bluemorpho -- wedding journal -- December 2009 (or beyond) [Archive]

View Full Version : bluemorpho -- wedding journal -- December 2009 (or beyond)

bluemorpho

11-25-2009, 05:02 AM

So, I've been toying around with the idea of the wedding journal for a while and gave in to the urge to make one.

FH and I have been together for just over 5 years and 2 months. We're very much in love and very ready to get married and have a life together. :wub: He officially proposed on NYE 2008 and I accepted. He's Scottish and I'm American, so, we had to apply for a fiance visa.

After research and legal counsel, we discovered that the process took about 6-8 months and often less. So, we set a date based on the initial approvals and deadlines given to us and planned a big wedding, with the hopes that the process would go smoothly. Venue, ceremony, caterer, decorator, photographer, videographer, cake, limo, clothes, travel plans, and other parties have all been arranged. Our families are on board and supportive. We've been eagerly anticipating the big day and getting things ready for it.

We thought we'd have an answer by yesterday at the embassy interview, but no luck yet. :blink: We're about 8 months into the process now. All the forms are in and the interview is done and now we are just waiting on a response. We don't know if it will be 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months and we don't even have a time frame in which to expect an answer because all they told us is that we have to wait for them to contact us. :boggle:

So, now we don't know if our wedding (set to happen in about a month) will get to happen on time or will have to get majorly postponed. :boggle: We don't even know if we will have to relocate the wedding from TX to Scotland at some later point in time which involves starting over on the planning and paperwork.:eek2: We're sad, stressed, and frustrated about being in limbo, but trying to hold on to hope that we can still have our wedding next month. :crossfingers:

I'm feeling totally crushed by this non-answer (and so is FH). Because he hasn't been able to travel here while the visa has been pending, we haven't seen each other in many months. My travel plans were derailed because my dad was in the hospital for a long time (he's home now and stable) and then I had no time off from teaching & academic deadlines during the semester. We were counting down the days until we got to see each other and now we're just sort of feeling lost. :whoa: Planning is stressful enough in the best of circumstances, but, wedding planning + uncertainty of bureaucracy + distance = major anxiety.

I guess that means I may have a lot of updates in a short amount of time (hopefully!). Or else, our planning time could be extended. :velo:

dodgercpkl

11-25-2009, 06:22 AM

*hugs* You both are in my thoughts and prayers that you get the answer for the visa VERY soon! I hope everything goes as planned. I can't wait to hear more about your wedding plans too!

bluemorpho

11-26-2009, 02:24 AM

One of the most exciting things about wedding planning, in my opinion is invitations. However, because of our unusual predicament, we actually haven't been able to print up any invitations yet! Instead, we called everyone who we really wanted to be there and invited them over the phone. We were able to get RSVPs right away, too. So, we knew who to expect and who not to expect. And the guest list is about 250 at this point, if you just include confirmed guests. I've got a huge family! His family is a bit smaller and most of them won't be able to attend, so we'll be having a separate reception in Glasgow later.

We figured that we would get the invitations the day we got the visa approval and were expecting that to happen about three weeks before the wedding. Given that we've already invited people, the paper invitations have become a formality. I actually really love paper products in general and invitations and cards in particular, so I'm rather disappointed that we haven't been able to do much with invitations.

Because of the time and potential for postponement, we considered a DIY variation. Prepared cards with printable sheets to go in them that one assembles at home are plentiful online and in kits at the store. Here are the ones that we have chosen.

http://www.invitationkitsdirect.com/be_invitation_kit_rose_shimmer.html

Instead of "Save the Date Cards", I made a website. The problem is the date itself! So, I've been working along with the website a little at a time and hope to put the page up after the semester ends and I'm freed of my grading responsibilities.

Mainly, I've been connecting with friends and family over facebook and posting pics, links, and ideas there. I'll have to create a few more entries as well, to explain what we are doing.

bluemorpho

11-26-2009, 03:28 AM

Since FH and I decided to have a sort of fusion wedding, we have a bunch of different elements to combine and therefore a large number of events!

