So there is something that happens while you are planning your wedding - your life, it kind of gets in the way. This weekend I finished addressing all the invites - only to find out I didn't order enough (i think i was off by like 10...I mean REALLY?!?!?!). So project is like 99% done, then this coming weekend Isaac and I are heading to Atlanta to get tuxedos with all the boys in the family, get Cori her junior bridesmaid dresses, last minute things for me at David's Bridal, and then a nice family lunch at Dave & Busters.
It is going to be a great time, but before I get there, I am in Sumter, SC at Shaw AFB for a Military Justice conference, and then next week when I return to work I have one week to prepare for a fully-litigated court involving a not nice guy. I have had very little time to prep and I'm really stressed about it - so that means without question after this weekend, I am likely out at least 10 days of wedding prep (because I'll be in court prep)...no one tells you when you get engaged that you should plan on taking a leave of absence from work if you truly intend to get this all done on your own!
There is a lot I'm trying to enjoy, the stuff with my family, Isaac's family, his kids, getting the tuxes, getting the dress - it is all a part of the process and I love that! It is the late nights addressing and stuffing after a full work day that I say - this would be so much more fun if only my life just didn't get in the way ;)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Invitation HELL
12 Short - seriously??? I am still uncertain whether they shorted me or whether I just miscounted! And it is $5 per invite (versus $1 for 100) if I only order 25...so now I'm going to have to order somewhere between 50-75 more just to make it worth it! I'm going to lose it over these stupid invites! Hate them, but they are so cute...
I'm planning on giving the wedding planner a lengthy to do list...and hoping (without belief) that it will actually all get done! Other than that - things really aren't that crazy! Its weird...but we are going to get tuxedos next weekend, so that should create some sort of dramatic happenings!
In the meantime I am still addressing away and stuffing envelopes, stamping and stamping and stamping!
I'm planning on giving the wedding planner a lengthy to do list...and hoping (without belief) that it will actually all get done! Other than that - things really aren't that crazy! Its weird...but we are going to get tuxedos next weekend, so that should create some sort of dramatic happenings!
In the meantime I am still addressing away and stuffing envelopes, stamping and stamping and stamping!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Weekly Update
Work is so crazy busy I come home too exhausted to lift my computer....let alone blog....but I will have more to come tomorrow! Tonight Isaac and I are celebrating our rescheduled Valentine's Day - I'm fairly certain we've done this every year we have been together! The life of a restaurant worker!! More to come tomorrow...
Monday, February 14, 2011
Invitations Continue
...and today I put stamps on 125 RSVP envelopes...
after I cleaned dog poo from all around the house, fed my boys, brushed Reagan's teeth and gave him a bath, somewhere along that road I lost energy to do everything else - seriously people who have two jobs must be crazy (i.e., my mother)! I can't even do the wedding planning and my real job in addition to taking care of two dogs!
On the bright side Morgan sent me an adorable picture with her bridesmaid dress and it seems things will work out on that end - although it was the wrong color (the picture) I can't wait to see what all the girls pick out - I think that is the best part of letting them choose their own tops and accents, they will all show their own unique style, it's going to be fun! And she dropped my shoes to get dyed...PINK, so excited, can't wait to get them back, after which I will begin to wear them all around the house, even in my pajamas - I'm sure Reagan will try to eat them though, so we'll have to sneak it in while he is outside! Today I'm just tired, but so super excited about putting these invites together, getting all the last minute stuff and finalizing everything! Cannot wait!
after I cleaned dog poo from all around the house, fed my boys, brushed Reagan's teeth and gave him a bath, somewhere along that road I lost energy to do everything else - seriously people who have two jobs must be crazy (i.e., my mother)! I can't even do the wedding planning and my real job in addition to taking care of two dogs!
On the bright side Morgan sent me an adorable picture with her bridesmaid dress and it seems things will work out on that end - although it was the wrong color (the picture) I can't wait to see what all the girls pick out - I think that is the best part of letting them choose their own tops and accents, they will all show their own unique style, it's going to be fun! And she dropped my shoes to get dyed...PINK, so excited, can't wait to get them back, after which I will begin to wear them all around the house, even in my pajamas - I'm sure Reagan will try to eat them though, so we'll have to sneak it in while he is outside! Today I'm just tired, but so super excited about putting these invites together, getting all the last minute stuff and finalizing everything! Cannot wait!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Ribbon Ties
Soooo...today Isaac and I tied 125 one-loop ribbons...
