Our Wedding on 2000 Dollar Wedding.com

Thanks for sharing our story Sara!

The wedding

Photos

Hen Party!

I love these girls. Thanks so much for a fantastic weekend!

Arg, I probably shouldn't have...

...but I did. Its so eco-nasty, but I got stuff for bathroom baskets for the wedding! Some of it I already had, and all of it I'll use, especially because I travel so much. For the ladies room the little bin will have

Hair:
folding brush
bobby pins
elastics
hair gel
hairspray

Nails:
Polish remover pads
nail clippers
clear polish
nail file
super glue

Mouth:
Wisps (disposal toothbrushes)
flossing sticks
dental floss
mouthwash
mints

First Aid:
bandaids
first aid ointment
blister pads
advil
Claritin
pepto bismol pills
contact lens solution
purell
bug spray
sunscreen
Emergen-C
coughdrops

Clothes repair:
sewing kit
scissors
lint roller
safety pins
static spray
Wine Away
Tide stain remover
double sided tape

Other:
Tissues
baby wipes
lotion
body spray
blotting paper
tape
vaseline
makeup remover
tweezers
tampons
liners
AA batteries
list of taxis

Cost: $45, but had a $43 credit at Bed Bath and Beyond, so not terrible. The boys room will have the mouth stuff and some of the first aid stuff, nail clippers, tissues. Hopefully this stuff will come in handy. Apparently you can't get either areosol or pump spray deodarant anymore, so don't forget ladies!

The Final Countdown

This was the last weekend I had to get a bunch of minor stuff done before the wedding, because next weekend is my hen party with the girls!

Yesterday I made major progress on the final few projects I had and managed to only patronize small stores in my own town! My list of things to do included:
- Buy glue dots for photo guest book
- Make photo guest book
- buy foam core board for photo display
- affix photos to photo display
- buy earrings/necklace or beads to make them
- make "reserved" signs for the bride/groom table

At the stationary store in downtown Mill Valley I got this really cool glue on a roll to use for pasting the instant photos in the guestbook.
I bought earrings for just $14 at a boutique in downtown Mill Valley.
At the bigger stationary store across town, I bought a recycled chipboard binder to use for the guestbook, recycled cardstock for the pages, and a tri-fold foam core display board.

On a whim on the way home I swung by the art and paper store where I bought the paper for our tables. I had purchased every last piece that they had back in the spring but lo and behold they had more so I bought a few more pieces for use on the cake table and the guest-book table.

I'm really happy about how the guest book came out - I pasted one of our invites to the front and on the spine I glued a piece of the ribbon that will be used to decorate our cake. Just a few more details to work out today, then I'll feel like I'm in good shape. Two weeks to go!

More shoes...

So the green shoes I chose are pretty high and I'm kind of worried I'll suffer from shoe fatigue about 2 hours in. So I bought some lower back-up shoes for $40 today:

Local Flora!

Local Flora is awesome - we're getting a tray of 42 gerbera daisys for our tables from them. They were really easy to work with and their prices are VERY good. Best part? All the flowers are local. Our daisys will come from a farm in Petaluma picked THAT DAY. How cool is that?

Help: I want a great place to get married in New England!

In response to this post, on 2000 dollar wedding, I created the following list, which has been requested many times by readers of 2000 wedding.

My grandparents 50th anniversary party was at Mount Agamenticus in York Maine. Its a large hall on the top of a mountain. We had a caterer, but I think I remember there being a kitchen. It has incredible views, and is a beautiful rustic place. The website isn't great, but here it is: http://www.agamenticus.org/index.htmlProbably best for you to just call and ask questions, but I'm sure its affordable.

Carters cross country ski center in Bethel Maine is a small lodge but I know the owners and their daughter had her reception there. Since its a ski center, they would likely be interested in renting it out off season. Call (207) 539-4848 and ask to talk to Jessica. Anne (her mom) can also help you, but I think Jes would be more into the idea. (she had her recpetion there.) Jes and I were great friends and on the cross country ski team together in high school. :-)

This place is amazing. http://www.kezarlakehouse.com/westways.htmlItused to be a restaurant but is now a vacation rental. I'm not sure it would be ideal for a large wedding, but it could work. Kezar Lake is one of the most beautiful in Maine. There are a bunch of state parks on the coast of Maine and on inland lakes that have facilities for groups. Check out the Maine state parks webpage.

