wedding-related randomness

I'm entering the home stretch.
Nearly everything for both wedding events is done. Still waiting on a dozen RSVPs and then I can turn in my banquet orders. The linens came, my mom says they're quite nice, but I won't see them before the event. I am writing two MASSIVE checks this week for photography and the destination wedding reception... ouch. Right now I'm praising Jesus since my "check engine light" magically turned off after 2 days and hoping he'll keep an eye on my available credit card balance. Hair trial with Megan on Thursday (also The Office Wedding episode!) and much needed girl time.

And what's with people around the office telling me "it's not too late to back out" and "good luck, it's all over now."? Really? Reeeeeally? Just because your marriage/any-relationship-you've-ever-been-in/life failed, don't put that shit on me. Here's what you can go do:


Also, I heard at statistic on Oprah's Mad Men episode that the average age for a woman to get married in 1964 was 20 and in 2009 it's 26. I'm just squeaking by on that one! I wasn't quick enough to come up with an excuse so now I have to have lunch with coworkers... argh. At least it's free and I can get a pumpkin-flavored drink.

Around the house, we've got our suitcases out which makes things feel more real. Lebowski loves jumping in and out of them, but it makes me nervous (even though pets with casts are too cute, I don't think I could handle the dirty looks at the dog park). Today was the 3rd morning in a row that little Lebowski threw up at 4am. Same time everyday, not sure what that means. I don't know if we need to feed him more or less food for dinner, but it's not good. Andy's also coming down with something so the plan is to disinfect everything and eat loads of oranges. We're considering taking Airborne as a preventative, but haven't tried it before.

Have you tried Airborne and if so, do you recommend it?

bon voyage, wedding dress!

This weekend, I tried on my dress for the last time before the big day... it's cleaned, pressed, and ready to go. She will begin her journey to the island on Friday. Luckily, she will be traveling in style in her own upright closet so there will be minimal wrinkling (hopefully)!

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She fits perfectly. Therefore, in no way can I gain or lose weight, in between my wedding day and my wedding celebration. This might be a problem since I was planning on gorging on our honeymoon.

Although I can't show you photos of my actual dress, here's a hint: it's from the Jasmine Haute Couture Fall 2009 line!

the waiting game...

yesterday was the deadline btw. and we also had our tasting... it was delicious!

happy birthday to me!

An early birthday gift arrived this week:

















by Emma Gordon London
I can't wait to carry this with my wedding dress!
Thank you Aunt Betty and Uncle Don!

It's never too early...

...to begin obsessing about wedding weather!

Surprisingly, The Weather Channel has a thorough wedding weather website (love that alliteration!) that takes historical data and averages into account to generate a "Wedding Weather Timeline."

In 6 days I'll be able to see:
Your Wedding Day Forecast, including high and low temperatures, chance of precipitation, and more!

Here's how it's looking right now:
Keep your fingers crossed - it's still hurricane season!

Wedding DIY Frenzy!

Today my Photoshop trial expired, so of course, I was up late last night printing like a mad woman. Luckily, the list is getting much shorter. This Friday we go back home for our final tasting and to drop off everything we can't take on the plane. So I've got 2 days left for projects unless I want to take one less pair of shoes on the plane with me ;)

I CANNOT wait to show you actual photos of what I've been crafting, but for now, my inspiration:

Water bottle labels:
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Programs:
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Place cards:
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Seating signage:

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Children's Activity books:
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happy birthday, to my fiancé:

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the L word

Linens!
I ordered my linens for the reception today. The Country Club had a very limited selection of napkin colors included in the reception fee, but for an additional $1 you could chose from Royal Blue or Hunter Green. In order to get actual Navy napkins there would be an additional fee + $1 per napkin x 125 people = argh!

I need navy blue napkins, so what's a girl to do?

