More Photos.

In my zeal, I wiped out the whole photo site on caitlinandbilly.com the other day and it has taken me days to get it back. But it's back and better than ever - now with FIFTY wedding photos! Still more to come, so keep checking back.

And, the link has been updated to the easier to find caitlinandbilly.com/photos. Ha, though I should warn you that those other albums that look so tantalizingly clickable? They are not. Not yet, anyway. First things first, people.

Photos.

Not that I expect anyone still reads this or that anyone would actually believe me, but I've actually made some progress getting some wedding photos posted. Seriously! You can check out what we've got up so far by clicking on this super-secret photo link. Right now there are about 40 photos up, out of about 120 total. Every day I'm trying to get up another page of 10, but I'll admit I don't get to it every day.

Also, if anyone wants to teach me a faster, easier way of doing it that doesn't involve creating a separate web page for every individual photo, I would be indebted to you for life. I pay in chocolate chip cookies, too.

Billy and Caitlin Go Camping.

I swear we will get around to posting wedding photos sometime before people forget we've gotten married. But for now, enjoy these photos from our recent camping trip to Fahnestock State Park.

We had a total blast and didn't have one fight, especially if you don't count the time when I had to leave Billy at the campsite and go food shopping so I wouldn't have to kill him. Just so as I come clean on that, I should also mention that the reason Billy was so cranky is because I thought it was an awesome idea to go on a 10-mile hike in 100% humidity, even though Billy has never really hiked in his life. Hey. I just wanted to give him the authentic and full-fledged camping and outdoor experience.

During our three days upstate, we did a lot. We hiked, got caught in a rainstorm, roasted s'mores for breakfast, toured the Vanderbilt Mansion, and saw the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome air show. We even managed to visit with Billy's Aunt Annie on our way home. We came home wet and exhausted but incredibly refreshed and smelling deliciously of the earth.

Save the Date.

I swear that we are actually making progress sifting through all 1100 of the wedding photos we got from the photographer but in the meantime please busy yourselves by marking your calendars: Saturday, July 26 will be a fiesta of festivious proportions here at La Casa de Love. Not ONLY will we celebrate our recent nuptials with those in the American Northeast who could not make it down to sunny Florida for the big day, but we will also celebrate my 29th birthday. And, contrary to popular belief, we only turn 29 once, folks! Hope to see you all there. Or, er, here. You know, where we live. Details to come. Probably before the wedding photos.

He's Slick.

We've been waiting for our marriage certificate to arrive for five weeks and one day, not that anyone is counting. Upon checking the mail on the way home tonight, my heart absolutely dropped when all I found was a couple of solicitations from some assemblyman looking for my vote. Another day, another disappointment.

When I came upstairs, I showed Billy the pile of disappointing mail and he suggested we put on some music to console ourselves. He specifically suggested I use my computer so we could hear something a little different. Got over to my computer and it wasn't until after I lifted up the screen of my laptop that I saw... a piece of paper! With a raised seal and signature! Saying that YES! We are in fact married! The state of Florida says so!

Oddly enough, it had occurred to me that maybe Billy had taken ONLY the marriage certificate out of the mailbox to trick me, but I dismissed it, thinking he would not be so manipulative. I guess I have underestimated my husband. Touche.

Good news is that now we (well, I) can finally start the name change process and fully become a Regan. Lord help us all.

Maid of Honor Speech.

Siggi, my maid of honor, is truly an awesome individual. Not only did she deliver an amazing speech at our wedding, but she even transcribed it for me to have forever. And now that means I can share it with you. Enjoy!

"I have two younger brothers, Ryan and Brandon, who are twins. I have always envied their twinship. Being a twin, at least the way Ryan and Brandon are, means they are never alone. They approach everything in life with confidence, knowing they will never be alone in any wrong decisions. Other people contemplate colleges and careers carefully before making a decision, but the twins can seemingly jump into the right choice, never worrying that it might be wrong since the other is doing the same.

"Needless to say, my life has not been like this. While I had friends and my brothers growing up, I always was more solitary. When I entered the second grade in Germany, I was the only one in my class who did not speak German. At the same time Ryan and Brandon entered kindergarten as a two-person alliance that persisted in speaking English far into the school year. I appreciated my more independent and unique life, but it was also a lot more scary.

