Today, I would like to give an internet-worthy thank you to Gus, at FedEx Office, for his incredible patience and assistance as I attempted to get my programs printed up.
I originally thought that this would be a relatively simple endeavor; copy the file to a memory stick, take it in, and have them print it up. Long story short, first I forgot the card stock that I am having them cut and punch for the back, then I forgot the paper that I wanted them to use to print the programs on, then (for whatever reason) their MS Word was having compatibility issues with the font that I used, then we couldn't figure out how to save as a .PDF on my version of Word (it's different than theirs, and we did get it figured out), then we got it all printed up for the proof and I found a typo on my part, then we couldn't edit the .PDF that they had and of course this time I had left my computer at the house, and now... did I say long story short? My mistake. ;)
At the moment, we are waiting for them to complete the second proof, so that we can go check it out, and (hopefully, with a little luck) okay it for the rest of the productions.
That will have been six individual trips to and from FedEx Office since 1030 this morning.
I'm glad I bought extra paper.
Also, some random thoughts/advice about weddings:
1) I suggest that you choose a Maid/Matron of Honor that has either acted as MOH before, or been married. I know that mine has pulled my butt out of the fire on more than one occasion due to her previous experience, and, being that she's been married&knows how much goes into a wedding, she's also aware of just how much insanity is going on over at my end.
2) I also suggest that you decide what kind of wedding you want to have before you pick the date to have it. Although there have definitely been some exacerbating factors in our particular circumstance (unexpected move, for one), I think that picking the type of wedding and then looking at how much time it'd take us to put it together would probably have been a good idea.
3) When it comes to getting things done, underestimate yourself. Early on in planning, it can be tempting to take on a lot of things that - as the wedding date approaches - you wish you had left yourself more time for. Assume that whatever you need to get done will take roughly 3.5x longer to get it done than you think. (This also allows for things like having to spend an entire day running back and forth to FedEx without causing undue stress.)
4) RSVP's will surprise you; whether it's someone being completely unreachable about whether they're going to show, or having 95% of your guest list say 'Yes! I'll be there!' (both of which occurred for us), just know that you're probably going to be surprised by people.
5a) Know that everything wedding related is going to be ridiculously more expensive than you thought it was going to be. Look around for deals (amazon.com has some real steals, and vistaprint.com does as well), or expect to get hosed, or both.
5b) Lowball your budget. W and I set our 'budget' for the wedding nice and low, and that way, when we blew it in the stuff we weren't expecting, we didn't have a frickin' coronary. For example - when I was looking at gifts for the wedding party, I forgot that I'd also need to purchase wrapping paper and tissue paper and thank-you cards. Or how about the programs? Paper costs, backing costs, ribbon costs, printing costs, cutting costs, collating costs, drilling costs, plus tax. Gifts for the guests? Oh man, those went up in price since I looked at them last week! You get the idea...
6) On the topic of gifts for guests: My number one eye-rolling moment at most weddings is when the gift is something like a picture frame that has the bride&groom's name or wedding date on it. Or a champagne flute with their names, or... well, pretty much anything with their names on it. It's an awesome thought, and I get the idea (I'm supposed to think about you guys every time I use it, right?) - and know that if it has your name on it, I'm highly unlikely to use it. If I am a guest at your wedding, give me something themed (W and I are having a traditional Native American ceremony, we're giving out dream catchers) or practical (I just went to an outdoor wedding where they had fans on each person's seat), or both.
I think that's enough for now. More later.
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
License & DIY Booklets
W and I went down and got our marriage license today; 40 more days until the wedding. I didn't change my name when we did it - I hadn't really given it much thought - I guess I'll go back later and change it, and just sign the way I want to be known until then.
Got a lot of other stuff done today as well, and I got started on some DIY stuff for the wedding as well (go me!). During the ceremony, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will have speaking roles; in order to make this easier for everyone, I decided to make little booklets that they can carry so that they don't have to worry about memorizing their lines. They're super simple, and very basic looking (so that they aren't holding something super flashy and distracting), but you can also easily dress them up any way you like once they're done. Please excuse the lame cell-phone photos.
