And it goes on and on and on...

Jack Johnson says it best:



Only I'm referring to my list of DIY for the wedding. This weekend Mike and I sat down with a couple of drinks and went over what we have left to do for our wedding. I made a list of things that either of us could do and then a list of DIY items, only I feel like my list of DIY list keeps growing which means I really need to get to work!

Here's what I have on my list of DIY to do:

Invites (yes, I won them but I have plans to make them a little more spiffy!)
Programs (I can't begin working on this until we have our readings, etc. ironed out)
Guest book & ensemble (Mike has some really good ideas for this!! I was pleasantly surprised!)
Escort cards
Place cards
Menu cards (our tasting is scheduled for January!)
Napkin rings
Favors
Thank you cards
Bouts for the mens
Cocktail table centerpieces
Reception table centerpieces
Table numbers
Pomanders for church pews
Out of towner bags (this is for pretty much all of our guests)
Paper wall idea for behind the bar (seen here as idea for photo booth back drop)
Cocktail napkins (I will make my gocco useful)

I know this isn't the craziest list of to-dos but after the time it took to do our save the dates (that I thought would be a cinch!) I think I should be more liberal in assigning time allotments for each of these projects. It doesn't help that almost daily I see new DIY projects that I would love to incorporate into our wedding somehow also!

Are you taking on more DIY projects that initially anticipated?

The Dress Hunt: Part II

Yesterday I met with the most wonderful wedding vendor to date: Carole, the woman who will be making my wedding dress.

Source

I contacted Carole last Friday and we scheduled an appointment for yesterday afternoon. After we got off the phone she followed up by sending me some pictures of a dress that she had recently completed that was similar to the one that I wanted:

Similar lace but my lace won't be stark white, it will be hand tea dyed by the designer.

When I first walked into her studio yesterday she mentioned Project Runway and instantly I knew she was the one. :) She was so excited about the style of my dream dress. She showed me different options for fabrics and different laces. I told her what areas I love on my body (my back) and which areas I would like to pull the eye away from (my thighs and ka-dunk-a-dunk). We took some interim measurements of my body and worked out a schedule for official measurements, fittings and pickup of my dress.

I can honestly say that of all of my wedding related meetings thus far, meeting with my dress maker has been the best experience! The best part is that I truly feel as though I will receive a product that is exactly as I want it and it's for a very fair price. This purchase will have the highest value (considering money paid for service/product received), second runners up will probably be our venues...

What has been your best wedding planning vendor experience so far?

Because Life Happens

Sigh...these last two weeks have been insane. Suddenly we have 216 days left until our wedding day and I still have BIG items left on my to-do list (flowers, music, dress!!). This week I quit my job (one of the partners at my firm was a complete jerk and MJ and I agreed that I shouldn't put up with being treated without respect, and while we can afford for me to not work, we have a wedding and honeymoon that we need to finance, so we actually do need my income) so now in addition to feeling behind in wedding planning, I'm now looking for a new job. Our new financial position means that while I'm looking for a new job, wedding spending has been frozen. BUT because I have some free time while I'm looking, I actually have time to do some wedding planning. Have I mentioned that I've still yet to ask one of my friends to be a bridesmaid in my wedding?

With my extra time this week, here's what I'm looking to conquer (while I'm not job hunting of course, or working out at the gym, or taking care of our puppy who was spayed on Friday):

Set appointments to go dress shopping (preferably in San Francisco) and notify those that I want to accompany me (I will post more about how I feel about this in another post soon.)

Ask my prego friend if she will be a bridesmaid in my wedding (she will have her first child in March, so I'm prepared that she may decline. In which case I'll move on to plan B (I will post about this soon too...))

Research florists in Carmel (I've already interviewed one via phone, I will post about this soon)

Research DJs in Carmel.

Set up room blocks with our reception site for friends and family.

Hire a local printer to do our Save the Date cards (I plan to DIY the rest of our STD suite, I will post about this during the week, these things need to go out in the mail STAT!!)

Book our DOC (I've already interviewed her, but I haven't had a chance to actually review her contract yet.)

Drag MJ to the post office to renew his passport.

Talk with our officiant about what we need to do before our Catholic ceremony (I will post about booking our officiant and my first RCIA class this week.)

Finish setting up our wedding website through WeddingWindow.com.

If I could check most of these items off of my list I will be on my way to getting back on track. The only hang up is that I can't really put a deposit down on my gown, the florist or the DJ until I have something set up for work. But at least I can still do research on who I like and who I don't like. However, I understand that it's hard to hold on to vendors (especially on such a popular weekend) without putting down a deposit. So I'm crossing my fingers that everything is ironed out (work wise) within two weeks from now and I want all of the above wedding related items figured out by the beginning of December.

Did you experience a major setback while planning your wedding? How did you get around it?

The Wedding Checklist

It seems that wedding planning involves lots of checklists. This can be a good or a bad thing. For me, it's a good thing.

