Introduction

[legallyspoiled]

Good morning my fellow brides. (Wow, I''m a bride!) I just wanted to introduce myself. I recently got engaged on Sunday, May 2nd and 1:45am to the joy of my life.

I am already freaking about planning a wedding. I want the "big shabang." I love partys. And I really love weddings. I''m talking 200-250 guests, formal dinner, flowers galore, etc etc etc. I''m kinda known as the "party girl." I go above and beyond for any type of social gathering. Friend and family have been saying for years that they knew my wedding was going to be one for the books. So in addition to my wants, high attention to detail, and micro-managing tendencies....I also have the pressure to deliver. I''m not too worried about the pressure because I tend to exceed expectations anyway. My biggest pressure will be my own expectations and the fear that I won''t be able to produce what my vision is.

I said all of that to say that as much as I love throwing parties and weddings...I am FREAKING OUT. I get heart palpitations and feel nauseous just thinking about planning. I am overwhelmed by the never ending pile of details and decisions that await me.

Yes, I absolutely will have a planner. I couldn''t make it otherwise. I really want to be a happy and stress free bride during our engagement.

I welcome any advice on how to enjoy wedding planning. I really was not expecting to freak out like this!

 

[TooPatient]

Congratulations!

super sweet proposal and gorgeous ring.

 

[Natylad]

Hey legallyspoiled

I just posted on your other thread with the brand new ER

Congrats again!

So back to your questions...
I'm having a big wedding too. Well...big...actually it's 200 people, which is considered small in Greece, but i wanted to keep things in control, plus, anything over that number would mean that there would be people at my wedding who are not THAT close to me and i didn't want that. So...i'm having a wedding party with 200 loved ones, whom i wish to please as much as i can!
I don't have a wedding planner! I totally hate them...I can't stand them! I've met a few who were organizing weddings of my friends and i came to the conclusion that i don't want to go that way. Given the fact that i am a lawyer at the Legal Council of the State and until a month ago i was also a PhD student, i really didn't have all the time in the world for the wedding planning. So i started with the two most important things: The wedding gown and the place for the reception. The place for the party wasn't difficult to find. There is a place by the sea, which is considered THE place to have such a party. The only problem is that it costs a fortune but thank God my parents stepped in and said that they'll pay for it and i should go ahead and do exactly what i want. So, i sat down with those guys who have a lot of experience and we discussed the menus, the drinks, everything. That wasn't easy because there are food restrictions for my fiance's family, due to religious reasons. Nevertheless, i managed to come up with a wonderful menu, which i'm sure will please all the guests. We have also discussed with them the entire schedule of the event...First dance, dinner, bouquet tossing, cake cutting, dancing, etc...
At the same time that i was working on the party project, i visited the best bridal boutiques in my area and after a few trials, i decided on my gown. I also decided on a second gown (less extravagant), which i will be wearing during my ceremony, since the ceremony is taking place in the morning, at the city hall and in the presence of parents and siblings only.
Thank God for my florist, she's a doll...She's a friend of my mother's and i've known her for ages...I trust her a lot. I knew for a fact that i wanted star gazer lilies and white roses as the main flowers for my wedding, so we discussed all the details of the center table arrangements, the candles, the rest of the decoration, my bridal bouquets (i'll have two, one for the ceremony and one for the reception), the cars' decoration, etc...
The most difficult thing was to find my shoes, my veil and my bridal jewellry. I found everything on line and thank God they all arrived and they look very good. The only thing that seems alarming to me is the fact that the shoes are very high and i feel that they might hurt my feet during the party...no worries though, coz i'll get a comfortable pair with me just in case...
Another...headache was the make up and the hairstyle...I've spent a lot of time and money on numerous trials and after all that i've come to the conclusion that i should follow my fiance's opinion and just wear my very long, looooong, blond hair down, with subtle waves, my veil and my tiara. That's all...Same coiffure both for the ceremony and the party. As for the make up, i know for a fact that i'm doing the make up for the ceremony by myself...For the party, i have booked a make up artist but still i've got worries about the whole make up issue...I must be the only girl in the...galaxy, who looks better with less or no make up...Whenever they're trying to do all those complicated things with eyeshadows, kohl lners, mascaras and the rest of the stuff, i end up looking tired and waaaay older thatn my real age (which is 36 and we can't afford looking older, huh?

).
I'll see until the last minute how i feel about that!
Last but not least: I went to a beautiful store which i discovered one day accidentally, as i was going back to my office from court from a different route, and which makes beautiful, hand made favors with high quality fabrics and bridal "koufeta" candy and got enough for all my guests! Also, i was lucky enough to find the photograher of my dreams in the first photo studio which i visited! he is kind, he listens to what i wish for and his work is amazing! yay for the photographer

Sooo

...that's all folks

So far so good! I have my last fitting for the gown that i'll be wearing at the wedding party on Friday

The wedding ceremony is on the 26th of May and the reception on the 28th! So close now...seems like a dream...

