Know what's cool?

...and I kind of wish I had done, but kept forgetting, and then ran out of time?

Inviting the President to your wedding. I know some people that have done this, and no, obviously Obama's not going to come to your wedding, but you get a response from the White House! I'm not alone in thinking this is a pretty cool keepsake!

via Google Images

How to invite the President:

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Rm. 39
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

ALSO, you can invite the Queen! But I think Buckingham Palace only responds to requests within the UK.

How to invite the Queen:

The Secretary to Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II of England
Buckingham Palace
London, England
SW1A 1AA

Note: Both ask for at least 6 weeks to respond (but the earlier, the better!).

Do it!

-C
xxx

Party Time! Excellent!

via Martha Stewart

I can't wait to start cooking things for our party. Former Bridesmaid/Now Wife Amanda and I are throwing a joint birthday party for our hubbies this Friday. It's BYOCC themed - which means Bring Your Own Christmas Cookies! It's going to be at their house, since ours isn't really conducive to having lots of people in one area (we have lots of tiny rooms on three floors, versus big, open spaces on less floors), unless we wanted to have it in the backyard... in December. Anyway, we kind of procrastinated on the planning, but this past weekend it kind of hit me, oh crap! We're having a party on Friday! So I went out and bought a bunch of crap... I mean, delicious food (that's probably not in the health food aisle). I decided to make spin dip (which I'm also bringing to my work's floor holiday party that day), decided to throw some Velveeta cheese and salsa in a crock pot for a quick and easy cheesy dip, decided on a cookie recipe for myself... I guess I was in panic mode that I wouldn't have time to do anything. But now? Oh now I'm finding more recipes I want to make and I'm going to drive myself (and possibly my husband...) crazy this week with all the cooking I'm going to do. But I don't care! I want to do it! It's Christmas, and you know what I think my problem is? I don't think I've ever... wait for it... wait for it... thrown a Christmas party. Yeah, so I guess I'm kind of on overload with wanting to do all sorts of things in addition to what I already listed above. Like making eggnog from scratch (yes, it's delicious if you don't buy it at the store), and making two kinds of cookies... and making deviled eggs with green and red food coloring! EEK!! That's my excited sound.

How am I ever going to be able to wait the two days before I can start making things??

I'm blaming Martha Stewart for providing me with a plethora of recipes.

-C
xxx

Tip O' The Week - Tipping!

No, not cows. Vendors. No, not physically. Monetarily. (I know, I'm hilarious.)

Via Google Images

I did a lot of research on a lot of things during my wedding planning, one thing I'll bring up for you today is vendor tipping. Some say tipping isn't necessary. I think it is. But that may be because I worked in the service industry in college (read: waitress), and I know how it feels to not get tipped. I also know how good it feels to get tipped! Needless to say, I always tip bartenders, waitresses, etc. But when it came to figuring out what to do for wedding vendors, I definitely needed to do some research. I read some forums, googled and saw what other people did, and I think I came up with a pretty good solution. You tip those that don't own their own business. Those that simply work for the business typically get paid less than those that do own that business. Those that own the business set the prices and do so by figuring out how much profit will be made versus how much they spend to provide the service. For example, our videographer. He owns the business, so obviously he gets all that money. Yes, I know that he uses it to produce the final product and pay for his equipment and all, but if it were anyone other than him doing the videoing, they would get less of that profit. Therefore, the owner gets the price they laid out, but the worker (non owner) should receive a tip (unless they sucked at whatever service they provided). Same goes for delivery people (if you have to rent things like a tent, port-a-potties, tables, etc., like I did). I gave delivery people $5-$10 per person depending on what they had to set up (I had 3 rental companies).

Hope this helps someone out there! And I also hope it doesn't offend any vendors. I think it's pretty fair, no? I mean, if you want to tip everyone, go ahead, but that's your call!

-C
xxx

Recap Time: The Ceremony (pretty stuff version)

And now, time for the pretty (if I do say so myself) decorations and details from the ceremony! (See the mush version here.)

