The best thing to hold on to in life is each other.
~Audrey Hepburn
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!
Here's to three wonderful years being married to each other. I'm a very lucky girl. Occasionally I say that jokingly, but I hope everyone knows how much I actually mean it. I have the luxury, and I truly believe that it iss a luxury, of going home every day to a wonderful man.
He's my partner, my cheering section, my reality check, my reminder to laugh about the little things, my shoulder to lean on, my access to high shelves. He's my best friend. I can't imagine where I would be and what I would be doing without him as a part of my life.
I love you.
I'd marry you all over again.
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Fairy Tale Friday
Have you seen the pictures? Of course you have. I'm talking about the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. AMAZEBALLS!
I thought about getting up super early to watch, but just couldn't do it. I give a lot of credit to everyone like my mom who did. I've got it recorded though so I can watch it later. :-)
Not everyone does, but I love the pomp and circumstance of a formal wedding. I love the ceremonial air that comes with the celebration of two people making such a profound commitment to each other. I think it's a serious thing, one not to be taken lightly, and as such deserves special attention. Now I don't know that I would have wanted the attention of the entire world watching me on my wedding day. I have to say, Kate handled it with so much grace and poise. Exactly how a princess should carry herself.
Love this picture of Kate and her sister, Philippa. So sweet.
I thought about getting up super early to watch, but just couldn't do it. I give a lot of credit to everyone like my mom who did. I've got it recorded though so I can watch it later. :-)
Not everyone does, but I love the pomp and circumstance of a formal wedding. I love the ceremonial air that comes with the celebration of two people making such a profound commitment to each other. I think it's a serious thing, one not to be taken lightly, and as such deserves special attention. Now I don't know that I would have wanted the attention of the entire world watching me on my wedding day. I have to say, Kate handled it with so much grace and poise. Exactly how a princess should carry herself.
Love this picture of Kate and her sister, Philippa. So sweet.
And the dress. Swoon. It was designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. I've seen a few places say that it looks like she's channeling Grace Kelly on her wedding day, and I agree. Kate's is definitely a more modern and accessible take on the look. Both are timeless, elegant, and so much what I picture a princess's wedding dress to be. I'm not one who pictures a lot of sparkle or bling for something like this. Instead I think of things are very traditional, like lots of lace and impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail.
What a beautiful bride! I can only imagine what it must feel like to actually be a princess. Probably a lot more work and responsibility than most of realize, or would even want in real life. But on a day like today, it's awfully fun to get caught up in the fairy tale.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wedding Week Quote of the Week
It's not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts.
~JM Laurence
Perfect timing for this quote. I found it back in August, but waited until now to post it. I think about this a lot, but especially around our anniversary. We're both so lucky to have our friends and family, we're truly blessed.
But even more than that, I'm awfully lucky to have the big guy. Love you!
~JM Laurence
Perfect timing for this quote. I found it back in August, but waited until now to post it. I think about this a lot, but especially around our anniversary. We're both so lucky to have our friends and family, we're truly blessed.
But even more than that, I'm awfully lucky to have the big guy. Love you!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wedding Week- Day 4, Post 3
I'm trying to catch up a bit, can you tell? Note to self- next wedding week, have more posts ready in advance. I wasn't really interested in blogging on our actual anniversary. I was mostly interested in spending some quality time with the big guy.
Back to more of what we did for our wedding. We tried to make all of our decisions about the reception with our guests in mind.
Should we add the vegetarian option to the menu? Yes, and it was delicious!
Should we try to use the outdoor patio area if the weather allows? Yes, and the guys got a chance to enjoy some cigars and any of our guests who happened to be smokers had a much prettier place than the parking lot to look at while they were outside. And we found space for a second bar. It was a pretty big hit.
Should we let our guests submit suggestions for music? Yes, we set up a page on our wedding website that took suggestions and the DJ was able to accomodate almost all of them. He seemed pretty impressed with some of the suggestions. And on that note, he had something in his system that allowed him to record. At the end of the evening he gave us a CD that was our reception: all the songs, and even the speeches. Very cool.
But what about favors? Should we find a token or trinket that our guests could leave with? We didn't really see anything that we liked that we'd want to give out, and we figured we'd wind up with a lot of left overs. So we looked for alternate ways to spend that budget. Instead of favors, we made a donation to the local Humane Society with that money. It's a charity that I feel pretty strongly about, as you probably know by now, and it gave us a way to bring Loki into our big day.
We made signs with the table numbers and a little note to our guests so that they'd know what we'd decided. "In lieu of favors a donation has been made to the Humane Society to help dogs like our Loki find good homes."
Here are some of the pictures we used.
Just another way that we tried to make our wedding a little more personal. Plus if he'd been there in person, he would have eaten all the cake :-)
Back to more of what we did for our wedding. We tried to make all of our decisions about the reception with our guests in mind.
Should we add the vegetarian option to the menu? Yes, and it was delicious!
Should we try to use the outdoor patio area if the weather allows? Yes, and the guys got a chance to enjoy some cigars and any of our guests who happened to be smokers had a much prettier place than the parking lot to look at while they were outside. And we found space for a second bar. It was a pretty big hit.
