We finally did it! It took several years, two children, and another on the way, but I am happy to report that Bojan and I finally tied the knot!

I had mentioned in a previous blog that we wanted to get married at city hall. What I discovered months ago was that the city no longer performs ceremonies. They are re-introducing this in about a month (go figure!) so we had to figure out what alternative arrangement we could make for the ceremony. I never wanted anything too big and the thought of saying our vows in front of everybody we know made me absolutely nervous. So in the end, we found an officiant with Kettle Creek Weddings and last Thursday, went to her home to get married. Her husband, also an officiant, and son, served as our witnesses. It was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

This past Saturday, friends and family gathered in our home for hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, wine we had made ourselves, and karaoke. It was such a blast and everyone agreed that it perfectly suited us. The weather was perfect, kids had fun and the food was delicious. The party lasted until 3 a.m. for some brave souls, but I think it is safe to say that everyone had a good time.

To my fellow bloggers and future brides, be sure to enjoy your day. I know I did.

Thank you to everyone who has read my posts and commented. I really do appreciate all of the support.

Cheers!

As we get closer to our wedding, I find myself reflecting on the last few months of wedding planning. It has been a thoroughly enjoyable process and I wanted to pass on my words of wisdom to other brides-to-be.

1. Be True to You

It might be easy to let others (i.e. in-laws) sway you into having a different kind of wedding than you want, but don’t let this deter you or change the wedding you envisioned for yourself. Sure, some decisions might be changed along the way as you weigh your different options but it is important to let your wedding reflect you and your future hubby. It doesn’t matter if you have an intimate or extravagant affair; at the end of the day, you will look back with fond memories if your wedding was everything YOU wanted and more.

2. Make Sure You’re Ready

I think cold feet is a really silly notion. If you are about to marry the man/woman of your dreams, I don’t think you should have feelings of doubt, nervousness, etc. about the upcoming nuptials. In fact, you should be ECSTATIC that you will be spending the rest of your life with someone you care about so deeply. I can honestly say that I am beyond over the moon at the thought of marrying Bojan. Of course we have lived together for the past five years, have two kids (another on the way!), and have dated for 10 years but the spark is still there and we still feel as deeply for each other as we did in the beginning. This is just another step in our lifelong relationship and we really do look forward to growing old with one another.

3. Find Somebody Who Makes You Laugh

Life is full of obstacles. It is so easy to become stressed and depressed. This can cause such damaging consequences to health, which cannot be easily repaired. Find somebody who makes you laugh and look at the brighter side of things. I feel so lucky to have found someone who approaches everything so calmly, makes reasonable decisions and who I can talk to about anything (minus girly issues). He is supportive of everything I do and aside from giving me immense joy, has given me two beautiful children and a life I never imagined for myself. We do not consider ourselves wealthy by any means, but we know we have things that other people can only dream of. We are so lucky to have found this at such a young age.

Good luck to all married couples to be!  I look forward to hearing all your lovely stories!

Courtesy mybearsshop.com.

Only a few more weeks to go until the big day!  I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot over the last few weeks but one major thing still left to think about—the groom’s gift!

Because Bojan and I have been together for so long, we often don’t bother getting each other major birthday or Christmas gifts. But our wedding day is totally different. While I know that Bojan will appreciate any gift I give to him, this is the time to get him something special that he’s always wanted. Unlike Christmases and birthdays which come and go every year, a wedding is a once in a lifetime event.

I am a firm believer in spending money on experiences rather than material things. Some of the best times we’ve shared are when we’ve travelled! To this end, I’ve narrowed my gift down to a few choices (don’t worry, Bojan won’t be reading this!).

The first is a weekend event with the motivational speaker Tony Robbins. I know, I know, sounds completely cheesy but a few years ago, Bojan attended a workshop and found Tony to be very inspiring. A session is being held in New York in November and although the price is a bit steep, I know that he has wanted to try something like this for awhile. Not to mention I think he will gain quite a bit from attending the workshop which will benefit all aspects of his life.

Bojan is a huge sports fan (what guy isn’t?) but he’s never been to an NFL game! Football is his favourite sport to watch but with no teams in Canada (CFL doesn’t count), he’d have to travel down to New York, Detroit or Buffalo. I know he would gladly make the trek to any of these cities so he could watch a live game and this option is much more affordable than the first.

Photography courtesy NBC.com.

Finally, the third option is a couples-only weekend getaway to Niagara Falls. Yes, we can do this at any time (and we have done it before!) but it never grows old. Plus, the Falls are beautiful and there are always plenty of things to do while there. This gift is more of a gift for the two of us and since this should technically be a gift for the groom, one of the other two options might be a better choice.

No matter the gift, I plan on writing him a short note telling him how excited I am to become his wife and reminding him again why I’m marrying him!

What are you planning on getting for your hubby-to-be?

On top of the many obstacles that come up when planning a wedding, Bojan and I just discovered we are expecting another baby! It is such an exciting yet overwhelming time in our lives so I am glad we planned for a small backyard affair. Planning and organizing a full-blown wedding would be ridiculously stressful!

This past weekend we had a chance to make our wine selections for service at our reception and as gifts for our guests. The process was about 20 minutes in total and didn’t involve too much outside of the selections themselves but it’s one more thing off the list of things to do! We will be returning to the store in about five weeks’ time to see how our beverages turned out (although it’s too bad I won’t get to enjoy it until after the baby arrives!).

