Tuesday, June 30, 2009
really? REALLY!?!
I am so irritated at Lamb's Bakery, I could just scream! I just called to cancel the THIRD appointment I have set up with them to go over the final details of my wedding cake. Even to cancel, they said they couldn't find any record of my appointment on Friday. But, don't think this is the first time this has happened--I have talked with them about 5 or 6 times to confirm wants/needs/appointments, etc. Each time I called, they either said "we have no record of your wedding whatsoever" or "we have no record of your appointment". No sorry, no our apologies. Nope, they just spoke to me as if I was the one who didn't make an appointment. Why the hell would I be confirming an appointment I didn't have? I am pretty sure they are one of the most irresponsible businesses I have ever dealt with. Now, they say that to get my money back for the $50 deposit (or really Karen's money), I have to drive 35 minutes all the way out there to physically pick up the a refund check. And they can't send it in the mail because??????? That's barely worth my time and gas money! I am going to call up and talk to the store manager next, instead of just the bakery manager. And, for the record, I will be sure to tell each and every person I talk to about wedding cakes that Lamb's Bakery is horrible and can't be trusted with such an important element of their wedding.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Final visit to the Fairgate
On Friday, July 3rd, Kevin, my mom, my Aunt Debbie/florist, and I will be travelling to the Fairgate Inn for our final visit before the Big Day! I'm so thankful that my Aunt Debbie can come along. It will be nice for her to see the venue in order to help me plan a better vision for the flowers. They have also been doing a lot of work out there to make things fancier for the 2009 wedding season. It will be nice to see how those improvements have altered the look of our space. This meeting will be the last chance to go over how I want my tables to be set up, where the favors will be placed, where the cake table will be, what will be on the guest table, where we will place our photo booth, how the buffet line is going to work, a chance to scope out where we can get some great photographs and narrow down the rest of the details. Thank god my mom is going to help keep me sane. Luckily she and I have very similar taste so I can leave decisions up to her with a peace knowing she won't choose something I'd hate. (With the exception of the wedding dress she made me try on with the floor-length matching all-lace jacket!!!) Sorry, mom, I had to mention it. :)
We have a lot of little details to coordinate for the setup of our reception space. We are renting our centerpiece vases, as well as using the Fairgate's candleabras, we are using the fairgates creme linens, renting our black linens and renting our chair covers, we have purchased frames for table numbers, and purple glass votive holders, we will fill them with extra-long burning soy tealights, we are placing the favors at each table setting, we are setting out the plates rather than keeping them in a stack by the buffet, and some tables will have flower petals. Since the venue will handle all the setup and teardown (FABULOUS!), I will have to be very prepared with all the stuff we'll need for each table. My friend Karen suggested that I put together a box for each table, label it with the coordinating table number, and fill with all the reception centerpiece items that will need to be laid out by the Fairgate staff. She also suggested including a diagram of what I want so they will know how all the elements need to be set out. I am definitely going to take her advice. Looks like I better start collecting boxes from work! The great advantage to this venue is that we can bring all the stuff on Thursday at the rehearsal. That means, all the flowers can be dropped off and all the table stuff. They will spend Thursday night and Friday morning setting it all up...That means that my mom, Kevin's mom and I will get to spend the first half of my special day relaxing, not stressing about setting up the reception site.
We have some things that need to be done relatively soon. We need to buy the favors and wrap them. We need to buy the sparklers for our farewell at the end of the night. We need to print out all the table numbers and put them in the frames. We need to make a seating chart and design the seating chart display for the reception. We need to finalize our rentals for the linens, chair covers and the vases. We need to order the flower petals. We need to get all the guys to go get fitted for their tuxes. We need to design the ceremony programs. We need to meet with the pastor to go over our actual ceremony. We need to give our finalized song lists to the DJ. We need to finalize our registry and remove items we don't really want/need. We need to drive to Eugene to pick up the soy tealights. We need to figure out our bridal party gifts. We need to finalize arrival and departure times with the photographers and videographer. We need to check with the wedding night hotel about leaving our stuff there early and how to keep a car there so we can drive home on Saturday morning. We need to let people know about the family get together at my parents house on Saturday, the day after the wedding. We need to get a box to put our wedding cards in at the guest table. We need to write thank you notes to everyone for gifts we've received. We need to pay the final cake cost and decide if we will need the extra sheet cake. We need to cancel our other cake appointment for the bakery we no longer plan to work with. We need to staring bleaching our teeth and start tanning pronto! We need to breathe. There is so much more but I just can't think of it. This a good list to start with though. Now that it's 1.04am, good night!
