1. every meeting takes longer than you think it will (nevermind the time to set the meeting, the travel time, and follow up)
2. every decision involves about 10 more decisions than you thought of originally
3. it's really hard to keep track of what you've already decided and whether it's all going to go together and what you're probably forgetting.
4. each person involved in decision-making (me, John, parents) makes decisions in our own ways. These sometimes (or often) clash.
4. there's a reason I'm not an event planner.
So, my new strategy is to pick things I like and stop trying to make the perfect or perfectly matching choice.
Here are some updates on various decisions:
dress: I love this picture (it's the same dress I'll be wearing, but I will not be a size 2 like this lady). Looking at her pictures, I am realizing the train is looong. It's hard to judge these things on a cramped pedestal. This is a lot of dress. But it's beautiful, and I will rock it. (more pictures at: www.stylemepretty.com if you're interested)
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| stylemepretty.com |
jewelry: There is a Sylvester "wedding necklace" that is now in my possession and I am expected to wear. My mom did not wear this necklace, is still bitter about some of the Sylvester family behavior at her wedding, and has been very clear that she does NOT want me to wear the Sylvester necklace. The necklace is beautiful and intricate up close, but looks awkward and lumpy when viewed from a normal distance. I think I am going to wear the simple pearl pendant necklace my mom wore (which her parents gave to her for her 8th grade graduation), and some big gold chandelier earrings. I was going to pick out something new in the style that I wanted, but I think wearing my mom's necklace will be a nice way to incorporate a family connection, and it will also make it harder for the Sylvesters to give me crap for not wearing their necklace. Here's my mom and her dad on her wedding day. You can kind of see the necklace. Doesn't the bearded guy in the background look like John? That's my Uncle Skip. He's not really my uncle.
flowers: Haven't picked a florist yet, but these are some of the pictures I've given them to show what I like. orange, yellow, peach, coral, white and lots of natural greenery! Sourcing locally and sustainable as much as possible : )
ladies clothes (this means you!): I'm back to thinking yellow is the right color. Perhaps like this...these pictures are too faded and vintage-y, so the people look a bit drab, but I think with different lighting these probably looked quite happy and spring-y. I still like the slightly mis-matched look, but if this gets to be too much of a pain in the butt for you guys we can probably pick something that everyone could wear.
man clothes: John and the boys will be dapper. The shoes below are the actual shoes I convinced him to buy from Nordstrom Rack a few months ago. They are beautiful. It's weird to say that about man-shoes, but the rich color and sharp details...I really dig them. They are going to wear gray suits (not making them all buy the same one, but shooting for a mid to light gray color). Thinking a tie (or bowtie!) with some orange tones...but still TBD.
invitations: I learned a lot at our Paper Source meeting. More about paper and printing and paper sizes and postage and print companies than I could have imagined. I also learned that Paper Source would cost about twice our budget for the kind of invitations I want. So we've ordered a sample of this design from etsy, and it's the frontrunner. With some customization, of course :)
food: It was important to John and I to pick a caterer that emphasized sustainable practices and local, seasonal food. The caterer we (okay, my dad) picked does these things, but they don't give me the warm fuzzies. Oh well. Important food notes:
1. the crab cake appetizers are absolutely killer. Make sure you get some. And if possible, hoard them in your pockets for me. (The little plates they come on are recycled plastic and are washed and reused)
2. the wedding cake will have two flavors. Chocolate raspberry and vanilla raspberry. While I liked the idea of a less traditional wedding cake, this one comes with the catering package and it tastes good. And the decision is made!
