Bridal Breakdown # ?? - I've lost count.

Hello dear Hive, happy Monday! I hope your weekend was full of fun and happiness. Mine certainly was, although it didn't start out that way...

Remember last week I was all insightful and inspired? Well, it only took a mysteriously missing bridesmaid's dress to derail the zen-like approach to wedding planning in one quick instant. My FB status update says it all.

{FB vent!}

WTH is right, Miss Rachel. Here's a preview of that super fun day with my Sweet Tea girls 3 months ago. 

{party in the minivan rental!}

For now, suffice it to say that I ordered and paid for all the dresses at that same time in one transaction, or so I thought. The dresses finally came in - YAY! - and I picked them up last Friday before rushing off to the airport to visit Maid of Honor Sweet Tea in SoCal. Imagine my surprise turned frustration when the consultant said "she hasn't ordered it yet" after I asked about the one that didn't come in. 

Seriously?! We followed their advice and ordered them during the height of prom season (hence the oversight) with 5 months until W-Day to allow for plenty of time for the dresses to come in and get altered. Now there's only 3 months to go and that's how long it takes a new order to get to the store. The consultant casually assured me that I had plenty of time for this straggler. Yeah, that's what they said three months ago. I pulled out my credit card and placed the order, AAARRRRUGH!

Cue meltdown in 3 . . .  2 . . .  1 . . .

I now fully understand why couples elope, and those who don't wish they had. Here's a glimpse of our dream wedding heaven if I could have only let go of my want to get married in the Catholic church. Ahhhhh, Cabo.

{surf spot at La Roca}

But I digress. After a mildly tearful meltdown alone in the car and a quick call to Mama Teacup to tell her how much I hated wedding planning, I managed to laugh at myself for instantly thinking that "nothing is ever easy" in that moment. 

Thankfully, I was on my way to visit my dear MOH Sweet Tea. If anyone could make this process fun again, it would be her. 

{early morning at Coronado Beach}

{carefree & happy Lily dog}

{cruising around Coronado island}

{real cheese curds flown in for a party}

{zen happy place restored, complete with sushi! note the hot green tea...}

We even managed to squeeze in some computer time devoted to wedding planning - logistics and details that had previously stalled my momentum. As a dutiful MOH she humored me and played dress up - dress, cardigan and jewelry - and I loved her look. 

She came through in a big way and I'm back from the brink of another bridal breakdown...thanks, friend!

Now you know how I regain sanity when the going gets rough...I jet off to somewhere fun with friends! Who keeps you grounded on this roller-coaster journey to matrimony? What are your favorite escapes or de-stressing tips? I could definitely use them for a rainy day!

** all personal photos **

Puttin' on the Ritz

I'm excited to share today's post because it's the first of many opportunities to gush over the greatness that is my future husband. You see, it's Mr. Hot Tea who demonstrated how to make a wedding decision. With ease. And good judgment. And without changing it three times over. (Can you tell I'm a teeny bit envious of his natural ability in this department?)

After several months of struggling with venues. And color palettes. And themes. And flowers. . . (And can you see how much I was not enjoying wedding planning at the time?!) I decided it was time to punt the planning over to Mr. HT. I thought for sure that dressing the men would buy me few weeks of sanity while he was in charge. 

So on a rainy Tuesday in February, Mr. HT lovingly agreed to share our weekly date night with a third wheel. We trudged over to our local Men's Wearhouse where I secretly hoped to meet this man:

Image via i.bnet.com / 

Photo of George Zimmer, Founder and CEO of Men's Wearhouse

No such luck. However, when Mr. HT crossed the threshold of the store, the warm, friendly welcome made him look like a celebrity! Little did I know that he had been buying his suits here for nearly a decade and his consultant happened to be on shift. We were in good hands. Even better, we learned about a little sale that happens every few months and as luck would have it was running just then.

Image via www.bargaindealsdiscountsoutlet.com

Whaaaa?! Seriously? This is where my mind is blown in 3....2....1...

Image via photobucket.com / Credit TheWoodenBlock

We wanted suits, and suits we got. Instead of asking our guys to rent a tux and fork out $149 for a rental, they are getting a suit they can keep. The suit retails for $200, and with the sale applied came out to $100 each. Their ties and shirts were also BOGO. Their shirts, originally $40, were on sale for $20 and with the offer averaged to $10 per shirt. SCORE! You wanna see the goods? Of course you do!

* personal photos *

Just like that and in an instant, the boys were dressed. Mr. HT gave me a hug and a kiss, and a bit of advice - "Wedding planning is easy." I hate to admit it, but he's right. Too bad his skill has yet to rub off of me.  

Friends, this is totally the way to go IMHO. Trusting Mr. HT with wedding tasks has given us so many memories and great stories. When I see all the decisions we've made on W-Day, I'll feel pride and happiness to remember that we're in it and did it together.

What hidden strengths or talents has wedding planning revealed of your future spouse? Have you had any similar serendipitous moments where decision-making was this easy? Share your thoughts and post a comment below!