The Loose Ends... (& the Music!)

Right now, I feel like I'm drowning in small details. I feel like every project is half-completed, and we'll never get to the finish line.

The programs? Printed, but not assembled.
The ceremony? Edited, but not printed.
The vows? Started, but not finished.
The signs? One base coat down, one to finish. Assembly and ribbons still required.
The Thank-Yous? Half purchased, have to get the rest this week.
The seating charts? Assembled, but need to get the easels.

I know things will come together sooner or later, but I just wish more of this was done. It's a really crappy feeling knowing the fate that awaits you for the next 10 days --- glue guns and paintbrushes galore.

We're STILL finalizing the final guest count, which keeps teetering between 164-170.

The one thing we have done is the music playlists for the day (and that was only because I outsourced this to my lovely sister and maid of honor). I LOVE all the music we're having! I can't wait to share it with you, so here it is:

Pre-Wedding

Plain White Tees- Write You A Song
The Last Goodnight- Pictures of You
The Proclaimers- 500 Miles
Adam Sandler- Grow Old with you (With Billy idol intro)
Taylor Swift- Love Story
Ingrid Michaelson- The Way I Am
Frank Sinatra- You make Me Feel So Young
Matt Nathanson- Wedding Dress
Josh Radin- I’d Rather Be With You

Processional

1,2,3,4 - Plain White T's
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Post-Wedding

Katrina and the Waves- Walking on Sunshine
Natalie Cole- This Will Be
The Monkees- Daydream Believer
Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye- Ain't No Mountain
Sonny and Cher- I got you Babe
The Turtles- Happy Together
Captain and Tenille- Love Will Keep us together

Cocktail Hour

Dean Martin- That's Amore
Michael Buble- Sway
Jason Mraz- Beautiful Mess
Frank Sinatra- Moonlight Becomes You
Michael Buble- Everything
Billy Joel- For The Longest Time
Frank Sinatra- Embracable You
Gavin Degraw- Follow Through
Dean Martin- You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You
Michael Buble- That’s All
Phil Collins- True Colors
Sara Bareilles- Many The Miles
Michael Buble- The Way you Look Tonight
Dean Martin- Everybody Loves Somebody
Jason Mraz- You and I Both
Nat Cole- L.O.V.E
Michael Buble- Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Dean Martin- Memories Are Made of This

Reception

Jason Mraz- Lucky (First dance)
Irish Eyes... (Father/Daughter dance)
My Wish - Rascal Flatts (Mother/son dance)
Michael Buble- Feeling Good
ACDC-You Shook Me
Stevie Wondie- Signed Sealed Delivered
Etta Jones- At Last
Kenny Chesney- The Good Stuff
The Commadors- Brick House
The Weather Girls- It's Raining Men
Casper- Cha Cha Slide
Bobby Vinton- Beer Barrel Polka
Tiffany- I think we’re alone now
Rascal Flatts- God Bless The Broken Road
Billy Joel- Just the Way you are
Sir Mix Alot- jump on it
Brian Setzer- Jump Jive n Wail
Michael Jackson- Beat it
Elton Jon- Crocodile Rock
The Four Seasons- December 1963
John Mellancamp- Jack and Diane
Whitney Houston- I wanna dance with somebody
ABBA- Dancing Queen
Chubby Checkers- The Twist
The Isley Brothers- Shout
Lionel Richie- All Night Long
Toby Keith- Me Too
Journey- Don't stop Believing
Sir Mix a lot- Baby Got back
Marcia Grass- Electric Slide
Jackson 5- I want you back
The 4 tops- I can't help myself
Journey- Faithfully
Van Morris- Brown Eyed Girl
Michael Buble- Save the Last dance

Some of the reception songs have changed and others have been added, but this is the basic gist: fun, happy music. I'm so excited -- I have a feeling this will make for a very enjoyable mood all day!

Set in Stone...

Remember WAY back in March when I mentioned that our wedding ceremony includes a memorial brick in the garden? No? Refresh your memory here. So I took a ride over to Wilder Park yesterday to scope out our brick location, what plants were in bloom, and the overall parking situation. I can report only good things!

