Precision and order, that's all that I ask

Yeah, we saw Mary Poppins again a few weeks ago and it was as good as the first time we saw it in New York a year and a half ago.

I have a few friends who are getting married in the next 12 months, all of which have said they find the starting of their planning overwhelming. I completely agree with them.
My boss is a civil celebrant, and I was lucky enough to get the heads up on the 'golden rule of wedding planning' pretty early on - Book the celebrant, venue and photographer all at the same time and before anything as without these 3 things there will be no wedding. Is this really the golden rule? It got me thinking about the difference between the order of booking and planning for an elopement and a full white wedding.
Our elopement planning went like this-Book the celebrant/photographer husband and wife team (2 birds 1 stone), book accommodation (The New York Palace), then booked a 2nd photographer as I love her photography and she's so sweet. I guess when eloping with only 4 guests it quickly becomes evident that the reception part isn't the main focus- there will be no decorations, no table charts, no speeches, maybe speeches as the night goes on and the champagne flows, and no badly choreographed dance as FH and I are both incredibly uncoordinated.

So, what is the order of how things should be done? Is there really an order?

Now time for a few tips:

• Outsource! I've been lucky enough to find out hotel has a lovely concierge who seems to enjoy wedding planning. I was finding flowers difficult and obviously cannot have a consultation-so he did it for me and ordered exactly what I wanted.
• You'd think flights would be one of the first things you'd book, but if you hold out till about 3-4months before the fares will go down. The difference between booking for June/July in Feb or early march compared to the end of March was $900 each.
• Purchase your dress keeping in mind the type of wedding you're having and take into consideration how you'll transport it. If I'd known we were going to elope I wouldn't have ever purchased my gown. I would have purchased off the rack and something light and easy, probably this Colette Dinnigan gown but I plan on being less corpse like on my wedding day.
  

Let me take you down, cause I'm going to...

That title sounds so emo, yet this post is not about my life of pain or my love of My Chemical Romance... I actually couldn't name 1 of their songs if my life depended on it-thankfully that emo phase ended with 2007 so I won't have to worry about being tested on what the kids are listening to in a darkened alley by the bassist of Fall Out Boy. My goodness I ramble...and know nothing about music from 2006/2007

It's no secret to anyone who knows me, I love love love The Beatles and have since I was 12 years old. From age 13 I scoured garage sales on Saturday mornings and 2nd hand stores in search of their records to add to my vinyl collection, I even have a first pressing numbered White Album which I found at a trash and treasure market for $10-it was clear that baby wasn't meant to be in there. What I was getting to was that it's no secret that The Beatles are probably my number 1 favourite band of all time. So I guess it's no surprise that we have decided to be married within Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial garden in Central Park.

Specifically at Wagner Cove ------>
I really love the greens in this photo, I also like the way the people in the boat on the lake look like they are sitting in the tree.
Although our wedding is going to be at the start of July and should ideally be warm and sunny, if not humid and sticky, I should probably come up with a wet weather plan...





Once the ceremony and photos are completed we'll be heading back to the hotel for a dinner reception at Gilt. I just love the the deep colours in that pic.And that's the rough plan for the day...for now...

P.S. Less than 3 months to go and I'm getting really nervous. I need to start writing my vows but I get teary thinking about it. I'm totally going to be the blubbering bride with mascara running down her face in the photos-I'm going to own that look!