Making Our Way to the Altar

We are Houseless No More!

2011-02-18T10:26:00.001-08:00

We put an offer on a house and it went badly. Boo.
Here is our second attempt! Inspection is Tuesday, and we could use lots of luck & positive thinking!
We close March 24 if all goes well. It will give me some time for some nesting before the wedding in July! It was tough doing both house hunting and wedding planning at the same time. Moreso than I thought. It was overwhelming to be thinking about two such MAJOR events that I am fumbling blindly trying to get through, but if all goes well with this house it will be so worth it!

Ceremony Readings

2011-01-04T18:11:00.001-08:00

I am back! We have been super focused on buying a house, but we are getting reinvigorated in wedding planning.

Saturday we meet with our officiant, and I began thinking about readings and the tone I want our wedding to have. Here are some of my favorites so far:

From Union by Robert Fulghum:

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”- those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife.

Our union is like this:

You feel cold so I reach for a blanket to cover
our shivering feet.

A hunger comes into your body
so I run to my garden and start digging potatoes.

You asked for a few words of comfort and guidance and
I quickly kneel by your side offering you
a whole book as a
gift.

You ache with loneliness one night so much
you weep, and I say

here is a rope, tie it around me,
Hafiz will be your
companion
for life.

From _Love Poems from God_, Daniel Ladinsky (ed), c2002

To My Valentine, Ogden Nash

More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,
That's how much I love you.

I love you more than a duck can swim,
And more than a grapefruit squirts,
I love you more than a gin rummy is a bore,
And more than a toothache hurts.

As a shipwrecked sailor hates the sea,
Or a juggler hates a shove,
As a hostess detests unexpected guests,
That's how much you I love.

I love you more than a wasp can sting,
And more than the subway jerks,
I love you as much as a beggar needs a crutch,
And more than a hangnail irks.

I swear to you by the stars above,
And below, if such there be,
As the High Court loathes perjurious oathes,
That's how you're loved by me.

Kind of LOVE the third one. There are so many more out there that I am reading and enjoying but wanted to share with you the highlights of my evening's readings. I have a feeling my high schoolers are going to be sick of the love poems I throw at them this semester. hahaha.

Dress me up!

2010-11-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Now that wedding dress shopping is over I am completely relieved. Phew. Well, on to more dress shopping! No, I can't afford to buy dresses right now, but I can virtually window shop for dresses that would be appropriate for the bachelorette, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon right?
Without taking into consideration my budget, let me share with you some dresses I am pining for!
I have been really impressed with modcloth lately:

Source
Source out of stock =(

Anthropologie Anyone?

Source

I love the idea of the bride-to-be wearing white at the bridal shower or to the honeymoon. I think it is so classy!

Source

There are so many more I love from Urbanoutfitters and Macys but they won't let me save pictures =(. Where do you internet window shop? Do you yearn for summer dresses in the winter? It is always a problem I have!

Everything is coming into place!

2010-11-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

1. I sent in deposits for our officiant and DJ. It is official!

2. My uncle set me up with a photographer that works in his company and gifted her cost to us. So sweet, and bonus, I love the photographer's work!

3. I bought my dress. BOUGHT the dress! I have no pictures to share with you (I am a horrible blogger!) You will have to wait until March when it comes in. I love it though.

Save the Dates are hopefully going out soooooon!
I have exciting posts coming up!

A Happy Balance

2010-11-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

When thinking about aisle decor, I knew I wanted something simple and elegant. There are so many ways to decorate for the ceremony.

Balloon arches are out. Even the more tasteful balloon arch on the left is too ostentatious for my taste.

Source 1 & Source 2

Source

Mason jars need to be included somewhere in our decor. I love them and they are so rustic and amazing. Well the ones above are nice and simple but not sure how I could make those work in an outdoor early evening wedding. I think mason jar candle holders may be out unless anyone can think of how we could use it. Boo.

Source

Flower cones - nice and simple. They only need a couple flowers so it also is not too expensive. I don't like the shell on the one above - doesn't fit with my theme.

Source

Hm. Giant love sign behind us as we get married. . . bold, way too awkward for our ceremony. Sorry Martha Stewart I am all set on that one.

Source

This is more my taste - I feel that it would be way to expensive for our budget but so freaking cute!

Source

Tulle is out. I have never been a fan of tulle not even in my wedding dress. I don't know what it is but I am interested in this for our decor. I also dislike large heavy pieces of fabric too. It just isn't right for my ceremony.

Have I mentioned FI is building our arbor that we are getting married under? Oh I have. Well let me show you a few beautiful arbors that I hope ours looks like!

Source

(Minus the tulle of course hahaha!)

What aisle decor inspiration photos are you loving? Ever seen anything too over the top?

Extending the Party

2010-11-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

We have lots of ways we are extending the celebration of our wedding. We love our family and we are so excited about the wedding we cannot bear to see it end after only 6 hours.

One of the ways we are ensuring to get more time with our family and friends is by reserving a room block at a hotel near the reception. We had several requirements for the hotel:

1.) Space for guests to hang out after the reception. FI's family for sure will want some time to unwind and chat after the reception. They can talk for HOURS.
2.) Space for a morning after brunch (at a reasonable price.) We would love to see the guests the morning after the wedding and have some time to eat, chat and laugh before we head off to the honeymoon.
3.) Suites available. We have families coming and it is more economical to offer them an opportunity to sleep four or six people in a room.
4.) A fantastic sales person. Speaks for itself. People will be paying a lot of money to stay over, and I will need to be in contact with this person a lot in the next year . . . I want to like her or him!
5.) Perks! Do they offer a shuttle, a free room, a free breakfast, a free one-year anniversary night etc, for reserving a large block of rooms?
5.) Pool, bar or other entertainment near or in the hotel for guests staying a long period of time. This wasn't a necessity but definitely a bonus.
We found the best place - Embassy Suites only 20 minutes from the reception. There are other hotels right next door which is great if people want to choose a different option. They are throwing in a free van to transport 10 people (probably the groomsmen) to and from the reception/ceremony. BONUS: Free breakfasts for all guests - buffet with cooked to order eggs and waffles. Yum! We can rent a room for $300 and have time with all the guests in the morning.

