After we got our venue settled, it was time to move on to selecting the vendors: a DJ, a photographer and a florist. One of my uncles is a professional DJ, and he did the music for my brother's wedding. He was fantastic! Everyone was on the dance floor all night, the announcements were cool and not super cheesy and he patiently accepted all of my requests for more Notorious B.I.G. - what more could you ask for?! But I was worried that if he spent his time working at our wedding, he wouldn't really get to enjoy it - though he definitely seemed to enjoy my brother's - so I started looking around for other options.
In all of my wedding review searches, one name kept popping up: DJ Gaza. Folks said that not only was he lovely to work with and reasonably priced, he was also seriously amazing at his job. They said, even guests who don't usually dance were grooving on the dance floor all night! So I emailed DJ Gaza and set up an appointment for the next week.
The day of our meeting, Bridesmaid N texted me and said, "Don't sign a contract with a DJ until you meet my friend Gary! He's the best!" That's funny, I thought - DJ Gaza's name is Gary! I wonder if it's the same guy?
Turns out it was! Gary and N know each other through a mutual friend, and between N's recommendation, DJ Gaza's sample playlists and my conversations with Gary, who really couldn't be more lovely, we booked him on the spot. Now I totally can't wait for to hear him spin at our wedding - we just know that he will make the party amazing.
One big vendor down, and two to go!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Saying Yes to the Dress
My original approach to wedding dress shopping was pretty much the same as my approach to dessert buffets: I WANT TO TRY ALL THE THINGS! I made appointments at five - oh yes, five - bridal salons over the course of two weekends. It was the Mrs. M-to-be Wedding Dress Tryin' Jamboree 2012 - and everyone was invited! (Well, not Mr. M, of course.)
My mom came down to Brooklyn on Friday morning to begin the satin and taffeta-draped marathon. We met up with one of my bridesmaids, J, and started out at the White Gown in Brooklyn, a hip and sophisticated little bridal boutique in the Dumbo neighborhood. My experience there was lovely beyond words. As a solidly plus-sized bride, I was really nervous that I'd be relegated to either holding pretty dresses up to myself in the mirror or shimmying into a parade of dumpy, boring plus size dresses. I shouldn't have been so pessimistic - the White Gown had zillions of gorgeous sample dresses in my size! (Or at least very close to my size.) I was able to try on at least seven or eight dresses in the style that I wanted, and at least three of them were very serious contenders. My consultant Erin was amazing - intuitive and friendly and welcoming - and the salon itself was really comfortable and pretty. My only tiny, tiny complaint was the size of their robes - guys, if you carry a sample size 22, invest in some XL robes for the size 22 ladies! But other than that, the experience couldn't have been better.
I fell in luuuurve with the Enzoani Fabi dress - especially after Erin showed me how much more flattering it was with a sparkly sash at the waist - but I still had four more appointments to get to, so I left the salon with Erin's card, pretty positive that Fabi would be my gown!
Our next stop was Kleinfeld's. I wasn't optimistic when we walked in - at four o'clock on a Friday afternoon, the place was a madhouse. We stood around waiting for a seat in the lobby to open up - and waiting for my other bridesmaid, N, to join us - and finally snagged a sofa just moments before my consultant, Antonella, appeared. I recognized Antonella from the show, Say Yes to the Dress, and was totally excited to see her! She was working with a newer consultant that day, showing her the ropes, and it was really cool to see the interaction between the more seasoned Kleinfeld's veteran and the super enthusiastic and sweet newbie.
We went into a dressing room and went over budget and style. I had printed out some dresses from the website but, like a doofus, totally forgot to bring them. I tried to describe the things I liked - dropped waists, full skirts, lots of drama - but also told them that I was totally open to suggestions. After a couple of minutes, everyone left - the consultants to the stock room, my entourage to a couch - and I slipped into my (perfectly sized) silver robe to wait.
The first few dresses were beautiful, but not really an improvement over the Fabi. I tried on the pretty Sophia Moncelli ballgown from the opening credits to SYTTD: Big Bliss and a Bliss by Monique Lhullier dress that was covered in organza roses. Both were lovely, but.... they just didn't quite top the Enzoani from the White Gown.
And then they brought it in - THE DRESS. It didn't look like much on the hanger, but I figured they knew better than me and I might as well try it on. You never know, right?
I stood on the pedestal as Antonella tugged the corset lacing tighter and tighter. And what was that in the mirror...? I had a waist! And boobs! A flat stomach and curvy hips! I looked taller... and elegant... and, oh my God.... beautiful!
