A Little Help from Hired, well, Help

In one of my last posts, I talked about how much I struggle with letting friends and family help with our wedding projects.  So, it may be surprising to learn that a week after deciding on our date and venue, I was contacting wedding planners.

I had been researching the local event planning companies right along wtih my venue searches...  And, the only reason I waited until after choosing my venue was because several of the reception spaces came with a built-in co-ordinator of sorts.

I figured that if we got married somewhere like the Heinz History Center, we wouldn't need much help decorating, etc.  But, once we picked the conservancy, I knew we'd need some serious help.

I reached out to two companies for more information...  For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the one I didn't choose.  So, I'll tell you a bit about my experience meeting with and hiring my month-of coordinator.

To start, I may be a bit of a sucker for a well put together, well written, clever website and/or company name.  When I started reading the details on A Wish Come True's website, I was impressed and felt like the "As You Wish" package (a.k.a. month-of coordination) was created just for me.  It included a lot of the things that I was most stressed out about (to think I thought that was stressed...  if only I would have known what it was like 3 months out from the wedding, lol):

Review of vendor contracts - I don't know much about wedding planning or contracts.  Another set of eyes looking things over would be a great relief.

Working out details of the day - What time should the cake be delivered?  Did the DJ remember our "first dance" song?  How in the world would all the people I hired manage to get where they needed to be when they needed to be there?  These worries were ones I'd gladly hand off to someone else.

Setting up a day of schedule (and making sure it's stuck to) - Picking the order and timing of when we cut the cake or have our first dance seemed so foreign (I haven't been to that many weddings in my lfie).  Knowing that we'd have someone keeping us on track was another relief.


Dealing with all the decorations - Making sure that all the details I've obsessed over planned turn out the way they are in my head was one of my biggest concerns; and, that was before I even knew how long I'd spend picking out centerpieces and escort cards!  This task is one that weighed heaviest on my mind.  I definitely wanted someone who could take my vision and make it a reality the day of the wedding.

After reading through the package details, I reached out for more information.  A few emails later and we had set up a time to meet and talk through things.

Honestly, I was pretty sure that I wanted to hire Teri before I even met her.  But, that meeting at Panera cemented what I was feeling.  She was bubbly and warm and the exact kind of person who can put you at ease.  We talked about the venue and my (very hazy at that time) vision for the wedding.  She also went over the details of the package a bit more and gave me some more information on her background.

The day after our meeting, after a very brief conversation with the FI (who didn't care too much about this decision), I wrote Teri to say that I'd like to hire her as my month-of coordinator.

I know the wedding hasn't happened yet, but this is a decision I haven't questioned once.  It's been great to have another resource when I have questions (like when exactly should the Save the Dates go out for a holiday wedding?).  Plus, she's checked in on me pretty regularly, which has provided some motivation to get a little more productive when I wasn't quite feeling it.

Later this month, we'll be meeting to review the details and projects I've been working on.  I can't wait to get her opinions on everything and see how she envisions bringing the whole plan together.

Did you hire an event planner?  For all of the planning or just month-of/day-of coordination?  What was your experience working with a planner?  Or, did you go it alone and wish you'd had some help?

And I just bought a $14 pair of shoes...

...from Ross at lunch.  They are gold Nina's, with a huge bow and rhinestones of some sort.

They are a great option for my wedding shoes.

Personal Pic

(I had to see how they'd photograph)

Easy peasy.

Then, I came back into the office and logged onto facebook to check out my most recent two "likes": Shoes of Prey and Milk & Honey.  I saw something intriguing in the Milk & Honey's posts:

Screen shot from Milk & Honey's facebook page

So, I checked out giltcity.com (although the deal was actually listed under Lost Angeles instead of San Francisco).  The deal was great: $145 for a $225 credit (plus a pair of "No More Muffin Top" tights, whatever they are).  I considered...

