145 Days to Go and OMG, We Have So Much To Do

I finally joined The Knot because they had some articles on Halloween weddings I wanted to read. The articles weren't really worth it, it turns out.

I had to put in our wedding date as part of my registration and I got an automatically generated checklist. These are the things we haven't done, and many of them are overdue according to The Knot:

• Make sure to insure your engagement ring. [We do need to do this. We also need renter's insurance. Sigh.]
• Decide on and meet with your officiant to discuss ceremony structure. [We've emailed some stuff, but no real discussions yet.]
• Brides: Start shopping for bridesmaid dresses. [Actually, the MOH and I are going to visit the other bridesmaid in LA this weekend for girl fun and dress shopping! I can't wait, it's going to be such a fun little trip.]
• Register for your wedding gifts, and don't forget to include some choices appropriate for your upcoming bridal shower as well. [GAH. No progress. We decided to register at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, but aside from agreeing that we need new knives, we don't know what to register for.]
• Brides: Decide on the bridesmaid dresses. [See above...maybe we'll get that done this weekend, or maybe the girls will just be left to their own devices. My only stipulation is that the dresses be black, and not too short!]
• Book a baker [done], choose your wedding [cup]cake[s] design[s] [to be done], and send a deposit [done].
• Start planning the rehearsal dinner. [No luck on this front. I've researched a few places, but we've only tried one, with disappointing results. We need to get back on this. I would love a more informal dinner, like Mexican food with margaritas, but there's not much near our wedding venue/hotel. Sigh.]
• Start working on your invitation wording and design. [I am happy to report we started doing this last weekend, even though Mr. T had a cold. That's info for a separate post, though.]
• Finalize your invitation wording. [TBD]
• Finalize menu and service details with caterer. [We still need to pick a vegetarian main dish and a passed appetizer. We're not doing that until October, though, so The Knot will need to scream at us until then.]
• Order your invitations and announcements (don't forget plenty of extra envelopes). [Again, TBD. Invites will take 2-4 weeks to print after a proof is approved, so we're thinking we'll send them to the printer mid-July or so. I'm torn on the envelopes...it's tempting to just have the printer do the return addresses for us, but another part of me would love to do either black envelopes with orange lining or vice-versa. And that means ordering envelopes and doing custom liners. Hm.]
• Start thinking about flower arrangement styles you like, and figure out what flowers will be in season on your wedding day. [Well, I guess I have thought about it. But I'm not entirely sure about the seasonal thing.]
• Decide on a floral scheme, choose flowers. [Not really done. Except I'd like Fall colors, and primarily reds, burgundies, and a bit of orange.]
• Reserve tables, chairs, and/or other rental equipment you'll need (unless caterer or site is taking care of it). [Mostly this is done, but we have some stereo equipment stuff to sort out.]
• Grooms: Start looking to buy or rent tux, suit, or other formal attire. [We did start...we just didn't see much! And other plans have prevented us from going shopping again. Can you hear me hyperventilating yet? This list is a mile long!]
• Book rehearsal-dinner site. [Um, no. See above.]
• Book hotel room for your wedding night. [We haven't done this yet. I think Mr. T would like us to stay at a high-end hotel near our wedding venue, whereas I would just like it to be easy, so I want us to stay at the venue (although The Claremont is sounding mighty tempting). So we're still discussing.]
• Compile packages for out-of-town guests with hotel reservation (done) and city information, and mail them out. [Our "wedsite" gives hotel info, but no city info. I'm undecided about mailing out packets, but I suppose I could put something together...in all my free time.]
• Grooms: Decide on your groomsmen's attire. [I doubt if Mr. T has put much thought into this. He only has one groomsman, so it's a little easier. I think he'd like his brother to wear a suit, but who knows what color suit, or what color shirt, or tie!]
• Book your honeymoon flights (if not using frequent flyer miles) and make all your other travel reservations. [I'm putting this one in Mr. T's lap...the mini-moon, that is. When we take a real honeymoon trip I'll be recovered enough to help plan it. For the mini-moon I'd like relaxation, good food, and a massage or two. And some nice scenery.]
• Brides: Choose your bridesmaids' accessories (shoes, gloves, etc.) and either purchase or pass along purchasing information. [Well, my girls can pick their own shoes, and they don't need gloves!]
• Grooms: Give all of the groomsmen the information they need to buy and/or reserve their attire. [Nothing done here; see above.]
• Pick out or design a ketubah or other marriage contract required by your religion. [We don't have to worry about this one. Check!]

