Showing posts with label The Wedding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Wedding. Show all posts

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Planning a wedding

There are women who have wondered about their wedding day and began the planning before they had even found anyone to you know, be the groom. Since I got engaged I had been pretty indecisive because I didn't have a plan. On the upside, without a plan, I was open to almost every suggestion. I did a lot of reading of bridal magazines, specifically "My Wedding" and came across many gorgeous ideas.

One of the deciding factors for me, was the cost of the wedding. I refused to end up 'majorly' in debt, and we considered the wedding, one day of the rest of our lives. I wanted the day to be beautiful, fun and relaxed, without the regret a year later when we can't have the things we want because we were in debt.

Some of the better ideas I came across were
  • fairy lights - use them to wrap around objects like a wire ball. Hang them from the roof, possibly above the dance floor.
  • Instead of a guest book, spray paint a tree branch silver, or a colour that matches your wedding. Place it in a vase with pebbles so it is able to stand. Guests then write on little cards (business card sized) to hang from the branch. Great if you want to keep these to place in a photo album.
  • Buy paper latterns to hang from the ceiling. You can buy them from all types of stores, from Cheap as Chips to Homeart and Ikea.
  • Buying the same gift for every guest can become very expensive, and does not allow for individuality. Have a lucky dip that guests are able to 'choose' their own gift. Guests are then able to swap their gifts if they wish.
  • If the ceremony and the reception are held in the same place, during the photos, hire some entertainment such as a belly dancer, bag pipes, dancers, characterturists etc.
  • As a bomboniere, consider a pebble/paperweight with the bride and groom's name and date on it.
  • Add bright fresh fruit to your table settings in a bowl. eg. lemon, oranges and limes.
  • For an outside wedding give each guest a pot and a preplanted seedling. Write your names and date of the wedding on the pot.

I found that while looking through magazines, I saw things that could be made much cheaper than it would cost to buy them. If you don't mind putting in the time, it can save you a fortune.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Our Wedding Playlist

It took me ages to organise our music for the wedding (Mr Y was not any help at all). I googled "wedding playlists" and found page after page and from all of these, I made our own. I hope it will be helpful.

Start of the Reception
1. Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (3:05)
2. Faith Hill - Breathe (4:11)
3. Amanda Marshall - Marry Me (3:51)
4.
Brian Adams - When You Love Someone-Hope Floats (3:39)
5. Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman (2:53)
6. Garth Brooks - To Make You Feel My Love (3:54)
7. Seal - Love's Divine (4:37)
8. Chantal Kreviazuk - Feels Like Home (4:43)
9. Ronan Keating - if tomorrow never comes (3:36)
10. Elvis Costello - She (3:08)
11. Aaron Lines - You Can't Hide Beautiful (3:38)
12. Colin Hay - Beautiful World (4:04)
13. Leonardo's Bride - Even When Im Sleeping (3:54)
14. James Morrison - You Make It Real (3:31)
15. Lifehouse - You and Me (3:16)
16. Robbie Williams - Better Man (3:22)
17. Colbie Caillat - Bubbly (3:17)
18. Jack Johnson - Cupid (1:05)
19. Ben Harper - By my side (3:32)
20. Jason Mraz - You And I Both (3:38)
21. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow (4:49)
22. Rolling Stones - Under The Boardwalk (2:48)
23. Temptations - Lean on Me (3:59)
24. Ben E. King - Stand By Me (2:57)
25. Sam Cooke - Wonderful World (2:07)
26. The Archies - Sugar,Sugar (2:49)
27. Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely (3:20)
28. Jimmy Cliff - You Can Get It If You Really Want (2:41)
29. Frankie Valli - Can't Take My Eyes Off You (3:23)
30. James Taylor - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) (3:39)
31. Various Artists - Someone Like You (4:08)
32. Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight (3:41)
33. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Down On The Corner (2:47)
34. Otis Redding - Love Man (dirty Dancing Soundtrack) (2:16)

Our Dances (7.25)
1. Pretenders - I'll Stand By You (3:58)
2. Jack Johnson - Better Together (3:27)

Fast Dance (8pm-9pm) (1.10.11)
3. B-52s - Cosmic Thing - 04 - Love Shack (5:21)
4. Ike and Tina Turner - nutbush city limits (3:04)
5. The Beatles - I Saw Her Standing There (2:55)
6. stealers wheel - stuck in the middle (3:29)
7. Letters to Cleo - I Want You to Want Me (3:26)
8. Fefe Dobson - If You Walk Away (3:47)
9. Kid Rock - All Summer Long (4:56)
10. Wes Carr - You (3:16)
11. Ben Lee - Catch My Disease (4:14)
12. The Rolling Stones - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (5:04)
13. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine (5:56)
14. Hootie & the Blowfish - Only Wanna be With You (3:46)
15. Jet - Get What You Need (4:07)
16. Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin on Me?), Pt. 1 (4:20)
17. TOPLOADER - Dancing in the moonlight (9:44)
18. Wonders - ThatThingYouDo (2:46)

