THIS WEEKEND

CONGRATULATIONS AMY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!

Amy, can't wait to hear what it's like being a married woman! Enjoy your wedding and your honeymoon!

Need a pick-me-up

I really do not want to put a damper on anyones day. So Jay and I have held off on planning for our ceremony for awhile. We start school next week and things have been super busy. His dad calls us and updates us on his legal status in Canada. He has a criminal record (not major but not minor either) and because of that, a judge might not pardon him. This basically means that he can't leave the country. We won't know for sure till next May/June. The date we set was October. It's kind of a downer. Now we are seriously considering not having it at all. I'm sort of ok with it but you know I am still bummed. Jay feels bad because I really had my heart set on having my dream wedding. But we can't just go on with the plans without his dad because he is a big part of our lives. I mean if it was an aunt or cousin, that's fine, but this is his dad. So we will see what happens.

But what I wanted to ask was if there are any cheap (reasonably priced)/interesting ideas for a date this Saturday? Me and Jay need a serious pick-us-up because we have been really down lately. It will basically be our last date before the school semester starts and we will go back to seeing each other twice a week.. haha.. sad but true.

All and any suggestions are more than welcome! Thanks ladies!

Indoor backups?

Hi all. I've noticed the boards going crazy about indoor wedding venues. I too want an outdoor wedding, but am frustrated because I'm noticing that most venue's back up rooms are dining rooms. (This seems to be plaguing some posters on BDC as well).

I don't have a huge budget, and want to do outdoor ceremony in October with a really nice indoor alternative in case of rain/snow, etc. (not in the same room as the meal) I also don't want the venue to be 2 hours away from Boston. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd really appreciate it.

Maine Long Weekend?

Hi gals- long story short, my fiance and I were supposed to go to the Adirondacks this weekend for my birthday, but with our dog still in a watch period, we can't leave her at a kennel, so we've had to cancel that trip. Instead, we're going to take our dogs and our motor home somewhere. We were thinking about Maine. Does anyone have any suggestions for not too far locations that would be nice for the weekend? We have the motor home, so we won't need a place to stay, just somewhere we can enjoy ourselves. Suggestions other than Maine are of course welcome.

Thanks!

Update! We're headed here: http://www.riversidecampground-wells.com/frameindex.html

It was actually really hard to find a place with any openings, but these people were super nice. Thanks for your suggestions girls!

Anyone Else????

Okay, while I am up late doing laundry I check in on BDC message boards, and a thought struck me...Is anyone else getting sick of seeing Shirley Mak and Nicolas Parisi? Just needed to get that off my chest!!! I am menstrual and have one week left til my wedding, can anyone tell I am a little irritable???

Give me strength!

Hey ladies!
...So we bumped into FMIL and FSIL in the mall and it was pretty obvious that they were there to buy a shower gift for us! They said, "We're going upstairs now! Stay down here!"

I'm really going to try to NOT look at our registries! But its going to be HARD! How did you guys do, or what are you planning on doing?!

Thanks! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Fun Poll

This is kind of silly, but this poll was asked on the knot board I read, and I got such a kick out of seeing the other girls' responses. So....

Who is your quirky/uncommon celebrity crush?

I don't mean Matt Damon here. In the poll I read, both Keith Olbermann and Anderson Cooper were very popular :)

(my answers in comments!)

WTF... they demoted Pluto

I'm so sad. I always liked little Pluto, way out there by itself, sometimes hanging out around Neptune. I guess now when we're old we can talk to our grandkids like, "when I was your age there were 9 planets, Sally, 9, not 8."

Astronomers Say Pluto is Not a Planet

Rolling on the River

Hi ladies. In order to preserve my sanity, this weekend I'm going river rafting! We're heading to Deerfield River to do the Class III-IV rapids. I'm so psyched! I've gone rafting many a time in CA, but think the eastern rivers will run faster. More water!

The cool thing is, it will be and my finance, and my sister (MOH) and her girlfriend (one of my bridesmaids)! I can't wait. Too bad it won't be the whole wedding party, but maybe we can go again with everyone else in the spring.

