October is almost over!!

With the date being October 27, we are less than a month away from the big day!! Our room rate officially expired Monday night, but thankfully a phone call to the Embassy Suites got us another week. The problem? Well some of you were trying to reserve rooms and we had sold through our complete block!! So they gave me what I believe was seven more rooms (three or four of which has already been snatched up) and gave us another week because of the mistake. I can no longer guarantee the room price of $79, although at the time of this blog going up, we still have our group rate, and there are a few rooms still available. Yeah!!

Plans went as they should've last weekend. Monica's dad and I hit the tuxedo shop, and Monica's mother and Monica hit the bridal store to verify alterations and whatnot were accurate. They have yet another appointment on Saturday, and I think that's the final one in which she will actually be able to take her dress. I'm hitting the tuxedo shop with David (Monica's first cousin and usher) on Saturday and then we're sitting down with Monica's mother and going through everything to make sure every single thing is covered. It's so easy to miss something!! I think on Sunday, we're going to sit with my dad to run through how the ceremony is going to go as well.

I was going through previous blogs, and I realize that not everyone is going to read those old things!! I did have some valuable info in there, so I'll try to repost some of that stuff on upcoming blogs to answer some questions. One I get asked from time to time is the menu. Waaaayyyy back in May, I posted the menu, but here it is again!! Oh and yes it's a buffett!

Sweet Corn and Roasted Poblano Chowder
Wedge Salad
Coleslaw
Roasted Red "B" Potato Salad
Tri-color Melon Salad, Mint Infusion

Raspberry-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken
Marinated Grilled Ribeye Steak
Shrimp and Vegetable Kebabs
Poblano Corn Bread
Corn on the Cob and Fat Tire Baked Beans
Salt Roasted Yukon Potatoes

There are two or three desserts, one of which is an incredible pecan pie, but I can't remember what they are! Ah well. We've of course tasted it and wow. Very, very, good!!

Lastly, I have another thank you!! She hosted the bridal shower, she's organizing the bachelorette party with Monica's sister, she's assisting with table decorations, and she's even singing at our wedding. I'm of course referring to Jennifer. She's been a great source of many ideas, and we're even using quite a few of them. I assure you this wedding would be different if she weren't a part of it, and we're glad she is. Love ya Jenn! Thank you!!!!!

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone!!

Happy Friday!!

35 days until the wedding! I still don't have cold feet no matter how much I mess around either! Yeah! Lol. Well, happy Friday. Today is the 22nd of October, which means....there are only FOUR days for you all to take advantage of our rate from Embassy Suites. I realize that not everyone reads past blogs (or even current blogs, lol), so maybe somehow you don't know how the pricing breaks down. If you are coming to the wedding, planning on drinking, or just don't want to drive back home when the reception officially ends at 10 PM (notice I said officially, lol. Doesn't mean we'll stop partying), then you need a room. Our room rate is $79.99 for two people!! Compare that to the $144 you would be paying if you walked in off the street, and we all know how great a deal that is. I have to keep reminding because it's inevitable that someone is going to call and ask me or Monica if we can get a room for that rate past October 26, and we cannot. They specifically said that those rooms will need to be released so they can get the hotel filled for the Thanksgiving weekend. So midnight on the 26th, say good-bye to that rate. If for some reason you still don't know how to reserve your room, that Accommodations link along the top should help you out   :-)

Only wedding updates are Monica heading to the alterations shop to try on her dress again on Saturday. This is post alterations and the dress should fit pretty closely to how it's going to in 35 days. Needless to say, I'm not invited to this appointment, lol. That's okay because her dad and I are doing tuxedo fittings tomorrow as well. We have the photos being taken of us at Botanical Gardens next Saturday, and then we officially hit the home stretch as November will be here!! Rehearsal dinner details coming soon to those involved!!

Speaking of those involved, keeping with my thank-yous leading up to the wedding, I'm going to give a quick thank you to my dad. For no other reason than just going with the flow. For those that didn't read that blog, my dad will be performing the ceremony for Monica and I. While that in itself is a huge, huge deal and deserves a massive thank you, whenever I've mentioned something to him about the wedding, he's never complained, but just gone with it. THANKS POPS!!! There's a certain soon to be cousin-in-law that I gotta thank next week!!

Enjoy the weekend all, and watch Monday night as my Giants continue to bury the Cowboys! Yeah!!

Closer....closer....

We creep closer and closer to the big day!! Does that countdown on our main page really say 43 days!? Monica and I have kicked it into high, HIGH gear! I'm going to start this blog out with a big reminder. There are only 12 days left to take advantage of the $80 special room rate we have at the Embassy Suites. I went through the normal booking phase on the Embassy Suites website today as if I was just some random person wanting to stay that night, and the lowest rate for the rooms that night are $144, and it goes up from there. I continue to stress that $80 (well...$79 to be exact) is a very good rate that we cannot extend past midnight on the 26th of October.

