Save-the-Date Ordered

Yay! Jason finished our save-the-dates yesterday, and after some fighting (and some help from a knottie) with our file size, they're now ordered. We ordered 100 off of VistaPrint. They were doing free upload and free postcards, so they only cost us about $7 for all of them. Sweet!

So, what do you think? I blurred out our last names. Also, for some reason it's showing up green on my computer, but the colors are actually blue (just in case it's showing up green on your computer too).

Top Registry Picks

I love looking at other people's registries. It interests me to see what people are wanting. Here are my top 5 picks from my registry and why I want them.
1. Bissel Pet Hair Vacuum -- We currently have 2 vacuums and neither of them can pick up our dog's hair. She sheds so much and her hair takes over our carpet. We need something to get it out of our house!
2. Flatware Set -- We are using some cheap flatware from Big Lots that came like 100 pieces for $20. It's rusting! We need grown up silverware.
3. Vera Wang Crystal Ring Holder -- I couldn't believe that this was a good price. It's only $40 and it's gorgeous. I need something to hold my rings while I'm cooking and I thought this would be pretty. And since we didn't register for any fine china, I felt the need to register for something crystal.
4. Kitchenaid Mixer -- I've been in love with this for years, but no one would buy me a $300 mixer. Hopefully someone will be generous enough since we're getting married!
5. Tassimo Drink Maker -- I love the idea of popping in a pod and pushing a button and having coffee in a minute. Our front office had a Keurig and I love it, but we decided to register for the Tassimo because it brews Starbucks coffee which we love. Plus is brews cappuchinos and lattes. Yum!

What are the top 5 items from your reigstry?

Day 1 of Diet

I have to start my diet again! I only have 9 more months to get down to the weight I want before I have to take my dress in to get alterations. So, every Sunday I'm going to weight in and post here. Anyone else who wants to go on a diet, feel free to weight in with me. I would love some diet buddies.

So, including the 4 cookies I had for breakfast, I'm going to start counting calories over at sparkpeople.com and going to the gym with my FI at least once a week.

Let's start burning fat girls!

Escort Cards I Love

We're most likely putting our escort cards on paper cranes, like this:


But I just wanted to show you the following escort cards because they're gorgeous.


What are you doing for your escort cards?

Top Trends for 2010

I saw this posted on Saving Money for a Wedding and I thought the 2010 brides who read this would be interested. This list was originally posted on Get Married.

1. Back to Basics
Events will focus on the attention to the details, the foundation of the event, not the drama or grandeur of the evening. Consider spending more on the lasting memories than the showmanship of the event. Spend a bit more than the average budget allotment on photography mediums rather than abundant floral. Or consider a bit of a longer stay on your honeymoon and a little less of a party at the reception and you’ll be grateful for your decision in the end.

2. Home Weddings Hit Home
Intimate and personal affairs in the backyard are bigger than ever. Going home incorporates the continued trend of personalizing the wedding day experience.
Smaller size guest lists, more intimate settings, grass roots weddings, elegant and detail driven, but in no way small on what counts.

3. Buttercream on the Big Day
Fondant is falling behind, buttercream corners the market.
Tools and techniques now allow for buttercream to look as smooth as fondant when applied by a skilled artist. You have the option of better flavor, more natural ingredients, and less costly cakes that no longer suffer or lack in design.

4. Favor Comeback
Personalized appreciation is back. The effect that an event has on the guests is more noticeable than ever before so the importance of a favor is felt more than ever. Be sure to appreciate to those in attendance - it’s not just an afterthought, omission, or generic item. Think local artisans, locally grown products, personal mementos, and on-the-spot print outs.

5. Nearby Destinations
Nearby destination weddings are taking flight over the exotic and far off locales. The ever popular destination wedding will remain but guests will get out of town by car (within driving distance) so couples can create a weekend, guests get an escape, but no one breaks the bank. Enjoying the US destination locations, spend within your own local economies, create a greener effect, experience undiscovered backyards, and stay sensible about cost while you’re at away.

