Invitations

While I just said that deciding on a photographer was probably the hardest part of the wedding planning process thus far, picking out our invitations trumped that.  I received a ton of samples from various companies but struggled with finding just the right one.  I wanted something fun and funky; John wanted something simple.  While he told me to find something that appealed to me, I finally decided that the price tag on fun and funky wasn't necessary considering they will simply find their way to the trash. 

I found a simple invitation from David's Bridal in order to match our color scheme and ordered them last night.  Deciding on wording and proofreading multiple times to make sure I didn't make any mistakes was stressful! LOL

Vendors

I am almost done booking all of the vendors for our wedding.  With only three months until the big day, that's a huge relief.

 

Catering

 

In order to make the day go smoother, we chose to use Bill at the Springfield Farmer's Market as our caterer.  While he runs Bill's Hot Dog Factory, his catering business is called It's All About The Food.  We are in the process of finalizing our menu, but at this time it consists of pulled pork sandwiches (one of my all time favorites), beef brisket, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, fresh fruit and cornbread.  We want the reception to feel like a casual backyard barbecue!

 

Photography

 

I just decided on and booked our photographer last night.  It was probably the hardest decision I've had to make during the wedding planning process.  We are working on a small budget but having professional pictures to enjoy years down the road is important.  I had individuals that are just starting out recommended to me that ranged from $400-500.  While I was a huge fan of the price, I just wasn't willing to risk it.  In the end, I chose www.colinhowephoto.com.  He was a vendor at the Wiser Productions Bridal Show in January, and I was impressed the moment we spoke.  After adjusting to the $1,100 price tag, I am extremely excited to see how his vision for our photos turns out.

 

Music

 

I was lucky enough to book a DJ that has been a part of my family since I was young.  While divorce meant he was technically no longer my uncle, I have never considered him to be anything but.  Now for the fun of creating a song list...

 

So what's left?  A baker!  I have a cake consultation at Bert's Bakery tomorrow, and I'm confident that I will be settling on them by the end of the day.  I fell in love with their almond poppy cake at the bridal show and can't wait to try their other cakes.

Ceremony and Reception Venue

I have selected the Springfield Farmer's Market for my ceremony and reception venue.  Weather permitting, the ceremony will take place directly behind the market in Begg Park. 

 

 

I envisioned decorating the pavilion with watermelon, pink and white paper lanterns or tissue pom poms.  These pages from the latest Invitations by Dawn catalog bring my vision to life!  The chairs provided by the market aren't for outdoor use, so I will need to rent them and have some decisions to make regarding what I want. 

 

 



I have always loved gerber daisies and am very excited about incorporating them into our summer wedding.  The bridal bouquets will consist of daisies as well as the table centerpieces. 

I still have LOTS of planning to do in terms of decorations, but I feel we have a good start.

Finally Making Wedding "Plans"

After attending the bridal show this afternoon, I finally feel like I have a starting point for planning our wedding.  Originally I wanted a beach wedding, but then I worried that stressing about weather would ruin the excitement.  My next thought was to have the ceremony at a small, white chapel and the reception at my parents' house.  It would be an informal, laid back BBQ.  Today, my mom finally voiced her concerns about having it at her home.  Much like me, she has reservations about depending on good weather.  I think we found the perfect venue!  Springfield Farmers Market has a banquet rental, and you can have an outdoor wedding at the park behind the facility.  I'm very excited and look forward to contacting them tomorrow to see if the facility is available on June 22nd and take a tour. 

 

I also got suckered by David's Bridal to schedule an appointment to try on dresses.  Time to assemble my entourage for next Saturday.  So, who's in?  Lol

New Year

I'm not usually one to make resolutions because it seems like you're destined to fail.  I consistenly talk about eating better and exercising more (or at all LOL), but resolving to suddenly do so just because the year changes doesn't mean it will actually happen.  I did decide, however, to give myself some other (hopefully attainable) goals.  #1  I have always been a fan of photography and took tons of pictures when my children were smaller, but I have gotten bad about getting the camera out.  I want to catch more random shots than just the usual annual photo opportunities.  #2  I'm not a morning person; never have been and probably never will be.  That fact has always made getting the kids up and ready for school somewhat challenging.  I can tend to be short-fused and low on patience because I'm not any more excited about being up than they are. LOL  I'm trying to take some time each evening to prepare for the morning in order to make it go smoother.  My biggest obstacle each morning is getting Lauren to wear something weather appropriate.  Getting the fight out of the way before bed seems to work better.  At least we aren't quite as pressed for time.  We'll see how both goals go and continue.  Life is SO busy and work is SO exhausting that relaxing is just about all I want to do when I'm at home, but I need to save myself some stress and disappointment by sticking with it.

Vacation... finally!

Besides the occasional weekend getaway, my last actual vacation was in March of 2010 when my parents took me and the kids to Disney World.  John and I are thrilled to have a vacation planned!  My parents are going to join us in August as we head up for a week of relaxation and fun on the lake.  Plus I'm looking forward to spending time with family.  I haven't been up to my grandparents' in nine years.  I miss the tranquility that the small town provides and want the kids to experience it.  I hope they have a great time and have fond memories to cherish like I did growing up vacationing at Platte Lake.

We are very excited about the cottage we were able to book.  In order to avoid a week of restaurant dining and driving around, we are looking forward to eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at "home."  The waterfront deck has a gas grill and picnic table that will come in handy.  

Living Room

Front view of the cottage.  Zack is most excited about being able to fish, so being this close to the water will be great for keeping him nearby.

Considering this is the first vacation John and I have been able to take together, same for all four kids, I pray that the week amounts to everything I wish it to be.  Watch out Curtis; here we come!

Fifty Shades of Gre...at Reading

After all the media hype surrounding the Fifth Shades series, I decided it was time to purchase the first book and dive in. I was immediately hooked! Lol After finishing the first book in paperback, I'm currently reading the second one on my iPad. I'm simply addicted.