Brian and I went into Harvard Square last night to walk around and to shop for invitations and save the date cards. We went into this shop called Papyrus. I asked a nice woman at the front where I could find samples. She guided us towards the back of the store and said if we had any questions to ask as she showed us where the albums were. Sure. That sounds great. Brian and I start perusing the different types of invites. Brian even tries out an embosser. We were actually having a pleasant time.
After about five minutes of looking, a very persistent salesperson came up to us. We started chit-chatting with her and told her our plans of marrying away. I told her I was aiming towards September to get the save the date cards out. Oh no that's too late, she exclaimed. You should get them out by August the latest was her advice. When I explained I was planning on sending the invitations out at the beginning of January, she again exclaimed that was not adequate time. She advised sending the invitations out in November!!! That's almost 5 months before our wedding. She explained that with the holidays, things get very hectic at the shop and at the companies. For the sake of our guests, we should get them out as soon as possible. She made me feel as though I was breaking some cardinal rule by sending the save the date cards 6 months in advance and the invites only 8 weeks in advance. I was getting very aggravated. Instead of making this a joyous occasion, she made us feel as though we were imposing on her and her shop. If that wasn't bad enough, I started looking at prices. Talk about having a mini heart attack. The saleslady left us in peace and we then proceeded to leave the store, empty handed.
Brian and I had a nice dinner at John Harvards and discussed the different options. When we got home I started looking online for other options. I found what looks like a great option at printingmadeeasy.com. We don't need anything super fancy for the save the date cards. A simple postcard will suffice. Something that can be stuck on a refrigerator door is all I'm asking for. It would be nice to send a folder with all kinds of information but what's important right now is the date and the place. Now, if only I can figure out an inexpensive alternative for the invites. Oh well. That's a problem for another day. Right now, I need to start collecting addresses.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Alicia's Wedding
Brian and I just returned from his cousin's wedding at Saddlerock Ranch in California. All I have to say is that if my wedding is half as elegant as Alicia's, I will be happy.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 11:15 am on Friday. We flew Midwest express which is my favorite airline. After having two stops on our way out, we arrived at LAX on time around 5pm. We gathered up our suitcases and then headed to the rental car agency. I managed to get us a car for $9 a day through Priceline.com. When we got there, there was line almost out the door with only three tellers getting everyone set up. By this time it was already quarter to 6 and we were no where near getting into our car. Unfortunately, this meant that we would not be able to get to the rehearsal dinner. We finally got into our car at 6 and didn't check into our hotel until after 7:30pm. We were so tired from our flight, we just decided to call it a day.
Saturday morning, we got up and joined Doug, Jean, Eileen, Walter, Scott, and Jill for breakfast. We ate at a great little restaurant called Marmalade's. We all had a good time discussing what we thought might happen that night at the wedding. After breakfast, we all went back to our rooms.
Originally, I was going to go with Scott and Jill and do a little shopping. I needed to get a card for our gift as well as wrapping paper and Saturday's paper. Jean and I started talking. I wanted to see LA but it seemed like Scott and Jill were not up for that. Jean really wanted to go. I made the executive decision that we should go to LA. I text messaged Scott and off Jean and I were to go star gazing.
We got into Hollywood and passed the Kodak theater. We parked the car and as soon as we got out, we bought tickets for a tour of the stars homes. Here's the link to the tour we took: http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-1.asp. As we waited for the tour to begin, Jean and I walked up and down the walk of fame. In front of Grauman's Chinese theater, we compared our feet to the sizes of the stars. It was really surprising to find how little every one's feet were, either that or I have really big feet. Finally the tour bus was loading. I shouldn't call it a bus really. It was more like a passenger van that had the roof cut off it. We toured Hollywood, Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, and the famous Rodeo Drive. We got to see the house that Posh Spice and David Beckham have recently purchased as well as Paris Hilton's house. It was a bit unnerving how much the driver knew about the star's schedules and which vehicles they used. We ended the tour and started to head back to the hotel but not before we stopped at In and Out Burger. The burger's were tasty and the drive through window provided a paper place mat to put on your lap so you didn't spill anything on yourself.
After the tour and In and Out burger, we made a quick stop at a CVS to pick up a few necessities. Unfortunately, there was no paper for Saturday. All of the papers at CVS were either for Friday or Sunday. That piece of the gift would be missing. Our gift was a white wooden memento box. Inside of it we put in the invitation and had planned to put that days paper in it to remind Ben and Alicia of the day. I picked up a card, wrapping paper, ribbon and some nail polish. We headed back to the hotel to get ready.
Alicia and Ben planned for a shuttle to pick everyone up at 5pm to bring us to the site. The shuttle turned out to be a coach bus. We left the hotel in the bus slightly after 5pm. We continued higher and higher into the mountains. Finally the bus stopped at the foot of a what appeared to be a long dusty highway with another shuttle waiting for us. We all got out and got into the other shuttle. This shuttle continued on a very windy dusty road to this little house on a hill surrounded by grapevines and mountains as far as the eye could see. Everyone got out and as I looked around, my breath was taken away with how beautiful the spot was. It looked absolutely perfect.
The ceremony site was on a cliff overlooking vineyards and mountains with a stone pathway leading down to it. The site was decorated with very beautiful white fabric and Gerber daisies. The music started and the groomsmen came down with Ben to wait for the arrival of the bridesmaids and Alicia. The bridesmaids were dressed in a beautiful blue/teal color that looked amazing on everyone. Alicia came down with her Uncle Walter. Alicia looked like a fabulous movie star from the 30's. It could not have been more perfect. period. Alicia and Ben wrote their own vows which brought everyone to tears. One of their friends read a native American wedding prayer. The sun was just beginning to set as the ceremony ended. It was magic.
After the ceremony, the party went up the stone pathway to the reception area which was also outside. As the sky got darker, the stars came out. The tables were light up by small lights snuggled in between the rose centerpieces. Outdoor heaters surrounded the party area to make sure everyone was comfortable. Alicia and Ben had their first dance as husband and wife. Everything seemed like it was a dream. It was that perfect. The food was delicious, the music had everyone dancing and the sundae bar rivaled Kellerhaus'. If our wedding is anywhere half as perfect, I will count myself blessed. I wish Ben and Alicia all the best for the future. May the only pain they experience be champagne.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 11:15 am on Friday. We flew Midwest express which is my favorite airline. After having two stops on our way out, we arrived at LAX on time around 5pm. We gathered up our suitcases and then headed to the rental car agency. I managed to get us a car for $9 a day through Priceline.com. When we got there, there was line almost out the door with only three tellers getting everyone set up. By this time it was already quarter to 6 and we were no where near getting into our car. Unfortunately, this meant that we would not be able to get to the rehearsal dinner. We finally got into our car at 6 and didn't check into our hotel until after 7:30pm. We were so tired from our flight, we just decided to call it a day.
