All the Girls and I meet up at Kray Chic on Thursday, and they ordered their dresses. It was super quick, less than a half hour all together.
Even though the girls like the dress, or so they say, none of them wanted to try it on again. I understand them not wanted to get all undressed with their jackets and work cloths on. But when I showed them my dress, I practically offered to try it on, because I got so excited seeing it!!! Then again when I was a Bride's Maid I was not too excited about dropping cash on a dress I would only wear once, so I feel their pain.
Everyone was a good sport when they got their measurements taken to order the dress. Even Larry, the Bridal Salon Owner, was cracking jokes with us.
Their dresses should be in around June or July. I just need to get their sashes ordered.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Alternate Centerpieces - First Half
I found a good deal online for charger plates. I figured we could use those as the base for the candle centerpieces and after the wedding we would have charger plates. Not sure if we will ever really need charger plates, but if we do, we'll be prepared. :)
I ordered the plates earlier this week, and of course there were some hidden "shipping and handling" fees. All and all though, it still worked out to be a pretty good deal.
The plates arrived today, and they will work perfectly.
Now we just need the second half - the candles.
I ordered the plates earlier this week, and of course there were some hidden "shipping and handling" fees. All and all though, it still worked out to be a pretty good deal.
The plates arrived today, and they will work perfectly.
Now we just need the second half - the candles.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sample Invitations
Devin finished up the Invitations and Save The Date cards this past weekend while she was over watching the Daytona 500 with a few of our other friends. Then she gave a thumb drive with the designs to Mom, and Mom handed them over the Charlotte at work. Charlotte gave them to her hubby, Greg the printer.
Greg printed off a sample of the invite and the save the dates, and they worked their way through the same chain back to Mom. Mom brought them along this weekend and we were able to see them for the first time! Only a week, that is a pretty quick turn around time given our old fashion methods of data transfer.
It was exciting to see the print out, instead of just looking at them on the computer screen. They look awesome! Thanks for the samples Greg!!!
Even though we proof read these things several times, there were a few small typos. Yeah "Inviations" and "marraige", nothing too major :)
Both sets of parents approved of the invites and date cards, and everyone was able to figure out the extra cool bits of the logo that Dev put in to represent Thom and I.
Now we need to contact Greg this week, and figure out some details.
Greg printed off a sample of the invite and the save the dates, and they worked their way through the same chain back to Mom. Mom brought them along this weekend and we were able to see them for the first time! Only a week, that is a pretty quick turn around time given our old fashion methods of data transfer.
It was exciting to see the print out, instead of just looking at them on the computer screen. They look awesome! Thanks for the samples Greg!!!
Even though we proof read these things several times, there were a few small typos. Yeah "Inviations" and "marraige", nothing too major :)
Both sets of parents approved of the invites and date cards, and everyone was able to figure out the extra cool bits of the logo that Dev put in to represent Thom and I.
Now we need to contact Greg this week, and figure out some details.
Weekend with the Parents
Thom's parents came up for the weekend to hang out and check out our wedding planning. It was great to have them up here!
The band (The G-Daddy's) Thom and I checked out a few weekends back, was playing down in The D on Friday night so the four of us went to watch them. Thom's Dad is in a band so we wanted to get his opinion and, he totally approved. We are not having much luck finding another band that plays the same songs and offers the same services to compare the G-Daddy's against, so we will probably sign them.
On Saturday morning we showed Thom's parents the reception site. Then the boys and girls split up. The boys went to the tool supply store and the girls went to pick up my Mom. The Moms and I were all over town, the snow storm didn't even slow us down.
We stopped in at a bridal salon were My Mom found a dress she liked. Then we went over to David's Bridal to check on the sashes for the Bride's maids dresses - Still not sure if we will order the sashes through them or not... We stopped over at Ikea to check on the candles for the center pieces, no luck there - I need to stop at Big Lots to check those out, and Thom's Mom is going to check for some down in Ohio.
