Wedding wedding planning

Wedding Observations

Lisa Eirene

About Lisa Eirene Lisa lost 110 pounds through calorie counting and exercise. She swims, bikes, runs, hikes and is enjoying life in Portland, Oregon. Her weight loss story has been featured in First Magazine, Yahoo Health, Woman's Day and Glamour.com.

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20 Comments

  1. Lisa

    On the big day, the things that get whacky won’t matter. The only thing that is important by that time is that you and Michael are legally married at the end of the day, which is my advice to keep in mind as you go through this process.

    After 14 years I’m not certain what kind of cake we had, and we didn’t even attempt to keep the top. Our favors were the bubble bottles for the guests to blow as we left. I did get a steal on my flowers, because the florist gave me a special color of rose for the same price of any other color rose. I asked to be sure because I knew they were expensive, but she assured me there was no extra charge. My wedding was very small – no attendants, 40 guests.

    I love the idea of a different dessert other than one big cake! I’m looking forward to hearing what you guys decide on.

    1. Lisa Eirene

      At the end of the day it won’t matter, really. You are right. I am less OCD about details than I thought I would be like. Like I don’t care about the bridesmaid’s hair or shoes…whatever they want to do and feel comfortable is fine. They don’t have to match. The flowers don’t need to match. I don’t care about a lot of the stuff!

  2. Jess

    Who in their right mind has the venue and dress on day 2 of being engaged?!

    Me 🙂 well I had the venue 2 days after, the dress the week after. We are having a fairly short engagement (10 months) and the venue I wanted for the date I needed was already booked, so I had to act fast. The shop I went to had the dress I wanted so I just got it.

    Things I’ve learned
    – people will care about things you just don’t care about. I’m not getting my knickers in a knot over bridesmaid shoes and they are all finding it difficult to accept that I don’t care and they should wear what’s comfy for them.
    – people will have opinions. We are doing a first look because our ceremony is right before sunset and we will only have a few minutes of light after the ceremony for photos. I keep getting told that I’m doing it wrong, he isn’t supposed to see me until i walk down the aisle. Eh, tough, my marriage will still be legal.
    – people will complain, but it’s your wedding and as long as your guests are hosted properly (food and drink provided, no gap, weather appropriate venue, etc) then you shouldn’t feel bad about your decisions.
    – spend money on the things that matter to you, not other people. Photography and venue take up most of our budget because theyre most important. My shoes cost $12 second hand because theyre under a dresss so who cares.

    Oh, do wedding brownies. Or maybe a dessert bar with mini cupcakes, brownies, donuts. Etc?

    1. Lisa Eirene

      And in the end, everyone will have an opinion on something! Who cares? It’s just about Michael and me! 🙂

  3. Ari @ Ari's Menu

    The lesson about going with what YOU want is so important! I am someone who gets so caught up in what’s expected and what other people think, and I definitely had to remind myself that it was my husband’s and my day, not theirs!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      I’m sometimes the “Want to please others” too but not so much with this wedding. Maybe because it feels like it’s too far away to focus on yet.

  4. Miz

    I am loving all your tweets and FB updates on the wedding.
    this ELOPER is living vicariously.

  5. Marykate

    Lisa! I am so happy for you and Michael! I am looking forward to hearing about your wedding planning/marriage adventures!

    My husband and I just celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on Tuesday!
    We both agree that we would not change a thing about how out wedding went. When I talk to my married friends about their weddings, they always list things that they wish they hadn’t spent so much money on, or things they wish they had done more simply. I think one of the reasons I have no regrets about our wedding was because we invested money into things that were important to us and were not trying to impress others. We also skipped wedding favors (and no one has ever said anything about this!). You can do all the work to set up your special day, but at some point you will just have to relax and let the ball roll and enjoy your time with Michael. Your wedding day will be one of the fastest days of your life!

    Honestly, planning a wedding was the most fun thing I never want to do again! Enjoy!

    P.S.: I have been reading your blog for years. When I started reading your blog I was over 300lb. I liked seeing that you were able to have a fun and fulfilling life after weight loss. I needed to know that while the weight loss process might be hard, there would be a new normal on the other side! I have recenty hit my own 110lb weight loss. Thank you for your continued inspiration!

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thanks for the comment MaryKate. I am especially proud and excited about your weight loss! That is so fantastic! I love hearing other success stories. It makes me feel good that I could inspire you. How did you go about losing 110 pounds? Did you count calories or do weight watchers or something else?

      1. Marykate

        I tried counting calories to lose weight many times but it never fully took for me because I would get too frustrated. I would be fine during the week when I was in control of packing and preparing my own meals and I had the chance to weight and measure everything. But I would get frustrated by not knowing the calories in my meal when dining out and end up throwing in the towel and eating what I wanted. I did not understand that the occasional indulgence does not lead to weight gain, rather all the small healthy decisions are what make the difference.

        I have been through three phases in my weight loss journey:
        1. The first 10lb I lost by taking up Crossfit. I gained the confidence to try for a better and healthier life but I did not make any diet changes so I only saw the 10lb weight loss.
        2. The next 50lb were lost by focusing on eating only at meal times (no snacking). I didn’t necessarily count my calories but I did measure out high calorie items like nuts, pasta, ice cream, etc. I ate enough that I was full and retaught my body how to recognize fullness.
        3. My current phase (53lb lost and counting) has been due to living a ‘primal’ lifestyle. I learned this from marksdailyapple.com (the only blog besides yours that I read daily). I aim to eat 80% of my meals primal/paleo and have found that I have so much energy, my skin has never been clearer, and I am losing weight without much effort.

        Part of me wishes I had been able to lose the weight all at once like you did, but upon reflection I think I needed the opportunity to have my mind catch up to my body as I lost weight.

        Anyways, I love your blog! Thank you so much for continuously sharing your stories!

        1. Lisa Eirene

          My way isn’t necessarily the “right way”. If that worked for you that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing your success story and how you lost the way. Keep me posted on your journey! Do you have a blog?

          1. Marykate

            Thank you Lisa. I do not have a blog but certainly appreciate those that do!

  6. Anita

    I really enjoy you sharing your journey Lisa. I also think you are a very wise young lady; especially when it comes to not doing favors. Like you, I think they are never really appreciated by guests. It is something that has gotten way too expensive. I also think programs are not needed. Everyone knows how a wedding goes. At the end of the day Michael and you are what matters. It is about making lifetime memories for the two of you. You are going to be a gorgeous bride and Michael a very handsome groom!
    Sounds like you are on the right path, keep listening to YOUR heart. <3

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Awww Anita, thank you so much!!! That’s really sweet. 🙂

  7. Coco

    We were married young and had a very simple wedding, on a very tight budget. I don’t regret not spending more or not having fancier things. 🙂

  8. bethh

    YES on the no-favors thing. They always seem pointless to me, unless they’re candy (hellooo sweet tooth) – if I do wind up bringing favors home, they always wind up in the Goodwill bag I keep at my door.

    My brother will be getting married next spring so I’m eager to see how their plans/experience lines up with yours. I hope they are being sensible but I’m also trying to stay out of it, since it’s none of my business!

    As far as desserts, of course you should do what you want! I have friends who only had pie at their wedding – I privately joked that I’m not sure they are legally married since they didn’t have anything chocolate 😉

    1. Lisa Eirene

      Thank you! I agree. I’ve never been to a wedding where I felt like the favor was something I needed or wanted. Not to be rude. But I kind of feel like the meal and entertainment is the “gift” to the guests.

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