One Sick & Tired Bird

I am very sorry to have been absent from writing all week. There were two very different reasons for this.

One was that I have been feeling the pressure. With only a little more than a month left to go I have had to really think about what it possible and what is probable, in terms of projects. I have a million ideas for programs, guest book, centerpieces, etc. But I have had to face the hard truth that they may not all happen. But now that I have sorted what I think I can get done, the projects will be coming fast and furious now.

The other reason is that I fell prey to something that I think is probably pretty common among women as busy as we are. I was burning the candle not only at both ends, but sometimes in the middle. I went to work, planned for the wedding, wrote a lot, taught jewelry making for Advent Conspiracy at my church, failed at reading a new book, tried to hang out with friends, and spend meaningful time with Mr. Robin, then bake for Thanksgiving and on, and on. I was averaging about 4-5 hours of sleep per night, and eating terrible because I had no time to cook.

So I got sick. And not like little sick. Like my boss sent me home from work because I was so ill, and then it only got worse. I was a miserable Miss Robin for a few days.

Planning a wedding, while also trying to keep up with the commitments of the holiday season can take a toll the healthiest person so, please learn from my mistake and do not try and do too much. Take care of yourselves also, during this season when it is so sad to be ill, but so easy to become so.

And, if tragically, you should succumb, here is a great Ginger Tea recipe that really helps me when I can’t breathe and my throat hurts. It is unbelievably good. This tea and lots of spicy Tom Yum soup pulled me through.

Ginger Tea

• 1 inch fresh ginger root, sliced thin or grated
• 1/2 a fresh lemon, sliced (peel & all)
• 1 clove garlic, mashed
• 2 cups of water
• tablespoon or two of honey

Place everything but the honey into a saucepan and then bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer gently for 20 min. Strain and add lots of honey. The garlic, honey and ginger in this tea are both very good for cold symptoms, such as sore throat, upset stomach, chills, etc. Caution though if you let it sit it will get stronger! (adapted from a recipe by Kim Goddard)

You can also make a simpler version by grating ginger into a mug then pour hot water over it along with a peppermint, green or black tea bag.

Post Holiday Wine Down

Having decided that we were not participating in the usual Black Friday craziness this year, Mr. Robin and I instead launched ourselves into a road trip down the breathtaking Columbia Gorge under the guise of running some errands for the wedding. First drinks, both wine and beer, and then gathering intelligence for possible mini-moon places for the week after the wedding.

(the Gorge, Portland Ground)

Of course let's talk wine first.

We have decided to go through our caterer for the wine at the reception. The selection is very good and it is much more practical in that they assume all the risks associated with Oregon Liquor Control licensing (which is very very strict). However, wine for us is very personal. You know we like you when we invite you to our weekly wine tasting location.

I would really encourage the use of wine that has been personally selected or that has special meaning or even that is grown close geographically for the wedding and accompanying events. The wine becomes a part of your memories that can be uncorked and relived for years. We have two cases of the rioja reserva that we drank right before Mr. Robin proposed labeled “Engagement Wine” in his cellar. That is 24 times that I will get to smile over a glass at him and remember that day in the taste of smooth tempranillo grapes.

Finding a wine that is personal to you as a couple is still very doable even if you aren't very wine savvy. If you live near a wine producing region, make an adventure out of it! It is a great way to escape from the daily pressures of wedding tasks, with the excuse that you are accomplishing a wedding task.

(Grapes growing at Cathedral Ridge Winery)

Tips for Touring and Finding the Wedding Wine (and having a rocking time!!)

1. Have a general idea of your objectives for this trip. This can be as general as you would like two reds and a white at the end of the day. Or you would like to get all the wine from a single vineyard. Or that you would like one from this valley and another from another, across the state (in most states this will take two trips, score!).

2. Bring the following: maps (can be picked up at the tourist office), camera, and notebook. Use this notebook to take notes on wineries, directions, release dates, shipping information. Otherwise, I know from experience, you will either forget the details or write them on brochures, only half of which will make it home with you. Use the camera to take silly pictures of each other.

3. Go to a bigger, more well-known winery first and get pours. It may be more expensive and crowded but it will give you a jumping off point you can find. If you were in Portland, doing the Columbia Gorge like us, I would recommend Maryhill Winery. This winery is perched on the cliffs high above the river offering amazing views as you sip their award winning Zinfindel.
   