After Ikea we stopped at Laural Park Mall at some higher end department stores, where My Mom found another dress she liked. This was the first time I had seen this dress, so I made her try it on for me. We also looked in a few stores for a dress for Maddy the flower girl. I think we will have better luck finding her a cute little dress as we get closer to Easter.
Then it was up to Kray Chic to show off My Dress! I got really giddy when I tried on the sample dress, it was fun knowing that mine is probably being made right now! And I showed both Moms which dress the girls will be wearing.
After all of the running around us girls made our way back home to relax before dinner. My parents, Spencer and Donna, came over for dinner with us and Thom's parents, Thom and Janet. I tried out a new recipe that turned out OK (just OK) but no one seemed to mind. We were all just enjoying the company. It was so nice to have both sets of parents together!!!
The band (The G-Daddy's) Thom and I checked out a few weekends back, was playing down in The D on Friday night so the four of us went to watch them. Thom's Dad is in a band so we wanted to get his opinion and, he totally approved. We are not having much luck finding another band that plays the same songs and offers the same services to compare the G-Daddy's against, so we will probably sign them.
On Saturday morning we showed Thom's parents the reception site. Then the boys and girls split up. The boys went to the tool supply store and the girls went to pick up my Mom. The Moms and I were all over town, the snow storm didn't even slow us down.
We stopped in at a bridal salon were My Mom found a dress she liked. Then we went over to David's Bridal to check on the sashes for the Bride's maids dresses - Still not sure if we will order the sashes through them or not... We stopped over at Ikea to check on the candles for the center pieces, no luck there - I need to stop at Big Lots to check those out, and Thom's Mom is going to check for some down in Ohio.
After Ikea we stopped at Laural Park Mall at some higher end department stores, where My Mom found another dress she liked. This was the first time I had seen this dress, so I made her try it on for me. We also looked in a few stores for a dress for Maddy the flower girl. I think we will have better luck finding her a cute little dress as we get closer to Easter.
Then it was up to Kray Chic to show off My Dress! I got really giddy when I tried on the sample dress, it was fun knowing that mine is probably being made right now! And I showed both Moms which dress the girls will be wearing.
After all of the running around us girls made our way back home to relax before dinner. My parents, Spencer and Donna, came over for dinner with us and Thom's parents, Thom and Janet. I tried out a new recipe that turned out OK (just OK) but no one seemed to mind. We were all just enjoying the company. It was so nice to have both sets of parents together!!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
2009 Menu
Thom and I got the 2009 Menu for our reception site in the mail.
We have a few choices for the main dish, and tons of choices for the starch and veggie sides. We are pretty sure we know which main dish we want, but the sides are still TBD.
Lets just say no one should go hungry!
Unfortunately, our reception site does not offer tastings of the dinner. I guess its a common thing at other reception sites. We had no idea, so you could say "we don't know what we are missing."
Everyone we have talked to about our reception site has said good things about the food, so I am not too worried about not tasting before we finalize the menu.
Oh yeah, we have an extra surprise for you party animals that stick around to dance along with the band! :)
We have a few choices for the main dish, and tons of choices for the starch and veggie sides. We are pretty sure we know which main dish we want, but the sides are still TBD.
Lets just say no one should go hungry!
Unfortunately, our reception site does not offer tastings of the dinner. I guess its a common thing at other reception sites. We had no idea, so you could say "we don't know what we are missing."
Everyone we have talked to about our reception site has said good things about the food, so I am not too worried about not tasting before we finalize the menu.
Oh yeah, we have an extra surprise for you party animals that stick around to dance along with the band! :)
Center Pieces for the Reception
The latest planning question... to alternate or not to alternate?
I am debating if we should alternate our center pieces for the reception. Maybe every other table will get the great flower center pieces designed by Fanny, and then the other tables will get a candle arrangement.
I want to incorporate candles into the center pieces, but I think the table would look crowded with both the flowers and the candles. Plus the reception site's only rule on candles is that they not be displayed under greenery where they could easily catch on fire... kind of sounds like they had an incident in the past :)
I have been searching online for some discounted candles, and asked the bride's maids to keep an eye out for good deals. Honestly, the day I asked the girls to start looking for candles I got two picture message over my phone for different candles with pricing info, and I have been getting at least one a week since. Its awesome to have such great help!
