ginger1981
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Posts posted by ginger1981
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Clearly I am missing out! I might have to start watching. I like watching Platinum Weddings on WE - it's like, how much money do you have to spend to make what would ostensibly be a classy wedding and make it completely tacky. A girl I work with was featured on it - hilarious.
Yeah, I'm another Platinum Weddings fan, sorry to say. In a similar vein, I loved that Manhattan Housewives show, and just found out that my friend is friends with that Alex on the show -- the tall, skinny blonde. Apparently she's very nice in real life, but the syrupy stuff with her husband is for real. Yuck.
I have not watched the Manhattan housewives yet but the OC housewives is a definite favorite even though the OH gets visibly agitated when its on.
Oh sweet Jesus H. Christ. Yes the Redneck weddings show I have not seen, but I have lived through some so there is no need to watch. I've been to weddings where the groomsment wear jeans, sh*tkickers and cowboy hats, and the women wear cowboy hats with their ugly bridesmaid dresses.
The camo wedding kills me. I was looking at caketoppers on ebay and there was one that had a bride and groom in camo with them both holding guns. If that doesn't say love and romance I don't know what does.
Also, my other road trip advice is not to book accomodation in advance. It's more fun that way!!!
It's fun until you arrive in a town with every room sold out hahaha! I've nearly had to spend a night out on a beach, but luckily I found a room at the end of the day. Then again this happened in France on Bastille Day weekend so I should have known better
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They are really picky about those letters of intent. I sent an updated one but it wasn't notarized, so I have to resend one that was in order for his visa to be processed. Nicky was approved, just couldn't get the actual visa itself until they got the letter.
He was told by the embassy staff that if it was up to them they wouldn't mind, but it was Homeland Security that was picky about it and they didn't want to chance Nicky getting denied at immigration when he moved.
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Although I am closer to my family in the UK, we made the decision to live in the US mainly due to my husband's work. I was also so tired of watching the UK go "to the dogs" with all the immigration problems, taxes, and left wing spineless government that would have me support all the freeloaders and leeches.
Haha so you decided to move to the US which has... immigration problems, unemployment problems, is going into a recession and is in the middle of a political debate where it looks like we're screwed whatever happens....
Seriously though, I was kind of sick of all that stuff in the UK too, but remember that the US is certainly not without its problems.
I was thinking the same thing too! The price of gasoline causes no worry and six weeks vacation...where do you live in the US, because it sounds like you moved to some paradise I'm not aware existed!
Though I'm more worried about getting shot at than anything. I think it was a weekend or two ago there were seven shootings on one Saturday night!
The price of gas is still a heck of a lot lower than the UK so Im still not complaining on that one. I lucked out with my employer and the six weeks paid vacation, non contributory comprehensive blue cross blue shield healthcare, and the ability to work from home !! Because the US is sooooo big, immigration, certainly where I live in VA, is not so noticeable as they aren't running out of space yet like the UK. If someone tries to shoot me Im shooting back !! I like the fact that defending yourself isnt a crime here. And today is 75 degrees and sunny !
I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.
I find it interesting...I guess in VA there must not be as much of influx of immigrants? My neighborhood in Chicago some knowledge of Spanish is essential...most of the signs are in Spanish, and quite a few of the people don't speak a whole lot of English. That is even true for the town I grew up in back in rural Nebraska.
Though to be honest I do like living with so many ethnic options. I wouldn't want to live in a totally whitebread place anymore.
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Julez -- you crack me up.
Has anyone ever checked out uglydress.com? Hours of enjoyment await... The classic must be the Pregnant Prom Dress.
Note that there is even a patriotic prom dress! Do people seriously wear this stuff?
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I seriously cannot imagine ANY time when it would be appropriate to don that dress!!!
That would be what Stephen Colbert's wife would have worn to their wedding :-p
Before you know it, American flag lapel pins won't be enough to show you are patriotic! Now you'll have to have your wedding dress look like it was made by Betsey Ross!
Btw...as proud to be American as I am, in my experience most of the people I see who wear and US flag paraphenilia (ie jackets, t-shirts, do'rags) are kind of white trash-y. Not always, but it tends to be that way...try walking into a Wal-Mart on a weekend afternoon and see if you agree!