DAY ONE

My sisters and one of my cousins have organized a bridal shower for me. It's theme is The Mad Hatter's Tea Party because I really love the Alice books and because I really love tea parties.

My brothers in law are throwing a sort of Bachelor Party for my FH with a lot of guy things involved since he's far from home and his brother and best friend won't be able to organize anything on short notice.

My mom and sisters are throwing me a party called a "manja," which is roughly the equivalent of a modern spa day. It's a more traditional version of a bridal shower in which the ladies closest to the bride get together and listen to music or sing and do things like nails and makeup and hair and share beauty tips and stuff like that. Usually included in the day's festivities are body scrubs, manicures, pedicures, massages, facials, and the trying on of the clothes for the various upcoming days. Think of a grown up slumber party meets a spa day, only there's no sleeping involved. I'm going to be wearing a gold/bronze toned dress in a casual fabric.

DAY TWO

The next day, we've scheduled a Civil Marriage Ceremony at the courthouse and just our immediate families will be attending. The judge will perform the marriage ceremony and we will get to file our paperwork all at once at the courthouse. He is planning on wearing a kilt (gray and black tones) and I am going to be wearing a cream colored dress. This is our way of paying homage to the cultures in which we were born and raised. He's Scottish and I'm American, neither of us ethnically so, but culturally so. We'll go out for a nice family brunch afterwards. Then, on this day, we get to file a whole bunch of paperwork relating to visa stuff, as well.

DAY THREE

My family is throwing me and FH a dual party called the "mehndi and saanchak". These are traditional in our respective cultural heritages and are generally a bridal shower, bachelor party, and rehearsal dinner rolled into one. It's when the two families get to know each other. On this day, the groom's family arrives in a formal sort of procession and presents the gifts that they have brought for the bride, generally jewelry, clothes, makeup, chocolate, perfume, and books. The bride's family also gives her gifts for her trousseau, consisting of similar items. These are all packaged up in pretty open arrangements so that the guests can share in the joy. Then, the bride's family gives gifts to the groom, generally consisting of clothes, cologne, a watch, candy, and other things that the groom likes. They both try on their wedding rings. Various games and traditions take place. The guests who have prepared songs, dances, skits, toasts, poems, or speeches about the couple will perform them for the entertainment of the couple. We both like neon and bright lights and so the decorations will involve paper lanterns in a variety of bright colors and fairy lights and other things that glow, as well as flowers. We will have this party at my parents home and will serve appetizers, dinner, dessert, cookies, punch, tea etc. If we have to choose a theme, I guess it would be "neon" or "technicolor". Generally, the guests all wear green and yellow to symbolize joy and fertility. My cousins are making rainbow colored scarves embroidered and embellished with ribbons and sequins. I'm not sure what the boys will be wearing. I'll be wearing a traditional outfit called a "khara dupattah" which is a long tunic over pants that are like skinny jeans but ruched up along the calves and a long, layered garment which is kind of like a veil with a train -- not sure how to describe it. It's in saffron and gold with turquoise highlights. The ceremony involves applying henna to the hands and feet in pretty and intricate patterns. Some of the other girls will do this, too. He will be wearing a cream colored suit. We're expecting about 200 guests.

DAY FOUR

The next day we have a religious/cultural marriage ceremony called a "nikkah", which involves just signing a marriage contract in the presence of witnesses and a speech about the role of marriage in society by the officiant. We don't exactly exchange vows, but we do say "i do" and exchange rings. In our culture, though, in addition to the rings, the groom's family gives the bride a set of jewelry and the bride's family gives the groom an ornate watch. I'll be wearing a red dress with a veil, embroidered in gold threads that was commissioned for the occasion. He'll be wearing a suit by Yves Saint Laurent with a tie that complements my dress.

