Post-Wedding

Geeez...I kind of miss planning our wedding! LOL I walked by some bridal magazines tonight and wanted to buy one, just for old times sake. I guess there's no law that says I can't, but just like when I WASN'T engaged, I never bought a bridal mag....I guess now that I'm an old married woman, I feel like I can't buy one now. Strange.

It was funny...on the way home from work, I was listening to Martha Stewart on Sirius radio and she actually told a woman calling to get married as quick as possible and not to drag it out a year. This, from the woman who's wedding industry appeals to the planning animal in every bride. LOL I just found it odd. She actually said she'd get married tomorrow if she were asked. Where's the fun in that? You can't buy any Martha Stewart wedding crafts at Michaels and craft your own DIY favors and programs, etc.

The photographer emails and said she may have our wedding photos up on her website by the end of the week. Yippee!! Can't wait to see them. I hope I look thinner in the pro photos than I did in the amateur ones. LOL I doubt it.

No Pics Yet

It has been four weeks since the wedding and we still haven't seen any of the photos taken by the professional photographer. I know it's her busy season, but still.... :-(

On The Road Again to Maine

Dave and I set out relatively early this morning at 8:00 to head north/east to Maine. Our hope was that we'd beat the real heavy holiday traffic of people trying to get to the coast and into Maine for the 4th of July. It wasn't too bad, but knew it was going to get worse.

We picked up the kitties and got home shortly after 2 p.m. Everything seemed to be okay, except our pond which had drained itself of water. The garden looked good, so it appears my watering system worked and the kitties were VERY happy to be home and so were we.

We had so much to unload and unpack and we did it that night. I think we're both exhausted, but very happy. I'm glad I have the long 3-day weekends to relax before getting back into the swing of work.

When we got home our marriage license was waiting for us in the mail, so we're official and I'm now Mrs. McCausland!

Berkshire Day

We sure missed our lovely breakfast made by The Nancy's this morning as we headed across the stree to Friendly's. Our waitress had all the personality of a box of cardboard. The food was good though.

Our first stop today was to The Mission House. This is a Colonial-era National Historic Landmark that was home to the first missionary to the Mohican Indians. It not only provides a glimpse into Colonial history but also the Native American tribe that lived here.

Our tour guide was wonderful and we enjoyed his stories and he enjoyed ours! A longer tour than normal I believe. The most amazing antique piece was a baby walker. We never would have believed they made them way back then. They were also made to be wider than doorways so the children couldn't go through doorways.

We weren't allowed to take photos inside, but I have a few pics from outside.

Wedding - Mission House

Then we stopped at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. I have wanted to visit this area for some time. It was beautiful and many areas were in full bloom. Not as extensive as I would have thought given the wealth of the area, but still very, very nice. Click below for photos.

Wedding - Botanical Garden

Then we drove over the Naumkeag a Gilded-age architectural masterpiece is, at its heart, a family home. Joseph Choate, a leading 19th-century attorney, hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, & White to design the 44-room “cottage,” Naumkeag, which would serve as a summer retreat for three generations of Choates. Click below for photos.

Wedding - Naumkeag

Then to cap off the trip to the Berkshires, we planned a dinner at The Red Lion Inn. We've stayed at The Red Lion Inn before and visited on many occasions. It's a very special place and The Red Lion’s quintessential New England charm was immortalized by Norman Rockwell in his painting Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.

We made reservations for two at 7:00 prior to driving back to our hotel in Great Barrington. We dressed for dinner with me in a dress and Dave in the spiffy new suit he had purchased in case the kilt didn't fit for the wedding. I must say we looked very good! We sat on the porch outside, even though it was cool, and ordered a drink, had a photo taken of us, then settled in the main dining room at a table for two. We've been having fun telling people we're on our honeymoon. The waitress took our photo, then we ordered. Dave ordered prime rib and I finally got my steak ordering a filet mignon that melted in my mouth. We even ordered dessert! It was one of the best meals I've ever had. Well worth the wait and the money.

Wedding - Red Lion Inn

To The Berkshires

The Berkshires holds some history for Dave and I. When I still lived in NY, western MA was a half-way point of sorts for both of us so we met up there on several occasions...mostly during cooler months, so I was looking forward to visiting when it was warmer and we do some of the outdoor attraction they offer.

We packed up the car, dropped of the keys to Patti and headed out of town. The sun was out, but it was cooler. I didn't want to leave the chalet. If we could have afforded it, we MAY have booked it it through the 4th of July weekend, but I'm thrilled with the time we did have there and hope everyone else enjoyed it.

The drive to Stockbridge was uneventful and we found our motel around 4:30. We have stayed here once before, and I know I booked it because it was affordable, but WOW, was it a downgrade from the chalet. LOL There was a Quality Inn right behind it that looked inviting, but we decided to stay here. It wasn't like we were going to be spending a lot of time there anyway, so it served its purpose...just wish the outlet in the bathroom worked and we could understand the motel manager who had a VERY thick Indian accent.

I was in the mood for steak, so we searched out a couple of places and ended up at local grill restaurant. They're steak offerings were HUGE, so I opted to pass on it tonight. Instead I ordered up an embarrassingly, huge serving of Guinness-braised pot roast. How can one person eat that much? Unreal. I couldn't finish it and didn't take it with us even though we did have a fridge and microwave in our hotel. Wow!

Tuesday

On our last full morning here at the chalet, I made a point of sitting out on the deck this morning with a cup of tea and enjoying the view and the dozens and dozens of birds chirping away.

Dave and I then started to take things down and put the chalet back to where it was when we arrived, which was kind of sad.

We stopped for some lunch, then headed up to visit with mom for a few more hours. Dave was thrilled to get into a geneology discussion with her and he learned some new things about our relatives and he was able to share some things with mom that she didn't know. I think they both could have gone on for hours, but we had a lot of work to do packing up the car to leave tomorrow. So, we said our goodbyes to Mom and headed out. I hate that part, but know she had a good time and spent a lot of energy with us...more than she should have. We pooped her out, but she did great. I ended up giving her my wedding bouquet.

Dori and Ian were coming over at 5:30 to pick up the things she had let us borrow and to help us out by taking a lot of the leftover soda, beer and food. We ended up throwing a lot of food out, but were also able to give some away.

We cooked out, but ended up eating inside as it was very cool and windy. We set Ian up with a DVD of Men in Black while we chatted. AND, because it was our last night here, we DID hit the hot tub one more time before they left. LOL

I'm so glad we were able to share the chalet and all it offered with our family and friends. I know Ian loved the air hockey game. Even got my mom to play against him.

Niagara Falls

The plan today was to drop The Nancy's off at their hotel in Niagara Falls, then explore the area separately. They would stay for a night or two and we would head back to the chalet tonight for a short honeymoon.

We ended up touring a little with them, then finding the hotel and going our separate ways. However, we kept running into them. It was too funny. The weather was strange. Sunny and hot, then windy, wet and cool. Weird weather day. Again...we were SOOOO lucky with our wedding day weather.

Here is a link to photos from our visit to Niagara Falls.

Wedding - Niagara Falls

We stopped at the Coffee Connection. on our way back to the chalet to finally check our email with their Free WIFI. I have to admit, I really didn't mind not having to check email or cell phones for a few days, then I missed not updating folks on the wedding, so it was nice to at least send out a photo to folks back in Maine. Oh, and I tried one of their chocolate croissants. WOW, was that good!!!

When we got back to the chalet, I took our sound system down to the patio/hot tub area so we could listen to our wedding/reception music and we took down some Drambuie to sip on and hopped in the hot tub for almost two hours. FELT GREAT! The temps had cooled off considerably so the heat of the hot tub was very nice.

The Day After

Needless to say, after drinking an entire bottle of Rosé wine myself yesterday, I wasn't feeling that great this morning. Dave was already up, cleaning things up and the Nancy's got up a short time later to make us breakfast.

Roger had an early flight to catch and I'm told he was in pretty bad shape too. Poor guy. He did make his flight back to Maine though. Dave made sure he was up to catch his flight, then proceeded to pickup the entire chalet. He did an amazing job. I was shocked!

