Wedding Timeline

I have been browsing lots and lots of wedding websites and blogs this week. I started out on theknot.com and found a forum post about DIY stuff. So I read the whole thread and looked at every person's profile or website. Which is how I ended up finding some really awesome sites!

As I was surfing through all of these amazing websites, I kept seeing wedding timelines. 5 months to go, a year to go, etc. And it made me realize. I am planning this wedding VERY quickly! Which is kinda really stressful! I have 2 months and one week to go! And compared to other brides or theknot.com I should have much more done than I do. With what I have done already, for my sanity, I should be at the 4-6 months range. Not the 2 month range!! Oy. I must be crazy.

Thankfully, I have amazing people helping me. My mom has gone with me several Saturdays to buy stuff that we need. She has been working on stuff during the week, sometimes even at her office! (SHH! Don't tell anyone!) My sister has been helpful too. She works a lot, but when I'm in town she goes with me places. Yesterday we went to David's Bridal for my fitting. She was great. I was in a lot of pain because I hurt my knee last week. She held my hands and let me lean on her while I was standing still for the alteration lady. What would I do without my sissiter?! (No that is not a spelling mistake!)

And last, but DEFINITELY not least, my bestie Kelly. She is so amazing. She has planned my bridal shower pretty much all by herself. And she lives 5 hours away! I live an hour away from where my wedding is, so it's been hard for me to do stuff. But she is amazing. I pretty much gave her free reign on the shower and bachelorette party. She's not telling me ANYTHING! I'm hoping I get my invite in the mail tomorrow. She told me she mailed them Saturday and my mom and sister have already gotten their's! (I think my mailman is hiding my mail though... That's for another day.)

I am very thankful for these amazing women in my life. I honestly wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for them.

Much Love,

Last Weekend

Here is my late update from last weekend. We did so much shopping!! I'm mostly just posting pictures though. Please feel free to comment!!!

This isn't the greatest pic, but this is where the ceremony will be.

I totally stole this idea (and pic!) from my friend Megan, but I want to do the tulle and lights from the ceiling like this pic, but for the ceremony.

We will be hanging paper lanterns like this for the indoor reception. (See following pics for exact colors)

 

 

This will be what we do for half of the centerpieces, although we are using different flowers. We have everything we need for them, except the lime slices. And we are buying fake ones! LOL!

 

I kinda like this idea for the other centerpieces. But not sure. I need ideas for that!!!

We are using this stuff to make an arrangement for the guest book table.

I bought these to go in my bouquet. I already have purple flowers for mine. I don't have ANY flowers for the bridesmaids... EEK!

Flower girl basket. SO pretty!

Place cards for bridal party and important family members. (Sorry about the lighting)

This will be inside the vases for the centerpieces. So the green foam doesn't show.

We will sprinkle these on the tables. (My dad loves them! LOL!)

I already had dark purple flower petals, but I wanted some green ones too. I found them!

Each table will have 4 candles on it.

 

Part of the favors

The green foam for the centerpieces. Hehe.

RIBBONS! We are using these on the bubbles and the favors.

Programs

My guest book. I will probably put something on the front to personalize it.

Some thank you cards for my upcoming bridal showers!! I can't WAIT!

BUBBLES!!!

BUBBLES WITH RIBBONS!!! My mom cut the ribbons and Matthew and I tied them on. (We used mini glue dots to keep them in place!)

I was playing around with my Paint Shop Pro Photo XI a couple of months ago. I came up with this monogram. But I don't know what to use it on!! I really love it though. Ideas??

So that's most of what we got. I also bought my shoes for the ceremony, but they are being dyed. So I will post pics of them when I get them. And my first dress fitting is this Sunday! I am SO excited!!

Well, there is more to come later. Keep in touch!

Much Love,

Shopping, Shopping, and MORE Shopping!!

