Our Day (In the Making)

Two Steps Forward and I'm Never Looking Back

2013-04-27T12:46:00.000-04:00

I wanted to thank all of my wonderful readers that followed me through all the ups and downs that come with wedding planning. It is really flattering to see that I am still getting comments on my many projects that I have posted, and I love having this blog as a memento of the wedding planning process. As Thom and I approach our second anniversary, it is fun to look back at what we were doing a 2 years ago at this time, and reflect on the stress, and excitement. After about a year's hiatus from blogging, we have decided that it's time to start sharing the next chapter of our lives. Two Steps Forward and I'm Not Looking Back is our story of life as newlyweds. Just like Our Day (In the Making) there will be DIY projects as I continue to personalize our home. There will also be recipes, restaurant reviews, and stories about life in general. I invite all of you to follow Thom and I over to our new blogging home.

Product Review and a Giveaway- Easy Canvas Prints

2011-11-11T09:54:00.001-05:00

I have always loved the look of photos on canvas. It creates an effect that is different from traditional framing, more akin to oil paintings from days gone by. I have wanted to get one for a while now, I was just waiting for an occasion that would warrant the canvas treatment and our wedding certainly fit the bill.

I opted for the "Image Wrap" border option.

I shopped around a little bit online and even looked at a couple DIY canvas options. Then I stumbled upon Easy Canvas Prints. The website lives up to it's name, and the prices are great too. The hardest part was choosing which one of my wedding portraits to upload. The website is easy to use; simpy upload a picture, select your size and border options, center the picture, and click order to transform your photos to canvas. My canvas arrived shortly thereafter, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the product. It is a nice thick canvas, wrapped around a sturdy wooden frame. It feels like a piece of art.

I am very fortunate in that Brendan from Easy Canvas Prints has given me a handful of $10 gift cards to give away to my blog readers. If you would like one, simply leave a comment to this post, and I will contact you for mailing information. The giveaway ends November 18th. Easy Canvas Prints is also on Facebook, and they are offering 50% off a canvas and free shipping just for liking them.

Disclosure: Easy Canvas Prints provided me with an 8"x10" canvas for free for the purpose of review

Wedding Recaps- Portraits

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Wedding Portrait

I decided to conclude the wedding recaps with a few of our wedding portraits. Our photographers used the photojournalist style, so the overwhelming majority of our pictures are candids. They did pose us for a couple of shots, but even then, some of the best pictures were taken when we did not realize that we were on camera. I asked the photographers to take full advantage of the architecture of the fort. They did not disappoint.

Our families, believe it or not, this is mostly parents, with one uncle, a sister, a brother, and two nephews

Our wedding party, we almost got all three boys to look at the camera

Three generations, my grandmother, me, and my mom

The groom, and his groomsmen (and groomswoman!)

A candid shot of my bridesmaids, I love this picture

Our fort

Kiss me!

All pictures copyright of Classic Photographers, used with permission.

Wedding Recaps- All the Pretty Details

2011-11-05T08:49:00.002-04:00

My ring bearer pillow, ribbon wands, and a pageboy's bell

During our final consultation with the photographer, I mentioned that I had made a lot of the decorations and accessories, and that I would like to have pictures of all the little details. Our photographers certainly pulled through. These are some of my favorite pictures, some are of DIY projects, others showcase the amazing work of our vendors. Enjoy.

Our aisle runner

The wedding arch, it was breezy to the guys used rocks to hold down the aisle runner

Flower cones, made by me and arranged by my mom, on shepherd's hooks from the dollar store

Our alter set up, with our ring bearer pillow, unity candle, handfasting ribbon, and mead

My pearls, a gift from my husband, and my something new

Our reception

One of our centerpieces, with artificial starfish, and my handmade table numbers

Our escort card table

Candle centerpieces

The guestbook table and card basket

Our photo guestbook in action, a huge hit

The detail of our cake. Our cake baker did an amazing job, the cake was as delicious as it was beautiful.

Our engraved serving set, which now graces our curio cabinet

Candle favors, photo share cards, and bubbles!

