Great love Songs That Are Completely Inappropriate For My Wedding, Pt 2:
I'm not a music snob. I (like most people) regularly find out about new, cool bands I like from Starbucks, or Apple commercials, or hip new movies and shows. And if any of you have seen the commercials for the new movie It's Kind of a Funny Story, I'm pretty sure you instantly ran to google the song in the commercial, listened to the song and fell in love with Ida Maria. I did, too, it's kind of an awesome song.
So imagine my surprise when, not a week after I found this song, I was listening to my favorite radio station (WRXT, a Chicago station) and they played a new awesome song that I had never heard before and it was another Ida Maria song. So obviously, I googled it, iTunes-ed it, and sent the YouTube video to all I know (who are also bored at work). Let me share it with you.
Yes, friends, I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked. It's catchy, it'd be fun to dance and or drink to. A great party song. Not so much a great wedding party song. I think it might give the wrong impression about why we have chosen to be brought together in holy matrimony. Plus, I think my mother would have a heart attack. AND it may incorrectly give the impression that I smoke or condone smoking. Which I don't, in front of my mom.
Lyrics to I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked:
Oh the clever
things I should say to you
They got stuck somewhere
Stuck between me and you
Oh I'm nervous
I don't know what to do
Light a cigarrette
I only smoke when I'm with you
What the hell do I do this for?
You're just another guy
OK, you're kind of sexy
But you're not really special
But I won't mind
If you take me home
Come on, take me home
I won't mind
if you take off all your clothes
Come on, take them off
'Cause I like you so much better when you're naked
I like me so much better when you're naked
I like you so much better when you're naked
I like me so much better when you're naked
29 October 2010
28 October 2010
You Are What You Eat
And by that I do not mean I am a carrot or tofu, but I am a vegan. Yep. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no gelatin. No fun according to many friends and family. Which leads to: What do you serve for dinner?
I think this is one of those things that people fall into two camps over, The It's My Wedding, I'll Do What I Damn Well Please Camp vs. The You Have To Make Your Guests/Parents Happy Crew. As previously discussed, it's my wedding, I'm paying for it and I'll do what I damn well please. However, what I please is a great party where everyone is happy and having a good time. Thus, a quandry.
I want, need, and plan to eat at my wedding, thus vegan food must be served. I would prefer if my guests were not forced to sneak out to McDonald's to grab a hamburger so they aren't starving. Especially since there are only 35 people invited, and sneaking would be pretty hard to manage. One way I am planning to manage the food issue is to not serve seated dinner, so when it's more of a heavy hors-d'oeuvres event, there isn't the blatant lack of a "Main Dish" i.e. steak or chicken.
I know that food can be a big issue for a lot of brides, especially those planning cross-cultural/interfaith events, and I think many of the popular wedding trends are a great solutions.
Food stations let you serve a variety and let your guests pick and choose what they want. I also think they encourage people to get up and circulate. A drawback can be that they interrupt a traditional itinerary, with speeches and toasts.
Family style serving brings out platters, which once again let's people pick and choose and encourages your guests to talk and get to know one another. The drawback is that for some reason, many venues really don't like this set up (which seems like it would be easier to me, but what do I know).
Cocktail Receptions are also getting popular, they save big money and are less fussy and formal. I think this is a great set up for a smaller wedding, since people really are circulating and can nibble and eat as they please. I would be worried how that would work for a larger event though, especially when it's time for first dances and cake cutting and the rest.
So, for all of us out there planning problem-food receptions, it seems like there are a lot of options. What would you go for?
And a vegan joke, because I can't help my self (that tofu btw):
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I think this is one of those things that people fall into two camps over, The It's My Wedding, I'll Do What I Damn Well Please Camp vs. The You Have To Make Your Guests/Parents Happy Crew. As previously discussed, it's my wedding, I'm paying for it and I'll do what I damn well please. However, what I please is a great party where everyone is happy and having a good time. Thus, a quandry.
