getting lost in stupid stuff

[vc10um]

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP!

Thank you, NoVa and DC Postal Carriers, for making this ridiculously quick turn-around possible.

Wow, that's so fast! The post office is amazing sometimes...and other times, not so much. We got an STD returned. The address was apparently old and the forwarding time had run out. Here's what gets me- instead of just sending it to the new address, which they obviously knew, it got sent back to us...with the ugly yellow label on it...which included the "forwarding time exceeded" or whatever error and the new, correct address. So I had to put together a new STD, since the other one had the sticker and writing all over it, and mail another one...talk about inefficiency.

Also, we were over the 1oz limit so had to go with the $.61 stamps (I think that's what they were). They had some really pretty wedding cake ones, so we went with those. I did have the worker hand cancel all of them. I felt mildly bad until I realized it's just part of the job.

Those are the same ones that went on our invites. Our Save the Dates (I can't bring myself to use the acronym for that one...) were just standard size postcards, so they only needed like a $0.26 stamp or something like that. They were polar bears, LOL.

 

[vc10um]

Alright. Bear with me...I need to brag a little bit.

I HAVE THE BEST GIRLFRIENDS IN THE WORLD!!!

Yesterday was my bachelorette party. As my mother, MOH, and bridesmaids are all OOT, my two closest co-workers took to planning a small girl's day out here in NoVa. They kept me in suspense until the last moment about the plans (and did a darn good job of keeping the secret!) but it couldn't have been a better plan!

The six of us went on a limo-chauffeured wine tour. Just two wineries, but three tastings! They packed food and extra champagne for the limo...one bottle downed on the way out, and one on the way home! Everything was either purple or damask (including the paper plates and napkins! and the frosting on the phallic cupcakes!) and while the day was wine-themed (I even got my own special keepsake glass!), the gifts were travel themed for the honeymoon! We got special "Just Married" luggage tags (complete with my new last name...EEK! ), I got a little travel jewelry box, the flip flops that make "Just Married" imprints on the sand, and four of the girls got together and bought me a NOOK! But the gift of the day that really *got* to me was my friend from work bought me a tote bag. Your standard, every-day canvas tote bag. Except it had my new monogram. It's the first time I've seen it all official like that. I *CRIED*. (The fact that this was on the way home so I'd imbibed copious amounts of wine at this point probably didn't help matters, neither did the fact that I was completely overwhelmed with everyone's generosity.) But seriously, I am SO.FREAKING.LUCKY.

Oh, and I had to wear a headband with purple penises on it all day. The veil that hangs of the back had some on it too. There was a gentleman who asked to take pictures of it at his first winery to send to his youngest daughter, who is getting married in August. Hilarious.

 

[sillyberry]

OMG, that sounds like a GREAT day!!! So much fun and so much thought put into it! You are a lucky duck!

The monogram is definitely a WHOA! moment.

 

[4ever]

Sounds like a great day out VC! Good on them for keeping it a surprise.

I'm very SLLOOOOWLY getting things sorted;

Got most of my big preserving jars for the table centerpieces - I just need a good lot of 24+ pint sized jars and a couple more of the really old hinged top jars and I'll be done.

I got a bargin on the piller candles to go in the jars, less than $1 each for over 70 white pillers in 3 different hights (all 5cm wide) because I asked a candle making company what "seconds" they had going. If you look real close some of them have a slight dip in one side, are not perfectly evenly white or are a tiny bit rougher on top, which is hardly noticeable and works for a country chic theme, so SCORE!

My next bargin, tiny little hinged top glass (spice) jars to put the little speckled easter eggs in as favors (see photo below). They were on sale as buy one get one free so I got 34 of them (will likely have just under 30 guests) for just under $1 each! (ok so one broke on the way home because she just put them all in a plastic bag with no tissue and said they'd be fine but I will do a swap next weekend....and maybe get more just incase)

Cake is booked with 50% deposit. Two tiers, both 9", one chocolate fudge and one carrot (both vegan) and a smoothish buttercream icing. Yum! Flowers on top as decoration.

FI had one of his friends DJing as his wedding gift to us, and another as our celebrant.

Braces off next month!

