After quite an eventful weekend and week in Vegas last week (house risked by a grass fire hours before I leave, delayed flights, cancelled flights back from the ice storm, driving back, cramped back seat, etc.) we had to discuss the Vegas wedding scenario.
In short, we’ve decided to nix the Vegas idea and keep the wedding and reception in Oklahoma City. The date should still be the same, August 8th 2009, and a reception to follow. I don’t have a location yet, but I am hoping to book somewhere that we can have the ceremony and reception in the same place. I know a lot of you were looking forward to Vegas, as many of you had never been, and were looking forward to a vacation type get-away as well. I know we can change our minds and we are allowed to, but I felt as if we should at least explain our reasoning.

Vegas was meant to be low-key, fun, and cheap. As it stands, with separating the at-home reception, having a small reception in Vegas, travel costs, venue costs, and the like, for what we wanted out of Vegas, it was going to cost just as much or more than a wedding at home. I just wasn’t comfortable with having my first wedding at the $99 chapel. All of the elements that could be avoided by doing a package in Vegas weren’t that important, but seemed a bit overpriced for what you were getting. Also, we met with the wedding coordinator last weekend, she was an amazingly sweet girl, we loved the place, but for what we wanted, and how we wanted to handle things, there were going to be numerous “$150 vendor fees” that were adding up quickly and didn’t sit too well with me. The idea of, if I were to buy silk flowers, and have my mom help me make bouquets, bouts, pomanders, etc. (she’s quite crafty with a glue gun!) would be considered an “outside vendor fee” and therefore charged $150? I understand you could say we made them, and have a florist make them, but still, it was nickel and diming me to death, $150 at a time.

The vast majority of our friends and family are in the Oklahoma/Oklahoma City area, and this will avoid the issue of air travel for 100% of our guests who wanted to see the ceremony. Vegas was also going to nix our ability to have a real honeymoon, and since this is a first marriage for both of us, we really wanted a honeymoon, and Vegas was not the spot for it. Vegas was going to be a casual wedding, and I plan on the OKC event being just as you would expect a Todd and JoRaye event, casual, relaxed, tons of fun. Neither one of us wanted a formal wedding, or a Catholic wedding, so no worries in the type of event we’re hosting here. In the end, there’s quite a bit more planning to do, but it’s easier to be able to drive down the road and check out a place or service, rather than blindly book off the internet. I’ve told a few people in person, and the emotions have been mixed. People who didn’t have the money, are glad to not have to save or use credit cards, and people who wanted to come, are upset, but understand, and among the group, there’s a mix of those feelings. All in all, we want this to be fun for all involved, and we hope to see you in August.

JoRaye & Todd

7 months, 1 week, and 6 days to go! (I only know that because my little time ticker told me so.) So we made it thru Christmas, and now all that's left to tackle in 2008 is Todd's birthday/New Year's Eve Party, which will be a blowout. I suggest contacting me if you are still looking for a NYE destination, and will be in the OKC area.

I will be flying to Vegas at the end of January to finalize, look around, approve things, in person. As of this writing, the Flamingo is still our pick (I want to stay in a GO Room...) but, since I made a major change to my color scheme this morning (no more hot pink and black ladies, sorry), anything's possible at this point.

I've heard alot of buzz about driving out to Vegas! I have no problems with this! I think it would be amazingly fun, but I don't know how well my stress level would be, after 16 hours in a car, freaking out, 3 days before my wedding. (Say the Bridezilla word, and I'll show you why I come from an Italian family, I WILL break your kneecaps....) So for me, I will be flying. We're not making any reservations until after the first of the year. I think it would be really fun to get as many of us on the same flight, possibly get trashed on the way there.....hehe....etc.

So, for you driving divas and dudes: Prices at the Flamingo, hotel only - Thursday. August 6th thru Monday, August 10th (based on double occupancy, prices from flamingo.com)

Deluxe Room -$290.00
GO Room - $450.00
GO Room Strip View - $530.00

Hotel Only - Expedia.com (as of right now, they are offering a 4th night free at the Flamingo, so the rates below include that.)
Deluxe Room - $222.00
GO Room - $336.00
GO Room Strip View - $396.00

For my flighty fellas and f-word that relates to girls???

Hotel and Flight - Expedia.com
Deluxe Room - $431.00/person (total - $862.00)
GO Room - $496.00/person (total - $992.00)
GO Room Strip View - $528.00 (total $1057.00)

These prices have went down considerably since the last time I checked, so this is good news. Todd and I have used Expedia for all of our trips (and he uses it for 95% of his business travelling) so I trust their prices, customer service, etc. If you choose another agency or website, no skin off my back. If you are deciding to attend the wedding, I am totally sure you will get a 100% OCD, attention to detail, anal-retentive, subject to change, JoRaye-made itinerary and list of things....so no worries! I keep getting the question - when should I book? I can't answer that for you. (Sorry....) I will definately let everyone know what price and details I decide to book on. What I choose to pay may be totally different from what you want to pay, and I of course, cannot guarantee if prices will go up, down, or stay the same from when we decide to book. (Most of you know this, but, I've had to explain to others....love you all....even the traveling-challenged folks.) I think this is all I have now. This will be on my MySpace blog, toddandjoraye.com blog, joraye.com blog, and emailed to my special folks, and please, pass it along to anyone you may think needs this info (no wedding stalkers!)

Love, JoRaye

As promised, my weekly findings on prices to Vegas for my budgeting beauties.

