I am surprised that a lot of my bride to be friends haven't heard of this magical website called the Wedding Bee. I am on this website more than anything lately! Its a fantastic website that is basically a forum for ALL things wedding related and even Non-wedding related topics. It is such a great place to go if you think you have a dumb question to ask and don't want to bother someone with it, then you find out that 100's of other brides have the same question! It is somewhere that you can find answers to questions you may not have even thought to come up with on your own! It is an especially great place to vent and get outside opinions on things...sometimes you want an honest opinion and maybe you are just getting "what people thing you want to hear" answers from your friends and family but if you ask here these women don't know you from Adam and they will give an unbiased opinion.
It is also fun to find brides with your same wedding day! Or even your same wedding dress so you guys can discuss how much you love it to each other ;) haha I don't know I guess some people may not find this as great as I do but it is really wonderful for finding ideas, and it also has a classified section where people sell decor and such from their weddings so it is a great place to find deals on decor! I suggest anybody who is planning or wedding, or anybody who knows anybody planning a wedding to check it out! I have found it to be VERY helpful and therapeutic haha!
http://www.weddingbee.com ENJOY :)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Counting Down
There are 58 days until my brother and Brit's BIG day in Alaska, which means I will be on my way to CA then up to Alaska in about 52 days or so! I can not wait I am getting so excited! Our cousins are flying up and so are a few of Drew's really good friends because they are his groomsmen/best man and I so happy for Drew that they are able to make it I know it means the world to him! I just love weddings too so I really can't wait for the actual day! Brit's dad chartered a halibut boat for one day so we are going to do that! We are also going to go salmon fishing one of the days! I also think I am going to have Brit do my hair while I am up there because I don't think I can afford to have my normal girl do it because the plane flights were so darn expensive LOL Shoot now that I am thinking about it why did I not think of this before...maybe she can do my hair for my wedding...although I won't have a trial...hmm guess it's a good back up plan. ANYWAY back on track I am so excited to see my family it has been since September since I saw my mom and JULY since I saw my dad and a TWO Thanksgivings ago since I saw Drew and Brit! Living so far away from each other sucks sometimes! I feel like we miss out on so much of each other's lives so I am really happy that we are all getting together for the wedding and able to spend extra time up there to hang out too.
Another countdown I have going is my countdown ORDERING MY DRESS! 67 days! I am so so so excited to OFFICIALLY order my dress. Of course the salon I am going to (or any of them actually) don't have MY dress so they have to order it from the designer and have to "borrow" it and have it shipped into their store for me to try on and order it. It's $100 to have them ship it BUT when I order it that $100 will just go towards the purchase of my dress so that's fine with me. It would be one thing if I hadn't picked a dress and just wanted to try it on and see if I liked it...I wouldn't do that, but the fact that I have already tried it on here and fell in love and know I am going to order it makes it fine. I thought about just not trying it on again and ordering it because they just need my measurements, but I want my mom to be able to see it on me in person and I just can't WAIT to put it on again! I am so excited to see it and put it on I never want to take it off it is so comfortable I just love it! I have also hit the gym full force because of this countdown lol I definitely hibernated allll winter and well into spring but now that this is getting so close I am regretting that decision and feeling the pressure! I am not trying to lose a ton of weight or anything I just want to feel good when I try it on and order it!
I am also having my bridal make up trial while I am home. It is so hard to do some wedding stuff from here, like make up and hair trials! I can't just ask my mom to help because she is there because I physically have to be there (obviously) so because I have 4 trips planned out over the next year already and they are all pretty much FULL of stuff already I figured I have time in August I might as well do it. I realize how early it is to do it but considering the fact that I AM planning from here in the worst case scenario that I don't like the trial it still gives me time to find someone else. It is crazy that we are so close to the one year mark, I am feeling the pressure. I don't think I would as much if I was living in CA because I could do everything from there and would have ample time but I am definitely feeling it because I am in NY and know when I am flying out there and for how long and know it's not very long at all! Plus, knowing how fast this year went by only makes me more nervous! Once Bobby graduates in the beginning of June next year we will be moving, God knows where, hopefully back to SoCal then the wedding will only be a month and a half away! I feel like I don't even have the summer months to do anything because we will be moving and getting settled but I am sure it will work out. Even if it takes just going up to Norcal or flying there from where ever we are and staying for the last few weeks before the wedding I will do whatever I have to do to make it less stressful. This is why I am trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible because I know that it is going to get CRAZY come this time next year.
OK anyway enough rambling I am just really anxious and excited for everything to come!!! :) I get to visit old friends who I haven't seen in CA when I am there and see my Etter's who are now moving back up north, stay with my Molls and see Laura! SO excited for all of my visitations with everyone I am definitely going to cherish my time with them, and be productive :) It will be a little crazy but totally worth it!
