Diana, the Wife!!

Well it certainly has been a while since I posted anything on here. I had well intentions to post every month leading up to the wedding. Well, um, that didn't work out. So I shall try my blogging experience again... This time, as a wife!!

Here is a picture of me, enjoying breakfast for the first time as Mrs. Teopaco :) San Diego Omni Hotel

Impulse Buy: Plates & Napkins!

Oh mylanta! So I was at Party City today to shop for party supplies for Reanne's 12th Birthday Party (Alice in Wonderland Theme - loooove it!)...and I came across some plates and napkins that match our "Wasabi Green" color!! And they were on clearance for $1.00!! Holla!

At Party City, my "certain shade of green" is called LEAF GREEN. My mind went fast forward and I thought "Hey! I can use these for the Bridal Shower!" I cleared out the inventory! Ha! :P So if ya'll don't mind helping a Bride on a Budget...be on the lookout at your local Party City - if you see these napkins and plates in 'Leaf Green' on clearance, let me know! I need 6 more packs of plates and napkins...Thanks!! :D
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A Certain Shade of Green

Obviously, Wasabi Green is NOT a very common color. There's 'Avocado' or 'Sage' or 'Moss' or 'Olive'...But Wasabi?! My picky-ness with this particular green is creating a little bump in the road and I'm thinking that when the big day comes, we might end up with a few different shades of green here and there. But we'll see...

So today, I went with my mom to look for style ideas for Bridesmaid dresses. We went to a few 'mom and pop' shops in Chula Vista - you know the ones that are owned my Koreans or Mexicans...who don't speak much English. They had TONS of gowns, all under $100 - but ordering a dress that was 'Wasabi' Green was not an option. Either the dresses they had displayed were the only colors available or the option to order a particular dress in green was nowhere close to my beloved 'Wasabi.' And plus, the customer service was super crappy - I understand the language barrier, but every question/inquiry I had was abruptly answered with 'NO' or 'No, we can't do that' or 'We don't like ordering from the catalog because if you order it you're stuck with it'...etc, etc. So we headed over to Prevue - in Grossmont Center.

Ah, Prevue. A familiar place - I've bought dresses here for my previous bridesmaid roles. Love their service...but it was really busy today! All these high school girlies buying $150+ dresses for the Sweethearts ball next month. (And might I add, they were buying dresses that were way toooo short and showed way toooo much! Yea, call me conservative). Anywhoot - My mom and I were in our own world, looking at the 'conservative', full-length dresses. When it comes to long BMaid dresses, there's not much selection: strapless, A-line, sash or no sash, rouching here and there. I was determined to find a dress with pockets! I love that look!

I brought my swatch of 'Wasabi' green...determined to match it!! And that filtered my dress selection a lot. 'Celadon' green is the closest match to 'Wasabi' in the dress world. Taffeta, Satin or Chiffon?? Yup, material makes a huge difference. I decided that 'Celadon' Taffeta would be our material for the dresses. It's not as heavy as Satin...and it looks a lot more modern than chiffon.

I slowly realized the 'Certain Shade of Green' (Incubus!) I chose was not a common one. And that trying to match napkins or ribbons or seat covers or whatever might be a challenge. But I STILL love it! 'Wasabi' or 'Celadon' - it's a very light, refreshing shade of green...not too bold...very calming. And it looks awesome with the grey and hint of pink...Just right for a Summertime Wedding in San Diego. Ok, I'm trying not to be obsessed with this color! (But I think I am) :P

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7 months to go!

Okay, forget theknot.com when it comes to checklists! Swann Soirees (our day-of coordination team) has supplied us with the greatest checklist ever!! It is MY kind of list - very thorough, detailed and organized. And for a second, we were behind! (so much for a Holiday break from wedding planning!) But it's OK - luckily, I got one awesome party-planning fiancee...so we got back on track. Either way, we're trying to enjoy Christmas and the New Year, but got a few things done - since Jon is leaving for the Philippines for 3 weeks on January 9, 2011.

• Pick Bridesmaid dress: When we first got engaged, I had my heart set on the ladies wearing sexy cocktail dresses, so they can look cute in strappy shoes in the summer time. Then Jon and I decided that the attire for our wedding would be "formal" - so it just wouldn't look right if our family and the God-Parents were in gowns and the BMaids were in less-formal cocktail dresses. And then I saw this dress in The Knot magazine, and I suddenly changed my mind to have them wear floor-length dresses. (it's so classy and elegant! Timeless!) And now, they can wear whatever style of grey/nude shoes they want, since we won't see them anyway- it'll save them a few $$, right?:

• Begin researching your honeymoon: We are going to Cancun!!! Our lovely reception package from the Omni includes a complimentary honeymoon stay at the Omni Cancun Resort and Villas (4 night stay, 15% off food and beverage). All we gotta do is pay for our flight. Not bad huh? I'm really excited!
• Meet with Officiant: The pastor of St. Mary's Church (and a very close friend of the family), Fr. Dennis, will be officiating our wedding ceremony. We attended the Diocese Marriage Preparation class - it was such an eye-opening experience! Jon and I enjoyed it and it opened up A LOT of lines of communication for us. I'll blog about that separately. We're so honored and lucky to have Fr. Dennis marry us - he's been there since the beginning of DiJon!
  
