December to-do's

December is a crazy month every year. Try throwing in a long list of wedding to-do's on top of holiday shopping, parties and get-togethers. December is our 9-month mark. Seems like we have a whole lot of time...to a procrastinator like me at least. But I'm trying to plan this wedding the right way, and suffocating through anxiety attacks because I have a zillion things to do is not where I want to be a week before the wedding. I'm acting as my own wedding coordinator right now so I have to make sure we stay on track and on budget.


So here's our December list of things to-do!

1. Pay the deposit to our photographer.

2. Finalize menu and reception budget. (We already had our tasting so we already know what we're serving. Mmmm...Chocolate Mousse Cake...drool)

3. Search for a baker. (We're not serving a large wedding cake since our menu already comes with cake, but we want a smaller one. We're looking for a 10" round cake that would probably just feed the wedding party. Kinda like a prop for the photo. This was a compromise we can live with especially since it saves us hundreds dollars on just flour and sugar.)

4. Confirm DJ - My cousin offered to DJ for us at a discounted price. We just need to confirm the price and the details with him.

5. Bridesmaid dresses and Groomsmens' tux - More on this later

6. Invitation wording - We have our DIY invitation kits from Michaels. Now it's time to decide on our invitation wording.

7. Florist - So we've decided to do our own centerpieces and bridesmaids' bouquet. I've contemplated doing my own bouquet, but I have a vision of the kind of bouquet I want. I don't know if I can pull it off with my limited crafting skills, so I thought I'd research how much my tropical/Asian inspired bouquet would cost me.

8. Print Save the Dates - Our STD's our done! My friend finished retouching them and now they're ready for the printers (another comp. favor from friends)

9. Gather addresses from our guests.

10. Book retreat - Catholic churches require a form of marriage preparation called Pre-Cana. While some churches require a series of classes, St. Elizabeth requests that we participate in a weekend retreat.

11. See financial advisor - It can be a touchy subject, especially since our financial situation is pretty meager right now. But it has to be done, especially for our future.

12. Finish website - we decided to go with Justproposed.com. Love the slideshow and music background. Looks professional and fun!

13. Ideas for centerpieces and decorations - My fiance and I are headed to the LA flowermart and chinatown for inspiration on our DIY projects. Exciting!

14. Look into hotel rates and transportation - We're looking into a renting weeklong accommodations for the Pasadena area. My fiance lives in the area, but he doesn't have extra space and we have folks in our wedding party who are coming in from out of town. As for transportation, no limo service or fancy car for us. Well, my mom and dad own a mercedes. That's as fancy as we're gonna get. otherwise, We're renting a minivan. It's helpful for transporting materials.

15. Honeymoon - What are the cheapest deals to St. Thomas?

16.Hair/Makeup - I do have a connection to the Paul Mitchell School...while I might be able to get a great deal, there's a drawback. The stylists will be students and you won't know who you're going to get until the day of. So no hair or makeup trial. Not a good thing, especially since we're running on a tight schedule the day of.