Our Bridal Party ... The Bridesmaids

This next portion is about our bridal party. It will be done in three parts mainly because I am waiting for Chris to give me the information he wants to put up about his groomsmen.

Bridesmaids

Deepika Mahendra, aunt of the bride
Deepi is my mom and aunt’s cousin (her mom is my grandmother’s sister), but she and I are very close in age. She and her husband live in London and are true world travelers! For their honeymoon a few years ago, they took off and travelled the world for about a year. Deepi and I met many times throughout the years when we were younger. They came to America a few times and we went to London as well to visit. We really became close in the Summer of 2006 when her family came to the states for another cousin’s wedding. We spent 5 crazy days together with our families. There were 12 of us staying at my aunt and uncle’s house that weekend. In February 2007 I traveled with my mom, aunt and uncle to India for her wedding to Benji (the first non-Indian to join our family). This time it was two weeks of shopping and getting ready for her wedding. It was a life experience that I would never give back (though I would have loved it if I could have spent two weeks in London instead)! Deepi is a true sister to me even though technically she is my great aunt aka Masi.

Deepi and I at her Sangeet in India

Ginger Patel, friend of the bride
I met Ginger in high school at the random parties mutual friends threw. We really didn’t become friends until I went on the road trip of a lifetime with her and 4 other friends. We rented an 8 passenger van and drove to Vegas, where Ginger, Kristin and I danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly, then to Palo Alto to pick up another friend. Following that we went to San Francisco, where we ate at Jolly Bee, a restaurant that has pineapple on burgers and spaghetti with hotdogs mixed in them. Our last stop was LA, where two of us ran into the COLD ocean! We did a lot more, but these are some of the experiences that really stand out in my head. Ginger and I also lived in the same ghetto apartment complex over in the medical center where we shared weekend breakfasts and movie nights. I had the honor to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and I caught (nosedived) the bouquet at the reception. She got married in April of 2009 and she and her husband Neel just recently became parents to the sweetest baby in the world. When Ginger is not designing things for her friends weddings she is working at M.D. Anderson as a nurse.

Ginger and I at a party on New Year's Eve

Erin VanTreeck, friend of the bride
Erin is my best friend. We can go weeks without talking, but when we get on the phone it is like nothing ever changed. We met in seventh grade at lunch through a mutual friend and became okay friends at first. Our friendship grew throughout the years. There are so many stories that I can think of but the thing that stands out to me is how we are complete opposites, but we are the perfect fit as far as friendships go. I was the loud and social one and Erin was the quiet and sensitive one. What is funny is that we seemed to have reversed roles as we grow older (though I will always be the loud one). I think she was the one who kept me grounded before I met Chris. Now it is both her and Chris’s job to do so. Erin has been there for me for so much, even when we were 20 miles, 200 miles and now 1000 miles away from each other. Erin moved to Chicago 2 years ago and I know she has never been happier (though her best friend misses her). Her life has fallen into place since her move and I know that she is destined for great things.

Erin and I at Max's Wine Dive for a yummy brunch

Thank you to these wonderful ladies for agreeing to be in the wedding and for putting up with me when time gets closer to the wedding. I am trying not to be a bridezilla, but I am not promising a thing!

Facebook Drama

Ah Facebook...how you can be so good for somethings and so awful for other things. Weddings would be one of those awful things. I have gotten some comments on my facebook page since the beginning of the wedding planning experience. Some from people I know we are going to invite, some from those that I am not sure that we are going to invite and some from people I know we aren't going to invite.

I hate to delete the wonderful comments that people have put on my page, but I think I have to in order to keep from hurting feelings. I wish I could invite everyone, but I can't. So, if any comments about the wedding get put on Facebook, I will just move them over to the blog. (And feel free to make comments on this blog too!!! PLEASE!)

Liz Thompson

And Sushi Saturdays?! ;) Got your save the date... super cute!

Tiffany Garcia loves your save the date cards!
Reema Tandan Glad you like!

Elizabeth DeVries Loved your save the date cards. The color just pops off the card!

Reema Tandan Thank you! My friend Ginger did a beautiful job designing it and my uncle's print guys did fabulous with the colors!!

