One Year To Go!

One more year to go?!

Just kidding. Kind of.

In all reality, I wish it were today. Yesterday morning we both woke up and it really felt different. Like the countdown had officially begun. I know it will fly by and it makes me kind of sad. In the sense that there is all this excitement over the preparation and anticipation and it will be over before we know it. Yesterday flew by and I know that's what the day-of is going to be like. Another reminder not to take the process so seriously. In fact, I got great advice the other day about focusing more about preparing for marriage not preparing for your wedding. Makes sense!

Jonathan wrote a really sweet status yesterday that I just couldn't compete with. 

And this gem of a bit strip (created by my mom) is too funny not to share!

Last night, I met Jonathan after work and we ate at the Ollie's in Hell's Kitchen. We'll find any excuse to dine out so of course we went to eat and celebrate the date, lol. Not that sit down Chinese food is fancy but we wanted low-key. Which is not to knock the place. I love Ollie's! Then we went to this really cool arcade bar called Two Bit's Retro Arcade in the Lower East Side where you can drink and play all the video games that will take you down memory lane. Let's just say a lot of my quarters went to Mortal Kombat! It was a small crowd, just Chris M, Jonathan, myself, Kim and Vinnie.  But it was an appropriate night: we ate, we drank and we were merry. Sums up what this time next year will be like!

When we got back to the house, we saw this cake on the kitchen table. His parents are too cute!

In fun wedding news, we booked the photo booth for the reception. We decided to go with Ovation. Anthony and Gina had used them in 2011 (their anniversary is coming. Two years already?!) and Kim and Vinnie had used them last December. Jonathan and I agreed we liked it and went down to their office in Carle Place to do some face to face talking and make a deposit. They had a sample photo booth there, but we went with one of their other ones. After the meeting, I mentioned to my mom that we got it and she couldn't believe the price, lol. I thought it was reasonable but photo booths are something new to our parents' generation I suppose. Still though, it's worth it in my opinion. I feel it adds a little something, plus the photo strip makes for a great favor to take home. 

Next up: dropping off limo deposit and reserving a block of hotel rooms for guests!

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!