New goal: To update once a week!

Greetings, those who still check this mostly stagnant blog! My new goal is to update the blog once a week with new wedding plans. Not only will that allow me to convey updated information to all our beloved guests, but that will force Brian and I to actually actively plan this thing! We are always totally stoked to plan our party, but finding the time to do it is often an elusive goal.

Here are the plans so far (only the ceremony is finalized...the dinner and after-party are not yet so, so they could possibly change--if, for instance, we win the lottery or something :-):
Wednesday, April 8th: Fly in. Bachelor and Bachelorette parties will commence in the evening for those who will be there

Thursday, April 9th: Frisbee golf, sight-seeing, gambling, drinking, laying by the pool, possible spa day for the girls. In other words, this will be a full day of rest and recovery from the night before, as well as preparation for the big day! There will also be a dinner and ceremony rehearsal for the bridal party and parentals this night.

Friday, April 10th: Take a shot in the morning, do some gambling, get ready for the ceremony!
The ceremony is from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dinner will follow at the Garden Buffet inside the Flamingo (time to eat your hearts out). After-party will follow dinner, probably in a suite. This is where we will have cake, party beverages, celebrations, speeches, dancing, party beverages, fun, etc! After this, I'm thinking people can do whatever they want to do, but the bridal party will go out dancing and continue partying until the morning, and whoever wants to join is more than welcome! Remember, we want this to be a relaxing vacation and fun time for everyone! This isn't just about Brian and I. This is about everyone who has made our lives and relationship possible.

Rest of the days: Party, relax, do whatever you want to do! I'd like to get everyone together for a breakfast/brunch on Saturday or Sunday, but I'm not sure if funds will allow. I'd like to have one more get together before everyone goes their separate ways, even if it's just for coffee or something.

Ok, so on to a slightly different subject. We are going to have Brian's sister Kir take pictures of us on Thanksgiving for the invitations. Hopefully, we will have them ready to send out by Christmas at the latest. We really want to get them out early so people can plan their vacations accordingly!

Also, we have a 10% discount code for hotel rooms. You can get this discount at the Flamingo, Harrah's, Paris, Ceasar's Palace, and Imperial Palace. If we get 21+ rooms booked, we get an even better discount, but I'm not sure how much. So, I'm going to put a survey on the left hand side of the blog asking how many people would be interested in a hotel room so we can see how close we will come to the 21 rooms. For those with children or those who aren't interested in staying on the strip, check out vrbo.com for vacation houses. You can get a very nice house (that is 5 min from the strip) for ~$150-400 that will fit up to 12-15 people, so it's definitely a good deal for some people! I know my parents are getting one, especially since my nephs and niece will need a good place to stay outside of the craziness of the strip. Brian's parents are getting a hotel room, which will be awesome for them, so it's totally up to your personal preference.

Note: we are fully aware that a lot of people are not in the best financial situation right now. If you don't think you will be able to come, for any reason at all, please don't hesitate to tell us. We understand that planning a vacation/destination wedding is not at the top of people's priority list, and will not be offended if people can't make it!


On another note, Brian and I will be moving to my mom's house in less than a month. I'm graduating and will get a full-time job as a pharmacy technician until med school. Speaking of med school, I've interviewed at Oregon Health & Science University and New York Medical College, and have not heard back from either yet. I should here from OHSU by mid-December and NYMC by the beginning of January. You will all get a mass e-mail if I get accepted somewhere!

Brian will be transferring to MHCC and will likely be working as a personal trainer after moving. He is stoked to soon be starting his much-anticipated career!


That's the update! Brian and I already have our plane tickets, and so does my dad. We will be there for a week. So, I'll update everyone again in about a week. Oh, and don't forget to fill out the 3 surveys (I know that I've asked one or two of these questions before, but that was a while ago and I'd like to get a head count now that we are getting closer)!

Thanks, everyone!

UPDATE!!!!

Hey everyone, sorry it's been awhile since we've posted last. There hasn't really been any changes on the wedding front..until recently!

So, Brian and I booked our tickets on Sunday for Vegas. We fly in noonish on April 8th and we will stay a week. We are thinking most people will only stay through the weekend so that will give us a few days to be NEWLYWEDS!!! Yipee.

Also, I think we have a plan for the dinner/after party (aka reception). We think we are going to go ahead and have the dinner at the Garden Paradise Buffet at the Flamingo post-ceremony (there was some debate about this recently). After dinner, we will head to a house that either my parents or Brian's will rent for the after-party. The after party will include music, cake, dancing, and...boozing for those of ya'll that would enjoy it. Then those of us who want to pull an all-nighter can go back out to the strip! Let us know what you think if you are so inclined!

Also....I bought my dress! It needs to be fitted still, especially up near the top, but other than that it fits pretty darn well.

Oh, and if you are up for staying with friends/family and saving some moolah in Vegas, check out renting a house. You can get a really nice house for just as much (or less) for what you'd pay for a hotel. Plus you would have all the amenities, your own space, and room for more than a couple people. Check out vrbo.com, and make sure you stay within 5-10 minutes of the strip so you are easily accessible to us! :-)

Lets see...what else is new...well, off the wedding subject, I am almost done filling out secondary applications for medical school. Most require somewhere between 1-7 essays, so I've been spending my summer writing those while taking some summer classes.

