Quickly Approaching

It's been a while since I've posted, but for a while there really wasn't anything to do. However, now that everything is booked, Michael and I are starting to reconfirm everything, and starting to work on the final touches.

Ohhhh before I forget to mention this Christmas marked one year since we've been engaged. I could not believe how fast the time is going.

Currently we've been sending out the save-the-date cards, and working with our wedding designer. There is a lot that we have to get prepared since the day is quickly approaching. I'm getting so excited that the day is coming.

I've picked up my dress, and although I would love to go into detail about this, I know that Michael reads my blog. However, I did try it on the a little bit ago for some friends of mine, and I realized that I'm really going to need some help on the big day to get into is :S lol.

Other than that I'm taking it easy during the holidays, and plan on working my butt off once the new year comes around.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year :).

Best Wishes.

Rose

Only 303 days left to go!!!!

So I decided to check today how many days I've got left, and I can't believe that it's only 303.
Michael and I are so excited, and everything is almost set. :) The guest list is a bit bigger than we expected, but with and Italian-Guyanese wedding I guess that is to be expected.

Well to fill you in on what's going on, we are currently working on getting the save the date cards out. We've also started to look for someone who can design our wedding rings, as we're hoping for something non traditional at all. Michael has a designed picked out for what he would like mine, and his to be, so we're just looking for a top jeweler to create our vision.

I'm completely excited since this Friday we have a taste testing at MCC. I plan to take tons of pictures, and hopefully I'll remember to bring a note bad. The event is semi-formal, so not I'm going to end up stressing about something to wear. I don't know if I should wear pants, or a dress....I'm thinking though it might be too cold for a skirt or a dress. Hmmmm I guess we shall see.

Last weekend (Halloween), Lillian took some photo's for us to use for our save-the-date cards. We're hoping to get everything ready to go, and sent out by the first week of December. We've notified all our family, so this is just a formality.

Also, I've started with my make up artist getting my skin all ready for the big day. Who knew that you would have to work from the breasts up. She's completely awesome though, and I'm working now on correcting any blemishes for the big day. Our wedding will be shot in HD, so we both need to make sure that things are flawless or they will be picked up by the video cameras. I went for a consultation a few weeks ago, and I just loved the makeup. I think however that I won't detail that here, and just leave it as a surprise.

:) I'm so excited about everything. Now next year the big thing is to find a house and get everything all done for the wedding.

I shall keep you posted.

My Sweet Michael

I realized that I never posted what happened on our four year anniversary this year.

Well this is how the story goes. Michael and I decided to go back to our usual spot, which is the country manor (B&B) in Paris. We go there about twice a year, and we just have such a wonderful time.

Anyway, a few hours before we left to head to his parents I had some cleaning to do. I was getting ready to mop the floors, but I don't like doing it with my engagement ring off so I took it off and put it in his pocket. On our way up to Brantford I realized that I didn't have my ring on. I started to feel his shirt pocket, but he had changed shirts which meant my ring was at home. Michael looked at me with this sad face and said "You're not going to have your engagement ring on our first anniversary together as an engaged couple.", and I of course felt horrible. So Saturday Morning at 7 I got up and drove all the way back to Oakville to look for my ring. However, when I got to my home and I checked the hamper and there was no ring. I was freaking out, because my fiance tends to just fling his shirts around. I checked the vents on the floor, and under the bed....I scoured my entire home, to no avail.

Anyway, I went back to Brantford, defeated, but my mum promised that she would keep an eye out for it. So Michael's solution to the problem was that we just go and buy another one, but the point was that I wanted Mine.

Regardless of the tragedy that befell me, Michael and I still headed to the B&B. We were having such an amazing time just relaxing and being together. We were getting ready to head to dinner, when I had to go to the bathroom, and when I got out there he was on bended knee with my engagement ring. Michael re-proposed, and said everything that he was just too nervous to say the first time around. It was the most beautiful thing, and it was just so perfect. It was in a spot where we both are completely ourselves, and free, and it was just completely amazing.

