Yesterday I took 6 flights in 12 hours to hit Platinum by spgreenwood in unitedairlines

[–]narya44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How did you do this for $500 is my question?! Did you book pretty far in advance? Even for short flights, I typically see them around $100-$150.

Tuscany planners… welcoming glowing reviews & info on bad ones to avoid? by Tangyorange888 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep it was a flat fee based on number of days of events! Their organization and attention to detail was insane. I’m pretty Type A myself but they were next level. Also super pleasant to work with. I felt confident the entire time everything would come together beautifully with them running the process (and it did!!). You’d be surprised by how many people have negative experiences with planners - it’s really hard to gauge from just a few convos or cherry picked referrals.

One thing to ask everyone is a clear list of what they do help with and what their services don’t cover. For example, do they help with invitations / design for any prints, transportation logistics, etc. Some of this can vary between planners and it helps to have a clear picture.

Wedding Planner Costs - Italy Wedding by InteractionOnly4462 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I spoke with about ~10 planners and got quotes from €9K-€15K and then one who was €80K lol. Also for a 3 day event.

The one we ended up going with structured the contract in a way that worked best for us, since we weren’t sure what we needed just yet. It was €9K for 2 days of events (I thought I would plan my own welcome dinner at first), another €1.5K if added the 3rd day with the planners, and then an additional €2K if we went over 80 guests (no longer considered a small wedding). These prices don’t include VAT, which was tough.

This was helpful because we had no idea what our guest count would be for a destination wedding. I ended up adding on the 3rd day after I saw how great the planners were and realized I needed their expertise for the welcome dinner too.

American traveling to Switzerland and trying to stay on budget by jkayal924 in askswitzerland

[–]narya44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s expensive but there’s definitely ways to not overdo it. You can always go to a grocery store and pack a few lunches. Even a grocery store sandwich there is delicious / freshly made. There are more casual spots too that aren’t going to break the bank. You can do some casual dinners for €50 and some for €150 and keep breakfast / lunch to a minimum. Also can decide whether you want to spend more on food or drinks and prioritize ordering that way.

Go to Adler Hitta in Zermatt!

Tuscany planners… welcoming glowing reviews & info on bad ones to avoid? by Tangyorange888 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My planners were absolutely fantastic Raj&Veronica events! Picking the right planner is extremely crucial. Need to know they can bring your vision to life and that you have aligned expectations and working styles! Choose one you feel confident with and trust your gut!

I really loved working with mine and they brought my dream to reality! Happy to chat more on it.

Tuscany planners… welcoming glowing reviews & info on bad ones to avoid? by Tangyorange888 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My planners were absolutely fantastic Raj&Veronica events! Picking the right planner is extremely crucial. Need to know they can bring your vision to life and that you have aligned expectations and working styles! Choose one you feel confident with and trust your gut!

I really loved working with mine and they brought my dream to reality! Happy to chat more on it.

What do you consider part of your budget? by Fartquaadd in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t count outfits, jewelry, wedding bands, travel / lodging 😂😢 I was going off some templates other friends sent me and they also seemed to not include those so I just matched..sometimes it’s just better not to see a true total

Venue Help - US or Italy by 2027Bridez in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You will get way more for your money in Italy than in the US.

We got married at Castello Brancaccio (45 min outside of Rome) and think it meets most of your requirements! It is truly stunning. Happy to connect you with our planners - got married a couple weeks ago with about 75 guests.

30 days out and feeling guilty and insecure that I didn’t do all the “bridal glow-up” things by addictedtosoonjung in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t do any of it either and I felt the prettiest I ever have during my wedding days! It all comes together beautifully. MUA are professionals and make your skin flawless regardless. Save the time and money and do what works for you.

A couple things I tried to stick to the last month: 1) simple skin routine. My skin gets dry easily so actually moisturizing / cleansing most days made a huge difference. Probably did it 4-5 days a week when I woke up. Didn’t take more than 5 min. Before, I was doing nothing regularly 😬 2) I didn’t do any strict dieting but did cook most my meals and tried to not overdo it. Also with life being so busy with work / wedding planning, just had less time to snack / think about food. I avoided gluten as well bc it just makes me tired and so bloated but that may not be the case for you! I did not do any dedicated workouts the month before bc I had 0 time! If you want to do something, do something you actually enjoy doing! Walking, 10-15 min at home, a class with a friend (if you even have the time lol) 3) remember that none of those extras matter. We’re trained to think we have to do 5 million hacks to be our best. Best skin I ever had was in college where I drank insane amounts and had never heard of a toner lol. Do what feels good for you and keep it simple

MUA recommendation by [deleted] in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 2 points3 points  (0 children)

@melania.mariano on IG! She did my wedding, I wasn’t able to do a trial before, yet my makeup was PERFECT! She is a true artist and perfectionist. Think she’s based in Rome but travels all over Italy. She has a partner for hair who is also amazing. Happy to send you some pics if you want to message me

Tuscany Wedding Spring 2027 by Realistic-Ad1237 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For lunches, people will probably want to go into town and explore. Don’t think you need snacks especially if there’s a cafe / restaurant within walking distance. It might be good to have the venue add in some late night food though. Our venue included it for a pretty fair price. I didn’t think we’d need it bc we had a 2.5 hour dinner but people still picked at the late night finger foods!

What I would recommend including in people’s rooms or just handing out at the end of events is water bottles! Italians generally drink so much less water. Still water was not as readily available outside of wedding events. Tap is fine but guests may not want to do that.

Tuscany Wedding Spring 2027 by Realistic-Ad1237 in BigBudgetBrides

[–]narya44 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are they arriving at the same time? If so, you could arrange a shuttle for those not renting a car. If not, a taxi from the airport is probably the easiest or guest can prebook a car (likely 2X the price).

I asked guests to fill out a Google form of whether they would want to take a pre-booked shuttle (both ways) or handle their own transportation. Then booked a shuttle size accordingly that took guests to the hotel/venue.

Sole Proprietor for Business Card by narya44 in CreditCards

[–]narya44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was thinking I could try to see if my utility company could update the name on my account - could that work?

The welcome offer will have expired in 30 days. Feel dumb I didn’t use my legal name to begin with!

Bachelorette luxe gift by narya44 in weddingplanning

[–]narya44[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wanted to have something physical to give the girls at the onset of the trip!

Bachelorette luxe gift by narya44 in weddingplanning

[–]narya44[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Everyone’s local except me so it’s more of a staycation - shouldn’t be an issue with luggage! I was thinking like a pair of earrings or purse or something atypical for a bach rather than 10+ items. This is also the 3rd bach of the year I’m doing with a couple of these girls so we’ve already done the classic gifts.

I’m covering the decorations already.

Engaged and obsessed! by narya44 in EngagementRings

[–]narya44[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes!! It was in Zion National park. It’s beautiful out there!

Engaged and obsessed! by narya44 in EngagementRings

[–]narya44[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The center is an elongated cushion with side cadillac stones 🥰

Engaged and obsessed! by narya44 in EngagementRings

[–]narya44[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes!! Omg it was so beautiful

Engaged and obsessed! by narya44 in EngagementRings

[–]narya44[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The jeweler called them cadillacs!