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!