Since I originally wrote about music in October, I’ve been adding songs to an iTunes playlist as they come to mind or as I play them. Last weekend, Josh and I drove to my parents’ and back, and on our way home, we went through his (extensive) music collection and picked even more songs for the reception.

The only problem: We now have more than eight hours of music for a four-hour reception. Oops! And we haven’t even tackled our list of “artists we need more tracks by” (ABBA, Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz, just to name a few). Here’s our unedited list, by approximate genre. (Mr. R is the genre king and would certainly disapprove of these sweeping categorizations… ;)

Oldies through Early 90s
ABBA, Dancing Queen
Alison Krauss, When You Say Nothing At All
B52s, Love Shack
Bay City Rollers, I Only Want to Be With You
Beach Boys, God Only Knows
Beach Boys, Wouldn’t It Be Nice
Beach Boys, Kokomo
Beatles, Ob-la-di
Beatles, She Loves You
Billy Idol, White Wedding
Cranberries, Dreams
The Cure, Friday I’m in Love
Dead or Alive, You Spin Me ‘Round
Dramarama, Anything, Anything
Edwyn Collins, A Girl Like You
Gloria Estefan, 1-2-3
Hall & Oates, You Make My Dreams Come True
INXS, Need You Tonight
The Mamas & the Papas, California Dreamin’
Mike & the Mechanics, Par Avion
Phil Collins, You Can’t Hurry Love
Phil Collins, Two Hearts
Phil Collins, A Groovy Kind Of Love
Police, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Sade, Smooth Operator
Sade, No Ordinary Love
Spandau Ballet, True
Thompson Twins, Hold Me Now

Singer-songwriters, Piano Rock, etc.
Air, Cherry Blossom Girl
The Autumn Film, Can This Be
Chairlift, Bruises
Chantal Kreviazuk, Feels Like Home
Duffy, Mercy
Duffy, Oh Boy
Eastmountainsouth, So Are You to Me
Feist, 1234
A Fine Frenzy, You Picked Me
Flunk, On My Balcony
Frou Frou, It’s Good To Be In Love
Goo Goo Dolls, Slide
Goo Goo Dolls, Iris
Greg Laswell, I’d Be Lying
Ingrid Michaelson, Giving Up
Ingrid Michaelson, Way I Am
Jon McLaughlin, So Close
Kent, Quiet Heart
KT Tunstall, Universe & U
Michelle Featherstone, We Are Man and Wife
Missy Higgins, Warm Whispers
Sara Bareilles, One Sweet Love
Sarah McLachlan, Ice Cream
Shivaree, All Because You Told Me So

Jazz
Diana Krall, Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You
Diana Krall, I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Duo Mecanico, Love Luxury
Ella Fitzgerald, Ain’t Misbehavin’
Ella Fitzgerald, Isn’t It Romantic
Ella Fitzgerald, Sentimental Reasons
Etta James, At Last
Nat King Cole, When I Fall In Love
Nat King Cole, You’ll Never Know
Norah Jones, Come Away With Me
Norah Jones, The Nearness of You
Renee Olstead, Taking a Chance on Love
Renee Olstead, A Love That Will Last
Renee Olstead, Sunday Kind of Love
Tony Bennett, The Very Thought of You
Tony Bennett, Alright, Okay, You Win

Pop
Barenaked Ladies, Light Up My Room
Britney Spears, (You Drive Me) Crazy
The Cardigans, Been It
Christina Aguilera, Candyman
Colbie Caillat, Magic
The Darkness, I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Edwin McCain, I’ll Be
Gwen Stefani, Wind It Up
Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape
Lady Gaga, Just Dance
Letters to Cleo, I Want You To Want Me
Madonna, Cherish
Madonna, Express Yourself
Madonna, Holiday
Natasha Bedingfield, These Words
Pussycat Dolls, Wait a Minute
Ryan Cabrera, True
Shakira, Whenever, Wherever
Smash Mouth, Then the Morning Comes
Sugar Ray, Someday
Tal Bachman, She’s So High
Third Eye Blind, Never Let You Go
Vanessa Williams, Save the Best for Last