Well Isaac tied about 50, I tied the rest (he got bored, but he helped- SUCCESS!)...it was fun! Who knew when you sit back and just enjoy the process this whole wedding planning thing can be fun - until my wedding planner showed up (via email).
So when we hired our planner she came at a great price and sounded like just what we needed - super organized, super go-getter, super knowledgeable, and all-in-all the one to help us, BOY were we wrong! This lady is by far the most unorganized, un-helpful, un-communicative, resourceless person I've EVER MET! I emailed her and said "hey can you get us the final contract for the caterer so we can sign it?" (by the way, we had already called the caterer and they told us our ENTIRE EVENT was registered in my wedding planner's name, they didn't have any record of our names...so you'd assume she'd be on top of things...uh-uh) She replies with "its your responsibility to call them and finalized the contract I don't have anything to do with it now...." hmmmm in my head I think (1) the contract is in your name, idiot; (2) i thought you were helping us plan this, you've been the only one communicating with the caterer up to this point, but now it's my job? (3) are you freaking kidding me???? Then she says to let her know what she can do to help she doesn't want me frazzled!! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all, have we met? Second, you are the only one who frazzles me...and third, what the hell kind of wedding planner are you?
In the meantime on Thursday we heard that we are sharing the cost of the tent with the other two couples who are getting married the same weekend we are (Friday and Saturday, we got Sunday :))...which is a huge savings and super exciting...then the venue said, oh wait we meant only in inclement weather - huh? That's not what you said on the phone - although it is a tent if needed, and it is VERY inexpensive....but it made me think....
I'm fairly convinced that the entire wedding industry is filled with people who tell you exactly what you want to hear, carefully, to get you to agree, and then they happen to throw 18 other things that you weren't expecting into the mix! I think my dad told me that the wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, all working the play on the innocence and dreams of young women who've thought of their wedding day since they were 5 years old! And I'm sucked into it - I'm a freaking lawyer! I have an image of all these happy, smile laden wedding types getting together at an underground bar after some wedding fair, or large event where they've been selling all day...and as they enter into the bar they shake off those happy, pretty looks and as those happy looks fade away, you see grotesque, misshapen, evil monsters - you know like in Lord of the Rings or something, and then they start to regale each other with their tales of the woes, innocent-naivete, and dreams...promising each of these young brides-to-be every single thing they've ever dreamed of...and all at an affordable price! RIGHT! It's not the dream that we all think, it's real, just like everything else - it is real life, and it is still fun, and awesome, just surprising and not what you expect...but at the end its fun, right?
Well Isaac tied about 50, I tied the rest (he got bored, but he helped- SUCCESS!)...it was fun! Who knew when you sit back and just enjoy the process this whole wedding planning thing can be fun - until my wedding planner showed up (via email).
So when we hired our planner she came at a great price and sounded like just what we needed - super organized, super go-getter, super knowledgeable, and all-in-all the one to help us, BOY were we wrong! This lady is by far the most unorganized, un-helpful, un-communicative, resourceless person I've EVER MET! I emailed her and said "hey can you get us the final contract for the caterer so we can sign it?" (by the way, we had already called the caterer and they told us our ENTIRE EVENT was registered in my wedding planner's name, they didn't have any record of our names...so you'd assume she'd be on top of things...uh-uh) She replies with "its your responsibility to call them and finalized the contract I don't have anything to do with it now...." hmmmm in my head I think (1) the contract is in your name, idiot; (2) i thought you were helping us plan this, you've been the only one communicating with the caterer up to this point, but now it's my job? (3) are you freaking kidding me???? Then she says to let her know what she can do to help she doesn't want me frazzled!! LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all, have we met? Second, you are the only one who frazzles me...and third, what the hell kind of wedding planner are you?
In the meantime on Thursday we heard that we are sharing the cost of the tent with the other two couples who are getting married the same weekend we are (Friday and Saturday, we got Sunday :))...which is a huge savings and super exciting...then the venue said, oh wait we meant only in inclement weather - huh? That's not what you said on the phone - although it is a tent if needed, and it is VERY inexpensive....but it made me think....
