We Got Plenty of Time....right?

A few days after our realization that we are now on the downward spiral of the 365 day marker , I got a phone call from my mom asking if I'd scheduled any appoinments to look at venues.  I relied that I had not yet gotten ahold of the one we'd been hoping to look at last weekend and no I haven't found any other spots to look at as of yet.  To that I proceeded to hear how I really need to get that worked out as most places get booked a year out and I was starting to dwindle on time.... I could feel my jaw tightening and my patience slowly shortening.  I'm very aware time is ticking, but really?  I know people who plan their wedding with in a few months, even weeks.  We don't have any huge requirments and we're certainly not trying to reserve the Four Seasons.  Gosh, get off my back already!  Really, though, I love my mom and I know she's just trying to keep me on schedule, but my schedule allows for us to have the spot booked by the end of October, at latest, November.  Best case scenario would have the deal done in the next month so we don't have to worry about it and can get on with other things.  So after I got off the line with my well intentioned mother, and I had calmed myself from the minor anxiety attack she had helped me spiral into, I decided we needed to take a serious look at some other venues.  So I commited to finding a spot and driving to said location this weekend.  

The search came to an abrupt halt when, the next time I checked my email my, again, well intentioned mother, had forwarded me a website of a spot a friend of hers thought we might be interested in.  I was a little skeptical at first since I'm not 100% sure my mom sees eye to eye with our somewhat vague vision, but after taking a quick look at the site, I knew it was absolutely worth driving an hour and a half (one way) to see this place in 'person'.  

Front entrance into a lovely foyer.

So today, we finally made it out the door, (and out of the driveway, which was a long process in itself, though not worth wasting precious typing time explaining), and after a quick stop at the Stowe Farmers Market for some local smoked goat cheese and some breakfast we made our trek to the other side of the mountain and out to the lake.  We met my mom at her house and then drove the remaining 30 minutes to the Tabor House Inn on the west side of Swanton.  The drive is quite nice as most of the surrounding acreage is part of a wildlife refuge and is swampy and uninhabited by humans. 

Part of right yard. Porch comes off lg room w/ fireplace.

 We pulled in and found the very large building parrelling the shoreline of northern Lake Champlain.  Though we missed the Manager, we did get a lovely tour from her teenage son (who, my mom came to realize, she knew the family as longtime friends of a cousin of mine).  We viewed the three guest bedrooms and the master "honeymoon" suite, which is ginormous I might add.  We only got a glimpse of it since there were guests staying there and didn't want to intrude, but the space between the door and the huge bed was at least ten of my paces.  It also has a lakeside balconey and it's own bathroom.  It's also on the opposite side of the house than everything else with it's own staircase.  After seeing this and the rest of the house, including a terrific full kitchen and small guest kitchen and the large screened-in back porch looking out over the lake, we took a wander around the property.  

Large yard spaces surround either side of the Inn both with lots of lake front views, and trees, beautiful willow trees at that.  There is a deck overhanging the shore that is very reminiscent of my grandparents house that I grew up at, and a dock with a great built-in bench. 

Left Yard.  A part of the screened porch visible at left.

There are also several crab apple trees with beautiful bright red fruit and a couple apple trees, one with a generous amount of fruit that we snacked on as we discussed the space and contemplated whether, once we get the quotes on rental pricing, we could afford it or not.  What we concluded is that we very much hope it's in the price range that it can stay in the pile (the very very small pile) that isn't out of the question.  It's a beautiful spot with lots of trees that more than satisfy my preferences and water, that satisfies Hubs To Be's preferences that he doesn't voice but I know he very much has a connection to water and would be pleased to be so close to it.  We'll cross our fingers and try not to hold our breath until we are able to discuss pricing with the manager.  Until then, this will be the image in my head that will keep me focused on finding a place that makes me feel as happy and safe as this little swing draped with the arms of a gorgeous wise old willow.  

