So, ever since then, I have been on a wild BRIDEZILLA quest, obsessed with all this wedding stuff----stuff I have NEVER (I repeat) NEVER had any interest in whatsoever in my whole entire LIFE. I was in four weddings all in one summer once, but I never got bitten by the wedding bug---that is, until now.
I found my wedding dress at the local Goodwill store, and it's BRAND NEW, never been worn, my size, and only $75 bucks. Here's a photo of me trying it on...I emailed the photo to Pete to ask him what he thought, and he said, "It's GORGEOUS, BUY IT!!" So, I did. Just needs a little alteration in the back to fit my rather bodacious bazoomba's. But, as luck would have it, my best friend's mom has a best friend that is a seamstress, and will do the alterations for FREE for me!! Ya just can't beat it with a stick!!! How lucky can a girl GET?!! I am still amazed by that...I mean, I never DREAMED I'd find my perfect dress at Goodwill!
So, alas, I have turned into this bargain-shopping wedding FREAK lately. I used to work at Michael's craft store for many years, as a part-time thing, so I know after the month of June is gone, EVERYTHING bridal goes on sale and on clearance. So I have ALL the silk flowers I need for the bouquets, the centerpieces for all the tables, the boutenniere's for the men, the corsages for the mom's, and the decorations around the facility. I even got invitations, place cards, favor boxes, and utensil holders all for less than $500 bucks. No real flowers for ME, thanks, they just die, and that's just damned depressing. I figure with these silk roses of coral and antique white (ivory) and plain white, I've got the perfect GIFTS to send home with family and friends that will last a lifetime, AND I've got a "tropical" sort of theme going too! How cool is THAT?!
Listen to THIS massive stroke of good luck----you'll never believe it---but all my life I've wanted to get married inside a gazebo by a lake of some kind, or an ocean, etc....well, having found 2 places here in Pittsburgh that offer it, and learning just how pricey that idea really is, we just happened to drive around the block one day last week, and out of curiosity, we knew there was some kind of community center back there, but we didn't know what it was. Upon driving there, we learned and toured the place, discovering that it's the PERFECT PLACE for a wedding & reception!! In fact, there's even a POOL there, and it's all outdoors, but underneath a covered pavillion, with a huge kitchen and grill area, a gorgeous aisle for me to walk down, and a beautiful arch of green ivy on a portico, right next to a beautiful fountain.....it's the next best thing to a gazebo by a lake, and it's right around the BLOCK!! Since most of my family and friends are traveling from Michigan, we figured it's the easiest place for them to find, and it's going to be FUN because we decided to have a "Gilligan's Island" themed reception!! I mean, we've got the pool and everything, so we might as well use it!! (And since Pete said our trip to Hawaii wouldn't happen until our TENTH anniversary...ahem...we'll see about THAT), I figure this will be the next best and fun thing to do.
So, I have to figure out how to have a serious, formal and elegant wedding ceremony at the same time as a kitschy island themed reception...complete with Gilligan's character costumes, coconut cream pie, and maybe a stationary bike that you have to peddle to make the light flicker on...(that's Pete's idea, good luck figuring out how to do that)....but we figure people will have their dressy summer attire for the wedding, and they can change into shorts during the reception, and we'll provide either white Gilligan's hats with "Three hour tour?" on them, (with our names and wedding date, as a souvenir), or t-shirts with the face of a character from the show on it for people to wear. Then they can all change into their bathing suits and go for a swim a half hour after they eat dinner of course!! They provide 2 lifeguards on duty as well, so this place we're renting is AWESOME.
Tonight Pete and I went to a local party planning store and found the plates, napkins and cups that we plan to use at the reception, with matching serving trays for all the food, AND placemats for all the tables....we got everything for 75% off!! You just cannot beat having enough of that stuff for 100 people, and only paying $97 bucks total....I mean that's just awesome!!
I have bought some votive candles, I've got some plans for centerpieces that will be elegant, AND island-ish, we'll have a natural raffia "hula skirt" around our bridal party table, and hopefully I can figure out what to put on 20-25 round tables that also has my colors (coral, antique white and plain white)...I"m working on that, but I think a trip to JoAnn Fabrics may be in order, to make my own. I contacted a local linen rental place and they said it would be $14-$17 PER TABLE just to throw a stupid table cloth on it. Forget THAT. I'll find some inexpensive fabric, and make my own with some fishing "sinkers" sewn in the edge around the bottom so they stay on the tables and won't blow off in a breeze.
I've been sitting with my hot glue gun making stuff every day, you should see the pile of white plastic bags of wedding stuff that I have sitting around the dining room table, so I can just reach in and grab ribbon or tulle or flowers, etc.!! I'm going to have to STORE all this stuff for a full YEAR, yes I am well aware of that, but ya know, we're determined to do it all CHEAP, so now is the time to buy this stuff when it's on clearance.
Of course, I still have LOTS more to do, like figure out why a stupid bakery can't seem to bake me a SPLENDA cake so I can EAT some of the damned thing...(none of the dozen bakeries I've contacted will do it)....and I have to get the brides maid dresses, which I think I've already found the perfect one at Dress Barn, so I'm hoping to pick those up soon....and then there's the planning of the food, planning the rehearsal dinner, vows, getting a clergy person to perform the ceremony, finding champagne glasses or wine flutes for the two of us, who knows if I'll have a bridal shower or not, I have to register at various stores and stuff too, and figure out how to lose 100 pounds in one year.....not to mention the myriad of other things to plan!!
My head is swimming, but I'm very excited, and so is Pete. In fact, I just ASSUMED he wouldn't be very interested in doing all this weddingish stuff, I assumed he'd be like most grooms, and just nod and smile and say, "Whatever you say dear," when I start cackling like a hen about all this stuff, but nooooo, I was wrong, he wants to be included in all the details, he wants to go with me to see the stuff I want to purchase, to know what it is we're doing, to have a game plan, and some kind of budget. So, that makes me feel good, that he wants to participate....NOT as a control freak, though, but as a participant. He said he didn't do a lot at his two previous weddings so he wants to do more this time around. I'm all for it!! The more help I get, the better!!
Well, so that's the scoop. I'm heading for a wedding next July and I'm freaking OUT at how WEIRD I have become, suddenly I don't recognize myself, and it's all very surreal...I sure hope we both know what the hell we're doing.....LOL
Bye for now. Love, Sassy Girl
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