Planes, trains, and Christmas cookies

I love this season, and I love having enough down-time to really enjoy it.  This weekend, we barely left the apartment (with the exception of a pizza adventure with Caroline).  Who needs the world outside when you can crank up the Christmas tunes, and the oven, to your heart's content?

I fly down to Florida on Tuesday to spend Christmas with my family, and then my mom, sisters and I fly up to NJ on December 26 for Christmas Part II--the cold edition.  George will drive down to his parents' early on Christmas Eve, and we'll drive back home together sometime before New Year's.  On the wedding front, one major step will be taken in Florida as I build my duct-tape dress form (stay tuned for pictures of that debacle) and my aunt modifies the muslin version of my dress.  Can't wait!!

It's so exciting to have my aunt making my dress just for me, based on different pieces of different patterns I've fallen in love with, but there's one down side--I never had that "ooh, this is the dress!" moment.  Trying on the muslin version will be my first chance to actually see myself in the dress, so I'm extremely excited!  I can't thank my aunt enough for all of her help.  She's the best!

George and I exchanged our Christmas presents early this year.  We usually wait until after Christmas when we're together, but figured why wait?  If we aren't holding out for Christmas itself, why not just go for it?  We both got each other experiences this year...I got him a few hours of golf simulator time, since he's had to give up his favorite hobby with the change of seasons.  He got me monthly facials from now until the wedding!  (Glow insurance, perhaps?)  I am so excited; I love getting facials but they're the sort of thing I never treat myself to.  Especially with wedding/home/"settling down" savings at the forefront of our minds like never before, it's a real indulgence!

While we're in New Jersey, we'll also have our first pre cana meeting with Father Bill.  We're both excited, and will update you afterward.  Since we know each other so well, it will be fun to see what new ground we might cover.  I called the church during my lunch break at work one day, and it turns out that some of my favorite Emerson professors actually participated in a workshop this fall for Greek Orthodox priests!  Father Bill noticed "Emerson College" on his caller ID and filled me in on the coicidence.  Sure enough, Dr. Phil Glenn and a few other members of the poli comm faculty, along with communications professionals from other schools, worked with the priests to talk about effective and dynamic message delivery (not a preaching style that the Orthodox church is really known for).  Now I know our priest has been coached by the best!

On that note, I have some summertime cookies left that are just begging to fulfill their purpose...

Thanks for listening!

Picture Perfect

  

 

Obviously, I'm obsessed with our engagement photos, and couldn't resist posting a few highlights here.  (For many, many more, head over to the main site at www.georgeaskedkate.com!)  It's not the season of self, though; it's the season of family!  Hopefully this Christmas will be the last one that George and I ever spend apart, as I'll be in Florida with my family and he'll be in New Jersey with his on December 25.  We'll have our own celebration (and exchange presents) when I fly up the next day!


Juggling geography is tough, and it always sets my holiday cheer just a little bit on edge at some point.  We are so blessed, though, that this is our biggest concern!  Wherever our families live, we're blessed to have them in our lives, and to be able to celebrate with them every year.


George and I are in no rush to have children, but I can't help getting excited about starting our family someday, and what big, beautiful Christmases we'll have with everyone.  I imagine sugar cookies making a mess of the kitchen, Christmas music pouring from the innumerable speakers George is bound to have acquired by then, and  lots of garlands and twinkle lights around the house.


In ten years, maybe our kids will be spending the night looking through Christmas photo albums with me and their dad, looking forward to visits from their grandparents and aunts just a few weeks away.  I may not know exactly where we'll be, and I may not know what our babies' faces will look like, but I know one thing...there will be a LOT of cookies.  And that mental image is all I need to know our life together will be incredible.

No news is fine news

This picture has nothing at all to do with this entry...I just really love it.  We weren’t going to dress up for Halloween since we were visiting NJ and George’s parents, but at the last minute I decided the best costume would be Bobby Haranis.  Can you even tell us apart?

We’ve been busy lately, and not so much with wedding planning...but I want to be more diligent with my posting, so here goes.  Mostly, this entry is an excuse to post more pictures of the Sayen House (enjoy!).  I’ve also said all along that I wanted this little blog to serve as a digital scrapbook for me, and that means taking some time to reflect on this whole process.  There might not be any news, but you know me...but when has that ever stopped me from running my mouth--or keyboard, as the case may be?

There are a couple of news items to report.  My dress patterns came in the mail, which is really exciting, but I don’t want to tell you anything about them.  It’s a surprise!  We also have our engagement photo shoot on Sunday, which might be the most exciting piece yet.  We have a lot of fun ideas and we’ll be shooting at a few locations around Boston that are really special to us, so stay tuned.

