Hi, babe. I just wanted to let you know that I called about the marraige license and the tux. We don't need an appointment to get the marraige license. The lady said that Monday and Friday are the busiest days, but it shouldn't take longer than 15-30 minutes. I'm telling Michelle that I need to leave at 2 or 2:30 pm on Nov. 7th, so I can pick you up and drive downtown to get our license. I could probably wait until 3pm, but I don't want to take the chance of there being a long line and us not being able to get it that day. I'm not sure what they have planned for the little celebration or party they want to have for us, but I'll let you know the details as soon as I know them. It'll probably just be for about an hour or so someplace near work, like Four Green Fields or the Dubliner (both Irish pubs), or some other bar/restaurant.
I called about the tuxedos and everyone has been fitted. I also got our group number so I can look at what we ordered online. They had the wrong vest color in the system, so I asked the guy to change it for me. I'll be picking up my Dad's, both of my brothers' and my tuxes at Citrus Park and your Dad's, Allister's and Corky's will be at the Clearwater store. I'll call again about a week before the wedding to verify everything is correct because the website doesn't show pickup locations.
At lunch, I went to Alessi's to pay the deposit. It was like $71, so the balance due on Nov. 18th will be around $214. Maybe, we'll go there on Sat. Nov. 15th to buy the cake topper and pay the balance. I think we should look around Tampa for other places that might have toppers because the ones there are pretty expensive. The nice one that you were talking about is $45, but I think they have another nice one for $30 or $35. I heard that Party City has a wedding section and I think there is a $5 off coupon in the paper, so maybe we can go there one night later this week to see what they might have.
Well, that's about it. Hope you are having a good day. I'll see you in a few hours.
Love,
Jimmy
Showing posts with label pre-wedding planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre-wedding planning. Show all posts
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
divine sweets + shades of purple.
We decided last nite that we WILL do the personalized M&M's idea that I suggested after I forwarded the link to my fiance and we spent several hours working on customizing, figuring out how many we needed and placing our order online.
To tie in with our wedding themed colors, we had a mix of light and dark purples and creme. We only got a handful of the personalized m & m's and then remaining M&M's are in the same colors but unpersonalized. We had to do it this way so we could fill up the tins fully without spending a fortune. It would have been close to 150 bucks if we did all personalized and we are only in the stages of estimating how many guests [approx 60] even though most have not replied yet.
In mixing it up, we ended up spending closer to 90 bucks. it wasn't going to get any cheaper than this and we became rather attached to the idea after filling in our names and our message on the website and seeing how pretty and unique it looks. You're not going to find a better idea than that in my opinion so we went with it.
So, we ended up getting 3 custom 7 oz. bags in purple with our words/names on those AND then: 3 unpersonalized bags in the colors of dark purple, 3 unpersonalized bags in color light purple and last set of unpersonalized 3 in creme.
Half of personalized m & m's will say April & Jimmy and other half will contain a message we both thought of together: "Now & Forever"
I am so excited - can't wait to surprise the guests and hope they think it is as beautiful as we do :)
M&M's® - Customized Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors And Gifts
The purple color looked more like lavender on the site but then we clicked on another section with the colors and it looked like deeper purple so it may be darker but i believe it will still match as was evident when his mom threw our wedding shower and it was an array of light and dark purples that really complemented each other quite nicely and added more life to the whole look.
A beautiful warming gift that my mother put on top of our gifts was a wreath made of fake flowers in the most beautiful arrays of purples, light and dark, also showcased how beautiful all ranges in the purple family go together. Her wreath was one that every one was in awe of and won the hearts of many women there, they couldn't stop talking about, its vivid beauty was apparent. it was especially touching since it looked like she had chosen it based on her own taste and knowing our wedding colors and it was not on our bridal registry so it was a spontaneous unique gift that touched my heart.
More on shower gifts and actual pictures of this wreath, all we got, and the people who attended with further commentary in a future entry.
+++
The Wreath after we hung it up in our 2nd bedroom which we use as my office for book business and personal usage. it's more mine than jimmy's since my computer is in here, a little tv and half of my clothing wardrobe, cds and such. this is where i go if he is watching a game and i am bored and want to watch tv elsewhere or want to just write, surf net, listen to online music etc.
To tie in with our wedding themed colors, we had a mix of light and dark purples and creme. We only got a handful of the personalized m & m's and then remaining M&M's are in the same colors but unpersonalized. We had to do it this way so we could fill up the tins fully without spending a fortune. It would have been close to 150 bucks if we did all personalized and we are only in the stages of estimating how many guests [approx 60] even though most have not replied yet.
In mixing it up, we ended up spending closer to 90 bucks. it wasn't going to get any cheaper than this and we became rather attached to the idea after filling in our names and our message on the website and seeing how pretty and unique it looks. You're not going to find a better idea than that in my opinion so we went with it.
So, we ended up getting 3 custom 7 oz. bags in purple with our words/names on those AND then: 3 unpersonalized bags in the colors of dark purple, 3 unpersonalized bags in color light purple and last set of unpersonalized 3 in creme.
Half of personalized m & m's will say April & Jimmy and other half will contain a message we both thought of together: "Now & Forever"
I am so excited - can't wait to surprise the guests and hope they think it is as beautiful as we do :)
M&M's® - Customized Chocolate Candy Wedding Favors And Gifts
The purple color looked more like lavender on the site but then we clicked on another section with the colors and it looked like deeper purple so it may be darker but i believe it will still match as was evident when his mom threw our wedding shower and it was an array of light and dark purples that really complemented each other quite nicely and added more life to the whole look.
A beautiful warming gift that my mother put on top of our gifts was a wreath made of fake flowers in the most beautiful arrays of purples, light and dark, also showcased how beautiful all ranges in the purple family go together. Her wreath was one that every one was in awe of and won the hearts of many women there, they couldn't stop talking about, its vivid beauty was apparent. it was especially touching since it looked like she had chosen it based on her own taste and knowing our wedding colors and it was not on our bridal registry so it was a spontaneous unique gift that touched my heart.
More on shower gifts and actual pictures of this wreath, all we got, and the people who attended with further commentary in a future entry.
+++
The Wreath after we hung it up in our 2nd bedroom which we use as my office for book business and personal usage. it's more mine than jimmy's since my computer is in here, a little tv and half of my clothing wardrobe, cds and such. this is where i go if he is watching a game and i am bored and want to watch tv elsewhere or want to just write, surf net, listen to online music etc.
trying to figure out candy favor for wedding thru trial & error.
Over the weekend, we stopped at Michael's arts + crafts prior and got some heart silver tins for the candy favors for the wedding. We have to decide where we want to get the candy by bulk soon. We looked at a candy shop in university mall but i was not that impressed and would rather go thru M & M's website or some more commercialized inexpensive brand of candy with a decent reputation that is professional and accustomed to catering towards special occasions and can be ordered in bulk.
I thought of M & M's because over the past year or more I have seen repeated commercials that they specialize in personalized m and m's for all occasions and you can choose what words will be on the candy. We could do something tied to our wedding and/or names with a catchy phrase.
I just feel like I'd rather NOT use a candy company that doesn't look that good or fresh, which is what I felt I saw at this little low-end candy shop in the mall called Davant Sweet Shop. I've never heard of this shop in my life but aside from something super expensive like Godiva, it was the only one listed in the malls located to us in close proximity and it was Jimmy's idea to check it out. I had my doubts prior to going which were confirmed when we got there.
He of course was reluctant to admit how this would not be a good choice and seemed to ignore my attempts to comment on the fact that the candy didn't look all that good and would NOT be appropriate for use in our wedding.
Who knows how long it was sitting, it appeared to be in clear bins which didn't look all that appealing and the place was teaming with kids and teens getting scoops of candy. Uhh. I don't think so!!
Later in the weekend, Jimmy admitted he didn't think the candy was all that good. Him being like a big kid himself [he is the most sweet tooth person I know and I am not so much.] got a handful of goodies for himself to try in a baggie along with a few jordan almond candies which is typically used for wedding candy favors. We also got some turtles [my fave ever] from behind the glass counter for the two of us. I thought the turtles were ok, but honestly felt the grocery store brand of DeMett's turtles that I have bought a million times for myself- it being my personal favorite- was WAY better in quality of chocolate, caramel and nuts.
Jimmy later admitted he didn't think the turtles were all that great. Funny how he defended the store when I retaliated against it at the beginning. LOL He never likes to admit when I am right and is always resistant when I shoot down something. :D
I thought of M & M's because over the past year or more I have seen repeated commercials that they specialize in personalized m and m's for all occasions and you can choose what words will be on the candy. We could do something tied to our wedding and/or names with a catchy phrase.
I just feel like I'd rather NOT use a candy company that doesn't look that good or fresh, which is what I felt I saw at this little low-end candy shop in the mall called Davant Sweet Shop. I've never heard of this shop in my life but aside from something super expensive like Godiva, it was the only one listed in the malls located to us in close proximity and it was Jimmy's idea to check it out. I had my doubts prior to going which were confirmed when we got there.
He of course was reluctant to admit how this would not be a good choice and seemed to ignore my attempts to comment on the fact that the candy didn't look all that good and would NOT be appropriate for use in our wedding.
Who knows how long it was sitting, it appeared to be in clear bins which didn't look all that appealing and the place was teaming with kids and teens getting scoops of candy. Uhh. I don't think so!!
Later in the weekend, Jimmy admitted he didn't think the candy was all that good. Him being like a big kid himself [he is the most sweet tooth person I know and I am not so much.] got a handful of goodies for himself to try in a baggie along with a few jordan almond candies which is typically used for wedding candy favors. We also got some turtles [my fave ever] from behind the glass counter for the two of us. I thought the turtles were ok, but honestly felt the grocery store brand of DeMett's turtles that I have bought a million times for myself- it being my personal favorite- was WAY better in quality of chocolate, caramel and nuts.
Jimmy later admitted he didn't think the turtles were all that great. Funny how he defended the store when I retaliated against it at the beginning. LOL He never likes to admit when I am right and is always resistant when I shoot down something. :D
mapping out things + making the most of friday.
Friday night instead of going out, or doing anything of leisure, we stayed in and got to work on several things that needed to be tackled in regard to our wedding which is now just right around the corner and we are both feeling the pressure of running out of time to conquer everything in time without forgetting something or screwing up due to so much on our plates.
So, Jimmy spent much of our friday nite doing spreadsheets of guests [since he has the program on his laptop and i am not familiar with how to do a spreadsheet or work that program- excel and he does it for a living at work..]
Anyway, I put together a list of those we had sent invites to for the wedding, compiling his and mine together and then gave him the envelope that we had been carefully placing all our replies from as of late. Btw so far most of the people seem to be opting out of coming which we expected since most of our invites are out of state to IL and most people would not go out of their way to travel here for us, especially on a thanksgiving wkend- in fact several people on both sides of our families have complained about the timing of the wedding being on a busy and expensive holiday.
In all honesty, I didn't want my wedding around a holiday much less thanksgiving [being around so many FOOTBALL games + such since i abhor that sport and do not want it interfering with my wedding/honeymoon or yearly anniversary with him] It was Jimmy that was insistent on choosing this date however as he just had to have it his way. and he claimed he needed to structure the date around his work and when he would have time off. This never made sense to me since he works a 9-5 job monday thru friday and always has weekends off. He was just being well - Jimmy- rigid and it was his way or no way. He suggested two other dates in december, but both of them were on my mother and brother's bdays and I felt that really tacky and inappropriate. Plus I did not want a DEC wedding, I wanted a wedding in the month I was born which is November. That is my favorite month- but he would only agree to thanksgiving weekend so I was stuck with doing what he wanted in the end.
