We are Houseless No More!

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!

Further Reading . . .

If you are looking for a non-related wedding blog to read, my FSIL just started a blog that cracks me up. She is such a witty person.
Here is the link to her blog. Check it out - they are just daily noticings, amusements and observations.

Mockingbored.blogspot.com

Ceremony Readings

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!

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!

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

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

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?