Lisa & Trace-1/25/2011-WP/GF - we got our wedding pics!

[sambycat]

although there isn't a heck of a lot actually going on at the moment, i am in high panic mode, which has kind of been preventing me from writing more, but right now is prompting me to make some lists and purge. my apologies in advance!!

• it's almost 3 months until the wedding. OH. EM. GEE>
• we need to make all the travel reservations and i am freaking out. we need our plane tickets, to buy the tickets for his son and best man and his mother. also, we are buying the ticket for my grandmother, which has to be a nonstop and hopefully near affordable business or first class ticket to get her out to florida. i can't see how i will be able to fly out and fly with her and we need some family member to be in charge of returning her to the airport etc..
• we haven't gotten our wedding rings yet. i ordered to gold bands to wear around my ring off the interwebs and are waiting for them to arrive. if they work, they will be a bargain and perfect considering i want 2. trace wants the tiffany's mens band, which is just under $1k, and i will get a plain platinum one from there as well if the ones i ordered don't work out.
• i am completely mystified on the tux issue. i still wish he would buy a cnice j crew grey suit, but things should work out with carolyn allen and that crew. i am just today having a panic attack over whether or not we booked everything with them appropriately so that we can do the tuxes with them. i've emailed them.
• i am still fat. have been doing a personal trainer and i know this will help but my diet is horrendous and i have only myself to blame. i want more than anything to be happy and feel lovely on our day, and i will be extra mad at myself if i don't enjoy it no matter what size i may be. and i want to make some alterations to the dress and i don't even know where to begin.
• we are tring to fix up our house and it is a mighty mess and just horrible and i am so damned overwhelmed i am getting nothing done at all
• my MOH hasn't selected a dress as yet, which is actually not a big deal at all and she is uber reliable, but i feel the need to dictate something to another person so it would help for me to boss er around a little bit but, darn it, i cant....
• need to kick back up on finishing these little door hanger signs i made and any other little projects.
• i think i want to do like a flower in a flower pot for seting assignment cards, like 4 tables, each is accented with a certain color, so somehow craft 4 flowers each in a pot with table cards as petals to show what table. i have no idea how to do this
• we are still hashing out the BEO. oh and we need like a gazillion dollars.

 

[sambycat]

we are officially in double digits. and its 100 days till our cruise! woohoo!!

here are the updates:

• BEO mostly firm - but for the cake issue (more to follow). our budget is coming in around $16,600 for 42 guests with the BOC apportioned drinks (and hoping we can get a cake for ~$500). Hoping this estimate will cover the drinks and not be having us owe $$$ when we get home.
• we have confirmed like 28 of our 40 guests. there are still a few folks in the unsure pile, but wondering how much we can confirm and if we can try to invite a few others or go down to 8 people per table not 10!
• music and timeline are pretty set and i feel comfortable
• travel reservations made and paid for. have paid about 1/3 of our condo, but made dents in everything.
• barbara walters irritates me (just seeing if anyone is paying attention)
• the most pressing issue remains to be the cake.....

so.... we were interested in a mad hatter, with some modifications. then we saw this cake which we LOVED!!

[/IMG]

well, we were told (several weeks later) that THIS cake, for 50 people, would be $850. exsqueeze me?

after much back and forth and a proposed estimated 4 weeks to get a conference call to discuss the cake, i tried to sketch my interpretation of this cake in our size to find out what that might cost. here's what our planner has forwarded to the bakers along with (third) inspiration sheet/email of what we like/dislike in cakes and are looking for -

so now - more waiting! it's been a super busy month for the DFTW team i know, but i have had quite a bit of heartburn over this last detail. so karen has forwarded my very artistic sketch and i hope we hear something before december!

i've had a couple wedding nightmares - one really good one was where i was getting dressed for the wedding and looking at myself and wondering why i ever thought having words tattooed on my breast bone and blue ribbons crossing over on my throoat and going on my neck was a good idea.... i do not have neck tattoos so the fact that i was so calm about them and just wondering why i thought it was a good idea whenever i had done this in dream ville was kind of funny. after i was awake.

 

[disneybarbie]

Hi!

