You plan, and you plan, and you plan. Then you plan a little more. Even if you are the most organized person in the world, at some point along your wedding planning journey, something out of your control will happen. When this does, you have two options:

Option A: First you can whine and complain and tell everyone that you meet that life is just not fair. You could follow this up by adopting a sense of paranoia that everyone is out to get you and make you feel stupid for caring too much about the little things. The last step in this option would be to sit for a few hours in front of the TV and watch some Bridezillas episodes until you realize how silly you are being, thus resorting to Option B (see below).

Option B: Don't worry! With this option, you can also whine and complain, but you must limit this to a specified amount of time. (You may just want to write "the bad thoughts" in your diary that you keep under your mattress.) Next, take a deep breath, and realize that no matter what your wedding is going to be an amazing day even if all of your plans fall apart. You've still got the bride. You've still got the groom. You've still got the love.

I'll admit it. I went through option A and B this week, and I've lived to tell (type) the tale. We found out this week that our beloved event coordinator at our wedding location had resigned unexpectedly. This is a person who we have grown to really like because she was absolutely dependable, organized, smart, and supportive. Poof. She's gone. (This is when I resorted to Option A.) Once I awoke from my panicked stupor, my fiance reminded me that everything was going to be fine. As it turns out, the big boss at our reception site gave us a call to personally assure us that everything was going to be handled as it should be. He even had us come out to the site this morning to go over all the details. About a minute into the conversation, I knew that my fiance was right, and I relaxed and went back to the normal demure bride who resonates with Option B.

I know that other things for our wedding will turn out differently than expected, and hopefully the next time they do, I can bypass Option A and go straight into Option B.

What about you all? What major or minor catastrophe has happened while you have been planning your wedding? How did you handle it? Are you a mostly Option A or Option B person?

This week we received our first joint piece of mail that assumed my soon-to-be married name. I thought that I was a nerd for thinking it was exciting until I looked at Aaron who was grinning like a fool as well. It really got me thinking about the major shift in my identity that is coming up soon. I have always planned that I would take his last name. I do feel that I'll miss my former name as it is short and sweet. It's catchy. I'm often called my first name and last name together as if they were hyphenated by friends and co-workers.

Not all women take the spouse's last name. You'll often see a hyphenated version, and some women don't change their names at all. (Side note: I always wonder what will happen if Mr. John Smith-Taylor marries Ms. Jane Johnson-Thompson and combine their names. Will she be Mrs. Smith-Taylor-Johnson-Thompson? Yikes!)

Anyhoo, I'm changing my name. I've come to find out this is much easier said than done. Let's take a quick look at the lengthy process of legally changing your name.

• First, make about 25 copies of your marriage certificate. Many agencies and companies will require a copy for their documentation. 
• Next, you must file a SS-5 Form with the Social Security Administration. This is priority one as you cannot apply for much of anything else without your new social security card. The Social Security folks will also update the IRS. Yay! 
• Now that you have your social security situation set, you can work on your state driver's license and motor vehicle registration. Yes folks, this means a lovely afternoon at the local DMV.
• Next stop is notifying your employers of your new name so that your paychecks can continue to be cashed without name-mismatch hassle.  Along with notifying your employer, you'll also need to update your benefit information (health insurance, 401K plans, beneficiaries, etc.).  

Now we have a whole slew of places that you'll need to notify.  You should have a relatively easy time doing this as you'll have your new social security card and driver's license now.  Some places will let you make your changes over the phone or via the internet, while others require a specific form and maybe your signature.  (Click here for a generic form letter that you can use when contacting these offices by mail.)  Also, credit card companies and other such accounts will provide name change information in their monthly statements.  

• banks and credit unions
• brokerage and investment accounts
• mortgage company or landlord
• credit card companies
• attorney (for changes to your will, trust, power of attorney, etc.)
• department store accounts
• insurance companies or agent 
• medical offices
• utilities
• state and local tax boards
• passport office
• post office
• voter registration board
• internet service provider
• newspaper and magazine subscriptions
• clubs and associations

And so to the future Mrs. Smith-Taylor-Johnson-Thompson, I wish you good luck and God speed on your name change paperwork!

