# 118 Last Post for awhile? 1 More DAY!!

ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!!!!
Last night was the Chinese Reception. WOW! I didn't think my restaurant could look that sick but it was AWESOME!! Of course, picture time was the worst. Can't handle it. My eyes hurt. BUT! The food was great, it was slightly different from Happy China's banquet meals but still awesome! My family went all out for that party. End of the night- Stress level shot up to 11 out of 10. haha. Then, all morning and afternoon today, I had a huge bridal workshop and we knocked out the best things ever.
:::DONE:::
PINE TREE FAVORS (54) 4 per table
DETHORNING ROSES
MOSS COLLECTION
CENTERPIECES READY
TABLECLOTHS IRONED
CAKE ICED
CAKE ACORNS MADE

:::NEED TO DO TOMORROW:::
- Playlist at Thom's
- pick up & wash silverware at Thom's
- wrap silverware w/hemp and ivy
- pack for Honeymoon(ish) and Night before
- tell Mom to bring my dress, veil, jewelry, and gloves
- tell Mom to bring the Chafing Dishes from home
- tell Mom to bring coffee creamer/sugar/sweeteners
- set up tables and chairs
- deposit checks, pick up presc
- setup guest book table and decorate!
.... Please Sign In!!! Draw yourself and write a fortune for the newly married couple and drop it in the fortune box! Or, a message to the couple! Thank you once again!


:::DAY OF:::
- set up the tablecloths
- centerpieces, candles with rocks, water. Add flowers. I have so many flowers at this point I don't know what to do with myself.
- set up CAKE
- Have BEN and ALEX as ushers. Ben escorts my mom down the aisle to her LEFT spot, Alex escorts Laura to the Right spot with Thom following behind.

Helen: bring all of your old clear vases NBD!
in charge of:
- Handing sealed envelope pay for Adam, (2), and Beethoven
- Have checkbook ready

# 117 Bachy Party

I went to my first bachelorette party- my own! I've been to others but they only involved food since I missed part of theirs. Stayed at Chairman Mao's sick Suite- PIMPTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

Now it's off for the chinese dinner tomorrow. Ouch!
I burned part of my forehead yesterday with my new curling iron. Makeup won't cover it up well so I readjusted my hair part so that it'll cover it naturally LOL. I'm such a dunce.

# 116 Still Need to Do...

Still Need to Do... 
- Devise Music Playlist (halfway done- now I need the uptempo dance songs)
- Recipes for Kay
- Addresses of all the guests to send a NY postcard (buy extra stamps)
- Ceremony Programs, design and send PDF to Helen. Half sheet, double sided, give paper to her as well. Buy paper cutter at Big Lots?
- call Patricia and Adam about the day
-  REVISE and Send Ceremony Outline and Wedding Day itinerary to wedding party.
- Take pics of centerpieces and send them to Kay, Kat, and bridesmaids
- take pics of wedding cheesecake.
- Bake wedding cheesecake on Thursday. Then Sunday evening!
- Pick up seafood at Joe Patti's on Monday at 10am. Go shopping with Kay at Sam's!
- make seating chart and assign people seating.

List  to Buy at Sam's:
- dinner napkins(Target? 7th generation natural napkins)
- 2 sets forks and knives
- plastic plates for desserts
- candies  (swedish fish,  M&Ms, apple rings, chocolates)
- boxes for takeaway candies
- wash white plates
- iron out tablecloths

Mom:
- hot water heater at Mobile Fixture
- heat lamps for roast pig

Wan Fu:
- forks and knives
- sugar caddies
- chaffing dishes and stuff
- more buffet pans (4 deep ones, 12 shallow ones)
-------give some to Laura and Thom
- salt and pepper shakers (14? or just 2?)
- coffee cups
- tea pots and cups(same as coffee cups)
- all of the little scoops and tongs she doesn't really use
- all of the white Xmas lights
- all of the light pink tablecloths

//wash white plates

Asian Market
Random Candies:
- Lychee Jellies
- coffee candy
- the rabbit candy

# 115 10 Days Left!!!

I sent in the ceremony outline to Robin last Wednesday. I had some of my girls come out to help me. I am not even close to donezo. I'm kind of retreating within myself I'm so nervous.

Property Signs to Walk:
There once was a squirrel named Jack. He followed these birds along a dirt path.
He took a wrong turn, and then he returned, to a lit area that was packed.

Rabbits and chipmunks and frogs, there were even dancing groundhogs,
the forest was full of the chilly winter cool, as they gathered around burning logs.

A ceremony of love was to take place, with a smile on everyone's face.
a robin was there and a cat helped prepare
the celebration of love that was based.

