Dress & Shoes

When Erik and I were back in Minnesota in July, I was able to drop by the Wedding Shoppe and pick up the wedding dress.  It fit, and looked great in white (the sample dress was gold/champagne), so I was pretty darn happy.  Also while there I got a better idea of what I want in my hair, but am also determined to either make one myself or find a reasonable flower on Etsy.  Bridal boutiques charge way too much for my tastes, not to mention for my budget.

Sorry if you were hoping for a sneak peak!  Erik wants to be surprised, so I can't post actual pictures here.

Also while home, some wedding shoes that I ordered arrived.  Yay!  I could try them on with my dress.  However, I should have known that there is no way that I can walk in 3-4 inch heels.  Not a chance.  So I sent them back (yay for Zappos' 365-day return policy with free shipping!).

Murphy (recent addition to the Julie/Erik household) is also excited to be getting shoes. :)

It wasn't until recently that I got back into online shoe shopping, because I was fairly disappointed in the variety of shoes available in the 1-2 inch-heel category.  It seemed that no matter how hard I searched the shoes I could walk in were too chunky or awkward, and the shoes I have absolutely no chance of walking in were oh-so-pretty!  That was until I found these babies...

Cute, but just not the right purple for me.

Unfortunately, the really nice purple color shown online doesn't quite match reality.  They were a nice purple, but they were too dark for what I had in mind.  Then I noticed that the same pair of shoes was available in white (and on sale!).  I'm pretty happy with these shoes, and can't wait to jazz them up a wee bit with some DIY purple flower shoe clips!

Probably my wedding shoes, but with a 365-day return policy I could always change my mind.

Some Progress

First bit of progress: Erik and I have confirmed our minister/officiant!  Some time ago, Erik and I came to the conclusion that we wanted someone we both know to do our wedding ceremony.  We wanted to avoid the whole "wives obey your husband" stuff and such that might come with a random pastor.  We also didn't want a judge, a complete stranger, to be the one who officiates our wedding.  After brainstorming people that we thought we might like to do our ceremony, Erik and I had come up with the same person.

We both thought of our mineralogy professor, Jamey, from undergrad.  Erik and I started dating the semester we took Mineralogy (study sessions for the weekly mineral identification quizzes were some of our first dates).  But then we thought, would he want to do our wedding ceremony?  How should we ask him?  Would he think it's too cheesy?

Over Memorial Day weekend Erik and I had the chance to meet up with Jamey and his girlfriend in Zion National Park.  We hiked, we camped, ate good food, and had fun times catching up on news.  The topic of the wedding also came up.  Turns out that Jamey had thought it would be cool to be our officiant, but he thought that I wouldn't be on board with the idea.  Once we cleared that up, he said that he would be our minister!  Now we just have to work on getting the official paperwork to make it all legal, and it looks like we'll be having a wedding!

Jamey, Erik, and I hiking down "Walter's Wiggles" on the Angel's Landing hike at Zion National Park.  Photo taken by Kim (Jamey's girlfriend).

Second bit of progress:  My wedding dress arrived!  Or rather, I should say, my wedding dress arrived??  I called the store this week to see if the dress would be in by July (when I'll actually be in MN to try it on and pick it up).  The lady on the phone said that the dress actually had already arrived, and that they had sent me a postcard to notify me.  A postcard?!  I would think that spending money on a wedding dress (sure, I'm not spending the amounts that people do on TV weddings--thank goodness!) would at least merit a phone call or an email, or any combination of those in addition to a measly little postcard that got lost in the mail.

Despite my frustration that they only sent a postcard, I'd like to note that everything is fine.  They are willing to let me pick up my dress in July when I'm in town.  I was just worried that the 60 day period (as noted on my contract) would run out.  And because I haven't paid the full balance yet, that they would send the dress back to inventory before I had a chance to get there.  But, like I said, everything is fine.  The lady on the phone was very polite and made a note when I would be in town and available to pick it up.  Yay!  I'm very much looking forward to seeing the dress in white (the one I tried on was a gold/champagne color).

Love is Love

"Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival..." 

