What a Wedding Week!

So much has transpired this week, I really feel like this wedding is becoming a reality! Save the Dates (or STD's as the fiance likes to call them) have been mailed, Tuxedo's have been chosen, Bridesmaid dresses have been ordered, Website has been updated, Contracts have been detailed, And finally we received the first proof of our invitation suite! I saw the email on my BB this morning as I was driving and was so excited to get to work and view it that I actually rushed. I never rush to work.

The sample was gorgeous, almost perfect on the first try. I know that with just a few minor tweaks it will become the most gorgeous invitation I could ever want. And to think that I came across them completely by accident. It was meant to be, as so many things with our wedding seem to be. It is all starting to become so real now!

The Dress (picture does not represent actual dress)

I have run into my first moment of hesitation with the wedding. It surrounds the purchase of my dress, and I suspect it is the direct result of constantly hearing how important The Dress is.

I found what i believed to be "my dress" a few weeks ago during a preliminary shopping expedition. It was discovered at a little boutique that I had second guessed even bothering with because usually boutique is synonymous with expensive. But i checked it out figuring at least I might gather an idea about what I want.
Low and behold, come to learn that this particular shop is in fact very reasonably priced, and the quality of craftsmanship exceeds that of more expensive gowns I had previously tried. The only downside? All the sample sizes were 14 or 16. The owner wants any woman who comes in to be able to try on a dress, meaning forget the 4's and 6's. A small girl can be clipped into a 14 but a large lady; ain't no way she's getting into a 4. Makes sense to me, and made me love this place a little bit more, but made it hard to know for sure how the dress would look once it was in my size.

I tried on the 14 and loved the feel of the fabric (like buttah), the lines of the dress, the style, the fact that the dress was going to be made specifically to fit my body and the tailor would personally handle all alterations, pretty much everything about it was wonderful. And it was one of the only dresses I had put on that made me smile like a 5 year old playing princess.

Fast forward to this past weekend when the female family was in town to participate in the purchase. There was the whole pomp and circumstance of trying on a few so they felt like they were helping me to choose, but when it really came down to it I had already decided on my dress. Luckily, once mom and sis saw it, they too were in love. And that is the moment I became unsure...

What? How? The panel had all reached the same consensus I had, and now i waiver?

Perhaps it is the finality of having chosen a dress and my concern that I might happen upon something better down the line. I mean there are still 8 months to go! What else am i going to do at work all day if I'm not perusing wedding gowns online? Every other task has been completed, this was the last unchecked box on my list.
Or, is the dress symbolic of the wedding itself? Does actually purchasing the dress make all of this more real to me? Is it ok to have a little bit of anxiety about getting married even though I am 100% sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that spending the rest of my life with this man is better than anything I could have imagined?

Payment is due today and I have a couple hours to figure it all out or wait for a sign. Hopefully when i go to the shop and see the dress, all is made clear one way or the other.

5 months of updates!

For a girl who likes to write, I am terrible at keeping up with this thing! So much has been going on, and I have so much to talk about every day that I decided perhaps i should return to blogging. Since we last met, I have gotten engaged! Yes, finally met someone who tempers me, and loves me and is worth the rest of my life. And I couldn't be happier that we are getting married.
So for the next 8 months, the majority of this blog will consist of wedding related crap. I am getting tired of hearing myself talk about this, so maybe getting it all out in writing will help prevent me from including it in all conversations with friends. That way people can read when they want, stay informed, and I can stop my oral wedding diarrhea.
So far, I am 3 months into the process and have made some terrific headway! I am a natural born planner, and my wedding is the perfect outlet for my control freak tendencies. We've got the sites booked, the dj, photographer, officiant, cake, BM dresses, florist, website and many others i can't remember. Click on the links to see what we've got...
This weekend my mom and sis come into town to help with wedding dress shopping! I have been waiting for this weekend for months, so excited that it's finally here. I can't wait to show them all the progress I have made, and all the cool places I have found for wedding stuff.
San Diego Wholesale Flowers is my new mecca! That place has everything anyone needs to do a wedding on a budget. It has sparked many new ideas for ways to put a creative twist on traditional wedding ceremonies.
Like The Wishing Tree. This is what I am currently most excited about. It's a new take on the guest book and it is going to be GORGEOUS!

Also, another HUGE help has been bridalinsider.com. I feel bad for all you poor ladies in other cities who don't have access to a site like this. It is a SD based site where future and former brides discuss, rate, review and recommend everything from who should do your hair to where to get your dress for the best possible price. I have learned SO much from this site. Who needs a coordinator when you have this tool at your fingertips? I mean day of, sure, but I certainly don't need to pay someone to do what this website does for free. I love it. I want to marry it.

Well that is all for now, check back soon and I promise to have something new for you!