Location

Tomorrow John, my grandma and myself are going to see all we need to do to make McMenamin's Sandtrap work for us. Yay! I'm sure we'll go over the menu - which I kind of already have picked out, and all the things that need to happen to make the ceremony of my dreams (the part of the wedding I actually care about) a reality.

In other news, I've decided that red should be implemented a bit more. I am, after all, getting married to a half Chinese man. There aren't too many traditional Chinese things we can implement besides color and putting red envelopes for money in the reception locale because of the fact that he doesn't have a family. Hm, I wonder if Lithuanians have cool customs? So I figure I'll throw red into the bouquets, and we'll do the money drop box with double happiness symbol and red envelopes to implement a smidgen of that side of him.

My grandfather agreed to be our officiant, so that's fantastic, we just need to do the ordaining part of that. My grandma knows what kind of cake we're having - just a small one for John and I since dessert comes with the catering plan. Check check and check! We're almost back on track. Will be once we book Sandtrap officially. Yay!

... now what?

Dilemma

I don't really care too terribly much about the reception location. I just want my perfect ceremony on the beach and for lots of gorgeous pictures to be taken and to have music and dancing and fun times. John wants to have a coursed meal for all our friends. So we know that the event has to be catered. Beyond that... it's pretty open. We have three main options as of right now.

The Loft: PICTURES It's open and large - space for 250. Due to our date, it's going to be $500 to rent for the whole day. Catering would be extra on top of this, as would decorations. There aren't any beaches close by so ceremony would have to be set somewhere driving's distance away.

Mcmenamin's SandTrap: PICTURES Same wooden vibe as the Loft, but with McMenamin's style decorations. Location is free with a $2,000 catering minimum. We would need to provide centerpieces and any additional decorations we felt necessary. Beach is fairly close by.

Cannon Beach Community Hall: PICTURES Wooden interior, much like the other two - fireplace (not that it'll be used in July). $600 to rent for whole day. Catering and all decorations would need to be provided by us. Easy beach access.

So, which should it be?

Where to have reception?

• Loft at Red Building - Astoria
• McMenamin's Sandtrap - Gearhart
• Cannon Beach Community Hall

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Bridal Party

Hurray! I now will have Brittany, Azurell, and Tiffany with me on the big day. I love each of you three girls more than I could ever express and you've each helped me grow, thrive, and love as much as possible. I cannot express how lucky I am to have you three wonderful and diverse women in my life and I cherish each and every one of you.

Love!

Yay Az!

I've been pestering Johnathan to figure out what he's doing for his best man / groomsmen situation. He wants Corey, and maybe Nate/Mouse but thinks Corey will fail (because he will....just sayin') and doesn't want to make either Nate or Mouse best man and is so confused.

I, on the other hand have been waiting for him to make up his mind so I can ask my bridesmaids to be my bridesmaids before it's ridiculously late. John finally said to pick mine and then he'll follow. So I asked Azurell, my dearest to be a bridesmaid and she said yes. Hurray! I am uncertain as to whether I should ask Tiffany as well yet or not. I should figure this out, huh?

Anyway, I am super excited that Az is going to be there with me. Keeping me sane and alive with her Azness. All is well. (Except that we're crazy far behind.

Grand Lodge

McMenamin's resorts/restaurants/etc. are super well priced places to hold receptions/ceremonies. We went and checked out some places at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove yesterday. They range from 1,000-1,500 minimums. You pay that much, the location is free. We'd definitely exceed that. The Children's cottage there was really cool, lots of nooks and crannies to go hide and play in, plus for an 1,800 minimum you get this entire huge building. Drinks, food, magic. Hurray! The ceremony could be held at another location on grounds, like the grove, or underneath the giant ceders outside the Children's cottage.

I really liked the space, McMenamin's has a great menu for catering, and the price just can't be beat. The Children's cottage had a pretty room that used to be a library right when you walk in. It's got a fireplace, and plenty of room for all our guests.

John hated it, thought it was too compartmented and cramped.