 

*Update*

While we very much loved this place, once the quote came in, it was automatically out of the keep pile.  We would have loved to try to make it work, but it would have been half our budget and then we still would have had to rent portopotties, a tent (or two), chairs, tables, etc, etc.  And that's if we just used it for the day!  If we wanted to stay the night or have it for the weekend, that was completely out of the question.  Bringing us to, well, just too darn high, especially for the distance we'd have to travel.  No worries, we'll find our space.

All photos with the exclusion of the ticking alarm clock (which is courtesy francescogavello) are property of moi, Luna Images Photography.  Please only use if you plan to cite it's origin.  Thank you. 

-1 Year Anniversary

Lunetta from Italy

This weekend we've been celebrating our negative one year wedding anniversary.  What is a negative one year anniversary you ask?  We are three hundred and sixty five days from the wedding day, hence a negative rather than a plus one....I think you get the gist.  

        What have done to celebrate (besides kind of freaking out that we haven't done anything in the last six months we've had to plan)?  Well, Friday we went out to dinner with friends we haven't seen in ages (and they bought us dinner, which was fabulous of them).  Saturday evening we fixed a fantastic dinner together of homegrown veggie fajitas and toasted to a year of fun times and productive planning over a couple glasses of cheap champagne (sorry, I mean sparkling wine...).  Today we slept in, which was really great and spent the morning running errands.  I took the Hubs To Be out to brunch at the most popular place in town (McCarthy's) where we hammered out some details over blueberry pancakes and a tuna sandwich.  Closing the place down we decided it was time to hang our wedding hat on the hook for the day and get home for a little down time.  Though we didn't get a mile down the road before he was back to discussing details of the ceremony.  Fine with me if he wants to keep talking details.  I won't discourage any dialogue I don't have to pry from his lips with the jaws of life.  

        When we got home, I had planned on doing some baking as I have approximately ten pounds of zucchini that needs tending to, but instead jumped straight on the world wide web and started researching paper products and options for our plan of attack on our save the dates and eventually our invites.  I have to say I at least accomplished deciding on an envelope that we can use for all items (std, invites and thank yous) which will be great.  And to stick with our goal of being environmentally friendly they are 100% recycled.  Just have to get past the fact that I have to pay for them and they're as good as in the mail.

        So we were fairly successful today as we decided on a layout for both the save the dates and invites and about half of the details for the ceremony.  I think the next goal we need to tackle is a time line.  We need to figure out what needs to be done when and how much it's all going to cost.  So stay tuned for that, and see you next time.   

Let the Leaves Fall as They May

There has been little to report on the wedding front but at just over our one year mark the serious planning and implementation must begin.  With the new feeling of urgency comes the need to make some decisions, which we're actually doing!  Don't worry, I've made sure to give plenty of pats on the back.  Our most recent step in the right direction came in the form of choosing a theme.  Not a theme like Vegas or Star Trek, but just a recurring, subtle idea that flows throughout all aspects of the event.

What we've come up with, or more so, the theme that we've seen ourselves following without actually defining it is...Drum Roll Please. 

Trees.

 This week, as I was thinking about different themes that would fit our list of detailed ideas, I realized the connection and the conclusion was quite obvious. 

Some of those ideas?  

• Our save the date portrait currently in it's second draft by Nan Lawson is bordered on one side with a tree.  

• If we get nothing else we hoped for in a location, it will all be alright as long as the ceremony takes place under a tree.  

• I have ambitious plans that involve tree trunks, dirt and flowers (more on this another time).

• Nate has found some really sweet wedding bands with wood inlays.

Another Excellent Etsy Find

• We've looked at guest book alternatives that use a tree as it's base in one way or another rather than using an actual book for guests to leave their well wishes and words of love.

• We plan to use wood veneer for our invites (more on this another time as well).

