Guest Post: MOMZILLA

I love my mom — but I’m a bit scared of my MOMZILLA.

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Before I get into all the details, I should probably preface this by disclosing my guest blogger status — I would hate to tarnish Liz’s mom’s good name. You can call me Guth, since that is what most of my colleagues like to shout-out when barking orders in my direction — just kidding, friends!

All right, back to the good stuff. I am newly engaged (three weeks tomorrow) and thrilled say I get to marry my LOVE. Although we had talked about spending our lives together almost every day for the past year, my fiancé managed to totally surprise me with his proposal. You can read all about it on our Knot Web page. It was quite the perfect night…but it also was the night I witnessed the birth of something unlike anything I had ever seen — the MOMZILLA.

Yes, we’ve all heard about the BRIDEZILLA, but MOMZILLAS are a rare breed. According to the Urban Dictionary, they are “highly controlling of the many elements to a wedding. Everything must be perfect for her child’s day.” I know her intensions are pure and true, but man, she jumped on the crazy train way earlier in this process than I would have expected!

You see, my fiancé had invited our families to celebrate with us the night of our surprise engagement and my mom arrived with a binder for my future mother-in-law, one for me and talked of the one she had rolling at home — the night of the engagement! The very next day, I came to learn she had already been through the third draft of her guest list…third. Now, I understand that I am the oldest daughter and I am all for being organized and prepared…but third?

Immediately following the engagement, I was inundated with at least ten phone calls a day. “We must lock-in a venue…I’ve already talked with Father Jerry…how many people do you think his family will want to invite…you guys are going to need to work on cutting down that list, ASAP!”

Luckily, we were able to come to a quick decision on the date and venue, but I am a bit frightened of what is in store for me over the next year. I post this entry in hopes that readers out there will have tips on how to tame this rare creature we call the MOMZILLA and how to tactfully deal with issues without causing WWIII. This bride-to-be needs some advice from the experts…or a tranquilizer gun.

Guest Post: From a Bridesmaid’s Perspective…

About Me: A Mindy Weiss Wannabe

Hi everyone! My name is Thi and I’m another one of Liz’s co-workers. She’s got a few wonderful guest bloggers lined up for this week and next — all of who are engaged or have recently gotten hitched…except me! I just love weddings and could spend all day on Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart and the Knot — please don’t tell my boyfriend! I’ve even wiggled my way, along with future Guest Blogger Amy, into helping with a few weddings this year. Mindy Weiss is our hero, JK (but not really)! ;)

No Katherine Heigl

Well, I don’t have 27 beautiful (and unique) bridesmaids dresses adorning my closet; in fact, you can consider me the opposite. I’m about to embark on my very first wedding party experience and couldn’t be more excited.

While my experience may be limited, we’ve all heard our friends sharing stories about how gorgeous (or heinous) their dresses have been and how pricey the process can be. Between the dress, shoes, mani/pedis, hair, showers, parties, presents, travel…it all adds up! But, on wedding day, your bridesmaids suck it up, smile and support you because they’re your absolute best friends.

You obviously don’t need to give your bridesmaids executive veto powers, but throughout your planning process, but sure to include them. Some will love helping you scour for the best photographers, see live bands for the perfect sound or high-five your custom-ordered Chinese eBay dress. And, on the other hand, some may prefer that you send them a dress style and tell them when to be at the ceremony.

In most cases, err on the side of participation. Ask for their involvement, respect their opinions, provide timely updates and allow them to support you all along the way. Besides, no bride wants an upset bridal party…the bachelorette party would be no fun!

BM Inspirations

Liz is searching for some cute floral dresses that even Katherine Heigl would choose in 27 Dresses. Below are some pix to get ideas flowing. Also, be sure to leave us your best or worst bridesmaids experiences — inquiring brides want to know!

Soooo 80s! Some styles passed for a reason:

Gold Bridesmaid Dresses

Soooo now! Let your and bridesmaids’ individuality shine:

SATC Bridesmaids

Different Dresses Gray

Bridesmaids Shoes

Guest Post: Favorite Favors

Hi there, A Batty Life readers! My name is Jenn and I am one of Liz’s co-workers. I also blog about food and recipes over at Eating Bender.

