Friday, October 28, 2011

Moving Forward


I bought this for Trevor. A little corny, I know, but I loved it in a disgustingly saccharine sort of way.

So, more than anything, this is just to update you all on where I/we am/are on a few things.

1. I have a Flower Girl!!! Samantha's daughter, Madeleine, will be tossing petals for me and looking thoroughly adorable. I am so excited, you just have no idea... so excited to know that my dear old friend and her family will be making the long trek from San Francisco for my wedding and thrilled that her little girl can play a special role on my big day. It may be a little confusing to have a Madeleine and a Madeline in the wedding (my niece is a junior bridesmaid), but since I can come up with any number of names for my Madeline, all will be well. And now my FML need no longer fret that my bridal party is noticeably incomplete. Yay!!!

2. I DID purchase the Viking ship stamp and it is here and awesome. One of the great things about being at an all women's college is the fact that there are so many crafters here, including my Senior Honors advisee, Babineau. She and I have discussed it and we think that next semester, when we get together twice a week to watch ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and NBC's "Grimm" (she's doing a folk/fairy tale thesis), we will make things for the wedding. NICE. And we're thinking of getting plain glass votive candle holders and decoupaging the exteriors with tissue paper that matches the wedding colors and incorporating the stamp on them. Again, what say you? I'm thinking subtle, but cool and unique. If you're thinking "tacky," "lame," or anything similar, please DO let me know. Honestly. What we're envisioning for the "centerpieces" (since they're easily dismantled, it's hard to call them that) is a hurricane candle in the center of the table with 10 cobalt blue 375 mL bottles of meads and wines (favors) surrounding that and four of the aforementioned votive holders outside the ring of booze, one facing each side of the square tables. And maybe some glittering confetti tossed about. Hmmm...

3. God, I wish there was a cheap way to take care of invitations and programs. If y'all have any ideas, let me know.

4. For flowers, to save money, I think we're going to be ordering from a wholesaler for the boutineers, y'all's bouquets, the remembrance flowers for deceased loved ones, and the flowers for the cake. Right now I'm leaning towards orange lilies, but time will tell... and the bridesmaids' dresses, once decided upon officially, will also determine how this plays out. Amy "Big Baby" Teitelman has volunteered to help with putting the bouquets and boutineers together; any of the rest of you are more than welcome to help. And yes, I totally referenced her by her Juggalo name. This way, the only things I'm having to pay through the nose for in the floral department will be my bouquet, the corsages for the mothers and my sisters (don't ask), and the arrangements for the church.

5. Instead of a guest book, I'm thinking about doing something like this:


This one in particular is from Etsy, but I'm thinking perhaps Josh could throw one together for us quickly... all he has to do is the background, the lettering, and (obviously) the tree... and birds. Then you get ink pads and have each guest put their finger print on as a leaf and sign their name beside it. I think it's pretty awesome. And affordable. And a permanent decoration for the house, too.

6. When any of my IGP ladies call me on my cell phone now, the ringtone that will play is the chorus of Insane Clown Posse's "Juggalo Homies":



7. Finally, I will be in Cincinnati from Friday, November 18th to Sunday the 27th. I know that Ressler will be around that week... who else would be around and available to go shopping for the bridesmaids' dresses with me? Amy? Katie? I believe Erika's trying to work something out, but I understand that finances are an issue. And, for those who will be around, please let me know when you might be available so we can coordinate as best as possible. Also, if you guys want to converse about what you're thinking, please feel free to do so... this is NOT a decision I see as solely mine; not at all.

Okay, that's enough for now, I think. If I think of more, I'll write again soon. Keep ideas and thoughts coming... they are much appreciated.

Love ya, homies.

Monday, September 26, 2011

IDEA!!

Something I need feedback on and, if I get a group seal of approval, I have $11.00 to invest quick-like.

So, thinking about the place cards that get set out on a table at the reception location to inform people of their table numbers. In a fit of crazy, I thought it would be cool to--in keeping with the tasteful, vaguely medieval theme to this wedding--have little Viking ships on a blue tablecloth, the names for each person written on the sails. Admittedly, yes, kinda cool and kinda dorky. Also? Next to impossible to do without going quietly insane.

