Feeling a lot better about things today... Kai from JMJ still hasn't responded (and his email says "sent from my iphone" so that doesn't leave too much room for excuse!-- and side note, mom & dad are coming in today, so excited!  Dad is on the plane right now WITH my new iphone, yes, I am upgrading to phone with internet, no more ghetto for me!) and mom gets in tonight!)

Anyway, as suggested by my wedding coordinator, I contacted Accel again yesterday.  I had been waiting over a month for a revised proposal they said they would send over to match competitor's prices.  Apparently they sent it but to the wrong email address, so Heather apologized and sent it over with a nice email.  Since then we've touched base a few times via email and talked on the  phone.  I feel a little bad, because it does seem like Kai has had some bad luck with the family emergency and then his partner going on medical leave... and he has been corresponding with me the most the last few months, but I've been waiting for a revised proposal for over a month now I think.  It's just getting too close to my trip not to have something set in stone and ready to go.  :-/

Anyway, Heather said she is completely free to check out Lanikuhonua with me while I'm home and create a layout.  Yay!  I just need to get in touch with Auntie Nettie to approve a site visit.  The last few times I called I've gotten voicemail. 

I've also been trying to decide what I want inside the tent in terms of lanters/ lights/ chandeliers... You know me and my "bling"... I thought the chandeliers really made the whole outdoor venue turn sophisticated, but Sean didn't like it so much.  He thought it looked tacky!  I have a feeling they are probably pretty pricey to rent anyway so I had decided on lanterns (which are actually pretty pricey too, especially when you are hanging a bunch of them... but anyway, I was trying to decide between all white or some colored and white ones.  I emailed Samantha and got her opinion (which was all white).  I also really started to like the Xmas lights!  So we kinda both agreed that would look nice :)

Well go figure after I write this an email from Kai comes along... it stil

So go figure, my cousin would write to me today and tell me there is lime green palaka!  My Aunty teaches sewing classes above Kaimuki Dry Goods and went in to check on it for me, but low and behold, someone was holding the entire roll of lime green palaka!  Can you believe it?  She thought it might be my friend Jen, who checked out Fabirc Mart for me, but it wasn't!  Well I already bought 30+ rolls of the other fabric, so I'm not even going to call...but dangit, I hope I can get it out of my mind!!! :(

Kai from JMJ Rentals has still not responded to my email.  I'm torn, I don't know what to do!  Give him a few more days and hope for the best or try consulting with another company?

Go figure no less than 5 minutes after I wrote that, I got an email from Kai.  However, it was to say to please be patient and it didn't answer any of my questions or include a revised proposal!  AHHH!  I'm going to go nuts.

Ok, well the outdoor lounge research has still been going on.  I got offered a better deal by 1/3 companies,  but it's from the most expensive one... so no decisions have been made.  I have also been contemplating just buying furniture of my own instead of renting it.  I got a coupon for Pier 1 so randomly went on the website and found some options.  I called one of the stores in Hawaii and they have the bench, so now I'm just trying to figure it all out.   It only comes out to be a little more than renting, which just absolutely kills me.  They even have perfect colored cushions...I figured after the wedding I could donate one set to my mom, the other to tutu... but the only problem I'm finding now is who is going to transport it from our house to the wedding and back?  Or who would be able to fit that?  So many things to consider...

I've also been talking with the cake companies and have two penciled in for my trip home with A Cake Life and Frosted Hawaii.  The other two I am interested in say to call the day before and then at the end of May so those are TBD.


I wrote an email to JMJ Rentals yesterday explaining my situation.  I really really hope he writes back soon because I am very anxious about getting this set in stone.  One of my biggest priorites while I'm home will be to visit the location site with the vendor and set up a layout of where everything will go.  I really need to be able to visualize everything and know where and how many of everything we need needs to go before I can even worry about centerpieces, favors etc.  So yes, really hoping he calls back soon, otherwise I may  have to look for another vendor. :-/


Well I had my sights on getting macarons for the favors, but the more and more I thought about it, they were so expensive, plus to have them overnight fed-ex'd would probably cause me a lot of anxiety, plus the rush of having to assemble them all in boxes in a day or two before the wedding was not really ideal.  I'm sure we are going to have a lot of other things to do too.  Well last night I was snacking on a treat my cousin's girlfriend Jenny brought up for us last month and I was like OMG!!  This would make the perfect favor!  I was pretty pleased.  I looked it up online and found out another great little thing.  Anyway, they are yummy, cute and a Hawaii company, which really makes more sense to have my favors from rather than a Cali company!  So yeah, I'm quite pleased with this discovery :)


