The wedding countdown I saved on google, which I often forget/do not care enough to check, and only looked at today because we were talking to very-soon-to-be-married people, says one hundred days exactly. Which means in like forty-five minutes, this wedding will be in the double digits, i.e. 99 days away.
Ninety. Nine. DAYS. Not weeks. DAAAAAAAAAYS.
This is very frightening and very exciting at the same time.
I texted my family and members of my bridal party with this alarming fact and my sister replied "oh, then i guess i stop eating" and I was almost going to agree before I looked in my oven and dammit if I wasn't making a meatloaf. I kind of resent this milestone coming at me when I am suddenly finding it fun to make things for dinner, since I am hoping for Getting Married to equal Looking Skinny In Pictures which is, in my mind, equal with Not Eating Those Oatmeal Cookies You Made With Like Three Cups of Sugar.
But this is good. This will put a fire under my ass that I said was there in May...and January...and October. I can also start the Regimine of Moisturization and Exfoliation and Hair Care that will make me look like a very smooth and shiny version of myself.
Isn't it great that we get to share this crazy time together?
And also...let's try a post a day from now on, yeah? Even if it's stupid. It'll encourage me to at least think about weddings.
Oh, and Katie? I AM TOTALLY MAKING A PAPER CHAIN.
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
ceremony location: ACHIEVED!
Warning: lots of pictures. Not sorry about it, just warning you.
I know what you're thinking---Shannon, you never update. Shannon, you never plan. Shannon, you're running out of time.
(Which is true, of course. For those of you counting, 126 days. Four months. Fuckin' hell, you guys.)
You, Shannon, are a terrible bride.
Well, that may be true. But luckily, the terrible bride has an amazing groom. As I have said, Greg The Super Fiance plans like a madman on his days off, calling dudes and checking webs. And, as I have yet to say, we are currently in negotiations with all our vendors.
You read me right.
I.E., this wedding is ALMOST PLANNED. It is so on. So let's show some pictures!
For a long time, we were in negotiations with the Joslyn Art Museum, since it was very pretty and directly across the street from our reception venue, the Scouler ballroom.
We would have rented out the Strauss Bridge, which features the huge glass installation of Chihuly's "Inside and Out." (Eliminating the need to have any ceremony decorations whatsoever, for how could mere flowers compete with swirly blown glass goodness)
Unfortunately, an early miscommunication gave them the impression that we wanted to rent the space for the entire night...about six hours longer than we actually needed it. When we finally cleared it up, they said we could hold our wedding there, but it couldn't start until 6...which means, if we still did the break that we are planning to allow for trick or treating, costuming up, and of course pictures, we wouldn't offer food to our guests until 8 or 9 o'clock...which is a little late for families to be feeding their children, and would only allow a few hours for dancing. So we didn't go with them. I need lots and lots of dancing.
Then there was the Holland. The Holland Performing Arts Center is a beautiful, beautiful place that I will admit I've been eyeing since before ever being engaged. It is a drop dead gorgeous building. The archetecture is clean and modern and it has windows for days...but early price quotes and capacities made us think it was out our reach.
HOWEVER, as is often the case with this wedding, luck smiled upon us and we found a connection...Greg works at the building, and since he is amazing and sweet and our wedding is on a Friday, we got a deep, deep discount. I won't say how deep, but let's just say if it were a hole, we'd be shovelling magma.
The main lobby is where most weddings happen...it has an epically huge staircase and an amazing sculpture by Jun Kaneko. We both like the drama of the main staircase, but it is a little extreme for a tiny flower girl (and a klutsy bride in heels) to navigate. And, as breathtaking as the glass stairs are, minty green doesn't really go with the whole "autumn" vibe.
But oh, there is another lobby just beside the grand lobby...a tiny, unassuming lobby
with floor to ceiling windows
and a more managable, but still effective, staircase
A sweet little intimate space where we can get married in style.
Oh, and the chairs that come with the rental are ORANGE.
Destiny man. Destiny.
I know what you're thinking---Shannon, you never update. Shannon, you never plan. Shannon, you're running out of time.
(Which is true, of course. For those of you counting, 126 days. Four months. Fuckin' hell, you guys.)
You, Shannon, are a terrible bride.