Sounds like your plans are coming together.. not long now! hope the wedding nightmares go away soon.. I'm already having nights where I just can't sleep, over-thinking the wedding plans!

Btw I've been catching up with back-episodes of TDK ... really love the show!


Emma x

 

[sambycat]

haha! thanks! we have a lot of fun! and the wedding meltdowns are increasing (on the show at least!!)

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Just tuning in.

You have some really awesome ideas, and it's nice to see (some of) the budget going way in your favor. I love your dress. And, your e-pics were just wonderful.

I'm looking forward to reading more!

 

[Jules~Marie]

I totally feel like we're going through the same stresses! Maybe it's because we're getting married so close to each other. I have nonstop nightmares, just bizarre stuff like me not having a dress or getting my hair done and being naked at the altar. I definitely understand your stress about the wedding cake. Ours came in at over $1000 after delivery fees...I spoke with my new planner on Sept. 30th about changing to BOC bar and changing the cake and I haven't heard back yet. It's absolute agony waiting for updates sometimes!

Hang in there, I was just thinking the other day that we haven't heard from you in a while! Good luck with everything, won't be long now!

 

[sambycat]

I totally feel like we're going through the same stresses! Maybe it's because we're getting married so close to each other. I have nonstop nightmares, just bizarre stuff like me not having a dress or getting my hair done and being naked at the altar. I definitely understand your stress about the wedding cake. Ours came in at over $1000 after delivery fees...I spoke with my new planner on Sept. 30th about changing to BOC bar and changing the cake and I haven't heard back yet. It's absolute agony waiting for updates sometimes!

Hang in there, I was just thinking the other day that we haven't heard from you in a while! Good luck with everything, won't be long now!

could we imagine if even an iota of the stress dreams came true? my usual stress dream is about getting to high school and having a big test that day. i spend the whole day trying to open my locker and missing my exams....

yeah, i'm still here a million times a day - but, as you must know, it goes through these weird cycles of having things to say, then not.... then i've had some frustration at the system really so theres that.. now just hoping the cake isn't a million dollars.

in certain respects, i know there are things, like cakes, that i haven't priced in or outside the world to a great extent, and this is when i get really frustrated with all the wedding industrial complex!! i mean i wish they would say how much those dang cakes on TV cost for example... then maybe $850 for a teacup cake would seem a bargain!!

 

[Jules~Marie]

Hey, hope all is going well with you. I just wanted to ask you a quick question. Have you heard anything about your MK photo session? I thought I had read that you're doing one, and I wanted to see if your time has been changed. I haven't heard anything from my planner/assistant, and I'm really hoping they don't change it on us. I'm thinking they should tell me pretty soon since our wedding is coming up quick! Thanks!

 

[sambycat]

Actually yes, but nothing "official" from DPS which annoys me.... We are having some ongoing communication issues with the planner side of our team... We heard a little back about our cake, I thought that answered most of our questions but still needed clarification so had kept an 11/3 conference call onthe calendar pending a response. Well, I realized that evening it had slipped my mind and I was horrified! But I notice noone had called us either. Apparently her assistant took us off the calendar but we never heard from our planner or got our questions answered. I think that part was an honest misunderstanding, but, despite a flurry of emails from me after I was afraid I missed the appointment to speak directly with our planner whom represents the company we are paying quite a chunk of change to, whom we have to make an appointment 3 weeks ahead of time to speak to outside of 3pm easten time, we've YET to get anything besides an out of office response from our actual planner!!! GAH!!

So one of my emails last week was asking about the photo time change because it would directly affect our cruise transportation plans and standing hair and make up appointment. Friday, her assistant said ours WAS changing to a 730 time and that DPS should contact us. That was friday. We haven't heard a thing from DPS and if I don't get something from them this week I will be pretty ticked. I THINK the 730 must be the pick up time but I haven't heard that from them. Also as you know we are doing 2 parks and I wonder if that time changes depending on parks opening or extra magic hours? Alot of questions and we had already booked our limo so now we have to change a bunch of crap although I dont mind an extra hour of sleep after getting up so early on Tuesday!!

Definitely call or email. They don't seem real proactive on this one! Good luck!