Ok...and now for the best part... Saturday Aunty Jeannine took Tutu and I to a fabric store called Jennie's and I found a bunch of potentials!  Yay!  I said to myself I could be happy with a few of these, which was great because I really just need to pick one.  So Sunday we went to the garment district once again and I said to myself, if we don't find one here, we will go back to OC next weekend and get it there.  Well we walked around and around, into the stores we didn't make it to last time, but nothing... everything was solids or bad materials...nothing even close.  So Sean suggested we just go to Michael Levine one last time before we left.  Well, maybe I was more open minded this time, or maybe it was because I was looking for greens rather than whites with greens, but I found SO many more options this time!  It was kind of crazy.  Here are the fabrics I found on Saturday and Sunday...

Ok, so much more than before!  Sean and I then narrowed it down to our favorite three.  Unfortunately they didn't have the middle one, so it was between the other two (probably better they were out of one).  Sean liked the one on the left the best and I could NOT make up my mind, so it was settled.  That is our print!  We bought like 30+ yards and got a 10% discount.  I brought it over to Sean's parents house and we plan to have a "sewing party" in the near future.  I'm just awaiting the boys measurements since I only have Roenicke's so far.   But we finally have a fabric, yay!!!

Last but not least, my friend from home (and family friend) entered into a contest "Make a Wish Children's BIrthday Party Challenge" on Minted.com.  She is also helping me design and make my wedding invitations too!  So please, if you can, vote for her designs so that she can win!  Thank you!
http://www.minted.com/designer/SashiandMiko

Started thinking about the ceremony today... I have been in touch with Chaplain Heidel (our chaplain and my Intermediate track coach at Punahou) who has graciously offered to officiate our wedding for us.  He has sent us a bunch of readings and vows to go over which Sean and I have sorted through already.


Today I went on the knot to read some examples of readings and vows... mannnn how do you choose?!


I also started thinking about ceremony music....I talked to my friend Mari today, and she said her and JO are getting a harpist!  How lovely!  I don't know what I want yet.  Decisions, decisions!


I also can't decide if I want flower petals sprinkled down the aisle or bunches of them on each side of the aisle?  Let's take a poll... haha...


Lots and lots of stuff to think about!  
P.S. I can't talk about it because it's a surprise, but I got a preview to something for the wedding that we did a few weekends ago yesterday and it was very exciting! :)

I'm starting to get frazzled thinking of how fast time is just flying by.  Sunday was Vince & Marion's wedding and everyone kept saying "you're next!" AHHHH slooow down timeee!
Well over the weekend and yesterday I got a bunch of responses in regards to the "outdoor furniture" to create a lounge.  My heart's really set on having one!  Good thing is that there are 3 companies who all have something that would work.  I've emailed all of them back after receiving their prices and am hoping someone will be able to offer me a discount.  Keep your fingers crossed!


I also started looking up prices and selections for plates, utensils etc.  I asked some friends if having disposable-ware was tacky and they both said yes haha.  I was thinking of getting those clear, plastic plates and then putting a decoration with napkin/ utensils on top of it so that it would look nice.  Plus, they have clear plates (real ones) that I'm actually a big fan of.  The problem with our outdoor venue is not having these little things come with the space, as you would with a hotel or restaurant.  I like that I get to customize everything, it's just a little more work/ can get pricey when you multiply .90/ plate x 200 people and then .60 a fork, .60 a knife, .60 a spoon x 200 too!  I've already pretty much decided we will have nice, disposable glasses though.  Too many chances for people to drop it dancing or accidents to happen.  I found clear plates with rhinestones all around it and LOVED them...but at $7 a plate, I dont' think it's gonna happen!


I also got a quote from a bartending service.  It includes the bartenders, the station, ice, mixers and more.  Seems pretty convenient but I have no idea if the price is reasonable or not.  I emailed my wedding coordinator and am just waiting to hear back.  


Lastly, I finished the hair piece for the girl who emailed me via the smp website.  It was a lot harder than Kendra's was, not sure why... one reason might be that the embellishment was HUGE, and so I had to take it apart and make it smaller.  Luckily it didn't fall apart and I was able to make it work.  In the end I think it worked out... I hope she likes it!