I'm getting married in a week!
I have not blogged in forever, because honestly, I really haven't had a moment. Since the NDP conference last March, I have been using every weekend to run my fiance rapid with moving and wedding activities. Sleep is seriously a luxury lately.
Between my thesis and the job hunt and regular family drama, I haven't even played video games in a long time. To keep me from getting burnt out, my Mom visited O-town the first week of May. She kicked butt packing up my bachelor pad, scrubbing EVERYTHING, and then scrubbing my new place and helping me move. Then I unpacked and set up the new place. I was still completely overwhelmed and spent a week in a huge townhouse by myself. I was also going nuts with thesis analyses being thrown back in my face, and a really intense job interview over Skype (sorry to say that I don't think I got the job).
A week ago, I flew out east to stay with my parents until the wedding. Wow.
I gave myself 2 weeks at home to prep for the wedding because I figured that's how long it would take. In O-town, I was so focused on schoolwork and living by myself that the wedding stuff was left for weekends and evenings.
Well, I put the wedding front and center this past week. Plus, I went on more than a few roadtrips to the country, and had lots of great meals eating out (a skinny bride I will never be).
Let's recount everything that has been accomplished by me (or my Mom) in the past week.
I made all the music playlists for the wedding, gathered all the music and synced it onto my mp3 player. I met with my music technician and gave him very detailed instructions for what to play and when.
I fine-tuned the ceremony and checked it through with both officiants. I arranged the final payments with one officiant.
I filled out the marriage license form that needs to be filled out in advance.
I made my bouquet! I don't care if you think it's ugly. I love it. And it took 2.5 days to do.
I found ribbon for the chuppah that match my color scheme
I found good ceremony flower with neat little flower basket hanger things. Mom spray painted the flower baskets.
Mom made a "card boxed" for greeting cards we receive at the wedding
Mom altered my wedding dress (twice!) and it fits perfect. The little jacket my sister found matches it perfectly.
I wrote various long winded things to family members with a detailed schedule of events on the wedding day.
I desigend wedding programs! I wasn't going to, but then I made an 8 page booklet that includes 3 pages of a Hebrew "Grace After Meal" prayer. I also explain all the little quirky stuff we have in the ceremony.
I made a big seating chart poster to hang on an easel.
I made a big poster of the wedding photos of my parents, my grandpaernts, my fiance's parents and grandparnts. It's really neat
I made a sign explaining to my side what to do with the kippot
I found a candle and made a sign and printed the photo for my grandfather's memorial table
I found out that I needed to order speakers from the hotel, so I ordered the speakers and filled out the forms and worked that all out.
I made the final payments with the hotel and go the total estimated cost of the wedding
I made the final payment with the rental company
I added a boutonniere onto my florist order because I forgot about my groom's boutonniere.
I washed seashells off with a hose in my driveway
I received phone calls from vendors like the tux rental place, and I helped a relative in Newfoundland work with our registry
I got my sister to scratch the shoe game at the reception, negotiated family dinner plans for Saturday night, I chaperoned a YMCA youth dance, I went on a crazy backwoods road trip with my 86 year old grandmother (we were literally on dirt roads for a few hours in an area with no cell phone reception). I went on dozens of trips with my Mom, watched Iron Man 2, snuggled my dog, and hung out with my neighbours.
Like a boss
(Like a bride?)
Anyway, it's been a crazy intense week. I'm sure I'm forgetting some stuff in there. But I seriously did a lot, and just kept going. On Saturday, I sort of crashed and today I'm moving much slower. I think I want to take things slower and easier for a day or two. Then my Dad arrives home on Thursday, my brother and his girlfriend arrive on Friday. On Saturday we drive down to the hotel and I'll see my fiance and loads of others. Then I get married next Sunday.
The only things left are:
pick up fiance's tux
write a speech
finalize payments to just a few vendors
meet with officiant next Saturday morning and give legal documents to her
print honeymoon documents
organize all my "stuff" and bring it to the hotel. Repack my stuff into two piles: take on honeymoon, ship to O-town.
And that's it!
Whoohoo!