Dressing the Maids

I originally titled this post "dressing the girls," but have since decided to save that post for when I decide what undergarments I'll be wearing on my wedding day!

Anyway, on to the bridesmaids dresses! Since I figured out that I would probably be having a spring or summer wedding, I've had my eye on a particular dress from David's Bridal for my bridesmaids. I first fell in love with the dress in clover, but later decided the marine was what I wanted.

Here's a shot of the dress itself:
( from David's Bridal)
























And here's a bridal party shot of the dress:
(from Danielle Bryan Photography)

























The color Marine is a dark navy, and it can tend to look like black. However, I think having the bouquets wrapped in navy ribbon will really help you see the navy color. Plus, the men will be in navy, so I think everyone will get the picture :)

And lest you think these dresses were a cut-and-dry part of the wedding, have no fear! I called the store to see if the dresses would, by any chance, be discontinued sometime soon, and the woman at David's said they were...in three days!! I scrambled to contact all of my maids to have them call and order their dresses, lest they be discontinued and we come up one dress short! Hippy Bridesmaid even had to order hers while she was on vaycay at the beach! Talk about dedication.

And when I went back to David's a few weeks ago to look for a veil, guess which dresses were still in the store, hanging on the racks, ready to be ordered at any given time...

At least my girls all have their dresses now...

Did you have any drama or close-calls in your BM dresses? Did you know early on what you wanted?

-Amoré

And we have flowers!

Mom & I spent the day yesterday doing wedding things. It was so nice to take a break from all the crazy traveling I've been doing and just think about my wedding. The first stop on the list was a florist, Susie's Pretty Petals. The website's not that great, but her prices are phenomenal, and I love what we came up with for my florals. 

The quest for gorgeous florals has been an interesting one. First, I wanted all whites.

 Period.

 No greens. No nothing. Just whites. Then Momma Amoré brought up the point that all-white flowers wouldn't show up well against my all-white dress. Then, once I saw Financial Bridesmaid wearing her dress, I realized that I needed color in the BM bouquets as well. So, I started looking for something I liked. Knowing that my palette is navy & sage, and knowing that "navy" is not-so-much a flower color, I decided to stick with greens and whites. Fo

r good measure, I thought some yellows might be nice to add. Still analogous, soft, and

 hopefully gorgeous. However, I just couldn't find "my" bouquet in photo form. Here are some of my inspirations. 

(all from the knot)

So, going off of these general ideas, Momma Amoré & I met with the florist. I felt like such a huge pain in the butt, because I kept changing my mind in the course of the meeting. I had sent her an image that I said I really loved, and by the time we go there, I had decided that I didn't really love it anymore. Plus, we are not using boutonnières for the wedding party (more on that later). But, half way through, I realized that we needed bouts for the dads and my grandfather. And I've since realized that I'll want bouts for the cousins who will be helping with the guest

 book and programs. So I've got to call her and add those, too :)

But, Susie was incredibly nice and very helpful. She's a wedding coordinator, too, so she had lots of helpful advice. She was able to make some great suggestions, and I'm really happy with what we've come up with. Since we just sort of worked from photos to piece a bouquet together, I don't have anything that will show you what the bouquet itself will look like. However, I'll try to paint the picture for you using these two images. 

The bridal bouquet will have white hydrangeas and green coffee berries, just like this photo. (source) Mine will also include light cream roses, yellow "Judy" roses and a single bright white rose. I'll also have some pearl sprigs to add a little luxury.  (source)

The bridesmaids' bouquets will have pale yellow gerber daisies like in this. They will also have the same cream roses and green coffee berries that are in my bouquet. (source)

Two of my bridesmaids are also sorority sisters, so their bouquets, like mine, will feature a single bright white rose, which is our sorority flower. It was very important to me that their bouquets have these flowers because of the symbolism we associate with them. All of the bouquets will be wrapped in the same navy ribbon that we're using on the pew bows (more on those later, too!)

Corsages for the mothers will feature three cream roses, coffee berry, and pearl sprigs with ivy. Corsages for the grandmothers will be two cream roses, coffee berry and ivy.

Corsages for the reader (that's Love!), and another sorority sister who is helping will each be one bright white rose with ivy (again, the sorority symbolism).

The corsage for the female guestbook attendant will be one cream rose with ivy.

The fathers' boutonnières will be cream roses with coffee berry and ivy, as will the bout for my grandfather. The male program attendants and guest book attendant will each have a cream rose with ivy for their boutonnières. 