 

[sambycat]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR TO WEAR!!!!

I FINALLY LOST 10# BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO ADJUST MY GOWN IF I WERE TO LOSE ANYMORE!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH MY HAIR!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT ON MY HEAD!!!!! I HAVE A FEW DIY OPTIONS BUT THEY SEEM WEIRD!!!!

I NEED TO FIND LIKE 5G UNDER A ROCK!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE MY CAKE IS GOING TO BE!!!!!

OUR PLANNER IS HARD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE APPOINTMENT FOR NEARLY A MONTH FROM NOW!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACECARDS TO DO!!!!!

HIS DAD AND STEPMOM WON'T COME!!! MY FRIEND I THOUGHT WOULD COME ISN'T COMING!!!! IT BOTHERS ME THAT THESE PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE HAD A YEARS NOTICE TO PLAN AND AREN'T DOING IT!!!!

NOONE WILL COME!!!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE CEREMONY!!!!

MY GRANDMA CANT COME!!!!

WHAT IF MY BROTHER WEARS A WEIRD CORDUROY SUIT FROM 1983????

BLEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pixie921]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR TO WEAR!!!!

I FINALLY LOST 10# BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO ADJUST MY GOWN IF I WERE TO LOSE ANYMORE!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH MY HAIR!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT ON MY HEAD!!!!! I HAVE A FEW DIY OPTIONS BUT THEY SEEM WEIRD!!!!

I NEED TO FIND LIKE 5G UNDER A ROCK!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE MY CAKE IS GOING TO BE!!!!!

OUR PLANNER IS HARD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE APPOINTMENT FOR NEARLY A MONTH FROM NOW!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACECARDS TO DO!!!!!

HIS DAD AND STEPMOM WON'T COME!!! MY FRIEND I THOUGHT WOULD COME ISN'T COMING!!!! IT BOTHERS ME THAT THESE PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE HAD A YEARS NOTICE TO PLAN AND AREN'T DOING IT!!!!

NOONE WILL COME!!!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE CEREMONY!!!!

MY GRANDMA CANT COME!!!!

WHAT IF MY BROTHER WEARS A WEIRD CORDUROY SUIT FROM 1983????

BLEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh!! That last one made me laugh out loud!

If it makes you feel any better, right now my soon-to-be 18yo son is insisting that he's going to wear an ivory suit with ivory crocodile shoes and carry a cane to our vow renewal next year! The only thing I've been able to talk him out of so far is the matching fedora!!!!!

Seriously though, I totally understand your stress. Try to knock one thing off at a time and it will all come together. And even if certain people won't come (none of my dh's grandparents would come to our wedding, and his dad and stepmom refused to come to our teeny dinner reception because dh's mom would be there, etc. etc. etc.) the only thing that matters is you and your dh and the promises you're making!

Hang in there!

 

[lurkyloo]

Oh dear... all caps! Let's see if I can offer any suggestions...

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR TO WEAR!!!!

Um, white...? Strapless? People seem to like Spanx, although I think you pretty much need to already be a toothpick for them to work.... OK, that wasn't any help at all!

I FINALLY LOST 10# BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO ADJUST MY GOWN IF I WERE TO LOSE ANYMORE!!!

Hooray!!! Congratulations! If you do need a seamstress, what about Craigslist? The local dry cleaner? Recommendations on the Knot boards for your area?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH MY HAIR!!!

Let your cosmetologist decide and then just tell her if you hate what she's doing...? Maybe....?

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT ON MY HEAD!!!!! I HAVE A FEW DIY OPTIONS BUT THEY SEEM WEIRD!!!!

Can we see pictures? We all have lots of opinions...

I NEED TO FIND LIKE 5G UNDER A ROCK!!!!!

You and me both, sister!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE MY CAKE IS GOING TO BE!!!!!

It will be a circle.

OUR PLANNER IS HARD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE APPOINTMENT FOR NEARLY A MONTH FROM NOW!!!!!

Yikes! Can you rearrange your schedule to be available at 3pm ET or whenever it is she CAN chat?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACECARDS TO DO!!!!!

