My Wedding Blog - Coast to Coast

Looking Back - Vendor Reviews

2006-07-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've had some time to consider my choices, so here I am with my vendor and location reviews:

Hair: Cala Renee Salon A+
Up until the last minute, I was going to do my own hair, and then I realized that this would be a catastrophe -- doing the back of your own hair is hard! Marianne booked all four of us here, and it worked out really well. We had two stylists and they both did a really good job, and were relatively inexpensive. Lissette's hair in particular was very creative, and I was very happy with mine.

Limo: Real Sense Limousine D
It is unfortunate that I have to write this, but anything else would be a lie. Despite my very clear emails detailing schedules and addresses, this limousine company forgot to pick me up. They picked up the groom and groomsmen, but somehow did not remember that this wedding also had a bride. I was half an hour late to my own wedding, which yes, I know, just means that everyone else was half an hour early, but you can't expect me to be happy about it. They also did not call to confirm with me before the wedding as they had promised, and were impossible to get on the phone. They called to confirm with Geoff, which makes no sense since they had never talked to him before... I can only assume they called him because they wanted to save on long distance. At any rate, since they made this strange decision to call the groom and not the bride, and to not return any of the bride's calls, there was a misunderstanding as to how they would be paid, and instead of taking the money from my credit card as they had with the deposit, the driver insisted that I pay him cash while I was having my formal photos taken. This after having been forgotten.

Ceremony: North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church B+
It's kind of weird to review a church, but it isn't my church, so they were basically a vendor for me. The most obvious disadvantage of this location was that the church was in the middle of renovations, so there was the most hideous scaffolding all around the outside of the church, which was covered in the even more hideous orange plastic netting. On top of this, paint was peeling all over the inside of the church because they hadn't renovated this part yet. Other than that, though, the place was very nice. There was plenty of seating and room for our preparations, it was completely handicap- accessible, and the staff was very accomodating even on Memorial Day weekend. The best part of this church was the acoustics -- my tiny voice carried all the way to the back, and the singers sounded amazing. Once the renovations are done, this really will be a spectacular location.

Officiant: Robin Zucker B+
Robin was a last minute choice that we were always a little sore about. Nothing against her at all, but we had wanted a family friend to do it, and that friend backed out at an inopportune time because he didn't believe in marrying a Christian to a non-Christian. Hiring her was fairly spendy, and I don't think we got too much out of the pre-marital counseling because we had so little time to do it. She was also very tense the day of the wedding, which put my parents on edge. Really, though, the service was beautiful, one I will always remember, and that is the most important part.

Flowers: Bella Fiore A+
I can't say anything bad about Bella Fiore. Their designs were beautiful, their prices were great, and they were so easy to work with. I used mine and my bridesmaids' bouquets as head table decoration at the reception, also, and they really looked pretty in vases. My only "problem" was that my Mom lost her corsage in the limousine confusion, so I never got to see it. I would also recommend against hydrangea bouts -- I don't think they hold up that well to a night of squishy hugs.

Photographer: Brett Alison Steiner B+
Brett was very courteous, helpful, and professional, and she was right there whenever a key moment happened (see right image). There were a few problems with some of the pictures though: for example, there were only two pictures of Geoff's sister Amy and Groomsman Ben singing at the wedding, and both of them were out of focus. Also, for some reason we cannot imagine, all the formal photos of the groomsmen are unusably over-exposed, even though every other photo is perfectly exposed, and even though the groomsmen's photos were taken in two separate sessions (see left image). It is like every time she saw their funny faces, she threw open to lens. We also missed photos of some details that I would have liked, like the bouts, but that is my fault.

Reception: Indian Ridge Country Club A+
I cannot say enough in praise of Indian Ridge, and especially their coordinator Joni King. Joni did everything for us, from helping us figure out the menu, to setting up my DIY centerpieces for me. She really brought the reception together. The only disappointment in the whole journey was that we could not taste the appetizers or meals ahead of time, since this venue was so small; in the end it did not matter, as they were all delicious. I really hope anyone planning a wedding for 100-150 guests would consider this place.

Music: Paul Eason, A Good Time DJ A-
Paul was not exactly what I expected -- the first thing he did when he arrived was to set up a disco ball and colored lights. He also played almost exclusively fast songs, and did not play our special request song (Love Her Madly, by the Doors) until almost everyone had left. Still, the party was very lively, and everyone enjoyed it and got dancing. I was surprised, but I definitely can't complain.