Plus, I can prove photographic evidence!

Hey look! That's us!!



Sorry for the stinky picture, but seriously, how cool is this?!?!?!

What I'm Doing Now...

Obsessively checking the 15-day weather forecasts.

I am happy to report that there is not a drop of precipitation near August 9th. Cross your fingers it stays that way...



Coincidence that our wedding day is the only one labelled "Sunshine"? I think not...

With Open Hearts, Clear Minds & Conviction

Tom and I had a lovely weekend -- sure, it was busy and eventful, containing smatterings of family, friends, parties, broken car windows, unexpected expenses, wedding tasks, and thankfully, a little R&R.

Among the most eventful things, however, was a resolution we made. From today (well, yesterday) onward, we decided that we will not stress out or let anything in the next 13 days (!) bother us. Que sera, sera. We're not dumb -- we understand things will go wrong, unexpected issues will arise, things will be lost, forgotten, etc. Bearing all that in mind, we have made a conscious commitment to each other to not let it bother us, and to not let anything ruin the next few days for us.

I think it hit us both yesterday, as we spent an afternoon shopping online for new luggage, that once these next 2 weeks are over, we will no longer be dating. We will no longer be engaged. We will no longer be Tom and Beth, technically single. We will be Tom and Beth, married.

I know that sounds fairly obvious to all of you, considering you're reading a wedding planning blog. But taking into account that we've been dating for 6 years, and engaged for 2 of those, it's all we've known.

We've been looking forward to this day, and all that will follow it, for what feels like centuries. To have it so close, so impossibly tangible, it's almost unbelievable. I realized yesterday that I feel like I've been holding my breath. Just waiting, waiting, waiting....and now it's finally time to let it out, relax, and ENJOY all that the next few weeks (and again, beyond!) have to offer.

So, as our title says, and so do our vows, with open hearts, clear minds, and conviction, we have decided to reside on Cloud 9 for the remaining days of our engagement. Feel free to find us there, and if you have any problems, leave 'em at the door!

"It is Time to Get Excited!"

I think it's been fairly evident with my lack of posts lately, and the length of the ones I do post, that there's been little excitement around here.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm overwhelmed (not really with the wedding, but with simultaneously trying to plan a honeymoon and 2 weeks out of work), or if it's simply because I'm impatient and just want the day to be here already, but I'm just not excited. There. I said it. Judge me if you will, but I've been finding it harder and harder to be excited. I know I should be jumping around and dancing and gushing to every single person who will listen, but I can't for some reason.

This isn't cold feet or anything, please don't jump to conclusions. Maybe it's just the overwhelming-ness of the plans (as stated earlier) with the realization that I'M ACTUALLY GETTING MARRIED. Weird. It still doesn't feel real, and probably won't until about half-way through the reception, once it hits me square in the face.

Yesterday, as I enjoyed a fun outing to a baseball game with my lovely fiance, I received an email from one of our vendors with some contract details. As I read the email, I saw these words: "It is time to get excited!" A genuine smile crept across my face, and as I leaned over to show Tom the email, I saw the grin on his face get wider, too.

And there you have it, folks. A glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, I can break out of this funk and enjoy the next 2.5 weeks (though I'm guessing with my diet/exercise regimen that might not be possible)...

Hi, My Name is Beth...

...and I have a problem.

An addiction, really.

I love wedding signs. I do. I really, really do.

Look at this one I found this morning on Etsy!



Charming, no?

Tom's already cut the wood for our signs (and they actually look just like this!). Now, I'm tempted to redesign the way I want them painted so they look all cute like this!!!

So It's Finally Happened.

I like to call it "The Part of the Wedding When You Have SO Much Stuff That You Can No Longer Functionally Use Your Living Room or Kitchen Table."

Yep. We've hit that point. I naively never thought we'd be here --- I always figured that I was organized enough that we wouldn't have boxes of wedding paraphernalia strewn about. I was wrong. Gravely wrong.

