Progress!

Once every few months I remember we’re meant to be having a wedding, and a whole lot of things are done at once.

It took us most of last night (and some shouting, and possibly hurting the neighbours’ ears with Shonen Knife) but we finally agreed on music for the ceremony that won’t frighten the guests.   I sent it off to the DJ this morning.   I hope you like New Zealand music. 

I’ve also done what I said I wouldn’t do and bought a wedding folder.  I had to put this stuff somewhere. 

Today I went to Spotlight and collected all the supplies I need for the invitations and have started work on the DIY favours/placecards.    That’s all I’m DIY-ing.   We (as in Mum and I) are a bit stuck on the centrepieces for the tables, since the tables turned out to be a different shape and size from what we were expecting, but hopefully the florist can help with that.

And (possibly most importantly of all) I’ve found a dress I would actually consent to pay money for (as opposed to those frilly, poofy, tafetta nightmares which most wedding dresses are).  I haven’t ordered it yet as I need to decide on a colour.  I will order it once the colour samples arrive and I make up my mind.

Unfortunately when I undertook to organise this .. undertaking, my firm had very little work.  Now, my new boss and I are running around like the headless IP chickens.  However, I exceeded my budget for the month of August (which in the law is a good thing, not bad).  This should mean that I should still have a job when it comes time to pay for all of this stuff.  Touch wood.

Long time no wedding post

It is feast or famine…  We (as in my boss and I) have work coming out of our ears.  I was in Melbourne last week for my Trade Mark Practice paper and my boss was also doing a course, so not much work was done in our little IP department.  That said, it is better to have too much work than too little. 

Tomorrow is the Ekka public holiday in Brisbane (but nowhere else).  We aren’t going to the Ekka (short for exhibition – for those unaware, this is apparently like an AMP field day but with drunk people, masses of children and promotional products you have to pay for) but I am grateful for a holiday in the middle of the week.

We’re going to make a real effort to get back to the DJ with our required music, and buy some kind of dress-like thing sometime before the end of the year, I swear.

Day 1, Week 2 of my new job…

…and we both have pretty bad colds.  Darren stayed home today; alas, I could not, since my new firm was kind enough to offer me study leave this month and I’ve only been there five days…that would just be wrong, wrong, wrong.  Today was a long, painful and sniffly day.   I’m certain they’ve dramatically reduced the levels of pseudoephedrine in the “good” cold medicine.  It used to work, now it does not.  

Cold aside, I really like my new position and my new bosses.  Today the commercial law department took me out for a “welcome” lunch; I fear I was not as sociable as I would otherwise have been, if I could hear or breathe.  Anyway, thus far my immediate boss seems to be pleased enough with what I have produced, although I am keeping my distance from her so as not to infect her with this plague.  Curse whoever at Darren’s work started spreading this around.    I have a lovely new office too, with plenty of sun and air.  Told you I wouldn’t last long in that overheated stall they put me in like I’m some kind of tiny carbon dioxide-breathing horse.  

Back on topic…the hair/make up procedure is booked for 22 March at 10am at mum’s house.  I’m a bit concerned about what I’m going to do afterwards with this hair and all this makeup .. probably wash it off immediately… and of course the fact I currently have no dress.   Perhaps I should just buy the one I originally liked and hope I still like it eight months from now.    The dress maker needs three months to make the dress, which means I have to order it well before the end of the year.  It’s only July.  There is plenty of time.

We had a little glitch with the florist, insofar as we’re probably going to have to find another one.  Again, there is plenty of time, and I’m sure there are plenty of florists.

Booked a hair and makeup lady

This is all new to me.  They need to perform a trial beforehand, and unfortunately the only time available beforehand is the week prior to the wedding.  Hmm.  This is also the only time we have to file our “notice of intended marriage” at the place on Lambie drive, which, conveniently, is closed on every other day we will be in Auckland between now and the new year.   Oh well – it will just be a busy week.  I’m also not comfortable calling it a “trial”; I prefer the phrase “test run”. 

I’m trying to cram all my non-work activities into this one precious week of no work – cleaning, visiting, crafting,  trip to the vet…   Tomorrow I’m going to the salon in the local mall to have my twice-yearly face maintenance (this is the extent of my dabbling in this field), mainly so I don’t look like an unkempt eyebrow-yeti when I start my new job on Monday.  I’m concurrently excited and terrified, since I’ve spent the last year working for a man who was actually more eccentric than I am.   