 With some of these ideas floating through my head, I found that continuing this motif throughout our planning would be only too appropriate.  So it has passed through the approval system and we're able to move on, keeping this in mind throughout our continued planning.  So hurray for our first big decision and on to the next.  

It's just Meant To Bee

I was at my Mom's this weekend for a mother's day purge session.  She's working on cleaning out her entire house in the hopes to put it on the market filled with just the bare essentials.  After years of holding onto everything that might be of importance or sentimental value for her, and the four of us whom she has raised, it proves to be a daunting task to sort through it all and decide what is really worth keeping.  In the two and a half days I was there my brother packed the Town & Country to the ceiling and delivered it to Good Will.  While he was gone, another half a load worth made it's way out to the garage.  During the numerous breaks I took from my task of clearing out my old bedroom closet, I made my way down to the kitchen for a snack or yet another cup of coffee from my Mom's fabulous Keurig.  "Isn't that thing wasteful" says my guy when I came home ranting about the disgustingly convenient contraption yet again.  "well, yes, but it comes with a little mesh filter to use over and over again with bulk coffee."  That shut him up...I think that means I won.  Sorry, I've gotten sidetracked.  

        On one of these ventures out of the confines of my "project" I talked with a visiting friend of my Mom's who popped in every now and then throughout my stay.  I have to give this background first.  In my occasional window shopping of the internet wedding world, I had found a really cute idea for favors.  Little jars of honey with a corny little saying on it that combined the wedding motif and the actuality that it was honey.  Back to my Mom's friend (we'll call her Mel, for the Latin naming of the Western Honey Bee, Apis mellifera).  Mel, a now retired, high energy lady who loves projects and will do whatever she can to help a fellow sist-a out.  In our on and off conversation of this little thing called Our Wedding says "I'm just putting it out there, so think about it, but a nice idea for favors might be honey."  I say "OMG Girl, that's totally a route we had discussed taking!"  Come to find out, her and her husband have bees and it would be their honey!  She can also do candles and is working on soap!!  It's for shizzle!  All we have to do is find jars and make a little label for them!  So easy!  I think we might try to do something else to go with it so at least there's some element of surprise to those readers who are also guests.  

        In preparation for this post, I looked some of those jars up that I found so that I could have a pic of what we're thinking of.  In the search I found out a few things that make this idea even more appealing:

"In early Greece and Rome honey symbolized fertility, love, and beauty. Furthermore, in Greek mythology, it is said that Cupid dipped his arrows in honey to fill the lovers heart with sweetness." -www.e-weddingfavors.com

         What a great gift!  Local Vermont Honey in a reusable glass jar!  It fits all of our ideals and even has historical meaning!  It's pretty much a done deal and we still have 466 days to go!  All for getting things taken care of ahead of time.

Also, my great friend M is a newly inaugurated bee keeper and just a shout out to her!  Hey M! 

Thank you to www.e-weddingfavors.com for the use of their jar-o-honey pic.  

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2934975197_1cc6b8027a.jpg for the use of the comb pic.

http://www.mwt.net/~fry/MessyHouse.jpg for the use of the messy house framed saying. 

Umm, So, I Guess That's All

We officially checked out our first venue this evening.  It was exciting but I was equally nervous.  We don't know what we're doing here?  I've got a cookie cutter wedding planning binder that's giving us the generic questions to stick to the "wedding planner" of such venues.  Which I have to say was little help in our first experience at this whole site search.  We visited Applecheek Farm this evening which is a working farm in the hills of Vermont with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and a bundle of various animals wandering around the newly plowed property.  The on and off weather and strange cloud formations we've been having today only adding to the beauty of the views themselves and making the 15-20 minute drive up and back a really enjoyable trip.  