I believe he could have been more flexible but Jimmy is stubborn at times and he kind of made it like either we had it when he wanted to or it might not happen. In fact, it was me who kind of put an ultimatum last fall, either he was going to make a serious commitment and show me that the relationship was headiing in a forward direction [engagement and marriage] or I didn't know if I could continue this way or stay in the relationship.
I was on the verge of turning 36 last year when I said this and I told him, Look, I am not young [neither is he, he is almost a year older than me actually] and we don't have time- or rather I do not have time to play around or play games and I wouldn't have it.
There is a certain point where you decide to settle down and if you don't intend to do so, then you do not get into a serious relationship with someone, live with them or do things that suggest a future commitment of permanence. I didn't plan on waiting forever as I refused to marry after I was forty. Not just that but what if I actually want a child [which I do, one], I knew he would not even consider having a baby with me IF we were still unmarried and I know I do not want to get pregnant after 40, because I refuse to put my life in danger, risk chance of child being retarded, and EVEN MORE, refuse to raise a child and then never get to see the child grow up because I had my baby at such a late stage in my life.
Anyway life is way different since I gave that ultimatum and we had some serious relationship talks and intense fighting, mostly me screaming, demanding, and crying-- its been over a year since all that occurred and so its all blown over and seems like a distant memory now- an unpleasant one.
He has changed a lot in the way that he views me and this relationship. He has embraced the role of making this commitment and in small steps all along the past year has gradually shown this by growing thru many tough times with me and by learning how to integrate a life with another, realizing what is important in life and that he is willing to sacrifice some things in order to join our lives together.
I feel he was very resistant in the beginning due to fear and truthfully I believe it was largely over the fact that he didn't want to truly grow up or have the responsiblity of a wife and marriage. I think he has gotten past this and realized there is a time to grow up and there is a time to settle down and that you can't spend your entire life partying and running away from anything that could be permanent. otherwise you grow old and alone.
There is still a lot he has to learn about partnership, compromise, sharing and priorities when you marry someone and make them your wife but I guess it's a work in progress and he never really had a serious relationship or one that was compromised of living together or being engaged prior to me and because he is a late bloomer, it just seems he is slow at things that concern relationships and he doesn't always understand or see things my way. We've gone thru some major ups and downs since living together and I'm happy to say that currently everything is going well.
So back to what we did on Friday..Jimmy also made a sort of graph spreadsheet of all the people potentially invited to the wedding, colored in the ones who have sent their response saying they will be there, and then made a sort of circle graph of how the tables for the guests, food table, cake table, guestbk table, dj table and the like will be layed out in the room. He then started compiling a roughdraft of how people will be seated and who will be at which table, together etc. He did that for hrs upon hrs. It is still in the roughdraft stage, though.
This week we will have to work on filling out and sending thank you cards to everyone for bridal shower gifts but just never found time to do it during this past wkend. We found some really cute ones at Target, last week. I took pix of it for my memories and cause I am documenting everything connected to this wedding!
Thank You Cards we bought at Target for bridal shower guests- we thought the illustration and color was pretty and I am obsessed with butterflies in art illustration or anything associated with them so I was very happy to choose these :)
So, Jimmy spent much of our friday nite doing spreadsheets of guests [since he has the program on his laptop and i am not familiar with how to do a spreadsheet or work that program- excel and he does it for a living at work..]
Anyway, I put together a list of those we had sent invites to for the wedding, compiling his and mine together and then gave him the envelope that we had been carefully placing all our replies from as of late. Btw so far most of the people seem to be opting out of coming which we expected since most of our invites are out of state to IL and most people would not go out of their way to travel here for us, especially on a thanksgiving wkend- in fact several people on both sides of our families have complained about the timing of the wedding being on a busy and expensive holiday.
In all honesty, I didn't want my wedding around a holiday much less thanksgiving [being around so many FOOTBALL games + such since i abhor that sport and do not want it interfering with my wedding/honeymoon or yearly anniversary with him] It was Jimmy that was insistent on choosing this date however as he just had to have it his way. and he claimed he needed to structure the date around his work and when he would have time off. This never made sense to me since he works a 9-5 job monday thru friday and always has weekends off. He was just being well - Jimmy- rigid and it was his way or no way. He suggested two other dates in december, but both of them were on my mother and brother's bdays and I felt that really tacky and inappropriate. Plus I did not want a DEC wedding, I wanted a wedding in the month I was born which is November. That is my favorite month- but he would only agree to thanksgiving weekend so I was stuck with doing what he wanted in the end.
I believe he could have been more flexible but Jimmy is stubborn at times and he kind of made it like either we had it when he wanted to or it might not happen. In fact, it was me who kind of put an ultimatum last fall, either he was going to make a serious commitment and show me that the relationship was headiing in a forward direction [engagement and marriage] or I didn't know if I could continue this way or stay in the relationship.
I was on the verge of turning 36 last year when I said this and I told him, Look, I am not young [neither is he, he is almost a year older than me actually] and we don't have time- or rather I do not have time to play around or play games and I wouldn't have it.
There is a certain point where you decide to settle down and if you don't intend to do so, then you do not get into a serious relationship with someone, live with them or do things that suggest a future commitment of permanence. I didn't plan on waiting forever as I refused to marry after I was forty. Not just that but what if I actually want a child [which I do, one], I knew he would not even consider having a baby with me IF we were still unmarried and I know I do not want to get pregnant after 40, because I refuse to put my life in danger, risk chance of child being retarded, and EVEN MORE, refuse to raise a child and then never get to see the child grow up because I had my baby at such a late stage in my life.
Anyway life is way different since I gave that ultimatum and we had some serious relationship talks and intense fighting, mostly me screaming, demanding, and crying-- its been over a year since all that occurred and so its all blown over and seems like a distant memory now- an unpleasant one.
He has changed a lot in the way that he views me and this relationship. He has embraced the role of making this commitment and in small steps all along the past year has gradually shown this by growing thru many tough times with me and by learning how to integrate a life with another, realizing what is important in life and that he is willing to sacrifice some things in order to join our lives together.
I feel he was very resistant in the beginning due to fear and truthfully I believe it was largely over the fact that he didn't want to truly grow up or have the responsiblity of a wife and marriage. I think he has gotten past this and realized there is a time to grow up and there is a time to settle down and that you can't spend your entire life partying and running away from anything that could be permanent. otherwise you grow old and alone.
There is still a lot he has to learn about partnership, compromise, sharing and priorities when you marry someone and make them your wife but I guess it's a work in progress and he never really had a serious relationship or one that was compromised of living together or being engaged prior to me and because he is a late bloomer, it just seems he is slow at things that concern relationships and he doesn't always understand or see things my way. We've gone thru some major ups and downs since living together and I'm happy to say that currently everything is going well.
So back to what we did on Friday..Jimmy also made a sort of graph spreadsheet of all the people potentially invited to the wedding, colored in the ones who have sent their response saying they will be there, and then made a sort of circle graph of how the tables for the guests, food table, cake table, guestbk table, dj table and the like will be layed out in the room. He then started compiling a roughdraft of how people will be seated and who will be at which table, together etc. He did that for hrs upon hrs. It is still in the roughdraft stage, though.
This week we will have to work on filling out and sending thank you cards to everyone for bridal shower gifts but just never found time to do it during this past wkend. We found some really cute ones at Target, last week. I took pix of it for my memories and cause I am documenting everything connected to this wedding!
Thank You Cards we bought at Target for bridal shower guests- we thought the illustration and color was pretty and I am obsessed with butterflies in art illustration or anything associated with them so I was very happy to choose these :)
More about the rest of weekend tomorrow as Ive run out of time and must sleep for now- our entire weekend was filled from start to finish and i haven't caught up with all the latest or been able to finish catching up on notes yet. will work on this more tomorrow when i am more alert and full of energy. :)
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
for once, postal service was quite good.
passport arrived in my mail box this weekend!
three things-
1. that was fast and it looks really cool, they've changed it to a really nice design,updated, accdg to Jimmy. His is not like mine.
2. I did not get my original passport returned to me from when I took a trip to philippines as a teenager which was very sentimental to me and upsets me that I lost it. I didnt even scan or take a pic of it for memories sake. I am a little upset about it. I think maybe it might be because my original passport had my maiden name, this one has my married name as i never changed my last name after divorcing. [i've been divorced for approx 5 yrs now]
3. it was the best piece of mail i got this weekend and quite a surprise!
have a looksie :)
AFTERNOTE: Turns out, I did get my OLD passport returned to me yesterday in the mail, days after I got the new one. HUGE sigh of relief!!!! :D
p.s. been waiting for this since last season ended.
looking forward to sunday fall season premiere of this, see below!!!
 | We find out what the ladies of Wisteria Lane have been up to for the last five years in the season opener |
Sunday, September 28, 2008
she's crafty.
michael's arts & crafts
the calm in the storm of world crisis and own personal ills. i could spend days on end in this place, its heaven. i am in love with the wide variety of ways in which one could form a million NEW hobbies just from walking into this store IF one were rich..i wish i were rich LOL
this is scrap booking, jewelry making, card making, pen/marker/art junkie heaven!!
it inspires one to want to create.
i enter yearning to buy everything i touch and see when i enter the store however know am only there for wedding decor and have to force myself to remain focused and disciplined to not go crazy LOL. i leave overwhelmed thinking of the world of possiblilies and how many new hobbies i could begin and enhance if i started becoming a regular michael's customer.
i mentioned this to jimmy on more than one occasion. he does not like the idea. he feels it a waste of money. and thinks i have enough junk at home and that shopping there will make you broke. i disagree and get irritated. because the amounts of frivolous money he spends on his own things [ie concerts, sport games, and eating out] are easily overlooked by the likes of him and are fine and dandy. that annoys me. i see nothing wrong or that expensive about arts and crafts. and think its quite common and a thing most women, many women enjoy doing and do, no matter if rich or poor. some men just don't get it. he's one of those...
anyway a few things we came away with were these:
wedding program making pack, for printer in ivory. rather plain, so i did not take a photo of it.
and this, 'got flowers ' confetti in the prettiest mixture of purple colors that i think will match my wedding colors nicely:
Friday, September 19, 2008
passports + pastors!
[jimmy wrote me the email below from work earlier in the day so now the passport appt is official [i dread the picture becos i know it will come out ugly] - this coming weekend, saturday morning. and the pastor finally has had some communication with us in regard how to work out vows and our wedding ceremony coming at the end of november. since we met him via our historic wedding chapel site and by recommendation and since neither of us are active in any church- we do not know pastor jack very well, just that we had a meeting with him a while back, he is well respected and highly praised by the facility we are holding our wedding in, is retired and has performed many religious and spiritual ceremonies. a refresher for those who don't know. i was born and raised catholic although am not currently practicing. jimmy was raised baptist and became anti-organized religion as he came of age- prob in his twenties much like me. the difference b/t him and i is this: id have liked a catholic wedding but becos hes not catholic, is unwilling to put the work in to even convert [unlike my exhusband] and i am divorced it truly IS a NO-GO!!
