Invitations...

So I have looked at invitations online and that is probably how I will purchase them. Some may say no, but if I do not have to go somewhere and talk to somebody it is easier to me. I am trying to pick invitations that sort of match the style of the church, but seein' as how I have not booked a church I'll just find one or a few that could match each location. Please refer to the location indicated in the sample to see for which church I would use each respective invite. Incidentally, the fiance really does care about this portion of the planning (he cares about as much as I do), but I cannot remember which he said he liked, so for now here are some that I like along with my thoughts:

1. Floral Patterned by Picturebook.

This one is from Wedding paper divas. Cool website with lots of choices. At first I was annoyed because I thought they did not have a list of the fonts visible all at once. I even used the chat feature to ask one of their people and confirmed by misguided belief. Then I saw that on the customize page beside "font" there is a tiny blue (view) that opens a window with all of them right there for the world to see. How marvelous! (I reopened the chat and told the lady and she was really excited :)

- Color: meadow
- Paper: Wedding Paper Divas Signature Recycled Matte
- Digital offset printing
- Fonts: classic roman and gatsby script
- Unit price for one invite and one envelope: $1.49
- Total cost (200 invites, 225 envelopes)= $303

It's a little classic and a little modern with the victorian look at the bottom and the right justified type. I also quite like that it is a 5x7 so we will not have to pay extra postage. And the paper is recycled... always a plus.

2. Cherry Tree by Jenny Romansky.

- Color: Paradise

- Paper: 110 lb. ecru textured cardstock

- Digital offset printing

- Fonts: classic roman and madison

- Unit price for one invite and one envelope: $1.54

- Total cost (200 invites, 225 envelopes)= $313

Also from wedding paper divas. This one seems somehow a bit more formal to me, still modern, and I love the colors. The lower case letters in the fonts make me smile. It reminds me of April and I like that. The paper is not recycled, but it is pretty.

3. Leaves of Love

- Color: uhhh green with blue and black writing
- Paper: 100 lb. recycled matte
- Printed just regular style (probably from someone's cubicle)
- Fonts: Goudy Old Style MT and Garamond
- Unit price for one invite and one envelope: doesn't say
- Total cost (250 invites, 250 envelopes)= $89.95



This one is from 123print.com. I believe it is a knock off of some Kate Spade or either Vera Wang design. It is not my favorite, but it is way freaking cheaper and close to the look of the nicer ones. Recycled paper too!

Church options...

Well, As I have said, I am Catholic. I have to get married inside of  a Catholic Church. My options:

1.  Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

Gardendale, Alabama

Saint Elizabeth is where I did my Catholic growing up. Sunday school, first communion, the whole bit. Pros and cons:

- I don't really go there anymore

- It has ugly red carpet and the interior is not very pretty

- I don't want to get married there

- Church hall is not very pretty and I don't want to have my reception there, but I don't know where else we would have it because I would rather not drive across town for a reception after a wedding in Gardendale.

+ It will cost about $1000 less than anywhere else (I think)

+ Shorter distance for guests to drive because lots of them live in Gardendale

+ I could get ready at my mom's house because it is really close

+ The above three reasons help to simplify some parts of the planning process

+ It is almost certainly still available for our date

2. The Cathedral of St. Paul

Birmingham, Alabama

St. Paul's is where my mom did her Catholic growing up. Pros and cons:

- It costs a bijillion dollars (about $1200 more)  if you have not been a member for 2 years, which we haven't.

- It is a little much and intimidates me slightly. Seems like it will be some sort of "EVENT" and very not low key here.

- It echoes in there and you can't hear a thing the priest says. So basically you just stare around at all the pretty stuff.

- It is probably already booked.

- It is ginormous and my guests will look like "BBs in a matchbox" to quote my mom.

+ It is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

+ It is uber Catholic and adds a sense of ceremony and tradition that no place other than the Cathedral can.

+ It is gorgeous. Doubly so.

3. St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Chapel

Birmingham, Alabama

St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Chapel is a satelite church of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Catholic Student Center for UAB.

- Its up on a hill and I think I would have to walk up a bizillion stairs in a wedding dress and heels to walk down the aisle

- Its extra modern looking inside with airbrushed walls and stars and pink stuff and weirdness. There is this slightly disturbing modern/art-deco/weird crucifix hanging right over the altar that would look extra funky in pictures.

- Its pretty outside and I hear that the parish hall is pretty nice and big enough for a reception.

- Not a whole lot of parking

- I am not really sure they even do weddings there

- May cost the same amount as the cathedral. Not really sure.

+ It is relatively small inside, so that limits the number of guests. As I would like a small wedding, this is a good thing, but it could present some guest list chopping issues. I am not sure because I have not made a guest list :).

+ My childhood priest is the "sacramental minister" there, so he could do the wedding no problem!