{I have to mention the distaste for my camera at the moment.  I took some, what I thought, were going to be really awesome shots while we were up there and on our way back, and when we got home and I went to load them onto my trusty mac, the photos were nowhere to be found.  All the previous pics still there, but no award winning masterpieces.  Blast. So Applecheek themselves have to be thanked for the use of their photo creations.}

So back to our evening outing.  I realize now that we have to look at this excursion as a learning experiance for two reasons.  1.  The venue in itself as to be considered for our event.  2.  How to go about the interview process of any venue being considered for our event.  The second being the most crucial to the bigger picture, which is what we gotta see at this point.  We're too far away to be worrying our little heads anything other than the grande picture thus far anyway.  But to address both aspects of the adventure we'll start with the first.

        Our thoughts on the venue itself are a little muddled.  The pros? In our price range, talented caterer right on site, the beauty of Vermont gorgeously exemplified, and close to home (our home anyway).  Cons?  Indoor venue not large enough to accommodate our present guest list, working farm which provides guests with a first hand (or nose) look at the sights and smells of a farm, which doesn't bother us any but we need to take our guests into consideration.  And the pro of being close to our home, is a con to the rest of my family who would be driving there and back the same day.  Not the amount of grassy area we had hoped for. In the end we both agreed that, while appealing to our price range, we will continue to look around, but if this was the option we had to go with, we'd make it work.  Hell, I'm more than willing to wear my muck boots down the aisle, I just don't know if all our guests own a pair...

        Our overall first experience?  Well, and this could be looked at as good or bad, the representative of the farm was also the in house chef and though a tremendously pleasant person, not a very good salesman.  We went through our list of questions and that was the extent of our conversation.  If there is something they offer that we didn't think to ask about, then we'll have to base our decision on what we DO know.  I just kinda felt kind of bad, like we were forcing ourselves on him.  As if they don't really do weddings, but WE were trying to convince him to host it.  Nate and I do have a basic idea of how we picture the logistics of the ceremony and reception to look like, but to have someone on staff at the venue throwing out ideas that we may not have thought of would be a plus.  But I guess that's a price we're going to have to pay for doing things so far from customary.  So what we've learned?

• Do all our research on a place and have specific questions ready to go based on our visions.
• Do they have any input as to how their site would fit our vision?
• Are there are any 'benefits' so to speak to choosing them as our venue?
• What is included in the price of the venue?
• Ask for a tour.

This is what we've come up with so far for things to think about next time along with our long list of our event specific questions like can we bring our own booze.  

        With this first, awkward experience, we've started to define our delusions of a utopian escapade (on a bargain budget) and now know better how to go about the next interview.  We still have a lot to learn and I look forward to the next happen chance that we get to find our wedding day host!  Until next time, Baker Betty Bride, signing off.

Again, A thank you to Applecheek Farm for sharing their photos with us.  Please check them out as well as their in house Chef, Jason of Just Delicious Catering.  They are an organic certified meat producing farm and have a great CSA program.  Even if they may not be a perfect fit for our wedding, I have no reservations about supporting them as local farmers and great people.  

Operation Buddha Booty Phase Out

I have recently noticed that I'm no longer the slim self, I've identified with for the past 10 plus years.  I've struggled with this change because I'm really uncomfortable with others talking about their weight insecurities.  But we all have a vision of ourselves and mine in particular has been separating from the reality of my physical self.  Of course it didn't happen over night like the legendary Freshman 15 in which college freshman, in their first one to three months of being away from home and surviving on microwaved food products, greasy take out food and lots of cheap beer, gain a lot of weight all at once.  My weight, which I can't actually even call weight since I haven't gained a pound since high school, has been slowly joining me over the last couple years.  Time in which I've exercised less, and continued to eat the food I've always eaten.  Healthy (most of the time) but not good with little physical activity and the creep toward thirty certainly hasn't helped.  The process of turning what used to be muscle into fat has sped up in the last few months that I've no longer been getting up at 3:30 in the morning.  Because I can stay up later, we've been eating later and later and too many times than not, within an hour of going to bed.  Something I've always tried to avoid.  All of these factors have left me with more than welcome midsection flab (the Buddha belly) and jiggly buns (the booty).