Poor Tom came home from work to find the house littered with tulle, sparkles, scraps of paper, boxes of parasols, and mountains of other crafty supplies. Even my best effort cleaning it all up left us with over 4 boxes stacked on tables and couches.

At least we held out this long!

20 days to go!! :)

Where Have I Been?

Don't worry, I'm still alive over here.

Strangely, with about 3 weeks to the wedding, things are moving slowly over here. I feel pretty in control and only have a few minor things to accomplish. I've been taking the last week easy, because I know after this week, there's no turning back. It's going to quickly become wedding central over here, and I just don't know if I'm ready for that!

This weekend, I have another dress fitting (checking the hem and starting the bustle!). I also hope to make a trip to the craft store and pick up the picture frames for our seating list and a few other miscellaneous things I need. I also need to paint the signs that Tom made. (They're WAY cute and I can't wait to show them off to you!).

I've spent some time this week finalizing the programs, and now am just searching for somewhere to get them printed (you wouldn't believe the ridiculous prices I've been quoted!). I've figured out the final checks we need to write, and now just need to sit down and write them. Then, I need to make the confirmations for our honeymoon reservations.

That's the major stuff right now, and what I hope to get done this week.

Have a good weekend!

She's Got the Look...

Hair and makeup for me is tricky. My hair is thin, fine and completely straight. It's difficult to get it to hold a curl, and applying product only weighs it down and makes it look dirty. With makeup, I never like the way it turns out when a professional does it. I don't look good with black eyeliner and mascara does absolutely nothing for my eyelashes (luckily, my eyelashes are super long and curly!!).

From the beginning, then, I had decided that there would absolutely be no professionals involved with my hair and makeup, besides my mom and sisters. Tomorrow I'm heading over to my mom's house for hair trial #1. She's known for her mild hair talent and major eyebrow talent, so this has all been entrusted to her.

But, we still have the makeup to work out. I'm a huge fan and proponent of Bare Minerals, having been on the bandwagon for over three years (and converting at least 5 people to it since...). I plan on taking a trek over to the Bare Escentuals store soon and testing out more of their eyeshadows and liners, since I really want to concentrate on my eyes (what I deem as my best feature).

I saw the picture below, and really liked how her eyes were the focus, and the rest of her makeup was natural, but still pretty. Substitute the black eyeliner for brown, and this is pretty much the look I want to achieve:



I really think my makeup should still be natural looking, and just a slight exaggeration of how I normally wear it. I want to look back at my wedding pictures and see me, not see the trends of '09 reflected on my face (much like the brides of the '80's look back and see blue eyeshadow staring at them).

Eh. Time will tell. Of course, I'll post updates on how my adventures go.

Happy Weekend!

Why I Love My Florist

This sounds like the great beginning of an essay, and maybe it should be.

I know I've extolled her virtues and talent before, here, here , here and here, but you've got to believe me -- she really is superbly talented.

And even though I have complete faith and trust in her, I can't say I'm not nervous that I won't actually see the flowers until I arrive at the ceremony on the wedding day. So yesterday, when she posted on her blog about a wedding she did this weekend where the colors were white and light blue and encompassed most of the flowers I'm using, I was so excited to see them!

Below are snapshots of the bridesmaids bouquets --- these are essentially what we'll be doing, but with some green hypericum berries and some blue/green hydrangeas thrown in...






Gorgeous, no?

Bouquets and photographs lovingly copied from Kio Kreations

The 2 Sides of a Wedding

Lately, I haven't quite been feeling the "fire" for wedding planning. Whenever people ask me how it's going, I usually reply with a one-word answer and try to focus on something different, usually the honeymoon or our house or our dog...anything but wedding details. I feel guilty that I'm not more excited at this point. I've been racking my brain lately trying to figure out why I'm doing this.

Am I excited to be married? Absolutely! Am I excited to celebrate the day with our closest friends and family? Absolutely! So what's the problem?



Today I had a bit of a "Eureka!" moment. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that despite blogging for almost a year now, and silently planning my wedding in my head before that, it never really occurred to me WHY this is such a challenge.



