Tag Archives: Gaelic Gala

Wedding Dress Wars: Royal Wedding Style

29 Apr

Dear Future Hubby,

Kate Middleton TOTALLY stole my wedding dress.

I couldn't have designed a more perfect dress

Remember that time that I finally (after years of school girl crush denial) accepted the fact that you were NOT Prince William and I was NOT going to marry him? Remember how I had gladly accepted Kate Middleton (cause let’s be real, she’s gorgeous and classy)? Well, after waking up in the middle of the night to watch the Royal Wedding (like all of the other girls who grew up hoping one day they’d marry Prince William) I started to reconsider my willingness to give up Wills to Kate. Kate had TOTALLY stolen my wedding dress!

Let’s rewind a little here. Back to when I was six and my fascination with the Royal family started after I was cast at Queen Victoria in the school play. I got to wear a purple velvet dress. It was the fanciest thing I had ever seen in my super long six year existence.  Clearly being a perfectionist, I HAD to do research on the Royals which led me to sitting in front of a TV, watch Charles and Diana’s wedding from ’81 on a VHS. From there, a fascination was born. It was beautiful. It was regal. It was a fairytale. It was a fairytale that was always fun to dream about.  Yes, I’m not really THAT delusional that I ACTUALLY thought I’d marry Prince William, but as a little girl, it was a nice fairytale to believe in. I couldn’t be happier with William’s choice in Kate, but when she stepped out of that car in front of Westminster today, I couldn’t help in my half asleep state but say “Dude, bitch TOTALLY stole my dress!”

I wouldn't mind this dress either

As I have made perfectly clear on this blog, I heart Grace Kelly like WHOA! She is a fashion icon to me and ever since I first saw her wedding dress, I knew that I wanted my wedding dress to be similar to hers.  I’ve even blogged about it before. The lace bodice. The A-Line skirt. The train. Plus, after spotting a Watters dress in a bridal magazine I happened to be flipping through a few months back, even stumbled upon the best modern day creation (without have to design my own dress) that I thought would best suit the Grace Kelly look.

That was until Kate stepped out of her car this morning and I immediately went “That’s my dress.” Now, I know it’s not MY dress. It’s Kate dress that Sarah Burton designed which is vaguely reminiscent of Grace Kelly’s dress. And the fact that Kate has worn this Alexander McQueen dress means that if when I do get married, I may be able to get a pretty decent knock off of the dress (if I can’t afford to have Sarah Burton come design me my own dress). I guess I really should be thanking Kate for that. If I have to go and see my dream wedding dress on someone else, I’m at least glad it was her. She rocked that dress (plus the one she wore to the reception tonight) and looked like a perfect fairytale princess. The kind all of us girls dreamed of being while growing up.

At the end of the day, at least they didn’t get married in Ireland and steal my entire idea of Gaelic Gala. We just better hurry up and get married before they go and decide to renew their wedding vows and steal that whole concept as well. I already lost a perfectly good Future Hubby and a wedding dress to her. I’m not losing a venue and event plan as well.

Xo,

Your Future Wife

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Well, color me Claddagh!

17 Mar

Dear Future Hubby,

Well Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Future Hubby! Oh, you didn’t know it was St. Patrick’s Day? Oh. Well, then I’m not sure we can be together. Oh you did know? But only because this day gives you an excuse to drink heavily during the work week? Ok, you’re back in my good graces. In case you didn’t know, I’m Irish (and also Italian, but there really isn’t a major holiday dedicate to any Italian saints that let you drink heavily and eat tons of pasta). I love any and all things Irish, as if this wan’t already evident by my extremely detailed description of Gaelic Gala. Irish music, Irish booze, Irish food, Irish movies, the whole freaking country of Ireland. I love it all, including Irish traditions.

Check out that Irish bling

But just because I love Irish tradtions, do not mistake this for me being married.

