Wedding Update

Mike and I finalized a bunch of wedding planning details a little over a week ago! We finalized some of the rental equipment for the Quarry (you know, all of the boring stuff, like making sure there are enough spoons and forks for everyone at the reception, and making sure there's a tent and lights and a dance floor and blah blah blah).

Mike's parents also chose a place to hold the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. They chose a nice restaurant in La Conner, just a few minutes away from the Quarry.

Then I finalized a couple of things with Alyssa, who will be doing our catering.

Over this past weekend, Mike and I did some honeymoon researching. We thought we had decided on Thailand, except then we learned that August is the rainy season. oops. Nixed that one. So we made a list of places with beaches that we would like to visit, and headed to the bookstore for some vacation research. Several of the places we looked at would be stuck in the same nasty rainy season as Thailand... but we came home with the following options: Morocco, Tunisia and Croatia.

Except then we got home and did some internet research... and discovered that August just so happens to be THE most expensive time of year to go to all three of those countries. double oops. we decided that we'd still love to see those places, but why not wait until December and pay 1/3 of the price we'd pay in August?

So we went back to the drawing board again, and now we're thinking about Jamaica. the cost is reasonable... but we're still looking into the weather. It looks like Montego Bay will be alright... it seems that it's the opposite side of the island that gets most of the rain, even though August is the beginning (or just before the beginning) of the rainy season, depending on where you get your information.

On the photographer front, we've got a consultation appointment with a decent photographer this weekend, and their prices were shockingly cheap. we saw their pricing packages and portfolio, and wanted to hire them immediately. I talked to them today, and it sounded like they've got the right day available.

So there you have it. we're getting tons of stuff done! (Now we're going to focus on relaxing for the holidays for a while) ;)

--Chrissy

Christmas

Chrissy and I have are celebrating our first Christmas together. Chrissy's sister Jenni was nice enough to take some Christmas pictures for us.

--Mike

The Proposal!

Mike "officially" proposed to me on Sunday, October 21st, 2007. (but of course you knew that was coming, with all of the wedding planning... and the announcement coming before the "official" proposal, right?)

Confused? Well, Mike and I had talked about marriage quite a while ago. He brought it up. I told him that i wouldn't say no to him... but that he had to wait and ask me properly.

So here's the story:
On Sunday, Mike took me out to the islands! We went to the Dungeness Wildlife Preserve. It borders the Strait of Juan de Fuca ~ (which is fancy talk for bordering the ocean). On the ocean side, there's a natural spit of land that goes out into the ocean 5 miles. Toward the end is a special lighthouse. You can sign up to man the lighthouse for a week at a time, but it's such a popular thing to do that you have to sign up about 2 years in advance. (Mike and i are going to sign up to do it on our 3rd Anniversary!)

Anyway, Mike and I walked along the spit for a while, and then we stopped to sit and chat on a driftwood log... and then Mike asked me to stand up. He looked into my eyes, and told me how much I mean to him, and what a positive influence I have been in his life during the past few months. He then asked me to marry him and be his wife. Of course I said yes, and that I would love to be his wife! I was so teary at that point that i couldn't see straight to take the ring out of the box! Mike graciously did it for me, and put it on my finger. I've been staring at the sparkling diamond ever since. He told me that he chose the most sparkly one they showed him. (and i believe it ~ you should see it in person! i've never seen such a sparkly rock!)

The ring is everything I have ever wanted in an engagement ring! I've never wanted a diamond bigger than half a carat... i've got small hands, and i don't like obnoxious jewelery... so half a carat is perfect for me! I've also always wanted a ring that shows off the metal a bit, with some interesting gold work around the diamond. Mike and I went window shopping together, but i wouldn't let him buy while I was there. I wanted to show him what i liked. He later went shopping alone, and had this ring custom made for me. And it's perfect! I left the choice of white or yellow gold up to Mike. I'm indecisive like that! He made the perfect choice! I couldn't possibly be happier with the ring!

