Vancouverpetunia - Now Sapphire - April 7, 2016

[krystalball]

Looks great so far! So interesting to see how the lace on the dress is constructed. Looking forward to seeing the beautiful finished product

 

 

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[vancouverpetunia]

Thanks, ladies. It has been a bit nerve wracking, trusting a stranger to create your vision. @@krystalball I discovered there is two types of lace. The original dress in the image was made from a sheet of lace, essentially. The dressmaker didn't have any "sheets" that I liked, so she is sewing cut pieces onto the tulle, which will be a layer on top of the satin. It won't be exactly the same as the image, since it won't be solid lace, but I think it's working out well nonetheless. Fingers crossed!

 

 

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Edited January 1, 2016 by vancouverpetunia

[Wafflesmom]

Erin, thanks for sharing the progress of your custom dress. It's so exciting and interesting to see how it's all made. So far your dress looks beautiful, I love the silhouette. Plus, in the end, it will be customized to what you want. Can't wait to see the end result. Please keep us posted

 

P.S. I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and an awesome start to the new year

[vancouverpetunia]

Well, we are 95 days out from our wedding and exactly 3 months from our travel day. Whoo-hoo! I feel fairly in control at this point, but I'm also not doing a lot compared to most DW brides (no OOT bags, minimal decor, etc.). But I realized that we have not thought out some logistical stuff, so we did that this weekend. 

 

Timeline

Our wedding ceremony is scheduled for 4pm. Then we have a cocktail hour and then the dinner/dance reception which is 3 hours. We had already decided not to pay to extend this, but head to the club instead. However, if we did this all in a row, it would mean we would end at 8:30, which seems really early! So I think we will do this:

 

3:15 First Look (is this enough time before the ceremony?)

4:00 Ceremony

4:30 Photos, guests are on their own - the lobby bar is close by

5:30 Cocktail hour

6:30 Dinner

9:30 Move to the club for anyone who wants to keep going (I will actually try to stay at our reception location as long as possible - they'll have to kick us out!). We have an older group, so I don't think too many will mind wrapping early. 

 

Has anyone done this with a break between the ceremony and cocktail hour? Did anyone complain (or disappear and not come back?!?)? 

 

Reception Details

We've asked my BIL to be our MC. I think he will accept (he is just trying to sort out childcare for his kids, since my sister is also in my wedding party). 

 

I'm not a big fan of a lot of the traditional things that are generally done at wedding receptions, so I'm trying to figure out how to modify the events without disappointing people who might appreciate them. 

• Receiving line: Nope. Not doing it. We're spending a whole week with these people, so it's not our one and only chance to speak to them personally. Will do our best to mingle at all events. 
• Speeches: Ugh. I think we will keep the main ones. MC intro, best man, maid of honour (although I have never actually selected one of my BMs as my maid of honour - I only have 2, my sister & my best friend, how to decide?), my parents, us. Does that cover the major speeches? 
• Dances: Ugh again. I think we will do these after dinner and keep them short. Maybe our first dance is only half a song and then we bring in the parents? Any suggestions? It seems like you are supposed to do this after the first course, but that seems awkward to me.
• Bouquet/garter toss: Not doing these. We have a total of 2 single people (not counting children) attending. I think it would be awkward. 
• Cake cutting: For some reason I am okay with this (maybe because it involves cake ), so we will do it toward the end of the reception. 

Gifts

I sort of forgot that we are supposed to get gifts for important people in our wedding/families. Oops. So I guess we need to figure this out and get shopping.

• Bridemaids x 2: I have a robe for each of them, but thinking this is not enough (I haven't paid for their dresses or anything). Neither of them really wear jewelry other than the "real" (and expensive) stuff they already have, and I don't care if they have matching jewelry for the ceremony. I'm thinking perfume?
• Groomsmen x 2: We have a Chive bottle opener & flask for each of them. Jeff is going to get these engraved and thinks this is sufficient.
• Parents: I have NO idea what to get them. Golf stuff for the dads maybe? 
• Musician: A friend of ours is playing the sax for the processional & recessional. I should probably get him something? 
• Have I missed anyone? Our photographer is a friend, but we are also paying him. I think it's a reduced rate from his usual, but seems like a gift on top of that would be weird. 