Copy 'em from any random issue of Martha Stewart weddings!

HIS DAD AND STEPMOM WON'T COME!!! MY FRIEND I THOUGHT WOULD COME ISN'T COMING!!!! IT BOTHERS ME THAT THESE PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE HAD A YEARS NOTICE TO PLAN AND AREN'T DOING IT!!!!

Oh no! That's totally lame! Is there a chance they could still change their minds?

NOONE WILL COME!!!!!

I will come... just say the word...

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE CEREMONY!!!!

It's going to be beautiful and everything will work out fine.

MY GRANDMA CANT COME!!!!

What?! Oh no!

WHAT IF MY BROTHER WEARS A WEIRD CORDUROY SUIT FROM 1983????

You guys will all get to laugh about it for years to come...

It's gonna be OK!!!!

 

[Jules~Marie]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR TO WEAR!!!!

I FINALLY LOST 10# BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO ADJUST MY GOWN IF I WERE TO LOSE ANYMORE!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH MY HAIR!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT ON MY HEAD!!!!! I HAVE A FEW DIY OPTIONS BUT THEY SEEM WEIRD!!!!

I NEED TO FIND LIKE 5G UNDER A ROCK!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE MY CAKE IS GOING TO BE!!!!!

OUR PLANNER IS HARD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE APPOINTMENT FOR NEARLY A MONTH FROM NOW!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACECARDS TO DO!!!!!

HIS DAD AND STEPMOM WON'T COME!!! MY FRIEND I THOUGHT WOULD COME ISN'T COMING!!!! IT BOTHERS ME THAT THESE PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE HAD A YEARS NOTICE TO PLAN AND AREN'T DOING IT!!!!

NOONE WILL COME!!!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE CEREMONY!!!!

MY GRANDMA CANT COME!!!!

WHAT IF MY BROTHER WEARS A WEIRD CORDUROY SUIT FROM 1983????

BLEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I was going to write a long post back to this, but honestly I think everyone just needs to let it out sometimes and then things will get better, I'm probably not a good source of advice since I feel the same as you do about most things. Good luck with everything, just think, in 2 months, it'll all be over and done with.

Oh, and go with a circle cake. I wanted square and it was over $1000!!!! Although, I still haven't gotten my revised budget since asking them to change it months ago, so maybe circle isn't much cheaper?! We'll see..

 

[Deb loves Disney]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR TO WEAR!!!!

I FINALLY LOST 10# BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO ADJUST MY GOWN IF I WERE TO LOSE ANYMORE!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH MY HAIR!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO PUT ON MY HEAD!!!!! I HAVE A FEW DIY OPTIONS BUT THEY SEEM WEIRD!!!!

I NEED TO FIND LIKE 5G UNDER A ROCK!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHAPE MY CAKE IS GOING TO BE!!!!!

OUR PLANNER IS HARD TO GET IN TOUCH WITH AND WANTS TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE APPOINTMENT FOR NEARLY A MONTH FROM NOW!!!!!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF PLACECARDS TO DO!!!!!

HIS DAD AND STEPMOM WON'T COME!!! MY FRIEND I THOUGHT WOULD COME ISN'T COMING!!!! IT BOTHERS ME THAT THESE PARTICULAR PEOPLE HAVE HAD A YEARS NOTICE TO PLAN AND AREN'T DOING IT!!!!

NOONE WILL COME!!!!!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE CEREMONY!!!!

MY GRANDMA CANT COME!!!!

WHAT IF MY BROTHER WEARS A WEIRD CORDUROY SUIT FROM 1983????

BLEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so sorry for your stress!!!! This is the one place where probably everybody can totally understand what you are going through because we either have or are going through some of it too.
I feel the same way about every single thing you wrote, well except for loosing 10 pounds, lol, YAY for you . I wish I had! But I was lucky enough to exactly fit into my gown and only needed a bustle attached, thank God because that alone was $150!
I laughed out loud at your brother maybe wearing a corduroy suit because I just said something similar to DF about my uncle....we will jut hide him in the back row of pictures, LOL.
I'm sorry about your DF's Dad and Stepmom and your friend and Grandma. Those are all really important people and you gave them plenty of time to prepare.
Here is another hug . Before you know it your wedding day will be here and it will be wonderful and amazing and everything else won't matter!!!

