Wedding invitation budget: $40,000 - $50,000

Yep.  40 THOUSAND bucks for a wedding invitation.  When I was reading the ABCNews article, I had to do a double-take when the estimated amount that Chelsea Clinton's wedding invitations will cost appeared.  I’ve never been one to criticize a grand wedding and the budget that goes with it.  I’m not about to start now.  I was just surprised that such amount can be allocated to the wedding stationery.  I always thought a wedding budget like this would be on the other items like favors, extra rounds of the expensive Cristal champagne for toasting, or even a fabulous Swarovski-encrusted wedding cake.  Not on your wedding invitation.  Even if it’s Crane’s and letter pressed down to the smallest dot.  I am obviously wrong. 

Hopefully, this wedding will be featured somewhere (keeping my fingers crossed considering how tightlipped everyone’s been on the wedding details) because given this wedding budget, I can only assume that the word fabulous will be right up there in describing the affair.  Here is the complete breakdown of the wedding budget from top wedding planner, Claudia Hanlin of The Wedding Library.

FINALLY.

This is what most of the people in my life said.

 

Finally, Mr. J and I are officially engaged. Even though I knew this was coming already (just didn't know when and exactly where and how), it still is a different level of happiness once he finally slipped the ring in my finger.  I can't divulge the details of the proposal as it is something we would like to keep a secret.  But I can tell this: it happened in Mandarin Oriental Singapore.  For this, I will forever ♥ Manda SG (this is how Mr. J and I usually refer to the hotel that we've been staying in every time we go to Singapore).  Just for the record, even without the proposal happening there, we have always loved the hotel with its excellent customer service and beautiful rooms.  No wonder it's usually #1 (or #2) in TripAdvisor ratings.

 

Speaking of ring, I highly recommend Vivo Diamonds Singapore. This is where my now-fiancé (i just love being able to call him that.. my fiancé) Mr. J bought the e-ring and I am way more than happy with the service and the outcome. The quality of the ring? Let’s just say that it was so gorgeous that my Mom is seriously considering having one made for her. And between the two of us, it’s really my mom and sister who are into jewelries.

 

Just a brief background on Vivo (located in Singapore); it’s an online jewelry retailer (similar to Blue Nile) except that they have an actual office wherein you could view the stones and setting first before purchasing it. Also, if you pay in cash, you get a discount. Plus, Isaac Poh, is super nice and very knowledgeable when it comes to diamonds (he's a GIA-graduate gemologist).

 

My ring 's center stone is a 0.60 carat round brilliant with HCA score of 0.9. Color is E with clarity of VS2. All the other round brilliant stones have the same clarity and color.

 

So, there we go. I will now have to put a strikethrough in my profile description.

 

I’m engaged.

 

Finally.