Mixed Dance (9pm-10.30pm) (1.43.16)
19. Josh Kelley - You're Amazing (3:34)
20. 243 - Bad Company - Feel Like Making Love (5:10)
21. Eva Cassidy - Songbird (3:44)
22. NORAH JONES - Don't Know Why (3:06)
23. Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl (3:07)
24. Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (2:41)
25. Howie Day - Collide (4:09)
26. Edwin McCain - I'll Be (5:29)
27. Mary J Blige - one mary j. blige featuring u2 (4:21)
28. Rob Thomas - Little Wonders (3:48)
29. Ronan Keating - the way you make me feel (3:40)
30. Newton Faulkner - Dream Catch Me (3:56)
31. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (3:53)
32. Billy Currington - Must Be Doing Something Right (4:00)
33. Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (4:51)
34. Harry Connick, Jr. - (I Could Only) Whisper Your Name (4:50)
35. James Blunt - High (4:03)
36. John Hiatt - Have a little faith in me (4:04)
37. Van Morrison - These Are The Days (5:11)
38. Joshua Kadison - Beautiful In My Eyes (4:08)
39. Otis Redding - Midnight Hour (2:20)
40. The Romantics - What I Like About You (2:55)
41. Texas - When We Are Together (3:30)
42. Tonic - If You Could Only See (4:23)
43. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours (4:02)
44. Big Mountain - Baby, I Love Your Way [1994] (4:21)

Slower music (end of reception)
45. Roachford - Lay Your Love On Me (4:05)
46. Love Actually - Wherever You Will Go (3:27)
47. Ronan Keating - when you say nothing at all (4:19)
48. Alan Jackson - Remember When (4:30)
49. Ryan Cabrera - True (3:24)
50. Sam Cooke - Cupid (2:38)
51. Etta James - At Last (3:00)
52. Pulp Fiction - Let's Stay Together - Al Green (3:18)
53. Lenny Kravitz - Stand By My Woman (4:19)
54. World Party - She's The One (4:51)
55. Norah Jones - Turn Me On (2:34)
56. Nat King & Natalie Cole - Unforgettable (3:29)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Wedding

After months and months of planning, the wedding is over. The cars were late and when we arrived at the ceremony they didn't drive to where they were supposed to! My mum was running around the garden, forgetting all about what we had practiced. It was very classy with my mum holding about 5 handbags running back and forth, and then back to the car to tap on my window..."Are you ready?"

Mr Y was apparently very nervous before I arrived, because it wasn't perfect and he didn't want me to be disappointed...aww. The day did not go exactly to plan but the guests didn't notice and we weren't about to tell them. All up it was very beautiful and very relaxed.

We had a cocktail reception, which meant no planning table settings or having to pick different courses. It was so nice actually being able to socialise with all our guests instead of being behind a bridal table and sticking to a schedule. Cocktail receptions work well for very formal and informal weddings, with the advantage of actually being able to thank individual people for coming and in my case, I don't think there was even one person I didn't get to talk to....even Mr Y had a good time!

Friday, April 17, 2009

The night before the wedding

Today Mr Y and I went shopping again. I actually bought myself some jewellery to wear. This wedding has cost us quite a bit of money (though rather 'inexpensive' from what I have heard about other weddings)...anyways I have been buying my bridesmaids' jewellery and all the other little bits and pieces that I have gone without. Right now I have dye in my hair that I have done myself. I figured that if it has worked every other time and looks good then why not now? It may have been a little stupid to do this the night before the wedding, but well everything else has been so carefully planned, that my hair was kinda forgotten.

We got our first wedding present today, a beautiful stand for the bathroom. We can now be one of those couples who display their towels for the world to see. This will probably help save some space too. We are going a little crazy in this small 2 bedroom unit. Mr Y is used to living in an apartment overseas that is the size of a decent 3 bedroom home. When we have a fight, there's nowhere to go!

The Playlist

I have spent about the last 2 hours putting the playlist together and finding songs that run smoothly into the next...Where is Mr Y?...asleep in bed. There better not be any complaints about the music! =)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Two days before the wedding

Mr Y and I picked up the bridesmaid's jackets today but the dressmaker had not finished my jacket or hemmed the last dress. I'm getting a little worried that I don't have them in my hands yet, TWO days before the wedding. They are now going to be delivered tomorrow, let's hope they fit because there is little we can do the day before the wedding.

We have yet to finish the play list, wrap the bombonaire's, visit the function centre and find me some stockings. Right now, instead of doing any of these things, Mr Y is on his playstation and I'm watching That 70s Show...right on schedule.