The best advice I can give...

I do have a lot to say about my wedding, but I am waiting until I have more consistent computer access before delving into all of that (for those of you waiting on bated breath for that to happen, I should have a new lappy around October 15). However, I do want to share the absolute, 100% best decision I made regarding the wedding because I believe if it can even help just one person, than it is worth sharing.

So what is it?

I brought a small notebook with me, and the morning after the wedding, when I couldn't sleep because I had so many wonderful, happy thoughts pouring through my brain, I wrote them all down.

This may sound like a very simple thing to do, but the reality of the day for me was that from the moment they put the veil on me until about 2 hours into the reception, everything. was. a. blur. I tried so hard to be 'in the moment' and it just got away from me.

Having the notebook and writing down my most cherished memories from the day has not only provided me with a invaluable personal record of how special the day was, but it also served as an instant pick-me-up when I was so sad and depressed about losing my job. The day was filled with more joy than I ever imagined possible, and to have been able to capture some of that joy and continue to experience it has been priceless.

Weddingbee Readers, I need your help

Due to extraordinarily unfortunate circumstances, not to mention ridiculously poor timing, as of this past Monday, I am no longer at my job. I had been thinking about doing something more creative and was hoping to further investigate those possibilities after returning from our honeymoon anyway, but still, I would be lying if I didn't mention how disappointing all of this is.

But, not one to let things like this get to me, I figure I can make lemon-cello from lemons (what...that isn't the phrase? Guess I've been in Italy too long.) and move on towards something better.

As you know, I designed and created many things for my wedding and I have long been a card making/scrapbooking enthusiast. Although many of the things I created were not my own idea, but rather were ideas inspired by things I saw others have made in the past, I do think that I have some degree of talent in the area and it really is something that I love to do.

So my question to you readers is this:

If you are not a DIY kind of person, but want to include DIY elements in your event; would you be willing to pay someone to do the DIY for you? If so, what would you expect to pay? What services would you find most helpful?

If you already do this type of work for people, how did you start your business and what are some tips you can share?

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. I know that this is supposed to be a forum for brides and I get just as annoyed as the next person when I find out that someone I trust is just trying to sell me something, but I am hoping that your feedback will help a girl out.

Thanks,

Mrs Corn

Out of town bags

The very last DIY project I had to do before the wedding was the Out-of-Town bags. I got the bags on sale a while ago at AC Moore for something like 23 cents each. They were on the small side, so we only put a few things in them. Each bag had:

• A guidebook and a map of the Newport area that Mr Corn and I picked up while we were in Newport the week earlier to get our license,
  
• A newsletter that I designed (but mostly copied off of one I saw online) with info on the bride and groom, the bridal party, the families of the bride and groom; van pickup information; a Mr and Miss Corn related crossword puzzle; directions to the fort and a list of things to do in Newport,
  
• A packet of previously made Marzipan shells

Organizing which bag went where was a bit daunting, but we finally got it all figured out and we split up the hotels between three different cars headed to the area, so we got them distributed pretty timely.

If I have any advice on doing this it would be to consider putting a place on your invitation RSVP cards for people to put in where they are staying so you don't have to call as many people to find out that information; especially if you are in a resort town with lots and lots of boutique hotels!!

So glad to be back

Hi there, Weddingbee readers. Mr Corn and I are finally back from Italy and we had a wonderful, wonderful time.

We started out on the Island of Capri and visited Sorrento and Pompeii. Then we had a quick jaunt through Naples to find the most amazing pizza ever for lunch before hopping on a train to Rome. After a few days we headed to Orvieto, thanks to weddingbee reader, Tracinda, who sent us a suggestion to go there a few months ago. We stayed there over night and then rented a car and drove through the Tuscan hillsides to Florence where we hopped a train to Venice where we stayed for the remainder of our trip.

It was so great to be able to go away for a long enough time to forget what day of the week it was. It was also really, really great to spend so much time with Mr Corn since he travels during the week for work and we normally only get the weekends together.

Below are some highlight pics. I hope all of your wedding plans are continuing to go well and much congratulations to you ladies who have gotten hitched since I have been away.

The evening view of the back side of the island of Capri and the Mediterranean from our Veranda in our hotel room at the JW Marriott.

Taking the ferry into Sorrento.

Mr Corn and I in Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

The most. amazing. pizza. EVER!! If you have read 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert and/or Rick Steve's guide book for Italy, you have heard of this place and I can back up their claims!!

The Pantheon

Outside the Colosseum in Rome.

Locanda Palazzone, a beautiful bed and breakfast just outside of Orvieto.

Breakfast with a view!

A gondelier in Venice in a tight spot.

Mr Corn and I on the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice.

I'm Married!!!

It was the most. amazing. day. ever.