Should we let our guests submit suggestions for music? Yes, we set up a page on our wedding website that took suggestions and the DJ was able to accomodate almost all of them. He seemed pretty impressed with some of the suggestions. And on that note, he had something in his system that allowed him to record. At the end of the evening he gave us a CD that was our reception: all the songs, and even the speeches. Very cool.
But what about favors? Should we find a token or trinket that our guests could leave with? We didn't really see anything that we liked that we'd want to give out, and we figured we'd wind up with a lot of left overs. So we looked for alternate ways to spend that budget. Instead of favors, we made a donation to the local Humane Society with that money. It's a charity that I feel pretty strongly about, as you probably know by now, and it gave us a way to bring Loki into our big day.
We made signs with the table numbers and a little note to our guests so that they'd know what we'd decided. "In lieu of favors a donation has been made to the Humane Society to help dogs like our Loki find good homes."
Here are some of the pictures we used.
Just another way that we tried to make our wedding a little more personal. Plus if he'd been there in person, he would have eaten all the cake :-)
Wedding Week- Day 4, Post 2
One of my favorite things about our wedding, besides the wonderful man I married, was all of the paper stuff we had. For a lot of people, the paper stuff isn't a big deal, but being design-oriented at work, it was important to me that everything go together and look like a cohesive suite.
In order to do that, we branded our wedding. Everything we did had some version of this scroll pattern:
It was on our save the dates, our invitations, our programs, the cards at the tables, the seating chart, and our florist even found little ferns, finnial ferns is what she called them, to put in the arrangements and bouquets to further bring out our design.
I loved seeing everything come together, and I loved how many unexpected things tied in.
Another item we added was a map to our locations.
I put it together in Photoshop and we had it included with some text directions on one of the pages within our invitation. A little something to help everyone get around. Most of our guests were coming from somewhere other than Geneva, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible. I highlighted the three hotels where we had room blocks set up, the church, and the reception hall. I only did the main roads, just to keep it simple.
In order to do that, we branded our wedding. Everything we did had some version of this scroll pattern:
It was on our save the dates, our invitations, our programs, the cards at the tables, the seating chart, and our florist even found little ferns, finnial ferns is what she called them, to put in the arrangements and bouquets to further bring out our design.
I loved seeing everything come together, and I loved how many unexpected things tied in.
Another item we added was a map to our locations.
I put it together in Photoshop and we had it included with some text directions on one of the pages within our invitation. A little something to help everyone get around. Most of our guests were coming from somewhere other than Geneva, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible. I highlighted the three hotels where we had room blocks set up, the church, and the reception hall. I only did the main roads, just to keep it simple.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Wedding Week- Day 1
This is the first time I've really done the whole wedding week thing, but it seems like a lot of fun. Tomorrow is our second anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's been that long, these past two years have gone by really fast. We've gone through the excitement of promotions at work, buying our first home, the big guy getting recognized as sales rep of the year (shameless bragging), and me starting a graduate degree.
I'll warn you now, this is a long one.
But two years ago right about now, I was sitting in a room with some of the most important people in our world (some really important people weren't able to be there in person, but we knew that they were thinking about us, and they were part of the celebration in spirit). I was getting about a million kinds of antsy and excited and nervous about what the next day would bring. It was a whirlwind kind of a day. It all started at 5am that morning, with my dad and I getting ready to hop on the commuter train from La Fox to Chicago. An odd trip for the day before a wedding, but one that was very necessary. Here's the story if you haven't already heard it. (Or in my dad's case, lived through it with me.)
Wednesday before we got married, we packed up and got ready to drive from Indianapolis to Geneva. I had everything but one important piece- my passport. I had previously given the big guy a lot of grief for not putting his passport in a safe place. Apparently mine was so safe, I couldn't find it. Massive amounts of panic ensued, and we tore our apartment apart trying to find it. No luck. Which was totally scary, because we had an international honeymoon planned. I was not going to be able to go to Aruba sans passport.
So then we found out a very helpful piece of information. There are places across the country where passports are physically made. If you make an appointment and go in person with all the right forms, you can get your passport the same day. One of these places is the Federal Building in downtown Chicago.
So back to my story. We call on the way to my parents' house and make an appointment for me to go and get another passport. But I'm not quite as familiar with Chicago as I pretend to be, and I was nervous about going alone. Enter my dad.
Here's the thing about my dad- he's the best. I know a lot of people say that, but when I say it, it's actually true. He got up crazy early on a day when he should have been able to sleep in and relax, and he hopped on a commuter train like it was no big deal. Trust me, it was a really big deal. We walked from the train station to the Federal Building, navigated the gauntlet of security, and got in line with all the forms and paperwork.
Then I get up to the window, like the DMV, but with glass separating us from the federal employees. People were shouting, people were angry, and people were not happy. The guy behind the glass turns to me, already bored at 9:00am, and we have this conversation:
Federal Employee Guy: Do you have your forms?
