Hapy New Year!

As promised, with the new year's arrival, I am back in the saddle of wedding planning already.

And, this year, when the clock struck midnight, I had one thought:
This is the year I am getting married.

Although, because he had to work, Chris could not be with me on New Year's Eve, my thoughts were with him just the same as the 2011 was ushered in as the year when he and I will wed.

On that point, I find myself once again amazed to realize that there is/are
4 1/2 Months until the wedding
OR
128 days.

To me, this means that now, more than ever, it's buckle-down time on the planning.

Thankfully, we have nearly all of the major pieces nailed down.

• Venue: Check!
• Caterer & Menu: Check! (Yes, we had our *real* tasting, and it was de-lic-ious! I'll write a post on that later)
• Hotel for Guests: Check!
• Officiant: Check!
• Photographer: Check! (Had a meeting that I still need to post about!)
• Videographer: Check!
• Florist: Check!
• DJ: half-Check! (We're just waiting on some confirmation)
• Invitations: Check! (They arrived...again, something I have failed to blog about yet!)
• Wedding Dress: Check! (It's been ordered, and should be here soon!)
• Groom's Clothes: Check! (Now it's just left to decide on the black suit or the grey suit.)
• Bridesmaid's Dresses: Selected, will order soon!
• Wedding Bands: Selected, will order soon!
• Cake: Baker selected, just need to choose a cupcake bakery!

I'm sure there's more, but you get the idea.  The only major piece that we need to make sure we do is to rent all the tables, chairs, and etc.  That's the last big slice that absolutely, 100%, MUST happen or the wedding will be a disaster.

Anything else that isn't done can be done without.  Not that I have any intention of going without all the small things, and details, and everything; I'm just trying to lower my stress level by reminding myself that, yes, all the things that must be done are in process.

It's Really Happening

As I sit in the Orlando airport, having just spent the long weekend with my immediate and extended family at the Shades of Green DisneyWorld Resort (reserved for military members only), I am thinking over the weekend's events.
The primary reason for our trip here is my cousin's wedding; it was the first wedding on that side of my family that I was able to attend.  We also came to celebrate my little sister's 21st birthday by going to Harry Potter Land (which was amazing and so much fun, even if I was melting the whole time).

More of what I'm thinking about, though, is what awaits me when we land back in Oakland tonight.

For the past months and weeks, I have been dabbling in wedding planning either because it was too early to be able to book certain things or because I was too busy with school+practicum+work.  But now, I look at the upcoming weeks and there are no classes coming up (no more classes forever, yay!), I have transitioned out of my past year's practicum, and into my current one.  I'm working, but not a whole lot.  I have my dissertation, but I'm in a bit of a waiting pattern.
I also took a look at the wedding date countdown I have running here on the top of the blog.  Nine months and change before the big day.  That seems so much closer than 10 months.  It means that this really is the time for me to be making things happen.

This is exciting, most certainly; I am definitely a planner, I enjoy making things happen like that and adding my personal touches to such an important day.  At the same time, I've been engaged for more than a year and....well....now is when I'm really starting to feel engaged.  My cousin's wedding is over, so I'll be mailing the remainder of the Save-The-Date magnets as soon as we get home.  I have plans to purchase my dress next week, set up meetings with the caterer, go visit a hotel where I'll book a bunch of rooms, a scheduled time to talk with our officiant, have additional meetings with our florist, and have visions of table runners (rent? buy? neither?) dancing through my mind.

The venue is booked, the photographer and videographer and booked, florist booked, Save-The-Dates on their way to some, already arrived for others.

For so long, it felt like: "yeah, we're getting married, but for a while yet."  Now it feels like: "it's happening so soon, and there's still much to do."

The ball is rolling, and it's not too early for us to be tacking any part of the wedding.
It's an exciting time, and I am so thrilled when I think about marrying the man who now sits next to me with a chemistry book in his lap and a pen in his mouth.
I am also starting to feel a bit gobsmacked as the realization comes down that it's happening....and much, much sooner than I realized it would feel.