Oh and about the underwear....omg, I have no idea what to wear either. I don't have anything new, well except for my bustier bra, but actual underwear, I have nothing!!! I keep bringing this up to DF for advice and he just shrugs his shoulders. They really have no idea what we have to go through to look perfect on our day...they just have to brush their hair and they are good.

 

[sambycat]

ug. i just typed a really long post and POOF!

 

[sambycat]

ok... trying again.....

• big obnoxious changes with the bridal portraits.... the time change deal with the MK part, is interfering with our second park choice of AK. apparently, can't go to AK when its dark, and that day they have morning EMHs. we could do it the next day, but our schedule doesn't allow and i don't want pics before the wedding. epcot is available, but i'm not really feeling the epcot love as far as the extra $$$$. AK was what i had my heart set on. that said, it would save us $400 i think. but i also think you seemed to get a little bit more for the 2 than the 1 park in the way of prints. not sure.... did ask to hear if we could do AK the day BEFORE the wedding, in fancy, but not bridal, attire. the more i think about it though, i think we should just do the one. i know its not the fault of disney or anyone, but, again, i am a bit annoyed that we just heard from DPS the end of last week (and apparently they thought we were doing our wedding photography with them??) and only because i asked 2 weeks ago, when folks started talking about the time change... havent yet heard from or spoken with our planner, just emails from her assistant.
• about the communication issue, we have a phone call scheduled for 7pm wednesday, for which i am grateful! hoping we indeed will just confirm what we want is possible, but, since email apparently is not sufficient to communicate about the cake, i fear there are yet more issues....
• i found a neat blue crinoline online and i bought it. it looks more fluffy and soft than scratchy, so i hope that is a good thing!! as to the undergarment issue, i need a nice, comfy pair of undies (comfortable not fancy!) but i am unsure about the upper half of the body! i was actually going to go sans brassiere... it's a strapless dress, boned and very well covered. what i do need is something to suck in the waist area. not sure what that will be though. especially if i am able to get the dress altered a bit, changed to a corset back, then the dress itself might be able to do what i need it to, allowing me to be comfortable... but not sure if i can make the dress thing happen. traces stepmom is a professional seamstress, but i am not sure about broaching the subject of dress alterations, especially with the holidays coming up AND with the potential for conflict if it doesn't work or she doesn't like what i want to do.... i don't know....
• other attire - just not sure what about the whole head/jewelry thing.... i have some options - i will post somethings in the future! - but its still so unsure for me. since we are doing the bridal portraits the day after, i think that would be the time to wear my crazy DIY birdcage veil with various and sundry birds stuck all over it. but i also have a mens style top hat with ears painted ivory for photo ops as well. i want some kind of a veil-ish thing for the wedding, but i would like something very inexpensive (if not something i have already aquired) that i could wear the whole day.
• we are sitting at about 30 confirmed out of 40. we can downsive the tables a bit (we have 10 per table), but its getting late to get anyone else to come. we theoretically have a huge "B" list, but all of that was budget/size based and it isn't (IMHO) polite to invite a couple of folks and not others, which ws the whole reason we whittled it down so far in the first place...
• my DF has no interest wearing anything i can imagine. he seems no to be waniting a straight forward tux, which i want more color or something different, more like him and his style. he was even saying maybe he should BUY a tux, i don't think so....

allrighty, that about caps it. theoretically, with the change in portraits, say 4 guests less or so, and a couple fewer boutonnieres or corsages... maybe we could be way closer to budget than the ~1600 or so we have yet to pay....

oh - also not sure what to do about naming/designating the tables. there are 4 tables - i want something theme-y but not complicated or weird. colors won't really work (that's what i had finally settled on) because we are doing random napkins and chair sashes, and i want the multi-colored look overall. i am thinking maybe just go for card suits - maybe i can find oversized playing cards at the party store, than each table could be the queen of... whatever. the shapes would be easy eough to print or draw on name cards and it ties into the alice theme....