Hip-hop & R&B
Alicia Keys, No One
Alicia Keys, If I Ain’t Got You
Aretha Franklin, Natural Woman
Ashanti, Happy
Beyoncé, Crazy in Love
Black Eyed Peas, Don’t Phunk With My Heart
Cassie, Me & U
Ciara, 1, 2 Step
Common, Light
Fergie, Clumsy
Kanye West, Flashing Lights
Rihanna, Pon De Replay
Outkast, Hey Ya!
Timbaland, The Way I Are
TLC, Diggin’ On You

Rock, Alternative, etc.
The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Around the Bend
Blaqk Audio, Semiotic Love
Blue October, Into the Ocean
Coldplay, The Scientist
Dave Matthews Band, The Space Between
Dave Matthews Band, Angel
Dave Matthews Band, American Baby
Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Follow You Into the Dark
Fall Out Boy, Dance, Dance
The Fray, You Found Me
The Fray, Look After You
Gnarls Barkley, Crazy
Gorillaz, Feel Good Inc.
Hard-Fi, Gotta Reason
Jimmy Eat World, A Praise Chorus
The Killers, Read My Mind
Maroon 5, Sunday Morning
Oasis, Wonderwall
The Postal Service, Such Great Heights
Robin S, Show Me Love
Shiny Toy Guns, I Owe You a Love Song
Smashing Pumpkins, Beautiful
Smashing Pumpkins, Perfect
Smashing Pumpkins, Tonight, Tonight
Smashing Pumpkins, Today
Tegan & Sara, Take Me Anywhere
U2, Sweetest Thing
The White Stripes, Fell in Love With a Girl
Yellowcard, Dear Bobbie

Soundtracks
Grease, The One That I Want
Moulin Rouge, Your Song
Moulin Rouge, Come What May
Once, Falling Slowly

I’ve been collecting vintage glass containers for several months now. I have close to 50 of them now, wrapped in packing paper and stored in a giant Rubbermaid bin in the basement. (I bought said bin thinking that everything wedding-related could fit in there until I was ready for it in April. But we’re six months out and the bin is nearly full. Hmmm. Planning a wedding while living in 636 square feet = bad news.)

I want to give some of them away after the wedding, but there are several (or, like, 20) that I can’t bear to part with. They deserve to have a good life after the reception. My mom sent me a magazine clipping of an eclectic collection of vases lining a windowsill, filled with various flowers, and I think that would be lovely. But maybe I should pick one big one to follow Brooke’s lead…

I found this awhile ago through Tara, and I think it’s such a fantastic idea. Maybe have one jar for memories that make me smile and another jar for fun ideas — things Josh and I can do together, places we want to go, people we want to see. They could be big things (vacationing in Italy), small things (dinner and dancing), or anything in between. We’ve really learned how to make the most of our time together these last three years — even when “making the most of it” means spending a whole day at home, talking and laughing and cuddling and watching movies. I never want us to forget how to cherish every day.

When I let a certain amazing photographer slip through our fingers, I was distraught. It was probably my first true bridal panic. I’d reworked our budget and squeezed every last dollar out of every last line item, sacrificing things I thought I had to have (letterpressed everything! elaborate save-the-dates! draped fabric! petal cones for every guest!) because I knew photography needed to be a priority.

I called Mr. R, and the first words out of his mouth were, “Do you want to change our date?”

Not, You’re overreacting. Not, We’ll figure something else out. And not even the true but momentarily frustrating, It’ll all be fine. Instead, he indulged me. He was willing to change everything else so that I could have this one thing that was so important to me

It’s the little things that touch your heart. Here’s to the hundreds of little things that lie ahead.

MissNowMrs is a brilliant example of the question, “What is your time worth to you?” In my case, apparently, more than $30.

As far as I’m concerned, a wedding is merely an excuse to take dancing lessons — when I’ve really wanted to take them for a very long time. If we decide to do it, I think this is the place. It isn’t too far away, and they provide both group and individual sessions.

• Josh: These people do not talk like high school students.
• Allie: No, these people don’t talk like anyone.