Buy them!Enter www.tableclothsfactory.com
I was so impressed by their prices, I thought it might be too good to be true, but after reading reviews I placed my order.
I was able to get 4 table runners, 2 table overlays and 125 navy blue napkins for less than renting napkins alone... and that includes shipping and taxes!!I'm interested to see the quality when they arrive in a week - I'll be sure to follow up with a vendor review!

yesterday...

... all my diy projects seemed so far away.

Bachelorette Party

I had an amazing time downtown at my Bachelorette Party!!
Thank you all so very much!

I LOVE these girls!

The only photo I have of all of us:
Hopefully someone can share a photo of us all dolled up ;)

All You Need is Love / Destination Wedding Invitation Suite Revealed!

Hopefully, everyone has received their invitations. I asked my Mom to take photos of the invitation as she opened it and she obliged. Below is the reveal!

The outer 7.5" x 5.5" vellum envelope:

The back of the outer envelope:
"all you need is love"

The inner shimmery 7.25" x 5.25" silver envelope:

The invitation with wrap-around band (the inserts are tucked behind):

The entire invitation suite:
Wedding Celebration invitation mounted on moss colored cardstock, Destination Wedding invitation mounted on navy shimmer cardstock, RSVP postcard, Wedding Events card, Info card

The main fonts I used are Burgues Script and Florencesans Expanded. I also used various photoshop brushes for the images and a font called "Farm & Wild Animals" for the entree selections.

The vellum envelopes are from paperpresentation.com, the silver shimmer envelopes, navy shimmer backings and invitation paper are from cardsandpockets.com and the inserts and band ivory cardstock are from Staples. I was able to use the 61¢ wedding cake stamp which was very convenient, even though I would have like to use personalized stamps, and I used the only option for postcard stamps - a polar bear (insert clever LOST reference here).

Guests invited to the Wedding Celebration only received an invitation similar to the main destination wedding invitation mounted on the navy shimmer cardstock, the information card and a simplified RSVP postcard.

I will try to remember to take photos of this version. I completely forgot to make myself a couple extras for a keepsake and for photographing... so invite making is back on the to-do list.

Overall, I'm quite happy with how the suite turned out. I'm not sure what the cost breakdown is, or if I even want to know. I couldn't have done it without Andy - he really helped put everything together, cut paper, place stamps, stuff envelopes and kept me company until 2am. Thanks hon!

a stroke of crazy

I just had an idea:
Since there are 2 weeks between the wedding ceremony and the wedding celebration... What IF we took photos of numbers or words in the sand and then framed them and used them for table numbers?!

Craigslist for Wedding Services

I've had little experience with Craigslist (outside of selling my tv stand) but after researching HD video cameras, lapel microphones, and my future father-in-law/amateur videorapher asking me if I know what he should be doing during the ceremony, I've decided to post a services wanted ad on Craigslist.
I'm hoping that I won't be swindled, but instead I can pay someone to record the sound and ceremony from two different angles and give me a copy. I don't even need them to edit it... I just want to know that they remembered to hit "record."
I'll let you know if the responses come pouring in...

dress + shoes + veil = happiness!

from,via
Yesterday, I picked up my wedding dress. Trying on the "finished" version, I was terrified. What if the seamstress did the exact opposite (again) and took the dress in several inches instead of letting them out? What if it didn't zip? Is there such a thing as emergency rib removal surgery?

We had a helluva time zipping it up since there is so much excess fabric surrounding the zipper. The seamstress took 3 inches off each side and kept the fabric intact for resale purposes, plus having an invisible side zipper complicates things.(My mom is convinced the zipper is going to pull a kamikaze move moments before the wedding.) I slipped on my new shoes and veil. To complete the look, we decided to replace the cream ribbon that came with the dress with a deep navy. And for my something borrowed, my grandma's pearls.

The wedding dress ensemble is complete!

Going to a wedding shower today... It's impossible to have a wedding-free day, but I won't lie, I'll miss it when it's over!

September 11 by Numbers

I couldn't ignore this list today... it really got to me. "Lest we forget."