Another countdown I have going is my countdown ORDERING MY DRESS! 67 days! I am so so so excited to OFFICIALLY order my dress. Of course the salon I am going to (or any of them actually) don't have MY dress so they have to order it from the designer and have to "borrow" it and have it shipped into their store for me to try on and order it. It's $100 to have them ship it BUT when I order it that $100 will just go towards the purchase of my dress so that's fine with me. It would be one thing if I hadn't picked a dress and just wanted to try it on and see if I liked it...I wouldn't do that, but the fact that I have already tried it on here and fell in love and know I am going to order it makes it fine. I thought about just not trying it on again and ordering it because they just need my measurements, but I want my mom to be able to see it on me in person and I just can't WAIT to put it on again! I am so excited to see it and put it on I never want to take it off it is so comfortable I just love it! I have also hit the gym full force because of this countdown lol I definitely hibernated allll winter and well into spring but now that this is getting so close I am regretting that decision and feeling the pressure! I am not trying to lose a ton of weight or anything I just want to feel good when I try it on and order it!
I am also having my bridal make up trial while I am home. It is so hard to do some wedding stuff from here, like make up and hair trials! I can't just ask my mom to help because she is there because I physically have to be there (obviously) so because I have 4 trips planned out over the next year already and they are all pretty much FULL of stuff already I figured I have time in August I might as well do it. I realize how early it is to do it but considering the fact that I AM planning from here in the worst case scenario that I don't like the trial it still gives me time to find someone else. It is crazy that we are so close to the one year mark, I am feeling the pressure. I don't think I would as much if I was living in CA because I could do everything from there and would have ample time but I am definitely feeling it because I am in NY and know when I am flying out there and for how long and know it's not very long at all! Plus, knowing how fast this year went by only makes me more nervous! Once Bobby graduates in the beginning of June next year we will be moving, God knows where, hopefully back to SoCal then the wedding will only be a month and a half away! I feel like I don't even have the summer months to do anything because we will be moving and getting settled but I am sure it will work out. Even if it takes just going up to Norcal or flying there from where ever we are and staying for the last few weeks before the wedding I will do whatever I have to do to make it less stressful. This is why I am trying to get as much done ahead of time as possible because I know that it is going to get CRAZY come this time next year.
OK anyway enough rambling I am just really anxious and excited for everything to come!!! :) I get to visit old friends who I haven't seen in CA when I am there and see my Etter's who are now moving back up north, stay with my Molls and see Laura! SO excited for all of my visitations with everyone I am definitely going to cherish my time with them, and be productive :) It will be a little crazy but totally worth it!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Simon Games
What a glorious day! It was about 80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky, the perfect day for some Simon Games! Every year Simon's GBC puts on "Simon Games" where the school (and partners) can participate in a variety of games. Today we played: Ultimate frisbee, kickball, volleyball, cricket, soccer, kan jam, beer pong, and civil war! A great mix of non-drinking and drinking games. We had so much fun, got a little sun burned, but enjoyed being outside in the warm sunny weather all day! We were there from 11-7....8 hours! We had food catered, 2 kegs, and an abundance of fun people! I must say, cricket is the most confusing, complicated game ever! I think we went over the rules 10 times and I still didn't get it! They compare it to baseball, when really, its so nothing like baseball besides the fact that they have a bat and a ball and you have to hit the ball as far as you can and run. Every other rule is so crazy and complicated I could not keep up, but its always fun to try to learn a new international game lol. The dean even joined us and he loved it!
Playing volleyball was probably my favorite. I haven't played volleyball in YEARS, and even though the competition wasn't that high, it was still a lot of fun and made me miss it! I may try to look for a city league or something and check out signing up, maybe it will be during the winter and give me something to do! haha
Tomorrow is supposed to be another beautiful day, even warmer than today I think! I think Bobby has homework and stuff all day, but I hope he will make some time to spend a little bit of time with me outside, if not I will just go for a run or something. Our pool isn't open yet...it is so weird living somewhere that pools are not open year round! They open up memorial day weekend (so next weekend) through Labor Day I think...that is definitely something I miss! Being able to lay out by the pool or go to the beach in December :) But I am so glad that summer is fast approaching and I am very much appreciating this weather we have finally been able to have! Now I see what they mean when they say people to FULL advantage of the nice/warm weather here because it IS very limited! I plan on doing the same! :)
Playing volleyball was probably my favorite. I haven't played volleyball in YEARS, and even though the competition wasn't that high, it was still a lot of fun and made me miss it! I may try to look for a city league or something and check out signing up, maybe it will be during the winter and give me something to do! haha
Tomorrow is supposed to be another beautiful day, even warmer than today I think! I think Bobby has homework and stuff all day, but I hope he will make some time to spend a little bit of time with me outside, if not I will just go for a run or something. Our pool isn't open yet...it is so weird living somewhere that pools are not open year round! They open up memorial day weekend (so next weekend) through Labor Day I think...that is definitely something I miss! Being able to lay out by the pool or go to the beach in December :) But I am so glad that summer is fast approaching and I am very much appreciating this weather we have finally been able to have! Now I see what they mean when they say people to FULL advantage of the nice/warm weather here because it IS very limited! I plan on doing the same! :)
Saturday, May 12, 2012
I Love Planning!