My bouquet, exactly what I wanted, and the hand painted Mrs. shell

The peridot brooch I borrowed from my mom, my bouquet was also wrapped with a handkerchief that was used by my mom and grandmother at their weddings. My something borrowed and something old. My something blue was a sapphire ring that Tom gave me.

Our rings

All pictures copyright of Classic Photographers, used with permission

Wedding Recaps- The Reception

2011-11-04T09:31:00.000-04:00

After the ceremony, we spent some time at the fort taking pictures before piling into the limo and heading to the reception venue. On the way, we asked the limo driver if he would be willing to stop at a nearby post office so that we could get the marriage certificate in the mail. He did just that, and our photographer caught it. I can only imagine what the locals thought to see a limo drive through a post office.

The new Mr and Mrs!

Once we arrived to the reception venue, the reception coordinator wisked us away to a private waiting area for appetizers and champagne, while they poured everyone's champagne for the champagne toast. The DJ lined us up, and we were announced. Once everyone was seated, we went right into the speeches. Our best man and our maid of honor each gave speeches and joked with us all week that they were going to tell embarrassing stories. Truth be told, they both gave speeches that were so touching and heartfelt that I am pretty sure there was not a dry eye in the house.

The Best Man's speech

The Maid of Honor's Speech

Following the speeches, we went right into dinner. The DJ played Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, the food was delicious. We decided to have a buffet of comfort foods, and our caterer created exactly what we wanted: meatball, honey mustard chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes. Part way through dinner, our photographer brought out glow stick kits. The kids, as well as the adults, had a blast creating glow stick glasses, earrings, and necklaces.

After dinner, we had our cake cutting. This is where our baker surprised us. Our original plan was to have a wedding cake and a groom's cake, but the groom's cake was going to essentially be a single-tiered chocolate version of the wedding cake. I wanted to surprise Tom with a more custom groom's cake, but time ran out before I could really plan it. The baker came through, and designed Tom a guitar cake. We were both pleasantly surprised.

Our Wedding Cake

Our Groom's Cake

Tom and I had been discussing the cake cutting for about a year before the wedding. We both agreed that we wanted our wedding to be an adult affair, and that our cake cutting would follow suit. I went by what we discussed, and nicely fed Tom a piece of wedding cake, minus a little frosting on his nose, which I promptly kissed off.

Tom on the other hand...

I should have known better. Especially after he flashed his "I'm innocent" eyes at me. Before I could react, I was covered in sticky frosting. At first I was less than pleased, but then I realized that it was the man I married. Tom has a playful side, and our guests loved it.

Never trust a man with a handful of cake

So not amused

We took a few minutes to get cleaned up, and then started the dancing portion of the evening. Tom and I had our first dance to "Rose of My Heart" by Johnny Cash. The words fit us perfectly. Tom and I had been practicing waltzing since we became engaged, it was nice to finally have the opportunity to dance with him. Tom also took full advantage of the flow-y aspect of my dress and spun me a few times. Our wedding party and guests blew bubbles during our first dance to add to the moment.

Following our first dance, I danced with my father to "I Loved Her First" by Heartland. Tom danced with his mom to "Purple Rain" by Prince. Then we opened up the dance floor and everyone joined in on the fun.

Me and my dad

Tom with his mom

All that was left to do was the bouquet toss and the garter toss, which we dispersed throughout the dancing. The florist provided a toss bouquet for me to throw. Now, I notoriously have bad aim when throwing, and in my defense, the DJ made me toss the bouquet with my back turned to everyone.

I say this in my defense, because I managed to toss the bouquet right over all of the ladies...

And into the groom's hands. Seriously, Tom cannot catch. He later told me that he was having a conversation with the best man and the bouquet landed in his hands. If that is not a sign of sheer talent and brilliance, I don't know what is.

Last but not least, Tom took off my garter. True to form, he opted to do it with his teeth. Again, our guests enjoyed the show. Fortunately, I did not catch the garter, although I'm sure people were questioning it. Ultimately, my bridesmaid caught the bouquet, she is engaged to be married next June. Our best man caught the garter. We need to find him a special someone.

