13 month mark!

Yesterday, the 25th, we hit the 13th month mark....what the what!

We did get something wedding related done yesterday that was fun! My goal is to try to send save the dates out by the one year mark or at least before Thanksgiving. I had found a template on MagnetStreet awhile back but didn't know what we could do in terms of pictures. We had to agree on how many pictures we wanted to use (he wanted four, I thought one or two was enough) but in the end the template I fell in love with only had room for one picture. At first I think we thought we were going to use a Disney inspired picture, like this:

It would be kind of fun but I felt it would be too hyped up as a Disney wedding, which it's not, so I found this other great idea that involves pumpkins. And with the wedding being a few days shy of Halloween, this is the route we ended up going!

Oh and on that Disney note...of course there will be some Disney stuff incorporated...how can there not be! :-P Take a look at what I bought (for an insanely great price off of eBay!).

That is going to go in front of the cake! How perfect is that? The detailing on this is beautiful, although their features are kind of scary up close. I doubt anyone is going to be looking that close though!

So, the pumpkin idea. I found this website/picture back in August, after we had booked our date. 

(Pardon the screencap. I already had it saved to the computer, instead of searching for it on the site, lol)

I love love love this set up! Even though I'm going with more blues, white and oranges for the wedding, I don't see why one table can't have a fall color theme, as long as it's not in sight of the main ballroom. It won't look exactly like this but the inspiration is definitely drawn from it. I wanted to splurge on the pumpkins but the big ones were a whopping $125...meanwhile Michael's Arts & Crafts were doing something like this for only $40! I went back and forth about it and ultimately realized it would be a splurge that could be put to better use, so we went with Michael's. We apparently came at the right time because all month they had them for the regular price and yesterday when Jonathan and I went in to order them, they were on sale for $30 each! Not bad. We will definitely be taking save the date pictures once they come in :)

Yesterday was also the 4th time we have done the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk. 

We have been walking since 2010 with the Esposito family, when Jenn, the oldest sister, passed away after an 11 month battle with leukemia. Kim is one of my bridesmaids and I've gotten to know the Espo family over the years. They are some of the nicest people you could hope to meet and it sucks to know a disease like leukemia can strike anyone at any time. There is a fundraiser every September at CJ Sullivan's in Bayside (where Jonathan and I first met ironically enough!). The event is nicely put together with raffle prizes that you can bid on throughout the night. My winning streak remains intact after I took home the Halloween package earlier this month! But, take a look at the Team page if you're interested in helping a great cause: http://pages.lightthenight.org/nyc/Manhattn13/jennsteam

Meeting with the priest

Yesterday, we finally got to sit with Monsignor Hardiman, who will be marrying us next October. He just so happens to be the pastor of the parish and I know he is a busy man, so I was grateful we got to sit down and chat when we did!

First, I had no idea we would be asked so many questions in an initial meeting! I soon learned it's a pretty standard process. They basically want to make sure your intentions in marrying one another are good and pure and that you haven't been married before. He started off with basic Q's: age, occupation, parents' names, our parishes, where we were born, easy stuff like that. Then he said one of us would have to leave the room temporarily so we could be questioned apart. I was like oh great, what could he possibly ask us that we can't be in the same room?! I let Jonathan go first. He took a few minutes and then Mnsgr. came out to get me. I figure he did that so that Jonathan couldn't clue me in on what was to come.

So I sat there, fearing a slew of personal questions that I would be embarrassed to answer, haha. Not that I would have lied about anything, but I'm just naturally a nervous nellie I guess. Well, they were personal but nothing too bad! Do we intend to have children in marriage (yes), have I ever been married before (no), is there something wrong with me mentally or physically that will affect the marriage (no), stuff like that. One question I found to be interesting enough that when Jonathan came back in the room, I asked him why those specific kinds of questions are being asked. Monsignor said they ask these specific questions because they are all reasons couple have been divorced in the past! I was blown away. I know people who have been affected by some of those topics he mentioned. Mnsgr gave an example from one of the couples he knew: a guy had lied when asked in the office, about not being married in the past because he didn't want his fiance to know...but then it came out right before the wedding anyway when the proper documents had to be submitted. D'oh!