Cake: Fredericks Pastries A-
These people make great cake. They taste amazing. My only complaint here was that the flowers were sad -- I got very wilted hydrangeas on top of my cake. The frosting was not nearly as pretty as I had remembered, either. It probably melted a bit in transit. Still, what really matters is the taste, and this is an absolutely delicious cake.

Hotel: Staybridge Suites Andover A+
We did not find a hotel with a honeymoon suite in Andover, so I just reserved a suite at Staybridge, for about $80. This is one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. The rooms are huge, with luxurious bathrooms and full kitchens. The full breakfast is exactly what it sounds like, too, a real breakfast, with things like freshly cooked eggs and DIY waffles in addition to the regular continental fair. Definitely a good choice for OOT guests, as well, since the large dining room gives everyone a chance to meet up in the morning.

One Month Anniversary

2006-06-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I changed my name on my driver's license, and as I was writing the date at the DMV, I realized that Geoff & I have officially been married for a month. Wee!! We are going to have a little party to celebrate and invite everyone from out here who couldn't go to the East coast wedding.

In other news, we are also going to adopt a cat. I've wanted a pet for a long time, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted a cat, given all the allergy problems it could give other people... but I really want one, so I think this is what we are going to do.

Married now!

2006-06-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have begun to post pics on my website... see them HERE

The wedding went beautifully, and I was grinning like a clown the whole night. Geoff was beautiful, and it was so wonderful to see everyone. My only regret is that we can't just do it again some time, because it was so much fun.

Last Day in California

2006-05-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

I fly tonight, soooooo excited. Luckily I have nothing to do at work... because if I did have something to do, I wouldn't be doing it!

I love my bridesmaids!

2006-05-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

I have three bridesmaids: Dagmar, Lissette, and Marianne. Marianne was my best friend in high school, Lissette was my best friend in college, and Dagmar is my cousin who was like my big sister growing up. I love them all.

I hear a lot of people complaining about their brides and their bridesmaids on CL, and I just wanted to shout out how awesome and helpful these girls have been!

Dagmar has been all over this from the beginning, saying yay or nay to my dresses and keeping me on the ground. Lissette has been my local helper, and I have had to ask so much of her -- she addressed invitations, she went dress shopping with me, and she has to listen to me all the time when I call her stuck in traffic. And Marianne is the IM queen, she's the one with everyone's current contact information, and she just came out of the blue and found me a hairdresser at a great price!

Thanks so much, ladies!

One Month to Go

2006-04-27T18:02:00.002-07:00

Just found out that the church is being renovated and will have staging all around the outside... sigh. At least the reception is still good!

We've picked the menu, tentatively:

Appetizers:
Spanikopita
Stuffed Mushrooms
Coconut Shrimp
Italian Meatballs
Veggie Crudites (stationary)

Garden Salad
Minestrone
Chicken Piccata
(vegetarian option: pasta primavera)
Asparagus Spears
Roasted Potatoes

...and wedding cake.

Weather Forcast for May 27

2006-04-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is what weather.com lists as the average weather for the 27th of May:

Sunrise: 5:12 AM
Sunset: 8:12 PM
Average high: 72°F
Average low: 49°F
Record high: 92°F
Record low: 37°F

Avg. rainfall for May: 3.7 inches

No moon... or whatever the opposite of a full moon is called.

The 10 Day Forecast

Andover town news / road closures

Greek Packing List

2006-04-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Weather.com says that the average temperature in Greece in May-June is 60-80 degrees, which sounds nice and mild, and the precipitation is light.

Found a good packing list here:
Weather .com's packing list

And here is my list so far:
My list

Really trying to cram it all into a carry-on and a big shoulder bag that I can pretend is a purse. Too many planes to want to bother with checking bags. If anyone has any advice, let me know.

Thank you Craig

2006-04-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so much from Craigslist in my life, and the service is all free. I found a roommate and my current apartment (rent stabilized!) there, I have found furniture there, sold furniture, bought a sewing machine, a laptop, and found yard sales.

Now I'm planning my wedding there.

Two links a budget, long distance wedding planner needs to know about:

Craigslist Event Services
http://boston.craigslist.org/evs/ (insert your city here)
I found my photographer and my florist here, they are both excellent.

WedFo
There are some sweethearts on this forum, and some heartless wenches, but they will tell you straight up and down whether you have a good idea or not.
VeilFo
Not-so-secret forum spun off of WedFo with a dose of civility. I helped start this forum, and I named it, so I'm more than a little proud of how well it has sustained.

