The FINAL Update Monday!!

Done

• Bachelorette Party/Henna!
• Bridal Shower
• All menswear is here including ties
• Play list is complete and a backup disc has been burned.
• Started the pre-packing laundry, yay honeymoon!
• Confirmed all the hair/make-up appointments
• Borrowed a printer and recruited help to finish favor tags and seating chart.
• Packed my overnight bag for tomorrow.
• Organized my bins into: Rehearsal Stuff/Tuesday Set-up, Wedding Day stuff, Stays with the bride, Day of for Mike & Isaac and Honeymoon (I'll pack it when the laundry's done).
• Located all necessary paperwork/documents for honeymoon
• Had phone meeting with photographer. All of my reply emails were disappearing into his spam folder).
• A few phones calls from the baker our cake is underway!
• Made it to the "week of"!

Still Looking Forward To

• The rehearsal
• The rehearsal dinner!
• Finishing the packing
• My hair and make-up appointments
• Sleeping over at my maid of honor's house the night before (with my sister)
• The wedding!!
• The Honeymoon!!!!!!

It was an exhausting, but amazingly fun weekend! Both my bachelorette and bridal shower were amazing. I couldn't be happier. I need to get a few loose ends tied up before tomorrow afternoon and then I'm out of here until after the wedding!! Hurray! One last push to get through these tasks and then I can let the current of the events carry me to the end.

I feel so loved after all the hard work my bridesmaids put into the weekend. I really can not wait to get married. Which my 20yr old self would never have believed. Life is funny. Here I am getting married to a boy I went to high school with, raising two kids it doesn't seem possible. At the same time it couldn't happen any other way.

2 days (48hrs)!!!

Update Monday!

Done

• Slideshow! (phew)
• Custom ties are on the way. Mike's attire is all accounted for.
• Isaac's pants arrived and shirt should arrive Monday
• Bachelor Party
• Received and built my wedding step stool.
• Got an early wedding present from Mike, a Kindle Touch (: & Ordered a cute case from Etsy
• My garter.
• Designed & ordered photo share cards (set up a flickr account just for our wedding)
• Designed our Thank You banner
• Picked my bridal shower attire and made my mad hat!!
• Got the license
• Information packet for honeymoon arrived.
• Made ALL of our returns (too small dress shirt, too small bathing suit, etc)
• Made and sent final timeline to parents and wedding party
• Got my wedding day underthings (for real)
• Daylight Savings
• Made it to single digits!!!!!!!!!

Still Looking Forward To

• My sister flying in In 48hrs!
• Phone meeting with photographer. (getting really impatient now)
• Finishing the play list.
• My bachelorette party sleepover
• Mad Hatter Tea party bridal shower
• Packing for the honeymoon!!
• The wedding!!

The nightmares have stopped and my sleep is better. Unforunatly I've traded it for some badly timed PMS and what follows. I can't think of a worse time to be hormonal and over emotional than the week before your wedding! Honestly! Well...that's not true it would be worse on the honeymoon (maybe). I always tell people it doesn't create emotions it just hieghtens them and mine are already hieghtened right now so I feel crazy. Which may have been the cause if cycles had not been involved...

"It's the week before the wedding y'all" (read in the Parker Posey Waiting for Guffman voice). It's slightly wonkie because it's a Wedsnesday, but this is the LAST full week before the wedding. On Wednesdy it will actually be a week until the wedding. It's totally surreal to get from 8mo-1wk. It's been feeling increasingly more real as it's gone along, but now it's happening next week.

Before that, though, is this weekend. MY weekend! I was sad at first to wait this long for a bridal shower, but I'm so glad I did! It's so nice to have a whole weekend of girly stuff to look forward to right before the big day. I'm so glad my sister wil be there too. I'm so glad Mike had his turn first and that we worked out kid logestics so I can enjoy 48hrs of fun. Yay!

I was supposed to retire from wedding projects, but there's still undecorated flower baskets, reserved signs and most importantly table numbers. We can live with plain baskets and printed out signs, but the tables have to have names on them. I want to cut them on my Silouhette, Just a tree and the name in pretty font, I think.

9 days!!!

Update Monday!

