TO DO List

This weekend we have a unique situation...we have NO plans. None at all, not one single thing that we need to do, not really any place that we need to go. This of course for Phil and I means that we can get caught up on stuff around the house, and wedding stuff is moved to the front of our list!

Here is what I am looking to accomplish this weekend:

1. Addressing out Save the Dates (these came in the mail last week- another post to come on these)

2. Taking a Second Look at our Registry (make sure there are no doubles of anything and also that we have everything we want on the lists, pretty much finalizing everything so we can put the information on our wedding website: weddingwire.com/pholly )

3. Stamping all of the popcorn boxes I made. This will take some time as I need to create the stamp with my Silhouette Cameo first then use the stamp to line up and stamp each of the 200 popcorn boxes. Of course making sure they dry as well. My guess is that my dining room floor will be littered with these boxes drying most of the day Saturday.

4. Cutting my favor boxes. This I am very excited about actually, I was able to catch a crazy sale at Michael's and got the paper for these boxes so cheap it is unbelievable. They were running a sale 6/$1 plus I had a 25% off my entire purchase coupon. DEAL OF THE CENTURY!

Although this might look like a full load I am hoping to also work on a few other things. well see what all I am able accomplish. All I can say is it is sure to be a productive weekend and I cant wait to show you all everything I have completed...with pictures of course! :)

Stages of Wedding Planning

My fiance and I have done a lot of work on our wedding. We have booked most of our vendors and most of the "larger" decisions have been taken care of. Once you get this point I feel like when you are asked about the wedding it is kind of hard to pin point where exactly you are in the process.

This weekend Phil and I went out to dinner with my Aunt and Uncle. This was the first time we had seen them since the engagement and I think we were all very anxious to talk details. When the questions came up- "So, tell us about the wedding?"- I was a little stumped. I can go on and on about the wedding for hours and hours but when faced with a question that really needed more of a pin-pointed answer I was at a loss.

Luckily my wonderful fiance jumped in explaining his views on the wedding planning process. He began by saying that the wedding planning process really scared him in the beginning, he thought it would be very overwhelming and constant lists of To-Dos. He has been presently surprised though-(his words). He explained the planning as going through stages.

The first stage was booking the venues and getting our "rules" for the day. Once you have your venue you are really boxed in to what they will and will not allow you to do. This first stage also consists of booking some of the vendors, DJ, cake, perhaps florist. This stage is loose on pinpointing things other than the general vendors but definitely helps the creativity start flowing.

The second stage, as he described is more where we are at. It is where things begin falling into place and the creativity can come out more and more. For us specifically we have booked the rentals at this point which has allowed us to see how our tables will start to look. Being a complete DIY bride I think this is my favorite stage in the game, I am getting to see my vision starting to take shape.

I am very excited to see the new stages that will start to form. It has been a source of laughter in our house when we can say "That is for stage 4 Molly and Phil to worry about."

Making a List

I think one of the best things a couple can do when beginning to plan a wedding is sit down and come up with a list of the most important things for that day. This list can be 3 or 5 things that are important but should be done apart from each other. Having the bride and groom create list separately allows for the couple to then come together and compare list. Many times the lists are very similar. For us this was also the case:

Phil:

1. Open Bar
2. Reception at a Hotel (we have a lot of out-of-town guests)
3. Throw a huge Party

Molly:

1. Make sure the Day is completely about us
2. Get married at the Red Church
3. Have the wedding at a Hotel
4. If I could sneak in a 4th it would be Open Bar

My feeling on these lists is that they are able to already give you a view to how the wedding is going to be set up. It can give you venue options, bar options and atmosphere options, as you can see above.

These list can also grow and evolve. Once Phil and I revealed our list we were able to start a conversation and then the lists began to grow and really form our wedding. We started a list of "Must Haves"

**Because of this list we were able to adapt a theme to the wedding--Vintage Academy Awards

1. Open Bar with Signature Drinks
2. Lobsters represented somehow (we have matching Lobster tattoos and this theme has bee constant throughout our relationship 
3. Popcorn Bar (Phil loves popcorn and movies)
4. Lemons (another symbol in our relationship)
5. Jasmine in Bride's bouquet

These list sparked more and more lists.

Now I will say that I am a list person to begin with but by creating these must have lists we are able to manage how much we need to get done and how long it will take us. With having a little over a year to plan the wedding from the time we got engaged, we are able to keep our eyes out for new ideas and watch for sales on things we want to buy (this is so important if you are paying for the wedding yourself).

I do know I can get little list crazy but I do think this is the best way to stay organized and make sure you get everything you want (and need) for your special day!

Along Came Pholly

My fiance, Phil, and I are planning on getting married August 15, 2015. We have known each other for so long and I am so excited to be marrying my best friend, my partner in crime, my rock.

I have experience planning wedding making sure that everything falls into place, but my experience has come at the back end of planning rather than from the ground up. Now, with doing it myself I am seeing all the trials and tribulations that brides go through all leading up to one of the most important days of their lives. I am hoping that I can take the lessons I am learning about myself and apply them to my future business and hopefully help a few people in the process.

The one thing I promised myself when we got engaged is that I would make this day completely about the two of us, I keep that in the back of my mind as I power through the family drama, dealing with vendors and the issues that arise.