Fairytales Do Exist: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

RSVP

Seriously, getting the mail hasn't been this much fun since I was a kid! And I don't even live with my parents where the RSVP cards are getting sent! The very first card we got back came from my high school yearbook adviser, Micki Remos. Something about her's being the first card made it even more magical. She has had a huge impact on me and is one of the most influential women in my life. I am really glad to have that piece of paper confirming her attendance... in fact, I'm glad to have all these little pieces of paper confirming everyone's attendance!! Actually seeing the response cards come in has made this all so real! Only 24 days to go!

Mailing the Invitations

If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you know that invitations were a huge hurdle for me. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I just couldn't seem to find a place to print them affordably. After we found O'Day Printing, and got all the parts of the invitations back, I thought all my problems had been solved. Then we had the huge task of putting all the parts together, which took weeks. One would think that after all the invites were in envelopes and ready to mail, the difficulty with the invites would deifnitely be over. Not so fast. Now came the job of finding out whether or not the invitations would mail easily.

My mom and I stopped first at the UPS store just to see if they could tell us if our postage was right and if they were the right weight to mail as letters. They were't sure, so we headed to the post office closest to my parent's house at Falcon Field. Of course, it was closed. Thankfully, another post office not too far away was open on a Saturday and the woman there was really helpful. The invitations turned out to be too thick to mail as letters and would have to be sent as packages. This didn't really matter because we had the proper postage, and the postal worker lady was even willing to hand cancel them so there wouldn't be any post office lines across our faces.

Finally, just as they were getting sent out the door, something went right with the invites.

My mom holding the very first, totally ready to mail, 100% set to go out the door invitation!!

At the Post Office ready to mail my invitations!

Alterations Take 2!

Here are some pictures from the second set of alterations... including pictures of Laura (FINALLY!) in her dress! Seeing the girls int heir actual dresses was absolutely magical. The color matches all of them so well, and Elaina the seamstress did such an amazing job of making Isabel's dress look like it was made for a little girl. I can't believe how well this is all coming together!!

Putting jewelry on Megan!

Helen in her flowergirl dress!

My flowergirl, Helen!

While we were doing alterations, I got the reminder from google on my phone that my bridal shower was the next day!! Thats was a pretty cool e-mail to receive. :)

Laura!

Me and y Maid of Honor, Isabel!

Putting jewelry on Laura!

Me just hangin' out while the girls did their dresses!

Laura!

Me and Isabel

Laura! She looks so fabulous!

Isabel with all her jewelry on.

Isabel getting measured for her straps

I love the look on her face in this picture! I think she likes her dress!

Putting on Isabel's jewelry!

Ceremony Programs

Here are some pictures from the construction of the programs! It took a long time to get these together because the order of the Mass was a little confusing for me. You would think I knew the order of a Catholic Mass by this point in my life, but what I realized in this process was that while I know how to go through the motions each Sunday, I have no idea what any of these things are called! When it was all said and done, these turned out exactly as I dreamed. I think they will be really helpful for people who aren't Catholic to follow along. It did take like two days to put them together, though. It was so tedious tying the little bows, even my dad stepped in to help!!

Dad helping to tie bows on the programs! Such a good guy

Mom tying bows.

Some completed programs!

Up close of dad tying bows

Me tying bows

The first totally completed program!

All packed up and ready to be taken to the church in 23 days!!

All the programs complete!

Me holding our sample/example

What a mess! Maybe I should have thought this out better and not put so many parts into this!

Let them eat CAKE!

Ever since I have known Jason, he has been a "pie guy". He LOVES pie. I guess that's why it didn't surprise me when he told me he didn't want cake at our wedding reception. Nope. He wants pie.

For our rehearsal dinner, we went to Robert's Catering in Chandler. While we were there planning, the woman helping us, Wendy, inquired where we were getting our wedding cake. Jason explained to her his fondness of pie, but Wendy was relentless. Imagine Snooki from Jersey Shore in 30 years (although Snooki probably won't live that long) and you have Wendy. She is a short, stout woman from Jersey complete with accent, boisterous personality and tanned leather skin. In her infinite wisdom, she convinced Jason to just try the cake from Robert's. He was reluctant, to say the least, but he agreed to make an appointment for cake tasting.

At this point, I start getting REALLy excited! I mean I was willing to have pie because it's what Jason really wanted, but what girl doesn't dream of a wedding cake!?

Have you ever heard the song Yeah Toast! by Heywood Banks? That was pretty much my rection except I was like "YEAH CAKE!"

A couple weeks later we went back for our cake tasting. I have to say, after years and years of making cakes for my nieces and nephews birthday parties, I thought I knew what good cake tasted like. But my cakes are nothing compared to Robert's. The bavarian creme fillings they use are absolutely to die for and the cake itself is so fluffy and moist. It didn't take more than a few bites for Jason to be totally sold on getting a wedding cake. The cake itself will be three layers, with each cake being a different flavor and each filling different as well. I am so looking forward to tasting it in 24 days!!!

Looking through their 'catalog of cakes' was pretty fun! There were so many pretty designs to choose from!

Wendy playing around!

Like I said! He was NOT so sure about trying cake! But it's official, this pie guy has decided on cake!!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Alterations

Each time I get to do something cool (like see my bridesmaids get fitted for their dresses) I can't help but feel a little sadness to. Its just that once alterations are over, thats just one more thing that I have been looking forward to my whole life that is over now. Its a bittersweet feeling. I am so excited for these moments, and I love every second of them, but at the same time, I don't want them to end because I have been looking forward to them so much. I love wedding planning like it's nobody's business!!

Here are some pics from alterations! It's been really fun getting to be there as each of my girls goes through this process. I know I don't have to be there, but I just can't bear to miss a single moment of this whole process!