Done

• Mike picked his tie, ordered his shirt and bought his pants. All that's left is his vest.
• Met with florist and picked up centerpiece supplies.
• The boys made a plan for the bachelor party this weekend.
• Ordered my wedding hoodie and shoes
• Ordered Isaac's pants. Now I just need to find him a shirt and all the boys I live with have their wedding attire.
• Mike's Ring
• Flower Girl Books

Still Looking Forward To

• My sister flying in Next Week
• Phone meeting with photographer.
• Finishing the slide show and play list.
• The Last DIY's
• Mike's Bachelor Party
• My bachelorette/bridal shower weekend
• Packing for the honeymoon!!
• The wedding!!

Ok, now I'm a little freaked out. Mostly during my sleep though. The nightmares are unrelenting. I dreamt about problems with my dress, the bridesmaids dresses (some of that one came true), losing people, forgetting things...It's exhausting! Seriously, most of my stress during waking hours has to do with other people. Topping the list is my procrastinating groom who picked the ties for the boys this weekend. Finalizing the menswear has had me scurrying all over town and stressed.

In addition to that there are guests who are traveling trying to make their accommodations which in some cases has been stressful for me. Then there's my bridal shower the weekend before so some people are coming for the weekend, going home and coming back for the wedding. It can get tricky. If I stopped worrying about adults who more than likely can fend for themselves I'd make it easier on myself.

Also, the realization that we don't have a few weeks, but rather two weekends left is a little unnerving. Again, all of my projects are on track (or dispensable) it's Mike that has me worried. He'll be gone overnight Friday and I'm assuming fairly useless Saturday so that leaves him Sunday to work on things. Next weekend I'm kicking him out overnight for my bachelorette and then leaving the kids with him for the shower. Time for productivity is limited. Then again he seems to prefer finishing at the last minute. It'll probably be beautiful.

I have acquired everything I'm going to acquire for the wedding. If we don't have it at this point, we don't need it. I'm giving myself this week to finish DIY projects and then I'm retiring from them. If the baskets for the flower girls are undecorated or the reserved signs are just printed pieces of paper, oh well! I need a buffer between prep and party and I think this is the best I can do. Although crafting eases my stress and I may do non-wedding related projects.

16 days!!!

Tips In Hindsight: From an (Almost) Been-There-Done-That Bride.

There's so much I wish I'd done differently and even more I feel I handled exceptionally well. We're just over 2wks away and here is what you should know before/during wedding planning.

• Before you set your budget call your car insurence, cell phone and cable providers and get your bills reduced. I waited until much later in the process and we could have been saving that money from the start. Seriously three phone calls, hundreds of dollars a month.
• Skip the "boutique" experience. Trust me on this. I have a whole post in the works about how stressful it's been. I thought spending more on the bridesmaids dresses would mean better fitting dresses and the royal treatment. Wrong twice.
• Pay attention to holidays during the planning process. Dress clothes go on clearance post Christmas and Easter. Wings, masks etc are easier to get around Halloween.
• DIY isn't always cheaper and time is sometimes more valuable than money. Don't get so bogged down in saving money that you completely burn out on all the extra tasks. I am guilty of this big time.
• Don't expect your finance/wedding party (especially the kids) to change for the wedding day. The 2yrs will still be 2 the day of the wedding they will need to be fed quickly and entertained through out. Plan Ahead. Your flaky friend's never been on time once in your relationship? Don't expect her to suddenly get her act together for your wedding. Plan Ahead.
• Making people do things they don't want to do is a miserable experience for all involved without exception. From renting tuxes, walking in time to music while everyone stares, giving a toast, etc...if it made someone uncomfortable we skipped it. To clarify I mean the bride groom or loved one who was asked to perform the tasks. Guests should enjoy themselves, but if you took a vote on everything nothing would get done.
• Delegate and mean it! Assign the project and let go. Understand it'll be done differently than you would have personally done it (hopefully better)and it not happening can't be the end of your universe because things happen.
• Supposed to's are for people with perfect bodies, better balance than mine, lots of free time and unlimited budgets!

Update Monday!

