hello hello hello

[missbennet]

Hi everyone! My names Chloe Im 26, live in New York City and I just got engaged...Yay!!!
My fiance proposed to me with a gorgeous 0.60 ct diamond ring from tiffanys! (its my icon thingie) anyways, its supposed to be a flower but he chose that one because he thought ot looked like a snowflake (one of my favorite things ever!) because we met in my hometown, which is a really popular ski resort. (he was visiting, i was a local...blahblahblah. i love that story but im sure its pretty boring to everyone else

)
anyways, im sort of in a shock because his family is really well-to-do and mine really isnt. i grew up around a lot of wealth and im certainly not some cinderella story....but his family is verrry verry wealthy and they want everyting to go traditionally (which i totally understand!). my point is, a few weeks after we were engaged his mom and i went to lunch to discuss the wedding and my jaw literally dropped when she totally cashually threw out the budget she was thinking (THANK GOODNESS his family insisted on covering everything) because she was thinking $750,000!!!!!

talk about my dream wedding, thhough. so ive been thinking about my wedding a ton and i wantlots of advice from other brides!!!!! both future and past

so im going to post a few things and please give me comments, good and bad

 

[missbennet]

Alright so M and i were engaged on aug 5th 2009. we have already chosen the rings and booked the reception for january 25th 2011. but where to have the ceremony??? niether of us feel comfortable in a church and i dont want to get married outside because of the weather....so what? we will have about 300-400 guests so it has to be a large space.

p.s. we booked the grand ballroom at the plaza for the reception, but would it be tacky to book the terrace room for the ceremony? i love love love both locations,they are perfect for both parts ofthe wedding but i think that is a little ridiculous. "okay here we are, bride and groom and 300 other people....now lets all troop across the hall to the reception"

 

[missbennet]

MY ring

1.47 ct purple sapphire and round diamonds
i love it so much

? comments? to gaudy?

 

[missbennet]

his ring
platinum, 6mm wide. engraved ''broadway'' because thats the name of the ski run we met on, and also the first place he tookme when we came to new york

 

[emeraldlover1]

Hi and welcome to PS. People here have a lot of great information.

A few questions though...you mentioned that your ring was the one pictured in your avatar but then you posted the purple sapphire. Do you own both rings? If so, I would love to see pictures especially of the purple sapphire. I''ve been dying to see what that looks like.

Second, with the budget that you have, why not hire a wedding planner? Certianlly 10k for a wedding planner with that budget should be a drop in the bucket.

Lastly, I don''t think its bad to book both spaces for your ceremony and reception. Why not?

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Wow! What a budget! I would defnitely hire a wedding planner NO QUESTION. And, if you booked the Plaza already, you could get married somewhere in central park outside and take a carriage back to the Plaza...amazing!

I''m curious about the rings, too. Which one do you have? Or, both? Is the snowflake one your engagement and the other your wedding ring? Maybe vs. having a wedding band? Or, is it an upgrade?

Welcome to PS!

 

[LilyKat]

Welcome! I love your "snowflake" ring, very pretty. Can we have some handshots?

I'm having trouble imagining what $750 000 COULD be spent on (and I'd like to know - please share!), but if you've got it, enjoy it! I second (third?) the wedding planner idea. I also see no problem at all in having both the ceremony and reception at the same venue; in fact, unless you're having a church/religious building wedding (and therefore need a separate reception venue), that would be the norm.

I also like the sapphire ring and don't think it's gaudy at all. If it's intended as your wedding ring, would you switch your engagement ring to your right hand?

 

[JerseyGrl81]

Date: 1/10/2010 5:04:53 AM
Author: missbennet
Alright so M and i were engaged on aug 5th 2009. we have already chosen the rings and booked the reception for january 25th 2011. but where to have the ceremony??? niether of us feel comfortable in a church and i dont want to get married outside because of the weather....so what? we will have about 300-400 guests so it has to be a large space.

p.s. we booked the grand ballroom at the plaza for the reception, but would it be tacky to book the terrace room for the ceremony? i love love love both locations,they are perfect for both parts ofthe wedding but i think that is a little ridiculous. ''okay here we are, bride and groom and 300 other people....now lets all troop across the hall to the reception''

Well first congratulation on your engagment, both rings are lovely. I don''t think it would be tacky to book the terrace for the ceremony. I am sure that the Plaza has a wedding planner on site that can help you with the details. I wouldn''t hesitate to hire an independent wedding planner as well, as the others have suggested. If I had a budget like yours I would hire David Tutera!

