365 days later
Just like the movies; first there was '28 days' and now '28 weeks later.' Well, I have to offer 'the wedding' and then, '365 days later'. Yup, I can hardly believe it either. On 27 May a year had passed since we got married.
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A site for global citizens interested in life, style and the nexus of the two from the POV of a six continent chickJust like the movies; first there was '28 days' and now '28 weeks later.' Well, I have to offer 'the wedding' and then, '365 days later'. Yup, I can hardly believe it either. On 27 May a year had passed since we got married.
Believe it or not, but it's taken the two of us almost five months to break out the bed linen we received as wedding gifts. But it's been well worth the wait.
It was coverage that made friends of Jay's family ask whether they'd "bought the paper!" A massive wedding announcement in his Ohio hometown newspaper, 'The Lima News.' (Download the PDF version.)
All week I've been reminding myself to post the third of four series of photos from St. Lucia, this one covering some of the food and drinks we got to enjoy on the island. There was food aplenty and lots of exotic drinks -- take it all in by clicking here.
What could have taken up a whole week when those honeymoon photos are just dying to be seen? Try a combination of attending a dawn wedding; spending six hours in line for tickets to 'Macbeth' (Shakespeare in the Park -- Liev Shreiber great, Jennifer Ehle -- what's all the fuss about?); must-seeing 'The Devil Wears Prada' (highly entertaining) and satisfying a sudden desire for one of my mom's signature cookies.
You might regret asking us to post those honeymoon photos... there are quite a few of them! So to make it all more digestible, we've broken down the photos into different chunks. So today's offering provides somewhat of a smorgasbord of our trip to St. Lucia, a windward island, an island part of the Lesser Antilles and an island in the southern Caribbean somewhat north of Venezuela.
What is today? Today is 27 June of course, but it is also our one-month anniversary :0) I am happy to report that married life has much to recommend it. (Although we both wish that we also got to have another honeymoon too.)
The first batch of wedding photos taken by photographer Chris Ramirez and team are in and up. They're eagerly awaiting your persual, comments, notes... views. Click here to view them.
If you've been perusing recent posting you probably already know that the flowers we ordered for my wedding bouquet never arrived. (If you missed that snippet, read about it here.) What I didn't mention in that story was that those flowers were also supposed to be used to create corsages for our equivalent of the wedding party.
Glide through the red-canopied doors into the zen-calm of Japanese emporium, Takashimaya, on New York's Fifth Avenue, and one of the first of many delights to thrill your senses will be its florist. I've always found it enchanting, often stopping in to stroll, smell and admire, if not buy.
When people ask me what the "wedding disasters" were, I count myself lucky that there were only two. And then, even in the moment, we had a core calm that all would somehow be fine. One of those bumps in the aisle was a certain suit for the groom, from none other than Ermenegildo Zegna, *the* suit for this season (according to various fashion rags.)
Jay and I feel very spoiled right now. (And tanned :0) Our apartment is filled with beautiful gifts and we've just started to enjoy a few of them.
We're baack!
Ten days later and less than 12 hours off the plane... we were heartsore to leave our honeymoon home at Anse Chastanet on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia.
Some 48 hours ago, I was ordering a club sandwich and chocolate cake from a georgeous room Jay booked at Hotel Pierre (right on Central Park.) My mom and I had just returned from the hairdresser (Amour de Hair), and skill, spray and 100+ clips held my "updo" in place. (Anecdotal evidence places the groom shopping for sunscreen for our honeymoon at the time!)
I've discovered that I was completely wrong about four things these last seven days of singledom. One, that perhaps I over-estimated the week I took off work. Two, that I would get some chill time to kick back, relax and (three) diligently blog about what the week would hold. Four, that I would get to work out everyday. Hah! It's been all hard labour all around and around the clock.
Today I was mid-sentence (literally), delivering a presentation to some 60 people in the National Convention Centre in Cusco, Peru when the call about my wedding dress came through.
Oh if only all our wedding work were as pleasant as Friday lunch: heading over for Tavern on the Green for a two-hour tasting of our various menu options for the reception. We were once again wowed by the space and were served the four enormous main course options we'd selected in the Terrace Room. It was bright and lovely, the new lanterns were out on the outside terrace and we got to appreciate the newly-upholstered chairs.
In those handy wedding planning checklists you get online (WeddingChannel.com, theknot.com etc.) and in the copious bridal magazines, photographers are meant to be scouted, signed and settled six to nine months in advance. So imagine our panic when our photographer friend was suddenly unable to be here for the big day... and that some six weeks before the day!