Things not going so well;

Photographer; I really want to know if a school friends sister (who has just finished her photography degree and is quite talented) will do our photos for us. I have yet to get a firm yes or no if she will be in the country then or not but my mum is working on that for me (she works with my friends mum). After looking at photographers, I'm astounded at how much they cost when a lot of their work isn't super amazing. Plus a friend of mine would help me edit them as she is a photo shop genius and does it all the time.

Transport; I want the double decker red london bus. It would take guests from the ferry to the venue and back again as well as transport the bridal party and be free beforehand for photos. BUT it's over $1000 for transport for around 35 people. hmmm.

Flowers; I like to do everything possible online. I'm now at the point where I have narrowed it down to two florists who I should really go and see and talk to. Blah effort.

I have completely redone my invites. They have a purple watercolor flower on it now. It's pretty but.....I still don't like it and want to start again. I need to hall ass and do them so I can do save the dates for our relatives coming from overseas.

Diet and exercise not going well the last week or so. It's too cold out and I like to eat stuff.

The DRESS! So far, everything I've seen is hideous. And very expensive. I get depressed thinking about trying to find a dress I can afford and that looks good on me. Also, most salons over here charge between $50 and $100 to try on wedding gowns, refundable if you purchase ones. I personally think that's bull sh*t. They should be making their money by having a good product and good sales people. Con-artists.

 

[rosetta]

I hate it when they do that! Pay you to try on a dress?! Outrageous!

Vc, you look so happy!

 

[rosetta]

quick shot of my judith leiber purse, it's absolutely gorgeous in person!

and it comes complete with dustbags, comb and mirror yay!

 

[amc80]

Diet and exercise not going well the last week or so. It's too cold out and I like to eat stuff.

That almost made me spit my diet coke out all over the keyboard. Love the honesty. I was SO excited for daylight savings to end (or begin? I always get those confused) so I could run outside after work. Of course, that was exactly when I got hit was some dumb cold-turned-sinus infection. Quite the bummer because the weather was starting to warm up. Two weeks later I'm back and ready to run...and then the weather changed and it's been freezing a$$ cold and snowing. Sigh. I'm still working out, but the treadmill is getting really boring. But I've set a dress shopping day so that should properly motivate me to get my butt into gear.

I did have my first bride-to-be breakdown last week. So I can check that off the list. Here are some things we need to work out/do before the wedding- new job starting next month (and figuring out corresponding bonus issue at current job), puppies being born in two weeks (more pups = more $ for wedding, and we wont find out how many there are until next week), trying to get people to book the wedding cruise, paying for wedding, dealing with crazy relatives and family drama, moving in together, renting out my place once we move in together, need to get a new car, etc. My fiance was all guy-ish and practical ("why are you stressing out? you can't really control a lot of these things anyway"), which was both helpful and annoying.

 

[sillyberry]

Forgive the drive-by posting, but I got pictures of my garter! We ended up going a little differently than expected, but I love it! So excited to have it for my boudoir photos next week!

 

[vc10um]

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA...work's been nuts this week and it's not going to get any better!

Anyway...

SB...I am super lucky, and I LOOOOOOVE your garter! So pretty!!! And PERFECT for your b-pics!!!

Future girl...LOVE your favors (Cadbury eggs are the BEST CANDY EVAR) and that you're so ahead on a TON of your wedding stuff! As far as your invites/save the dates go, I think as long as your save the dates go with the theme and colors, they will "go" with your invites. So I don't think there's any harm in playing around with those a little longer or even completely redesigning them after you send out save the dates. Just settle on something you're happy with (and if you use pictures in/on your Save the Date, it takes up a lot of space and leaves less room to worry about filling with designs that coordinate) and get them out so your international guests can start saving/planning. And I didn't realize you had to pay $$ to try on dresses down there! That IS total crap! Do you have a clear-cut idea of what you want in a dress? You have plenty of time still, so perhaps wait until the next round of dresses is released, or maybe for a sample sale?

rosetta...thanks! I was QUITE happy at that point, and hadn't even had any wine yet! And your clutch! Wow!

amc...congrats on choosing a day to go dress shopping, and good luck with your running! AND all that other stuff that's sort-of-wedding-related-but-not-really!