"When I met Caitlin in seventh grade my life instantly changed. By the time we bumped into each other for the seventh class on that first day of school we were friends and by the end of September we were best friends. We by-passed the usual note-passing in class, instead writing to each other in a spiral notebook that we called "the notebook." In it, we contemplated such important questions as whether or math teacher, Mr. Meyer, was an alien, and whether it was possible to shoot a banana out of its skin like they do in cartoons.

"When we separated in high school the notebook followed me. It was a physical symbol of my confidence as I navigated the halls among students I did not know. Our notes became longer and more profound.

"Since then, Caitlin and my friendship has evolved into an invincible relationship, reminiscent of Ryan and Brandon's twinship. However, far from doing everything together, we instead support each other in our own unique paths. Since the seventh grade, I have never felt alone or doubted myself. Caitlin was always there beside me in the form of the notebook. She is the strength in my life that defines me to the world.

"Four years ago a new character entered our notebook. Billy's name became mentioned more and more often, and the connotation associated with him grew more and more positive. By the end of 2004, when I left for the Peace Corps, I knew I was leaving her in good hands. Around that time, Caitlin wrote, 'I'm trying not to obsess too much over Billy, but it's hard. I feel like I imagine a Boston Red Sox fan must feel like right now... after all these years of trying maybe this time it will happen.'

"Over the two years I was in Africa, Billy became the main character in Caitlin's notes and life. In a different sort of friendship, I might have become jealous. As it is, I have never felt threatened by Billy. Instead of taking her away from me, somehow he impelled her to grow, so that she seemingly has double as much of herself to share. Caitlin wrote it herself best: 'The fact that Billy genuinely cares about me has really helped to open me up to my closer family and friends.'

"Billy's effect on Caitlin has redefined the word 'relationship' for me: There are friendships that entertain, amuse and make life more fun. Then there are those rare relationships that make us grow into bigger, better and more powerful people, and mold us into who we are. These are the ones that I treasure. Outside of my family I still only have this one, or possibly two now, of such a relationship, but I know that these are worth more than all others combined.

"I would not be who I am today without Caitlin, and I love the person that she has become, and is still becoming through Billy."

Siggi, thank you so much for being the twin for my soul.

Teaser.

Photos are here!

We got our wedding photos today! Ah, the memories...

We've got six CDs worth of photos to sort through before we can post anything but we promise to have them up as soon as humanly possible.

Aside: We were laying bets on whether the photos would arrive before the marriage certificate. You'll never guess who won.

Bridesmaid Gifts.

I wanted something personal and unique to give to my girls to thank them for everything they did for us throughout the time leading up to the wedding. After giving it quite a bit of thought, I came up with the idea of custom-designed t-shirts to wear on the rehearsal day as well as personalized mix CDs consisting of songs that suited the day. For the final touch, my mom made each of them earrings to match the orchids they carried and wore in their hair.
I personalized the CD covers with the flamingo design we've all come to know and love, and chose songs based on how I felt about the girls throughout the process of getting married (and it is a process!). The one that still makes me cry is "The Wind Beneath My Wings." Back in January, we all got together for a bridal party slumber party and ended up singing karaoke. We dedicated that song to ourselves and before you know it, there were actual live eagles flying all over my living room. We could hear them loud and clear: "Caw-caw! Caw-caw!"

During the reception, I dedicated that song to them and sure enough, the eagles returned. I'll never be able to listen to that song again without simultaneous laughter and tears.

Monkey Dolls.

Tomorrow will be our three-week anniversary as a married couple, and I have to admit that we've done a pretty poor job of sharing stories about our big day here on the site. We'll try to do better.

One thing I was pretty proud of was the little dolls I made as wedding favors-slash-place cards.


I think I came up with the idea for these sometime last June during my marathon commute from Jackson Heights to Battery Park. I have a lot of time for idea-making during that time, which is a cross between a curse and a blessing, but that's a whole other post.

The idea started off a lot more complicated. Initially I was thinking it would be so cool to have little personalized dolls that would resemble each of the guests. I was actually going to individualize each one with matching hair, eyes, and clothing so people would be able to identify them by looks alone.

