Wedding Colors: Shades of Green

Do you know how many freaking shades of green there are in this world???

Yeah, me neither... So I wikipedia'd it. Turns out there's more than 59, and then Wikipedia said ENOUGH GREEN! Turns out the next step in the wedding process is picking out our colors.  Staying true to our park theme, I want to have green incorporated... but not evergreen or baby-poop-green. Greeeeeeeen.

Ever have a moment where you say something so many times that it loses all meaning and sounds really akward coming out of your mouth? That's how I feel about GREEN right now lol.

Here's some green choices:

Between finishing my masters program and teaching... let's see where picking a shade of green fits in :)

Bridal Party: "Flower Girls"

So, I'm not having a traditional bridal party... but I want my guests to look good ;)

I was looking through the David's Bridal website and came across the cutest flower girl dresses! My two nieces aren't as itty-bitty as they were when I started dating Luna 4 years ago. They're tall little buggers! (but super sweet and innocent... well except Iris. She'll kick you in the groin if you cross her lol!) But I think these dresses would fit and look cute:

But they're growing so much, I might have to look at Junior bridesmaids dresses. Here's another I like:

These might be a little bit more age/height appropriate. I love those little boogers and I'm going to make them look amazing for our reception.

Engagement Photos! (Slideshow)

Here are the photos! Take a looksie. There's 295... so sit back and enjoy hahaha

Engagement Photos: Sneak Peek

This past Saturday was HECTIC!

I woke up and had my hair and make-up done at JJ Studio (located at 2950 W. Chicago). I hadn't really had a haircut in nearly a year, sometimes cutting my own bangs, and not really seeing my hair grow much longer than just below my shoulders... needless to say, I got scolded by John John lol

Check him out on Facebook: 

JohnJohn JJstudio Garcia (Jaytwice)

Alicia, who I know from a pageant we'd both been in, did my make-up. It turned out AMAZING! I loved my eyelashes. Actually... I loved everything! My eye make-up was outstanding. My lips and cheeks were awesome, and I had a good time catching up. I even found out that she's going to be on the new season of Survivor!! How awesome is that?!

After leaving the hair studio I then ran home, picked up Luna and the dogs, went to Wendy's to grab a bite to eat (drive thru... scrumptious, but BAD for you) and raced back home so that I could be seated at my laptop for my online class (the dogs just came along for the ride. I did not buy them chicken nuggets like my good friend Shorty does for her doggy Patrick lol).

If I didn't have a group presentation, I probably would have skipped class all together... but being the responsible student I've become as of late, I made sure to be there ;)

I sat through the 2.5 hour class (rocking my project out of this world), and then had to JUMP into my dress and drive to the Garfield Park Conservatory. Luna and I met Christina there, and took a few pics in our green clothes (remember, he was wearing a green shirt when we met, and I was wearing a green dress). Here's a sneak peek of our shoot (I can't wait to see our other pictures!!!!)

We took a bunch at the boat house and all over the park. Afterwards we headed to Cafe Colao, talked to Lisa and went to the Stepphenwolf theatre to see a new play called Clybourne Park (about... take a guess...... yes. Gentrification). Check out the play

here: Clybourne Park

Ended the night with Tapas near University Village and then plopped in bed.

Great but tiring day.

 

Seating Cards: Grass Table Top

Arg.
I want the seating cards to sit atop a bed of grass at the venue. I bought this wheatgrass growing kit and thought I'd be able to grow lush green grass... look at my results:

Not really lush, is it?

Arg.
So, here's the new idea: I'm looking for faux grass :)

Here's one place--> http://www.save-on-crafts.com/grassmats.html

   

Instead of growing all of the grass, this might be an easier route.

Wedding Cake Choices: Cake Types 1-5

So, when I chose my wedding package with my venue, they also included the price of the wedding cake. They work with a local bakery, and depending on your price range, they have all these "categories." I will call them categories of caloric destruction because as you go up in price range the cakes get richer with FLAVOR and of course Buttercream (AKA liquid fat) YUM!

Here's a style that I like in Wedding Cake-Category 1:

CAKE FLAVORS- Vanilla Chiffon, Chocolate Chiffon, Chocolate Decadence, Traditional White

FILLING TYPES AND FLAVORS- Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream

FROSTING-  Wedding Buttercream,

FILLING CONFIGURATION- 4 Layers of Cake : 3 Layers of Filling

Here's a style that I like in Wedding Cake-Category 2:

  I actually didn't like any cakes from this category, but this is, I guess, the nicest looking.

  

CAKE FLAVORS- Vanilla Chiffon, Chocolate Chiffon, Marble Chiffon, White Cake, Chocolate Decadence

FILLING TYPES AND FLAVORS- Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Cream Cheese, Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Lemon Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, Raspberry Buttercream, White Chocolate Mousse,

FROSTING-  Wedding Buttercream,

FILLING CONFIGURATION- 4 Layers of Cake : 3 Layers of Filling

Here's a style that I like in Wedding Cake-Category 3:

I actually didn't like any cakes from this category either. The rest looked dollar store quality... and I'm not talking Family Dollar or Dollar Tree. I'm talking Mom and Pop from Korea.

