May Magnolia Wedding

Picture of Entire Wedding Party

2009-01-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Actual Centerpieces, Broom, Salt Ceremony and Flowers....

2009-01-11T11:37:00.001-08:00

Remember from a previous post, we decided not to do the unity, but rather a salt ceremony. Here is the picture from our "salt ceremony". We used some VERY inexpensive glasses/vases from Hobby Lobby (they were less than $4 a piece) and colored sand ($1.99 each at Hobby Lobby).
We also performed a old african ritual of jumping the broom. Our broom was BEAUTIFUL!
Here is a picture of the ACTUAL centerpiece that was used at the head and reserved tables, along with the attendants' flowers they carried:

NOTE: All of the TALL vases and hanging votives were purchased from Wholesale Flowers. They were WONDERFUL!
Here are the arrangements that were used at the food tables: Here are the centerpieces we used on the remaining guest tables. :
I have NO idea where my Godmother purchased these frosted vases from, but I thought that it was a simple and elegant centerpiece that tied in the colors and feel of the wedding (Southern elegance and charm)

Here are pictures of our cakes. Maria @ The Cake Diva in Jackson, Mississippi, did an OUTSTANDING job on these cakes! They tasted MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCH better than they looked (as if that was possible!).

Late....REALLY late with posts...Friday

2008-12-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

So, here we go....

Note: ALL photo credits go to Jason Cohen Photography. Jason and his assistant were the ABSOLUTE best! I loved the results, they weren't "in the way" (you barely knew they were there), they took GREAT SHOTS and everyone in the wedding party loved them!

The wedding rehearsal dinner was held at the Mississippi Forestry and Agricultural Museum. The food was a combination of Louisiana and Mississippi cuisines. We had stuffed peppers, catfish, bread pudding with REAL rum sauce (haaaaaaaaaaaaw!), salad, jambalaya, etc. I was PRAYING that I could get in my dress the next day! LOL!

Ed and I decided to go with practical wedding party gifts. I found these really great Lancome bags on Ebay and had them embroidered with each hostess and attendant's initials. My wedding assistant found the embroidery person for me and was even able to get stuffing fabric in the wedding colors for the bags (you ROCK, Lori!).

The ushers and groomsmen all received stainless steel flasks and we found orange gift bags for them. The male musicians received Thomas Pink ties, orange with VERY small fuschia dots in them and the ladies received coral/orange linen shawls from Nordstrom. They are all choir members with me at our church here in Maryland. They brought the house down....no, seriously...they did!

We all talked, ate, laughed, prayed and dispersed. I have NO idea where the men went. Me and some of my girls went to a party....that was short lived as we ALL started dying down within 15 minutes of getting there.... called it a night. A LONG day was ahead of us.....

Married!

2008-07-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the almost-two month delay, but I am married now (YAY)!

So, where do I start....

My godmother and her crew did a FABULOUS job on my florals (ceremony and reception) and our praline favors. The music was BEAUTIFUL (all of it)! The photographer was THE BEST! The videographers were awesome! The food for the rehearsal dinner and reception.......let's just say that there were a few good fat and happy people roaming around Jackson, Mississippi! I LOVED my dress and everything about that day, though a lot of it is a haze. I cried like a 2-year old when the doors of the church opened and saw Ed (yeah, couldn't even make it IN the church without crying!!).

Now, the um...........ugly side. Yeah, so about 80 people who RSPV'd for the reception didn't show up for the reception (and we upped our catering numbers due to the large amount of RSVPs received). The lady who we hired to do our clean up/take down tried to financially CLEAN UP with us (HUH?! Lady, please!). She quoted my Mom this OUTRAGEOUS quote and thought that we were going to pay what she quoted? Yeah, next.... Our initial DJ BAILED on us one week before our wedding, stating that he was asked to go on tour that weekend. Um, what does that have to do with us and me booking you ONE YEAR ago?! He gets NO recommendations from me!

All in all, the weekend was GREAT! With the exception of the few "uglies" listed above, the weekend went smoothly and it was probably one of the best weddings I've attended (LOL)!!! I'll post pics later....

RSVPs Gone WILD!!!

2008-05-16T22:54:00.001-07:00

So, what is up with people RSVP'ing for more than their invitation was addressed to? I received TOO many RSVP cards with numbers MUCH higher than their invitation was addressed to. Our families are TOO large and just cannot accommodate the extra people. We had to make phone calls, send emails, etc., to correct this situation. Some people never returned calls and/or emails. Hate it for them at the reception. SOME PEOPLE didn't send JACK back. I REALLY hate it for them at the reception (in other words, NO ENTRANCE for them!).

One dude even told another person, "Yeah, I may or may not bring my girlfriend". Um, sweetie, your invitation was addressed to YOU with no AND GUEST or AND FAMILY extension on it. HOW do you think it's okay to bring your girlfriend?!

It's going to be REAL FUNNY at the reception entrance because there will be a LIST of those who RSVP'd with their correct numbers left with the hostesses (who don't play, by the way). Those who RSVP'd WITH THEIR CORRECT NUMBERS will be allowed to enter. "Anything extra is just uncivilized".

We really hate to do this, but people MUST learn that wedding receptions are just that.....an invitation only (unless otherwise stated) event. Not a free-for-all party!

Two Weeks and Counting

2008-05-16T22:53:00.001-07:00

The SERIOUS countdown is on. TWO WEEKS.

No Tiaras!!

2008-04-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am too old to be wearing a tiara for my wedding. It's a wedding, not a pageant, for Pete's sake!

So, I am going though a few options. I want this effect with my veil, because the veil is very classic/simple.
I found these two options. I am still looking around, but what do you all think?

Hilarious Wedding Photos

2008-04-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

Just a sidebar funny for the day. I ran across this HILARIOUS post on another blog! ENJOY!!!

Hair and MakeUp Trials

2008-04-23T04:40:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, I had my first hair and makeup trial with my FAB-U-LO-SO stylist, Michelle. Michelle and I always get together and chat about EVERYTHING and act like two sisters that haven't seen each other in four years (LOL). She is a GREAT hair stylist (and is into hair CARE, not just styling) and is a FABULOUS makeup artist (she is a licensed makeup artist and used to work for M.A.C. and a few others).

As for my hair, I knew I wanted my hair up and off of my neck (hey, late May in Mississippi + humidity = a BIG, CHAKA KHAN hair do for your wedding day.......not happening!). I wanted an elegant "bun". Not anything too high where I looked like I was carrying a sack of curls at the top of my head and not anything too "stiff" looking. I wanted the front part of my hair to be combed-down and have a silky look to it. For the back, I wanted something elegant, overall. See below for some of the styles I like. The one in the top left corner is my fav, for the rear view of my hair and I love the sleek, laid-down look of Tia Mowry's hair in the upper right corner of the pic.

