Emily & Kevin are Having a Wedding

Wedding Items For Sale

2011-12-10T17:05:00.001-08:00

Here are some of my wedding items that I am putting up for sale. We had a small wedding, therefore quanities are small.

Available for purchase is thin purple ribbon, dark purple grosgrain ribbon, lilac grosgrain and sheer,
and white grosgrain and sheer ribbon.
$5.00 for lot

Five sheets of cardstock letters. All of the 'S's are missing, but there are plenty of other letters available to be used.
$3.00 for lot

Additional missing letters on only one sheet

~~Letter and number stencils in a script font.~~
~~$2.00 for set~~
SOLD

Iron on letters. 'S,' 'B,' and 'C' are missing, but plenty of others to choose from.
$1.00 for set

White paper cups used to fill our favor boxes.
$1.00 for all

Plum colored flower embellishments. Can be hot-glued or sewn onto fabric.
$2.00 for both

StazOn ink in black and small heart stamp. Ink is made to stay on when touches wet surfaces.
$5.00 for set

Oval jewels can be hot-glued or sewn onto any surface.
$1.00

Unused candy bags for our candy buffet.
$1.00

Unused white rose petals
$1.00

Lot of multi-colored cardstock paper and scraps in several shades of purple.
$2.00 for all

Silver jewelry boxes. Good for necklaces and earrings.
$3.00 for all

Eight double heart shaped place card holders.
$10.00 for both sets

Four sets of tongs. Two with purple ribbon, which can be removed.
~~$2.00 for all~~
SOLD

~~Lot of purple and clear beads.~~
~~$5.00 for all~~
SOLD

Dyed purple heart shaped petals I made myself.
$5.00 for all petals
(since a lot of time and effort went into cutting and dying these)

Remaining brads in shades of purple (some were used)
$1.00

Pre-cut strands of sheer ribbon used for programs
$2.00 for all

~~Three shades of purple unused cocktail napkins~~
~~$5.00 for all~~
SOLD

Available are seven vases we used for our centerpieces
$7.00 for all

One wicker box we used to store our programs. (Ribbon is hot-glued on and can be removed)
$5.00

One feathered flower used to adorn above program box
$3.00

Ten purple paper lanterns with metal prong bases (see below)
~~$10.00 for all~~
SOLD

Purple and lilac tulle
$3.00 for both

~~One round white tablecloth that fits 70" round table~~
~~(Will need to be ironed)~~
$5.00
SOLD

Available are seven lilac tulle bows with wire edges
(Will need to be re-shaped)
$20 for all
(orginially paid $35 for all seven bows)

Available are twelve ivory votive candles
(Two have been lit, the other ten were not lit)
$6.00 for all

Available are eight square mirrors used for our centerpieces
$40 for all

Also available (though not pictured) are more votive candles like the ones above that have sheer purple ribbon hot-glued onto them as well as small purple bows on them that cover the edges of the glued ribbon.

Wedding Supplies For Sale

2011-12-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

Now that the wedding is all over, I am going to be putting some of my wedding items on here for purchase. Some of the items will include mirrors, votive candles, tulle bows, napkins, place card holders, paper lanterns, hurricane vases, and purple stones that go in the vases as well. I will have pictures available as well.

Most importantly, the wedding was beautiful and a great success. It was a small affair and only about 50 out of the 70 we invited showed up but that's okay. We had plenty of food for everyone and good cake to eat as well.

A few things went wrong, as is to be expected. Our flower girls and their parents did not show up even though they promised to. We ended up being able to return all their dresses and shoes for refunds. All their toys and gift bags that we bought for them were donated to the Christmas toy drive, so that's a good thing.

Work is going great! I really enjoy it and love most of my co-workers. I get steady hours and have no reasons to complain...yet. The peak season has hit and we are very busy but I love it because it makes each shift fly by. Also, my sister is now employed there as well so I've been giving her hints and tips on how to be the most efficient cashier.

Merry Christmas from Kevin and Emily!

11-11-11

2011-11-23T19:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the day!

Getting married in three hours!

