Long Overdue

Obviously I let this blog go... and I'm sorry about that! It would have been fun to have written about all my crazy wedding planning experiences, but it got to be too much at the time. However, I have written a few posts (as well as shared lots of pictures) over at my new blog, Spanish Sabores. Here I talk about Spain, travel, wedding planning, cooking, eating, photography and more! Hope you'll check it out if you stumble on this here!

Making Progress!

Today I rewrote my Spanish wedding to-do list and I'm happy to say that I'm making progress. To quickly update on the ups and the downs before bed:

I found great shoes here that I totally want... but of course they're sold out. I really wanted something similar to Manolo Blahnik's "something blue" shoes seen in the Sex and the City movie, and these were a perfect match for something super affordable with a low heel (Ale is short and I have a chronic foot injury!) I'm hoping they get some more in... but who knows! I might have to settle for the 4 inch heels.

Manolo's "Something Blue"

I also found really cute earrings here, although for $100 and a no return policy I'm going to keep looking for now...

After searching for guest books on etsy.com I finally decided to create my own using the mypublisher photo book software. This company is one of many similar to snapfish and shutterfly, but geared towards better quality books. You can download their software for free and create your book really easily. I thought this was a better idea than the typical guest book because it's a mix of a photo album and guest book, which is a lot more interesting!

I finally decided on and bought the "detalles" or favors today. Well, at least for the female guests! I don't want to give them away here, but I'll definitely post about them (and other things I don't want to share yet) after the wedding. For now I'll tell you that they were cute, affordable, and bought on Etsy.

This weekend Ale and I are going to El Puerto to give out a majority of the invitations, and I'm also going to try to find a florist and hairdresser. More details to follow!

Dress Drama!

It's been ages since I've updated, actually a month exactly! I think it's been because I've been a bit overwhelmed. I really was debating over what to do about my wedding dress, and in addition I still haven't planned ANYTHING for the US wedding. The Spanish plans, however, have been coming along nicely, and I currently have my invitations printed and almost everyone hired for the big day! The only think I'm missing is my transportation... so I'll probably have to figure out renting a car for the day of the ceremony.

Other than the dress drama, which I'll soon explain, I've been busy with work and little daily things. I've been going running a few times a week, although I still haven't seen many results! I'm starting a diet soon I swear! Alejandro left today for Portugal where he'll be working all week. Then, on Saturday, he and I are going to Valencia for the weekend which was my Valentine's Day gift. It's probably not the best time, but the tickets were already bought! After Valencia he'll be home for a week and then he goes for two weeks to Italy, again for work. Then it's one week together and we both go away; he goes back to Italy and I go to the US! He also has another trip to Portugal in there, but I'm not even sure when!

In many ways having him traveling so much right now is stressful because all of the planning etc. is now on me. But on the other hand, it makes it easier because I am 100% in control. This means no silly arguments and getting to spend more time with girlfriends which I haven't been doing much of lately. It might be healthy for us!

Well, my biggest news lately is the fact that I've found my wedding dress. Now, we all know that buying a wedding dress can be a very difficult decision. The style, material, and fit... the options are endless and the prices are varied! But apart from the actual dress is the whole process involved in buying it. Little did I realize, brides nowadays go dress shopping at least 6 months in advance. Dresses can take up to 8 months to come in in some cases! That meant I was 3 months too late... what to do? One option was to buy off the rack, but I in Spain I wouldn't even know where to look, and in the US I'm not sure I could find something so quickly. The other was to cross my fingers and start shopping with an innocent "I didn't know!" in all the stores. Luckily, the shops I went to all told me that I could still purchase a dress, but I needed to decide ASAP and order it now! I'll also probably only have one fitting as opposed to the typical two or three.

Call me crazy, but I had NO IDEA that such a long time was necessary. I figured that in the worst case I'd have to pay extra for rush shipping, but in most shops less than three months was a deal breaker no matter what! Thank goodness I went when I did considering that I hadn't even planned to buy the dress here in Spain. I wanted to buy something in the US when I go to visit in April so that I could go shopping with my mom and sister and I was also hoping that the dress might be less expensive there.

Luckily I changed my mind and started looking here. I now have a dress and won't have to spend time and stress during my vacation in the US looking. In the end I went to three bridal boutiques here in Spain. The first was one of Spain's most famous: Pronovias. The dresses were beautiful and the staff was attentive and really nice. I went alone, which was a bit sad at first, but in the end it was nice to be my only critic. Since ultimately it's MY dress, I think my opinion is the most important!

In Pronovias I found a GORGEOUS dress. Beautiful lace, a tight fit, and with the veil... it was perfect. But, it was also close to $4,000... and since I earn $1000 a month it just seemed like A LOT to spend on a dress. So I decided to keep looking...

