So it's getting closer and closer to the wedding and I realized I haven't even mentioned what our Bridal party will be donning for the affair. Fairly early on in the wedding planning process I decided I wanted my girls to wear short black dresses. Somewhat similar to Mrs. Avocado's girls.
I have been in several weddings and generally speaking the dresses are frightening (I've got some pictures of flower girl dresses I wore as a child that make Ronald McDonald look fashionable) and most certainly will never be worn again. Let's just say Miss Ticket does not look good in yellow...
I did not want this for my girls. I want them to look hot and be comfortable and maybe JUST maybe wear that dress at least one more time (so overdone and cliche but true!). Just so they feel they got their money's worth. I started out looking at David's Bridal for dresses since this is where I was planning on looking for my own dress, but there was really only one dress there that I liked and it was $150! I'm sorry but asking my girls to pay $150 for a couple yards of fabric was an unacceptable option for me. Two of them will be flying in from out of state specifically for the wedding and I had no intention of asking them to spend hundreds more for an outfit they would likely only wear the one time.
With this in mind I started looking at other stores and checking out postings by other Bee's because lets face it the hive is awesome. =) I found the idea of each girl wearing a different dress rather appealing. In case I haven't mentioned it before my bridesmaids come in rather different shapes, sizes and colors. So each one is going to look good in a different style. I thought about this for a while but ultimately it wasn't a hard decision to make I gave the girls a basic set of requirements:
Black Dress, Mid-thigh to Knee Length, No embellishments of Silver or Gold and Strapless to Cap Sleeve (or anything in between). Something like...
Did you let your girls pick their own dresses or were you totally stoked to have them all matching?
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Bridesmaid Goodies!!!
Image via Zap2It / From the NBC show Up All Night / Lame editing by Miss Ticket
Okay now that we've gotten that out of the way let's talk Bridesmaids gifts. Since pretty much the moment I asked my wonderful ladies to join me and stand by me on the day Mr. Ticket and I get married (I get giddy just writing that!) I have been thinking about what to get them as a thank you. Being in a wedding takes a significant time commitment as well as a financial burden and I wanted to make sure my girls knew I appreciated them.
I have pretty much wanted to get them everything I have seen and one item in particular stood out to me,
unfortunately Mr. Ticket and I agreed that we should spend the same amount on each person in the bridal party (ladies AND gents) and we simply can't afford to spend over $700 on our bridal party gifts (no matter how badly I wish we could). And so I was back on the hunt. It certainly wasn't difficult to find oodles of awesome gifts as many other bee's have done. However narrowing down the choices to ones I felt were just right for my particular group of ladies proved to be a bit challenging. In the end I couldn't decide on just ONE gift, so I decided to get each of them 2 smaller gifts. Overall I'm very happy with what I found.
Each lady will be receiving a VS robe (which just so happens to be one of our wedding colors):
Image via Victoria's Secret
As well as a silver necklace:
Each of my girls will also be receiving a personalized mini tote bag courtesy Auntie Ticket who so generously offered to sew and embroider them after I bought her a pattern and a little fabric.
Did you have trouble narrowing down gifts for your awesome Bridal Party? Did you want to buy everything in sight?
Did you have trouble narrowing down gifts for your awesome Bridal Party? Did you want to buy everything in sight?
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Wonders of the Hive
I just love sitting down to my computer in the morning and checking WeddingBee. Every morning I'm greeted with interesting new adventures from all of our wonderful bees. DIY projects, booking vendors, dealing with future in laws, hair/makeup trials, all wedding goodness at my fingertips. I find myself adding to the 'Wedding To Do List' on an almost daily basis with all the wonderful things my fellow bees find and suggest. For instance an anniversary box!
Mr. Ticket graciously agreed to make the box and I would find the stationary. Still working on the stationary actually... I have found a few that I like but given all the DIY projects that have magically landed themselves on our list of things to do I'm trying to keep costs down. Actually contemplating designing and printing the cards myself. We shall see... But until then here are a few of the beauties I have been eyeing.
