9 Months to Go...

The Knot has so kindly reminded me that today we are 9 months from our wedding date!  Here's a short list of some of the items I've been working on/thinking about lately.

• Wedding shoes - still haven't ordered them but I am also still liking the same pair.  I'm pretty confident I know what I want, but I am nervous about the heel height.  We'll see.  I have a feeling I'll choose fashion over comfort.  (I can always take them off to dance, right?!)
• Bridesmaids dresses - I have no idea what I am going to go with at this point.  There are so many pretty dresses out there.  I have decided to head in to a bridal store to look at and feel some of these fabrics.  I HAVE decided to go with a dark shade of purple and lighten it up for a summery feel with accessories and flowers.
• Music - we have our DJ but I've been listening to songs to dance our first dance to, dance with my dad to, and for James to dance with his mom too.  This is so much fun!  I am so sappy and sentimental - I am looking for just the right song.  Everytime I think I find what I like, I hear another song that's great!  I have a feeling this will be a decision that will change many times in the next few months - good thing we have that time.  Have I told you who we chose for our DJ? Amanda with Fat Cat DJ and Karaoke - NO we will not have karaoke at our reception, so don't get your hopes up!  :-)
• My Accessories - I got my dress in August (YAY!) and then went on a search for the sash and veil.  I was so frustrated with the cost of these items in stores - it increases the cost of the bridal fashion by HUNDREDS of dollars!  I was on a mission to find these items at a reasonable rate while still getting the look I want.  I found just that at a factory direct website - Wedding Factory Direct.  The site is associated with a bridal store in MA and this portion of their business provides the accessories and other products to bridal salons.  I'm not sure the site is intended for individuals, but I was able to place my order without problem.  I received my items and love them!  When it's all said and done, I estimate I saved over $250 by finding and using this website.  I recommend you check them out!
• Readers - we need people to read at our ceremony.  I'm not sure where to go for these participants - cousins?  Aunts/uncles?  Friends?  I thought of my Godparents, but I'm not sure either would be comfortable reading in front of that many people.  We're putting that together as we go along.

I think that's about it for the past few weeks.  Having school start back up is a definite distraction from wedding planning.  I'm glad we got a lot of the "major" things out of the way this summer.  Still to come - cake tasting, bridesmaid dress shopping, showers and bachelorette party, lighting, and then details, details, DETAILS!  I'm still having fun with this and I hope it continues to be fun instead of stressful.