6. Colors
Monochromatic palettes - this doesn’t mean muted colors, just single color bunches. Vibrant Colors: Orange, green, yellow, and pink. Metal Colors: Gold, silver, copper, and pewter. And black is definitely the new black. Break the rules and show off the darker side of your event.

7. Greener Conscience
Immerging will be the newest phase of eco-conscience: A better understanding of the gray shades of green. You will see more emphasis on the smaller changes that are less recognizable to the guest (i.e. cleaning green, composting, solar and LED lighting, no more oasis in floral arrangements, less catering waste). It’s no longer about making the event appear “organic” – it’s about understanding how things are made, disposed of, and where/when events take place. Learning to make better choices that are unseen by the guest are just as important as those tree-free invitations everyone is talking about.

8. Video Integration into Events
We’ve all seen the photo montages of your childhoods during dinner but the next phase in video at your event comes in several different forms. Video DJ’s are immerging, allowing your dance party to dance to the visuals of the music videos; ceremonies are being broadcast on screens for better viewing from the back; and time lapse photography is being shot and integrated into video for current day montages of you and your fiancé. Love to party? Set up crane camera and project the event as it unfolds on screens around the dance floor (budget permitting of course).

9. HD Video
Videographers have already gone hi-def. But next year all or most will make such a transition, making HD and even Blu Ray the norm in wedding videography. Upgrade now and appreciate the quality later. This also means smaller cameras on site and less intrusion into your event, all around a better (though more costly) option on the big day.

10. Visual Combinations
Professional grade still photo cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR are being released with HD video capabilities included. It is recommended to have both a videographer and a photographer at your wedding to capture every moment of the big day. Tech-savvy brides looking for a new experience, may like to experiment with a visual professional (videographer or photographer) who has this technology. In the future, you will begin to see an emergence of two-in-one companies. Companies like Engaging Films and Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles will shoot video and take stills, but use only one piece of technology.

White Tissue Paper at Walgreens

Walgreens has white tissue paper on sale for 4/$1. There are 24 sheets in each pack and there is a limit of buying 12. That should make a good bit of pomanders. You have to get the coupon out of the ad though (they have them in store) and the sale ends tonight! Go pick some up if you're making white tissue paper pomanders!

All Fixed!

Well, I think I've got it fixed. Please contact me if there are any problems with the commenting or layouts. Hopefully all is better.

Ugly Layout Again

We're back to an ugly layout again. For some reason the place I got takes away the ability for people to comment, so I have to find a new place to get layout codes from. So, for those people who have been trying to comment on my blog, but couldn't, I'm so sorry. It was an issue with the layout. If anyone has any great places that have layouts and just let you copy the code from their website (for some reason macs can't do .xml files) please let me know!

Edit: Crap...I just went to check the comments and you still can't comment. If someone knows how to fix this, please email me at navybaby1113@gmail.com.

Afloral Inspiration Board

Ebonee at Becoming His Mrs told me about Afloral. They specialize in silk flowers and they will do a free inspiration board for you. They even sell already put together bouquets for you. If I can't get a good price on a real flower bouquet, I'm most likely going to buy mine from them because they are so pretty.

Here's my inspiration board they did for me:

Ashley writes:
“I’m having a really hard time coming up with my bouquet. My colors are black and white with accents of Tiffany Blue and damask. I love daisies and I’m planning on including them in my centerpieces.
Thanks for helping!
Ashley”

What a beautiful wedding gown! Since you said you love daisies, I kept your board kind of simple. I love white daisies paired with touches of the blue. You could create a simple but gorgeous hand-tied bouquet using just the 2 colored daisies!! Wrap the stems with a little ribbon, and you’re done! I also included a few different flower, in case you wanted a bit more variety. There is a white rose as well as another gerbera daisy in blue (just in case you wanted a bit more blue tones)! I also included sweetpeas because they are such a beautiful flower — great to use as a filler. I hope you like your board!