Me: Yes, sir. I have them here. (pushes paperwork through the hole under the glass)
Fed: I have to ask this, is it absolutely necessary that you get a new passport today? What's so important that we have to rush it?
Me: (bottom lip begins to quiver, big sniff) Well, sir, you see... (cue uncontrollable sobbing) I'm getting married tomorrow (hiccup) and I lost my passport, but I didn't know it (hiccup) and my dad came out all this way with me (hiccup) and my fiance is the best man in the whole world (hiccup, sniff) and he's planned this great honeymoon in Aruba (hiccup) and now I can't go with him (hiccup) and it's almost my wedding day ... I may have said more, but there were no dogs around to translate the high-pitched ball of emotions I had become.
At this point he reaches his hand under the glass, pats my hand, and says "Honey, you're passport will be done by noon."
Well at this point, I feel like this man has single-handedly saved my honeymoon. And if you think about it, he kinda did.
So I go back over to where my dad is waiting, and tell him the good news. He looks at his watch and says "It's only 9:15. What do you think about some breakfast and a walk around the city?"
That's what we did. We went to the Marriott on the river and had breakfast. We walked through Millennium Park and went through the exhibit hall of a technology conference. We walked, we talked, and I had the best unplanned morning a girl could have the day before her wedding. I didn't get a lot of time just me and Dad leading up to the wedding. Napkin colors and centerpieces just aren't his thing. This random morning was exactly what I needed. Unplanned though it was, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.
For the record- never found the original passport. Totally lost. I think our apartment ate it.
I'll warn you now, this is a long one.
But two years ago right about now, I was sitting in a room with some of the most important people in our world (some really important people weren't able to be there in person, but we knew that they were thinking about us, and they were part of the celebration in spirit). I was getting about a million kinds of antsy and excited and nervous about what the next day would bring. It was a whirlwind kind of a day. It all started at 5am that morning, with my dad and I getting ready to hop on the commuter train from La Fox to Chicago. An odd trip for the day before a wedding, but one that was very necessary. Here's the story if you haven't already heard it. (Or in my dad's case, lived through it with me.)
Wednesday before we got married, we packed up and got ready to drive from Indianapolis to Geneva. I had everything but one important piece- my passport. I had previously given the big guy a lot of grief for not putting his passport in a safe place. Apparently mine was so safe, I couldn't find it. Massive amounts of panic ensued, and we tore our apartment apart trying to find it. No luck. Which was totally scary, because we had an international honeymoon planned. I was not going to be able to go to Aruba sans passport.
So then we found out a very helpful piece of information. There are places across the country where passports are physically made. If you make an appointment and go in person with all the right forms, you can get your passport the same day. One of these places is the Federal Building in downtown Chicago.
So back to my story. We call on the way to my parents' house and make an appointment for me to go and get another passport. But I'm not quite as familiar with Chicago as I pretend to be, and I was nervous about going alone. Enter my dad.
Here's the thing about my dad- he's the best. I know a lot of people say that, but when I say it, it's actually true. He got up crazy early on a day when he should have been able to sleep in and relax, and he hopped on a commuter train like it was no big deal. Trust me, it was a really big deal. We walked from the train station to the Federal Building, navigated the gauntlet of security, and got in line with all the forms and paperwork.
Then I get up to the window, like the DMV, but with glass separating us from the federal employees. People were shouting, people were angry, and people were not happy. The guy behind the glass turns to me, already bored at 9:00am, and we have this conversation:
Federal Employee Guy: Do you have your forms?
Me: Yes, sir. I have them here. (pushes paperwork through the hole under the glass)
Fed: I have to ask this, is it absolutely necessary that you get a new passport today? What's so important that we have to rush it?
Me: (bottom lip begins to quiver, big sniff) Well, sir, you see... (cue uncontrollable sobbing) I'm getting married tomorrow (hiccup) and I lost my passport, but I didn't know it (hiccup) and my dad came out all this way with me (hiccup) and my fiance is the best man in the whole world (hiccup, sniff) and he's planned this great honeymoon in Aruba (hiccup) and now I can't go with him (hiccup) and it's almost my wedding day ... I may have said more, but there were no dogs around to translate the high-pitched ball of emotions I had become.
At this point he reaches his hand under the glass, pats my hand, and says "Honey, you're passport will be done by noon."
Well at this point, I feel like this man has single-handedly saved my honeymoon. And if you think about it, he kinda did.
So I go back over to where my dad is waiting, and tell him the good news. He looks at his watch and says "It's only 9:15. What do you think about some breakfast and a walk around the city?"
That's what we did. We went to the Marriott on the river and had breakfast. We walked through Millennium Park and went through the exhibit hall of a technology conference. We walked, we talked, and I had the best unplanned morning a girl could have the day before her wedding. I didn't get a lot of time just me and Dad leading up to the wedding. Napkin colors and centerpieces just aren't his thing. This random morning was exactly what I needed. Unplanned though it was, I wouldn't have traded it for anything.