Here is my to-do list for the next month or so:

• Finalize day/reception timeline
• Confirm MC
• Let people know if they are expected to give speeches
• Figure out a plan for gifts & start buying them
• Get Jeff's ring resized
• Pick a date & location for our legal wedding
• Find an officiant for legal wedding
• Work on a welcome letter (would love any templates or examples you can share)
• Get fans ordered - thinking of doing this for the ceremony. I don't really have a burning need for a program (it's more about keeping guests cool) but I really like the looks of these from Etsy:

 

 

Phew! I guess I had better get started!

 

 

 

[calgarybride2015]

I think think there have been many brides on here who send the guests to the bar during photos. Don't think anyone has ever posted a negative response.

 

I think 45 mins is enough time given you are doing photos after the ceremony!

 

We did photobooks after the wedding for all our parents. Seemed more practical to me than something cheesy. Groupon always has photo book Canada ones and they are fantastic quality.

 

I think your groomsmen gifts are great. Maybe do another something little for the girls. Maybe a little travel kit? Or shoes for the wedding? Or sunglasses? Just throwing out ideas lol

 

 

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[vancouverpetunia]

Thanks for the feedback & suggestions, Kim. I hadn't thought about a photobook, since I was thinking we should give them something AT the wedding. Did you give your parents anything small so they didn't feel like they were being "ignored" or did you tell them they would get a photobook later (or neither)? I love the idea.

[calgarybride2015]

No I did not. I wouldn't have even thought they should get a gift if it hadn't have been for this site. I asked my sisters and friends and no one did it lol.

I doubt your parents will be offended. I think ours were more shocked we sent them something. Maybe because we aren't traditional?? Not really sure the 'history' behind giving gifts to the family. Not sure if it depends who pays for the wedding?

 

 

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[deecol]

@@vancouverpetunia I just had to catch-up on your thread - everything is looking great!  You seem very on track!

 

I think your timeline is very reasonable and organized.

 

The gifts thing can get tricky.  I paid for my girls dresses and got them each a pandora charm since they both have the bracelets.  Perfume is a nice gift, I would be my usual paranoid self and worry about it breaking or spilling in transit. hmmm is there something sentimental you could do for them?  I'm trying to think of some options that will travel well.  I'll get back to you    The groomsmens gifts sounds great!  I didn't think about getting the parents anything - I was planning on making photo albums after the wedding as well.

 

And your fans are super cute!!!

[vancouverpetunia]

@@calgarybride2015 Good points. My sister did give my parents a gift around her wedding (although I don't think they've ever used it!). I don't know if Jeff's sister did as well. My parents are contributing some money to the wedding; his are not, but that's because they bailed him out of a financial situation a few years back, so that was his "wedding fund". Neither of our parents seem like the types that would be offended, now that I think of it. But maybe we could write them a note thanking them for their support and letting them know that they will get a surprise later on or something...

 

@@deecol Please let me know if you have any ideas for the girls. Yeah, the perfume could be a bit of an issue in terms of travel. I wasn't so much worried about getting it there, but I don't know if they will be checking luggage to go home or carrying on. Probably checking, as they both have kids, but you never know. I could pay for their make-up and/or hair at the resort, but that would come to $160 USD each if I did both, which is quite a lot. 

[yycbride2016]

I love those fans! So cute! And so fitting!

 

I think your timeline looks great! I've been working on mine also :S makes it so real Hahaha!

 

For gifts go with something small. I did jewelry for the bridesmaids, mothers, maid of honor. Cuff links for the dads, and the groomsmen we are looking at golf stuff

 

 

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