CAKE FLAVORS- Vanilla Chiffon, Chocolate Chiffon, Marble Chiffon, White Cake, Chocolate Decadence, Vanilla Bean Cake, Lemon Cake, Pound Cake, Almond Pound Cake, , Red Velvet Cake, Banana Cake, Carrot Cake

FILLING TYPES AND FLAVORS- Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Cream Cheese, ,Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Hazelnut Buttercream, Mocha Buttercream, Lemon Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, Raspberry Buttercream, White Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, Irish Cream Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Tira Misu Mousse, Vanilla Bean Mousse, Fresh Strawberry, Banana,

FROSTING-  Wedding Buttercream,

FILLING CONFIGURATION- 4 Layers of Cake : 3 Layers of Filling

Here's a few Styles that I like in Wedding Cake-Category 4:

Cute! Better if it was in our colors.

CAKE FLAVORS- Vanilla Chiffon, Chocolate Chiffon, Marble Chiffon, White Cake, Chocolate Decadence, Vanilla Bean Cake, Lemon Cake, Pound Cake, Almond Pound Cake, Lemon Pound Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Banana Cake, Carrot Cake, New York Cheesecake

FILLING TYPES AND FLAVORS- Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Cream Cheese, Fudge, Ganache,Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Hazelnut Buttercream, Mocha Buttercream, Lemon Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, Raspberry Buttercream, White Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, Irish Cream Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Tira Misu Mousse, Passion Fruit Mousse, Guava Mousse, Mango Mousse, Blood Orange Mousse, Vanilla Bean Mousse, Pina Colada Mousse, Fresh Strawberry, Banana, Raspberry. *Seasonal Fruit

FROSTING-  Wedding Buttercream, White Chocolate Ganache, Dark Chocolate Ganache

FILLING CONFIGURATION- 4 Layers of Cake : 3 Layers of Filling

Here's a few styles that I like in Wedding Cake- Category 5 (The most expensive, for the reasons listed below):

 

These somewhat go along with the color scheme... I think I like the box-like cake better 

CAKE FLAVORS- Vanilla Chiffon, Chocolate Chiffon, Marble Chiffon, White Cake, Chocolate Decadence, Vanilla Bean Cake, Lemon Cake, Pound Cake, Almond Pound Cake, Lemon Pound Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Banana Cake, Carrot Cake, Hazelnut Cake, New York Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, Raspberry Cheesecake, and White Chocolate Cheesecake  

FILLING TYPES AND FLAVORS- Vanilla Custard, Chocolate Custard, Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam, Apricot Jam, Cream Cheese, Fudge, Ganache,Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Hazelnut Buttercream, Mocha Buttercream, Lemon Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, Raspberry Buttercream, White Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Mousse, Strawberry Mousse, Irish Cream Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Tira Misu Mousse, Passion Fruit Mousse, Guava Mousse, Mango Mousse, Blood Orange Mousse, Vanilla Bean Mousse, Pina Colada Mousse, Fresh Strawberry, Banana, Raspberry. *Seasonal Fruit

FROSTING-  Wedding Buttercream, White Chocolate Ganache, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Rolled Fondant

FILLING CONFIGURATION- 4 Layers of Cake : 3 Layers of Filling

Which Wedding Cake Do You Like The Best?
	Simplicity
	Samantha
	Inspiration
	Love Birds
	Tower of Love
	Glamour
pollcode.com free polls

Photo Shoot!

So we've settled on a date for our photo shoot: October 8th. I'm pretty psyched up... and nervous. I'm such an introverted-extrovert. I like attention, but I'm pretty shy.  Anywho! I just messaged a friend of mine who participated in a pageant with me, who does fabulous makeup. If all goes well, she'll be doing my makeup for the shoot, and her friend John John will be doing my hair!!!
Emotion check: Nervous, shy, excited.

Recently I went with Luna to a photoshoot he was doing. Christina (his/our photographer) did a fantastic job with his pictures:

Outside Union Station

Him sitting on his Kz (motorcycle)

And since we both had motorcycle jackets on, she asked if we'd like to take a couple together:

Our shoot will take place at the Boat House in HP and its surrounding areas... I was also thinking of taking a few at the Garfield Park conservatory since it might be freezing outdoors. Should be fun :)

Movies: Am I In The Right Spot?

If you know anything about me, then you know I love movies. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
I'm not quite sure when or how this love started, but I do think my parents played a role in this. Every Friday, after school, my dad would take us to Blockbuster to get movies for our Friday night pizza/movie parties. My mom, dad, two brothers and I would sit in our small living room, waiting for John's Pizzeria to deliver our football pizzas (with free 2Liter RC... what you know about RC? HUH?! lol) watching the latest movies to hit VHS. It was our ritual. Pizza. Movies. Us together.