 

[disneybarbie]

Hi Lisa, love your ideas for the table names.. the 'queen of...' would fit in really well with the Alice theme

We're probably going to have Disney places for our table names (Boardwalk, Grand Floridian, Briar Patch, Tortuga etc).. I think!

Hope your plans are going well


Emma x

 

[sambycat]

wow - 65 days or something.... like everyone says, it kind of seems like forever until its even under 100 days and then BAM!

so, i think i am going to list my updates and to-do's to help me think...

• GUEST LIST- after all the invites i made, i sort of forgot my RSVP date ws 11/1!!!!!! i was thinking i put thanksgiving! so, we've got 30 confirmed out of a possible 42. its definitely interesting to be now on the side of all the brides and party throwers everywhere who lament the unreturned RSVP cards! (note to self: will NEVER blow off an RSVP or say i can come and then not for some stupid reason) i have to say, i'm kind of feeling "over" the whole contact people thing and reconfirm, really its only 2 people on "my side" and trace is unconcerend that the people who haven't bothered to respond over the past 4 months will just show up..... and PS yeah, bitter party of 1! just let me know if you can't come, its fine, but again i am falling into two parties on the guest list that should be coming, who can afford to (given a years notice) come and have had ample time to plan an affordable trip who are NOT coming. it is his second wedding, true, but he has been divorced for more than 10 years... sigh.... oh well the change in the guest count means i am hoping we can change our total from the 42 to 34 - 4 tables of 8 (less crowded) and asweetheart table. thats more appropriate for comfort anyway. so we have a couple "extra" seats - i think we can give a local pal a plus one and we have 2 or 3 pals who may be at the parks at the time so i am thinking i will give trace control of the 4 spots if i can get him to agree to this new total.
• BUDGET - the decreased head count ought to bring us down on our ~$1700 still due. i'm calculating maybe $100/head off the total with our menu charge of $70/person + the drinks (we have several non-drinkers on the list, however i will certainly consume their allotment). we also removed the second park option for the bridal portraits due to all the time changes. our cake should be the $450 and they will add back in the grooms cake (surprise) that is like $250. also, we will remove a couple of flower items, but i think that only totals like $100. i'm thinking this will bring us within $500 of our final BEO. asked our planner to hold any further BEOs until the second week of december (hi, thats like tomorrow), until after we confirm our guest count.
• CAKE - as mentioned, did finally connect with our planner - it was cute because she was at someones wedding (or dessert party more like it) as it was in the evening and she said "hi! i'm in italy!" cute! brief conversation, confirmed that our "teacup inspiration" cake can be done in the mad hatter style for $450. as you recall, i wanted something different in the layer size, and their offer was either standard 2 layer cake or they could do the mad hatter style, in butter cream. we shall see what we end up with!!!!
• SEATING - ok, i think i finally figured out what i will do for the seating. elizabeth from floral agreed that colored ribbons or something on the vases wouldn't be enough to designate the tables and i do want to stick with white linens overall. she showed me a couple of rental/free options for table number holders. the resort can provide for free a rather tall holder that i am going to use and i've named the tables according to character. then i think i am going to make some kind of "icon" if you will to suggest the character and i can use that also on the little tent cards with people's names on them on the seating table with a sign that says "please be seated". i went a little overboard on internet searching and i've dug up some unusual confetti of all things that i think i am going to ask to be scattered on each table to kind of reinforce the idea and heres the plan -

• mad hatter table - make an old school mad hatters hat (this is all out of paper), have the hat on the place cards and have top hat and maybe teapot confetti (ordered the hat, looking for teapot)
  
  • queen of hearts - either just a heart or maybe the coat of arms from the white rabbit (on our invites), and have heart and rose stem shaped confetti
  • white rabbit - pocket watch as the "icon", have bunny and heart confetti and round gold circles that are the shape of the watch
  • cheshire cat - i'd like to have just the cheshire cat smile as the sign, but have to see how that reads, and i ordered multicolored cat confetti and some irridescent half moon shapes that look like the smile!
  