QUESTION: Can someone tell me WHY elegant hairpins cost so much??? WOW! I was thinking about doing 3 or 4, but as I started looking at the prices, I'll forgo the hair pins and just have my hair! LOL... My veil is VERY simple. It is a single layer veil with very small crystals and rhinestones lining it. It does not have a blusher. It falls about mid-back length (I didn't want nor need a long, intricate veil).

As for my makeup, I am a minimalist, anyway, but I do want to look finished (not made up) on my wedding day. I'd like a smokey (not too dark) eye and a neutral/light lips. I'd like highlighted cheeks, also.

Michelle and I played around in my makeup, but it was obvious....another cheek color is needed as well as a concealer. I never knew what a DIFFERENCE concealer made until last night! WOW! I guess age, stress, etc., are starting to get to me and I sometimes have dark circles under my eyes.

I'll post the pics of my trials when I upload them later. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: I get the IDIOT award!! I accidentally deleted my photos because I thought I'd already uploaded them on the computer!! DOH!!!

Pattern Selections

2008-04-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Ed and I chose our formal china, crystal and flatware patterns back in the early winter. We chose Lenox's ENGAGEMENT for our formal china pattern and Waterford's LISMORE NOUVEAU for our flatware and crystal patterns.

Someone asked WHY did we even choose a formal china pattern, crystal and flatware since "people don't use them any more". Um, I don't know about you guys, but I was raised in the deep south and EVERY Sunday dinner, holiday dinner and any time you entertained guests, the formal china was used. It was my job (and still is, when I am home) to set the table.

Whether it was for our daily dinners or for Sunday dinner or holidays, I always asked to set the table, CORRECTLY. Any time that I had a question about what went where, my Mom would pull out this REALLY OLD (I'm talking 1950-ish) Betty Crocker Cookbook and in the front of the book was any and every table setting you could think of. She would tell me, on occasion, where items were to be placed, but most of the time, she'd tell me to look in the book (that is what I get for having 2 teachers as parents!).

I LOVE a formal table. Reminds me of being HOME and having friends, family and good food around. So, when someone else asks me WHY I chose a formal pattern? Read above! I LOVE to entertain! I LOVE a formal table when entertaining!

Bridal Earring Choices

2008-04-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

My dress is strapless. I will not be wearing a necklace or heavy/thick bracelet. I do want a pair of elegant earrings to wear. I came across these beautiful earrings, below, and I am deciding between the three. Yes, I know, you'd probably need to see my dress to decide, but er, eh............that ain't happenin'! LOL.... (Click on the picture for a larger view of the earrings). My personal vote is for the first pair due to the length and slimline-look (not as short and stocky as the second pair). Then, again, the second one is very simple and elegant, too, and not as long. The third pair gives me the length and simplicity that I am looking for and has a vintage look to them (which I LOVE).

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.....

Invitations Are Back and Heading Out in the Mail!!

2008-04-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

I received all parts of my invitations last week. Some of my attendants assembled them the day before my shower in Atlanta. I think they came out FABULOUS!

This is what the completed invitation looks like. Instead of using an inner envelope, I am going to use this letterpressed band to address what, normally, the inner envelope would say (that is a magnolia flower letterpressed on there). These will be mailed in an off-white envelope with the return address letterpressed on the flap in orange. Here is what the upper portion of the pocketfold looks like:

Here is what the lower portion of the pocketfold (with inserts) looks like:

Here is what the entire invitation looks like, open: It look us A LONG TIME and A LOT OF ADHESIVE to get these together! BUT, I am VERY happy with the way that they turned out!

My Choice Of Ceremony/Bridal Shoes

2008-04-05T16:40:00.001-07:00

I've chosen my wedding shoes. Me likes.........a lot!

Due to my foot surgeries last year, I didn't want anything TOO strappy, but I also didn't want anything ORNATE. I think these are a good mix of elegance and comfort.

Flower and Centerpiece Choices

2008-03-01T05:39:00.000-08:00

Flowers are beautiful and candles really glow, but some of these centerpieces that I've seen that I like........my money is really low!

I already have like 400+ votive candle holders (which will be for sale after the wedding....interested?) I am going to try to use soy candles in them because they don't leave that nasty black sooty-looking stuff on the sides of the class.

I would like for the guest tables to have centerpieces that are a tall cylinder vase with 1/2-1 orchid stem submerged in water with a floating candle on top. This vase would be surrounded by 8 votive candles. Similar to this:
For my head table, I would like curly willow branches with hanging votive candles off them, similar to this:
The food tables will have four flower arrangements similar to this:
We plan on surrounding the wedding cake with votive candles. The groom's cake is going to also be surrounded by candles, but in square votives.

Now, I SAY I like all of these things, but when I began to look up the prices of the cylinder vases, for the numbers that we'll need, I SCREAMED and LAUGHED at the computer. On top of that, the price of orchids.........let's just say that the orchids will be used ONLY on the guest table and we'll have to find another flower to submerge in the water with the floating candle.

Luckily, my godmother has willow trees in her yard, so they may work. Additionally, I am working with someone who is using some for her wedding the week before and we are working on shipping costs and price now. If it's to my liking, I will just use hers. If not, Godmommy, here I come!! Pull out the mini-saw! :)

To be continued..........sigh.....

Musician - Music - Hiccup - Vent

2008-02-26T04:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, I spoke with a friend of mine LAST YEAR (like MAY) about playing the piano/keyboard for my wedding. Let's just call him Sam. Sam ASSURED me that he could do it and there would be no problems (he lives in Maryland and would have to travel to Mississippi).

Every time after I spoke with Sam and wanted to discuss the music with him, he told me to give it to him in May 2008 because he probably wouldn't be able to think about it until then. I am thinking, "That's kind of "late", but if that is how you function, so be it....Just make sure you are 1000% the day of my wedding". Sam knew that my cousin, another talented musician, would be playing the violin for the ceremony with him. Sam was good with all of that.

YOU KNOW WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS, RIGHT?

I get a call.......last week (as in February 2008, as in 3 months before my wedding) and it's Sam, asking me is there a flight that leaves out of Jackson on Saturday night. I said, "Other than MAJOR cities (Jackson is sooooooooooo not on that list), most cities don't have late Saturday night flights". Sam proceeds to tell me that he has to be back on that Sunday for a television show taping and needs to leave out that Saturday night.

