Having felt strongly for some time now that I've "gotten all the blogging" out of my system (as any of you who find my lack of Facebookery appalling should know) this isn't something that comes naturally to me anymore. I used to revel in what I considered in my foolish youth to be "cryptic transparency"... encrypting what I felt were my deepest thoughts into sentences meaningless to those without the key (as I often was). At least now I better know my foolishness.
I think the reason I've done this less over the years is that I've come to find the real world to be complex enough on it's own merit. It stands to gain nothing from obfuscation.
As the wedding draws nearer I find myself thinking more frequently (and with ever increasing fondness) of the days that must follow it. As incredible a day as it is sure to be, and as much work and effort as is being invested in it (the vast bulk of it by Ri, it seems - I should do more) I can't imagine it being anything less than the day we're dreaming of.
But for me, this close to it, I realize the dream doesn't just end there. Now I'm old enough to know that marriage isn't all sunshine and roses. All growth needs rain, and all things move in circles. It's going to take more work, more sacrifice, more effort than anything else we've ever done, could ever do without each-other. But that's the beauty of it, at least in part. In some way, all the work and preparation that goes into this one day that marks the change, is a metaphor for what it takes to really make it work. There's challenge in it, compromise, disappointments at times, we've seen that. And there is joy.
There is such joy.
It takes a dedicated balance to achieve, this joy. Moreso than any other human endeavor. And the duty continues to unfold before our feet... "The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began". It's a work that began long before we fully realized it, and where it will lead us, I am eager to follow.
--J.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Here we go again!
I am a terrible blogging bride. I'm supposed to update this almost religiously and keep everyone up to date with every detail of the joy that is wedding planning. Unfortunately, busy times are busy! Here's a quick update:
Work has gotten really busy for both Joe and myself. I've been known to hang out at work well past closing time and Joe has spent a few weekends working away.
Wedding planning...that's where the real stress lies. We've been quite lucky to have chosen an amazing caterer who has been our rock and our champion throughout all the madness that we've been faced with. As those of you who read this blog are aware, we started our hunt for the perfect wedding venue well over a year in advance. We were aware that some of the best locations book up quickly, and as a constant worrywort...it was in our best interest to have all of the major details taken care of far FAR in advance, lest I have a nervous breakdown.
We thought we had it. After visits to almost every "unique" wedding venue in Southern California we thought we had it. The Automobile Driving Museum was our place! HOORAY! ...and then it wasn't. And then it was again! And then we couldn't have our original caterer. And then we could! And then the staff would change and they would ask us for a deposit, we would ask for more info and then the staff would change again and we would repeat the process. We kept fighting the good fight because we loved the venue. And then...we didn't have the venue. They gave away our date with less than 6 months to go before our big day, and it was a huge disaster. No one would give us information. Worst of all, they did not tell us directly, they told our caterer and didn't even bother to mention this issue to us. It was our wonderful caterer who called me in a panic one morning. But, we continued to fight. They offered a subpar venue next door, and at first we wanted to fight for the original room that we had booked. But, they wore us down. We were tired of fighting and convinced ourselves that we also loved the venue next door. And then...contract time. What a shocker, we had to keep sending it back for revisions. They were backing out of items that they had initially promised. Our caterer suggested that I "go bridezilla" on them. We went through this madness for another month and half and just last week we had decided that we had enough.
There were no bridezilla blowouts, no shouting matches. Just one little 5'1 bride who said to her 6'5 groom, "this is too much". Luckily the groom said "I agree". We decided to look at another venue that our caterer suggested, and wouldn't you know it? IT'S PERFECT.
We spoke to the venue manager, who is a real great guy and I can't wait to have a beer with him at the reception. He sent us a contract that we didn't have to revise and the location is absolutely wonderful.
We've got 3 1/2 months to go and we're starting from scratch and I couldn't be happier.
-ri
Work has gotten really busy for both Joe and myself. I've been known to hang out at work well past closing time and Joe has spent a few weekends working away.