Well, that did that. Onwards and upwards!

We've still got the community hall in Cannon Beach - which has real promise. Apparently Chinook Winds has a cool set up... I'm checking that out... Now.

More locations!

Checked out McMenamin's Sand Trap today, or this evening rather. It's got the quaint rustic charm that the Loft had with the classic McMenamin's flair that I do love. The site overlooks the green hills of the golf course and is within walking distance to a fairly secluded beach.

Downside to the locale is that we do have to go with their catering to get the room covered, it's a $2,000 minimum. No problem with that really - we'll be able to do full course salad, meal, desserts with that in mind. It is an 18% gratuity as well so really it's $2360.

They do really cover everything there, including ceremony if we wanted. However, if we're not going to have it on the beach like I want - I'd rather do something closer.

Which brings us to the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove which we'll be checking out sometime this week. They have some pretty outside spaces as well which would work... Their minimums are $1,000 and $1,500 depending on the space. Definitely a cash saver, so we'll see.

Behind!

As on 10/22/09 we have yet to complete these items supposed to be completed nine months before the big day... they're kind of important ones....

1) Get everyone's address that's invited.
2) Reserve reception site.
3) Book officiant
4) Book Caterer
5) Send save the dates
6) Buy wedding accessories

All but that last one definitely should be done...
We are going to look at reception locations as soon as John gets out of shower.
Now I see why people hire wedding planners!

Location Location Location

Johnathan and I went to Astoria today to look at locations to host our wedding reception. There aren't really any beachy beaches there, but we did see some pretty things.

The Loft: Situated right on the water, next to... some bridge it was really pretty. Big wooden beams and skylights. There is a large amount of potential to turn this place into...whatever we want it to be. It's quite large for the price and there's a dressing room and kitchen on site. We'd have to do catering though it seems -- or get preprepared trays from a grocery store. I'm totally okay with doing that.

Hotel Elliot: Cheaper by half, this place had a lot of stairs and a weird smell. It was in town with very limited parking. The areas themselves were pretty and a lot more intimate than the expanse of the Loft...but we'll pass.

I still want to look at one location in Cannon Beach that has a fire-place and such. John really loves the Loft, but I'm not sure where we would have the ceremony if we did the reception there.

Also, I have now began to doubt the wedding dress. I think I need to go put it on again. I mean, when I looked at myself with it on (once we beat the zipper) it was like - yes please. Now after looking at wedding things and seeing all these long flowy dresses I'm starting to doubt myself. I don't know...

There are pictures and videos to come for the events of today. To be posted on our wedding site that is currently being constructed.

UPDATE: So... we're poor and don't have cash to pay for hosting so the wedding site no longer exists.

Wow.

Tonight I....

Got a photographer, Brook.
Got a videographer, Ike.

Had John's Bachelor party semi-planned.

Had the farewell from reception planned -- it's fantastic.

Realized I am blessed.

The Dress

We went to David's Bridal, and to Macy's, Nordstroms, and everywhere in between. We went to everywhere we could think of that might sell dresses in general. I don't know how many dresses we tried on, but it felt like it was in the hundreds. Finally though, I found the dress. It fits wonderfully, it's lacy and glittery and spectacular. Got it from emporio bridal in Washington Square. It's... yeah, wonderful.

Only downside... I was trying to find a link to post here so you could look at on a model...and when I put in the designer and the product number I found the same dress I got for nearly 90 dollars cheaper... in addition, I bet brand new the zipper's a lot more considerate than it is on the dress I got. Yeah, and that's what I get I suppose. I totally could have wrote down the info and looked it up when I got home to be sure I got the best deal. I always end up doing things like that. It's aggravating as all hell. I would totally return it and buy the one online too... except that for some reason bridal shops make their return policy as there isn't one... So there's nothing I can do about it. Grumble grumble. Oh well, at least I have a wonderful dress to wear on a wonderful day. And I had a great time with my Maid of Honor in finding it.

