The Heart of Any Language Love

Yesterday, after writing my long list of to-dos, I took a shower. As so often happens when I shower, my thoughts got to flowing free (this also tends to happen right before I fall asleep - basically the two most inconvenient times to do any sort of writing). Since I had just finished blogging, that became the focus of my thoughts, and I came to a conclusion:

My blog is dry.

Yep, dry. Don't get me wrong, it's not financier-punching-numbers-into-a-calculator dry. It's more dusty-old-furniture-covered-with-sheets-in-the-attic dry. Yes, the subject of weddings and wedding planning is exhilarating and something that almost everybody can relate to at some point.

But let's face it, like tackling that old furniture set upstairs, planning a wedding is something a person can only do in a certain mood. You've got to have the time, patience, energy, and devotion to sort rip off those sheets (sneezing at least five times from all the dust) and take inventory: What have I got here? A bright orange and green velvet floral ottoman? Grandma's plastic-covered "davenport" (no, I'm not referring to a city in Iowa)? An antique Queen Anne? That retro half-moon seat that's coming back into style?

In other words, you have to sift through all the information and get to the heart of the planning process and what it's really all about: Putting together a celebration of love!

So, since I love Love, and since even brides need an occasional reminder that "I Do" does not equal "To-do", I've decided to expand my blog's subject matter to better encompass it's title. "Any Language Love" originally came from the idea that Carlos and my love is enhanced by our different languages and cultures and that our love is stronger than language and found in so many places other than those three little words, "I Love You." What a great concept, no? Well, I'm tweaking it just a tad, by omitting the word "our". Meet the resulting sentence and the new focus of this blog:

Love is stronger than language and found in so many places other than those three little words, "I Love You."

This can be any love, not just Carlos' and mine for each other, but any little observance of love, whether spoken or demonstrated in some non-verbal fashion, such as a smile, or an act of kindness, or my favorite - the seemingly insignificant little intimacies like Carlos making me coffee every morning before I get up, even though he doesn't drink the stuff or understand why I consider it an essential part of my daily routine.

Hopefully, by documenting these "love notes" every day, this will become a blog dedicated to the heart of wedding-planning and so many other everyday life functions. Because when we get down to the nitty gritty substance of the greatest stories and moments in history, love is always at the core, is it not?

So, please feel free to leave your own comments or send me your own notes about love in your life and observances. Although I'll continue to write about wedding planning, since that's a major love reflection on my plate right now, I'm fortunate to be surrounded by so many more examples of love than my own wedding. I hope to post at least an anecdote a day demonstrating a love observance.

So, to kick off the new direction of my blog, let me crank up my favorite Bobby Darin love song and share news of a new love in this world, that form of motherly love that I can only imagine:

Congratulations to Amanda, on of my best friends, who gave birth to her first child last night at 7:28. I love you, girl, and I hope both you and the baby are doing amazing!

And to Ben, the happy father who's getting ready to fight for our country, thank you for dedicating your life and work to a love for all of us. I know both Amanda and the baby are so proud of you, and I hope that you'll be able to hurry home to meet your new son. Thanks to your whole family for being perfect models of the daily small-and-big-moment lifelong love that I hope to portray in this blog.

I love you all.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

Yesterday afternoon Carlos and I completed our second wedding registry! I have decided that I absolutely love this process. I mean, when else can you go shopping for anything and everything that you want without consideration of prices?! True, you can't take any of the stuff home with you on that trip, but there is the chance of it finding its way to your doorstep at some point down the road! In our case, that would be approximately 8.75 months down the road . . .

Yikes! 8.75 months??? That's all we have until the leaves are back on the trees and the flowers in full bloom and we're standing in front of all those witnesses saying our vows??? How can that be when the leaves just started to turn color and I kicked on the furnace for the first time this season (which fascinated my four month-old cats who have yet to experience their first winter, btw)?

I'd say it's time to check the wedding to-do list to make sure I'm still on task and to bring you all up to speed on what's been done to this point! I'll tell ya that I've been doing lots of Internet browsing and idea-generating, so although not everything has been set in stone, I have a good idea of what I want for much of The Big Day. Okay, here we go, off to Weddingplanner.com, which insists on sending me weekly updates (see my post about creating a separate email address for wedding-related stuff) about what I've done and what I should be doing up to this point in the planning timeline.

Alrighty, let's start with the "Past Due" items that apparently need to get done during the 10-12 month phase (oops)!

1. Visit and book your ceremony location, including rehearsal time. Done! This was a no-brainer. Carlos and I attend the same church I've been going to my whole life. This community is like family to me and fortunately, there wasn't a lot of competition for wedding dates since we booked out a year and four months and the community is fairly small. They even waived the fee for us (although we'll still probably make an additional contribution that month).
2. Visit and book reception site and arrange for parking. As soon as my mom tossed out the idea of Mt. Mary College, we were hooked. Again, this was a relatively quick and painless decision, since not many people in the area think of this as a reception site despite the absolutely gorgeous natural landscape and gothic architecture! Carlos and I rode our bikes past the college on June 27th, the 12 month marker, and I can't wait to be there on the same day taking pictures and celebrating with our loved ones! What a beautiful place! Oh, and there's plenty of parking!
3. Start thinking about where you want to honeymoon. We've been thinking about this since before we were engaged! I'm a traveler at heart and Spain is first on our list. But, for several practical reasons, it looks like we'll be staying in the country and saving our international trip for sometime down the road. In that case, San Francisco, here we come! Neither of us have been there, and we've heard great things about that whole California coastal area. Not to mention, my parents suggested we make use of their timeshare which offers some beautiful resort options at a minimal cost!
4. Send your engagement photo to the local paper. We decided against this for a couple of reasons. For one thing, we still have yet to take engagement photos - this summer was far too busy with moving into a new house, traveling to Peru/Bolivia (me), and getting married (our civil ceremony)! Also, I see this as an added, unnecessary expense, since everyone we know is already well-aware that we're getting married.
5. Create a wedding website to share your engagement. I was all over this one, as I detailed in one of my first posts!
6. Compare calendars and select a tentative date. We literally pointed at the calendar and said "This looks good," for the sole purpose of having a response for the question of when we were getting married. We adjusted the date when we booked our reception site. Check this one off the list - easy!
7. Create and track your guest list with our easy-to-use tool. Okay, this one I really am past due on. I have the guest list made up, but need to get contact info and finalize it (I can't help that I keep discovering new friends to add to it)! I guess I oughtta check out their "easy-to-use" tool pronto!
8. Find out who pays for what and create a budget. We decided right off the bat that we want to pay for as much as we can on our own since we've both been completely spoiled up to this point in our lives. What better way to assert our independence as we enter into life together? As for the budgeting thing, this sort of came naturally as we moved in together after our civil wedding. We're quickly realizing how many expenses come with marriage, but I like to think we're handling this with finesse. Things will be tight for a good couple of years, and we might just have to dip into that financial offering my parents made available for the wedding, but we'll try to avoid it if at all possible. In my opinion, that will make this wedding more creative as we find inexpensive alternatives to some of the traditional expenses, and it will better reflect us as a couple without breaking the bank. Who wants to start off their wedded life with a ton of debt????

