My Wedding on a Budget: 2 Days to Go!

WEDDING EVE!

Okay, not really because it's only Oct. 6 and the wedding isn't until Oct.8, but honestly... today is the last day of real "wedding prep". Tomorrow I'll do a little in the morning but once Rachel and I leave for Danville for my oh-so-relaxing massage (thanks to Kara & Dani) wedding-ness will be well underway and no looking back!

I still worked today but my goodness was it tough to stay focused! I cannot imagine if Rachel and Aunt Anne hadn't been here to help with so much set up. Rachel actually came down to the Loft this morning to get a TON of MY cleaning done. This place has been a wreck and I know there will be a lot of people in and out of here during the festivities so it had to be cleaned. Rach knocked it out like it was nothing, though.

Around lunch time we made a trip to Knob End because Karen's team was setting up the rest of the tables and so forth. LOVE IT. Oh I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful it looks! It's such a relief to have Karen taking care of this because she truly cares--and part of that is because she knows the family, but I've worked events with her enough to know that no matter the event she put her extra touches to make it look great. She had some purple table toppers she put on all of the tables and decorated the tall chairs on the cocktail table she set up for Jon and I. The buffet line table looks fabulous. The bar, cake table, gift table, champagne buckets and beer/soda bins are set up. I love it.

I did have a minor crisis on my way to checkout the setup. I called (using Rachel's phone since mine is acting bizzarro this week) Shade's salon to find out how early we could come in to get going on hair Saturday morning. Well, as soon as the girl answered the phone and I told her who I was I could tell something wasn't right. Her delayed, "Ummm....," told me she had bad news. Apparently they did not have the right phone number for me and said they'd been trying for the last couple of weeks to call and confirm the appointment and since no one had responded they cancelled it! First of all, I thought it WAS confirmed after Holly made the initial call and I followed up. I think the confusion spurred from my inquiry about make-up application when I did follow up. I asked if they did make up and said I'd let them know how many girls wanted that done. I guess in their mind that meant I was still calling back to confirm everything. In my mind that meant I'd confirmed the hair but I'd call back about makeup. Given I never called back but I wasn't too concerned about make up.

Good news is, the owner, Brian, is awesome. The girl got him on the phone and he talked with the girls there. (Luckily it was just yesterday that he'd cancelled it in the books.) They are still able to be there Saturday morning so we are set for 8 a.m.!

I left work just a tad early, 4 p.m. so Rachel and I could get up to Danville to do some final shopping. I had a list and she had Mom's list. Our stops included: WalMart, liquor store, HalMark, Peddler's Mall, Lowes, Dixon Design Studio (Uncle John & Aunt Dana's) and the smoke shop. We did a good job of keeping each other moving and we got everything we came for. The list of "to-do's" is not nearly done yet, but I'm so grateful Rachel go the house cleaned for me--a huge relief! Now I don't have to stay up all night working on it!

Jon brought home the printed itineraries for everyone. I cut the foam board we bought at WalMart and hand-wrote the directional signs we're going to put up to direct people into The Valley. I connected with Kathy Goode finally and will be able to pick up her video cameras tomorrow at the library. The programs are ready.... It's really, really, really just about time!

Tomorrow Rachel and I will leave for Danville at about 11 a.m. to get me to my massage and at that point my "wedding prep" duties have ended. I'll do my best to simply forget about everything that is or isn't getting done and just let the schedule begin to roll. In some moments I feel there is so much to do still and others I feel like it's all set! Either way, tomorrow Alamo ends and the ride is in full swing, so there will be nothing to do but breathe it in and enjoy!

My Wedding on a Budget: 10 Days to Go!

Wedding Dreams It was Driving Wednesday (therefore no major wedding work) so I thought I'd share with you the 3 wedding dreams I've had so far...

1. The Bridesmaids Dresses - I had this one back in May I believe so I'm fuzzy on the details, but I think it sprung from me telling the bridesmaids they could pick their own dresses and that I'd finally committed to a date. It was suddenly Wedding Day and the catering was crazy and fixing weird food (I knew what it was at the time but now I"m not sure but I do believe that none of it was stuff Jon could eat.) The part I do remember was that the bridesmaids were running around in these salmon pink dresses with poofy sleeves--straight up 80s! I mean, I do love the 80s, but not for my wedding party. I remember in the dream wishing I'd given myself more time to plan because it was suddenly going to be over before I'd had any fun with it! Good news is that hasn't been the case!
   