So many pretty options! I could just keep posting more and more and more but I think you get the idea. I love the idea of the Anniversary box. It seems so incredibly special to have a card written by a loved one to open every year on your anniversary to remind you of that special day when you first promised to spend the rest of your lives together. Can't wait!!!
Did other Bee's inspire you to take on any DIY projects that you had never heard of before?
Mr. Ticket graciously agreed to make the box and I would find the stationary. Still working on the stationary actually... I have found a few that I like but given all the DIY projects that have magically landed themselves on our list of things to do I'm trying to keep costs down. Actually contemplating designing and printing the cards myself. We shall see... But until then here are a few of the beauties I have been eyeing.
Did other Bee's inspire you to take on any DIY projects that you had never heard of before?
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Bee's Life: Ticket Edition
How did I find Weddingbee?
Google. Isn't that how everyone finds everything these days? The day Mr. Ticket proposed I was already on the web searching 'wedding', I spent a couple days exhausting every photograph on TheKnot and WeddingChannel for inspiration. Then I found Weddingbee. When I first stumbled upon the site I found Mrs. Hamster, I'm not even sure how that happened since she finished her last post prior to Mr. Ticket's proposal. But I LOVED reading her back log of blogs. I read through her entire story in one night and then I moved on to other current bees. I was totally hooked. I had no idea how women came to write for this site. After a few weeks of regularly checking in on newly posted blogs I finally saw the little "Apply to Blog" option on the side of the page. I was stoked, I had never really blogged before but I loved hive so much I desperately wanted to write for it.
My Application Story
Pre-Application:
Just before the 7 month mark rolled around (okay really like 8 months) I started a blog and worked on my application. Then health issues struck. It became very clear that I wasn't going to have the time to continue reading wedding blogs as I once had let alone write entries. This actually saddened me greatly but I knew where my priorities needed to be. Shortly thereafter I reached 'the In-between' and completely forgot about applying, my health began to improve and I started up with old hobbies again (like reading Weddingbee EVERY day). Then one day as I was looking for a file on my computer I stumbled across my old application, I decided to open it up and then suddenly I found myself wanting to tweak it and maybe even send it in! I decided to start fresh, I filled out a whole new application and wrote the rest of the 15 entries I needed to (and updated the old ones) and excitedly sent off my application.
The Waiting:
Can I just admit now how insanely nervous/excited I was to send off that email, I totally had butterflies in my stomach. Mr. Ticket thought I was crazy. About 15 minutes after sending in my application I decided to read up on past bee's 'A Bee's life' posts. Seven page applications?! Power point?!?!?!?! Well crap... mine was about a a page and a half of boring old colorless word document. I messaged Sister Ticket (who was one of only 3 people that knew I had applied) and told her I was officially giving up all hope (a mere hour after I applied). Well I lied to Sister Ticket (unintentionally) because apparently deep down I still secretly had hope.
In fact I secretly started planning a second application in my head. Till I realized I was stressing myself out and I hadn't even heard back yet! Also knowing it was only 3 months till my wedding at the time I applied I wasn't sure a second application would even be considered. I prayed that if it was God's will that I be accepted that it happen this first time around, because I didn't want to go through the nervous/anxious waiting process again (even closer to the wedding). There were days when every time I got a new email I hoped it was Weddingbee. Then there were days I completely forgot about the application I was so busy with other stuff. Every time a new bee was announced my hope dwindled further (I'm looking at your Miss Teaspoon! <3).
The Much Anticipated Email:
Then one night (as I described in my first post) I got the email. It had only been a short (okay it felt like forever) 16 days. I was shocked! When I asked Mr. Ticket to help me pick a monicker and showed him the options he looked up at me and said 'Why can't you be a honey badger?' (he was joking) But he did help me choose Ticket, because as he so kindly put it he didn't want to be 'Mr. Something Girly' (I love that man).
What it's like blogging for weddingbee/being a bee?
