The Good Paparazzi (aka-Ellen and Stephanie) March 4, 2008

OK, so how lucky am I to have coworkers who’ll do this for me?!? Today was the awesome photo shoot with Ellen and Stephanie in Sinatra Park, outside of our office. Fortunately, we have a gorgeous view of the city as our playground. Unfortunately, Josh is so damn funny that I’m making ridiculous faces in many of the photos. Of course, my favorite photos (so far) are of us doing completely silly things. A sampling of Ellen’s work. Stephanie’s samples to come! (If I ever consider a future in acting, the top middle photo is my official head shot.)

Photo in the bottom right corner is what Ellen dubbed a “process photo.” It’s Stephanie in action!

Dress Hunting and Invitation Aspiration March 1, 2008

Dovetailing nicely with my post about freaking out, I’m so, so far behind with my blogging because it takes so much time actually planning a wedding that I often don’t have time to write about what I’ve been doing. Nontheless, I aspire!

The weekend before last was a weekend full of wedding goodness up in Massachusetts with my future sister in law, Julie, my future niece, Anjali, and the kick ass store that is Paper Source. The weekend in a nutshell:

Saturday: Bridesmaid Dress Shopping Day (and a little flower girl dress shopping)

We had three appointments and managed to go to two before finding THE DRESS. Woo hoo! It’s the simple, elegant, gorgeous Bill Levkoff modeled here by the lovely Julie. It’ll be in sage and champagne instead.

We couldn’t manage to get Anjali to try anything on (it was a really, really long day for a 2-year old), but she was more than happy to shop for purses instead. I submit the following evidence to the court:

We hoped she would be willing to try this dress on. Unfortunately, it’s so expensive that we’ll probably have to go with a different dress anyway.

(via The Ladybug Collection)

Sunday: A Wedding Invitation Workshop at Paper Source in Brookline

Between Gocco madness and lots and lots of encouragement from the very crafty Ellen, I was convinced that I’d design and reproduce every scrap of paper in our wedding. The day was off to a great start since instead of having to catch a ride to the Worcester commuter rail, transferring to the T, and walking to the Paper Source, I managed to guilt trip Josh into taking the day off and driving me into Boston. (TIP: sit in front of computer, quizzically inspect the T-map, take copious notes, say “I sure hope I don’t get lost tomorrow,” and pout–a small pout, too big and you’re pushing your luck.)

I was running 10 minutes late, so when we arrived I ran into the store, down the stairs to the workshop room, and had to catch up with the rest of the group. Unfortunately, my first task was to take my shaking hands (from the huffing, puffing, and running) and use a surgically-sharp craft blade to cut paper. Obviously I screwed up this first task and nearly sliced my finger.

Ok, so I’m too lazy to post photos of my invitation samples because they’re incredibly mediocre. The two important things I learned from this workshop are 1) I can’t make my own invitations and 2) how to emboss. I bought some lovely embossing equipment–using my awesome 10% discount, post-workshop–that I hope I’ll find a reason to use often.

Nonetheless, I am still convinced that I will use my Gocco to fight evil in this world. Together we shall make peace-inducing wedding programs, corruption-killing out of town guest bag labels, and we’ll fight the good fight with crime-busting place cards.

The Weekend of Freaking Out March 1, 2008

Damn my procrastination and my many, many failings. This is officially the weekend of flipping out over the parts of this wedding process that I’m the least excited about, or completely unprepared for, or I’m experiencing extreme anxiety over, or all of the above.

Freak Out #1: Engagement Photos

Weeks and weeks of terrible rainy/snowy weather every Monday through Wednesday has long delayed our engagement photo shoot. To be perfectly honest, I’ve been relieved to have so many delays because 1) I’m camera shy and 2) I’m the least photogenic person on the face of this planet. Now it’s really happening because we’ve devised an indoor itinerary in case we can’t take any outdoor photos. Plus, our photographer is trying out new shooters that week, so we’ll have at least one more photographer during this photo shoot. At first I was thrilled, but now it feels like I’ll be running away from the paparazzi. How does one get comfortable in front of the camera? More importantly, how does one get prepared to be in front of a camera?? This leads me to my next freak out…

Freak Out #2: Hair and Make Up Trials

If hair and makeup had standardized exams like math and reading, I could properly quantify my beauty skills and explain that I operate at a 3rd grade level (basic grooming skills mastered–ie-bathing, combing hair–but possesses no advanced skills). Why couldn’t I grow up playing with makeup like a majority of the western world? I can’t even commit to tinted lip gloss, it feels like too much of a beauty responsibility. I need to hire a hair stylist and a make up artist for the day of the wedding and I don’t have the foggiest idea of how to go about doing this because 1) every hairstyle looks equally OK to me and I can’t really pinpoint what makes a good hair stylist, and 2) make up looks like make up to me, not some careful art thing. Pictures of girls with make up on all look the SAME TO ME. I think I have face blindness–or the correct term, prosopagnosia–but mine extends across the painted face and into upswept hair.