Alright! So, despite Wedding Channel thinking that I'm way past due on this whole planning thing, I'm actually pretty well on task! In fact, as I continue into the current list, I think I'll find that I'm actually ahead of the game in some areas! Not sure how that happened, given that I'm a naturally disorganized person, but I think the secret is to have fun with this whole process and remember to keep it true to you. If you do that, then things fall into place relatively easily without a whole lot of stress. Sure, there are moments of stress when planning any major function. But, for my wedding, I have two major goals:

1. Keep it a celebration of what's really important: Love. Namely, our love for each other and our family and friends. In other words, our day needs to be a reflection of us and our relationship and values. This goal is critically important and, when adhered to, helps the decision-making process go much more smoothly.
2. Make sure to eat that yummy food (that we're paying for)! I refuse to be one of those brides who looks back and realizes that the whole event was a whirlwind. When my day comes, I want to soak up every minute of it. And that includes eating the food! When I travel, I find that some of my best memories of a country or an experience are associated with something I ate. Why wouldn't I eat at my own wedding when I know that the smell or taste of something similar will catapult me back to that happy night at some point in the future? Not to mention, if I don't eat, I'll lose energy and won't be able to dance. And I wanna dance my heart out! I'm getting married, after all!

So, I guess it's time to continue working my way down the planning checklist. Scanning the 6-9 month section, we're looking pretty good. We're well on our way to checking off the following:

1. Start thinking about your gift registry options. Woohoo! Kohl's and Home Depot (that's right, we're registered for power tools and whatnot!) have been completed! I'm working my way through Williams-Sonoma, and I think we'll call it a day!
2. Choose your officiant and discuss ceremony ideas. This pretty much came with the church. Fr. Jack, our parish priest, was a no-brainer. We also got ahold of Fr. Joe, who's been a family friend my entire life and presided over my baptism. It will be really special to have both him and Fr. Jack con-celebrating as witnesses to the most significant moments of my life so far.
3. Finalize contracts with your photographer and videographer. We'll be doing old-fashioned home videography, so that's done. And, from my previous post, you all know that Sarah's a done deal and we're very happy with her as our choice. She and I finally set friendship aside for a sec and got some business done (signed a contract, drew up an outline of the big day) when other brides started clamoring for her services on the same day as me! Good thing I met her in January and got engaged in February!
4. Sign a caterer. This came with the reception site and we met with them as soon as we booked. Woohoo, easy decision-making there!
5. Book your honeymoon. Ooh, I am so taking care of this one this week! :)
6. Shop for and select bridesmaid dresses. This was a hard one, but I think I had a breakthrough and found a designer that I really like who offers a variety of dresses that match the style of my wedding and will give my bridesmaids a lot of options. The next step is talking to the girls to see what they think.
7. Find a bridal salon and begin trying on gowns and veils. I've gone dress shopping twice and have begun to narrow down my options and learn what style I'm looking for! I'm excited to go again (this coming weekend??) with my mom to get her input and start making some decisions! I can feel myself getting ever-closer to The Dress . . . I can't wait to see it!
8. Alert out-of-town guests of wedding date and/or send a FREE save-the-date email. Most people coming from out of town have a general idea of when to be here, I think. I've already designed do-it-yourself save-the-date postcards on a card-making software program that Carlos has. Now, I've just got to solidify that guest list and get all the contact info, and we should be golden!
9. Finalize flower and decor ideas, and select a florist. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine who did her own flowers for her wedding, and she recommended Sam's Club, of all places! I checked this out, and sure enough, they have a great deal on Calla Lilies (and other flowers). Best of all, the Calla Lillies are Fair Trade Certified, meaning that the producers of these flowers are getting paid a fair wage! I'm a big Fair Trade supporter, so I'll probably be going this route, since my grow-them-yourself idea didn't go as planned (I'll have to write about that, soon).
10. Get in shape for your gown! Start an exercise routine. Okay, let me make this clear: I hate this bridal tip/mentality. Yes, I believe in exercising and good health. But I think that doing this for the sole purpose of fitting in your gown is ridiculous. Why order a gown that doesn't fit and then stress myself out trying to get into it? I love my body and have been very happy with the way I've looked in all the gowns I've tried on so far. I actually do want to exercise more, so I might use my wedding as a little added motivation, but the gown that I purchase will be designed to fit my body as is and I refuse to work my butt off (literally) to fit into it, only to put the weight back on when I go on my honeymoon the next week! There, my venting session is done. That being said, Carlos and I have talked about putting together a joint exercise routine. Hopefully this will be a fun bonding opportunity, and we'll both look fabulous on our big day!