Then today I had a thought. What if I could find a rubber stamp of a Viking ship? Then each place card could be done on whatever paper and whatever color and significantly cheaper and easier, but still maintain a vaguely medieval (yet perhaps more tasteful) feel. And I found precisely one, on Etsy:


What say you?

Friday, September 16, 2011

Back to the Future


Okay, y'all. Time to get this Posse in gear. I had the long summer hiatus, followed by a month of getting school shit back together; now I really do need to start thinking about this wedding thing.

Though I know some of you know about the family drama I went through over the summer, for those who don't, I will summarize it as briefly as possible. There was some sisterly bitterness about not being included as bridesmaids... of course, this bitterness was the result of a misunderstanding and some rude assumptions (namely, that they weren't going to have roles in the wedding at all... NOT. They're doing readings; we just haven't gotten to the point of planning the ceremony yet, so I couldn't ask them... but naturally, they're impatient and jumped to the conclusion that their sister was a raging bitch... you know me...) Ultimately, they realized that they would look a little ridiculous standing amongst a bridal party of people who were ALL at least 15 years younger than they were, but not before spending the entire summer ignoring me and acting thoroughly uninterested and unimpressed by any wedding plans I had the nerve to share.

In other words, those great, excited conversations girls expect to have about their weddings? I didn't have any of those. I could sit down and cry, if I really thought long and hard about it, but it's not worth it and I have work to do.

YOU guys, then, need to make me excited about all this again... I'm sorry that it falls to you, but so it does.

There's so much to cover, but I'll just begin with the stuff that most immediately affects you all... namely, travel plans.

The wedding is going to be July 7th. That means you all have to at least be in Columbus by July 6th for the Rehearsal. But on top of that, if I'm going to have a Bachelorette party, quite frankly, YOU'RE my closest friends and YOU'RE the ones I'd most like to have there... which means the Bachelorette party probably needs to be (a reasonably sober affair) on the 4th (horribly patriotic) or 5th. I realize most of you will be having to take off work and make special travel arrangements to come into town. I know that planning to be in Columbus for three or four days really just may not be feasible and I am completely accepting of that. Let me just say that, though I have no way of knowing what my living arrangements are going to be at that time, I have every intention of finding a way to put y'all up someplace (maybe even in my own house, if I'm lucky enough to have one by then) for free, at least up until the actual wedding night. I don't want to cost you any more money than absolutely necessary.

So, in brief, ideally you will all be in Columbus by July 4th or 5th, but most certainly by the 6th.

Though we are WELL ahead of schedule for the next little convo, I will also say that, considering our budget, I'll be getting y'all gifts but I won't be able to afford to pay for y'all to get nails/hair/make up done also. I'll be doing my own make up because, well, don't nobody touch this face but me! But I'll be having my nails done the morning of the 6th and my hair done the morning of the 7th (obviously). These things are going to be done in West Jeff, which is the small town I am destined to be living in, and will be done in the salon the Peters family has been going to for years and years and years. So, if any of you would like to have nails or hair done with me, as a lovely group bonding thing (and I think alcohol should be involved in both), I can make those appointments for all interested. But if that's money you don't want to put out, it truly, truly doesn't bother me in the least... you guys can walk down the aisle with greasy, matted hair and ripped out toenails for all I care... I just want you there.

Though if you're going to rip your toenails out, cover that shit up.

Okay... I'm going to leave it at that for now, so this post doesn't get any more unwieldy. The conversations can officially begin and wander all over the place from here on out.

And one last thing: Jenny does not particularly care to have the entire burden of the MOH speech placed upon her shoulders, which I can totally appreciate (as one who would be equally mortified to do such a thing). As far as I'm concerned, it can be a group effort in some way, but I leave it entirely up to y'all to figure that bit out... it's none of my business. Just remember that my mother will be there.

A group interpretive dance might be nice. I'm just sayin'.

Oh, and be looking at images of bridesmaids dresses when you have free time to do so. I'd rather have you guys find things you like, if at all possible, than act as your general and mandate a uniform. Send me any images of dresses you like... ones you're serious about, though... not the random crap Erika's always sending me. Though I love her. And, admittedly, random crap makes me laugh wicked hard.

Okay, my love to you all. Let's plan this fuckin' weddin'.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Three Down, Two to Go...