Back to this reflection business...I’ve been getting a lot of advice lately.  One of the best pieces of advice was to set a time before the wedding after which all troubleshooting is someone else’s problem.  At a certain time, be it 5 hours or one day before the wedding, any last-minute issues become someone else’s responsibility to resolve.  The logic is, my bridesmaids and family know me well and are trustworthy people--they’ve promised to see me through the whole wedding-planning process, not to mention the marriage that will follow.  They can handle it if the car won’t start, or the centerpieces fall apart, or the caterer runs out of eggplant.  After that magic time, all I’ll focus on will be the joyful things, like imagining George’s face when we’re pronounced husband and wife.

The second piece of advice that stuck with me was an explanation of how a marriage changes a relationship.  In most ways, our life together will be the same.  We share a home, so we’re used to that, and eventually even the name change is bound to feel less novel.  The real difference, I’ve been told, is that a marriage is just as much about the community as it is about the two of us.  When we get married, we’ll be promising in front of all the people that matter in the community of our lives that we will stick with it, that we’ll stand by each other, and that we’ll turn to them for help when we need it.  They, by witnessing our marriage, are committing to helping us through and supporting us on that path.

Alright, you didn’t come for my musings, you came for the pictures.  Here you go--but one last thought.  Feel free to share your marriage advice with us.  Thanks for listening!

Check-writing never felt this good

Sweet, sweet victory is ours!

And it is SWEET!

It’s been a while, I know...things have been busy!  We spent this weekend on another whirlwind trip to New Jersey and boy, was it worth it.  My upcoming trip to LA this week got canceled at the last minute (a few factors combined to equal “not the best time to go”).  While I was really disappointed to cancel it and miss seeing California, it occurs to me tonight that maybe my guardian sleep angel was looking out for me!  We are both exhausted, and this was essentially my second weekend in a row away from home (Emerson Family Weekend is the most fun way to tire yourself out on the job), but we made it there and back and have a venue to show for it. 

The Sayen House and Garden is ours!  We went, we saw, we put down a deposit.  Beth Giglio, the event coordinator for Rosa’s at Sayen Garden, is phenomenal.  We met her on Halloween--her birthday!--and knew within moments that not only was this the perfect site for our wedding party, but that she was a woman we wanted to work with.

The house is so intimate and full of details that are nothing short of delightful.  I really am over the moon!  I also love that it’s not one big box--in some ways the more separated dining rooms will make seating charts a challenge, but I also think it will be a lot more fun for folks to meander through to the bars or dance floor.  And the grounds...don’t even get me started.  Even on an overcast, drizzly day it was a stunning setting.

In other achievements of the weekend, we’ve booked our photographer--the phenomenally gifted Candace Jeffery of Candace Jeffery Photography.  We haven’t even met in person yet (can’t wait for the engagement shoot!) but looking over the site and blog, I couldn’t be more excited.  Candace seems to find that perfect balance between artistic composition and finding real emotional moments.  Much more to come in the next month or two when we get engagement shots...please check out her site!

Last, but most certainly not least, I reserved our week-long honeymoon at L’Auberge de Sedona.  I’ve really gone back and forth a lot when it comes to my feelings about registries, but hearing all of the activities and expansion packages available there, I’m just flat-out excited now!  Plus, the confirmation used our married names...which gave me chills to look at before I promptly archived the email.  May cannot come soon enough--especially with November in New England so cold, and Arizona so warmly beckoning...

Of course, in the meantime, there is still lots to do.  For tonight, though, my only to-do is heating up some apple cider and finish watching this baseball game (first and only time I’ll be crossing my fingers for the Yankees).

Good night, friends!

OK, I'm crazy

In my last entry, I mentioned an extra “final detail” for the save the dates.

Just wanted to let you know how that was working out...

The photo here shows the supplies I’m using to create our stefana, or wedding crowns.  I haven’t made much progress since the first initial burst (I’ve beaded about 1/4 of the way around the first ring), and that mirrors how the whole process feels lately.  We’re in a bit of a holding pattern.  Luckily, whenever negotiations are close to breaking down, we break out laughing at ourselves.

