The Hardware pt.2

Sunday, we go shopping for wedding bands. My sparkler has a unique design that may need to be custom made. Pepe wants something simple and durable so we are looking at other options other then gold like platinum, titanium, or tungsten. Design wise, simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication.

The setting is a split micropave halo ring with diamond accents on the side and a round brilliant "centerpiece" a little over 2 carats total. I think a nice compliment is a band of micro pave diamonds.

:-)

Oh happy day! How do I count the ways?

1. Booked a caterer, finalized the menu and all of the details! We also stayed within our budget

2. Check off the venue! We paid the damage deposit and the remaining balance.

3. Received a very reasonable quote from Wedsafe for wedding day liability insurance (required by our venue). We also plan to purchase the Host Liquor Liability Insurance too. The quotes we received from two local bar tending services were higher because they were based per person but it is discounted through the insurance company. I read rave reviews about Wedsafe so I feel good going with them.

I had a meltdown (as evidence in my previous post and FB status) It was a temporary madness that subsided after a couple of hours of cuddle time with Pepe. Once my sanity was restored, we talked about alternative catering options. We could forfeit our deposit at the Rotunda and change our venue to one that is Asian friendly (Providence area plus a kitchen) or we could serve Western fare with an Asian flare. Neither options enticed me as I truly LOVE our venue and I don't care for fusion food because its rarely done well. The good news is that we might not have to make any compromises. We met with two Asian caterers in the Newport area interested in our wedding. After meeting them today, Pepe and I breathed a sigh of relief. The uncertainty is still there but not enough to worry me to pieces. I can happily continue with the planning process. Hopefully, we can work out the logistics and book a caterer by the first week of March. It would be a nice birthday present to have all of this sorted out.

Last night, I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of sadness, something I am feeling right now as I fight back tears of frustration and hopelessness. I'm just not ready to accept the loss of our wedding. But as the date of the venue deadline grows closer, I can't help but feel complete and utter despair set in and this makes me want to cry. I can feel my nose swell up as I type this and if I let myself have a pity party, I could cry for a few days straight. But I know I can't even though I feel it would let out every single negative emotion I feel. I know it won't do any good because we still won't have a wedding...

Bubblicious

“Here’s to Champagne, the drink divine, that makes us forget all our troubles; It’s made of a dollar’s worth of wine, and three dollars worth of bubbles”

Yet a good bottle of bubbly will cost you some serious moolah. I am not even talking about the ultra fine, high end luxury brands either - Cristal or Dom Perignon. It simply isn't in our budget to serve them but we are splurging on an open bar that will include ultra premium hard liquor, unlimited beer and bottles of Remy Martin and Hennessy. Asian people favor the flavor of cognac so no great party is without bottles of VSOP or XO (anything less is not drink-worthy). However, I never developed an affinity for cognac or acquired a taste for alcohol in general. But on some rare occasions like uh a wedding, I do drink. And my preferred choice is champagne. So while I can't have bottles of Moet & Chandon (Parent company of Hennessy), I found an equally tasteful choice for a lot less. Let me introduce you to Westport Rivers sparkling wine. Yes, sparkling wine. In France, by law, a sparkling wine is called champagne but only if it is produced in France and is made by what is called la methode champenoise. Anything else is called sparkling wine. Now that doesn't mean sparkling wine is inferior to Champagne. The U.S produces plenty of fine sparkling wines including Westport Rivers, which is a local favorite that has won rave reviews and international recognition. My personal fave is the 99" Blanc de noir. It has a distinctively delicate flavor layered in fruit with a smooth clean finish that is refreshing to the palate. The best part is a bottle retails between $25-$35. Budget friendly without compromising taste. I hope my guests will be able to admire the flavor as they sip the tiny bubbles and look upon its lovely sun set colours with pleasure.

Frugal Find: The Flower Girl dresses

Another fancy find for the frugalista bride! Ebay seller 87sweetgirl has a fabulous selection of flower girl dresses starting at $8.95. You can also find floral hair bands, flower sashes, and other special occasion outfits listed on her ebay site. Pepe and I fell in love with the particular style pictured above. The ivory satin bodice and tulle overlay rose petal dress in fuchsia features a removable flower sash that is purrfect for a spring/summer look. I found a similar style on PinkMarie.com for $42.95 but the one on ebay is $14.99 for a starting bid and $19.99 for Buy It Now. I am going to bid for one dress to test the quality of the dress as I want my little lovelies in nice garments. The reviews for the seller have been mostly positive too.

Cambodian Wedding Invitation

Low and Behold! Bridal Flats!

Meet Mes Souliers! Coloriffics Carmen, retails $66. These enchanted flats went over my budget a bit but with such stylish charms and comfortable sensibility, I think they are going to be worth it! I just wish they were available on Zappos as I would have no qualms about purchasing them online. I did find a few local bridal shops in the area that sell the brand so I'll make some phone calls tomorrow to see if the shoes are available in a size 7 and Ivory color. After my fabulous fitting with Rose today, I am super excited to see how the shoes will look at the second fitting when the dress gets hemmed. I am glad I continued to shop around as the selection of flats are limited. Coloriffics Carmen heel height is under the 2 inch mark. The stylish straps and feminine peep toes were made to show off a pedicure. Other contenders included the Annie Aliza and RSVP Sadie (but not available in my size).

NWT: Got the Blues

We had plans to paint, furnish and decorate our living quarters when we first purchased the house in June but the paint and decorate part was put on the back burner so we could concentrate on the wedding plans. The work free weekend provided the perfect opportunity for us to get started on some of the home renovation projects. The first thing we wanted to do was transform the look of our traditional living room into a more contemporary space. We also wanted to infuse color and texture too. This meant that the original wood trim would need a fresh coat of white paint to go with the two tone blue walls we choose for our colors. After pouring through countless inspiration pictures of beautiful home interiors, here are a few favorites.

:-(

The title of my post sums up how I feel about the caterer canceling on us -117 days before the big day. The reason or excuse they gave us didn't make much sense either. I mean why did they agree to caterer our wedding if they felt the venue was too far? Why did they not tell me upfront about how ill equipped they are to execute dinner service without a kitchen on site? Why ask me to set up an appointment with the venue coordinator a week before canceling on us? Finally, why wait to tell me now and not earlier...like when I inquired 4 months ago? I know our wedding is small fries compared to the Big Fat Cambodian weddings with like a bazillion guests. Profit wise we are just not on the top of their list. So instead of finalizing our menu this weekend, I am scrambling to find caterers that can serve up authentic Asian cuisine. My options are limited but it's okay, I'm not going to panic and jump overboard. Planning has been smooth sailing before we hit this huge snag in the sail. I just hope that one of the caterers we meet with is going to be our life saver.