A – August 24, 2008

B – Budget.  My dad wanted it to be $10,000 or less (haha, yeah right.  In our dreams a wedding could be that cheap).  I think I should be able to pull this off for right around $20,000 (excluding the rings and honeymoon since T and I are covering that cost).  Not too bad if I say so myself.

C – Colors: Claret and Black

D – Dress:  It arrived Mother’s Day weekend and fits really well.  As of now there are only a few minor alterations that need to be done before I can wear it – remove some beading under the arms, let the length out a little bit, and tighten it around the top.

E – Entrance.  T and I have 2 songs in mind that we want to be introduced to, but we haven’t decided for sure which one we will use.  Both are fun and upbeat.  Each BM and GM couple will be able to chose their own song for their entrance.  We want this to be happy and entertaining for everyone!

F- Flowers and favors.  The flowers will be bright and colorful (red and mango calla lilies, bromeliad blooms, and  different colored roses including circus, ambiance, tropical amazon, fiction and charlotte).  For the favors I was thinking koozies would be fun.  They can be used over and over again, and people love them.

G – Gym.  Umm, yeah.  I suck.  I still have not jumped on the wedding workout band wagon.  I swear I’m going tonight after work.  I seriously need to tighten up and time’s ticking away.

H – Honeymoon.  Mayan Riviera here we come.  7 nights in paradise is going to be amazing, even if it puts a huge dent into our bank accounts.  You only get one honeymoon.  Go hard or stay home!  😉

I – Invitations.  They came in last week, which means I need to get on the ball and send those bad boys out.

J – Jewelry.  I still need to figure out what I’m wearing for the big day.  My dress is very glitzy on

K – Kids.  To be honest, I don’t really want any kids at the wedding.  They will get bored or get whiny.  The only one I know that will be there for sure is T’s 6-year old cousin, but she is very well-behaved (but I’m sure she’ll be bored out of her mind since there won’t be any other kids there).

L – Limo.  To get one or not, that is the question.  The ceremony and reception are in the same place, so we won’t need a limo to get from one to the next.  Maybe we can get one for T and I to leave in and to take us to the hotel after the after-party.  Yes, we are going to our post-wedding shebang.

M – My future last name.

N – Nervous.  Not at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll be a bundle of nerves right before I walk down the aisle.

O – Open bar.  Our reception site serves beer and wine, and we can bring our own liquor (sweet).  This will more than likely lead to a couple of signature drinks to control the amount of liquor people consume.  We don’t need a lot of drunkies on our hands that day.

P – Pictures.  T and I have decided that we want to do our pictures before the ceremony.  This way we can have our own special moment when we first see each other.  Plus it’ll allow us to be able to mix and mingle with guests and enjoy the cocktail hour.

Q – Questions that I have:  Where do I get the programs made?  How soon should I have them printed?  Who’s handling tips?  Am I going to get this all done in time?

R – Rehearsal dinner.  It’ll be in a private room at a Greek restaurant that happens to be right down the street from the wedding venue.  They have amazing food and belly dancers.  This will be a ton of fun!  You better believe I’m hoping on the table with the belly dancers to shake my groove thang.

S – Showers.  I had my first shower this weekend.  My awesome bridesmaids did an amazing job.  My mom’s friend is hosting another one for me in July.

T – Thanks to my parents and T’s parents for being so gracious to help us pay for everything and working with us so we can have the type of wedding we want.

U – Unbelievable.  I can’t believe the day is approaching so fast.  And how super excited I am to be Mrs. T.

V – Video.  We have a videographer booked because we wanted to be able to capture the special and funny moments of our big day so we can watch them over and over. Plus we will send copies to our grandparents who aren’t coming to the wedding because they don’t feel comfortable traveling at their age.  My German grandparents won’t be making the trip across the Atlantic, and T’s German/Russian grandparents won’t be making the trek from NY.

W – Wedding rings.  T and I still have to figure out what types of bands we want to wear for eternity.  We’ll try to look this weekend after he gets fitted for his tux.

X – Is for crossing things off of my wedding to do list!  Woo-hoo! 🙂

Y- Yummy.  We decided on the food for the wedding during our planning session last week.  The winners are:

Canapés-tray passed
Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes
Mini Beef Wellington

Buffet
Roast Pork Tenderloin
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Marinated Shrimp
Baked Artichoke Pate
Herbed Rice Pilaf
Crudités with Herb Dip
Assorted Breads & Rolls

Z – Zoom = how fast the time is going to fly by between now and August 24th.