Doing the math.

I think one of my biggest accomplishments in life is how great I am at avoiding math. As amazing in the art of evading the evil known as mathematics I am, with the date set and the time steadily chugging closer and closer, I felt the need to calculate exactly how much time we've got to throw this whole thing together.

Using an online countdown clock (and giving the slip to manual calculation once more, ha HA!), I now have the amount of time left.

406 days.

9762 hours.

585723 minutes.

35143377 seconds... 35143373 seconds... 35143370 seconds... AAAAAHHH!

In the brief few seconds it took me to re-read what I just wrote, the numbers shrink. In the few moments it takes to type this sentence, it'll be closer. And closer. AND CLOSER.

A girl can drive herself nuts calculating how close it is to her wedding date. Sheesh.

Meet our flower girl!

Of course, being the incredibly smart, crafty and witty girl that I am, I didn't include pictures of our flower girl in the original wedding party post because I didn't think I had any on my computer.

Yes, I took all of the other pictures of the party from facebook, but forgot that there would be pictures of Taylor on facebook too, and gave up because I didn't have a scanner for her picture that's in my wallet.

Smarty pants.

This is long overdue, but (Drumroll please).....

Flower Girl: Taylor Harris

Taylor Claire Harris is easily one of the most dynamic personalities I've ever encountered. Recipe for Taylor: Take the diva of Whitney Houston, add a dash of attitude, a 2 cups of sugar and shove into a 4 foot frame. She brings so much life into every room she enters, and naturally demands an audience with a pinch-those-cheeks kind of smile.

She's got more charisma and life than a lot of adults I've known. She was a flower girl before, so, naturally having perfected the craft made her the perfect candidate for our big day.

Taylor with her mom, Holly.

Taylor's mother, Holly is my first cousin. My sisters, Holly and I were tight growing up, and it's strange seeing Taylor because a lot of the time it reminds me so much of young Holly that I have to take a step back, shake my head in a comedic cartoon fashion and just stare.

Yep. She's her mother's daughter, alright.

With the date finally confirmed, venues being booked, and family being alerted, it's finally starting to be real.

News.

Ladies and gentlemen, June 11, 2011 is confirmed.

Meet the Party.

So, I've finished my exams, it's an absolutely GORGEOUS day outside... what's a girl to do but sit in her dark apartment and make a blog post?

The Wedding Party.

This post is a long time coming, but I had to wait until everything was finalized before I introduced the group of people immortalized in our wedding pictures. I can't wait to look back at them in 20 years (from our winter cottage in Hawaii with a view overlooking the ocean), laugh at our style and hairdo's, and say "Man, we chose a fantastic group of people, didn't we?"

So, let's get started, shall we? In no particular order:

Maid of Honour: Kim Robertson

Couldn't tell that we were sisters? Get your eyes checked. The choice of Kim as my maid of honour was an easy one. She's my best friend in life. We're so much alike that we can read each other's minds from across the country. No, seriously. On more than one occassion, she's called me out of the blue to ask if I was OK, when I was in fact bawling my eyes out over something. Then there was the time that I randomly felt the need to text "MATTRESSES!" to her and she was indeed shopping for a new mattress in Canmore. What we've got takes talent. She lives in Banff, and the main reason why I moved to Alberta on two separate occasions.

I'm making myself cold, should have chosen a summer picture.

Brides Maid: Krissy Robertson

As far as sisters go, this girl is tops. Originally I was planning on having 2 maids of honour. How do you choose between 2 of the most important females in your life? Krissy told me to choose Kim. She's more of a "behind the scenes" kind of person, I suppose. I'll let you in on a little secret: The FIRST thing this girl said to me when I told her I was engaged was "I DON'T LOOK GOOD IN PINK!" And that's exactly why I love her. She's naturally the most hilarious person I have ever met in my life. If we caught her antics on camera, she could be a youtube star. She lives with Jacob and I, and it's awesome.

What a girl!

Brides Maid: Josie Gallant

Josie is Jacob's sister and is quickly becoming one of my favorite people EVER. I've been with Jacob for 6 years, so it was only natural that this girl would become like a sister to me. To me, a relationship isn't a real relationship unless you can tease each other and throw coasters at each other at Christmas time. Oh, and compare presents from Doreen and Allie (Mine are always better because your mom loves me more. There. I said it). I'm extremely excited to have her in the wedding party because I know she'll make the day just that much more fun.

Josie and some guy she's dating.