   (deck overlooking the Columbia River at Maryhill Winery)
   

   Going to a big winery like this first lets you become comfortable with the rituals of wine tasting, and they usually have a larger staff and more professional promotional materials that will allow you to learn more of the region's wine history, and grape varieties. Also sometimes live music!

4. While at the large winery ask your wine server what their favorite wineries in the region are (besides the one they work at). Then ask them if they could only go to one, which would it be? And why?

   These people will usually know the region very well and are often eager to offer their opinions. They also may have taken note of the things you liked at their winery and can steer you toward wineries that have strengths in those areas/varietals.

5. Compare their recommendations to your list of stated objectives. If you wanted everything from one vineyard, head to their number one pick. About a year ago, Mr. Robin and I found an amazing winery this way. Marshal's Winery is a kick, and the antithesis of every stuffy winery you've ever been to. The owner is a retired welder, who now vints amazing syrahs, cabernet francs, and a great $10 blend that is just right for dinner at home. On holidays, like Friday, you will find heaping plates of free food, generous pours. And they serve Cheetos to clear your palate. Classic!

   If your wants are more variety, tour several your server listed and any other that catches your fancy along the way. We have stopped for no other reason than a winery had an outdoor Bocce court, and I wanted to play and sip. Or that Pheasant Valley has this great fireplace. You might taste some mediocre wine, but you will have fun picking at random.

6. Talk to people! Tell them what you liked about the wine and what you didn't prefer. In the smaller wineries the person behind the counter might even be the vintner themselves, and they will definitely know how to find you a wine you will love.

7. Don't buy it if you aren't convinced. Remember that while the wineries often discount cases and wave tasting fee for those who buy, returns usually aren't an option. Therefore, it is better to wait than make a costly mistake.

8. One of the wines should be something you love. Not all your guests will have similar tastes, so you will have to buy a variety of different varietals, but there should be one that you can drink for years to come. This is all about making the day about the two of you and having a memory sitting in the bottle, ready to drink.

If you can't go to a wine region, often the wine shops in your town will either have regular tastings or will be happy to set up a tasting for you. Grab some friends (or your bridal party) and make finding the wine it's own memory.

Gown-istically Challanged

I admit it, I was a gown novice.

It was soon after I started looking online that I realized I was a little out of my league. Which was an odd feeling for someone who usually considers herself stylish. I didn't even know what the names of the styles referred to. When someone started discussing “girls with pick-ups,” I knew that the mental picture I had of a woman in a Ford F150 probably wasn't right. I was going to need help, and fast.

*** Mr. Robin stop reading right here****

My first real impression of what wedding gowns could be was when I lived in Spain. Down the street was a small wedding store, and every week they turned their front window into the very picture of style. Sweet, sassy, modern, vintage. Through the months that I walked to class past that window, and every Monday was new mood, a new study in outrageous Spanish wedding finery.

(a gorgeous Pronovias gown)

I loved those dresses, and actually thought of them occasionally as the years past. But when my actually engagement arrived I realized that their elegant couture was not only out of my price range, unfeasible in my time line and out of my budget, but also they weren't really me. And I didn't know what was...

This is when a bridal megastore like David's Bridal becomes a great solution. They have a lot of styles. From formal to casual, yards of lace to ultra simple, just about everything was covered. And since I had decided to bust open the budget right away on booking the venue, the dresses at David's fit nicely into my price range.

One thing that I am glad that I did was bring so many people.. This is odd because normally I shop alone. I love shopping, but for me often it is just not a team sport, so usually having four other women with me would not be ideal. In this case, having so many companions was important for several reasons beyond their opinions and advice. First, apparently it is very normal for each dresser/salesperson to have more than one client at a time, so it was nice to have my mom and friend take over the fetching of veils and lacing aspects so that I didn't have to wait.

Also,I was able to let them loose within the store with the instructions to bring me anything and everything that they liked. This was great for someone who didn't know anything about what I wanted in a gown because they brought me things that normally I would not try on. Like this all lace number I love the sweetheart neckline.

I also was in love with the lace detailing on this Oleg Cassini gown below. In the end though, I could not do strapless. I kept folding my hands below my chest like I had to hold the dresses up. There was no way they were going anywhere as these things are well reinforced, it was all mental, but whenever I stopped thinking about there my hands would go. Not attractive.

