WEDDING WEDNESDAY: MY BRIDAL SHOWER.

even as i write this post, more than a week after my bridal shower, i am still overcome with joy. 

we planned the shower and bachelorette for the last weekend in april and all of my favorite people were able to attend. to have all of my closest friends, my family and tim's family in one room was an incredible feeling. and to know that they were all there to celebrate our upcoming marriage... i have no words.

my sister and mom worked tirelessly to make sure the day was perfect, from picking up my favorite cake to pinteresting every crafty request i sent them. the balloon-string-as-photo-display, as seen above, was a big hit.

the ladies of my family. special shoutout also for my cousin meagan who helped emily put together a lot of amazingness for the bachelorette party, for which meg also served as the official photographer. which, i kind of regret. #blackmailworthyphotos

my best friend, who also did way too much in ensuring a fun weekend for me. champagne and cupcakes? she obviously nailed it.

my ohio university friends. we're about to hit five years since we graduated, and i feel so blessed to still have these beautiful people in my life.

just in time for mother's day, the moms!

my sweet bean bopped in at the beginning to say hello to everyone. he then headed up to cleveland with his guys for a low-key bachelor party. {wink, wink. haha.}

my side of the fam, so grateful they could all be there.

the lovely baker women, who had to traverse the back roads of ohio to make it.

 

a group shot - minus bets {besty where were you?!} - of the girls out later that night.

i think anyone who knows me in real life - or who reads this blog - has felt the fact that wedding planning has not been all i anticipated it would be. but, this past weekend beyond made up for any of the stress i had brought on myself over this year. to be able to literally feel the love from the most important people in my life and to see their excitement for our wedding - it created a joyful anticipation in me for our wedding day. i am 100 percent positive it is going to be amazing simply because of the wonderful people who will be there beside us. and for that, i can't thank them enough.

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR INVITATIONS.

drum roll please... it's our wedding invitations!

these went out to guests nearly a month ago and we are getting rsvps in the mail daily. it makes my day to open a "yes" one!

i designed the suite and couldn't resist adding something just a bit cheeky on the rsvp card. guests have the option to say "i'll be there ready to boot scootin' boogie" or "i can't make it and there's a tear in my beer", two quotes from classic country songs.

some of the little details. i made the envelope liners myself using rifle paper co's new wrapping paper. the gorgeous return address stamp is by steph creekmur, who is based - where else?! - in nashville.

a close up of my favorite part: the gold foiling! we worked with kseniya thomas of thomas-printers, who did our save the dates, and i absolutely love how they turned out.

we have passed both the 100 day countdown and the three months to go mark until the big day. i'm so ready and i hope the invites got our guests excited, too!  

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: THE LIST GOES ON.

look, i'm alive! honestly, between this new {very demanding} job, trying to lose weight, planning this wedding and the stress that comes with opening "no" rsvps, ain't nobody got time for this blog.

but, nothing makes me happier than a to-do list, so here's an update. and, just in time: friday marks 100 days until the wedding! 