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Kris is looking to go through Chicago now as well since his visa still hasn't arrived and our flight options are dwindling for next week. Is it more of a pain through that POE?
I might add that the IO's are Irish, and in my experience they tend to be a bit nicer than the ones you get upon arrival in the US...but like I said that is my experience. It's also nicer getting the passport stuff done before the flight than standing around forever after you get to the US POE.
And god forbid, if you somehow get denied entry into the US, it's better for that to happen in Dublin when you are closer to home than when you get to your US destination.
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I got my hairpiece from Claire's - it was lovely
It only cost about £2 but I refused to pay the ridiculous prices of "bridal" stuff. You can kinda see it here:Ok so you can't because if the image was to be in the new 10k limit, you wouldn't be able to see it. Owel
I didn't mean to imply that Claire's didn't have lovely things...I think they do, but I thought a headband of the same quality you could get at Claire's selling for $150 was a bit much. I actually got mine on ebay...just won the auction today and I believe it's about $20 with shipping included.
I'm with you...if I had the cahones I would open a cheap chic bridal store for us that find the cost of most bridal stuff ridiculous.
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we gave up on JFK too. just figured it was way too much hassle without any guarantee of a job. was dreading driving in NYC. when we have Newark memorized.
Your man got you to join the Toon Army too eh? Mine hasn't been successful yet...but then again I haven't fully converted him to being a Cornhusker fan either
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Yes the night before my interview, I dreamed of being late..
With the approval rate at the London embassy, chances are you're fine. From my DF's experience when he went in for the interview he saw the file and it already had an approved stamp on it, so it sounds like they usually make their decision beforehand.
That was probably the I-129F that had approved on it. I saw my I-130 with approved on it at my interview, but my actual visa was not approved.
That could be...I am just repeating hearsay B)
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Wow this sounds like it could have been my situation. My family was not at all happy about the decision. I admit, after being together formally for a month he proposed (we had known each other for a few years and had met twice before then) so that was a shock to them. But we had been engaged for over a year when we started making wedding plans...and when those wheels started turning my mother threw a fit.
1) She said she had been planning a trip to either Europe or Hawaii for her and my step dad's 20th anniversary, and that the date of my wedding would ruin her vacation plans (her vacation was planned at the time to be the first week of June while mine is the end of June). She actually went as far as to say I was doing this on purpose to ruin her vacation.
2) She threw me under the bus to other family members...she told my grandmother that I had told her (my mother) that she can't go on her vacation...which I never said remotely. I had told her to go on her vacation, and I would find a way to get her to Chicago for the wedding.
3) The same schpiel of "you hardly know him." I've known him since 2005, speak daily via email and usually 2-3 times a week over the phone. We've also visited each other about every 3-4 months and stay at the very least 1 week on our visits. In 2006 Nicky was in the US for nearly 2 months staying with me...so the hardly know/spent time with each other argument didn't work.
4) The general "worried about her image to others" came into affect too I'm sure, as she had always wanted me to date and marry the All-American type boy that almost all the girls I went to school with married the minute they graduated from high school.
5) Education too...both my parents were worried about him not having a uni degree whereas myself and my parents do.
6) They have no clue what he is saying due to his accent
All I can say is...although I know my mom isn't very pleased about it still, I think she realized that it is happening no matter how many fits she could throw, so I think she's accepted it. I'm still worried about mama-drama, but she has been more cooperative and nice as of late. My step dad has also helped in this situation, as he and I discussed the wedding and he voiced what I thought were the legitimate parental concerns.
I really think that unless your mother holds a helluva grudge she will come around and realize what she would be missing out on. I empathize with you, and hope the family drama will clear enough so you have the happiest wedding day you can imagine.
It really amazes me how soooo many people are immature, you know?
Ack...no kidding! I admit my mother tends to have the ability to push certain buttons with me...wheras most of the time I'm rather cool and calm she has the ability to get me unhinged and it usually turns into a whole huge drama-rama. This time around I held my ground and didn't let her hysterics set me off either...so in the end I was the one who came out looking good. It sounds awful that I have to be so detached, but it was the only way to deal with my mom until fairly recently.
