Tonight we had our pre-wedding photo session with our photographer Nicky with Mint. She is fun and we are so looking forward to working with her! We're even more excited to see the pictures from tonight's shoot. I wore fake eyelashes that I put on myself. And I hadn't tried any practice runs. It was a bit scary but I didn't get anything stuck together that wasn't supposed to be there, so it all turned out ok. I was able to get some good advice from my buddy David. 20-something years ago he taught me how to apply liquid eyeliner, and now he steps me through fake eyelashes. THAT is a good friend to have! :)
It almost feels that we have more things to do now than we did - but it's just because all the decisions really have to be made! I go for my dress alterations tomorrow which means I have to make the commitment to the shoes that I purchased a few months ago. This means that during the ceremony I will likely tower over Kandi, the heels are high, but she said she's ok with that for a few hours.
We need to make the programs. And while we plan on DIYing those, and have bought some of the materials we haven't finalized a few of the things that would be going into the program so of course that has to happen first!
We need to finalize the layout of the reception space, but to do that we need to know how many tables we will need and for that everyone needs to RSVP (cough, hint, cough). And we have to finalize the layout so we can make sure we get the right rentals which we need to get pretty quickly. And of course, we need the RSVP's to get to the caterer - but everyone knows that, right? (hint, rsvp, hint)
And then there are the decisions like hair and make up, undergarments (oh my!), transportation, accessories, song lists, and all the other tiny little details that go into making the big day awesome. When exactly are we suppose to have time to do laundry? Or get the house ready for all the out of town guest?
We know it will all work itself out somewhere, but my goodness it keeps us busy!
Showing posts with label Reception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reception. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Where did the time go?
I got back from traveling for work for a few weeks. While I was tired, I was excited to get back to the routine of work, and follow up on all the things that had come up during my travel. What did I come home to? Well, I looked at our checklist on theknot.com and promptly freaked out. Where did all the time go? I thought everything was still several months away. And now, we didn't. So - I made appointments. My first full week back we had an appointment every single night. We saw the list, and we began to check it off. Cake tasting and design. Check. Final tasting with caterer. Check. And check and check and check. Ok, so they weren't all the same size check marks, but there has definitely been a large forward motion since I got back.
This weekend we are meeting with our photographer at both venues to get her creative juices flowing, and we're going to set up a time to do a bit of a late engagement session. At this point it's more of a pre-wedding session, but I think it's a great idea to be able to meet with her at least once before the big day to learn more about each other. And as girls who in more than 10 years have never had professional pictures taken, we're all about making up for it now!
Some surprises from the journey. Who knew it would be so hard to figure out how to do your hair? So many considerations. So many tiny differences making it a completely different style that you have to chose between. So NOT my kind of an area. My way of doing my hair every day is combing it, and then in an hour or so when it's dried - sticking in an barrette to keep it out of my face. Almost worse than that is finding someone to professionally do my make up. I mean, seriously? My version of daily make up is tinted lip gloss. And yet - I get that it's important for the make up to be good, and to last all day.
Another surprise - picking songs for the wedding ceremony. We both love music, and we know how important a good song can be. We want a great song. I have no idea where to start. Seriously. There are SO many great songs. How do you pick which one is going to forever be "the song you played at your wedding". When my mom got married I was almost 5 years old. I still remember hearing my aunt sing the song she sang, and I will always think of my mom's wedding and my aunt when I hear the song. I need to pick just one song with that kind of meaning? Too hard. Kandi is on song detail. Her favorite way to search for songs is on YouTube. This has led to some awesome songs for the reception, but nothing yet for the wedding. It's tough.
It's been an exciting journey, and we know it's not over. 51 days to go, lots of errands to run this weekend including helping my mom find a MOTB dress, the photographer, the florist, and of course the invitations will be going out by this weekend.
Oh.....Did I just leak that information? Gee, I guess I did. :)
This weekend we are meeting with our photographer at both venues to get her creative juices flowing, and we're going to set up a time to do a bit of a late engagement session. At this point it's more of a pre-wedding session, but I think it's a great idea to be able to meet with her at least once before the big day to learn more about each other. And as girls who in more than 10 years have never had professional pictures taken, we're all about making up for it now!
Some surprises from the journey. Who knew it would be so hard to figure out how to do your hair? So many considerations. So many tiny differences making it a completely different style that you have to chose between. So NOT my kind of an area. My way of doing my hair every day is combing it, and then in an hour or so when it's dried - sticking in an barrette to keep it out of my face. Almost worse than that is finding someone to professionally do my make up. I mean, seriously? My version of daily make up is tinted lip gloss. And yet - I get that it's important for the make up to be good, and to last all day.
Another surprise - picking songs for the wedding ceremony. We both love music, and we know how important a good song can be. We want a great song. I have no idea where to start. Seriously. There are SO many great songs. How do you pick which one is going to forever be "the song you played at your wedding". When my mom got married I was almost 5 years old. I still remember hearing my aunt sing the song she sang, and I will always think of my mom's wedding and my aunt when I hear the song. I need to pick just one song with that kind of meaning? Too hard. Kandi is on song detail. Her favorite way to search for songs is on YouTube. This has led to some awesome songs for the reception, but nothing yet for the wedding. It's tough.
It's been an exciting journey, and we know it's not over. 51 days to go, lots of errands to run this weekend including helping my mom find a MOTB dress, the photographer, the florist, and of course the invitations will be going out by this weekend.
Oh.....Did I just leak that information? Gee, I guess I did. :)
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Starting to check off the list
It started as a concept. And then that concept sprouted an idea. The idea grew and grew until it had so many leaves that it no longer bore much resemblance to the initial concept, because it was so much better. And yet - it seemed to be exactly what it was supposed to have been all along.
Some seemingly deep thoughts about creating our save the dates! And yet that's how it really happened. We look back and almost wondered how we got there, and yet we can see how and when each of our ideas layered on one another to create the final end product. It was a perfect coming together. Just like us.
So, we took many pictures and I promise that I WILL share them - but I'll be waiting about 2 weeks to post the picture to make sure that anyone who actually reads the blog as of right now (I think it's up to 3 or 4 of you now... Howdy!) will have actually looked at their mail before they see it all on the blog.
Today Kandi met with the first of the seamstresses we have met or been referred to for her outfit. This woman seemed really excited about her ideas (again, not sharing yet - a girl has to maintain her mystery...) when we shared them with her at a bridal show. We also have one seamstress that was referred to us by our wedding coordinator Shelly and by Aunt Cynthia who gave a glowing recommendation of someone she has used before. That's Kandi's big task in the next week or two as she knows she needs to budget a bit of time to have something crafted completely from scratch.
We recently purchased a few items for the reception venue that we're excited about. Another mystery until October 15th of course. These were some of the last of a group of items we've been gathering for some time and with this last purchase we are officially DONE there! With so many items on the old to-do-list it's so nice to be able to officially check somethings off. I have two big things that I really need to check off in the next few weeks. They've both required so much research to make that final decision, and I think I'm getting really close. I'll be meeting with an adviser shortly (Thank you Brian.) to go over some of the options and make some final decisions. It's SO exciting! And these are things I can immediately share here so yes, I'm being vague right now - but not for long!!!
