Now you can see photos from the Rehearsal, BBQ and Wedding.

So we decided to go with a 5×7 fold thank you card, created in iPhoto. We were really pleased with the quality of the print and the paper as well as the larger size. I placed the full order yesterday. As soon as they arrive we are going to get moving on writing and sending them! I’m not posting a photo of the card we did choose, so if you’re reading this before we send them it won’t ruin the surprise.

Today is our actual anniversary, Sept. 21st! We slept in and the went back to Westhampton Beach for a late breakfast and walked Main Street, mostly window shopping. When we came back to the Inn, we switched to the bridal suite, which is the same room we had for our wedding night, and then borrowed the bikes they have for guests. They are the upright kind of bikes that I’ve always admired, but never tried to ride. We loved them!They were much more comfortable for your back and simpler since there are no gears and wires to mess with for brakes (you just peddle backward to brake).We rode all around Quogue and to the beach again, where it was a beautiful day, just like our wedding day – perfect low 70s, a sunny blue sky, and very little breeze.After our bike ride we went to dinner at the Restaurant at the Inn. (Sorry Queens folks, it’s no longer called the “Q”). :(

We really enjoyed the peacefulness of the day, but at the same time we were thinking about how much fun we had with all our family and friends out here with us a year ago. Throughout the day, I would look at my watch and think of what we were doing. Like, “At this time, you (talking to Peter) just arrived to the church; think how nervous you were!” And, “At this time the cocktail hour just ended and we were lining up to be introduced to everyone.” As a matter of fact, as I’m writing this, at this time last year, we were cutting the wedding cake! So far we’ve had a really great anniversary. We have a bottle of champagne and a log for the fireplace waiting for us now, so good night!

• Wedding Story (NY Daily News)
• Wedding Announcement (Queens Gazette)
• Engagement Announcement) (Queens Gazette

Next we have to decide if we want to have a 10×10, 12×12 or 8×20 album and which cover material to use. I am torn between a lighter color suede album to go with the airy, beach feel or a classic black which will make the image stand out more. Peter seemed pretty undecided on that matter. We also might be able to get a cover that is acrylic with a full photo showing from underneath it, which could be modern and different. I’m thinking about the 8×20 album, which is a long rectangle, but once you open it, it becomes 16×20 which is a standard size for a very enlarged photo. That would be really neat to have all that space inside the album for large prints.

Now we’re waiting to hear back from Danielle about some options for combining cover materials and to see a photo of what the 8×20 album looks like (it’s a newer option, so we didn’t get to see a sample). Pete and I were both really happy after we met with Danielle that we are on our way to having a completed album. We felt really great about the photo choices we made and are really excited to move forward with this.

O’ahu

We first flew in to Honolulu and spent a night in a fancy high rise hotel in downtown Waikiki Beach. We had delicious blackened mahi and walked around Waikiki – like 5th Avenue Manhattan only clean and with a beach a block away. We got up very early the next day and spent the morning at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. It’s hard to know what to say about it, but it was a very powerful experience. That night we watched the sun set over the ocean and looked out at the city from our balcony.

Kaua’i

The next day we flew to Kauai’i, where we stayed for almost a week. Kauai’i is known for its wild roosters, which we saw even at the airport. At first, it wasn’t entirely obvious what we should do. Kaua’i has a quiet, small town feel with only one main road on the island and it only goes around about half of the island. The other half of the island is the Napali Coast, which is rain forest and only accessible by foot or helicopter – it’s also where the opening scenes of Jurassic Park were filmed. We stayed in a little town called Kapa’a, right in the middle of the accessible part of the island. During our week in Kaua’i, we drove up north and saw dry and wet caves that disappear into the distance as well as a series of one lane bridges, that exemplify the island. People are courteous to each other and take it slowly. We made it to the end of the road to the famous Ke’e Beach. It was very rainy the day we went, so we didn’t get to take advantage of it. Another day, we drove to the south end of the island and then into the mountains. We saw Waimea Canyon, nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” and then hiked down to the Napali Coast. When we looked out in the distance from the trail, it was hard to tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. It was even more breathtaking when we got to the end of the trail, where there were 2,500 foot cliffs to the ocean below. We barely made it back to the car because the sun set while we were still hiking back. When the sun sets in Hawai’i, you have about 10 minutes until the sky is black! As we started our drive down from the mountain, we pulled over and watched the stars. It was incredible! I’ve never seen the sky like I did there. We saw shooting stars and tiny distant stars filled the sky like dust. Another day in Kaua’i, we saw an 80 foot waterfall and the village of Kamokila. The village is recreated to show how ancient Hawaiians lived. Though Ke’e may be the most famous beach on Kaua’i, I think our favorite was the Lydgate State Park Beach. It was much sunnier and the water was a beautiful almost clear blue-green. On our last night we went for Lomi Lomi massages, which were in a mountain-side house in a room where one whole wall had doors that opened on to the lanai. We could hear the sounds of nature (even some distant roosters) as we were massaged. At the end of our time in Kaua’i we were totally relaxed, and so happy that we still had a whole week left to go in Maui.