Ordered my Wedding Bands

2006-03-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

After following some of the trails we took to get my engagement ring, Geoff and I copped out and went to the mall. For engagement rings, I would not recommend the mall, but for plain wedding bands, it is a good choice. Lots of different stores have the exact same thing, so you can easily walk around and compare. We got:

* Mine: 3mm Comfort Fit Band, size 6, 14kt White Gold
* His: 4.5mm Comfort Fit Band, size 8, 14kt White Gold

Total: $270, with tax, from Zales.

UPDATE: Zales lied to me. They do not even carry a 3mm comfort fit ring, so when I picked up my rings, it was not comfort fit! I ended up ordering a new ring from this site after the wedding, it is much nicer, and free engraving.

- DJ Jewelry

And if anyone wants a regular band sz 6 that is NOT comfort fit, pls email me...

Invitations Sent (Yay!)

2006-03-09T15:27:00.001-08:00

I just dropped a big pile of invitations at the mailbox. It was so scary, but such a relief. I hope they all find their way to wherever it is they are going. If I'm very lucky I didn't make any major etiquette boofs or anything.

In other news... I just did my taxes. While I was at it, I checked to see what our taxes would be like if we were married. To my mild surprise, they would be $1,500 lower. That's a lot! So there's no marriage tax for us, for whatever reason. At least there's something in this whole experience that isn't going to cost a fortune.

Dress Ready!

2006-02-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

I picked up my dress yesterday. I didn't realize how nervous I was about getting it altered until I picked it up... and felt so RELIEVED. It is done, and it looks great. I was mostly nervous about two things, that it was too heavy for me, and that the changes we made would look bad.

The biggest change the seamstress made was to turn this halter-tie dress into a spaghetti strap dress. The halter tie just put too much weight on my neck, making me stoop a little, so she took the ties and sewed them into the back of the dress. It looked a little awkward when she suggested it, but now that it is done, it looks better than before, and so much more comfortable!

And now that she has taken all the excess fabric out of the dress, it is no longer too heavy. It is quite light now, actually. What a difference a few inches of heavy satin makes, I guess! Now I can stand straight, and the dress is just so flattering now that it fits.

Anyway, now that it is done and BEAUTIFUL I am so excited, I can't wait to wear it. I ran to Joanne's right after the fitting and bought the veil I had been thinking about buying. I went home and put it on, and I SQUEALED. I just feel rejuvenated. I haven't been this excited about the wedding in a while. Now I CAN'T WAIT to get married!

Out of Time

2006-02-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Today I got word that for the next 11 weeks, I will be working 58 hours a week. 58! That's 18 extra hours! Which is a lot of coin, but also leaves me with no time. Luckily, most of the work is done, but I think from now on I have to just take what I have time for. Or, in other words... settle.

I have very little left to do. I already went to the seamstress to get my dress altered; it comes back at the end of the month. I have already purchased my shoes and lingerie; my veil is up in the air, but I saw one at Joanne's Fabrics that was inexpensive and totally adequate for my needs.

The biggest thing left to do right now is invitations. I got a whole bunch of extra names from Geoff's grandmother, more than I had expected, so I have to print out another bunch of invites. She assures me they won't come, so I wish I had a backup invitation that was not so much work.

Wedding Website

2006-01-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

Beta version of my Wedding Website is online. Find information, travel advice, directions, and registries. As well as a link here. How's that for reciprocity?

Honeymoon the Greek

2006-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to go to Greece, so I've convinced Geoff to have a Greek honeymoon. We're not staying in typical honeymoon hotels, because that's not my style. Here are my thoughts so far:

- 1 Night in Heraklion, on Crete. From here, we can see the Minoan ruins of Knossos.
Mirabello Hotel
- 3 Nights in Rethymno, on Crete. From here, the Venetian Fortezza, museums, beaches and Samarias Gorge.
Olga's Pension
- 2 Nights in Santorini, a beautiful volcanic island and the honeymoon capital of Greece. Famous for dramatic landscape and black sand beaches. Can also visit ancient ruins of Thera and Akrotiri.
Nikos Apartments
- 3 Nights in Athens, the capital. From here we can see the Parthenon and the Acropolis and Syntagma Square. Day trips are also possible to the site of the Oracle at Delphi, and to the mountain monastery in Meteora.
Art Hotel Athens

Something Made

2006-01-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

I was looking around this Christmas for a satin shawl, and the only white one I found was just a plain piece of satin with a piece of lining on the other side, for $35. Right. Geoff suggested I ask his sister Katie to make me something. Katie is a costume designer, and she made a jacket for our friend Stephanie's wedding which I thought was awesome, so I thought that was a cool idea and I asked her. She sounds like she's going to do it, which is very cool.