A pathway created was made, so the guests would not have to evade.
A rabbit dressed in white with a groom in her sight,
will dance down the path that was laid.

They want their beloved guests to know, how much this means to them so.
They've come all this way, to witness the day
of where the commitment and love will go.

Wedding Day "Program"


Welcome Message 
Thomas and Crystal want to thank you for sharing their special day with them at their forest wedding :)

Velveteen Rabbit excerpt
 Weeks passed, and the little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the Boy loved him just as much. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned grey, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit any more, except to the Boy.
To him he was always beautiful, and that was all that the little Rabbit cared about. He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter. 
Wedding Party
Officiant/Robin Davis
Maid of Honor/Helen Cheung, bridesmaids/Terry Lin/Duong Hoang/Melissa Dorsey/Hanh Le/India Owens
Best Man/Scott Dickens, groomsmen/Kevin Cooper/Billy Riggins/Eric Eligio/Wilson Yu/Linda Nguyen
Parents of the Bride: Lai Ka and Nai Chin Yu
Parents of the Groom: Laura Cooper/ Thomas Barrineau III

Please enjoy refreshments during cocktail hour 3:00-4:30
Make a birdseed covered pinecone with your kid!
Go canoing in the lake!  Roast marshmallows at the fire.

Anytime you need a ride back to your car, do not hesitate to ask a groomsman to escort you back via golfcart.

Bathrooms are located at the Little House and the Big House.

# 114 Rings, License, Dent., donezo!

Thomas and I finally visted the courthouse the same day my friend was getting hitched and applied for our license. That same day, we visited the local jeweler he went to get my engagement ring at. I tell you, I loved the place. Places like Zales and Kay's were too bling and money focused. This place was so chill, I didn't mind going double budget on the bands(that also has to do partly with the fact that gold prices have literally doubled this year from last). Bob knew exactly who we were even though I got engaged 3 years ago and was no pressure. He's going to do some custom work on our bands so that it matches my engagement ring. I pick them up soon. He's had his shop for the past 35 years which I find phenomenal. Stoked!

# 113 Bridal Showers! Dos..

Today was my second bridal shower! The party was hosted by Kat, a close family friend. She went all out Kat-styled: silver coffee urns, glass cups and plates, polished silver, and fantastic hor d'eurvs. The setting was definitely more formal and I got way too many gifts once again! I swear, it's honestly so awkward for me to get this kind of attention and care, but as many have said(albeit not follow as much), "You only get married once!" The one Melissa and Helen threw for me 2 weeks prior was very chill and laidback since it was a potluck feast. Anyway, I am so thankful and happy that my friends and family care so much. This is only the beginning too.

# 112 Enviro Friendly disposables

Enviro Friendly disposables... oh the price of being a disposable bride

# 111 Marriage Licenses

Yay! I can finally apply for a marriage license! I'll do it by Dec 11.Any person who has been issued a social security number shall provide that number when applying for a marriage license.

Room 13001 - First Floor

190 Governmental Center

Pensacola, Florida 32502

Monday-Friday, 8:00 to 5:00

FL Application

# 110 MakeUp Trial #1

Ever since Rezvan did my makeup over the summer for a photoshoot, I've been wary of someone new touching my face. I believe I do a pretty good job but in terms of taking it to that next level of natural POP, I don't think I got it. I never had my makeup done professionally before, but Rezvan did an outstanding job that translated amazingly well in pictures. Anyway, D and L came over to help me with some looks. D did about 7 different looks until finally I said, I want to look like her- pointing to Quinn from Glee. Her face was so natural and beautiful! Pink cheeks, dark lashes, lightly stained lips, and beige eyeshadow, she looks like she stepped out of a modern day Marie Antoinette ball. Once I showed her Quinn from the TV, D was like, "OH!" and recreated the looked almost perfectly! I was stoked- I looked made up but still natural. I would post a pic but my camera died on me :(

# 109 Honeymoon NY! Places to go!

I was talking to my design teacher about the places Tommy B and I could go in NY for our honeymoon- J.H. suggested some pretty sick places!


http://cooperhewitt.org/
http://www.newmuseum.org/
http://www.thehighline.org/
abchome.com - we were talking about Anthropologie and how AWESOME their stores were and he recommended this place! Can't wait!!!


the Whitney Museum, 22-25th street - A. Shririiaivividecker

abc carpet & home manhattan since 1897        

ten floors offering an inspired collection of rugs, furniture, antiques, home textiles, accessories and sustainable furnishings

manhattan store directory

888 & 881 broadway
new york, ny 10003
212 473 3000
mon-sat: 10-7, sun: 11-6:30

The High Line is located on Manhattan's West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, 2009, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street. 

