Possibilities...

Merry Christmas

Wow... how time flies! Want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I'm very lucky to have all of you in my life... and this year I feel extra blessed to have a roof of my own over our heads and a wonderful fiance to share Christmas with! Looking forward to 2010... this will be a year for the record books! Thanks again for a wonderful year!


P.S. I'm going to see if maybe I can go do some wedding stuff Saturday, January 2nd... if your interested... probably some dress shopping... let me know! :)

Our Lucky Day!

Turns out I was able to get the mason jars mom found on Craigs List! We at the moment have 24 blue antique Ball quart mason jars with the authentic metal lids! Only cost a buck a piece! How I'd like to decorate the tables... we will need a few of these per table... and more than likely we will have more than 12 tables. So please do keep your eyes open for more jars... I know one person that has 2 more... but even if we could find the smaller size that would be great too. If you reference the posting with the tables from long ago... you will get my vision!

Seems like everything just keeps falling in to place... I don't know what my next step is but hopefully it will go as smoothly as so far!

We have a ceremony location, a reception location, theme, decor, and photographer... with some good ideas of colors and bridesmaid dresses! Still searching for "The One"... dress that is... but I'll find it sooner or later!

Blue Mason Jars

If everyone could... keep your eyes out for antique blue mason jars for the wedding! The picture of the table I shown earlier in a post... shows 3 jars per table! Since they are antique and a lot of people love using them for weddings, they are hard to come by!

Mom had found 2 but they are very antique, even different style than to what the pictures above show!

They are soo cool and are the right blue for what we are going for. If we don't find enough, we can mix in some clear mason jars, which may look good if we put petoskey stones in the water of the flower mason jars!

Thanks everyone! As time goes on and the more and more ideas we get... the more and more exciting it is!

What to do, what to do!

I know everyone said you KNOW when you find your dress... but I don't know if I should go simple and beachy... or do dressy and fancy, cause whenever again will I get THIS dressed up?!? SO basically be me... or be me fairytale princess?!?! Hmmm.... what do you think? AHHHHHH.....

One More Check on the Wedding List

Vanessa and I meet with Ashley Folkema tonight! She was awesome with all my questions... and had a wonderful personality! For me, her pictures speak for themselves... she has tallent! She truely loves what she does and tries to make it fun for the people she is doing it for! Vanessa really enjoyed her work also, which also helped seal the deal for me. Organized, loves the outdoors, from a small town...which is exactly a me things! She will be perfect! I'm getting more and more excited as the planning goes! :)

A Special Moment from Ryan

Ryan has put his opinion in here and there... but has let me take control for the most part! One thing that was important to him and he has voiced this many times was... a traditional reception. The best man and maid of honor speeches, the prayer before dinner, the clinging of the glasses, the dollar dance, throwing of the bouquet and garter... and the mother/son and father/daughter dance!

As much as I don't see my father as a dancer... I'm willing to go along with Ryan's request!

Anyway... after a long day, I was watching TV up in the bedroom as Ryan sat in my chair watching football.

All the sudden I hear music... that doesn't seem to be going along with FOOTBALL! So I just kept cranking the TV so that I could hear my show!

Finally, he decides to head to bed. I ask him, "what were you doing listening to all those songs?" He told me... he was trying to find a song for his dance with his mom!

HOW CUTE IS THAT?!?! All on his own... making sure he finds the right song! :)

P.S. The song dad and I are dancing to is "Drive" by Alan Jackson... ever since I heard that song for the first time, it reminds me of all the memories I have with my dad! And a little secret between you and I... every time I do hear it, it brings a tear to my eye since it reminds me of what a wonderful father I have!

Bridesmaid Dresses the Girls Liked, in Pool

Here are some of the dresses the girls like for themselves:

Vanessa Pick

Vanessa Pick (same as top but different type of fabric)
Jill Pick

Jill Pick

Rachel Pick

Rachel Pick

Jenni Pick

Keri Pick

Keri Pick (it would be cocktail length)

Fun Shots while Shopping for Dresses

All the dresses in my dressing room!

