I know I’ve been MIA the last few months, so please forgive me. Things got a little crazy after I moved. Let me just say, writing a thesis, planning a wedding, working part-time while looking for a full-time job was not one of the most relaxing things I’ve ever done.

But, let’s get back to what everyone wants know: Yes, I did get married on July 2 as scheduled.  And yes, it was wonderful! So, now that the honeymoon is over and we are (almost) unpacked and back to business as usual, here are a few highlights from the day:

-The Interview: Nate and I met at the Akron Beacon Journal in 2004, so a couple hours before the ceremony we met our videographer, Greg Lockhart, at the Beacon (separately) and shot an interview about how we fell for each other.  It was nice to think back about the beginning.

-The First Look: We broke tradition, a little bit, and saw each other before the ceremony. Our photographer Margaret JaNicki set up a “first look” where I unveiled myself to Nate all dolled up. I will never forget his face.

-The Vows: We decided to write our own vows to go along with the traditional ones.  It was very personal and emotional. I cried  – a lot.

-The Alphas:  My Dad and a few of his fraternity brothers provided some of the best entertainment of the night. Words can’t express how amazing these men were.  I don’t know if any of you readers have ever seen a step show or the movie Stomp The Yard, but it was like that – only way better.

-The Soul Train Line: The wedding party had a soul train line to the Golden Girls theme song. Enough said.

-The Dance-off: My younger sister, who I must say was an amazing maid of honor, and I had a bit of a dance off.  She put up a valiant effort, but let’s be real, I wasn’t about to let my sister win a dance-off at my wedding reception.

-The Fam: There’s nothing like a wedding to make you remember why you love your family. And I’m not just talking about relatives, although they are amazing too. But, your chosen family: friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better day, and it was because of all the people there to make it so special.  People came from all over the world to celebrate with Nate and I and it meant everything to us.  (And when I say world, I’m not kidding, one of the groomsmen flew in from South Africa)

So for this week’s wedding update, I’ve got a story about wedding band shopping. And I’m not talking about a group of people who play music. I’m talking about the ring.

When Nate and I went looking for an engagement ring more than a year ago, the matching wedding band was not a consideration. Now it’s biting us in the butt.

My engagement ring has an unusual shape, with a vintage look to it. But the problem with a unique engagement ring with an unusual shape is that it requires a custom designed band. And, as I’m sure you can imagine, custom bands cost way more than regular ones.

Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love my engagement ring. If my apartment were on fire, I would save Nate first and the ring second. It’s simple and elegant and beautiful. But, I will admit that I wish I would have known back then that there was not a matching wedding band.

The moral of this story, don’t assume that there is a wedding band that accompanies each engagement ring. So, all of you potential ring buyers out there should specifically ask the jeweler if there is a matching band or if a custom band would be your only option. If you don’t know right up front, you will pay for it (literally and figuratively) in the future.

Sorry for the hiatus, everyone. I had a bit of a nervous breakdown due to a snafu with my thesis, so that had to take priority last week.

But on the wedding front, now the the major things are covered (i.e. dress, venue, caterer, booze) we are on to the more exciting areas of planning, like honeymoon hunting. We aren’t exactly sure where we want to go, but Nate is adamant about being on a beach somewhere. We are thinking about  going to an an all-inclusive resort. Two of our married couple friends went to an all-inclusive resort for their respective honeymoons and loved it. But where should that resort be? Jamaica? Bahamas? Aruba? Decisions, decisions.

We are also in the process to find out all the details of registering for the honeymoon. We figure we were going to use some wedding money to help pay for the honeymoon, so why not cut out the middle man?

Last week, Nate and I  checked yet another vendor off our to-do list. This time it was the florist. I must give props to my friend Amanda for suggesting Bradley. He handled the flowers for her wedding and she absolutely loved him. (And I went to her wedding, which was beautiful, so I knew he did great work.)

We met with him two weeks ago and had an awesome consultation. I was honestly a little nervous because I know nothing about flowers. All I could offer was that I wanted something a) in season during July (because those are easier to find and way cheaper) and b) yellow and white. Oh, and Nate only cared about coming under budget.

But, Bradley had so many great questions it really helped us picture how we wanted things to come together. He also had a ton of suggestions. Did you know you could rent greenery? Me either.

The deposit is in the mail and the next step is to set up a time to visit a greenhouse so we can pick out exactly what I want.

Well it’s official, I’m the last single Belle. Congrats to Vanessa and Dave on their recent nuptials!