Working things out

Alright so we're thinking cutting back on wedding/reception costs and spending a bit more on the honeymoon fun that will probably be a Sandals resort.

Meet in Seaside, have a simple arch maybe with some flowers. Say our vows. Perhaps we'll rent some folding chairs for people to sit in.

Reception I'm thinking hitting up Costco for some burgers and dogs and sides and things. Pick up some plates and silverware, some booze and soda and there you go. Something relaxed. . . think along the lines of our unemployment party. But with music...well more audible music. At least for our first dance and such. Light up a bonfire, roast some S'mores... just have fun.

Get a room for the night and fly out in the morning to paradise.

With this plan we'll really need the support of our friends and family. Manning the grills and such. We're also thinking of asking one of our friends to be the photographer, if anyone has the nice equipment. Then we'll throw some disposables around for people to use and return to us.

If I can get a hold of a reception site on the coast that would work too...then have the 'after party' on the beach. Who knows.

Something simple, something fun.

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I'm going wedding dress shopping tomorrow. Eep! I'm more so going to get a feel of what looks good on my frame. I was told by a wise one today that David's Bridal doesn't make the highest quality dresses, and they're hard to alter. So we'll definitely see. If I find 'the' dress, then perhaps a purchase will be made. Seeing has how we have no idea how we're making rent, it'll have to be a credit card purchase...but, yeah....

Paradise?

Not to say that the idea is entirely based on Michael Scott's outing... but a Sandals resort does seem pretty spectacular, right? White sand beaches, gorgeous blue water... all the food and drink you can shove in your face. If you stay six or more nights in a concierge level room, they just so happen to throw in a free 'basic' wedding. Which includes: Personal wedding consultant, Marriage officiant, Certified copy of marriage license, Picturesque wedding location, One 5"x7" wedding photograph, "Just married" T-shirts, Bouquet and boutonniere, Beautiful reception setting, Hors d'oeuvres & sparkling wine (for couple and two guests), Preparation of documentation, Caribbean Wedding Cake, Continental breakfast in bed, and Government / Administrative fees.

If you stay in a not concierge level room, then you pay the Government fees which range from $200-$500 depending on the location, so not too terribly much in the overall scheme of things.

Photography package is $1,200 and includes: (36) 5x7 prints, (6) 8x10 prints, Large ivory & gold matted album, (42) Digital negatives. This is a bit of cash.. but I believe we were planning on asking one of our photo gifted friends to take the pictures for us... and they probably wouldn't be able to afford the trip...

Which brings us to the seemingly only downfall of the entire scheme... guests. I would love to have all my friends and family there, but if we do it destination style, it's just not feasible for us to foot that kind of bill. Airfare is looking at ~1k per couple round trip. Wedding passes to the resort, if guests decide not to stay at Sandals themselves are ~$90. So we're looking at ridiculous numbers. Although, I think that with nearly a year to save, perhaps a few people will be able to put aside some money to have some fun. For four nights in the cheapest room (which is still fabulous) at Ochos Rios, for example it's ~2,500 including Airfare. So... it's a bit to ask someone to pay to come see us get married....

However, I think that people love the sand, the surf, and the sun and might just be in the mood for a vacation around July anyway. If they decide to join us in Jamaica, or wherever we decide, then that's fantastic. If not, then we'll Weddingmoon all by ourselves - and that's okay by me.

If we get 9 other couples, or just 9 additional rooms, then there's the additional perks of group-ness, but I doubt that will happen.

Anyway, it's kind of just a dream at the moment, but one that we could possibly complete. We'd just need to supply ourselves and our attire, which sounds kind of nice. Anyway, that's enough of that for now.

Things to do before October ends...

According to the timeline by OurWeddingDay.com here are some things I should have finished before October 22nd, on that day at the latest....

1) Get Wedding dress and ensemble.
2) Reserve ceremony and reception sites and plan rehearsal.
3) Book Officiant.
4) Book caterer if needed w/ location.
5) Send Save the Date cards.
6) Compile Guest list with addresses.