“No turning of the seasons can diminish the pain and the loss of that day.”
-President Obama

9/11 by the Numbers

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

Total number killed in attacks (official figure as of 9/5/02): 2,819
Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343
Number of NYPD officers: 23
Number of Port Authority police officers: 37
Number of WTC companies that lost people: 60
Number of employees who died in Tower One: 1,402
Number of employees who died in Tower Two: 614
Number of employees lost at Cantor Fitzgerald: 658
Number of U.S. troops killed in Operation Enduring Freedom: 22
Number of nations whose citizens were killed in attacks: 115
Ratio of men to women who died: 3:1
Age of the greatest number who died: between 35 and 39
Bodies found “intact”: 289
Body parts found: 19,858
Number of families who got no remains: 1,717
Estimated units of blood donated to the New York Blood Center:36,000
Total units of donated blood actually used: 258
Number of people who lost a spouse or partner in the attacks:1,609
Estimated number of children who lost a parent: 3,051
Percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks: 20
FDNY retirements, January–July 2001: 274
FDNY retirements, January–July 2002: 661
Number of firefighters on leave for respiratory problems by January 2002: 300
Number of funerals attended by Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200
Number of FDNY vehicles destroyed: 98
Tons of debris removed from site: 1,506,124
Days fires continued to burn after the attack: 99
Jobs lost in New York owing to the attacks: 146,100
Days the New York Stock Exchange was closed: 6
Point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average when the NYSE reopened: 684.81
Days after 9/11 that the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan: 26
Total number of hate crimes reported to the Council on American-Islamic Relations nationwide since 9/11: 1,714
Economic loss to New York in month following the attacks: $105 billion
Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million
Total FEMA money spent on the emergency: $970 million
Estimated amount donated to 9/11 charities: $1.4 billion
Estimated amount of insurance paid worldwide related to 9/11:$40.2 billion
Estimated amount of money needed to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $7.5 billion
Amount of money recently granted by U.S. government to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $4.55 billion
Estimated amount of money raised for funds dedicated to NYPD and FDNY families: $500 million
Percentage of total charity money raised going to FDNY and NYPD families: 25
Average benefit already received by each FDNY and NYPD widow:$1 million
Percentage increase in law-school applications from 2001 to 2002: 17.9
Percentage increase in Peace Corps applications from 2001 to 2002: 40
Percentage increase in CIA applications from 2001 to 2002: 50
Number of songs Clear Channel Radio considered “inappropriate” to play after 9/11: 150
Number of mentions of 9/11 at the Oscars: 26
Apartments in lower Manhattan eligible for asbestos cleanup:30,000
Number of apartments whose residents have requested cleanup and testing: 4,110
Number of Americans who changed their 2001 holiday-travel plans from plane to train or car: 1.4 million
Estimated number of New Yorkers suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder as a result of 9/11: 422,000
reposted from

it's the final countdown!

I'm now counting the days, not months until our wedding day. I can hardly believe it! Luckily, my list is getting shorter, not longer. I've completed 82/110 tasks at this point and the majority of remaining items are minor.

Last night and tonight will be spent enjoying our early birthday present to each other: Beatles Rockband. I'm so in love with it, I'm contemplating bringing it to the Reception in case no one feels like dancing!

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I hope "The Final Countdown" by Europe is now stuck in your head so we can suffer together ;)

yum-o!

I just got our banquet order and my mouth is watering. I hope the peppers aren't too hot, I come from a long line of wimpy tastebuds...

Island Crabcakes: Jumbo Lump Crabmeat with Fiery Scotch Bonnet Peppers Served with a Cool Tropical Fruit Salsa, accompanied by Sweet Potato Wedges & Julienned Garden Vegetables

Herb Crusted Roasted Prime Rib ~ Slow Roasted to Medium Temperature Paired with Garlic Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables and Green Onion-Parmesan Popover

yapta love

Have you hear of Yapta? It's a service that tracks flights you're interested in purchasing and alerts when the price has dropped below a threshold you set. You can also use on flights you've purchased so you'll know if you're entitled to a refund.

