LA Brides

Deal of the day

2009-08-28T13:01:00.002-04:00

Being married keeps you busy. Seriously. Well, I think it's more that we're both working and coaching (he's assistant Varsity Volleyball and I'm doing middle school cheerleading) every day and by the time we get home we're lucky if we get time for dinner together. However, this weekend will be our first married weekend at home together. We're going to slow down, take time together, and finish some last minute projects.

While I haven't had a lot of time to cook and build my domestic skills I do aspire to be a great Southern Belle, who hosts amazing dinner parties and has a home that always smells of something baking and is warm and welcoming to all. Right now that's just a dream. . . .

If you dream like me (or know someone who does), then take advantage of today's Deal of the Day:
Southern Living magazine 1 year subscription for $5!

My mother "takes" Southern Living and now I shall join her! I also sent a gift subscription to my MIL. Maybe in a few months I'll be a domestic goddess and a true Southern Belle. . . .

Happy Friday!

--Love

Newlyweds!

2009-08-07T12:08:00.006-04:00

Hello, I'm Mrs. TLC!

Yes, I'm finally back online after taking an extended break for the wedding, honeymoon, and to set our house up.

Do you like the new look? We figured that since we are newlyweds now LA Brides needed a new look too. If you read us from Google Reader (which I love) then it's worth it to click on over to LA Brides for just a hot second to see our updated look.

I have so much to tell you from the long list of things that went wrong before the wedding to sharing our home renovation results with you all. I promise to be more active soon, but being a newlywed is keeping me more busy than I anticipated!

First, it feels good to be married. Really good.

As a former professional bridesmaid, my first question was always "Does it feel weird to be married?" And to be honest I expected being married to feel slightly "weird" myself. Nope. It's different in ways I'm not sure I'm even qualified to describe yet. I have this overwhelming peace that all is well and I really do feel like I can do more now that I'm married. Marriage has brought peace to my life that I never expected it would.

I was never afraid that B would leave me, but marriage has brought an added sense of commitment to our relationship. He's really mine, and I am really his in ways that seem different than before. In other words, we both feel much more "in it together" now.

Our wedding was everything we wanted it to be and I'm so grateful for that, but I'm also glad our marriage has begun.

More to come, promise!

--Mrs. Love

Who are these attractive newlyweds? LA Wives!

Secrets Revealed!

2009-07-30T10:30:00.001-04:00

When last we left the Bachelorette Party Shenanigans, I was blind-folded, in the back of Leah's car, and singing/dancing to "Boom Boom Pow." Oh, and clueless as to where we were going. It looked something like this...

Next thing I knew, I was clutched on to Lisa's arm like my life depended on it, walking down a street at locations unknown. When the took off my blind fold I was at the top of a set of stairs...Leading down to The Melting Pot!

If you've never been to the Melting Pot...you should go. It's fondue. It's an experience. And it's delicious. There are 4 courses available at the Melting Pot: Cheese Fondue, salad, entrée, and dessert. You can purchase a variety of "packages" for two: just cheese, just cheese and entrée, just dessert, everything, etc. For our party, we went with just dessert. We had four different kinds of chocolate fondue, and a plate of yummy stuff to dip! You share a plate of "dippers" with someone, and we passed our fondue forks up and down the table the whole time to try the different concoctions. YUMM-O! (For the record, Erin, my sister/MOH picked out our location. We had celebrated Erin & Matt's anniversary, and Carter and my dating anniversary, there last October.)

White and Dark Chocolate. Yin Yang Fondue. Yum.

My personal favorite, Flaming Turtle. That's right, it's on fire.

S'mores

The plate of goodies. Cheesecake, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, rice crispy treats, etc.

If you choose the "Big Night Out" option (all four courses) be forewarned: you'll be there for at least 2 hours. The courses come out slowly, and you cook all of your food in the fondue pot. So it takes a while. Not the greatest option if you have a tight timeline. But definitely worth it if you've got a while and someone (or several someones!) that you love.

My worlds colliding in a good way: Julie, Lisa (both from college) Melissa, Leah (both from home) and me.

Sister/MOH Erin, Becky & Allison

Lamb & Manna

I had SUCH a wonderful time at my bachelorette party. A HUGE and unending thanks to Erin and Melissa for putting it all together; to Lupe for the wonderful party gifts; and to Beth, Manna, Alyssa, Leah, Lamb, Becky, Allison, Lisa, Love and Julie. You're the best friends anybody ever had!

-Amoré

(PS, points if you can name the movie I quoted in the last line of the post!)

Have you seen this?

2009-07-29T22:18:00.003-04:00

While avoiding writing my recaps posts (but my pro pics came in the mail today! Yay!) I invite you to share in this glorious video. Please forgive the lack of embedding. "Embedding disabled by request."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

I have gotten this link in an email 3 times this week. Three Times. That's a lot for a single YouTube Video. And while I try to avoid blatant YouTube-ing at work, I had a chance to watch the video tonight. (While waiting on my pictures to transfer from disc to hard drive!). I love it!
It's cute, it's funny, and you can clearly get a picture of how fun and wonderful this couple really is.

What's the most unique bridal party entrance you've seen or been a part of? Would you be willing to do this if a friend asked you to?

-Amoré

(and a gratuitous wedding pic, complements of Mark Boxley)

Love is TLC!

2009-07-18T21:36:00.004-04:00

(First, sincere apologies from Love and myself for the lack of posting. We're both married now, and will have much more time to devote to catching you all up! PROMISE!)

Last weekend, I was privileged to direct, be a part of, and witness the joining of Love and B in holy matrimony. There are so many stories from that day and the week leading up to it, but I

will leave you with only a picture...and an assurance that the wedding, reception and marriage that ensued were beautiful, perfect, and everything Love & B deserved. Thank you both for letting me be a part of your day!

-Amoré

Honeymooners

2009-07-01T09:14:00.003-04:00

I'll be married in 10 days! Wow!

At this point all we're doing are little details: final gifts, thank you notes, and most importantly moving my things into our house. I often find myself day dreaming our honeymoon these days. We'll be spending the week after our wedding at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios in Jamaica. We actually booked the honeymoon in late December and took advantage of their 65% sale, which made an all inclusive honeymoon affordable for us.

I'm already trying to get "free" things for our honeymoon much like Monica from Friends. Sandals offers rose petals on our bed, breakfast delivered to our room, and champagne for our first night as honeymooners. We simply need to fax or email the resort a copy of our wedding invitation or license. We're taking full advantage of that! Now if I could only get something out of our airline . . . .

Sandals is all inclusive. All Inclusive--doesn't it just roll off the tongue? That's one of the things we're most excited about. I'm famous for bragging about my bargains and deals (remember any of my deal of the day posts?), but the truth is I feel guilty about spending lots of money. I knew that if we went on a honeymoon where every meal and indulgence had to be paid for right then, I would experience lots of honeymoon guilt. The solution? All inclusive where we don't have to pay up front for basic water sports, any daiquiri I might order, or the times when I'm sure I'll want double dessert.

Another great thing about this option has been the payment plan. We were able to put around a 50% payment down in December, but we had until last week to make payments however we'd like. This meant that we could budget how we paid for our honeymoon. We were able to pay it off a few months ago knowing that the last minute wedding and home improvement bills would soon start adding up (and they certainly have).

Many of my married friends have spent their honeymoons at Sandals and have had an amazing time. Yes, it's certainly not the most creative honeymoon, but we will certainly get what we want: time together, R&R, great food, drink, and a good time.

Did you get any freebies as honeymooners? How'd you do it :-) ? Where are you spending your honeymoon?

--Love

All the Single Ladies

2009-06-18T13:57:00.007-04:00

The wedding weekend of wonderfulness began with celebrating as a single girl. If you'll remember , I don't drink. Not even a little. Not at all. So, this presented a bit of a challenge for my sister and MOH Erin, and my BMs. However, these creative girls planned the best bachelorette party I could have asked for!

The whole gang. Top Row: Allison, Julie, Manna, Beth, Leah, Lamb; Middle Row: Becky, BM Melissa, Love; Front Row: MOH Erin, Me, BM Lisa.

The hilarity of the evening began with my father innocently asking if my friends coming in from out of town were coming to our house first, or just going straight to Melissa's. He was quickly reprimanded--scolded, really--for spilling the beans. See, I had NO IDEA what was in store; only that I was to be ready at 7, and not to worry about eating a lot before we left. So, I knew the first part of our journey: that we were going to Melissa's. (Turns out two of my friends coming in from out of town would have ruined the surprise anyway, as they both sent texts telling me they would see me at Melissa's!)

Once we got to Melissa's, there was a spread of delicious (and aptly named) food. We had carrots and dip (d*cks and dip), different varieties of peanuts (hot nuts, etc), and even a summer sausage that you sliced with a tiny meat cleaver (named after Lorena Bobbit!) We snacked, and then the games began.

Our first game was for me only--we had fun feathered masks (similar to the ones we sported for Lisa's Bachelorette Party) with different words on them--Wild, Sexy, Single, Hot, etc. I had to choose which girl got to wear which mask for the evening. Then, while wearing our masks, we played the next game, Love Bingo!

You can find DIY instructions for this Martha Stewart game here, but we played on a pre-made version that Melissa picked up. Each player has a LOVE (instead of Bingo) board, game pieces, and a little sign that says "bride" on one side, and "groom" on the other. Melissa then read out questions to which the answer was either bride or groom (who was the first to say "I love you"? Who's favorite candy is York Peppermint Patties? Who will clean out the litter box? etc). Melissa talked with Carter to get good questions and answers for our game. After each question, the players hold up their sign with their answer. If they got it right, they got to cover up a number on their board. It was such a cute game--and a great way to share a little more of our relationships with our guests.

Next up was Bridal Pictionary. We split into teams, and we had everything wedding-related to draw: from wedding dress to personal lubricant! One team even got lucky (pun intended!) and called out "condom!" before the artist even had time to draw. Turns out they were right!

Allison's an artist!

Goodness knows we laughed during this! MOH Erin's team ended up winning. They named themselves Team KY...

Turns out that was an appropriate name for them, as the prizes were goody baskets sent with love from one of my best friends from high school, Lupe. She couldn't be there with us (she lives in Arkansas now), but she was there with us in spirit. Lupe works for Johnson & Johnson, and she was able to hook us up with some amazing J&J products. Baskets included, but were not limited to: KY Yours & Mine, sunscreen, lipstick, and a first aid kit. The four members of the winning team got a basket, and I got one for being a bride.

Then, just like on Oprah's Favorite Things, Melissa disappears and comes back into the room bearing the contents of the gift baskets for EVERYONE. That's right, Lupe is amazing and sent enough goodies for us each to get our own! (these didn't come in an easy-to-carry basket, but were no less amazing!) It was awesome!

THEN, just when I thought it couldn't get ANY better, Melissa comes out with a gorgeous touille box filled to the brim with goodies wrapped in tissue paper. Each one had a tag on it to "explain" what was inside. Let me tell you, this thing was unbelievable. I am now the proud owner of every KY product ever made, as well as band-aids, poison ivy scrub, sunscreen, chapstick, and who knows what else. An example of a tag "For when you do it in the woods, and choose the wrong spot." That tag was on the poison ivy scrub! The gift was SO cute and creative--not to mention useful ;) The box was also so pretty, it was almost better than what was inside--almost!

Julie's jealous, you can tell! And that's Lupe on the phone, so she could experience the opening of the box even though she wasn't able to be there in person. If I haven't said it enough, LUPE ROCKS! Oh, and that balloon? There were lots of those. That one was tied to my wrist ALL NIGHT. Thanks, girls!

The next thing I knew I was blind folded and riding the back of Leah's Suburban, dancing to "Boom Boom Pow" without a clue as to where we were going...

Next up: Secrets Revealed!

Have you ever gotten a fabulous party favor from a Last Night Out?

--Amore

2009-06-18T10:58:00.003-04:00

You must check this out! Weddingbee's Mrs. Meatball is one of LA Brides' favorite bloggers. We also follow her personal blog, The Broke Ass Bride. She has her own unique style and is the most creative bride we know.

Her husband (an actor) wrote this rap for her and they showed it at their reception. Read the story of the video here. Check it out!

Fresh Hubby of LA from Digital Princess Productions on Vimeo.

--Love

The Final Countdown!

2009-06-17T13:00:00.006-04:00

Things look a little slow over here at LA. I promise I have not forgotten about our fabulous blog/outlet/guilty pleasure. I always judged bridal bloggers who slacked off in the busiest time of their planning. I thought that if you were a good planner then you could keep everything under control. Boy was I wrong! Coming down the home stretch snuck up on me in a big way!

I have lots to catch everyone up on and I promise I'll do my best. Invitations, drama, showers, bachelorette party (see our toast), playlists, details, and stress are all on the way.

24 days until the wedding. Can you believe it!? I can't! I told B the other day that some days I feel as if it's still sinking in, but it's about to be here regardless. One of the best thing about the home stretch is my wedding countdown. The tradition started last year when our friend Lisa (remember her great real wedding) was showered with a wedding countdown and has been passed to each sorority sister bride-to-be since. Amore and I were given ours at our joint shower.

The wedding countdown is simply that: a countdown. Each day for the 30 days leading up to your wedding you open a note. Ours were displayed in a gift box and the countdown was written on folded up squares of scrapbook paper. I'm only six days into the countdown, but already it has brightened my days! Because every guest at the shower writes one-or as many as it takes til the guests finish 30-you get a variety of messages. So far I've gotten notes about what a beautiful bride I will be, inside jokes, and messages of: "x days til honeymoon sex!" I never know what the day will bring, but I always know it will start my day reminding me of the wonderful women who support me through this process.

I decided to make one for B too. His is obviously very different from mine. For his I wrote 30 reasons why I love him/want to marry him and folded them up in a box for him to open every day. He's been so great through all the wedding stress that I thought during the last stressful days it might be good to remind him what this is all about. So even on the days when I have an emotional breakdown over ceremony music (or last night), I make sure that I he's reminded how much I want our marriage.

Are you doing anything to countdown the days til your big day?

--Love

Officially ABC!

2009-06-10T11:45:00.004-04:00

A lot's happened since last we spoke! I apologize for my looooong blogging hiatus, but I promise to post lots and lots of pictures and wedding recaps--as soon as the pro pics roll in! For now, here's a teaser shot:

I have also decided that I'll start off my post-wedding posts by talking about the name change process. (I have always known that I would change my name. There have never been any doubts as to whether or not I would, and I'm excited in a nerdy way to sport my new driver's license!)

If you're active in the wedding blogosphere, you know that contests abound. I entered one from Junebug Wedding's What Junebug Loves blog, and I won! What did I win? A gift card for complete services from MissNowMrs.com! I was so excited to get my gift card in the mail. I kept it in a safe place till I had my marriage license in hand.

Here's how the service works: You purchase a package online--either the basic package, which is $20 and gives you completed forms for the Social Security Administration and the DMV, or the complete package for $30. The complete package involves paperwork not only for the SSA and DMV, but also for your voter registration card, the IRS 8822, passport, USPS and notification letters for anyone who might have your maiden name on file and want your married name. You enter all of your information into MissNowMrs and they fill out the forms for you. If, at any point, you feel uncomfortable entering some of your personal information online, you can simply opt to leave that field blank, and you can fill it out by hand once you print the form. (The website is secure and encrypted.) After you have filled everything out, you can save and print PDFs of all the forms you need to change your name in various places. My favorite part? The instruction sheet that comes with each form, telling you what you'll need to take with you or mail, and where to file.

Having used the service and now, officially, changed my name, I can honestly say that it's worth the $10 to upgrade. I might even go so far as to say it's NOT worth it to just spend the $20 for the basic package. I don't think it would be beneficial to only have the two forms. I say this because I didn't actually end up using those two forms. I used the others, though!

In Tennessee, to get your name changed legally, you start that Social Security office. They require your marriage certificate and your social security number. Nothing else. I didn't even fill out paperwork there. I showed her my marriage certificate, gave her my SSN, and signed. It was really that easy! Your shiny new social security card comes in the mail after about 2 weeks.

After you change your name with the SSA, then you can head to the DMV. Be sure you bring your receipt from SSA! It's required to change your name on your driver's license. At the DMV, I showed them my marriage certificate, my receipt from the SSA and my old license. I had to fill out their special form (the one I printed from MissNowMrs wouldn't work). They checked all of my paperwork, took my picture, and voila! I'm now ABC on my driver's license! The process was surprisingly easy and pain-free!

What I did use from MissNowMrs: Voter Registration update, IRS 8822, Medical, Dental, Insurance and Investment Notification Letters, and the check list. I don't have a passport (sad, isn't it!) so I had no need to update that. I changed my address online via USPS.com (be warned, this will cost you a dollar!). The form letters were super-handy to be able to send out all at once, and they request that the recipients contact me in order to confirm the name change on the account.

In all, I was happy to have the services of MissNowMrs.com to help me change my name. Would I have paid for it myself? Probably not. But, it was a great resource to have for free :)

Tips for newlyweds (specifically in Tennessee, but generally, as well!):

Yes, that little tiny slip of paper that you tore off the bottom of your pretty marriage certificate really is all that is required to legally change your name in Tennessee.
Get to the SSA office early. The one I went to is open M-F, 9-4 and I got there at 8:50 this morning. They were already open, and the line to check in was out the door. That said, I was out of there by about 9:15.
Avoid government offices around the first or last of the month LIKE THE PLAGUE. They're busier at those times.
Check hours and locations online BEFORE you venture out. The DMV closest to where I live is closed on Mondays. This would have been a MAJOR bummer if I had taken time off work and showed up there only to have to come back another day.
Go somewhere tropical on your honeymoon, and come back with a tan. I even LIKE my driver's license picture because I'm nicely bronzed!
Bring a book or thank you notes to write, just in case the lines are long.
Celebrate your new name once you're done!

Did you change your name? Was it a hassle?

-Amore

Amore is ABC!

2009-05-26T10:40:00.003-04:00

Amore is married!

While Mrs. ABC is off enjoying her honeymoon, I just wanted to share a sneak peak of her big day. It was the most touching ceremony I have ever been to. All her plans were executed perfectly and even the weather was gorgeous.

Here's a lifetime of happiness for Amore!

--Love

(Let's do this again in 47 days. . . )

Ring For Him Part 2

2009-05-18T11:17:00.004-04:00

Remember when I took the plunge and ordered B's ring from Ebay? Well, it was a success! The ring arrived in less than a week and was exactly what he wanted.

Despite my hesitations, his ring fit his vision for a wedding band, which is the most important thing. And it fit our wedding budget perfectly.

He had secretly ordered my wedding band and they arrived on the same day. Despite the "Ring O' Drama" incidents (yes, there were two) B ordered my wedding band from Jared's. Unfortunately, he ordered the wrong band so we'll be taking advantage of their 30 day return or exchange policy and get the matching band for my ring.

Currently, for wedding bands we're 1 for 2.

Did you have success with your ring the first time?

--Love

Ready.