I want, need, and plan to eat at my wedding, thus vegan food must be served. I would prefer if my guests were not forced to sneak out to McDonald's to grab a hamburger so they aren't starving. Especially since there are only 35 people invited, and sneaking would be pretty hard to manage. One way I am planning to manage the food issue is to not serve seated dinner, so when it's more of a heavy hors-d'oeuvres event, there isn't the blatant lack of a "Main Dish" i.e. steak or chicken.
I know that food can be a big issue for a lot of brides, especially those planning cross-cultural/interfaith events, and I think many of the popular wedding trends are a great solutions.
Food stations let you serve a variety and let your guests pick and choose what they want. I also think they encourage people to get up and circulate. A drawback can be that they interrupt a traditional itinerary, with speeches and toasts.
Family style serving brings out platters, which once again let's people pick and choose and encourages your guests to talk and get to know one another. The drawback is that for some reason, many venues really don't like this set up (which seems like it would be easier to me, but what do I know).
Cocktail Receptions are also getting popular, they save big money and are less fussy and formal. I think this is a great set up for a smaller wedding, since people really are circulating and can nibble and eat as they please. I would be worried how that would work for a larger event though, especially when it's time for first dances and cake cutting and the rest.
So, for all of us out there planning problem-food receptions, it seems like there are a lot of options. What would you go for?
And a vegan joke, because I can't help my self (that tofu btw):
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26 October 2010
THE $10,000 GIRL: Pt.2 In which cost saving locations are found
When I first started contemplating a location, I thought somewhere unusual and off the beaten path could be a lot of fun. I love the very blog-chic picnic/garden party/at home in a gorgeous backyard wedding. For example:
They seem so charming and relaxed. It might help that they are beautifully designed and detailed (probably not, though ;) ). I initially was determined to have my outdoors, non-conventional location wedding, not only for looks, but for cost savings. As we all know, that mentioning the word wedding doubles any price estimate (2 tiered cake = $500, 2 tiered wedding cake= $1200, rent a venue= $600/4 hr., rent a wedding venue= $1000/4 hr. Maybe brides are twice as much of a pain to deal with...). I thought/hoped that booking a place that was not a "wedding" venue, or having a backyard wedding , would save big bucks, so we could spend more on fun things, like my dress, or open bar, or my dress, or the honeymoon, or my dress. And in theory we could. It would mean serious amounts of planning, and gathering, and stockpiling to have the seats and the tables and the catering all arranged for such an off-beat place. While I can optimistically say that I could handle that, the problem is I live across the country so would have to haul my tush and my wedding stockpile across the country just to get it there. Plus I would have to stockpile in a NYC apartment. Back to the drawing board.
So blog chic is out, but I still wanted non-conventional, not least of all because I'm an atheist (or failed Catholic as my mother says), as is Ben, and a church is not an option. Since outdoor/park/home venue was eliminated by the amount of bargain hunting and storing OR the cost and hassle party rentals, I wanted to find a place that would be totally equipped, not too costly, and still pretty unique. It seems like a tall order, but the solution was pretty easy: cool restaurant.
So now the problem was finding a great location with amazing (vegan) food, from halfway across the country. Piece of cake, right?
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They seem so charming and relaxed. It might help that they are beautifully designed and detailed (probably not, though ;) ). I initially was determined to have my outdoors, non-conventional location wedding, not only for looks, but for cost savings. As we all know, that mentioning the word wedding doubles any price estimate (2 tiered cake = $500, 2 tiered wedding cake= $1200, rent a venue= $600/4 hr., rent a wedding venue= $1000/4 hr. Maybe brides are twice as much of a pain to deal with...). I thought/hoped that booking a place that was not a "wedding" venue, or having a backyard wedding , would save big bucks, so we could spend more on fun things, like my dress, or open bar, or my dress, or the honeymoon, or my dress. And in theory we could. It would mean serious amounts of planning, and gathering, and stockpiling to have the seats and the tables and the catering all arranged for such an off-beat place. While I can optimistically say that I could handle that, the problem is I live across the country so would have to haul my tush and my wedding stockpile across the country just to get it there. Plus I would have to stockpile in a NYC apartment. Back to the drawing board.