  other to dos-
  • INVITES - we are going to send out some extra invites as mentioned before, printed up some more invites last night, let DF assemble and mail! ha!
  • PROGRAMS - started working on a format for these little DIY programs i bought. trying to think about how and where i want to put these and bubbles at the WP. read something somewhere about people lamenting making the programs and noone took them. not that anyone needs to take them home and cherish them or something, just to make sure they are seen. not too many guests, though. just tell family to point them out? have someone stick some on a few of the pews up front? and bubbles? i wish i had something "theme-y" to put these things in or on...
  • DRESS - got the pettiskirt i ordered. it will be cool and im not concerned anymore about shortening the skirt. i think now that i wil wear these vintage colored brooches on my shrug and i got some felt to just help back the pins when i put them on. if i wear those pins up high like that, not sure i need a necklace at all, but i have a really pretty blue topaz (i think) that was my moms that is simple and pretty. but i've got no necklace to hold it and it seems to require something sort of thinck. i think it's a slider pendant and you are supposed to wear one of those choker style necklaces which i neither have nor would want to spend any $$ on. i also have earrings that were my moms but they are humungo studs. when ever i wear them i feel like they are so heavy i have to squash the earing back (they aren't lever backs, just regular posts wihich is dumb because they feel like they could just fling right off your ear!) so i clamp the back on and my earlobes are usually bright red. nice. my hair is short and i am still figuring out the head wear so not sure if a stud will work or not. i feel like they will, especially if i am wearing some crazy bird veil on my head so i should see what i can do to make them more comfortable.
  • GROOMSWEAR - we are defintiely now with rental from carolyn allen or christie allen or carollynne... whoever. my only teensy dissapointment is he has zero interest in what i saw him wearing, which was more along the lines of gray, moodern, three piece suit from j crew. i wasn't liking the regular tux at all, but someone on here had pics of their groom with black tux and turquoise vest and regular tie and it looked great and he like s that. i fear the rental vest and tie. but again, the pics i showed him were reall nice! except now he, m. never dress up, thinks he needs black chucks not blue like he says he's wanted the whole time.... ok....
  
  i found some kind of just waist bodyshaper to wear under the dress. i can zip it up myself now (gagain). stil wishing i ended up with the damed one size smalled they ordered by accident. we are both keeping up with the personal trainer and diet. he's lost like 40#! the *******!! and i forsee dropping a few more as well, but again, haven't done a damn thing about alterations.
  trying to figure out how we are going to get things down there too. and what to do with our welcome bags, which i have bought a few things for and wanted to do a cool door hanger and then our friend made us a cool logo related to our podcasts (we're calling it weddingfest 2011!) and i'd love to incorporate that but i already did alot of printing and coloring on these other things....
  
  also in the mean time, lets see, i have gone through most of the moving stuff in the garage. have about a quarter of it left to unpack, but alwasy have to unpack then do major rehauls in this house to create space for anything. i have reingeineered the entire living room, we got a big giant TV and a million ikea shelves and i've put all his disney items out in cool display (he's got a lot more of the cool and pricey collectibles than i) and organized his vinylmations and other collections (must say i get irked though when he's telling me - from his lump on the couch - to be careful or put something here or there when ITS ALL BEEN IN A FREAKING PILE COVERED BY DIRT AND DUST FOR THE LAST CENTURY!!!!!).... i rehauled the panrty - cannot believe how he can live the way he was, organizationally speaking. have a new microwave/range vent on the floor to be put in this week by home depot (his vent has been dead for several years. just never did anything about it, nor changed the 30 year old stove with dead bug legs behind the glass on the control panel. nice.
  
  oh, and having people for thanksgiving! yay me!