I started by purchasing card stock in the colors of our groomsmen and bridesmaids' clothing (my bridesmaids will be black&turquoise, the groomsmen black&lavender). I also purchased corresponding ribbon (not pictured here).
My card stock was a little bigger than I wanted it to be (I found the colors I wanted in 12"x12" sheets), so I started by cutting them down to the size and shape that I wanted (8.5"x11").
Then I folded them in half...
Then, I took the ribbon that I had purchased (1/8" width, 10 yards per roll, for .50 cents a roll at Michaels), chose the alternate colors (purple and black for the blue programs, blue and black for the purple programs), wrapped them around the binding and tied a little bow. The ribbon is fun to move around - you can slide the bow up or down, depending what look you prefer. I liked having it more toward the front, and semi-centered; it's really all about what looks best to your own eye.
That's the final product, as far as the basic layout goes. I'm going to also put a little photo of W and I on the cover, with a little 'thank you' note on the back (of the photo) to add a more personal touch to the otherwise blank outside. Easy, inexpensive, and fully functional!
Got a lot of other stuff done today as well, and I got started on some DIY stuff for the wedding as well (go me!). During the ceremony, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will have speaking roles; in order to make this easier for everyone, I decided to make little booklets that they can carry so that they don't have to worry about memorizing their lines. They're super simple, and very basic looking (so that they aren't holding something super flashy and distracting), but you can also easily dress them up any way you like once they're done. Please excuse the lame cell-phone photos.
I started by purchasing card stock in the colors of our groomsmen and bridesmaids' clothing (my bridesmaids will be black&turquoise, the groomsmen black&lavender). I also purchased corresponding ribbon (not pictured here).
My card stock was a little bigger than I wanted it to be (I found the colors I wanted in 12"x12" sheets), so I started by cutting them down to the size and shape that I wanted (8.5"x11").
Then I folded them in half...
Then, I took the ribbon that I had purchased (1/8" width, 10 yards per roll, for .50 cents a roll at Michaels), chose the alternate colors (purple and black for the blue programs, blue and black for the purple programs), wrapped them around the binding and tied a little bow. The ribbon is fun to move around - you can slide the bow up or down, depending what look you prefer. I liked having it more toward the front, and semi-centered; it's really all about what looks best to your own eye.
That's the final product, as far as the basic layout goes. I'm going to also put a little photo of W and I on the cover, with a little 'thank you' note on the back (of the photo) to add a more personal touch to the otherwise blank outside. Easy, inexpensive, and fully functional!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Another Day
I'm getting obsessive about checking my email lately; I keep hoping for a response on this house that W and I were so hopeful about. I have to give it a rest; all I'm going to be doing is making myself insane. Misery lies in obsession.
Hope for me though, alright, guys?
W and I went and looked at a couple other places today, put in a few phone calls so that we don't get caught flat on our backs if the place we're hopeful about falls through. I could really use a little bit of a break now, Universe. We all could.
106 days until the wedding - I put together an example of an alternative 'guest book' for the wedding; I hope W likes the idea - the relative sterility of traditional guest books kinda turn me off of them, and I rather like the... familiarity... in the type that I put together. Hope hope.
I also went and bought lingerie yesterday; for those of you that know me, you know that this is, in some ways, herculean. While W bears the brunt of the playful harassment about being old fashioned, reality states that he's really only slightly more conservative than me. That said, it's a fine line to walk between 'interesting' and 'whore-ish'. I think I did a pretty good job. Hope hope hope.
There's been an increased amount of... thoughtfulness?... going on recently. I was wondering in particular about what it was that had W start dating me, just over 2.5 years ago. It's hard to believe that we're closer to three than to two. W is 31 years my senior; we started dating on December 7th, 2007 - I was 21 years old, and, to the best of my recollection, very much like your average 21 year old at the time. While I know that we all must start somewhere, and we are all in a constant process of growth, in remembering the person I was when we met, I am still vaguely embarrassed.
So naturally, I asked him.
His response was that I seemed to be as crazy as he is, and he liked that. He also said he sort of sensed that there was something different... We both seem to have felt that while we didn't have to date, we couldn't not date.
Funny story...
