Et Tu, Archie?

I was a huge Archie reader growing up and always felt a kinship to Betty, the hardworking, friendly girl next door who never had the money or moxie that Veronica had. Alas, do good (blond) girls always end up last? Jezebel has a good round up...



They totally did this for the ratings...

friend + vendor = frendor?

So, we're having a friend use their professional talent for our wedding. But I have to tell you, think twice about doing this. If you do decide to do this, check your control freak at the door.

Example #1, the invites.
The design looks amazing, but it's taking a while to get edits back. And there was an email sent that had the subject, "I do what I like" Ummm, no you don't. Not when you are designing someone's wedding invitations.

That email made me put Ceci New York on speed dial. Damn the cost.

Example #2, the favors.
I have another friend, a pastry chef who offered to bake us cookies for favors. I'm giving her time to really think about this before confirming, it would be great, but at the same time, we were ready to scrap favors all together. Since I don't really care about favors, I have less of a control freak reaction...not so with the wedding invites...

Balance it out is all I'm saying. If you really care about something, maybe you should pay for it.

A Letter

Dear Macy's,

You are crazy! You want me to register for 350 gifts for my 250 guests! That's nuts. Your breakdown is nothing short of hilarious.

• Register for 101 more items which are $50 or less
• Register for 72 more items which are $51 to $100
• Register for 42 or more items which are $101 - $150
• Register for 33 or more items which are over $150

Does my mom work for you? My future mother in law? C'mon, they put you up to this right? I don't think I could physically walk into my nyc one bedroom apt if I received 250 gifts, let alone 350. This wedding industry thing has clearly gone to your head. However, you have lovely plates...

hugs,
LB

to veil or not to veil

I...wasn't so sure about the veil thing. Then I turned to my favorite photog (who sadly is not our photog) just to see what's what in the veil world. Not that I don't love me some etsy, but there is something about veils on mannequins that really freaks me out. I'm debating between an elbow length and a *gasp* birdcage.

you are amazing, Punam Bean. All images from Punam's Blog.

I'll be lucky if I have a quarter of this bride's composure and sass on my wedding day.

website remix part II

So, I angsted over picking a host for the wedding website. We went with www.mywedding.com. It seemed to have the nicest designs for free. Here is what I learned from this experience:

Disclaimer: I am not a website programmer, these are simply observations

1. Your and your FH's writing styles will be totally different. Esp if you write a blog and as part of your job and he does not. This may or may not be a pleasant surprise. Let's just say if FH wrote a blog, you would feel the need to wear a suit while reading it. and hose.

2. You cannot edit the HTML, which will annoy you if you are used to google blogger or any other kind of website interface.

3. Their vendor recommendations are weird and clearly paid for by the vendors. If you pay for a recommendation, it is not a recommendation, it is an advertisment, please call it such.

4. There is an RSVP function, which is nice.

5. If you want to make your text link to a page, you cannot do this and must provide the full link.

6. I wonder who will actually visit the website and make use of it

7. Friend's comments will make you smile, this makes it worth it

8. You may or may not feel guilty providing a link to your registries. For some reason, I was fine with registering all by myself, in the soft glow of my post-midnight computer screen, but now I hear cousins reactions in my head, "she registered for $600 knives, who does she think she is?" Let's not even talk about the plates.

9. Creating a website will make you cross things off your to-do list faster, like pick hotels and think about transportation, all good things, if you, like me, need some fire under that ass.

10. Telling people about the website is awkward..."Hey, we made a website, no, we are't sending save the dates" It kind of feels like you are asking them to look at your registry and get you a gift. Clearly I have issues about the registry thing.

how fun

from Andy Pratt

Too bad I already have too many New York themed prints for my tiny apt and Ohio loving FH.

it happened

I felt/feel overwhelmed. Freaked out at FH (who is increasingly a groomzilla).What can you do? Especially when thinking the same thoughts on a continuous loop:

hope my dress fits
hope the guest list shrinks overnight
why did he put neverending story on our song list?
what will my dad want to dance to?
why does the church need certificates no less than 6 months old when we were baptized years ago?
hope pre-cana doesn't turn me into an alcoholic
why do veils freak me out?
why is everyone pushing the veil?
can i pull off the birdcage?
why can't i find a pair of shoes that i like that are compfy?
hope my vendors remember me
is it weird to have red velvet cake and peanut butter fudge pie as dessert options?
must take dance lessons
i hope the invites look good
wonder if i can avoid his horrible family member till the wedding
that wouldn't be good
thank god the invites look good
dear lord, why does FH have opinions?
wonder if i ignore them
didn't work
how will i get the flowers to the wedding?
when will my maid of honor like the things i like?
never, she's your sister
why is flock of seagulls on the dance list?
why does the flowergirls mother want their hair done?
i don't
he must stop freaking out about the guest list
who am I marrying?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

no amount of crafting, quilting, knitting or applying to grad school is going to be able to fully distract me from this loop of thoughts. ha! I even signed up for the GRE to give myself something other than wedding planning to do. silly girl, tricks are for kids.

five months to go people. it'll get better, right?

Wedding Movies

Watched Father of the Bride over the weekend. It was highly entertaining and I suggest for any bride to be. The funniest part was, of course, the wedding planner, Franc played by Martin Short, and BD Wong as his assistant. The line that made me laugh out loud?

"Now, let's pick the CAK, because the CAK will set the whole tone of the wedding"

And the cake, in 1991, cost $2,500. Cost per person, all in? $250 a head. In 1991!

If anything, it's a good laugh and perspective. I've resolved to be more positive about the wedding planning and laughing at this movie helped me realize we are on the right track, certain things having to do with a wedding are ridiculous, but there's no reason to lose your head overthings.

And I'll stop negative comments about people who love wedding planning...it's just because I would love to have some of your enthusiasm!

pie toppers?

It's looking like we won't have a cake to top as the our favorite two desserts at the tasting were both pie.

these are quite darling...

Amigurumi Love Birds, free pattern courtesy of Lion Brand website...

opinions v. decisions

We had our first wedding related blow up. I blame it on opinions that get in the way of decision making. Whose opinions? FHs. I'm not saying he isn't allowed to have opinions, I've welcomed his opinion on nearly every wedding related decision we have made. But when those opinions crop up late in the decision making...I get cranky. I may even steamroll my way through those opinions just to GET THINGS DONE.

Does this make me a 'dictator'?

Does this make me a *gasp* 'bridezilla'?

No, not when I apologize for making him feel that way and state the reason why I do the things I do. But that apology...man, sometimes it's hard to get there, you know?

the fight? started over whether to include all of our parents' names on the invites (his opinion) vs. my "together with our families" (thereby equally offending/honoring all parties) but touched on a whole range of other issues. It was ugly. I'm told that if we get through planning a wedding we'll be fine. I don't know why people love planning weddings. I really really don't.