We’ve decided on a florist--Janene Puca of In Full Bloom.  Her website is nice, but to be honest, it doesn’t do justice to the enthusiasm and expertise she brings to the table.  Of all of our vendor meetings to date, I was least excited to meet with the florist.  Because I have some very specific (and non-traditional) ideas about what I want, I assumed an “if you want something done right, do it yourself” attitude.  When we sat down with Janene, though, she was quick to expand on my ideas and add her own knowledge to take things to another level.  She’s also a straight shooter, which means a lot to me and George!

George and I are in the process of finalizing our decision about the venue.  We had been dead-set on Erini, but another option presented itself and I’m enthralled with it.  We’re not sure whether the Sayen House and Garden will accommodate our group, so we’ve reached out to them and there’s a possibility that we’ll go down to NJ again in the next week or so to make a final choice.  We’re also finalizing our choice of photographer soon, after reaching out to several exciting options.

I do find it hard to believe how difficult some vendors can be.  At this point, I’m basically putting money on the table.  We haven’t committed to a vendor for X, we’re considering giving you a substantial amount of money to perform this service for us, please give us information.  Amazing how some folks don’t return calls or emails, make up excuses, or just generally flake out!  Real encouraging sales work, there.  That’s how you win customers.

Maybe because of my line of work, I find the exchanging of money to be a very personal affair.  If I want to win someone’s business, so to speak--to guide them toward directing their philanthropy to Emerson, to my cause--I’m not only responsive, but I try to anticipate their needs.  I want that person to have all of the information they need, when they need it, to make the best decision for themselves at that moment in time.  It’s a wonder that some of these commercial operations stay running with such poor customer service--and, in at least one case, a wonder that I haven’t been able to convince George to run far, far away from the waving red flags.

In happier news, I’m also almost done with our save the date cards!  Envelope liners are all prepped and ready to be adhered, and there’s a final detail I’m going to try this afternoon on the cards themselves (which I thought were done until inspiration struck).  The envelopes are addressed and stamped and we’re nearly ready to roll.  Excitingly, I learned that you can ask the Postal Service to hand-cancel the stamps, avoiding that big mechanical mark across the top of the envelope.  I started planning our custom stamps for the invitations themselves, too...a very G+K detail, if I say so myself.

You know, I sat down to write this entry feeling pretty down about the whole thing.  Not the marriage part, of course, but the planning.  As usual, though, once I started to write out where we really are--and more importantly, think through where we’re headed--I feel much better.  Our small wedding will be a wonderful one, and I know that our long life together will be even better.

Until next time, friends.  Thanks for listening!

Saving Our Date

Taking some time to reflect on one of the small details that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and an unexpected meditation on our future together.

This weekend, I started working on our save-the-date cards.  This was made slightly more complex when George and I realized that, after some (ahem) internal miscommunications, we didn’t have final confirmation from the church for our wedding date.  I wisely held off on printing the cards themselves.  We’ll keep you all posted on that front...hopefully it will be resolved tomorrow and I will have been a stress-ball for nothing.

Rather than fret about what I couldn’t control or didn’t know, I cut out all of the pictures for our cards, turned them into stickers (which was a lot of fun--try making a scarf out of long strips of pictures of yourself!), cut the backing, mounted them, and decided to conquer the envelopes.

I had planned to print all the addresses onto the envelopes; maybe get a stamp made for the return address for the invitations.  It seemed easiest that way--the fonts could match; it would be convenient; it would be fast.  All that until I noticed, in the bottom of my Paper Source bag, the calligraphy pen I had picked up along with the blank cards.

As a kid, and I couldn’t have been older than nine, I would practice calligraphy in a little book.  I have no evidence now of the hours I spent laying out on my bedroom floor, changing nibs and attempting various lettering styles.  I don’t remember whether I was any good; I don’t remember what I ever used it for beyond the practice books.

During the year we spent in England, I wrote in my journal for all but three days (I think I had the flu).  My mom gave me a beautiful glass fountain pen which I’d dip in ink to write sometimes--especially entries that felt especially important or dramatic--but I wrote in my own hand, having forgotten those calligraphy lessons already.

Back to this weekend, when my impulse-buy brought it all back.  I picked up the pen thinking I might add a scroll here or there, perhaps monogram some thank you notes for myself--but then all those calligraphy urges rushed to the surface.

Yes, calligraphy urges.

After practicing on a few scrap cards, I decided to take on the return addresses on the envelopes.  What better way to get back in the swing of things than by writing the same five lines 60 times?  It’s not perfect, and it’s not any precise lettering style I’ve ever heard of, but I did it myself and I’m extremely proud.

I know that the folks getting these cards won’t mind that I didn’t wrap up the flourishes on my As, because I liked the way they looked left open; no one will judge my Ms for being too soft and rounded.  Few people, honestly, will probably give these envelopes a second thought.