I can't wait to go, if anyone has been, let me know what you think of that run.

Bridesmaids & Groomsmen Question

Is it ok to have an uneven amount of BM's and GM's? I am asking for both myself and my cousin's fiance. She only has one MOH (me) and another BM (her FSiL). My cousin is having 3 GM's. I have 3.5 girls while my hubby can only think of 2 GM's that he would like to be a part of the event. Is it ok though to have an uneven amount? Will that look silly? Just wondering if it is something common out there or not.

Thanks ladies!

Shopping Tip of the Day

Just unexpectedly found super cute totes on the Crate & Barrel outlet site:


http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=4010&f=11370&viewall=1

They have a bunch of colors, plus accessories! If I still needed them for my girls, I'd love these!

Help please...Amy, are you out there?

Amy, I know you must be SO busy right now, but I was wondering if you had any advice to give to someone who is following closely in your footsteps. The reality just hit me that my wedding is under 8 weeks away. The invites are in the mail, and the response cards are coming back. I feel like I have a million things to do, but am not sure exactly when I need to them, in what order I should do them, and in some cases what I need to do.

We haven't finished our do not play list. I need to fill out the photography worksheet. We still have to pick readers for the ceremony and who's going to pass out programs and who's going to bring up the gifts. How are you all letting people know about the rehearsal? Are you all sending invitations out for the rehearsal dinner? When should I contact the vendors to finalize details? I'm not freaking out yet, but give me time. Does anyone have any good check lists? Why didn't I hire a wedding coordinator?! Any advice would be appreciated.

Okay, there's a post (or 2) on bos.com that talks about Sunday weddings. I'm thinking of going this route, only because it's cheaper, and most of my guests are out of towners. Is a Sunday morning wedding (10:00-3:30) an unreasonable time for a wedding? Will anyone have fun at this type of wedding, or will it be a snore?

Also, what's with everyone on bos.com saying people wouldn't show for the ceremony and leave early? Is Saturday night better, forgetting the signifigant difference in cost? Suggestions?

Use of term "Bridezilla"

I am tired of "bridezilla" and the fact that popular media seem to feel that it applies to any woman getting married now! The caption from Boston.com's pictures/coverage of the "Running of the Brides" just irked me..."Check out the lengths these brides (and bridezillas) will go to find the perfect dress at the Filene's Basement Bridal Event." None of the women in these pictures is acting like a "bridezilla", but they feel the need to sensationalize it the word of the hour.

The overuse of this word is making me sensitive to everything I say or type. I even questioned whether I should have mentioned the cheap, neon green bathmat in the other post for fear that someone think I'm just an insensitive snob who wants expensive, non-green gifts. And then I remembered on not on the Boston.com message board. Phew!

Victoria Secret sale

www.Victoriasecret.com has a great sale going on now if anyone is interested in bathing suits, lingerie, dresses for honeymoon and so on! Once I get paid this Friday, I'll be able to buy a few things for my own!

Weekend Update

Here are my babies! Tessa on the right and Toby on the left. Tessa came home last night and is so far doing well. Not even too much in the way of side-effects from the medication she's on, which I'm thankful for. Thanks everyone for all the kind words!!

I did have my first shower this weekend, my fiance's side of the family and their friends, and it was very nice.... my mom and a BM came up from NJ, my other two local bridesmaids were there to help, and it was a nice time. The weather held out, so we could sit outside by the river (it even downpoured on my way there, but not at the restaurant) and I got beautiful, generous gifts. There were about 25 of us, so I got to talk to everyone and even meet a few people I'd never met before. I'm not especially comfortable at being the center of attention like that, with people I don't know that well, but I did okay... considering....

The whole shower was over-shadowed because my girl dog is in the hospital. It turns out she has epilepsy, probably the genetic she'll-have-it-forever-and-there's-no-cure epilepsy (all testing for external causes is so far negative). It can be controlled and she can have a very long, happy life, but she's basically going to need medication and special attention forever. As long as she has no relapses today, she'll be discharged tonight (she's been in since Saturday night). We can't wait to bring her home, and her brother misses her a lot.

