9 days later

I can't believe how hard it is to keep track of everything!

I slept through a Bountiful Baskets delivery. The guy was really nice and kept trying to call, but I missed him. I guess that's my charitable contribution to the community, right?

And then I lost the receipt to return a bunch of stuff to the craft store. We brought it back, and the best they could do for us was a gift card for the lowest price anyone's bought them for... which was 60% off. Figures.

BUT beyond that, I have a dress, I have my second fitting this week. Ordering N's ring. Picked up invitations Saturday, and they should go out Tuesday! Pictures look amazing. Contract getting sent out on Tuesday as well. Still looking for a place to live. And a crowd to help address envelopes. :)

My sister came to stay for the weekend, and it was actually a lot of fun. I wish I got to see more of her.

And, since it's now 2am and I have a test, a hw assignment, and a presentation in a few hours, I should probably get going. I'll leave with: I have THE best fiance in the world. End of story. Goodnight world.

Oh the Countdowns!

Yesterday made six weeks until the big day! And two weeks until Thanksgiving break, 45 days until Christmas!

A LOT has happened, so trying to update.

We've got photography narrowed down to three choices, and should have a final decision within 48 hours.

Sister Smithee ran the first cake trial, and flavor was a success! More pictures were exchanged, and we definitely have a cake. Thank you!

Grandma, Mom, Regina, and Gigi had a shopping trip Monday and began the buying process for food stuffs and decorations. Which reminds me, I need to head to IKEA to pick a few things up.

Invitation design is finalized, and a sample should be on my table by Monday. We should pick them up within a week.

We had Marie and her husband take pictures last Saturday, and they should be done soon.

Places to stay in VA are booked!

We're booking SD this week, too.

I HAVE A DRESS!!!! AND it's within budget. :) Mom's going to help me hem it when I get home, but getting other alterations taken care of here.

There's still a lot to be done, but it's starting to feel real. I'm actually getting married in 41 days. Wow.

Non-wedding related: S. kidnapped me this afternoon and we spent the evening painting pottery. I never realized what a stress-reliever it could be!

I found a tutor! I might pass this class after all. :)

And really ready for the weekend. Looking forward to a good movie night with N. We both need a relaxing evening, stress free.

A Little About the Process

Since getting engaged...

We enjoyed the first week and did almost no wedding planning. The bit that we did do, though, was the most important.

We needed to set a date. A cousin had gotten engaged over the summer and was also planning a winter wedding, so we tried to accommodate and coordinate plans. After many conversations with parents, each other, and each others' fiances, we settled on a slightly unusual plan: we're getting married on the same day, at the same place, just a couple hours apart. It means family can come to both without having major travel issues, more people can come, and both couples can be there for each other's big day. It wasn't what either couple originally had in mind, but overall I think we're all pretty excited about it. :)

After the date, we set up endowment times (www.lds.org for more information). Beyond that...

Week two we spent an afternoon at Lowes picking out paint swatches to send to parents for color ideas. The paint was rejected, though, so we ended up at JoAnn's to get ribbon pieces. We also picked up some Wilton Black and White Elegance invitations on sale. Originally, a great choice. Now, though, there are problems (more on that later). We scheduled plane tickets that second week, too.

Week three: Started dress shopping. Did a major inventory of bridal magazines and started clipping both pictures and coupons. Definitely coming in handy. Sent Mom all the colors, aforementioned pictures, and ideas I could. Started researching photographers.

Week four: went to a local bridal fair, where we actually found someone to put together our invitations for not much more than we would have, had we done it ourselves. AND it would save us the time and hassle. So we agreed, paid, and went to return the invitations. Problem #1: the receipt was nowhere to be found. Problem #2: when we got to the store, they'd only give store credit, and for the lowest price any of them had been purchased for: half price. Right now, there's no reason for $150 of in-store credit at a craft store. SO... if you or anyone you know is looking for some classy DIY black and white pocket invitations, I've got 150 sets of them (3 inserts, outer and reply envelopes, pocket, main envelope, and ribbon) for $100.

I also lost a dress I fell in love with, which I'm still grieving over. Records were confused, and the dress I put on hold was sold. So I'm back to hunting!

We had a professional friend graciously offer his photography services during the reception in my hometown!! Thank you, Erik!

We also had a coupon for a free engagement shoot from one of the top photographers in the state, so we tried it. We had a blast taking pictures, and the guy did some really good work, but the freebie was limited to the shoot, not the photos themselves. SO engagement pictures haven't been arranged, either.

Talked with a lady about making a cake, did lots of hunting and emailing around town for ideas, too.

Week four was really stressful school-wise: four tests, a quiz, and a paper all due that week. And to top it off, I had oral surgery (wisdom teeth) at the end of the week. Ever since, popsicles and pudding have been my new best friends.

And week 5: a lady from home has agreed to make our cake! She's really excited to try this, so working on a test one in the coming weeks, then contacting for more details. We may have a photographer (or two!) lined up for ceremony pictures, and at a fraction of the normal price. How? Hello, Craigslist! Be up front with your request and budget, and be prepared for a lot of people ignoring both. However, be patient; the rewards will come.

My grandmother has also agreed to make my dress if I don't find anything by the end of the week, so now we're sorting through patterns. I'm a little worried, but with under 7 weeks to go, there's not time to order one from anywhere. I'm hoping for a miracle on this one.

We also figured out housing/hotels for everyone from the FI's family, as well as night-before arrangements. We started our registry and finalized invitations. We've got our top choices for honeymoon locations narrowed down, too. AND we have a friend doing our engagement pictures this weekend.

There's still a long way to go, but we're making progress, and definitely still within budget!