So that is my fourth anniversary story.

I hope you liked it.

The Day is Quickly Approaching :)

Hello All,

So what else can I tell you about the wedding day this far. Things are going great :) , Michael and I are currently awaiting our interview with the designer that we just love. They're company is called FOS, and they have the elegance that we are looking for. Things are coming together to beautifully :).

I found the tuxes for the guys, and Tuxedo Royal has a sale until the end of the year which works out great. Of course the final decision is up to Michael, but I'm happy that I found it. He doesn't want there to be any tie's for the men at the wedding, but he is going to look sharp none the less.

Well this past weekend Lillian and I went to the bridal show at airport road, and I signed up to be on rich bride, poor bride. Nothing is definite yet, but I'll know by next year if I get to be on the show!!! I am completely excited about that. If we do get to be on it then we'll get a free wedding planner, and they'll be there on the wedding day as well. I am just completely ecstatic about it.

Also, my dear friend Lillian is going to be taking some pictures for our save the date cards. Michael and I originally thought about using our photographer (we still have to do the engagement shoot), but we want to actually do winter shots. We figured that we'll have nice fall wedding pictures, and we didn't want fall engagement pictures as well. So the first person that came to mind to do the pictures for us was Lillian, and she said yes which was great.

I have pretty much finalized my guest list, and now the daunting tasks of calling everyone and verifying addresses is quickly approaching. I'm not really looking forward to that, but it has to get done.

Well that is all that is going on at the moment ,but things are starting to heat up as the year count down is on.

Wedding Dress!!!!

Ok I know that it's been such a long time, but so much has been going on this summer.

So lets start this story off by taking you back to the August 1st weekend. So Lillian, Judy and myself decided to take a trip down to Grove City, PA to do some shopping. We had such a great time buying, and just generally hanging out, but we had bigger plans in store. On Sunday we headed down to Ohio to David's Bridal. Lillian found her wedding dress for an extremely reasonable price, and low and behold so did I. My mom had wanted to purchase the dress for me, so I decided to hold off on the purchase and wait for her to come with me.

So, this past weekend myself, my mom, and Heather (Michael's Mom), all headed back to Grove City for shopping and then to Ohio to the dress store. I put the dress back on for them to see, and there is not a doubt about it that's my dress. It was gorgeous, and flowing, and I have to wear a petty coat thing underneath, and I just love it. I completely fell in love with the dress, but it's a very flowing gown. So to ensure that later into the evening I'm able to dance and really not have to worry about anything else I bought two dresses :). The second one I decided will be for later in the evening, and when Michael and I have children I would have it made into Christening gowns for them. I figured that way I'm not being wasteful, and then I have something to pass onto my kids.

Anyway, to anyone that is getting married I must say that I highly recommend David's bridal in the states. I got everything from there for such a reasonable price, and the dress when I found it here was 4 times the price.

So that is the latest update in regards to the dress, but we also found our cake person and the design is coming along.

Michael and I wanted something very unique for our cake, and we have found someone who shares our vision. Her name is Isabelle, and she is just a superb baker. (http://www.enchanted-sweets.com/). We are just so excited to work with her, and the flavours we're having for the cake layers we're just so excited.

So what else is there left to do for us? Well Michael and I are finalizing the guest list, and also working on sending out save the date cards by Christmas. We're doing something a little different, and creative and we want to send them of as save the date/ Christmas cards so we're hoping to also have all that done very very soon.

Things are coming along so well, and we've just got a year to go. Come January I'm taking all my girls to the states to get their dresses as well, and I just have to find the right shoes and everything will be set. :)

I promise to keep this better updated now that the summer is out.

Ohhhh one other thing this summer Myself and Heather helped to throw a baby shower for some friends of ours. I found another amazing cake place in Toronto that I recommend. (http://www.yummystuff.ca/) the chocolate was moist, the vanilla was so sensual, and it was all for an extremely reasonable price.

Until next time.