After the bouquet and garter toss, we enjoyed the last couple hours of our reception by dancing the night away. Our last dance was to "Good Life" and my nephews requested it so they could dance with their new aunt Jenny. It was a perfect, beautiful day that was worth every minute of planning, and every dime of money.

All pictures copyright of Classic Photographers, and used with permission.

Wedding Recaps- The Ceremony

2011-10-30T07:54:00.000-04:00

September 10, 2011. Tom and I could not have asked for a more perfect day. On a beautiful September afternoon, in the presence of our closest family and friends, our wedding ceremony commenced.

Tom escorted his mother down the aisle

Our nephew and junior usher escorted my mom

My sister and maid of honor

My best friend, matron of honor, and wedding officiant

My other best friend and bridesmaid

Our nephew and ring bearer

Here comes the bride, escorted by my mom

The ceremony begins, led by two of our best friends

Our handfasting

With this ring

The kiss

Presenting the new Mr and Mrs

Off into the sunset

Wedding Recaps- We Arrive at the Ceremony Venue

2011-10-29T07:17:00.000-04:00

As we left the spa, my maid and matron of honor insisted on stopping at the reception venue. They told me they needed to drop off cars. I was confused, but I went along with it. As we pulled into the reception venue, I saw a limo waiting for us. Our matron of honor and our groomsmen rented us a limo as a wedding gift. Tom and I have the best friends on earth.

Prior to getting into the limo, I ventured into the lobby to check Tom and I into our honeymoon suite. I walked up to the front desk and told them I was the bride, they smiled, and checked me in, no ID needed. I think the wedding gown was enough. They also had me sign the room contract with my married name. It was the first time I ever signed it!

Once we arrived to the fort, it was time to find all the dad's and groomsmen to give them their boutonnieres. I hid in the limo with my bridesmaids. As you can see from the pictures, the weather was absolutely perfect, not a cloud in the sky, mid-70's, and just enough of a breeze to mess with my veil.

Bouts and Corsages

Tom bouting the ring bearer

My dad and step-mom bouting my brother

Mom bouting my Step-Dad

The bride comes out of hiding

This was about when the wind took my veil off for me... oops!

What Tom and I now affectionately refer to as "our fort"

My brother with a pinwheel

All pictures copyright of Classic Photographers, used with permission

Wedding Recaps- Getting Ready

2011-10-28T11:04:00.001-04:00

The truth behind a well-laced wedding gown

The morning of our wedding day proved to be calm and relaxing. I woke up around 6:30, and just soaked the day in. My mom made bacon and eggs for breakfast, we packed up all the dresses into the back of the car, and made our way over to the spa.

Thanks to my bridesmaids for taking over the logistics of the wedding day for me, everything worked out like clockwork. I prepared a bridesmaid's tea of pastries, cheese and crackers, and fresh fruits; the spa provided a bottle of champagne. While we were getting our hair and make-up done, my mom picked up our flowers. She arrived back at the salon right as I finished up hair and make-up. My mom and bridesmaids got dressed while I looked over all the bouquets and corsages, and right as it was time for me to get dressed, the photographer arrived. A perfect start to a perfect day.

Matron of honor's hair

Lace the dress

Slip on the shoes

Add the bouquet

I love mirror shots

The bride!

And we are off!

All pictures copyright of Classic Photographers, used with permission.

Wedding Recaps- The Sunday Morning After

2011-10-15T08:45:00.000-04:00

I have been assured by my photographer that my DVD of wedding pictures is in the mail, so I am going to skip ahead to the post-wedding events for a couple of posts before going back to the day of.

Sunday started with a Sunday morning brunch with our wedding party and my mother-in-law at our reception venue. I had previously made arrangements, so they reserved a space for us. It was a nice, quiet morning with good food and company that ended with teary good byes as everyone went their separate ways home. Tom and I packed up our car and his mother's car with left over decorations from our reception and we headed over to my mother's house for our gift opening.

My mom's family has a tradition of decorating a fake Christmas tree with wedding decorations with all the wedding gifts underneath, so I was not surprised at all to walk into the living room to find this:

I should remember that purple, green, silver, and ivory make for a gorgeous Christmas tree...

