Checks: MOB's dress and my ceremony shoes

Posted Friday, July 25, 2008 1:23 AM

Yesterday I got my ceremony shoes (Alicia, by Caparros) at the DSW in Altamonte, across the street from Alfred Angelo. Big relief for me! Not only do I have them now, I got to see what they looked like with the sample of R1707.

Anyway, here's a pic:

                         

I'm going to look for flip flops for the reception..but those aren't nearly as important right now. I can look for them anytime.

On another good note, my mom found her dress yesterday too! She won't order it for a while, but I'm so happy she found something she likes! She's ecstatic about it. It's Alfred Angelo also...the top is style 6578, skirt is MSKT-FZ.

The pic is in red since that's the only sample they had, but she'll get hers in navy:



Here is a closeup of the brooch on the side:



I tried to make the pics viewable without them being huge...sorry if they look weird.

Can't sleep...dreaming about The Dress!

Posted Friday, July 18, 2008 3:18 AM

It's 3am here, and I can't sleep! I can't stop thinking about The Dress....since I finally found it! I went to AA with Erin and Will on Monday, and posted some pics of The Dress on Facebook, it seems like all I want to do is daydream about it Good thing I'm finished with my weekly class assignment and I don't have much else to do this weekend!

I even made a 2nd appointment for next Thursday, to take Mom to Altamonte. That way she can see The Dress in person--I can try it on again!--and decide on a color for her dress too I should be able to order mine in about 10 days!!!!

I'm even getting superstitious about it. I've emailed photos to my mom and Mama Anne, and posted an album on Facebook, but that's it. I won't post anything on myspace or anywhere else--not even in here--for fear I might make it, y'know, disappear or something Most of my friends have commented that it really is perfect for me..so that makes me even happier! But...nothing will be put up here until I've paid for my dress...that way it's all mine, free and clear, and I don't have to worry.

I guess I should describe it, though, since there are no pics yet. It's taffeta with a lace overlay and a corset back, but it's surprisingly comfy! It doesn't have a "typical" neckline(no sweetheart or v-neck for this girl!). Instead the lace runs straight across my chest, and just below the bustline there's a small silver brooch that anchors two white satiny ribbons around the bodice.

The lace continues until about knee length, when it's sheared off at an angle, and the taffeta skirt peeks out underneath it. At the very bottom of the hem, there's beading and a little more lace. The more I think about it, the train is probably court style. When I was getting into The Dress, proper vocab was the last thing on my mind! It's just the right length for me, and it's also plain white, until you look around to the very back where there's more embellishment(beading and lace gathered right in the middle).

It's very light(which is going to be important for September in Florida!), and the skirt is soooo easy for me to lift! It's not going to be a problem to walk in at all, once I find the right shoes. I tried on closed-toed shoes with kitten heels at the store (since I forgot to bring my sandals), and they were just about perfect. I think flip flops won't be a problem either, which is great...since I probably won't want to wear my ceremony shoes all night! Also...with the bustle my consultant suggested, I'll be able to dance easily, but I won't "lose" any of the gorgeous design on the back of the dress.

I'm just so glad I finally got to go dress shopping!  Seems like I've been waiting to do that since we got engaged. Erin told me immediately that I looked like a princess when I tried on The Dress...and if I could make that compliment into a feeling, I'd say that pretty much sums up how I've felt since Monday. It sealed the deal when Will actually said something to me in the store...with the others I tried, he kept telling me he'd pass judgment "later". He actually said he liked The Dress when I had it on! 

Only 6 more days...and I really can't wait 'til it's mine for good!


P.S. I promise..pics will be posted the day I order it! I know I'll get some tsk-tsk comments from Knotties who won't think Will should have seen it, but I don't care. To each her own!

First dress shopping trip & other good vibes

Posted Sunday, July 13, 2008 7:25 PM

Well, my mom finally met Will's family yesterday--Jessica, her boyfriend Jason, and Will's parents. The great news is, they really like each other! Will's parents were staying in Altamonte, since they just got back from a cruise out of Miami, so my mom  drove up to meet us for dinner...

...and the first thing she did was hug Mama Anne and Mr. B :-) Off to a good start, and it got better at dinner. Everybody talked and laughed and took tons of pics, and everyone loved the food too (Okay, so it wasn't pizza, because Will and I took them to our favorite Japanese place....but the point is, everyone had a great time.

My mom drove back to Brooksville last night, but Will and I met his fam for breakfast before they left Florida this morning. Turns out their hotel was right next door to the Alfred Angelo company store! They weren't open yet, by the time Will and I got to breakfast or by the time we left(it was pretty early!). So I called this afternoon, and made an appointment for tomorrow. It looks like Will and Erin(one of my bridesmaids) are both tagging along. That way I'll get plenty of pics, and some really honest opinions  

I'm really excited---I get to see what look good on me from their collection, and it's only the beginning! There will definitely be more trips in the future, to AA and other places .