Well, that may be true. But luckily, the terrible bride has an amazing groom. As I have said, Greg The Super Fiance plans like a madman on his days off, calling dudes and checking webs. And, as I have yet to say, we are currently in negotiations with all our vendors.
You read me right.
I.E., this wedding is ALMOST PLANNED. It is so on. So let's show some pictures!
For a long time, we were in negotiations with the Joslyn Art Museum, since it was very pretty and directly across the street from our reception venue, the Scouler ballroom.
We would have rented out the Strauss Bridge, which features the huge glass installation of Chihuly's "Inside and Out." (Eliminating the need to have any ceremony decorations whatsoever, for how could mere flowers compete with swirly blown glass goodness)
Unfortunately, an early miscommunication gave them the impression that we wanted to rent the space for the entire night...about six hours longer than we actually needed it. When we finally cleared it up, they said we could hold our wedding there, but it couldn't start until 6...which means, if we still did the break that we are planning to allow for trick or treating, costuming up, and of course pictures, we wouldn't offer food to our guests until 8 or 9 o'clock...which is a little late for families to be feeding their children, and would only allow a few hours for dancing. So we didn't go with them. I need lots and lots of dancing.Then there was the Holland. The Holland Performing Arts Center is a beautiful, beautiful place that I will admit I've been eyeing since before ever being engaged. It is a drop dead gorgeous building. The archetecture is clean and modern and it has windows for days...but early price quotes and capacities made us think it was out our reach.
HOWEVER, as is often the case with this wedding, luck smiled upon us and we found a connection...Greg works at the building, and since he is amazing and sweet and our wedding is on a Friday, we got a deep, deep discount. I won't say how deep, but let's just say if it were a hole, we'd be shovelling magma.
The main lobby is where most weddings happen...it has an epically huge staircase and an amazing sculpture by Jun Kaneko. We both like the drama of the main staircase, but it is a little extreme for a tiny flower girl (and a klutsy bride in heels) to navigate. And, as breathtaking as the glass stairs are, minty green doesn't really go with the whole "autumn" vibe.
But oh, there is another lobby just beside the grand lobby...a tiny, unassuming lobby
with floor to ceiling windows
and a more managable, but still effective, staircase
A sweet little intimate space where we can get married in style.
Oh, and the chairs that come with the rental are ORANGE.
Destiny man. Destiny.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
absolutely. positively.
Things Shannon MUST Have Done By Next Saturday:
1. Go to one of the local bridal stores that carry Alexia and double check colors/styles for bridesmaid dresses so they can be ordered--because that is supposed to happen NOW.
2. Call/make appointments with at least three possibilities for ceremony locations--because that is supposed to happen SIX MONTHS AGO. I would also like to go walk around downtown, starting at the reception site, to see if there is an awesome ceremony type place that I hadn't considered. If anyone wants to walk around downtown after five sometime next week with me, give me a text and you're totally invited. We will probably get ice cream.
3. If items 1 and 2 manage to actually be achieved, call some of our catering options and see if our date is open, and if so, arrange an interview with some of them.
4. Magically do this while continuing to work one full time job and two part time jobs and not die.
(however, even though these are things I should be doing at this point, we have a copy of The Wedding Book in the store and I am spending an awful lot of time browsing its lovely pages, reminding myself that I already have two wedding planning books and do not need another, especially now that I'm no longer in the planning stages, I am now in the ACTION STAGE)
1. Go to one of the local bridal stores that carry Alexia and double check colors/styles for bridesmaid dresses so they can be ordered--because that is supposed to happen NOW.
2. Call/make appointments with at least three possibilities for ceremony locations--because that is supposed to happen SIX MONTHS AGO. I would also like to go walk around downtown, starting at the reception site, to see if there is an awesome ceremony type place that I hadn't considered. If anyone wants to walk around downtown after five sometime next week with me, give me a text and you're totally invited. We will probably get ice cream.
3. If items 1 and 2 manage to actually be achieved, call some of our catering options and see if our date is open, and if so, arrange an interview with some of them.