So blog chic is out, but I still wanted non-conventional, not least of all because I'm an atheist (or failed Catholic as my mother says), as is Ben, and a church is not an option. Since outdoor/park/home venue was eliminated by the amount of bargain hunting and storing OR the cost and hassle party rentals, I wanted to find a place that would be totally equipped, not too costly, and still pretty unique. It seems like a tall order, but the solution was pretty easy: cool restaurant.
So now the problem was finding a great location with amazing (vegan) food, from halfway across the country. Piece of cake, right?
25 October 2010
Notes from the Planning Underground
Top secret dispatches from the Covert Bureau of Wedding Planning and DIY Catastrophe Prevention. Please take care ensure the secrecy of all documents.
Sister to Self: Note to self (in that the line between you and I is becoming less distinct) for paper crafts we are going to need a self-healing mat and a rotary cutter to really streamline things.
Self to Sister: I think i have a self-healing mat. I'll double check on the rotary cutter.
Self to Mister: Do we still have your big self healing mat and a rotary cutter?
Mister to Self: I can't say that I have seen the self-healing mat in a long time. As in, I think it was swiped from studio long time ago.
And we do not have a rotary cutter.
Sounds like you and Sister are up to no good.
Self to Mister: Of course we are. A trip to Michaels then.
Self to Sister: No go on the goods. A shopping trip will be required. And Mister thinks you are up to no good.
Sister to Self: Why is that?!? It's not like I asked for a box cutter. With a self-healing mat and a rotary cutter, I think I could triple production speed.
Self to Sister: What can I say, he has a dark and suspicious mind. Probably because he knows us. Michaels?
21 October 2010
Let's Make Sweet Music
Please welcome the inaugural post of a new series: Great Love Songs That Are Completely Inappropriate for My Wedding. This series will visit songs I like/love that probably won't be played in a setting that will require me to explain the lyrics to my grandmother. Without further ado...
I am a life long Beatles fan, and think they have mastered the art of the love song. From All You Need Is Love to I Want To Hold Your Hand, my favorite, Something, and Ben's favorite, Here Come's the Sun, you could pretty much have a Beatles themed wedding and not hit a foul note. With one big, notable exception: Why Don't We Do It In The Road.
Fortunately, discussing the lyrics and why they are inappropriate is pretty simple in this case because they consist of one phrase, repeated. A lot.
Why don't we do it in the road
Why don't we do it in the road
No one will be watching us
Why don't we do it in the road
Now, while we can argue that I have a dirty mind, and nothing in the song is explicit, I think this song is clearly about sexy times. And I don't like to share my sexy times with my family. It's just not a family bonding activity. Furthermore, I think John, Paul, George and Ringo are giving really bad advice. I think doing it in the road is a bad idea and a sure recipe for road rash on your tush.
And just because no one is watching, doesn't mean public sexy times are a good idea.
I am a life long Beatles fan, and think they have mastered the art of the love song. From All You Need Is Love to I Want To Hold Your Hand, my favorite, Something, and Ben's favorite, Here Come's the Sun, you could pretty much have a Beatles themed wedding and not hit a foul note. With one big, notable exception: Why Don't We Do It In The Road.
Fortunately, discussing the lyrics and why they are inappropriate is pretty simple in this case because they consist of one phrase, repeated. A lot.
Why don't we do it in the road
Why don't we do it in the road
No one will be watching us
Why don't we do it in the road
Now, while we can argue that I have a dirty mind, and nothing in the song is explicit, I think this song is clearly about sexy times. And I don't like to share my sexy times with my family. It's just not a family bonding activity. Furthermore, I think John, Paul, George and Ringo are giving really bad advice. I think doing it in the road is a bad idea and a sure recipe for road rash on your tush.
And just because no one is watching, doesn't mean public sexy times are a good idea.
Our Very First Proposal
Once upon a time, there was Ben and Kathryn. Ben was a studious graduate student. He worked hard, going to class, working on projects, being a research assistant and scholar. He would stay up late at night, working by the pale blue glow of his monitor, forgetting to eat and sleep. He was sustained by a steady diet of frozen burritos, ravioli from a can, and his love of Kathryn.
