Counting down..

So tomorrow I hit the 11 week mark. Only 11 weeks left until I become Mrs Ziph! Only 11 weeks left to get my act into gear and get everything I need to do done. It's starting to make me feel a bit antsy. I started to make a list of things I still need to do (and other things I want to try to do), but I got distracted and ended up blogging here instead! So here are the things I still need to do:

* Wedding programs/place cards/table numbers - I need to get onto Ziph about helping me design what is in my head. My inspiration for the herb pictures is drawn from the image shown (but also with mint, rose geranium and/or other herbs that are being used in the bouquets), but in black & white/shades of grey/outline.. as a background image maybe with text (eg table number?) over the top, or as a main image with text underneath. I need to see what magic Ziph can bring (he's amazing with graphic design)..

* Suits - Ziph and I need to get our act into gear and go down to get him fitted for a suit & pick the style etc for the groomsmen. We've already got ties made for the boys, so we need to be able to co-ordinate their waistcoats and accessories. Then they can all go back together and get fitted and do whatever boys do when they got for a suit fitting.

* Finalise the bible readings for the ceremony (and who is doing the readings). I have a list of ~half a dozen that I'm thinking over, but I think I need to cut and paste them all onto one page because it's so hard to keep flipping back and forth and keep it all sorted in my head. I'm thinking of having my Nonna (grandmother) do one of the readings, but I'm not sure who should do the second reading.. I'd suggest someone from Ziph's side, but I know my MIL is not keen on public speaking (she doesn't want to do a speech either), and neither of his brothers are particularly religious so they might not be keen either. Could get Best Man's mum to do a reading (she's a celebrant, too as it happens.. not that it's relevant!).. need to check what Ziph thinks.

* Finalise wedding music selections. Once again I have a list of songs that I'm thinking of using, but nothing that I'm definite on. I think the problem is that I had always planned to walk down the aisle to Pachebel's Canon in D, but after having watched so many wedding reality shows I just can't do it. It's so common, and I think I need something that doesn't make me think of other peoples' weddings. But contenders are (not just for the aisle walk, but also for the waltz and the recessional/signing of the registry):
- Only Hope, Mandy Moore
- I Wanna Get Married, Nellie McKay
- Kiss Me Again, Jessica Lee Mayfield
- Our Love is Easy, Melody Gardot
- Maybe I'm Amazed, Jem
- For Sentimental Reasons, Nat King Cole
- Somebody, Depeche Mode
- If I Had the Stars, Melody Gardot
- Chapel of Love

But I wonder if none of them seem right because I just haven't found the right song yet. Will I know the right song when I hear it?

* Sign up for Biggest Loser (again) at the gym. Still want to lose a few more kilos.

* Bridesmaid's survival kits - I've started collecting bits & pieces, but I need to make a list of exactly what I want to include and what I still need to get.

* Bathroom baskets - Again, write list & work out what's missing.

* Tears of Joy packets - I bought the tissues today, now I need to get my hands on some glassine envelopes and design some labels (hopefully Ziph can do those while he's sorting out the design for my programs etc.)

* Bridal shower - some of my Clayton's bridesmaids (you know, those girlfriends who are pretty much honorary bridesmaids, but not officially) have offered to host the bridal shower (as opposed to the hen's night which my actual bridesmaids are organising) but I haven't had a chance to catch up with them since before Christmas, so I don't think there's anything planned yet. I need to find out if they're still keen, or if I need to pass that over to my official team.

And then there's the list of things I *want* to do.. but I think I need a whole new post for that!

Disaster!

So I think I need to come up with a new bomboniere & table centrepiece idea. I had been planning to use pink & white everlasting daisy flowerheads as table scatters and have seed packets as bomboniere and place cards. So in aid of this I had planted some seeds so that I could harvest the flowers as scatters. But we had some super hot weather last week and my plants shrivelled up and died just before flowering! *sigh* Clearly it was not meant to be.

Now I need to come up with another idea, which is maybe a good thing considering I've been tossing up about the theme etc.

I found some very cute place card holders/bomboniere on (where else??) Pink Frosting:

They're "kissing bells", so guests can "ring for a kiss" at any time through the reception. They come with the coordinating place cards as well, which is a bonus.. so something like that could serve as the bomboniere & place cards and then I'd still need to come up with an idea for table centrepieces.

Alternately, one of my friends has started making cakes & cookies, and does these beautiful butter cookies with fondant icing. There are a couple of options to use her delightful cookies.. I could get her to do single cookie bomboniere, or she also does a 3 cookie boxed set which looks gorgeous and could then double as table centre pieces because I could stack the cookie boxes in the centre of the tables (and then maybe just have something like those diamond table scatters or something to fill the gaps).

Or I could have helium balloons.. but is that a bit too tacky?

I think this needs a bit more thought..

Once wed..

While randomly browsing the internet I stumbled upon Once Wed and couldn't resist sharing some of the gorgeous things that I found on there...

Like these DIY herbal boutonniere - rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, lavender and blueberries tied with ribbon.. if I had found this website before I'd booked my florist, I tell you it would have been tempting to do these.. I'd originally wanted to go with the whole "looked like the flowers had just been picked from a cottage garden" style - infact when I suggested flowers to the florist I did mention rosemary & lavender!

Or these placecard holders made out of spray painted icing cones!

And check out this cute tufted moss ring pillow.. 

What about these adorable paper cones made out of "vintage" sheet music.. they've punched some butterflies and glued them around the top..