I think I have found candle holders for a good price on line, now I just need to confirm that I can get the candles for a decent price. If this plan comes together, I think it might actually save us some money... small victories are great!
Lacey and Lindsay found tons of candles at a great price at Ikea, so I need to stop in there to see if they are the right color. Thom's parents are coming up to MI this weekend to visit so maybe me and the Mothers will stop in at Ikea to check out the candles in our various wedding adventures.
I am debating if we should alternate our center pieces for the reception. Maybe every other table will get the great flower center pieces designed by Fanny, and then the other tables will get a candle arrangement.
I want to incorporate candles into the center pieces, but I think the table would look crowded with both the flowers and the candles. Plus the reception site's only rule on candles is that they not be displayed under greenery where they could easily catch on fire... kind of sounds like they had an incident in the past :)
I have been searching online for some discounted candles, and asked the bride's maids to keep an eye out for good deals. Honestly, the day I asked the girls to start looking for candles I got two picture message over my phone for different candles with pricing info, and I have been getting at least one a week since. Its awesome to have such great help!
I think I have found candle holders for a good price on line, now I just need to confirm that I can get the candles for a decent price. If this plan comes together, I think it might actually save us some money... small victories are great!
Lacey and Lindsay found tons of candles at a great price at Ikea, so I need to stop in there to see if they are the right color. Thom's parents are coming up to MI this weekend to visit so maybe me and the Mothers will stop in at Ikea to check out the candles in our various wedding adventures.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Comments on The Blog
I have been clicking and messing around with the various settings for our Blog. I found a small selection of options hidden away under some menu that determines who can add comments to the Blog. And with just one click of a button...
Sorry for the minor (operator) error. But this does mean, we will be expecting comments from all of you!
Now everyone can add comments!
Sorry for the minor (operator) error. But this does mean, we will be expecting comments from all of you!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Bride's Maids Dresses For Less
In an effort to save my girls some ca$h on their dresses, I called around to a few Bridal Salons to see what the going rate was for their dress.
Turns out Kray Chic, the same salon that I ordered my dress through, offers the girls' dress for 20% less than the store they tried them on at in Livonia.
As you would imagine, the girls were pretty excited to hear about the savings. Just remember that come time for the Bachelorette Party Ladies :)
Turns out Kray Chic, the same salon that I ordered my dress through, offers the girls' dress for 20% less than the store they tried them on at in Livonia.
As you would imagine, the girls were pretty excited to hear about the savings. Just remember that come time for the Bachelorette Party Ladies :)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
My Dress!!!
I had an appointment setup with Lori at Kray Chic to order My Dress this evening. Mom, Dad and Grandma planned to stop in to see me try on My Dress too. I had my coffee in hand as a follow up to my negotiating skills.
Unfortunately, Lori was called into her full time job, so she set it up for me to work with one of the bridal salon owners, Larry (her brother). But come to find out, Larry and my Mom went to High School together!
Let's just say that negotiating skills don't even compare to knowing people. As they say... its all in who you know :)
The funny thing is that my Mom was with me when I found My Dress for the first time at Kray Chic. It was just that Larry was helping another client, and didn't see my Mom. And Larry had to introduce himself to my Mom. But once he said his full name, Mom knew exactly who he was, and they caught up with one another and then talked about mutual friends from High School. After the mini High School reunion, we got down to business.
I ordered My Dress today! It is made in Toronto Canada, and takes about 14 weeks for those Maple Leafs to finish their work and for My Dress to get through Customs. We can expect My Dress to be in sometime in early June for the first fitting.
Unfortunately, Lori was called into her full time job, so she set it up for me to work with one of the bridal salon owners, Larry (her brother). But come to find out, Larry and my Mom went to High School together!
