Wedding Diary
Flip chart tracks guest schedules

Wedding Diary is a column by Nu'uanu residents Connie Soga, 30 and Bret Moore, 27. The periodic report tracks the couple's progress as they near their Nov. 3 wedding, with about 300 guests, at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

By Connie Soga and Bret Moore

With less than two weeks to go to the big day, Bret Moore and Connie Soga, right, meet with Sheraton Waikiki wedding coordinator LeeAnn Ichimura to check final details and request last-minute changes. Deborah Booker The Honolulu Advertiser

State of mind: With a week to go till the wedding, I'm nervous about NOT being nervous about the wedding. Has this happened to anyone else?

I think I should be excited, worried, scared, anticipating ... but with a week to go before the wedding, the more I stay calm, the more others around me ask why I'm not freaking out!

Organization is what keeps me sane and relaxed, so I make sure that each day I get something accomplished. In the spare bedroom, we have charts and diagrams of the ceremony, reception and registration table. In the living room, we have a master flip chart with a schedule of all the out-of-town guests. The apartment is the wedding command center! If I can end the day knowing I called someone, ran an errand or did a follow-up for the wedding, I have peace of mind and I sleep well. I also find myself making "to do" lists for the next day before I go to bed.

Good and bad experiences: I hosted my first bridesmaid luncheon this month. Never hosted one or attended one in my life, but everything was lovely, and we had a great time.

My bridal shower was last weekend, and it was really fun. Bret was very disappointed that all the presents were for me and none of them were for him. He joked that it wasn't fair, even though I stressed it was a bridal shower and not a groom shower. My maid of honor and bridesmaids did a really good job putting my party together.

I talk to LeeAnn Ichimura, our wedding coordinator at the Sheraton Waikiki, a lot these days. We do have our own coordinators we hired on the day of the wedding, but she's been supportive and helpful ever since day one with helping us organize the details. The last few weeks we have been firing requests and changes to her on a daily basis. She's been great in making everything we want happen.

Looking ahead: I'm looking forward to my matron of honor flying in this week. She also is an event coordinator, so I know I have someone who can keep up with me on all the errands and running around until I am ready to quit. I'm also looking forward to the ceremony rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, and checking into the hotel the day before the wedding. One of my bridesmaids is going to jam that day and get all the centerpieces done that afternoon, and I can't wait to see it all when it's done! Some other crucial things remaining are: final meetings with the wedding coordinators, final fitting of my gown, and final consultations with my cake artist, photographer, videographer and the hotel.

Bret speaks on his...

State of mind: Well, I am a bit more nervous heading into the final stretch. I think I am handling it pretty well. Like I said a few weeks ago, I feel like I have no control over the ceremony. Connie and I have spent a year in the making to plan, coordinate and set everything up, only to give up all the control and how smooth things will run to other people. This is still a hard adjustment for me.

I have made and sent out itineraries for all my ushers and groomsmen so that they have a time line for wedding week. It is gonna be a hectic one. The kind of week where 24 hours just is not enough time to get everything done.

In the middle of all this, I am planning on taking my niece, who is 6 years old, trick-or-treating on Halloween. She is so excited to get candy from Hawai'i. She is Uncle Bret's little angel. I am gonna spoil those kids rotten.

The Thursday before the wedding is also going to be a hectic day. The final fitting for the tuxes happens that day along with the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. I love to eat, so maybe I should have planned the final fitting after the dinner as I am sure I will pick up a few pounds.

Good and bad experiences: Connie and I have been busily putting together the seating charts, programs and information packets. We met with the pastor who will be conducting the rehearsal so that we can iron out any chances of a misunderstanding. It was a very productive, yet stressful, week.

I am glad all my groomsmen and ushers will be helping out. They are all key to the success of our wedding. I have enlisted each one with specific duties to perform before, during and after the ceremony and the reception. Their hard work will make it very easy for me to just stand there and look good.

The only bad thing is that no matter how long you plan, you will think of a ton of little things the you had not even considered the weeks prior to the wedding. But I think Connie and I have tackled most of the major hurdles, so everything should be perfect.

Looking ahead: I know I will not be able to wait to get out of my tux. I will be frying in that thing. I am not particularly fond of dressing up, although I will say I look fine when I am dressed fancy! I can honestly say that I am looking forward most to after the reception when all the guests have departed and we can go to the hotel room as husband and wife, just relaxing for the first time in about two months. Carefree and stress-free sounds pretty good about now.

I think the most exciting day will be Nov. 4. The day after the wedding. All the hype surrounding the wedding will be instantly over. All there will be is my new life with Connie.

The week following the wedding will be the most fun. Connie and I are not planning on taking our honeymoon right away, as our families will still be in town. I am really looking forward to spending quality time with my new nephews, Alisa (my niece), my brothers, their wives, my sister, my parents and my new Mom and Dad. We are totally going to do the tourist thing. I just hope it doesn't rain.