500 Days to the Wedding

500 days! It's amazing how fast time flies. We've been engaged for about 10 months now, & we're about a year & a half away from tying the knot. I'm starting to get back into planning mode. I feel like it comes & goes. For a few weeks, I'll be doing a million wedding things. Then for 3 months, I won't even pick up a bridal magazine or log onto theknot.com once. Tonight I went with my mom & my Maid of Honor to pick out my dress. We went to David's Bridal, & I honestly didn't think I'd find my dress on the first night, but I think I did. The first dress I walked out in immediately brought my mother & J to tears, which I think was mostly due to the fact that it means I'm getting married & had little to do with the fact that it was an especially flattering dress. I tried on quite a few & still can't get over how heavy & uncomfortable some dresses are or how much a bride will spend on a dress. It's absolutely insane. I found a dress that I think is the one. Everyone says, you just know. They said that about buying a house, too. When I walked into this house, I was not convinced whatsoever the first time but the second time - I was in love. I wasn't 100% on the dress when I first tried it on, but I think that's because the dress was in champagne, & I just don't like champagne-colored wedding dresses. I have said for years that I wanted a white dress so champagne doesn't do it for me. However, the dress has to be special ordered in white... so I special ordered it, & when it comes in, in about 12 weeks, I'll go try it on again... Then, I think that I'll feel like it's The One. :) I'm just excited to have one less thing to worry about.

On top of the dress, I'm meeting with a caterer on Saturday, a cake bakery on Monday & Wednesday, & taking the bridesmaids to look at dresses on Monday night. It's going to be a busy week but I'm in the excited stage again, & I can't wait!

540 Days to Go

A little clock on the side of my Facebook page has been quietly counting down to the wedding for well over 600 days. It's much too far off for me to truly worry right now about the big day, but little by little, I'm trying to plan. I'm already overwhelmed, but I guess that's bound to happen. Our Maid of Honor (J) & our Best Man (Rey) were asked months & months ago. Back in October(ish), we asked my cousin Tony to be one of our groomsmen. Then we sort of hit a wall. It's rather awkward to ask somebody to be in your wedding. How does that come up in conversation? Should it be something special? Should I take each bridesmaid out to dinner? Should I write it in an email? I've heard of people texting the question but I feel like that's a little ridiculous. I don't know what the proper etiquette is. I remember when Mal asked me to be her bridesmaid, she did it over the phone. Everyone else went to dinner with her & she asked them as a group but I didn't live in the area & couldn't get out to be there. Tuesday night I accidentally asked Cole to be my bridesmaid over AOL Instant Messenger. I wanted to ask her on Christmas Eve, but she didn't make it by the party. I was going to write it on a Christmas card & attach it to her gift, but I forgot. Then I was going to ask her the day I went to her place to exchange gifts, but I didn't know how to say it. How do you come out & ask someone to be in your wedding, all out knowing how much it may potentially cost them & without making other people feel left out? The frustrations! Well, the other night, I basically told Cole I wanted her to come to a Bridal Expo with my mom, J, & me because I thought it would be nice to have a bridesmaid there with me. It took her a sec, but she got it so now we've got a few down & a few more to go!
I found my DJ back in October, & I love him. He seems fantastic. I met with my photographer in October & again in December. On Saturday Matt & I are going to Saco, Maine (where our photographers, Scott & Kristin, live) & are taking our engagement photos. I'm so nervous. Neither Matt nor I are very big into getting our pictures taken. I don't even think I'd be doing engagement pics if Scott didn't think it was such a good idea. I feel like it's going to be so awkward. However, it will be wonderful to get the contract done & get some time in kind of experiencing the photographers & getting to know them. I've known Scott for years, but I don't know Kristin very well & Matt doesn't know either of them very well so I guess we'll see how it goes! 540 days to go!