My 2 beautiful brides! I'm so lucky to be the maid of honor for my 2 best friends!

The girls looking threw bridesmaid dresses!

Think they found some!

I found some...

Girls waiting on me

I'm an "angel" (inside joke between me and Ker from college, hehe)!

Thank you!

I just wanted to say thank you to all the ladies that spend their early-afternoon at the Bridal Gallery with me! I had a riot and was so happy to have you all there. I still can't believe HOW MANY DRESSES I TRIED ON! I think we have a few in the running but nothing that I can say "yes" to the dress to! I liked what I saw from the bridesmaid dresses... you all picked out such cute styles, that seemed like your styles. Looking forward to more fun times with all you ladies! :) THANK YOU AGAIN! I'm so lucky to have you all in my life!

Wedding Dress Hunt

Since the one and only, Keri Tate, is making an appearance for the GR Wine and Food Show on Saturday. We figured we'd get the show on the road and do some wedding dress shopping!

I was lucky enough to help Keri pick out her beautiful dress... that is so her... so we decided since we don't get a lot of time together that we would accomplish some of my wedding duties...

So if you are up for an adventure.... we are going to meet up at the Bridal Gallery, on 44th street by where Eastern intersects, at 11:30 a.m. Jill had found some dresses she liked, so I figured, I might have some luck! At the moment, Keri, Jill, and I are going to be there! Grandma and A. Pam might make an appearance! But anyone is more than welcome to come! Since mom is bugging me about colors, might even turn the table on the bridesmaids and put them in some dresses!

Give me a heads up if you want to come....

More Non-beach Photos...

Here are some photos we took around the park...

Potential Pictures for Save the Date Ideas

Here are a few non-edited shots my mom took while visited Kirk Park, the location of our ceremony! Let me know what you think! The hope is to create magnets using these pictures!

Another photographer I'd like you to check out!

Shannon recommended The Knots community where people post questions and their favs... thats where I found Ashley Folkema Photography.

She has recently gone out on her own, previously she assisted other photographers. But from what I can tell, she might be the star over the photographers shes photographed for!

She is awesome at capturing the personal moments... and does creative things with contrast and coloring!

So far, she has 10 wedding scheduled for this coming summer and has our date still open. I emailed her to see about meeting up and discussing more!

NOT TO MENTION... her rates are incredible! I can get everything I wanted and MORE for just $1000! That is hard to beat... in fact, it can't be beat!

Here the packages that offer what I am looking for:
Classic $800
Eight hours of wedding/reception coverage
Complete online viewing with password protected gallery
(1) 11x14 print from wedding day
(2) 8x10 prints
(4) 5x7 prints
DVD of high-resolution images from wedding day
Complimentary engagement session with (2) 8x10 prints

Blissful $1,000
Unlimited wedding/reception coverage
Complete online viewing with password protected gallery
(1) 11x14 print from wedding day
(4) 8x10 prints
(4) 5x7 prints
DVD of high-resolution images from wedding day
Coffee table album
Complimentary engagement session with (2) 8x10 prints

But to me, what is most important in a photographer is to capture the personal moments and to get Ryan and my strange silly relationship caught in a picture! :)
Here is her blog...
http://www.ashleyfolkemaphotography.com/blog/

Let me know what you think!

Save the date trial run...

After talking to my mom tonight... she has some ideas for "Save the dates" and suggested that we get some taken before we have snow in our pictures!

Hopefully, Sunday, if Ryan gets his hair cut... Linda Weavers Photography will give us a engagement session for some save the date snap shots!

She did some wonderful "we're getting hitched" photos for Jill... and did some beautiful fall "save the date" prospects for Keri! If she can do it for my sister and best friend, I know she will come threw with some wonderful ideas for Ryan and I! I mean I am her oldest daughter... and shes been taking pictures of me since I've been board! Can't tell me she isn't the BEST photographer for any pictures... but than too she can't be a mother of the bride and photographer all at once.

Only thing is... Lake Michigan is a little cold to be playing in this time of year....

Didn't think I would have something everyday since I started the blog!