Susie will also be crafting an altar arrangement and a memorial arrangement, but we still have to pin down the details on those. 

And we'll be able to do all of this for under $800. I call that a victory.

So, what do you think? Who are you honoring with special flowers? Are you forgoing flowers in favor of something less traditional?

-Amoré

I've missed you!

I've been out of town on business for what seems like years, but I promise to come back to you! Love & I have some great stuff up our sleeves for the coming weeks, and we hope you're as excited as we are. We'll do a couple of "banter posts" where each of us will give our 2 cents about a topic. That way, you'll begin to see just how different we are!

Also, I have some fun wedding things to update you on, including my veil and headpiece, a visit to a florist, and my insatiable sweet tooth, just to name a few. Plus, there are weddings galore to recap. We'll be busy around here, so be sure to check back often!

Until then!

(image source)

-Amoré

Why I'm wearing white on my wedding day--or--Amoré' the Prude (Part 2)

Last time I told you about C's & my decision to not drink. This time I'll tell you about our decision to remain virgins until we're married.

For both of us, faith has played a huge part in our decisions. We were both raised in the same church, and we were taught that "True Love Waits." I decided that I would wait to have sex until I said "I do" when I was 13 years old. The reasons for keeping my virginity have changed, but today, for me, I believe that God created sex to be a beautiful gift, but one that is to be shared with only one person. And to me, if I've found that one person, it's logical to wait until I've married that person to share that gift.

I want to pause here and say that like drinking, I offer no condemnation for the people around me who have made different choices. I am in no position to judge another person. I can only offer my own experience.

C & I knew that we would one day get married fairly early in our relationship. Before I went away to college, we had already talked about getting married and that we each felt that the other was "the one." And over the past 4+ years, the opportunity and temptation to have sex have both been there. But each time the question or possibility arose, we both have always known the answer is "no."

I love C with every ounce of my being. I have never felt the same way about another person on the planet. As such, I want to be able to share the entirety of myself with him and only him. And out of respect for that decision, I will share that with him for the first time on our wedding night. I know it may sound crazy to some--to marry without knowing if the sex is good. My response to that concern is that since I've never had sex before, it has to be good! Besides, for C & I, our relationship is more about a friendship and profound respect for one another than it is for physical satisfaction. We look forward to giving to one another the one thing we have never given to another person, and the one thing we will never give again.

The next question is probably, "If you already knew, why wait?" Why not wait? If we're going to get married, we'll have the rest of our lives to have sex. And though we knew early in our relationship that we would marry, that didn't mean that we were ready to be married. Sex is more than a series of actions to achieve a result, sex is a commitment. And for us, that commitment is just as important and carries the same weight as the commitment we will make when we stand up in front of our friends and our families next May.

A final reason, though this one is admittedly far less important, is that C & I desire to live the kind of live we want the youth we work with to live. C is on staff at our church working with our youth, and I volunteer with the youth group. We are in front of the same students every week, and they know all about us. I simply could not talk with these youth about relationships--a hot topic among middle & high schoolers--and be in a sexually active, non-married relationship. It would just plain be uncomfortable.

C & I are primarily concerned in guarding our hearts, and in waiting until we're married to have sex, we believe we are doing that.

C & are looking forward to our lifetime together, and we believe that saving sex for our wedding night will make that day that much sweeter.

Any other virgins out there? What difficulties have you encountered? Why have you decided to wait?

(image from August wedding #2 by yours truly. more on it later.)

--Amoré

In my red high heels

I love fabulous shoes! After a tragic incident where B's dog chewed up my brand new Nine West red high heels I recently purchased a new pair. I'm in love. It has been like reuniting with a long, lost love. I think that a fabulous pair of red high heels brings spice to my normal black wardrobe and can make even the worst of days a little brighter (don't get me started on how painting your toenails can change your life).

I think my wedding day will be the happiest day of my life and I want to feel that happiness right down to my toes. So that's why I will insist on wearing brightly colored shoes with my wedding gown. Now I know that red or pink heels will not perfectly match my white (or ivory or champagne or whatever shade I choose) dress, but it's my wedding day and I want my feet to be happy.

My grandmother passed away from breast cancer, but as she fought the disease she always wore her "happy shoes" on the days that she went for chemotherapy. Her happy shoes are proudly displayed in my parent's house today as a constant reminder that life should be lived to the fullest (and in fabulous shoes)!