Wedding planning...that's where the real stress lies. We've been quite lucky to have chosen an amazing caterer who has been our rock and our champion throughout all the madness that we've been faced with. As those of you who read this blog are aware, we started our hunt for the perfect wedding venue well over a year in advance. We were aware that some of the best locations book up quickly, and as a constant worrywort...it was in our best interest to have all of the major details taken care of far FAR in advance, lest I have a nervous breakdown.
We thought we had it. After visits to almost every "unique" wedding venue in Southern California we thought we had it. The Automobile Driving Museum was our place! HOORAY! ...and then it wasn't. And then it was again! And then we couldn't have our original caterer. And then we could! And then the staff would change and they would ask us for a deposit, we would ask for more info and then the staff would change again and we would repeat the process. We kept fighting the good fight because we loved the venue. And then...we didn't have the venue. They gave away our date with less than 6 months to go before our big day, and it was a huge disaster. No one would give us information. Worst of all, they did not tell us directly, they told our caterer and didn't even bother to mention this issue to us. It was our wonderful caterer who called me in a panic one morning. But, we continued to fight. They offered a subpar venue next door, and at first we wanted to fight for the original room that we had booked. But, they wore us down. We were tired of fighting and convinced ourselves that we also loved the venue next door. And then...contract time. What a shocker, we had to keep sending it back for revisions. They were backing out of items that they had initially promised. Our caterer suggested that I "go bridezilla" on them. We went through this madness for another month and half and just last week we had decided that we had enough.
There were no bridezilla blowouts, no shouting matches. Just one little 5'1 bride who said to her 6'5 groom, "this is too much". Luckily the groom said "I agree". We decided to look at another venue that our caterer suggested, and wouldn't you know it? IT'S PERFECT.
We spoke to the venue manager, who is a real great guy and I can't wait to have a beer with him at the reception. He sent us a contract that we didn't have to revise and the location is absolutely wonderful.
We've got 3 1/2 months to go and we're starting from scratch and I couldn't be happier.
-ri
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
262 days to go
After a bit of a hiatus, we're back on the wedding planning track. I got lost in a sea of bridal magazines, websites, blogs and fabric swatches and I decided to take a break during the holidays. I needed to regroup and gain sight of our original vision for our wedding.
There are so many bridal magazines, websites, blogs etc out there and it's very easy to quickly fall into a very cookie cutter wedding when all you see, hear and run into are all geared toward the "blushing bride-to-be". To my horror, I found myself contemplating some very traditional, typical, sometimes boring wedding elements. The joy of some much needed time wrapped up in the holidays with family and friends and even dealing with some work shakeups has brought me back to reality and reminded me of everything that we had hoped for.
I have put in my orders for the Save the Date materials and I'm ready to start planning the wedding of our dreams.
-ri
There are so many bridal magazines, websites, blogs etc out there and it's very easy to quickly fall into a very cookie cutter wedding when all you see, hear and run into are all geared toward the "blushing bride-to-be". To my horror, I found myself contemplating some very traditional, typical, sometimes boring wedding elements. The joy of some much needed time wrapped up in the holidays with family and friends and even dealing with some work shakeups has brought me back to reality and reminded me of everything that we had hoped for.
I have put in my orders for the Save the Date materials and I'm ready to start planning the wedding of our dreams.
-ri
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
venue has been chosen
Paul, one of my beloved maids of honor has turned 28. He officially became older on Saturday, but the roommates just attacked him with some birthday cakes and forced him out of this Call of Duty haze to come outside and bond with the real world. He did not enter this warzone without first equipping me with all of the essentials that I needed in order to complete the "computer center of doom". We have hooked up my mighty netbook to my 32' TV and we have set up a wireless keyboard and mouse. As I type this, I am currently sitting on my bed with a full-size keyboard on my lap and a full-size mouse perched mightily atop a book. My trusty 10' netbook is sitting on a little perch directly beneath my television. This is quite the epic blog post.