One's wedding has two sides --- 2 separate, distinct parts. The first part, and the most important, is about committing to marriage with the person you love, and celebrating that with your family and friends. The other, and the part that is often CONSIDERED more important but isn't, is the actual planning of an event. It's the details, the timing, the vendors -- everything associated with a party.



When one graduates college, what do people ask you? "Are you excited to graduate?" "Any job prospects?" "Where will you be heading next?" -- not "Are you having monogrammed napkins at your party?" or "What color is your cap and gown?"

So why is it that weddings are treated differently? Of that, I'm not sure.



But what I do know is that I cannot wait to be marrying Thomas. Period. The party, as they say, is small potatoes. Our marriage is what is to be celebrated, not our choice of flowers.

Wedding blogs, if not filled with pictures, are simply just musings. This blog, without its occasional spattering of pictures, would just be terribly boring. I love photography, I love fine art photographs, I love pictures of the quirky details -- I love it all.

But now, as I face the task of making a list of "must-have" pictures, I find myself struggling.

How detailed do I get? Where is the line between being a control freak and demanding "pictures of guests laughing" versus letting our photographer do what she does best?

I have complete faith that our photos will be gorgeous -- I just don't want any of my "details" to be overlooked.

So, below is a random assortment of pictures I love. Maybe they'll provide me with the perfect amount of inspiration when compiling my list.

Oh, and I welcome (most) suggestions. Please don't suggest any family/group type photographs, because that's simply not what I'm interested in. We'll take those, don't worry, but right now, I'm looking for helpful suggestions on what photographs speak to you (or what photographs you wished you would have gotten at your wedding).


The quintessential ring shot. Already on my list.

Simple, yet perfect.

Sweet. And I love the blue shoes peeking out.

Perfect timing.

I love it. Who knew you could capture so much personality without seeing any faces??

Legal.

Today, Tom and I are making it legal.

We're heading over to the DuPage County Clerk's office to complete the paperwork for our marriage license!

Once we file this, we have 60 days to get married. And with 38 on the official count, I think we have a nice cushion.

So, with my lovely half-day today (and a full day off tomorrow!), Tom and I are meeting up for lunch and then we're off to file our paperwork.

We're getting SO close! I don't know how I'm going to be able to stand being in the same house as the license and my wedding band and not want to elope!! :)

The Old Hair/Veil Debate.

Here's the dilemma:

My hair is at a medium-length with plenty of layers and sideswept bangs. It's not exactly what you would call "bridal hair." It's a proven fact: my hair usually looks better down than up. Why? I'm not really sure. Fact: I refuse to wear my hair down for the wedding. Fact: I also refuse to wear my veil (if I wear one) on the crown of my head. I will only wear it at the nape of my neck, or not at all.

So how are we going to make this work? I'm not sure. I'll be scheduling an appt. with my normal hair stylist and hopefully she can figure out the puzzle. Below are pictures of how I'd LOVE my hair to be:

Ideally, of course.

June's Checklist -- Totally Successful!

In May, I was only semi-successful with getting things done on my to-do list. But, with the wedding getting closer, it was time to buckle down. Without further ado:

• Workout 5 days a week. I'd give myself a "B" on this one. I was doing this, until I pulled a muscle in my hip. Worst pain I've experienced to date. Honest. Now, I'm doing yoga until it heals. :(
• Assemble, stuff & ship envelopes. Totally successful.
• Celebrate birthday! Success. :)
• Make sure Tom gets his passport (or else I'm honeymooning by myself...) Got it! And it came in the mail last week!!
• Attend 2nd shower, write thank-yous, unpack new stuff! Finishing the thank-yous tonight and tomorrow! :)
• Confirm men's attire with the groomsmen, and hound them until they've figured out what they're doing... Done.
• Paperwork. Arrange new insurance policies, draft will, etc. Half-done. We have to wait for our marriage certificate to take care of the rest...
• Remind Tom to figure out day-of transportation... Done! We've booked a convertible to drive around that weekend! :)
• Begin working on writing ceremony and vows (!) Ceremony - done. Vows -- I still think it's a bit early, though I've been brainstorming.
• Get new accessories for Thomas (shoes, shirt, cuff links, etc.) Done!
• Finalize bridal party gifts... Almost done. Most are purchased/the rest have been figured out.
• Decide on veil...(?) Well, I've ordered the tulle to make it, and will make a final decision once I meet with my stylist this month.
• Make rehearsal dinner arrangements Done! Now I just need to let everyone know...
• Finalize wedding timeline and photographer schedule Done, too!
• Finalize floral selections & send to florist Boo. Not done.
• Draft program & get quote from printer Half-done.
• Reserve & confirm honeymoon hotels Done!