1. set a date
2. book a venue
3. book photographers
4. engagement photos
5. book videographer
6. book band
7. recruit bridesmaids and groomsmen
8. create wedding website
9. book florist
10. buy wedding dress
11. let bridesmaids choose dresses
12. get b fitted for a suit 
13. pick out groomsmen attire
14. find veil - i still don't know if i'll wear one, but i have cousin melissa's gorgeous veil in hand.
15. book cake baker
16. buy cake knife and server - i'm registered for one! here's hoping someone buys it for us at my bridal shower.
17. order save the dates
18. finalize guest list
19. buy cake topper
20. order stamps
21. send save the dates
22. order guest book
23. register
24. reserve hotel room blocks
25. hire a calligrapher
26. mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom dress shopping
27. find wedding shoes
28. choose wedding jewelry - earrings pictured above!
29. find garter
30. something old
31. something new
32. something borrowed
33. something blue
34. make day-of emergency kit
35. book makeup artist
36. book hair stylist
37. choose wedding favors
38. buy getting ready outfit
39. complete menu tasting
40. complete cake tasting
41. do hair and makeup trial
42. get measured for dress
43. dress fitting
44. order invitations
45. send invitations
46. buy bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts
47. purchase wedding bands
48. get marriage license
49. book transportation for wedding party
50. buy welcome bag stuff
51. stuff welcome bags
52. complete music request folder for band
53. create playlist for cocktail hour
54. book wedding night hotel room
55. order thank you notes
56. gather tips and thank you notes for vendors
57. submit engagement announcements in paper 
59. book ceremony musician
60. complete pre-marital counseling
61. create sign for front of venue
62. design programs
63. print and assemble programs
64. buy glow sticks for exit - which was a very good idea from my friend sandra!
65. book caterer
66. order rentals
67. create decoration for bride and groom chairs
68. frame parent wedding photos
69. make reserved table signs
70. create "no formal seating" sign
71. hire coordinator
72. buy flip flops for dance floor
73. assist mother-in-law with rehearsal dinner
74. buy rehearsal dinner dress
75. buy bridal shower dress
76. help find bridal shower location
77. buy bachelorette party dress
78. book honeymoon
79. buy hostess gifts for shower
80. create ceremony backdrop
81. buy wedding dress belt
82. find makeup artist for day-of
83. book getting ready hotel room
84. figure out a first-dance song - we {i} chose one and then we {i} decided it was not the one
85. choose a parental dance song
86. book flights to nashville
87. buy parent thank-you gifts
88. rent a cake stand
89. write vows
90. settle on ceremony order
91. stay sane - i am failing very hard on this front.
92. GET MARRIED!

it does feel good to see so much marked off the list! and, next week we'll be in the single-digit countown. eeep!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: I HATE MY DRESS, AND OTHER CONCERNS.

as previously mentioned, i picked out my wedding dress online. have i already talked about how i went dress shopping with my family and it was terrible? i feel bad about how i look right now {hello extra 30 pounds}, and i hated everything i tried on. my fam was like... silent... with every dress i walked out in - no offense to them, i know they were just waiting for my comments and wanted to be supportive and not insanely opinionated like the people on "say yes to the dress" - but it was just not a great experience.

so, when i got back to denver it was crunch time to order a dress. i went to a local boutique, tried on three dresses and bought the one i had been checking out online for months. and then almost instantly had feelings of regret. like i rushed into it, or should have had someone {anyone!} with me.

my dress came in the mail this week and when i tried it on i still had all the feelings i was having about it after i purchased it. plus, it doesn't help that all people who i've sent a photo of it to say "wow, that's traditional!" or "classically beautiful". {no offense to the ten people who have told me that who all read this blog!} they mean it in a positive way, but it doesn't feel good to me.

and now, my manic thoughts about my dress are rolling up to everything wedding. i never was a girl who envisioned this day. i just am ready to be married. and as i sit here in month one million of our engagement cutting out envelope liners {WHY is that even a thing?!}, i wonder how i got so caught up in it all. 

sigh. fellow and former brides: is having cold feet about your dress a common occurrence?

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR VIDEOGRAPHER.

nothing {nothing!} makes me cry faster than a wedding video. it doesn't matter if i know the couple,if their dancing moves are terrible or if it's to a cheesy love song. wedding videos make me fall apart.

so, i knew i wanted one. i haven't really mentioned budget much around these parts, but as you can guess from us moving cross country twice in the last two years, and me being unemployed, our budget is not grand. b's parents are treating us on most everything we'll enjoy in just five short months.

luckily, my parents were able to swoop in and save the day. my mom booked a contract with with this ring wedding films and i am so excited! i mean, the video above, hello. starts out emotional and then it's super fun! the bride is in the air!

hopefully our reception is just as fun as that one. hint, hint wedding guests: bring your dancing shoes.