For park information, please call the High Line Information Line: (212) 500-6035 



The High Line is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

Hours

New Museum

235 Bowery
New York, NY 10002
212.219.1222

COOPER-HEWITT MUSEUM 

Hours: 

Monday–Friday: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Saturday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m. 

Sunday: Noon–6 p.m. 

Garden entrance on 90th Street open May–September (weather permitting) 

# 107 Stats

To this day, I still don't know how many invites were passed out, mainly because my mom keeps handing them out! I'm like, STOP IT! Anyway, this is what I have so far. I like the number: 76. I know it's going to climb substantially but I want it to stay under 100. 75 would be ideal :)

# 106 Bought the Shawls!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOBBLE GOBBLE.........

Helen suggested Grey even though it's not one of the wedding colors. I ended up buying them in that color tonight!! That's the extent of my Black Friday.

30% silk, 70% pure pashmina wool. Should be warm and long enough for the girls! I can't wait to make their gift baggies!! I wanted to purchase these as *one* of their gifts to offset the cost- it's not like we're rich or anything, we're all right out of or currently still in college so anything helps! All I want them to buy is their bridesmaid dresses- everything else, they can pick and choosey of they want.

# 105 BM Shawls...

Ok, it's almost a month away and I've been putting this on the back burner when I could easily have ordered it WAY long ago! I still can't decide what matches the dresses and that's important because it'll be in the pics! I think a neutral would be good, no browns or whites b/c that has too much contrast.

I went on Illustrator(HAHA, i know, cheating) to see what colors matched it automatically. AI swatches on the right, Nimli.com's swatches on the left. I think I'll order them from Nimli because of the quality and the color selection. They are kind of pricy though but currently are on sale. Another $200 after shipping- but we'll see! I think I might match the groomsmen?

More Links:

Azuri Cashmere Pashmina Shawl $25+SH

Azuri Feather Pashmina Shawl $20+SH

Scarf_tradinginc New Best Soft $14/each

Amazon's New Best Soft 100% Pashmina $14/each

GLOVES

Amazon's Opera Length Satin Gloves $10 -I hate gloves but am scared of cold weather! I'll buy it just in case!

# 104 Veil ready!

Duong came over to help with cooking while the boys were out in the yard playing with sticks and grass and lake. Ha. Woke up, ate the grits for breakfast, ate the casserole and grits for lunch, and proceeded to search for veil-making materials since I freaking lost my tulle. Went over to the bridal section- they sold the metal combs for $10! I'm like, wtf, this is at most .70- so we walk over to the jewelry section and lo and behold, 1.49. Stupid bridal markup.

Went back to the office and made my veil! Soooo pretty! I love it! We also set up our tables and centerpieces to see what it would look like. Back at the house, we had searched for the centerpiece branches- but since they were wet, we only spray painted one of the them. I am very happy with it! Now I'm looking for little birds or insects to put on the branches. Cute.

# 103 Catering Trial #1

Wew brought back 4 buffet pans so I could see if they would fit in our chaffing pans and in our oven. They do. Score! Our (hot) foods menu thus far: Roast Pig, DF, C&R, Zea's corn grits, Fresh Green Bean Casserole, Vodka Cream Pasta, Roasted Red Potatoes. This whole self-catering is kind of crazy. What I am trying to aim for is to follow catering companies' model of cooking ahead of time so the day of you just reheat it and serve it.
Results:
Zea's corn grits
--- Instead of buying yellow grits, I bought the Quick Grits from wal-mart. The recipe also calls for heavy cream, and 2 cups of it too. Wow.. I certainly didn't have that when I figured that out at home. I used 1/2 water and 1/2 2% milk instead of 1/2 water and 1/2 heavy cream. I also added 2 sticks of butter, salt, and the corn. When it was finished, I poured it into the buffet pan, topped it with freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh green onions. The grits were supposed to be yellow due to its type, NOT the butter so next time I'll have to buy the yellow kind, plus a lot of heavy cream. I specifically love Zea's grits so I'll do that in the next trial.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
---I boiled the green beans instead of using canned(gross). The entire dish shrunk in half. How the heck do you mess up GBS?! Next time, I won't cook the beans and let the oven do the talking. But, the grilled garlic and onions that I added in the mix were delish.
Vodka Cream Pasta
---Epic Fail. Epic I say. The pasta I made the night before to see how well it stayed overnight in the fridge. The sauce- I forgot to buy crushed tomatos- instead, i relied on the tomato sauce at home which resulted in a watery mess of vodka. Also, to be adventurous, I used Absolute's Mango flavored vodka, and realized that 1 cup of Absolute was not cheap so I added Viking Ford to the end. The result? The mango flavor overpowered the vodka taste which wasn't good. Darn you Absolute, making the best flavored vodkas there is. Darn you. Anyway, whatev. Fine as a cold dish?
Roasted Red Potatoes
 ---Didn't have red potatoes and used chopped Idahos. Flavor amazing, but way undercooked even though we left it in the oven 20 min longer? Should I have wrapped it in aluminum foil? IDK...

