retrace the car tree terrace

Today we had our first, and possibly only, caterer tasting. After asking around and looking online, we got several recommendations for Hamel's Creative Catering. I work at the Hampshire Creativity Center, and we thought that the names were similar enough that it was worth investigating.

They had a sample buffet set up, and a table ready for us when we arrived.

We tried a few appetizers and entrees. We were so hungry and so busy eating that I forgot to take any photos! Our verdict?

So we put down a deposit! Glad that's settled.

going Expo-nential!

This weekend three middle-class American women went undercover into a world of ever-escalating stakes, ruthless competition, and progressive mental dislocation. In other words, we went to our area bridal expo! As both my best friend Heather and I are getting married this year, and my other BFF, Maili, is my maid of honor, we thought it would be a hoot to find out what the more respectable and popular brides are doing this year, while conducting some legitimate research for our own weddings.

Okay, we really just went for the cake tastings.

What an extravaganza! We were met at the door by a woman who was exchanging our tickets for "Bride" stickers, making us easy targets for the vendors. We were then thrust into a world of dresses, reception halls, stretch limousines, flowers, photographers, and endless - ENDLESS - bowls of chocolate. The strategy was to get us high on Hershey's, then appeal to our giddy sense of impending bridalhood. It worked. The sugar rush, anyway. At one point Maili and I were dancing around one of the aisles to some DJ's tunes, grabbing coupons and swag and more chocolate as we went. It was almost like trick-or-treating.

Here's me and Heather basking in our loot. I spoke with caterers, photographers, florists, pastry chefs, and jewlers. My conclusion? Weddings are bloody EXPENSIVE!!! Attach the words "wedding" or "bridal" to just about anything and the price skyrockets. Tablecloth rental, $7.00ea. Oh wait, it's for a wedding? Then they're $19.00ea. I'm realizing that I might have to disguise the nature of my event in order to be charged a reasonable price. Yes, my...er, cousin, yeah, my cousin, she's having a....graduation party. So...I'd like to order some....tuxedos for it. We've decided to make it a black tie affair. Incidentally, what do you have in stock for white dresses? No, not specifically bridal, I'm not getting married, hah! But if some of them happen to be bridal gowns, I guess what's the harm in looking?

We spent some time in one of the stretch limos on display at the Expo. It reminded me of my apartment in Tokyo. A little roomier, though.

We did taste quite a few wedding cake samples. Most of them were very impressive to look at, but weren't much to shout about taste-wise. I'll take a homemade brownie any day of the week. I did enjoy looking at the designs. They had cakes that looked like presents, some that were studded with (edible?) jewels and even one that had a rustic fall foliage theme, complete with maple leaves and birch bark made out of sugar. They were so beautiful, it would have been a shame to eat them.

All in all it was a great time. Though we were disappointed that there were no champagne tastings, and completely blown away by the juggernaut that the bridal industry has become, we did leave with some information, a bit of inspiration, and lots and lots of chocolate.

color me crazy...

There are many decisions a modern bride must make. Am I going to have a traditional wedding cake or go the trendy cupcake route? Do I want a photo booth? Am I going to have penis necklaces at my bachelorette party? So many decisions. But one of the first and most important decisions, one that will set the tone for the entire wedding itself, one almost but not quite as important as "Will I marry him or not" is: the colors! As someone who sews and is interested in home decor, I have always enjoyed observing color palettes and how different colors, even different shades of the same color, complement or contrast. As someone who loves the aesthetic and style of the art deco period, I wanted my wedding to share some of that flavor. I started perusing websites and magazines for deco-themed wedding receptions, and looking over the color combinations and tones of the era. As I am using my own vintage dishes at the reception, I was already locked into some variety of orange, but everything else was up for grabs. I finally settled on navy and coral, after getting some inspiration from a few old art deco and art nouveau images, like these:

There are countless variations of both navy and coral; Some corals have a distinct orange tone while others are more pink. Navies can range from quasi-royal to nearly black. I finally found exactly the shades I was looking for in 25 Central, a wonderful boutique in downtown Northampton. They are fabric flowers that can be worn as a hair clip or a brooch.

They complement each other perfectly, and also go with the slowly growing arsenal of dishes that I am building. They also match the curtains and the chairs in the reception hall, which are navy. The walls are a light blue, so hopefully this will all come together nicely.

V is for Venue

In a stunning burst of preparedness, we have secured a reception hall! We decided to have the reception at our local VFW, which is where we first met over karaoke mikes. As Eric works there part-time, we're already friends with the other people who work there, so we're happy to be throwing some business to our local little community. Plus, the hall is kickass! Check out these photos!

It's a big hall for our fairly small wedding, so I'm already cooking up interesting ways to fill the space. I'm also using the colors and style of this space as inspiration for my wedding colors and theme. I think I can definitely get away with art deco here.

Check out those exposed beams! And we'll have plenty of room for dancing. The bar is in a separate room by the entrance, and the bartender is included in the reception hall rental! One of our friends will be bartending, which is just icing on the (wedding) cake.

I'm so excited to decorate my own wedding, and am sifting through thousands of online photos and suggestions as well as magazines for ideas.

marriage, gangster style

In addition to our shared love of karaoke, Eric and I are also avid fans of the TV series Boardwalk Empire. Being a lifelong fan of the 20's, I could watch the show for the sets and costumes alone. But it's also a damn good show!

When we first started discussing our wedding, we thought it would be unique and fun to have the theme be inspired by this show. So we'll be looking at clothing, decorations, invitations and other elements that have that Jazz Age feel. My mother has now fallen in love with the show as well, particularly the opening. Ha, maybe I'll use that as my processional music.

the ring

So here's a photo of the amazing engagement ring that Eric gave me:

It was his great-grandmother's engagement ring from the teens or early 1920's. As the 20's are my favorite decade, it was the perfect ring. It was even the perfect fit! The ring was so small that I didn't even try to put it on, assuming that I'd never be able to take it off. Then a few days later I was bringing it to my best friend's house to show her, and out of a mix of curiosity and fear of misplacing it, I put it on. Like a glove! Which makes me wonder why the expression "fits like a ring" never took off. Or "fits like really comfortable hiking boots that don't ever give you blisters, not even the first time you wear them." Now that's a fit.

how on earth did this happen, anyway?

If you haven't heard the story already, here it is:

Eric and I don't go back a long way, but our families do! Several of our family members were friends or colleagues long before the two of us ever met. My father and Eric's grandmother, aunt and uncle all worked at Smith. Our cousins attended dance school together, and our aunts even traveled together once! However, it took us nearly a year of dating to figure all that out. We first met through a mutual love of karaoke, and our first real conversation took place at a karaoke Halloween party, where we had a mutual misunderstanding. Eric didn't know who I was (due to my platinum wig and several coats of makeup) and I didn't know what his costume was (Harry Potter. I'm not a fan). Once we straightened that out, we had a few conversations not in costume. Then a few more not in a bar. Then he met my dog. Then my mother. Then I met his mother and a few months after that, he remodeled my bathroom while I was on vacation and proposed to me the day I returned. He said he figured a new bathroom and some jet lag would seal the deal, or at least I'd be too overwhelmed to say no. Apparently I was too overwhelmed to say anything, as, to quote Eric, "You spent ten minutes talking about everything but YES!!" I did finally get around to saying it, and, well, here we are!

this is a blog

Welcome to our wedding blog! This is an effort to chronicle our crazy year of getting ready to get married. It is also a way that people who want to keep up with our wedding plans have an easy place to do so, while those who couldn't care less don't need to be bombarded with wedding updates every week. Enjoy! (Or don't. It's really up to you!)