Let the Planning begin...

We are just about 5½ months away from wedding day, which seems like really soon.

Last night we met with a friend who's boyfriend is a photographer, looked at a slideshow of wedding photos, talked deets and booked him. Well, I need to run him a deposit, but we're on!

Its exciting to feel like things are in motion, and relieving to check things off our list. And it puts us out $600. Knowing that bridal packages start around $1500, I am feeling lucky or what-have-you that we know someone who literally lives up the street, is professional, and is able to do the work for us at this price.

Really ~ we have a crew of friends that are coming together to make this wedding happen in our budget. And it feels like such a gift, cause, well, it pretty much is!


The photos below are of a wedding Ron shot this summer ~ I hope he doesn't mind my posting them!

The couple wed at the Historic Deepwood Estate in Salem Oregon ~

Photos by Ron Hope via my friend's facebook page.

I Won Filippa Scott Shoes!

The lovely ladies over at Pip Pip and All That hosted a fantastic 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway this month, to which I entered all 12 contests. And the last day, a pair of fabulous shoes from Filippa Scott's Luxe line......I won! A bit about her shoes....


"Filippa Luxe is the hot new range of limited edition bridal shoes. These beautiful styles are only available to a very select number of stockists in both the UK and the US. Only 50 pairs of each shoe are made every season and the styles change every year so you will have to be quick to own these amazing shoes.All are made from our signature duchesse satin fabric and beautifully crafted Swarovski crystal trims from Italy. They are also fully dyeable to fit in with any theme of wedding or party."

The above shoe is called Flora and retails in the US for $260 ~ it is made of duchess satin and Swarovski crystal.

Thanks Filippa and thanks Pip Pip!

Dreaming is Planning

I read this in my massage magazine...they were talking about your business plan, but I needed to read it because I go in waves of being completely obsessed with visioning our day followed by feelings of never wanting to look at another wedding photo set again! (This quickly turns back into the prior state-of-mind)

I know it will be over far too quickly, so dreaming and planning are like 85-95% of the fun of having a wedding!

What do I dream about? Oh.....where we will set up for the ceremony, whether we'll have chairs or bayles of hay or standing only, we are up top center, or if people will be circled around us (but then where does the wedding party stand?) whether the chairs will be plain ol' folding, or if we can spring for the NICE chairs to class things up a bit. Trust me, my back yard needs all the classing up it can get!

I wonder where the dance floor will be positioned and exactly how I can incorporate a fire-pit for an after party for lingering and out of town guests...after the kids are in bed we will join them while they wait out their buzz making smores and eating popcorn and red vines.

Should we have a tent? what would be under the tent? How do we have a family style reception dinner without an actual caterer. How badly I want to use real place settings but don't want to pay for them.

I could go on and on and on.....

We are officially a few days short of 6 months away! I read a great post on A Practical Wedding on how to have a lazy and cheap blog-worthy wedding. She had some great advice that I know will come in handy when I'm feeling completely overwhelmed and crying over something stupid.

key points were:

A great photographer will make your wedding look amazing
Marry someone you really love and want to be married too
Find a fabulous dress
Don't sweat the details or try to be super crafty especially if it isn't fun or isn't your thing

These are good. I still fret over not having a wedding planner and wonder if I should hire a day-of coordinator (how much are those?) Or if I have a friend/family member who not only can execute and maintain order, but also shares my vision for the day.

I know I will need to give over control on the actual day or I won't enjoy it.

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I had another bridal nightmare the other night. We were at our reception in a very dark/cementy/80's looking venue. My groom was not my groom (different skin/hair color, body, hair, age, everything - whoa) but the biggest problem was that none of his guests were at the wedding and all I could think was I was going to have to throw another wedding so that his friends could celebrate with us!

Geez, these stop don't they? Probably not.

~ cosabella lingerie giveaway ~

I almost titled this lingerie contest, but I think that would give off the wrong impression!

Go here to A Mountain Bride to enter to win! Such lovelies, girly, feminine, sexy in all sorts of loungy wear!

Second Wedding Nightmare

Last night's dream......

Dusk was approaching, guests were mingling, the air was warm, we were outdoors - where - I don't know, I was gorgeous in my cream dress and white floral headpiece......everyone was waiting for us but the groom was missing.
I wandered away towards the reception tables which were bare, and round, and the chairs were strewn about as if a windstorm had just come through. No lights were on in the house we were supposed to be getting ready in. I stepped in a door way, the rooms had a dim blue light cast on the walls from almost-dark sky, the groom was nowhere. hmmmmm

On a good note!

3 of the bridesmaid dresses have arrived! I haven't seen them yet, but hear they are perfect! Short, chocolate brown, with ruffles. And three flower girl dresses, which are better than we had expected, tan with pleats and a bow and a surprise layer of light pink tulle underneath! squeal!

My latest ideas:

From other blogs I found understated invitations tucked inside stiched up quilting fabric. In my colors. How much easier could it be? If only all my questions were answered so perfectly......

So many weddings have personal touches with vintage decor.....a milk-glass vase collector finally has a reason to show off her collection, or antique books stacked as centerpieces, cute succulents in ceramic pots crouching beneath stemware and next to gold-rimmed plates.
All of these things are fabulous, but none are within my reach.

And then a thought! My mom has collected a very colorful assortment of tins throughout her life, tea-tins, cookie-tins, baking soda and spice tins! She stopped a few years ago but all her tins are displayed above her kitched cabinets, bringing whimsy and interest to her house and collecting dust I'm sure.

but hey, wouldn't those be cute scattered down the center of the table? Maybe some could have flowers or candy or hold the haiku cards and pencils?