Yeah. That’s right. Being married. A while back one of my co-workers was like “Are you married?” Dude. You’ve known me for a year. Have I ever once mentioned a husband? No. I haven’t.  But then he cited that I was wearing a ring which of course prompted me to launch into a whole story about the Claddagh ring, it’s history, and it’s meaning when worn certain ways, even though I was apparently wearing my ring totally wrong.

I admitted it. I was wrong. Me, who loves any and all things Irish was wrong about the symbolism of wearing the Claddagh ring a certain way. For those of you who don’t know, the Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring of love, sometimes worn as a wedding ring. I have owned and worn a claddagh since my freshman year of college and have always been under the impression that it is always worn on the left ring finger, regardless of status. Depending upon whether you were taken or single, it was worn a different way. I thought if you were single, you wore it with the crown facing your heart and if you were taken, you wore it with the crown outward. Please note that after researching the ring in depth for this post, I realized I’m not exactly the best Irish person as everything I’ve read tells me that I’m wrong.  Plus for a few years I was actually wearing my old Claddagh ring on my left hand middle finger because it was too big for my ring finger. Irish fail in the biggest sense. Oh well. At least today I’m wearing a green shirt, gold Converses and listened to Gaelic Storm while driving to work. I hope that earns me back some Irish points.

Even though there are apparently several different variations and perhaps the way I have been wearing it is out there somewhere, the one that I’ve come across the most is the following:

Success. Ring is finally on the correct hand and finger. Please note my festive green nail polish.

Left hand, ring finger: Married or engaged or committed to another person for life

Right hand, ring finger with heart pointing toward the finger tip: Single and ready to mingle

Right hand, ring finger with the ring turned around: Romantically involved but have yet to take the plunge

So, now that we have that all straightened out, please be well aware that I will no longer be giving off a visual sign via my ring that I am married or engaged. I am now wearing it on the correct finger in the correct way. I only wish I had thought about looking this up earlier as who knows how many guys have looked at me, seen my ring, and thought I was taken. As if I couldn’t worsen my karma in the love department anymore, I apparently have. Out of all the shit I randomly wikipedia, I couldn’t have one day thought to wikipedia that? Nope. I’m too busy wearing the ring on the wrong finger and potentially scaring away guys. Unless you’re one of those guys that didn’t know it was St. Patrick’s Day. In which case, please wear a sign stating you are oblivious to the holiday and I will gladly switch my ring to the wrong finger so you don’t get any ideas about you and me. Knowing St. Patrick’s Day is about as important as knowing my birthday.

Xo,

Your Future Wife

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Gift from the wedding gods

4 Oct

Dear Future Hubby,

This letter really shouldn’t be address to you but rather the former tenant of the apartment I now call home. Why do I like this person so much more than you at this current moment? Because that person subscribed to a wedding magazine and never changed their address.

Score. One. For. Me.

Yes, you read that right. I am now in possession of a subscription to The Knot wedding magazine, something that I really have absolutely no business reading seeing as I, oh yeah, haven’t even met you yet, but come on. Let’s get real. I’m a girl. A girl that has created the most epic wedding, Gaelic Gala. Of course I’m going to go crazy with excitement over this new found mail delivery.

Best. Present. Ever.

On Saturday, I was doing absolutely nothing other than loads of laundry, cleaning my room, wikipedia’ing every person portrayed in The Social Network, and finally unpacking from San Francisco. Clearly it was a winner of a day. Around mid afternoon, I headed out to check the mail because what follows up a nice long Mark Zuckerberg biography better than seeing what sort of junk mail you got. And low and behold there is was. The shining beacon of everything girly and fabulous. The Knot wedding magazine. I don’t care that it wasn’t addressed to me. I don’t care that I’m not engaged. All I care about it thanking said previous tenant for NEVER changing their forwarding address. For serious, this isn’t the first mail we gotten for them. We have a whole slew and no one in our building seems to know where they moved. Sad face for them. Happy wedding magazine perusing face for me.

