LESS THAN 5 MONTHS, THEN IT'S GO TIME!!!

There hasn't been a whole lot to do these past few months. I of course still have a list of things that need to be done, but a lot of that falls within the last 3-4 months. We have booked a photographer who we feel will do lovely job and we like her style and personality which is hugely important if you ask me. We also have the DJ scheduled. He appears to be a quirky kind of guy, but we met with him and liked him and what he had to say. So many cheesy and pushy DJ's out there, so we were looking for someone that stuck out and didn't push us away. We think we found the right choice. Point being - I WANT TO DANCE AND HAVE FUN!

Our most recent undertaking has been finding a cake. We had a list of places we contacted for scheduling cake tasting, and we decided to start with the places that do not charge for the tasting. So, on December 18, 2010, we popped into the Polly Ann Bakery her in San Pedro, CA and Kings Hawaiian in Torrance, CA. We began with these two places and ended with just the two tastings. Johann was really aiming for keeping it local and supporting those local businesses -- keeping it in the neighborhood. Polly Ann Bakery was nice. The cakes tasted decent, but nothing wowed us. It was just the loyalty to the neighborhood that seemed the most appealing part of going with Polly Ann. You could say, we were really looking at that place as an option, but then later that afternoon we had a tasting at Kings Hawaiian. Four cakes, four fillings, one winner. Red velvet is a popular cake, but once we sunk our teeth into the vanilla chiffon cake with raspberry preserve filling, we were sold. It was so tasty, soft, airy, and the frosting is a whip cream frosting, not that super sweet icing many places have. Perfect for us. It was a winner from the first bite.



Now I'm trying to find the design we want to go with. I was looking at covering the cake in coconut, but keep on being talked out of it. There were statements of the coconut not staying fresh or getting dry and stale from being out in the open air, and also the option of toasting the coconut yet that would create a brownish hue in place of a white glow. After discussion, we came to the idea of creating a coconut look, as if the cake had coconut shavings on part of the cake. This is created by a messy swirly design. I'm okay with that, but now I'm having a hard time finding exactly what I want in this design. It will get there in time, and who knows...I just may throw on some coconut after all. It's a toss up now.

What to do about the cake?

There are thoughts floating around about the cake. I love cake, but I do not love store bought cake. I for one will take a home-made box cake any day. So what to do about the cake? I am not in love with the fondant look that is used for many wedding cakes. I'd like to say you won't be seeing that at our wedding, but the truth is I can't lie and you very well may see that popular cake. It comes down to price and taste. If it tastes decent (like I said....not a fan of the store bought) and is affordable, then I will most likely go for it.

Now I do have a few tastes in mind:

coconut
buttercream
raspberries
raspberry cream
white cake


Also, after looking at some online coconut cake ideas, I think that may be the way to go. Coconut frosting does away with the smooth fondant cake look. I like it!

Now to find a baker offering up the idea I love.

Under the trees at the Cabrillo Marina!

Decisions, Decisions....

It has taken us some time to decide where we would like the wedding ceremony to take place. I wanted an outside wedding, but there are so many things to take into consideration when you want an outdoor wedding. Chairs, music/sound system, set-up, tear down, rain?

As of today, we have decided not to stress to much about it all. Our short ceremony will consist of people we love spread out around us under the trees...some sitting in the few chairs provided for those who need a chair, some people sitting casually around the cemented areas that surround the trees, and some people standing. And if it rains, we will embrace it, smile, and still rejoice in our steps toward becoming husband and wife.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a beautiful day and can only hope that it is as lovely as the day I took these photos. Take a look at the Cabrillo Marina. This is where we will say "I do".


"A look out onto the harbor"


"Under the trees"


"the middle tree is the spot"

The In-Between

Landing a job has definitely brought new life to the planning, but it has also left me little time to sit down and plan every detail. We're kind of at a stand still. We have our reception hall and that seems like it's the hardest part for most, so I'm happy that that has been conquered. Now the rest. Still so much to do, but when is the good time for it all. The wedding is now only 10 1/2 months away. Time flys.

I've been thinking about songs. Some ladies at my work asked me what our wedding song is....I don't know. How do I go about choosing a song? I want it to be special. I want it to be fun. I want it to be unique. I want. I want. And I want.

I also wonder. hmmm....what will be our song? We'll have to think about that one. Time for some more researching.

Let's start booking!

Attention all! We have officially put down a deposit for our reception hall. San Pedro Fish Market has won our hearts. A little cheesy but true. It's a small, quaint room with a large wall window that looks out onto the harbor. The view is what sold us, and we look forward to working with them when planning our drink and food options. Take a look....this is where the party will take place!

