A Long Overdue Update

It has pointed out by our avid readers (shout out to Uncle Ed) that is has been a while since we have updated our blog. To be honest it has been a hectic few months since our last update.

We have moved into a (much) larger apartment in the same complex that allows us to have most of our stuff unpacked and accessible. The balcony is larger, it has a bedroom that is actually separated from the living room, a bathroom separated from the bedroom, and a place for Travis to have his computer and books without them being in the way. Overall we are much happier in the new apartment.

Tiff has finish her student teaching and is currently looking for a job teaching agriculture! We have our fingers crossed that she finds the perfect job for her sometime soon.

Now to the important stuff:

• We have blocked off two hotels. One in Rancho Cordova near Tiffany's Parents' house and another near the venue. We will post contact information soon for each of the Hotels.
• We have begun registering (not that we are demanding!) at Macy's, Crate & Barrel, Williams Sanoma, and Target. 
• Invitations are here and they should be shipped soon.

More later (we promise!)

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers and Cake

One of the best decisions that we have made in planning the wedding has been to let someone else do our floral arrangements. Tiffany loves flowers and gets to work with them with her students which makes letting someone else do the floral arrangements somewhat difficult. We have, however, found someone who went to the same school as Tiffany and does absolutely stunning work. Seeing Botanica Floral Designs in several different locations including the ceremony site made the decision easy, especially because she is very personable. We can not wait to see what the arrangements will look like sitting on the table and being carried down the isle by the bridesmaids.

We have also decided on a cake and don't expect any other tidbits of information besides it is going to be made by Sweet Cakes by Rebecca,will have several different flavors, and taste as good as it looks. What was great about working with Sweet Cakes was that while we were tasting they were sketching a design of the cake for us see. Not only did they listen to our desires, they took everything into account and designed something that should be personal and gorgeous. 

Currently we are tasting different caterers and hoping to make a decision shortly. One of the most surprising expenses we have found is any hidden service charges and items such as linens. For example, a good looking quote from a caterer may not contain linens or anything else that we would have to go find on our own.

More coming soon!

Flowers, Dresses and Cake

Although Tiffany would like to post a picture of the wedding dress here, Travis would not like that too much. A natural compromise is to post a picture of the bridesmaids' dresses. Dresses? Is there not just one dress, in one hideous cut and color? You would be right in thinking that they will be one color- the orange on the far right of the picture, you be wrong if you thought it was hideous, though. Tiffany has decided that because not all bridesmaids are the exact same there should be four different styles to accommodate them. They are all the same designer which makes getting the same color possible.

Currently we are looking at florists and cakes. The cake part has been tasty, the flower part has been fun for Tiffany. Choosing a florist has been exciting because we are wanting to use a collection of milk glass as our center piece holders. Because the wedding will be in the evening both of us feel this will add some much needed light to the tables. Combined with a nice table cloth overlay they should look great.

Deciding on a flavor for the cake has been easy as layers make using different flavors possible. The design of the cake is difficult though. We both want something simple but not too little in the way of decorations. We are also going to taste at a caterer tonight. Tasting the food is easy enough but finding a balance between taste and quantity may prove troublesome.

All the Small Things

One of the interesting lessons to be learned about the process of planning a wedding is all of the subsidiary decisions that have to be made. For example, once you have decided on a beverage provider and what they will be providing, you still have some decisions to make.

Our venue is a winery and will therefore be providing the wine, water, and beer. We are very happy with the quality of each and heretofore have had little reason to worry about anything. Nonetheless, while looking at the contract we noticed that glass and stem ware is not included. This may very well have been an oversight on our part or an accidental ommision on the part of the venue or, what could be a problem, we have to pay for these.

Whatever the outcome, we know it will be fine. It is just a lesson in how paying attention to details is the name of the game in life and (definitely) in weddings. It is where grand plans and ideas meet reality that we find that a wedding is a series of small decisions based on one large one- the desire to spend our lives together "to infinity and beyond".

Checking In

Time flies when you are busy. Not just with planning a wedding but with the day-to-day events that make up our lives. Since we last posted Tiffany has completed her PACT and is still student teaching down in the Modesto area. Travis is still working away and getting everything ready to start his student teaching this fall.

We have also decided on an entertainment specialist/master of ceremony. This process was not stressful but it was a little more time consuming than we had anticipated. Deciding on an MC means finding someone who works well with you and understands the image that you are trying to build. This is extremely important to us. In some cases we walked into a meeting with a potential-MC who, because we are young, wanted to play us music, while fun to listen to, was not what we are looking for. An MC that is willing to get to know you and play music and run the ceremony accordingly is a great asset.

Soon spring break will be here soon and we will be meeting with florists. Tiffany is looking forward to this, but Travis is looking forward to when we get to decide on the food.

Talk to you soon.

The Ring

While Tiff and I were getting the ring cleaned Friday we both realized that, although we have tried to share every part of the process before getting married, we have not posted a picture or even mentioned the ring. As an aside, We were able to pick out my band, which looks pretty awesome.

The picture here was taken the day after the proposal in TownToon at Disneyland. Shortly after, while getting our picture taken with Mickey and Minnie, Minnie attempted to remove the ring from Tiff's finger and run off with it! I assumed that this would be against Disney policy but I guess sometimes temptation gets the best of us. This picture does not do the ring absolute justice but I have caught Tiffany staring at it while driving, which makes for some interesting trips to the grocery store.

The ring is unique in that it has what the gals at the jewelery store call a "European Shank." This means the bottom of the ring is squared off to minimize spinning, and what I like, maximizing her ability to write on the board in the classroom (for those who do not know- Tiff is student teaching right now). It also came with a perfectly matching wedding band which Tiff has not been able to see or put on.

More to come soon,
Travis

Blast off!!

Just Shoot Us! (Deciding on a Photographer)

Scratch one off the list! We have finally settled on a photographer. Her name is Debbie Brown and we are very excited to have her shoot the wedding as well as our engagement photos. The best part of finding a photographer was getting to meet with several pleasant and professional people. The worst part of finding a photographer was getting to meet with several pleasant and professional people and then having to make a decision on which one to hire for the wedding. We chose Debbie not only because we liked her work but because we and our wedding planner get along well with her.

Now we just have to decide on where to take the engagement photos...