My next stop was a small family owned boutique in Nervión called Sotto Voce. It didn't have many dresses to choose from, but the owners were nice and we tried on three different dresses. They were pretty, but nothing really popped out at me. The quality just wasn't the same as the first store. The prices of the dresses were definitely less, around $2,500 plus veil etc. But I wanted to keep looking.

So on Friday Alejandro's parents came to Seville and took us to a famous bridal shop in a small town in Cordoba, about an hour and a half away. The town, Fuente Palmera, is in the middle of NOWHERE, and Higar Novias is its main attraction. The shop is so popular because it has beautiful dresses at much more reasonable prices, mostly due to the fact that the factory where they make the dresses is right next to the shop. Their success has lead to the town to open many other wedding related shops, and it's basically become a wedding planning mecca in the middle of Cordoba's countryside... definitely strange!

We got there early and Ale tried on suits in another shop before everything closed for lunch. We ate at a small restaurant where I ordered the menu of the day: salmorejo to start followed by fried calamari, and finally rice pudding for dessert. It was your typical Spanish lunch and probably not the best idea before trying on skintight wedding dresses!

Finally, at 4:30 my suegra and I arrived for my appointment. My consultant Nuria showed me at least 7 binders full of dresses. There were too many to choose from! By the end I was saying no to everything, since I knew that the more I chose the longer I'd be there! I finally ended up with 16 dresses to try on. I thought it was too much, but Nuria said it was okay.

We went to the dressing room where I undressed and waited for the first dress. In the meantime, my suegra decided to fix my hair... despite the fact that I would be trying on 16 dresses and it would ultimately fall out after the first one. But, being a good sport, I let her play with it, and when Nuria came in with the first dress I tried to keep my patience as she continued to fix it, ignoring the fact that I needed to start trying things on!

After 5 minutes and a lot of bobby pins, I had a strange updo and the first dress. The next 2 hours are a blur of dressing, undressing, waiting, and getting my hair fixed. After the 16 dresses there were 3 contenders. One was silk and slimming, a mermaid cut, with spaghetti straps and a small train. The next was lace, and very similar to the Pronovias dress but a lesser quality. The third was... a surprise!

I wasn't positive that day if I was going to buy my dress there; I wanted to think about it and return once more to Pronovias. I mean, Pronovias had the dress I’d been imagining… classic, lace, expensive…!!! But the dress I found at Higar Novias designed by Manu Garcia was also gorgeous. It’s more modern and not at all what I’d imagined wearing, but it fits my body perfectly and is really stunning. Also, it’s about $1,500 less. That’s a BIG difference!

In the end, I decided to go with it because I think spending $4,000 on a dress is excessive! Above all when we are spending our money on other “extras” like live music during the ceremony, a bus to and from the wedding for our guests…etc. I’m happy with my choice and really excited to try it on again closer to the wedding.

For brides to be my advice is shop early! Save yourself the stress I went through and buy a dress well in advance. Also, don’t be afraid to go alone. It’s not that bad, and ultimately your opinion is the one that really matters!

More People and More Plans!

The past few weeks I have been busy with work and wedding plans. Any extra time I’ve had I’ve just wanted to relax and haven’t been good about updating! So here is what’s been happening:

My list of US guests at the Spanish wedding is growing! My immediate family, my aunt, uncle, and cousin, one of my best friends, and my father’s business partner and his wife (practically my aunt and uncle) all have bought tickets! Another best friend and her husband are considering coming, as is another best friend and her boyfriend (you know who you are!!!) I’m really excited because the more people from the US that come the more fun I know I will have and I’m so excited to spend time with them here!

I also already found a condo and a house for my family to stay in when they come. The condo is really nice and right across from the beach. The house is a bit farther (10 minute walk) but it has a great yard and is really pretty. Both were rented for a great price (about $700-$800 per rental for 10 days). They are really close to Ale’s house where we’ll be staying and close to the boardwalk, parks, and… a churro stand! Yay! If anyone reading this is considering coming for at least a week I could probably find another reasonably priced condo if you let me know in advance! The beginning of June is not quite the busy tourist season yet so the people are giving great deals on their properties!

I’ve also hired a photographer. I found her online and she is from the town that the wedding is in. I love her work! I think her style is perfect for capturing the beauty of a wedding day. I’m really excited about working with her!

Ale and I have also decided to hire a group of musicians to play during the ceremony and cocktail hour. It’s a bit of a luxury, but we saw them playing one day on the main shopping streets of Seville and they were fantastic. Hopefully they will be just as good at the wedding!