^^^^^enter cricket noise here^^^^^

I told him that the last flight left out of Jackson at 610pm and the wedding is at 430 and that would be an impossible flight to make.

^^^^^enter cricket noise here^^^^^

So, there is silence over the phone. I was HEATED at this point because I asked Sam almost a year ago if there were any conflicts, etc., he assured me that there were none. Now, he comes up 3 months before my wedding to tell me this. I told him that I'd try to get another musician, because at this point, I don't know if I want him playing for my wedding if he'd put me on the back burner like this and he's KNOWN about my wedding for a while (oh, yes, this is about ME right now!).

Prayerfully, I was able to get an old friend from home (who I SHOULD have reserved from jump, but I know she is extremely busy with other music engagements, etc.). When I asked her, she was HONORED that I asked and was more than willing to play. I felt a sigh of relief.

I called Sam back to tell him that I'd found someone else. He asks, "Are you okay with that because if not, we'll have to make due", as if I had a choice because it was obvious to me that he wasn't going to be able to play for my wedding. I was wondering who is WE in the we'll have to make due?

Anywho, I was a little livid about this, but I am happy that this all worked out and I am able to see "friends" for what they really are for.

My mini-vent for the day....

Have a great day!

Color CHOSEN!

2008-02-10T18:51:00.000-08:00

Drum roll .......... Yeah, I know......gee, what a surprise! LOL.....

I am EXCITED to see this in letterpress! WOW! This invitation will be matted on a fuschia mat on a metallic orange pocketfold. All inserts have the same color pattern. Once printed and received, I'll be sure to take pics and post! Yay!

Choosing Color..............

2008-02-06T11:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, the more I look at the orange and brown, it doesn't look SPRING to me. I know that the orange and pink won't be as BRIGHT as it is showing on the computer proof, but, AAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHHHH!!!

Here are the 2 side by side (once, again, I've shaded out some items).

Invitations #2 - Design and Etiquette

2008-02-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

We are definitely using pocketfolds for our invitations. The issue that I was running into was the inner envelope issue. I am all for etiquette, ESPECIALLY when it comes to addressing these envelopes for the wedding. There are ways that, if using an inner envelope, that you are supposed to address the outer and inner.
In using the pocketfold, finding an envelope to fit it was no problem. It was finding the OUTER envelope for the pocketfold placed in the inner envelope to fit in. I am addressing the inner envelopes because people need to understand that & family on the outer envelope DOES NOT mean YOUR ENTIRE EXTENDED FAMILY and THEN SOME!!
We've decided to use a decorative band around the pocketfold, following the design/motif of the invitation, for the inner envelope addressing. That way, we don't have to find envelopes for the outer and save money on postage as well as not having to purchase another set of envelopes.

BIG Check

2008-02-04T08:41:00.001-08:00

The Save-the-dates went out today (I know, I just barely cut the four-month mark by the skin of its teeth). I am VERY happy with how they came out, too! I used Windmill Graphics for the printing and am VERY happy with the results. I wanted something elegant and simple, just to convey the date and website information. I am very happy with the results!

Guest List Post #4

2008-01-30T14:47:00.000-08:00

Um, so I was told that it is TACKY to send out invites to some and announcements to others.....guess that throws that theory out of the window. Any other ideas?

Accent Color Reconsideration ALERT!

2008-01-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know............I am four months off from my wedding and here I am changing colors?! It's only the accent colors, people! CALM DOWN! The only things that have been purchased/reserved are orange....simmer down, simmer down....

So, as you know, the BM's dresses are a BEAUTIFUL orange silk shantung and their shoes are a golden bronze color. Well, I saw a really nice color palette with bronze (rust), orange (mango) and BLUE (Wedgewood Blue). Yes, I said it, BLUE! Who would have thought to put those colors together for a SPRING wedding. Yes, I have seen orange, sapphire blue and white for a fall wedding (and it was very pretty and elegant), but to "tone" the blue down to more of an ocean or Wedgewood blue....hmmmmm, thinking, thinking....
I've been going for a tropical look (since I can't get married on the coast or on a beach, we are going to make due in the center of the state where the closest body of water is the reservoir! LOL). I ORIGINALLY thought orange with fuschia, yellow and green accents. These colors are very pretty. The more I put them together, the more it looks "kiddy" to me. Not saying that I want some 80-year old woman look. Not saying that there is anything wrong with 80-year old women..........oh, shoot me, why don't you! GEEZ! So, I still like the fuschia and green accents, but I am really digging the Wedgewood blue more than the fuschia now.

So, I go to Paper Source and look at their patterned papers. I purchased a few to bring home and compare with the orange pocketfold that I am using for my invitations. Okay, so we are going to stick with the orange, off-white and bronze/brown combo for the invitations and I'll just use to blue in other places. KAY? :)

We are still contemplating the whole blue thing, though. Give me a week, I'll have it all sorted out....we hope. Stay tuned.

Delivered!!!

2008-01-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

Most of my bridal party received their shoes and my flower girls received their dresses this week! YAY! Everyone seems to like the shoes and the mother of the two flower girls LOVES the dresses I chose for them.

I was able to get the dresses at the same store where I ordered the attendants' shoes from. The flower girl dresses were VERY reasonably priced (under $50) and they were SUPER CUTE. If you need to find ANY shoes by Touch Ups, go to Bridals by Natalie in Alexandria, Virginia, and ask for Lourdes! She was very helpful and I am VERY happy with using them as the vendor for the shoes and flower girl dresses.

I looked online, at stores, EVERYWHERE for a simple flower girl dress (minus having the sew the things myself.....not going to happen, at this juncture). Can someone tell me WHY flower girl dresses are upwards of $200??!!! NOT!! This is a dress that is going on a GROWING CHILD and will probably NEVER be worn again!

The only thing my flower girls need now is the orange silk sash that will be worn with the dress. They were ordered this week and they are the exact fabric and color as the attendants' dresses.

Invitations #1

2008-01-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

I knew that I didn't want a "canned" invitation for our wedding. I didn't want anything TOO contemporary nor TOO "old world" looking. I wanted something in between and that didn't cost me an arm and a leg, either. I LOVE the look and feel of letterpress, but we all know that can be VERY expensive. UNLESS, you are resourceful!

My main color is orange, which isn't a common color for SPRING weddings. So, I didn't want some cute invitation. I wanted an elegant and timeless design with little hints of who we are in the invitation.

