Archive for the ‘Planning’ Category

I’m sitting here writing this as I am breaking in one of the pairs of shoes I am going to wear on the big day. I have a back up comfy pair, just in case my these ones prove too unbearable. I started doing some of the work on the table numbers the other night and Sean suggested I post the menu on the website. I was going to leave it as a surprise, so we will compromise and I’ll post some and leave the rest for you to discover.

I’ve also started getting idea’s together for the cakes! Im excited. Sean is up in arms about wanting a Boston Cream filled wedding cake which I was sternly against until I talked to the Amazing Robyn( www.erwinsbakery.ca ) and she started talking about strawberries and some other yummy goodies. Good thing I’ve been working out, and skipping sweets these past few months because I plan to do ALOT of eating!

Also just picked up three more shifts at the shelter for August and July, so a little client contact , a little extra moola . Less time with the fam is a huge downer, but it gives Sean a chance to hang out with kids without me which is a very rare occurance.

I stopped in at the church today and signed the last piece of paper needed and the wonderful receptionist put it in an envelope to be sent off to the Bishop today! Sean and I have also been working on picking the passages for the wedding ceremony- hopefully we can get all that sorted within the next week or so, so I can get the information off to the fantastic ladies who will be interpreting for me! A ceremony like this, especially in the Catholic church I can only imagine would be difficult to interpret- so I want to give them as much prep time as possible.

Hotel rooms are still available ( only one or two) but it’s end of season so I don’t imagine there will be a lot left closer to the date. If you need one phone the Executive Hotel in Coquitlam and book under the Coyle/Foster wedding. It’s $109 a night and if any one books wants to stay till the end of the evening I have two limos to pick up guests and bring them back to the hotel. No drinking and Driving!!!

Sooo.. Menu

We will have your choice of NY Steak, Chicken, or lightly spiced Cajun Salmon. There will also be grilled vegetables and a variety of salads for those of you who are Vegetarian. The bar will be serving basic highballs, and maybe a specialty drink or two. It’s a “twoonie” bar though so be sure to be prepared!!!

Are you getting excited yet? Because I sure am!!!!!! Yippie

The reason for the caps is my barely able to be contained excitement!

58 days until the big day and I am sooo close to being all ready for it. We just this week finished paying off a bunch the big and little stuff.The stress release of paying some of those bills down has left a lot of room for being Giddy.

Spent the weekend in Vancouver last weekend with some amazing friends and family. Brenna was fantastic enough not only to come to Port Moody with me to see the reception venue, but she also gave me some FANTASTIC idea’s for set-up and seating etc.

Then I got to hang out with my almost cousin Meghan for lunch and some girl talk. She has also been incredibly helpful, by picking up our liquor license and insurance this weekend (SUCH an important task!!!)

Not to mention both these fantastic women are road tripping four hours to join in the festivities that will my bachelorette party!! <3

Also got to meet Julie Brown from www.letsfaceitbeauty.ca who was willing to go through some idea’s with me for hair and makeup. What a wonderful lady!And soo much talent!

Now its just a matter of getting my hands on some final decorations. My friend Brittany has been working tirelessly amoungst the million other things on her plate to make some decorations for me. One of the best/craftiest (in a good way) people I have ever met. This girl has some major talent too!

Sean has met with the priest to tie up some loose ends in the form of paper work. It seems to be one flaming-hoop-over-a-piranha-tank after another with the church, but it’s all worth it. Thank god for Sean’s ability to remain cool and collected and just get things done. With out him I think I would have flown to an exotic country in the throws of a mental breakdown weeks ago.

And probably most exciting of all I just this morning booked a limo to pick us up from Port Moody and take everyone who is staying till the better end back to the hotel!

There are still two hotel rooms available so PLEASE email or facebook me if you need one! Can’t wait to see you all there

<3

Yikes!!! Its January 30th already!! I can’t believe how incredibly busy and fast this month has been.  So here is the update!

Life wise: Sean recently incorporated and has plans to open the doors to his downtown  office by early February. Plus he got a fancy sticker for his car that lets him park everywhere with no tickets!! Lucky! Him and Ramsey have been working like madmen this past month, and they just keep getting busier!

Just before Christmas I re-enrolled in school, and was offered a part time position with the Therapy Centre until the end of May. I have been working 7 days a week ( save the few sick days with the kids) and doing faaaar too much homework for my liking. My courses should be finished in April, or before depending on how much I slack and then I will be spending my spare time cleaning and wedding planning. Yipper

Wedding wise: We just got out invitations delivered Friday, keep your eyes on you mail!!! I ordered my wedding dress Thursday, and have sent my best friend on an Ikea mission to find me some candle holders! Pretty much all of the idea’s are solidified- now comes the fun part of paying for everything!

