Programs! Programs! Get Your Program!

This is one part I was really hoping to save some money. I was going to do these all by myself and we weren't going to spend all that much on them. But like most everything else with this wedding... I was WRONG!

I created the first program and it was nice, but it was lacking color. So then I was going to cut out some colored cardstock and glue it up there like a border. Yea, like I have time for that. So then we were going to color copy the programs on cardstock. Um... not for $1.09 a copy!

Soooooo while we were at Meghan & Tyler's wedding (and I woke up early one morning freaking out over it!) I thought about checking out Michael's to see what they have. Well they had the exact purple with ribbon that matched and coordinated perfectly! So we found as many 40% and 50% off coupons as we could possibly find and cleared Michael's out. And the one at the beach.

We ended up spending more on the programs that I had originally thought but we're still not too bad since we were able to get them for 40% off. Now I just need to get some child labor students to help me put them together.

Back to School!

Summer is over and I definitely didn't accomplish all that I wanted. (I mean, we REALLY didn't think I'd get everything done, huh?) But we have had a very productive summer. The house has been totally renovated and complete for almost two months now. I'm loving it, I just wish I had more time to clean and keep it looking all nice and new. Most of the wedding stuff is in place. I have all the presents wrapped, plans have been finalized on the reception and most of the music. I have started packing up boxes to take to the City Hotel for the reception & to the church for the ceremony. And the programs have been bought, now all we're waiting on are finalizations on the musicians so we can print the inserts. (Programs are another blog...)

So this weekend we have some big decisions to make -- what music we want/don't want at the reception, what songs we want played as we walk down the aisle, the timeline for the wedding weekend, transportation from the church to the City Hotel, how we're going to get luggage from one place to another... and probably even more that I haven't even thought about! We're going to buy Daddy a new suit for the rehearsal dinner (which is a big deal seeing as how he hasn't had a new suit since he married my mom!!) and I'm excited about that.

I am back to teaching full time now and in school part time. My weeks are full of lesson planning and research on middle grades students. There's very little time for wedding planning but that's ok. Right now, my students are the most important thing in my life. The wedding will take care of itself (wow... that's definitely not like me to think that!) and I've delegated some very responsible people to take care of all the little things that are going to go on.

We're Legal!

Blake & I went today and got our marriage license!! I know we're still 52 days out but since that's something that we have to do TOGETHER during the hours of 8 and 4:30 before the wedding.... we decided to go ahead and get it done before school starts back. There's no way I can get back to Greenville before 4:30 and that's prime sleep time for Blake. So we went ahead and got it all done. Now all we have to do on October 2 is say the vows, get it signed, and we're legal!!

We also finished up pre-marital counseling today and I guess that means we got the go ahead to get married! yay! We talked through the ceremony with the minister, selected our scripture, and worked out some of the details.

Final decisions were made about the reception and decor on Monday when we met with the florist and reception coordinator. I'm glad those things are done and everybody's on the same page. Bridesmaids and Groomsmen gifts have been purchased now we just have to get them wrapped. We're now down to the little details like greeters and such.

We leave Friday for our beach getaway and to get Meghan & Tyler married! We're so excited and can't wait to share their special day with them!! :)

New House - Final Update

So we've been done with the condo renovations for about three weeks and I've failed to post updated pictures. Remember this? Yea, not so fantastic. But now... how about this:

Master Bed & Bath -- Didn't do much to the bath, just new shelf objects

Guest Bath - After a few fiascos with paint, we ended up with the same color

Guest Bedroom/Office/Wedding & All Else Storage Room

You like Blake's transition to the city with his deer? At least it's not in my living room. As soon as we have a big house, it's going in the man cave. And like my MOH dress? T minus 12 days until Meghan & Tyler's wedding! :)

And now for the biggest transformation...

The Living Room (Without a rug... a big transition for Paisley)

The Kitchen

Look at that granite!Dining Area - LOVE that rug!Blake's new toy. My wedding staging area near the guest wing

Right after the furniture was delivered. Paisley & Lilly immediately made it their own!

So what do you think? We are enjoying it so far. It's definitely the last of any remodel/redecoration in our near future. We're not renovating again until we buy our real first home. For now, at least we have more of a grown up house instead of a just thrown together college apartment :)

"This Ring ain't something that I mean to give you and then take back.."

Blake & I went awhile back to pick out my wedding band and since the price of gold keeps going up we went ahead and bought it. So I've had my band sitting around staring at me and every now and then I'll go play dress up just like I did when I was a kid.. :) Picking out my band was the easy part because it matched my engagement ring. None of the others even looked right with my e-ring because of the way it curves down. Now picking out Blake's ring was another story. We looked once and left. We looked again and left. And finally on the third time I told Blake that he HAD to pick a ring. He put them on and off and on and off and on and off... omg! He finally picked a ring and I love it! It is really fitting for his personality and (if it ever gets worn) it'll look good. (It's normal to me for men not to wear wedding bands, my dad hardly ever wore his growing up because of his job.) So it'll definitely be an adjustment for Blake come October 2 (and I doubt he'll play dress up with his ring) but we have another  check off the list!

my ring and then my ring with the engagement ring

Blake's band.