It was the world saying “Hey, remember that whole Gaelic Gala you planned for you and your Future Hubby? Well, you haven’t thought about that in a really long time and you need some serious cheering up since you’ve had a cold all week.” Clearly the rest of my Saturday afternoon was spent reading about the different types of invitations, Southern California wedding venues, what bouquet style would best suit me, so on and so on.

So don’t freak out by this little gem of a magazine. Don’t worry if you walk into my house and find it sitting on my coffee table. Sure, I may be reading it. Sure, I may be imagining the awesomeness that is Gaelic Gala. But at least I didn’t pay for the magazine. That’s would only make this entire scenario more deranged. It’s just a little present from the girly wedding gods above saying “You enjoy to have some fun. There’s not harm in dreaming about your fairytale wedding” not them telling me to go out and buy a wedding dress without even having met you yet.

Xo,
Your Future Wife

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Uninterested in Internet Dating

3 Jun

Dear Future Hubby,

I’m all about the technology. I have three computers: one personal laptop, one work laptop, and one work desktop. I have two blackberrys: one personal, one work. I’ve always been someone who has to be connected at all times.  Shove me in a foreign country with no internet or cell phone and I kind of freak out. Believe me, when I found out Coolclogher House got wireless last time I went to Ireland, it was like Christmas. Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, CNN, Google, FourSquare, Perez, my life would be empty without them all. You would think with how much I love being connected, I would love everything on the internet. But the one thing I just cannot wrap my head around is internet dating.

Me and technology go way back...like early 80s back

Don’t get me wrong. I know tons of couples who have met through the internet, I have tons of friends who are dating through online sites, but hell, if I have to hear again from E-Harmony about how one out of every five couples meets online, I might just scream. I get it. It’s a fantastic way to meet people…if you aren’t me.  So don’t be surprised if you don’t meet on on match, e-harmony or okcupid.  I won’t fault you for being on those sites because I get it. We all spend more time with computers than we do with our significant others. But as much as I would love to be all on board with the whole internet dating thing…it kind of freaks me out.

Trust me, I’ve tried. I really have. I’ve done match and okcupid and been on dates and clearly none of them were game show worthy love connections. I also have major social anxiety about going out with someone I’ve met online and even if I do walk through that wall of fear, I find myself feeling really freaked out when the dates over and I’m driving home from Olive Garden or PF Changs. I’ve done it enough times to know that it’s always going to end up the same way. The guy could be pretty nice, but just something about the entire “I met you online” fact makes me cringe/squirm/want to take a really hot shower.  So I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you’re probably going to have to meet me the old fashioned way. We’re talking a bar, a party, through a mutual friend, etc. I want to get to know someone in person before I actually commit to going out with them. An online profile and blurry/cropped/pixelated photo from 1997 doesn’t always give the best first impression. I don’t need daily emails telling me if someone has chosen me on QuickMatch or who’s new in my neighborhood. I already get enough emails a day and I’d prefer that they aren’t trying to set me up with someone when I really should be worrying about the important ones. The more I get them, the more it freaks me out, and the less I care to actually read them and be interested in who they are presenting me with.

If only this existed...

Unless the world of online dating changes in some drastic way like giving me super specific kick ass options like “I prefer a guy with an accent,” “I prefer a guy who is from a foreign country,” “I prefer a guy that understand how hilarious the 1970s Pippi Longstocking movies are,” “I prefer a guy that can quote Wayne’s World AND the Sandlot,” or “I prefer a guy who wants to get married in Ireland at a week long celebration called Gaelic Gala” then I don’t think I’m going to hop back on the band wagon any time soon. I was always trying to hang on to the back of it as it rolled down the street anyway. I think it’s time to let go, at least for now, and try and find you on my own terms, rather than feeling that this is the “best” way to meet someone now. It may be best for some people, just not me.

I would also just like you to know that as I wrote this, someone on OkCupid sent me an “Ice Breaker.” Excuse me while I go press the delete button.

Xo,
Your Future Wife

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Who doesn’t love a theme wedding?