---Trying to figure out what Meat dishes we'll have on there. I love fish and it cooks fast, plus baked is delish...Olive oil & Lemon... yummmmm.

# 102 Hair Trial #1

Went to Tiffany's- she curled my hair into barrel curls which made my hair look a lot shorter, shorter than I liked! That meant I didn't grow my hair out long enough! Do I need weave? We're going to try a looser wave. Apparently my hair holds curls like crazy  so a wave might be better for it! It was an AWESOME day!!!

# 101 Pretty Lists

I had a cup of coffee at 4pm at Wilson's the other day on my break. Couldn't sleep that night. Wedding planning, solution planning, ideas that were left undone were furling around in my head. I started devising lists- first it was the Helpers' outline. I posted an ad on craigslist.com and have been inundated with e-mails so I deleted my posting today because I had a good enough list of contacts. Fantastic! More lists. Last night was food prep. Wow, it was so easy once I threw it on the computer and just typing away! It probably helps a lot that I wanted a consistent and gorgeous feel to it, otherwise I hate looking and working on boring stuff. Siiiiick!

Fly away. Fly away. Once I get the recipes, I have to do some math conversions to estimate the right amount.

-You Won't Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta

-Oven Roasted Red Potatoes 

-Green Bean Casserole

-Wedding Menus

Buffet Menu:

#100 My 100th Post! Overview

12" Trial
Back to what I was saying in my previous cake post, I baked the large 12" cheesecake for 3 hours on 325 degrees and left it in the oven with the heat off for another hour. The result- burnt cheeseacake that didn't taste burnt but it was a darker amber color as opposed to light yellow. The result was also more dense so that 3" height was lost by the overbaking. Massive fail!!

10" Trial

Scared from the first trial and the massive fear of wasting 2 pounds of cream cheese and a dozen eggs, I baked the second cheesecake the same time as the recipe called for. The problem this entire time is trying to figure out a formula and time frame to bake such a large cheesecake without under or overbaking it. So, basically, it was my head the entire time. I baked it at a lower temp at 300 degrees and baked it only 15 min over the recipe called for, 1.5 hours and left it in the oven with the heat turned off for another hour(a little bit less). This one turned out as perfect as can be! It was white, light, fluffy, and beauuuuutiful!! EPIC SUCCESS!!!!

Icing Trials: Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese, Cream Cheese, White Chocolate Cream Cheese
Duong, India, and I tried 3 different recipes and were each in charge of making that particular one.

Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese (Me): Tasted amazing, but didn't necessarily match the cheesecake. Plus, the icing was loose and really sticky. This was a test to me too. Nope, will not.
Cream Cheese (Duong): Just a simple recipe, but same texture as above.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese (India): I actually dislike white chocolate and was wary of this recipe but decided to give it a try because it was the only one that was suggested by an actual cake-pan making company, Wilton. This turned out the best because it turned out white and melted almost perfectly with the fluffly white cheesecake. Major winner! I know I found the best one! It had this nice solid shell but was still maleable enough to smooth over. It resembled a real wedding cake which was SWEET! Major Success!!

# 99 Pinecones and Vines and Acorns oh my!

# 98 Cheesecake trial #4 the real deal

On Saturday I went ahead and baked my 12" chz cake which after baking 3 tiny cakes this was the real deal. Epic fail! 3 hours in the over, + 1 hour in the oven w/the heat turned off = a burnt waster of a dozen eggs, 2 pounds of cream cheese, and effort. However, the 10" turned out AMAZING! Perfect 3" of fluffiness, white, with the  best icing ever.

# 97 Self-Catering Links

Most stressful part of planning the wedding. Trying to self cater. I can handle presentation on a whim, but prepping it and making sure it heats up hot enough. Whew.

I need 3 people to help me with catering it.

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Cater-A-Fabulous-Silver-Anniversary-Party
Cooking for a Crowd
About.com: Self Catering

# 96 More Stick Centerpiece Ideas

I love the little yellow bobettes and the sticks, ahem, wishing tree. Cute rabbit.

# 95 Halloween

I want to take a break and talk about my Halloween costume. Uh, HELLO?! My favorite fighter EVER!

Need to Do:

-Cut dress shorter & hem at knee

-Use excess fabric to make shoulder sleeves puffy

-Get white fabric and make bun wraps, ribbon, and sash

-Cut & glue together wrist cuffs

Sit back and be the badass she is.

