The Final Countdown

Wow!  It's been almost a month since I've posted anything- a sure sign of exactly how busy I've been!  With only 8 days left until the wedding, the excitement and anxiety are building!  Lately I've felt like a chicken with my head cut off; running from place to place, mailing final payments, and finishing all of my little projects.  The house is a disaster for two reasons: 1) I've had absolutely NO time to clean it 2) there is wedding stuff EVERYWHERE!  Eric told me that "it looks like Christmas" in our house because of the boxes, gift bags, and ribbon scattered about.  As the wedding draws nearer, the honeymoon is actually becoming the more exciting highlight.  Ohh St. Lucia, how fabulously enticing you sound!  Yep, I've hit that point in the wedding process where I'm ready to de-stress and relax on the coast of somewhere beautiful.
Don't get it twisted, I'm still EXTREMELY excited about the wedding and can't wait to be married, but I'm also ready for it all to be done and overwith.  So much hard work and planning that leads up to one day that will fly by so fast.  There isn't a whole lot left to do- a lot of running errands and a few final meetings & organizing.  My goal is to get the rest of my mini projects done this weekend so that I can relax a bit next week before the big day (and work on my tan!).  Not long now and I will have a second ring on my finger and become Mrs. Ewersen... I can't believe it's so close!!

Dreamer

And it begins... I've been having dreams, or nightmares rather, about my wedding day becoming a disaster.  Really, the whole reason I created a blog was because of a dream I had a long time ago (my dress wasn't altered, my hair was in a messy bun, and Eric cut the cake without me)- I thought, "whoa, I need to write about all the things going on to get this out of my head".  Maybe because I've been slacking on my blog (I blame tennis, working out, and being busy with wedding activities), my body has resorted to dreaming as a way to get my thoughts out.  However, I'd rather not have these awful dreams anymore- can't they be good dreams where everything goes smoothly and we live happily ever after?  Nope.  Of course I'm fretting about the things that COULD go wrong, so that's what I'm dreaming about. 

This time, my dad wouldn't walk me down the aisle, and he showed up in his usual plaid button-down shirt with jeans and boots.  He's been joking with me about doing this.  Then, at the alter, Eric was not ready for me to start walking, and he ran off to put his suit on because he was still in a tee shirt and shorts.  And he hadn't cut his hair (it's getting REALLY long now).  Then, the party bus had a flat so they showed up with some truck thing (that I completely dreamed up, because I swear, this thing was way too crazy to have in real life) in which the bed was converted into some weird seating thing with glass panels and an open top. 

Haha, well 37 days to go... and then my mind can rest for a while.  Kudos to all brides who planned their entire weddings, it is a lot of work!  There are so many factors and minor details that all go into the planning process and pull everything together.  I wouldn't mind doing it again though- it has been fun!  And no, I don't mean planning another wedding for MYSELF... I'm considering becoming a wedding planner on the side because I enjoy it so much!

DIY Weddings

We all know how outrageous prices are for wedding day perfection.  There are some areas that should be splurged on to guarantee great results, and others that should not.  I recommend spending the big bucks on those that will make or break the wedding such as the DJ, photographer, hall, and videographer.  Getting exactly what you want (even if it means spending more than you hoped to) will bring satisfaction before, during and after the wedding.  When it comes to indulging on those areas, there are other areas that are definitely overrated and over-priced. 

After viewing options and pricing online, I've determined that invitations, programs, flowers, and even attire are marked up way more than needed.  I refuse to spend $400 on invitations that will eventually end up in the trash, so I'm making my own!  I found some invites online that I liked, and decided to try to mimic that style.  The result?  I was able to assemble my own for less than $.75 per invite!  And they still look awesome!  This is how I assembled them:  I have one 12x12 piece of zebra scrapbooking paper and cut it in half.  Using white card stock, I can print two invites on one sheet (Office Max or an equivalent store will print them) and then paste them to the zebra paper, in which the zebra print becomes the border.  I purchased a roll of organza ribbon and tied it around the invitation & viola! the simple & cute invitation.  The RSVP cards will be a simple postcard (because it saves an envelope & postage is cheaper!).  All of these designs can be created on Microsoft Word, and Avery has many templates and perforated paper that can be purchased.

