Registries

I have yet to register anywhere. I was debating doing it at all since we do already have a lot of things but I have thought of several things that I could really use for the house and I am sure as I am looking I will come across more things we need. Some necessities are:

-New flatware

-A set of Knives (or maybe I will register for individual knives that will end up making a set?)

-Rubbermaid Tupperware with easy find lids

I could REALLY use those. My Tupperware cabinet is a total wreck (exactly like the one in the commercial)
-I would LOVE to have a kitchen aid mixer but those are really pricey so I won't get my hopes up
- curtains and curtain rod for the dining room ( it is still bare, I don't know if this is too weird of a thing to ask for or not)

-was considering new luggage(at least for me)
-serving dishes

Really overall there isn't a whole lot I would ask for. One of my biggest hopes is for cash that we can hopefully put towards ripping up the carpet and refinishing the hardwood floors underneath. This is a home repair that I REALLY want to do. It is probably my priority. (this is all under the assumption that we do manage to buy the house and get the $8000 tax credit before April.)


Does anyone know if there are things you should and shouldn't ask for? I figured that any sort of home goods qualify. I also feel a little uneasy about putting expensive things on the list. I don't know that there is a whole lot of items I would register for. Also when are you even supposed to do this? Because picking things out at Target or something NOW may not still be around come May when people are purchasing gifts. I guess I need to be reading up on my gift registry etiquette. That or I am reading way too much into it. As of right now I will probably register at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond. Any other suggestions? I like Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn and such but those places are kind of expensive...

Ireland?

Zach and I finally may have come up with a compromise for our honeymoon, with the help of travelling guru David!
We are considering going to Ireland and making a road trip around the coast starting and ending in Dublin. I think it would be super fun! We would get to explore, stay in Inns, go to Pubs. Maybe Zach will even get to tour the Guinness brewery! I think it would be super pretty and everything. Only question is what are we going to do about driving on the wrong side of the road!? Do we need a special license for that?? I am pretty excited about this and think it will be awesome. Now we can start the planning. We probably will wait until monday to fly out..I am pretty sure tickets will be cheaper during the week rather than the weekend.



David also suggested a brunch with family Sunday and Zach and I can open our wedding presents then. Sounds like a good idea. David has photographed over 300 weddings so I am pretty confident he knows what works and what doesn't. Still so much planning ahead but at least we have a start now! Hopefully we can experience awesome things like this!

UPDATE: this looks like it will be a definate. His parents are going to help us out a little with the cost. We need to start saving! He is going to turn in his passport application next Tuesday (I've already got mine). I need to start researching which places we will stop at and what inn to stay at. As for driving looks like it won't be a problem we just have to adjust to the right handed steering wheel and their roads. ( Oh boy!) This is certainly going to be an adventure.

Wedding Favors

I have been looking into different things to do for the wedding favors, I was trying to think of things that everyone would like. I thought of making cookies with some sort of packaging and having like 3 cookies a person. But I am not sure if we would have time to do all of the baking.

I also remembered that you can customize M & M's so thats something to think about!

You can only choose 3 colors, I would probably pick light blue, purple and green. They also can print your picture on them! Which is totally awesome! They offer little bags and boxes to be all ready to go but I think I would just buy it in bulk and package it for guests myself. It would be a cheaper option. The site offers 5 lb. boxes. I have no concept of how much 5 ibs of M&M's is, I would have to look at the store to see how many lbs the biggest bag of M&M's is... So I know how much I would need... then order some little drawstring bags to put them in or something. So there is one idea in addition to the cookie idea.

I wish I had better skills for getting a picture of them. I took a picture of the computer screen with my cellphone. So sorry about the quality... Heres a picture of someone else's already printed...

Right now I am really liking this idea...

Invitations

It is time to start thinking about invitations!

So far my wedding is turning out to be very DIY and I am trying to be budget savvy.

Its logical of course that I am considering making my own invites as well, but I still have alot more researching to do.

I was considering sending out save the dates, but at this point there is only 5 months until the wedding so I feel like it is pointless... the picture above I made at a site called mypunchbowl. Which worked out great until I realized that I don't really have anyone's email. So I gave up on that and decided I didn't need to do save the dates. The site however was really cool and you can change colors of whatever design you pick. It was very easy to navigate.

