one week later

And we're both still here, despite Matt getting sick the day after the Wedding. Now that he's been put back together maybe I'll have the chance to update the rest of the world on everything, but for now:

OH MY GOD!

Thanks to a BEAUTIFUL British Bride Friend in England, I may have just found a way to do a Photobooth FOR UNDER $100!

Holy crap! I am beyond excited!

6 months

So that's all that's left. And that doesn't seem very long. This has me worried. Granted there isn't much left for me to do. But there's enough to keep me busy. Not to mention it would be nice to have the living room painted and furnished by this fall. Since we will be having people coming from out of town who we will be entertaining and they may want to see the house. But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

What's left:
Dance Lessons
Invitations
Cake
Flowers
Favors
Aisle Runner
Ties for the Boys
Shoes for the Girls

[x] I'm not sure how I feel about these anymore. I want to go... but I'm not so sure I want to add another thing to my to do list.
[x] I will not enjoy addressing these. But I'll deal.
[x] I know where I want the cake from and what I want it to look like. I just have to get the decorators on the same page.
[x] I know I want red flowers. But there are lots out there. So I've been trying to weed out the ones I DON'T want to make any more floral consultations go more smoothly.
[x] Favors... ooooooh favors. I can't decide between those little chests I linked earlier and round metal tins. I also need to figure out what to put in them
[x] I was going to ask a friends mom to sew the runner for me, but the fabric I wanted was too expensive. $450+shipping for something I'm going to walk on? No thanks. So I'm left trying to get creative, but I think it'll work.
[x] Ties, simple enough
[x] Shoes: my one true love and current hate.

In other news I got my second box today... I still haven't gotten Thank You cards printed. I stink.

Disappearing Vendors

I will not call Wedding Vendors Elves here. Generally, I don't like calling them Vendors. Because really, I want to pick people who care about what they are doing. Someone else called them Wedding Elves, and I liked it. Helpful creatures! What every girl needs... but moving on.

There are now TWO Brides in 5 months who I've seen have their Photographers run off after the Wedding. Leaving them with no pictures. This makes me more than a little nervous. The pictures may end up costing more than my Rings- and to have nothing to show for it? Well it terrifies me. I had wanted two photographers for the Wedding itself. Whether they be 2 from one studio or 2 independent. But that can also mean double the cost. And double the ditching.

I just want happy elves at my Wedding. Not greedy grumpy vendors. : (

Toasts and Dancing

First and foremost, I love how much I'm thinking about things that no one will care about.

Now, I don't know how my Brother or his Sister feel about Public speaking; so that topic will be brought up over Thanksgiving or Christmas. But, if neither of them want to speak in front of 200ish people; many of whom they will not know... then what? Can we just for-go a toast all together? Do I ask our Fathers to say something? What if they don't want to speak in front of 200ish people?

I know that I have 10 months to figure this out. It's just something that wobbles around in my brain.

And I know that Matt and I will have our first dance. But I'm not so keen on the whole Bridal Party dance. Especially since there will only be 2 other people out there. I mean honestly, what's the point in that anyways? I'd rather just get on with the fun and ridiculousness of the party.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!

The Kids Favors came today! I love, love , LOVE them.

I got cute little crayon roll ups for the kids under 10. I have to find some Piratey coloring pages to go with them, but that won't be hard. I'm absolutely over the moon for them. I wanted something for the little ones so they could not only have something special, but I wanted them to have something to keep them amused during the reception in case they aren't dancers.

Oh my GOOSES

179.

That's the total number of Guests right now. Including Children. So it's probably closer to 170 Adults. Matt's Aunt sent me a list of names and addresses. But I don't know who on there has kids or how many they have.

I know that the list will get bigger before it gets any smaller. And I'm not terribly worried yet. Because no matter what we'll be charged for 150 Guests. So I'd prefer to make sure I have at least that many so I'm not buying dinner for imaginary people!

BUT! This also means that the Ceremony might be tricky. Anything over 75 Chairs I have to pay for. I've been debating what to do about that. I know people usually skip out on the Ceremony, which is fine, but our Reception is right after. So people could skip out on the boring part... but then they'll miss part of the Cocktail hour happenings.

Oh well, no sense in me worrying now about what everyone else is doing during my Reception then. : P

In no particular order

Snow Patrol: Open Your Eyes.

Michael Buble: Save the Last Dance

Snow Patrol: Signal Fire

James Morrison: You Give Me Something

- - - -
Have you noticed a trend? Mind you, this is not how I have them ranked. This is just how I stuck 'em in there.

Well, in the process that is copying and pasting from YouTube I've taken 2 off the list. Granted- I love Feist and Frou Frou. So this list maybe revised to include them. It's just that some of their songs seem like they'd be uncomfortable to dance to. [read: icky tempo]

But who knows really.

Our Song

So, Matt and I have only danced together once. Which means that in the next few months we're going to be taking Dance Classes. Not because we neeeeeed to learn to dance, but because I'd rather have it go smoothly. And this will give me something to look forward to during the weeks that get terribly busy.

And us being who we are, we don't have a song. I will attribute most of this to our vastly different music tastes. That being said, there are places that they overlap, but not many.

So this is where I am going to ask you, our devoted readers to chime in. I've been looking for a song for us to dance to. I've found oodles that I like. And as luck would have it- he hasn't objected to any of them yet. Although I think once he sees what a dance instructor might want us to DO to the music... his feelings might change!

So send me your suggestions. Whether you know us well or not, let me hear 'em!

If you don't want to sign up for a Blogger account or if you don't have a Google account you can always email them to me.

thegillian@gmail.com

See ya later George!

Yesterday I went and signed all of the contracts for the Reception and Ceremony, and made the rest of my deposits. It seems so strange to me to not have to go back there for another 9 months. Well only strange because I have so much done that I just want to get everything over there taken care of as well. I know that 2 months is more than enough time for them to order napkins and do whatever else they need to. I'm just ready and raring to go.

I'm trying to keep myself on track with other things that need to be done. So that way when I do go to see Kristen again I have everything done and the meeting can be as painless as possible! Not to mention I'll need the next 9 months to label everything.

I have to have a 2" label on everything that I'm leaving at the site. Decorations, favors, cake knives, place cards etc. I also have to give them an itemized list and count of everything I'm bringing in, along with any special instructions. Seems a bit silly to me, but I'd rather label it all and leave it so they can put the favors and cards out. God only knows that I don't want to spend 3-4 hours circling tables putting things on them.

Bridal Party Woes

First we weren't having a Bridal Party. Then it was just a MoH and a BM. Now, I sit and think that I'd like to add 1-2 more into the mix. Now, I'm not naming names for now. Because this may just be a momentary thought- like so much of this planning has been... and I'd really rather not get anyone's hopes up or offend people. I know that it doesn't really matter what they think. Because this has little to do with them and has everything to do with me. I also don't want to deal with the possibility of rejection. Although highly unlikely, still a possibility.

And for the moment I do enjoy the picture in my head of my Brother standing next to Matt. And Matt's Sister standing next to me.

When Matt and I first started talking about it after they both accepted, it was completely political. Like they were making an announcement at the end of a commercial. Which made us both laugh.

"My name is Joseph VonSowerby, and I approve of this man for my Sister."

Granted, that's not how it is, or how it will be. But that's how it plays out in my head for now. And I guess the up shot is that I'm not looking at ugly dresses for Bridesmaids. So if I do have an actual "party" they won't hate me for putting them in sea foam green.