Then, I jumped over to retailmenot.com to see if there were any coupon codes I could use.  And, I found this:

Screen shot from Retail Me Not

And, it worked!  I saved an additional $29 off the Gilt City deal.  So, I ended up with $225 worth of credit (plus tights) for $116.  

I'm not sure I'll use this for wedding shoes - but I was pumped at the amazing deal...  even if it did make my $14 Nina find a little anti-climatic ;)

Did you find any amazing deals while wedding shopping?  Any tips for saving money on some of the big ticket items?

A Little Help from Our Friends

Asking people for help is very low on my list of likes...  and, according to stories from my mom, I've always been that way.

For example, at a very young age, I once accused my mom of trying to "control my life".  My (extremely short-term) punishment was that she would not help me with anything...  So, the next morning, I got my own breakfast.  And, while, you're probably thinking "so what?", I should explain that I was too small to reach any of the kitchen cupboards.  I had to pull a chair into the kitchen and climb up on the counter to find cereal and a bowl.  Meanwhile, my mom was watching from another room and trying not to let on how upset she was by her tiny daughter's independence.

Not much has changed.

So, when the wedding plans and projects began, I happily took them all on myself.  Many friends and family came forward with offers to help.  I told them that I would let them know and figured that would never actually happen.  I mean, how could I make sure everything was exactly to my specifications if I wasn't 100% in control of it all?

source

Perhaps one of my biggest fears was that if I let people help and they weren't doing things exactly the way I wanted them to be done, I would have to confront them...  And, confrontations?  Those are even lower on my list of likes.

But, as the "100 days till our wedding" mark neared and passed, I've had to make a few more concessions...  So, I'm working with my mom on crafts (even letting her do some of the work when I'm not around!).  And, the FI's family is helping with a lot of the Mexican related decoration items.

It's hard to give up any control, but my FI's reaction to his mom's offer to make some crepe paper flowers did make me feel a bit better...  He questioned her so many times about how the flowers would look that she promised photos of the first few to make sure the quality was up to his expectations.  

At least its not just me.

Did you have a hard time asking for or letting people help you?  Did you have to re-do any of the projects because they weren't what you would have done yourself?  Or, did you happily give up control over plans and projects?  (If so, I envy you.)

Birds of a Feather

I've mentioned that birds have become a secondary theme for our wedding.  And, now, I'm finally starting to see it come together.

I ordered our guestbook on amazon: Audubon's Birds of America: The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio.  The description of the book puts it at 694 pages with a hard cover.  Ok.  It's a big book.  But, at almost $120, I'd expect a big book.

Then, it arrived.  It's much, much more than I expected.  (All pictures are personal.)

Our Guestbook

To begin with, it came with a hard protective case to keep the book in.  This will definitely come in handy to help keep our book in good condition over the years.

Then, there is the absolute magnitude of the book:

Seriously, look at it compared to my hand.

There is no way we will even come close to running out of room for guests to sign.  I can even imagine placing this book out when we have parties or weekend guests in the future; it could be an on-going record of the people we invite to share our events and home with.

Next, in the bird parade, are these little fellows: 

Cute Fabric Birdies

My mom and I are making a bunch of these birds out of a variety of fabrics.  I found the free pattern on this sewing site.  Then, I bought a few fabrics from Jo-Ann Fabrics and got to work.  Each fat quarter gave me enough room for about six tops and six bottoms.  So, for somewhere around one or two dollars, I can make six bird bodies.  The only other things needed are thread, straight pins and stuffing (and a sewing machine definitely makes it easier/faster).

I've been cutting and pinning and cutting and pinning.  My mom is going to help with the sewing parts.  Then, I'll stuff them and close them up.  A very cost effective and relatively quick project.

I'm hoping to put some birds on each table at the reception.  Plus, I'd like to scatter a few around the ceremony and reception spaces.  Maybe a couple placed on the different tables or even as a cake topper?  I'm not quite decided but I definitely love these little guys.

Did you get excited as you started to see your plans come together?  Did you get a lot of help with your craft projects?  Did any of your simple projects exceed your expectations?