One Week

2011-11-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I am getting married in one week! I can't believe it! Everything is mostly ready and we are just waiting for the day to come. Everyone has been asking us if we are getting nervous, but we tell them NO! We are totally ready and excited, and mostly just ready for it to be over! We've been engaged for almost a year and a half now, so it's good to finally feel like it will end soon!

I just really hope that once he and I are married we will actually feel married. I asked Kevin the other day, "Honey, am I supposed to feel something different about being married? Cuz, I really don't feel like much will be different for us. I don't have a certain feeling inside.... Do you?" Our problem is that we have never lived together and once we are married, we will be staying with my parents until we can afford our own place, whenever that may be. Hopefully, we won't have to stay with them too long. I'm talking like six months or less, please!

Kevin and I have been working a lot. He's picked up hours at work and I am finally working good hours again. I just got my first pay check today! So excited! I really like my job and I am really lucky to work there, even if it's just seasonal. Man, I really hope they keep me after the holidays. I have a feeling they will though. I just gotta show them that I am an awesome employee!

ONE WEEK!!!!!

Mock up Candy Buffet

2011-10-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

I did a mock up of what I want our candy buffet to look like last night and I think it is going to be a real success! I think I even found a table that we can bring with us to set it all up with. I am so happy to say that I am not buying any more purple candy! I'm not even going to look anymore. For the last month, every store I've been to I've looked for purple candy and I'm glad to be done! We spent another $18 dollars for another pound of purple m&ms at the Sweet Factory, and $8 for a pound and a half of purple jelly belly beans.

We also went back to Party City and got some dark purple sixlets, and lavender foil wrapped balls of chocolate. It looks like we won't be using the Dum Dum suckers, Smarties, skittles, or tootsie rolls. Oops, sorry I made you buy those honey. But hey, we can give them to the tricker treaters this Halloween!

My best friend and maid of honor will be coming home from Canada in less than a week and we are going to get manicures, her treat. Thank goodness because my new job at Michaels has caused lots of nail breakage. I got my hair cut the other day and now I have bangs, and I really like it. I also made my wedding day hair appointment so I am on a roll! Call me butter, baby!

Flower Girls and Ring Bearer Woes

2011-10-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

My god daughters recently moved to Alabama and today I got a text message from their mother that said they couldn't make it to the wedding in two weeks. They promised me over and over before they even moved that they would make it no matter what. Needless to say, I am a little devastated. I guess they are a little hard up for cash right now, and that's completely understandable. Who isn't?

So, I think I can get them to come to the wedding if Kevin and I purchase the flower girl dresses and shoes for our god daughters. I feel horrible because we've already paid for five meals for them (3 kids, 2 parents), gifts for all three girls, the flower girl basket, and the ring bearer pillow. Not to mention I dyed hundreds of rose petals purple for the flower girl basket. So much effort has been put into getting them to this wedding, that if they didn't show up, it would literally ruin some aspects of the wedding.

I even made the programs already and included their names in the programs and I printed them on our home printer, so I won't print them again. Please keep your fingers crossed that they are able to make the six hour drive from Alabama to our wedding in Greenwood, Indiana.

This sad announcement comes just 14 days, TWO WEEKS, until the big day. With everything else that's on my mind and all the other things I need to tweak to make sure everything works out okay, I just didn't need this on top of everything. I hope they come.

Nervous Much?

2011-10-23T02:29:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post may be construed as a pity party, woe is me type of post. If you don't want to read about what goes through my head all day, exit now.

I don't want to sound like my life sucks, because it really doesn't. In fact, some people would kill to have the kind of life I have. My parents are married, and have been for nearly 30 years now. I am getting married in 19 days to a wonderful man who treats me like a queen. I live at home rent free (for now, at least) and I work part time at a craft store that I have shopped at for most of my life.

The things that are bothering me right now are that my fiance doesn't have his own car, and works way on the north side of town, whereas I live and work on the south side. For the time being, since we can't afford our own place, we are going to have to stay at my parents' place, along with my brother, his girlfriend, and his best friend. By the time we are married, my parents are going to charge us rent to live there, and I wonder to myself, how are we going to save up for our own place if we are paying rent to my folks? But that's a small concern for right now, I suppose.