Years from now, though, I’ll show my children my wedding album, and tell them about how their dad and I would spend our time before getting married.  Weekends mean fresh coffee, football on tv, and a few good hours of calligraphy here and there until the coffee table is covered in perfectly imperfect envelopes--that extra touch of effort for the people with whom we share the most love.  

It occurred to me, writing our address time and again, that our invitations will be the last time that our two separate last names will be paired.  I think that justifies an extra flourish, don’t you?

Honeymooners

It seems like most couples we know have their sights set on the tropics--not us.  Spa for me, golf for he!  Mix in some sun and we’re good to go.

This Friday night is just what I needed--pizza, candy bar, and an action movie that doesn’t require my rapt attention (Quantum of Solace, in case you’re wondering).  We’re all in our usual spots--George in the armchair, I on the couch with my feet on the table, even though my legs could be out on the chaise lounge if I moved 16 inches to the left, and Willow perched on the arm of the couch within perfect petting distance of that future husband of mine.

Such a lovely-lazy night has me thinking about another series of perfect evenings (and mornings and days, for that matter).  That’s right, I’m thinking honeymoon!  Early on, we Greece was the natural choice.  George has family there, I’ve never been, and we’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful destination.  Don’t even get me started on the feta...

Thinking about it more, we decided that Greece is a perfect vacation destination--but not quite what we want for our honeymoon.  We would put too much pressure on ourselves to see and do everything, meet everyone, and make the most out of every minute.  “Agenda” is not a word we want to utter in the few days after our wedding.  No schedules for us; no regrets when we get home that we didn’t pack enough in; no alarm clocks beeping early to get a jump-start on the day.

We agreed that the only requirements for our honeymoon are sun and quiet.  Arizona fit the bill perfectly!  I fell in love with the area on a business trip last January, and its wide-open spaces seem like the perfect place to relax and reflect on our future as a married couple.  Now we just have to find the right resort.

Missions Accomplished

So much news, so little time to type it all out--family, dress, venue, and cards and crowns to come!

There’s a lot of news to share since George shared his poetic post two weeks ago!

We loved Erini Restaurant in Ewing, and will be having our reception there.  I’d send you to their website but it’s really, really outdated for events--they’ve completely redone the main hall, and even revamped all the menus.  Jane, their event coordinator, has been wonderfully helpful so far, and we know our family-style, mostly mostly mostly vegetarian dinner will be delicious.

In even more exciting news, my Aunt Carole has generously offered to put her incredible seamstress skills to work and make my dress!  I am beyond excited, as everyone who knows me knows that I’m very picky (some would say judgy) when it comes to little details, and I am ecstatic that all of the dress details will be in my aunt’s capable hands.

The biggest news, though, is that I finally got to show my mom and Genevieve my ring--not just on Facebook, but on my real finger, followed by real hugs.  It was about time!

Those are the highlights for now...this weekend we’ll be kicking some stationery butt making our save-the-dates, and I’ve started on our stefana (wedding crowns--that’s right, crowns).  Pictures and details to follow.  Maybe George will even grace us with more of his charming prose again!

Thanks for listening,

kw

The George Post

George graces us with his articulate musings on love, marriage and the wedding planning process...or something.

Hey all,

Thanks for stopping by our awesome wedding blog. Katie did an awesome job putting it together, while I did an awesome job watching TV and golfing. We are going down to Jerz this weekend to go and check out a possible place for our reception, I hope it works out!

I will keep you all updated and when we finally find a place we both like, you will be the first to know...

One love,

GMonee

On friends

In addition to our sisters, who you’ll get to know in a later post, I want to introduce you all to the two women who will stand up with and for me, on my wedding day and in my life.  They rock.

As soon as George proposed (let’s be honest, way before he proposed) I knew who I would ask to be my bridesmaids.  Of course, my sisters Tori and Genevieve topped the list, along with George’s sister Marika.  Sisters are non-negotiable, after all, and mine are among the most incredible women I could ever hope to know.

There are also sisters that a woman gains by choice--other women who earn their places in our hearts by sticking with us through trials and tribulations, who celebrate with us at milestone moments in our lives (and sometimes just for getting by), who pick up the phone just to share, just to vent, just to ask, just because.  They ask nothing of us in return, and because they don’t demand it of us, we’re always there for them.