... on the Chopping Block

Chopped, one of my favorite Food Network shows, is definitely little more than food porn.  In case you've never seen an episode, it's basically three rounds of chefs trying to create a dish with ingredients that should NOT go together.  After presenting their creations and letting the judges, well, judge, they get to see "who is on the chopping block".

As we get closer to the 100 day mark, I'm playing my own version of this game...  with wedding DIY projects.

First up, the invitations.  My original creation...

Personal Pic

... Chopped!

Not that I've completely thrown out the idea.  But, after running into issue after issue with my Pazzles die cutting machine, I realized that there was no way I could get through 90 of these bad boys without going crazy.

So, the cut out portion has been significantly simplified: no more scalloped edges and no more flowers on the bottom (one of my favorite parts originally).  Also, the cutout is now the cream paper, which will have a smaller blue mat and another cream piece (with the actual words) on top of it.  When they're final and mailed, I'll post more about the final product and what it took to get there.

Next, my clay bouquet and all the corsages & bouts...

Personal Pic

...  At the very least, on a hiatus.  

The more I've thought about it, the less important a bouquet seems.  For one thing, I'm planning on having both of my parents walk me down the aisle, leaving no hand open to hold anything else.  Also, without a bridal party, I don't have anyone to hold my bouquet during the ceremony and then hand it back to me afterwards.  Finally, the only good reason I can think of to have a bouquet is for the photo value, which makes me step back and think about priorities.

For now, I'm not 100% decided.  I think that once the overwhelming task of getting the invitations out is past, I can re-consider how much time it would take to tackle a few (dozen?) flowers made from clay.

And, lastly, the veil...

From Style Me Pretty

...  Still a huge internal debate occurring over this one.

I love these mantilla veils.  They are timeless and simple and FMIL wore one for her wedding day.  Since my dress is covered with ivory lace, I think a mantilla would look great.  And, I love the way brides look with a veil...  for lack of a better description, I think they look "bridal".

But, as with everything else we're planning, I've been trying to decide how important this really is and weighing that against the time investment.  (Being a financial analyst may influence me towards running investment/risk/reward scenarios a lot.)

I already purchased a pattern...

Vogue Pattern V8569

... but every time I've looked at lace and trim in the stores, I'm not quite satisfied.

I think this decision will most likely be put off at least until I see my dress again, which I'm hoping is soon as we're nearing the six months from ordering point.

There are tons more of projects and tasks outstanding and it's easy to start feeling overwhelmed.  So, I'm trying to take it one day at a time...  Baby steps...  Are there any other cliches I can use to make myself a little less stressed?

Did you have to start chopping projects at some point?  Or, did you give yourself plenty of time to finish everything from your original wedding vision (i.e. not procrastinating on DIY's till the last couple months like me)?  Did you regret anything you cut after the big day?

The Shoes?

After a few weeks of waiting, I received my handmade (not by me) shoes.  Unfortunately, the first time I saw them was after being in the car for five hours (of horrible downpours and thunderstorms) and wasn't in the best state of mind.

I'm not 100% sure that these are The Shoes for the big day, but I still really like the fabric and overall idea...

Personal Pic (please ignore our ugly kitchen floor)

These shoes are unbelievably comfortable, sort of a mix between being barefoot and walking on a bunch of cotton balls.  And, they are quirky and fun - they would fit right into our DIY love fest.

But, are they what I see myself walking down the aisle in?  I just can't seem to get my head around that yet.  I think I need a few more opinions before I make a decision, especially since my FI (the only person who's seen them and voiced concerns) dislikes ballet flats.

I guess it gives me the opportunity to spend more time looking at shoes...  Can't really complain about that.  I just need to make sure I have something soon so that I can make my fitting appointments (once my dress comes in... when is that going to happen!?!).

Did you pick out The Shoes on your first try?  Or, did you start a collection of shoes and make the decision closer to (or on) the day of the wedding?  And, like me, did you agonize over the shoes because nothing you saw seemed quite right?