Blogging for Weddingbee is amazing. I love the community here and being able to share my wedding planning with everyone so far has been a complete privilege. It's also as others have said in the past a bit time consuming and at times even a little bit stressful. It's funny before I became a bee I would be working on a project or shopping for something for the wedding and I would think to myself, "I should take pictures so I can later share this with the bee!" (super glad I have those pictures now!). Some days I'm so excited to write I will crank out 4 entries in a sitting. Other days I feel completely uninspired and blah (sorry for those posts!) but I still feel compelled to post because I committed to do so. I find myself feeling guilty if a week goes by without posting at least 3 or 4 times.
In the end though, despite the time and the minor but occasional stress (I'm an over worrier/stresser by nature) I am beyond grateful and happy to be a Bee. The network of people I have the privilege of now communicating with on a daily basis is amazing and being able to share Mr. Ticket and my wedding planning journey is awesome. There are days I log into WeddingBee and I'm still in awe over the fact that I'm a Bee!!! I love reading all your comments and feedback (even if you don't agree with me) and I can't wait to read more.
Any advice for potential applicants?
Write for enjoyment, of course you want your posts to be interesting to readers. But honestly if you don't enjoy writing for yourself the process won't be nearly as much fun for you. Write about everything you are excited to share. How AWESOME it is to get stuff in the mail frequently while wedding planning or how frustrating it is to get your invitations JUST right.
Be honest. Honesty goes a long way with the hive, sometimes it's hard to share something that might be a bit embarrassing to admit but you may be surprised just how many people have gone through the same thing!
Don't stress out about your application, it won't help you get accepted any faster (learn from my failure in that department). If a 7 page color coded PowerPoint document is your style then GO FOR IT! If a plain old word document simply answering the questions is more your speed, do it! Readers want you for who YOU are, not who you think they want you to be.
Make sure you have plenty of time to dedicate to the roll of blogging if you apply, being a Bee requires a good time commitment. Now in addition to reading and commenting on other people's posts each day you will have the responsibility of writing blog posts at least 3-4 times a week. That definitely takes up more time than I ever thought it would, and the responsibility doesn't stop after the wedding. Everyone wants to see how your wedding turned out!!! Recaps are a big part of being a Bee.
Google. Isn't that how everyone finds everything these days? The day Mr. Ticket proposed I was already on the web searching 'wedding', I spent a couple days exhausting every photograph on TheKnot and WeddingChannel for inspiration. Then I found Weddingbee. When I first stumbled upon the site I found Mrs. Hamster, I'm not even sure how that happened since she finished her last post prior to Mr. Ticket's proposal. But I LOVED reading her back log of blogs. I read through her entire story in one night and then I moved on to other current bees. I was totally hooked. I had no idea how women came to write for this site. After a few weeks of regularly checking in on newly posted blogs I finally saw the little "Apply to Blog" option on the side of the page. I was stoked, I had never really blogged before but I loved hive so much I desperately wanted to write for it.
My Application Story
Pre-Application:
Just before the 7 month mark rolled around (okay really like 8 months) I started a blog and worked on my application. Then health issues struck. It became very clear that I wasn't going to have the time to continue reading wedding blogs as I once had let alone write entries. This actually saddened me greatly but I knew where my priorities needed to be. Shortly thereafter I reached 'the In-between' and completely forgot about applying, my health began to improve and I started up with old hobbies again (like reading Weddingbee EVERY day). Then one day as I was looking for a file on my computer I stumbled across my old application, I decided to open it up and then suddenly I found myself wanting to tweak it and maybe even send it in! I decided to start fresh, I filled out a whole new application and wrote the rest of the 15 entries I needed to (and updated the old ones) and excitedly sent off my application.
The Waiting:
Can I just admit now how insanely nervous/excited I was to send off that email, I totally had butterflies in my stomach. Mr. Ticket thought I was crazy. About 15 minutes after sending in my application I decided to read up on past bee's 'A Bee's life' posts. Seven page applications?! Power point?!?!?!?! Well crap... mine was about a a page and a half of boring old colorless word document. I messaged Sister Ticket (who was one of only 3 people that knew I had applied) and told her I was officially giving up all hope (a mere hour after I applied). Well I lied to Sister Ticket (unintentionally) because apparently deep down I still secretly had hope.
