Not married, but I had to say that I LOVE using Picaboo to create photobooks - they always have deals (and even Groupons pop up for them) and their design software had a lot more options than Shutterfly. I like to make photobooks from trips and some amateur photography. They also have the really fancy kinds where you can get archival paper and lay-flat pages (photo spread across the two pages of the book without a crease), but I tend to opt for the cheaper kinds. I made my albums and then just waited until there was a 65% off sale and am very happy with the books. Way cheaper than some of the professional options and it's great to bring to show family on the holidays. I hope you find a solution for your wedding pictures, they are so many options!
De-lurking. GO! You worked so very hard to save up that money for a specific (and AWESOME) purpose! Grad school can be intellectually, emotionally, and financially tough, and going on this trip before you start will be a wonderful way to both refresh yourself before school and celebrate this new journey in your life! If it would make you feel better, try cutting a few thousand and putting it towards grad school...you can rent dSLRs and such to save too.
wow, what generous parents!! That's so incredible nice to have such a gift with no strings attached - the lack of strings really shows how much they trust and respect your judgment, decisions, and independence!
My parents had always said they would either pay for a wedding or a downpayment....and they did pay for most of my downpayment, but in the form of a loan with 6% interest, due and payable when I sell the house. And I'm currently single. So I have NO idea what will happen if I end up getting married before selling the house!
oooh the Fire!! Your comments make me wish I had waited a few more months and bought it instead of the older Kindle I have. I haven't paid for a book for it yet - I use the free ones on Amazon or Gutenberg, and my State actually has a whole online lending library, including audio, on a site called Overdrive! It's worked out sooo well!
I lived at home for one year after during graduate school. My parents and I discussed the situation extensively ahead of time, and we knew that the arrangement was for one year to allow me to save up for a downpayment on a home, and we established some pretty clear boundaries and rules for living together again. It worked out really well! At that time in my life, I was required to devote 99% of my effort to studying and I didn't really miss the freedom of living on my own. If I had had a regular job, I would have wanted to make my own hours and go out a lot more.
I never felt looked down on my anyone, as many of the fellow grad students were also living at home to reduce costs...when we weren't living in the library, that is! I actually feel like living at home for that year helped me develop a more mature relationship with my parents...but I don't know that I would ever be willing to move back in to my parents' home with a significant other in tow! I am amazed by how so many PF bloggers have been able to make that work, if temporarily!
I lived at home with my parents for one year after graduation, and I was seriously dating someone during that time. He never stayed the night at my parents' home, and it was always a little weird when I'd stay at his place overnight. My parents never said anything to make me feel uncomfortable about it, but I always felt a little guilty!
wow, CONGRATULATIONS on the 100,000 retirement savings!!! That's a MAJORLY impressive milestone! I feel very inspired! But as a current grad student, I just wanted to pass along a few words of caution: not all grad programs or even particular phases of graduate training legally allow you to contribute to an IRA. I found this out the hard way - only half of my graduate schools years will legally allow me to contribute to my Roth IRA, because during some of the training years my graduate stipend changes classification from "earned income" to "NON-earned income". I'm sure you and CB will keep on saving anyway! I'm much farther behind, but I'm hoping to open up a separate savings account to put aside money for retirement in during my non-contributory grad school years....and eventually add it in to a 403(b) when I become eligible (in the far, far future!)
The only I debt I have right now is my mortgage...and while the idea that I don't completely *own* my home definitely hangs over me, it doesn't really FEEL like debt ALL the time...it just sorta feels like a rent payment! Also, on my limited income it's literally impossible for me to pay off the loan while I'm still in grad school, so my motivation to become debt-free is pretty low right now! I view my mortgage debt as another cost, but one that hopefully ends up better in the long run than the cost of renting!
Your comment about being raised to be "A" only perfectionists really struck a chord with me - I've always had this constantly running anxiety that everything had to be done perfectly, OR ELSE! But I've been realizing over the last few years that the "OR ELSE" is really just in my head...the world won't end if I'm behind on cleaning, or a powerpoint isn't as polished as I'd like. It's all okay, even if it's not perfect. However....I feel like my life is totally unpredictable and it's been really hard to be on top of everything personal finance-wise...so how could I possibly blog about it if I haven't been able to achieve it?! Well, maybe I'll just have to set aside some blog time and work through it, rather than being afraid to show my big dreams and big failures to the PF community.
My dream place is very different from the much more practical place I ended up buying. I would love a LEED certified modern style renovation of an old historic building into a loft with huge windows in a bustling part of my city....but bought a conventional townhome with a garage =P. I've just started PF and these discussions about what type of housing and how we can afford housing are topics I'm looking forward to reading about and discussing!
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From Shoes to Savings 
Brainchild