What do you think?

Remember when I had a hard time picking out the shoes to wear to our engagement photo session?

What do you think?

And our outfits?

I am so glad we decided to take pictures on the train.

And walking around the city with our amazing photographer, Caitlin Hazelton, and her husband.

How to plan for Rain?

Isn't it true that when you finally feel like you're ready to start building that nest egg, or when you've finally paid off that last credit card, something else pops up like a the check engine light or an expensive prescription? All my savings thus far goes into an account we call the "Wedding Account" (and M's goes into the "Honeymoon" account, and "Home improvement Account" and the "Emergency Account") and thus far I've only spent it on wedding expenses--expenses that I've already allocated for and bargain shopped for and have spent time thinking about since February. And yet, when small things pop up, like the idea of making a custom map for our guests on the other side of the reply card because our venue has a really weird address (on the venue website there isn't even a numbered street address listed; instead it's address is listed as "a block down from the corner or such and such, three blocks down from such") or finding a stamp collection that goes perfectly with our Save the Date and invite theme, (and I could use the stamps for some many things-the menus!the programs!signs for the candy buffet!) but it's about double more than I would want to spend, but we have extra money in our "Wedding Account" do I go ahead and splurge? Or do I squirrel it away for that rainy day that will inevitably be in the forecast?

Worry-free Bride

I am normally a worrier. I worry about tomorrow; I worry about next year. I worry about what I can control and I worry about what I can't.

At this point, I'm worried about being too worried at the wedding--and the months leading up to the wedding. I'm worried about the details and the large picture stuff. Mostly I'm worried about throwing a great party and making everyone happy.

Source

I guess at this point, the only action I have against the worries is to get as much done as I can early on, so when it's wedding crunch time I won't have much to worry about.

The rest of the unknown, the things I can't control, I guess I'll just have to leave up to chance and good luck.

Someone (who knows a lot about this type of stuff) once told me that I shouldn't try to predict my future or guess what will happen days, months, years from now or I'll drive myself crazy and miss what's happening in the now. I can't try to plan for everything in the future or worry about the "what if this" and the "what if that"--it's just not healthy.

Any advice about how to combat the 'worries'?

A Thankgiving Wedding

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving means a few things for my family. Obviously, a sense of thankfulness and family time, but also my parents' wedding anniversary. They were married 31 years ago on November 25th, and then my mother made Thanksgiving dinner for her combined family the following Thursday. Can you imagine planning a wedding, and then making Thanksgiving dinner for your in-laws!?

My sister and brother decided to throw my parents a surprise Anniversary party last year, and I decided to scrap some of my parents wedding photos as a gift, since the original album was so small and insignificant. Not the same kind of albums you see now; and their pictures deserved better! Here is another wedding I plan to honor at ours' next year.

I don't have a picture of the page I made for the picture below, but don't you just love my uncle's tuxedo?! He was the best man and bought that from a thrift store.

Below is a picture of both sides of the family.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Thanks for showing us what a happy, successful marriage is supposed to look like!

How can I make this work for us?

My new commute takes me past an awesomely huge antique store each day. Located in the heart of our downtown, I've spied their window decorations every day. One item caught my eye, day after day. Set in a darling background of white and pink Christmas decorations from day's past, I knew I wanted it-if the price was right. After work one day, I stopped in, and indeed, the price was right!

What the employees of the antique store call an Ornament Tree for $10; I knew I had to have it...

But, for what? I figured I could use it for the wedding somewhere, but I haven't decided how. We're already planning on using some type of box to double as our candy buffet containers and place cards, so hanging name cards on it is out.

Perhaps I could hang small framed pictures of our family member's weddings from the hooks? Maybe, but then they would all be quite small.

Or maybe as a type of guest book? Offer up something our quests can customize and hang? I sort of have an idea for a guest book, but it would be something store bought (although still cute I think.) To use this would be far more unique-but possible?

What do you think I should use it for? I want to hear your ideas!

If nothing else, I could always use it as it's intended purpose: an ornament tree (although we will have a "real" fake tree in our living room) I think it would also be a great jewelry stand, but if I were to use it for myself, it would have to be out of range of the kitties. I do know someone that has a lot of jewelry to display though...

Our Vegas Wedding that Wasn't

I've talked about our original dreams of destination wedding before and when we were first engaged I started planning out the aspects in my head and on the excel spread sheet to see if it would be feasible. Eventually we decided, our wedding wouldn't be happening in Vegas, but I thought it would be fun to show you what I imagined it would be like if we had.

A few things were very important to me even though we would be scaling back to do a destination wedding. I knew I wanted to feel bridal, but in a fun way. Enter Stephanie James Couture. The bride in the first image is wearing a Stephanie James Audrey dress. Check.

We looked at a lot of different hotels and chapels for the ceremony, and for what we imagined to be a small dinner/reception afterwards. We fell in love with the Stratosphere's several different packages. Most of which included a photography, flowers, champagne, and officiant. We loved the idea of tying the knot at the top with a beautiful view of the whole city below us. Source Venue? Double Check.

Love those adorable Vegas-themed invites! Find them here. Invites? Check.

I was slightly dissapointed that we would have to settle for the Stratosphere's photographer for the ceremony and reception. Not that I knew who this person was, or what they're talent would be like, but photography is very important to me. I thought we could compromise by doing a wedding shoot at the The Neon Museum. For a small fee, we could have awesome, striking photos with a professional photographer we chose. Source. Check.

Because I wanted to wear a tea length dress, nothing would match more than a beautiful bird cage veil! Check!

And finally, the Pièce de résistance of all vegas weddings: the most beautfil and vintage awesome Vegas Wedding I have ever seen! Drool.

Although we aren't having our Vegas wedding anymore, of few of our ideas and inspirations will still be featured in our real wedding. Can you guess which ones?

We're back!

Phew! I'm back. We closed, we packed, we moved, we painted, we unpacked and set up all in a few days with the help of a LOT of wonderful people. Can you believe our realtor and her husband helped us paint, clean and move? (Our realtor's husband also happens to be M's bestman, but I digress). Thankyou to my mom, dad, sister (MOH), brother-in-law, M's brother and groomsman, our friends P and A, and our friends K and A. We couldn't have done it with out you!

Anyway, we finally have internet, but I was only able to wrestle the computer away from M's greedy little fingers long enough to say, "we're back" and that pictures are on the way. As soon as I can get the computer again.

Ps. Go check out My Husband is Annoying. It's hilarious!