And we have another Insane Gown Posse member! Welcome to Katie! All my PSSWR veterans are now officially on board and I am thrilled beyond all rational comprehension. Is my wedding going to be an awesome party, or what? I'm likely to see the other two ladies within the next week and a half, so I'm hoping we'll all soon be putzing around this blog together.

I feel like we should have scary clown names... I mean, "Violent J" and "Shaggy 2 Dope" do...

Oh, hey! There you go, Jenny... Violent J!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

My One Regret...

... is that none of you will be able to go see this with me.



You have no idea how much I want to see this movie and how sad it is to me that I won't be able to see it with any of you. Well, I can check Amy's availability. Ought to ask her to be a bridesmaid first...

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Date is Set: July 7, 2012

Well, if we're being honest, it's not carved in stone... but it's etched in pencil lead on a piece of paper somewhere!

As for the venues, though neither of you commented, we have a winner. And the winner is La Scala... the first venue I showed and described. The most bang for our buck, we decided, and we're both really, really happy with our decision. We love the place, we love the food, and everyone we know who has used La Scala has been more than happy with their choice. (Watch me go ultra-girly, here:) It's even a featured reception venue on The Knot, a "The Knot Best of Weddings" winner for venue, and has received very enthusiastic praise from numerous brides online. So... it's pretty fancy.

After going a little spreadsheet-wild, Trevor was able to put several of our top-pick vendors side-by-side so we could do some comparative pricing and, though La Scala wasn't quite the cheapest (damn close, though), we were getting the most for our money through them. I have less stress to think about in relation to centerpieces, we'll be able to afford a limited open bar, the food will be thoroughly awesome, and the price for kids' meals is $11.99. Also, the place is gorgeous. Once we decided that we were tired of looking and still very stuck on La Scala, Trevor called and conversed with their wedding planner, Cathy (also, I get a free wedding planner), who said she would place a "soft reserve" on 7/7... the date in July I was most excited about... because it sounds cool and is easy to remember. He explained to her that I'm in Central Vag, and won't be available to go over details and sign shit until May 28th, so we have an appointment there at 11:30 that morning. According to Trevor she was a very, very friendly, pleasant sort of person who was excited to hear that he would be an "active groom."

The "soft reserve" means that we haven't paid the $500 deposit that will etch our names/date in stone, but that we're almost assuredly a done deal; therefore, if anyone else calls with an intention to book for our date, she will call us first, allowing Trevor a chance to go cough up the dough so we don't lose our spot. We'd just really like to be able to cough our dough up together.

So, 7/7 it is. I suggested that we see if they cut us a deal on "7 & 7"s for the night and we can offer that as "our" drink for the evening, including it as part of the open bar. My mom will be happy... June just loooooves 7 & 7's.... we're gonna get my mama loaded...

Anyway... yay!

427 days to go.

Of course, this means my bachelorette party with y'all will have to be either 7/4 or 7/5... very patriotic... I totally want sparklers.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Tale of Two Venues

You know what sucks? Finding an affordable venue for a massive party. Trevor and I keep talking about how awful it is that we're so awesome and popular, because if we were total assholes, this would be SO much cheaper...

I hit the "fuck it, let's just get a keg and head to a bowling alley" moment over the weekend, but Trevor has persevered. Sure, we're going to plunge into debt, but what's a little bankruptcy amongst friends, am I right?

Anyway, we've pretty much narrowed it down to two places that we feel comfortable with, and both have their pros and cons. I'll be honest and tell you that we haven't done the official tally for both venues yet, to put together the official price comparison, but I'll tell you what I can about both.

First, we have La Scala. It's an Italian restaurant, all on its own, but also has two banquet halls and a bar attached to it. We'd be having our reception in the Caruso Room, which clearly means I'll say witty or punny on-liners, put on my sunglasses, and cue The Who.*

The Caruso Room:


And for my PSSWR girls...



