Bunder.com: Wedding 98

Back from Paris! And the Web site is looking even better upon my return. The good news is that we should be able to begin sending out the invitations very soon.

This month will also be exciting as my dress is due to arrive in the next couple of weeks. So I will of course be modelling it repeatedly for assorted family members (I'd only get to wear it once otherwise!)

Saturday May 2 1998

Leslie has bought a Panasonic camcorder! It's tiny, silver and digital, with a pull-out screen to allow you to watch what you're filming. You can also zoom in on objects that are several feet away, tape in black and white or even sepia tones (oh, and colour of course).

It's quite marvellous - the only problem is that John Lewis in Oxford Street, where we bought it, didn't have any in stock, so it is currently on order. Oh, the agony of having to look at a piece of paper with the order written on it, instead of actually having the camcorder itself! Still, we should have it in a couple of weeks or so, hopefully by the time we go to New York.

Sunday May 3 1998

Had a much needed day off! The weather has been getting better and better, very nice to chill out for a bit with the balcony doors open.

Monday May 4 1998

We have started compiling our guest lists - we're aiming for 100 guests in total, so that's a lot of invites to be sending out. Obviously the first few - some of the American invites - have already been given out, but the rest will be going in the next couple of weeks, together with the British invites (giving folk here time to book flights if they are coming).

Tuesday May 5 1998

I now have a list of the florists, photographers and bands who have been recommended by the caterers, and will be contacting them to make appointments for when we are in New York.

Wednesday May 6 1998

It's my mother's birthday today, so I stopped by there on the way home with a birthday cake (teddy bear shaped, very tasteful) and a whole heap of presents, including an enormous handbag and a cardigan. Which went down very well indeed. As did the news that her wedding photos have made it on to the Web site!

Thursday May 7 1998

Spent the entire day watching movies. First up I saw The Wedding Singer, which is a straightforward boy-meets-girl romantic comedy, but here's the catch - it's set in 1985, so is full of appalling haircuts, day-glo clothing and the era's tackiest music. Given my status as a child of the 80s I found the whole thing fabulous - it stars Adam Sandler, who is a huge star in the States but yet to do much over here.

Hopefully this film will change all that. Plus it gave me some great ideas as to what I want (and don't) want to do for my own wedding! For one thing, a blue-jacketed singer belting out 80s cover versions is on the no list! In the evening I saw The Truman Show, with Jim Carrey as a guy who is unwittingly the star of the world's most watched TV show, with everything on camera - and it really is the best film I've seen all year. And that's coming from somebody who just saw The Wedding Singer that day.

Friday May 8 1998

Difficult to follow a day like that, so I spent it trying to compile a few addresses for the invitations to be sent to. It's amazing how many of my friend's addresses I don't actually know! Went to my parents' for dinner tonight - my mother is in the process of planning a London party for Hugh and Melissa, so she now has two weddings on her hands!

Saturday May 9 1998

My mother has gone dress shopping! She had her first look at prospective frocks for the wedding and sadly came back empty-handed, but she has had some very good ideas.

I told her that I would come with her when she actually found something she was very keen on, so hopefully we'll be able to organise something in the next month or so. However, with our wedding, Hugh and Melissa's party and my dad's 60th next month, she has her hands very much full!

We had Nick (our best man to be) and Louise round tonight, as well as Samara, to watch the Eurovision Song Contest, which was unsurprisingly won by Israel's hugely controversial transexual performer, Dana International, and her disco anthem Diva.

It was one of the closest contests ever, Israel in fact winning on the final vote, and very good news for us as we were all backing them. (although Germany's performer, who went into the audience and then climbed the set, was a very close second in out hearts). Finally got to bed at about 2 am (yawn!!!).

Sunday May 10 1998

Exhaustion! That's the last time I go to bed at 2 am. (until the next time, that is)

Monday May 11 1998

Very busy week at work this week as the majority of the office are off to the Cannes Film Festival. Not too busy to do wedding things, however . . .

Tuesday May 12 1998

. . . as indeed, I managed today. First up, I managed to get in touch with the two recommended florists, Dalsimar (on Long Island) and Atlas (inside the Plaza Hotel).

The former will be calling to arrange an appointment, the latter quoted me a fee of $2500.

On to the photographers - booked an appointment with the Fred Marcus Studios in Manhattan, who have assured me they have around eight photographers and will have one available on the day.