Brides Maid: Tara O'Brien

I've known this girl since I was approximately one month old (I'm going to assume the day she was born, I wasn't RUSHED to the hospital to meet her as a 28 day old). We've definitely grown up together and I can remember numerous conversations that we had as kids where we decided that we would be each other's maids of honour. Well T, we're both older and realize that, while the wedding day will only happen once, a sister's scorn can last a lifetime. There's nobody better than this girl. She rationalizes situations that I blow out of proportion. She knows every word to ever song in the history of american pop culture. She's got more drive than anyone else I've ever met. She's my cousin, and my friend for life. She has been and will always be an honourary Robertson (especially with the red hair).

She's also ridiculously cute.

Brides Maid: Catherine Young

It's not often that you get to pick your sisters, and I guess technically I didn't. Weirdly enough, Catherine and I were tight before our parents started dating. We took guitar in community school and started our own fake band with Kristin Cheverie called Noise Pollution. Though inevitably our fake band broke up due to fake reasons like sex, drugs and rock and roll, Catherine and I continued to hang out and grew closer. I still remember the day she wrote in her livejournal (yes, we're talking early 2000's here) "Hey Marsha, I think our parents are dating!" I had known they were dating for a few months before that and felt bad for not mentioning it. Our folks fell in love, got married and it became official. Straight out of the pages of the Baby Sitter's Club, my friend became my "steppy". I never laugh harder than I do when I'm with her. I'm pretty sure our personalities were made for each other.

Catherine and my step-niece, Hailey

Here's where things get awesome. DOUBLE POST FOR

Best Man: Emile Gaudet

Brides Maid: Krista Vanderzwaag

Emile has known Jacob since the college/legendary 5B Brown's court days and has been part of the unstoppable trio of Jacob, Chris and Emile ever since. I'm pretty sure those guys are closer than Jacob and I, because they can bond over hockey (a sport I'll possibly never understand). Emile's an absolutely fantastic guy who deserves the best. Well, he got that and more in Krista. They've been dating for a few years and, from the first time I met her, I loved her. They compliment each other so well, and the 4 of us get along perfectly. From ruining every single picture in NYC by opening our mouths wide, to being part of Bowness.mpquack (the losingest team in Dub trivia), every moment is better when they're around. I'm so happy that they're in our wedding party. The fact that Krista does a fantastic T-Rex impression doesn't hurt, either.

One of the only "non wide open mouth" shots of our trip to NYC.

Groomsmen: Chris Hume

Chris is part of the unstoppable trio mentioned above. It feels like he's always been around, though I've only known him for the last 5 years or so. He's one of those real gentlemen types. You know, the kind where if you politely hold out your hand, they give you all the change in their wallet. No, seriously. One time, I even got 20 dollars out of him. Jacob and I lived with him and his girlfriend Sharon for awhile, and it was great! From the backyard bbq's to rocket beers, Chris is so much fun to be around and I know he and Sharon will make our wedding day amazing.

Chris and the Lovely Sharon. How did he manage to land her?

Groomsmen: Kevin Hanlon

Jacob and Kevin were best friends in high school and inseparable. I started to really get to know Kevin in 2003. Cruising up and down the strip in Souris in his Diplomat (and him being so kind as to not crush me when I kicked a huge dent in the door), hanging out at parties, beaching, you name it. If we've got a memory from high school and university, chances are this kid is in it. He's a riot to be around, he's always got your back, and I can't wait until he gets home so we can all hang out again.

He always was a cool dude.

Groomsmen: Curtis Gallant

Curtis is Jacob's older brother and friend. He lives in Montreal now with his girlfriend Elena, and it feels weird not to have him around. He's forever on my good side for the amazing apples to apples call, where he decided "Japan" was more explosive than "Hand Grenades". Then again, when I think of it, he's also the guy who won clue at the FIRST ROUND OF PLAY. Talk about a good guesser! Curtis is a fantastic guy, and I can't wait until they come home this summer.

Curtis with a friend. Let's give an "AWW!" for the adorable baby!

Groomsmen: Kyle Ferron

I've known Kyle since I was 2 months old and we were in Baby Band together (which is NOT as cool as it sounds. It's a church group thing, not an infant rock n' roll ensemble). He's been one of my best friends since we were babies, and one of Jacob's since we all started hanging out together. It's been awesome having him along for the ride. Without one word of a lie, approximately 90% of my best memories include him. Now, he's engaged himself to an awesome girl named Stephanie, and Steph and I can talk weddings until we're blue in the face!

I friggin' love these people.