Kathryn was a newly minted graduate, bright eyed and going out into the world with her very first big girl job. She worked regular hours, had income and paid vacation, and loved Ben, which is why she was living in some lame college town, instead of the big city as planned. She learned that she loved to cook, and go to the markets, and not having homework.
So life was just swell for our young heros, when an exciting right of passage arrived for Kathryn: her first company Christmas party. Timid in the face of this new challenge, and endowed with a plus-1 invitation, Kathryn brought Ben to aid her, and be her designated driver. Having heard epic tales of Christmases past, she was prepared for a bacchanalian feast, where food would would be great (lobster with a side of lobster tail please!)and wine would flow like wine! Determined to be a good little professional, she would be sure to eat, be merry, and be sober.
As the evening progressed Kathryn and Ben schmoozed, circulated and generally had a nice time. Food was good, Christmas gifts and joy were received by all. Kathryn even bonded with her all male co-workers. So well, that when they progressed to phase 2 of the Christmas party, the boozy phase, she was invited to join. Remembering her desire to not get shmamered, Ben politely suggested she abstain from Phase 2. Kathryn said "Whatyou think I can't hold my liquor?" Co-workers said "Oh, so you can't hold your liquor?" Challenges were issued, gauntlets thrown and co-workers ambled over to the bar for festive holiday shots!
(From this point on we rely entirely on Ben's testimony, as Kathryn has no recollection of the following events):
As Team Coworker made their way over to the bar, Ben stayed behind with fellow sober husband, who just smiled and shook his head. While the two made small talk and compared how delightful their (now tipsy) partners were and how the Christmas party always ends up being quite the event (meaning there is gossip for weeks to come). As the men have their manly chat, talking about their ladies, the ladies proceeded to become less and less lady like with each round of shots, until boisterously, they closed the place down. At this time, Ben kindly stepped in to escort a very cheerful and affectionate Kathryn home.
What happened next is matter of much debate since only one of the two involved parties recalls the exchange.
As Ben and Kathryn make their way to the car, Kathryn declared her undying love. And then, quite insistently stated "Let's get married!" Yes, Kathryn proposed. In a loving and meaningful way (according to she-who-cannot-remember). Ben, master tactician that he is and was, politely suggested the conversation wait until morning. Again, Kathryn insisted that they should get married and proceeded to be VERY INSULTED that Ben did not want to get married. She went to sleep/passed out angry.
In the morning, true to her magical form, she awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed, oblivious to last night's discussion. As Ben arose, groggy (and perhaps a bit cranky), he cautiously asked if she had a nice time last night.
"Great!" she chirpped.
"And are you still upset?" he queried.
"About what?" Kathryn wondered.
"...um, your proposal?" Ben replied.
"HUH!?"
fin
Thus ends the story of the first time Kathryn asked Ben to marry her. This is not the official proposal story. But perhaps the funniest.
Kathryn was a newly minted graduate, bright eyed and going out into the world with her very first big girl job. She worked regular hours, had income and paid vacation, and loved Ben, which is why she was living in some lame college town, instead of the big city as planned. She learned that she loved to cook, and go to the markets, and not having homework.
So life was just swell for our young heros, when an exciting right of passage arrived for Kathryn: her first company Christmas party. Timid in the face of this new challenge, and endowed with a plus-1 invitation, Kathryn brought Ben to aid her, and be her designated driver. Having heard epic tales of Christmases past, she was prepared for a bacchanalian feast, where food would would be great (lobster with a side of lobster tail please!)and wine would flow like wine! Determined to be a good little professional, she would be sure to eat, be merry, and be sober.
As the evening progressed Kathryn and Ben schmoozed, circulated and generally had a nice time. Food was good, Christmas gifts and joy were received by all. Kathryn even bonded with her all male co-workers. So well, that when they progressed to phase 2 of the Christmas party, the boozy phase, she was invited to join. Remembering her desire to not get shmamered, Ben politely suggested she abstain from Phase 2. Kathryn said "Whatyou think I can't hold my liquor?" Co-workers said "Oh, so you can't hold your liquor?" Challenges were issued, gauntlets thrown and co-workers ambled over to the bar for festive holiday shots!