Freak Out #2 also bleeds back into Freak Out #1 because I don’t know what to do with my hair or my make up the day of our engagement photo shoot. Should I go somewhere to get a blow out? If so, where? Should I go to a beauty salon to have my make up done? Where? Can I just walk into a department store and ask someone at a make up counter if they’d do my make up for me? Does that cost anything? Do I need an appointment? I don’t even own foundation, people, so this is a serious problem.

Freak Out #3: Save-the-Date photo booth magnets

Ok, so I wasn’t actually freaking out about having to pick a cute photo booth magnet. In fact, I was really excited about this part. Josh and I found so many awesome potential save-the-dates, but my friend Irene convinced us to go with a photo magnet since she said that she’d prefer to have cute pictures of us on her fridge, which she’d keep forever, or until the magnet fell apart. The freak out part is having cute photos of me and Josh that look like they belong on a photo strip, AND that it’s now 5 months before the wedding and I haven’t even ordered these magnets. We have an engagement photo session so no problem, right? (See Freak Out #1) This leads me to slight change of pace…

Crazy Awesomeness #1: Ellen and Stephanie, photographers extraordinaire!

My heroines! Ellen and Stephanie–two of the best coworkers a person could ask for–have agreed to take pictures of me and Josh this coming Monday so I can finally order our save-the-dates. It’s very possible that one of Ellen’s photos will end up on the front cover of a book we’re publishing this fall and Stephanie recently purchased a very schnazzy new camera. Luckily, we work along the waterfront in Hoboken, so we’ll have a gorgeous view of the city for this photo session. Josh and I will be in two sets of very talented hands, but I’m afraid that this Crazy Awesomeness leads me back to Freak Out #2. What on earth am I going to do with my hair and makeup?

I’m breathing deep, drinking some Yogi Breathe Deep, and taking this one step at a time. Of course, if anyone has any suggestions (big or small), I’m ALL EARS!

Congratulations to Once February 24, 2008

Excuse the NWR (not wedding related) post, but I’m so, so, so, so happy for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova!!!! I feel like a proud mama tonight!

Last May, Juliet was kind enough to be my date for a wonderful early screening of Once, at NYU, that included a Q&A with Glen, Marketa, and director, John Carney, and an intimate performance by Glen and Marketa.

Because I ALWAYS follow the rules, I left my camera at home (for fear of not being let in to the screening since I anticipated a thorough bag search that I would never pass) and didn’t have one on hand when I had the opportunity to meet Glen Hansard. Panic, sweat, and loathing ensued, but luckily Juliet had her camera phone handy and took these lovely shots for me. My savior!

Flowers, flowers, flowers February 24, 2008

I thought the flowers would be the easiest part of the whole wedding planning process because I really didn’t care what they looked like. Stick some dandelions in pot and call it a day. Voila! Stupid, naive Connie.

Stop #1: Fox Hollow’s house florist. Richard, the florist, was extremely friendly and patient with my complete and utter floral ignorance. Josh and I looked through books of pretty bouquets and centerpieces and we discovered that we have completely opposite taste in flowers. How is this possible? From the boy who spent years wooing me with dozens and dozens of roses? We ended up settling on a centerpiece arrangement of tall glass vases filled with sliced limes and star fruit, with tall flowering branches (bald willow branches with white orchids wired on) and some hydrangeas, or another flower, in the base. Richard crunched some numbers and presented us with the total. Eyes bulged, gag reflex activated. Richard told us to give it some thought, shop around, and call him with questions. He was oddly assured that we’d come crawling back to him…and he was right.

Stop #2: Pedestals Florist. I did more research, boned up my floral vocabulary, tore pictures out of magazines, and printed photos from theknot.com. Oh, what a waste of time. As soon as we drove up to the store–which looked like a car dealership–Josh’s first comment to me was, “Why the hell did you let me wear a hooded sweatshirt and jeans!? Shit, I don’t even have a normal sweater here.” My response, “What am I supposed to tell you? ‘Josh, can you please change your entire wardrobe before our Pedestals appointment.?’” (Of course, anyone who’s ever seen Josh knows that his wardrobe consists of three things: hooded sweatshirts, carpenter jeans, and Threadless t-shirts.) Oh hell, we thought. They’re the ones providing us with a service, so who are we supposed to impress? We walked into a flora and fauna wonderland, underneath of a chuppah dripping with cream roses. Huge, huge centerpieces a plenty here. We met with a lovely lady–big nails, hairspray, Long Island accent (coffee=cawfee)–who listened carefully to my newfound love of stephanotis and light green cymbidium orchids.

After the courting period, she dropped the big number. Once again, eyes bulged and gag reflex activated. I think that was the moment we realized we weren’t going to get any better than Richard. Oh how Richard knew we’d come crawling back. We told the lovely lady that this was significantly outside of our budget. She feigned sympathetic as best she could and then shuffled us out of her office, quick as can be. Nice.

