Guest Blogger :: Erika Cardenas 

Ever loathe going to wedding because you know the cash bar will be outrageous?  $8 for a bottle of beer or $12-15 for a martini? No thanks!

Maintaining a budget-friendly reception that included alcohol seemed challenging. We found that we could save a bit of money to use on other dream wedding options by hosting a cash bar with a catch: Happy hour prices!   This happy hour a la Shannon and Erika infuses our carefree lifestyles and delivers a variety of yummy concoctions to choose from.

Picture Courtesy of Vintage Metal Art

Wedding Reception Happy Hour Ideas:

• Beer & the Basics – Select two domestics and two imports with four popular happy hour drinks like rum or Jack with coke, vodka with tonic or soda, and other basic mixers.
• Beer & Wine – Select the same beer as above, but add in a red, white, and a sparkling wine that will satisfy any palate.

Whatever your poison, this is yet another opportunity to show off your personalities and passions.

Until next time, live well, love well, be well! ~E~

The Ending :: Guest Blogger, Erika Cardenas and her fiancée are sharing their journey of planning their same-sex wedding. Read more about them here.

Guest Blogger :: Erika

First off, I bought the dress! Oh holy wow, it is really setting in that the wedding is less than six months away and I have my dress! I couldn’t be more excited. Every time someone has asked me “what you been up to?”, immediately I reply with “I bought my wedding dress!” It was even fun that in my local grocery store the word is getting out. Three of the employees there that I know only by first name heard my elated tale. It is beautiful and I cannot wait to be married! Shannon, my fiancée, is going to be amazed.

The bridesmaids picked their dresses, all the same color, but the decision was theirs between three styles. The day may be all about the bride and the bride, tee hee, but our wing ladies need to look hot, too. We picked three dresses they could possibly wear again that were simple and comfy, yet stylish and chic. David’s Bridal was a great resource and I would recommend them so far. We have the dresses ordered from David's, but the extras we are going to bargain hunt for. For me, going to a few different places and asking several different money saving-questions can get you the best deal!

I am all about having my dream wedding, but I have to be smart about not putting too much strain on the bank account. I want to have a life after the wedding that doesn't involve huge debt! Use your resources. Talk to people, ask opinions and experiences of those who have been through it already. They may have ideas you haven’t thought of yet, like Mrster.com!

For instance, my fiancée and I would like comfort when it comes to shoes, so we are customizing our own Converse for our wedding. The dresses are long enough, so they will only be visible when we walk and show them off for pictures. It's not as expensive as you would imagine, and we will get to wear them over and over again.

Here is an example of a custom-designed Converse shoe. This isn't our design but rather is an example.

There is just so much happening so fast, and the ride is incredible! 

Until next time, live well, love well, be well! ~E~

Guest Blogger, Erika Cardenas and her girlfriend are sharing with us their journey of planning their same-sex wedding. Read more about them here.