I don't remember who picked out my dress. But I remember being doubtful upon seeing it. I have both a chest and hips and was concerned that it looked so slim. But it had a feeling to it, just a smidge of vintage sweetness.. And it was divine on. The halter makes me feel more secure and the back has a deep V which makes my arms and back look slimmer. These aren't the best pictures, being from the website, but I have my fitting next week and should have some more by then.

Another great thing about shopping at a large chain when planning a wedding quickly, I got to walk away with the dress that day. No worrying that it won't be here in time. And with all these tight deadlines, knowing the dress is hanging in the closet at my mother's has been such a relief.

Invitation to Disaster, Part 2 - Design & Assembly

Well this part had a lot more actual invitations, and a lot more challenge if not disaster.

We were on a very tight time constraint for invitations, due to the fact that there was simply not very much time between beginning planning and the actual wedding date. Also, my roommate donated her time and talent to make these, and I did not really want her to lose sleep or become a crazy shut-in because she felt she had to meet some sort of extreme deadline. Therefore the invites took several weeks to complete, and finally last week they were proofed, checked and ready to print.
Someone was kind enough to let me use their very expensive printers free of charge to print out each of the three inserts and then the title sheet as well, saving me tons in printing costs. But this is also where my only bridal fit-throwing thus far comes in. I ordered, foolishly, the paper inserts already cut into 5x7 inch pieces, not knowing that it would have been far easier and cheaper from a production standpoint to get full sheets and have them cut later. As it turned out the green paper (my favorite, to be used for our postcard-style response cards) was far thicker than the other two colors and when the printer grabbed it, smears, shadows, sadness.

It might have made a difference if I could have done two inserts per full size sheet because then the printer would have been grabbing in a different, less inky section, but as I mentioned, they were sadly precut. So after much threating of the printer, and slamming down of Diet Coke cans, I had to walk away. I had to give up on the design, even though I loved it. It wasn't going to work, and the biggest tantrum in the world wasn't going to change it.

So, after talking to my roommate and Mr Robin via cell, it was on to plan B. I ran to the paper store, bought two more packages of the cream paper (luckily the only one they carry in store) while my roommate tweaked the design, so that the green was all ink. It would fool anyone into thinking that paper is green unless they were looking hard, since we printed both sides fully green and then just printed brown text on top. Problem solved. I still like the first design better, but this at least got the invitations out the door.

(the least troublesome piece, good ole parking. Also weirdly the piece that made me cry because I thought it was beautiful)

Waiting at my house was a “Forced Labor Party.” We gathered up the nearest and dearest (those that can't say “no”) my mom, my future MIL, my sister, and the bridesmaids. And made them help Mr Robin and I put it all together.

(my dedicated mother, hard at work)

Actually, I highly recommend doing it this way. It is a very special memory for me to have had these women around us all working together and laughing as we put together the invitations to an event that touches all our lives and makes us all a family together. It was originally done because of budget constraints, we could not spend very much on invitations at all, but I am glad that we did it this way because having it have been a community project was so much more touching for me.

The entire package

This project taught me more good lessons though:

1. Plan B is often just as good as Plan A, because nothing will be perfect. Which feeds right into

2. Walk away if you are becoming upset. Very few things will ruin the day that you marry the person you were meant for and remembering that is more than half the battle.

3. Pounding on the hand letterpress kit will relieve much stress and makes lovely envelope seals.

4. I am definitely marrying the right man, mid- printer beating, he calms me on the phone, asks if he can do anything, and then shows up with Bellagios pizza. That's a man who knows me.

Invitation to Disaster - Part 1 - Paper

It is amazing to me how quickly things can spiral out of control. The invitation creation process has easily been the most stressful part of wedding planning so far, and that is silly because I would have sworn that invitations was a piece of planning that I wasn't really interested in. We started with a simple concept for invitations, a brightly colored one sheet announcement with the all information, and RSVP by phone or email, drawing inspiration from the fabulous invites of Unless Designs. Her designs have a cheerful poster-like feeling to them which I love. Like you could frame your invitation afterward and hang it in the dining room.

