Wedding Diet

Here comes the inevitable post on wedding dieting.

My least favorite thing about having an upcoming wedding is knowing that I will have to forgo 20 months of potato chips, ricecakes, fettucine alfredo, twinkies, french fries, chicken nuggets, sesame chicken, fruit roll ups, lo mein, powdered donuts, and anything else that is deep fried, sprinkled in sugar, and makes my tastebuds orgasm. Just shoot me now and put me out of my misery.

Just as I eat to live, I live to eat. Nothing compares to biting into a crispy onion ring dipped in ranch dressing.... or slurping up spicy ramen noodles on a cold wintry night. In fact, I'm feeling inspired to write a haiku.



Ode to The Bowl of Rice.

Oh pot of white gold,
You are the most beautiful,
When in my belly.



Okay so let's get to the point of this blog.

I understand all the physiological benefits to getting fit and staying in shape:
You live longer, you feel happier (subjective), you have better self esteem, you have more energy, you have more physical and mental endurance, and you obviously look better. All of these are great and all but if I'm going to be entirely, shamelessly honest with myself, the main reason why I want to get in shape is purely for the superficial purpose of wanting to look good in my wedding photos. And I don't want to just look good. I want to look DAMN good. So yes, my motive for wanting to lose weight/get fit may be a tad bit on the shallow side, but at least it's gonna get me to the same end goal. And honestly, let's be real here: almost all brides go through pre-wedding anorexia so I don't think I'm alone in my reasoning.

So let's break it down. I have 20 months to lose 30 pounds. That's a little over a pound a month. In other words, I. Have. No. Excuse. That will be my mantra for the next 20 months. I might even get it tattooed on my fat ass to motivate me. I guess "fat ass" could work as well -- but how would I explain that to my kids? Okay, jumping way too far ahead here... Here's my course of action: eat less crap, sweat more. Simple right? Gotta keep it simple. "Crap" is defined as anything that Jesus wouldn't eat (WWJE? I just can't picture him scarfing down a jelly-filled donut) and getting a "sweat" on would require at least 20 minutes of rigorous activity. I. Can. Do. This.

Right? Right.

I hope.




I will.

Wedding Expo!

Brian is the best fiancé ever.

I've mentioned the idea of attending a wedding expo of some sort and he predictably replied by asking me why I would want to do such a thing as they were just massive conventions of nagging salespeople who are trying to pressure you into buying normally un-sellable things such as papier-mâché tartan napkin ring holders (eek).

However, after a brief discussion about how I thought it would expose us to ideas and themes and give us some guidance on what we wanted our own wedding to be like (along with some puppy dog faces.... and yes, perhaps a few threats), my lovely life partner surprised me by emailing me confirmation of tickets to Vancouver's Wedding and Honeymoon Show! It's to be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on March 27th (conveniently on the day after my arrival) and I gift you readers with their cheesy promo video:



After watching this video, I may have been inclined to agree with Brian. I mean the video was trying way too hard to paint a picture of fun. C'mon. Random show attendees shaking their asses? Weird. Lame. But who knows. Maybe Brian and I will be busting a few moves of our own -- outta there. Will keep you posted on the outcome!

Random LOL.

So Brian sent me this photo today. He apparently withdrew money in cash to pay for my engagement ring and he just had to take a money shot before he gave it all away. Haha.

Kiss that money goodbye.

The Dream Dress

The best part about wedding planning? Picking a dress!
As the intro, I'd like to first take a moment and pay tribute to the classics:

The ever so lovely Princess Di.



Jackie Kennedy's stylish gown.



Grace Kelly's unforgetable dress.

And of course, we must not forget...

Katie Price. Congrats on winning the worst wedding get up in history.

Okay so I know that Brian has previously mentioned that I have "outrageous" taste. I can't help that I'm like a raccoon and am drawn to bright and shiny things. I have no defense for the vomiting of sparkles and sequins you may be exposed to in this post. Prepare thyselves.

But before I razzle-dazzle you with my repertoire of dream dresses, I do want to mention my current dilemma: At first I was sure that I wanted the poofiest and biggest dress in the America. I mean, how often in your life time can you really wear a ball gown? However, during my research, I found so many beautiful and modern wedding dresses that were equally as glamourous. So classic ball gown? Or modern chic?

Without further ado, the Dream Collection:

Pnina Tornai. Bejweled corset ball gown.

Eve of Milady: For the royalty in me.

Pnina Tornai: For my shameful adoration of tulle.

Now for the more modern picks:

Reem Acra. Simple and elegant.