And on that note - time to go put the RSVP's in a container for Kandi to drop off tomorrow! One more thing to check off the list. One more step towards making it feel oh-so-official.
Some seemingly deep thoughts about creating our save the dates! And yet that's how it really happened. We look back and almost wondered how we got there, and yet we can see how and when each of our ideas layered on one another to create the final end product. It was a perfect coming together. Just like us.
So, we took many pictures and I promise that I WILL share them - but I'll be waiting about 2 weeks to post the picture to make sure that anyone who actually reads the blog as of right now (I think it's up to 3 or 4 of you now... Howdy!) will have actually looked at their mail before they see it all on the blog.
Today Kandi met with the first of the seamstresses we have met or been referred to for her outfit. This woman seemed really excited about her ideas (again, not sharing yet - a girl has to maintain her mystery...) when we shared them with her at a bridal show. We also have one seamstress that was referred to us by our wedding coordinator Shelly and by Aunt Cynthia who gave a glowing recommendation of someone she has used before. That's Kandi's big task in the next week or two as she knows she needs to budget a bit of time to have something crafted completely from scratch.
We recently purchased a few items for the reception venue that we're excited about. Another mystery until October 15th of course. These were some of the last of a group of items we've been gathering for some time and with this last purchase we are officially DONE there! With so many items on the old to-do-list it's so nice to be able to officially check somethings off. I have two big things that I really need to check off in the next few weeks. They've both required so much research to make that final decision, and I think I'm getting really close. I'll be meeting with an adviser shortly (Thank you Brian.) to go over some of the options and make some final decisions. It's SO exciting! And these are things I can immediately share here so yes, I'm being vague right now - but not for long!!!
And on that note - time to go put the RSVP's in a container for Kandi to drop off tomorrow! One more thing to check off the list. One more step towards making it feel oh-so-official.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Where did the time go?
How is it 3 weeks have gone by already??? Time is fly fly flying by - and that is NOT a good thing when you are trying to do so much planning.
One reason for the time slippage is that we went to Ohio for the Memorial Day weekend for a graduation celebration for Kandi's cousin. It was really great to be able to catch up with friends and family. And of course, talk about the ceremony. Lots and lots - which is always fun for us! We have many folks who are going to try to make the trip and it would be great to get to see them.
We officially received the contract from our reception venue. That had a few bumps in the road that we needed to work out but as of yesterday we got the confirmation that it should be smooth sailing! Woo hoo!
So as of today we have deposits/contracts out on our florist, photographer, bartender, venue and by the end of the week we will have one out for our caterer as well. Then hopefully in the next few weeks we can make a decision on a "Day of Coordinator" because we realized that no matter what we want to do or wish we could do, we just can't be in two places at once. We can't be at the venue making sure stuff is getting ready AND be at the church at the same time. We even have a really strong lead on a seamstress for Kandi's outfit!
It's exciting to think that the "major" planning will soon be over! Of course, this means that the really major planning it still to come. We've been looking into doing electronic RSVPs and we need to figure that out before we can send the invites, but of course before that we have to send the goodies we got for Save the Dates. All the tiny paper goods details can be almost mind numbing. And then there's the details of what the ceremony itself will include. What DIY projects we've been looking at that we will decide to undertake. All of those little details that don't seem like much, but when applied consistently could be like Chinese water torture - IF you weren't doing it with someone you love so very much and laughing about it the whole time.
Luckily, we are. :)
One reason for the time slippage is that we went to Ohio for the Memorial Day weekend for a graduation celebration for Kandi's cousin. It was really great to be able to catch up with friends and family. And of course, talk about the ceremony. Lots and lots - which is always fun for us! We have many folks who are going to try to make the trip and it would be great to get to see them.
We officially received the contract from our reception venue. That had a few bumps in the road that we needed to work out but as of yesterday we got the confirmation that it should be smooth sailing! Woo hoo!
So as of today we have deposits/contracts out on our florist, photographer, bartender, venue and by the end of the week we will have one out for our caterer as well. Then hopefully in the next few weeks we can make a decision on a "Day of Coordinator" because we realized that no matter what we want to do or wish we could do, we just can't be in two places at once. We can't be at the venue making sure stuff is getting ready AND be at the church at the same time. We even have a really strong lead on a seamstress for Kandi's outfit!
It's exciting to think that the "major" planning will soon be over! Of course, this means that the really major planning it still to come. We've been looking into doing electronic RSVPs and we need to figure that out before we can send the invites, but of course before that we have to send the goodies we got for Save the Dates. All the tiny paper goods details can be almost mind numbing. And then there's the details of what the ceremony itself will include. What DIY projects we've been looking at that we will decide to undertake. All of those little details that don't seem like much, but when applied consistently could be like Chinese water torture - IF you weren't doing it with someone you love so very much and laughing about it the whole time.
Luckily, we are. :)
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The first check is written!
This weekend we officially put money down to hold "our date" for the reception. We explained the potential need for date flexibility and she was good with that considering we are far enough out on the date. Thank goodness!
This weekend we went out searching for tables, chairs and other rent-able items. Sexy, right? I know. We could barely contain ourselves. Poly-cotton linens. Organza Overlays. It's like wedding dirty-talk. Thank GOODNESS we aren't those people. I'm a basic black chair white table cloth kind of girl. Kandi is thinking maybe another solid color besides white. We are so wild and crazy. So hard to please.
We also went to a super mega wedding store called Wedding Accessory Superstore. They have wedding, bridesmaid, flower-girl and mother of the bride dresses, shoes and other accessories. They also have the other basic accessories like cake toppers and ring pillows and all the other crap that every bride "needs". We spent a really large amount of time in one section - invitations. We realize now that we have locations and are SO close to having a date, the next big step will be to officially send out invitations. Well, next step is a funny thing because while that one really matters, we also have to finalize florists, caterers, photographers and every other vendor that we have to pay lots of money to in hopes of having an awesome celebration. BUT - for the outside world - they just care about getting an official invitation. So we looked. And looked. And looked. It's tougher than we thought. Trying to find that something that looks like "us" is hard enough. But trying to feel like "us" and be under budget - whatever that is... - is SO hard.
As of right now our #1 pick is coming from Vistaprint. They have some awesome options for invites and all the other pieces related to that. And because they print so many things, it lets you carry that theme into quite a few other areas which we really like. Not sure what we'll do for sure, but we know we definitely have more looking to do!
Finally - we've thought a lot about doing a "candy bar" for the wedding favor. And while there are businesses that do it all for you, we've thought that was one piece we could really DIY. So we hit a few second hand stores to look for some cool candy holders. We found a few nice ones to officially start the collection. And we found out that Goodwill is doing 50% off all items next Saturday. Who will be right there when they open those doors? Oh yea - that's us.
