Almost...

Okay, first things first. The progress on my to-do list has been continuing. Here it is:

Monday AKA today:
1. Go to the mall to pick up our engraved wine glasses for our wine box ceremony and have my name and wedding date embroidered on a piece of fabric for my dress and look for a rehearsal dinner dress
2. Spray paint all the table frames, add some sparkles and make "The songs requested at your table are" signs (which reminds me I still have to show you all our invitations...
3. Try to buy easels for our table numbers
4. Email our officiant and make sure things are set - tell him our readings and vows
5. Reschedule our final dance class since we can't go on Friday
6. Finish our love banner

Tuesday:
1. Write thank you cards for gifts we've been receiving
2. Order escort cards pictures
3. Call the photo booth company and order the plastic sleeves for the photo strips
4. Make small labels for said photo booth plastic sleeves THE PHOTO BOOTH COMPANY DOES THIS FOR US ;)
5. Burn our ceremony music onto a CD
6. Make our photo booth, guestbook and card box signs
7. Blog about the fiasco that was the engraved wine glasses

Wednesday:
1. Crop pictures and create escort cards
2. Wrap bridal party gifts
3. Meet with our DJ and finalize all our song choices
4. Paint Mr. and Mrs. and Thank and You signs
5. Get our marriage license
6. Assuming we hear back from the people we've contacted because we haven't received their RSVP - finish our seating chart
7. Blog about our invitations

Thursday:
1. Write names on escort cards
2. Alphabetize and make master lists of the seating chart for the venue
3. Get some frames and print some engagement pictures
4. Blog about any DIY projects (hopefully they'll be done!)

Friday:
1. Finish anything that didn't get done
2. Manicure and pedicure
3. Get hair cut and colored

Saturday:
1. Finish anything that didn't get done

Sunday:
1. Last dance class
2. Hair trial

I know it doesn't look like I got a lot done today but I did lots of stuff that wasn't on the to-do list. And rather than add it to the list... just to cross it off -- I'm keeping mental notes of all the things I've done on the side. Trust me... it's a lot. For instance, I couldn't wrap the bridal party gifts because I had nothing to wrap them IN so I bought all the wrapping paper, tissue bags, and gift bags today. By the time I got home there was no time to wrap. See? Basically, it goes on like that for lots of things. And we're getting our marriage license tomorrow. ;)

Now, did you notice I crossed off "blog about my invitations"... well, here ya go:

Maybe you remember that I wasn't the happiest bride to-be when these arrived? But they slowly grew on me. And now, I thoroughly enjoy them and I'm happy with how they look. The response I got from people who received them was really positive and some seem to like them so much they still haven't mailed back their RSVP. ;)






Of course, everything went inside a white envelope that I didn't take a picture of because well, it was a white envelope. And we sent along a self-addressed, stamped enveloped for the response but I didn't take a picture of it because I'm a little lazy to blur out the address. But just know that we decided to have the envelope addressed to "The Future Mr. and Mrs. Duffy" and it was probably my favorite thing, ever.

That's all for now.

RSVPs!

Yesterday was the day we listed on our response cards to "kindly respond on or by".

I told you I was waiting for about 30 responses. Well I made a special trip to my parents house (where the RSVPs are being mailed to) because I wanted to check the mailbox and there were only 4. Four. Not 30...

But along with the 4... came this:


On the deadline, no less. ;)

39 days!

Woah, 39 days? Did you see that?!

I know I've been missing for about a week... I'm sorry. I'm a little overwhelmed with my google reader. Considering I didn't touch a computer since last Thursday my reader has hundreds (X4) posts unread and it's going to take me forever to catch up!

It occurred to me that I still haven't posted my invitations.

And when I just started scrolling through my pictures I realized I don't even have close-ups of them. So, here's a peek:


And I plan on posting more about them later in the week!

Tomorrow's post will be better. I promise! ;)

Wedding Movies

On Friday night I went to see Bridesmaids (again) with my mom. I really think it's such a funny movie and I can't wait for it to come out on DVD so I can buy it.

And then Saturday morning, Sean and I went to see The Hangover (part 2). It was so funny!