They also hand out OOT bags for free, send you cards with information about the room block to send out with invitations, and provide you with a personalized webpage for people to make reservations on with the discounted prices. If 25 rooms are reserved, ours is free!

How did you choose a hotel? When staying overnight at a wedding what is important to you as a consumer?

Honeymoon is where the heart is . . .

2010-10-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

We went down to AAA this morning to meet with a travel agent and price out some honeymoon options. This next year is going to be a savings account killer, but we still want a honeymoon and we want to go somewhere nice. Honeymoon is still a priority in our budget because it is an important bonding time and decompressing time for us. Plus, with the LDR we are enduring now, we deserve a luxurious honeymoon.
Here are the top contenders

Riviera Maya - Now Jade

This is a gorgeous all-inclusive resort. Many of their preferred rooms have an outdoor jacuzzi on the balcony. yes.please.please.please. All food and alcohol is included as I mentioned as well as movies on the beach, snorkeling, kayaking, biking, ocean trampoline (sounds amazing!). It is not an adults only resort which is a downside for us. There are swim up bars which was a requirement on my honeymoon check list so CHECK! Plus, FI and I love to do a little historical sight-seeing and what would be cooler than pyramids and Mayan ruins? We could also spend a day on the island of Cozumel snorkeling, shopping and lounging by the beach. Total package including airfare: $2800 for 8 nights

(Image source)

Hawaii - Island Hopping
The travel agent went a little crazy on us and checked out 11 nights, three islands, five star hotels, car rentals etc. The total of the package was $5300 including airfare out of Boston. We cannot afford that option. It sounds amazing and FI would die if we could go check out the Volcanic National Park (I forget the name sorry). She said she could easily get that down to between 3 and 4,000 by changing some hotels and taking off some of the days of car rental etc.
Again, swim up bars are prevalent as well as tiki hut restaurants. We would love to see a luau and some of the island culture. Both of us would feel privileged to go to Hawaii and maybe bring back some of the island attitude and culture.

(Image Source)

Riviera Maya (hotel option two) Valentin Imperial Maya
This resort in Mexico is also all-inclusive as well as adult-only. We love that about this option. The rooms all overlook lagoon (which I read was really neat), pool or ocean. The rooms have jacuzzis in them with an upgrade or a jacuzzi tub without an upgrade. The food is amazing from what I read from tripadvisor. It is a great spot for couples. They also include a romantic dinner for two. They are offering a deal with $200 resort credit which would be great because we would love to do a couples spa treatment. They don't advertise any "extras" like entertainment as the Now Jade does. Of course this would be a more relaxing trip . . . decisions decisions. Total package cost $3400 for 8 nights (source)

Finally the last option is a cruise. We have been talking about a cruise for awhile - we both have cruised and loved it. There are great options but we would probably best afford The Royal Caribbean which is a great line. We printed out an option to go via The Oasis - the largest cruise ship which has a zip line on ship. Need I say more? Ok fine - hot tubs, aqua park, LARGE casino, outdoor theater. You need to google this thing!
Again, we would not have to worry too much about money for food but booze would be expensive of course. The boat has lots of entertainment and we could visit a variety of exotic places. Who would not love to do that? We could visit Aruba, Jamaica, Cozumel, St. Thomas, etc. The Oasis Cruise ship is a bit more expensive and if we wanted to upgrade to a balcony room we were looking at $1800 per person not including airfare. Yikes.

So what do you think? Where should we go on our honeymoon? Did I leave a good option out? Where are you thinking for your honeymoon? I want to hop on a plane and go right.this.minute.

Warming My Heart

2010-10-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Does anyone watch parenthood? The show with Lauren Graham (who I want to be when I grow up)?
If you haven't seen it, I would check it out. It is the most real show I have watched in a while and it essentially deals with relationships between married couples and parents with their children. One family has a child with aspersion and their struggle with it so heartfelt . . . It has its humorous moments too.
Regardless, I give it an A+ and would definitely watch it - I am usually brought to tears because I feel so warmed about the potential families have for success.

Struggling

2010-10-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

I am struggling.
I love my new job and I have never loved my FI more, but I am still struggling. It is really hard living back home and being in a long distance relationship. Granted, he is home every weekend, but we have no privacy and no alone time.
I love my future in laws and my parents. But visiting them on the weeekends when FI and I had alone time all week was one thing. Now we spend all week apart and then all weekend visiting, doing chores, getting weekend things done. This leaves very little time for "us time." We try to have a date night each weekend to just unwind and catch up, but that isn't what I miss most.

I miss sitting on the couch watching tv with him, fumbling around the kitchen at night preparing lunches and coffee for the next morning, greeting him when he gets home from work, grocery shopping, making dinner in our own kitchen when I want and doing the dishes when we get around to it. I miss sitting in our living room doing separate things, not speaking but just being together.
These are the things that are what living together is about for us and what defines our routine. I have realized that I am no longer comfortable at my parent's home even though I lived with them for 20 years of my life - I am way more comfortable with my FI who I lived with for only a year.

We need a weekend away but that would just set us back from our goal of buying a house. Anyone hit a rough patch in your relationship that was really out of your control? Anyone have something shake up your daily routine that you can't seem to get past?