After a rough couple of hours, I was able to eat the fantastic breakfast The Nancy's fixed for us again. We had a LOT of leftover food from the wedding and a lot of leftover fruit. I mean a LOT of leftover fruit. It was still muggy out today and the sun was poking through the clouds heating it up even more.

Today we had invited all of our guests back to join us for a cookout and just relax and unwind. To my surprise, almost everyone came back today. Hot dogs, hamburgers and leftovers were the meal for the day. Keeping it as simple for everyone as possible. We sat outside down stairs on the covered patio. There was a nice breeze, but it only cooled us off when it blew.

We had a lot of fun telling tales from yesterday and reliving moments. The only real unfortunate moment was when Gwen's husband Dan tripped and fell on the steps going down to the deck. They were very difficult to see and several other people almost fell until Patti put down band-aids and paper towels under clear shipping tape to outline the edge of the steps. Gwen said he may have broken a rib. We felt horrible.

Rhonda had brought her guitar back and Dori left hers, so they sang their song again and i joined in this time. Just too hot to boogie, but I enjoyed singing with them. I think if it had been cooler and we had more energy, we may have done more.

People started filtering out just as it started to rain heavily and thunder pretty good. Mom, Dori & Ian were the last two leave.

The Nancy's, Dave and I ate a light supper to a soundtrack of crashing thunder. It DID cool things off though, so it was very welcome. Nancy and Nancy need to pack for this trip to Niagara Falls tomorrow and Dave and I were off to bed early, but not before checking out our wedding vidoe that Roger took for us. Other than my fatness and large arms, I was pleased.

The Big Wedding Day! - Part II

Dave made his entrance with Jim from the lower level up the steps to the ceremony deck. The kilt fit him great and he looked VERY handsome. Mom and I made our way down the deck from the front door without a hitch, although a little late with the music. No problems.

Dave and I kept looking at one another and smiling. He winking on occasion and mouthed the words "you look beautiful" or "the dress is beautiful".

I only glanced a few times at the "audience". Other than my Aunt Connie and Dave's niece Kim not being there, everyone I wanted at my wedding was there. THIS is how I wanted it to be and I was so glad we were able to do it.

Dave and I had "written" our own ceremony. We loved it and Jim did a pretty good job only missing one item, but we caught back up.

THEN....THEN!! The biggest surprise I have been unable to blog about until now occurred finally. I had been trying for months and months to get a bag piper to perform at our wedding as a surprise for Dave. I initially hired someone who worked with my sister, but she had to back out. After more searching, I was able to locate two other pipers, but once my sister Dori spoke with John Findley from Jamestown, and he was available and willing to do this on short notice, the deed was done.

What I did NOT know was whether he was actually AT the chalet for the time of his entrance. As Jim announced I had a special gift for Dave, I heard the pipes from around the corner and jumped up and down like a four-year old! Dave's face was in shocked, pleasure, pride, and love...all at the same time. PERFECT! Not only was John a good piper, but he turned out to actually be FROM Scotland and very personable and fun. He stayed most of the rest of the afternoon and played several more tunes and entertained my family with stories.

Ian held onto our ring box and brought it up and held it without incident for the ring exchange and Gwen helped us with the handfasting ceremony. Dave had made the handfasting cord and we brought my Celtic cross from my garden in Maine to NY for the ceremony to hold it.

I'll post the script for our ceremony shortly so people can read how we did this. Very special.

We had asked my sister and niece to perform the song "The Water is Wide"" at our ceremony. I had a quivering chin and a lump in my throat from the sound of their first harmony. Dori and Rhonda played guitar and sang and Jenny sang two solo verses. I knew it would be beautiful and it was! Thank you!

Dave and I were pronounced husband and wife without incident or rain and walked out hand-in-hand to the sounds of "Scotland The Brave" played by John the piper. Perfect!!

We felt a few more sprinkles through the rest of the day, but it held off. We were sooo lucky. It was still humid and muggy out, but if the sun had come out, it would have been much worse. It was a perfect day for photography too with it being overcast.

We took a group photo of everyone who attended down by the Adirondack chairs that we had set out in the slopping lawn. I hope that turns out..it took awhile to get it set up.

As we were setting up for the group shot, Dave divulged what THIS particular Scotsman wore under his kilt for our wedding: a pair of white boxer shorts with Xmas lights on them. It was a tribute to his late niece Kim, who shared a long-running joke/tradition with him exchanging gifts with Xmas lights. I loved it. When Nancy saw it, she was shocked, saddened and laughing all at the same time. I think it was a fitting tribute between the two of them and certainly made for some interesting photos that I have yet to see! LOL

The meal that Chef B prepared couldn't have been better. Everyone commented on how it was the best wedding food they have ever had and I completely agree. The only real unfortunate thing was that the freezer wasn't working up to snuff and the sorbets she had made for dessert turned into mush and only one flavor was served with the brownies.

Roger made a fitting toast that he worked long and hard on, complete with a sailing story and Dori gave a very heart-felt and emotional toast as well. I had two glasses of champagne with dinner, then after dinner and dessert, I switch to Rosé wine.....and continued to drink that the rest of the night. In fact I drank an entire bottle myself. Ugh!

It had cooled down, turned dark and a few people had left, so I felt it was now time to hit the hot tub. I found my suit and Jenny grabbed Chad's swim trunks from their car. Dori borrowed a t-shirt and shorts from me and we hit it probably around 11:00 or so. Felt SOOOO good after the stress of the last several weeks. Then Jenny was able to talk Rhonda into coming in as well. First time she had ever been in a hot tub. Once she got in, she found out what she had been missing! Dave joined us as well. It was well after mid-night when we got out and everyone went home.

The day was filled with dancing, laughing, talking, singing, crying and hugging. Pefect! Couldn't have been better. So far, I'm loving being Mrs. McCausland. I'm a very lucky woman.

The Big Wedding Day! - Part I

No rest for the weary! We were all up quite early this morning. Nancy & Nancy's gift to us was to make breakfast this morning and they outdid themselves. We had eggs, amazing bacon, toast, and fruit. They also did all of the clean-up.

The weather had been iffy the last couple of days and today's was no exception, but after seeing the forecast this morning, we made the commitment to have the wedding outside. We did have a Plan B (for rain), but the radar indicated the heavy rain would be well north of us.

However, as we were decorating the deck, some sprinkles popped up here and there. Just enough to make me nervous, but not enough to make us switch to Plan B.

Dave seemed tense, but not overly so. I was amazingly calm. I think it was because everything was falling into place and realizing the "visions" we had planned over a year for were actually going to work once we got to the chalet, made me feel so much better. It's been tough doing this all long distance.

We finished decorating as much as we could, then Patti (wedding planner/realtor) arrived with her assistant Becky and they finished up for us. Dori's husband Jon has bought all of our wine and champagne so that was all set up and chilled. I went over the music selections and volume levels with Becky.

Then the florist arrived. When I walked out (hair already in curlers) to see Annette and saw the flowers, they caught my breath. Really, really beautiful. Exactly what i wanted. She did an amazing job. I was thrilled.

Then we met with James Halterman, our Justice Of The Peace, who filled in for our other JOP on short notice. He had a commanding, but not overpowering, presence and we had a quick run through of the ceremony with him out on the deck. It was then I realized the time was almost here!

Coni, the photographer arrived next, then Chef B, the caterer with her trays and trays of food. I was hoping the kitchen would be big enough and we tried our best to make sure she had everything she needed.

My niece Jenny had given my a set of barrettes that had purple flowers on them. I wasn't sure I could use them because my hair is so thin, but they absolutely saved the day with my hair! They held perfectly and that enabled me to wear my veil. Something I was certain I wouldn't be able to do. I was thrilled! The photographer was taking my photo while standing in the bathtub. LOL

Dori, Ian and Mom arrived around 1:30. I invited them in to the master bedroom to sit and assist. Mom looked more nervous than I was at that moment. LOL Dori gave me my grandmother's mother-of-pearl ring to wear on my other ring finger as something old and borrowed. It belongs to my niece. I started to cry, but held it together.

