Hand drawn maps

As soon as I saw these hand drawn maps I fell in love. They are freakin' adorable...

I immediately decided I needed one. So I opened up a little thing I like to call Adobe Illustrator...

I know it still needs some work. Like a lot of work. And they're not technically 'hand drawn'. Eh. But I'm thinking of using them in the welcome baskets for guests from out of town.

Organization observations

Wedding planning is hard.

My excuse has been I have too much school work, too much work work, and I'm tired. All. The. Time.

When I do have time, I'm so overwhelmed that I have no idea where to start.

My saving grace is that we did the big stuff early. Venue, Caterer, DJ, Invites, done, done, done, and done. Thank the lawd.

I've found that the best way to get/stay organized is to have weekly goals. You'll feel accomplished no matter what. Even if they're small ones and especially if they're BIG ones. {TWSS}

This week's goal was to have all of the addresses of our guests plugged in to the spreadsheet. Ready to go. It's Wednesday and I only need 15ish more addresses.

How did you get and stay organized while wedding planning??

Rude or not?

We obviously have a limited budget for the wedding. So that means we are trying to keep the guest list a small as possible. Currently it stands at 145...which is already too many. 

I've had at least 2 people ask me if they're getting an invite. And others on Facebook to both Tyler and I. And they're not. Don't you think if you have to ask, then it's probably no? Luckily, I've been able to skirt my way around the issue the couple times it's happened but what the hell people? I really, really wish we could invite everyone and their dog. Truly, I do. But it's all about the Benjamin's, baby. 

Did any of you have any similar problems or awkward convos? How did you handle it?

Sha sha SHOES

I'm really leaning toward hot pink shoes but if I find the right white shoes I won't turn 'em down.

Here are a few I'm lusting after...

Ted Baker. Zappos.com. $135.

Unlisted. Zappos.com. $49.

Unlisted. Macys.com. $49.

Pour La Victoire. Zappos.com. $151.

Enzo Angiolini. Nordstrom.com. $79.95.

I'm really loving the Pour La Victoire pair. {Of course I am, they're the most expensive} Where did you get your wedding shoes?

Bridesmaid dress

Saturday the three girls and I went shopping for bridesmaid dresses. They tried on a bunch of dresses, a few I really liked...a few nah so much. But we finally found the perfect one in the most unsuspecting place...

White House Black Market. I like it because it's different and not too "wedding-ish". Plus, they will be able to wear it again and it comes with straps for Tyler's little sis...aka my junior bridesmaid. :)

Actually, this picture really doesn't do it justice. It's really pretty. Then with the hot pink shoes and hot pink bouquet.... PERFECT. I'm stoked. :)

Six months to go!

Let's hope it flies by! :)

Engagement Photos

Here they are!

THE DRESS!

I feel like I have to preface this with I was so ANTI-excited {yes I just made that up} to shop for my dress. One, I hate trying clothes on. I get sweaty and anxious and it's not a pretty sight. Two, I feel like sometimes brides put too much emphasis on themselves. I mean, the wedding should be about the love and the bond that both you and your fiancee share, not what you're wearing and your accessories.

Saying that, I FOUND MY DRESS!! And it only took two stores and 10 dresses to do it.

Tyler frequents my blog so I can't post a picture. However, I will post pictures of dresses from the designer.  My dress may or may not be among them. :)

Any guesses?? :)

The Guestlist

...has by far been our biggest challenge yet. We are going to send out 130 invites with the hope idea that about 20 percent will decline.

The problem is, I have a very large family. I'm talking my grandma has 14 brothers and sisters. Through the generations, that means I have about 28975843578398842375983 cousins. Granted I am not close with any of them. But they're family. 

Tyler's family on the other hand is not that large so we are inviting just about everyone on his side. Which is fine with me. 

In order to cut our guest list down to the desired number we used a system. And by we, I mean me, because I'm the Type A up in this relationship. I separated the guests into the following categories:

A List: The people we absolutely have need to have at our wedding, immediate family, our closest friends, etc.

B List: Friends that know us as a couple and who we would love to have share our day with us, distant family, obligations {eek, did I just say that?), etc.

C List: This list was reserved for people who we want there but we may not have room for. I will send these invites as we get declines.

I hope it all goes smoothly. My plan is to send them out three months in advance because we have people coming from Virginia. How early did you send out your invites? Any other advice for me?? Help a sista out. :)

Invitations

I'm pretty picky when it comes to... well, everything. Not one website or catalog could give me what I wanted. Nada. So I just decided to do them myself. Now, I am picky but I'm also my own worst critic. I had a minor panic attack when I ordered them... I thought they were going to look horrendous and people were going to know I did them. Like in a bad way.

I'm excited to report... They turned out perfectly. I'm really excited.

I'm going to show you... But please remember I'm still very self conscious about my designs... so criticism is welcome, as long as it's constructive. Thanks dolls. :)

The invitation:

The postcard RSVP front:

The postcard RSVP back:

...I bet you can guess what the theme is.... :) The color is a little off but hopefully you get the picture.

Venue

Tyler and I got engaged on January 23rd {which is my brother Steven's birthday, he now complains that we stole his spotlight. ha!}. Anyway, we got engaged on Saturday, the 23rd and had a venue picked by the next week, the 30th. 

I guess it is true what they say, when you know, you know. 

Our ceremony and reception will be held at the same site, as they have an amazing set-up.

The outside, where the ceremony will be:

This last pic is looking out from the reception pavilion to the ceremony spot. I just think it's so gorgeous. And here is the empty shell of the reception pavilion:

from above

the bar...where we'll be poppin' them bottles

up the stairs on the left is the grooms quarters and the right is the bridal suite...both with full bathrooms

There's just so much that can be done with it! And I'm bursting with ideas. :) The white curtains in the top picture have LED lights behind them and they will be rocking hot pink during appetizers/dinner. And flashing like they want to give you a seizure during the dancing. I cannot wait.

So there you have it, the ceremony and reception site all in one!

Color Scheme

depending on your screen resolution, this may or may not be what I have in mind, it's awesome on my laptop but heinous on my work computer...but you get the idea. this may look better.

Hot pink and black! Love.

Which means I will be using a ton of these...

And to answer your question, yes, I am having a fall wedding sans the use of fall colors. I just don't dig the browns and oranges. But I do dig the weather in October. So sue me.

Hello!

I have been wedding planning for almost three months now and whoa, talk about overwhelming. But in a good way. I'm having a blast. The only thing I complain about is not having enough time to do it but when I graduate in a little over a month that will change. CANNOT. WAIT. 

So far our big accomplishments are...

• Choosing and booking our ceremony/reception site
• Creating a wedding website
• Deciding on a color scheme
• Invitations and RSVPs DONE!
• Booked caterer

The next hurdle is flowers.