It's been a little while...

Hello!  I've missed you...  I know it's been a week or so since I've posted - wedding planning has taken a back seat to a few other life events.  First, James and I moved into our first home together last weekend.  We have been waiting to live together until we were engaged, so the big moved happened starting on the 16th.  Because it's a local move, we have been disorganized and moving carloads everyday - it's getting old!  BUT we've made the transition from visiting each other to living together well, I think.  So far so good - even without TV or Internet (thus no posts).  We're connected to the outside world now and getting settled in. 
Second, I turned 30 yesterday!  It was a milestone birthday spent continuing to settle in to the new place and the celebrate with friends.  I am realizing more and more how extremely fortunate I am to be surrounded with such loving and genuine friends.  We went out to dinner and had to get a table for 25!  James called ahead to make a reservation, but they don't take them on the weekend...boy did the hostess look shocked when he asked for a table for 25!  (Thanks for the pic, Tiff...that's me in the blue/brown dress and yes, Tiffany did make me a birthday tiara to wear...)

Turning 30 has me reflecting some on my life and "where I am".  I am a planner/worrier, so of course I had expected to have reached certain goals by now - I thought I'd own a home, be married with a child or two...  I realized that I'm not upset about not having reached those goals (I have reached many others: successful career x2, living on my own in various states, making true friends as described above...)  I can't imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else right now.  I am truly happy and excited about my life - getting married and planning a wedding, becoming a teacher (this is my first year teaching after changing careers).  So bring on the candles (wow...that's a lot of candles!) and let's see what this first year of a new decade has to offer!

Oh, and don't worry - wedding planning continues!  I've started reading a new wedding guide book that I'm sure will make me feel ill prepared and over anxious...more posts to come very soon!  <3

Venues Part Deux!

James and I went to two more possible reception venues today - both in the historical area of Williamsburg.  Guess what - we loved them both!  A good thing, I suppose, but we are also finding things that we like about every place!  A better situation to be in than the alternative but how do you choose?  Well, one way is going to have to be cost.  Weddings are EXPENSIVE!  I think places hear "wedding" and multiply cost by 537!  
We had the conversation - if we have to choose from the venue we love and cutting our guest numbers or choose a less favorite venue that accommodates more people, what would we do?  And then can we afford to feed those extra people?  I am pretty sure I will be much less worried when we make these big decisions and have a base to plan the rest of the details on.  So...we have a few more venues to look at before my parents come out in April to help us choose just the right place.  We hope to have a list of our top three or four by that point.  At this rate, that just may be harder that we thought!  

Wedding Songs

I know that I don't have to have any songs picked out to be played at our wedding reception yet, but because I've been thinking about my wedding for the past....oh, 10 years....I have heard many songs that I *have to use* as my first dance, or for the dance with my dad.  Wednesday on the way to school, I heard I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz and cried listening to it, thinking about the words and what a marriage is - learning through ups and downs, being strong and growing together - and I added it to an every-growing mental list of "possibilities" songs.  (By the way...not the best way to start my day, mascara running down my face.  Oh well)  How do you choose the perfect song, the one that tells your new husband how much you love him, what that day means to you, and what you look forward to in your life together?  And wait - he has a say too?  So now we both have to agree on the absolute most perfect song that represents us and what we want to tell our families and friends about our love, on our wedding day, in less than 4 minutes?  How do people do it?!  


As you can imagine, over the course of 10 years some of the songs on my list have been used in the weddings of my family and friends - so I worry about using them.  Should I?  Will they and all of our mutual friends think I'm "copying them" because their wedding was first?  They don't know I've wanted to dance to the song "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw since it came out (Check it out: not only is the song just perfect for the occasion; it's TIM McGRAW!)  
Ah the little details that I am already over-thinking...  We don't have a date or venue but WHAT SONGS WILL BE PLAYED?!  Haha...Welcome to my over-active brain...  :-)


Going to wander around a few more venues this weekend, so look for an update in the next day or two!

Venues - Day 1

Day one of "venue shopping" went really well!  It made me optimistic for finding a place that we both like - I just hope that we don't end up with a list of 7 places that are contenders...  


We started today because Two Rivers Country Club in Williamsburg was holding a Bridal Showcase.  The location is BEAUTIFUL!  Only problem - max capacity is 200 and we think we will be right about there with our guest list.  Do we want to max capacity?  Will it seem scrunched?  The venue is right one the river and the view is breath-taking.  Definitely on the "look more into list". http://governorsland.com/weddings&events.html

Because we were in the venue mood, we stopped out at Kingsmill as well.  Also on the river and a beautiful view.  They have a ballroom and another meeting room that we really liked.  We didn't meet with anyone at the resort yet - we are going to check places out before scheduling meetings - but we will be back to see pricing and such.  http://www.kingsmill.com/weddings-and-celebrations/

Looking at the different venues brought up a whole bunch of other questions - my family and a good number of friends will be heading in from out of town and will need to stay in a hotel - so do we go with a location that is part of a resort (such as Kingsmill) so there is convenience for out of towners?  Or do we not worry about that and just get blocks of rooms somewhere and call it a day?  I like the idea of having a central location for everything, for a number of reasons...we shall see what happens.  We have a number of other places on our primary search list so we shall carry on.    

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog!
I am recently engaged (1/15/12!) and just getting into planning our wedding - no, we don't have a date or a venue yet.  (That's what you were thinking, right?)  Already I've gone through the gamut of emotions and we haven't even checked out a single venue.  Searching online for ideas for dresses, decorations, save the dates, invitations, and, and, and... has had me excited, anxious, frustrated, and overwhelmed.  (Don't get me started on Pintrest...it's wonderfully addicting but also a bit much at times.)  It's only been 6 weeks!  The idea for this blog came after a rough week of, well everything, and thinking "what am I going to do when I am planning our wedding and I still have my job and my friends and dinner to make"?  


...Did I mention I am the ultimate planner, over-analyst, and worrier of everyday things, so a wedding may send me to an asylum... 


I thought writing about what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling may help me get it out there - safe in your kind, understanding hearts - and not bubbling up inside, waiting to explode.  So here goes - check back for updates on how the wedding planning is coming.  We are going to Two Rivers County Club for a bridal showcase tomorrow and I am so hoping that we at least like it and keep it in consideration...I think shooting down the first place we look at would be so discouraging!  We can't start with a big NO!


As my soon to be faithful reader, I know you are dying for the engagement story.  Here it is:


We had been dating three years over the course of four (we had a break for a few months in there).  I had stopped hinting and gone to bluntly telling him I am over this stage of life and ready to move on to building our life together.  Also, the big 3-0 is looming (21 days but who's counting?!) and I didn't want to hit that milestone before the engagement milestone.  Anyways, we went on a ski trip at Snowshoe in WV and I thought it may be over that weekend.  But as we got closer I started questioning that...he never acted strange or hinted at anything.  I started to think maybe I had it wrong (...and we were never going to get engaged, I'd end up a spinster, etc, etc, etc)  I was wrong - he had planned it perfectly.  He knows I love to have pictures of everything so he asked a stranger to take a photo of us on top of a snow pile.  We climbed up and took a normal picture.  Then he said "Just one more", reached into his pocket, and got down on one knee.  The woman shrieked and starting snapping pics!  He told me (I think) that he loves me and wants to be with me forever - would I marry him.  I said yes and he put the ring on my finger.  

Will you?

YES!

Ignore random "zombie kid" climbing towards us...

:-D  <3