Rose

Getting Movin'

So the wedding plans had slowed down a bit, but things are starting to pick up again. I've realized that once all the major things are done, it's pretty much a waiting game until the big day. However, right now things are completely finished so I shall fill you in on what's going on.

So at the moment Michael and are interviewing cake people again. We had two this week (Monday and Tuesday). On Monday we saw Isabelle, who I must say we were blown away with. If any of you reading this were at John's going away party she is the lady that did the chocolate sushi. So we went, and we tried eight different types of cake, all delicious, and all so very different. We had red velvet with a creme cheese filling, chocolate with a chocolate butter cream ganache, vanilla with a mango butter cream, and many more. Everything was so delicious, and her ideas for our unique cake were great. After Michael and I came out of that meeting we were pretty sure she was the one that we wanted to go with. She brought great ideas, and she is obviously really talented. We discussed with her actually doing mini cakes for us as bonbonieres, and we're seriously thinking about going in that direction. Michael and I don't really want to hand things out to people that are just going to sit on the shelf, so what better way to satisfy people other than to give them something to eat :).

On Tuesday we had another appointment with another person here in Toronto. We were less than impressed with this meeting, as the cakes really did 'wow' us, nor did the person we met with. She was a nice person, however I don't think that she should have been the one handling the meeting, as she did not seem to be very open. She didn't have many ideas to bring to the table, and we just weren't that impressed. The cake tasting was in the form of cupcakes (which I don't like) for the reason that you don't actually get to see what the layers of the cake will look like. Also, the cupcakes were on the drier side, and we had to pay $20.00 for the tasting.

At the moment Michael and are have one more person to see next week, and I believe that we've made our decision. If this other person blows us away as well then we might really have some stiff competition.....and Michael and I are going to have to put some thought into it.

Another thing that we're working on are save the date card. For all those people out there getting married, I found a great site. I was talking to a friend of mine, and the save the date card her daughter sent out was in the form of a magnet with the couples picture on it. When I saw it I loved the idea, and Michael and I found a whole bunch online. They happen to be not too expensive, and easy enough to do. So Michael and I are going to be sending save the date cards out by the end of summer...which also means we're going to have to finalize that list.

Things are really coming together and I'm just so excited. Oh we've also found a designer for our rings, and we're going to be doing that soon. :)

* If anyone would like more information on the cake person that we're most likely going with, or anything else that I've mentioned please just leave a message and I'll provide you with the information.*

The Cake Lady

So last week Thursday Jen and I went to Yorkdale Mall, and met up with a wedding cake decorator. She was nice, however I don't think that she is right for what Michael and I are looking for. She was a very nice person, but there were a few things that I wish that I could have seen. First off she works from home, which is fine, but it would have been nice to see her working environment to see how clean it is. I know that this might not matter to most people, but I'm really into seeing how clean the kitchen is of a place that is going to be serving me food. Michael and I saw the kitchen for the hall, and I was very impressed with how well maintained it was.

Anyway, she was great, but very limited to her cake designs. We are looking for something non traditional, and although she had some good ideas I don't think that she saw the vision that I did. I understand that people have different views, but she really didn't have anything to show off a non-tradtional approach to cake making.

Anyway, I have also realized that along with just the regular wedding stuff I am going to include in the blog personal wedding preparations. For starters my stylist for the big day is really amazing. She was the first make up artist that just didn't talk about my make up for the day. When I met with her we discussed evening my skin tone for the pictures which is something I never really thought about. So currently that is what I am working on with my face, all the way down to just above my breasts.

Currently I'm using a new milk cleanser at night, and a thicker cream to keep my face moisturized. Also I don't know if any of you have this issue but my right around my nails I tend to get dry skin. So nightly I put on a lemon salve by Watkins, and it's the best thing that I've ever used. My nails look great, and around them is nice and moist without the lifted skin.

So right now for the wedding we're working on the cake, decorator, and me. I know that I have a ways to go but I really want to make sure that my skin is in great shape for the big day.

Ohhh another thing I'm hitting the gym. It's sometimes hard to get motivated to go, but I enjoy it when I do go. So I shall keep you posted on the progress.

