Weddingbee boards

It's getting close! Just 26 days for me. I feel like I'm alternating between excitement and all-out panic--like waking up at 3 am worried about our reception timeline panic. We're in good shape planning-wise, but there are so many loose ends to tie up, things to confirm, and of course, bills to pay.

I've basically lost the ability to focus on much of anything because my mind is constantly swimming with to-dos. There are still 3 weeks to go... I don't know how I'm going to make it through these last few weeks at work!

How are all the rest of your December 2011 bees holding up?

@Honeycrispers: I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I literally have been losing sleep over the silliest things. I just can't get them out of my head!

@CherryWaves: That's just how I feel, and I'm trying to keep in mind why we're doing all of this in the first place. There are some last minute things that haven't totally been dealt with (alcohol order, rentals, lighting) but I know we will get it done and that there's enough time for it. I just hate having it hanging over me. I like everything to be done and dealt with, and it's never that way with wedding planning--there's always more to do!

I'm on the rollar coaster as well. Sometimes I feel really antsy to get the show on the road. Then I see the pile of unfinished DIY projects on my dinning room table and freak out. I go from not caring about all these details anymore to freaking out that I half assed the project. Sigh...the next 40 days will be torture...

@Honeycrispers: Good point...it is a special time and sometimes amidst the stress I need to remind myself to enjoy being a bride!

@yellowshoe: I think I could have written that post myself. My dining room table is even also covered with a half-completed DIY project! It definitely is a roller coaster. Half the time I'm so excited and the other half I'm stressing that I won't get it all done or that things won't fall into place.

@CupCakeMeg: My alterations were pricer than I'd hoped too. Good luck with yours! I will say, my dress is also taffetta and they are steaming it but not putting it back in the bag--she will wrap it in dry cleaner's plastic to keep it from wrinkling. I'd check but I would guess yours might do the same!

It sounds like everything is coming together, it's just all the last minute stuff that it gets hard to find time to complete! Sometimes I have phone calls scheduled with vendors and I honestly feel like I'm just so sick of talking about my wedding.

I sat down and wrote out my to do list last night and set deadlines...it was THREE PAGES LONG. ahhhhhhhhhh

@CupCakeMeg: My dress will be done this week and my seamstress is not steaming the dress since I still have a month to go before the wedding, but I do have a steamer myself that I will be using the night before on the dress. I'm hoping it turns out okay ...

I feel like I am missing things because other than buying command hooks to hang out ceremony decor, reserved signs for the family pews anf tables, finalizaing the day of timeline and figuring out what to feed the bridal party the day of since it will be a long one, I am done. I am at the point of, let it just get here already!!

@yellowshoe: It always helps me to physically write out the list...although mine is also pretty long! I'm hoping to knock everything out one day at a time. At this point it's mostly confirming everything and making sure it's all well-organized.

@chasesgirl: That's great! I hope I will get there after my phone call with the caterer today. I feel like everything is *almost* done but there are still some loose ends and most importantly, bills due! After that I think I'll be ready for the day to get here already. With 3 weeks to go, I feel so distracted at work, I imagine it will only get worse as we get closer to the date.

@MaraBeth: haha my friends and FI were making fun of me that I hand wrote out the to do list instead of using something hi techy and I said there is something about physically crossing an item off my to do list that brings me such satisfaction :D

@yellowshoe: Oh, I think it helps so much to physically write things down and cross them off...I don't know exactly how or why it's different, haha, but it does help me!

I finally talked to our caterer yesterday and I'm feeling 1000x better. I'm still feeling stressed, but at least now I feel like things are coming together. We still have tons and tons of stuff to do, but I have a better idea of when and how I need to do them.

The thing that's getting us now is paying the bills. We've been saving all year, and we were lucky to have some help (about 1/4 total budget) from my parents...but actually seeing that money leave our account is terrifying. We have saved way more than enough and we will by no means be broke when it's over, but I think we're still experiencing last-minute sticker shock.

@MaraBeth: YES!! Just last night as we were gearing up our hands to start writing some final checks my FI could tell I was NOT happy about all this money leaving our wedding account. He looked at me with a concerned look and all I could say is "we saved the past 18 months for it to all come down to this last month...bye bye money" =( It was really fun to watch our wedding account grow slowly, but now watching it all go away in practically a blink of the eye is rather terrifying!!!!!

@Honeycrispers: @yellowshoe: I actually just wrote another post about this...I'm so glad I'm not alone! This is what we saved for, but I feel like it will be so hard to watch that bank account shrink by more than half. Sometimes I look at the numbers and just think, how can we be spending this much on a party? I know FI feels a little uneasy about it too. I'm hoping we'll feel it's all worth it in the end!

@december bride: Oh, I think it's just the stress! I'm not usually overly emotional but I've noticed myself feeling really overwhelmed, especially after I get off the phone with vendors. This week I got a lot of stuff done and am feeling more on track, but I've just felt really stressed out in general!