Maui

Quite the opposite of Kaua’i, as soon as we got to Maui we were overloaded with possibilities. During our week, we ended up going to a luau, watching the sun rise above the clouds from over 10,000 feet, taking a tour of a working Hawaiian plantation, snorkeling with sea turtles, watching a pod of spinner dolphins, zip lining in the mountains, hiking in the rain forest, swimming in a waterfall, visiting artists’ studios, going to a stage performance and meeting the cast, and of course hanging out at the beach. We booked our luau as early as possible, because we were really excited about it. We decided on the Feast at Lele. The food and drinks were delicious and the show was great. We even had table-side service. Another fun trip was a hike in the rain forest, which the locals nickname the trail “Rusty Bridges.” There were two swing bridges that we had to cross and they were quite scary! It was very humid in the rain forest, so when we got to the waterfall at the end we jumped right in! The water was coming down from the top of the mountain so it was freezing, but it felt wonderful and made hiking back to the car much more bearable. One of the things we knew about ahead of time and were really looking forward to was going to the top of Haleakala to watch the sun rise above the clouds. It was stressful (getting there), but incredible once we made it. We had to leave at about 3 am and we got bad internet directions which sent us to a dead end, to a road that only ATVs can go on. We had to drive back down the mountain and eventually found the right road. We barely made it, but the photos I got there were probably the best of the whole trip. I also really loved snorkeling with the sea turtles. It was so cool to see them up close. One came up for a breath of air only a couple of feet in front of us. We also saw a show called Ulalena – which has been compared to Cirque du Soleil. It is the story of how the Hawaiian people came to be. It has great music, dancing and acrobatics. Another place that we really enjoyed was the town of Lahaina, which is known for it’s art studios. It also has a lot of little shops along the water and a banyan tree which was planted in 1875 and is now more than an acre in size. The banyan tree grows very long branches, and when they get to heavy, the branches drop roots and keep growing. It’s hard to explain but it’s one huge tree that looks like a forest all on it’s own. We also really enjoyed the beach in the town we stayed in called Ka’anapali. It was nice because the sand was a lot longer than other beaches.Where we stayed (a studio apartment) if you sat on the bed, the short balcony blocked the view of the sand completely. It felt almost like we were directly over the ocean in our room!

When the last week was finally over it was really hard to pack up and come home. We met some other couples in our hotel that were also on their honeymoon. One of them decided to move to Hawai’i they loved it so much. If it wasn’t so far from our family and friends I would totally have been joining them. Hawai’i is heaven on earth!

On our first evening in San Francisco, we walked down the street to a Mexican restaurant called Colibri. We were expecting similar Mexican food to what we are used to in New York, but this was quite different. Instead of chips and salsa to begin, they served warm corn tortillas with three dipping sauces. One was pineapple and mango, another jalepeno based and the last was chili based. The food was very good, but the best was the dessert. They serve “Churro con Dulce de Leche.” We loved the dessert so much we came back for lunch before heading to the airport today. After dinner, we walked around Union Square and Market Street (the shopping district). We also stopped to watch the cable car turn around, and were intrigued when we realized that the cars were turned around by man power! We called it an early night since we were not adjusted to the time difference.