         Now this is just an overall distaste for this change in my physical appearance and dislike for how my lifestyle has become so inactive and has little to do with the fact that in a year and half I'd like to be looking my best....I said a little!  To address these issues, I've decided to develop Operation Buddha Booty Phase Out, my own lifestyle change for the better to get fit, watch what I'm eating when and improve my overall self image.  This is still the beginning stages so I have yet to actually have a hard copy of the operation details, but want to state here my intentions to make the changes.  Accountability ya know?  Stay tuned.

         So here goes nothing!  Wish me luck!

 

Save The Date, Portrait Love

To start right off the bat with a side note, I made some notes to remind myself of the items I wanted to share with my whole three readers, I abbreviated save the date.  Yup, STD's.  Hoping to send them out to all our family and friends by mid September.  Be sure to check the mail for yours! That's a keeper.

In getting on with the actual reason for tonight's post...

I've started the process of save the dates.  At this point we've decided against an engagement 'photo' via the BakerBettyPops and for an amazing little portrait by an Etsy.com artist by the name of Nan Lawson.  I was introduced to her through an email newsletter I get weekly (the Daily Candy Weddings).  Not really sure what I signed up for that got me on board for that one but for the sole reason of learning about Nan, I'm thrilled for that particular piece of junk email.  After browsing the gallery on the said 'newsletter's' site then perusing more at her Etsy shop I was in love.  Her offbeat characters are depicted in earthy type tones in a simplistic style that gives them all a soothing and serene energy.  Maybe it's that their eyes are all closed.  This simple act of closing ones eyes gives a feeling of safety and composure.  Composure is exactly it, though whether it has anything to do with the eyes is for a more seasoned critic to decide.  Whatever it is, these fun and unique works of art are a perfect fit for our off the beaten path wedding style. 

I emailed her and within a few hours was put on the waiting list!  I absolutely believed that she would get a load of business from the awesome publicity of that e-newsletter which I totally support the rise of a young artist.  Because of that assumption, I went ahead with my better judgment (it happens) and contacted her a good 5 months before I plan to send them out.  But perfection takes time and her part is only a portion of the big Save The Date 'picture'.  You underestimate me if you think I plan to just take a lovely piece of art and shove it in an envelope just like that.  More on that later.  

As we are now on the waiting list, I have been working to compile our ideas for the details.  What we'll be wearing and other personal characteristics that separate us from the pack.  I hope to get the few pictures she requested and the other info to her in the next couple days and in eight 'short' weeks, which is where I fall on "the list" we'll be looking at the proof for our very first family portrait!  Can you tell I'm excited?!  Well I am.  So please check out her sites and for those of you wondering what to get me for my half-birthday, the above piece "Eleanor of The Sea" is one of my favorites so far.  I'm so smitten with this woman's art I'm thinking of having her do another portrait as an actual wedding portrait once the day finally rolls around.  Listen to me!  Yikes!  Ok, let's get past the engagement portrait first, maybe even the wedding.  

Check her out at her Etsy.com shop, her Blog or at the Daily Candy.

Top: "Hipster Kiss" Pen and Ink illustration by Nan Lawson
Bottom: "Eleanor of the Sea" Pen and Ink illustration by Nan Lawson

Custom Bling

         So I realize that I haven't even share the details of my ring (other than briefly a few posts ago).  I'm sorry for those of you who get to read this twice, but taking this straight from my wedding bee post.  Though couldn't load photos so will definitely add them here for viewing! 