Sebago Lake is really cool and has a group picnic facility. http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=26

This place in Casco, Maine seems kitchy and fun, but I don't know anything about it personally: http://www.alyssasmotel.com/index.htm

The best way to rent a "camp" (Maine speak for summer cottage - not summer camp like what you go to when you're a kid) is to find one you like, find out who owns it, then call them up and ask about it. There are a bunch of affordable camps on lakes in Western Maine in Bryant Pond and Locke Mills Maine. Local real estate agents can guide your search.

Mt. Greylock in North Adams Mass has a lodge on top of it and a large open field that would be ideal for a wedding. Not sure if they would rent it out, but might be worth checking out. Fantastic views and sunsets! http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/mtGreylock/
There's also this site for Massachusetts parks: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/dayuse.htm

Think about renting a local dowhnill ski lodge off-season. You could get a really good rate since these places are largely sitting unoccupied during the summer. Potentially you could have the ceremony on the top of the mountain, transported by chair-lift, then the receiption at the lodge at the base.
Ideas:http://www.skiblackmountain.org/
http://www.camdensnowbowl.com/
http://www.mtabram.com/
http://www.lostvalleyski.com/ (A lot of folks from my high school get married here)http://www.sprucemountain.org/

Here are some more conventional and less DIY ideas:
http://www.bearmtninn.com/ - has "packages" which could be fairly affordable if you're not having too many people
http://www.cape-cottages.com/ A private, peaceful place located on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, Maine. Site available May, June, September and October only. Perfect for outdoor, tented receptions. Lodging onsite. Limit 140 guests.
http://www.highlandlakeresort.com/

My friend Thea is a wedding photographer in New Hampshire and has been to a TON of weddings in New England at all sorts of venues. I'm sure she'd be happy to give some ideas. thea@authenticeye.com

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck!

Sneak Peek - Wedding playlist

Some of the music on our dance playlist:

Say Hey (I Love You) - Michael Franti
Fly Me to the Moon – Frank Sinatra
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Happy Together – the Turtles
Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust
My Sharona – The Knack
One More Time – Daft Punk
Alright - Supergrass
Read My Mind - Killers
Human - Killers
Kingdom of Rust - Doves
Candy - Paolo Nutini
Groove Is In the Heart – Dee Lite
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
She's Not There –The Zombies
Jungle Boogie – Kool and the Gang
Build Me Up Buttercup - Foundations
What I Like About You - Romantics
Express Yourself - Charles Wright /the Watts
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
Just Dance – Lady Gaga
Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra
1901 - Phoenix
Nothing to Worry About – Peter Bjorn & John

Hen Party!

Some of my very favorite ladies in the world put together a bachelorette-party-type weekend for me that I've coined the hen party. I'm so excited for it! The weekend before the wedding we'll have brunch in Marin then check into this really cool condo on the Russian River - with a HOT TUB! Home spa treatments courtesy of my mom, then dinner at the Dawn Ranch. Later, live music at the Rio Nido Roadhouse, which is right across the street from where we'll be staying. I'm sure after that we'll stay up late, do each other's hair, have a pillow fight and stay up late giggling.

The next morning we'll make breakfast then go on a hike in the redwoods then see if the swimming is good at Johnson Beach in Guernville. Depending on how we're feeling we may follow that up with wine tasting or something like that.

My hens are amazing women, I don't know what I'd do without them and I can't wait for our weekend!

Shoes!

I bought these green satin Nine West shoes because they were on sale and they might just work. They are about 3/4" higher than the highest shoes I previously owned, but I tottered around in them for a while yesterday and they seem okay. I tried them on with my dress this morning and they will definitely work! However, I may still up going for gold in the end.

Its about 60 degrees and overcast but we're hosting a 4th of July/Tour de France BBQ today that we spent a lot of time and energy preparing for. Last minute regrets continue to trickle in, but hopefully some folks will show up! After all, its almost certainly better weather here than in the city.

Prezzies

The correlation of a possible move and receiving wedding gifts packed in huge boxes is an excellent recycling opportunity. Yesterday we received gifts from some of my aunts and uncles including a Jack LaLane Power Juicer and a set of lovely dishes perfect for a small dinner party. I'm considering opening up the juicer and making some lemonade for our 4th of July BBQ on Saturday but Dave is already going way overkill on food and preparations for this thing that probably no one will even show up to and I don't want to encourage him.