Sorry to be a downer! It's kind of put everything into perspective for us. We had a healthy dog on Saturday afternoon, and now we have a special needs dog. It's distressing, not only because my dog is sick, but she's sick in a way that's going to impact her and us forever. We've already had to cancel our trip over Labor Day weekend (my birthday, btw, and Amy's soon-to-be wedding anniversary :)) because we can't leave her at a kennel right now. We'll get into a routine, I'm sure, but right now everything seems all shaken up.

Really though, the shower was beautiful, everyone was great, and my baby girl should be coming home tonight, so even though it's Monday, things are looking up right now :)

Thanks! I wanted to post a picture, otherwise I'd just have responded below. Here are my babies, Tessa (our girl, the bigger one, on the right) and Toby (our little boy).

... okay, I tried to post a picture, but it wasn't working right now. I'll try again later.

First dance song

Hey ladies,

FI and I are in the process of picking our first dance song. Music is very important to him. He's practically picking every song that the DJ will play (and I am only "allowed" 5 songs! - no biggie, music's his thing!).
So he always makes mixed cd's for me. He just made one with songs that he thinks would be good first dance songs. One of them is a Black Crowes song, his favorite band. And I love it, its called "Miracle to me" Here are the lyrics:

So come on off of your rooftop
Come on down to the street
Ive got something to tell you
Youre secret I will keep
Tell me why have you been crying
Why wont you look me in the eye
Im just trying to help you
I just need to know why
Please wont you let me try

Chorus:
Be my secret, be my joy
Be a miracle to me
Be my lover, be my friend
Be a miracle to me

I want to sleep in your moonglow
In my mind youre smile I keep
Head over heels I go
Like a dream from a peaceful sleep
This time I know Im in deep

As you can see the first stanza sounds kinda like she is going to jump! I did live in an attic apartment before we moved in together! Other than that, its a beautiful song. Would that be horrible to dance to?
Don't be afraid to tell me if it is!
Thanks!

Back to Back Posts

Yes I am, but just about 2 minutes ago, I became anxiety ridden. At my company I invited my 2 big bosses, and 1 of the bosses of another dept. who loves me and wants me to work for him. Well he just dropped off his reply card, for 3 people. I didn't say anything, but I can only assume he is bringing his 9 year old son. I am not a child hater, but we are not having any children at the wedding other than those that are in the wedding. And all of them are getting picked up by in-laws immediately after dinner. Now I don't mind if his son comes, but I already told Troy's cousin he couldn't bring his kids, as well as several other "family" kids that I did not invite at all. I really don't want to offend him, but I don't want to offend a whole room filled of people whose kids I didn't invite. It is so tough because if he pulls me up to work with him I will get a huge promotion! I really didnt' see this coming on reply card due date...ugg.

Counting Down

Hey girls!
Just very excited and wanted to let everyone know!!! 16 Days and counting! We are really getting down to crunch time. Today is the cut off for our responses, and we are still about 97 short, so starting monday I have to start calling people! Hopefully I get a bunch today and tomorrow...anywho, don't really have anyone here at work to get all giddy with so I figured you ladies were up to the task!!!
Talk to you soon!
Amy

Checking into checks

Okay ladies, how bout this one. Who should guests make checks out to? (We know we're all getting at least one of those). But seriously, even if you do take your husband's name (which I'm not), it doesn't instantly change after the ceremony. So, who are the check gifts made out to? Mr & Mrs Smith won't cut it if the bride's last name is Henry. Should they make it out to Mr. Smith and Ms. Henry? Will guests automatically realize this? You can't exactly put, "make checks out to..." on your wedding website. Help!

I guess it's not Farewell afterall...

I am the most indecisive person you will ever meet =) My husband and I made a to do list of what we need to do and a list of what we want to do in terms of our ceremony. I am still very bummed out that I can't have it on the day I want but I will get over that. We haven't set a date yet but we will by the end of this week. We have been talking to mom my lately and I think she is going to foot half the bill since she has more guests than my husband and I. So I guess I will get to plan everything soon.. I think I just needed a couple of weeks to straighten out my thoughts (my angry ones lol) and just clear my head. I am going to stick to my original plan of having a backyard ceremony(for family and close friends) and the big party right after. And the best part is my cousin's fiance(whom is also my best friend) is getting married in Novemeber of 2007 and I think our possible date will be October 2007. So it will be fun to see my family more than once a year =)


This is random-Totally random! I was just wondering if you ladies ever been to NYC? I mean I have but just for one night one day. Any hotels you would recommend that won't break my bank. I'm looking to go in November for my birthday weekend?