On our second day, we started at 6 am and had a filling breakfast at the hotel. We then headed out for a long day of sight seeing. First we took the bus to Golden Gate Park, where we made several stops. First up was the Conservatory of Flowers, which was having a special exhibit of live butterflies. We also learned about some interesting plants, and there was an entire room of orchids of all sizes. Next we went to the de Young museum & Academy of Sciences, which unfortunately was not having its grand opening until the day after we were leaving. We had lunch at the de Young cafe and then headed out to the Japanese Tea Garden. Inside we found many peaceful and zen-like landscapes which were very relaxing to walk through. Finally, we went to the Rose Garden, which was wonderful. I couldn’t help but take tons of photos of all the beautiful colored roses! Our last stop for the day was the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked around and took in the views of the bridge, city, bay, and we both got our first view of the Pacific Ocean. We loved the sight of the blue water and white crashing waves on the black rocks.

On our last full day, we tried to fit in all the sites we hadn’t yet seen. First we walked over to See’s Candies, where we bought some chocolate to have after lunch. Then we took the cable car from Market Street up to Lombard Street, which is nicknamed the “steepest, crookedest street in San Francisco.” Luckily for us the cable car stopped at the top of the street, so we walked down instead of up. I know Laura will tease us for not attempting to walk up it, but it was fun anyway! Next we walked to the Fisherman’s Wharf, and walked from Pier 49 to Pier 33. Along the way we saw the “bush man;” a guy who hides behind a fake bush and jumps out and scares tourists. We were across the street, laughing and taking pictures. For lunch, we stopped at a chili & chowder food stand, and ate some very delicious clam chowder, while sitting outside in the grass. When we got down to Pier 33 it was time for our ferry to Alcatraz to leave. We spent a couple of hours walking around the island and taking the audio tour of the closed down prison. The part that surprised me the most was that the cells were only 5 ft x 9 ft x 7 ft. I knew they would be small, but I had no idea they would be that small. After Alcatraz, we walked back down the Warf to Pier 39, where there is an outdoor mall with shops of all kinds, from little souvenirs to expensive pearl jewelry. Also at Pier 39 is the spot where all the seals gather. There must have been at least 100 seals when we went. We saw some funny moments of them interacting with each other and there was even one who was interacting with the people. I loved the chowder so much at lunch I decided to have it again for dinner while we were at the pier, and Peter had a shrimp & crab po’ boy. As we continued walking, we saw a street artist who was making posters from spray paint, and was making some amazing optical illusions by smearing, spattering and layering the colors. As we continued walking back the way we came, we were on the opposite side of the street. We were talking and laughing when all of a sudden we both jumped and screamed. The bush man got us! We never expected it, even though we had seen him earlier in the day! Lastly, we stopped at Ghirardeli Square to check out the chocolate lover’s heaven before calling it a night.

On our last day in San Francisco (today), we decided to relax before our flight out, and now we can’t wait to see what Hawaii has to offer!

Last night I went for another fitting for my dress. I had asked my seamstress to make me sleeves based on a design in photo because I don’t feel comfortable in a strapless dress. The dress I bought came as a strapless because it seems to be the most popular style right now. I love everything else about my dress and figured it wouldn’t be too hard to add some support on top! So the seamstress did a great job on the sleeves and made exactly what I asked her for, but it didn’t look right on my body. At first I was a little freaked out. Only 11 days until the wedding and I don’t like my dress!

We played around with some fabric and came up with a new plan and I think it’s going to look great. It’s going to be a halter top, which shows my back and shoulders and is much more flattering on me. The only thing was, we needed some way to make the halter blend in with the dress since the top of it is straight across. We decided to repeat the ribbon accent from the bodice across where the seam will be. The only problem was there wasn’t enough ribbon left in the dress, so I had to go hunting around Manhattan today for the perfect match. It’s amazing how many fabric and notions stores there are in the fashion district. After about an hour and a half of walking around, I finally found the perfect silk satin ribbon at this beautiful store called Tinsel. I was so relieved when I found it!

I am also kind of laughing at myself. The things we do in the name of weddings… I have spent a long time doing some things that seem silly, but in the end I’m happy to have the result be just what I want. Another example of this was also with ribbon… when the invitations were reprinted and still weren’t right. The text was too close together and was covered up by the ribbon. So Pete and I found a narrower version and I sat for hours taking ribbon off of the invitations and putting the new one on. Now that I look at the invitations with the new ribbon though, I love them. I hope the same thing happens with my dress!