Following the "nikkah" we will take some photos and change clothes for the reception. We call the reception the "rukhsati" which translates as like happy-together-leaving but means giving away the bride, like the way in traditional Christian ceremonies, the father hands the bride over to the groom at the altar. In our tradition, this takes place essentially at the end of the reception. Various games are played, including stealing the groom's shoes and making him buy them back. Usually, the bridesmaids do this as a way of teasing the groom and playfully "preventing" him from stealing away their friend. I'm wearing a dress which I had commissioned -- actually, it's a two piece dress in red silk brocade with sequins, beads, and gold and silver embroidery along it. I actually get to pick up the dress tomorrow and see how it looks on! He'll be wearing a shervani style suit in a cream colored silk brocade with accents in red. I'll be wearing a jewelry set that is a gift from my mother. We're going to have music, dinner, dancing, toasts, and a chocolate fondue fountain. We're expecting about 250 guests.

DAY FIVE

The next day, since we still have guests in town, we'll have a picnic lunch party at a state park I've always loved nearby which has gorgeous old trees and grounds along a river; we've had so many family parties here growing up that it seemed like a good way for my family to welcome him into the fold. Afterwards, we'll go open presents and write thank you cards and just relax with people. We'll put off an actual honeymoon until our guests have left, but since we need to stay in the country, we have been thinking of New Orleans or Hawaii.

(OTHER DAYS)

Traditionally speaking, the groom throws a party or feast in honor of the wedding called a "walima". Basically, this means we're going to have a big reception in Glasgow so that those from his family and friends who couldn't fly out to TX will be able to participate. The details haven't been worked out yet because it will probably be a few months after the wedding ceremony when we are free to travel (we have to apply for permission to travel while visa stuff is pending). There are lots of romantic locations to choose from!

Later, we'll be having a reception for friends in Los Angeles, where I'm based, as well, so that we can celebrate with friends. We haven't worked out the details on this either because our travel plans are still in flux, but I have a nice flat roof and it seemed like a good place for a party. It's a place where FH and I have spent many hours watching stars and just hanging out, so it has special value for us.
----

Well, that was a *long* entry full of poor grammar, but I'll hope you'll forgive it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the plans. We've scheduled and booked everything, but may have to postpone it all based on the visa. I'm seriously stressed and sad about this uncertainty. Thankfully, we won't lose all the money we've put down on booking things, only some of it, if the events get postponed. But, as you can see, there's been a lot of planning and organizing already and so we're a bit anxious.

dodgercpkl

11-26-2009, 12:12 PM

Wow! That sounds amazing! I can't wait to see pics and hear how it all goes! Sounds very involved and like it will be alot of fun. Are those mostly Scottish customs? hehe I don't recognize any of the names (though I'll probably be looking them up shortly ;)).

My fiancee and I are also planning to have a reception in Europe too, so that the extended family and friends that won't be invited (or can't make it) to the wedding ceremony can also share with us. We are having ours pre-wedding tho.... lol we figured it was the best way since I'll be there in a couple months.

With our situation and the way we are planning to do things (both Anton and I are too nervous to actually plan anything until we have the visa in hand!), we are actually planning on taking our honeymoon prior to the "official" wedding but after the civil ceremony (and after the last interview). We decided that we had alot of places in the US that we'd both be happy to see and visit so we'll be staying in the US for the honeymoon. We found this amazing looking cabin in the Great Smokey Mountains that has a private pool and a jacuzzi and a heart shaped tub and a home movie theater! :P We love those sort of places and it sounds just heavenly to us both, so that will be our honeymoon! :)

Have you heard from the visa people yet??

NOTKT

11-27-2009, 11:11 PM

Wow! What an elaborate event! I hope his visa come thru soon!

bluemorpho

12-02-2009, 11:57 PM

Wow! That sounds amazing! I can't wait to see pics and hear how it all goes! Sounds very involved and like it will be alot of fun. Are those mostly Scottish customs? hehe I don't recognize any of the names (though I'll probably be looking them up shortly ;)).

Well, FH is South Asian Scottish and I am South Asian American, so we share half of that cultural heritage. These are actually South Asian customs that I've described, though we have incorporated ideas from the other parts of our cultures into these ceremonies and parties as well, such as the inclusion of bridesmaids and groomsmen and various other elements. The choice of a kilt and a dress at the civil ceremony are nods to culture, as well.