2009-05-08T09:16:00.002-04:00

I've admitted to dreaming about my wedding for as long as I can remember. A few weeks ago during the Great Passport Search (more about this later), I found my first wedding file: a 3 1/2 floppy disk with "Love's Wedding" written in purple magic marker. At the time I thought that I wanted fish bowls as centerpieces (I used this idea at BM Tabitha's 16th birthday party) and red roses everywhere. A lot has changed since then, but I've never stopped "planning."

When all my best friends were getting married I also jumped head first into helping plan their weddings while also contributing to my many wedding files. While dating "Bad Life Choice" I couldn't sleep so I would stay up all night searching wedding blogs for inspiration for a wedding I knew would never include him. I was focused on the wedding itself.

Now, only 64 days from my own wedding I've found a totally different perspective. Yes, I adore planning my own wedding, but for different reasons. I want to plan now to celebrate the love I share with B. I want to share in a day that will bring together those we love most to share in our vows and celebration.

At the end of the day, all I want is to share in a marriage with him. My goal is no longer to have the most perfect flowers or the most creative details. We're ready. I think my perspective has changed because I share in a love that goes beyond the glitter of the wedding ceremony. . . a love that makes me more excited about the marriage.

I know it's the right thing when I would forgo all the "fixings" of a wedding I love so much to marry B in a church with no pomp and circumstance. And I know it's the right when he recognizes how much I love all the "fixings" of a wedding and wants to share in a day that's special for us both.

How has your engagement changed your perspective on weddings? Are you just ready to be married?

--Love

Deal of the Day

2009-05-07T13:03:00.004-04:00

My bridal portraits are coming up next Friday so I've been thinking a lot about makeup lately. What timing for today's deal of the day!

Quality make up company, E.L.F or Eyes, Lips, Face is having a MAJOR sale! Nearly all their products are $1. It's like the value menu only so much better (and healthier). That's right $1 nail polish, concealer, eye shadow, lip gloss and plumpers, brushes, well, nearly everything you need to "enhance your beauty" for $1. Click here for their sale!

Not only did I get makeup for me, but I also snagged some for BM gifts. I even got some scented SPF lip gloss for my flower girls! Since our wedding is in July I also picked up some shine free sheets for the girls and I. At a $1 an item I stocked up!

I work in an office of nearly all women so during lunch today my boss/lover of makeup found the deal. If you spend $75 you get free shipping so the ladies in our office are combining our orders to take advantage. I'm not sure how long this offer is good for so place your orders soon.

This morning I began my experiment with Mary Kay's mineral foundation and now I'm anxious to use all the new products.

Found any great deals lately? What kind of make up is a "must have" for brides and bridesmaids?

--Love

Friday Fun

2009-05-01T10:12:00.002-04:00

Nextel Direct Connect's commercial is my current favorite. Check it out here.

I want a film crew to direct my wedding! No worries.

TGIF!

--Love

Ring for Him

2009-04-30T15:01:00.003-04:00

I just bought my future husband's wedding band. . . on Ebay.

B enjoys supporting me through the planning, but doesn't get really excited about much on his own. Two exceptions: cigar bar for the rehearsal dinner and his ring. Last month he decided he needed to get used to wearing a ring so he tied a ponytail holder around his ring finger for a few days.

We've casually looked for his ring. He has an extra large ring size so most white gold and platinum rings were very expensive, which he wasn't interested in. As a man, he just didn't understand why we would spend a significant amount of money on his band. In all honesty, because his size is so large his band would have been almost expensive as the ones we're looking for me. . . with diamonds! B then decided he wanted Tungsten because it was durable and more affordable.

Today he emailed and texted me because he was so excited he had found his ring. He did an online search and found this ring on Ebay. I admit to being skeptical. . . a wedding band on Ebay? It was very inexpensive, but the Ebay store has positive feedback and a return policy.

Why not? He was so excited about it I just ordered it. So, in 3-6 days we shall see if purchasing a wedding band from Ebay is a good or bad life choice.

Have you ever made a major purchase on Ebay? What was your experience?

--Love

Making a List. . . Checking it Twice

2009-04-29T11:03:00.005-04:00

Lessons from our registry:

1. Advice to all brides: Your fiance will love the scanner. Be gracious, share or even give him all scanning duties. However, beware of letting him loose with the scanner. . . .

2. Registering early gives you flexibility to change your minds. Our wedding is in July. We started our registry in February (on Valentine's Day to be exact). This was a good life choice for us. We knew where we will be living after the wedding, but had no idea what colors we really wanted and what style we wanted our home to reflect. Since then I've visited our registry online many times to change things.

3. Have an idea of what you want. Target sent us information that included a book of popular registry items that we were able to discuss and bookmark before visting the store to register. This was a good starting point for us. Friends of ours who recently got married admitted their biggest "engaged fight" was over which plates they would register for. We tried to be prepared in order to avoid these conflicts.

4. Make a list. Like most couples, we registered a number of locations. This was much harder than I anticipated it being. We tried to equally distribute our registry over two mass stores and the only way to keep this straight was to make a list. I'm still afraid we'll end up getting only half of what we need, but at least we didn't register for two of everything.

5. Have fun! I admit that I got stressed out during the process. We are just starting out so we pretty much need everything and it's overwhelming. Overall, we had a blast! We got to pick out everything to start our first home together and we laughed along the way. The picture is B making sure the towels are big enough for him.

6. Beware of bridal guilt. Yes, I think the registry has been the greatest source of my bridal guilt and B felt it too. We know that we need lots of things to help start our home, but we also felt very guilty for asking so much of our guests. We tried to register for things in a variety of prices, but we still felt the guilt of the registry.

7. Check your registry. We had been warned to not register for too many items on sale (as much as it hurt my heart to avoid the sale items) because those often run out very quickly. Since we registered so early we've had to make some minor changes. I check our online registry and we've printed it out in store to make sure that our registry items aren't all "out of stock" or "limited availability."

8. Home Depot does not have scanners. Lesson learned the hard way. We're renovating a house and B's church threw us a "home improvement" themed shower. So we registered at Home Depot. . . except they no longer have scanners (or online access) for their wedding registries. We had a pen and clipboard and copied the UPC numbers from each item. No fun.

9. Wear comfortable shoes. We were able to get most all of our registry done in one very long day. We had to since we live in a small town that's not close to any of the stores we registered at, but many couples break this down into many days. Do what works best for you, but wear comfy shoes.

10. Remember what it's all about. These are gifts that will be given to start your life with your future husband.

What lessons did you learn from registering?

--Love

Somewhere between teen mom and grandma. . . .

2009-04-20T16:42:00.009-04:00

Most Mother of the Bride (MOB) dresses fall in two categories: teen mom and grandma. There doesn't seem to be a lot of MOB dresses that are in between. . . and that's where my mother falls.

It was very difficult to find a dress that pleased my mom. She's in her mid-50's and wanted something that was tasteful, but also age appropriate. She also had all kinds of "rules:" not too long, not too short, not too low, does not show off her arms, and hid her "problem" areas. She wanted a magical dress, but this we came close.

Meet Tadashi's Off-Shoulder Silk & Satin Gown from Nordstrom! My mother's favorite color is green and it's also a wedding color so she was excited when we found this dress in 'celedon' (it also comes in brown and ivory). Since we live many, many hours from the closest Nordstrom we took a chance and ordered online.

Online shopping is always risky, but we tried our best scientific measurements (measured a ribbon then my mom. . . far from perfect). The original dress was too large so I talked to a friendly customer service representative who said we could exchange the dress no problem and promptly ordered the smaller size. He told me it should arrive in five days. . . . . 10 days later we got a postcard notifying us that her dress was no longer in stock. Panic!

So, I did it again. I "opened up a can of bridal" on the customer service department and let them know what a kink this threw in my wedding plans. I was lucky to meet Darcy, Nordstrom customer service representative and fellow bride to be. Darcy contacted Tadashi and requested that they make a special dress for my mother. A few days later she called to let us know that the dress would be arriving at our house shortly. She even gave us an extension to return the original dress just in case.

Darcy said she knew how hard it was for her mother to find a dress too. She went above and beyond to make sure my mother also felt beautiful at the wedding.

Has your mother found her dress? Has someone gone out of their way for your wedding?

--Love

LA Brides' Shower

2009-04-14T15:35:00.001-04:00

Yes, it's true LA Brides had a joint bridal shower! Amore and I are both members of the same sorority and our BM's who are also sorority sisters joined forces to host a joint shower for us. We all came to our alma mater, Emory & Henry College, for another sorority sister's wedding on Saturday, a girls' night, and our shower on Sunday. It was simply an awesome weekend to celebrate together and with some of our closest friends.

The shower was honeymoon and beach themed since we are both spending our honeymoon at the beach. Our hostesses had bright flower arrangements as decorations and sent us both home with a bouquet. Each guest received a pair of flip flops as their favor. How cute!

The shower was held on campus at our alma mater, which was great for both recent alums and current students. Beyond the lingerie the theme was certainly laughter. We had so much fun! Our guests laughed with us too. It wasn't awkward to have two brides-to-be, but I think it ended up making the shower more fun! Forget bridal jealousy for us!

We both got a number of things off our Frederick's of Hollywood registries and enough lingerie to last us throughout our honeymoons, but some creative gifts too. We got a "Honeymoon Survival Kit" in a mini cooler, which included: sunscreen, chapstick, condoms, and lubricant.

We also received a "Honeymoon cake," which isn't a cake at all! It is similar to diaper cakes made out of diapers, but ours included a beach towel, picture frame, flip flops, sunscreen, cups, candles, and tropical flowers. Our friend Meaghan spent tons of time crafting for us! My BM Lauren purchased a serving tray from our registry and put all the ingredients to make "Sex on the Beach" drink on it!

You know it was a good time when we are laughing and our mouths are open in all the pictures posted on Facebook!

What's the most creative bridal shower gift you've seen?

--Love

How Does your Wedding Stack Up?

2009-04-09T16:43:00.003-04:00

The Knot recently released their 2008 Real Weddings Survey, which surveyed 18,000 couples of various ethnicities, education, and income levels across the United States.

The average cost of a wedding in 2008: $29, 334 (up 5% from 2007). This is significantly more than my budget for our wedding, but I am lucky to live in a rural area where lots of my costs are significantly lower than the national average. The most expensive cities to get married in were: "Long Island, New York; New York City; Northern New Jersey; Hudson Valley, New York; Chicago; Connecticut; Los Angeles; South Florida; Rhode Island; and Orange County, California."

Are you a DIY bride (like I wish I were)? You're not alone. "More than half (55%) of brides made their own favors and ceremony programs. Other top DIY categories were escort cards, save-the-dates, invitations, and decorations."

Both Amore and I will have fairly casual weddings. We're not the only ones: "Only 20% of weddings in 2008 were characterized as 'formal/black tie.'

I will have a nearly nine month engagement and Amore will have nearly a year. Our engagements are short compared to most couples: "Couples marrying in 2008 were engaged for an average of 15.7 months, more than 25% longer than those married in 2007. A majority of couples (71%) lived together prior to getting married."

So how are "Recession" brides changing their plans? "The 2008 Real Weddings Survey results reflected greater wedding spending overall, despite the growing economic concerns last year.
In a more recent survey conducted by The Knot (in March 2009) a majority of brides (60%) indicated that their wedding spending is proceeding according to plan, while 40% have reduced their wedding budgets by approximately 16%. "

How does your spending compare to the national averages? Are you changing your plans because of the recession?

--Love

Top 100 Wedding Blogs

2009-03-31T15:27:00.004-04:00

How many wedding blogs do you read? Only LA Brides, right? Just kidding! Well, most brides to be overwhelm themselves with wedding blogs in search of inspiration, deals, DIY instructions, and advice. I admit I'm one of them. I would be lost without Google Reader to manage all the blogs I read.

In case you feel like you're missing a blog or two BrideTide.com announced the Top 100 Wedding Blogs of 2009. The links are categorized by topic and there's something to be found for every bride.

I've been reading wedding blogs since long before I was engaged. Blogs have provided me with tons of great ideas and serve as a way to see a variety of weddings and styles. At this point in my planning process (102 days to go), I simply use blogs to search out details and day of advice. Most of my "big decisions" are done and I hope to blog about those soon.

What do you use wedding blogs for? What's your favorite?

--Love

Shower Oops!

2009-03-25T14:49:00.002-04:00

My FMIL, and her friends, are throwing B and I a shower next weekend. The invitation finally arrived yesterday (a mere 11 days in advance). The shower will be held at the church were B's dad is currently pastor. B knows the guests and I've only briefly met most of those invited.

From my understanding, the shower is supposed to be a "home improvement" themed shower. Since B knows everyone better and we desperately need tools and things to begin our home renovations (more to come on that later, but we get to start fixing up the house in the next few weeks). So we registered at Home Depot. . . if you can call it that. Home Depot technically has a wedding registry, but demand was so low that they no longer offer scanners. That's right--we took a clip board and pen and registered what I imagine is the old fashion way. The registry is also not available online, but guests can access the registry in store from any Home Depot nationally. Let me tell you. . . that was an experience!

The invitations that came specified that this will be a "Jack and Jill shower." I had to Google it to figure out what that, according to this site it's basically a shower that's for both the bride and groom with gifts that both would enjoy. My FMIL told me months ago that she was planning on having a book passed around where guests shared their marriage advice with us. Well, when the invitation came it suggested that guests bring their favorite home improvement advice to share with us! I expected to get marriage advice and will instead get advice on how to properly paint a wall!

It was also important to my FMIL that I register with Pampered Chef. She said that her local consultant was popular and many women in her community favored Pampered Chef for wedding gifts. However, when the shower invitation arrived it didn't list Pampered Chef as one of our listed registries. After a quick check of the registry online, I discovered that no gifts have been purchased from it yet. This isn't a big deal except that this is the only reason I registered there at all.

I'm very grateful for the shower and I want to appear appreciative for all their work, but do I say anything?

Did you experience any "shower oops?"

--Love

If the Shoe Fits

2009-03-24T09:18:00.010-04:00

I love shoes that beg for attention. . . that stand out. . . that have color! I vowed to wear colored shoes on my wedding day look long before I was engaged. I wore red high heels for my engagement pictures. I proudly flaunt turquoise shoes to brighten up my bland, black every day look at work.

My wedding colors are black, white, and sage green. I have been on a mission to find perfect green heels. . . within my budget. It seems that since green is also the color of money it takes lot to get fabulous green shoes that don't look cheap.

Yesterday I found the perfect pair of green shoes, but because Overstock.com only receives well, overstocks they didn't have it in my size. So, the more "bridal looking" version will have to. Meet my wedding shoes! They were only available in my size, which meant they called to me. They are Nine West, satin, and meant for me!

I love colored shoes, but lately I also love being "bridal." Sure I won't be able to wear these shoes lots after the wedding (unless I get brave with some DIY dye), but these shoes will make me feel bridal. . . right down to the tips of my toes!

What makes you feel "bridal?"

--Love

Shower Inspiration

2009-03-16T16:30:00.008-04:00

BM Tabitha's mother is one of the women I look up to most. She is fabulous, successful, creative, and has craft skills I can only dream about. Tabitha's older sister is expecting her first child and her mother coordinated an amazing shower! Now I know this is a wedding blog and I am not ready to be talking about babies, but a lot of her ideas can translate well into a wedding shower. . . it's all about a fabulous celebration no matter what the occasion!

The shower was "The Sweetest Thing" themed.:

She used the green paper lanterns left over from Tabitha's wedding and purchased new green ones to celebrate the baby boy!

Her mother took her pregnant pictures and made this mural above the gift table. I can only imagine how fabulous engagement pictures could look like this too!

What are some shower ideas you have?

--Love

Wedding Dreams?

2009-03-12T14:17:00.006-04:00

It happened again last night. I had another wedding dream. . . no nightmare.

A few months ago I started the wedding dreams. One of the most memorable was a dream in which only those I was cutting from the guest list attended. I was walking around the reception with a fake smile on my face and kept wondering where my best friends were!

In lots of my wedding dreams something has gone wrong: photographer didn't show, my hair didn't get fixed before walking down the aisle, or there was no music at the reception.

Last night's dream took the cake: In my dream I walked down the aisle in our beautiful church on my father's arm. I was glowing and filled with happiness just like I hope to be except when I looked up there was no groom! I soon spotted him. . . in the pew wearing an unbuttoned shirt and acting like a casual guest. I was walking down the aisle and kept staring at him in the pew rather than straight ahead. Eventually B stood up and told people he was going to also perform the ceremony then he simply left. I was devastated and in the dream my friends crowded around to console me. I woke up gasping!

Amore has also had wedding nightmares. Apparently it's common among brides to be. According to Dream Moods:
"If you are getting married and have dreams of your pending wedding, then it highlights the stress of organizing a wedding. Conflicts over wedding details, tension with family and in-laws, fear of commitment, and loss of independence may all cause wedding anxiety dreams. Research has shown that up to 40% of brides and grooms have dreams about their ceremony and things going perfectly."

Have you had any wedding dreams or nightmares?

--Love

Prices from 1939? No joke!

2009-03-05T15:47:00.006-05:00

Glamour is one of my favorite magazines. I love that it offers beauty, health, and sex tips along with stories about real women and social justice. I think that Glamour is one of the magazines that comes close to reflecting real women today (well, at least closer than lots of other women's magazines).

In honor of Glamour's 70th Anniversary they're offering a one year subscription for $1.50. No joke. $1.50! That's the price of their one year subscription in 1939 when they began. Subscribe today!

This is a steal! The offer lasts until March 15. I plan on renewing my subscription and sending out a few as gifts.

*If you send the subscription yourself it automatically rewnews next year at the regular subscription rate. However, if you send a gift subscription to yourself you don't have to worry about the automatic renewal.

Find any great steals lately?

--Love

What Happens in Vegas. . . .

2009-03-04T11:37:00.005-05:00

Stays in Vegas?

On Friday, B will jet off to Las Vegas for his bachelor party with his closest fraternity brothers. Yes, my fiance is celebrating his singledom in Sin City.

Will there be celebrating? Yes! Will there be drinking? Yes! Will there be boys making bad life choices? Yes! But most importantly, will there be trust? Yes.

I trust B completely and know that his long weekend in Las Vegas will be filled with fun, excitement, and time with his friends, who are spread throughout the country. I know lots of girls who would never dream of letting their fiance go to Vegas for a bachelor party. I'm not one of them.

I've been in a relationship without trust before (the one we simply call "bad life choice") and it's no good. From day one B and I have been completely trusting. I have lots of guy friends and he's cool with that. I trust him to have a night or weekend out with the guys. For us, it's so important that we have a foundation of trust.

So, I might get some late night phone calls this weekend, but I'll know he's having a great time. My only request: a souvenir, preferably tacky and wedding related. I can't imagine those are too hard to find in Vegas!

What is your FI doing for his bachelor party? How do you deal with trust in your relationship?

Viva Las Vegas!

