DIY Projects - Pro Pics

Bride & Groom Sign

Menus

Programs

Customized Water Bottles

Snapfish Account Sign

Table Numbers

"I Spy" Scavenger Hunt for the Kids

Cake Card Box (I can't take credit for this one- my mom made it :)

Mrs. Cassity (Officially!)

I received my new social security card in the mail yesterday, so I am officially Mrs.Cassity.  I've been using the MissNowMrs website (that I won a gift card for) and it's pretty helpful in terms of knowing who to inform about the name change.  It's got lots of templates that are pretty useful too.  There is such a long list of places to change your name!  I've sent lots of letters out already, but I wasn't able to change my drivers license until I got my new SS card- so that's next!  Here's my running list:

• Social Security Card
• Driver's License
• Employer Payroll
• Bank Accounts
• Health Insurance
• Auto Insurance
• Voter Registration
• Passport
• Lease
• ASHA Membership
• MD SLP Licensing Board
• Doctor's Offices
  
• Student Loans

I also have started the process of reviewing vendors. I'll post more about that later. And- if you have pictures from the wedding, PLEASE post them on our snapfish site, we're so anxious to see them!!! (It will be a while before we get our professional photos.)

Snapfish Update

If you would like to order any pictures from snapfish (or view/upload your own), the new and easiest way I've discovered to do this is by joining our wedding day album "group".  The group password is "august".  If you do it the old way you can view and add pictures, but if you want to favorite any or order any, joining the group will allow you to do that under your own name.  Seems simpler than logging in the old way!

Thank you and a question!

We just wanted to thank you for all of the love and support that you've shared with us.  We would also like to give a special thank you to all of you that have sent us many thoughtful gifts.  Unfortunately, a bride & groom picture frame did not have a gift tag on it and we are wondering who to thank.  If any one knows the giver of this gift, please let us know!!

Please continue to share your photos with us online at snapfish.com.  If you need help using this service, feel free to email me and I'd be happy to help.  Just because the wedding is over, doesn't mean that I'm done blogging!  Upcoming posts will include pictures, tips (things I loved and things I would do differently on my wedding day), vendor reviews, and I'm sure I'll think of more.  The past year has involved so much planning, I think I will have to slowly transition into post-wedding mode.


A couple of quick wedding reflections:

1) Make sure you take the time to let all of the details go and truly take in the beautiful people and atmosphere around you.  These wonderful images will be embedded in your mind forever!  I'm really glad I did this!!!

2) As dull as it sounds, appoint a guest book person -or at least tell designated wedding party members/family members to encourage others to sign (we didn't do this, but since it was a regret, I figured I'd mention it to help other brides-to-be)- only 25% of our guests saw/signed our guest book and we put a lot of time/effort into designing it (it was created by our photographer with pictures from our engagement session).

Relax Time!

The wedding was absolutely amazing and more than we could've ever imagined. We feel so blessed that we could share our joy with so many family, friends, and loved ones. I want to thank everyone who was there because you truly contributed to making our day that much more special.

Please share your pictures with us by uploading them on snapfish. Here's how:
Go to snapfish.com.  Login with the screen name "thecassitys@comcast.net" and the password "august".  Can't wait to see your pictures!

Now it's time for the honeymoon and we can't wait!!  Will be sure to post pictures when we return!

Wedding week has begun!!! Just picked up the tuxes & arriving at Normandy Farm now!

Hair Inspiration

Here are some pictures I'm using as inspiration for fine-tuning my day of up-do. 

I still haven't come across the perfect picture, but each of the ones above illustrate something about what I do want. The first picture shows the area of my head I'd like to have covered with curls, the second picture illustrates a few free flowing curls at the bottom of the 'do, and the third picture shows a good mix of the tight and loose curls that I'm looking for. I'm showing these pictures to my stylist on Friday, so I'm sure it will turn out great!

