Yano's Wedding Blog

2003-04-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been eons since I've updated this thing. But I've got some time, so I wanted to update everyone on what's going on with the wedding. There'll be more updates soon! And pictures, too!

2003-04-13T21:03:00.001-05:00

The Dress

Well, I bought THE DRESS about a month ago. As I said before, every other dress I tried on after that could not compare. This one was the one. I can't wait til I get it. I'm going to wear it all the time. Practice dancing in it. Eat in it. Sleep in it. I love that dress.

2003-04-13T21:03:00.000-05:00

The Invitations

We had this woman come over to the house with about 10 huge books of sample invitations. It took us about 2 hours to go through all of them and decide which one we liked. We wanted something different, yet elegant, yet within our budget. We narrowed down our 15 favorites to just one, but it wasn't easy. There was a lot of debating, because they all looked beautiful. In the end, we decided to go with an invitation that had a silverish border around it. Once we get them, I'll scan it up and put it on here.

2003-04-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

The Hall

I'm a bit scared about the hall. When we had first talked to the owners of the banquet hall, they had showed us these beautiful sketches of how our hall was going to look like after it was completed. High ceilings with golden domes and large windows. Well, during the course of the construction, we were informed that the design was going to change to a more intimate, Victorian look. Me and Dave made had a little mission over to the hall a couple weekends ago to check on the construction, and we were peeping through the windows. To me, I don't know how we're going to fit 300 people in there. The ceilings aren't high at all, and the room doesn't look as big as we thought it was going to be. Then again, it looks like they're only halfway done with the construction. Yes. We're nervous. Take note - get a hall that's already built.

2003-04-13T21:02:00.000-05:00

The Bridesmaids

I've got all my bridesmaids together now. It's going to be my sisters Claudine and Fatima, my cousins Melanie and Marian, and my friends Nikki, Jen and Rachel. My best friend Jaygee is going to be the maid of honor. I'm really happy to have them there with me on that day. You won't find a friendlier, more fun, sweeter, or more beautiful group of women out there. I love these ladies!

I took a couple of them to go and try on dresses, and it's a lot of fun being the one that's watching the other people try on dresses. Though it's not really good for one's self esteem (the dress sizes run about 2-3 sizes bigger than what you normally are). Skinny, tiny little Claudine looked good in about everything she tried on. We wanted to step on her. But we love her, so we didn't. I'm doing something a bit different with the dresses, where the bridesmaids will be wearing separates, all with the same identical skirts, but choosing their own tops. Since I've got 8 bridesmaids, I've got 8 different body types, and I don't want any of them to be uncomfortable in the dresses that they're wearing. My mom and soon to be mother in law think I'm crazy for doing this, but hey, Christine's rule #1 for the next 4 months is 'It's MY wedding!' Bratty and selfish? Yes.

2003-04-13T21:01:00.001-05:00

The Groomsmen

Well, Dave's got all his 'boys' as his groomsmen. One of them is my ex-boyfriend, which some people think is a little odd. Ok, I think it's odd, too. But hey, as much as 'it's MY wedding', it's Dave's wedding, too, and whoever he wants to share that day with is his decision. All in all, I think we have a pretty fun wedding party. What isn't fun when you have 16 people in your wedding court? It's gonna be craaaaaaaaaaazy!

2003-04-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

The Florist

Well, the florist was the one thing I've been putting off. I don't care for flowers. Sure, they look pretty in pictures, but to me, they were a low priority. And I was looking into pricing for flowers, and DAMN, they cost a lot. And with 8 bridesmaids and a flower girl, that's a lot of flowers. But I finally met with a florist, and I made up a price breakdown which went like this:

bridal bouquet	1 x $140
bridesmaids bouquets	8 x $65
flowergirl bouquet and flower crown	1 x $60
corsages for mothers/sponsors/grandmother	11 x $25
boutonnières for groomsmen/fathers/sponsors	20 x $5
arrangements for church	2 x $200
throwaway bouquet	1 x $40
aisle runner	1 x $35
flowers for the cake	1 x $30
centerpieces for the head table	2 x $50

That totals about $2000.

With the florist that I talked to, I was able to get a deal that was significantly less than that. However, it's still a BIG chunk of change. Man. I hate flowers.

2003-04-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

The Table Centerpieces

HELP!!! I don't know what to put as my table centerpieces! I'm going to have about 30 tables, and if the centerpiece is $25, that comes up to about $750 dollars. Hot damn, I have no more money left! I may have to resort to just doing candles or something for the centerpieces. We'll see.

2003-04-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

The DJ

Well, I hope I've secured Vince as the DJ. We've been playing phone tag, and haven't gotten anything in writing yet. But if he's reading this, VINCE I STILL WANT YOU AS MY DJ! Because you're good, baby, you're damn good!