There, I've checked off a nice chunk of that pesky to-do list without breaking a sweat! It looks like the main things I have to focus on for the moment are

1. Picking my wedding gown and finalizing the bridesmaid dress selection. Woohoo! I love playing dress up and this will give me an excuse to hang out with my closest girls (not that I need an excuse), so fun times await us all!
2. Researching and selecting a band/DJ. I've compiled a fair amount of info, and have thought about this quite a bit, so now it's just about taking action, making some phone calls, and making a decision. Hopefully this will be a smooth process. I'll keep you posted.
3. Reserve bridal suite and hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Again, a fairly simple decision (I think/hope), since I'm familiar with our options and just need to obtain basic pricing info and make a decision.
4. Work on decorations/invitations. I added this one myself, since I'm trying to be as do-it-yourself as possible. Carlos' mom is actually doing the invitations by hand, so I'll have lots more to report on that moving forward. I've been brainstorming centerpieces and wedding favors recently, so stay tuned as I begin to act on my ideas!

So, all in all, I think we're in pretty good shape despite the current lack of a formalized exercise routine! Haha, okay, I know, that was a laaaaaaaaame joke. How could I resist? In any case, that brings everybody (including me) up to speed on where Carlos and I are at in the wedding-planning process. There's still plenty to do, but it seems there's plenty of time to do it. And from what I can tell, plenty of fun to have while we check things off our list!

Have a great week, everyone!

It's an Apply Dapply Time of Year!

Mmm, these apples look almost good enough to make me want to change my wedding from spring to fall! I found them while perusing Chocolate Bytes: For the Love of Chocolate, a blog about exactly what its title describes. Yes, this will be added to my list of favorite sites. Yummy!

CD Wedding Program

This CD wedding program is a neat, personalized idea for a classy memento of your special day. Check out this and other how-to video at http://www.pashweddings.com/.

Sounds like it takes awhile to download the music (which should be done legally, of course), and the decorating of the cover could be time-consuming, but the end result is a wedding compilation perfectly in tune with you and your new spouse! I think it can be done several different ways, too. For example, if I go with this idea, I probably won't do the program bit. Rather, I'll have baskets of wedding CDs for guests to take with them as favors at our reception!

To tie it all together, I'm thinking of creating a monogram for Carlos and myself, and then stamping/embossing it on both the wedding programs and the CD. Carlos is really into stamps and has been learning how to etch his own, so this could be a fun joint DIY project for the two of us (and his ultra-artistic family)! This is all still just brainstorming, of course. I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out.

Green!

These boxes are really cute and simple. I love their natural, woven construction, which works so well with the color, which just happens to work really well with my wedding! They've definitely been added to my wedding idea folder!

New seasons bring new last names

It's hard to believe that the last time I posted anything, we were just entering summer's long days. Now, as I write again at 9:30, with the sun long since set (at 7:30!), I marvel at all that's taken place since postage rose to $0.42.

The biggest thing that's come to pass is that I've gotten married! This may come as a surprise, as my previous posts centered around June of next year as our wedding date, with this spring and summer being my "practice" run in hopes of alleviating costs and finding creative ways to plan for our big day. To those who are wondering about this "shotgun" wedding, no there are no wee surprises that rushed us into wedded bliss (I am a lady, thank you very much). Actually, this wedding was planned almost from the moment we were engaged, but I wasn't sure if I would address it in this blog. Turns out, there are things I want to share that can only be done in the context of my newly married state.

For clarification, yes, the June wedding is still on, and I'll have plenty to say about the continued plans for that in the weeks to come! As we are in the process of blending two cultures, we went the Nicaraguan route with the ceremonies. Turns out that outside of our American bubble, it's actually quite common in other cultures for couples to have a civil ceremony prior to the church one, which is not always recognized by the government. So, lucky me, I get two weddings (and yes, two dresses!) and a new lilting latina last name a little earlier in the game!

And let me just tell ya, this new last name thing is confusing! So far, I've been operating about half-and-half with my old one, signing for all my purchases just as if nothing gigantic and life-altering has happened. According to my credit card, it hasn't! And I can't do anything about my work records or my bank accounts or my drivers license or anything else truly official until my Social Security Card has been changed. So, until I find a free moment in my schedule that coincides with the Social Security Office's open hours, I go merrily on my way, verbally notifying people of my new status.

This often requires spelling my name out since my previously more-or-less phonetic name has been usurped by a very pretty sounding but confusing one (unless you're versed in Spanish pronunciation). In one conversation, while talking to Darla in the ATT Customer Service department, I did my best to find creative words for each letter. So, instead of using "apple", I tried out "antelope", which worked very well and mentally transported me to an African savannah, which I didn't mind, being the travel-lover that I am!

Darla, responding with great jocularity, told me a tale about a time that she'd been encouraged to use "llama" for "l", which we realized works perfectly with the double "l" sequence found in my new name! From now on, I'll always think of Darla and the $35ish dollars she saved me on my ATT bill as she mentally transported me down to the Andes, where the llamas roam.

As for my signature, which I thought I'd figured out in advance, I've developed a sudden uncertainty about how scrawly I actually want it to be. My previous signature disintegrated at my last job, which involved countless signings day in and day out. Since then, I've been eager to get my new name so that I can go back to a signature with actual letters (albeit illegible in my handwriting) instead of the line that typically follows my initials.

But now, I'm beginning to realize that my current job actually requires me to sign at least the same amount of paperwork, if not more, and I'd become very dependent on the letterless version that speeds the process up ever so slightly. I think I might have to develop a couple of variations of my signature in order to cater to its different functions. First, though, I have to decide exactly how I want to write the letter "Q", which is now prominently featured in my name.