Saturday morning, we got up and joined Doug, Jean, Eileen, Walter, Scott, and Jill for breakfast. We ate at a great little restaurant called Marmalade's. We all had a good time discussing what we thought might happen that night at the wedding. After breakfast, we all went back to our rooms.
Originally, I was going to go with Scott and Jill and do a little shopping. I needed to get a card for our gift as well as wrapping paper and Saturday's paper. Jean and I started talking. I wanted to see LA but it seemed like Scott and Jill were not up for that. Jean really wanted to go. I made the executive decision that we should go to LA. I text messaged Scott and off Jean and I were to go star gazing.
We got into Hollywood and passed the Kodak theater. We parked the car and as soon as we got out, we bought tickets for a tour of the stars homes. Here's the link to the tour we took: http://www.starlinetours.com/los-angeles-tour-1.asp. As we waited for the tour to begin, Jean and I walked up and down the walk of fame. In front of Grauman's Chinese theater, we compared our feet to the sizes of the stars. It was really surprising to find how little every one's feet were, either that or I have really big feet. Finally the tour bus was loading. I shouldn't call it a bus really. It was more like a passenger van that had the roof cut off it. We toured Hollywood, Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, and the famous Rodeo Drive. We got to see the house that Posh Spice and David Beckham have recently purchased as well as Paris Hilton's house. It was a bit unnerving how much the driver knew about the star's schedules and which vehicles they used. We ended the tour and started to head back to the hotel but not before we stopped at In and Out Burger. The burger's were tasty and the drive through window provided a paper place mat to put on your lap so you didn't spill anything on yourself.
After the tour and In and Out burger, we made a quick stop at a CVS to pick up a few necessities. Unfortunately, there was no paper for Saturday. All of the papers at CVS were either for Friday or Sunday. That piece of the gift would be missing. Our gift was a white wooden memento box. Inside of it we put in the invitation and had planned to put that days paper in it to remind Ben and Alicia of the day. I picked up a card, wrapping paper, ribbon and some nail polish. We headed back to the hotel to get ready.
Alicia and Ben planned for a shuttle to pick everyone up at 5pm to bring us to the site. The shuttle turned out to be a coach bus. We left the hotel in the bus slightly after 5pm. We continued higher and higher into the mountains. Finally the bus stopped at the foot of a what appeared to be a long dusty highway with another shuttle waiting for us. We all got out and got into the other shuttle. This shuttle continued on a very windy dusty road to this little house on a hill surrounded by grapevines and mountains as far as the eye could see. Everyone got out and as I looked around, my breath was taken away with how beautiful the spot was. It looked absolutely perfect.
The ceremony site was on a cliff overlooking vineyards and mountains with a stone pathway leading down to it. The site was decorated with very beautiful white fabric and Gerber daisies. The music started and the groomsmen came down with Ben to wait for the arrival of the bridesmaids and Alicia. The bridesmaids were dressed in a beautiful blue/teal color that looked amazing on everyone. Alicia came down with her Uncle Walter. Alicia looked like a fabulous movie star from the 30's. It could not have been more perfect. period. Alicia and Ben wrote their own vows which brought everyone to tears. One of their friends read a native American wedding prayer. The sun was just beginning to set as the ceremony ended. It was magic.
After the ceremony, the party went up the stone pathway to the reception area which was also outside. As the sky got darker, the stars came out. The tables were light up by small lights snuggled in between the rose centerpieces. Outdoor heaters surrounded the party area to make sure everyone was comfortable. Alicia and Ben had their first dance as husband and wife. Everything seemed like it was a dream. It was that perfect. The food was delicious, the music had everyone dancing and the sundae bar rivaled Kellerhaus'. If our wedding is anywhere half as perfect, I will count myself blessed. I wish Ben and Alicia all the best for the future. May the only pain they experience be champagne.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
The contract!!!
I received a very scary email on April 2. It was the contract. The thing that will make this all real. All of sudden, my anxieties flared up. Did I research St. Thomas enough? Was there some other location that I didn't see that would have been better? What if the bad reviews of the Wyndham were completely true and the good reviews were just planted there from Wyndham staffers? Or is this really too expensive?
Oh, my poor little brain was in overdrive. I couldn't help it. This was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. If it was just me, it wouldn't matter if it didn't come out perfect but I want this to be perfect for Brian. I quickly forwarded the email on to Brian. I wanted to discuss this all before I sent it off with our $500 deposit.
We looked it over and Brian said the most perfect phrase I needed to hear, "That's all it's going to cost?" The contract price for the ceremony, pre-wedding pampering, cake, ceremony site, flowers, and a bottle of champagne came to be just under half of our budget. This does not include the reception food. He followed up with, "that sounds good to me." I was elated. This is going to work. All this time researching, and reading reviews and pretty much driving myself crazy was over. Now, I could focus on colors and favors and the fun stuff. I am now very excited. The worries have disappeared. We will see how long this lasts but for now I am going to enjoy it.
Oh, my poor little brain was in overdrive. I couldn't help it. This was one of the most important decisions I have ever made. If it was just me, it wouldn't matter if it didn't come out perfect but I want this to be perfect for Brian. I quickly forwarded the email on to Brian. I wanted to discuss this all before I sent it off with our $500 deposit.
We looked it over and Brian said the most perfect phrase I needed to hear, "That's all it's going to cost?" The contract price for the ceremony, pre-wedding pampering, cake, ceremony site, flowers, and a bottle of champagne came to be just under half of our budget. This does not include the reception food. He followed up with, "that sounds good to me." I was elated. This is going to work. All this time researching, and reading reviews and pretty much driving myself crazy was over. Now, I could focus on colors and favors and the fun stuff. I am now very excited. The worries have disappeared. We will see how long this lasts but for now I am going to enjoy it.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Dilemma over a date
Every since I was a little girl, I always wanted a beachside ceremony at sunset. I spoke to Lorna at the Wyndham and come to find out the sunset time slot on March 15th is already taken. I could have a 3pm ceremony. Spaces are limited however as to where I could have my outdoor cocktail reception for 70 people if everyone shows up. The only outdoor location available to fit everyone is in the water park. At 3 in the afternoon, I expect it to be very busy. Who wants people splashing about while your trying to have a simple yet elegant cocktail reception celebrating your nuptials? I actually like the pictures I have seen of the water park. It is very pretty with a waterfall and landscaping.