My only big concern about the Spanish wedding is my dress, accessories, hair, etc. I think my mother in law will do my hair since she was a hairdresser and really wants to do it. I just hope it comes out well… As for the dress, I’ve window shopped the dress stores in Seville and I’ve seen some very nice ones, but they are so expensive! $2,000 is the norm I’d say. I really don’t want to spend that much on the dress. Therefore, I’ve decided to try to find something the week I’m home in April (as crazy as that might be). I’m praying I can! I really love this designer and hopefully some stores close by will carry a dress of hers that I like!

As for the US wedding I’m still quite behind. I’m back and forth between catering it myself with some hired help the day of the event, or hiring someone to do everything. Because of the ridiculous snow that I hear Massachusetts has lately no one has even been able to look at the property to make sure a tent can be put up without any problems. I have, however, stopped stressing too much about it, as there isn’t much I can do right now and I have faith that things will come together in the end!

In the meantime, Ale and I have bought our tickets to the US for the summer. We’ll be there for 3 months!!! Ahhh! June 20 – September 14. It hit me after buying them that it is a LONG time. I think I’ll go crazy if I don’t work at all. I asked my sister about the possibility of working at her restaurant… hopefully I’ll be able to! I don’t know what we could do for poor Ale, however, as he won’t have work permission and we won’t even have a car while we’re there. We’ll have to wait and see…

The only other news at the moment is that we are almost sure that we are going to take our honeymoon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It looks like a beautiful place, smaller and more laid back than Cancun. I found a great looking hotel that also has great reviews and there is so much to do in the area/excursions to go on. I’m really excited to start reserving it!

That’s all for now, I’ll try to update more frequently! Besossss

And the Stress Begins!

I knew it would be difficult, but ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Where to start? Well, the Spanish wedding is making progress. We have:

1. A venue: La Estancia Club de Golf Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain

So it isn't the most gorgeous, manicured golf club in the world, but it's quite pretty and intimate. We will have the ceremony on the lawn, followed by a cocktail hour, a buffet dinner, and 4 hours of open bar.

2. The Decor: They're going to decorate the event in a "chill-out" theme (sounds terrible in English but it's not!) That means that there will be a variety of tables, including cocktail tables and sofas, instead of the typical 8' rounds. They will have white table clothes and colorful pillows on the sofas. There will also be a lot of candles and lanterns. I think it'll be modern and romantic. We didn't want a formal sit-down dinner because we have so many young guests.

3. The menu: I won't give it all away here, but basically we will start will 5 different passed hors d'oeuvre during the cocktail hour. Then, the buffet will be another variety of appetizers, a risotto dish, a pork dish, and a grill station with meat skewers and grilled vegetables. After dinner there will be a four hour open bar and after about 2 hours we'll have a "snack" of mini-sandwiches. We are also considering a "Churros and Chocolate" stand around 3:00 am (open bar goes until 4:00 or 5:00!!!)

4. The DJ: His name is Diego, he has years of experience and works for the radio... he was also the 1st recommendation from the catering company. He doesn't have specific hours and doesn't even want a deposit! And he charges only 400€! Too good to be true? I guess we'll have to see!!!

5. The photographer: JAGStudio from Sevilla. This place is right next to my apartment here in Seville and it's really the only place I've looked. The package includes a 30 page digital photo book, 2 parent's books, a really cool DVD, and possibly the rights to the pictures too. For the price of 1730€ I thought it was a pretty good deal. The books are a bit modern in style, but I can always decide to print the pictures I like as extras to frame, etc.

6. Invitations: They are almost done... I have a simple design for the US ones that I'll print out at a nice paper shop and send over Easter break (when I'm in the US). I just need to know the details of the wedding to be able to finish them! The Spanish ones are being designed now, I don't love them... but I refuse to stress out over invitations too!!! I just want them done and sent :)

Now we just need my dress, his tux, hotel rooms for the wedding night, the bus that will bring people to and from the wedding (so no one drinks and drives), my bouquet, the favors (which I am stuck on), Ale's wedding ring (I'm going to use my engagement ring because it looks like a wedding ring and I really like it), and if we can afford it... live music for the ceremony. It seems like a lot still... but at least we have some progress made!

The American wedding is another story. I have no idea what to do. Things are too expensive. We're working with a $10,000 budget and the average cost of the wedding in Massachusetts is like, $26,000! I wanted to have in the yard, but that entails a lot of work for my family... and I'm not sure they have the time. I, on the other hand, will be home for over a month before the wedding with nothing to do! I CAN DO IT!!! I really want to plan the catering, the alcohol, etc. and try to make it a true budget wedding with lots of personal touches. I have faith in myself, but I also don't want to stress my family out too much. Too bad I don't have a house and yard of my own...

