And so it begins...

So...I had my first good cry about wedding planning tonight. Already. I'm not so sure I can handle this for another year.

(via)

Just as a preface, I'm wedding illiterate. I get that weddings cost a lot more money than most people think. I also get that planning a wedding is full of emotional highs and lows and lots of stress.

But I just don't know anything about weddings and wedding planning - I'm wedding stupid.

I found a local Birmingham photographer and fell in love with his photos. I wouldn't need him for engagement photos (will be doing those in Charleston - recs anyone?) or for a bridal session (not doing bridals). So he should be reasonably affordable... and the pricing I got back I thought was reasonable.

But without going into detail, I learn that his price is high. So if I do go with him, I'll have to sacrifice in other areas of the wedding.

I didn't cry as much about that (just some of my tears were reserved for this). I understand as someone who manages projects daily with budgets that you have to give on some things to gain on others.

But...

I cried out of frustration that I am just so wedding stupid. I have this Knot book gifted to me by my recently married sister that is supposed to lead my way in this wedding stuff - and it has this wonderful list of questions to ask the photographer before booking them - so I asked the list.

But what do you do if you don't even understand the questions you're asking? What do you do if you're so wedding stupid that you don't even know what to do with the answers he gives you?

And what do you do if the price you thought was just dandy - I mean, duh, all weddings are really expensive, so it made sense - is in fact on the pricey side?

And why do wedding photographers have to be so unreasonably expensive anyways? Can't I just hand all of my friends digital cameras and just have them take photos? And yes... that's the wedding stupid in me talking.

(via)

It is quite possible I may be an alcoholic before this year is over (if I'm not already) - because two glasses of wine and a reassuring call to the fiance was needed to help me calm down after my realization that I'm wedding stupid...and this is only one decision of many! Am I really cut out for this?

And I won't even get into how my mom who holds the wedding purse strings already doesn't like half of my ideas...leaving me feeling even more wedding stupid.

Boo... is this really the beginning of the nightmares you hear about planning your wedding? And will it all really be worth it in the end? And am I even more wedding stupid for getting so upset so early on in this crazy process?

[insert advice and encouraging comments below please]

Wine Radar

So I'm all moved into my new place - a million unopened boxes and furniture everywhere. It looks like Hurricane Hate on Christy came to town in my condo. Ugg... I can't move furniture where I want it because the boxes are in the way...so I have to unpack boxes to then move furniture and so on and so on and so on..

Today has been typical - dropped a wad of cash with Two Men & a Truck to move all of my furniture. It's worth it though. These guys have it down to a science. If you're moving, spend the money...hire a moving company. I've always used Two Men & a Truck and they are great. I definitely recommend them.

After they left, two cleaning ladies stopped by -- they came highly recommended from a good friend of mine. The condo was clean before I moved in...but it wasn't clean clean. I'm a neat freak...and I just wanted someone to come in, save me some time, and put a little elbow grease into the important spots (kitchen and bathrooms) and make the condo smell clean.

Well, the condo smelled clean, but after they left I inspected and found cob webs still in the window corners (after they told me they cleaned the windows), kitchen sink still scuzzy, bathroom floors dirty, tub obviously not cleaned... I was so upset to the point that I had a decent cry. When I get angry, I cry. It's annoying, but that's how I work. So now I guess I have to call them in the morning and play bad guy and tell them to come back... it was just not something I wanted to deal with this week. Why is it always so hard to find a good trustworthy cleaning person?? All I kept repeating in my head while wiping my tears and blowing my nose was..."If you want something done right...do it yourself." I guess being the control freak I am, I should know better.

On top of that, I have to replace the blinds and stay on the phone bugging my realty company until they fix the holes by the front door lock (yes, holes) and the window that is supposedly hanging by a thread in one of the bedrooms. Ugg...And then, I have no idea how to turn on and off my porch light, lol. It was off yesterday and my BF and I tried every switch in the entire place with no luck. Well, tonight I randomly noticed it's on... no idea how it got turned on and I have no idea how to turn it off! Ahhhh!!

This too shall pass....this too shall pass.....this too shall pass...

So needless to say, I needed a nice cold glass of Chardonnay tonight... and I had a bottle I moved today from my old place. But... my wine openers were all packed... and remember I have like one million boxes all over the place.. no rhyme or reason to them.

And somehow...just somehow.... the very first box I opened had a wine opener in it! Praise God! He must have been well aware how much I needed that glass of wine. :)

Siiiiiggggh....
So a small bag of popcorn and a glass of wine for dinner tonight...the unpacking-palooza starts tomorrow after work. Wish me luck!

P.S. My fave Chardonnay of the moment... Woodbridge. Yum! I could totally be their spokes-girl...