We're looking at a $500 deposit for the room, approximately $22 per person for the plated entrées (a choice of two will be available, one pasta--gag,gag,gag--and one chicken--whew!), which will also involve salad and veggies; an additional $14.50 per person for the minimum open bar of domestic beer and select wines; and additional kids' menu options, at a reduced price, for our horde of wee ones. We have to order and pay for our cake, which doesn't have to be from La Scala, and we have to pay state tax and 17% gratuity. Honestly, after all the math (ow! my brain!) that I've done for other places, that's pretty effing cheap. And they'll still let us do our alcoholic wedding favors, as long as the bottles are tagged to indicate that they are not to be consumed on the premises. The room will accommodate up to 300 and, after writing up our guest lists, we're looking at likely just over 200 people (and that's after assuming a certain number of people won't come). They said they really don't care what time the party breaks up, just as long as we're out by 1:00 a.m., so they's our kind of people! All the reviews I've read have been great and, more to the point, I've actually BEEN to a wedding there, with Trevor, last September... the food was AMAZING! Really fantastic.


Our other option was used by one of my sorority sisters (Robbi) for her venue. That would be the Clintonville Women's Club (CWC).


The room is beautiful... big windows, hardwood floors, a raised dais upon which the head table might be placed, and two raised sections on either side of the main floor where there are more tables. Chair linens cost extra, but the rest of the linens are included. They also have a large selection of centerpieces from which to choose and they incorporate the cake into your overall cost per guest (they have a deal with a local, well-known bakery).


The images I had to choose from really weren't the best, but I included this one so you could see the ceiling, with its exposed beams, and the twinkle lights (*twinkle*twinkle*twinkle*), as well. Also, I believe Robbi said this was one of the pictures from her wedding... nice roses! Anyway, the price per person is $36 and, again, we'd have a selection of two plated entrées with salad, veggies, etc., and the cake is included in that price. I don't think Trevor has asked them whether they have kids' menu options. There is no rental fee, but we do have to pay 20% gratuity as well as state tax. This place is not a professional restaurant, but by all accounts the food is good. We would have to provide our own alcohol and would have to hire a bartender (or, with our friends, two), but in some ways that is a significantly cheaper option than paying for an open bar... we could gradually stock up on liquor over the year, sodas and such as it got nearer to the date, get a keg just before, and Trevor could be making a massive quantity and variety of wine in the meantime... and we'd get to keep everything left over and spend the first four months of our marriage thoroughly plastered. The rental is for four hours and they want you out on time, though additional hours can be purchased at $350 an hour. They say they seat up to 180 and, though they are willing to go to 200, truly prefer to stay at the 180 number... which would mean some slashing and burning of the guest lists (slashing and burning that, admittedly, probably ought to be done anyway).

So, that's where we are with our venues. As of our earlier conversation today, Trevor and I were leaning (not so far as to fall over, but just gently off balance) toward La Scala. I would, however, like to entertain your observations and opinions. You guys may think of things we haven't; we're a bit muddled at the moment... what with being so popular and awesome...



*That's a CSI: Miami joke. Yeah, I don't watch it either, but still...

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Dress Profile: First Among Many

Okay, so... I will occasionally share dresses I like for ME on here, as well. Bear in mind that, if I'm sharing it, I legitimately like the dress; in other words, be sensitive to my feelings with your opinions! BUT, I want you to be honest if you have a practical concern with the thing. I don't have to go dress shopping for awhile yet, but I'm casting my eyes around to things that I think are interesting so that, at the very least, I go into my first dress appointment with a couple of defined ideas of what I like and what I hate.

I really don't want to have a thoroughly traditional gown. I like things that are unique and unexpected; I like texture or visual interest... not necessarily of the beaded variety, but I won't count such things out. More importantly, I like anything that's under $1000, and by as much as possible. That's what I like the most. This wedding is becoming more expensive by the second--and we haven't even purchased anything yet!

This morning I had a 35 minute conversation with my FML, Debi, who has fallen completely in love with (now) Princess Catherine's wedding dress. (Who hasn't?) She wanted me to know that knock-offs are quickly becoming available and she told me a couple of designers who were producing them for under $1K. Now, you may recall that Kate had sleeves... and that I'm getting married in July. I'm just sayin'... Nevertheless, I went online to check out a couple of the designers Debi mentioned and to look at one I had seen myself. Mori Lee was the knock-off I first saw and I thought they did an amazing job with it. Once on their site, I floated around a bit (the knock-off they're coming out with first will be $999) and found a dress I'd seen before.

I saw the following dress on a real bride in a magazine and, as often happens when they profile real brides, they didn't say anything about the designer or price of the dress... and I was pissed, because I really, really wanted to look it up. It caught my eye because the bride was in mid-twirl and the skirt just looked really fun and different. So, I give you Mori Lee 2521, $720.