Joe and I were able to meet with Jeff Walker, the executive director of the Automotive Driving Museum. Initially we had much frustration in attempting to get a hold of him since our original contact at the museum had left her position abruptly. We had started to lose faith and we thought that the wedding venue of our dreams would remain just a distant dream. After our meeting with Jeff, we realized that he wasn't attempting to dodge our questions or make life difficult. We realized that he was a very busy man put to the task of running an entire venue pretty much on his own. Event planning cannot be first and foremost on your priority list when you have an entire musuem to run.
So, with renewed faith and a stable contact person...WE HAVE OUR VENUE!!!
Next on the agenda, securing a caterer. We thought that we were already set with our first catering choice, but it seems as though we might actually be able to save almost $7500 if we go with the second catering option. We need to investigate and taste some food before we sign any contracts. I think we're up to the task.
-ri
Joe and I were able to meet with Jeff Walker, the executive director of the Automotive Driving Museum. Initially we had much frustration in attempting to get a hold of him since our original contact at the museum had left her position abruptly. We had started to lose faith and we thought that the wedding venue of our dreams would remain just a distant dream. After our meeting with Jeff, we realized that he wasn't attempting to dodge our questions or make life difficult. We realized that he was a very busy man put to the task of running an entire venue pretty much on his own. Event planning cannot be first and foremost on your priority list when you have an entire musuem to run.
So, with renewed faith and a stable contact person...WE HAVE OUR VENUE!!!
Next on the agenda, securing a caterer. We thought that we were already set with our first catering choice, but it seems as though we might actually be able to save almost $7500 if we go with the second catering option. We need to investigate and taste some food before we sign any contracts. I think we're up to the task.
-ri
Monday, October 26, 2009
341 days-Venue Recap
Let's start from the beginning....I've got time.
Joe and I were searching any and all potential "unique" wedding venues. Below is a list of venues that we visited in the order that they were viewed.
#1: Castle Green-Pasadena, CA
That's a photo of the venue in 1967. It's absolutely beautiful inside and it had a kind of glamour that you don't see anymore. I took a ton of photos of this venue, but unfortunately I lost my camera before I could upload of those photos.
Pros: Beautiful area for reception indoors; garden ceremony; BYOB
Cons: Parking issues; tenants in the units above would be walking in and out of the reception area; rental fee was 1/3 of our total budget which wouldn't leave us with a workable catering budget
#2: Queen Mary-Long Beach, CA
The Queen Mary had a wonderful wedding coordinator, who told me that if I had any questions about weddings in general, even if I didn't choose their venue, she would be more than happy to give me some ideas. The interior is beautiful and there is so much history in all of those banquet rooms!
Pros: Easy for guests to find; opportunity to play "I'm On A Boat" as a wedding march; no seasick pirates here since the boat is premanently docked; potential for the ghosts of the ship to harass our wedding guests
Cons: Because of the beautiful decor of the banquet rooms there wouldn't be much chance to personalize the rooms to reflect our personalities; up to 6 weddings can take place at the Queen Mary in one day (not too much privacy there)
#3: Los Angeles Zoo-Griffith Park CA
The L.A. Zoo. ANIMALS! I LOVES THEM!
Pros: ANIMALS! Again, easy for guests to find; chance for a Castle Crashers theme (did someone say Animal Orbs?); reasonably priced catering
Cons: Despite the reasonably priced catering there were a TON of hidden fees: silverware rental, dishware rental, lighting fees, linen rental, chair rental, tram fees; the location that would seat our guests comfortably was at the front of the zoo nowhere near the animals, thereby killing the entire reason we wanted to get married at the zoo; the Wedding Coordinator was very nice but quite flaky. Proof of that came from the fact that she had forgotten our viewing appointment entirely and we had to wait about 20 mins for them to page her and track her down
#4: California Yacht Club-Marina del Rey
I love Marina del Rey, it's the one place where both Joe and I feel at home. The yacht club was very pretty, and the wedding coordinator was great. Their menu is amazing but the cost of having our wedding there was a bit on the steep side. The location where we would have the wedding ceremony was overlooking the area where the yachts are parked. The reception would be held in a tent by the pool.
