one week till i do

4 sleeps until we take off for jamaica, and only one week until the big day!

dave and i are of course in mad planning/packing/finalizing mode. but - we're definitely getting excited.

my blog posts have clearly been neglected... i apologize. but our crafting, planning and bags aren't going to make/pack themselves! putting the final pieces together, it's really starting to feel real. i'm hoping to be able to provide a final update here before we take off early sunday morning.

until then, we will be preparing for the culture shock of sweet heat and sunshine in december by watching:

yes, we realize we're travelling the opposite way, but... we figure it's still very appropriate: Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled wedding time! COOL RUNNINGS! 

put on your red shoes and dance...

let me preface all of this by saying, i LOVE my bridal party. best man of honour and bridesmaids a girl could ask for. thank you. you are amazing.

this week, i opened my mailbox to find the fanciest of invites, to my own bacherlorette party!

i'm not normally into wedding type functions (engagement parties, showers, etc). but a night out with my ladies - YES PLEASE.

given that i have chosen a man of honour to stand with me, carsten will only be joining us in spirit. i'm warning you now though carsten... you may be the next target of a drunk dial from me telling me how great you are... carol and dre - expect to be smothered in bridal love.

knowing very few details of the night that lies ahead, i only had my outfit to think of. fancy duds with hints of red (our dancing color theme).

inspired by of one of the greatest songs ever, i will happily put on my red shoes and dance the night away with all of the lovely ladies in my life!! i can't wait for tonight!

it's the final countdown!

though our wedding date is technically still 32 days away, we officially take off for negril in exactly one month from today. between temperatures dropping, losing more hours of daylight and frantically searching for missing mittens - i know, i can't wait to be en route to sunny jamaica!

but, this also means we have exactly 30 days to finish our preparations... i know we must be getting close, as i had my first "wedding catastrophe" dream last night. i woke up laughing because my major disaster was that my dress had been died emerald green. who knew my subconscious was obsessed with wearing white? is this really my biggest concern? nerves and green dress nightmares aside, we do still have a fair bit to finalize and pack over the next month. but i hope to enjoy every minute of it!

knot this bride

dave and i are less than two months away from officially tying the knot... and finalizing our wedding details has become our main focus. yes we've been busy completing guest lists, creating ipod playlists, making decorations and trying on our wedding wear - but it wasn't until this past week we actually put some thought into the ceremony itself.

neither dave or i have strong religious beliefs, traditional ones anyways, and already opted for a non-religious wedding ceremony on the beach. however, not being able to meet with our officiant until the week of, we really have no idea what to expect, what will be said or how personal it may be. 

i stumbled across an amazing idea where a bride had mentioned she had done a handfasting ceremony and how special it was for her. having no idea what this was, wikipedia quickly provided me with the answers i needed:

Handfasting is an ancient European ceremony of betrothal or wedding that dates back to pre-Medieval times and usually involves the tying or binding of the hands of the bride and groom with a cord or ribbon

turns out - this is where the term "tie the knot" comes from... for some reason - i was immediately drawn to this. it could be my irish roots (apparently this is a celtic tradition), or it could be my spiritual side speaking up saying - i want something different... 

so, i brought the idea to dave - and together we decided this is the perfect way of making our ceremony special to us. 

there are many different ways of doing a handfasting ceremony, but we've chosen to go with one that incorporates being bound together by coloured ribbons that will represent different blessing from our family. we look forward to having an intimate moment, even if it's only seconds, with each one of our family members while they bind us together and pass along their blessing:

• Red: passion, strength, lust, fertility
• Orange: encouragement, attraction, kindness, plenty
• Yellow: charm, confidence, joy, balance
• Green: finances, fertility, charity, prosperity, health
• Blue: tranquility, patience, devotion, sincerity
• Purple: power, piety, sanctity, sentimentality
• Black: strength, wisdom, vision, success
• White: purity, concentration, meditation, peace
• Gray: neutrality, cancelling, balance
• Pink: unity, honor, truth, romance, happiness
• Brown: earth, grounding, talent, telepathy, home
• Silver: treasure, values, creativity, inspiration
• Gold: energy, wealth, intelligence, longevity
• 
  
• we're still finalizing the details on how this will actually play out during the ceremony, but we are getting more and more excited by this idea as it comes together. we know this will be something special to everyone involved. 