Smooth Sailing

So things are coming along. Michael and I are currently looking at wedding cake makers, and designers for the wedding. Today I have a meeting with one, and Jen will be accompaying me, if I like her the I'll take Michael to meet with her also. I think though for cakes that we're going to be seeing quite a few people since what we're looking for is not traditional at all.

Actually, an old elementary school friend of mine (Meghan), is a cake maker and I've asked to meet with her already. I think that it would be kind of neat having someone that I know to make the cake. We shall see though, because like I said it's not something that either of us are taking lightly.

On another more fun note Michael and I have REGISTERED. I've never had so much fun before. There was so much to see and so much to choose from, but it was just so awesome thinking that in a little while Michael and I are going to have our own home and a place to put all these things. It's just so great thinking that I can have dinner parties and have my friends come over. I also realize all the work involved with having our own home, but it's nice to see things start to come together. So we registered at William Ashley and Kitchen and Stuff Plus. Basically we did both because WA has more of our fine china, it also has an every day set but there items are a bit priceier. We chose K&SP because the things there are for every day use, and a cheaper in price. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I have a whole bunch of cards to send out with invitations.

The other thing wedding wise that I'm working on with Judy is a shower for a friend of mine. Her wedding is a month after mine, but we're brain storming ideas at the moment so we can start getting things on the move. I realize how early it is, but I want to make sure that nothing is over looked since things are going to be so close together. It's fun coming up with ideas for a shower, this is what I love to do.

Anyway, not much else is happening at the moment, but I will keep you posted on the cake people.

Until next time.

A Lunch Trip

So today happened to be a slow day at work and I decided to take a little stroll. I happened to come across a beautiful little wedding store, and so naturally I went in. They had so many nice dresses, and today I decided to try one on :). It is my first official time ever trying on a wedding dress, and I had an awesome time.

The lady in the store was lovely, and she was really helpful. I tried on three different styles, but I also realized how much I need someone to go with me next time. There was this beautiful dress that I wanted to try on but I couldn't get into it because there was no zipper, and I felt a little awkward to ask the lady. She would have helped but I didn't have that much time anyway. Next time Mommy, Judy or someone has to come with me.

It was really great trying on different dresses and seeing what it is that I want. I do realize that I'm going to go with straps, whether halter or just the double straps we shall see.

Anyway, right now Michael and I are working on getting someone to do the cake, and decorator. We're not looking for much in regards to a decorator but we're looking for chair covers and a few little odds and ends.

We also have everything signed with Bezick, and his amazing wife Helena is going to be doing the make up on the day of. Michael and I met them a few week ago at there home, and they are really the sweetest people that you've ever met. Helena is hilarious and just really a very easy person to be around, and the same for Bezick. They're warm and inviting, you feel totally at ease with them. Right now Helena and I are working on getting my complexion even since Michael and I have decided to go with high definiton filming. So basically our wedding video will be on Blueray :), but this also means that it will pick up all the little details.

Helena taught me some really great things, and they're working wonderfully. She's great at what she does, and she really makes everything fun. On Sunday I tried on my first set of fake eyelashes. They're weren't the whole eyelash type, but the little individual peices. I wore them for the whole day, and didn't even feel a thing I liked them a lot. I was a little nervous about wearing them because I never had, and I had no idea how my eyes would feel. Everything worked out great though and they're really durable. The plus side with having Helena, other than she's amazing at what she does it's also that she'll be there the whole day of the wedding to do touch ups so I don't have to worry about that.

So another thing knocked off the list, and I know I have a butt load to still do but things are coming together.

Until Next Time.

It's All Coming Together

Michael and I are really on our way. We've booked the photographer (Silvana), DJ (Veriation Music), Hall (MCC), Florist, Videographer (Bezick), and Church (St. Andrew's and St. Judes). 