I'm a total type-A personality (it's actually pretty bad. MJ isn't allowed to do the dishes or the laundry because I want both to be done a certain way, and I think it's better that I just stay on top of these chores myself instead of getting frustrated with MJ does it "wrong," which just means that he didn't do things the way that I want them done. I told you.) Accountants generally feel at home with checklists and crossing of to-dos for a major project. So I'm right at home. The problem that I have is that I'm finding that my time is growing smaller and I haven't been checking off any of my to-dos. :(

Right after MJ and a I were engaged my MOH bought me this book: The Knot's Book of Wedding Lists. (She loves doing lists too but she's just not as neurotic as I am. :) ) Right away I started going through the chapters on reception and ceremony sites. I started checking things off and making notes in the book and emailing our site coordinators and asking them questions that were in the book. I was a lot of help!

Then when I started my wedding planner (the crazy binder that I carry around with me and look at almost daily, it's chocked full of magazine tear-outs, etc.) there were more checklists about my planning timeline. When I first started with my timeline checklist there were items that I knew I was behind in but I thought I would get them done quickly so I wouldn't fall behind. However, now that I'm revisiting my timeline checklist I'm faced with the realization that I am behind. :(

Here is my wedding timeline checklist and what I've accomplished and what I'm waiting for:

9 - 12 months before:

• Announce Engagement - umm...I think the important folks know via word of mouth
• Determine Wedding Style - Classic, elegant
• Set the Date - Done! May 29, 2010
• Determine your budget - $25,000 - $30,000 (MJ and I are paying for it ourselves)
• Create the inital guest list - Around 90 or so...
• Research & reserve ceremony site - Booked the Carmel Mission
• Research & reserve ceremony officiant - Booked Bishop Garcia
• Research & reserve reception site - Booked the La Playa Hotel
• Select your wedding party attendants - half way there, I still have one friend to ask...
• Shop for and order our wedding gown - haven't started yet, yikes!

6 - 9 Months Before:

• Choose your colors - Champagne, pink & chocolate
• Select bridal party dresses, shoes & accessories
• Apply for or renew passports/visas as needed - MJ needs to renew his, I have mine!
• Research & select the essentials:
• Florist
• Photographer - Jen Slot Photography
• DJ/band for reception
• Baker - La Playa Hotel
• Caterer - La Playa Hotel

4- 6 Months Before:

• Finalize guest list
• Select, print or order your invitations and other stationary - I won these!
• Mail Save the date cards
• Select/purchase/reserve attire for groom, attendants, etc.
• Plan rehearsal dinner
• Meet with essential people
• Florist
• Photographer
• DJ/band
• Baker
• Caterer
• Officiant
• Shop for and order rings
• Plan the honeymoon - Going to France & Italy, but nothing is booked yet...
• Arrange hotel and/or lodging accomodations for wedding night and out-of-town guests
• Book transportaiton for wedding day
• Register for gifts - Done! Registered through Macys and Crate & Barrel
• Obtain a marriage license

2 - 4 Months Before

• Assemble and address the invitations
• Buy undergarments and shoes for your dress fitting
• Purchase gifts for the wedding party and others as appropriate
• Send out wedding newsletter for out of town guests
• Attend showers, bachelorette party, etc. Don't forget hostess gifts!!
• Finalize menu items with caterer
• Order/make favors
• Finalize music for reception and ceremony
• Schedule appointments or dress fittings
• Schedule appointments for nails, hair, makeup, etc.

4 - 6 Weeks Before:

• Mail invitiations
• Select readings for the ceremony
• Meet with officiant
• Purchase gift for the groom/bride
• Create, print and assemble your wedding programs
• Pick up wedding rings and make sure they are properly insured
• Send out invitations for the rehearsal dinner
• Start preparing a seating chart for the reception
• Purchase accessories such as guest book, ring bearer pillow, toasting glasses, etc.
• Make sure to all transportation details are coordinated and finalized
• Finalize details with all of your service providers
• Attend a test run for hair and makeup

2 -6 Weeks Before:

• Contact guests who haven't responded
• Confirm ceremony details with officiant
• Finalize rehearsal dinner plans
• Finalize head count with caterer and figure our table layout and seating
• Complete menu cards, place cards, escort cards, table numbers, etc.
• Arrange final fittings for wedding gown, bridesmaids dresses
• Confirm honeymoon plans, tickets, reservations
• Provide attendants with list of duties

Final Week

• Pack for wedding night
• Pack for honeymoon - Don't forget your passport!!
• Pick up and properly store bride/groom attire

Rehearsal Day

• Deliver favors, decorations and guest book to ceremony and reception locations
• Provide each member of your wedding party with a detailed schedule of events for wedding day
• Review ceremony seating with ushers
• Hand out payments to select vendors

And that's just the checklist from my wedding binder. Each source seems to have more and more to-dos.

I'm feeling behind, and I'm worried that it's going to snowball and I'm going to be one of those brides that you see on Whose Wedding is it Anyway that has to hire a planner 3 weeks before the wedding because they haven't planned anything yet.