Obviously, the vertical stripes are what are fascinating the shit out of me on this one.* They have a very slimming effect and are just really different...


And I like that it's got the satin skirt underneath with the sheer/opaque-striped overlay. Again, the twirling bride caught my eye because the overlay lifted up and... it looked like such a fun dress!


The striping also gives the back a lot of interest, which is seriously missing in many of the dresses I've seen. The backs are just blah and, quite frankly, that's what most people are going to be staring at for the longest period of time. I want the back to be interesting.**


Finally, the bodice is nicely fitted, not overly blingy (which is something I kind of hate), but still has some sparkle to it. And, again, the stripes (really, even the criss-crossed ones) are extremely slimming. And I want to look as skinny as my big ol' Germanic, baby-birthing-hipped frame can manage!

So, there is the first "dress I love" that I'm offering up to you. Be kind.

*I will not be doing bizarre stretches at my wedding.
**I won't be playing with my hair weirdly, either.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Suffer the Little Children



Or is it "Make the Little Children Suffer"?

While the great Kilt Kwestion floats above us in the stratosphere, a greater issue has just come up, and one more significant in terms of our budget. All things considered, the two bridesmaids who currently know about this blog will likely share in the same opinion on this, but I have at least one bridesmaid (should she agree, and I mean Ressler) for whom this issue would be an important one.

What about the children?

Now, before you immediately post a comment, bear with me as I go through the discussion I just had with Trevor. We need to get (a) venue(s) booked ASAP... we're aiming for a July 2012 wedding and those dates should start filling up at most places right about nowish. At this point, it's completely possible that we're going to end up having to book a venue I haven't seen in person yet... which is annoying but potentially necessary. In looking at and comparing prices on venues (most of which require you to use their in-house catering services), we quickly realized that we needed to have a rough total of the number of guests. That's what we figured out tonight.

Earlier today I queried, "Do you think we have to pay the whole $25.95 or whatever per person for dinner thing even if the person in question is a picky 8 year old who will eat half a plateful or a 1 year old who will only eat a handful of crackers?" This is a horrifying thought... paying upwards of $25.00 for a person who eats $2.00 worth of food?! Trevor agreed that this was an excellent point... how much of a person is a child under 12 worth to a catering service?

Now, it's possible that we can work out deals with caterers and that's precisely the kind of wheeling and dealing in which my fiancé (there it is... the first time I've used that word... welcome to my new insanity) is gifted. So that's what we're going to explore first.

HOWEVER. We each did our rough guest lists and noted all children under the age of 12. Ready for it?

50

FIFTY

FIVE-OH

Fiddy.

Fifty kids. Kids belonging to my cousins, his cousins, my friends, his friends, friends of our families... fifty. That's just... that's a lot of freakin' kids. And, though you won't believe this, they're mostly GOOD kids... like, I didn't put down any kids that make me think, "Oh dear God, NO." But that's still a lot of little mouths to feed.

Then Trevor came up with the "essential" versus the "non-essential" kids idea. No non-essential kids. Okay, so... what makes a kid "essential," then? He said, "Only kids who are part of the wedding party or in the immediate families." That takes us down to my niece, his two boys, and his two nephews... so, five. And then we thought, "Well, and maybe the children of members of the wedding party." Which would take us up to (I think) eight.

You're both thinking this is reasonable. Here are my issues.

My extended family lives out of town and will have to trek to Columbus and stay the night... so my cousins who have kids would either have to get overnight baby sitters or, more likely, just not come. And you know what? The cousins this would affect? I WANT them to come. That's the irony... the cousins unaffected by this are the cousins I would prefer to have stay at home. That totally blows.

And my other issue? This means Braedon and Murren Kelly couldn't come. And that is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I told Trevor, those two are like my niece and nephew... not like "non-essential" children! And they live in Georgia, so if they can't come, Keith and Erika aren't coming and I really, really, really want Keith and Erika to come! And Braedon and Murren, for that matter! Also, I have other out of town friends I want there who wouldn't be able to be there if it meant finding someone to watch their children for several days. In other words, I feel like I'm the one whose guest list gets royally screwed over by this whole "non-essential" children idea. His cousins and friends all live in Columbus; they just need to find a sitter who can manage their kids for a couple hours... my people have to try to make accommodations that, I'm afraid, they ultimately just won't bother to make. And I hate that.

