Keys to the Pool

When we began renting our house in April, we were promised keys to the clubhouse, fitness center, and pool. The promise finally came to fruition yesterday - talk about a delay! The heat of a Southern California Summer had been getting to us for over a month, so it took us no time at all to bask in the joys the pool brings. 

Last night while Ian and I went swimming (it was more like wading around in the pool, relaxing), we started discusing money and budget (like the fact that he wants a new iPhone that we can't afford) and eventually we ended up on the wedding budget. I told him I wanted to start saving up money so that we can pay for everything for the wedding out of pocket. He thought I was crazy. Then when I mentioned my goal of having a $3000 budget for the wedding, he decided I was completely nuts. He said that it sounded great, but he looked forward to me trying and failing to meet this goal so that he can say "I told you so." Gee, thanks babe, that makes me feel great!!

So why $3000, you might ask. Well, to put it simply, I can't imagine spending any more than that on a single day, on a single party. Plus there is the fact that Ian and I will be paying for the wedding ourselves and we aren't financially blessed. I would rather put our money toward a home, cars, and electronics than a party that lasts for a single day. Plus we are simple people who will have a small wedding with no more than 50 people; it will be intimate and meaningful, not crazy and over the top.

Here is what it comes down to - sacrifice!! I must admit, pictures and videos are probably my number one priority when it comes to the wedding. I don't care much about the dress, or the venue, or the entertainment, but preserving the memory of our special day is incredibly important to me. I realize that a good photographer would cost at least $1000, which is one-third of our budget. But in order to stay within budget I would be willing to sacrifice even when it comes to the important stuff (like photography). If I need to, I will hand over our Sony Cyber-Shot to my bro-in-law and ask him to take pictures of our special day.

There will be much more discussion on the budget situation later, both between Ian and I and on the blog. But for now...

One more exciting announcement comes with the keys we got yesterday - the fitness center is now available to us. YAY!! Ian and I agreed to workout together for an hour starting at 4:00pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It is so nice to have a workout buddy to help keep me motivated to get in-shape (and the air-conditioned fitness center full of ellipticals, treadmills, and spinning bikes doesn't hurt much). My weight loss journey begins tomorrow!! :D

Pre-Wedding Goals

There is so much I want to blog about, but where to begin? Themes and color combos that have caught my eye? Inspiring DIY projects I am interested in doing? The style I want for my wedding?

I suppose the most logical place to begin is to face the fact that our wedding is still a long, long way off. Yes, I get excited and inspired by all of the wedding porn I have been viewing the past few days, but I need to stay focused on the here and now, not just dream about the distant future.

Ian and I have agreed to hold off on starting the wedding planning process for a while (aside from gathering ideas and inspiration). This has been a bit difficult for me as I am a planner! I plan everything, I love making lists, and organizing gets me all aflutter. With all this added energy and excitement from being newly engaged, I need an outlet! So what can I focus on and do right now for the wedding that doesn't qualify as planning the wedding?

I have come up with a list of pre-wedding goals...

• get a new job
• lose weight
• buy a new car
• be debt-free
• have our own place
• write Ian a song

Many of our pre-wedding goals have to do with finances, which are very tight right now. I will be the first to admit that having a working car and a place to live are slightly more important than having a huge party to celebrate our marriage. Once Ian and I have a new car and are steadily paying down our debt, we will be able to start saving money for the wedding budget. Only then will we finally be able to pick a date and start planning our wedding.

Here is to the long road ahead!!