-- U.S. Supreme Court, 1967, Loving vs. Virginia 

The fight currently being fought at the Minnesota State Capitol is one that I cannot wholly relate to.  I am a white, straight, American woman.  My right to marry the man I love has never been questioned or brought to a vote.  However, it deeply saddens me that same-sex couples are not able to have their love and commitment be legally recognized by our government.  I really wish that I could be there, in Minnesota at the Capitol, right now to show my support for the Minnesota couples and families fighting for the right to have their marriages recognized.  

Families are families, and love is love.

Photo: http://blisstree.com/feel/wedding-photo-idea-ring-heart-shadow/

It's official: We're saying "I Do" at the Zoo!!

I got the confirmation that our caterer received our contract/deposit yesterday.  They're associated with our venue, so I assume the venue got their deposit as well.

We're getting married at the Minnesota Zoo on August 25, 2012!

Our ceremony will be on the Lakeside Terrace.  You can sort of see the little arch in the background where we would be standing (without the snow, of course!).

Then, for the reception, we will go inside to Discovery Bay.  Excitement!!!!!  The dance floor would go in the foreground, and the tables would be in the open area behind the open pool (or interactive estuary, as it is actually known at the zoo).  The head table goes right up by the dolphin tank!!!! Eeeeeeeee! :)

So cool!!!!

This was during our tour back in December.  The Zoo was our first choice from online searching.  As shown by our smiles, we could tell that we didn't need to look anywhere else!

Photos by LLB

Honeymoon Shoes :)

It has been a while since we've done anything concrete for our wedding (which is just fine, because we have until August of 2012).  I bought my dress back in December, and then we've been working on our venue/catering contracts.  We just need to ask a few more questions, sign, and send in deposits.  Other than those things, however, it's mostly just been thinking about ideas.  Not actually doing anything... until today.

Today I ordered my reception (if the fancy shoes from the ceremony aren't comfortable enough, even though they don't exist yet) and honeymoon shoes!  I had my heart set on some new Keen sandals.  I love the ones I have, but I'm not thrilled about the color (navy blue).  Our wedding colors are purple and green, so when I saw these purple Keens I knew that I had to have them!

Spending nearly $100 on a pair of shoes (even though I know I love Keens) is something difficult for me.  Then I realized that I had my REI member dividend and a 20%-off coupon.  Score! These shoes will now be so much easier to buy (read: $35 YAY!!!!)!

Wrong... REI doesn't have that shoe in purple... :(

Thankfully, they have them in green! It took me a while to give into the green shoes, but I love green and I'm a frugal person.  So, I couldn't pass up that deal!  Now my fancy shoes for the ceremony will definitely have to be purple.

My reception (?)/Honeymoon shoes :)

http://www.rei.com/product/732896

Save-the-Date Teaser

"Touch of Nature" from dafont.com

Okay, alright.  We haven't actually booked a venue for the wedding yet, so things could technically change.  But after I found this font online I just couldn't resist downloading it and messing around with some Save-the-Date designs! It's pretty much perfect.

Edit: It's official now.  See this post.

Awesome Necklaces

I stumbled upon this Etsy store today, Pearlstory, and wow! They've got awesome pearl necklaces.  Here are my two favorite.  However, neither go with my dress.  The dress would need to be more plain for either of these to work.  But, they're just so pretty that I had to post them!!

The Dress Search

One of my goals for winter break in Minnesota is to find my wedding dress. I've been to three stores so far, and have found a lot of dresses that I really like. My problem is that they are all very different dresses and I am a very indecisive person! (And, Erik, don't worry. The dress in the photo isn't one of the dresses I'm considering. But, it was the FIRST wedding dress I ever tried on at Dena Marie Bridal in Roseville, MN)

After looking at three stores, we've cut off the search. Going to more stores will only confuse me more. Now I just need to decide between two really great dresses. On all those wedding shows you see the brides putting on dresses and then they start crying because they "just know" that the dress is "the one." I am not one of those brides. I'm not saying anything against them, I'm just stating that I don't have the convenience of "just knowing." To me, I'm weighing the pros and cons of both dresses (I have not made an actual list, though I've considered it). Kyla (one of my bridesmaids) and I have decided it is because we are scientists. We have the blessing/curse of being too rational and can't be moved to tears by a dress.