--Chrissy

dresses for the girls

bridesmaid dresses are a bit difficult because 2 of my maids live out of state. Tiff is in Idaho now, and Jennifer lives in St. Louis Missouri. So that means that I can't take them all out shopping and see them in the dresses before making the final decision. (That said, i trust their judgment when it comes to choosing a dress)... but i still have to coordinate the look. that means that the best option is going with a shop that has locations here, in ID, and in MO.

I'm not interested in making the girls wear matchy-matchy dresses (which, fortunately, makes this process simpler)... but i do want them to get dresses that are similar in style, and the same light pink color.

I got a new copy of Brides magazine yesterday, and found an ad for Alfred Angelo (www.alfredangelo.com). Shops around the country carry their dresses, they have a great selection, and each dress comes in every color! AND the prices are decent! I sent a list of my favorites out to the girls last night, and 2 of my girls have already replied with their preferences. (interestingly, they both chose the dress that i would have guessed they'd like best. do i know my girls or what?)

I ordered fabric swatches to make sure i'm choosing the best color they've got. (i'm not so sure i trust my computer screen to show me the colors accurately)... after that, i think my maids are on their way to getting dressed for my wedding!

but i've still got to figure out the shoes. my thought is that heels would be uncomfortable and impractical for an outside wedding... some of my girls like open toed shoes... others can't stand 'em. so i'm in the market for 2 very similar pairs of silver shoes... one with an open toe... and one without. and maybe a low chunky heel? hmmm....

planning with the in-laws

i met Mike's brother over the weekend.. and i saw his sister and her family again. Mike shared our engagement news with his siblings over the weekend! He wanted to do it while his brother (Mark) was in town. (it's always more fun to share the engagement news in person!)

Laurie (Mike's sister) had some useful advice. Although i think we'll scrap the flip-flops idea, and the bamboo centerpieces idea... i did love the idea of putting the ring bearer in black shorts, a white dress shirt, and black suspenders. it just looks way better on little boys than mini tuxes do. i don't like seeing little kids look stiff and uncomfortable. (probably mainly because i remember what it felt like to wear clothes that were stiff and uncomfortable as a kid) ;)

We also asked Laurie to do a prayer during the ceremony. Our officiant is not a religious man (but he is an artist, which I love!)... so we thought it would be nice to invite a family member to do a prayer for us. Laurie agreed, then threatened to break out the Latin (which i thought was funny ~ but then i think everything is funny!) :)

I think we're going to have one of Laurie's youngest daughters (Maddie) help my flower girl, since Brooke will only be 2 1/2 next summer. Maddie will be almost 5. They're both totally adorable little girls ~ they'll be so cute together!

Marks' youngest son will probably be our ring bearer. There are so many kids between Laurie and Mark... I have trouble keeping them all straight. Laurie's kids are easier for me, because I've met them twice. They're incredible kids!

Laurie's kids are all very musically inclined, so we've asked them to do the music for the ceremony. Her oldest son will play the violin for us. (I know i'm going to start crying as soon as I see Mike and hear that violin! It's a good thing the bride is supposed to carry a handkerchief for that purpose!)

--Chrissy

shopping

i've been wedding shopping! doesn't it make you sick that 10 months before the wedding i've already bought disposable cameras for the tables? and that our wedding favors are half done? i think it was partly excitement about (finally) getting my first teaching paycheck (and therefore finally being able to contribute to our wedding planning fund)... and perhaps mostly the pure joy of planning my wedding. wedding planning rocks. i should quit my day job and become a wedding planner. heh

we're making our own invitations, so this afternoon i bought some pink and silver ink for rubber stamping... but that's as far as i got. i still don't know exactly how i want this thing to look. we do have the wording down, and i suppose that's half of the battle. the creative part will be fun... but there are so many choices i'm not sure where to start. maybe it's time to have my local bridesmaids over to assist with that?... (who doesn't love a good evening of Law & Order, wine, gossip... and crafts?!)... the best part about being an artist is that 90% of my friends are also artists, and can actually give some useful input on this kind of thing!

