Party, Party!

Since you didn't respond I believe we SHALL have a party!

Well, I spoke with Anne and Kate, and Ryan (obviously), and it seems we all agree...An engagement party would be lovely, especially since the etiquette is to have one if your wedding is more than a year from your engagement. I am terribly excited about this little party, Anne and Kate are just as excited as I am, and it will be nice for Ryan's family and our friends that will not be able to make it to the wedding. It's also a lovely excuse to have a party!

My overriding fear however, is that it will be like all the other parties I have tried to have, where only three people show up and its really really lame. (This is also my fear about our wedding.) My brother is popular and well liked amongst his peers, therefore, his parties always turn out sepectacularly. My parties on the other hand, generally get cancelled due to lack of enthusiasm or lack of attendance, or just generally being stood up. Ryan knows that is the reason why we don't generally have parties, I hate that "stood up" feeling. You get all dressed up and prepare a lot of food and then no one shows and you're left in your party dress with three thousand snacks.

A little bit of your self-esteem gets chipped away each time that happens, you feel a little less well-liked and a little more like that little girl that moved around all the time and had no lasting friendships...or at least I do. So while I'm so very excited about this party, I'm also a little scared that it will just be five of us, staring at each other, with a band playing in the corner, wondering what to do with all the snacks...

In any case, I have prepared an Inspiration Board for the party...just to get thinking about color, style and lighting, since we hope to have this soiree in the fall. (My favorite time of the year in New England.)

Added by Jennifer on Wed, May 14th 2008

But I'm feeling much better now

p.s. I found my gown!

I'm feeling better. In preparing to plan this event I have found that the wedding industry has two levels. The first level is beautiful, elegant, tasteful with much attention to detail, it is also extraordinarily expensive...as in your wedding will cost you $50,000. The second is a sort of like the comedian trying too hard to be funny, it's not good. It smacks of cheap, from the ill-fitting gowns and suits to the chintzy flowers, this level leaves a little more than something to be desired. Unfortunately, this second level is what is affordable for the majority of the population. So what is a couple to do?

Well, first up for us, destination wedding. Mainly because less guests means less expense...second is to make use of the always delightful Etsy site. There we can find independent designers and artists to create our save the dates, invites and announcements, and even find gifts for the bridemaids and groomsmen (still to be announced). Next of course, is blog surfing, there are so many great tips in the blogosphere, that I plan on taking advantage of it to the utmost degree. T

he thing that is ordinarily the most shockingly expensive is the dress. Fear not, my friends! I have found the dress. I mean, I have found THE dress. It ships this week, and is in my current size. I felt that was best, if I bought one that was in a smaller size (which I hope to be by the time we wed), and I'm not that size...well, I will be one unhappy little camper. The dress is shipping to my future in-law's house, so that Ryan won't see it. I am terribly excited about getting that portion over with, and getting my loevely gorgeopus dress! This is especially so, since I got a terribly expensive gown for what can only be considered a tremendous deal. Many thanks to my mother, for the financing. If she hadn't come through, I probably would not have a dress being shipped to Jim and Anne's house right now! (Thanks, Ma.) Now I am searching for the best deal in Mexico. I found a great site, two sisters that specialize in Weddigns in Mexico, so e-mails to them have been sent out. Details, details, details. I think we just might have a shot of getting this done under budget. Wouldn't that be lovely?

Added by Jennifer on Tue, May 6th 2008

Dreaming of Color

So, I've been imagining a particular color scheme for jewelry, flowers, dresses and the like. I think it's perfect for a destination wedding in Mexico. Vibrant, beautiful and not too girly. I'm so sick of those beach colors for destination weddings. You know, kahki yellow and pale blue. I love khaki for the dudes suits, but I want a little vibrancy! A little POP of color! We'll see what i can wrangle the dudes into, but at the very least I'd bet Amy would wear a little pop of color. (Because she rocks and loves color as much as I do.) So what do you think of my possible color scheme?

Added by Jennifer on Mon, Mar 31st 2008

Madness

or Attack of the Wedding Machine

So, here we are talking about weddings and budgets and the like when suddenly I realize...We have not budgeted for a honeymoon. Yeah. That's right. Ten grand for a wedding, but no honeymoon. Does anyone else think that's insane? That is when I realized that this whole wedding machine is not my bag. (And hopefully, not Ryan's either.) Granted I will still go to the reception sites we'd planned on going to in the first place, but now I know what the real budget is...five grand for a honeymoon, four grand for a reception and a grand for invites and attire. Think I can do it? Well, maybe I can't in New England, or maybe I can't with a hundred wedding guests, but maybe I can with fifty guests, or with a destination wedding in Mexico or Bermuda? My mom thinks a destination weddign is fabulous because we'll probably spend less than ten grand AND we'll get the honeymoon with it. Now I have to convince Ryan and his family...and the rest of my family. No big deal, right? Riiiiight.

p.s. This place is in the top running for a destiantion wedding...I just LOVE it! Plus you get a Mariachi band for 45 minutes, and honestly, I don't know how people can have weddings without a Mariachi band!

Added by Jennifer on Wed, Feb 27th 2008

Engaged!

We're engaged! Here's the story:

We had our friends over to watch the “big game” with us and, after a loss by Ryan & J's team, Ryan began the clean up process while J&M left before any possible rioting would take place.After the clean up Ryan and I watched a little television and snuggled up on the couch together.In the midst of this television watching and chit chatting I looked up at him and told him that my hands looked old, that the palms are more full of lines than one of my friends who has a son Ryan's age.Well, he kept telling me that my hands did not look old and then he excused himself for a moment.When he came back he had two glasses of wine and sate down next to me and began telling me he loves me and that the people he has known with lines in their hands have always been good people, people that were always there to lend him a hand and help him, even though they didn't know how much they had been helping him, people that worked hard for what they had and were honest, good people. (Right then I knew he was leading to something, he kept putting his hand in pocket and looked nervous.)Then Ryan got up, walked around to the front of me and got down on one knee.He said "I don't have a lot of money, but would you marry me?"He cried, I laughed and told him that I, of course, would marry him!He looked so happy and said "Will youWill you marry me?""Yes!Yes, yes , of course I'll marry you!" And the rest of the night was spent celebrating!We opened the Champagne that Sarah and Kate gave us about a year ago and we just enjoyed the rest of the night.In fact, I called in late to work for Monday.Ryan gave me his signet ring that he received for his high school graduation and then he picked out an engagement ring that will actually fit my ring finger.Meanwhile I wore his signet ring on a necklace all week last week and Ryan gave me the engagement ring last night hen he took me out to dinner.He was so slick.He got me rambling on about candles and lighting candles and when he has me look to the back of the restaurant he put the ring on my bread plate.�I turned back and went faffing on and on for about five minutes when I looked down and saw the ring.�It's just beautiful.He did such a wonderful job, and think I might be the only girl I know with two engagement rings.I love that guy!

Added by Jennifer on Sat, Feb 9th 2008