Celebrity China

UPDATE: We ordered our save-the-dates! They should be getting here in a couple of weeks and I’m so excited to start the process of addressing and stuffing envelopes and then mailing them to our family and friends. It’s sinking in… Our wedding day is finally becoming real!

Now let’s talk about cookware and china!

I know this isn’t exactly directly related to weddings, but cookware is something you’re going to need when you move out on your own, regardless of whether you’re getting married or not. And even though it’s not the most exciting thing to think about purchasing, it’s important.

My fiancé and I decided that we don’t really have any use for fine china. In our opinions, it’s a waste of money—although they can look pretty, they’d probably sit in a cabinet and come out only once a year, if at all. Plus, they’re super fragile. So we’ve decided not to put any fine china on our registry, and we’d kindly like to ask our guests not to purchase fine china as a wedding gift for us.

But cookware, on the other hand, is really important to us. And we’ve actually already made our first cookware purchase together, with a little help from Celebrity China. 

Me and Keegan opening our boxes of cookware--our first big purchase together. Thanks go to my mom for taking these photos!

I found out about Celebrity China and Cookware when I went to a bridal show over the summer. I had never heard of them before, but they were doing some kind of giveaway so I inevitably entered my information. A few days later, I got a call from their office in Kansas and they said I had won a “free gift.” At first, they didn’t specify what the gift was and, of course, there was a catch to receiving it—my fiancé and I had to come to their showcase demonstration. So, long story short—I fell for it. But I’m glad I did.

Here’s why:

We went to the showcase and we were actually the only ones who came at that specific time slot. It was pretty awkward, to say the least. Two men traded off showing us their products—they talked about the company’s history, the quality of their products, and the benefits of making a purchase. All of their cookware is made by their partner company, Vita Craft. They also cooked for us in one of their pans. So we got to eat a bit of food (I had vegetables and Keegan had chicken) and experience first-hand what their products were capable of doing. Keegan and I were sold on their products—the food tasted great, the products had energy-saving features, and a lifetime warranty—but we weren’t sold on their prices.

They did offer great discounts if you bought one of their packages at the showcase. And they would throw in another free item of your choice if you decided to pay in full that day. But even with the discounted prices, for us college kids, it was just too expensive. Keegan kept talking money with the sales rep while I tried to decide which package or individual products would be most useful to us in our first few years of marriage. Keegan finally wheedled another deal out of the sales guy—if we bought their used demo set, we’d get it half price.

So we went for it. We got their cheapest used demo package for half price. But we also decided to pay in full that day (rather than setting up a payment plan), so they threw in an extra free gift of our choice (we chose a huge skillet). And we did receive our free gift that I won from entering the drawing at the bridal show—a “free” hotel stay for three days and two nights (you have to send in a refundable $50 deposit), and two toasting glasses of our choice. And because we made a purchase that day, they upgraded the glasses to their more expensive (and better-looking) options.

The used demo package we purchased included:

-Small pot with lid

-Large pot with lid

-Steamer

-Skillet with lid

-Three detachable handles

-Cookbook

Free gifts:

-Two new, crystal toasting glasses with platinum rims

-New eleven-inch gourmet skillet

When we received them in the mail, they looked just as new and unused as any brand new products would look. We were pretty happy with how much we got for our money. So even though we had to be “wined and dined” into making a purchase, we had a good experience with them and we believe we made the right decision on our purchase. 

Just for the record (if you can't tell), this is a joke. It was my mom's idea, if you must know. :P

Ideas for next entry:

-Food

-Invitations

-Venue

-Cake

-Your Suggestion

-Paige

P.S.