Every time I get a new email I jump because we're waiting with baited breath to hear about the house we're trying to buy. Its a short sale, so it has taken FOREVER for the bank holding the mortgage to approve the offer. Forever as in tomorrow it will have been TEN WEEKS. The last thing we heard (last Friday) was "file was submitted to closing dept. Their estimated response time is 3-5 business days, so hope to get an approval this week" So... its been 3-5 days. TELL US OUR FATE. NOW.

all blogged out

Ugh, I've gotten to the point where I'm exhausted by all the wedding blogs, let alone wanting to blog about my own wedding planning. Aside from searching for shoes (gold strappy sandals) the wedding stuff is pretty much done or on hold for now. However, I did get a good idea from someone's wedding today who had a bunch of games at their wedding for people not into dancing. That part has been kind of plaguing me because I don't want people to feel like they have to just leave after the cake if they don't want to dance. So a few games maybe, and some photos to look at might keep people around for a little longer. I need some other ideas though!

Our postcard invites

This gives you a rough idea of how they came out. We're very happy with them! My brother designed them. Total cost was $60 - I ordered 50 invitations but they gave me at least 65! So they came out to under a dollar each. Thanks to Vintage Glam Weddings (and Martha Stewart, I guess) for the the vintage postcard image we used on the back!

Greener Printer

I'm lucky to be in the Bay Area because we have such a wide selection of eco-friendly venders. I found Greener Printer, located in Berkeley, by doing a quick google search. Its a local business that does their printing in-house, and they operate on 100% wind power through investments in renewable energy credits. They are printing our postcard invitations on 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste, bleach-free cardstock with soy based ink. You also get this nifty statement:

Environmental Benefits Statement
By using GreenerPrinter and New Leaf Paper for this project, you are conserving the following resources:
.6 Gallons of Water
.1 Pounds of Solid Waste
.2 Pounds of Greenhouse Gasses
.2 Miles in a Car

For 50 postcards, it was about $60. This is twice the amount that overnightprints, Zazzle, Vista Print or other printers would have cost, but I didn't even want to send out paper in the first place, so this makes me feel a lot better about it!

what's up with the budget?

Some people don't get why we - an attorney and an engineer - are having such a "cheap" wedding. While we certainly could afford to spend twice what we're spending or even more if we went into debt, we just don't want to! One of the biggest reasons is that we're hoping to buy a house in the next few months and that will take nearly all of our savings and almost double our monthly expenses if it all goes through.



I think within an hour or so of Dave popping the question we were already starting to plan and I'm nearly certain* we discussed a budget of well under $10,000. That said, the money was certainly not the only or most important consideration because we wanted the venue for our ceremony and reception to reflect us and we also didn't want this thing to rule our lives. As a result our budget has shrunk and expanded a few times (all well under $10,000) based on food, venue and other things. For example, it was really important for us to have everything outside, but without the hassle of having to have everything rented and brought in. Lucky for us we found the perfect place and its very affordable. But darn it, good food is expensive!



Here's how everything (so far) has broken down:

• Use fee for ceremony and reception site: $800
• Cake: $200
• printing invitations: $60
• stamps for invites: $13
• Dress: $210
• Dress alterations: $360 (gulp)
• Veil and fascinator: $30
• Catering and related fees: $4,060
• Paper for tablecloths: $90
• Beeswax candles: $40
• Votive holders: $30
• Cake stands: $10
• Dave's Ring: $120
• Hotel room night of the wedding: $300 (we splurged for the fancy suite)

Total: $6,323

Yet to buy:

• the bar bill (just wine and beer - our estimate is around $800)
• my shoes ($80)
• potted plants (centerpieces) ($100)
• polaroid film ($50)
• hair ($90)
• manicure/pedicure ($40)
• my bouquet ($20)
• Dave's tie ($30)
• Marriage License ($30)
• Flickr account for wedding pics ($23)
• Officient Fee ($30)

Suff we're NOT spending money on!

