I have a secret

MJ and I are having a Catholic wedding (that's not the secret!) but I'm not Catholic (that's the secret).



MJ's family is traditional Irish Catholic (no really, MJ is only a 2nd generation immigrant from Ireland, his grandfather moved here and sent money back to Ireland to support his family. His mom even works for a Catholic newspaper, and MJ is the youngest of 5 kids. They really are traditional Irish Catholic.) Me on the other hand, I was raised entirely without any religious background. My mother was raised as a Baptist and hated the religion and everything behind it. Therefore, she decided that when she had kids she would let them decide on their own what religion they would follow. That leads me to the present; I don't really have a religious background - save for some Christian youth groups that I went to with friends when I was in high school.

However, MJ and I agreed a long time ago that we want our wedding ceremony to be at the Mission, which means it's going to be a Catholic ceremony. And all things being equal, I have decided to convert (is it really converting if I'm not claiming another religion as my own???) to Catholicism. I begin my classes in October and will be accepted by the Church on Easter. Just in time for the wedding!! I don't want people to think that I'm converting just because we're getting married or that I'm converting just for MJ. I'm choosing to become Catholic because I want our children to be raised with religion and I want them to go to Catholic schools, and I also really enjoy the community that comes with belonging to a church and I want our family to have that. And because MJ is already Catholic, that seemed the natural way to go. AND now I'll be able to fully participate in our wedding mass rites and accept the Eucharist with MJ. :) I think that's pretty cool.



Surprisingly, people's reactions have been pretty varied at the news of my converting. Have you converted to the religion of your future spouse? Have you thought about it?

Ouch

I was reading Brides (okay, no one really reads Brides, I was looking at the pictures) when I came across a page that was about the pros and cons of having a wedding over a holiday weekend. I read them both. Unfortunately I read the con column first (the bride is selfish to think that people want to waste a 3 day weekend at your wedding, it's too inconvenient, etc. etc. etc.) then I read the pro side and it even talked about a destination wedding over a 3-day weekend (yup, that's us!) and how they weren't expecting that many people to attend anyway. This article really hit a sour note with me, and unfortunately has left it's mark.

MJ and I were never planning on having a huge wedding (our reception venue won't fit that many people anyway) but it had never really crossed my mind that the people on our list won't want to or won't be able to attend. We were planning on 75 people attending - max 100 people. But now I'm afraid that there will be lots of guests who will feel that their Memorial Day weekend will be ruined if they have to spend it in Carmel with us and our nice (read: crazy) families, and may end up RSVP'ing a "no" response. In that case, I'm a little worried that MJ and I will end up with mostly 2nd tier guests at our wedding. However, with that said maybe it's those who are willing to spend a few days in Carmel with us during a coveted 3 day weekend are those who should be the closest to us.

Okay maybe not a wedding this small but still, it will be somewhat intimate.



Source


I know I'm not the first bride to fear that no one will come - but it's a very scary thought when you're having a destination wedding on a holiday weekend. Suddenly I'm feeling like a foolishly selfish bride.

I think I've made our decision, maybe...

Today MJ and I were looking at various stores looking for patio furniture (we just moved back to Sacramento from San Jose and since we moved into a house, it's the first time we've ever had a backyard). While we were at Home Depot we passed by the paint section and I asked MJ if he wouldn't mind waiting a minute while I looked at paint samples, I didn't wait for an answer and went about pulling colors that I really liked. Eventually I settled on four colors (a la Ralph Lauren Home): Edwardian Linen, Oatmeal, Gardenia and Old Violin. However, after looking at the inspiration that I posted yesterday I feel that the colors I chose today are somewhat too...bland. They certainly evoke the classic and timeless feel (also sophisticated) feel that I'm going for but they just aren't quite warm enough. The combination feels a little too stuffy rather than decadent. Even though MJ approves, I think I'll be making a return visit to Home Depot tomorrow to see if I can't come upon a combo that meets our style perfectly.

I saw via WeddingBee today that Michael's is having a crazy sale tomorrow and I immediately thought "Score! Perfect time to buy everything I'll need to make invites!" Then I realized that we're still more than 9 months out from the wedding meaning that I can't realistically send out invites until about 7 months from now. So I'm considering maybe making some elaborate Save the Dates that will be quite similar to our invites. However, seeing as our wedding is basically a destination wedding the wedding invites will be much more substantial than the STDs.

It feels like there is so much to do and at the same time I feel like I'm trying to do some things a little too early. What I should be concentrating on is booking people for the music, a florist, ceremony decor and reception decor. Time to re-group, I think.

Oh, umm...hello there

So, I know I've seriously neglected my blog. Whoops! With a college graduation, a move from San Jose to Sacramento, starting a new job (read: awesome, dream job) life has been just a tad bit too busy for blogging.
Anyway, now that I'm back I'll catch you back up to speed. MJ and I went and met with my first choice photographer but it turns out that even though I knew he was going to be out of our budget, he was WAY out of our budget. Bummer. MJ was still so awesome and told me that we could still go with him because he knows that the photography is VERY important to me. Better to get someone who you will love and not regret than to have pictures after the fact and be disappointed. However, I thought I would try to find something that was a little more affordable. Then I came across Jen Slot and I think she's going to be the one for us! She's not as artistic as my first choice, but her work is amazing and she's more of a blend of my taste and what MJ likes too. It's perfect - and we're meeting with her on the 24th (I can't wait so we can schedule a day and time for our engagement pictures)! The best part is that they give the option to have a photobooth (umm...we're both pretty psyched about this) and while I've always LOVED that idea, I always thought it would be toooooo far out of our budget and now it fits in very nicely. :) http://www.jenslotphotography.com/

Next on the list - Save the Dates. So during my blogging hiatus, I took the plunge and bought a Gocco machine. (I bought it before we moved so the Gocco basically sat at my mom's house untouched for a few weeks.) The Gocco is a B5 and used (sent from Japan) and came with some inks and only 1 screen and only one set of bulbs - which meant only one try to get it right for my first tester. My first attempt at Gocco'd paper yumminess - disaster! The ink was just a little too splotchy and it sort of turned out to be a mess - but after buying some more screens and blubs and some gold ink (I'll tell you about the gold later), I plan on trying again. I'm not ready to give up on my Gocco, especially since I really love all of the Gocco'd save the dates and invite suites that I've seen so far. My new supplies should be here sometime next week, and when they arrive I'll post some pics as to what they look like.
Now time for the good news! I've decided on our colors and overall feel for our wedding:

http://gallery.weddingbee.com/photo/tms-blush-apricot-inspiration-board

Our wedding is going to have the feel of vintage creams, gold and a little pink. I want the wedding to feel timeless, classic and a very sweet. I think that's a really good representation of our style (okay, well mostly my style, but still MJ likes it too.) I love everything about the above inspiration board, the invites the maid's dresses, the escort cards, the bouquet, the champagne and the LOUBOUTINS! I've been going ga-ga for Louboutins lately. But again, we'll save that for another day.

Basically I've met a photographer and passed on him, we've scheduled a meeting with a new photographer that we both love, I bought a Gocco, unsuccessfully tested it but I'm getting back on the Gocco horse next week. Oh, and we've decided on the style of our wedding. Phew! Now I just need to be a good blogger and not go MIA for months at a time! :)