The Conception and birth of

I’m sure there are some of you out there who would agree when I say that the wedding industry is simply overwhelming. When I started planning my own wedding in 2014, I made the decision not to scour the internet for hours on end to find all the ingredients to a “perfect” wedding. My husband and I wanted to be able to make quick, solid choices within our budget that would bring our vision to life.  I wanted our planning experience to be as stress-free and as simple as possible; We didn’t want to become overwhelmed by all of the industry's endless options.

When I started to plan our wedding, I quickly realized that simply even mentioning the word “wedding” to a vendor made their prices soar. My mission from then on was to beat the wedding planning  game. However, I also realized early on that there was no hiding my intentions- an “event” with a guest list of 170 people and a beautiful white dress gave it all away. Keeping this whole wedding thing a secret from event vendors was going to be nearly impossible.

Instead, my husband Matt and I found little ways to save money. We endlessly discussed what was important to us, and what kind of  experience we wanted to create for our guests. We talked about negotiables and non-negotiables- the things we felt would matter the most a million years after our wedding, and the things that we could let fall to the wayside. Simply put, we splurged the most on the things that we felt our guests would remember forever.

My husband had a hard time wrapping his head around how much money we were spending, especially when he just wanted to marry me for… well, me. Honestly, having a huge wedding was not something he cared all that much about.  He asked me multiple times why we weren’t just going to City Hall, having dinner with our family, and then going out dancing with our friends. I simply responded by saying that I wanted to have a wedding.  It was important for me to gather all of our friends and family from Canada, Italy, and all over the U.S. into one room on one day. It was important for my family to see why it was necessary for me to move to New York City, and it was important that everyone understood the sacrifices that Matt and I had made in order to be together.  That’s something that I thought was well worth celebrating. Suffice it to say, my husband warmed up to the idea.

It wasn’t until after our wedding that I decided to use the internet to obsess over the wedding industry.  I spent hours and hours researching dresses, flowers, venues, wedding traditions, design, and decor. I thought about what my strengths were- thinking outside the box, improvising, and being resourceful- and how it could be possible to incorporate these strengths into planning an affordable wedding in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

I thought about the City Hall wedding a lot and what I would have needed to feel completely satisfied in choosing that option.  I would have needed an awesome photographer who would have candidly captured our day, a DJ who played all of our favorite songs, a bouquet that I could keep forever, delicious food and desserts, unlimited alcohol, and a personal ceremony by someone who would take the time to learn who we were as a couple and as people. All this, while also being surrounded by our closest family and friends.

A City Hall wedding is definitely the more affordable way to get married, but some people don’t think of City Hall as an option simply because they think it won’t feel like a wedding. For the couple who wants a wedding, the sticker shock can get completely overwhelming, and in turn, make your planning process less enjoyable.  New York City is magical, but why does it need to be so expensive to celebrate love?

Imagine having a wedding with the coolest vendors, in the coolest places, and literally just bringing yourself and the love of your life. Can I be the one to give that to people?

The next thing I knew, THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE was born. I am interested in helping couples plan a day that they can obsess over for the rest of their lives- a day where the only thing they would have to worry about is the fact they’ll probably sleep in late the next morning…

No hidden fees, no surprise invoices, and non-traditional wedding planning that’s collaborative, fun, and stress free- all with straight up honesty and transparency.

So here we are two years later, presenting you with an idea that started as a “Wouldn’t it be cool if…”

A Pop Up Wedding is everything you want in a wedding, without the added stress or price tag.  It’s the City Hall style wedding, but in a cool, NYC venue with a DJ, florist, bouquet, boutonniere, photographer, food, drinks, and dessert. Sorry, I have to catch my breath…

It’s a day where you will be left with those nostalgic memories you will obsess over for the rest of your life.

I promise to create a fun and completely stress-free experience that will not leave you in debt...that’s how the idea of THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE was conceived, and everything THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE still stands for today.

THE PRIVILEGE IS MINE is excited to announce their partnership with BASIC INVITE- 20% OFF SITE WIDE with PROMO CODE (see below) So, one of my really good friends recently got engaged.  Do you have that friend, the one you met about 6 months into your move to NYC, when you were a little rough around the edges? Broke and making questionable decisions?

May of 2008 I walked into an East Village boutique desperately looking for a job. There she was standing by the dressing room curtain, we immediately started chatting.  I told her I went to NYU for dance, lived down the street and was in dire need for money.  Needless to say, she put in a good word and I was hired the following week.  From then on, it was me and her, two 24 year old girls and the New York City nights.

So here we are 8 years later a little less desperate, a little less lost, a little more rational, in love, married or getting married.  One thing still remains, and I think you can agree... money, no matter how much you've grow up, it is still a thing.  We may be in our 30's, but the idea of money, making money, keeping money and saving money, is still a mystery.  We have partners, and futures to think about, and when we are planning a wedding, whether it be big or small, we all want a day to remember and we want it to feel special.  We want the most important people in our lives there, great food, great alcohol, great music and epic memories...but how do we do that without putting ourselves in debt for our first year of marriage and beyond? How do we do it without having that awkward conversation with our families, with hopes that they will contribute to this ONE day?

Well, I  don't have all the answers, but I have some ideas that may help.  Since my friend and I have been talking weddings, we've covered budget, food, families, religion, engagement rings, and we have spent too much time contemplating the "Wedding Dress." If you are a bride on a budget (which a lot of us are), where can you go to try, or browse dresses without leaving the store feeling bad about yourself, because you can't afford it? There is nothing worse than trying on dresses that are way out of your budget, in fact, I recommend you don't even go there.  These days I have been browsing the web, in search for wedding dresses, designers and shops all under $1000, all of which will still make you feel like a bride, feel special, feel confident and make you feel your version of beautiful.

I've selected my six favorite, remember these are MY six favorite, they may not be YOUR six favorite, but the point of this post and these photos is to show you that these dresses are out there.  With the photo, is the price and the link to their website to browse your favorite dress.

If you are left with any questions, leave a comment below, or click the "Ask Lara" tab and let's talk weddings.

SL this post is dedicated to you.
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