• Research Accommodations for Out-of-Town guests: we have a room block with a great rate at The Omni. However, I need to look for rooms that are more "economical." Although the rate of $179 is GREAT for an upscale, Downtown hotel - it may not be for our guests that are staying here for 3+ days. I've contacted Gillian again from the SDCVB and she is helping me look for room blocks at other hotels. I'm particularly interested in the Best Western Marina Gateway (off of the 5 freeway). It's down the street from the Church and just a few miles from Downtown. Another option (well, mainly for my mom's family) is to rent a vacation house for the week. My darling friend Trixia told me about Vacation Rentals by Owner - and I was searching for homes. I found this awesome estate in Bonita that has 5 bed/5bath, (perfect for the 5 families that are coming here from Reno). Here is a picture of the game room! But can you see why I'm a BIT HESITANT to even inquire about it??

Our Save the Dates are done!! I'm going to hand write the names and addresses on them, so that will be my ongoing project for the next few weeks (plus I don't have everyone's addresses yet). I know the month of January will be a busy one - lots of items on the checklist!! And with Jon gone for 3 weeks, that may be a good and bad thing. Okay, I'm craving some Ramen right now.

Inspiration: Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino

How could you not love the simple elegance of white orchids?? I love it!

This definitely serves as inspiration for our centerpieces...
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8 Months to go!

The whole month of November went by so fast!! We didn't do a lot of wedding planning since we were traveling so much and we celebrated lots of birthdays (Jon's, our best man Marc's, My Dad and his Dad)! But here were the few items on our checklist that we were able to take care of:

• Register for gifts: We haven't registered for gifts yet (we're looking forward to using that scanner!), but we did choose the store where we will register for gifts: Williams-Sonoma!

... it's a tad "bougie" - but Jon and I are a couple that constantly cooks and bakes. Jon has owned the house for about 3 years now, and it's filled with all the necessary household items. I guess we're at that point where we want the quality kitchen tools... instead of going back to Ikea or Target repeatedly and replacing a wisk or strainer or spatula because it breaks or gets rusty.

• Choose a Wedding Cake: The design of our cake has been chosen. It will be a very simple one, decorated with flowers. We have yet to go cake tasting and choose a baker - but I feel this is one of the simpler tasks. Jon doesn't have a sweet tooth, and I don't think he can tell the difference between chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse. So I may have to take the lead on this one...

• Plan Table Decor: ..and this one is done too! The style of the centerpiece has been decided. Jon really likes the look of charger plates, but that would definitely put us over budget. Love the look though! We'll have Menu/Reception cards and the table numbers will be framed. Oh and of course, lots of candles to create a romantic ambiance.
  

Like I mentioned earlier, the planning has been put on hold. Not much wedding chatter this month. We went to Kansas City, Missouri to celebrate Jon's Grandma's 95th Birthday. There are a ton of Teopaco's in Kansas City (remember his Dad has 9 siblings) and it was my first time meeting a lot of them! And my first time flying east of Las Vegas. I can't describe how awesome it is to have a big family... I had TONS of fun! We're looking forward to seeing them again at the wedding. Here are a few photos from the party:

Happy 95th Birthday, Lola Irene!

The Teopaco Family - and this isn't everyone!!!

My Future In-Laws :)

And then, for the Thanksgiving Holiday, we went to Reno, Nevada to hang out with the Gerodias Family (my mom's side).

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Sapico House

On the Ferris Wheel inside Scheel's (Sparks, NV)

With my cousins...

We were really lucky to spend lots of time with the families in Reno and Kansas City - since the next time we will see them will be at the wedding!

This post is dedicated to my Dad - who turned 60 on November 22nd (same birthday as Jon's dad!). He's been the most helpful Dad, in terms of wedding planning, and although he always jokes around that he can't wait to "get rid of me" or that he "feels sorry for Jon" -- deep inside, I know it will be bittersweet for him to give me away. I'll always be a daddy's girl! Now, we gotta teach him how to dance - he is totally not a dancer!

The Ultimate Bridal Bargain!

