Friday, January 6, 2012

7 Quick Takes- Wedding Edition



--- 1 ---

Now that it's the actual year of our wedding, I'm starting to feel like a frazzled bride. Up until now, I've been calm, cool, and collected. Coworkers routinely ask me why I'm not stressed out, as if it's a bad thing, and I laugh and say it's because I have planned everything in the most low stress way I could. Well the laugh is on me because I knew it would get chaotic when 2012 hit and here I am, and yes it is!! I actually feel like a bride now, instead of "oh yeah, I'm getting married at some point... in the future". So there is stress, but there is also jittery, fluttery excitement!

--- 2 ---

I never knew labels could be so stressful. I'm trying to have all the pieces of my invitations ready for assembly this weekend so I can put my visiting parents to work. Steven had the clear inkjet labels (to print pretty font on- stress reducer tip 1 is just print your labels, no one cares!) ready to bring, but the way our printer is, it messes them up. So he went and bought laserjet and took them to Kinkos to have them finished, brought them home, and they were white instead of clear. He went back out today for clear laserjet, which is apparently way more expensive, and he could only find in a ridiculous pack of 500 for almost $50. We need 100! We finally ordered them online from the same store he was in for $25. So we'll just have to do everything but that part this weekend, and add those later.

--- 3 ---

Alterations are this weekend. It bothers me a bit that they are so far from the wedding, but they said I needed to do it that way since I'm doing bridal portraits, which makes sense. I don't think I need anything done besides the hem, bustle added, and this part at the very top of where it closes, so I guess it doesn't matter as much as if I were getting the waist or something altered. My dress doesn't come with a bustle, so I have to choose an 'over' or 'under' bustle. I'm stressed about that! I know she can't show me exactly what it will look like and it's hard for me to picture things like that. My mom and future MIL will be there so hopefully between us we come to a consensus.

--- 4 ---

I have very purple wedding shoes. I ordered them months ago and hoped I wouldn't change my mind because they were slightly over budget (though my original budget was admittedly low for a nice pair of shoes). They still make me giddy!

Please focus on the shoes and not my legs/feet which I feel look exceptionally unattractive in this picture lol. The color is slightly off from 'real life'. To me they look more blue-ish purple here and they are actually very purple purple.

--- 5 ---

Centerpieces were also stressful. We couldn't afford to have the florist do our reception, so we tossed around ideas for MONTHS. Or, should I say, I tossed around ideas. It's difficult because we have almost 30 tables of varying sizes, versus the standard 10-12 massive round tables. I like that as far as looks go, but not as far as planning centerpieces! Here's what we ended up with. White table cloths, dark purple napkins, and white china (provided by the place), then we are using 20 x 20 satin clover green napkins unfolded into a big square as 'overlays' which obviously won't cover the table but will fill up the space in the middle- we did this because getting overlays for various shaped tables would be a nightmare. There will be a hurricane globe (provided by the place) in the middle with an ivory candle in it (maybe embellished, that's the only part I have yet to figure out), with a spring mix of eco friendly (yay!) freeze dried rose petals (pink- just a tad, ivory, purple, white) scattered around it. I found awesome coupon codes for everything online. I did each table for about $18, and the florists prices started at $40 a table just for flowers in a vase. So it was still a decent chunk of money, but way cheaper than if someone else did it. Thank God for our day of coorindator who will decorate the tables so I don't have to!

--- 6 ---

Our name has been sent to the couple we are going over our FOCCUS with, but they haven't contacted us yet which is making me antsy. It will be a busy month though- we have to meet with them, the priest, the organist, and the cantor all this month! I think most people have done their FOCCUS couple meeting before this point, but we did our retreat in November, after it got cancelled in July, but had completed our FOCCUS in August, so we totally forgot to remind the church to set us up with a couple once we finally did go to our retreat. If that made sense.

--- 7 ---

Sometimes I feel silly for the amount we are spending on our wedding. It's not ridiculous or extravagant, just a lot for us super-saving frugal types. But I try to remind myself that I will never have another wedding again and that we picked things that were really special and important to us. My bride side and my frugal side will have to learn to get along.



Bonus take: Is there such thing as 'wedding brain' like pregnancy brain where you become super forgetful? If so, I have it!
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

9 comments:

  1. Ohh these takes are making me antsy for mine (and it's not for uhhh 16 months..)! I love the shoes! I'm trying to find some cute turquoise semi-cheap ones.. I've pretty much failed so far. Oh well!

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  2. Remember that I've had 12 months of almost all calm-ness and fun! I worked really hard to keep wedding planning as stress free as possible, but I think there's no way to avoid some chaos in the last few months :). Also, there is a difference between good and bad stress, and I would call this good stress!

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  3. There IS wedding brain, and you're covered under that clause for at least 2 months post-wedding, too! Under-bustle looks the best, in my opinion, tho depends on the dress. Stay strong and remember 2 things: joy and breathing :-)

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  4. There IS wedding brain, and you're covered under that clause for at least 2 months post-wedding, too! Under-bustle looks the best, in my opinion, tho depends on the dress. Stay strong and remember 2 things: joy and breathing :-)

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  5. Pretty shoes! Our wedding was purple as well but I didn't do purple shoes. Wish I would have now. :)

    Have fun with it! As long as the guy, the witnesses, and the priest show up: you're getting married! Everything else is just gravy. :D

    Oh and on the addresses, if you have the $20-$30 and while be living at the same residence for awhile invest in a stamp for your return dress. We got one for thank you's and it was the best gift!

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  6. And by 'return dress' I mean return address. :)

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  7. I love the shoes!! Having fun shoes on your wedding day is a must - mine were flip flops (but it was a very sad day when they finally broke). And don't stress about the FOCCUS test. It is less of a "test" and more of a conversation starter. And it is something that you can keep coming back to once you are married, to help you talk about issues. Good luck!

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  8. I felt conflicted a lot about wedding expenses too. My take was similar to yours, in that this is the only event in my life, aside from my funeral which I won't be able to attend, that all my friends and family will be in one place celebrating.

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  9. I know I will be the same way. I like saving money and hate spending money. I know I won't have a lot of money to spend on a wedding and neither will my mom. But I don't want a trashy wedding either. Maybe my fiance's family will be rich and pay for it all j/k j/k.

    I LOVE the shoes! I LOVE LOVE LOVE PURPLE! It's my favorite color. I would tell my mom I like the violet version of purple the best and she's all u have to get married in the fall then bc if you marry in the summer you have to use lilac. I told her why my cousin got married in june and used BLACK! I really don't understand y ppl use black in weddings it's so morbid but to each their own.

    Anyway gl on your wedding planning!

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