other accessories include...
* Veil - I am either going to borrow a family veil, or order one from Ebay something like this
* Hairclip - This is my 'something old' - I'm using a handy circular thing that Dagmar left at my house a long time ago and never reclaimed, it gives hair a nice spread-out shape.
* Earrings - since I don't have holes, I ordered these neat clip-ons
* Necklace - I'm letting Geoff surprise me with this one.
* Longline bra - from the bridal shop. More expensive, but I had to make sure this one fit with the dress.
* Stockings/Lingerie - I found a nice selection of special things here.
* Gloves - If I decide to use these, I will get them from June's, this chain of inexpensive formal wear stores in the valley.
* Handbag - Going to try to borrow this, or something.
* Garter - Geoff actually caught the garter at the last wedding we went to, and he still has it, so we're gonna use that. Does that count as borrowed?
* Shoes - Found some strappy pearly sandals at DSW during end-of-summer clearance.

'Something Blue' is my bouquet, in case anyone is curious.

Our first SNAFU

2006-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

This past week was the only time that we were going to be in Massachussetts before the wedding. We had a lot to do, including meet with the minister, see the church & reception hall, meet with the photographer, the florist, the DJ, and taste cakes. Also, an engagement party. Something was bound to go wrong, so I'm not terribly surprised something did go a little wrong.

We had talked to John Preve about being our minister at Thanksgiving, and he seemed enthusiastic. At that time, Geoff had informed him that I was not a Christian, and he said that this was only a problem if it was a problem to us. Well, it isn't, so OK.

Anyway, cut to now. Turns out it is a problem, and he can't tell us this until halfway through our allotted vendor-search time that he can't see fit to marry us. So we go back to Robin Zucker, whom we had interviewed in the first place, but since we didn't tell her early enough, we didn't have time to go through her pre-marriage counselling program. So now we have to do all that right before the wedding. Oh well.

At any rate, all the other vendors are booked with no problem; now I get to concentrate on the honeymoon, and that's one of my favorite things.

Wedding Registries

2005-12-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

Geoff and I have lived together for almost two years, so there isn't very much we need. We are planning to buy a new mattress (a Queen - we've been making do with a double ) so we do actually need new sheets, and a couple of other things, which we have registered at...

Target
Bed, Bath and Beyond

It is popular now to have a honeymoon registry. I have looked into it, and all the 'services' do is list what you are going to do, and then take 10% of your gift moneys. I read that someone had coded there own site, where someone could print Certificates to enclose their gift monies in, and I plan to do the same. I've built my own site here:

HONEYMOON REGISTRY

Special thanks to furious donuts

UPDATE: I ended up using a site designed by furious donust, Honeyfund. Very nice.

Bridesmaids

2005-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

I decided from the beginning that I was going to order the Bridesmaids dresses online, since my three bridesmaids live in three different states, and I was pretty sure I was going to use Bridesave.com because they had the biggest selection. Had some fun with that today. Turns out the dress I selected was unexpectedly discontinued. Yay!

Luckily, the dress that I first selected but nixed due to an ugly flower on the backside was available sans ugly flower, so I ordered that one and stress was minimal. Check it out:
Bridesmaid's Dress in Periwinkle

vendormania

2005-11-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

I've started trying to tie down some vendors in earnest, as the ticker in WeddingChannel.com says I am overdue on these things and I want to take advantage of the spare time I have right now that I won't have in the future.

The reception hall was by far the hardest thing, and I am glad that is done, but now there are so many little things, like...

Vendors I am considering:
DJ- Paul Eason from A Good Time DJ
Baker - Frederick's Pastries, recommended by Geoff's mother.
Florist - Bella Fiore Weddings, although I begin to wonder why I don't just buy some artificial stuff from Save-on-Crafts; they have some mighty cheap bouts.

Vendors I have booked:
Photographer - Brett Alison Steiner
Officiant - John Preve, a friend of Geoff's family, will be our minister
Invitations - I am making my own invitations, see below

Save the Date

2005-11-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

I made a save-the-date magnet:

I found a company that prints "magnetic business cards" very inexpensively called Vista-Print, so I reworked the image to fit on a business card. Delivered fast and looks great too! Highly recommend this service.