It's a good thing that you guys have decided to hold off on making any of your plans concrete until the visa is in hand! I wish we had chosen to wait until he got here to really set plans in motion. Honestly, we could have planned this beforehand and made more concrete arrangements easily in a month without the worry of postponement. Still no word on the visa. When I called the embassy, they mentioned that it was in administrative processing but that there was no guarantee how long it would take -- three days, three months, or more were equally likely and they had no way of giving us any kind of update until they made a decision. So frustrating. If we hear nothing by next week, we will likely have to postpone things! :frown:

Have you given much thought to planning your reception/party in Europe? Will it be elaborate or simple?

bluemorpho

12-02-2009, 11:58 PM

Wow! What an elaborate event! I hope his visa come thru soon!

Thank you for your kind wishes! :)

dodgercpkl

12-03-2009, 03:00 AM

Well, FH is South Asian Scottish and I am South Asian American, so we share half of that cultural heritage. These are actually South Asian customs that I've described, though we have incorporated ideas from the other parts of our cultures into these ceremonies and parties as well, such as the inclusion of bridesmaids and groomsmen and various other elements. The choice of a kilt and a dress at the civil ceremony are nods to culture, as well.

It's a good thing that you guys have decided to hold off on making any of your plans concrete until the visa is in hand! I wish we had chosen to wait until he got here to really set plans in motion. Honestly, we could have planned this beforehand and made more concrete arrangements easily in a month without the worry of postponement. Still no word on the visa. When I called the embassy, they mentioned that it was in administrative processing but that there was no guarantee how long it would take -- three days, three months, or more were equally likely and they had no way of giving us any kind of update until they made a decision. So frustrating. If we hear nothing by next week, we will likely have to postpone things! :frown:

Have you given much thought to planning your reception/party in Europe? Will it be elaborate or simple?

It sounds amazing and like a ton of fun, so whether it happens this month or later, I can't wait to see pics and hear all about it! :) I very much hope the visa comes thru in the next day or 2. I really hate the unknown qualities of all of this and I very much hope that you get to have your wedding as planned. :)

I think I'm mostly just lucky that neither set of parents is unhappy with our plans for a civil ceremony to cover the immigration needs and full wedding later. I really wasn't too sure what my parents would say about that when I approached them, but they were as unsure as I was over the processing time of the visa, and they thought our idea of the civil ceremony was a sound plan. It makes planning easier and yet in some respects just as hard... if that makes any sense! I mean we still have the same unknowns and I want so badly to make solid plans but I can't, so that's a hard bit for me at times. I'm stuck looking and trying to plan without being able to solidly know who, what when where why. lol

As for the pre-wedding reception, I'm not really sure what will be happening with that. My FFIL just had by-pass surgery yesterday (which went well) and is just starting the recovery process. Since it was my in-laws that were planning the party for the most part, this kind of throws a bit of a wrench in the plans. I'm not sure if my FFIL will be recovered enough in 2 months to want to have a party at their house or if Anton and I will be looking to do something less elaborate elsewhere, or maybe just a bunch of meetups with friends and family. We also have several friends (mostly from the game we both play) that live in and about England and we are talking about plans to go there for a few days to maybe a week to visit and sightsee. We also might travel a bit to Belguim, France, and Germany if we feel we can afford it to meet with other friends. At each location we'll probably be having a small "pre-wedding" party/get-together.

I'm concerned about my FFIL overextending himself so I'll be keeping that very much in mind when we get to really planning in a couple weeks or so.

dearmissie

12-03-2009, 05:24 AM

Wow, I hope he gets his visa in time!!

bluemorpho

03-18-2010, 02:10 AM

So, I've been away for a while, but have resurfaced. Mostly, this is because nothing was plan-able while we've been in visa limbo. Though we were vigilant and hopeful, the embassy didn't get back to us in time for us to have our wedding on the day that we had planned. I waited until the week before the date, hoping for an eleventh hour miracle, before I cancelled a whole lot of things! So, we've had to postpone our wedding and now we are not sure what form it will take or where or when it will be. However, we've been taking steps to ensure that things go smoothly. We're hopeful that the visa will come through sometime soon. In three weeks, it will have been one year since we filed the application and we are hopeful that we will have our approval and visa before then. I'm afraid to think or plan anything until we have the visa in hand! So, FH and I have just been talking every day about normal life things and putting the planning on hold until we have a visa in hand!

