Engagement Party "Thank Yous"

I had to find something that matched the party theme so I went out and bought these today. I wanted a lighter pink because that was more of the theme but nothing with black. All I need to do is find some more addresses and they are finished. I wanted to find some envelopes to match but this has been quite a problem. So I decided to take my regular boring envelopes and add a liner to them to make them more pretty!

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Binder Divider #5: Reception

Ceremony & Reception Update!!!!


We are getting married in Mr. C's families' backyard in Long Island, New York. They have 5 acres of land, that is gorgeous and has a pool. Plus it is free. We will have to rent chairs, do catering and such but it will be just beautiful. Plus we don't have to do just dancing afterwards we can have various things going on outside while we drink and have a good time.


At first I couldn't believe I was going to do this but at the end of the day, I don't really care where my wedding is as long as it happens. I want my family and friends to be there and now we can still invite everyone that we want and aren't worrying as much about the bottom line.


I am going to have to hire people to serve and be bar tenders but I think we can make this an awesome time. Who would have ever thought I would have a backyard wedding? Not this girl.


Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Binder Divider #4: Ceremony

I think I posted previously about meeting with my Youth Pastor from when I was in Middle School. I have known him for 13 years so I thought it would be fitting to ask him to do our wedding ceremony for us. He has agreed, we are bringing him to ARUBA! We do have to do 5 premarital sessions with him to talk about our values (especially them being different, I was brought up a Christian, he is a Catholic Jew), Children, Money, Family, and Sex. Sounds crazy but I am so excited. My youth pastor and I are very close so I think this is going to be a great opportunity for Mr. C and I to grow as a couple and learn more about each other.

We have already decided that we are going to do a Christian ceremony with some Jewish traditions added in which my pastor has gracious been accepting of this.

Jewish Traditions

• breaking of the class which symbolizes the memory of the destruction of the temple
• bride walking around the husband seven times to signify the seven blessings
• getting married under a Chuppah which is a symbol of the couples new home together
• Reading of the 7 Blessings
• Yichud which is when the bride and groom are escorted into a room and left alone for a few minutes to symbol their new married, living, together life.
• ****Please don't take offense if I get something wrong!! I am doing my best to get it all right :)

Christian Traditions

• Communion
• Pronouncing Husband & Wife
• Presenting the Couple
• Cutting and Feeding Cake Symbolizing the covenant they have made to one another
• Families seated on separate sides
• Center Aisle
• Seating of the Parents
• Groom Enters first
• Father escorts his daughter the bride
• White Wedding Dress
• Sand Ceremony - Unity Ceremony of course with Navy and Pink Sand
• Bride on the left hand side
• Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Both Traditions

• Exchanging of the rings
• Veiling of the Bride
• Reception (Ceremonial Meals)

It has been an extremely interesting and learning experience for me! Please share any tidbits I might be forgetting :)

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Binder Divider #3: Rehearsal Dinner

This is what the view looks like from inside.

This is what a lot of their decorations look like :)

So we decided on Windows on Aruba for our Rehearsal Dinner. It is beautiful and allows everyone the opportunity to come and go, since some of our family and friends will be coming in at random times. The boat option just made things more confined in terms of time.

I had really wanted to do something creative like snorkeling or a Dinner boat cruise but it just makes things so complicated. Plus, Windows on Aruba is beautiful.

We decided to do a custom menu for our guests with open bar for 3 hours.

It will be $35 per person for food including taxes and tip. $25 per person for the 3 hours of open bar if they choose including taxes and tip. (We made it optional because not everyone in our group will be drinking.)

Food: $1,050

Drinks: Estimating that 20 people will be drinking $500

TOTAL: $1550

http://www.windowsonaruba.com

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Binder Divider #2: Aruba & Honeymoon

In this section, I am keeping a copy of important email correspondence with the Marriott, any important Aruba information I want to keep to put in the Welcome Bags, and I will put Honeymoon information. We decided thanks to do the Jamaica thanks to Whity Wife. Link is below if you are interested in this all inclusive place. She had a similar budget to us and they ended up having left over money!! WAHOOO. I love the sound of that.

http://couples.com/wedding/honeymoon.php

Even more exciting, I found a book by date that you can pay in installments. With only a $100 deposit. You also get to lock in the price for today. I called them at the 1-800 number because I am so far in advance, they have locked me into the 2011 prices for our January 2013 trip date. WAHOO.