Plus, his family looks down on catholics since his mother was raised one and hated it and converted and she thinks its silly that people pray to statues YET is a so called devout christian, a baptist. i find her attitude irritating, insulting and hypocritical. i dont see praying to statues or a rosary as silly at all, and think catholic religion evokes something very mysterious, romantic in ways because of its use of ritual. i just feel strongly about what i was born as. and just cos i dont approve with every facet of catholicism doesnt mean i agree with his families anticatholic prejudices/ rants nor does it mean i will change who i am for anyone. so, my compromise with jimmy is to be married by a noncatholic pastor but one who is religious- i think he's methodist and it sounds like they are not as rigid as other more headstrong christians ive met and seen in the past. mainly i refused to have a wedding without any religious based ceremony. it wasnt too hard to convince since he does come from a strong christian background regardless of his beliefs today, and because he knows in his heart, his mom and my mom would like to see a ceremony that involves god and the sacredness of marriage that is always best expressed in terms of scripture and prayer.
that said, this is what my fiance wrote me, technically yesterday about pastor jack!
Hi babe,
I wanted to share this forwarded message with you. The officiant, Jack, that will be doing our ceremony wrote me back after I asked him about the rehearsal time.
I also just called for a passport appointment. They only had an 8:15 or 8:30am (can't remember what she said) and an 11:45am, so I scheduled the 11:45. Hopefully, that is OK with you. I know it's a little early for you, but I don't want to wait too long to get it taken care of or we'll be even more stressed. The lady I spoke to said it would only take 10-15 minutes and she said to NOT sign the application. I think you have to sign it in front of them.
Remind me to work on the map tonight. If I can finish it tonight, I'll make copies here at work tomorrow.
Does the Michael's coupon expire on the 20th? We can either go tonight and tomorrow, or tomorrow and Saturday so we can buy a few things. I would like to go to the baseball game on Saturday if that's OK. It's a 3:30 pm game, so we could either go to your parents or brother and niece's after the passport appointment or come home for a one hour nap and then go if you'd like to do something. You're welcome to come to the game with me, but I didn't think you'd want to go.
I just got back from lunch a little while ago and my head is pounding. I thought some food would make it go away, but I guess I'll have to take an Excedrin or two. Anyway, I have a bunch of things to work on, so I'm going to let you go. Hope your day is going good. I'll see you in a few hours.
Love,
Jimmy
Forward---
From: Jimmy
To: Minister Performing Our Wedding
Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 2:36 pm
Subject: November 28th wedding
Hi, Jack. I just left you a voicemail message, but figured I'd try you here as
well. My fiancee wanted to touch base with you on a few things regarding our
wedding on November 28th at the Palm Harbor White Chapel. First of all, we
wanted to know if 6:00 p.m. would be a good starting time for the rehearsal on
Wed, Nov 26th. We have some family coming in from out of town and wanted to
make sure they can get to the chapel in time for the rehearsal. Also, we wanted
to let you know that we will be emailing you our preferred vows in the next week
or two and will also send you a copy of the program about a month or so before
the ceremony. Finally, we wanted to know if you have a new home phone number or
just the cell phone, as the previous home phone on your business card is no
longer valid.
If it's easier to reply by email, that's fine. Otherwise, feel free to call me
at your convenience at ***-***-****. We hope you are doing well.
Sincerely,
Jimmy W. and April K.
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 12:07:53 PMFrom: Pastor Jack
Subject: Re: November 28th wedding
Dear Jimmy, the 6pm will be fine for the rehersal time. We are on a trip up in Maine and New England and willbe back home on October 16th...my cell is with me and the home phone is out till we get back home and thenwill be back in service. I am able to get some wifi here and there in our travels. So email me your vows orsend to p.o. box 28 there in tarpon springs...and I can meet with you guys some time in October beforethe big date, ok? Pastor Jack
Thursday, September 18, 2008
floral madness: we do the work, you have the fun, NOT!
Florist-
we've met with the florist, Laurie, a second time, she kept us there over an hr and the first time it was two hrs. she is something of a nitemare in that she rambles and just when you make a decision, she throws out a whole bunch of new options and knit-picks the tiniest details leaving you feeling stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
we had made the decisions for the most part in the first meeting, a TWO HOUR long meeting, and when we went back this past wkend, for a second meeting...she decided she wanted to go over every single idea that i had pointed out as "pretty" from our first meeting a few mos ago!!! unf***ing believable!! both jimmy and i just looked at each other, almost laughing knowing we were trapped.
laurie would not hear of the fact that we knew what we wanted NOW and went thru every single thing we had said we liked as a possibility from that first meeting. we made headway but we felt she made everything more complicated and decided that we need yet another meeting with her. she is stretching out her time with us for as long as she can and decided to save the 3rd meeting to draw up a new contract for us.
btw, we've stuck with the same bouquets for the wedding party and boutonnieres for all, like i had expressed in an entry a while back.
we experimented with the bowls jenni let us use, with stones and water and floating candle and just added an order of three different colored orchid blooms to have float over each floating candle bowl. there should be approx. 8 bowls to 8 tables.
we decided on a floral arrangement of different orchids for the head table of wedding party. possibly an autumn inspired centerpiece for reception table like pic i shared previously in od. or something with butterfly on it as display
quick picture of experimental clear bowl where u put rocks, petals and floating candles in with water. in my pix below there is no water in bowl, and orchid blooms are MISSING, so just imagine what it might look like, pretend there's water and petals floating on top LOL
...and for the altar we are leaning towards a mix of gladiolas in a coral color, orchids and other misc floral as filler, but it's not definite yet.
along the aisles there may be bows of ivory tulle or satin to decorate every few rows with a small 3-rose arrangement with ivy in the chapel where our marriage ceremony will take place with pastor.
ps
here were some ideas i brought to florist this past wkend, printed off weddingchannel.com just for ideas of style and color in flowers + wedding trends. this seemed to make her more frenzied and more scattered. it was her who told me to bring even the vaguest ideas in, via picture to give her a better hold on my personality and style except that caused her to go into overkill mode and lose focus. jimmy said i ought to have not brought any of it in because it only seemed to add to her hyperactivity and her odd ability to keep us there for an incredibly lengthy period of time over something that seems like it should be so simple LOL
Altar Ideas:
Centerpiece Fall Idea:
Some Bouquets:
we've met with the florist, Laurie, a second time, she kept us there over an hr and the first time it was two hrs. she is something of a nitemare in that she rambles and just when you make a decision, she throws out a whole bunch of new options and knit-picks the tiniest details leaving you feeling stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed.
we had made the decisions for the most part in the first meeting, a TWO HOUR long meeting, and when we went back this past wkend, for a second meeting...she decided she wanted to go over every single idea that i had pointed out as "pretty" from our first meeting a few mos ago!!! unf***ing believable!! both jimmy and i just looked at each other, almost laughing knowing we were trapped.
laurie would not hear of the fact that we knew what we wanted NOW and went thru every single thing we had said we liked as a possibility from that first meeting. we made headway but we felt she made everything more complicated and decided that we need yet another meeting with her. she is stretching out her time with us for as long as she can and decided to save the 3rd meeting to draw up a new contract for us.
btw, we've stuck with the same bouquets for the wedding party and boutonnieres for all, like i had expressed in an entry a while back.
we experimented with the bowls jenni let us use, with stones and water and floating candle and just added an order of three different colored orchid blooms to have float over each floating candle bowl. there should be approx. 8 bowls to 8 tables.
we decided on a floral arrangement of different orchids for the head table of wedding party. possibly an autumn inspired centerpiece for reception table like pic i shared previously in od. or something with butterfly on it as display
quick picture of experimental clear bowl where u put rocks, petals and floating candles in with water. in my pix below there is no water in bowl, and orchid blooms are MISSING, so just imagine what it might look like, pretend there's water and petals floating on top LOL
...and for the altar we are leaning towards a mix of gladiolas in a coral color, orchids and other misc floral as filler, but it's not definite yet.
along the aisles there may be bows of ivory tulle or satin to decorate every few rows with a small 3-rose arrangement with ivy in the chapel where our marriage ceremony will take place with pastor.
ps
here were some ideas i brought to florist this past wkend, printed off weddingchannel.com just for ideas of style and color in flowers + wedding trends. this seemed to make her more frenzied and more scattered. it was her who told me to bring even the vaguest ideas in, via picture to give her a better hold on my personality and style except that caused her to go into overkill mode and lose focus. jimmy said i ought to have not brought any of it in because it only seemed to add to her hyperactivity and her odd ability to keep us there for an incredibly lengthy period of time over something that seems like it should be so simple LOL
Altar Ideas:
Centerpiece Fall Idea:
Some Bouquets:
btw, this is her card, note the motto. it's so NOT true. the reverse is true- we do all the work and she has all the fun LOL
its sooo hilarious in a sarcastic way. heh
its sooo hilarious in a sarcastic way. heh
alessi's wedding cake- reserved-quick n easy!
Wedding Cake
over the weekend, we had our appt with alessi bakery on saturday, ordered/reserved cake for wedding day, they will deliver for 60 charge. its pretty reasonable at under 300 for a strawberry shortcake wedding cake with whipcream- includes first tier for bride/groom and she is going to make it ivory with maybe some classic looking scroll design, one huge victorian lilac bow on the side and a few tiny butterfly designs on the side of the cake.
over the weekend, we had our appt with alessi bakery on saturday, ordered/reserved cake for wedding day, they will deliver for 60 charge. its pretty reasonable at under 300 for a strawberry shortcake wedding cake with whipcream- includes first tier for bride/groom and she is going to make it ivory with maybe some classic looking scroll design, one huge victorian lilac bow on the side and a few tiny butterfly designs on the side of the cake.
afternote:
we will be going back to michael's this wkend since we have a 50 percent off coupon + prob either get bubble thingies and cake topper or guest book or something. we are both going to use coupon separately
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
ribbon, tulle, floating candles,stones for wedding.
we went to michael's arts + crafts last weekend and got a few things, i wanted to write about what we got for the decor and floating candle bowls. we havent gotten everything necessary yet but got most things and its a start. jimmy wanted to come back later in the month when he gets paid and has more money to spend.
i will share a few pix of items we got:this pretty ribbon jimmy picked out in the color amethyst which is gorgeous, they didnt have anything that was identical to 'victorian lilac' and jimmy felt this shade of purple was closest. i feel the two can complement each other as wedding reception colors so we bought one spool to see if its the right thing. we put it next to the davids bridal victorian lilac satin fabric swatch to see if it would look fine together. we both think it looks really good. even if not an exact match. we are planning to use this ribbon to tie bows for the little bubble blowers you and i looked at over at michaels months back. we think it would look pretty. we havent bought the bubble sets yet only cos of lack of money + uncertain of how many we need til we sent the invites out and get replies back. they had enough of these bubble sets that we feel we can wait til next month to buy these wedding favors.
after getting help with a michael's saleslady and being told she was a wedding coordinator and her marriage anniversary was one day after our soon-to be wedding date- we had adequate help and advice from someone with knowledge as we were like two little lost children in the store, not having a clue what to buy for the fabric/bows to be put along each aisle in center of chapel where i will walk down the aisle and flowers will be pinned to that fabric.
she showed us this, below, which we bought one roll of, for now so we could bring and show to our floral appt this coming wkend as we have to provide what the flowers will go on, for publix florist.
the lady advised we get this ivory wired tulle to tie bows which will be attached to some unwired regular ivory tulle [we will buy this closer to the wedding date as we didnt have the money to do it now]. she also suggested we use floral wire to attach florals to the tulle and fabric etc she advised us to use this gold colored wire which would go nicely with the ivory and since there is some gold in my tiara etc.
the tulle is pictured below + then the floral golden wire to go with it:
gold wire-
we then picked up a few things for the floating candle holders idea for the reception tables:
jimmy tried out a sample of this in one of the glass holders and it looked rather nice and with some pretty colored orchid petals on top, we think it will be rather striking. at least we hope so!
here are these simple ivory floating candles. jimmy got these that were linen scented, cos it was the only one and we didnt realize it had a scent. we are possibly going to not use these candles only because the scent is too strong for me, without it lit, it was bothering my nose, allergies and asthma and he was thinking of putting two floating candles to every bowl and that would be approx eight tables. i think it would highly affect my ability to breathe and would make me sneeze so we have to find another store to buy the ivory floating candles where they might carry UNscented ones rather than scented.
we loved these stones which i personally chose to put in the floating candle holder. i found this stone "style" very charming and pretty in color. i liked the earthiness and it has a feel that goes well with all the asian accents our decor seems to be gravitating towards.
and, last, we got this floral ivory paper confetti to maybe use on tables for decoration which i saw the first time going to michael's and really liked. i think its pretty if we can find some way to use it at the reception :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
occupation + consumption.
