Our Wedding by the Sea

21 months after getting engaged, our wedding is FINALLY just three weeks away!  It still hasn't really sunk in.  I mean it does, every now and then.  But for the most part, we've been engaged for so long that it will always feel like it'll still be so long until the big day.

In three weeks, I have A LOT to accomplish.  Chris and I are in his best man's wedding next week (he as a groomsman, myself as a bridesmaid), and the week after that we are going to start taking stuff down the shore to lighten our load on the wedding weekend.  This is our last real weekend to get anything done and I need to get on it!!

This is the list of everything we need to accomplish before our wedding.  A lot of it is stuff that's impossible to do now, like picking up Chris' suit or packing, but I'm a list maker and those are all things that will give me immense joy to cross off.

What's Left To Do:
-Book rehearsal (my FIL's are doing this- everything they try to plan keeps falling through)
-Buy groomsmen gifts (Chris just needs something for his last GM who is impossible to buy for)
-Buy: Baskets for the guest book table, Baskets for potpourri, bucket for cigarette butts, sand for sand ceremony, twine for beach wedding sign, glass for card box,
-Finish beach wedding sign
-Finish card box
-Remove two round tables from rentals and all the extra chairs, dishes, and glassware
-Iron linens
-Choose napkin presentation
-Order groom's cake
-Assemble table names
-Clean centerpiece vases/votive holders
-Clean the glass on the lanterns
-Finish the centerpiece flowers
-Write thank you notes for bridal shower
-Send thank you notes for bridal shower
-Meet with photographer to go over schedule and must takes
-Coordinate and print day-of timelines for anyone who needs one
-Send final schedule to all vendors
-Review honeymoon plans and make reservations for dinner spots, excursions, etc.
-Send rehearsal/rehearsal dinner invites (may have to be word of mouth at this point)
-Book mani/pedi for the day before the wedding
-Write toasts for the rehearsal dinner
-Figure out ice for the bar
-Update alcohol list at package store
-Make lists/take photos of what things should look like for those setting up
-Make packing list for wedding weekend
-Pack for wedding weekend
-September 6th: Give caterer final headcount, meal choices, and half the total due
-Write thank you notes for any gifts arriving early
-Wrap gifts for bridal party
-Schedule fifth dress fitting
-Attend fifth dress fitting
-Schedule final dress fitting
-Attend final dress fitting
-Confirm hotel for wedding night
-Print all email correspondence with all vendors
-Make a binder with vendor info and contracts for Chris and I
-Write out Chris' wedding card
-Find a lazy Susan for card box
-Check registries everyday starting September 3 to make sure enough gifts are left at different price points
-Check with anyone scheduled to make a toast
-September 14th: Attend bachelorette party
-Write thank you notes for bachelorette party
-Send thank you notes for bachelorette party
-Pick up wedding dress
-Start packing for honeymoon
-Prepare tip envelopes for vendors
-Finalize seating chart
-Print and assemble seating cards
-September 10th: Start checking weather forecast for wedding and honeymoon
-Buy alcohol for reception
-September 17th: Confirm all vendors
-September 17th: Give final headcount to all vendors (with the exception of the caterer, because they already know)
-September 17th: Confirm with BM that he'll return Chris' rental suit
-Write thank you notes to parents
-September 19th: Pick up Chris' suit
-September 19th: Confirm hotel reservations for the night after the wedding
-Practice vows
-Pack bag for wedding day
-Get final steaming for dress and veil
-Confirm flights for the honeymoon
-Give tips to someone to distribute them
-September 20th: Buy snacks for wedding day
-September 20th: Drive to Jersey
-September 21st: Practice speeches and vows
-September 21st: Mani/pedi
-September 21st: Rehearsal/rehearsal dinner
-September 21st: Start setting up reception space

Awhile back, I mentioned colouring my crinoline.  Well today I finally did it.  I would have done it sooner, but my seamstress had to hem it.  I just brought it home on Sunday night and this was the first time I've had a chance.  It isn't dry yet, but I am beyond happy with the results so far!