My Wedding Weakness

2010-10-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned my undying devotion for OOT bags. I don't know what it is - maybe the beautiful way it feels to say "oot," or the lovely gable boxes so many brides use, or my passion for all sorts of snacks, or how incredible it was to get an oot bag at my FI's cousin's wedding . . . the possibilities are endless. However, my passion for them remains. Everyday I go to the DIY page on weddingbee and look for OOT bag inspiration photos.

I am pathetic. So I thought I would share some of my loves with you all. Please share any you have - I am a fiend. I want them all!

Source Door Hangers

Chocolate Bars Courtesy of Mrs. Cloud

I did not upload the PDFs here but I love the idea of doing a brochure or welcome packet for the guests. They are personal and can give a lot of great info. Welcome Brochures! and this one is cute too!Wedding Ring Mold - These are for chocolates but I would love to do a little bag of homemade soaps used with a mold like this. They also have wedding bells. It would be great to find a massachusetts state one, but so far no luck.
Canvas Tote Bag

If I didn't want to spend a lot of money or didn't want to get a lot of goodies and snacks, I would probably go this route - which is so freaking cute too!

Source

*Sigh* Can't wait to have some space to make and store some of these beauties! Did I mention my FFIL does homebrews and will be making our OOTers some of our own personal love beer?

Are you doing OOT bags? Have you ever received a good OOT bag?
Let's see your OOT bag inspiration photos!!!

DIY Fail: the STDs.

2010-09-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

So I decided for the Save the Dates I would DIY. My MOH graciously came over to work on design, sample print it at Staples and pick a winner. HAHAHAHA. What I thought would be an easy design turned into a very unfortunate end result.

Here is my inspiration picture:

Source

Well. It didn't come out that good. It had cheesy yellow lines bordering the page and nothing I did looked complete. I bought a Martha Stewart paper puncher that made cute designs on the borders . . . didn't help too much. The more we looked at it - the better it got . . . because we were so fed up with the project.

Then my mom's GENEROUS friend, who is a graphic designer GRACIOUSLY offered to design them for me! I am so excited. Hope to show you some designs in a few days!
We are skipping the numbers part and instead putting a magnet in the mini-envelope with our info on it. Love.It. On the magnet we are using this photo:

And on the outside of the Save the Date we decided on this photo:

My mom mentioned it may be a photo overload. Do you think so?

Anyone find a good site to order magnets from? Anyone have a DIY fail that got them discouraged and behind schedule?

Meeting the Master of Ceremony

2010-09-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

We met with a potential officiant the other day. She is a justice of the peace as well as a Christian minister. My mother ensured that we knew to buy her coffee at the shop we met at . . . thanks, mom!
Anyway, we met her and it went great. She had SO many great ideas of ways to incorporate parents and grandparents and how to honor those who have passed away. We loved her. She was interested in us and what we do. I could tell that was an expressive and interesting lady. She has been an officiant for ten years but was a private investigator before that.
Well, after meeting with the officiant it felt like the ceremony was starting to come together in my mind. All the pieces that I felt were so disconnected start to flow. I am so excited to work with her and to meet with her to write our ceremony.
She was a little bit more than our budget allotted but after some discussion, we determined this was the place to go over. The reception wouldn't be much more than a party without the ceremony.
I can't wait to work more on the ceremony and share some with you all!
Some tips for meeting the officiant:

Have some pictures of your wedding ideas so they get a sense of what kind of wedding you are having. Bring your planning binder! They won't be intimidated.
Know what you are looking for in an officiant - list some qualities before meeting him/her
Ask him/her about their life outside of their job to get a sense of him/her as a person
Find out how they construct a ceremony, do they allow you to write any?
What type of tone do you want the ceremony to set? Will the officiant be comfortable setting that tone? Will they be good at it?
Relax! Don't be nervous and just let the conversation flow. Most likely they have done a lot of meetings and can carry the conversation. If they can't speak, they probably shouldn't be saying your ceremony.
Set out an hour for the meeting - you have a lot to talk about!

Did you meet your officiant? Did you gel with him/her more than you thought you would? Do you have any tips for interviewing the officiant?

Bridal Party Boogying

2010-09-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

At my friend's wedding, she had her wedding party all do the cupid shuffle. It was fun and they got the wedding guests up and involved after the first two rounds. My mother came across this video on youtube the other day and asked if we would be having a bridal party number.

The answer is no. I wouldn't put the guys through that because I know they would HATE it. I have already told the ladies they are in charge of getting people in the crowd interested in dancing, but we won't be doing any choreography . . . at least for the bridal party.
Are you having your bridal party do a dance? It looks like fun, but my ladies and gentlemen would have none of it. What song are you having them dance to?

Wedding Dress Dilemmas

2010-09-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

So I went wedding dress shopping a month ago and haven't been back. I found a dress I love. L-O-V-E. The problem? Well my friend's sister wore it at her own wedding. While this doesn't bother me at all, I saw pictures and realized I may not care for the dress as much as I thought I did a month ago. The swarovski beading around the neckline looked kind of fake ...

So now I am kind of back to the drawing board. I am going to try it on again and take some pictures of me in it. Here are some of my new inspiration photos and the one I thought I loved:

(Above) The one I tried on and loved! Below are just dresses I am thinking I might like to try on or try on something similar to:These are so different than the one I loved originally. I am not sure what is going on with my taste - it is a good thing I haven't put any deposits down or anything. I think I will continue to look and retry on the Caprice that I originally loved.

Did you have dress concerns along your search? Do you ever fall in love with something while shopping and then fall out of love later on? *sigh*

I've Fallen Off the Wedding Planning Wagon . . .

2010-09-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

But I hope to get back on next week!

