I have almost all the addresses finally now!! Now we just have to figure out the time for the wedding/reception…it’s in July and we weren’t even thinking about the heat and humidity (and that I’m going to be wearing 30 lbs of hot satin fabric) so we’re hoping now to have it at 3:30ish and have the airconditioned reception at 5ish? Though really, the ceremony should only be about 20mins (I sincerely HOPE so ugh). We still don’t even have a confirmed officiant yet!! I could just strangle him…but he’s sick right now and has even more job issues and the wedding is just making everything worse. It really is, for me too. I’m very much looking forward to when it’s over and things can finally be corralled into some kind of control! ugh. Wedding crafting party coming up, hopefully that will make me feel better :) 2 months ago

Argh it’s the number one question I get: when are you getting married, again? You know you only have 5 months, that’s not a long time. Oh, you have 5 months, that’s plenty of time! And in the meantime, I’m thinking of my nonexistent funds and all the small things that I forgot or overlooked and now crap!! have to deal with suddenly. It’s really starting to move along now though, finally, and things are certainly set in clay, if not stone :) My parents have finally come on board (with almost a vengeance!!) and my mom and I found her a flattering dress and we’re working on outfitting my dad. Two of my girls have dresses, one has been looking actively, the other I still have no idea. Well, hell, if I’m short one bridesmaid at the wedding, I can deal. At this point, it’s full speed ahead, and if she’s not going to jump in and hold on, she can just fall by the wayside. People are actually offering serious help and asking what they can do, and I’m taking them up and feeling more confident about the wedding by the moment!! Also more irritated, b/c as I said, little things keep appearing and tripping me up. Definitely need to finally get everyone’s addresses set so that I can mail the invites (need to fix the wording too) on April 2 or so!! I swear, invitations, magazines, junkmail and bills are what keeps the postal service in buisness!! 3 months ago

I was so worried that the storm would ruin everything, but the sun came out and it helped with the snow. I spent all the rest of my money for the week getting food :-( and I worried that it wouldn’t be enough! But in the end, it was, and everyone seemed pretty good with everyone else there, after some initial awkwardness since they didn’t all know each other, and we had leftovers (shame! I spent all that money!). We watched Tangled, and were laughing like crazy, both at the movie and at the newbie’s reations to it!! It was so great! And we tried all kinds of cupcakes and icings. Once my MOH tentatively asked to try one and walked over, everyone just pretty much dog-piled the table hahaha!! They all agreed on the lemon icing with the orange cupcake (surprising) and the chai icing on the vanilla cupcake (not surprising). They couldn’t agree on anything else haha! I’m thinking maybe a mint and chocolate, and maybe orange or root beer icing on another vanilla cupcake. I don’t know lol! I love love love the rootbeer icing…but it may be best to stick with orange for a creamsicle-like cupcake that’s familiar. After all, I want people to EAT the damn food, since we’ll be paying for it and doing it ourselves!

I was so happy to see my dear dear MOH! She came just to see me for 2 hours before having to drive an hour to a gig! Oh, I love that girl! First time I've seen her in 2 years, but  we just started chatting like the time and distance never existed. <3 She got me a wonderful present, one we'd talked about for years and years!! I'm so excited!! I'm so sad I don't get to see her much, but it's so wonderful to know she still genuinely cares about me as much as I care for her! I don't have many close girl friends, and she's the losest and best one I've ever had my whole life. I'm glad beyond words to know that I made the right choice for my MOH!

So, all in all, a success! I was exhausted, but happy! Now THIS is what I was hoping for with wedding help! I’m looking forward to having a crafting party with hopefully more bridesmaids and my coworkers and friends and friends’ wives <3 It really was such a good time!! Praise God :) 4 months ago

Lately this has been frustrating, but I think we’re making a little progress! I’ve gotten my dress, ring, garter, photographer, church, officiant, decorator, attendants, and once we’ve settled on our venue, we can move forward with a set date and book our caterer, DJ, makeup artist, videographer, and focus on the details! We’re taking engagement photos in March. I’m trying to take care of a few things each week so I’m not so overwhelmed with all of the decisions. I’m thinking about asking a friend to be my day-of-coordinator. I need to get back to my workout routine! 4 months ago

found out that the fiance gets payed 3 times in March and that I’m getting a lot of money back on my tax return. We now have money to do a small wedding…about 50 people.