This book is a lifesaver! I don't know if some of you remember...a while back my parents came home a few wedding magazines and this book. This was before I was engaged - so I was totally thinking "OMG, Jon's gonna propose soon! This is a sign!" But no, they just knew I was into weddings and that it would help me with my job. Anyway, the day I got engaged, I turned the first page!!!
... and it was because of this book I discovered the awesome fact of contacting your local Convention and Visitor's Bureau to help search for a reception venue. I called the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau after Jon and I had visited about 4 venues. But I should have called them first. Automatically, they were able to tell me if there were any conventions in town that may affect the availability/price of hotel room rates - this was especially important because we are expecting a lot of out-of-town guests. They asked for our wedding date, how big of a space we're looking for, how many hotel rooms we may need and the location we preferred. Then, the magic started! The Hotels were e-mailing US! The SDCVB uses a system called "iLead" - where they send out all of your event information and the hotels bid for your event. It creates competition between the hotels and allows for some great deals!

If it wasn't for the SDCVB, Jon and I wouldn't have been able to book the venue of our dreams: The Omni Hotel! Even when we started venue shopping, The Omni seemed way out of our budget and I thought I would need to win the Lotto to have the reception there. But we were able to get a great room rate for our guests and a SWEET reception package at under $100 per person, including an open-bar cocktail hour, hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast, free cake cutting and a seated dinner with 3 meal choices!! What, what?!?! Holla! AND they'll even give me city guides and maps and coupons for all of our out-of-town guests...

I want to give lots of love to Gillian! She helped us so much... Contact her if you need a room block or need help finding a hotel venue:

Gillian Ware, CMP

San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau

2215 India Street

San Diego, CA 92101

619-557-2825

gware@sdcvb.org

Sneak Peek: Our Las Vegas Engagement Photo Shoot

We're so excited to share this! Talk about the epitome of "teaser" - there are just TWO pictures from our wonderful weekend in Vegas on the R&R Website!! Rob and Ren are our talented friends who came with us to take pictures in a city that is so special to Jon and I.

Check out their website to see the sneak peek and show them lots of love - you'll surely enjoy the rest of their work too!

How To Trim The Guest List

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: WEDDINGS" (by Piven, Borgenicht, Jordan). It's an awesome book...and you'll see, it has a lot of much-needed humor to keep you smiling throughout the wedding planning process. I think it's a must have for any bride and groom-to-be.


1. Determine your budget. Decide the maximum amount of guests you can afford to invite or who will fit at the wedding site.

2. Make lists. The bride, groom, and respective parents each should make a list of people to invite.

3. Strike as many people as you can from your own list.

4. Remove unnecessary names from someone else's list. Take turns striking one name at a time from the list of the person sitting to your right. If that person objects to the removal of the potential invitee, invoke the "two strikes" rule and find an ally to vote against the would-be guest. Remove contested names that have two votes against them. (There are variations on the rule that grant people paying for the entire wedding greater voting power: Their vote for removal counts as three votes, and the names on their list are untouchable.)

5. Compile a master list. Combine the remaining names and organize them by category: wedding party, work contacts, relations, friends, parents' friends, college friends, others. Each person at the table should rank each person within a category by importance, as determined by the answers to the following questions:

• How often have we seen this person in the last year?
• Did he/she really seem glad to see us?
• If I invite this person, will I be obligated to invite his/her spouse or friends?
• How much power does this person hold over me?
  
• How rich is he/she and will he/she use his/her wealth for good gifts?
• Will he/she seem impressive to my friends?
• Is he/she good looking? Will he/she improve my wedding photos or video?
• Can I handle the fallout if I do not invite him/her?

6. Agree in advance what the cut-off level will be. Remove entire categories. Decide no kids, no work-related people, no relations beyond first cousins, no dates for singles, no redheads.

7. Remove people below a certain rank.

8. Create barriers to attendance. Make it impossible for large numbers of people to attend.

• Hold the wedding in the middle of the week.
• Hold the wedding at a distant location (Antarctica, tiny Pacific Island).
• Require formal attire or elaborate, expensive costumes.
• Hold the wedding at an inconvenient time (2 A.M.)

9. Recalculate the list. Estimate how many people each barrier will knock out. If your list is still too large for your budget, continue to step 10.

10. Alternate knocking people off the list. Only the bride and groom (advice from parents is acceptable) take turns removing individual names from the master list until they reach the desired number of guests. If this process becomes too heated, proceed to the next step.

11. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner of each round can eliminate a name or add someone back onto the list.

Be Aware

• Send out invitations six to eight weeks before the event. As you get negative responses, send out your "B list" invitations to people who didn't make the cut. Stop sending invitations out a month before the wedding date; last-minute invitees will realize their status and be insulted.
  