Shiny Things

I haven't always been the jewelry type.  Two years ago, I started wearing earrings (almost) every day...  This corresponded to an attempt at doing my hair every work day as well, which was exhausting.  Then, at the beginning of this year, I started adding necklaces as often as I could.  This involved buying more jewelry and trying to figure out what worked with my everyday clothes.

Suddenly, I got a taste of what it felt like to be "put together".  I was shocked at how much difference a couple seconds looking through my jewelry box in the morning could make.  Suddenly, my FI was telling me "you look good today" with much more regularity.  Jewelry really does make a difference!  And, I was finally part of the club that understood that.

Nevertheless, the idea of picking out wedding day jewelry was a bit overwhelming.  Should I stay understated and let the dress have all the glory?  Or, should I follow my heart and make a statement with my necklace and other pieces?

I scoured the webs and saw all sorts of brides: ones with gorgeous, unforgettable necklaces, ones with classic pearls, ones with simple, classic pieces and some without any jewelry at all.

One of my early favorites was this beauty:

Made by sealillie and featured on Style Me Pretty

I love the colors and textures.  It's fun and rustic and makes quite the statement.  But, I'm still not sure it's me or that it really represents the feel of our wedding day.

I've always had a thing for pearls, maybe because they are one of the birthstones for June.  But, I wanted something a bit more special than a single strand.  Maybe something like this chunky number:

by BGBJewelry on etsy

I still wasn't convinced.  And, then, the other morning, while I was trying to pick out that day's pieces, I saw something I bought for myself a few years ago.

I used to buy myself a small piece of jewelry anytime I went somewhere new (I also bought myself shot glasses everywhere I went, which I still do).  I figured that a charm or a necklace, etc. was an easy way to always remember a place and how I felt when I was there.

When a work conference led me to Las Vegas, I searched high and low (there is so much shopping in Vegas!) for the perfect piece.  Eventually, I landed on a necklace from Michal Negrin.  It was shiny and vintagey and I loved it.

So, after seeing that necklace in my box, I returned to the internet.  On the Michal Negrin website, I found a lot of pieces I really liked.  Below are my current favorites, both because of the actual pieces and because they are part of a full set (gotta have matching earrings and a bracelet, right?).

Necklace, Earrings & Bracelet via Michal Negrin

Necklace, Earrings & Bracelet via Michal Negrin

I love that these pieces are elegant and sparkly.  I think that they make a statement while still being timeless.  Now, I just need to decide if this is really the look I'm going for and pick a set.  I'm leaning towards the bottom set, but it's exactly twice the cost of the top one...  Do I like it twice as much?  Hmmm...

Did you know early on what jewelry you wanted to wear for your wedding day?  Was it something sentimental?  Or, something brand new?

Special Deliveries

In my last post, I wrote about dealing with discontinued items on our registry.  I wasn't sure if this would continue to be a problem since we still have four months till the wedding.

Then, on Friday, I came home to find several Crate & Barrel boxes at the door.  I impatiently waited for the FI to get home so we could open them together.

After tearing off the outside box, we found beautifully wrapped boxes.

Personal Pic

Then, a quick debate...  Were we supposed to open them?  What is the etiquette associated with gifts received so early?

After a bit, we came up with the following excuses reasons to open the boxes:
- We didn't know who sent the gifts and wanted to 1. let them know we got the packages safely and 2. thank them
- We wanted to make sure nothing was broken
- We wanted to know what was in them (ok, this isn't logic/etiquette... but these were our first presents and we were SO excited)

We untied the ribbon together and pulled off the top.  The presents were all from my FBIL.  And, according to the packing slips, there would be additional boxes arriving.  Crazy!

FI sent a picture of the boxes to his brother with a hearty thanks (and a "yours were our first wedding gifts" message).

Now, I just hope that our thank you cards get here soon so that I can officially share our gratitude.

Did you receive wedding presents earlier than you expected?  Did you open them or wait for the wedding?  How did you handle the "Thank You's"?