214 Days - Fleurs and Centerpiece Planning

So now that V-Day has passed, I will be getting in touch with local florists to discuss options for bouquets, centerpieces, and other decor dealies. I was playing on The Knot today and found some images show the direction I am going in for the centerpieces. (Over there! -->)

Each table will be different with recycled green glass carafes, decanters, bottles, and vases holding a few large blooms in reds, pinks, and peachy oranges. I plan on getting a bunch of small bud vases and adding gold leaf detailing to them to add some depth to the tables.

So that's what I am thinking for centerpieces. If a florist can accomplish this under budget, then woot! I'll sign on the dotted line. If it can't be done, then I guess that is what seven attendants and lots of helpers are for, right?! Everyone has been willing to help out on our wedding day, so we can always go the DIY route and order wholesale flowers. I know we can do it; I have some pretty fabulous and artistic friends. Given all the fabulousness, I am kinda hoping it doesn't come down to the DIY route. I want to relax and have fun with my friends and family the morning of our wedding, not run around worrying about fleurs. I have big plans for a dance party, sing along in the bridal suite with my lady loves. ;-)

236 Days - Are we there yet?

Ok, so we are less then nine months away from the big day.  I still feel like that is beyond a long time.  To be honest, the court house gets more and more appealing the more tiresome the planning process gets.  Of course, there are still some things that need to be taken care of:

1. Transportation
2. Menu
3. Flowers
4. Invitations
5. Attendant gifts
6. Rings
7. Programs

What I find most annoying about this list is that I have had a lot of offers from friends to help, but I am unsure how to delegate with what is left.  "Hey, friend.  Would you mind meeting with florists so I don't have to?  Thanks!"  Somehow I don't think life works like that.

Since I have approximately nine months, I am going to just take it one task at a time.  During the month of February, I am going to tackle the flowers.  I have thought about going the DIY route, but I am reaching the stage where I want someone else to have to worry about it and if I can get a good deal, then why not? 

C'est tout pour ce soir.

237 Days - The Honeymoon

The big announcement. . . we're going to Paris!!

Two weeks ago, Sam asked me to go to Paris for our honeymoon.  I am absolutely thrilled!  I have dreamed of going to Paris since I was in middle school.  I studied French in high school and college only to change majors and not have enough money or credit hours to go to Paris for a semester.  I can't express how excited I am to have this opportunity now.

Sam has offered to plan the entire honeymoon.  We are going to visit the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Notre Dame, and Montmartre.  We'll eat in bistrots and cafes and picnic on the Seine.  We'll drink wine and eat baguettes, fromage, and pains au chocolat! Sam is also looking into taking a train to Belgium for a day to drink delicious beer and eat waffles and moules frites!

Right now we are listening to Edith Piaf and brainstorming our trip.  Tomorrow we will go to a bookstore and buy some guides to help with the planning.  We also plan on taking out our French textbooks to study and I am on the waitlist for Rosetta Stone access at work.  Oooh, I can't wait!!

We had initially discussed going to Starkville, MS for the last day of our honeymoon to see the UGA Bulldogs play the Mississippi State Bulldogs.  We looked into ticket prices to Mississippi and the surrounding airports from Paris via DC and unfortunately they were prohibitively expensive.  I know Sam was looking forward to the game, so for our first anniversary, my gift of paper will be tickets to a UGA Bulldogs game.  Maybe by then I will have an AJ Green jersey!

238 Days - Where Have We Been?! (The Update)

Ok. So its been a while. The holidays kept us really busy. We were in Atlanta with limited internet access for Christmas and New Years, so the blog took a back seat to life.  As an update I created an outline to summarize:

• Christmas 
• We had a lovely holiday season in Cold-Lanta with Sam's family. 
•  It was my first Christmas away from the North Country, which meant new traditions and some variations of old ones. 