But with this an interesting question has come up. Where the heck to we stick all the stuff we are going to be collecting over the next six months? And how much stuff exactly will we be collecting? And did I include all of it on our budget?
I've come to terms that it will never all be there. But that doesn't stop a girl from trying to catch it all! One check down and many, many, many more to go.
This weekend we went out searching for tables, chairs and other rent-able items. Sexy, right? I know. We could barely contain ourselves. Poly-cotton linens. Organza Overlays. It's like wedding dirty-talk. Thank GOODNESS we aren't those people. I'm a basic black chair white table cloth kind of girl. Kandi is thinking maybe another solid color besides white. We are so wild and crazy. So hard to please.
We also went to a super mega wedding store called Wedding Accessory Superstore. They have wedding, bridesmaid, flower-girl and mother of the bride dresses, shoes and other accessories. They also have the other basic accessories like cake toppers and ring pillows and all the other crap that every bride "needs". We spent a really large amount of time in one section - invitations. We realize now that we have locations and are SO close to having a date, the next big step will be to officially send out invitations. Well, next step is a funny thing because while that one really matters, we also have to finalize florists, caterers, photographers and every other vendor that we have to pay lots of money to in hopes of having an awesome celebration. BUT - for the outside world - they just care about getting an official invitation. So we looked. And looked. And looked. It's tougher than we thought. Trying to find that something that looks like "us" is hard enough. But trying to feel like "us" and be under budget - whatever that is... - is SO hard.
As of right now our #1 pick is coming from Vistaprint. They have some awesome options for invites and all the other pieces related to that. And because they print so many things, it lets you carry that theme into quite a few other areas which we really like. Not sure what we'll do for sure, but we know we definitely have more looking to do!
Finally - we've thought a lot about doing a "candy bar" for the wedding favor. And while there are businesses that do it all for you, we've thought that was one piece we could really DIY. So we hit a few second hand stores to look for some cool candy holders. We found a few nice ones to officially start the collection. And we found out that Goodwill is doing 50% off all items next Saturday. Who will be right there when they open those doors? Oh yea - that's us.
But with this an interesting question has come up. Where the heck to we stick all the stuff we are going to be collecting over the next six months? And how much stuff exactly will we be collecting? And did I include all of it on our budget?
I've come to terms that it will never all be there. But that doesn't stop a girl from trying to catch it all! One check down and many, many, many more to go.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
It's "almost completely" official!!
It just took one phone call and then...
We have a date!
Yes, we officially have a date on hold at the place we recently found. We talked with someone after hours today to get the details and they were able to hold the date. We were excited, and began calling friends and family.
And then, it just took one phone call to potentially change the date. Turns out that my mom's job has 7 days in the middle of October where absolutely no one is allowed to take a day off. Our originally planned date falls on the first of those 7 days. So, she will be going to work on Monday to do some begging to have the day off, or at least a half day. If that doesn't work out, we may have to talk about changing the date. There are very, very few people we would change a date for, but a mom absolutely ranks on that list. We thought briefly about doing it on November 11th, but Kandi's mom was worried about flying out in November Ohio weather. So we went back to our original October plans. Mom's are important. And, being that less than 10 people have heard the date so far, it wouldn't throw too much off if we had to change it now as long as we know very very soon. Of course we hope that they will be accommodating at her job - but if not we know that we will have to be.
Now, on to better news.
On Saturday we had a bit of an adventure. We took Kandi's Aunt Patti, my mom and brother to go see the reception site. Neither of them had seen it before so it was fun to see it through their eyes for the first time. And while we knew it was awesome, it was still a bit of a relief to see that they all liked it too! And, in the week since we were last there they are building a new structure outside. It will be ready in the next week or two so we'll have lots of time to think about how we might use it in our grand plans! While we were there we got to see Emily, who we spoke with at the desk the first day, and she was excited for us to have secured a date too.
We then rushed off from there to a wedding dress shopping trip! My brother went home, and Kandi came in to watch us get all set up, and get a tour of the huge facility at Azteca Bridal, but walked outside for the actual search and try on parts. :) We're so traditional that way. We figured we'd be about 45 minutes.
We walked out of there two and a half hours later. We had no idea it had been that long. Kandi just about killed her phone's battery playing Angry Birds, but at least she had that to keep her busy. Well, that and the handy restaurant bar in the same plaza. Seriously, the bridal place should give all the future spouses a discount card. When we walked out there were 6-8 guys sitting there staring at the traffic as it went by for lack of anything else to do.
There were some great dresses and I found a few that I was surprised I liked. One in particular seemed really nice. The girl trying on dresses next to me said that another shop had it for even less - and conveniently I have an appointment there this week!
On Sunday, we had a wonderful development. Kandi's mom and Grandma called specifically to ask what colors we were using so they could work on finding color coordinating outfits. Both of them. This is kinda huge. Kandi's Grandma wasn't exactly hot on the idea of any non boy-girl wedding based on her religious beliefs. Early on, she expressed her doubts that she would be willing to attend. But more recently, she's talked with Kandi about what she's going to be wearing and even sent her a few catalogs. And now - she wants to pick out an outfit. That's the power of positive prayer right there! :)
So - we know we have a church. We know we have a reception spot. We know we'll have our family around us. Now everything else will fall into place, right?
Right?
I hear the laughter already from all the bridal websites I've read before.
Ok, it won't fall into place. There will be a huge amount of work and a huge amount of money that we still don't know where it will all come from and yet - we know that we have the important pieces. The rest is just details.
Many.
Many. Many details.
We have a date!
Yes, we officially have a date on hold at the place we recently found. We talked with someone after hours today to get the details and they were able to hold the date. We were excited, and began calling friends and family.
And then, it just took one phone call to potentially change the date. Turns out that my mom's job has 7 days in the middle of October where absolutely no one is allowed to take a day off. Our originally planned date falls on the first of those 7 days. So, she will be going to work on Monday to do some begging to have the day off, or at least a half day. If that doesn't work out, we may have to talk about changing the date. There are very, very few people we would change a date for, but a mom absolutely ranks on that list. We thought briefly about doing it on November 11th, but Kandi's mom was worried about flying out in November Ohio weather. So we went back to our original October plans. Mom's are important. And, being that less than 10 people have heard the date so far, it wouldn't throw too much off if we had to change it now as long as we know very very soon. Of course we hope that they will be accommodating at her job - but if not we know that we will have to be.
Now, on to better news.
On Saturday we had a bit of an adventure. We took Kandi's Aunt Patti, my mom and brother to go see the reception site. Neither of them had seen it before so it was fun to see it through their eyes for the first time. And while we knew it was awesome, it was still a bit of a relief to see that they all liked it too! And, in the week since we were last there they are building a new structure outside. It will be ready in the next week or two so we'll have lots of time to think about how we might use it in our grand plans! While we were there we got to see Emily, who we spoke with at the desk the first day, and she was excited for us to have secured a date too.