• Manage expectations among potential guests. Let it be known that you plan on a small wedding so that no one is really expecting to be invited. If an invitation arrives, the invitee will be deeply flattered, but those who are not invited will not be hurt - at least that's the theory.
  
• You are expected to include spouses, fiances, or long-term live-in companions of your guests. If a guest is only casually dating, you are not obligated to extend an invitation to his date.
  
• If you forget to invite someone, the next time you see them act annoyed with them for not sending back the RSVP card.
  

I love the sarcasm of this article. Obviously, this isn't really the way to trim your guest list (and plus, I don't believe in having a "B list"), but it's oh-so-entertaining! It's a great book to add to your wedding planning library - you can find it here.

9 Months to go!

I got a little nervous when I got my reminder e-mail that Jon and I have "9 months to go!" Basically, the countdown month is now only a single digit number and the first task involves the guest list. Everyone knows we're gonna have a big wedding...and it's because Jon and I are blessed with very large families that we're close to. So this task is quite daunting - only because with a budget and a large family, that doesn't really leave much room for "friends."

This month, here is our checklist:

• Organize guest list: The other day, I sat down with my parents and put together their guest list. I gave them 4 categories: Papa's Family, Mama's Family, Church Family and Friends. I told them to just name everyone they want to invite under each category, as I wrote them all down....it was the "fantasy" list, as if we just won the lotto last week. And to my surprise, it wasn't AS BAD as I thought it would be. My Papa had told me before that he wanted to invite all of his cousins (people I haven't seen in 5+ years) and a few of his good friends from church (that haven't really met Jon yet). At first, this bothered me because obviously, with the criteria above, these people wouldn't make the final list. But my Papa is really close to his cousins and his friends from church. And yes, I know, I know... it's MY wedding and not his, but a part of me feels it's his party too. This is because he had said: "Well, when am I ever going to celebrate the wedding of my daughter and invite these people??" Awww.... OK. So luckily, the Gerodias/Enriquez family fantasy list is right AT the limit Jon and I set for the parents. (Trust me, we HAD to.) Now as for Jon and helping his parents with their list - well, pray for them. haha! Because I have a small feeling it won't be as easy for them... We shall seeeeeee.
  

• Find Save The Date ideas: Since we had an awesome weekend in Las Vegas taking our Engagement Photos...we are definitely going to share a few of them on our Save The Dates. I took a casual poll on Twitter and I've learned that magnets are the most practical, but the 'elders' don't really appreciate them as much as the younger crowd. Also, once the wedding is over, the STD (Save The Date...duh.. not the other thing) is thrown away. Magnets are still really cool - but Jon and I have decided to take the picture postcard route. We can have them printed on recycled paper and we'll save on postage! Score! So even if they are thrown away, I won't feel so bad. There are a TON of STD Picture Postcards on the Wedding Paper Divas website... They are beautifully designed and reasonably priced. I would love to take the DIY route with these, but I still don't have a great printer and I can't really afford to go out and buy one right now. Geez, aren't these postcards so cute??

• Get Tradition Ideas: Catholic and Filipino = two elements that involve LOTS of traditions. Jon and I will definitely incorporate lots of traditions on our wedding day. Having a Catholic Ceremony in itself is a Filipino tradition. We will be have the Veil, Cord and Coin rituals in the ceremony. Also, a few parts of the mass will be sung in Tagalog. And aaaah... we will have the famous "Money Dance" at the reception. I still have my reservations about having a money dance... (in a nutshell: they take up a lot of time and I feel like it's somewhat 'soliciting' money when guests have already bought you a gift.) However, Jon points out that it's a good way to have one-on-one time with a lot of your guests - which is something I'd really like.
  

Las Vegas: I LOVE YOU!

I can't believe it's been a week since our Vegas getaway to take our engagement pictures. Around this time last Thursday (11:00pm-ish), Jon and I were DYING in my Mom's car! There wasn't an iPod adapter and the MP3 CD that Jon brought didn't play in the stereo! Just goes to show how dependent we are on our tunes. But imagine a 5 hour drive with no music - well, just the highway radio stations. It lead the way to very interesting conversation topics (mobsters and feces, to name a few). HAHA!

You know when you have an awesome weekend - the scenes from each day just keep replaying in your mind? This Vegas trip was one of those...