In the end, I probably would have needed to quit my job and knit 12 hours a day for the whole year to pull something like that off, so I designed these little guys instead. They went through a few iterations before I finally settled on this simple pattern. Each one took about an hour to make, not counting the arms, which I did in sets that generally took an hour to make and then attach. Inside, I used fish gravel to weigh them down so they would stand upright without getting knocked over by the wind. Regular cotton batting made them soft. In some of the earlier ones, before I got the cotton batting, I used shopping bags, which were soft enough but were also kind of noisy.

The cocktail umbrellas were the perfect size and made them beachy enough to be appropriate for our Sandbar wedding. To personalize them, I cut out strips of colored paper and hand-wrote everyone's names on them. The dolls held the umbrella in one hand and the name tag in the other, and they became place card holders.


Some people called them monkeys, because their arms are pretty long. I hadn't thought of that interpretation, but it's appropriate since Billy and I have been known to call each other "Monkey" from time to time.

I'm hoping that once our official photos come in, we'll have some shots of the "monkeys" in action on the wedding day. I'll be sure to post photos when they arrive.

And, if there is anyone who didn't make it to the wedding who wants their own personalized monkey, drop me a line! I'm happy to send one in the mail. We had a guest list of over 100 people, so we ended up with about 50 extras. Plenty to go around!

You Want Stories?

There are so many little stories about our wedding week, and I'd like to fill this site up with some of them if I can, just a little bit at a time. Of course, while I'd love for Billy to share some of his own stories on here, the thought of him actually blogging is just ridiculously funny. It ain't gonna happen. So I guess if you want his stories, you'll have to try to pry them out of him with the biggest crowbar you can find, because let's face it. If you know Billy, you know it's not easy getting him to open up, even about the good stuff.

Anyway, I'll let this just be a teaser for now, along with the fact that there are still more photos ready for your viewing pleasure, thanks to Siggi, who sent me her set today! Enjoy!

Erica on Friday night at the beach outside the Villa

Peggy, Caitlin, Siggi, and Erica Friday night at the beach outside the Villa

Linda arrives to the rehearsal at the Sandbar on Saturday afternoon

The bridesmaids wearing their custom-designed t-shirts at the Sandbar rehearsal on Saturday

Coquina Beach - site for Saturday's rehearsal "dinner" barbecue

Jim and Sharon - stepsister and brother-in-law of the bride, who may or may not have their own exciting news...

The Seafood Shack - gathering place for the pre-wedding, for which 90% of the wedding guests also attended!

Wedding Day Photos

Wedding day photos are now up on my Flickr site, thanks entirely to Sonal and Brett who were both kind and efficient enough to take so many great shots, upload them, AND get them to me within one day of getting back to New York. So thank you guys. (Everyone thank Sonal and Brett for the photos.)

The day was really incredibly beautiful and we really believe everyone had a great time, young and old. The day was overcast and rainy all the way up to the ceremony, when the clouds instantly dispersed and left us with clear skies for our "I do's." It really doesn't get any better than that, which is just further proof that there is some otherworldly being out there who is looking over us.

For those who weren't there or weren't in on the secret, right after Billy and I got married, my mom and stepdad, Linda and Rudy, got married themselves. It was a surprise to many of our guests and I was happy to get to be a bride and a matron of honor all in the same day!

My brother Rob and stepbrother Eric did an amazing job playing guitar duets for the ceremony, and I hope hope HOPE that Rob's friend Kristen took video of them playing "Air on the 'G' String" because I missed 97% of it since I was hiding in the office and that was the one song I really wanted to hear. The recessional was a beautiful rendition of "All You Need is Love," and after this wedding, I'm convinced that is totally true.

More photos will be coming in a few weeks when the photographer sends me the proofs. In the meantime stay tuned because there are still tons of stories to tell about the day. It truly couldn't have been any more perfect.

Wedding Week Photos

I'll warn you that there are NO wedding day photos in this set. These are just the ones I took on the week, but it will give you somewhat of an idea of some of the goings on down on Anna Maria Island last week. I swear more details and photos are coming but it will be coming in dribs and drabs, so stay tuned!

We're Ba-ack!

We arrived back to Jackson Heights about 49 minutes ago and are already back into full swing. I've got a paper to write that was due at 8:00 this morning (oops) but we promise we will have proper photos and details about the rest of our week as soon as we can come up for air!

Photos.