Here’s a run down of where we’re at…

Last Saturday we had the bachelor/bachelorette parties

Sunday we finalized the flower order

Monday I made the card box

Tuesday went to the dentist for a cleaning & then a private tour of Yankee stadium (Peter’s Christmas present that he just got around to cashing in on)

Wednesday dancing lesson & dress fitting

Thursday found a gorgeous watch to wear during the wedding & proof read the program

At dinner time, the boys went to a steak house called Angelo & Maxie’s, which (from what I gather) was a great time. The girls went to Burrito Loco (my favorite Mexican restaurant). After dinner the girls decided I had to try and have a “slippery nipple” shot (which you can’t use your hands to drink). I tried…but failed. I ended up with whipped cream in my nose!

After dinner we went to a couple of bars, including Coyote Ugly where I had to dance on the bar! The boys did their own version of a night on the town, and then we all met up at Cheap Shots, which is one of my favorite dive bars. They have black lights, writing on every single surface of the bar, walls, tables, etc and air hockey! We actually stayed out until the lights came on. Pete and I both expected we would call it a night much sooner, but we didn’t because we had a lot of fun. Here’s a snapshot of those that were still standing at the end of the night:

My sister and mom were here on Saturday, but said Laura had to get back because of some problems at work, so they left Sunday morning. I didn’t even realize that my sister sneaked into my closet and took my dress and shoes to wear at the shower! The last time I went to have my hair colored I was complaining to my hairdresser about not knowing what to do with my hair for the wedding. So he called me last week and said he had an idea and wondered if I would come in on Sunday morning to try it. How clever!

Thanks to everyone who came and for all the wonderful gifts! I have to go clean up and organize everything and start writing some thank you cards. Here is one teaser photo, and I will post the rest in the photo albums soon:

Today I worked more on figuring out my hair, makeup and jewelry. I met with another stylist who is a family friend (of Pete’s family) and I hope she will be my savior after three trials of “just okay.” I want to love my hair. One of the women I talked to today said that if I don’t like my hair that’s the first thing I’m going to think of whenever I look at my wedding photos (and my hair will be in them all). I think she is right. Also today I made progress on the programs, menus and escort cards/table numbers, by picking out papers and deciding to keep it simple and use the table number frames provided by Atlantica rather than buying some cutesy holder and then having one more thing to remember to bring out there. Then I came home and wrapped the bridal party gifts, which means that project is complete. Oh also, earlier today I worked more on finalizing the music selections for the ceremony and making sure we’re all set with the trolley for transportation from the inn to the reception & back. Whew. Enough for one day?

I really think that decision making can be very overwhelming for grooms. Several guys have said “Let her do all the work.” That’s a great idea in theory but I don’t think it works in practice. Sarah does most of the work by far, but there are times she asks for my input. I tend to procrastinate when Sarah asks me what I think. Do you think that is the reason my blog entries have been few and far between.

I’m beginning to open up to the idea that there is perhaps a middle-ground. Maybe I don’t actually have to make the decisions. Maybe Sarah knows the answers to a lot of the things she asks me and just wants a little input. If I make a little effort to understand what the facts of the situation are then I can briefly give a thought or two and leave the decision to her. Maybe it’s not hard as I perceive it to be.

Next Pete decided to look at some more rings because he is still not 100% sure. He compared yellow gold, white gold, titanium and tungsten. I did my best not to give an opinion because I think Pete will be happier if he comes to his own conclusion. He says he is going back and forth between the modern look of the titanium/tungsten and the classic look of yellow gold or white gold. I think he’s unsure about the titanium/tungsten because we are unfamiliar with the metals. Here’s what we learned about each:

Titanium: Titanium is the dark “gunmetal” color, very lightweight, and very hard. We had heard that titanium can’t be cut, but John (the guy we work with at the shop) said that was only true when they first came out. Titanium can now be cut. Titanium will scratch over time and is hard to condition or repair because it is so hard. Price range is $100s.

Tungsten: Tungsten is also the dark “gunmetal” color, and very hard. However it is also very heavy. Tungsten can’t be cut, so all rings made from tungsten have a “breakout” point (like a crumple zone in a car) where it is purposefully made weaker. The problem with this is that if you drop your ring on a very hard surface, it could crack and you will have to replace it. Tungsten will not scratch over time and requires no upkeep. Price range $300-400s.