Quick list of what I've been occupied with and will write about on some future date:
Music:
The Kills- "Midnight Boom", The Decemberists- "The Crane Wife", Death Cab for Cutie's latest album- new fave song 'I will possess your heart'
Found this music post / video post via a favorite on a music site MOG which i belong to, highly amusing and entertaining.
See below:
How Siouxsie Sioux brought a tear to my eye..by Neill
Ailments:
Wisdom tooth dilemma and Jimmy pulled his back, so I took care of him all wkend. He is struggling with serious back pain and he doesn't know how it happened aside from a nap on the futon. It is so bad, its interfering with relaxing at home and he was in pain all wkend and couldn't do anything. He has a dr appt this Thurs. I guess this is what happens when you get older. lol. I feel old right now, all these problems. It does suck! I am hoping he gets better as it's been horrible for him and I hate to see him suffer so.
Film:
Under the same moon [mexican subtitled film- sad, moving, relevant to today's political issues, about mother and child- the bonds]
TV:
Latest new hilarious tv show that debuted, we discovered via VSL and our BBC cable station IS Gavin and Stacey- which I highly recommend to fans of the office [bbc] and quirky comedy like that.
News:
Tropical storms/hurricanes Fay, Gustav, and newly formed Ike and Josephine keep us riveted to local news, cnn, msnbc, and weather channel constantly. What can i say? Somex it's how you get when you are a Floridian. Those unfamiliar with constant hurricanes or living in a state with major hurricanes every year, probably can't or won't relate but that's how it is when you live in this sort of state.
CourtTV/ Current murder trial:
The Sean Fitzpatrick murder trial in Boston ended in a mistrial after he took the stand in defense of himself. The accused guy was older, weird, charistmatic, obviously charming but with an air of cockiness, arrogance and self righteousness. He seemed to be guilty but the lack of evidence/ dna was unable to sway the judge to come to any judgement. They simply felt too conflicted and that's why it ended with a hung jury. It will be retried and Phil Spektor's retrial begins at the end of September which will be of great interest especially since I spent months watching it last year and like everyone else was disappointed when he got off scott-free when we all know this man is psychotic and he did kill her. He's guilty! So now maybe justice will come this time around!
Politics:
Obama; democratic national convention last week [jimmy was more obsessed with this than i. its just since we live together, I kind of end up being sucked into things I normally would not take the time to watch on my own HA]
I am for obama though and I found most of the speeches very inspiring + moving but could have done with the HOURS a nite for an entire wk of constant CNN coverage that I was forced to watch because Jimmy couldn't miss one minute of any of it. He had to be in on each and every action -- thank god he has slowed down this week with the republican conven. - true its because he is not for the republican party as I am not either, but still if he had his chance, I think he'd watch it 24/7- he just knows I will explode on him if I have to watch another week of political junk nite and day. There is a certain amount of anything I can take and I'm sorry but my tolerance is LOW.
TV/Olympics:
Since I was stuck watching olympics everyday for almost a month becos of HIS obsession with that and if I complained over this and how it dominated our tv, I was ridiculed because I am UN-American to not be "INTO" the olympics. Whatev- LOL I have to disagree with that. I am not into sports period. So what?!!
To each his own, right?
I did enjoy the diving and gymnastics but when someone wants to watch 4-6 hrs of olympics everyday for 3 weeks, I hardly think u can expect anyone to be enthusiastic for very long. It gets boring and begins to feel like you have no choice but to watch that.
If I wouldn't watch it, he'd simply record it on our DVD-R but he'd have to watch it the next day to keep up with the latest olympics scores and to not use all the dvd r space up- so it wouldn't matter. I would still be stuck watching it the next day. I got aggravated a lot simply because he dominates the tv for his sports games on a regular basis, then it was olympics and now its politics. I just get irritated but that's life I guess. He isn't very good at taking turns or sharing and we get into frequent fights over that because he is often selfish in my opinion and lacks the ability to see past himself or to even offer compromise. I often have to get angry and fight to get any positive outcome. It is frustrating sometimes.
Wedding Planning:
*We will have a meeting with florist to finalize ideas and put downpayment down in mid september.
*We have an appt with Alessi bakery for wedding cake same weekend. We must also go to David's Bridal for alterations on my bridal gown during the last weekend of September.
*This month, also need to buy: clear contacts, bridal strapless full slip for gown etc.
*Research party favors and reception decor, send out invites by end of month, decide if there will be any wedding shower at all dependent upon his mother.
*We also investigated hotels near the wedding chapel/reception hall for our upcoming wedding, for our out of town guests that will be here and will need a place to stay the nite of the wedding nearby. We came up with the following, but in the end we chose the Oldsmar one for our out of town guests (we will stay in clearwater in sand key hotel)- It's the bolded Courtyard at Marriott one and looks pretty nice. We've reserved ten rooms for our out of town guests and if there are less than ten guests, we can lower the amount of rooms we are holding, accdg to receptionist.
Here's the list of the hotels within 10 miles of the chapel and reception hall. The one in Tarpon Springs would be by the sponge docks if anyone wants something interesting to do on Saturday. There are two in Oldsmar that I think are right by the big flea market, so maybe a few of you would be interested in that. I'll have to see if it would be open that weekend, but I imagine it would.Blue Moon Inn - Dunedin (1.59 miles/approx. $99)http://www.thebluemooninn.com/Best Western Lake Tarpon - Tarpon Springs (4.13 miles/$94)http://www.bestwesternlaketarpon.com/index.htmHoliday Inn Express - Clearwater North (4.76 miles/$119)http://www.hiexpress.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/ddnfl?rpb=hotel&crUrl=/h/d/ex/1/en/hotelsearchresultsComfort Inn - Clearwater (4.8 miles/$88)http://www.clearwatercomfortinn.com/Best Western Yacht Harbor Inn - Dunedin (5.11 miles/$112)http://www.yachtharborinn.com/Courtyard by Marriott - Oldsmar (7.21 miles/$99)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpaol-courtyard-tampa-oldsmar/Residence Inn by Marriott - Oldsmar (7.22 miles/$109)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpaod-residence-inn-tampa-oldsmar/Fairfield Inn & Suites - Clearwater Bayside (8.71 miles/$99)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpacr-fairfield-inn-and-suites-clearwater-bayside/Belleview Biltmore Resort - Belleview (9.63 miles/$99)http://www.belleviewbiltmore.com/
I'm not sure where we're staying yet, but it might be the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater. It's a little more pricey ($200 or so) and about 9 miles away. (http://www.sheratonsandkey.com/index.php)
+++
Labor Day:
I spent labor day sick, but so filled with anxiety [had a wedding day anxiety provoking dream], that i put together all 75 wedding invitations following correct model setup via box and putting in appropriate gift registries [was 25 short on gift registry cards so not all invitations are complete].
I felt so relieved for about ten mins like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders, chest, heart....but it wasn't long before that feeling disappeared and was replaced with renewed anxiety/worry, stress. Now, all we have to do is print directions, add them, add postage to reply envelopes, and then hand address them. YAY take one step forward, fall two steps back. Gotta love that feeling!
Honeymoon planning:
We met with travel agent at borders in tampa on friday. St. Lucia is way out of our budget and so is Turks and Cacaos. They are close to four thousand dollars even w/ discounts. So it looks like we are stuck going to jamaica, looking at Whitehouse Sandals all inclusive resort which Jimmy has hesitated on because he says its too expensive at $2800 which includes 5 nites, plane fare for two, hotel for two, all food, liquor, etc.
I hardly think its expensive and think its unrealistic to think u can find anything under 2000 that includes all that in the carribeans. he complains that i didn't want to take a cruise which is only a few hundred dollars. sorry but thats not romantic to me, being stuck on a ship with people i don't know is unromantic, limiting, claustrophobic.
My idea of romance and relaxation on a vacation far away is being able to have privacy, plan your time as u like, plan your days without anyones rules , get up and go to bed when you like unlike a cruise. In any case, he had reserved our hotel room and pkg price with the travel agent over the weekend with my approval. She wrote today saying the reservation ends tomorrow and money must be put down to seal package and book our trip if we are to have one for our honeymoon so i mentioned this on the phone when he called on the way home from work.
We got in an argument when i mentioned it as he told me he didn't know if he wanted to go all the way with it [after we wasted all our time talking with her and he told her we were seriously interested and reserved the room etc- this made NO sense to me], and that it seemed unaffordable to him even though we got major discounts since right now flights are free and you get a free nite plus a honeymoon suite on first floor upgrade for a limited time if u go with sandals, so thats what we were getting. It normally costs over a thousand dollars more than this. But anyway, he began complaining saying maybe we could find another deal cheaper somewhere else online. I said you've got to be kidding me!
We've been looking online for six mos now, all of them are close to this price range given by the agent if not mroe than this and the ones NOT all inclusive simply are not worth it and will end up more in the end. But no, he had to insist he knows more than I. And then he went into how we could have an affordable trip if i wasn't so picky and we went on a cruise.
I'm not even going to go into all the anger I felt then. This is supposed to be my future husband's gift to me -his wife. It is supposed to be romantic, a gift. It is supposed to be something I love. Is taking me on a cheap cruise that makes me sea sick and i find UNrelaxing and unromantic and NOT fun what you do to show your future wife you love her and she is special? I don't think so. I blew up, cried, then apologized after hanging up.
Later when he got home, we did look up prices on Jamaica Sandals pkgs. It pretty much proved what I had said. I think he was resigned because he wrote the travel agent saying he'd like to discuss booking the trip but there is still some hesitation because he wants to know the full price with tax which makes me feel he doesn't know how to finalize anything and is afraid, looking for an excuse not to make that decison yet. I don't know.
I didn't say anything but in our earlier argument I told him that I was resigned to have no honeymoon cos it clearly was too much for him, too much for me to ask and it seemed I was undeserving with the way he acted of something romantic, nice, and special. He said he wanted that for me and said he didnt feel this way but his actions/reactions tell a different story and I feel as I do because of how he makes me feel. No one should be this stressed over a honeymoon, most importantly, the bride to be. It makes me feel guilty for wanting to have and get what most normal people in this world get when they get married. It makes me angry that I am made to feel this way. i have a hard time coping with emotions under any sort of duress or stress and wonder if i ever can get any better than this. Most of the time, it seems hopeless and I feel it, inside. Hopeless.
I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.
-Rumi
Music:
The Kills- "Midnight Boom", The Decemberists- "The Crane Wife", Death Cab for Cutie's latest album- new fave song 'I will possess your heart'
Found this music post / video post via a favorite on a music site MOG which i belong to, highly amusing and entertaining.