(a cute Unless Designs piece)

But then my fabulous roommate/bridesmaid began to brainstorm designs and her work is so lovely, I wanted more instead of less. Then, I went paper shopping and our simple project is now not so simple. It is absolutely gorgeous don’t get me wrong, these are the invites of my dreams, but let me tell you that the stress level ratcheted up with every piece of enclosure that I added.

The place I went wrong was walking into the paper store. It was just something I ought not to have done. Because once in there, surrounded by all the pretty papers, I went into some sort of impulse buying fog. The new colors for Envelopements were there and they just happened to be my wedding colors. I can't resist those colors, it is a sickness.

So I ordered them. Without any real direction because I hadn't counted the invites we needed to make, hadn't discussed this type of design with my graphic designer roommate, hadn't really done any research. Then the employee tells me that these pieces of paper will take 2-3 weeks to arrive! At which point, another cashier pipes up and says "Oh, sometimes it takes as long as 4 weeks." OH MY GOSH!

Stupid impulse buying! I couldn't wait that long. We are getting married in January! We need to get this show on the road.

So, the next day, I came back down from the freak out, and battened down to do what I do best. Find things on the internet. Within two hours I had found Paper by Joy who could promise me shipment of my order, in the colors and sizes I needed, within 10 business days for no extra charge. And for a fraction (40% less) of the cost of my local paper store. Super bonus? They arrived much sooner, four days after I ordered with free ground shipping.

But the moral of this story is to have a plan. I shouldn't have plunked down the debit card without a clear idea of where I was going with these papers no matter how lovely, and definately not without putting in some time to research whether this was a fair price. I could have made a costly mistake if I had not been able to cancel the original order.

Giving and Recieving

Sometime, during the endless rounds of conversation about where we should register and for what, Mr. Robin came up with the idea of asking our guests to consider gifting to several charities that we either donate to, or are involved with. I loved the idea of giving more through our wedding, and so we wrote the following note one afternoon after church to accompany our invitations:

I know that it breaks the rule about mentioning registries, but we didn’t think that anyone would mind that much.

Now, that the invitation designs are complete, and we go to assemble them I am having these uncomfortable feelings about it. You know, this little voice whispering in my head, “But I like presents” and “You know this means you could get NO presents, right?” I guess I didn’t know how much I actually had internalized the cultural idea that getting married = getting presents. It is very disturbing, because I guess I thought that I was more generous and less acquisitive than this. Also more practical, because storing all those things would be a pain while we travel!

One thing that I am thankful for is that I have great supportive friends and family, even though some may think we are crazy. I really want to have this chance to give more, and know that I will look back on this and be grateful I made the choice I did. Perhaps even more grateful because it wasn't easy, and sometimes the hard choices in life are the ones God uses change us.

Art Deco Meets Umbrellas

The Story of a Practical Theme

You may of heard a little something about Portland, Oregon… it rains. According to our reputation almost incessantly. It is my opinion that generally the city gets a bad rap, because the rain is fairly seasonal and the natural beauty it creates is breathtaking. But I digress. Suffice to say that, like any stereotype, there is a part to this one which is true. And that part is that every winter there comes upon the city a rainstorm that begins in early December and keeps on going pretty much until the end of January. Our wedding date is smack in the middle of that.

The part of town where the venue is located is amazing in terms of architecture and city history. Up until fifteen years ago it was an industrial district housing two breweries, and various warehouses and loading docks. Now shops line those loading docks and lofts occupy former brewery space. It is neat. And I want to go out and take pictures in it.

Rain or shine! Before the ceremony! My sister is aghast. I can feel some of you shuddering right now.

But wait, I have a solution. Umbrellas, cute ones too. I ordered Chinese oiled paper umbrellas for us to use to get from location to location if it is raining. And if it isn’t… well, they look pretty cool too.
Around the time of this decision, my roommate and I had been rooting around in Powell's Art Section for ideas on invitations. While there we kept running across these amazing Art Deco posters, with stylized graphic shapes and amazing fonts. I wanted a way to evoke this era and style in our invitations and other paper, then I suddenly thought, "Why not Art Deco Umbrellas everywhere?"

They are a quirky fun nod to Portland and its reputation of rainy-ness, and is still in keeping with our vintage modern style. I love it when practical details turn into great inspiration.