2003-01-21T17:38:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I did more dress shopping. I took along my cousins Marian and Marilyn to help me out. We went to David's Bridal, and it was a lot of fun. I let them pick out some of the dresses that I tried on. Some were cool, some I wanted to gag in. It was a very different experience than my trip to Saran Bridal. You could tell that David's Bridal was a chain by the service I got. It wasn't bad, but at Saran it was a bit more personable. Though I DID like the idea of being able to go through all the dresses and pick the ones that I wanted to try on. Also, I liked that we were able to take pictures, too. Unfortunately, as you can see in the pics, I look like crap because I didn't think we were going to take pictures. My hair is kinda jacked up, too. They had a really big selection of dresses, and they also had a catalogue, so you kinda knew what dresses they had in stock. But then again, the dresses weren't the same quality as the ones at Saran.

It was still a good time, though. I might use the place to get my bridesmaid dresses. They have a nice shade of periwinkle there.

Alas, though, none of them held a candle to THE DRESS that I found a week ago. There was a small debate in my head, because the dresses at DB cost half as much as MDWD (my dream wedding dress) which would save me a lot of money. But then again, none of them made me feel as pretty or as excited as MDWD did. I took Marian and Marilyn over to the other store to see it, and they agreed that MDWD blew the others away. *sigh* I think the extra money is worth it!

2003-01-15T23:33:00.000-06:00

I Got a DJ!

Well, I'd been putting off looking at various DJ's for the wedding, because I was hoping that some friends of mine could do it. After a lot of slacking, I finally called, and he called back and said that chances are, he's free for that night. Whoo hoo! I really love these guys, because I've gone to other weddings that they've done (and clubs they've DJ'd at, too) and I know that I'm going to love the music that they play. To me, the music is really important. I love to dance, and I know with these guys on the turntables I'll be dancing all night. It's so exciting to have everything starting to fall into place!

2003-01-15T23:32:00.001-06:00

Looking for a Photographer

Yesterday, I tried doing some wedding stuff. I'm looking into photographers, trying to figure out what price range I want and what style I want. I'm leaning toward a photographer that does traditional photos, but I also want a lot of photojournalism type photos. I really like the look of black and white pictures. I feel like it's telling the story of my wedding, rather than a bunch of people who are posing for the camera, mouths all cramped up and waiting for the pain to end. I hate that. I hate posing for pictures for hours. But I know it has to be done. But for my wedding, I want all the spontaneous moments to be captured, too. The photographer is probably the second most important thing on my list next to the reception place. The pictures are the things I'll be looking at for the rest of my life.

2003-01-15T23:32:00.000-06:00

Falling in Love Again

I also made an appointment yesterday at a bridal salon by my house. I've never gone shopping for dresses before, but it's something that's gotta be done sometime! So me and Fatima head out there, and the woman who took care of me was awesome. She was really nice. I told her what kind of gown I was looking for (based on my internet poll, the spaghetti straps and open front panel was the one most popular) and she brought out some samples. The first one she brought out was a bit tight. When I looked in the mirror, it looked nice, and I was getting a little excited.

The I tried out the second one, and it had a long train with some embroidery around the edge. It was really pretty. The room we were in had three mirrors along the walls, and when I looked to the side mirror, I had to exhale a sigh. It was such a sight! I came to the realization that YES, I AM GETTING MARRIED! The train was so long, and the dress was so elegant. Me and Fatima were all giggles.

After trying on a couple dresses, came 'THE DRESS'. She brought out this dress, which, on the bodice, had a little too much beading for me. (I had asked for minimal beading. I want to keep it simple) It had doube spaghetti straps, which formed a criss cross against my back. It also laced up in the back, kinda like a corset. The skirt and the train had some simple beading and lace around the edge. It took about 15 minutes just to put on and lace it up, but once it was done, it fit perfectly. When I went in front of the mirror, I melted. In my heart, I thought, 'This is the one!' The look on Fatima's face agreed, she loved it, too. I swear, I could have started crying right there if I wasn't so excited by the dress. I told the lady that this dress had just shot up to the #1 spot. She asked if I wanted to see it in the front room, where they had better lighting and a full length 3 paneled mirror. We went out to the front, and I stood on the little pedestal that they had, and looked in the mirror. She turned on the overhead light, AND I SPARKLED! I realized that the beading on the bodice was just what I wanted. It was gorgeous. I felt like a princess. The bodice, the train, the back, it was all perfect. She then brought out a tiara and veil and put it on, and it was magical. I don't know how else to describe it. I was on top of the world. Fatima got teary eyed, and my heart skipped a beat. Othe customers came out from the back and remarked on how beautiful I looked. And I did. I looked and felt beautiful.

