Product Review: Gothic Wedding Planner (plus a chance to win a FREE Goth wedding planner!)

I recently got a copy of the Gothic Wedding Planner from Wedding Skulls, and I'm pleased to say that it is a great guide for anyone planning a spooky or dark wedding. The bones of the planner are very good - it is well thought-out, it urges you to decide what's important for your wedding, and it sets forth a basic budget. It is an eBook downloaded in the PDF format, but if you're the touchy-feely type, you can print it. And if you're the techy type, you can put it on your electronic book reader. [OT, but damn I love my Kindle!]

A main focus of the planner is setting a realistic budget, and planning accordingly. So many of the planners that I saw when I was planning a wedding were over-simplistic. X + Y = Your budget. So not true! There are so many unexpected things that crop up while planning a wedding. Steff (the author) specifically says "Now take your budget, and add 10% to it. That is what your wedding will probably actually cost..." Excellent advice. If your budget + 10% seems unmanageable, start your budget again! The worst thing you can do is start your new life drowning in debt.


Here's the cake from my imaginary Halloween wedding

Of course, the planner is different from other planners because it focuses on Goth/spooky/dark/macabre weddings. My favorite kind! There are tons of great ideas for themes, non-traditional ceremonies, locations, food, attire, entertainment, and even a list of first-dance songs for a dark wedding. You might think that you already know everything from the dark realms of pop culture (and beyond!), but this planner is very thorough. Elements from all corners of the Goth world have been covered - whether you want a romantic goth wedding or a freaky space-age goth wedding!

Reading this planner is like getting good advice from a seasoned friend. Steff covers all the elements of weddings that you know, and the ones that you hadn't thought of. I had a lot of surprises when I was wedding planning because I didn't really have many married friends. Having this planner is the same as having a smarty-pants friend, only she doesn't second-guess your ideas. She encourages you to do what you want, and focus on the things that make it your special day. But you're the bride, you're not a bloody princess. Like a good friend, the planner gently reminds you to keep your cool and keep that bridezilla attitude in check. It's a special day, and one day is not worth a ruined relationship.


The candy buffet from Corey and John's Halloween wedding

There were a few points that I personally disagreed with. Sending out Save the Dates and setting up a Wedding Website were imperative for me because I had so many out-of-town and out-of-country guests. About a third of my wedding guests needed to know the date well in advance, and needed the travel information that I put on our site. But, just like friends, you're bound to disagree. And I'm sure that Steff would agree that if it's right for you, do it! Having a Goth wedding doesn't mean that you can't have any elements of tradition. Having a nice-girl, traditional wedding doesn't mean that you can't let your Goth side show. If you and your Groom want it, and it fits within your budget, then DO IT!

Toward the end of the planner, there are some worksheets and checklists for you to use. They are a good start. Perhaps because I am an anal-retentive planner, they wouldn't be enough for me. I need interactive spreadsheets! I need color-coded guest lists! But the checklists are an excellent foundation, and you'd have to buy several bridal magazines to get all of this information. Who wants to dig through all of those cold, plastic-smile bridal magazines to get to the good stuff?


The author Steff Green and her cantankerous groom on their lovely wedding day

In addition to the Goth Wedding Planner, I got to take a peek at Steff's Goth Wedding Directory. I don't think you even need to be in the throes of wedding planning to enjoy it. I found several things that would make my day-to-day life more fun and a little more spooky. The stores listed will inspire your Goth wedding, and make your daily shopping easier. I found several shops that make beautiful hand-made things that I had never heard of before.

Overall, I say YES, buy this planner. It costs a mere $9 and you don't have to sift through a lot of ads to find the good stuff. The format is not as polished as a magazine, but it is easy to read, easy to search through, and features lovely photos from Steff's wedding.

Want to win a copy for yourself? Of course you do! All you have to do is send an email with the subject GOTH WEDDING PLANNER to bloggerofthebride {at} gmail {dot} com. You know what to do! I'll announce the winner next Monday.

Skulls and kisses,

Kay Banks

Interview with the 99 Cent Store Bride

A while back, I posted the announcement of the 99 Cents Only store wedding promotion, and then later, I posted some pictures of the big day. One of the 9 lucky brides found this blog and agreed to let me do an interview with her. If you’ve ever wondered about the details of being a contest wedding couple, here’s your chance!

The bride’s name is Emily and her new husband Whillis is a Marine. The two met online and clicked instantly. Within a few weeks, they were spending every minute together; within a few months, they were tiptoeing around marriage. Whillis planned an elaborate proposal, but plans were cut short when the Marines ordered him home from vacation a day early. Soon after that Emily’s mom, Anne, passed away unexpectedly and engagement plans were put on hold again.


Looking cozy on their first trip together in Napa, CA . Photo courtesey of Emily Wiley-Hall.