Sunset is the time most people usually start getting ready for dinner or head up to their rooms to change and take a nap. Basically, sunset is the time people head away from the pool. March 22 is available for a sunset ceremony but that's Easter weekend and if I want Dad to walk me down the aisle, I can't get married on Easter weekend. March 29th is also available for a sunset ceremony. The bonus to that date is Aunt Florence will be wrapping up her spring break. Unfortunately, Lauren will have already had her spring break the week before. Hopefully, arrangements can be made so she can attend.
I decided to reserve the sunset slot on March 29th with a cocktail reception to follow at the water park/pool area. It's actually done. I have the place reserved and the date is set. Why am I all of sudden feeling nervous? I know it's going to be beautiful and I can't wait to be Mrs. Brian Lever but I can certainly do without all of this pomp and circumstance. Yet again, I do want the pomp and circumstance so I guess the nerves are the price I will have to pay.
Sunset is the time most people usually start getting ready for dinner or head up to their rooms to change and take a nap. Basically, sunset is the time people head away from the pool. March 22 is available for a sunset ceremony but that's Easter weekend and if I want Dad to walk me down the aisle, I can't get married on Easter weekend. March 29th is also available for a sunset ceremony. The bonus to that date is Aunt Florence will be wrapping up her spring break. Unfortunately, Lauren will have already had her spring break the week before. Hopefully, arrangements can be made so she can attend.
I decided to reserve the sunset slot on March 29th with a cocktail reception to follow at the water park/pool area. It's actually done. I have the place reserved and the date is set. Why am I all of sudden feeling nervous? I know it's going to be beautiful and I can't wait to be Mrs. Brian Lever but I can certainly do without all of this pomp and circumstance. Yet again, I do want the pomp and circumstance so I guess the nerves are the price I will have to pay.
Friday, March 16, 2007
10-12 months checklist
To help keep my sanity, I've enlisted the help of every wedding website I can find and have printed off their checklists of when to do what. I am happy to announce I am ahead of schedule. Maybe. According to weddingchannel.com, 10-12 months before the wedding, the following things should be done:
Introduce both families and officially announce your engagement
We did announce our engagements to our families already. My parents will be holding an engagement party for us in September so I guess we'll be a bit overdue on the "introduce both families" bit.
Find out who pays for what and start a budget
Brian and I decided long before we got engaged that we would pay for our wedding ourselves. My parents have offered to pay for the engagement party and the reception for when we get home. Okay so that's done.
Create and track your guest list with our easy to use tool
If only creating a guest list was that simple. I did have the guest talk with my parents and have come up with a tentative guest list. This conversation was actually the birth of having a local reception for people who could not make it to St. Thomas. I haven't tried out the tool yet but it would be great if it had an option to decide your guest list for you. I kind of feel like the club owners of that really famous disco club. I keep thinking that I'm going to snub someone unintentionally. I don't want to but there are just so many people that have come into my life. If you're reading this and you don't get an invitation to my wedding, please don't be offended. If I had unlimited resources you would be invited, I promise. Okay, maybe not the fourth cousin twice removed that I only met once.
Compare calendars and select a tentative date
For the story on this, read my blog entitled, "Decisions, decisions". It's kind of funny if I do say so myself.
Choose your attendants
From the moment I started dreaming about my wedding (which started about a year ago), I always wanted Pam to be my maid of honor. I asked and she said yes! Now she is in charge of planning the fun stuff like the bridal shower and other parties.
Create a wedding website to share your engagement
I hope a blog counts because I really don't have the energy for anything more elaborate. I might decide to use one of the free wedding page offers out there just to keep people informed but I don't know how much more sharing I can do.
Send your engagement photo to the local paper
What?!? Let me tell you a little secret. Brian and I both hate having our pictures taken. He, especially, hates having a picture taken. I'm saving up all the picture points for the wedding. I am not sending a picture to any paper. Besides, which local paper are we talking about? For my family, that would be the Union News and Sunday Republican. For Brian's family, that would be the Boston Globe. I prefer to stay anonymous thank you very much.
Conduct interviews and hire a wedding coordinator, if applicable
I like how they put in "if applicable". I'm planning on having my wedding at a resort where they have an on staff wedding coordinator to assist in all your planning needs. I guess I'm done with this one.
Decide if you want premarital counseling
This one makes me laugh a little. I know some faith's require you go through premarital counseling but all I can think of is if you need counseling now, what's going to happen later. It's only one day. If you need counseling to help you get to that one day, then that's not exactly a good sign, is it.
Get inspired by thousands of gown photos
I got inspired alright. So inspired in fact that I already bought my gown. It is hanging up safely in my parent's house where Brian's eyes will not see it until our wedding day. You can read about this adventure under my blog "running of the brides". I will have those memories forever.
Start thinking about where you want to honeymoon
Since we are doing a destination wedding, our honeymoon is already set. I love destination weddings.
Visit and book reception site and arange for parking
This one is not so easy to do. I just don't have the means to take off to St. Thomas to scout everything out. Instead, I rely on tripadvisor.com and people who have been. They have not failed me yet.
Visit and book ceremony location, including your rehearsal time
I've reserved my ceremony location. From the pictures, it's gorgeous. It's on a beach looking out to St. John. Ahhh, how I long to be there now as the snow is coming down and cars are sliding off the roads. Sun, sand, and surf. Perfect.
I'm feeling good about where I am in the planning phase. Hopefully, the whole year will be this easy when it comes to planning. However, I have a feeling that it won't. There's been a couple of quibbles already about where to have it and who to invite. Brian is great about this whole thing. He keeps telling me that it's my day and whatever I want is fine by him. He also asks that I tell him when and where the wedding will be so he can show up on time. That Brian. God, I love him.
Introduce both families and officially announce your engagement
We did announce our engagements to our families already. My parents will be holding an engagement party for us in September so I guess we'll be a bit overdue on the "introduce both families" bit.
Find out who pays for what and start a budget
Brian and I decided long before we got engaged that we would pay for our wedding ourselves. My parents have offered to pay for the engagement party and the reception for when we get home. Okay so that's done.
Create and track your guest list with our easy to use tool
If only creating a guest list was that simple. I did have the guest talk with my parents and have come up with a tentative guest list. This conversation was actually the birth of having a local reception for people who could not make it to St. Thomas. I haven't tried out the tool yet but it would be great if it had an option to decide your guest list for you. I kind of feel like the club owners of that really famous disco club. I keep thinking that I'm going to snub someone unintentionally. I don't want to but there are just so many people that have come into my life. If you're reading this and you don't get an invitation to my wedding, please don't be offended. If I had unlimited resources you would be invited, I promise. Okay, maybe not the fourth cousin twice removed that I only met once.
Compare calendars and select a tentative date
For the story on this, read my blog entitled, "Decisions, decisions". It's kind of funny if I do say so myself.
