Noelle

katanne9

How is crunch time going??

You haven't been around much lately. Congrats on one month to go!

noelle24

Hey Kat! Thanks for asking, pretty lady.

Things are pretty crazy, but mostly on the non-wedding side of things.  Work's been really busy,  I'm also job-hunting, and I've had a few health issues thrown into the mix.  So I haven't had too much time to hang out around here.  I miss all you regs.

Wedding-wise:

We just finalized our menu and wine-list with our restaurant.  I'm am so, so excited for everyone to try the food at this place. Amazing!

We're basically eloping and inviting people along to the JOP and dinner, so there aren't too many details to figure out.

Left to do:
I've lost some weight and now need to go get my dress taken in some more, so that needs to be done ASAP.

Book a spa day with my mom for the morning of and get my hair done.

Figure out what the hell to do with people (or suggest for them to do) during the gap between ceremony and reception.

Honestly, I've been so overwhelmed with non-wedding stuff that I haven't had time to think about the wedding much.  Thank goodness we're going small and low-key!

Ana_2985

I somehow missed that you were getting married so soon!  Or maybe I just forgot.  That's so exciting!

What did you end up doing school-wise?  I remember you saying you were giving yourself a deadline of sorts in August I think.  Did you end up finishing your project or graduating?  Still working?

Oh and I hope you're okay now health-wise too.

desertsun

Hey! We miss you too! Hope those health issues haven't been too serious and that, as Ana mentioned, you were able to get school figured out.

Can you do a cute wedding scavenger hunt or something between ceremony and reception? Games -- Mad Libs and wordsearches or similar? Just a thought.

GL with the rest of your planning. You know we'd love it if you'd AW your hair ideas or your dress at fittings and such, but we understand if you're short on time. Just know we're thinking of you and wishing you the best!

Oops, sorry, not to speak for the board. But I know it's more than just me.

Goldlie11

Noelle are you going to city hall by any chance?  What kind of gap are we talking here?

katanne9

Hooray Noelle!!

I'm sorry about your health issues. : ( Glad to hear that things are coming together.

What kind of time gap are we talking about?

Food always helps! Ditto to the Mad Libs too!

noelle24

Thanks for the well-wishes.  Health stuff is getting better slowly.

I'm staying in school for this month, then taking a leave of absence and hopefully finishing writing my thesis from New York.  I'm not sure if it can happen, but I like having the option.

Goldlie:  Yeah, we're going to city hall.  We were planning on getting there around noon, because I've heard the wait time can be long, especially on Fridays.  If it takes about an hour, we'll be married around 1 (Yay!).  The restaurant can't do appetizers/dinner for us any earlier than 5.  So at worst, we're looking at a 4 hour gap. 

I don't want to schedule any activities, since we're not exactly sure how long everything will take.  I was thinking about putting together a list of things to do/see for our guests in case they want some down time.  But any other ideas would be welcome.  They do need to be extremely budget friendly though!

Penny66

Maybe if the weather is nice everyone can go to a park for a few hours.

notquiteblushing

Hi Noelle!

I am glad to hear your health is getting better.

I wouldn't stress so much with planning something for the guests to do during the gap.  Maybe a list of things nearby would be helpful, but it's NYC, there are a million things to do. 

I'm excited for you!

Goldlie11

Are they out of town people or local?  How many people are we talking?

You could just go back to your apartment if it's close enough.  Maybe buy a sandwich spread and really light snacks for those who are hungry.  If it really is 4 hours, then they can just go home.

I'm kind of surprised that the restaurant wouldn't let you do some kind of lunch.  

You could do like Julez and take photos in between.  She rented a bus, but you could just walk around.  Did you hire a professional photographer?

noelle24

Mostly out of towners, and our apt isn't a viable option, unfortunately.  Including FI and  myself, we're looking at about 20 people.

A friend of my FI's is a semi-professional photographer, so he volunteered to take pictures for us.  I don't want to drag everyone around with us, though, as I know that part probably won't be exciting for anyone else but us. 

I kind of like the picnic in a park idea, since FMIL can't walk very far.  We both just want to be able to hang out with our friends and family.  I don't want them to feel forced to spend all day with us, but I want to give them the option.

The restaurant only does dinner.  We booked them back when we were planning a longer ceremony.  After we changed to the courthouse, the earliest they could move things up was 5.  We love their food and couldn't afford to lose our deposit. 

Goldlie11

Since I'm assuming that they all have hotel rooms, I would just let them go back to their rooms.  I know most people say you have to host something if you have a gap, but I can't think of anything (at least nothing that is very low cost).  

The park sounds like a nice idea, but it's possible that it will be too chilly in a month.  I vote for doing a little research and making a things to do packet.  It could include free or low cost things for everyone to do on their own time. 

Is noon set in stone?  You could also arrive at City Hall at 2:30.  You'd be out of there between 3:30- 4:00.  Take some pictures then get to the restaurant.  

katanne9

I think the "to do/to see" list is a great idea. You could even put together a list for a photo scavenger hunt kind of thing for those that may feel the need to be entertained.

I think people will be understanding.

Picnic in the park is an adorable idea. : )

noelle24

Thanks for the ideas ladies!