6.14.2010

An Awkward Situation

I was going to send out the packages I made for my bridesmaids today.

But upon waking, I found an email from future-bridesmaid M saying her boyfriend of 4+ years had broken up with her... a guy she had planned on marrying.

Ouch.


So I didn't send the packages.

I wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this. The first thing that came to my mind was how selfish I would be for asking her to be my bridesmaid only days after she got dumped. It would feel like I was trying to downplay her pain... or rub my happy relationship in her face.

So I will wait.

I will probably go ahead and mail the packages for J and C tomorrow, but I will most likely wait a couple weeks to ask M. She needs time to heal. I couldn't possibly ask her to be happy for Ryan and I at a time like this.

6.13.2010

Meet my Bridesmaids

Ever since I decided on my bridesmaids, I've been just itching to ask them! But I had to order cards, then wait for the cards to arrive, then make little packages to send them.

I mentioned before what I had printed in each card. Here is a little peek at each card, along with an introduction to my girls...

This is C, my "sister". We met in preschool, so we've known each other for a whopping twenty years! We were completely inseparable from 4th grade through our senior year in high school. Now, even though she is hard to keep track of (London, India, and New Hampshire... all just this summer alone), she will always remain my best friend. I have asked C to be my maid of honor. This decision was a no-brainer.

This is J, my "little buddy". (This is a horrible photo of me, but I just had to use it because it's a picture of J and I when I was a "bridesmaid" for her mock wedding in college.) We met during our freshman year at college when she lived 2 doors down. We lived together and were best friends for our sophomore and junior years, and went everywhere together. I have asked J to be a bridesmaid.

This is M, my "birthday twin". We met our sophomore year in college when she joined my sorority and we learned we had the same birthday! We were good friends through college, and lived together the summer after our junior year and all through our senior year. She has been there through thick and thin and a lot of boy drama. Even though she now lives on the east coast, we try to talk often. I have asked M to be a bridesmaid.

As soon as the cards arrived, I wrote a little personalized note in each one and sealed it up. I bought 3 ring pops in corresponding colors (blue, green, and pink), and attached these stickers I made to tie it all together:


I packed the cards and ring pops into padded mailers, and they will be on their way first thing tomorrow!

I'm so excited for my girls to receive their little packages. I'll let you know their answers when I get them!

6.11.2010

The Dress Hunt Begins

Ryan is leaving me.

Not forever... just for the 4th of July weekend. But it's a whopping four days, so it might as well be forever!

So instead of laze around here with my dog for 4 days straight, I made the decision to be productive. I emailed my mom with the two words that would take any mother's breath away...

"Dress shopping?"

She wrote back with an ecstatic, "I'd love to!"

It's on.

After looking up many dress shops in the Chicagoland area, comparing their dresses, prices, reviews, distance from my parents' house, and whether or not they were open the 4th of July weekend, we settled with 2 shops: Bella Bianca Bridal at Oakbrook Terrace, and A Joyful Occasion in Naperville.

One of the sales ladies suggested I bring along photos of dresses I like.

Oh boy.

See, that's sort of a problem. Because... I don't know what I like. I know what I don't like (oh, yes, that's for sure), but finding out what style is "me" has been a challenge.

So I set out on a search of the interwebs and ended up with the following photos...





Miosa Couture Adrianna


Now I'm studying the dresses looking for a common thread. This is what I came up with...
  • I like relatively simple dresses with just a little bit of sparkle or flair
  • I really like the drop waist
  • I also like high waists with pockets
  • I don't like pickups in the skirt
  • I like the sweetheart neckline
Hopefully if I bring that list of likes and dislikes to the store with me, it will help the dress-shopping process move along a little easier.

One of my fears, however, is that I will look awful in a drop waist. The widest part of my body is my stomach, and I have rather small hips, so it might not work on me. If that's the case, I don't know what I'll do. It'll be back to the drawing board, I guess.

6.10.2010

Choosing our Photographer

I didn't want to discuss our photographer search in too much detail until we had our selection booked. Why? Mainly because I feel bad talking about people I don't know on my blog and listing all the reasons I dislike their business. That's just plain rude.

So I'm thrilled to announce that we have chosen the extremely talented David Bracho.

He spent quite a few years living here in Indiana, so when he came to visit family over the weekend, we had the great opportunity to meet with him in person at our house.

An hour and a half later, Ryan and I were sold. Take one look at some of these gorgeous photos, and you'll be sold too...

All photos courtesy David Bracho Photography

We haven't decided yet how many hours we want or if we want an album. All that can be hashed out later. For the time being, we just know that we want him there on our wedding day to capture all the moments like this...


Except ours would be a trip to Wendy's.

6.09.2010

The Mystery of the Wedding Mail

I guess this should go under unsolved mysteries.

Just about every other day I receive wedding-related mail. It's not mail that I requested or even mail from vendors I've been in contact with.

Instead, it's totally random photographers and florists who somehow have my address.


How did they get my address?!

I'm totally clueless.

At first, they were addressed to our old apartment (Ryan and I just moved into a new apartment about a month ago), but USPS was forwarding everything to our new place. When it first began, all the vendors were Indianapolis-based.

A) Ryan and I live about 2 hours away from Indianapolis.
B) We are having our wedding in Chicago, not Indianapolis.
C) Again... how did they get my address?!

But now, they are coming straight to our new place with our correct address on them, and they are Chicago-based vendors.

It's like someone is stalking us!

Well, if they really are stalking us, hopefully they'll give up now that we have chosen a photographer (without the help of direct mailing... thankyouverymuch).

More on that later. Stay tuned!

6.07.2010

This is Weird

My fiance doesn't know I have a wedding blog.

Yeah, go ahead... stone me.

It's not that it's a secret... cause it's not. It's just that he hasn't asked.


Haha, yeah. I know that sounds ridiculous. Well, maybe I just don't want to let him in on the bridal crazy. I told him from the very beginning of this process that he could be as involved or as un-involved in planning as he chose.

I don't want him to feel obligated to keep up with yet another one of my whacky blogging endeavors. I don't want him to realize just how obsessive a girl (any girl... not just me!) can get over one or two teeny tiny wedding details.

So when the day comes when he finally discovers this little gem, all I can do is hope he is as gung-ho about it as he was when he found the maps I had secretly drafted up last week.

"Those are really cool." Awww... thanks, Ryan.

6.03.2010

Thank You for Being my Friend

It's time. I finally bit the bullet and decided on my bridesmaids. I have picked 3 wonderful girls from 3 completely different parts of my life, and I'm very happy with my decision.

The next step is to let the ladies know. But you can't just call them up, "yo... be my bridesmaid." No, no, no. You have to do it with a little finesse!

And wouldn't you know the perfect timing... Shutterfly is having a special on photo cards. If you use the promo code "CARDS4DAD" at checkout, you get three 5x7 photo greeting cards for free plus $0.99 shipping. Score!


So I whipped up a card for each of my 'maids. I included a lovely (if not embarrassing) photo of the two of us on the front. Here's what it says on the inside...

On the day that I marry this wonderful man,
I hope by my side you will proudly stand.

It's meant so much to have you near,
so many things have changed this year.

The one thing on which I could always depend,
was an open ear from you my friend.

Thank you for all the support that you lend,
but mostly I thank you for being my friend.

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Isn't that adorable? I think I will be including a small novelty gift with the card, but you'll have to wait for the cards to arrive to see what I send!
Related Posts with Thumbnails