Well, I visited a few stores in the DC area to get ideas, scoured through magazines and surfed the web, too. I actually made an appointment with a WELL-KNOWN party planner/invitation design store in Maryland. Gave the lady my ideas, numbers, etc. She told me that she'd have a quote and proof for me in a week. That was in SEPTEMBER. Ask me if I have heard from her? I called her about a week after our meeting, you know, thinking maybe she had the wrong email address for me. She said, "Oh, I haven't had time to work on it. Your wedding isn't until May, so we still have time". Um, who is WE? Is she pregnant or French? Don't promise items that you can't deliver! BAD BUSINESS!!! I will NEVER purchase anything from this store, nor recommend them for anything....not even a new dog announcement! BOOOOO!!!!

So, on to more pleasant experiences...... I met fellow Knottie on TheKnot.com boards and I loved how creative she was with her own wedding invitations. I contacted her via email. We "chatted" about what I was looking for, numbers, etc. and I made the decision to allow her to design my invitations and all inserts for my wedding.

This week, I received a few proofs of the invitations she's designing for me......WOW! I am VERY happy with them!! We haven't finalized all of the inserts, yet, but I am VERY happy with her work. You tell her what you are looking for and, BAM, she whips up BEAUTIFUL designs that incorporate EXACTLY what you are looking for. Here is what we have so far (sorry for the browned-out portions, but hey, such is life)..... The orange pocketfold is not as orange as this picture shows, but it's only to give you an idea of what the layout of the invitation will be.
Once we get the invitations and inserts printed and I assemble them, I plan on taking a few pictures and uploading her work.

Guest List Post #3

2008-01-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

We all know that everyone can't be invited nor attend weddings. So, we said that we would send out wedding announcements to those persons who didn't receive an invitation, after the wedding takes place. That way, they will still be informed of the wedding and won't feel obligated to purchase a gift (etiquette states that sending out wedding announcements does not obligate the receiver to purchase a wedding gift and it's only done if they choose to).

The location where we are having the reception just can't hold the numbers that the guest list has produced. The Fire Marshall will be FRONT and CENTER if we were to invite the entire list.

So, that solves the guest list problem.........for now.

Save The Date Cards

2008-01-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

So, I know that I am a little late getting the Save-The-Dates out, but I came up with a few designs this weekend. I sent them over to my wedding coordinator, Ed and my Mom, to get their opinion. Ed and my Mom have given me their choices (I sent over five designs) and Ms. Jones is giving me her choice this evening. Once I get the cost of how much they will be to print, get the paper and get them printed (they are designed to be a 4"X6" "postcard"), they'll be out in the mail next week.

Oh, no worries, though. The Save-The-Dates are only going to out-of-town guests. We plan on getting the invitations out very early in April with a May 3 RSVP date.

I'll post the Save-The-Date design choice on the blog as soon as we finalize it. Stay tuned!

Guest List Post #2

2008-01-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

Still OUT OF CONTROL. I see that some people are just going to get announcements. Sorry......

Shoes for the Bride-To-Be

2008-01-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

<<<<<<<<< SIGH >>>>>>>>>
Okay, ya'll. I had foot surgery on BOTH feet in 2007 (one in July and the other 4 weeks later). I have NEVER been one to stand in HIGH heels for a long period of time, anyway, so I know that the shoes I choose for my wedding day are going to be mid-heel height. I do like some of the shoes by Grace, Grazia and a couple of other designers. Everything that is mid-heel seems to be....how should I say this..... cheezy. YEAPPER, I said it. I did find ONE pair, so far, that I like. BUT the straps are questionable.....jury still out.

I'll have to go try them on and see how they fit. I am NOT trying to be back in the podiatrist's office ANY time soon. I told Doc when I had my last follow up with him that I hope I don't ever have to see them again, in his office. We can see each other in passing and it'll be all gravy, but I don't ever....... EVA' EVA' EVA' want to see him in his office again.

That being said, anything over 2.5 inches is out. Anything with a pointed toe is SUPER out. Anything that has thin straps is out.

NOW do you see my dilemma?!!!

Found Shoes for the Bridal Party

2008-01-12T16:29:00.000-08:00

Okay, for those of us who have been in a wedding OR have just worn the SUPER cute, strappy shoes for a LONG period of time, KNOW how painful they can be. When I went back to the boutique where we are purchasing the dresses from, Mia and I laid out three colors/shades of shoes: silver, gold and bronze.

PAUSE: No dyables will be found in my wedding. They HURT and I have YET to find a CUTE pair of them!

Resume: The silver was too cold with the pretty orange dress. The gold was........well, GOLD! Too bright. The bronze was PERFECT. Bronze is a warm color and it went SO well with the dresses.

Now, finding a CUTE shoe that comes in M and W widths and isn't costly. Here were the choices I laid out for the ladies:

Of course, everyone liked the FIRST one, but er, um.......thin straps=PAIN when standing for long periods of time. MOST of the ladies liked the top row (from left to right) in that order. A few commented that the middle shoe on the second row would probably be the most comfortable, but still stylish. Well, I chose that exact shoe and ordered them today for the ladies! It comes in M and W widths and came in 9.5 (a VERY hard size to find).

I am asking that the ladies walk around in the shoes a couple of months BEFORE the wedding to break them in, but not scuff them. I am satisfied with the choice of shoe.

Found a Junior Attendant Dress!

2008-01-12T16:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, I found the CUTEST Junior Attendant dress on the Coren Moore website. It's called Lilly. I wanted my Junior Attendants to have a different dress than the others, but still be a young, fresh dress. The dress will be in the same orange family as the rest of the dresses. I was able to see a swatch of the fabric and it's a direct match to the Jenny Yoo persimmon color of the other ladies' dresses. I am so excited.
(In the first picture, it's MINUS the sash.....).

Cost of Raising Children

2007-12-09T16:19:00.001-08:00

Just IN CASE you thought you were ready for the little ones (emotionally, mentally, FINANCIALLY, etc.).... here is a great article for your reading.....

Reception Ideas

2007-11-29T05:37:00.001-08:00

Okay, so we all know that our MAIN wedding color is orange. When Ed and I visited the Old Capitol Inn back in October and REALLY went through the ballroom and saw that the room can be kind of dark. We also found out that there are a LIMITED number of the gold chivari chairs that they have (110) for use. They do have PLENTY of banquet chairs (you know, the angle-backed metal chairs with cushion seats). Not going to work with the decor :). They will HAVE to be covered.

So, we've been looking and calling around to linen rental places. Our FAV is BBJ Linen. They have such a WIDE variety of choices at reasonable prices. We are going to use an ivory or white polyester chair cover with a beautiful paprika gold chair tie. The guest tables will also be covered with the paprika gold table linen. We think white may be TOO strong against the paprika gold and am thinking the ivory will go better. We are going to have to think on that one for a sec...