Wedding Week Itinerary

Just finishing up some last minute details! My mom is coming down to pick up my dress tomorrow so she transport it in the van (so we don't have to worry about it getting wrinkled in our car).  All things considered, I'm feeling pretty calm-- although I've had a headache for 3 days straight and really am hoping to wake up without one tomorrow!  Anyway, here's what the week ahead holds for us:

Tuesday, August 17th

• We arrive at Normandy Farm
• Dinner with our parents

Wednesday, August 18th

• 7:00 PM - ?: Bridal Party Meet Up at Normandy Farm - beer & pizza to be served

Thursday, August 19th

• 6:30 - 9:00 AM: Deluxe continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant
• 10:00 AM - 3ish: Guys go golfing at Blue Bell Country Club
• 11:30 - 3:30 PM: Girls go to Head to Toe Healthy Spa
• 6:00 PM: Rehearsal in the Silos Garden (rain location will be a conference room)
• 7:00 - 10 PM: Rehearsal dinner at the Coleman Restaurant at Normandy Farm
• 11:00 PM: Time to rest up for the big day!

Friday, August 20th

• 6:30 - 9:00 AM: Deluxe continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant
• 9:00 AM: Hair (Dar Clinton) arrives - 1st appt to begin at 9:30
• 12:30 PM: Make-up (Emily Aznavourian) arrives - 1st appt to begin at 12:45
• 1:30 - 2:30 PM: DJ/lighting (Tom Carroll) arrives
• 3:00 PM: Flowers delivered by Ways Florist, Lorraine Daley & assistant Greg (photography) arrives, Videographer (Well Spun Weddings) arrives
• 3:30 - 4:30 PM: Bridesmaid, Groomsmen, Ushers, Flower Girls, & Family Pictures
• 4:00 - 4:15: String Trio Arrives
• 4:30 PM: Nancy Hauser (officiant) arrives
• 4:35 PM: Groom, Groomsmen, & Ushers to meet up with officiant in Silos pre- function area
• 4:40 PM: Ushers begin greeting guests
• 4:50 PM: Bride & Father meet up in Silos pre-function area
• 5:00 PM: Ceremony begins
• 5:20 - 5:30 PM: Bridal party to have a few photos taken after ceremony
• 5:30 - 6:30 PM: Cocktail hour (Bride & Groom to have photos taken together)
• 6:30 PM: Reception begins - bridal party introductions & first dance
• 6:40 PM: Welcoming, toasts, & grace
• 7:15 PM: Dinner is served
• 7:30 PM: Father-Daughter & Mother-Son dances
• 8:00 PM: Table toasts from the bride & groom
• 8:30 PM: Cake cutting
• 10:00 PM: "After Party"
• 11:00 PM: Reception ends

Saturday, August 21st

• 7:30 - 10:00 AM: Regular continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant

Another lucky win!

I haven't had time to enter contests lately, but I entered this one a few weeks ago for luggage.  Guess what?  I won!!!  : )

Yup, I won a $200 gift certificate to luggage.com!  I am hoping (but doubting) I will get the gift card info soon so I can get a big suitcase in time for the honeymoon.  Even if I don't, it's still free $ for a nice suitcase!

Escort Cards = DONE!

Finally!!  Our biggest final project is done!  I never want to do another escort card or seating chart again in my life!

If I had to do it over again, I probably would've gotten the cards pre-cut and scored, because those things were pretty time consuming.  I did the graphic design using Photoshop, and I think they turned out pretty well.  Now we just have to finish our videography editing form, submit our table breakdown, submit our banquet order form, print day-of time lines, attend my final fitting, get my ring cleaned- and just a few other last minute odds & ends.  Only one more full week of work until the wedding/honeymoon! 

OMG!!!

ONLY 2 1/2 WEEKS LEFT!!!

I'm learning that no matter how much pre-planning you do, there will always be a million last minute details.  The latest has been finalizing the seating chart, totaling up the head counts (adults, kids, vendors, etc.), filling out spreadsheets with table meal breakdowns (required by the venue), filling out/creating floor plans (required by our venue), and finalizing all of our playlists/music selections before our phone meeting with the DJ this Wednesday.  Once we tackle all of that, it will be on to the place cards.


I had my second fitting this weekend, and that went okay.  They hemmed my dress crooked, so they will need to fix that before my final fitting (scheduled for next Thursday).  My veil still hasn't come in yet, so that is making me a little bit nervous... but there's not really too much I can do about that.


I'm exhausted, but excited at the same time.  So looking forward to seeing everyone and having a great time!