For the record- never found the original passport. Totally lost. I think our apartment ate it.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Guest Room Detail
A few weekends ago we added a small detail to our guest bedroom. There's a space on the wall to the left of the dresser that was a little bit boring. You can see it here, in the "before" shot.
So we picked up some wall shelves from Target, and mapped out some space on the wall. We already had the books, the vase, the candle, and the pictures in their frames. We just hadn't really settled on where they would live. Yes- those are pictures from our wedding. It's not like we were trying to use our wedding as a theme to decorate the room, but we do have most of our pictures from the wedding there, along with our framed guest list/seating chart. We figure most of the people who stay in that room were guests at the wedding. Over time we'll add more pictures of family and friends, I'm thinking gallery walls, but for now, these are a very good start.
Not bad for $24 worth of shelves and about 30 minutes.
Not bad for $24 worth of shelves and about 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Weekend Plan Review
Here's my list from the weekend. I did pretty well this time, which is impressive considering that Sunday was our anniversary.
1. Laundry Got three loads done. Didn't realize that the big guy hadn't unpacked his suitcase, so there are a few more to do this week before we head out of town.
2. Clean Master Bathroom Done. Nice and sparkly, well until somebody gets toothpaste on the mirror at least. Not sure how we manage to do that, but it happens.
3. Goodwill box Filled, and dropped off at Goodwill. Even started the next one. It's a much bigger box so it'll take a while to fill.
4. Organize closet Got the boxes organized on the top shelf, and a few more things pulled out for donation to Goodwill. Now if I could only get the stuff on top of my dresser organized. That will have to be on a future list.
Some additional things we did:
1. Planted tulip & hyacinth bulbs. We think we did it right- but we'll know in spring when we get flowers or not.
2. Got pumpkins and gourds for outside and some apple cider. I like Tuttle's Orchard. I'd never been, but it was a very nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends.
And my favorite extra thing from the weekend (drumroll)
We ate year old wedding cake. Sunday was our first anniversary and we had a great time. Just relaxed all day and then went out to dinner at the same restaurant where the big guy proposed. Awwwwwww.
Totally fun. I'm looking forward to many more anniversaries with him.
1. Laundry Got three loads done. Didn't realize that the big guy hadn't unpacked his suitcase, so there are a few more to do this week before we head out of town.
2. Clean Master Bathroom Done. Nice and sparkly, well until somebody gets toothpaste on the mirror at least. Not sure how we manage to do that, but it happens.
3. Goodwill box Filled, and dropped off at Goodwill. Even started the next one. It's a much bigger box so it'll take a while to fill.
4. Organize closet Got the boxes organized on the top shelf, and a few more things pulled out for donation to Goodwill. Now if I could only get the stuff on top of my dresser organized. That will have to be on a future list.
Some additional things we did:
1. Planted tulip & hyacinth bulbs. We think we did it right- but we'll know in spring when we get flowers or not.
2. Got pumpkins and gourds for outside and some apple cider. I like Tuttle's Orchard. I'd never been, but it was a very nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends.
And my favorite extra thing from the weekend (drumroll)
We ate year old wedding cake. Sunday was our first anniversary and we had a great time. Just relaxed all day and then went out to dinner at the same restaurant where the big guy proposed. Awwwwwww.
Totally fun. I'm looking forward to many more anniversaries with him.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wedding Wednesday- Modern Font
We had a very traditional wedding. It was beautiful, and totally suited us. But a part of me could have gone a little more modern in a few areas. One would have been the font we used on our paper suite.
Modern Font
My favorite modern look for fonts is having all lower case letters. It looks great with a font like Centruy Gothic.
I thought about using it either on our menu or on bar cards, which we wound up not doing. Someone may have been a little bit too ambitious with the projects she took on by herself. Not naming any names, but she was the one at the wedding in the ivory dress with the amazing veil.
Modern Font
My favorite modern look for fonts is having all lower case letters. It looks great with a font like Centruy Gothic.
I thought about using it either on our menu or on bar cards, which we wound up not doing. Someone may have been a little bit too ambitious with the projects she took on by herself. Not naming any names, but she was the one at the wedding in the ivory dress with the amazing veil.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wedding Wednesday- RSVP Card
I think this is a really cute way to do the RSVP card. I didn't do it for our wedding, but I might use it for something else. Just a fun way to add some personality to your event!
RSVP Card
Will be there with bells on
Will be there without bells on
Will be there, but remains undecided on bell related controversy
Will not be there
Will not be there, but will have bells on anyway
RSVP Card
Will be there with bells on
Will be there without bells on
Will be there, but remains undecided on bell related controversy
Will not be there
Will not be there, but will have bells on anyway
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Wedding Wednesday- Rehearsal Invitation
Ok, so the wedding was a while ago, but I'm just now getting around to cleaning out the wedding planning stuff I'd collected. I know, I'm much more of a slacker than I like to admit. Along with the thousands of pictures I tore out of magazines for centerpieces, dress ideas, hair styles, and paper suites, I've found a few really cute ideas. I don't want to lose them forever, so I'm making a new weekly post, well, until I run out of really cute wedding things.
