Today Terry came home! He had a good trip to Buffalo for work, but I'm thrilled that he's home. Today was a great day to head to Paper Source to finally make some concrete decisions together about our invitations and save the dates! We bought all our envelopes for sending our save the dates, as well as a few extra decorative supplies for our stationary. We also checked out all the displays and ideas from the Paper Source experts, and we got some great ideas for our DIY invitations. Now we're finally starting to see what we can do to create a consistent theme in all our stationary.
We also finally ordered our save the dates! They should be here in a few weeks, during which time I'll be addressing all the newly purchased envelopes. On the other hand, today I ordered a custom rubber stamp (www.rubberstampchamp.com) to use on our reply card envelopes. It'll be far faster to stamp the return address on all the envelopes rather than handwriting or printing each one!
Can't wait to officially announce our wedding to our guests!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Binders and Spreadsheets
I did it. I finally got organized. Exactly one year, one month, two weeks, and four days after our engagement and exactly nine months before the wedding (today!), I did it. And thank goodness.
I had thought about it, even tried it a few times, but nothing really worked. I found millions (okay, about a dozen) of websites offering to help me get organized, but I really need everything in one place, and I need to be able to carry that one place with me, to access it from anywhere. I imagine that in a few years (or even now, for some more connected brides), a laptop/iPad/SmartPhone will be sufficient for wedding planning, but I need more. So I went old school, as teachers tend to do.
You may wonder how on earth I had time to spend almost three full days getting organized, but the answer is simple: My fiance is out of town. I'm surprisingly more productive when he isn't around. But it's so much more fun when he is around, so I guess that's the trade off.
Anyway, back to the organization. I wish someone had told me about all this stuff when I first got engaged, but maybe I wouldn't have taken it to heart until over 13 months later. I was saying that I went old school. Really old school. Like...paper. I already had my "wedding planning binder" that I had toted around from vendor meeting to vendor meeting, but today things got serious. I used my lovely green wedding planning binder (a gift from my amazing matron of honor) and created new tabs that make much more sense to me.
Aren't they lovely?
I also printed all of our invoices and contracts so far in order to have them in one place. I used sheet protectors for the especially important stuff. The tabs are organized by importance (biggest vendors first) and then in order that we'll need them. I finally have a working tool for the wedding planning that I can continue to use for the next nine months.
But that wasn't all. If you didn't know it already, you should learn now that I LOVE spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel didn't know it, but they really created their product specifically for me. I can spend hours upon hours lost in the wonders of Excel spreadsheets. So far, I have the following spreadsheets for the wedding:
And now, the fun can continue! Terry comes home tomorrow, and we're planning a field trip to Paper Source in Santa Monica. It might just be my new favorite store. Thanks to a gift card from Heidi and Ed, we can get started on our paper-buying extravaganza!
Scout was very helpful today.
9 months to go...
I had thought about it, even tried it a few times, but nothing really worked. I found millions (okay, about a dozen) of websites offering to help me get organized, but I really need everything in one place, and I need to be able to carry that one place with me, to access it from anywhere. I imagine that in a few years (or even now, for some more connected brides), a laptop/iPad/SmartPhone will be sufficient for wedding planning, but I need more. So I went old school, as teachers tend to do.
You may wonder how on earth I had time to spend almost three full days getting organized, but the answer is simple: My fiance is out of town. I'm surprisingly more productive when he isn't around. But it's so much more fun when he is around, so I guess that's the trade off.
Anyway, back to the organization. I wish someone had told me about all this stuff when I first got engaged, but maybe I wouldn't have taken it to heart until over 13 months later. I was saying that I went old school. Really old school. Like...paper. I already had my "wedding planning binder" that I had toted around from vendor meeting to vendor meeting, but today things got serious. I used my lovely green wedding planning binder (a gift from my amazing matron of honor) and created new tabs that make much more sense to me.
Aren't they lovely?I also printed all of our invoices and contracts so far in order to have them in one place. I used sheet protectors for the especially important stuff. The tabs are organized by importance (biggest vendors first) and then in order that we'll need them. I finally have a working tool for the wedding planning that I can continue to use for the next nine months.