• music $0 - ipod!
• photographer $0 - friends and family's digital cameras!
• escort cards $0 - not us
• menus $0 - unnecessary
• Save the date cards $0 - sent an email!
• favors $0 - unnecessary
• programs $0 - unneccary
• bathroom baskets $0 - very unnecessary
• bridesmaids $0 - not us
• groomsmen $0 - not us
• transportation $0 - carpooling!
• garter $0 - what for?
• my wedding ring $0 - my engagement ring will do (I think, haven't completely decided on this one yet)
• cake serving set $0 - unnecessary
• unity candles $0 - unnecessary
• ring pillow $0 - unnecessary
• bottled water/matchbooks/napkins/cds/shot glasses/beer koozies with our names on them $0 - unnecessary
• ceremony and reception decorations $0 - our venue is naturally beautiful!
• lighting (other than candles) $0

*there was a lot of champagne that night, ok?

This is the saddest thing!

My heart goes out to the husband and family of Amy Lynn Slenk who died during her wedding reception of a brain aneurysm.

Michigan native dies on her wedding day in Calif.

A native of the Holland, Mich., area collapsed and died at her wedding reception in California, the victim of a brain aneurysm. Amy Lynn Slenk, 26, died on the day she married longtime boyfriend Cole Handley in a vineyard in Soledad, Calif., about 115 miles southeast of San Francisco.
The bride was enjoying "the happiest day of her life" on May 25 when she collapsed at the reception, said her mother, Diane Slenk of Ottawa County's Holland Township.

Full story

What a find: Cake Stands

Since meeting with our cake person back in March I've had my eye out for a pretty cake stand, since we decided on a fairly small cake. I found these for just $5 and $8!

Our cake is going to be two layers, vanilla with lemon cream and chocolate with raspberry mousse. It will be frosted with white buttercream (no fondant!) with swiss dots and a green ribbon. I haven't decided about what will go on top yet. Definitely NOT a huge monogram or any 'bride and groom' cake topper. Ugh, I hate those. I like the idea of two tiny pears, but Dave didn't like that idea. I'm not into all those cartooney or toy-like toppers, so we'll probably just do flowers or something.

$60 wedding dress

A cute simple halter dress for a casual summer wedding - Nine West. $59.99 at SmartBargains!

For a few bucks more:

Canvas light grey long halter dress with slight sheen and pleating from BCBG, $110.00.

Beeswax candles

When we were first researching venues, I ran a search on flickr for photos of other weddings to see what kind of feel the places had. The photos of weddings held at our venue looked vibrant, fun and casual, which is one of the reasons we ended up going with it. One wedding in particular had some evening photos with votive candles on the tables, and it looked so beautiful:

I started researching votive candles and votive holders and found that I could get the standard fare for pretty cheap! But somewhere along the way I was clued into the fact that those cheap paraffin candles are pretty terrible for the environment:

"Paraffin wax consists of alkane hydrocarbons and melts between 47°C and 65°C (around 120° to 150° F). It is derived from light lubricating oil distillates. When burned, the fumes can contain a number of carcinogens including Acetaldehyde, Acrolein, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons and Toulene."

- Green Living Tips. Woah, that's definitely not the kind of thing I want to expose my nearest and dearest to! Not only that a lot of the cheapo candles you can buy in bulk come from China where the industrial practices can be shady. A fantastic alternative is 100% beeswax, which is natural, renewable, clean burning and relatively inexpensive. Not only that, but you can often find beeswax candles from bees that have been buzzing around your own backyard!

Cost comparison:

• 100 paraffin unscented tea-light candles in metal cups: $9.99 (Amazon.com)
• 24 beeswax tea-light candles in plastic cups: $15.00 (Toadily Handmade)

So beeswax candles are more expensive ($.63 each vs. $.10 each) but not prohibitively so and the environmental offset is significant. Some other things to consider:

• if the beeswax is unfiltered it will have a natural yellow-gold color and mild scent. The ivory beeswax candles you can find have been filtered which removes much of the natural scent.
• Consider getting tea lights "naked" or without metal or plastic cups. If you're use glass holders, put a little water in the bottom which will make removing the wax easier.
• If you find a phemonenal deal on beeswax candles, make sure you're buying 100% beeswax before making your purchase. If they are cut with paraffin they will be cheaper.
• DIY option - buy cotton wicking and filtered beeswax to melt and pour your own candles into recycled jars, glasses or teacups

What about soy?