I miss FH dearly at the moment, but, thank goodness for technology we can actually see each other and talk every day despite the distance. I would go visit, but I'm trying to finish up my doctoral dissertation and have a whole bunch of deadlines facing me down and so, we are being patient and just waiting for the visa.

I was pretty bummed out about the postponement. My family was sympathetic, but they had guests to deal with. I was surrounded by guests who had flown to TX or taken holidays in the hopes of a wedding and were just in the mood to party all month long regardless of what the occasion. They all had fun, but I was just bummed out and didn't really join in their socializing much. His family was also really bummed out that we had to postpone plans but it made everybody more supportive and aware of our obstacles. Again, thank goodness for technology; just being able to see each other was such a joy and a relief and it kept us from being too miserable.

My sisters did throw me a bridal shower, which was awesome. Mad Hatter Tea Party themed tea party. Fancy dress and fantastical hats, beautiful decorations thanks to my sisters who made a surreal and glittering garden in the middle of the living room because it was too wintry cold to be outside -- they even bought extra tables which we set up in a funky zigzag pattern to accommodate the thirty guests. We borrowed my mom's china and serving-ware. Cakes and cookies and pastries and muffins. Tiny savory sandwiches and miniature veggie wraps. Two kinds of soup. And, of course, about 20 different kinds of tea! It was a lot of fun, actually. We skipped the embarrassing games and instead, my guests told stories about me or FH or gave what they thought was good future marriage advice and opened presents. And, it was a chance for us to catch up and just chat. My sisters had me dress up as the Queen of Hearts and made me a crazy crown to wear. They were twin hatter-esses in big silvery ruched skirts with velvet corset tops and gigantic silvery top-hats (basically, they costumized the bridesmaids dresses we wore to one of their weddings). So, that was fun.

My family who was in town decided we should all get together and have a rehearsal/engagement party of some sort. So, we dressed up and decorated and tried a mock version of the Mehndi party. FH attended via webcam. Rainbow colors, music, dinner, and rehearsal-style revelry. We decided that we needed an engagement party of some sort anyway, and so, this could be that. We figured that we could just take the lessons learned from postponement and use them for the future planning.

Anyhow, we've decided to halt the planning until we have a visa in hand. Afterwards, we can just plan quickly and efficiently. After all, we know who the vendors are and what things we like. But, maybe this way, our families will be happy with us just doing a civil ceremony first and arranging the whole big thing for a couple of months later! :) It will be more fun to do all the planning stuff when he is actually here, after all!

We found some really unusual steampunk style cake-toppers, looked at a few kilts and suits for him and dresses and suit-skirts for me. It's amazing how much one can actually find online!

Keep your fingers crossed for us! Looks like I'll be making more entries as our plans develop.

You never know what kind of obstacles come up in planning. One good thing about going through obstacles and struggles with your future spouse before the big day is that you learn how to communicate and be supportive of each other in a whole new way. We're more excited and hopeful than ever about our wedding, whenever and however it happens -- hopefully this year! :) And, we can hope that with more time to prepare for travel, more of his family will be able to attend, as well! Of course, we'll also have to have a reception party in Scotland with all his friends and family once the paperwork is all settled down.

We're hanging in there!

bluemorpho

03-18-2010, 02:20 AM

If I could rename the wedding journal, I'd change it to say 2010! :)

By the way, this website has some really cool stuff on it!
http://offbeatbride.com/

dodgercpkl

03-18-2010, 03:26 AM

First of all :hug:,:hug:, and more :hug:. I'm so sorry to hear you had to postpone and that you are still waiting for the visa. :( You have the interview part done already don't you? Hmmm... I need to go back and read!