If I say so myself, that was one heck of a month! Go me! :) Unfortunately, July's going to be just as bad, if not worse! Let's take a look:

• Buy wine bottles for "guest book" & ceremony box (more on that later)
• Purchase remaining bridal party gifts :)
• Attend appt. with stylist for hair/veil
• Attend gown fitting (currently being hemmed, bustled at the next)
• Send out rehearsal dinner invites
• Trial hair/makeup runs
• Finish, print & assemble programs
• Get marriage license! (yeah! I think we're doing it this week!!!)
• Go over ceremony with "officiant"
• Wrap bridal party gifts
• Get final count for reception & confirm with Maggiano's
• Confirm & send out final payments for Czarina, Kristen & Kara
• Book airport shuttles and other tours for Australia
• Send "must-take" picture list to Kara
• Finish up music playlists and confirm equipment
• Paint flower girl wands and get them over to Kristen
• Create signs for wedding day
• Finalize after-party arrangements! Yes!!!

Anything I'm missing?? I'm sure there is...

Exhausted.

As predicted, we had such a great (but busy!) weekend.

Our shower on Saturday was fabulous, and we really got some great gifts. We have pretty much everything we need now, and are really excited to get everything organized so we can start using it! Some highlights:

• We got TONS of baking stuff this weekend! Everything from rolling pins to sprinkles to cookie cutters to cupcake carriers -- it's AWESOME!
• We have almost all of our dishes now (short 1 set) and we have all our everyday silverware :)
• We got all of our towels and a shower curtain, which looks lovely with our freshly painted guest bath!
• Pots and pans! (You don't want to know how we've been improvising...)
• A party pack, complete with cooler and tiki torches!
• A crockpot!
• A new tv!!!

Yesterday, Tom and my brother-in-law finished up the painting in our dining room and bathroom, so once we get all our new stuff washed and put away, those rooms and the kitchen should be almost done! :)

I can't believe we have less than 6 weeks to go!!! Stay tuned tomorrow to see how well I did on our checklist!

I Live for Weekends.

Words cannot express how glad I am that today is Friday. This week has just been tedious, filled with many menial tasks.

But tonight, things are a-changing. We're having some friends over for dinner, which is exciting, because we haven't really had anyone besides our families over to our house yet. Then, we're all going out to see the new Transformers movie (that part I'm NOT looking forward to). Tom and I haven't been to the movies in such a long time -- I'm glad we're going, even though I don't approve of the choice! :)

Tomorrow is our 2nd wedding shower! Yay! Tom's parents are hosting his family, his friends, and their friends. I'm really looking forward to it :)

And, on Sunday, Tom and I will be painting our dining room. Again. For the 3rd time. 1st time: wrong color. (oops.) 2nd time: spotty. 3rd time: new (expensive) brushes, new (expensive) rollers = hopefully success. I'm seriously getting tired of our furniture, as well as all the dog stuff crammed into our already packed-with-wedding-stuff living room.

Yay for weekends! :)

Just Say No.

As the days continue to drop and our wedding inches closer, I find myself trying to make last minute additions to the wedding. As soon as I talk myself out of something, I talk myself into something else.

At this point, I'm finding the tedious details to be painful and overwhelming, simply because I have no interest in planning logistics. I'm anxious for our day to arrive, I'm anxious to say our vows and exchange rings, and I'm anxious to jet off with Tom to the other side of the world. The rest is becoming one big, beautiful blur, and yet, I still feel compelled to continue to add to it.