Kevin will have to move his things here, into my cramped square shaped room that is already overflowing with all my things. Did I mention I'm a borderline hoarder? I can't bear to throw anything away that could end up being useful down the line. Not only does he have to move down here to the south side with no reliable transportation, his allergies are very bad and we will be sharing our room with my two cats as well. It gets to the point where he can't breathe through his nose at all when he's been at my house for a few hours at a time.

I wanted him to try to get a transfer to the south side location of where he works now, but his manager says it's highly unlikely that that will happen because the south side location is fully staffed now. So, once he lives down here, how is he going to get to work? Take the bus?

Lord only knows how long it will be before we actually get our own place. With my car payment, loans, and other monthly expenses, an apartment, even just a small one bedroom is looking like a pipe dream. Believe me, I'm not asking for pity because I know how much worse it is for other people, but sometimes you just have to vent, even electronically I suppose.

Other things on my mind are my new job. Most of the important payroll information and scheduling information is now online through websites. You have to have a log in and password for three separate sites. I love this idea because I think it's great to be able to access your work information from home any time of the day or night, but right now, I am having issues with the technology and I am worried about how to fix it. Also, I didn't get to put in my direct deposit information like I was supposed to and now I don't know if I will have the option anymore. I read in the handbook that if you don't sign up for the direct deposit or the debit pay card, you will receive your check by mail and it will take longer.

Basically, I just want to get things squared away and be able to have direct deposit and not have to worry about cashing the check or going to the bank to have to deposit it myself if I have the option of it being automatically done for me. I will have to talk to the people at work about figuring this out. I hope they don't get upset with me and tell me that there is nothing they can do about it. Cut me some slack; I'm brand new, and I haven't worked in a year. Things get a little rusty.

I know I will bounce back and that all these minute worries will fade away once we are married and get into a routine. It just means figuring out who will drive each other to work and trying to save up to get an apartment, pay on my loans, and resume my car payments, which my father has graciously been paying since May when I ran out of money after leaving my job the previous October.

I know these are the kinds of worries that a lot of couples have, as well as many other more severe worries. Mine seem so elementary in comparison sometimes, but they are always on my mind night and day and have caused me to lose focus on other things because I am too busy thinking about the future and how to get through it. I really feel like I need something to combat this horrible anxiety and to get these butterflies out of my tummy because I am just going to worry myself sick and I really don't need that now. Or ever for that matter.

Counting Down!

2011-10-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today we paid off the rest of the balance on the wedding venue! Such a weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We met with the caterer for thirty minutes where we finalized everything including seating chart, cake design, music selections, and menu. Couldn't have been easier. I strongly recommend Grafton Peek Ballroom to couples looking to have their reception or both the ceremony and the reception in one place. Couldn't ask for a nicer staff who are willing to work with you to make sure you get exactly what you want, or as close to it as they can get.

We picked out the flavors for the cake, which I hadn't even thought about because I was too busy thinking about what the design should be. The bottom (and largest) tier will be the classic white because you can never go wrong with white. The middle tier will be chocolate and the top tier will be spice cake. We are putting ribbon along the bottom of each tier and I'm gonna find some small purple roses to add as well. I'm so excited!

I need to do a dress fitting with all the fixings to make sure it all fits well together; I need to practice walking in my purple wedding shoes. Gotta get my hair done, and eyebrows waxed. (YOUCH!) Someday I promise I will try having them threaded. I hear it doesn't hurt as bad and won't leave the surrounding skin red.

There's really not the much left to be done, but I've been checking my list on The Knot to make sure I am on the right track for stuff. We still need to figure out some kind of honeymoon, if we decide to do anything at all. Right now, it's just more important to work and make money!

I Caved In....

2011-10-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

I kind of talked Kevin into buying stuff for a candy buffet. Candy and bowls! I really don't think we spent too much on everything, but then again I haven't really added up everything. We went to Goodwill to get some of the glass containers and I ended up paying anywhere from .49 to 1.99 for about five glass bowls. I also got some at Dollar Tree and paid 4.00. That's not bad, right? All in all, we have 9 neat glass containers for the candy.