Happy Valentines Day!  It's 6am, do you know where your love is?  Mine is sleeping in, and I've been debating for the past half hour if jumping on him with a big plate of heart-shaped pancakes would be viewed as loving or antagonizing at this fine hour.  Maybe I'll wait until I finish this post before I rip the covers off of him!  :)

Along with weddings, Valentines Day is one of the biggest occasions to send a note or a card to someone.  Some of us are the Hallmark aisle kinda people, and some of us are happy to make something to send to our friends and family.  

Because I love our QCWeddings.com readers, here are ten free printable stationery items for you to use whether it's for today, your wedding, or any ol' occasion.  Click on the pictures to take you to the downloads!  

an I Heart You Card from Clever Someday

Valentines Day garland from Whisker Graphics

a favor box template from Don't Eat The Paste

envelope labels from Domestica

save the date set from Ruffled

place cards from Creature Comforts

table numbers from Creature Comforts

tags from Creature Comforts

thank you card from Ruffled

an entire coordinating wedding stationery suite from Inspired Bride

an entire coordinating wedding stationery suite from Wedding Chicks

With V'day just hiding around the corner, no doubt you've been bombarded with subtle and not-so-subtle messages from media and friends that you need to buy the perfect gift which could include but not be limited to flowers, candy, and jewelry. These gifts are lovely, but I'm here today to propose a unique gift that only the brass of a siren of a woman could pull off....boudoir photography!  Hold on to your quiver and arrows, my cupids!  

If you're not familiar with this term then lets fill in a little background info.  For starters, the pronunciation is boo-dwahr. The word means a lady's private room, and it derives from the French verb bouder which means to pout.  Essentially it boils down to taking sexy pictures clothed, partially clothed, or nude.  You may have just grabbed your face with both hands as it turned a lovely shade of red.  Did I dare say "sexy" and "nude" in a tasteful QCWeddings.com blog post??  Yes, ladies and gents, I did.  

image courtesy of claris photography

 

Here are three links to some photographers that specifically specialize in boudoir.  They have lots of examples on their websites for you to peruse...

http://www.lboudoir.com/boudoir-portrait-showcase/

http://vavoompinups.com/?load=flash

http://intimates.leahstaffordphotography.com/?tag=chicago-boudoir-photographers

Boudoir photography can often created in your photographer's studio, where it has become very fashionable to create a set of sensual images for ladies of all ages, shapes, and sizes in the "boudoir style".  Does your photog do boudoir photography?  Many don't outright advertise it, but just go ahead and ask them about it!  

The important thing to keep in mind is that a professional photographer who does boudoir will never share or release your pictures without your consent.  Deciding to do boudoir does not mean that you moonlight as a lady of the evening or that your morals have flown the coop.  While boudoir does reverberate sexual messages, it IS meant to be something that a woman can share with her lover and no one else unless she pleases.  

This really has become more than just a passing fad, and there is a whole industry of photographers who are happy to help you create this one of a kind present. So what do you think, ladies? Is boudoir on the horizon or not? I bet your fiance wouldn't mind. :)

Don't deny it. We all love the candy hearts, perforated cards, and everything smattered in pink and red.

While in general, I'm not an over-the-top Valentines Day person, I do love the color palette and the subtle gestures of love and friendship. Today we are displaying a few inspiration boards found around the blog world that show how some people have turned a cheesy-peasy cliched* holiday into something beautiful for their weddings!

inspiration board courtesy of bliss wedding market.

inspiration board courtesy of the inventing weddings blog.

inspiration board courtesy of the green wedding shoes blog.

This post does a double service of providing wedding inspiration and also reminding all of us that we may need to go out and purchase some candy hearts and/or perforated cards and/or something smattered in pink and red...

*If you are a cupid or any kind of Hallmark employee, my apologies for insulting your integrity. :)