I'm fairly convinced that the entire wedding industry is filled with people who tell you exactly what you want to hear, carefully, to get you to agree, and then they happen to throw 18 other things that you weren't expecting into the mix! I think my dad told me that the wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, all working the play on the innocence and dreams of young women who've thought of their wedding day since they were 5 years old! And I'm sucked into it - I'm a freaking lawyer! I have an image of all these happy, smile laden wedding types getting together at an underground bar after some wedding fair, or large event where they've been selling all day...and as they enter into the bar they shake off those happy, pretty looks and as those happy looks fade away, you see grotesque, misshapen, evil monsters - you know like in Lord of the Rings or something, and then they start to regale each other with their tales of the woes, innocent-naivete, and dreams...promising each of these young brides-to-be every single thing they've ever dreamed of...and all at an affordable price! RIGHT! It's not the dream that we all think, it's real, just like everything else - it is real life, and it is still fun, and awesome, just surprising and not what you expect...but at the end its fun, right?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Stepping Back
The wedding has overcome every aspect of our lives...every conversation we have has something to do with the wedding, it is like this huge elephant that is not only in the room but keeps blowing its horn as if to say "pay attention, NO REALLY see me, I've got a list a mile long of things you have to do!" But there is still life...and when I step back, when I stop, breathe and think, I remember I am about to marry my best friend, the person i look to for everything, who's opinion I value above all else - I won't even go into court without running an argument by Isaac, and those thoughts take my breath away...
As hard as this is, as stressful and as crazy there is nothing that will take that away, and no matter how it turns out - no matter if everyone is sitting on the ground, eating hot dogs and hamburgers - with Isaac's famous chicken-bones - we still get to marry each other and then we get to spend the rest of our lives together...and that is amazing! First stop, San Antonio, Texas....
As Texas gets closer I'm scared, excited, nervous and just full of anticipation all at once, but in the back of my mine, I know that Isaac will be there and that makes it all ok, no matter what happens. These moments of clarity are what will get me through the craziness of at least one more fully-litigated court, and a thousand hours of planning the last minute details...all in the next 14 weeks or so :)
As hard as this is, as stressful and as crazy there is nothing that will take that away, and no matter how it turns out - no matter if everyone is sitting on the ground, eating hot dogs and hamburgers - with Isaac's famous chicken-bones - we still get to marry each other and then we get to spend the rest of our lives together...and that is amazing! First stop, San Antonio, Texas....
As Texas gets closer I'm scared, excited, nervous and just full of anticipation all at once, but in the back of my mine, I know that Isaac will be there and that makes it all ok, no matter what happens. These moments of clarity are what will get me through the craziness of at least one more fully-litigated court, and a thousand hours of planning the last minute details...all in the next 14 weeks or so :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
David's Bridal - the DEVIL in White
So last year I was waaaaay ahead of the game, I knew exactly what I wanted all my bridesmaids to wear...and it was at David's Bridal - awesome, they are all around the country just like my bridesmaids it will be perfect! So we go in there (Morgan and I dragged Isaac quite unwillingly) and spend about 30-45 minutes picking out all the choices, colors, options, etc.
So last weekend one of my bridesmaids goes to get her dress (when I registered a year ago they assured me it wasn't a problem...like I said I was way ahead of the game and totally ready to get little things out of the way, especially things I was certain about)...well she texts me at about 5:00 PM eastern time (she is in Seattle) and asks me what the style number for the dress is?? Huh? What? I'm especially perplexed by this since my dresses had a skirt, a slip that was a different color and then 6 tops that the bridesmaids could choose from - oh and any accents that they liked....so I'm a little taken aback, first to come up with all those style numbers seems incredibly daunting in the recovery stage I was in (Isaac and I celebrated "holy cow Isaac has a Saturday night off work" the night before - it's a big holiday in our house, ahhh the life of a restaurant manager, anyway) the task seemed daunting, but then I thought, well what did they do with all those choices I made last YEAR?!?!?!?!
So I called the next day (Monday) spoke to a lady and she said, hmmmm I wonder why none of your bridesmaid choices are entered into the computer - I rudely interrupted with, so what you are telling me is in the last year, not one of you has had time to input the choices I made when I drove up to Atlanta and spent 30 minutes in your nightmare of a store...no one has had the time to do that??? She politely, and profusely apologized and then tried to help....which we both thought she did. She gave me a couple style numbers to verify later and that was that - crisis averted, until I verified the style numbers and she was WAY off!
Now mind you, I understand that nothing has actually gone wrong in this drama - but if you know me at all, you know that all of this up to now is ANNOYING and it bothers me immensely regardless of whether anything actually goes wrong - in addition to the massive amounts of worrying this has now contributed to my already worry-filled existence....So...I called back today, and after the first five minutes of the clerk humming and hahhing and just generally being annoyed with helping me I reminded her that they were the ones a year late on taking care of this so she might want to adjust her attitude...and then we proceeded to spend 30 minutes (while I'm at work mind you) going through (twice) every style number of every top, the skirt style number at least five time, and the slip a whopping 6, at least! And the end of this fiasco I just hope my bridesmaids show up in the right colors let alone the right dress!