A few of my favorite photos from yesterday are over on my Flickr site. I took 71 photos yesterday afternoon and evening alone. I think I'm in love.

2 days to go...

So this is our view from the villa, and I'm sitting out here on our back porch admiring it while Siggi gets ready to go pick up Erica from the airport. The sound of ocean waves is soothing, and it's easy to forget all the little things that really don't need to get done, after all. Later I'll have a martini out here, and that will be nice.

Tonight all the bridal party will have arrived to the villa, and we're planning a Great Cookout of lemon and garlic-grilled salmon, shrimp and zucchini skewers, rice, and caesar salad, plus a champagne toast to the folks that helped us get here. I'm looking forward to another evening in the hot tub with good friends and the moon and stars above us.

Yesterday I bought myself a new camera to replace the one that broke last year, when we came down to investigate potential wedding spots. This was a bit of an upgrade and I finally bought myself the digital SLR I've been coveting for years. You can expect tons of new photos in the next few days, I'm sure. Be on the lookout.

Florida, Day 2

Right now, Billy, Rutherford, Mikey, and I are sitting on the back verandah playing Uno (well, they're playing Uno and I'm getting my gerk on by posting to our blog). It's been another lovely day.

Started off early(ish) by going for a short run on the beach up to the Sandbar, which is where we are getting married, and back - about two miles. How relaxing. Then breakfast - scrambled eggs, bacon, and an english muffin - on the patio looking over the Gulf. We ran a few errands - paid for our wedding cake, dropped off some goodies for folks arriving from out of town, oh, and I bought a really expensive but really awesome camera. After living a year without a camera of my own and at least five years coveting this or something like it, I am REALLY loving it. Can't wait to upload a few new photos.

Picked up Siggi and Brett from the airport and Rutherford and Mikey arrived this evening via car. We took advantage of the awesome outdoor kitchen and barbecue tonight by having grilled corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and steak. Yum-mo. Went swimming in the Gulf at sunset and spent the rest of the evening in the hot tub.

It's been so nice with so many great things to write about. We've been incredibly busy but the sunshine has made it so relaxing. Sometimes we even forget that we're here to get married. This is the way to do it.

We're in Florida!

We're in Florida!

It's been a long day of running around from place to place but we're settled in for the night in our incredibly amazingly beautiful oceanfront villa. We had to leave a bottle of champagne at the airport this morning since we are apparently horrible at packing. Things got better from there, thankfully. When the woman at the car rental counter found out we were down for our wedding she was ready to upgrade our Chevy Malibu to a Ford Mustang convertible at no charge. Man, if we didn't have so many errands and airport runs to do, we would be SO down with that.

The villa is amazing. We are sharing with the bridal party for the week and the place is about five times the size of our apartment, which is actually quite large as well. We've got a private bar and barbecue poolside (and hot tub side) that overlooks the ocean, and which also has a flat-screen TV and cushioned patio furniture. The bathroom that Billy and I are sharing is the size of our living room and dining room combined.

We enjoyed dinner with Peggy and her parents at the Moose's lodge, thanks to my mom's new Moose status, and now we're ready to sit back and watch a movie on the huge flat-screen TV and surround sound. Tomorrow it's up and at 'em early in the AM for a morning run on the beach and then off to run even more errands.

5 days to go...

We leave bright and early tomorrow morning to head down to Florida! Our flight takes off at 7:10am, which means we need to leave our apartment around 5:15. Yippee!

Today is the day we have been waiting so long for and now that it's here it feels undeniably real. This is where the fun begins, and we are both giddy with excitement! It's like being a kid at Christmas - you count down the days for what feels like eons and then all of a sudden you're not counting down any more. It's here and now!

Next post will be from sunny Florida in our villa on the beach. Can't wait to see everyone in just a few more days!

Unusual Calm.

I can't really speak for Billy on this, but a lot of people have mentioned to me that I seem unusually laid back about our upcoming wedding (in nine days!). There are lots of details yet to be finalized - in fact one of my bridesmaids has yet to purchase a dress for the wedding (last I heard, anyway) - but it seems like Billy and I are calming down the people around us more than anything else.

