What they don’t tell you about planning a wedding

The wedding draws near.  I meant for that to sound crypt-keeper-esque, but I don’t think that translates through the internet.  It’s not so much scary, as it is insane.  Especially when I think about how quickly 3 and 1/2 months flies by.  Couple that with the fact that we haven’t even picked out our invitations?  It’s bananas.

I had bananas for breakfast.  Not the same.

There are a billion things they don’t tell you about wedding planning before you dive into it headfirst.  You always hear things like, “blah blah blah bridezilla”, “blah blah blah so much work”, “blah blah blah crazy family drama”, but nobody ever gives you specifics.  And I have a sneaking suspicion that’s true for childbirth too, but we won’t go there today.

In the spirit of keeping it real, here are some things they don’t tell you about wedding planning:

1) Nobody gives a crap about your DIY table numbers.  Will they look fabulous and make people go “aww”?  Maybe.  Will anybody care that you didn’t spend $200 and 15 hours of your life hot glue gunning the shit out of your living room?  No.  They will not be missed.

2) The free catered tasting is the best part of wedding planning.  Shoveling your face with 5 different entree options and chugging back 4 different wine options puts you in a happy place.  Would you like a mini margarita to start your meal?  Yes, yes, I would.

3) Your future husband has opinions.  Crazy, right?  This is a bummer to women who have been planning dream weddings since they popped out of the womb.  However, this is a really cool thing for women who haven’t given any thought to their wedding (i.e., me).

Case and point: Jonathan wants us to ride into dinner on Segways. Pure genius.

4) Bridal magazines will become useless the moment you actually start planning your wedding.  You quickly realize that you could endlessly plan magazine weddings, but nothing you find in there is actually realistic.  It also becomes quickly apparent that you don’t have to listen to the advice of others.

Enjoy that can of Natty Light because that's who you are.

5) It’s important to register in the store rather than online.  Why?  Because they give you free stuff!  Sometimes just registering for cutlery gets you a free knife, etc.  Also, registering in the store will save you a ton of time.  Trust me.

6) Shop around.  With everything.  Love that understated hair comb at the bridal boutique?  Save yourself $300 by buying it on Etsy for $12.  This might sound like a no-brainer, but it really can be a lifesaver.

Ultimately, do whatever is fun and easy for you.  If you are a crafter and nothing would please you more than to origami your invitations, then do that.  If you want to wear a blue dress because you look stunning in blue, then do that.  People will be more comfortable and happy at your wedding if you are comfortable and happy at your wedding.

The best part in all of this madness is that I get to marry my sweetiemonkeypants.  The rest of it is just a big fun party dedicated to us!  How totally cool!

7) Don’t lose sight of the big picture.  Stop and take the time to be engaged and happy.

What do you wish you would have known before planning your wedding?  What did you have at your wedding that was totally “you”?

-Mads

Engagement Photo Shoot

Hey Team,

The engagement pictures are in!!!!

Inside the Walker Institute of Arts in Minneapolis, MN

Before the engagement photo session, I honestly had no idea why people took engagement pictures.  I mean, Jonathan and I already have a ton of pictures together.  Why all the fuss?

Then we met the photographer, Poly.  She was the sweetest thing and made us feel right at ease.  Jonathan was looking particularly dapper, and we were instructed to giggle the afternoon away and smooch from time to time.  SO. MUCH. FUN.

At the Sculpture Gardens in Minneapolis, MN

She had a knack for making the mundane look incredible!

This wheat field was pretty much the same thing as seen in the Geico commercials. 10 points for getting that reference.

Despite my initial skepticism, I ended up checking our mailbox three times a day in anticipation.  haha I’m such a hypocrite.

Laughing about who knows what.

It’s things like this that remind me why we are in the trenches of wedding planning.  I love that handsom dude.

I can’t wait to work with Poly again on our wedding day!  She was wonderful!

Did you (or do you plan on) have engagement pictures?  What was your favorite moment captured on camera from your wedding?

-Mads

Winter break loves

It feels like a long time since we’ve caught up!  I am at a point where I have so many things to write about at once, that nothing is taking shape.  Tricky, I know.

