The Glass is Half Full

We had our first wedding-related let down last week. I definitely expect that everything won't come together perfectly, so it did not upset me too much, but I have to say that I was disappointed. Originally, we had planned our rehearsal dinner as a welcome party, as we anticipate so many guests will be coming from out of town. Band, check. Checkered tablecloths, check. Inexpensive but tasty casual supper, check. Sunflower centerpieces, check. Venue, check. Or so I thought...

I was a little disappointed by the Dark Horse Bar and Grill's lack of professionalism. I'd given them a deposit in July, and it late August it hadn't been cashed. As it turns out, they bumped us for another event and sent us back the original check. No call, no real explanation; they simply sent us a letter and the check and said what amounted to "sorry". It was back to the drawing board for us.

Right now we are considering the Gateway Fun Park in Boulder, CO. Both Andrew and I are actually more excited about this choice. Gateway has an "events tent" (the white type you see in wedding pictures), checkered tablecloths, a horse shoe pit, a sand volleyball court, a place for our band to set up and....miniature golf, go karts, batting cages and more. What a fun way for guests to mix and mingle. The only drawbacks at this point are that it will be more expensive, but I feel good about the choice regardless. After all, you only do this once, right?

Summer Sale!!

Expressionary.com is having a summer sale; 30% off with free shipping. I actually found a code HOME4 that works as 40% off and free shipping. Expressionary has adorable items from personalized note cards to embossed cards and address stamps. I would highly recommend this site! I got Christmas gifts (personalized note cards and matching address labels) for 6 people and 50 personalized thank you cards for shower/early wedding gifts for under $200. Not bad, I would have to say.

Guest List Woes

It poured so much this weekend in Denver that I was about to buy supplies for an ark. Since it was so crummy outside and our plans to go to the local amusement park were dashed(for a last summer hurrah before I headed back to school today), Andrew and I snuggled up on a couch at the Tattered Cover and worked on our guest list. I think every blogging bride-to-be out there could write or has written a post about the dreaded guest list. I have to say, aside from the budget, the guest list is DEFINITELY my lease favorite part of the planning process, without question. It has a way of growing and growing that boggles the mind. Well, at least one section of the list is growing a bit too rapidly. However, my latest problem is actually quite the opposite. One list is fairly small (due to a tiny family and a few close friends rather than many acquaintances). This sounds like a dream come true, but I don't want the wedding to be dominated by one person's guest list. What do you do in a situation like this? Anyone? I am clueless, so any ideas would be appreciated!

The Bucket List

Andrew and I saw "The Bucket List" as a part of our Valentine's festivities last year. Of course, the conversation naturally turned to the items on our own bucket lists (things we would like to do before we die). Two of his items were skydiving and heli-skiing (taking a helicopter to the top of a mountain and skiing down). For our anniversary this year I got him a gift certificate to go skydiving (Even though I had been, I was so nervous that something would happen to him! Guess that means I am growing up!). I plan to keep giving him experiences from his list as gifts, and am saving up to buy him a gift certificate to go heli-skiing as a wedding day gift. Hopefully I will be able to keep it a secret until then!!

Cutest Video Ever!

Back to School Rules...

Especially is you are putting together favors for the littlest attendees at your wedding. Target has crayons on sale for $0.22! That is less than 1 cent per crayon in a box of 24!

So far, I have picked up the following for the kids. Each favor will consist of 1 of each of the following:

• Natural colored mini-totes at Michael's $0.38


• Box of crayons (Crayola, 24 pack) $0.22


• Doodle Pad from Target $1.09


• Slinky (8/$2.50) about $0.30 each

Cost per bag so far $1.99. Not too bad. I think I will add a juice box and some sort of pre-packaged crackers or cookies (bought in bulk at Sam's Club) and call it a day. The grand total per kid should come in under $3.

To add to the cutesy factor, I also bought foam punch outs in the shape of stars/crowns (in our wedding colors) and ribbon to tie them onto the bags. On each tag, I will write each child's name in silver stickers.

Green Housing

We are doing everything we can to host a "green" wedding". We are haviing the ceremony/reception at the same (outdoor) venue, we are using charter buses to transport guests, we are donating the flowers as a way to recycle them, and are printing less programs (1 for every 2 guests), etc. One of the best additions to our green wedding line-up is the Boulder Outlook Hotel. The Boulder Outlook has the following green features: a non-chlorinated pool and a zero-waste philosophy (our florist is also zero-waste). Even better, guests can walk from the hotel to the welcome dinner site (it's .75 miles). My mom and I stayed there recently when she was in town and were pretty satisfied overall. I enjoyed the bouldering rocks and mom liked the hot tub. If I had more time there, and hadn't just gotten my own, I might have rented one of their "cruiser" style bikes to explore Boulder on. I was also wishing Teddy were around, as the Boulder Outlook has pet-friendly rooms. Finally, they have an "adventure concierge", which is excellent for many of our guests who are outdoor-oriented. I am super excited about this lodging option for guests, which is also very reasonable (at about $100 per night without a wedding discount). Anyone else find sweet lodging for their out-of-town guests?

A Hidden Gem

You could get married by this lake....And have your cocktail hour al fresco, outside an historic cabin (built around the turn of the century)....


All images and information taken from www.emeraldvalleyranch.com.