About Celebrity—there’s been a lot of talk on the Internet discussing whether or not this is a scam. I was also wary of it at first, but I did some research and we decided to go. Sure, I may not have been “randomly selected” from the drawing (heck, they could have contacted every single person who put in their information), but I don’t think this is a scam—after all, we received our free gifts, and before he started the demonstration, our sales rep told us we would receive them even if we didn’t end up buying anything. Everyone’s experiences differ, but I think a lot of it weighs on what kind of sales rep you end up with. Ours was kind and informative—he didn’t pressure us, he understood where we were coming from (but that is to be expected from any good salesman), and he didn’t present us with wrong information. We received our items, and they looked even better than he said they were supposed to look. Since we purchased used items, he said there might be a little browning from food residue, but there wasn’t on our products—they were very clean. My point is—it’s a good thing to be cautious and go with your gut, but don’t think it’s automatically a scam just because one person had a bad experience and is ranting about it on the Internet. Do your research, trust your gut, discuss it with your partner, and just use common sense.

The Pros and Cons of Going to a Bridal Show

In case you’re curious, we haven’t made a decision yet on the save-the-dates. But even if we did, I probably wouldn’t disclose which design we chose since some of you will be receiving them soon! Keep your eyes on the mail in December…

Now it’s time to talk about bridal shows.

Signing in at the bridal show. Thanks go to my mom for taking these photos!

I went to one over the summer with my mother and maid of honor. And like everything else in life, there are pros and cons to going to a bridal show.

My maid of honor and I putting our names in a drawing for who knows what.

 Pros:

-It’s more or less a catalyst of ideas—you can see dresses that are on display from different vendors to generate ideas for your dream dress. You can talk with photographers about your vision and get feedback on how that might translate into the actual photos. You can even meet dermatologists who may have helpful advice on skin problems that you might have. The list goes on and on.

-So many vendors come to share their wedding-related services. You can make a lot of connections this way and even decide on some of the vendors you might want to book. I actually met my photographer at the bridal show I went to.

-Some vendors offer discounts if you book with them on the day of the bridal show.

-There are lots of drawings and contests to enter! Take advantage of this—sign up for everything. Have whoever’s with you sign up for everything, too. Although the odds were low that I’d actually win something, I did get contacted by Celebrity China, who told me that I had won a “free gift.” (Perhaps my next entry will be about our experience with them… there’s a lot to talk about on this.)

-It’s exciting. Even for a quiet and somewhat shy person like myself, I enjoyed the atmosphere of brides (and some grooms) getting geared up for their wedding day. Any time I get the chance to gather ideas for my wedding, I get really excited. And this was another opportunity to do that so I enjoyed it.

-Free stuff! I went over to the David’s Bridal booth to see what they were advertising (even though I had already done my shopping there). One of the reps started talking to me and I mentioned that I was planning on going to their store later that evening to pick up a bridesmaid dress. Because of that, she set up a faux appointment for me (I already had one), and gave me a $20 gift card to Shutterfly for “making an appointment with them.” Also, a couple of vendors were handing out free cookies—no strings attached. Who doesn’t like free cookies?

Cons:

-Obviously, vendors are still basically trying to sell you stuff. So if you’re not a fan of advertising (and who is, unless you’re the advertiser?), it can be kind of annoying. 

-The drawings and contests are great if you’re okay with your contact information being given out to tons of vendors. There’s always that off chance that you could win something, but either way—you’re going to be bombarded with emails from the vendors (and their affiliates) from here on out. So be prepared for lots of ruthless advertising headed your way.

-It’s exciting, but it can also be a headache. It’s extremely loud and crowded. If you’re not a people person and you’re not ready for it, it can catch you off guard. If you’d rather shop around for vendors online or go to a bridal store late in the evening when hardly anyone’s there, a bridal show may not be your cup of tea. Personally, I’m not a big fan of crowds but I got over my phobia for a few hours for the sake of getting ideas and having fun.

-There’s almost always a catch with the “free” stuff. At the bridal show we went to, my mom spun a random prize wheel just for the heck of it. She “won” an all-expenses-paid-vacation, but when she talked to the rep, there was a catch—you had to be “eligible,” and of course, airfare and all that jazz were not included.