As for me...
More RSVPs rolling in. Ties have been ordered for the groomsmen and for the groom for the reception. We still need his ceremony tie (which will be ivory...so I'm hesitant to order that online in the case that it's a bit too yellow) and a TON of other stuff...but things are slowly but surely coming together. Just over two months to go!!! EEK!!!

 

[amc80]

amc...congrats on choosing a day to go dress shopping, and good luck with your running! AND all that other stuff that's sort-of-wedding-related-but-not-really!

As for me...
More RSVPs rolling in. Ties have been ordered for the groomsmen and for the groom for the reception. We still need his ceremony tie (which will be ivory...so I'm hesitant to order that online in the case that it's a bit too yellow) and a TON of other stuff...but things are slowly but surely coming together. Just over two months to go!!! EEK!!!

Thanks! Oh, and to add to it- my brother told all of us on Sunday that he and his wife are divorcing. They've been together around 10 years, married for 5...and have had problems for the last 2 or so. Long story, but I'm happy that he's finally making the move, before they have kids or a house or anything like that. Just another sucky thing to have to go through...poor guy.

Yay for RSVPs! I can't wait until we're at that stage...mainly because everything will be done by then and I can just relax. Yesterday I twice wished we had decided to elope.

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

VC - It sounds like your bachelorette shindig was a total blast. Good for you! What a really great thing they did for you.

Rosetta - I LOVE that purse! So blingy and pretty all at once. And such fun little accessories!

4ever - I really, really, really know what you mean about food and the cold. I have not been nearly motivated enough. I feel like I totally wasted the first 3 months of this year. Here's to getting on our respective horses and losing that weight! I've got just over 5 months to go and I'm hoping that's enough time to lose the final 22 lbs. How much weight do you need to drop?

Latest from me is that I booked the String Quartet for our ceremony today and we had our cake tasting on Saturday. Red velvet with cream cheese filling was the BIG winner for me! We will also have a marble layer and a carrot cake layer on our 5 tier cake.

 

[4ever]

Future girl...LOVE your favors (Cadbury eggs are the BEST CANDY EVAR) and that you're so ahead on a TON of your wedding stuff! As far as your invites/save the dates go, I think as long as your save the dates go with the theme and colors, they will "go" with your invites. So I don't think there's any harm in playing around with those a little longer or even completely redesigning them after you send out save the dates. Just settle on something you're happy with (and if you use pictures in/on your Save the Date, it takes up a lot of space and leaves less room to worry about filling with designs that coordinate) and get them out so your international guests can start saving/planning. And I didn't realize you had to pay $$ to try on dresses down there! That IS total crap! Do you have a clear-cut idea of what you want in a dress? You have plenty of time still, so perhaps wait until the next round of dresses is released, or maybe for a sample sale?

Glad you like the favors, I'm having seconds thoughts - which will probably happen a lot if I make decisions this far in advance. They will look cuter with the purple twine and little name tags. I will have to buy a bag of "tester" mini eggs to see how many bags I will need to budget for
I have sort of an idea of what I'd like and I have been to one sample sale but it was all too sparkly for me. I want something quite simple but with just the right shape and fit and a nice fabric. Everything I've seen thus far is that really heavy satin that someone has vomited sparkles and floofy details all over.


Mrs S- I'd like to loose another 7kgs or so (about 15lbs) to bring me down to the weight I was when FI and I met, any more than that for me is just not going to be realistic or possible to maintain. I will make FI walk me again tonight and see if I can get him to walk up a mountain with me or something similar tomorrow. I find it a lot easier to do the exercise if I have mentally planned it all out beforehand what I'll do each day (unless I have planned an early morning run, then I just wake up and laugh at my past self for being so silly as I make a cup of tea and snuggle up on the sofa). Same with food, if I think about what I will eat tomorrow and make a rough plan, when I feel like butter popcorn at the movies it's easier to think "no, that's not in my plan". Easter may be my downfall just a little bit this weekend, I'm not that into chocolate but I LOVE hot cross buns smothered in margarine

Getting a teeny bit secretly excited about watching the royal wedding with the girls next Friday. I'm going to ask one of them then if she'll MC our wedding, she would make a very hilarious and entertaining MC and make the mood more fun and relaxed.

 

[4ever]

Latest from me is that I booked the String Quartet for our ceremony today and we had our cake tasting on Saturday. Red velvet with cream cheese filling was the BIG winner for me! We will also have a marble layer and a carrot cake layer on our 5 tier cake.

