Wedding Photos

I got my photos. Take a look at the flickr I love the photos so much. They are amazing! I am reliving the memories already. I am so happy with these

**edited** I have fixed the link to the photos

More Photos

I still haven't gotten the bulk of the photos from the main photographer (she took over 1000 photos!) but here are some more from one of the other friend/photographers.

Uh oh

Weather.com for 85281
Sat Oct 11

Isolated T-Storms

high 90°
low 61°

chance of rain 30%

Eight Days Until the Wedding

Update

Things I need to do:
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs. Have packaging and am in the process of making all of these
* call and reserve a margarita machine. I'm not going to rent this. I am just going to have margarita's made in a punch bowl and people can pour it over ice.
* get the marriage license Done!
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know. Still wondering about this. I know Billy and Christy will give speeches, but not sure who else.
* send pictures of site to my wedding coordinator (my aunt) and worry about where tables and chairs will go Done. She convince me to have a program so that adds to the list
* call party rental place today to get PA system and runner. Done!
* Design a program, should be easy. Take it to get printed at kinkos
* Make track listing for the cds. Take to kinkos
* Do my hair like I think I want it, take pictures
* go to Ulta and have them show me how to do my make-up, buy some new make-up
* get everything together that Brad needs to take to the site the day of (plates, cups, etc.)
* pack for the one night we will be staying in a hotel

We decided that on Sunday night, the day after the wedding, we will move our bed to the new apartment and sleep there. That way we start our new marriage in a new place and hopefully will never have roommates again (not that I don't love my current roommates!).

Also I want to mention the griddle we got. I cannot wait to use it. We are not opening any of our presents to use until we move and it is hard. I want to make a grip of pancakes on that thing.

12 days until the Wedding

Update

Things I need to do:
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs. I have made the play list, now am working on making the cds.
* call and reserve a margarita machine. To be done today
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair. Have gift card to Ulta, going to go this week.
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I. Amazon.com baby!
* get the marriage license To be done this week
* get my hair cut. Got it cut, not going to color it
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal. Sent Evites to guests, made reservation for dinner at Buca di Beppo
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know. Still wondering about this. I know Billy and Christy will give speeches, but not sure who else.
* send pictures of site to my wedding coordinator (my aunt) and worry about where tables and chairs will go
* call party rental place today to get PA system and runner.

Wedding Update

Wow, here is an update on my previous list. A lot has been done. I am a lot less stressed now that my Aunt will be the Wedding coordinator for the actual day. She is a kick ass organizer.

Things I need to do:
* buy hosiery (spanx?)
* find a cake topper Found Lego Bride and Groom on ebay
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs
* find wedding mad libs for favors Just bought Mad Libs In Love on Amazon.com
* buy sharpies and paper for guest book pages
* find/buy shoes with one inch heels I got flip flops and blue converse
* go to the party rental place to look at linens and reserve linens, tables, chairs, and perhaps lighting
* call and reserve a margarita machine
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair (do it myself or find someone to help me)
* go to target and buy strings of garden lights that are hopefully on sale.
* think about what to buy my bridesmaids as gifts we are going to get manicure/pedicures for everyone
* buy the rings I got a gold band, and a tungsten carbide ring for Brad; both on Amazon.com
* think about what ceremony/vows we want to use From the Union by Robert Fulghum
* go to a feed store to look at/buy tubs for drinks my step-mom is in charge of drinks, I think she is just getting blue plastic tubs, but I will not stress about this at all. I have delegated this.
* pressure groomsmen to go and get fitted for their tuxes and get their shoe sizes in order to buy them Chuck Taylors for the wedding the groomsmen have been fitted and their converse shoes are on their way right now. I heard one of the groomsmen was very drunk at the time of his fitting, nice.
* cry because we are not going to have pie like we envisioned, and probably not coffee either. have gotten over it
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I. Still need to do this, will go to Target today.
* exercise every other day or so. Look into Brad joining my gym (yay exercise buddy!). Plan to continue doing this after the wedding as well. yeah, not being done right now. We are too stressed to do that until after we move (where we will have an exercise room
* freak out about my horrible skin. stop picking at face (which goes against what I've always done), wash face every day. Working on this, still have many spots, damn adult acne
* get the marriage license To be done this week
* get my hair cut and colored. Appointment on Thursday for haircut
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal.
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know.


The wedding shower went very well. No one ended up spending the night or drinking because we are all old party poopers. But I got some great gifts and had fun talking to Laura, Christy, and Amber for a long time after the party was over.

Alias

By this time next month I will be living in a new apartment, under a new name, and married.

This is crazy.

33 days until the wedding

The only things I did this weekend are buy hosiery and an outfit for Brad for the rehearsal dinner. He had no khaki pants and only has like one dress shirt. I accidentally bought a really long shirt for him that was made for tucking in. I think it will still work, but we are not "tucking in" kind of people. Brad didn't even go with me, he totally trusts me to buy clothes he will like, it is awesome.

