Quickie #1: Seeing, scamming

For your enjoyment, the first in an occasional video series that will be produced for the blog. If you have any ideas for video or have anything that you want to see in full motion, please let us know.

Because after all, the best way to get the message across is face to face.

Pimp my Bride

A brief distraction:



Enjoy!

Am I a crazy groom?

In scanning the Web for inspiration for future posts, I stumbled on a small Web site geared toward grooms and their ideas that looks like it started last week. On a whim (like everything I do these days, it seems), I joined the group, and am now a member of The Offbeat Groom Gang, pending administrative approval. Membership is MUCH cheaper* than that 24 Hour Fitness one I'm eyeing, and I'll be among the first of perhaps tens of grooms trading ideas. Once I'm in, I'll get to start using jargon like b2b to refer to Maryté.

Though the dream of being a truly "offbeat" group is little more than pipe, hopefully it'll spark something more noticeably distinct at our wedding.

Plus, who wouldn't want to comment and glean ideas from absolute strangers capable of inspiration boards like these...


Don't worry, Maryté, I left my wrestling belt in high school and my velvet-sleeved coat is safely in an attic somewhere.

What do you think?

*Membership to the Web site was free, of course.

Bridal Expo-SED!

Hey party people it’s been a long time. Sorry to all you die-hard, avid boda fans. The month of December was thirty-one days of non-stop translating, critical analysis, accounting math problems and Trados galore. Needless to say, I was too busy, tired, and chubby to post on my beloved blog. But enough hem hawing, there’s been some new developments.

Last Thursday Oskar and I went to San Roque Catholic Church in Santa Barbara because we wanted to see what the church we decided to get married in looked like. We met Tricia, the lovely secretary who told us that she had us penciled in for the 22nd of August and that no, she didn’t receive our deposit. WHAT!!!

I was freaking out. Why? Because I sent in the check in November and 2: that’s a lot of money to misplace. And also, we had asked to book the church for the 29th. We breathed a little easier when she told us that August 29th was still available. But Oskar was still pretty steamed about the missing check. A half hour and three calls to B of A later, he was able to cancel the check, which luckily had not been cashed and personally turn over a deposit to the parish. Crisis averted.

As Oskar paced outside the church’s steps talking to the bank on his unreliable cell phone, Yen, my delightful and awesome bridesmaid, went inside the church with me. It was really pretty. I know we made the right choice. I hope that on the day of our wedding, the sun shines super bright because the stained glass windows are gorgeous.

On Sunday, Oskar and I decided to go to a bridal expo at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. An $8 ticket bought us some free food samples, a bag of magazines and a chance to enter a drawing for something that I can’t recall, (flower girl shoes I think). I was too tired to care. The two and half days prior, Oskar and I had been carousing with my favorite couple, Molly and Eric, surviving the desolate, wintry, and wet terrain that was Lake Cachuma, and exploring ye olde wine country above Santa Barbara. I finally got to live out this wish I had to go wine tasting through Los Olivos, Santa Maria, Los Alamos, Solvang, and Buellton. In your face “Sideways.” It was gorgeous. The food at Los Olivos Café was well priced and gourmet without being too chichi. Shout out to Molly’s inter-winery hook up.

So, as I was saying, I was too exhausted and frizzy-haired to really delve into the bridal world. Luckily Oskar was there to ask the hard questions. First stop: the caterers. We found a sad little corner in the back where a company called Channel Islands Catering & Concession had set up their station. Chef Chris told us that what his company primarily does is Mexican food. Boo ya! Oskar and I had been thinking of a Mexican buffet for the wedding banquet. Oskar was the official taste tester and sampled the chicken and beef fajita, Spanish rice and refried beans. “It was pretty good, but it didn’t knock my socks off” he said with a shrug. While the food didn’t perk him up, the price sure did sound right. $9 a head to start. Not bad considering that we’re going for simplicity.

Our second potential caterer we looked at was Fresh Mex. They had a bar on display as well as the old standbys: chicken fajitas, chips and salsa. Also, they were serving some weird oily meat, that was “marinating” in the heating plate. The rep claimed it was pork. It looked really unappealing. They also said that they provided décor, band, dj and that they are familiar with our reception site and were doing several weddings there. I looked at their photo album of weddings and parties they had done. My overall rating -- C- -- too boring. The tables were mostly just decorated with plain white linens, colored napkins folded on dishes and white chair covers with bows. That’s it. No wow factor. Prices started at $10/head.

