In a few months, I will take the hand of Mr. A and not release it until either of us passes to the great beyond.
And that calls for a party!
I've heard that wedding planning is a minefield. Vendors jack up the price the second you say "family dinner on a Saturday" and everyone seems to have an opinion about what you should and shouldn't do, serve, write, stay, wear.
Fortunately, I'm used to pretending to carefully listen to opinions I don't agree with and then totally disregarding them. Growing up with a dad who has a drastically different political persuasion from my own has been perfect training. ;)
And fortunately, by now I'd consider myself a fairly experienced asker in the retail and service realms.
With this in mind, here I am going to outline a new project.
The Wedding Asking Challenge
1. Mr A and I will make a list of priorities and we will plan the wedding so those are met. (DONE)
2. Mr. A and I will make a budget and do our best to adhere to it. (DONE)
3. I will try to negotiate every single item on that budget list, from wedding dress to ceremony music. Either I will bring down the dollar value or build more value into goods and services where the price stays the same.
4. I will make exceptions for vendors who are providing exceptional value. The point is not to extract money just because, but to get a non-inflated, non-wedding price for goods and services.
5. Every dollar that falls below the budgeted amount will go into an investment account which we'll use for a house down payment or another similar goal.
6. Along the way, I'll voice record some interactions and save all emails, so anyone planning a wedding (or similar endeavor) in the future can benefit from my experiences.
Ready? Set? GO!
