So....less than a week until the big day.  There are so many things to worry about at this point.  Is everything going to fall into place and go to plan?  Or...will there be a few bumps in the road?

Last night, Anthony and I sat down with my parents to go through the game-plan for the week and to finalize the total headcount.  We also covered the setup of the tables once more because we had to adjust for the number of people.  Today, we each have to contact the various parties that need to know the number of people expected, such as the country club, the florist, etc. 

There are still things we need to get done this week.  Here's a list of things to still do (or at least the things that I can think of):

• finalize music
• finalize reception itinerary
• have final dress fitting
• put together wedding favors
• take misc. items to florist
• pack for the honeymoon
• setup for leave from work (I'm going to be gone over 2 weeks!)
• Keep our sanity!

DEEP BREATH......

Tip for the week: Without family, this wedding would not be possible.  Divide up the to-do list!

The plan was to move all of my stuff gradually so that I didn’t have a ton to do right before the wedding.  Well…the wedding is a little more than a week away, and I still have almost all of my stuff to move.  Now I’m trying to come up with a game plan.

I want to have everything settled in prior to the wedding so that when we come back from the honeymoon I won’t have to do it.  One good thing is: I’m not taking hardly any of my furniture.  The only large item that needs to be moved is my elliptical trainer.  Everything else is clothes/personal belongings, but…it’s like 2 and half closets full of stuff. 

I'm looking forward to sorting out the stuff that I really need and getting rid of the stuff I don't.

What do you think is the best approach?

I’ve found that email has been the best way to keep in touch with the Bridesmaids.  Not all the girls live in California, so (1) you have different time zones to deal with and (2) you can’t see them in person.

The most challenging part was figuring out how to order the dresses.  For the girls who don’t live in Bakersfield, we just had to get their measurements and communicate the sizes to Ladies and Gents.  After we received the dresses, we shipped them to the out-of-state girls.

It’s also important that the bridesmaids have each others contact information for planning the bachlorette party.  I know that they have been utilizing this greatly.   

This last weekend we started the search for the perfect wedding reception cigars.  So far, this is what we think:

• The cigars should be good quality, but not the most expensive ones that you can get.  Reason being, some of the people who will be smoking them are not exactly frequent cigar smokers so they probably won’t appreciate a really expensive cigar.
• The cigars should be smaller, like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story.  You don’t want your guests spending the entire reception on the balcony, so these are perfect…just enough!
• When trying to figure out how many to buy, don’t think just the men will be smoking the cigars.  There will be a few women who will join in on the fun!

I suggest going to a place, like Imbibe, where you can get a nice bottle of wine and smoke a cigar.  Take some friends along and try different types of cigars.  After coming up with some favorites, hop online and see what kind of deals you can find.  There are several discount cigar websites where you can get awesome deals.  

Tip for the week:  Once you have all the big things for the wedding taken care of, have some fun with the final touches, such as finding the perfect reception cigar!  

This last week we met with Dave at With Love Photography to finalize the itinerary for the day.  The plan is to do lots of the pictures prior to the wedding, except for ones of Anthony and me together.  You don’t want to make the guests wait too long following the ceremony to start the reception.  We’re planning to have a cocktail hour w/ hors d'oeuvres to keep everyone occupied while we finish up pictures.

It is extremely important that you feel comfortable with your photographer because after all, these pictures are probably some of the most important.  We worked with Dave for our engagement pictures, which were a lot of fun to do.  It’s nice that he is also doing our wedding pictures.

I would really recommend With Love Photography to anyone.  They have been personal and professional throughout the entire process, and produce a great product.

Okay…this can be a difficult area to figure out for your wedding day: your hair and the bridesmaids’ hair.  Thank goodness I have an amazing hairstylist, Brittany Amos at Salotto Hair Design.  Give her just a small idea, and she is able to bring it to life.

We decided to go with 1920's inspired hair for the big day.  This hair style will work for both long and short hair, which will be perfect because there are several different lengths that we are dealing with. 

This last week we did a trail hair run.  Make sure that you do this to help calculate time and to ensure that you have chosen the perfect hairdo.  The hair looked phenominal and I am so excited!

Advice for the week: go with a unique hair design and avoid the dreadful, yet popular “poof.”  The poof is excessive volume and curls, which for some reason a lot of brides tend to lean towards.  Hair makes a huge difference in the complete look. 

The main key to the menu: Keeping it simple! 

The one thing that seems to be on the brain this week is whether to be tan for the wedding or just my natural white self.  As you can see from pictures, I am extremely fair, fairer than most, although I tan extremely well if I get some sun.  Over the last couple years I’ve decided that being tan is completely not worth it!  The effects of tanning can range from premature aging to cancer.  Who wants that? 

A good alternative to real tanning is sunless tanner, such as Mystic tan.  My only suggestion is:  try this out way in advance and take pictures.  You might think that you aren’t orange, but in pictures you might think otherwise.  Additional problems you might experience are uneven application (especially on your hands and feet) and the smell of the product the day after application.

The conclusion I’ve made: I’m going to remain my pale self for the wedding day.     

This whole week has seemed like a whirlwind, yet we got a ton done!  Just to give you an idea, here’s a list of everything we did this last week:

• Met with Jack at BCC: finalized menu, layout, and all reception plans
• Ordered Cake with Kakes by Karen
• Had the first shower, a Couple’s Shower
• Finished registering at Macy’s
• Got to try on wedding dress for the first time.  It turned out gorgeous!  Ladies and Gents has been great to work with!
• Finalized guest list and started addressing invitations

Words of advice for the week: Take time to fit in a massage or a pedicure.  You will definitely need the down time!  Also be sure get plenty of sleep and eat right.

Just so you know, The Bra Shoppe is a Pudiwitr family business.  My grandmother, Jean Pudiwitr started the business back in 1972 and today it is ran by my aunt, Susan Pudiwitr.  If you've never been, it is a little shop that specializes in custom fitting of bras.  Whatever your need may be, the ladies at the Bra Shoppe will be able to accomodate you.

This last weekend I stopped in the Bra Shoppe (next to Frugatti's) to complete my bridal registry.  The great thing about this is that they can order anything for you.  The shop carries tons of great brands that you can't get many other places in town like Wacoal, Le Mystere, OnGossamer, and Chantelle.  Things that I registered for included:

• Matching bra and panty sets that are practical, yet cute
• Lingerie for the honeymoon
• Pajama sets

Lots of items on my registry come from Wacoal's new line b.tempt'd.  This line has tons of cute matching bra and panty sets that come in a variety of colors and patterns.  If you're into lace and bows, this line is definitely for you!  See what I mean by visiting this website to check out the Spring Collection: http://btemptd.com/

Be sure to bring one of your bridemaids along for this outing! 

Oh, oh...don't forget about undergarments for your wedding dress.  The Bra Shoppe can properly fit you with the appropriate bra for your wedding dress, such as a bustier.  Just keep in mind that you should get this before your dress fitting.  The right bra can make all the difference!