We also managed to call about a dozen limo companies, and finally book one. We decided to go with a party bus and a Rolls Royce. I first noticed the Rolls for the bride at Lisa’s wedding, and I loved the “here comes the bride” horn. I can’t wait to be the one it’s sounding for! :)

We scheduled a second appointment with the florist. We decided to simplify the flowers to mostly roses. All the different types of flowers we had originally picked out just became to busy and we were over thinking how we could make them into something we liked. Since I love the type of roses that we picked out for the bouquets (vendela roses), we figured why not just stick with what I love? Here’s our new inspiration photo:

Another thing we did was schedule a hair and makeup trial for me. I’ve been holding off on this, so I’m glad to have it set up. I am also interested now in understanding more about airbrush makeup. I was under the impression that it was better and didn’t realize there could be any drawbacks. The woman I scheduled the trial with was telling me that she feels airbrush is not usually the best option. I guess we’ll talk more about it during the appointment. Here’s my inspiration photo for my hair:

While we were at Atlantica, we finalized the menu and wedding cake. Atantica has three suggested menus to choose from, at three different price points. I had asked our coordinator Carlos if we could come up with a custom menu of everything we wanted and then figure out the price. Not only were they fine with it, but Carlos told us today that the owner/chef loved our menu and is considering making it be one of the set menus they offer. We were so excited that they gave our taste such a compliment. Now that it’s done all I can say to you is be prepared to stuff yourself silly and then dance it off!

Next we went to Quogue and checked out the Inn. Everything was much greener than the last time we were here, and they have also been painting and fixing up so it looks great. We walked around town in Quogue and stopped for lunch at the country market. We split the “Emily’s Favorite” sandwich (basil, tomato, fresh mozzarella and pesto) along with some exotic veggie chips and we went across the street and sat in the park to eat. Quogue is so quaint to walk around.

After lunch, we went to the church and met with Father Mirro. We talked about what we learned in pre cana, then we discussed the ceremony and scheduled our rehearsal. Father had some sage advice for us as well.

While we waited for mass, we walked around downtown Main Street in Westhampton. Anything you could want can be found in Westhampton, even if all you want is a stroll down a tree-lined street with local shop windows to peek in at. We checked out some book shops, a pub, a sushi place, a theater, several cafes, local furniture shops, a candy shop and yes, Pete even found a comic book shop!

After mass, we went to Docker’s on the Bay, had a bite to eat, listened to some live music, and watched the sun set. I know some—who am I kidding—most people associate the Hamptons with the socialite/Manhattanite playground for the summer, but for me, Westhampton will forever be a romantic, spiritual, nature getaway. I never would have guessed that we would marry in the Hamptons but I couldn’t imagine having a better wedding anywhere else. Here’s a snapshot of us at Docker’s:

We also discussed how to keep the traditional wedding elements we want, but at the same time having a fun dance party that can flow naturally without too much interruption. The main way we are trying to acheive this is to have the dinner courses served during a set time, rather than stretching it out and getting up and down for dancing and then the next bit of food. We’re also going to try and group together some of the other wedding bits so they don’t interrupt the dancing multiple times. Sounds fun, right?

On Saturday, we were there all day with the best couple as our leader. They wouldn’t tell us how long they were married until the end of the day, but it turns out they will be married 48 years this August 20th. They were very inspiring because they still looked at each other like they were teenagers in love. They were also very honest with us though, and told many stories about all the hard times they had and the journey they took to get where they are now.

We spent most of the day separating to write down our thoughts and then coming back together to discuss them. The class covered many important topics. We had already discussed all of them at least a little bit, but it was very good to go deeper. When we were answering the questions separately, we not only had to write our own thoughts, but we also had to guess what the other person was going to say. I found it harder than I expected, but most of the time I had a good understanding of Pete’s feelings. The funniest part was on the personality section. Pete and I both thought of ourself as the dreamer and the other as the realist!

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our pre cana and we hope to finish the exercises in the booklet on our own time.

On Monday afternoon, I went to the post office to confirm the amount for the postage, and then I ordered the stamps. I then went to order the wax seal, but suddenly I noticed something I hadn’t before. They cautioned that the wax seal may make the envelope too thick, which then means you have to pay extra postage. So now I’m not sure if we should order it since I already ordered the postage based on the invite without the seal.