We then rushed off from there to a wedding dress shopping trip! My brother went home, and Kandi came in to watch us get all set up, and get a tour of the huge facility at Azteca Bridal, but walked outside for the actual search and try on parts. :) We're so traditional that way. We figured we'd be about 45 minutes.
We walked out of there two and a half hours later. We had no idea it had been that long. Kandi just about killed her phone's battery playing Angry Birds, but at least she had that to keep her busy. Well, that and the handy restaurant bar in the same plaza. Seriously, the bridal place should give all the future spouses a discount card. When we walked out there were 6-8 guys sitting there staring at the traffic as it went by for lack of anything else to do.
There were some great dresses and I found a few that I was surprised I liked. One in particular seemed really nice. The girl trying on dresses next to me said that another shop had it for even less - and conveniently I have an appointment there this week!
On Sunday, we had a wonderful development. Kandi's mom and Grandma called specifically to ask what colors we were using so they could work on finding color coordinating outfits. Both of them. This is kinda huge. Kandi's Grandma wasn't exactly hot on the idea of any non boy-girl wedding based on her religious beliefs. Early on, she expressed her doubts that she would be willing to attend. But more recently, she's talked with Kandi about what she's going to be wearing and even sent her a few catalogs. And now - she wants to pick out an outfit. That's the power of positive prayer right there! :)
So - we know we have a church. We know we have a reception spot. We know we'll have our family around us. Now everything else will fall into place, right?
Right?
I hear the laughter already from all the bridal websites I've read before.
Ok, it won't fall into place. There will be a huge amount of work and a huge amount of money that we still don't know where it will all come from and yet - we know that we have the important pieces. The rest is just details.
Many.
Many. Many details.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Did someone just flip a switch?
We had the most amazing weekend. We did the annual Art Detour, which is always amazing. It sort of had a wedding theme as several of the places we went, in addition to art galleries, were possible reception spots. Our friend Karen joined us and it was great to spend time with her. When we went to lunch we ran into our friend Brian. Running into friends is not something that happens easily in Phoenix. We are a huge city and folks can be so spread out around town you are quite unlikely to be in similar places. Running into a friend is an awesome treat! And as a bonus - these are both friends that if we were doing a wedding party they would be in it. Wedding planning, friends AND art. Heaven.
After dropping off Karen, we decided to stop by a location that we had contemplated once as a reception site back before there was a ring and we were "officially" looking for anything. After looking around and talking about how cool it could be - we decided to ask if they rented the space. Turns out they do. They have only had 2 other weddings there. We got excited. She didn't have the full pricing details, but she gave us what she did know and let me just say - we were excited! And that is exactly why I'm not giving the name of the place! :) Let me just say - it really is amazing. It's a place that is very us, but isn't a place we've been with anyone else, or that anyone else would even know is very us. So - we've emailed someone there to get more details and will be holding our fingers very, very tightly until we hear back from them.
After all that, we were feeling more positive about the idea of actually having the ceremony this year than we have in a long, long time. We decided to go get some ice cream and hang out in our nearby park to enjoy the amazing weather. Looking around there we talked about how beautiful that spot is, and that we'll need to plan some kind of family picnic there when all the family is in town. We've talked about it before, but this time just felt more "real". Like it wasn't just an idea - but that it was really going to happen.
We met another friend that night in another downtown spot. From there, I went home to spend the next few hours updating our Ceremony spread sheet and trying to get equipment rental prices for some new ideas we had. Kandi spent the last few hours of the night at the casino trying to add to the wedding funds. No such luck that night - but she still had a great time!
Sunday after church we went to a family picnic where I saw some 2nd and 3rd level cousins I haven't seen in a good 15 to 25 years. We had a good time and enjoyed seeing family.
Really great weekend. It was so focused on friends, family and ceremony stuff woven into it all. But what's even better is that it didn't END with the weekend!
Tonight after work we had a questionable dinner - we went to a cake tasting! We planned to eat something great when we got home, but were both too full of cake! We came up with some amazing ideas that we are really excited about too!
Tomorrow I go try on dresses. Maybe I should have planned that before the cake tasting? :) It's at David's Bridal and I'll be honest that my hopes are NOT high! I've heard some really horrible experiences from brides over a size 12. If you can't try on a dress that even sort of fits - it's hard to really make that non-refundable hundreds of dollars custom dress kind of decision. But - I'm willing to give it a go!
Thursday we have our very first caterer tasting with Magic Touch Catering. Their appetizers were SO good at the vendor showcase at Bentley Projects that we've been talking about them since then. We knew we had to make the appointment!
Whew! So much in such a short period of time! Did I mention how excited we are? We're so excited to see where some of the updates from this weekend take us! It's definitely proving to be a fabulous adventure!
After dropping off Karen, we decided to stop by a location that we had contemplated once as a reception site back before there was a ring and we were "officially" looking for anything. After looking around and talking about how cool it could be - we decided to ask if they rented the space. Turns out they do. They have only had 2 other weddings there. We got excited. She didn't have the full pricing details, but she gave us what she did know and let me just say - we were excited! And that is exactly why I'm not giving the name of the place! :) Let me just say - it really is amazing. It's a place that is very us, but isn't a place we've been with anyone else, or that anyone else would even know is very us. So - we've emailed someone there to get more details and will be holding our fingers very, very tightly until we hear back from them.
After all that, we were feeling more positive about the idea of actually having the ceremony this year than we have in a long, long time. We decided to go get some ice cream and hang out in our nearby park to enjoy the amazing weather. Looking around there we talked about how beautiful that spot is, and that we'll need to plan some kind of family picnic there when all the family is in town. We've talked about it before, but this time just felt more "real". Like it wasn't just an idea - but that it was really going to happen.
We met another friend that night in another downtown spot. From there, I went home to spend the next few hours updating our Ceremony spread sheet and trying to get equipment rental prices for some new ideas we had. Kandi spent the last few hours of the night at the casino trying to add to the wedding funds. No such luck that night - but she still had a great time!
Sunday after church we went to a family picnic where I saw some 2nd and 3rd level cousins I haven't seen in a good 15 to 25 years. We had a good time and enjoyed seeing family.
Really great weekend. It was so focused on friends, family and ceremony stuff woven into it all. But what's even better is that it didn't END with the weekend!
Tonight after work we had a questionable dinner - we went to a cake tasting! We planned to eat something great when we got home, but were both too full of cake! We came up with some amazing ideas that we are really excited about too!
Tomorrow I go try on dresses. Maybe I should have planned that before the cake tasting? :) It's at David's Bridal and I'll be honest that my hopes are NOT high! I've heard some really horrible experiences from brides over a size 12. If you can't try on a dress that even sort of fits - it's hard to really make that non-refundable hundreds of dollars custom dress kind of decision. But - I'm willing to give it a go!
Thursday we have our very first caterer tasting with Magic Touch Catering. Their appetizers were SO good at the vendor showcase at Bentley Projects that we've been talking about them since then. We knew we had to make the appointment!
Whew! So much in such a short period of time! Did I mention how excited we are? We're so excited to see where some of the updates from this weekend take us! It's definitely proving to be a fabulous adventure!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A month at a glance - a long glance....