The biggest concern I have before the big day is what I will wear. I have been putting this on hold as I’m not sure how big I will be and what will be most flattering. At this point, my only option is going with something from a maternity store. I’ve searched within my city but nothing has quite done it for me.  So I’ve turned my search to the Internet. I haven’t narrowed down the choice completely but initially these three numbers spoke to me.

The first is a knee length fuchsia chiffon dress with a ruffled neckline. It’s the most cocktail party-ish and for me, the most interesting out of the three choices.

The second is a gold silk tunic dress. This one is a bit more formal but I think it might be the most flattering given how much I may be showing in June.

The third is a ruched tank dress by Isabella Oliver available in cobalt blue, fuchsia or black. It is definitely the most form fitting and sexiest out of the choices (hey, it’s even been seen on Angelina Jolie and Heidi Klum!).  I’m not sure I LOVE this one but it has definitely made the short list.

What do you think is the best choice?

1. Fuchsia dress with ruffled neckline

2. Gold silk tunic dress

3. Form fitting ruched tank dress

For our first date in forever(!), Bojan and I have planned some much needed time to enjoy each other and discuss the wedding. Yes, it’s true—when you have children, it’s very difficult to stay connected. Thus, the focus of our date will be to reconnect and enjoy an activity pertaining to the wedding.

One of our dear friend’s parents own a wine making store. This will not only give us the opportunity to prepare refreshments for the reception but also to make a special brew for the guests as a wedding favour. The process can be broken down into two phases:  1) Decide on the wine and add ingredients to the fermentor (a total of 15 minutes), and 2) In about four to eight weeks, bottle the prepared wine (about 45 minutes to an hour). The price is modest and includes bottles, corks, seals, ingredients, and personalized labels. With our busy schedules, this project is perfect as it is not overly time-consuming. Best of all, we are doing it together.

We’ve managed to knock a few other things off our list of things to do this past week:

- Marriage license applied for
- Unofficial wedding invites (we’ve personally told all our guests to mark June 19^th on their calendars)
- Confirmed babysitters for the kids

There’s still more to be done but each day gets us closer and closer to our big day.  I am enjoying every moment of it so far (Bojan, maybe not so much, but he’s a guy!).

For all brides-to-be out there, what part of the planning are you enjoying most?

Photography courtesy Culinary Catering.

With all the craziness that comes along with wedding planning, it is extremely easy to overlook details.  Even for an intimate affair as our wedding reception will be, I completely overlooked one major component:  KIDS!

We, along with a few of our close friends, have kids! In fact, they will comprise one-fifth of our final guest list. When developing the menu for our reception, I completely forgot about the kids’ menu. Fortunately, Laura at Culinary Catering (culinarycatering.ca) was able to give me great insight into food options for the kids who will range in age from 10 months to 11 years. The options are chicken fingers, mini pizzas, chicken/vegetarian quesadillas, and/or a mash n’ dash mashed potato bar. I’ve also requested information on setting up an ice cream sundae bar as I believe this will keep the children entertained for at least a little while. We plan to hire a babysitter to watch over the children (they will primarily be in the basement or backyard) and keep them entertained with games, activities, etc.

My original intention was to have food placed on tables outdoors and have guests serve themselves; however, Laura suggested we hire a few waiters to pass the food as well as drinks around. I didn’t even think about this possibility but the idea is surely growing on me. It may add a touch of class to the event and will be something our guests won’t expect. Plus, it doesn’t cost much extra for this service.

I also looked into the cost of China, cutlery and glassware at a local party supply store and the cost was comparable to what is being offered at Culinary Catering so I’ve decided to go with their rental equipment.

Once I’ve confirmed additional details with the catering company, they’ve suggested coming out to look at our home and figure out logistics for set up as well as make suggestions for anything we may have overlooked (I’m sure there will be many items missed!).

Next on the to-do list:

- Decide on invitations (I know a few of the other brides-to-be posted some suggestions for creating your own invites.  Have any readers had success with do-it-yourself invites?)

- Order the cake (I have booked an appointment to look at some options and most importantly, taste-test!)

- Find a dress (and shoes to go with it!)

Photography courtesy of Melrose Bakery.

I’m glad to report that we have FINALLY made arrangements for catering and of course, the cake! In deciding the menu, Bojan and I wanted to go with both hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. We wanted plenty of meat and influences from both Asia and Eastern Europe. Below is a list of the food items we’ve decided on:- Coriander ginger shrimp offered with a Thai chili sauce
- Vietnamese spring rolls
- Smoked salmon filled with an herb cream cheese, fresh dill, capers and purple Bermuda onion
- Caprese bruschetta
- Asparagus spears wrapped with prosciutto
- Filo triangles with sautéed spinach and feta cheese
- Bacon wrapped scallops with a chipotle aioli
- Mediterranean chicken satays
- Roasted duck satays with a hint of ginger and mole sauce
- Marinated oriental orange beef, skewered and dipped in roasted sesame seeds

Sounds delish, eh?

The deposit has been paid and arrangements are in the works for the set up and take down of catering. The catering company also offers linens,

napkins, plating and cutlery at an additional cost. However, I do want to research the cost of these items at a specialty wedding store where the prices are reasonable and the selection a bit larger. I am also planning on booking chairs for the backyard and deck so I figure I might as well do this all in one shot at one location.

Although we made some cutbacks for our reception, Bojan and I decided we still want a wedding cake for our guests! We’ve all but ordered a simple white two-tiered cake with strawberry filling. Nothing fancy-schmancy, but still a nice classy cake for our intimate affair.

How’s your menu shaping up?

Are you planning on writing your own vows?