Pictures! Literarily Different

I know that have been woefully absent. So absent that I might not even be remembered. It seems that I have a way of underestimating things, for example I underestimated the problems one might have with internet in Mexico. For whatever reason the internet connection we have here in lovely Zacatecas hates the site upon which I blog. Hates it to the degree that crashing and losing of half-typed entries drove me to give up for almost two months. But here are more pictures at last.

So our photos were taken largely in Powell's City of Books, which bills itself as the world's largest independent bookstore. I was so grateful that they would let us in there on their busiest night of the week to take pictures. And let me be clear that even though we did our best, we were definitely in the way. But if you really have an idea that you think represents you as a couple, go for it, because the pictures came out awesome!

The boys browsing a bit while they waited for me to show up to do the reveal. But where were me and the girls at?

Right! Goofing around with parasols outside. But we showed up eventually....
And we got to meet for the first time on our wedding day beneath the stacks.

Then on to the Rare Book Room for the group shots.

And some I didn't even know they were taking. In the one above I was watching the other photographer take pictures of Mr. Robin, notice the big smile.

There were truly a lot of pictures taken inside Powell's, and I love them all. We goofed around a little and had fun. The only thing I wish we had planned for was more time. We never got to go outside much in the Pearl District and it had great photo opportunities. Give yourself way more time than you think you will need.

Pictures! Part One: Prep

Sorry that it has been long time, no blog, but believe it or not packing up your whole life and moving to a completely different country is more time consuming than planning a wedding. I know, I didn't think that was possible either!

But here I am with eight hours to kill in Mazatlan before our bus leaves for Zacatecas, and therefore I thought I would post up some of the pictures that we got from our amazing photographers, who not only got us the pictures super quick, but busted out some custom Thank You cards in only five days! I love those guys.It is important to start the morning of your wedding off right. Step one should be coffee, especially if you have to venture out sans makeup. Step Two...Pedicures! Seriously though, it was about 36 degrees out in this shot and our feet are freezing.

At the Armory, which is a theater, we received the larger dressing room behind the stage, which was great to do make-up and hair.
I love the above photo because the photographer captured everyone but my sister in one cascade.
My beautiful 'maid did my hair and make-up a la femme fatal. Since we were having a night wedding I wanted to have a dramatic look.
Prepped and ready, there is nothing to do but linger in the stairwell waiting for the groom and his attendents to leave the ceremony area.

Post Script: Well obviously I did not get this posted three days ago when we were in Mazatlan. I just couldn't get the website to upload photos, which was the whole point of this post. So greetings from my new apartment in Zacatecas, Mexico.

PhotoBooth Fun!!!

The first photos that Mr. Robin and I have from our wedding are from our photobooth. Our photographers set up a backdrop in the cocktail area and throughout the reception an attendant snapped photos of our guests. I love this because it looks like everyone had fun being goofy!

Mr. Robin with his sister!

Mr. Robin's 92-year old grandfather (who came all the way from Georgia) and his daughters (one of which is Mr. Robin's mom)

Our wonderful (and silly) friends!

My lovely sister, who was my MOH and my close friend and bridesmaid kicking it during the cocktail hour.

I love these pics because it seemed like the reception flew by, but this booth was open for the whole night and everyone could use it. There are pics of groups that we might not have gotten pictures of without it. Not to mention tons of hilarious pics of our 2 and 3 year old nephews jumping into pictures with random people.

Speedy Surname Switching

So we are home... well our home until the first week of February when we fly out to start our trip.

There is exactly one month between our wedding day and the day that we fly out. This posed an interesting dilemma for my name. I just couldn't see spending six months and not taking Mr. Robin's name. It is really important to me for us to have the same name, we are one, we are a family. I know that people have many different feelings about this subject and I think all of them have valid points. But for me personally it was priority.

So instead of waiting six months... marathon name change session! We are due to leave on the honeymoon in the evening the Monday after the wedding, so I have several hours. I grabbed an expanding file with all identifying documents and papers and room for more. This will be a day that you collect paper.

1. Marriage License – 10:30AM

This is the key to name changing. You need a certified copy to show the DMV, Social Security, bank, etc, and another copy that you can send the passport office.

While getting marriage license, find out how fast you can get a certified copy after the ceremony. For example, in the state of Oregon usually the officiant of your ceremony usually mails the license in after the wedding,. Well, we couldn't wait for the US Postal Service, so my maid of honor took it and placed it into my bags and then we drove to the license office on Monday morning (before taking off on the honeymoon) and turned it in ourselves.

Also, before the wedding I found the layout of the government offices in Portland that were near the County marriage office. Then, after we got copies of the marriage license with its seal of approval we didn't have to go far in between stops.

2. Social Security – 11 AM

I decided to do the offices in order of most likely horrible and get easier. So Social Security first. I don't want to insult anyone at the office, they were polite, helpful and efficient. But it was still about an hour and a half before I walked out Mrs. Robin in the eyes of Social Security. 85 minutes in a plastic chair trying to read, and less than five minutes at the window.

3. DMV - 12:45 PM

The weak point of my plan, if I had planned better I would know that the DMV I chose, while close to the other offices, was in fact closed on Mondays. Grr.