28 Apr

Dear Future Hubby,

Jane Austen inspired wedding

How much would you hate me if I made us have a theme wedding?

Don’t worry. I’d hate myself too. Plus Gaelic Gala already has a theme (Ireland!), so why would we want to add another theme on top of it?   But speaking as a person who loves to throw and take part in theme parties (Girl Scout/Boy Scout, Breakfast for Dinner dinner party, Team BearCat, etc.), I’m surprised I haven’t opted to throw some crazy theme into Gaelic Gala.

I think back on all the things that I have been infatuated with through life and how crazy it would be if I had been getting married at that point in my life.  Gone with the Wind, Titanic, JTT, the Sound of Music. Could you have imagined if I forced you into any of the following?

Hanson wedding

  • First dance to “I Will Come to You”
  • Bridesmaids wearing long blonde wigs
  • A dart board with the Jonas Brothers on it (concept stealers!)
  • Mmmbop sing-a-long contest

‘N SYNC Wedding

  • First dance to “This I Promise You”
  • You would have an old school Justin afro

    Admit it, you want a Twilight wedding cake

  • Group dances to “Pop” and “Bye Bye Bye” instead of the “Electric Slide” and “The Macarena”

Twilight Wedding

  • You’d have to wear white make up to look like a vampire
  • Victorian dress like Bella’s
  • Color scheme of black, white, and red
  • A werewolf with the ring ties around his next as the ring bearer
  • The butt ass ugly ring Bella gets from Edward (Sorry S. Meyers, it’s fugly)

I honestly think the only theme wedding I would ever even CONSIDER, would be a Jane Austen/Regency era theme wedding, for the sole fact that it reeks of classic elegance. Sure, you’ll hate me when I force you to dress up like Mr. Darcy, I can rock an empire gown and a parasol,  you can ride up to the wedding on a horse, I can arrive in a carriage, you can negotiate a dowry with my father and not kiss me until we’re engaged, but this is the kind of bullshit you have to put up with when you are having a theme wedding. Deal with it.

The Jane Austen bridal party

Ok, so maybe I won’t go that far, but as you’ll come to learn about me, I love anything and everything Jane Austen related.  Let’s just hope that Coolclogher House reminds me enough of a Jane Austen novel that you won’t have to get all dressed up and jump in a lake like Colin Firth. Yeah, that would just be a total travesty…at least in your opinion.

Xo,

Your Future Wife

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The Lord of the Dance is back!

22 Apr

Dear Future Hubby,

Shit just got real.

I’m always trying to think of ways to make Gaelic Gala even better than it already is. I know, how is that even possible as it’s already the coolest, rockstar destination wedding ever?  I mean, every single second of it is planned. What more can we cram in there? Well, I have no idea where we are going to fit this in, but I don’t care.  Gaelic Gala would not be complete without this.

No one rocks a headband like the Lord of the Dance

Hold on to your hats and don’t wet your knickers when I tell you this exciting news but…Michael Flatley is coming back to reprise his starring role in Lord of the Dance! No fucking joke, dude is going to rock the sequined bolero jacket once more and grace the world with his dancing presence. I literally flipped shit when I found this out. This is fate. We have to have him make an appearance at Gaelic Gala now, with the entire touring company. I know it’s not as exciting as if he had rejoined Riverdance, but Lord of the Dance has more flair to it anyway and what’s a wedding without flair.

I’ve been racking my brain as to how to incorporate him as much as possible and I think I’ve come up with some amazing options for us to pursue.

  1. Lord of the Dance show – This is a given. Sure, we’ll have to amend the week itinerary and maybe have a show for everyone a few nights before the wedding or maybe the night that everyone arrives, but I feel if we don’t have a show, we’ll be depriving all of guest of his magicalness. He’s like the David Blaine of the Irish dancing world.

    "Michael, you're an amazing dancer, and you're a great choreographer, but as a boyfriend... you kinda suck."