In fact I secretly started planning a second application in my head. Till I realized I was stressing myself out and I hadn't even heard back yet! Also knowing it was only 3 months till my wedding at the time I applied I wasn't sure a second application would even be considered. I prayed that if it was God's will that I be accepted that it happen this first time around, because I didn't want to go through the nervous/anxious waiting process again (even closer to the wedding). There were days when every time I got a new email I hoped it was Weddingbee. Then there were days I completely forgot about the application I was so busy with other stuff. Every time a new bee was announced my hope dwindled further (I'm looking at your Miss Teaspoon! <3).
The Much Anticipated Email:
Then one night (as I described in my first post) I got the email. It had only been a short (okay it felt like forever) 16 days. I was shocked! When I asked Mr. Ticket to help me pick a monicker and showed him the options he looked up at me and said 'Why can't you be a honey badger?' (he was joking) But he did help me choose Ticket, because as he so kindly put it he didn't want to be 'Mr. Something Girly' (I love that man).
What it's like blogging for weddingbee/being a bee?
Blogging for Weddingbee is amazing. I love the community here and being able to share my wedding planning with everyone so far has been a complete privilege. It's also as others have said in the past a bit time consuming and at times even a little bit stressful. It's funny before I became a bee I would be working on a project or shopping for something for the wedding and I would think to myself, "I should take pictures so I can later share this with the bee!" (super glad I have those pictures now!). Some days I'm so excited to write I will crank out 4 entries in a sitting. Other days I feel completely uninspired and blah (sorry for those posts!) but I still feel compelled to post because I committed to do so. I find myself feeling guilty if a week goes by without posting at least 3 or 4 times.
In the end though, despite the time and the minor but occasional stress (I'm an over worrier/stresser by nature) I am beyond grateful and happy to be a Bee. The network of people I have the privilege of now communicating with on a daily basis is amazing and being able to share Mr. Ticket and my wedding planning journey is awesome. There are days I log into WeddingBee and I'm still in awe over the fact that I'm a Bee!!! I love reading all your comments and feedback (even if you don't agree with me) and I can't wait to read more.
Any advice for potential applicants?
Write for enjoyment, of course you want your posts to be interesting to readers. But honestly if you don't enjoy writing for yourself the process won't be nearly as much fun for you. Write about everything you are excited to share. How AWESOME it is to get stuff in the mail frequently while wedding planning or how frustrating it is to get your invitations JUST right.
Be honest. Honesty goes a long way with the hive, sometimes it's hard to share something that might be a bit embarrassing to admit but you may be surprised just how many people have gone through the same thing!
Don't stress out about your application, it won't help you get accepted any faster (learn from my failure in that department). If a 7 page color coded PowerPoint document is your style then GO FOR IT! If a plain old word document simply answering the questions is more your speed, do it! Readers want you for who YOU are, not who you think they want you to be.
Make sure you have plenty of time to dedicate to the roll of blogging if you apply, being a Bee requires a good time commitment. Now in addition to reading and commenting on other people's posts each day you will have the responsibility of writing blog posts at least 3-4 times a week. That definitely takes up more time than I ever thought it would, and the responsibility doesn't stop after the wedding. Everyone wants to see how your wedding turned out!!! Recaps are a big part of being a Bee.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Some Ticket Love
You may have noticed some orange envelopes in my invitation post. Well they were our Rehearsal Invitations of course! I know they aren't absolutely necessary, but I also knew they would help avoid confusion since more than half of our bridal party are from out of town. Plus I really wanted an excuse to order these...
Aren't they awesome?! They are so similar to my original inspiration picture and the best part is... I didn't have to do any work at all on them! I was so stinking burnt out after designing our wedding invitations that I wanted no part of designing another invitation. So when I found JPressDesigns on Etsy I knew it was meant to be. The seller was extremely helpful and kind, she showed me multiple drafts of what the invitation would look like and was prompt with shipping. Next time I need invitations for ANYTHING I'm going to her.
