Pinterest and Something Blue

I don't know if you guys (and by you guys I mean all five of you. Ha.) have heard about Pinterest.com, but it is basically the coolest thing on the internet right now.

That means it will last all of about another thirty seconds.

In all seriousness, it just this site where people post pictures of things they think are cool. And then more people repost them. And then others. And then others.

Seriously, I could have come up with this idea.

It's been AMAZING for wedding planning inspiration. Lately I've been looking for wedding hairstyles, some more DIY projects, and decorating inspiration. This site never ends. The more you scroll down on the screen, the more pictures that pop up AUTOMATICALLY.

I'm going to lose hours and hours on this site.

Which reminds me of a funny happening yesterday:

I leave for work at around 5 pm. While I'm gone, Matt normally picks up a bit, like doing the dishes and putting away his clothes and stuff. (Side note: isn't that wonderful? How lucky am I? I expect it to last exactly three months into our wedded life.)

I walked in the door at 9:36 p.m. Matt is sitting in my "cloffice" (a closet I use as an office... seriously) and he looks up startled.

"Why are you home so early?" he asks standing up.

I look confused. Did I close the store at the wrong time? Am I still on central time? "Early? It's 9:30!" I say.

He had been sitting at the computer playing Civilization V for FIVE HOURS and did not even realize it.

It was cute. He started running into the kitchen to clean, but I just laughed at him and we picked up together. I myself have lost hours at a time playing Sims or surfing the internet.

Anyways, here's some inspiration from "something blue." I have my something borrowed and old from Eunie (her grandmother's necklace, which I obviously won't keep, and her veil, which I won't keep as well) and my something new will be my dress.

Does a sample dress count as something new? I hope so. If not, my shoes will be new.

Now I just need something blue. Do I stick with the blue garter? Should my shoes be tiffany blue? Should I have something blue sewn under my dress a la Kate Middleton??

While this is way too complicated for my actual something blue, I thought it looked AMAZING! Image via Pinterest

Shoes from Blhdn.com

Image via Pinterest.

From ilovehoneylace.tumblr.com via Pinterest.

From etsy.

Shoes from Nordstrom

How sweet would this be? Then I'd have my "something blue" with me always. Via pinterest.

The classic garter from etsy.com.

Wedding Colors

So I came to realization that I had been showing bridesmaid dresses without indicating what my colors are going to be.

So without further adieu... my colors are peach and pale blue. This was also my first attempt at making an inspiration board.

Hooray!!

Photos by:

Bridesmaid Dresses

Finding my wedding dress turned out to be way harder than I expected, and I'm now running into the same issue with bridesmaid dresses.

My two bridesmaids, Shelby and Suzanne, are also both the Matrons of Honor.

My original plan was just to give them a color and then go about planning other wedding-y stuff while they find  a dress they love and will where a again. I wasn't even going to specify a store (like Davids Bridal etc. etc.) If their dresses weren't exactly the same color, oh, well. At least they have one that they love.

Kind of like this, minus the random guy on the end. 

(Photo by Gayle Brooker off of OnceWed.com)

However, the plan changed. I'm still all for Shelby and Suzanne finding the dress, and I'm definitely not picky about style and shade, but I think they should match.

Here's why. There is only two of them. If I had a larger bridal party, it might be more apparent that they are all bridesmaids, but since I'm going with my two best friends, I thought they might look more... bridesmaid-y if they'd match.

Also, as Eunie pointed out, "Honey, I don't care if they are all in Wal-Mart dresses: If they match, it looks better."

So now I'm on the hunt for matching, affordable, peach dresses.

The Limited. On sale right now for 180.60.

New York and Co. Cardigan, Top and skirt. 24.95, 29.95, and 69.95.

ModCloth On Sale now for 124.99

Perhaps a print? Ann Taylor for 139.99

And to utilize the other color (pale blue) Banana Republic 110.00

This is just the beginning of the search. I am more than welcome to suggestions.

The Officiant

While I'm waiting to hear back from the caterer for a potential quote, Matt and I are taking a count of what we actually have left to plan.

Here's where we stand:
1. Groomsmen suits
2. Bridesmaid dresses
3. Favors
4. Renting a sound system
5. Potential decorations for ceremony
6. An officiant

I've delegated the sound system and suits to Matt. This may or may not have been the greatest idea since it may mean that I'm doing them at the last minute because he didn't, or I didn't like what he did, both of which are easily capable of happening.

I'm on the hunt for bridesmaid dresses, but I'm saving that for another post, along with potential favors.

So that pretty much leaves the officiant. Denise has recommended the pastor Ryan (Matt's brother) and Ashley used, and my mom told me to just check with the Allandale since they most likely have people they can recommend as well.

Since we're marrying on a Sunday, finding an officiant has the potential to be tricky, but Matt said maybe we can find a pastor/preacher whose standing with God is on "okay" terms but he's given up preaching.

Gee, that bodes well for our marriage. There must be some superstition about being married by a half in/half out pastor.

I'd love to find just a sweet old pastor whose married hundreds of couples and has it down to a science.

Matt's wish? Optimus Prime.

"You may now kiss the bride, and then I'll fly you to your honeymoon."

That's right, as in the Transformer, or at least the guy who does the voice. During the trailer for the new Transformer movie, Matt leaned over to me while Optimus Prime was spouting something about being betrayed by humans and whispered, "I do."

Luckily, I found this which may make his dream come true. That definitely won't upstage the bride. Ha.

Dessert and Coffee Bar

A major part of any wedding wedding is the food. A major part of the food is the wedding cake.