Friday: Our first day of the photo shoot. A friend of Jon's cousin (Talia) came over to do my make-up. I figure since I was being photographed it had to be done a different way. And....well...I wanted to pamper myself! I got all dolled up and Jon and I headed over to the Neon Museum with our photographers/friends, Ren and Rob. Ever wonder where the old Vegas neon signs go? They go here. To rest in peace. And we were fortunate enough to book a one hour shoot at the museum. The attraction is not yet open to the public - and once it is... they'll just be doing tours and such... so we considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity! It was so fun. Thank you to DayQuil for keeping me from blowing my nose every 10 minutes. Less than a mile away from the Museum is the Fremont Experience - the location for our second shoot. But before we continued "working" - we took a dinner break at the new FIREFLY Tapas Kitchen & Bar location at the Plaza Hotel... Let me share with you the goodness that is tapas!!
We ordered:
Ceviche of Shrimp
Manchego Mac & Cheese
Chicken & Chorizo stuffed mushrooms
Thai Beef Salad
Crispy Duck Rolls
Stuffed Dates
Steamed Mussels
***I may have forgotten a few items - maybe because of my yummy Red Sangria!

....and so the shoot continues on to Fremont Street. Holy Moly was that place crowded!!! We knew we had to deal with the regular crowd, but it was extra crowded that night. Ren and Rob were such troopers: sitting (practically laying) on the ground for some shots... Ren holding the 'soft box' for the right lighting... and even people approaching them asking if Jon & I were famous. hahaha! Good Times!! I will admit...it was a tad weird kissing Jon so many times in public. :P
Since we were "dolled" up - we figured it would be a good idea spend the rest of the night out on the town... but right after we dropped off Ren and Rob, we went straight home. We were so tired!! My muscles were aching too (maybe because I'm so not used to wearing 3 inch heels). On the ride home, Jon said: "Man, I'm tired. Being a model is a hard job." Oh mylanta! hahaha!

Saturday: Day 2 of our photo shoot. We started after lunch... first location: The Wynn! Jon and I LOVE this hotel! And plus, it is the location of our first kiss! *oooowww* It was at Blush (formerly called LURE) - aha... that word says it all. HA! Sparks of love definitely flew the night we partied at this hotel. After The Wynn - we went to the hotel where Ren & Rob were staying at: the Aria at City Center. My goodness gracious! When you are there, it sure doesn't feel like you're in Vegas anymore. What a beautiful hotel... and the surrounding architecture is breathtaking. We had no problems finding locations to take pictures (shoot, even the hotel room was a great place!). We ended the night and our awesome 2-day photo shoot with some "sexy" cocktails. They even made it into the photos!
OK - so if I look a little "full" in the photos we took this day... it's because Jon and I had lunch at SushiSamba at the Palazzo Hotel right before our shoot. OH MY GAWD! One of the BEST meals I've had in my life! We ate "omakase" style - so we didn't have to look at the menu. The staff served us their favorites. I actually took pictures of the food! If you're in Vegas (or NYC, Chicago or Miami), you HAVE to check this place out.

BoBo Brazil Roll:
seared kobe beef, avocado, kaiware, shiso, red onion, chimichurri

Moqueca Mista:
shrimp, squid, sea bass and crayfish with coconut milk,
roasted cashew, dendê oil, chimichurri rice

Miso-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass Skewers:
with a side of Peruvian Corn

Green Bean Tempura:
with black truffle alioli and grilled spicy peppers

Yellowtail Seviche Taquitos:
shiso, avocado, roasted corn miso with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime

I am a happy camper!

My fiance!

A sweet end to our lunch:
Peruvian Hot Chocolate com Crème:
served with traditional churros

Thank you | Erin Stellmon | Media Coordinator at the Neon Museum | She was super helpful and sweet...and definitely helped to make our first photo shoot experience a pleasant one.

Thank you | Ren and Rob Quitasol | Our photograhers...and our friends! We had the most awesome weekend in Vegas, because of these two. It was so important for Jon and I to have our engagement pictures taken in Las Vegas and we are so thankful Ren and Rob were there to make it happen! We loved working with such patient photographers, who are passionate about what they do.


Jon and I had an unforgettable weekend - it was like falling in love again. We were able to block everyone out - and just focus on US. Makes you wanna take engagement pictures all the time!

Inspiration: Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to stay at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset Blvd. Not only was it super cool to stay in an ultra chic hotel in Bel Air, but I also loved the decor. Total "light bulb turning on over my head" moment! I really loved the clean, simple and natural look of the lobby. It reinforced my love for phalaenopsis orchids. And I knew I wanted to incorporate some type of 'wood' in the decor. Something lighter than what is pictured below. Jon and I decided on rattan. As some of you may know, Jon has a 4th grade black belt in Eskrima, the martial art of the Philippines (a.k.a. 'Arnis' or 'Kali'). He has been training in this art for 10 years already and is an assistant instructor (ok, i'm totally bragging about him right now. But I'm so proud of him, can you blame me?) Alright, Alright. Eskrima is a weapon-based martial art that uses fighting sticks, made out of rattan wood. And TA-DA!!: there is the significant connection of using rattan wood for decor at our wedding. How are we going to incorporate it? I have no idea yet - the pots/vases, frames, table setting elements... the possibilities are endless! But at least now, I have an eye out for these decor ideas.