I’m thinking pajama party brunch wedding or an evening wedding with card/board games and dancing. 4 months ago

I don’t know WHY I am having any girls in this wedding!! I mean, I’m very proud and very glad for them, all taking risks and trying new things and working very hard at their schools/jobs/finding a job – but really. I’ve planned 2 things so far, with plenty of advance notice, and none of them came. And, this time, only one of them even noticed that I carefully made an event for them to come to! I got almost no feedback on the letters I wrote that contained the scrap of fabric they need to find the right color for their dress, and it’s like, okay, so I realize that there’s 6 months to go – they have time to go look for something, and they’re all really busy right now. I know – I am too. And I’d LOVE to have a girls’ night, and giggle and be silly and play with hairstyles and discuss clothing and whatnot, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen at this rate! I love being around the guys, but I’m wanting some real female company and fun, and most of the girls I know are having babies or have young kids or are too busy working or just too far away. :(

I'm getting pretty exasperated. It's not any of our faults, really, but geez! Way to make me feel like this wedding is at all important to you. I did ask them if they wanted to be in the wedding...one person did turn me down, but now she's involved 100x more than the rest of them!! (In fact, my co-workers are being far better help than any of my girls!)

And believe me, I know what it is to be a bridesmaid! I put up with quite a bit in all the weddings I’ve been in (and to), and even went the distance to be a stand-in maid of honor for my good friend when she went dress shopping and bridemaid shopping and shoe shopping (b/c her actual maid of honor was her sister, 2 states away) and I never complained. I know everyone is busy, and they may not like what I’m doing or think it’s important, but that’s what they’re supposed to be around me for!! But I guess it’s all as it should be. They’re just going to stand there and look pretty (hopefully) and keep me sane company for the short time in which I can’t be with Jarrod and the guys. And that’s about it. I’m trying to reach out here, I really am!! Ugh. If it’s weren’t so late in the game, I might have taken my fiance up on his semi-serious suggestion to just have an honor guard of the guys around us and not have any girls but the flower girls! *headdesk 4 months ago

Still so much to do!! What am I doing sitting around – time’s a wastin’! I did make save the date cards and I have almost all the addresses and a tentative buffet dinner menu and finally got a cake cutter and the fabric for all the guy’s pants (that’s right—we’re making their pants!!) and got the pattern for the shirts (but didn’t get the shirt fabric yet) and started seriously thinking of a honeymoon spot, as well as working on a few other things…getting there getting there, but still so much to do. How on earth is this all going to work out?! I don’t know…all I know is that it will work out. Somehow. Maybe not the way I planned it, either, but it’s going to be one heck of a fun and interesting and crazy wedding!! 5 months ago

We got to Target…and the kiosk froze. Then it wouldn’t print. Then our first scanner battery died. Then we were getting a bit cranky, but we shouldered on and went faster…then the second battery died. At this point we only had 20 minutes before I had to leave, so we left it at that. An hour and a half of scanning and we had…only 89 items on our list?! I went back and added some things we forgot later, online…now it’s at 100. We’re expecting 200 guests! Not to be greedy or anything, but…I think I’ll add some more for variety. Besides, it’s not like any of our friends have money either, and if they just want to get us a cheese grater, that would be muay helpful (considering we don’t even have an apartment yet!! A first among our friends I feel). 6 months ago

First one I tried on and really don’t have a desire to try anymore. 7 months ago

Going dress shopping tomorrow! I’ve fallen in love with Enzoani’s Diana and hope it will look as amazing on as it does online. We’re also checking out a reception venue and taking our first NFP class with the church. Also looking forward to our holiday engagement party! 7 months ago