Tonight I've got another appointment to visit one of the Top Two dresses. I'm partially hoping to be "moved" so that I can make an easy decision. I also think it's too bad that the Top Two are at different stores. This eliminates being able to try them on back-to-back and really make a comparison. Tough choices!

Edit: The dress shopping appointment was canceled for tonight. We got another dumping of snow, and with all the traffic it would have taken FOREVER to get to the shop. Going on Thursday instead. Now I've got more time to think on this...

Winter Wonderland Wedding

People often worry that weather could play a negative role in a wedding. What if it rains on the outdoor ceremony? What if it's really cold? What if your state gets the 5th largest snowfall on record on your wedding date?

Wait, what? Yep, that's what happened to one of my good friends on 12/11/10 in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. (This is the same snowfall that made the Metrodome roof collapse; see the video and a picture of the blizzard from space here.) The invitations warned that "the weather outside might be frightful," but who could have guessed they would be getting a giant dumping of 17.1 inches of snow!?

Here is a summary of the crazy events that took place:

• Everyone got stuck (probably) at least once on the roads.
  
• The plows weren't clearing the side streets yet so my dad and the neighbors tried clearing the road with snow-blowers (we still got stuck and had to be rescued by another neighbor in a front loader snow plow).
• The wedding photographer canceled! Nightmare!! (Thankfully my dad and my friend's boyfriend Rustin stepped in as the photographers and videographer)
• The wedding started 45 minutes late because the bride's vehicle got stuck. So much snow!
• Everyone got to have seconds at the reception because so many couldn't make it due to the weather and road conditions. The food was delicious!
• Having the reception at a hotel was a genius idea (even though the bride and groom probably didn't expect a blizzard when they booked their venue). No one had to try driving home on the bad roads, they could just get a room.

In the end, everything worked out just fine. The bride and groom got hitched. The ceremony was lovely, and the reception was a blast!

Congrats to Michelle & Zach!

Bride & Groom Photo: Rustin R.
Snow Photos: Me

Fun Survey

-How long did you date before you got engaged? 4 years, he proposed on our anniversary.

-Did you get the ring you wanted? Yes! I didn't pick one out, but we had talked about what we liked and didn't like in a ring. Erik got it spot on!

-Was the proposal a complete surprise? Yes and no. I knew it would be happening soon, but I had no idea that it would happen at 1ish in the morning!

-Do you wish you had a bigger/smaller diamond? If so, how big or small? The sizes of the stones (none of which are diamonds, by the way) are perfect. Not too big, not too small.

-Did you cry when he proposed? No, but I had a giggly grin on my face the whole time.

-Was the proposal romantic or creative? It was romantic and creative, because it was cute (a penguin stuffed animal was involved).

-Are you buying his wedding band for him? We're buying our wedding bands together, I would assume. So yes?

-Have you gone over your original wedding budget? Not the specifics, but we have a ballpark budget. And we would love to stay under budget, because a honeymoon would be nice.

-What day of the year will your wedding be? Possibly on August the 25th, but we haven't booked a venue yet. It could change.

-What kind of weather? Hopefully warm and sunny, but not too much. A little rain is okay, but hopefully no crazy MN thunderstorms!

-Inside or outside? Outside ceremony, inside reception.

-Church/justice of the peace/other? We are undecided on who specifically will be officiating, but it will probably be a friend/family member/secular celebrant.

-How many people will be there? We're not sure yet. Our tentative "include everyone you can think of" guest list is rather big, but we're hoping to narrow it down a bit to keep things less expensive.

-Time of day? Late afternoon/early evening.

-Any kind of theme? The colors are purple and green, but I don't know if that qualifies as a theme.

-How many bridesmaids? Who would they be? We're planning on four: three of my dear friends and my future sister-in-law.

-What kind of cake/what will it look like? No idea. We could do cupcakes or a cake. As long as it's yummy, I'm okay with it.

-Where will you have the reception? Hopefully at the same place as the ceremony. We'd like to have it all in one place for convenience. If we play our cards right, there will be dolphins!

-What kind of dress will you have/color/material? I haven't gone looking yet, but my guess is something white/off-white, a-line, and lace. But, considering I've never tried on a wedding dress and have no idea what looks good, this could change.