I dyed it in a plastic storage bin (I bought it at Target for like $3) because we juuuuust bought a brand new, super expensive front-loading washer that I didn't want to risk ruining.  Our tub is plastic, and I didn't want to dye that... so the plastic bin it was.

My slip is 100% nylon and, as you can see, the dye "stuck" just right.  I used 7 quarts (28 cups) of HOT water- I let it simmer on the stove before dumping it in the bin.  I added a cup of vinegar to help it soak as recommended by RIT, and added two bottles of aquamarine dye and 3 tablespoons of kelly green dye.

I am so in love with how it turned out and can't wait for it to dry so I can see the true colour!

So I know I haven't written in awhile, but it's not for lack of things to say.  I have been SO busy and haven't had much time for anything NWR.  When I do have a few precious minutes of not wedding planning or working, I don't want to spend them writing about wedding planning.  Haha- I am all planned out!!  Now I feel like I can write some stuff, so I'm going to :)

On August 5th I had my bridal shower.  It was amazing- beyond my expectations.  It was a Paris theme and I loved it.  There was a great mix of friends and family and I was SO nervous but had no reason to be.  My mum, FMIL, and bridesmaids did a great job.  We got some great gifts and everyone had a lovely afternoon.

We've also checked A LOT off our lists.  There is still quite a bit to go, but it's definitely do-able.  We bought the lanterns for our cocktail hour centerpieces, confirmed the reception set-up with our DJ (and made most of our playlist, just need to confirm a few little details with Fi).  We cancelled the Vieques leg of our stay in PR and extended the time in San Juan because of the hassle (ie- ferry times being unreliable, rental cars not being allowed to leave the main island, no full moon = no biobay, etc.).  We also went to Lowe's and bought the wood, paint, and nails to make our table numbers, as well as dowels and wood to make the base for our stacked paper lanterns for beside the bar.

Our RSVP deadline was today as well.  We are still waiting to hear back from 26 people, but we are officially below our max amount, so I am thrilled.  We are giving the mail until the end of the week to come in (we figure there will be a few stragglers) and then we'll start calling around on Monday.  If everyone else says yes (and there are a few we're expecting to say no), then we'll have 96 guests.  The smaller, the better, I like to say :)

We also made our final payment to the WCC today, which feels REALLY good.  We are really coming along!!

On Thursday we go to apply for our marriage license, which I am SUPER excited for.  Mostly because it means we get to go to the beach!  We haven't been AT ALL this summer because of work, and we're using all of our time off for the wedding and honeymoon :(  Which will be awesome then... but sucks a lot right now.

Finally, we took my engagement ring to be re-dipped.  I want it to be nice and sparkly for pictures!  They should all be back on the 28th, but I won't be wearing my e-ring again until the wedding weekend.  We engraved our rings, too.  His will say, "Big Spoon" and mine will say, "Little Spoon."  I am in love :)

33 DAYS UNTIL I'M CHRIS' MRS.!!

A few days ago I was like, "Oh my God... it's August- I'm getting married next month!"

And then today I realized that we only have 50 more days.

Eeeee!!!

So far, we have 35 confirmed guests (obviously not including ourselves!)  I've been leaving work for my break everyday around 1:00 because I know that the mail will have been delivered by then.  We had one day so far with no RSVPs :( But that day we got a wedding gift (our blender!) and a wedding card, so it made it alright haha.

This was another productive week!  On Tuesday I had my second dress fitting.  If you remember, my dress was HUGE during my first fitting.  This time, it fit much nicer.  I'm going to post some pictures for you, but please don't judge my eyebrows.  Also, she had to take off the sides of the beading around the waist, all the beading around the hem, and some flowers on the side to take it in/up, but didn't want to replace that stuff until after I tried it on again and made sure it fit.  So there are pieces hanging off and the edges look rough, but it's a work in progress!

I *also* had my hair and makeup trial on Thursday, which was awesome!  I had a great time with my mum- we went to see our venue because she hadn't been there, and then we had lunch and headed over to the salon.  Here's what I'll be doing with my hair.  I am going to ask her for more volume in the front, and I think I'm going to wear my veil on top of my hair instead of under, but other than that, I LOVED it.