This is what I have been up to this week:
1.) I found out I got a new job last week, so I have been finishing up at the old job.
2.) News Flash (in case you couldn't tell) I am a teacher so I was also amidst first week craziness.
3.) Packing because I have to move!
4.) FI and I begin a Long Distance Relationship next week =( So we have been bickering to mask our pain and spending lots of time together when we are not bickering.
5.) Planning for TWO teaching jobs including reading (I am an English teacher) and writing lessons.
6.) LOSING my mind!

But next week we have an appointment with a DJ and our potential officiant. Any advice on what important questions to ask either of these potential vendors?

Did you run into any life throws you a curve ball moments during your wedding planning?

Awesome Shutterfly Deal

2010-09-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

Today's Boston Groupon, a coupon website, is 67% off a photobook on Shutterfly. I love their photobooks so I figured I would share the sale with you all. I just recently purchased one of our engagement photos. It came out great! My parents want a copy so I will probably use the coupon for that.

No, I did not get paid to write this. I just wanted you all to get to take advantage of this too!

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu4599394

Happy book making!

Constructing the Ceremony

2010-09-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I grew up Catholic and the FI grew up congregationalist. We want to include faith in a God in our ceremony without having a wholly religious ceremony. Enter my FI's super fantastic aunt and uncle: They bought us this great book as an engagement congratulation:
So admittedly, the cover looks cheesy and why is it called "Into the Garden"? But the contents are great! They have wedding and love poems ranging from religious to sappy dappy to sexy! In the back of the book are examples of traditional wedding ceremonies. My favorite so far is the Zen-Unitarian-American - Traditional Ceremony. They also have Protestant, Judeo-Christian, Zen, Jewish etc. I highly recommend this book if you are going to use readings from the Bible, non-secular readings or are interested in reading some sweet, sappy poetry.

I was thinking, as an English teacher, it would be great if our readers picked a poem that they liked from this book or from somewhere else. Then I read one about burning desiring loins and I decided that leaving it up to someone else could be risky.

I am going to leave you with one of the poems from the text:

love is more thicker than forget
more thinner than recall
more seldom than a wave is wet
more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly

and less it shall unbe
that all the sea which only
is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win
less never than alive
less bigger than the least begin
less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly
and more it cannot die
than all the sky which only
is higher than the sky

e.e. cummings

What books did you find helpful throughout planning the ceremony, reception, entire wedding? How are you putting together your ceremony? Any helpful hints?

Hairspiration

2010-09-03T04:01:00.000-07:00

So I love to think about things WAY in advance. I am going to share with you my hairspiration photos. First. Let me remind you of what my hair looks like:

So as you can see, my hair is a little past my shoulders or so. I am very low maintenance when it comes to my hair - I wash and brush it. For special occassions, I may straighten it but that is a toss up. I am also growing out my hair for the next 10 months hoping to get it a bit longer for the big updo.

Ok so here they are: I love the look of the back of this. I couldn't find front pictures so I don't know how good that would look.

How can you not love a good Carrie Underwood hairdo? She is so classy. So for the half up half down look - first of all, my FI requested that some hair be down. Whether or not I consider this is up in the air. I love the Carrie shot on the right this is the back of that hair:
I love the back of the hair too as well as the side swept bangs. I would love to include side swept bangs because they look so adorable with wedding hairstyles, but is this practical for my life pre and post wedding? Probably not.

Ignore the crazy outfit and weird face. I actually like this hair - it is unique but I think sophisticated looking. Am I just crazy? Please be honest about that style with me!

Okay so again, ignore the face, but I do like the hair here. I love the bangs again and the wispys on the side. It looks classy but not overdone.

Which one is your favorite? What kinds of hair inspiration photos did you find to hand off to your hair stylist? I think I am going to need 10 hair trials!!!

Sigh

2010-09-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Things I wish I could include in the wedding but alack, alas, we cannot for one reason or another:

Source

Mmmmm This makes my mouth water just looking at it. It would make a great dessert bar option or a great favor. Who doesn't like a good s'mores?!

Vintage cars. I love them. They are so freaking cute & I would love a grand entrance or exit in one. However, we are not doing any of those things in a grand way. Therefore, no grand vehicle transport for us.

Source

A simple beach wedding or destination wedding. I love this look - it is so classy and elegant but not over the top. Sometimes I wish we had gone this route. However, we want so many people to be able to share in our day so a DW just wasn't in the cards.

But pictures like this make me reconsider (Source):

Mmmm more cute ways to display food & drink!

A popcorn bar!
(source)

Too cute signature
drinks! (Source)

I am sure I will have many more posts like this one.
Are there inspiration photos that make you swoon but you know you will never be able to replicate at your wedding? How do you get over wedding envy?

Crazy life changes

2010-08-31T10:48:00.001-07:00

I have been amiss & I have lots of things to tell you about.
First of all, I went sky diving. Whatttt?! I have no pictures to confirm such a tale, but it is true. It was the most amazing experience of my life. My brother convinced me by berating me for being old and boring (I am 23 by the way!) and then telling me we needed more sibling bonding time before I got married. Time out. I don't want to hang out with you when you are being so mean!!!
Regardless, I made it up 13,500 feet and managed to shimmy over to the door with a man strapped on to me. We hung out of the window while he counted to three and then the world moved around me quite quickly.

In addition to all that craziness, I got a new job. I am a high school English teacher and it was the weirdest mix of emotions to be getting a new job so close to the start of the school year. Overall, it will be a great move for FI and I. We will be closer to our families; I will move in with my parents for six months while he is away working. After saving money for the next six months, we will (hopefully!) have the money to purchase our first home.

BIG posts to follow!

Adding Character & FI's Personality to our Wedding

2010-08-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

We are getting married at a golf club. A beautiful golf club that has more character than just a large room with a dance floor, however, it was not my FI's dream. His dream was to get married in an old barn and I love that dream.

