A Church, A Tasting and A new apartment!

Phew...well I think I worked through my proposal video addiction. With the help of Molly, who told me to turn.off.the.computer!! Well, that and I think I've literally watched every single proposal video online there is to watch. Next...I'll move on to wedding bloopers or even toasts! The possibilities are really endless.

Last weekend, Chris and I went to look at 3 different churches. I was surprised by how easy it was to just walk in randomly in the afternoon, with nobody there, sit down and take it all in. It was very nice and welcoming in a way. I was waaaay impressed with all three churches and would be very happy getting married at any of them. We decided to start with Saint Gregory the Great in Bellerose because that's the parish that Chris belongs to, and therefore it would probably be easiest to get in there. The church had gorgeous stained glass windows, great high beamed ceiling and a long, glorious aisle to walk down! We have an appointment on Monday, Jan. 4th at 7:00 with Father Cunningham!!

The snow ruined some wedding festivities we had planned with our parents this past weekend. We had a food tasting scheduled at Sandcastle with both sets of parents as well as each of our siblings. Unfortunately, the Pennsylvanians couldn't come to New York, but we still went ahead with our plans (i.e. moving and the tasting) I am going to schedule another tasting with my parents in the Spring when there is no threat of snow!

I'm really bummed my family couldn't be there, but I also have to say that the tasting was really, really nice and I am glad that we still went ahead with it. Sandcastle was all decorated for the Holidays and it was sooooo pretty! It almost made me want to have a winter wedding. Almost. Then I realized we were getting 11 inches of snow that very night and was quickly reminded why May was the month for me! When we arrived at Sandcastle, they had a private table set up in one of the bridal suites with two bottles of wine ready for us. However, first we took a tour around the place to show Chris's brother (he's never been there) and also to see the new veranda that was just added to the cocktail hour room. I was really anxious and excited to see the completed project. It was so pretty and I think it seriously adds so much to the place. The outside bar is gorgeous and in the warmer months has a waterfall running behind the bartender. It was also equally exciting to have Chris's brother stamp of approval, because he really liked the place and really liked the food. So onto the food...we ate SO MUCH FOOD! They brought a huge platter of 6 different main course meats:

Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb
Pan Seared Atlantic Salmon
Pan Seared Porterhouse Pork Chop
Grilled Filet Mignon
Sliced Oven Roasted Breast of Chicken
Jumbo Gulf Shrimp Orgenata

My favorites were the Grilled Filet Mignon and the Salmon. OH THE SALMON!! It was so amazing. Then we had little pastry puffs for dessert and were full for the rest of the night. I was glad that I arrived starving! It was all very exciting and just one more thing to get me revved up for the wedding.....only one year and 5 months! haha.

Also, Sandcastle has updated their website and it is SO much better than their old site. I have a few small complaints about this one, (like..the pictures don't even seem to be loading right now!) But, when it's a working, functionign website I think it represents the place much better than before. Plus, it has updated pictures with the new outside patio they built and it's so beautiful! New Sandcastle Website

Finally....I'm about 90% officially settled into my new apartment at Chris's! We got all my big stuff over there this weekend...I drove a u-haul all by myself, and we had to rush because of the impending snowstorm. I'm so grateful that Chris, his dad and brother were able to help me, in lieu of my parents not being able to come to New York. We still have a LOT of organizing to do, but I know it will get there all in due time. I also have so much still to do at my Astoria apartment. I'm currently sleeping on an air mattress in the living room! It's kind of fun in an "I'm camping" sort of way, but that won't last too long.

My next step: Picking a Band or a DJ! (I've decided to do this before picking my photographer) So stay tuned for how that comes along as well as hearing how contrary to Chris's request...we will NOT be having the Bruce Springsteen Tribute Band "The B-Street Band" be the band we chose. I'm also going dress shopping again on Saturday so I'm sure I'll have lots to tell you about next week.

Merry Christmas!!

The Proposal

I was up until 2:15 last night, which is probably the latest I have stayed up on a school work night in a loooong time. However, I’m surprisingly chipper today and do not regret it one bit. Lately, I’ve been up late packing up my life or just lying in bed not able to sleep because I can’t stop thinking about my plan of attack for packing. But last night, coming off my high of just seeing one of my favorite Broadway shows In the Heights, I somehow ended up on YouTube searching “marriage proposals”. It started with just one video and I don’t even know how I ended up there; but two hours and a box of tissues later, I didn’t know where the time went!! Maybe it’s just me who gets wrapped up in this stuff but I couldn’t.stop.watching.