Centerpieces & Invitations

2005-10-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am leaving most of this to professionals, but I've decided to do two things myself: centerpieces, and invitations. There are so many cool & easy ideas for these two things.

centerpieces

No flowers. I think this is the easiest and most invisible way to cut cost. Nobody is going to care that I have candles in the center of my tables instead of roses. Supplies for each centerpiece:

1 Ivy Bowl (4 inch opening)
1 2.5" Mini Pillar candle
1 12oz bag blue vase gems
2' silk ivy garland
seashells

I was going to do floating candles, but they require more setup time, and don't burn as long. The general idea is to mix gems & seashells in an ivy bowl, nestle a mini pillar candle in them, and then put some ivy around the outside. The whole thing costs about $5.

invitations

I've been making my own Christmas cards for quite some time, but they usually involve just drawing a picture and copying it onto a bunch of paper. These are going to be somewhat more demanding. Still, they are going to start with a picture.

I bought a hydrangea from Trader Joes for inspiration, and bought some water colors and paper from Michaels. I did some pencil studies, and then painted for the first time in several years. Proud to say, it came out pretty well on the first attempt; if you would like to spoil the surprise, check it out here. Geoff made me save the painting in our scrapbook after I scanned it, since it is now "unspeakably special."

So, scanned it into photoshop, and adjusted the colors to best match my scheme. I bought ribbon and punches from Michaels, and paper from various sources, including www.paperzone.com, which is a great website for ideas.

Tools:
Paper cutter
Rectangle punch
Corner photo punch
Ruler
Double sided tape
Glue
Exacto knife
Photo printer
Laser printer

Supplies:
1 8.5 x 5.5 piece white linen paper
1 8 x 5piece blue marble paper
1 7.5 x 4.5 piece white vellum paper
1 4.25 x 5.5 piece white linen paper
1 5.5 Bar linen envelope
Blue ribbon

Print the hydrangea blossom on the bottom of the linen paper with photo printer. Print invitation wording onto vellum with laser. Print reply wording onto small piece of linen. Cut to size. Punch the blue paper with the photo punch and attach it to middle of the other side of the linen paper with tape and/or glue. Push corners of vellum into photo corners. May want to fasten the vellum in the middle a bit for security. Punch two rectangle holes through all three pieces on either side of flower stem, and tie the ribbon thru it. Make a bow on the flower side, as if it were a bow around the flowers. Use the ruler to fold cleanly; use knife to scour if necessary.

Tips from the LDS

2005-09-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

I spent a lot of browsing hours trying to find tips on how to plan a wedding from across the country and this is what I found: LDS Weddings: Planning Long Distance Wedding.

In case you don't know (I didn't), LDS means "Latter Day Saints." As in, Mormons.

Apparently a lot of Mormons marry young, like, still in college, so they do this a lot. Enough to have a guide about it. Some of the tips are pretty good. For example, they suggest that you pack your suitcase several weeks in advance so you don't forget anything key. I was also struck by how short LDS engagements are. Between 2-6 months. I guess they are really excited to get their married game on. Some of the virginal stuff didn't really apply... I mean, it did, I just, uh, already knew it... er...

Anyway, thought it was kinda funny.

In Praise of WeddingChannel.com

2005-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take a moment to recognize an excellent free website, WeddingChannel. All you have to do is enter your information and your wedding date, and it supplies you with an array of great planning tools, including a Budget Calculator and a Guest List Manager. My favorite is the Planning Checklist, which uses the date you enter to alert you when it is time to do all the tasks that need doing. Right now I have "Choose Attendants" and "Choose Ceremony Location" in the "Past Due" section, which is a helpful reminder to get off my duff. It also lets you save notes on each task, delete tasks you don't intend to do, and mark as "DONE" tasks you have completed. Absolutely excellent paperless tool.

It also has a large archive of articles that are useful, including advice on who to tip, how to word invitations, how to make your own bouquets, etc. The most useful of these so far was a detailed breakdown of the different varieties of pearl -- I can't wait to buy myself a string of Akoyas. There is also a huge selection of stock photos in categories such as flowers, hairstyles, and other design ideas, and any time you find one that appeals to you, you can save it to your "scrapbook," another excellent free paperless tool.

They also sell stuff through reasonably priced vendors that you can save to this scrapbook. So far I have saved some adorable bubbles and attractive disposable cameras, both competitive with prices elsewhere. From time to time, I receive optional emails from them as well with further discounts. I can't wait to use them.

Ceremony Sites

2005-09-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

My last post listed two possible ceremony sites in Andover, the West Parish Garden Chapel, and the North Parish UU church (links below) The Chapel got quite a response, both from Geoff and his father. I got through to them today and discovered two disappointing things about them:

They are more than twice as much as the UU. The UU charges $370 for the church, the rehearsal, and the sexton's fee. The chapel charges $850 for these things.

