The multi-day packing process

I spent a large portion of this past weekend packing, or at least organizing with the intent to pack, or at the very least gathering, with the intent to organize and then pack.

The idea behind my honeymoon packing list was that it would simplify packing because I was going to be soooo efficient and smart. Unfortunately, what I didn't realize was that I'm still packing a huge number of items--most are just very small and don't take up a lot of space. But they still have to be acquired or found and then organized with like items and then prioritized.

Priority is important because you have to travel with the idea that all of your checked luggage will be lost and you'll be stranded with only the items that you carried on. Although it seems like it would be glamorous and fabulous to be one of those women who carries on a single lunch-box-sized bag that probably holds only a compact and face spritzer, it's simply not a possibility in an era when stranding passengers on a runway for 8 hours (after an equally long flight) is accepted. You have to plan ahead--you need enough clothing to get you through a few days and enough food to keep your belly from growling until you're allowed to deplane.

I've packed my carry-on rollaboard, and it has exceeded the measly weight limit for a carry-on. The limit is something silly like 12 pounds, and let's face it, a lot of suitcases weigh that much, so you're not able to pack anything other than your suitcase and a pillow and maybe a sweater in case the plane is cold (and what plane isn't cold). Luckily, the weight limit for carry-ons usually isn't enforced.

I've mostly collected the rest of the items that I need to pack but haven't yet distributed them between the two suitcases that we will check--again, care must be taken because even if the worst-case scenario (both bags lost) doesn't occur, there's still a strong possibility that one will be lost, and what a catastrophe if all of your pants happened to be in the bag that is now en route to Madagascar.

Actually, I don't think our airline flies to Madagascar. That is something to comfort myself with.

A successful weekend

This weekend featured many wedding-related successes, including:

A dry run of my waterproof mascara.
I learned that I, too, can wear mascara like a big girl and not end up with raccoon eyes--until I had to take it off. Removing it was a multi-day task. Perhaps the French will not mind the smudged-eye look. Perhaps it will make me look more European. I will have to practice a haggard look and acquire some torn skinny jeans.

An blister-free evening with my wedding shoes.
I wore them for an evening out, and they did not wear my feet out. It is a match made in heaven. Too bad they are white, or I would take them with me to France. Perhaps it is acceptable to wear white shoes after Labor Day in France if they are accompanied by smudgy eyes and torn skinny jeans.

The assembly of our wedding programs.
We've spent more time on those darned wedding programs than anything else (except perhaps my tedious poring-over of the budget--a daily activity). Seven hours of final assembly and they're finished. If you notice any typos, don't tell me.

The completion of the seating chart and place cards.
We shuffled and juggled, and now everyone has a logical place to sit with people that they know or will enjoy meeting.

We said originally that we wanted a 100-person wedding. Our final guest count: 101. Oh yeah.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

(This one's not wedding related.)

Any article that starts with "Jay Gatsby has one" is obviously going to catch my attention. After all, The Great Gatsby is my favorite book.

The article, from the NY Times (registration required) is intriguing--write a life list to capture all that you want to accomplish in your life. From the silly to the sublime, you can use a simple list to figure out what's most important to you.

I've never written an official life list, though I've dabbled in the sport, and I am a seasoned listmaker. I already have a few items to start my list:

1. Write a novel.
2. Live in a foreign country for at least a month.
3. Sew a quilt.
4. Take frame-worthy photographs and hang them in my home.
5. Take art classes.

Now this will be a fun project to work on after the wedding.

The incredible shrinking groom!

This weekend, B and I were discussing his wedding-day wardrobe, and we realized that he didn't yet have a shirt to wear for the big day. He decided he wanted to wear a white button-down shirt with French cuffs--my wedding gift to him was a pair of wedding-themed cufflinks. B is quite the snappy dresser and owns only exciting shirts--there wasn't a single white button-down in his closet, French cuffs or otherwise.

B did have the khaki pants that he'll be wearing--we bought them several months ago at the Banana outlet. However, we weren't so sure that they'd still fit.