Done

• Booked Our Honeymoon Disney Cruise. I wasn't sure we'd have one so I'm SUPER EXCITED.
• Got all my RSVPs
• Had my make-up trial
• Made signs for our chairs.
• Finished the seating chart
• Cut Favor Tags (need to borrow a printer to finish them)
• Sent some Thank You cards.
• Met with the venue for the last time before the rehearsal
• Scheduled a time to pick up the rest of the centerpiece supplies from the florist.
• Started the slide show.
• I'm currently wading through our collective MP3s trying to get a play list together.
• Mike's bachelor party camping trip is scheduled!

Still Looking Forward To

• Phone meeting with photographer.
• Finishing the slide show and play list.
• Shoe shopping.
• Finding the boys their tie.
• Decorating the flower baskets (it's been stumping me)
• Making reserved signs for the ceremony
• Mike's Bachelor Party
• My bachelorette/bridal shower weekend
• Packing for the honeymoon!!
• The wedding!!

I intend to do an entire post about it, but WOO HOO Honeymoon!! Mike and I have not been by ourselves (without kids) more than overnight in our whole relationship. I'm talking two or three nights off in the last five years and none of them since Riley was born. Phew, vacation! It definitely makes the final wedding preparations a little less stressful. Every time it gets to be too much I just close my eyes and imagine reading pool side.

Now don't get me wrong the stressful moments happen, but they seem to be fewer now. I keep reading on the wedding boards how panicked these girls feel and thinking, "huh. Not me." I still have 23 days and my last two big projects are underway. I'm in good shape. I'm also beyond excited. People have plane tickets, hotel rooms, hair appointments...it's real. Next week the bulk of our expenses will be paid off and we didn't use a single credit card, go team. We're going to do this and it will be on our terms. I feel the glow I had during the happy moments of pregnancy surrounding me.

I love parties. I'm thinking I'm going to have my own event planning business so I can do what I love, for other people, soon. I'm detail oriented and organized. I micromanage myself. In the last couple days of planning my wedding I'm still overseeing details, but now it's all (cue the cheesy music) about love. All the love and support from friends and family is overwhelming and beautiful. They care as much about my day as I do and I love them for it. Not one person has objected (so far). We've got a lot of people in our corner.

It's not just overwhelming love from family and friends either. Mike and I are a well oiled party machine in general. I plan, organize and communicate with guests. He designs and runs errands. Then we both create! These are the fun days because he no longer looks at me like I have two heads when I ask wedding questions. There's only weeks to go and we're on the same page productivity-wise. We appreciate each other and we get excited together now. I love him and our teamwork so much. It's going to be one hell of a day.

23 days!!!

Update Monday!!

Done

• Booked my make-up trial.
• Got un-responded RSVPs down to single digits. Tomorrow's the RSVP deadline.
• Final draft of ceremony intro
• Got some gifts (:
• Finished photographers paperwork.
• Ordered more stamps. We should have started with a roll of them (save the dates, invites, paperwork and thank yous).

Still Looking Forward To

• My make-up trial
• The end of the RSVPs
• Phone meeting with photographer.
• Finding the boys their tie.
• Nailing down kid logistics for pre-wedding events and our post wedding kid break.
• Mike's Bachelor Party
• The wedding!!

First, I will clear up why I am looking forward to Mike's bachelor party. He's not doing a night of bar hopping. Not because of any limits I imposed. He really wanted a camping weekend. Awesome. I love him and I want to promise the rest of my life to him, but get out! Give me some time when I don't have to clean up after you or try to sleep while you work with bedroom light on. Don't worry we registered for a desk lamp. Just a quiet night with me and the kids while he and his friends drink beers by the fire and talk all their boy BS. Yes, I'm excited.

I think we've got two families yet to respond. The invitation process is soooo long I clicked the “invitation” tag on a blog post yesterday and I had written 14 posts about it. Phew. I really enjoyed designing them once we chose them and the initial influx of RSVPs, but the end of the process sucks. I started drawing the floor plan the venue asked for, but my stragglers make up an entire table. I have to wait until the deadline tomorrow and then call them. One way or another we'll have a final headcount this week, so exciting.

Next Monday the wedding will be less than a month away. Now I understand why so many girls call in a wedding planner last minute on those TV shows. I am so over my to do list. I thought by now it would be done. It's like a mythological monster every time I strike down a task three more sprout up in it's place.

30 days!!!