Pros: Marina del Rey is beautiful all the time; proximity to Brennan's would allow for a great afterparty; the use of "I'm On A Boat" while being on dry land
Cons: Pricey; not too unique; parking fees were high
#5: Aquarium of the Pacific-Long Beach CA
ANIMALS UNDER WATER! We visited this location knowing that it was pretty much impossible to have our wedding here since the base cost of the rental is already twice the budget that we had set but we were so excited about the free entrance to the aquarium and we couldn't resist. Obviously the locaton is beautiful inside and out.
Pros: Cocktail hour would be held by the shark petting tanks at no additional cost because of the construction that is taking place at the usual cocktail venue; the aquarium is beautiful after dark
Cons: Cost
#6: Automobile Driving Museum-El Segundo, CA
Until the moment that we visited this venue, I had not fallen in love. Sure, I said it with every new venue that we looked at, but this venue helped all of my ideas come together. Anyone who knows me knows the love that I have for cars. Their collection even included a few cars that were a big part of Joe's childhood. The wedding coordinator that we were in touch with was amazing and after a visit to one of their recommended caterers, we were in awe of the potential menu as well.
Pros: CARS! This was the first absolutely unique venue that we saw; wonderful wedding coordinator; wonderful food; our first glimpse of a cohesive wedding theme
Cons: None at that time
#7: Santa Barbara Zoo-Santa Barbara, CA
ANIMALS! The Santa Barbara Zoo is very nice a cozy. The contact person for their catering department was very friendly and was sure to let us know that they would tailor everything to make our wedding something that really reflected us and our vision for a wedding. As opposed to the L.A. Zoo, the guests would actually be able to roam around the entire zoo and we would be able to put different stations around the entire zoo for food and drinks.
Pros: Use of entire zoo for reception; BYOB; flexible menu
Cons: Long drive for guests
#8: San Diego Wild Animal Park-San Diego, CA
MOAR ANIMALS! The location where the wedding and reception would be held is very pretty and easy to find. Having the wedding at the Park would actually include an entire day's admission for the guests.
Pros: Entire day's admission for guests; a "destination" wedding would mean a nice getaway for all of those who attend
Cons: Longer drive for guests; we would need to cut our guest list in half in order to be able to use the location that I would like
Up until 2 weeks ago, Joe and I thought that we would be placing a deposit on the Auto Museum as well as making the catering deposit as soon as we returned from San Diego. We had everything planned out and ready to go and our theme was all set. Until Michelle from the catering company informed us that the wedding coordinator was no longer with the museum. It threw all of our plans up in the air. There was a lot of missed communication and uncertainty which is definitely not ideal when it comes to planning for your wedding. There is a lot of doubt that enters your mind when the beginning stages of your wedding planning suddenly become nightmarish. After a few emails back and forth it seems as though our original plans may still be possible, but confidence is low because of the whole experience with the upheaval.
So, this week we have a meeting with another auto museum in Anaheim. They've been so great about keeping us updated and working around our schedules and I'm hopeful that this venue actually works out. I have to admit that I was pretty upset when the museum in El Segundo threw all those obstacles our way, but in order to save my sanity I've decided that everything will all work out in the end. *fingers crossed*
-ri
Joe and I were searching any and all potential "unique" wedding venues. Below is a list of venues that we visited in the order that they were viewed.
#1: Castle Green-Pasadena, CA
That's a photo of the venue in 1967. It's absolutely beautiful inside and it had a kind of glamour that you don't see anymore. I took a ton of photos of this venue, but unfortunately I lost my camera before I could upload of those photos.