--Love

"We are family"

2009-03-02T11:05:00.012-05:00

When B and I marry we we will be a family. . . and we both come with our own furbabies. Yes, we will have one dog and one cat. Meet our furbabies:

Meacham is B's dog and best friend. He currently lives in Tennessee with B's parents, but will join B and I in our town in April. B found Meacham a couple of years ago as a stray dog in a park in Knoxville. He is named after Robert Meacham, former University of Tennessee football player.

Meacham only listens to B. He is not interested in following any of my commands. He craves B's attention and is none to happy to have to share with me. Meacham also chewed up my favorite red high heels last year.

B is happier when Meacham is around. He is a boy who loves his dog. I know that living with Meacham will take some getting used to on my part, but I'm willing to try because he means so much to B. I know that Meacham will provide us with many stories and adventures. . .

I'm more of a cat kind of girl. . . .

Meet Roxy, my birthday present from B (she's grown lots since the picture was taken). I'll admit that at first I was none to happy to get a kitten for my birthday, but after about a minute I fell in love and now we are best friends.

I adore her and she follows me around every where I go. Her favorite place to rest is on my chest and she purrs with delight. She's a firecracker and loves to play or chase me during my workout.

Roxy sleeps with me every night. She always starts out cute and cuddly, but that never lasts long. Roxy loves to find my ponytail holders or pearl earrings and play throughout the night. She will randomly pounce on me and wakes me up without fail an hour before my alarm. I am a hard sleeper, but B suffers from insomnia and will not be a fan of a cat who steals his precious sleep.

So soon my "family-to-be" will be living under one roof (although Meacham will become more of an outside dog). We're going to start out with problems to be solved and it will take some time for all of us to learn to live together, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Will you be "merging families?" Have you had to adjust to new pets?

--Love

Honeymoon Wear

2009-02-27T12:17:00.004-05:00

My body is not normal. I'm one size on bottom and a much bigger size on top (because of my girls). I always knew that I would probably receive lots of bridal shower gifts that I couldn't actually wear because I need support.

Never fear: Frederick's of Hollywood has an online registry! This has truly saved the day and probably my honeymoon wear!

The registry is free and easy! Simply register with an online account and begin picking out your gear. You can choose you own color and size (I vary in different types of lingerie). The registry is easily searchable by your last name or event date. Registry information can tastefully be included on the shower invitation. . . because I will not be posting this on the wedding website alongside Pampered Chef! (There is also a wish list that you can privately create to send to your special someone.)

Amore and I are having a joint lingerie shower hosted by our sorority in March and then separate showers with our girlfriends from home before our weddings. The registry serves as a starting place for those who will "shower" us with gifts. Our friends can check out our registries and see what styles we like. I also listed my sizes in case they wanted to look elsewhere.

Prices are very reasonable, which is a must for many of our sorority sisters who are still in college. Check out this chemise for only $20!

Have you ever created a lingerie registry? Where are your favorite places to shop for "sexy little things?"

--Love

Happy Fat Tuesday!

2009-02-24T15:07:00.002-05:00

Today is Fat Tuesday, which is the day that precedes Ash Wednesday. I've never celebrated Fat Tuesday before, but B is a big fan of Lent. We're planning on eat pancakes to celebrate (sometime after what will hopefully be the last basketball game of the season). Tomorrow we will attend the Ash Wednesday service together at our church and then observe Lent for the next 40 days.

I love Jesus, but I slack when it comes to Lent. Every year I give up something and never seem to stick with it. Since I'm preparing to make a big commitment I've decided I will also commit myself to Lent this season.

What am I giving up?

I'm choosing to give up french fries (because they're not good for me and believe me it will be a sacrifice).

More importantly, what will I do?

I will complain less. This is one of the happiest times of my life, yet I find myself constantly complaining about my job and the little things.

I will follow my diet. I've seen some results, but I know there would be more to brag about if I were more committed.

I will love people more.

What are you giving up for Lent?

--Love

Un-Brides?

2009-02-20T16:05:00.006-05:00

I'm engaged and couldn't be happier. I'm planning the wedding of my dreams to a man who's more than my dreams.

Lately I've had this overwhelming peace that everything is how it should be. Sure, I'm not head over heels for my job and dropping the pounds isn't as easy as I'd hoped, but all is well. In my Valentine's Day card, B wrote about how the pre-wedding buzz made lots of people nervous, but it made him excited and hopeful. Even yesterday despite his flu, he told me that he's been thinking about how excited he is to marry me.

And I'm excited too. For as long as I can remember (long before B was even in my picture) I've been thinking about and planning my wedding. Now that the planning is real I'm surprisingly not stressed and at peace almost all the time. This is what I have waited for: to marry a man that makes me proud and who brings hope for all the days ahead.

The movie Bride Wars showed two different couples who responded to planning a wedding very differently. In the end one didn't make it. The past couple of weeks I feel like I keep hearing about couples that plan for their wedding, but never make it to the marriage.

In my hometown, an engaged acquaintance's (who I'd talked wedding planning with many times) fiance called off their October wedding on Valentine's Day. She had anxiously been making plans and he simply got "cold feet" and told her he couldn't do it a la Big from Sex and The City.

My favorite wedding blog, WeddingBee, recently had two of its bloggers call of their weddings. Both Miss Fondue and Miss Snapdragon called off their upcoming weddings just months before they were to walk down the aisle. My heart breaks for all these women. I can't imagine calling off the wedding, but I know that being sure about marriage is the most important thing.

I feel lucky because I feel like preparing for our future together has brought B and I closer. The preparations are starting to make things real, which makes us excited and more ready than ever to be husband and wife.

Have you ever known anyone to call off the wedding? Has wedding planning brought you and your FI closer together?

Deals of the Day

2009-02-19T09:15:00.007-05:00

While it continues to snow here in Southwest Virgina I find myself stuck inside and itching to shop. This proves difficult when the greatest shopping my hometown offers is a Dollar General store. I've done more Internet shopping since moving home and wedding planning than ever before! I'm not gonna lie I get a rush when the mail arrives with my purchases.

This week I received the first of my Pre-Wedding Dresses! My white dress from Target for only $9.99 works well. It's very simple and a little big (whoot to Weight Watchers and Jillan "kick my butt" Michaels), but I plan to add a sash to spice it up and it will be perfect!

Goody's Family Clothing stores (regionally based) are closing and all stores are liquidating their assets. This weekend I stopped by to score some deals and found a cute pair of Ashley Judd (who has a charity clothing line) ivory high heels for just $15. I plan to wear colorful bridal shoes, but just in case these shoes were a steal! (Since Goody's is closing there are no web pictures to be found.)

Today's deal of the day comes from Shutterfly. Amore took our fabulous engagement pictures and our first round of STD's are in the mail, but I had yet to print our photos. Shutterfly is offering 50 free 4x6 prints when you use coupon code 50FREEPRINTS. I got copies of all our engagement photos to put in an album (including shipping) for $6! The coupon expires February 23.

Shutterfly also offers lots of "photo gifts." Right now you can also get 30 photo address labels for $4.79, which would be great for shower invites or thank you letters. Notebooks personalized with photos could be great BM gifts or used for all your planning inspiration for $10.39. I think I might take advantage of these personal deals!

Where have you found your latest deal? How have you used photo printing in your wedding planning?

--Love

We knew this was coming

2009-02-11T10:18:00.003-05:00

USPS postage rates are increasing as of May 11, 2009.

On May 11 the cost to mail a first-class one-ounce letter will be $0.44 instead of the current $0.42. That means that all of us who are budgeting for postage will have to recalculate. Luckily for me, our invitations will go out before the May 11 change. Not so lucky for Love, who will have to adjust her budget.

Forever stamps will be honored...well, forever. So, if you stock up on the not-so-wedding-but-my-gosh-I'll-deal-to-save-the-money! Liberty Bell stamps, you can pay $0.42 now, and mail first class after the rate increase. Now Love and I will begin figuring out if we can get her invitation suite out to her guests in a standard-sized envelope weighing in at one ounce or less. We're crafty, and we're frugal, and we will get this done!

Here are more details on the increase:

Large envelopes (measuring over 6.125 inches by 11.5 inches) are $0.88 for the first ounce

Parcels, first ounce are $1.22

Each additional ounce is $0.17

Postcards are $0.28 (compared to $0.27 currently)

(all domestic rates)

International and specialty rates are also increasing, of course, and you can find out more here.

Will the increase in postage affect your budget?

-Amore'

B's Other Women

2009-02-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

For the past few months there have been other women in Benjamin's life. That's right--not just one, but 12.

No, he's not a polygamist (although we do love watching Big Love). He's a JV girls basketball coach!

Benjamin has always wanted to be a coach and so when the girls on the team who were also his students begged him to coach he gave in. He's a baseball kind of guy and hadn't played basketball since middle school. It's been interesting to watch Benjamin learn about basketball throughout the season. He reads books about coaching and plays close attention during all games.

His girls love him! We got engaged during their pre-season and they are always excited to be updated on our wedding plans. Apparently he even showed a few of the players the ring before he proposed!

Benjamin is such a good coach (if I do say so myself). The season started out rocky and he didn't have a lot to work with, but it's been so fun to watch the team (and coach) improve throughout the season. I keep the score book so I'm right on the sidelines with them and I'm not gonna lie I beam with pride.

Last night his team, who finally has a winning record, won their district game in the last seconds of overtime and will now be in a playoff game to go to the district championship! It was one of the most exciting games! Watching him coach last night I had one of those moments where I just couldn't believe that I get to marry him. Wow. I am so proud of him and can't wait to spend life: both wins and losses with him.

Do you have moments when you are proud of your significant other?

--Love

P.S. Go Tigers!

Meet Love's Maids

2009-02-10T13:50:00.013-05:00

There was never any question who I would ask to serve as my BM's. All natural, and drama free, choices. I promised a "Meet the Maids" post ages ago so allow me to introduce you to my ladies:

Maid of Honor

My younger sister Dana will serve as my MOH. She's my "sisterfriend" and we've been through it all together from fights to once dating brothers we've managed to stay friends despite being near complete opposites. She's athletic, skinny, crafty, hip, and cool. I'm none of those things. There are only 19 months difference in our ages (what was mom thinking!?), but I am proud to have her by my side--plus she's also a professional bridesmaid!

The Roommate

Lauren and I met on the Internet when we were in high school. We had an online class together and then through e-mails decided to room together during college. We spent four years in one room together and became the best of friends. Lauren is someone that is an amazing listener and I know I can always go to for advice. She has an old soul! We always tell people I put the spice in her life and she puts the sane in mine.

Best Friend Since Birth

Brittney and I have been best friends for as long as either of us can remember. Our moms are best friends and it has always been a given that we would be too. There's something powerful about a friend that knows everything you've been through and where you come from. I served as her MOH a couple of years ago. She just moved hours away from me, which has made the wedding planning different without her. . .

The Encourager

I think everyone should have a friend like Tabitha. She's my encourager and helps me find perspective when I start to get too bent out of shape. I served as her support system through beauty pageants and her wedding now it's her turn! Brittney, Tabitha, and I made our own club in the second grade: BLT and have been best friends ever since. Tabitha will be a doctor of pharmacy by the wedding!

Future Sister In Law

Rachel is B's 13 year old sister. After four boys in B's family Rachel came along as the only girl. She's fabulous, crafty, and teaches me something new every time we're around one another. I get to share my love of American Girl with her and am so proud to watch her grow up.

Was chosing your BM's an easy choice?

Coming soon: BM's Little Black Dress

--Love

Pre-Wedding Dresses

2009-02-10T13:12:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I have my actual wedding dress, but I need so many dresses for wedding related events and activities! B and I are having 3 showers in addition to my sorority shower, bachelorette party, and bridal shower. That's not counting a dress for the rehearsal and to leave the reception in. It sure is a lot, but I'm not complaining!

I've also recently become obsessed with looking "bridal" at these events. I am famous for my love of black clothing. As I type this I'm at work in one of my many black cardigans coupled with a pair of my many black pumps, which is pretty much my staple outfit. Except I'm the bride and I want to wear something that's a little out of character for me. So I've been searching for white clothes, gasp!

Remember I pride myself on sales so my first purchase was a 75% off ivory sleeveless top with pearl and rhinestone accents around the collar from Maurices along with fabulous champagne peeptoe heels. (Sorry no online shopping for this store.) Bachelorette or bridal shower outfit #1-check!

While the search for the perfect "getaway" white dress might continue I found a strong (and cheap) contender this morning. Meet contestant #1 coming to you from Target.com. The dress is only $9.99 so even if it doesn't take home the crown it's still worth it and I can put a black cardigan over it :-)

For all you bargain finders out there Isaac Mizrahi's dresses are on super cheap sale online and it's worth checking it out even if you aren't trying to be bridal.

Where have you found great dresses? How are you trying to "be bridal"?

--Love

My Name is Amore and I Can Never Eat Just 1 Cookie

2009-01-30T12:07:00.010-05:00

Like my friend Love, I have some serious food addictions. I've mentioned before that Carter and I will have a dessert buffet for our reception. While this is certainly a cost-cutting measure, the real truth of the matter is, I couldn't bear to have only cake at the reception. I want it all. Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie, Banana Pudding, various cookies, brownies, cakes. YUM.

I was lucky in high school. I was super-petite, skinny even! I was maybe a size 4 when I gradated in 2004. My friends always told me they were jealous of my body. Then I went to college. Land of the buffet. Land of "all that really looks remotely edible on this line is the pizza and french fries. So I'll eat that and dip everything in ranch dressing." Land of "if there's one thing this cafeteria does right it's cookies. So today I'll eat 14 of them." College was also land of the "child-bearing hips" as Love mentioned earlier. I packed on the pounds in college. I'm not happy with the way that I look. I want my thin face and flat-ish belly back. I don't want to have to wear that corset-thingy when I put on THAT shirt.

So, as any good bride on the eve of the year of her wedding would do, I joined a gym. Operation Bridal Body began as I joined the YMCA of Metropolitan Knoxville. And I love it. I was a member at the Y for a short time at the end of high school, and then for one summer in college. I love the Y because the people there are real people. They are not all in perfect shape (though certainly some of them are!) The staff is friendly, and it's a welcoming environment. I started going to the Y thinking I'd do my own thing--a little cardio, some weight training on the machines...then I remembered why I'd never been able to stick to a workout regimine before.

I hate it. I have no personal motivation. When I get tired, I stop. And I never see results.

The solution? The YMCA has the best exercise classes! I never thought I'd be one of those women jumping and stepping and shaking in unison. Until I decided to suck it up and try once. Now I'm hooked. So, on Mondays and Wednesdays, I take a step class. Complete with 80s music on the same beat and teal steps:

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On Tuesdays I take a Total Body class. In this class, we use balance balls (the big, giant balls that you sit on), hand weights and a mat. I love this class because I can already tell the toning and definition I'm gaining. And it KICKS MY BUTT.

On Thursdays and Sundays, I take my veryfavorite class, Zumba (pronounced ZOOM-BAH)...

{source}

Here's the description from Zumba.com:

"Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exhilarating hour of caloric-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!"

I wasn't planning on taking this class, because it starts at 7 pm, and I thought that was a little late. But one day after doing my own, feeble workout, I decided to stay and give it a try. I'm officially addicted. Literally, my body craves Zumba! It is so much fun, and it doesn't feel like a work out, until it's over and I'm sore!

Zumba.com is the official Zumba website, and you can look up places near you to try it out. From what I've heard from others in my class, my instructor is the best in the Knoxville area. I believe it!

I try to only weigh on Mondays (as I don't want to become obsessed with a number, I'd rather just look and feel good in my clothes), and I have had other plans for the past two Mondays, so I sadly can't give you pounds-lost update since I joined the Y a month ago. However, my clothes are fitting better (some are even looser!) and I'm down to the smallest notch on my belt.

That, my friends, is what I call progress.

What's your Operation Bridal Body?

-Amore'

2009-01-29T14:24:00.005-05:00

My name is Love and I'm addicted to french fries. . . and dessert!

There! It's out in the open. French fries, dessert, and bridal body aren't the best of friends. After being engaged for two months I've finally decided to get serious about my bridal fitness.

My goal: Tone. Lose 15 pounds.
Lofty goal: Lose 20-25 pounds.

I'd like to say I'm a "healthy" sized girl. In other words, I could stand to lose a little and I have "child bearing hips," as us Southern girls like to call it. I think that my goal is totally do-able in the 163 days until the wedding (but who's counting).

First, I admit that I have awful eating habits. As a recent college graduate, I took full advantage of the everyday cafeteria buffet (but I always walked all around my campus filled with hills). I also hate salad and most things that are deemed "good for you." The first step to bridal fitness for me is recognizing how I can improve my diet.

As a small town girl I have no easy access to a gym so I'm confined to home workouts. At the recommendation of many other brides-to-be I've started doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, which I purchased from Amazon.com for less than $10! This workout is perfect for a girl like me who hates to work out and has never really done it before. The workout is only 20 minutes, but I promise it will kick your butt! It's great because I don't get bored and all parts of your body get a workout: strength, cardio, and abs. I need to do this more faithfully, but I can tell it's already begun to whip me into shape.

Finally, in order to watch what I eat more I started Weight Watchers. Okay, so my mom did the program a couple of years ago and still has all her materials. I'm using her books to keep track of my points, but avoiding going to meetings because I know there's no one in my generation attending the local ones. Something about going into a room of middle aged women to weigh myself doesn't get me excited. For now I'm simply keeping track of my daily points. Next week I may try the free online trial to see what resources it offers.

More than anything I want to take control of my diet and feel great about how I look on my wedding day--this matters far more to me than any number on the scale.

How are you getting bridal fit? Any suggestions?

--Love

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

2009-01-28T09:52:00.006-05:00

I'm a professional bridesmaid.

Most of my friends from home are already married and I have participated in their weddings in one way or another. From helping coordinate rehearsal, attend to the guestbook, run errands, read during the ceremony, gather address, or stand beside them on the big day I've participated in numerous weddings.

I've never received a "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" card. In fact, if not for my obsession with wedding planning and blogs I would have never heard of the idea. It's always been understood or a simply phone call.

So on the night B proposed I called all my girls and asked them as part of the wedding excitement, but it didn't come a surprise to any of them. In my first BM email I wrote: "Thank you for agreeing, or being peer pressured, to be my bridesmaids."

I plan on writing them personal notes and maybe trying to do something crafty with those before the wedding letting them each know how special they are to me and how grateful I am that they will stand beside me.

B simply called his groomsmen the day after the proposal (because I had the phone line tied up all night) and asked them to be part of the wedding party.

Despite the fact that it's too late to send "Will you be my bridesmaid?" cards, it's still fun to search. I'm a craft tard so these would have been perfect for me: Edible cards from Red Riding Hood Edibles for $9.95 (they also come personalized for nearly every participant in the wedding).

Did you send "Will you be my bridesmaid?" cards?

Next up: Meet Love's Maids

--Love

Love's Flower Girl Dresses

2009-01-26T15:51:00.004-05:00

(Promise an introduction to the wedding party is coming, but I was too excited to not share this now.)

Friday was the most spectacular wedding planning day! For the next few days I'll share my fabulous Friday finds!