• 
  

found!

a few nights ago, the most random unexpected thing happened. i was tracked down by a long lost love... MY HAIRDRESSER DONKA!!!

as mentioned in a previous post: http://daveanderinn.blogspot.ca/2012/08/almost-cut-my-hair.html, donka and i have been together since i was old enough to pay for my own haircuts... and i was oh so devastated when i suddenly couldn't find her. i felt a little silly feeling so sad about losing donka, and even sillier that i could feel so shocked she could just leave me without saying goodbye...

turns out, the feeling was mutual. how she tracked me down, i have no idea. but to my delight, she did. donka left me a personal message giving me her new salon and personal digits. yes, i realize she's just trying to get her clients back, but little did she know i was actually feeling quite lost without her. basically just ignoring my hair until i absolutely had to deal with it before the wedding, this phone call was like an early christmas gift. i no longer need to worry if my hair will be green due to a bad dye job or if my bangs look like i cut them myself. if anyone knows my hair, it's donka. and she's been harassing me about doing my wedding hair for years... if only i could bring her with us!

in addition to being tracked down by my long lost scissor wielding woman, i'm even more delighted she has changed salons. having worked at the same mall as donka for years, returning there always seemed like such a downer. and though i did appreciate my "mall" discount for many years after leaving there, i always said donka was way too good for a mall salon. especially that one.

and so, this hairy tale ends with me re-uniting with my one true hairdresser love. donka - i'll be seeing you again soon!

time keeps on slippin..

we are exactly two months away from the big day, and even less from when we actually leave for jamaica. having just paid the final instalment on our trips, it no longer feels like something we're planning in the future - we'll be packing our bathing suits and saying i do before we know it. though there was some basic correspondence over the past year, i've officially been contacted by the wedding coordinator at the RIU, and it's time to make the final decisions for our big day. like caesar or garden salad with dinner... i know. tough decisions indeed.

but in all seriousness, we do realize there are things that need to be done before we leave - rest assured mom, i got my passport!  however, hitting that 60 days away mark, brought on a wave of nerves... is our paperwork in order, where do we find a notary public, are the few decorations i'm bringing ready, when will we get our rings, how can i make a flower fascinator, what should i put in my dress pockets.... it's easy to spin out of control.

in order to avoid manic night before crafting and packing, the chronic checklist checking begins...

 planning and checklist checking aside, we are both filled with excitement, and can't wait for a week of friends and family, fun in the sun, and TO GET HITCHED!

wed-headed nightmare

it's happened. at less than three months away, i've officially become a wed head. not even sure if that's a real term... but, it's how i feel. i've got wedding brain. i guess this is normal, but it seems i can't go longer than an hour without pondering something about the wedding. hopefully i haven't driven too many people crazy with my constant spewing of bridal chatter.

i blame etsy. only the best online store for the most sylish/cutest/awesome finds. not just for weddings of course, but they sure have an amazing bridal section! a little too amazing...

http://www.etsy.com/weddings?ref=fp_ln_new_weddings

thanks to my addiction/love of details -  i've easily wasted many hours window shopping on this awesome site. from flowers to jewellery, decorations to cake toppers and even bow ties for our pup Sullivan - my "favourites" list continues to grow.

trying to stay somewhat on budget: when i'm not on etsy, i'm on kijiji - hunting down awesome deals on decorations from weddings past. i recently found a few brides who hooked us up with almost all of the decorations we wanted to bring down with us, for a quarter of the price! this bride loves deals!

of course, with constant bride brain comes - indecision, second guessing and doubt. did i choose the right colour, the right design. have i forgotten something?  i'm actually starting to realize my brain wanders before bed to all things wedding... how many hours have i lost trying to decide between orchids or roses for my hair?  and no, having nightmares about lost passports or missing gowns is not normal. 