**Update 7/16/08: Since I last posted, I've been to AA with Will and Erin(a bridesmaid) and not only found The Dress, but a possible bridesmaid style too! I posted some pics of The Dress on the CFL board---look for a post by bluepoet if you want to see them. It's style R1707, and I'll be ordering it in about 2 week. Pics of The Bridesmaid Dress are there too, under that specific heading.

In case something drastic goes wrong, though(as much I don't want to think that!)...style 754 (below) is The Standby .



 It's my second favorite if plans for R1707 go awry.

I guess I'm superstitious--I don't want to post any more pics of The Dress, or even look at another designer's styles, until R1707 is mine! I'm so excited I found my dress on the first trip! (I know some Knotties here may disagree with my shopping tactics, but I don't care. I had that "it's the dress!" feeling when I put it on, even though it was the last one I tried on Monday.)

P.S. I guess I'm just being silly, but there are no pics of "my" dress online right now, except for the ones I posted on Photobucket. I feel like calling it R1707 makes it a science experiment, though! I gotta find something different to call it.

Good news on the bridesmaid front...

Posted Saturday, July 12, 2008 3:30 AM

..Desiree got my email, and isn't backing out as a bridesmaid! She also said her mom called Henry(her fiance) and offered to pay for a wedding for them.

So I'm happy on two fronts: if she agrees to her mom's offer, she'll get the beautiful day she deserves...and I have one of my best friends right there with me on my day.

Turns out she'll be visiting Florida soon...so we'll get to see each other. I'm excited! Haven't seen Des since she and Henry had dinner with me and Will in Orlando a while ago. Yay!

I'm *not* a March bridesmaid anymore...but I certainly won't replace her!

Posted Wednesday, July 09, 2008 2:10 AM

Got a Facebook post from Desiree letting me know she'll have to scale down her own wedding next March....so, no WP or 'traditional' trappings. Possibly just a celebratory dinner, since she is starting a new job soon and, well, it's a money thing.

Then she went on to say she won't be able to participate much in the bridesmaid events I will have for my wedding...adding that she'd understand if I want to replace her and apologizing all over the place!  Reading that just broke my heart , and of course my response was, no way would I ever do that! My understanding of the bridesmaid role is that you pick 'em because they're your friends and you love them..and that's exactly what I'm gonna do--just love her for who she is, and keep her as my bridesmaid. I totally understand money issues, and I'm trying my best to keep costs low for my girls. 

I'm being lenient on hair, makeup, jewelry and shoes--they can do all that however they'd like to--because it's going to cost them enough to come down to Florida to be there at the wedding....and I told her this. All she's gotta do is afford one dress, and some time to share with me and Will.

Haven't heard back from her--and that's understandable since she's about to start that new job...but I hope she feels better about all this. So far she hasn't backed out of the wedding, and I hope she won't feel she has to. *crosses fingers* I love all my girls like they're my sisters..and so far it's been looking like they'll all be able to show up. Here's hoping it's true!

426 days to go....

Posted Saturday, July 05, 2008 10:42 PM

First blog of July! Hope everyone had a happy 4th I happened to check the countdown when I logged in tonight, and we're gettin' closer to the year mark! *does happy dance*

Seems that we've gotten a lot done lately, even though it was only one thing: finding our officiant. We've decided to work with Rev. Georgiana Johnson; she's on the spiritual side rather than full-blown religious, creative and flexible to boot. Our first meeting went well, and we put down a deposit, so she's all ours for our wedding day

She started out by letting us ask any questions we had, and then she asked about our relationship, our families and our preferences, to get a sense of what exactly we wanted in the ceremony. Then she offered to get us info on a bagpiper, when she heard we want one for the ceremony. She even asked if I wanted to hear the traditional "Who gives this woman?" after my dad walks me down the aisle!

Our session was an hour and 45 minutes, even though Georgiana had a rehearsal to get to, but she didn't rush us at all. She explained the necessary paperwork, and offered to email it, so we could fill it out at our leisure and mail it back. I got that email yesterday, including the contact info for the bagpiper she recommended, plus some suggestions for the 'ring' part of the ceremony, and some readings(we want to include my mom and Mama Anne by having them do a reading apiece).

Overall, we're very happy with Georgiana already...and I know time's going to fly by! It's weight off my mind knowing we have one of the most important details taken care of so far in advance. Woohoo!

**I felt like adding this even though it's not a huuuuge detail: I "replaced" my STLWed bio with one on Googlepages. Feel free to check it out if you're curious to see our planning ideas thus far!

http://kittybear9509.googlepages.com

Our monogram(s) are done!!!!! Take a look...

Posted Monday, June 23, 2008 12:44 PM

Claire sent me our monogram today :) There will be color changes: initials and block "M" in our wedding colors, and she's still working on them, but in the meantime, here's the date change, in black and white:

         
I kinda, sorta love how our first initials blend into each other..and I'm crazy about the writing she used for the "M", our first names and the date! Totally modern and therefore, awesome She also created versions without writing, so we can use it for whatever we want. (I'm thinking that would work best with invites, since we like envelope styles with "windows").

**We finally decided which wedding color version to use! Look for my 'monogram results' post on the Central Florida board to see the version we chose.....