Not as great as the first one... but much like any sequel -- if you thoroughly enjoyed the first one the second one usually doesn't beat it, ya know?! But it was hysterical and during parts I had tears from laughing so hard. You should see it... if you like "stupid" funny movies.

Oh, and the RSVPs are still coming in! I was sad because none came Saturday and then there was no mail Sunday (or Monday because of the holiday) but today we got three! ;)

More RSVPs!

I'm really enjoying this ;)

I have to say though... I decided to have the RSVP's sent directly to my parents house and my mom has been collecting the responses -- and I love it.

I think that if they came straight to me... I would be running to the mailbox every day and it would consume me. This way I look forward to a text message saying who responded... and it's more calm, less stressful and no pressure. It's fun!

But there's a problem, friends.

I tried to take a short cut...

I read that it's helpful to lightly number your response cards on the back so that if someone sends you one back without a name you can look up the number and know whose card it is.

Well -- I was too lazy to do that. And today... one of the RSVP's I received is BLANK! As in no name...

=( noo!

What do I do?!

Do I wait and try to figure out who it is through process of elimination?! Or do I frantically start asking people now...?

RSVPs!

I mailed our invitations on Saturday (late morning) and the post office closes at 1. So, imagine my surprise when I started hearing from people on Monday that they had received it! So quick!

I'm not ready to reveal the invites just yet because some have to travel pretty far...

But, today I got THREE RSVPs back! 3!


Yay! Keep'em comin'!

Wedding Planning Weekend

Friday night we went shopping for mother of the bride dresses. My mom now has two in her possession and two being shipped to her. ;)

Yesterday all these traveled to the post office:


Then I got my nails done and talked to the place about bringing in my bridal party the day before the wedding and having manicures & pedicures. They said it would work out great and they close down for bridal parties so that we'll be the only group there! ;) We can also bring in snacks and beverages so I'm really excited for that... and it's one more thing that's checked off the list.

Last night, I saw...


It was so hilarious. I want to go see it again & again & again.

Today I hope to chat about the rehearsal dinner and book our wedding transportation! ;)

Oh... check out who we will be receiving an invite:



=)

Guess what...

Our invitations are in the mail! ;)

And that feels amazing!

59 days.

My goal of mailing our invitations is still aimed for Friday. Fingers crossed.

Which means that early (or middle of) next week I'll be able to post pictures of our invites!

I want to give them time to reach our guests before posting. ;)

The knot has informed me that I'm within 2 months now.. and my to-do list seems to be growing:

- Plan rehearsal dinner
- Finalize the menu
- Address invitations
- Start a beauty regimen
- Buy ceremony decor
- Gather honeymoon documents
- Finalize ceremony song list
- Finalize ceremony readings
- Schedule dress fittings
- Send out invitations
- Arrange transportation
- Work on ceremony vows
- Start ceremony programs
- Confirm hotel reservations
- Research local marriage license requirements

Uhm, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

;)

Along with a 5K race and Sean's show on Saturday my weekend was otherwise occupied with these:



Our wedding invitations!!! Hopefully, they'll go in the mail on Friday ;)

Oh, and someone thought she was helping...





;)

More to do...

These are similar to what my next DIY project will be like. I already have the wooden signs and I've been looking on dafont but there are so many neat fonts that I can't decide which one to use!


One major difference is that I want ours to say Mrs. and Mr. rather than Bride and Groom. ;)

The knot is telling me I still have 99 things left to do... and considering we only have 73 days left -- that seems a little overwhelming.

These are some things that need to be dealt with... like now:

Our hotel: I booked two suites to get ready in (one for me and my bridesmaids & one for Sean and his groomsmen). But I didn't realize that booking them for Friday into Saturday meant that check-out time on Saturday is noon. Which means we'll have to check out right in the middle of getting ready! What's the point of that?! So apparently, we have to pay to have both rooms for two nights. Crazy and ridiculous but it's the only way since late check-out is not an option.

Videographer: I'm still really torn whether or not to have one. We don't need it... and right now it's not something that I even necessarily want.

Our honeymoon: We have our flights/car rental/and our hotel vouchers... but we have to actually go through and choose the places we'll be staying. That's something we need to do pretty soon...

