Favors, Programs & Invitations

There are a few main things I've been focusing on the last couple days, and some big updates come along with that focus:

FAVORS
Over the last few months, Patrick and I have known what we want our favors for the reception to be, but we've been waiting to find the right vendor and the right design... We finally found both! I ordered those today, but you'll have to wait until the reception to find out what the favors are. I'm thinking they should be finished and delivered in the next couple weeks and am really excited to see them.

PROGRAMS
The layout is completely put together. I'm just waiting to finalize the ceremony order so that can be updated, and there are a couple details I'm still playing around with.

INVITATIONS
All the invitations have been made and assembled. I printed out new envelopes for people whose addresses have changed in the last couple months. You can see in the picture that there are four envelopes that aren't sealed (b/c those addresses are still needing to be updated), but the rest of them have been double/triple-checked to make sure the names are correct.

Once we get the stamps, I'll pull Patrick in to help me. He doesn't know yet, but he'll find that out soon (wink, wink). We get to mail them in the next few weeks, but it's going to be hard for me to wait to send them once they're ready to go. Any bets on when they'll hit the mail?

-Lisa

Red Solo Cup

I was watching Say Yes to the Dress tonight, and one of the brides went back to the store to select a different gown. She had second thoughts and decided that the dress she originally chose wasn't what she wanted. Watching that, I have to admit that I can absolutely understand how she was feeling: I had the same feeling of questioning/doubting my decision. I would see details on another dress and think "I should have chosen a dress with that." I've looked at the pictures from the day I found my dress MANY times, and that's helped to make me feel more confident. When the dress came in and I tried it on, and especially at the first fitting appointment, I knew that I made the right decision. I love it already and can't tell you how excited I am to try it on again - with the changes we've requested!

We had a fun day yesterday participating in the Idiotarod, a spin off of the Iditarod for charity. Our team dressed as red solo cups, and our theme song (and inspiration) was Toby Keith's 'Red Solo Cup.' We didn't win any prizes, but check out how well our costumes turned out:

 We definitely have fun friends!

-Lisa

We Ordered Our Sectional

We've made some progress in house updates lately. We finally had someone buy Patrick's couch from craigslist, and it was even sold for our asking price! Banks got the really comfortable couch that was in my loft, and we've moved my sofa/loveseat set into Patrick's living room. On Sunday, we wandered into Ashley Furniture... and we walked out a couple hours later - having purchased the sectional we had been looking at.

They said it would arrive in 4-6 weeks, but it will probably be quicker than that. Once we hear a more accurate update of when it will arrive, we'll focus on selling the microfiber set on craigslist.

We're also keeping an eye out for a recliner that would match the type of chocolate-colored Durablend leather of the couch. We tried to find a matching recliner from Ashley furniture, but unbelievable enough, they don't make a recliner that would fit Patrick in that same material! His long legs make it necessary to have a sturdy footrest that won't fall when he rests his legs on it. Combine that with wanting to find one that's comfortable, and that doesn't come easy!

I realized that the next few weekends are going to be crazy for us. This weekend is the Idiotarod (a goofy race in downtown Phoenix) and the Superbowl. Next weekend, Banks is having a housewarming party & we're going to see Star Wars in 3d (Patrick is VERY excited). The weekend after that, we're headed to Cleveland. Then, we run our half-marathon (my foot is finally feeling better!), and the weekend after that is our trip to St. Louis. I'm tired just typing all of that out. ;)

Our cake topper arrived in the mail yesterday, and it looks just like I had hoped. We'll be in touch with our chosen baker in the next day or so, and then the cake/cupcakes will be checked off the list.

We're headed out now to get supplies for our costumes for Saturday; pictures will quite possibly be posted soon after... Start getting excited!

-Lisa

Dress Fitting #1

Since both moms were in town this weekend, they were able to see the first dress fitting yesterday... and the appointment went better than I had hoped! This was the first time I've tried the dress on with all the accessories (jewelry, shoes, etc), and as we kept adding the extra touches, it got prettier and prettier.

I was really impressed with Janet, and I felt completely comfortable throughout the appointment that she will make my currently-almost-perfect dress into THE perfect wedding gown for me. I admit I can be tough on salespeople (and I'll consider Janet a salesperson), but she was fantastic.

In the last entry about the dress, I said the dress was big, but I had no idea it will need to be taken in SIX INCHES! Even though we're 118 days out from the wedding, parts of the dress are adjustable, so if needed, she said she could make additional alterations at the next appointment in April.You should have seen me with clamps (see the picture to the left) going up and down both sides of the dress! ;)

One of the main points of discussion was how to bustle the train of the dress. If you aren't familiar with types of bustles, here are some examples:

Simple "under" bustle (French)

A more intricate "under" (French) bustle

An "over" bustle (American)

I chose... (drumroll).... None of them!

