Many Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who came to our wedding! It was a great time, and we really appreciated celebrating with everyone. Thank you notes are on the way! We were so lucky to have such great family and friends to spend the day with, and the weather was happily very cooperative.

On a side note: the bicycle bells on the table were not party favors--only the massage creams were. We only have three bells left. I hate to ask it, but if you took a bell, and you are still reading this blog (and you live in the area), we would really appreciate it if you would please get them back to us. We were going to use them for the post-wedding reception this coming Sunday (October 11th). 3 are not enough for what the plan was.

Thanks much! Other posts about the reception to follow soon!

Notes for Intrepid Guests!

1) DRESS IN LAYERS. We do not know what the weather is going to do, so be prepared.
2) HAVE A HOTEL ROOM. We make no promises at this point & a fishing contest is going on this coming weekend.
3) BRING A CHAIR FOR THE PICNIC--unless you are ok with picnic tables.
4) BRING A BLANKET FOR THE PICNIC, if you are worried about said tables schmuutzing up your nice clothes.
5) FIGURE ON THE PICNIC ENDING ABOUT 4 PM. We all will appreciate a little downtime.
6) SIT WHERE YOU WANT AT THE RECEPTION. Only the wedding party will have a designated table--it will be the BIG one at the Alley.
7) BE PREPARED FOR FUN! Remember, this is a pretty informal affair, despite my dress, and we want everyone to just sit back, relax, & enjoy a great celebration!

Feel free to call RJ or myself with questions before the weekend. We are going up to Ashland on Thursday to sort of settle in & get our proverbial ducks in a row. We are looking forward to seeing you all!!!

I HAVE A DRESS!

Need I say more?! Right size, color, & style. Yahoo! Now I just need to get a hold of the slightly flaky dressmaker...

The Final Countdown

Should I start singing a Def Leppard song now? That's what it feels like. Only 2 weeks left. The dress FINALLY got to Ashland, and they turned around & shipped it right to me. I should have it very shortly after the holiday weekend. Now I just have to let the gal who does the alterations know & get an appointment set for that. But, we have brats & curds all lined up; we just need buns, chips, & some drinks!

The balloons are ordered & will be ready for pick up on Friday the 18th. The cakes are all set up. I should call the flower shop & make sure I can get those on the 18th. The biggest thing left is the lady who is doing our guest scroll. I still have concerns about her; but maybe that is just a little stress leaking out.

On a happier note, RJ & I got a waiver from the state of Wisconsin; this means no 5-day waiting period, so we do not have to drive to Superior before the wedding to apply for the license. We can just drive up on the 17th with our passports & driver's licenses, wait 20-30 minutes, & have a license for Saturday. Hooray! The $25 extra to do this is worth it, since it would cost us about twice that (or more) in gas to drive up to Superior & back--and that's not counting the over 4 hour round trip drive.

RJ's mom is coming in tonight, and will be around until the 13th; then off to her Michigan relatives until wedding time, at which point she will drive through the U.P. to get to northern Wisconsin with them. By then, only 6 days to wedding bells. Eek. I just want to have one heck of a fun party!

3 Weeks Left...Seriously??

Can I panic yet? Oh, I am all OK with getting married--no worries about a runaway bride. However, we still have to get the license from Douglas County. My dress is either on a plane in-country, or in China getting ready to board for western ports; I won't know until later this week, if I am lucky. The lady who is supposedly doing alterations hasn't emptied her stupid voicemail, so I can't get a hold of her to let her know what is going on with said dress. I have yet to do the programs. I am short a bit of ribbon for favors. I need to wrap a few gifts & pick some other stuff up. Did I mention the school term started this week, so I am now teaching full time again?

And let's not forget that RJ's mom will be coming here at the end of next week before she heads to Michigan. Then his dad & step mom will be here the day before we head up to Ashland. In the meantime, I need to start calling places regarding picnic food, and should probably find a place to put the brats & curds for the night before the wedding. Oh yeah...and balloons. Let's not forget the balloons.

If I were the way I used to be, I'd probably be a little strung out right now. However, for some weird reason, I am not in a panic...yet...Talk to me in about 10 days, and I will let you know where I am at. I think my head is just still in bike racing mode, and that I will be freaking out come September 14th. Help???

GUEST: PLEASE TAKE NOTE!!

Folks: This is a VERY important post. I have had a call from the River Rock Inn, asking me if I could "unblock" the rooms. Since only 2 people from the wedding party have made reservations there, I told them OK. Also, the rooms at the Best Western are going to open up here SOON.

Why is this so important? Because if you have not made reservations, you NEED to do so soon. I know there is still a month to go; however, I have been informed that, not only is the Fat Tire Festival going on down by Cable (and don't kid yourself: people stay 40 miles away in Ashland for that), there is also a Bass fishing contest going on in the area the weekend of our wedding.

This means HOTELS WILL FILL UP FAST IN THE NEXT 4 WEEKS!! Yes, there are a number of hotels in the area. However, if you want to be able to pick and choose--and not potentially spend a fortune, sleep in a "dive," or have to stay in the Duluth area--it would be best to get a room ASAP... as in, maybe before-this-coming-weekend soon.

We have 57 confirmed adults, including all the wedding party, with 3 smaller children. This is a total of 60 people. There are a few I am still waiting on, so it could be up to 70 people. I am going to guess maybe 65. It is a mix of my family, RJ's family, our mutual friends, and our "biking family". Heck! We might be able to introduce you all to one another! (no silly name games, though...)

Things are coming together nicely. It sounds like I should (knock on wood) have my dress in early September. Yea! The party favors for guests are pretty much done, the Deepwater knows how many to plan for, the party music is all lined up, and various small things are all set. Hooray! Let the count-down begin. Tick-tock, Tick-tock...

Rings are In, but Waiting on Others

We have rings!!! (Pics above...) It is amazing that Canadian Customs let them through so fast, considering how long we had to wait for my engagement ring. However, maybe they consider wood less of a "threat" than metal? They are gorgeous--almost unreal, in how smooth they are. Mine is not as wide as I would have hoped, but then again, I don't know as I would have wanted a really "chunky" ring; my engagement ring is big enough, and is staying on the left hand. The wedding ring will be on my right, European style, since the wood should not be clacking against the metal. I think I will feel more balanced this way...

But, the dress is still not in (no big surprise, as it has only been three weeks); also, I am trying to get the person who is doing our guest scroll to contact me. It is like I have to constantly be the initiator with this lady. Maybe it is just me, but my understanding is that is not the way to run a business!

The flower shop knows precisely how many corsages are needed, and I need to check in with the party supply place about balloons. My friend Charlee is all set up to decorate, and we have a general idea of how to layout the reception place. Please be aware that this is NOT going to be a traditional "head table" type of set up. The room fits about 80, but it is not your typical rectangular room. There is a patio outside--upstairs--and the rest of the upstairs is like an L-balcony.

We have heard from most people, but we really need you to let us know your plans, if you haven't yet. Our reception place will need to know about how many people to cook for, and we need to know how many people to plan for, for the picnic.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate! It has been quite cool in the northern Wisconsin area, so plan accordingly. We are hoping we get the odd 80-degree day, but we are also not holding our breath. We would be happy with sunny and dry.

It is hard to believe we are only 5-1/2 weeks away from this event. We are really starting to get excited for an awesome celebration!!