Just thought I'd share the wonderful cards we received for the engagement!

THANK YOU!

I had just took down the house warming cards and got these. Not only though did we get cards... but also a balloon was waiting for us when we got off the plane from Mexico!

You are all so wonderful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Invitations

The first thing we had even before Ryan proposed was the wedding invitation! Ryan's friends that had a wedding this summer used the same invites and I thought they looked FABULOUS! Like they cost a lot of money! BUT... they were from Michael's! BRIDES Chocolate Pocket Invite Kit!

We bought 3 boxes, that have 30 invites in each... which should be plenty! Since we are thinking of blue as a primary color... I figured I would swap out the brown ribbon for a blue ribbon!

Also, what was considered one downfall by reviewers was they do not provide enough cards for the side pocket to have all the necessary cards (responce card, directions, ect.)! To incorporate the blue again, I figured I would make the response cards a blue thick card stock, matching the ribbon!

Its all about customization! :D I know when complete they will look like each cost $5.00! But... truthfully will probably cost about $1.75!

We have a date!!!

We officially have a date! September 11, 2010! At first we weren't sure just because of the devastation that had happened on that day, but we thought that with it being many years later that it was about time to try to make it a happy day again! PLUS... at The Harbourfront Grand Hall it was the only Saturday besides Labor Day weekend open for late summer! My back up day was September 10, but even that was taken!

SO... mark you 2010 calendars when you get them! Ryan and I still hope to in the future send out "Save the Dates" just cause it is the weekend after Labor Day and all...

YIPPEE... the hardest part is over! I'm setting up a time for next week to see about a photographer, Phrene! Check out her website at... http://www.phrene.com and let me know what you think! A friend of Ryan's had there pictures done by her and they were amazing! Also on Wedding Wire, she has a lot of wonderful things said about her and her photography!

Feels like I can stress less... and start to enjoy planning our wedding more!

On the way home...

While shopping for Halloween candy, I noticed the Dollar General in Standale had $1.50 20-count white with green cord Christmas lights! PERFECT for wine bottle lights! Which is an amazing price, since this summer I paid $7.49 for the exact same thing! I noticed while at the reception room, that all there big windows does not have outlets below them. So instead... I was thinking they would be wonderful for decor for the tables... the bar, gift table, coffee table, picture table (in place of a slideshow), and seating chart table!

I have a few pictures of what they look like! A lot of people drill holes in the bottom and run the lights up inside, not needing to run a cord out the top like you'd have to do if you didn't drill a hole. Maybe that will be a project for Ryan, dad, or dad-in-law!

Table Decoration Ideas

Here is a table where I LOVE the decor! The idea is to incorporate Leland, MI in GH! I was thinking of using corks, wine bottles, sand, petoskey stones, and cherries! But here shows great ideas for levels, containers, and linens! We will have not such a bright blue and probably not use the dark brown as a primary color but may a secondary in decorations. Also, blue mason jars are antiques... so maybe we can use Jill's idea of mason jars as decor similar to the pic but clear jars! For tables, such as the coffee table, present table, name card table, and possible picture table (since I would rather not do a slide show), I wanted to make the wine lamps using different leelanau winery bottles. Just ideas....

Reception Location

I figured since I showed you pictures of the ceremony location that it was only fitting to show pictures of the reception room. Sorry, they are a little dark.

Fortunately for mom and I, we were there on a Saturday when a wedding was taking place. They had it setup for over 200 people. We are looking at 120-140, which will give plenty of room for everything we could ever want!

They situate the "buffet" on the dance floor during diner. But we are looking at possible plated meals just cause of the selection of entrees you get is much better than the selection to pick from for the buffet.

Above are a couple views looking in on the room. Also, there is a picture of the bar and the coffee table which are located right by each other! The door to the right of the coffee table is to the balcony area! It allows you to look down on the downtown of Grand Haven and see part of the channel! Its a great place to get away from the music!

I have a picture of a similar table set up linens and decor wise! But I thought what this wedding did was also cute! Just change the colors from black and white to blue and tan/brown!