I did find this site emmylu through younghouselove's blog which includes wedding invitations where you pay for a pdf file and then can print however many you want. You can change colors of the design for a little extra.. I liked this design the best, and it happened to be the Norfolk one! Although the colors are not right.

I also came across this page which has a list of websites you can go to that offer semi-DIY invites like emmylu. There were lots of good ideas on there. Now I LOVE handmade/interesting paper so I would love to incorporate that somehow into the design of my invitations heres some ideas I found on invitesite (which I found through that previous link)

I think we could easily find some interesting paper at Jerry's to use as the outside layer/ encasing etc. then if we either found/made invites that we could print up ourselves to go inside it could be fairly easy and definately original, and preferably way cheaper than ordering. It is definately something I need to look into very soon!

Name Change

So, talking to Ashley about this has made me decide to post about it.

Okay so I know for many, many years it has pretty much been tradition for the bride to take the grooms last name. I'm sure many years ago this wasn't a big deal, but now I think it is a complete and total hassle.

Don't get me wrong, I am not going to keep my name, I am going to switch to Johnson, but I dread thinking about the headache that this name change will cause.

All the bills are in my name, my credit card, checking account, drivers License, car insurance, student loans, and even things like emails! I am going to have to call and change so many things! I am not sure if I will change my email which is currently bgegan17, because that just seems like too much of a pain. Then the worst thing of all will be the fact that I need to change my signature! Guess I had better start practicing.

Hairdos

Okay so first off for the flowers I am leaning more and more towards hydrageas. I love this.

This is what I am thinking for the bridesmaids. Not sure how alyssas hair will work because hers is shorter though...

For my hair I was thinking a messy curly updo. And I've had a really hard time finding a picture of what I am thinking in my head. I really like this first one, but I almost want my curls a little more apparent? Less wavy more curly? I like the pieces coming down in places. I even like the flowers in the hair. I think I will want my bangs pulled back though. Not sure about a veil or if I even want one yet...

Thoughts?

Shoes!!

Update: just found these...

So on Friday I hung out with my bestie and we went on an excursion for shoes for the bridesmaids and myself and had ABSOLUTELY no luck at dillards, macys, nine west, off broadway, and DSW. We also spent alot of time looking through magazines at hairstyles... but that will be a separate post. Heres some ideas for bridesmaid shoes. Maybe something strappier? Im thinking silver though...

So I've been searching online for shoes that I liked. I was even considering having my shoes be blue. Kind of weird but it was just a thought. So I KNOW that I want pumps, that are considerably high. Probably platform pumps. I need as much height as I can get since my soon to be hubby is 6'6"! I don't want to look like a midget. here are some things that I have found and liked a bit

I think I like the flower ones or the 2 variations with the lace/ embroidery on them the best... I dunno just some ideas..

What is your favorite? Any ideas on what I picked or where to look for good shoes? I've looked online at Zappos and nordstrom.

Flowergirl Dresses

SO here is a pic of the pattern we are using for Ava and Elle's dresses. We got a cotton fabric that is white with tiny pansy blue roses and a little bit of green leaves on it then we got a sparky white organza that will go overtop of the cotton to give it a dressier look. Then we have pansy (blue/purple) 2 1/4" ribbon for the bow.. The same ribbon will be used on the bridesmaid dresses. I think I will have the twins just wear little white ballet flats with their dresses.

I sort of wish I could blog about my wedding dress but that needs to remain a secret from Zach so I will have to refrain.

Currently I am addressing postcard mailers while waiting for my chinese food to arrive. I am starving so I hope it comes soon!

Cake!

So I LOVE this cake, It is pretty simple. I want it to be more of a light green instead of the pink and the flowers I was thinking I would like to have more of a blue or perriwinkle than pink. Or maybe even use hydrangeas? We have to ask my aunt Teenie if she wants to do the cake, if she doesn't then I guess I will get a price from Plaza Bakery. I just want it to be traditional wedding cake ( the almond flavor).