4. Magically do this while continuing to work one full time job and two part time jobs and not die.
(however, even though these are things I should be doing at this point, we have a copy of The Wedding Book in the store and I am spending an awful lot of time browsing its lovely pages, reminding myself that I already have two wedding planning books and do not need another, especially now that I'm no longer in the planning stages, I am now in the ACTION STAGE)
Friday, February 29, 2008
other people's weddings
Oh my goodness. "A Lull in Traffic"? More like a complete halt to traffic. A seven car pile up. I was REALLY busy for a while there...and, let's face it, a little burned out on life in general.
(I know what you're thinking...you're burned out NOW? You haven't even begun to be stressed little bride girl.) And I was going to post yesterday but then the phone rang and I had to spend the last twenty four hours stressing out and opening a one woman show at UNO (showing again on Sunday and Friday, ifyouwanttocome) but now we are back to regular programing and posting and planning with almost psychotic enthusiasm.
Why this burst of enthusiasm?
Well, one, our wedding is in eight months. So if I'm not planning now I'm a fucking idiot.
Two, I bought a new, much less intimidating and far more useful wedding planner, with all sorts of lovely checklists and blanks that I want to fill in.
Three, I went to a wedding today.
Which is the point of this post.
Vince and Sarah (shown above in a promotional shot for their show Grimm Reapings...theatre people have the best pictures) are good friends of Greg, and kind of good friends of mine. I mean, I work with them a lot in theatre, and I enjoy them a lot, but I didn't consider their wedding "A Big Deal" for me. Not as big as say my sister's, or Jen and Jon's. Casual friends, you know. But it was kind of exciting because they have been dating a LONG time, longer than any other wedding I have ever been to...and, you know, I haven't been to a wedding since I got engaged. And once you're engaged things like weddings aren't just fun social events, they are business. And a great place to spy.
Well. We were a pinch late, so we rushed in and grabbed a seat right by the door right before the familial processional. I only had a second to look at the program and take off my coat before it was the groom took his place.
As soon as Vince stood in the front, I started crying.
Crying!
Oh my god. And when Sarah came in in her dress I done. Tears for the entire ceremony. It was ridiculous. At my sister's wedding I made it almost to the end, at Jen's I think I made it to the vows? And here were two people who I'm not incredibly tied to, and I'm sniffling and staring at the ceiling and basically being a Big. Old. Wuss.
I know exactly why this is.
I blame the ring, really.
Whereas previously I would've felt intense pride for Vince and Sarah for making this commitment, and touched that Vince's dad was their officiant, and honored to be present...but no. Now that I'm engaged, this is what was going through my head:
"They're getting MARRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIED! Her dress is so PRETTYYYYYYYY! I am also getting MARRIIIIIIIIIIIIED! I will also get a pretty dress!!!" And then, tears.
I have at least three weddings to attend before my own...this could get intense you guys.
(I know what you're thinking...you're burned out NOW? You haven't even begun to be stressed little bride girl.) And I was going to post yesterday but then the phone rang and I had to spend the last twenty four hours stressing out and opening a one woman show at UNO (showing again on Sunday and Friday, ifyouwanttocome) but now we are back to regular programing and posting and planning with almost psychotic enthusiasm.
Why this burst of enthusiasm?
Well, one, our wedding is in eight months. So if I'm not planning now I'm a fucking idiot.
Two, I bought a new, much less intimidating and far more useful wedding planner, with all sorts of lovely checklists and blanks that I want to fill in.
Three, I went to a wedding today.
Which is the point of this post.
Vince and Sarah (shown above in a promotional shot for their show Grimm Reapings...theatre people have the best pictures) are good friends of Greg, and kind of good friends of mine. I mean, I work with them a lot in theatre, and I enjoy them a lot, but I didn't consider their wedding "A Big Deal" for me. Not as big as say my sister's, or Jen and Jon's. Casual friends, you know. But it was kind of exciting because they have been dating a LONG time, longer than any other wedding I have ever been to...and, you know, I haven't been to a wedding since I got engaged. And once you're engaged things like weddings aren't just fun social events, they are business. And a great place to spy.Well. We were a pinch late, so we rushed in and grabbed a seat right by the door right before the familial processional. I only had a second to look at the program and take off my coat before it was the groom took his place.
As soon as Vince stood in the front, I started crying.
Crying!