Soy candles are made of hydrogenated soybean oil and have a low melting point so are often contained in tins or jars. Soy candles also burn clean and have many of the same benefits as beeswax candles. But growing, harvesting and processing soybeans is far more land, water, chemical and fossil fuel intensive than beeswax production. However, if you're vegan, then soy candles are probably the right choice for you.

Resources:

• Toadily Handmade - 100% beeswax candles from Mission Viejo, California
• Hurd Beeswax Candles - Berkeley, California
• Candle Bee Farm - candles from a vegetarian beekeeper in Kentucky
• Sunbeam Candles - Created with solar power in upstate New York
• Chicago Honey Co-Op - totally cool urban apiary in Chicago
  

Tabletop trials and tribulations

I'm really pretty chill about most of our wedding details and decor. I mean, it just does not matter that much. We knew we didn't want it to look like a banquet hall or have everything really matchy matchy. Since the entire event is outside on a patio and deck, there's nothing to decorate except the tables anyway. Initially we thought we'd rent green tablecloths and have white antique tea cloths as overlays, with potted herbs as centerpieces. Then we learned that 1) the green tablecloths that the rental company had were a really yucky color and 2) our venue would provide us with white tablecloths and napkins FOR FREE!

So we changed our minds, and decided to use the free linens since that would save us approximately $120. But I still felt like there should be a splash of color on the tables, either in the form of a runner or an overlay or something. So I did some online research and dragged Dave to fabric and craft stores. I learned a lot:

• store bought table runners start at about $20.
• fabric starts at about $8 a yard, and eco-friendly (bamboo, organic cotton, hemp) is around $15 a yard.
• paper is LOVELY; it comes in a lot of patterns, colors, textures, and eco-friendly options; it does not require ironing or sewing, it can be reused and repurposed, and above all it's CHEAP!

I really wanted to use either a tree-free or recycled paper. There area lot of options out there. I found lokta paper, which is handmade in the mountains of Nepal from the inner bark of the lokta bush. Lokta is one of the strongest paper fibers, and since new growth regenerates quickly it provides a renewable resource. Works for me!

If you're thinking of going this route, I've listed some resources below for ideas:

Paper Source - Papers from Japan, Nepal, India, Europe and others. Chain of retail stores too.
The Paper Studio - a huge selection, and you can search by color!
Paper Mojo - A nice selection organized by type of print, and a great sale section
LCI paper - carries Japanese chiyogami paper in several sizes and a lot of solid colors
Hollander's - over 1,600 styles of paper including a wide selection of natural fibers

However, because the weight and color of paper varies so much, especially with handmade paper, I highly suggest seeing these in person before making a purchase. Also, you'll save shipping costs and minimize your carbon footprint if you patronize a local paper or art shop.

Buying your wedding dress online

source

The biggest reason I bought my dress online was due to the fact that I refused to spend more than a couple of hundred dollars on this dress, or a lot of time searching for the perfect vintage dress that was within my budget. The eco-dresses out there are fantastic, but I couldn't find anything that was really my style or in my budget. It would have been fun to search for that vintage dress, but I knew it would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have! However, shopping online means you can't try it on (and most places won't take returns), you're not supporting a local business, the dress was likely made overseas, and with all the transportation from wherever its made, to their warehouse to your door, there are a lot of fossil fuels used. I feel pretty bad about those aspects, so I was determined to find something I could wear again.

I also had a pretty good idea of what I wanted in terms of cut, style, length, etc. (tea-length, casual, strapless - like a summer sun dress) I did go to one local bridal shop that purportedly had a good selection of affordable vintage, tea-length dresses but the service was pretty terrible and I didn't find anything close to what I was looking for. If you have no idea what you are looking for, then trying to find a wedding dress online is going to be really challenging.
Here are some things I learned along the way:

• Google image search is your friend!
• If its incredibly unbelievably cheap, you're likely buying a replica - beware!
• Try to find a picture of a real bride wearing the dress so you can see how it would look on someone other than the 5'10" 115lb model wearing it.
• Read reviews of the place you're buying the dress from, and make sure they are legit before giving up your credit card number. Also, make sure they are authorized by the manufacturer to sell the dress, otherwise it could be a knock-off and of poor quality.
  