Well, we couldn't afford the barn wedding of our dream, and we decided the money would be better spent on oh I don't know having food at the wedding? hahaha. So we are adding some other things to make it more "us."

The first thing we are doing is having FI build us the arbor for us to get married under. I think this is the greatest idea ever. We had decided this awhile ago, but then I saw Ms. Husky's fiance made her one for their wedding too. I was so excited! I just love the idea of getting married under an arbor; it is so sweet and romantic. I want him to carve in the date so we can put it up in our (non-existant) garden. It will be so beautiful. FI has already built us a coffee table for our living room. Here is a sample of his GORGEOUS work!FI and I sitting down behind our new addition to our tiny apartment!
(Photo taken by FMIL. )

He used a variety of different woods including old American Chestnut from a barn he is working on now. It is absolutely magnificent.

He also wants to build us the table we sit at for the reception. *Sigh* I am not sold on this idea. I love the cute little round couple table and he wants to build us a big sturdy dining room table that we will use and have forever. He wants us to eat at this table during our first meal as a family. *awwww* really cute sentiment - still not sold.
I can't wait for him to start work on these projects so I can show you all pictures!

What do you all think about the dining room table idea? Am I being bratty by not letting him have this one desire? How did you add character or your own personality to your wedding?

Here's the Mail!

2010-08-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation for two and half weeks and I had ordered myself a few gifts to welcome myself home. Without further ado, I give you the (wedding) mail I came home to.

First, I received the purse that I had won from babbsboutique (thanks Monica!). Check out her shop here: Babbsboutique. It is a tres chic clutch with white and champagne colored pleating. I posted it earlier but here it is in person! I am thinking rehearsal dinner or bridal shower accessory. What do you think?(Ignore the stamp on the side I will get to that).

I also received these super cute stamps from zazzle.com. I cannot afford fancy stamps, but they were having a super sale and I bought a bunch for my save the dates. I thought I had ordered fifty - I ordered 100. Whoops.

The final thing I came home to was my first purchase off of etsy! I bought it from lovetocreatestamps. I bought a stamp with a tree (to go along with our motif) to stamp the backside of the envelopes. I can't wait to use them! FI loves it too which is great.
(I cropped out the last line).

Next up is the creation of the Save the Dates. Of course, first I need to create them. Can't wait!
Have you gotten anything in the mail lately that excited you? Do you love mail as much as I do?!?!?! Who doesn't?!

Oh My Blog Award! Thanks Jessica!

2010-08-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

So one of my followers gave me an "Oh My Blog" award. I had never heard of such a thing but I felt so special to have been mentioned on her blog and thought it would be great to give it away to three of my followers too. So thank you Jessica.

A) Get very excited that you got the coolest award EVER!

B) To accept the OMB Award, choose ONE of the following options:

1.Get very drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight. (or for as long as you can focus)

2.Write a "Soundtrack of your childhood" post.

3.Make your next blog post a video blog. (talk to the camera about anything)

4.Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make up, etc) and post it.

5.Write about your most embarrassing moment. Since the first ones are not going to happen, I suppose this is my choice.

Okay here we go. I will choose to just narrate my most embarrassing moment. I guess it was also one of the best moments. So, I was in college and I got a little tipsy/drunk. My best friend at the time had to carry me up to the hotel. We were in Daytona, FL and he was/is my best friend in the world. We were there with another couple also. Apparently my pants were falling down as he was carrying me too, classy. Anyway, we were laying in bed that night and our friends were engaged so he was sharing the same bed (no big deal). He was rubbing my back, because I was sick (shocking). I turned to him and told him I was madly in love with him and always would be. Nice work. He told me I was drunk but I proceeded to try to kiss him. He rejected me over and over until I passed out.

Super incredibly horribly terribly embarrassing the next morning when it all started coming back to me. Well, the rest is history as we are engaged. I guess it was both super awkward/embarrassing and the best thing ever. Go figure.

C) Pass the award on to at least three other awesome bloggers.
1.) Lauren for her honest writing style, really cool DIY ideas & just all around great wedding blog
2.) Tove for her really witty blog name, great bookmarks (which I hope she will show me how to make) and cute blog which I can't wait to keep reading.
3.) Ceamoste for her dedicated commenting on my blog, her great blog layout and a super beautiful wedding dress style!

A Healthier Lifestyle

2010-08-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

For the past eight years I have struggled with finding a comfortable weight. This is the heaviest I have been, and throughout our trip I HATED having my picture taken. It was horrible, and I hated the way I felt. I am dedicated to losing some weight. It is going to be really hard especially with the start of my second year of teaching coming up (I really enjoy stress eating).

So I need you all to keep me in check. Keep me honest. I am going on a healthy eating diet and I am going to regularly exercise. No gimmicks or crash diets - just good honest healthy living. The first thing to go is soda & fast food. I don't eat fast food often (minus my recent road trip where there was little other options sometimes), but I am a coke addict. Coca Cola of course. Ever since I started being friends with my FI, he has got me hooked on coke and caffeine.

I always say I am going to start my diet tomorrow. Well, I am starting my diet right now. This is about feeling good about myself and feeling sexy again. My wedding is also a good motivation for doing well with my diet.

Thanks for your help in advance! Make sure to keep me honest!

Home Sweet Apartment

2010-08-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am back from the craziest adventure I have ever had. We had such an amazing time seeing the country. It was UNREAL everything we did and experienced. I may just have to refer you to my other blog if you are interested in hearing about all our exploits:

It is too much to sum it all up in one short post. I can show you some awesome pictures though!
This is us in front of the Grand Tetons. Aren't they magnificent?
This is us in front of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It is also called the Artist's Paintpoint because it is the most photographed place in the park.