I dunno. I guess it's a matter of there being plenty of other drama in our lives without having to add a wedding to that, too. Planning a wedding should be fun! And if it isn't, we must be doing something wrong. That's been our philosophy throughout the entire process, from the day my mom called to tell me she'd read in the local paper that all the Sandbar weddings had been canceled after last November to trying to figure out how to have a rehearsal dinner for 20 people with a budget of $300.

Everything's gotten done with what feels like a minimum of effort, and I just KNOW writing that out loud is going to come back and bite me before all is said and done. I guess that just epitomizes our relationship with each other - take it easy and everything will be alright.

Two weeks left!

Last night we got together with some of Billy's friends from work and watched some NCAA action at our new favorite local bar, the Blue Room. The wedding came up a few times in conversation, as did the fact that Billy's not entirely sure where he's stored his wedding ring. I'm not worried. I have a feeling a lot of things will come down to the wire with this wedding. It's the story of my life. I wrote an entire research paper in six hours today, three days after its due date. Just call me Queen of the Eleventh Hour.

In all seriousness, things are really coming together. Billy and I have both gotten our final hair cuts for the wedding. Seating charts are more or less final. Paper to make the place cards has been bought, and our bank account stands ready to be emptied. Hoo-hah, as Al Pacino says in Scent of a Woman. We are ready for a wedding.

Pre-Wedding Gathering.

We've set the details for folks wanting to meet up on the night before the wedding for a good ol' time by the bay.

Saturday, April 12
5:30pm
at the Seafood Shack Marina Grill
4110 127th St W
Cortez, FL


View Larger Map

Let us know in the comments if you think you'll be joining us!

Wedding Attire.

A few guests have asked what they should be wearing to our beach wedding. Our general thought has been that it will be a come-as-you-are kind of affair, and people can wear whatever makes them comfortable.

We can say that the entire event will be held on sand. We won't even have a dance floor under the pavilion - just an empty patch of sand to kick up with our smooth moves. So keep that in mind when you pick out your shoes and outfits.

We think our guests are wearing everything from all-out tuxedos to jackets and ties to khakis and beach shirts. We welcome it all. But - in the interest of helping you decide your wardrobes and how best to fit in, what are you planning to wear?

Showers at the office.

Yesterday the folks at my office threw me a shower! Everyone there was so nice and generous. I know I've technically worked there for a little over a year and a half, but I've only been "official" for a month. The number of people who got together and chipped in is incredible - including some people I've only met a few times, if at all!

Everyone was incredibly generous, from the cake and champagne to balloons, flowers, and an absolutely amazing gift that will really help make our honeymoon dream a reality. It was great to see everyone taking a few moments out of their busy days to come share some cake with me and raise glasses in celebration of, well, me and Billy.

The surprise was going off well, even after they came to set up for the shower in the very same conference room where I was in a team meeting. As testament to how totally gullible I am, all they had to say was, "Oh, that must be for someone coming in after us," and I believed them. It wasn't until our associate poked her head in and saw the decorations there and had a look of complete disappointment on her face that I put it together. I think poor Vicki was upset about that for the whole rest of the day, but truthfully, public surprises like that do not go over all that well with me. The way it happened was absolutely perfect - and now we've got a story!

We're checking things off the list like crazy down here.

This trip to Florida has been incredibly productive. Just today alone we have gotten our marriage license (yay!), finalized our wedding cake details, seen the site for our rehearsal dinner, made arrangements for a pre-wedding gathering just off Anna Maria Island (more on that to come when we get back to New York), ordered food for the rehearsal dinner, AND I got shoes that match my wedding dress absolutely perfectly - a pair of $5 champagne-colored flip flops from Old Navy!

Tomorrow we meet our DJ for the first time and finalize plans with the caterer and hopefully get in touch with our elusive florist. I do like the woman but to say she is difficult to get in touch with is an understatement. I'm not entirely positive we will have flowers for the ceremony, but even if we don't, at least there will be cake! And isn't that more important, anyway?

22 days to go...

We're headed down to Florida in about an hour or so to take care of a few wedding details. We've spent the morning packing and preparing for the trip, writing lists, and then writing more lists. The flamingos from the bridal shower fit quite nicely into our humongous suitcase, which we then loaded up with lots of clothes we may or may not need while we're there. Yes, the flamingos are making the trip and will make an appearance at the wedding.

All my research material for the 5-page research paper I have to write is also packed neatly into carry-on, and that little added "to-do" will add a little spice to the challenge of the next four days.