Really kicking myself now that I didn't write all the other times that I kept meaning to do so! So many little things have happened - nothing huge like a job or anything - but all those little things need to get mentioned so... buckle in because it's going to be a long ride! I'll try to put this in some sort of order as it happened - but can't make any promises.
1 - Found a new venue we love
Not saying that this is THE venue as everything will end up being based on the budget we have after I get a job - but it was a really cool space that could be really amazing. It is at *gasp!* a Golf Club. I know, I know... we didn't think that we would love it. They were doing a vendor meet and we figured we'd check it out and maybe find another vendor we liked. Some of the vendors were cool - but it was all about the venue! So the place is Foothills Golf Club. Our church is on one side of South Mountain and this location is pretty much exactly on the other side of the mountain. It's about a 35 minute drive or so, so not too bad. The pictures on the site are good, but it is SO much better in person. There are views of the beautiful mountains from both sides of the reception space - with huge areas for cocktails and general gathering on both of those sides. It would be SO amazing to have something here where you could be there to watch the sun go down as it's one of the best views I've ever seen - save directly on top of South Mountain. The reception space is spacious and gives us everything we'd ever really wanted.
But then, as we were getting our tour around, after feeling like we'd already seen it all, she said, "Have you seen our theater?". Theater? Why no, we haven't. So we go. As I walk in the door I see it. A stage. Small, but very real with velvet curtains on the sides and old school theater seating in front for about 100-150 people. Before I can even get out my "Can I go stand on the stage?" comment I'm walking up the stairs on the side of the stage. I don't care how small it is - there is nothing at all like being on a stage to me. If she had handed me a pen at that moment I might have signed a contract before my head cleared. I was in love. Kandi was amused. She only recently learned of my affinity for stages, but had never really seen me "go there".
Now, the reason this was extra interesting is that we still weren't sure if we would be able to have our ceremony at the church so seeing this awesome non-traditional ceremony spot was a huge bonus to a location we had already both admitted was firmly in our top 3. Even if we didn't do our ceremony there, there was a giant movie screen there that would allow us to show all sorts of cool things - from a "home movie" sort of thing to just fun power point picture presentations. And no extra charge to use it. It's just part of the space. BONUS! :)
2 - Do we have a church?
Several weeks later, we had our Church's Annual Meeting. There were only about 10 of us present, not uncommon for such a small church, and we were doing it after our fellowship time after service. While several of us were sitting at the same table, something came up where I happened to mention my conversation with Pastor Barb from several weeks before where there was some doubt as to if they might be staying through the end of the year. They hadn't heard that really implied and talked a bit about that. I mentioned that my main reason for concern was because when they left the next minister would be United Methodist and they were unable to do such ceremonies.
And this, this is why I love my church. The reaction at that exact moment. Sitting there with 4 women aged from their late 50's to their late 80's was unanimous.
Simply put they said, "He-e-e-e-e-e-e-ell no!"
All of them were immediately talking and while I couldn't repeat them all now, as much as I would have wanted to, they were all very very clear on the fact that there was nothing that could stop me from having that ceremony in that church. Jeanie, the strongest spunkiest 80-something I've ever known, put it to me quite plainly after the immediate ruckus of voices had died down. Unlike some churches, she said, where the pastor or minister rules the church and all it does - in this church the rules are made by the members. The laypeople are 100% in charge. The pastoral staff may get a voice, but they do not get a vote. While she can't guarantee me that I can get Pastor Barb if she's in another state, she can guarantee me that I will have my ceremony in my church.
It makes me so proud to be a member there. And so happy to have these spunky folks in my life.
3 - Vendor frustration
I had been contacted by a DJ Company that they were doing some huge mock reception with tons of vendors. So, I RSVP'd and that night Kandi came home from work, we threw down some quick dinner and drove the 45 minutes to the venue. About 10 minutes after we handed the valet our keys, we were asking for them back again. The whole thing was a bust. The DJ's weren't there. There was some fruit, cheese and crackers but no one from a catering group. There were tables set up by the hotel. There was a linens vendor who had put different linens on each table and a floral vendor who had put an arrangement on each table. And some vendor who wanted you to pay for them to print you something about what your last name means with a family crest.
Seriously? We drove 45 minutes for that??? It was such a waste. Waste of money and of time. First time we'd had such an experience - but I'm absolutely going to be more careful about which ones we go to in the future.
4 - The Dress
I went to try on wedding dresses for the first time. I went to Strut Bridal where they specialize in sizes 12+. It was great to go without worrying that I wouldn't fit into any of the dresses. I admitted that I had no idea what I wanted and couldn't picture what kind of a dress I wanted to wear so I tried on one of each body type to try to narrow it down a bit. After trying them on I don't think I'm going to be quite that easy unfortunately. My favorites were at two different ends of the dress spectrum - a ballroom style (though NOT a poofy dress) and a trumpet (body hugging until just under the hips). Both were strapless and I'd felt that the one thing I was sure of is that I didn't want a strapless dress. Guess what - I liked them both. One was about $550 and the other about $775 so they would be considered reasonably priced too. It's still hard for me to picture spending over $100 on an outfit (including shoes) but I'm really trying to accept that this is just one of those times. Then again, if I don't get a job soon it may be jeans, white t-shirt and a veil. Though I do kinda like that idea.....
5 - Reality check by Mr. Scale
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to be healthy. Kandi could eat what she wanted, but I was going to do better. And I did. Over 8 months or so I lost about 45lbs. Then, I lost my job. Then 3 jobs later I'm in a high stress job working 16 hours a day and traveling all over the place. Who has time to cut up vegetables for dinner? So, I gained back about 15 of it that year. Then I got laid off at one of the worst points ever in the economy. There were no jobs out there, but I was looking. And eating cheap food. Cheap was more important than healthy. So I gained a few pounds. And then the next job had me working nights and my schedule went even more off. So here I am, having gained back 25 of the 45 I'd lost and I'm again out of a job - but now I'm engaged. I've been saying "healthy" out loud, but being more focused on "cheap" and "makes us feel good" food.
Cut to a few weeks ago. Kandi and I have been "talking" about being healthy. "Talking" about losing weight before the ceremony. But that's all it had been as one healthy meal would be followed by 2 less healthy ones. Until one day something popped in my head and I did some math. Between then and October 1st, if we each lost just 1.5lbs a week - we would both be at our goal weights. Well, not the "dream" goals, but the first serious "goal" numbers we'd had when we talked long ago (and would have had much more time to lose if we'd been serious about it then) about where we would like to be to feel healthy. 1.5? That's actually a healthy amount to lose. it's actually do-able. I mentioned it to Kandi and she signed on - so I made a spreadsheet. Of course. If you know me you know I spreadsheet just about anything.
So we're just 2 weeks in, but so far I'm on goal. Kandi is only about .5 behind, but I think she can make it up this week. We're eating healthy. We're using the treadmill. For the Superbowl we snacked on fresh vegetables and hummus. Really. I don't know if we'll actually hit our goals - but I'm really happy that we're both working on them together.