Pros: Beautiful area for reception indoors; garden ceremony; BYOB
Cons: Parking issues; tenants in the units above would be walking in and out of the reception area; rental fee was 1/3 of our total budget which wouldn't leave us with a workable catering budget
#2: Queen Mary-Long Beach, CA
The Queen Mary had a wonderful wedding coordinator, who told me that if I had any questions about weddings in general, even if I didn't choose their venue, she would be more than happy to give me some ideas. The interior is beautiful and there is so much history in all of those banquet rooms!
Pros: Easy for guests to find; opportunity to play "I'm On A Boat" as a wedding march; no seasick pirates here since the boat is premanently docked; potential for the ghosts of the ship to harass our wedding guests
Cons: Because of the beautiful decor of the banquet rooms there wouldn't be much chance to personalize the rooms to reflect our personalities; up to 6 weddings can take place at the Queen Mary in one day (not too much privacy there)
#3: Los Angeles Zoo-Griffith Park CA
The L.A. Zoo. ANIMALS! I LOVES THEM!
Pros: ANIMALS! Again, easy for guests to find; chance for a Castle Crashers theme (did someone say Animal Orbs?); reasonably priced catering
Cons: Despite the reasonably priced catering there were a TON of hidden fees: silverware rental, dishware rental, lighting fees, linen rental, chair rental, tram fees; the location that would seat our guests comfortably was at the front of the zoo nowhere near the animals, thereby killing the entire reason we wanted to get married at the zoo; the Wedding Coordinator was very nice but quite flaky. Proof of that came from the fact that she had forgotten our viewing appointment entirely and we had to wait about 20 mins for them to page her and track her down
#4: California Yacht Club-Marina del Rey
I love Marina del Rey, it's the one place where both Joe and I feel at home. The yacht club was very pretty, and the wedding coordinator was great. Their menu is amazing but the cost of having our wedding there was a bit on the steep side. The location where we would have the wedding ceremony was overlooking the area where the yachts are parked. The reception would be held in a tent by the pool.
Pros: Marina del Rey is beautiful all the time; proximity to Brennan's would allow for a great afterparty; the use of "I'm On A Boat" while being on dry land
Cons: Pricey; not too unique; parking fees were high
#5: Aquarium of the Pacific-Long Beach CA
ANIMALS UNDER WATER! We visited this location knowing that it was pretty much impossible to have our wedding here since the base cost of the rental is already twice the budget that we had set but we were so excited about the free entrance to the aquarium and we couldn't resist. Obviously the locaton is beautiful inside and out.
Pros: Cocktail hour would be held by the shark petting tanks at no additional cost because of the construction that is taking place at the usual cocktail venue; the aquarium is beautiful after dark
Cons: Cost
#6: Automobile Driving Museum-El Segundo, CA
Until the moment that we visited this venue, I had not fallen in love. Sure, I said it with every new venue that we looked at, but this venue helped all of my ideas come together. Anyone who knows me knows the love that I have for cars. Their collection even included a few cars that were a big part of Joe's childhood. The wedding coordinator that we were in touch with was amazing and after a visit to one of their recommended caterers, we were in awe of the potential menu as well.
Pros: CARS! This was the first absolutely unique venue that we saw; wonderful wedding coordinator; wonderful food; our first glimpse of a cohesive wedding theme
Cons: None at that time
#7: Santa Barbara Zoo-Santa Barbara, CA
ANIMALS! The Santa Barbara Zoo is very nice a cozy. The contact person for their catering department was very friendly and was sure to let us know that they would tailor everything to make our wedding something that really reflected us and our vision for a wedding. As opposed to the L.A. Zoo, the guests would actually be able to roam around the entire zoo and we would be able to put different stations around the entire zoo for food and drinks.