I am also creating my own programs and escort cards (both designed on word, again using Avery templates).  The programs will be two sheets (cut down to size) of cardstock, with a popsicle stick inserted in between the papers so that it doubles as a fan (wedding in July in un-air conditioned church= HOT!).  I have also decided to make my own card box for the reception, rather than spending $40+ for it.  Instead of flowers at the ceremony (other than around the unity candle), I will purchase a roll of tulle and create my own bows to hang on the pews.  Super easy and super cheap!

Last but not least, the attire.  For the men, we are looking to purchase suits after we find a store that is running a buy one get one free sale.  This will save the boys a lot of money, and then they get to keep their suits!  For the females, since everyone paid up front for their dresses, they got a 15% discount.  I am not picky, so they can wear whatever jewelry they choose, and I found shoes that come in an array of styles for under $25.  For my own accessories, I found a bridal outlet store that sells used items.  I got both my veil and head piece for $130 total.  I received my bracelet for free for hosting a Lia Sophia jewelry party (thanks Abby!), and am waiting for the earrings I want to go on sale.  The best deal of all?  I went to Atlas bridal in the summer while they were running a $99 sale.  That's right, I purchased my wedding gown as a sample for $99!  The original price?  $1300!  Talk about the deal of the century!  I am living proof that shopping around and having patience definitely pay off, and will keep preaching it!  Not a creative person?  Check out YouTube and google for ideas- they have tons!

De-stressing

With the wedding approaching FAST, panic is starting to set in.  All I can think about are all the things I still have left to "check off my list".  With graduation only a little over a month away and working 40 hours a week, I am given a challenge of finding the time to accomplish any wedding tasks.  The solution?  A vacation before the vacation.  That's right, Eric and I went to New York City two weekends ago on a spur-of-the-moment decision, just to have a mini vacation to leave our troubles in Toledo.  And it was GREAT!  A lot of people told me not to go and save money, but I'm so glad we went.  It was exactly what I needed to get away from everything, and then low and behold, he got called back to work on our drive back home!  Can we say perfect timing or what!?

Ok back to the destressing... what are friends for?  My bridesmaids are so awesome and have been helpful in many ways!  Delegation and eagerness to help is such a great thing... I know that when I need advice, a little help, reassurance, or an ear to vent to, they will be there.  They have offered to go registry scanning with me, looked up pricing on items for me, given me ideas for the wedding, and help keep me on track when I get sucked up into my homework. 

The biggest thing to remember is to BREATHE... and have a glass of wine when necessary!  It is easy to get caught up in all the rush of things left to do still (especially when you are OCD like me and everything has to be organized to the T) and lose all sanity.  I refuse to become Bridezilla, and I refuse to get too stressed about the day that is supposed to be the best of my life.  One step at a time, item by item, I will make my way down my "to do" list and everything will be fine.  :)

Registries: The Joys and Pains

The time has come for us to start putting our gift registries together for both the bridal shower and wedding day.  Where to start?  For those couples who don't own a home yet or have their own place, the list is probably pretty easy: one of practically everything.  But when you already have a house with plenty of furnishings, what DO you ask for?  And where should you register?  Registering for gifts should be viewed as a fun shopping experience, but without actually having to purchase anything.  The store just gives you the scanning gun and turns you lose to scan anything the heart desires, regardless of price.

