Sun Moon Stars Girl )-(

Welcome to my little place to vent…

1) Yup, I have my dress. I went with Maggie Sottero Daniella. It’s waiting in my closet for fittings, but the only alteration really needed is the hem (which is why I need to order shoes ASAP). Otherwise, it’s a perfect fit! (The corset back helps!)

2) We booked the photographer, videographer, and DJ this week. We’re going with The Pros for all three services. I met them all at the smaller show I wrote about in this post. It’s nice that I’ve already met the people who will actually be working my wedding. And thankfully - they are not going to have all the crazy glitz and glam over the top for the entertainment. I don’t need a videoscreen!

3) I have my “something new” and “something blue” but have not yet found “something old” OR “something borrowed.” I’m hoping to go with a bracelet and purse/clutch/small bag for those two things. I figured I would post about it because I might forget. I’m sure my moms will help, though.

4) We haven’t registered yet, but we’re looking into HoneyLuna, and will probably start registering before Christmas at Macy’s and possibly Target.
I’ve included the links so I won’t have to later when I update this post to say we’ve started actually registering!

Getting things done!

I made it my goal today to go to a few bridal shops and look for accessories - jewelry, tiaras, undergarments/lingerie, and shoes - since I will need some of these things for fittings. I was diasppointed at the lack of these items - or lack of selection - at the bridal shops in my area. As far as jewelry is concerned, I have a necklace my mother bought me as an early birthday present, and I pretty much have the tiara I would like picked out.

And as far as undergarments, lingerie AND shoes - contrary to my previous beliefs, there are relatively FEW styles/companies out there - and even less that bridal shops actually have in stock! Only ONE place I went actually had lingerie - the other five places we stopped at either had absolutely NOTHING - or a selection of 2 different bra styles. One with boning, and the other without boning. Right…I can find BOTH of those online PLUS…but the one shop that actually had stuff did not have the particular item I was looking for that I saw a couple months ago. So I searched online looking for “bridal lingerie,” but again, I was pretty limited in what I found - those two damn bras and the thong with attached veil (do the search, you’ll find it in about 2 seconds). After about five hours of looking online I actually came across the item I’d seen a couple months ago! I’m delighted, because it is something that’s a bit different than anything else out there, simple, yet functional. I didn’t actually think I would find it - but now I’ll have it in time for my fittings!

Apparently bridal shops around here really only have dress samples in stock - who knew? Obviously I wasn’t really looking, or needing to look at accessories when I first went gown shopping. Anyway - Back to shoes…the ONLY place I actually found a couple styles I liked was at David’s Bridal. The other places had these very couture-y shoes - and all VERY expensive. The shoes pictured are a pair that I “settled” on - and bought. I didn’t realize how inexpensive they were until I got to the counter, but that made the decision about buying them even easier. And now I have a pair of shoes for something in the future, be it my own wedding or some other formal affair (like the CRS awards banquet in January!). During my online searches I did also look at shoes (and jewelry and tiaras, but I think I’m all set like I said before), and I found the five companies that bridal shops have: Dyeables, Touch Ups, Saugus/Special Occasions, Coloriffics, and Michaelangelo (David’s Bridal).

Since I’m trying to find something in a platform (due to the vast difference in Kris and my height), there’s really not a lot of options out there. Right now I’m fond of these few styles (having narrowed it down already based on duplicity between companies, heel thickness and height somewhat): Dyeables “Paradise,” Touch Ups “Tanya,” *Touch Ups “Paige,” Saugus “Cassidy,” Coloriffics “Alison,” *Coloriffics “Mackenzie,” and Michaelangelo/David’s Bridal “Britany.”

*Denotes my 2 favorite styles. As you can see, I really prefer the styles that don’t look like “everything else.” However, I haven’t eliminated the others because I’m still wrestling with height versus style - so please leave me a comment with your opinion! Shoes are really the last thing I absolutely have to figure out - order - and get before my fittings, so I would appreciate the help.

For those of you that will look at ALL the shoes - yes, I WAS tempted to get the “Christine” ones based on name alone.