  2. Irish Dancing Lessons – We should contract him to give our guest Irish dancing lessons at some point during the week. Not only would everyone learn how to dance (aka look like idiots with legs flailing around) but he could also teach the guys the art of pulling off headbands and wearing jackets with no shirt on underneath. He’d also need to teach them how to properly wax/shave their chests, but they can do that after all the girls are off talking about how he’s the Irish David Hasselhoff.
  3. Contest Judging – After he teaches us all how to dance, Michael can be our honorary judge when on the night of the stag/hen party, we all get wasted and try to do an Irish jig at Danny Mann.  He’ll give out extra points if you dance on both the table and the bench. Then a few of the girls will swoon over him, get him drunk as well, and convince him to give an impromptu show with Gaelic Storm on stage. It’ll be the Irish version of going to a strip club.
  4. Flute performance – Did you know Michael Flatley plays the flute? Well, he does, so I would like for him to play said instrument during the ceremony. I mean, how romantic would it be to look over while we’re getting hitched to see Michael Flately rocking it out on a flute?  Pure magic, Kenny G style.

I’m open to any other ideas as to how to incorporate the Lord of the Dance into Gaelic Gala. I know I’ve already discuss have a Michael Flatley shaped cake, which given the fact that he’s now going to be dancing his little heart out for us, might be overkill. But who knows?

Just promise me you won’t get jealous of him. I mean, he is part David Hasselhoff, part David Blaine, part Keebler elf, so it’s hard to compete with that. But I assure you that I’m marry you because I love you and I don’t think I could ever truly fall in love with someone who looks better in sequences and bling than me.

Xo,

Your Future Wife

“President of the Michael Flatley Fan Club”

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An Un-Cute Meet Cute: Starbucks

1 Apr

Dear Future Hubby,

You are not my Starbucks barista.

Here’s the thing you will come to know (and love) about me. I’m addicted to Starbucks.  Like we’re talking “FourSquare Mayor of two Starbucks” addicted to Starbucks. Me and caffeine are best friends. If we don’t have a party every morning, well, you just aren’t going to want to deal with me. Because of my addicted to any and all things Buck, I have “my” stores I hit up. During the work week, I hit up a Starbucks on my way to work, on the weekends I hit the one closer to my house. I go there so often that basically everyone knows me, knows my drinks, and has no problem starting a random conversation with me.

No matching cutsey cups!

Story time. I was at my weekend Starbucks a while back when the guy in front of me in line just randomly turns around and goes “Do you go to the Starbucks on _______ and ______.” Um, why yes creepy Starbucks stalker. That’s my work week ‘Bucks.  We get to talking and it turns out that he’s one of the barista at my work week Starbucks, now venturing to my weekend Starbucks for a tasty caffeinated treat. We talk a bit more, where do you work, blah blah blah, we’re now best buds of the morning coffee nature.  Every time I get my coffee on the way to work, I always see him now. He’s always very friendly, says hi, and knows my drink order like the back of his hand (as do the other baristas there), end of story. Or so I thought.

I carpooled this morning with BowieBride because I get to peace the fuck out of Los Angeles for Easter and go home to Sonoma. I promised her coffee in exchange for a ride to work and ride to the airport, which is quiet convenient seeing as she works upstairs from me.  She’s uber stoked for coffee and some how, on the way over there, I let it slip that I’m on a first name basis with my barista. Big mistake because Britt is totally a member of “Let’s find you a hubby or at least a date to my wedding.” I can hear the wheels in her head start to spin and plot away.