# 94 Bridesmaids Dresses

Now everybody has their dress ordered.

# 93 Green Ties for the Men

I like the texture of this tie, plus it is a bit close in color to the clover green. Well, almost.

# 92 Ethics... Green over Greed?

I am feeling really guilty about my purchases. Not because they cost anything but because I could have reduced my carbon footprint with them, yet I chose not to. I bought my dress overseas which was custom-made and I bought the flowers which are from Latin America. Now, buying imports doesn't necessarily make me a bad person but because they didn't advertise as "fair-trade" or "organic" and obviously they're not "local" I just feel bad all around. And for what... my "dream flowers." Boo. Too late now.

I don't know... Bad vs. Good + Maybe

Bad:
- dress imported
- flowers imported
- flowers are CUT
- food = conventionally prepared
- buying new products like tablecloths, plates, & silverware
- buying disposable little plates for apps and dessert
- buying disposable napkins

Good:
- drastically reduced # of cut flowers
- making vases out of red and stone white clay
- reusing branches in nature
- adding moss, leaves, and other natural greenery in decor
- buying thrift store finds of glassware, thus repurposing
- renting chairs and tables
- borrowing supplies & tables from Kay who will in turn reuse them for other parties
- decided not to hire an out of state musician
- will have recycle bins
- resell tablecloths, plates, and ware. If not, someone in my family of restauranteurs will use them for their own.

Maybe:
- see if local farmers' markets will sell local fruits to me in bulk to reduce traveling long distances

# 91 Tablecloths...Bought

found some white satin tablecloths from CVimports.com for the same price as polyester. Would that be too formal? but it's SAtIN!!!! I think it'll be too formal only because our chairs will be bobo so I'm thinking to err on caution. But satin!!!!! same price! I don't know... 209.86 for [14] 120". Not bad... free shipping too.

It's official, I just purchased them in Satin. Scott said that noone's really going to be looking at the chairs since we'll be sitting on them but we WILL be looking at the tables. Makes sense. I'm wondering if they'll be harder to resell but we'll see. Wow.. (2) $200 purchases in a day.

# 90 Wholesale Flowers

FlowerExchange - where I bought it!!! coupon code: thanks 5% discount on all orders over $200; cht365 3 percent discount on all the products.

Found this on DIYBride.com on where to buy bulk wedding flowers online. Here’s their 2009 resource guide. Happy shopping!

# 89 Registry... ack!

We've gotton a lot of questions about our registry. WHAt registry, we ask. Uhm, you guys sort of need one?

Strange thing is, thomas and I have everything we need in terms of household items, and then some! We're already on our doubles in terms of small appliances and tools but desperately running out of space in our little house. Yet, the stuff we really need like bigger appliances are rather pricey. We went on Amazon.com to set up our list and we literally had 8 items there, all of which run from $50 to a couple hundred. I think our guestlist exceeds 8. I am trying to hard to be considerate and find items that will fit in everyone's budget ($50 or less? Mostly $20 items). It's a feat I suppose, especially if we don't have the space. BUt! We're trying! I really like the gift of time to be quite honest- the fact that Robin is officiating, Kat is helping, and Kay is going all out is a gift in it of itself.

# 88 How to Be a Good Officiant + vice versa

How to Be a Good Officiant
1.Generate a List of Planning Questions: Planning a wedding can be a stressful undertaking (is that an understatement?), and it can help if the officiant takes a proactive role in guiding the planning and execution of the ceremony. If I were officiating a friend's wedding, I would generate a list of questions such as: What is your vision for your wedding ceremony? Do you want to revise a pre-existing script or write an original one? What kind of tone do you want me to set as an officiant? What is your ideal deadline for finalizing the ceremony? How often and when should we meet to work on it? What kind of clothes do you want me to wear? Do you want me to coordinate the rehearsal? How else can I help? If you anticipate that your friend may be unsure or indecisive about any of these questions, it might be extremely helpful to come up with a few options to present to the couple.

2.Start Meeting with the Couple: Ceremony planning should be a priority. The earlier you can start meeting with the couple, the better. Bring your list of questions, but let the couple decide the ultimate direction of the meeting. Then, just listen and take notes!

3.Remember Your Role Is to Serve: As an officiant, it is your role to help the couple execute whatever wedding they feel represents them. Even though the traditional wedding ceremony places the officiant in the center, ultimately, the officiant is more of a facilitator.

My Advice for How to Pick a Good Officiant:
1.Pick Someone Who Knows You: The most meaningful and sincere wedding ceremonies I've seen usually have an officiant who truly knows the couple (or at least one partner).