There was one question I liked that Monsignor asked, though I can't remember exactly what it was. It may have been the one where he asked if there was anything mentally or physically wrong with us that might create problems in the marriage. I told him we actually had had a conversation about this in the past. Monsignor Hardiman has been the pastor for many years so he knows my family. He didn't realize my mom is deaf and I told him it's genetic (I am hard of hearing) and that there is probably a 50% chance our children will go through some sort of hearing loss. This does not bother Jonathan and we told Monsignor that. It's also a testament to how amazing my mom is, that she has been deaf since a young age but can speak very well and communicate with minimal problems as long as she's face to face with you. You'll never, ever hear her complain either. God bless her.

Another thing I appreciated, was that after I conveyed my fear of not being able to repeat the vows from potential lack of understanding of what he is saying, he said not to worry. I could just read from a paper. Awesome!

We wrapped up the meeting and left with all this:

Church regulations, pre-cana information booklet, Testimonial letters of freedom to marry that we have get signed, NFP...they mean business!

I am actually looking forward to pre-cana. We decided to do it the next available date, which just so happens to take place at Saint Sebastian's! It will be in early April, so we have plenty of time to register.

Finding The One! (The dress, not the man)

Whoops, no blog yesterday....thanks to a nasty cold that turned into feverish symptoms that turned into me passing out in a deep sleep once I got home.

But not even that cold could change the excitement of buying my wedding dress! 

The dress adventure was brief but informative nonetheless. I learned that what I had in mind was really not what I ended up liking. On a Monday back in August, the 19th I think, my mom and I decided to go to David's Bridal to check out wedding dresses, and my dad and youngest brother tagged along. I knew it was still kind of early really but why not see what's out there? The kicker is, the one dress my mom and I had been eyeballing ended up looking just awful on me, haha. But the good thing about that is, I knew what style not to get now. I may have tried on 4 total and decided that was enough. It's work in the dressing room getting in and out! Well, at least it was that first day. Dad and Michael were really funny with their feedback. I made an appointment for two weeks later but ended up canceling that one. 

The girl I had at David's Bridal was really so nice and helped make it a great first dress experience but I knew I wouldn't be going with David's Bridal. Ironically enough I would have to use them for another event but more on that later...

So this past Monday, being my parents day off, they asked if we would be doing anything wedding related today, like trying on dresses and I said sure, there's two places we could go: Macy's in Manhasset or The Wedding Plaza, in Floral Park. I heard many good reviews about that particular Macy's Bridal Salon so I leaned towards that. We hopped on the LIRR and it was surprisingly, a fast walk from the station. 

It's pretty small in there but that can work to your advantage. You don't want to get lost in a shop. Being that it was Monday (me working nights and my parents being off that day really works for us with this wedding process!) it was empty in there. So they took us right away. A woman named Nellie would be helping us. When she asked us what our budget was, we just laughed and said we didn't have one but what was their price range? Anywhere from $900 to $4,000, Nellie said. Too bad my dad was downstairs shopping otherwise I'm sure he would have had a funny remark to say! My dad did come up eventually and after trying on four dresses, I found the one. Easy as that! I didn't even want to try on the remaining ones.

And it's funny too because we started off by just picking stuff off the racks to try on. How it looks on a hanger and how it looks on a person really is like night and day for me. Before I went into the dressing room to start trying on, my mom says, "I added one more in there."

The dress we fell in love with ended up being that one. Mother really does know best!

So after we decided, yes this is it, my mom spotted a dress she liked for herself. Whether it be a potential dress for the day of or just a dress to wear for a special occasion, it was on sale for an insane reduced amount (85%!) so I don't blame her for getting it. In the interim, I was texting a few people my discovery. Good thing I did that because Kim suggested waiting for a sale. She had also gotten her dress there. Well, what do you know. After asking Nellie, we learned there was a sale that weekend! (Thanks, Kim!) So we came back Friday, just my mom and I, who was nice enough to switch her hours and work later. 

