Wednesday, July 31, 2002

AHHHH!!! It's the Attack of the Mad Planner

I lay all this almost toally at the feet of 'That Bride'. *LOL* I've been planning (and budgeting) up a storm over the last few weeks. I'm trying to figure out how to throw a nice elegant yet laid back (cuz we are two of the MOST relaxed people ever) shindig or about 100 people. Maybe. Argh! See this is the hardest part - trying to create a realistic budget when you're not QUITE sure how many people may be coming. I mean if EVERYONE we are going to invite comes - that will most likely run to about 150-160 people (EEKK) but if only the people who I really expect to come come, then that will put me more around the 100 mark.
I have always wondered how in good gracious NAME women have wedding where 300 to 500 people show up. Do they really KNOW that many people? I might KNOW 400 people - but dear god, I'm not going to invite them to my wedding! Maybe it's a side effect of having a brokn family. I don't know my father's side of the family, or for that matter my grandfathers side - so that chops the potential guest list almost in half just for family. I don't have a crap load of friends - so that whittles it down even more.


I'm seriously considering turning this diary into the Wedding Journal - as I have the personal journal on the website and I have the weight loss journal over there too. I purposely didn't create a journal on the wedding website (folx don't need to know THAT much info) so here would be a perfect place. I can't STAND UW enough to use their journaling system - and The Knot (which drives me batty too) doesn't have one.
Ah! I love it when an idea comes together. :)


 Jasmyn

Hard Work

Whhoo.... I've worked hard today. *LOL* I've set up the complete budget for the custom/handmade stationary (invitations, RSVP postcards, thank you notes, STD magnets, and announcements), have come up with a rough menu (of course it has to be vetted by Corey Love), come up with a SMASHING idea for the cakes (it's a mini-meal, so why not have mini-cakes??) and pulled together a rough concept of the beverages. Last night I started working on a playlist - I have over a hundred songs, and assuming a 3 minute average length ( and I know that several of these songs are closer to 7 minutes) that would provide 5 hours worth of music (well over the reception time). There won't be a DJ - so we will have to rent speakers and buy then burn lots of CD's - but *grins* we will get to keep all the CD's afterwards. The only thing that is up in the air right now (in our minds)is the photographer. We want NICE pictures - but GOOD LORD - starting at 1500.00?? *shakes head* I will most likely hire someone from the LLYCamera Club (i've seen some of their wedding pictures and they are great) or a senior student photographer for IU or Purdue or something.

*sighs* I have the dollar figures for the paper stuff - but not for anything else. There has to be someplace where you can get figures for how much beer, wine, and champange costs.

We're aiming for a 3500.00 wedding for 100ish people, and we think *crossing fingers* we can pull it off. Even if we go up to 4500 (we are going to have at least 7000 to use altogether, but dammit I want to spend at LEAST 5 days at Couples Ocho Rios) I would still be happy.

I'm actually starting to get excited - I'm seeing in my minds eye a plan actually STARTING to come together. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my site? I love it. I haven't actually gotten it yet - but I have been keeping an eye on the local boards and no one has even MENTIONED this place. Ohhhh I'm so excited - two more weeks until I can book it. And I love Excel too... :) it's EXCELLENT... I have my guest list set up there, and linked it to the number of invitations and the amount of food so that as my guest list goes up and down, the food and stationary costs reflect that WITHOUT any work on my part. Thanks Bill....

*grins*

This is going to be an interesting wedding. We want to try to do as much as possible ourselves - that is REALLY the only way you can be sure that you are getting EXACTLY what you want. Of course - sometimes that brings the prices down (as I expect it will with the food) and sometimes it hikes the price up (as I know it is with the invitations) but this is going to be a very unique and individualistic wedding - and for that I'm thrilled.

*grins & starts humming that damn Jagged Edge song*

Also - We've determined that we are going to do this wedding. And by that we mean that WE (me and Corey and no bloody body else) are the sole planners and concievers of this shindig. We respectfully listen to our parents, grandparents, and friends - but the final decision is all on us. :) To me a wedding shouldn't be the last thing parents do for their children - it should be the first MAJOR thing a couple does for themselves.

I'm terrified that I will either burst out laughing or crying on my way down the aisle - depending on the music and the way Corey looks/at me. During my graduation from Spelman all you could really see of me were my eyes and my teeth *LOL* and this - whooo - this is SO much bigger and better than graduation.

I'm considering when I change my name on the marriage cert (yes, I've decided I'm changing it - keeping my full name, but adding his but not USING mine - it's the principle of the matter) I'm also going to add Jasmyn. :) It's one of the names that has become MOST mine - and besides when I become a famouns author and want to write under another name - or just USE another name for whatever reason - I will have a couple of legal ones.

jasmyn

Tuesday, July 9, 2002

Nightmare on the Wrong Street

I had my first wedding nightmare a few nights ago.


I dreamt that I was at our apartment (the one we live in now, not the one that we (or at least I) will be living in then)  and I was all dressed and prettied up – but there was NO one there with me.  Someone was supposed to be coming to pick me up – and they never came. I was stuck in the house, makeup all made up, dress on, shoes on – and the wedding was going on without me (the nightmarish part). When the person who was supposed to take me finally showed up –around five hours late – I went mildly ballistic.  Heh. I hate dreams like that because then I wake up all grumpy and sour at the world.


Any how – isn’t it just a weeeee bit early in the game for me to be having wedding nightmares? I mean ugh – the wedding isn’t for well over another YEAR. 


The dress I had on was UGLY too.  It was an old dress – an icky off white in color and just nothing like what I want.


I have to admit though, I have been having fond semi-thoughts of going to the courthouse and just getting it over with.  Heh.



Jasmyn