This weekend was pretty fun. Friday night Brad and I went to First Friday (a monthly art walk) with Brandon and Amy*. We went to an amazing restaurant, MacAlpine's, which is a soda shop/ antique store that has been open since the twenties. They we went to the Phoenix Art Museum (which I had never been to) and heard an awesome band, Colorstore, one of the members was playing a saw with a bow, it sounded amazing (whoa, I just found out they are playing with our friends' band Japanese Monsters at the Yucca Tap Room soon, yay!). Then we walked around to all the galleries and handed out fliers for an upcoming show that Brandon and Brad are playing at. I got a snow cone, we walked a lot, and it was really hot.

Saturday night we went to a house show in the middle of the desert which was a fundraiser for our friend Chris Knight. He is a long-time friend of Brad's and he will be having a kidney transplant done in a few weeks. He is in full kidney failure right now and has dialysis done every other day. This is a young man who is only in his mid-twenties and just got married last year and has a baby on the way. Thankfully and amazingly enough, he is getting his new kidney from his Mother-in-law. I get teary eyed just thinking about her generosity. I am just so happy that we were able to raise over $800 for his growing family this weekend. If anyone would like to donate money just let me know and I can get the info to you. The night was super fun. Especially when our friend Robin got drunk and started hitting on our married friend Christy. Robin is one of our youngest friends at 23 and Christy is only 28. His best pick up line ever, "You are so sexy, no matter how old you are. I want to take you out to Garcia's" Brad laughed until he cried. So funny.

Sunday, Brad was hungover and we didn't leave the house. Amber made Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. God were they good! I had never had Red Velvet cake and I really like it. Amber is going to be making all the cupcakes for the wedding. Brad and I also watched a Buffy disc from Netflix (season 3 disc 1). Great weekend.

Two weeks until my shower, five wees until the wedding

* Brandon and Brad make comics together. Brandon makes comics on his own but he also writes stories and then Brad draws the comic. Brandon and Amy are very similar to Brad and I. On their latest comics, their bios each go something like this;
"Brandon lives and works in Phoenix, Az. He lives with his soon to be wife Amy and their two cats Fruits and Vegetables."
"Brad lives and works in Tempe, Az. He lives with his soon to be wife Shannon and their two cats Beans and Rice."

Stressville

So I had my third stress out yesterday of this wedding planning experience. I was crying and probably really freaking Brad out. I am really starting to stress out. There is so much to do and there is only a month left to do it. I am sad because I am not doing a lot of the stuff I had always envisioned but it is because I am lazy and don't want to have to figure it out, set it up, or even delegate it. I always wanted a wedding that was very different than the norm, but I'm finding that it is really hard to go against the grain when it comes to wedding shit. My mom is even against some of the stuff I wanted. At least I have complete control over the music. I just had to cut down the 13 hours of music I had picked to only about 6 hours. It was hard. And I still need to add some Michael Jackson songs (Christy I need these songs from you!)

I just feel lost in this wedding world. I feel like everyone assumes I know what to do, but I don't. I have only gone to three weddings as an adult and two of them were at the same house and none of them were of really close friends. So I have never been involved in wedding planning before, I have never been a bridesmaid, I have no idea what I am doing or what people expect at a wedding. People keep telling me, "oh, you have to have this or that, people expect it!" That pisses me off. I don't care what people expect, the only thing they should be there for is to see me get married, anything else is extra. I am not having two meat choices, I am not having a garter (creepy), I will not play cliched wedding songs (fuck "we are family"), I will not have a ceremony that brings up God at all (much to the chagrin of my father), I am not having cake, I am having alcohol (much to the chagrin of my father), my Mother is walking me down the aisle, my Father is the officiant (he is a minister). Things I wanted to do differently but am not: I wanted pie, I wanted a photo booth, I wanted a candy bar, I wanted a lego cake topper, I wanted a vintage non-white retro party dress...

Things I need to do:
* buy hosiery (spanx?)
* find a cake topper
* make play list for CD favor, make over 100 of this CD, find way to package CDs
* find wedding mad libs for favors
* buy sharpies and paper for guest book pages
* find/buy shoes with one inch heels
* go to the party rental place to look at linens and reserve linens, tables, chairs, and perhaps lighting
* call and reserve a margarita machine
* figure out what to do about makeup and hair (do it myself or find someone to help me)
* go to target and buy strings of garden lights that are hopefully on sale.
* think about what to buy my bridesmaids as gifts
* buy the rings
* think about what ceremony/vows we want to use
* go to a feed store to look at/buy tubs for drinks
* pressure groomsmen to go and get fitted for their tuxes and get their shoe sizes in order to buy them Chuck Taylors for the wedding
* cry because we are not going to have pie like we envisioned, and probably not coffee either.
* buy teeth whitening kits for Brad and I
* exercise every other day or so. Look into Brad joining my gym (yay exercise buddy!). Plan to continue doing this after the wedding as well.
* freak out about my horrible skin. stop picking at face (which goes against what I've always done), wash face every day.
* get the marriage license
* get my hair cut and colored
* convince wedding parties to dance a certain first dance with Brad and I (Amber had a great idea and I don't want to spoil the surprise)
* stress about the rehearsal because it is not going to be at the actual wedding site, so I guess it will be a pseudo rehearsal.
* figure out who will give speeches and let them know.