My favorite one was my mom said he didn't "look American" lol...well of course not!
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Anyone know of any luck with the EAD stamp at Chicago O'Hare?
If what you are saying is true Navarreman, that JFK is the only POE that does this...one has to wonder if the USCIS is skewed towards a certain group of immigrants. I would say most entering JFK would be from Europe...as opposed to Houston/Atlanta/LAX you are likely looking at the majority coming from non-European countries. I do hope it isn't a case of discrimination, but you never know...
At no time have I said anything of the sort. Quite the opposite is true. I have serious doubts that JFK is the only POE that can grant temp work permits. I have said several times that Tanya got hers at ATL. Most everyone else is saying that they have some reason to believe that JFK is the only one. This is not the case!!!
Please re-read very carefully what I posted and you will see that you misunderstood what was posted. I do not believe for one moment that USCIS would be stupid enough to blatently discriminate against anybody. They are equally slow and un-helpful toward all. What was posted in bold letters is a "cut-n-paste" from the VJ K1 Flowchart stating, somewhat poorly, the process whereby one can get the EAD stamp and it gives the impression that this done routinely at JFK if you ask for it. It stops just short of saying that JFK is the only POE that will provide the stamp. IMO this cannot be the case as Tanya received her stamp at ATL and others have received theirs at POE's that were not JFK.
A phone call to the Immigration folks at O'hare should get you the answer you are seeking.
Ok, I hope to enter through Orlando - so if I can get a number to call them later, i'll see what they say about issuing the stamp and then i'll let you all know.That's the ticket!!!
Thanks
You didn't have to be such an a-hole answering...it was more of a hypothetical question. I realize that it is unlikely that JFK is the only place, but it seems that it doesn't happen as often at other airports...why would that be? I should have made myself more clear granted, but I didn't think a post that was written to try to make me feel like a complete idiot was necessary.
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Could someone bring a Boots? We need those here in the US...at least they sell No. 7 at Target now!
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Blah blah....practical advice is what it is. If you don't find it useful for solving your problem - then don't implement it - but don't ask for advice and then complain when you get it.
I wouldn't call it advice when you are obviously being an a s s h o l e.
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Anyone know of any luck with the EAD stamp at Chicago O'Hare?
If what you are saying is true Navarreman, that JFK is the only POE that does this...one has to wonder if the USCIS is skewed towards a certain group of immigrants. I would say most entering JFK would be from Europe...as opposed to Houston/Atlanta/LAX you are likely looking at the majority coming from non-European countries. I do hope it isn't a case of discrimination, but you never know...
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Wow this sounds like it could have been my situation. My family was not at all happy about the decision. I admit, after being together formally for a month he proposed (we had known each other for a few years and had met twice before then) so that was a shock to them. But we had been engaged for over a year when we started making wedding plans...and when those wheels started turning my mother threw a fit.
1) She said she had been planning a trip to either Europe or Hawaii for her and my step dad's 20th anniversary, and that the date of my wedding would ruin her vacation plans (her vacation was planned at the time to be the first week of June while mine is the end of June). She actually went as far as to say I was doing this on purpose to ruin her vacation.
2) She threw me under the bus to other family members...she told my grandmother that I had told her (my mother) that she can't go on her vacation...which I never said remotely. I had told her to go on her vacation, and I would find a way to get her to Chicago for the wedding.
3) The same schpiel of "you hardly know him." I've known him since 2005, speak daily via email and usually 2-3 times a week over the phone. We've also visited each other about every 3-4 months and stay at the very least 1 week on our visits. In 2006 Nicky was in the US for nearly 2 months staying with me...so the hardly know/spent time with each other argument didn't work.
4) The general "worried about her image to others" came into affect too I'm sure, as she had always wanted me to date and marry the All-American type boy that almost all the girls I went to school with married the minute they graduated from high school.
5) Education too...both my parents were worried about him not having a uni degree whereas myself and my parents do.
6) They have no clue what he is saying due to his accent
All I can say is...although I know my mom isn't very pleased about it still, I think she realized that it is happening no matter how many fits she could throw, so I think she's accepted it. I'm still worried about mama-drama, but she has been more cooperative and nice as of late. My step dad has also helped in this situation, as he and I discussed the wedding and he voiced what I thought were the legitimate parental concerns.
