An Insight on the Planning...

Roses are red...

2008-05-29T13:36:00.010-04:00

Forgive me for being so horrible at updating. With only two weeks and five days left before the wedding (or nineteen days, but who's counting?), there is a lot to do, and I still need to post on details that have been finalized. Flowers, perhaps?

My first idea for a bouquet was pretty simple--and more unique. Red gerbera daisies.

I still love them, but after some thought, I decided that I wanted the classic rose bouquet even more.

Originally, I was planning on using silk flowers so that I would be able to keep my bouquet forever. We went to a local florist, and she made a sample bouquet for me, and truth be told, I hated it. It really looked fake. I knew they were silks, so of course they were fake, but I expected them to look more real for some reason. Also, the lady was quoting us ~$200 for one bouquet, a bridesmaid bouquet, and six bouts. For fake flowers. That seemed a bit much. My dad had told us about another florist in town, so we decided to check it out just to please him. They sat my mom, sister, and I down at a couch with several books at hand. I searched through the books, and I found exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to do real flowers now, but I was afraid of the price.

We talked to the woman, and for the same amount of pieces plus a toss bouquet, it would only cost ~$100. And that's for real flowers. Red roses and white stephanotis.

I'm incredibly happy with the outcome, and I really am glad that we went with that florist instead. We'll be picking up the pieces the day of the wedding, so everything will be beautifully fresh.

Have I mentioned that our wedding is in nineteen days? I believe I have. :)

Let's hear it for the boys!

2008-05-10T19:48:00.004-04:00

I'm excited to say that the groom's tux, as well as the best man's tux, have been ordered! Left to go: Dad and the three ushers. Since the boys don't really get much time in the spotlight on wedding blogs, I figured I'd write/type a post dedicated to the boys and their tuxes.

Though I told Josh that he could get (almost) anything he liked, he still included me in the decision, and I had the final say of yes or no. We ended up going to Men's Wearhouse because Josh would be able to get his tux for free and everyone else would get $20 off (since I bought my dress at David's). It was easy to decide on the actual tux. Josh decided on a Ralph Lauren three-button super 100's tuxedo:
Then came the vest debate. I wanted everyone (aside from Josh and my Dad) to be wearing apple vests to match my sister's dress and the overall color theme. Josh thought that it would look "clownish," until seeing the apple on black. He then decided that apple would look fine. So, we went with the herringbone apple vest for our three ushers and the best man:
I mentioned something about the classic groom look for Josh: white shirt, black tie, black vest, black tux. He liked the idea, but still looked at some other vests in a silver/platinum color. When it came down to it, though, he asked what I liked best (which I was extremely grateful for), and though I do like the silver/platinum vests, they looked too "prom-y" to me, so I stuck with the classic look. And so it was decided: Josh would be a classic groom, wearing a herringbone black vest:
Everything else was pretty simple. All of the boys will be wearing "Euro ties" instead of bow ties, and they'll be wearing plain white shirts. Cufflinks will be silver and white, I believe. I can't really remember what Josh picked for those.

I'm just excited that we finally have the tuxes set!

Honeymoon: Change of Plans

2008-05-09T22:44:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a while! I don't really know why I stopped posting, though we did get a little busier with the wedding plans. There are quite a few things to talk about, but I'll try to spread them out in different posts. We'll start of with the honeymoon. Again.

After writing a post on staying in a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN, a few things changed. Josh and I are lucky enough that his grandparents will be paying for our honeymoon, so after some debate, we thought about going to Disney. To us, it would be much more exciting, and who wouldn't want to wear the cute bride and groom mouse ear hats? I was definitely game. The other night, though, we started looking at some Bed & Breakfasts online in Asheville, NC. We found a few we like and finally decided what we wanted to do. So, we booked it last night.

Cumberland Falls B&B is beautiful! We'll be staying in the Lion's Den for only $165/night ($199 Friday-Sunday), and the room is just perfect.