The building is rather small; its maximum capacity is 120 people.

Of course there are other possibilities about which I have no information:

And I am sure there are others. What do you think?
The links from the last post, in case you missed them:

Indian Ridge Country Club

2005-09-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've been mostly decided for a week now, but Mom has checked it out and officially OK'ed the Indian Ridge Country Club in Andover, MA. We originally looked at the Andover Country Club, but we liked this one better even though it is not quite as pretty because it only has one ballroom. At Andover, we would have been in the smallest ballroom; here, were will be the most important party there. I like that distinction.
This is the place: Indian Ridge Country Club

Ceremony site is as yet unbooked, although we are looking at a nearby chapel, as well as churches in the area. The date, barring schedule changes, is May 27, which is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Some places that have been suggested:
West Parish Garden Chapel
North Parish UU

Ring purchased

2005-08-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

We bought the ring setting from Mei, and it turned out so beautifully, and very reasonably priced. I highly recommend this store for anyone looking for a ring or set mount; it is in the jewelry exchange at S. Hill Street, Los Angeles. Here is a picture of what they made for us:

Yes, that is 14 extra diamonds (8 rounds, 6 baguettes) with 18k white gold, for about $200. Go to Mei's and check it out!

$150 wedding dress, not ugly

2005-08-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

On the recommending of "Bridal Bargains" by Denise Fields (the best wedding guide ever!), I went to Priceless Bridals in Van Nuys, a discount bridal salon that buys samples from other bridal salons that go out of business and sells them at a huge discount. I found an elegant St. Patrick gown there with a tie halter neckline, a graceful a-line silhouette, and a chapel train with bustle, for $150.

No one can believe that it is classy at that price, and not dirty or worn out at all, but it is. Both Dagmar and Lissette (bridesmaids) approved. Covered in beautiful floral bead patterns and made of a high quality satin, the dress is a steal. According to Denise Fields, this dress would be about $500 retail. The price tag says it cost $865! The sales lady is also a seamstress, so I can get the dress altered by her (it is slightly too large).

I cannot recommend Priceless Bridals enough, especially if you live in the San Fernando Valley, or happen to be visiting, or are willing to order over the internet. Did I mention the dress was $150?!?!

I also bought some strappy dress sandals on clearance at DSW for $26 that I think are perfect. They have a medium heel and are very comfortable and easy to wear. They are white with a pearlized finish and very pretty.

So even though the reception is looking very expensive, my formal wear has been very inexpensive. If you PROMISE that you are NOT Geoff, you can click here to see photos.

Reception Sites, arg

2005-08-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until this reception selection thing is over. Everything else will be a cakewalk. Gonna write down every single place I've looked at, to give you an idea of the difficulty we're facing.

Under consideration:
Andover Country Club - Great place, but so many little problems. I want to strangle them most of the time for all the ways they nickel and dime you into making a $25/pp place cost $10,000.
Angelicas - An Italian restaurant in Middleton. Have to call them. Their package sounds excessive but their place itself is appealing.
Bayside of Nahant - This is both cool and less accessible because it's on an island. Her package is straightforward and the prices are reasonable. Minimal service charge, for example, and the minimum is only 125 people (no cash minimum).
Country Club of Billerica - Another excessive package, but for everything they offer, the price might be OK.
Crestview - in Woburn. This package is the only one I've seen that doesn't have a bunch of stuff I don't need. The Pearl package plus open bar might even be a steal.
Holiday Inn - of Peabody, Nashua, Andover, or Somerville - for some reason, Holiday Inns offer very competitive pricing. Waiting for more information from them, they do not respond quickly to email.
Indian Ridge Country Club - this place was passed over at first because Lisa said it was not as nice as the Andover Country Club, but I'm giving them a second look. I like their website.
Jimmy's Allenhurst - This place looked great online, until their website disappeared, and Dad says it is next to a trucking company and looked dingy, but their prices are very good.
Rowley Country Club - It breaks my heart that this room for this place was not up to snuff, because I liked everything else. Mom said it was cramped and not very formal; but the menu was appealing, and the only hold one wedding a day. Also affordable.
Spinelli's - in Lynnfield. This place is not expensive and not cheap, the rooms and the grounds are beautiful. I just hate the menu. Possibly they could change it, but I just can't get excited about this place.
Thomson Country Club - this place has a nice package, but I don't know much else about it.
Vittori Rossi Post - This is in Beverly, so its pretty convenient, but the exterior looks like a post office, and there is no rug, and no website. Mom did not like this place.
Wyndham - of Andover or Billerica - these would be great if I were inviting more people (over 160), they have a great package.