They have 4 resorts with various inclusions on them. ALL HAVE GOLF, Mr. C's favorite. Plus tennis, lots of bars and food. We are having a hard time deciding which resort, we have until next Friday to decide to lock us in the 2011 prices. Each place has a great activities list with a lot to do. I am a planner, Mr. C is NOT. So this will give us opportunities to do things together and apart. Especially while he plays a round of golf or two.

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Engagement Party Success

What a fantastic party my future mother in law threw for us. I was so completely impressed. THANK YOU for celebrating us and making me feel so welcome into the family. Everything was just beautiful. The theme was light pink and black, it looked completely amazing. My camera is broken so I am awaiting posts of pictures from family and friends.

She did black table cloths with pink center liners with crystals and pink flowers in the vases. I was so impressed and how could I not. Very sophisticated but cute. YAY!

So much to share in my next post. I have made a LOT of purchases and really started working on my DIY projects. Plus lots of Organizational things I have done.

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Honeymoon

I need serious help with this. Here are our top choices. We are lucky enough that his parents have given us $5,000 for a week away! We would be leaving from Aruba. We both are able to have the week in Aruba that we always have with family and then head on our honeymoon so a 2 week vacation. We are so lucky. Plus I just found out searching for flights this year to see prices, much cheaper to fly home and then leave from home after a couple of days. So we may want to come home early, get settled then leave.

1. Capri, Italy ($919 flight per person) This is Mr. C's top choice. It truly is beautiful.

2. Australia ($2,600 flight per person)

3. Hawaii ($663 flight per person)

4. Fiji (Can't fly directly there still researching costs of this)

5. Paris ($935 flight per person)

6. Turks & Caicos ($804 flight per person)

7. Madrid ($772 flight per person)

Where did you go on your Honeymoon? What did you do? Any suggestions on what we should do when we are there. I want to plan a day or two of things to do. My Future hubby prefers NO PLANS at all but I just can not handle that so we compromised on 2 days that I could plan, the rest will be fly by the seat of our pants :)

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Binder Divider #1: Budget

So I have this part of my binder on my computer and I print it out weekly, sometimes twice a week so I have a printed copy if I need it when meeting with family, friends, MR. C, or potential Vendors. I made it in google documents because WOW o WOW does google documents have a lot of templates already made if anyone is interested.

This is great for NOT having to reinvent the wheel. I love having it online as well as in my notebook so if I lost it or need to make changes I have it where ever I need it. Plus it is PINK, who doesn't love pink. Well, I actually know a lot of people, but for me, it is perfect.

Budget

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Engagement Party

My fabulous Mother in Law, is throwing us an engagement party the weekend of July 4th since everyone will be able to get up to NY, although, we are going to have to take the train. I don't know if any of you have the wonderful task of trying to drive from DC to NY. It is never a fun task and when you do do it, it is better at night, late at night to miss traffic and construction.

Although, we have started using Amtrak Business Express and it has been a fabulous experience. I bring my blockbuster movies that I get in the mail, hook up my computer, and 3 and half hours later, you are in NY. WONDERFUL! Then you can either take the LIRR to the Island or we get picked up by my future sister in law.

I think this is finally getting me back in the mood of wedding planning! I am so excited to see all our family and friends.



Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Coinstar

Okay I know that I post about weddings, but I also have been talking about our budget, saving money. Which has been hard in itself. I just found this and couldn't wait to share with someone. I'm at work and can't except for you ALL!


Coinstar you can do for FREE if you put it into a giftcard. Lots of places to put the money on a gift card to.
Amazon
Itunes
Stop n Shop
Banana Republic
Borders 
CVS
JCPENNY
Old Navy
Overstock
Regal Cinema
Starbucks


http://www.coinstar.com/FreeCoinCounting


I love coinstar but HATE having to pay the fee when I could roll them myself. I always end up with a lot of coins every year working at a school. Hope you enjoy.


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Wedding Binder!

Thank you for everyones kind words when I was having a melt down. I decided to take the weekend to organize myself. So this is part one of the organizing posts. I designed a binder to organize my paper work and thoughts. Here is what it looks like. I designed it on zazzle.com. I got the 2 inch size.

Dividers I used: 

• Budget (Invitations, Contracts, Bill Payment Sheet, and Schedule of payments, Photography information, Registry Information)
• Aruba & Honeymoon - Flights, Stay, Map, All about Aruba 
• Rehearsal Dinner - Contract, Special Information
• Ceremony - Officiant, Marriage License Information, Name Change Information, Program
• Reception - DJ, Flowers, Cake, Menus
• Bride (Here I have my dress information, place to get my veil and dress cleaned, ring information, garter, Hair & Make Up Information, etc.)
• Groom (Ring, attire, etc.)
• Wedding Party (Including parents in this one)
• Decor & Favors

I am also working on a wedding website to help keep me organized, share my projects and share information with our guests. What did/are you doing to keep organized? How did you do it?? All tips are greatly welcome!!