+ It is really pretty outside, so pictures would be nice.

+ Nice central location

4. St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church

Birmingham, Alabama

St. Mark's is a fairly new church off 119 on the far South side of Birmingham.

- Although the building is pretty, the area is drab with new landscaping and not really any pretty places to take pictures

- The altar sits very low so you can't really see what is going on up front while seated in the pews.

- It costs as much as St. Paul's costs.

- Far for Gardendalians to drive, so I'll have to give directions which will say "turn by the shell station"

- The sanctuary is a little big, but I think I would just rope off the back 10 pews or something

+ Very nice Parish hall that is perfect for a reception and comes with tables, chairs, white table cloths (I think)

+ The priest (Father Joe) is a very nice man and very flexible.

+ Easy to book, most likely still available.

Dress shops= the only thing close to planning I've done

So, yeah I haven't planned anything yet. I really need to get a dress. I have been to some great Alabama bridal salons. Check them out.

1.  Bridal Bliss

Bridal Bliss and Formal Wear, Inc.  "Making Dreams Come True"

Owned by Gary and the other guy I did not talk to. They love Grace Kelley A LOT, are very friendly and the store and their customer service has a great make-yourself-at-home quality that really makes you happy you are in the South. The selection is not huge, but what they do have is very nice. Prices are affordable to moderate (the one I liked was a little pricey for me at $1,500). Try and go when Gary is there because he is awesome. They do not allow pictures to be taken of the dresses though which I do not like.

2.   Dianes Formal Affair

Diane's is way freaking out in Jasper, Alabama, but they have very affordable dresses and a great selection. Some of the sales people there are better than others. The one helping my sister was a little weird, but the lady helping me was amazing. Try and get someone with blonde hair to help you and you could get lucky cause I do not remember her name. Oh, they did freak me out a little though because it apparently takes forever to get a dress. Also, they do not allow pictures to be taken of the dresses.

3.  David's Bridal

Freaking horrible. Just awful. Unless you are a plus sized bride, need a dress for less than 500$ and are willing to go through absolute purgatory to get it, do not go here. Actually, even if all of those apply, do not go here.

4. The White Room

 If you want to feel like a fairy princess with a fairy godmother just like Cinderella's and you have a billion dollars, please do not miss The White Room. Oh my goodness, it is wedding gown heaven and the people are amazing and I just can't say enough wonderful things about it. They let you take pictures and the dresses start at around $3,000, though. The one I liked best was 4,500 before the thousand dollars worth of alterations that I was going to need to make it fit, but phew was it pretty!

Day 2: choosing the blog colors and layout, obviously

I am not an average bride. I have never been one much for ceremony. I profane of extravagance and quite avoid most situations that place me as the center of attention. Now, I am engaged to the love of my life and am looking forward to promising him that I will be there with him for the rest of forever. I am in no hurry, however to don the most expensive garment I will ever own and trot down the aisle in front of scores of people in order to carry out a ritual filled with societal norms plucked from a time when what Queen Victoria said went but women were still second class citizens in a patriarchal world.

For me, wedding planning has been a challenge because there are two parts of me that keep dueling it out over the whole thing. I was a philosophy major. I question everything. One part of me comes up with all of these questions and the other part says oh well, who cares. As long as Nick is there what do you care if you participate in a ceremony that recalls those times when women were subservient to men and spending loads of money on a wedding was admired by all. But then, again, with the questions… Is the fact that the typical wedding ceremony still contains all of these things not indicative of the fact that our “modern” society still reeks of these most putrid examples of societal bilge? Why does the girl have to walk down the aisle and be given away? Why can’t his mom walk him down the aisle just as my dad will walk me?  Why do all of the bridesmaids have to buy a new dress? Why do people think you should have two cakes? Why do I have to send an invitation to people that know when and where I am getting married and that they are invited? Why do invitations really need two envelopes? How many starving children could be fed for a year with the amount of money that people spend on the average wedding? Then there are the getting-married-in-the-Catholic-church questions. Why do I have to tell them six months before I want to get married if I have been dating my fiancé for six years? Why does the church cost $1,500? Why can’t I get married outside?

There are more, but you get the idea. I realize that many of those questions have what some see as legitimate answers and that others have a common answer: “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. It is your wedding”.  But is it really? I mean if it were not for being Catholic and part of a humongous family not to mention our friends I would just go buy some whiteish dress, any one from some department store somewhere, buy a suit for the guy, go out in a field somewhere or something and just have a little ceremony with 25 people and champagne and chicken fingers or something.

I have done no wedding planning so far. We are at t-minus 7 months and counting. Seven months as of yesterday. This blog will be the place in which I reconcile all of my thoughts and ideas to bring off the event at which I get to promise in front of God and everybody that I will stand by Him forever and always no matter what. Come along with me as I attempt to get that done.