2. The Weather Nightmare - Actually, this wasn't a nightmare at all. It did rain on the wedding day for my dream, but I think this was God's way of calming me down. It rained and the day went on, nothing was ruined. Everyone had a great time. Everything was lovely. Rain won't ruin the day.
3. Hair Scare - I had this one just last night. I was having my hair done but was extremely distracted and caught up talking with Holly or Rachel or someone the entire time. When the lady finished (and I remembered this was for my wedding) I realized I hadn't given her any direction with what I wanted her to do so she'd completely done whatever she felt like...which resulted in it being pulled back into two french braids with these blue beads (marble sized!) stuck into the braids on my head. Whoa. I didn't have the heart to tell the lady who'd spent 45 minutes working on it that I didn't like it when I hadn't given her any direction. But that's what I had Holly there for!

Hopefully none of the dreams come true... we'll see if I have any more in these last TEN DAYS!

My Wedding on a Budget: 12 Days to Go!

Final Haircut and Bachelorette Dress
I finally went to see J-Pat for the first time since December! Crazy...I know. I was due for a haircut in the spring but then Jon proposed and I decided I would let it grow out some and, well, here we are now! He trimmed me up so the ends will look nice and curl nice for the wedding. He's so nice and so fun and so great with layers.
Holly met me there and then we hit up Forever 21 at Mall St. Matthews. It's good to have a fashion consultant in your wedding party! Forever 21 has taken over one of the larger corners of the mall and it still blows my mind at how much stuff they have. I could have gotten lost in there so easily but with Jo we just sped through on a mission and we found just what we were looking for: a little sexy white dress. (It's actually more off-white.) Now it's just a matter of me finding the right shoes and the right jewelry. I'll probably go with some cute boots if I can find them and gold jewelry.

My Wedding on a Budget: 19 Days to Go!

Today's checklist:

- Ben said we can get together tomorrow about music stuff. Hopefully we'll make some good progress.

- Went to see KK after work and she's gotten quite a bit done on the flower work. They are looking great and she should have it wrapped up by the bachelorette weekend.

- Called "Ecotage" Salon...and it's no longer Ecotage! Good news is J-Pat still works there. I haven't been to see him since DECEMBER. I know...kinda crazy to go that long without trimming up the loose ends. I had to get some length on it though! Jon proposed right around the time I would have schedule a fresh cut and after that I decided to let it grow. But I have an appointment for next Monday so I let Dani and Holly know so maybe they'll do a little shopping with me afterwards.

- Clay called Doo Wop today and it sounds like we're all safe for our sound equipment. We may just need to run more circuits over to the field than expected.

And last but not least... Tell me HOW cute is this ring bearer going to be?!

My Wedding on a Budget: 37 Days to Go!

Veil...Check!
Aunt Lea is done with my veil! I picked it up this evening and it looks wonderful! She did an excellent job. I officially have a veil and it's even more excited to have had it made by someone so near and dear to me!

Here is some more good news: Shades, the salon, will do make up! They don't have a big line or anything too fancy so the guy, Brian (the one Holly was familiar with), told me that they recommend us bringing some of our own stuff--particularly foundation and powder. It's only $15 a person. I'm just glad to be able to give the other girls an option and to not have to worry about who is going to do mine. I'm still planning to do the Mac counter or something on Saturday. Jo and Rachel both recommend Mac as the best brand to really look good and last all day...and, well, let's face it... Of my bridal party, I'd say those two are the experts! Brian also told me that we are free to bring morning mimosas and food/party trays and our own music. We'll be the only ones at the salon!

Kara and I also chatted at length online today. She found the smaller size cake pan she needed for the top layer of the cake, so I think she is going to do a trial this Tuesday or so and then I can come by and bring my ribbon and maybe by then I'll have picked out flowers for the rest of the wedding and have an idea for her. I just have to remember to bring my stuff up to her!