Yes, that's a claw-foot tub. After waking up around 11am in our private suite the Wednesday morning after the wedding (my parents are getting us a nice jacuzzi room at a local Howard Johnson), we'll check-out and head to Asheville, where we'll arrive around three, which is check-in time. We'll be able to enjoy ourselves at the B&B, take trips to downtown Asheville or the nearby Black Mountain, and (possibly) even take a day hike somewhere. We'll check-out that Saturday morning, but maybe we'll take the long way home so that we can enjoy ourselves and our time away just for that much longer.

I'm incredibly excited! Josh and I might actually be looking more forward to the honeymoon right now than the wedding, haha. Since the wedding is only 38 days away, though, we're getting even more nervous.

Next up: tuxes? or maybe flowers?

All images from cumberlandfalls.com

2008-04-29T07:59:00.005-04:00

I received an email from Vania Lee at Wishgiving. She would like to give my readers a special promotion!

"I’d love to offer you and your readers a special discount. We are currently having a site-wide Mother’s Day promotion, with 20% off all non-sale orders with promo code MOM08."

So, head on over!

Something a little different

2008-04-21T11:43:00.001-04:00

Come see me at my other blog: somewhat voluble.

Sneak peek

2008-04-05T22:13:00.004-04:00

We picked up our wedding invitations today! Here is a bit of a "sneak peek":

[on the way home!]

[scattered on our couch at home]

I've checked everything, and they look just as I hoped they would. Of course, we haven't assembled them yet... but soon enough, they will be ready to send out!

Wishgiving

2008-04-04T15:14:00.008-04:00

I'm pretty picky when it comes to jewelry. Unlike my younger sister--who enjoys wearing a different ring on each finger and about ten bracelets on each arm (I have to hand it to her; she has one amazing, unique style)--I like to keep things simple. When it came to my engagement ring, I didn't want anything too flashy; I'm a small girl, and a huge rock would just empower me. (I just realized that I have yet to mention rings, but that will have to wait until a later post.) Jewelry on the wedding day will be no different, if I even wear any at all (aside from my rings, of course)! However, I absolutely love looking at beautiful, simple jewelry, and when I came upon Wishgiving by Vanessa Leu, I was in awe.

While visiting Wishgiving's website, I was able to see that it contained a bridal collection, and of course, I had to take more than just a peek. Vanessa Leu captures beautiful details and everything she creates is simple and elegant--the way your jewelry should be on one of the most important days of your life. Whether your looking for pearls or crystal, contemporary or modern classic, Wishgiving has everything you could ever want. Not only that, but Vanessa has a men's jewelry collection as well, if you need a special gift for your hubby-to-be, or if he would like to give his groomsmen a great gift that they deserve. Along with her Zen and Modern Yoga collections, Vanessa Leu's Wishgiving has just about everything you could imagine when it comes to jewelry.

A brief interruption...

2008-04-03T22:09:00.003-04:00

I would like to take a moment to announce that I am the winner of weddingbee's contest for a custom embosser from The Paper Cafe! How exciting?! If the embosser gets to me in time, I may use it to seal the inner envelopes of our invitations.

Remember to take a look at what our possible plans are for our honeymoon.

Ah, the honeymoon!

2008-04-03T00:30:00.010-04:00

I've been looking at some ideas for our honeymoon tonight, and I realized that I haven't written about our honeymoon possibilities. So, here I go. :]

Our wedding is beginning at 5pm, so after the reception, we plan to just stay in our little hometown for the night. Luckily, a brand new hotel was built there recently, and after looking at some photos of the rooms, I was sold. It's a Howard Johnson hotel, and at less than $100 a night, I think it's perfect. Plus, I've stayed in a HoJo before, and the beds are quite comfy! What makes them so comfy? They have Serta mattresses with down comforters! Not only that, but the hotel has it's own mini-theater and the rooms come equipped with a La-Z-Boy recliner, flat screen television, and a DVD player. From a review, I read that the bathrooms are large and stocked with Bath & Body soaps and lotions for the guests to take advantage of. Who could pass this up?