So we've put down the deposits and all these things are ready to do for next year. With the DJ, we are currently listing songs as we go along, things that we would want played that night. We figured we have time since the list doesn't have to be given until next year. I had gone to see a few other DJs, and these guys were the best. They're laid back, but very prepared. They were very down to earth, and knowledgable. I had gone to see (with Jen) another DJ service named Good Vibration. The guy that we delt with was just too pushy, and not someone I would want to deal with in the future. 

The Photographer is Silvana and she is so sweet. She knows her work inside and out, and she has the best albums and a very diverse portfolio. I had gone to see about six different photographers, and I had spoken to dozens, but she was the best. She had done the wedding of a friend of mine and that is how I saw her work. 

Bezick is an awesome guy, and probably the nicest person I've met. I ended up having my meeting with him at Starbucks, a nice neutral place to get to know one another and it was phenominal. We talked for hours and he was just so down to earth. He was really someone that I would not mind having there filming my every move on our big day.

Antoniette is the florist and she is great. I got her number from Michael's aunt, and I was very impressed with her work and the price that she gave me as I stated in my earlier post. 

I'm so excited that everything is coming together. I'm going to start looking for my dress, just to see what is out there at the moment. :) There is still a bunch of little things to do but as of right now everything is going ok. 

Michael and I are looking at houses, but we aren't buying until next year. I'm just looking to see what is out there and what we can get. Everything is coming together, and people keep telling me to enjoy this time as it's going to fly by. 

My next task is looking at a decorator, cake, make up and hair stylist. I'm getting these people to do my makeup and then I'm taking a picture to see what it is that I really like. I'm trying to go with someone that I can build a relationship with. I have the person who will be doing the nails (Roseanna), and she awesome. I go to her now for my waxing needs, and she'll come to the house the day before the wedding and do the nails of all the girls. 

Well I will let you know what is going on as more things happen. :) It's getting closer. 

Roses and Lillies and Daisies OH MY

Well yesterday Aunt Ange (Michael's Aunt) and I went to see a florist that happens to be a family friend. In truth before going I had give some though but not a lot to flowers. I knew I wanted them, and I knew how much they generally cost, but I didn't think about them too much.

Anyway, we went and we first started to go through the flowers needed:

1. Bridal Bouquet
2. Bridesmaids Bouquet (X8)
3. Groom's Boutonniere
4. Groomsman Boutonniere (X8)
5. Flower Girl (Basket with Flowers)
6. Ring Boy Boutoniere
7. Mother's Corsages (X2)
8. Father's Boutonniere (X2)
9. Grandfathers Boutonniere ( X2)
10. Grandmothers Coursages (X3)
11. Large flower arrangement on Pillars for Church (X2)
12. Pew Flowers
13. Large Arrangements for Bridge home
14. Flower petals decorated outside of brides home
15. Large Arrangement for Groom home
16. Table Centre pieces (X43)
17. Head table flowers
18. Cake table flowers
19. Arrangement in Female bathroom of hall
20. Throwaway bouquet for Bride

So anyway this is everything we're getting, and a few more perks. So as we were sitting these going through the details I was starting to sweat a little. The flowers that were chosen are all roses, and the flowers for the parents and grandparents are Orchids. So anyway as I was sitting there sweating she finally said "lets see what the damage is", and could you believe that this only came up to $5000.00!!!!

Her name is Antoinette and she runs a flower warehouse. Basically she supplies flowers to flower stores, and she does the wedding business on the side. She also gave me a beautiful bouquet, and you could smell the flowers such a distant, and they're so fresh. I instantly fell in love with the colour of our flowers. Everything about the flowers are so vibrant. She has been providing Michael's family with flowers for a number of years, and the designs that she comes up with are gorgeous. I don't want to give too much away about the centre peices, but you shall see soon enough.

So now another thing is done :). Also, next week Michael and I are going to be going to sign everything for the photograper and DJ. I'm so excited.

So right now all the major things are pretty much taken care of, and now it's time for all the minor details. It's time to start revamping my lists and getting ready to get everything else together.

I shall keep you all posted.

Until next time.