Please unmarry yourself from the espresso machine

We get to the store, go in, start placing our order, and of course, Barista boy is there and starts making conversation with me. “Hey there, how are you? It’s great to see you. Insert some other normally lame pleasantries here.”  This continues until we are finished paying, but starts back up again as we are grabbing our drinks from the bar to head out. “Thanks. I’ll see you again soon.” Yes, you will. On Monday. Cause it’s Monday. And if I could only have coffee one day of the week it would be Monday. Honestly this whole interaction would really go right over my head but with bystander Britt in tow, I spend the rest of the car ride to work being convinced that he’s been flirting with me this whole time.  We’re talking months of flirting. Same shit, different day. B knows her shit, so now I’m a little paranoid that I can never go back to my Starbucks again.  Sure, Barista boy is cute and nice, but the whole of our interaction has been based around how I really just need to be hooked up to an IV drip of coffee. I have more fun looking at the DILFs in the morning who are on their way to work in the Audis than I am concerned with flirting with Barista boy.

So here’s the deal Future Hubby. There is nothing wrong with working at Starbucks, but if you want to talk to me, don’t make our first conversation about how you see me at another Starbucks.  And don’t only talk to me about coffee because I have a brain and a personality and I’m sure you do too. Starbucks only equals an acceptable meet cute if you can talk to me about things NOT involving coffee and you can unmarry yourself from the green apron and black baseball cap.

And if for some reason we do hit it off and Starbucks gets moved from Un-Cute Meet Cute land to an official meet cute, well, we can pay homage to our meeting place by making our wedding colors green, brown and white. At least we knows those colors will work well with Gaelic Gala. Just sadly, there are no Starbucks in Killarney. Try not to cry.

Xo,
Your Future Wife

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The ALMOST Ultimate Honeymoon

29 Mar

Dear Future Hubby,

You have really shitty timing.

We need to win this contest AND be on the cover of this book

It is moments like this that I wish I knew who you were. Most days, I have a very optimistic outlook on life and love and everything will happen when it’s supposed to happen.  Well, guess what? That’s not my outlook today. Why, you ask? Because I read about this – The Ultimate Job in Ireland.

Would you be able to sip champagne, while lying in a hammock slung between two palm trees on a white, sandy beach, with your romantically linked partner beside you, without spilling your drink? Well then, you may just have what it takes for the Ultimate Job in Ireland (and probably the world!).

To celebrate the launch of Ireland’s most exciting destination wedding and honeymoon website, The Irish Times have teamed up with Runaway Bride and Groom to find the right candidate to do 6 months of research… researching the most romantic and ultimate wedding and honeymoon venues around the world – with their partner.

We are looking for the right person (and their partner) to research and test out the most romantic and ultimate wedding and honeymoon destinations all over the world and then report back with their verdict (on the place, not the partner!) to their boss, 4,000 miles away.

Yeah, you read that right. A six month, paid vacation where you get to travel around and test out honeymoon and destination wedding sites. Um, HELLO! Anyone would be crazy to pass that up. It sounds amazing.  I sent the link to BowieBride cause she’s a rockstar at winning wedding related contest, but then I read what you had to do to win:

The successful applicant will be required to research some of the world’s best wedding and honeymoon locations. Ireland is one the world’s best places to have a wedding and we want to tell the world about it! To apply you will need to make an 80 second webcast telling us why Ireland is a great destination wedding location and why you, as a couple, are perfect for the job.

Due to your shitty timing, I'm making you wear this kilt

Dear Irish Times, excuse me, but have you not heard of Gaelic Gala? Only the greatest, most amazing Ireland destination wedding of all time?  Oh you haven’t? Well clearly you’ve been living under a rock over there in Dublin, ignoring that festivity planning I’ve got in the works for Killarney and the surround areas of County Kerry. If you really want me to sit in front of a video camera and detail out the schedule and awesomeness that is Gaelic Gala, I will. But even just reading about it, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the great Ireland wedding ever and award me the prize, fiancée or not.

With an entry deadline of April 7th, I quickly started calculating how I could convince someone to fall in love and propose to me by April 6th (so we still have time to make the video). I mean, that’s kind of a tough order especially when the only two people I would even consider giving a Future Hubby badge to at this point in time are in Chicago and New York, respectively. Yeah, fail extreme.