When Liz first asked me to write a guest post, I have to admit there were mixed emotions. Don’t get me wrong, I was very excited to contribute to her blog — but also extremely jealous that she would be sipping wine and taking in Buenos Aires with Luke as I’m writing! I’m looking forward to seeing her pictures as Argentina has always been a place I hope to visit someday.

Today’s post will talk a bit about wedding favors and some of the ideas I’ve come across as I plan my own wedding set for October 16, 2010 in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. I’ve been engaged to my high school sweetheart, Bobby, since May 2009. Now that we’ve reached the “one year away” mark, my thoughts have turned from big picture decisions such as choosing the venue and asking friends to be in the wedding party to more of the details, including takeaways for our guests.

Here are some of the current ideas we are floating around…

1) The Candy Bar

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Bobby and I are both huge candy lovers. In fact, on any given Saturday night there is a good chance you will find us picking up cheap bags of candy on sale at the grocery store to bring home and enjoy while watching taped episodes of The Office or a new release movie. I think a candy bar would be a perfect way to provide something sweet – and cheap! – for our guests to take home. Our wedding colors are deep purple and ivory as in the picture above, so our goal would be to integrate these colors throughout.

2) The Photo Booth

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Another popular option at weddings lately is the photo booth. One of my cousins got married over the summer and both the bride and groom agreed that splurging on a photo booth and saving elsewhere was one of the best decisions they made. Guests can take as many pictures as they want for a certain period of time throughout the night and have pictures printed out on the spot. The person in charge of the booth will then give one copy to the photo takers, and set another copy aside for the bride and groom’s guest book. This puts a face to the names who are signing your guest book and creates something very personalized. This is definitely on our “options” list!

3) Something Old, Something New…Something Uniquely You

Of course, when planning your wedding, you want to make sure that it stays as true to who you are as possible. Whether it’s an inside joke that the two of you share or a special fact that everyone knows about you as a couple – for example, one of our co-workers had a hilarious idea of providing hand sanitizer to her guests because her and her future husband are both germophobes – creating a favor that speaks to who you are will make your wedding that much more memorable. When I asked Liz for her ideas, she provided me with the ultimate example of “uniquely you.”

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Wouldn’t it be fitting for the future Mrs. Batman to hand out these lollipops to her guests?

There are countless other possibilities for wedding favors. For example, another one of our co-workers (who you’ll also hear from in a future guest post!) had the fantastic idea to donate the money to a charity. Whether you decide to have favors or not, it’s always fun to explore the options.

There are many sites to find ideas on out there, but here are a few that I’ve found useful:

I would love to know your thoughts on this subject as well. Leave a comment with your favorite favor ideas! Keep your eye out for the next guest post and let’s wish Liz a very happy and relaxing trip! Even if we are envious ;)

We’re Off to Buenos Aires!

Hi everyone! It’s been a crazy, hectic week here for me wrapping up my projects at work and packing for a trip Luke and I are taking this week. We’re heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina for the next 10 days for a little vacation time!

tango

One area where Luke and I are totally compatible is in our love for adventure and travel. Since Luke’s a consultant and racks up endless amounts of hotel and airline points, we’re able to go on some pretty awesome trips for next to nothing.

I cannot tell you how excited I am do experience everything Argentina has to offer. We’re planning to do a lot of shopping, eating, wine-tasting, tango-dancing, reading and relaxing! What’s even cooler is that one of my good friends just moved to Buenos Aires with her husband, so we’ll get to spend some time with them as well.

Some other things on the itinerary include a day trip to Uruguay where we’ll be renting scooters to see some old colonial towns and a trip to a real-life gaucho ranch in the countryside. The gaucho ranches are supposed to be really picturesque and our day will be filled with horseback riding and a big traditional Argentinean barbeque. Luke has never ridden a horse before, so I’m looking forward to seeing him climb up! lol.

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you guys! While I’m away, several gals from my office will be guest-blogging. They range from recently married, engaged, to a seasoned bridesmaid, so you can be sure they’ll have a wealth of information and interesting viewpoints to share. Do me a favor and leave them lots of comments!

I’ll try to post some pictures during our trip, but if not I’ll definitely update you all when I get back. Have a great week and adios!