The evolution of wedding planning...

Why does everything have to be so magnified for all things wedding?! And why does everything have to be able to be customized?! I am wishing for a socialist society right about now...

So Mr. Yankee and I went paper shopping on Sunday. We had narrowed down our choice in invitations, but of course, I was having doubts and so I decided we needed to go through the torture of looking through 20 different binders all over again. And there we sat on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, flipping through page and page of different colored paper trying to decide just what type of paper was going to be "the one" for our invitations. Of course I liked the expensive pocketfolds or embossed beauties and though pretty, I couldn't talk myself into spending that kind of money on something that people will throw away. But don't applaud me yet. Because I got home and looked up this invitation suite (wedding lingo, not my words) that I noticed a few days prior. And of course I started to swoon all over again and decided that I would *at least* email the designer to get an idea of the cost.

I then found out that she has a two month waiting list and of course that just increased my need to have these invitations and these only. Now I am officially on a waiting list to have someone else play in adobe photoshop or indesign or whatever it is these creative types do to make me a "custom" invitation.

.. bah wedding planning. Any other brides having paper planning snafus?!

Drowning in inspiration...

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I am in this weird place in terms of wedding planning... I have all of this inspiration surrounding me and all of these ideas that I like but nothing is cohesive. I am not what you would call crafty and so a lot of things I've seen have been other brides' long hard hours of work, but the things I like tend to clash. Damask patterns on invites with vines on the menus. Funky fonts on the programs with script on the escort cards. Perhaps the length of the engagement (20 months by the time we say "I do") is to blame or a suppressed fear that my wedding has to be the wedding that ends all weddings. For example, I have thought of at least four different things I can do for our table numbers- yes, at least four different ways to creatively mark a table number. I've changed my idea on the type of invitations I like a half a dozen times and have even re-thought my colors.

There are so many questions to answer and things to plan - which is normally something I love- but it is driving me a little bonkers. Trying to remain calm and keep perspective all the while secretely worrying on how my invitations will turn out or what peope will think of the wine we chose. I might need some therapy after this.

I am doing the bride to be thing and collecting any and all photos that interest me, hoping an impartial third party will see a common thread I am missing. And I am hoping that as it gets closer I will come up with some sort of theme, idea, look that I like and that I can pull all the way through the wedding.

How are you figuring out all the details?! Am I the only bride second guessing everything?!

The Great Cake Debate

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I blogged before about my utter shock at the price quote of flour, sugar and eggs- also known as a wedding cake. After the initial sticker shock wore off, I reassessed my budget to see what we could realistically accomodate. I added a couple of hundred dollars to the cake section, but something about it didn't sit right with me. So I looked into other options. I searched the net for budget friendly options like cup cakes, pies and perhaps not going through a posh little bakery. It is during this search that I found a beautiful cake in an unlikely source.

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That's right- Lucky food stores. At first I was a little apprehensive to the idea. I mean, it's Lucky! It's not a home grown bakery that has built their business from the ground up and all that. I felt a little guilty for being so "cheap" when it came time to something for the wedding, but I just couldn't sit with the idea of paying 300% mark up for a simple, three tiered, square cake. I wanted no fancy design or sugar flowers- so I didn't think $6 a person was an acceptable price. Sue me.

How I stumbled upon Lucky is actually pretty interesting. I was early to work one morning and decided that I would check one final local bakery to ask about their wedding cakes. I got the information from the owner of bakery one, surpressing my expected shock when she spoke of per person costs and delivery fees. I walked out into the cool morning air and looked to my left- then I walked next door to Lucky.

I popped into their bakery department and asked if they did special event cakes like weddings. The lady behind the counter was very helpful and handed me a book and told me that they definitely did wedding cakes, but that they didn't deliver. All of a sudden, I found it. The cake to end all cakes! It was square, in my wedding colors and under $400!!! I preceeded to get super excited, take a picture of the picture with my cell phone and email Mr. Yankee what he thought.

"I like it. It's simple, classic and CHEAP. :)"

..typical boy.

So I called and make a cake tasting/consultation appointment with the cake decorate for Tuesday at 1 o'clock! And barring any disasters- I think we may have found out cake vendor! Beautiful and within my budget?! Yes please! 

How about the brides out there?! Did your wedding planning take you to unexpected places?!

Dressing the 'maids

I know it's supposed to be all about the bride in terms of fashion obsession during the wedding planning process, but I have some pretty awesome ladies standing up for me this October and I wanted to make sure they were going to look FABULOUS come game time. And I wanted to make sure they liked their dress- and even though every bride says, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say- I really wanted a dress that they would be able to wear again. So I decided what any woman attempting to stay away from the title of bridezilla would do- let the girls decide for themselves! It was agreed I would have final veto authority, but that it was up to the girls do decide what the wear- and the fun began! Amazingly enough the girls picked out a dress the same day I bought my wedding dress- nearly a year ago!

excuse the grainy picture- personal photo

another personal photo

While I liked these dresses at first I didn't love them. But knowing that we had a while before the girls had to actually purchase the dress, I kept quiet- hoping that they would change their minds and find something else they liked instead. A few months later my dress was in! Super excited to go try it on and make sure it was the same dress I ordered, I invited bridesmaid A along with me to look at me dress and take a look at the bridesmaid dresses again. We both weren't exactly swooning over the dress, so for fun we took a look around. That is when we found this absolutely gorgeous dress!!!

oh my gosh! gorgeous!

Isn't it puuuurty?! And it has pockets!! Bridesmaid A and I absolutely loved this dress! But not wanting to make a unilateral decision I decided that we would wait until the dress order date to make any firm plans one way or another. Then the march sunday was upon us- the dress order date! It was due or die time. Before making firm commitments, the girls decided they wanted to play dress up and take a look at the dresses. Unfortunately, though it looked gorgeous on the model, it did not look good on the girls. So the search was officially on- and luckily I have two gorgeous, easy going ladies who were more than willing to model dress after dress until we all agreed on the right dress. After about 8 dresses and 30 minutes, the decision was made!!

Isn't it purty?! And it looked fabulous on the two models and everyone thought it was a flattering look and that they would be up to wearing it again!! The final dress will be a dark brown like the first dress pictured and we'll be accessorizing it with green shoes and some other small pieces. I am really happy that all the girls liked the dress and that this part of our wedding planning is done.

Now to plan a shopping trip in the city.... My life is so tough! Did your wedding party find their outfits easily?!