I had also planned a special surprise for Dave prior to the ceremony and the photographer graciously agreed to deliver the gift to him as he was getting dressed in his kilt on the lower level! It was a framed set of four photos of my holding up cards that read: First one said: I can't. Second one said: Wait to. Third one said: Marry. And the Fourth one simply said: You!. Dave teared up and Coni took photos.

It was then that I realized it was 1:45. I had 15 minutes to get my undergarments on, do my makeup & jewelery AND put my wedding dress on! THEN I was nervous. VERY nervous. I was afraid I was going to be late, but with Dori's help, Mom and I made our entrance.

See next Blog entry for Part II.

Wedding - Day Three - 6/25/10

Dave was supposed to go pick up his sister and friend at the airport this morning, but because our friend Roger's fight have been delayed getting into Buffalo (from Africa), he graciously agreed to pick them up and bring them down to the chalet for us. Really sweet of him to do that and save Dave the trip up and back to the airport.

So, while I was at the spa with my friend Gwen this morning, Dave arranged the bar area, set up several other areas around the chalet and did a great job organizing. As usual. We discovered shortly after our arrival at the chalet that there was no phone service, no cell reception and no Internet. Talk about being out of touch!!

Gwen picked me up around 9:00 for our manicure/pedicure appointment at 9:30. I showed her around the chalet then we set out. It turned out I knew the woman giving me my mani/pedi. She's the sister of my best friend from childhood. We did a lot of catching up which was fun but I can't say our experience there was worth it. The manicures weren't that good and my pedicure was actually quite painful. I don't think either one of us would go back there. Unfortunately, Gwen had to because they screwed up her thumbnail so bad, it had begun to bubble after we had lunch. A real shame.

But the next two items on Gwen's schedule were more relaxing. She took me to an oxygen bar. I had never been to one and didn't even know this existed in Ellicottville. It was interesting and actually did help relieve my headache.

Then we had lunch at Dina's Restaurant where I had the best tuna fish sandwich I have ever eaten. Thank you Gwen for sharing this time with me and treating me. It was great to just sit and chat with you again. I really miss that.

Shortly after we arrived back at the chalet, Roger and The Nancy's arrived without incident. It was exciting to show them around and I know Nancy was very excited about the big event tomorrow. I was so thrilled they all made the trip to NY to be with us and share this.

They too, were thrilled with the chalet. The Nancy's shared a room upstairs and Roger set up home on the lower level. It was still pretty muggy out again today so he had the cooler area with its ceramic tile floor.

As they settled in, Dave and I figured out how to arrange our sound system and practiced our entrances to the music. It worked out great. I brought my laptop setup with 4 or 5 separate playlists. I also brought my stereo computer speakers, which we setup outside above everyone's heads. We checked and wrote down sound levels, took advantage of Roger being there to clear off the deck and setup the rental chairs for the ceremony.

Our next order of fun was our family dinner at The Coach Inn outside Little Valley. I had learned the day before from my mom that Coachman's (as it used to be called) was the place where she first met my dad. I never knew that. So it was kind of fitting Dave and I were having our wedding dinner there.

It was also a chance for Dave's sister Nancy to meet my family. She had met Dori once before, but not under the best circumstances...when I was in the hospital. I was excited for her to meet my mom, sister Rhonda and niece Jenny as I knew they'd all adore her and vice versa. It appeared that's the case. Nancy's friend Nancy Stultz, also fit in well and we had a lot of laughs and good stories told along with a very touching toast by Dave. Nancy paid for dinner.

I hadn't really had a chance to ENJOY the large deck since we arrived at the chalet, so tonight when we got back from dinner and it was cooler out, we all sat outside on the deck and enjoy some tea and coffee for a bit. Then as it grew darker, we saw the full moon peaking out from atop the trees in the distant valley. Stunning!

The fire flies were all over the place creating a backdrop off the deck and I don't recall hearing so many birds as I have the last few days here in the mountain. Beautiful. Tomorrow is a BUSY, but exciting day.

Suprise Shower

Much to my surprise, when we arrived at Gwen's, there was a surprise bridal shower/dinner waiting for me. I walked in completely oblivious, then saw the beautifully set table, complete with mini white roses in tea pots, then turned around to discover my sisters, niece and friend Deb sitting in the dark waiting for me. What a wonderful surprise!

I was really tickled they did this. We toasted with champagne, ate a fabulous meal and laughed. I really needed that with my "girls". The meal consisted of an asparagus soup starter, served in tea cups. (LOVED that!) Then an arugula salad with goat cheese and strawberries and pork loin with a cream sauce and more asparagus and rice. VERY good. Then Deb served a massive fresh fruit platter with a home made peach schnapps dipping sauce and lemon bars. I was a good girl and had only one glass of champagne and one glass of wine, sticking to water with lemon the rest of the evening.

They also brought gifts, although I said we didn't need ANYTHING! One surprise was some wooden signs I had requested, but had forgotten about had been built and painted. Deb's husband Darrell, built the signs and Dori and Deb painted them. They were perfect!

This was the perfect kind of shower for me. Small, intimate and fun. I'm not the type for bar parties, and Gwen, Deb, and Dori knew that. The did good!

It was a late evening, but well worth it to spend some quality time with my sisters, niece and best friends. THANK YOU!!
When I arrived home, Dave had more things setup and placed and he had picked up groceries for the next few days and done a darn good job of it.

Wedding Trip - Day Two - 6/24/10

I didn't sleep much last night. Because I knew heavy rains and thunder were coming, I kind of kept myself awake, waiting for them so I could check all of the windows for rain coming in. As it turned out the windows weren't a problem, but the screen doors we left open were. Once I close them all again, it heated things up inside making it hard to get to sleep. Short night.

Dave and I explored the chalet some more. Figuring out which light switch goes to which light will take some time. We ate a quick breakfast, then headed into Little Valley.

Our first order of business this morning was to get our marriage license. I used to work with the town clerk, so we did a lot of catching up and everything went without a hitch.

Next, we were off to our florist to drop off some tartan ribbon for my bridal bouquet. Annette and I grew up together on the same street walking to and from school together for about 5 years. She then married my cousin Kevin and I was one of her bridesmaids. She opened a florist/gift shop in our home town a few years ago and I was thrilled to be including her in my wedding in some fashion.

Annette was able to show me the flowers for my wedding. They had arrived and were in her coolers soaking in buckets. PERFECT! The roses were exactly what I wanted and there were oodles of thistles and dark purple lisianthus. This is real! We're getting married. Marriage license and flowers for my wedding. Yep!

Dave and I then drove over to Mom's apartment. She looked great and I could tell very excited to not only see us, but for the wedding. We were going to meet Dori & Ian for lunch at The Elkdale Country Club golf course.

It was still pretty toasty and humid out, so we ate inside and enjoyed the AC. Lunch was yummy and the place mats and menus even matched our wedding colors. Now, that was odd! LOL

We dropped mom back at her apartment and chatted a bit more, then we had to get to the chalet to meet with our photographer for the first time. While we waited, we got to work starting to set up and unpack our wedding ceremony & reception items and I started to assemble some of the things that needed to be put together.

Coni, our photographer from On Location Photography in Olean, arrived right on time, having no problems finding the chalet, so that was a good sign others would.

We both liked Coni very much. It's a fear when planning a wedding long distance that the people you're conversing with either via email or even the phone, won't be what you had envisioned, but Coni was very personable, funny, and seemed to be very flexible with our photo requests. I was excited.

Next on our list was the rental equipment. We rented the chairs, tables, linens, silverware, glassware and other items from Cayas Canopies in Alleghany. Our wedding planner/rental agent and her husband offered to pick up our supplies for us so we could save on the delivery charge. They picked up everything today and dropped it off at the chalet. Dave and I helped them unload and just kind of stacked everything where we could in the chalet. Soooo appreciated them doing that. It helped out a great deal.