All week my mom had been back and forth about it. She was pretty sure we should look at more. And although that would have been fun, you know what? I'm sure I would have found a beautiful dress at Kleinfelds or RK Bridal. If there weren't so many gorgeous dresses, all girls in NYC would be wearing the same dress! So I stuck to my gut and said no I didn't want to try on anymore.

Putting the dress back on with the veil yesterday helped confirm not only to me, but to my mom, that this was the right choice. She was way too cute sitting there wiping away her tears when I stood there in full ensemble. Haha, she kills me!

So there's that. Now I can focus on a million other things that need to get done. Hooray!  A nice big check! Next up: meeting with the priest today.

The little details

Something huge happened today! I will share it in a post on Friday, when it's more finalized, but just wanted to document this moment that today, September 9, 2013, I knocked something huge off of the wedding checklist!!

This past Saturday, I went to meet with my makeup artist, Sandra Baldini, for a trial. I had used Sandra for my friend Gina's wedding, in which I was a bridesmaid. In fact, I went with Gina to her trial. Even though that trial was three years ago, I remember it well so I knew what to expect going into it. Otherwise, I think I would have been very nervous since I was riding solo. Actually, Jonathan, my dear fiance who has to do all the driving since I don't have my license (I know, I know) came in at the tail end. He actually knew the family Sandra is married into from many years ago, when they were neighbors in Middle Village. Small world! But what I really really like about Jonathan getting to see the trial with his own eyes instead of just hearing my recap of it, is it gives him a glimpse of what it's like to have to be the bride! He admitted the grooms really do have it easy the day of. Think about it! They get to sleep in late, wake up, maybe shave if they didn't the night before, shower, brush hair, put on tux and they're good to go! 

But, I am 100% satisfied Sandra will do a great job on me and whoever else in the party wants to use her services. (I have to guarantee at least three girls, since she is traveling to my parents' house the morning of). What's great is I had received so many sweet compliments on my makeup for Gina's wedding that I remember thinking, when it's my time, I gotta use this woman! Didn't expect it to be two years later but here we are.

As of today, the deposit for that was sent in so that's another thing checked off the list! I didn't even realize it but I have been told I should be booking my hair lady now for next year. Yikes! This is where it's good to have no shame and ask a gazillion questions so you can keep on top of things.

Another notable thing that happened recently was meeting up with Gina and Anthony for dinner. These two are one of my favorite couples in the world. For starters, they're half the reason Jonathan and I are together. As most of our friends know, Jonathan and I were just friends for a whole year (the poor guy...) and by the start of the next year, 2009, it was a now or never situation and Anthony and Gina gave us (or really, me) that extra boost we needed to take the next step. How can I not love them? So anyway, we went out to eat and got to catch up and all that lovely stuff. I had a hidden agenda though: I asked Gina officially to be one my bridesmaids! Whoop whoop! And Anthony agreed to be one of our readers during the wedding Mass. We are extremely happy they are both a part of our wedding day. And that girl, having gone through a wedding herself and just being naturally creative (Seriously, this girl should be a wedding planner!) gave me SO many ideas. And not only that, helped me come up with a color scheme. 

Here are some pictures she found that I can play around with:

These would be for the bridesmaid bouquets. I can play around with the types of flowers used in it but it's really the color combo I'm loving. I want the girls to have a darker blue dress, most likely royal and I think this would be so complimentary. The centerpiece would be very similar too of course, since it should match so they don't clash. And the orange works so well because I did want to add something fall related. I'm excited to show this to the florist when we go back but at least that's a weight off my shoulders, the colors! As for what the bridesmaid dress will look like, I think I will just wait until one of the girls are available to come and try on different dress styles. It's hard to look at pictures and decide. I discovered that with the wedding gown shopping, that how it looks on a person and how it looks in a picture are really really different. But I'm confident there's a dress out there each girl will like :)

This is a nice flower for the groomsmen. The color can go either way but if it's in season, I don't see why not! I'm also not a huge fan of calla lilies though they are beautiful, but I thought maybe Jonathan could wear a white calla lily on his tux, to stand out as being the groom, and the guys could get the ones as pictured in color. That's definitely one option!