The wedding cake tables will have their own table cover. We want a lighter color for the cake tables and are thinking about this one.

This will be a buffet dinner with Louisiana-style food choices (crawfish etouffee, shrimp and grits, BBQ shrimp, etc.). The food at Old Capitol Inn is REALLY good. So, we are VERY happy with our menu choices.

As far as centerpieces, we want something simple and elegant. We want the people sitting at the same table to be able to see each other as they talk and eat.

I personally like the tall, glass, cylinder vases, filled with water with flowers submerged in the water and the vase surrounded by several votive candles (see, the candle thing keeps popping up). That's it. Nothing more than that. This, too, will have to be thought over.

Well, I'll let you all know what we come up with, for sure! Stay tuned...

Invitation Designs

2007-11-26T04:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, for months now, we've known that we want a "pocketfold" type of invitation due to the fact that you can put everything you need in it. We all know that there are technological advances and the internet is a wonderful tool, but NOT EVERYONE has access to the internet on a regular basis (yeah, that digital divide issue is working on me). Plus, we love the look and convenience that they offer.

Well, since this seems to be a fairly new thing in invitations, there aren't many vendors to give us what we are looking for. They are either the WRONG color orange or too small or not enough inserts or TOO EXPENSIVE! I did find a young lady in New York who designed her OWN invitations. She is a graphic designer and does REALLY nice work. I've been working with her on the designs for all of our paper products for the wedding.

We don't really have a "theme", per se. I do like the idea of Southern Elegance with a touch of FUN, FUN, FUN at the reception.

We want the ceremony to be very intimate and spiritual and the reception to be FUN! For the ceremony, we want something very simple and elegant for decorations (like, candles only) because we are only going to be in there 45 minutes, TOPS, and that includes the prelude! We are not here to carry on an opera and have the wedding party taking 80 years to get down the isle. Yes, they should be noticed, but this isn't what the ceremony is about. The wedding party is there, supporting the bride and groom, saying that they believe in the union and they support it.

In our opinion, a wedding is not a form of entertainment for others. We are not here to have you say, "Ooooo, she can really sing" or "WOW, did you see that dress" but more of, "Yeah, I can vouch for this union and holding this couple accountable to staying married". You feel me on this?! That is what we want the ceremony to be based on, not looking at all the decorations and saying how cute they are. That is NOT the point of a wedding, in our opinion.

I digressed, back to the invitations........

Our colors are orange (not burnt orange, not tangerine, not rust) and hot pink/fuschia. I would like a design that carries over from the Save-The-Dates to the invitations to the wedding programs. So, we are currently working on that.

I'll let you know what I find! Smooches!

Guest List

2007-11-26T04:09:00.000-08:00

Let me start this off by saying one thing, that dang guest list almost drove me to DRINK this weekend!!! I combined the lists from my side and Ed's side. Can I tell you 3 names overlapped?! I put all of the information into a self-made Filemaker database (I love that software).

So, um..............yeah.........about that database....296 entires (entry being Mr. and Mrs. John Doe and family)?! Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw, buddy. That list has GOT to come down, in numbers! I told Ed and my Mom that I know we all see people around the holidays and they has how we/the kids are doing and you say, "Oh, XXXX is getting married". DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO SEND THEM AN INVITATION!! If these are pass-by friends, nope. If these are real family friends, then, we'll think on it.

Now, if people want to donate money to the cause, sure, add who you like to the list. Otherwise, Ed and I hold the discretionary power to remove whom we choose to. Am I wrong?

Some people, you send invites to, out of courtesy, though you know they cannot attend. Some of these other arbitrary/wanna-be-nosy/do-not-have-your-best-interest-at-heart kind of folks, BYE! Nope!

I compiled the guest list and emailed it (don't you just love technology) to Ed and my Mom for their sides to review and give back to me before COB on Friday, shorter with ALL pertinent information (names of children, name of spouse, etc.). Some of the information I already had, but some I did not.

We are planning on sending out Save-The-Dates in December, so that those out of town will know in plenty of time and can plan to attend (yay or nay).

Etiquette states if you send a Save-The-Date, you MUST sent an invitation. I will NOT be a tacky turkey when it comes to wedding etiquette! Save that for informal family get-togethers!

Wish me luck this week. I already have the hack-saw sharpened and sitting by the computer to WHACK away at this guest list I am going to get back! Smooches!

Just In Case

2007-11-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

Ed and I officially scheduled our medical exams for life insurance for December. The insurance company wanted us to be in the same physical location....at the same time...TOGETHER for our exams (strange) and not take them separately.

I guess this thing is really happening, huh (marriage, wedding, etc.)? WOW, this is just the first of MANY steps we are taking to get to May 31, 2008.

We decided to go with AIG due to their ratings, coverage and premium price. We did research on Zander Insurance Group website and talked to a few insurance companies.

Stay tuned for other events.

Walk-Through

2007-10-11T10:41:00.001-07:00

My wedding coordinator and I had a walk through of the ceremony and reception site on yesterday.

We met with the facilities coordinator at the church. He showed us the rooms where the bridal party can get dressed, the layout of the church, what and where we could decorate, etc. We were VERY pleased with the church and it's facilities.

Ms. Jones and I came up with a few designs for decorating the sanctuary (very minimal). I don't want an elaborately decorated ceremony site. Ed and I want the ceremony to be as sacred and spiritual as possible and not have people concentrate on the decorations, etc. So, the decorations will be elegant, but minimal.

Ms. Jones and I then headed off to the reception site, the Old Capitol Inn. We met with the chef/reception coordinator for the facility. We went through numbers of tables and chairs needed as well as the layout of the room. Ed met us there and after the logistics part of the meeting with Ms. Jones, he and I met with the chef to discuss our menu. We have chosen a menu with Mississippi and cajun influences (something we both grew up eating here). We are happy with our choices and look forward to a FUN day on May 31, 2008.

Once again, I was BEAT. This planning is exciting, but can be tiring. I was okay with doing planning via the computer, email, phone. Now that I have actually visited sites, I am tired! :)......

Wedding Coordinator

2007-10-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

One of my attendants' Mom is my wedding coordinator. She's known me since junior high, when her youngest daughter and I, became good friends. Ms. Jones came by my parents' house last night and we discussed A LOT of items about the wedding (location, time, transportation, "theme/feel", etc.). We went over music we'd chosen, vendors already chosen, etc.