Throughout college, I met someone who loved movies even MORE than me... my best friend Roberto Navia. Bob, our dorm buddies, and this one chick Ashley (who had the thickest mustache I've ever seen on a non-latino person) would hit up the movie theaters to see just about anything and everything. Bob made us watch the funniest... and weirdest movies ("Waiting")... but also many classics.

After college, I was fortunate enough to meet this really sweet, Puerto Rican, New York/Spanish accent, Humboldt Park raised, Jesus Loves This Guy, ex-bad boy--trying to be good, rapper/singer/songwriter, named Edgardo who LOVED movies also. He was the perfect movie match! He'd seen movies I hadn't seen,  and didn't mind watching them again, and again, so that I could fully understand the plot.

I love movies. So much so, I drag Luna to the movie theater at least once a week to see new flicks (not kicking and screaming, mind you. He likes to go haha). Our new ritual is to go Sunday mornings. Instead of church, we sit out in Skokie, with a bunch of other movie patrons (who happen to be older Jewish couples... hello, Skokie... Sunday!) and laugh our butts off, cry our tears out, and jump out of our skin. And then we go to John's Pizzeria (best pizza I've EVER had... way better than Pequod's). It's a real good time ;)

Every now and then there are these special screenings of upcoming movies. How awesome is that? You get to go see a movie before anyone else! Recently, my best friend Bob and I went to go see a special screening of the new version of Foot Loose, along with meet the actors and director.  Before the movie we sat and talked about all the movies we'd seen, and all the movies we want to see. Bob told me about this one movie called Another Earth. Take a look at the trailer:

I'd remembered seeing the trailer at the movies, but somehow it slipped my radar and I never saw it! It looks amazing. What if there actually was another Earth? Would you be the same you there, as you were here?

Bob asked me these questions, and I responded, "Yeah, but the other me is probably nicer!" I really want to see this movie. It's gotten me thinking... what would it look like? Would the other me have had the same experiences? Made the same decisions? Lived the same way?

And... well... I'd say yes.
I'd like to think that any, and all decisions that I've made and the experiences I've had are somewhat universal. Would I be with Luna? All signs point to yes. We've often spoke about the decisions he made, or rather his mom stopped him from making... going into the armed forces, becoming a flight attendant... somehow we found each other.

I mean this kid lived so close to me, and I bet we'd met before when we were younger. Or at least I'd seen him before. We share so many similar experiences. You could practically put a mirror up to his family, and see my own. So... if somehow, we were meant to be HERE on this EARTH... I'm sure we'd be together on any other.

Our decisions and experiences are not mere coincidences :)

Think about it.

Save-The-Date: Finalized Dress

The dress has been finalized... somewhat. I decided to go with the Tinkerbell-like green dress.  I ordered it online from this place called Light In The Box. I really don't know too much about the place, except that they're located in China... and they had a group of "seamstresses" alter my dress to my "specific" measurements.

Yes. The quotation marks are my attempt to be sarcastic. The dress is gorgeous. It really is. It looks exactly like the photo, with one exception: The length. UGHHH!!! Being short is a real kick in the glass (Tang reference).

The dress is too long! It practically comes down to my ankles, and in the picture it reaches the girl's knees. The model in the pic is like 5'3"and I'm 4'11 and 1/2" (hey that half inch means I'm sooooooo close to 5' even haha). I really didn't think a few inches would matter so much!

Well, I guess I've learned an important lesson: don't order dresses online.

When I was younger, my dad would take me clothes shopping, and I hated it! He'd take me to the store, let me pick out my outfits, and then walk me to the fitting room, saying "TRY ON EVERYTHING!" I totally know why now...

I expected to take our photos already, but now I have to get the dress altered.... by like a foot haha

Wedding guestlist: Place cards

I'm not sure how I came up with this idea, but it sounds really cool in theory.

At first I wanted the guest seating cards to be made out of cookies... but after really thinking about it, cookies may not be the best idea. What if guests eat their cookie before they're seated and forget which table they're sitting at?? This could definitely happen, and I don't want to deal with it... or the expensive cookies that may melt on the way to the venue.

I may not be the most creative person, but I have to pat myself on the back for my new idea. The theme is wedding in the park, right? How do I bring in the park in the least expensive way? I'm not really a huge fan of flowers, and don't want huge flower arrangements on the seating card table.

So, check out my idea: What if I placed on top of the table trays of grass, and on top of the grass, each guest name will neatly placed.

The grass would be shorter than this... but imagine a table full of these small trays that interlock and cute cards on top. It's cheap, it can be thrown away at the end of the night, and best of all, I can grow the grass myself within 2 weeks!!

I'm going to try it out, and grow a few small trays of grass.

I had this delivered at work, and I'm going to plant the seeds this weekend. When I'm done with this experiment, the dogs can eat the grass. WIN-WIN!