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that your family will let you do things the way that will make it easier on you and your FH AND allow you the fun of having him with you for the planning! I'm glad alot more of your family has become aware of how much "if"-work is involved in this process and I'm glad they had fun while they were visiting even if there wasn't a wedding.

The bridal shower sounds like so much fun!!! I hope you post pics cause I'd love love love to see them! :)

I very much hope that the postponement does end up meaning that more of his family might be able to come. That would be a really cool result!! :)

I'm very glad to see you back and writing on the board. I missed hearing from a fellow fiance visa bride! I'll look forward to seeing how things develop and I've got you in my prayers for some good things to come of the delay!! :)

dodgercpkl

03-18-2010, 03:27 AM

If I could rename the wedding journal, I'd change it to say 2010! :)

By the way, this website has some really cool stuff on it!
http://offbeatbride.com/

hehe, yeah I've thought of that too. I keep meaning to pm Brandi or Gwen or another mod to see if they could do it for me.

dodgercpkl

03-18-2010, 11:03 AM

bluemorpho

04-08-2010, 03:01 AM

Hey I was just re-reading everything... did they tell your FH (I can't tell if you were there or not) that anything was missing or that they had something that might hold it up? I'm just curious, because they did tell us (and the 3-4 people that also had appointments that day) the answer at the interview. They even had some questions for some of us. For instance, we were missing a signature from my mom on the I-134 form that apparently we should have had since my parents file taxes jointly and they are signing the affidavit of support for Anton. Did they keep his passport after the interview?

*hugs* I hope you get an answer as to what's going on very soon. :)

Hiya! Sorry for the delay in response, but I've been busy with academic deadlines and we haven't had any real news yet, so no real updates.

I didn't go with FH to the interview. Our attorney said I didn't need to go. However, I do wish I had gone, too, because then it might be a faster process for us. We were not missing any paperwork; they said we did not need to submit anything else. We checked with our attorney to be sure we had everything we needed for the application before we sent things in. Most people do get a response right away. We thought that we would. Everything seemed to be in order. Unfortunately, some couples get extra screening, I guess, and it happened to be us :( They told us that it was NOT denied, just needed to be processed. Maybe, if I had gone to the interview, too, this would have been faster.

It looks like they're working on it, but that the pace is a bit slower than we had expected based on what we researched. The interview was in November but they didn't ask for his passport until last month. We thought it would just be a couple of weeks after that, but it's been longer. When we contacted the embassy, they just indicated another indefinite wait while they processed more info. I can only guess that the Embassy must be incredibly busy. I've heard that processing time varies with embassies and so I guess it's just a matter of luck.

So, we're still waiting and have put travel plans, party plans, and stuff like that on hold until we get the green light. However, we've been trying to do other things anyway, just the sort of planning that doesn't require immediate action or scheduling. Mostly, shopping for gifts for each other's family members and the wedding party members. It's tradition in our family to give gifts to each member of the immediate families. So, there has been a lot of shopping going on. I haven't decided on bridesmaid's gifts yet, though. Suggestions are welcome!

We made a song list. Stuff we want the DJ to play, songs we like or that mean a lot to us or have significance to us in our relationship. It was actually a lot of fun to do that and it made is feel a little less stressed out about waiting. We both like Schiller a lot, so we included a bunch of Schiller songs. We chose other fun things like Mo-Town and Rock and Trance, just a whole bunch of things. We've been thinking of what the first dance song could be: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'le (sp?) and "I Feel You" by Schiller mit Heppner are the top two candidates right now.

We also decided on a color scheme for the reception -- black and gold. Our decorator had some great table settings and choices, but we will still have to go in together and make sure it looks right in our venue and make decisions on all the little things, too. We haven't picked invitations yet because we're waiting on the visa. I'm not sure if we will do the same color theme for the invitations, but I did find some cool gold and black ones. Etsy has great stuff! Unfortunately, we're doing a lot of this stuff without seeing things in person because we are both in different cities and neither of us are in the city where the wedding will be at the moment; planning from a distance makes every choice seem tentative because we can't finalize it until we see it in person. It will be nice to actually look at things in person together so we can decide what we like, what patterns, textures, colors, and lighting work best in our venue, stuff like that.