Wearing happy shoes on your wedding day is not a foreign concept. In fact, a recent cover of Brides magazine featured a bride dressed in white and showing off her bright pink heels. Just think of all the fun pictures you can take of your happy feet on your happy day.

What are you doing to "spice" up your happy day?


--Love

Why I'm wearing white on my wedding day--or--Amoré the Prude (Part 1)

Wikipedia defines the word prude as "a person who is described as being overly concerned with decorum or propriety. They may be perceived as being uncomfortable with sexuality, nudity, alcohol, drug use or mischief.

"The name is generally considered to mean excessive modesty, and hence unflattering, and is often used as an insult. A person who is considered a prude may have reservations about nudity, participating in romantic or sexual activity, drinking alcohol or consuming other drugs, or participating in mischief. These reservations may stem from shyness or strict moral beliefs. Actions or beliefs that may cause someone to be labeled a prude include advocating or practising abstinence, advocating prohibition, advocating censorship of sexuality or nudity in media, disapproval of being nude in public, avoiding or condemning public display of affection, or exhibiting unusual levels of discomfort with sexuality, alcohol, drugs or mischief."


(image source)

Often times, the image conjured up when you think of the word "prude" is that of a Puritan.

Two things you should probably know about C & me.
1. We don't drink. At all.
2. We are both virgins.

Unheard of, right?

My father is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober for nearly 15 months now. That means that for the first 21 1/2 years of my life, he was a practicing alcoholic. For me, this meant that my father was emotionally absent for most of my life. He was often embarrassing when around my friends--making inappropriate comments. He always had a beer, and to this day, I cringe when I hear a can open. Dad's alcoholism left me with several scars, including a hesitation to trust men mixed with a strong desire for approval from men. Nice combo, right? His alcoholism has also led me to research the disease further, to try to understand it better. One glaring piece of information I've come across time and time again: alcoholism is inherited. Children of alcoholics are much more likely to become alcoholics themselves. And because of the family dynamics present in alcoholic homes, children often seek out similar personalities and find themselves married to addicts in their adult lives.

As a result of this knowledge, I have decided to simply not drink. The only way I can know that I won't succumb to this disease is to never let it have the chance to take over my life. Similarly, the only way I can know that I won't end up married to an alcoholic is to marry someone who has decided that he doesn't and won't drink either. C has seen the heartache that has resulted from my father's alcoholism. He was a part of my life at the time of my parents' separation, and he has witnessed the miracle of my father's sobriety. He has also had to deal first-hand with the issues having an alcoholic father have posed in my life. He made the decision long ago, and on his own, to not drink.

For the record, I have no problem being around alcohol or around people who drink, or even being around drunk people. I was in a sorority in college, and I certainly have seen my fair share of intoxicated individuals. I have no judgment for people who drink. I don't think they are going to Hell, and I don't think they are bad people. For me, however, alcohol is simply not an option. And I'm at peace with that.

Next up: Still carrying my V-Card.

-Amoré

Old Maid?

I am an old maid. Yes, at 23 years old I am considered an old maid by most of my friends. Call it an Appalchian tradition or simply the way things are done in my hometown, but nearly all of my friends are already married.

Shortly after high school graduation, I began attending the weddings of close friends. I served as maid of honor for my best friend the summer after our freshman year in college. It was then that the questions began to come about when I would marry and why I didn't have a beau. In fact, the questions never cease. The next summer as a bridesmaid for another best friend I tried to count how many times I was asked when I would marry or my turn would come, but I soon lost count because the questions were unending.

At college, I subscribed to my local newspaper and every week turned first to the engagement and wedding annoucements to see which of my friends it would feature. Almost without fail it would feature a classmate or at least an acquantance that was "tying the knot."

I still consider myself young, and despite the pressures surrounding me, I am not in a hurry to follow my friends down the aisle. I will. . . in my own time. I think that the worst thing a girl can do is to be in a hurry to marry simply to have a wedding or because it just seems like the thing to do.

Don't get me wrong I do not subscribe to the belief that all girls who marry young throw their lives away. My best friend, who has already been married for years, will finish her pharmacetical degree this spring and has pursued a career along with her marriage.

All women in the South used to marry young. My grandmother married at 18 (and was old for her time) and my mother married at 19. Despite the fact that they both married young they do not want the same thing for me. They want me to choose who and when I shall marry. In fact, my grandmother made me a wedding ring quilt this fall, but insisted that it had no symbolism and that now that I had my wedding quilt I could marry whenever I chose.