Stop #3: Flowers by Brian. We devised a new tactic: “Say hello and ask if you can do a wedding for under $X,XXX.” This way, we won’t waste anyone’s time and we might prevent the out of office shuffle. We walked into a showroom that was a lot less car dealership than Pedestals. Good sign, we thought. A giant arrangement of flowering pear branches sprinkled with long-stemmed white tulips, a top a bed of white hydrangeas, inside a tall, clear glass vase filled with submerged white orchids stared me in the face. I was in love, until I discovered that arrangement was $300/table. Yikes! At any rate, Cindy was sincerely nice and worked to keep the bouquets, corsages, centerpieces, and church arrangements within our budget. She introduced me to my two new loves–green berries and jade green roses–and even made me a little arrangement of sample flowers to take home. I only wish her quote was cheaper than Richard’s because I really liked her and she gave me pretty flowers.

(I’d include a photo if I could figure out how to use my trial version of Aperture!)

In the end, I think we’ll be following our pockets and going with Richard.

Mii Cake toppers February 24, 2008

Bingo! I was so excited when I discovered these gorgeous custom made Mii wedding cake toppers. We’re getting the deluxe cake toppers, so all we need are photos of my dress and his tux, and I can place the order!

(via Paul Pape Designs)

I never knew how much I cared about flowers… February 23, 2008

…until I learned that flowering branches do not exist in summer and individual flowers need to be hand wired to willow branches and that hydrangeas wilt easily in heat and that peonies will have to be flown in from New Zealand if I wanted to have them at an August wedding.

I have a whole bountiful flower post to write, but right now, it’s time for Doctor Who!

The Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides 2008 February 23, 2008

Alas, another RotB has come and gone and I sadly didn’t participate.

I didn’t even know that they were still doing these. When Filene’s was officially devoured by the big fish, Macy’s, I thought the original “basement” would disappear too. Apparently, I was wrong. Rats! If only I’d know!

OK, so I know that I already have a wedding dress, but I always thought that I’d find my dress at one of these chaotic, hormonal messes. Josh and I shop Black Friday with war paint on every year. I was born to bite, scratch, and maul my way through a bargain shopping extravaganza like this for my perfect $400 wedding dress. I guess I’m still mourning the fact that I never had the chance to go.

Of course, I can’t help but feel a combination of terror, excitment, and jealousy when I see photos like this:

(photos by Glen Yoder, Boston.com)

I love my dress and I’m absolutely delighted with the experience I had at Kleinfeld’s. It’s every New York bride’s dream, so who am I to complain? Of course, it would have been awesome to pay a tenth of the cost, but really, I swear, I’m not complaining.

My only request dear friends and readers–if you are getting married and plan to attend a future Running of the Brides, please, please pick me to be your team leader! I’ll make the team logo, order the shirts, make the giant cardboard signs, assign the roles (dress guards, dress runners, dress barterers, etc.), bring 110% of my enthusiasm, and my camera.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!! February 14, 2008

Josh and I agreed not to spend any money on Valentine’s Day this year since we are already making the ultimate gesture of love in August. A pricey one, I might add.

When I came into work this morning three totally awesome Doctor Who valentines were on my desk from the completely thoughtful and wonderful Ellen. My favorite said that I was “Dalek-table.”

I really wish I took the time to make special valentines this year. Of course, part of the problem is that my bank account has about $11.82 in it right now and we don’t get paid until tomorrow. D’oh!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. Next year you’ll be receiving fancy gocco’d V-Day cards!

Gocco madness February 14, 2008

My co-worker, Ellen, has heard me gushing about the Print Gocco for days now. The Gocco is a Japanese at-home silk screening machine that can make some of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Feast your eyes on these examples I found on Flickr:

All of this crafty goodness originated with me finding gorgeous invitations at Hello Lucky! and finding out that it would cost about $1900, excluding postage, for about 175 invitations, response cards, and envelopes. Naturally, I vomited, cried, then found an alternative. Enter the Print Gocco, my saving grace from the land of the rising sun.

After calling Pearl Paint and getting laughed at, I realized that the Gocco is no longer in production. Sad, but there was a great Save Gocco campaign and everything.

(BTW–did you see that Kodak is pulling out of the instant photo business? It’s the end of an era! Goodbye telegrams, goodbye kodak moments. The first comment on the NY Times article captures it all: “What will Andre 3000 shake it like now? What, America?” Nicely put, c greene.)

Anyway, my point is that I’ve taken the plunge and purchased my very own Gocco today! I’m hoping that with a little practice, vision, and encouragement from a crafty friend (cough, Ellen, cough), I can make all the stationery for the wedding. Ambitious, yes, but I certainly don’t have $1900 to spend on paper. Gulp.