Note that this checklist is not everything we have to do...it's just everything we should be doing during this timeframe...next month, there will be even more items looming over us! It's feeling a little insurmountable at the moment. One thing at a time, right?

Wedding Shoes: Check! Or, putting the cart before the horse

In one of the most out-of-order wedding decisions I've made to-date, I bought my wedding shoes this weekend!

It seems odd to buy shoes before I've even been measured for my dress. However, I'm not totally crazy. I do need to know how tall my shoes are in order to determine the length of the skirt, so that will actually come in handy during the measuring process. Also, I brought the dress design with me to the shoe store, plus the fabric swatch, and I was in very, very good hands once I got there.

You see, I went to the store my good friend M. manages. She is a shoe guru and gives you the kind of customer service you dream of: those shoes run small, those run wide, those can be stretched, those are comfortable, those are cute but hurt your feet; she can recite a litany like this for every shoe in her store. Plus! M. is another of my bride-to-be friends and she is having the same dressmaker work on her wedding dress, so, in addition to having the sketch of my dress design, M. knows the dressmaker's work and has a good feel for what would look great with the dress designs.

Funnily, M. pointed me toward two pairs of shoes that I'd already been ogling online, so this was good confirmation of my advance research. After trotting around in both of them, I declared I couldn't decide, and thanks to having a gift certificate from a friend and a little help from M.'s employee discount, I didn't have to: I bought them both. Now I just need to decide which will be my wedding shoes, and which I'll wear to some other wedding-related event. ;-)

May I present to you: Sheer awesomeness in shoe form:

Shoe #1:

These shoes are hot, and they look hot on. M. said they're surprisingly comfortable, also. The MOH said they made my legs look great. mmmmsexy shoes.

And shoe (boot, really) #2:


Le sigh. These fit in with the Victorian feel of the corset and are amazingly comfortable thanks to the low heel and lovely padded insole. They were a little tight on my monster calves (thanks, San Francisco hills!), but M. says the store can stretch them for me. She recommended waiting until I'd lost all the weight I'm going to before deciding on that (once again, excellent and expert advice).

I've been so careful about spending money that this seemed really extravagant to me, but the shoes quickly made me feel better. Sigh. Shoes. The hard part will be waiting until the wedding to wear them!

Random Halloween Wedding Pix and Other Inspirations

Here's an entirely random assortment of inspiration pix I've been saving.

First, more pumpkins!

This is a sweet pumpkin pattern I found called "Wedding".


This is from a bride and groom who got married close to Halloween, so they added some Halloween touches...she had a toned-down Bride of Frankenstein costume on. Can't remember how I found them, maybe the Offbeat Bride photo group?


I actually found a tool online that will do this to pumpkins (or fruit, or what have you) so you can put tea lights in them. I love these little votive holders! I totally want to use this idea.




I can't remember where I found these, but here are some cute pumpkin patterns that are more abstract:


One couple used a pumpkin as their guest book. I'm torn on this one--it's super cute, and am I really going to look at the guest book in the future? But then again, if I wanted to, I couldn't with this guest book, since it will rot eventually!



This is a really cute idea for table numbers, if we decide to go that route:



More table inspiration:







I love all these candles. It looks so pretty:



More candle ideas:


From the wedding with the pumpkin guestbook, courtesy of Offbeat Bride, here are some cute favor bags:


And prizes for best costume! I've thought about a costume contest for our wedding, but as Mr. T pointed out, who would be the judge?



That same couple had an awesome cupcake stand, and creepy Halloween cupcakes! They are a couple after my own heart (check out the toasting flutes too, I totally want to steal that idea):





Not Halloween-related, but fun, and also by way of Offbeat Bride, a whole wedding party in Chuck Taylors (even the bride!):


More unusual bridal footwear (and appropriate for Halloween!):




Another Halloween wedding. I think this photographer is local to me. I like her work, so I'm going to chat her up when the time comes...This minister looks like Otho (from Beetlejuice) to me, and I love the coffin backdrop (again, note the groom's footwear):


Mr. T didn't like the idea of black suits with black shirts and orange ties for his guys (he said they'd look like waiters), but I just think this looks very cute and seasonal. Sorry about the thing in the middle, I did this as a screen capture and apparently my mouse was in the wrong place, bringing up bizarre messages about settings and such:



I found a leopard print wedding dress! So cute! I don't love this particular print, but I am a huge fan of the faux leopard. Hm....


I found this dress as a possible alternative silhouette. It's like the best of both worlds: I could dance in it, but could have a bit of a train (I think...it's hard to tell). Imagine this as a red corset dress and sans the odd diagonal line down the front and tell me what you think: