I'm seriously DONE!!!

So, I think I am truly done with all of the wedding planning and task lists and to-do's.  No really...see that task list up above this post?  That's really all that I have left to do that is wedding related.  And we still have 11 days to go and that stuff should be able to be knocked out pretty easy (sending up prayers).

This past week/weekend I did the following:

*  Finished assembling programs with help of Bridesmaid Deb
*  Assembled all the escort card favor boxes filled with M&M's and JellyBeans with help of MOH Julie and BM Erin (printed all the guests' names and cut them out and put them in alphabetical order)
*  Fixed up my little silver bells that needed some TLC (they'll hold the trivia cards on each table)
*  Reorganized and confirmed that I had all my kids' favor boxes correctly identified (we added 3 kids to our guest list that I needed to account for)
*  Met with my florist and paid her in full, met with my caterer, selected our menu and paid him in full
*  Had my MOH (sister) design our menu cards to display on the appetizer and buffet tables
*  Put together our gift card box
*  FINISHED OUR WEDDING VIDEO that will be played at the ceremony as a lead in to my walk down the aisle (Post coming tomorrow with the final video for you to see!)
*  Printed out final seating charts for coordinators and caterers

I'm waiting for our placecards to arrive this week so that I can put them together by table assignments for our coordinator and then that's it! 

So I really think I should have everything done at least a good week before the big day!  Yea me!  I can just relax and get my massage and my nails done and all that jazz.

Of course, I do need to pick up all the tuxedos two days before the wedding to deliver to all of our guys coming in from out of town.  I am praying that goes smoothly as you will remember from my post a few days ago that stupid tuxedo shop has been the biggest thorn in my side during this whole process!

Well, ladies...I know a few of you just got married or are soon to be married.  And then there are those of you who have a ways to go still.

Did/Do you feel like you had everything done with a few days to spare or were you rushing up until the night before?  If you're not married yet, do you think you'll be able to give yourself time to have everything done a little early?  It is SO nice for me because now if I forget anything, I have a few days to go over it all in my head and handle any last minute issues.

PS  All is well here after the 7.2 earthquake in Mexico that we definitely felt here in So Cal.  Mr Fix It and I were in the grocery store when the earthquake started and every aisle had a few things that fell off the shelves.  It was not that scary but definitely strong and longer than most we have had lately.  What a weekend.

A super busy weekend

Today is MOVING DAY!!!

I am just taking the final things out of my dresser and living room so that the guys can grab our furniture in a few hours. 

I started assembling my programs Thursday night and am trying to do 10-20 per day.  I also need to start assembling the escort cards which I just printed up all the name tags and sticker labels for yesterday. 

Tomorrow we are having a family lunch at my grandmother's house (about an hour and a half away) since we expect this will most likely be the last time that our entire family is able to be with my grandmother*.  While we are there, Mr Fix It will stay home and work on building our cake stand, attaching a stand to our 'This Way to the Wedding Sign' and finishing up some work around the house.  He'll be missed but at this point, we just don't have the ability to take many 'days off.'  There's too much to do still.

This next week I finally have totally free of any appointments - personal or wedding related.  So I can just focus on getting the final details planned out and going over my checklists in my mind. 

20 days to go!  

*  But you never know, my Grandma is tough as nails and could end up hanging on for much longer than the hospice nurses have led us to believe :)

Posting your to-do list on your blog

I remember a while back posting some kind of to-do list on my blog and I mentioned that it was not really for any of you but moreso as a journaling opportunity for me as I look back on this blog years from now. 

And I have seen many other brides do it, too.  I thought it was a good way to keep track of our progress for myself.  I also noticed other brides who post their task lists usually ask "Am I missing anything?"

Honestly, with 54 days to go until the wedding, it's becoming more stressful than helpful and so now I skim over those type of posts.  Mostly because there is no way in hell I am going to be able to think about whether or not someone else is forgetting something - do any of you honestly pull out your own to-do lists and perform a side by side comparison to fellow bloggers' lists to let them know what they're forgetting?

Besides, all I end up feeling is stress about my own to-do list and how there is still so much to do.  It makes me physically nauseous to read these posts now. 

So while I'm not knocking anyone who chooses to do this (since I am sure I'm in this category), I just wanted to vent about the stress and freak out mode that I enter when I click over to a fellow blogger bride's blog and see their updated to-do list...please forgive me if I don't comment or can't help you figure out what you're missing.  It'll probably just make me think of something *I* am missing and stress me out.

DOUBLE DIGITS!

Holy crap! Tomorrow marks 99 days until our wedding day! So that means today marks 100 days and on top of that, it's my 100th post!  Woo-hoo!  Much to celebrate.  I can't believe after over a year we have hit the double digits in the countdown! So exciting...and still so much going on. It's just so crazy to think about the fact that we have so much done and still so much left to do in the planning process.

I love this pic...it's of 99 Luft Balloons...remember that ole tune?  But I like it more cuz it is in the shades of our wedding colors - sort of...turquoise and cranberry. 

Source

And this one...oh, what a fun reminder of our 99 day countdown...my Grandparents (who are hopefully going to be able to make it to the wedding) live off of route 99.  And I love that it says 'Begin.' 

Source

So here is my checklist of what's done and what's not (like you care, this is more a record keeper for me):

*  Venue and all major vendors (photog, video, florist, coordinator, DJ, caterer, hair/makeup stylist, seamstress, video equipment rentals, officiant, rental items, ceremony guitarist, photobooth) all booked/reserved and deposits paid!  See that list on the right side for all my amazing vendors!
*  Ceremony written:  Still need to have one or two more pre-marital counseling sessions with our pastor to finalize the ceremony details but I have a script mostly written with everything pretty much done.  Hoping Mr Fix It will write at least a few short words or vows to say but we'll see how he does with that.
*  My gown, bridesmaid gowns, flower girl dress and shoes and jewelery/accessories all purchased and received.  Alterations begin next week and only need to get the FG some little white shoes.
*  Tuxedos all selected.  Just need all the guys to go into their local Men's Wearhouse to get fitted and pay for their tuxes in the next couple months.
*  Song selections:  Ceremony is pretty much set but still need to come up with grand entrance, cake cutting, garter toss songs and a suggested playlist of some of our faves for the DJ.  Also need to sit down with the DJ to finalize the details and timeline.
*  Cake:  UGH!  Don't get me started...we think we finally settled on a simpler design that should not be difficult for an 'at home' baker to make for us.  Now we might have a family friend bake the cake and ask our caterer for a credit since it was originally included in our package.  Mr Fix It needs to build the stand for the cake we want because even though it is mostly just simple round cake layers, it still sits in an offset stand that the bakers said we'll have to construct ourself.  We have decided something like this:

But with some decorations and colors like these on each layer:

*  Almost all major little purchases done and received!  I have the favors, favor boxes, favor tags (did 'em myself with sis' help), table numbers (another DIY), votive candles, guest book, toasting flutes, flip flops, cake serving set, memorial table vases, bridesmaid gifts, escort cards, This Way to the Wedding sign, etc all packed away in my little hiding place.  Still need to get the M&M's (last minute), ring bearer/FG/Groomsmen gifts, unity cross and gift card box (the last two I am hoping will be gifts I'll receive at my shower - I dropped a few hints to some friends who asked what they could get me).  See all the little 'label' tags over there on the right if you want to go back and look at any of these items.
*  Special surprise for the guests:  This is the biggest project I've been working on (for many months) and I am hoping to finalize it in the next month or so.  Can't wait to share it with all of you!
*  Rings:  Purchased and sized.  Will have cleaned the week before the wedding.
*  Invites:   Received final mockup this week and everything looks good!  Placed order for final box of invites and when they arrive in a couple weeks, I'll have to get them all assembled and ready for mailing the first week of February!
*  Other stationery items:  Working on some little things like menu cards, bar menu cards, signs for the guest book table/flip flop basket/escort card table.  Stationery lady will be designing our seating cards soon along with the programs.  I have the program all written out...just need to finalize a few details and the design.  She's also making some 'seating chair cards' for us to place at the ceremony for reserved guests/rows.  Some things like this:

Source:  Serendipity Design

*  Miscellaneous:  Waiting for my white parasol to arrive any day now.  Also ordered personalized postage stamps for our invitations.  Finalizing our monogram/GOBO light design :) 
*  Escort cards:  Will have to do seating charts and final escort card stickers in the final 2 weeks.
*  Honeymoon:  Tickets bought and Mr Fix It is supposed to be looking into car rentals and hotel reservations.  Yeah, right.
*  Flowers:  Have a lot of great ideas...some set in stone, some not.  Meeting with florist to do a mockup table of the centerpiece ideas in the next month or so.  Will continue to meet to finalize bouquet and bout ideas.
*  Gift registries:  Have an online honeymoon registry set up through http://www.honeyfund.com/ and will be registering at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macy's this month. 
*  Dance lessons:  Started looking around getting ideas.  Now just have to narrow it down and set up the first lessons this month!  Have some song selections and dance style ideas but Mr Fix It I am sure will have something to say about my ideas...he always does.  We are already disagreeing on what each of our ideas of a 'swing' dance should be!
*  Caterer:  Need to finalize our menu selection.  We know we're doing tri-tip and a chicken dish and a fruit and cheese and cracker display with two hot passed hors d'oeuvres but haven't finalized the deets yet.

Well, there's my pretty detailed list of where we're at.  I have several meetings coming up this month and next with the vendors to finalize our ideas and timelines and such.  Also have lots of little things we won't be able to do until the last month like getting our license, moving in to Mr Fix It's place, shower and bachelor/bachelorette party, getting insurance certs and liquor licenses, etc.

Whew!  Time to sing...99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer...maybe I should change it to champagne?  Or wine?  :)