Ive even managed to find the exact bouquets I want on a Martha Stewart site and am debating just buying a bucket load of plants this spring so I dont have to pay a florist $254 for a single bouquet ( are you KIDDING me?!?! That is just stupid)

As time nears closer to the big day I will be posting maps, locations, and hotel information. Please Please please let me know if you are needing accomodations. Its a Saturday in peak vacation Season and i don’t want anyone to be stuck!!

OOh and when I get home from work ( at  7:00am) I get to go to a bridal fair and enter to win a whole bunch of cool prizes. One of my great friends recently proposed to his girlfriend who will be there too and I am looking forward to the experience of feeling like a bride. Thank good for good friends!

My next mission ( should the universe grant me enough time to accept it) is to find Sean a wedding band. Im going to get one later as I already have a gorgeous band from Sean that fits the bill perfectly!

And thats about all. I should get back to cleaning at work, next shift starts in an hour and a bit and if i don’t get off my butt now it may not happen.

So Im working through our wedding countdown list and apparently getting ahead of myself. I have all these wonderful Ideas for decorations and center pieces and all the other glitz but taking care of it all now seems like a bad idea. I know it will either get lost or damaged, but Im worried when it comes down to it I wont find the time. Working three jobs SUCKS!

And Sean just let me know that our officient has only given us a maybe.. and that answer will stay a maybe until much closer to the date!!! EEK

For any of you that can access TV Series Season DVD’s or download them I recommend getting  How I Met Your Mother Season 2 Episode 21… its me!!! Soo very appropriate.

Thats all for now.. guest list to do!  ( which keeps growing I might add)

I finally bought something for the wedding and we are writing the deposit cheque for the caterer tomorrow. Its really starting to come together!! Now I’m actually looking into decoration ideas and all the other fun minute details and its begining to feel a little exciting!!

So I was looking up some centerpiece ideas and as much as I detest Martha Stewart I do have to hand it to her for creativity. Here some ideas I am toying around with..

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/candleholder-centerpiece-how-to?backto=true

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/striped-candle-centerpiece-how-to

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/50-great-centerpieces?lpgStart=1&currentslide=15&currentChapter=1

What do you think ?!

It might just be because I am over tired, or maybe because winter is here and Christmas is coming. Maybe it has something to do with our trip to Vancouver and re-starting all the wedding stuff but Im feeling mildly overwhelmed.

Every time I sit down to do some more work on this bad boy I get wrapped up in a little whirlwind and get over m head and stop, and shortly thereafter begin to worry because our timeline for planning is shrinking. I start to think about the stuff we still need to get- decorations, dresses, rings, flowers etc.

Then I think about the stuff I still need to decide on- flower girl/ring bearer outfits, cake/bakers, kids favours, decorations/decorators!

And then a small part of me says, ” Sarah, its October… planning all this stuff now is pointless because you are leaving to much of a margin for error and changing plans.”

I got the big stuff out of the way which is awesome- and I know now there isn’t much I can do but theorize, and fine tune idea-wise until spring. But I am looking at how  busy Sean and I are right now, and how impossible it is for either of us to take any amount of time off let a lone a few days to go down to Vancouver to plan, and set up etc.

When all of this started I vowed to avoid the bridezilla phenomenon. I promised myself I wouldn’t stress out about it- I was never a little girl who fantasized about her wedding day so I have no pre-conceived notions about its perfection. I am, however, realizing what a big undertaking it is to plan a party for 125 people from a town 4 hours away from the event-especially when you, your fiancée, and your best friends are the busiest people you have EVER met. I know how stressful this can become and I want to avoid that for everyone- but I honestly am in waaay over my head and have no idea where to start. Plus I am terrible at delegating jobs which creates problems too….

I need more caffeine and a lot more sleep- then maybe the stressful parts will have clearer solutions.

Feel free to leave any and all feedback, suggestions- anything really. I open to it!!!

Had a FANTASTIC week wedding wise. I am so excited about everything!! We went down to Vancouver very briefly at the beginning of the week ( 26 hours in total I think) and managed to accomplish SO much in such a short time.

Not only was Sean able to brush up on his admin skills ( forwarding calls left right and centre to his business partner) but he got some supplies for the company and the house, and we got to do wedding stuff together for the first time in a while.

One Tuesday we drove to Port Moody to go see the Inlet Theatre and Galleria! WOW its soo pretty. It was so nice to be inside the building and be able to see where the buffet will be, where people would be sitting, and start developing  a plan with blue prints in my head.  There are even some great spots for photos there!!

From there we took the route to our hotel- didn’t stop in just checked traffic and time etc ( around 15 minutes in normal daytime traffic) and the other hotel in town is about 5 minutes past that. I will post links below for both of them.

We are staying at the Executive Inn and Suites- so if other people are wanting to stay there let us know and I will try to set up a group rate!