[the standard king room- travelpost]

Of course, we still had some more planning to do. We have the night of the wedding down, but what about the rest? At first, we (well, I) couldn't decide where to spend our once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon. I wanted to go to London, the beach, Italy, Ireland--I still wouldn't mind going to any of those places--but in the end, I decided that those places wouldn't be private enough. I want our honeymoon to be just us, and I don't even care about sight-seeing; we can do that sort of thing on an anniversary! So, I finally listened to Josh's suggestion: getting a private cabin in the Smokies. I don't know why I didn't think of it so much before! Our hometown is only about 3-4 hours from the beautiful Smoky Mountains, and a cabin would be so excluded--definitely the private feel that we both want during our first nights as a married couple.

I immediately became excited, of course, and I began some research. I found and called about some honeymoon packages that I found, and this particular one was only about $1200 (which included a three-night stay in the cabin). Not bad at all, but after some thought, I realized that we didn't really care much about the package--and most of it seemed kind of cheesy. I started looking at some other cabins, first at the one-bedrooms (which seemed nice but a little on the smaller side, and Josh said he'd prefer a bigger cabin); I then looked at some two-bedrooms, and I found one that I absolutely love! I checked the availability (our dates are still available!), and though it doesn't have the ultra-cheesy package along with it, it would be only $20 more if we stayed an extra fourth night! I showed the pictures to Josh, and he seems to like it as well, and how could he not?

[the view from the porch]

[the beautiful kitchen and bar]

[the first bedroom-love that bed!]

[the second bedroom]

[the living room]

There are also two-and-a-half bathrooms, a fireplace, flat-screen televisions equipped with satellite, a jacuzzi, a hot tub (on the deck), a pool table, and highspeed wireless internet access. Ten minutes away from this beautiful cabin is beautiful Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where Josh and I would be able to enjoy nice dinners together or little walks and maybe even a day-trip to Dollywood. Another great aspect of this trip: we will be able to go for vacations in the future--either as time to ourselves, or we could even take our future children (since the cabin has two bedrooms).

Hopefully, we are able to book this cabin in time! I'm absolutely in love with it, and I'm becoming even more excited about our honeymoon than I am about the wedding, haha!

P.S. The Howard Johnson hotel would also be perfect for any of my out-of-state guests. Some may be staying with my parents, but it might be a bit more comfortable (and less crowded) to stay at the HoJo. They also have cozy-looking double rooms:

[image from travelpost]

*all images of the cabin are courtesy of yourcabin.com (take a look to see more beautiful cabins!)*

As our invitations make their way...

2008-04-01T16:32:00.002-04:00

Eek! Our invitations were shipped out yesterday, meaning they should arrive... around the end of this week! Then I'll be able to send them to our patient guests. Ah, partial relief (the other half of relief will arrive whenever I send out the invitations, of course). It only took a week to process those babies, too! That's another plus for Rexcraft; we'll just see how well they turn out before I give my final grade. ;)

The weather has been so nice today; it gets me even more excited because as the weather becomes nicer, summer gets closer... And soon enough, the wedding will be here!

Feature- Rexcraft

2008-03-27T00:29:00.007-04:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, I am now going to begin featuring some of my favorite blogs/websites to give inspiration to the bride-to-be. As a bit of a "thank you" to the site where I found our invitations, I would first like to feature Rexcraft.

With an assortment of beautiful invitations, you cannot go wrong by shopping at Rexcraft. They have whatever you may be looking for from classic- or tradition-style invitations to invites with decorative ribbons or photographs. The image to the left is actually one of Rexcraft's monogrammed invitations, which helps you add an even more personal touch. Not only that, but Rexcraft has extremely affordable prices. If you find several possibilities, Rexcraft will send you sample invitations free of charge (!) so that you are able to make one of the most important decisions for your wedding without a feeling of regret.