Things are coming together, both quickly and slowly all at the same time. Next post - we hope - will be from sunny Bradenton! We'll give you the update on the weather outlook and maybe even a sneak peak of the wedding site and a few other goodies, too!

Stay tuned!

For those who were wondering...

Current weather conditions on Anna Maria Island:


In four weeks, at just about this hour, we will be sitting down to dinner, enjoying a beautiful sunset on the beach, our first meal as husband and wife.

31 days to go...

We have precisely one month left until we say, "I do!"

Billy picked up his wedding ring yesterday so we have taken another important step towards holy matrimony. We'll be heading down to Florida next weekend on a whirlwind trip to spend Easter with Billy's family in Jacksonville, get our marriage license in Bradenton, finalize cake details, and meet the DJ for the first time, among a few other odds and ends.

We've been getting lots of great response cards since we posted that last one. Annie M, we have never met you but we already like you since you've already claimed your mai tai even though you ARE coming. We'll toast to that!

We're so excited, too!

This is one of the reasons we love our wedding. Thanks for the great card, Kathy! Your exclamation points really made our day today.

But Billy wants to know... are you bringing the brownies?

43 days to go...

Wedding planning has slowed significantly since the big project of getting the invitations out is completed. Last week I also finished the other mammoth project of making the wedding favors. This was another of my bright ideas and was so involved that I actually started making them last June. I haven't done an official count, but I estimate I've done around 102 of them, so that ought to be enough for everybody. As to what they are... well, you'll just have to wait and see. I hope you like them as much as I do.

We finally got word from the florist that all the flowers we wanted will actually be available for us. I'd been worried about it since it was nearly six weeks since we met with her to discuss them. Without getting into too much detail, I will say that the bride's bouquet will consist of bearded iris, which is symbolic. My dad loved gardening and I always remember he lingered over the bearded iris he grew. It's my way of having him walk me down the aisle with my mom and stepfather. And I think it will be beautiful.

Billy ordered his ring, and mine's in my jewelry cabinet. I'd show photos but Billy's ring is so new that there aren't even any photos of it on the web yet. Once it arrives, I'll post a shot. It's really nice.

Yesterday was the first day we didn't get any response cards back in the mail. Bummer. I think periodically I should just send postcards out to people to send back to me. It's nice to come home to tropical photos after a long day at work.

The things we have left to do seem so trifling next to what's already been done. At this point the most important thing we do every day is check another day off the calendar!

All that's missing are the photos. Care to share?

So I'd pretty much known that there was a bridal shower in store for me last Saturday. The real giveaway was the fact that my mom was flying up, by herself, for a weekend, in February, for no discernible reason. But I had no idea when and no idea where. When I opened the door to my own apartment and saw a crowd of people at the end of the hallway gathered around with cameras flashing and shouting, "SURPRISE!," you could say I was surprised. It was sort of the same kind of jolt you might get after shuffling around on carpet for a while and then touching something metal. I think I actually saw sparks, and I haven't seen the photos yet but I bet my hair was also standing on end.

I am only mildly embarrassed that the first words out of my mouth had something to do with my toilet overflowing that morning. It was an off moment, and probably one of the reasons I will never be President of the United States or Miss America in my lifetime.

I've already mentioned how touched I am by how many people came from so far away, people I haven't seen in months and months. Probably the only disappointing thing about the day was how little time I actually had to spend really talking to people. With so much to catch up on, five minutes at a time was just not enough, but I think sufficient plans have been made for future trips to Yankees games, belated birthday celebrations, beer festivals, and hikes that I can rest easy knowing that our time will come. This was a good catalyst.

Our apartment was completely transformed from when I'd left it that morning. Tables, confetti, streamers, and pink flamingos were everywhere. The stereo - the very one I haven't used in well over a year and surprised me in that it actually worked - was playing "Chapel of Love" and there were these beautiful pink orchids on the table. Siggi's mom knew they were my favorite and brought them from her greenhouse for me. The amount of food in the room was incredible, and I was mildly upset that I'd just come from having a huge lunch and dessert. Luckily there were lots of leftovers, and we are still eating them today.

