The Wedding Planner's Wedding

I got so many questions about the song on my website-- it is The Day I Married My Angel by Jamie Foxx. Please note, that to my knowledge, it is not on any album he has put out. It is a clip from an episode of his television show where he sang at his wedding.

So, I am talking to Lynda about my options for the cocktail hour. I really would like a separate area for the guests to convene and then move on into the reception. FYI, the dance floor will be $136. I told her that I would be down very soon, so before I go too far in my plans, I will know what I am looking at. That works for me! More time to focus on the design of this shindig.

So I have decided on the rectangular tables-- probably a 36". That will help me save on centerpieces too. But at any rate, I know I want to do assigned tables, but not seating. I am thinking of doing this look to the left-- instead of having typical stationary place cards, I'm considering pinning the cards to floating roses on a table near the door where guests enter. I'm not sure if I want red-- but I will probably dress it up really nice, with some jeweled stones at the bottom of the square "pan" FLABT. Just a thought. Ten minutes from now I'll probably have the arrangement skywritten.




I realize, too, I need to get on the ball with planning the decor (generally) for the ceremony. I've been focused on the reception, which shows you what a party animal I am LOL. So for programs, I think I am going to go this route. I really love these and think they are original. If they don't cost too much I'll do them myself. This is along the lines of the negotiables-- I mean really, who is going to keep this...besides me?



I'm done-- I've got menus to help a client with as well as a venue contract to close...plus I have to pickup my truck tomorrow (YAY!).

Well, I contacted Colette of Colette's Cakes. Colette is the original, critically acclaimed designer of my cake. She's been featured in Modern Bride, Brides, etc. and more-- all as editorial work :) WOW! Anyway, I asked her to price it, and she emailed me right back saying $14 per person. So, when you think about it, at my guest list, I'm looking at $1400. Considerably less than the $2100 that the other vendor quoted me. And even then, she's the original published designer! So, I contacted another vendor and asked them to price it for me. Unfortunately, my venue is the exclusive caterer of the site (ack!), and they also do not provide the cake! I'll keep searching, but this news is definitely promising (well, in my book). Now I can move on with some semblance of normalcy, KWIM? Who knows, I may cut my losses, since I am looking to incur a $100 cake cutting fee (at the most). Next big thing is to find a place to do the ceremony. I would love to do it at the beach...ok, I lied. Not the beach, b/c I wouldn't dare go on the beach in that dress. But they have a nearby beach pavillion. But I prefare Armani Mania to the smell of Off! The sand gnats are ridiculous. I am more than sure I can find a local church to do this at, even though I had my mind on a specific officiant. But once again, "negotiables".

So, I have been talking to my best friend into setting up some studio time to record my First Dance Song....and what exactly it will be? Hmm. Good question. Just know I'm singing it. I was going to sing my vows, but the Warrior said that would be grossly unfair since he can't breakdance his vows....LOL he did offer to learn to play the piano to accompany me. So we decided that I would "sing" at the reception. But I have decided that I will just go to the studio and record. That way I won't have to worry about sounding like trash in front of all the Simon Cowells in my family LOL. The songs? What I always knew I would sing-- either Music Box or All I Ever Wanted; both off of Mariah's Music Box CD. Click for a listen.

Soooooo....the Warrior comes home from Iraq in May. He won't tell me exactly when, he wants to surprise me. Which means one thing and one thing only. I must "one-up" him. We're going to go to the Caesars Poconos (Champagne Towers, of course! I have my heart on the Cleopatra Suite). So while we are there, I am thinking of "proposing". When he went a way for training for a few months when we first got married, I worked hard-- doing 12-15 hr days to buy him a ring. When he returned home from training, I took him to this down right gaudy jacuzzi suite, had a limo take us out to dinner at Ruth Chris, where I offered him his brand new wedding band. Well, the bigger he got and the more "active" he got, the more that ring became a problem. Total PITA. So, I had the jeweler (the same one who did my ring) send over some contenders. You gotta help me pick! I plan on slipping this in his champagne. My luck, he'll be a guzzler and I'll spend my "reuniting" time performing the Heimlich.

Well here they are:

Well, the cake is off :(. I got an email from one of my vendors to price it and she said she wouldn't touch it for less than $2100. I love the cake, but not that much! So now I am thoroughly upset, because that was the cake. So I'm thinking that once I return back to Georgia, I will take it to another baker and see what they think. I mean, I've got nothing but time....but just in case, I'm on the hunt for another cake.

My next feat is to work on my "Will You" cards. These are the ones where I ask my party if they will-- well, in essence, be in my party! I love Jolee's Boutique, so I know that I will have a lot of fun doing. I may even enlist the help of Mini-Me. I love the "Will You" cards.


That's really about it for me now. This cake thing has thrown me for a loop...So I'll be here recording this week's show and finding a new cake!

Ladies and gentlemen, this the cake. DH and I absolutely fell in love with it-- this is it!! So now I can have the mix of the look that I was going for-- the drape look as well as the J.Lo-type-dress cake. Of course, there will need to be some modifications, but otherwise, I think it is absolutely PERFECT. The only thing I am NOT feeling is the cake topper. But you know what, I think I already have the perfect one in mind. Can't wait to do the cake tasting on this one! I think that it complements the Luxe theme perfectly... This is the perfect cake topper for this cake, IMO. I think it will add the right touch, and completely set it off. I don't even know if I want to cut this cake now...LOL It's just too much for me! I really have to thank Angie from the Modern Bride board for this...Good lookin' out, Ang. I will have to send her a slice ;) So now that the cake is chosen...time to start researching my entire second hard drive dedicated to wedding photos for a good cake table.

