Weddings are hard work. We haven’t completed much yet but the the planning is overwhelming. We are doing everything ourselves. With a little over 100 days until our special day, the pressure is beginning to build. Our budget is next to none at this moment in time, which just adds to the craziness. Some days this whole thing sounds so impossible. My solutions? I wrote to Ellen. Yes, that Ellen. I wrote to Ellen DeGeneres, and not just once. On my rare spare time, I also read blogs, wedding sites, scourer the internet for ideas, watch David Tutera, and enter wedding contests. I laugh at myself because I'm turning into one of "those brides."
Despite my lapse in sanity, I/we have actually been planning. We decided to have our ceremony/reception at my grandmothers house in Oregon, where most of my family and our friends live. We will do something small to legalize it as well either in Iowa or if everything is in our favor, Washington. Venue is one cost I am so grateful that we can avoid.
The next decision that has been made is that I am making our cake. I am an “all natural” nut! I snub just about anything with a hint of artificial, with an exception to a few weaknesses such as an occasional grape soda. Looking at vendors and quotes, I couldn’t find anything within my teeny tiny budget so I started looking up recipes and found an amazing one I adjusted a bit. It is an extra chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling and chocolate mousse frosting. I have done a trial run and my fiancée fell in love with me all over again. I bought a new spring form pan and a few more cooking utensils that will hopefully help for the second trial. We are looking at around 50 guests so I think making our own cake shouldn’t be too unreasonable.
My take on peanut butter filling for a 9 inch cake :
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/4 cup organic peanut butter (regular is fine)
- 1 cup organic whipping cream (originally called for whipped topping, ew)
- A smidge of raw sugar (2 TBSP confectioners sugar)
- The original recipe said to beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the peanut butter and sugar; beat until blended. Add whipping cream. (But because I do not own a mixer, I used a blender)
To make it a little more complicated, I am also adopted but have reunited with my biological family on my father’s side over the last few years. The good news is they have supported my relationship with Clara and have welcomed her into the family. As I mentioned earlier, my grandmother is allowing us to use her house. My biological mother is in Texas and I really have no clue whether she will attend or not. The way we see it though for the most part is that the people who need to be there will be and everyone else shouldn't matter.
On a lighter note, our next adventure will be deciding what our guests will eat. I am taking a trip to Portland next month for the first time since we decided on the location. Hopefully this trip and meeting with my family in person will help me be able to get more informed and organized as we make our final decisions. We still have a lot of work to do but we aren't ready to throw in the towel yet!
