chapter one: the early bird gets the peace of mind

One of the best pieces of advice I received regarding weddings was to do as much ahead of time as possible. If only I had paid more attention.

Certainly I would not have been outside trying to spray branches gold with bronchitis in icy, teen degree weather.

I would not have been rushing around searching for lists and notes and other scattered things.

I would not regret that some things we really wanted to do went undone because we waited so late in the game to set about doing them.

So I am passing that particular piece of advice on with the strong hope that others will do a better job than I in heeding it.

Every single little thing that you can do before the week of the wedding, do it! Pick out fonts and fabrics and favors (if you intend to have them.)

Attendant gifts, play lists, and especially anything you plan to make yourself, do it as early as you can.

My best illustration of this involves the ring bearer's pillow. I bought the lace for the pillow many moons ago when my sisters and I took the trip of a lifetime to Italy. In a little shop in Venice, just off the Grand Canal, I found the most beautiful lace trim. I have saved it in the time since in a baby shoe box, waiting for the day I would use it for my baby child's wedding. 

I did the monogramming for the little pillow my great nephew would carry down the aisle months before the big day. Why then, I was the very day of the wedding finishing the pillow makes no sense. Though there was a sewing machine malfunction and many interruptions I could blame, there simply is no excuse for me frantically finishing that pillow when there were one thousand and one other things I needed (and wanted to attend)

If you take nothing else from reading this, the time will be well spent.