Not only is Gaelic Gala clearly the great Ireland destination wedding EVER, but they want a winner who has the following as well:

  • Have good communication skills (Um excuse me, have you read my blog and tweets?)
  • Be passionate about traveling (I wouldn’t be having a wedding in Ireland if I didn’t.)
  • Appreciate good service, fine dining and luxurious surroundings (Who doesn’t? Do you think I LIKE eating ramen and not being able to buy new clothes or a home?)
  • Have a friendly personality (I have 801 Facebook friends, how many do you have Irish Times?)
  • Be able to work on own initiative (Again, have you read this blog?)
  • Know how to enjoy life (I can drink two bottles of red wine while they are duct taped to my hands. I think I have this covered.)
  • Have good organizational skills (You’ve clearly never been to one of my parties.)
  • Have a romantically-linked other-half, who also has the above qualifications and who is willing to accompany you on your trip (in a voluntary capacity). (Sex will be withheld if you do not agree to do this)

Honestly, Future Hubby, we would have this shit in the BAG if only you would get your ass in gear and make shit happen. You better as hell hope they do this contest again the year we are getting married or else I may resent you from day one of our marriage, when really, I should at least wait until after the honeymoon is over.

So step you’re A-Game, mister.

Xo,

Your Future Wife

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Introducing the Official Gaelic Gala Welcome Crate

26 Mar

Dear Future Hubby,

Seeing as Gaelic Gala is in a whole different country, every single person at our wedding is going to be an OOTer. Out of Towners! Hell, even we will be OOTers at our own wedding, despite the fact that I like to consider Killarney my “home” in Ireland. I’ve gone to a fair number of weddings out of town, and while none of them were anywhere that exciting, the fact that we are having Gaelic Gala in a whole different country AND it’s a week long vacation for everyone, I really think we should put together OOTer kits for everyone. A little “welcome” bag if you will with goodies and items that will make their stay in Ireland easier and more relaxing. I want everyone to feel like they are going some Oscar gifting suite with our “welcome” bags and not just hoping across the pond for a little jaunt in the Irish countryside.

NOT included in the welcome crate

“Welcome” bags or baskets have always been given with the best intention to contain items to make the people feel more at home in a new place. More often than not, the bags includes lists of activities for people to do in their spare time, maps, and a couple of wedding theme related or location related goodies. Well, jump back Kevin Bacon, because our OOTer “Welcome” baskets/bags are going be so off the fucking hook. We’re talking so awesome, we may need to make OOTer “Welcome” crates, like the ones dropped on the island on Lost…just minus all the Dharma food. That’s how much stuff is going into this thing. Not only will the items be helpful and informational, but also Irish themed and beyond ridiculous

Included in the official Gaelic Gala OOTer welcome crate will be:

  • A weekly itinerary of planned day trips for guests – to take place on the party bus we will be renting so everyone can get shitfaced while bumping along the narrow Irish roads next to some sheep. On the itinerary:

-  Trip to Waterford/Blarney Castle – Sunday
-  Ring of Kerry bus tour – Monday
-  Trip to Cork – Tuesday
-  Trip to Cliffs of Mohr & Galway – Wednesday
- Trip to Bantry Bay –Thursday

    • A laminated map of Ireland (so no one ruins their maps when they spill beer on it)
    • An Ireland guide book
    • A bottle of Jameson
    • Various types of Irish Beer (Guinness, Harp, Killian’s Magners, etc.)
    • A couple of bars of Irish Spring soap
    • A box of Lucky Charms
    • An Aran Wool Sweater (cause it can get chilly there in June)
    • A Guinness bottle opener
    • A Team Gaelic Gala t-shirt
    • An umbrella and a green poncho
    • A book of Irish drinking songs (to be practiced on the bus)
    • Kerry Gold Butter & Dubliner Cheese (um, better refrigerate that)
    • Irish Breakfast Tea
    • A DVD of Circle of Friends (Who doesn’t love Chris O’Donnell?)
    • A leprechaun figurine (cheeseball extreme)
    • A package of Instant Irish Accent Breath Spray

    We are buying this in bulk

    Don’t worry, I know you’re beyond pissed that you’re actually the groom and not a wedding guest so you can get one of these amazeball crates. Fear not, I’ll make sure to have an extra made for you. I know how much you want that Instant Irish Accent Breath Spray. Actually, I want you to have it. Accents always make anyone 150% hotter, so we better get you a ton of that shit. You don’t want me leaving you at the alter cause I met a hot Irish bloke name Liam down at the pub who may be slightly less attractive than you, but with the Irish accent and all, he wins. Sorry.