2.Decide What Kind of Ceremony You Want: Start with a vision for what kind of wedding you want to have and then pick an officiant who can help you reach that vision. And don't be afraid to pick an officiant who truly embodies the kind of ceremony you want, regardless of what disapproving family members may say.

3.Start Early: It's easy to put off the planning of the wedding ceremony because it's hard. It's a lot easier to dwell on flowers or shoes. But don't let yourself procrastinate too much! The ceremony is the heart of your wedding. It's the proclamation and cementation of your marriage.

Kate said...

I've never been an officiant, but we asked a good friend to officiate our wedding and out of that experience here are some tips:

1. Be clear on who is expected to research & write the ceremony - you or the couple. In our case, we wrote most of it but have several sections where we specifically wanted him to write in his own voice. But we still gave him a direction of what we wanted(welcome speech, meditation, announcement of husband & wife).

2. Stay organized. Whatever works best for you - but have one place where you compile your readings, example ceremonies, contact info for people involved, paperwork, etc.

3. If you are not a JP or minister, be clear about what the state and local guidelines are. Our officiant has been awesome about his application to the state to officiate. He handled everything in a very timely way.

4. One reason to start planning early - find out very early on if there's something about what the couple wants that you don't feel comfortable with. Like getting practice to be comfortable speaking in front of people. In our case, it was important to pick somebody who knew us well but also is pretty outgoing and happy in front of a crowd. Additionally we're having a non-traditional ceremony and we didn't want somebody who would feel wierd about something a little more touchy-feeley.

One wedding I went to had a great component which might help you. The officiant had each partner write a letter to her about why they wanted to marry the other, but the other couldn't read it ahead of time. That helped guide her in planning the ceremony and she directly quoted from the letters at certain points. It was really touching.

# 87 More Flowers..

I hate conventional roses. I hate em I hate em I hate em. Yet, they're affordable....
I LOVE the fluffiness of carnations. Yet, they're considered cheap in the eyes of convention.

# 86 Cream Cheese Cake Frosting

White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
SimplyRecipes.com

Wilton's Recipe
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Icing

Stupid clipboard, won't let me access it. Well, that's what screenshots are for!

 Duong has been pressuring me to do a real trial run of the cheesecakes. I've been avoiding the issue like the plaque. Ok, well, no more, I've officially set myself to do it this Sunday and on Monday when she comes, we're going to frost it and tier it to make sure it'll stand. Geesh....

# 85 To Do List & Buy

Go Thrift Store shopping with Brandy
Buy plates at DT
make boutonnierres for Groomsmen
make hairpieces for Bridesmaids

make cake stand (find epoxy!!)
- wooden or plates
- return plastic crap at Hobby Lobby

Buys:
- (15) 120" tablecloths (1: google)(2 tableclothsforless)(3 weddingmart)
- flowers at 2GROSES.com or fiftyflowers.com
- more wine glasses
- 17 more DT plates

# 84 Ceremony Outline

Designed this while thinking about the ceremony

# 83 Free Docs: Reception & Ceremony

Wow, googling "ceremony outline" sent me to a site called docstoc.com which has all these neat word docs on planning the ceremony and reception. Sweet.

Reception: Music


Serving the Tea:
"On the wedding day, the bride serves tea (holding the teacup with both hands) to her parents at home before the groom arrives. She does this out of respect and to thank her parents for raising her. The tea at this time does not need to have the lotus seeds or dates, and the bride does not need the assistance of a “lucky woman.” She pours and serves the tea by herself without the groom.
Traditionally, after the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds serve tea (holding the teacups with both hands), inviting the groom’s elders to drink tea by addressing them by formal title, e.g. first uncle or third aunt."

# 82 Magazine Glossy Pretty Wedding

I understand the business side of weddings. I get it that the magazines pretty much show you only $30k weddings and up and they all seem to wear brand name attire, including the bridesmaids. Hello, Vera Wang BMs? BANKrupt!!!! I also see a lot of very creative sites and blogs that fight against this preconceived idea that the average wedding costs $25k and that they don't need to be "magazine perfect." While I agree that $25K is absurd, I actually WANT my wedding to look fairy-tale like. I WANT my wedding to look good enough to be in a magazine. I also WANT my wedding to not bankrupt me but include all of the above. So yeah, I'll have some posed shots with my photographer. I'll expect no less from him and I want the whole event to unfold like a fairytale via images. Ideally, I want my project to be featured in an issue of Martha Stewart weddings. Silly, I know, but I'm pretty sure it'll never fly. Not because I didn't DIY the whole event, but because I actually DID DIY the whole thing, resulting in saving funds, and not promoting any brands that support Martha's publication. Oh, silly me. I might hit up Coastal Weddings in Pensacola. I'm sure a local mag wouldn't mind a quirky, whimsical wedding!