Brian is studying for his ACSM exam to become a certified personal trainer! He is really stoked. He will also be taking classes this Fall term at the community college down here. When I graduate in December, we will be moving up to my moms where I will (hopefully) get a full-time job as a pharmacy technician (oh yeah, I have to start studying for that exam, too!)

Anyways, we will keep you posted as wedding plans move along. It's getting much closer! ;-)

Hope everyone is doing awesome!

Even better news!

Hey all, so we are officially getting married! I booked our date yesterday, April 10, 2009. Yipee!! Get your party pants ready!

A new pic of the cozy couple!

This is Brianna. I snapped a pic of the lovebirds today and thought I'd share!

GOOD NEWS!!!!!

We have the date set! April 10, 2009 at 7pm is when Brian and I will get hitched....and when the party will begin!!! We are so excited. It will be at the Flamingo's Lagoon Pool. Cross your fingers for awesome weather! The sun sets that day at 7:11pm, so I'm going to see if we can get some tiki torches up or something.

To see a virtual tool of the wedding venue and hotel, go to the following website. There is a "virtual tour" link on the left hand side of the page. Then click on amenities, and you can click on the camera icon next to the Lagoon Pool & Waterfalls. Yay!
http://www.harrahs.com/weddings/flamingo-las-vegas/flv-locations-
crescendo-pools.html

Also, I have the engagement announcement made and it's almost ready to print. Hopefully I'll get those out within the next week or so!

One more thing...for those that don't already know, I changed my MCAT date to May 23rd of this year. I needed more study time! Still going to get that 33 though. That surely has not changed!

Too cold in March??

Hey ya'll, just wondering if anyone thinks it will be too cold for an outside wedding in March. Brian's parents said they went a few years ago at the end of March and it was cold and windy!! Any ideas/suggestions?

Booking the Flamingo

So, I just got word that we can book the Flamingo for the ceremony at any time. Here is what the word is:

March is tricky. If the weather is nice the hotel opens the pool and you could have swimmers at your wedding. Keep it in early March to be safe, but if you really want to do it later you could have the ceremony 5pm or later so you won’t have any swimmers (or very few). So I would say the last daytime Friday March wedding would be on the 13^th or maybe the 20^th. We can begin booking the wedding whenever you are ready!

I don't think I would mind some swimmers- but an evening wedding might look cool. However, it will be in March and the temps might not be too high...

What do you all think?

Flamingo Buffet

Since this is likely where we will be eating, I thought I'd put up a picture!

OK people, lets start finalizing something!

So...I think we are changing our minds on the whole reception bit. After looking at all costs, a full on reception is going to be quite expensive in Vegas. And since we already made the decision to have the ceremony at the Flamingo's pool (which is the most expensive location), we need to find a way to stay within our budget and still feed people!

We've decided to have the reception at the Flamingo buffet (if they will let us -- I still have to call on Monday and see if a reservation for 50-60 people is possible). We will pay for everyone's food and drinks and still have some $$ left for hotel rooms! Yay, its magical!

Anyway, we feel pretty good. I think we have quite a good handle on things! Let me know if you have any suggestions...we haven't booked anything yet!! :-)

Oh, and for those that don't know...I am taking the MCAT on April 5, and my goal score is a 33. This is above average and should put me in the competitive category for med school admission. If ya'll wouldn't mind...just have the number 33 floating around in your head and every once in a while, go ahead and give it a shout out for me. Tell that number that I will see it soon. Very soon....and that it should probably be afraid. :-)

Tropicana for the reception??

Brian and I are seriously considering the Tropicana Hotel for the reception. We'll put more info up as we get it!

Tricia and Gar are getting a baby!!

Tricia and Gar are having a baby in an hour!! They just got word that a 2 day old baby girl, to be named Rana, will be delivered to their home in less than an hour! I'll put more info up as we get it and hopefully a picture!

This is Brianna. Need babysitting?

Hi everyone! I know there is a question regarding how many people will be in your party. Can you do me a favor? If any of those people are children, will you let me know?

I am considering the fact that I'll have 2 little ones in Vegas. Hm...So I was thinking it would be cool for us people who have children to have a place to leave them after the ceremony. Sure would be nice to get out! I had thought about looking into a local nanny service, and seeing if we could get a nanny for a night in my hotel room.

Because I love my children! And I will love to have them at the ceremony- but afterwards, I wanna play! Let me know if you think you'd be interested.

(Mom, you may NOT babysit. You are supposed to be out having fun with us, too! So don't even ask.)

Ashley's Dress!

This is the dress I think I'm going to get. The link is

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/wedding/1007/

I'm thinking a white dress and a white or ivory sash. A colored sash would accentuate my waist more, so we'll see. I'm planning on going to a bridal shop in Cottage Grove that will order it for me (they don't have it in), so I'm hoping they have some swatches I can look at.

Ceremony at the Flamingo

So this is where we want to have the ceremony. At the Crescendo Pool at the Flamingo Hotel on the strip. Here is the description from the Flamingo's website:

Perhaps our most dramatic wedding location, the Crescendo Pool provides a setting no guest will forget. Here the bride enters from beneath a waterfall (without a splash of water!) and proceeds between two pools where the groom is waiting. The ceremony then takes place facing the 15-foot waterfall. The Crescendo Pool is available seasonally and can seat up to 80 guests.

What do you all think?