Also, I decided to set aside the website plans and do something more tangible. So, I started putting together a photo book. I thought it would be nice to put some of our emails and pictures together into a book. I like the idea of a photobook better than a regular album. But, it can be so hard to decide what pictures to put into it! How did you decide on pics for your album?

Hmm, it looks like I've combined a reply with an actual entry in the journal. Hope no one minds. :)

bluemorpho

04-08-2010, 03:22 AM

So, I decided I need to choose a new one for the civil ceremony and have been looking at dresses online. I want something a bit more formal. FH decided against the kilt and bought a lovely new suit in which he will look very handsome. I want something that coordinates better with it than the dress I bought before, which is actually far too casual, in retrospect; I don't think I'd feel like a bride in it and I do want to feel special.

Lately, I've been scouring department store websites looking for stuff. No car and no friends in this city that would be interested in wedding dress shopping, so it will be more like an online buying, trying, and returning if I don't like it sort of thing. It seems convenient that way.

Here are the top contenders at the moment:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3073150/0~2376776~2374327~6005464~6005465?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6005465&P=4

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3069652/0~2376776~2374327~6005464~6005465?mediumthumbnail= Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6005465&P=4

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3071756?refsid=294048&refcat=0%7e2376776%7e2378685%7e2380947%7e2380968&SourceID=&SlotID=1&origin=related&cm_Sp=Related-Items-_-Product-_-Auto

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2920433?refsid=174811_5&refcat=0%7e2376776%7e2378685%7e2380947%7e2380968&SourceID=&SlotID=2&origin=related&cm_Sp=Related-Items-_-Product-_-Auto

I hope it's not weird that I'm not going through bridal mags or designer catalogues. I've scoured lots of pages already and thought about what I like best. I'm guessing that lots of people just go to department stores, though, right? Although, my sister bought her dress from David's Bridal and my other sister wore my Mom's wedding dress. I thought Nordstrom's had an okay selection and it seemed pretty convenient, but I hope I'm not being too flippant.

My reception dress is quite formal and I rather love it, so I wanted something a bit more understated for this part of the festivities and yet elegant at the same time.

dodgercpkl

04-08-2010, 03:48 AM

I can't believe what they are making you go thru! *hugs* I'm so sorry it's taking this long and I hope and pray that you get his passport back soon and are good to go. Anton and I have wondered many times since our interview if whether my being there for it made a difference or not. Our lawyer also said that I didn't need to be there (and disregarded the fact that I told her I would be - but that's a whooooole other story). We did see a person or maybe 2 that were there by themselves but as far as I know, everyone was accepted that day in the consulate we were in. I just wonder tho....

Are you pretty much changing everything up for the new date (whenever that ends up being) or just adding new elements? I love the ideas you've been coming up with! I wouldn't worry about where you buy the dress, that's not important. What IS important is that it's what you want! :) I think the dresses you are looking at are lovely.

lol and don't worry about a reply becoming a journal entry. I think of everything I put in my journal as a part of the whole whether it's a reply or update! :)

bluemorpho

04-22-2010, 02:41 AM

Finally, some good news -- FH just got his passport back, including the fiance visa! :) We've been waiting over a year, and I can hardly believe it's finally here! I could jump up and down for joy. :) Looks like we have a few months to get things in order before he comes here, which gives us time to plan. :) And, it means finally getting to set a date that might actually work! :)

Having just gotten the good news today, we're just letting it all sink in. It seems that some more of his family might be able to attend, given the summer timing. We will probably restructure and re-organize the whole thing, really! We had to cancel all the vendors when we postponed everything last December, so we have the freedom to make different choices for the celebration, now. I guess I'm starting over with the planning -- but, I have to say that I am much much happier now that we have less of a chance of a monkey wrench being thrown into the clockworks! :)

More to come! And, more catching up. I've been swamped with work and haven't read any posts in a while, but I'll be catching up this weekend.

dodgercpkl

04-22-2010, 02:51 AM