We didn't really get the typical apothecary jars, because we aren't really making this a huge candy buffet, and I want all the candy to be purple so it looks more formal, but it's SO HARD to find purple candy that's not super expensive. I am going to have to improvise on this detail. So far I have Hershey's Bliss milk chocolates, purple Nerds, grape Laffy Taffy, skittles, Dum Dums, Tootsie rolls, Smarties, Grape Mike and Ike, and some Hershey kisses in silver and purple.

Here are the price details:

Hershey Bliss 2 bags 3.68 each = 7.36

Nerds 2 bags 1.98 each = 3.96

Skittles 3 boxes .98 each = 2.94

Dum Dums 2 bags 1.00 each = 2.00

Tootsie Rolls 3 bags 1.00 each = 3.00

Smarties 2 bags 1.00 each = 2.00

Laffy Taffy 2 bags 1.00 each = 2.00

Hershey kisses in purple and silver 1.00 each = not sure because we bought a lot

Grape Mike and Ike 2 boxes 1.00 each = 2.00

I'd like to get some more purple candy and I thought about going to the Sweet Factory but it's so expensive! After spending 15.00 on just one pound of purple m&m's, I'm kind of worried about going back and getting more. Kevin doesn't want to buy anymore candy, but that's because he doesn't like candy. Mom thinks I have too much candy, but I feel like there will be a good amount of people that will eat most of it. It's too bad the wedding is after Halloween; we could give the left overs to tricker treaters!

Still thinking about getting some purple gum balls, some rock candy, purple sixlets, and maybe some purple licorice!

Candy for Favor Boxes

2011-10-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I finally found a place where we could buy quantities of purple m&m's to put in our favor boxes. In the mall, there is a place called The Sweet Factory, and they have a whole area for colored m&m's. The only bad thing about it is the price. We paid 15 dollars for just a pound of them.

Just a pound! That will probably only fill 20 or 30 of the boxes, if that. Of course we are going to have to go back and get more. I didn't think we would have to spend anywhere near this amount for the candy, but I guess I need to be realistic.

Can you imagine what we would be spending if we bought something as big as the above picture? The lady at the candy store told me she had a woman pay over 90 dollars just for her m&ms to fill her favor boxes. I guess I am a little cheap, or just uneducated when it comes to the price of candy!

Thank you, Michaels!

2011-10-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

The place that I have been shopping for years and years has just hired me! Thank you so much, Michaels, for taking a chance on me and giving me work! It's been exactly a year since I quit my last job due to health reasons, and it took a year to find this job!

Right now, it's just seasonal part time help, but the manager said they do hold onto about 66% of their seasonal help after the holidays. I'm so beyond happy I could just scream! I'm also a little nervous because it has been a year since I have worked, but my fiance and my sister have both said the same thing: it's like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it. Right?

Having this job will be great because it increases our chances of being able to get our own place faster. Right now, we are looking at living with my folks after we are married, and this thought doesn't really appeal to me, but in the interest of having any sort of money, it's what's going to have to happen, even if it's just a few short months.

Anyway, in the wedding world, things are looking super great! I am still waiting on my family and friends to toss their reply cards back in the mail to me, and this makes working on the seating chart difficult, but all my other odds and ends are really looking good. We just have a couple more things to buy, such as mints for the cake table, m&m's for the favor boxes, and of course, the marriage license!

I have been spending a lot of time on weddingbee.com, just looking at pictures of receptions and centerpieces and other important aspects of a wedding. I guess I want to make sure I am on the right track with all my stuff. It's really good to know that I am not the only bride who just doesn't really care for flowers. We are doing our centerpieces without any flowers whatsoever and I'm sure they will look just fine. The only flowers we really have are the bouquets and boutonnieres, and those are fake.

Just 32 days before the I DO's!

Seating Chart Nightmare

2011-10-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

I never thought putting together a seating chart for the wedding reception was going to be such a nightmare. Our tables comfortably seat eight people, but what if I have a table that has nine, or just six or seven? Lots of questions are just dancing through my brain right now. Here is an example of how our tables would typically look:

Imagine that table with purple linen napkins and chair sashes. Eight seats, eight napkins, eight favor boxes, voila? Right? WRONG! I want to put families all together; I want to put friends all together; I want people to know who they are sitting with, but in reality, people are just going to have sit with people they don't know and mingle as best they can. My ideas of perfection just will not come into play here, and that's something I have to accept. I know, I'm making a big deal out of nothing, right?