And Time Can Do So Much

I started this blog nine months ago and I got engaged in 2009. There's been some substantial time since I started planning until now. Now that I've done it, it seems so silly to decide what you're going to wear eight months before you know what the rest of the event will look like. Even when you have a cohesive theme, good taste and creative ability the time between decisions is tricky. I think this is why David Tutera has a show.

I got it wrong the first time. I pictured a heavy, traditional ball gown. Groomsman in black tuxes and bridesmaids in black strapless dress. I pictured all this formality and traditionalism. Then I considered the venue, my physical capabilities, the flowers, etc. Now I have a flowy ethereal dress. Groomsman in dress shirts and ties and bridesmaids in emerald dupioni silk tea length dresses straight out of the 50's.

I have regrets now that we're a day or two shy of a month. I wish I'd seen the whole big picture concept a little more clearly. I wish I'd purchased bridesmaids dresses off the sale racks at Kohl's after Christmas rather than at a boutique. I wish I'd been thinking more practically about my shoes from the beginning. I wish I'd known what everyone was wearing before I chose all the flowers. I kindda wish we had hired a DJ. Well, no neither us wants to give up control of the play list, but I wish I'd hired a friend to be in charge of compiling, organizing and running the play list (maybe because that's one of my last to-do's). I also would have started saving earlier so we could have a honeymoon trip. I might have structured my timeline differently, maybe. I don't know...

I'm worried that everything won't look like it goes together since I choose everything separately at different times. Really, maybe the bridesmaids dresses would have been more cohesive if they had been a more flowy fabric. Maybe Mike's right about all the many shades of green not "going together". I should have done a tiered stand with donuts instead of a cake...grumble.

Hindsight is 20-20? Or expectations are premeditated resentments? Or don't count your chickens before they hatch? No, it's more of a build up to a climax thing. You spend a year of your life focusing on a decision at a time, but then you are confronted with the big picture when you get this close and doubt sets in. You start to worry about whether you invited everyone you should have, picked the right food, asked the right questions and paid the right amounts?

Update Monday!

Done

• I did my hair trial (and turned 30).
• Mike and I got our regisrty up and running.
• I sent out an RSVP reminder
and scared up a few more.
• Watched Father of the Bride Thanks Dad!
• Contacted all vendors for arrival times on the day of.
• Started final day of timeline and picture list.
• Had a Bridal photo session with the lovely Lara.
• Found a chalkboard for our seating chart.
• Made some Valentines!

Still Looking Forward To

• A make-up plan
• The rest of the RSVPs
• Phone meeting with photographer.
• Finding the boys their tie.
• Deciding on shoes
• Decorating the flower girl baskets
• My shower and bachelorette party
• Making table names
• Making our thank you banner
• The wedding!!

I have been overwhelmed with flattering compliments about our execution of our theme. Yippe! Watch out David Tutera. Everyone really enjoyed our invitations. Those who have seen our centerpieces have been stunned (me among them). Recently, I showed some online bride friends a picture of me in the dress with my wedding hair and they had wonderful things to say. I think at this point it's just little odds and ends and paperwork left for me. Mike has centerpieces to finish, a ring to make, lighting to design, ties to pick out, vows to write and a bacholer party to attend. Procrastinator.

I must say there have been quite a few surprises in our RSVPs. I was sure of a few people making it out who won't and very plesantly surprised by a few I was pretty sure wouldn't who can. We went from 60 guests who hadn't responded to 28 after my emails went out. Yay, me! Now I'm dying to hear from the last few groups. It sounds like a super fun crowd so far.

37 days

Update Monday!

Done

• RSVPs have started coming in. We're still waiting on 55 responses.
• My vows are written. Mike's promises to have his by the weekend prior to the wedding so I can get the officiant a copy.
• I sent my first thank you cards for wedding gifts!
• I made our place cards.
• Met with the officiant and went over the ceremony and her attire.
• Finalized our order with the florist.
• All groomsmen have been contacted about the bachelor party and attire.
• Finished bridesmaids shirts

Still Looking Forward To

• My 30th Birthday on Wednesday.
• My hair trial on Wednesday.
• Phone meeting with photographer.
• Finding the boys their tie.
• Assigning the final reading.
• Decorating the flower girl baskets
• My shower and bachelorette party
• Making table names
• Making our thank you banner
• The wedding!!