Choose your attendants
From the moment I started dreaming about my wedding (which started about a year ago), I always wanted Pam to be my maid of honor. I asked and she said yes! Now she is in charge of planning the fun stuff like the bridal shower and other parties.
Create a wedding website to share your engagement
I hope a blog counts because I really don't have the energy for anything more elaborate. I might decide to use one of the free wedding page offers out there just to keep people informed but I don't know how much more sharing I can do.
Send your engagement photo to the local paper
What?!? Let me tell you a little secret. Brian and I both hate having our pictures taken. He, especially, hates having a picture taken. I'm saving up all the picture points for the wedding. I am not sending a picture to any paper. Besides, which local paper are we talking about? For my family, that would be the Union News and Sunday Republican. For Brian's family, that would be the Boston Globe. I prefer to stay anonymous thank you very much.
Conduct interviews and hire a wedding coordinator, if applicable
I like how they put in "if applicable". I'm planning on having my wedding at a resort where they have an on staff wedding coordinator to assist in all your planning needs. I guess I'm done with this one.
Decide if you want premarital counseling
This one makes me laugh a little. I know some faith's require you go through premarital counseling but all I can think of is if you need counseling now, what's going to happen later. It's only one day. If you need counseling to help you get to that one day, then that's not exactly a good sign, is it.
Get inspired by thousands of gown photos
I got inspired alright. So inspired in fact that I already bought my gown. It is hanging up safely in my parent's house where Brian's eyes will not see it until our wedding day. You can read about this adventure under my blog "running of the brides". I will have those memories forever.
Start thinking about where you want to honeymoon
Since we are doing a destination wedding, our honeymoon is already set. I love destination weddings.
Visit and book reception site and arange for parking
This one is not so easy to do. I just don't have the means to take off to St. Thomas to scout everything out. Instead, I rely on tripadvisor.com and people who have been. They have not failed me yet.
Visit and book ceremony location, including your rehearsal time
I've reserved my ceremony location. From the pictures, it's gorgeous. It's on a beach looking out to St. John. Ahhh, how I long to be there now as the snow is coming down and cars are sliding off the roads. Sun, sand, and surf. Perfect.
I'm feeling good about where I am in the planning phase. Hopefully, the whole year will be this easy when it comes to planning. However, I have a feeling that it won't. There's been a couple of quibbles already about where to have it and who to invite. Brian is great about this whole thing. He keeps telling me that it's my day and whatever I want is fine by him. He also asks that I tell him when and where the wedding will be so he can show up on time. That Brian. God, I love him.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Decisions, decisions
You're probably wondering how I decided when to get married and why a destination wedding. Despite what some people think, a lot of thought was put into my decision of getting married in St. Thomas on March 15, 2008.
When I picked the date, I wanted to make sure Brian's family could all make it. My family it really doesn't matter when I choose. If it's not local, many of them will not come. That's not a bad thing mind you. I have a big family. Brian's extended family equals my immediate family.
I, also, wanted a date that would give me an excuse to take a winter vacation every year. That pretty much cancels out the traditional months of May - August. September is back to school time. Too hectic for families with kids.. October - December is holiday rush season. January would have been nice but it is peak travel season and everyone would be broke from the holidays. That knocks out February as well. March and April looked good. April, though, was a little close to nice spring and summer weather plus everyone would be rushing to get their taxes done. I didn't want to compete with tax season. Plus, Brian's friend Naomi would be celebrating her 1st anniversay in April. I didn't want to overshadow that. I firmly believe that any date that a close friend or family member is married on is unusable for at least one year. So that left us with March.
I decided on the month, so now it was time to decide on the date. Brian is back in school for a fourth degree. He likes collecting degrees like some people collect stamps. I looked at Harvard Extension School's schedule. They don't have 2008's schedule up but they're pretty reliable on having spring break on the last week of March. I would like Brian's Aunt Florence to be able to make it as well. I pulled up Oswego's schedule. Spring break starts March 22 in 2008. This is leading to somewhere nice. It looked like Brian's spring break and Aunt Florence's spring break were actually going to overlap. This was too good to be true I had a date. March 22. Wait this is too easy. There must be something wrong. I found a calendar with holidays listed. March 23rd is Easter next year. As my Dad said, "that's God's day. You can't take God's day." He does have a point. I don't want to upset the big guy upstairs. So, I decided to move it up a week and hope people can make it. Our wedding date will be March 15. I just wanted a date and now I have one.
How did I decide to do a destination wedding? Actually, that's a funny story. I wanted to elope. The idea of organizing any kind of big event frightens the bejeevers out of me. Brian wanted to have his family and close friends share in our big day. I started picturing the large guest list and everyone saying you need to invite this one and that one. I started having nightmares. I was looking online at elopement options when I happened upon an article about Destination Weddings. The summary of the article was that a destination wedding is an elopement with only the people who truly want to share your day with you. I loved that idea. I came home to tell Brian. (Mind you this is long before we were even engaged.) He liked the idea, too. From that day on, we both decided that when we got married, we would do a destination wedding.
We decided to do something in the Caribbean. I started scouting out locations and going to tripadvisor.com. I was driving myself crazy to tell you the truth. Should we do it in the Bahamas? If so, do we do it in one of the out islands or how about the Atlantis. Or Puerto Rico, or one of the Virgin Islands, or, or .....you get the picture. I finally asked Brian to narrow it down for me. He suggested either Puerto Rico or St. Thomas since they are both US territories which means, no passport requirement. I started looking at Puerto Rico (PR) and St. Thomas (ST). PR definitely had a lot more all-inclusive options but it was also a lot more urban. So that narrowed it down to St. Thomas. There's only one all-inclusive on St. Thomas and that's the Wyndham. Everyone who's been speaks very highly about it. The pictures are lovely and I could get married overlooking St. John. So that's how I came to make what I consider the most important decisions. Now it's on to the guest list. Yeah!
When I picked the date, I wanted to make sure Brian's family could all make it. My family it really doesn't matter when I choose. If it's not local, many of them will not come. That's not a bad thing mind you. I have a big family. Brian's extended family equals my immediate family.
I, also, wanted a date that would give me an excuse to take a winter vacation every year. That pretty much cancels out the traditional months of May - August. September is back to school time. Too hectic for families with kids.. October - December is holiday rush season. January would have been nice but it is peak travel season and everyone would be broke from the holidays. That knocks out February as well. March and April looked good. April, though, was a little close to nice spring and summer weather plus everyone would be rushing to get their taxes done. I didn't want to compete with tax season. Plus, Brian's friend Naomi would be celebrating her 1st anniversay in April. I didn't want to overshadow that. I firmly believe that any date that a close friend or family member is married on is unusable for at least one year. So that left us with March.