Let's just say that negotiating skills don't even compare to knowing people. As they say... its all in who you know :)
The funny thing is that my Mom was with me when I found My Dress for the first time at Kray Chic. It was just that Larry was helping another client, and didn't see my Mom. And Larry had to introduce himself to my Mom. But once he said his full name, Mom knew exactly who he was, and they caught up with one another and then talked about mutual friends from High School. After the mini High School reunion, we got down to business.
I ordered My Dress today! It is made in Toronto Canada, and takes about 14 weeks for those Maple Leafs to finish their work and for My Dress to get through Customs. We can expect My Dress to be in sometime in early June for the first fitting.
Bride's Maids Dresses
I meet up with all of the girls this afternoon while they tried on some dresses. I picked out a dress from a picture in a magazine that all of the girls said they liked...based on the picture. I found a shop around town that had the dress from the pic in stock. Due to work schedules we split up the times where Jax and Dev tried on the dresses then Lacey and Linds came a little later to try the dresses on.
Jax, Dev and I ruled out the dress from the magazine picture right away. (And that is why you can't order something based on a single picture!) We looked at all of the other dresses at that shop and then moved on to another shop to look at more dresses.
At the second shop, Jax and Dev found two dresses that they liked after trying on several options. That made it easy for Lacey and Lindsay when they meet up with Jax and I. Lacey and Lindsay both really liked one of the two dresses that Devin and Jacquie choose. That is when I jinxed things by thinking that it was super easy to find a dress that everyone liked.
The designer of the dress we all liked did not offer the right color blue for the sash!!!!
We found a similar dress by a different company that offered the right color blue. The not so similar part was that the dress was a different neck line, a sweet heart neck line. Just to humor me Lindsay, Lacey, and Jacquie tried on a dress by the other company with a sweet heart neck line...and no one liked it.
Lindsay, being the smart seasoned bride's maid, suggested that we get the original dress that everyone liked then just get a different sash. The only problem was, that according to the bridal salon we were at, the company with the right color blue did not sell only a sash.
My bride's maids are awesome!!!!!! We left the store with a bit of a set back, needing to find a sash in the right color blue, and they got right on it!
Jax and I headed to the craft store to check out the possibility of ribbon for a sash. It was a possibility, but not the best solution. Then Jax suggested that her Mom could sew up some sashes for the girls. That was a great idea! We would just have to buy the fabric, which shouldn't be too much money.
Later in the afternoon I got a call and pic message from Lindsay saying that David's Bridal sells stand alone sashes. And for the "bulk" discount we could order four sashes, it would probably end up being a better deal than having Jax mom make the sashes!
Once again I must say that my Bride's Maids rock! We had a minor set back, but they went in problem solve mode and we had several solutions with in a few hours!!!!
Thanks girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jax, Dev and I ruled out the dress from the magazine picture right away. (And that is why you can't order something based on a single picture!) We looked at all of the other dresses at that shop and then moved on to another shop to look at more dresses.
At the second shop, Jax and Dev found two dresses that they liked after trying on several options. That made it easy for Lacey and Lindsay when they meet up with Jax and I. Lacey and Lindsay both really liked one of the two dresses that Devin and Jacquie choose. That is when I jinxed things by thinking that it was super easy to find a dress that everyone liked.
The designer of the dress we all liked did not offer the right color blue for the sash!!!!
We found a similar dress by a different company that offered the right color blue. The not so similar part was that the dress was a different neck line, a sweet heart neck line. Just to humor me Lindsay, Lacey, and Jacquie tried on a dress by the other company with a sweet heart neck line...and no one liked it.
Lindsay, being the smart seasoned bride's maid, suggested that we get the original dress that everyone liked then just get a different sash. The only problem was, that according to the bridal salon we were at, the company with the right color blue did not sell only a sash.
My bride's maids are awesome!!!!!! We left the store with a bit of a set back, needing to find a sash in the right color blue, and they got right on it!