I had no idea how rarely I wrote it or how little I cared about the appearance of this letter. But now, the way I write my "Q" affects the entire message that is conveyed by my signature! Am I classy, with a slightly curled tail? Is the round part of the letter open and upright, giving an appearance of a solid, detail-oriented person? Or is it slanted and not-quite-closed, showing a rushed and and incomplete side of my personality? For now, I'm going with an abstract style, the tail stretching wind-swept under my first name. We'll see how it changes over time.

There are, of course, other more important aspects of married life that I could ponder, but I'll save those for future posts. Suffice it to say that in our near-month of wedded bliss, Carlos and I have been very happy. Upon moving in, he immediately learned how to brew coffee despite his lack of interest in actually drinking it. As he gets up before me, this allows me to wake up in my gradual, multiple-snooze pattern while he showers and makes breakfast. When I hear that coffee grinder, I know it's time to stretch my way out to the kitchen and greet my love before he heads off to work. It's these simple, ultra-domestic moments that make me feel like a wife.

Speaking of domesticity, the laundry beckons. I'd ignore it, but that would mean sacrificing my bed to a pile of intimates and socks, which, in my new wifely state, would just not do! In the past, I'd have just swept the clothes off to the basket at the side of my bed and picked my outfits out of the pile for the next two weeks. We'll see how long this state of willing domesticity lasts - hopefully "till death do us part" and beyond!

Until the next post, I remain your faithful Milwaukee bride . . .

Jessica Q. or Q. or Q. or Q.

Stamp it with Forever

In this electronic world we live in, there still exist those few and far between items that require postage. And it seems to me that, as you plan your wedding, you'll definitely want to take this so often overlooked expenditure into account!

I discovered this via my reception site, Mount Mary College. Lucky for me, I chose a place that's not crawling with brides clamoring for the same date and that still believes in good will over business. It's a well-known fact that I'm not the most organized person in the world, which makes my decision to plan a wedding, purchase a house, and plan a 3.5-week trip to South America all at the same time seem comical at best. As was bound to happen, I misplaced the most crucial document to surface in our wedding plans thus far: The contract for the reception site.

When I received it and read that it needed to be returned within two weeks along with the deposit, I thought to myself, "no big deal." That is, until I took the contract to work as a reminder to mail it out during the day, which I forgot to do. Well, the next day, I was sick, and then, before I knew it, the contract was overdue and I had no clue where it was! I knew that the Facilities Director at Mount Mary only worked certain days, so the next week, I called and left a concerned message saying that I'd lost the contract, but had the deposit ready to go, if she'd be kind enough to send me another. Sure enough, she called me back and reassured me that the date was still ours and she'd send another contract right away.

When I received it, I made sure to sign it and get it in the mail the same day. Little did I know, I mailed it on the first day that postage was raised to $0.42! Well, when I found that out, I spent a few days worried that the contract would be returned to me and wondering how I could explain the additional delay without seeming like a complete flake (even though I was at that point), before determining that my underpaid envelope had fallen into the grace period. Whew, what a relief!

About a week later, though, I received another paper to sign, confirming receipt of the deposit and including safety regulations. I got this one ready to mail right away, and I still know exactly where it is: on my desk at work, waiting for me to invest in either the $0.01 stamp to go with my old stamps or buy a sheet of postage at the new rate.

So, to all those ladies and gents with contracts to mail in, invitations to mail out, and miscellaneous postage, here's my advice:

Invest in the Forever Stamp.

This stamp is a wonderfully generous option offered by the United States Postal Service, you can buy this stamp at the going rate for regular postage, and then, when the rate goes up, you can continue using the same stamps! I'll be picking up a sheet or two along with the $0.01 stamps to bump up my remaining $0.41 ones. It seems appropriate that I should commit to the Forever Stamp, even as I prepare to commit myself to one love, forever.

Homecoming

Well, ladies and gents, so much for me posting a new post daily, or even weekly! But, in my defense, life in the real world has taken precedence over this virtual one. And who can blame me? Last week was chock full of church happenings, since I agreed to read at the Confirmation ceremony despite the fact that I only knew one of the youth being confirmed. It was a nice celebration, albeit a little tortuous since the practice alone took an energy-consuming hour and a half of my life on the day that I closed on Carlos' and my new house! All I wanted to do was help him scrape loose paint and spackle the walls in our new living room. Instead, I joined the ranks of 50-plus bored 17-year olds who could care less how orderly the procession was. But Carlos and my dad had some good bonding time, which more than made up for my discontent.

And then, there was the Wednesday night dinner and a movie with our good friends, Brenda and James. This time it was Carlos' turn to suffer as I stole valuable time that he could have been using to work on the new house, especially when he found out that the movie was P.S. I Love You, which he had sworn he'd never watch as soon as he heard that Jerry, the young husband, dies in the first ten minutes of the movie. But, after sitting (and laughing) through the film in its entirety, Carlos has incorporated the word "bloody" into his vocabulary, to which I always respond with the word, "arse". I'm pretty sure that's a sign that he enjoyed the movie despite his arguments to the contrary! That's good, because he'll be watching it again on many a future night when I'm craving a cuddle and a love story.

But back to the new house! We have our first little nest! Technically, it's my house until we get married and turn it into a marital property with his name on the title, but with all the work he's put into it in just our first week of ownership, he's earned the right to claim it for himself! In honor of our first weekend completely dedicated to home remodeling and lawn work (the back yard looks 20 times better than it did on Saturday morning when we started!), I have composed a poem. This is also the beginning of my plan to become a professional writer (outside of this blog). Let me know what you think!

• Open Doors
  
  We got the keys on Monday and I've got country love
  songs in my head. I keep glancing at your eyes to watch
  that twinkle of anticipation mirroring my emotions as I
  ponder over paint swatches for the living room. I wonder
  if I can figure out how to upholster a couch to match that
  green we both like.
  