I just went to the Dollar Tree and bought 10 sheperd's hooks for $1 each! They need a little painting because the paint is chipping off, but I can't beat $1. I can't wait to make the pomanders to hang on them! I'm going to put them in plant pots and line the aisle with them.

We Really Want... Contest

The Knot and Kohls are hosting a contest about the item you really want off your registry. Check out our entry and then sign up for yourself by clicking on the "Submit Your Story" button.

Dog Hair Everywhere!

Good luck everyone!

TAWP Wedding Expo

The Tallahassee Association of Wedding Professionals (TAWP) is having another expo in Tallahasee! Their last one was just about a month ago and they're already planning another one for June 15th. The vendors that are a part of TAWP are the best wedding vendors in Tallahassee. I actually met my DJ at their last expo. It's a great way to meet vendors and taste some great food. They also have seminars teaching you what to look for in vendor as well as door prizes (that's where I won my honeymoon!). So definitely check it out. You can pre-register at the following website.

Monday, June 15, 2009
6 pm
Golden Eagle Country Club

I hope to see everyone there!

Monogram

A knottie did my monogram for me and I love it. I can't wait to put it to use. I already know I'm going to use it on stickers for our favors.

All Fixed

Layout problem fixed. All better!

Layout Problem

For some reason my blog has freaked out and I'm stuck with this ugly standard template. Can anyone help?!?

Reading

I found this reading and I think we might use it for the wedding. What do you think?

"You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –This is my husband. This is my wife. "

Busy Week

It's going to be a very busy week and hopefully we can get a lot accomplished. Here's what's going on:

Tuesday: NWR, but Jason's getting keyless entry installed on his new car. Yay! No more unlocking with a key
Wednesday: Meeting with Capital City Country Club to take some pictures and going over a contract, Meeting with travel agent about our honeymoon that we won.
Thursday: Meeting with Steve Christian, who is a local DJ on 98.9. He is a great guy and so much fun to talk to.
Friday: A friend's wedding reception.

Gorgeous Weather

It's so gorgeous outside! I hope it's the exact same kind of weather this weekend next year.

Just Married

Michaels had "Just Married" flip-flops for $5.99 and I had a 40% off coupon, so I bought them for only $3! How cute!?! I can't wait to wear them on our honeymoon in Barbados.

They also had a bunch of Bridesmaids bags and tank tops as well as flower girl ones and also Bride and Just Married ones. Tons of different colors.

100 Best Wedding Blogs

For all you brides-to-be you should definitely check this website out. There are some great blogs!

Bride Tide's 100 Top Wedding Blogs

The Countdown Begins!

We are now only a year out. Wow...time has gone by so quickly.

So far, my checks are:

- Bought dress, veil, and garter
- Booked photographer
- Picked first dance song

And we're going next week to book our venue and DJ.

I'm totally in love with these rain boots. They're from What A Pair and they're only $39.99. I'm totally thinking about getting these in case of rain. I'm in the market for a new pair of rain boots anyways!

Garter

I received my garter yesterday. It got here so quickly and is such good quality. I need to lose a little bit of weight off my thighs because it's kind of tight, but it's so cute. I can't wait to wear it.

If you're on the lookout for a garter, check out this eBay seller:

Crafty Chick

Check: Photographer!

We met with Micha today in Panama City and I love her. We're sending her the contract and deposit on Monday. That is a great check for me! The photographer was the most important thing to me so I'm glad that I got that out of the way. I'm so excited!

Garter

I was going to have my grandmother make my garter, but she just decided it would be easier to send me the $20 and have me just buy it. So I did and they're on their way.

To Do List

This is what I've done so far. I still have a long way to go!