(From this point on we rely entirely on Ben's testimony, as Kathryn has no recollection of the following events):
As Team Coworker made their way over to the bar, Ben stayed behind with fellow sober husband, who just smiled and shook his head. While the two made small talk and compared how delightful their (now tipsy) partners were and how the Christmas party always ends up being quite the event (meaning there is gossip for weeks to come). As the men have their manly chat, talking about their ladies, the ladies proceeded to become less and less lady like with each round of shots, until boisterously, they closed the place down. At this time, Ben kindly stepped in to escort a very cheerful and affectionate Kathryn home.
What happened next is matter of much debate since only one of the two involved parties recalls the exchange.
As Ben and Kathryn make their way to the car, Kathryn declared her undying love. And then, quite insistently stated "Let's get married!" Yes, Kathryn proposed. In a loving and meaningful way (according to she-who-cannot-remember). Ben, master tactician that he is and was, politely suggested the conversation wait until morning. Again, Kathryn insisted that they should get married and proceeded to be VERY INSULTED that Ben did not want to get married. She went to sleep/passed out angry.
In the morning, true to her magical form, she awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed, oblivious to last night's discussion. As Ben arose, groggy (and perhaps a bit cranky), he cautiously asked if she had a nice time last night.
"Great!" she chirpped.
"And are you still upset?" he queried.
"About what?" Kathryn wondered.
"...um, your proposal?" Ben replied.
"HUH!?"
fin
Thus ends the story of the first time Kathryn asked Ben to marry her. This is not the official proposal story. But perhaps the funniest.
20 October 2010
To the Exotic Land of...Illinois
I briefly mentioned that I am currently a New Yorker, though a Chicagoan by birth (well, really a Floridian by birth and a Chicagoan by upbringing, but that really is besides the point. Yet, for some reason I feel the need to clarify, making an issue out of a non-issue, because only my sisters would read this and say "That's not technically true, you know," since none of you would know the difference. I digress). Since my family, as well as Ben's, still live in the Chicago area, we thought it would be more fun and less hassle if we had our wedding Chicago, since then only we would need to travel and we would get to be the out of town guests. It was a good idea. Completely wrong, but a good idea.
The joys of planning a wedding where you live are that you can check out local vendors, meet with lots of different people, go to tastings, walk by shops and make fun vendor discoveries, go to local bridal events and meet local experts to advise you. Fun! You get to be involved, you can take things bit by bit, get in a couple vendors or appointments a week, if needed.
The joy of planning a destination wedding is that, for the most part, you can get someone to do it for you. This isn't universally true, but loads of destination weddings are at a resort or a big venue. They have a planner, and have done lots of weddings. They tell you your options, you pick, they take care of details, like wedding license, and transportation, and lodging. Super fun! A beautiful wedding, a wedding planner from your venue, and for the most part, it's out of your hands [which may or may not drive you crazy, depending on how much control you like. I am very good at letting other people deal with things for me :) ].
I have neither a local nor a destination. I have a semi-destination wedding, in that I will have to travel, I get to plan from a distance, I have to find vendors and make decisions sight unseen. "But wait!" you may say, "This is exactly the perfect reason to get a wedding planner!" Oh, dear reader, how right you are. This is a perfect case for a wedding planner. Alas, I have a budget. And there is no line on my spreadsheet that says "wedding planner." I must go it alone.
This raises the interesting question of "How do I find my vendors?" The beginning of the process is obviously pretty standard. Everyone starts with some online research, checking the wedding sites, reading reviews, making some lists. Next usually comes the visit, to check out your favorites and revise your lists. This is where I run into problems. So I have created my Handy-Dandy-Distance-Vendor-Checklist! (list included below). This is my list that helps me evaluate whether I'll be able to work with a vendor, so I can have a short list of vendors-of-note to visit on the brief occasions I'll be in Chicago before the wedding.
The Handy-Dandy-Distance-Vendor-Checklist
Do they have a user friendly website, with pictures, information, and reviews?
When I call them, do they answer or get back to me quickly?
Do they reply to my emails quickly?