Is it taking some time to find that perfect ring bearer's pillow or favor? Look no further than Rexcraft's accessories. Rexcraft has so many perfect accessories from unity candles to flower girl baskets and even ring boxes--it's hard to choose! They even have stationary to create your own programs and thank-you notes. For all you DIY brides out there, Rexcraft also has a section dedicated to you carrying their own charms and paper products.

Stop by their website and order your free catalog to begin shopping at Rexcraft. Have fun!

[all images courtesy of Rexcraft.com]

2008-03-25T17:25:00.001-04:00

Josh and I finally ordered our beautiful invitations yesterday, and as soon as they arrive, we'll be sending them to our guests!

Mom has been contacting several DJs in the area, and I think she found a good few. Hopefully Josh and I will be able to meet with our potential DJs in the near future so that we can really get the ball rolling.

New "feature"

2008-03-21T12:40:00.000-04:00

I'm going to start something new on my blog to keep it a bit more interesting. I plan to start featuring! Other blogs (wedding related, of course), photographers, shops, etc--all to help you in the decisions you're making for your wedding day... So be prepared. :] While you wait, please take a look at my previous post, though, and leave a few comments on what you think about my cake. :]

2008-03-20T15:46:00.000-04:00

I had my first fitting today. After hemming, tapering, bustling, a running stitch, and bra cups... I ended up paying $273! They had to hem the dress up quite a bit, even with my 4" heels, because I am not exactly tall. I have to go in for my next fitting on May 7, so hopefully everything works out. We also exchanged my sister's dress because, as it turned out, the size 2 was slightly too small.

On a very good note, I won a $25 Target gift card from The Pink Book Blog!

Okay, now on to more plans. I haven't discussed many things lately; I feel as if the planning is at a bit of a halt, however, I do have a few things already planned that I haven't mentioned. What might that be, you ask? Well, the cake, of course.

Josh and I are pretty big on symbolism, so we decided on a three-tier cake (symbolizing the past, present, and future), and we wanted round tiers. Not only that, but I wanted red flowers to match the color scheme of the wedding. White browsing theknot.com one day, I was trying to find inspiration for what was, in my mind, the perfect cake. Well, I found it!

This cake is so gorgeous, and I feel that it fits our criteria perfectly. The ribbons on the cake are actually edible. Josh's mom has a friend who is going to make our cake, and I'm hoping she can make something similar to this beauty.

We haven't decided the type of cake we'll be having, but hopefully we can figure that out within the next few weeks.

My parents have been helping quite a bit as well. Mom called several DJs the other day asking for their rates; she also called asking about tables and chairs. Everything will be coming together shortly, and the stress is finally beginning to disappear.

We've only just begun...

2008-03-18T13:14:00.000-04:00

I apologize; it's been days. I've been slightly busy. All weekend, I worked, but yesterday, I went along with my parents and siblings to shop. First, Dad bought Josh and I a new television for the living room as an early wedding gift. Next, we went on a search for the perfect prom dress for my sister. Finally, after helping her pick out several dresses, she found the one. Mom also found the dress she plans on wearing to my wedding. :] Not only did she find the perfect dress, but she found some beautiful shoes to go along with it. I must say, my sister has some wonderful taste in shoes, but I think I helped her out a bit with these beauties:

The best part: They were only $30. Too bad her feet are a couple sizes bigger than mine. I'd totally steal them.

Tomorrow, I'm picking my sister up (along with my dress) to bring them back to my house. Thursday, we are going to David's Bridal to begin my alterations.

Yesterday was exactly three months until the wedding. Stress has only just begun, it seems!

The Perfect Pair

2008-03-13T12:56:00.000-04:00

After reading the most recent post on The Pink Book's blog, I realized something: I get so caught up in talking about what we need to plan that I haven't discussed what I already have planned thus far. Mainly shoes. ;]

It really didn't take long at all to find the "perfect" shoes. After trying on my dress at David's Bridal and buying it, I decided I wanted to look elsewhere for shoes. Josh took me to the mall one night, and we went into several shoe stores, and I found some of the cutest pairs! However, I just couldn't see myself spending $150+ on a pair of shoes I would only wear once. I was then becoming discouraged, until I saw Bakers. After a short period of time, I found the ones I wanted to try on. The lady brought me two different sizes just in case, and I ended up buying the size 7.5 shoes. What shoes did I buy? Well, none other than...