Then Dave and I were off to visit with my friend Gwen back in Little Valley. She had wanted us to stop by so we could rehearse our bit for the handfasting ceremony and she could give me the tea she offered to get us. Or that was the story I was being told! See next entry.....

Trip to NY 6/23/10

Dave & I finished packing up the car in the pouring rain, leaving JUST enough room to lay my wedding dress flat. I had to hold onto the kitties in their carrier on my lap in the front seat until we could drop them off.

The 11+ hour trip was uneventful and toastier when we got closer to Olean. Wow, was it humid. We met my sister Dori and nephew Ian at the Burger King outside Ellicottville and followed them up to the chalet since she had been there before. It was also nice having two extra pairs of hands to unload the car. Wow, did Dave pack a lot into it.

When we arrived, the photos of the chalet we had been seeing for almost 10 months began to come alive. The chalet turned out to be more than we had expected. A larger deck and more open and the photos didn't do the view justice. Dave and I were THRILLED and could finally see that the plans we had made might actually work!

Unfortunately, the house manager had discovered the air conditioning was not functioning properly and they were unable to fix it in time for our arrival. The owner graciously refunded us $200 because of that. I thought that was a nice gesture. Frankly, I would have rather had the AC!

There was also an issue with some bees around the bottom of the hot tub. They were still there. We'd have to see about doing something about that because I WAS going to use the hot tub at some point during our stay.

Once we opened up every single window in the place (and there were a LOT in this 3-story beauty), a nice breeze blew through and marginally cooled things off. Dave drove the entire way and we were both very tired...but thunderstorms and heavy rain were in the area. Day 1 of our wedding adventure is over.....

Extended Forecast

Apparently, at some point in the last year and a half, I posted our wedding date on weather.com because this morning I got an email with our "Wedding Weather." So far....I'm REALLY liking it! I know it could change daily, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

Finally! The Napkin rings.

Who would have thunk one of the hardest things for us (well, for ME) to decide on was what to put on, or around, or in, our napkins for the reception tables.

Our original idea had just too many components. Common sense kicked in and it was kind of a silly thing to have that many pieces for people to have to remove, then have them hanging all over the table while they eat. I wanted simple, but wasn't happy with a lot of the designs we were coming up with. We also had to keep in mind it's an outdoor reception and if it's windy, any light-weight items we attached to it may blow away. I know poor Dave was getting frustrated with me. I was getting frustrated. We're not crafters. We're clever and creative, but not crafters.

When we started to realized we have soooo many things to use for decorations, the simplest option became the winner. Although I wanted to use the tartan ribbon I sent away to Scotland for, the lighter green ribbon will look great on the purple linen napkins and we'll tie the ribbon together with the name-card holders with the small purple bows. 'tis DONE!

Well, technically not DONE, just the decision was done. We'll still need to create them now. I THINK that's the last thing we really had to decide on. Now if Michael's Craft store has the rest of the ribbon we need for the chairs, I think we're done....and the napkin rings didn't defeat us. Yeah, us!

Wedding Diet?

What wedding diet? Oh, yes...I had "plans" to eat right, and get in better shape for my wedding. I think I've done okay, but I hadn't planned on starving myself. Why go through MORE stress during this time. I think it's silly that some woman try to lose 20 pounds during the time they're also shopping for a wedding dress, shoes, bride's maids, party favors......I'm so glad I didn't put myself through this.

Dave didn't ask me to marry him when I was a size 4 and weighed 115. He asked a 46 year old aneurysm survivor to marry him. She's not in as good of shape as she USED to be, but by God, she's alive and here and she loves him, right?

My dress still fit me like a glove this past week when I picked it up, so I'm happy. I have flabby arms, a smidgen of back fat now and I'm tucked into a lovely Spanx body shaper, so I think I look damn good for what I am at the moment. LOL

And...

...And I haven't turned into a Bridezilla......YET! Well, Dave may have other thoughts on that subject, but I think I'm pretty low maintenance compared to other women.

'da budget

Dave didn't believe in doing a budget for our wedding, but I secretly set one up at a whopping $6,000! And....at two weeks before our wedding, we're only about $200 over. I think that's great. I know I spend a lot of money on other things that weren't necessary (makeup, clothes, gifts, etc.), but for the most part we're very close and I'm pleased with that. We created and printed our own Save-The-Date magnets, invitations and other stationary items. I bought very inexpensive shoes and a veil.

The rings were more money than we were expecting to pay, the personal chef was more than I had anticipated, and the dress alterations were a LOT more than I was prepared for, but I think it'll all be worth it in the end. Not tacky, not cheap, but just right.

Getting Close!!

Two weeks from tomorrow we'll be getting married. I think it hit us both hard this week that the time is running out to do all of those "little things" we were waiting to do. The time has come to DO THEM!

The major items are ready, so even if the smaller things don't pan out, we'll be fine. My sister and brother-in law took care of the wine & champagne for the reception. I picked up my wedding dress on Wednesday and they did a great job with the alterations and it fit great.

Now I have to get my tooth fixed, which is an unexpected expense because it's chipped. Then get my hair highlighted and cut, and we have a few items we need to purchase yet.

I'm getting excited. I think the 11-hour drive to NY will be a long one, but I'm looking forward to seeing my family and giving them all a hug. My Aunt Connie passed away this week at the age of 93. She was an amazing woman. I really wanted her at my wedding. I loved her dearly and will truly miss her. She was a big influence on my life and we bonded over our love of gardening. I may plant something in her honor in my garden. Both of our families are really looking forward to an exciting and uplifting event, so we don't want to disappoint! Something to look forward to for everyone....well, except for the cats! They'll be stuck at the kitty chalet, but hopefully they'll forgive us as they have in the past. :-)

Dave put a response in an email today that said "Mr. & Mrs. Dave McCausland". First time I've seen that! Very exciting.

His & Hers

Yesterday we decided that Dave will pursue and complete the creation of our handfasting cord and I will complete the cushioning and insert for the wedding ring box. I think I came out on the better end of the deal! LOL But, we'll see who has the more difficult time.

Dave found some fabric cord that he is going to add to another piece, then weave yarn of our two wedding theme colors through the entire thing. It will need to be a 6' cord, so I'm glad we're starting now!

We bought a plain, unfinished wooden box for our rings. Dave stained it and we'll fill it with ribbon-covered foam packing. At least that's the plan.

Checking Things Off

With 24 days to go, some items are getting done...others still waiting to be completed and checked off our list (now it's listS, plural!).

The chalet, the florist and the photographer had final balance checks sent yesterday, so we're good to go there. The rental company confirmed our rental chairs, tables, etc for the wedding is all paid for as well and our Planner-For-A-Day/Realtor, Patti will be picking everything up for us.

Also, our Justice of The Peace had to back out of our wedding so we were forced to find another one, with his help thankfully. So JOP Jim will be officiating our ceremony. My surprise gift for Dave is also up-in-the-air at the moment. May, or may not happen, but I tried.

I'm trying to stay out of the sun to avoid funky tan lines, but if I DO want to sit out in the sun, I'm wearing sunscreen and my bathing suit top because it's a halter and I'll avoid strange strap marks since my wedding dress is also a halter.

I pick up the dress at David's Bridal next Wednesday and hope the alterations are all set. They SHOULD be at that price!

The ring box is almost completed and we're trying our best to find the perfect "cord" to use for our handfasting ceremony. I need to fill the seed packets yet and I THINK we have our music for the ceremony and reception all set. We'll be using an iPod or laptop. I have created individual playlists for Pre-Ceremony, Processional, Recessional, Cocktail/Dinner, and Reception Dancing.

The only sad part is that my Aunt Connie will be unable to make the wedding. Her health is failing and she's been moved to a nursing home after several visits to hospitals and Dr's. She's battling cancer. She'll be 94 this Friday, but at least I know SHE knew I wanted her there, so I continue to take that with me and hopefully, if she's up for it, we can make a trip to visit her while we're in NY. I'm praying for that.

My time-off request is in for two weeks off from work, our reservations are set for the hotel in The Berkshires and the kitties are all booked at their little vacation home-away-from-home. Moving right along!!