Getaway/Brunch/Shower Dress

Hi girls- one of my BMs and another friend were shopping the other weekend and found this dress for me:

http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=5101&pid=410027

It happens to have just gone on sale and now I'm waiting for my order! I've been looking for a white dress to change into for our after party, but I thought this would be great too for anyone looking for a getaway, brunch, shower, or some other kind of bridal-wear dress. I haven't even seen it yet, but I'm very excited. My friends have excellent taste and tell me how gorgeous it is in person... they called me from the store.

Just in case any of you were looking for something! Actually, BR has a few cute dresses on sale right now that would be good for showers or things of that nature, coming up. (I have my first one on Sunday, by the way! Yea!)

Help! Need girly opinions!

I'm trying to find earrings to wear for my wedding. I've had a vision of some kind of diamond drop earrings for the longest time. I found these three below that I really like. Note- I'm wearing a sapphire ring pn my right hand during the ceremony, and I wear other sapphires every day (my birthstone), so the ones with the sapphires really fit me too. What do you think?!

Largest:
http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=1088577

With Sapphires:
http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=1546517

Simplest:
http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=1559814

My gown is strapless and I'm wearing a necklace like this (it's pretty small and tasteful, very sparkly):
http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=2052417

And I just ordered this tiara, which hopefully I'll like in person!:

Thanks for your help, ladies!

bachelorette

Hey ladies,
One of my bridesmaids and I were hanging out last night and she asked me what my thoughts were on the bachelorette party. She is part of the club scene in Boston and Providence and knows that that is really not my thing. But I didn't really know what to tell her. I don't go out to many bars anymore, just some neighborhood ones. I don't want anyone spending $200 on a limo or hotel room. I told her that. Any ideas on what to do? Thanks!

When to Ask & Other Attendant Questions

Hi gals! Thanks to Cara, I can now post. Wahoo! My question is: How soon should you ask your attendants? I've already rushed and asked my sister to be my MOH...but I have up to 4 other girls to ask. We haven't set a date, but are sure it's Fall of 2007. It will be here in MA (somewhere) Should I ask them now, or wait until 1 year before?

Also, is 5 attendants too many? I thought I'd only have 3, but now think I can't exclude these other two girls, and would love back ups just in case. Any thoughts?

One more question in response to the Groomsman Gift post....what's a great bridesmaid gift that's not too expensive but doesn't seem "cheap". Any good package spa deals out there?

Thanks in advance ladies!

In case you're still looking for Groomsman gifts....

How about this?! :):)

http://www.thebeerbelly.com/

I know quite a few of our Groomsmen would appreciate it!

Non-PC question

Hi ladies,
I feel guilty even writting about this but I am having an issue and I am wondering if this is normal at all. i would never mention this on Boston.com because i can imagine what people would say. I love my fiance very much and he is by far the best relationship I have ever been in. My FI he makes me very happy and I feel very secure with him.

What I don't understand is that I have been having all these dreams about my exs/past crushed, especially this guy that I was in love with in high school. We were co-workers and friends (even though I was secretly in love with him) but things ended very badly where he freaked out when our friendship turned physical and he sabotaged things between us. I have had dreams about him over the years since our relationship ended, mostly about wanting closure with him. I contacted this guy via Classmates.com after my FI started to become really serious in the hope of getting some closure so that I can move on from this high school guy. After 12 years of no contact, this guy wrote back and we had a quick exchange in which he took responsibilty for how badly things went and I felt at peace. That was almost a year ago since I e-mailed this guy but I guess I have not had closer if this guy is still in my dreams. In my dreams, I am trying to get his attention again like I did back in high school. I don't want to date this guy again or anything but I don't understand why he is on my mind again. I find it unsettling that I wake up in the morning feeling like I am back in high school because this guy is in my dreams again. Who wants to think about the guy that broke your heart years ago, espcailly when your getting married. Anyway, I was wondering if thinking about your past was a normal part of commiting yourself to someone for life or if I am for ever doomed of caring about this loser who broke my heart. I guess finding the love of my life doesn't completely erase the other loves of my life, like I thought it would. Anyway, I am struggling to make sense of it.
Sarah