         Ok, so it's not really bling as it's not you're typical walnut size sparkle fest blood diamond.  But it's my type of bling and I love it.  Had no idea the bakerbettyboyfriend was in the market for a ring so was completely surprised to get one let alone one custom designed just for me.  The oval sapphire was from an old ring of his mom's.  Sapphire is one of my favorite stones and with more than one to chose from, he knew me well when that's the choice me made.  It's also my mom's birthstone which makes it all the more symbolic.  He had it set in white gold as I have now and again expressed my distaste for traditional gold.  The setting is also pretty much as low as possible without boring into my finger since I'm not very gentle with my hands and by proxy the items that live there.  I in the kitchen most of my day and being a klutz and banging my hands the rest of it.  On each side of the setting are ivy like engravings.  I'm a pretty nature oriented person so again, another perfect fit.  On the inside of the band is another engraving with a word that has been passed back and forth throughout our relationship in various forms.  An engraved stone, a piece of scrap paper, a card and other small trinkets as reminders of our love for each other.  It was passed back to me on February 11, 2010 on the inside of this one of a kind engagement ring.  I love it and don't care what anyone says about it being too "discrete", "simple" or "non-traditional".  The rest of the wedding won't be sticking too much to tradition either so get used to it!  It fits me perfectly (though it didn't at first, literaly.  Had to redneck re-size it for a few days before we could make it to the jeweler).  Thanks for checking it out and HORRAY!!

The Big Ol' Planning...well...Plan

         I can't seem to keep the counter clean for an hour but give me a wedding to plan and all of sudden I'm Miss. Priss about being tidy.  I've got all my books and magazines in alphabetical order and all necessary information gets neatly tucked away into my handy dandy planning binder.  This all applies only directly to wedding related items that is.  I can't say the same impulse for organization has affected the duration between my laundry leaving the drier and making it safely to their appropriate drawer nor any other aspect of my scattered, pigsty (as my mother lovingly refers to it) of a lifestyle.  I've accepted that my home life skills are below average and the decision to clean is and probably always will be because of a PLANNED guest arrival.  My only hope is to keep the diligence of orderliness plowing forward throughout the entirety of my planning process.  I vaguely recognize this excitement of starting fresh and the promise of efficiency from my school days.  The novelty that accompanied the first month (maybe two) of school, be it grade school or college, was always very refreshing.  I felt I could reorganize and be set for success.  Of course, it always wore off once the homework started to pile up and all enthusiasm for order was lost along with whatever lunchbox leftovers that managed to sneak under the bed....

          I really shouldn't compare planning a most fantastic personalized day like my WEDDING with eighth grade social studies, so in a last ditch effort to prove to myself that I am capable of being effectively organized, I have decided to start with a well designed strategy.  There is a another reason for this compulsion to gather my thoughts.  I have, to this point, been given quite a bit of helpful hints, tips and ideas regarding the details of the event and though all with great intention and our best interest in mind, not always quite fitting with our (mostly mine) vision.  I would, rather than politely taking the suggestions with little intention of perusing them, give our closest helpers something to work off of so they understand what we're going for.  So I, like any good business person (which I by no means claim to be), intend to write up a Wedding Plan.  A blueprint covering all aspects from people, to places, decor to cuff links.  A recipe of all the ingredients we've cooked up and decided on.  I've already begun scribbling and have my word document all set up and ready to go.  As soon as I have the general layout on paper I can type away and with a click clack can get all that has been floating around our heads into one place and ship it off to the anxious helper bees.  

          I do anticipate this project taking a while as I have a habit of only thinking of things at the most inopportune moments and then when I sit to write all those loose thoughts down, they're nowhere to be found.  So this is my first big wedding project (besides finding a template for this blog, phew, that was a late night...).  A project that doesn't require a hot glue gun unfortunately but I'll get to that someday soon. 
Project #1: Write Wedding Outline.  
It's on!  

Ready To Get My Thrift On

After years of being the "girlfriend" (and perfectly happy in that role) I've made the mental transition from 'one day' to 'August 21, 2011' when thinking and discussing the details of our wedding.  This transition has not only required me to make some big, no longer hypothetical decisions, but to slap myself back into reality when the eco-friendly, localvore bride started to hurdle herself miles and miles off the budget course.  

