The Bridesmaid's Dresses

I am trying to post this from my phone. It has been an exercise in fine motor skills, patience and knowing the limits of my technological savy. Nonetheless, lack of a computer will not hold me back!

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Ok, I continue this later. Evidently lack of a laptop, did hold me back. I couldn't get the text right and the photo couldn't be cropped to a manageable size. Plus, I had to go to church, so immediate bathing was required (it is Sunday after all) putting my blog post on hold.

This is a shot of one of my lovely bridesmaids (Chelsea) after a whirlwind session of trying on styles and colors. I tried to get something most of them would like and would complement their figures. Post wedding wearability was also a consideration. Better yet, it has pockets!

It was fun, Rebel, Cassandra and Chelsea were my little barbies as I threw stuff at them. They were all helpful and I am glad they got a say in things. It's silly to completely ignore ladies you are professing a special affection for when deciding how they will be displayed. If I liked it and they didn't or it would fit one but not the other, it was out.

Having said that I won't please everyone but if I get 5 or 6 out of seven unique girls, I think I should get some kudos.

At the end of the outing, we all had coffee and brainstormed. I was flattered when they said they admired my speed and decisiveness thus far. I'm pushing it a little time wise, no need to agonize over stuff. I figure the differences would be slight even if I had oodles of time. My time in the sorority as MVP was a perfect training ground for this.

All in all, this wedding stuff is fun!

The Colors

After much consideration and image browsing, I have decided on colors: persimmon, raspberry, coral, pink and orange with a touch of gold.

I love the exuberance and edible quality of the shades. Perfect for a hot summer wedding. Also, this is a nod to my middle name (Rose) and my new one (DeNaranjo = of the oranges).

I made the photo collage below (all by myself!) to show what I mean. Enjoy!

The Cake

My Cake In A Perfect World

As much as I love my Aliens/ Geiger style cake, something tells me the guests may be a little confused. You can't have crazy Uncle Charlie taking a swing at your cake with the misguided belief he has just saved the wedding party from alien impregnation.

Originally, I didn't want cake. I don't like cake, never have. I wanted pie or a cobbler bar or truffles. However when I expressed this to my father he gave me that look. The one people give when you've had way too many lattes and are on a crazy binge, saying almost believable things like: "I'm going to get a motorcycle/ take trapeze classes/ sell cupcakes for a living/ live in a yurt..."

The look is a theatric display of shock, amusement, doubt and dismay. My Uncle Mike nodded with my father as he explained he was paying for it and I was getting a big, fancy cake. Since I don't plan on having much booze, people will be expecting a significant dessert and like Marie said people want cake. When they didn't get it under Marie, heads started rolling.

Swayed by this logic, I have begun the hunt with a pair of twins from grade/high school who are living the dream as bakers. I'm going to set up an appt. soonish and bring Chaz and Mummy along. It's one thing I think the groom will be bummed to miss.

On a different note, I met with Lindsay from Gamma Phi Beta yesterday night. She has given

me some bridal loot (the magazines I have already devoured). Which brings me to the conclusion, I love this whole being engaged thing. People are helpful and old friends you miss have a reason to pop their heads into your life. So keep it coming.

Since I can't afford to invite everyone I am fond of, I am tempted to have a Gamma Phi only shower to celebrate my nuptials. More of a get-together than a bring me presents and bask in my awesomeness sort of thing. Meet at the beach here in Corona Del Mar, wear our letters, have a bonfire, make some s'mores, tell each other how good we look, etc. How's that sound ladies?

The Dress

Looking in the mirror, after they put on the veil, you realize it's actually happening. And you have become the archetype of bride.

When the first dress went on it was surreal. I started getting flushed and nervous as I stood on the pedestal. My mom thought I looked beautiful in everything. For a rare hour or so, I got to feel all the lovely implications of the role.

Cloud like, cake like, marzipan, organza, satin, tulle, trains and silhouettes. All in white and ivory.

For me the iconic color means something. I've earned the dress and I'm going to be shameless in my enjoyment thereof.

All that to say, it's done. I have the dress, but I am keeping its particulars secret. This will be a private pleasure, only to be shared on August 1st. I want to keep one mystery at least. With all the planning and lists, I can't forget the dash of magic that makes this all sacred. So this time, I'm going to keep mum.

Nixon Library

Thus far, I've visited 3 sites in person, and looked at dozens on the interwebs (which is a series of tubes). Today, I visit the Muckenthaler Mansion. Let us hope the grounds are more charming than the name.

As of now, I am in love with the Nixon Library and Gardens. I have a soft hold on August 1st for a Sunday wedding. Either then or wait until January. If the Muckity-muck mansion does't impress as much as Nixon in either grounds or pricing. I just might go full steam ahead and book it for August.

The place is stunning in a very manicured sense. The reception room is like something out of

Pemberly with an American flair: High ceilings, fabulous moulding, massive chandeliers. And the gardens are pretty but more manicured than I had hoped they would be. However, they are still beautiful and have the requisite rose garden and shade giving trees.

Pictures don't really give the full effect, but that's a good thing. I wouldn't want to entirely ruin the surprise for my guests.

So what do you all think?

Goobs!

So, I joined theknot.com and was cruising the Orange County forums for info and whatnot. I came across an ad for a photographer couple who was looking for a couple for free engagement photos hoping to build their portfolio.

At first I was a little wary, no such thing as a free lunch, right? But hope springs eternal, so I figured, why not? If it's shady I can walk away or use everything I learned from that one summer I took Judo. (Those hip throws have served me well over the years).