Sarah Seven: Chic and soft.

Sarah Seven: Angelic and ethereal.

And no wedding dress repertoire would be complete without a Vera Wang.

Vera Wang's Diana Dress

Thoughts?

The Deets Thus Far

Save the... month?

So the official "date" of the wedding hasn't been set yet. We have set a tentative date for the month of August 2012, hopefully around the first or second weekend. Brian and I came to this conclusion because I am still finishing up my Nursting degree here in Delaware and won't graduate until February 2012. That would give me 6 months of pure wedding planning bliss. Or insane craziness. Whichever. Brian and I are aiming to set a solid date by this summer at the absolute latest and we will update accordingly. :)


Location, location, location.

This one's a toughie. We've considered everything from a destination wedding at the halfway point between Vancouver and Delaware to eloping in Las Vegas. But I think we've reached a decision. We're 90% sure that the wedding and reception will be held in Vancouver. Listed below (for your easy viewing pleasure) are our reasons why:

1) It is the place where Brian and I plan to live together after our wedding so both of us have a solid tie to the city.

2) Although there are many cities worth seeing, Vancouver is stunningly beautiful and is definitely unique in its layout, structure, and underlying culture. Being from the east coast, I know that my friends and family would appreciate seeing something more modern and clean in design. I want my traveling guests to enjoy the city as an added bonus to the wedding and I think Vancouver has so much to offer. Without a doubt, I know that I personally have fallen in love with this city and hope that after their visit, my guests will come to better understand why I'm willing to move so far away.

3) Vancouver offers a variety of activities and sights to see for the wedding guests including kayaking, hiking, enjoying the local beaches, picnics in Stanley Park, going to see a hockey game, boutique shopping (Vancouver is known for its number of small/local businesses and I've found plenty of gems during my visits there! For example, the dessert cafe called "Sweet Revenge" is a MUST!), and most importantly, enjoying the availability of the diversity of FOOD! Vancouver has every type of cuisine under this earth!

Anyways, before I get carried away by the thoughts of Korean food, let's get back to the list:

4) It's beautiful.

5) Did I mention it's beautiful?

Wow. The city of Vancouver seriously needs to consider hiring me onto their marketing/advertising department. I sound like a total travel agent.

Now I don't want to imply that no other city in the world can offer these details, I just honestly want to expose our loved ones (especially from the east coast) to our new home. Perhaps this will encourage more friends and family to come visit? *Fingers crossed*

The Proposal

HER VERSION:

So Brian and I had been dating for about a year and a half and we had been seriously considering the prospect of marriage. Sometime in October, Brian was sweet enough to ask my parents for permission for my hand in marriage and my parents granted it with their blessings (after a home-cooked dinner and a 3 hour long heart-to-heart with the rentals). Although we had talked about getting hitched, I didn't think Brian would be ready (nor have the funds) to propose to me until well into the following year.

Brian had asked me in the past of what my idea of the "perfect proposal" would be. I honestly answered that I wanted a proposal that would be worthy of a one-million-viewer hit youtube video. Being the private, intimate type of person he is, Brian was not thrilled with my answer. But the charmer inside of him started brainstorming about ways to propose me off my feet.

No pressure, Brian,

Bring it on, Charlie, bring it on.

Can I just interrupt here to say that Brian is the worst secret-keeper in world. DO NOT EVER TELL HIM YOUR SECRETS. THE MAN WOULD SPILL HIS GUTS TO A DEAD TADPOLE. This has to do with the fact that Brian is acutely honest and wears his heart on his forehead. It's sweet really. But I tell him everyday: "You would make the worst spy ever. EVER." Anyways, back the story -- Brian arrived in town a few days before Christmas and immediately began his obvious scheming and plotting. He cooked up an "impromptu" trip to New York city with stays in some of the fanciest hotels in town. I did not protest. The first two days went well. They were filled with meeting friends and family so we did not have much time to ourselves. The day before Brian planned to pop the question, I rolled my ankle walking from Times Square to Little Italy. My ankle was in quite a bit of pain and I was generally exhausted from our busy schedule. Brian kept nagging me about going ice skating in the Rockefeller skating rink and I adamantly declined several times. He finally convinced me to at least go look at the venue and I reconfirmed that fact that I was in no way shoving my swollen, sore, bruised ankle into an ice skate. We decided to head to Central Park to check out the outdoor rink there (I didn't quite get Brian's sudden fascination for ice skating and it was getting borderline irritating). Brian suggested a spot on top of a massive rock to take pictures from and I wholeheartedly agreed because I would risk my life for facebook album worthy pictures anyday. Once we were at the top, I could tell from Brian's nervous demeanor that something was abrewin'. He then got on one knee, presented the ring.... and.... I IMMEDIATELY GRABBED IT FROM HIS HANDS. It was BEAUTIFUL! PERFECT! STUNNING! I LOVED IT! While Brian confessed his unconditional love for me, I admired the way the sun's rays danced off the ring. I did eventually say yes and once the reality of the moment set in, I almost - ALMOST - shed a tear. It was an overwhelming yet wonderful moment and it. was. perfect. Brian then proceeded to tell me how I had foiled his youtube-scale plans of proposing to me on the ice rink in front of the Yorkan crowds and how I could have been the next youtube sensation (sigh). But honestly. It didn't matter because at that moment, I was happier than Antoine Dodson and the Double-rainbow guy combined. Run and tell that, homeboy.