But I suppose you might like to see the finished product too, so here it is! Yay!!!
Personal Photo
Image via JPressDesigns on Etsy
Aren't they awesome?! They are so similar to my original inspiration picture and the best part is... I didn't have to do any work at all on them! I was so stinking burnt out after designing our wedding invitations that I wanted no part of designing another invitation. So when I found JPressDesigns on Etsy I knew it was meant to be. The seller was extremely helpful and kind, she showed me multiple drafts of what the invitation would look like and was prompt with shipping. Next time I need invitations for ANYTHING I'm going to her.
But I suppose you might like to see the finished product too, so here it is! Yay!!!
Personal Photo
I love them! They are fun and playful, perfect for our casual Pizza and In N Out rehearsal dinner.
Did you send out rehearsal dinner invitations? Did you make them yourself or order them from an awesome Etsy seller like me?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Life and Invitations Reveal...Finally =)
So I feel like I kind of left you hanging with the invitation posts. I started off telling you about my inspiration then I moved on to explaining the torturous design portion of the process, then I explained about the assembly and send off. But I never actually did an official reveal of what our invitations looked like in the end. I would like to apologize for that. I had intended to write that post as soon as Mr. Ticket and I returned from our little mini vacation to Philly for his brothers wedding. But as we were in route home we received some very sad news, Mr. Ticket's Grandma passed away that morning. With this news and sending Mr. Ticket back to the East coast for a few days I simply was not in the mood to write about our invitations. I wasn't really in the mood to write about anything.
Life happens. It doesn't stop just because you are planning a wedding, a harsh truth that really took hold of me that week. That being said I would like to report that the wedding in Philly was a complete success, Mr. Ticket and I had a total blast and the happy couple had a wonderful day.
The Front (my least favorite part of the entire suite is my handwriting)
The Back (with our beautiful orange seal and embossed glittery calligraphy stamp)
When you first open it up (unless you open it like Daddy Ticket and just rip the envelope to shreds)
The Insides!!!
The bane of my existence for several months right there.
Quick directions for our OOT Guests
Image via NattyMichelle on Etsy/ Blurring by Miss Ticket for Privacy
Life happens. It doesn't stop just because you are planning a wedding, a harsh truth that really took hold of me that week. That being said I would like to report that the wedding in Philly was a complete success, Mr. Ticket and I had a total blast and the happy couple had a wonderful day.
Mr. Ticket sporting a spiffy Tux
And while we are still mourning the passing of his Grandma, we are trying to honor her memory by continuing with the planning of our wedding. She had deeply wanted to attend and she would be pissed at us (she was a FIESTY grandma and I loved her for that) if we didn't continue planning as usual. So without further ado...
Our Invitations!!!! Sorry for the crappy pictures, it was late at night when I finally had time to take them and clearly I was tired and rushing since they are rather blurry and shiny.
Our Invitations!!!! Sorry for the crappy pictures, it was late at night when I finally had time to take them and clearly I was tired and rushing since they are rather blurry and shiny.
Boxed up and ready for delivery!!!
Everyone's favorite part of the invitation so far has been the RSVP.
By far my favorite part of the invitations, this custom map made by NattyMichelle on Etsy she is amazing! She was very communicative throughout the entire process, she sent me multiple drafts of the map till it was completed. I ordered a print of the map after the fact (it's gorgeous I want it hanging in our future home) and when the first one came a bit crinkled and bent (darn post office) she sent me a new one free of charge. NattyMichelle is AWESOME!
We ordered extras of just about everything because I'm crazy paranoid and I just knew I would screw something up. I'm going to base this price breakdown off of what we actually used including tax and shipping. The last few items I lost receipts for, so I rounded up the nearest dollar from what I know they cost. We sent out 52 invites in all.