Ed and I had chosen 2 ushers and 5 hostesses for our wedding. Ms. Jones informed me that she will need at least 3 more ushers and 2 more hostesses for a wedding with 250-300 guests (YIKES!).

Today, Ms. Jones and I are making visits to the church so that we can get a visual for what is needed logistically, decorations, etc. We also will discuss with the facilities person what we can and cannot do, as far as moving things, decorations, etc. In addition, we are going to visit the reception site for the same reasons.

Needless to say, I have a FULL DAY ahead of me.

I asked Ms. Jones before she left last night was it too late to just go to the Justice of the Peace. She told me emphatically, "YES! It's too late and you are not going that route".

Pray for us....

Flowers - trial #1

2007-10-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

My WONDERFUL and LOVELY Godmother is doing all our flowers for the wedding. She and her husband used to own a florist and she is very creative.

She came by my parents' house yesterday and we sat down for about 4.5 hours discussing all kinds of flowers, looking at pictures I'd cut out, looking at flowers on the web, etc. WHEW!!!

Tulips are my favorite flowers, but they are out of season in late May. I second love is the ranunculus flower. It looks like a heavy-petaled rose (see below). These are BEAUTIFUL flowers. I love them, too. We also chose gerbera daisies to go in the bridal bouquet and attendants' bouquet. I want my bouquet to be all white/cream-colored flowers with my attendants having pink, yellow and green flowers (their dresses are an orange silk shantung with a fuschia "glow" to it).

For centerpieces, we discussed "draping" flowers to go in a very tall vase (so that people at the table who are talking to each other can see!). We looked at stock, delphinium, and a few others. We talked about greenery (ferns, bear grass, grape vines, etc.).

I had NO IDEA that flowers were such a daunting task! I was BEAT after doing that.

Cake Vendors #2 - visits and decisions made

2007-10-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Soooooooooooooooooooo
Ed and I had our 3 tastings/meetings today.
All had pictures of their work and all gave us written quotes. Here are our reviews (in NO order of meeting or preference):

CV#1 - Recommended by a couple of people who used them for their weddings. We were able to sample 3 flavors (lemon butter, traditional white and butter cake). The cakes were pretty good. We did show her pictures, etc., and she was able to draw pictures of what we were asking for from the pictures we showed her, etc. Her quote was the lowest of the three that we met with.

CV#2 - Artist by educational training; We knew that this wasn't going to be a tasting, but a meeting of what we were looking for. She asked for pictures of cakes we liked, flowers we liked and tidbits about us. She asked about our wedding colors and she asked to see my dress (mind you, NO ONE has seen my dress but my Mom and the store where I bought it from!). I agreed because she wanted to get a feel for our "taste" and making the cake suit to OUR needs, not a picture we brought in. She is really into doing unique cakes, not "cookie cutter" designs. She gave Ed EXACTLY what he wanted in his cake and then some (red "K", diamond shapes, etc.). She looked at my dress and was able to draw a cake that mimicked the designs in my dress (we did hide this part from Ed). Her quote was the highest of the three people we met with.

CV#3 - The pastry chef where my Mom and I had lunch the other day. She offered us samples of 3 of the flavors that I asked for (red velvet,Italian cream and lemon). Her lemon was QUITE tasty! The Italian cream was pretty good, too. The red velvet was okay. It's REALLY hard to make a GOOD, MOIST red velvet cake. She was able to draw what we were looking for after seeing pictures, listening to our needs, etc. The quote was the middle of the road for the three people we met with.

Ed and I, after a TIRING day, went back to his house and discussed all three vendors. We have made a decision. We chose CV#2, The Cake Diva, because of her artistry and recommendations from others that have used her (they have LOVED the taste AND looks of her cakes). No, we weren't able to taste her cakes, but from A LOT of people that have used her, they RAVED about her and would use her over in a heartbeat. We will inform CV#2 of our choice shortly (days are already filling up FAST for May weddings).

Clueless in Jackson

2007-10-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Mom and I did some other wedding browsing today. I wanted to look around at invitations. I know I want a pocket fold with 3-4 inserts (RSVP card, directions, reception location announcement andaccommodations card). NOTE: you know that your invitation should only state information about the ceremony ONLY, right? Okay, so, knowing this, we pay a visit to a well-known bridal store in the Jackson area that does, basically, full service bridal planning and shopping.

My Mom asks one of the ladies for assistance with a MOB attire. Very little selection and CLUELESS salesperson.

I ask another salesperson for help with invitations. We go to the invitations room in the store. I told the salesperson what I was looking for. She starts visually scanning the 20+ books on the shelves and says, "Let's start with this book. Is that okay?". I asked, "Does the book have examples of pocketfolds ?". She pauses, "I'm not sure.". She pauses, again, and says, "I'll be right back". She goes to get assistance from another salesperson that shows her which book contains pocketfolds invitations. Mind you, the book had POCKETS, written in BIG, BOLD LETTERS on the side of the book. DUH! She leaves us with a small stack of post-its to mark the pages that we like.

Mom and I sit and go through the book. Didn't really anything that I liked or that was in the colors I needed. Saleslady comes back and says, "Find anything?". We marked ONE page out of 100+. After walking out, we both agreed that the salespeople in that store were CLUELESS about their merchandise. I guess they were hired based on looks.

WOW is all we can say.......Clueless in Jackson

MOB Dress Shopping - #1

2007-10-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

My Mom has feverishly scoured the web for MOB dresses. My Mom is 73 (and a FOX) and is VERY classic in her attire. I say that to say, she won't be wearing any off the shoulder, strapless, high split, low cut dresses. She prefers an A-line, long dress with a removable jacket. Nothing too intricate or too plain.

So, Mom and I pay a visit to a store here in Jackson that she'd been to before. They sell regular women's clothing, as well as special occasion attire.

Mom and I go through a ton of these binders, marking dresses we like. The sales assistant sits down with us to go over our choices, giving us her advice on each dress and how it would fit my Mom. Well, over comes a little old lady that RUDELY interrupts our conversation to talk with the sales lady, asking about some 1980 pleated pants she purchased and how she shops here all the time andyadda yadda yadda. So you think that sales lady would say, "Mrs. XXXXX, let me finish with these customers and I'll be with you in a moment". Doesn't happen. She gets up from the table where we were sitting to help this woman (YOU KNOW I havex'd them off the list, right?!). I didn't say a word, but the "privileged attitude" of some people AMAZES me as well as, once again, POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Moms was happy that I didn't say anything to the woman (I have learned to pick my battles). I have learned to speak my opinion through my support, or lack there of.

