D.J.

Yay! Check one more off the list! We've hired our D.J. I'm really excited, too because he has come highly regarded. I only have one more MAJOR vendor to find, then I'm done hiring them! I do, however, have a couple of little one's left. Cake maker is my last major, but I'm still waiting on my friends decision on whether or not she will be around next year. My two little one's are string quartet, and a videographer. So happy to almost be done!!

Bridesmaids Dresses and a possible Wedding Planner

We have FINALLY decided on a designer for the bridesmaids dresses! I'm so excited to have it in the bag, and every one agreed upon! Now, I just need to make a trip to Chicago with all of them to find some dresses! I don't necessarily need to be there for them to pick them out, but I'd love to be included. We're going to be using Melissa Sweet, which is great because she is also the designer of my wedding dress. I'm so happy!!

I, also, had a meeting with two potential wedding planners last week. I had contacted a girl from the knot, and we had been conversing back and forth as far as a day of coordinator (a person who is in charge of taking care of things i.e. set up/tear down of reception hall, making sure vendors appear and on time, so on and so forth). While talking to them, I thought that I could utilize them for more than just my DOC. We started talking about decorations, and vendor negotiating. They are two girls who attend MSU, but they really seem to know what they're talking about! Especially one of them. She asked me a million questions, and I felt confident that they would help me pull of an amazing wedding. I, also, like the fact that they're young and will know what I'm looking for, rather than dated things that I'm sure many wedding planners try to wrap into the day. I e-mailed them today, and will hopefully be hearing from the shortly as far as price. I'm really happy with my decision to go with at least a DOC. Hopefully, a DOC plus!!

As far as my florist, I have yet to hear from him! I'm going to call him tomorrow on my lunch break to try to find out if he sent out my price quote yet. I realize that he is busy, as he runs his shop pretty much by himself, but I am worried since he told me it should be getting here last tuesday, and here it is a week later, and I still have nothing. I really like his designs and views. He's just so talented! Hopefully, I'll hear from him soon!!!

Good day

I had such an amazing day, today! Well, we've had a really great wedding week. Last weekend, we went back home and went to a different hotel. I LOVED the manager we worked with. She was so accomodating, and the price she gave us was fantastic. It was perfect for our guests.

Today, I went home to drop off Harper, and then went to a meeting with my "new" florist. He was amazing. He asked a lot of questions, and I feel like he really sees what I'm envisioning my wedding to be. When we got done, he told me how sophisticated my wedding is and everything. He said how it sounds really different and imaginative. He, also, said how he'll have some mock-ups of flowers for me in about a week and a half, then I can decide whether or not I want to book him. I'm so excited!!!!

Then, when I got back to my apartment, I checked the mail, and we got our Save The Dates!!!! They came out perfect! I just need to slap a magnet on the back, and print off the papers, and I can mail them out! We're waiting until, January, so I have plenty of time, but I'm really happy with the way they turned out!

Floral, Flower, Florist

I posted a while back about how I made a deposit of $50 at a florist recently. I thought I was happy that I got this item checked off the list, but now realize that I think I made a major mistake. I didn't do much research because I haven't heard much about florists in the area, so I just went with the floral company that I purchased all of my bouts through for h.s. dances. Now, I wish I had done some more research.

My last (and first) visit to the floral shop was a pretty nice meeting. The designer seemed to know what she was doing, and was going to see if she could dye some gerbera daisies turquoise blue. If not, she would look for some really good silks for me. She told me that the next time I was coming home to give her a call a few days before I'd be there, and she would experiment with some different options, and I could come in and see if I liked anything. Well, when I called today, she told me that the dye kept coming off the flower (which I know that Gerb's can be spray painted, I've seen them before). She then told me that there was no other option for me to get a blue Gerb. I've read a lot of different people who have cut the flower a few days prior to the event, and placed the stem in a food colored water so that the flower would then take up the food coloring, therefore making it that color. She never looked at silks, never tried anything else.