  The sun glares off the tongs as you flip the brats
  of our first barbecue. You just learned about Tofurky
  the hard way, but it's not so bad when you eat it as a
  cold left-over with some homemade cheese curds on the
  side. Besides, we've got vegetarian friends who will
  help us finish them off.
  
  That old tree that my dad cut down was blocking my garden,
  but we solved that problem with the help of an hour and a
  saw. Now, I can add "running a rototiller" to my list of
  domestic skills, just as long as I remember to push that one
  button thingy on the back of the machine. I think it's called
  the choke?
  
  As I sat in church, glancing at the sparkle of my ring (Those
  stained-glass windows really make it shine!), my thoughts
  wandered again through my list of items to buy at Home Depot.
  I'll never know what the homily was about that day, but I'm sure
  I heard God talking, anyway. He was saying, "You got the keys
  on Monday, and the doors are wide open! Welcome home."

I'm serious about the writing thing. I'd love to go pro and have had a lot of encouragement to do just that from family and friends, starting with my first-grade teacher, to whom I retorted, "I hate writing," which I truly believed for at least three years. Only recently, in the last couple of years, did I realize that I might just have confused "hate" with "love". So, I'm going to start practicing. This poem was actually inspired by a subject theme on Helium.com, a website for aspiring writers to practice and get feedback and even publishing offers from professionals.

I saw the theme this morning, and thought it was perfect, given the activities of this past weekend! Hence, my first post on Helium.com, which, of course, I just had to share with all of you! I hope to publish much more on that site, and will keep you posted. But, for now, Monday morning is officially here. Time to get ready for work in the real world. Have a great week, everyone!

Get Thee a New Email

I said my posts would be brief on this blog, and four or five posts later I realize that's just not going to be the norm. So, allow me to provide you with a brief exception. :)

As I was writing about wedding websites, I thought maybe I oughta throw out a suggestion that I realized all-too-late in this briding game. If you go to any sort of wedding shows or wedding websites and give out any contact information, you will be inundated with phone calls/emails/mailers galore. Two suggestions:

1. Before giving out his/her number, make sure your fiancé is comfortable with the thought of getting millions of random messages each week regarding upcoming irrelevant promotions. This is especially true if your number is long distance and his/hers is not. Oops, sorry, Carlos.
2. Do what the title says and get a new email address, specifically for wedding-related contacts. One that allows you to create folders or somehow organize your messages by subject is a bonus. You will thank me for this, especially if you get on David's Bridal's mailing list. Seriously.

See? Toldja I could be brief! Not boxers, haha! Right-o.

That reminds me of a bride that Darci interviewed on With This Ring, who mentioned the sassy blue underpants she wore on her wedding day! So fun as a "something blue"!

Wedding Webbing

Immediately after typing the title of this entry, I realized that the subject of the post could be mistaken for some sort of exotic spider web-esque wedding decoration, or perhaps something having to do with duck feet. No, duck feet will not be the featured hors d'oeuvre at my reception!

This post will, in fact, be dedicated to the subject of wedding websites, since I'm in the process of updating my own website (yes, it's separate from this blog), even as I type. I started scoping out sites for my betrothed and moi long before we were engaged. One could even argue that it started when friends of mine started getting hitched and creating their own sites. I was able to scope out what I liked and what I didn't, so that by the time I had that tell-tale sparkly upon my finger, I knew the basics qualifications in determining with which website provider I would go:

1. FREEDOM! No paying. Whatsoever. Ladies and gents, this is one of those delightfully rare pieces of wedding planning that can come at no cost and still get your message across in a way that reflects you. Do not let them suck up your dollars unless you have a really good reason.
2. A variety of template options. The design of your site should reflect you and your fiancé. The more variety in the options, the better.
3. User-friendly. Don't lose sleep over your lack of html know-how. You should be able to click a button and see your website manifest before you exactly how you envisioned it!
4. Customizable. Don't let the website dictate what you can put on it. You decide. Some people like just the bare-bones facts on their site. I, on the other hand, am a babbler. I need space to write and tell our story using pictures and video and links, etc. Why else would I be blogging my little heart out?

You can set up whatever criteria you want for your site. Just make sure it reflects you. Here are some of the services I've come across so far:

• The Knot - Most of you have probably heard of this one. It's one of the trendiest wedding planning sites in existence. The Knot is more than just a website provider, it's a one-stop shop for all your bridal needs. I actually like to browse through their information on occasion, but chose not to create a site through their service, mainly because Carlos didn't like any of the designs. Hey, it's his site, too!
  
  
• Wedding Channel - Not quite as cute as The Knot, the Wedding Channel website actually became my prime source of resources leading up to and immediately after I got engaged. I just got used to the layout of their site and it was the origin of many a web browsing session in the hope of generating/implementing ideas.
  
  Carlos liked more of the Wedding Channel website design options than he did on The Knot, but I wasn't ready to settle for his apathetic approval. I wanted real, dedicated, "this is my site" passion from him! I took his feedback and kept searching.
  
  
• David's Bridal - As far as I can tell, David's website service is through a partnership with OurWeddingDay.com, which gives you a 30-day free trial of its service before you have to pay. If you've read this far, you already know my thoughts about that, but I'll leave it to you to decide what's best for you.
  
  
• Wedding Announcer - This is where I've been hosting our site, and I've been pretty happy with it, so far. The variety of templates is a little lacking, but I found one on there that Carlos was actually happy with, so that was good enough for me. Also, it's very user-friendly while still allowing you to be creative and control what gets published and what remains behind the scenes. I've had a lot of good comments from friends about this site, so far.
  