Crippled by the Modern Age

I am serious. I didn’t realize it before now, but I don’t know many of my friends’ addresses. I know their personal e-mail addresses, their work e-mail addresses, and their cell phone numbers. I am their myspace friend, and their facebook friend (but I refuse to join friendster). I read their blogs, watch their videos online, and have long instant message conversations.

I have been to many if not all of their houses, but I don’t remember such things, I just plug the address in Google maps and go. Or know that they live four houses to the left of Hot Lips Pizza.
It is amazing in this world of instant, accessible communication, that you can be friends with someone and never know their precise location to mail them something as simple as a letter.

Mr. Robin has been on the phone for two days gathering addresses from friends and family alike! The guest list however, is finally almost done. Hooray!

Shades of Robin

Why pick only two wedding colors, when you could have three. And why stick to only three, when you could have three different colors and two shades of each of those.

At least that is my motto. I am a big fan of color, as anyone in my life would tell you. My shoe collection is such a rainbow that the other day I was bemoaning the fact I couldn’t find a pair of neutral (black or brown) flats to wear.

And if something is so much a part of your personality, then I say work it into your wedding day. So, as I stood in the Dutch Boy paint aisle of a local Fred Meyer’s I was torn. There were two different greens and two different blues that I was in love with, and I couldn’t choose. So I didn’t.

And here is the color palette in all its glory:

The only one that isn't showing up well is the darker blue, it is much less turquoise than it appears.

Literally I live my life in these colors, if you open my sweater drawer or my closet these are the colors that greet you. My favorite bag is the darker blue, my favorite knee high socks the darker green, and my couch is the Barley brown, the walls of my bedroom the light blue.

Also it is fun to play with so many colors; it has given us a lot of flexibility in making design and accent choices. I also highly recommend getting paint swatches to carry that are your wedding colors. They are small and easy to keep in your purse and you will know in a second if a color is slightly different than what you were envisioning.

Additionally, when the wedding is all done, and we are back from traveling I think it will be great to paint a room with a combo of two of the colors, just to remind us of this meaningful day.

Current Random Obsession

Chalkboard Spray Paint.

I like to play with things. I admit it. I will buy paint, art supplies, and vintage furniture with no real idea to what purpose I will use them. I just like the idea of some things. And this is how I came to have a can of chalkboard spray paint.

I desperately want to find some element in the reception to which I could apply this chalkboard spray paint to. There has to be something at the reception upon which the ability to draw would bring great joy to the guests. What I have no idea, because our wedding is very modern glam (with Asian influences), and I am not sure that the whole chalkboard thing would fit.

But here are some ideas I came up with:

1) A sandwich board at the door painted at the door welcoming everyone. If I buy a permit (and it isn’t raining) I could even put it outside for those guests who might be confused by the whole wedding in a theater concept.

2) Chalk Board Chargers or discs at the tables with cups of cool colored chalk. Like these coasters that Beau Coup used to carry:

Any other ideas on chalkboard crafts that would be fun at a wedding?

Diamond Dilemma

I wish that I could say that the beginning of my desire for a ring without a diamond was due to a higher sort of emotion, concern for the growing problem with conflict diamonds, and the ways in which the trade of these diamonds lead to violence, war and death for the peoples of the African Continent. Or from the desire to say no to consumerism in a culture that urges us to have too many things and too little compassion or even to say “No” to a jewelry industry where I have observed retailer make men feel like they have to have insurance for their loves to say yes ( Every Kiss Begin with… right.).

These things are definitely a part of my feelings about diamonds and are some of the reason I told Mr. Robin pre-proposal that I would want to help choose the ring together. But the truth is it is that it was plain affinity that had me passing on the diamond ring. I have just never been awed by the sparkle of a diamond like I have for the way light refracts through emeralds, or dances across sapphires. I love color! This is not my ring, as mine is set in a band than is thinner and a little more feminine, but the stone setting is the same. Five amazing blue sapphires set together in a rectangle. I wish I could show you, but my digital camera is insisting that it is broken:

Ring by Divinti

And I don’t want to insult those brides who are rocking their rocks. I just think that those us sporting the alternatives could use some support. The pressure to sport a huge diamond is enormous. I picked up the InStyle Wedding for this month, and the Choose Your Perfect Ring spread had seven lovely pages of rings. And not one ring that wasn’t a diamond. Also, I personally have had girls squeal “Let me see the ring!” and then when I extend my hand with its art deco sapphires their faces fall. I have even had a few express the sentiment, “Well I am sure that when you are more established, then he will get you one.”