 

[missbennet]

thanks everyone!
okay first of all, i dont want to hire a wedding planner. i want to plan my entire wedding myself because i dont have anything else to do and i want it to be mine, you know? i want to look at every detail and know i chose that from all myoptions, not just the planners.

second, the snowflake ring is my engagement ring, the sapphire is my wedding ring. that is a purple sapphire as confusing as that is.

third, i have NO idea what im going to do with the budget. im going to have to reduce it somehow, because i dont feel comfortable spending that much on one day. its very very important to me, and i do want a big wedding, but that is a ridiculous amount of money. i think my more realistic budget would be around $100k, which is really expensive, i know, but i would feel better spending that and donating the rest of the original budget to a charity or something along those lines.
gosh i feel like i sound like such a brat. i just want everyone to know i am SOSO SO grateful for this opportunity, and i was raised without this kind of money. i was not wealthy in the least, but i grew up around wealth because many of my friends had money, because the ski resort i lived in was a big attraction for that kind of people. the reason i joined this site is to get women who don''t have my opportunity to give me realistic opinions, so thank you for everything

 

[missbennet]

oh,and the idea of the ceremony in central park would be wonderful, but again my date is in january and the weather is very unpredictable. as well as the amount of guests, i dont want them to be too cold during the ceremony.

dows sound tres romantic though!!!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

wow miss bennet! I live in NYC too, and even with Manhattan prices and a huge guest list, you are going to have a jawdropping wedding!

If you aren''t working and have time to plan a huge wedding (and deal with the inevitable family politics and MIL drama) go for it! If not, get a wedding planner. You can still plan everything, but sometimes when you love something and MIL doesn''t, it''s nice for the planner to have to handle the drama. You can still work full-time on your wedding and have a planner, especially for a wedding the size yours will be!

At a minimum I''d get a "day of" coordinator. FOR SURE! Even more than the plaza wedding coordinator. A wedding that big will need a production manager/crew to ensure the day goes off without a hitch! The bride can''t do that b/c you''re getting married, KWIM

I think the ceremony on the Plaza terrace and the wedding in the ballroom would be fantastic!

If you wanted something a little different, you could have the ceremony at one of the museums or one of the really cool event spaces. What is your style/vision for the wedding?

Your rings are very pretty, I''d love to see handshots.

 

[JerseyGrl81]

Have you talked with your fiance about what kind of wedding he would like? Based off the rings he bought you it seems that he is a modest and very thoughful man. Does he want a large, lavish wedding or it that his mother''s doing? A wedding planner would be helpful with determining what each party wants and compromising to have a great wedding.

 

[princesss]

Ladies, ladies! First things first. We need handshots of that gorgeous ring! You could totally use it as inspiration for a January wedding. But just to make sure, I think we need roughly 23847239 pictures of that beauty.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Date: 1/10/2010 4:27:48 PM
Author: JerseyGrl81

Date: 1/10/2010 5:04:53 AM

Author: missbennet

Alright so M and i were engaged on aug 5th 2009. we have already chosen the rings and booked the reception for january 25th 2011. but where to have the ceremony??? niether of us feel comfortable in a church and i dont want to get married outside because of the weather....so what? we will have about 300-400 guests so it has to be a large space.


p.s. we booked the grand ballroom at the plaza for the reception, but would it be tacky to book the terrace room for the ceremony? i love love love both locations,they are perfect for both parts ofthe wedding but i think that is a little ridiculous. ''okay here we are, bride and groom and 300 other people....now lets all troop across the hall to the reception''

Well first congratulation on your engagment, both rings are lovely. I don''t think it would be tacky to book the terrace for the ceremony. I am sure that the Plaza has a wedding planner on site that can help you with the details. I wouldn''t hesitate to hire an independent wedding planner as well, as the others have suggested. If I had a budget like yours I would hire David Tutera!

Yeah, not me. Personal experience is not so great! I wouldn''t recommend him.

Congrats on your engagement. I love both rings. Best of luck with the planning!

 

[princesss]

Date: 1/11/2010 2:21:49 PM
Author: rhbgirl24

Date: 1/10/2010 4:27:48 PM
Author: JerseyGrl81

Date: 1/10/2010 5:04:53 AM

Author: missbennet

Alright so M and i were engaged on aug 5th 2009. we have already chosen the rings and booked the reception for january 25th 2011. but where to have the ceremony??? niether of us feel comfortable in a church and i dont want to get married outside because of the weather....so what? we will have about 300-400 guests so it has to be a large space.


p.s. we booked the grand ballroom at the plaza for the reception, but would it be tacky to book the terrace room for the ceremony? i love love love both locations,they are perfect for both parts ofthe wedding but i think that is a little ridiculous. ''okay here we are, bride and groom and 300 other people....now lets all troop across the hall to the reception''

Well first congratulation on your engagment, both rings are lovely. I don''t think it would be tacky to book the terrace for the ceremony. I am sure that the Plaza has a wedding planner on site that can help you with the details. I wouldn''t hesitate to hire an independent wedding planner as well, as the others have suggested. If I had a budget like yours I would hire David Tutera!

Yeah, not me. Personal experience is not so great! I wouldn''t recommend him.