I made little programs with (what a pain!) popsicle sticks and a corner rounder (for $7! Sheesh!) and my printer (had to buy new ink too) and they are SO FUN!! They say YAY and WOO on the backs (inside joke, + it’s irreverent and fun!) and our names, then the names of everyone and the basic ceremony outline on the other side. It’s probably going to be hot, so fans make sense. And it will be hilarious to see everyone waving YAY and WOO at us!!! <3 lol And for all that it cost me at least $70 to buy all the stuff for the programs (still have to get cardstock to make the actual programs) they'll end up only being less than $1 apiece. Not bad! 7 months ago

I have all the crafty/decorations/clothing/flowers worked out, but the guys need to sew their stuff, and we’re still debating about a caterer, and the borough hasn’t called us back yet about using the band shell for a ceremony, and and and yes. It’s mostly, like, 75% planned out in full…..it’s just the implementing and finishing that’s a pain in the butt. At least we’re making some serious progress! Especially because I just noticed that I’m finally using the word “we” and meaning it :) 8 ish months and counting!! 7 months ago

Went to see a banquet hall finally, it’s not quite what I’d expected but it’s a decent deal though it’s going to cost me. I can afford it if I’m careful…and my aunt said she’d loan me the downpayment money (but it’s going to be like $1000 so we’ll see). I’m so excited though! I can arrange it how I was originally planning before, and the lights are very controllable, so I can totally use all my lightup paper lanterns and luminarias for table numbers!! I worked on finishing my Tangled flag banner string, and it looks pretty good-I may just use it at the park around the doorway to make it look better (it’s brown chainlink) or put it around the cake table at the reception. Still debating. I also found this fantastic tutorial on table luminarias, and decided to adapt it to fit the bags I already bought, and it looks so cool!! I need better scissors though haha! I’m so excited!! Here’s hoping <3

In case you’re curious, here’s the tutorial: http://www.intimateweddings.com/blog/wedding-table-numbers-with-illuminated-numbers-and-monogram-diy-wedding-reception-ideas/ 9 months ago

I can’t even begin to say how helpful the library has been through all this ridiculousness! I’ve been requesting and borrowing wedding craft, food, dress, budget, and idea books like crazy! Granted, a lot of the books are from the 80’s and 90’s, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have useful bits! They are much more specific and a thousand times more helpful than a planner. Not that planners aren’t helpful-but they’re really vague and generally just give me a timeline, rather than realistic ideas! I’m biased b/c librarian is my profession—but let me tell you, all this helpful information for free has been the best thing ever!!

(Now if only we could figure out where we can have this thing!) 9 months ago

I was so frustrated on Sunday that I actually had a meltdown on the hallway floor!! My fiance was very kind…I wasn’t angry at him, and I was trying really hard to manage, but it was just too much! I was babbling about everything and he was so good to me, he ordered delivery and we just cuddled and watched Castle for 2 hours and I felt much better. I did apologize, too. I just don’t understand WHY it would be so hard to get 4 girls together and/or get their measurements and/or just get in CONTACT with them, or why it’s so hard to find a place, a single big room, that can accomodate 150-200 people!! At least, we’ve finally found two prospective places…and I’m going to try to visit on Monday, and maybe set a date for goodness’s sakes!!
I was taking to his father today (only the 2nd time I’ve talked to him in the flesh!) and he said, “y’know, when you’re engaged people are all like OOOH! What/when/where/colors/people/dress/music? Then once you’re married, people are like, oh. Whatever.” I told him—I CAN’T WAIT FOR THAT TO HAPPEN!!! Peace and quiet!!

then again..that’ll only last until we can finally have kids haha… 10 months ago

I’ve driven my fiance (and myself) crazy here and there, but in the meatime, we’ve assembled most of the decorations, the overall theme ideas, exactly what everyone will be wearing, food ideas, ceremony ideas, and I bought my dress!! ...but we STILL don’t have a reception place picked, so we STILL DON’T HAVE A DATE and it’s DRIVING ME CRAZY!! Who’d have thought that so much depends on a certain number of people fitting comfortably into a certain place that allows for us to make our own food and have loud music and not be more than $300?! For goodness’ sakes!! 10 months ago