Once I finished with the post office I went to buy a color laser printer, because I figured it would come in handy for the invites, menus, programs, escort cards, gift tags etc. I brought the invite in to the store, to consult with the sales people. I got a great printer, but not for the envelopes. I tried every possible setting for thick material and it just couldn’t pass through. Then I got in touch with the stationer, since she had told me it is done “all the time” with both laser and ink printers. It turns out she was mistaken, the printers use a straight path ink printer, since the lined envelopes can’t bend enough to go around the drum of a laser printer.

So then today I started researching straight path inkjets. Canon has several, but those particular models are only sold through their online store, which would mean I have to wait for them to ship or pay high expedited shipping charges. And to be honest, I didn’t want to risk spending all that money and then it still not working. So back to the store I went, armed with my new knowledge. I found another printer in the store that has rear access to the paper path, so you can manually feed it straight through. The salesperson (who was extremely knowledgeable) assured me I could configure the software that came with the printer to use the rear access.

Once I got home I couldn’t figure it out, so I got on the live chat support. The “technician” was practically illiterate, and had no idea how to help me so I asked for someone to call me. I had to call them, and I got assigned a “ticket” number with the information about my product and issue. I was told I would be transfered to a technician who could help with my particular problem. After being transfered, the ticket number seemed to have no bearing, because I had to give all the information again (only to find out I was transfered to the wrong department). After being transfered to the wrong place for the third time, I politely requested that the correct person call me instead of transferring me again. She refused. So I then asked if I could speak to her manager and SHE HUNG UP ON ME! I once had an HP scanner and I had the same horrendous experience with their customer support. NEVER AGAIN!

After that I decided “I give up.” Two days wasted is enough. I’m returning the printer and hiring a calligrapher. On the bright side, the calligrapher I decided to go with comes highly recommended and can have them done by Monday like I originally wanted!

Next we made it to the tux store and it was Peter’s turn to stand up in front of the mirrors and get measured and fitted. We decided to go with MW Tux (Men’s Warehouse) because they have locations all over for the out of state people, and the tuxes can be dropped off at any location. Very convenient.

Today was a much better day than yesterday. At church this morning, there was a flower arrangement on the altar that was exactly what we wanted for ours. At the end of mass we sneaked a few photos so we can show the florist. Then it was my turn to get fitted! I had my second fitting with Stella today. The tacks were all fixed in the skirt, and she made me a sleeve (just one to make sure I liked it first!). We also worked on the placement of the boning in the front of the dress, to try and make it the most flattering. Every time I go back and see my dress I fall in love again. I feel like a total princess in it.

Then tonight ended with a date. Pete and I went to see WALLE. It was so cute, and a perfect way to end the weekend.

• Wedding favors
• Met with videographer
• Browsing with Pete’s mom
• MOB dress
• We booked the church!!!
• Hunt for a florist

A. The Future Mrs. Milcetic or Soon To Be Mrs. Milcetic (example). This seems to be the most popular design but then it’s not as wearable after the wedding.

B. Mrs. Milcetic Est 09.21.08 (example). I think this idea is cute because then it can be worn after the wedding, and everyone will know we’re newlyweds if I wear it on our honeymoon.

C. No embriodery, not as cute for the wedding day but definitely can wear it in the future!

D. Some other option…you tell me!

Once we decided not to go with the bottle, I started designing a traditional invitation set and a map insert. I purchased new fonts, created my own icon and even designed a monogram for us that we’re having made into a wax seal stamper. I had so much fun doing it that I am thinking about designing invitations and maps as a business.

We had three top choices for invitations and in the end we decided to go with a more elegant, classic looking invitation with a just touch of beach rather than a very themed invitation. I really love the one we picked and it’s more fitting with the wedding we are having. I can’t wait to see them. Keep an eye out in the mail around the end of July or beginning of August!

Here are the links to the runners up: the Tropical Hoku Invitation by Hana Hou and the Serene Seaside Invitation by Encore Studios.

My first idea was a to go with Michelle, from Layer Cake Films. She shoots with super 8mm film and edits in a music video style. Michelle’s motto is that the video should enhance your memories of your wedding day, rather than replacing your memories with what was captured on film (as happens with too-long videos). I still love her style, but ultimately didn’t chose her because Peter wanted to have the sound from the day, which can’t be done with super 8mm. Here’s my favorite sample of Michelle’s videography & editing: Lindsay & Nick.