Pros: Use of entire zoo for reception; BYOB; flexible menu
Cons: Long drive for guests
#8: San Diego Wild Animal Park-San Diego, CA
MOAR ANIMALS! The location where the wedding and reception would be held is very pretty and easy to find. Having the wedding at the Park would actually include an entire day's admission for the guests.
Pros: Entire day's admission for guests; a "destination" wedding would mean a nice getaway for all of those who attend
Cons: Longer drive for guests; we would need to cut our guest list in half in order to be able to use the location that I would like
Up until 2 weeks ago, Joe and I thought that we would be placing a deposit on the Auto Museum as well as making the catering deposit as soon as we returned from San Diego. We had everything planned out and ready to go and our theme was all set. Until Michelle from the catering company informed us that the wedding coordinator was no longer with the museum. It threw all of our plans up in the air. There was a lot of missed communication and uncertainty which is definitely not ideal when it comes to planning for your wedding. There is a lot of doubt that enters your mind when the beginning stages of your wedding planning suddenly become nightmarish. After a few emails back and forth it seems as though our original plans may still be possible, but confidence is low because of the whole experience with the upheaval.
So, this week we have a meeting with another auto museum in Anaheim. They've been so great about keeping us updated and working around our schedules and I'm hopeful that this venue actually works out. I have to admit that I was pretty upset when the museum in El Segundo threw all those obstacles our way, but in order to save my sanity I've decided that everything will all work out in the end. *fingers crossed*
-ri
Thursday, October 15, 2009
352 days to go
I am currently absorbed in inspiration boards from The Craft Begins
I am currently in love with colors. I still haven't heard much good news about the venue that Joe and I were really hoping for. After sulking for quite a while and being pretty angry, I have decided to just enjoy the coming weekend. I had really hoped to have the basics set and booked by one year to the big day, but I suppose I'll just aim for 10 months out....
-ri
I am currently in love with colors. I still haven't heard much good news about the venue that Joe and I were really hoping for. After sulking for quite a while and being pretty angry, I have decided to just enjoy the coming weekend. I had really hoped to have the basics set and booked by one year to the big day, but I suppose I'll just aim for 10 months out....
-ri
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
353 days and already we're cracking....
The venue that Joe and I had decided on had a wonderful added bonus: the sweetest Events Manager on the west coast. I have been informed that she no longer works there.
The venue that Joe and I had decided on had a "preferred" caterer that we loved. Their menu was perfect and the food was SO tasty! I have been informed that the venue has signed an exclusive catering contract with a restaurant that is nothing like the catering company that I'm in love with.
What a burn.
-ri
The venue that Joe and I had decided on had a "preferred" caterer that we loved. Their menu was perfect and the food was SO tasty! I have been informed that the venue has signed an exclusive catering contract with a restaurant that is nothing like the catering company that I'm in love with.
What a burn.
-ri
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
354 days to go
I love the rain.
I'm currently at work, staring dreamily out of the windows. I'm listening to She & Him, wishing that I was at home with a cup of Hot Cocoa or an Irish Coffee, sitting with Joe, Ripper, Assy & Hedgebert watching old black and white movies.
For now, I will be happy with a penguin mug filled with coffee and thoughts of my pirate umbrella.
-ri
I'm currently at work, staring dreamily out of the windows. I'm listening to She & Him, wishing that I was at home with a cup of Hot Cocoa or an Irish Coffee, sitting with Joe, Ripper, Assy & Hedgebert watching old black and white movies.
For now, I will be happy with a penguin mug filled with coffee and thoughts of my pirate umbrella.
-ri
Thursday, October 8, 2009
359 days
...and I have a cold. Joe was feeling under the weather last week and now he has been so kind and shared his lovely sickness with me. We have a meeting with a potential caterer choice on Saturday, I'm hoping that I'm healthy enough to interrogate them as planned!
-ri
-ri
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
360 days
Tonight, I get to pow wow with my favorite wedding consultant over some yummy foods!
Earlier this week, I got my papersamples from envelopemall.com and I think that Save-the-Date assembly is imminent. Is 11 months prior to the wedding too far in advance to send out these notices?