Signature Cocktail

So we've been toying with the idea of having a signature cocktail at the wedding. Since our wedding colors are greens and the popular chocolate brown, I think the infamous "Mojito" would be a perfect fit. Johann not only enjoys making these, but he loves their flavor. I think they're pretty tasty too. So, if we go along with our plan, expect to see Mojitos at the wedding ;)

How to Do Decorations at a Minimum Cost?

You always hear about DIY (Do it Yourself) possibilities. I think I like those ideas. Know in advance that we expect to do many things ourselves to cut costs, and I think it's more fun that way.

I’ve been all over the internet looking at dress styles, ceremony and reception decorating ideas, flower options, favor possibilities, and basically trying to find any blog, website, online shopping store, wedding channel postings that will give me any tinge of inspiration for our wedding.

These are a couple of our ideas that I like:

The famous bouquets….

Let’s do it up with Babys-breath! I assume that that’s a cheaper option and I love the way it looks. Simple and sweet…the very theme we want to carry out in our planning.

As for centerpieces....

Why not use our favors as the centerpieces? Place them in a bucket on the table and there you go. We are also saving up glass jars from spaghetti sauces, salsas, etc. that way if we want to use them as an addition to our centerpieces (as jars w/ candles or using them as vases to hold flowers), then we will have a bunch already vs. buying new ones…recycle and reuse!...why not? We buy them anyways to enjoy the delicious food held within them. We might as well wash it out and stock up…at least until the wedding. We’ll find closet room somewhere to store it all.

These just provide a small step in deciding decorations. I’m sure there will be many changes and/or modifications throughout this planning year.

San Pedro...We love you!

So here begins the postings of our process. I have already been researching for the past 2 months…well, almost two months. I am pretty sure we have decided on a venue for the reception. It was by far one of the cheapest options here in San Pedro, CA and it has a lovely view. We didn’t have a long list of wants, just an approximate number cap, space, and what can give us the most for our money. It has always seemed ideal to have the wedding ceremony and reception in the new city we have begun to love. San Pedro, from what I’ve heard, has and/or has had a negative connotation. I for one cannot call myself a true Californian; therefore my opinions on these matters are all hearsay. Like any other city, San Pedro has its rough parts, but it has so many beautiful spots. Now I will say that I have looked in many places around the area, but nothing has compared to our choice. From my research and approximations, this is what I found (take into consideration that I am approximating the number for 150 guests):

Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel – San Pedro, CA

- $14,000 including reception and ceremony site, buffet, estimated tax & gratuity, tables, chairs, choice of linens, cake, dance floor, mirrored tile & two votive candles per table, hotel self-parking for guest, complimentary suite for bride & groom, champagne/cider toast, lights and fancy draping for head table and cake table, and my estimated $1500-$2000 cap for hosted bar (seems nice, don’t like the price, venue doesn’t seem to fit our personality)

Occasions – El Segundo, CA

- $13,500 including reception and ceremony site, buffet, tables, chairs, basic linens, estimated tax & gratuity, and unlimited soda/juices/water/coffee; I would have to pay an additional $2/person for cake cutting fee; need to provide own alcohol (no corkage fee) (eh…not impressed)

Sepulveda Home – San Pedro, CA

- $7500 including food, estimated tax & gratuity for food, and a small staff for 6 hours. Does not include event package price or drinks (I say, if you desire a plantation style home for your wedding, then this is the place….beautiful, but out of our budget reach)

The Plaza at Cabrillo Beach Marina – San Pedro, CA

- $1899 plus $500 refundable deposit including facility cost for reception (8am-12am rental – there’s a kitchen on the premises). I would need to provide everything else – caterer, tables, chairs, dance floor, table linens, alcohol, etc. You get the picture. (If you have a great/cheap caterer in mind or want to have a pot luck wedding or such, then this is a great location…right by the water).

Redondo Beach Historic Library – Redondo Beach, CA

- $18,700 including 4 hr site rental, 3 traypassed or stationary Hors d’oeuvres, 2 entrees, 4 hr hosted beer/wine/soft drinks/juice bar, champagne/sparkling cider toast, 3 tier wedding cake, customized floor layout, votive candles, disc jockey, tables/chairs, floor length linens, gift & cake table, check-in table, valet parking, staff, event manager, ceremony rehearsal, and estimated tax/gratuity. (looks like a beautiful place, but way over our budget, especially considering the amount of time you get).

Ports O’ Call Restaurant – San Pedro, CA

- $10,705 including site, tables/chairs, linen choice, complete set-up, cake, 3 hrs of hosted well bar, unlimited coffee/tea/punch, champagne toast, parking, and estimated tax/gratuity (pretty…right on water/harbor)

Los Verdes Golf Course – Palos Verdes, CA (I think?)