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR FLORIST.

so, originally i didn't want to hire a florist. *gasp* i know. because... i kind of don't care about flowers. *double gasp*

but, even though there is a really great wholesale flower place around the block from our old house in nashville, my mil helped me see the light that i probably don't want to be worrying about throwing together a bouquet on my wedding day.

enter: amanda jerkins design.

another reason i didn't want a florist was because many tennessee-based flower designers are very... old school. i don't want red roses. i don't want the tiny bouquets that make bridesmaids look like they have man hands. i don't want super-colorful, overwhelming arrangements.

and then i saw amanda's portfolio and knew what i DID want.

a soft and lush bouquet for moi.

someone who can appreciate getting a bit funky with things. {also, she planned this shoot with my wedding coordinator, jennifer hamilton! nashville wedding vendors is like a gang. and you need to check with all your other vendors to make sure they like whomever you're bringing on board. because - trust - they all know each other. in fact, our photographers - phindy studios - actually shot amanda's wedding.}

someone who isn't afraid to mix colors and textures.

and someone who is fun! which, based on our in-person meeting she definitely is.

plus, she was nashville wedding mafia approved :)

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: WEIRD WORRY.

photo by style me pretty

here is a rando thing i have on my mind all the time: what should we choose as our first dance song? we don't have "a song" {sidebar: does anyone who started dating their significant other have a song? i had a song with all my middle school and hs bfs, but i think it loses popularity when you're no longer attending dances together...} so i have no clue what to choose.

i thought i would delegate this one out to b and have him pick a song that speaks to him about our love, but with his insane work hours {when he is on call he works all hours of the day and night} and his penchant for procrastination, i can't stop worrying about it.

tricia and rich danced to uncle kracker's "smile", which is not one of my fav songs ever, but when they danced to it, i was like "YES, this describes their laid-back love PERFECTLY." plus, b and i don't exactly have similar musical tastes. whereas if i had to choose a song to describe us, it'd prob be a super dramatic garth brooks hit. the closest we've come to agreeing is on a popular foo fighters track, but it's well known the song is about dave grohl's first divorce. soooo, prob not a winner.

anyone else worry about something so minute that no one else will ever remember it? just me?

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: EVERYBODY LOVES A MAN IN A SUIT.

finding the guy's attire has been on my to-do list, but wasn't very urgent. i got a mailer with a coupon from men's warehouse and decided to check them out online.

i instantly fell in love with the vera wang line, but thought it may be a little too fancy schmantzy for our outdoor july wedding. turns out, my online spidey senses served me right again {i also picked out my wedding dress online!} and that suit/tux was the winner.

picking out the accessories. did you know that they provide the guys with EVERTHING? shoes AND socks?! who needs to be given socks? men, they have it easy. can i get an amen, ladies?

my future husband in his wedding day jacket!

we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at men's warehouse. in and out in an hour with everything wrapped up. cross it off the list!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: GETTING READY IN STYLE.

one of the things i really knew i wanted was a place that i can get ready with all the bridesmaids and moms. my wedding coordinator helped me find the hotel indigo penthouse and i love it.

we'll be having hair and makeup done and hopefully enjoying some mimosas. plus, this place will look great in photos that phindy mindy will be shooting.

yep, i think this will do. only 185 days to go!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: REGISTERING.

we registered! we actually did this a few months ago, and i forgot to post about it. we decided to go with two places: a big department store, for the family and friends who would like to give a tangible gift, and a honeymoon registry!

registering at the store was SO fun. they give you special attention, in every department people would say "congratulations!" and it's pretty much shopping without paying for anything.

since we will have lived together for two full years by the time we get married, there is really not a lot we need. i used to have a problem love affair with tj maxx, and b has enough kitchen goods to make a southern woman proud. so, we also created a honeymoon registry. based on recommendations, i went with buy our honeymoon.com. i've had the opportunity to put money toward a friend's honeymoon before, and i loved being a part of their amazing experience! we are hoping to go prettyyyy far for ours, so hopefully our friends and fam will like it, too.

no matter what, we just want our guests to be able to make it for our wedding. as we said on our wedding website and our registry site, a trip to nashville to see us get married is plenty of a present for us. 