  
• eWedding - This is my new favorite!!! I think. I stumbled upon this site by accident, which surprised me, because based on what I saw, I thought it should be at the top of everybody's list of wedding website providers! It has really cute themed templates in a variety of styles, from very elegant to very contemporary. Better yet, there's an optional Flash intro, which was what convinced me to try the site out in the first place! I do have a couple of complaints about the upload/download times for some of the pictures, and the fact that you can format everything except for text size in the entries.
  
  It's not quite as straight-forward as Wedding Announcer, but the loss in simplicity is outweighed by the professionalism of the overall site, once it's completed. And, there are even fun quizzez (unintentional spelling error that amused me, so I kept it) and polls that you can publish on your site for greater interactivity and feedback from your viewers! I have yet to play with the various multi-media options, since I'm in the process of transferring everything over from Wedding Announcer (Sigh, I almost feel like I'm betraying our original site! I really need to stop getting so attached to material . . . and virtual . . . things!).
  
  Addendum: I still like eWedding a lot, but I'm back to using Wedding Announcer after finding out the hard way that eWedding's free services are more limited than I thought. I'd received an email saying that my free trial was coming to an end, and when I went to see what was left I was pleasantly surprised and spent hours transferring things over to my new site.
  
  It wasn't until later that week, when all but two of the pages on my site got locked and invisible, that I went back to re-read the email. There, I noticed a key piece of a sentence that I'd missed before . . . "Your free trial is coming to an end in a few days." I thought it was already over! Turns out most of my hard work is only visible once I upgrade to a paid package, and you all know my thoughts about that.
  
  So, in the end, I like eWedding, in principle. The surveys and polls are a really fun idea, and the mapping service is an external one that I'll recommend in a differenct post. But, in the end, I'm not willing to pay for the service. Also, if you are open to paying, make sure you take advantage of the free trial, first. Like I said, it's a fun service, but I did notice some quirks that I was willing to tolerate for free, but not when it involves money. And read through the packages carefully, as they encompass very specific items and may require an upgrade for the stuff you love.

So, that's my little insight into the virtual world of bride-ism for the day. Hmm, can't get the thought of those polls out of my head . . .

Cupcakelicious

Carlos and I decided that cupcakes would be a fun way to keep the whole cake idea fresh and fun, and hopefully simple! Not unlike my calla lily experiment, I am toying with the idea of trying out a few cupcake recipes myself, and maybe even learning how to do fondant. Is it totally unreasonable for me to think that I can whip up 200+ delicious, beautiful, and affordable cupcakes the week of my wedding with little-to-no stress?

Personally, I think having a cupcake creation party sounds like a lot of fun, especially with my group of gals, and since I have fourteen months (Exactly!!!! Oh my goodness, it's the 27th, today, isn't it??!) to mull this concept over, I'm not tossing out this Do-it-Yourself project quite yet. Still, it might not be a bad idea to start researching bakeries!

Couture Cupcakes: Cupcakes with Pizzazz

In the mean time, check out this great blog done by a British-sounding cupcaker after my own heart. Or maybe I'll be after her own heart, considering I might steal a recipe or two from her! Hey, the girl makes cupcakes almost daily. Why reinvent the wheel, right?

Anyone who uses "couture" and "pizzazz" in her blog title has gotta be worth checking out, non? Try not to salivate too hard, her "cups of cake" look delish.

Flower Power

After a long, snowy winter, Milwaukee finally saw some weather worth kicking off the shoes for last week! Today, I'm back in my favorite oversized sweater in the back of the house (which is warmer than the front, since that's the side the wind's been blowing all week), sipping coffee to keep from shivering anymore. But the point is that spring has finally decided to fight for his right to claim April as his own, and winter is loosening her grip as May begins to make it's presence known.

So, as I ran around barefoot last weekend, I decided to conduct an experiment with the intention of replicating it next year if all goes well. I planted calla lilies. At a springy price of 3 bulbs for $12.99 at Steins, I figured that growing my own flowers would be much more cost effective than having a florist cover the arrangements. We're still 14 months out from the big day, so I haven't even begun to look into floral pricing, but I'm pretty confident that callas are on the higher end of the budget.

The nice thing about callas is that they look beautiful in a bunch, or as a single stalk, which leaves a lot of flexibility for determining how to use them without blowing the budget. They also come in a vast array of colors and sizes, leaving room for personalization and creativity, and there's no end to passable silk immitations out there. With their symbolic meaning of "majestic beauty", callas reign as a wedding favorite. After all, what's more majestic and beautiful than love?!

Carlos was actually the one who picked this flower out for our wedding, and I've been quite proud of him for making such a perfect selection ever since! That man's got extraordinary taste in just about everything but women's shoes, so I've gotten used to deferring to him for any sort of style decisions I need a second opinion on, and have had great success thus far. But back to my experiment . . .

As I said, $12.99 will be an excellent price, assuming that this thing goes through. But before any of you hands-on budget-savvy brides follow my lead, let me remind you that this is still an experiment! In order to plant the bulbs, I actually spent upwards of $40 on planters (three 9-inch plastic ones with built-in drainage), soil (a 20-pound bag, which is all my little muscles could carry), peat moss (for better drainage, as suggested on the calla lily package), and the bulbs themselves. I'm writing off everything but the bulbs as non-wedding expense, since I'll continue to use those items in future gardening endeavors.

In addition to the start-up gardening costs, I still have some research to do, since the planting information on the bulb packages was minimal. For example, I bought two bulbs that are supposed to grow small callas and one bulb for the larger variety, but I have no idea how many flowers the bulbs actually produce. The pictures show a bunch of flowers, so I'm guessing 4-8 flowers per bulb, which may or may not cover my wedding party (5 bridesmaids/groomsmen plus flower girl and parental corsages, etc.). So, it's possible I'll need to purchase another bulb or two.