The Rehearsal Invitation
Practice makes perfect, it's true what they say.
Please come for a run-through before our big day!
Please meet at the Church Name at X pm on the dot,
where Bride's Name and Groom's Name will soon tie the knot!
After the practice, when all is said and done,
please join us at Restaurant Name for food, drinks, and fun
The Rehearsal Invitation
Practice makes perfect, it's true what they say.
Please come for a run-through before our big day!
Please meet at the Church Name at X pm on the dot,
where Bride's Name and Groom's Name will soon tie the knot!
After the practice, when all is said and done,
please join us at Restaurant Name for food, drinks, and fun
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Long Time, No Chat
Ok, it's been a long time since I posted. A really long time.
I've been a little side tracked with the wedding planning, and contributing to a new blog. I'm officially a Pink Bride, hence the lovely picture to the right. There's been quite a bit going on there, all about the wedding plans and how they're coming along.
Click here to get your updates.
Enjoy!
I've been a little side tracked with the wedding planning, and contributing to a new blog. I'm officially a Pink Bride, hence the lovely picture to the right. There's been quite a bit going on there, all about the wedding plans and how they're coming along.
Click here to get your updates.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Save the Date Resolution
I have to give some kudos to our stationary designer. I know after the mix-up that seems odd, but it was her response to the situation that makes me say that.
I let her know about the error and that we had purchased the domain name. Her response without any hesitation was to offer to reimburse us for the cost of the domain name or use an equal amount as a credit towards the next item on our list. She has also offered to give us one of the items on our list for free. I was blown away by her professionalism in her efforts to make the situation right. I let her know that her approach took a lot of my worries away, and after talking about it Andrew and I agreed that we should keep the relationship and finish our items with her help.
I'll do a better job of being on top of our schedule and requesting and reviewing proofs. This will be much less stressful than me trying to find the necessary pieces and make everything from scratch. I could do it, but this really helps.
And on an even better note- a big batch of the save the dates has already gone in the mail. Hopefully we'll be hearing from people soon to let us know that they've received it and we'll be getting some more song requests and guest book entries on our website.
Now, about the dress...
I let her know about the error and that we had purchased the domain name. Her response without any hesitation was to offer to reimburse us for the cost of the domain name or use an equal amount as a credit towards the next item on our list. She has also offered to give us one of the items on our list for free. I was blown away by her professionalism in her efforts to make the situation right. I let her know that her approach took a lot of my worries away, and after talking about it Andrew and I agreed that we should keep the relationship and finish our items with her help.
I'll do a better job of being on top of our schedule and requesting and reviewing proofs. This will be much less stressful than me trying to find the necessary pieces and make everything from scratch. I could do it, but this really helps.
And on an even better note- a big batch of the save the dates has already gone in the mail. Hopefully we'll be hearing from people soon to let us know that they've received it and we'll be getting some more song requests and guest book entries on our website.
Now, about the dress...
Friday, March 28, 2008
Save the Date Drama
So last week I had the day off work on Friday and met with our stationery designer to pick up the save the dates for our October wedding. Since we have so many family members and friends who will be travelling to Chicago we knew we wanted to have them out 6 months ahead of time. They were over 2 weeks late getting finished, but still in time for the deadline we set for ourselves. I pick them do a quick glance and am very pleased. I admit that this was my mistake- I should have looked closer when I picked them up.
I collect addresses from my parents and Andrew's parents, and I start addressing envelopes. I get everything addressed and then I really sit down to look at the save the dates. This is when I freak out.
The wedding website is wrong. Our actual site is through mywedding.com, and I really like it. The site listed on the STD is BriannaandAndrew dot com. Not even close. I'm flipping out, and Andrew is positively irate.
I then remember that the Knot has a few wedding websites recommended that can be purchased. I go online to wedding tracker and am able to find that BriannaandAndrew is available. I buy it, and will be using that homepage to redirect people to our actual homepage.
Crisis avoided, problem solved, and now I have a new project for the weekend, getting everything to link up before the first STDs arrive. Still seething, mind you, but very relieved. We decided to go out to dinner after that since we were both too edgy to cook.
Now, I'm planning to DIY the remaining pieces and end our relationship with this vendor. The lateness I could let slide if the quality was worth it. Now I don't have that feeling. So I'll be going over some websites and checking into the costs and hopefully finding some easy to follow instructions!
I collect addresses from my parents and Andrew's parents, and I start addressing envelopes. I get everything addressed and then I really sit down to look at the save the dates. This is when I freak out.
The wedding website is wrong. Our actual site is through mywedding.com, and I really like it. The site listed on the STD is BriannaandAndrew dot com. Not even close. I'm flipping out, and Andrew is positively irate.
I then remember that the Knot has a few wedding websites recommended that can be purchased. I go online to wedding tracker and am able to find that BriannaandAndrew is available. I buy it, and will be using that homepage to redirect people to our actual homepage.
Crisis avoided, problem solved, and now I have a new project for the weekend, getting everything to link up before the first STDs arrive. Still seething, mind you, but very relieved. We decided to go out to dinner after that since we were both too edgy to cook.