Marriage: Support

The other night I was explaining to my mom that Luna and I don't fight. She commented back "not yet." I laughed and said, "no, really. We don't fight. We agree to disagree and drop it." She thought for a minute and said, "well, that'll all change once you have kids."

I really don't think so. Luna has been with me through some really tough times.

When we first met, I resigned from AmeriCorps, and spent 30 days without a job. I've never been without a job, and needless to say, I was a little bit depressed and Luna kept me company

Shortly after, I  started working for a then unknown school named UIC College Prep. It was a ton of work, I wasn't experienced in this field, and there were times when I took work home... and also took my frustrations out on Luna. He laughed at my angry outbursts and hugged me.

Then there was the morning my cousin was murdered right at the corner of my house. This was probably one of the darkest and worse days of mine and my entire families lives. My cousin never got to meet Luna, but he would have loved him right from the moment he saw how well he treated me. Especially during that time.

We moved in together a year after we'd met, and now we had to pool our paychecks together to make ends meet. He paid the groceries and bills, I paid the rent. We split the cooking and cleaning, and it was the best first year living together.

My car has broken down, I have borrowed his truck and he's pedaled his bike to work, and never has he shown any resentment towards me.

Fast forward a few years, and recently I just had the suckiest couple weeks. We found out that after leaving work, a co-worker of mine had a brain aneurysm while he'd been driving home. He was somehow able to drive himself to the hospital and he's been in an induced coma for the past 2 weeks. I was upset and prayed for his recovery and strength for his family, and panicked at how this was going to impact my social studies department. Like any other day, I called Luna on my drive home and he said things would work out.

The next day, our school Principal told us that he had been offered a position by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and that he planned on taking it immediately. ANOTHER day of complete tears. This guy had given me a chance, and hired me after I had resigned from AmeriCorps. He'd mentored me, and helped me see that I didn't want to do office work; he helped me to realize that teaching was my calling. Through COMPLETE tears, Luna told me that the feelings I had were understandable because I'd looked up to the Principal for so many years. I feel asleep that night early, crying, with Luna hugging me.

The next day, we find out that a student from our Senior class had been in a car accident and had suffered a severe brain injury. At this point, I couldn't take any more news. A co-worker was fighting for his life, my mentor had broken up with my school and left us, and a student had nearly died and was also fighting for his life.

Luna has been my rock. Through all of this, and even when I've been mad at him for leaving his plates on the dinning room table, or throwing his clothes where ever he decides to take them off, I always take a minute to think of what life might be without him, and if my anger is really worth it.

We disagree with each other every now and then. But, what makes us different from many couples, is our ability to listen to each other's view, acknowledge that person's good points and then explain our own thinking. We agree to disagree and don't knock each other for thinking a certain way. We don't yell at each other... and the one time I got really upset, I took a drive and came back to discuss my feelings about things.

So, when we have kids, I'm sure we'll have disagreements on how to raise those boogers... but, for better or worse, until death do us part... we'll work it out :)

Marriage: It happened

News Flash! 

Luna and I got married on August 5th, 2011.
We did this for a couple of reasons:

1. Our BIG wedding will still be on Saturday, August 4th, 2012.  We met on August 5th 2007, and I wanted our marriage anniversary also to be on the 5th... so it just so happened, that we went downtown and stood in front of a judge who looked like he was this guy from the Harry Potter movies:

It was good practice for the "real" wedding in 2012!

Luna and I were the last couple to be wed. We sat in the waiting area, and I was NERVOUS. I kept telling myself "please don't faint in there" because I was so light headed. We were finally called, and this little guy in a black robe, shorter than me comes out, and escorts us to his office. Luna and I held hands awkwardly, and the judge started. I had to try really hard to keep the giggles in. And at that time, with all the medicine I was injecting myself daily, I think I might have been declared bi-polar... happy one second.... and the next second, the judge says something, and I'm fighting back tears!!!

Finally it was over, and we walked out... I was still light headed. I'm pretty sure it was because I was hungry, now that I think about it. I wanted a picture of us on our "wedding" day, and out of no where, this little Spanish lady comes and asks if we wanted her to take a picture of us. I'm not sure what it is, but I always think of these type of people as Angels from Heaven.
How did she even know?? God must have been smiling and sent her to us :)

2. Like I said, I'm injecting a crazy amount of medicine into my abdomen as of late because Luna and I are trying to have babies. I'm a very superstitious person... and I started to think that our whole pregnancy issues stem from not being married. I always thought that I'd be married when I got pregnant and... maybe God really believed in the saying "first comes love, THEN COMES marriage, THEN COMES the BABY. Anywho... it made me feel so much better being able to tell the doctor that my HUSBAND would attend the next appointment, instead of "fiance." A friend of mine, who recently had twins, and has the same illness I do, said that my reasoning didn't sound silly at all. In fact, she said that I should do whatever I thought necessary to get myself  in the best possible shape... including fixing how I feel about Luna and my relationship "title."

