28 Days - We have some practicing to do.

Actually, we might wing it instead.

29 Days - Damn, I'm productive!. . . and tired

I am knocking tasks off my wedding to do list like it is going out of style!   

Tonight, we went to dinner at our good friends'--Andrew and Marisa-- house.  They have this little thing that Sam and I dream of called "a yard" that allows you to do crafty things,  like garden or spray paint wedding stuff.  I alternated between discussions of a potential trip to the Bahamas in the Spring (yes, please!), chasing my baby love, Mia, around, and spray painting the cupcake tower and some other wedding decor on their sidewalk.  With exception to Marisa's and my 30+ bug bites, the endeavor was a huge success.  (Mia also got to see four doggies, which sent her into baby heaven.)  

I also crossed programs off my to-do list last night.  I remember when my sister's wedding came around, the programs were kind of a panicked afterthought.  I wanted to avoid calling my eight months pregnant sister in tears for programs, so I knew I just needed to get them done. Of course I didn't want to pay for them either, so I spent an hour and a half last night searching for a free template for wedding programs.  Boring! This yawnfest plus my 10 hour day at work resulted in me falling asleep sitting up, but I am proud to say that once I woke up, I found a template and typed up the programs!  Once I get paper, we will be golden.

You may be thinking, if Rachel is falling asleep while sitting up, she may need more sleep.  I agree with you and have instituted a new 11 pm bedtime.  Of course, its 11:26 pm right now, so that shows you how well I do with bedtime schedules. . .

31 Days – One Month!!! But Who is Counting. . .

I find it incredibly surreal that our wedding is one month away. I have gotten a lot of messages asking me how I am feeling or, more specifically, if I am freaked out. In all honesty, I feel incredibly calm right now, which a lot of blogs call “Wedding Zen”. Although, I am curious whether or not this is faux-“Wedding Zen” and in a week I will be in a wedding panic, and the real Zen part won’t hit me until much closer to the wedding, if at all. In an effort to remain calm, I continue to remind myself that we have been planning this wedding since April of last year and have been an active bridesmaid in four weddings; I know what to expect during the month leading up to the wedding. 

That doesn’t mean my subconscious isn’t trying to mess with me. I had another dream about the wedding. This go-round it was one of those stereotypical “if it can go wrong, it went wrong” dreams. The flowers didn’t arrive. It rained cats and dogs. The iPod didn’t work. Rings disappeared. My friend, Janet, got a dog (that was a random part.) You name it. Things went wrong in this dream. I knew things would be fine when I woke up the next morning and told Sam about it.  Instead of worrying, we had a laugh and went back to sleep.

On a side note, we tried our wedding beer tonight.  It smells like a Belgian-style Trippel but tastes a little tart.  Sam seems concerned, but I'm not worried.  We have brewed before and we know that the flavors in the beer will continue to evolve in the bottle over the next month.  The brewers at the Shenandoah Brewing Company told us when we bottled to try our beer a month before we actually planned to serve it so we would notice the development of the flavors. I'm excited to toast our marriage in one month with our beer.  Its going to be one tasty toast!

41 Days - Sam - "That's practically a month."

Not quite, Sam, but close. :-)

We're zeroing on W-Day and I thought I would share some tidbits with you as the countdown continues.

• The room rate at the Hotel Lombardy has been decreased by $10.  The room rate is only available until August 16th, so book soon!  For guests that have all ready booked at the Hotel Lombardy, the hotel has ensured me that guests will be guaranteed the lower rate.  Go Team Munn-Batkins!
• The room rate at One Washington Circle Hotel is no longer available.  
• RSVPs are streaming in!  I was initially very concerned about the number of phone calls I would be making after the August 17th due date to see who would be joining us in September.  I have been pleasantly surprised, so thanks!  If you haven't responded yet,  there is still time; If you have, high-fives for you!
• My bridal shower and the Munn Family Reunion were last weekend, which I can only describe as overwhelmingly wonderful.  I'd like to thank my mama, my Aunt T, and my bridesmaids, Bridget, Michelle, Elise, and Heather for putting together a beautiful shower.  Also, a big thanks to my aunts, cousins, and friends that attended.  I was so happy to see you all and it really made me excited to see you again in September.  After my Bridal Shower, around 90 members of my family (my grandparents, their eleven children and their spouses, my cousins and their spouses, and now their children, too) got together to celebrate the 64 years my Gram and Boppy have been married and the legacy of love they have created with a local band, bouncy house, and beachside bbq.  I've said it before and I will say it again, I feel pretty blessed to have such an awesome family.  I also see where I get my party planning skills because it was a pretty kick-ass party. 
• And now for some final planning details

• Wedding musicians are expensive in this town!  I just got a quote from our church's organist that blew my mind.  First, he told me how much an organist would cost, which I was sort of prepared for.  The mind-blowing part came when he doubled that amount to include a cantor, who would sing only one song!  Imagine me sitting there with my mouth wide open in horror.  (See Right.) Seriously, I was nauseous after that phone call.  When Sam and I discussed the quote, we decided very quickly what was necessary and what wasn't for our day.  Bye-bye cantor.  The Responsorial Psalm will not be sung, but spoken by a loved-one, and most of our guests can get by on doing the Hallelujah without a prompt from an over-priced voice.  Anyhoo, that'll be a fun phone call. . .   
• My dress is no longer 18 inches too long!  The dress fitting process did not come without its own stress, specifically changes to the dress were made that I did not OK, but its over and it fits.   This has been another exercise in letting go of what I cannot control.
• I had my hair consultation a few weeks ago.  My 'do was beautiful. I then went out without an umbrella. . . that was a mistake.
• Sam is in the midst of planning the itinerary of our amended honeymoon - an East Coast brewery tour.  Paris is on hold until next year.  Instead, Sam and I, armed with our GPS, ipods, and rental car, will be making stops along the northeast to sample American and Canadian craft brews and taking in the start of Fall in New England.  Our beer glass cabinet is not going to know what hit it!
• I have a few more crafts up my sleeve, which involve the cupcake display, aisle decor, welcome bags, and some reception decor.  This will take various amounts of spray paint, ink, glue, and an ample dose of patience.  Wish me luck!