Price Breakdown
Envelopes from Cards and Pockets: $29.21
Backing Paper from Michaels (for invites and envelope liners): $13.33
Ivory Card Stock from Staples: FREE! (Normally $13.99 but we used a Rewards Certificate)
Pop Up Stickers from Michaels: $8.58
Lace from Johanns: $25.80
Map from NattyMichelle on Etsy: $75
Custom Address Stamp from PinkInk Paper on Etsy: $40.00
Postage from USPS: $68.64
Invisible Ink Pen from Deal Extreme: $1.39
Wax from LetterSeals: $5.51
Mini Moo Cards from Moo: $18.99
Cardstock Book for Invitation Background (scanned and altered):$9.00
Mini Moo Cards from Moo: $18.99
Cardstock Book for Invitation Background (scanned and altered):$9.00
Wax Seal from Michaels: $5.00
Black Ink from Michaels: $9.00
Embossing Dust from Michaels: $5.00
Total: $314.45
Cost Per Invitation: $4.73
Cost Per Invitation With Postage: $6.08
Had you told me this is what our invitations would cost when we first got engaged I would have told you that you were on crack. As it stands now staring at those numbers I still can't believe how quickly it all added up. I know I could have ordered perfectly nice invitations from Wedding Paper Divas or Davids Bridal for the same price or less, but they wouldn't have been as personalized as I wanted. The price of these suckers could
have easily dropped drastically had I skipped on the custom map and
address stamp, but honestly those 2 little details are my FAVORITE part
of our invitations. They are the parts I didn't have to do haha. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out in the end. I have received nothing but compliments on these tricky little bastards *ahem* beauties since they were mailed out and I love people for those compliments. It made the whole mind melding process almost worth it.
*All personal photos unless otherwise noted.
Were your invitations a beastly labor of love? Did you decide to DIY or save yourself some sanity and purchase from the professionals?
*All personal photos unless otherwise noted.
Were your invitations a beastly labor of love? Did you decide to DIY or save yourself some sanity and purchase from the professionals?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Secret Life of Bees: Ticket Edition
I've loved reading past bee's posts in this series, so I thought I would join in on the fun.
1. When I play video games I require that my inventory be organized and I frequently log onto Mr. Ticket's World of Warcraft account to reorganize his bags (I think I might be a tiny bit OCD...)
2. When I was 11 years old I was deeply in love with Zac Hanson (as in love as a person can be at age 11 having never met the other person).
3. I love reading young adult books and watching cheesy pre-teen tv shows. Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Nine Lives of Chloe King love them all.
4. I desperately wanted to join a sorority in college, because I thought it was the only way I would make friends while living off campus and I was a bit heartbroken when I attempted to rush and none of the sororities were interested in me.
5. I'm half Chilean and the rest... everything else that is white. My mother was born in Santiago, Chile. No one believes me when I tell them I'm half Hispanic. Apparently snow white skin covered in freckles doesn't scream Latin American?! My dad is part Irish, English, French, German, Native American, the list really goes on forever. But our last name is Irish so when people ask it's easiest to say Irish/Chilean.
6. I hate my belly button. Well not so much it but I hate touching it, I hate other people touching it or poking it (yeah Mr. Ticket learned the hard way when he was teasing me and poked me and I started flailing and freaking out). I really genuinely can't stand it.
You get no picture for this last one, the very thought of someone poking my belly button has sent me into a spiral of disdane and I refuse to look up pictures of belly buttons and I absolutely won't be posting a picture of my own.
Do you have any quirky habits/secrets similar to mine? Who was your big band crush at 11 years old?
1. When I play video games I require that my inventory be organized and I frequently log onto Mr. Ticket's World of Warcraft account to reorganize his bags (I think I might be a tiny bit OCD...)
Personal Screenshot from World of Warcraft
2. When I was 11 years old I was deeply in love with Zac Hanson (as in love as a person can be at age 11 having never met the other person).
Image via Amazon
3. I love reading young adult books and watching cheesy pre-teen tv shows. Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries, Twilight, Nine Lives of Chloe King love them all.
Third Season of Vampire Diaries starts tonight!!!!