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR HONEYMOON.

that's right, we are headed DOWN UNDER!

i could jump up and down from excitement, but since we don't plan to honeymoon until january 2014, i will wait a minute to get too wound about it. since it's summer when it's winter here, and since we have new jobs {aka no pto}, it worked out well to head to australia.

plus, it is the trip of a lifetime. we plan to spend a few days in the hustle and bustle of syndey, and then head out to the rainforest and great barrier reef!

we have a few activities we know we want to do {a harbour cruise, snorkeling} that we put on our honeymoon registry, but besides that we are open to suggestions. have you ever been? anything we must do? give me your suggestions, mate!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR SAVE THE DATES.

whoops, it is so not wednesday, but i promise it was worth the wait. it's our save the dates! and i am inlove with them.

this was everyone's favorite photo from our engagement shoot, and i love that it combines the true beauty of colorado with a nod to nashville {hello, cowboy boots!}.

and the back! beautiful letterpress, our wedding font and simple simple simple. i think it's rare to find the combo of a digitally printed photo with letterpress, and letterpress was something i really wanted. i was lucky to find a printer that not only does great work, but who also supported my vision.

i hope our guests enjoyed them as much as i do!

photographer: ross bothwell
letterpresser: kseniya thomas
stamp artist: erin hung

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: THE BRIDESMAIDS.

today i'm talking about the ladies that will stand by my side on the big day!

the maid of honor was not a hard choice - it had to be my little sister, emily. she is a saint for dealing with my it's-the-end-of-the-world calls and emails, which i'm sure will only increase the closer we get to the wedding!

b's sister betsy! her fashion sense, ability to get me laughing easily and support of our relationship made her a must-have for our wedding party. although i am letting the bridesmaids choose their own dresses and i think she prob wishes she hadn't agreed at this point! just kidding {i hope!}.

 

my high school bff, tricia! tricia will be the one on the wedding day who will talk me off the ledge when my hair looks disgusting. that sounds dramatic, but i prob won't like my hair and that will be enough to send me jumping over the aerial balcony. jk {not really}.

my college bff, shari! she is one of the rare people who not only doesn't mind talking on the phone, but actually cares about the nitty gritty details of my life. even though we've been a million miles apart since graduation {her in myrtle beach, me in nashville. then her in vegas, me in denver.} she has never stopped acting like we are still living right down the hall from each other.

those are the girls! i'd do a post on the groomsmen, but for one of them we don't have a single photo of him {...} and for another we only have a gem from halloween 2006. actually, it really is such a great photo, i have to share. here is b and groomsman kyle. sorry ladies, they're both taken :)

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: TO-DO LIST UPDATE.

the list is back! i've actually crossed off quite a bit, but now am in a weird place where i either need unlimited monies or unlimited storage to complete most of the rest.

edit: bridesmaid/friend/blog reader extraordinaire tricia pointed out that i have ceremony programs on here twice. it's basically two extra times since it also includes assembly, but i imagine there are at LEAST two things i am forgetting, so i'm going to leave the list at a moderately crazy 94.  

1. set a date
2. book a venue
3. book photographers
4. engagement photos
5. book videographer
6. book band
7. recruit bridesmaids and groomsmen
8. create wedding website
9. book florist
10. buy wedding dress - got a dress i had been drooling over for months... and now am having second thoughts about. #weddingcrazies
11. let bridesmaids choose dresses
12. get b fitted for a suit - dear j.crew make a dark grey, mmmkkay?
13. pick out groomsmen attire
14. find veil - i don't know if a veil will go with a bunch of the other things going on, but b is pro-veil, so...
15. book cake baker
16. buy cake knife and server - we have a set picked out that we agreed on, and, no surprise, it's $$$.
17. order save the dates
18. finalize guest list
19. buy cake topper
20. order stamps - wedding stamps are so ugly, but i feel like the seeing eye dog ones don't really fit?
21. send save the dates - this is happening soon!
22. order guest book
23. register
24. reserve hotel room blocks
25. hire a calligrapher - calligraphy is the worst!
26. mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom dress shopping - my mom has her dress already!
27. find wedding shoes - i have purchased not one, not two, but FIVE pairs of shoes that i have sent back.
28. choose wedding jewelry
29. find garter
30. something old
31. something new
32. something borrowed
33. something blue - i'm not doing the something old, something new... so sue me.
34. make day-of emergency kit
35. book makeup artist
36. book hair stylist - every time i have gotten my hair professionally done i have hated it. pray for me.
37. choose wedding favors - we aren't doing favors!
38. buy getting ready outfit for bride / bridesmaids
39. complete menu tasting - we never did it, i'm sure it'll be good.
40. complete cake tasting - dulce is the best.
41. do hair and makeup trial
42. get measured for dress
43. dress fitting - it doesn't come in until april!
44. order invitations
45. send invitations
46. buy bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts -  bridesmaids gifts are picked out!
47. purchase wedding bands - doing this in april!
48. get marriage license - we don't have to do this until the week of.
49. book transportation for wedding party
50. buy welcome bag stuff - i already designed and got the stamp in, which is pictured above!
51. stuff welcome bags
52. complete music request folder for band
53. create playlist for cocktail hour
54. book wedding night hotel room - phindy talked us into staying at the hermitage, i'm watching for sales/specials.
55. order thank you notes
56. gather tips and thank you notes for vendors
57. submit engagement announcements in paper - bam.
59. book ceremony musician
60. complete pre-marital counseling
61. create sign for front of venue
62. design programs
63. print and assemble programs
64. buy glow sticks for exit - which was a very good idea from my friend sandra!
65. book caterer
66. order rentals
67. create decoration for bride and groom chairs
68. frame parent wedding photos
69. make reserved table signs
70. create "no formal seating" sign
71. hire coordinator
72. buy flip flops for dance floor
73. assist mother-in-law with rehearsal dinner - she is really doing all the work, though!
74. buy rehearsal dinner dress
75. buy bridal shower dress
76. help find bridal shower location
77. buy bachelorette party dress
78. book honeymoon
79. buy hostess gifts for shower
80. create ceremony backdrop - our wedding coordinator is going to do this!

