candies (again, always check the label, as I've occasionally seen M&M products with a "shared equipment" warning)
• Plain milk chocolate regular-sized Hershey's Kisses in Easter-themed foil wrappers (for more on the gluten status of Hershey's Kisses products, check out Are Hershey's Kisses Gluten-Free?)
• Jelly Belly jelly beans (INCLUDING licorice flavor jelly beans) and all Jelly Belly specially themed Easter packages
• Easter-themed Starburst candy, including jelly beans and special Easter candy packages
• Easter-themed Tootsie Roll candy, including Dubble Bubble Easter egg-shaped bubble gum, Tootsie Pops, Charms Blow Pops and Charms Candy Carnival products
• Necco Candy Eggs
• Peeps marshmallow treats by Just Born (check the label to make sure it states "gluten-free" below the list of ingredients — most do, but a few are made in shared facilities)
• Kraft Bunny Mallows and Egg Mallows (marshmallow Easter-themed treats) (Kraft will clearly disclose any gluten ingredients on the label)
Again, these candies are considered gluten-free to 20 parts per million. If you have any questions about a specific product, contact the manufacturer.

Easter Candy That's NOT Considered Gluten-Free

• Balmer Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Brach's Speckled Jelly Bird Eggs
• Cadbury Creme Eggs (see note above)
• Cadbury Mini-Eggs
• Cadbury Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Frankford Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Ghirardelli chocolate Easter eggs
• Hershey's Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Hershey's Easter egg candies (all sizes and flavors)
• Jolly Ranchers jelly beans and other Easter-themed candy
• Lindt chocolate carrots
• Lindt Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Mighty Malts Speckled Malted Milk Eggs
• Russell Stover Easter bunnies (all sizes and flavors)
• Sweetarts jelly beans and other Easter-themed candy
• Whoppers Robin Eggs and Mini Robin Eggs
• Zachary chocolate-covered marshmallow eggs

Easiest Hummus Recipe Ever

I've never made hummus before.  In fact, I don't even eat it much, but I recently decided that I wanted to make some.  Naturally, I consulted my Betty Crocker cookbook that has just about ever staple you could imagine.  This recipe took about 5 minutes to make and cost almost nothing. Also, hummus is a naturally gluten-free and dairy free!

 

Here's the recipe, including my changes, because I can't ever follow a recipe completely:

1 can chick peas

1/4 cup oil (olive or vegetable, I used vegetable because I had it handy)

1 clove garlic, cut in half (I used a teaspoon of minced garlic instead)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Chopped fresh parsley (I used 1/2 tsp of dried)

Whatever you want for dipping

 

What to do:

Drain the chick peas and toss everything into a blender, or food processor.  I used the food processor.  Blend it all together, mixing it occasionally to get everything well blended.  Blend until creamy and enjoy!

 

A couple things about this:

I think you could reduce the garlic just a tad, because it is pretty powerful.  Also, the recipe says to garnish with parsley, but I just tossed it into the mix.  A great thing about this recipe is you can customize it so easily. Throw in some spices and create all sorts of yummy dips.  As always, if you happen to create a delightful creation, please share it, so I can make some too!

 

Gluten Free Mac 'n Cheese

I've made many, many mac 'n cheeses.  Like, tons.  I've been toying with my gluten free recipe for some time now.  In my new years resolution inspired attempt at eating healthier, I set out to make a mac 'n cheese that was both delightful and less butter filled.  Here's my first attempt, which I have to say, came out quite delicious.

Also, though it often pains me to think of you non-gluten-free-ers, you can very easily adapt this to be gluten-filled.  Simply use your favorite pasta instead of the gluten free kind. 

You will need:
3 tbsp butter (I can't part with my salted butter, but you can feel free to use unsalted)
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp corn starch
1 c. reduced fat milk (I used 2%--it's what was in my fridge)
6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2 c. part skim shredded mozzarella (I find Wal-Mart's is pretty good for being so inexpensive)
1/4 c. freshly grated sharp Cheddar (I use Cabot NY Sharp) + more for adding to top
a little bit of bread crumbs for the top
1 package gluten free pasta (personally, I favor corn pasta, but use what you like)

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a baking dish.  In a large sauce pan, melt the butter on med/high heat, and add in the garlic, thyme, and paprika.  Stir occasionally until the butter is melted.  Be sure not to burn it, or the whole dish will taste like it!  Now, you're going to make a rue (don't you feel fancy?).  Simply, add the corn starch to the melted butter and slowly stir it in on low heat.  Be sure to break up any clumps (corn starch tends to clump) and simmer for about a minute, blending it well.  Next, add the milk and Greek yogurt and cook on low/medium until creamy and blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste, turn heat down low and add the cheese.  Mozzarella will be quite stringy, but not to worry, it will melt more thoroughly in the oven.  Heat and stir until creamy and pretty much melted, remove from heat, and add the cooked pasta.  Mix well, coating the pasta and pour into the baking dish.  Top with some bread crumbs and a little more freshly grated Cheddar.  Pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the top cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Oh, Hello 2013. Welcome.

Happy New Year, Friends!  I hope you had a fabulous and eventful (or pleasantly uneventful) evening.  There's something very special about the new year, and the new beginning we get at this time each year.  Now, we are faced with the hard part: what will we do to make the most of our year?  That said, what are some of your resolutions for the New Year?  And more importantly, why is it your resolution?  I think the one we most often hear is "I will lose weight this year!" but why do you want to lose weight?  Perhaps if we had a great reason for our resolution, it would help us keep focused on our goal.  So here's a few of mine:

1. Cut down on sugar so my poor teeth don't suffer.  My goal is to achieve this by not adding sugar to my already coconut creamer filled brew, and to not indulge in candy just because its in front of me.  I'm terrible about this. 

2. Take time for ME.  It has recently occurred to me that even when I'm sitting, I'm doing something.  We all are.  Our culture these days can't seem to just sit and do nothing (what a concept) and this fast paced lifestyle can wear us down!  My goal is to take 5-10 minutes a day to something I want to do, rather than something I need to do.  Sure, much of my day is spent working on orders for my Etsy shop, and I love doing this, but it's work none-the-less.  Now, what will my 5-10 minutes be today? 

3. My father suffered a heart attack a week ago, and it really made us stop and evaluate how we are treating our bodies.  So one of my resolutions is to eat healthier (not for weight related reasons) in order to keep my body strong.  And for crying out loud, we need to stop stressing over everything (I'm preaching to myself here)! 

4. My husband inspired this one, when he said we need to embrace life and take the time to explore our areas of interest.  He, for example, has always had an interest in woodworking, but has never gone anywhere with it.  After attending a dinner party recently where the food was all native to Northern India, it inspired me to learn new cooking techniques and experiment with cooking. 

5. And last, but perhaps most important, I vow to SLOW DOWN this year.  I was bred to always be moving and doing something.  Flashback to me as a kid, summer vacation, lounging and enjoying my television programming only to have my dad tell me to get outside and "find something to do." (Didn't he know that I HAD to watch Saved By the Bell?)  But this year, we all need to slow down and not multi task with a hundred things at once.