Ceremony : Wedding Plans

It's almost time to begin a countdown.
There are so many little loose ends to deal with, and I have a list every day of things to do, people to call, and plans to pin down.

We've been meeting with our pastor each month, and last week we had our final meeting.
Each word of the ceremony has been carefully chosen, and Chuck and I have collaborated on everything that is going into that day. The work we've put into it has been a wonderful experience for us. We have been truly blessed to have such a committed pastor who is willing to do whatever we need in order to make this day special for us.

There are a lot of little things that go into planning, and I will be adding more posts as I go along to share my experience. But the most important thing is really the person I'm marrying, and the work we are willing to do to make our relationship one that will bless our family.

I know everyone has their own style, and their own vision for their wedding. For us, it has been very important to choose just the right scripture, to have our pastor bless us at certain moments during the ceremony, and also to engage our guests in a vow to support our marriage.

Our next meeting with the pastor will be at the rehearsal. I think we've got all of the words chosen and everything is ready to go.

In the meantime, Chuck and I are going through the list of things to do, and making contact with musicians and other people who will be involved that day to be sure everything goes as planned.

Next Post: The wedding gown fitting appointment

Wedding Invitations: Wedding Plans

It's all about the details, and when it comes to weddings there are so many details that I have days when it all seems a bit overwhelming.

Because the details are important to me, coming to a final decision on things has been a challenge. It doesn't help that there are so many choices.

Of course my name and address have gone out to the wedding business world because of my appointments at bridal shops, so I started to receive some wedding catalogs, including catalogs for stationary. I looked through them, but nothing grabbed my attention for our invitations.

In January we started to look online. The choices seemed endless. Once I realized I was not going to find any to match the Save the Date card perfectly, I started to open my mind to other designs. We found a few we thought we liked on a site called Wedding Paper Divas.  It takes a LOT of time to put them together. It seemed we just didn't have time to devote to it in one setting, so I did it a little at a time by saving the job in my account, and logging back in once in a while to add something.

We ordered a set that included the invitation, response card, and enclosure card with directions to the church and the reception venue. I received the proof, and I hated the whole thing.

I told Chuck I hated them, and we found another design we liked through the same company. I called them, spoke to a very nice representative, and was able to order that design. They were really helpful.

I thought we had it the way we wanted it, but when I received that proof I decided the font on the directions card was not what I really wanted. I wanted it to be a script font, but I wanted that card to be easy to read, in case someone actually uses it to get here.

There was a fancier script we had originally chosen for the invitation card, and I took a while to decide if I should leave it and if I would be unhappy with it if there were different fonts. I decided I would be unhappy, so I asked them to change the fonts so it would be a cleaner script. Still very nice, but not so scrolly and loopy. (I don't think those are real words, but I'm using them anyway.)

I hate to be indecisive, and I hate dragging things on and on. We just finished the invitations late last week, but I think they will arrive in plenty of time for mailing.

And yes, there are moments when I think it's all just silly, and maybe we should just go get married alone and have a big party to celebrate later. But honestly, it is going to mean a lot to me to have our families and friends there. In the end, I think it will all be worth it. I have talked to my friend, Karen, and asked if there was anything in their wedding that they regretted, and she said no.

I don't think we will regret anything, either.

Flowers and Food: Wedding Plans

We've been talking about flowers for a few months.  I want varying shades of purple and blue, with some cream colored flowers. I'm not really picky about the type, but Chuck mentioned that he likes orchids, and I agreed they are really beautiful. I want him to have a say in things because it is his day, too.

Way back before we were actually planning, I thought I wanted peonies for my bouquet. I changed my mind once I saw some pictures of bridal bouquets. Peonies are really large, and I don't want anything to look out of proportion with me, because I'm petite. I do want my bouquet to have some drama, and I want it to be unique.

I believe we are going to use orchids in the bouquet, for the groomsmen, bridesmaids and on our cake as well. I also want lilacs in my bouquet because they were one of my Mom's favorite flowers.
She used to talk about them a lot, and we finally planted a lilac bush in the front yard about a year before she died. She never got to see it bloom. It finally had one little bloom on it just before Sean and I moved out.

I haven't decided which cream colored flower I want in the bouquet. I plan to have stems of lilacs, and other smaller purple flowers in small jars and bottles at the reception. I have a few larger, dramatic, vases for centerpieces, and the rest will be small.

Today I booked an appointment with a local caterer to talk about the reception menu. I go on Monday for a tasting and to talk about pricing.

My hunt for the right chairs and tables is ongoing. I got quotes from a rental company today, but I think I will call around to more places to see if there are other options.

Time is flying by, and I feel like we're pretty much on track, but I don't want to get behind. So far, not stressed or ready to elope. Although Chuck made a joke last night that it's not too late to go to Las Vegas.

As we get closer to the big day I might be wishing we had considered it as an option. But I really do want a meaningful ceremony with our friends and family there to witness it and celebrate with us.