One Month To Go!

Sara races furiously to cross things off her to-do list.

By Sara Cardace

Whenever I sit down to write a blog post these days, I'm stunned at how much has happened over the course of the last seven days. (I would probably feel smug about my productivity levels if I weren't feeling like a woman on the verge.) This week is no exception - I've been running around trying to cross things off my to-do list, and basically just squeezing in work and non-wedding errands whenever I can find the time. I'm starting to feel like I'm absolutely going to need that honeymoon when the time comes. Thank god for honeymoons.


Last Wednesday we met with Reverend Hendrich to map out the ceremony and discuss the direction we're thinking of taking our vows. We're planning to have a short ceremony with minimal readings and rituals, and our vows are going to somewhat casual with a few personal asides thrown in - so this meeting actually went pretty smoothly. We have a few decisions to make over the course of the next week or so, but nothing too major.

Then, over the weekend, I took my dress to get tailored at G&G Cleaners, a place I'd read about in New York Magazine - they recommended one of G&G's seamstresses, Angela, for the city's best cheap alterations a few years back. I went in with my friend Lauren (she of second-shower fame) and though the place is kind of a hole in the wall, Angela had my whole dress tucked and pinned in no time and seemed to have a very good idea of what would and wouldn't work. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic; we'll know more when I go in for my second fitting in two weeks. Which reminds me - I need to buy my wedding shoes and undies before then so she knows exactly how to do the final alterations. Mental note.

My sister Chris also happened to be in town from Houston, and she made an appointment for us to have a consultation with one of the pros at Bobbi Brown. I'd never done something like that before, and it was actually pretty awesome. They basically make you over and then give you a detailed drawing with instructions so you can recreate the look yourself. I didn't really have an idea of what kind of look I was going for, but when I described my dress and the whole gothic feel we're going for, they convinced me to go the sort of old-school pin-up route, with minimal eye makeup (pale shadow, dark liner, heavy mascara) and deep, dark red lips. And then there were about a million layers of foundation and corrector and such. I felt like a total drag queen once they were done, but I'm told it will look smashing in the photos...

Yesterday I sent in deposits for the photographer (we went with Virgil Stephens, who a photographer friend recommended and turned out to be willing to work with our budget), and cake (the glorious milles-crepe from Lady M.), and made the final payment on the venue. I also ordered a bajillion votive candles from Candles4Less (a great, cheap site). Today I've got to stop by Party City and see what kinds of fancy hand towels and things I can buy to spruce up the bathrooms at Landmark on the Park (apparently they do carry such things, to my surprise) and we're hoping to book our honeymoon tonight. Then I get a bit of breather - until next weekend, when we have to go through all the RSVP cards, call the stragglers, and get to work on the seating charts. Whew!