Tomorrow I will show you my to do lists and items I put in each tab!


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Save the Date-Round 2

So we decided to do FREE, yes I said FREE, Save the Dates, online from pingg.com! I know not as wonderful as Magnets or postcards. But I do have Free Color Printing at my work, so I did make some color copies and have handed them out to those who wish to put it on their refrigerator or most people are printing them off for themselves. Of course am framing one! I actually really like them. Hope you do too! Plus it forced me to make sure I have an updated email and address for everyone on my list to start our family contacts binder. I know I'm such a nerd.

Plus, the nice thing about pingg.com is that we could send it as an RSVP, so we can get a primary head count of how many people we are expecting, and we will send out more detailed information to them soon so we can get reservations and cheaper flights!!

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com ~ Future Mrs. C

Something Borrowed

http://somethingborrowedmovie.warnerbros.com/

This was my old post that got lost in the blogger shut down from 5/17:


So I have to go and see this movie this weekend, now that I am DONE!!!!! can not put enough exclamation marks on DONE with classes this semester and worrying about my father (see yesterday's post for the EXCITING news). I didn't read the book, which everyone is telling me to do first, but who wants to be normal anyways is my philosophy! My entire wedding, long relationship (6 and half years before engagement), and lack of diamonds engagement ring, I think show I am far from "normal". Which I hope is a good thing! Anyone seen the movie?? I would love feedback on it. I have heard good and bad from both sides, of course, book was better. But I LOVE Kate Hudson. How to loose a guy in 10 days - one of the first movie I made Mr. C see and you can't forget Bridal Wars! Oh hilarious.

I am hoping this will get me into the wedding planning mode as I have gotten a little off track with keeping up with my to do list! AHH! Trying not to freak out. I haven't "officially" asked my bridesmaids to be my bridesmaids, even though we have decided on the dresses. How do you do this? Should I make something for them? Send a card? I need to do this, this weekend, I am hoping! I'm thinking both, card and make something with our picture??? Can't wait to show off my creations. I hope they are cute!!

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Wednesday Wedding Slump

I have to be honest. I am a little overwhelmed today. I am looking at my To Do list and budget and am just at the point of what do I do today. As excited as I am about this time in my life, I am at a loss today at where to begin with the wedding planning. What do I do next. I feel like I am all over the place, being very Wedding Planning ADD. As soon as something pops in my head, I run with it and I feel I am leaving other things on the bottom of the list when they should be further up on the list.


HELP! Where should I go from here?????? Has anyone else felt this way? Am I totally loosing my mind? Is it weird for a day, I might just not want to talk weddings? Then I feel guilty, because I am the luckiest girl in the world. Engaged, bought a house, dad beat cancer, probably getting a dog in July which I am so excited about, and not to mention my wedding is in one of the most beautiful places I could possibly think of. What is my problem!!??


Okay now that I just whined, I can get back to reality! I had a slow day at work, at the school where I work, I am running the standardized testing which is going on for two very stressful weeks. You wouldn't think this is a big deal oh yes it is. So I very much enjoyed reading everyone's blogs today. I was extremely behind. You all give me such great inspiration, feeding my ADD. :)


Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Amazing Mets CAKE

Okay here are the cakes I found. Somehow blogger is different on my computer ever since there crash and I can't add images wherever I want anymore. Here are the three different cake ideas that I am liking and they can do for me in Aruba for $100 for 40 slices. Way cheaper than the wedding cake for that amount.

Number One:

Number 2: Except I would want Traditional NY print on the hat.

Number 3: I had to throw this in, it's so cute.

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Amazing Mets Garter!

Number 1

Number 2

Which one do you like better 1 or 2???

Okay they aren't as amazing as they could be right now, but Mr. C is IN LOVE with them, probably more than me during baseball season. So as I surprise to him I wanted to do the following:

• Garter in Mets (2 designs not sure which is more man-friendly)
• Mets Groom Cake - Marriott Cake Designer said they could do this for me for relatively cheap ($100 for a small Grooms cake, that I figured they could have during cigars and scotch time - it is a Mr. C family tradition at any family events for the men to do this so I am living it up with this.) I found some ideas and they have all been approved as being able to do!
• I need ideas on how else I can make this wedding more MR. C friendly as he has been wonderful in the sense it is YOUR day do what YOU want, but it is about US and our life together.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

FINALLY A WEDDING PLANNER, CONSULTANT.....

