Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Friday evening: rehearsal at our little New Englandy church
Really, there are two versions of events.
Version 1) Everything went fine! The pastor and his wife came up from Boston—lovely people. Our parents and wedding party and readers practiced twice, no problems. The people helping out at the church were warm and friendly. Back at the beach house, friends and family members finished setting up our laid-back rehearsal dinner. Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
My beach house dreams came true and the week before the wedding I set off for our little rented house in Narragansett, accompanied by my sister and two good friends with the patience and vacation time necessary to oblige this bride-to-be.
We spent the week running last-minute wedding errands: meetings with the florist, DJ, and photographer, adjusting the seating chart, buying extra tulle, and tying ribbons on things.
Haha, just kidding!
The only wedding activity we did involved some phone calls and logistics, as well as dropping off stuff at the caterer’s house. And then we went on a wine tour. The rest of the week involved my favorite things: sleeping in, jogs on the beach, reading books on the balcony, grilling stuff, eating ice cream, and spending rainy mornings at a cafe with bagels and internet access.
It’s important to diet the week before your big special day: Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
What is the honeymoon equivalent of stepping in gum? Stepping in gum wearing new shoes, but, on the upside, in a really lovely locale. Because that’s what our honeymoon was.
We stayed at the Majestic Elegance in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The grounds were beautiful and our room was wonderful: a hot tub, comfy bed, and a balcony where we enjoyed breakfast nearly every morning.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
We hadn’t left the tarmac in Boston and I was already wistfully nostalgic about our soon-to-be perfect honeymoon. I pictured it as a montage set to some Gray’s-Anatomy-type music. There we were, I imagined, floating blissfully in a pool. There we were, grinning in a hot tub with colorful drinks in our hands/strolling the beach wearing linen (I don’t own an ounce of linen)/tanned and excited and scheming about how to quit our real lives and stay in this bronzy, cotton-candy-spun bubble forever.
I think I’ve mentioned before that although I never entertained dreams of the “perfect wedding day”, I always believed, steadfastly, in the perfect honeymoon.
We would later discover that perfect honeymoons, although tidy and memorable and nostalgia-inducing and, well… perfect (whatever that means)… aren’t nearly as funny as the ridiculous kind.
What follows is a story about the latter. Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
One year ago, on our negative-one-year-aversary, I wandered over to FutureMe.org and sent Future PChips (now Present PChips) an email, which will be delivered on the day of the wedding, i.e. today. (This time travel business is confusing.) This is my unedited, uncensored email to myself.
Dear FutureMe,
Heyo! It’s one year till your Big Fancy Special Day. Let me tell you a bit about yourself (myself? This is confusing) right now: Last night you and Dave watched a Travel Channel special about top Caribbean honeymoons (that was made in the ’80s? Wowsa. You laughed. A lot.) and researched some spots. I hope you decided on something good and were able to pay for it. I hope you decided to upgrade to the honeymoon suite. Anyhoo, you did yoga and stopped at the local Mexican restaurant and ate nachos and laughed and talked about how awesome and carefree and cool your wedding and honeymoon will be. I hope the rest of the year brought more fun, less stress. I hope you didn’t, for a moment, let this thing turn into something bigger than you two. I hope you kept perspective and focused on the marriage, and not the Big Fancy Day stuff. I bet you did all right. Atta girl! Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
This is it, hive! Only a handful of days before our wedding. By the time this post goes up, I’ll be in Rhode Island. Bags are packed, bottles of Pimm’s are carefully nested in cardboard boxes, and wedding items are meticulously organized for our venue coordinator. It really hasn’t hit me yet. But I am so excited about the week ahead. We’ve done 99% of the wedding grunt-work, so I’m hoping for a stack of fluffy books and trashy magazines, jogs in the sand, coffee on the deck, and nightly ice cream cones.
I have so much to blog about! But I don’t know what the Internet situation will be like at our beach house. I’ll try to pop in and say hello. Until then, a fitting quote from Family Guy:
“Like a bunch of renegade pilgrims
Who are thrown out of Plymouth colony.
We’re Rhode Island bound. Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
I had my hair and makeup trial yesterday and finally realized I’m getting married very very very soon. Something about putting a veil on your head makes it all seem very real and immediate. Hang on, I need to wrap my head around all this.
………
Okay. Onto the pics.
First, I had vague ideas about how I wanted my hair and makeup done. I was thinking a loose curly bun/chignon, maybe to the side.
After seeing my birdcage veil and pics of my dress, both the hairdresser and makeup artist agreed: a curly side bun and red lip! I never thought I could pull off red lipstick, but after trying a bold red and then a softer rose, we decided… bold red it was! Red lipstick is instantly sass-ifying!