See below:
How Siouxsie Sioux brought a tear to my eye..by Neill
Ailments:
Wisdom tooth dilemma and Jimmy pulled his back, so I took care of him all wkend. He is struggling with serious back pain and he doesn't know how it happened aside from a nap on the futon. It is so bad, its interfering with relaxing at home and he was in pain all wkend and couldn't do anything. He has a dr appt this Thurs. I guess this is what happens when you get older. lol. I feel old right now, all these problems. It does suck! I am hoping he gets better as it's been horrible for him and I hate to see him suffer so.
Film:
Under the same moon [mexican subtitled film- sad, moving, relevant to today's political issues, about mother and child- the bonds]
TV:
Latest new hilarious tv show that debuted, we discovered via VSL and our BBC cable station IS Gavin and Stacey- which I highly recommend to fans of the office [bbc] and quirky comedy like that.
News:
Tropical storms/hurricanes Fay, Gustav, and newly formed Ike and Josephine keep us riveted to local news, cnn, msnbc, and weather channel constantly. What can i say? Somex it's how you get when you are a Floridian. Those unfamiliar with constant hurricanes or living in a state with major hurricanes every year, probably can't or won't relate but that's how it is when you live in this sort of state.
CourtTV/ Current murder trial:
The Sean Fitzpatrick murder trial in Boston ended in a mistrial after he took the stand in defense of himself. The accused guy was older, weird, charistmatic, obviously charming but with an air of cockiness, arrogance and self righteousness. He seemed to be guilty but the lack of evidence/ dna was unable to sway the judge to come to any judgement. They simply felt too conflicted and that's why it ended with a hung jury. It will be retried and Phil Spektor's retrial begins at the end of September which will be of great interest especially since I spent months watching it last year and like everyone else was disappointed when he got off scott-free when we all know this man is psychotic and he did kill her. He's guilty! So now maybe justice will come this time around!
Politics:
Obama; democratic national convention last week [jimmy was more obsessed with this than i. its just since we live together, I kind of end up being sucked into things I normally would not take the time to watch on my own HA]
I am for obama though and I found most of the speeches very inspiring + moving but could have done with the HOURS a nite for an entire wk of constant CNN coverage that I was forced to watch because Jimmy couldn't miss one minute of any of it. He had to be in on each and every action -- thank god he has slowed down this week with the republican conven. - true its because he is not for the republican party as I am not either, but still if he had his chance, I think he'd watch it 24/7- he just knows I will explode on him if I have to watch another week of political junk nite and day. There is a certain amount of anything I can take and I'm sorry but my tolerance is LOW.
TV/Olympics:
Since I was stuck watching olympics everyday for almost a month becos of HIS obsession with that and if I complained over this and how it dominated our tv, I was ridiculed because I am UN-American to not be "INTO" the olympics. Whatev- LOL I have to disagree with that. I am not into sports period. So what?!!
To each his own, right?
I did enjoy the diving and gymnastics but when someone wants to watch 4-6 hrs of olympics everyday for 3 weeks, I hardly think u can expect anyone to be enthusiastic for very long. It gets boring and begins to feel like you have no choice but to watch that.
If I wouldn't watch it, he'd simply record it on our DVD-R but he'd have to watch it the next day to keep up with the latest olympics scores and to not use all the dvd r space up- so it wouldn't matter. I would still be stuck watching it the next day. I got aggravated a lot simply because he dominates the tv for his sports games on a regular basis, then it was olympics and now its politics. I just get irritated but that's life I guess. He isn't very good at taking turns or sharing and we get into frequent fights over that because he is often selfish in my opinion and lacks the ability to see past himself or to even offer compromise. I often have to get angry and fight to get any positive outcome. It is frustrating sometimes.
Wedding Planning:
*We will have a meeting with florist to finalize ideas and put downpayment down in mid september.
*We have an appt with Alessi bakery for wedding cake same weekend. We must also go to David's Bridal for alterations on my bridal gown during the last weekend of September.
*This month, also need to buy: clear contacts, bridal strapless full slip for gown etc.
*Research party favors and reception decor, send out invites by end of month, decide if there will be any wedding shower at all dependent upon his mother.
*We also investigated hotels near the wedding chapel/reception hall for our upcoming wedding, for our out of town guests that will be here and will need a place to stay the nite of the wedding nearby. We came up with the following, but in the end we chose the Oldsmar one for our out of town guests (we will stay in clearwater in sand key hotel)- It's the bolded Courtyard at Marriott one and looks pretty nice. We've reserved ten rooms for our out of town guests and if there are less than ten guests, we can lower the amount of rooms we are holding, accdg to receptionist.
Here's the list of the hotels within 10 miles of the chapel and reception hall. The one in Tarpon Springs would be by the sponge docks if anyone wants something interesting to do on Saturday. There are two in Oldsmar that I think are right by the big flea market, so maybe a few of you would be interested in that. I'll have to see if it would be open that weekend, but I imagine it would.Blue Moon Inn - Dunedin (1.59 miles/approx. $99)http://www.thebluemooninn.com/Best Western Lake Tarpon - Tarpon Springs (4.13 miles/$94)http://www.bestwesternlaketarpon.com/index.htmHoliday Inn Express - Clearwater North (4.76 miles/$119)http://www.hiexpress.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hotel/ddnfl?rpb=hotel&crUrl=/h/d/ex/1/en/hotelsearchresultsComfort Inn - Clearwater (4.8 miles/$88)http://www.clearwatercomfortinn.com/Best Western Yacht Harbor Inn - Dunedin (5.11 miles/$112)http://www.yachtharborinn.com/Courtyard by Marriott - Oldsmar (7.21 miles/$99)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpaol-courtyard-tampa-oldsmar/Residence Inn by Marriott - Oldsmar (7.22 miles/$109)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpaod-residence-inn-tampa-oldsmar/Fairfield Inn & Suites - Clearwater Bayside (8.71 miles/$99)http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/tpacr-fairfield-inn-and-suites-clearwater-bayside/Belleview Biltmore Resort - Belleview (9.63 miles/$99)http://www.belleviewbiltmore.com/
I'm not sure where we're staying yet, but it might be the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater. It's a little more pricey ($200 or so) and about 9 miles away. (http://www.sheratonsandkey.com/index.php)
+++
Labor Day:
I spent labor day sick, but so filled with anxiety [had a wedding day anxiety provoking dream], that i put together all 75 wedding invitations following correct model setup via box and putting in appropriate gift registries [was 25 short on gift registry cards so not all invitations are complete].
I felt so relieved for about ten mins like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders, chest, heart....but it wasn't long before that feeling disappeared and was replaced with renewed anxiety/worry, stress. Now, all we have to do is print directions, add them, add postage to reply envelopes, and then hand address them. YAY take one step forward, fall two steps back. Gotta love that feeling!
Honeymoon planning:
We met with travel agent at borders in tampa on friday. St. Lucia is way out of our budget and so is Turks and Cacaos. They are close to four thousand dollars even w/ discounts. So it looks like we are stuck going to jamaica, looking at Whitehouse Sandals all inclusive resort which Jimmy has hesitated on because he says its too expensive at $2800 which includes 5 nites, plane fare for two, hotel for two, all food, liquor, etc.
I hardly think its expensive and think its unrealistic to think u can find anything under 2000 that includes all that in the carribeans. he complains that i didn't want to take a cruise which is only a few hundred dollars. sorry but thats not romantic to me, being stuck on a ship with people i don't know is unromantic, limiting, claustrophobic.
My idea of romance and relaxation on a vacation far away is being able to have privacy, plan your time as u like, plan your days without anyones rules , get up and go to bed when you like unlike a cruise. In any case, he had reserved our hotel room and pkg price with the travel agent over the weekend with my approval. She wrote today saying the reservation ends tomorrow and money must be put down to seal package and book our trip if we are to have one for our honeymoon so i mentioned this on the phone when he called on the way home from work.
We got in an argument when i mentioned it as he told me he didn't know if he wanted to go all the way with it [after we wasted all our time talking with her and he told her we were seriously interested and reserved the room etc- this made NO sense to me], and that it seemed unaffordable to him even though we got major discounts since right now flights are free and you get a free nite plus a honeymoon suite on first floor upgrade for a limited time if u go with sandals, so thats what we were getting. It normally costs over a thousand dollars more than this. But anyway, he began complaining saying maybe we could find another deal cheaper somewhere else online. I said you've got to be kidding me!
We've been looking online for six mos now, all of them are close to this price range given by the agent if not mroe than this and the ones NOT all inclusive simply are not worth it and will end up more in the end. But no, he had to insist he knows more than I. And then he went into how we could have an affordable trip if i wasn't so picky and we went on a cruise.
I'm not even going to go into all the anger I felt then. This is supposed to be my future husband's gift to me -his wife. It is supposed to be romantic, a gift. It is supposed to be something I love. Is taking me on a cheap cruise that makes me sea sick and i find UNrelaxing and unromantic and NOT fun what you do to show your future wife you love her and she is special? I don't think so. I blew up, cried, then apologized after hanging up.
Later when he got home, we did look up prices on Jamaica Sandals pkgs. It pretty much proved what I had said. I think he was resigned because he wrote the travel agent saying he'd like to discuss booking the trip but there is still some hesitation because he wants to know the full price with tax which makes me feel he doesn't know how to finalize anything and is afraid, looking for an excuse not to make that decison yet. I don't know.
I didn't say anything but in our earlier argument I told him that I was resigned to have no honeymoon cos it clearly was too much for him, too much for me to ask and it seemed I was undeserving with the way he acted of something romantic, nice, and special. He said he wanted that for me and said he didnt feel this way but his actions/reactions tell a different story and I feel as I do because of how he makes me feel. No one should be this stressed over a honeymoon, most importantly, the bride to be. It makes me feel guilty for wanting to have and get what most normal people in this world get when they get married. It makes me angry that I am made to feel this way. i have a hard time coping with emotions under any sort of duress or stress and wonder if i ever can get any better than this. Most of the time, it seems hopeless and I feel it, inside. Hopeless.
I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.
-Rumi
Monday, August 18, 2008
wedding looming overhead + flurry of ideas ensue.
We got our florist quote last week and have to finalize that by the end of this month and finish that up, take my mom there to put money down and such as we havent set up the formal contract yet or even reserved the day yet and that must be done by September.
One idea we had- we liked these hanging lights we saw at target made of metal, in a butterfly style, dragonfly and these clear white chinese style little cubes that light up with chinese characters on it [cant describe but if i find a pic on target.com, ill email you it] they are meant for patio decor but we were thinking of for our reception decor at wedding and also considering some chinese lanterns. this is of course dependent upon if we can do this without disturbing the reception halls walls and without breaking their codes and rules. Jimmy said he needs to talk to the lady Janice at the chapel again before we do this or go ahead with that idea. We'd of course like some feedback on what you think on this idea.
Oh here are some pix of ideas off target.com in reference to what I mentioned to u above!!
dragonfly lights- ten piece
there were some butterfly ones with a darkened tarnished silver look and a sort of teal color for butterfly stem but i cant find picture of it on target online
also the chinese white cubicle like lights arent to be found online either so i cant show u what i mean!
last, here are some lantern styles but want to look at other stores that sell lanterns before deciding. its an idea anyway :)
We spent Sat at Jimmy's parents for his dad's birthday and Sunday we finally got our Target Bridal Registry done. that was great fun. they had so much more fun, cute things than bed bath and beyond which is so proper and a bit snooty- plus it was a more relaxed experience since people werent hounding us to buy the most expensive brand or following us everywhere we turned to manipulate the choices we made so it was way better!