As much as I feel like I have picked out and decided on: cake, flowers, dresses, place to have the wedding and reception. There is still ENDLESS amounts of planning to do. And even more decisions to be made on the things I have picked out. I still need to get prices from caterers, dj, tent/ table/ chair rentals, linens, and the list goes on. One step at a time I guess. Its just pretty overwhelming May 22 is only 6 months away and I am sure it is going to creep up fast.

I am pretty sure the absolute BIGGEST challenge ahead is my dress. I am pretty flexible on everything else but what I wear has to be perfect and I've pretty much got my mind set. I know what I want and I know it is going to be hard to make, I just hope we can pull it off! My grandma is really good at sewing and between her, my mom, me and Joni we should be able to do it. It also sucks because I want to talk to Zach about it but can't! I am determined to keep this a secret from him. I have really lucked out because he has basically told me he doesn't care and I can do whatever I want. Which is nice, but sucks because he doesn't really care to hear about anything either. Oh well. I have other people that will listen, ha!

On a complete side note: I wish I wasn't working today. I am totally unmotivated to do any work.

The date is set!

Saturday, May 22, 2010!!! I am having it at Don and Liz's new house in Linlear (fingers crossed it will be done, though they say it will be finished in February). So now the most important thing I need to do is send out save the dates so that people who are out of town can try and come! SO excited!

Flowers

So we have also decided to do our own flowers. Not positive on the specific flowers I want yet but I want it to be greens, blues and purples. I kind of want to involve hydrangeas. I love this idea from the magazine with a bunch of simple cylinder glasses of different shapes and sizes. So I suppose me, my mom, my grandma, and Janet will have to start collecting a Hodgepodge of glasses from thrift stores starting now...sadly I did not have access to a scanner so I had to photograph magazine pictures... oh well.

I am sure everyone is sick of hearing about my stupid wedding planning. But this is my blog and I have a lot of fun blogging about this stuff since it is pretty much consuming my life right now. I may even do a few more posts today....

The perfect wedding location???

So I have been STRUGGLING to find the right place to have my ceremony and reception. At least a place that is also budget friendly. Botanical gardens was my top pick but still not anywhere near cheap. I could forsee the headaches this search was bound to cause.

Luckily today I think I was given a lifesaver. Liz has told me that their new house in Linlear will be done by February and that I could have my wedding there. I still need to call her and make sure that it is okay and discuss everything but that would be PERFECT. I really hope it works out. Their lot is really big and pretty AND on the water. We could easily set up a tent for the reception and have the wedding ceremony closer to the water.

This makes me not only relieved but also more excited. I don't have to worry as much about date either with this free option. I am debating between May 22, June 5, or June 12. All are Saturdays. Not sure yet...

Bridesmaid Dresses

I Like the center dress but with a shorter hem. Like at the knee. I actually really like the colors on that one but may change it... Not sure yet. Hopefully we can find a similar pattern!

Wedding Planning

Okay so I haven't even been engaged for a few days and I am already overwhelmed! There is SO much planning involved in a wedding. I guess you don't realize it until you are completely faced with it! So either my blog is going to turn into a wedding planning blog over the next few months or I will make a separate one? HA.
Right now I am faced with the task of finding a venue to hold the ceremony and reception. I have had several suggestions: Cavallier country club (pretty but prob way too expensive), Norfolk botanical gardens (my 1st choice right now I think), resort conference center/ trade winds. I am leaning toward the date of May 22. But obviously that may have to change to accomodate availability at the venue. I would like it to be late May or early June though I know a TON of people get married in June. I really didn't want to have it over the summer because of the heat. SO If I can't get spring then I have to aim for September although then I run into problems with my brother and Alyssa etc. being back at school. So really May or June would be best. But then I've only got 6 months to plan! Ahhh.

We are also planning on making all the dresses: flower girls ( ava and elle, Don's twins) they will be SO cute, maid of honor and bridesmaid dresses ( Ashley B, Alyssa, Bekah, and Ashley S.), as well as my wedding dress. Which will be the biggest challenge. I've found one I LOVE but I don't know how we are going to make it!

So overwhelming! Wish me luck! Though I already have alot of help from my bestie (and maid of honor) Ashley, she got me this AWESOME planning book. And of course my mom, Janet and my grandma will help alot. I am so excited about all of this even if it will be stressful!