Turns out, the couple was really sweet and spent over two hours taking shots of both us and Bon-Bon. The location they picked was perfect: UCI. Where Chaz and I met. The photographers, Lori and Keith Anderson are going through the shots and are going to make us a CD. They gave a sneak peek on their website/blog though: Lori Anderson Photography.

So here are some goobery photos of us, pay no mind to the fact I need to get my hair done.

This one, above, is my favorite thus far.

Super-nova couple!

I have to say I also love this one. It's Jane Austen and a Batman comic if you're wondering.

I finally let him kiss me after four long years ;-) .

Where the cool kids hang out.

Location, Location. Location

While I always had a vague idea of getting married, I was never really one of those girls who planned it to a "t" or collected bridal magazines. Now that I am looking for a location I'm realizing:

A. This stuff's expensive

B. Bridal websites are super commercial

C. Cutting a cake costs money?!?

Reversing the Supreme Court's definition for obscenity, what I want is easy to define, hard to spot. I know that I want to have the ceremony outside, in a garden like setting, or in a green place with trees. As for the reception, it's got to fit around 150 people. I'm going for a sort of English countryside vibe.

So the challenge is getting the above requirements without having to forfeit my firstborn child to pay for it. I'm going to the Nixon Library and Gardens this Friday to have a look and am also considering vineyards in Temecula, UCI's University Club, and Strawberry Farms.

Any suggestion for So Cal locations?

The Bridesmaids

So we all get to know one another, I've decided to have a profile for my bridesmaids. How I know them, who they are, their favorite cheese, what they would do for a klondike bar (kill a man), etc.

First up....

The Maid of Honor

Rebel, nee Rebecca Beatrice Coyne, is my little sister. She is a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton and has a love for doc martins, men with beards, pizza, singing beautifully, cartoons, cryptozoology, baking rainbow cakes and not finishing books. She is also the funniest girl I know and promises "to slay" during the toast.

Britt Coyne

Sister-in-law extraordinaire and soon to be mommy. Britt loves Stella Mcartney, buying shoes, Elvis Costello, browsing Web MD, her pet rat Walter, my brother when he cleans, and yoga (as evidenced by the picture). She is a fabulous cook and the only girl in the world who could withstand all that is Sean, bless her heart.

Chelsea McGuinness

Chelsea is the friend I've known the longest (20+ years!) and has been around since the wee days of M.C.A. Chelsea loves French film, good chocolate, clean design, dark nail polish, vegetarian restaurants, and her fluffy dog Grace. On her 16th birthday party we tp-ed her crush's house, but I made too much noise so said crush's older brothers proceeded to run out and throw eggs at us.

Cassandra Gomez

A friend from law school and Rome travel buddy, Cassandra has consecutively spent the most time with me in the past year, apart from family, and has emerged unscathed. Cassandra loves a good laugh, bad 90's R&B, Notre Dame, traveling to exotic places, nummy food, photography, the movie French Kiss, and is the only person I know who has eaten a guinea pig. (A Peruvian delicacy she informed me.)

Suzette Gutlay

Aaron's longstanding lady-friend and my homegirl at DeNaranjo parties. Suzette is a firecracker. She loves hip-hop dancing, working with kids, punching Aaron, dressing up her dog, and secretly wants to be a Laker Girl. Through significant joint effort and planning we owned a bunch of twelve-year-olds in a snowball throw-down this last winter. Don' mess, little chillens.

Victoria Rapoport

Another law school croney, Viki is upping the Jewish quotient of the bridesmaids and repping her home town of the ol' USSR. The only bridesmaid to have threatened physical harm to Chaz, Viki holds a special place in our hearts. She loves eating out, Banana Republic, bike rides, getting up early, stressing out while maintaining she's "not stressed", breakfast bagels, and has one of the cutest "I'm embarrassed" smiles I have ever seen.

Dana Nicholas

Dana is one of the OG's in my law school blondterouge. Loved by all, she has an uncanny ability to know someone no matter where we go. Guy in a neck and back brace at a club that I'm poking fun at? College friend. Cop in Starbucks? High school buddy. Dana loves trying new things, travel photos, John Muir, J-Crew, burritos, taking pictures of feet, and is the only person I know who hates Falcor from the Never-Ending Story with a passion

Behold, the Royal 7! I love them all and am thrilled to share my day with them.

The Proposal

Behold the ring. It's vintage, circa 20's-30's with more filigree than anyone could want, but I adore it. It's white gold with an old european cut diamond.

We went ring shopping together and bounced ideas back and forth with him having the final say. The picture doesn't do it justice, they rarely do.

He gave it to me in an elaborate little box with marble and gold my mom bought (years ago no doubt) for the occasion.

The Proposal itself was at Disneyland at Snow White's well by Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Disneyland has a lot of good memories for me and we frequently go there together, so it was fitting. The occasion was witnessed by two Mexican families, but fairly devoid of

hoopla. He gave me a coin to make a wish in the well, and in true Heatherly fashion, I wished for my mom to make us dinner that night. When I turned he was on one knee (kinda saw it coming) and he said something along the lines of, "Heatherly, my love, will you marry me?"

I contemplated this for a moment. Mostly because I was about to say, "Does the Pope poo in the woods? Is a bear Catholic?", but I stopped myself and managed a straightforward "Yes."

A nice Mexican grandma then took a picture of us and then we headed out and the mass texting began.

I also got a "Just Engaged" button from Disneyland Information. I swear they have a button for everything.