This is the "weeping wall" which is run off from the melting snow and glaciers on the mountains. This was located in Glacier National Park.

On to the animals! We saw 13 bears in one day! You need to be pretty careful about food and hiking in Glacier. They have a very healthy number of bears. In Glacier we also saw some Bighorn Sheep REALLY up close which is uncommon because they keep to themselves & a million mountain goats. We also saw a wolf in Yellowstone which are very rare to see. There were Bison everywhere and we definitely got caught in a few bison traffic jams. Damn animals just sit in the roads!There were many elk in Rocky Mountain National Park as well as a few coyotes and we saw some Bighorn Sheep here too. There were plenty of deer and antelope throughout our entire trip. Oh ew. We saw two rattlesnakes in Theodore Roosevelt Park. GROSS!
Everything was truly amazing though and although FI and I had some tiffs - camping can be stressful and a lot of work - we enjoyed each other's company IMMENSELY. It was really a very rewarding trip.
And you know what? I have hardly thought of wedding planning at all. I am off to read some great blogs and catch up on everything I have missed.

A Break in Wedding Planning to . . .

2010-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

RELAX, VACATION, and spend some quality time with my FI. Yes, I will be taking a 2 1/2 week wedding planning & dreaming, blog reading, phone call making, appointment keeping hiatus. Why? Well, FI is a hiking & camping whore. He loves it. Growing up, his family took a lot of camping trips and even took TWO road trips across the country.
Well, we are taking a road trip just FI and I on a National Park Tour. Our National Park Tour began (unexpectedly for me) with our engagement at Acadia National park, but we will continue it to Rocky Mountain

Grand Teton

Yellowstone National Park

Glacier (!!!)

Theodore Roosevelt

Mount Rushmore

Home.

It is going to take 2 1/2 weeks and we will be sleeping in tents the entire time! (Minus 5 nights of hotels and lodges). We will go hiking, horseback riding, out to dinner, rafting, canoeing/kayaking, boating, sightseeing and just enjoy each other's company by the fire at night. I can't wait but I am not a camper like him. This is a true test of our love and patience I think but at the same time, is going to be an AMAZING experience. These are the pictures from his last trip to Colorado when he was in high school. I cannot wait to see what beautiful pictures he takes on this trip!
Do you have any plans for trips pre-wedding? How do you relax and stop stressing/planning for the big day?

This is going to be photo heavy. . .

2010-07-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

My E-PICS ARE HERE!
Okay here are my favorites. I apologize but I cannot narrow it down. I narrowed it down to two and then back up to ten. I just love them all.

If you had to pick ONE which would you pick? And which one would you pick as a second choice?
I still have 30 more that I love too!

Did you get your engagement pictures taken? Did a family member or friend help you out with a wedding project and EXCEED all expectations?

My first DIY attempt

2010-07-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

So I am not crafty . . . I really wish I was crafty but I'm just not. My mother stopped putting up my art creations in 3rd grade. I had peaked.

Well now that I am planning the wedding and seeing all the cute crafty things out there. I cannot help but want to create some of my own!!! My first attempt was origami. Really how can you mess up some folding? The first three were MAJOR failures.

I will post some pictures when I do it in our wedding colors with the leaves. My vision is to fold these bad boys and then put small leaves on the bottom of them with peoples names and table numbers. This is what they should look like:Source with Great Tutorial

They will be the ESCORT CARDS! Aren't they gorgeous? I stole this idea from Mrs. Guinea Pig on weddingbee.

We think we will add clothespins and clip them to our wishing tree. Once everyone has their escort cards, they can come back to the tree and redecorate it with our wedding wishes and make it look like this:

Source

So I made a few prototypes and boy am I going to have some busy bridesmaids making these. You need five petals for each flower and I need 180 flowers. Yep, we are talking almost 1000 petals. Mean mean bride-to-be. I took my prototypes and they are making a really cute centerpiece right now. My bridesmaids are coming over tomorrow for Bridesmaid dress shopping wait until they seem them. hahaha.

What was your first DIY project?

Our Baby

2010-07-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

I never shared with you our baby!

One day, we decided we wanted a kitten. It was strange because neither of us are too fond of cats, but due to the size of our apartment we cann
ot get a dog. We were longing for that nonjudgmental love a dog gives its owners. We thought about it and looked at adorable pictures of kittens on Adopt Cat Sites. Check these out:

FI said no. No.No.No. We love to go away and it is too much work and money for us. I whined a bit and we went to the pet store to check out their adopt-a-pet clinic. We wandered toward the hamsters & bunnies section.

In an effort not to get a cat, we got a hamster. The equation doesn't make much sense, but we got a dwarf hamster and he is so adorable. Is he cuddly and loving? No. Do I watch him and laugh constantly? yes.
We named him Lucky because on the first day I lost him in the car (long story) and he is SUPER fast & quick and we were lucky to have every found and caught him.

So here is our Lucky little one:

Do you have any pets? Are you and FI on the same page about what is an appropriate pet? Isn't Lucky the cutest?

LOST

2010-07-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

Source

Before I get into the sad tale of the above shoes, I want to make a confession. Deep Breath. I do not care for shoes. I don't know what it is but I dislike shoe shopping. No, really really dislike, detest, abhor shoe shopping. I would rather go to the dentist than go to the shoe store. I wear flats or flip flops every.single.day. I have a pair of sneakers, two pairs of flats and a pair of flip flops in my closet.

That said. I came across this picture on WeddingBee (my all-time favorite wedding site). I gasped. I had no idea that I had dream shoes, and yet, there they were! However, when following the source, giddy with excitement on finding my wedding shoes, I realized they were for a vintage shop on etsy. Size of the shoes? 6 1/2 My size? 8 1/2. DAMN!

Anyone seen my long lost love, vintage bluebell heels? Anyone lust after an item you never thought you would want/care about?