So, what do you think? And remember, I LIKE kids... and, more importantly, I like my family and friends who have kids and I want them at my wedding.

Oh, why can't weddings be free?!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Putting the Tart in Tartan?



I thought about entitling this post "How Do You Solve a Problem Like a Tartan?"

So, you should know that Trevor is considering wearing his ancestral tartan for our wedding. He's found a very reasonably priced tartan rental site (several, actually, and the rental packages include all the accoutrements... right down to the knife that you strap to your sock and the fur murse... I mean sporran), and both his brother and his father are excited at the prospect of acknowledging their Scottish heritage. They're really very Scottish, from the line of the MacGregors, as in Rob Roy. This surprises no one. That their last name is NOT MacGregor is the fault of the Campbell Clan and... well, I'm just not going into the history of it all here.

However. The MacGregor tartan... is interestingly problematic for me. I'm presenting this discussion to y'all so that you can give me ideas and input I haven't thought of or considered. The "Rob Roy" tartan is the strictly black and red one above. It cries out "I'M A LUMBERJACK AND I'M OKAY!" I hadn't really considered having our wedding in the forest and marking the occasion with the odd hewn tree, but I guess that's certainly an option. However, it also limits our options for bridesmaid dress colors to red or black. Or charcoal. As OWU grads, red and black seems a little too "Go Bishops," not to mention the fact that Trevor's brother Josh and sister-in-law Mindy had red and black for their colors. Oh, and I hate red. I like The Reds... if we have it at Great American Ballpark, let's do this thang! But that's actually not the option before me. Alas.

The other tartan above is a more modern MacGregor tartan. And it's a little "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" for me. Admittedly, I'm a total Whore for Christmas, but I don't really want to evoke my favorite holiday in the middle of the summer on my wedding day. Now, there is also the MacGregor Hunting Tartan:



It's less red-red, maybe a hint more towards burgundy (hunting tartans tend to be a bit duller than the formal clan tartans... you guys, the SHIT I know about Scottish tartans, now...), and it is also one of the tartan options carried by the rental place. But still. What do you guys think? How could I work with this? I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't strangely enthralled by the idea of seeing my future husband standing at the altar in full Scottish regalia... but I'd also be lying if I said I didn't mind making my entire color palette bend to the will of plaid wool. And yet...

I mean, you have to admit that there's something appealing about this look:



And, quite frankly (though this is thoroughly gratuitous), there is something even more appealing about THIS:



(No, unlike Ewan, he's not a MacGregor... but he is a fucking legend.)

Also, there are wedding invitation options...
...and something for me, too!



In the end, Trevor says he's not 100% committed to the idea yet, but it's an option we're exploring. It does seem a little... well, honestly, disgusting to RENT a kilt... you know what they're supposed to wear under those things, right? And we're talking about a man who is, essentially, a human furnace dressing in wool in the middle of summer... which may be a little counterintuitive. But again, we're just exploring our options. Can you imagine how adorable his two boys would look in their little tartan ensembles? And how much fun it will be to listen to Trevor explain to them why they're wearing skirts in front of everyone they know?

Yeah, we have a lot to figure out. But, in the meantime, I like to imagine Trevor's bachelor party going a little something like this:



Except obviously they'd be singing "Go Home with Bonny Nert"...

Monday, April 18, 2011

David's Bridal... you WHORES....



What the hell is wrong with you David('s Bridal)? You say you offer 42 colors, but really... your selection kind of sucks. The color I like best you offer in precisely ONE dress style... what am I supposed to do with that? Not all of my girls want to look like chaste Audrey Hepburn circa 1954... I'm fairly certain they'd all prefer to get laid or at least look like they COULD get laid if they wanted to. And the other colors... I just don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm not putting my bitches in something called "Malibu" because none of them are named Barbie. And yet, though I find dresses by other designers that I like better, I feel like Jake Gyllenhaal... I can't quit you. You're affordable, you bitches... and your dresses are not thoroughly ridiculous. I mean, really.

Though, there's something to be said for the thoroughly ridiculous. And so, IGP, I give you Simone Carvalli...