After our gift opening, and some left over wedding cake, we opted to enjoy a final day in Maine with Tom's mother and nephews before they drove back to Kansas City, so we drove to Camden to visit Mt. Battie. Camden is one of my favorite parts of the state, it is where mountains reach the ocean and the views are just gorgeous. We drove right up Mt. Battie, the boys had a blast climbing the stone tower at the top.

The View

~~Tom's~~ OUR nephews at the top of the stone tower

My husband

After driving down the mountain, we stopped at Moody's Diner for dinner before saying good-bye. Overall, it was a bittersweet day. It was sad to see our friends and family go, but nice to spend a day relaxing after the wedding and have our apartment to ourselves.

Wedding Recaps- Non-Pro Pictures

2011-10-05T07:36:00.001-04:00

I am waiting to do the ceremony and reception recaps until after I get our pictures back from the photographer, which should be any day now. Until then, I wanted to share some of the non-professional pictures that I have gotten from my mother-in-law and my sister's boyfriend.

Hoorah! We can do this!

Tom pinning a boutonniere onto his nephew, our ring bearer

I had to hide behind my bridesmaids while Tom walk his mom down the aisle. I love the girl's "nothing to see here" face

Tom walking his mother down the aisle.

Our ring bearer

My mom escorting me down the aisle

Walking down the aisle

Our handfasting

Mr. and Mrs.

The best looking wedding party ever

Wedding Recaps- Rehearsal

2011-09-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

Our nephew, junior usher, escorting my mom down the aisle

After our picnic, Tom and I gathered everyone together and headed into the fort so that we could practice the ceremony. Tom and I wrote our ceremony ourselves, and we did hire anyone to be in charge of the ceremony, so we ran the rehearsal ourselves. It went smoothly, I mean, how hard is it to walk down the aisle?

We practiced the procession, ran through the ceremony, and the recession. Short, sweet, and to the point. I opted not to practice my vows, just the thought was making me tear up. I'm such a girl...

Following rehearsal, we let lose and hit the beach. Normally, September is a bit chilly to be jumping into the ocean in Maine, but the weather was warm and kids are numb.

Laura and I explored the tide pools. Sadly, the only things we could find were seaweed and drift wood.

All in all, rehearsal was exactly what Tom and I were looking for. We wanted a relaxing day with our friends and family. With the exception of some horseflies that insisted on making a meal out of us, we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

After the beach, everyone went their separate ways for the evening. Tom and I, along with my mother, step-father, and our wedding party went to a German restaurant for beer and schnitzel. Then, Tom and I bid each other fair well, until tomorrow, under the arch, at 4 o'clock.

Wedding Recaps- Rehearsal Picnic

2011-09-24T09:15:00.001-04:00

The food table was a popular hang out

In place of more traditional rehearsal dinner, Tom and I opted to have a much more budget friendly rehearsal picnic. It was an absolute snap to plan, we called our favorite Italian sandwich shop and ordered two trays of Italians, finger sandwiches, whoopie pies, and garden salad. Tom picked up some soda on the way there. I provided paper plates, cups, napkins, and plastic forks, and we met everyone at the fort for an afternoon of enjoying the view, good food, and each other's company.

Our parents loved their gifts

The food was perfect, and we ordered just enough. When people that are not from Maine think of "Maine food" they think of seafood and blueberries. It was nice to give everyone some real local fare. Our family and wedding party appreciated it too.

Once everyone was done eating, we handed out gifts. I gave Tom his jersey and he gave me a set of pearls, which you will see in the wedding pictures. We gave our ring bearer and pageboys Transformer walkie talkies, which were a huge hit. The boys immediately ran into the fort and began playing with them. We gave our parents engraved silver picture frames that said "Your daughter always" or "Your son always" the frames have a place for our baby pictures and our wedding picture. Our bridesmaid's received personalized totes and photo cubes with a personalized quote on the top. Our groomsmen received "magic d20's of destiny" which is a magic 8 ball in the form of a 20 sided dice. Everyone really seemed to enjoy their gifts.