Transportation: A few months ago when I tried to book the shuttle to carry guests and us from the hotel to the venue the company told me it was too early and to call back. Weird? Yah... well now it's almost here and I have to call back...

Invitations: They definitely need to be addressed... I just keep saying it and not doing anything about it! This weekend (maybe the beginning of next week)... for sure. It's my immediate goal. I swear.

Tomorrow (in the daylight) I'm going to take pictures of my shower scrapbook! I tried taking them tonight but the lighting is not that great and the iPhone is lacking a flash, so...

Goodnight!

79 days

I can't really believe that we're at 79 days.

Tomorrow, I'm going away for my annual scrapbook weekend and when I get back our invitations will be getting addressed, stamped and mailed out!

Oh, remember this fiasco? Well, my mom took back the stamps and the post office exchanged them for the newly priced wedding stamps. ;)

Last weekend, while in Maine we traveled around with our table numbers:


And I told you that I had something up my sleeve, didn't I??

Well, my idea for our escort cards involve us taking a picture holding up the table number for each guest.

So every guest/couple will have an envelope with their name(s) on them and when they open the envelope there will be our picture and whichever table number we're holding in the picture... is the table that person(s) is sitting at... get it? Maybe?

Okay, well... this was my inspiration. It's from the knot... but I saved it a long time ago and don't have the link...

See?

So... while I know it's important to be able to see the table number we're holding -- I really wanted to show off Maine in the pictures... because it's somewhere we go pretty often and also where we got engaged ;)

Which brings us to the pictures we took last weekend!

Here's a few... we took TONS! So I'm not sure which one's we'll use yet...



We took pictures with all the numbers... at various places ;) it was fun and I can't wait to get everything together!

Wedding stamps

I'm a little sad right now.

On top of being sick (for now three days!) my mom just confirmed my suspicions that the cost of postage for a typical wedding invitation has [in fact] been raised from .61 cents to .64 cents.

Normally, this wouldn't matter to me. Who sends mail, anyway?

But then I remembered... I send mail! Or at least I'm going to be sending mail! ANY BRIDE WHOSE WEDDING IS IN THREE MONTHS SENDS MAIL!

You may be thinking... "well, it doesn't matter... what's 3 more cents per stamp?". And I understand that... and that's not what I'm upset about...

You see... did I tell you that my grandmother ALREADY bought me all the postage needed for our invitations? Including the stamps for the response cards. The stamps are already in my possession. And I was excited about putting my invitations together this weekend... addressing them and sticking on the stamps:

(apparently usps thinks people are going to print out their stamps so they cross out the price online?)

But now, I have to return the stamps that my grandmother bought for me (hundreds of stamps), and wait for the new ones to arrive -- the ones with the correct postage.

For a stupid 3... THREE, cents per stamp. Ugh. So annoying!

And I'm pretty sure the invitations need to go out in the mail... like any day now?

Luckily, Sean knows just how to cheer me up ;)

And even though it has nothing to do with wedding planning... I leave you with this video that Sean sent me earlier -- because it's probably one of the cutest things I've ever seen:

My last bridal show

I've been to a number of bridal shows and wedding expos since we've been engaged. In the beginning of our engagement actually, I was going to them every weekend AND sometimes on weeknights. I was crazy. But then after we chose our venue there didn't seem to be a need to continue going to them so obsessively.

However, today at OUR venue where we are getting married (in 97 days) -- there's a bridal show.

I just found out about it yesterday and at first I was like "ehh..." but then I found out they are raffling off $10,000. Yes, ten thousand dollars. Imagine? Winning $10,000 towards your wedding... that would be amazing.

So even though the chances of winning are pretty slim... and I have all my vendors which means I really have no reason for spending a few hours there today... my logic is that someone is going to win. And why couldn't that be me?

;) Thanks for all your kind words about my invitations. They're growing on me. I swear.

Double digits

It's pretty crazy that we've been engaged and planning our wedding for as long as we have been -- but I just went to The Knot and was notified that we have 98 days left.