I really think that unless your mother holds a helluva grudge she will come around and realize what she would be missing out on. I empathize with you, and hope the family drama will clear enough so you have the happiest wedding day you can imagine.
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Both my fiance and are very independent people, so I have to admit it was nice having my own space and going out with my girlfriends and just generally not having to answer to anyone. I think he would say the same thing too.
So oddly enough, I think it will be hard adjusting to having to have someone there...telling them where you are going and when you are going to be back home.
I admit though, since moving out of my old apartment (that I shared with a roommate) last week and waiting for my DF to be here in 17 days has been tough. I don't like coming home to an empty house!
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Yes the night before my interview, I dreamed of being late..
With the approval rate at the London embassy, chances are you're fine. From my DF's experience when he went in for the interview he saw the file and it already had an approved stamp on it, so it sounds like they usually make their decision beforehand.
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Well I missed out on the doggy poo stories, so here's mine (I'll spoiler it for those with delicate constitutions!)
Our flatcoat retriever ate socks, too. Was addicted to them for about 6 months. Fortunately they always passed through her without any problems. She's now rid herself completely of that habit and she and her son just stick to eating old, smelly cow pats instead. Yuck! Her son is a bit of a pickle and will eat any food you leave out. One year he ate both my birthday cakes. He was so hyper for the rest of the day.
I am getting married in a conservatory...so I didn't feel the need to get flowers LOL. I also have a friend who is a amateur photographer, and all she is charging me for is the photo paper and the dark room fees. I would suggest getting some photographer...it would be nice to have something to save for the future. I would try asking around to see if anyone knows an amateur who would like to get the experience under their belt.I found out in Chicago that just hiring an officiant cost on average around $400...which is ridiculous for someone to come say a few words for 20 minutes. Basically Nicky and I are going into the courthouse the day before to have a civil ceremony, and then for the ceremony I'm having one of my closest friends officiate. Nicky even wrote the ceremony himself...I'm rather proud of him!
We're just having a MoH and a Best Man for attendants. Not only does it cut on costs, but also it avoids (at least with women) the drama that can go along with picking bridesmaids.
Our reception is at a local Irish Pub that has a nice party room in the basement. There is a bar down there and a soundsystem, so Nicky is just loading up his iPod to hook up in there. We're having a finger food buffet type thing, and we're doing a champaign toast and buying 1 round of drinks. As my family is Irish American and his is Scottish, our families and friends could easily bankrupt us booze-wise, so after the first round they have to fend for themselves (although we'll provide free pop and water the whole time).
For a dress...for example, go to www.houseofbrides.com . If you go to look at bridesmaid dresses, there are tons that look like wedding dresses and even come in white. Don't ask me why someone would want to dress their bridesmaids in long white dresses but I suppose it happens. Anyways, I got my dress for $250 - basically because it was a bridesmaid dress as opposed to a wedding dress. Actually, this is my dress: http://www.houseofbrides.com/product.php?p...=443&page=5 No one (unless I told them) knows that it is really a bridesmaid dress.
The really expensive part really was the venue. Though if I had done an outdoor ceremony I would needed to rent a tent (Chicago weather is notoriously fickle) and it would have ended up costing the same. I think it was a little over $1000 altogether. I would see if you know someone who has a nice garden who would be willing to host the ceremony.
Other than that if you need advice just PM me. Mine wedding is a month from today...
Thank you for this post. Your wedding sounds like it will be lovely! I love the dress, and that site seems to have its wires crossed in general - I mean, they're recommending this for the MOB:
http://www.houseofbrides.com/product.php?productid=3691
(I am sure someone's mother would manage to carry it off, but it'd be a very rare person who could do so!)
I think only the mother of Glenda the Good Witch could pull off that cotton candy monstrosity. And really...that gal looks a whole 16? Must be for a Kentucky wedding I suppose!
On a whole, I found if anything is labeled "bridal" the cost goes up quite a bit just because of that. I don't want to wear a veil or a tiara, so I was looking at headbands. I went into one bridal store and found some cute ones...but they were all well over $100! To me they were maybe slightly better in quality than something you would get from Claire's. Same with shoes...I ended up just getting some nice flats from Payless for $18.