Some of the proposals were incredibly awkward and uncomfortable to watch. Some caused my jaw to drop and me to squirm in my seat I was so uncomfortable by either a negative reaction or no reaction at all, or two really awkward human beings together, but you’re still kind of happy that they found each other so it’s strangely cute sort of thing. Some made me bawl so much I was afraid my tears were going to short out my keyboard. Some were so genuine and amazing or over the top in either a good or a bad way.

I should clarify…I really never would have wanted Chris to videotape his proposal to me…as interesting and fun as it would be to look back on it, I think that it would have affected my genuine reaction knowing that I was being videotaped. Not to mention…the mere fact that only the two of us were in that moment and only we have that, is what makes it special to me. Even if we had a tape, I wouldn’t want to share it with the rest of the world. (I mean..unless I looked REALLY good in the video or something). I also am glad that mine wasn’t a public proposal…which again would have affected my genuine reaction. This isn’t to say that I think any less of videotaped proposals or public proposals because I honestly really am all for them. I think they can be done really well and can be absolutely adorable. In fact, I personally thank you each and every one of you for videotaping/publicly proposing because then I wouldn’t have had anything to watch until 2am last night!

I watched dozens and dozens of videos last night..and probably will watch more tonight. But I feel the need to highlight some of my favorites here:

I think this guy’s proposal is really sweet. He obviously had gone through a lot and felt very passionate about what he was talking about. This was a place or group where he felt safe and had obviously been through a lot with, so I really think this is sweet. (Fast Forward to 1 minute if you don't want to watch the whole thing)

 

I don’t know why….but these two stick out in my head most. Maybe this means subconsciously I wanted Chris to propose to me on a Ski Slope??
I think this woman's reaction is really cute:

This girl is the absolute cutest thing I have ever seen!:

This one is great because it IS just the two of them and she most likely has NO IDEA that he’s taping so it is genuine. I love that she just can’t stop crying. It’s so cute! (fast forward to 1:16)

Two of the more awkward proposals I saw:

Is the guy going to say anything or just shove the ring in her face? I see he went with "shove the ring in her face." Then, whomever is watching says "let's all have a 'round of applause" and only one person claps! Also, how old they??12?? Is that legal?

First, is she really happy? Because she doesn't really seem to really care. Second, they make out for like 1 minute in front of their mom, while she's taping, and the mom just laughs throughout the whole thing! This video makes me all around uncomfortable:

Overall, I noticed that the most common thing for people to say when they get engaged is “Oh my God” which is exactly what I kept saying over and over when Chris proposed. Please share with me some others below that you may find on YouTube if you happen to enjoy watching this as much as I do!

The Morning Call Engagement Announcement!

Chris and I were in my local Pennsylvania paper "The Morning Call" this morning! After my parents saw the engagement announcement that Chris found on LIweddings.com, they asked me if I wanted an announcement in our local PA paper to which I replied.."uh..sure!" I wish the apostrophes didn't translate weird here for the website, but I guess we can't have it all.

Here it is!:
Morning Call Engagement Announcement

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Marriage

I'm reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Marriage" which was given to me by our good friend, Chris's (and let's be honest my) former college roommate and groomsman, Matthew Hedge. I'm only 130 pages in of the 300 page book. But it's interesting. I covered the book in birthday wrapping paper so I'm not so embarrassed reading it on the subway. I could just see the eyes of judgment now....

I find this book to be pretty much common sense and kind of feel sorry that there's people out there who really honestly don't understand this stuff. I mean, ok, I'm not marriet yet..maybe I have no idea what I'm in for and this book will be the savoir of my marriage 30 years down the line. Buuut I think for now, we're ok. My favorite part of this book is they have a litte picture of a man every few pages that give "marriage tips from the husband's perspective" (Way to assume a woman is reading this...but I guess they're probably right. I would be curious to know the specifics on the male:female ratio of people who buy this book. Though, Matt bought it for me, so I suppose that throws it off a little bit.)