The heel makes a noticeable difference in my height, which is what I needed. Josh and his brother (the best man) are both at least a foot taller than I am; my sister (the maid-of-honor) is about seven or eight inches taller than I, so I needed something to make me look "normal" in the wedding pictures. Not only that, but my dress has a lot of beading on the bottom, and it's going to have to be hemmed; without the heel, it would look terrible.

The perfect shoes come with a price, though. Mine ended up being $70 (they are now on sale at Bakers for $50, though! Darn it.), so I didn't know if I would be willing to pay that much for shoes. I used to wear heels quite often, but now, I just don't... I could sell them after the wedding, though! Of course, after looking at them for some time, I sort of fell in love, so I couldn't bring myself to thinking about ever getting rid of them (that's kind of how it went with Josh, too. Haha!); I may end up keeping them after the wedding because, who knows? someday, I may need a pair of white heels with a certain outfit, and where might those heels be?! In the back of my very own closet, waiting for their day in the limelight once again.

Interruption - The Pink Book

2008-03-12T13:27:00.000-04:00

I just found another wedding website that some of you may not have heard of, so I thought I'd give you the heads up. The ladies at the Pink Book have made it their duty to help you (the bride) in planning the wedding you have always dreamed of. They also have a blog giving you little tidbits of advice--go on, add it to your blogroll.

Oh! Yesterday, Josh and I took a trip over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to add some more things to our registry. After watching License to Wed, I just had to know: do they really have those little gun-scanner things?! Yep, they do. So, after getting acquainted to one of those, we browsed the store (spending most of our time in the kitchen) in search of all the items we'll need. We'll probably go back another day after debating on certain things (what colors should our bathroom be decorated in? and duvet vs. comforter) to finish things up.

Officially June 17 (again)

2008-03-10T17:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay. I am ready to post once again! Sorry for such an odd absence. Back to planning!

The main reason I even stopped the planning in the first place was because we had no idea when the wedding would be; without that detail, it was really hard to focus on anything. However, after thinking it through (Josh had told me it was up to me), I decided on keeping it on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Why? I mean, Saturday would be so much easier for everyone! Well, one reason (though she didn't want to be the deciding factor) is because my aunt wouldn't be able to make it if it were Saturday. This aunt (her name is Amber) has always been like a big sister to me (she is only eight years older); I mean, she took me to my first R-rated movie, and she took me to an *NSYNC concert when I was about ten. :] She has been one of my best friends throughout my life, and I wanted her to be at my wedding. Another reason was the fact that we have such a "thing" with the number seventeen, and I just really wanted it on the seventeenth, even if that means it is on a Tuesday. So, June 17th it is!

Whew. Now that we have that out of the way: invitations. As I mentioned before, we received the samples from Rexcraft, and let me tell you, they were so not cheap-looking! As I breathed a huge sigh of relief, I found myself in another sticky situation: which to choose? I sat them all out on the table in front of me, and as I browsed the Internet throughout the day, I kept glancing back at the invitations thinking, which ones say "Megan & Josh"? It didn't take much time to find the winner. However, I still had to wait on Josh's opinion, and eventually, he agreed. BUT! I asked him to take the samples to my future mother-in-law (Kris) to get her opinion as well. (I realized I haven't been including her much, and it made me feel bad, so I wanted to see what she thought.) Well, she agreed with what Josh and I had chosen. And the winner is...

[click image for a larger view]

I just like how simple and elegant they are. We plan on keeping the black ribbon and using "claret" ink. Now, all we have to do is order them (:groan: spending money!).