    Xo,
    Your Future Wife

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    Emerald Isle Engagement Party

    23 Mar

    Dear Future Hubby,

    See that planter on the left? Don't end up there.

    Yeah, I’ve been neglectful for the past few days. I wish I had a good story for you like St. Patrick’s Day just turned into a really long St. Patrick’s Weekend and I woke up Sunday morning to find myself asleep in a flower planter outside Irish Eyes in Chicago nursing a huge hangover. No, I’m not speaking from experience, I’m not that balls crazy. But I do know someone who that did happen to. Remind me to tell you when you meet him so you can mock him for that.

    Being half Irish, my St. Patrick’s Day was mildly uneventful. I know, I know. How the hell am I allowed to have Gaelic Gala when I can’t even stomach corned beef and cabbage and celebrated the holiday by watching Millionaire Matchmaker while drinking a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s? Fail right there. They are taking away my Irish genes as we speak.

    But the thought of St. Patrick’s Day got me to thinking about how we can incorporate the greatest holiday ever into our wedding. Gaelic Gala is going to be in June so having our wedding on St. Paddy’s Day is a little out of the question. There is no way in hell I’m getting married in freezing Ireland in the middle of March. So having our engagement party on the holiday is a great compromise. We can be here or anywhere really. Honestly, Chicago would be preferred. No city except Chicago (and maybe Boston) knows how to properly celebrate it.

    I used to think that I’d want to have some ridiculously prim and proper engagement party where everyone was standing around, sipping champagne and everything looking like a scene out of The Stepford Wives. Yeah, clearly I was delusional. As much as I love elegant affairs, I want our engagement party to be reflective of us as well. A celebration. A chance for our friends to come, have a pint, and rejoice in merriment. 10 bucks to the first person who gets drunk enough to do an Irish jig (BowieBride, I’m looking at you).

    Ok, maybe it doesn’t have to be balls crazy Irish, like a eight bar pub crawl, someone dressing up as a leprechaun, or people kissing a fake Blarney stone, but it would be kind of cool to perhaps rent out an Irish bar on St. Patrick’s Day and have our friends not only come to celebrate the holiday, but celebrate our engagement as well. Here are some ideas I’ve come up with to not have our engagement party be in the spirit of the holiday, but elegant as well.

    Admit it, this is an awesome idea.

    Whiskey and Beer tasting stations: Think wine tasting party but with whiskey and beer. You’d be surprised how much Irish booze one can assemble when needed.

    Irish inspired foods: Yes, I hate corned beef and cabbage, but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to serving it at our St. Paddy’s Day engagement party. I’ll just be over at the desert bar hording Bonnafee Pie or eating Brown Bread (aka Soda Bread) and Champ like it’s going out of style.

    Irish Music: No, we cannot have Celtic Thunder at the engagement party. I don’t want to ruin their grand performance at the reception, but there are wonderful Irish bands that would make great entertainment like Flogging Molly or hell, I may even pull Gaelic Gala in for a warm up performance to their gig at the Stag/Hen party.

    So start prepping you liver now as this will be the warm up event to Gaelic Gala. Really, the whole reason we’re having our engagement party on St. Paddy’s Day is so everyone can be fully prepared by the time they hit Ireland. Just please for the love of god don’t end up passed out in a planter. If you do, you will be mocked and there will be photographic evidence available for everyone afterward.

    Xo,
    Your future wife

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