Image via Vampirediaries.com
4. I desperately wanted to join a sorority in college, because I thought it was the only way I would make friends while living off campus and I was a bit heartbroken when I attempted to rush and none of the sororities were interested in me.
Image via Come Recommended
5. I'm half Chilean and the rest... everything else that is white. My mother was born in Santiago, Chile. No one believes me when I tell them I'm half Hispanic. Apparently snow white skin covered in freckles doesn't scream Latin American?! My dad is part Irish, English, French, German, Native American, the list really goes on forever. But our last name is Irish so when people ask it's easiest to say Irish/Chilean.
Mr. Ticket is Irish/Polish and I swear sometimes I look whiter than him.
Personal Photo
6. I hate my belly button. Well not so much it but I hate touching it, I hate other people touching it or poking it (yeah Mr. Ticket learned the hard way when he was teasing me and poked me and I started flailing and freaking out). I really genuinely can't stand it.
You get no picture for this last one, the very thought of someone poking my belly button has sent me into a spiral of disdane and I refuse to look up pictures of belly buttons and I absolutely won't be posting a picture of my own.
Do you have any quirky habits/secrets similar to mine? Who was your big band crush at 11 years old?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Phases of Wedding Planning
You may have noticed by now that Mr. Ticket and I have been very fortunate when it comes to wedding vendors. Early on I told you how we booked our venue and photographers the first week we were engaged. Within a month of getting engaged we booked our DJ and caterer. Another month after that and we had our linens and flowers in place. We were truly blessed with how easy the process of hiring vendors was. With everything going so smoothly I found early on in the engagement/wedding planning process that I was running out of things to do.
I found myself in as Miss Doily called it 'The In-between'. It lasted approximately 5 months. I attempted a few small projects, but really it was too early to do a lot of projects. We didn't have space to store larger assembled projects (Photobooth and Archway) and it was too early to start baking/freezing cookies or buying candy for the buffet. So I began to relax and go back into my normal routine. While I still checked out Weddingbee on a daily basis and frequently added things to my DIY list, most of my time was taken up with family stuff, tv, video games, boot camp, date nights etc. Then one day it was July... when did that happen?! Suddenly we were 4 months out and I didn't have makeup/hair booked for the wedding. We didn't have a bartender, we hadn't even started working on our invitations, I was staring down the list of a million DIY projects that weren't magically going to get done on their own.
The In-between was over! While I was excited to start working on projects again, I was also overwhelmed. I had gone from 0 to 60 in approximately 5 seconds and I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to get everything finished. Mr. Ticket calmly took me aside and reminded me that I was the one putting so much pressure on myself. I didn't HAVE to do every single DIY project, our wedding day would still be wonderful if I didn't manage to design the perfect menu or program (I so love that man). Since then he's also been helping more. He's helped put together our invitations, he's built our wine box and anniversary box, he helped with a (super failed - not his fault) yarn ball project and generally been my rock every single day. Now I'm continuing to work on wedding projects, but I also make sure to take one day a week to RELAX and not think about wedding stuff at all.
Did you have an In-between? How long was it? Did you find yourself overwhelmed when it was over?
Image via Iskandar-Z
The In-between was over! While I was excited to start working on projects again, I was also overwhelmed. I had gone from 0 to 60 in approximately 5 seconds and I was getting worried that I wouldn't be able to get everything finished. Mr. Ticket calmly took me aside and reminded me that I was the one putting so much pressure on myself. I didn't HAVE to do every single DIY project, our wedding day would still be wonderful if I didn't manage to design the perfect menu or program (I so love that man). Since then he's also been helping more. He's helped put together our invitations, he's built our wine box and anniversary box, he helped with a (super failed - not his fault) yarn ball project and generally been my rock every single day. Now I'm continuing to work on wedding projects, but I also make sure to take one day a week to RELAX and not think about wedding stuff at all.
Did you have an In-between? How long was it? Did you find yourself overwhelmed when it was over?
Post-Shower Fun
After most of the guests had left the bridal shower (and I was totally exhausted) Mr. Ticket decided to surprise me.