On my days off from blogging, I've constantly been thinking about wedding things, of course, and something else came to mind (that I was trying to keep filed away for a little while): music! I need a song to walk down the aisle to (Dad insists that we play the instrumental version of Vitamin C's "Graduation Song (Friends Forever)," but I'm still doing some debating...); we need a bride-groom song (we have several of "our songs" in mind); and of course, a father-daughter dance (it's so hard finding a song that describes how much I admire my dad). So, after reading weddingbee today, Miss Hummingbird gave an idea of a place to make playlists! Finetune! So, of course, I created a profile (it's free!) and I began searching through the music. It's much harder than it may sound, though. There are songs that we love, but they aren't really songs that you can dance to. I'm still on the lookout, but you can take a look at what I have found so far.

Next, I need to make an appointment (for sometime next month) to have the alterations on my dress done. Also, we have to meet with the florist again; she's making a few sample bouquets for me to choose from. (Oh yeah, I've decided to have someone else make my bouquet... it'll be a little less stressful on me.) We also have to figure out a few things about the cake... and there are several other things we must do, but I'll save that for another post.

P.S. Here is a sneak peak at our registry. It isn't completed, and we are actually adding and deleting items as we find other items that match better... But I just thought I'd give you a little look. :] I spent hours last night browsing through the different things!

100 days to go...

2008-03-08T17:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't felt like writing the past couple/few days. I'm trying so hard to give my mind some much-needed time off from wedding plans... It's a difficult task! I'm becoming slightly more than stressed (it's making me feel sick), and though I am incredibly excited about marrying my love, I must take a short breather.

I would like to mention, however, that it has officially hit the "100 days" mark until our wedding (that is, if we still decide to have the wedding on June 17 rather than June 14... That has remained undecided at the moment).

:sigh of relief:

2008-03-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

At least something good can come out of today! I received my sample invitations in the mail, and I believe I've decided on a favorite. Of course, we won't be able to order the invitations until we finalize the date (again!). Josh and I will have to discuss it later, but hopefully we will be able to check another item off our list. :] I'll let you know.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

2008-03-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the following post being sort of "all over the place." My thoughts are scrambled at the moment.

We're having some major issues with the wedding plans. Our wedding is going to be on a Tuesday, and everyone thought that was a bit odd. Josh and I picked the date of June 17 quite some time ago, not even realizing what day it was on... because we have a weird thing with the number seventeen. Yesterday, he said something about it being on a Tuesday and how his family will have little time to ready themselves for the wedding because of work. I thought about it hard last night, practically all night long--when I did fall asleep, I even dreamt about it--and we may be changing the date to Saturday, June 14, 2008.

The reason I say, "we may..." is because my entire family (aside from parents and siblings) are coming from out-of-state, and most of them have already asked off for June 17. I have to contact each of them, and if they can all change their ask off date to June 14, then we'll be set (thank goodness we haven't ordered invitations yet!). My parents agree that the 14th would be a better day, with it being on a Saturday, and Dad said that we could still have it at five because that is 1700 hours military time (so we could keep 17 incorporated somehow--seventeen was both of our lucky numbers growing up). Now, I am just awaiting replies from some family members before making the change-of-date final.

I'm becoming more and more stressed as each day passes. The wedding colors are red (apple) and white, and I would love it if JJ (Josh's brother; the best man) would wear a red tie or something to match my sister's dress, but Josh thinks it would look tacky (or "like a clown," as he says)... I just want my "dream wedding" to become a reality, but with all of the sudden changes, I might just have to settle.

We may also be moving the reception location to a bigger place so that we can, in fact, dance! Honestly, what is a wedding without dancing? I've always wanted my reception to be a big, dancing party.

In my dream last night, however, I could only remember walking down the aisle toward Josh... I didn't remember any of the decorations or flower colors or the date... I just remembered seeing Josh's smiling face at the end of the aisle--my destination--and my dad walking me toward him. I guess sometimes, brides get so caught up in the planning that they forget the true meaning of it all.

Size 2 small? Hopefully not.