So, yes. It happened.

Wedding Entertainment: Wedding Songs

Listening to the radio has more purpose nowadays. Every song I hear, I'm thinking if I want to add it to our dance list. Here's one song that'll for sure be played... or rather sang, by my little cousin Aurea:

Gonna be AWEsome!!!

Menu: Hors D'oeuvres

Follow up on last post: I made copies of the contract :)

I'm looking at the contract which includes the choice of hors d'oeuvres I can choose from. The plan is to hold all guest in the lobby until a set time. Since, I know his and my families tend to be late to events, the wedding invitation will actually detail an earlier arrival time, with the expectation that everyone will actually get there at the time I've designated with the venue.
(Smart thinking, huh?! Thanks. It comes from years of frustration)

While guests wait in the lobby, they will be treated to 6 different passed hot/cold hor d'oeuvres.
Here's what I can choose from:

Cold
Smoked salmon canapes (Yuck)
Roasted vegetables with balsamic vinaigrette (ehhh)
Cheese, berries and crackers (boring)
Garlic crostini with wood smoked artichoke dip (Mmmm... garlic breath)
Fresh tomato and mozzarella caprese (love... but I'm thinking this might be a salad option)
Roasted asparagus and prosciutto roulades (tricky... not too many people enjoy asparagus)
Roma tomato bruschetta with toast points (YUMMM)
Fresh vegetable crudite with dipping sauce (what the heck is a crudite?)
Cold cajun chicken strips w/ louisiana dip (might be too spicy for some of my spice-intolerant family members)
Roasted zucchini stuffed w/ boursin cheese (Vegetables and cheese? YES!)
Antipasto (not a fan of olives or stinky cheese breath...)
Fresh fruit skewers w/ yogurt dip (Fruit before dinner? Weird)
Herb crostini w/ spinach artichoke mousse (anything moussed must be good)
Roasted garlic hummus w/toast points (I think my mom would be the only one really enjoying that... and Fonda)

Hot
Spicy chicken wings (messy)
Chicken drummettes (same thing)
Mini quiche lorraine (ehhhh)
Mini italian sausage (okayyyy)
Hawaiian chicken brochettes w/ pineapple glaze (That'll probably stay on the platter all night)
Stuffed mushroom caps (I'm not liking the stuffing choices--sausage, crabmeat or spinach)
Grilled chicken diavolo strips (People will already be eatting some type of chicken at dinner, so... let's not over do it)
Vegetable spring rolls w/ hot curry mayo or sweet & sour (adventurous)
Grilled lemon chicken strips (no chicken!)
Stuffed jalapeno cheese puffs (Does spicy and alcohol mix?)
Mini cocktail meatballs--Italian, swedish or BBQ (Yum)
Homemade foccacia bread (served with.... what? Just bread? haha)
Aracini--italian rice balls (just how did these balls form? Hmmmm)
Mini vegetable quesadillas (Like)
Beef empanadas (Usual...)
Chicken or beef satay w/ peanut sauce (beef? Why not.)
Mini crab cakes w/ remoulade (tasty!)

So... if you've followed my pattern so far, none of the food that I'd like passed out really follows a theme. It's all over the place. I think I'm going to have to bring Luna into the picture and have him make the final decision... with my commentary though (haha)

Venue: Contract

Minor freak out... I thought I lost the venue contract. I thought I was going to have to call the place and have them scan and email me a copy. How irresponsible I would have looked! ::sigh of relief::

Other than that, I'm looking into getting my permit to have our ceremony at the Boat House. Let me preface with this: I have a college degree, and I'm getting my masters right now, but my education has done nothing to prepare me for the confusion associated with securing a public spot in Chicago.

No lie, there's a bunch of hoops that I'm going to have to jump through. I wonder if I could just leave this up to my mom to figure out.... hmmmmm... that's what parents are for after all :)


MAKING COPIES OF THE CONTRACT RIGHT NOW!!!

Saying "I Do" in STYLE!

Being the girly girl that I am, I enjoy watching all the wedding TV shows like "Say Yes To The Dress," "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" and my new favorite "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding."

I've always been somewhat intrigued with the idea of "gypsies" (which is actually a pretty derogatory term for these people) since a very young age. I remember my mom asking my little brother and I to sing a Cher song could "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves," and gladly, we'd harmonize and prance around the house singing to the amusement of my mom and whoever else was at the house.