I also loved my makeup and absolutely adored the fake lashes.  I wish I could wear them everyday!  The only thing I am going to change about my makeup is having no white shadow (it'll be nude instead for the shimmer) and add a little more blush because I feel like it was great in person but not enough in photos.  Also, for some reason I didn't smile in any of these photos?  So try to imagine me smiling hahaha.

I just got back from our cake tasting/rental day.  I feel a huge weight of stress just lifted off my shoulders.  All our major vendors are finally hired.

First we stopped at the rental company place.  We added some stuff, removed some stuff, changed some stuff.  It was a lot easier to talk to them in person than it was on the phone: they always seemed really busy when I called and I feel I got much better service today in person.  AND our bill went down dramatically with our changes.  So yay!

Then we went to the cake tasting.  I'm not going to lie: I was a little put-off.  It was in a kinda not-nice-looking shopping center.  But the minute I tried the cake I was in love.  She obviously uses real butter in her buttercream.  The cake was moist and absolutely delicious and I am so excited that we will be eating it on our wedding night.  It was sweet- but not too sweet- and was just perfect.

She is going to replicate the simple, yet beautiful, cake I fell in love with 18 months ago when I first started looking for wedding ideas.  I am going to try to order some loose flowers from Shaye (who did our wedding flowers) to break up the layers a little bit since it's all white frosting.  We're doing four tiers: chocolate, vanilla, marble, and chocolate chip.

The price was beyond fair and includes delivery from Egg Harbor to Stone Harbor and set-up at our reception AND a complimentary anniversary cake next year.

Houston, we have a contract!  Woohoo!  After months of talking about it, we FINALLY got our contract with our caterer.  We are signed, sealed, and official.  I could cry.  SUCH a HUGE weight off my shoulders... you know, since we have 9 weeks until our wedding and all haha.

Today we are going to meet with our rental company to change a few things, see some things and possibly add them to our list, and put down a deposit.  Then we're off to taste some cake!

Hopefully this bakery will be "the one," and we can sign a contract today.  After the deposit is down at the the rental place and the cake lady is (hopefully) booked, I'll be screaming from the rooftops- but not on Facebook haha- about how ALL of our vendors will have been booked.

Please send positive happy vibes out into the universe that everything goes well and that I can finally relax after today!!

PS- I got some texts yesterday from friends saying they got my invitations already!!  That was SO fast!  We might even get some RSVPs before the mailing week is over!

There's no turning back... invitations are in the mail!!  Yay!!!

I literally spent the whole day yesterday working on invitations.  I printed everything out and cut it down (each invite was 2, 8x10 sheets of paper that had the invite, RSVP card, accommodations card, and directions card- I had to cut down the 8x10 page to get all the little elements).  Then I started mounting the invites to the pocket fold, and stuffing the pockets with enclosure cards.  That took forever, because I made a different set of directions for each person- to match the state they are coming from.

It feels SO good to be done.

I just need to go to the post office on Monday and buy postage.  We still need to add stamps to the RSVP envelopes, as well as the mailing envelopes... and then we'll send them off on Tuesday!

I hope we start getting some RSVPs this week!!

And we have 69 days left, but who's counting? :p

For the past several months, I have been holding off on printing my invitations.  Not because I wanted to- oh no- but because I *thought* there was a problem with the brand new, supposed-to-be-amazing printer that Chris' parents bought us for Christmas.  Every time I tried to print out my beloved documents, there was a series of dots along the sides of the wording.  I thought it was smudging from the rollers.  I can't even tell you how many times Chris cleaned those stupid rollers.

A friend brought my paper to her workplace and I sent her all her files.  I got desperate!  My invites go out on July 23rd and they aren't even freakin printed yet!!  She printed them and the same stupid dots were on them.

Turns out the stupid dots are on the document.  I could kick myself.  I am SO happy that it was something so small.  I just took an erase and removed them from that layer on Photoshop.  Thank the lord I didn't merge all my layers!!!

So as I write this, I am currently printing the invitations & RSVP cards for all of the parties of two invited to our wedding.  Then I'll do parties of one.  Then I'll do alllll the directions cards.  I had Fi buy new ink last night.  I am finishing these invitations THIS weekend.

Once and for all.





...wish me luck...