Guest Bags

I think that one of the first things that sets the tone for the wedding for your out of town guest is the guest bag.  More than likely your guests will check into the hotel before heading out to any of the events.  So, for me, it is an important component in the whole weekend.  If possible, I like to have them in the room waiting.  But in reality, that probably won't happen, especially if your wedding is in a busy place.

I like to have something in the guest bags that they can take home with them.  In these, the guest bag committee  had 2 small stemless wine glasses and a pukka shell bracelet.  The actual palm leaf bag can be used again, as well.  There was a little personalized pack of tissue, which I wish I had taken to the wedding!

As a nod to the city where the wedding took place, we put a gift card to the local brewery that the group placed on a printed card and put inside a printed envelope, making it not only more visible, but more attractive.   Two  personalized water bottles, 2 small wine bottles, nuts, mints and 2 snack bags and an information card with directions to the wedding and suggested activities were also included. Everything was all tied up in a cellophane bag with water colored scrunchy stuffing in the bottom,  and then tied with raffia and a beautiful hang tag to finish it off.  The palm leaf bag had a hand painted embellishment and the shell motif was used throughout, as well.  The group who put it together did a fantastic job and I heard rave reviews about how wonderful they were!  

Party Favors

 Yes, it's party favor time.  So, each person at the rehearsal dinner received a little
bag with a dog paw motif.  The bags for the guys had a bottle of personalized
hot sauce (because the groom collects hot sauce) and short bread cookies
shaped like a dog bone.  The cookies were in a cello bag tied with ribbon, both having dog paws
imprinted on them. Each lady had a bar of soap shaped like a dog paw, a tube
of personalized chap stick(the Groom's paternal grandfather always had chap stick in his pocket.), and a tea towel with the silhouette shapes of the bride's and groom's dogs. Of course we had to have the cups with the dogs on them, too. The place cards were placed in a bandana. But the most exciting surprise was that I had Jones Soda personalized with a picture of the Bride and Groom with their dogs. (The Groom once asked for stock in Jones Soda when he first discovered it.) Yes, I went dog crazy, but it was fun! All the treats revolved around the Groom in some way. I like having a little take-away.....

We're Back!

It's hard to believe that we are already back from the wedding!  I enjoyed every minute...the weekend went too fast!  I know I will be reflecting for quite a while about everything, so bear with me. Once during the reception, a friend took me to the back of the dance floor and told me just to look...there all around were my friends and family, the bride's family and friends, and the friends of the couple who had been able to come.  I am so glad she did that.  I felt joy and love all night.

One of  the Bride's family members told my husband 3 words that he felt described their very special wedding:



Simple.

Humble.

                                           
                                                 

                                    Majestic.

We Leave Today!

Ok. Here's an update on the article for the paper. It seems that I misunderstood what the paper guy meant and the paper guy misunderstood what I meant. Evidently you can still put a picture of the couple with the article of parties in the paper on the Friday of the wedding weekend. I guess he thought I wanted it printed at no cost. I always assumed I would pay for it. However, I do think the instructions written in the paper on how to go about having it printed could be a little clearer. So, I will have my secret little article in the paper on Friday!

We leave today for Savannah. I am getting my hair cut and colored, running to Walmart, getting a manicure and finishing packing the car. I took the "baby" to the vet before my hair appointment at 9:00, so I am running, running, running. My housekeeper who comes every other week comes today, so I will leave a clean house, and therefore will come back to a clean house. I am feeling a zen moment just thinking about that.....

I am going to try to enjoy evey moment this weekend. My dress, which is a beautiful color and a style that looks good on me, does not look right. Unfortunately it wasn't made correctly--- that's the only thing I can think of to explain it. The fabric is so blousy below the cowl neckline that it looks like my boobs are at my waist! Oh, well. So, even though I never thought I was the center of anyone's attention other than my loving husband's, I am humbled again to know that it really doesn't matter what I am wearing. All eyes will be, and should be, on the bride and groom. I just want to look good in the pictures!!!!!!!!!

Wedding Week

I can't believe this week is finally here.  All the planning, the counting, the worrying, the mistakes---it's almost to an end (except for my daily worrying and mistakes).  What's done is done.   I am hoping to just enjoy.

My dress arrived today so I rushed off to the seamstress' house to get that taken care of.

The weather looks like it will be wonderful, so hopefully we will have the rehearsal dinner outside as originally planned.

The seating is arranged, I just have to write it down on the board.

Our clothes are on the Groom's bed, ready to be packed.

The decorations have been sent to Savannah in 2 batches, so they are there, ready to go.

I am filling the MOG bag that a friend gave me.