-What kind of flowers in your bouquet? I'd love it to be tulips! They are my favorite, but I'd be happy with something in-season and purple.

-Kind of engagement ring? White gold band, blue sapphire with two white sapphires. :)

-Kind of wedding bands? We haven't gone looking yet, but I'm probably just going to go with a plain white gold band to match my engagement ring.

-How will you wear your hair? I'm guessing that I'll wear it up. I found a really pretty headband online that I'm considering (but won't order until a dress is picked out). I can't decide if I want a veil or not.

-Will the reception be big or small? Medium to big, is my guess based on the tentative numbers.

-What will the groom wear? We're leaning away from tuxes because of the cost, formality, and the fact that it'll be outdoors in summer. Possibly a suit, or a nice shirt with a vest? We've talked about options, but we have lots of time to figure it out.

-Where do you want to go for your honeymoon? Hawaii (the Big Island). It would be warm, relaxing, and there are volcanoes!! A geologist newlywed couple's dream!

-How long on Honeymoon? I dunno. A week? However long we can get off from work (assuming we both have jobs by then).

-What will you do? RELAX!!!

-Will it be modest or costly? We'll splurge a bit because it's a honeymoon, but we're both practical people. So probably nothing extravagant.

-How old will you and the groom be? We will each be 25.

-How long will you be engaged before you get married? Roughly 2 years

-Live together before or wait till married? We already live together.

-Take a long time to plan the wedding or will it be simple? We've got a long time to plan (~year and a half still), but I'd love to keep things as simple as possible.

-Will you do it yourself or with family or hire someone to plan the wedding? We'll plan it ourselves with help from family and friends.

-Will you write your own vows or use something pre-made? We probably won't have the traditional wording (but it might not be too far off). Or we might make our own. It won't be a "traditional" ceremony though.

Graduation Photo: LLB; Camping Photo: Megan C.; Tulip Painting: T. Fosburgh

Headpiece: http://www.etsy.com/listing/56446200/pearl-tiara-with-chandelier-crystals?ref=cat3_gallery_18

Lake Superior Rock: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/ethangknuti/3179026961/

Penguin Cake Topper

I think it would be really awesome to have a penguin cake topper, but this is also one of those items that I can't justify spending much money on. The only one's I've found online have been too cheesy/ugly or too expensive.

These little cuties are my favorite, but they are out of my price range (found at this Etsy shop). :(


But, I may be able to make something similar on my own. Yay for Do-It-Yourself!

Am I going to rip off this person's design? No.

Why is that? Because I used to make little polymer clay animals all the time as a kid. I can totally make one of these cake toppers on my own (probably for about $20 too) and customize it even more. I'm thinking that the groom could use a top hat and that I'd prefer tulips over roses.

From the same people that brought you LOLcats...

It's the Wedinator!!!
(a website that posts funny pictures from weddings)

Here's one of my favorites:Definitely wouldn't want to mess with a bride wearing this! *WHACK*

Is it December yet?

I rrrreally want it to be December. Why? We'll be back in MN and we'll be able to tour possible wedding venues!

We're getting excited, too, because we may have found a place that's so cool that we would barely need to decorate!! :)

Hello!

As of today, we've hit the two-week mark. No, the wedding is not in two weeks (if it were, you'd probably see a lot more exclamation marks on this page). The wedding won't actually take place for almost another two years. The two-week mark that I'm referring to is that we've been engaged for two weeks. So now I'm deciding that I'm allowed to make a wedding blog. :)

Now, I've only officially been working on wedding planning for the last two weeks, but I've actually been quietly reading up on stuff since sometime this summer. Erik had basically given me the nod to start thinking about wedding stuff (as long as it didn't turn me into a crazy person). So I turned to wedding blogs (see the big list on the side there? yeah). Some of them are actually quite amazing, and I'm so glad that I stumbled upon them before I started looking at wedding books and magazines. Why? Because they are about REAL people!! (K, some are about designers and photo shoots, but most of them are centered around real actual people)

My hope is that I will use this blog to share some possible ideas, to perhaps gain some advice from people, to blow off steam if things get crazy, and to just have some fun.

So, with that, let the fun begin!!

Photo by: Kathleen, future-mother-in-law