As soon as I stepped out to show the crew, I knew we had a winner on our hands. The ladies, who had mostly been giving lukewarm nods and forced smiles to the giant, froofy ballgowns I loved, all lit up and started nodding. And when I turned around to show them the dramatic train? It was a chorus of "Yes! YES!"
We walked out to the pedestal in front of the full length mirror. I stepped up on the pedestal and dropped my armfuls of skirt. The silky fabric cascaded to the floor as my mom straightened out the beautiful train behind me. Another consultant came up and slipped a stunning beaded cathedral veil in my hair. Oh man. I melted.
I quizzed the folks I was with - do you love it? Do you think this is it? Do you really really love it? They all said yes. And so, after a few emotional moments in the fitting room alone with my mom, with tears of happiness in my eyes, I said yes, too.
And the celebrating started! "Are you saying yes to the dress?!" Antonella asked, laughing. "I am saying yes to the dress!" I replied. And we all laughed and took pictures and I took one last long glance in the mirror before I took it off, picturing myself walking down the aisle on our wedding day, Mr. M standing at the altar. I could really, really see it. And oh man, I really can't wait.
My mom came down to Brooklyn on Friday morning to begin the satin and taffeta-draped marathon. We met up with one of my bridesmaids, J, and started out at the White Gown in Brooklyn, a hip and sophisticated little bridal boutique in the Dumbo neighborhood. My experience there was lovely beyond words. As a solidly plus-sized bride, I was really nervous that I'd be relegated to either holding pretty dresses up to myself in the mirror or shimmying into a parade of dumpy, boring plus size dresses. I shouldn't have been so pessimistic - the White Gown had zillions of gorgeous sample dresses in my size! (Or at least very close to my size.) I was able to try on at least seven or eight dresses in the style that I wanted, and at least three of them were very serious contenders. My consultant Erin was amazing - intuitive and friendly and welcoming - and the salon itself was really comfortable and pretty. My only tiny, tiny complaint was the size of their robes - guys, if you carry a sample size 22, invest in some XL robes for the size 22 ladies! But other than that, the experience couldn't have been better.
 |
| The Enzoani Fabi - is this dreamy or what? |
Our next stop was Kleinfeld's. I wasn't optimistic when we walked in - at four o'clock on a Friday afternoon, the place was a madhouse. We stood around waiting for a seat in the lobby to open up - and waiting for my other bridesmaid, N, to join us - and finally snagged a sofa just moments before my consultant, Antonella, appeared. I recognized Antonella from the show, Say Yes to the Dress, and was totally excited to see her! She was working with a newer consultant that day, showing her the ropes, and it was really cool to see the interaction between the more seasoned Kleinfeld's veteran and the super enthusiastic and sweet newbie.
We went into a dressing room and went over budget and style. I had printed out some dresses from the website but, like a doofus, totally forgot to bring them. I tried to describe the things I liked - dropped waists, full skirts, lots of drama - but also told them that I was totally open to suggestions. After a couple of minutes, everyone left - the consultants to the stock room, my entourage to a couch - and I slipped into my (perfectly sized) silver robe to wait.
The first few dresses were beautiful, but not really an improvement over the Fabi. I tried on the pretty Sophia Moncelli ballgown from the opening credits to SYTTD: Big Bliss and a Bliss by Monique Lhullier dress that was covered in organza roses. Both were lovely, but.... they just didn't quite top the Enzoani from the White Gown.
And then they brought it in - THE DRESS. It didn't look like much on the hanger, but I figured they knew better than me and I might as well try it on. You never know, right?
I stood on the pedestal as Antonella tugged the corset lacing tighter and tighter. And what was that in the mirror...? I had a waist! And boobs! A flat stomach and curvy hips! I looked taller... and elegant... and, oh my God.... beautiful!
As soon as I stepped out to show the crew, I knew we had a winner on our hands. The ladies, who had mostly been giving lukewarm nods and forced smiles to the giant, froofy ballgowns I loved, all lit up and started nodding. And when I turned around to show them the dramatic train? It was a chorus of "Yes! YES!"
We walked out to the pedestal in front of the full length mirror. I stepped up on the pedestal and dropped my armfuls of skirt. The silky fabric cascaded to the floor as my mom straightened out the beautiful train behind me. Another consultant came up and slipped a stunning beaded cathedral veil in my hair. Oh man. I melted.
I quizzed the folks I was with - do you love it? Do you think this is it? Do you really really love it? They all said yes. And so, after a few emotional moments in the fitting room alone with my mom, with tears of happiness in my eyes, I said yes, too.