I wrote an article for the paper, including a picture of the loving couple, (without their knowledge), to be printed this Friday.  But, FYI, our little paper, that sometimes barely has enough news to have 3 pages, doesn't print a picture with the article that talks about the parties. The cost for the article is $20.  That's fine! They print pictures only for engagements and weddings. I don't know how much that costs.  Now, you can buy an ad and they will print the article and the picture, which we may do.  I don' t know the cost for the different sizes of ads at this point.  We didn't have an engagement announcement and I regret that we didn't.  But I didn't have much cooperation with the Groom on that issue.  My feeling is that if you want to print an article with a picture for a wedding, why can't you go through the same channels as other wedding articles.  If they want to charge more for that, then fine.  But make things easy for "the people".   There isn't a limit of pictures of The LaGrange Daily news in Panama City........

Mehndi/Mehendi Party

In Indian traditions, the bride gets together with all her female friends and family right before she gets married and they have a Mehndi Party. She gets adorned with henna tattoos all over her hands and feet, so she looks beautiful on her wedding day. 


Henna tattoos are all natural but not at all permanent. The henna only stains the outer layer of the skin, so it lasts about 2-4 weeks. The dried leaves of the henna plant are ground into a greenish powder, and then mixed with lemon juice and warm water (and anything else in their family's recipe). The chocolate-colored paste is applied with a cone (kind of like baker's use for decorating cakes) or with a thin stick.

The designs are extremely intricate and take hours to apply. The bride has to sit and wait for the paste to dry and set, so if she needs anything, all her gal pals take care of her. After a few hours, the dried paste is then peeled or brushed off the skin, revealing an orange print. Some people even wait until the next morning before peeling off the design to ensure a darker stain - I even slept with plastic bags on my hands, I like being decorated. Never wash the dried henna off with water since that will make the design fade faster. The color darkens over the next few days, but as the dead skin cells begin to slough off, the henna tattoo, too, begins to fade away.

The above was copied from:  http://www.fitsugar.com/Mehndi-Party-Bride-256046

Down to the Wire

Well, my dress will be here Monday.  I leave on Wednesday.  Can't cut it much closer!  And I will probably have to have it altered!  (I had a mini meltdown-oh, well!)
I have started moving things from upstairs to downstairs, preparing to pack the car, and the Groom's room has become the "staging" room for figuring out what to wear during those off moments, the mehndi party and the morning of decorating.  And who knows the weather?  It has changed to where Friday will be sunny and warm, but with rain all week prior.  So, tables still inside?  My obsessive/compulsive nature is having a hard time waiting to make that decision.


I can't wait to send pictures of the guest bags.  My friends who are in charge have been so wonderful about wanting to make them special for me, both in contents and in how they look.  It will be the first thing my guests will see when they arrive in their room for the weekend, setting the tone for the festivities!  Guest bags are in the party favor family--and I love party favors!  So, they are important to me.  Luckily the planning team understands that!

With the help of friends, again, the rehearsal dinner will be so cute! (At least the way I have it pictured in my mind it will be so cute!!!)  Stay tuned for those pictures, too!

In reflecting on all that has led up to "our" wedding I get teary with joy and thanks, because I feel so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends.

Knots In My Stomach!

I awoke with a start this morning----something that seems to be the norm these days----to realize that my dress isn't here!!! YIKES!  I leave a week from today!  It has to be altered!  Luckily the person who does alterations for me is on call and will have it fit me beautifully----she just needs to have it in order to do that!  My lesson is learned.  Get the dress early. Six weeks ahead is NOT early.

And to make things even better, I can't get the Katy Perry tune out of my head when I say:
                                  I broke a nail and I hate it!
 I have been working for months to get my nails to where they would look really nice for the wedding, going once a week for a manicure.  I take my gummy vitamins every day!  I even had made plans that after my last one before the wedding, I would not lift or open anything, protecting my nails.  Yesterday I opened a box to, what else, count how many items were there, and I broke a nail.  Not just a little chip.  A full on break, down almost to the quick.  So, I guess I'll keep up my manicures, so that  maybe, by the time my Precious Angel gets married, that nail will have grown out.

OMG! I Leave in a Week!

In just a little more than a week we leave for the wedding destination!  I am excited, scared, emotional, giddy and full of joy.  I love looking forward to things:  planning, thinking, looking over notes, making lists.  I hope that the rehearsal dinner will be as nice in person as it is in my mind! With the help of friends, I am sure it will be.

Fall has definitely arrived, as well a the cool weather.  The extended forecast doesn't have rain, but it does predict cool weather for the day, and cold (by my standards) temps for the evening.  I have gotten in touch with the rehearsal dinner location to ask about heaters.  I know the Bride has asked for firepits at the reception.  Remember that both events are casual.  I already know I will be cold and hovering over a firepit or staying inside, unless there is a turn around in the weather.....which I am totally hoping for!  The stockings may have to come out!  

I have totally overbought for the guest bags and rehearsal dinner party favors.  But if I had waited I would have been nervous.  So, I guess it was money well spent.  My friends who are unable to go to the wedding will benefit from the extras!