Things Are Starting to Come Together

After I finished that long list of wedding tasks last weekend, I needed a little break from the wedding (not that that is really possible, but in terms of projects I took a break).  I have my second fitting this weekend, and possibly our last (or second to last) dance lesson, so it's starting to sink in that the wedding is getting pretty close.  I've continued to stalk the non-RSVPing guests, and I've gotten replies from most of them, but a few maybes are still lingering.  Once we get the final count, the next step will be place cards.  Other than designing and printing the place cards, everything else that is left really is just a matter of planning and organizing.

I've been working on table assignments, timelines, vendor contacts, etc.  I've also been trying to set up instructions to assist my mom's friend in setting up the cocktail hour/ceremony.  Look at my crazy precise little diagrams:

Below is a picture of what's going to be on the tables at cocktail hour. It's silver floating candles in a shallow vase with clear stones & pink gems on the bottom.

Then, on the outdoor tables at cocktail hour, we'll have the same shallow vases, but filled with a mix of pink and black candles (we couldn't find any gray floating candles).

Wedding Day Purse

I'm being having trouble deciding on a wedding day purse. Here are the candidates:

Option 1: Jessica McClintock Satin Flower Clutch at Nordstrom

Option 2: La Regale Gathered Satin Clutch at Endless.com

Option 3: La Regale Ivory Lace Clutch at Endless.com

Option 4: La Regale Silver Beaded Clutch at Endless.com

Option 5: Touch-ups Silver Satin Clutch at Zappos.com

At this point, I think I'm leaning toward option 2 or 5, just because they are the simplest and I don't want a flashy purse competing with my dress.  I also worry that anything that isn't simple might be "too much" when put next to my dress.  If you need a reminder as to what the dress fabric looks like, click here.  Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

***Update: Thanks for the input.  I chose #2.  Ah, another thing to check off my list  : )  ***

List of Wedding Tasks

These are my wedding tasks to tackle this weekend:

• Finish making wedding slideshow
• Finish making table numbers
• Decide on floating candle arrangements for cocktail hour (indoors & outdoors)
• Finalize/confirm floral decisions with florist
• Continue to stalk people that haven't RSVP'
• Cut out votive templates
• Wrap votives
• Start creating directions for decor set-up 
• Make hair appointment
• Make wedding photography checklist
• Pick out wedding day purse
• Work on floorplan/table assignments
• Get some sun so I'm not a pale bride!

And if I have any time left over, I might start thinking about designing a place card template.   Only 28 more days!!!

Fans

I've been kind of concerned about what the weather will bring in August, since we've had such a hot summer so far.  While moving the wedding indoors might end up being our best option, I think another cute idea is to have little fans.  I decided that I didn't want to order them because it would be a waste if we did end up moving the ceremony inside.  I was discussing this with a co-worker who was recently married and she said that she had fans left over from her wedding.  How nice is it that she just gave me her extras?  Anyway, to personalize them, I added little bows using the ribbon that has our names/wedding date.  I think they'll add a nice touch.  And if we do decide to move the ceremony indoors- no big deal!

Bachelorette Pics

The bachelorette was such a great time!  I think we over-estimated the amount of time and ambition we'd have, but sometimes less is more!  We stayed at W.57th Street by Hilton Club, we ate dinner at Chipotle (yum!), relaxed & enjoyed the awesome hotel room, and went out to Ava Lounge (a rooftop bar).

Here are some pictures of the hotel room:
(pay close attention to the table photo- the girls filled a table with my fav foods and hooked up an ipod next to a large pic of Scott, so he was our "DJ" for the night - so cute!  :)

And the rooftop lounge (unfortunately, I can not take credit from these pics, I borrowed them from yelp.com):

And us:

Hair Trial

The trial went well and I think with a few minor modifications the day of, my hair will look great. A few changes I would like to make to have a more "polished" look:

• get full highlights next time I get my hair done - I think that will help to "blend" the style together quite nicely
• have more structured curls that are pinned in place vs. as many messy/loose curls - I do like the loose curls, but I just want fewer of them on the day of
• start the style a little further up on the top of my head or at least build the curls up in the center so it kind of "rounds things out" vs. looking at me from the front and only seeing hair sticking out from either side