Jax and I headed to the craft store to check out the possibility of ribbon for a sash. It was a possibility, but not the best solution. Then Jax suggested that her Mom could sew up some sashes for the girls. That was a great idea! We would just have to buy the fabric, which shouldn't be too much money.
Later in the afternoon I got a call and pic message from Lindsay saying that David's Bridal sells stand alone sashes. And for the "bulk" discount we could order four sashes, it would probably end up being a better deal than having Jax mom make the sashes!
Once again I must say that my Bride's Maids rock! We had a minor set back, but they went in problem solve mode and we had several solutions with in a few hours!!!!
Thanks girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Groom's Men
Since we have introduced you to the Bride's Maids, we should probably introduce you to the Groom's Men.
Thom has officially asked all of the guys, and they were more than happy to take part in our festivities! But Thom is a guy of few words, so we will just keep this short and sweet.
Andy - Best Man; Friend since their freshman year at Kettering
Joey - Groom's Man and Usher (we are making him do double duty); Little brother
Nick - Groom's Man; Friends since childhood (they grew up down the street from each other)
Dave - Groom's Man; Buddy since freshman year at Kettering
Like I said, Thom wanted to keep it simple so that is all the detail you get.
Thom has officially asked all of the guys, and they were more than happy to take part in our festivities! But Thom is a guy of few words, so we will just keep this short and sweet.
Andy - Best Man; Friend since their freshman year at Kettering
Joey - Groom's Man and Usher (we are making him do double duty); Little brother
Nick - Groom's Man; Friends since childhood (they grew up down the street from each other)
Dave - Groom's Man; Buddy since freshman year at Kettering
Like I said, Thom wanted to keep it simple so that is all the detail you get.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Searching for a Band for the Reception
One of the few things Thom really wants for our wedding is a live band at the reception.
Last night Thom and I checked out our first prospect for a band, the G-Daddy's. We went out to Gus O'Conners in Rochester which was a bit of a hike from our house.
Thom had talked to a member of the band over email to get some initial info. We introduced ourselves while they were setting up at the pub. TJ, the drummer, came over to talk to us for a few minutes before they started to play. TJ seemed nice, polite, and honest - he didn't really give us the run around. He explained what they normally do for weddings and what they are willing to do.
The band sounded really good to both of us. The crowd was getting into the music and there were lots of people dancing. I walked around the pub and took a poll to see what a few random people thought about the band. Everyone liked them, and I actually met a few family members of the band. Even TJ's Grandma came out to the show - she of course said the band was great and that we should hire them :)
One of the things we both like about this band is that they DJ and emcee the whole evening too. That way we won't have to worry about bringing in an i-Pod to play during their breaks.
Even though we both liked the G-Daddy's we are going to check out a few other bands to make sure. Thom is going to make a few calls this week to follow up on some other bands.
Everyone says the cake tasting is one of the funnest things when planning a wedding... but I gotta say that going to pubs to check out bands is pretty awesome.
Last night Thom and I checked out our first prospect for a band, the G-Daddy's. We went out to Gus O'Conners in Rochester which was a bit of a hike from our house.
Thom had talked to a member of the band over email to get some initial info. We introduced ourselves while they were setting up at the pub. TJ, the drummer, came over to talk to us for a few minutes before they started to play. TJ seemed nice, polite, and honest - he didn't really give us the run around. He explained what they normally do for weddings and what they are willing to do.
The band sounded really good to both of us. The crowd was getting into the music and there were lots of people dancing. I walked around the pub and took a poll to see what a few random people thought about the band. Everyone liked them, and I actually met a few family members of the band. Even TJ's Grandma came out to the show - she of course said the band was great and that we should hire them :)
One of the things we both like about this band is that they DJ and emcee the whole evening too. That way we won't have to worry about bringing in an i-Pod to play during their breaks.
Even though we both liked the G-Daddy's we are going to check out a few other bands to make sure. Thom is going to make a few calls this week to follow up on some other bands.
Everyone says the cake tasting is one of the funnest things when planning a wedding... but I gotta say that going to pubs to check out bands is pretty awesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)