ozzieheartsnikki

I might get in trouble by Nikki for writing this post, but I felt the need to emphasize my appreciation for all of her hard work and dedication she’s displayed throughout the wedding planning process. Although I think I’m more involved than most guys when it comes to all the particulars, my efforts still cannot match that of my better half. She’s put her excellent organization skills to work and is really making this thing happen. In a short amount of time, we’ve already got our venues booked, our tables and chairs rented, most of our centerpieces, our DJ is booked, and we’re in the process of finalizing details with our caterers and bar tenders.

We both knew that building our dream reception from scratch was going to take a lot of work without a coordinator, but Nikki and I are up for the challenge. OCCCA is an art gallery, which means there is nothing but empty space and white walls. We don’t plan on having the most boring reception you’ve ever been to, so we have to hand-pick every item that will be displayed on our walls, tables, ceiling, etc. This also means that tables, chairs, catering, PA and DJ equipment, lighting, the wait staff, and helping hands to decorate are NOT included. We have to make arrangements to coordinate all these services all while not trying to lose our heads the day before, day of, and day after.

Even though we’ve hit a couple obstacles in our planning, I’m so thankful and blessed to have Nikki. With all of her wedding planning expertise, we’ve been able to find solutions to essentially all of our problems.

The real reason why I’m writing this is because while I’m at the house browsing the internet, she’s hard at work this evening for 12 hours because she picked up an extra shift (she’s a nurse). She and I both know that this wedding thing can deplete a savings account in no time and she’s been making a strong effort to put in overtime at work. She’s also been putting in OT at the gym and in our relationship, all in preparation for the big day. Babe, I love you!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for upcoming posts about more wedding stuff!

Yes, yes…we know. We haven’t posted in a while! But rest assured…we’ve been busy with wedding details, and it’s been so fun and exciting so far. It’s about time we updated you all. We have a date! On June 24, 2012, we will officially be a Mr. and a Mrs. I love June because it’s right after springtime and just before summer, when the weather is not too cold but not yet too hot…maybe a little bit of both, or maybe somewhere in between! Our anniversary falls in June. It’s also right before July (my birthday month). And all the other month’s names are too difficult to pronounce anyway…lol just kidding.

The venue! What about the venue, you ask? We’ve teased you with several wedding venues and we haven’t even told you all which one of them is THE ONE. Well, actually, we have two. We are absolutely in LOVE with these two places. In fact, they were the first two venues we visited in our long search. We’ll give you all a sneak peak, but mind you…we’ll only post a photo or two, just to leave a little element of surprise on the big day!

The Ceremony: Oak Canyon Nature Center

Love, love…LOVE! I always knew I wanted to get married in an outdoor setting surrounded by nature. This venue is located in the quiet Anaheim Hills, and is surrounded by streams and large oak trees. What I love about it is that it’s so green and peaceful…we’ll be entering our marriage surrounded by everything natural and peaceful…so perfect! 🙂

The Reception: Orange County Center for Contemporary Art

Yes, we’re having our reception in an art gallery! We like to think we are a pretty creative pair, and what better way to design our dream wedding than to have a blank canvas to work with. That’s exactly what we’re getting at OCCCA. One of my best memories so far about wedding planning, and I’m sure he won’t admit it, but from the moment we stepped into the art gallery, Ozzie literally fell in love and begged to have our reception here! lol But it was contagious, and I quickly fell in love too. I love the high, wood-beam ceilings and the old brick walls that peak through the walls.

So you see, we have a lot of work to do. Neither one of our venues provide anything but space. That’s the fun part…we have total control. From the size/shape of the table…to the food…to the design of the space…the sky’s the limit, literally. We can decorate however we want to, and believe me…give me the inch, and I’ll take the mile. 🙂 We’re so excited!

What we’ve been up to? The fun wedding planning has already begun, and as I said in the beginning, we’ve been so busy! We’re busy scouring flea markets and thrift stores for everything you can think of, and in fact, we already have a huge collection…everything from old furniture to quaint little vases and jars. Stay tuned! We have LOTS to blog about!