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


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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!