Ninety-eight! That's double digits! We started with more than 450 days (I think)... and we only have 98 days left. =)

This week, I picked up my invitations and I have to say -- I didn't love them, at first.

(I'm not posting pictures, yet!)

When I chose them, I remember being in awe and pretty positive that they were "the ones". And when I got the proof I was really sure that I loved them. But when I got them on Thursday -- I was really disappointed.

But I've been looking at them for [now] the past 2 days (I couldn't post about this earlier, because I was so sad)... and I guess they're growing on me.

At first, I was upset about the coloring and the actual "layout" of the invitation. I thought I was getting something a little different than the sample invitation... but when they came they were identical to the one the place showed me -- and my disappointment just grew.

I didn't cry but if Sean wasn't with me I probably could have! He just kept saying, "they're great!" and "I like them!" and I was all, "yeah, but you don't LOVE them!" and he was all, "well, they're just invitations..."

& I guess it's true.

But basically before I stuff, address and stamp all these babies... I need to have a serious "chopping" and possibly "matting" session. Which will be fine, I just didn't expect having to do it.

I'm sure they'll end up looking great and the way I want them.

I hope.

And if not, I'll just keeping repeating "well, they're just invitations" over & over [& over again] until I believe it. =)

They've come!

OUR INVITATIONS have come.... to my email box.

I've made changes and should get the final proof this week (hopefully)!

And then I'll have them in my hands in 7-10 days! AHHHHH! It'll totally feel real at that point.

Not to say that it doesn't feel real now... but once I'm holding an invitation with our names on it... it'll be legit. You know?!

Here's a teeny-tiny sneak peak:

=)

Bridal Shower Invitations

Here's the invitation for my bridal shower!

I blocked out some info (soo.. it didn't exactly look like this):


Don't you LOVE those stamps!?

The top of the invitation says:

"A sprinkle of confetti and a couple of kisses
Soon Jasmine and Sean will be Mr. and Mrs."

This card went along with the invitation asking everyone to bring a recipe along with them to the shower! =) I got such great ideas!

I love them!

Wedding Invitations

Tomorrow we're picking out and ordering our invitations. I've been looking through pages and pages of the website we're choosing from but it's a hard decision. There's so many options and it's a bit overwhelming!




Here a few of the ones that stuck out to me. I want to stick with black and white possibly a gray/silver color. Even though our wedding color is technically pink but I thought it would be a little to "in your face" for a wedding invite.

I like when invites are "oddly" shaped: squares. But that costs more in postage! So I'm not sure it's a possibility.

I'm really excited, though! I'll have to keep them a secret until they're mailed!

One week until my bridal shower!

Invitation Preparation

In preparation of looking through and hopefully choosing our invitations next weekend - I've been googling. A lot.

I'm sort of "Knotted" out. As in The Knot... isn't really impressing me lately. Maybe it's because I've been staring at the site for a year and half now (and not much has seemed to change). I don't know.

I visit Martha Stewart's wedding site frequently and it's where the beautiful stationery to the left was found. I love it.

But I found the most useful information on Emily Post Weddings.

I loved reading through everything. I actually read it for hours today. There's so much to think about: invitation wording, how to address the invitation to your guests... if they're not married but live together; if they're single but bringing a guest; if they're together but live separately. I mean it shouldn't be this complicated!

One idea that I really liked and plan on starting tomorrow is to write each guest's correct name with their proper title and address on separate index cards. I think this will be better than a spreadsheet. I found that when I was trying to organize addresses for our save the dates, the spreadsheet was really hard to read. There were so many names, and even though the font was a normal size sometimes I would confuse the lines and have to start again. So to have index cards for each person/couple is going to be my next task. Maybe it'll truly be successful. ;)

Dancin' shoes.

Our last dance class was canceled because the instructor was feeling sick, and I still haven't rescheduled. I hope we haven't forgotten our steps!

I've been buying lots & lots of wedding things. Bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, thank you cards (from Paper Source!) for my upcoming bridal shower [March 19!], and I'm in search of something that I'll reveal at a later date... IF I find it.

Next weekend, it's time to pick invitations!

And stay tuned for all the details about our food tasting which was last Wednesday. As soon as I get some pics they'll be up on the blog. ;)