Notwithstanding the above, there has been no wedding planning going on since my return, apart from my disasterous attempt at making bags for the ring bearers.  I am now adept at using my sewing machine after about five goes and half a metre of fabric, but the bags came out looking ratty, so I threw them out and bought little boxes instead.   I hope the boys will prefer boxes to bags anyway.  Oh, and I got a ribbon for the cake (Spotlight was having a sale, again).  I won’t go into what else I bought from Spotlight, it will suffice to say that I need a “craft room”).

People keep expressing surprise that I have no dress.  I should probably make that the next job, next after sitting down with Darren and deciding on the wedding songs.   It just seems far too soon - what if I expand or contract?  We had a brief look at the example vows the Celebrant provided, and agreed that extended verbage was both unnecessary and potentially embarrassing, so we’ve opted for the celebrant-declaration option (which only involves saying “I do”).   When I was admitted to the court in 2006 we all had to hold a bible and say “I do” -  it crossed my mind that, as a newly admitted, modern woman with no thoughts of ever getting married to anyone, this was pretty ironic and unlikely to ever happen again. 

Today, my sister indicated to me that I am lucky because Darren does all the cooking in our house.  I agree this is the case; however, for Darren, it’s probably more a matter of self-preservation, since everyone knows I can’t cook.  I have tried, but it’s better for all (him, pets, the fire department) if I just don’t bother.  Can’t be good at everything.   I’m good at other housework, like washing (except for dyeing things grey) and vacuuming (this CARPET – seriously, next house, no carpet – who needs carpet here anyway?).  Darren is a very good cook.  I keep telling him he should go on Masterchef, but there are too many lawyers.  

In other, totally unconnected news, I took Zac (our little Burmese cat) to have his teeth cleaned today and they discovered that he is missing some back teeth.  We’ve only had him since November 2008 and his records given to us by his previous owner say nothing about removal of teeth.   This is apparently a problem, as the special teeth-cleaning biscuits can’t work properly if he’s missing teeth.  Other than that and having his little brown foot shaved and looking funny for it, he is in fine spirits and not the least bit dozy.  The standard of animal care we receive here is absolutely fantastic – the vet nurse even phoned an hour after we got home, to make sure he was alright.  

Anyway, wedding emails to send and temporarily-unemployed-person stuff to do.

The restaurant at the end of the universe

I am home!  Brisbane-home.  Home is where your cat is.

There was a last-minute rug-shaking last Friday, and I was able to stay in Auckland a few extra days.  Just as well, because I was originally due to leave at 5pm on Monday, but by 3pm on Monday I felt as though I’d been run over by an out-of-control wedding train bound for weddingsville, laden with bridal magazines, spray tan and cosmetic surgeons.    There was too much new information, and my tiny brain was still recovering from the events of Friday.   To cut a longish story short, I have a new job at a well-established mid-tier firm in town, and my “notice period” is now “unexpected holiday”, which is good, because I need a week to prepare for what lies ahead (i.e., I have no idea really, but if it’s good, it’ll do).

I like the venue very much, and I hope Darren likes it when we go over at Christmas.  We didn’t have lunch there in the end, because I was all coffeed out and non-functional.  As it wasn’t printed on the save-the-date cards, all I will say is that it’s in a delightfully apt location.  

Anyway, after visiting the photographer, I had to create a timetable in order to explain the new, backwards way of doing wedding photography to everyone else.  This involves having the formal photos taken prior to the wedding itself, to avoid your guests drinking themselves into oblivion in that waiting period between the ceremony and the dinner.  I am very pleased that things are organised, but my inner anarchist doesn’t like timetabling, particularly on a Saturday. 

Oh, and we’ve cleared up our confusion with the DJ and the Copyright Act – he has agreed to play whatever “special” songs we ask for.  Likely the “special songs” will still have to be songs sung by actual humans, rather than muppets.  I was concerned that his repertoire was limited to what was on the list he sent us.

So long and thanks for all the fish

I’ m leaving for Auckland tomorrow (with the above referenced book to read on the plane).   We’re going to see the florist on Saturday, and the photographer and celebrant on Monday.   We’re also going to see the photographer’s recommended location for the wedding photos.  I imagine there might also be cake-looking.  I was meant to draw a picture of a cake.  I will have to do that tomorrow. 

You’ll be pleased to hear we’ve narrowed down a list of potential wedding songs.  It wasn’t easy.  Wedding quote of the week = “for God’s sake, it’s White Zombie“.

A week and a bit to go

…until my Auckland trip, that is.  I checked the weather today on the Herald website and it said it was 13 degrees.  Ouch.  It’s not 13 degrees here…well, ever. 

I bought a new piece of luggage especially, as my one suitcase is far too big to manhandle into the city and onto the Airtrain.   People give you dirty looks if you carry so much as an umbrella onto the train; a 20-kilo suitcase probably wouldn’t work either.  My new one is small and easy to wheel. 