The Dreaded Money Issue

2010-07-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

So I was chatting with my mother the other day about how her and my father decided to do everything joint. She was shocked - there is another way to do it?
Needless to say, not helpful. Currently, we have a joint account to pay bills out of and we work on a fair amount that I pay and a fair amount that he pays for rent. We are lucky enough to not be dealing with any school loans on my end but he has a bunch. In the present, he takes only minimal financial support/help from me.

But after the wedding, are we going to continue things the way they are? Will he allow me to help more (I hope!)? What about when we get a house and have kids? Will this one joint account continue to work?
What are all your plans out there? What do you currently do?

E-Pics Teasers

2010-07-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sooooo We took our engagement photos this weekend. My FI's sister is super talented with a camera (and in many other ways hahaha), and she took some amazing photos. I was a little nervous that I would be uncomfortable kissing FI in front of my FSIL so frequently. She did everything she could to make us feel super comfortable and confident. It was awesome. So I just want to leave you with ONE of my favorites before I get all the pictures edited back. I will post many more I am sure.

We used this site for some tips: http://www.weddingbeepro.com/2009/03/27/engagement-photos/
We also grabbed some picture frames, two small fake bouquets at Jo-Anne Fabrics, books and bananagram tiles. I can't wait to show you all how we used these great props!
The initials in the heart are ours and the date is above it in very very small print. Should I keep it in black and white, color or a faded, vintagey color?
How did your epics go? What props did you bring with you?

I won!

2010-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

I never win anything. Nothing. Seriously - I cannot remember the last time I won something. I don't usually enter contests so that could be the reason. So I stumbled upon this woman's blog and her etsy shop and entered her contest. I read recently to enter all bridal contests because who knows right? I won! I named her bag "perfectly pleated" and she is sending me one in the mail. Super pumped.
Here is a link to her site and the bag. =)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/50778993/perfectly-pleated-silk-clutch-in-ivory

Bride Porn

2010-07-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

You heard me. Bride porn. Want to see what I have been looking at lately ;-)

Source

Source (both pictures)

Source

Source

I pine I yearn. I cannot decide where I want to go. Caribbean cruise, Hawaiian Cruise, Mediterranean Cruise . . . All-Inclusive Resorts at any of the above.
Love. Love. Love.
Where do you yearn to go? Which picture gets you going?

Cakespiration

2010-07-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

I have been putting off cake decisions for a number of reasons. First of all originally we were looking at places that included a cake in their venue fee but the place we finally agreed upon does not. The second reason is because I love all sweets. Delicious brownies, delectable candies, smooth and creamy ice cream, moist cake with sweet flavorful frosting etc etc etc. How will I feel when that part is over? So instead, I have been amusing my interest in cakes with some google images.
Some of the fun cakes I found:
This one goes with the tree theme but I think it is too over the top. It is a lovely design though just a little too artsy for me.
source 1
I like this one better if it were in my colors (blue and yellow). I think it is cute . . . or was I looking at bad cakes too long. What do you think?
source 2

This is from the cake place we are going to test out soon. I was browsing their site and this just looked delicious and beautiful!
source Again - I would like it better in my colors. I would definitely do a cream colored frosting with blue and yellow flowers on it. I think they look so great!

What piece of the wedding planning process are you putting off because you don't want it to be over yet? Was choosing a cake flavor and design easy for you?

E-Pics & Bridesmaid Dress Shopping . . .

2010-07-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

are coming up. Sorry for that tease. I am at a loss for what I want for engagement photos. My FSIL takes gorgeous portraits so we are having her do them, but I am nervous about being cutesy in front of her. Oh well, we will see how it goes. But we are considering where to go and with what props to use. Here are some e-photos I love:

Source
E-photo in a library? YES PLEASE!
Use of chalkboards and other things to write on - too cute! I also love the use of balloons even though it seems to be a typical prop. I can't wait to have my own photos to share with you!

As far as bridesmaid dress shopping, that is a topic for another day. But again, I am unsure and stressed. I am a people pleaser. I will want everyone to happy and with five people plus my opinionated mother, I am in trouble. Yikes!

Trying to wrangle a cohesive element!

2010-07-06T09:29:00.001-07:00

My FI the carpenter (Personal Photo)

While I hate the idea of a "themed wedding," I am going to go with a "motif" for the wedding. Yeah, same difference. Well, we are having a summer wedding, but we decided to go with a rustic tone and tree motif. Our colors are blue and yellow and here are some of my inspiration photos. Don't worry if they don't look cohesive, we will work through it!

Also we found these GREAT save the dates, but they don't come up in an image size so check out the websites: Save the Dates and Oak Tree Invites.

What are some of your inspiring ideas, strands, motifs or (dare I say it) themes?

Source Source Source

Flowers

2010-06-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

I think we have decided on a florist. Everything seems to be coming together TOO easily which scares me.
Anyway, a family friend is a florist in Connecticut. FI and I went to his cousin's wedding this weekend and saw her beautiful work first hand. I chatted with her for a few moments and told her I would like to pick her brain for our wedding. She was very excited.
Here are a couple (lousy quality photos) of her work.
I love the interesting colors chosen. The bride and groom chose light blue and lime green as their wedding colors. It was beautiful. They spoke with the florist who recommended fuschia and orange highlights. It was vibrant, energetic and definitely summery. I can't wait to sit down and talk about some interesting accent colors for our wedding!

Have you found your vendors easily or has it been a struggle to find the right people?

It's Official!

2010-06-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

We dotted the i's and crossed our t's yesterday at our official wedding venue site! It was actually pretty anti-climactic. Here is a pic of the ceremony site. Our date is in the summer so it looks a lot greener:

source
And this is the inside room where the reception will be held. I will post some personal photos later on so you can see the BEAUTIFUL bar and the lovely octagonal room for cocktail hour.