Moving into the next few weeks - I've been offered a part time job that will pay as much as being on unemployment - and less after taxes. But, I'm hoping I might be able to do that even after I get a full time gig to help out since I'm sure any full time gig will pay far less then I've been getting. And I'm willing to do my part. So, I'm quite tempted to take it. I need to pretty much make my final decision tomorrow. Tomorrow I am also going to the community college to see how many credits I have from when I went a million years ago as I'd like to go back to school. Oh - and also tomorrow we'll be going to another wedding vendor meet up.
Tomorrow is going to be busy! Head up and walk fast. Every step is one step closer to the life we want to lead together. Even if it does get a bit topsy-turvey around here - I am happy and so lucky to be here!
Until next time!
1 - Found a new venue we love
Not saying that this is THE venue as everything will end up being based on the budget we have after I get a job - but it was a really cool space that could be really amazing. It is at *gasp!* a Golf Club. I know, I know... we didn't think that we would love it. They were doing a vendor meet and we figured we'd check it out and maybe find another vendor we liked. Some of the vendors were cool - but it was all about the venue! So the place is Foothills Golf Club. Our church is on one side of South Mountain and this location is pretty much exactly on the other side of the mountain. It's about a 35 minute drive or so, so not too bad. The pictures on the site are good, but it is SO much better in person. There are views of the beautiful mountains from both sides of the reception space - with huge areas for cocktails and general gathering on both of those sides. It would be SO amazing to have something here where you could be there to watch the sun go down as it's one of the best views I've ever seen - save directly on top of South Mountain. The reception space is spacious and gives us everything we'd ever really wanted.
But then, as we were getting our tour around, after feeling like we'd already seen it all, she said, "Have you seen our theater?". Theater? Why no, we haven't. So we go. As I walk in the door I see it. A stage. Small, but very real with velvet curtains on the sides and old school theater seating in front for about 100-150 people. Before I can even get out my "Can I go stand on the stage?" comment I'm walking up the stairs on the side of the stage. I don't care how small it is - there is nothing at all like being on a stage to me. If she had handed me a pen at that moment I might have signed a contract before my head cleared. I was in love. Kandi was amused. She only recently learned of my affinity for stages, but had never really seen me "go there".
Now, the reason this was extra interesting is that we still weren't sure if we would be able to have our ceremony at the church so seeing this awesome non-traditional ceremony spot was a huge bonus to a location we had already both admitted was firmly in our top 3. Even if we didn't do our ceremony there, there was a giant movie screen there that would allow us to show all sorts of cool things - from a "home movie" sort of thing to just fun power point picture presentations. And no extra charge to use it. It's just part of the space. BONUS! :)
2 - Do we have a church?
Several weeks later, we had our Church's Annual Meeting. There were only about 10 of us present, not uncommon for such a small church, and we were doing it after our fellowship time after service. While several of us were sitting at the same table, something came up where I happened to mention my conversation with Pastor Barb from several weeks before where there was some doubt as to if they might be staying through the end of the year. They hadn't heard that really implied and talked a bit about that. I mentioned that my main reason for concern was because when they left the next minister would be United Methodist and they were unable to do such ceremonies.
And this, this is why I love my church. The reaction at that exact moment. Sitting there with 4 women aged from their late 50's to their late 80's was unanimous.
Simply put they said, "He-e-e-e-e-e-e-ell no!"
All of them were immediately talking and while I couldn't repeat them all now, as much as I would have wanted to, they were all very very clear on the fact that there was nothing that could stop me from having that ceremony in that church. Jeanie, the strongest spunkiest 80-something I've ever known, put it to me quite plainly after the immediate ruckus of voices had died down. Unlike some churches, she said, where the pastor or minister rules the church and all it does - in this church the rules are made by the members. The laypeople are 100% in charge. The pastoral staff may get a voice, but they do not get a vote. While she can't guarantee me that I can get Pastor Barb if she's in another state, she can guarantee me that I will have my ceremony in my church.
It makes me so proud to be a member there. And so happy to have these spunky folks in my life.
3 - Vendor frustration
I had been contacted by a DJ Company that they were doing some huge mock reception with tons of vendors. So, I RSVP'd and that night Kandi came home from work, we threw down some quick dinner and drove the 45 minutes to the venue. About 10 minutes after we handed the valet our keys, we were asking for them back again. The whole thing was a bust. The DJ's weren't there. There was some fruit, cheese and crackers but no one from a catering group. There were tables set up by the hotel. There was a linens vendor who had put different linens on each table and a floral vendor who had put an arrangement on each table. And some vendor who wanted you to pay for them to print you something about what your last name means with a family crest.
Seriously? We drove 45 minutes for that??? It was such a waste. Waste of money and of time. First time we'd had such an experience - but I'm absolutely going to be more careful about which ones we go to in the future.
4 - The Dress
I went to try on wedding dresses for the first time. I went to Strut Bridal where they specialize in sizes 12+. It was great to go without worrying that I wouldn't fit into any of the dresses. I admitted that I had no idea what I wanted and couldn't picture what kind of a dress I wanted to wear so I tried on one of each body type to try to narrow it down a bit. After trying them on I don't think I'm going to be quite that easy unfortunately. My favorites were at two different ends of the dress spectrum - a ballroom style (though NOT a poofy dress) and a trumpet (body hugging until just under the hips). Both were strapless and I'd felt that the one thing I was sure of is that I didn't want a strapless dress. Guess what - I liked them both. One was about $550 and the other about $775 so they would be considered reasonably priced too. It's still hard for me to picture spending over $100 on an outfit (including shoes) but I'm really trying to accept that this is just one of those times. Then again, if I don't get a job soon it may be jeans, white t-shirt and a veil. Though I do kinda like that idea.....
5 - Reality check by Mr. Scale
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to be healthy. Kandi could eat what she wanted, but I was going to do better. And I did. Over 8 months or so I lost about 45lbs. Then, I lost my job. Then 3 jobs later I'm in a high stress job working 16 hours a day and traveling all over the place. Who has time to cut up vegetables for dinner? So, I gained back about 15 of it that year. Then I got laid off at one of the worst points ever in the economy. There were no jobs out there, but I was looking. And eating cheap food. Cheap was more important than healthy. So I gained a few pounds. And then the next job had me working nights and my schedule went even more off. So here I am, having gained back 25 of the 45 I'd lost and I'm again out of a job - but now I'm engaged. I've been saying "healthy" out loud, but being more focused on "cheap" and "makes us feel good" food.
Cut to a few weeks ago. Kandi and I have been "talking" about being healthy. "Talking" about losing weight before the ceremony. But that's all it had been as one healthy meal would be followed by 2 less healthy ones. Until one day something popped in my head and I did some math. Between then and October 1st, if we each lost just 1.5lbs a week - we would both be at our goal weights. Well, not the "dream" goals, but the first serious "goal" numbers we'd had when we talked long ago (and would have had much more time to lose if we'd been serious about it then) about where we would like to be to feel healthy. 1.5? That's actually a healthy amount to lose. it's actually do-able. I mentioned it to Kandi and she signed on - so I made a spreadsheet. Of course. If you know me you know I spreadsheet just about anything.
