Ladies Day Out

Being a Bridesmaid is more of a duty, than an honor. I should know. I have been a Bridesmaid for six weddings. Not to say I didn't love and enjoy every moment of it. I mean what girl doesn't love wearing a fancy dress and getting all dolled up. Plus I want to be there for my friend and share in her exchange of vows. But, its a lot of work with the dress shopping, showers, planning, and the money. Now I expect the same from all of my Bridesmaids, but I want us to do more together. I want my wedding to be more than just a day. I want to make it an experience beyond the normal wedding duties. These girls are my closest friends after all. 

My solution: 'Ladies Day Out'. Its time we get to spend together when the wedding is not the main focus. Time to just bond. I have eight bridesmaids with all sorts of things going on in their lives. All but two of my ladies are moms, and one is expecting her second. Two of us are trying to balance school and work. My cousin is figuring out the mechanics of being a high school teen. One of my bridesmaid just moved to Jacksonville. Most of us are in relationships so that's always a good topic for discussion. I just want to take the time to hang out with my girlfriends and simply have good old fashioned girl talk.

Ladies Day Out can be anything. Shortly after Jon and I got engaged, I set up a Sunday Lunch at Friday's. With 8 Bridesmaids it was a little complicated trying to arrange a time, but with a little flexibility we did it. I miraculously planned the lunch so everyone could attend and meet each other. I also had a small gift to give each of them as a thank you for joining me on my wedding day. After scouring the used book section of Amazon, I was able to procure 8 copies of "The Bachelorette Party" by Karen McCullah Lutz (co-writer of Legally Blonde). It was book I had randomly picked up at Borders a few years ago and fell in love with. Its hilarious and hopefully nothing like my Bachelorette Party. I thought it made an appropriate, inexpensive gift. (side note: Mandi called to tell me that I got her reading again and she thought the book was great. I asked her how far she got. "Page 5"). Our first Ladies Day Out was a success.

My second Ladies Day Out was at the Cincinnati Art Museum. The have an exhibit, Wedded Perfection, displaying wedding dresses across two centuries beginning in the 18th. How perfect! And the best part? The art museum has free admission. Bonus! I originally planned the event for a Saturday in December. I don't know what I was thinking. Duh, Christmas. So I pushed it back to January. Like I said, I have eight bridesmaids. I never expect to get them all together, which brings me to the number 1 rule of Ladies Day Out. It is not a requirement, its an opportunity. My bridesmaids all lead very busy lives, so I never try to make them feel obligated or guilty about not being able to do anything. These events are just for fun. Anyways, Becky, Shannon, Mandy, Colby, Adrienne, and I had a great time at the museum. The museum doesn't allow photos in the temporary exhibits so no photos. But here is the link which has one picture on it. Wedded Perfection. Our favorites included a Vera Wang. There are a few artistic dresses, one of which was made from latex gloves. After the museum we eventually made it to lunch (we lost Shannon and Adrienne along the way). Needless to say, we had a great time!

Lights, Camera, I Do

Hello few and faithful readers! I apologize for my absence. Between the holidays, being under the weather, and the start of a new (and my final!) quarter at UC, life has been a little hectic. I did manage to check one more thing off my list: The videographer. Jon thinks we don't need one, but like I said in my last post: I can't remember anything when the emotions and adrenaline are running full throttle. Plus, how fun would it be on September 10, 2041 to cuddle up with my hubby of 30 years and watch us recite our vows when gravity has yet to take its toll on our bodies!

So I started my search a little while ago. My first stop: Craigslist. Craig's friends are my friends. Why? Because they are smart enough to not pay for advertising. That is one less cost that is passed onto me. During my research I saw prices into the thousands. No way did that even come close to being in my budget, so I was super happy to find a guy for $500. There was another guy for $300, but unfortunately he was already booked for my date. So I went for the next cheapest. I set up a meeting with Tyler at a Starbucks. **The best advice I can give anyone when meeting with someone from Craigslist is to do it in a public space. Not a parking lot, but inside a building.** Just last night on the 11 o'clock news, there was a story about a man getting mugged at gun point during a Craigslist deal.

Anyways, back to the happy stuff. Tyler is in school for video and this is his way of building a portfolio and earning a little extra mula. He told me how he won 6 of 11 awards for a competition he entered through school. He wrote, directed, and shot the winning short film. He also posted videos of previous weddings he shot on You Tube. I had watched the videos before meeting him and after talking to him, I was very impressed. All I wanted was someone to shoot the ceremony, but he is going above and beyond simple. Tyler is going to shoot in HD video. He is bringing a buddy to help capture all of the craziness. And, wait for it, they will be there all day! From getting ready, to the photos, to the ceremony, and finally the reception. This is an exceptional deal! I dare anyone to find a better videographer!

Love to hear about your video adventures!