I just love making plans and scheduling things it is SUCH a gratifying feeling! I was stressing majorly about the cost of flights but after I just got over that and realized "ok it HAS to happen and it will work out one way or another" it made things SO much easier. I had to book my flight to Alaska asap, I was the last one out of our family to book my flight, even Drew's groomsmen had already booked their flights! So after a TON of research it turned out a round trip flight out of Rochester cost the exact same as it would for me to fly to CA, then to Alaska, then back to CA, then back to Rochester so I decide well at least if I fly through CA I will be able to spend time there and see people so that was a a pretty easy decision to make.
Today I decided that I want to order my dress in CA after all, I just have a bad gut feeling about ordering it here so I am going to listen to my gut and order it from a bridal salon in Sacramento or somewhere up in Nor Cal. I already know I will be in Nor Cal in early February for our open house/tasting at our venue, and will also be up there in May for my bridal shower, and will be able to be there no problem in June/July leading up to the wedding so being available and in town for fittings really won't be an issue. So I decided that since I have already bought my flight from Long Beach to Anchorage and back (roundtrip) I will just hang out for 4-5 days in So Cal once I get back from Alaska, then I will take a one way flight up North to order my dress and hang out with people up there! I will just buy a multi-city plane flight from Rochester to LAX then SFO to Rochester...it's the same price as a round trip from Rochester to LAX so this way I get to cover all of CA and see everyone I could possibly want to see, order my dress and possibly do other wedding stuff while I am there too! Kills a lot of birds with one stone and only cost $70 more for the one way flight from So Cal to Nor cal which is totally worth getting everything done that I want to get done. My tentative plan is ROC->LAX July 16/17, LGB->ANC July 19, ANC->LGB July 26th, LGB->SMF July 31/August 1st, SFO->ROC August 6th/7th. Then the following week after I get back in Rochester I am going to finally go see my bestie and little miss Harlow and I SO can't wait for that!
In other exciting news I officially decided to have a second engagement photo session, this time with our wedding photographer. She is SO amazing and I don't know why I thought I could get away with not having an engagement session with her. As I have posted before, I have been really wanting to have a "re-do" on our engagement pictures and now I get to! It will give us a chance to get to know Aimee (our photographer) better, get a feel for her shooting style, as well as get more engagement pictures and really be able to plan out the session,which I really didn't get to do the first go around. We decided to schedule them for February 1st and in case it rains since it is winter, we will have February 2nd available to do them too. Our open house/tasting at MVI is Sunday Feb 3rd. I figured since we are already going to be there for that let's do it during the same trip! This has been the way it goes for every visit back home since I am planning long distance. Do a little bit of wedding stuff with each visit haha It has worked out well so far! It takes about a month to get our finished photos back so that will be early March which will still give us plenty of time to get our Save the Dates out. I am SO excited to be able to have Aimee do our engagement session I can't even tell you. Her work is absolutely wonderful and I know I will be so happy I made this decision.
I LOVE planning all of this out! So far I have absolutely loved this wedding planning experience! So far everything has gone very smoothly, I am sure I will change my tune at some point,but maybe not. I love planning stuff so who knows maybe I will love it every step of the way! :)
Today I decided that I want to order my dress in CA after all, I just have a bad gut feeling about ordering it here so I am going to listen to my gut and order it from a bridal salon in Sacramento or somewhere up in Nor Cal. I already know I will be in Nor Cal in early February for our open house/tasting at our venue, and will also be up there in May for my bridal shower, and will be able to be there no problem in June/July leading up to the wedding so being available and in town for fittings really won't be an issue. So I decided that since I have already bought my flight from Long Beach to Anchorage and back (roundtrip) I will just hang out for 4-5 days in So Cal once I get back from Alaska, then I will take a one way flight up North to order my dress and hang out with people up there! I will just buy a multi-city plane flight from Rochester to LAX then SFO to Rochester...it's the same price as a round trip from Rochester to LAX so this way I get to cover all of CA and see everyone I could possibly want to see, order my dress and possibly do other wedding stuff while I am there too! Kills a lot of birds with one stone and only cost $70 more for the one way flight from So Cal to Nor cal which is totally worth getting everything done that I want to get done. My tentative plan is ROC->LAX July 16/17, LGB->ANC July 19, ANC->LGB July 26th, LGB->SMF July 31/August 1st, SFO->ROC August 6th/7th. Then the following week after I get back in Rochester I am going to finally go see my bestie and little miss Harlow and I SO can't wait for that!