But that wasn't all. If you didn't know it already, you should learn now that I LOVE spreadsheets. Microsoft Excel didn't know it, but they really created their product specifically for me. I can spend hours upon hours lost in the wonders of Excel spreadsheets. So far, I have the following spreadsheets for the wedding:
- Wedding Budget (estimations, actual costs, amounts paid)
- Honeymoon Budget
- Master Guest List (including the main list with addresses, the rehearsal dinner guest list, the names to be written on escort cards, the response list, and the table numbers)
- Wedding To Do List (maybe my favorite - including the long-term to-do list from 12 months out, the wedding weekend itinerary, the ceremony schedule, and the reception schedule)
- Wedding Day Contact List
And now, the fun can continue! Terry comes home tomorrow, and we're planning a field trip to Paper Source in Santa Monica. It might just be my new favorite store. Thanks to a gift card from Heidi and Ed, we can get started on our paper-buying extravaganza!
Scout was very helpful today.9 months to go...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Bits of Progress
Sometimes I hate that Google forces me to come up with names for each blog post, because, let's be honest, most of these posts could have the same generic title: Most Recent Wedding Planning Process. And yet, I love Google so much for everything else it allows me to do that I can really only elaborate on my complaints for as much as a sentence. Listing the stuff I love about Google would take much, much longer.
One thing I love about Google is that they provided the template for our wedding website! The site hosts all pertinent information for our wedding guests, including hotel information, ceremony directions, and registries. Google has countless templates for personal websites, including the grape/vineyard one that we chose for our site. It's been surprisingly fun for me to build an entire website, and hopefully our guests will find it useful and informative.
Recently, we scheduled two more engagement sessions! One is with our great friend, Roxanne, who is generously taking us to UCLA for more pictures. The UCLA pictures are especially important to us, as we met and fell in love on campus and continue to cherish being UCLA alumni. The next session is with our wedding photographer, Rhee. The session with Rhee will allow us to get to know her better (and vice versa) and will also give us a chance to do a fun themed shoot. We are so excited to take more pictures to document this incredible time in our lives.
After the major vendors, the save the dates have felt like a huge decision. Before he could design the save the dates, Terry had to envision what our invitations will look like, because we want a consistent flow throughout all of our wedding stationary, right up to the day of the wedding. Terry did a beautiful job with the save the date design! I can't wait to post pictures after they have gone out to the guests. Over the last few days I have been researching the various companies that allow you to upload your own design for save the dates. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, and our friends provided the hint that you can find coupon codes online to get 50% off! We also need to order envelopes and return address labels, plus stamps. We don't need anything fancy; we just want an elegant, pulled-together look that minds our paper budget. Plus we have to double check our guest list to make sure we have it all sorted out. We are looking to order the save the dates this week, address the envelopes when they arrive, and send them out before November! A little progress at a time!
For now, enjoy a little sneak at another of Rox's amazing pictures from January!
One thing I love about Google is that they provided the template for our wedding website! The site hosts all pertinent information for our wedding guests, including hotel information, ceremony directions, and registries. Google has countless templates for personal websites, including the grape/vineyard one that we chose for our site. It's been surprisingly fun for me to build an entire website, and hopefully our guests will find it useful and informative.
Recently, we scheduled two more engagement sessions! One is with our great friend, Roxanne, who is generously taking us to UCLA for more pictures. The UCLA pictures are especially important to us, as we met and fell in love on campus and continue to cherish being UCLA alumni. The next session is with our wedding photographer, Rhee. The session with Rhee will allow us to get to know her better (and vice versa) and will also give us a chance to do a fun themed shoot. We are so excited to take more pictures to document this incredible time in our lives.
After the major vendors, the save the dates have felt like a huge decision. Before he could design the save the dates, Terry had to envision what our invitations will look like, because we want a consistent flow throughout all of our wedding stationary, right up to the day of the wedding. Terry did a beautiful job with the save the date design! I can't wait to post pictures after they have gone out to the guests. Over the last few days I have been researching the various companies that allow you to upload your own design for save the dates. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, and our friends provided the hint that you can find coupon codes online to get 50% off! We also need to order envelopes and return address labels, plus stamps. We don't need anything fancy; we just want an elegant, pulled-together look that minds our paper budget. Plus we have to double check our guest list to make sure we have it all sorted out. We are looking to order the save the dates this week, address the envelopes when they arrive, and send them out before November! A little progress at a time!