Place that sound. Is it:
a) The ominous sound of seconds ticking by, putting pressure on groom and bride?
b) The rhythmic sound of the gravel on the Jackie O. running path around the Reservoir in Central Park as the bride takes a Sunday morning run?
c) The sound of a softball bat being tapped on the ground by the groom as he prepares to step up to the plate on the softball diamond on Central Park's Great Lawn?
d) The symbols being added next to items on the wedding 'To Do' list?
Answer... all of the above. But we did take time out to smell the flowers.
Technorati tags: Central Park Wedding planning Wedding New York
What a huge difference a talented pair of hands makes. Today, less than a day after touching down, the super mom swung into action. She knocked off an entire 'To do' on our wedding preparation list: "Box and wrap gifts for attendants."
Yes, she's here! After a journey lasting almost a day of consecutive flights from Africa to the Middle East to the US of A, our much needed extra pair of hands and, more important, extra heart, has landed.
Life is a blur of placecards and packages and preparation... but not too much of a whirl that I didn't have time to stop in and check on this wedding witty website nominated for a Webby.
May I suggest you check out
http://www.daveloveselizabeth.com. It's more techno-driven pun than I've enjoyed for a while, and also a lovely use of the available technology -- blogs, Google maps, photoessays. Three thumbs up, Dave! Oh yes, and my vote in the People's Voice Award. (Speaking of which, another place well worth of your vote is UNICEF's Webby nomination in the non-profit category, the State of the World's Children. So get out your vote!)
Technorati tags: Webby Wedding planning Wedding
So much of what we're doing right now is looking forward, but not as forward looking as a futurist, only a month forward. (Actually, I am particularly looking forward to that beach honeymoon!)
Speaking of beach vacations, it's fun to take a moment on a potential wedding project and look backward. Anyone recognize the cutie on the right?
Technorati tags: New York Wedding planning Wedding Beach
With little more than a month to go, we are bunkering down in our wedding preparation shelter a.k.a. our apartment. It seems a little ironic -- turning down offers of dinner, movies and hanging out with our pals, only for the purposes of planning a party so we can hang out with our pals.
Most New Yorkers were probably depressed by this weekend's rainy weather, but when you have a wedding "To do" list that spans two columns on two pages, the weather was perfect for tackling our many tasks.
Today was a perfect day for a walk in the park. Not any park, Central Park. 15 degrees celsius, sunshine and thousands of fellow New Yorkers outdoors.
So many good questions keep pouring in that we thought we should put the answers together. Call it our wedding "FAQ" or Frequently Asked Questions, from baby sitting to gift registries, it's all here.
We were just patting ourselves on the back for finally finishing the wedding invitations, and waiting for those red RSVPs to come rolling into our mailbox when... what came rolling in instead were amazing stories of unconventional mail routes.
In mid-March, we spent an hour or two with photographer, Nicole Toutounji, in her light-filled Upper West Side apartment. A consummate professional -- let's face it, she photographed Susan Sarandon among many others -- she had us relaxed and soaking up the luminesence as she captured some moments.
That dashing groom, otherwise known as Jay Huber, was the researcher, author and cartographer responsible for the fabulous information pack you received as part of your invitation.
Continue reading "Invitations: Who is the insert maestro?" »
It's exciting news from all corners of the globe. The mail has not failed us; you are receiving your invitations. But how were they put together?
The motif was inspired by a set of cushion covers: Warholesque silkscreens of the South African national flower, the protea. They were a gift from the bride's brother, Darryl, and his wife, Shayleen.
With all the invitations out through the mail in March, it was anyone's guess who would win the RSVP Invitation stakes. In case you're wondering, the invitations were sent out in order of furtherest geographical location -- so South Africa and Australia first, New York last.
The fabulous designer, Swati Argade, came to our apartment to fit the muslin of "the dress." For the uninitiatied, a muslin is an exact replica of a piece of clothing, made from muslin. The objective is to ensure that the article fits perfectly.
You wouldn't be on this page, reading this wedding post if you hadn't already received your jaunty 'Save the date' postcard. (Like the one at right).
Now if you're hoping that all will be revealed... think again! But read further and you will find out a few little interesting tit bits that will make what you see me wearing in May, a little more meaningful.
Who knew Japan would be the place to pose a serious question as to Jay and my relationship. Was it travel fatigue? Stress? Hanging out with dishy Brazilian artist, Gustavo, the only other person on their own on the guided tour? It turns out the test came from something much closer to Jay heart: the Buddhists.
Continue reading "Japan tests Jay and Tanya's relationship..." »
It's official! After braving an elephant charge, jay walking* in New York traffic and the challenge of integrating their CD collections** in their now-shared apartment, Jay and Tanya are ready to officially announce their engagement.