In other news, I think I've finally gotten a job! I mean, I hope I've gotten this job. It's at MICHAEL'S craft store! Can you believe it? The place where I have purchased about 75 percent of all my wedding needs will soon hopefully be my employer. Fingers, toes, eyes crossed!

Please RSVP

2011-10-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Dear wedding guests,

Please RSVP whether or not you are coming to the wedding. I included a pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelope with the RSVP card, so please dig it out of your weekly piles of mail, check the box yes or no, and pop it in a post office box, please?

Thanks so much,
THE BRIDE

Anyway, our cake server and flutes arrived in the mail today. Pretty fast shipping. They are very delicate looking. Ooh la la. We need to figure out if we want to get them engraved, which is more money to pay, but probably worth it. We'll probably have them engraved just so we can show our children all our wedding keepsakes.

In other news, there are less than ten items left to buy for the wedding and this makes me so excited I could just squeal! We need to get the marriage license, which is only $18. We need to get mints for the cake table, M&Ms for the favor boxes, and a couple other little odds and ends. Nothing too extensive, or expensive. Oh yeah, and the rest of the venue bill, which is hopefully down to three digits!

Bridal Shower Success

2011-10-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today was my bridal shower and it was a wonderful success! My mother, grandmother, sister, aunts, and cousins were able to come, as well as my future mother-in-law, her mother, and her sister and a few of my friends from work. There were games, prizes, fresh snacks, homemade cider punch and best of all, the cake...ok, well, the gifts! But the cake was UM-azing!

September was a super busy month with my friend's bridal shower and wedding, all of our wedding planning, and just generally busy days of this and that. My lilac satin padded hangers came in the mail, but I am still waiting on the paper purple lanterns. We also ordered the cake server and flutes yesterday, which made me very excited!

I had to add another table to the guest seating because I invited more people to the wedding after meeting some at my friend's wedding. In five years, I've hardly made any friends, but in 2 months, I've made a half a dozen new friends that I want to invite to the wedding, but money just doesn't grow on trees. Which brings me to other good news...

On Friday, September 30, my mom and I met with the wedding coordinator of our wedding venue and we were able to give him a large chunk of money, which has knocked the bill down a lot! We are down to only owing three digits now, hopefully. We also picked our chair sash color and linen napkin color. I was also able to convince him to let us do aisle seating since it's a small group. Oh, and we also finalized the menu.

I've been hard at work on D-I-Y projects for the wedding, as well as filling out job applications like crazy, and looking for somewhere to live once Kevin and I are married. It's been a really busy (and sometimes very stressful) year, but one of the best years of my life! We got wonderful gifts at the shower, and we've got wonderful friends and family to share our wedding joy with!

eBay Goodies

2011-09-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

Right now eBay is doing free shipping on a bunch of stuff. So, I bought five satin purple hangers for the bridesmaids dresses and my wedding gown. That will look so much better in the pictures rather than just plastic or metal hangers. They were only $6.99 with no shipping costs! They look like this:

I also ordered 10 purple paper lanterns for only $12.99 with no shipping costs! I am so excited about these purple paper lanters that I could just squeal! They will be placed at different lenghts with fishing line above the guest seating tables. We are not allowed to hang them from chandeliers or anything like that, but I will definitely figure out a way to get them hanging from the ceiling. They look like this:

Lastly, I want to say congrats to my friends for getting married this last Saturday. It was a beautiful, carnival themed wedding and so much fun! They had a candy buffet and hot dogs and cotton candy and an awesome cake! I told the bride not to be surprised if I copy some of her ideas for our wedding. Hopefully I can make things look like I actually thought of the ideas myself. Wink!

Marriage Advice?

2011-09-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the only people that want to give you marraige advice are the ones whose own marriages are falling apart? Does this ever happen to you? First, I don't even ask people for marriage advice, but because they know I'm getting married in 50 days, they feel it is their duty to wax philosophical on me. It's one thing when you are giving tips on how to make your marriage work and be a success...

It's a completely different situation when you are telling me that I need to be the one that rules the marriage and that I should make all the decisions and my husband just needs to accept that and always put me first. Well, I don't really feel that way because, silly me, I feel that marriage is a union between two people and that both of those people have a say in the major decisions that will affect the couple.

