wedding

Sep302010

Weddings and Waterfalls

I honestly didn’t mean to give up on my 30 Days posts and will eventually finish them up. There’s just a lot going on right now.

First off, in 10 days, I will be a wife. 10 days until 10.10.10.

Ho-ly CRAP.

Then there’s the new job. And the old job. I mean really, I am working in my d-r-e-a-m job at a freakin winery! Didja hear that? At a winery! The property just smells like fruit and fermented fruit of all sorts of yummy tropical fruits.

This picture? I took it right outside of my office. I can seriously walk around the entire property and see sights like this the entire time.

If this is a dream and you pinch me, I will punch you! 😉

The downside to the winery job? Steve works 9pm-9am. I work 9am-5pm. Do you see the overlap? It means we have 4 hours max to spend together each day that we are both working. It ends up being more like 3, but whatever, it’s still miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

The next week will be chock full of packing, last minute shopping, shipping favors to Vegas, deciding checked vs carry-on luggage, pick shows/ tours/ restaurants that we absolutely don’t want to miss, and make sure all our electronic devices are fully charged. Busy busy busy!!

Have I mentioned that I will be a wife in 10 days?!

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Sep282010

September 28 TMW Post

Oh what a bad blogger I am! As you saw in my last post, I have a new job. To say the very least, things are very busy around here. I still need to finish printing and embossing the invitations. The plan is for them to go out while we’re in Vegas so hopefully folks are receiving them before we’re back. This also means that I need to crazy update our website since the link is on every single piece in the invite suite.

Umm oops.

And now, onto my weekly post:

Tweet: It’s so close that it’s a milk expiration date! #101010 #wedding http://twitpic.com/2rz2ac

Well, here we are less than 2 weeks away from our Vegas Vows and there is quite a bit going on. Because we’re having a separate reception back in Miami in January, I only have to worry about coordinating the handful of guests coming to Vegas.  At this point, the is my younger brother D, his fantastic girlfriend C, my friend K will be there for another 10-10-10 wedding and hopefully can stop by, Steve’s friend S and his girlfriend. The fab @GlamWife and former TMW bride lives in Vegas and hopefully we’ll be able to meet up during our 5 days in the desert.

So there it is, we have 5 confirmed guests after sending out numerous emails, texts and Facebook messages. One of our friends responded to tell me something came up and they can’t fly out. Another has about 10k in med school apps and interview fees and can’t make it. Totally understandable. There are still a few people that just don’t respond to anything.

Tweet: Foregoing Grand Canyon, seeing @Zumanity & @xBurlesque, lots of sightseeing & hopefully lunch/ dinner w/@GlamWife!

Last night we booked our Zumanity tickets and, while they are pricey, we have pretty damn amazing seats! Like second row on the right side of the stage amazing. I also ordered our water bottle favors. I’m actually going to keep that under wraps since there are a few guests that read this. They’ll be stuffed with some goodies – also keeping under wraps – and shipped to Vegas in advance. Even though we have 5 guests, plus the 2 of us, I ordered 12. I figured we can give them to vendors or our parents.

Steve and I opted not to do the Grand Canyon day trip. We’re going to spend the day in Vegas enjoying our day after the wedding glow wandering around, hanging by the pool and just enjoying ourselves. My brother and his girlfriend (who celebrated their 2 year anniversary yesterday!) are still going to the Grand Canyon.

Tweet: wow. i knew it would be busy, but wow… http://bit.ly/bbTDqy #101010 wedding in Vegas

If you don’t feel like clicking the link, here’s the text that has me worried:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING OCTOBER 10, 2010

We expect the Marriage License Bureau to be very busy October 7-10, 2010.  If you plan to obtain a marriage license on one of those days, we encourage you to:

  • Complete the Online Pre-Application form. This will save time when you arrive to obtain your license.
  • Be sure to have proper identification.
  • If possible, come to the Marriage License Bureau one or two days before your wedding.  If you must come on October 10, arrive a minimum of 4 hours before your ceremony is scheduled to be sure you are not rushed on your special day.
  • Dress for the weather as you may be waiting in line outside.  Temperatures can reach the mid-90s in October.

