fickle for sure

Yea...I suppose I chose the right blog name. I'm in the midst of changing my mind again! Originally I planned on having potted mums at my fall wedding as centerpieces. Now I'm considering a few stems in mason jars. I already have lots of mason jars at home and some more I recently lent to a friend for her reception. If I do mason jars, I'll do white linens with burlap runners - quite the opposite of the chocolate pintuck linens that were a must only a week ago. Perhaps a long engagement is not best for me...there's way to much time to think! Anywho - here are some pics I found on weddingbeecom from Mrs. Cherry Pie that I ADORE!

Wedding Board

Here's my latest and greatest wedding board!

With summer here...I feel myself drifting away from the autumn colors and more toward brighter oranges...and adding some pink. I really like the bouquet in the picture with the bride - perhaps with some more orange roses and less green (although some green helps the other colors pop). I also originally planned on wearing blue shoes as my something blue. But, white wedding shoes are so pretty and make pretty pictures! :) I do want fun shoes for the reception though (I like the idea of boat shoes...I haven't been able to convince anyone else that they are a good idea). I foresee issues of casual vs. elegant/classic in the future - I hope to find a middle ground somewhere along the way...

Budget..the topic of the week

A lot of the blogs around the circuit have recently wrapped up their weddings and have begun to discuss their budget (expectations versus reality). I try to just pretend I don't have a budget! But, I do - and it's about $8,000. When I was first engaged (YEARS ago) my budget was $10,000. But that sounded like too much money to me...so I cut it in half. $5,000 ended up being a little unrealistic - now we're at $8,000 ($7,352 to be exact, but I'm sure there will be some last minute details and things I've left off).

While trying to keep a small budget, I tried to follow the suggestions of other sites and make a list of my top priorities for our wedding. That didn't go so well! When looking at each item individually - they all seemed important! Food? Yea, we want great food and plenty of it. Music? At first, I was considering the iPod route - but I found a GREAT DJ and they're worth every penny (or more). Dress/Shoes/Attire? Well, who doesn't want to look great? Photography? I tried to go budget on photography but going with an experienced pro is a MUST for us. Paper? Yes, please!

I worked backwards and found the vendors I wanted (through bridal shows, internet, other brides) and made my budget set on having them help with my wedding. I have basic figures that I'm willing to pay for services (based on local sites and other brides in the area) and I go in to my search with that figure in mind. Vendors are a lot more willing to talk when you have a budget in mind. They can tell you right off what they can offer in your price range. One serious budget saver is having our wedding on a Thursday! On venue alone we're saving $1500. We've also used it as a bargaining chip with other vendors as well.

I realize while $8,000 is a lot to me - it's not nearly enough for the weddings in larger cities. I guess living in Mobile, Alabama has its perks! I do hope to stay under budget over all. As long as I can stay away from temptation, it seems very possible. Only time (8 months, 3 weeks, 5 days) will tell!

Another Month Closer

Well, we're one month closer to the wedding....now at 8 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days! (I have a ticker on my google homepage - I'm not actually doing the counting.) I'm, of course, thrilled the day is getting closer. I just wish it would hurry! I have such a tendency to change my mind often that it makes it hard to plan so far in advance.

Since my last post I've done a couple of wedding related tasks:

I wrote a bridesmaid newsletter. That was actually more fun than I thought it would be. Hopefully the newsletter will serve as a way to inform everyone of the same details and let everyone know anything that might be expected of them (they're all first time bridesmaids). I've also ordered our invites!

I've also ordered our invites. As I've said before, they were designed by the very creative Kimi at Printable Press. I had them printed by Cat Print and they're already on the way (I ordered Tuesday at around 10 pm)...now that's service! I'll be sure to post photos and details when they arrive next week!

What were you doing at the 8/9 month mark? What should I be doing? I'm open to suggestions and itching for a wedding project...it is wedding season after all!

Flowers

Flowers are probably the next thing I'll tackle (and they're something I've been sort-of avoiding). I feel like I'm a little scattered! I'm trying to stay away from the rusty/burnt autumn orange and lean towards the spring oranges and maybe throw in some other colors? I can use colors that aren't anywhere else in the wedding, right? I'm sure there are rules I should be following! ;)

Here's a picture of the flowers on my invite that I'd like to use for color inspiration:

side note - My invites were designed by Kimi from printablepress.com. She's so nice and easy to work with! I love love love my invites and can't wait to see them printed!