After eating, we relaxed some more, before heading into the fort to rehearse the ceremony.

Wedding Recaps- My Gift to my Groom

2011-09-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

Tom is a Chicago Bears fan. Big time.

So when the time came to pick a wedding gift that would be appropriate for my soon-to-be husband, I knew immediately what to get him. A custom jersey. The number "13" is his high school football number, it's also our lucky number. On the back, it is personalized with his last name.

It was absolutely adorable when he opened it. I folded the jersey really small in a gift bag, so he had no idea. First, he got all giddy when he realized it was a Bears jersey. Then, I asked him to read the back. At that point, he whipped off his shirt, put the jersey on, and ran over to his mother to show her. It was like a little kid at Christmas. The smile in the picture did not come off his face for a week.

Wedding Recaps- Spa Day

2011-09-21T11:32:00.001-04:00

Sherry at the manicure table

So, we moved on Sunday, September 4. Then we entertained guests, and unpacked, and finalized wedding stuff for the next couple of days. Then Thursday rolled around...

The day before, I was at the bridal salon with my officiant/matron of honor doing a last minute fitting of her dress. She insisted on taking me out to lunch the next day, along with my sister. I'm never one to turn down a free lunch, so I obliged. Thus began the day of ambushing. I must begin by saying, Tom and I have, hands down, the best friends/ wedding party a couple could ever ask for. My day consisted of lunch, spa day, and a bachelorette party. Tom's day consisted of being kidnapped by his groomsmen for a brewery tour, followed by a bachelor party at my mother's house.

Laura, during her pedicure

Lunch with the ladies went great, we went to a local pizza place. My sister and I shared a vegetarian pizza with blueberry beer. Then it was off to the spa. I'll be honest, I had a really stressful morning. Tom and I were arguing about something silly, a symptom that has completely disappeared since the wedding. Once I lay down on the massage table, everything that was stressing me out was gone. Shortly after my massage, I had a facial. I fell asleep while the mask was setting, it was just so relaxing.

I met up with my sister, Laura, and Sherry again in the manicure/pedicure room. They both copied me, with Victorian lilac toes and a shimmery pink French manicure.

My manicure

It was while I was sitting in the manicure room, waiting for Sherry and Laura to finish up, that everything suddenly hit, but in a good way. The wedding was only days away, and our closest friends and family were in town specifically to be there, with us, on our day. We finished up at the spa, then headed to my mother's before heading out to my bachelorette party. We also picked up Maggie, another bridesmaid, who literally drove through floods caused by tropical storm Lee to be there.

Sadly, I don't have pictures for the rest of the day's events. To be honest, even if I did, I'm not sure if it would be appropriate to post them. We will just say that my girls dressed me up, I had a bachelorette crown, phallic necklace, sash, and a HUGE pin, just in case the rest of my get up didn't give things away. We had buffalo wings for dinner, followed by some bar hopping. I was mildly intoxicated, and made some one-liners in my drunken stupor that will likely live on in infamy.

As for the guys? They grilled lamb and chicken, had some curry, drank lots of beer, and had a fire. Again, lots of quotes that will go down in infamy. The girls crashed the guys around midnight, and lots of silliness ensued. It was a late night, but well worth it, and the perfect kick off for our wedding weekend!

Our New Digs, The Start of our Wedding Week

2011-09-18T21:57:00.000-04:00

The view from our living room window

Many couples like to have a "last date night" about a week before the wedding, as a sort of calm before the storm. Tom and I did the exact opposite. We decided to start off the week before our wedding with the stress and manual labor of moving. If that wasn't enough, Tom's mother, girlfriend, and nephews arrived that same evening. With more guests scheduled to arrive days later.

Fortunately, Tom and I unpacked the kitchen during the week before the big move, so while moving day was stressful, it did not take long for us to get settled. In the long run, I'm happy we made the move so close to the wedding. It was a natural transition, and I really enjoyed the symbolism of waking up at my mother's house on the morning of the wedding and going to my own place after the honeymoon.