Also, I think the bulbs are perennial, which means that they'll grow back again next year, but I'm really not sure how that works, and if they'll grow differently the second time around. Some plants do that, after all. Finally, I really need to check up on the details of how to nurture my plantlings. I put them into the dirt and drenched them, according to the instructions on the package, but that's about as far as that info took me. It mentions having excellent drainage and removing the bulbs from the soil after the first frost (which is why I think they're perennial), and keeping them in full sun/partial shade, but aside from that, I'm not sure. Do these pretties need constant attention or is it more of a leave-them-alone-and-they'll-come-home type of deal?

I should really look into some of this stuff. After all, I planted them a week ago, and we've had thunderstorms and snow flurries in the forecast since! What can I say, though? I was excited both about the weather and the concept of saving money/growing pretty flowers for my big day. So, dear readers of mine, I fully encourage you to experiment, but maybe do a little more research than I did, first! I'll keep you posted on anything I find out regarding my own questions, along with updates on my little callettes' growth! Happy spring!

Generation de Inspiration - About My Blog

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this blog was inspired by the blogs of Monica Rae, a Wisconsin wedding vendor, and Darci, a fellow Wisconsin blog. I have since become hooked on Darci's blog, and am doing all I can not to totally copy her style, which is so tempting since she is fantastic!

But one of my requirements for anything related to Carlos' and my wedding, and subsequent marriage, is that it remain true to our style. So, although there may be some similarities, I'm confident that as I continue to be inspired by a variety of sources, and as our wedding comes together, my blog will become as unique as our wedding.

One major difference between Darci and me at the moment is that she blogs daily! That girl is hardcore! I think I might be able to work up to daily posts the more I get into this, but be prepared to see some slack (during the week, especially), followed by multiple posts in one session. I'm also known for long posts (see my other blogs). However, this is a utilitarian blog designed to be a reference for others pursuing wedded bliss, and not just my personal musings on life's little ventures. Therefore, I'll try to keep my posts on the brief side with consistent labels for better search results.

That, of course, means that I have to wrap up this post and head to the next one. But, before I leave, I want to encourage any kind of feedback. Darci's blog started out as a way to stay connected with distant family and friends throughout her planning process, which is one major result I'd like to see come out of my own blog. Her blog also turned into a wonderful resource and forum for other brides seeking inspiration for their own planning process. If my blog acts as an idea generator for other brides, or if there's something in particular that you'd like to see posted on my blog, please feel free to contact me!

So, I guess the moral of this post is, whether you're close family or friends or an equally smittened bride-to-be looking for a connection with others in the throes of love, please feel free to leave your comments. I'd love to hear from you!

And no matter what you do, check out Darci's blog . . . she's even got contests! That lady's my bridal hero! Cheers!

I'm Getting Married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, so I realize that this blog wouldn't exist if I wasn't getting married, but still, I just had an urge to shout it from the rooftops. Being after 10:00 p.m., that probably wouldn't be well-received by my neighbors, so the next best option was to post something on this blog that echoed my thoughts, emphasized by lots of exclamation points! You get the idea. :)

So, since this is a blog about my "luhv" journey, I'd better give you a sense of where I'm at on my path to Missus-hood. So here's the timeline up to this point:

The Engagement (Feb. 16, 2008) - Getting engaged is, of course, a pretty essential stone on the path toward marriage (except for the occasional pair of elopers and Britney Spears), and we were ecstatic when we reached that point. Carlos managed to surprise me, which was a surprise in itself, since we'd been talking about marriage and I was expecting it to happen practically every other minute.But, we'd also been talking about finances, so the night before he got down on one knee, I convinced myself that my ring finger would probably remain bare for at least another few months.

He, meanwhile, was employing outstanding amounts of romantic intuition and creativity and behind the scenes to create the perfect setting for a proposal. As you can probably tell from the ring on my finger and the video of our proposal, it worked!! To any Milwaukee girl looking to inspire her guy, Red Arrow Park's winter ice skating rink is a great hint to drop. This was a legitimate dream date that I'd happened to mention to Carlos when the weather first got cold, and he certainly took the idea and ran . . . err . . . skated with it!

View Proposal Video Here

Photography - After a couple of heart-racing discussions soon after we got engaged, becoming slightly overwhelmed by the list of tasks that apparently lay ahead, Carlos and I were able to make some concrete decisions and start moving forward. I'd already chosen our wedding photographer, Sarah, when I'd seen her presentation a month before we got engaged. We hit it off instantly, and, honestly, who wouldn't hit it off with Sarah?!

I almost scared Carlos out of working with her because I quoted too high a price, but that was just because Sarah and I got together for coffee one day, got a little excited as we started "wedding talking" and got carried away as we went over the list of all the great items she has to offer. Plus, Carlos is from Nicaragua, so we started talking about trips and multiple wedding ceremonies, and before we knew it, I was spending beau coup bucks, despite the fact that Sarah was being incredibly generous in her pricing! Carlos brought some reason into the picture, and although Sarah and I have yet to draw up a formal contract, I think we're looking at an in-budget number.

Honestly, she really is very reasonable in her prices, especially for the quality of her work (and that awesome personality that makes the photo shoot so fun)! If any one's looking for a customizable photo experience, at a great price, done by a professional with a winning personality, Sarah's your girl. She does maternity, business, and child photography, etc., to boot! Check out her blog by clicking here or by clicking the "I Do" Photography link on the sidebar.


When Shall We Wed? (The Date) - Carlos and I picked our date a week or two into our engagement, merely because we wanted to have an answer when friends and family asked us about it. I swear, people think that the guy gets down on one knee and the girl whips out her calendar! When we finally did nail down a date, we were partially prepared. In a flight of whimsy back at the beginning of our "what if we get engaged this year" phase, we'd gone through the entire list of months and analyzed each one for wedding potential. We cut out the winter ones right away (again, he's from Nicaragua), which, in Wisconsin, only left four or five.