Locations that require catering:
The Harbor Room - $1500 for the whole day on the harbor doesn't sound so bad.
Gloucester Elks at Bass Rocks - I wish they would pick up the phone, just once.
Andover Town House - $750, kind of an appealing location, but a little municipal.

Considered and Nixed:
Too Expensive:
Nahant Country Club - Sheraton Resorts - the Marriott - Steeple Hall - Tupper Hall - Glen Magna Farms - Hellenic Center - Ocean View Inn & Resort - Hamilton Hall - Scituate Country Club - Radisson - Andover Inn
Fully Booked:
Danversport Yacht Club - Castleton - Casa di Fior

Damn. This. Sucks.

Engagement rings

2005-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

As I have posted before, Geoff proposed to me with his mother's ring, with the auspice that we would pillage the oval diamond from that ring and put it in a new setting that was ours. Also, this ring is much too big for me because I told him the wrong size. It has taken quite a while to get around to fixing that, however. We went down to the jewelry district today and finally got down to looking.

This was an interesting experience. There are dozens of jewelry designers downtown, so you can really walk around and get a sense of different designs and also different sales styles. Three rings that appealed to me:

Shiny: This ring was designed by Mei Jewelry & Gem so we started calling it the Mei ring. It was definitely the nicest quality ring and it was also the most expensive, but only by a little bit. it was 18k white gold, and on each side of the center stone, there were three small diamonds, two baguettes, and a delicate triangle of pave. The feel of the ring was so comfortable, but I worry that it was maybe too much 'bling' -- still, it was tasteful, and will probably be the one I get.

Colored: I am apparently the only one, but I really like colored gem stones. Since oval diamonds are popular in multi-stone rings, I looked at one designer who had a simple ring with two small diamonds on the side of the centerstone, who was willing to swap those diamonds for blue diamonds. It was a really neat look, but everyone else seems to think that colored stones look "costumy" or whatever, and on second look, the ring itself was a little cheap -- it was not solid metal, it was hollowed out on the inside, like a ring you get at Target.

Asymmetrical: The ring right now has an asymmetrical design which is kind of neat, so I looked at some that were like this. One that I liked had a wrapped design, with a white gold band and then a string of small diamonds wrapping around it on each side, like an elongated S. There were things about this ring that looked cheap also, however, so while I liked the concept, I don't think I liked the result as well.

The jewelry market itself was a really interesting experience, and it made me wish you could buy wedding dresses that way (or reception halls). Just walk around some booths, like a street fair, and ask questions about the ones you like.

There's always something

2005-08-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

A big problem with planning a wedding from this far away is that it is really hard to get the whole picture. Every time I think I've picked a place, I find out some detail that is a deal breaker. Case in point - the Andover CC. I loved this place. Good menu, great location, pretty grounds, pretty ballroom. Great entree prices, reasonable room rate. Recommended by a family member. Then, all of a sudden, I get hit in the face with their liquor prices. $24/pp, which does not include wine at the table or champagne toast. Ouch! Still might go there, because they're meal price is low enough to make up for it, but I feel used.

I am back to looking at hotels; I got some promising information from the Wyndham in Andover. Their deal breaker took me several days to find... turns out that, despite their low per-person cost, they have a minimum food/bev requirement of $9000. This is not mentioned ANYWHERE in their email brochure, and only one employee could tell me this. I'm not really sure what they expect me to be paying for. If I got one of their middle food choices, and their standard alcohol package, that only brings me to about $7300. Howzat? I guess they just want me to find more guests.

I started looking at churches. The Unitarian church in Andover has a website; they look beautiful, and charge about $1000 for the room, the minister, and the organist. And we don't need an organist. Scheduling on Sunday might be hard, though. And I still have to sell Geoff on the Unitarian idea.
http://www.northparish.org

Country Clubs

2005-08-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered country clubs. Yes, the places that posh people go to golf. Turns out that most of them have their own catering outfits with ballrooms, and offer competitive prices. Three places I have checked into : Thomson Country Club, Haverhill Country Club, and my favorite so far, Rowley Country Club. I like Rowley mostly because the coordinator was really friendly over the phone, although somewhat absent minded. Their menu was also really appealing and decently priced, and it looks like they don't overcharge too royally for alcohol. I haven't seen it yet, or tasted anything, so that's just an initial reaction. I also like the location because it seems like it would be really easy to get to from New Hampshire as well as Boston.