Fall is in the air, and it's actually been quite chilly in the valley. Thanks to the abrupt weather change, I suddenly have a case of the sniffles. Of course, the fall weather has put me in a great mood to flip through the new issue of Martha Stewart Weddings.
I've been obsessing over the flower-free options available for the bouquets, bouttonieres and centerpieces. I've never been that big a fan of fresh flowers and I've been finding a lot of DIY-inspiration on the internet!
I've also been trying to think of a great theme for the invites.
-ri
Earlier this week, I got my papersamples from envelopemall.com and I think that Save-the-Date assembly is imminent. Is 11 months prior to the wedding too far in advance to send out these notices?
Fall is in the air, and it's actually been quite chilly in the valley. Thanks to the abrupt weather change, I suddenly have a case of the sniffles. Of course, the fall weather has put me in a great mood to flip through the new issue of Martha Stewart Weddings.
I've been obsessing over the flower-free options available for the bouquets, bouttonieres and centerpieces. I've never been that big a fan of fresh flowers and I've been finding a lot of DIY-inspiration on the internet!
I've also been trying to think of a great theme for the invites.
-ri
Friday, October 2, 2009
ONE YEAR TO THE BIG DAY!
We officially have one year to our big day! I've created a set on Flickr and I've committed myself to at least one photo a day until our wedding day. EEEE!
I believe that we have finally settled on our venue. However, we are still making a visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo tomorrow (free admission!) and the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 2 weeks (free admission x2!) We just have to make the deposit on the venue and then we'll get to move on to obsessing about other things. (Free food! Free cake!)
Attire hasn't been first and foremost in my mind, but this makes me giddy:
Thursday, October 1, 2009
one year and one day.
The other day, I realized that unlike most brides, I have yet to start lusting after a dress. The thought of the ideal dress had come to me earlier in the planning stage, but I it was a brief moment and I only ever think about it when other people ask about it. The aspects of the wedding that have me really excited are the small details that allow me to tap into my crafty side.
This woodgrain paper has me a little intrigued...
-ri
This woodgrain paper has me a little intrigued...
-ri
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
367 days...
I have ordered a few paper samples from a paper company because I'm hoping to have my Save-The-Dates ready to go soon. At first, I thought that something close to a year in advance would be too soon, but I'm excited to get the word out! I'm also excited to get these creative juices flowing, and I also realize that a DIY wedding also requires a more forgiving time table.
I've also decided to crack down on watching what I eat and being an all-around healthier person. In January of 2008, I joined Weight Watchers and dropped a total of 27 lbs. within 7 months. Unfortunately, when you take 1-part of moving in friends, mixed in with 2-parts of a busy schedule and you sprinkle some old habits on top of that and allow to simmer, you get 7 pounds that make their way back. Since signing up for the program, I've definitely been making better choices and I'm certainly better off than I was in December 2007 but it would be nice to make more progress.
I think that's all for now! We're quickly approaching that one-year mark!
-ri
I've also decided to crack down on watching what I eat and being an all-around healthier person. In January of 2008, I joined Weight Watchers and dropped a total of 27 lbs. within 7 months. Unfortunately, when you take 1-part of moving in friends, mixed in with 2-parts of a busy schedule and you sprinkle some old habits on top of that and allow to simmer, you get 7 pounds that make their way back. Since signing up for the program, I've definitely been making better choices and I'm certainly better off than I was in December 2007 but it would be nice to make more progress.
I think that's all for now! We're quickly approaching that one-year mark!
-ri
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
368 days moar!
more inspiration strikes:
I'm looking at more mid-century roadtrip items and the photos, images and subsequent ideas have really started to flow. I was doing a little research on teardrop campers in relation to our possible Roadtrip Honeymoon and I was reunited with my love, the Airstream Trailer.