We looked at many other video options including our DJ company, several recommendations from our photographer and many others that I found. Somehow I came across Silverfox. I can’t remember how I found them, but I’m so glad I did. We were totally impressed with them today. The manager was very friendly and their samples are really impressive. I think our favorite part was that the video titles make it feel like a real movie. Overall Pete and I both felt these videos really had the style we were looking for. Here’s some of my favorite sample videos of Silverfox’s: Roseann & Christian’s ceremony and Roseann & Christian’s photo session.

While we were there, I also noticed a headpiece that I liked. I got super excited because I have been looking at dozens of tiaras, headbands, combs etc and never found anything I remotely felt I could wear. I got even more excited when I realized that the band was made from a bracelet of real pearls and Swarovski crystals, which was fastened to a headband with clear wire. I think it so cool that it can be taken apart and worn after the wedding. Once I found that out, I knew I had to get it! Then I got to the register and found out it was half price. How exciting!

When I got there, I told myself I would be cautious and not work with her unless I was 100% comfortable with leaving my dress with her. Well, Stella is amazing. It was so worth the long drive to get to her. She has been a seamstress at Kleinfeld for 26 years! I stayed with her over an hour and in that time she completely transformed my dress to the vision I had in my head, with just a few pieces of scrap fabric and some pins. She also showed me how it will look with the bustle, and it’s fabulous. I felt very comfortable with her personality and I know my dress is going to be amazing because of her.

I have been wondering how I make sure the gown is not wrinkled after traveling out to the Hamptons. I guess because I’ve never been a bridesmaid or helped plan a wedding, there are so many little things I don’t know about. Stella is going to be with us the day of the wedding and steam the dress in the morning and help me get in to it. She also helps the moms and bridesmaids, does the bustle so we don’t have to get stressed out about doing it right, etc etc. I feel so relieved today after meeting with her and so blessed that she will be there on the day. The only sad part is that now I don’t get to see my dress again until my next fitting in July!

This morning Pete and I got up bright and early and went to a registry “event.” The store was closed except for couples registering for their wedding. It was a really fun experience. When we arrived at the store, we were offered mimosas, a scanner and a checklist to start out. I thought it would go pretty quickly since I picked my favorite options ahead of time and Pete wouldn’t have to look at every single thing, but we ended up spending about 2 hours looking around, asking lots of questions and enjoying some delicious food. The shop had several stations set up to demonstrate the different cookware and kitchen electronics and the food was amazing. For example, who knew there was such a thing as an indoor grill? I would never have thought to pick it out just seeing it on the shelf…in fact I didn’t even notice it. But after seeing it in action and tasting the skewers it made, we couldn’t resist. It’s also kind of perfect for us since we have no outdoor space! Now we just have to sort through everything and make sure we chose the right quantities etc.

As far as the video, it’s interesting to know that they can have plasma TVs which show a picture slideshow and then photos and live video throughout the night. It would be nice for people who aren’t close enough to see the action, for example when everyone gathers around for the cake cutting. I’m not sure how I feel about the look of the large TVs at the reception though. Does anyone have opinions?

At the expo, we saw a 9-piece band called Nightflight and sample performances by Variety Music (DJs and entertainers). I am totally impressed with Variety’s Frank Sinatra singer. He was so perfect! We are strongly considering booking him asap. I also really liked Harry’s MC style. The best part is if we do decide to go with Variety, I won a coupon at the expo. While they were performing they called some of our names to come up to the stage and we had to dance in front of everyone to get our prize!

Then the band performed, which was really fun. The male lead singer was amazing at imitating different singing voices. I’m having a hard time deciding if I would prefer a band or a DJ. Pete is leaning toward DJ. One of the songs that Nightflight performed tonight completely captured my attention. It is a great song to dance to and I think everyone knows it. It’s going to be perfect for the last song at the wedding! When I got home, I downloaded the last song on iTunes, and Pete and I danced to it in our bedroom!

Here’s a photo of us with our wedding coordinator, Carlos:

The dresses we picked are by Jim Hjelm. They come in a fabric called “satin faced taffeta” which I am in love with and they are a soft oceany blue-green (they call the color lagoon) and there is a taupe accent fabric. I just love the look of it. Here’s a sample of the color on another dress:

While we were there, I talked to the staff about the fact that the bridesmaids are all from other places and we can’t all come in at once and they had the perfect solution for our situation. I filled out a sheet with each bridesmaid’s information, and which dress she should be fitted for. Then they keep the sheet there and hold it until everyone is measured and then order all the dresses at once. That way we make sure they are all from the same dye lot and the color is identical on each dress.