Bdc Vent

I'm so sick of the bride bashing going on right now on Boston.com. At the moment, the bride bash du jour is the "purpose of the bridal party" Who really treats their friends like the brides these people are describing??!! I thought the purpose of the boston.com celebrations was to "celebrate" and to have a forum voicing ideas and questions. So many people post such crazy things that are neither constructive nor believable. Not all ladies getting married are self-centered bitches. Why the hate? Sorry for the vent. But I'm losing my patience.

Sept 9 (or 10?) Get together

Who's in for sure? If we know who can come for sure (and where they are), we can plan a mutually acceptable location!

100

Today marks 100 days until my wedding! Double digits--and stress-- here we come!

A Save the Date is Not the Invitation

Is anyone else running into this problem? We've had multiple people say things like, "so and so is upset that their girlfriend is not on the invitation" or "so and so is not sure about making reservations because so and else is not invited" or "will I be able to bring my girlfriend? We can share a meal if it's a problem!"

We handle it graciously every time, but it's just amusing... it's the not invitation dude! We haven't even sent them yet!

Maybe because S-t-dates are such a new convention, people don't quite get them yet. Mostly it's men who seem to be confused, so I guess maybe that should answer my question :)

Oh wait, what was our BrideLaw? It's SDs?

No, I Did not drop off the face of the earth

Hello All,
Sorry I have not been on the boards...I got a extremely busy right when this was created, then couldn't remember how to get here...my head has been spinning lately...I can barely put a sentence together! things have slowed down recently as the wedding is now 3 1/2 weeks away.

Okay, so I will start by saying that some of you may know me as SeptemberBride03 or more recently AlmostmrsT. I am simple and have no room for dramatics in my life, I do however have plenty of room for beer!!! So anytime anyone wants to meet up for a quick drink after work, I live in Beverly and work in Watertown so I have a pretty big range of where I can meet someone!!

I am looking forward to getting to know all of you. I will not be able to make the September get together as I will be on my honeymoon, but hopefully I can catch up with you guys at somepoint!

How to Post :)

How to Post
Hi ladies- now that people are joining, you can all post whenever you'd like. If you're not sure, here's how to do it:Go to www.blogger.com (or click the little link on the bottom of the blog that says "I power Blogger" or something like that) and log in. When you do that, your blogs will come up. Click on BAB (Boston Area Brides), and choose Create New Post. Type, publish, and you're done! Have fun!

Tammy- when you log in at blogger there should be a list of your blogs (your personal blog & BAB). Click on BAB and you should be able to post just like you do for your personal blog.

If you joined BAB with a different log in than you use for your personal blog (as I did), you have to log out from your personal blog and log back in under that other name.

Hooray for Tammy!

She got engaged! (and she can't remember how to create a new post :))

CONGRATULATIONS!

Invitations

I just wanted to say that my invitations went in the mail last night! (I can't believe we actually did something early. 71 days to go, but who's counting. :-)

Farewell Ladies

I am no longer having my renewal of vows ceremony or any type of celebration. No more planning or buying wedding magazines or wedding related chat boards.There is just so much that my DH and I have to deal with first. It's not us we have to deal with, it is everyone else. I set my date far in advance and it seems that his step sister liked the date too so she chose the same date. And my SIL is the maid of honor, so there is no way we are competing with family members. His whole family will be there and it is just pointless to have a ceremony anyways. We both realize that this is the best decision for us and it will save us a lot of money. We're married already and that is all that counts.

I just wanted to say thanks for the great discussions and advice and just the company of other women who are experiencing this wonderful event. I wish you all the best in the planning of your weddings!

Good Luck!

Sok