       I think every bride should be alotted a grace period between the day the big question is popped and the day of gloom when she realizes she has a tiny fraction of what she'd actually like to spend.  This period allows for those, as I've said before, hypothetical day dreams of 'someday' to actually take on a 'this is the real deal' feel.  It's exciting and the possibilities are endless. Everything has the very exciting potential to become reality.  Then BAM! The day comes when it's no longer practical to put the budget planning off.  If it's not already evident, that day has come for me.  It was an instant downer.  I had all these high hopes and was so optomistic in my delierium, that $7,000 was a reasonable budget for what we wanted and for what we could afford.  Let's do a little math.  

 7000 = Proposed budget
 0 = What we have to work with 501 days out
 105 = Save weekly to have 7000 by July 2011

 

 Doesn't seem all that bad right?  Have I mentioned I'm working for a start-up company (a great one at that) where pay and hours are all but consistent?  Yah, so that throws a wrench in my savings plan.  That wrench though, has given me lots of food for thought.  How much of my wedding day dreams are the result of the consumer driven, corporate America that has been ingrained in my psyche from birth?  Do I really want matching table linens or is that what Martha Stewart tells me I want.  Being on a seasonal, part-time, on-call, off-season budget has lead me to do a little soul searching.  (It's been good for me I swear, everyone should experience planning a wedding with a negative budget).  I don't need matching linens by the way.  

       Antique stores are my friends.  Spending an extra hour researching where or who to get wholesale lumber from for our many DIY projects is worth the hundreds we could save or maybe even use for something we'd really like to splurge on.  (Like this totally awesome tent company who hand makes all their unique tents....just a thought).  And most of all this moola dilemma is really forcing me to think outside the box.  I've always known that I wanted our wedding to be unique and a sense of our styles and personalities.  To give our guests a time they won't forget in a fun and exciting way that is truly ours.  That said, I've gotten stuck on certain aspects that I know could be made more creatively ours.  Because I can't simply order up $80 shoes, maybe we could go barefoot.  Renting an Inn for two nights for our entire wedding party not in the cards? Then it's time to think of any alternative.  I'm over my woes and ready to put my thrifty thinking hat on.  Move over Martha I've got a wedding to plan (and make) and I'm going to haggle like nobodies business. 

1.That Tent company I was raving about? Sperry Tent Company

2.1912 Calculator photo found at http://members.shaw.ca/the.trainman/remember-when/calculator-1912.jpg
3.Lantern Photo: While stunning, out of reach for a couple like us living in a high living cost state like Vermont and with our income, forget it.  I doubt that guy is the brides cousin who graciously offered to miss the ceremony to dress like a French waiter.  This is just a prime example of what one sees when turning the pages of bridal magazines in this country.  Bad news for morale, those fairy tale photos are.
This photo was found at http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/good-things/dinner-at-dusk
 

We're Not Lost, I know Exactly Where We Are......

Ok, so I am lost.  I've thought of stopping and asking for directions but with so many gas stations and pit stops along the way, it's overwhelming who's advice to trust.  To get literal here, with more wedding books, websites and magazines to shake a stick at, how does one decide which to fork the $20 over for in hopes that it will answer all questions from beginning to the end?  The real problem?  Even if I had the moola to swipe every how-to guide that line the shelves of bookstores far and wide, I wouldn't find just one that would give me the step by step that I'm looking for.  What I'm finding out, is that every wedding, like every person is different and where one may describe the time line I'm looking for, it may not be specific to my budget on how to get there.  Whether or not that makes sense to anyone other than myself, the bottom line is that I'm going to have to create my own wedding road map and it may have to be sketched and re-sketched before I get it right.  I started a blog on planning a wedding, yes, but never claimed to know what I was doing...

A Homemade Wedding You Say?