I decided on the month, so now it was time to decide on the date. Brian is back in school for a fourth degree. He likes collecting degrees like some people collect stamps. I looked at Harvard Extension School's schedule. They don't have 2008's schedule up but they're pretty reliable on having spring break on the last week of March. I would like Brian's Aunt Florence to be able to make it as well. I pulled up Oswego's schedule. Spring break starts March 22 in 2008. This is leading to somewhere nice. It looked like Brian's spring break and Aunt Florence's spring break were actually going to overlap. This was too good to be true I had a date. March 22. Wait this is too easy. There must be something wrong. I found a calendar with holidays listed. March 23rd is Easter next year. As my Dad said, "that's God's day. You can't take God's day." He does have a point. I don't want to upset the big guy upstairs. So, I decided to move it up a week and hope people can make it. Our wedding date will be March 15. I just wanted a date and now I have one.
How did I decide to do a destination wedding? Actually, that's a funny story. I wanted to elope. The idea of organizing any kind of big event frightens the bejeevers out of me. Brian wanted to have his family and close friends share in our big day. I started picturing the large guest list and everyone saying you need to invite this one and that one. I started having nightmares. I was looking online at elopement options when I happened upon an article about Destination Weddings. The summary of the article was that a destination wedding is an elopement with only the people who truly want to share your day with you. I loved that idea. I came home to tell Brian. (Mind you this is long before we were even engaged.) He liked the idea, too. From that day on, we both decided that when we got married, we would do a destination wedding.
We decided to do something in the Caribbean. I started scouting out locations and going to tripadvisor.com. I was driving myself crazy to tell you the truth. Should we do it in the Bahamas? If so, do we do it in one of the out islands or how about the Atlantis. Or Puerto Rico, or one of the Virgin Islands, or, or .....you get the picture. I finally asked Brian to narrow it down for me. He suggested either Puerto Rico or St. Thomas since they are both US territories which means, no passport requirement. I started looking at Puerto Rico (PR) and St. Thomas (ST). PR definitely had a lot more all-inclusive options but it was also a lot more urban. So that narrowed it down to St. Thomas. There's only one all-inclusive on St. Thomas and that's the Wyndham. Everyone who's been speaks very highly about it. The pictures are lovely and I could get married overlooking St. John. So that's how I came to make what I consider the most important decisions. Now it's on to the guest list. Yeah!
Saturday, March 3, 2007
The Proposal
Our holidays are always hectic. This year was no different. Christmas eve we drove to my parents house to spend some holiday time with them. My Dad just had a knee replacement two weeks before. My brothers and I decided to spread out our visits so that we wouldn't overwhelm my parents and allow my Dad to recuperate. We had a great time and I went to mass with my Mom. After Mass, Mom and I went and picked up a pizza at Capri's then headed home. We ate and we exchanged presents then watched TV. It was a nice quiet holiday night. Brian and I went to bed in our seperate rooms. I set my alarm for 8am looking forward to Christmas.
Christmas morning, Brian and I had to leave early so that we could exchange presents with Scott, Brian's older brother. We got up and said our good byes and headed out on our very long day. We got to Scott's house about 10am. Sam, our puppy, was very excited to see us. We made ourselves omelets while Scott went upstairs to wrap our presents. After eating, we went into the living room next to the tree and started exchanging presents. It was a very good year for all of us in the presents department. We bundled up our goodies and loaded Sam into the car. Brian and I headed home to unload and continue on to our next destination, Aunt Eileen and Uncle Walter's house.
It was a going to be very exciting Christmas. Alicia was there with her fiance, Ben. Andrea brought her boyfriend, James, to meet the family. We were enjoying each other's company while waiting for Scott and the Fahlbecks to arrive. When they did, we started setting up the table for the presents. Brian's family does a modified Yankee swap instead of exchanging presents. Everyone brings three presents. Numbers are then passed out and the choosing begins. Once all of the gifts were taken, we set the table for dinner. Dinner is always enjoyable. Conversations flow and the food is always amazing. After dinner, Auntie Eileen and Uncle Walter headed out to the McSwiney's and the rest of us started discussing movie options. Brian and I opted out since we were both tired.
We headed home and started to settle into our couch for some serious vegging out. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and thinking that this was a very good year but it would have been better if we could have announced to everyone we were engaged. Oh well. I knew not to expect a ring on Christmas since Brian said he would never propose on a holiday. There was always tomorrow and the new year was still a week away. Maybe he would do between now and then. He had my birthstone ring for almost two months now so he must be getting close to asking.
Brian got up and went into our office. I figured he was going to check his emails. I continued flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. Brian came back and sat down. He pulled out a box and said, "I know you've been waiting for your ring for a while now." I opened it up and there was my birthstone ring all cleaned up and sparkly. As I gushed over how beautiful it looked, Brian handed me another box. "But I think you would rather wear this one" he said. It was a bronze box with a soft pale yellow ribbon on it. I slipped the ribbon off and opened the box. Inside was a white leather box. My heart started pounding and my eyes started tearing. I opened the white box and inside was a beautiful heart shaped diamond with two light blue topaz stones on either side. I kept gushing saying Oh Brian, Oh Brian. I looked him in the eyes and said, 'my answer is yes by the way" and I hugged and kissed him.
I called my Mom and Dad right away to tell them the good news. They were extremely tired but were excited for Brian and I. Ronnie and Martha were at the house and got on the phone to congratulate us. Next, I called my brother Keith and his wife, Pam. Pam shrieked in the phone as she heard the news. She knew I had been waiting for a long time for this and was ecstatic. I asked her if she would be my Maid of Honor. She said yes without hesitating.
The next day I was the happiest girl in the world. I asked Brian if he told Scott yet. Brian said no. I told him he needed to call Scott and tell him. Brian did call and got Scott's voicemail. He left a message saying "Hi Scott, it's Brian. I'm engaged. I'll talk to you later. Bye." I was not privy to this message until a few days later when we went out to dinner with Scott and his girlfriend, Jill.
We had made plans to meet Brian's family at the Lowe's theater in Boston Common. We headed out to catch the T at Alewife. Brian and I were a bit early so we decided to walk around the common. I asked Brian again if he had talked to his brother. Brian said, "No, I left him a messge." I was appalled. I was not going to announce our engagement until Scott knew. I expressed this to Brian. His response was "Call him." So I did. I got Scott and asked him if he heard the voicemail. He said he had and was a bit confused. I told him, "we're engaged." I handed the phone off to Brian. Scott had a barrage of questions for Brian. We were getting close to the theater so Brian got off the phone. I talked to Brian and asked him how he would like to announce it. Brian being so enthusiastic said he didn't care. I came up with the brilliant plan of let's see how long it takes for people to notice the new bauble on my finger.