 

[sambycat]

happy thanksgiving people! ours was a success after everything and i lucked out and got "black friday" off after. no shopping for us (and not merely because we have NO MONEY!!!!), but we did go see "tangled" - very good! very cute - much better than i anticipated! all i could think about towards the end though, was how many "tangled" wedding influences we would be seeing and how soon!!! not to give spoilers, but pretty early on it is established that there are floating lanterns that are a plot point and they are beautiful!! so i expect to see the first crop of e pics with a "tangled" theme here first! and soon!!

so, i'm also noticing that many folks that i started following when i started on here (about a year and 2 weeks ago) ARE ALL APPARENTLY GETTING MARRIED!!! that fact, and my iphone countdown timer are freaking me out! so much so that i've gotten over another hurdle of crafting, which is good! will post some things below - opinions welcome! ok, gentle constructive opinions welcome! ha! no worries here in regards to that, i think i must be the most curmudgeonly, yet fanatical, board member here!

before the pics, though, we HAVE officially made our headcount 34 total. we have 28 confirmed. we have a couple folks who may/not be there at the time, and a couple of folks who could do plus ones, so, now that i have even table seats, i think we are good. we have given this number to our planner. elizabeth (aka best floral person EVAH) even got a revised proposal BACK to us friday morning!! hello?!? she rocks! the changes in place settings and floral only brought the total down less than $200. i kind of thought it would be a little more than that, but ok.

again, i am hoping the reducton in guests (and loss of 2nd park pics), brings our budget down significantly. i think our food is like ~$70/pp? so i hope that and the pre-calculated BOC drinks bring our total down. given the $1K "deposit", i'd rather we pay next to nothing now and not get any money back than pay another thousand now, and get most of it back after.

also, side note, i am STILL confused on the drinks. we are doing BOC - i understand that. i want tea, coffee, water, soda, juices (i think thats on the buffet?), bloody marys, champagne/mimosas. now, i've said all along i kind of wanted the feel of a "bloody mary bar", but either our planner doesn't get me, doesn't understand or doesn't approve, because that has never really seemed to carry over onto the BEO or warrant discussion. at this point, it will only add cost i am sure, so i am (sort of) over it. those drinks are by the glass cost. but any champagne will be by the bottle? i assume thats how it will go. we aren't having any other kinds of alcohal, but i suppose if you want straight vodka, you are welcome to it!

someone posted about what sounded like a grossly mis-calculated bar tab, and that has me concerned, as well as how long the drinks and food are available. i know the food says and hour and a half i think. i better reconfirm that we have drinks and cocktails through out. also, i passed on the whole formal toast deal. thats pricey and not neccesary i think. should i rethink that?

as far as crafting goes, i worked on my little hair piece/ fascinator thingy. it didn't have enough poof, and the neting it did have was limp! i love the little thing though (i saw it in a random bridal mag and bought it on etsy!), still not sure how i will make it stick to my head and with what kind of "do".

i added the shirred netting in blue and green and tacked it onto the back. the heart itself might be 6" across at its widest? so its big with the puffs, but not huge and i'm hoping it can stick on my head, maybe kind of behind one ear? i am doing a hair cut/color and styling the week before we go down. obviously, not with beaute special, but to help me figure out what to ask anna to do. my hair for the epics was ok, but to "set" for my tastes.

i also worked on our table signs/markers. here is the whole group:

its hard to tell what size they are really, i know! the hat is maybe 8 inches tall? anyways, they are all kind of layered construction paper and the same on bothe sides. they still need a little tweaking (kind of want a paper "chain" for the pocket watch), but you get the gist. this is a close up of the cheshire cat one -

so each of these would be above one table on a resort provided holder and rise up above the centerpieces. i am going ahead with me werd confetti fetish for each table as well. then i need to make place cards that will have a little insignia of each drawn on.

the other thing is i had made and hand colored in a whole bunch of pictures i had made for door tags that needed to be cut out and assembled. yesterday, while crafting, the squirt gun we keep handy to squirt my crazy dog when she goes beserk and chases the cats, leaked all over the floor and onto about 3/4 of the damned cards, smearing the ink. i trimmed them as best i could and am going to use them on one side and the wedding logo a pal made on the other and put those in our welcome bags.

i need to work on our welcom brochure thing and programs. not sure what to put on the programs.

 

[girli565]

I understand your worries about the BOC, especially after the post about the issues someone had but you should talk to your planner. I was confused and my planner explain everything to me.

Tea/coffee are apart of your buffet but juices, sodas, and bottled water are not. Those are billed to your BOC. If you don't want to pay for bottled water ask for a tap water carafe or station to be set up or just let your planner know you don't want to serve bottled, only tap (Which is free).