Table Numbers

December 20, 2012

A week or two ago, I went and purchased 25 frames (for about $200 total) to use for my table numbers. I would do number cut outs and put them in each frame to put on each table. I had planned to do this for awhile, but after buying the frames, I just wasn't sure I was feeling it. Today, I came up with a much more cost effective option (after I return the frames!) that will be bigger, easier to see, and go with the theme (city, Grand Rapids... etc).

Each of the numbers also had a downtown GR street name, so they are kind of like addresses. That makes our reception downtown GR and the guests each reside on one of the main streets! I wasn't sure how to incorporate the theme but I think this works great! I'm going to make them look much fancier than what you see above (matching our colors and whatnot), but I'm excited about it! I'll have to figure out the sizes, but that's a good thing to ask Tracy, my florist. Yay for a creative Thursday!

Save the Date: June 8, 2013

December 13, 2012

My good friend and Mistress of Ceremonies, Kristin Huyck, put together a quick Save the Date for me. I wanted to send out the magnates in my Christmas cards, so I had to take the photo myself. It was cold and windy and we just did it out back at work, but I think it'll do the trick. My photographer will be doing the REAL engagement photos sometime in January, but this will do for now! Anyway, here it is! Save the date!!!

The When & Where

December 12, 2012 (12/12/12 :)

Even though I JUST got engaged officially, Mike and I have been talking about this whole wedding thing for awhile. When he said he wanted to get married next year, it looked like June (a month where I only have one wedding in the summer) was the only option to still get my spring wedding. I told him that if he wanted to do it THAT soon, I really needed to start finding out if my vendors are available and looking for a venue. That last one was trickier than I thought! Most people start wedding planning at least a year ahead of time, but without that luxury, a lot of the places I thought of were not available. I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for, so I was just hoping to find SOMETHING that was open.

I got two calls back for open June dates (mid June, BEFORE summer, for reasons I won't go into) and they were oddly enough the two places I was most interested in. First, I looked at the Spring Lake Country Club, which I had always seen beautiful photos of, but it just didn't do anything for me somehow. Then I went to see the brand new City Flats Ballroom in downtown Grand Rapids... it was open for June 8, 2013, and I was sold. It's a new space so very few have gotten to use it yet (I always liked being one of the first!), it doesn't need a lot of extra decorating, and it's indoors, so I won't have to freak out about the weather. AND it's right in downtown GR and the city wedding idea has REALLY stuck with me. I'm so excited. I took Mike to see it again and we put the deposit down. Yay!

One thing about it is that it's not HUGE. It holds 200 guests, max. While this will help us have a good reason to tell people that we have to be very picky about the guest list, I'm worried that it's going to be very hard to get the list down to that point. We've got our work cut out for us in the next few months. But it's such an awesome place and I'm so excited. I'm pretty sure Mike is too!!!

^This place used to be a bank... a swanky one from the looks of it! Here's the entrance stairway.

^The wedding set-up is awesome. I probably won't torture my photographer with this lighting but it's so cool!

^See?!? Isn't it amazing?

^Chiavari chairs are so classy. And they don't even need covers :-)

^ Another view from the mezzaine with the reception set up. So cool, I can't wait!

Wedding Dress: Check!

December 8, 2012

So even though I didn't KNOW I was going to get engaged that very day, I already had an appointment to look at dresses while my mom, Patti, was in town. She, my sister, Kara (also Matron of Honor), my future mother-in-law, Charyl, and another bridesmaid, Angie, came with me to downtown GR to visit Renee Austin Wedding. This cute little boutique helped me out with a photo shoot I did quite a few years ago when I was young, green and not very good yet with the photo thing, and I knew someday I would return the favor by visiting their shop for my own wedding.

Maggie helped us out using a photo list of Sottero & Midgley dresses I had printed. Low and behold, the FIRST dress I tried on was awesome! We tried lots more but I just couldn't get away from that one. It's got straps (which was a BIG help for my large chest ;), a lace up back (awesome for form fitting :) and is made of charmeuse fabric, which is super silky and soft. I think it might get a little hot under all the fabric in June but we'll be inside most of the day so I'm not worried. It's got lots of pretty flourishes and just enough sparkle to make me happy. Gorgeous! Now if you don't want to see the dress yet, do NOT scroll down! It will look even more awesome on the big day though. Not sure on the veil yet, I'm leaning toward hair flower instead. Can't wait to get it in April!

Engaged!

December 8, 2012

Since my OTHER blog is mostly for business, I thought I would do all the planning posts here (with a few exceptions, like this one!). That way everything is all in the same place and I can feel like I can bug anyone as much as I want with my wedding planning craziness! It'll be fun to see how it comes together!

Anyway... to business! This weekend, I got engaged to my boyfriend, Mike! Finally! Haha. He took me on a walk in downtown GR, got down on one knee even with the city in the background on one of the walking bridges and asked me to marry him! So exciting. I love my ring and my favorite part about it is how SPARKLEY it is! Gorgeous! We are getting married exactly 6 months from the day he proposed, so all the planning is already in full swing. Yay!

Any Day Now...

^Photo by Misty Minna Photography

So I've neglected this little personal blog of mine for a year and a half. I had every intention of getting back to it and chronicaling my buddy Kristin's wedding day process, but I'm so far behind, I think I'll not bother to catch up. However from now on, I will share the big events (her shower is in two days, and we'll do the bacheloretter party too, why not?!?).

But the REAL reason I am writing is because Mike just told me that the house sale is looking pretty good. If all goes well, he goes to the closing tomorrow and the house is no longer his. In the interim of us finding a NEW house, we'll be living with Charyl and Ron in Byron Center, which is not ideal when looking for homes in Rockford, but we'll manage. I'm excited! We have until the end of the month to get out. I am sad because little Pete is going to have to go live and Mom and Dad's until we find a new house (Charyl can't have cats around as she's allergic and I can just imagine all the havoc Pete would wreak at their house), but that will motivate me to find a house that much sooner, I think.

And also, I have secretly started planning a real wedding. Not like the ones I do every couple of months because I'm bored at work... a REAL one. Mike's biological clock is ticking, and he wants kids. I said we aren't doing that until I am married. And I do have almost a whole month free in June... while planning a wedding that quick isn't my ideal situation, I love that time of year and it fit with just about everything else. Mike agreed and says although we must keep it hush-hush until it's official, I've already got venue appointments and an appointment with my potential photographer (so sad it's not Summer... she's not available on the day the venue I want most is open... but we'll see). Working on the florist and cake lady too.

So with the house sale (likely, fingers crossed) going through, I am expecting something sparkley any day now...