Now, I'm planning to DIY the remaining pieces and end our relationship with this vendor. The lateness I could let slide if the quality was worth it. Now I don't have that feeling. So I'll be going over some websites and checking into the costs and hopefully finding some easy to follow instructions!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Planning and Procrastinating
I've had some good luck this week making progress. Here's how it got started.
Friday last week I had the day off work and was able to meet with our stationary designer, Jen at Card Ink. I picked up our save the date cards. She and I talked about the pieces that are still left to do; invitations, menu cards, program covers, escort cards; and looked at a timeline for each and the information she'll need to complete the design and the printing/assembling. I'm so excited!
I can't wait to get the save the dates out to everyone. I have a few addresses that I still need from my parents, but I've got more than enough to get started. I'm addressing the envelopes myself with a calligraphy pen I picked up at a Micheal's near our apartment. I've only got a few done, and while they're not professional calligrapher quality, they still look really good. One of the things Jen and I decided is that I'll pick up the envelopes before the invitations are finished so I can get a head start on addressing those.
I was able to get in touch with Nichole at Harp Melodies and she's already sent me a contract for the ceremony. We heard her play at the tasting event we went to in February, and it's beautiful. Because of the stairs and such in the church, she'll be on the floor in the sanctuary, probably near the front. Soooo exited. I've already signed the contract and sent her the deposit. We'll meet sometime this summer to go over song selections.
I was able to get in touch with the company we want to use for our DJ, and they've sent me a contract for the package we'd like that I can review. Everything looks like it's in order, but I'd like to make sure my dad has no additional questions before we sign anything and make it official.
I've got plans to head up to Geneva the first weekend in April, and I've already made two appointments. First, I'll be heading to Veiled in Elegance and officially ordering the dress. I'm so excited! I'm a little bummed that Kathy won't have the sample in stock yet, but I know it's absolutely the right dress, so I'm not worried about changing my mind or anything like that. After that, we'll be meeting with a potential photographer. I'd like to get a better sense of his packages, and the fees associated with each. He also offers videography so if we can I'd like to get both from him.
I booked appointments for cake tasting and for a tasting with the country club for the reception. Those aren't until May, but it's nice to have them on the calendar.
I heard from one of my bridesmaids, Shannon, who let me know that she's already ordered her dress. I'm so excited! I can't wait to hear how they come out. I bet hte girls are going to look beautiful. I've ordered part of their gifts, and they've already come in. They look better in person than I expected! I ordered one for myself first, thinking that if it didn't come out great, I wouldn't feel as bad just spending the money on myself. I can't wait to get the final pieces of the gifts and have everything all together.
It's starting to feel real. I can't believe how quickly it's coming! So the rest of this week is all about getting envelopes addressed and getting them over to the post office.
Friday last week I had the day off work and was able to meet with our stationary designer, Jen at Card Ink. I picked up our save the date cards. She and I talked about the pieces that are still left to do; invitations, menu cards, program covers, escort cards; and looked at a timeline for each and the information she'll need to complete the design and the printing/assembling. I'm so excited!
I can't wait to get the save the dates out to everyone. I have a few addresses that I still need from my parents, but I've got more than enough to get started. I'm addressing the envelopes myself with a calligraphy pen I picked up at a Micheal's near our apartment. I've only got a few done, and while they're not professional calligrapher quality, they still look really good. One of the things Jen and I decided is that I'll pick up the envelopes before the invitations are finished so I can get a head start on addressing those.
I was able to get in touch with Nichole at Harp Melodies and she's already sent me a contract for the ceremony. We heard her play at the tasting event we went to in February, and it's beautiful. Because of the stairs and such in the church, she'll be on the floor in the sanctuary, probably near the front. Soooo exited. I've already signed the contract and sent her the deposit. We'll meet sometime this summer to go over song selections.
I was able to get in touch with the company we want to use for our DJ, and they've sent me a contract for the package we'd like that I can review. Everything looks like it's in order, but I'd like to make sure my dad has no additional questions before we sign anything and make it official.
I've got plans to head up to Geneva the first weekend in April, and I've already made two appointments. First, I'll be heading to Veiled in Elegance and officially ordering the dress. I'm so excited! I'm a little bummed that Kathy won't have the sample in stock yet, but I know it's absolutely the right dress, so I'm not worried about changing my mind or anything like that. After that, we'll be meeting with a potential photographer. I'd like to get a better sense of his packages, and the fees associated with each. He also offers videography so if we can I'd like to get both from him.
I booked appointments for cake tasting and for a tasting with the country club for the reception. Those aren't until May, but it's nice to have them on the calendar.
I heard from one of my bridesmaids, Shannon, who let me know that she's already ordered her dress. I'm so excited! I can't wait to hear how they come out. I bet hte girls are going to look beautiful. I've ordered part of their gifts, and they've already come in. They look better in person than I expected! I ordered one for myself first, thinking that if it didn't come out great, I wouldn't feel as bad just spending the money on myself. I can't wait to get the final pieces of the gifts and have everything all together.
