GAH!

Wedding plans upended again! However, this time I'm sticking to it:

Date: Sept 18th, 2010

Place: my maid of honor's parents' home on Five Mile Prairie in Spokane, Washington

Theme: Alice in Wonderland

Photographer: Cali Jenae Photography

Cake: Awesome Cakes by Ash

Bridesmaid dresses: Aria Dress

Rental company (for chairs): A to Z Rental

As for the theme, it's not going to be hardcore goth alice in wonderland, it's going to be springy, mad hatter's tea party style, with kooky broken teacups and pocket watches etc as the centerpieces. It will be cool. and eclectic. and thoroughly us!

It looks like Calvin and I are moving to Lewiston somewhat permanently since his family is here and jobs are a bit more plentiful than dead Spokane.

However, this means I have to possibly uproot all of my wedding plans and reconstruct them somewhere between Lewiston and Pullman. This was a pain at first, but now I'm thinking it could be an opportunity. After all, Calvin wanted a good old-fashioned barbecue, now we can find some big old barn somewhere and have it there! Well, I'm looking into it. I'm considering either Red Barn Farms (though it could be out of our price range) and the Dahmen barn. I think that since the Dahmen Barn is white, it may not clash with my dress in pictures, so major bonus.

(aside: man, the day I started thinking about the color of the facility in relation to my dress is the day I realized I could very well turn into a bridezilla if I don't watch myself!)

Lewiston's wedding industry is pretty small, but I'm realizing that means it's actually going to be easier to pin down what will work best for us. Not to mention, I believe our photographer will be at school in Pullman, so I don't have to feel bad about making her drive all the way to Spokane for our wedding!

Other types of sites I'm considering (however briefly) are the Hells Gate State Park (they have group use areas you can rent for weddings) and the Hells Canyon Resort (may be a little small but it's a good just-in-case venue to have). But I'm just going to sit on it for now and we'll see what works out.

I found a great photography site by a local photographer who compiled a list of resources too: Digital Arts Photography

(obviously this post was kind of just so I can keep things straight but I wanted to keep you all in the loop too!)

no internet!

I've been without the internet for the past few weeks and it has been lonely! I've had to put most of my wedding planning on hold until I get the internet again. So I've been trying to get wedding planning books and magazines, but man, they are expensive! I found this awesome book, the Anti-Bride Guide at Hastings, but it was $20. Totally eating into my wedding budget there. So I'm going to order it on Amazon when I have a debit card again. Until then I just have to settle for my single Shape Brides magazine (already read and tagged my favorite pages) and hope to get the internet back soon! I'll post next time I can find time on a computer.

Some updates:

I found a letterpress operator in Portland who can do my invitations for a fantastic price so I just need to edit the invitation so it's not a full-bleed and we'll be good to go!

My local printer, 2 blocks from my house, can do Save the Date and RSVP postcards for under $15 per hundred, which is cheaper than Vistaprint AND and supports a local business. Score.

The bridesmaids are having their dresses made by hand from a person I found on Etsy.com. I got a lot of bids from people wanting to do the dresses so I'll reveal the winner and the dress style once we figure it all out.

One or more of my bridesmaids may be pregnant at my wedding, thus the handmade dresses.

We are so far registered at Target.com and CB2.com.

I am definitely getting the Maggie Sottero Rasharna dress done in blush, not all white. Not sure if I'll buy an authentic Maggie or have it handmade and modified a little though.

I think I'll be buying my own silverware for the guests at a restaurant supply store or website, since the cost of buying vs. renting is just about equal, plus renting can incur extra fees if we lose so much as one utensil. Plates will need to be rented though unless we do a major borrow-a-thon, which would be kinda cool.

I'm still undecided on photographers and we still don't have engagement picture sessions lined up.

Narrowing it down

Okay based on preliminary stuff, here's what I'm hearing the bridesmaids like:

Shrug choices for immodest dresses (and all strapless dresses WILL have at least spaghetti straps added to them so you're not pulling them up all day):

(this one's expensive, but I can find or have some handmade like this for under $30)

($17.80)

1.

This would be in a turquoise color and I think it'd be cute with the white shrug

(est. $160)

2.

Is anyone planning on getting pregnant, or think they might be showing by next October? This would be a good choice if so.

(est $140)

3.

I like this one, and in this color too but it might be a little flamenco dancer?

(est $110)

4.

(this I think would be great if everyone likes it)

($148)

5.

(est $150)

Input!

Good idea for the tables! CB2.com (owned by Crate & Barrel) has these 3" square tealight frosted candle holders for only $2.95! I think these on the tables for the reception would be darling.

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=2070&f=5744

There are also hanging round candle holders which I think fit the theme of the reception perfectly. Darn CB2!

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=11038&f=2447

Does anyone feel weird about choosing "teal for the bridesmaids" after watching the Wedding Planner? I chose turquoise for my bridesmaids, but it's pretty close to teal, so sometimes when I click on a dress whose color I like, it's described as teal and because of superstition, I hit my back button. Anyone else?