We have a lot of little details to coordinate for the setup of our reception space. We are renting our centerpiece vases, as well as using the Fairgate's candleabras, we are using the fairgates creme linens, renting our black linens and renting our chair covers, we have purchased frames for table numbers, and purple glass votive holders, we will fill them with extra-long burning soy tealights, we are placing the favors at each table setting, we are setting out the plates rather than keeping them in a stack by the buffet, and some tables will have flower petals. Since the venue will handle all the setup and teardown (FABULOUS!), I will have to be very prepared with all the stuff we'll need for each table. My friend Karen suggested that I put together a box for each table, label it with the coordinating table number, and fill with all the reception centerpiece items that will need to be laid out by the Fairgate staff. She also suggested including a diagram of what I want so they will know how all the elements need to be set out. I am definitely going to take her advice. Looks like I better start collecting boxes from work! The great advantage to this venue is that we can bring all the stuff on Thursday at the rehearsal. That means, all the flowers can be dropped off and all the table stuff. They will spend Thursday night and Friday morning setting it all up...That means that my mom, Kevin's mom and I will get to spend the first half of my special day relaxing, not stressing about setting up the reception site.
We have some things that need to be done relatively soon. We need to buy the favors and wrap them. We need to buy the sparklers for our farewell at the end of the night. We need to print out all the table numbers and put them in the frames. We need to make a seating chart and design the seating chart display for the reception. We need to finalize our rentals for the linens, chair covers and the vases. We need to order the flower petals. We need to get all the guys to go get fitted for their tuxes. We need to design the ceremony programs. We need to meet with the pastor to go over our actual ceremony. We need to give our finalized song lists to the DJ. We need to finalize our registry and remove items we don't really want/need. We need to drive to Eugene to pick up the soy tealights. We need to figure out our bridal party gifts. We need to finalize arrival and departure times with the photographers and videographer. We need to check with the wedding night hotel about leaving our stuff there early and how to keep a car there so we can drive home on Saturday morning. We need to let people know about the family get together at my parents house on Saturday, the day after the wedding. We need to get a box to put our wedding cards in at the guest table. We need to write thank you notes to everyone for gifts we've received. We need to pay the final cake cost and decide if we will need the extra sheet cake. We need to cancel our other cake appointment for the bakery we no longer plan to work with. We need to staring bleaching our teeth and start tanning pronto! We need to breathe. There is so much more but I just can't think of it. This a good list to start with though. Now that it's 1.04am, good night!
Why am I still awake?
It's 12.26am on a Sunday. Technically, it's early Monday morning and yes, I have to work today. So why am I still awake? After lying in bed for about 30 minutes, I figured I might as well do something productive. My mind doesn't want to switch from my constant "go-go-go" routine long enough to allow me to get some shut-eye. All that's been playing over and over is what I still have left to do for the wedding.
I remember talking with Lauren, one of my bridesmaids slash cousins, when she was planning her wedding. She said at times it gets old deciding between this napkin or that one, this chicken or that one, etc. I thought to myself "No, that'll never be me. I have to make every decision myself. How in the world could you leave such important "life-altering" decisions up to someone else!?!" Now, I completely understand. No, I don't care if the plates my venue carries have gold rimming on them but there's no other gold in my wedding. No, I don't care if my dress is white and the linens are off-white. Unless I plan to be wearing a tablecloth as a cape, why would it even matter? No, I don't care if my table numbers are actual numbers or spelled-out numbers. No, I don't care if Kevin has a white handkerchief or purple handkerchief or black or any other color popping out of his lapel on the tux. In fact, I don't care if there is a handkerchief there at all. But, I do care about whether I have a wedding cake. I do care about whether my dad will be there to walk me down the aisle. I do care about my bridesmaids and groomsmen having a good time. I do care about what songs we dance to. But most importantly, I care about seeing Kevin at the alter and I care about the promises we are going to exchange. The entire meaning of this day is getting clouded by fabric swatches and color coordinating table decorations. In the end, we just want to enjoy our special day and want all of our guests to enjoy it too. Weddings are about family and commitment. So, from now on, I'm going to just decide what really matters. Whatever doesn't make the cut will be left behind. I want to enjoy this process and don't have very much more time to do that!