Junior bridesmaid dresses have arrived for my daughters! I've only seen pictures of them on the web, but I'm quite sure they came out looking stellar. We have all of the decorations and table favors we're going to use all set as well. We're going simple and elegant, not corny and cheesy. So we really hope you all like. Let's see next up on our calendar is a trip to the tuxedo shop for Monica's dad and I. Then Monica and I have another photo session (I know right?) with our new photographer as she really wants to get even more engagement photos of us. It's included, she wants to do it, so how can we say no? We'll be getting them taken at the Denver Botanic Gardens (that's the picture on this blog), so they should look very, very nice like our others!!

I think Monica spilled the beans on our cake flavors for the big day. I can't remember, but I don't think she actually spilled design details. We seriously found the greatest cake decorator on the planet. Her prices are unbelievable, and she just has a great, great down to Earth relaxing mood. We even decided to do a Groom's cake that we were previously not even thinking about. I'm excited about the design of it and how it's going to come out. Welona and Adria have come up with some decent guesses of what it could be via Facebook, but I'm making everyone wait. I really don't think there will be much surprise though, lol. As for our actual cake, It's going to keep with the theme of our wedding, which is simple, elegance. The decorator just sat back while Monica, Yolanda (her mother), Viv (her sister), and I ate cake, looked through her portfolio, and talked. She listened to every word we said and put it on paper and man the design kicks butt!

Alright, gonna close the blog with another thank you. This one is going out to Monica's oldest (she's not too old, lol) sis, Adria. The incredible handwriting of each and every invitation that's been sent out is because of her. She flew out specifically for Monica's bridal shower and assisted as much as she could in the planning of that as well. She's helped with the graphics on this website, designed our monogram that you will see in the wedding, and just has done everything a person can do from Seattle. She's been a great source for Monica and I to bounce ideas off of as she's only five years from going through all this herself!! I'm quite sure Monica cannot wait for her to get back to Denver next month so she can help with many of the details and to help calm Monica's jitters down as well!! Adria, you rock, and just like your mother, there are many pieces of this wedding planning that wouldn't have been successful without you. LYS!! Hehe. Next week, I have someone on my side of the family to thank. Laters all!!

It's happening next month!!

I know, I know. Many of you have let me know that I've slacked on the blogs over the last couple weeks, and so much has been going on! You know it's funny. Everytime I talk to a male about the trials of planning a wedding, I get a backwards look and the response is normally along the lines of "she handled it all, I just showed up." Oh believe me, there are times I wish I let Monica take care of it all! However in the end, I figure that even though all attention will be on her, it is kind of my day as well. I don't think it can be successful without me being there, so I want to have a part in the planning! We're almost there! Next month! Yeah! So onto what's been going on...

A couple blogs ago I thought we had found our cake decorator, but unfortunately due to legal issues with the hotel, we couldn't use her as she's an employee of Embassy Suites. Blah. Oh well, tonight our cake decorator/baker saga comes to a close as we meet the woman that I'm positive will be desigining our cake for us. She's coming by our house tonight and bringing wedding cake. Not a bad way to spend a Monday evening!

This wedding is constantly changing. We were going to do personalized shot glasses for everyone, but that's now changed to something different. We were going to do centerpieces one way, but now we're doing it a different way. Many of you know about our photographer saga, but thankfully that has been solved as well! I'm used to the fact that details will be changing constantly until the day actually happens. This is kind of fun, but I think both Monica and I are ready for this to be over so we can enjoy our time on the cruise ship!

I was doing some thinking the other day about the toughest part of planning a wedding. Sure dealing with multiple vendors is tough due to the coordination of all the schedules. Then there's coordinating the wedding party's schedule with getting them in for tuxedo or dress fittings. However, I think the toughest part is telling people no. Since this is our first (and only!) wedding, we have welcomed any and all suggestions. It's just tough to tell someone that we don't think their idea would work with the vision for our wedding. Thankfully Monica and I have been on the same page throughout this and there's been very little we haven't agreed on. So what I'm saying is, continue to give us ideas, we welcome them! Just please don't be hurt if we initially say yes, and then because we've changed our mind on something it renders your idea not useable for our day.

Speaking of planning the wedding. I'm going to close this blog with a huge, HUGE, HUGE thank you. Monica's mom was fresh off planning Adria's (Monica's oldest sister for those that don't know) wedding five years ago. She knew what worked, and what didn't. I'm telling you all that we wouldn't be as organized, or as close to being complete without her help. I don't believe Monica or I knew all of the tiny details included in planning a wedding, and Monica's mother has helped us with nothing but a smile on her face. She's been there through the appointments, the countless trips to Loveland, the festivals, and she'll be with us tonight offering her advice on our wedding cake. We cannot say thank you enough for everything you have done and everything you are yet to do. We appreciate it more than you know and we love you!!

For others that have helped, thank you as well, and over the next many blogs I'm going to be giving you special shout outs also! Lastly, you have THREE WEEKS from today to reserve your room for the wedding! The killer rate is still valid, and remember they will not charge your card to reserve your room!! Laters all!!