Emily and Whillis are currently living in San Diego, CA where she first heard about the 99 Cent wedding promotion on a local radio station. They had planned for a yearlong engagement, but Emily entered the contest without telling Whillis! After her initial interview with the 99 Cent store, she realized she had still not told Whillis about it, and sent him a text message “I am NOT proposing but would you marry me?”. He was in pre-deployment training at the time, but texted back “Yes I will marry you” Aw!

Emily said that she had a good feeling about her interview with the company and waited anxiously for them to call her back. The announcement day had come and gone with no notice…until the next day when they told her that she was a winner! Emily and Whillis were married on 9/9/09 in the Hollywood 99 Cents Only store with eight other couples. The contest promised a $2,500 wedding for under a buck.


Emily on her wedding day

Kay: You said that your relationship with Whillis is more important than any fancy wedding. What was it about this contest that made you want to enter?
Emily: I thought it was exciting and unique. I am not a high maintenance girl and would have been ok with a courthouse marriage and a party afterwards. To both Whillis and I the relationship (the marriage) is the important part and having each other, rather than be in debt up to our eyeballs.

Kay: Sometimes parents are a driving factor in wedding planning. What did your families think of your wedding?
Emily: My Mom has always been an Angel on Earth but recently she was invited to the Pearly Gates in Heaven so my Mom was there on my wedding day just as she is with me now with every breath I take. She was happy for us, I know it. My older brother was there with us in the flesh. He walked me down the aisle (#15 if you were wondering) and was very proud. At first everyone (including us) was like WHAT?! The 99 Cent store?! Really?! But after we learned more about their plans to make it a wonderful location and experience everyone liked it.


A beautiful and thrify table setting from the Discount Store Diva

Kay: I posted some of the photos a while back, and I was really impressed with the cost-minded yet fun and elegant refreshment table and décor. What did you think of the in-store wedding setup?
Emily: Hearing Kathy (the designer) explain her plans for decorating is really what took Whillis and I from the "What the hell are we doing?" thought to the "Wow this is going to be beautiful!"

Kay: Silly question...Who paid for the wedding – you or Whillis? Did you pay cash?
Emily: Well my gown didn’t have pockets and his tux did so that made it easy. :-) He had money on him and I didn’t. (Though if need be my big brother would have paid cash for our wedding.) And we thought it funny that on our receipt it actually DOES say wedding 99 cents. Plus HE paid for all of the other expenses we had, the dress, the tux, our 3 rings, the 2 rooms at The Hotel Angeleno the night before, etc. When he gets back from The Deployment we are having a Welcome Home/Reception Party as well. With all our additional family and friends present and I will put my dress back on and he either a tux or his USMC Blues. [Kay's note: I LOVE boys in uniforms, so you all know my vote!]


Excited Whillis shows off his receipt.

Kay: Were there any wedding planning details that really stressed you out, or were you pretty relaxed about the day?
Emily: Many of the other 8 couples were nervous and or stressed. Whillis and I were relaxed and excited. We were tired because we left our hotel room at 3:45am but other than that everything went smooth. There is nothing I wish we did differently.

Kay: Wedding days always go by so fast. What is your favorite memory of the day?
Emily: Wow, I have too many favorite memories! There was the night before when we bought 2 hotel rooms for the night (so we didn’t see each other) and brought our friends up to Brentwood with us to share the night together and celebrate and have fun. There was the look I got from my Husband as I started to walk down the aisle and he first saw me in my dress as his eyes said "wow". There was the giddiness and pride I could see and feel from him as we held hands in front of the Reverend. There was our first kiss as husband and wife and cutting our cake together and feeding it nicely to each other. My Mom always said it’s not nice to shove it into each others’ face so we didn’t.


Whillis and Emily in Aisle 15

Emily, thanks again for your time! I wish you two the best, and a very safe return for Whillis.

-Kay

99 Cents Only Store wedding!

I love the $0.99 store, even though I spend WAY too much money there. My thought is always "Well, it's only a dollar!" so I end up with fifty somethings that I really don't need and before I know it I've spent a small fortune. But the concept of getting good stuff for cheap is enough to keep me coming back. If you love the bargain store like I do, you might like this:

Is planning your upcoming wedding too costly?

In this day where everyone is thinking about budget conscious wedding planning and do-it-yourself weddings, there is a rather unusual promotion going on in Los Angeles. If you want to get married and don't have the budget, consider a 99 cent wedding. Yes, you read that right. It seems the discount chain 99 Cents Only Stores has launched a rather unique new promotion. It will host weddings at one of its stores for a total cost of 99 cents. The weddings will take place at it's Wilshire/Fairfax location in Los Angeles, California on 9-9-09 also known as September 9th (or, as they call it the ‘Luckiest Day in the Year’).



According to the company’s website, an ordained minister will officiate at the ceremony, and all the decor will be created from items offered in the store.
Prospective couples have until 24 August to sign up for the deal.

Better hurry! But I think 99 Cents Only is exclusive to the West? Plus, in California we have In-N-Out. Sorry, other states.



-Kay