This store will NOT be getting ANY of our money. To the sales lady that helped us before Mrs. "I've been shopping here forever so help me now" walked in, thanks for the tour of the books and your opinions of the dresses, but, you won't see ANY of our money.

Cake Vendors - backing up for a second - #1

2007-10-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

Back track for a second: Ed and I did have a tasting in July with a HIGHLY recommended baker in the Jackson area (and I do mean HIGHLY). We made the appointment about a month out and did state that it was a TASTING being scheduled. Of course, we wanted to see pictures, prices etc.

So we arrive, before our scheduled appointment time to this particular baker. We get there and the lady says, "Oh, I didn't know that this was a tasting. We just have you down for an appointment". Now, why would be have an appointment with you if it wasn't a tasting session (which we verified TWICE the 2 prior weeks to the appointment). Did she think that we were making an appointment to pick up a price list and look at them work? ***SIGH***

Well, we did get a chance to sit down with the lady and discuss what we wanted, number of people, looked at her photo books (while she left us in the office for about 15+ minutes). She finally comes back to her office and EVERY time we try to ask questions, one of her co-workers comes around the corner asking questions and she has to stop with us to answer their question. We felt QUITE rushed during this process, too. She really made us feel as if we were wasting her time. She did give us cold, mini-cup cake samples to take home to taste. We didn't get to taste all the flavors we wanted because "we don't have any more of those flavors made up right now". We were advised to let the minis sit out and come to room temperature and then eat.

Ed and I talked in the car and spoke about how we didn't feel like we were given good customer service. The minis finally came to room temp. Verdict: not impressed by any of flavors, nor the rushing during our scheduled appointment.

I spoke with a close friend here in Jackson, today, and she, too, recommended this particular baker. The friend spoke on how she ALWAYS goes there and gets cakes for various events (birthdays, tailgating, etc.). I told her I was NOT impressed with the service given in July and doubt seriously if we'll use them.

Choosing a Vendor for the Wedding Cakes - Tastings Schdeuled

2007-10-05T17:20:00.000-07:00

So, I am actually in Jackson for the end of my medical leave (had foot surgery on BOTH feet (not at the same time) and have to do PT for ~3 months) and to do some final wedding planning.

Okay, let me start this by saying that Ed and I are 90% sure of what we want for our cakes. He wants a lemon butter cake, in a diamond shape with cream cheese frosting with a red letter "K" in script on it (representing his fraternity). I want a 4-layer cake with 2-3 flavors. One flavor will be red velvet (MY FAVORITE) and one will be strawberry. Not that boxed crap, but with REAL strawberries INSIDE the cake and/or in between the layers (mmmmmmmm, mouth is watering just thinking about it). I'd like to throw in a italian creme cake layer in there, too, if possible. All of this will have cream cheese frosting (none of that gummy fondant stuff, sorry). Oh, speaking of frosting. I am NOT a fan of frosting made with shortening. I need 100% BUTTER in my life (okay, I'll give you 90%, but only because the wedding is in LATE May and we don't want the frosting on the floor by the time we all get to the reception!). In speaking with some of these vendors, I asked how they make their frosting and if butter or shortening was used. That is how we were able to weed out some of the vendors. If they said shortening, X'd off the list. BLEH! YUK!

Ed and I have 3 tastings scheduled for Monday, October 8th, with various cake bakers (and I am squeezing in a physical therapy session in there that day, too)! We are too excited because we know exactly what we want for each cake and we just want to see who is the BEST of the ones we have tastings scheduled for!

One of the tastings was scheduled from a place that my Mom and I had lunch at today. There was a picture of a beautiful cake on the wall and I said to myself that there is no way that a restaurant would have a picture on the wall of a cake with the words CATERING on it, if it wasn't theirs. My Mom and I met with the pastry chef (a JOY to talk with) and she showed us pictures, gave us formulas to determine how big to make the cakes, etc. So, I was able to get a tasting scheduled for Monday!

Ed and I will give our verdicts on tomorrow after meeting with 3 other vendors. Stay tuned!

Decided on a bridal dress

2007-09-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

And you are just going to have to wait until the wedding day.......(muah hah hah hah....in my best Kyle Barker (from Living Single) laugh)....

I will say that I am purchasing my dress from Harriet Kassman Bridal Salon in Washington, DC. Leeza Isac is a WONDERFUL person to work with. The Bridal Salon is fairly new (June 2007) for Harriet Kassman's store. I am very excited about my choice. It's a dress that I saw in a magazine a few months ago and fell in love with it. The designer had a trunk show a month or so ago and I was able to see and try on the dress. Let's just say the dress is DEFINITELY 100% me. I love it! Oh, don't worry......the dress in the ad is not the dress I chose, so.....you are just going to have to wait! :)

In addition, I plan on having my dress professionally cleaned and preserved. I was told that Catalina & Company out of New York does GREAT work with this. I was given a $100 gift certificate to use them for preserving my gown after the wedding.

Photography and Videography

2007-09-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've been told by MANY couples that had weddings to put the majority of your budget in the reception (everyone wants good food) and the photography and videography. The pictures and videos are all you have to look back on (other than your memory) from that day.

I am a photo/scrapboook hog. I've taken pictures for as long as I can remember. I have photo books and scrap books from elementary school until now. I LOVE pictures and documenting my life!

Ed and I have chosen a great videography company called Action Audio and Video out of Memphis. They came HIGHLY recommended by a friend who used them for her wedding. I've spoken with one of the owners and he is very professional as well as very easy to talk with.

Our photographer will be Jason Cohen out of Lafayette, Louisiana. He does FABULOUS work (you can see samples from his site). We wanted the typical posed shots, but we really wanted someone with a "photojournalistic" approach to photography, too. Photography is a hobby of mine, so I look at photos from a journalism approach.

Bridal Party Attire

2007-09-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Ed has chosen his tuxes for the men. They will come from Men's Warehouse. I've FINALLY decided on dresses for the women.

The attendants will wear Jenny Yoo dresses. Jenny Yoo's line isn't carried in a lot of stores. There are only two here in Maryland that carry her line. I called around to stores here in the DC area (and other locations) to get pricing, see the actual colors, dresses, etc. Let's just say I wasn't very happy with some of the pushy customer service that I was given at a couple of bridal shops, via phone or personal visit.

I look at it like this. My money spends just like anyone else's. I deserve to be treated as a professional as should the stores be professional. I don't want to be PUSHED into a quick sale, but let me take my time and look and ask questions. On the other hand, if I come in with a t-shirt on and sweat pants, don't turn and walk the other way ASSUMING that I am only there to steal and/or can't afford anything in the store. TRUST ME, three stores in the DC/Baltimore area have lost my business due to one and/or both of those previous infractions.