2008-03-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

My sister's dress came in today along with the bra I'll be wearing with my dress (now I'll be able to have my alterations done!). I headed over to David's to pick the items up. Several weeks ago, when my sister tried on the dress, she told them that she would need a two to try on. They brought her several dresses, and we fell in love with the one she got immediately, and it fit perfectly. However, though my sister is small, she is still slightly bigger than me, and my dress ended up being a four. I'm worried that she tried on a four (the one that fit so perfectly), but they ordered her a two. Of course, that's probably just me being a worried bride.

Today, when I picked up the dress, I double-checked to make sure the dress was, in fact, a two. It was. Tomorrow, I'm taking it to my parents' house so that she can re-try it on. If it doesn't fit, I don't know what we'll do.

It's such a great dress... And my sister looked beautiful when she tried it on. I even got it on sale!

I'm anxious for her to try it on tomorrow.

In other news, I'm still awaiting the sample invitations' arrival to our mailbox. They should be by tomorrow... Or maybe even Thursday. Not only that, but I'm continuing my search for the perfect flowers to make the bouquets/flower arrangements. I was looking through other blogs written by soon-to-be brides like myself, and I found one who inspired me a bit. She's using beautiful vases for her flower arrangements!

(image from Classic Bride)

2008-03-03T18:32:00.000-05:00

Mom & I went to Michael's today in search of items to create a beautiful bouquet. Unless I become completely frustrated, I've decided to make my bouquet by myself!

After looking for quite some time, I didn't really find any flowers I liked (that matched the color theme). With a sigh, we left Michael's and searched the mall. Again, nothing. Literally. Our last resort: Walmart. Nothing. I am not discouraged, however. I'll continue to browse...

Nonetheless, it was great spending time with Mom. We don't get to do that often.

Oh, more samples.

2008-03-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

I just ordered three more samples of invitations. I've gone mad! :] My mom pointed me in the direction of rexcraft.com the other day, and I skimmed through the invitations without really looking. Tonight, I began to browse the invitations once again, and I decided I will not settle for something that I think it cheaply made... Thus my reason for ordering more samples. A plus: David's Bridal charges to order samples, but Rexcraft does not! :]

[Click image to view larger]

[click image to view larger]

The best thing about these invitations: I can change the ribbons (and the ink, of course) to match the color theme of our wedding!

I'm hoping that one of these sets are our invitations. As long as they aren't made cheaply, I'll be happy because they all look very elegant. I may actually have a hard time choosing between the three! :]

I feel slightly more relieved about invitations. Next, I must decide on favors. Hopefully. I will also continue to think about ceremony decorations... And there are several other things popping up as each day passes. Wish me luck!

Megan

P.S. Thank you to those who have commented and/or voted on the polls (so far); all comments and votes are greatly appreciated! Please continue to do both. :]

2008-03-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

To begin: I've added another poll. :]

I didn't post yesterday because I took a break from thinking about wedding plans. Okay, not really. I still thought about so many different possibilities, but I had to work all night, so I decided not to post anything. It's impossible not to think about wedding plans at this point.

Yesterday, I received the sample invitations I ordered. I'm still slightly disappointed. They're nice... But I want something more. Will I ever be satisfied without having to spend a fortune? Should I try to make my invitations on my own, or is it too late for that option? I really want my invitations to be beautiful, but I don't want to have to spend every last penny I have.

The invitations I have been looking at are all approximately $100 for 100 invitations (not including envelopes). I've really only looked seriously at David's Bridal, though I have browsed through some other websites. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Another scary thing: it's now March. I'm down to the wire, it seems.

Oh, decorations!

2008-02-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

I'm having such a difficult time deciding on decorations for the ceremony and reception. In a previous blog, I posted a photo of how I would like the inside of the church to look for the ceremony...

[Click image for larger view]
(Courtesy of Erin Elizabeth's wedding)

However, though he thinks it is nice, Josh says it would be an inconvenience because anyone sitting nearest to the aisle will have to climb over everyone else to get out (if they needed out for some reason). I don't want to inconvenience people, but I also want my wedding to be the wedding I hope for. My want for our guests to be comfortable, though, is very important to me. So I am now back to square one: how should the ceremony be decorated?