Here are some of the pics (remember, this style was not heavily hairsprayed and is only 90% of what it will be the day of):

Also, I must mention the most terrible customer service I've ever experienced in my life. Here is the complaint letter I sent to Sally Beauty Supply:

"I am writing to report the most terrible customer service I've ever experienced.  I frequently shop at this store (at least several times a month), and while the customer service has never been outstanding, I have never been treated with the level of disrespect I experienced today. I was going to the store to get some supplies for my upcoming wedding. I entered the store to see several employees gathered around the register (one of which was sitting on the counter top) and started toward the products I needed. As I walked forward, a loud voice screamed "I said HELLO!". Startled, confused, and very caught off guard, I peered out behind the shelf and asked this person if they were talking to me. (I guess this person said hello to me as I walked in the store, but I did not hear her.) The woman then pointed her finger, yelling, "Yes, that would be you!" Rather than arguing with a clearly irrational person, I stated, "Okay, I'm going to leave now." I walked out of the store and can honestly say that I have no intention of ever returning. Typically I would not go out of my way to tell others about terrible service, but this is a rare exception. It is unacceptable for anyone to ever be treated this way."

Bachelorette

My bachelorette party is this Saturday- I can't wait!

Here are some ideas for an NYC Bachelorette Party:

• $10 Mani & Martini at The Beauty Bar
• Watch a comedy show at Ochi's Lounge
• Check out some Rooftop Bars
• Play beer pong at Biddy Early's Pub
• Dance the night away at Webster Hall
• Drink some tea at a tea bar
• Watch an indie artist perform

Who knows what we'll do, but I'm sure what ever we end up doing, it'll be a great time!  
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I was able to check making the snapfish sign off of my list.  I thought this would be a good idea to give guests a way to share their pictures from the wedding with us.  I created this graphic (this one is edited to keep our info private), and put it in an 8x10 frame.  I think it turned out pretty cute!

Bridal Emergency Kit

I thought the idea of a bridal emergency kit sounded cute, but practical at the same time, so I decided to make my own. Here it is:

Here's what's in the kit:

• Bobby pins & a hair elastic
• Chapstick
• Lint roller
• Band-Aids
• Safety pins
• Gum
• Instant stain remover
• Nail file
• Fashion rescue tape (double sided)
• Mini sewing kit
• Tissues
• Deodorant
• First aid kit
• Medicine (aleve, immodium, cough drops)
• Straws (to keep lipstick from fading)
• Tampons
• Wrinkle spray
• Hair spray
• Oil blotting sheets

I plan to keep the kit in the bridal room that's located above the ballroom where the reception will be held.  That way if I (or any other ladies) need it, it's close by!

*Hair Update*
So, I've decided to give the hairdresser another chance... she is coming to Baltimore (to make it up to me since she missed the trial) on Tuesday at 4:00.  Hopefully, I will have nothing but good things to report.  The down side is- Scott is most likely going to end up seeing my hair.  I think I'm okay with this though, because I'd rather him see it and me get to test the hair style out, vs. him not seeing it and me not knowing if the style will hold up well.

Also worth mentioning- we have managed to squeeze enough out of the last bit of our budget to get a videographer.  Yay!  At first I was unsure about a videographer, so I abandoned the idea for a while.  Then I started to entertain the idea again not to long ago, only to find that the videographers that weren't super-cheesy cost a fortune!  Luckily, I was persistent in my search and found one that looks talented and is within our budget.  We have decided to go with Well Spun Weddings.  They do vintage wedding films and were rated "Top 25 Trendsetters" by Modern Bride.  We will be getting the one song edit, in addition to 3 DVDs with chapters of the ceremony and important reception events (both of which contain real audio), as well as all of the raw footage.  So happy to be able to preserve so many great memories from our day!

I can't believe the wedding is only 43 days away!!  I have created a wedding checklist of all the things I still need to get done before the wedding....still so much to do!!

E-Session Photos

Scott and I are really pleased with our engagement session photos.  The turn around time was awesome (about a week) and Lorraine & Greg did an amazing job!  If you'd rather see the pictures in a slideshow format, click here.

All Photos Taken By: Lorraine Daley Wedding Photography