We got to the theater and waited for the family. I was trying to talk with my hands as much as possible but nobody was noticing. We got into the theater. I managed to end up on the left side of everyone. How frustrating. I didn't want to be too obvious and sitting on the left was hard. At one point, I even turned around in my seat and started talking to the family members in the back row with my hands to no avail. The movie was starting so I sat down, frustrated.
After the movie, we started to walk to get something to eat. Again, I started talking with my hands but nobody was noticing. We arrived at a restaurant that had a table that could fit all of us. Brian noticing my frustration said, "I think you're going to have to do something more drastic". I turned to him and said on the loud side, "I know. I don't know what else to do except wave my hand around" while waving my hand. Finally, I just put my hand up my head down saying, "I wonder if anyone will notice this". Alicia started to look at my hand and asked, "Is that what I think it is?" I said, yes!!! She then asked, "Are you going to announce it?" I looked at her and said that I wanted to see how much longer it would take for people to notice. She asked if it would be alright to make a toast at dinner. I told her if no one has noticed by then, than by all means go right ahead. At this point, Florence got a hint something was going on. She asked us what was going on. Ben turned to her and said, "Look at her finger." Florence looked and said, "is that?" I said, "Yes" Jean then learned of the ring. Our half of the table erupted in shrieks. The table next to ours jumped and asked if everything was okay. Jean told them everything was fine and that they had just learned about an engagement. Champagne was ordered and everyone was told the story. It was a very fun night.
About two weeks later, I was reflecting back on the proposal and realized that Brian had not actually said "will you marry me". I went up to him and pointed that out. He smiled slyly and said, "I was wondering when you'd figure that one out." I made him ask me right than and there. I then asked him if he was planning on holding that over my head. Again he smiled and said, yup. So this was how our proposal came about.
Christmas morning, Brian and I had to leave early so that we could exchange presents with Scott, Brian's older brother. We got up and said our good byes and headed out on our very long day. We got to Scott's house about 10am. Sam, our puppy, was very excited to see us. We made ourselves omelets while Scott went upstairs to wrap our presents. After eating, we went into the living room next to the tree and started exchanging presents. It was a very good year for all of us in the presents department. We bundled up our goodies and loaded Sam into the car. Brian and I headed home to unload and continue on to our next destination, Aunt Eileen and Uncle Walter's house.
It was a going to be very exciting Christmas. Alicia was there with her fiance, Ben. Andrea brought her boyfriend, James, to meet the family. We were enjoying each other's company while waiting for Scott and the Fahlbecks to arrive. When they did, we started setting up the table for the presents. Brian's family does a modified Yankee swap instead of exchanging presents. Everyone brings three presents. Numbers are then passed out and the choosing begins. Once all of the gifts were taken, we set the table for dinner. Dinner is always enjoyable. Conversations flow and the food is always amazing. After dinner, Auntie Eileen and Uncle Walter headed out to the McSwiney's and the rest of us started discussing movie options. Brian and I opted out since we were both tired.
We headed home and started to settle into our couch for some serious vegging out. I was sitting on the couch watching TV and thinking that this was a very good year but it would have been better if we could have announced to everyone we were engaged. Oh well. I knew not to expect a ring on Christmas since Brian said he would never propose on a holiday. There was always tomorrow and the new year was still a week away. Maybe he would do between now and then. He had my birthstone ring for almost two months now so he must be getting close to asking.
Brian got up and went into our office. I figured he was going to check his emails. I continued flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch. Brian came back and sat down. He pulled out a box and said, "I know you've been waiting for your ring for a while now." I opened it up and there was my birthstone ring all cleaned up and sparkly. As I gushed over how beautiful it looked, Brian handed me another box. "But I think you would rather wear this one" he said. It was a bronze box with a soft pale yellow ribbon on it. I slipped the ribbon off and opened the box. Inside was a white leather box. My heart started pounding and my eyes started tearing. I opened the white box and inside was a beautiful heart shaped diamond with two light blue topaz stones on either side. I kept gushing saying Oh Brian, Oh Brian. I looked him in the eyes and said, 'my answer is yes by the way" and I hugged and kissed him.
I called my Mom and Dad right away to tell them the good news. They were extremely tired but were excited for Brian and I. Ronnie and Martha were at the house and got on the phone to congratulate us. Next, I called my brother Keith and his wife, Pam. Pam shrieked in the phone as she heard the news. She knew I had been waiting for a long time for this and was ecstatic. I asked her if she would be my Maid of Honor. She said yes without hesitating.
The next day I was the happiest girl in the world. I asked Brian if he told Scott yet. Brian said no. I told him he needed to call Scott and tell him. Brian did call and got Scott's voicemail. He left a message saying "Hi Scott, it's Brian. I'm engaged. I'll talk to you later. Bye." I was not privy to this message until a few days later when we went out to dinner with Scott and his girlfriend, Jill.
We had made plans to meet Brian's family at the Lowe's theater in Boston Common. We headed out to catch the T at Alewife. Brian and I were a bit early so we decided to walk around the common. I asked Brian again if he had talked to his brother. Brian said, "No, I left him a messge." I was appalled. I was not going to announce our engagement until Scott knew. I expressed this to Brian. His response was "Call him." So I did. I got Scott and asked him if he heard the voicemail. He said he had and was a bit confused. I told him, "we're engaged." I handed the phone off to Brian. Scott had a barrage of questions for Brian. We were getting close to the theater so Brian got off the phone. I talked to Brian and asked him how he would like to announce it. Brian being so enthusiastic said he didn't care. I came up with the brilliant plan of let's see how long it takes for people to notice the new bauble on my finger.
We got to the theater and waited for the family. I was trying to talk with my hands as much as possible but nobody was noticing. We got into the theater. I managed to end up on the left side of everyone. How frustrating. I didn't want to be too obvious and sitting on the left was hard. At one point, I even turned around in my seat and started talking to the family members in the back row with my hands to no avail. The movie was starting so I sat down, frustrated.
After the movie, we started to walk to get something to eat. Again, I started talking with my hands but nobody was noticing. We arrived at a restaurant that had a table that could fit all of us. Brian noticing my frustration said, "I think you're going to have to do something more drastic". I turned to him and said on the loud side, "I know. I don't know what else to do except wave my hand around" while waving my hand. Finally, I just put my hand up my head down saying, "I wonder if anyone will notice this". Alicia started to look at my hand and asked, "Is that what I think it is?" I said, yes!!! She then asked, "Are you going to announce it?" I looked at her and said that I wanted to see how much longer it would take for people to notice. She asked if it would be alright to make a toast at dinner. I told her if no one has noticed by then, than by all means go right ahead. At this point, Florence got a hint something was going on. She asked us what was going on. Ben turned to her and said, "Look at her finger." Florence looked and said, "is that?" I said, "Yes" Jean then learned of the ring. Our half of the table erupted in shrieks. The table next to ours jumped and asked if everything was okay. Jean told them everything was fine and that they had just learned about an engagement. Champagne was ordered and everyone was told the story. It was a very fun night.