Mmmmm, your cake sounds AMAZING! (and BIG!) Red velvet and cream cheese icing I friggen love cream cheese icing but FI is very lactose intolerant and for some reason wants to be able to eat the cake (darn it!) so that's out and red velvet cake's out too.

 

[vc10um]

amc...sorry to hear about your brother. I hope, though, that he is happier for it in the end!

FMS...your cake sounds DELICIOUS! I, too, LOVE cream cheese icing. Nom nom nom. And yay for string quartets! I love the sound of classic strings during ceremonies!

FutureGirl...I can't WAIT for the royal wedding! I'm getting up early to watch!!! I am most excited to see her DRESS! And her in general. Because she's just so stunningly beautiful on a daily basis that she's going to be a drop-dead GORGEOUS bride. (I hope she wears some sort of super awesome fascinator, too!)

AFM...I had my first dress fitting yesterday!!! We're putting cups in the bodice so I don't have to worry about a strapless bra, she pinned up my bustle and it looks GREAT, and she's widening my sash that I purchased to go with the dress for the reception because I didn't like how it was thinner than the waistband on the dress itself. I can't WAIT to see the finished product! Next fitting is June 2! Also, the ties already arrived and they're LOVELY! If anyone needs colorful ties at a reasonable price, rabbitstop on etsy is quick and cheap!

 

[4ever]

VC Conviniently for me with the time difference the royal wedding is on in the evening over here and ends just before 1am. FI is going to make me one of his sponge cakes with jam and a creamy icing inside and an icing sugar crown on top (and then promptly disappear before the girls show up so I can have a girls night), and I'm thinking of doing club sandwiches in a couple of different flavors and some mini brideys (like cornish pasties except with pork not beef and English) for snacks.

Bad news: The friends sister I wanted to do the photography just can't comit herself this far in advance since she dosnt know if she'll be in NZ teaching next year or traveling. I guess that's fair enough but I can't really wait to find out one way or the other because if it's a no in 6 months time my options for photographers would be much more limited as more of them get booked up.

So poop, less money for other things (like our london bus ). I still don't think we'll spend heaps of money on photography because as much as I love and really appreciate beautiful artful photography, it's not really necessary- I'm thinking a smallish album of photojournalist "fly on the wall" type shots of the day and a couple of casual not posed looking portrait type shots to really just tell the story of the day will suit our smaller wedding better.

It is way to easy to spend a hell of a lot of money planning a wedding.

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

It is way to easy to spend a hell of a lot of money planning a wedding.

THIS.

Bought paper for my invites yesterday - $315. That's $65 over my budget for invites, and that doesn't include the cost of printing them or postage. Luckily, my sister is designing them, so I realize it's probably a lot less than what many, many people spend, but still - over my budget.

In other news, I found my "going out after the reception" dress at WHBM yesterday. It's about $30 less than the one at David's Bridal I posted earlier.

 

[sillyberry]

Sorry I've been MIA and haven't responded to anyone - life has become so stressful and crazy (mostly unrelated to the wedding!) that I'm just trying to keep it all together. Very little happy wedding planning time in my life right now.

amc, I had to laugh when you said that by the time RSVPs were in, you could relax since everything would be done. I sincerely hope this isn't the case for you, but the RSVPs are arriving and I'm nowhere near done. My to-do list keeps getting longer, not shorter, as I remember the bazillion small things I need to remember to do (order favors and packaging, figure out welcome bags, make mani-pedi reservations, finish up linens for welcome dinner, etc etc etc...oh, and I still don't have a dress). I have a serious case of wedding fatigure - just let me get married, dammit.

I did finally get a no RSVP that felt like a punch in the gut. My high school best friend can't come because she had to spend the money she had saved to go home for a funeral. I understand and am not mad, but I really wonder if we'll be very close after this. Just because it seems like when someone misses the big event, it's harder to get excited about the little events in their life. Maybe I'm being really unfair, I don't know, but it seems like one of the last nails in the coffin of our dwindling friendship. Which is a little sad.

FMS - your dress is super cute! And I'm totally jealous of your string quartet.