Two of my younger cousins will serve as my flower girls. They're so excited and I wanted to make them feel like princesses. . . on a budget. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to find flower girl dresses!

First, one of my cousins is pale. I mean pale! She has light blonde hair and pale skin so a white flower girl dress wasn't a great idea. Also, my cousins are eight and nine, which means they do not wear a 6x like many of the flower girl dresses I found online. It was difficult to find dresses in their size.

I was hesitant to put little girls in black dresses for fear that it would make them look too old until I found these! Love's Flower Girl Dresses

Perfection: Sizes. Price (and additional 15% off coupon code). Washable. Colors. And the girls fell in love with them (and the added bling).

The dresses are on back order and won't be here until March, but that's still in plenty of time for the wedding and to see what sizes these growing girls are.

Are you having a flower girl/s? Did you have trouble finding dresses?

--Love

Do you Duggar?

2009-01-23T16:40:00.004-05:00

Ok, I admit that I'm a casual fan of TLC's reality show 17 Kids and Counting, which features the Duggar family, who currently have 18 children (on purpose)! B hates it and I consider it one of my casual guilty pleasures.

On Christmas day I was nearly late to my mamaw's Christmas gathering because I was caught up in a marathon. The last episode featured the oldest Duggar, Josh, proposing to his girlfriend. Now if you've never seen the show you must know that the Duggar's are very conservative. In fact, after Josh proposed he held his new fiance, Anna's, hand for the first time. The first kiss they will share will also be their first kiss as a married couple.

Can you imagine dealing with 20 immediate family members for the wedding, rehearsal, and planning!?

Although their values are certainly different than mine, you can still tell that these two excited to begin their life together. You can catch a different, Duggar kind of wedding Sunday on TLC beginning with the proposal episode at 8:00 p.m. (eastern) and the wedding at 9:00 p.m. (eastern).

Do you Duggar?

--Love

Let it Snow!

2009-01-21T16:12:00.006-05:00

(picture of our ceremony venue in the weekend snow)

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I was snowed in for the long weekend at our summer home without Internet with B. Now, I'm not complaining we got lots of R & R. We were able to be "real young people" and get out of our small town for the weekend so that was one of the best parts. I admit I took advantage and had a Starbucks run!

In addition to getting out of town for the weekend we also planned to meet with a potential photographer. I had contacted the photographer right after we got engaged to see if she was available for our date. She was and we agreed to schedule a meeting in January. So, earlier this month I began contacting her. . . okay close to online harassment because I hadn't heard back from her. She is an acquaintance who used to work our college and is now a professional photographer so I thought she would be a great choice.

Wrong! After over a week of trying to get in touch and set up a meeting. . . on her home turf. . . she emailed me back and told me Sunday would be great to meet, she was still available for our date, and I just need to pick a time and place for the meeting. I instantly returned her message and waited. . . and waited. . . and waited for a response. Finally on Sunday morning she responded and told me her message to me had gotten saved in her drafts and never sent and now she had the flu and could not meet.

I understand sickness and even the email mistake, but after trying to get a response from her for over a week and those strikes I've decided she's not the one for us. Photography is so important to B and I that I can't have someone who's not professional from the start.

Have you had trouble with potential vendors? What did you do?

--Love

Our Must Haves

2009-01-14T14:02:00.006-05:00

B and I agree most of the time. Certainly there are times when he thinks I'm ridiculous and I think he's irrational, but for the most part we can come to an agreement.

Even before he proposed we both knew our wedding ran the risk of getting out of control. I love weddings and that could be dangerous! As a professional bridesmaid, I've seen up close lots of weddings and I've also learned a lot.

In order to control our wedding (and our budget) we made a list of our "must haves," or the things that mattered the most to us for our wedding:

* Personal ceremony that included communion: We both have a strong faith and it was important to us that our ceremony be focused on our faith. It was also important to us both to share in communion with our guests and for us, it doesn't get much more personal than that. (I promise to post about our communion ceremony after we finalize the details.) His father, an ordained minister, will marry us, which will add the ultimate personal touch!

* Good food, drink, and dancing: We know we're going to have a great time because we're getting married, but we also want our guests to enjoy themselves. The best weddings I have ever been to are those where everyone celebrates! We know we wanted our guests to share in a good meal, drinks, and then dance the night away.

* Great photography: We completely agree that great photography is important to us. After the flowers are gone and the white dress put away we will use our pictures to look back on the day. We're still searching for that great photographer. . .

Sitting down and talking about our priorities really helped me focus on what mattered most. So we're going to take care of our priorities before we focus on our details.

What are your "must haves?"

--Love

To Be TLC

2009-01-09T11:54:00.009-05:00

TLC:

1) Tender Loving Care

2) The Learning Channel

3) T-Boz, Left Eye, Chilli

4) My future initials

(Source)

Warning: embarrassing story.

For as long as I can remember I've wanted to be TLC (yes, even long before I met B). My freshman year in college, my roommate and I scoured the college directory searching for men whose last name began with a "C" so they could be my dating prospects. Ok, I didn't end up dating anyone from that list, but I always jokingly thought it would be cool to have TLC as my initials (I go by my middle name, which begins with an "L" hence Love as my blogging name).

I'm a proud woman. I'm proud of my family and our name. My family is the third generation to own local grocery stores and the name of those stores includes our last name. My father is an elected official in our county and I am proud to share in my family name. I'm proud of what I've accomplished under my name.

Do I want to give all that up? I admit I have questioned what it means to take your husband's name and if that is something I'm willing to do. B has been very up front that it is important to him that I take his name since the beginning. I agreed, but as taking his name becomes a reality I admit I'm nervous.

In one of the most interesting responses to the name question, Carly Tennis said, "Nonetheless, to take your husband's name is also among your freedoms. You are absolutely free to make your own choice, and you cannot really make a bad choice because, either way, the important thing is that it is a free, conscious choice."

So I get to decide. After an insightful conversation with my boss (a pretty fab lady) and some soul searching of my own, I've decided I want to be TLC not only for my fiance, the cool monogram, or my future family, but for me. I decided that I want our marriage to symbolize a change in our relationship and our lives and taking his name is part of that for me.

It's not going to be easy. I had to realize that taking his name does not make me less a part of my family or associate me only with his, but it gives us a name to share. . . to make ours. It will be an adjustment not only to learn to write and answer to my new name, but to learn to live with all the changes. Even so, I've decided to be TLC for me.

Have you struggled with the "name question?" What helped you decide?

--Love

Love's Engagement Pictures (Amoré's Perspective)

2009-01-08T22:27:00.013-05:00

What Love failed to mention in her post about her e-pics is that I begged--BEGGED--to take them! Since I took my sister and brother-in-law's e-pics back in 2005, I have had the fever. I love to take engagement pictures. There is something so special about this time in a relationship, and I consider it such a privilege to be a part of it.

I'll admit, I was nervous going into this shoot. The other couples I've shot for (Lisa & Josh, Laura & Matt, Erin & Matt, and non-e-pics for Lisa & Josh pre-ring, and for my former roommate Natalie & her boyfriend Hunter) were fun, and actually relatively easy. But Love & B? I know that Love reads the same blogs I do. She sees the gorgeousness that's out there. And I knew she would want something just as beautiful to tell her own "Love Story" (sorry for the pun!). So, the pressure was on! But, the nervousness was for nothing, because Love & B are so natural and so beautiful together. All I had to do was push the button! (Plus, as they were "thinking May" and freezing their behinds off, I was toasty warm in my coat and gloves! B cursed my warmth a few times... :-) ) On to the good stuff!

The icon of Knoxville--The Sunsphere. We parked at the Knoxville Museum of Art, and as we were headed to World's Fair Park, the sun was reflecting off the top of the 'Sphere in this gorgeous way. We had to stop! What's a Knoxville engagement shoot without this big gold ball?

I'm a huge sucker for "him-kissing-her-on-the-forehead" I love the smile on Love's face in this one.

Yet another Knoxville icon--The Tennessee Theatre. This one makes me particularly happy as I am a Tennessee girl, and Love's from Virginia. I consider it a small victory to get my state name in her e-pics :-)

Love had only a few requests for the day, one being shoe pictures. She had on fab red stilettos, who wouldn't want it documented?!

The week before we took these pictures, my office had our Christmas party at the Crown & Goose in the Old City. They had this great back patio that I thought would be perfect for a few shots. They were nice enough to let us crash just before closing to get a few cute café shots.

One of my favorites of the day! I know it's goofy, but deep down, I think every couple has this goofy side, and it's so fun to document it! This was the only shot the whole day I let them see on-camera during the shoot. We're on the top of the parking garage at Market Square, which turned out to be a fun place to shoot!

All.Time.Fave. This is why B is perfect for Love. He can put that look on her face. This is in front of one of the most beautiful churches in Knoxville--Church Street United Methodist.

Another fun thing Love & I share: future last initial. Her ring.

Love & B, thank you for trusting me with your engagement pictures. I had a blast! Now, back to editing so you can get your cd :-)

-Amoré

Love's Engagement Pictures

2009-01-08T16:16:00.010-05:00

One of the best things about having a close friend who's also planning a wedding is sharing stories, advice, and the best of all--services! Amore and I are able to not only share in our wedding woes and joys, but we can also help a sister out. I admit she's getting the short end of the stick because the services I've given her don't even begin to compare to the talents she's shared with me. Example one: engagement photographer!

While B and I were visiting his family in the Knoxville area over Christmas we met up with Amore on a windy Sunday afternoon in downtown Knoxville for our engagement picture shoot. The weather.com forecast had given 70% chance of rain so I had been stressed out all week, but we were lucky and it was a beautiful sunny day. Well, at least it looks that way from the pictures. The truth is it was windy and about 30 degrees, which made B and I frozen since we chose not to wear jackets for the shoot.

I fought the urge to create a shot list because I wanted to let Amore's "creative juices flow." The only direction she gave us: "Look in love." No problem I thought! There certainly were times when I didn't know what to do, but soon remembered that looking in love with B is quite an easy task.

Not long into the shoot we were standing on the stairs and Amore told us to kiss. As soon as we kissed some passersby below started to howl at us, which made us both laugh hysterically! It actually turned out to be one of my favorite shots:

The rest of the day was spent walking around downtown finding interesting shots and, well, looking in love! It was actually lots of fun to have a friend shoot our pictures because not only did it save, but we were instantly comfortable with our photographer. No awkward getting to know one another conversations just catching up and clicking!

I'm not gonna lie I felt a little spoiled getting to spend the whole day walking around with my fiance and having our own personal paparazzi! Amore's not done editing our pictures yet, and I can't wait to see all the fabulous shots she got. We'll use these pictures for our save the date's, which will go out within the next few weeks.

Did you and a friend trade services for your weddings?

--Love

I found her!

2009-01-05T16:17:00.006-05:00

Saturday I went shopping with my entourage (MOB, MOH, 2 BMs, reader, and aunt) to search for "the one," the dress of all dresses--my wedding dress! As I said before I was determined to fall in love and I admit I was nervous that it wasn't going to happen. I had hyped myself up and invited my favorite women to join the search--what if I didn't find her? There was serious pressure!

After a close call with drama when nearly all the bridal dressing rooms were taken (I had an appointment, but another bride didn't), I took a deep breath and was ready to begin the search. The first dress I tried on was okay, but I stood in the mirror in awe because I was finally trying on wedding dresses! Wow!

As a "busty bride" I know that most dresses don't just easily zip on me and my body claims multiple sizes. The first two dresses I tried on didn't even come close to zipping over "my girls," but then I met her.

The third dress I tried on changed everything. Not only did she zip, but she fit near perfectly and was so me! I didn't want to take her off and I swear my eyes started to sparkle. The attendant brought me a veil to try on with her (I swear they only do this when they think you've found "the dress"). I instantly named her Elizabeth because she was so perfect, classy, and timeless.

But wait, I'd waited my whole life to try on dresses so I kept going. Every dress I tried on paled in comparison to Elizabeth. There was a first runner up that was also beautiful, but my entourage (filled with women with many different opinions) all agreed that Elizabeth was the one for me.

I put her back on and teared up. I just knew. This was the dress I will marry B in. This is the dress that called to me. This was my wedding dress!! It was a pretty powerful moment.

For now all I'll share is that it's an Allure dress. We purchased her that day because she was in near perfect condition (which relieves some waiting for the dress to come stress) and the store even offered to let us bring her home. We left her until my alterations are done, but she is mine.

Did you know that your dress was "the one?"

--Love

The Year I Get Married

2008-12-31T17:12:00.004-05:00

I can hardly believe it.

I am less than 7 hours away from the year I get married.

My friend Laura has been helping me count down the days until 2009. She says that the turn of the calendar into the year when your wedding is is a big deal. And I'm starting to believe her.

For a longer-than-usual 366 days (and one second!) it's been 2008. I graduated from College. I was in two weddings. I attended 4 weddings. I got engaged (!). One of my best friends got engaged (yay for Love & B!). I took engagement photos for two couples and agreed to be the for-real photographer for a third bride. I got my first "big girl" job, complete with insurance and higher taxes. I took on freelance work and spent more time on a plane in 3 months than I had in my entire life up until then. I decided I wanted to really get serious about design, and that I'd start with my own wedding and few sorry souls willing to be my guinea pigs. In short, 2008 has been wonderful, fun & romantic.

But 2009, I'm ready for you! I'll marry the love of my life in 2009. My high school sweetheart will become my husband, and I can't wait. I'll have my first official apartment, with no safety net in Mom & Dad. I get to fluff a nest that is truly mine. Ours. And it really will be ours, both of us. Together.

So I as I go to Carter's tonight for snacks and Wii and time with friends, we'll watch the ball drop and kiss in our new year. Our year. The year of us.

I can't wait!

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

-Amore

Sale Extravaganza!

2008-12-30T15:38:00.009-05:00

What comes after a Christmas extravaganza?

A sale extravaganza!!

During Target's Christmas sale I found the perfect addition to my bouquet: A rhinestone "C" pin. (The picture isn't the exact same, but you get the idea.) The C pin will add that extra sparkle to my bouquet and it was only $3!

Momma Love and I hit the sales and got lots of fun wedding finds! First, we found the cookie jars for our cookie bar (I'll post about the whole concept soon) on sale for $10 each at Big Lots. The jars were the perfect size and will look fabulous with our scrapbook paper and ribbon! I promise to share pictures when I try my first DIY wedding craft.

I found beautiful ivory and pearl picture frame sets for $10 each at Belk (sorry there's no online picture)! Each set includes an 8x10 frame and 4x6 frame/album, which makes the perfect gift for Momma Love and FMIL at the bridesmaids' luncheon. I hope to put bridal portraits in them to share with our mothers. . . and I couldn't help but snag one for myself too.

Finally, a deal that all brides can appreciate: Bath & Body Works semi-annual sale! I've had the picture saved for years from a Knottie bio that gave shower gel as favors to her shower guests: "From my shower to yours!" During Bath & Body Works' sale I stocked up on shower gel and lotion for about $3 a bottle! I hope to use these as favors or incorporate them as gifts to my shower hostesses. I think that lotion and shower gel are things that women of any age can appreciate! (Also a good idea to build on for your BM gifts!)

Sale Alert: Victoria's Secret is currently having their semi-annual sale! Don't just plan for your wedding. . . plan for your honeymoon too ;-)

Happy Shopping! What great deals have you snagged?

--Love

Christmas Extravaganza

2008-12-30T10:56:00.006-05:00

I love Christmas, but I admit this year I was more excited about what was to come after. . . . buying our very own Christmas decorations!

Like Amore, B and I headed out the day after Christmas to outfit our future home for future Christmases. . . . half off! We already know where we'll be living post-wedding (more on that later) so we purchased all our outside lights and tree lights (we plan to be "real" tree people). We also got our Christmas cards for next year (photo cards waiting for wedding pictures to be added to), Advent calendar, and almost everything we need to make our home ready for the season.

We also started our first Christmas tradition: we bought a Hallmark keepsake ornament each and a "joint" one. We won't start out with a lot of personal ornaments, but in a few years we'll have a "tree full" of ornaments that mean something to us.

B actually said that for the first time over the holidays it felt like we were really getting married. Sure we've talked about it for a long time and are now engaged, but for both of us it hasn't really felt completely real yet. He said spending the holiday with my family, where my cousins called him an "insider" and buying our own decorations for what will soon be our own home made it seem truly real for the first time.

I've shared this "not real" feeling. We haven't had an engagement party and probably won't and we both wondered if that would make it feel more "real." We plan to open our first joint checking account next month and we'll soon begin our registry so maybe those things will make it sink in a little. There are 193 days til our wedding (thank you wedding website countdown), but some days it feels so far away. . . .

When did getting married first feel "real" to you? Has it sunk in yet?

--Love

Our First Joint Purchase!

2008-12-29T10:42:00.006-05:00

Love & B got a TV together as their first joint purchase. Carter & I got a Christmas tree!

I won a contest at work (best Christmas decorations in my cube!) and the prize was a $50 Visa gift card. When I won, I decided that I wanted to put the gift card toward the purchase of our first Christmas tree.

We've always been "real tree" people at my house, at least until a few years ago. I love the smell of a real tree, and the process of choosing the perfect one. However, a few years ago we decided to try an artificial tree, as my grandparents were downsizing. Today, we put up the artificial tree and get a small real tree for another room in the house.

Carter's family has been an "artificial tree" family for the past several years. Carter's mom and brother both have allergies to real trees, so an artificial one is a necessity. When it came time to decide what we would do for our joint household, there was pretty much no need for discussion. We would get an artificial tree.

We spent all day on Dec. 26th running around West Knoxville looking for our perfect tree. Carter actually loves to put the lights on the tree, so we wanted to find an unlit tree. That's much harder than it sounds! We're also both big fans of big trees, and especially of fat trees. So, we wanted 7.5 feet and fat.

We actually found our tree at the first place we went--Carolina Pottery. However, the price was a little more than we wanted to spend. Five stores and several hours later, we were empty-handed. Knowing that artificial trees disappear rather quickly once they're on sale after Christmas, we (ok, I) really wanted to get one that day. So, we went back to Carolina Pottery and bought the very last 7.5-foot, unlit, fat, artificial tree.

We got white lights to go on it (on sale for $1.24 at Home Depot!) and lots and lots of ornaments on sale, too! It's been so much fun to plan our first Christmas together, even if it is 260 days in advance!

-Amoré

Our First "Joint" Purchase

2008-12-16T12:05:00.004-05:00

Rather than exchanging Christmas gifts this year B and I decided to make our first joint purchase: a TV!

There was nothing we really needed, and this year it seemed frivolous to buy one another gifts we didn't need since we had so much we would need before moving into our first home. (Now, you could argue that that a new TV is not a need, but not if you're asking B :-)

On Black Friday I was hardcore--like the first person at the checkout at Radio Shack to purchase our AOC 32 inch flat screen (they're currently out of stock). I immediately called B and informed him the TV was ours!

