Our Officiant

Finding the right person to marry us is an important decision--after all they will have a huge part in setting the tone of the ceremony. We wanted our officiant to play a personal role in our lives and to have the same belief system that we hold. Our choice was easy. This weekend Justin and I had the opportunity to ask one of our favorite people,

Pastor Robert Dekker

aka

Uncle Robert

to officiate our wedding. Since he lives in Florida we were grateful for the opportunity to be able to ask him in person. Of course he said YES! He has played an important role in Justin's life-he was his pastor while Justin lived in Florida for college and has made a large impact on his relationship with God and has helped to shape his world views.

I can see God's fingerprints so clearly in the plans that He has layed out for our lives...If Justin had never moved to Florida, he may have never been introduced to a PCA church which means he would not be attending a PCA church now and we may have never started dating. Obviously, God's plan is much better than anything we could picture. It's hard to see at times why God has us make certain decisions, but looking back, this stands out so clearly as an example of His providencial love. If you would have asked us 5 years ago about marrying each other, we both would have looked at you like you had 3 heads. Neither Justin or I thought that we would be exchanging vows on January 3, 2009, but God's plan is much more beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined.

Add new task? I think not.

According to my checklist on theknot.com I have 22 items overdue. That's the understatement of the year.

Overdue library books sit in my car, as we speak.

I'm pretty sure I threw that checklist out the window about 2 weeks into the wedding planning process. I am now much more aware of my lack of enthusiasm towards schedules and timelines.

The wedding industry has tried over and over to infiltrate my life with the consumerism that this nation has bought into, literally. Only by God's grace have I not been overtaken by the bridezilla monster that is hidden inside every female mind.

Hassle

I officially dealt with my first wedding hassle

I have to admit, there haven't been many snags in the road to happily ever after--- so having my first one hasn't put me over the edge completely. One of the dresses arrived from Ann Taylor with a pen mark on it, so of course it had to be sent back and exchanged! I can't have my maid of honor dressed in anything but perfection! The dress is on it's way back to them and the new one should arrive any day now.

Also I have been waiting for one of the other dresses to arrive...it still hasn't arrived, I called 1-800-Shop Ann, or something like that, and they told me it was entered incorrectly, so they took care of it for me today. For making what could have been a fatal blunder, they sure know how to take care of their mistakes. I was pleasantly suprised with the customer service skills and how quickly they are taking care of things. They assured me I would have the dress in the comfort of my own home, in a matter of days.

Aside from the dress issues, everything is running beautifully. We are still looking for a reception venue that suits our needs, but I know the perfect setting is just waiting to be discovered!

First Dance

Music has always played an intricate role in both of our lives. There is something about music and how it can make you feel--triggering vivid pictures of memories that will not be forgotten. Our mutual love for music has intwined itself into our relationship deeply. Looking for the perfect song to dance to as man and wife has been fun. Every once in a while I will stumble on a song I've never heard and fall in love with it. Regardless of if we choose it as our first dance song, it has been exciting discovering artists and some beautiful lyrics.

Here are a few that have struck a chord with me. =) Click on the link to listen to the song.

We are man and wife

We are One

Ready for love

You and me

To make her love me

Everything

The Luckiest

We haven't chosen a song yet, but there are some beautiful ones out there! If anyone stumbles across a song or has an opinon, let me know! So many choices. =)

Favors

A couple of weeks into our engagement, Justin and I found this cute idea for our wedding favors. We thought it would be appropriate, since our wedding is in January. A perfect time to curl up on the couch; watching a movie and drinking some hot chocolate...

Then a couple of days ago, Rach found the cutest idea online and now i'm reconsidering my idea. We used to make these as kids and it would definitely add a personal touch to our wedding day.

It's a good way for our guests to get to know us because it would be filled with fun facts about Justin and my relationship, such as, our favorite restaraunt, where we met, etc. We definitely want to incorporate personal touches to make this wedding an experience for our guests.

New Additions

Last night Rach, Christie and I went to a Pampered Chef Party, hosted by the lovely Sarah R. It's alot of fun now that I actually have a reason to buy all of this stuff!! Of course we had a good time and I came away with a few new additions to welcome into our future kitchen family.

Presenting

The Corn Butterer

and

The Juicer

These are a few of the things that we didn't have on our registry...That's how I justified it, if you're wondering. =D

It's the little things in life...

Last night I finalized the sale of the bridesmaid's dresses!!!

I ordered them all at once (except sarah-- having hers shipped right to her is much easier!!). The woman at Ann Taylor could NOT have been more helpful! I highly recommend them. In fact the first of the 7 has shipped today! Katie yours is on its way to us!! Can't wait to see it!! It's fun having packages shipped; it's like getting a little gift every day. =)


And now something else to brighten your day. =D Just click on the picture to enlarge it!

Honeymoon

Need I say more?  

Our honeymoon will be a very precious time.  Not only will it be our first vacation we take together as a married couple, but it is something that cannot be repeated.  It will be engrained in our minds forever, encased in memories that will be shared between only Justin and I.  Justin has taken the reins on all of the details and he has truly captured the dream getaway that we are both looking for.  The only thing I know is that we are going to St. Lucia but that's it!! He is taking care of everything! I can't wait to see what he has planned for us. =)  We both are looking forward to creating these irreplaceable memories!!