Here are some bouquets I've saved from around the web over the last year (if they're yours...let me know and I'll give credit!):

Timeline

Last month I assembled my timeline for the things to do leading up to the big day. Well, this month (June) I am supposed to:

contact florist for bouquets & boutonnieres (Belle Bouquet – July 1 @ 5pm)
pick first dance song
research and choose caterer
get invites printed

I've made a florist appointment. I guess I'll call tomorrow to make some more appointments with other florists? I'm just indifferent when it comes to flowers. I know I want orange flowers that are full and fluffy. But, I also don't want to pay much for them. When planning for October I was just going to make my own bouquets. But, I think March might be a bit harder. Things may start to bloom mid-March...but, weather can be unpredictable. So, I think the bouquets are best left in the hands of a professional. I'll still try to do the potted plant centerpieces on my own.

First dance song - I cannot figure out what to choose! Here are the choices:
Jewel – Angel Standing By
Jewel – Jupiter
Jewel - Absence of Fear
Jane Monheit & Michael Buble – I Won’t Dance
Michael Buble - Moondance
Faith Hill – Breathe
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
Norah Jones – The Nearness of You
Frank Sinatra – Cheek to Cheek
None of them jump out at me. Matt and I both love music - but we don't have "our song". He seems to have no opinion on the matter. How do I decide? Maybe another song will come along that is "it". I'd love to do a choreographed dance but I don't just have two left feet...it's more like I have no feet!

Caterer - I've contacted about 5...heard from a few. I don't think I like Stapleton anymore. No real reason...I've just decided I don't want a whole pig. I'm still in love with Dreamland BBQ and may choose them if no one else works out. If I do, I'll probably wait until closer to the wedding to meet with them for details since they seem to be a little unorganized (the manager mentioned they don't have a 2010 calendar yet).

Invites - They're ready to be sent to the printer. I just haven't done it yet because I feel like it's too soon!

As you can see, I could wait for most of this stuff. I placed these items in June's to-do so I'd have SOMETHING to do! It's wedding season and I have the itch! What else should I be doing? I'm a little over 9 months out. Since moving the wedding from October - I've had to slow my roll (yea, I have a roll!). All of my checklists are checked!

Catering

Since my decision on Saturday to choose a new caterer, I've found two I'm interested in (Dreamland BBQ and Stapleton Catering). I've contacted them both and here's what I have so far:


Stapleton Catering
www.cliffstapletoncatering.com

Menu

• fried chicken fingers with dipping sauce
• whole roasted pig with jezebel and bbq sauce (carved by chef)
• macaroni and cheese
• potato salad
• sweet tea
• rolls

Grand total including servers, utensils, plates, napkins, cups, etc: $1524

PROS
The person I've been speaking with has been nice and helpful.
They are on the list of recommended vendors at the Five Rivers.
I have a friend that has attended an event catered by them and said it was yummy.

CONS
They don't have tastings! :(
I'm back and forth about having a whole pig on site. A little creepy, right?
Oh, and did I mention they've said there is NO WAY I can taste the food?!

Dreamland
www.dreamlandbbq.com

Menu

• ribs (20 slabs)
• pulled chicken
• pulled pork
• mac & cheese
• baked beans
• potato salad
• garden salad (with assorted dressings)
• sweet tea/ unsweet tea/ lemonade
• banana pudding

Grand total including servers, plates, utensils, signature barbecue sauce, sliced white bread, buns for pork & chicken, pickles, wet-wipes, and bibs: $1318.00

PROS
I've eaten their food and LOVE it! I often find myself craving a smoked chicken sandwich!
Dreamland is a southern barbecue favorite and known state-wide for their ribs.
Lots of food for the money!

CONS
So far, they've been difficult to get in touch with at times (I attribute this to the fact that they're a popular local restaurant).
There's no deposit, contract, etc! (What if they don't show up?)
They're not a normal "wedding" caterer. They do more of the football game type events. This could be considered a pro and a con...right now it's more of a con considering the first two cons I've listed.

I guess I'll sleep on it for a little while. I have plenty of time...but, the sooner the better! ;)