Dreaming..

So about right now when it is yucky, raining and 43
degrees on top of which I have an excessive amount of stress and homework that I am currently ignoring... I would really much rather be on the beach right about now. So this is in honor and hope of being on the beach sooner rather than later :/


   

Pretty Things

                                      Sparklers :)

  
                                                                                                 I'm pretty sure Michael is going to LOVE this idea


That's all for now! I love researching and planning!

I found another one...

:) I couldn't resist when I saw this.

Things I Love for: Bridesmaids Dresses

I am not opposed to all of my girls matching, but I think it would be fun if they maybe all wore different dresses just in the same color. Here are a few styles that I like.

          

  

All for under $150 at David's Bridal! :)

THE Ring!

So, for those of you that have not seen my ring in person yet... be jealous! It is GORGEOUS! Not to brag or anything but Michael did a GOOD job!
When we first started looking and talking about getting engaged, we went to Shane Co. I did not like their website but Michael really wanted to go so we went and looked. We had decided for a while that I would pick out 4-5 rings that I loved and then he would ultimately decide from those options. This route worked for us because I got to have some control but he got to make the decision and still surprise me. So Michael had been sneaking around with my best friends planning and picking up the ring for a few weeks before he actually proposed, which surprises me that he was able to hold onto it for that long without him or anyone else letting the secret slip.
Here are some pictures of my rock!
  

blah day :(

So today has been kinda meh... I have come off my engagement 'high' and came crashing down to reality... which sucks. Michael has been sick for almost 2 weeks and I finally talked him into going to the doctor where he found out he has bronchitis (not fun and hopefully not contagious). Also I have not been feeling well myself and as of this moment want to curl up into a ball and have a glass of wine in hopes that my stomach will feel better. On top of all the craziness of being engaged, starting school again and all this sickness today is Michael and I's 2 year anniversary and he has night class! Talk about a bummer of a day. Oh well there is always tomorrow.

Things I Love for: Centerpieces

           

Invitations

So... to be honest I have never really been a fan of wedding invitations. I think they are a waste of money and overpriced. Plus with stamps being nearly $.50 a piece a budget conscience bride can not afford to spend money on paper and ink! I have always wanted to either make the invites myself and just get them printed at FedEx or buy those sets at Michael's and print them myself.

Yesterday my mom and I went to Michael's and found a really good deal on invitation kits. For 30 invites, RSVP cards, envelopes and thank you cards it was only $19.99! Oh yeah! I love a good wedding clearance :)

Unfortunately, they did not have enough of one color so I bought 9 boxes (pretty much every box they had in the store and the St. Louis area) because I wasn't sure which design or color Michael and I would end up deciding on. Plus I have 60 days to return the ones I don't want to use :). Check out the 2 that I bought below and let me know which one you like best!

Option #1:


Option #2:  http://www.qbaroo.com/annagriffin/largeImage.cfm?product=1702

Decisions...Decisions...

So, In my excitement of being newly engaged , I pretty much emailed every photographer in the St. Louis area! Anyways, so today when I got onto my email I literally had about 10 photographers that emailed me back about if they are available for the dates that we are considering and their prices. Super exciting! Super overwhelming :( So I decided to use this blog for what I had intended on using it for... putting the ideas and facts down into one place. Sooo... Here are my favorite options for photographers for our big day.

#1: Lisa Hessel- Possibly the single person I want the most to capture our big day. Michael (the fiancée) and I know she and her husband Jon through the university we attend and I am in LOVE with her work. However, she happens to not be available on May 11 and possibly may have a wedding booked for May 18. So she will probably not end up shooting our wedding

#2: Jon Koch- Really pretty pictures and highly recommended per local magazines. However, the package that I would want would be $3,800. Which is too far out of our price range.

#3: Ryan Gladstone- Simple, clean lines and colors. Closer to our price range. The package that I would want would be $2,750

#4: Laura Ann Miller- Bright, fresh colors with a modern twist. My fiancée loves her and so do I. Her prices meet out budget with the package that I would want being $2,000.

#5: Jenny Gravatt- A friend of mine who works in the PR department at the university. I have asked her to consider taking our photos for the wedding. But understand the large stress and responsibility that would put on her.

...We shall see :)

My First Blog

Hey everyone!

This is my first blog entry and am sooo excited to capture and put down in words not only my life but MY WEDDING! I am recently engaged to an amazing man and could not be happier to be planning a wedding and the rest of our life with him! I have to be honest I am pretty much the ultimate 'girly girl' so me planning a wedding is going to be an adventure! However, I am also planning on doing a lot of DIY projects and save money in a big way... for my big day (wow I'm a dork lol)!