What. The. Fuck.




So, I said green and blue, but... aren't you glad I love you?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Thinking Aloud: Part One of Many


I want my girls to be happy. I want them to be comfortable in what they're wearing, feel like they look good in it, and be willing to get drunk and get down in it. I also want them to be able to afford the damn thing. And, while I love them dearly, I also want to be happy with the dress(es) myself... I want to look at them all and feel like we are one, big, satisfied, gorgeous bunch of bitches. My color scheme AT THE MOMENT (such things change, you know) is a bit unsettled. Here are the facts:

1. My most favored color at the moment is a proper peacock blue. This is the color my mother's bridesmaids wore and I think it is very, very pretty.
2. This is not an easy color to find, apparently. Or not as easy as you'd think, anyway.
3. I'd like for my girls to be able to wear the dresses again; to that end, I'd prefer to avoid satin and it's evil fabric relatives.
4. I want multiple dress options for my girls... so each can wear the dress they like best for themselves.
5. If the blue ain't gonna work, I want green. Perhaps even multiple greens. Not necessarily kelly green, but something pleasant and inoffensive. Hmm... Or multiple matching blues, actually, if of the peacock variety...

Thus, the above picture. I'm not saying I like the dresses (which are NOT fabulous); I'm saying I like the concept. I really like the idea of having the brightly colored, fun shoes. Being a fan of shoes and a fan of fun, I'd prefer not to have my girls stuck in miserably practical black strappy things. Ergo, I like the bright, fun shoes, especially as matched with bright, fun bouquets. And, as it's a July wedding, the dresses will not be floor length and the shoes will be sandalish. If the group doesn't like the bright colored shoe thing, we're going metallic, FYI. And by metallic, read: silver. Silver and strappy.

So jealous... y'all get to wear a color... I'm stuck in white. Though I'm totally going to have fun colored shoes... and strappy...

Welcome, Gown Posse... Let's Do This Thang.



Once upon a time, I got engaged. As in, ENGAGED. There's a ring and it's ON MY FINGER. So weird. SO wonderful! But so fucking weird. I have jokingly talked about "when I get married" for about half my life and, at the ripe old age of 33, I was fairly certain it wasn't going to happen for me... too independent... way too fucking single... you know how it is. But shortly after turning 33, I was reunited with a very dear old friend and, BAM! Love. Followed by, BAM! Engagement. So, here I am, 34, planning a wedding, working in a job that is miles away from all of the people who are most dear to me... those who will play the most important roles in this wedding. What's a girl to do? Start another goddamn blog, obviously.

I have selected my bridesmaids... my "Insane Gown Posse," as I have deemed them (and as I have titled this blog). All five of them are incredibly important to me in various and sundry ways. Two of them know who they are; three do not as yet. The two who do live far, far away in exotic places like Tucson, Arizona and Chicago, Illinois... I couldn't exactly ask them in person, so Facebook and email had to do (sorry JennyJune and Erika). The three who don't know yet... well, they live in places not quite so far away. My hope is to be able to ask them in person at some point in the next couple months. One's in Cincinnati, one's in Columbus, and one's in Pittsburgh. So here, y'all, is proof that I've wanted you since Day One.

These five women represent different times and stages of my life. Two have known me since grade school, two were my sorority sisters, and one came into my life as I worked on my Masters degree. They are the very best friends I have, the most supportive and encouraging people I know, and some of the funniest mofos you will ever meet. Thus, Insane Gown Posse.

I've created this blog as a forum for the vetting of my wedding plans and ideas... I'm also going to use it to vent and to consider all the ridiculousness of planning a wedding. Right now, it's looking like the wedding will take place in July of 2012, over a year from now. No date has been set in stone yet, though. That's what the month of May is for... figuring shit out. In the meantime, I give you a new blog from a wedding-planning Wingal. If y'all run across information, pictures, ideas, etc. that you would like to share with me, Facebook message or email them to me (if you know me, you know how to get in touch with me) and I will post them up on here so that one and all can share in the conversation.

I make no promises... I may reject your ideas and I may keep my own that y'all have rejected; my wedding, my prerogative. But the exchange of ideas and the moral support... THOSE are the things I'm most wanting out of this blog. So, share, bitches!

And let the music play, Posse...