(Not sure what I'm talking about? Check out the first minute or so of the video. I was always Cher lol)

So when I heard of this show called "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" I laughed because I'd enjoyed the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" year ago. The show, which is on TLC, is based on the premise that:
"My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding paints a visually arresting portrait of the secretive, extravagant, and surprising world of gypsies and travelers in Britain today. The show reveals a community that lives alongside but detached from mainstream society. It is a community of contrasts, living by centuries-old religious and cultural traditions, but at the same time embracing the flashier side of the celebrity and fashion-focused times in which we live. "

Here's a clip of the show. Take a look at their wedding dresses, transportation, and what they wear to the wedding reception:

I've actually felt pretty bad watching this show. Just because of their reputation and how flashy they are, venues actually discriminate against them, and refuse to host their weddings. Over the past couple of years, I've heard how France is deporting their "Gypsies" because they consider them illegal immigrants... sound familiar? France has even gone to far as to deport some of these people, even though they actually were born in France, and thus considered legal.

I'm not a fan of what the brides wear, and do... but that's a cultural difference. Who am I to say what they do is wrong? By no means do I think that the U.S. is more advanced than other countries... but I'm fortunate to not be in a situation where I'm being discriminated against on the most important day of my love life.

Just bringing a little awareness :)

Wedding Dress: To Veil, or Not to Veil... that is the question.

So, I'm watching this segment on television about all the freaky little "fasinators" that the English wore to the royal wedding. It's becoming ever more popular for brides to wear these sea anemone looking hats instead of veils.

Got me thinking... why do women even wear veils? I'm not sure if I want to wear one... so I did some research.

History of the Veil 

The wedding veil dates back to the ancient empires of the Romans and the Greeks. Brides wore veils in pagan wedding ceremonies to protect the bride from evil spirits. The veils worn by brides at this time were brightly colored in red or yellow. Pagans believed that red and yellow were colors that could protect the bride. The veil also symbolized the tradition of protecting the bride from the eyes of the groom. It was considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.

(Upon reading this I thought how I'd look in a red or yellow veil... and well... the yellow one would especially not be able to protect me in my neighborhood... maybe if it were baby blue I'd be okay hahaha. JUST KIDDING!)

Significance in Christian Weddings 

Christian weddings traditionally had the bride and groom wearing crowns of flowers and twigs. This symbolized the sacrifices that both the bride and groom would have to make throughout their marriage. The wedding veil was introduced into the Christian wedding in the early 19th century. Christians began to wear the veil to symbolize to the groom and wedding guests that the bride was pure.

(If the veil is supposed to symbolize "purity" then I'd better not even try it. Have you heard the words that spout out of this mouth when I'm angry? Happy? Sad? They're all pretty filthy!)

 Over all, I think I will not be wearing a veil. It's just some sort of cover that will be attached to my hair, which will then mess it all up with all it's little hair pins, which needs to be pulled over my face, and then off. Besides, it's going to be a HOT August day, and the last thing I was is a drape around my face and neck, that sops up my make-up.

So, to answer my original question: To veil, or not to veil.... it's going to be a NO GO on the veil.

Gift Registry: Ooo Goodies!

I've created my "wish-list" and I'm ready to get a scanner gun in my hands!!!
Top 10 tips for registering for gifts:




What are you waiting for? Registering for wedding gifts should be one of the first tasks you tackle when you get engaged. Friends and relatives will be looking to buy wedding gifts as soon as he pops the question. Really! Take the guesswork out of gift buying by making sure they know what you want. You don’t need to complete your list just yet, but at least have a selection for guests to browse.

Hitting the stores together is essential. After all, the gifts are for both of you. To decide what you need, take inventory of the things you already have and see where the gaps are. Talk about the style of home you'd both like, and split up the final say (you could alternate items) to make it fair. (Maybe he gets to make final decisions on electronics, while you get to choose the kitchen stuff since you’re the chef.)

Don’t feel like you just need to register for china and flatware. Many stores have wedding registries now, so feel free to include whatever it is that will make your new house a home, be it electronics, appliances, or even camping equipment.

Try to avoid filling your list with things you’re never going to use. If you two aren’t the formal party types, then you probably won’t need a crystal punch bowl, as compelling as it may seem when you walk by with that registry scanner. Also, be extra-sure before you register for anything that's monogrammed. Once your name is on it, you probably won’t be able to return it.

It's always a good idea to inquire about a store's exchange/return policies. The great thing is many wedding registry retailers have amazing customer service to accommodate to-be-weds' needs (for example, you might suddenly realize that you don't really have room for 24 chargers and want to return, say, eight of them). That said, being aware of the store's return and exchange timelines will help you better plan and manage your registry.

As much as you may be hankering for that gorgeous $350-a-place-setting silver, be sure to register for items in a wide range of price points: under $50, under $75, under $100, under $200, and beyond, so all of your guests can choose gifts they can afford. You don't want your college friend feeling overwhelmed by the fact that he can't find a single gift; and on the opposite side, you don't want your parents' closest friends to have to buy you a multitude of smaller items to give you a generous gift.

At least one (and preferably all) of your registries should be available online. Guests should also be able to place their orders in person, over the phone, or by fax. If you’ve registered at a boutique retailer that doesn’t offer online services, you should be okay, as long as that’s not the only place you’ve registered. We live in a hectic world and you want to let guests be able to order you a gift -- even if it's 2 a.m.!