Must remember to ask them if they can do the video (although given Leslie's impending camcorder, it's tempting to do it myself!

Finally, got through to Charlotte Rousse Music And Entertainment on Long Island, spoke to a hugely enthusiastic lady who treated me as though she had known me for ten years and even agreed to come and meet us in Manhattan to go through tuneful arrangements! A very successful day's work.

Wednesday May 13 1998

Spoke to the man who runs the other recommended musicians, the Neginah Orchestra, tonight. He was very friendly and offered me as many pieces in my orchestra as I wanted (I strongly suspect only about four will be able to fit on the stage in the ballroom!)

Also managed to make an appointment with one of the other photographic studios, Pace.

Thursday May 14 1998

Rang Lincoln Square to arrange to see Mr. Kay while we're in New York. Didn't get through to him but have been informed that Memorial Day is no problem and he'll be around to see us any time that week.

The Monday would be good as we are aiming to get all our appointments done as early as possible and have a bit of time off! We'll also pop in to see the Rabbi while we're there.

Friday May 15 1998

Hugely busy at work. All quiet on the wedding front today.

Saturday May 16 1998

The camcorder has arrived! And it's completely brilliant! For those keen on the model number it's a Panasonic VV-S5B and its palmtop sized!

We experimented with it this evening, filming in Leslie's front room with his mother, testing out the zoom, the black and white and the - hey! - sepia facilities.

The filming really is of broadcastable quality. I don't think you could quite do the Independence Day sequel on it, but the possibilities for home moving making, given the use of decent editing facilities, are limitless!

And we're managed to get it in time for New York!!

Sunday May 17 1998

Went round to my parents, to pick up the chart that my mum has made to take to New York with us. She's basically printed out a whole list of questions she is expecting logical answers to by the time we land back on British soil on Sunday May 31.

Unfortunately, none of them relate to shopping or prospective visits to Atlantic City. This trip is going to be hard work!

Had Catherine, 50 per cent of the bridesmaids, over for the evening. It was lovely to see her as she is stuck working at the other end of the country and doesn't get back to London very often. She was doubly chuffed to see her name popping up on the Web Site.

Got to bed at around quarter to two. (now, what was I saying about those late nights?!)

Monday May 18 1998

One week to go until New York! Need to re-affirm all those appointments this week.

Tuesday May 19 1998

The office is unspeakably quiet as everybody has gone to Cannes for the week. Which is pretty cool, as it means I can get on with whatever I have to leave for the person who is looking after my things (honestly, I spend more time out of the office than in it these days!)

Wednesday May 20 1998

Begun drawing up an itinerary of sorts. Should have something concrete in the next couple of days.

Thursday May 21 1998

I have arranged everything so we get to do Manhattan one morning, Lond Island one afternoon and Brooklyn the next day. Much easier than racing from one end of the city to the other. It just so happens that one of the photographers, Pace, is practically neighbours with one of the florists, Dalsimar.

Apparently they're pretty good mates. Which would be an advantage if we decided to use them.

Friday May 22 1998

Last day in the office for a week! I have drawn up the itinerary thus far:

Sunday we see Mr. Kay,

Monday is Memorial Day so we can't do anything much work-wise,

Tuesday we have photographers and florists in Manhattan in the morning, and in Cedarhurst, Long Island in the afternoon.

Wednesday we head out to Brooklyn to check out the music man.

Thursday and Friday we sort out anything else that needs doing. So much for Atlantic City!! Also phoned the synagogue and arranged to meet up with the president, Jeff Levinson, as well as Rabbi Cohen.

Saturday May 23 1998

Not a bad flight - United has re-introduced the individual TV screens for each passenger, so we were able to see the likes of King Kong (terrific!) and The Wedding Singer (again!). Food has also improved.

Arrived at the Interncontinental, where we're staying till Tuesday, early evening. Gorgeous lobby but the room wasn't quite as spectacular as we were expecting.

Still, the beds are comfortable and there'a a great view of, well, the hotel roof.

Neither of us was alert enough to do much this evening after the flight, so we popped over to the 2nd Avenue Deli for some tuck, and then went strolling through Greenwich Village, which I have never done before. Tomorrow we have an early morning appointment with the caterers.

Sunday May 24 1998

Saw the caterers and we now have a menu! It breaks down like this:

Gazpacho

Choice of Entrée: Rib Of Beef and one other, either salmon or chicken (probably the latter, but he'll have the other one in the kitchen anyway. If we just went for salmon or chicken on the menu, he wouldn't have the beef in the kitchen, so that's set in stone, but we need to choose one other.)

