The First Real Challenge

Countdown 56 days, 23 hours. 

Church, paperwork, reception-done, done, and done. Photographer, DJ- booked. My gown, bought! Guest list and cake-done and done. Rehearsal dinner-booked! So far, we've got most of the big items out of the way. Surprisingly, these were fairly easy decisions to make. What I thought was the easiest and most fun one though, turned out to be the most tedious and difficult one: The INVITATION.

I thought that when we decided to go digital it would be easier and less stressful because we won't have to worry about the right color, the texture, proofs, mail merges, addresses, seals, and stamps. We wouldn't have to worry about sending it way in advance. And, we would be helping in saving the planet. A digital invite would only require creativity, skill, e-mail addresses, and the send button--yeah, it should be that easy right?

Little did I know that I'm really not that skilled! Creating a digital invite, specially the one that I have in my head is not so easy after all. It's clear in my head but executing what's floating around up in my head is a little challenging. Thanks to Stephani Becerra, a very talented artist, I'm hopefully on my way to realising this idea. But for those of you who need to plan yesterday, please visit ana-joe.com for all relevant information about our wedding. 

P.S. Below is my inspiration for creating this digital invite. It may not be as smooth and flowing as this video by Ryan Woodward, but I hope we can get it close to that.

The Wedding March

Still a bit apprehensive from last week's Church debacle, Joe and I decided to visit St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. I wasn't feeling up to it but Joey convinced me to get my lazy ass off the couch and do something. So we did.

And I'm glad we did because if I was looking for some sort of big, bold sign, I got something akin to a big, flashing, arrow that says, "You're Here". My sign was a 158-year old grand pipe organ that started playing Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as soon as I started walking down the aisle.

Well, the organ obviously wasn't playing by itself, the organist happened to be up there practicing. But I thought for a second that the music was all in my head, like in movies when the two lovers run towards each other in slow motion and then a cheesy Barbra Streisand song starts to play in the background.

So I turned around and saw Joe laughing. He heard it too! Well, of course he did. Everybody did because it wasn't all in my head. It was real. Joe goes, "You should practice your walk!" And so I kept walking. This is how everything should feel--certain and destined.

When I reached the end of the aisle, I sat down with a silly grin on my face, thinking, "If that wasn't the sign, that gut feeling I was looking for, then I have a whole 'nuther issue I should be worrying about."

Fun Facts About St. Patrick and St. Patrick's Old Cathedral (But not as fun as St. Lucy's)

1. It is the oldest cathedral in NYC and was elevated to the status of Basilica after celebrating it's 200th birthday in 2009.
2. The pipe organ is still fully functional at 158 years old.
3. St. Patrick's parents were Romans and he grew up in Scotland.
4. As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave. 
5. The Baptism scene in The Godfather was filmed here, as was the scene in The Godfather, Part III in which Michael Corleone receives an honor from the church. 
6. And, the first time I visited this Church, which was yesterday, the organist was playing Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". 

The Basics: Timeline and Budget

Like any other plan, it's important to know what kind of timeline and resources you're working with or are willing to work with. I've always expected planning a wedding to be overwhelming, stressful, and exciting all at the same time. And from what I've heard from my friends and seen on TV, it could certifiably drive people crazy. But I guess I didn't know how all that really felt until Joe and I started really getting into it yesterday.

We're Engaged!

October 29th, 2010 - After I said yes. Still weird but ecstatic!
Right after dinner, Joe suddenly developed a stomach ache so he suggested we go home. I wanted to stay and finish my wine but he insisted that we really had to leave so I go, "That bad, huh?"

And I Said, "Yes, of course!"

October 29th, 2010 - Friday.
The day before we left for Mexico, numerous e-mails went back and forth between me and Joe. I had big plans that Friday. I wanted to get a manicure and a pedicure, maybe a little grooming, or buy a couple of new outfits. But as the day progressed, it seemed Joe had plans too--apparently, his was more important than mine.