96 days and counting...

This past weekend was a whirlwind of wedding activities.  Saturday morning, I took the final bridesmaid in to pick her dress out.  Eight girls, eight dresses!  I just hope that when the dresses come in there is very little to alter!!!  Now we just have to get the guys in to get their suits ordered.  In the afternoon, my friend Allison, owner of Cake Done Right, came over and brought us some amazing samples of her delectable cakes.  We tried the chocolate back in February for Roberts birthday, so we decided to try a lemon chiffon, red velvet, mud cake and Irish Car Bomb inspired cake!  So many different flavors and so much cake!  The lemon chiffon is the winner all around.  We also decided to go with the regular chocolate and the Irish Car Bomb cake.  So there's another thing checked off the list!

Sunday, the ladies on the board for the floral design club threw me a bridal shower.  It was strange to go to a bridal shower and knowing it was for me.  I've been to so many for other friends and family.  It was such a lovely afternoon with all these friends that I have made since starting to take classes three years ago.

The show Robert has been working on finally went up this weekend which means he will be around a little bit more to help with some of the planning...hopefully!

The other update is the great plate hunt of 2012.  We are trying to figure out a way to save money and be "green" so we have been playing with a couple of different ideas on the dishes.  One of the suggestions has been to use bamboo plates which are biodegradable.  The plates look really nice and its definitely a more cost-effective idea.  The other idea is to buy dishes from the dollar tree store and re-sell them after the wedding.  We still haven't decided as of yet, but hopefully we will come to a conclusion by the end of the week!

Well, its time for me to sign off and get to work!  Last week of the first session of summer camp starts today!

Planning a wedding...the drama never stops!

This weekend was the soiree for my parents 30th anniversary.  It was a lot of fun and a wonderful way to celebrate 30 years of marriage.

Now that this party is over, its time to start getting on track with wedding details again.  After this week, Robert will be around more, which will be really helpful.  As I am typing this, he has yet to finish asking a few of his friends to be groomsmen, but his deadline for asking is by the end of tonight (Sunday).  

Now for the drama I mentioned in the subject line.  Last weekend, we went to Benicia to see an old friend of Roberts who owns a barbecue catering company called The Bibber.  The food was amazing and we made the decision to switch caterers.  

Now, remember the caterer that forgot about the tasting we had scheduled with her?  I am still not sure why I gave her another chance, but we weren't having luck finding anyone else.  After we finally were able to try her food (which as my father puts it, was mediocre), she announces to us "Great, lets go in my office and sign the contract".  There wasn't even any chance to think about whether we wanted to retain her services or not.  Everyone who was tasting with us was also in shock at her abrupt and rushed behavior.

Robert and I decided that we were going to walk in there and tell her we still wanted to think about it before signing anything, but when she handed us the contract, it stipulated that we could cancel for any reason 3 months prior to the event date with a  full refund of our deposit.  When we saw that we decided it couldn't hurt to sign with her while still shopping around for something better.  Well, we found it with The Bibber.  

A couple of days ago, I sent an email to Chef Cecilia telling her that we no longer wished to have her as our caterer.  I told her we found a family friend that was willing to do it, and we were sorry for any inconvenience.  Well, the next morning, our phone rings at 7:30 AM.  Yes, you read that right, AM.  I was still in bed and decided to let the machine get it, and a few minutes later, my cell phone begins to ring.  I don't get the best reception at the house and I didn't recognize the number, so I also let that go to voicemail.  Well then the house line rings AGAIN!  

I decided it must be urgent for whoever was calling to call so many times, so I got up and answered the phone.  I was then given a lecture on how we had a contract and why would we sign with her if we had no intention of using her in the first place.  I reminded her that her contract stipulated  that we could get a refund and cancel 3 months prior and her response was "Well, yes, but this has never happened before".  After I got off the phone with her, I was in shock at the lack of professionalism this company has shown in my dealings with them.  I would have suggested her to other people because her food was good, but after that phone call and how she handled herself, I will discourage anyone from using this company for their event.  

We are still waiting on an official quote from The Bibber, but the food is well worth every penny.  They also suggested using bio-degradable bamboo plates which I was wary about at first, but when I saw them, I was surprised by how nice they look.  It will not only look different and interesting on the table, but it will be environmentally friendly and save us a big chunk of money!  Thats a win on every level!

Other than the catering drama, things are still coming together.  Four of the eight bridesmaids that will be standing up there with me have found their dresses (I am letting each girl pick a dress that they feel comfortable in as long as its the right color!)  Another craft night is scheduled for the 29th of this month.  We've also asked friends and family to donate items that they are getting rid of to a garage sale that will help raise money for the wedding!

I also signed us up for a wedding service called Honeyfund.com.  Its a way for guests to send monetary gifts to the couple instead of sending a gift.  If you'd like to send a gift that way, you can go to our page at https://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/bethandrobert.

I think thats all the updates for now.  See you next week!

It's all in the details

Now that all the big to-do items are completed, I've been spending my time on the smaller details including invitations for family and close friends, the wedding website, and much more.

Yesterday, we went to Stanford Shopping Center and registered for a few things that will round out the stuff we already have.  You can go to the Williams and Sonoma website or Macy's to see our registries.  I almost felt bad during the Williams and Sonoma registry.  The woman helping us kept directing everything to me.  I still feel that this whole event is about me and Robert as a couple.  I don't like the whole focus on the bride only thing.  I will be trying to figure out more ways to focus on both of us as a couple.

There is still so much to do, but for a few days, I will set aside wedding planning details and focus on my parents 30th anniversary party!  It just never ends!