I have become obsessed with checking my wedding website hits and RSVPs. I think the instant gratification of the internet made me worse than I would been waiting for the mailman. On the third or fourth day after the invitations went out every time I hit refresh there were new ones. After a day or two of hourly responses, they stopped coming in at all. I know I gave people until the 21st of February, but I thought there would be a steadier stream of replies. I wonder if most people who haven't replied aren't coming and feel bad telling us. I hope not. We understand having jobs, kids, and medical issues that make travel/a Wednesday night wedding tricky. I never expected 100% attendance. It's ok, to reply no, I won't take it personally. In the meantime, I need a twelve step program to help me get my obsessive RSVP checking.

I've been saying 6weeks. The wedding is in 6weeks. Someone said "You guys ready? Next month, right?" Oh, my. We're crafting our brains out. Centerpieces, shirts, place cards, signs, etc...It's fun. I can't believe how soon it is. Mike even got on the phone with his boys. They have a bachelor party camping trip in the works and they all know what to wear.

It's been finishing touches and meetings with vendors again. It's so strange how long since I've seen them. I'm also having a little bit of the whole "hind sight is 20/20" experience. Now that I know what the whole day will look like there are things I would have done differently. It's so silly to pick out your clothes for a party a year ahead of time for example. Sigh. It'll be fabulous. What ever else the choices I've made are they're very us. We're 2weeks from being able to say one month until the wedding.

44 days

Update Monday!

Done

• Invitations have been mailed. Happy Dance!
• I picked up my wedding band!
• I booked my hair trial (for real this time!) It's next Weds on my birthday.
• Sent two of our three readings to the readers.
• We got our fist wedding gift!

Still Looking Forward To

• Personalizing bridesmaids shirts
• Making a make-up plan
• Decorating the flower girl baskets
• My shower and bachelorette party
• Cutting and hand writing the place cards
• Making table names
• Making our thank you banner
• The wedding!!

Wow, last week had a ton of done items. I went over/edited all of our readings with Mike this weekend. I sent two of them to our wonderful readers. The third one is ready to go, but remains unassigned. I'm going to email everything ceremony related that I posses to my officiant as soon as I'm done with this post. After that I plan on cutting some place cards. I think we're doing fairies for the ladies and then lizards for the men. We'll see...

I'm soooooo relieved that I'll be getting my hair trial done on my birthday after all. I've been a little sad about how low key my big 3-0 was going to be. Now's it's all better. I'll get my reasonably priced (yay) hair trial and take some pretty pictures. Happy Birthday to me.

The motto for last week (and probably the rest of the wedding): "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind".

Also: "May those who love us, love us. Those who do not love us, may God turn their hearts. If he cannot turn their hearts let him turn their ankles so we may know they by their limping" Keeping the Faith

51 days

Update Monday!

Done

• Bridesmaids Shirts came.
• Had our Bridesmaids lunch!
• Invitations are addressed
• Met with the florist to show off centerpieces and finalize decor.
• Mike's ring stones arrived.
• Dates for the shower and bachelorette parties have been decided.
• Rough seating plan made and table options confirmed with venue.
• We have a parent dance song!
• We have a plan for menswear.
• I made our ring pillow!
• We got our map, Thank you Doreen!!

Still Looking Forward To

• Sending out invitations. We Should be printing maps today and mailing invitations, by Thursday.
• Booking a new hair and make-up person.
• Decorating the girls shirts.
• My shower and bachelorette party
• Picking up my ring.
• The wedding!!

I'll be posting soon about a lot of the stuff I mentioned. It was an amazing week wedding-wise. I was so busy with wedding productivity and then a toddler with a stomach virus that I got way behind on the blog. I'll catch up quickly because I'm super excited to show you guys everything I've been up to.

We sat down and looked over the hair and make-up contract and it was simply outside my budget. I was sad, but I emailed her to tell her that I had to decline because she was outside my budget. She was very nice about it and wished me lots of luck. I've gone back to my original list of options. I'll probably end up going to a salon, which isn't the end of the world if that's the only place I have to be that day before the wedding. Wish me luck on this project. I really want to nail this down and do trials soon since my birthday's coming up and all my pre-wedding parties aren't until March.

Other than that, I'm still plugging away at the slide show and music for the reception. I feel like we're in pretty good shape I'm just worried about Mike feeling overwhelmed and not finishing something important, like his ring. The show must go on though, we'll figure it out.