• Pay close attention to the manufacturer's size chart and measure yourself before you commit to ordering a certain size - dress sizes are different than street-clothes sizes!
• That said, budget for alterations! Its very likely you'll have to make some changes to make it fit perfectly. My dress cost about $200 with shipping but the alterations were well over $300. I was ok with that since no matter what the cost of the dress I'd have to have it altered. It was also my opportunity to give some business to a local dressmaker!

I ended up buying my Dessy dress from Tie The Knot Bride (they are an authorized retailer) and had a good experience. They estimated that the dress would be shipped 10 weeks after I ordered it, but it was delivered in about 6 weeks.

Birthday Calendar Guestbook

I really love the idea of guests being able to write greetings and well-wishes to us at our wedding. Its kind of like having your friends sign your yearbook and pouring over all of the notes at the end of the school year.

I was inspired today by Foy and Jeff's (of A Low Impact Wedding) fantastic calendar guestbook. Their guests left comments and wishes for them in a calendar on their birthday or anniversary. Because what are you going to do with a guestbook after the wedding anyway? In their words, "Put it in a box where it can clutter up the place." But the same problem ensues with a normal calendar for that year once the year is over.

Another problem is that the squares for each date greatly limit how much the guests can write. I want people to be encouraged to fill up a whole page if they want to, or draw a sketch, write a poem or whatever they want. Enter the perpetual birthday calendar. My idea is to use a 200 page spiral bound sketchbook, and use both sides of each page label each one page for each day of the year. You could use rubber stamps to decorate and do the lettering. Then guests would have a lot of space to write, and you could use the calendar perpetually, flipping the page each day.
These are kind of boring but I'm sure there are other sets out there. I haven't put this idea into practice yet, but am definitely considering it!

Photo Holders

Right off the bat we knew we couldn't do everything ourselves, because we both have very busy and demanding jobs and didn't want the wedding planning to completely take over our lives. But we wanted to retain creative control over the wedding, so we're doing all of the decor ourselves.Our first project was really designed and executed by Dave. We wanted to have photos of us and our families at the tables for people to look at and talk about, but we didn't want them to be just scattered around. So Dave made these clever photo holders from nothing more than wood and wire for just a few cents each.

Ingredients:

• Wood - either use a 4 by 4 or a square post, usually comes in 3 by 3


• Thick Wire -we found straight 12" lengths of wire about the same gauge as hangers in our local hardware store for. 20 each. You could also use wire hangers though.
  

Tools:

• Saw for cutting wood into cubes


• sander and sandpaper (or just sandpaper if you're paitent!)


• Drill


• Pliers

• measuring tape


• straight edge


• pencil

Instructions:

With the pliers, bend one end of the wire into a spiral.

This will take some muscle! You can do circles, squares, triangles, etc:

Alternative - use an aligator clip (arguably not as elegant).
Using the measuring tape and pencil, mark four inch intervals on the wood, then cut into cubes.

Source

On the cut end, use a straight edge to find the center by drawing diagonally from corner to corner:

Using a drill bit the same gague as your wire, drill a hole about an inch and a half or two inches deep, being careful to make sure its as straight as possible. (we used a drill press) Sand the cube until its nice and smooth. Insert the non-coiled end of the wire into the hole you've drilled. Stain or paint the wooden base.

Wedding guests and cell phones

Our wedding is going to be a pretty casual affair. That said, I really hate the idea of someone texting or tweeting or facebooking or blogging from their phone during our ceremony and reception. I hadn't really thought of this until reading Sara's blog post about attending a traditional church wedding and seeing the person next to her "bent over his cell phone, sending text messages to his friend." Eek!

There are several sort of "organic" things we are doing to avoid seeing our friends with phones in hands during the ceremony, including making the ceremony short and sweet, and making it funny and touching - in other words, worth paying attention to.

I thought about having our officiant at the beginning ask everyone to take out their cell phones and turn them off - but a lot of my friends' phones are also their cameras, and since we're not having a photographer I don't want to potentially lose photos. Even if they are of poor quality!


Besides, I kind of hate telling people what to do, and for the same reason, I don't want to have a bunch of "no cell phone" signs around. At the same time its something that would really bother me, it has a high potential of happening, and it's something we could potentially prevent.
Any ideas?


I just found this option online, but apparantly jamming cell phone signals is illegal, and potentially unsafe. I'd hate to be the reason someone couldn't call 911 in a nearby building!