Instead of regaling you with twisted tales of the winter course load I’m currently in the midst of (hello, domestic violence and drug abuse), I will keep things upbeat!  Here are some of the most fabulous things I fell in love with over winter break:

1) Immersion blenders

‘

I actually made soup specifically to test out the blender.  I don’t know when I’ve ever had that much fun in the kitchen.  A side note, this curry sweet potato soup is delicious.

2) Moonshiners

This is one of the most horrific shows on television, but I Can’t. Stop. Watching.  My eyes were glued to the tv for several hours while I watched the antics of Tickle and Popcorn (yes, those are their names) play out in backwoods Virginia.  Jonathan pointed out that they would probably increase profits astronomically if they legalized their business, branded it, and distributed it.  I’m not sure Tickle and Popcorn would ever come up with a solid business plan.

3) Hue Slippers

The image doesn't even come close to how adorable these are.

These were in my Christmas stocking and I haven’t taken them off since Christmas morning.  I plan on buying them in all colors.

4) Hanna

Uhm, this movie was AWESOME!  Child assassin, incredible soundtrack, great acting…what more could you ask for?  This is the best action movie I’ve seen in a while.

5) Wedding planning (the fun parts)

I will post the engagement pictures as soon as I get them in the mail, but for now, just know that we had THE BEST TIME posing for the camera.  I’m pretty sure we’re going to start part-time modeling for the photo frame insert pictures.

Also, taste-testing the catered meals is also a major highlight of getting married.  They practically had to roll us out of there.  Mmmm!

What have you recently fallen in love with?  What was your favorite holiday gift?

-Mads

p.s. I forgot to add Adele.  You probably already knew that I love her, but I really want to emphasize how incredible she is.  Seriously, I can’t stop listening to her music/singing in the shower.

Save the Dates and Wedding Sanity

Jonathan is a dude who happens to have really talented friends.  One of these talented friends, Trung, offered to take a few pictures of us on the beach for our “Save the Date” cards.  How awesome is that?

I’m learning about this stuff as I go along, but apparently Save the Dates go out 6-8 months before a wedding to alert people to the fact that you will be getting married.  I would normally ignore this particular bit of wedding advice, but it’s slightly more important when a solid chunk of our guests will have to make flight and hotel arrangements.

Anyway, Trung gave us the daunting task of smooching on the beach at sunset.  Here are some of the best snaps:

This pic had a long exposure time...meaning we held this smooch for a really long time in order to get the cool water effect. I love it.

This picture was a joke and entirely our idea, but I think it captures our personalities well.

 

 

We had such a blast taking these pictures.  Thank you, Trung!

Did you send out “Save the Dates”?  What’s the worst piece of wedding advice you promptly ignored? 

Other sources for sane weddings:

East Side Bride

A Practical Wedding

OffBeat Bride

-Mads

 

 

 

 

Wedding Bliss

My friends John and Bea got married this weekend!!!

I honestly don’t understand how people can hate weddings because I HAVE THE MOST FUN EVER at weddings!  It’s like prom on crack, plus love and lots more alcohol.  And at the end of the night you aren’t worried about being the next star of Teen Mom.  Not that I’m talking about myself, but I hear that happens a lot at prom.

Ok yes, maybe the unity candle, poor choice in prayer, and dry chicken aren’t your cup of tea, but doesn’t it make your heart melt to see two people completely and blissfully in love surrounded by friends and family?  Don’t you want to dance until your undies fall off (I hope somebody else saw that episode of Jersey Shore)?

I’m obviously in a love-filled daze and can’t seem to snap out of it.

While I try to fill my life with more cynical thoughts, here are some wedding snaps:

The Girls

(Yes, I repurposed a bridesmaid dress.  It doesn’t count if it’s a different group of friends, right?)

The baddest couple in town

The only picture of us from the entire night. How romantic. Jonathan looks like he is having a facial seizure and I look sweaty.

Do you love or hate weddings?  What’s the coolest thing you have ever seen at a wedding?

-Mads

p.s. The pictures are courtesy of my friends Kenny, John, and Jonathan, respectively.