Every detail was meticulously planned out. Siggi hand-painted personalized flower pots for each guest. The CD she'd made was filled with songs specifically chosen for me and Billy. The food was incredible, and I didn't have to lift a single finger to clean up. The thought that went into the day, the people who shared it with me - even including the ones that were only there in spirit - was just amazing. Even three blog posts don't do it justice.

From the champagne toast to the flamingo swizzle sticks to my niece drawing me pictures of monkeys to the flamingo leis, there wasn't a single moment I wasn't bursting with the joy of knowing that I am quite honestly surrounded by the best human beings on Earth. Thank you could never, ever say enough.

Teaser.

I don't have time yet for a proper recap of Saturday's party, but I do have a few quick photos to hold us over until I have more than 15 minutes at my disposal for blogging.

Showered.

Yesterday I was in the midst of writing a general update about wedding plans when the toilet started overflowing and the morning went to hell. I spent the next hour trying to unclog the toilet, mop up the inch of water from the floor, and locate the super to try to get the toilet to stop running. In the end I had to turn off the water because it just wouldn't stop otherwise. All this with a time clock; my mom and I had an appointment to go to the spa with Monica and we had to leave at 9:30am.

Luckily the super really is super; he came up within 15 minutes of my leaving a message of desperation on his voicemail and used his industrial superplunger to unclog the toilet in about 45 seconds. I spent the next 30 minutes sopping up all the water on the floor, washing it with soap, and then re-cleaning the sink, since that's where all the toilet water ultimately ended up. YUCK.

We were late meeting Monica, who was waiting downstairs for us in a cab. When we finally got downstairs and saw the cab, I did a little more than a double-take: it was a white stretch limo! Turns out it was totally unplanned; the limo happened to be the only car the service had available for us. Still, a fun start to the day.

The spa was great; we got manis and pedis and then went out for brunch and finally hot chocolate and cookies at a nearby cafe. When I opened the door to my apartment, there were 20 of my favorite women inside, crowded around the entrance with cameras shouting, "SURPRISE!" That and, two plastic flamingos wearing a tuxedo and bridal gown, kissing in the doorway.

I was - and still am - so incredibly touched by the day from start to finish. It was so great to see so many people there - people who came from really far away to be there, like Erica from Maryland, Melissa from Staten Island, Alste, Mandy, Sharon, Ashley, Anne, and Krissy from Poughkeepsie, Sha'lyce from the Bronx, and Aunt Cathrine and Peggy from New Jersey. Not to mention my MOM, who flew up from Florida on the snowiest day of the year just to be there.

There's no way I could really do the day justice in one post, so I'm sure I'll be writing more about the details over the next several days, but I do want to offer a very public thank you to everyone who was there and especially to the three amazing people in my bridal party - Siggi, Erica, and Peggy - who made it happen. I am so lucky to have all these special people in my life. Knowing all of you truly is a blessing. Thank you!

More to come on some of the fantastic details in the next few days...

You've brightened my day.

Quite possibly the most exciting part of wedding planning so far, we've started to get some response cards back! I'm delighted that they all come bearing images of tropical scenes, particularly on a day like today when I arrived home feeling so weary and apathetic I thought nothing could ease my funk.

I had been unsure of whether or not the postcards would be a nice touch or would turn out to be really cheesy. Now that I've gotten a handful of them to hang up all around me, I see that my plan has actually worked! For some reason it still amazes me when one of my hair-brained ideas actually bears merit.

Anyway, thanks! Keep 'em coming!

A bit about our invitations.

The process of making the invitations was harder than we expected. To save some money and add a little bit of a personal touch, we decided to do them ourselves. Indeed, we saved quite a bit of money, since in the end all we had to pay for was postage.

There were several iterations of design that came into play before we decided on our little flamingos.

The first was this design, a single card using a palm tree photo that Caitlin took on her trip to Costa Rica.

Billy hated this design, and it was immediately discarded.

We both really liked this one, and in fact almost used it until we went to visit the site again and realized that it didn't fit the personality of the island. After that trip, we came up with the next idea, which finally shows signs of our final design. As a side note, the orchid in the invitation above is from a photo we took of the very first orchid we ever grew together, so it had some sentimental value in it as well.

This was our working design for most of the process, but in the end it was too busy and cluttered. It features a map of the island where we're getting married as well as our beloved flamingos. It is informal and fun, which is exactly what we're going for with our whole wedding. Finally, Caitlin sat down with pen and paper and came up with the flamingo drawing that is now apparently going to be our trademark.