We are both super pumped for the big day which is now set for July 30, 2011. Apparently, according to my Fiance, this is a good day. Oh ok. He also sent text messages to all his groomsmen and even called some of his relatives. So adorable.

I am getting married!
Did it finally dawn on you at one point that it was really going to happen? When did this revelation occur to you?

Wedding Dress Shopping

2010-06-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

So I had many ideas for what I loved in a wedding dress. I hadn't done a lot of searching on the internet but my FI had requested backless, halter. To which I thought "ME TOO!" but responded "yeah right." He gets no hints to what I finally choose!
I definitely wanted straps, something pretty basic with an A-line (probably). I like sweetheart tops but I do like halter tops too. No lace, no big poofy skirt and not a lot of beading. I am obsessed with dresses that have dramatic backs. These things just are not me - I have seen some LOVELY dresses with all of these on them but they don't feel like me.
Anyways, so here were some of my inspirations before dress shopping:

What were some of your criteria? Did you listen to your FI ideas first? Did you let him come along?

Too much inspiration

2010-05-28T12:41:00.001-07:00

I like it all. It is true. There is very little I can narrow down or out. When people ask me what I have decided on I tell them: summer wedding, white dress . . . oh yeah and I know who the groom is!
So this was my first inspiration board:

My wedding list 2 by scournoyer418 featuring BKE shoes
Since then, I have determined that orange and purple are out. Red and blue are still battling it out and we definitely (maybe) want a pale yellow as an accent color. *Sigh*
It would all be so lovely. Too bad I am only getting married once. (Don't tell the fiancee I said that!)

Was getting your color coordinates an easy task? What colors did you sadly toss aside?

The Engagement

2010-05-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

So my recent engagement is what sparked me to create this blog in the first place. So my fiancee (still am getting used to this word!) proposed about a month ago on a surprise trip up to Acadia National Park. This is the story that Ben put together for our google wedding site. His super interest is amazing! I am guessing it will wan soon enough so I am enjoying every minute of it.

The early years: Sarah and Ben met freshmen year at Roger Williams University. Her close friend (and now bridesmaid!) lived in Ben's unit, and brought Sarah over to watch a movie for class, Quest for Fire. Upon walking through the common room, Ben was intrigued by the savage scenes of cavemen killing each other in their need for fire. Sarah even mentioned to Courtney how cute Ben was and how Courtney should try to date him. She immediately replied that he already had a girlfriend but they both agreed that was unfortunate.

Anyways Ben and Sarah became good acquaintances. However, it was not until a large group trip into Providence and the bus ride back when they became close friends. That night after everyone left they went down to the bay and sat on the rocks. They would visit this spot frequently throughout freshmen and sophomore years to vent, talk about school, friends, life or just sit in silence. While living on campus as close friends, Ben would always walk her home after dark and many times meet her at the newspaper office to see her back to her dorm safely.

Daytona Beach: Friends vehemently argued that Ben and Sarah were meant to be, but the two just as strongly disagreed using their close friendship as proof that it was not so. Late junior year, with their roommates Liz and Trevor (an engaged couple), the couple took a trip down to Daytona Beach where they began to realize their true feelings for one another. Trevor and Liz gave a resounding "I told you so." Ben and Sarah began dating casually, but it was not until after Ben's trip to Italy that he realized Sarah was the one.

The First (Official) Date: Upon his homecoming, he asked Sarah out on a romantic surprise date into Boston where the two went to the aquarium (where they had visited freshman year), ice skating, and out to a nice dinner in December of 2008. Soft snow fell through the city as the couple walked through Boston. The setting of their first date could not have been more serene. The following months, Ben and Sarah realized that although all along they thought they couldn't date because they were friends was actually the reason they were so compatible!

The Proposal: The engagement was even more romantic than the first date (if possible!). Sarah had been dropping subtle (or not so subtle) hints about a proposal to Ben, and she had a sense that it was coming in the following year. However, she thought she would have some indication that he had made a large purchase, but she was wrong. Ben had hid the ring from her for four months before he proposed on a surprise vacation to Acadia National Park in April of 2010. He woke her up at 4:30 (risking his own safety) and took her out to the cliffs in the park to watch the sunrise. Sarah had no idea it was coming until he was on one knee. He even brought a camera and proceeded to take (exactly!) 697 photos over the course of the 3 day trip to document their engagement.
My beautiful white gold engagement ring, holding hands with my fiancee! Did you get a crazy romantic surprise engagement?

Making Our Way to the Altar

We are Houseless No More!

Further Reading . . .

Ceremony Readings

Dress me up!

Everything is coming into place!

A Happy Balance

Extending the Party

Honeymoon is where the heart is . . .

Warming My Heart

Struggling

My Wedding Weakness

DIY Fail: the STDs.

Meeting the Master of Ceremony

Bridal Party Boogying

Wedding Dress Dilemmas

I've Fallen Off the Wedding Planning Wagon . . .

Awesome Shutterfly Deal

Constructing the Ceremony

Hairspiration

*Sigh*

Crazy life changes

Adding Character & FI's Personality to our Wedding

Here's the Mail!

Oh My Blog Award! Thanks Jessica!

A Healthier Lifestyle

Home Sweet Apartment

A Break in Wedding Planning to . . .

This is going to be photo heavy. . .

My first DIY attempt

Our Baby

LOST

The Dreaded Money Issue

E-Pics Teasers

I won!

Bride Porn

Cakespiration

E-Pics & Bridesmaid Dress Shopping . . .

Trying to wrangle a cohesive element!

Flowers

It's Official!

Wedding Dress Shopping

Too much inspiration

The Engagement

Sigh