-ri
I'm looking at more mid-century roadtrip items and the photos, images and subsequent ideas have really started to flow. I was doing a little research on teardrop campers in relation to our possible Roadtrip Honeymoon and I was reunited with my love, the Airstream Trailer.
-ri
Monday, September 28, 2009
369 days to go...
This was the first weekend in a while where we didn't have any venue appointments or meetings. Of course, I've still got wedding planning on the brain, but some much needed playtime was in order:
Alright, the photo is from last year but you get the point. On Saturday, we had some quality Szczypkowski family time and then we spent some time at Disneyland with friends on Sunday and soaked in the Halloween spirit. Do you realize that by next Halloween season, we're going to be married?! (eee!)
Before Disney time, we stopped by Home Depot so that I could pick up some paint chips and get crackin' on my idears. With the inspiration still fresh and exciting, I figured that now would be the best time to tackle the minutia while I'm still fairly calm. Here's to driving the roommates crazy!! (I'm sorry Clair, Paul and Luis...mostly Paul. You brought this upon yourself for being Maid of Honor worthy!)
-ri
Alright, the photo is from last year but you get the point. On Saturday, we had some quality Szczypkowski family time and then we spent some time at Disneyland with friends on Sunday and soaked in the Halloween spirit. Do you realize that by next Halloween season, we're going to be married?! (eee!)
Before Disney time, we stopped by Home Depot so that I could pick up some paint chips and get crackin' on my idears. With the inspiration still fresh and exciting, I figured that now would be the best time to tackle the minutia while I'm still fairly calm. Here's to driving the roommates crazy!! (I'm sorry Clair, Paul and Luis...mostly Paul. You brought this upon yourself for being Maid of Honor worthy!)
-ri
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
373 days to the wedding
It's the end of September and the predicted high for the valley is 104'F. The predicted high for Torrance/Lomita is 94'F. Where is my fall weather?!
I've been very concerned about our wedding/reception being boring. I've been searching for a theme or a source of inspiration. Inthia and I have been sending each other wedding site links and while all of them have me ooh-ing and aah-ing, nothing has really clicked quite yet.
UNTIL NOW.
Behold, my first REAL source of inspiration:
I've been very hesitant about divulging too much wedding information because there have been security breaches and some information leakage within the past month. I'm trying to keep everything hush hush until I hash out the real basics. I'm not quite ready for information overload just yet. The information exchange that I have going with the few people that I've been bouncing ideas off right now is perfect.
-ri
I've been very concerned about our wedding/reception being boring. I've been searching for a theme or a source of inspiration. Inthia and I have been sending each other wedding site links and while all of them have me ooh-ing and aah-ing, nothing has really clicked quite yet.
UNTIL NOW.
Behold, my first REAL source of inspiration:
I've been very hesitant about divulging too much wedding information because there have been security breaches and some information leakage within the past month. I'm trying to keep everything hush hush until I hash out the real basics. I'm not quite ready for information overload just yet. The information exchange that I have going with the few people that I've been bouncing ideas off right now is perfect.
-ri
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAKI!!
My baby brother is 20 today!! He is my maid-of-honor and the reason that we chose the month of October to get hitched. Before we even started thinking about kicking off any of those bachelor/bachelorette festivities, we wanted to be sure that Mak was of legal age.
-ri
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ONE!
-ri
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ONE!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
375 days and picking colors
When we first embarked upon this wedding journey, I thought that I had the colors down: "Green and Brown! End of story!", that was my mantra. But after visiting a few venues and actually envisioning our wedding there, I'm beginning to realize that the colors that I had planned on might not work well with the actual venue we choose.
That seems to be the theme for the wedding planning, a lot of new inspiration.
Right now, I'm most partial to the 1st set of colors.
-ri
Color Choice #1
Color Choice #2
That seems to be the theme for the wedding planning, a lot of new inspiration.
Right now, I'm most partial to the 1st set of colors.
-ri
Color Choice #1
Color Choice #2
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