After trying out the different styles, I wasn't in love with any of them. I felt like the bustles created a design that either distracted from the overall look of the dress or didn't work b/c of the way the fabric fell. I had an idea and asked Janet if it was possible. Apparently my idea created a rare type of bustle for a wedding (but it is a type of bustle), and it was exactly what I was looking for! She also mentioned the idea of creating a short/cocktail dress out of my wedding dress - to be used for an anniversary, cruise, etc. I think that's such a fun idea, and it's definitely something I'll consider down the line.

I'm so happy with the visual she created with pinning/clamping, and I can't wait to see how the dress looks when I see it next. It was a lot of fun to have my mom and Patrick's mom there to see the first REAL visual of the whole look, and I'm honored they were willing to come to Phoenix for it! Next time they're in Phoenix will be for the wedding. That's crazy to think about!

-Lisa

Hair Trial Complete

I felt really good going into tonight's hair trial b/c I knew what I wanted! I had found some pictures of a style I really liked, Mandy & my mom were on hand to help give their opinions and I was ready to go. Well... I THOUGHT I knew what I wanted.

Amy, the stylist, showed up to Patrick's house at 7, and she got to work trying to recreate the pictures. When she asked me to go into the bathroom to take a look, my heart dropped. The front looked pretty good, but the side & back were definitely not what I liked. Mandy and I tried to figure out how to suggest changes, and Amy kept trying.

When she made the changes we asked for, I went back into the bathroom and got so confused/overwhelmed that my eyes teared up. I wasn't happy at all with how the style looked but I couldn't figure out what would make it better or how I wanted it to look.

Mandy definitely deserves a "Super Bridesmaid" trophy. She helped calm me down, found some pictures online and helped explain to Amy what direction we wanted to go. FINALLY, after taking a look at the newest changes, I started to feel better. The style became what I had apparently been hoping for in the first place, and we definitely have the general idea for my wedding hair style. We tested out the flower (for my hair) I had made and the veil my mom brought from STL. The total look was great, and I think it will look amazing on May 26th.

The appointment wasn't flawless, but I guess that's what the trial is for!

-Lisa

I Have My Dress Now

(NOTE: I asked Patrick's opinion on what I should title this blog since I was having a hard time thinking of a fun phrase. I explained that this blog entry was about how I have my dress now; the title was his response lol)

Last entry, I said that my dress was IN, but it's now IN MY POSSESSION!

I have to admit that the show 'Say Yes to the Dress' had me worried b/c they've shown so many horror stories of brides getting the wrong dress... the wrong color... the wrong size... or even stories of other stores losing/ruining the dress. One local bridal shop closed their doors about 6 months ago - with no warming and multiple dresses inside and just out of the brides' reach. My mom and I went to the dress shop after she got in town on Saturday, and fortunately we didn't have to deal with any horrible issues.

Since I was measured in June for the dress and the dress was made specifically for me, I just assumed I'd fit into the dress perfectly. Not exaaaactly correct. It looks fantastic, but apparently, the weight that I lost made the dress too big. That's ok though: I would much rather have the dress start out too big - rather than having it be too small before alterations. Janet (the lady who'll be doing the alterations) can fix it from there.

Other than it being big, it's perfect. The color is gorgeous, the material is just what I remembered, and it makes me feel like sweeping around the dance floor when I put it on. Since a certain redhead gets my blog entries, I can only post one photo from our trip to pick up the dress, but the picture makes me very happy:

My mom and I went 'Mother of the Bride Dress' shopping and made some progress on what styles look best on her. We haven't found my mom THE dress, but I have a feeling we'll find it soon. We've had a great time the last few days, and the fun continues tomorrow with my hair trial. Wish me luck!

-Lisa

Getting Giddy

It feels like reality is starting to hit that this is happening...! More and more details are coming together.

We've booked our flights to Cleveland & St. Louis for wedding showers AND to Las Vegas for the Bachelor/Bachelorette weekend. My parents have booked their flights for the wedding, I bought a sassy dress for Vegas, and I ordered the cake topper last night.

Yep, this is how I feel, too!

Just a few minutes ago, I got a phone call that MY DRESS IS IN! Since they just pressed (or steamed?) it, they asked me to wait 2 hours before picking it up. Instead of getting it tonight (and going by myself to try it on), I'm going to wait until tomorrow when my mom is here. I can barely sit still!

Even though I've hit a speedbump with the half-marathon training (my foot started hurting halfway through the run on Saturday, and I've been resting it since), I've hit my lowest weight to this point! Overall, I'm feeling good about everything and am getting more and more excited.

-Lisa