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Although I am closer to my family in the UK, we made the decision to live in the US mainly due to my husband's work. I was also so tired of watching the UK go "to the dogs" with all the immigration problems, taxes, and left wing spineless government that would have me support all the freeloaders and leeches.
Haha so you decided to move to the US which has... immigration problems, unemployment problems, is going into a recession and is in the middle of a political debate where it looks like we're screwed whatever happens....
Seriously though, I was kind of sick of all that stuff in the UK too, but remember that the US is certainly not without its problems.
I was thinking the same thing too! The price of gasoline causes no worry and six weeks vacation...where do you live in the US, because it sounds like you moved to some paradise I'm not aware existed!
Though I'm more worried about getting shot at than anything. I think it was a weekend or two ago there were seven shootings on one Saturday night!
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It's so nice checking this thread and seeing all the approvals
I can't think of anyone in the past 4 or 5 months that has been rejected...has there been any?
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. Actually, this is my dress: http://www.houseofbrides.com/product.php?p...=443&page=5
Awww. That's a lovely dress, Ginger. And your wedding sounds like it's going to be lovely too. Almost makes me want to do mine over. (not)
Well I imagine it will be worth it a month from today. Right now it feels like a lot...doesn't help that I just moved but now that the proverbial and literal dust is settling I feel slightly less stressed about getting wedding stuff done.
I fell in love with the dress...first one I tried on. Though it puzzles me why anyone would have their bridesmaids wear that dress!
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Sorry about the double post!
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Good afternoon!The only thing is I wish I would have booked things earlier...I decided to wait until I had graduated from uni (this past December) to start wedding planning. But honestly planning a wedding in 6 months is a tall order...even a relatively simple one like mine and Nicky's! But really most places required only a deposit, and then full payment a month or a few weeks before (as our wedding is a month from tomorrow...the next few weeks are going to be VERY hard on my poor visa card lol).
I do feel a bit sad that most of the guests will be from my side of the family, friends and work. Thankfully we only have about 30 - 40 people coming...a manageable number.
I guess Nicky and I could always go down to the casino in Joliet and play the slots LOL. Not quite the same as Vegas, but as close as I can get!
Yeah; I'm hoping to avoid most of the pit-falls of planning a wedding in six months by sticking to the basics and doing as many things as possible myself. I've cut out everything we don't really need (flowers, photographer, attendants, DJ, etc.) and just need a place to host it, maybe a caterer (unless we go the cold food route) and an officiant. Our guest list is so far at 70-80 people, all of whom invited themselves.
I'm hoping that maybe half those people decide they're unable to make it.I am getting married in a conservatory...so I didn't feel the need to get flowers LOL. I also have a friend who is a amateur photographer, and all she is charging me for is the photo paper and the dark room fees. I would suggest getting some photographer...it would be nice to have something to save for the future. I would try asking around to see if anyone knows an amateur who would like to get the experience under their belt.
I found out in Chicago that just hiring an officiant cost on average around $400...which is ridiculous for someone to come say a few words for 20 minutes. Basically Nicky and I are going into the courthouse the day before to have a civil ceremony, and then for the ceremony I'm having one of my closest friends officiate. Nicky even wrote the ceremony himself...I'm rather proud of him!
We're just having a MoH and a Best Man for attendants. Not only does it cut on costs, but also it avoids (at least with women) the drama that can go along with picking bridesmaids.
Our reception is at a local Irish Pub that has a nice party room in the basement. There is a bar down there and a soundsystem, so Nicky is just loading up his iPod to hook up in there. We're having a finger food buffet type thing, and we're doing a champaign toast and buying 1 round of drinks. As my family is Irish American and his is Scottish, our families and friends could easily bankrupt us booze-wise, so after the first round they have to fend for themselves (although we'll provide free pop and water the whole time).
For a dress...for example, go to www.houseofbrides.com . If you go to look at bridesmaid dresses, there are tons that look like wedding dresses and even come in white. Don't ask me why someone would want to dress their bridesmaids in long white dresses but I suppose it happens. Anyways, I got my dress for $250 - basically because it was a bridesmaid dress as opposed to a wedding dress. Actually, this is my dress: http://www.houseofbrides.com/product.php?p...=443&page=5 No one (unless I told them) knows that it is really a bridesmaid dress.