Matt and I are actually not too crazy about cake. Don't get me wrong, I love birthday cake, devils food cake, and all that jazz, but it's not my go-to dessert.

That would be pie.

The flaky crust. The baked fruit. I love it all. I have never met a pie I didn't like, except for one peach mishap, but that was due to over loading it with sugar. 

We're going to do it up right with different pie stands and a wide variety of flavors. My mother is going to bake a couple, Matt's mom, Denise, and her sister, Debbie, will also be bringing some.

Debbie actually lives on an orchard of some kind, so her pie will be made with the fresh, seasonal fruit. And then my Nana is baking her famous pecan pie. 

There has been some question about the traditional wedding cake. Honestly, I do think I'd miss having the top tier of our wedding cake on our first anniversary. The solution?

Coffee crumble cake!!!

Even more so, it will go well with our brunch reception and coffee bar.

Yummy and delicious!! 

Wedding Inspiration: Table Settings

It's interesting watching my idea of a wedding actually take shape into my wedding. I'm constantly on wedding blogs (these are all from OnceWed.com) - here's some of my inspiration.

I'm going for like, a vintage garden/tea party thing.

All photos from www.oncewed.com.

Four Months and Counting...

I went home to Hendersonville for two days. During that time I:

1. Mailed my deposit and contract to the Allandale.

2. Met with my photographer and worked out our contract.

3. Found my vintage marriage license.

4. Showed Mom what kind of place settings I'm looking at for the tables.

Oh, and I found my dress and veil.

No big.

Perhaps I have watched too many "Say Yes to the Dress" episodes, but I imagined dress shopping would be so much easier than what it has been.

In my head I'd put on the dress, everyone would weep, and it would be the perfect price.

Bing, bang, done.

It was not that simple.

Initially in February I had won a dress through a Glamour Magazine sweepstakes for David's Bridal.

Then UPS delivered the voucher to the wrong apartment. Since I had signed a voucher, Glamour could not replace it.

Disheartened, I tried to look at the bright side that perhaps I was not supposed to wear a David's Bridal gown, and my dream dress was instead in some bridal boutique. I found a few dresses I liked in Knoxville, and when my sisters (Shelby and Suzanne) and mother came in for my graduation, we visited the shop. Unfortunately, no one cried, the one dress I liked was WAY over budget, and we left.

My first love.

I looked in Johnson City with Denise, and found one contender, but I still didn't have that... magical feeling. I began wondering that maybe if there wasn't really any magic to finding a dress, and it was all romanticized in my head.

During this visit to Hendersonville, Mom, Eunie (my mom's best friend), Suzanne, and I went to check out middle Tennessee's selection. We found one dress made by Allure. It was what I had imagined in my head, and in fact, one girl walked by me while I had it one and said, "Very Kate Middleton."

I believe she was paid by the staff to do so.

It was very beautiful, and I was 90 percent positive it was the one. The only issue was the price: 1100 before alterations. The quote the seamstress then gave was about $300 due to all the lace on the gown.

I left confident that I would find it used online for under $1000.

We also went to a little boutique that was a "TheKnot.com Pick 2011." Fortunately enough, they were having a sample sale until Saturday. I tried on a few dresses, including one Marisa gown that was on sale for $500.

It was made of soft silk organza with lace details around the top, side, and along the train. It reminded me of a romantic, ethereal tea party dress.

Don't ask where the tea party came from... I honestly don't know.

The only issue I had with it was the GIANT FLOWER over my left breast. The lady said it could be removed, but she kept trying to tuck into the top of the modified sweet heart neckline.

We left without the dress.

Upon returning home, I learned that the Allure gown was not available online any cheaper, and if I had to order it, I would not receive it in time. Now I was faced with the dilemma of if I loved the Marisa gown more, or if I just liked the price.

I woke up this morning to Mom lying next to me. Eunie was on her way over to pick us up. She felt I needed to try on the Marisa gown one more time with her veil. I told Mom there was no time to make the hour drive, as she had to be at work at noon and I had to be home in time for work at 5.

We left anyways.

Here's what you need to know about Eunie. She is the definition of a genteel Southern woman. She hails from "Al-luh-bam-uh" and is super traditional, feisty, and full of what I would call "spit-fire."

Anyways, she rolls up in her Cadillac and we head off for Cool Springs. Mom is calling the shop like crazy to make sure they will hold the dress for me.

I'm not even sure if I was as excited as they were.

We get to the store, and the nice shop ladies have the dress waiting. They even had preemptively removed that God-awful flower and the tags.

I knew before I was zipped up it was my dress. I simply had to have pressed to my body and I knew it was my wedding gown.

I stepped out and on to the pedestal and Eunie was unfolding her delicate lace veil. They intially pinned it awkwardly on my head like a hat and I was trying to find a nice way to say, "Thanks, but no thanks." I voiced how I would rather it sit back on my head, flat, and the shop lady took the initiative and bobby-pinned it the way I preferred.

And then it happened. The crying. I started. Mom started. Eunie revealed the pearl necklace her grandmother had been giving the day of her wedding and weepily told me she had asked her ninety-something year old mother if I could borrow it for my wedding.

More tears came. Another bride who was trying on dresses near me eyed me warily. I didn't care though.

I was wearing the dress I was going to marry Matt in.

Mom wrote the check and we left, the dress safely in my arms the whole ride home.

To recap: I have now found my venue, dress, and photographer for $2500. I have literally used half of my budget, and the last big expense we have is food.

So far, so good.