i have to constantly remind myself - calm down. the major decisions have been made. and yes i love the cutesy decorations, and selecting which jewellery will make the outfit. but that's just it. decisions. not even stressful ones. this should be fun. and IS fun. this is why we chose jamaica - for an easy breezy beautiful day! there really shouldn't be anything worth staying up at night thinking about. it's all too easy to get swept up in all things weddings. though just to be safe, i think i'll put dave in charge of the passports...

flower power

decisions, decisions, decisions... there really are so many things to consider when prepping for a wedding.

originally, i had decided i was not even going to think about flowers and was happy to hold/carry whatever the resort decided to give me. unfortunately, my A-type personality won't let me do this.

after looking at various wedding photos and ideas, i've determined a random flower assortment just won't do. though i'm sure it will be nice - i have seen two examples of the bouquets provided by the resort (free of charge i should add), and needless to say, i was not wowed. to be expected if provided for free.... but - this lead me to researching how most other destination brides handled their flower department. turns out i'm not alone in my control-freakness. wanting specific colours, flower types and boutonnieres, i'm starting to look outside the free options provided by the resort.

at first i was sure i wanted all white flowers. pure. simple. beautiful.

unfortunately, when i started seeing these bouquets against bridal gowns, i realized the purity, simplicity and even beauty was lost in the white on white:

and so, i started to consider a more colourful bouquet. i quickly realized, these colourful flowers really do add flower power. the colour POPS against the white dress:

i'm hooked. i want a beautiful brightly coloured bouquet. i can't help it.

my ongoing bouquet research has also lead me to find, and i cannot believe i'm saying this but - i want fake flowers. no, not the cheap ratty dollar store kind, but quality silk flowers. i realize i'll be in the caribbean, surrounded by some of the most beautiful flowers around, but - other destination brides have noted that due to the hotter temperatures, their flowers had wilted by the evening. our ceremony is at 2:00, on the beach and i definitely want my bouquet for our sunset photos.. and into the evening. the solution - real touch silk flowers. from what i've seen so far, these silk bouquets are actually amazing looking.

can you spot the difference?

i'll steal the tip other brides have done, using the free bouquet to dress up the dinner table for the reception instead. etsy has already lead me some fantastic flower finds!!!

seriously - wilted flowers = not romantic.

i'm sure my mother is about to ask me how i plan on getting all of these items to negril, and honestly. i have no idea at this point. i am confident though, everything will make it a-ok :)

girls go crazy for a sharp dressed man

nope... not these guys...

i'm talkin the groom and his groomsmen.  though this look is a pretty awesome look for a rockabilly wedding! sadly i think long beards and black suits may be too hot for the beach.

trying to keep some tradition, dave has not yet seen my dress. we figured we'd keep some element of surprise to the big day. as such, he's told me i'm not allowed to see his outfit either. though we have discussed various looks, colours and styles - all i know is the general style dave decided on. and that his shirt is white.

like a little girl before christmas, i'm oh so excited to see my man in his dressy duds. my brain is mentally pinning his face on all of these looks:

a recent trip to muskoka brought us to port carling for dave's wedding shopping. so i do know the shop he visited... giving me a BIG hint to his attire... when i walked in to meet him i could hear the saleswoman asking about his bride - not wanting to spoil the surprise, i quickly turned around and made a bee-line for the closest patio. the server and i joked about the role reversal while i happily sipped mojitos dockside waiting for my man to shop...

turtle jack's port carling: best patio, best mojitos, best fish tacos,
 best place so far to wedding shop. 

being a control freak, i can't help but be curious about his choice. but, i do know no matter what - i can't wait to say i do to this man:

♥

tangled up in blue

something borrowed, something... blue?