Okay so I finally got in contact with someone who can give me information on weddings in Aruba. As my previous post shows the Marriott Wedding that I am wanting is REALLY more money that we can spend. So I have been looking into other options but as my other frustrated postings show, not an easy task.

I have a couple of worries going outside of the hotel for planning assistance. 1 - are they really who they say they are and do what they say they do. Most want a deposit but I don't feel comfortable doing this without meeting them. So I am thinking this December, when we visit, I will set up a meeting with them to confirm everything. Is this waiting too long??? I may start freaking out if we don't have something set in stone rather shortly. Every one of the listings below are considerably cheaper minus the well known hotels they are similar in price, maybe a hundred off of each other.

Should I worry more about convenience so that we don't have to worry about transportation?

Prices below do not include flights, stay, and all of the things done before the wedding, JUST Reception and Ceremony.

Planners: ($6,200 for everything)

Aruba Weddings by Bonny (On Pure Beach, Diva Resort, Divia Phoenix )

Aruba Fairy Tales (Tierra Del Sol, Machebo Beach Resort, or Phoniex Beach Resort)

Aruba Weddings for You

Cayena Wedding and Events

Dream Weddings in Aruba

Simply Us Weddings

Resorts NOT Main Stream

Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort Weddings

Brickell Bay Beach Club

Bucuti & Tara Resort

Manchebo Beach Resort

Tamarijn Weddings

Tierra del Sol

Well Known Hotels: (At least $10,000 for everything)

Renaissance Weddings

Westin Weddings

Holiday Inn Weddings

Occidental Grand Weddings

Radisson Weddings

Hyatt Weddings

RIU Weddings

*****Marriott Weddings & Honeymoon Registry

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

OMG we bought a HOUSE!

I don't know what happened to this post!! I knew something was going wrong with blogger yesterday because it was the old one and other craziness.

So we did it! Everything went through we bought a place in McLean, VA. WAHOO! I love decorating and am going to try a bunch of DIY project that I will share as we go along. Oh I just couldn't wait to share.

Plus the second picture was from Mr. C about 30 minutes after sending the finalization papers on the place, that he wants a puppy. And he wants a puggle. I thought that was so cute. We are finally going to have a place and start our family...oh look at me talking about a dog as family, but for me that is so true~! Anybody have or know about puggles? I've been doing my research. They are super cute as you can tell from the picture.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

SHOES!!!!

I have been MIA for a little bit, I apologize, I've been reading your blogs though on my phone while working through a personal issue with a happy ending! MY DAD BEAT CANCER!!!! We got the official word, just in time for Mother's Day celebration so we also celebrated this victory. This has been weighting heavily on my shoulders and hard to get wedding excited when I wasn't sure the situation or outcome with this. I can not even imagine not having my dad at my wedding, so I can so feel for those who do not have him on their big day!


Thanks for the emails on registries and way to cut cost!! They are ever so helpful. I am working away at cutting costs. With my dad trying and now beating cancer, he had been out of work because that is very time consuming! So we might be adding to our budget flights and our portion of the stay in Aruba, which we DO NOT mind at all. That was going to be my parent's gift to us, but I think we should give the gift back, I would rather have them there and my dad not stress about money for the wedding.


So you must be wondering why I titled this shoes and have no talk of shoes. My future mother-in-law, is pretty fabulous, but not even more amazing. She got me my dream shoes to wear on my wedding day, and something to take off my things to have/do before I die.

Yes, Manolo Blanik, Fushia Shoes! Now they aren't beach wedding shoes at all, so I am not going to wear them until reception time and for our party back home in DC afterwards. I don't want to ruin them in the sand! So what a week I am having. NO CANCER and WEDDING SHOES! What more can a girl ask for??


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Happy Mother's Day

To all of the mother's out there who are amazing and wonderful! Bless you for all that you do. It is such hard work. Lots of love to my mother, grandmother, aunts, godmother, soon to be mother in law, and all of the women who have touched my heart in motherly ways!! Thank you. 


A special send out to those who want to be mothers and are having trouble with this!! I can so relate, being adopted :) My mother had such a struggle for 16 years waiting on a baby. I know what a hard day this is for you and I am praying for you!


HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Aruba - One Happy Island

I've have posted in a couple days, I apologize, finishing the end of my semester! Grad school is so much fun...can you sense my sarcasm?