Priyanka Kapoor She did a real nice job ! I loved the card too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chris and I would to wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!

This year's Valentine's Day will be our first one as an engaged couple and last one as an unmarried couple. Chris's comment to that was "so I don't have to do anything next year...right?". Not quite buddy.

Regardless, Valentine's Day is not the only day we celebrate our love for each other. We show each other we love and care for each other every day that we are together or a part. We do however think that traditions are very important and have already started creating our own. Both of us get into holidays, so this is just another way for us to do something together as well as for each other.

This year, instead of having flowers delivered to work, Chris went and bought flowers and came to work to surprise me. He was very clever...he made sure I didn't leave to go out for lunch by asking if we could go get lunch together. I was expecting him to come get me from the office (very unusual...usually we just meet wherever we are going) around lunch time. I wasn't at my desk, so Patrick, the police officer at the front called one of my co-workers to see if they could find me. Poor Patrick thought Chris was the delivery man.

Followed by the beautiful flowers, we went to lunch at Block 7, another one of our favorite places to go. Block 7 is a Wine Bar that serves some pretty amazing food. It was nice to sit and talk to each other during the middle of a busy work day. We also had our favorite waiter, Davey Jones. After lunch and dessert we made our way to the post office, where we put the Save the Dates in the mail. Guess there is no turning back now.

I made breakfast for Chris on the real Valentine's Day. I tried some breakfast tacos this past week that Pam, one of my favorite co-workers, made for all of us at work. They were simply delicious. Pam sent one home with me to give to Chris, but I ate it for dinner that night while he was in class. Well, Chris wanted to try them, so I thought making him breakfast for Valentine's Day would be nice because I NEVER make breakfast unless it is toast, bagels or cereal. This was a nice surprise for him. In fact he says I should do this every Sunday. We shall see...I don't think big breakfasts like that are the healthiest for us. I did put a side of fruit with the tacos and they went along nicely.

Our tradition on Valentine's Day is Chris makes dinner for me. This is strange for us, since we love to cook together, but I can't complain! We prefer not to go out to dinner mainly because it is crazy out there and every restaurant we like has a prix fixe meal. This year Chris is making a roasted chicken with veggies and roasted red potatoes. Throw in some sparkling wine or champagne and a creme brulee and how can you go wrong with that? The recipe is another Barefoot Contessa creation (we are kind of obsessed with everything she makes). It was such a nice dinner.

For next year I need to buy "A Charlie Brown Valentine". I couldn't find it at Target this year!

Again, Happy Valentine's Day! Go spread some love today.

Wedding Coordination

I have the coolest part-time/temporary job. My wedding coordinator Cheri Wexler (www.somethingplannedllc.com) has asked me to help out during some of the weddings she coordinates as her assistant. I just participated in my first wedding this past weekend. The wedding ceremony was held at Sam Houston Park in Downtown and the reception was at Artista in the Hobby Center.

I am so excited to be helping out for many reasons. It will help give me ideas for our wedding (instead of constantly reading www.theknot.com like I already do). I love working on events, so it gives me extra experience for my professional life. I also get to see Cheri in action behind the scenes to see what she does and how she handles things (I have been to three weddings that she coordinated as a guest). It gives me piece of mind to see how well she plans weddings and that she will be there for us on our big day. I look forward to working with her as her assistant as well as her client.

Save the Date!!

Hooray! Our save the date cards (and envelopes) are printed, stuffed and sealed. I am just waiting on the post office to send me the stamps I ordered so I can put them in the mail. The cards should be in the mail by Saturday. I didn't even need to recruit people to help with these tasks. Well, Chris had to help, but these are his cards too. If I have learned one thing in my career it is how to do a mailing as quick as possible. All of you non-profit workers know what I am talking about!

I am hoping that once I send the cards out people will actually read this blog and we will have followers!!

That's all for updates today. We hope you like the design and hope you get your cards. I just hope the addresses are all correct. If your address has changed (or changes in the next 6 months) please email me and let me know. Any emails can go to reemaandchris@gmail.com.

Oh yes, and have a Happy Valentine's Day, President's Day and Fat Tuesday. There sure is a lot going on this weekend.