I can not even begin to express how wonderful and amazing it was, so I am not going to try. But I do have some teaser pics taken by my bridesmaid, Lauren. We're off to Italy tomorrow! Hope you all had a great weekend!!

I'M GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early this morning, I am picking up two of my bridesmaids and then we are headed down to Newport. We have 10 hotels to go to to drop off out-of-town bags. Then, we can veg out, have some lunch, relax and wait to be picked up by the car service to go to the rehearsal at 3:00. The rehearsal dinner follows that at 4:30 and then the rehearsal party at 6:30pm. Then I will go home and try and get some sleep before the big day.

I am having a hard time conveying exactly how I feel right now. I am not excited, I am not nervous, I am not scared. I am just very tired and slightly overwhelmed (that might have something to do with the fact that my family has been in town since Tuesday and for some reason, even though they are here to help, I just can't shake the need to entertain them).

There is a serious 'carrot' dangling in front of me, just out of reach, though and I catch myself saying moment to moment: 'in the end, when it is all over, I will be Mrs. Corn'.

And that is what I will be the next time I write. We won't be back from the honeymoon until late September, but I will try very hard to post a teaser picture before then.

Thanks to all of you for your inspiration and good will. Best of luck to all you ladies getting married this weekend and while I am away. Remember what is important and take a moment to soak it all in.

Signing off for the last time as Miss Corn...

yay!

oh, so THIS is what people stress over

I have done a pretty good job of having everything organized, but I knew that there were things that would have to wait to the last second...like figuring out the logistics of getting people's stuff out of the bridal suite, etc. I just didn't expect it to put me over the edge so quickly.

With two days to go, it really is a battle to remind myself that the wedding is really about Mr Corn and I getting married, and if a few people are annoyed or talk smack about some detail that isn't to their liking, I just need to let it go.

What put me over the edge yesterday, was a combination of 1) getting a new table layout from the rental company (after I had painstakingly made my table envelopes) 2) realizing that there was a vendor that I COMPLETELY forgot about (I am picking up a full sized mirror from a rental company since the condo where I am getting ready doesn't have one) and 3) finding out that moments after I had printed our out-of-towner wedding newsletters (something I will have to post about after the big day) the time changed for the shuttle information that is included in said newsletters.

This morning is a new morning. I have mani's and pedi's with my mom and sister this morning, so that will be good for relaxing. In the meantime, I am going to fix the table situation and leave a message for the mirror people.

Wish me luck...and uh...patience and calmness while you are at it ;)

Organizing the tables

Ok, so I realize that this has the potential for being the most boring post ever, but I felt it was important to share how I organized our tables so that our Day of Event Coordinator could figure out who was supposed to sit where.

If you recall, we have two different favors that we are giving out and they are to go on the place setting at the table as part of the table decor. This added another element that I needed to manage since I won't be there setting up, so the following is how I ended up organizing it.

Each of the 13 envelopes above is for a specific table at our reception. I took the table layout that the tent people sent to me and copied it into Visio, but you could use PowerPoint. Then I added the numbers to the middle of the tables and below that I added each table's name, and how many people are seated at the table.

Each envelope has the corresponding table highlighted so that when you look at the envelope, you know which table's information is included inside.

On the back of each envelope is a print out of who is sitting at the table, from the seating arranger on the Bed, Bath and Beyond website. I also added in who was getting which favor next to each person by putting an 's' for Salt and an 'o' for Ornament. Lastly, I marked where the dance floor was in relation to that particular table so that there was a reference for where around the table each person is supposed to be.

Inside each envelope is the corresponding table name tent and menu tent as well as an envelope with the table's place cards in it.

The place cards are 4" x 3.6" so that when they are folded they are 2" x 3.6"

Here's a shot of one of the place cards standing alongside the back-side of the other place cards. I also marked each one with an 's' or an 'o' so that once the cards are on the table, they can be used as a reference for which favor should go at which place setting.

It is all out of my hands now. Hopefully, my Day-of coordinator will be able to take all this information and use it well.

Finished the programs

Last weekend we did finally get the programs done. The funny thing is that it was before we got the final guest count back and, of course, I have been working on them for months. So in the end we have 140 programs and only 106 guests! I told my day-of coordinator to make sure the reenacters, who are acting as ushers, pass a program to everyone!

Mr Corn, who usually travels during the week and therefore has been relieved of most of the DIY duties, was such a great help getting the ribbons threaded through the charms I had for them. I requested that my photographer take a picture of the end result so I will be sure to post it when we get them back.

Seating Arrangements

Wow, who knew seating 106 people would be so difficult!!

Thankfully I had help from JP, our kitty.

Those blue things are the envelopes for our escort cards. I used the Bed Bath and Beyond seating arranger for a while until I got fed up and needed more instantaneous gratification. Besides, I am a VERY visual person, so it was much easier to figure it out by using the envelopes.

6 days to go!