Home Alone

Dave is out of town on business for almost 5 days. I haven't been home alone this long in a long time and I can't say I like it! LOL

I'm sitting here thinking it's like I'm single again. I'm eating crap, drinking a glass of wine, at my computer with the TV on...all on a Saturday night. Yep...just like when I was single.

A Facebook friend who knew me during the time I was contemplating meeting Dave in person reminded me of how we'd be in a trivia chat room on a Saturday night chasing obnoxious teenagers out of our chat room. Oh, what fun we had! But, I certainly enjoy having Dave here more. Even if we're just sitting here watching TV...we're doing it together and I'm WITH someone.

I can't over-estimate how fortunate I am to have found Dave...or he found me online I guess. I'm so lucky he wasn't an axe murderer (as my family had feared) or a rapist, or married, or a convict. He's "Good Dave" and I'm lucky to have him in my life.

I'm really looking forward to becoming his wife and continuing what we started way back in June of 1998 when Dave first sent me an Instant Message. Who knew!?!

1st Gown Fitting

Had my first gown fitting today at David' Bridal in Portland. I've never gone through professional fittings, so I wasn't sure what to expect or do. It wasn't a problem though and Denise guided me through what needed to be done and I informed her of a few things I wanted done.

One of the other seamstresses gave me a great tip so my bustier bra wouldn't show in the back because the gown sits low. She had me undue the bottom five hooks and slide it down slightly and I THINK she left the top hook undone too. Just on the bra, not the dress. I'll still need help with those darn hooks. I can't reach them all.

Everyone loved my shoes and thought they were a great idea for comfort. There was another bride having her fitting as well. She is getting married in warmer climates on a beach. She had a beautiful gown and had her white flip flops on. We shared some "bridal camaraderie" while in the fitting room. Was fun.

Denise said the gown looked great on me and two other women, who did NOT work there, also told me it was a great gown for me. I'm assuming they meant for someone slightly chubby and older. LOL

It took a lot longer than I was expecting to hem up the main dress and then the lace overlay. They're also taking in two areas around the chest and sewing the panel in permanently that's just snapped in at the moment.

Unfortunately, they were unable to get the right color ribbon and size ribbon to put inside the lace overlay. I wasn't too upset about it. I think it would have been a nice touch, but not a big deal and after seeing how expensive the dress is to hem and make the other alterations...it's probably a good thing!! WOW! I had no idea it would be that much.

Dave's Wedding Band

I met with a new hair stylist this morning and had her give me a hair cut. I've worked in Winslow for 9 years and had no idea there was a spa and salon just across the river. I've passed it many times, but apparently was paying more attention to the road and cars to notice.

Jamie came recommended by a co-worker, so I made an appointment. She did a good job and the price was right. I've scheduled a appointment for full-highlights and a trim about a week before the wedding and I may take advantage of their close proximity to visit the spa some day soon and check it out.

Dave came with me, so once I was done with the hair appointment, we drove over to Main Street and decided to stop at some jewelers to see their men's wedding bands.

We stopped at Day's Jewelers first. Dave found a beautiful Celtic design ring. We hadn't seen one like it before and were both sold on it, even though the price was more than Dave had wanted to spend. But, Dave wanted to shop around, so we told her to hold that ring out for us and we'd be back.

On our way up the street and over to visit Larson's Jewelers, I just happened to notice as we were waiting to cross the street that we were standing right in front of a jeweler, so we stopped in and found ANOTHER ring we both really liked. Now we were torn, but still wanted to shop, so we walked over to Larson's. They had one that was very inexpensive and fit Dave well, but he just wasn't sure. So....we went back to Days' to check theirs out again. The quality was much better, but it didn't have that something special and it was mass produced.

We went back to L Tardif Jewelers, where Dave ended up buying the handmade gold ring with a beautiful design made from a mold from Victorian England call Vineyard created by Ed Levin. The neat thing about this ring, other than it was handmade and had a neat story to it, was that it fit Dave perfectly from the get-go. Dave, like myself, has very thin fingers and hardly any of the rings we've look at fit him. I think it was kismet that I just happened to turn to my right and see this store, that we went in and looked at that one first and it fit him.

The gentlemen in the store were terrific. Very funny, helpful and pleasant. Dave is a sucker for home-grown, family-owned companies, as this is. There's something to be said for skills and knowledge being handed down through the generations and we both felt they knew what they were talking about and sold some beautiful pieces.

We went out for lunch after wards and did some minor shopping for the wedding on smaller items we'll be needing. When we got home the stakes I had ordered to hold our name cards had come. Yeee haaaw.

At least we were able to check some things off our checklist today.

Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day. I've sent along a gift to mom and I'll be calling her today, but it's not the same as being there and giving her a hug.

Although she won't be as involved in my wedding as a lot of mothers are in their daughter's wedding, she will have had a hand in the type of wedding I'm having whether she knows it or not.

My mom has always been a very practical woman...mostly out of necessity. We didn't have a lot of money growing up, so we made do with what we had and we had fun and laughed. Balloons were always a big part of any celebration. Not necessarily hanging them, but hitting them back and forth to one another and not letting them hit the ground. We'll see if we can incorporate some balloons into the ceremony. It's simple, inexpensive, and fun.

I'm TRYING to be practical for my wedding. The most important elements for me were that my family could all be there and we'd be comfortable. Mom and I both love the finer things in life, I'm not sure we'd know what to do with them all if we got them though. LOL We both enjoyed fantasizing about having a life style of the Rich & Famous (and yes, we used to watch that show together) and we both enjoy traveling to nice hotels and being waited on, but when it comes right down to it, as long as we're together, have a good time and things aren't TOO tacky, we're just fine with that.

I have overspent on a few items, but I think they're items that are worth it. My wedding dress was very inexpensive compared to what others spend, but I love it. Could I have fallen in love with a $2,000 dress? Oh, I'm sure I could, but practicality (and my mother's voice) tell me that the cost of my wedding dress isn't important, it's how I feel in it. No one will remember my dress, but they'll remember how much fun they had and hopefully we can arrange that in some fashion for our wedding.

THE most important thing for me at my wedding was to have my mom give me away, or rather walk me down the aisle. I think being "given away" at 46 is a bit much. Since my dad isn't with us to walk me down the aisle into the waiting arms of the man I love, my mom is the next best choice. Since she can't travel, having the wedding in NY was a necessity. I would have loved a sea-side Maine wedding, but I would have been missing having my family be a part of it and regretted it. Mom will turn 84 on June 2nd and I want to make sure she sees her youngest daughter finally tying the knot!

So, thank you mom, for giving me my practical side. Thank you mom, for giving me my humorous side, and thank you mom, for giving me your love.

Wedding Shoes

I'm home alone...with wine. Never a good thing!! I'm breaking in the wedding shoes. I guess tipsy is the way to do it! Love these shoes. VERY comfortable and the added bling just makes them very special and I won't be towering over Dave with 3" heals. And hopefully I'll be able to walk stable and steady.

Ceremony, Vows & Handfasting

Dave and I had wonderful day out on the water on Saturday. The weather was stunning, especially for May 1st. We anchored on an old downed tree and took upon the task of arranging our wedding ceremony.

We want something meaningful and personal for us, slightly traditional, but not overly so. Sounded simple, but it really involved a lot of work between the two of us. We worked passages we liked and added our own spin to them, keeping in mind the civil ceremony script that the JOP usually follows. We'll need to send him our "script" to make sure he's comfortable with it and it can be used legally. We think it can be, but we'll need to make sure.

We came back to the house, then sat out on the back deck. Dave recited passages and I typed them out on my laptop to complete our "script" including a modern twist on a Scottish handfasting ceremony. I think it will be very special.

Now we need to work on the bar arrangements and how much alcohol and other beverages to get and where and how we'll put our music.

A tentative restaurant has been picked for a family dinner the night before the wedding. We won't be having a wedding rehearsal since there are no attendants and we should be able to relay our service and the order of it to our wedding-day planner and the JOP. At least, that's my hope for the moment!