The really expensive part really was the venue. Though if I had done an outdoor ceremony I would needed to rent a tent (Chicago weather is notoriously fickle) and it would have ended up costing the same. I think it was a little over $1000 altogether. I would see if you know someone who has a nice garden who would be willing to host the ceremony.
Other than that if you need advice just PM me. Mine wedding is a month from today...
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Good afternoon!The only thing is I wish I would have booked things earlier...I decided to wait until I had graduated from uni (this past December) to start wedding planning. But honestly planning a wedding in 6 months is a tall order...even a relatively simple one like mine and Nicky's! But really most places required only a deposit, and then full payment a month or a few weeks before (as our wedding is a month from tomorrow...the next few weeks are going to be VERY hard on my poor visa card lol).
I do feel a bit sad that most of the guests will be from my side of the family, friends and work. Thankfully we only have about 30 - 40 people coming...a manageable number.
I guess Nicky and I could always go down to the casino in Joliet and play the slots LOL. Not quite the same as Vegas, but as close as I can get!
Yeah; I'm hoping to avoid most of the pit-falls of planning a wedding in six months by sticking to the basics and doing as many things as possible myself. I've cut out everything we don't really need (flowers, photographer, attendants, DJ, etc.) and just need a place to host it, maybe a caterer (unless we go the cold food route) and an officiant. Our guest list is so far at 70-80 people, all of whom invited themselves.
I'm hoping that maybe half those people decide they're unable to make it.I am getting married in a conservatory...so I didn't feel the need to get flowers LOL. I also have a friend who is a amateur photographer, and all she is charging me for is the photo paper and the dark room fees. I would suggest getting some photographer...it would be nice to have something to save for the future. I would try asking around to see if anyone knows an amateur who would like to get the experience under their belt.
I found out in Chicago that just hiring an officiant cost on average around $400...which is ridiculous for someone to come say a few words for 20 minutes. Basically Nicky and I are going into the courthouse the day before to have a civil ceremony, and then for the ceremony I'm having one of my closest friends officiate. Nicky even wrote the ceremony himself...I'm rather proud of him!
We're just having a MoH and a Best Man for attendants. Not only does it cut on costs, but also it avoids (at least with women) the drama that can go along with picking bridesmaids.
Our reception is at a local Irish Pub that has a nice party room in the basement. There is a bar down there and a soundsystem, so Nicky is just loading up his iPod to hook up in there. We're having a finger food buffet type thing, and we're doing a champaign toast and buying 1 round of drinks. As my family is Irish American and his is Scottish, our families and friends could easily bankrupt us booze-wise, so after the first round they have to fend for themselves (although we'll provide free pop and water the whole time).
For a dress...for example, go to www.houseofbrides.com . If you go to look at bridesmaid dresses, there are tons that look like wedding dresses and even come in white. Don't ask me why someone would want to dress their bridesmaids in long white dresses but I suppose it happens. Anyways, I got my dress for $250 - basically because it was a bridesmaid dress as opposed to a wedding dress. Actually, this is my dress: http://www.houseofbrides.com/product.php?p...=443&page=5 No one (unless I told them) knows that it is really a bridesmaid dress.
The really expensive part really was the venue. Though if I had done an outdoor ceremony I would needed to rent a tent (Chicago weather is notoriously fickle) and it would have ended up costing the same. I think it was a little over $1000 altogether. I would see if you know someone who has a nice garden who would be willing to host the ceremony.
Other than that if you need advice just IM me. Mine wedding is a month from today...
Why USA and not UK?
in United Kingdom
Posted
I wouldn't be so sure on the firearm possession part being a deterrent. It doesn't seem to work in Chicago, nor Nebraska though I can't speak for other parts of the country. Most places that I have seen it seems to be socio-economically related where you see the most gun violence...on the Northside of Chicago is affluent and considerably safer and has much less gun crime than some of the Southside neighborhoods that are impoverished.
My great-uncle lives in Reston, and though I haven't been out to visit I understand it is quite nice out there :-). I've never been to DC myself and I hope to get out there at some point.