Last night, the two of us went into the city to meet up with some friends at a new-to-us bar. W, naturally, got dressed with a heavy emphasis on the earthy tones of his life; last night, in particular, he went with a bear theme - bear shirt, bear necklaces, bear bracelet, bear belt buckle... bears everywhere.
Only as we arrived at our destination did we see how interesting of an evening this could prove to be; the bar our friends had selected was a Bear specific gay bar. (For those not familiar with the jargon, a 'Bear' is a gay, (generally) middle-aged male with a hairy chest.
W meets all of those criteria.
He was the most popular straight guy around last night, I'm pretty sure.
He is my better half, just as I know he thinks I am his.
I'd like to give another mention to Life's That Way, by Jim Beaver. I don't know what to say about the book, except that it makes me feel less afraid. It's a book that I'm going to hold onto, because it gives me faith that, should the worst thing I can imagine ever happen, I won't be alone.
I wish I could tell the author that.
I've never felt connected to a person, just because of a book.
Not that you'll ever see this, Jim Beaver - and thank you.
Hope for me though, alright, guys?
W and I went and looked at a couple other places today, put in a few phone calls so that we don't get caught flat on our backs if the place we're hopeful about falls through. I could really use a little bit of a break now, Universe. We all could.
106 days until the wedding - I put together an example of an alternative 'guest book' for the wedding; I hope W likes the idea - the relative sterility of traditional guest books kinda turn me off of them, and I rather like the... familiarity... in the type that I put together. Hope hope.
I also went and bought lingerie yesterday; for those of you that know me, you know that this is, in some ways, herculean. While W bears the brunt of the playful harassment about being old fashioned, reality states that he's really only slightly more conservative than me. That said, it's a fine line to walk between 'interesting' and 'whore-ish'. I think I did a pretty good job. Hope hope hope.
There's been an increased amount of... thoughtfulness?... going on recently. I was wondering in particular about what it was that had W start dating me, just over 2.5 years ago. It's hard to believe that we're closer to three than to two. W is 31 years my senior; we started dating on December 7th, 2007 - I was 21 years old, and, to the best of my recollection, very much like your average 21 year old at the time. While I know that we all must start somewhere, and we are all in a constant process of growth, in remembering the person I was when we met, I am still vaguely embarrassed.
So naturally, I asked him.
His response was that I seemed to be as crazy as he is, and he liked that. He also said he sort of sensed that there was something different... We both seem to have felt that while we didn't have to date, we couldn't not date.
Funny story...
Last night, the two of us went into the city to meet up with some friends at a new-to-us bar. W, naturally, got dressed with a heavy emphasis on the earthy tones of his life; last night, in particular, he went with a bear theme - bear shirt, bear necklaces, bear bracelet, bear belt buckle... bears everywhere.
Only as we arrived at our destination did we see how interesting of an evening this could prove to be; the bar our friends had selected was a Bear specific gay bar. (For those not familiar with the jargon, a 'Bear' is a gay, (generally) middle-aged male with a hairy chest.
W meets all of those criteria.
He was the most popular straight guy around last night, I'm pretty sure.
He is my better half, just as I know he thinks I am his.
I'd like to give another mention to Life's That Way, by Jim Beaver. I don't know what to say about the book, except that it makes me feel less afraid. It's a book that I'm going to hold onto, because it gives me faith that, should the worst thing I can imagine ever happen, I won't be alone.
I wish I could tell the author that.
I've never felt connected to a person, just because of a book.
Not that you'll ever see this, Jim Beaver - and thank you.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Gush, Gush, Wedding Stuff
Went and got our engagement photos taken on Saturday; had an absolute blast. Center of attention? Check. In the photos rather than taking them? Check. With my man? Check. What more could a girl ask for? Really excited to see how they came out... Our photographers are the wonderful Robert and Karina Gillette - incredibly enjoyable, funny, lively people, who have been remarkably patient and helpful with everything, AND do fantastic work. If you're interested, you can check out their website here: http://www.robertgillette.us/
That photograph was posted by Karina, as part of her 365 project for the year, along with the following story, which I had relayed to her about the history of the ring:
"Today we photographed an engagement session with our new friends K and W. We had a really fun time with these two. My favorite moment was hearing about the awesome story about this beautiful ring. 100 years ago in 1910, W's grandparents were married with this ring. After W had proposed, and the wedding planning had begun, he went in to get the ring resized for K. The jeweler found a small inscription on the ring of the date of his grandparents wedding. With K & W's wedding already planned for 10-10-10, he discovered that his grandparents were married that same day 100 years earlier."