Then we went to meet our caterer! What an awesome guy. I went to school with his wife who is a SUPER and her husband makes a stunning sidekick. What a pair!!
Had a great time talking with him. He had candy for Aiden, and they chatted about Spiderman for a minute, he had the perfect answers to all my question ( almost like he has done this once or twice before), was willing to concede to one of my menu changes which is a HARD thing to do for a chef sometimes, and we even got to eat and the food is mouthwateringly good. I am soo excited for the food.  Relaxed, Casual, BBQ style exactly what I wanted.

So I have signed the contract for that and will be sending it off tomorrow night!

So we have the big two taken care of, had a chat about what we want to do about the wedding cake and have some ideas forming there, we have a place to sleep, and invitation mock ups finished.

Now we need some clothes to wear, something to drink, and the lottery winnings to pay for it all

I have some more pictures of the theatre on my phone but I seem to be having some technical difficulties so I will put them up later!

PLEASE- if you are in the Burnaby area ( connected to Metro Town on Bolson I think) do yourself the favor and grab a bite at the Firefighters Club Lounge- such amazing food. French friess that taste like they have been made from potatoes!

DO IT!!

…next time- the great debate about ordering my dress from China- should I or shouldn’t I? Is it worth the risk…?

http://www.firefightersclub.com/

 Havent done much in the way of planning over the last few days. The only thing we have accomplished wedding wise has been the design of the wedding invites. SUPER pretty! Im excited to order them!

Ive picked up a second part time job doing banquets and weddings at the South Thompson Inn near Rivershore. What a beautiful place! Wow!!! Hopefully I can pick up some pointers froma few of the weddings I do.  I am also waiting to hear back about a third casual position and hoping for a nother two more. I would think with enough casual positions I could get close to full time hours- my taxes however will most likely be a nightmare.

 We are winterizing the house right now, replacing and resealing windows, hooking up the dishwasher and re- arranging the upstairs. One of our roomies moved out on friday and the other couple downstairs are leaving at the end of the month. So hopefully with some major attention the downstairs will be a suite and rentable by Nov 15. Here is hoping anyway.

Now its a matter of paying the catering deposit that I keep putting off ( i hope his still has the date available) and waiting till after Christmas to finish all the rest of the shennagins ( invites, clothing, gifts, etc) Mayhem I tell you!!!

I haven’t updated in what seems like forever. Its strange this has been both the longest and the shortest summer I have ever experienced. As Sean mentioned I am no longer working 24 hour shifts ( HOORAY) and am now working part time/ on call at an Emergency Womens Shelter. I have also just received an email saying I have a phone interview Friday with an AMAZING program, working with parents of Deaf children! I am really really hoping that works out because it would be such a rewarding opportunity. On top of that I am waiting for a call back on what would be a third job! Hooray possibly starting to pay down some debt and student loans- and oh wait- pay for a wedding.

As it stands now I don’t think I am going to be able to do a tasting with my cater, which as much as it is a friend, still makes me really nervous.  Any one with a really great palate willing to try out some food in the Vancouver area? My original plan was to bring my mom ( she’s a chef) but as the roads are already pretty crappy I don’t want to drive down with out Sean and our schedules are in massive conflict currently so- thats not happening.  Oy!

I still also want to go to Vancouver to go wedding dress shopping, just for the experience of it all but I also highly doubt that will be happening. All my friends have told me I need to have my dress at least 6 months in advance which pops me right smack dab in the middle of winter which = no driving to Vancouver. The Coquihalla and my car are not friends to begin with, with snow and ice those two are arch enemies.

Thank god every thing else can be done by phone, or in the spring.

Its amazing, my days off I have ‘nothing to do’ and yet no time to accomplish any of it!  I don’t understand.

Untill next time… same bat time, same bat channel

Well its been a while. Sorry..

I was trying to not blog until Sean did, and then I realized that my attempts were futile and it just wasn’t going to happen. He just doesn’t have the time lately; work has him running around like a blind chicken with its head cut off.. Just Thursday he put around 150km on the car, and din’t leave town. CRAZY!!!

I am looking for a job, and still trying to figure out some health issues while planning the wedding and organizing a community event. Unfortunately the job hunting and health has taken precedence,  so my planning is a little behind. Ahh well what can you do!!

Looks like I have found a caterer. Quote looks great, menu looks phenomenal, and they want to cook onsite BBQ style It took me some time to find out if we would be allowed to BBQ onsite and I just got the email back with a yes so now its deposit paying and tasting. HOORAY

http://www.firefightersclub.com/ I went to school with the head chefs wife, I was under the impression for the year that he was a fire fighter. Silly me!

I also went and tried on wedding dresses the other day and it looks like I may have found the one!! I still want to go down to Vancouver and try on a few more.. but I have a funny feeling its the one. Its an Alfred Angelo and its sooooo pretty. I want to post pictures but I suppose that is against the rules!!

Lastly I will post some engagement photos that we took the other day, for your enjoyment. It was so much fun!!

Enjoy your weekend you guys!!