We really need to address the DJ’s list of music and find out whether we’re allowed to bring our own.   We still have no idea what to do for any of that.   

Looking at those awful magazines just makes me more confused.  One recommends writing your own vows.  I write statutory demands for a living.  Is vow-writing really a good idea?  No.  I did learn, however, what the basic legal requirements are (i.e., what you have to say, in order to be officially married).  We hope to be guided by the Celebrant, whom I am meeting while I’m in Auckland.   This is not an ideal situation, obviously, since you’re both meant to meet the Celebrant, but I assume we’ll be able to meet her again when we actually arrive in March.

There are also a thousand other tiny things to consider..  Should I change my name?  Do I now need life insurance?   What if I keep forgetting what my new name is and telling people the old one?  The QLS is constantly sending me stuff about life insurance.  Like it’s a hint.  You’re part of the most hated profession on earth; we recommend you get some insurance.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to my trip.  Hopefully, things will seem more organised after that.

R.S.V.P-ing, and other

We were thinking of setting up an email address for r.s.v.p’s, in addition to the little form that usually accompanies invitations.  I’m DIY’ing the invitations and I’m not sure of what inclusions to have for responding purposes.   Does anyone have an opinion? 

I bought another evil bridal magazine today.  It didn’t tell me anything new, although it did come with a pull-0ut wedding planner.   These magazines always promote spending more on a dress than I did on my car, which annoys me.  What possible use could you have for an expensive wedding dress after the fact?  Even if you keep it, it’s just a big box to take up space.   Perhaps it’s the satisfaction of telling people how much one spent.  Bah.  Have these people not heard of China? 

Anyway, the dress is going to be July or August’s task after we get back from Melbourne.   I am spending a week at the University in the delightfully murdersome suburb of Carlton.   This time I’m putting myself up in a lovely old hall of residence called Ormond College, in a “post graduate” apartment.   I’m looking forward to it sort of, although I still feel like a 16 year-old masquerading as a lawyer, so it’s a bit weird being a post-anything.  I was surprised (for some reason) at how welcoming they were to short-term visitors.   It’s half the price of the hotel I stayed at during the last trip, and hopefully won’t be as weird as, well, living in a hotel for a week.   Apparently, walking around the hotel in pyjamas is not the done thing in Melbourne. 

The Titanic exhibition happens to be on at the same time at the Melbourne museum, so Darren is coming for the weekend preceding my class.  We are looking forward to it.  The itinerary is a bit mental (going anywhere at 7am on Saturday is mental, IMHO), but I doubt we’ll get a chance to see it again, as nothing good, exhibition-wise, ever comes to Queensland.  Fortunately the first time I attended classes at Melbourne law school, I hadn’t watched the first series of Underbelly, and was happily trotting down Lygon Street after dark to hunt food.   This time we will travel during the daylight hours.

Tomorrow afternoon I’m off to a seminar on my favourite thing in my little IP world: trade mark oppositions.  To me, that’s like having half a day off to go to the circus, and the ticket was given to us free by a barrister.   AND it’s Friday.  Life, for now, is good.  If a certain person from a certain agency would call me tomorrow, I’d be a happy clam.

Music

I’ve found a song which I believe will be a good recessional song.  I’m presuming here to know what “recessional” is – the music they play as you’re leaving.  Actually leaving is going to be a bit of an anti-climax, as the ceremony and reception are taking place at the same location, but anyway. 

The only problem with the song is that it might be a bit too long.  Further, I don’t know if the DJ plays only the music on his list that he sent us.  I must ask him once we’ve agreed on the songs.  I have not presented this idea to Darren yet.  Hopefully, he won’t hate it.  So that’s two problems.  Potentially three.

The DJ provided us with a list of “popular wedding songs”.  There is a section specifically for the dozen or so songs regular people pick for their walking-down-the-aisle moment.   None of them are suitable. 

I will have to email the DJ and ask him if he will play music that I own.

Only ten months to go?

Thank you to everyone who has commented on our blog!  This means that our save-the-date cards have reached their destinations.   If anyone requires additional information re accommodation or finding one’s way to/around Auckland, please let us know and we will do our best to assist.

We’re planning to send actual invitations in December (or maybe November, since the post from Australia tends to be dodgy in December). 

There really isn’t much more for me (us) to do now until the various appointments in Auckland in the month of June.   We still haven’t reached a resolution on the placecard-holder debacle – perhaps I’ll take them to Auckland and try them out when we dine at the venue.   That’s a good idea.