Well, on my front, our reception site recently had an open house featuring catering options and other local vendors. Nate and I went, along with Nate’s mom. (My mom was also scheduled to make an appearance, but stayed home after catching a cold from my younger brother and my dad stayed home to take care of my mom and brother.)

But when we arrived to the center, there were two local limo services were waiting with shuttles outside. When we walked in, we saw the hall completely decorated and the tables set up in the variety of options. Along the perimeter of the room representatives from a local bakery, candy shop florist, photography studio, and DJ service were set up pitching their businesses.

But Nate and I are almost all set with the vendors, so our biggest concern was the food. This wasn’t an official tasting, but we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. Not to mention, it was free lunch. They offered some of the main staples – a chicken, beef, pork, fish and pasta option. The chicken easily made our list, but we are still on the prowl for the right beef and vegetarian choice. This establishment also requires that the party bring its own alcohol (a great way to save, by the way), so they gave out a guideline sheet describing how much booze to buy, depending on the wedding size, at the bar.

The hall was just as great as I remembered, and the dance floor was even bigger than I remembered (a must for my dad). The only negative of this trip was that we found out there is no traditional tasting. Other than the open house, our only option is to call ahead and try food prepared for another an event. It’s kind of a pain, but luckily the reception hall is about 5 minutes from our place, so I didn’t go all bridezilla. Nate immediately joked that we’re set on dinner every Saturday for the next four and a half months.

 Before I get into my eventful week, I want to give a shout out to my girl, Belle Vanessa and her future hubby Dave, who are getting hitched  this weekend!

Nate and I are less than five months from our big day and according to multiple sources, the guys need to have their tux ordered at least three months before. Throw in a busy prom season on the horizon and 14 dudes in the party that need to be dressed and it was obvious we had to get this done. We went to a Men’s Warehouse and American Commodore to check out styles and prices. Like most of men’s clothing, finding the right style for the groomsmen and bridesmen was a lot easier than finding the right style for the bridesmaids.

On a side note, I was a little hesitant about going tux shopping with Nate. I wasn’t sure if there was some sort of bad luck that could come of it. But now that it’s all done, wow! There was no way any groom, could know how to match the bride without her going. Not to mention, it’s good to keep an eye on things. A co-worker told me something to the effect of, ‘If I went tux shopping by myself, I would have come out of there with a top hat and a cane.’ And unless you are marrying Superfly, that is not a good look.

But back to the story, not only did we find a good style for the groomsmen, we found the perfect style for the groom at both places. Tuxes that had extra ‘framing’ on the lapel will let Nate standout just enough from the rest of the crowd. But, we still wanted to get the best deal we could. Bridesmaid’s dresses are expensive, but at least the girls get to keep them. I would suck to pay a small fortune on an outfit just to give it back a day later.
After some style and price comparing we decided to go with Men’s Warehouse. It would be easy for all the guys to get their tux in time, thanks to the locations all over the country, it was the best deal and most importantly Nate liked the styles the best overall.

The only strike against it is its inability to match the specific green I need. The maid of honor dress is thyme green, which is more of an olive shade. When I tried to match the best man’s vest and tie, the closest thing they could come up with was forest green. So now I’m forced to a) have the best man wear blue b) have him wear the forest green, which is completely off or c) try to find fabric in the correct shade and have the tie and vest made.

After this ordeal I found out that David’s Bridal and Men’s warehouse has some sort of agreement, so ladies if your bridesmaids go to David’s then keep Men’s Warehouse in mind for the tuxes to avoid my current predicament.

Finally, happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Fellas, yes today is Valentines Day, so if you forgot, pick up a card or some candy if you want your relationship to make it to St. Patrick’s Day.

Last week was busy! We met with the DJ, an old friend of my parents, and signed our contract. During the signing, he gave us a request sheet to fill out for the important music moments of our reception. We already have a first dance song and father/daughter dance song, but now we are on the hunt for songs that perfectly fit the mother/son dance, the bouquet and garter tosses and (cup) cake cutting.

This weekend we are meeting with our videographer, another friend of my parents, to sign that contract and figure out what kind of coverage we want for the ceremony and the reception. We also a have an open house at our reception hall to check out the food and décor options they offer.

The hunt is also on for a florist. We already decided to use faux flowers for the centerpieces, but I would like something fresh for the wedding party. Fortunately, my friend Amanda gave us the name of her florist, who she loved, so a meeting with him is in the works. We also need to decide on a tux place. We have 13 dudes in this wedding, so I’m thinking the sooner they know where to go, the better. With less than five months to go, things are finally starting to come together!