So we're just 2 weeks in, but so far I'm on goal. Kandi is only about .5 behind, but I think she can make it up this week. We're eating healthy. We're using the treadmill. For the Superbowl we snacked on fresh vegetables and hummus. Really. I don't know if we'll actually hit our goals - but I'm really happy that we're both working on them together.
Moving into the next few weeks - I've been offered a part time job that will pay as much as being on unemployment - and less after taxes. But, I'm hoping I might be able to do that even after I get a full time gig to help out since I'm sure any full time gig will pay far less then I've been getting. And I'm willing to do my part. So, I'm quite tempted to take it. I need to pretty much make my final decision tomorrow. Tomorrow I am also going to the community college to see how many credits I have from when I went a million years ago as I'd like to go back to school. Oh - and also tomorrow we'll be going to another wedding vendor meet up.
Tomorrow is going to be busy! Head up and walk fast. Every step is one step closer to the life we want to lead together. Even if it does get a bit topsy-turvey around here - I am happy and so lucky to be here!
Until next time!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving in retrospect
We had a wonderful holiday long weekend filled with some of the best things in life - friends, family and shopping.
Wednesday I made some traditional pumpkin pies and then some rolls that were famously made by my Aunt Mary Jane who hasn't been with us for several years now. I don't make them often because they take SO much time and are never as good as when she made them. But they remind me of her every time as I had her describe to me how to make them and I wrote down every word she said. It cracks me up every time when I get to the line about when to turn your oven on because if you do it any earlier you will run up your electricity bill. Gotta love it.
Thursday, Thanksgiving day, was wonderful. Just Kandi and I cooking, watching the parade and house prepping until late afternoon. Going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is totally on our bucket list. We event talked at one point Thursday about making that our Honeymoon since the timing would be almost perfect but know it will likely have to wait for another year. We had a small group of family and friends that came over about 4 and were there until after 10pm. Late in the night we were able to get some wedding day opinions from them which proved to be very interesting. Got their thoughts on week day vs. weekend, start times, colors, indoor/outdoor etc. It was nice to run them by other folks but at the same time, we later discussed that it was also a reminder of why we are likely to do it on our own for most of the planning. While we like other folks input here and there, for some of the items we don't want to hear that someone else doesn't "love" something we love. It was really great to do at this point in the process.
Friday we'd planned to go to the stores nice and early to get some deals. When the alarm when off that morning we decided that we would actually rather just sleep and save the money. Later that day we went to Pie Party - our friends Kate & John's annual must attend event. Their house is amazing and I've loved it since I first met them 10 years ago and it just gets better. They have done such great things with it. (Though I still miss the 50's style booth in the eat in part of the kitchen - I will admit that their re-do of the kitchen is absolutely fantastic) One day when I was feeling frustrated with the the costs and obstacles in selecting a reception venue I'd joked to Kandi that we were just going to do it at Kate's house and that I'd let her know when we saw her for Pie Party. When I mentioned that to Kate she said that the people who lived there before them actually HAD hosted several weddings in their back yard. I think we'll keep her house off the official list for now, but if I don't get a job in the next few months - it goes on the list. :)
Saturday we decided to do just a little bit of shopping. Bought a few Christmas gifts AND bought a few wedding things. Two small things and one big thing. We bought a wax stamp to be able to put on the back of the invitations with a design we really liked, and we bought matching white hats with "BRIDE" in rhinestone on the front. Then our big thing was a treadmill. Doesn't seem very wedding-y I know, but it is. We've been working on getting healthy over the last few years but have never been great about working out. We know that we both want to be healthier (Not skinny - just healthier than our current weight) by the time of our ceremony so this was a huge step. It was a great sale and we've talked about getting one for years so we decided to take the plunge. We spent the evening with friends playing board games and eating pizza. Not super healthy - but not awful.
Sunday was all about being lazy, relaxing and then putting together the treadmill. Successful on all counts. We love lazy Sundays and it was great to have after a busy weekend. Gave us time to really think about our week, and talk about how thankful we were for everything we have and the great friends and family who are in our life. Hope you are still thankful to be in our lives after all the DIY adventures we're sure to have as we get closer and closer to the big day! You didn't know about that? Well, consider yourselves warned. :)
Wednesday I made some traditional pumpkin pies and then some rolls that were famously made by my Aunt Mary Jane who hasn't been with us for several years now. I don't make them often because they take SO much time and are never as good as when she made them. But they remind me of her every time as I had her describe to me how to make them and I wrote down every word she said. It cracks me up every time when I get to the line about when to turn your oven on because if you do it any earlier you will run up your electricity bill. Gotta love it.
Thursday, Thanksgiving day, was wonderful. Just Kandi and I cooking, watching the parade and house prepping until late afternoon. Going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is totally on our bucket list. We event talked at one point Thursday about making that our Honeymoon since the timing would be almost perfect but know it will likely have to wait for another year. We had a small group of family and friends that came over about 4 and were there until after 10pm. Late in the night we were able to get some wedding day opinions from them which proved to be very interesting. Got their thoughts on week day vs. weekend, start times, colors, indoor/outdoor etc. It was nice to run them by other folks but at the same time, we later discussed that it was also a reminder of why we are likely to do it on our own for most of the planning. While we like other folks input here and there, for some of the items we don't want to hear that someone else doesn't "love" something we love. It was really great to do at this point in the process.
Friday we'd planned to go to the stores nice and early to get some deals. When the alarm when off that morning we decided that we would actually rather just sleep and save the money. Later that day we went to Pie Party - our friends Kate & John's annual must attend event. Their house is amazing and I've loved it since I first met them 10 years ago and it just gets better. They have done such great things with it. (Though I still miss the 50's style booth in the eat in part of the kitchen - I will admit that their re-do of the kitchen is absolutely fantastic) One day when I was feeling frustrated with the the costs and obstacles in selecting a reception venue I'd joked to Kandi that we were just going to do it at Kate's house and that I'd let her know when we saw her for Pie Party. When I mentioned that to Kate she said that the people who lived there before them actually HAD hosted several weddings in their back yard. I think we'll keep her house off the official list for now, but if I don't get a job in the next few months - it goes on the list. :)
Saturday we decided to do just a little bit of shopping. Bought a few Christmas gifts AND bought a few wedding things. Two small things and one big thing. We bought a wax stamp to be able to put on the back of the invitations with a design we really liked, and we bought matching white hats with "BRIDE" in rhinestone on the front. Then our big thing was a treadmill. Doesn't seem very wedding-y I know, but it is. We've been working on getting healthy over the last few years but have never been great about working out. We know that we both want to be healthier (Not skinny - just healthier than our current weight) by the time of our ceremony so this was a huge step. It was a great sale and we've talked about getting one for years so we decided to take the plunge. We spent the evening with friends playing board games and eating pizza. Not super healthy - but not awful.