When a guest buys a gift for you, your registry should automatically update, allowing other guests to see what’s been purchased (and allowing you to see what’s on its way!). Make sure to revisit your registry often (trust us, you’ll be visiting several times a day once the wedding day nears), and update it with additional selections as products are purchased so that guests always have a variety of things to choose from. Aim to have at least twice as many items on your list as guests at your wedding.

Sure, some couples love receiving cash, but asking for it is not exactly Future Mr. and Mrs. Manners-approved. A more etiquette-friendly option? Try gift cards. Many stores allow you to register for them and you can use them to buy the things you want and need...later. If you are anxious for cash gifts, ask one or two close friends and immediate family members to politely spread the word.

Be gracious -- let your guests know their gifts have arrived -- promptly. Thank-you notes for gifts received before the wedding should be sent within two weeks of their arrival. Notes for gifts received on or after the wedding day should be sent within a month of your return from the honeymoon. In all notes, be sure to mention the gift by name.

Read more: 10 Tips on Registering for Wedding Gifts: Sponsored by Macy's - Online Wedding Registry - Bridal Registry Tips - TheKnot.com http://wedding.theknot.com/online-wedding-registry/bridal-registry-tips/articles/10-tips-on-registering-for-wedding-gifts.aspx#ixzz1UAPBmizs

Invitations: Samples

I ordered a bunch of sample invitations today. The idea is to incorporate green/flowers/wood elements where ever possible. Here's a sample I was playing with online:

 

Whatcha think? 

Wedding Guestlist: Let's up the ante

So here's the update:
We are going to allow 150 people to attend the reception portion of our wedding (which is nearly paid for in full! Yay ME!). I'm thinking of this guest list like a charter school lottery lol.

Let me explain: You accept a higher number of people (or in this case, invite), anticipating that a certain percentage will decline.

From experience, this can go one of two way... your calculations will pan out, and the exact number of people you really wanted will show up (150) OR everyone you accepted (a.k.a invited-- 160 people) will show up and you're actually going to have to pay more $$$ for them to be able to attend.

The current guest list is up to 146 people... with my mom asking me if I remembered to put SO and SO on the list, and I then saying "Oh YEAHHHHH.... I forgot about them."

 Great thing is... I have 367 days until the big day, and I'm pretty much all planned out, and ready to execute when the right date comes around...

Well, I have everything except Luna's family and friends' addresses... ARGGGGGGG
(There's a funny story behind this... but it's too soon to tell it, and not hurt feelings hahaha)

Dresses: Time to start looking

This past week, I went to my friend Maggie's wedding. We've known each other since high school, and were in the same advisory (Hathaway shout-out). I try to explain to my present advisees that the friendships they make in advisory really will follow them for the rest of their lives. They can be long lasting great relationships, or really crappy distant ones.

Yolanda (Shorty), Maggie, and I have kept in touch since graduation, and yes, maybe we haven't seen each other frequently throughout the years, but what I like about our friendship is that no matter the time spent apart from each other, we start back up from where we left off.

Back to her wedding though. Mags looked great! Her dress was really pretty:

Maggie and her Dad

I loved the shape, the beading, and ruching. Her train was just right. Not too long, not too short. Her wedding gave me a lot of great pointers for mine next year, from the dress to the seating assignments, to the speeches (the groom's speech was HILARIOUS! I loved it, and told Luna he'd better be taking notes).

So, I started thinking what sort of dress I want...
According to TheKnot.com, I'm supposed to start looking for dresses NOW. But first, I need to know what "shape" I am by looking at the chart below:

Currently, I'd probably go with the first choice: Shoulders and waist are similarly sized, with a defined waist. Here are the dress choices that came up when I chose this:

Trumpet and Mermaid! I totally agree with them. But... here's the dilemma...
Luna and I are in the process of trying to conceive a child(ren), with the help of modern medicine. We've been trying for a while and finally it seems like we're going somewhere. If all goes well with this round of IVF, we'll have a little one(s) by April/May. That gives me 2 months to slim back down to hourglass from pregnant world globe.  Otherwise, I'll have to wear something like this:

It's nice but... Not exactly what I want. Knowing that I'm not having bridesmaids, this teeny bit of information bothers me, because it's one thing I can't really plan for... and I'm a detailed PLANNER when it comes to parties.

On the other hand, I'll take being a globe, wearing a tutu, if it means us actually having a live birth happen :) Fingers crossed!

Invitations: spend time, or spend money?

Yesterday I went to my cousin's baby shower. The invites were REALLY cute. I thought they'd paid for them, but it turns out that my cousins Teresa, Sarah and Rachel put all of them together one weekend. Tere told me that they'd made an assembly line, and constructed these little beauties over several bottles of wine. I made fun, and said "ohhh! That's why the lady bugs were crooked; you guys were drunk!"