58 days

Lunch With Team Bride

Today I gathered the girls and took them to a well deserved lunch. We went to Panera for sandwiches and sat outside it was a nice day. Leading up to lunch I'd been firing off emails, stuffing invitations, working on the rough seating plan, and a million other miscellaneous wedding related things. I woke up feeling overwhelmed. This lunch was the cure for my harried feeling.

All my lovely bridesmaids attended except one who was home with very sick kids. We had a nice chat about the things that went wrong or got forgotten on their wedding days. It's nice to have experience in your corner. Instead of making me worry their tales were terribly comforting and amusing. My maid of honor presented me with a stack of mildly embarrassing old photos for the slideshow. Good times though, when did I get so old?

We worked out the dates for my shower and bachelorette party. We're all excited for those. I think we worked it out so that there will be maximum attendance. Everyone confirmed their collective employers have released them the day before and day of the wedding, Yay! Not bad, for a Wednesday wedding. We discussed the events of the day before the wedding and who's coming to the rehearsal dinner. I've happily handed the responsibility for that over to Mike's dad so I had no idea who was coming to dinner exactly.

We also, thanks to Bekah's suggestion and Lara's mp3 player, picked a song for the parent dance. YAY! It was a very productive lunch. After a brief discussion about my frustration with Mike not having anything to wear Sandy and I decided to venture around the corner to Mens Wearhouse to check things out after lunch.

Regardless of the lackluster performance by the Mens Wearhouse staff it was a fruitful trip. I came home with a plan for the boys clothes that Mike actually liked. That is saying something. More on menswear later. I came home and full of inspiration started making my ring pillow from two small burlap sacks. More on that later too.

60 Days!

That means the wedding's not this month, it's next month. Holy Cow. We seem to be chugging along. A detailed budget was created (by Michael no less). All our vendors and frienders are nailed down. All of the girls have something to wear. The invitations are addressed and waiting for maps and stamps. Mike has made 3 of our estimated 10 centerpieces. He also decided to make my garter and bought materials for that. I've scanned all the pertinent pictures Mike and I possess for the slide show (family and friends are still gathering more).

It took me 72hrs to go through all of my photos scan and save them. It took me two hours to do Mike's and that includes pulling everything off the internet that other people we're nice enough to scan already. Finalizing is the name of the game these days: decor, time lines, music/play list, must take pictures, vows. The only things yet to be started are menswear and Mike's ring. Yeah, I think that's it...Oh, and supplies for the unity ceremony, but that's 30seconds and $5 of internet time.

Tomorrow is my 4th get together with my bridesmaids. The first was at my my house over the summer, the second was a nice dinner out while my sister was in town, the third was a surprise they planned for me so we could look at all the dresses together and tomorrow I'm taking them to lunch. I initially thought there would be envelope stuffing post lunch, but that's done so we'll probably focus on what I've forgotten, dates, times and completely unwedding related girl talk.

I talked to my friend, who was married in the fall, last night. She said she won't tell me not to stress because everyone does, but she told me about her wedding day. One of her girls showed up very late (like she wasn't sure if she'd be there when she walked down the aisle or not, kind of late). It just didn't matter once the day started. Not only that but she had been adamant that the walkway to her groom be lined with mason jars with candles. She didn't even realize until the day was over that they never got lit. So, I laughed and took a deep breath. Maybe now is the time to organize a bit more and let go because whatever happens that day will happen.

Update Monday!

Done

• Bridesmaids Shirts are done & ordered!
• Linen Rentals
• Hair and Make-up (trials Feb 8th Happy Birthday to me)
• Wedding day underthings
• Mike Ordered the stones for his wedding ring (he's making the setting himself)
• Addresses for invitations have been verified!
• Supplies for remaining centerpieces have been gathered/ordered.
• Set up meeting with florist to go over centerpiece and decor needs

Still Looking Forward To

• Sending out invitations.
• Having another bridesmaids get together! I love my girls.
• My hair and make-up trial (and to a lesser extend my 30th birthday)
• My shower and bachelorette party
• Reading the finished ceremony
• The wedding!!