In other exciting news I officially decided to have a second engagement photo session, this time with our wedding photographer. She is SO amazing and I don't know why I thought I could get away with not having an engagement session with her. As I have posted before, I have been really wanting to have a "re-do" on our engagement pictures and now I get to! It will give us a chance to get to know Aimee (our photographer) better, get a feel for her shooting style, as well as get more engagement pictures and really be able to plan out the session,which I really didn't get to do the first go around. We decided to schedule them for February 1st and in case it rains since it is winter, we will have February 2nd available to do them too. Our open house/tasting at MVI is Sunday Feb 3rd. I figured since we are already going to be there for that let's do it during the same trip! This has been the way it goes for every visit back home since I am planning long distance. Do a little bit of wedding stuff with each visit haha It has worked out well so far! It takes about a month to get our finished photos back so that will be early March which will still give us plenty of time to get our Save the Dates out. I am SO excited to be able to have Aimee do our engagement session I can't even tell you. Her work is absolutely wonderful and I know I will be so happy I made this decision.
I LOVE planning all of this out! So far I have absolutely loved this wedding planning experience! So far everything has gone very smoothly, I am sure I will change my tune at some point,but maybe not. I love planning stuff so who knows maybe I will love it every step of the way! :)
Thursday, May 10, 2012
25
My 25th birthday was yesterday and because I worked 10 hours, it definitely didn't feel like my birthday, and it was a little lonely since I was just hanging out with miss Julia all day. Although I was physically alone all day I felt so much love from all of my amazing friends and family from across the nation that it definitely made me smile. It is always nice to hear from people you may not hear from as much and to know they are thinking of you on your birthday. It also made me miss my friends even more than I already do! I have to be honest though....I didn't hear from a couple REALLY close friends and that really was disappointing, but besides that let down I can't really complain. We didn't do anything special, didn't go out to dinner, have a party, didn't have cake or anything like that but I got to spend some time with my love and talk to my little Aus and hear his sweet little voice and that was all I needed.
My love did give me some shopping money for summer clothes so that definitely sweetened the deal. When we moved here I literally only brought the "summer" clothes I had from our trip to St Lucia and I left/got rid of everything else so my summer clothing options are bare to say the least. So that is exciting what girl doesn't want to be able to go shopping for her bday :)
There is a Simon Happy Hour tonight so I will be having some bday drinks and celebrating with all of our friends so that should be a great wrap up of my birthday. I have to say being 25 doesn't feel any different than being 24...maybe my car insurance will decrease again and then it will feel different LOL oh and I can rent a car from another company besides enterprise....SWEET! ;)
Thank you again to all of my beautiful amazing friends and family for all of your sweet birthday wishes. I wish I could give each and every one of you a BIG hug! I definitely feel blessed to have so many amazing people in my life and I couldn't ask for more than that! <3
My love did give me some shopping money for summer clothes so that definitely sweetened the deal. When we moved here I literally only brought the "summer" clothes I had from our trip to St Lucia and I left/got rid of everything else so my summer clothing options are bare to say the least. So that is exciting what girl doesn't want to be able to go shopping for her bday :)
There is a Simon Happy Hour tonight so I will be having some bday drinks and celebrating with all of our friends so that should be a great wrap up of my birthday. I have to say being 25 doesn't feel any different than being 24...maybe my car insurance will decrease again and then it will feel different LOL oh and I can rent a car from another company besides enterprise....SWEET! ;)
Thank you again to all of my beautiful amazing friends and family for all of your sweet birthday wishes. I wish I could give each and every one of you a BIG hug! I definitely feel blessed to have so many amazing people in my life and I couldn't ask for more than that! <3
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Black Jack Ball
The night finally came and went. The long anticipated Black Jack Ball was last night and it was the most fun I have had in a LONG time! I had an amazing dress I couldn't wait to wear, I was excited to hang out with all of our friends and drink, eat, and dance and we did all of that! The ball was held at the High Falls in Rochester at a cool industrial type venue. They served us appetizers, had an open bar, and also served a great italian dinner! I think the thing I was most excited about at the actual ball was the photo booth! And that's EXACTLY why I am having it at our wedding....everyone LOVED it! We definitely took a good amount of photo booth shots, always so much fun! They also had casino games (not real money gambling of course) on the top floor which was fun, I didn't participate e in that but all of the guys seemed to enjoy it.
After the ball was over they had the party bus/shuttles take us to the after party at Pearl night club where we had our own private room and bottle service. It was so fun to kick off the heels, put on the flat and just dance ALL night! I had been looking forward to this and it was definitely SO much fun and I am sad it's over...can't wait till NEXT year! Our good friend is in charge of it next year so we are going to make it bigger and better! ;)
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