And the celebrating started! "Are you saying yes to the dress?!" Antonella asked, laughing. "I am saying yes to the dress!" I replied. And we all laughed and took pictures and I took one last long glance in the mirror before I took it off, picturing myself walking down the aisle on our wedding day, Mr. M standing at the altar. I could really, really see it. And oh man, I really can't wait.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Om Nom Nom... the Tasting Party!
As soon as we signed the contract and put down the deposit for the Botanic Garden, we got an email from the Palm House's wedding coordinator inviting us to a tasting party! The Palm House has an in-house caterer, Charles Sally Charles, and instead of individual tastings for couples getting married there, they have a big party a few times a year. Even though it was a little bit early - since our wedding won't be for another year - both Mr. M and I never say no to a party. So we went, and brought Mr. M's mother along with us to enjoy the festivities!
The caterers had set up a full bar outside of the Palm House on the patio near the fountains, so Mr. M's mom and I picked up a few glasses of celebratory champagne - yum! Mr. M opted for a cocktail instead, and was very pleased - those bartenders know their stuff. We sipped our drinks and admired the scenery for a bit, then headed inside to begin the feast.
The caterers had arranged the room with food stations lining the walls - a Tuscan table with antipasti and yummy little vegetable tarts, a pasta station with some salads and different kinds of pasta, an artisanal cheese table, a crudite display and - be still my beating heart! - a fully stocked raw bar with different kinds of raw oysters and clams, huge jumbo shrimp, cracked crab legs and delectable chilled lobster tails. Heaven! We claimed a cocktail table near the kitchen and made sure to snag each one of the passed appetizers as they came by - a miniature Reuben sandwich, a chilled butternut squash soup in a shotglass, a teeny tiny crabcake. Yum to everything! Later in the evening, the waiters brought out miniature samples of a few entree selections. We tried the duck, which was really good, but missed out on the other entree.
The only slight disappointment of the evening was the cake selection - the catering package includes a cake, and Mr. M and I agreed that we would go with the venue's bakers rather than spend the extra money to hire one of our own. Though there were seven or eight flavor combinations available, we were only allowed to try three each - and the ones we tried were not as amazingly delicious as all of the other food we'd had that evening. The vanilla flavors were on the dry side, and the chocolate ones - while still pretty good - were underwhelming. Oh well... no one really eats cake at a wedding anyway, right?
We left a little bit tipsy and totally full of oysters and lobster, confident that we'd made the right choice in booking the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It's going to be a really beautiful - and really delicious - day!
The caterers had set up a full bar outside of the Palm House on the patio near the fountains, so Mr. M's mom and I picked up a few glasses of celebratory champagne - yum! Mr. M opted for a cocktail instead, and was very pleased - those bartenders know their stuff. We sipped our drinks and admired the scenery for a bit, then headed inside to begin the feast.
The caterers had arranged the room with food stations lining the walls - a Tuscan table with antipasti and yummy little vegetable tarts, a pasta station with some salads and different kinds of pasta, an artisanal cheese table, a crudite display and - be still my beating heart! - a fully stocked raw bar with different kinds of raw oysters and clams, huge jumbo shrimp, cracked crab legs and delectable chilled lobster tails. Heaven! We claimed a cocktail table near the kitchen and made sure to snag each one of the passed appetizers as they came by - a miniature Reuben sandwich, a chilled butternut squash soup in a shotglass, a teeny tiny crabcake. Yum to everything! Later in the evening, the waiters brought out miniature samples of a few entree selections. We tried the duck, which was really good, but missed out on the other entree.
The only slight disappointment of the evening was the cake selection - the catering package includes a cake, and Mr. M and I agreed that we would go with the venue's bakers rather than spend the extra money to hire one of our own. Though there were seven or eight flavor combinations available, we were only allowed to try three each - and the ones we tried were not as amazingly delicious as all of the other food we'd had that evening. The vanilla flavors were on the dry side, and the chocolate ones - while still pretty good - were underwhelming. Oh well... no one really eats cake at a wedding anyway, right?
We left a little bit tipsy and totally full of oysters and lobster, confident that we'd made the right choice in booking the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It's going to be a really beautiful - and really delicious - day!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Flower... Tweens?
My mom is one of eight brothers and sisters. No, seriously... eight! (Ah, Irish Catholics!) And while she's towards the beginning of the birth order, her youngest sister was born while my mom was away at college - which is how I turned out to be a thirty-one year old bride with two eight year old cousins.