Eric and I chose to register at Bed Bath & Beyond (I mean, that store is HUGE and has TONS of stuff!) and Sears (for the tools and electronics, of course).  We also are giving people the opportunity to "donate" towards our honeymoon trip, in which they can go directly to the travel agency and make a contribution.  This seemed like a great idea for us since we do already have a house with many furnishings, and it makes it easy on others who don't like shopping and searching for items off of registry lists.
Now the actual experience: not so fun.  We ventured out last Sunday to Bed Bath & Beyond.  Poor Eric had to be pushed around in a wheelchair because he recently had knee surgery and there was no way he'd be able to crutch around the store for 2+ hours.  I thought it would be something fun to do and get him out of the house.  WRONG.  Note to self: the aisle ways at that store are ridiculously narrow, and when you have a leg sticking out that can't be bent, it makes it very challenging to get around.  Long story short, we both became frustrated and left after only having a measly 87 items on our registry when they recommended that we have between 400-500.  Not so successful.  We decided that we will wait until Eric is off of crutches to return to Bed Bath & Beyond, and will then go to Sears too.  Something tells me there will be nothing miserable for Eric about completing our Sears registry.  The good news is that we can soon look forward to lots of new stuff, and that is something to get excited about!

Other stores I recommend for registries:

• Target
• Macy's
• Kohl's
• JC Penney
• The Anderson's
• Pottery Barn
• Ikea

When registering, scan EVERYTHING that you think you might like, regardless of price.  You never know who might want to buy that special gift for you, or even have a few people go in on a big gift.  Giving your guests options at all different price points will make it easier on them.  Even if you receive items off your registry that you decide you don't really need, most stores will let you return it for store credit.  So, let the scanning begin without the slightest hesitation!



Tux vs. Suit

Now that the colors and bridesmaid dresses are all squared away (we went with the cobalt blue!), we can move on to the guys' attire.  Eric and I have talked about our options and pricing differences between suits and tuxes.  Overall, the tuxes look more complete and pull everything together... that is, with the jacket on.  Here are the problems I have with tuxes:

• They add extra layers of clothes, which reduces breathability
• Every guy will take his jacket off once the ceremony is over, revealing that ugly back part of the tux
• Sometimes even the vest is removed if the guys get crazy and too sweaty, leaving just the tie and collared shirt
• They cost a fortune and have to be returned the next day to the store- talk about inconvenient!
• That ugly (did I mention I think tuxes have ugly features?) stripe down the side of the pants- what IS that!?

We have decided (and all the groomsmen agree) that it would be nice for the guys to actually purchase and keep their attire- every guy needs at least one nice suit for special events.  We figure that for nearly the same price, the guys can keep their nicely tailored and studly suits rather than returning them the next day for zero dollars back.  Having a late July wedding means it will be hot, and I know the guys will shed the jackets as soon as possible, so why put them in excess layers which have features that I personally hate?  Eric and I plan to start searching and pricing suits this weekend to try to get the guys the best deal possible (hopefully a buy one get one free deal!) to save them the most money AND they get to keep it. 

Bills, Bills, Bills

Well, the big day is fast approaching: 158 days to be exact!  With less than six months to go, the fact that we owe multiple companies multiple dollars is starting to really stare us in the face.  Eric and I have decided to pay the photographer ourselves, and we have our own other expenses such as wedding bands, attire & accessories, reception favors and attendant gifts, the honeymoon, and church and pastor fees.  To start sorting through the bills and decide who to pay first, I find it easiest to start with the most expensive.  We have been making payments to the photographer since October and now owe less than half the total amount.  Having a spring/ summer wedding also brings the perk of having tax returns to help contribute toward outstanding balances.  This tax season will definitely help us pay off some of our vendors.  It is now crunch time and we must really buckle down to save money and make payments to those that we owe.  Handling these balances one at a time and in increments helps keep us from getting too overwhelmed. 

Another great idea to help pay off balances long term is to apply for a credit card that has zero interest for 12 months.  I have been keeping my eye open for mail offers of this sort so I can put some purchases on the card and then have until this time next year to pay it off.  My dad really wanted us to have a destination wedding to avoid huge expenses, but I instead am having the wedding of my dreams and wouldn't trade it for anything!  I am conquering each task one at a time and have enjoyed every bit of the wedding planning process thus far.  Next items on the agenda: gift registry, suit shopping, and cutting the guest list.