Friday, September 9, 2011

Things To Come?

With my RSVP rant out of the way... I'm finding that planning a wedding is not that easy - I didn't expect it to be anyway. I have no prior experience with any of this, nor do any of my friends. I am kind of winging this entire process as I go along, and I don't think I'm doing that bad. (Or that great, necessarily.)


Tablecloths were ordered and came in - It was cheaper to buy them compared to renting.
Napkins were ordered and came in - I got 11" cocktail napkins because I didn't want the giant dinner ones.
"The dress" has long since been acquired. New suit also acquired.
Bridesmaids dresses ordered (If my maid-of-honor actually put in her order)
Wine either done or on its way to being done. While I'm not big on alcohol at all, I thought the wine would be acceptable because it's homemade by my parents. :) Niagara, Concord, a mix of both, and some kind of mixed berries one.

I need to make my veil. I want to make my veil. I'll get around to that eventually. I bought the material for it already - it's just a matter of doing it.

I've been bouncing around on wedding favour ideas and think I've finally settled on one. I am going to make jam/jelly with my mother. Strawberry jam from strawberries my parents picked, and blackberry if there are some blackberries from my parents' garden that escaped the wine wrath. We have adorable 4oz canning jars ready for this project. It's all very personal, the wine and the jams. And the centerpieces if that idea goes through.

My intent is ordering flowers online to ship two days before the wedding and prep them all myself.

As for a cake, I'm leaning towards a Wal-Mart wedding cake. (Did you know they do specialty cakes?) My only problem with storebought cakes overall was the awful whipped frosting, but for the wedding cakes, you get the option of buttercream frosting. Yes, please. As long as the cake looks and tastes good, it doesn't matter where it's from. In the end, that's all that matters. There's no reason to spend $500 on a cake. (Especially when that would be more than twice what my dress cost! Hah.)


I plan to do a review of both where I order the flowers from and of the cake. That is my intent, anyway.
I want to get as much prepped the two days before the wedding so I'm not spending that entire morning freaking out. Best laid plans of mice...

RSVPs, what's up with that?

Another post already. I just wanted to get something out that it seems the general populus doesn't get.

RSVPs.

In the grand scheme of life, it may not matter much... but in wedding planning, it's a big deal.



That card and return envelope aren't packaged in the invitation just for looks. The couple and/or wedding planner would sincerely like for you to fill it out and return it. It doesn't take long and it saves a lot of grief if you do it. It provides something tangible for whoever is planning to see that you are attending and it's the same little card everyone else (in a perfect world) sent back, too. Whether or not you are able to attend, it's a courteous gesture to return the response card - even if you're not 100% sure you can make it. It may be better - at least in my case - to go ahead and say you'll be there, then call back later if your plans fell through. It's more stress to say you're not able to make it, have them plan for you not being able to make it, then show up at the wedding when no one is expecting your bright face there.

Knowing who and how many guests are coming to the wedding is a big part of the planning process, directly tying into the financial aspect. This is especially true if the couple is planning an affair that charges per guest. This may include using the venue and more likely if they are having dinner catered and served. Ordering too much is a waste and not ordering enough is ridiculous.

If there is going to be some sort of assigned seating, they'll need to know who is coming so they can seat people who don't clash by each other. You surely don't want to sit by Uncle Bob and Aunt Janet, do you?... Or how about Grandma Agnes? Remember how much you hate when she pinches your cheeks? And you're 35?

Even if you don't want to pay the million dollar postage that's holding you back, a thoughtful phone call or e-mail would be more appreciated than no response at all. The last thing the bride wants to think is that these people she invited to share in her special day want nothing to do with her, hate her or her husband-to-be, think she smells, ....

I, and every bride out there, would kindly like to ask you to respondez s'il vous plait.




Edit: I forgot to address the whole plus one issue. Receiving an invitation does not automatically entitle you to bring along a date or friend. Again, it ties directly into finances. Whoever is paying for this wedding may not have endless pockets to pay for every guest and that guest's guest. It is fair enough to reason that they budget for who received invites. Typically, family and bridal party can bring guests. The bride and groom would also typically be considerate enough of people who are in serious, involved relationships to not leave out the significant other. Everyone else, like Flaky Jane who has one week flings, is not necessarily going to be "allowed" to bring a guest.

One sure-fire way to be sure you can bring a guest is if you receive an invitation addressed to you "and guest". Another way is if you're unsure whether or not you're allowed to bring a guest... ask! It's better to ask than just assume you are!

Current Events

I have been enjoying everything I've been doing lately, even if it isn't everything I want to do.

I've picked up learning a little about photography and post-processing. I'm an amateur by far, but it's very satisfying.


Shooting anything and everything at my parents' house is a joy - there are so many plants, flowers, and critters.



Found this wondeful brocade at Jo-Ann that I plan on using in some purses, if I find the time. Hopefully, I find the time. It's gorgeous and it was so hard to pick just one brocade of all the ones that were there.


I made a box bag pouch for someone and just loved the project. It's so simplistic and took maybe an hour start to finish, including the hand-embroidery I did.



I mostly used this tutorial, but there's a half dozen other great ones out there.

It's a great quickie project if you're looking for one. This specific sized bag was something like 8in x 4in x 3in in the end - I don't remember exactly. Regardless, it's a good size for a make-up bag or a travel bag for toiletries. Stow away all your little sewing bits and bobs. Anything. :D