So if you’re willing to spend a few hours with hundreds of other brides, sifting through a chaotic maze of wedding vendors, I’d recommend going to a bridal show. After all, you never know until you try it.

Ideas for next entry:

-Cookware/China

-Food

-Invitations

-Your Choice

-Paige

Registries--Online or In-person?

You know those cute little Target mailers that advertise what your life as a married couple might look like? If you’re an American bride, you probably know what I’m talking about. As a bride subscribed to Brides magazine and various wedding planning websites (ie The Knot, The Wedding Channel, etc.), I’ve gotten several postcards, leaflets, and brochures in the mail urging me to sign up for a bridal registry. I’m not exactly a fan of my contact information being handed off between different companies that want to sell me stuff, but I must admit that the registry advertising (that I didn’t request) has caught my eye.

Since I’ve started getting these mailers, my subconscious has been nagging me about creating registries at various places. After all, I want enough time for my fiancé and I to envision what our style might be like when we finally move in together and to figure out what kinds of things we need and don’t need as a married couple. And another big thing—we need to give our guests plenty of time to browse our registries and get ideas so that they don’t feel like they’re going shopping for a wedding gift at the last minute (though—I’m sure—there are bound to be those last minute shoppers on any given occasion). So I have to admit that the advertising works—it’s gotten the idea churning in my brain that I need to set up our registries and I need to do it soon.

Realistically, however, I haven’t had enough time to get all that done. But I have started a registry for us at Bed, Bath & Beyond. And just from this one registry, I’ve already learned a lot.

I’ve been to BBB several times, but we started the registry completely online. I did go into a store to talk to a bridal consultant about the benefits of a registry at BBB—namely a no-questions-asked return policy, online wedding planning tools, and high quality products. She gave me a catalog featuring their most popular registry items as a way to get ideas on what we wanted. But she suggested that I come into the store to actually see and feel the products before I added them to our registry. Well…I should have taken her advice while I had more time on my hands.

Don’t get me wrong—doing your registry online is very convenient (especially for college kids like us). But I realized that there are just some things I have to see in person to really know whether or not I actually want it. For example, bed sheets are something I want to feel and touch before I decide I'm interested in a particular brand or make. There are so many different kinds of sheets and various thread counts that it’s not an easy decision to make just by looking online. Towels are like that, too. And in my experience, even dishware looks different online than it does in person. I've been into the store since we started our registry, and when I saw some of the products in person that I had put on the registry, I realized they weren't actually the kinds of things I wanted. I also saw more items that I was interested in from seeing them in person. All that to say, I need to go through and edit/update our registry. (So please don’t search for our registry yet—it’s not finished!)

Credit to Dynamic Graphics, Creatas, and thinkstockphoto.com for the use of this photo.

Anyways, I would suggest going into the store and taking a couple of hours with your partner to explore your options and get a feel for what style fits you best. Even though doing your registry online may be more convenient, it’s more helpful to see and feel the products in person in the actual store.

There are tons of different places that have bridal registries these days. I want to give our guests a lot of options and different price ranges to shop around with, but I think it’s also important to narrow your choices of which places you want to register at. I think having registries at more than five places would get pretty overwhelming for a guest. So we’ve narrowed down our options and we’re thinking about looking into starting registries at:

-Target

-IKEA (if they get one up and running soon…)

-Amazon.com

-Celebrity China*

*This is a cookware and fine china company. Its bridal registry is only available to members who have purchased something from them, but if you’re interested in finding quality cookware, I would suggest looking into them. They are pricey, but if you talk to the sales rep long enough, he or she might give you a better deal. If you want to hear more about our experience with them, or about cookware in general, leave a comment and I’ll add it to my list of entry topics.

Next entry’s topic ideas:

-Bridal shows

-Cookware/China

-Food

-Invitations

Until next time!

-Paige