Before, on a gloriously humid June day:
And the after, fully made-up and hair-did: Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
I am pretty darn frugal and am proud to say we’ve saved beaucoup bucks by being able to bring in our own alcohol. I am talking half the price of what the caterer would have charged! Here’s what we did:
Our kind caterer sent a list of the packages they offered, so we had a starting point of what to buy.
We used drink calculators from Evite, Party Source, and Perfect Party Planning to estimate amounts. (Note: our caterer is supplying insured bartenders and the mixers/garnishes.)
Mr. Potato Head and I visited the websites of the (tax-free!) New Hampshire state liquor stores we planned on buying from to gauge prices.
I compared prices at my local liquor stores here in Tax-a-chusetts. New Hampshire won.
I wanted $3 Trader Joe’s wine, but my wine-savvy Dad put his foot down and suggested some decent table wine brands instead.
Armed with a meticulous spreadsheet with amounts, prices, and name brands that Mr. Potato Head drafted, SistahChips and I headed forty-five minutes up the road to the Granite State.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
I like the idea of funny props. Do you know what I found in the trunk of my car yesterday? A plastic pirate sword, four yellow pom-poms, and a set of ping pong paddles. Finding funny props wouldn’t be a challenge, is what I’m saying.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
As a bride, I get the sense that I’m supposed to care about minutiae. And I do care about some of it. I care about vendors showing up on time, how dark my undereye circles are, and how much pizza I’ll be able to eat in a wedding dress. I care about dancing our first dance to Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” and my hair not being frizzy. I care—probably an unhealthy amount—about not inconveniencing anyone; I care about our guests have a rocking time (a good thing to care about).
But some things I can’t bring myself to care about, even if I try. This is a story about one of those things.
This might be a hot-button issue so I’ll prepare myself for nay-sayers. It’s okay. Difference of opinions is one of those things that makes our nation great, and keeps wedding planning interesting.
A couple days ago, Mr. Potato Head and I found ourselves in a men’s clothing store—let’s call it Svenn’s Beerhouse. We were looking for a white French-cuffed shirt for his suit.
“I’m assuming your dress is white,” said the salesman.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
A while ago, I asked you if we should attempt to make program fans, despite New England’s notoriously fickle (read: cold and rainy) Junes. In the end, we decided to forge ahead with it! Here’s how I (and I use “I” loosely) did it:
1. I found a template for program fans here. I chose a shape and used a very advanced computer program called Microsoft Word to type in the information. I used two classy looking (free) fonts from Dafont: “Jane Austen” and “Summertime”. And yes, I chose those fonts primarily because I liked their names.
2. With the Word file in hand (or in flash drive), I headed to my crafty mom and explained the idea: print the front on white card stock, print a back on patterned card stock, stick the whole thing together on a wooden ice cream spoon. I should explain that my mom loves this kind of stuff and I was not forcing projects on her, I promise. Read more…
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
The day after my first year of graduate school ended, I slept in, drank a large amount of coffee, and put on a wrinkled sundress. I had plans to go to Forever 21 with friends to buy non-cardigan clothes for my upcoming bachelorette party.
Instead, my BFF came over, took one look at me with my frumpy get-up and dark under-eye circles and announced, “Today is your wedding shower. So you might want to change.”
What a surprise! My lovely and sneaky friends and family had planned a book-themed shower and I, notoriously gullible/clueless, was none the wiser. I walked into a room filled with my favorite things: loved ones, stacks of books as centerpieces, sandwiches, cupcakes, mimosas, and New-Orleansy-themed music. Not a bad way to spend my first day of academic freedom!
My aunt even made book-shaped chocolates with quotes from some of my favorite writers. My crafty mom roped my friends into constructing adorable bookmarks to accompany the chocolate favors (not pictured).
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
I crafted. This is major. I even used a paint brush! And I wore a smock. A smock!
I ordered small canvas flags from Oriental Trading and a YAY stencil from Just Stencils. Then my mom had to teach me to stencil because I must have missed that day in third grade. Stenciling is no joke! But I got the hang of it.
Ms. Potato Chips, Boston/Narragansett RIAge and Occupation: 29, PhD StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Personal Trainer/Business Owner/Physical Therapy AssistantEngagement Date: January 1, 2009Wedding Date: June 2010Venue: The Narragansett TowersAbout Me: A semi-professional bookworm, if I could be a literary character I’d be a cross between Jo March and Jane Eyre, only better accessorized and much lazier. My hobbies include sleeping in, seasonal brews, running, Trader Joe’s, and watching Unwrapped and Good Eats with Mr. Potato Chips. I harbor an irrational fear of tulle, crafts, things that are fussy, and overuse of the phrase "Your Special Day". After a year or seven together, down the aisle we go, slouching toward adulthood and planning a Rhodie party with equal parts whimsy, cheer, and pizza.