The following pictures are "before" pictures, as in, while the apartment was still empty, before moving day. My goal is to post "after" pictures, one room at a time, as we get everything settled and purchase furniture.

The living room

The bathroom. Yes, that's a clawfoot

The hallway leading to our kitchen

Our bedroom

There is also a second bedroom, which pretty much looks the same as our bedroom, just with two windows. We will hopefully be turning that into a nursery before our first anniversary. There is also a dining room, which is odd shaped so I really couldn't get a good picture. It has the same hardwood floors as the living room. There is also a kitchen, which was a complete disaster area at the time because we were in the process of moving everything.

I'm Back!

2011-09-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

And married!

Everything went perfect. The ceremony was perfect, the reception was perfect, the weather was perfect, our wedding party was beyond words amazing. All of our vendors went above and beyond. I simply do not have words.

I just wanted to check in that we survived the wedding and the honeymoon and now Tom and I are reluctantly going back to the "real world." Wedding recaps and vendor reviews to follow.

Today is the Day!

2011-09-10T06:23:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting, the last week has been hectic at best. We moved into our new place on Sunday, finalized with the DJ and photographer on Tuesday, as well as my final dress fitting, last day of work on Wednesday, spa day and bachelor/bachelorette on Thursday, and rehearsal on Friday. I will post recaps for Thursday and Friday after our honeymoon. Everything has been absolutely wonderful so far. This morning I leave for the spa at 10 and I meet Tom under the wedding arch at 4 o'clock this afternoon. After 19 months of planning, here goes nothing!

DIY Escort Cards, the Bane of my Existance

2011-09-04T07:17:00.000-04:00

I knew my DIY projects were going way to smoothly. I was bound to mess something up. Fortunately, I think I was able to cover my mistake.

The escort cards were supposed to be tented, which means that they were supposed to fold in half and be able to stand up. Unfortunately, I put them through my printer upside down, twice. Which effectively destroyed the back of my tent cards. Third times a charm, I guess. Then, after cutting out all of my escort cards, I realized that I forgot to make them for an entire table. Escort cards are clearly the death of me.

Significantly more time than I was planning on spending later, I had all my escort cards printed and cut. I opted to cut off the back flaps off, because there was really no way to salvage them. This effectively converted my tented escort cards into escort tags. From this point, my project went as planned. I used my hole punch to make holes in the upper left corner of each escort tag. Then I attached each tag to a starfish with some curling ribbon. Overall, I think they came out okay, despite my previous difficulties, and my guests will each have an artificial starfish to take home.

One Week

2011-09-03T09:32:00.000-04:00

Until Tom and I are married!

My soon-to-be mother-in-law, soon-to-be nephews, and family friends are on their way up from Kansas City. Our stuff is in boxes, awaiting our big move tomorrow. Spa day has been finalized for Thursday, as have final dress fittings. I finally made our seating chart, and should have the escort cards done either today or tomorrow. There is definitely a wedding in the midst.

Hello September!

2011-09-01T07:54:00.000-04:00

I can now say "I'm getting married this month!" or, as Tom said this morning, "more like next week!" We are definitely excited. Right now we are in the process of moving. Every bit of free time is spent packing up our stuff at my mother's house. Our official move-in date is Sunday. I am also managing to finalize things along the way. Yesterday, I was able to finalize with the florist. As a result of a couple of last minute changes to our wedding party, I ended up with a bit of a credit with our florist. The end result? More roses in my bouquet, and the girls will now have green roses mixed in with their green hydrangea to maintain the monochromatic look.

What my bouquet will look like Source

The bridesmaid's bouquets, minus the ivy, and with roses instead of everything else Source

I have a whiteboard at my desk at work where I keep track of the number of days until the wedding. Yesterday, people started stopping by my desk to say congratulations. It's funny, even though I look at the countdown hundreds of times a day, it has not sunk in yet that the wedding is so close. I feel like it is way too early, and then I realize that I am in my last couple days of work before vacation starts. Tom's family is due to arrive from Kansas City this weekend. Everything is very surreal at the moment.

