WOWWWW!!!!!
is all I can say to the task at hand with this one...
When we first got engaged, I knew right away that we were going to have a wedding more on the bigger than smaller side, whether I liked it or not. Since both Mr. Hess and I live in Orlando, my family lives in Orlando, we both work for the same company in Orlando, and are getting married in Orlando, you can imagine determining a guest list can be QUITE the challenge.
Of course we want every one of our friends there, and all of our family there...so right away we included our family and our closest friends we've known for years - but where do you draw the line on who you can and can't invite? Like I said before, both Mr. Hess and I work together so we have SO many mutual friends. Not just "her" wedding or "his" wedding...but to these people, it is "OUR" wedding and they have known us both before we even started dating! So, when it comes to people we see every single day during the regular NBA Basketball season, it's hard not to consider them family or on the close friends list. THAT alone probably added about 50-75 people to our guest list - GEEZ!
With that said, since we have so many mutual friends between the two of us - there comes the tricky part of inviting dates. That + one starts adding a whole lot of other +s to the cost of your wedding! So, after debating back and forth, Mr. Hess and I finally decided that we do want the majority of our close friends there. If there is a group of our close friends that all know each other and it makes up to be about 50 people, they should be just fine and will enjoy the wedding with or without a date, right? Of course, for the people that we are close with them AND their significant other, they will be added on the invitation...but you know we've all been there when we just don't have a specific date in mind to a wedding, and if there isn't a name you KNOW you will ask 6 months prior, and the ONLY way we can invite everyone is to make those invitations sans the +1, you would send it out without the plus one invite right? Is that rude to do?!? Possibly. But at this point, that is our only option. And from talking to numerous people about this, and debating back and forth, if they really are our close friends they will understand. If money grew on trees - which I know I'm not the only bride who wishes it did - I wouldn't think twice to invite everyone we wanted to. BUT, that's obviously not the case. BUDGET is an annoying and word that I dread, but necessary in this entire process and keeping your guest count under control is KEY in this. So, we're hoping for a big, but reasonable number of 200 guests. We'll see how that goes...
So, back to the addresses. We now know who's invited (and believe me - there are STILL people I wish so much I could add to this list, but it's just getting out of control), next came the part of finding all of their current addresses. Let me just say this entire process started the weekend after we got back from AR when we got engaged and Mr. Hess is sitting right next to me as we speak finishing his portion of the address homework. That's 5 entire months!!!! FIVE whole months of freaking out about what people will think when they see if they are or aren't invited. AHHHH! So, you can see from what I'm writing that has not been an easy task by any means. Keep your fingers crossed that this darn address list gets uploaded and added to our Save the Date order by TOMORROW!!!!!!
Which brings me to the next subject - SAVE THE DATES!!!!!
That, on the other hand didn't take as long to put together. Right when we started looking at how we were going to send these puppies out, we decided that a magnet would be the best way to go. Quick, reasonably priced, and easy to find & order online. I didn't get to spend a crazy amount of time on browsing, but I happened to stumble across a GREAT Save the Date magnet website, and everything I looked at after that didn't compare:
http://www.savethedatemagnet.com/
Mr. Hess and I spent all of 2 nights going through each option, and finally compromised on a style and layout that we agreed on. When we took our Engagement Photos, we decided to do a little something special for our "Save the Date Photo" - and used that one photo right when we got it back from the photographer. THANK GOD - choosing one out of the 500 we took could have been another crazy task, so I'm glad we had a plan ahead of time for that one...YAY!
So, I'm happy to report - the SAVE THE DATES have been ORDERED and PAID FOR!!! :) All they are waiting on are the addresses to print on the envelopes, and they will be on their way to us shortly after. I can't tell you how excited I am just writing that...this has definitely been one of the more stressful tasks so far.
Thanks for listening to (or reading) the rambling on and on about silly wedding stuff - but I guess that's what this blog is for, right? You asked for it! :)
Can't wait to update you on how they turn out...
182 days until our "Save the Date" IS the date!
Until next time,
Presh
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