And this idea, I absolutely adore, but am not 100% on yet because I may go with a poster seating chart for the wedding.

Would this not be the cutest thing?! I may just wait until after the wedding to post our final choice to leave some surprise element (then again, I'm not exactly sure who is reading this!). Otherwise something like this is so nice and in tune with the season.

Or this poster seating? The options are endless!

Stay tuned for Friday's announcement!

Book a vendor here, book a vendor there...

I think I have written more lists in the past month or so than I have in my entire 27 years and 10 months of life!

To keep my sanity, I find that it works. If you break it down, you have to factor in over hundreds of details for a traditional wedding and reception. Not a hundred but hundreds. I don't have enough space to keep all those lists! The best thing I did this week was buy this book:

It really doesn't cost much so I highly recommend buying it straight from a bookstore and not used so  that you can jot down notes in the lines provided on the sides of each page. 

This past week, we got a lot done, which makes this gal very happy. On Wednesday, Jonathan, my mom and myself headed to Brooklyn to meet with the photographer (Robbie) and florist (Manny). We know the photographer through family. His wife is Jonathan's bro-in-law's cousin. I've seen enough of his work that I knew I liked it before going into the meeting, and plus it was nice that we already knew him so the comfort factor is there. I mean, the photographer is pretty much one of the people the bride & groom spend all day with! Robbie worked for various studios and brings a lot of experience to the plate. He is now venturing out and trying his own thing too. He offered us a great package that includes videography and a short recap during the reception. Since we requested two photographers, Robbie will be working alongside Tony. Tony was one of the photographers that shot my friend Kim's wedding last December. Kim introduced us because I am a photo student and thought we could chat. I liked Tony right away. Very personable and I appreciate him giving me pointers about lighting and flash photography. He even let me assist him one day last year. Shortly after, I learned Robbie and Tony knew each other. Not only knew each other, but worked together and were close. So I'm happy we'll be having two photographers who I trust and know will produce great photographs on our wedding day. It actually pains me that I can't bring my own camera to my wedding! :-P

After sitting down with Robbie, who is temporarily working out of the flower shop, we got to sit with Manny, of Steve's Flower Shop, and talk ideas. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Luckily, there's still so much more time before we have to sit down and pick out floral arrangements and bouquets because I'm still not ready! Even though I knew I wasn't ready, since they are in the same building for now, why not meet both. And also to hear price ranges and get a feel of what they have, it helped me prepare for when we actually do have to start talking flowers. There's so many to choose from, although certain ones aren't in season in October so that will help narrow it down. You wouldn't believe how much I worried about that meeting! If you had asked me what kind of flowers I liked before doing all this research, I would have said "pretty ones." I'm glad I have time to think. I don't even have a set color scheme yet (besides blue).

After that, we were all starving. I think at that point it was 5:30pm and I had yet to eat all day! Just one of those days that fly by. Anyway, Robbie had recommended a place nearby called Gino's. It smelled amazing as soon as we walked through the door. I got my usual white clam linguine but I want to go back and try other dishes. I sense a ritual every time we're in the area!

Another thing we knocked off the list was meeting and signing with the DJ. Caleps is another vendor we found through Jonathan's sister and brother-in-law because they had done their wedding seven years ago, as well as a number of other family events. As Peter, our DJ, put it: "we're family!" 

Last week he was DJing at the 18th Avenue Feast and we thought it would be a good opportunity to go down and see him in person to talk about the package details before signing anything. They used to have a studio space but it wasn't worth the rent since they were doing all their business through word of mouth anyway. Hence why we met him at the feast. Last night, we called to talk about the exact pricing and what would be in the package...and signed the contract. Yay! 

DJ....check.

Photographer/videographer....check.

Cue the happy dance.