The first week's entry can be found on the blog at www.toddandjoraye.com...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Flight and Hotel from Expedia.com - July 16th - 20th, 2009 (SAMPLE DATES ONLY)
Deluxe Room - $652.49/person
Go Deluxe Room - $740.15/person
Go Deluxe Room w/ Strip View - $782.93/person

Room Only from Flamingo.com - July 16th - 20th, 2009 (SAMPLE DATES ONLY)
Deluxe Room - $390.00 (based on double occupancy)
Go Deluxe Room - $550.00 (double occupancy)
Go Deluxe Room w/ Strip View - $630.00 (double occupancy)

Flight Only from Expedia.com – July 16th – 20th, 2009 (SAMPLE DATES ONLY)
Cheapest flight was $400. (That was this morning, as of now, there's cheaper - $333 and $383 fares)

OK, a few of you asked: "Why would we book separately? It seems much cheaper to do it all together." The only reason we would book flights and hotel separately would be if the Flamingo gave us a group rate for a block of rooms that would beat the Expedia Flight + Hotel prices. I haven't even booked our ceremony, so I'm not sure of any of those details yet. Looks like we have about 3 weeks to go before we can start getting an actual gauge of what our actual August date prices are! As for last weeks prices, just to give you an idea as of how they fluctuate, they all went down $36/person over the course of a week.

Flight and Hotel from Expedia.com - July 9th – 13th (SAMPLE DATES ONLY)
Deluxe Room - $624.91/person (was $660.91)
Go Deluxe Room - $711.52/person (was $747.52 )
Go Deluxe Room w/ Strip View - $754.30/person (was $790.30)

OK, I've bored you enough. Go start counting pennies and rolling quarters for ToJo's Vegas Wedding!

Most people already know, but just in case....I'm engaged! Officially, as of July 16th. My ring - one word - AMAZING. http://www.joraye.com/images/ring3.jpg (for some reason, this file is there, but it won't show up.......) I may turn joraye.com into a planning blog, not sure yet. So far, as of today, I have booked a photographer! It's my first real step towards this whole real life wedding thing. I went with Bently&Wilson of Las Vegas (http://wilsonphoto.20m.com), I have seen their work from some of the Las Vegas Knotties, and I am in love. His price, ownership, and ideas are exactly what I'm looking for. That's my update for the day..... JoRaye

Ok....since my status is freaking people out (6 messages and 2 or 3 comments...)

Confused - There's ALOT of crap in boxes, and I have no where to put it......yes, I am finally moved into Todd's house. Also confused, and I guess betrayed isn't the BEST word, but well, I just feel like I've lost a few of my good friends that I wish I could see more. And I hate that just because I'm now known as the ToJo, I can't possibly EVER do anything without Todd, so therefore, no reason to invite me. The few that live in OKC, I don't see as much as we could, and the rest are elsewhere..... Things with me and Todd are great, and I am very lucky to have his friends and family embrace me and welcome me into their lives the way they have, and I wouldn't change that for the world, but ya know, sometimes I just need "my" girls?

My girls who UNDERSTAND: JJiSMiK, The Thunderchicken, Greeny, and Zoe Zoom Zoom... Tiny Chapel, Thompsons Bay, muddin', backroadin' roadies, Strip Critter, Drenga, (and the importance of wearing 9 scarves) Tenbuck, The Starlight Satellite, dancing on countertops, coffee tables, and anything in between, learning the hardcore lesson of having a party and posting it on Facebook, QUAIL QUAIL, I can kick, cause I'm FITTY!, The water is wet, beneath my feet! Smirnoff and Beer, Painting Matt Bloom's head with silver nail polish, right after he shaved his head, and thanking God we didn't kill him.....(I just ran across those pictures....) Lake Murray Golf Course.....that's all. Napolean Dynamite parties, and we were the only ones with enough balls to dress up. Interpretive dancing, 2 hours of photo sessions, on the mailbox, in the driveway, on the tailgate, The Girls of Concord Place and the People who Love Them. Random Water Balloon fights, The Tri Chi House Barbie and her Pink Hummer Tuesday Nights at BWW after OTH, and shitty Wednesday morning classes. The most outrageous MAC combos you can wrap a brush around, That's how we row, OKKKKKKK (of course I'm not putting this on MySpace....), JoRaye fuckin' left me in Oklahoma City!!!!, fist pumpin' like some damn guido-ettes in Skyy Bar, out the sunroof of Zoe, and randomly, in Tenbuck. I'm a Little Teapot, Pink little panty palace (and boyshorts too!) Stealing your roommate's convertible.... Hot Cock! Puking along I-35.... Bustiers....sexy means not breathing....or bending. etc, etc, on and on and on and on. Did it all end with "I'm NOT going to some bar called the Porthole!" ? I hope not. I just miss it.

I think I keep blogging about this, because I remember saying I miss the randomness. The I don't give a damn about who's watching, who I have to go home to, what time I have to be home, what will he think about me, what if she's talking to him, just the cares of this everyday world that now surround me and my friends. It's killed the spontaneity, the carelessness, it's forced us to grow up, get real jobs, get married, have babies, and start our own families. I know this isn't goodbye, but it feels like a long road to another life, a life I am excited, nervous, happy, and can't wait for, but again, why does it come at a price? Why can't it be the summer of 2001 forever? Or even 2002? (I'd like to skip years 2003, 2004, and the first part of 2005, thank you.) Why can't it be summer forever? Why can't it just be friends forever? OK....I'm done bitching. I still love you all, let me wallow in my mud pit of sadness! As you know, I have exactly 368 days to plan a wedding, cause I'm getting married! Mwahaha. I hear good news travels FAST bitch.