Mango Sorbet served over fresh fruit.

Plus there will be a reception of such magnanimous proportions that nobody will want any dinner!

Had the rest of the day free so popped over to Coney Island in Brooklyn where the funfair was up and running. Went on the Astrotower (which spins its passengers about 300 ft. above ground level offering spectacular views of the fairground below and, quite possibly, the roof of the Intercontinental).

Monday May 25 1998

Memorial Day! Went out with a trip to Staten Island in mind, only to find ourselves caught in the mother of all thunderstorms. Decided, instead, a day's shopping wouldn't be a bad thing.

Went to see Godzilla in the evening, but as big lizard movies go, this one was darned disappointing. Only the last 20 minutes were actually any fun, the rest of the time it was merely a load of people running away from a big dinosaur stomping on everything, and muttering truly appalling dialogue at that (the actors, that is, not the dinosaur).

Tuesday May 26 1998

Had our first two appointments in Manhattan! The first photographer (Fred Marcus) was really good, really spot-on, but a little out of our price range, unfortunately.

The first florist (Atlas) was, to put it mildly, not what we were looking for.

However, we had more luck in Cedarhurst where Pace Photography offered us a very reasonable price for both pictures and video and showed us some really excellent work samples.

David, who we saw, has given us his word that he will do the pictures for us on the day rather than sending one of his photographers. Turns out he and David Dalsimar, the flower guy, are such good friends the latter popped over to introduce himself while we were still in the meeting with Pace!

Dalsimar also seemed to offer a really good deal, and suggested a tall table display of long glass vases filled with orchids and topped with a huge selection of roses. And not forgetting the bouquets and corsages. Very impressed.

Found a very cool kosher restaurant this evening, in the shape of the Haikara Grill, a Japanese eaterie on 2nd Avenue. Wonderful sushi. We are going there again!

Wednesday May 27 1998

Off to Brooklyn today, to pay a visit to Shelly Lang Orchestras. Turned out they were in Boro Park, which is one of the most Chasidic parts of the city.

Saw fascinating hole-in-the-wall synagogues on every street and a shopping area that was almost entirely kosher restaurants and Jewish shops. It's like another world, but a fascinating one.

So, we now have music for the wedding! Shelly Lang have a great reputation, and will not only play at the reception, but will also play at the ceremony.

We've agreed 70 per cent contpemporary/secular and 30 per cent Hebrew for afterwards, which should be a nice mix.

Thursday May 28 1998

Spent the morning at the synagogue with Jeff Levinson and Rabbi Cohen, the latter of whom revealed he couldn't actually do the wedding as he had another across town that day! (whoops!). He has assigned us Rabbi Joseph, his colleague, a Canadian guy who starts at the synagogue in July.

Spent ages talking to Jeff afterwards. I love this synagogue, everybody is so friendly!

Anyway, the weather had improved considerably - in fact it was now too hot to walk, eat or function normally - so we went to the Jewish Museum (full of interesting artefacts and air-conditioned, but only covering two floors so a tad disappointing, alas), and Staten Island instead (sitting in a ferry looking at the sea requires minimum effort).

We also found out about apartments. It looks as though we're all going to stay in the same apartment block on 49th and Lexington - they're fully refurbished one and two bedroom places, the latter of which sleep up to six people!

There's a kitchen, bathroom, living room, two phone lines, breakfast supplied - and at $1800 for a week based on six people sharing it works out very economically indeed.

Friday May 29 1998

Practically the only thing left to sort out now are limos and hairdresser, and we can do that from London, so we finally got some time off, and the weather held (90 degrees - eeeeek!)

Spent the morning at Central Park zoo waving to the polar bears, and in the afternoon we finally had a good nose round the Lower East Side which we hadn't done on this trip. Went to Little Italy for the first time too.

Rounded off the day with a spot of stand-up comedy (Catch A Rising Star) which was a tad embarrassing as there were only about 10 people in the audience, but actually the comics handled it rather well.

We have dispensed with the idea of having a stand-up comic at the wedding - fun though it might have been, there's too much else to fit in , and it would be a tad too pricey!

Saturday May 30 1998

Returned home to London laden down with goodies and with almost everything sorted, which is lovely. Now we can have a few months off!

Sunday May 31 1998

Arrived home around 11 am, managed to stay up for the whole day.