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
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
# 96 More Stick Centerpiece Ideas
I love the little yellow bobettes and the sticks, ahem, wishing tree. Cute rabbit.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
# 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.
# 93 Green Ties for the Men
# 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
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
Monday, October 26, 2009
# 91 Tablecloths...Bought
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!
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
# 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.
I LOVE the fluffiness of carnations. Yet, they're considered cheap in the eyes of convention.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
# 86 Cream Cheese Cake Frosting
Wilton's Recipe
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Icing
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....
Thursday, October 22, 2009
# 85 To Do List & Buy
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
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
# 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."
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."
Saturday, October 17, 2009
# 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
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
# 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.
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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
- 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!
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!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
# 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.
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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
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.
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 dressthere 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
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
Monday, October 5, 2009
# 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
Friday, October 2, 2009
# 73 Lovely Jane
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