Well, we're almost finished with the last one, which we can then do number 5. As far as the dress and location reservations, those require money... so... they're not happening any time soon. Also, my beach location has yet to return my attempted contacts, making me think they're probably not the best place anyway.

Standstill...

So we've nearly gotten everyone's address that we'd like to invite. I feel bad about not having extended family there I think. I understand why we have to keep it just close friends and family and such. For pricewise and because... we've still got a lot of people all added together, and the very vast majority of them are linked to Bride, or Both... there's only 9 for groom (18 with +1s).. so yeah. With my second cousins and such, yeah. I'm not going to worry about it until later. We've still got... 319 days until we do the deed.

We haven't really accomplished much planning wise. John somehow can't find time to look into things, and yet feels like he's being left out. Even though he really does have time like...a lot of time.

So we're kind of... yeah, at a standstill.

Adrianna Hill Grand Ballroom

Adrianna Ballroom: a fantastically wonderful little pocket in Portland that is super pretty. However, I e-mailed them for information and it also is a smidgen spendy. All we would need to do is show up with a couple dozen flowers, a cake, and ourselves, though. They do all the rest. . . We'll price out our other options, some of which look more afforable - although we haven't added food/decor into the mix just quite yet.

My first rant.

"You need to involve your grammy and adopted sisters in some way." Or not. The wedding that John and I have will be between John and I. We will each have our best friends that are our family, up there, and that is all, unless we decide we need more. The wedding is going to be low-key, and mostly informal. If humanly possible my family will have to do nothing more than show up, sit down, cry, dance, and eat tasty food. I don't want anyone to have to do anything if I can avoid it. I've got e-mails out to some of the places I liked the looks of as far as pricing. Most people have weddings and spend all the time trying to please others with formality. I'm not like that. I'm having a wedding because I want one - if I didn't then we'd just head over to the courthouse. I love my family and friends and want them to be there. Our guest list is going to be small, because we like the intimacy and fun that can be had without having to worry about who everyone is, where everyone is, and whether we greeted everyone or made someone feel forgotten.

7-22-10

We wanted to do the wedding in 2010, rather than wait forever because we are excited. Since our guest list is rather small, and the location will most likely be free that leaves us open with availabilities even within the shorter amount of time.

The date will be July 22, 2010. Mid summer, less chance of coldness and/or rain. College friends (aka Brittany and Caity) will be here for the summer.

In addition, I've found a few dresses that I really like.

Now what?

-- Location of ceremony.
-- Check for permits if we end up needing one.
-- Find hotel/ballroom for reception
-- Look at tents/tables info for outside reception if desired

Guest List

John and I made our guest list today, and trimmed it down to our wanted number of approximately 50 people. Yay! We didn't take into account party members, though, so some people from our long list will probably end up on the short list once everything is said and done. Although, it is possible that they might not because of padding for +1s -- and the fact that our wedding party will probably just consist of Brittany and Corey. Guest List: check.

Now what?

Engagement

So Johnathan and I were officially engaged as of August 27th, 2009.

After freaking out and realizing that this means that a wedding will inevitably have to be planned I decided to make this here blog so I can do what I do best -- bitch through writing of course! This way people who do care can follow, and those that don't can just follow the normal blog. Hopefully, I'll do my best to keep them separate.

We have some missions up front to accomplish.

1) Pick a date.
-- On our anniversary would be romantic. March 22 of 2010 or 2011.
-- Sometime during the summer so we can be more sure of rain/cold avoidance. July?

2) Pick a last name.
-- John wants to take my name.
-- I want to take his.
-- Maybe make a new name?
-- Alexander (his mom's maiden)
-- Something cool from LOTR or Star Trek?

3) Make a guest list.
-- Everyone or just people we actually care about.

From there I think that we can craft a budget and get to the more fun parts of planning. I've been working on locations and dresses and things because those are exciting and I am indeed female. I'll be sure to post as these things or others are fully discovered.