Anyway, the tidbits today were:

"Make sure I'm not hungry when you ask for something"

I find this HIGHlarious. Such a simple thing and yet so important. However, what I find funniest about this is that in my relationship, it's the other way around. I've always been baffled by how Chris doesn't really get cranky when he's hungry (usually) and he can go for long periods of time without eating. I, on the other hand, need food every few hours or I will be the CRANKIEST. PERSON. ALIVE!  so Chris..a tip for you as we embark on marriage: "Make sure I'm not hungry when you ask for something!"

"I'm your husband, not a movie star. Besides, your favorite actor may seem wonderful on-screen, but at home he probably drinks milk out of the carton, too!"

Well phew! Good thing I finally know Chris isn't a movie star. Now I can finally back off of those unrealistic expectations I have of him and realize that my life isn't as romantic as the movies. This is a HUGE relief. But what I want to know is...is someone out there reading this book going "Ohhhhhhh....I get it now! That tip was so helpful! Why didn't I realize this before??"    ....I mean...there must be, right? Next:

"Please don't undermine me in front of the children. They need to look up to their father as the man of house."

Ok, as bold as it sounds to actually be written out like that...I can understand this request. But why is this just under the "Husband's perspective???" Neither person in the marriage should undermine the other in front of the children. Besides it weakening the child's view on that parent, it's just downright disrespectful. And no one wants rude or disrespectful kids, so why behave that way in front of them?

"I hate not feeling well. I feel like a kid instead of the man of the house. Be extra patient with me and help me feel important."

Oy..please read same statement as above. Look..I'm all for babying and coddling when someone is sick. But who DOESN'T hate not feeling well? No one...and therefore both parties should "be extra patient and help me feel important" (??) Not really sure about the "help you feel important part" but I'll certainly make you soup and tea! AS LONG as when I'M sick, it's reciprocated.

I guess what I'm saying is: Can't we just call these "Marriage tips from a married perspective" ?? I can just see how proud my mom is of me right now.

In all seriousness, as hilarious as this book is, I am intrigued by it (So thank you Matty!) It's reinforced some things for me and I'm confident that Chris and I are now ready to have a perfect marriage; conflict free-no fights-wonderful-all-the-time-never-drink-out-of-the-milk-carton-make-you-feel-important-when-your-sick-harmonious-bliss.

I was reading another wedding blog that discussed books on marriage and there are three that I plan to reserving at the library:

"The Wedding Book" by Mindy Weiss
"One Perfect Day- The Selling of the American Wedding" by Rebecca Mead
"Don't You Dare Get Married Until You Read This" - by Corey Donaldson which I think is just a hilarious title and someone on weddingbee.com recommended this book as a great one.

Random, but lastly, I love, LOVE this wedding!

Wedding Countdown Ticker!

Introducing a very special Guest blogger...

Today's post is brought to you by my very good friend, fellow Schnecksvillian, daughter of my first grade teacher, former Broome Street roommate, and bridesmaid Mallory! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful Blogship, enjoy!:

Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen. I suppose I should adjust the time stamp on this as I am not quite sure when Laura will be posting it. Good Evening to those of you who might be reading this in the evening.
Good Afternoon to those of you who perchance are reading this as you gradually ease back into your afternoon from lunch…I don’t blame you! Walk around, go the bathroom, see what everyone else in your office is doing...don’t work too hard there, Tiger! After all…it is only Wednesday!
And a very, very special Good MORNING to those of you who stumbled upon this little gem in the A.M. Kudos to you, friend! It is 9:46am and you have already made the executive (yet, equally weighty) decision that you will NOT be doing work today! As someone who should currently be working and/or doing grad-school applications, I salute you! I also encourage you to now squint at the screen, nod, and bite your lip to give the illusion that you are actually doing something productive! I also want you to fathom the difficulty with which I am typing this…as I am currently on the Disabled List. Last night, I slammed my middle finger, the pride of my right hand, and my favorite vulgar-gesture bearer in the trunk of my car. I am surprised all of Hoboken, including my favorite couple, Mandy and Billy, [note from Laura: "HEY! Why don't you go blog for them then if they're your favorite!! harumph..."] did not hear me all the way 5 blocks up, because I let out a string of obscenities to beat the band. I mean there were some good, filthy ones in there. None of which will be posted here. Because I promised Laura. However, I did not promise her that I would not repeat her tasteless comments. When I informed her of my injury and the difficulty it took me to type, that little vixen promptly responded with…"Oh Good! It will be a challenge! Like a kid in a wheelchair doing a half-marathon!” … Stunned. Too far? Too soon? Never.