I have some awesome friends who figured out how to hang my old windows above where we were getting married (the "altar" if you will). They looked really great. And we hung Christmas lights around the area and had tiki torches surrounding the chairs (to keep bugs away as well as provide lighting).

I designed all of our programs, and Bridesmaid Amanda and Bonnie helped me assemble. Tying tiny ribbons ain't fun, but they sure do look pretty! :) We had bubbles but no one really used them. Oh well! Our flower girl had fun with them, so they got some good use!

(Tip: stones or glass marble-type thingies you can get from the dollar store are really helpful when having an outdoor wedding that has paper anywhere!)

So we had a sign that said "Here Comes The Bride" on one side, meant to be brought down the aisle just before me, and "Just Married" on the other, for walking back up the aisle after being married. Our flower girl really really wanted to carry it the "Just Married" way down the aisle (you know, before we were married)... and did. Lol! She's at the age where she likes to be a little dramatic, too, and loves to just plop herself down on the ground! Her mom thinks she's a great actress :) Luckily she didn't plop herself down on the way down the aisle, but did on the way back! The wedding video of everyone walking past her is hilarious because everyone keeps looking at her and she seems to want to know why everyone keeps walking, lol.

MOB planted white hydrangeas in the area behind where we would be getting married. Don't they look pretty? The little stand between Tim and I is where we put the glass of wine for our wine ceremony. After we said "I do" I took it (the glass of wine, that is, not the stand) with me to the reception. Yes, I walked back up the aisle with a husband, my bouquet, and a glass of wine. Lol.

-C
xxx

Deliciously Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Not my pic, but kinda what mine looked like! via Google Image Search

Straying from the norm here. Recipes? On a bridal blog? Yup. Because I'm so in love with it, and no, this isn't even the first time I've made it! I just fall back in love with it every time I do... AND it's (kind of) green! There's broccoli in it :)

So without further ado...

Deliciously Awesome Broccoli Cheese Soup

(serves at least 4)

Ingredients:

4 cups water

1 - 16 oz. bag of frozen, or fresh, broccoli, chopped

1 cup diced onion

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 medium potatoes)

2 chicken boullion cubes

2 - 10.75 oz. cans cream of chicken soup

1 lb. Velveeta cheese (or Walmart brand!*), cubed... I accidentally used 2 lbs. the first time I made it (because I mistakenly thought the large package of Velveeta was only 1 lb., when it's actually 2 lbs.) and have done so ever since, so if you want it to be cheesier and/or want to make a bigger batch, try using 2 lbs.!

Instructions:

Add water, broccoli, onion, potatoes, and boullion cubes to a large pot. Cook on medium - medium high heat until potatoes and broccoli are tender (about 20 minutes). Add cream of chicken soup and chopped up velveeta, stir every couple of minutes until cheese melts. Simmer for about 15 minutes, soup will thicken.

Yum.

Notes:

If you serve it right away, the potatoes will be REALLY hot. Like, my husband drinks/eats things that are scalding (while I put ice cubes in everything) and he even had to let the soup sit a while, so it may be best to put the soup in bowls and let it sit 5 minutes or maybe even longer (again, I wouldn't know, I put ice cubes in mine, lol). Also, while I love it fresh off the stove, for some reason I REALLY love it after it's been in the fridge for a day or so. One of my favorite things to bring to work for lunch! And sometimes even breakfast :) I was thinking last night after I made it that some chopped up carrots would be a good addition to it, too! I'll have to try that next time.

Sorry to say, but Brits? You may be out of luck in the Velveeta department. I might have to send you some! I'm not sure there's a Velveeta equivalent over there! If you'd like to scope out the grocery store for something similar, basically it is a processed cheese that comes in the form of a brick (but is very soft), virtually never expires (it doesn't have to be refrigerated until it's been opened, so can sit on the shelf for a very long time), and is an orange-yellow color. I found somewhere online that Dairylea triangles might be similar? But I have no idea what that is so can't vouch for that :)

via Google Image Search

-C

xxx

*Yes, there is a Walmart brand version of Velveeta, it's called "Melt and Dip Cheese" or something. It's right next to the Velveeta on the shelf...

