DIY

I spent some time today trying to come up with a list of wedding-related projects that I’m going to end up doing myself (or with the help of fiance and friends). DIYing partially to save money and partially just to be involved and make the wedding a bit more me-centric. (kidding! to make it more personal and hopefully interesting) This is what I have so far:

• Save the Dates, in progress
• Programs
• Flowers (more or less DIYing)
• Decorations for ceremony and/or reception
• Potentially part of the bridesmaid (and other special girls) gifts. I’ve got some thoughts rolling around in my head
• Favors, if at all possible.
• Thank You cards, possibly. I would like to design these.
• Veil, possibly.

Anything else I might be forgetting or that would be easy to DIY? I’m going to have to budget time for all this

Unrelated

Well it’s been an emotional and busy week.  Wednesday I was taking a shuttle from Pequot back to the Cities, planning to update about photographers and reception sites when I got back home. However, close to home I found out about the 35W bridge collapse, and cue to countless cell phone calls (when people could get through) from frantic friends wanting to know if I and loved ones were safe. Well, thank goodness we were (and are). But, nevertheless, the rest of the evening was spent watching the news and fielding phone calls instead of anything else.

After that, the future sister-in-law came into town for the weekend, so I’ve been running around and entertaining all weekend. A wedding-related update will happen soon.

Saucy

Here is a picture of me in my bridesmaid dress for my brother’s wedding, which now happens in less than two months.

Too close to feel defeated

I ventured out into the 90+ degree heat today to physically search for a reception site, instead of relying on the internet. I started at a florist/tux rental place to check it out, and it turns out that the owner of the store, whom I went to school with, is getting married in September at a fairly new lodge close by that I had never heard of. It sounded really nice but not quite the caliber or expense of the resorts we had been looking at Inspired, I drove with my mom to check it out.

We came to Whitefish Lodge and Suites, which has an amazing up north, woodsy feel and overlooks a golf course. Their banquet hall seats 300 people, has two dance floors but is otherwise a typical room, nothing special about it. I liked it, and for the first time, it was available for the date I wanted. I also got to see the suites that would be included for the wedding night. I grabbed the information, put a hold on the date and left.

Next we stopped at Deacon’s Lodge, which is mostly golf course, but I thought it’d be a nice location. They seat 100 people at the very most. Scratch that idea.

Last night my parents had told me of a place called Timbermist, which just opened last year I think. I called them up to see if they are available for the date (they are!) and to see what the general set up is like. The prices sound decent, the lady sounded nice and a security officer must be hired for the dance. Wait, what? That seems a bit quirky to me, and ironic considering one of our groomsmen is a police officer and all-star college running back (i.e. this guy is built and can run). Nevertheless, this place entices more than Whitefish, so I’m going to check out the facilities tomorrow.

Tomorrow also includes a preliminary round up of photographer possibilities.

How cheesy are you?

I got it. The One. The dream dress. It’s mine. What a glorious way to start my vacation.

My parents picked me up in the Cities today, and we stopped at the Rosedale Mall to look for a dress for my mum for my brother’s wedding, which happens in September. I knew there was a place in the mall because I had visited it just over a year ago. In fact, I saw a dress there that shaped in my mind what I wanted for a dress. I think everything in the store was Alfred Angelo.

Sure enough, we walk up to the store, and deja vu hit me as I looked at the dresses in the window. It seemed as if I were transported back a year looking at this dress that had toyed in the back of my mind for a year. But that’s not why we were there! And it was a bit more than I had planned on spending. As my mom was trying on dresses, the woman running the store found out that I was also getting married as my dad and I were discussing the dress. He knew that there was going to be limited chance of going wedding dress shopping with me (I admit to being a daddy’s girl) so I ended up trying on the dress, expecting heartbreak at not being able to get it. As I’m trying it on, the woman tells me that since it’s my first time in the store, if I order the dress, it will be 20% off, and a sample sale meant I could buy that exact dress for 30% off.

Magic was in the air. The dress fit soooo beautifully, I almost made my dad cry and the wonderful 30% off brought the dress down into a range that I would be more willing to spend. The woman tried to seduce me into getting a veil that was almost $300, but I put my foot down at any more purchases that day.

Overall, the store experience was alright. I still don’t know the lady’s name, but she was a big help to both me and my mom.

But the main thing is…I got my dress! So, without further ado, I will give you a very small sneak peek only. It’s more ivory than this picture shows.

Being productive?

What do I do when I take the afternoon off to relax? Create a new picture for my blog site!!

Stuck in the Dress

I’m stuck.

Two days ago I was on the verge of calling up the woman I met last Saturday and saying I wanted her dress. I felt a bit anxious to have chosen a wedding dress and a bit anxious because it was a David’s Bridal gown and maybe I wanted something a bit more… unique. I also read on Weddingbee of a woman who was lamenting purchasing her dress too quickly. It seems like any decision wedding related besides a reception site (for availability issues) should be carefully weighed upon and chosen slowly.

So here I am, two days later without that wedding dress (and unaware if it’s still available) and still just wanting to have a beautiful and affordable wedding dress chosen.

My dad and I were talking about the dress that I almost bought and his first question was “Does it have a train?” It seems like a pretty normal question, until it hit me that it was strange my dad was asking me that. I was never a girl that had her wedding dress picked out since she was 5, so I know I have never mentioned anything about a train before. So why was he asking? Now my mind a confused mess of whether or not I want a train, whether or not I can live with a David’s Bridal dress (it was so pretty!) and how compulsive I should be.

So my question to the readers (if I had readers and wasn’t just writing this blog for my own sanity) would be – how did you choose your wedding dress? Careful consideration or impulsive purchase?

I’d take the ATV.

So I was cruising Craiglist today, shopping for a wedding dress when I came across this posting and just shook my head and laughed.

“WEDDING NEVER WORN $1100 NEW/ WILL TAKE $600/OFFER/TRADE FOR ATV – $500″

A wedding dress for an ATV. It was posted by a boy. Made me wonder what happened.

Receptioning

Due to the fiance and my’s inability to find a reception site online that is available for the date we want, I’ve decided to take some time off work early next week to go home and see what I can find. Wish me luck! I’ll update on what I find, or don’t find.

The problem is, I want to have an outdoor wedding. Due to a lot of reasons, we picked April as our month. End of April, to be exact. But no sites seem to be available. If we were to push it up earlier into April, we couldn’t just do the next weekend before, due to a conflict with the pastor’s schedule, we’d have to push it back to April 12.  Eek. That early in Minnesota and you could be asking for a freak snowstorm, no lies. And I really want an outdoor wedding because I don’t have a home church up there.

If we don’t find a reception site, our choices are to change the date and figure out a way to do the ceremony (possibly on the same site as reception) or move the entire affair to the fiance’s hometown. There is a resort that built a new complex that is virtually unbooked, good prices and all that. But the traditional part of me that I didn’t realize I had wants to do the ceremony in my hometown, at my house. When does it become silly to put my foot down for tradition?

A girly “gag me” post :)

Today is Andy and I’s one year dating anniversary. It’s going to be a low-key day that was supposed to include a 12-mile run (not so low-key) for our marathon training. However, there’s a severe air pollution warning out tonight, so we’re going to stay indoors and watch Harry Potter movies that he hasn’t seen yet. Tomorrow is our fun date to celebrate.

He’s been adorable throughout the day, bringing me coffee at work and leaving notes everywhere. I love this man.