- $14,012 including site, tables/chairs, food, estimated tax/gratuity, 3 hr hosted soft bar, unlimited punch/coffee/tea, cake, reception set-up with choice of linens, parking (eh?)

Dalmatian American Club of San Pedro – San Pedro, CA

- $8000 including 6 hr hall rental, security, the setup/cleanup fee, evening rental deposit, buffet, coffee, and tables/chairs (I believe?). Still would need to put in for drinks and alcohol. (Doesn’t seem worth it.)

Palos Verdes Art Center – Palos Verdes, CA

- $1500 including site rental fee for 8 hours and tables/chairs. 150 people is pushing the limit for this place and you need to provide your own caterer (approved by them)

Harbor Masonic Lodge – San Pedro, CA

- $6000 including 6 hrs of reception time, 2 hrs of set-up time, 1 hr for clean-up, round banquet tables, chairs, complete bar set-up (no host), linen table clothes (wht or ivory), linen napkins (your choice of color), white china/glassware, buffet, fruit punch/tea/coffee, 4 hrs of hosted soft bar (wines, imported & domestic beers, soft drinks, bottled water, coffee), cake cutting/serving, and staff. (We were highly considering this place. It has a decent view of the San Pedro Harbor and is a good size.)

Well, this is our list so far. I have a few more places, but these are the only ones I bothered calculating. Others were way over our price range (as a few of the ones I posted are as well). We don’t know exactly how many guests we will have – 150 is a tad to high, even though I based my numbers off of it…you never know, but we do know that we have many friends and families we want to invite, yet many that we cannot.

It can be such a tiring process finding a reception venue, but it can be fun too. Now we just need to hone in on finding a ceremony spot. We got some places in mind, but are a little undecided over renting chairs for a 15-20 minute ceremony or not. This seems to be a hot topic for many, but it doesn’t get us any closer to our decision.

Well, like I said...we love it here, and therefore are working hard at keeping the wedding in our new love, San Pedro.

WHY now?

My fiancé said I should start a blog of wedding plans. I thought it sounded interesting, but didn’t really know where to start. Being behind the times with this whole blog frenzy, it intimidated me a little.

Well, with the help of Johann, I hope to share step by step our wedding plan moments and everything else it entails. We’ve seen and heard people trying to plan a wedding for $10,000, and that’s what we hope to achieve, or at least something close to that, give or take a couple thousand. Do you think it's possible? There's no harm in trying and hoping for the best. Here we go.

The basics.

HIS Proposal.

It was just a normal day. Thursday March 4, 2010

Our Engagement began with...

love declarations written on torn pieces of note paper. It felt like a normal Thursday and I certainly had no notion that a proposal was going to take place by the end of the day, yet it wasn't a normal day and a proposal would take place.

If you ask me, Johann has always been and will always be the sweet man who wants nothing but to make me happy. Knowing that, I had thought little of the love notes he nonchalantly placed throughout our apartment that day, except for the fact that it proved I had found a great man. Starting in the morning up until he arrived home from work, I would receive text messages leading me to the hidden spots of these special notes. Texts I received were vague and to the point, and not so sweet...just "you might want to.." notes, such as "I was grabbing out a pair of shoes this morning for work when I noticed your tennis shoes smelled. You might want to check them out and clean them" or "I noticed that it was dirty under the DVR player. You might want to dust under it." These are just examples, but you get the point. Some of the declarations were:

* Little by little our dreams are becoming reality!

* You are beautiful, amazing, and practically perfect...in every way!

* Te iubesc foarte mult! (translation "I love you very much!")

and the list goes on.

When Johann arrived home I made sure to bombard him at the door with a big kiss and hug for making me feel special that day. During my bombardment he once again nonchalantly threw a piece of paper on the couch, claiming I had forgot one note. It was during my stretch across the couch to reach for the paper that found him kneeling on the floor and holding a ring as I read the note of "Will you marry me?". Of course I said yes...one of the easiest questions I ever had to answer.

If that wasn't enough, the funny thing is that he had me make reservations earlier that day at a nice Italian restaurant "Neil's Pasta and Seafood Grill" here in San Pedro, CA. You would think I should have seen something coming, but little do you know that we had been planning on trying a few fancy restaurants to find a good place to take my parents to when they came to visit us on March 14th. I assumed this was the first place we would try...nothing special, just a trial restaurant that would get us closer to our decision on where to take my parents. You can say that it was a nice addition to a day filled with love notes and a marriage proposal. I recommend the Fettuccine Carbonara dish....delish!

And so our engagement began.