new items to the list:
81. buy wedding dress belt - ordered, from the incomparable amanda judge.
82. find makeup artist for day-of
83. book getting ready hotel room
84. figure out a first-dance song - this is up to b!
85. choose a parental dance song
86. book flights to nashville
87. buy parent thank-you gifts
88. find a cake stand - we're just going to rent one.
89. write vows
90. design ceremony program
91. print/assemble program
92. settle on ceremony order
93. stay sane
94. GET MARRIED!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: THE CAKE.

when it comes to choosing vendors - or really most things - i trust reviews from people i know the most. my friend mary katherine has been so helpful since she was just married a few years ago in nashville. plus, she's a nash native and knows everyone in town. so, when she said i had no other choice for my wedding cake but dulce desserts, i knew that's who i had to go with.

when i called for a consultation with the owner, juanita, i knew mk had led me right. she is over-the-top enthusiastic and got exactly what i envisioned. when we were in nash, one of our most-looked-forward-to meetings was our cake tasting at dulce. it did not disappoint.

i am confident that our cake will be beautiful, but more importantly, tasty! my mouth is already watering. only 235 days to go!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: OUR ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT.

our engagement announcement ran in my old hometown's newspaper! i'm sure no one was prouder than my grandma to see us in there. my fam was all together when my aunt was just reading through the daily record and saw it.

and a better look at the photo since our faces were right on the crease. this is one of my favs from our engagement session.

other exciting news: i said yes to the dress last week! obviously, no photos of that until the wedding, but i will say it was the opposite of what i thought i'd end up with. only eight more months to go!

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: NASH VISIT.

hello, hello! we are fresh off the plane from nashville after the busiest weekend of my life. it consisted of most of my favorite people, good food and trying to squeeze in time with all of our wedding vendors.

plus, we got to stay with courtney and melanie! and, of course, get some mosby time in.

i got to see my parents for the first time in forever*. we went to bob evans. #northernersforlife

my wbff, sandra! we had pizza at jet's, which i had been craving since the day i moved. it did not disappoint. i also got to meet her daughter, kylie! she is just as adorable irl as she is in photos.

so, beyond all the eating, we did meet with a ton of vendors. we kicked it off with a tour of aerial with everyone to check out the place we'll be getting married. i finally got to meet our wedding coordinator, our florist and our caterer. it was a whirlwind, but i am happy to say i loved all of them. we nailed down a ton of details and the trip was so worth it.

em snapped this shot of the very spot we will be getting married in eight short months! {the amazing where's waldo of this photo - it's not a wedding unless elvis is there.}

*not pictured: my sister/maid of honor, my future-in-laws who i was with almost the entire time and don't know how i didn't get a photo, jet's pizza {let's be real, highlight of the trip}, and VICKIE whom i did take a photo of and planned to blog about, but it was too blurry. sorry, v. dedicated blog post coming some day, promise.