If I contact them a second time, do they know who I am, or do I have to re-explain everything?
Are they willing to work with me almost exclusively by phone/email?
Can they email me samples (sample contracts, portfolios, sample menus)?
Are they comfortable/experienced with weddings*?
Do they seem knowledgeable, i.e. none of my questions are very surprising to them?
Do we connect, i.e. they get what I'm going for look and experience-wise?
*This was particularly important of my venue and officiant, since I wasn't going to be able to be there a lot, I wanted to be confident that they had a wedding under control, so I could show up and things would be where I told them.
And so with list in hand, I head out into the fray, to secure my vendors.
The joys of planning a wedding where you live are that you can check out local vendors, meet with lots of different people, go to tastings, walk by shops and make fun vendor discoveries, go to local bridal events and meet local experts to advise you. Fun! You get to be involved, you can take things bit by bit, get in a couple vendors or appointments a week, if needed.
The joy of planning a destination wedding is that, for the most part, you can get someone to do it for you. This isn't universally true, but loads of destination weddings are at a resort or a big venue. They have a planner, and have done lots of weddings. They tell you your options, you pick, they take care of details, like wedding license, and transportation, and lodging. Super fun! A beautiful wedding, a wedding planner from your venue, and for the most part, it's out of your hands [which may or may not drive you crazy, depending on how much control you like. I am very good at letting other people deal with things for me :) ].
I have neither a local nor a destination. I have a semi-destination wedding, in that I will have to travel, I get to plan from a distance, I have to find vendors and make decisions sight unseen. "But wait!" you may say, "This is exactly the perfect reason to get a wedding planner!" Oh, dear reader, how right you are. This is a perfect case for a wedding planner. Alas, I have a budget. And there is no line on my spreadsheet that says "wedding planner." I must go it alone.
This raises the interesting question of "How do I find my vendors?" The beginning of the process is obviously pretty standard. Everyone starts with some online research, checking the wedding sites, reading reviews, making some lists. Next usually comes the visit, to check out your favorites and revise your lists. This is where I run into problems. So I have created my Handy-Dandy-Distance-Vendor-Checklist! (list included below). This is my list that helps me evaluate whether I'll be able to work with a vendor, so I can have a short list of vendors-of-note to visit on the brief occasions I'll be in Chicago before the wedding.
The Handy-Dandy-Distance-Vendor-Checklist
Do they have a user friendly website, with pictures, information, and reviews?
When I call them, do they answer or get back to me quickly?
Do they reply to my emails quickly?
If I contact them a second time, do they know who I am, or do I have to re-explain everything?
Are they willing to work with me almost exclusively by phone/email?
Can they email me samples (sample contracts, portfolios, sample menus)?
Are they comfortable/experienced with weddings*?
Do they seem knowledgeable, i.e. none of my questions are very surprising to them?
Do we connect, i.e. they get what I'm going for look and experience-wise?
*This was particularly important of my venue and officiant, since I wasn't going to be able to be there a lot, I wanted to be confident that they had a wedding under control, so I could show up and things would be where I told them.
And so with list in hand, I head out into the fray, to secure my vendors.
19 October 2010
Is This Inspirational?
When I first started thinking about what I wanted my wedding to be like I had a really hard time putting it into words. I wanted it to be cool and urban, laidback and a little vintage without being "retro," sort of like my ideal version of myself. There wasn't really a catchphrase or theme I could come up with to describe it to people. Enter Exhibit A:
So. This is where the awkward pause usually comes in. It's OK, don't feel bad, I know its weird and you are doing a good job of "If you can't say anything nice, don't saying anything at all." This is my wedding inspiration,which, since there are NO wedding related pictures included and an odd amount of Wes Anderson, strikes some people as a bit non-bridal. Whelp, my rational is that I'm not really a bridal sort of gal. I want to throw a great party with kick-ass music and food and feel, I want everyone to have a ton of fun and walk away saying "That was a great party" I just also want to get hitched over the course of my party. And it's my party so I'll do what I want.