There has to be a point where I just start saying "No." In the wedding planning world, where there is continuous sensory overload, it's tough to stop imagining small details that would "be so perfect."

Today, 200 blog posts later, I'm still struggling. And then, I came across one of my favorite bloggers, offering her no-nonsense, practical and thoughtful ideas, and it seemed like she was speaking directly to me:

"If I've learned one thing planning this wedding, its this: The times that you say 'NO, that is not who we are, that is not what we want' will be vastly overpowered by the times you say 'YES YES YES, this is who we are, this is what we want, this is how we live'." - Meg at a Practical Wedding

So true.

What a Weekend!

With just under 50 days to go until the wedding, we're racing against the clock to make sure that all the details are getting ironed out. This weekend, we knocked out some really big things. First, I had my dress fitting. I approached this with some apprehension, as there was a little concern about my dress actually fitting. And, in a moment of excitement, tugging, pulling, and some oxygen loss, it fit! There's certainly more work to be done, but this is a HUGE thing we don't have to worry about now.

After my fitting, my mother accompanied me to Maggiano's, where we met with our event manager and finalized the menu, timing, and room layout. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times --- book vendors you feel comfortable with. I am SO pleased with Maggiano's right now. Beyond the food being fabulous, the service is just impeccable. They're so flexible and let us completely customize how the event will flow, rather than just following the typical schedule. They're even going to have waiters walking around passing drinks as people come in, rather than have people wait in line at the bar! We don't even have to pay extra for that, which is a rarity in the wedding planning world. Fresh flower centerpieces and exquisite linens are all included -- and surprisingly, they live up to my standards. Love, I tell ya. I just plain love this place.

I am feeling so much better about everything now. I feel like everything that's left undone is simply small details. If they happen, they happen. If they don't, it won't change our day.

Oh, and since writing the ceremony the other day, I read it daily. I am IN LOVE with it. It's so sweet, simple and honest. I can't imagine having anything else right now!

I know I'm rambling, but I just feel like I'm on cloud 9 right now. Everything is coming together in the most perfect of ways -- this day is simply about celebrating Tom and I, and I am so pleased that it truly reflects us as a couple.

Booked! (And a Freebie!)

Yesterday's post really did inspire to buckle down and finish up the main plans for our honeymoon.

I spent hours yesterday researching hotels, scouring the internet for deals, rating hotels on qualities, features, locations, specials, etc., and sending top choices to Tom for input.

We had originally planned on using our credit card rewards for the hotel cost, but we found out that are type of card doesn't allow transfers to our hotel rewards program. Major bummer. Despite that setback, we were still able to book five-star hotels, get upgraded rooms, and save over $400!

I'll admit that I'm a bit of a hotel snob, and I didn't want to settle for anything less than perfect. You only get one honeymoon, and in reality, probably only one trip to Australia in your lifetime. Armed with that knowledge, and a free sweet upgrade, we booked this glam hotel in the heart of Sydney:



It was originally the old post office, which was converted to super swanky rooms!

While this isn't our exact room, ours will be similar:



We're about 1-2 miles from most of the major tourist attractions (Darling Harbor, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, the Rocks, etc.). Exciting!

Halfway through the trip we fly from Sydney to Port Douglas, a resort town located off of the Great Barrier Reef.

We're staying at a resort here, so while it's not as modern and swanky as Sydney, it's still pretty awesome. Our room includes a private balcony, and a private entrance into the pool. How cool is that??

With the great deal on airfare, along with my lovely hotel finds, we've saved over $700 off of what we originally budgeted for this trip. That doesn't factor in the actual savings off of the rack rates for the hotels and plane tickets. With the current currency rate, I'd venture to say that we've saved well over $2,000.

And if that's not all, since we weren't able to use our credit card points towards our hotel program, we were able to apply half towards our credit card balance (reducing what we pay for the hotels by about $115), and use the other half to get a new camera for free! (Tom brought my camera to Colorado, and there was a baggage handling incident that caused it to die an early death).

Seriously, a money-saving day indeed! :)