For now, enjoy a little sneak at another of Rox's amazing pictures from January!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Introducing Scout
Against my brother's wishes, Terry and I are now officially pet owners! We had discussed the idea of adopting a pet for several months, and yesterday we finally did it! On Friday, we visited the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society, a wonderful establishment where Terry's family adopted another cat several years ago. They approved our application, and we picked up our four-month old kitten yesterday!
Scout, a brown-gray tabby, has quite a rambunctious personality. So far, we have learned that he loves attacking our feet, challenging our "other cat" (his image in the mirror), and watching TV! He kept us pretty busy last night, including a trip to CVS because Terry is apparently allergic to him. Awesome. Ultimately, though, he settled in to sleep right between us, and that was just the cutest thing. We had several names picked out before we got him, but Scout seems to fit best. Technically, he is named after the character from To Kill a Mockingbird, a book Terry and I both love, but he's also quite the explorer and seems (at least so far) to live up to the Boy Scout motto of being prepared. Well, as prepared as kittens can be, I suppose.
I promise this blog will not turn into "The Cat Theory" - I just felt that adopting our first pet needed a little shout out. We're enjoying the new addition to our home!
Scout, a brown-gray tabby, has quite a rambunctious personality. So far, we have learned that he loves attacking our feet, challenging our "other cat" (his image in the mirror), and watching TV! He kept us pretty busy last night, including a trip to CVS because Terry is apparently allergic to him. Awesome. Ultimately, though, he settled in to sleep right between us, and that was just the cutest thing. We had several names picked out before we got him, but Scout seems to fit best. Technically, he is named after the character from To Kill a Mockingbird, a book Terry and I both love, but he's also quite the explorer and seems (at least so far) to live up to the Boy Scout motto of being prepared. Well, as prepared as kittens can be, I suppose.I promise this blog will not turn into "The Cat Theory" - I just felt that adopting our first pet needed a little shout out. We're enjoying the new addition to our home!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Ten Months and a Wedding Dress
Our wedding lingers only ten months in the future, or 303 days according to the online countdown. According to The Knot, we need to complete the following tasks in the next four weeks:
While not on the current month's to-do list, we can check off buying my dress! My mom and I planned a morning adventure to Pleasanton's adorable Main Street, where we could check out J'aime Bridal. This bridal shop comes highly recommended by every vendor we have encountered, and now I can see why! I already knew - or thought I knew - exactly which dress I wanted, so Saturday morning was supposed to serve only as a chance to get together with some of my favorite women and celebrate buying the most important dress I'll ever own. But the wedding gods had a different plan!
With my matron-of-honor, mom, second mom (mom's best friend), aunt, and bridesmaid Jenn who happened to be up in the Bay Area, I entered J'aime Bridal confident that I need not try on more than just the one dress. But the owner of the shop, Jamie, convinced me to take a look around at all the dresses. In my browsing, I mentioned the few concerns I had about "my" dress, which Jamie overheard and immediately corrected by grabbing a few new dresses. One by one, I tried them on, and I realized how wrong I was about the original dress. Three dresses in, I had a new favorite, and I truly felt like a bride. We even ordered the veil to complete the ensemble! Sorry, no pictures until the big day, but I will tell you the dress is NOT Maggie Sottero, despite my love for her designs! After the big purchase (and three texts to my out-of-town bridesmaids!), we ventured down Main Street for mimosas, girl talk, and a trip down memory lane with my aunt's photo album from her wedding!
A big thanks to my mom for buying the dress of my dreams, and to the lovely ladies who accompanied me to J'aime Bridal!
- Appraise and insure my engagement ring
- Announce our engagement (perhaps a bit delayed?)
