june projects: attendant gifts, picture practice

Posted Monday, June 01, 2009 8:48 AM

We just mailed out our last batch of invitations. Phewf, what a relief! 94 total on the A list (=184 people), with 14 additional on deck just in case we make it to our B list (=28 people). Since our goal is around 150 guests, I didn't think we'd even have to worry about the B list, but other brides have reported that the economy is really taking a toll on attendence, so... we'll see!

In late May, we were able to visit our flower girl and her family to drop off her dress. It's an adorable little number from Bon-Ton, white with baby pink and chartreuse embroidered flowers and green satin piping. $25 on sale! Since my parents dropped off the outfit for our ring bearer when they visited Erik's family in April (another Bon-Ton sale purchase - beige seersucker pants, white short-sleeved top, and chartreuse sweater vest), both of our kids are set!

It's nice to have a little breathing room now, but there's still a lot left on the to-do list. So what's on our plate this month?

1) Think about what to get for our attendants. Since there are so many, we're trying to stay under $50/person. Most of Erik's guys have already been married and had the same group of groomsmen, so a lot of the old standbys (wallets, flasks, cigar holders) are off the table. We're considering something they can wear at the wedding - belts and ties? - but then we're back to the drawing board since we'll need to supplement that with something more personal, as well. I've only been able to pin down a gift for my sister - this bikini she's had her eyes on for over a year now. Not quite your average wedding present, but I know she'll appreciate it. The others are tough - they're just not your generic hearts-and-jewelry type of gals, you know? I'm considering fake lime green pashminas (for fun), some hand-made jewelry that I can personalize for each one, and/or a nice edition of a book that reminds me of them.

2) Tie up a few loose ends - like finish the rest of the handkerchiefs (40 to go!) and decide how I want to present them and the fans - with programs? Without? Tied with ribbon? In baskets, or on chairs? Oh, decisions.

3) Get our catering supplies from Costco - Reflections silverware and Masterpiece plates - then tie together sets of silverware in a nice thick napkin with the rest of my yellow tulle, for easy pick-up. (I'm trying to ignore the fact that they'll need to build a new landfill just to handle the trash from my wedding.)

4) Make decisions about the flower girl basket (/pomander?) and ring bearer pillow. Then make them accordingly.

5) Figure out how the f**k to pose for photographs so we don't look like yellow-toothed mental patients. In all seriousness, if we (ahem... my parents) are spending a grand on photos, I'd really love to have a few that are actually, ya know, flattering. And neither of us has ever really grasped how to pull that off.

6) On a related note, I guess I should whiten my teeth (and figure out a dainty way to suggest the same to Erik).

7) Several drunken performances on recent dance floors have underscored our complete and utter lack of coordination. So some practice may be in order.

8) Try my darnedest not to keep getting sunburned in sports bras. If I don't get some tube tops stat, my strapless dress isn't going to be nearly as flattering.

9) Find gifts for each other. (Honey darlin' if you're reading this, a cooking class or a nice camera would be super-cool!)

10) Figure out whether or not we're going to have a period of celibacy before the wedding. (EEKS!) Neither of us are crazy about this idea, but it seems like t might be worth it the night-of... but whether or not we'd be biting each others' heads off while waiting remains to be seen. We were originally planning on a month, but since Erik hasn't brought it up, I kinda get the feeling he's hoping I'll forget about it!