I've been browsing the Internet yet again; it has been hard to find anything that doesn't look similar to the image posted above... But, alas, I have found something.

[Click image for larger view]
(Found when searching google for "wedding decorations")

Combining the elements of both pictures, we could create something really nice. I would want the petals to be pushed to the side, like in the first photo, but the flower arrangements could be similar to the second photo (hmmm, tulle or no tulle?!)... Of course the flowers would match the color theme.

It's so hard to make decisions that satisfy everyone, but I'm hoping that Josh and I are able to do that without completely changing what we want--because what we want is all that matters in the end because it is our wedding, and it is the only one we will ever have.

I haven't even begun to think of reception decorations! Okay, that's a lie, mostly... But that's too much to post in one night.

An Interruption:

2008-02-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

Dearest family & friends:

I see that some (well, seven) people have taken the poll on the right-side of my blog. Well, let me know why you think we should honeymoon in that particular location. Give me some pros and cons. If you have ideas other than "beach on the east coast" and "cabin in the smokies," let me know... :]

Megan

PS. Nobody has been commenting, so I'm feelin' alone in my ideas, haha.

I've decided

2008-02-27T16:47:00.000-05:00

Against using gerbera daisies. Although they are lovely flowers, I would honestly rather use roses. However, roses tend to be the more expensive of flowers (especially red, right?), so I've opted to try out silk flowers! Not only will they be cheaper, but they will last forever, so I'll be able to keep my bouquet for the rest of my life (and maybe even pass it on to a daughter or granddaughter). I've looked everywhere on the 'net (ebay, included) for silk bouquets. Here is one bouquet that I found to be absolutely gorgeous (and so realistic!):

(Courtesy of Ann-eee)

Are they not wonderful? I've found others, too, of course. I'm just concerned, slightly, that if I were to order this bouquet (and a matching one for my sister, plus two boutinierres for Josh and his brother), I will be unable to find flowers to match for other decorations we will be using throughout the church. This is what I'd like to have the flower decorations look like during the ceremony:

[Click image for larger view]
(Courtesy of Erin Elizabeth's wedding)

Of course, we'll be using red & white flowers instead of the yellow ones here... But anyway, what do you think? Should I go ahead and order the bouquets I showed here, or should I just buy my own silk flowers and make the bouquets myself? Josh's cousin will (most likely) be making our flower arrangements because she is a genius at that sort of thing...

I just want to make sure everything matches well. So, give me some advice, please. :]

Invitations: A Cry for Help!

2008-02-27T14:19:00.000-05:00

At the moment, the issue is invitations. I wanted them ordered by March 1 so that we'd get them in perfect time to send out by the end of March (they could take several weeks to process before we even receive them). Well, I thought I had found the perfect invitations. They match the color scheme (red & white), and they were seemingly "cute." I was going to go ahead and order them, but then decided to order a sample, just to be sure. Boy, am I glad I did! I received the sample a couple days ago, and I was disappointed.

They were not what I had expected. I'm glad I didn't go ahead and order 100 or more of these invitations because I would have been upset. They just looked... cheap to me. So, I've browsed through the David's Bridal site again, and I found two more sets of invitations that I may like, and I ordered samples.

(All images courtesy of David's Bridal)

Hopefully I'll be able to find invitations that I like... soon. If not, I don't know what I'll do! Does anyone have suggestions on a place I could find invitations?

The Beginning

2008-02-27T13:45:00.000-05:00

Dearest family & friends:

I have (obviously) decided to make a blog dedicated to the planning of my wedding (which began a little over a month ago). I'll be posting pictures and possibilities because I need opinions to help me make some final decisions. I may post several times a day on different subject (I get a little wedding-happy at times, hehe).

The only thing I will not be posting is a picture of my wedding dress... Because it is bad luck for the groom to see it before the big day! So, since the dress is such a crucial factor in planning the decorations of a wedding, if you would like to see it, just let me know. ;]

So... Shall the planning begin?