Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LA
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 24, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 20, 2007
Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los Angeles
About Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
“I Think I Have Monogamy. I Must Have Caught It From You People!”
September 26th, 2007 @ 5:31 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
Picture courtesy of People.com
Is anyone as excited as I am for the upcoming Sex and the City movie? Although my dating life was not nearly as exciting as Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, I loved living vicariously through them. And I found that I could relate to some of the issues they faced: money problems, break-ups, balancing career and relationships, etc. And I’ve especially enjoyed the misadventures of Miranda and Charlotte as they embarked upon marriage and encountered all the new challenges and happiness that it can bring.
A Tale of Two Planners: Part Three
September 26th, 2007 @ 9:29 am by Mrs. Jasmine
My sincere hope in sharing my unfortunate wedding planner experience is that it will help you ladies avoid the same pitfalls. All brides deserve a planner/coordinator who will be a wonderful help, rather than a hindrance. Below are some of the hard-earned tips I learned along the way!
(1) Do your research: This is probably the most important tip I can share. Do as much research as you can on any planner/coordinator. Do a Google search of the planner’s name and event company. Check sites such as The Knot, Wedding Channel, Project Wedding, etc. for reviews and experiences from other brides. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been lodged against the planner you are considering. Also, if you already secured a venue and/or other vendors and you’re searching for a day-of coordinator, ask them who they’ve enjoyed working with in the past. Catering managers, photographers, makeup artists, and florists are often great, untapped resources for information on the better coordinators to work with.
The Proposal: Part One
September 24th, 2007 @ 3:31 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
After graduating from law school, and having dated Mr. Jasmine for three and a half years, marriage was definitely on my mind. Luckily for me, it was on his mind too. We spent a few glorious afternoons looking at rings at jewelry stores on Michigan Avenue– an activity that never gets old. So needless to say, I knew a proposal was coming, I just didn’t know when.
Tne random Monday morning in March, Mr. Jasmine and I were chatting via Gmail Chat. We do this fairly often and I’m shocked I haven’t received an angry call from the work IT guy wanting to know why I’m on Gmail Chat all day. Anyway, he suggested we go to Bandera after work. Bandera is one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago– all warm, sophisticated ambiance and lovely views. I immediately agreed, my mind more on the delicious beef ribs than the romantic atmosphere.
A Tale of Two Planners: Part Two
September 24th, 2007 @ 10:24 am by Mrs. Jasmine
I was very disturbed by the possible deceitfulness that I’d uncovered, so I did what I always do in situations that leave me unsettled: I called my mom. My mom was already troubled that after weeks of supposed research, Planner X had only found three available venues. This new turn of events made her even more unhappy. Even though I’m a lawyer, I’m shy and non-confrontational by nature. My mom, on the other hand, can argue with the best of them and won’t back down. Basically, she’s the most sweet-natured, lovable bad-ass you will ever meet. So when my mom insisted on calling Planner X to find out what was going on, I let her. 
Later that day, my mom called back to say she had spoken with Planner X. Planner X insisted it was all a misunderstanding– she said that all three venues must have mistakenly told her they were unavailable– a claim we found highly dubious. Then, Planner X told my mom that I should just leave the phone calls to her. Essentially, Planner X was telling me to stay out of it! Needless to say, my mom was not satisfied with this response and asked Planner X to release us from the contract with a return of our deposit. Planner X agreed and we parted ways.
A Tale of Two Planners: Part One
September 21st, 2007 @ 4:45 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
Soon after Mr. Jasmine and I were engaged, I realized that planning our Los Angeles wedding from Chicago would be no easy feat. Both of us have jobs that keep us fairly busy and my parents (who live in Los Angeles) are wedding planning novices who had no idea where to start. We decided our best bet would be to hire a wedding planner.
I emailed and called a slew of planners in Los Angeles– trying to find the best balance of personal chemistry, passion for weddings, creativity, and organizational skill. It was particularly important to me to find someone who was very well-versed in the specific cultural components of a South Asian wedding. After having my parents interview my favorite planners, we decided on Planner X. She was South Asian and thus had personal knowledge of what goes into an Indian wedding. I felt very confident that Planner X would be able to help us craft something really wonderful.
About An Indian Girl and a Pakistani Boy
September 21st, 2007 @ 1:11 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
Picture of Mr. Jasmine and I during our first year of law school (those are some of our crazy dance moves!)
Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to join the Wedding Bee community. I’ve been reading Wedding Bee since I got engaged in March and I’m so honored to be a Bee.