Not just any eight year old cousins, of course, but the cutest, smartest, funniest, awesome-est twin eight year olds ever! The girls are both great, and as soon as Mr. M and I started thinking about our bridal party, I knew that I wanted the twins to be a part of it. They were flower girls at my brother's wedding a few years back, and at another cousin's wedding a little while before that, so I figured they should be professionals by now! And since both of the ladies are so cute and smart and funny and awesome, I wanted to make sure I asked them to be my flower girls in a really special way. 
So I found these teeny little pale pink letterpress cards in a stationery store in Philadelphia and I Googled around for a cute little girly poem to write inside of them and I mailed them off, all proud of myself for being the totally cool older cousin who was clearly going to treat these girls like the little princesses they are!
Then we all got together for a family gathering a few weeks ago, and I was all, "Sooooo.... are you guys excited to be my flower girls?! You can wear fluffy pink dresses and cute little shoes and flower crowns just like a fairy princess!!!!" The twins, to their credit, managed to smile and nod politely. Then my mother walked into the room and said, "Flower girls?! Why not junior bridesmaids?"
"Would you guys rather be junior bridesmaids?" I asked. Their eyes lit up. "Yeah!"
"Oh... okay!" I said, "And would you rather wear pink poofy dresses, or more sophisticated ones like the bridesmaids?" They were definitely in agreement - "Sophisticated!"
"Okay!" I said, "Junior bridesmaids it is!"
Not having kids myself, I think I must have just been totally out of touch with the sensibilities of an eight year old girl - but now that I think back, I would have been happier as an eight year old junior bridesmaid myself. Plus, the girls will be pushing ten by the time our wedding rolls around - and clearly, one ages out of flower girl territory well before hitting double digits in age!
The twins' mother pulled me aside that afternoon and said, "Honestly, they'll be flower girls if you would rather they be flower girls. You get the be the boss on your wedding day!" But at the end of the day, I don't really care what we call them in the program and whether they wear sleek navy dresses or froofy pink ones - I'm just glad they're a part of the wedding party. And if making them junior bridesmaids makes them feel special and grownup and cool, then I am totally happy to have two junior bridesmaids!
Besides, all is not lost in the flower girl department... I've got the sweetest little baby niece who will be just perfect for the job!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Sh*t Fiances Say
Just in case I ever start complaining about Mr. M not being involved enough in our wedding planning... here are some of his most recent wedding related suggestions:
"I'm going to fart out 'Unchained Melody' while you walk down the aisle."
"We'll ride in on a chariot pulled by [our two cats]!"
(While at a 7-11) "Ooh, let's register for that nacho cheese dispenser!"
"Let's design the invites to look like they're coming from a bill collector."
"I have an idea for the passed appetizers: bacon-wrapped Peeps!"
"For the after party, I'm going to dress up like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade. You can be John Ritter."
Guys.... what would I do without him? :D
"I'm going to fart out 'Unchained Melody' while you walk down the aisle."
"We'll ride in on a chariot pulled by [our two cats]!"
(While at a 7-11) "Ooh, let's register for that nacho cheese dispenser!"
"Let's design the invites to look like they're coming from a bill collector."
"I have an idea for the passed appetizers: bacon-wrapped Peeps!"
"For the after party, I'm going to dress up like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade. You can be John Ritter."
Guys.... what would I do without him? :D
Finding our church!
So there we were, Mr. M and I - we had booked our reception venue but still had no idea where to do the actual ceremony. We could have held it at the Botanic Gardens, of course - they were happy to provide space and time for the ceremony, but Mr. M and I both knew that we wanted to have a Catholic wedding. We were both raised Catholic, but had stopped attending church in recent years, so we started off by looking around for a parish to join.
Our coordinator at the gardens had suggested a church in a nearby neighborhood, but when I called them, the parish priest told me that since I lived outside of their parish boundaries, they wouldn't be willing to let us get married there. "Even if we attend Mass there every week?" I asked. "Even then," he replied, "You should go to church whose parish you live in." Oh man... denied!
We found another church close to us and went to Mass there the next Sunday. While the church and the parishoners there were absolutely lovely, it just... didn't feel right. It didn't feel like home for some reason. So the search continued.
Finally, I called St. Joseph's to ask about joining their parish and the requirements for getting married in their church. From that very first phone call, I had a really good feeling about St. Joseph's. The folks I spoke with were warm and lovely, and they encouraged us to come attend Mass one Sunday and speak with the Monsignor afterwards about pre-Cana and becoming members of the parish. So, next Sunday, I dutifully reported for Mass... and was blown away.
