Registries, part deux, or A Call for Help

So we went to Macy's the day we bought our rings. And we found that they didn't have a whole lot of things that BB&B didn't. So we're thinking maybe not Macy's. But where, oh where, will our second registry be?

We're really looking for input here, so comment till your fingers turn numb. Please! Did you find a store that had a great (and different) selection? Preferably a national chain, but that won't be the deciding factor.

Where did you register? Where do you think we should (besides Bed Bath and Beyond)?

Guest books

The guest books, which I'm making, are coming right along. I realized last night that to do much else, I'll need yellow ribbon, so I'll get that soon. I'll post a few pictures when they're done. I adapted an idea I found in a wedding craft book that I sat down with in the middle of Michaels one day. There will be a guest book per table instead of one book for everyone.

Rings

I totally forgot to post when we bought the wedding rings, which was April 28. They're great, but I won't post pictures quite yet... Seeing them is part of the fun of the wedding, no? We got them at Hannoush Jewelers in the Natick Mall. We believe in helping out the stores that are sticking around through the huge construction project they're doing there. Most of the old stores in the original mall are closed or having great sales to keep what few people there are trolling the malls these days to get into their stores. "They" keep promising the new Natick Collection (what they're calling the new mall after just "Natick" bumped into loads of issues with the actual town) will open in Sept. 2007.

Anyway, the rings are purchased and they'll get resized in July and engraved in August.

Registering my amazement

I write about high tech for a living, but sometimes I feel like an old geezer.

Such was my experience last evening at Bed Bath & Beyond, where we signed up for the bridal registry. I had done this once before, back in the days before the invention of the wheel, so I expected to spend the evening purusing the store with a clipboard. Instead, we were handed a scanner and told to go scan things to our heart's content. Everything was then uploaded to personal registry and we were given a printout with all our selections, quantities and images of each item.

We can edit the registry online or walk into any BB&B store, ask for a scanner, and update our selections. Guests can view the latest inventory and order online. The whole thing was so freakin' slick and cool.

Oh, yeah, we also picked out some stuff. Whatever :-).

Now I just have to figure out how to add a BMW Z4 to the list...

Registries

We're in a planning lull right now, but we're getting at least some things decided. Like where we're going to register. I think we've decided on Bed Bath and Beyond and Macy's. When we build the registries, I'll add links to them in the blog template, so they'll be easily found. We're going tonight to shop for something -- to build our registries or for wedding bands or for Paul's tux or something. It'll be good to get back into it.

Harry concert

The modern crooner and my musical hero for about 15 years now, the cure for every bad mood if you want one and the perpetuator of sullenness if you so desire, held concert in Providence last night with his Big Band. My love bought us tickets. We went, we heard, we laughed at his stories and his audience banter (he's funny on top of it all!), we tapped along to his New Orleans bluesy jazz and we left, a bit too soon for our taste.

Harry was a mixed bag. It was amazing to see him in person (we waited over 1/2 an hour after the show to get an autograph and I talked to him), but his 90 minutes of music was a bit short and he played only the stuff from the new album except for 2 or 3 songs, so that was mildly disappointing -- that he didn't dig deeper into his bag of tricks and/or get the crowd more into the show by playing just a tasting of his hits. Still, his band was great, his voice was just pure and amazing and it really was a thrill to see him.

What did I say to him? Here's the convo:

Me: Hi, Harry. I'm Dana and this is my fiance, Paul. Is there any chance at all you'd be able to sing at our wedding?
Harry: Sorry, I don't do weddings. But thanks for asking me!
Me: Eh! It was worth a shot! Thanks!

He seemed genuinely grateful that I asked. Paul and I thought it'd be worth it even if we had to pay a boatload, although we kinda know he's not the kind of artist who'd be in it for the dough.

So here's an idea for Harry and his publicists: Do a wedding a year. Get back to the small-audience, do-it-for-love, albums upon albums worth of love songs that you're most known (and let's face it, loved) for. Charge whatever you want and have that price be public. Also provide available dates, so that the contest can work around your schedule. Have some sort of contest (essay? photo?) and run the entries on your Web site so that your fans (or members of your fan club, if you want to herd people into joining) have to prove themselves worthy. Pick the best story each year and make someone's dream come true.

As for our wedding, no worries... Harry's voice will be there even if Harry himself isn't. Our playlist will be heavily peppered with him.

Where have I been?

Secluded on the third floor since Sunday with "flu-like" symptoms. I doubt it was actually the flu, but it's the Dana version of it, at any rate. I missed an annual dinner event on Wednesday night because Paul wouldn't let me out of the house (I would have fallen down the 2 flights of stairs, who am I kidding?), but I managed to not only get myself ready and out the door, but actually have a decent amount of fun at the Harry concert last night.