In the meantime, I've had about zero time to do much of anything else, although I did spend a nice hour on the phone with Isaac's mom last night, we worked out a lot of details, and at the end I think I left with more questions than answers - but I think that is just generally the nature of wedding planning :) Busy with work, I have a test tomorrow in some crazy school I have to take - it's on leadership, I think if I just say "I bribe them with candy" I will not likely pass, so I decided I needed to do a little studying, which has turned into two days of not watching Glee or any other fun show...tomorrow I've reserved entirely for television!
I'm even more excited about this weekend, I'm putting together and starting to address all the invitations...No actually I'm not being sarcastic! I'm really looking forward to that big project, dividing into it and putting them all together neatly seems like its going to be a good time - I just need to weigh and measure them and then figure out if I can do $0.44 or if I need to step up or what - any suggestions? Advice?
So last weekend one of my bridesmaids goes to get her dress (when I registered a year ago they assured me it wasn't a problem...like I said I was way ahead of the game and totally ready to get little things out of the way, especially things I was certain about)...well she texts me at about 5:00 PM eastern time (she is in Seattle) and asks me what the style number for the dress is?? Huh? What? I'm especially perplexed by this since my dresses had a skirt, a slip that was a different color and then 6 tops that the bridesmaids could choose from - oh and any accents that they liked....so I'm a little taken aback, first to come up with all those style numbers seems incredibly daunting in the recovery stage I was in (Isaac and I celebrated "holy cow Isaac has a Saturday night off work" the night before - it's a big holiday in our house, ahhh the life of a restaurant manager, anyway) the task seemed daunting, but then I thought, well what did they do with all those choices I made last YEAR?!?!?!?!
So I called the next day (Monday) spoke to a lady and she said, hmmmm I wonder why none of your bridesmaid choices are entered into the computer - I rudely interrupted with, so what you are telling me is in the last year, not one of you has had time to input the choices I made when I drove up to Atlanta and spent 30 minutes in your nightmare of a store...no one has had the time to do that??? She politely, and profusely apologized and then tried to help....which we both thought she did. She gave me a couple style numbers to verify later and that was that - crisis averted, until I verified the style numbers and she was WAY off!
Now mind you, I understand that nothing has actually gone wrong in this drama - but if you know me at all, you know that all of this up to now is ANNOYING and it bothers me immensely regardless of whether anything actually goes wrong - in addition to the massive amounts of worrying this has now contributed to my already worry-filled existence....So...I called back today, and after the first five minutes of the clerk humming and hahhing and just generally being annoyed with helping me I reminded her that they were the ones a year late on taking care of this so she might want to adjust her attitude...and then we proceeded to spend 30 minutes (while I'm at work mind you) going through (twice) every style number of every top, the skirt style number at least five time, and the slip a whopping 6, at least! And the end of this fiasco I just hope my bridesmaids show up in the right colors let alone the right dress!
In the meantime, I've had about zero time to do much of anything else, although I did spend a nice hour on the phone with Isaac's mom last night, we worked out a lot of details, and at the end I think I left with more questions than answers - but I think that is just generally the nature of wedding planning :) Busy with work, I have a test tomorrow in some crazy school I have to take - it's on leadership, I think if I just say "I bribe them with candy" I will not likely pass, so I decided I needed to do a little studying, which has turned into two days of not watching Glee or any other fun show...tomorrow I've reserved entirely for television!
I'm even more excited about this weekend, I'm putting together and starting to address all the invitations...No actually I'm not being sarcastic! I'm really looking forward to that big project, dividing into it and putting them all together neatly seems like its going to be a good time - I just need to weigh and measure them and then figure out if I can do $0.44 or if I need to step up or what - any suggestions? Advice?
Monday, February 7, 2011
My First Blog and My First Wedding...
Well I never thought I'd see the day where I started a BLOG! I mean I'm new and get most of the technology, but I never really saw the point in all of this...until I read my sister's blog and thought what a perfect outlet - that is if I can find the time!!
The next question I had was "what the hell will I write about..." Isaac, my fiance, looked and me and said "Really? The only thing you can talk about is this wedding - write about that, then maybe you'll stop complaining to me!" Hmmmm...so here I am writing about my wedding planning.