My father has been great about going to check these places out for me. I think he's more excited about the whole thing than my mother, which is against stereotype but not unexpected, given the subdued nature of my mother. I can count on her to get excited about my dress, though, and to stress out for me when the time comes.

Dad seems to like Spinelli's in Lynnfield, partly because of location. It was recommended to me by my great aunt, who has excellent taste and has probably been to more weddings in the Boston area than anyone else alive. My problem with Spinelli's is that their menu is blah, the only fish they suggest is haddock which I hate, and it seems like they produce hassle free but colorless weddings. I'm drawn to the country clubs because they only do one wedding at a time; Spinelli's is a huge wedding hall and probably does several every weekend. Very pretty, but not so special!

My budget goals have changed dramatically. I think I'll be happy now if this whole thing stays under $10,000. Not including honeymoon. Yes, how quickly plans change.

Quickly... plans change

2005-08-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should have expected this... but my parents have gotten their hands into the guest list and made it much larger. I cannot blame them, as they are paying. My mother now expects 100 people; my father expects 150. Not sure which one it will be, but neither seems to be possible at $6,000, especially since they don't want to have it in New Hampshire. Massachussetts is a bit more expensive, especially near Boston.

While searching the internet, I found a reference to a place called "John Archer's House." As I love the historical type places, places with character, I tried to find out more information. I found something called "Archer House" which was unbelievably cheap and lovely. Like, $175 for the room, and $20/pp. I couldn't believe it! Then I realized I had the wrong place; Archer House is in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, in Massachussetts, the most affordable thing I've found is at the Somerville Holiday Inn: an extensive package for $44/pp. And at the Nashua Holiday Inn, a more complete package for as little as $30/pp. Holiday Inn's, it seems, are afforable but also look not unlike highway rest stops. All of the places I have found attractive have been at least $60/pp; the lovely Ocean View and Resort was $80/pp, and Hawthorne Hotel in Salem was up to $100/pp. Maybe I should move to Minnesota.

Planning a long distance wedding

2005-07-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Both Geoff's parents and my parents live in New England, and we both grew up there, so we would very much like to have our wedding there. Trouble is, we live in Los Angeles now. That's three thousand miles away, in case you've never seen a map. Can we really do this?

I haven't seen much on the internet about this, but I know a lot of people out here do it, so I thought I'd keep a record of my experiences, in case someone else is looking for guidance a year from now. Check back soon for me pulling my hair out and being generally disappointed!

Some things I know so far:

I want our wedding to be in Cape Ann. Seems like a good middle ground for everyone in New Hampshire, Boston, and Connecticut. Also, my parents live there.
I want our wedding to be relatively inexpensive. There are so many more important things I want my father's money for... I mean, to spend money on. For example, a home, a car, children. Frankly, I'd rather drop a lot of money on our honeymoon, since it's going to last more than an afternoon! I would like to spend less than $6,000. Is that possible? We'll soon see!
There will probably be about 75 guests. That could be completely inaccurate, I just wrote down a quick list of everyone I know I want, and added twenty.
I would like to get married within a year. I think a long engagement would be more stressful. This way I've just got to make some decisions and get it done. I think May 2006 would be nice, but I may be forgetting what springs in New England are like (they are nice, right?!)

Alrighty, thus begins my blog.

We're Engaged!

2005-07-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

On the third anniversary of our coupledom this past Monday, Geoff proposed to me. His mother gave him the ring a year ago (let's call it an heirloom and not a cast-off from a first marriage), but he was waiting for the right time. Turns out the right time is after a lot of badgering and whining on my part, go figure.

Geoff was planning on driving me up to the park in Caballero Canyon, where the sunsets are gorgeous, and proposing to me there. Of course I didn't know that; I didn't think we were doing anything at all because we had celebrated our anniversary on Sunday, so I didn't actually show up in time for his plans. I took my time leaving work, and then I stopped by Target to look for some stuff I needed... anyway, by the time I got home, the sun had set and the park had closed. We went up to the Canyon anyway, in the dark, to the locked gate of the park, and he did it there.

Our good friend Justin sells jewelry part time, so he is going to help us shop for a new setting for the diamond (he also sells paper so he's going to be very useful to us). This ring is pretty but it is a bit too thin to be comfortable when typing and we would also like to make it our own. My friend Marianne suggested I get it blessed to erase the taint (she was kidding I think). More later on how that turns out. Possible before and after pictures.