EDIT: (Added 11/29/06) I found a GREAT website that has *most* of these dyeable shoes/styles at the best prices (I checked a bunch of other sites) AND has FREE SHIPPING. Dyeable Shoes On The Net

Our neighbors/friends Jason and Andrea invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner this year. Since our last two years here have resulted in “mediocre at best” dinners (both with reheated, pre-cooked, pre-formed sliced faux-turkey), I was excited. They even offered to actually make a proper Thanksgiving meal - as long as we split up the work. Kris and I were definately happy about that arrangement.

So, while making my famous apple pie, I got out the Crisco to make the crust (yes, I know you’re saying “OMG, Crisco!?” - but don’t knock it until you have tasted my pie!), and saw THIS on the label:

All I have to say is: PEOPLE - Ew, gross…

Happy Thanksgiving!

I got the idea to come up with a “signature drink” for our wedding a while ago. While I was in NJ, one night while I couldn’t fall asleep I thought more about it. Something that has the “purple-blue” color…something that has our names…something that tastes good…

And so was born the “Kris-Tiney” Martini!

My mom and friend Ray were both razzing me about it, but when I talked to Kris, he loved the idea! Who’s more important here anyway? My fiance, or my friend who demanded we have “weenie tots” (and by the way we ARE having weenie tots…LOL)? The name stems from both of our nicknames: pretty obviously “Kris” from Kristopher, and “Tiney” (a family-only nickname) from Christine; and then it rhymes with martini. An ingenious idea with a rather simple name.

So Kris and I have been playing around the last couple weekends with varying combinations of things that might make a purple drink…chambord, blue curacao, cranberry juice, grenadine, etc. We came up with something I think will be the actual drink last night, playing with pipets and measuring accurately. (Another side note - what could be more fun for a science gal like myself besides mixing a drink with pipets!) I think we also accurately recorded each test - we’ll have to re-try the “best” mix as our first “still sober” trial at a later date.

We’re both really excited about the drink idea and recipe we’ve come up with. We can’t wait to share it with everyone at our wedding!

Off to the left are lists of links - I recently added one for our wedding webpage. All the info I’ve posted about is organized there in one place. So if you have any questions about where and when, how to get there, and what the entrees will be like - Kris and I will be adding that information over the next couple months. You’ll even be able to RSVP there after we send out our invitations!

Here it is also:
Kris and Christine’s wedding webpage!

So Kris and I (and my parents) made our decision! The Wittish-Marciniak wedding party will take place at:
The Somerset Hills Hotel in Warren!!!

Kris and I had a long talk about which place we should go with, as it was down to the Somerset Hills and Wilshire Grand. The Somerset Hills is in a more centralized location for everyone in NJ, and also has more direct access to highways. We also got a good deal on the pricing - a better discount for August, as well as an extra bit for booking this week. I’m excited to go back and show Kris when we’re out here for Christmas, as well as go for the tasting with our parents. I had dinner there with my parents, and the food is excellent (we each got something that’s offered for the wedding package, as well as one of the salads and an appetizer).

It REALLY hit me that I’m getting married when I saw the contract get printed out - and it said, “Wittish~Marciniak Wedding.” YAY!!!

13) The Crystal Plaza in Livingston was ALSO a complete waste of time, but for completely different reasons than Wednesday’s sites. First and formost, they want $275 PER GUEST for a Saturday evening!!! I TRULY hope that someone googles for this information, and see this. If we had known this information, we would not have wasted our time, and the staff’s time by going there. But they absolutely refuse to give you pricing anywhere online, or over the phone. I guess noone would actually go there if they found out it would cost almost three times as much at the Crystal Plaza than anywhere else.

I couldn’t imagine WHY it could possibly be so much; why can they get away with even asking for that price? I’m sorry - but anyone willing to shell out that much money should just fly everyone to a remote island and get married there! It’s not like the place was super-special or anything! It was just like almost every other place we’d been to. Maybe it’s because it was in Livingston, and it’s a bit snotty there? Maybe it’s because they have a balcony? The other place that was a bit more than we wanted to spend was The Palace that ALSO has a balcony, but they only wanted about $150/guest for a Saturday night in August.

