Wedding Anticipation
It is coming SO quickly. Oh my goodness, I'm not ready! We have a million things to do, but I'm glad we have the things we did already done. My problem is I got some big things done early (including one move where I had to fire a vendor) which made me feel so ahead of the game. Now I feel like I need every moment between now and October 8th to make it happen.
Done:
+Wedding dress & shoes
+Bridesmaid dresses
+Flower girl dress (1 out of 2, but have both picked)
+Caterer
+Venue
+DJ/lighting
+Ceremony officiant
+Photographers
+Save the Dates ordered and mostly delivered
+Invites ordered and received :)
+Wedding bands
Need to:
-Decide on bridal jewelry (working on that with a good friend who offered to make it for me)
-Get a garter (easy)
-Decide on hair/makeup for self
-Hair/makeup for bridesmaids
-Bridesmaid jewelry and shoes
-Cake
-Decorations (have color scheme...have lots of ideas...but no set plan)
-Flowers (going very minimalist in that department)
-Boys tuxes chosen, just need to set up the rental
-Ring bearer tuxes/suits
-Rent chairs for ceremony portion of the evening
-Finalize plans for beer/booze/bartending
-Finish creating our Honeyfund registry
-Working on song list (but not nearly done)
-Decide on how the ceremony will go (ideas, but nothing concrete)
We are most likely skipping out on a videographer and keeping flowers to a minimum to keep cost manageable. We're skipping a dance floor-we figure people will understand the large open area on the floor where the DJ is set up is the dance floor. We have some other creative ideas to help keep costs in certain areas down.
Let me just say it has slowly added up, but we have truly been afforded the opportunities that will allow us to fund the wedding. My dad bought my dress, which was the most wonderful gesture. Also, we had a couple of areas that worked out to our benefit in the area of our personal finances (read: no one just gave us a wad of cash) that have come at just the right times.
Our vendors are wonderful. We are so excited to work with such talented and thoughtful individuals.
People keep asking me if I'm excited. The planner in me is stepping on the toes of excited me. I am thrilled! I am so excited to be marrying my best friend, my partner, my love. Its just the realistic part of me that needs to get the logistics figured out before I can relax and enjoy the realization that our wedding is happening.
Things I am so looking forward to:
+Seeing Brandon's expression when I walk down the aisle (I've had nightmares that I've walked down the aisle only to forget seconds later how he looked at me...weirdness).
+Walking down the aisle with my mom and dad. They both need to be by my side.
+Having the most amazing bridal party
+Hearing each other's personal vows
+The special symbolic part of our union during the ceremony (some people do sand, some do a candle...we've got our own little thing)
+Having my sweet daughter take part in our special day as a family
+Little people: Ezra, Will, Naomi...plus all our children guests!
+The kiss!
+Dinner (our food is going to be so amazing!!)
+All the dances: first dance, daughter/father, mother/son, our family dance, dollar dance, anniversary dance, plus all the fun group dances
+Seeing so many loved ones all in the same room all at once (seriously so excited about this...so, so, so excited!!)
+Smooshing cake in B's face
+Wearing my beautiful dress and shoes (though at this point I am feeling quite anxious about how I am going to look)
+Photo presentation
+Ryan's toast
Of course there are a million little moments that will happen that will be wonderful and probably more valuable than any planned moment, but I can at least say there are a number of events during the day I am so excited about.
But the most exciting part is that I get to spend forever with Brandon. I get to take his name and put it on the end of mine. I'm not going hyphenated, but I will keep my last name as a 2nd middle name, just as Ayla has mine for her 2nd. Truth be told, it wouldn't matter to Brandon where or how we did the wedding. He is just as excited as I am, but if I told him, "Let's run to the courthouse tomorrow and get married," I know he'd run with me. A wedding is just a day, a wonderful day at that, but our marriage is what we have our lives to look forward to and growing old together.
Still...the wedding is coming quickly!
137 days to go!
Done:
+Wedding dress & shoes
+Bridesmaid dresses
+Flower girl dress (1 out of 2, but have both picked)
+Caterer
+Venue
+DJ/lighting
+Ceremony officiant
+Photographers
+Save the Dates ordered and mostly delivered
+Invites ordered and received :)
+Wedding bands
Need to:
-Decide on bridal jewelry (working on that with a good friend who offered to make it for me)
-Get a garter (easy)
-Decide on hair/makeup for self
-Hair/makeup for bridesmaids
-Bridesmaid jewelry and shoes
-Cake
-Decorations (have color scheme...have lots of ideas...but no set plan)
-Flowers (going very minimalist in that department)
-Boys tuxes chosen, just need to set up the rental
-Ring bearer tuxes/suits
-Rent chairs for ceremony portion of the evening
-Finalize plans for beer/booze/bartending
-Finish creating our Honeyfund registry
-Working on song list (but not nearly done)
-Decide on how the ceremony will go (ideas, but nothing concrete)
We are most likely skipping out on a videographer and keeping flowers to a minimum to keep cost manageable. We're skipping a dance floor-we figure people will understand the large open area on the floor where the DJ is set up is the dance floor. We have some other creative ideas to help keep costs in certain areas down.
Let me just say it has slowly added up, but we have truly been afforded the opportunities that will allow us to fund the wedding. My dad bought my dress, which was the most wonderful gesture. Also, we had a couple of areas that worked out to our benefit in the area of our personal finances (read: no one just gave us a wad of cash) that have come at just the right times.
Our vendors are wonderful. We are so excited to work with such talented and thoughtful individuals.
People keep asking me if I'm excited. The planner in me is stepping on the toes of excited me. I am thrilled! I am so excited to be marrying my best friend, my partner, my love. Its just the realistic part of me that needs to get the logistics figured out before I can relax and enjoy the realization that our wedding is happening.
Things I am so looking forward to:
+Seeing Brandon's expression when I walk down the aisle (I've had nightmares that I've walked down the aisle only to forget seconds later how he looked at me...weirdness).
+Walking down the aisle with my mom and dad. They both need to be by my side.
+Having the most amazing bridal party
+Hearing each other's personal vows
+The special symbolic part of our union during the ceremony (some people do sand, some do a candle...we've got our own little thing)
+Having my sweet daughter take part in our special day as a family
+Little people: Ezra, Will, Naomi...plus all our children guests!
+The kiss!
+Dinner (our food is going to be so amazing!!)
+All the dances: first dance, daughter/father, mother/son, our family dance, dollar dance, anniversary dance, plus all the fun group dances
+Seeing so many loved ones all in the same room all at once (seriously so excited about this...so, so, so excited!!)
+Smooshing cake in B's face
+Wearing my beautiful dress and shoes (though at this point I am feeling quite anxious about how I am going to look)
+Photo presentation
+Ryan's toast
Of course there are a million little moments that will happen that will be wonderful and probably more valuable than any planned moment, but I can at least say there are a number of events during the day I am so excited about.
But the most exciting part is that I get to spend forever with Brandon. I get to take his name and put it on the end of mine. I'm not going hyphenated, but I will keep my last name as a 2nd middle name, just as Ayla has mine for her 2nd. Truth be told, it wouldn't matter to Brandon where or how we did the wedding. He is just as excited as I am, but if I told him, "Let's run to the courthouse tomorrow and get married," I know he'd run with me. A wedding is just a day, a wonderful day at that, but our marriage is what we have our lives to look forward to and growing old together.
Still...the wedding is coming quickly!
137 days to go!
Love you! Can't wait!
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