I've done most of my work far in advance and I'm tired. I want to tie up the last loose ends and then sit back and count the days. Mike is chomping at the bit to get going on more centerpieces which is so exciting. I wish I had his talent for making something beautiful out of raw materials. Speaking of, he insists on making his ring himself. It will have an emerald to match my engagement ring and then two smaller stones. I'm nervous that since all of his projects are happening right now he'll run out of time or steam. He promised to have a ring by the wedding day, though. That's important to me.

Mike wants to do the centerpieces, make his ring, draw a sketch for the linen guy, bake an example cake for the bakery, pick out his wedding clothes, decorate the reception and (time permitting) make a guest book. I have to finish the slide show, finish the wedding time line and wrap up the vow writing. I'm also going to be communicating with vendors on Mike's behalf as projects get finished or questions arise. It's the complete opposite of the beginning of the process when my to do list was a legal pad long and his had two items.

Onward towards the wedding day!

65 days

Doing Less

I'd decided early on to skip chair covers and fancy table overlays in favor or crisp white table clothes. I knew from the start I was fine with a less then formal place setting. Disposable plate, yes please. None of those things mattered from the get go. Lately some of the things that I thought mattered...don't.

Last night I told Mike I didn't want to do a guest book quilt anymore. Partly, to knock an expense off the budget, but also because we are at blanket capacity around here. I just don't want another one hanging around. All the research into how to pick fabric, which markers to buy, how to instruct people in what to do and it didn't once occur to me that we don't need a quilt. In fact, I informed my groom to be I don't need a guest book at all.

It would be nice, but I won't miss it. I document everything (hello, blogging daily about wedding planning), but it's not worth my energy at this point. Mike had a cute idea so I told him it was his project now, but we agreed he wasn't going to waste any time on it until his other projects (centerpieces/room decor, mens attire, his ring) are done.

After that conversation I spent the next day thinking about what else I could do with out. I'd already decided not to get any new clothes for the shower or rehearsal, that was any easy one. I decided a girls nails night where we all do each others would be more fun than mani/pedis at the mall anyway. We were already skipping a DJ in favor of our own play list.

Then there were some more difficult stuff like shoes. Love those green sparkly shoes, but I have a lot of anxiety about them fitting right and being comfortable all day. I already own a pair of pink sequined ballet flats that I know fit. No one will see my fit anyway so maybe I'll wear my shoes I already have. It's hard when you wear a size 2 in kids and have bad balance and it rules out borrowing from anyone. I think I may buy those awesome shoes down the line if not for the wedding though.

Skipping the shoes made me think maybe I could wear a bra I already own, but I don't know about that for sure. You don't want to skimp on undies when you're wearing the most important dress of your life. It's strapless so I want to be sure there won't be any wardrobe malfunctions. We'll see...Beyond that, we've come to an agreement that will not take a honeymoon trip. We will make arrangements not to have the kids for a few days. We will most likely drive somewhere close by so we can get back if we need to. I think we'll save traveling without the kids for an anniversary trip.

I continue to look for ways to scale back and delegate. My major projects at this point are the play list (finishing it, gathering mp3s, saving it onto multiple machines) which will be easier once the RSVPs and song requests start pouring in. The slide show, I'm still in the gathering photos phase. Mike inherited his work's old projector so we're all set for that. I handed the ceremony writing task over to our officiant for now so I'm just working on vow ideas. The most pressing matter is getting invitations out at this point. Surprisingly, it doesn't sound like as much when it's all written out rather than rattling around in my overwhelmed brain.

Update Monday

Done

• Centerpiece prototype done
• We discussed draping linen
• Made contact with hair and make-up
• Scheduled a bridesmaids get together!
• Discussed map completion with my artist FMIL
• Seriously started verifying addresses for invitations
• Uploaded bridesmaids shirts to more economic custom shirt making site. Double checking sizes before I order.
• Emailed florist that prototype centerpiece is finally done so we can schedule a meeting. To finalize florals.

Still Looking Forward To

• Sending out invitations by the end of the month! More than anything in the world at this point.
• Having another bridesmaids get together! I love my girls.
• Tying up the loose ends (ahem, menswear...)
• Handing the reigns over to my more than capable wedding party and day of coordinator.
• The wedding!!

I thought we were close before. Now I'm at the point where one day not to long from now I'll buy milk with an expiration date after the wedding. That's always sobering for me.