Now it's sitting in my dining room and B begs me almost nightly to hook it up, but since it's our Christmas present I'm making him wait. I don't think it will be weird to not exchange gifts on Christmas (I did buy him something very small ). Last Christmas we lived in different states and missed out on all Christmas preparations together. This year we've really enjoyed getting to wrap our families' presents together and get into the "Christmas spirit" as B likes to call it.

Did you and your fiance decide to forgo gifts this year? If not, what are you giving one another?

(Just nine days til Christmas!)

--Love

Ring O' Drama: Part Two

2008-12-15T16:35:00.006-05:00

Recap: Engaged on Sunday. Center stone fell out on Monday. Shipped ring back to get fixed and returned on Wednesday. Jared's repaired my original ring.

At this point I haven't been able to show my ring to anyone. No one besides my parents and BM Brittney who came as soon as she got the call.

B and I had already planned a weekend visit our alma mater, Emory & Henry College (where we will be married). I was anxious to show my ring to my sorority sisters and share in our engagement excitement. Although I was definitely paranoid, my ring was safely on my finger. Until. . . .

Sunday we went to the church we attended together and showed my ring to our "old lady friends". On our way home later that afternoon, B jokingly asked me to check on my ring. When I looked down I did another double take before realizing a stone in the channel setting had fallen out. Not just any stone, but the one directly under the center stone that cannot be touched.

Needless to say I was disappointed. We immediately called the Jared's store manager, who apologized and set up our shipping arrangement again. I sent my ring back on Monday and received it again on Wednesday. I felt like I was renting my own ring!

This time Jared's replaced my original ring. I can't tell a difference except *knock on wood* no diamonds have fallen out of this one. Jared's said my first ring was probably just had defaults and replaced it at no charge. Still the first thing I do every morning is make sure my ring is in tact!

I could have gotten an entirely different ring. Jared's policy is that any ring can be exchanged within 30 days, but I didn't want just any ring--I wanted the ring B had put so much thought into picking out for me. I stuck with a new version of my ring.

For our trouble we did receive a gift card to be used toward our wedding bands and a nice note from the customer service representative.

Do I think Jared's could have checked the first ring better to ensure this didn't happen again? Yes. I was disappointed to send my ring back a second time and it was frustrating to say the least. Was Jared's helpful and timely in the process? Yes. I've never dealt with anything like this before, but if I had to go through this I know that Jared's was helpful and returned my ring in a timely manner.

Have you dealt with a jeweler's customer service? What was your experience?

--Love

The Marriage Book

2008-12-15T10:45:00.004-05:00

Soon after B and I began dating we knew we had something special. During our nightly conversations that lasted for hours we got to know a lot about one another, and frequently played "The Question Game," which really isn't a game at all--just a chance to ask all those questions you want of the other.

A few years earlier I had seen an Oprah show devoted to marriage and preparing for it. A frequent guest on Oprah is Dr. Robin Smith, who wrote Lies at the Altar: The Truth About Great Marriages. I wrote the title in my journal and knew that I would eventually use the book.

After B and I began dating, I quickly ordered the book and thought Lies at the Altar was a scary title for a guy I'd just started dating so we quickly re-named it "The Marriage Book." The book is about preparing you not only for marriage, but also for a serious relationship. It was great for us to read together at the beginning of our relationship and helped us see where we had common ground and where our differences lay.

I admit we skimmed lots in the first part of the book and didn't find that part as helpful for us, but the questions at the end make this book a must have for couples. The end of the book includes over 200 questions about well, everything! From pets to finances to sex to family this book covers nearly all the bases. The questions are divided into sections and the last question of each section asks if you have a you've ever had a relationship end because of __ issue.

I think all serious and/or engaged couples should have real talks about what they want out of their relationship, future, and marriage. This book does a great job of consolidating all those "must ask" questions and gives couples a great starting place.

Are there any books that have been especially helpful to you as you prepare for your marriage?

--Love

Glass Half Full

2008-12-12T15:20:00.004-05:00

I've always been an optimist. A "glass half full" kind of gal. Sure I have bad days and I complain, but I generally look on the bright side of things.

I'm a Charlotte. The past few days I've felt especially blessed and I can't help but compare my level of happiness to Charlotte's in Sex and the City: The Movie. Now I'm a fan of SATC and in the movie when Charlotte's in Mexico (on what should have been Carrie and Big's honeymoon) she realizes how truly blessed she is.

That's me lately. I don't know if I've ever been happier. There really is something about being engaged and getting plan not only your wedding, but your future with the man you love that makes my cup seem not only half full, but overflowing.

As a girl who spent nearly her whole life as "the single one," I feel like I have an added appreciation for what I now have. B makes me realize that the whole journey was worth it. Charlotte didn't have it easy either, but she kept the faith. I never stopped believing in love even when there were days when it seemed like these days would never come. Now that the days where I'm preparing to spend the rest of my life with my fiance are here I just want to jump for joy!

I still have moments when I can't believe this is happening and get caught staring at my ring. I want to enjoy these days to the fullest!

(I promise I'll blog about the days when my glass is half empty too because, believe me, I have those too!)

What Sex and the City character are you? How do you see that character in your wedding planning?

--Love

Age ain't nothin' but a number

2008-12-11T09:17:00.003-05:00

I'm 23 (as of Saturday!). Carter's 21. He'll be 22 by the wedding. We're "young." Based on my perusal of the wedding blogosphere, we're really young. Most brides, at least those outside of the South, are no younger than 25.

I'm also not the first of my "group" to get married. Out of my "girls" that I graduated from high school with, I'll be 3rd (and only because the 4th is having her ceremony at 4:30 and mine is at 3!). Most of my friends from college who graduated a year ahead of me are already married (one before she graduated, one right after, and two in August of this year). Out of my group of friends I graduated from college with, I will again be 3rd. And, as you know, Love (who will be the 4th in our college graduating class) is considered an Old Maid in her town!*

I don't think Carter & I are too young to be getting married (otherwise we wouldn't be). On the contrary, we've been dating for almost 5 years, much of which was spent long-distance. This gave us the opportunity to really get to know one another. We relied on conversation for 9 months out of the year for 4 years. There is nothing I want more than to be married to this man.

So you can understand my irritation and frustration when I get comments such as "But you're so young!" There have only been a few instances, but the kicker came from an acquaintance. She's a mother, and she's a grandmother. And her daughter, the mother of her grandchild, is unmarried and younger than I am (by at least 2 years!). The baby is probably 18 months to 2 years old by now. But clearly, I am not mature enough to make a decision as to whom I want to spend the rest of my life with. A child? Sure, go ahead, you're old enough for that. But marriage? You're too young...

Did you receive any less-than-enthusiastic responspes when you announced your engagement? What's the "right" age to get engaged? Married?

*There are many other people from my graduating classes, both high school and college who are already married or who will be by May 23rd. However, the ones I'm counting are just the ones I was/am good friends with.

Ring O' Drama

2008-12-10T12:25:00.004-05:00

Engaged. Ecstatic.

I hardly slept a wink the night of the proposal and did nothing but stare at the new bling on my hand. I made muffins with one hand because somehow I felt as if my left hand should do nothing but look beautiful and shiny.

Right after B proposed in my tears of joy, excitement, and shock I said, "Oh my gosh, it's going to fall out!" For some reason I thought my prong setting was delicate and I needed to be extra careful because my diamond was suspended in the air.

At work the next morning I rushed to share my news, and ring, with the girls in my office. As I was re-telling the proposal story, I mentioned that I had even said I was afraid the diamond would fall out. I was talking with my hands like I always do when tragedy struck. . . THE DIAMOND FELL OUT!!!

It was one of those surreal moments when you do a double take and can't believe what just happened. The center stone fell out of my ring and onto the shoe of my co-worker. I was in shock. My diamond was on the floor! My boss, love her heart, very calmly picked up my diamond and put it in a tissue. I stayed surprisingly calm because I think I was still too happy to be engaged. At first I said it didn't matter that because even if my diamond was on the floor I was still engaged. . . then I went into action mode.

I had had my ring for 10 hours! Luckily, the night before B had told me he purchased the full Jared's insurance policy that replaced any damaged or lost diamonds so that was an instant relief. I was also very lucky to have the diamond in my possession because I can't imagine just looking down and realizing I had lost it.

It was 8:00 a.m. and the store wasn't open yet. I waited until customer service opened and immediately called to talk about my options (still tear free). Dee, the Jared's customer service representative, wasn't exactly my best friend at first. She asked me if I'd been too rough on the ring. Hello!? I had done nothing, but stare at it! She asked me if maybe I'd hit my hand on the side of the wall. Seriously?! After I explained to her that no, I had not "abused" my ring and told her which ring it was she became more helpful. . . friendly, in fact.

She said they never have problems with the my ring and she went above and beyond to make sure I was taken care of. She had a ring sent from Texas in case Knoxville didn't have any more. I contacted the Knoxville store (that's about four hours from my house so I couldn't just stop by) who sent a UPS delivery man to my office to personally pick up my ring (only after I let him know how important my package was).

I then had to call my fiance and let him know that the ring he had spent so much time, energy, and money on was broken. Luckily, by the time I talked to him I had the situation under control and he took the news better than expected although he was still disappointed and embarrassed.

I sent my ring off on Monday morning and received it back on Wednesday.

I was only without my ring for a day and a half, but still it was the first day and a half I was engaged. I wanted nothing more than to show my ring off to all my friends and family. I'm not gonna lie I was disappointed to have to send my ring back so soon after receiving it, but I rationalized because lots of women have to send theirs to get re sized so this is normal.

In place of my ring I wore my great grandmother's favorite diamond ring, which made the time without my ring a little more bearable.

Do you have a tragic ring story? Did you have to "give your ring up" shortly after receiving it?

Up next: Ring O' Drama part II

--Love

Rock of Love

2008-12-10T11:22:00.010-05:00

I've been engaged for a month and it's about time you met "the ring!"

I met her for the first time when B proposed. As you recall, Be had his own rules of engagement. He wanted the ring to be a total surprise and he wanted to choose it all by himself.

One weekend he went to Knoxville to visit his family for no reason. Actually he just went for the night and asked me to not to come with him. I thought it was strange, but made plans for a girls night and moved on.

What I now know is that he had been searching online for months and had finally found the ring he fell in love with at Jared's. He called the store and asked them to save the ring until he was able to visit. When he visited the store he barely looked at other rings because he knew this was "the one" he wanted.

The ring is a princess cut in a prong setting with 10 princess cut side stones in a channel setting.

He choose well!

As much as I wanted to go ring shopping with him before we got engaged I think the ring means more to me because he picked it out himself. It truly was a surprise and gift.

Was your ring a surprise? How was your ring chosen?

Coming soon: ring o' drama

--Love

Long Time Coming-2

2008-12-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

So other than having had my wedding planned (in some form or fashion) for 7 years or so, I've also been doing something else wedding related since before my engagement...

I affectionately refer to it as "blog stalking". And my friends are tired of hearing this phrase out of my mouth, "Well, when I was blog-stalking the other day I found..."

It's no surpise to you if you've happened upon LA Brides by some blog-searching miracle, what a wealth of knowledge and insipiration is available in blog-form. And to be honest, I can't really tell you what started my addiction. I found one blog that listed other, favorite wedding blogs, and suddenly I had a Google Reader full of wedding wonderfulness. I'd never even used Google Reader before!

So, here's a list of my favorites, and I'm saving the best for last!

Always a Blogsmaid, by Always a Bridesmaid. First, how can you not love such an adorable name?!?! I love this blog because they answer questions from real brides (I know! The've answered three of mine!) and because it's chock-full of tips and tricks. This, This and This are the two questions they answered for me!

Snippet & Ink. Inspiration board Mecca. Kathryn is nothing short of brilliant in her creative inspiration boards that she posts every.single.day. She also offers all sorts of advice, DIY, and real wedding inspiration. It doesn't get much better than this!

Southern Weddings Magazine Daily Blog. More real weddings in one place than anywhere...except maybe the Knot! But that totally doesn't count because every one of the weddings featured at SW is GORGEOUS! Some are quirky, some are fun, but all are beautiful and full of ideas for any bride, but especially those of us with Pride in the Southland (extra points if you can name the somewhat football-related reference here!)

Style Me Pretty. Photos, tips and insipiration abound in this wedding blog. Check out Abby's two most recent posts on Photo Tips. Eat it up! Plus, the Little Black Book features all sorts of phenomenal wedding vendors to check out--either for inspiration or to hire...assuming you live in the right area!

The Pink Book--Knoxville. Being a Knoxville girl, I am so appreciative of a local wedding blog! If you can track down a bridal blogger in your hometown, it will be such a huge help in planning your day! The Pink Book also has a general blog, and blogs in these cites: DC, Nashville, Memphis & Indianapolis.

And, saving the best for last...Weddingbee. There is no other blogging community made up of such talented, beautiful and inspiring brides. There are no words to tell you how much fun Weddingbee is! You feel like you really get to know the brides and their weddings, and it's so neat to steal, I mean, glean, ideas from these fabulous Bees! While all of the Bees are pretty much amazing, I do have a few favorites...Mrs. Pomegranate, Miss Champagne, Miss Fondue, and Miss Meatball are tops on my list. (and I'm so excited, Miss Meatball is following me on Twitter now, too! How amazing!!!!)

What fabulous wedding blogs have I left off of my list? What else do I need to add to my Google Reader?

-Amore'

A Long Time Coming

2008-12-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

You should probably know this about me: I'm not new to this wedding-planning thing. Well, I am in that my May nuptials will be the first ACTUAL wedding I've ever planned. But I got my start back when I was a sophomore in high school.

One of my good friends and now bridesmaid Melissa (meet her here) and I had a "note-book" that we passed back and forth between classes. Rather than passing loose-leaf notes, we got a journal and just passed it between the two of us. After a while the notes were getting old, so, naturally, we decided to add pictures from magazines. This is when my first wedding was born. Please keep in mind that at this point in my life, I'd never been kissed, and I'd never had a boyfriend. Ever.

I was going to get married the second weekend in September, with a fall theme. My bridesmaids would be wearing long, formal dresses in David's Bridal's Apple Red. I'd carry red calla lilies and my girls would carry white ones. It would a formal, evening affair.

I think Melissa still has the notebook itself, and, well, I just don't have the original images I'd pulled out. But here's a glimpse of what my wedding would have looked like, had I gotten married as a 15-year-old!

I was all about the lace jacket. I mean, this thing was my dream! {source}

This was my idea of the perfect bridesmaid's gown! Long, flowy, and, well, not big enough at the top to support my actual bridesmaids! {source}

And, of course, the calla lilies. I swore I'd have callas everywhere at my wedding. Not so much in real life... {source}

Needless to say, my real wedding will be quite different from what I had imagined 7 years ago. I won't be getting married in September, but May. I won't have a Fall theme, but a Spring one. It won't be a formal affair, but a casual, fun, laid back party. You won't see a calla lily anywhere. And I couldn't be more excited!

Did you plan your wedding long before you were engaged? How is it different from your "real" wedding?

--Amore'

When I Fall In Love

2008-12-01T15:54:00.005-05:00

"When I fall in love, it will be forever. . . "

I'm engaged. I'm planning. I'm not looking for a wedding dress.

What?!

I could be crazy, but I'm waiting to fall in love. Ok, I admit that I tear out a few ads from my bridal magazines, but I don't spend my days scouring websites looking for "The One" dress. Instead, I'm waiting to go dress shopping to fall in love.

You see, I'm a wedding dress virgin. I've never tried on a wedding dress before. I've been to plenty of bridal shops and looked at lots, but never tried one on for myself. When my girlfriends got married I never snuck and tried one on because I've been patiently waiting for my time.

My body is unique. I'd like to think it has "personality." I'm no skinny minnie and my "girls" are pushing DD so it's always been difficult for me to find dresses to fit. When I look at strapless dresses if I hear my mother (or grandmother) say, "You're just going to pull at it all night!" one more time I will scream. My wedding dress will be perfect. It will fit me in all the right ways and if it doesn't we'll alter it.

I've been in love before. . . . with my junior year prom dress. It was perfect for me. The first I tried on and I wanted nothing to do with any other dresses. I was faithful.

I'm ready to fall in love forever. . . .

--Love

Bridesmaids Gone Bad

2008-11-25T15:35:00.007-05:00

Amore and I have spent the past week or so searching the Internet for my perfect bridesmaid's dresses. I've always known exactly what I want: simple black dresses that can be worn again. Easy, right? How hard can it be to find the perfect little black dress? The task has proved more difficult than I imagined.

I sent my first round of "favorites" list to my bridesmaids this morning and have already gotten a response from Sister Love, my MOH, who hates all my selections.

Sister Love and I have always had very different styles and that's no different when it comes to bridesmaid dresses. I know that when she marries someday I'll be wearing a dress that is fashionable and hip. Likewise she should realize that I will choose a classic dress for my bridesmaids.

Sister Love sent me lots of suggestions for her vision of my bridesmaid's dresses today. Those suggestions included, jokingly, UglyDress.com We may have different styles, but we love one another enough to never, ever torture the other with dresses this hideous!

I once was in a wedding where the MIL had made the bridesmaids dresses and continued to sew our buttons on right before we walked down the aisle, but the dress was still cute.

As a professional bridesmaid I've lessons that are making me a better bride. A word of advice: Brides, be good to your maids.

What's the worst bridesmaid dress experience you've ever had?

--Love

Making the Band(s)

2008-11-25T11:25:00.007-05:00

I told you all a while back about our awful first experience looking at bands. Carter bought my e-ring at Kay at the Mall, and we visited a different Kay, closer to home, to browse bands. Big mistake.

Needless to say, we had a pretty bad taste in our mouths! But a couple of Saturdays ago, we managed to find ourselves at West Town Mall, and we stopped in the Kay there. Luckily for us, the fantastic Jessica, who had helped Carter the first time around, was there. It had been about 6 months since Carter bought my ring. But when we walked in and Jessica came over to help us...she remembered his name! Talk about customer service! He literally had not been in the store in 6 months and she remembered his name. Things were looking up!

We started off by looking at rings for Carter. We'd decided before that we wanted a 5mm tungten band, that the 6mm was too thick. However, couple the 6mm with a nice sales person and no undue pressure, and it felt perfect.

Carter's band {source}

For me, we looked again at the baguette band we'd decided on before.

{source}

While we still liked this ring, we asked to see a princess channel-set band, which was our original choice. We ultimately decided that the princess band was just too perfect to pass up. It had the right amount of sparkle and simplicity and it looked stunning with my engagement ring.

We'd always talked about an eternity band for me, but we decided (with the encouragement of Jessica) that the regular band was the way to go. Imagine a sales person encouraging you to spend less money! This woman is amazing! She made the point of paying for diamonds you don't see, and she also talked about how difficult it is to size eternity bands. While not being able to size Carter's tungsten is not a big deal, my guess is that my fingers are going to swell like balloons when one day (a long, long, long time from now!) I get pregnant. And sometimes that swelling doesn't go away! So, sizability is an important factor, as well. Plus, once the regular band is sized down, the diamonds will go further around the ring than normal. So, we'll get the illusion of the eternity band, without the price tag. (Not to mention the option to upgrade at an anniversary!)