Oh, did I tell you that our wedding party is kinda large?! Nine groomsmen, seven attendants, two best women and two junior attendants. Do the math.....that's eleven times $XXX that those particular businesses lost by treating me like I was garbage or less than human. NEVER judge a book by it's cover.

Back to the dresses... I chose Jenny Yoo for several reasons:

1. I wanted something elegant, but could be worn after the wedding and not have someone say, "Hey, who's wedding did you wear that dress in?!". Come on, we either know someone or were that person who spent a pretty penny of a dress to only have it Goodwilled and/or NEVER be worn after the wedding day. Well, I didn't want that (no offense to anyone who did do this....matter of personal choice).
2. I was looking for a particular shade of orange. Not melon, not coral not spice, but orange. Only two lines that I found, carried that shade. They were Lazaro (persimmon in silk shantung) and Jenny Yoo (persimmon in silk shantung). Lazaro was a little beyond my price range: beautiful dresses, and they USED to carry a BEAUTIFUL thin-striped, tangerine/orange-colored silk shantung (see above) that had ALL of my wedding colors in it (fuschia, orange, yellow and green). They have since discontinued that fabric (RATS!). So, I went with Jenny Yoo. Her dresses are elegant, classic, re-wearable, and had the shade of orange I wanted.
The picture above depicts the following:
The first dress is shown for COLOR ONLY. That is the color that I've chosen (the colors are orange and fuchsia with bright yellow and kiwi green accents). The second dress is the attendants' dress and the third is the dress for my two best women (sorry , I don't like the Maid/Matron of Honor title).

The dresses will be purchased from a WONDERFUL boutique in Baltimore named Garnish Boutique. The owner is a sweetheart and her shop specializes in bridesmaids/attendants needs (attire, gifts, etc.). What a niche to have for a shop.

I've asked the attendants to wear silver, strappy, open-toed shoes (no particular shoe, etc.). I want them to be comfortable as possible, but be able to wear the shoes again.

I've decided that the hostesses will wear a nice, SOLID, black dress of their own and we'll supply the corsages for them.

My Mom is currently looking for a dress to wear. Don't lunch! She's a hottie (she's going to kill me for writing that....LOL)! :) She's cut off her hair in a cute, curly, short fro. Oh, yeah.....cutting the hair cut 20 years off of her face. We decided on something light/neutral for the Moms (like a champagne or silver color).

What have we done, so far....

2007-09-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

We've picked a date - May 31, 2008. We chose that date due to several factors:

1. School is out (Ed teaches middle school).
2. The possibility of it being BLAZING HOT in Jackson is lower in late May than in June-August.
3. We are both HUGE sports fans, so the fall was OUT! We didn't want to have our wedding on the day of a big game (We know......simple, but true!).
4. It's not a holiday weekend. It's the weekend AFTER Memorial Day. A lot of people we know have set plans/trips on certain holidays and we didn't want to interfere with that. Hey, once we get married, we may also start our own various holiday plans/traditions.

After picking a date, we looked around on the web, asked people, etc., for recommendations on reception locations. Okay, this is the deep south and family reunions, pageants and weddings get planned well before a year of the actual date. After visiting with a few locations (and calling), we are going with the Old Capitol Inn.

The reception location is "deva vu" to me. It's a nice bed and breakfast in downtown Jackson. It wasn't always a B&B. It used to be a YWCA where I took swimming as a child and used to attend various summer activities there. Go figure!

We've asked our wedding party participants to be part of our special day (groomsmen, attendants, ushers and hostesses) and they've all agreed (and are TOO excited)! :)

We decided on a ceremony site. Now, this is a touchy issue with me. I wanted to get married in the church where I grew up. I was VERY active in this church and was confirmed there, in my teenage years. When we checked with the contract, there were strict times for weddings to be held (between 12noon and 3pm). Ed and I really wanted our wedding later in the day (4:30/5'ish). We asked the church to make an exception. They declined, stating that if they did it for one, they would have to do it for all. On top of that, there were fees involved with having a wedding at that location.

During this time of decision making for me, Ed quietly went and asked his church about us having our wedding there (I didn't know anything about this until later). Long story short, we are having the wedding at his church, for FREE AND it's closer to the reception site. His church is being VERY accommodating to our time request and we've already met with the Head Minister there. We've gone through our counseling sessions with him, too. So, this is very good and I have a very good feeling about this decision.

OH! Forgot....my parents attended a wedding at my home church in July at 5PM (yeah, you read that right). When my Mom asked the admin about the allowance for others, she jumped to the defensive, saying, "Oh, we don't know how that happened...." blah blah blah. The admin also told my Mom that "the flood gates are open now, so if your daughter wants to still have her wedding at 4:30...." Again, blah blah blah.....

General Information

2007-09-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Let's see.......I got engaged in March 2007. I've known my fiance (Ed) most of my life. He and my brother grew up together. BOTH of my parents taught him in college. He even pledged my brother in college.

We ran into each other December 2006 after both attending a funeral (who knew death could bring two souls together towards a life-long commitment).

Ed is 9 years older than I am. We've never been married before (first time for both). I can honestly say that, at this point in my life, I am mature enough to understand what marriage is. Ten or more years ago, had I married ANYONE, that marriage would not have lasted, to date. I wasn't mature enough to take care of myself, let alone sharing my life with someone else? Nope, would have been a disaster...

Now, at age 36, I've "lived" a little and have gone through "some things" that life has thrown at me (same with Ed). Ed is 45 and has lived and gone through a lot of "life". We are both ready to merge our lives and start a new one, with each other.

Ed and I both know that there is a difference between marriage and a wedding. A wedding fades after the day is gone, but the MARRIAGE lasts forever.

We've spent a little time planning our wedding. I can say that we are more pressed about our MARRIAGE lasting than having a wedding, though.

We did decide to have a wedding, rather than just run off, get married and send out announcements. So, we are spending MAJOR TIME communicating about what it's going to take for the MARRIAGE to last than the wedding.

The wedding is just the icing on the cake......

It's the last day of September......2007

2007-09-30T13:31:00.001-07:00

I was asked this week, by a friend, was I blogging about my wedding planning. I told her that I'd thought about it, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

Well, I read TheKnot, Brides and WeddingChannel boards, often, and read a lot of people's blogs, weekly. I've come across some really good articles and received some GREAT advice.

So, I've decided to enter the blogging world about planning my southern wedding from 1000 miles away.......

Hold on........