Wedding Season Wrap Up

This weekend we attended our 9th and final wedding of 2013. This was a light year for our wedding circuit. While it was the last of the season, it was the FIRST wedding of the year that I enjoyed not-pregnant! Yippee! While you know I consider myself a professional wedding guest and I love wedding season, this last one was just not the same... probably partially because I realized I have absolutely NO sober dance moves. Sad but true; I know. This became startling obvious at the first wedding we went to in February, which was particularly well-lit... that didn't help. I learned that wine-free Erin just needs a little help on the dance floor. I have never claimed to be a great dancer, but everyone knows that moves improve with some liquid courage. This is also extra unfortunate because the husband happens to be a great dancer. There, I said it. A little wild, but pretty good. So it was a long summer for him on the dance floor. Don't worry too much about him, though - it appears he found plenty of other dancing partners and wasn't too concerned with me and my (delicious!) diet coke on the sidelines.

See what I mean? Wild. The pretty blonde he's
dancing with is busy planning her wedding,
which will be THE event of 2014. 

So, as the weddings wrap up for this year (unless someone surprises us within the next 6 weeks or so!), I encourage you to do a few things in the off season to prepare for next. Whether you attend a dozen weddings a year or just one, remember what the boy scouts say: be prepared! 

• Shop in the off season: there is no better time to pick up a fabulous dress! Personally, I hate repeating dresses at weddings. Most of the weddings we attend recycle the same group of people (and I mean that in the nicest way - but last year we were practically living with our friends since we went to weddings with them every weekend), so I prefer to not always be "the girl in the ____ dress." I like to be the girl in the pink dress, the girl in the blue dress, the girl in the leopard dress - you see what i mean? I recommend looking for dresses that are wearable for all seasons, but try not go get anything too heavy, as most of the weddings are September-May. Go for silk or chiffon, and stay away from all wool (too hot) or all cotton (too casual). Scour the sales racks and then just leave the dress(es) in your closet (hanging nicely please - not rolled in a ball) until the spring. You will be SO relieved to save yourself a shopping trip then, and you won't see yourself coming and going at next year's soirees. Check out off-price retailers like Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx, since their product isn't always as seasonal. Don't like to dig for deals? You don't have to! Nordstrom Rack is now available online: happy shopping! I also suggest owning at least one LBD: my favorite of the moment (for price point and sweet style) is below and available here: 
  
• Send your gifts: as the etiquette police, I (politely) ask that you get this done! You technically have 1 year to send a wedding gift, and the couple technically has 1 year to write a thank you note. I prefer that both get done within the first 0-6 months. It is so easy to send a gift online now and usually obtain free shipping. Since we attend so many weddings (and I realized I was spending a fortune on wrapping paper), I have started sending gifts before the weddings from the online registries and try to check it off the list shortly after receiving the invitation. (The only problem is my pregnancy brain couldn't remember who I did and didn't send gifts too.... so if you have short term memory loss like me, be sure to this down somewhere... or something!)
• Find more reasons to celebrate: Now that wedding season is over, don't turn into a video-game-addicted, glued-to-the-tv-for-football, hermit! These sweet adjectives may apply more to our male readers.... But for the ladies, same goes for you! There are still plenty of occasions that call for get-togethers, and if not, let's make some! We recently had our friends over about a month into newlywed bliss and they filled our evening with laughter as we heard about their hilarious/disastrous honeymoon. Likewise, it is so fun to go (aka invite yourself) to the newlyweds home and enjoy fun night eating and drinking off all their new toys! Who doesn't love to be the first to use a monogrammed wineglass? That is a Saturday night win in my book! Seriously though, sometimes we have to remind ourselves to do this when there isn't an event booked on the calendar every month. Not a chef or professional entertainer? No problem! Take a page out of my (kitchen-challenged) book and get a Papa Murphy's pizza - cut into squares and put on a pretty platter. (All pizza is more fancy in squares. Plus there is something about take-n-bake that makes you appear slightly classier than delivery. After all, you do have to drive to get it AND operate the oven with some degree of intelligence.) Add a salad and a bottle of wine and everyone's happy. Read more about my adventures in cooking in the next post.... 

OK - now that you have read this, you have permission to go watch football. But invite someone over to watch with you, would ya? And do some online shopping from the couch. 

PS - Thank you so much to those who subscribed via email! I really appreciate you! The winner of the drawing is... Brandon Hemphill! He will be receiving a little something special in the mail. Keep reading for more potential contests or deals! Thanks again.