Of course, I had to practice dancing in my soon-to-be dress, and it looks like it will be able to handle my 'dangerous on the dancefloor' moves. Everyone got a good laugh from my cool moves. I was so excited. I'm STILL so excited. I love that dress.

Though it's a little pricey. But I'm going to work my ass off to get some extra money for it. I know I hate traveling, but if it's what I have to do, then I'll do it.

And I still have other dress fittings arranged. I might find something better. But those other dresses have a tough act to follow!

Ahh...

I'm so excited.

I'm getting married!

2002-12-29T04:19:00.000-06:00

OK, there've been some changes since the last time I posted about the wedding. I've been so awful at updating this site! I'm so sorry. I promise I'll update it more. Anyway, WE'VE CHANGED THE DATE AGAIN but this is the official date. The date of the wedding will now officially be August 23rd, 2003.

We were looking around at different hotels to have the reception at, when we passed by a banquet hall that caught our attention. After going to a hotel to check out the ballroom (and not being overly impressed) we decided to swing by European Crystal Banquets in Arlington Heights. There was a company Christmas party going on at the time, so the place was decorated. I felt a little awkward walking in, because I just just in jeans and gym shoes, and all the people there were dressed up. But the woman who worked there was more than happy to give us a mini-tour. The place was gorgeous, from the moment we walked in. They actually had people there opening the doors for you as you walk in (even the scrubby looking people, like us). And they had a piano player up on a balcony playing some tunes as the guests were getting their cocktails. When we walked into their main ballroom, it took our breath away. It had a high ceiling, and on each side of the hall there were two domes, and within the domes there were clouds painted within. The room was large and airy, and it didn't feel cramped like the hotels that we went to. All in all, it was pretty impressive. What also sold us was the demeanor of the woman who gave us the tour (who incidentally is one of the owners). She was really friendly, and you could tell that she cared about making our reception the best it could be. They're also booked for the next year, more or less (except August 23rd, of course) and they've only been open for less than a year. Actually, we didn't get the hall that we saw that night, we're getting a new hall that is being renovated. From the way that they describe it, it sounds like it's going to look gorgeous. Instead of having the clouds painted in the domes, it's going to have gold leafing. I was a little wary on reserving a room that hasn't been finished yet, but she said that it should be done by the end of April, which gives them a LOT of extra time before our wedding to get it done. They look to have a pretty tasty menu. Should be some good eats. And I'm really happy to know that a separate dessert (not just wedding cake) is part of the package. Although seat covers aren't included in the costs, I DEFINITELY want them. It just adds that extra touch.

Now the thing is, that the main ballroom was booked for pretty much all of next year, but there was one opening in the new room for August 23rd. As I had posted before, we had reserved September 13th with the church already. There was a little juggling that we had to do, but fortunately, our church had time slot open for August 23rd. It wasn't the time that we wanted (3pm) but at least the time slot that we got (1pm) gives us a little more time to go out and take pictures. Because by having the 1pm time, we won't have much of an opportunity to take pictures at the church because we'll have to clear out for the 3pm wedding. Man, I hate being rushed! But I'm happy that we were able to coordinate the church and the reception hall together. For Christmas, our families went to church together, and it was the first time that my family saw the church that I'm going to be married in. They liked it, but also had issues with the length of the aisle. But that's ok, I'll just walk reeeeeaaal slow. It's my moment. I'm going to stretch it out as long as I can!

So next up, finding the DJ, photographer, videographer and florist. *whew*! This can be tiring work! Anyone have any ideas?

2002-11-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

Finally, we've got a date for the wedding! Whoo hoo! Well, it's still tentative until we find a reception hall, but I'm pretty sure this is the day. It's going to be Saturday, September 13th, 2003, so mark your calendars! Its going to take place at Dave's church (I'm tired of getting the run-around at my first choice church). We went to meet with the pastor yesterday, and I definitely have a better feeling with this priest than I did with the other priest. He was really great.

Sometimes I think that we're getting signs not to get married. Last week, we were supposed to meet with the priest at my first choice church. I KNOW when the appointment was going to be, because I had thought to myself 'Aww...I'm gonna miss 'Friends'!' So when we went there, the receptionist was like 'Uh, I he left 5 minutes ago to go to a dinner. I don't think he's going to be back for a while.' She tried paging him a couple times, but he never came. I've also heard a couple stories about how hard it was for couples to get in contact with priests at that church. So Dave scheduled a meeting with a priest as his parish.

It was set for Saturday, but Dave calls me on Friday, and says that the priest had thought that the meeting was at 11 on Friday. He wasn't available on Saturday. At that moment I was thinking, 'Why!!! Why me! Does God not want me to get married?' Seemed like we were NEVER going to get a date for the wedding! Later on that day, Dave called and said that the priest could fit us in that night, so I drove over to the church and met with him.