Recap Time: The Ceremony (mush version)

After our first look shots we came back to the house and I didn't know what to do with myself. We had run a little late, so everyone was there. I knew they'd see me eventually, and I was dying to go outside and look at everything, but I hesitated for a few minutes. I didn't know if I should go out and let everyone see me! Eventually I realized that it wouldn't get started until I did, though, lol. So out I went. My grand entrance:

Tim's uncle and cousin are amazing violinists and they were so great to play for us during our cocktail hour, and then to learn the songs for the ceremony. I LOVE violins. LOVE. And they played beautifully! We all walked down the aisle to Portuguese Love Theme (from the movie Love Actually, check it out here), and back up after being married to God Only Knows and All You Need Is Love (both were also featured in Love Actually, one of our favorite movies!).

Getting the ceremony started was a little unorganized. Since we had pre-ceremony cocktails first around the pool, then the ceremony was in a different part of the yard (with the reception in yet another part of the yard). So, it was kind of difficult to get everyone to the different areas in a uniform fashion. It was kind of like ok we're lining up now... maybe you should go sit in the chairs? Yes, this is where I could have used a DOC (Day of Coordinator), I'll admit it. I don't regret the way things like lining up and moving people from one part of the yard to the next worked out, though. I think it made everything more casual (and also provided some humorous moments).

I walked down the aisle with both of my grandfathers, which made me so happy! I love having pictures with both of them. I realized halfway down that I was so concerned with tripping that I was staring at the ground (probably made for GREAT pictures!)! Oops. Tip 'O The Day - Look up as you walk down the aisle!

My boss and friend Molly, got ordained online to officiate at our wedding (so now she's Minister Mol), and she wrote the perfect ceremony for us. It was just the right amount of mush and humor. I laughed a lot! Which probably kept me from crying (but not Tim, LOL).

Tim "got something in his eye"... and I handed him my hankie.

After she read what she had written, we had a "wine ceremony" and then did vows. We wrote both the wine ceremony and the vows (and borrowed some parts from other weddings we found online) and this is what we came up with for the wine ceremony:

This wine represents both the bitter and sweet moments in life. The years ahead will consist of happiness, joy and love, but there will also be moments of sorrow, grief and disappointment. In sharing this wine, so may you share your lives, including not only the good, but the bad moments as well. May you find life’s joys heightened and its bitterness sweetened, because you experience them together.

(Bride and groom drink from a glass of wine.)

This wine is symbolic of the pledges you have made to one another to share together the fullness of life. As you drink from this cup, you acknowledge to one another that your lives, until this moment separate, are now one. Drink now, and may the cup of your lives be sweet and full to running over.

and for the vows:

With this ring, I take you with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. Whether the days that come are happy or sad, I will live them with you. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

Tim's dad asked us after the ceremony if he could throw confetti. Of course! Confetti's fun! Plus, it made this awesome picture! (So glad Gary, our photog, was standing right there!)

Next up: Recap Time: The Ceremony (details/decorations version)

-C

xxx

All photos with watermarks were taken by our awesome photographers Hughes Fioretti Photography and those without were taken by family and friends.

Never a Bridesmaid, Always a Bride

Shockingly enough, I've never *really* been a bridesmaid. I was a bridesmaid in my uncle's wedding when I was like 19 or 20, but my bridesmaid duties were limited to trying on the dress when it was sent to me, and showing up at the church on time. Oh, and I think I was there for the rehearsal. Now I'm going to be a bridesmaid for my friend Bonnie! I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it.

Plus, I'll have more material for the blog :)

That is all. Enjoy your weekend! I need to upload and prep some pics so I can get back on the blogging horse.

-C
xxx