So close, yet so far

I worked in my downtown office today and Joe came and met me for lunch. On our way back, we passed the church that we will get married in in 1.5 months. The church is so beautiful, sitting in the midst of downtown San Jose. It is about 2 blocks away from my workplace, and I pass by it every once in a while, and I always get so excited when it comes into view. As we were sitting there waiting for the light to change, I was in the perfect position to snap a quick picture with my blackberry.

So close, yet it just seems so far.

The Bridesmaids

I have never blogged about what the bridesmaid will be wearing, well that's because I don't have a picture. Given that our color scheme is black, white and pink, you can imagine what color the dress is. Well, if not, then I'll give you a little hint, I am a big proponent of the wedding party wearing black!
photo via [Tying the Knot]

Well, the girls are indeed wearing black, but the dress has a bright sash at the waist in fuschia, very bright, and match the groomsmen's tie perfectly. What's great was that I got the dresses on sale for the girls, at $85 a piece, you can't go wrong.

I also didn't want to purchase the regular bridesmaid dresses that the girls cannot wear again. One of the hardest thing during the search was to find dresses that fit all types of bodies. My girls' bodies range from size 2 to size 16. The wide variety of sizes definitely posed a challenge, but I was able to find it, in sizes 4-16.

The only problem now is that my maid of honor doesn't have a dress. She's a size 2. Being that she is the maid of honor, it's okay that she wears a completely different dress. I would like to keep it in black though and I actually think that it's great that she will be wearing something different. However, we have the hardest time trying to find something for her. With 1.5 months away from the big day, we need something fast, and we think we found it.

Calvin Klein - Macy's - $182

This dress will be in black of course, but I think it's a very nice dress. My sister doesn't like wearing strapless dress, so this should make her feel plenty comfortable. I can't wait to get it in our hands.

Finalizing the bachelorette party

As the weekend is approaching (slowly I might add), that means Vegas is approaching. Unfortunately, one of my bridesmaids cannot make it on Friday with us due to work schedule, but she'll be flying out on Saturday to meet us! She's such a rockstar for coming out for only a day! That's dedication.

Of course, being a tedious planner that I am, I have to finalize at least an itinerary for us even if it will change. Here's a little outline:

Friday:

• 5:30 - arrival
• 7:00 - dinner
• 9:00 - back to hotel to get ready
• 11:00 - club XS @ Wynn Hotel

Saturday:

• 12:00 - lunch
• 1:30 - spa @ Excalibur
• 5:00 - back to hotel
• 7:00 - dinner
• 9:00 - back to hotel to get ready
• 10:30 - Chippendale show
• 12:00 - club LAX @ Luxor

Sunday:

• 11:00 - check out
• 12:00 - lunch at Caesar Palace
• 2:00 - shop at the Forum Shops
• 5:00 - depart to airport
• 7:25 - flight back home

I love it when we have a plan. I also love that everyone is being really accommodating to my requests. I love that I'm going with a small group of 5 girls.

25 things about me

1. I have a fear of flowers. I do not touch them nor do I find them beautiful in any way. The bigger they are, the scarier they are.
   
2. I did not learn to speak English until I was 10 and did not become fluent (able to carry a conversation) until I was in the ninth grade. Because it made me very very self-conscious, I was determined to get rid of my Asian accent and had successfully done so.
3. I have never dated an Asian men before (with the exception of Filipinos).
   
4. I shared a room with my sister and sleep on a bunk bed until I was 23 (when I moved out of my parents' house).
5. I stole $25 from my parents in the 7th grade to buy a school year book and got caught. I serious thought about running away after school because of it.
   
6. I have never been outside of the U.S. except for living in Vietnam for the first 10 years of my life.
7. I secretly wished I would marry a white man growing up. My future husband is a white man.
8. I grew up Catholic, switched to being a Christian when I dated my ex for 6 years, and have converted back to Catholic since meeting my fiance.
9. I don't call anyone best friend (with the exception of my fiance), because I feel like the label puts a lot of pressure on both sides.
   