Congrats on your engagement. I love both rings. Best of luck with the planning!

Are you the one that was on The Show That Shall Not Be Named?

 

[nkarma]

Date: 1/10/2010 7:12:53 PM
Author: Bella_mezzo
wow miss bennet! I live in NYC too, and even with Manhattan prices and a huge guest list, you are going to have a jawdropping wedding!

If you aren''t working and have time to plan a huge wedding (and deal with the inevitable family politics and MIL drama) go for it! If not, get a wedding planner. You can still plan everything, but sometimes when you love something and MIL doesn''t, it''s nice for the planner to have to handle the drama. You can still work full-time on your wedding and have a planner, especially for a wedding the size yours will be!

At a minimum I''d get a ''day of'' coordinator. FOR SURE! Even more than the plaza wedding coordinator. A wedding that big will need a production manager/crew to ensure the day goes off without a hitch! The bride can''t do that b/c you''re getting married, KWIM

I think the ceremony on the Plaza terrace and the wedding in the ballroom would be fantastic!

If you wanted something a little different, you could have the ceremony at one of the museums or one of the really cool event spaces. What is your style/vision for the wedding?

Your rings are very pretty, I''d love to see handshots.

Ditto! You need someone to make sure everything goes as planned. I would also get a wedding coordinator just for suggestions on florists, photographer, entertainment, etc....You still get all the say in everything but they bring the stuff to you instead of you having to look for it. Having planned lots of weddings they will know who is good and who isn''t. Just my two cents.

And yes I have been to several weddings where the ceremony was in one room and the reception in the other.

 

[Maisie]

I would also recommend a wedding planner. If you have that kind of budget its nice to have someone help you deal with the arrangements.

I also agree that we need handshot photos of your rings!

 

[tyty333]

Date: 1/11/2010 4:49:56 PM
Author: Maisie
I would also recommend a wedding planner. If you have that kind of budget its nice to have someone help you deal with the arrangements.

I also agree that we need handshot photos of your rings!

You definitly need a wedding planner. You still get to see everything and make all the decisions but dont have to deal
with all the last minute hassles (especially the hassles dealing with that large of a wedding). You may also need a go-between you and your future in-laws.

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Welcome and CONGRATULATIONS!!

You are such a lucky girl to have such a generous wedding budget. I''m sure you could have a FANTASTIC wedding for $100,000 let alone .75million!

I think a wedding planner would be a great idea as well. From what I know about them, they need your input for everything. Someone mentioned David Tutera. From what I''ve seen of his weddings...you can''t go wrong!

Good luck with the planning and have fun!

 

[missbennet]

oh and bella thats so cool! maybe we could get together sometime!

butter and the rainbow room are the best resturants in the world. if you havent eaten there (which is a sin) GO!!!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I think we should have an NYC pricescope get together this spring!!! I''ve been to the Rainbow room, but haven''t gotten to Butter yet. I''ll have to save up my pennies and go soon

I saw your other post, good to know that your MIL is ok with the smaller budget, that''s still a ton of money and you are going to have an amazing wedding!!!

 

[jaylex]

Date: 1/10/2010 5:15:28 PM
Author: missbennet
thanks everyone!
okay first of all, i dont want to hire a wedding planner. i want to plan my entire wedding myself because i dont have anything else to do and i want it to be mine, you know? i want to look at every detail and know i chose that from all myoptions, not just the planners.

second, the snowflake ring is my engagement ring, the sapphire is my wedding ring. that is a purple sapphire as confusing as that is.

third, i have NO idea what im going to do with the budget.

First, Congrats! On the engagement, beautiful rings, and lovely budget!

i just wanted to chime in and say something about the above statement.
I'm an interior designer, so basically, I am to peoples homes what wedding planners are to weddings.
When someone hires me to put their rooms together, they are not hiring me to spout off my opinions or preferences. they are hiring me to listen to them (both the husband and the wife if applicable), to get a feel for their (sometimes VERY different) personalities, personal style, taste, budget, likes and dislikes. And organize and pull together all of those details for them in ways they may not (most likely would not) have thought of on their own. I would be a horrible designer if I walked into a home and took at look at it and said "I prefer this type of decor so that is what I want you to have!". I don't want my clients friends to walk into their homes and say "wow! this really looks like something out of a magazine! But it just doesn't look like 'you'."
I'm assuming a good wedding planner would work similarly as I do.

So please.. at least consider meeting with a couple of wedding planners... feel them out to see how they work.

You said it yourself! you have no idea what to do with your budget. Let someone trained in the art of wedding planning help you out!

Congrats again and good luck!


oh, and just had to add.. I think the name Chloe is so pretty! (lol, random)

 

[missbennet]

alright i broke down and hired a wedding planner. her name is amy and she is fantastic!!!
thanks for the encouragement

thank you all for the compliments, i am very excited