This week’s blog is blunt. Not that I’ve been holding back on you (as evidenced by last week’s blog that may have offended some people). But I’ma be real, so prepare yourself. We’re talking body hair.

That’s right, ladies. Why is it taboo? Humans are naturally covered in hair, and in our American society, we’ve decided where it is and is not acceptable. And I conform to that. Now, I’m trying to time it. Turns out this wedding is about two and a half weeks away. (I know, right? Totally snuck up on us.) WE ARE IN WEDDING MODE.

I’ve missed my chance to go tanning. And the time I got spray-tanned, Dave said I looked like I got dunked in a deep fryer, so that’s not an option. I will be showcasing my standard winter shade: a lovely Casper white. What I hope to un-showcase are the unruly eyebrows and (get ready for it) the mustache.

No, I am not being hard on myself. I have a mustache. It’s not, like, a cartoon mustache or anything I need to trim. Just a few hairs that I normally bleach. But here’s my concern: our photographer is the amazingly talented Heather Eidson, who has fabulous equipment that I’m sure will capture many close-up shots. I don’t want the light catching any bleach-blond follicles on my face. I want there to be none. So, how far in advance do I get it waxed? A day? A week? More than that? Seriously — any suggestions? Anywhere reputable to go in northwest Indiana?

I’d also love for that salon to offer eyebrow waxing. I used to be a big fan of the threading, where you lean back in a salon-style chair at a kiosk in the middle of the mall as a woman twists a floss-like thread around each stray hair and shapes the arch into something magazine worthy. It always forces tears, but the ladies think I’m crying from pain. It’s like, “No, you just ripped a bunch of stuff off my face near my eyeballs. Tears are the natural reaction. I’m not crying. My eyes are defending themselves.” But the place in Cal City didn’t shape my brows, just cleaned them up a bit. So, I’m looking for a place that will give me shaped brows. I’m totally willing to get waxed instead of threaded. Again – any suggestions?

We’re down to the nitty gritty folks. Still waiting on dozens of now past-due RSVP cards…

The wedding plans were pretty low-key this week, but there was one small development. Vera Wang is trying to get me in trouble.

I’ve already proclaimed my love for Vera’s designs in previous posts. Well, the now she has a new “White” line available at David’s Bridal. In other words, my girl Vera actually has a line that normal people can afford.

Of course, I checked out the gowns online and I found the most beautiful dress. (The line is available in mid February). But anyway, back to the dress, I love it. And the killer part is that it’s affordable, well somewhat affordable. If I bought it, we’d probably have to cut back on some other categories — do we really need centerpieces, or a videographer? (Just kidding)

Oh, and there’s one other small problem. I already have a dress. Whoops! I should have had enough self-restraint to not look at the line. Fortunately, I didn’t completely lose my mind and make a trip to David’s Bridal to see the dresses in person. I’ve seen “Say Yes To the Dress” enough to know that you have stop looking when you find the dress because you’ll always find something that makes you doubt your purchase.

Long story short, now I want this Vera Wang wedding gown. But, I’m realistic enough to know I can’t have it, unless I … a) win a free dress (there is a contest to promote the launch) or b) hit the lottery in the next few months.

Riddle me this: An engaged couple mails wedding invitations with an RSVP date of Feb. 1. And as of four days before that deadline, 77 still hadn’t arrived. What, my friend, is the reason?

I am holding off on calling each person and/or sending a snarky e-mail until after I collect the Feb. 4 mail. Because, sometimes, I’m bad at deadlines and I want to extend a courtesy to others who may share that weakness. But I’m not real hopeful that more than a dozen or so responses will arrive by that Feb. 4 mental extended deadline.

I’m thinking that people either A) assume we know they’re coming and think they don’t have to RSVP or B) think this is some super-casual wedding where you just show up and take a seat. Many fall into the “A” category, I know, because eight members of the wedding party (along with their plus-ones or plus-twos) have not RSVP’d yet and I KNOW they’ll be there. But the ones who fall into the “B” category will be sorely disappointed when they show up to the wedding and have nowhere to sit.

RSVPs are there for a reason. We need a head count for food and booze and table set-up. It’s going to be in a hotel ballroom, not my backyard, where we could hose off some folding chairs and drag a card table out from the garage. This is a “you get here by this time and eat at this time and then dance and drink a lot” sort of reception, with people in formal attire.

Dave and I had a frank discussion last night with my mom about how to handle anyone who shows up but didn’t RSVP. I believe my words were, “That’s what the hotel security is for.” My other theory is that they would show up, not see their names on a place card and be so embarrassed that they would leave.

I feel a little horrible writing all of that. But, really, it’s just plain rude.