DJ, Photographer and The Church (for now)

Well good day everyone, so I've got some more news for you. So since my last post Michael and I have booked a church. Upon waiting for a meeting with St. Judes we stumbled onto St. Andrew's. It's this beautiful little church tucked away on the inside of Stavebank off of Lakeshore. So right now Michael and I are all set to be married there September 11th 2010. (http://www.standrewsportcredit.ca/) Please feel free to visit the website to get some more information about the church. I will tell you my experience though. I went there not really expecting anything, and I ended up meeting with Rev. Andrew. To say the least I was blown away with the people, they actually make me want to go to church again. I am honestly thinking about going because of the sense of community I felt amongst the people, and the way they just welcomed you in. Nothing was pushed upon us, and we have full range of our wedding. We are able to write our own vows, and we are able to see what the Reverend will be saying before hand in case there are things that we would like added. Michael and I were both very happy with this church. It was built in the 1920's and has such a beautiful character, I fell in love when I saw it.

So now for section 2 the DJ. Michael and I went to see the guys at Veriation music, and we were very pleased. They had everything that we were looking for, and then some. We will be having a bongo player which i must say makes me very happy. We also get full range on our music, and i am happy with what they have to offer. For what they're charging Michael and I both feel that it is reasonable, and a great deal. We are able to give them lists as to what we want played, what we don't want played, and we can also submit songs that they might not have. We're just really happy with them, and the guy was just great. (http://www.veriationmusic.com/veriation/index.html) When I was at the bridal show we got a CD and DVD of there stuff, and I was happy with what they had to offer. So for you guys I will need some help coming up with some songs :), so please contribute.

Part 3 the Photographer. OK I love her, that's all there is too it. I met with her tonight, and I've found the one. We went to her studio which is the first floor of her home, and it was just breath taking. Everything that she had to offer, and the uniqueness of her photo's....I was just so happy (http://www.impulsephoto.com/). On the day of there will be two photographers, and one will be with Michael for the start of the day, the other will be with me. She is a little expensive, but I personally think that she is worth every penny. I had gone with Jen to see a few others, and while they were good none of them struck me like she did. Her name is Silvana, and the work she does is just phenomenal. Please check of the link that I posted above for her. She does more than just weddings, and I'm thinking that I might get her to do a few shots of the family for my mothers birthday this year. I really love her work, and she is someone that I can see myself using in the future.

So guys there is where I am at right now in regards to the planning. Oh, and I'm going to be checking out flowers tomorrow. I know that this is VERY early, but I figured it doesn't hurt to price them.

Wedding plans are coming along great, and I'm happy with the way things are going. After this stage is done I just need to get the Videographer and then I can relax for a bit. I know there is a ton of others things to do but all the big things will be out of the way.

I'll let you know how the flowers go. :)

WE FOUND A CHURCH....sorta :)

Hello guys :),

Sorry that it's been a while since I've last posted but things have been a little hectic. The wedding plans are coming together, and as you can see from the title we have found a church. However there is a catch to this church finding, it is sort of a back up. Michael and I have a few more churches to look at, but the one that I really like at the moment is St. Jude's in Oakville.

The church that we have booked right now is St. Dominic's, which is located at Cawthra and Atwater. It's a beautiful church, and it's been a while for a bit, but it's not the one that I have my heart set on.

So I'll give you some details on St. Jude's. It was founded in 1839 by Rev. Tom Greene, but the church main structure was not constructed in Oakville until 1883. It is a beautiful church with stained glass windows, an amazing garden, and of course a bell tower. It's a beautiful church, and the congregation is wonderful.

Why are we deciding to go Anglican? Well here is a bit of the story. We don't mind being married in a Catholic church since I am Catholic, however the issue is that we are not allowed to write our own vows. Now if Michael and I don't find another church, or if are not accepted into St. Jude's then we'll be married at St. Dominics. It's just a let down because writing our own vows is very insturmental to us. We have an appointment with St. Jude's in a week, and then we shall see where we stand. This is such an important part, and we want to make sure that we get someone we like and that we're comfortable with.