Antoine ain't got nothin' on me!

HIS VERSION:

I never thought I'd propose to a girl from Delaware.

After all, I once learned in a psychology class that proximity is the best predictor of relationship success. For Gina and I, the only way to make things work is to buy tons of flights and to Skype it up all the time. Although video chatting and flying to see each other for holidays isn't exactly the same as being together on a daily basis, we've managed to make it work. Some of my friends have warned me that it might be a bit crazy to get engaged when Gina and I have only seen each other during holidays. I decided that I don't care and that I would follow my heart. I figured that if we can grow this close despite the challenges of long distance loving, I better tie her down! The only time I ever questioned whether I wanted to ask Gina to marry me was when I saw how messy her room was and how little she cared about it. When I got over that, I started plotting to buy a ring.

Gina likes crazy ass rings. It's not surprising, though. She has a fluorescent yellow shirt with a roaring tiger on the front. She wears lingerie to bars. Of course she wants a bold engagement ring. I, on the other hand, am more traditional. Not only did Gina begin to send me photos of tons of outrageous rings, she also told me that her ideal proposal scenario would be in Yankee Stadium. My ideal proposal is somewhere secluded and sentimental to us. Still, I wanted to plan something that would be perfect for HER.



Gina's bright-ass tiger shirt.



I researched for months. Google searches ensued. Hot air balloon ride? No, that'd be awkward with the 3rd wheel stranger flying the balloon in mid air silence. Sky diving? No I'm too scared. Bungi jumping? No thanks. Air Plane banner with "will you marry me?" written on it? Too cliche. My internet searches were fruitless. So I started talking to coworkers for ideas. One woman suggested that I put a proposal in a fortune cookie. Boo. I was getting nowhere. I decided to buy a ring despite the fact that I had no proposal ideas. This was mildly stressful. I had a ring, but no plan.

I eventually decided that I would propose before Christmas in New York. I knew Gina wanted a public proposal and I found the perfect scheme. I contacted the Rockefeller Center Ice Skating rink. They have a program where they clear the ice during intermission, then without making it obvious only let two people on for a proposal. It was going to be perfect. Ice skating in NYC, tons of people, champagne at the "Top of the Rock" after. Amazing!

WRONG.

The day before my planned proposal, we walked from Time Square to Little Italy... about 40 blocks. Gina decided to wear her worn out fake Ugg boots that looked like roadkill on her feet at that point. She was limping severely by the end of that journey. Nevertheless, I started hinting that i wanted to go ice skating before we left the city. This was not to be. My plans were foiled! What were the odds that Gina would injure her foot for the first time the day before my perfect proposal that required her foot to be intact for ice skating? I was stressing hardcore. Then I realized, I was off the hook from the public proposal. This is how I wanted it anyway. It was a sign.

I decided to wait for a beautiful moment. We were walking through Central Park with my ring burning a hole in my pocket. We were having a romantic moment overlooking the Central Park Ice Skating rink and I knew this was the right time. I awkwardly fumbled for my ring, giving away the probably obvious fact that I was up to something. I got down on my knee, asked her to marry me, and thank God she said yes. All my toiling was worth it. She almost forgot I was there because she was so taken aback by the sexiness of the ring. When she finally came to her senses, we basked in the moment and started telling everyone. It was an awesome day. :)

First things first...

Hello and welcome to our wedding blog! We're delighted to have found a way to keep in touch with our friends and family on the progress of our big day! Brian and I don't have much to show as of yet, but we hope that you enjoy having a window into our planning process! Please feel free to comment and leave suggestions throughout our journey. We would love your input! Stay tuned for daily updates!