It's starting to feel real. I can't believe how quickly it's coming! So the rest of this week is all about getting envelopes addressed and getting them over to the post office.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Rainy Monday Afternoons
Rainy Monday afternoons are perfect for sitting on the couch with a great movie or a good book. Maybe throw in some hot chocolate and a sleepy puppy curled at my feet and I'm a happy girl. Am I doing those things right now? No, I'm working. And only freaking out a little over the to-do list for the wedding.
Why am I freaking out? I made the mistake of looking at the entire list. Not this week or this month but the entire thing. Sure we've gotten 70 items checked off, but there are still 130 to go. That seems like an awful lot to do in less than 7 months. I'm printing it off for our moms so they can see what's left and what I might need to add to the list. I'd also like to show them what's completed. I think they'll have good suggestions for what to add and hopefully they'll be impressed with all I've done on my own.
We have to address and send our save the dates this week. Which is very doable, but we have no addresses for more than half the list. DAAAAHHH!!! The save the dates may wind up with printed labels and I'll do the calligrpahy for the invites. Or I'll do the people that I have and just send the rest as the addresses come. Hate that idea, hate it.
I'm going to meet with the stationary designer this weekend and set a firm timeline for everything that's left. Here's what we have: invitations, programs/covers, menu cards, place cards, thank you notes, table number signs.
We need to finalize the contract for our DJ. Andrew and I agree that the guy we're looking at will do a great job. Just need to make sure my dad has no additional questions. I think he and my mom are on vacation this week. I should know that.
There are a bunch of little details that I've been able to confirm with the church for the big day, which is a gret feeling. I've got a list of some of the small fees that are associated with the ceremony as well and I'm going to start getting those paid. Not that I think it won't get done, but I think it would make me feel better to get a jump on a few things. And get a few more items off the list.
All these tiny details. And only 7 months. My eye is twitching.
Why am I freaking out? I made the mistake of looking at the entire list. Not this week or this month but the entire thing. Sure we've gotten 70 items checked off, but there are still 130 to go. That seems like an awful lot to do in less than 7 months. I'm printing it off for our moms so they can see what's left and what I might need to add to the list. I'd also like to show them what's completed. I think they'll have good suggestions for what to add and hopefully they'll be impressed with all I've done on my own.
We have to address and send our save the dates this week. Which is very doable, but we have no addresses for more than half the list. DAAAAHHH!!! The save the dates may wind up with printed labels and I'll do the calligrpahy for the invites. Or I'll do the people that I have and just send the rest as the addresses come. Hate that idea, hate it.
I'm going to meet with the stationary designer this weekend and set a firm timeline for everything that's left. Here's what we have: invitations, programs/covers, menu cards, place cards, thank you notes, table number signs.
We need to finalize the contract for our DJ. Andrew and I agree that the guy we're looking at will do a great job. Just need to make sure my dad has no additional questions. I think he and my mom are on vacation this week. I should know that.
There are a bunch of little details that I've been able to confirm with the church for the big day, which is a gret feeling. I've got a list of some of the small fees that are associated with the ceremony as well and I'm going to start getting those paid. Not that I think it won't get done, but I think it would make me feel better to get a jump on a few things. And get a few more items off the list.
All these tiny details. And only 7 months. My eye is twitching.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Big Decision
So I've been thinking about the bouquet toss. What should we do? In general I don't really like the bouquet and the garter toss. Plus, I think we're going to have a small number of single ladies at the wedding. If we do a toss to the single ladies, I'd like to do a break-apart bouquet. That way it's still a little different. But I've had some other ideas as well. Maybe we do an anniversary dance and honor the couple who's been married the longest by giving the wife the bouquet. Maybe we ask the married men to come up and toss to them so they can give it to their wives.
It's a tough decision, and really I'm not sure which way to lean. Hence the poll on the side of the page.
What do you think?
It's a tough decision, and really I'm not sure which way to lean. Hence the poll on the side of the page.
What do you think?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Little Items Off the List
As any bride can attest, the list of questions to answer and little things to do can seem daunting at its best. It's as if everything that gets done leads to three more things to do. This week, so far at least, has been my attempt to get those details under control. Here's a little bit of what I've done since Monday.
* Reviewed photographer websites with Andrew and ranked the photogrpahers who are avaiable on our date.
* Sent photographer details, including pricing information, to my dad for his review. Since he is footing the bill for most of the details, I've given him final veto power on our vendors.
* Contacted three DJ's to confirm availability.
* Again, compiled details to send to my dad about the various packages we could select.
* Contacted our church to confirm what information they need from us in regards to the pastor conducting our ceremony. They have been incredibly easy to work with and have had very few requests for us. Because of this, I like to get things done for them as quickly as I can. I'll have to get the details to them tomorrow.
* I contacted our stationary designer to confirm when we'll be able to pick up our save the dates. I also asked some naggy questions about what item should be next on the list, and whether we could start to pay some of the deposits on the remaining items or if we'd have to wait until we had a confirmed head count. I also asked about adding an item to the list as we'd like to use our monograms as stickers on the out of town guest gift boxes/bags.