I setup flight "watches" for my MoH, my brother and us. I was able to email my MoH and let her know that the flight she was going take (but hadn't booked yet) had dropped by HALF. She was able to book her flight... and the next day the price had gone up by $300.

When a flight changes significantly you're sent an email, but you also get monthly reports for flights you have booked and continue to track. For example, this email I got yesterday:

I LOVE to see that kind of savings! That's money that can be spent on several dinners or dozens of tacky souvenirs!

Do you have any cost-saving websites you recommend?

Wedding shoes - Check!

Thank you Macy's... That's one big checkmark on my list!

TGILD!

Thank goodness it's Labor Day!
A bonus day to work around the house and on wedding schtuff. I must say that I am so grateful to have today off (and paid!) and a job.

After a Beatles-fueled weekend and anticipating the release of Beatles Rockband, I'll leave you with this John Lennon video:

flower budget - confirmed!

After back and forth emails with the florist we finally talked and settled on the flowers and a budget. I was slightly concerned that nothing was confirmed - besides being nearly a month away from the wedding, she had 4 weddings to prepare for this weekend at our location, plus she is on vacation next week so I wanted to at least touch base. I'm relieved we were able to talk on the phone yesterday and settle things. Email is great, but it's a difficult medium for talking about abstract ideas and brainstorm floral design.

So here's what my bouquet will hopefully look like:

roses, calla lillies and hypericum berries (from the knot)

The boutonnieres:
from here with callas and hypericum berries

Despite being more than I intended to spend, I know I'm getting a good deal (for getting married at a resort on an island) and will be saving myself the stress of DIYing the morning of the wedding. Instead, my MoH is booking manis and pedis for us, which sounds much more relaxing! :)

Sand Dollar Save the Dates

As promised, here is a hi-res scan of our "A True Fit" save the dates from eInvite.com. You can see the texture of the paper...

You can read my review here.

A gift for the groom

Inspired by this post, I designed my own "Cold Feet" sock template. Once I pick up his argyle socks, I'll print this out, wrap it around the socks and it'll be finished!

I love an easy project... now on to bigger wedding priorities! ;)
Please let me know if you'd like the template!

"38 days" or "one week later"

A week ago I was freaking out... the RSVP deadline was looming and I hadn't even sent our invitations. Today I'm feeling much better Let's revisit that to-do list, shall we?
ME:
-Florist - W(here)TF is my quote? rec'd quote but minor changes have skyrocketed prices... waiting on comparison quote
-Banquet order - approved?! good to go!
-Resolve RSVP postcard issue Anne told me she didn't have any issues with her cards and my tester came through the mail okay so I decided to just go with it
-Mail invitations this week (weigh for postagein the mail 8/29 (our engage-aversary)
-Hair/makeup trials megan is going to practice before the bachelorette party
-FIND BLUE SHOES? still looking for 2.5" heels
-Book tasting for IL menu hmm, probably the 26th. need to call

FIANCE
-Book honeymoon hotel decided our itinerary last night - need to find FL hotel
-Book car rental Emailed confirmation shortly after I called mid-freakout
-Book hotel for wedding celebration
-Call Courthouse for license guidelines all info on county's website
-Try on suit
-Decide on shoes waiting on suit to arrive
-Tell groomsmen what to wear waiting on groom's suit to arrive
-Decide on groomsmen/ring bearer gifts waiting on suit to arrive
-Create iTunes playlist for wedding reception

BOTH
-Decide on ring engraving, if yes, what? eh, maybe as an anniversary gift
-Plan ceremony minister is going to be calling - move this up the priority list!

It's mail time!

Be on the lookout for our wedding invitation!

I've gotten a few calls and texts that our invitations are showing up, but I can hardly wait to begin getting the responses back and seeing what people write on our postcards! I'll post photos of the invitation is all it's glory this week... stay tuned!

PS - Did you know that ZIP code is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan? I learned of this while waiting to buy postage ;)

Mr. ZIP