Finalizing the Menu and Packing for the New Place

2011-08-26T20:40:00.000-04:00

Moving kittehs are ready to go!

Things are starting to get busy around here. Really busy. It doesn't help that we are busy at work too. We have set up all of our utilities at our new apartment, and Tom will be calling on Sunday to get our official move in date. Our "kids" have been "helping" me pack. They are fascinated by the empty boxes. It's a lot of work, but the idea of having my own kitchen again is enough to keep me going.

At the same time, I am continuing to finalize everything with our vendors. Our reception coordinator is going to be on vacation for the next week. This actually worked out nicely because it has forced me to finalize the menu and start working on our seating chart. I mentioned earlier that we have been upgrading with some of our vendors as a result of a low guest head count. The caterer was no exception.

Here is our finalized reception menu:

Hors D'ouevres:
Cheese Tray
Vegetable Tray
Seasonal Fruit
Assorted Snacks

Salad course served tableside

Dinner Buffet:
Steak Tips
Italian Meatballs
Honey Mustard Chicken
Vegetarian Lasagna
Whipped Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Vegetable Medley
Potato Salad

And of course, dessert will be our wedding cake. Yummy!

Building a Nest

2011-08-24T15:53:00.001-04:00

After a year (13 months to be exact) of living in my mother's basement, Tom and I will moving into a place of our own.

As of September first, this will be the view from our living room window

Source

We got ourselves a gorgeous two bedroom apartment in Portland. It is everything we want for our home; close to work, hardwood floors, clawfoot tub, two bedrooms, private deck, and a dining room. My mom found the listing, Tom took a look at it, and I did not get to see it until after we signed the lease. Tom did good. We move in September 1 so that everything will be unpacked for when we return from our honeymoon. As if I was not busy enough already.

Upgrading our wedding cake

2011-08-22T23:00:00.000-04:00

Source

I mentioned earlier that our smaller guest list means upgrades all around. The first thing we needed to change was our cake. A four-tier cake that served 180 did not seem appropriate for our guest list of around 50. It was too late to ask for a refund, but our baker was more than willing to upgrade. Now we are going to have a three-tier lemon cake filled with lemon curd and topped with almond butter cream. Have I mentioned that Tom and I REALLY like lemon?

Dress Fitting!

2011-08-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

No pictures this time, but I had my first dress fitting yesterday. Many of you may remember that my seamstress recommended not having my first fitting until three weeks out. I am happy I listened to her, because if I would have had my alterations earlier, I would be needing more alterations last minute. Apparently, in the last month or so, I managed to lose a bit of weight.

Prior to my fitting, Tom helped me get into my long line bra. Usually it fits a bit snug. To the extent that usually the first column of hooks are hooked, and then everything is moved over to the second while I hold my breath. This time around, Tom just hooked in on at the tightest setting, and it was still quite comfortable. Once I got to my fitting, my seamstress laced up my dress, and pinned in the alterations. The dress fits me like a glove already, it just requires a half inch to be taken in at the bust, and a half inch hem. She is also putting the bustle in for me this time. Next time I go in will be my final fitting on September 6. That's only a few weeks before the wedding! Oh my goodness it's coming up fast!

Following up on RSVP's

2011-08-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

Source

I should begin by stating that my graphic is intended to be light-hearted. I understand that schedules can be busy, and that not everyone thinks about me and Tom's wedding on a day-to-day basis. I can accept that. At the same time, I do understand why RSVPs are the top of every bride's list of frustrations. Tom and I could not have made responding to our invitations any easier, we included a self-addressed stamped envelope, printed the names on the RSVP card, and, just in case that proved to be an inconvenience, we have a place to RSVP online with our website. Regardless, our RSVP has come and gone, and we are still in the process of tracking down everyone on our guestlist.

The number of acceptances has been on the low side, which we were expecting. All of our guests are travelling from out-of-state. While we aren't going to have the large reception we originally planned, we are able to add a bunch of upgrades that we thought were out of reach. For example, our now-smaller wedding cake will be filled with lemon curd, instead of the originally planned almond buttercream. We are also looking at upgrading the bridesmaid's bouquets.