10. I've only called two men boyfriend: an ex who I was with for 6 years and my current fiance.
11. I got engaged after 8 months of meeting my current fiance.
    
12. I was a valedictorian of my high school. There were 4,000+ students and 1,000+ in the 2001 graduating class. There were also 9 valedictorians.
13. I have a true appreciation for the study of economics. I even minored in economics in college.
    
14. Before I left for the U.S., my uncle hit me out of nowhere and told me that I don't deserve to have a better life while my cousins remain in a communist country. That memory is forever burn into my head.
15. I'm a terrible hand holder. Everyone I date tell me that.
16. I used to have an eating disorder in middle school. Growing up, everyone in my family told me that I was fat, so I spent a lot of time exercising everyday and eating very unhealthily.
17. I once overdosed on Tylenol by taking about 50 pills at once. Nobody every found out because I tried sleeping it out. I remembered feeling very sick because of it.
    
18. I cannot swim.
    
19. I have never told my parents "I love you" nor have they ever told me they loved me. We just never have that kind of dynamic. We have recently just started hugging as a sign of affection towards each other.
20. My first birthday party was when I was 13.
21. I've only been to the following out of state places: Forth Worth, TX, Chicago, IL, Miami, FL, Orlando, FL, Atlanta, GA, Boise, ID, Philly, PA, Salt Lake City, UT, NJ.
22. I have a big tattoo of a phoenix on my back, as a tribute to my Vietnamese name.
23. I think my parents don't know how to feel about me. On one hand, I am considered the black sheep in my family, due to the following reasons: I got a tattoo, I dated outside of my race, I was the first to move out of parents' house (before I got married), I lived with a man (my fiance) before marriage. On the other hand, I can tell that they are proud of me for what I've done so far.
    
24. My father fought in the Vietnam war and was taken prisoner for about 5 years because he fought with the Americans.
    
25. I have never held a gun before in my life, although my fiance is an expert shooter by military standard on the rifle.
    

Beautiful centerpiece

photo via [Hostess with the Mostess]

Weight Loss

I've never been one to worry about weight loss specifically for the wedding. I have a specific approach to weight loss as I have with work, just do what you're supposed to do and do a good job at it, and everything will fall into place. It's been really really successful at work, not so much with weight.

I have never been a small girl, nor have I ever been a big girl. I remember my first encounter with my weight consciousness was in the 6th grade, after my family beat it into me that I am fat. I was 118 lbs then. You know what happen when you became conscious of something, you become obsessed!

I was obsessed, exercising every single day and became really really unhealthy about my diet. After a few years, I did manage to lose some weight, as my weight settled at 120lb by the time I graduated high school. I think the weight loss is a result of the loss of baby fat, rather than from anything I did.

However, that time in my life was a really shallow time, coupling it with the hormones of a teenage girl, it was out of control. In college when I had more time, I managed to eat a little healthier and exercised as much as I can. I have to say that this is the period when I was most healthy.

After college and I started work, the nature of the work really put a damper on my diets and exercise habits. I ate a lot of things and with no time to shed those food out of the system, I gained some weight. I believeI maxed out at 135 lbs, which was where I was during the time that I purchased my wedding dress. I purchased a sized 8 and it was a bit snug. Breathable but still snug.

Lately, I've been busy with work and the wedding projects that I lost a bunch of weight. I'm down to 125 lbs and it is evident when I put on my dress on at the first fitting, after months of it sitting in the closet. It fits much more perfectly, to a point that the sides has to be taken in. Over the weekend, I also went shopping to get some things for Vegas next weekend, I tried on the guess jeans that I always have, and I had to go down two sizes from my usual size. I purchased them because the jeans I have no longer fit.

Though I was able to lose some weight without very much effort, I know a lot of people try to shed some weight before the wedding. So is anyone else trying to lose weight before the big day?

Pretty ribbons

Love the look of decorated ribbons, over the ceremony area or the reception hall.photos via [The Bride's Cafe]