...Pretty neat, eh?
I have to admit, I did have a bit of a 'freak-out' moment during the photo shoot... W and I had been posed for a photo for a few moments, and I jokingly asked Karina if I could, "quit looking at this guy." W chuckled and jumped in with, "Not for the next thirty years."
At which point I had a silent spazz attack that looked a lot like this (insert mental conversation): "Holy crap. Thirty years?? I haven't even been ALIVE thirty years! Am I really qualified to make a promise like this??? To spend longer than I've even been alive with someone???"
It passed quickly enough, and it was still a little disconcerting... I spent the next day or so thinking about it, and once again going over things in my head. I have a really hard time with feeling 'good enough' for all this. It just amazes me, you know? I love my fiance - more than I ever dreamed possible, much less probable. He brings me so much joy and fulfillment, even on our worst of days... I can't imagine living life without him. When I am by myself, it's that feeling of being whole, separate, and unique... and still only half of something much greater. I read a conversation in a story once that took place between a grandmother and her grandson and the line that fit so well for me was this: 'Son, you might marry another woman, but you will never have another Wife.'
This is the way that I feel about W - he is my other half, my perfect compliment, the man put in this world to be my Husband. To know that someone I feel that way about, feels that way about me? It's... amazing. Beyond amazing.
Don't get me wrong, I know we're both human - we both do things that confuse or surprise or irritate the other one every once in a while, that's what being human is all about, those little differences - and at the same time, we're bonded by something that runs so much deeper than that.
"Love is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves." -Teilhand De Chaardin
That photograph was posted by Karina, as part of her 365 project for the year, along with the following story, which I had relayed to her about the history of the ring:
"Today we photographed an engagement session with our new friends K and W. We had a really fun time with these two. My favorite moment was hearing about the awesome story about this beautiful ring. 100 years ago in 1910, W's grandparents were married with this ring. After W had proposed, and the wedding planning had begun, he went in to get the ring resized for K. The jeweler found a small inscription on the ring of the date of his grandparents wedding. With K & W's wedding already planned for 10-10-10, he discovered that his grandparents were married that same day 100 years earlier."
...Pretty neat, eh?
I have to admit, I did have a bit of a 'freak-out' moment during the photo shoot... W and I had been posed for a photo for a few moments, and I jokingly asked Karina if I could, "quit looking at this guy." W chuckled and jumped in with, "Not for the next thirty years."
At which point I had a silent spazz attack that looked a lot like this (insert mental conversation): "Holy crap. Thirty years?? I haven't even been ALIVE thirty years! Am I really qualified to make a promise like this??? To spend longer than I've even been alive with someone???"
It passed quickly enough, and it was still a little disconcerting... I spent the next day or so thinking about it, and once again going over things in my head. I have a really hard time with feeling 'good enough' for all this. It just amazes me, you know? I love my fiance - more than I ever dreamed possible, much less probable. He brings me so much joy and fulfillment, even on our worst of days... I can't imagine living life without him. When I am by myself, it's that feeling of being whole, separate, and unique... and still only half of something much greater. I read a conversation in a story once that took place between a grandmother and her grandson and the line that fit so well for me was this: 'Son, you might marry another woman, but you will never have another Wife.'
This is the way that I feel about W - he is my other half, my perfect compliment, the man put in this world to be my Husband. To know that someone I feel that way about, feels that way about me? It's... amazing. Beyond amazing.
Don't get me wrong, I know we're both human - we both do things that confuse or surprise or irritate the other one every once in a while, that's what being human is all about, those little differences - and at the same time, we're bonded by something that runs so much deeper than that.
"Love is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them, for it alone takes them and joins them by what is deepest in themselves." -Teilhand De Chaardin
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