We decided upon June, or late September/early October, depending on when we got engaged. Since we're too laid-back a couple to work through checklists with a sense of urgency, we decided we'd better give ourselves at least a year. So, when he proposed in February, 2008, the closest option was June, 2009! From there, we literally looked at a calendar and pointed. This technique proved effective until we found out that the reception hall was booked that day. No worries, we bumped it back a week, after confirming that Sarah could do that day, of course!


The Church - We're both Catholic, and go to the same church - St. Catherine on 51st and Center. So this decision was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, there's not a website yet, but as soon as there is (probably when I create it in the next month or so), you better believe I'll add it to the vendors list! We start our wedding preparation with Deacon Ralph, this Sunday, right after our monthly Pancake Breakfast! I've known Ralph my whole life, so I wasn't too intimidated when a previous St. Catherine bride told me he makes us take a big test. But then, she's a life-long "daughter of the church," as well, so maybe I should be nervous! Oh well, at least my tummy will be filled up on pancakes!


The Reception Site - When my mom suggested that we check out Mount Mary College as a possible reception site, we thought it was a great idea. The pricing turned out to be perfect, and there's no beating the location, both geographically and architecturally! The Alumnae Dining Room (click here for virtual tour), which seats 400 (we're estimating a party of up to 200, so that leaves room for a dance floor), features Gothic floor-to-ceiling windows and cultural flags representing all of the countries Mount Mary's students come from. This couldn't be more perfect for our "Love in Any Language" theme!

We did have a couple of alternative options that never got fully explored (what can I say, we lead charmed lives, and got our first choice, right off the bat). One was the Oak Creek Community Center, which we were considering due to its proximity to the airport and less expensive airport hotels, which could benefit our many out-of-town guests. The Peck Pavilion at the Milwaukee County Zoo was another potential and appropriate option, given the fact that I worked at the zoo for five years as a summer job in high school. Finally, the Milwaukee Public Museum had a really neat sounding package, but they never responded to my email requesting information. I'm guessing it's pretty pricey, though, being downtown. Their caterer happens to be Sodexho, the same one used at Mount Mary, so I banking on some good quality food. Both the museum and Mount Mary's menus sound delish - I can't wait to schedule a tasting!


Caterer - Mount Mary requires their receptions to be catered in-house, but before we decided on them, we threw out a few ideas. We were interested in having some sort of a Spanish tapas/Latin American buffet, and when Carlos learned of Antigua Mexican and Latin Restaurant, we just had to check it out. We went there for dinner with friends, and loved it! I've also got La Merenda on my list of places to check out. Their menu looks delish . . . plates from all over the world! Oh, and while I'm on the subject of really yummy restaurants, Il Mito and Margarita Paradise (where we had our engagement dinner - excellent service and food!) are both fabu. Not sure if they cater, but they'd be great for the rehearsal dinner or shower or something. Hmm, that's got me thinking . . . :)

Okay, so that's basically it for the decisions and research we've done so far. On a really small but exciting note, today marks the two-month anniversary of our engagement, and I didn't even realize it when I started to create the blog this morning!

Anywho, here are some upcoming tidbits that I'll be sure to write about (in no particular order):

1. Handmade bridesmaid's gifts, courtesy of Carlos' mom! You can do it, too!
2. Growing my own bouquet - this will be an ongoing spring experiment. I'll keep you posted.
3. Catering decisions begin tomorrow. Let's eat! Okay, okay, we're not quite at that point yet. Soon, I hope!
4. Making my own dress (not the fancy one!) - another experimental step into the DIY (Do It Yourself) world.
5. Dress shopping! Starts this Saturday!
6. Centerpieces de Calla at a waaaaay budgeted price.
7. Cupcakes!!! Oooh, I've got a fantastic link for this one . . . stay tuned!
8. Home Improvement

Okay, I'm cutting myself off for the night. Good thing I'm working late tomorrow and my first meeting is at Alterra at the Lake (I love my job). Bedtime was an hour and a half ago! To all a good night!

I Love You, in English

He said, "I love you," before we'd ever kissed! True, his native language is Spanish, but that knowledge did very little to calm the internal panic that built to near-destructive (for our relationship, at least) proportions over the course of the next 24 hours! Thoughts racing too fast to grab hold of, I wondered about the power of romantic vocabulary and how just one or two ill-timed phrases had my heart beating with anxiety rather and my eyes darting to and fro, seeking an escape.

Lucky for me, I'm a writer. When I couldn't think or talk my way out of my panic, I opened up a journal and grabbed hold of my "best handwriting" pen. As I composed my message to the man I'd just committed my heart to, I found myself defining love for him -- and me. At that point, it was necessary to tell him what I understood when he uttered those three little words, and how that understanding changed with regard to their Spanish counterparts. When I finally said to him, "I love you . . . in English," he knew exactly what I meant.

16 months later, we're happily ensconced in our engagement! As we explore and embrace the opportunities that await us, I find myself going back to that first conversation about love. What does it mean? Where has it brought us? Where will it take us? Not every answer is clear, but one thing is certain. I love him, in English, and in every other language there is.

Welcome!

Welcome to Love in Any Language, one Milwaukee bride's documentation of her own journey as she traipses ever closer to that aisle of love, and beyond!

This blog was inspired by a post on Bespoke who referenced Darci's blog, With This Ring (see Other Inspirational Blogs on the side panel), and encouraged other brides to follow in Darci's footsteps. I love to write, and in planning my wedding for the last two months, have found plenty to write about!

So, with this post, I enter into the wide world of bridal blogging. We'll see where it takes me. As any bride knows, the journey of love is never straight, and neither is the path that results from surfing the net in pursuit of bridal bliss! Thanks for reading along, feel free to leave feedback or comments about your own experiences, and most of all, enjoy!