Thanks for your advice, but maybe you should see someone professional if you think that's how a marriage is supposed to function. While I don't agree with you on the above mentioned "advice," I also don't think I should pretend to be June Cleaver and make sure I have my pearls and high heels on while I do housework. I believe that things like housework and major purchases are not something one person in the marriage has to be in charge of.

For better, for worse; for richer, for poorer...

To Candy Buffet or Not to Candy Buffet...

2011-09-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about whether or not we should incorporate a candy buffet into the wedding reception. This has been on my mind off and on for weeks. First, I'm not even sure that our venue will allow for a candy bar since it's something we would have to pay for and bring in ourselves and they have a strict policy that no outside food can be taken in or out of the premises. Blah, blah, blah. Plus, it adds up to buy the jars and candy to display.

Here are cute ideas for candy buffets that I would love to copy.

I Will Not Stalk My Registry....

2011-09-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have to chant this over and over because now that the bridal shower invites and wedding invites have been mailed and arrived at their destinations, I am anxious to see if anyone has been purchasing anything off of them. I have this fear that no one will even look at the registries and buy anything. I must not check my wedding registries because it will take the fun out of opening the gifts. I may need Kevin to say something to me about this every day until the wedding. Eeeek....

In other news, I have begun working on the wedding programs. I don't know if I like them or not. Big sigh... I always second guess my work because I'm not sure if I actually like it once I complete it and I worry that other people are going to think it looks tacky or stupid. I have all these ideas for things, but I don't want to over do it. I really need something else to take my mind off the wedding... LIKE A JOB!!

Someone please hire me.

Napkin Situation

2011-09-17T05:38:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine recommended stamping my own napkins instead of ordering them and paying so much money. I thought this was a great idea so I got online and ordered a customized stamp with our names and wedding date on them. The website I used was rubberstamps.net. I chose an Art Mounted stamp with the size .5" x 1", which was only $3.95. You can put up to three lines of text and choose the font you want the stamp to be. I chose a Script font. In total, with shipping, the cost of the stamp was less than $9.00.

Kevin and I purchased four packs of napkins in dark purple and light purple. They came in packages of 50 napkins and were only 1.99 each. Two days later, I received the stamp in the mail and was very excited. The ink I bought for the stamp is called Stazon and it was $7.99 at Michaels. (Use a coupon!) I chose the color black for the ink. They also had a royal purple available but I didn't purchase it because I was worried that it wouldn't show up on the darker shade of purple napkins.

Well, I tested the stamp on the napkins and I didn't like it. I was very disappointed in the way it looked on the napkin and it bled a lot. The reason I chose the Stazon ink is because it is waterproof and won't smear when the napkins get wet. Maybe I am stamping the napkins too hard with the ink. I stamped a whole pack of light purple napkins to see if it would look any better and I ended up throwing the whole pack of fifty napkins away. I really thought it was going to be a great idea and I was very happy that my friend recommeded it, but I guess it was not meant to be.

At this point, I am thinking about just putting blank purple napkins on the buffet and cake tables. I don't want to have to do that but in the end, the napkins will be thrown away. I always like to keep engraved wedding napkins as souvenirs, but in years' past, I have ended up putting them away somewhere and losing them. So, I am still working on the napkin situation.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!

2011-09-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Two of my bridesmaids and I went to the mall and got their shoes for the wedding! Yay! First we went to Payless because that's where I ordered my Unforgettable Moments dyeable heels from. The girls looked at several pairs of silver shoes with and without heels, while I went to ask the lady at the counter if my shoes had come in yet, since it had been over two weeks since we ordered them.

My shoes

The lady said my shoes were not in yet but they were still unloading shippments. Unfortunately, the girls didn't find any shoes they liked at Payless, so we went down to Sear's just to check out other types of shoes. I didn't think we would get the shoes there at all because I don't typically shop at Sear's but this is where the girls ended up getting their shoes from!