So, without further ado, my ring! (at least the pic from Kay's website!)

{source}

My band, in real life, is less bulky than this. The metal on either side of the diamonds is much thinner, and when you look at my ring from this angle, you can't tell that the diamond's don't go all they way around.

Perfection.

I hope to get pictures of my band eventually. It's currently safely tucked away at Carter's house, waiting for a May afternoon.

Carter's band came in at the same time mine did, but the size Jessica ordered and the size that was delivered were not the same, so we're waiting on the correct size to come in, which should be later this week.

Oh, and for the record, we did plan to get our bands in November, that way both of my rings are on the same cleaning and checking schedule :)

-Amore'

Chapel of Love

2008-11-18T11:33:00.008-05:00

List of things I want most for my wedding:
1. B as my husband
2. Emory United Methodist Church

For as long as I can remember I've dreamed of having my wedding at Emory United Methodist Church on the campus of my alma mater, Emory & Henry College. First, this church is gorgeous! The stained glass windows are breath taking. The aisle could not be more perfect for a bride to make her grand entrance.

The church has also had a significant impact on my life. Some of the most powerful worship experience of my life occured in the sanctuary. As a student at Emory & Henry, I was extremely active. The chapel not only served as a place I continued to worship, but also as a place where I grew intellectually and planned numerous events. Both B and I call Emory & Henry College our home. It is where we first met!

B and I are both members of the United Methodist Church (and his dad is a UMC pastor) so it has always been important for us to get married in a United Methodist church. Having a religious ceremony is something we both want.

I had given up my dream of marrying at Emory UMC because it's such a popular church. Everyone recognizes how beautiful the church, and campus, are for a wedding. An acquaintance of mine booked her wedding at Emory UMC 14 months in advance and told me that it was nearly packed for 2009 already. Because B refused to have an engagement any longer than a year so I quietly accepted the fact that I would have to choose another church.

I was making plans to marry in nearby Abingdon United Methodist Church, which was our first church home as a couple. In fact, I had already counted the pews and made planning notes on my bulletin!

The last slide of our engagement slideshow was this picture of the chapel. To my surprise Emory was available on our date and we shall be married at the church of my dreams to the man of my dreams!

(Like our alma mater's fight song):

Emory born and Emory bred now I'll be Emory wed!

Are you getting married somewhere with significant meaning to you?

--Love

Love's Engaged!!!!!

2008-11-12T22:33:00.001-05:00

I'm engaged!

B and I had been seriously talking marriage, dates, and all that jazz for some time now. Despite all our talks I was completley blindsided when my own proposal came. On to the long awaited story of my engagement. . . .

Sunday, November 9, 2008: That morning B brought me a dozen red roses, but said they were for no reason. This is out of character, but as the day went on normally I was convinced he was just being romantic. The day followed our typical Sunday routine: church, a visit to my Mamaw's, and afternoon nap. No idea what was about to happen. . . .

Later that night B made me leave him alone for a few hours so he could "work on preparing a test for his students." I obliged and a few hours later he came into my room with his laptop. He wanted to show me what he had been working on. B created a slideshow of us entitled "Our Seasons" (remember my belief in dating for all seasons). The slideshow had over 80 slides of our pictures together throughout our relationship and songs that were meaningful to us. I laughed, cried, and continued to be clueless.

The last song was our song: "Kiss You Good Morning" by Jake Owen. The last slide was a picture of the church where we will be married. He said he wanted to add pictures to the slideshow, but only if I was wearing. . . . and he pulled the ring out of his pocket.

This is where I got a clue. . . and stopped breathing! He got down one knee, said my full name, and asked me to marry him. I remember saying yes and the rest is a blur. I never really thought I would be one of those girls who cried, but it was pretty uncontrolable. The man of my dreams had just asked me to marry him.

I was totally surprised, and it's pretty hard to surprise me! I obviously didn't expect to get engaged because I was wearing sweatpants and a college t-shirt. It didn't even matter--I was engaged!!! We told my parents, called his parents, and spent the rest of the night making phone calls to our loved ones.

I can't believe we're really engaged and I'm really going to be a bride! I couldn't be any happier.

Our wedding date: July 11, 2009

SO much more to come!!

--Love

My Sweet, Sweet Song (Vol. 2)

2008-11-12T16:40:00.000-05:00

Music really sets the tone for your ceremony, so I wanted to share a little more about our "traditional with a twist" wedding. I told you earlier about our processional and our recessional, so today I'll tell you about our prelude and the entrance of the bridal party!

As I mentioned, all of our music will be played by our good friends and Carter's co-workers-- who also happen to be very talented musicians. We want lots of contemporary Christian songs that have sort of a dual meaning: they are absolutely about the beauty and love of God, but are also celebrations of beauty and love among his people. Here are some songs that are on the prelude short list:

No One Like You by David Crowder Band

Godsend by DC Talk

Love Song for a Savior by Jars of Clay

Love Song by Third Day

You get the idea :) We haven't firmly decided on the set list for the prelude, but these are some of my favorites.

Then, for the entrance of the bridal party, I'm fairly certain we'll use Beautiful One, a la By the Tree

Here are some lyrics:

Wonderful so wonderful is Your unfailing love

Your cross is spoken mercy over me

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart can fully know

How glorious, how beautiful You are

Beautiful one I love

Beautiful one I adore

Beautiful one my soul must sing

You opened my eyes to Your wonders anew

You captured my heart with this love

‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as You

It's a fun and upbeat song, and I think the line " 'Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as you" is a perfect description of how special our bridal party is to us.

What song are you using for the bridal party entrance? Does it have any special meaning for you or your fiance'?

-Amore'

My Sweet, Sweet Song

2008-11-06T22:10:00.003-05:00

As Love and I were chatting today, we were talking about ways to make weddings personal. I think one of the best ways to do this is by your music choice. I've been holding out on this post, but for no apparent reason, so here we go! Sweet, sweet songs that will personalize my day!

First of all, you should know that we're having a rock band for our ceremony music. We're just not Canon in D people, though the song brings tears to my eyes whenever I hear it. C & I are blessed to attend (and work at, in C's case) a church with great contemporary music. We have fantastic musicians that we also call friends, and they have agreed to play for the wedding. We'll have the full band, electric guitar, keys, drums, bass and acoustic guitar, plus vocals. C is the youth worship coordinator at our church, and his groomsmen are his band mates from Find the 01. We are both music lovers, and some of our favorite memories are from concerts we've attended together. Rockin' music is a definite requirement for us.

The one song I've pretty much always known I wanted included in my wedding is "Joyful, Joyful" or Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." This was my parent's recessional at their wedding, and my sister and brother-in-law used an acoustic version as their recessional. Naturally, I always thought I'd be using this as my recessional.

Then I heard this song on my local Christian radio station. It's by a contemporary Christian band, Reliant K. I must say, the lyrics spoke to me to be used as a recessional song. Here are the words to the chorus:

This is the best thing

The best thing that could be happening

And I think you would agree

The best thing is that it's happening to you and me

I can't think of more perfect words to describe what C & I will be feeling after we seal it with a kiss! (to hear the song where we want it to start after the smooch, go to 0:45 on the video).

So, that left me with the conundrum of when to have Joyful Joyful. I really love the song, and I adore the idea that my sister and mom both used it. My verdict? It will be my processional. As I said before, I love Canon in D, but it's just not for my processional. At the same time, Beethoven's version isn't exactly what we're looking for, either. Though it might make him roll over in his grave, our version will sound closer to this:

Fast forward to 0:55 to start with the classic "Joyful, Joyful" lyrics. I love the sound, and I think it's a great way to work in this meaningful song into my day! I think the lyrics are again appropriate for the occasion:

Joyful, joyful, Lord we adore thee

God of glory

Lord of love

Hearts unfold like flowers before the

Opening to the sun above

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness

Drive the dark of doubt away

Giver of immortal gladness

Fill us with the light of day

{sigh} It makes me happy just to think about it!

I have many more special songs that I'm excited about, but I hate to give away everything at once! Expect more posts to follow about song selections, including our thought processes behind them!

-Amoré

Rehearsing Drama

2008-11-05T13:38:00.003-05:00

When C & I got engaged, we started talking with his parents about a venue for our rehearsal dinner. Two places came to mind: The Chop House and Lakeside Tavern. Lakeside has always been a favorite of C & his family, and it was even the place he took my parents to ask for my hand. I've always been a fan, and after my parents experienced the restaurant for the first time, they loved it, too. So, Lakeside was at the top of our list.

C's mom first called Lakeside in August to ask about their reservation policy regarding their private room. The folks at the restaurant told her the earliest she could book was 6 months in advance--during the month of November. Between August and November, FMIL called back two more times to confirm that the earliest she could reserve the room was in fact November, but that rather than waiting for November 22, she could reserve on November 1st.

So, on Saturday (November 1st) FILs went to Lakeside to reserve the room. After taking one last look at the space and talking with the reservation manager, FMIL happily handed over her credit card to book the room. A few minutes later, the manager came back to FILs and apologized, because the room had already been booked for our date, about a week earlier. WTF? FMIL called THREE (3) times to establish the earliest possible booking date! She was ready to book the room the first time she called them, in August! She followed the rules and did everything right to reserve the private room for our rehearsal dinner. Yet someone decided that the rules would only apply to some people wanting to book the room, and not others.

FILs left Lakeside angry, but also keeping everything in perspective. They were off to find an alternative for our rehearsal dinner venue. They went to The Chop House, which was on our short list, and were greeted by a very professional and friendly manager who was more than willing to work with us. Since we'd decided on Lakeside, FILs wanted to run a few choices by C & me, so they got "pencilled in" there. They also visited another local restaurant, Peerless, and were treated with the same professionalism and respect.

We decided to go with The Chop House for our rehearsal dinner. We all love their delicious food, and it's within walking distance from the church! The room isn't completely private, but we figure we'll be the loudest ones in the place, so it shouldn't be a problem :) We know they'll take great care of us, and we know that the food will be fantastic!

Overall, we're excited to have our RD at such a great restaurant. And you can bet it will be a long time before any of us head back to Lakeside....

Did you have any venue drama? Are you happy with the way things turned out?

-Amore'

Happy Election Day!

2008-11-04T11:40:00.005-05:00

If you're a bride or wanna-be planner like we are then you are obviously thinking about the future. Don't limit your future minded-ness to just your wedding and marriage, but to the future of our country and the leaders who will impact your marriage, children, and families.

Vote!

I admit that I am the most political of the LA Brides as a former professional political staffer (and general loud mouth), but I encourage everyone to vote in this all important election!

So, today I put away my wedding blogs, magazines, and plans to volunteer for my presidential candidate locally. In fact, I've done that a lot lately in order to make time to write a letter to the editor of my local newspaper, make hundreds of phone calls in support of my candidate, put up signs, and work the polls. I'm taking action in the here and now for my future and the future of our country.

Be a bride of action!

--Love

P.S. I won't be getting engaged today because election day totally qualifies as a holiday for me (and that's against the rules of engagement :-)!

Does size matter? Amoré chimes in

2008-10-23T20:41:00.005-04:00

Love just posted about wedding size, so I thought it would be a great time to talk about the size of our guest list.

In a word, it's huge. HUGE. When people ask me how big my wedding is, and I tell them, they are shocked. In a "holy-crap-you've-got-to-be-crazy" sort of way. Our guest list is currently at 379. And that's not everyone.

{source}

See, C is on staff at our church--the largest United Methodist church in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The church as a large staff. The church has a large congregation. The church has a large youth group. Our families have attended our church for a combined 40+ years. Our parents are in the same Sunday school class, which is also quite large. C works directly with the youth, and I volunteer in the youth group.

C and I are incredibly blessed in that we have a tone of people around us who love us. We're having six bridal showers. I don't even know what to do with all of the love! Our wedding will be large, but I also think that it will be amazingly fun and personal. C and I are thinking of a lot of ways to make our wedding unique, and I think we'll have a lot elements that will help us to mingle with our guests and generally have a great time.

If I had to chance to have several weddings (all to C, of course!) I'd probably have one as a tiny, intimate affair in snow-covered mountains. (I'm totally jonesing over these photos that Miss Champagne posted on Weddingbee). In my winter wedding we'd have everyone fly in on Wednesday night and have activities all weekend in our rustic lodge.

However, I've only got one go at this, and in that case, I want everyone there who's willing to come. I look at weddings as a great excuse to get everyone you love in one room. The cost? We won't be having a 4-course gourmet feast, but we will have a great time with the people we love the most--every last one of them.

So, you know where Love and I stand on the wedding size topic--we'd love to hear from someone who wants a small, intimate affair!

-Amoré

Does size matter?

2008-10-23T16:33:00.005-04:00

I love Cosmopolitan magazine! I mean like love it, share it, read it, use it ;-) In college part of my pledge name in my sorority was "Cosmo." I've read it for years because I believe every young woman, regardless of experience, should be educated. Now, I don't believe everything I read in Cosmo and to be honest it rarely talks about marriage. Sure there are engagement ring ads, but it's targeted to 20-something women. Cosmo usually steers clear of marriage because its readers have varying degrees and ways they show their commitment to significant others.

Today I logged on to Cosmo's website to send my friend a gift subscription for her birthday and found Cosmo talking about marriage. "Why Small Weddings Rock" argues that small weddings are better and far more personal for a couple than a large event with a few hundred people. Cosmo and I agree on some points: all eyes will be on you, it will save your budget, you can invite your nearest and dearest instead of feeling obligated to invite those you aren't super close to.

I think that size is a way that weddings differ the most. Friends of Amore and I are getting married in July with a few close friends and family in attendance, in a field, as the full moon rises. Perfect for them! However, a small wedding just isn't for me. I come from a small town, which includes lots of close family, friends, family friends, church members, political allies (my father's a local elected official and we're both active in local politics), and customers (my family owns a third generation grocery store). Not to mention college friends! If I just invited my closest family members I would easily have over 30 people and that's not counting anyone on B's side. It's always been very obvious to me that my wedding would be large (if not open church, but that's a whole other post)!

I want a large wedding. As a single girl for most of my life, I feel like a large wedding is something I've not only waited on forever, but earned. I want lots of people to share in our joy! I may not be able to afford a five course meal for all in attendance, but I will be surrounded by people I care about. That's what matters to me. I certainly see the advantages to having a small wedding, but I'm an extrovert and can't imagine a small guest list for my wedding day!

How large is your guest list? Have you always dreamed of a large or small wedding? Does size matter?

--Love

Engagement Chicken?

2008-10-22T10:43:00.005-04:00

Lately I've been trying my hand in the kitchen. I have potential to be a fabulous cook. I come from good genes: my mamaw can make anything and my mother's baking is famous in our town. I'm still working on meeting my potential. . . .

For B's birthday I was successful in making chocolate pie! He loved it and it was the perfect end to his birth day of eating! It may not be true for every man, but it is for mine: "The key to his heart is through his stomach."

Thinking of his heart and stomach I remembered a recipe I've had saved for years--engagement chicken. Crazy, I know! First published in Glamour magazine in 2004 if a woman makes the chicken for her man he will propose (it takes some time. . . not drop on one knee after the first bite kind of magic here).

There's no way making a meal for your man will convince him to propose. . . . but could it hurt? Now I'm a Southern Belle, but I'm not caught in the 1950's. B and I have had many discussions about rings, timelines, and all things engagement so making engagement chicken probably won't change a lot for us.

So if it can't hurt. . . . here's the recipe for engagement chicken.

Is this crazy? Did engagement chicken work for you? Did you do any crazy things to "speed up" your engagement?

--Love

The First Nightmare

2008-10-21T10:24:00.002-04:00

This weekend marked my first wedding-related nightmare. No, I wasn't eaten by tulle and satin, or my brain sucked out by curls and hairspray. Instead, it was three weeks before the wedding and I hadn't sent out any invitations.

Not One.

And on top of that, they weren't even printed!

I was one stressed bride when I woke up. I was ready to call Schroeder's dad (one of the groomsmen, his father owns a print shop and will be printing our invitations) at 3 a.m. to make sure they'd get printed in time! Luckily, I realized fairly quickly that I'm still over 6 months away from my big day, so I've got time to print and send my invites.

How long after your engagement was your first wedding-related nightmare? How long did you have them?

-Amore'

B's birthday

2008-10-20T12:48:00.006-04:00

Happy birthday, B!

Today is B's 25th birthday! I'm all about celebrating birthdays!

To make his day special I'm feeding him :-) Sure there are presents, but I woke up very early this morning to make biscuits from scratch. His grandfather once told him not to marry a woman who couldn't make good biscuits so I perfected my mamaw's recipe in order to be eligible for marriage. A true Southern Belle :-) I had lunch delivered to his classroom at school. For dinner, I'm going to tackle his mother's recipe for his favorite pie (wish me luck on this one).

Last year, after the first half of his birthday celebrations, he told me he loved me. He stuttered, giggled, and finally got those three amazing words out. I didn't immediately say it back. Stupid, I know especially because I was feeling it. Minutes later (although it felt like days), after I'd walked out of the room and realized how stupid I had been, I came and told B that I loved him too. Why didn't I say it immediately? Our relationship was new and although I had felt very much in love with him for awhile I knew that I would love him more. After I apologized for not telling him immediately, I told him that I loved him. I told him that I was very much in love with him now, but I knew that I would love him far more. And that has been very true.

And now maybe our "happily ever after" timeline is speeding up. . . . . stay tuned!

When did you first say I love you to your significant other? Who said it first? Does it even matter?

--Love

Bring Your Sweet Tooth

2008-10-16T10:56:00.009-04:00

Or go home!

C & I are dessert-junkies. He makes the best brownies out of a box you've ever had. My favorite part of any meal is the sweet stuff that comes at the end. If I could, I'd only eat desserts. My wedding dress would probably hate me, though! My favorite days in the cafeteria in college were when they served "Ice your own cupcakes." My college cafeteria didn't do many things right, but cookies are on that list. And when you can ice your own cupcakes, you can ice your own cookies, which means you can make the infamous Double-Doozie just like from Great American Cookies.

YUM.

But I digress. The point is, C & I both love sweets more than just about any food.

When we originally started talking about our reception food, we wanted Salsarita's. We love the fresh Mexican food, they cater, and it's affordable. Momma Amore' quickly vetoed, though, because while they cater, they just drop off and pick up, rather than staying and helping make sure things go smoothly. While that worked great when they catered lunch at my old office of around 20 people, it could be disastrous with my wedding of 300...

So, as we were thinking more about what we wanted to do and what we could afford, Momma Amore' suggested a dessert buffet. Check out these GORGEOUS pics of dessert buffets (click to enlarge)...

