And the Invites are OUT!
I started getting texts and messages online today as people were seeing pretty purple envelopes arrive in their mailboxes!! I guess that makes it extra official, huh? We've not invited nearly 350 people and told them a date, time and place...better not back out now, huh? :-)
I had to spend my evening then making sure the online RSVP was all up to date! I hope it all works right and I hope, hope, hope we didn't somehow forget someone! I'm excited to begin seeing the RSVP cards arrive and numbers update on the web. Let's see just how many people we SHOULD expect to fit in the teeny-tiny church!
Shower #3: Family & Friends All Around!
I cannot tell you how crazy it was to see so many of my favorite ladies ALL in the same place! It was great enough to see Michelle's house transforming into a cute party place full of purple decorations and delightful food, but then the Dixon family began to filter in...then friend after friend after friend. Everyone there from my aunts and cousins and Grammo... to college friends like Alex Henning to GSP friends like Anne-Tyler! Virginia came and even introduced herself as knowing me by "marrying into the Man Clan." KK came and brought some sample flower decorations and with the other girls we made decisions on which ones for the sashes, which ones for hair and which ones for the pews. Jerusha's cake-pops were adorable. Holly's games were fun and any time Holly is hosting something (and just talking in general) people end up with a laugh. I got lots, lots, LOTS more presents. Jon and I don't even know what to think of it all!
Mainly I just had a wonderful time having so many fun people around me. It's overwhelming even imagining how the actual day itself will be when it will be ten fold what it was today! I'm getting more and more excited about the time I'll get with the girls at both the bachelorette and just the day of. In many ways October still seems a good ways off, but with how fast summer itself has gone I have no doubts it will be here in a blink! The most fun I've found in all of this, though, is having other people get excited with me! It's just great to feel that other people are EXCITED for this and not just doing it because they have to. At least I sure hope that is the case!
Caitlan "KK" (cousin & attendant), Becky (college roommate & bridesmaid), Holly Jo (cousin & Maid of Honor), ME!, Rachel (sister & Matron of Honor), Dani (college roommate & bridesmaid), Michelle (sister-in-law & attendant)
Shower #2: With the soon-to-be "in-laws"!
How overwhelming!! I cannot really describe what it is like to receive so much from so many people--especially in this case where I hardly know so many of the people from today! Cassie and Jenny put together a Couple's Shower for Jon and I. I normally wouldn't have really felt it was necessary to make it for us both (ie, I wouldn't have made Jon sit through a shower), but we decided it was a good choice for a few reasons:
(1) By myself, I would only know a handful of the people
(2) Jon hadn't seen some/many of these people in a long time either
(3) This gave people a chance to congratulate us who may not make it the distance to the Kentucky wedding in October.
The shower was lovely and very purple-filled! Yummy food and drinks and lots of great people. I felt bad to have not spent more time with some of the people whom I hardly know yet bought us gifts. However, several people warned me that the day-of will be even worse as far as the amount of time I get with people. The more I think about it, the more overwhelming it feels--so many people I care about that I want to thank for being there with so little time to do it!
We got so many wonderful gifts today. Many great tools and utensils we'd registered for at one place or another. Jon's neighbor (Jenny and Mike's neighbor) gave us SO MUCH! She made us lots and lots of beautiful throw-pillows along with boxes of other things.His grandmother made us a quilt. One of his old Scout leaders who is another Bellarmine grad got us really cool 2011 National Basketball Championship coffee mugs. Yes, all of the presents were amazing, but really it was just nice to get to spend some more time with so many of the people who have been a part of Jon's life for so long and will now become a loving, supporting, wonderful part of my life as well.
Friday's always seem to have traveling involved these days! That also usually means little time for wedding progress...however, today did bring for some progress. I finalized which flower girl dress Julianna will wear. I went up to visit Aunt Lea to give her a few answers on what I was envisioning with the veil. It really should be pretty simple and we even found online the one (I'm pretty sure) that I tried on at David's Bridal that gave me the idea for what I wanted made. Jerusha was busy-busy-busy finishing up Cake-Pops for the shower on Sunday. I was lucky enough to get to taste-test a couple! Delicious indeed!
We headed for Newburgh tonight for tomorrow's shower with Jon's friends and family. It will be followed by the Dixon family/Louisville friend's shower on Sunday. (I know, I know...Quite a shower filled weekend!) I started working on some thank-you notes from last weekend's Ohio shower while in the truck (YES, we drove the new truck) and we also went through my iPod listing some of our "must play" songs for the reception!
Signed, Sealed, Delivered!
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..Almost! Minus a couple of missing addresses, Mom and I have all of the envelopes addressed and stuffed! We are lucky to have some spares to replace the screw ups (on my part... and a few we can blame on Dani, right?) I'm really, really nervous about the church. We cannot fit all of these people. I don't even know how they'd fit standing! Mom says it will be fine but I feel it's kind of inconsiderate to invite so many people knowing they'll never fit in the church, but I guess they forgive you because it's your wedding? Plus it's my church from growing up and now mine and Jon's church.
Mom should be able to stamp them and get them out this weekend.
One step closer...