Now it doesn’t bother me so much, because the women in my life who know me, every time shout “It is so you!” However, I know women who weren’t into diamonds, who felt they had to get one because everyone was expecting it. There are plenty of good reasons to choose your ring with care. Women choose a ring they will wear forever based on history, culture, affinity, moral feelings, sentimentality, the list goes on. I just think that there is room in the industry for rings beyond diamonds, and we all should have a hand in supporting every bride’s right to wear the ring that symbolizes love in her opinion, whatever stone that might be.

Our Moment in Mexico

I sort of knew the proposal was coming. The minute Mr. Robin told me that we would spend the rest of our lives together on the phone, I knew. We had been very careful to make no statements of commitment that we could not back up out of respect for each other. This is mostly because last February we took four months apart while Mr. Robin lived in Mexico to figure out our relationship, as after a year we had reached the point of either committing to marriage or not dating any longer. We were not together as a couple during these months (though after about a month we began talking over Skype at least once a week for several hours). So, sometimes when I am feeling silly, and people ask “how long have you been dating?’ I answer: “Three months.”

So for him to say something about “forever” was Major (with a capital M)! And then he started saying things like “After we are married…” or “In a few years…” Ummm, did I miss the proposal? But no, little did I know that Mr. Robin had sneaked off to my parent’s house, in far away Sherwood, and asked their permission to marry me. However, the question plagued him about where to do the formal question popping. Setting is as important to him as it is to me, so it had to be someplace special. Meanwhile, we had been planning a last minute trip to Mexico for a few weeks, to visit his good friends, and so we could attend la Feria in Zacatecas. So he thought, well it has to be special because this moment only comes once, so why not wait until Mexico? THREE weeks away. I was dying of anticipation and my poor mother, who knew it was coming with certainty, was forced to tell one other person each day to keep her sanity. (Thanks all those people for keeping the secret!)

I, who was tingling with anticipation every day, was starting to get a bit irritated and scared after three and a half weeks of sans engagement by the time we reached Zacatecas. But the city is gorgeous. The most amazing colonial city tucked away in the mountains, with almost no American tourists. I had really wanted to eat at La Quinta Real, a former bullfighting ring turned luxury hotel, and so our second night in town Mr. Robin and I strolled beneath the colonial aqueduct, around fountains and over the cobblestones to La Quinta (everyone but me would realize where this was going) and ate a fabulous meal of sopa tortilla, steak and fine wine at their restaurant. This is the view from our table out into what used to be the floor of the bullring.

As we are walking back to the lobby through the glassed in walkway atop the bullring, Mr. Robin suddenly walks up to one of the doors out onto the former seats, and casually lifts the lever that locks the door and pulls on my hand. “Let’s go out here.” It is obvious that this is not a public area, as some seats are still crumbling and if there is something to know about Mr. Robin and I, it is that I am the rule follower, and he is the rule breaker. Which means that I immediately start babbling something like this, “I don’t think we can be out here… I mean, I don’t think that this is a public… They are going to kick us out...”

At this point Mr. Robin turns on the steps to look at me and says with a smile, “You think they will kick us out?” To which I nod vigorously. “Do you think they will kick us out soon?” More desperate nodding and a pull on his hand to get back to the safety of the hallway (I also have a thing with heights). “Well then I better do this quick” and with that he dropped to one knee, and I forgot about where we were, and the height, and everything. He began to say amazing things about thinking long and hard about this, about wanting me as his wife, about following God, and how I could and should take time and think about my answer.

It was at this point that I, crying, dropped to my knees and said “YES!” Though I said it into his shoulder because I was hugging him so hard, he had to peel me off and get me to say it again, intelligibly this time. And then we took this series of photos.

The Robins, newly engaged

The spot where it happened

After that we, grinning hugely, walked downstairs to the hotel bar. This bar is amazing, as it is where they used to keep the bulls before fights and so is warren of arches and private cubby holes. We took the most private cubby and ordered a fat Cuban cigar and Banderas to celebrate. A Bandera is a sipping drink that is composed of a shot glass of lime juice, a shot glass of tequila, and a shot glass of sangrita (a sweet, spicy tomato juice). And there we sat and discussed all manner of things for hours as dusk fell into night, the hotel lit up around us, and the cigar became just a stub.