I had mentioned a few weeks ago how awesome it was when he brought me flowers at the first shower, but I didn't think he would remember and actually bring me flowers (2 dozen roses no less!). I love that man.
I gave my amazing hostess's their gifts. Sister/MOH Ticket got a bottle of wine and an apron from Anthropologie and Mama Ticket got a 12 Quart Red Stock Pot by Paula Deen she had been eyeing for months.
With Reno relatives and Sister Ticket still over we sat around and talked (and snacked) and might have even popped open a bottle of Bug Juice (sooooooooo yummy).
FB decided to inspect our presents and make sure they were all up to her standards.
I gave my amazing hostess's their gifts. Sister/MOH Ticket got a bottle of wine and an apron from Anthropologie and Mama Ticket got a 12 Quart Red Stock Pot by Paula Deen she had been eyeing for months.
We both got Aprons that day!
FB decided to inspect our presents and make sure they were all up to her standards.
FB approved of the Paula Deen cookware
FB tried to escape on multiple occasions to play with the dogs.
The other white fluff ball
Mama & Daddy Ticket relaxing in the Kitchen.
FB wore out Mr. Ticket pretty quickly. She's good at that. =)
Overall the 'after party' was equally fun as the shower. Nothing better than relaxing with family after a long day of bridalness. I even got all of our thank you notes written out that night, after a glass (or two...) of wine.
*All Personal Photos
Did you have a fun 'after party' post bridal shower? Do you ever just take a break with family/friends after long bouts of wedding planning/mania?
Bridal Shower Guests & Games
Warning: Picture Heavy Post
When I first gave Sister/MOH Ticket a list for the bridal shower I didn't know what to expect. Most of our guest list are OOT guests and I wasn't sure if they should be included or not. I have been invited to family bridal showers out of state in the past and while I didn't always go to the shower, I felt honored to be invited and I usually sent a gift with a RSVP of no and then just went to the wedding. However I didn't want people to feel like we were inviting them just to get gifts... I spent a bit too much time over thinking this list. In the end I gave Sister/MOH Unicorn a list of EVERY female invited to the wedding (that wasn't already present at my first shower) and told her and Mama Unicorn that it was up to their discretion who to invite. I'm not sure if this is proper etiquette or not but it was easier than me perpetually changing my mind and over thinking the situation.
The day the shower arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find a house full of ladies including a few OOT guests! My dear Aunt from Reno drove all the way down with my cousin to be there for the shower, I was so excited! And some family friends from Northern California also made a guest appearance before going to another shower (busy ladies!). We had a total of 24 people at the shower, myself included. It was a little overwhelming at times but overall very fun!
Miss Ticket with Aunt and Cousin from Reno
MOH/Sister Ticket and Miss Ticket (Yes we are total dorks)
Miss Ticket & Mama Ticket
Bridesmaid CJ & Miss Ticket
The winner for 'structural integrity' (the other dress fell apart as our model walked)
Advice Bouquet
Book Eating Extravaganza
I believe at this point I was staring in disbelief of the complicated wrap/knot job wondering if they would ever manage to escape the extremely long piece of fabric.
*All Personal Photos
Did you play games at your bridal shower? What sort of advice did you get?
Sister, Mama & I agreed we didn't need a lot of games at the shower so they kept it simple with 2 games and an advice bouquet. First we played "How well do you know the bride?", I was generally pleased with the game till I realized Usher H had gotten the date of the wedding wrong! We straightened that out right quick!
Friend with Usher H
Then we had two groups dress up our youngest guests in dresses made of toilet paper.
Then guests were asked to write a piece of advice down on a flower and at the end of the shower I read them out loud. Four people suggested, "never go to bed mad" so we will particularly work on that one.
Then it was time to open presents! Flower Baby decided to sit at my feet as I opened gifts and eat her books, till Sister/MOH Ticket decided she had enough books to eat and whisked her away into her handy dandy baby wrap carrier thingiembob (can you tell I'm not a mom yet?).
FYI they did escape, phew!
Did you play games at your bridal shower? What sort of advice did you get?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)