{Style Me Pretty}

Our dessert buffet will be catered by Sweet Celebrations, based out of Maryville, Tenn. Their website isn't up yet, but their sweets are simply incredible! We'll having cupcakes galore: red velvet with cream cheese icing, strawberry with cream cheese icing, chocolate with caramel icing and spice cake with caramel icing. They'll also make our wedding cake, which will be white cake with caramel icing (are you noticing a theme here??) We'll have mini key lime pies, mini apple pies, mini cheesecakes, thumbprint cookies and wedding cookies. In addition, my mom and I will be making Chex Mix (I swear, her Chex Mix is the BEST) and cheese straws. We decided we needed something savory to prevent any diabetic shock :) We are so excited about our dessert buffet, and we think it will be a GREAT way to continue our "tradition with a twist" theme.

What are you serving at your reception?

-Amore'

Decisions, Decisions

2008-10-13T14:22:00.006-04:00

C & I made two of these this weekend. First, you should know that this weekend marked the fifth (yes, 5!) anniversary of mine & C's first date. That's what happens when you marry your high school sweetheart. You date for many years! We spent the weekend in Nashville with my sister and brother-in-law, who will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary tomorrow! Congratulations, Erin & Matt!

(here's a really terrible picture of C&Me from my camera phone inside the Melting Pot--YUM--we didn't manage to have an actual digital camera with us. Such a shame!)

So, as we spent the weekend out of town, we had lots of time in the car to talk about the wedding! (We talked about other things, too, but this was a great opportunity to figure out a few things that I'd been conflicted on).

First, we have a reception location, and I don't think I'll change my mind anymore! I've known that we'll be having the reception at the church from the beginning. It's cheaper (only one site fee, which is low since C works at the church), it's greener (no gas to get between the two places) and it just generally makes sense to us. Our first though on where to have the reception was a combined space--the gorgeous narthex and courtyard outside of the sanctuary we'll be married in. Here are some pictures from Laura's wedding of that space. (all photos by me!)

A shot of the Narthex. Here, I have my back to the sanctuary

I love the windows in the back of the Narthex, which is where I hung Laura's dress for this picture. The courtyard is the space you see outside the windows.

A picture that WILL be recreated in May! But again, these are the windows at the back of the Narthex, with the courtyard outside.

And here's an outdoor view of the Narthex.

While the location is beautiful, I had several major concerns after sleeping on this idea for a while. First, this space is RIGHT OUTSIDE of the sanctuary and the bride's room. That means when the wedding is over, the guests essentially go no where. The traffic jams I'm imagining with my large guest list in this space made me really nervous. Plus, we'd need to get back into the sanctuary for some post-ceremony pics. Can you imagine trying to work your way back into the sanctuary with all of your loving guests hovering near by? It wouldn't be pretty. Space was my other major concern. How were we going to fit 14 cocktail tables, a buffet line, a DJ and a dance floor all in this space? And what if it rained? We could move to another room, but it wouldn't have the flow or the aesthetic we'd get in the Narthex and Courtyard. So, while this space is unique and gorgeous, I really just wasn't comfortable having the reception here.

We had other options, of course, one of which is the "Old Sanctuary," more commonly referred to as "The Castle." It's called the Castle because of it's decor...I don't have any pictures of the space, but it's a large room with a stage about 3 steps up from the main floor level. There are, in fact, suits of armor (at least one) and the walls have a treatment to make it look like stone. Stone that is lavender, yellow, and light green, I might add. The space is great--plenty of room and beautiful stained-glass windows. But I just can't stomach the color scheme...

Another option is Epworth Hall, or the gym. I attend a large church (3,000 or so members last I checked), and we have a building across the street from our Main campus called the Cokesbury Center. The Center is the home of our contemporary worship services, which take place in a carpeted gym with a large stage. This space is used for everything imaginable. Unfortunately, it's not "technically" an available space for our reception. However, we were willing to at least ask about using the space. But as I thought about it, I realized that maybe it was a bit TOO big. Yes, there will be lots and lots of people at the wedding, but I still wanted it to feel a little intimate. Yes, I realize I'm asking for the impossible, but still, Epworth just didn't feel quite right.

Which leads us to our final option and the one we've officially chosen: The Youth Suite! The Suite is also located a Cokesbury Center, right across the street from the main campus where the ceremony will take place. We'll probably get a crossing guard to help our guest cross the busy street in between the two. We'll also try to find some fun transportation for the bridal party across--a golf cart or something of the sort.

The main room of the Youth Suite is not big enough to hold everyone, especially with a buffet line. But we don't plan on cramming everyone in the one room all at once. We'll set up the buffet outside the Suite, directly across the hall from the main doors. The wall there is sort of shaped like a Bay window (you know, the top 3/8 of an octagon) so I think it will look neat to have our buffet tables there. We'll put the dance floor (we're going to rent) smack in the middle of the main room, with our cocktail tables scattered throughout. The Suite is also home to a rockin' game room complete with Foosball, Dance Dance Revolution and more video games than I can count. We'll have this room open for all the game lovers in attendance! We'll set up our photobooth in another side room.

As for where to put a DJ, that's the other decision we made this weekend. We're not having one. I'll be honest, iPod weddings sort of make me nervous. But, as Love told me today, all you need is a good sound system, a great playlist, and an MC to announce all of the major moments. We've got the sound system covered--the Youth Suite is high-tech like that. MC--we've got several people we could ask. And as for a playlist, we've got 6 and half months to perfect it. That's where you come in--what are the must-plays for my reception? Any and all ideas are welcome!

Here's a shot of the main room in the Youth Suite. Obviously it won't look like this for the reception, but check out how freakin' cool it is!

{source}

So, start the song ideas comin'!

-Amore'

The Bridal Trend I Can't Live Without

2008-10-08T21:29:00.006-04:00

I. Love. Photobooths.
More than a dress.
More than a cake.
More than dresses for my girls.
More than Chacos for the guys.
More than a processional or a recessional.
More than anything.
(Except, of course, for C.)

C & I are photog buffs. We love pictures and what's more fun than cramming into a small space and taking cutesy pictures of yourself.

So when I saw in a bridal magazine a long time ago (I don't even remember when it was...) that renting a photobooth for a reception was a trend, I fell in love. I had to have one.

I started researching for photobooth rentals in the Knoxville area. I found several nationwide rental companies that can service Knoxville. Here's a snapshot (pardon my pun!)

Funtastic Foto
Funtastic Foto looks like a really fun place to rent from, because they have lots of fun options for your photobooth. In addition to the classic strip of photos, you can have fun backgrounds and cutouts.

Photo-Me
Photo-Me rents classic photobooths and digital booths. Unfortunately, they don't serve Knoxville :(

Photo Express
Photo Express also offers Dance Dance Revolution games for rental! How fun is that?

Party Booths
Party Booths offers logo printing on your photos. How perfect for a design freak! Love it!

Volunteer Photo Booth Rentals
Volunteer is a fun Tennessee-based company that also offers a "Snap-Lab" rental--digital cameras and instant photo printers.

I. Heart. Photobooths.

My parents, the generous benefactors of the wedding, are, unfortunately not big fans for dropping $900-$1800 on an "extra" for the wedding. So I'm thinking about how I'm going to afford this rental, and I decided to ask Brent. Brent is the youth director at our church, and he's also C's boss. Brent rents a lot of things for youth functions, so I thought I'd check with him to recommend a rental company. I knew he had never rented a photobooth here, but I knew I needed to pick his brain. His suggestion?

D.I.Y.

"Use your Mac! It has a Photobooth application. Rig up a booth yourself and use that application, then you don't have to pay for a rental."

Brilliant.

A quad of shots of me from the photobooth application. Please excuse the weird slanty eyes in the third picture...

Here's my plan: Construct a PVC & Black Fabric "Booth". Place laptop with above-the screen camera on one end, and a bench on the other. Hook up a secondary monitor to laptop. Hire or convince a friend to press the button to take the picture. Print on instant photo printer.

I. Love. Photobooths.

And now I can afford one.

-Amoré

Animoto Slideshow

2008-10-08T15:05:00.002-04:00

Animoto is my new love today. It's an amazing site where you can upload your pictures or easily get them from Facebook, Flickr, and other picture sites and instantly turn them into a beautiful slideshow. You can upload your own music or choose to use orignial music from the site (which I did). The 30 second video is free and you can use up to 15 photos. You can also choose to "spotlight" your favorite photos. Because it's timed it may cut you off before 15 photos (I only got 11).

How easy and fun! I chose to use Lisa's wedding as a practice and within five minutes this is what I got:

You can choose a full length video for just $3 or an unlimited subscription for $30 a year. I haven't gone that far yet, but my first 30 second video has me excited about this service!

Just think of all the possibilites!

--Love

Ring Shopping: Party of 1?

2008-10-03T15:28:00.016-04:00

I have a confession to make. I've been engagement ring shopping. . . . . with myself. B and I have looked online together lots, but per his rules for engagement, we will not be going ring shopping together.

So, I took it upon myself to go shopping! I don't want to miss out on trying on rings and deciding what I love and what looks best on me. I started a new job as an admissions counselor for a law school (whoo for new job), which requires lots of travel. While traveling "with myself" I also go shopping "with myself." This way I get the experience, I feel like I'm doing research (the best kind ever), and B still gets to surprise me. Win, win!

I get to shop around in a different city every week and don't have to worry about the pressure of a jewelry salesperson. Sorry, Amore!

I've gone back and forth deciding what I love, but these are a few of my favorites from Kay Jewelers (which seems to be the store of choice for LA Brides this week :-):

#1 Princess cut (source): I love this ring and what girl doesn't want to wear a diamond called Princess? I mean really?! I love the band and the look of the two together. I think I might be getting attached to this ring. . . . .

#2 Radiant Cut (source): I had never noticed this cut until the non-pushy saleswoman put it on my finger. I'm a fan of emerald cut, but it takes a big emerald (and budget) to make it stand out. The radiant cut stands out like an emerald and catches my eye in the same way. I think it's unique and beautiful!

Ok, now that I've shared with you some of my favorites you need to know my conclusions about the engagement ring shopping experience: It doesn't matter what he kind of ring he gives me. I'm done with making lists and rules about the engagement. I trust him. I love him. He's the one I pick and I know that whatever ring he picks for me will be perfect.

Back in the day (okay a year ago) when I went ring shopping with Amore so she could make her list (doesn't every girl do this) a wise, non-pushy jewelry salesman told us that doing our "homework" and making lists were good, but in the end it doesn't matter what kind of ring he puts on your finger because it's something that he's picked for you.

In the end all I want is him and I know that whatever kind of ring he chooses will be my new favorite.

What was your engagement ring shopping experience? Did you get what you picked out?

--Love

Pressure from the Jewelry Store

2008-10-02T14:20:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I innocently suggested that C & I go to the jewelry store to check out wedding bands. Little did I know that I was signing him up for harassment.

C bought my ring from the Kay Jewelers store located in West Town Mall here in KnoxVegas. He had a great experience there! The sales person he worked with was nice, helpful, and attentive. Unfortunately, the mall is outside of the 10-miles-from-home radius that I try to stick to when it comes to my daily life. I'm spoiled, right? But, there is a Kay store that is within my radius, so I figured that even though C bought my e-ring from the mall, we'd transfer our business to the closer store for the duration.

So, we went to the closer Kay a few weeks ago to check out the selection. Since then, C has gotten several phone calls on his cell and has received a postcard as a part of a mass direct mail campaign from this store. The sales person we worked with was not very knowledgeable--she had to keep asking the other person working for answers. And on top of that, she repeatedly called C to check up on him to see if he/we had made a decision. The phone calls became so disruptive to C's life, that he actually called the store and asked to be removed from their contact list!

Fast forward a few days, and C gets a hand written note card from Jessica, the woman he bought my e-ring from. He let me read the card. It was short, and it concentrated more on taking care of C, me & my ring than it did on selling him anything. She said she knew I loved the ring (she was right!) and that we should come in sometime to have it cleaned. She then suggested coming into the store to look for a Christmas gift for me (yes, please!) or to look at bands. And the last line of the note let us know that there is a sale at the Kay store in the mall this weekend.

We'll be buying our bands from Jessica.

Here's what we're thinking about getting:

For me, a baguette eternity band {source}. This is not an eternity band, but you get the idea. We'd like for the diamonds to go all the way around on mine. I love that C knows that I love *bling* We loved how the baguette stones looked next to my princess e-ring.

C has always wanted a simple band. So, for his choice, he wants a plain band in Tungsten, about 5mm wide. This ring came from here {source}. We love the tungsten because it's a strong metal (not resizable, though) and because of it's darker, gun metal color. Also, Tungsten is not considered a precious metal, which makes the cost of this ring super budget-friendly. And if he ever needs a different size, we can get him a new one without too much pocket-ache.

Have you had trouble with vendors or other sales people harassing you for business? How did you handle it?

-Amore'

Meet Mr. October

2008-10-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Mr. October is B!

We officially met in college, but can count numerous times that we were in the same place at the same time and didn't meet. We knew of one another before we knew one another.

Finally, at college we met and our first "real" memory of one another is the fall day years ago when I knocked on his dorm door asking for his vote for me in Student Government. We talked for hours (much more attention was given to him than my other constituents) and he introduced me to the others in his dorm. I still don't know if he voted at all in that election, but I won and a friendship was born.

I'd like to say he voted for me, we fell in love, and the rest is history. . . . except that's not true. Lots of time and lessons passed before we became a couple.

For the next few years we dated other people and just innocently flirted whenever we were around one another (the picture, taken by Amore, was years before we began dating). I was a member of his sister sorority so we ran into one another quite a bit even after his graduation. I admit I got excited whenever I knew he would be around, but nothing ever materialized.

It wasn't until last fall that things really started happening for us. Our big obstacle: he lived in Atlanta and I was finishing up college in Virginia. That's why he made perfect sense to be my Mr. October: someone I'd always been attracted to who couldn't be more than just a fling because of distance (remember love doesn't like to be given limitations--even 385 miles).

In September, we began messaging one another and then the phone calls began. B is not a phone guy (most guys aren't). Before we started dating his longest phone conversation in months had been 20 minutes. After our phone calls began we consistently hit the four and five hour marks. We never ran out of things to talk about. Sleep was no longer necessary. . . overrated really. I will forever be grateful for those days of our "courtship." We spent hours every night, hundreds of miles apart, getting to know one another over the phone.

By the time October, and our college's homecoming, rolled around we were giddy. I knew this would be more than just a fling and I counted down the hours until his arrival. When we were finally together there was no question that it was a good thing. . . . sparks and all :-)

We did the long distance thing for a few months until B returned to our college to finish his teaching requirements. Finally, in August, he got his first teaching job and loves it! We're in the same town and life is so sweet together!

He makes me laugh. Not just laugh, but big belly laugh and giggle all the time. He challenges me to question my politics, beliefs, and reasons, but always allows me to think for myself. He respects me and takes care of me. He brings joy to my life. He loves me the way I always hoped I would be loved.

So, B has been Mr. October, November, December, etc. and back to being Mr. October again. I don't need a calendar. He's a keeper.

--Love

Initial Thoughts

2008-09-29T21:11:00.010-04:00

I love all things monogrammed. Don't ask me why, but I love seeing anything that is personalized with a monogram, whether it's one letter or three. I love them on totes, shoes, make-up bags, jewelry, stationery, EVERYTHING. Check out this eye candy...

{source}

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{source}

Needless to say, I've thought about my future monogram quite a bit. C has great initials: CCC. His mother's initials are CCC, and I think it's really neat that they have the same monogram. After we are married, my initials will be....

ABC!

That's right, the first three letters of the alphabet will be my new monogram. Here's how it looks in some fun fonts...

Adine Kirnberg-Script

akaFrivolity

Beauty School Dropout

Stencil

I'll post more on my decision to change my name later, but for now, I'll ask this: is anyone else excited about a new monogram? Have you played with your new initials like I have?

-Amoré

Calendar Girl

2008-09-29T14:18:00.005-04:00

I'm a calendar girl. Well, not a very successful one. . . . No, I'm not Miss July and I didn't pose for an actual calendar. Allow me to explain myself. . . .

Last September after the end of two serious relationships ("home boy" and "bad life choice") I decided that I didn't want anything serious and that it was time for me to truly experience dating. This led to declaring myself "Calendar Girl," which meant that I would date one boy a month. At the time this seemed like the perfect plan to me. I would be able to casually date and enjoy my senior year of college. I thought I had it all figured out, but as we all know (or have learned the hard way) you can't put too many rules on love (although I try). . . .

Enter Mr. September who was exactly what I needed at the time: a few text messages and a single date. Being a Calender Girl seemed like the plan for my life! Until all my plans changed and Mr. October walked into my life. . . . .

Did you find love when you stopped looking?

Next up: Meet Mr. October

--Love

A love for all seasons

2008-09-28T19:44:00.009-04:00

I'm a firm believer in the seasons. I think that it's important, for me, to experience all seasons together before marriage.

This doesn't mean that I have a timeline for dating or even engagement. I think you can know he's "The One" before you experience all the seaons together, but I could never marry someone without having experienced the fullness of seasons with him. I am lucky to have experienced the fullness of seasons with the love of my life.

B and I began our romantic relationship last fall (make that a year exactly on Saturday :-). During our seasons together, I have had time to learn about his "winter depression," which amounts to his dislike for cold weather in Virginia. In the spring, I learned about his extreme devotion to the Atlanta Braves. The summer continued his love of baseball, the outdoors, and brought the challenges of job searches.

In addition to his changes along with the seasons, I have also been able to share in holidays with his family. Because family is so important to us both it was important that we spend significant time during our dating relationship with one another's family. We both spent significant time during the holidays together and realized how important it was to understand one another's traditions.

Each season has brought new joys and challenges for our relationship. I continue to learn and love more about B with each change. In the grand scheme of things four seasons is a short time, so I think it's important to share in all of them together before joining in marriage.

--Love

Better than Rudolph--Claymation!

2008-09-24T23:01:00.001-04:00

The cake has, by far, been the fuzziest of the wedding details for C & me. I've seen the way everything else looks in my head, but the cake and its topper have been a mystery. I've tooled around on all the appropriate sites: theknot.com, Weddingbee, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides.com... I still don't quite know what the cake itself will look like, but then I saw these adorable Etsy cake toppers from Subtle Details. They are made from polymer clay to look like the bride and groom, and immediately I knew I had to have them! So cute, so customizable, and they will look so adorable on a shelf or mantle in our nest!

I just love the details!

Aren't the flowers adorable???

Swoon!

Alas at $325 per couple, these are more than a little out of our league.

Enter DISE project #2. You saw the remnants of DISE project #1 yesterday...(Still a little angry at the cat...) DISE #2 is courtesy of my fantastic sister and matron of honor. She's always been the more organically artistic of the two of us. She can draw, paint and, luckily for me, sculpt! When I saw these cake toppers, fell in love with them, then came back to planet earth, I immediately sent Erin an email with the link asking if she could come up with something similar at a lower price. She said she'd try! Here's a recent picture of C & I at a football game. We'll refrain from talking about the outcome.

You can't totally tell in this, but I have brown curly hair. Carter has close-shaved dark blond hair. Momma Amore' will make a miniature veil for the Cc, and Erin will make a bouquet to look like mine. We're also tossing around the possibility of giving the mintiature C a guitar and giving the miniature me a camera. What do you think? Would those accessories be too much?