Things to Book:
Caterer
Ceremony & Reception Site
Band or DJ
Photographer & Videographer
Officiant (We're going to be using the BM's mom. We haven't asked her yet, but we're sure she'll say yes)
Florist
Baker for Wedding Cake
Make-Up Artist
Hairstylist
Manicure & Pedicure Appointment for Day Before Wedding
Honeymoon (Cruise is booked. Still need to get flight to Barbados)

Things to Decide:
Budget (Complete)
Date (Complete)
Guest List (Complete)
Bridal Party (Groom's side is Complete. Bride's side isn't)
Color Scheme (Complete)
Wedding Cake Design
Bouquets
Centerpieces (Complete)
Reception Decorations (Complete)
Ceremony Decorations (Complete)
Readers
Ceremony Readings and Script
Ceremony Music
Formal Dances Music (First Dance, Father/Daughter, Mother/Groom) (First Dance Complete)
Wedding Day Timeline
Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue (Something new and blue are done)
Photography location

Things to Do:
Register for Gifts (Complete)
Block Hotel Rooms
Plan Rehearsal Dinner
Finalize Menu and Service Details
Get Engagement Photos Taken (Complete)
Schedule and Attend Dress Fittings
Confirm Reservations for Out-of-Town Guests
Apply for Marriage License
Schedule Hair & Make-Up Trial
Write Thank-You Notes for Shower
Make List of Must-Play (and Must-Not Play) for DJ or Band (Started...nowhere near complete)
Make List of Must-Take Pictures for Photographer (Started...nowhere near complete)
Confirm Honeymoon Reservations
Seating Plan
Wrap Bridal Party Gifts
Change of Name Paperwork
Prepare Toasts or Thanks to Guests
Give Wedding-Day Directions, Schedule and Contact List to Parents, Bridal Party and Vendors
Give Final Head-Count to Caterer
Confirm Final Payment Amounts with Vendors
Confirm Delivery Locations, Times and Final Arrangement with Florist
Confirm Location, Date and Time with Photographer
Confirm Date, Location, Time and Playlist with DJ
Pack Bags for Honeymoon
Leave Honeymoon Itinerary with Parents
Rehearse Ceremony
Drop Off Required Materials to Venue
Write Thank-You Notes for Wedding

Things to Order:
My Gown (Complete)
My Accessories (Veil Complete)
Bridesmaid Dresses
Tuxedos
Wedding Bands
Favors (Complete)
Bridal Party Gifts
Parents Gifts

Things to Send:
Save-the-dates
Invites
Thank-You Notes for Shower
Thank-You Notes for Wedding

Engagement Pictures

We had a local woman take our engagement pictures. She's trying to start up a photography business in town, so she's offering great prices to build up her portfolio. Here's her website if you're interested: www.katherinefiske.com. You can view our photos under "Engagements" on her website.

E-pics

We got our engagement pictures done today. A women who is trying to build up her portfolio offered to do them for us for free. She did a great job! We did them around FSU's campus and I think they turned out amazing. It was so hot and windy out today, so that was definitely a struggle. I'll post a couple when I get them from her. I can't wait to see them!

Photo Sharing Card

I was planning on using VistaPrint for my photo sharing cards, but then I found this great offer. 100 free cards, plus free shipping from Market Splash. First actual project I have done for the wedding!

Sorry the picture is so blurry!

Bed, Bath, and Beyond Registering

We went to start our registry at Bed, Bath, and Beyond today. We're registering for all of our kitchen stuff there and possibly some other things. The guy we worked with was really nice. He stayed with us for about 50% of the time and was really helpful on certain things. He was especially helpful when picking out knives. We spent so long looking at them all. There are so many that it gets very overwhelming. We didn't finish today, so we're going back on Friday to register for dishes, glasses, flatware, and some other things.

Well, I have a funny story. While we were registering, these two women said congratulations on our engagement. And then one of the women was like "They're the two who won the Barbados trip" and they came back and said congratulations again and how lucky we were. It was so funny. We're like celebrities in Tallahassee. Random people are recognizing us on the street.

I'm Not a Two Dress Bride...

But I'm a 2 honeymoon bride! Well, as you know, we already booked a cruise for our honeymoon. Well, we went to a bridal expo today and won another honeymoon. We had to play The Newlywed Game against two other couples and we won! It's a 5 night/4 day stay at the all-inclusive Almond Casuarina Beach Resort in Barbados. All we have to do is pay for airfare, which is about $400 a person. Not too bad considering.