Take a look at this lobby! So pretty!








Thank you Luxe Hotel Sunset Blvd | Thank you to my dear friend, Monica (you know why!)

10 Months to go!

Wow! 10 more months!! I'm crossing my fingers that it will be smooth sailing from here on out. I expect some "crazy waves" but I know it will be OK. If you're a bride-to-be and you register with any wedding website, like The Knot, they send you monthly checklists. Jon and I are doing so far so good!

This month, here is our checklist:

• Find your Dress. Oh lordy. I'm a little scared about this task. I'm scared that I'm being too picky! Two weeks ago, I attended the Brides Against Breast Cancer Wedding Gown Tour. (this is a great fundraiser for an even greater cause. Please read about it!) I was really optimistic about finding a dress here! I've read all the testimonials from other brides AND my bridesmaid (and fellow bride-to-be, Janelle) found her dress there! She's getting married in November 2011 and she checked that off her list already. And did I mention that the designer and couture dresses are up to 25% to 75% off? Super Savings! Well, after trying on 5 dresses, I didn't find the ONE. I was a little sad. My Mom and Dad went with me, and they helped me stay focused. They noticed I was too caught up with finding a dress that was 'cheaper' rather than finding a dress that I LOVED. I went to David's Bridal the week after, tried on 7 dresses and I didn't find the ONE. I'm definitely looking for that "WOW" factor...like every other bride out there. I believe it's still possible to find a dress with the "WOW" factor...and not spend the equivalent to a down payment for a car. I have set a budget of $800-1,000 for my dress (including alterations!). We shall see if I can make it happen.
  

• Choose your color combo: DONE!

• Get Centerpiece Ideas: DONE! Here are the 'tag' words to describe what we have in mind: White Phalaenopsis Orchids, candles, rattan wood, capiz shells and bamboo. Can ya dig it? Mmhmm...

• Begin interviewing Wedding Coordinators: We met with Brenda Swann of Swann Soirees last night. Jon and I had a great time! And we clicked so well with her!

OK, so we have a few PAST DUE items:

• Appraise and insure your engagement ring: I have the appraisal but insurance?? Oy, I gotta research that. Do any of you out there have any suggestions?
  
• If you're having an Engagement Party, set a date, draft guest list and order invitations: AAAHH!! Jon and I STILL want an engagement party! But we got engaged in May. Is it too late?? I hope not! Because we're still working on the final edit of the proposal video (which is taking waaaay longer than expected)...and the only way we thought of sharing it was at an engagement party (since none of our family or friends have seen the footage from that day!).
  

It did say to FINALIZE your guest list. But oh mylanta! I'm not about to touch that right now. That's opening a can of worms. Both parents and Jon and I have our drafts. But finalizing it? Oh my my... Sooooo not ready for that yet.

DIY Bridesmaid Packets: "The Envelope Pocket"

FINALLY! I get to show you the packets I made for my wonderful and awesome bridesmaids. There was definitely no way I was going to ask them in an ordinary way. I wanted something they could keep and that provided them with as much information as possible. Nearly a month after they have all been distributed, here are the pictures of the packets. (if you know me well, you know it takes me forever to upload pictures. I gotta work on that.)

The Envelope Pocket is so cute! I got the awesome idea from Elise Blaha. Here is her blog post to make the pockets...enJOY!
This was my first DIY project for the wedding...it was super easy and fun!

Below: I printed 4 inserts that had information regarding the 8 bridesmaids, expectations (such as attending the rehearsal and keeping me in check, haha!), attire (details about the color of the dresses, shoes, hair, make-up, etc.) and my promise (which is basically to not be a bridezilla). I kept them together with an eyelet on the lower left corner.

Below: I like the sleek look of the size 10 envelope. Putting them together to make a folder and adding a liner was a piece of cake.

Below: One of my favorite wedding sites, Wedding Chicks, has a download for this "Will you be my....?" graphic. It's FREE.99! I printed them out and put them inside the left panel of the folder. They have one for a bridesmaid, Matron and Maid of honor...and you can even customize the colors too!




Below: The informational sheets went in one pocket. And for the other pocket, I printed out my own letterhead stationery (you like the title?) and I wrote a note to each of the ladies. It was the personal touch I wanted so each of them had something unique.