I also stopped by Atlantica again to go over details for the rehearsal. Our plan is to have an afternoon rehearsal and lunch and then relax at the hotel a little before having the barbecue. I really had no idea what to expect in terms of the cost of the rehearsal (especially because of the high price tag of the reception) but I was pleasantly surprised. Since we’re doing a lunch rehearsal we will also get to have a totally different menu from the reception.

My last stop today was to Michael’s to pick up some decorations for the engagement party next weekend and look for supplies for the wedding cake topper. I have an idea for a totally unique topper that I plan to make myself…if I can find everything I need. Wish me luck!

What to do? We started looking at accommodations in the surrounding areas and found many options. At first I really liked the idea of everything being all in one place (the hotel, the rehearsal, the salon, ceremony and reception). In the end, I’m actually really happy that this happened! We can still have the rest of it at Atlantica, but I found a hotel that has a B&B feel to it but has 67 rooms so everyone can all stay in one place. It also has a bar and a pool. It’s only 4 miles away. It looks beautiful and it even has a bridal suite. I think everyone is going to be much happier in the end. So I blocked plenty of rooms to be sure we can all stay in one place and have our weekend getaway!

It’s now 2:30 am. I was so excited that we finally settled on a location and date for the wedding that I couldn’t sleep. I stayed up late designing save the date cards and stickers for the calendar. I can’t wait for the morning so I can show Pete and make sure he likes them before I order them.

Save the Dates

We ordered the save the dates tonight! I’m so excited. We also decided to get custom stamps to match. I think it’s going to be really cute. I can’t wait to see them.

Tonight we also went to meet with Father Vincent from St. Luke’s Church in Whitestone. Peter grew up in St. Luke’s (he went to school there and was also an altar boy). We got some information about how the wedding ceremony would work and received a lot of reading material as well. We found out that if I do decide to become baptized the program is 12-16 months but it is okay if it occurs after the wedding. The church will still recognize the wedding as long as we petition the bishop beforehand to do the interfaith ceremony.

We also drove to the other place I found in Southampton (Hampton Hall). This was the one that I thought had the “New York Italian Wedding Hall” feeling based on the website. Well… it was awful. It was a building in the middle of a neighborhood, no where near the beach. The town you had to drive through to get there was ugly. The hotels that you could block off were not close and they were really motels, not hotels at all. The thing I keep telling everyone is if we’re going to ask everyone to drive to the Hamptons for the wedding it needs to be on the beach! We could get a hall like that anywhere and probably for less money.

Lastly we stopped by the Swan Club because Pete’s mother was in love with it. Pete thought one of the rooms was okay. I didn’t like it at all. Mr. Milcetic called it a wedding factory and didn’t even get out of the car! If nothing else, going to this place reconfirmed that we want something different.

Tonight we are going to Sunswick (a local watering hole) for a joint birthday party for our friends Jake and Emmet. I’m looking forward to hanging out. Earlier this week Sarah and I met Jake and Tom and their lady friends at Rapture. We had a good time. I like Rapture. It’s a little lounge around the block from me. It feels like my home base here in Astoria. Anyway, I am going to write more about things later on. Right now we are in the middle of preparing for an engagement party and a wedding. See you later!

Pete’s mom is still not 100% convinced about the Atlantica. She says we should use the rest of the one week time that we have the date “on hold” to double check that there is no where better. I found another wedding site in the Hamptons that has that seems to have that New York Italian Wedding Hall look (at least on the website) and it is 3 miles from the beach. When we were dress shopping, the woman who helped us recommended that I get a reception site near the beach and just drive there for pictures instead of having the reception be actually at the beach. I’m still not sold on the idea, I really like the feeling of the ballroom that overlooks the ocean. We are going to drive out to the Hamptons again on Sunday. Maybe seeing it in person will be different, but I have a feeling nothing will be better than having the ocean view from the ballroom. Plus Atlantica has the cutest rehearsal dinner area and the salon, hotel, heated pool etc. For me, it seems perfect.