And now…on to my first (and possibly last) "Saying I Do” blog post!

Ahh…weddings. I remember my wedding as if it were yesterday. It was on a beach and my prince was there finally waiting to sweep me out of the water…while my father, with tears in his eyes, sent a rainbow soaring above our nuptial ship as we sailed out of view into the…oh. No. Wait…that’s actually the end of Disney’s The Little Mermaid…em…well…this is awkward.

No dear friends, I have not yet had the good fortune to tie the knot, however I do (yes, in all my immaturity and snarky comments) know a thing or 5 about weddings. And speaking of FIVE…

Today’s guest blog is brought to you by the number…FIVE!


Because that’s the number of weddings I will have been in as of (including) this  "Celebration of Love". That’s right, Laura and Chris’s wedding marks my 5th appearance as a bridesmaid…so trust when I say,  "I’m getting good at this." Reading that back to myself, makes me feel slightly nauseated, as…truth be told…I often wonder if I ever will actually get married myself. I know I’m a charming, educated, tasteful, and adorned with (non-prison) tats beauty…but hey…who knows...I digress. And I like to plan ahead regardless. Thus this blog post. I’m getting to the meat and potatoes now, I swear.


While the "Celebration of Love" is being planned, young Laura and dear sweet Chris have many facets of love-celebrating to deal with. Flowers. Cake. Dresses. And Booze. Food. Venue (I am still pretty upset/offended it’s not at Bruno’s on the Boulevard). Booze. And of course I am hoping they serve alcohol at this thing….hello, Sweendog gotta get paid, son! But above all, there is the all-important actual ceremony to consider. And here’s where things get a little hairy (no pun intended. JK. Obvious lay-up pun intended). Chris has requested a Catholic service and rightfully so, as it is his, and his whole family’s religion of choice. But Laura is concerned that her unbaptized self may make it difficult to find a Catholic priest to marry them…again, rightfully so. (Laura, I pray for you daily and hope your soul won’t burn or float in purgatory for all eternity.) Also, clearly kidding. But indeed, we have the crux of the problem. A cross to bear. A plague upon both your houses! Aye, there’s the rub. But I am also sensitive to this as I too, might, one day be faced with an inter-religion marriage…and by that I mean I will probably marry a model. So I, have taken it upon my procrastinating-self to find, and document for you here:


The TOP FIVE People I think should MARRY LAURA AND CHRIS!

5. * Rabbi Serena Fujita
* Advisor
* email: serena.fujita@bucknell.edu
Ok, so she’s a Rabbi. She was the Rabbi from the Hillel at Bucknell. Cool. But also, this lady is the most open, accepting person I know. I used to generally say “What’s up” to her whenever I saw her on campus and even though she had no idea who I was, she’d wave and smile. Here’s her campus bio: Rabbi Serena Fujita was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform Movement's seminary. One of her main interests has been interfaith communication, and she participated in several ongoing dialogues with seminarians from many different faith communities. See...interfaith! Plus she’s so liberal, I’m pretty sure she’d marry me to a rake if I asked. [note from Laura: Please don't]

4. Whoever these people are.  
     Sweet Gawd I can’t even like, make fun of this. Read.

3. Paul Oakley
   He’s a Universalist Unitarian Unicycle something or other who resides with his partner and his cats in           Chicago but often makes trips to the east-coast to see his dogs “grand-puppies.” I kid you not. He’d def. Marry you in any type of ceremony you choose…FYI: he lists “scarves” as one of his interests on his blog. Jackpot.

2. Mark Williams [note from Laura: Any relation to Buddy Williams? eh? eh? (sorry inside joke)] He plays Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. He works for the ministry of magic…therefore…ministry… magic…celebration of love…ok this is a stretch. I pick him though…and if you don’t like it…go find one of those gothic, moody, underfed kids from Twilight, why dontcha? Actually…a great idea…but now on to my number one choice for the marriage of Laura and Chris...

1. Stephen Colbert.
I think he is the obvious choice to perform the ceremony and I think no one would complain. And if they do, they clearly hate weddings, love, and America.

That’s all for now. If you get bored check out these two links I was DYING to squeeze into this blogpost but couldn’t do so with a purpose:


Self-Explanatory:
Vampire Wedding Gown

Discount Wedding Dresses?


Goodbye my babies. Stay-tuned for more guest-posts by moi. But probably not. [note from Laura: Yes more to come!]