Below: Voila! The finished packets! Oh, Martha Stewart Crafts: I love your cute eyelet tags and floral embellishments. On the outside, I wrote each of their names on the tags.

OK. So as I was making these packets, Jon liked the idea. It was a good way to get the bridal party excited and provide them with all the details we had...so far. That way everyone is on the same page.
Below: My response to Jon asking "Well, what am I gonna give the guys????" (Another awesome free download from The Wedding Chicks) I knew Jon wasn't gonna write a mushy note to each of the fellas, so this card seems very straight forward.

Tips for House hunting. Oops. I mean Reception Venue hunting.

After a month of enjoying engagement bliss, Jon and I decided to start looking for reception venues. We knew that if we really wanted an awesome place, we needed to start looking early. This will be our biggest expense. We wanted to see some numbers and find out how much of our stuff we need to sell on E-bay. haha! Just kidding. But for my parents and I, we are very particular with the type of food we will be serving our guests. Food, Food, Food! My Mom wants the presentation to be great and my Dad really wants his Filet Mignon option. So I've just been asking around for a few suggestions based on people's experiences with food: was it memorable? Did you like it? Was it served hot? And then from there, we starting making appointments for site visits. I was mainly looking forward to seeing the different types of menus and the price per plate.

Jon, on the other hand, had a different approach when looking at the different properties we visited. Being a 2-time homeowner, he had that "homeowner" mindset. And to be quite honest, I was very impressed. I wasn't as detailed as he was when it came to that stuff. But Jon did make a point that it is quite the same thing: buying a home and choosing a reception venue. Here are the similar factors:

1) Location, Location, Location: The 3 magic words of Real Estate. But same holds true when looking for a reception venue. How is the neighborhood? Is it easy to get to? Easy freeway access? What surrounds the venue: beautiful parks, buildings, ocean view, the trolley, etc?? Luckily, we live in San Diego - so almost any venue you consider is in a beautiful location, overlooking the water, or near a major freeway. Is parking nearby? Will there be enough spaces for your guests? Do you have to pay for parking? Limo drivers and guests will appreciate directions to venues that are easy to follow and complimentary parking.

2) Situation Factors: Usually, this means looking beyond the location. Is your venue in a public place? Will people other than your guests have access to your reception area? Are there a lot of stairs to climb or different floors to go to? Consider this also, as you may have to prepare to make signage to make sure your guests don't get lost trying to find your cocktail hour. Or you may have to make an extra effort to "separate" the space for your party and anything else going on at that location.

3) Check Out the Neighborhood: Ummmm, I think this means... Check Out the Neighborhood and see if it's ghetto.

4) Consider a Reception Venue's "Curb Appeal": Your reception space and location should reflect your lifestyle/personality. Are you a laid back couple? Then maybe the formality of the US Grant or the Hotel Del Coronado may not suit you. Look at exterior features as well. When you walk up toward the venue, is the landscaping attractive? Are the sidewalks safe?

5) Size and Floor Plan: Jon was SUPER particular with this factor. He always asked about the square footage of the ballrooms, as well as the cocktail hour area. He wanted to know exactly where the restrooms were located. Make sure you know your space and if it will fit all of your guests comfortably. We are expecting 350 guests and we realized that anything less than 7,000 square feet was too small. Jon and I want to make sure we can still WALK in between the tables and chairs (especially in my dress), without asking anyone to scoot in or move. But with such a big space, we definitely aren't gonna try to FILL it. We want the space so we can USE it: super large dance floor, areas for the bartenders, and a separate kids area.

6) Bedrooms and Bathrooms: Well, in our case, it would be the hotel rooms. We chose to have our reception at a hotel because we are expecting a lot of out-of-town family and friends. And we love the ease of our reception and the guest accommodations to be in the same place. In our search for a venue, we had to consider hotel room rates and make sure they were affordable for our guests to stay the weekend.

7) The Kitchen: In our case, it would be the location of the service doors. Where is the kitchen and where will the food be coming from? Jon surprised me when he asked "Will the waiters be coming out of those doors?"...which happened to be right behind the area they suggested the sweetheart table to be. We imagined it wouldn't look too good if the focal point of the evening is the bride and groom, and right behind them are waiters walking in and out of swinging doors with trays of food and pitchers of water. (yea, so particular right?) We would have to rent a linen backdrop to hide this...and that's an extra expense.

8 ) Homeowners Association (HOA): If you are going to pay a fee, what is included? Chairs, Tables, silverware, stages, dance floors, linens? Does the reception venue have everything you need? Are there any included amenities? What will you have to rent anything? And the ONE thing I believe that should be included is the Cake Cutting Fee! (if the cake is not in your package) Goodness, if our catering contract is over $25,000 and you're still gonna charge me to slice a piece of cake and serve it...then, No THANK YOU. I'd do that myself. My mom would help me too!