Last month when I was feeling responsible and adult-like, I researched life insurance and found out that life insurance companies use 3 levels of health to determine your insurance premium, and I decided that B and I both have to be in the healthiest (aka cheapest) health bracket to keep our premiums down. I told B that we had to do everything in our power to get into the healthiest bracket, at least for the medical exam--it would mean saving thousands of dollars over the life of the insurance plan. He decided to re-examine his eating habits to try to get his BMI into the optimal zone.

And what an overachiever he is! None of his pants fit anymore--they are too baggy. He tried on his wedding-day pants, and they were no exception. We decided that a trip to the outlets was in order to exchange the pants and buy the shirts.

We got him new pants--one inch smaller in the waist but a world of difference--and 2 white shirts with French cuffs. And now our clothing is all set.

And if you're wondering why we bought two, see all posts regarding insurance, back-up plans, and emergency exits. You can never be too prepared!

Dress? Check.

Yesterday was my final dress fitting. I wonder why it's called a "fitting"--you just show up and make sure the dress fits. My dress did fit (phew!).

And my shoes will work with the dress--mostly. They're not ideal, as I knew when I tried on the dress and was told to get a 1" heel, not a 2" heel, but I did the best I could do with the styles that are available and my budget. So what if the dress is a teensy bit shorter than it was designed to be--I'm ok with it. The dress will stay cleaner when walking over hills and dales and other dirty surfaces.

I do have to buy double-sided tape to make sure the neckline (do you call it that for a strapless dress?) stays flat against me. The dress will be fitting like a glove but we don't want to take any risks! We don't want a wardrobe malfunction to be the defining moment of our wedding day.

I'll be picking up my dress a few days before the wedding and transporting it--who knows how--down to my parents' house at some point. Should be an exciting adventure trying to keep it wrinkle free in the car.

Wedding worries

Last night, I picked up our marriage license and confused the town clerk when I basically asked for an insurance policy for the license:

M: What happens if I lose the marriage license?
Clerk: Lose it? You can't lose it. You need it to get married.
M: I know, but what if something happens to it? What if I accidentally set it on fire or something?
Clerk: You're going to burn your marriage license?
M: NO! I just mean...hypoethetically...what do I need to do if it somehow disappears and we need another one? Would there be another 3-day waiting period?
Clerk: No waiting period. I guess we'd make another one for you. Just don't lose it on a weekend.
M: I'll do my best...

Comforting...sort of.

The issue of "Will I lose our marriage license?" falls into the "Issues that won't be resolved until our wedding day" category, along with the very-important question of what to do with my engagement ring during the ceremony. I think I am supposed to wear it on my right ring finger, but it doesn't fit (not even with vigorous pushing will it fit over my knuckle) and would be way too big for my pinky finger. Is it a faux pas to wear it on your left ring finger during the ceremony and do a quick switcheroo afterwards? (Is it bad luck to remove your wedding ring so soon after the cermony??)

Also in the "You have to keep worrying about these issues" list is the attendees list and seating chart. It's looking like we won't receive all of our response cards by the requested due date. I didn't think people would need six weeks to decide if they wanted to come! We've been sending out friendly reminders because we know it's easy to forget to drop your card in the mail. This weekend, we'll juggle all of the names and hope that everyone falls into a table with people that they'll get along with.

Something old, something new...

I've been a cafeteria-style traditionalist for my wedding, picking and choosing the traditions that work for me and skipping the ones that won't work or don't make sense. I decided to keep the "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" tradition. Here are my chosen items.

Something old
This one was easy. My grandmother gave me her pearl necklace for my last birthday, and it will be adorning my neck.

Something new
There are so many new items! My wedding gown, my silly slip, the lovely pearl and blue topaz earrings that Ben bought for me (we already exchanged our wedding gifts to each other--at least we are both equally impatient), my new (non-spraypainted) shoes, a handkerchief my mother bought for me--all new items.

Something borrowed
This one had me stumped, so I asked my mother for a recommendation, and she offered the garter that she wore at her wedding. Yes, I did swear off wearing a garter, but I think it will be ok as long as it isn't fished off and thrown to the crowd.

Something blue
We have lots of blue options. The earrings that Ben bought for me have blue stones, and the handkerchief has blue beading. I also plan to paint one toenail blue (already bought the honeymoon toenail polish)--maybe my fashion-forward sense will start a new trend in St. Tropez.