I have been such a slacker about updating this along the way. Maybe I'll be able to make up for it and go on a posting frenzy to show everything that we've done. Orrr maybe not...this may have to turn into a retrospective look into our wedding planning!

Well, we've finally turned in our choices for the menu! Here is what's for dinner...

Passed hors d'oeuvres:
- petite beef wellington
- deluxe coconut shrimp
- feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes in pastry

Salad:
- roasted vegetable panzanella (foccocia croutons, kalamata olives, sweet tomatoes, creamy artichoke dressing)

Entrée:
- filet of beef and tiger prawns (cabernet glaze and citrus beurre blanc, parmesan burgundy risotto)

Vegetarian (thank you to everyone who voted in my poll!):
- giant sweetheart ravioli (filled with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs over roasted tomato coulis, served with fresh vegetables)

Children's meal:
- chicken fingers and french fries

Bon appétit!

I originally had my heart set on a recommendation from our planner -- a woman who bakes incredible cakes for even incredible-r prices out of her home. Unfortunately, when I emailed her last year, she told me that she was expecting and would be due right around the time of our wedding and probably wouldn't want to be baking cakes that late into her pregnancy. Totally understandable, but totally disappointing! Since then, I've kind of been in denial about the need for a cake -- my own silent protest against the insane prices I've been seeing per slice. But now it's crunch time, and my planner keeps reminding me that I either need to arrange for a cake or commit to not wanting one at all.

Two weekends ago, J and I were in Pasadena for our penultimate session of premarital counseling at the church, and decided to stop by Gelson's to check out their cakes. Grocery store (albeit gourmet) should mean more affordable than trendy bakery, right? Not really, it turns out. So, I told my planner at our meeting last week that it wasn't as cheap as I thought it'd be, and she suggested we look at Porto's in Glendale.

I called for their hours, and they told me that an appointment was necessary, which worried me. We reserved a 1pm slot on Saturday, and made the trek last weekend. When I read reviews online of the family-owned joint, I assumed it was a small mom-and-pop hole in the wall. WRONG! It was a total madhouse, and the lines were practically snaking out the door -- for lunch, that is, not just for cakes.



We went up to the second floor, which is reserved for special occasion cakes, and were promptly given binders of designs and a plate of delicious samples. Unfortunately, I don't exactly remember the combinations that we were given, but I spy: white, chocolate, cuban and black magic cakes with strawberry, mango, pineapple, chocolate, and bavarian cream fillings.



We picked several different flavors (white cake + bavarian cream; white cake + mango cream; black magic cake + bavarian cream) and a very simple design, which our florist will decorate with fresh flowers. It even came in under the meager budget I'd set aside for the cake. Perfect!!

While we were there, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat. J got this mouth-watering Cuban sandwich...the bread, in particular, was to die for!

Yesterday, we had our menu tasting -- definitely one of the more fun tasks on our ever-growing to-do list! We picked some choices from both the plated and buffet selections, and hoped that the answer would reveal itself. Luckily, it was pretty evident which were our favorites, even though they were ALL delicious. The only downside? This was right before I went to work, which means I spent most of the evening in a half-conscious food coma daze!


poached pear salad: bouquet of baby greens and shaved fennel with sweet grape tomatoes, peppered pecans, crumbled gorgonzola and port wine vinaigrette


roasted vegetable panzanella: foccocia croutons, kalamata olives, sweet tomatoes, creamy artichoke dressing


filet of beef with cabernet glaze; tiger prawns with citrus beurre blanc; parmesan burgundy risotto; seasonal vegetables


sliced strip loin of beef – red onion confit, blackberry port reduction, seasonal vegetables


seafood gnocchi gratine – smoked gouda, parmesan cheeses and drizzled with truffle oil

When it came time for me to start thinking about getting a hanbok, my aunt told me that there was only one place to go. I went into the experience, not expecting much. I mean, a hanbok is a hanbok is a hanbok, right?

( WRONG! )

According to the wedding counter thing, we are 100 days away from the BIG day!

I also recently discovered the first "fulfilled" item on our registry:



So exciting...!!! I can't believe that we're already getting down to the double digits in the countdown. There is still so much left to do, and preparing for the holidays has been taking over the expansive obsessive space in my head previously solely occupied by wedding planning.