Oh my god. And when Sarah came in in her dress I done. Tears for the entire ceremony. It was ridiculous. At my sister's wedding I made it almost to the end, at Jen's I think I made it to the vows? And here were two people who I'm not incredibly tied to, and I'm sniffling and staring at the ceiling and basically being a Big. Old. Wuss.
I know exactly why this is.
I blame the ring, really.
Whereas previously I would've felt intense pride for Vince and Sarah for making this commitment, and touched that Vince's dad was their officiant, and honored to be present...but no. Now that I'm engaged, this is what was going through my head:
"They're getting MARRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIED! Her dress is so PRETTYYYYYYYY! I am also getting MARRIIIIIIIIIIIIED! I will also get a pretty dress!!!" And then, tears.
I have at least three weddings to attend before my own...this could get intense you guys.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
A Lull in Traffic
Sorry for the lag in posts, we've hit a bit of a wall in our lives. Shannon's got six different theatre projects going at the moment, I've got four of my own, one of them being the direction of my mainstage debut with a world premiere play at the New Ways/New Works festival at UNO. I've got a great cast and it's going incredibly well, but it is a drain on the ol' time banks.
Anyhow, we're getting very close to having a confirmed venue for the reception, with it being down to just a couple of options at the moment. It'll just be a matter of prioritizing and budget from here on out, but neither of us are level-headed enough given our current schedules to make that commitment. We will have a location by the end of the month and that's when we'll be spreading our truly phenomenal STDs. HA! Also, this blog will be moving to the true Hallowedding website, so RSVPs can start flowing in and we can start our registry and all of that business.
So while we haven't posted in a bit, the gears are still turning. They just aren't very interesting to watch. To make it up to you, here's a desktop background I made out of history's most ridiculous event. Call it a gift. It's optimized for widescreen monitors, but it'll do on the others in a pinch. Click through the link to get to the full size version. Take care!
Anyhow, we're getting very close to having a confirmed venue for the reception, with it being down to just a couple of options at the moment. It'll just be a matter of prioritizing and budget from here on out, but neither of us are level-headed enough given our current schedules to make that commitment. We will have a location by the end of the month and that's when we'll be spreading our truly phenomenal STDs. HA! Also, this blog will be moving to the true Hallowedding website, so RSVPs can start flowing in and we can start our registry and all of that business.
So while we haven't posted in a bit, the gears are still turning. They just aren't very interesting to watch. To make it up to you, here's a desktop background I made out of history's most ridiculous event. Call it a gift. It's optimized for widescreen monitors, but it'll do on the others in a pinch. Click through the link to get to the full size version. Take care!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
planners
Greeter Penguin! Serve me up a planner!I did buy my planner for the year, with handy little month at a glace and a weekly calendar that divides every day into half hour increments. I spent half an hour in Barnes & Noble, with six or seven different planner spread around me on the floor, flipping back and forth to see which would fill all my criteria. I looked COMPLETELY insane. I'm sure someone saw me and went home and blogged about it.
I was really drawn to the ones that were called "Engagement Calendar" because I am turning into a crazy wedding person...but "engagement calendars" are, I have found, notoriously lacking in the space department. I eliminated any that didn't have days divided by time (which knocked out a HUGE selection, including the one that was devoted to the 80s, which was super tempting)
I almost bought the B&N Famous Writers Desk Calendar, that was gorgeous, and had the full calendar BEFORE the month (which was my absolute favorite) as opposed to in a big chunk in the front. But, since it is a "theme" planner, pretty much every day on the month-at-a-glance had some little fact about writers that were born or died that day, and I just can't sacrifice that space. A LOT of fucking writers were born in September and October, dude. But oh, oh it was tempting.I ended up with a very plain black leather number (see above with Penguin) that is almost perfect, but I do have one major beef with the thing--who will doubtlessly be getting a bitchy french man name soon because, remember guys, I'm crazy--it's little hour by hour breakdown starts at 8 am and ends at 9 pm, and Sunday is just a block and has no division whatsoever. Excuse me, planner, but my life does NOT work that way. Sometimes my day starts at 5 am and I have meetings that START at 11 at night (not wedding related...usually when I deal with theatres). So I find myself writing in the margins and on Sundays? It's just a chaotic scribblefest.