Bridesmaid Dress Selection

I've chosen the bridesmaid dresses!

I have looked high and I have looked low, I've looked online...and in stores far and near. The first dresses I looked at were online at anntaylor.com. It was love at first internet sighting. Of course I wanted to see the dresses in person before making the big decision! My mom and I rode down to Ann Taylor in the Columbia Mall on Wednesday night and I must say...I wasn't disapointed at all! The dresses are gorgeous, the fabric is gorgeous, the color is gorgeous...everything about it...is gorgeous.

I have given each bridesmaid the option of choosing between 3 dresses.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

I love the color and the styles of these dresses and I think they will be perfect for an afternoon wedding!

Romantic Bride

I've spent a lifetime dreaming of my prince, the castle, the fairy-tale ending.

My closet of frilly confections celebrates my femine side.

And why should my wedding dress be any different?

I can't wait to show it off on January 3rd!

Prince Charming: Check

Ring: Check

Ceremony Site: Check

Wedding Dress: Check

Almost done my list of things to do!

Untraditional Seating Cards

These are seating cards with a twist! There are so many cute ideas out there! This is one of the more clever ideas I have seen. The only problem I forsee is guests piling in at once to the table looking for their names...but it is in alphabetical order! I guess we could assign an attendant to make things run more smoothly. Maybe we could do two rolodex's, one with the begininng of the alphabet and one with the second half. Any ideas?

Martha Stewart suggest this idea as a wedding guest book/address book..but we are thinking of doing a Photo guestbook for our wedding. Not sure yet, but there sure are alot of fun ideas!

A weekend full of fun

Friday I was supposed to meet with the Overhills Mansion but the coordinator was out sick, so we had to reschedule it for this coming Friday afternoon, April 11th. I'll let you know how that goes!

Since that meeting was post-poned, my mom and I decided to stop by Juliets Bridal Boutique to check out the wedding dresses. This was my first time trying on dresses and this boutique was the perfect place to start! All of my sisters found their dresses there...and I may have found mine! I tried on about 5 and the last one I tried on felt like the one. I can't give too many details, don't want the hubby to be to have any idea what it looks like!

Saturday, the bridesmaids, my mom and I trekked up to David's Bridal in Willmington, Delaware to scope out the prospects on bridesmaid dresses. Each girl tried on about 3 dresses and it gave me an idea of how the styles looked on each. I also tried on some wedding dresses and fell in love with one of them there! We had a great time and I'm so glad I got to have all but one (we missed you sarah!) of my bridemaids together for the first time!

Justin and I also sat down and worked on the guest list together---we are shooting for 200 ppl and we are already finding it challenging to keep it at that amount!!

All in all, it was a great weekend and we got alot done. Things are definitely falling into place and I am feeling more and more like a bride. Life is good!

Island Bride

I must admit, I'm a beach girl. Born and bred--I've spent probably every summer of my life sunscreened and tanned. I don't know if it's the sun and sand or the smell of the breeze off of the water--but whatever it is, it feels like home. So naturally, I will spend my honeymoon at the beach! (Right Justin??) Right now I wish I was at the beach...instead...I'm in Passport Hell. I've never been a detail oriented person...at least when it comes to paperwork. I'm trying to stay on top of this because I heard that the demand for passorts has increased tremendously, pushing back the estimated time of arrival to 6 months. Obviously, our wedding is in 9 months...woah...9 months!! AAAAH! I think I just had a panic attack. Well anyways, I took a look at the paperwork for this...I knew it would be tedious, but really...going on a scavenger hunt for my birth certificate is not what I had in mind when the pictures of tropical islands were floating through my brain. I have to get my butt in gear! If anyone has any advice, please feel free to help!

Our Ceremony Location

The location has been chosen!!!!!

We will be saying our vows of love and devotion, binding us together... FOREVER...at...

The Haebler Memorial Chapel

This is our first decision that we have made towards our wedding day plans and I must say, it is a HUGE relief!! Knowing where we are having the ceremony will now make it much easier to nail down the reception venue. That's the next step in the process!

What is your Bridal Style?

"Your Dream Wedding Quiz"

I was perusing some wedding website and stumbled on this post and I decided to take the quiz. I was scored as "Elegant Earth":

Since you most likely favor cashmere sweaters, little black dresses and diamond stud earrings, it's not surprising that your dream wedding is a classy, timeless affair. Hollywood brides who get married in teeny bikinis leave you cold; elegant style icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy inspire you. Although you have a penchant for rich flavors, luxurious fabrics and designer labels, you splurge only on things of lasting value and high quality. Your guests appreciate your meticulous attention to detail -- little touches such as artfully arranged welcome baskets, organized pre- and post-wedding activities and thoughtful wedding favors ensure a seamless, well-executed celebration that everyone will remember for years to come. A bonus: When you and your husband look at your wedding photos twenty years down the line, you'll be glad you didn't succumb to trendy hairstyles and fashions!

Sounds like I have alot of work cut out for me. =)