How It Turned Out...first glance

I'm still anxiously awaiting pics from the official photog, my talented friend Kathy, but in the meantime, my sis-in-law (oh, that's right, I have three now...my bro's wife:) came through w/ 300+ photos of the prep, rehearsal and wedding.  That she got them all uploaded to Photobucket by time I returned from my honeymoon is amazing.  Finally, a Guerrero that doesn't procrastinate. 

One of my dilemmas was what to have the flower girls do besides toss flower petals, which turned out to be  mad expensive, would have been a hassle to clean up and just seemed all around wasteful.  Oh, and the girls were intimidated by the idea of throwing flowers (perhaps because it really is a bit of an ritual, really).  As mentioned in an earlier post, I decided to turn them into bubble girls.  And look, it worked perfectly!  Ok, I know you can't really go wrong with adorable little girls in pretty dresses, but still happy with how it turned out. 

Another experiment that went well-- the mix & match dresses.  Must admit, I was sweating this one to the end, but it all came together nicely.  And not just because I was "high on wedding" that day;  looking at the pics, I'm still impressed with how cohesive it all looked.  Or maybe I'm just biased.  Still, I think having similar lengths, all strapless and a few other style commonalities tied together some otherwise very different dresses.  I liked that both the Elizabeths ended up in strapless silk chiffon and both the Jessicas in purple v-necks-- totally unplanned!

Was also incredibly happy with how the bouquets turned out.  You would have no idea that two hours  before the wedding I walked into the kitchen in sweats saying, "Oh, I guess I should pick out my flowers."  The second time I had this epiphany, 20 minutes later, I sounded a bit more nervous as I pointed out some of my favorites from the flowers The Moms had picked up from Costco.  (The flower growing yielded less than optimal results; Liz and I did pick some gorgeous wild flowers the day before the wedding-- unfortunately bees loved them, so they had to be positioned away from guests.)  After my hurried selection, I wandered off distracted by another project.  Next thing you know Christy and Liz had fun, summery bouquets ready for all.  Those two might possibly be magic.  Really, all of our friends & family were ROCK STARS that weekend.  Except for my sis, who was the Ace of Cakes.  Look out Duff!  The secret to a successful DIY wedding?  It is the old adage-- it's all in who you know!

Today's milestone is the ability to start obsessively checking weather reports, as the Sept 11 now falls within the range of the 10-day forecast at http://www.weather.com/.  The verdict?  It's going to be a hot one. 

Still, the chance of rain is small, so it looks like we are on for an outdoor celebration.  We'll just have to make sure to set up plenty of shaded spots and offer lots of water.  And it looks like I will definitely not make it through the entire reception in my gown.  All good things to know.

Shoe Love. All's Well That Ends Well.

The shoe hunt is OVER.  I have left no sole left unturned in my hunt for just the right glass slipper for the ball.  Careening from wedges, to kitten heels, to saying "what the heck" and pursuing the tall skinny heels that were calling my name to....a wonderful compromise. 

Nine West, satin, open-toe w/ a hidden platform and a nice thick heel that provide plenty of stability.  No sinking in the dirt for me!  Which is good, because it would be a shame to ruin these shoes.  The material is a a soft silvery white that I can wear again.  Not often, but we have the occasional black tie event at work.  I'll be ready for the next one.

It looks even better in real life, maybe I'll do our practice dance in them tomorrow. 

Let the Dancing Begin

Last night we began-- and ended-- our YouTube dance lessons.  After a few rounds of staring at our feet as we back-step, front-step side, now turn; we realized we'd look better doing the middle school shuffle (hands on partner's shoulder, ruler width apart, sway, sway) than nervously concentrating on a series of steps we had started practicing a week before the wedding. 

New plan:  dance a bit each night, keeping it super simple and practice throwing in the occassional spin.  Hopefully we won't be sick of John Legend by time the bid day rolls around!

Let Them Eat Gazpacho

I considered going to the beach with friends this weekend, but in a suprisingly practical turn, my son reminded me, "Mom, you are going to Hawaii for two weeks in two weeks-- you should stay home and take care of things." Ah, the wisdom of youth.


So get things done I will, one small victory at a time...such as, I finally committed to the items we will be ordering from Obrigado to supplement the self-catered portion of the reception:

• Paella-style orzo, with chorizo, tomoatoes, peas & spanish spices
• Corn-cilantro-tomato salad
• Gazpacho

A million little things may fall through the cracks, but at leat we will have gazpacho! :)  And music; I confirmed with Eddie Pasa, our multi-talented, one-man guitar act.  Beer, food, music, an officiant and a good man-- the basics are in place, at any rate.  Oh, and today is DRESS DAY, heading to the seamstress after work.  I get to see the gown sans train for the first time.  My ring should also be shipped today.  Baby steps, but in the right direction! 

Perfect Pair?

Of shoes, that is.  I hope!  Bought my fifth and hopefully final pair last night.  I loved the "Me Too" pair I'd picked up at Nordstrom's, but they were a teeny bit too tight and when I went to exchange them they'd run out of the next size up.  I'm willing to balance on my toes through the ceremony for the sake of heels, but not to have my toes go numb.  Also, the heels are thicker, so I shouldn't have to worry about sinking into the grass.  Sorry, fashion, only so much I'm willing to suffer for you.

Fingers crossed that the Nine West pair does the trick.  Hopefully I will be adding to the great online reviews that I read before purchasing.  Otherwise, I'm giving up and going barefoot!

The "Or" Chronicles

I had an ah-ha moment during a recent professional seminar.  It was based on Emergenetics concepts, one of those personality testing methods that examines how people think and wraps up your psyche with a bow.  While we did not take the full test, there were exercises to help determine your "thinking type."  No shock that I received the Conceptual label, defined as being creative but not overly organized.  Not the ah-ha moment.

My "oh my God, that's ME" epiphany came when the speaker talked about how different thinkers handle decision making.  Analytics make charts (which means I MUST have a tad of that working, I love me some lists!), etc, etc.  Conceptual thinkers, us poor saps, we are burdened by the ability to visualize 1,000 different outcomes, our creative little wheels unable to stop turning, we just keep saying, "What about.......?"  followed by "Or..."

Which is awesome, at first.  However, it can make decision making nearly impossible.  When this conceptual conundrum was explained, I laughed out loud.  How could this stranger see inside my head??  The speaker went on to say the solution is to turn to the structurally minded people in your life and ask them to help you pull the trigger.  Luckily, I'm marrying one of those.   

Wait, this story DOES relate to the wedding, really.  Because at no time has my "Or Syndrome" been more paralyzing than now.  I just bought my 4th pair of wedding shoes after looking at probably hundreds.  I built five websites.  I have six different versions of the menu.  (Di-- I'm counting on you, corn salad or Mediterranean potato salad?  Only you can stop the madness!).  I have yet to decide on vows, a reading or recessional song, for a wedding that is 16 days away.  I wake up screaming, "Or we could..." in the middle of the night.  At least the pending deadline will force some decisions.  That and the begging from poor Mr. "Can We Please Check This Off the List?"   It looks like opposites do attract-- thank goodness for me!