Lots of bills coming up in the next two months and it was NOT a good time to have my debit card compromised. I had to cancel the card, get a new one and set that one up with a new pin #. I just remembered I need to get my car registered too!!

Tasks and Planning

Things are getting checked off our lists and the RSVPs are pouring in! Well, they're coming in. There weren't that many mailed out!

The cats are booked at their vacation palace while we're away. Boy, they're two spoiled kitty cats, but we love them and want them to be well-looked after while we're gone. I feel better knowing they're at The Cat's Inn.

Dave and I saved some stress and frustration by purchasing a ton of large purple pull bows from Uline for our decorations. The bow maker just wasn't doing what I wanted it to do and I was becoming too frustrated. We have a lot of ribbon though, so we can still use that in many places. These pull bows are fantastic. So easy to assemble.

Everyone at work seems to be asking me about the wedding lately and when the date is. It's then I realize just how close it is! I'm not necessarily nervous, I'm more excited!

Invitations Have Been Mailed!

We put them all together yesterday and Dave mailed them out this morning. Well, I saw "ALL"...it was a whopping 8 or 9 physical invitations sent out. LOL

Dress, Veil, Bra, Slip, and Shoes

I FINALLY got a good bra to wear under my wedding dress. I tried everything on today and was tickled everything still fit and I still loved the dress. I tried on the new bra then tried the dress on with and without the big slip. I ended up deciding to wear the slip. Without it, the dress looked a little "dumpy" on me, but with it, it gave some definition to my waist and God knows I need that right now! My arms are still flapping in the wind, but I still think the dress is very pretty.

I THINK I may wear the veil. I'm still up-in-the-air about it and may not make the final decision until I know what my hair is going to do in June.

And I decided on which pair of shoes to wear between the two pair I bought. I realized the one pair of sandals aren't actually white, so they looked dirty when wearing the dress. Besides, the other pair of shoes are FAR more comfortable, they're fun and they have some "bling". I think they'll add a neat, bit of humor to my look and they'll be more than comfortable all day.

My biggest fear was that I had gained weight since I bought the dress in February. Thankfully, I have not! I haven't lost any either, but I'm happy I haven't gained. And I was also afraid I wouldn't like the dress as much as I did originally. Even in our horrible lighting and with a crappy mirror, I still loved it.

Ahhh...more decisions finalized. I feel much better.

Invitations & Other Material Printed

Our wedding invitations, RSVP cards, table cards, name cards, map cards and seed packets have all been printed.

We need to cut the seed packets out, glue them, and put the ‘Sunny Smile’ dwarf sunflower seeds in them. Thankfully, we still have a little over two months to do that! Time is closing in though.

It’s nice to have connections in the printing business and the seed business as well! Granted, I still had to pay for the seeds we’ll be using, but that employee discount is wonderful and our guests will obviously know what company they’re coming from…well, I DID put the logo on the back of the packet anyway. But the packets are all ours.

Printed

Dave had our wedding invitations, table cards, RSVP cards, map cards and name cards printed. He also had the seed packets printed out, so those will need to be cut out and glued in the coming weeks.

Flowers

We finally have a contract with our florist to use the following flowers for our wedding/reception.

-cream colored roses
-ocean song lavender roses
-thistles
-lavender
-purple lisianthus (look just like roses, but less expensive and no scent)
-salad tips (or Lemon Leaf)
-western ferns

Along with some moss-covered vases and urns.

I think they'll all be beautiful and glad to have this "set". Now I can't wait to see them!

Some Things Getting Done

Today I picked up my wedding band at Kay Jewelers. I've never bought a wedding band before, so I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess I was expecting more than having the ring wrapped in tissue paper and stuffed into a clear plastic bag! She asked if I wanted a box...well, yes please! Seeing how I have to keep it in a safe place so I remember to take it WITH use to NY, yes...a box would be nice. The "box" I received was the tiniest little white cardboard box I've ever seen. Oh, well. It holds the ring and I'll always know where it is...I hope!

I also bought two pairs of shoes for the wedding. One pair is a more traditional sandal that will be very comfortable and fashionable. The other pair is VERY unconventional, but appear they'll be the more comfortable of the two. They're a little funky AND they had bling...that's kind of what sold me on them. They're from Sketchers. I'll have to try both pair on with the dress to see which will work the best. I'm hoping the Sketchers look as cute as I'm thinking they are. I'll also be the same height as Dave with them on.

I picked up some earrings, a necklace or two and a pretty bracelet. I'll only wear the earrings and bracelet for the wedding. The halter top of my dress will make a necklace chafe.

I also bought a bow maker at Michael's Craft Store. It's called Bowdabra. I picked up two more spools of our purple ribbon and we'll make our own bows for the wedding reception. It'll either be fun, or we'll screw it up! LOL A DVD came with the bow maker, so hopefully we'll get good instructions.

FInal Favors, Music & The Law

First the fun news. Dave and I finalized our table setting (sans plates and centerpieces) and our favors. This is a photo of the initial layout. I'm giving more away than I wanted to as I wanted to surprise my family and friends, but why not share it with someone. I'm not sure anyone reads the blog anyway, so what the heck. It's much prettier in person.

Then, because there was too much confusion and doubt about the legality of Gwen performing our ceremony, I finally just broke down and called the Justice of the Peace in Little Valley to perform our ceremony. Thankfully, he accepted tonight and we now have an official officiant for our wedding.

Then after actually READING the lyrics to The Water Is Wide, the song I begged my sisters and niece to perform at our wedding, the 2nd and 3rd verses are just really not that appropriate for a wedding and I'm having to 2nd guess my decision and send out ANOTHER email apologizing to someone for my screwing up. I'm hoping they have another song that is wedding-worthy. I just love the music for The Water Is Wide, but the lyrics aren't exactly beautiful.

Stay tuned for more drama!

Spa Day & Makeover

In my attempt to try and look my best on my wedding day, I scheduled a little spa afternoon at The Senator Inn & Spa to get a Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup Makeover using the $50 gift card I was given for The Senator Spa.

Oh, I also had an anti-stress facial and I got my hair cut and highlighted while I was at it prior to the makeover! LOL My hair stylist has left that area and it left me high and dry with finding a new stylist. The hair cut and highlighting was horrifically expensive there, so I probably won't go back, but she did a nice job.

I forget how wonderful facials are. Not only are you wrapped in heated sheets and your face massaged, but they massage your neck, shoulders, hands and feets and wrap everything up on moist, hot towels. Wow, it feels great!

Hiedi, who did my facial, was also my makeup artist for the makeover, so she had an idea already of my skin before we started the makeover. The Jane Iredale mineral makeup is really terrific, but it's a whole new way of applying makeup and one that I'm not sure you can just learn in the 50 minutes I had. Thankfully, Jane Iredale has a terrific website with videos and tips and techniques for applying eveything. Hiedi said my skin was very dehydrated.

Although I got $50 of makeup WITH the makeover and the $50 off with the gift card...it was a very expensive day! The hair cut and color is what put me over the limit and the most expensive skin-care product I bought was a daily moisturizer...amazing how expensive that was!! It better do the trick. LOL I came away with almost all of the makeup products she used on my skin and we have a few things on order...like the brushes and spritzer I need to use the makeup, so I haven't actually USED it in real life yet until I get those items.

All-in-all, it was a very relaxing afternoon and much needed. Wish I had done it on a Friday though. Friday at work was very stressful and frustrating.

I'm hoping to schedule a manicure and pedicure in NY prior to the wedding and may save a full massage for the Berkshires after the wedding.

If you've never been to The Senator Inn & Spa, I highly recommend it. The atmosphere is very relaxing and the staff is most attentive with all of your needs. It's nice having this little oasis in my own backyard.

Updates and Changes

So, the wedding favors and place cards have taken one their 3rd incarnation and I'm pretty sure their final incarnation. I think we're both pleased with how they will look on top of a white linen table cloth with purple linen napkins.

My original design took on a tacky look and feel, so I "spruced" it up a bit and simplified them. Much better.