I remember talking with Lauren, one of my bridesmaids slash cousins, when she was planning her wedding. She said at times it gets old deciding between this napkin or that one, this chicken or that one, etc. I thought to myself "No, that'll never be me. I have to make every decision myself. How in the world could you leave such important "life-altering" decisions up to someone else!?!" Now, I completely understand. No, I don't care if the plates my venue carries have gold rimming on them but there's no other gold in my wedding. No, I don't care if my dress is white and the linens are off-white. Unless I plan to be wearing a tablecloth as a cape, why would it even matter? No, I don't care if my table numbers are actual numbers or spelled-out numbers. No, I don't care if Kevin has a white handkerchief or purple handkerchief or black or any other color popping out of his lapel on the tux. In fact, I don't care if there is a handkerchief there at all. But, I do care about whether I have a wedding cake. I do care about whether my dad will be there to walk me down the aisle. I do care about my bridesmaids and groomsmen having a good time. I do care about what songs we dance to. But most importantly, I care about seeing Kevin at the alter and I care about the promises we are going to exchange. The entire meaning of this day is getting clouded by fabric swatches and color coordinating table decorations. In the end, we just want to enjoy our special day and want all of our guests to enjoy it too. Weddings are about family and commitment. So, from now on, I'm going to just decide what really matters. Whatever doesn't make the cut will be left behind. I want to enjoy this process and don't have very much more time to do that!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Caught in a tornado
The title is definitely descriptive of my life right now. I feel like I've been swept up in a tornado and won't be released until after this wedding has come and gone. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish it would just pass me by. The stress just takes a lot out of me at times.
Alot has happened since the last time I posted! I lost my bakery and found a new one. That adventure is going to be a whole post in itself so I won't go into it now. I found my second pair of wedding shoes, after realizing the original pair I bought were beautiful but not practical or comfortable to wear for an all-day event! Two things in life make me grumpy beyond belief--going too long without food and being stuck wearing uncomfortable shoes! Therefore, I decided to take the grown-up approach by purchasing some white wedges--they are not quite wedding beautiful (they actually look like boating/yacht shoes) but they'll work! Plus, they will be cute and comfy for the honeymoon. Nobody will really see my shoes anyway, right?
I finally got my invitations out! It was a much more complicated process than it needed to be. First of all, each file was printing in different colors. Basically, the same exact file would come out two different colors. It didn't make sense since they were from the same printer and the same print catridge. The lady had the audacity to tell me that it was my fault in how I set up the file. Yes, that makes perfect sense considering you're printing 60 copies of the EXACT SAME FILE! So yes, that was irritating. Then, after many tears and a few drinks later...Not only did they argue with me about color, they also argued with me about whether my files were set up correctly (oh please!). They cut my rsvps wrong and caused them to become un-mailable. So, they had to be printed again! Then, they cut all my direction cards wrong and all my details cards wrong--bascially everything was cut wrong (some of them TWICE) except the main wording for the invitation. Then, they proceeded to blame me, stating that I didn't set up my files right. I don't understand why the printers don't trust me that I know what I'm doing when setting up files. I actually believe I know a hell of a lot more about print processing and file setup than they do. Sorry, Office Max--I am better than you! And NO you can't get trick me into believing that your mistake was my mistake. Nice try.
Okay, now that I've got that off my chest. I still have SO MUCH to do for this wedding! I am working on a to-do list and will post it soon. Those RSVP's keep pouring in so that's been really nice to see that people will be attending the wedding. It's going to be such a fun day! :)
Alot has happened since the last time I posted! I lost my bakery and found a new one. That adventure is going to be a whole post in itself so I won't go into it now. I found my second pair of wedding shoes, after realizing the original pair I bought were beautiful but not practical or comfortable to wear for an all-day event! Two things in life make me grumpy beyond belief--going too long without food and being stuck wearing uncomfortable shoes! Therefore, I decided to take the grown-up approach by purchasing some white wedges--they are not quite wedding beautiful (they actually look like boating/yacht shoes) but they'll work! Plus, they will be cute and comfy for the honeymoon. Nobody will really see my shoes anyway, right?