Also, we did receive the wedding invites via UPS last week so we have to start working on that this week. things are going to be so busy and stressful. I hope we can get everything done in time before the wedding. I am a complete nervous wreck these days and feel upset quite easily- its just been overwhelming lately!
One idea we had- we liked these hanging lights we saw at target made of metal, in a butterfly style, dragonfly and these clear white chinese style little cubes that light up with chinese characters on it [cant describe but if i find a pic on target.com, ill email you it] they are meant for patio decor but we were thinking of for our reception decor at wedding and also considering some chinese lanterns. this is of course dependent upon if we can do this without disturbing the reception halls walls and without breaking their codes and rules. Jimmy said he needs to talk to the lady Janice at the chapel again before we do this or go ahead with that idea. We'd of course like some feedback on what you think on this idea.
Oh here are some pix of ideas off target.com in reference to what I mentioned to u above!!
dragonfly lights- ten piece
there were some butterfly ones with a darkened tarnished silver look and a sort of teal color for butterfly stem but i cant find picture of it on target online
also the chinese white cubicle like lights arent to be found online either so i cant show u what i mean!
last, here are some lantern styles but want to look at other stores that sell lanterns before deciding. its an idea anyway :)
We spent Sat at Jimmy's parents for his dad's birthday and Sunday we finally got our Target Bridal Registry done. that was great fun. they had so much more fun, cute things than bed bath and beyond which is so proper and a bit snooty- plus it was a more relaxed experience since people werent hounding us to buy the most expensive brand or following us everywhere we turned to manipulate the choices we made so it was way better!
Also, we did receive the wedding invites via UPS last week so we have to start working on that this week. things are going to be so busy and stressful. I hope we can get everything done in time before the wedding. I am a complete nervous wreck these days and feel upset quite easily- its just been overwhelming lately!
touch aveda salon & spa is the clear winner!
To: Jenni
And the other huge reason why I've decided to get my makeup professionally done is that I want someone who can make my skin look better, more balanced [i have very blotchy problematic skin and dry patches]. I think a makeup artist could make my skin look flawless and more balanced with the right foundation and concealer and products that I don't really own and are probably more expensive than I can afford. I don't have any good foundation/concealer or what makeup artists use and that is one of the biggest appeals to having my makeup done by a professional.
Love,
From Jenni:
Subject: we like touch salon & spa and have phone appt on saturday for more info!
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008 2:11 AM
Hi Jenni,
I just wanted to let you know that we've called the top three salon places in the list I sent you earlier. After speaking with Michelle at Touch Salon & Spa, the one you got the flyer info for me, we felt that salon seemed to offer the best and was most attentive, seemed experienced in working with weddings whereas the other ones seemed to not offer much information.
The woman at Touch actually took the time to get some of the basics of our wedding, date of wedding and time we had to be at the chapel on wedding day and all the details such as how many bridesmaids would be there and so on. We explained to her that the bridesmaids only want updos and nothing else. It was suggested I get my hair trimmed, colored and have my brows done a week before the wedding by every salon we called so thats probably what I will do.
They do offer a trial run of makeup and updo which is what I definitely wanted for myself. I think she mentioned it costs extra but for me, its a must that I have a trial run. She said the bridesmaids didnt have to do a trial run and that most didn't but I kind of already knew that. I didn't expect you or Shannon to do that. It was me who wanted that.
Mainly I want the trial run/practice because I dont know what condition my hair is in [i have split ends] and what formal updo would look best with my hair texture and my face shape esp when I am adding a tiara and veil. I think it would be helpful to have a hairstylist who knows what might look best on me, so that is why I wanted a practice before deciding on a style and the same with my makeup- I want a chance to try the makeup colors and makeup looks before deciding on a final look for myself, but I think more than likely I will show them pictures of makeup styles that Ive worn in the past in my own personal pix because I do want to look like myself and pretty much have the makeup styled how I would do it. Mainly what Im paying for in getting the makeup done by a salon is the expert touch of someone doing it for me perfectly and with a steady hand. I just want my eyeliner put on by someone so it doesnt look crooked or all smeared because I'm not the most coordinated or good with straight lines and making my eyes look even. I have a tendency to mess up or not be able to make both eyes match each other perfectly.
And the other huge reason why I've decided to get my makeup professionally done is that I want someone who can make my skin look better, more balanced [i have very blotchy problematic skin and dry patches]. I think a makeup artist could make my skin look flawless and more balanced with the right foundation and concealer and products that I don't really own and are probably more expensive than I can afford. I don't have any good foundation/concealer or what makeup artists use and that is one of the biggest appeals to having my makeup done by a professional.
Anyway, we have arranged a time where we could talk to the woman at Touch Salon further about prices and about putting together a customized wedding pkg for me with a price quote. She would also be able to give a price quote for the bridesmaid updo's. She set up a phone consultation appt for Saturday afternoon , as she said she'd have more time to go over all the information we need to know and answer any other questions we may have as well as give an idea when we should be there on the wedding day [what time] and all other pertinent information and then if we decide to go with this salon, we'd probably have an in-person consultation appt set up in the future.
I will let you know what happens if we do decide to go with this salon. The good thing is that it's near the area you live. I think this might be the salon we choose if it isnt too expensive for us. Jimmy felt like the woman was really helpful too and attentive to our needs, willing to work with us and eager to make everyone happy. [the other salons we called seemed impersonal and less friendly] Hopefully it all works out for the best. Thanks again for suggesting it to me and sending me the information. :)
Love,
April
That would be cool. If Shannon wants to go with them also. I am happy that they are open that day. I am cool, with going there.
The great thing is, if you like them and choose them. That it is by my house, so once we get our hair done, we can come back here and have something to eat, or whatever, and calm down before we have to head out to the church and stuff.
I assume the church/chapel has a place to get dressed, but if you wanted to get dressed here, we could do that. And, head over in the truck. Or take the dresses and get dressed there. I hope that made sense. Anyway, if we all go to the same salon, that would be convenient. Since Shannon doesn’t live here, it is probably easier for her to go wherever we go.
- Jenni
Secured appts with Touch Spa & salon, all details and reply to ur email!
Jenni, I did have the phone consultation with Michelle at Touch salon and spa on saturday. she didnt ask for any deposits and gave discounts for each thing i am doing and for everyone else involved so it worked out nicely and the dates are booked. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. this is what we came up with [some of this info isnt relevant for you, my appts with the salon are more involved than yours becos of being the bride but i still thought id share with you what pkg deal ive worked out for myself with them :D
so this will be it: November 15th saturday- consulation with anna about cut and color and tentative updo for wedding. will have cut, color, and brow waxing that day at 3:30pm. it will cost approx. $160 for all that i need to get done that day but she will give me twenty dollars off so it will be about 140. I feel its reasonable but its mostly because I never go to salons or treat myself to a professional cut or color ever and its been over ten yrs since I have so I feel I deserve this. also jimmy gets his hair cut every month and though its cheap where he goes, it still adds up. he spends more on his hair than i ever do. it isnt over-the-top in price because i feel i do not do anything luxurious for myself and havent in this entire relationship. jimmy felt the price was good enough and was ok with it - i think he knows its once in a lifetime and not anymore expensive than the other four salons we investigated.
November 22nd- saturday- at 3pm, I will have my trial run of the actual wedding updo where u bring your tiara to have a practice session and also do a trial on wedding day makeup. that costs $135 but she is giving me twenty dollars off on that as well so in total it will be $115 after discount. Neither of these two appts I shared with you involve you but I just thought Id share with you and give you an idea what they are charging me for being the bride and all the services that are included.
And then finally, on the wedding day, November 28th Friday - she recommends we have our appts [me the bride, you the matron of honor and shannon bridesmaid] at approx. 1pm. she says we only need about 2 to 2 and half hours to do everything and to be able to leave by 3:30pm and make it to the church by four pm.
So, anyway for a simple updo the Touch salon woman Michelle said these cost $65 [it is 105 if u get your makeup done with the Updo and she offered twenty dollars off of that price for both you and shannon BUT I told her that you and shannon didnt want that and would do your own makeup. So the price is a little less without.] She will give both you and shannon 20 dollars off the 65 charge for the Updo.
Note that we need to be at the chapel by four pm at the latest accdg to Jimmy. As far as we know the photographer recommends we are ready for photographs by 5pm, if it changes I will let you know. the photographer we hired recommended pix around 5pm because we want pix before sunset when there is still sunlight and our ceremony isnt til 6:30pm when it will be dark out already since its Fall and at the end of Nov.!
The photographer also said he will take us to the beach nearby for some scenic type pix before sunset since we both wanted something sort of romantic. I dont know if this is the main wedding party or just bride/groom. But both Jimmy and love the idea and saw some of their work where they did this in the past, their beach photography and we agree we think it would be beautiful and special so we've elected to do this.
We can discuss next time we are in person more of these details and if you want to stop at your house after the salon before the chapel, IF you think we have enough time to make it to palm harbor and all.
I plan to get dressed at the chapel as my dress is very very formal and I don't want it wrinkled or the discomfort of having to wear it during the long drive to the chapel, id just rather get dressed at the church and have you and shannon help me get the dress on as it's not a dress I can put on by myself esp the top part of it. I need someone to help lace up the back, it is intricate and fix the train and all that for me :)
Btw, when given a tour of the palm harbor chapel, we were taken to a huge room within the chapel, its either in the back or upstairs but its a huge room for the entire bridal party to get dressed with mirrors and adequate place to get ready. It looks just like a bride room and very nice. Trust me, u may want to get ready there and do all final touches in the dressing room at the church :)
Anyway this is all for now, I just wanted to get you up to date on the salon!! Hope you are great.
Love and hugs,
April
Monday, August 11, 2008
choosing the best aveda salon for my wedding. (the options)
We will be calling the salon tonite and/or tomorrow to get information and price pkgs for wedding day. All the salons I am considering only use AVEDA products/makeup and they kind of specialize in the relaxology/aromatherapy experience in a salon so ive heard it is very calming and some even give a massage as part of the service.
We are going to go with one of the five AVEDA salons below but won't know which one til we call and weigh pros/cons to pick the best one for my wedding day needs. Whichever one we choose will enable a practice trial run of makeup and updo in addition to wedding, that way I will get a chance to know what styles are good or best for my hair type and facial type/personality. It will also minimize mistakes happening on wedding day or being stuck with a style that does not suit me or look good. I am anxious over that so having a trial run makes me feel better.
The pricing is pretty reasonable and Jimmy agreed, its not too expensive considering what it is for. Some of these salons are called 'concept' salons and 'lifestyle'- lifestyle we figured out means flagship store and concept is a store that branched out of the flagship but is prob more independent from aveda and doesnt practice everything the flagship store might. I am assuming that is how it is.
So here are the main ones we are looking at with price ranges:
[note that the ones starred are the ones both jimmy and i feel have the best potential and look really good based on reviews we saw online and their websites!]
** 1- Whole Salon & Spa [concept salon]
Oldsmar, FL- 813-854-4455
Hours: M-F 9am-9pm; Sat-9am-7pm; Sun-10am-5pm
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut- $25-75 [i am only getting a basic trim and my hair is one length so id hope any of these salons would charge me the lowest end of the price scale!]