Their shoes

They bought the exact same type of shoe in 6 1/2 and 9 1/2. It's silver with a mid heel with a rhinestone emblem on it. I told them they only had to wear them as long as the ceremony and then they could take them off. I had to tell them that I got them purple flip flops to wear so they wouldn't go out of their way to bring other shoes, flip flops, or slippers. I wanted the purple flip flops to be part of their bridesmaid gift, but it's okay.

Oh yeah, did I tell ya what color my shoes were dyed? Lilac

Wedding Brain

2011-09-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

It's 5:30 in the morning, and there are still two months until the wedding, so why can't I fall asleep? I have "Wedding Brain." I can't stop thinking about all the stuff that still needs to be done and paid for. Sure, we have the flowers done and the favors done, but there is still a hefty balance on the venue that is due three weeks before the wedding. I also need to get more table card holders, the cake server set, the champagne flutes, the cocktail napkins, and gifts for certain people. It's really stressful to plan a wedding!

The cake server set and champagne flutes that I want are Lenox "True Love" and I just fell in love with them the moment I saw them. They are only $30 each on Amazon.com and at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I have put them on my wedding registry, so if any of my kind and loving friends and family think about it, they would be great gifts for the bridal shower! This is what they look like:

If push comes to shove, and we don't have enough time or money, I guess Kevin and I will be heading to Wal-mart to get the cake server and flutes. In the end, I know this isn't a big thing to worry about, but I really want something like this with our names and wedding date engraved. It would be so great to have this stuff and keep it and show it to my kids someday.

As far as the cocktail napkins, everywhere I have looked is just really expensive and I'm starting to think it's not going to be worth it. There will be the favor boxes with our name and date on those that I created, so why pay close to forty dollars for paper napkins that people are gonna use as coasters and to wipe the ranch dressing off their faces with? Again, this might turn into another Wal-mart endeavor. I will settle for just plain purple and lilac napkins to put out on the buffet and cake table if I have to.

My poor mother is talking about selling furniture and my dad's telescope and our elliptical just to pay for this stuff. It makes me feel really bad and I may have had a small freak out tonight. Very small. I just got overwhelmed with the stress factor and started to feel hopeless about it all. But, as Kevin says, we will find a way....

Petals, Veils, Ceremony

2011-09-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

In the last few days I have managed to order my veil from Amazon.com. It should be coming any day now. Squeal! I have also managed to dye about 400 rose petals purple, and I have started putting together the exact order of our wedding ceremony. It's definitely not as easy as it looks.

For the wedding veil, I went with a two tier, elbow lenth, ivory pearl drop veil. It's got just the perfect amount of detail, and I hope it will go well enough with the dress. Here is a picture:

Thanks, Delicate Spirits!

For the rose petals, I got on Dollar Tree's website and there was a project sheet for dying the rose petals. Super easy, but a little time consuming. Supplies included 2 bags of white rose petals from Dollar Tree, a stock pot and large spoon, liquid or powder dye, a collander, salt, and a towel. Here is the link for the project sheet: Dying Fabric Rose Petals

The rose petals came out great! The project sheet said to let them simmer for three to six hours, depending on how dark you wanted them. It also said to use two boxes of the 1 1/8 boxes of Rit dye. Well, I only had one box on hand and I just went with it. And, I only simmered mine for three and a half hours and they came out very dark. I think they will match very well. Their color does depend on what lighting they are under. In bright lighting, they look plum, and in dimmer lighting, they look closer to the color in the above picture.

Our ceremony is going to be a traditional Episcopal wedding ceremony. We are using one of the Canon Reverends from Kevin's church. We have to do a few sessions of premarital counseling, but I'm not worried about that at all. Bring it on, baby! The Rev. is a really nice guy and he is taking us to Jimmy Johns for lunch too. When he told us that, Kevin and I looked at each other and grinned real big because we both love Jimmy Johns. Slim 1 all the way!

The ceremony will start with the processional while the bridesmaids and groomsmen come in arm and arm. Kevin and the Rev. will be up there already, standing on the side. We don't really have an altar, more like just a big open space. I am seriously considering renting some kind of arch for the occasion, but that takes money!

After the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle, our flower girls and ring bearer will walk down the aisle together and then be seated with their parents. Then, Dad and I will walk down the aisle and the Rev. will make his opening remarks. There will be a Declaration of Consent, and prayer readings as well.