What my goal is, is for this whole thing to really reflect who Ben and I are. Urban, laidback, cool and kind of vintage pretty much covers it (Well, cool is up for debate, but still). So, I think Wes Anderson flicks kind of get that vibe, and while he is the master of completely dysfunctional family stories, and thus seems like an odd choice for wedding inspiration, he is also a master of design. His movies always have the sort of retro coloring and styling I really like. He also has great fonts and titles, which Ben loves (in an obsessive, design geek sort of way), and I'd love to somehow incorporate his style into my day, whether that's in invitations, photography or some sort of signage/display at the wedding itself.
I'm not sure how it's all going to work out yet, but that's how "cool" I think our wedding should be, even if the inspiration is a wee bit less than..."inspiration board."
So. This is where the awkward pause usually comes in. It's OK, don't feel bad, I know its weird and you are doing a good job of "If you can't say anything nice, don't saying anything at all." This is my wedding inspiration,which, since there are NO wedding related pictures included and an odd amount of Wes Anderson, strikes some people as a bit non-bridal. Whelp, my rational is that I'm not really a bridal sort of gal. I want to throw a great party with kick-ass music and food and feel, I want everyone to have a ton of fun and walk away saying "That was a great party" I just also want to get hitched over the course of my party. And it's my party so I'll do what I want.
What my goal is, is for this whole thing to really reflect who Ben and I are. Urban, laidback, cool and kind of vintage pretty much covers it (Well, cool is up for debate, but still). So, I think Wes Anderson flicks kind of get that vibe, and while he is the master of completely dysfunctional family stories, and thus seems like an odd choice for wedding inspiration, he is also a master of design. His movies always have the sort of retro coloring and styling I really like. He also has great fonts and titles, which Ben loves (in an obsessive, design geek sort of way), and I'd love to somehow incorporate his style into my day, whether that's in invitations, photography or some sort of signage/display at the wedding itself.
I'm not sure how it's all going to work out yet, but that's how "cool" I think our wedding should be, even if the inspiration is a wee bit less than..."inspiration board."
18 October 2010
The $10,000 Dollar Girl
I have always been an independent soul. And by that I mean stubborn, opinionated and vocal about it. Ben politely describes it as "being a handful." I'm OK with that. It's who I am and generally, I like me. But to get to the point, I like to do things my own way and am not my usual charming self when some one prevents me from doing that.
The net result of this is I plan on having my (our) wedding my (our) way. Which means we'll be paying for it. I like it that way, because now I can involve anyone I'd like in the planning, ask for their advice as needed, and ignore it as I please. Also, I have four sisters so there was no hope of my parents going "Of course! It's your big day! Money is no object, and we'll pay for it all!" but it sounds a lot more adult when I say we'll be paying for it because I'm selfish :)
I feel like there is more and more pressure on brides to have giant, perfectly planned, super sumptuous, day-of-dreams type events, which is cool if money really is no object, but as we are starting our life together as newlyweds, I really don't want to be paying off a wedding debt as big as my student loans. I want to have a wedding we could pay for with money we actually have, which turns out to be about $10,000. In real life, that seems like a lot of money to me, but in Wedding Planning Land, it really doesn't go far.
We really had to decide what was most important to us about our wedding, what we wanted to have and what we were willing and able to sacrifice. Maybe I was born under a lucky star, but what I really wanted was to have a very intimate, very beautiful wedding. Intimate = small guest list. Small guest list = big savings! At the moment our guest list stands at about 35 people, mostly family. I'm hoping with this small crew, we will be able to have great food, good favors, great decor and, most importantly, open bar, because in the immortal words of the internet, I don't need alcohol to have fun, but why start a fire with flint and sticks when they have invented the lighter?
I have a lot of other cost saving ideas, and a lot of budget busters, in mind and will keep you updated on how they work out. Have you been able to stay on budget? Have you had to sacrifice to do it?