Apparently B&N just don't understand people who over schedule themselves. Pity, it's such a large demographic...they could probably make millions.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
ten months from yesterday...
is my wedding.
Conversation from last night:
Friend: I think this year I will get myself a boyfriend.
Me: I think this year I will get myself a husband.
We went to the Slowdown for a New Year's Eve dance party last night. When midnight came and everyone was done kissing (and they dropped giant balloons full of glitter!) roommates said "You're getting married this year!" and I was like, HOLY SHIT I AM GETTING MARRIED THIS YEAR.
Crazy.
This Sunday is my first bridal show. I don't think a bridal show is essential to my planning process. Most girls go for ideas and I am so full of ideas that Greg and I might have to get married a couple of times just to get them all in there. So I don't NEED to go to wedding shows.
That being said, I am going to two. One on Sunday where fabulous roommate/maid of honor Ashley will be modeling dresses in a bridal runway show hosted by Joan Rivers.
I know. I know. It made me throw up a little too.
And then there is one on the 20th (?) which hopefully my mom and fabulous sister/matron of honor will come to as well so we can do wedding stuff together as a family.
I think these shows will be kinda useful because I need help finding vendors and I figure there will be lots of those there...also I will be able to go up to dress shop owners and say "Do you have any short dresses?" and then they can just say no to my face instead of playing the email game.
And holy God I have to go buy a planner today. This month is going to be scheduled within an inch of its life and I need something to tell me what I am late for. I like the planners with the big month pages (because my brain works better that way) but I'm thinking I'll need a minute by minute planner...which, again, makes me want to throw up a little.
Or maybe that's from all the partying I did last night. Oi. Girls, when we go to the Bachelorette party DO NOT LET ME ORDER THAT DRINK I ALWAYS ORDER. It'll only end in tears.
Conversation from last night:
Friend: I think this year I will get myself a boyfriend.
Me: I think this year I will get myself a husband.
We went to the Slowdown for a New Year's Eve dance party last night. When midnight came and everyone was done kissing (and they dropped giant balloons full of glitter!) roommates said "You're getting married this year!" and I was like, HOLY SHIT I AM GETTING MARRIED THIS YEAR.
Crazy.
This Sunday is my first bridal show. I don't think a bridal show is essential to my planning process. Most girls go for ideas and I am so full of ideas that Greg and I might have to get married a couple of times just to get them all in there. So I don't NEED to go to wedding shows.
That being said, I am going to two. One on Sunday where fabulous roommate/maid of honor Ashley will be modeling dresses in a bridal runway show hosted by Joan Rivers.
I know. I know. It made me throw up a little too.
And then there is one on the 20th (?) which hopefully my mom and fabulous sister/matron of honor will come to as well so we can do wedding stuff together as a family.
I think these shows will be kinda useful because I need help finding vendors and I figure there will be lots of those there...also I will be able to go up to dress shop owners and say "Do you have any short dresses?" and then they can just say no to my face instead of playing the email game.
And holy God I have to go buy a planner today. This month is going to be scheduled within an inch of its life and I need something to tell me what I am late for. I like the planners with the big month pages (because my brain works better that way) but I'm thinking I'll need a minute by minute planner...which, again, makes me want to throw up a little.
Or maybe that's from all the partying I did last night. Oi. Girls, when we go to the Bachelorette party DO NOT LET ME ORDER THAT DRINK I ALWAYS ORDER. It'll only end in tears.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
wedding planner misplaced, fiancee lost
I lost my wedding planner!
I bought my first wedding planner, Eplan Your Wedding, because we sell them at the store where I work and well, I kept reading it. I bought it and I looked through it and it made me happy. I filled some things in. I took a little of its advice. I even got to check off a few boxes (!). But now I can't find it and it's lovely, lovely checklists. How did I live before I had checklists? I don't know how to keep things straight anymore, I'm LOST!
Boo.
I bought my first wedding planner, Eplan Your Wedding, because we sell them at the store where I work and well, I kept reading it. I bought it and I looked through it and it made me happy. I filled some things in. I took a little of its advice. I even got to check off a few boxes (!). But now I can't find it and it's lovely, lovely checklists. How did I live before I had checklists? I don't know how to keep things straight anymore, I'm LOST!
Boo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)