Tux Down

I had a second appointment on Monday to try on a few different styles of tuxedos.  This was a good idea.  Both Mary and I ended up really liking one of the new ones that I tried on and we decided to go with Formally Modern Tuxedos.  Of course, you'll have to wait until September 27th to see what we picked, but we're pretty happy with our choices.  If you're a groomsman, usher or father, time to get measured up!  I've already sent emails out to everyone, and opted to BCC all the significant others to make sure the guys take care of business.  Better safe than sorry :)

Also, while the tux selection process was fairly simple, there is definitely some advice I have for the guys that has absolutely nothing to do with style.  The first time we went, it was a night after work when we were running around trying to take care of all kinds of wedding things.  I was a little hot and sticky and not feeling particularly dapper.  I was also in desparate need of a haircut and shave.  Although the tuxes I tried on were nice, it was hard to get a good feeling for any of them.

The second night we went out, I was fresh from a haircut, shower and shave.  It really made a huge difference in trying things on.  Not only did I feel clean and fresh from my shower, but being recently groomed helped me get a better idea of how I might look on our actual wedding day.  So, my advice to all you future grooms out there (that's you Jay and Ken), whatever you consider to be your style, go to try on tuxes after a recent haircut, shower and shave!

My Dress

I got a call today stating that my dress arrived!  HOORAY!!  I am totally excited and also somewhat relieved.  The shop owner at Catherine Simms Bridal, Karen, had had such a tough time getting the manufacturer to send a fabric swatch for me that it made me a little nervous about getting my actual dress, but time after time, she reassured me that all would be fine with the dress.  Just so long as the dress that arrived is the right style and color, it'll be great.  I scheduled the first fitting for the earliest possible date, July 22nd.  Now I just have to find appropriate "foundation" garments. 

Wedding Day Transportation

I've been calling limo companies over the last couple days to try and find the type of transportation that Mary and I want for our big day.  We were hoping for something that would take our entire wedding party and their significant others from the ceremony to the reception, with a couple photo stops along the way.

I talked to about five or six companies in total and narrowed it down to three.  In the end, there was one that seemed to stand out in terms of friendliness and service.  That company was 4 Star VIP.  Their rates were just a little on the high side, but we get a lot more for our money and I felt very comfortable working with them.  Mary and I went out to Schaumburg to view their vehicle yesterday, and I don't think it could have gone smoother!  So now we have our transportation set from the ceremony to the reception! 

You're probably wondering why I would choose to use this photo, which makes it look like we'll be travelling in a big pickup truck?  Well, I can't give everything away can I?  I can say, though, that I am VERY excited about this vehicle :)  We still have to determine transportation to the ceremony, but the requirements for that trip aren't as difficult to fulfill.

DJ Update

Mary and I decided (after some encouragement from Mary's parents), that we would pay the extra fee to ensure we get the specific DJ we wanted for our reception.  Fortunately, the price we're paying the company altogether is fairly reasonable, especially for the level of service they provide.  Mary and I both agree the fee we will pay is worth the peace of mind we'll receive in return.  I faxed over a letter to Admit One yesterday indicating our preference so they can add it to our contract.  Now we just have to work on our playlists!!

Photography & DJ Details

We recently had a few details we need to sort out with our photographers and dj company.  The photography package we purchased from our photographers included credit towards a wedding album.  Shortly after signing the contract with them, they informed us that one of the matted albums was discontinued from their supplier.  Of course, it was the album we wanted, and none of the other albums interested us.  So they are doing "research" to see if they can find another supplier for the vertical matted album.  We found that most studios we visited offer the photo-book style albums instead of the traditional album.  While we both think those are pretty cool, we both want to go with the matted style for our album.  We'll keep you posted on that.

The DJ company with which we signed a contract has about 18 DJs on staff.  The first step is to sign a contract with them.  Then, every few months, they hold a "Meet the DJs" night, which is basically like a speed-dating for a DJ.  They have drinks and appetizers, and the purpose is to go around and spent 3-4 minutes with each of their DJs to ask them questions about their style and get to know them.  At the end, we were to write down our top three choices.

The whole event was about two and half hours.  This was great in theory  The problem is that most couples ended up spending 15-20 minutes with each DJ, which significantly cut down on the number of people you could meet.  We ended up being about half an hour late, and only had time to speak to about eight or nine DJs.  So we picked our three and that was it.  If you keep up with our blog, you know that the company we hired is the same one Steve and Kati used.  We met with their DJ, who has since been promoted to a salesperson and is now primarily a backup DJ.  While we liked the DJs we picked for the most part, we decided that we really would have preferred to use him.  We have the option to have him be our DJ, but it will cost us an extra fee to do so, and the jury is still out on whether we will go that route or not.