Goin’ To The Chapel: Registry
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
I went to Macy’s yesterday to complete my registry. I had such high hopes for the experience. What could be better than shopping for everything you want and getting someone else to pay for it?
I got there around 7pm, thinking two hours of shopping would be sufficient time to fulfill my domestic wet dreams. However, looking around at all the fine china and crystal vases proved a little overwhelming.
I’ve never owned a house and my apartments have been mostly furnished by IKEA (translation: cheap, pretty and dispensable). It’s easy to pick your style when things are in the $5-$20 price range. The last kitchen I furnished had bright red canisters on the counter and fluorescent-colored plastic plates in the cupboard. I was so excited to live a little more luxuriously.
As I looked around the department store at all the exquisite things with equally exquisite price tags had me second-guessing my choices. Is this what I really want? Should family spend their hard-earned money on this $145 Nambe bread plate? Will I really use it? Is it really my style?
After two hours of looking around I felt more lost then ever. Even the things that should be easy choices had me stressed. I know I need a stand mixer, but do I need the 4.5-quart for $200, the 5-quart for $300 or the 6-quart for $400? The most complicated thing I’ve ever baked is cupcakes out of a box.
The choices are endless. You can’t just say you need a waffle maker and click on the box. There are 13 different varieties of waffle makers in all various shapes, sizes and prices.
The hardest choice seems to be choosing a fine china pattern. The prices are totally outrageous. I know this is supposed to be fun, but I kept thinking that shopping for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars worth of dishes is just morally wrong in this economy. I know that people aren’t obligated to purchase it but I just don’t think I can do it.
I left the store with 10 items on my list and a headache. I have two more stores to visit and must populate a longer list. Something tells me this upcoming week is going to be filled with a lot of online ordering and Advil.
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas
Goin’ to the Chapel: Flora and fauna
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
The time has come to start looking for a florist for the wedding and reception. I found lots of beautiful flowers, but the problem is the pretty ones come with a hefty price tag. I really like calla lilies because of their sleek and clean quality. All the pictures I’ve bookmarked or cut out of magazines include them. However, with prices ranging from $8-$12 a stem (wholesale) I decided to only include them in my own bouquet.
Florists also range in price and each one charges for different services. Some charge delivery fees, some charge rental fees for vases. Prices for typical centerpieces start at $20 for a small simple arrangement and can go as high as $300 for a tall arrangement with specialty flowers.
Riehs Florist in Northern Liberties is fantastic. The staff was super friendly and they were very upfront about what they offer. Everything had a set price, which is really helpful when deciding what you want and what you can afford. Many other florists make up prices as they go along, which complicates things and makes me trust them less.
I’m no expert but I’ve noticed that if the vendor has a flashy office and offers you cappuccino, you’re going to pay out the ass. Most of the reasonably priced (but still high quality) vendors I visited worked in small, unadorned spaces or from home.
After some deliberation, I decided to go with a light purple rose. Pretty but relatively inexpensive. I should complement to the black and white damask tablecloths and add a pop of color.
In other news, I went to Michael’s craft store this week and saw aisles of black, white and purple wedding ideas. They also have these fabulous DIY damask wedding invites that will be a huge money saver. Typical wedding invites can range from $5-$20 each! With a big fat Greek wedding with over 300 guests that’s just not happening.
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas
Goin’ To The Chapel: Demanding Damask
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
I know I’ve been against this whole wedding plan nonsense, but I had an epiphany. The floodgates have opened and there’s no turning back now. I have an idea.
While casually browsing through some wedding magazines, I saw pictures from one bride’s dream wedding. She had used this fabulous black and white damask fabric as table runners and had added the print in small bursts throughout the reception. The result: A stylish and classy ultra-modern affair without any wedding cheesiness! I was in love.
The search for those runners and tablecloths is on.
They have to be perfect. There are so many different patterns of damask, some are darker, some have more ornate designs. A quick search on the Web brings up thousands of different results. The thing the surprised me: I’m not the only psycho out there looking for it. I’ve seen dozens of other brides on the hunt. There are forums dedicated to the search for the perfect damask-inspired wedding. The possibilities are endless. I’ve seen the print incorporated into almost every aspect of the wedding, from the cake to the invitations. One chick even wore a damask dress! Blogs titled “Mad About Damask” and “My Perfect Damask Wedding” appeared. There were even some former brides who put their used tablecloths for sale.
However, everywhere I looked other brides had already been there and scooped up the sought-after fabric. You’d think this would make me happy, knowing that I wasn’t alone in my obsession, but it only fed my hunger. I knew I’d crossed into obsessed territory when I saw a listing on Craigslists searching for the runners and thought of posting one myself. I stopped myself. For now.
But if the obsession deepens, I might need to cut a bitch to get this stuff.
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas
Goin’ To The Chapel: Flying Solo
PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here—including the quest for the perfect dress. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.
By now I’ve been to my fair share of venders trying to plan this wedding. The one thing that stands out to me is the question I get every time I call for a consultation. “Is mom coming with you?”
I remember the first time I heard it. Last fall, I’d gone with my BFF Roula to look for her wedding dress. They sat her down and told her to fill out a form. Kinda weird but I figured it was standard operating procedure; you do it at the dentist office, right? When the bridal consultant came over, she asked Roula, “Is your mother going to help you make your final decision?”
Roula was horrified. Although her mother is a perfectly nice lady and probably would’ve had a small impact on which dress she selected, Roula was appalled on my behalf.
My mother passed away when I was 16 years old. Although I’ve come to terms with it, dealing with others who haven’t is always a sticky situation. When someone broaches the subject of moms in my presence, my friends and family always get squeamish. I guess they assume bringing up the subject reminds me, makes me upset. I sometimes want to point out that I don’t a need a reminder.