In the end I am glad that Mr. Robin waited until we could have this amazing memory of getting engaged. Before I thought I was ready to throttle him because I didn’t know why he was determined to have it be a special moment, because that question will make any moment special. But we will forever have this magic night, and I am glad that he planned it out in detail.

Be Speedy, Not Hasty

Getting this event together in only a few months means that there is are few things that I have realized that I have to keep in mind as I proceed.

First, priority. Decide which things are important to you. For Mr. Robin and myself this is setting and food. With only a little over three months after we arrived back from Mexico, a venue was actually the first thing that needed attention. I would definitely recommend making the decision quickly as possible because wedding venues tend to fill up sometimes as much as 18 months in advance. If you only have a handful of weeks like me, don't lose hope, think outside the norm. I was looking at barns, warehouses, empty retail space downtown, if you could pack 140 people in it and have it look pretty cool, I looked at it. What I ended up with is the lobby of a theater. You would be surprised at what you can find, a family friend got married underneath the Broadway Bridge. And space like these are often available much closer to the wedding date.

After we nailed down a setting, we then contacted the caterer because it was the next priority. We actually know someone who works for one of the only four caterers that are allowed for the Armory. The Vibrant Table does amazing food and events. They are not really just a caterer, they will help you plan out the mood and theme of your event, help you keep the details of the schedule for the day and even find other vendors for you.They are definitely not the cheapest caterer in town, but the premium is definitely worth it for me, and not really for the event planning aspect, but the food, oh the food! If you are going to have a short engagement then finding a vendor that can fil more than one role will save you some headaches, but maybe not money.

Second, Flexibility. With a short planning time like this you cannot fall too much in love with anything. It may turn out that it is just not possible in such a short amount of time, without incurring considerable extra cost. One thing that seriously lusted for were Lynn Lugo bridesmaids dresses. However, upon visiting the site there were several barriers to this becoming reality. One, there are only two shops that carry her line and neither is very convenient for my maids. However, the larger barrier was the ordering notice on the site "This means that you should order your dresses at least 18 weeks from your actual wedding date to allow for shipping time and alterations."I didn't even have 18 weeks between my engagement and wedding! So I let them go, because it is important to be flexible. My advice, is that if it won't ruin your day not to have it then forget it because it is just not worth it.

Lastly, do your homework. Everything will take longer if you don't walk into a meeting having a good idea of what you want. Vendors will try to help you, but often they don't have a clear pictures of your style or some will try to take advantage of your lack of preparedness to try and upsell you to higher priced packages (it is their job after all). So bring examples of things you like, with an idea of what you want to spend, paint swatches of wedding colors, or even magazine spreads that evoke the color or theme that you need. I have brought this one before:I think it captures the vintage modern style I am looking for, and is the exact color scheme. A picture is worth a thousand word when you are trying to describe your theme. I was actually really excited to see the inspiration board blog Snippet & Ink that Mrs. Bee posted a few day ago. I can't wait to make one.

Hammering out the basic details of vendors so quickly, and without confusion, will allow me to do some of the DIY projects that I would like to do in the last two months. This includes having a friend who is a graphic designer help me do my invites, creating the centerpieces with my mother, doing the ceremony programs by hand, and I am sure I will think of others. Way too many others.

Any one else have short-term planning tips?

We’re Going to the Theater…

And We're Going Get Married!!

Mr. Robin and I went to see a Cabaret (with Storm Large!) production on last Thursday and it was so fun to see our location space filled with so people. It really helped me imagine that a few short months from now this space shall be filled with all my closest friends and family. We sat in front of the red glass wall where we will say our vows and smiled big huge grins at each other.

(the red wall, picture by PCS)

The Portland Armory is actually the theater for Portland Center Stage. This has some great benefits, like the fact the lobby is open until 6pm for ticket sales on Saturdays so we don’t have to start paying until then, but they will let all of our vendors start setting up at 4pm. They also are really easy going about the fact we want the reception to continue on until 11pm. And the fact it is so insanely amazing looking that I almost don’t have to decorate a thing.