I'm trying my best to learn to let things go. At this point, our vendors are booked, this thing is happening...there's no use in panicking that the band will be cheesy or the photography will look bad with no natural lighting. Granted, I still kind of worry about those things, but I'm trying to shift my focus to the things I can control and just try to roll with the rest of it.

I was so decisive when I bought my dress and booked all my vendors, but last-minute stress had me second-guessing everything. It's hard to keep in perspective what's really important and that guests won't notice or care about half the things I agonized over!

@Stacy102979: I think it will be worth it in the end! I was talking about it with my grandmother and she was telling me about how she still remembers her wedding day as so special (over 60 years ago!) and that it's a memory you will cherish forever.

I know we could have just eloped and saved ourselves the hassle, but despite all the stress I'm so happy to have so much of our family and friends there to celebrate. I figure the least we can do for all of these people willing to travel to our wedding is throw a great party! Well, that's what I keep telling myself, considering I just forked over $650 for a cake. I'm sure it will be delicious, though :)

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week, that means December is the week after!!!O-M-G. *Commence freak out moment of the day*

Our dinning room is only getting less and less visable as the packages start arriving (all things for the wedding, no gifts ) ...after this is all over we're having a nice sit down meal in our dinning room! We haven't seen the dinning table since early September

Good news is....we've been finalizing our itenrary for our honeymoon! ahh yes, the light at the end of the tunnel

@misspeanut: Our final guest count isn't due until 2 weeks prior, but we set our RSVP deadline a month before because I KNEW we would get stragglers. I've finally tracked down all the 20-30 people who didn't RSVP 2 weeks after our deadline and now guess what?! My FILs have been getting phone calls from people demanding for an invitie/asking why they weren't invited ....so guess what? We've just added 7 people to our guest list. *sigh* I gave up on fighting it, but both FI and I are afraid that us not putting up much of a fight will encourage his mom's friend's behavior.

@RSgrl1215: OMG I'm on draft 4 of the seating chart! I felt the same way. I'm pretty confident with this draft of the seating chart (but I said that with draft 2...) Like I said above people keep being added and what's better, people who RSVP-ed yes are saying "oops we really can't make it" I feel like these people are doing this on purpose to mess with me!

BTW, I ignored people's requests to sit with so and so and what not. When they ask I just say "oh okay sure" and forget all about it.

Ah, I have to get on this seating chart business...I keep telling myself that's next week's project. I know that's going to be a time consuming one. Our final number are due Nov. 28 and I think we only have 2 people who we're still trying to track down. Not too bad!

I still need to get a marriage license and go over everything with the band and photographer, but I feel like it's coming together. I went a little crazy last weekend making minute-by-minute exel spreadsheet overviews to send to vendors and schedules of the weekend to send out to our wedding party. I'm actually feeling less stressed than I was last week at this point. We still have tons to do, but at least I feel like we have a plan for getting it done.

@yellowshoe: We kind of gave in at the end over some +1s, so I can relate. We held our ground at the beginning, but we had a few people calling and saying they want to come but they won't know anyone, so we finally just said, sure, bring a friend. At this point, I've decided I need to pick and choose what to care about!

@MaraBeth: yup...that's the point we're at. Where we don't care if someone brings a random person to our wedding anymore (if we have the space). Whatever makes them stop bugging me and lets me do things I actually need to do.

@RSgrl1215: My FMIL went to the doctor yesterday because she's not feeling well. We all go to the same doctor...we are friends with the doctor's son and his family is invited. So guess what? The doctor gave my FMIL a hard time about not being invited. His wife has called my FMIL 3 times this week asking why they didn't get an invite. Sooo they are 2 of the 7 people we've added. The funniest part about all this is my FI texted me and told me to add: "create invitations for the two people we never invited" to our to do list. I couldn't stop laughing.

For the record, I'm caving on inviting my doctor because I don't want to switch doctors or get wrong medicine next time I'm sick. lol. And btw, yes our dentis is also invited. LOL!!!!! This is why you should not go to the same doctor and dentist as your FI and his family...*Sigh*

@yellowshoe: That is exactly how I feel. I was such a stickler about giving out +1s, but now there are 3 or 4 people bringing a random friend (not a date) because I wanted them to be there and I got sick of saying no. Plus, I don't want anyone to feel like they don't know anyone.

That's funny about your doctor, too!

@misspeanut: I agree, I just don't care. Bring whoever you want! Whatever! And hopefully you will get your centerpiece situation straightened up ASAP...no one needs that kind of last minute stress over details!

@CherryWaves: I have put "Get marriage license" on our Google calendars about 5 different times...we haven't found time to actually get down to the county clerk and get it done! I'm hoping we can knock that one out tomorrow.