I'm tired as all get out tonight. I just got my invitation and paperwork from Wedding Club, but I am so tired, I can't look over it right now. I am excited to take part and am so glad they caught me at a time when I'm doing my advertising allotment. I decided to start writing this week's script early, so I am about halfway done. Hopefully I can record tomorrow evening. This week's show looks like it's going to be fun. Getting a good response, so I hope each week the following grows and the show gets better.

Tomorrow I have to do another scout visit for a client. Rachel of BBBhas me in love with my camera, so I am excited to take pictures tomorrow, b/c the venue is just absolutely gorgeous. I go pick up my truck on Friday, so the rest of this week is pretty much booked. I have to find time to work out and do everything else under the sun too.

Ah! And before I forget! This is the tiara I am really considering....It has my name, Terrica! How could I not get it?

It is amazing how "less stressful" life is for me after a show....I swear. I got this week's show, which was really supposed to be last week's mixed and recorded and put on iTunes last night, as well as burned on my site. I got my second contact from the We: Womens Entertainment Network to do their show Fantasy Weddings, which features glamourous weddings with budgets over $200K. It's so hard for me to say yes because I NEVER know where I am going to be in the country at any given time. For example, one of my clients is in Portugal, and I have been doing scout visits in Baltimore (luckily enough it's my hometown!). It's the same reason why I had to turn Bravo down for Party, Party. I know that they (WETV) are definitely going to want to feature my current area-- just look at what Brides mag had to say about it. (Where else do you know where you can rent an ENTIRE island for your wedding?) So, that's where I am today. Tired. I had a full day and was going non-stop. I would give anything to wave a magic wand and my kids would be magically fed, bathed and tucked into bed while I crawl into a tub full of bubbles with candles, a glass of wine and my Best of Sade CD.

A girl can dream, can't she?

I'm ordering my STDs tonite after I edit them. That will probably make it more real for me. I got an email from my catering manager-- she said she didn't think the draped ceiling would work, but has seen some flower drapes that look great. I think she said something about an outside area that I will probably use for the cocktail hour, provided I can get it sprayed (sand gnats SUCK....AMHIK). So tonight, I am spending this night recuperating, and of course writing next week's script. Finally found the truck that DH is going to get me for the biz (Praise God for tax write-offs!)! I absolutely love it...so I guess I shouldn't jump for joy too much b/c I could easily make it my regular car. LOL

I'm really perplexed at how much I want to spend on invitations. I set a very modest budget of $400. Really, when you think about it, $320 when I factor in postage both ways. So I am thinking...do I really want those pocketfolds? I know I can add to it later b/c I have really saved in some areas. But my point is this-- who is really going to keep these invitations? I mean, I'm a wedding planner, and I don't even keep them! I do love the DIY pocketfolds that I found on AAB and ones like Charmi's. But I saw some really simple ones at Now and Forever and Invitations by Dawn that could work just as well. That's just today. I will change my mind a few hours....just watch.

As you know I said I wanted to have champagne and chocolates passed during my cocktail hour in addition to any hors d'oeuvres I choose. I came across these champagne geleés and thought they would be perfect! I am also trying to decide on what kind of shooters I want served too. These too would be passed, and I don't want a dessert shooter since I am already having sweets passed. So this will be fun. Personally, I'm a fan of gazpacho, but I doubt my guest list would be LOL. I wonder if you can make a shooter out of a T-Bone steak? I know I have lots of options. I mentioned a few in my last show, so I will have to go back over my script and read my margin lines. There were a few that really stuck out and I liked, but at this hour, I remember not LOL.

I like how this looks. I was considering having a table of drinks stacked like this just for show (where I would definitely use sparkling cider. I am not wasting good Cristal by having it just sit for "show"). But I love the marbles-- it's cute! I was even considering using curled organza ribbon with boned edges on the trays that the service staff will be using to pass along the drinks. I am designing the whole concept in my head, but I thougth this was a nice starting point.

Considering my hair is growing at light speed, I am now starting to look at hairstyles. I have made a vow that I will not cut my hair AT ALL before the wedding. It is about 1-2 inches away from my bra strap, so I am doing pretty good. I will just get the ends dusted. (LOL Diva talk for "trimmed") These hairstyles are fabulous, and I think they will go great with the tiara I found, which just so happens to bear my name!! So that alone makes it a must have :) A lot of these looks are the same because they have that long, lush curly look that I have always been in love with. I think it will complement the dress I am wearing perfectly.

This look is a little more "diva-ish" than the others with the high volume at the crown, and the curls are a bit more loose. I still like it though. The model's hair color is powerful, which leads me to believe that this is not a hairstyle for the wimpy or faint of heart...I will have to do some major coloring...but I do that anyway :) Her makeup complements the style very well, which is why I am so in love with it. It reminds me of my pageant days, when I went all Divas Live a la Mariah Carey for my talent portion....Only with a lot less volume and wave LOL

I stole this out of Karina's Wedding Journal. (Thanks, hermana!) It is gorgeous. As a matter of fact, it was the springboard that started the kick of long curls with a half up/half down craze. I love way it falls around her face and neck. We have almost a similar face shape, so I know it would work. I also love the height of the hair outside of the tiara; I do want something natural and romantic...

This is just ridiculously beautiful. The curls are perfect, even the coloring is perfect. I love the separated tendrils too (see above-- natural and romantic). PERFECT! I also love the covered teased knot at the top behind the tiara. BEAUTIFUL. This one is a definite keeper, if not the one to use as a hair trial.