She even put C in flip flops! How perfect!

All photos by the talented artist, Erin. How do you think she did?

What are you doing for your cake topper? Did you get DIY or DISE inspiration from somewhere?

-Amore'

Thanks Chesney

2008-09-23T22:37:00.004-04:00

So pretty much right after I posted about my fabulous cat, Chesney, and making sure he's nice and healthy, he goes and does this to me...

(Forgive my poor-quality camera phone pics. The c-phone is my only digital pic option at the moment...)

I have just one thing to say...

Damn Cat!

I haven't even had a chance to blog about my DISE (do it, someone else! coined by the now Mrs. Peacock on Weddingbee) veil before Chesney--the notably de-clawed feline--got a hold of it and chewed holes in it. Luckily we didn't break the bank on my beautiful veil, but I was, of course, already in love with it! My mom made the veil for me and has already said that she'll make a new one, but she's going to be waiting a while before getting started again. For some reason she doesn't want to jump right back in to sewing on hundreds of clear seed beads...

In the mean time, I will show you how momma Amoré and I managed to make my veil and headpiece for under $50, rather than the $300 we were looking at paying in the store. Too bad we'll have to tack on a few more bucks to the overall "veil & headpiece" line item in the budget. I guess that's why most companies include an "incidentals" category...Damn Cat!

Have your pets spoiled any of your wedding projects/supplies/accessories?

-Amoré

Notice for Pet Lovers

2008-09-21T22:46:00.004-04:00

I know many brides (and folks in general) have furry, feathered and/or four-legged friends, so I wanted to pass on a pet food recall. The makers of the Pedigree family of pet foot have voluntarily recalled some of their dry dog and cat food. My own Chesney was sick this weekend after I bought him one of the recalled bags of cat food. The affected lots are possibly infected with Salmonella. Check out the Mars Petcare recall website to see if your pets' food is affected. If so, you can return the food to the store from whence you purchased it to receive a full refund.

And for your viewing pleasure, my Chesney-boo.

-Amoré

Allow me to Introduce...(2)

2008-09-18T09:04:00.003-04:00

...My inner feminist.

I would have never considered myself a feminist before I went to college. To me, feminists were bra-burning, "liberal," and all-around bad. Then I went to college and learned more about what a feminist truly is. Here's my favorite definition, as spoken by Rebecca West: "I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat, or a prostitute."

Last night, I went to the grocery to get cat food and cat litter. (I insist that I'm not a crazy-cat-lady, but I do own a feline...) I elected to go through the self check-out because I was, of course, on the phone. Well, the self-checkout must have been having a bad day because when I scanned the catfood and placed it in the bag, it told me to put it on the scanner and wait. So I waited. And nothing happened. Then it told me to remove the item, so I did. Then it got angry and told me I needed to scan the item I had just placed in the bag, even thought the charge for said item was clearly on the screen. Meanwhile, the guy in line behind me (keep in mind that there are 6 total self check-out lines, and only 3 or 4 were full, but this guy was waiting in line behind me) starts clicking his tongue like I'm taking too long. So I hang up the phone to try to concentrate more fully, and when I look back at the guy he smiles and laughs--evidently he's flirting with me?

Well, making eye contact with this guy was the biggest mistake I made all day yesterday, because he took that to mean that I needed him to come to the rescue and help me figure out this new-fangled-technical-machine thingy. He proceeded to come up to the kiosk and start touching the screen, trying to fix it in all his manliness. He quickly realized that it was NOT user-error that was causing the problems. Once the grocery store employee worked his magic to tame the machine, the cat food scanned just fine. The overly helpful and demeaning fellow customer then proceeded to press the "pay now" button, and tried to walk me through the payment process. I had yet to scan the cat litter, so I quickly took over, hit the back button, and scanned the litter. After I lifted the litter & scanned it, my helpful friend then said, "Oh hun, I would have done that for you." I paid for my cat supplies and high-tailed it out of there. I've never felt more demeaned in my life.

Now the question is, "what on earth does this have to do with wedding planning?" It got me thinking about the relationship of husband-to-wife and the vows that couples make at their weddings. Lisa, August bride #1, recently attended a wedding in which the bride promised to obey the groom, but the groom made no such promise to the bride. Lisa was not a fan of this, as she said she thinks that each should promise the same thing to the other.

So here's where things get a little hairy in Amore' Land. I agree with Lisa, 110%. I have no intention of promising to obey C. However, we are, in many ways, extremely traditional, and promising to obey is a very traditional vow. Chances are, in our marriage, I will "obey" C in some way or another. I have already done so (for example, I only have one tattoo, not 2 or 3 or 4. He's not crazy about tattoos, though I would totally love to have another one). But promising to obey will not be part of our ceremony.

The other feminist-vs-wedding conflict is the quesiton of "giving the bride away." You already know that C asked my parents for their blessing, but the giving away during the ceremony is a different concept, at least in my mind. It's one I'll be pondering and discussing with my closest--namely C and Love--and then share my conclusions at a later date.

What are your feelings on promising to obey? What about giving away?

{image}

-Amore'

Allow Me to Introduce...

2008-09-17T16:29:00.015-04:00

...My photographer, Mark Boxley. Mark is a young journalist in Knoxville. His photo of groomsmen in flip-flops that I showed you before is the thing that said to me..."We've got to get this guy!" So many of his photos convey the kind of personality that C & I share as a couple. After we met him and found out he'd graduated from UK (where C's dad graduated from and of which C is a HUGE fan) and that he's currently working for a newspaper in Blount County, we knew he was our man.

Sadly, I received an email from Mark this weekend that said that's he's moving :( He's been granted a fellowship in Columbus, Ohio. However, he will still return to Knoxville to photograph our wedding in May. While it may be a little nerve-racking on Friday before I know that he is, in fact, in the state, I think it's totally worth it for the quality of photos and the amazing prices he offers. I don't know yet if he'll be continuing to photograph weddings in Ohio but if he is, and if you're an Ohio bride, book him! And if not, check out the awesome slide shows on his website

And now for the good stuff!

-Amore'

The time has come. . . .

2008-09-17T10:14:00.012-04:00

The time has come to subscribe to bridal magazines! I broke this morning and ordered my subscription to Brides, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride. There was a deal (and a LA Bride never passes up a sale): $23.97 for a year subscription to all three bridal magazines! I took advantage and can't wait for the first issue to show up at my door.

Just because I'm a new subscriber does not mean that I'm a newbie to bridal magazines. I can't remember a time when I wasn't obsessed with reading bridal magazines--I just refused to buy them for myself. If the government ever analyzed my library records it would quickly see that I began checking out bridal magazines and planning my wedding long before I was issued a driver's license. Once I became a professional bridesmaid I was given "hand me down" issues of bridal magazines from my brides. Now it's my time and I couldn't be more excited!

I love that there's a magazine devoted to this one time in a woman's life. I love that they feature a variety of weddings and styles (and I love thinking of how I can adapt those to fit my own style and budget). I promise lots of posts will be inspired by the pages of my new bridal magazines!

--Love

Asking for Their Blessing

2008-09-16T11:26:00.006-04:00

When I read Love's post on B's Rules of Engagment, I realized that I completely failed to tell you about C asking both sets of parents for their blessing on our engagement.

I realize that this is a pretty old-fashioned practice these days, but as our families are so important to both of us, it was important to C to officially get their blessings before he popped the question. Plus, seeing as C won't be finished with school yet when we tie the knot, it was especially important to "clear" the plans with his parents. So when he knew the proposal was eminent, he spoke with his parents over hot dogs. His parents were pleased, and said they would, "of course" offer their blessing. C told me about talking with his parents, mostly because he knows what a control freak I am :). He also knew that I was nervous about what his parents would think about us getting married "so young." {C & I with his family at my college graduation}

The next little bit of info C passed on to me was that he was planning on asking my parents for their blessing in late May. He asked if they would want to go to dinner with him, and also wanted suggestions. He ended up taking them to Lakeside Tavern on the Sunday of Memorial Day. My mom told me afterward that she ended up asking him "So why are we here?" before he brought up the subject! (My mom's as antsy about such things as I am!) He explained to them that he had loved me for a long time and that he wanted to propose to me this summer, with the hopes of getting married next summer. They, of course, offered their blessing. They were thrilled that this was all happening! I think my mom may have been just as giddy as I was about the possibility of a ring in the near future! {My parents on a hiking trip in middle TN}

So, I knew when C asked his parents, and when he asked my parents. As I mentioned in one of my first posts, we even booked the church before I got the ring. There was no question as to whether or not we would receive my parents' blessing, but it was important nonetheless.

Anyone else's finaces/husbands ask for your hand/your parents' blessing? Do you wish he had? Do you wish he hadn't?

-Amore'

DIY Centerpieces: Trial

2008-09-15T10:51:00.004-04:00

Last week I had a few hours to kill between work and a Bible study. Due to high gas prices (We're up to $4.99 a gallon here in Knoxville, and we're reported to have a shortage. It's been a bit of nightmare, actually.) I opted to avoid driving home to then drive back toward work for the Bible study.

Alas, the best laid plans for saving money were spoiled when I decided to spend my vacant hours wandering around a few of my favorite discount stores in search of wedding-related items.

My first stop was to Big Lots. Now, I have to say that this isn't my favorite store in terms of atmosphere. Sometimes I feel like I need to shower after I've been in there. But boy, do they have deals. It was totally worth the heebie-jeebie feeling when I found these great candle scape rocks. At other stores, including discount super-stores, 16 ounces of these shiny glass rocks are about $4 each. Not here. At Big Lots I got the awesome stones you see pictured for just $2 a bag. Plus, I also got two 24-ounce jars of clear rocks for the $2 price tag. I'll probably be going back to buy out the rest of the rocks later in the game. They're exactly what I was looking for. I'll have more photos of rock implementation in a later post!

So after the Big Lots adventure, I headed to Carolina Pottery. If you've never experienced a Carolina Pottery (or Old Time Pottery, or the recently-out-of-business-much-to-my-heartbreak Dixie Pottery) you're missing out. Such stores are warehouses of goodness for ridiculously low prices. My mom & I picked up 8 glass globes that we'll be using in our centerpieces at Old Time Pottery a few weeks ago for a mere $1 each. We bought out the globes at Old Time, and we still had 6 tables to go, not to mention others that I'd want scattered (in the bathrooms, on the guest "book" table, on the food tables, etc). Moral of the story, I needed more globes. So, I stopped into Carolina Pottery to see if they had something comparable. Sure enough, they did. And though the globes here were a buck fifty, I bought one to compare with the eight we already had. If they worked, I'd head over and buy the remaining 5, and any others I found necessary! Also, Mom & I had scouted Carolina Pottery a few months ago, and we found these cool tall vases that I really liked. Since I was there, I picked one of those up, too, just to test them out.

Now that I had the rocks, the globe, and the vase, all I needed was flowers to complete my trial run at centerpieces. Off I went to Kroger, whose floral department is quite possibly my favorite. I found gorgeous white hydrangeas, which just so happen to be the blooms I have in mind for the globes. I also grabbed some white daisies, as the BM bouquets will have Gerber daisies, and I thought it might be nice to see what they looked like. Lastly, I got some white alstromeria, because, well, they're cheap. But these flowers seriously last forever, and I really like them in general, so I decided they were a good investment.

So, the photos, all from my awesome camera phone, show you the different centerpiece options. What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions?

-Amore'

Meet the 'Men!

2008-09-14T17:03:00.003-04:00

So, I've introduced you to my gorgeous girls, which means you need to meet C's fantastic boys!

But first up, a little confession.

I'm older than C. In years, it's only a year and five months. However, in terms of schooling--I just graduated from college and C's still a junior. When we started dating, I was a senior in high school and C was a sophomore. C's groomsmen are...young. Really young. Like, still in high school, young.

C is the youth worship coordinator at our church. As such, he is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the youth band, Find the 01. So, C's best friends are the guys in his band. And because it started as a youth band, three of the four are still in high school. Regardless, these guys are great Christians, fun to hang out with, and wonderful friends to the man of my dreams. While it may be a bit awkward for my hippy bridesmaid, who's a year older than I am, to walk with Guitar Man, who's 4 years younger than I am, I'm still so excited that these guys will be in the wedding.

The best man is C's little brother--Drummer Boy. Drummer Boy is a junior and he is a phenomenal drummer. I won't lie, I'm not so much musically inclined, but I can appreciate good music when I hear it. This boy brings tears to my eyes when he plays the drums. He could be C's twin and it has been such a blessing to get to know him over the past 5 years. He's excited to be in the wedding, and that makes me happy!

Guitar Man is the oldest of the groomsmen and is currently C's roommate the University of Tennessee. His musical genre of choice is metal and he can rip up his guitar like those twice his age. He's a master at Corn Hole and provides the Wii for my gaming pleasure. He also introduced me to Frisbee Golf. He is gracious enough to put up with me, and I admire him for being able to live with C. Hopefully C & I will be as good as roommates as he & Guitar Man are!

Bass Line is the youngest of the group, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him. He rocks on bass in the band, and he has perfect pitch! He plays tuba in the marching band, and I'm fairly certain he could play any instrument he touched. Oh, and his vocals are awesome! He's perhaps the shyest of the group, but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

Lastly we have Schroeder. He plays keys and synth and also sings a bit. He is quite possibly the sweetest person I've ever met! We share a nerdy love of the Classics--we both took Latin in high school. I took Greek in college, and though he's not formally studying the language, he has a Greek New Testament. How cool is that? He's also an incredibly talented musician and is one of the most appreciative people I know.

How does your man know his 'men? Are you friends with them, too?

-Amoré

(note: no photos on this one out of privacy for the guys. I'm sure you'll get to see some later, though.)

B's Rules of Engagement

2008-09-12T18:42:00.000-04:00

B has his own rules of engagement. No, I'm not the only one! He knows mine very well and has been aware of them since very early in our relationship. There will be no ring on a holiday, he will get down on one knee, and I don't fear engagement via the Jumbo Tron.

He's a good apple.

However, because I am able to have my rules so can he. Here are B's rules of engagement:

We can never go ring shopping together. He's not one of those guys that wants to pick out the ring together. We've looked online lots, but never walked into a jewlery store together to look for rings. I know we never will. He often jokes (at least I hope it's a joke) that I have one chance to tell him what kind of rings I like and that's it. His philosophy is that the ring is a gift that's giving to me and he wants to pick out himself.

No one can help him pick out the ring. It's all him. I know that my mom, FMIL (future mother-in-law), sister, best friend, Amore, or any other trusted confidant will be not invited to join him on his search for my engagement ring.
He will ask my parents. B can be old fashioned. He will forever insist (just like my father does) on calling his in-laws (or future ones) Mr. and Mrs. ____. He will never call my parents by their first names. Following in tradition, he thinks it's important to ask my parents before proposing to get their blessing.

The proposal will be a surprise. B loves to surprise me. I hate surprises! Well, let me re-phrase that: I love surprises, but am rarely surprised because I always insist on knowing what's going on. He has the ability to surprise me whether it's driving from Atlanta to show up at my door a day early or giving me a gorgeous diamond and sapphire necklace for Christmas he prides himself on his ability to surprise me. I expect nothing less from his proposal despite the fact that I know I'll try to find out every detail.

Although I fuss about it, I like that B has his own rules. His rules simply show that he plans on putting a lot of thought into how he will propose someday. I don't know what the ring will look like, how or when he will propose, but I know that he's The One and that's all that really matters.

--Love

Fortune Toss

2008-09-10T14:18:00.010-04:00

I've been an "official" bridesmaid twice in the past year. Both brides were named Jessica. I've caught the bouquet at both weddings. Tradition says I shall be the next to marry.

I was always that girl who stood for the bouquet toss along with all the other single girls at the wedding, but crossed my arms. I did not move toward the bouquet and would rather it fall to the ground than land in my arms. I wanted to no part in catching the "flowers of pressure."

Luckily, one of my best friends since childhood, Tabitha, who married two years ago took pity on me. As the old maid in my hometown, she realized that I would be one of the only girls "of age" standing for the toss along with her cousins who had yet to hit puberty. She took pity on me. . . in a creative twist on a wedding tradition.

Instead of the tradition bouquet toss, Tabitha had a fortune toss. What's a fortune toss? According to Martha Stewart Weddings, "this distinctive toss bouquet is made up of a cluster of smaller bouquets, each bearing its own secret fortune that offers more detailed information about future husbands to a few agile guests."

The fortunes can include things like: "You will marry your true love," "You will marry a movie star," or "You will marry your first kiss." The fortune I caught at Tabitha's wedding said, "You will marry a millionaire," which doesn't look like it will come true for me. . .

I love this idea because it doesn't single out one girl and it allows everyone to get a piece of the bouquet if they want. Fortunes all around!

(Photos compliments of me and marthastweartweddings.com)

--Love

My Non-Bridesmaid Bridesmaids

2008-09-08T18:12:00.005-04:00

Allow me to introduce you to my non-bridesmaid bridesmaids. Well, you already know one of them well, it's Love! The other is Fab, and these girls are in my family line in my sorority. Love is my little, and Fab is her little--my grandlittle.

These girls are as big a part of my bridal party as the four who will be wearing matching dresses, these two just don't have to buy the dress!

C & I wanted a small-ish bridal party. I've been to several weddings with 5, 6 or 7 attendants each. While all of these weddings were beautiful, I felt that having this many attendants was just too much for our low-key affair. To me, the more women you have standing next to you, the more formal the wedding, and we're going for casual. So, what to do about the fact that I wanted six maids but would only actually have four? Enter the non-bridesmaid bridesmaid roles.

Love will be reading during the ceremony. We've selected a secular passage for her to read, which I'll post about at a later date. Love was a state forensics champion in extemporaneous speaking, so she's fantastic in front of a crowd. She's also a self-professed pageant coach. That makes her perfect for the reading role. Plus, since she's already a professional bridesmaid, I wanted to be selfish and stand out on her wedding resumé by having her perform a different role for the wedding. In addition, Love has, of course, been helping me plan and has also taken charge of my college shower and bachelorette party. She's just wonderful, basically.

Fab will be what I call the "Sorority Coordinator" for the wedding. There are several rituals that we, as a sorority, perform for weddings. These things can be quite a handful and difficult for the bridesmaids, much less the bride, to handle on her own. Enter Julie, who will make sure everyone is in the right place at the right time and that those who need to know what's going on--know what's going on! Fab will do a phenomenal job at keeping all of this in order, which means it's one less thing I have to worry about. Yay for that!

So, these girls are not "bridesmaids" in the traditional sense. However, because they are just as important to me as the four who will be matching, these two will be a part of the bridesmaids' luncheon, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and they will, of course, be receiving whatever fabulous bridesmaids' gift I happen to come up with!

I'm so excited that these two women have agreed to be a part of my day. I can't imagine my life without them, much less my wedding, and I feel so blessed to have them participate!

Do you have any non-traditional wedding party members?

-Amoré

(image from our Spring 2008 formal function. That's Fab on the left, Love in the middle, and me on the right)