About two weeks later, I was reflecting back on the proposal and realized that Brian had not actually said "will you marry me". I went up to him and pointed that out. He smiled slyly and said, "I was wondering when you'd figure that one out." I made him ask me right than and there. I then asked him if he was planning on holding that over my head. Again he smiled and said, yup. So this was how our proposal came about.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Boston Herald article on Running of the Brides
Mob scene: ‘Sopranos’ star runs with Filene’s brides
By Renee Nadeau
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Apparently, Filene’s Basement made these brides an offer they couldn’t refuse.
The Downtown Crossing bargain basement held its biannual Running of the Brides yesterday, with “Sopranos” star Steve Schirripa mired in the mob scene.
Schirripa, perhaps better known as Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri, the brother-in-law of capo Tony Soprano on the HBO mafia hit.
“He was great,” Filene’s Basement spokesperson Pat Boudrot said of Schirripa, who hung around to sign autographs. “He interacted with everyone and he stayed a long time. He was very personable.”
The supersized made man, a regular on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” was on hand with Atlanta etiquette experts Evelyn and Stephanie Matthews, herself a bride-to-be. The threesome were filming a gaffe to be run on the show on Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Yesterday’s big chill staved off some of the crowds, but 250 brides and their shopping crews were lined up and ready to go five minutes before the doors opened at 8 a.m., said Boudrot, who distributed 300 handwarmers to the shoppers, who often dress in matching costumes when shopping in packs.
Filene’s Basement offered its largest selection of wedding gowns to date, cramming its aisles with 2,680 dresses. The crusading crowd cleared the garments from the racks in only a minute and a half.
Many bridal entourages come to the Running of the Brides dressed in matching costumes, and yesterday was no different.
“There was a lot of combat gear this year,” she said of the camo-clad crews clamoring for the perfect dress. “They even had helmets with veils. . . . Anything to find each other in the crowd.”
By Renee Nadeau
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Apparently, Filene’s Basement made these brides an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Running of the brides
February 16, 2007 was a day hundreds if not thousands of brides were waiting for. It was the day Filene's Basement in downtown Boston was having it's annual bridal gown sale. Brides everywhere look forward to this event. They start lining up outside the doors at 5 A.M. with dreams of finding that perfect dress. I decided I would go but figured I would be safe lining up at 7 A.M. since the doors didn't open until 8. I had my helpers with me, Brian's Aunt Jean and Aunt Eileen. We braved the cold blustery wind and enjoyed the wondrous freebies from Au Bon Pain.
We were excited when we saw Steven Schirripa from the Sopranos doing interviews for The Tonight Show. When he was finished, he started taking pictures with some of the brides who were waiting in line. Not wanting to miss such an opportunity, Jean and I headed up to him as he started to walk away. I lightly tapped on his shoulder praying he wouldn't get mad. He turned around and I asked, "could I get a picture with you?" He very warmly said sure. I turned to hand my camera over to Jean when Steven's handler said "No, he doesn't have time." Steven sadly turned to go. Oh well. I understand, these guys are on a very tight schedule. I returned to where Eileen was saving our spots and continued to enjoy the anticipation that just maybe the dress of my dreams was just inside.
At about quarter to eight, they started letting people go inside but not to where the dresses were. Filene's basement management wanted to make sure everyone got down the stairs in a safe manner. Before I knew it, it was 8 am and whistles were blowing. There was a sudden rush forward and everyone headed for the basement to the wondrous bridal gown lair.
Jean, Eileen, and I made it through the store. As we descended down the escalator, we approached a scene that could very well have come from Apocalypse Now. Bride's were running everywhere grabbing everything they could get there hands on. Their helpers were piling the dresses on the floor and guarding them with their lives. Jean, Eileen, and I went in three different directions hoping to get our hands on a single dress to no avail.
The three of us found each other again near a bride already trying on dresses. All around her were numerous dresses that her entourage had gathered for her. She was trying on a beautiful halter top style dress that I had seen in one of the many magazines I have gathered. She pointed to Eileen who was watching is amazement as was I and said "I have my eye on you." I said to her, "We are only looking for your discards. We'll take any you don't like". The blond bride to be replied, "Sure, sure." She proceeded to take off the dress saying, "I don't like it" and handed it off to a member of her group to trade for something else. My heart fell. It was obvious the brides who were here were not generous in the least.
I turned to Eileen and Jean and said, "let's go to breakfast." They agreed and were disappointed. I knew if I was meant to get a dress today, I would. We headed to Avenue One in the Hyatt since we had received a coupon for 20% off. We arrived and were escorted to a table. All of us had decided to take advantage of the wonderful buffet. We looked at the pictures of dresses I had brought and talked about possible locations for Brian and I to be married. We had just started our second course then who should walk in but Stephen Schirripa. We decided it would be in bad taste to interrupt him while he was eating and left him in peace. He kept looking over at our table and I wonder if he recognized me from outside. He and his entourage got up and left. Shortly afterwards so did we.
Eileen, Jean, and I decided it was time to head back and see if there was anything left. We walked all the back to Filene's, went down the stairs, through the store, and back down the escalator. The sight we saw was miraculous. As far as the eye could see, there were dresses. Racks and racks of dresses. We each grabbed 4-5 dresses each and then found ourselves a corner near the couture gowns where another bride was trying on a dress. Some dresses where No's right away but most were going into the maybe pile. I had made a resolution that unless I absolutely fell in love with a gown, I was not going to buy one. I'm not getting married until March, 2008. I had time.
The girl next to me was trying on a gown that was gorgeous. I let her know what I thought. She looked fabulous in it. She turned to me and said, "I don't like it, would you like to try it on?" I was flabbergasted. I said "Sure, I would love to." I stepped into it and pulled it up. I took the straps and pulled them onto my shoulders and I knew something magical was happening. I got zipped up and felt beautiful. Eileen and Jean both started oohing and awing. I walked to a mirror. As I gazed upon my reflection, my breath was taken away. I was near tears, I felt so beautiful. I knew this was the dress. It was going to need alterations to change it from a size 12 to a size 10 but that didn't matter. This was my dress. We talked to a tailor and he agreed it would be a simple alteration. A Filene's basement employee was next to him agreeing that this dress was beautiful. She asked my what size it was. I told her a 12. I decided to try on more dresses to make sure. My entire maybe pile was released to the other brides who were waiting for them. I tried on about five more dresses. After those, I put the dress back on. None of them came close. The employee from earlier came back with the same exact dress but it was a ten. Who would have thought such generosity would abound after the wretches we had seen this morning. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. Again, I tried on a few more dresses but I just had to have this dress. Jean took a picture of it with her phone and we went upstairs to call my mom.