9) Windows and Lighting: Do you want a bright sunny room with a pretty view? Do you like the look of high ceilings and chandeliers? How is the in-house lighting of the venue? Lighting is definitely an important decor element when it comes to weddings. Does your venue already have up/down lights installed or will you have to rent them?

10) Finishing Touches: The most simple space can look spectacular because of the little things, like crown molding, lighting hardware and... the chairs! Is there anything you need to upgrade? (like...covering the chairs?) Since the chairs cover more square footage than anything else in the room, we're trying to figure out how this will fit in our budget. Unfortunately, standard hotel chairs aren't so pretty and clash with our color scheme.

Overall, Jon told me to look for that feeling you get when you walk into a home for the first time and you think "Yea, I see myself living here for the next 10 years"

... so, in terms of reception venues, there was only one place where we BOTH had the feeling of "Yea... we see ourselves celebrating our wedding here."

Stay tuned for that information.

Jon's Engagement Present

Jon surprised me with a proposal on 5/15/10. I am in LOVE with my ring and it's exactly what I dreamed of (and so much more!). Jon gets all the credit for this, because he created a beautiful custom ring at David & Sons. It's one-of-a-kind!!

FYI: Jon is a DJ. He's been 'spinning' since high school, so he has a good collection of vinyl. However, as most of you know, most DJ's no longer spin with vinyl...they now have a wonderful software called Serato: all of your songs are digital and a hard drive is all you need to access all of your music. Jon and I dated for 4 years before we got engaged. At certain times, I got a bit anxious...haha! (who wouldn't?) So I always joked around with him that if he really wanted Serato, I would buy it for him as an engagement present. Serato is not cheap! This is why I never considered buying it at all for a Christmas present or for his Birthday. But... one crazy day, I pinky-swore to him that IF and WHEN he proposed to me...I would buy it for him, as an engagement present. I figure the price tag for Serato is merely a fraction of what he's gonna spend for an engagement ring. (unless his jokes about it being a Cubic Zirconia are true! hahaha!)

So on 5/17/10, Jon and I made a trip to The Guitar Center in San Marcos and I kept my promise. He would have wanted to go right after he proposed...but I told him he was crazy!

Here he is... jammin' with our buddy Kris/DJ Beltron on the new Serato SL3. I guess it's a win-win situation... I get to request any song I want from the DJ!

Below: My fiance, Jon...

Below: Our good buddy, Kris...

Below: They could spin forever...

Reception Site Visit: Omni San Diego

Oh HELLO!! Ok, if you know me well...then you'll know that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Omni San Diego. Ever since it opened in the Spring of 2004 (in conjunction with Petco Park, the home of our SD Padres), I've always admired this hotel. The Omni has a very contemporary design that is so fitting in the heart of Downtown San Diego. I've had the honor of staying here and the hotel rooms are gorgeous! Well, the minute Jon and I got engaged, you KNOW I looked forward to giving them a call to schedule a visit. I really didn't bother to look through the wedding packages, but it is quite a stretch on the budget. Yowza. You definitely get what you pay for, though. We met with Julie and she was the best! I guess she could tell by the look on my face that I was really excited about this place. (I know, I need to work on the facial expressions...tone it down a bit, haha!) But she definitely did not discriminate against a bride on a budget...she put together a custom package that got me doing the happy dance!! If Jon and I were to choose a place that reflects our personality and style, it would be the Omni. It sounds like I already made my decision, huh?? Oh it's not that easy. If I won the lottery, we'd have it there. If I could work 3 jobs, we could have it there. If we really limit the guest list, we could make it work...I guess. Oh decisions, decisions. But in the meantime, enjoy the pictures we took that day:

Below: The Palm Terrace (the location we want for the Cocktail Hour)

Below: One half of the ballroom (10,000 square feet!!)

Below: Other half of the ballroom (we love this space!)

Below: the floor-to-ceiling windows in the Foyer

Below: the escalators leading down to the ballroom

Below: sectional couches in the cocktail area? NICE!

DiJon loves the Omni!

I could write all day about the Omni! Ugh. But I must not get emotionally attached! I brought my Mom and Dad here on the day of my birthday and they were impressed...they loved it too! (who wouldn't?) However, we have a few people we need to gather feedback from before making a final decision (*ahem*future-in-laws*) Jon and I want both families involved with the planning process... they won't control our decisions, but we want everyone to be considered.

{ Thank you, Julie Larsen | Senior Catering Sales Manager | Omni San Diego }

P.S. I finally figured out how to remove the date/time stamp on the digital pictures. (it was so annoying!)