My mom and I have had so much fun this weekend! We have been to 7-10 stores (I lost count!) looking for decorations, flowers, bubbles, ribbons, etc things needed for the wedding. We have priced food, since we are doing all of that ourselves. We bought ingredients to make purple punch so we can try it. We have bought many many things! There are bags all over the place at my parents' house! Hehe. It is going to be great. We have found even more things online that we will be ordering in the next few weeks. Tomorrow, after church, we are going to go try some cupcakes. We are having those instead of a cake. The bakery will arrange them in the shape of a wedding cake. Even free delivery!!

In other news, MY DRESS IS IN!!! They told me that it wouldn't be in the store until CHRISTMAS!! But it's here, less than a month after I ordered it! I am so excited. I haven't seen it, even though I was at David's Bridal today. My sister and I went to order shoes, because we are getting them dyed to match her dress. While we were there they told us that both of our dresses were there! So we got her's and she tried it on to make sure it fit. (It does!) I have an alterations appointment next weekend, so I left mine there. But I can't wait to try it on again! YAY!

Well, I have to go to bed, but the next time I post, I am going to post some idea pics so I can get some opinions/suggestions. Stay tuned!

Much Love,

Weekend Planning

I'm so excited! I am going to my parents house for the weekend to work on wedding stuff with my mom. We have a whole list of stuff to do. YAY! We are going to work on centerpieces, programs, invites, veil, favors, flowers, food, etc, etc, etc. I'm hoping we can go to the cupcake place to try some flavors and maybe find a dress for my mom. 

Much Love,

I found my DRESS!!

This weekend was amazing. First of all, my best friend of 11 years, Kelly drove down from Indianapolis to see me!! YAY! It was the longest time we have spent together since my sister and I went to visit her 3 1/2 years ago! Much needed time together.

On Saturday me, my mom, my sister Hannah, my best friend Kelly, my best friend Karen, and my sister's roommate Rachel all went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It was fun.

After breakfast, we went to a small bridal shop that is going out of business. I think we figured out why they are going out of business. They were not very helpful or nice for that matter. They were rushing me. I had even made an appointment with them!! The first lady went to a dress and said "Oh, this will definitely fit you." It was about 3 sizes too small. I looked at her and said "No, it won't. I need a bigger size" They only had ONE dress in my size. So we left and went to David's Bridal!

                                     

We found my sister (my Maid of Honor) Hannah a dress too!

It was great. After DB's, we had lunch and then headed to Michael's to look for wedding stuff. We bought some flowers for the centerpieces. We are doing half of them one way, and half another way. (Haven't figured out the 2nd way though...) We also bought one vase for the flowers. I had been looking all over the place for them! And my amazing Kelly found them! When we were in the check out, the lady in front of my mom gave her a coupon for 40% off of one item. Which made the vase $6.54. My mom made 2 transactions (keeping wedding stuff seperate from other stuff), I had one, and Kelly had one. We EACH got one coupon per transaction for 40% off of one item that were valid starting the next day! Hehe.

Sunday after church, my parents, Matthew and I went to Michael's and bought 4 more vases, using the coupons. Each for $6.54. We all got more coupons too! For each transaction we got another 40% off one item coupon. Matthew and my dad ended up buying the vases and then buying some chocolates, so they each got 2 coupons. Then I bought some chocolates and got another coupon. THEN my dad found a poster on clearance (right next to the door) that he wanted and he got yet ANOTHER coupon! We ended up with 8 coupons for 40% off one item. YAY!

Much Love,

Wedding Bloopers

I hope these don't happen at my wedding! Check these out!

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/planning-a-wedding/articles/wedding-blooper-videos.aspx

Much Love,

This is IT!

The church was not available on November 14th. I was going to find another venue, but every place I found was priced too high for me. I do not want to spend a small fortune for a couple of hours. I just needed a place to have my simple, but sweet ceremony and a short reception with some family and close friends.

Then we decided it would be too difficult to get Matthew's girls here in November. We do not want to get married without them there.

So our date is January 16th, 2010. The church is available, the girls have a few days off school, and we have more time to plan. I feel great about this. I was becoming extremely stressed out about the date changing over and over. I feel that this is the right day for us to get married. Like God opened the door for January 16th.

I am so happy!

Much Love,