4.Passport – 1:45 PM

To prepare for this I had filled out the renewal forms online and printed them out. This is wise, so there will be no misspellings or mistakes due to my poor handwriting.

Walgreen's in the Northwest takes passport photos and will have them for you in about fifteen minutes. So I get the obligatory unflattering pics and head over to the Main Eastside Post Office (fyi, they also take pics there) and I wait in line. The woman who works here is super-helpful. Since I need my passport fast, we overnight the forms and I expedite the forms.

5. Bank – 3:30 PM
The second place that the plan breaks down... The line goes out the door and around the corner. Mr. Robin (who has been patiently shadowing me for moral support) tells me that his dad wants to see us at 5:30 before he flies out. Sigh. I am not going to make it to another DMV.

So I finished up the day we got back from the honeymoon, with that final piece. I have no credit cards to change, so now, fourteen days after the wedding there is only Mrs. Robin!

The Robin's Are Mini-Mooning

But sadly, they are getting to the end of their mini-moon. We decided to take seven days after the wedding away from home, to relax and be married! And now we are on our way back, where we will have to prepare at super speed for our six month honeymoon.

But I also can't wait to post all the details. We had such a fun night!

Unique Locations

If I tell the truth, I wanted to hold the ceremony in this place. But there was just no way that we could cut the guest list down to the fifty or so that might be allowed. I have spent so much of my life in this particular place that it would have suited me perfectly. But I am not the only one getting married, and Mr. Robin has a lot of amazing people in his life that deserve to be a part of our big day. But I still wanted to spend some time there on the big day.

What place am I talking about exactly?

Powell’s City of Books. The largest independent bookstore in the world. Which happens to be right across the street from the Portland Armory, where our wedding is taking place.

Don't get me wrong, I love our location with all my heart now, but this was my first impulse. I didn't even mention it to Mr. Robin because it was so off-the-wall, but I am a big fan of weddings in personal places. I really like this wedding from Offbeat Bride that took place in a library. The aisle is so sweet.

But if like me you can’t fit that unique location into the reality of your plans, don’t give up entirely. I wrote the following somewhat begging-toned letter to the Public Relations department at Powell’s asking them to let me include the store in my wedding in some way:

Hello to whomever it may concern:

I would like to inquire (beg, really if we are being honest) whether it would be possible to take some photos inside of the Powell’s City of Books location.

Some background perhaps: I am getting married on Sat. January X, 2008 at the Portland Armory. Being somewhat obsessed with books I spend quite a lot of time in the Powell’s location on Burnside over the years. It is where I used to go on my birthday (woohoo birthday loot to spend), after school once I got my license, late at night when I lived alone and needed people, on days off to browse during my first job, and was the first stop every time I drove home from college. I love to walk the stacks, and guess what I found myself a man that likes to browse and sip coffee as well. Though, he is down in that strange and foreign rose room I have heard rumors about (blue room, red room myself).

So long story short, I would like to have a few pictures taken inside of Powell’s City of Books on my wedding day. If need be it can simply be myself, my groom and one photographer so as to cause as little disturbance as possible. It is a place we spend time together in our real lives, and I would like to have it in our photos. I understand this may not be possible for myriad of reasons, but if it is even remotely possibly, I would be willing to jump through some hoops to make it happen.

Thanks for considering my silly wedding photo dream.

All the Best,
Miss Robin

And they have agreed! So the Robins' pre-ceremony photo session will be taking place in Powell's, the reveal (where Mr. Robin will see me for the first time) as well as other silly photos. This way I get to include a place that means a lot to me, even if I can’t have the wedding there.

Anyone including a non-traditional site that is personal to you in some way?

Powell's photos from the New York Times.

Taking the Cake...

I had a whole cake plan. Well it was more of a desert plan.

See I don't really love cake. I mean plain birthday/wedding cake type cake with frosting and such. In fact, I border on dislike with a few exceptions. But I love dessert. I love baking and Mr Robin's mom has made wedding cake and other family members have baking talent. So I thought that we would lay out an amazing dessert spread of a small wedding cake, cheesecake, cookies, tres leches cake, and pie. Something like this:

(From Josiah's Catering, a crazy beautiful caterer from Manila)

I still think it is a grand idea, and if it had been any other time of year it would have worked out.
But we put our families in a pinch, we know, by getting married only eleven days after Christmas. There just isn't enough time to do everything that we want.

So, about two weeks before Christmas, we all began to realize that there is a certain love expressed in buying dessert. Love for our families. Though it would be meaningful to have a course supplied by family, it is also meaningful to just let everyone relax and enjoy.

So we turned to Saint Cupcake. Fellow Portlanders will be familiar with Saint Cupcake's amazingly delicious cupcakes, but what they might not know is that the sweet little bakery does full size cakes in the same flavors of their cupcakes, and they will even put together a sweet little arrangement like this:
A small little cake on the top for the two of you to cut and custom dyed cupcakes all around. And since I am slightly obsessed with the Toasted Coconut Cream cupcakes, guess what our little personal cake shall be...

Once again not exactly what I wanted to happen, but I think it turned out for the best.