Weekend in numbers: wedding edition

Gina, me, me, Johnny, best man Matt, matron of honor Amy, & Moe

10: Number of text messages received about what time various things were happening. Also number of frustrated eye rolls induced.

9: Number of times photographer asked us to pose in ways that I felt were totally weird. Probably the same number of times I made a messed up face at the photographer.

8: Number of minutes the ceremony lasted. (This was intentional.) 

7: Number of my sorority sisters that attended the wedding. I was super excited to see them; well, all except the one that drank too much and spent most the reception passed out at her table.

6: Number of macarons I managed to eat during the reception. We had lavender and caramel flavored, which were absolutely amazing.  (They were from Antoinette Baking Co., in case you're ever in Tulsa.) Also the number of bottles of wine Johnny and I bought yesterday in Corpus Christi, TX on our post-wedding vacation.

5: Number of times someone asked me if the horses were my horses. 

4: Number of hours spent chatting with my favorite sisters and friends post-wedding. (It was all gossip about who's a lesbian and who's pregnant and who's installing a sex swing.)

3: Number of hours spent taking pictures before the wedding. Three hours too long if you ask me.

2: Length of Kentucky Derby, in minutes. I'm happy to report that nearly everyone participated in our Derby game and our winner was a very good friend who thought American Pharaoh would win!

1: Number of times I plan to get married, because that shit is way too stressful to do more than once!

Wedding Wednesday: Dress options

For the last couple of weeks, I've been contemplating what kind of dress to wear to my wedding. Here's what I'm thinking:

• Short
• Cream-colored or off-white (because white looks hideous on me)
• Some kind of fun detail
• Inexpensive

I'll admit I'm a little lost on anything more specific. Should I go with something lacy, like this lovely dress from Alfred Angelo? (It's out of my price range, but I'm sure I could find something similar.)

This ivory colored dress from Ann Taylor has pretty details. (Still fairly expensive, but perhaps I could find a coupon.) 

I've also thought about asking Johnny's mom if she'd be interested in making me a dress like this one from a McCall pattern. How cute would it look with a fascinator? (Not to mention Derby-appropriate!)

Accompanying the dress dilemma is another problem: shoes. I definitely don't want to wear cowboy boots, because ugh. I'm hesitant to wear sandals, because horses. And I'm on the fence about heels, because walking on grass. 

What do y'all think? Is a short dress tacky? Should I just buy something in seersucker? Is it weird to ask Johnny's mom about making a dress? (She does enjoy sewing and is a wonderful seamstress.) What kind of shoes should I wear? 

Wedding Wednesday

I thought it'd be fun to keep y'all updated on my Derby-themed wedding plans, and invite everyone to add their thoughts and suggestions in the comments section! Now, since no one wants to read about weddings and wedding planning all day, every day, I'll be limiting these posts to once a week, maximum. 

Today's topic is a big one: venue. Venue cost is a huge part of the budget and an important part of the party. We're inviting 134 people; most of them will be traveling to Tulsa from other states. We need a venue that is:

• Relatively close to Tulsa, so friends and family from out of town can get to and from easily.
• Large enough to accommodate our guests.
• Horse-friendly, as Moe and Gina will be attending (and will be a big part of pictures).

Of course, our first thought was to have the event at the horse's soon-to-be new home, Osage Hills Equestrian Center. There are some pros to this place: no cost to rent it, no real restrictions on setting things up, horses are definitely welcome. There are some concerns, though: the easiest place to set up large tents would be the hay meadow, which may not be cut in early May; renting tents is expensive; coordinating rentals between companies is often a nightmare; we would be responsible for set up and take-down.

Another venue we've considered is the White House Mansion in Tulsa. It's easily accessible from major highways in Tulsa, is horse-friendly, and the cost of the rental includes tables and chairs, as well as access to the indoor facilities in case of inclement weather. However, the rental cost is substantial (for us), and the logistics of getting the horses down there on Derby day might be difficult.

The final place we spoke with at the wedding show was The Silo Event Center in Tulsa. Another easily accessible and horse-friendly place, the Silo has indoor and outdoor options, which is good for Oklahoma's variable spring weather. There's also lodging on-site for out of town guests. However, the cost is relatively high, and there's not a lot of room for trailer parking.

Johnny and I are making a trip out to Osage Hills this weekend (he's never been), and we're planning to make a lot of notes on setup, logistics, and overall feasibility. If that venue won't work, it'll be off to the others to see what will suit our needs best!