- Finalize the guest list
- Investigate family traditions we want to incorporate into the wedding
- Look for a florist
- Decide on wedding invitations and save-the-dates
While not on the current month's to-do list, we can check off buying my dress! My mom and I planned a morning adventure to Pleasanton's adorable Main Street, where we could check out J'aime Bridal. This bridal shop comes highly recommended by every vendor we have encountered, and now I can see why! I already knew - or thought I knew - exactly which dress I wanted, so Saturday morning was supposed to serve only as a chance to get together with some of my favorite women and celebrate buying the most important dress I'll ever own. But the wedding gods had a different plan!
With my matron-of-honor, mom, second mom (mom's best friend), aunt, and bridesmaid Jenn who happened to be up in the Bay Area, I entered J'aime Bridal confident that I need not try on more than just the one dress. But the owner of the shop, Jamie, convinced me to take a look around at all the dresses. In my browsing, I mentioned the few concerns I had about "my" dress, which Jamie overheard and immediately corrected by grabbing a few new dresses. One by one, I tried them on, and I realized how wrong I was about the original dress. Three dresses in, I had a new favorite, and I truly felt like a bride. We even ordered the veil to complete the ensemble! Sorry, no pictures until the big day, but I will tell you the dress is NOT Maggie Sottero, despite my love for her designs! After the big purchase (and three texts to my out-of-town bridesmaids!), we ventured down Main Street for mimosas, girl talk, and a trip down memory lane with my aunt's photo album from her wedding!
A big thanks to my mom for buying the dress of my dreams, and to the lovely ladies who accompanied me to J'aime Bridal!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
One Year Engaged!
Terry and I celebrated one year of engagement last weekend with a picnic and show at the Hollywood Bowl. I feel so lucky to get to share awesome LA experiences with such a great man.
The school year officially started yesterday for me, and the arrival of students signals the start of a crazy nine months. But the positive crazy far outweighs the negative. Here's why this year will kick last year's butt:
Thanks for sticking with us through the slow months. We will be picking up steam very quickly here, and we'll continue to document all the fun planning adventures!
The school year officially started yesterday for me, and the arrival of students signals the start of a crazy nine months. But the positive crazy far outweighs the negative. Here's why this year will kick last year's butt:
- We're getting married!
- Terry will not be in Buffalo for two months, which subsequently means that I get to see him more AND we get to go to all the UCLA home games! GO BRUINS!!!
- We're going on a cruise with my family in November, and I'll be spending my first Christmas with Terry's family.
- Terry will finish his Master's in Electrical Engineering at UCLA in June!
- I don't have to drive to Northridge for classes every week! (This one may seem to only affect me, but you would feel differently if you had experienced my post-Northridge grumpiness every week.)
Thanks for sticking with us through the slow months. We will be picking up steam very quickly here, and we'll continue to document all the fun planning adventures!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Brian and Winnie's Wedding | 8.7.10
Two of our closest friends - my matron of honor and one of Terry's groomsmen - wed a few weeks ago in a beautiful ceremony in Walnut, California. We had a blast throughout the entire day and got to be a part of the rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception. Because we know the couple particularly well, my favorite part of the whole day, their vows to each other, felt so sincere and touching. Winnie was a gorgeous (and calm!) bride, and Brian looked so handsome. Here are some highlights from the day!
Winnie's maid of honor, her sister, Gloria, helping with the veil.
Winnie's huge family was a big part of the celebration - here, the uncles are snapping pictures of Winnie in her beautiful dress!
Sharing good luck soup with different members of the family and bridal party, including grandma, mom, sister, and dad.
Winnie's maid of honor, her sister, Gloria, helping with the veil.
Winnie's huge family was a big part of the celebration - here, the uncles are snapping pictures of Winnie in her beautiful dress!
Sharing good luck soup with different members of the family and bridal party, including grandma, mom, sister, and dad.
Tossing a fan out the window to let go of her childhood.
First dance.
I chose this picture because you can see the gorgeous view from the reception hall. They really went all out with a spectacular room!
First dance.
Cutting the beautiful cake!
One of my favorite photos from the photo booth at the reception!
An amazing wedding! Congratulations to the Kings!
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