--Chrissy

travel

so we've started talking about possible honeymoon destinations. so far we've "narrowed it down" to any country bordering the Mediterranean (top contenders being Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece & Croatia), in the Americas we're looking at Belize & Brazil... and if our travel budget sucks, maybe one of the southern states with nice beaches... we're also looking at Japan, Australia, India, and Thailand. so yeah... we use the term "narrowed it down" very loosely. Our final choice will depend on August weather, and our final budget after all of the other wedding expenses. We nixed the idea of a cruise. We both think it would be cool to do a cruise of the Florida Keys, or an Alaska cruise... but not for the honeymoon. We're more interested in hitting a beach to relax and spend copious amounts of time just enjoying being together (and for me, at least one day to see the art, UNLESS we end up in Spain ~ because Spain is so super cool, i know we'll be back time and again... so I told Mike that my only request in Spain is that he goes with me to see the Alhambra. I know he would love to see it - because it's the coolest building on the planet!)

The wedding budget just got a little sweeter today, too. On my way out of work today, I ran into my principal, and she asked me if I would be interested in working on the yearbook (which she emphasized would be "extra work for extra pay") ~ I've always thought that working on a yearbook would be fun, and she thought the layout stuff would be a natural fit for their art person... so I told her I'm totally on board with that as long as I can work with someone who has done it before, since I don't have prior experience doing it. So my paycheck just got a little bigger today... and therefore my wedding budget just got a little bigger today. ;)

--Chrissy

engagement & traditions

i spoke to my dad today. he seems excited at the prospect of throwing an engagement party in november or december. i expect it to be a fairly small party, with just immediate family, and maybe some close friends. maybe my local bridesmaids (2 live out of state). Dad really seems to be looking forward to getting to know Mike's family.

Dad also asked if Mike is into fishing or hunting. (Dad asks that about people he wants to hang out with, because those are dad's favorite hobbies... it's a good sign) ;)

I doubt Mike would be interested in hunting (which is perfectly ok with me... I like the animals living). But he might like the idea of going out fishing with my dad. We'll see, i guess. I told dad that Mike would probably appreciate an invitation to go fishing sometime.

i also just updated the 'traditions' section of the website. i added several new things. on that note, i'm in the market for a pretty handkerchief to carry with my bouquet. i'm also looking for a "something blue" to wear.

the "something new" is easy... there will be a lot of "new" stuff. I'm thinking of wearing a pretty silver ring on my right hand for the "something old." it's a ring that my mom gave me when I was younger. It's very pretty, and I think it would look great with the ensemble ~ it also fits nicely with the meaning of the "something old" because it was passed down to me from my mom. (in case you missed it in the "traditions" section, the "something old" signifies my continuity with my family and my past).

Because the "something borrowed" is supposed to "transfer" someone else's good luck & good fortune, I want to borrow something from my bridesmaid, Tiff. Her and her husband Jeremy have a great marriage ~ one of the happiest and healthiest I know of!

maybe i can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by choosing a handkerchief with a bit of blue in it. or maybe not. i'm open to suggestions. i think the "something blue" is often incorporated with the garter, but i'd prefer to incorporate it in a different way.

so far i'm happy with this blog hosting site. it's customizable enough that it feels like it fits with the rest of our website. i think it's a keeper!

--Chrissy

brand new wedding blog

ok... so i'm testing blogs. i don't know if i like this one yet. (so bear with me if the BLOG link on our website takes you somewhere else next time)...

anyway, i'll give you an update! The biggest news is that Mike now has a best man! His best friend Matt just agreed to do the honors! (and i subsequently stole a photo of Matt from his wife's MySpace page and stuck it on our website. shhhh don't tell)!

Mike and i have already gotten a lot of our planning done. we can't help it - we're both excited about it. if we keep going at this rate, we'll have everything planned out months ahead of time! We've even been doing stuff like tying little pink bows on little silver bells for our guests!

This weekend we're going to visit one of my bridesmaids in Portland. Tiff hasn't even met Mike yet! But i know they'll get along smashingly! They're both awesome people! :) Tiff is excited to take us wedding shopping in Portland. Hopefully we'll have some time to look at bridesmaid dresses and such ~ but I told her we're only committing to doing as much shopping as Mike can handle. I know better than to ask a guy to shop all day - It's not nice!

--Chrissy