How to Involve Your Groom

(Image from Amazon: here)

So, as much as I love Mr. Giraffe (which I do!), we're very different people. I think one of the biggest differences between us is that I'm definitely a small picture person and Mr. G is a big picture guy. Every time (almost) that we've talked about the wedding he just says "Whatever you want, Miss Giraffe" or "we can do that, Miss Giraffe" or, more likely, "I've told you a hundred times, the wedding and stuff isn't what matters to me, I'm just happy about they afterwards, about being married to you."

Okay, okay, so, yeah, I'm aware that it sounds sweet, but when I really need an opinion and legitimately want Mr. G to care whether or not I consider using rounded corners on our invitations, it can be a little frustrating. He just doesn't visualize things well, and being the big picture guy he is, he's all ready not worry about small details (i.e. rounded corners). I figured his big picture was that we're getting married, we're having a wedding and a reception, and that's it. I found myself getting frustrated and annoyed that I felt like I couldn't get him more interested in the wedding planning. He said, "It's not that I'm not interested, I just see the big picture." Well, big picture or not, G, this wedding isn't going to happen unless we get off our butts, make decisions, and plan it.

I'd been struggling with how to get Mr. Giraffe involved and more excited. I mean, he is excited, yes, but at the time when I was so frustrated, the day was still over 300 days away, how could he be excited then? Well, when we were garage sailing a couple of weeks after that, I found the Knot's Guide for the Groom. It was listed as $.50, but since I got that and other wedding book (also $.50), they gave them to me for $.25 each! Score!

Anyway, when Mr. Giraffe was on the bus on the way up to visit me shortly after that weekend, he read the book! I was actually surprised he read it. I mean, sure, I made him promise me that he would, but I didn't really seem him sitting down to do so. I thought it'd be like pulling teeth to have him sit down to do it. As he spends all day and night working, I couldn't picture him sitting down to read after a 14 hour day... so good thing he had a bus ride with nothing to do!

The weekend we were together after that, Mr. G was all about the wedding! I mean, we talked/planed about it constantly, but he had some seriously thought out input that time and read me passages out of the book about our planning timeline and getting our guest list completed. I was shocked! Well. . . shocked and totally excited of course! For the first time, Mr. Giraffe was getting into the details without me having to push him and ask him tons of questions. He started putting thought into everything, and I got really excited because after all, this wedding is about both of us, not just me (no matter how much I love being the center of attention.)

Mr. Giraffe said that the book was actually funny and he was surprised at how well written it was. I'm sure other grooms might enjoy its wedding to sports metaphors too. I'm not going to lie, I saw the same book at Border's, where it is $14. You might not be able to get it for $.25, but I recommend it for your groom. It's an easy way to get him excited and hopefully get him into planning as well.

How did you get your groom involved?

Here We Go

Okay, so its been quiet on Wedding Web Notes for a while. . .For a long while! Legit! But seriously, its been quiet because wedding planning had been quiet, but things are different now.

Last month, May 14th happened. That's right. May. 14. 2010. We hit the one year away mark. 365 days until the wedding! And all of the sudden its like there were a billion things to do or a hundred billion or something like that. It is seriously crazy. Of course, I (or ummm 'we') and totally exciting. After being engaged for a year and a half, we only have a year to go! Whooo hooo! It's about time, eh?

Anyway, now that its June, we have 11 months left and those billion things to do! I can finally get back to blogging because, for serious, there's actually things to blog about! For start, there's photographers now (!) and shoes and a new dress (well, for the future engagement shoot) and a certain interest in another dress, and a new season of True Blood. Well, okay, that last one isn't wedding related, but it is nearly as exciting.

I've had wedding on the brain for the last month now and it seems like things are really coming together. I cannot wait to share with everyone!

Sometime, when I get bored. . .

I design wedding invitations in random color schemes for made up people. I have wedding fever, I swear.

The shoes that broke my heart. . .

If any GIRAFFE GROOMSMEN are reading this. Roll out please! This is not for you!

So after reading this post on Weddingbee I approached Mr. Giraffe with an idea.

I had always loved the idea of the groom and groomsmen wearing Converse Chuck Taylors at the wedding. It may seem a little trendy right now, but I don't mind. In fact, the trendyness just proves how good Chuck Ts can look with tuxes, because you can find quite a few images popping up all over the web of 'wedding Chucks'. This idea has been in my head for a while and I'd thought about it quite of few times. The trouble? I loooove Chucks - I have quite a few pairs in quite a few designs/colors- but Mr. G does not love Chucks. He does not like/own Chucks. He says they fit his feet weird (I don't believe him, of course).

A while ago, I sent him a photo from the Weddingbee gallery. My email to him was aptly titled "Your Dream Wedding." Why you ask? Because the groom in the photo was wearing Adidas Sambas. That would be Mr. G's favorite shoe. He loves Sambas; lives in them, in fact. I remember a time when we first started dating when his Sambas were getting a little shifty. He'd clearly wore them out. And what to do when your Sambas have seen better days? Well. . . Mr. G went out and bought the same exact pair - because he loves them just that much. I thought it was a little silly to keep buying the same pair of shoes, but what can I say? I've watched him buy the exact same pair of Sambas over and over for 5 years. (Sambas come in white w/ black stripes and he won't even switch to those; he keeps on with the black ones.)

So I had played with the idea of the guys wearing Sambas (similar to the Chuck Taylors trend), but that was it. I had just thought about it. I mean, let's be honest, black gym shoes with brown tuxes? Those shoes would single handedly (footedly?) take down my perfectly concocted color scheme? I think not.

Anyway, after reading that post on Weddingbee, I revisited the idea. For the heck of it I logged on to the Adidas website. And what did I find?! Let me just say, I think my heart stopped for a minute.(image source)
That's right!! Adidas Sambas in our exact wedding colors?! OMG! I think I wet my pants! I happened to be hanging out with Mr.G at the time, and he even paused his new Final Fantasy video game to see why I was so excited. That's got to mean something! Anyway, he loved the idea; I loved the idea; the shoes were on sale for $45. Life was good!

Or so I thought . . .

Those Sambas were on sale because it was the end of the road for them. They were old news in the shoe world. I had emailed Adidas and scoured the internet and could only find a few pairs, mostly in kid's sizes. Despite the fact I told Mr. Giraffe I wouldn't be disappointed if we couldn't find them, I was pretty near heart broken.

What could we do? Just wait and find out!

Please tell me there are other Samba wedding parties out there?

Floating Flowers?! Yes Please!

So, I don't know why I never considered floating flowers. Come to think of it, why don't more people do this?! Amazing.

Found on the Huckleberry Karen Design Blog.

Love

This engagement photo was posted on the Green Wedding Shoes blog. Looking at it just makes me smile and I can't help but wish that everyone could feel love like this.

Totally Hip!

So I found this on the JL Designs blog and I thought it was totally hip. I've never entertained the idea of doing something other than a floral centerpiece, because I think it's way too nontraditional for me, but this could totally work!

The website describes it as extreme, and I totally agree. It's sooo edgy! I feel like these horse tails in a low vase with the yellow accent pincushion are just a HUGE impact piece. I just love love love them. Mr. Giraffe isn't too into flowers (even though I love them!) so he might be totally into this. I'll have to ask him. Usually I'm a pretty good judge on his likes & dislikes, but I'm not too sure about this one.

Either way; love it! Word. (image source)
Is anybody doing a kind of non traditional centerpiece?