Wish me luck (and safe travels)!

*headdesk*

For those who may not know "*headdesk*" is meant to indicate to the reader that the writer is at such a point of frustration/upset/exhaustion/etc that he or she drops or bangs his or her head on his or her desk.

This is how I feel.

I am at a point with the wedding planning at this moment where it seems that some things are going just the perfect amount of wrong that I can neither: (1) get exactly what I want, nor (2) throw my hands up in the air and say "EFF IT ALL!"

In particular, I am talking, ONCE AGAIN, about setting the effing wedding date.

Yeah.

Again.

Because, apparently, this is how it's going to be.

After all the hemming, hawing, questioning, checking, patting, worry, and finally deciding Chris and I have once again been thrown a serious curve ball out of left field (now, I am perfectly aware that people do not actually throw curve balls out of left field during either baseball or softball, but that is precisely the point here).

To be fair, this ball was thrown (and hit me square in the forehead) on Sunday morning when Chris received a phone call from an extended family member informing him of a date conflict which impacted the ENTIRETY of that side of his family. He also discovered, after placing several phone calls, that this conflict would guarantee the absence of some of the extended family members to whom he is closest and make many others less likely to attend.

So.

We go back.

And re-check.

And ask again.

And annoy the garbage out of the people who had thought we had decided for sure...especially since we ordered the flaming Save-the-Dates.

To top it off, I have now found out that an immediate family member may be choosing not to come because, although could possibly be there, finds the dates choices too inconveniencing.

So upsetting to me.

I really and truly feel like I've been beating my head against a wall with this one. Chris and I have tried so hard to balance the desires and needs of others with our own. It's our wedding and we have limited choices for dates, but, bless-it-all, we have done our best. We have done a great job, actually, yet somehow, I am getting the feeling from some people that WE are being too demanding or uncooperative.

It just feels like I can't win.

I accept that there is no way everyone can be there, but it seems that our options have thus far resulted in integral person or persons being unable/unwilling to attend.

Thus, after more thought, tears, discussion, frustration, venting, more tears, and general upset Chris and I have decided to change our wedding date

AGAIN.

May 21st, 2011.

Just one week after the previous date.

And I am NOT changing it.

For anything.

I don't care anymore.

I'm so over it.

I'm exhausted.

Overwhelming feeling of unfairness and frustration that this is the situation we are in.

I was so excited about having chosen a date previously and now...now I don't even care.

And that makes me sad.

I really hope there isn't much more of this.

The Date is Saved! (UPDATE)

Maybe not an exciting update, but I did find a way to get a picture of the Save-the-Date before it came in:

*sigh*

The Date is Saved!

I must admit, I’m a bit on a high at the moment.

Last night, Chris and I selected our Save-the-Dates and ordered them!

This is the template we used (changed the colors, for sure), and this is the photo we used. I'll post what they actually look like when they come.

This is officially our first wedding purchase. Yes, I’ve bought bridal magazines and gone dress shopping, and spent more time online researching and thinking about planning than I should, but this is the first time we have actually bought anything for the wedding.

And, I am surprised, but clicking those buttons and anticipating their arrival in the mail very nearly brought me to tears. I think part of that is that Chris and I have been engaged for very nearly a year (it will be exactly a year on Saturday), and I have been wanting to go-go-go-go since the beginning and now I finally can.

There is also something thrilling about making the decision on the date (despite obstacles to doing so). Even more, ordering a product saying so that we get to send out to people is an incredible kind of high. People have known about our engagement and been asking about a wedding date for a while, so now it’s quite nice to officially sate their thirst.

Ordering the Save-the-Dates also makes me feel like the ball of our wedding is finally rolling.

We really are doing this.

In about a year – which is sufficiently close for me to be able to begin planning in earnest.

And I get to.

And I am.

I’m almost giddy. J

Next up: doing an initial flower consult on Sunday with our great family friend who will also be our florist.