This just freaks me out. We are getting married on THE most popular date of the entire year in the wedding capital of the world. Yep, we’re crazy. According to the LV Courts website, the wait for a marriage license can be several hours, like exceeding 4 hours, whereas it’s normally an hour at most. I’ve already told Steve that I plan on getting us up and out of the hotel by 8am on Saturday, taking the bus Gold line to the court house and hopefully be out of there by 10am. The only other thing we need to do is be at the hotel for our Retro Bakery cake and cupcakes delivery around 6pm or so. I need to check on the time as the date gets closer so we’re at the hotel.

Tweet: 2 weeks from today I’ll be waking up in Vegas on my wedding day #101010

I posted this Sunday morning… And then all day long I had Katy Perry’s “Waking up in Vegas” running through my head.

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Sep212010

September 21 TMW Post

Tweet: so relieved that my dress fit & the strap length is now perfect! 3 weeks left to lose arm fat 😉 #wedding

Tweet: surprise! pretty much only my female friends and fellow brides might appreciate this one =D http://twitpic.com/2q22bh

Things are really wrapping up now. I picked up my dress from getting teeny tiny alterations to the straps and it fits perfectly. OK, well not perfectly but close enough. I am still on the hunt for undergarments, but what I’m wearing in the above picture might just work out. It’s a too small strapless bra and an underbust corset-type thing with a hook and eye closure. It sucks everything in where it needs to be sucked in. Too bad it can’t work wonders for my arm fat. I have a few more weeks to swim in my parent’s pool and hope to diminish it a bit. If not, no big deal. Seriously. I mean it… it’s not a big deal! My fiancé loves me as is and doesn’t want me to change too much. This is why I love him so much! Or part of it at least. 😉

Yes, I am aware that I am an odd bride. And quite proud of it actually.

Tweet: Final wedding payment coming out today for the all in one photog/ video/ limo/ ceremony. Woohoo! 20 more days to go!!

Holy shnikes this thing is for real! It’s been so amazing with my wedding weekend buddies @brokebride2be and @celestialaxis counting down and pushing each other along.

Today I called and changed the credit card for the final payment for Vegas. As a reminder, we are using a single company in Vegas (Scenic Las Vegas Weddings) that will provide us with the minister, photographer, video/ slide show, limo to various locations, and the flowers. I have booked the bakery (the amazing Retro Bakery) and a hair stylist for me wedding morning (Storybook Brides). We pretty much don’t need anything else except some wine or champagne to go with the cupcakes. Oh, and the favors that I’m mailing out to Vegas to myself, along with the canvas guestbook and the markers.

Our “Trash the Dress” session is the Tuesday after the wedding and we’ve got that booked already with Amelia Cline and Jessie Emeric. TTD session? What?! Remember that I was the extremely lucky winner of this from Green Orchid! I am stoked but dunno if I’m more excited about the wedding itself or the TTD session. Either way, our 5 days in Vegas is going to be amazing!

In 20-something days, I will be ready to focus fully on our January reception here in Miami.

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Sep122010

Cupcakes… Check!

As a follow up to the Help Us Pick Flavors, Please! post, I ordered the cupcakes! As a reminder, we’re having a 6″ cake to use for cake cutting pictures and a few dozen mini cupcakes.

Our 6″ cake will be Red Carpet a la “honey, which was your favorite Retro flavor?” “red [carpet], get that as the cake”

Red Carpet

There will be 3 dozen mini cupcakes as we’re having at most 7 guests. Initially I wanted 4 dozen, but as is, each person will be able to eat or take home 4 minis. But anyhow, we’re having 1 dozen cinnamon toast, 1 dozen pink lemonade, and 1 dozen milk and cookies. I contemplated the final dozen being red carpet, but Kari (one of the FAB owners) said definitely milk and cookies. She sold me with “it has the cutest little cookie on top” – oh yes, tiny cookies make me melt.

Cinnamon Toast Pink Lemonade Milk & Cookies
Above pictures are from Retro Bakery‘s website

So picture these all set up on our little cupcake tower. It’s being painted at the moment. I bought a disposable one at Wal-mart and am painting it gold to match our cake topper. And by the way, glossy shine aside, it’s finished!

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Sep102010

30 days..

I am not posting my 30 Days post tonight because I can’t think of anything for it. Promise I’ll be back tomorrow though!

In other news, we have to pick out and order our cake and cupcakes from Retro Bakery tomorrow… eep! I guess we should finalize the order and flavors, eh?