Single Process Hair Color- $40-85
Wedding Package for Updo and Makeup: $190 includes trial run of bridal hairstyle UPDO / Makeup and for day of wedding! great deal/price.
Brow- approx $20
* 2- Level Salon- [lifestyle aveda salon]
by USF on Bearss Ave. in Tampa, FL 813-972-0404
Hours: open til 8pm on most days, at least on M-F; Weekend hrs may close a little earlier.
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut- starting at $25
Haircolor- starting at $50
Bridal Makeup- $80 [inc. trial run and day of wedding]
Updo- Prices not listed, suggests a phonecall to find out price or any wedding pkg deals.
Brow- $15
* 3- Touch Salon & Spa [lifestyle aveda salon]
Citrus Park/West Chase area. 814-1390
Hours: ??? Not listed, must call for days/times open for business.
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut-$45
Haircolor-$65
Updo-$55
Brow-$20
Bridal Makeup [don't know if it includes trial run, need trial and day of] $60
Wedding Pkgs- suggests call to find out any pkg deals
4- Rituals Salon [concept salon]
by Clearwater Mall 727-797-2800
Hours:
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut-$25-50
Haircolor-$40-50
Updo-$35-50 - must find out if extra charge for bridal/tiara/veil updo and if they have pkgs that do trial run of hair/makeup and on wedding day etc.
Bridal Makeup- $40
Brow-$20
-I won't consider this salon unless it has a good wedding pkg and has experience in doing bridal and wedding events. Won't know til we call and investigate more later in wkend.
5- Dillard's Dept Sotre in Citrus Park Mall
Phone Number: 926-4545
No Information on website. Must call for hours and prices and any pkgs, and ask if they even do wedding events etc.
We are going to go with one of the five AVEDA salons below but won't know which one til we call and weigh pros/cons to pick the best one for my wedding day needs. Whichever one we choose will enable a practice trial run of makeup and updo in addition to wedding, that way I will get a chance to know what styles are good or best for my hair type and facial type/personality. It will also minimize mistakes happening on wedding day or being stuck with a style that does not suit me or look good. I am anxious over that so having a trial run makes me feel better.
The pricing is pretty reasonable and Jimmy agreed, its not too expensive considering what it is for. Some of these salons are called 'concept' salons and 'lifestyle'- lifestyle we figured out means flagship store and concept is a store that branched out of the flagship but is prob more independent from aveda and doesnt practice everything the flagship store might. I am assuming that is how it is.
So here are the main ones we are looking at with price ranges:
[note that the ones starred are the ones both jimmy and i feel have the best potential and look really good based on reviews we saw online and their websites!]
** 1- Whole Salon & Spa [concept salon]
Oldsmar, FL- 813-854-4455
Hours: M-F 9am-9pm; Sat-9am-7pm; Sun-10am-5pm
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut- $25-75 [i am only getting a basic trim and my hair is one length so id hope any of these salons would charge me the lowest end of the price scale!]
Single Process Hair Color- $40-85
Wedding Package for Updo and Makeup: $190 includes trial run of bridal hairstyle UPDO / Makeup and for day of wedding! great deal/price.
Brow- approx $20
* 2- Level Salon- [lifestyle aveda salon]
by USF on Bearss Ave. in Tampa, FL 813-972-0404
Hours: open til 8pm on most days, at least on M-F; Weekend hrs may close a little earlier.
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut- starting at $25
Haircolor- starting at $50
Bridal Makeup- $80 [inc. trial run and day of wedding]
Updo- Prices not listed, suggests a phonecall to find out price or any wedding pkg deals.
Brow- $15
* 3- Touch Salon & Spa [lifestyle aveda salon]
Citrus Park/West Chase area. 814-1390
Hours: ??? Not listed, must call for days/times open for business.
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut-$45
Haircolor-$65
Updo-$55
Brow-$20
Bridal Makeup [don't know if it includes trial run, need trial and day of] $60
Wedding Pkgs- suggests call to find out any pkg deals
4- Rituals Salon [concept salon]
by Clearwater Mall 727-797-2800
Hours:
Service Menu + Prices Online:
Haircut-$25-50
Haircolor-$40-50
Updo-$35-50 - must find out if extra charge for bridal/tiara/veil updo and if they have pkgs that do trial run of hair/makeup and on wedding day etc.
Bridal Makeup- $40
Brow-$20
-I won't consider this salon unless it has a good wedding pkg and has experience in doing bridal and wedding events. Won't know til we call and investigate more later in wkend.
5- Dillard's Dept Sotre in Citrus Park Mall
Phone Number: 926-4545
No Information on website. Must call for hours and prices and any pkgs, and ask if they even do wedding events etc.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
minori + brainstorming wedding accessory ideas!
written last week, friday morning prior to florist appt on august 1st:
This month I have to look for shoes so I can finalize the color and style and I am thinking of looking at more stores for a bridal style necklace and earring set. I may try to look at the mall today while we're out there if we have time and Jimmy feels like it.I'm not sure that I want to stick with the necklaces I showed previously- a few entries prior to this- and its important I decide what Im going with so that all the accessories such as shoes and all the colors can match.
As much as the gold is pretty, I kind of prefer a silver with crystal style stone or rhinestone variety because in my everyday life, I never wear gold and haven't since I was maybe 16 yrs old. Ive always preferred silver, white gold or platinum in general.
Last month, I saw some very cute bridal style jewelry at etsy.com which is a place people make their own jewelry and sell them- Im sure most do it as a hobby and there are some really pretty and vintage styles but Im hesitant on going with that only because you cant see how it looks on you before you buy it and I don't know how good the material is, I wouldn't want the necklace to break.
These were some necklace styles I found on etsy that I thought really pretty and unique [not all of them would fit my wedding though. but are definitely styles Id like to wear in real life]
[i love the below one but more for my everyday style, not for the wedding. i just thought its really unique and this designer seems to use asian and japanese design a lot which is something i really love]
minori
Minori in Japanese means village of beautiful fields.
Lovely, vintage necklace handmade with vintage brass bird charms, rare and hard to find 18x13mm flower glass cab from Japan set on vintage brass pendant setting suspended from a strand of rare vintage brass chain and clasp 7" in length. I've got the last few of these flower cabs. This is why this item is now on Limited Editions.
SALE 30 PERCENT OFF - lilies vintage necklace
Description:
Lovely, vintage necklace handmade of orange lucite flower beads embellished with vermeil beads wire wrapped in antique brass fancy ball head pins suspended from a strand of soft and feminine vintage brass chain 17" in length accented with a vintage brass bird charm. Absolutely, gorgeous. Looks fab with anything! Original design and handmade by Portobello listed on 05/27/08
Lovely, vintage necklace handmade of orange lucite flower beads embellished with vermeil beads wire wrapped in antique brass fancy ball head pins suspended from a strand of soft and feminine vintage brass chain 17" in length accented with a vintage brass bird charm. Absolutely, gorgeous. Looks fab with anything! Original design and handmade by Portobello listed on 05/27/08
+++++++++++
the above jeweler is named Portobello, and u should see her other designs they are so cute. so i'll leave you with her store link. there are many amazing designers on this website. it makes me wish i could learn to make unique crafty jewelry and sell mine, too. it looks like a lot of fun. etsy is a really up and coming website featuring artsy and creative people who make things esp jewelry- its grown very popular :)
here's that girl's store link:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5210893
These are the ones off Davids Bridal's Website that I love most- these are the styles I originally wanted with my wedding gown but its hard to find a store that carries a lot of these where you can actually go in, try it on without having to ask to look behind a case or being pressured to buy, or watched like a hawk by sales ladies.
They look well-constructed [for inexpensive fashion jewelry] I know it is not fine jewelry and not meant to be perfect but I do not want something that will fall apart on my wedding day - I want to avoid shoddy jewelry or flimsy pieces that are fragile.
I am thinking if we have time we might stop by david's bridal in the area and look at these so I could maybe buy my necklace so I could work on planning the rest of the colors of my access. and so on.
If I went with one of these necklaces then Jenni and shannon wouldn't have to remove the clip on your dress cos it would match. Just another reason why I am leaning more towards this direction!
For now, here are the designs I like Most to give u an idea:
(end)
floral + stress.
This entry was written prior to last weekend- on Wed. July 30th as days off are consumed by wedding planning and finding some downtime to recover from all the stress. That is why I haven't been online much friday to sunday as of late.
It is because every second of our time is filled with obligations, appts, and a wanting to just vegetate once the day is over as its been exhaustive. Add home hunting on top of all this-- and the stress is just BRUTAL. That's been frustrating and depressing too but guess what? I think Jimmy is beginning to wake up after seeing some close friends over the wkend- who just had their first baby and gave him some wise tips and advice over the weekend which back up what I have been saying to him all along (but he chose to ignore).
I WILL most definitely share a full update on the above paragraph, full detail of the house hunting dilemma and how his friends pretty much validated everything I had tried to say to him in the future. HA! Feels great to be validated and say -Told you so!!
So, here is latest wedding update which was written about a week ago!
Jimmy booked the photographer LAST Monday and put down the 535 deposit. We will be going to Citrus Park Publix floral dept on Friday and have an appt at 2pm- they do do weddings.
Note, he wrote me this last week:
Hi babe,
I just got off the phone with Randy at Celebrations and booked the photography, DJ, and music for the ceremony. I told him that we'll stop by sometime to listen to the different music selections they have. It ended up costing $1605 including tax, so I paid $535 for the deposit and the remaining balance is $1070.
I also talked to a lady at Publix (Apron's) and scheduled an appointment for the flowers at 2:00 pm on Friday. She said they normally have appointments up until 6:30 pm, but I didn't want to have to rush over there after work especially since I don't normally get home until 6:15 pm as it is and don't know if I may have to work late.
Well, I hope you got some rest. I probably won't stop by storage until I pick you up if you think your photos will be ready. Let me know if you talk to them and they still aren't ready and I'll get the book (and any others) that sold.
Love,
Jimmy
+++
Oh, we've put in our Wedding Invitation Order last weekend - it was over $200. [The proof came today via email and we will receive them at the end of August- we only ordered 75 invites.)
We are very behind and Jimmy has been stressed over being behind and money but I kept warning him we needed to do things and he ignored me. He likes to say he never wanted a formal wedding and I was the one- so things have been tense and I blew up over that over the weekend before last weekend.
It IS hurtful because he keeps rubbing it in my face everytime he is stressed [esp when my dad acted how he did-didn't want my mom helping us much financially with wedding. So now J feels funny around dad and seems to resent me even more because of how my dad humiliated him and it is as if he wishes he never committed to having a formal wedding becos of my dad and how he acted etc.) This is simply NOT fair to me and it has got me completely stressed out! I am caught in the middle. I can't help what my dad did and it's really not my fault. I have no control over what others say or do, regardless of blood ties. I feel like my dad has screwed up Jimmy's chance of being close to him or having a good relationship and it really upsets me inside but I can't really talk to anyone because all the ones I would talk to are involved (mom/dad jimmy)and it just seems I have been put in the middle against my will. I resent this and feel agitated/upset over the entire thing. It should not be like this.
All this makes me feel my fiance's heart isn't into this wedding planning and makes me realize that he is NOT appreciative of what a special day this will be. He has no idea that everything we are doing to make this wedding a reality IS preparing us for the real meaning of marriage and that this is an exercise on how well we work together as a couple, and gives us a tiny idea of what it is like to conquer hardships/stress/ in life as well as what its like to make plans, set goals and to compromise as a couple as we will need these skills during our marriage and future life together. This is preparation and a build up to something so meaningful and its a once in a lifetime thing, a learning experience that is beyond valuable to our future together.