I made sure to ask if they gave an August discount. Not really, he said. Then I asked if the package was changed to not include TEN stations for the cocktail hour - but he said the price would not be significantly changed. I don’t know if he could see the shock in my face or my mother’s - I kept looking at my notebook. I was so flabergasted, but didn’t want to be rude, so I asked a few of the questions I had prepared for every place we visited - but not all of them. After he gave us the pricing, there was no point.

Now, on the phone, the representative assured me that they only cater one event at a time, and they really couldn’t give me pricing because the tailor each event to suit the needs of any one particular event. This was a bold-faced lie. They charge what they charge, $275, and then add on from there if you want extra bells and whistles like an ice sculpture, a dessert table (I’m pretty sure only the cake was included), etc. Are you kidding me? My father asked why I didn’t say something, and I just said I was too dumbfounded, but I was seriously considering telling him that $275 was WAY more than we’d been expecting to pay, and if they’d just told us that on the phone, we wouldn’t have wasted our time AND THEIRS. Of course I didn’t. Maybe I should. But I’m not even going to give them a courtesy call. And if they call us (which I don’t REALLY expect them to do), I AM going to flat-out tell them that the reason why we didn’t pick them was because they are over three times what we are paying somewhere else. And they don’t even include an overnight room!

PLEASE DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY GOING TO THE CRYSTAL PLAZA IN LIVINGSTON!!! THEY WANT ALMOST $300 PER GUEST!!!

Well, I was right. Today’s visits were a waste of time. I’ll still post some relevant info, just in case someone googles this page and the information ends up being helpful to them.

11) The Hilton Woodbridge was actually pretty nice - inside. The building looks again like 1960s to 1970s NJesque style. A close comparision would be the Continental Hotel the monorail drives through on the way to the Magic Kingdom in WDW, but brown. They were VERY busy, and VERY crowded, I guess they do a lot of corporate convention stuff during the week. They are close to the train station, which would be nice for my guests wanting to go to NY for a day, or coming from any of the three major NY/NJ airports. But otherwise, they were definately not my first choice.

They had two different packages, which did not really vary, and neither included an ice sculpture. Again, not like I need one, but for the same price or less, I can get one included in the package at almost every other site we visited. The hotel rooms were also not really impressive, with just a very small bathroom. You can tell the hotel was constructed quite a few years ago, and hasn’t really undergone any major renovations.

12) The Forge in Woodbridge was ok, if you were looking for a good deal on a budget, and didn’t mind the possability of having 3 other functions going on at the same time as yours. Also definately the place if you want bride and groom showcased on large rounded-back white wicker chairs (as featured in “The Wedding Singer”), and up on a platform. Too cheesy for me. There is also, somehow, a lake in the back, and there’s definately some nice places you can take pictures on the facility, but all in all, not what I was looking for.

My first impressions of the place were bad too - the lettered sign out front, the smoky entryway and office my mother and I had to suffer talking to the facility manager in (OK, this was a huge problem for me because NJ passed the “No smoking in any public buildings” law, and it shouldn’t have been like that). They also added everything in a la carte, not a total package. And they had an inn on site - but all it is is one of the lowest-grade motel things, and did not include a breakfast for guests.

My mom and I then headed down to visit my grandmother and her sister in the hospital. On our way home, we we able to hit up a bridal showcase for this one company The Pros, who are basically completely digital, and will give you all your images and the rights to them. In this age, there is absolutely no reason why photographers should be able to hold onto your proofs for ten years and still be able to charge you an arm and a leg to get a reprint. I think we might just go with them for that very reason. We also got to see a bunch of their DJs, and meet them and the actual photographers AND videographers. The company also has a good deal where if you book all 3 services with them, they give you a huge discount. I think it might be totally worthwhile to go with them.

We capped off the evening by stopping by my mom’s MahJongg group, where I got to show off my ring, my dress pics, and even play a game!