Haha I was just joking, but it turns out that my invite actually did have a crooked element:

Despite the crookedness, I LOVED these little invites. They were super cute, and every element of the shower tied together nicely.

Sneak peek of the lobby

So, I'm not exactly having bridesmaids at my wedding, but I am having helpers! My cousin Ive helped with the booking of the venue, asking really great questions:

Isn't she cute! Haha

 She's a great helper :)










So I've started asking people to help out with this special day... and now, thinking about invitations, I think I'm going to need to recruit three more special people:
Teresa
Sarah
Rachel

I promise to provide the booze, if you promise to put most of the elements in the right place on my wedding shower invites :)

What do you say ladies??
(Ive you're invited to help also, you know lol)

Wedding shower details:
So, I'd like this to happen 2 weeks prior to the wedding, on Sunday, July 22nd, to be exact.
Where? Humboldt park of course!
I'd really like a couple's shower (instead of the "traditional" bridal shower), in the park. I'd like for guests to park at the boat house and then come to one of my favorite spots in the park, my triangle! Do you see the triangle at the bottom left of the picture?

When my brother and I were 5 and 6, my mom used to bring us to this part of the park, set her chair in the middle of triangle, and let us ride our bikes or roller blade, around and around. When my older brother had back surgery a few years back, and needed to walk around as part of his physical therapy, I would drive him here, and walk with him and our old dog Spike. Recently, Luna and I took the dogs to the park for a run (Maximus is 5lbs overweight and needs more exercise), and we went a couple laps around my triangle. This part of the park means a lot to me.

I'm thinking BBQ (Tere, you take care of that), under a canopy so wela doesn't get too hot (I found one for $99 Amazon that's a good size), and beer wrapped in newspapers for the guys/girls (haha we have to bring that "ghetto" element in).

Luna, his 2 brothers, Dom, Sean, Teddy and Danny will need to work on putting this up ;)

So, my helpers... Ive can vouch for me, when I say this, but I am not artistic to save my life. I'm going to need help. Here's some invites I saw online... and just think, we have 1 YEAR to plan this out :)

Venue: Booked

It's been a very busy 2 days!! I haven't written, because I've been doing research :)

My mom, Abu (my little cousin, not her real name haha), and I went to go check out a venue today. Here were my nonnegotiables:

Venue must...
have a decent size dance floor.
be able to host an open bar for my guests.
provide all furniture, linens, plates/silverware, etc.
have an on-site kitchen.
allow me to have a live band.
provide a space for my guests to chill before the doors open.
pass out hor d'oevures to my guests while they chill.
Offer valet parking (preferably free) to all my guests.

Seems simple enough, no?
Well, I found a place that met all these requirements and more!

I won't say the location... but here's some cool tidbits:

• The place is big enough, and yet small enough to make it feel like an awesome party. I sang to Abu all the way back home "We's gonna have a pa-ahhh-teeee!"
• I'm a sneaky bastard, and negotiated the price really low. I'd done my research on what I wanted beforehand, and how much they were going to ask per person. Once we got there, I asked how much the service fees and taxes were.... and gave my face of "hmm, I don't think that's going to work." The lady asked me what I wanted as a flat fee per person, and I gave her my super lowest, knowing she'd go for the middle price (which I knew she'd pick, and I already had in mind). She went for it. I got an unbelievable price, with everything I want included (except my ice sculptures... I'm working on that hahaha)
• With the price I got, I can go from my 120 guest limit to now 150 guests! 
• This place takes care of EVERYTHING (dinner, dessert tables, wedding cake, alcohol, decorations, etc).
• My guests will be leaving FULL (and possibly tossing their cookies after all they have to eat and drink)

So, here's the only thing I have to think about...
- Once guests get there, they will have a cocktail hour in the lobby (w/ some sort of entertainment) and munch on goodies (including their seating cards, which will be cookies hehe).
- Guests will then move in to the dinning portion of the night, with unlimited wine.
- All guests will join in for a champagne toast
- And then the bar will be opened for the rest of the night as we dance it up.

Is this alcohol overkill?

Wedding Cake Toppers: the elegant, the silly, and the down right nasty

While looking for wedding favors, many sites advertised "elegant" cake toppers. I'm used to seeing the traditional plastic man and women holding hands.

But nowadays, cake toppers can be as creative as the couple.
I'll start with some that caught my eye, followed with a short description of what I thought when I saw it haha

"Hmmm. Domestic violence... what a great message to send your guests."










"A cake topper from the MTV show, 16 and Pregnant"

"Just let him go, girl! He ain't worth it!"

 "For the couple that hunts together... or that have a deer as a pet."

"Til' death do us part guey"

No comment... just the look on my face said enough about this one.

"Lego's, huh? Why buy when we can make it ourselves."

"How cliché."

"Hmmmm.... no."

"These little Mii sorta look like Luna and me."

"This is more like it! Vrooom!!"

"Yup. That's us!"

"I think this is the one... simple, yet elegant"