I'm queen of emails and texts lately. I'm even emailing myself lately. My brain is overflowing with information I'm afraid I'll spring a leak. I need to check, double check, triple check that everything's in order and to keep in touch with everyone on team wedding. I'm confident in them, just doubting my ability to finish recovering, raise two kids and finish the planning process without incident.

Things come into sharper focus as you get closer. I don't care about place settings. I don't care about a get away car. I don't car about getting new shoes for the wedding. I don't care about a lot of things I might have thought were important at some point. I can even live without a honeymoon trip as long as Mike and I get a few days without the kids. I don't care what Mike wears as long as he's clean and comfortable and the boys match. It's almost here!!

72 days

Updates!

Done

• Christmas & New Years!
• Our countdown dropped below 90 days!!!
• Wrote Ceremony Intro
• Wrote Time Line for day of
• Wrote Rough Play list
• Discussed my map to go with invites
• Mike started a centerpiece (glowing mushrooms, paper machê log, etc)
• More work on vows
• Started verifying addresses for invites
• Called to book hair and make-up

Still Looking Forward To

• Sending out invitations
• Having another bridesmaids get together
• The finished centerpieces!
• More DIYing
• Handing the reigns over to my more than capable wedding party and day of coordinator.

We're getting down to the wire now. It's a lot of just sitting down and doing it, a little bit of waiting and a ton of anticipation. Most everything is wrapped up and just needs to be picked up or paid for. The only completely unresolved issue is what Mike and the groomsmen are wearing.

I'm working on the ceremony, time lines and play list. I need to get Mike to paint my fairy's hair blonde so I can take her to the cake people soon. I need Mike to finish the first prototype so we can leave it with the florist. I also need him to decide whats he's wearing. Beside all that there will be checks to write and running around to do, that's all. It's less than 3mos away. It's January 2012! Wow.

I can't wait for it to actually happen. It's been months since planning and decision making started and I just want to see it all! I can't believe after all the work I put in people haven't even been officially invited, yet. Weird. We'll be doing that very soon. I can't wait.

77 days

What's Left....

I've been feeling very list-y so here's another one:

• Finish Day of Timeline
• Book Hair and Make-up
• Buy Shoes & Undergarments
• Paint Cake Toppers Hair Blonde
• (Once I receive it) Make Map Copies
• Bridesmaids Night to Stuff Invites
• Mail Invites
• Collect RSVPs and Song Requests
• Finalize Playlist
• Start Slide Show
• Guest Book Quilt
• Chalk Boards for program
• Centerpiece protype to florist
• Mens attire
• gifts, favors, etc
• Finalize ceremony
• Supplies for unity ceremony
• Purchase rings

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now. 80ish days to get it all done...

Update Monday!

Done

• I took a vacation!!
• Our countdown entered the double digits
• I got a little disability heavy in my posts
• I got Mike to briefly discuss men's attire

Still Looking Forward To

• Sending out invitations in January!
• Having another bridesmaids get together
• Christmas!
• More DIYing
• Handing the reigns over to my more than capable wedding party and day of coordinator.

My prediction was pretty accurate my thoughts did not often venture down wedding related avenues last week. It was all trip and Christmas preparation. Which was fine by me. There's so little time left now. It's all about paying balances and working out minute details.

I think getting down to details and logistics is why the blog's gotten so disability-y lately. That's just my reality and the set of physical challenges (oh, if only life were more like Double Dare) I'll confront the wedding day has come into sharper focus. Yuck, this is boring...

I think I told you awhile back I wanted Mike to wear a Great Gatsby period suit. Something with maybe a light pin stripe. He vetoed that hardcore. He said it looked like a Halloween costume and then remained mute (and grumpy) about the subject for many weeks. I get that he's a boy and they can wait until the last minute, but I needed to know what he was picturing.

Turns out he wants a brown suit. I don't like brown. I wanted gray or black. He thinks brown goes with the earth tones we're using. Fine brown is the color of dirt, but do you have to wear it? So much for being on the same page or feeling better once I knew what he wanted. Maybe I'm imagining a poopy-er shade than he is. Maybe, we'll skip suits all together...

93 days

99 DAYS...

Ready, Set, Go!

TO
TO
TO
TO

Tick, Tock...