The third catering company that we looked at, and my favorite so far was Pure Joy Catering. Oskar sampled the berry spritzer punch and the “really good” roast at the carving station. We had already browsed their Web site months ago and emailed them. They gave us a quote for their services at $70 a head (“Yikes,” said Oskar). Their album displayed these amazing buffets and décor. My new favorite two words: Taco Station. Also, we could have a real live mermaid sitting above the seafood station, judging us as we go get sashimi. We talked to a tiny little thing who said that we should email them again and talk to so and so who is assigned the Pure Joy events held at Cabrillo to get a more refined quote. She said that since our wedding is going to be on a Friday and that we would provide the alcohol ourselves, we would probably get a cheaper price. But like this rep at the party rental station we talked to later said, Pure Joy is not just a catering company, they are an event planner and the price would include décor, servers, set up and take down. Oskar is freaking out, I am optimistic.

We passed by Creative Services Catering. Oskar was too full and wanted to pass so we didn’t interview them. Plus, some of the reps looked greasy, literally. There was one guy with a blue striped shirt with the top button undone to show off his manscaped chest and gold necklace, and shiny-slicked hair.

The bridal expo was…a little intimidating, overwhelming, sad and funny. Some of the highlights:
A dance company called Connexions that was teaching couples how to avoid having an awkward first dance. Oskar nudged me toward it. I successfully sashayed past it.
Sb Photobooths. Not so much a booth, rather a bench propped in front of a wooden box with a camera on a shelf. Pictures were too in focus and zoomed in for comfort. I think Oskar got a free tonsil check out of it. And the price: 1300 smackers. No thanks. Disposable cameras it is, as long as Oskar’s friends keep their balls off of film.
Finally, my personal favorite. Phil Birdsell, the “Personalized, Classy and Fun DJ/MC, Entertainer, Planner Coordinator." The debonair Goulet-esque performer was hosting a bouquet toss contest. The lucky ladies had to toss a silk flowered bouquet over their shoulder into a bucket or vase. I can’t remember what the prize was but I’m sure it was awesome.

Well, we didn’t book any caterers but at least we got a taste of what vendors are like. They are as sleazy as car salesmen and make me want to take a shower. It was a little scary and it made me realize that I should be more prepared when it comes to questions to ask. I wish Leslie Stahl would do a hard-hitting investigative report on the wedding industry. I want to know who to cross off and who to trust.

I know this is quite a post but it’s a months worth in one take. I haven’t even reported on Yen’s dress nor Melisa’s find. Tune in next time…

Hello, ladies and gents...

My wonderful fiancée has invited me to begin contributing to the bodademissuenos information network, which is truly a vast array of goodness.

This is nice because it'll make the ratio more balanced, the way you'd like it at a party. That's what this blog is: a raging party. Of information.

Wow that was lame. I mean, you guys already know this from Maryté's first blog post (which should be titled "Couture and Chisme") and obviously all of it still applies. But I hope you like what I have to contribute, and I hope that you'll contribute too in the form of comments and suggestions. Echoing what my lovely fiancée has said, hopefully (bridesmaids and groomsmen), we'll all get to know each other a little bit better over the next couple months.

Just so you know that I'm not entirely green to this, I'm linking you to an article I wrote for AP's now-defunct asap last Valentine's Day about couples dealing with long-distance wedding planning. You can read it here.

And, just for kicks, a montage of photos that certainly WON'T be our wedding:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone is having a good time with their loved ones. In trying not to fall into a turkey coma, I plopped onto my couch and decided to watch one my favorite movies of all time: The Birds. I was inspired to look for green cocktail/bridesmaids dresses after watching Tippi Hedren running around Bodega Bay in a beautiful green suit. So here are some lovely frocks I found online. Nordstroms has some great finds as does edressme.com. Thanks to Molly for finding the cute Maggy Lyndon dress with the girlish bow in front! And if you haven't watched The Birds yet-I don't think you can be my bridesmaid.

Ray is Awesome!

I’m taking a mental break from my Project Management class on this Saturday morning. Instead of learning the difference between traditional and simplified Chinese characters I am going to give y’all an update regarding the church ceremony. Ray called the Mission last week, but got no answer. I guess they were closed. Then he called Mount Carmel in Montecito, and got a “no” flat-out from the parish assistant. Ray is still fuming from the way the lady on the other line spoke to him in typical Montecito fashion.

Finally we called San Roque. The website doesn’t have pictures but the ones we found were from a construction company that remodeled the church. It looks amazing. Ray called and told the secretary what the situation was and found out that we don’t need to book it a year in advance like the Mission requires, nor do we have to become parishioners and make weekly donations. AND the date we wanted is still available! So all we need to do is send in a deposit and the date is ours. Oskar called Cabrillo Pavilion and switched the date of our reception. I am so relieved. We were able to keep our reception hall without forfeiting our deposit. Huzzah! Okay. So as it stands now, the wedding will be at San Roque Church, on Friday August 29, 2008.

Next on the agenda: caterers! (and of course dieting).