We have been planning this wedding for over a year now, after years of dating, a long-distance relationship through law school, a number of moves, and living with our parents, Isaac finally proposed on October 15, 2009...so what did I say? Yes, now let's wait until May 2011 to get married! I'd always wanted to get married in May, but I didn't want to plan a wedding in 7 months so I said let's just wait...no one happened to mention that no matter how long it takes you take to plan the silly wedding, nothing actually happens until you are 6 months out! So really waiting is pointless...advice for all you future bride-planners, early does not mean better, it means everyone looks at you like you are crazy when you register for bridesmaids dresses a year before you need them (and then David's Bridal forgets to enter them into the computer system...FOR OVER A YEAR)!!!!
The biggest challenge Isaac and I are facing right now is not really any of the little details, I can handle those - I've got 18 to do lists, 19 organizers, 25 different "to-do" cards for each individual in the bridal party, and about a thousand ideas on exactly how the wedding weekend should go...minute by minute. Our biggest challenge is money - in this economy you'd think duh! But its not that, Isaac and I both have good paying jobs, both good planners, organizers, ok with saving - when we put our minds to it, great...its just how the hell can throwing a big party for your family cost this much??? Well we sat back and thought about it, and it dawned on us that it might have something to do with the fact that both of our families are 100+ (my mom is 1 of 16 children, and that's just her side, 38 grandkids to boot)! Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I want all of them there when I marry the man of my dreams, but the cost is simply astounding - when did the wedding industry become so...well so expensive?
I guess I really have nothing to compare it to, it's not like I've planned a bunch of these - but the question comes about, how is it that people pay for this? I mean, real, honest-to-goodness people? Do they really spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the food, the dress, the transportation? I have found my favorite thing to say lately is - I don't think we need that!
Don't get me wrong, I love the planning, I love the excitement, and I'm fairly certain somewhere deep down I love the chaos of it all! What better time in my life than planning the wedding of my, well affordable, dreams! The plan is to use this blog as a way to share the lessons learned, the fun and excitement, and sometimes even the let downs of the last 110 days until our wedding....I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do!
The next question I had was "what the hell will I write about..." Isaac, my fiance, looked and me and said "Really? The only thing you can talk about is this wedding - write about that, then maybe you'll stop complaining to me!" Hmmmm...so here I am writing about my wedding planning.
We have been planning this wedding for over a year now, after years of dating, a long-distance relationship through law school, a number of moves, and living with our parents, Isaac finally proposed on October 15, 2009...so what did I say? Yes, now let's wait until May 2011 to get married! I'd always wanted to get married in May, but I didn't want to plan a wedding in 7 months so I said let's just wait...no one happened to mention that no matter how long it takes you take to plan the silly wedding, nothing actually happens until you are 6 months out! So really waiting is pointless...advice for all you future bride-planners, early does not mean better, it means everyone looks at you like you are crazy when you register for bridesmaids dresses a year before you need them (and then David's Bridal forgets to enter them into the computer system...FOR OVER A YEAR)!!!!
The biggest challenge Isaac and I are facing right now is not really any of the little details, I can handle those - I've got 18 to do lists, 19 organizers, 25 different "to-do" cards for each individual in the bridal party, and about a thousand ideas on exactly how the wedding weekend should go...minute by minute. Our biggest challenge is money - in this economy you'd think duh! But its not that, Isaac and I both have good paying jobs, both good planners, organizers, ok with saving - when we put our minds to it, great...its just how the hell can throwing a big party for your family cost this much??? Well we sat back and thought about it, and it dawned on us that it might have something to do with the fact that both of our families are 100+ (my mom is 1 of 16 children, and that's just her side, 38 grandkids to boot)! Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I want all of them there when I marry the man of my dreams, but the cost is simply astounding - when did the wedding industry become so...well so expensive?
I guess I really have nothing to compare it to, it's not like I've planned a bunch of these - but the question comes about, how is it that people pay for this? I mean, real, honest-to-goodness people? Do they really spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the food, the dress, the transportation? I have found my favorite thing to say lately is - I don't think we need that!
Don't get me wrong, I love the planning, I love the excitement, and I'm fairly certain somewhere deep down I love the chaos of it all! What better time in my life than planning the wedding of my, well affordable, dreams! The plan is to use this blog as a way to share the lessons learned, the fun and excitement, and sometimes even the let downs of the last 110 days until our wedding....I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we do!
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