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Sep102010

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I have no idea why or how, but I seem to have really good luck winning things online from Twitter and various blogs. (Day after photo shoot, Mojuba Bag)  I recently started following the Lucky Bride Giveaways blog in my RSS feed. I don’t sign up for everything, just the stuff I’d actually want or will use.

Last week, I saw these beauties on their blog, followed the link to Lili’s Corner and left a comment. Today, I received an email that I won my very own pair!

I requested them in cream pearls to match the pearls I am wearing in my wedding. My mother’s and my pearls. Mom was given a long strand of graduated size pearls for her high school graduation and passed them to me when I graduated from her alma mater 28 years later. She received a shorter strand of pearls with an amazing clasp for her college graduation 4 years later.

My plan is to wear both strands to our wedding in ONE MONTH from today. Holy smokes, how is it already 9-10-10?! Since my parents or grandparents will not be attending, this is how I will have them there with me on my wedding day.

Try to ignore the trademark side smile on my face. It’s been the same since I was 3 as Steve pointed out in my baby pictures..

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Sep072010

{Potential} Vegas Favors

source: DiscountMugs.com

I am back to contemplating personalized water bottle for Vegas favors. I got a coupon via email from DiscountMugs.com for 16% off. Yeah, totally random number, right? Anyhow, for 25 polycarbonate water bottles, with personalization, free shipping, and the discount, they’ll be $3.76 a piece. Locally I’ve seen plain bottles for $4 and up. Even though there are 25 people coming to Vegas, more bottles won’t go to waste with family, friends, and vendors to dole them out to and besides, 25 is cheaper than 10. =)

I know not everyone gives a crap about personalized wedding favors. My thinking is by making the personalization something very simple, like just our names, the date and city, it’ll be appreciated. Plus, doesn’t everyone love water bottles? No? Well I do!

I’m thinking the above bottles with this personalization, in black, as close to the bottom of the bottle as I can have them print it:

Whatcha think of the design? I’d love to be able to get these for the Miami reception as well. Only problem? 200 bottles costs upwards of $400 and that’s really not in the budget in any way shape or form…

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Sep072010

Sept 7 TMW Post

Tweet: i’m almost 95% sure that i’m wearing my mom’s pearls and earrings for my Something Old… & cuz she won’t be at my wedding

My parents will not be present when we exchange vows. Nor will his mother, our aunts or aunts, or any cousins or siblings. The only family present will be my younger brother. Sure, we will be surrounded by love from our friends, but is it really the same?

I have been trying to come up with ways for my grandparents to be present in the form of bouquet charms. It seems that I was overlooking the 2 most important people in my life: my parents. The people that raised me and made me who I am today. Um, duh? Yeah, so I decided to wear my mother’s pearls. She has 2 gorgeous sets of differing lengths. The longer ones were a gift when she graduating from high school, the shorter set was her college graduation gift. I am pretty sure I want to wear the shorter pair as they have a really cool clasp.

Tweet: bit the bullet & just reserved my wedding hair appointment for 11am in my room.

Tweet: now that i’ve booked a hair appt, i need to find inspiration, something that can withstand the weight of my knit veil http://bit.ly/a937z9

Y’all have seen this already since I posted it here a few days ago. Yes, I do recycle my blogs sometimes, but it’s rare.

After contacting several Vegas hair and make-up artists about a month ago, I realized that my time is ticking down quite rapidly. I finally booked Storybook Brides after checking their reviews on WeddingWire, Facebook, and even their web page. Yes, they were the cheapest and I’m hoping that doesn’t bite me in the butt. I’ve emailed the owner several times and she seems very nice and responds quickly. All her reviews on WW are really positive. For an updo, it is $80 and they’ll come to our hotel room. I’m doing my own make-up, which means I need to practice! It’s been a while since I’ve worn make-up and even longer (never) since I’ve put on photo-worthy make-up.

The problem now is that I really need some awesome pictures of updo’s that can hold my heavy-ish veil. This is where all y’all can help me. Thrilling, yes? My hair is a few inches below my shoulders. In October, in the middle of the afternoon, the temperature should be roughly 70 degrees. During October, temps fluctuate between the low 50s and the 80s. Holy gorgeous, Batman! What was I talking about? Right, hair. I tend to get very hot and always put my hair up. Add to that about 5-7 pounds of yarn. Basically, as beautiful as a half updo would be, I think it needs to be totally up. Sooooo, feel free to post me links or pictures of hair you’ve seen that you think might work. Thanks!

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