I tried to make an appointment with her for this saturday, and she just said "Well, you can come in, but I probably won't be here." I just thought in my head, "then why don't you just say you can't make an appointment this saturday?"

Once I hung up with her, I decided to call this other florist that I heard about. When he answered, he was really nice and asked a lot of questions that I didn't even think about. I'm really excited to meet with him. My only problem is not knowing how I could get my $50 deposit back from the other florist shop. I never signed a contract (which is dumb, I know) but I think it could get me out of this since I'm not binded to them other than by $50. My parents already said that they would just eat the $50 if I can find a better deal through this other florist. I'm really hoping to find something good!

Florists, photog, and a church and country club

I am slowly checking vendors off the list. I have left the D.J., possibly the cake maker, possibly a videographer, and also the string quartet for the ceremony. Other than that, I am pretty much all set. I did, just recently, hire a florist. I went to the florist shop and sat down with their designer. I don't know much about flowers, so I'm expecting a lot of help here. We discussed a lot of the flowers I had/have in mind, and I showed her some pictures of bouquets I liked. She wasn't super helpful, but not completely bad. I decided to go with them (without doing much research) because there are really no other options. There is, however, one other store in downtown, but I used to buy my mom roses from there when I was a little girl and it always smelled and it was really dark and creepy looking. I just really wasn't turned on by the place, so I decided not to go. Bad idea. I went home to get my hair colored this weekend, and my stylist is getting married in September back in my hometown. We started talking about different vendors, and all of a sudden she just started raving about her florist... who happens to be the guy that works at the smelly, dark, old flower shop! She said how he customizes all the bouquets for every bride and bridesmaid. Crap... that sounds awesome. Then she goes on to tell me the price she's paying for all of her centerpieces, church decor, and all the rest of the flowers! Damn... that sounds amazing!! I'm going to try to meet with him, but I already made a deposit with the other florist so I'm not sure what to do... ugh... why am I always trying to just get things done???

A few weeks ago, I decided to call my church and reception site to ask some questions. First, I called my church. I started to ask her questions, and then all of a sudden she stopped me and asked my date again. I told her, and she was like you're not even in the book! I just told her that I called about a year ago and booked the church. I talked to the priest, and also another secretary for the church. No biggie, she put me in and I was all set. I was a little upset, but oh well it wasn't that bad. So, then I call my reception site. I called and was told a BIG surprise. Apparently, they had switched management companies and the contract that I had signed and placed our $500 deposit under was now in null. I was pissed. They also told me that we could not receive our deposit back since we signed with the other management. Uhm... and why didn't anyone inform me of this change? Later, I found out that we made the deposit 2 weeks before the change! Then, she goes on to tell me that I wasn't in the books! WHAT?!?! I DID NOT pay $500 for nothing! I was seething. I calmly ended our conversation, called my parents bawling, and they went over to check it out. Apparently the lady was quite snappy to them, but after a firm talking to by mom (surprise!) was calmed down. My parents said that it should still be ok, and that I really don't have much to worry about. Let's just hope... It's a good thing that I keep up with my vendors (or at least try to)!!

We hired our photographers, and I'm so happy! They were actually my second choice, but I'm so happy that we decided to go with them. They seem like a really cool couple, and I could actually picture myself being friends with them. We're having our engagement session next weekend with them, so we'll see how it goes!! I'm excited!!



In other news, my mom and I are talking again. It's always weird. We get into the biggest fights... hell, my entire h.s. years was one big fight... but if we just steer clear of each other for a while (like a month or so) it's as if nothing happened.

Mo is now my Maid Of Honor. I'm so excited and happy about it! She's been so amazing, and I'm so lucky to have her up there with me! Dan will still be my Man of Honor, but they'll just split the duties. She's saved me a ton of money too, since she designed our invites, save the dates, and anything else I could ask her! I'm so lucky to have such great friends!

Oh yeah, and a couple of checks off the list:
- Program layout













- Bubbles ribboned, and in the process of putting labels on









- A new set of initials for the door (bigger)









- Some of the favors