This church... this church felt like home. There was just something about it. Even before the Monsignor began his homily, I felt like... this is where I'm supposed to be. This is not just where I'm supposed to get married, but a place where I can really allow my faith to blossom. A place where Mr. M and I can become part of a community. And then the Monsignor stepped off the altar and walked into the pews to begin his homily, and he was just so thoughtful and passionate and wise. My decision was solidified. This was it. This was our church.
I went back the next week with Mr. M, and he agreed a hundred percent. We scheduled our first meeting with Monsignor to begin our wedding preparation, and we've been going back for Sunday Mass every week since. It's a really wonderful thing for us, I think. It not only makes us feel happy, and feel restored every week, and feel closer to God.... it makes us feel like a family.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Location, location, location!
The first time I visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, long before meeting Mr. M, all I could think about was how what a perfect place it would be for a wedding. It really is a magical place, I think - an oasis of greenery and flowers and wide open space in the middle of the busy streets of Brooklyn. But it was probably super-expensive, and there was no groom on the horizon anyway, and even if there was, we could totally never afford to get married there... right?
Well.... not quite! When I had an inkling that there was a very special ring in my near future, I started researching wedding venues - both in Brooklyn and in upstate New York, where I grew up. After my initial rustic wedding-in-a-barn idea was roundly dismissed by groom and parents - although I really don't know who *wouldn't* want a pig and a bonfire (hello, s'mores!) and mason jars with flowers at their wedding - the venue search narrowed to places in Brooklyn. I looked at traditional catering halls, restaurants and some totally DIY, raw space, bring-your-own-furniture venues... and finally, with my fingers crossed, I called to inquire about the pricing at my dream venue, the Botanic Garden. The answer? For an afternoon wedding on a weekend in June, shockingly reasonable.
With a brief venue visit to seal the deal - on the day that Mr. M officially proposed! - we selected our date and booked it, crossing our fingers that we'd find a Catholic church that would marry us on that day. (At fifteen months out, I knew we probably wouldn't have a problem, but June is awfully popular - and a bunch of dates at the BBG were already booked for Spring 2013 when we visited in January 2012, which made me extra paranoid!)
One of the best parts of getting married at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden? We get to visit all the time! Sometimes Mr. M and I take a walk through the gardens on a Saturday afternoon to scope out the crowds and peek inside the Palm House to see if any weddings are in progress. This weekend, we're almost exactly a year out from our wedding, so we took a stroll to see what will be in bloom this time next year. (Spoiler alert: Roses!)
I got seriously mushy on this walk-about today. Just a tiny bit more than a year from now, I'll be standing here in this garden with my family and friends, our wedding party and our photographer - and my brand new husband. I'll be Mrs. M, for real. And we'll walk around the garden like we walked around it today - beside each other, holding hands. Totally happy, totally in love.
Ohhhh.... I can't wait!
Well.... not quite! When I had an inkling that there was a very special ring in my near future, I started researching wedding venues - both in Brooklyn and in upstate New York, where I grew up. After my initial rustic wedding-in-a-barn idea was roundly dismissed by groom and parents - although I really don't know who *wouldn't* want a pig and a bonfire (hello, s'mores!) and mason jars with flowers at their wedding - the venue search narrowed to places in Brooklyn. I looked at traditional catering halls, restaurants and some totally DIY, raw space, bring-your-own-furniture venues... and finally, with my fingers crossed, I called to inquire about the pricing at my dream venue, the Botanic Garden. The answer? For an afternoon wedding on a weekend in June, shockingly reasonable.
With a brief venue visit to seal the deal - on the day that Mr. M officially proposed! - we selected our date and booked it, crossing our fingers that we'd find a Catholic church that would marry us on that day. (At fifteen months out, I knew we probably wouldn't have a problem, but June is awfully popular - and a bunch of dates at the BBG were already booked for Spring 2013 when we visited in January 2012, which made me extra paranoid!)
One of the best parts of getting married at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden? We get to visit all the time! Sometimes Mr. M and I take a walk through the gardens on a Saturday afternoon to scope out the crowds and peek inside the Palm House to see if any weddings are in progress. This weekend, we're almost exactly a year out from our wedding, so we took a stroll to see what will be in bloom this time next year. (Spoiler alert: Roses!)
I got seriously mushy on this walk-about today. Just a tiny bit more than a year from now, I'll be standing here in this garden with my family and friends, our wedding party and our photographer - and my brand new husband. I'll be Mrs. M, for real. And we'll walk around the garden like we walked around it today - beside each other, holding hands. Totally happy, totally in love.
Ohhhh.... I can't wait!
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