DIY Invites

I made an invitation modeled after the one we had liked from before.

I'm thinking of asking Uncle Mike with help on the lettering. And will use the same style for the programs etc. If not Uncle Mike, maybe Pris ee ee or Luke?...

I have another idea for an invitation kinda taking shape in my mind. When we were at the Wedding Expo over the weekend, Eddie saw a custom invitation that had a piece of tulle sticking out of it, as the veil on a bride (it was the back of a bride and groom's heads; they were sitting in a car and the wording on the invitation had something to do with a journey together or on the road to something or other). He liked the dimension it added to the invitation...so I have some tulle and now need some ideas how to incorporate it into an invitation...

Ayieee...

Budget. I gotta remember I need to stick to a budget!

Fantastic Fox Theater...

I really like the Fox Theater! I like the atmosphere of the place more so than Etiwanda Gardens, which is just a big square room. The lady we met with is relatively new to this wedding package/planning thing, but very friendly.

For $45/person we get:

Hall rental
60" round tables/10 chairs per table
Gift table
Buffet tables
Dessert table
White linens
Dance floor
2 lobbies (upstairs to be used during cocktail hour, and downstairs)
Security
Event coordinator
Corkage & Cake Cutting
In-House Catering (choice of menus)

At 300 people, 18% gratuity, 8.75% food/beverage tax, this would be $17,145
($14,287.50 for 250 people)

This would not include:
Overlays for the tables ($10/table - $300 for 30 tables)
Colored napkins ($1.25 each - $375)
Bartender ($250)
Chair covers & bows ($3/chair - $900 for 300 chairs)
AV Equipment/Screen ($200)
Special lighting ($500)
Live music ($300)

Etiwanda Gardens is still cheaper though...at $12,181.37

The Fox *RAWR*

So we have an appointment set up for tomorrow at 4 pm to check out the Fox Theater (I wonder if there used to be a chain of theaters called Fox Theater??...isn't there one in Fullerton? And I know there's one in Riverside...)...

I wonder what kind of experience we'll be in for... Here's what I read on the website:

"The Duchess leads you into the tremulous tail of the Fox, curling you around her royal finger and enticing you to want to share in the majestic presence of a historic Medieval setting. Come let the lure of the Fox whisk you away for an evening of blissful reminiscence!"

Bring on the blissful reminiscence. ;)

More purple

I like the purple drapery and hanging things (lanterns?...)

More of an example of what I don't want

as far as purple flowers in a bouquet...

Purple

So as Jessica and I waited outside of AA for our 10 appt, we got to discussion the overall asthetics (or lack thereof) of the wedding. Other than knowing I want orchids and color, I really don't know what kind of feeling I want at the wedding...

After perusing several websites, magazines, inspiration pages, etc. I think I like purple. So let's put pool and peach aside... and talk purples and white. I like the darker purples for dress colors, maybe the lighter purples/lilac with white for the bouquets to keep it from getting too dark. And I can still do my orchids. There are some really pretty purple orchids and some white orchids with purple in the middle too!

Wedding Weekend

So this weekend was filled with wedding-ness...

Jessica and I went dress shopping. We stopped first at Alfred Angelo's, where the girls working were...not very helpful... But let's not dwell on that... Oh and I found out my measurements... 31, 25, 35... On the size chart they were using, my top is smaller than a size 2, my waist a size 4, and my butt a size 2.

We made our way to Isis, a smaller boutique owned by a cute little Korean lady. Jessica's friend had suggested this place. And boy am I glad she did! We found gorgeous dresses! Pretty much every dress was fantastic! Even one with giant safety pinned on flowers and feathers! Apparently I didn't know what I really want in a wedding dress, because the top choice ended up being a spaghetti strap, half-mermaid, half-trumpet, crinkly material (I don't even know what material it was) dress... Not at all like other dresses I've been looking at. It's also diamond white...or actually that one may even have been ivory. (I really need to start paying attention to these things...)

It's been discontinued, which means that if I want it, I would by the floor sample, which would be 30% off and sold as is... It would definitely need alterations, because it was not the right size...but it was really, really pretty. I really liked the shape. I was a little leery about the top, because it's a little big, so it was kind of hanging off my chest...but I guess the straps will be shortened to make it fit... I just wasn't sure if there was too much at the top... I was thinking back to one of the David's Bridal's dresses that made me look like I was swimming in material. With the discount it would be $700, not including alterations. I should have asked the lady how much she thought alterations would be... if I had to pay $300 for alterations that would bump the dress price to $1000... Not sure that I want to pay that much!... But it was a really nice dress!...

After Isis, we went to Tom's Bridal. I tried on a couple of dresses, one which was really pretty, but I think more productive was Jessica tried on a few bridesmaid dresses. I've been thinking short dresses, because I was thinking summer wedding and such, but maybe long dresses would be okay. Actually I really would rather leave it up to the girls to decide what they'd like to wear. Which I realize goes against all bridal philosophy about the wedding being what I want and such, but really, I want the girls to wear something that they actually like. (P.S. Eddie agrees with Jessica that the dresses fall completely under the womenfolk's purview :) ) Jessica and Marianne will head back to Tom's at some point to check out the dresses.

Today, Eddie and I went to the Bridal Expo, since lunch was cancelled. Saw a fashion show, walked around and picked up stuff from vendors. Found another venue to look into... the Fox Theater in Redlands... hopefully it has that historic feel Eddie's looking for and an affordable price per head... I'll call for an appt to check it out this week...maybe Tuesday.