Sunday was all about being lazy, relaxing and then putting together the treadmill. Successful on all counts. We love lazy Sundays and it was great to have after a busy weekend. Gave us time to really think about our week, and talk about how thankful we were for everything we have and the great friends and family who are in our life. Hope you are still thankful to be in our lives after all the DIY adventures we're sure to have as we get closer and closer to the big day! You didn't know about that? Well, consider yourselves warned. :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
A million little decisions
It's tough for an hour to go by without my mind drifting to some topic related to "the big day". It's exciting and I hear that's fairly normal. I want to start planning things and setting dates and reserving spaces and picking caterers and trying on dresses and a million other things. But as much as I want to do them and feel like I NEED to do them there is one more important thing that I need to do first.
I need to find a job.
Yes, I am happily engaged, but unhappily unemployed. I just finished a temporary job working for the Census that was just amazing. It was such a historic opportunity - and paid well enough that I was able to both save up and work on paying off debt. I was so happy to have even that temporary position as I had been unemployed for 6 months after a layoff earlier in the year. But now.... now I'm back to looking for work. So while all this Ceremony ADD is kind of cute to some folks - it isn't helping me at all in getting a job.
When we talk with folks they ask innocent little questions about what we're planning and I just keep thinking about how I can't even give them a date yet because until we can put down some cash to save a venue, I can't be sure which date we'll secure. And until we have a venue I can't decide on about a hundred other things so no decisions have been made.
It can get a bit frustrating but I'm trying to keep that as motivation and not a distraction. It's helped me keep more focused as I worked on a recent proposal and send out a few resumes. I can't be distracted by something shiny anymore - well, I at least need to cut it down. Maybe next week I can get it down to thinking about it only once every 2 hours? It would be progress, right?
Another thing that we think might help is if we start making SOME decisions. We've started doing things with the guest list so we can get an initial feeling of who will be invited and who will likely be there so we get an estimate. We've toured several venues and have several others we're planning to go to shortly. We are going to look to see what flowers are in season this time of year so we can both start planning flowers and maybe use that to decide what our colors are going to be. They are all little things, but we both think it would be great to have some decisions made.
Then again, we have the important decisions made. I have her. She has me. We have an awesome church and an amazing Pastor ready to perform the ceremony. Everything else is just a bonus.
:)
I need to find a job.
Yes, I am happily engaged, but unhappily unemployed. I just finished a temporary job working for the Census that was just amazing. It was such a historic opportunity - and paid well enough that I was able to both save up and work on paying off debt. I was so happy to have even that temporary position as I had been unemployed for 6 months after a layoff earlier in the year. But now.... now I'm back to looking for work. So while all this Ceremony ADD is kind of cute to some folks - it isn't helping me at all in getting a job.
When we talk with folks they ask innocent little questions about what we're planning and I just keep thinking about how I can't even give them a date yet because until we can put down some cash to save a venue, I can't be sure which date we'll secure. And until we have a venue I can't decide on about a hundred other things so no decisions have been made.
It can get a bit frustrating but I'm trying to keep that as motivation and not a distraction. It's helped me keep more focused as I worked on a recent proposal and send out a few resumes. I can't be distracted by something shiny anymore - well, I at least need to cut it down. Maybe next week I can get it down to thinking about it only once every 2 hours? It would be progress, right?
Another thing that we think might help is if we start making SOME decisions. We've started doing things with the guest list so we can get an initial feeling of who will be invited and who will likely be there so we get an estimate. We've toured several venues and have several others we're planning to go to shortly. We are going to look to see what flowers are in season this time of year so we can both start planning flowers and maybe use that to decide what our colors are going to be. They are all little things, but we both think it would be great to have some decisions made.
Then again, we have the important decisions made. I have her. She has me. We have an awesome church and an amazing Pastor ready to perform the ceremony. Everything else is just a bonus.
:)
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Feeling the ceremony spirit
It's October and in Phoenix that means it is the beginning of Wedding season. Wedding season. That's a phrase I hadn't even thought about until recently. I'd always thought of May/June as the wedding season (April showers, May flowers, June weddings) but I should have realized that we aren't the only Phoenicians who like the idea of having the ceremony without the sweltering heat. This means we will be competing with tons of other folks for the same locations since we are looking to have the ceremony in October or early November at the latest. With childhood memories of "knowing" that you are supposed to begin planning everything a year out, we've been looking more and more at the everything that makes up the details of the event. Like a firm date. And a location. Pretty important details, right?
Last week I did something unexpected - I bought my first bridal magazine. It was gigantic, filled with pretty pictures to give me tons of expensive and unrealistic expectations, and most importantly specifically based on the Arizona bride. That's important to me as I don't want to be bombarded with images of brides at Irish castles or in lush forests when I'm in the middle of the desert and don't have any real access to a castle. The magazine is called Arizona Weddings and they also have a pretty robust web site. I'll admit, I've only made it about 20 pages into the magazine in the last week as it all gets a bit overwhelming. At about page 15 there was a list of what you should be doing or have done at the 12 month, 9 month, 6 month, 3 month, etc point down to the day of the wedding. I must have re-read that about 40 times. Every time I felt like we were further and further behind.
But - the show must go on! So, as of tomorrow we are going to a local spot called Venue at the Grove for an open house. This spot is close to our house and not too far from the church which is a huge plus. The pictures on the website look beautiful and almost make me wish we were doing a location ceremony as they have such a great spot for it - but nothing beats getting married in our own church. The big question is going to be - how is the reception area and what are our options for really using that beautiful outdoor space. And the biggest question - is this going to be our reception location???
Scared, excited and more than a little bit "OMG! OMG! OMG!". :)
Last week I did something unexpected - I bought my first bridal magazine. It was gigantic, filled with pretty pictures to give me tons of expensive and unrealistic expectations, and most importantly specifically based on the Arizona bride. That's important to me as I don't want to be bombarded with images of brides at Irish castles or in lush forests when I'm in the middle of the desert and don't have any real access to a castle. The magazine is called Arizona Weddings and they also have a pretty robust web site. I'll admit, I've only made it about 20 pages into the magazine in the last week as it all gets a bit overwhelming. At about page 15 there was a list of what you should be doing or have done at the 12 month, 9 month, 6 month, 3 month, etc point down to the day of the wedding. I must have re-read that about 40 times. Every time I felt like we were further and further behind.
But - the show must go on! So, as of tomorrow we are going to a local spot called Venue at the Grove for an open house. This spot is close to our house and not too far from the church which is a huge plus. The pictures on the website look beautiful and almost make me wish we were doing a location ceremony as they have such a great spot for it - but nothing beats getting married in our own church. The big question is going to be - how is the reception area and what are our options for really using that beautiful outdoor space. And the biggest question - is this going to be our reception location???
Scared, excited and more than a little bit "OMG! OMG! OMG!". :)
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