Soo

...as you can see, a well organized person can plan a wedding, work as a lawyer and finish her PhD at the same time! (i graduated a month ago!). Ah! Didi i mention that i did all that bymyself because my fiance is in Canada and i also have to take care of a nine year old daughter that i have?

No kidding! But it worked!
Good Luck with your wedding planning dear! Enjoy this wonderful time in your life and don't freak out! You will do great and God willing we'll all be here to see pictures of your wonderful wedding

(you'll come back with pictures, won't you?

).

 

[caribqueen]

CONGRATS!

The idea of getting engaged is so fabulous and then you have the ring and have to get down to business. My family also expects a lot from my wedding (my dad is a great entertainer and host and so they know he delivers).

I'll tell you how we got started. Many of our decisions just flowed from referrals, conversations, recommendations and timing. What we did first was selected our venue. We went for something out of the ordinary, so not a hotel or even Country Club. It's an old historical building that's now used a great deal for weddings, but inside you feel like you've gone back into the time of The Great Gatsby (very opulent, high ceilings with marble and gold). So we knew right there and then, that would make our wedding different. Once we put down a deposit, we then looked for the dress that would match the theme. I'm getting married in the Cathedral in the downtown area of the City too.

It just so happens that our venue contracts with a couple fantastic cake bakers that allow you to select your cake style and flavor (of course sample too) and it's included in the per person price, which is nice.

The baker we selected, recommended a florist. For me, flowers/decor is a big deal at the reception because it sets the mood. We met with a total of three different ones before we made our decision. What I looked for was someone who would listen to my "vague" ideas and then take them and come up with a concept and share ideas. I didn't want to just flip through books and have them recreate what I saw.

I have a keepsake planner binder from Martha Stewart and also use theknot's online checklists and I just took it one day at a time. I kept my eyes open for inspiration from tv Bride shows (there are tons!) and looked through magazines. Very quickly, if you're as meticulous as you say you are, you'll have no problem distinguing what you like and don't like. You have to remember that about you because it's those who can't make up their minds and have no opinion who end up driving themselves crazy. Up until recently, my planning has been fairly easy with everything falling into place. What's been a challenge now is the guestlist, guest count and rsvp's but I guess most people experience a little drama at this point in the planning.

I think what also helped is to have reliable people around me. I have very attentive BMs who respond right away when I send them an email or ask a question. My MOH has offered constantly to help in any way she can. I just don't give them many things to do. But it was through my MOH that we found my hairstylist AND my makeup artist. My MOH made sure to warn each of them before I met them how picky I was and they didn't take offense to it. I've been more than happy with both - better than I thought I'd ever be.

You just have to breathe look at your checklist and do one thing at a time then move on to the next. Good luck girl, I'm sure your wedding will definitely be fabulous!

ETA: Our count is looking like it will be 225

 

[laughwithme]

Congrats!!! This is one of the most exciting times in your entire life and I can tell already that you''re gonna have a blast!

Being 7 weeks out from my wedding (after a 14-month engagement...) the main advice I can give you is that RIGHT NOW - you might be confusing a bit of your engagement bliss with wedding stress. Both lead to butterflies in the stomach, heart palpitations, and sweaty palms!!! Everything about planning a wedding is fun yet INSANE in the best way possible. So, my advice to you RIGHT NOW - sit back and drink a beer (or wine, or coke, whatever your thing) and just let.it.soak.in. It gets crazy really soon, and there''s no turning back.

In a few weeks, start a binder. I started a binder the month I got engaged and now reference it daily. Make a "master" to-do list in which you organize each month''s to-do items...and then stick to this list! In the first couple of months, it will be meeting your planner, reception venues, churches. Build upon that by checking the hundreds of lists available online for wedding planning. Tackle each project on its own and give it your all - but give it up if its overwhelming or causing heartache. I gave up my dream centerpieces because the stress was ridiculous. Not everything will turn out identical to your vision right now - and thats ok. Wedding planning is dynamic. People have requests, FI has requests, vendors may tell you no, or the price is too high. You will drive yourself up a wall if you don''t have a little "give" in you, to roll with the punches.

Have fun. Stay organized. Be flexible.

 

[MrsBettyBoop]

Don''t freak! Breathe, it''s the most fun ever - from one Texas girl to another, you''ll have a blast!

I''m dying to plan some more but the most I could get out of my hubby was a 10 year renewal. Too bad I''m not Mariah Carey.

 

[Natylad]

Date: 5/5/2010 2:51:33 AM
Author: Sparkles&Glitter
Don''t freak! Breathe, it''s the most fun ever - from one Texas girl to another, you''ll have a blast!

I''m dying to plan some more but the most I could get out of my hubby was a 10 year renewal. Too bad I''m not Mariah Carey.

He, he, he! And you should be extremely happy that you aren''t...She has become quite ridiculous lately...

 

[legallyspoiled]

Thanks everyone for the advice and the encouragement! I definitely will be following it!

 

[missjaxon]

Congratulations on your engagement! All the best to you while planning your special day, I look forward to seeing all of your plans and ideas.