When she got the picture, she wasn't crazy about it. She actually didn't like it at all. I was disheartened. I couldn't believe it. She didn't like my dream dress. I decided to go back down and try it on again. I tried on a few other dresses but none gave me the feeling as that dress. I decided this it. I'm going to get it. For $250, I could afford to get another dress if I didn't end up liking this one. I paid the cashier and Jean offered to drive me home so I wouldn't have to take the dress onto the T. We stopped at Camille's for ice cream and then they dropped me off at home.
The next day I brought the dress home. I did not let Brian see it at all. When I got to my parent's house, I brought the dress inside to show my mom. As soon as she saw it, she fell in love with it as well. When she had gotten the pic message, she thought the front had a big puffy bow on it. That was the reason she didn't like. When I tried it on for her, she knew I made the right decision. The dress is now safely at my parent's house where they can show it off to everyone. I'm looking forward to going and visiting it now and again. Now, I just need to find the perfect beach location for our ceremony and reception.
We were excited when we saw Steven Schirripa from the Sopranos doing interviews for The Tonight Show. When he was finished, he started taking pictures with some of the brides who were waiting in line. Not wanting to miss such an opportunity, Jean and I headed up to him as he started to walk away. I lightly tapped on his shoulder praying he wouldn't get mad. He turned around and I asked, "could I get a picture with you?" He very warmly said sure. I turned to hand my camera over to Jean when Steven's handler said "No, he doesn't have time." Steven sadly turned to go. Oh well. I understand, these guys are on a very tight schedule. I returned to where Eileen was saving our spots and continued to enjoy the anticipation that just maybe the dress of my dreams was just inside.
At about quarter to eight, they started letting people go inside but not to where the dresses were. Filene's basement management wanted to make sure everyone got down the stairs in a safe manner. Before I knew it, it was 8 am and whistles were blowing. There was a sudden rush forward and everyone headed for the basement to the wondrous bridal gown lair.
Jean, Eileen, and I made it through the store. As we descended down the escalator, we approached a scene that could very well have come from Apocalypse Now. Bride's were running everywhere grabbing everything they could get there hands on. Their helpers were piling the dresses on the floor and guarding them with their lives. Jean, Eileen, and I went in three different directions hoping to get our hands on a single dress to no avail.
The three of us found each other again near a bride already trying on dresses. All around her were numerous dresses that her entourage had gathered for her. She was trying on a beautiful halter top style dress that I had seen in one of the many magazines I have gathered. She pointed to Eileen who was watching is amazement as was I and said "I have my eye on you." I said to her, "We are only looking for your discards. We'll take any you don't like". The blond bride to be replied, "Sure, sure." She proceeded to take off the dress saying, "I don't like it" and handed it off to a member of her group to trade for something else. My heart fell. It was obvious the brides who were here were not generous in the least.
I turned to Eileen and Jean and said, "let's go to breakfast." They agreed and were disappointed. I knew if I was meant to get a dress today, I would. We headed to Avenue One in the Hyatt since we had received a coupon for 20% off. We arrived and were escorted to a table. All of us had decided to take advantage of the wonderful buffet. We looked at the pictures of dresses I had brought and talked about possible locations for Brian and I to be married. We had just started our second course then who should walk in but Stephen Schirripa. We decided it would be in bad taste to interrupt him while he was eating and left him in peace. He kept looking over at our table and I wonder if he recognized me from outside. He and his entourage got up and left. Shortly afterwards so did we.
Eileen, Jean, and I decided it was time to head back and see if there was anything left. We walked all the back to Filene's, went down the stairs, through the store, and back down the escalator. The sight we saw was miraculous. As far as the eye could see, there were dresses. Racks and racks of dresses. We each grabbed 4-5 dresses each and then found ourselves a corner near the couture gowns where another bride was trying on a dress. Some dresses where No's right away but most were going into the maybe pile. I had made a resolution that unless I absolutely fell in love with a gown, I was not going to buy one. I'm not getting married until March, 2008. I had time.
The girl next to me was trying on a gown that was gorgeous. I let her know what I thought. She looked fabulous in it. She turned to me and said, "I don't like it, would you like to try it on?" I was flabbergasted. I said "Sure, I would love to." I stepped into it and pulled it up. I took the straps and pulled them onto my shoulders and I knew something magical was happening. I got zipped up and felt beautiful. Eileen and Jean both started oohing and awing. I walked to a mirror. As I gazed upon my reflection, my breath was taken away. I was near tears, I felt so beautiful. I knew this was the dress. It was going to need alterations to change it from a size 12 to a size 10 but that didn't matter. This was my dress. We talked to a tailor and he agreed it would be a simple alteration. A Filene's basement employee was next to him agreeing that this dress was beautiful. She asked my what size it was. I told her a 12. I decided to try on more dresses to make sure. My entire maybe pile was released to the other brides who were waiting for them. I tried on about five more dresses. After those, I put the dress back on. None of them came close. The employee from earlier came back with the same exact dress but it was a ten. Who would have thought such generosity would abound after the wretches we had seen this morning. I tried it on and it fit perfectly. Again, I tried on a few more dresses but I just had to have this dress. Jean took a picture of it with her phone and we went upstairs to call my mom.
When she got the picture, she wasn't crazy about it. She actually didn't like it at all. I was disheartened. I couldn't believe it. She didn't like my dream dress. I decided to go back down and try it on again. I tried on a few other dresses but none gave me the feeling as that dress. I decided this it. I'm going to get it. For $250, I could afford to get another dress if I didn't end up liking this one. I paid the cashier and Jean offered to drive me home so I wouldn't have to take the dress onto the T. We stopped at Camille's for ice cream and then they dropped me off at home.
The next day I brought the dress home. I did not let Brian see it at all. When I got to my parent's house, I brought the dress inside to show my mom. As soon as she saw it, she fell in love with it as well. When she had gotten the pic message, she thought the front had a big puffy bow on it. That was the reason she didn't like. When I tried it on for her, she knew I made the right decision. The dress is now safely at my parent's house where they can show it off to everyone. I'm looking forward to going and visiting it now and again. Now, I just need to find the perfect beach location for our ceremony and reception.
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