The first things I started to think about when I finally wrapped my head around the fact that after 7+ years of this relationship, we're actually getting married, was the kind of wedding I envisioned us throwing ourselves.  I knew that we'd be paying for it ourselves so budget was going to be a huge factor.  I knew we didn't want to have all the same things that accompany most cookie cutter events.  We want our day to be different and unique.  A perfect example of our very personalities that everyone will enjoy and remember for years to come.  What this ultimately means is that anything one could buy, someone else could buy.  Anything that we want to be unique from what anyone else could have, we'll have to alter with our own touches or make for ourselves completely.  And so we have ourselves a perfect little homemade wedding in the making.  

       This concept started with the ring.  Nate designed it himself and using a hand me down stone from his mom, had it made especially for me.  We'll do the same with the bands.  This is a good example of how some things can be still unique to us though we are unable to make them for ourselves as our skills do not, at this point in life, include metal work.
       We also plan to make the save the dates, invites, hand stamp the cocktail napkins, the center pieces, the groom and groomsman's boutonnieres, my head piece, favors, even the tables and seating!  I'm sure there is more that I've forgotten but essentially anything that one would take time creating or searching for the perfect item, we'll make specifically to our liking.  It's a lot of work, but we've got a bit of time and with a trusty planning binder and drawn out time line, we'll have no problem having everything done in time.  And if we don't then you'll have the pleasure of reading about the chaos right here!

       So please share with friends and other brides-to-be and you will all be sure to enjoy reading about all the excitements, failures and achievements of this homegrown handmade wedding of 2011. 

We've all gotta a little Bridezilla in us

February 11, 2010.  That's the day I realized it was impossible to save myself from becoming the next monster to walk the earth crushing buildings and single-handedly transferring a perfectly functioning human brain into a steady twitter like stream of wedding updates.  I have found myself staying up until the wee hours of morn searching for venues or, though I hate to admit it, setting up fake registries just in the hopes that we'll win a huge chunk of change to help pay for this said brain melting event.  I listen very carefully to every word of every song I hear and categorize it according to wedding friendly and to which part of the day it fits best.  I look at every color as it would look as a bridesmaid dress or ribbon for the centerpieces. 

I must stop!

I started this blog to help release some of the crazy ideas that buzz in and out of my consciousness.  To have a space to vent when I know I  really shouldn't bring up yet another conversation about tents or fonts for the cocktail napkins.  When I know the Hubs to Be can't take another single minute of my spurting off.

I got him a book and I got on his case right away about reading it and the one time he brought something up that he felt like sharing with me, I snapped at him for bringing up a concept I had already seen.  How would he know that what he was referring to is what laced the pages of the only two pages I read whole book before handing it over to him as if it were something he'd always wanted.  I'm a lunatic!  He'll never want to have anything to do with the planning if I act that way every time he tries to contribute.   Nor with me I dare say!

Honestly though, the concept he pointed out?  To have sacred wedding free zones.  This is something that not only shall I force myself to embrace, it will be the one thing that shall keep me sane.  I just know it....

Today was the first test.  We had our first date day in over a month and it was our first wedding free DAY.  A whole day!  I realize now that it must consist of certain hours and spaces.  A whole day is just too much, especially all at once.  I made it to 4pm or so.  We went out for a late lunch and the table we sat at had a chalkboard surface.  So we're drawing and having a nice quiet time and I break out a little sketch of a three tiered cake.  Nate "Time to go?" Yeah, that's my cue.  I make it all the way home and bam spend hours upon hours (into the next day even) doing what amounts to nothing.  I had to make up for all the wedding free hours I had endured!  I have to say, we did have a very nice time together today but it was quiet.

So that's my quest for this next 516 days.  To find solace in small pockets of time where wedding anything is banned.  I will eventually find how to get today's impossible feat to work for me.

So stay tuned for a year and a half of wedding tips, rants, raves and crazy talk.  Thanks for tuning in and until next time, this mud truckin Bridezilla is signing off.