So as of right now the Church situation is going well. We're also working on the DJ, photographer, and videographer. We have appointments set up pretty much every day for the next two weeks with meetings to see all these people. They're all so great, and I've found 3 photographers that I really love, they've a bit pricey, but to me it's realy worth it.

At the moment I have nothing to report in the way of a DJ. We've found several, and the good thing is that they will play a variety of music. Michael and I however have started on putting song lists together of music that we're interested in, and what would be good dinner music. I want full control over what music is played. I know that may sound bitchy but I would like to make sure that the proper atmosphere is set during dinner, and that the right music is being played.

Everything overall is going so well. Michael and I are so happy, and I'm enjoying planing everything. You should see the amount of questions that we have for eveything. We just want to make sure that we're asking the appropriate things, and we want to make sure that we're getting out money's worth.

I know this post wasn't that interesting, but I promise I shall have more the next time.

OHHHH I forgot something.

So here is the story, we went to St. Dominics for the meeting and we met with Father Noel. He was an older priest, but he seemed very nice. So we had to provide him with information, but instead of handing it to us to fill out we had to shout for him to hear us. Well that doesn't bother me becuase I understand, what bothered me is when we told him the wedding date. He wanted to know that date and we told him September 11th 2010, and he gave us a dirty look. He then proceeded to ask us if we were aware of what date that was?
So Michael being Michael was not happy and then said to the priest yes we do, but basically it's another day in the year. I mean my dear Jennifer is born on that day :) , and I know it's a sad day for a lot of people, but the truth is people die everyday.
Are we to stop living or celebrating on a day because people die? Is there any day left then in the year where people can get married? I understand it's a difficult day for most, but for me the difficult day comes a week later when my grandmother passed away.
So that was our little issue with the Priest, but overall he was okay.

The First of the Church Interviews

Well Michael and I had our first interview with a priest today. We went to St. Catherine of Sienna located at Hurontario and The Queensway, and it was okay. The priest was nice enough, and there really won't be a problem with Michael and I getting married under the Roman Catholic church even though he is not Roman Catholic.

There are a few things that he has to do though. Michael is going to have to sign a petition basically stating that he will forever assist me in following my faith, and that he will also support with the baptism of our children and there roles in the church. Michael and I had talked about this before, and he doesn't have a problem with agreeing to these rules, but I don't think we're going to be picking this church.

I know this might sound a little shallow, but even though the priest was nice his english was horrible and that is very important to me. On the day of my wedding I want to be able to understand what the priest/minister is saying to us, because if we can't then it's all pretty useless in my eyes.

There are a few things that we will have to do, like get a letter from my parish (St. Peter's and Paul) allowing me to be married in a different Catholic church. A new baptism certificate from the church, and also a letter that Michael will have to sign. This is just the first stage and does not include the classes that will have to be taken later.

Also, we found that the priest was a little closed minded. I understand Catholocism is his chosen faith, but the way he was referring to inter faith marriages made it seem like they were impossible to have. I mentioned to him that my parents are of different religions (leaving out the part that they're divorced) and that they raised my brother and I in both until we chose. He made it very clear to us that if we chose to get married there that when we have kids they have no choice, and that we're chosing to raise them in the Catholic faith no if, ands or buts. To say the least I was not impressed with this mindset, and it in part turned Michael and myself off.

The other thing was that the Priest was late for our appointment. It wasn't like he had a good excuse, but he was in his office with the door locked, and was not answering his phone or the knocks on the door. We waited for about 10-15 minutes before he answered the door. We also were not he only ones outside his door, but three volunteers were there before us waiting. They were complaning about how this happens every week, and they don't understand why they don't listen to them to leave the door open. I was not impressed with this, and was disappointed with the lack of consideration the church was showing.

So although I think the church is beautiful, and it sits 700 people with ample parking at the moment it's a big no for this one. Perhaps things will change once we see a few more and compare, but until then this one is going to the back of the list.