The net result of this is I plan on having my (our) wedding my (our) way. Which means we'll be paying for it. I like it that way, because now I can involve anyone I'd like in the planning, ask for their advice as needed, and ignore it as I please. Also, I have four sisters so there was no hope of my parents going "Of course! It's your big day! Money is no object, and we'll pay for it all!" but it sounds a lot more adult when I say we'll be paying for it because I'm selfish :)
I feel like there is more and more pressure on brides to have giant, perfectly planned, super sumptuous, day-of-dreams type events, which is cool if money really is no object, but as we are starting our life together as newlyweds, I really don't want to be paying off a wedding debt as big as my student loans. I want to have a wedding we could pay for with money we actually have, which turns out to be about $10,000. In real life, that seems like a lot of money to me, but in Wedding Planning Land, it really doesn't go far.
We really had to decide what was most important to us about our wedding, what we wanted to have and what we were willing and able to sacrifice. Maybe I was born under a lucky star, but what I really wanted was to have a very intimate, very beautiful wedding. Intimate = small guest list. Small guest list = big savings! At the moment our guest list stands at about 35 people, mostly family. I'm hoping with this small crew, we will be able to have great food, good favors, great decor and, most importantly, open bar, because in the immortal words of the internet, I don't need alcohol to have fun, but why start a fire with flint and sticks when they have invented the lighter?
I have a lot of other cost saving ideas, and a lot of budget busters, in mind and will keep you updated on how they work out. Have you been able to stay on budget? Have you had to sacrifice to do it?
15 October 2010
I Found a Song
For those of you who are far more musically inclined than I, you may have recognized the title of my blog right away. It's a line from "I Found A Reason," originally by The Velvet Underground and later covered by Cat Power. And I love it.
I'm not really a music person. I like music, I listen to it all the time, but I am the music equivalent of "I may not know art, but I know what I like." I don't research or seek out the newest hottest bands and want to know about them before you so by the time you like them I can go "OH them? I liked them but their sound has really changed, they're soooo mainstream now." Probably because I know too many people who do that. But Ben likes music, and has far better taste than I do (but that's a subject for a whole different post). So when we started thinking about our ceremony music, and I was at complete loose ends about what I'd walk in to, Ben said, "I always thought I Found a Reason (by Cat Power) was the perfect song." Ladies and gents, boy was he right. Listen to this:
So as perfect as that song is, it took me a long while to put together the fact that it is from an album called Covers is because it is a cover of another song. And I love that as well. Maybe more, or like my mom claims when I claim she love's my sister more, maybe "Just differently." Anywho, now I want to dance to that as our first dance. Too much? Just sweet enough?
I'm not really a music person. I like music, I listen to it all the time, but I am the music equivalent of "I may not know art, but I know what I like." I don't research or seek out the newest hottest bands and want to know about them before you so by the time you like them I can go "OH them? I liked them but their sound has really changed, they're soooo mainstream now." Probably because I know too many people who do that. But Ben likes music, and has far better taste than I do (but that's a subject for a whole different post). So when we started thinking about our ceremony music, and I was at complete loose ends about what I'd walk in to, Ben said, "I always thought I Found a Reason (by Cat Power) was the perfect song." Ladies and gents, boy was he right. Listen to this:
So as perfect as that song is, it took me a long while to put together the fact that it is from an album called Covers is because it is a cover of another song. And I love that as well. Maybe more, or like my mom claims when I claim she love's my sister more, maybe "Just differently." Anywho, now I want to dance to that as our first dance. Too much? Just sweet enough?
13 October 2010
Hello, World
I live in New York City. I'm not from here, but then, no one is. I plan on getting married in the general vicinity of where I am from, which is Chicago. It is also where my future husband is from, which I thought was very convenient of him.
Things I like:
Seasons and their accessories (Yay pumpkins!)
Naps
Exploring NYC
Kittens and their grown up counterparts
IKEA
Lula's (a vegan ice cream place)
Good books
Snack time
Things I don't like:
Unexplained delays on the subway
Rain RIGHT AFTER I blow out my hair
Stubbed toes
Bugs
Not being able to think of the word I want
Allergies
Ok, so that's me. In the future, when I'm talking about things and you're wondering what I'm like or where I am, this can give you the general idea. I'm sure more details will be forthcoming as we get to know each other, but it took me 5 years to get to know Ben (the future Mr. Kathryn) well enough to marry him, so I'm sure it will develop as we go on.
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