We meet with the Rev. on September 15 to finalize the order of the ceremony and all the requirements. I can't wait to get everything in order on paper so that I won't feel as nervous about it. We are going to have to rehearse it a couple of times because there is lots of hand holding and positions, and standing and kneeling. I feel nervous that I will mess it up or have to ask the Rev. to repeat something. Oh well, as long as the end result is that we are married.

Wedding Funny

2011-09-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Got this from a friend. Lol.

Bridesmaid Gowns Continued

2011-09-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's Labor Day and we're having a bar-b-que with ribs. We are also making a funfetti cake for my brother-in-law, whose birthday was late last month. No wedding projects to worry about today, thank goodness. But let's get back to the bridesmaid gown situation.

According to my last post, my Maid of Honor had tried on two styles of gowns and we knew that Lapis was not going to be the color after all. Also, apparently you have to be no more than 100 pounds with no curves to make a dress look as good as it does on the website. That's just not how reality works. My maid of honor and I are both curvy girls, so we needed to concentrate on finding a gown that was going to accentuate her curves, and not put unwanted attention on anything else.

We kept at it, and tried on some other styles. They didn't have the bridesmaid gowns in the color purple that we wanted, so she tried on other colors in the styles that we wanted to try out. Side note: since these pictures, she's lost some weight and looks awesome! I wish I could be as dedicated as she is....

Satin and Organza Gown with Beaded Inset
Style F12385

This was a really pretty dress, and I thought it was going to be the one, but my maid of honor didn't like the way it was laying on her, and my main goal was that my bridal party was going to be wearing something that they were going to be comfortable in. The wrinkles in the middle were not very appetizing either. I know that's part of the style of the dress, but again, it seems like you can't be more than a certain weight or height to pull this off.

Finally, she tried on one last dress, and it happened to be "the one." It came in only seven colors, and PLUM was one of those seven. I couldn't believe it. It was perfect. THE color! And it was on sale for thirty dollars off the original price! We were jumping up and down in happiness, knowing that we had found the dress on the first trip we took. The funny thing is, all those other dresses that she had tried on did not come in PLUM at all. I asked the sales consultant why only certain dresses came in certain colors and she said she didn't know because a lot of people had loved that plum color. This was in December. It is now September 2011 and David's Bridal has updated their collections to include plum as a color for almost all their dresses! Yippee! Oh yeah, here is the winning dress:

Satin Ballgown with Side Ruching and Beaded Bodice

Style F11165

Apple Jacks and Bridesmaid Gowns

2011-09-05T01:24:00.000-07:00

It's nearly 3:30 in the morning and I just finished eating a bowl of Apple Jacks (and of course my cat drinks the left over milk in the bowl!) and I can't sleep. I've had a lot on my mind recently about the wedding and other life changing events. But this post is mainly going to be about the attire for the bride and her maids.

My dutiful Maid of Honor came home all the way from Canada (16 hour drive!) to go to David's Bridal with me to try on gowns and be my guinea pig, as well as my honesty button. We went on a cold December day, December 27th, 2010 to be exact. This was the first time I ever tried on wedding gowns for myself. It was exciting and kind of scary because the prices were intimidating and I wasn't sure if my armpits were shaved or not. (Stubble grows back so quick!)

We first went over the side where the bridesmaids and prom gowns were. We literally had the store mostly to ourselves and the consultant we worked with was awesome, even though she had a mean cold and just found out she was pregnant. She was very helpful with me and helped me weigh the pros and cons of each dress. I wished I could have bought the dress I wanted right then and there so she could have gotten the commission on it, but I didn't have enough money, having just quit my job two months prior.

My maid of honor was a willing participant and tried several styles and colors. I was sure I wanted to use the color Lapis for the bridesmaids gowns. So the first gown my maid of honor tried on was Lapis, in this style:

Satin Empire Ball Gown with Illusion Halter

Style 81441

Be forewarned: it DEFINITELY does not look like that in the store! The color was much too blue and I was afraid people would think that navy blue was the main color for the gowns when everything else was going to be in purple! This was very disappointing because online this color was going to be perfect! In reality, it just wasn't gonna cut it.

Soft Crinkle Chiffon Halter with Draped Cascade

Style F12688