His attitude has been the wrong one and hurt me lately because this should be a gift of his love to me and instead of complaining and making me feel guilty for having a wedding, he should be supporting me in this and appreciating all we're doing to make this special for him. Not to mention love IS making the other happy not thinking ONLY of yourself. Love is not selfish..but he is immature and self-absorbed. He cannot see past anything but the money aspect and how it is taking up all his precious selfish social time.
It just makes me sad and feel resentment that he doesn't care about what this means to me + has to act like an immature child throwing a tantrum and only thinking of himself. He doesn't seem to realize how special this day will be.
I feel like he is going to regret his actions when that day comes and he is moved by the ceremony and everything at the wedding. He will be sorry and I have warned him of this very thing - in a recent outburst/ fight.
Jimmy has promised to try to be more supportive but I have felt very overwhelmed and stressed, constantly upset as he is trying to cram us buying a home before Oct. 1st to make the deadline before the FHA loan expires and to move in everything before the wedding.
I think trying to find a first home and having to move in right before the wedding is a BIG mistake. I feel it is TOO stressful for me and I have tried explaining this to him. I cannot handle both moving and a wedding!!!! It IS stressful enough as it and I fear that my mental state of being will not be able to handle this much stress. I am drained with everything going on and it IS over his head. He thinks I can toughen up and get over it but I cannot.
We had a fight over this yesterday. I am resigned. He wants what he wants even if it causes me distress and doesnt want to hear how I feel or consider me. He says he will try his best to minimize stress for me in house hunting but the last several mos have been high stress and the closer it gets to him all panicked over this house loan deadline, the more frenzied and stressed everything will be. He just does not get it!! It is purely logical common sense.
He doesn't want to wait and is convinced he will NEVER be able to buy a home if he misses this Oct 1st 2008 deadline as they are doing away with FHA. I feel that is a ridiculous and irrational line of thinking and he is allowing fear to control him and it is impairing his judgement severely.
Jimmy has a good job and good credit. I've seen people on welfare get homes with tons of kids. But whatever!!!! He feels he knows more than I do. It is a waste of breath to say otherwise.
I just hope things get less stressful cos I am overwhelmed right now and my mood swings are increasing because I have no psych medication and no psych who will treat me with my insurance so I am really struggling :(
Next I am going to share some pix I copied from the white chapel website where our wedding will be held. These give an idea of how some people decorated the chapel for the ceremony and also how they chose to do the reception room.
Jimmy still needs to talk to Janice to find out the amount of chairs/tables and what color or how they look. I hope it is in a neutral color because in one of the pix the chairs were bright tropical green and that wouldnt match our wedding colors of ivory, champagne and lilac!!
Update: WELL Jimmy talked to Janice last wkend. Turns out chairs are a bright bluegreen color- so this will NOT do. Jimmy is the one who called her and talked out things while I was asleep over the past wkend. He told me that he got a recommendation from the chapel/reception coordinator [Janice] for linen seat covers for our chairs and that it was a really reasonable price so he said we will go with that, at 3.50 a chair plus they do set up for you. We are estimating approx 8 tables, give or take and I think 8 tables holds an estimate of 8 people to one table. We needed to find out that information for other various wedding planning appts such as florist and for when we start shopping at michael's for arts/crafts DIY wedding decorations and party favors since that seems to be the more affordable route to go at this point!!
Here are the picture examples in chapel + reception hall at White Chapel in Palm Harbor:
CHAPEL FLORAL ARRANGEMENT IDEAS (see examples below from past weddings there:)
(two different styles from different weddings- it appears)
RECEPTION HALL IDEAS (for floral arrangements in hall and at tables:)
It is because every second of our time is filled with obligations, appts, and a wanting to just vegetate once the day is over as its been exhaustive. Add home hunting on top of all this-- and the stress is just BRUTAL. That's been frustrating and depressing too but guess what? I think Jimmy is beginning to wake up after seeing some close friends over the wkend- who just had their first baby and gave him some wise tips and advice over the weekend which back up what I have been saying to him all along (but he chose to ignore).
I WILL most definitely share a full update on the above paragraph, full detail of the house hunting dilemma and how his friends pretty much validated everything I had tried to say to him in the future. HA! Feels great to be validated and say -Told you so!!
So, here is latest wedding update which was written about a week ago!
Jimmy booked the photographer LAST Monday and put down the 535 deposit. We will be going to Citrus Park Publix floral dept on Friday and have an appt at 2pm- they do do weddings.
Note, he wrote me this last week:
Hi babe,
I just got off the phone with Randy at Celebrations and booked the photography, DJ, and music for the ceremony. I told him that we'll stop by sometime to listen to the different music selections they have. It ended up costing $1605 including tax, so I paid $535 for the deposit and the remaining balance is $1070.
I also talked to a lady at Publix (Apron's) and scheduled an appointment for the flowers at 2:00 pm on Friday. She said they normally have appointments up until 6:30 pm, but I didn't want to have to rush over there after work especially since I don't normally get home until 6:15 pm as it is and don't know if I may have to work late.
Well, I hope you got some rest. I probably won't stop by storage until I pick you up if you think your photos will be ready. Let me know if you talk to them and they still aren't ready and I'll get the book (and any others) that sold.
Love,
Jimmy
+++
Oh, we've put in our Wedding Invitation Order last weekend - it was over $200. [The proof came today via email and we will receive them at the end of August- we only ordered 75 invites.)
We are very behind and Jimmy has been stressed over being behind and money but I kept warning him we needed to do things and he ignored me. He likes to say he never wanted a formal wedding and I was the one- so things have been tense and I blew up over that over the weekend before last weekend.
It IS hurtful because he keeps rubbing it in my face everytime he is stressed [esp when my dad acted how he did-didn't want my mom helping us much financially with wedding. So now J feels funny around dad and seems to resent me even more because of how my dad humiliated him and it is as if he wishes he never committed to having a formal wedding becos of my dad and how he acted etc.) This is simply NOT fair to me and it has got me completely stressed out! I am caught in the middle. I can't help what my dad did and it's really not my fault. I have no control over what others say or do, regardless of blood ties. I feel like my dad has screwed up Jimmy's chance of being close to him or having a good relationship and it really upsets me inside but I can't really talk to anyone because all the ones I would talk to are involved (mom/dad jimmy)and it just seems I have been put in the middle against my will. I resent this and feel agitated/upset over the entire thing. It should not be like this.
All this makes me feel my fiance's heart isn't into this wedding planning and makes me realize that he is NOT appreciative of what a special day this will be. He has no idea that everything we are doing to make this wedding a reality IS preparing us for the real meaning of marriage and that this is an exercise on how well we work together as a couple, and gives us a tiny idea of what it is like to conquer hardships/stress/ in life as well as what its like to make plans, set goals and to compromise as a couple as we will need these skills during our marriage and future life together. This is preparation and a build up to something so meaningful and its a once in a lifetime thing, a learning experience that is beyond valuable to our future together.
His attitude has been the wrong one and hurt me lately because this should be a gift of his love to me and instead of complaining and making me feel guilty for having a wedding, he should be supporting me in this and appreciating all we're doing to make this special for him. Not to mention love IS making the other happy not thinking ONLY of yourself. Love is not selfish..but he is immature and self-absorbed. He cannot see past anything but the money aspect and how it is taking up all his precious selfish social time.
It just makes me sad and feel resentment that he doesn't care about what this means to me + has to act like an immature child throwing a tantrum and only thinking of himself. He doesn't seem to realize how special this day will be.
I feel like he is going to regret his actions when that day comes and he is moved by the ceremony and everything at the wedding. He will be sorry and I have warned him of this very thing - in a recent outburst/ fight.
Jimmy has promised to try to be more supportive but I have felt very overwhelmed and stressed, constantly upset as he is trying to cram us buying a home before Oct. 1st to make the deadline before the FHA loan expires and to move in everything before the wedding.
I think trying to find a first home and having to move in right before the wedding is a BIG mistake. I feel it is TOO stressful for me and I have tried explaining this to him. I cannot handle both moving and a wedding!!!! It IS stressful enough as it and I fear that my mental state of being will not be able to handle this much stress. I am drained with everything going on and it IS over his head. He thinks I can toughen up and get over it but I cannot.
We had a fight over this yesterday. I am resigned. He wants what he wants even if it causes me distress and doesnt want to hear how I feel or consider me. He says he will try his best to minimize stress for me in house hunting but the last several mos have been high stress and the closer it gets to him all panicked over this house loan deadline, the more frenzied and stressed everything will be. He just does not get it!! It is purely logical common sense.
He doesn't want to wait and is convinced he will NEVER be able to buy a home if he misses this Oct 1st 2008 deadline as they are doing away with FHA. I feel that is a ridiculous and irrational line of thinking and he is allowing fear to control him and it is impairing his judgement severely.
Jimmy has a good job and good credit. I've seen people on welfare get homes with tons of kids. But whatever!!!! He feels he knows more than I do. It is a waste of breath to say otherwise.
I just hope things get less stressful cos I am overwhelmed right now and my mood swings are increasing because I have no psych medication and no psych who will treat me with my insurance so I am really struggling :(
Next I am going to share some pix I copied from the white chapel website where our wedding will be held. These give an idea of how some people decorated the chapel for the ceremony and also how they chose to do the reception room.
Jimmy still needs to talk to Janice to find out the amount of chairs/tables and what color or how they look. I hope it is in a neutral color because in one of the pix the chairs were bright tropical green and that wouldnt match our wedding colors of ivory, champagne and lilac!!
Update: WELL Jimmy talked to Janice last wkend. Turns out chairs are a bright bluegreen color- so this will NOT do. Jimmy is the one who called her and talked out things while I was asleep over the past wkend. He told me that he got a recommendation from the chapel/reception coordinator [Janice] for linen seat covers for our chairs and that it was a really reasonable price so he said we will go with that, at 3.50 a chair plus they do set up for you. We are estimating approx 8 tables, give or take and I think 8 tables holds an estimate of 8 people to one table. We needed to find out that information for other various wedding planning appts such as florist and for when we start shopping at michael's for arts/crafts DIY wedding decorations and party favors since that seems to be the more affordable route to go at this point!!
Here are the picture examples in chapel + reception hall at White Chapel in Palm Harbor:
CHAPEL FLORAL ARRANGEMENT IDEAS (see examples below from past weddings there:)
(two different styles from different weddings- it appears)
RECEPTION HALL IDEAS (for floral arrangements in hall and at tables:)
(those hanging bouquets (with lights or mini chandaliers) are unique but don't know if we could do this, how expensive it might be, and J thinks it looks too complex and we should stick to simple. but I like unique. We'll see, I suppose.)
+++
Thinking further and more in term of the bridal party bouquets and what I want..after some net surfing and research, here are some floral bouquet trends this year that I would most consider for my own potential bouquet for this wedding.
+++
Thinking further and more in term of the bridal party bouquets and what I want..after some net surfing and research, here are some floral bouquet trends this year that I would most consider for my own potential bouquet for this wedding.
In all honesty, I am most drawn to the second one. This is mostly because I think there will be gold in my colors based on possible accessories. It depends if i go with necklace and shoes I am thinking of. This is of uncertain yet and I am hesitant as I don't really like gold all that much in terms of jewelry- I prefer white gold or silver to yellow gold so this could change and is very up-in-the-air at the moment!
BOUQUET TRENDS
ballerina bouquet:
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