•  We went to Christmas eve service, which was much more of a production then a mass. During "Oh Holy Night" Mary, Joseph, and a four month old baby Jesus walked down the aisle! It was a Christmas miracle with microphones. 
• We had Chinese food after Christmas Eve mass, which I thought only happened in the movies! 
• We celebrated Christmas with brunch and playing with Sam's young cousins and their family. As a highlight, I scored 98 percent on vocals for Beatles Rock Band. 
• Sam's mom made a great turkey dinner complete with Nennie's (Sam's grandmother)famous broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, and carrot casserole. There was a significant amount of casserole, if you hadn't noticed. 
•  We spent Boxing Day with Sam's dad, his wife, Robin, and her family. We played Wii, hiked up Arabia Mountain, and ate turduckin and red velvet cake. (See above.)
• New Years
• We spent New Years Eve with Sam's best man, Tyler and his girlfriend, Bethany.
• Sam and Tyler cooked
• Moule Frites
• Homemade spinach fetticini with a cajun cream sauce
• Cayenne alfredo sauce, andouille sausage, crab meat, shrimp (awesome!)
• Bethany and I provided moral support and glued our eyes to the Next Food Network Star Marathon.
• We felt bad for Dick Clark.
• We toasted champagne.
• We gave New Years kisses.
• We passed out an hour later.
• We were bad vegetarians during the holidays.

• Wedding update - (because the most common question I get these days is how wedding planning is going.)

• Save the dates are being printed and should be in the mail at the end of the month.
• Our guest list is completed and is longer then the Washington Monument.
• We made a decision about our honeymoon! (That will be a post on its own later.)
• We booked our first room block for the night before the wedding and the night of the wedding. (Find info here.)
• Another room block is still in the works.
• I bought my wedding shoes!

275 Days - Esquire

Tuesday, Sammy was sworn into the Maryland Bar Association!  His father, Frank, and his wife, Robin, joined us from Atlanta to celebrate this huge accomplishment.  

Two reasons I fell in love with Sam are his intelligence and his dedication to his education.  He's a little nerdy and that is awesome!  

I recorded Sam's swearing-in ceremony for your viewing pleasure!  Its about 36 minutes total, but you can watch it in parts.

288 Days - Status Update

Some people might be offended, but this is HILARIOUS!

I am glad Sam doesn't have a Blackberry!

289 Days - The Dream

I had my first wedding dream since getting engaged last night. I had to write it down because it cracked me up.

It was raining. My girls and I were doing our hair and makeup in a room attached to St. Joseph’s in Dannemora. Sam arrived on a submarine in a tuxedo. . . naturally. He and his groomsmen came up to the room where I was getting ready with my girlfriends to chat. He told me one of his groomsmen were concerned he would be very nervous on our wedding day, so they gave him a laxative. For some reason, I was convinced this wasn’t a problem. I asked Sam if he was certain he needed a laxative to help him relax and he said he didn’t think so. Exit laxative from dream.

Fast forward through me briefly waking up to one of the kittens licking my face and me putting her in the hall. . .

It’s wedding time! My girls and Sam leave to get lined up at the church entrance, which is on the other side of the building. So I am now by myself and I am getting dressed. . . except I realize that my girls took my wedding dress so it wouldn’t get wet as I wore it to get to the church entrance. I suddenly realize that I am running incredibly late!! I have one leg in my stockings and am wearing a red/orangey dress – running through the rain to get to the entrance of the church. . . no umbrella. I also notice another bride stalking around outside with her bridesmaids. Her dress was lovely. Apparently her ceremony is right after ours, which made me run faster. We must have been behind schedule. So I run into the church and there are a bunch of people I don’t recognize. I see these two red-headed boys wearing what can only be described as 70’s rust colored suits with bowties (yikes!) I finally find my girls and throw on my dress, which thankfully is only a quick zip and snap.

There ceremony begins. Fr. Chris is officiating. We hold hands, say our vows, kiss and that’s it. Married!

I am guessing this means that no matter what craziness ensues on our wedding day (I can probably guarantee there will be craziness), we will still be husband and wife. That makes me very happy.