The building sat empty for years, across the street from Powell’s City of Books (the world’s largest independent bookstore) and the Henry Weinhard’s Brewery. But when the Brewery was turned into condos, shops and restaurants a few years ago The Armory was too amazing of a building to sit lonely for long. It was remodeled by the theater company into a building that is both one of the oldest in all downtown and the greenest.

Seriously, rainwater flushes the toilets. Classic.

I really lucked out getting this venue. I am a planner, and since the setting of our wedding was the most important thing to me, I actually booked it from Mexico as we were traveling. I knew that I wanted to have something memorable. A place that would reflect Mr. Robin and I, would reflect how much we love Portland, and a place that was elegant. I also wanted to have the wedding by candlelight. So evening and the ability to burn things was kind of a must for that element. I had my mom communicate with the different locations while I peppered her and them with emails from internet cafes around Mexico.

I truly wanted a church, a beautiful amazing church. Something like Old Laurelhurst Church, where the sanctuary drips with stained glass. Our church used to meet there before we outgrew it, and I could see myself meeting Mr. Robin at the end of that aisle. There is one thing I did not count on however, and that is church reception rooms. They looked like a school cafeteria. Not exactly what I had pictured. And the rules!! No candles, no chair rentals, NO BEER (that will just not fly for microbrew loving Portlanders like us!). I knew that it would take a lot of time, effort and research to transform that space into the reception that I had been envisioning. More than I probably had with my time/budget restraints. So the search was on.

I found the Armory on the Blum Floral website completely by accident. I never thought that I could get it, there were only four or five Saturdays in all of 2008 when the Armory didn’t have a show run, and only two in the space of time that fell within our 4 month limit. I happened to beg the event coordinator on just the right day, the day a bride changed her mind. I snapped up the cancellation without ever having set foot in the building. From this picture alone:

(picture by Sidewalk Studios)

If you are going to plan a wedding in three months, I think that it is worth it find a location with some impact to it. Trust me, you will save some sanity if you don't have to make a hundred decor decisions to transform a location into something beautiful and dream worthy. And you might even save some budget, because rentals can get spendy!

Mucho Gusto!

Hello to all bees and readers! I am so amazingly excited to be a part of WeddingBee! See the thing is, I had never really thought about getting married. I mean, I thought about the actually being married part and sharing my life with someone, but the planning aspect was never something I gave too much thought to. Which is strange, because I love style, color, planning... and pretty dresses. But then one day, I figured out that Mr. Robin was going to propose, and it struck me how little I knew. Which freaked out planning little me, and so to the internet I went, and found the most fun, informative, helpful site - WeddingBee. And now that I am a part of this wonderful site I can't wait to inflict my crazy ideas upon you all!

I guess the first thing for you all to know is that Mr. Robin and I are tying the knot with a little more speed than your average American couple. From proposal to alter there are exactly four months. However, we only have three months to plan, because Mr. Robin asked me to marry him at the beginning of a three week trip where we were visiting friends in Mexico. This makes the planning and plotting of this once in a lifetime day just a bit more complicated. We have to make sure that we make the right decision the first time, every time (or almost every time, mistakes will happen). Why get married so fast? Well, we are just done not being married to each other now that we have made the commitment to do so. We are done not living together, not sharing our lives, not following God together.

We live in Portland, Oregon an awesome city if you love indie crafts, food, music, and nature (all of which we do love). We can't wait to have the chance to live together in this beautiful city, but it won't be for long. That's because, God willing, we hope to travel around Mexico, Central and South America in the first year of our marriage. We love travel, wine, and meeting new people in other cultures. We are planning, tentatively at this point, to travel to see friends in Buenos Aires, explore Chile, climb Manchu Picchu, lie on the beaches and explore the rain forests of Costa Rica, then wander through the amazing natural beauty and lovely culture of Mexico until we hit Zacatecas, the city where Mr. Robin popped the question (more on that later) and there we will settle for several months. It will be quite an adventure and a great way to learn how to be as one in our first year together. And after Zacatecas? Who knows.

Looking over the names, I knew I had to be Miss Robin, I have a current obsession with bird-shaped things (earrings mostly) and I find robins kind of goofy, so there is definitely a resemblance between me and them. And not just the red/brown hair.