as time creeps closer and closer to the big day (3 months and one day officially today), we are starting to finalize the decorations we want to bring with us. which means we had to decide on our colour scheme... not wanting to have a barrage of colours resulting in a rainbow assault on the eyes,

we've narrowed the many colour choices down to a few.

being in jamaica, we've opted to stick with the tropical colour scheme... of oranges, creams/whites and blues. inspired by the amazing blog theperfectpalette.com/, i wanted to put together my own collage of items i liked within our colours:

needless to say, this bride will definitely have that something blue...

we aren't being too strict with the different shades of these colours, but we have fallen in love with the striking oranges against the easy blue hues. we will be on an island after all...  sure makes decorating easier when nature creates these colours for you...

if you like it put a ring on it...

yes, i realize i'm not single and do have a ring on - but i'd be lying if i didn't admit i'm pretty excited about getting our wedding bands. dave has also admitted to me he's pumped about wearing a band... and so this weekend brings: wedding ring shopping.

we've done many searches online, and of course there are oh so many types to choose from. from various metals to different types of wood, or precious gems to engraving - similar to everything wedding related, there are really WAY too many options.

dave tends to like plain, bold wedding bands...

while i tend to like dainty, rustic, romantic bands... 

we'll likely settle on something in-between... 

regardless, we can't wait to get out and get looking and get practising slipping those bands on our ring fingers...

play that funky music...

as we all know, music makes the moment - which is why dave and i are having such a tough time deciding on what to play and when...  choosing the right tunes to play at the right times - will affect the mood and tone of our big day.

that said - we have chosen "our" song. rather than doing the awkward first dance, we've decided to use the song to create our first moment as a married couple together and close ceremony by walking back down the aisle to it.

however, there are still so many other moments of the day that need to be filled with sound. from getting ready before hand, walking down the aisle, just after the ceremony, the dinner and the reception - we're realizing, we need a LOT of music!

and there are way too many options for music delivery. first, we need to decide if we want live music or try to arrange playlists on an ipod...

we absolutely love the sound of the steel drum, and especially the island vibe it gives. and, the drummers can wait for just the right moment to start up, drag it out stairway to heaven style if anyone is running late, or cut a song short when needed. however, it gives us a lot less control over what is actually played... 

an ipod gives us complete control over the songs, however very little control over the timing. and then of course, there's actually choosing the songs to play. though my love of groove is in the heart by deee-lite is very well known, i'm sure the track on repeat would be enough to drive everyone else crazy.

perhaps a jamaican version of this guy would be the answer?

in all seriousness though, we're having fun listening and choosing songs/music at this point... hopefully we can narrow down our mega lists over the next few months...  we are of course open to recommendations.

almost cut my hair...

i finally decided to head into my local hair salon for highlights, a trim and to start testing out a few dos for the big day... to my surprise, my hair dresser of 15 years - has left!! GONE. when i phoned to make my appointment i was shocked to hear "donka no longer works here". i felt like it was a prank or i had misheard somehow. how is this possible? she's always been there? she's talked about doing my wedding hair... she knows dave, she knows my parents, she even knows my parent's dog!! i almost feel lost without her... well, my hair does anyways.

i've heard rumours she now works at a car dealership, which left me with an even bigger - what??? it's all so strange. i was offered one of the other stylists at my local salon, but it just feels wrong. donka was the best, and i feel all others are amateurs. i'm sure they aren't, but they're no donka. she's been with me through long hair, super short hair, dark brown, platinum blond and even as a red head. i trusted this woman 100% with my hair. in fact once, in my super cheap student days, dave had tried to highlight my hair using one of the home kits - it of course turned out looking more like a cheetah head (blond patches) rather than highlights. donka noticed me, and freaked out... not only did she fix my hair for only $20 (blaming the bad dye job on the sister salon) she also offered to teach dave how to properly highlight... looking back, why o why did i not take her up on this offer...

so now, i'm desperately seeking a new hairdresser. though, like a lost puppy i'm secretly considering hitting up all the car dealerships in the area in search of donka....

but in all seriousness, any hairdresser/salon recommendations out there???