I've kind of given up on any kind of a diet. I can't GAIN any weight, but the idea of losing 10 pounds, just isn't going to happen and I'm not going to beat myself up over it. My dress fit like a glove when I purchased it. I was comfortable in it and could move well, so that's the dress...this is my body! Deal with it. LOL If I could lose 15 pounds, get my teeth fixed and whitened, lose my double chin and have laser surgery on my eyes so I didn't have to wear glasses....well...I would have done it years ago.

As long as I'm happy and healthy, I just plan to enjoy my wedding day and my Maine Man and hope I can look good for him. 'nuff said.

Inexpensive Wines for Wedding Reception

I found this link and may look for some of these varieties.

Top Five Inexpensive Rosé Wines

Wine On A Budget

DIY Napkin Rings

Might be fun to try something like these for our napkin rings.

Merriment Design

Avant Bride

Bellenza

Wedding Bee

Menu & Caterer Setup

We spoke with our Chef for the reception tonight. She sounded great and very professional. I don't think we'll have any worries and our menu sounds terrific.

For Hors D'oeuvres she'll be preparing a cheese & summer sausage display and crackers with a fruit display that includes a melon love birds carving with yogurt dip for $2.50/person.

The main buffet course will include:
Chicken Veronique (a sautéed chicken breast finished with shallots, red & green grapes, white wine and heavy cream)
Sliced Tenderloin
Au Gratin Potatoes
Cold Pasta Salad
Frenched green beans w/bacon
Tossed salad w/home made dressings
Dessert (instead of cake) will be home made brownies with home made mini sorbet scoops of mint, black raspberries and either vanilla or white chocolate sorbet.
$23.00/person

She will be providing all of the serving plates and utensils and we'll be renting dishes, silverware, and stemware from Cayas Canopies (who she recommended highly). Chef B will also be bringing coffee. We'll be providing the drinks and the bar setup.

I'll send her photos or photo links so she can see the kitchen and setup of the chalet. I'm sure she's dealt with some odd kitchen settings in her time, so even though the kitchen is small, we're hoping she can work with it.

My Wedding Band

We purchased my wedding band today (well, Dave did!) from Kay Jewelers in Augusta. It's one I had looked about a month ago and after looking at other jewelers and being disappointed with the selection they had and ones that would look good with my antique engagement ring, I kept going back to how nice this one looked with the ring. It enhances it, doesn't over-power it.

This ring is called an "enhancer". It has nine near-colorless diamonds in the band. The one-quarter carat of round diamonds is channel-set between parallel rows of 14K yellow gold with a high-polish finish.

They had to order it in my size and it should be available in a couple of weeks, but we're glad to have that item crossed of my list. Dave is narrowing down his search and may go back and get a band he saw today.

Progress

I haven't updated the blog in awhile regarding the progress of our wedding plans.

* my dress has been purchased, I have an appointment for alterations back at David's Bridal in May. I'm going to add a matching purple ribbon to it and have it bustled in the back for easy walking.
* The two Nancy's flights and hotel room have been booked for their flights into NY from Maine they're stay in Niagara Falls after the wedding.
* we asked Dori, Rhonda, and Jenny to sing a "The Water Is Wide" and play guitar during the ceremony.
* Dave rented his kilt through Kilt Rental USA
* the two different sized tartan ribbons I ordered on Ebay from Scotland arrived and are beautiful!
* we're narrowing down our menu for our caterer, Chef Brigid Marie.
* I have narrowed down the flower choices for the florist
* booked our two night stay at The Monument Mountain Motel in Great Barrington, MA in the Berkshires for our short honeymoon trip on the way back to Maine. It's nothing fancy, but the price is right for that time of year. We've stayed there previously and found it to be a great location for all The Berkshires has to offer.
* We're in the process of finalizing the layouts and colors for our invitations, RSVP postcards, place cards, table cards and map card.
* we have finalized and decided on our wedding favors. They will require some DIY skills, but I think it will be great fun and people will love it.

And one of the biggies we can cross of our list is our officiant. We asked our friend Gwen to become ordained online, which will now allow her to legally marry us. Dave and I are planning on having a handfasting ceremony, along with the other legal script that needs to happen and Gwen was honored that we asked her. I think it will be very special to have a friend marry us instead of a stranger. Far more meaningful and more relaxed...which is what we want.

Seeds As Favors

We have decided to give our wedding guests 'Sunny Smile' dwarf sunflowers seeds as our reception favors. I have designed and mocked-up our own custom-made seed packets that will fit within our sage green tin pails, completed with growing instructions.

Since I work for the seed company, I was able to get a good deal on the seeds too! Gotta love that employee discount, right? LOL

Invitation Etiquette

Wow, is there a lot involved with wedding invites. We're making our own and having them printed, but figuring out what size and what all is involved is a tad complicated. I found this website that makes it simply though.

Pieces of a Formal Invitation

Tartan Ribbon From Scotland

I've been having a hell of a time finding the tartan ribbon to match the tartan on Dave's kilt (Scotland Forever), but I finally found some on Ebay...from Scotland and ordered two different sizes of it. 1/4" and 1" wide. More than I wanted to pay, but it's the real article and it's from Scotland!

DIY IDEA: Ring Pillow

A cute idea that might fit right into our theme. I like the moss and we could use some of the tartan ribbon I just bought as the bow. I was going to buy, or have Dave make, a small Celtic box to put the ring in and have Ian carry it for us, but this is very clever.

Moss Ring Pillow

Average Temps

Well, this sounds promising. I looked up the average weather conditions for Ellicottville, but the closest I could get was Salamanca and here are the results for June:

JUNE
Avg. Temp = 62 degrees
Avg. High Temp = 75 degrees
Avg. Low Temp = 48 degrees
Highest Recorded Temp = 94
Lowest Recorded Temp = 24.

Other than lowest temp of 24, I think that all sounds perfect. I know it CAN be close to 90 in June in western NY, so we can't rule that out.

Words of Wisdom

And leave it to my friend Deb to put things in perspective for me.

"Now listen. You will go through many "moments" of being overwhelmed while you are planning your wedding. Print yourself up a card that says, "I am marrying Dave because I love him and I want to be his wife and everything will fall into place as it should because of that." And read it when you start feeling overwhelmed and things aren't going your way, or so you think. Forget fairy tales - they're only for books and movies. The big things have been handled - you love each other and want
to be married. The little things will all come into place. And if little things don't come into place - remember - they are just little
things. You will be married surrounded by people who you love and love you, you will be a beautiful bride and June 26th will be a wonderful day. That's all you really have to remember when you get right down to it.

'nuff said! Thanks Deb.

Face Day

I have scheduled a "Face Day" on March 25th at The Senator Inn & Spa here in Augusta. I'm going to get an Anti-Aging Facial then a makeover. AND, it just happens to be Dave's birthday that day, so maybe we'll go out since I'll look so good! Well...we'll see that part! LOL

With my $50 gift card in-hand, I'll get:

An Herbal Organic Anti-Aging Facial @ 1:00
To treat and nourish sun-damaged and mature skin with Jurlique's natural organic anti-oxidants; excellent for sensitive and allergic skin conditions. Your skin will see results from this therapeutic facial with special attention to the delicate eye area for wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, pigmentation, puffiness and redness.

A Jane Iredale Makeover @ 2:15
Using the benefits and ease of mineral makeup using Jane Iredale, the skin care makeup.
50 Minutes, for $50, and go home with $50 in products used during your session.

The main reason I'm doing the makeover is because I've always wanted to learn how to do my makeup better and also use products better suited for my skin, especially as I'm aging. And since my wedding will be my most photographed moment of my life, I want to look as good as I can without getting facial surgery! So learning how to do my own makeup better and the right tools, will be very helpful and useful for the wedding.

Almost Four Months to Go!

This Friday it will be four months to the day that we'll be getting married. We have a LOT to do yet and I'm starting to feel disorganized and a little lost...and I do hate that. Having never done this before, I feel out of my element and confused. The things I DID have control over, are doing okay so far.