We went with a folded card, mainly because we already had them. Caitlin inherited them from her dad, who collected all sorts of art supplies in his day, and adds a little touch of him to the wedding as well. The invites were ultimately designed using a combination of Photoshop and InDesign (we downloaded a free 30-day trial of InDesign for this purpose, which added a whole other dimension to the design process; nothing like being on the clock while you're also working full time, in school, babysitting twice a week, and planning a wedding). They took 16 straight hours to print at the highest setting on our printer.

We also ended up changing the wording of the invites slightly at the bottom. Again, we were going for fun and informal so we ended up with, "Dinner and dancing under the Sandbar pavilion follow for all who wish to boogie with the bride and groom!" Because for sure we are gonna be boogie-ing.

Another component of the invites was the website, which was such a production, mainly because Caitlin had no idea what she was doing during the whole process. At first the whole site was built using thousands and thousands of jpeg files, which is death to all websites if someone happens to not have high-speed access to the internet. We finally ended up with what is there today. We purposely chose a neutral-sounding URL so that we could continue using it after the wedding, updating it with photos and stories as we continue our lives together.

Finally, the response cards. We mentioned that they were all to be hand-written. We bought 77 postcards from a gift shop in Florida and then wrote all the responses ourselves. They were all personalized depending on the guest, and took Caitlin about three hours to do. Her hand may or may not still be cramped. But the end result was great. The postcards cost about $10.

In all, we spent about three solid months working on the invites at varying degrees of pulling our hair out, but we wouldn't give up the process for anything! In the end, we're in love with our little flamingos. And now we have a mascot!

60 Days to Go...

The invitations are in the mail! The making of the invites was a longer, harder process than we ever imagined possible. As usual, Caitlin bit off just slightly more than she could chew, as the design of the invite was contingent on learning how to create a sister website. In the end, we're really happy with the design and all the hand-done touches. We hope you like them too, and are so excited to start seeing the response cards come back!

Odds and Ends.

Billy's home from his bachelor weekend and has arrived in one piece. A little tattered around the edges, perhaps, but all for a good cause.

Response cards are 95% written. Did I mention I'm hand-writing them?

Next item on the list: buy stamps and out they go!

Bachelor Party.

Billy's off for his bachelor party weekend down in Tampa right now. According to the website, his flight is in the air as we, er, type. He had about three hours of delays due to weather but it looks like he's going to make it tonight after all. Or, at least, very early tomorrow morning.

The guys have a great weekend planned, from the sounds of it. A day at Busch Gardens, tuxedo fittings, fishing, Super Bowl parties, etc. etc.

Meanwhile, back in Jackson Heights, the apartment will get a good scrubbing down, a task made much easier when there isn't someone leaving peanut shells around ten minutes after someone else just cleaned up the living room floor.

Just sayin'.

A Milestone Achieved.

Our invitations are printed! It took about 16 hours on the home printer but they came out great. The envelopes are addressed. All that remains to do are the 61 hand-written response cards.

Yes, hand-written response cards. In case you didn't already know, Caitlin dreams big. And forgets about the LABOR part of all those great ideas.

Songs We Are Considering for the First Dance

Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
I Feel Good - James Brown
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny
In the Still of the Night - Boyz II Men
You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Songbird - Fleetwood Mac
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
I Wanna Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Can't Get Enough of Your Love - Barry White
I'll Make Love to You - Boyz II Men
Misty - Ella Fitzgerald
You're the First, My Last, My Everything - Barry White
More Today than Yesterday - Spiral Starecase
When I See You Smile - Bad English
In the Still of the Night - The Five Satins
Warm Ways - Fleetwood Mac
You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

What was your wedding song? If you're not married, what do you imagine your ideal wedding song to be?

We're Getting Married!

We are getting married on the beach this April down on Anna Maria Island in Florida!

A big step in the planning process has been completed, as our official wedding website launched today! It's Caitlin's first-ever attempt at web design and somehow she made it work. Wonders never cease. If the learning curve hasn't completely bottomed out at this point, we hope to have a blog running directly on that site in the next several days. Until then, be sure to check back here often for all sorts of updates about our crazy life together!