# 81 Boutonniers DoneZO!

Yesterday was super productive. I created a banner in Flash for the first time for Thomas, went shopping with Duong for boutonniere, cake, and catering supplies, finished glazing our ceramic vases, went to an art reception, saw the musical Pippin, then banged on Wew's door at 10pm to barge in with lots of pinecones to make boutenniers. TIRED!!! But awesome. Oh, did I mention that there was Potter Boy who Duong is now enamored with? lol

# 80 Invite Pics from Ali

Just a hint at what's to come

# 79 Cake Idea again

Ok so I said I was going to make my own wedding cheesecake. Aunt Kay(Thomas' close family friend) and Vonda drove all the way down from Huntsville to help me plan my wedding. She was so incredibly helpful and organized I couldn't handle it!!! I gave her a big hug. The next day, Duong and I went to a bridal convention in Mobile. It was really nice though we went late due to my fault and partly my mom's. I got more ideas of catering looks. Pink chocolate fountain? Uhm.... It looked more like Pepto Bismol pink but my mom reeeeeeally wants it pink. wtf... I really don't like white chocolate though but we'll see. I probably won't end up eating a lot of chocolate anyway that night so I probably shouldn't care and let my mom's input influence that decision. I'll talk to Kay about that. Add a few drops of food coloring and voila, pink fountain.

Ok I saw this cake- the ribbed texture is beautiful and hides imperfections. It reminds me of tree bark- very nature like. I think I'll do this. Or I mean, have Kat do this because she demands that I not work on my wedding day. I was actually very shocked- a DIY bride not allowed to touch anything?!?! Well, it did make me feel better. Whew!! About the cake, I said I would add height with pillars but cover the pillars with fresh flowers. I think I'll use a lot of greenery because I might not have enough garden roses to go around.

# 78 Plates and Glasses

My boo and I looked at the cost of renting versus buying. We didn't want disposable ware because it's just too darn wasteful; tasteful looking ones cost almost as much as buying the real thing so we opted for buying 120 white stoneware dishes that have this elegant white beading around the edges for wholesale. As for the drinking glasses, I think it'd be neat to buy out all of the thrift stores' wine glasses. This mix and matching allows for an eclectic mix of cute stemware. Why I opted to do this? Because I didn't want plastic champagne/wine glasses with real stoneware. Plus I really really want a nice & pretty table setting. Desperately. Part show/part lower expense. Since all of the tables will look the same in terms of having the same plates, table cloths, centerpieces, etc., one element could change it up but still consistent with the look since all of the glasses will be clear with no ornamental sign.

- Bought 37 white plates so far: need 83 more (89.23) spent 39.78
- Bought new mailbox at Goodwill for $4.23
- Postage .44 x 120 = $52.80
- Postcard Stampas.28 x 100 = $28.00
TOTAL SPENT TODAY: 124.81

# 77 Invites. DONEZO!

The whole invitation fiasco was such a mess, I nearly broke down several times because I spent an entire month worrying about them. NOW?! Thanks to the help of a bridesmaid and groomsmen(yes, men), I got almost all of my invites printed, perforated, wrapped, and stuffed into envelopes where Melissa and I made envelope liners. Whew. To be honest, I was worried they were going to look way cheesy and not formal enough but I think we kicked arse. 53 invitations were sent out today!!! All that's left is my mom & dad's family and Thomas' dad's family & friends. I'll post pictures of the sweet 'vites and the sweatshop factory I had going on later when everyone's gotten theirs. Let's just say I'm quite pleased :)

They are 100% different from the invites I designed in the summer. More nature inspired and cute.

NOW R.S.V.P.! I even put a stamp on the RSVP postcard!

# 76 Groomsmen Suits

Buy Vs. Renting. Well, buying = love, DUH!! Plus, for men, they actually will have to wear them again. Sick, huh? Most of the guys don't own suits anyway and this will be an excuse for them to have an investment. The following options are only from Overstock.com. I'm sure there are other nice stores online that have sweet suits.

OPTION 1: Ferrecci Men's Three-button Shadow Stripe Suit $85.99

OPTION 2: Ferrecci Men's Elegant Black Pinstripe Suit $79.99

I'm actually a huge fan of this one- who doesn't love pinstripes?! Thomas' suit has subtle stripes down it so I'm not sure which of the 3 suits match the most to his.