I'm glad we're having an informal, small wedding without the big frills, but at the same time, with staying at the chalet, having the wedding there, the reception there and three guests staying with us, I think I'm going to feel like I have to be in charge of everything and make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone is happy and taken care of...meaning we all have meals! LOL

The wedding invitations and everything that goes with them are now in the works. I just found this link that shows all of the "parts" that can be included with an invitation. Although I need to find out why saying "no gifts" on the invitation is such a no-no in this woman's book. http://www.mypersonalartist.com/wedding_stationery_pieces.html

Dave is ordering his kilt this week. We haven't pinned down the caterer yet and the florist hasn't gotten back to me. Part of the problem with that is that I hate the phone. Always have, always will. I prefer email. But I suppose I need to break down, suck it up and call. It doesn't help that I'm reading Nora Robert's latest edition to her 'Bridal Quartet' series about the bridal business and basically having a team of four people handling everything for the bride. LOL

Decisions on food, flowers, decor and finding an officiant are all major decisions that need to be made. I'm having that age-old struggle with keeping things simple, but still making them look elegant and classy. I don't want to go the redneck route. Cheap doesn't have to mean tacky...right? RIGHT?? LOL

And now I'm struggling with what to do with my hair and makeup. I want to do my own makeup, but I'm going to go to The Senator Inn & Spa for a makeover and GOOD makeup so I can do it right and have someone help me figure out what's the best color for my skin tone, hair color and time of the year I'm getting married. I don't want the photographer taking pictures of me putting on my makeup! YUCK! LOL Just the thought of having photos of me without makeup is keeping me up at night. And I'll no doubt be doing my own hair, so no need for something to do that for me, but if it doesn't go well....I'll become Bridezilla I'm sure.

I may,or may not wear a veil. I bought one when I bought the dress, but my hair is so fine, I'll have to do some major beehiving to get it to stay put.

In late June in western NY, there's always a chance it could be very warm...or very cool. If it's horribly hot and sunny, making everyone sit outside on the deck to eat their meal isn't very appealing. So many decisions...........

And I still have to buy shoes and a bra for my dress. I have time right? LOL RIGHT?

Purchased Wedding Dress!!

We went to David's Bridal in Portland today and I found the exact same dress in the store that I liked online, it fit perfectly and I brought it home! I was shocked. I'll need to take it back to get it "bustled" in the back and add a lavender ribbon in May, but other than that, it's good to go! They professionally press it after the alterations in May so all I need to do it hang it up and remember to bring it to NY with me in June!

Here is the description online of the dress: All over lace A-Line halter with beaded embroidery. Features empire waist and split front. Sweep train. It also got some very good reviews online from brides.

I wish my Mom could have been there with me, but it was ALMOST like she was there helping me because the sales woman was probably in her 70's. LOL She was very sweet and did a LOT of running around for me. I must have tried on about 8 dresses (maybe more?) and she kept running to get veils and other head pieces, ribbons, even jewelry. The actual dressing rooms were VERY tiny. She'd help me put on all my attire, then we'd leave the room and go out to stand on the "pedestal" to look at myself in all of the mirrors. The store is pretty huge and they had a lot of dresses, so I can see how a very picky bride could make their appointment run over trying on oodles of dresses.

I walked in, they needed some info from me, then they took me to get undergarments and shoes. I already had on my Spanx and pantyhose, but had brought my own shoes. I was happy to put on some pretty "loaners" from the store though. Then she brought me a bustier bra that fit ALMOST perfectly and a long Fit & Flare Slip that gave the dresses some "poof".

I love the first dress I tried on. I loved it. Thought it was very pretty, but wanted to try on others. Helen initially brought in 4 dresses. There was hardly room for ME and the dresses in the dressing room and with Helen helping me get in and out, it was quite an adventure. I actually hit my head on the wall at one point. My hair looked like crap after about the 2nd dress because they were all put on over the head. So much for my hair spray.

The next dresses were okay, but nothing hit me as "THE" one. I kept comparing them to the first one. I ALMOST bought one other dress. It was a beautiful dress and would have looked much better in a more formal setting like a church. Just too formal for the deck of a ski chalet. Then after I tried on all of the dresses she kept bring me, I said I needed to try on that first one again. THIS time, when I tried it one, I loved it even more, got a lump in my throat and saw a "medieval" look about it. I hadn't noticed that the first time I tried it on. I had told Helen that Dave would be wearing a kilt and it turned out she was Scottish as well. So, she was all over this one bringing me ribbons to add to the dress to match the colors in the tartan and our color scheme.

So....I left with the dress, the fit & flare slip AND the plain-jane veil. I'm still up-in-the-air about the veil, but this one could be adored with some small flowers and be very pretty because it's so simple and short. The dress itself has beautiful lace and beads on it with some sparkle, which you couldn't really tell from the photo online. A lot more bling that I would have expected to pick out for myself, but it really was beautiful AND it fit AND I thought I looked good in it. I couldn't NOT get it. It was in my price range so all is good.

Once I met back up with Dave, we put the dress in the car and went to have lunch. I was just in such a jolly mood. LOL Then we went to look at wedding bands at three different stores around Portland. It's so outrageous how much money simple bands with a minute part of a diamond are. We did find a couple of rings we're very interested in at Cross Jeweler's in Portland. The woman was great. She even took a photo of my ring with the one band I liked to keep for comparison. I thought that was a nice touch. Then she asked if we had parked on the street at a meter. We had. She left for a moment, then brought back a really neat "matchbook" of quarters and gave that to Dave and a small box of Godiva chocolates for me. Now THAT is customers service! LOL

So, that's a BIG check mark off my list of things to do. I was dreading the day and looking forward to it at the same time. I was really, really pleased with the selection and the service and how the dresses fit. I was afraid they'd have to make major alterations to anything I found. Thankfully not. I've had two glasses of wine and may have a partial 3rd to celebrate. LOL

Even though it would have been fun to have family and some girlfriends with me there, it was fun, even if I didn't have anyone to talk to when Helen ran around the store getting items for me. It gave ME time to ponder the dresses and find something I really like that I could afford. Now I need shoes and a better fitting bra.....and to not gain anymore weight!! LOL

Is it Fate?

Okay, this is VERY interesting. Dave has been working on the genealogy of his family for several months now, then he switched gears and has been working on my genealogy the last few days and he discovered something fascinating this morning. It appears a relative of his and a relative of mine, both came over on the SAME ship a couple of years after the Mayflower.

Dave discovered he's 13 generations removed from William Brewster who came over on the Mayflower. William's daughters, Fear and Patience came over on the ship "ANNE" from England in the summer of 1623. Also on the ship "ANNE" was Stephen Tracy, his wife Tryphosa and their daughter Sarah. Stephen Tracy is back 11 generations on our Ethridge side of my family. It goes to the maternal side of two generations, but HOW COOL IS THAT??

He actually found a lot of history off the Ethridge line as far back as the 1400's in Wales england. When Dave went to England and Scotland 20+ years ago, he had a kind of "out-of-body" experience in a castle in England. It was in ruins and he was standing quite high up on the ruins and looking down over the great hall. He said he actually kind of zoned out for almost 30 minutes and he could actually hear people rustling, eating and talking and the hustle and bustle that would have taken place in the great hall of a castle back in the day. He said the fireplace was the biggest he had ever seen.

In looking at our heritage, my family actually had a relative who was born in that exact same castle or that town!! Again....how cool is that!! LOL Maybe we were supposed to be together. Pretty neat.

A Taste of Maine?

I had thought about giving guests at our wedding something from Maine and discovered this company.

Blair House of Maine Shortbreads

A strong possibility to use at favors. And with a Scottish twist. We'll see.

iPod Music at Reception/Wedding

I've read many different "opinions" on this matter, but liked what I read here even though it's a few years old.

I've got a long playlist going for my iPod/Laptop and since it's a very informal wedding and very intimate, I don't think hiring a DJ or renting a dance floor is necessary. Knowing my family, they'll start dancing when the mood strikes them, right Mom? :-)

Drink Calculator

Hmmm..this is interesting! A way to determine how much alcohol you need to purchase for your wedding/reception at evite.com