Seeing Red, Feeling Green

So here we are in August and officially 12 months to go before I turn from Ms. to Mrs.

Somedays it can be exciting, and other days I rather just stop thinking about it all, quit planning and say screw this... grab his hand and run away to Vegas and do the drive-thru thing and skip all the planning, but it just wouldn't be fair to all the loves ones who want to celebrate with us.

One thing I hate is those pesky "to do list" on those wedding sites constantly sending me updates, "did you book a florist that will cost $2500.00? did you buy a dress for $5000.00 yet? Did you hire a coordinator for a trillion dollars...???? huh....trillion dollars...yikes!!!"....
I don't have a trillion 7500.00 doll hairs!!!! I can't afford all that.

Plus to top it off, if you don't have it done...they curse and shun you and call the etiquette police because you didn't make your bride's maid get a dress fitting in the 11th month out...ugh..whew...
I mean I can't keep up with outrageous to do list made to cater to girls ages 19-21 getting married way too young and who have a daddy paying for the wedding and don't work but shop and taste food with the coordinator all day. I mean I live in the real world.

Truth be told I only signed up for those sites just to enter into contests and to be inspired every now and then by cool ideals but I didn't think about preparing myself for situations like this, where they feel the need to hassled me with daily emails.

But on the good news... we have narrowed down a few venues...now I just have to set up times for the parental figures to see venues and approve of said venues...then we can move forward with knocking something off of those horrible "to do list" they have made only to make you feel bad and like a lazy bum as you don't have all the planning together as they say you should at 12 - 9 months to go...

So there you have it...No we haven't put down a deposits on a venue ...crazy websites can stop making us feel crappy like if we don't do it now we'll be stuck eating BBQ in the park at 8 am in the morning on a Tuesday because that is the only venue not booked in August of next year.

Truth be told, I am aware that a lot of venues are hurting due to the recession which is a sad thing...but it makes me also wonder if I should book something so soon...like what if I do book a venue and it can't afford to stay open long enough to make it though another year??? I might or might not get my deposit back and I will still be stuck looking for a venue... I know that is always going to be a risk to take but it is something that is more likely these days.
Beside something tells me that many a venues are not being booked so quickly (my hint, is the fact that many of them keep stalking me and trying to pressure us to book them)...
well needless to say...before the parental figures go back home, we will have sorted out the options and should claim our reception space...at least I hope so...*keeping fingers crossed*

Another thing I am still battling with is my quest for the perfect dress with the girls ...yes...my bride's maids...we've discussed how I want them to look and they know the fabric, length and color I want...so what is the problem.

I have learn that all reds are not created equal...so here I have different girls finding shades of reds that I don't like???? I showed them the red....how can they pick other reds...

(uh oh....B to the Z to the Illa kicks in)

I need my red, not fire engine red, not stop sign red, not blood red (kind of like blood red, I might even accept that red)...as long as it isn't hooker or rainbow highest level of terror red...I just want them to find dresses in the red I showed them or at least pick one of the other colors....this is harder than I thought....grrr
I also explain to them the fabric I prefer and somehow, some of them just keep pushing for fabrics I hate...and I can't tell them I hate the fabric and come off as anal but I want to be anal. In times like this I feel I have a "be anal because I can be" free card....

I mean... polyester blends, stretchy clinging material being passed off as great dresses for bride's maids (yeah, some places specializing in wedding attire actually suggest this...I won't name names..but what might work for others...I don't like nor want for my ladies)...omg....I feel like Red Fox playing Fred Sanford grabbing my heart because I can feel the big one coming and me yelling about how on my way to visit Elizabeth every time someone mentions to me or tells me to look at a dress and it turns out to be jersey material or something made all shiny out of nothing but the fabric taffeta...I just faint...goodness gracious, why would someone go out of their way to wear that fabric,... that is all I ask for...if you do taffeta at least have it a blend with chiffon or silk please...giving them the option to dress themselves might be a little tricky...I figured out a solution...this weekend I will be at Joann's (one of my fav. spots), picking out fabrics to buy and make my own swatches to give to the unsure ladies (not all of them ..but some of them) so they know to look for certain colors in certain fabrics that don't feel like they belong on girls who wear inapporiate clothes to work.

Now don't go thinking my colors for the wedding would be red and white, I tend to be color complexed...multi-lingual in crayon names so my color palate is broad....
I wouldn't reveal all my colors, red is just one of them......and telling you all of them (yeah there is more than just one color and white)...but telling you them, would take the fun out of surprises and I wouldn't want the guest or curious readers to know before my vision what it looks like...you have to wait until the big day when you arrived as a guest...or if you are a curious reader you have to wait until the pictures taken from the photographer are displayed.

now speaking of photographers, one thing I am proud of is finding the photographer. By luck and by hanging out on Bridal Tweet...(a cool helpful sites for brides that doesn't threaten you with "to do list", but helps you to find great vendors and connect with the ones in your area) so through Bridal Tweet I found Green Photography.

They took our engagement pictures...




They will be taking our wedding pictures...

A little about Green Photography...they are a husband and wife duo who will take great care of you so if you live in Southern California (L.A., Orange County, or the San Diego area) and you're looking for a photographer for a wedding, retirement party, baby shower...etc...any type of event...look up Green Photography
*note the web address is http://www.greenphotography1.com*.... <--- Enough shamelessly plugging of the photographers...

these last few weeks have been pretty busy as we've had parents here...His mother and father and my mother have all spent time with us this summer...

In addition we have an engagement party coming up...yay...

and I found a cool site that will allows me to create an interactive playlist (contest) that allows guest to request songs and vote on songs other guest request...

(now...I know my guest will get giddy at the thought of putting My Humps by Black Eye Peas on the list...only for me to crush them and say, I am aware that your song got 10 billion votes for coolest song ever but I have to veto that song...booyah, .....and break my lovely guest's hearts because that is what B to the Z to the Illa's do best in scary times of people wanting to hear Black Eye Pea songs knowing good and well I am not a fan of that group.)

The site is http://www.songvote.com/, for my guest I will put a link about where to request and vote later...

The link for our song vote contest shall be on our wedding site that I am currently half heartily working on at the current moment via ... http://www.theknot.com/ (of course I hang out on that site...One day I plan to post our personal site that I made on the knot with their free page option they give couples...it isn't reday for people to view yet but one day I will post that link on here as well... and I will do that before the wedding day, (it just isn't ready today...sorry)....

I promise...I so promise...

so don't go snooping around typing in our names trying to find our personal wedding site on The Knot either just yet, as it isn't complete and I can be anal about people seeing it unfinished and somewhat unprepared properly.

:)

well...I can rant forever...but I must say farewell until later...

gotta take care of home.

Peace & Love with a extra side of Joy...
until next time....