Groomsmen: Luke McCabe

I've only met Luke for the first time last summer, where he was nice enough to help me and a friend out by pushing around a giant inflatable sphere for hours. He's known Jacob for years though, playing on the same hockey teams (winning and losing, but probably mainly losing). He definitely coined the phrase "Ree Dee Doo" that Jacob and I say way too often, and it'll be great to get to know him better over the next year!

Luke and his girlfriend

So, there you have it. A blog post only relevant to myself, that's way too long and quite possibly very very boring. Enjoy!

PS: Please ignore the terrible change in font size/spacing, blogspot is not cooperating today.

Frequently asked questions.

It's time now for

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHICH MAY/MAY NOT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ASKED!

*applause*

Question 1: Who the heck are you?!

Answer: My name is Marsha. I'm a farmer's daughter, a biscuit eater and a tea slurper from Up 'Aest. I enjoy videos, blogging, and posing for pictures with books that I've never actually read. I'm 24 years old and that's all I have to say about that.

Islam... hmmm.

Question 2: Who the heck are you marrying?!

Answer: The guy holding the flowers. More formally, Jacob from Souris. I never actually knew who he was until high school, but I'm sure I've muttered things under my breath when I saw him and fellow Sourians taking over OUR BASIN HEAD in the summertime. He is exactly 1 month and 1 week older than me. This matters apparently.

I guess catching the bouquet IS foreshadowing.

And, for good measure, the best picture we ever took together.

Is that sad?

Question 3: Do you have any children?

Answer: Yes. We have a daughter named Timmy. She's 5 years old and she definitely inherited Jacob's good looks.

They grow up so fast.

Question 4: How long have you been together?

Answer: 6 years I think? Around then? Really though, after year 2 they just all sorta jumble together, AM I RIGHT LADIES?

Question 5: Why did you decide on a vintage/antique theme for the wedding?

Answer: Because it can be elegant and cost effective, and it just seemed right.

Question 6: What does your dress look like?

Answer: MUAHAHAHAHA I'LL NEVER TELLLLLLLL. (Please note: I have not purchased said dress yet. I have one in mind but nothing is certain)

Question 7: How much money have you raised through your 10 dollars from 100 people thing/are you completely off your rocker?

Answer: 110 bucks so far/yes.

Question 8: Who's in your wedding party?

Answer: That's another post for another time, I wanna make sure everything is finalized before I start talking about all of that.

Question 9: How did he propose?

Answer: Down on one knee under the Christmas lights at province house on November 31st, 2009. It was beautiful and a very intimate moment between the three of us; Jacob and I of course, and the guy who happened to be walking towards us. We had a bit of an awkward moment with that one. I loved every second of it though, and honestly, how could that NOT have happened with a couple like us?

Question 10: What's your first song going to be?

Answer: We have one in mind, but we never actually had a 'song' per say. Do you guys have songs with your hubbies? Are we alone in this?

10 questions? I think that'll do for now.

Sugary marshmallowy cakey goodness.

To begin, I have a little non-wedding related subjects to cover.

First I want to say thank you for the thoughts, prayers and delicious food that everybody has been giving myself and my family over the past 4 months. It's easy to say that we wouldn't have gotten through it all without the love and support of our community, but it's true. The best feeling on the day of your grandparent's funeral is walking into the church and seeing it packed with the people who love(d) and care(d) for you and Granny and Poppy.

They say people only get together for weddings or funerals. I've seen a lot of you folks for bad reasons lately. Let's get together next for the wedding, shall we?

Now, if you've made it through the mushy must-be-said stuff, I award you with CAKE TALK.Who doesn't love cake? Alright, my fiance doesn't love cake. In fact, he suggested a 'cake' made of sausages and bacon as the 'frosting'. As delicious and artery clogging as that sounds, I think maybe we should go a little more traditional and perhaps use sugar as a main component in the food we'll be shoving in each other's faces in front of a hundred people. I hear bacon grease makes your makeup run.

When we first started shopping around and looking at cakes, I found out that the average cost for a wedding cake is $100 a tier. Yes folks, A TIER. Let me do the math quickly. Most wedding cakes have 3 tiers. At 100 bucks a pop, that's.... carry the one, divide by 83.... 300 bucks for a mound of sugar and flour.

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate a beautiful cake. I'd just appreciate it a lot more if I didn't have to pay that much. Once Doreen heard my concerns about wedding cakes (I believe my exact words were, "I'm not friggin' payin' 300 bucks for a wedding cake, are they INSANE?"), she and I sat down and brainstormed about what could be done on our budget. Let me just state right now that Doreen Gallant might very well be the craftiest jack of all trades I have ever met, hands down. We learned how to make an easy marshmallow fondant via youtube, tried it on a small scale, and the next week she had created THIS:

Yes, this was her first try, and only her second time ever working with fondant (which, as my sisters and I proved in a certain youtube video, isn't the easiest thing to master in the world). How cute is that! These cakes will have to be emulated in the future, if not for the big day then at least for some wedding related parties. They're amazing.

