one hundred fifty-two days

An epic day of wedding adventures.

So here’s the breakdown. A total of $228.36 got us:

• flowers and supplies for 4 bouquets, 9 corsages and 7 boutonnieres
• an aisle runner
• a garter (which Chloe was a bit shocked to find that she would be slipping onto my leg)
• a plume pen for the guest book
• fabric for the ring bearer’s pillow
• ribbon for pew markers
• a bottle of French wine to celebrate our successful planning, possibly saved for Joe but possibly had on a late night with my mom while still in Ohio
• a caramel latte after a nice lunch with mom and Connie, a family friend with access to a floral supply store (hence the massive savings)
• a new pair of flats, since mine were splitting through the bottoms and filling with water
• fresh copy of The Bell Jar that I can write in to my heart’s content (Mom likes this, since that means I’m not writing in hers)

So, taking out all of my distraction spending, that means I spent less than a third of what we had budgeted for flowers… and that spending included a million random purchases. Thanks, Hobby Lobby and flower supply store!

Taking distractions into account, I’m really excited about this wine. A new wine shop opened up next to Hobby Lobby. Of course we went in. Not even a question. The owner said that after a few years in “Corporate America” and was ready to do something he really enjoyed. Kudos to you, sir, especially since your interests serve my own.

He said he was glad to meet another lover of French wines. I smiled, letting him think I knew about wine and wasn’t just obsessed with the country as a whole. I snagged a bottle from the Rhône region, where I spent that summer. I found out that they had wine tastings twice a week, and knew how I’d be spending my Thursday and Saturday afternoons (and disposable income).

I laughed even typing that, as the idea of a free afternoon–let alone disposable income–seem abstract and impossible, no longer a part of my life.

The savings today though, spending a quarter of what was estimated on flowers even after deciding to make a small spread around the unity candle, made me feel like I’m giving Joe back a little of what we lost.

I know that tonight, when I tell him I switched from delphinium to hydrangea with freesia and baby’s breath accents he’ll sound interested. When I say that they are all deep purples, maybe leaning toward blues, he’ll be able to picture a purple blog on a green stem.

“I don’t know flowers,” he’s said on several occasions when I stressed about picking the right arrangements. Well, me either, but the strategy of walking in and finding the color I liked best worked out really well. Here’s a preview of the hydrangea that will give most of the color to the day.