I finally got my invitations out! It was a much more complicated process than it needed to be. First of all, each file was printing in different colors. Basically, the same exact file would come out two different colors. It didn't make sense since they were from the same printer and the same print catridge. The lady had the audacity to tell me that it was my fault in how I set up the file. Yes, that makes perfect sense considering you're printing 60 copies of the EXACT SAME FILE! So yes, that was irritating. Then, after many tears and a few drinks later...Not only did they argue with me about color, they also argued with me about whether my files were set up correctly (oh please!). They cut my rsvps wrong and caused them to become un-mailable. So, they had to be printed again! Then, they cut all my direction cards wrong and all my details cards wrong--bascially everything was cut wrong (some of them TWICE) except the main wording for the invitation. Then, they proceeded to blame me, stating that I didn't set up my files right. I don't understand why the printers don't trust me that I know what I'm doing when setting up files. I actually believe I know a hell of a lot more about print processing and file setup than they do. Sorry, Office Max--I am better than you! And NO you can't get trick me into believing that your mistake was my mistake. Nice try.
Okay, now that I've got that off my chest. I still have SO MUCH to do for this wedding! I am working on a to-do list and will post it soon. Those RSVP's keep pouring in so that's been really nice to see that people will be attending the wedding. It's going to be such a fun day! :)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Quality not quantity
I've been so blessed with TWO bridal showers! One for family and family-friends and the other for younger friends. This weekend my maid-of-honor slash sister-in-law threw me a friend bridal shower. It was so much fun! We accidently scheduled it over graduation weekend so a couple people were unable to attend, but it turned out to be no big deal. Some friends came from college so it was nice to catch up. I was also lucky to have some friends there from elementary and junior high school as well. I realized that I am very lucky to have the friends I do. It's so nice that we've all kept in touch for this long. Definitely rare to say the least.
Lindsi put so much work into my shower, with the assistance of my cousin slash bridesmaid Michelle. She handmade all the invitations, set out beautiful arrangements of flowers, and she even set out some of my favorite foods. Not to mention, she took the time to dip strawberries in chocolate and then put the intials KG on each one! For each attendant, she wrapped a little candle in purple cellophane, tied with copper ribbon and affixed to a tag with the matching KG initials in copper glitter. She put info about my bachelorette party on the back of the tag also. Lindsi totally thought of everything! She definitely went above and beyond to make it special for me and I'm so appreciative. It was beautiful. I wouldn't have wanted anything different.
We played a couple fun games, too. For one game, I had to leave the room and all the girls had to write down everything I was wearing. My cousin Michelle won that game--she got every detail, right down to my wedge shoes! Another game included splitting all the attendants into two groups and giving each a roll of toilet paper. They had to each design a wedding gown out of the toilet paper for me to judge. Although both teams did really well, I chose the winner because it looked the closest to my dress plus it had a very creative train on the back. I'll be sure to post photos from my shower soon! For the third game, each girl had to put a book on top of their head and draw a picture of what I will look like on my wedding day. All of the drawings were definitely humorous and got a good chuckle out of everyone!
Overall, my shower was a really fun time to catch up with friends and talk about the wedding. I got some very nice gifts--some naughty and some nice :) Ladies, if you're reading this, thank you for coming to my shower. It meant the world to me and I'm thankful to have people like you in my life.
Lindsi put so much work into my shower, with the assistance of my cousin slash bridesmaid Michelle. She handmade all the invitations, set out beautiful arrangements of flowers, and she even set out some of my favorite foods. Not to mention, she took the time to dip strawberries in chocolate and then put the intials KG on each one! For each attendant, she wrapped a little candle in purple cellophane, tied with copper ribbon and affixed to a tag with the matching KG initials in copper glitter. She put info about my bachelorette party on the back of the tag also. Lindsi totally thought of everything! She definitely went above and beyond to make it special for me and I'm so appreciative. It was beautiful. I wouldn't have wanted anything different.
We played a couple fun games, too. For one game, I had to leave the room and all the girls had to write down everything I was wearing. My cousin Michelle won that game--she got every detail, right down to my wedge shoes! Another game included splitting all the attendants into two groups and giving each a roll of toilet paper. They had to each design a wedding gown out of the toilet paper for me to judge. Although both teams did really well, I chose the winner because it looked the closest to my dress plus it had a very creative train on the back. I'll be sure to post photos from my shower soon! For the third game, each girl had to put a book on top of their head and draw a picture of what I will look like on my wedding day. All of the drawings were definitely humorous and got a good chuckle out of everyone!
Overall, my shower was a really fun time to catch up with friends and talk about the wedding. I got some very nice gifts--some naughty and some nice :) Ladies, if you're reading this, thank you for coming to my shower. It meant the world to me and I'm thankful to have people like you in my life.
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