* I contacted a local harpist about playing for our ceremony. She is currently available, although we may not need her if my college director is able to play for us. She's got a $100 deposit to hold the date, and I'll have to see what we do about holding her or if we're not going to worry about it.
* I ordered something for the bridesmaids as a part of their gift last week, and it's come in. It looks like I only have one more piece to get for them and the gifts will be ready to take to my parents' house for storage until they're ready to be wrapped and given.
* I filled out the two forms we need to provide our pastor at the beginning of our marriage-prep counseling sessions.
* I signed up for the new member course at the church so that I'll officially be a member by the time of the wedding.
* I called the bakery and booked a consultation for the second weekend in May.
* I booked the tasting for the country club so we can finalize the reception menu, for the same day as the tasting.
* I booked the appointment with the bridal salon to get measured and place the order for my dress.
All this, and I'll still be able to go shopping with my future mother-in-law tonight as our celebration of my birthday. I think I've earned that girls' night I'm planning for Saturday.
* Reviewed photographer websites with Andrew and ranked the photogrpahers who are avaiable on our date.
* Sent photographer details, including pricing information, to my dad for his review. Since he is footing the bill for most of the details, I've given him final veto power on our vendors.
* Contacted three DJ's to confirm availability.
* Again, compiled details to send to my dad about the various packages we could select.
* Contacted our church to confirm what information they need from us in regards to the pastor conducting our ceremony. They have been incredibly easy to work with and have had very few requests for us. Because of this, I like to get things done for them as quickly as I can. I'll have to get the details to them tomorrow.
* I contacted our stationary designer to confirm when we'll be able to pick up our save the dates. I also asked some naggy questions about what item should be next on the list, and whether we could start to pay some of the deposits on the remaining items or if we'd have to wait until we had a confirmed head count. I also asked about adding an item to the list as we'd like to use our monograms as stickers on the out of town guest gift boxes/bags.
* I contacted a local harpist about playing for our ceremony. She is currently available, although we may not need her if my college director is able to play for us. She's got a $100 deposit to hold the date, and I'll have to see what we do about holding her or if we're not going to worry about it.
* I ordered something for the bridesmaids as a part of their gift last week, and it's come in. It looks like I only have one more piece to get for them and the gifts will be ready to take to my parents' house for storage until they're ready to be wrapped and given.
* I filled out the two forms we need to provide our pastor at the beginning of our marriage-prep counseling sessions.
* I signed up for the new member course at the church so that I'll officially be a member by the time of the wedding.
* I called the bakery and booked a consultation for the second weekend in May.
* I booked the tasting for the country club so we can finalize the reception menu, for the same day as the tasting.
* I booked the appointment with the bridal salon to get measured and place the order for my dress.
All this, and I'll still be able to go shopping with my future mother-in-law tonight as our celebration of my birthday. I think I've earned that girls' night I'm planning for Saturday.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Birthday Weekend & Very Calm Evening
Sunday was my birthday, and I spent the day with Andrew. We went to church with his parents and came home for lunch and just relaxed for most of the afternoon. Andrew went out to see a friend of his, or at least so I thought. He came back with our placemats that Crate & Barrel is getting ready to pull from the shelves since they're seasonal, and he didn't want us to miss out on them. He also had a beautiful new vase from Crate & Barrel and the most gorgeous arrangement of flowers I've ever seen. I was so suprised and cried a little when he came in with everything.
We went to dinner at the Corner Wine Bar, down in Broadripple that night. We had a great time. We're looking at going back later this month for one of their wine tasting events.
Yesterday I was surpised with cake at work, always fun. Nothing too interesting happened, but for the first time in a long time, I was completely relaxed last night. No stress left over from work, no worries about the next day. Andrew and I had a great dinner, that he cooked. We watched some TV and then just relaxed with each other.
I pulled up a the websites of the photographers I like who are available on our day, and he wnet through them and told me which ones he liked. I'm sending their details to my dad today so that he can look at them as well. Since he's the one who'll be writing the checks.
With all of that done, I poured a glass of wine, found a comfy spot on the couch, and cuddled up with the puppy who proceeded to curl up on my lap, fall asleep and start snoring, loudly. Not a bad way to spend a Monday night.
We went to dinner at the Corner Wine Bar, down in Broadripple that night. We had a great time. We're looking at going back later this month for one of their wine tasting events.
Yesterday I was surpised with cake at work, always fun. Nothing too interesting happened, but for the first time in a long time, I was completely relaxed last night. No stress left over from work, no worries about the next day. Andrew and I had a great dinner, that he cooked. We watched some TV and then just relaxed with each other.
I pulled up a the websites of the photographers I like who are available on our day, and he wnet through them and told me which ones he liked. I'm sending their details to my dad today so that he can look at them as well. Since he's the one who'll be writing the checks.
With all of that done, I poured a glass of wine, found a comfy spot on the couch, and cuddled up with the puppy who proceeded to curl up on my lap, fall asleep and start snoring, loudly. Not a bad way to spend a Monday night.
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