OPTION 3: Ferrecci Men's Blue/ Grey Three-button Suit $79.99

Linda's Research

Suits are going to have to be pre-ordered ahead of time. Whatever color the guys choose, just let me know, and I'll choose the same color dress

there are these two places where the prices aren't so bad:



***Reins Formal Wear ( located on brent lane )
(850)478-6533
Grey attire- $57
Navy blue attire- $90


***Julie Annes Bridal and Formal ( located on E.Fairfield )
---No grey attire
---Dark blue attire: $89-$139

# 75 Bridesmaid Shawls

If you read in my previous post, I was going to make 7, freaking individualized capelets. Unfortunately, it would be overkill and most importantly, I didn't have time. Like I was trying too hard. I've been avoiding the wrap issue for awhile but have got to set my foot down. Terry & Duong suggested shawls... at least they can use them again as opposed to those god awful Clover satin boleros that can be used only once... AND look frumpy. Ok, so for my girls, I had them wear very cohesive dresses in 2 different styles, the sweetheart chiffon and the empress one, both flowy, long, strapless, and Clover green.

Off topic- I found these shawls at Nimli.com and I might just go ahead and purchase them. I went to bed crying, then stayed up to address the problem- get some flippin sleep but first get my angst and confusion out of the way by fixing it!!
Nimli they pick the color if on sale... wtf?
Buy 8.95 but black

# 74 Fifty Flowers

I've heard pretty good reviews about FiftyFlowers.com. I really wanted peonies but they were just too darn expensive and I couldn't just order 5 stems at $5 a piece. So, I found a nice alternative: the garden rose light pink Miranda! It has the same fluffy feel to it but currently half the price. I might go ahead and order them in the next week or so. I wasn't deadset on peonies in the first place, I just wanted something pink, fluffy, and feminine and felt that grocery store florals wouldn't be able to provide that variety(except for the pink carnations). Plus, a sweet 5% coupon code which saves me $10. Sah-WEEE!!!!

2GROSES.com

# 73 Lovely Jane

This incredibly stylish girl has over 10,000 hits a day on her wardrobe blog and get this- she's only 16. Reading her interview, she seems to be very cultured, well-educated, and artisitic, using terms such as juxtaposition to describe the urban decay and deconstruction of Tokyo, Japan's style. I love it. Meet Jane.

# 72 Mas Links

I love the look of this website and the other blog. Beautiful! Here are the screenshots and if you click on them, it'll take you to the link

# 71 Invite Mess..

Ok, so before I knew I was going to be a graphic designer, and pretty good at it at that, I bought these stacks of invites to be printed on. Problem is, I tried designing around it, and it looks nice, but when I print it at the nice laser printer at school, it looks homemade! It has little random dots that I just CAN'T stand and don't want to settle. I'm seriously thinking about having it done by a thermography company but that would double the cost of the invites. Btw, the invites aren't that cheap too so every one I mess up on, it's .50 + ink going down the drain. Multiply that by 20 mess ups and that's already $10(which is expected, but still annoying because I've got to throw out the whole set of RSVPs and envelopes that come with it too).

About to break down over some silly paper goods, I called Eager up and drove the gas guzzler of a truck down to the beach, splashed around with her and Sassy, and went to Tu Do with them, my bro, and Yummie (EASY crew). BEST BREAK EVER! Now I'm renewed and ready to finish up on my crap for school. THAT's what's stressing me out. Oh, I added designing and purchasing Yummie's business cards for his new job. Vunderful!

#70 Engagement Photos donezo!

I've been meaning to post some of these up. I love how I mentioned(ever so slyly) that I liked Max Wanger's poses. In reality, I've been swooning over that guy for a month before booking Bitoy but wouldn't dare say it because it would be like a client of mine saying "I love X designer's style, copy it" but in the end, he edited some pics in that style- even I couldn't figure it out!! Anyway, this is my absolute fave.

# 69 FINAL invite design

Ok, I am dying to post them here but I can't- I just can't. I have to wait until they are printed and pretty. I really want to though... maybe just for half a second. So cute! I'm finally happy with the feel... I went to class this morning at 8:30 - apparently, according to an e-mail I received last night from my instructor, I didn't have to go. Since I don't have internet or a computer at home, I didn't know. So, for 3 hours I worked on the invites. Finally! Now I need to find a way to print them. Yessss......

# 68 Bridesmaid Dresses

All of my girls have ordered their dresses at this point besides India(who's out of country btw)! I just picked up Cheungers and placed the order for Terry. Very cool. Then I tried on my dress at home(after it's been sitting in a cardboard box for a month)- it's beginning to grow on me! I haven't shown ANYBODY my dress yet, not b/c I don't want to but I keep forgetting to take it out of the closet and bringing it with me. I'm just weary of getting it dirty but hey, if the dust from Molino doesn't do it, then the party will anyway.

I also just got my vases to the kiln so it can get fired! I might be getting somewhere today!!

# 67 Kanye'd on my wedding day....

According to this quiz, Kanye is going to interrupt me on my wedding day. How flippin funny is that?!?