Okay, enough of that.  My maid of honor, Jacqui Emerson, and bridesmaid, Caroline Romano, do not inspire warm fuzzies.  We’re frenemies, in fact.  They kick my butt out of slumps, they tell me when my jokes are stupid, and they mock me when a hairstyle doesn’t work or when that red lipstick is just too bright.  They’re women of steel, and they’re as crazy as I am.

Jacqui is my Maid of Dishonor (though she does have the better part of valor).  She and I both started in the BFA Acting program at Emerson College, and when we realized it wasn’t our path, we switched (me first, because I’m swifter) to Political Communication.  I knew that Jacqui would be a friend for life when we discovered that we share the same ridiculous hamster-like laugh when we really, really crack up--a sort of high-pitched squeal that hurts after a while, and is mortifying in public, but that cannot be controlled.  Her discerning taste in espresso and YouTube videos are enviable.  This New York City girl hails somehow from Maine and Oregon, but will stay in Boston for undefined periods of time if lured in by a Rubix cube.

Caroline is my Bridesmaid of Destruction.  We also met at Emerson College in the poli comm program, and shared many ridiculous jokes during less-than-exciting lectures and lame attempts at study sessions.  Caroline can’t decorate a cupcake for her life, but excels at sloppily written, creative obscenities in icing.  She exfoliates and moisturizes more than anyone I’ve ever met, and despite the creepy factor, I love to touch her soft, soft arms.  She also has beautiful hair.  If you really want to get in good with Caroline, call her Coraline, like the character from the movie with the button eyes.  She LOVES that.  I’m lucky that Caroline lives nearby so that I can soak up her scathing wit on a frequent basis.

There is no one I’d rather have by my side on my wedding, or any, day.  I just hope I do enough for them--on both the supportive and sarcastic fronts--to merit all they’ve done for me!

Where we are

As many times as I’d been told, I seriously underestimated just how strong the tidal wave of “experts” and interested parties would be in the wedding planning process.  Here’s a rundown for all who want the scoop!

People keep asking where we are in the planning process.  Most of the time, when I ask myself that question, the answer is “not as far as I’d like.”  In thinking about it, though, we’ve made more progress than I give us credit for.

Having been together for six years pre-proposal, we’d already discussed a lot of what we want (and don’t want) for our wedding and marriage.  There are a few secrets and surprises, but there are also some decisions made early on that we can share.

Our main color is sapphire, with garnet and gold accents.  

Our single-flower arrangements will all be white...and, if all goes according to plan, not a traditional wedding flower!

My dress will not resemble a Cupcake Doll’s.

Suits, not tuxedos.  Look for fun pocket-square alternatives, too!

I’m making our stationery suite myself...starting with engagement announcements, which will be ready to mail as soon as we get a nice photo (know any artsy photographers in the Boston area?).

Yes, I know we were engaged on May 23, and it’s nearly September.  I really want to send out those announcements!

Wedding programs will be lengthy, to explain the rather complicated Greek Orthodox ceremony.

I am making our stephana (wedding crowns) myself.  That’s right, wedding crowns.

The reception will have a DJ (or, if I win, an iPod...we’re so picky about music!) and not a live band.  We’d rather dance to songs we know the way we know them.

Centerpieces will be paper-based.

At least 80% of our food will be edible to us, a.k.a. vegetarian.  Those who don’t like this idea can have their own wedding and serve whatever they like.

The cake will be all-white, vanilla-based, and covered in meringue.

We’re gonna boogie-oogie-oogie ‘till we just can’t boogie no more.

There are my thoughts for the day.  Thanks for listening!

Going to the Chapel

It was always assumed that we’d have a Greek Orthodox wedding.  Sometimes I’m sad that all of our family and friends won’t hear us say vows or sing hymns, but I’ve made peace with it.  It’s a special way to honor George and his heritage, and God is everywhere!

As far as I know, St. George once slayed a dragon. This is a bit confusing to me, as I don't think the Greeks had many dragons, but it sounds good. Either way, St. George performed enough miracles to have a Greek Orthodox church in Hamilton, NJ named for him.

Why does this matter? It's where George and I will get married next year. My George has never slayed a dragon, though I'm sure he could if the opportunity presented itself.

If you've never been in a Greek Orthodox church, they're beautiful. They're a teensy bit like Hogwarts, insofar as the ceiling is painted to look heavenly. Always ornate, and full of icons (pictures of saints), there's a lot going on. This makes my life a little easier, since I don't have to worry much about the ceremony looking boring!

Here's where all the magic happens (okay, maybe that's not the best choice of phrase). Anyway, I'll share more details about the ritual itself in a future post!