So you can imagine, being the planner that I am, I am about to pull my hair out that I can not get many answers from alternative venue choices or planners to see if we can cut our cost at the Marriott.

PLEASE PLEASE, send your ideas of how I can cut costs so we can make our budget.

I am thinking of having our friends/family be a bit more involved in the service with their "talents" so we can cut some things down, obviously, have money to give them gifts.

I love creativity! :)

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Registries

I have done a lot of research on this, I am having a hard time deciding where to register. So where have you all registered and which places did you like the best.  I am so overwhelmed by this. I had no idea how much time this would take!

My other question, is it rude to have a deposit a gift account and send out to our family, instead of doing a registry. We both have lived on our own for a couple of years now so we have the majority of things that we need. Another I found our wishing well.


An idea of items we are looking for include:

• Fancy Dish set
• A couple of cooking items
• Vacuum (haven't bought a new one since college it barely picks anything up)

Other than that, we are wanting to buy a house, which I feel most couples are wanting to do, but I would think it is rude to have an account set up, where as my family thinks it isn't rude. Because we are doing a destination wedding, I don't want people to think we are sending them an invitation, because we want money. We are having a "reception" party when we return, very low key, but to celebrate with family and friends who couldn't join us.


Places I have looked into:


Bed Bath
Target
Crate and Barrel
My Registry
Amazon
Kohls
JCPenny
Dillards
Pottery Barn
Macys
Bloomingdale's
William Sonoma
Restoration Hardware
Walmart

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Bridesmaid Dresses altered.

Okay so as you can tell, I spend way too much time researching for this wedding :) Which I am hoping will make it cost the least amount possible, be very personal to our touches, and be FUN!


I am thinking this bridesmaid dress:

With a Pink Shawl, because it will be early evening in Aruba and does get chilly when the sun goes down. I saw this picture as inspiration:

Do you like this better then the pink sash??


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

ABOUT US!

I realized, I haven't really shared anything about us as a couple, because I've been so obsessed with getting things started. The Aruba plannings are going SLOW! I have been looking into other options and planners since the Marriott is a bit more than I would enjoy spending :)


So Mr. C and I met, my freshmen year of college. I think it is a funny story. His cousin lived down the hall from me and we actually, met in the laundry room, she didn't know how to sort and I did! She invited me into DC to meet up with her cousin and some of his friends. I HATED him when I first met him. He was what I knew as a typical New Yorkers, a little rude and rough around the edges. It also annoyed me he wouldn't even talk to me or the other girls from my school.  


A Month and a half goes by... then his cousin decides him and I should go on a date. We actually have a lot in common and would have a good time. So we went to dinner and a movie, typical date, although, we really did have a lot in common and he wasn't really a typical New Yorker, he just likes to look like he was. Now he is rarely ever a typical New Yorker.


Fast forward to 2011... we have been together for six and half years and got engaged on Valentine's Day, officially, because he asked me in October for our six year anniversary but was waiting to design my ring on our yearly trip to the Caribbeans, which I love. 


I have to say I am the luckiest girl, but don't we all say that, when we find our best friend and love of our life. He treats me like a princess and he knew how much I was into the Royal wedding so look at my Friday Night, dinner surprise! It is hysterical and so our sense of humor.

A Pink Princess ring! But of course in Pink for his princess :) And not from a Royal Blood line.

The even cuter part, is he woke me up in time to watch the Royal Wedding. Who says that men don't enjoy happily ever after never met Mr. C! Happy Monday everyone.

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Groom & Groomsmen Attire

Since this is a destination wedding, I didn't want to do suits or tuxes. Plus that isn't really our style. All of the groomsmen have a Navy jacket. So I am going to ask them to do Khakis, plus part of our gift to the groomsmen will be the matching ties. 


Should the Groom have a different tie than the other groomsmen?? (One idea is that we can have everyone wear one of the ties below or have the groomsmen wear the tie below and have my fiancée wear a Pink tie to stand out.) Not sure what I like the best yet. Not a lot of inspiration on the internet for Pink and Navy groomsmen attire.  


I found 2 ties that I absolutely love, these would be ONE of the gifts to our groomsmen for them to wear the day of the wedding. Let me know your pick!


#1:

 #2:

This is the look that I am going for:

Should we do White Shirts or Light Pink Shirts? 


I also found a fun picture while I was internet suffering/researching as I like to call it, instead of time wasting or being wedding obsessed :)

I thought these socks were awesome!  

Until next time... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com