* Sidenote: Did you know that there is this rule when interviewing for church you should not mention that you have booked the reception site first. This makes the priest upset like you are chosing your faith second.
Another reason that we were unhappy with this priest is that he kept referring to the people who ran the recption halls as evil since they do not give you your deposits back. We just thought it was a little.....I guess strange. Like I said previously he was a nice man, but I don't think that he was right for us.
Also, another thing that I've been thinking about more and more is how can someone who can never be married successfully council me in marriage. I'm not saying they're not educated, but with this minister everything was solved with prayer. Even though I still pray a relationship takes a lot of hard work, and even if a prayer might help (if you believe in that), it takes two people to work it out.

Okie doke until next time :)

The Church Part

Well Michael and I have started the second part of our wedding adventure, and that is picking the church. For some this is easy since they already belong to a congregation, however for Michael and I that is not the case.

I'm "Roman Catholic", the quotes are there for the simple reason that I'm not exactly practicing. I've been baptized in other Christian denominations but I won't confuse matters. As for my husband to be, well the case is that he has never been baptized, he's a clean slate, so to speak. We could get married in the church that I was baptized in (St. Peter & Paul's), but I'm not sure if that is the route that we want to take.

At the moment we are looking at a beautiful church in Toronto called St. Michael's. It is the oldest church in Toronto, and it is gorgeous, and to be married with all that history around....I just can't find the words to describe it. However, it is further that what Michael and I had originally agreed upon, so we shall see what happens in regards to that.

We have contacted about six different churches, and we'll be conducting interviews shortly to see what each church has to offer, and how we think they'll do in regards to preforming our ceremony. If we decide to go Catholic then we'll have to do that one year seminar thing, which I must say that I'm a bit nervous about. I'm sure that Michael and I will do fine, but I haven't been surrounded with that much church in a while.

On a none church related matter, Michael and I are also conducting interviews for our DJ. We did win $700.00 off of one at the bridal show, but I also want to see what else is out there. We currently have a few appointments set up to see what each one has to offer. Most are accommodating to our multicultural wedding, which I am really thankful for. I'm so excited to see how the music styles will mix.

So much to do, but not over whelming at all. Michael and I have set up questions again to ask the minister/priest when we go, so we're prepared. At this point I think that things are going well. We're moving ahead, and plans are underway. I've set time lines up for myself as to when everything should be completed (the big things anyway).

So as of right now there is where I stand. I'll keep you posted as to what happens next.

*Side note:

I told my dad that I wanted my brother to walk me down the isle (another big hurdle in the wedding planning). It did not go well for a whole other set of reasons, and I haven't heard from him since. I don't really know what I'm going to do, but I have told him that Michael and I will take him out either before or after the wedding to celebrate. I really don't know what else to do.

The First Steps

Hello all. As you can see this is a blog dedicated to the planning of my wedding. Michael and I have just started the wedding process, and as we were going through the picking the venue stage I decided that it would be nice to have somewhere to share my experiences.

So first thing is first The Venue. Michael and I saw multiple venue's before we settled on the Mississauga Convention Center. It's really a beautiful place, and they are tailoring to our needs, which is great.

As we started our looking processes Michael and I created a four page questionnaire to ask each venue. They consisted of the usual things in regards to parking and food, and they consisted of questions that were not so usual but pertained to our wedding.

I think though that we fell in love with the MCC right away. It had everything we wanted in regards to size, and elegance. They are catering to our Italian/Guyanese cuisine, and that is something that Michael and I are most happy about. We are of different back grounds and we want our wedding to reflect that. I think that it will be a nice meld of cultures, and it's really exciting being able to do that.

So today we went and put down our deposit, so it's official September 11, 2010 Michael and I will be getting married. We're both excited, but right now we still have a few more big things to get out of the way before I can start thinking about the smaller details.

Our next search is for a church. I have created a three page questionnaire that I will be asking every minister/priest until we find somewhere we're happy with.

Ohh I also got a call today that we won $3000.00 off a photographer/videographger. I entered into a few contests when I went to the bridal show... :) I am very happy about that.

Now it's time for me to go, but I shall keep you up to date on the wedding planning.