4ever - sorry about your photographer. Boo. It seems the big expense isn't how big the album is or anything, but rather the price is dictated by the hours on the job of the photographer. Since you don't want that much coverage, and I think your wedding is on a off-day (am I remembering that right?), you might have some luck getting an abbreviated wedding package since they wouldn't be out a full Saturday wedding. So, instead of 8 hours of photography, you get 3 or 4.

 

[4ever]

SB- Seems like it varies a lot depending on the photographer with how they charge.

The one I'm looking at at the moment shoots from getting ready through to when everyone sits down for dinner (but you can pay extra for her to stay for the reception) and charges depending on the number of photographers shooting and the number of finished images provided. For example, her "small wedding package" you get one photographer and she will provide 60 finished images in prints and digital copies- which is very reasonably priced and no real benefit in having a Thursday wedding. Others I've seen charge for their time and number of photographers.

 

[sillyberry]

I originally wanted a wedding between 70 and 80 guests. I was really disappointed when we ended up inviting 125 guests.

With RSVPs rolling in, it looks like AT MOST we'll have 92 guests. And now I'm disappointed about the number of people declining.

WTF, sillyberry?

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

SB - I hope everything non-wedding is ok for you???

As for the number of YES replies - did you invite some people knowing they wouldn't make it, but wanted to include them just in case? We are doing that for sure.

 

[rosetta]

Expect a 30% decline rate SB! It's fairly typical.

 

[vc10um]

FMS, I LOVE your party dress! It's super cute! But MAN that's a lot of money on paper! I'm sure it will be worth it, though!!!

SB, you crack me up. Funny how our expectations change on us, isn't it? Your wedding will be lovely no matter what! Just remember, set a deadline before the wedding after which point, if something is not done, it goes in the circular file and you forget about it forever. If you waited that long to take care of it, it's doubtful that it's important or that you will miss it when all is said and done. But the relaxation that it brings will be invaluable. You will sleep better, be more rested and photogenic, and more able to enjoy your day!

Nothing new here, really. FI just asked me for a list of things we still have left to do. I started rattling off our list and it was super daunting...but it's a lot of little tasks that won't take much time, but have to be done in some semblance of order.

 

[4ever]

I am looking at an old school friends pro wedding photos on facebook.......and all I can think is, "pretty, but not 3.5k worth of pretty".

....and also meaner/cattyer things which I wont say cuz it makes me look like a terrible person.

 

[amc80]

amc, I had to laugh when you said that by the time RSVPs were in, you could relax since everything would be done. I sincerely hope this isn't the case for you, but the RSVPs are arriving and I'm nowhere near done. My to-do list keeps getting longer, not shorter, as I remember the bazillion small things I need to remember to do (order favors and packaging, figure out welcome bags, make mani-pedi reservations, finish up linens for welcome dinner, etc etc etc...oh, and I still don't have a dress). I have a serious case of wedding fatigure - just let me get married, dammit.

See, a lot of this stuff I'll have done by then. I'll know way before RSVPs how many people are coming, since they will have booked their flights/cruise before then. I'm sure there will be some scrambling, but it's sort of the benefit of getting married [pause for google search] 2,888 miles away from where you live...there's only so much I can do.

 

[sillyberry]

life has been a total beating these past two weeks, but none of it matters right now because in the morning I'm going to Vegas and I'm going to be rocking out my bachelorette weekend wearing these:
xoxo

 

[merilenda]

Those shoes are gorgeous! Have fun in Vegas!

 

[KittyGolightly]

Those shoes are awesome!!!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

Damn, girl! Those shoes are schnazzy! You will rock them!

 

[vc10um]

SB, I hope you had a kick @$$ time in Vegas!!!

AFM...Yanno how I said I had the best girlfriends in the world??? Yeah...still do...AND I have the best momma and sister in the world, too. I went to Ohio for some quality time with them before the wedding...turns out, they had planned a SURPRISE bachelorette party for me! Not only THAT, but they also planned a surprise bridal shower the next day!!! I won't give you the full run down, but I can say that I had an amazing time, drank myself silly, and had a FABULOUS time with my mom, all my bridesmaids, and a few of my other amazing girlfriends.

Also went to IKEA with my sister and picked up supplies for our centerpieces! SO excited!

 

[4ever]

http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/gallery/3433

Yay a style me pretty wedding at my venue!