Immediately upon meeting him, I could tell that this priest was a good man, and that he really cared. I liked him as soon as we met, which was a good sign. He went over with us all the documentation we needed as well as the requirements we had to do to get married in the church. All in all, he made us feel really comfortable and at ease with planning the wedding there. I left full of energy and excitement. I wanted to shout through the streets, 'I HAVE A WEDDING DATE!!!' Ahh...that's a nice load off of my back!

2002-11-18T18:25:00.000-06:00

Haven't updated this page in a while, but it looks like I've been linked to Raymond's page, so I should get some info on this baby.

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 14 - Rod, Allison, Dan, Geraldine, Caroline, Debbie, Rusty, my mom, Rick, Lanie, Karen, Fatima, Claudine, Noelle.

So I've been trying to get Dave to get his church for our wedding, after the problems with the other church I wanted. He finally scheduled an appointment with his priest, because time is going by and we need to get a date soon.

However, today, the priest from my favorite church location called me today. Whoo hoo! He had said that he'll see if he can make an exception for us, since Dave's aunt is a very active parishoner there. Yay! I might get my awesome church. That's the church over on the right. Isn't it lovely? The inside is even better. It's got a long aisle and beautiful stained glass windows. At the front is all gold and marble and it just takes your breath away. You can't really tell from the picture, but the church is HUGE. Probably too big for the wedding that I'm going to have, but it's the kinda of church that you dream about having your wedding in when you're a little girl.

I also have the first grouping of wedding dresses for you all to look at. I know they all look the same (I'm attracted to the same style) but try and pick your favorite. This is just the first grouping, I'm looking at dresses all the time, and there'll probably be more to choose from later on. And feel free to email me any suggestions you have.

Time is ticking away, I know that I've got to pick a date. Hopefully the next time I post I'll have a date set. Then I can have a counter and everything!

2002-11-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like I might be having problems with having the wedding at the church I want. I've been part of the parish for about 2 months now, but I just found out their policy was that new parishoners have to wait 6 months before they can meet with the priest. I guess a lot of people have had the same idea. We've still got a couple tricks up our sleeves, but we'll see what happens.

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 2 - Mariza, Ann

2002-11-01T15:53:00.000-06:00

Been calling different hotels about dates that they have available for a wedding reception. It would be nice to have a reception at a hotel because often you get a discount for out of town guests, and people can get a room and drink and not have to drive home, and the bride and groom usually get a complimentary suite with free brunch. There still seems to be a good amount of availability for next year, which is a good sign. And I love email! I've got a ton of prinouts of wedding package menus that the hotels have been sending over.

Next Thing to Do- Go to the church and PICK A DATE!

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 2 - Norm, Andrea

2002-10-27T19:14:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago Jaygee, my maid of honor, came up from Orlando for a visit. Me, Jaygee and Jen sat around trying to think of ideas for the wedding and trying to plan some things out. Of course, we didn't get anything accomplished, but it was a good time anyway! I had called our first choice for a reception site, and it looks like they're booked until 2010. Not too happy about that, but I made some calls yesteday and it looks like there are still some places available. I've got the date range a little finalzed - sometime between August 16th and Noevmber 8th 2003. Keep your calendars open!

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 8 - Bernadette, Dan, Tito Dennis, Tita Rosie, Jen, Jaygee, Rusty, my mom

Big Debate of the Day - Whether or not to do the money dance. Dave doesn't want to do it, I kinda do. The pros - Extra money, that couple seconds of personal time you get with the bride or groom, it's kind of a tradition. The cons - Is it right to ask people for more money? They've bought you a gift already, it takes a lot of time away from valuable dancing time. What do you guys think?

2002-10-17T08:57:00.000-05:00

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 3 - Linda, Moises (who had called us from Cali and asked) and Dan.

People Who Will Not Be Allowed to the Reception - Dan, for saying by the time I get married, Claudine will be married, too, so we should just make it a Brady double wedding, Tony, for agreeing and laughing (Amy will have to find another date) and Orlando, for saying that Dan's practically part of my family.

Things to do today: Call our first choice for a reception site and see what dates are available for next year, so when we go to the church we've got a couple dates in mind. We're thinking of either August 30 (labor day weekend) or some time in October (but if it's gonna be THIS cold then - 40 degrees outside right now - then forget it!)

2002-10-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

Number of times I've been asked if I've picked a date yet: 3 - Bryan, Dan and Jamie

Orlando's Suggestion for the Wedding: 'Instead of having them hit their glasses to get you's guys to kiss (sorry, gotta make it sound like Orlando), if they want you to kiss, then they gotta come up and demonstrate in front of everyone, how they want you to kiss.' Ohh...I like that one...

2002-10-15T09:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my wedding blog. Here you'll find information on what I'm doing (and not doing) for my wedding, and any little tidbits that I think of during the day. Feel free to comment, give suggestions, etc.