Also, what do you guys think about a small cake to cut that's a little more budget friendly, then cupcakes for the guests?

Oh, also, 89 people to go in my 100 for 10 dress challenge. Jeepers creepers you guys are stellar.

Teapots, dishes, Katharina's Bridal Show, and 100 for 10.

This last week has been absolutely insane for me. I was meaning to post this on Monday!

Anyways, no time like the present to bring you all up to date on the quest for teapots, which has since expanded into a quest for teapots and dishes.

After receiving my Grandmother MacDonald's dishes, I wanted a way to incorporate them into the wedding. They're absolutely beautiful and fit the vintage theme. I decided I'd like to use them at the head table for the reception. Unfortunately, there's not enough for everyone, so I've been keeping my eyes open for another set.

I love Granny's dishes.

Doreen, Chrissy and I went to the North River flea market last Sunday and I found a teapot that I adored. It was part of a set, and the lady selling it sold me the entire set of dishes and the teapot for 5 bucks. I couldn't believe it! I'm pretty sure that I have enough plates and things for the entire party to have one at the reception, and another teapot to boot!

5 dollar dishes? I would have paid $5 for the teapot alone.

Now, onto teapot mania! I've got some amazing friends and family that are on the hunt for teapots for me. So far I've gotten 4. Here's what 3 of them look like, one is at Doreen's.

The teapot Rhonda found for me. Good eye, McFly!

This is the teapot to match the dish set I got for 5 bucks.

My first teapot find at Value Village.

After the flea market, Doreen, Chrissy and I went to Katharina's Bridal Show at the

Murphy's Community Center on Sunday. It was fabulous! I got so many new ideas from it! The best part was that most of the dresses I tried on at Katharina's Bridal were in the runway show, including the dress i fell in love with. It was fantastic to see someone else workin' it.

When it came time for prizes, my eyes started to glaze over. I distinctly remember the last time I won something; I was in grade 5. It was a cold winter day, and the classroom smelled like pizza (it was pizza Wednesday). They did the milk draw, and lo and behold, out of ALL the children in my class (11), I WON A MILK PEN! It was invigorating. It was heart stopping. It was the last time I recall winning anything in my life... until Sunday.

They started by drawing for prizes that were for both brides and friends/family that came to the show. Of COURSE, Chrissy won an awesome Arbonne Seashores Detox Spa mud mask for face/body. Sibling rivalry/jealousy reared it's ugly head, but I kept it inside (after all, I was going to mooch some of it from her later). Then came time for prizes that were just for brides, and my moment. I actually won 50 dollars worth of flowers from Hearts and Flowers in town!

I WON SOMETHING!

I felt accomplishment (and beet red in the face). When I was walking up to get my prize, Julia from Katharina's Bridal who was doing the announcing leaned over and said "Blog lady?" Man, did that ever make my day. First, I won a prize. Second, the ladies at Katharina's actually read my blog AND recognized me from the picture! That was huge for me. All in all, it was a great show and I received a bunch of new business cards to add to my wedding binder of potentials (and maybe a few too many cake samples).

I kind of feel like an advertisement for Katharina's Bridal, and I love it. Oh, did I mention a friend gave me a 200 dollar gift certificate for Katharina's towards the purchase of a wedding dress? Fate much?

OK, now on to my far-fetched idea of how I'm going to afford a wedding dress. As most of you know, Jacob and I are like everyone else on Prince Edward Island; we don't have thousands to spend on a wedding, and we're really not interested in going into debt for a wedding. To me, debt is for houses and cars and education. This was one of the main reasons why we chose the vintage theme for the wedding; we can have a beautiful wedding with charm and personality without having to spend a lot of money that we don't have. This in mind, I've started a 100 for 10 drive. I'm absolutely shameless. I'm not proud. I'm asking 100 people for $10 so I can get a wedding dress. I've added a donate button to the bottom of this blog, and family and friends have already stepped forward to give me a hand.

That being said, DO NOT feel like you have to give me 10 dollars. The choice is entirely up to you. This is an extremely unconventional method of raising money for a wedding, and I completely understand if people think it's way too 'out there' and maybe a little too presumptuous that I actually know 100 people to give me 10 bucks.

All I have to say for myself is hey, you can't blame a girl for trying.

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