And that's exactly what I plan to do. I will stand proudly as the only girl "of age" at the bouquet toss and answer the unending questions with a smile. I am just fine being an "old maid."

Have you ever felt pressure to marry?

--Love

It's all about you!

I am an Appalachian. This means I talk with an accent, live in the mountains, am proud of my place, and have traditions that are distinctly different from other cultures. . . . including wedding traditions.

I also come from a very small town. Where I come from there are not many "platinum weddings," but instead many are held in local churches with the receptions in the fellowship hall. This also means no alcohol at most weddings. We still participate in bouquet tosses. There are certainly not five star hotels or caterers to provide a luxurious spread, but weddings are unique and personal. I believe that the most important part of any wedding is that it fits your personality and culture.


My new wedding read agrees. I have been reading Somebody is Going to die if Lilly Beth doesn't catch that bouquet: The Official Southern Ladies' Guide to Hosting the Perfect Wedding. This book is not only hilarious in pointing out the uniqueness of southern weddings (including recipes for dishes such as sausage balls, which are a staple at many of the Appalachian weddings I have attended), but also very true. I promise many posts to come from questions raised from the book, but it also points out the importance of making your wedding personal:

"We think the best advice for a successful wedding is: Be yourself. A wedding offers an opportunity to be somebody you aren't. This is a temptation to be (for the most part) resisted. If you can afford a big blowout, by all means, do it. But if you can't afford a band from Memphis, a small wedding reception in the living room with mints and nuts is just as lovely. . . A good rule of thumb: Don't spend more time planning the wedding than the marriage is expected to last."


Amore and I recently attended/participated in a wedding of our dear friend, L (formerly "our bachelorette"). Her wedding was wildly personal and I loved it! She and her husband did the two-step for their first dance to a mountain song: "I love you just the way you are." As an avid hunter the groom's cake (made by his grandmother) had a deer on it and the groom also hit a few golf balls during a break in the reception. The bride, who celebrated her bachelorette part at the Carter Family Fold, insisted that guests flat foot. The decor included rocks from a local river in the flower arrangements. The celebration was classy and personal--exactly what a wedding should be.


How will you make your day personal?



--Love

My New Favorite Bachelorette Game

Last night was my second-ever bachelorette party, and like the first, I helped host this one. I've got lots of details and pictures coming, but I wanted to write about a game that we played that is my new favorite. I'm particularly proud of it because the MOH and I came up with it together.

After scouring the internet for fun and not-terribily-inappropriate games, we came up empty-handed. We just weren't fans of the raunchy games that were deemed bachelorette party material. So while we were wandering around at a party store buying decorations, we stumbled upon a Magic 8 Ball knock-off and got inspired.

MOH ran around all day Thursday looking for a Magic 8 Ball, and was finally able to buy one at Toys R Us. Who knew they'd be so hard to track down? Armed with the 8 Ball, we explained to the girls at the party that we'd pass it around, and each in attendance would ask a question about the bride's future sex life and/or wedding night. Boy did we get a kick out of this!

Q: Will it hurt?

A: Don't count on it

Q: Will the bride be satisfied?

A: It is certain

Q: Will the bride be knocked up within a year?

A: Ask again later

after a "mmmmm" noise from tasting a good sip of her margarita:

Q: Will the bride make that noise on her wedding night?

A: Without a doubt

Without fail the Magic 8 Ball answered our questions in the best possible way. I even got asked if I had rigged it somehow--I hadn't! We're hanging onto the 8 ball for future bachelorette parties (and just girl get-togethers in general). How fun!

Have you made up any of your own bach. party games?

-Amoré

(image source)

Sentimental to a fault

As of today, C and I have been engaged for 2 months. It's our two-month engagement anniversary, if you will. Now, I realize that C and I have been together almost 5 years, and I stopped counting our monthly "anniversaries" around year2. However, there is going to be something special about the 8th of each month now. If for no other reason than because I clean my ring on the 8th. I also clean it on the 23rd. Call me silly or too sentimental, but I enjoy commemorating our engagement date and our to-be wedding date with a little soak in the jewelry bath for my princess.

Two months of engagement down. Nine months and 15 days to go.
























Sorry for such a blurry shot, but my nails were freshly done!









-Amore'