I've basically scratched the idea of a full dinner for the American wedding. It would be impossible to do myself, and catering is $$$$$$$$$$. Unbelievably so. I'm now thinking... Tapas and Dessert! I really like the idea, as it also plays on the fact that Ale is Spanish and we live in Spain! The favors for the US are also "Spanishy": Spanish fans for the women and Spanish olive oil/vinegar for the men with a recipe attached. It's my latest of many ideas. I also am not sure about hiring a DJ... the guests are mostly older, and I'm thinking that good speakers and a well equipped IPOD could work for music... people have done it before, there's even an app for weddings! We'll have to see... Considering at the Spanish wedding we'll be dancing until 6:00 am I don't think I'll feel bad about it...

Well, that's all for now. If you are reading this please HELP ME with ideas for the American wedding! Thanks!!!

We Have A Date!

A quick update before bed: We have a Spanish venue and date!!! Yay!!! I will share all of the details tomorrow, but for now I am happy to say that my first wedding will be on Friday, June 3 2011 in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain. Qué guay, no?

Planning an American Wedding in Spain...

Something frustrating for me is feeling like I can't put 100% into either of the weddings. Here, I have the problem that I don't have a car, don't know what is expected of a Spanish wedding, and need to plan it quickly! Basically, I don't have the time, transportation, or money to compare and contrast places, prices, etc. I like things to be perfect, but I realize I can't expect perfection from this wedding!

Even worse will be planning the American wedding from afar. I won't be able to meet with all the people I should be meeting with and will have to rely on pictures and the opinions of others. A lot of things are out of my hands!

So, what are my plans for the American wedding? Well, with only about 7 months to plan it, I decided almost immediately against looking for a venue from abroad. The majority would have been reserved already, and, if not, I just don't feel comfortable reserving something without seeing it myself. So the wedding will be in my backyard, something I never thought I would do, but each time I think about it I like it more and more.

Some may be thinking I'll save money this way, but I really don't think so! I am going to have to rent absolutely everything! Including a big tent incase it rains. This is really overwhelming and I'm really counting on some help figuring out all of the rental stuff!

I want the wedding to be on a Saturday afternoon with in outdoors ceremony in my yard. We'll have to rent the arch and the chairs and make it look nice. My father may know someone who could marry us. The ceremony will be simple and short, and I'm not sure about the wedding party because Ale probably won't have too many people on his side. But, if some do end up coming we will have the traditional bridesmaids and best men... although I've already told my friends that I won't be choosing their dresses. I prefer that they each choose a different bright color that is a good fit for them. We'll be like a bouquet of bright flowers!

After, I'm thinking about doing a cocktail hour with a bunch of appetizers, cheese platters, etc. I know food and can definitely imagine some delicious hors d'oeuvres! I also have a fun idea that during this hour we could feature as beverages 2 or 3 wines chosen by the bride (since I love wine) and a few beers chosen by the groom (since in the US he discovered his love for beer). It would be a cute way to personalize something like the beverages. What do you guys think?

After the cocktail hour the main course would be a sort of barbeque. I would rent a large grill and a chef to do the grilling. There would be three choices of protein; for example, lamb chops, steak, and salmon. There would also be grilled vegetables like squash, zucchini, onions, and peppers. Table by table, people would head to the grill with their plates and choose their protein. The chef puts it on the grill and cooks it to their liking. Then, there would be a table with a bunch of sauces to accompany the proteins and also perhaps a potato side. We could also do this idea as skewers, which is something I just thought of, but I'm not sure if it is too "everyday".

After eating, I suppose the DJ would start the typical music and we would have open bar and dancing. I would hire bartenders for the day and we would buy the most typical alcohols. I also thought of making a list of 5 of my favorite cocktails, each featuring a different alcohol, that I could train the bartenders to make the way I like them, and I could make a cute "featured cocktails" menu for each bar.

Later, the order would be the usual, a break for cake... dancing, drinking, dancing, drinking, eating...etc. Perhaps if some people stay really late we could do a fire and smores? I'm not sure about that one yet...

Aside from the rentals I have so many little details to plan for this wedding. I have to decide on centerpieces, decorations, flowers, DJ, photography, cake, favors... ahhh! As far as the food goes, I would love to cater it myself, and have read some blogs making it sound possible (remember I will be in the US with Ale and without any responsibilities for 2 MONTHS before the wedding). This, of course, stresses my mother, but I think I can do it! At least part of it... the rest I will have to entrust to some GOOD professionals. My biggest disaster would be bad food!

Well, these are some of my ideas for now. Let me know what you think!