First Love... Again

Yesterday was my appointment at Kleinfelds. It was a lot of fun! It was so exciting going there. I do think every bride should at least go there just for the experience. We saw so many of the people from the show there. We saw Randy - he is IMPECCABLY dressed, not a wrinkle to be seen, and he's super skinny. We also saw some of the bridal consultants like Sarah, Diane & Kiesha. It was really a lot of fun being there.

I was accompanied by my Mom, my future Mother-in-Law, and my best friend & Matron of Honor, Bridget. They took us into the dressing room where they sat us down and asked me about what type of dress I'd like, and some details about the wedding. Then the girls went out to the floor and waited on a couch for me to come out in my dresses.

My bridal consultant was Lisa. She was wonderful and a pleasure to work with. She was not pushy at all. She really listened to what I was looking for in a dress. As soon as she brought the dresses in I saw one that I was immediately drawn to much more than the others. I tried that one on first. It was perfect - everything I was looking for. It was VERY similar to the the other dress I fell in love with (my other dress 1). This one was a little bit fuller, but virtually the same effects. I did like this one a little bit more. I liked that it was a little bit fuller and it had a 'bubble hem' which was nice and would look really pretty bustled. It made me feel like a bride. It was the only dress that had that effect on me.

I tried on several other dresses, some lace, some tighter than others, some from a trunk show, but none made me as happy as the first one, which I absolutely loved. But alas it was way over my price point, almost 1/3 more! I couldn't bring myself to commit to it. And I sadly took the dress off to think about it some more. So for now I will continue my search a bit more and see what else I can find. If my perfect dress is out there in at the perfect price we shall see!

Sounds Like a Wedding

Tonight we attended a 'music planning session' at our church. The session was hosted by the Church Music Director/Organist and had two cantors in attendance, along with about 6 other couples getting married there. The session lasted for about an hour, and during that time the director took us through the different musical selections we could choose to have played. We'll be doing a full Catholic mass for our marriage ceremony.

The selections Mike and I made for our ceremony are as follows:

1. Processional: Cannon in D (Johann Pachelbel) and Wedding March
2. Unity Candle: Sacred Trust (Robert Kreutz)
3. Presentation of the Gifts: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desireing (J.S. Bach)
4. Communion: When Love is Found (Brian Wren)
5. Flowers to the Blessed Mother: Ave Maria (Schubert)
6. Recessional: Wedding March (Mendelssohn)

All but the processional and recessional will be solo's sung by the church cantor. There were two cantors there to sing for us. They were both absolutely talented singers. There was a male and female singer and both had beautiful voices. The only thing we'd like to arrange is having the female cantor sing at our wedding, apparently she traditionally covers the weekday weddings and the male cantor does the weekend ones but hopefully we can request her far enough in advance, she was amazing. When she sang Ave Maria it was so beautiful!!!

Being there for the session and sitting in the choir pews, made me realize how much I love our Church we'll be getting married in. The architecture is so beautiful, it's simple, classic, and very traditional. There are high, high ceilings and the alter is beautiful. I'm even contemplating if we will need flowers in the church for our ceremony.

Expanding My Search

In meeting with my first DJ last night, I've determined the following: (1) I have expensive taste which has lead me to (2) weddings are expensive and (3) it's a good thing Mike has me on a budget or else I'd blow our budget. While the first DJ I met with was great (Elite Sound Entertainment), with adding my uplighting option it's a bit more than we wanted to spend. So I am broadening my search and sent out emails this morning to the following DJ companies (that all supposedly have uplighting options as well) in hopes of finding a good but more affordable DJ.

1. Golden Note Entertainment
2. Ultimate DJ Entertainment
3. Elite Entertainment
4. Unforgettable DJs
5. DTM Productions

And I still have Bridget's DJ on my list to reach out to..... Hopefully someone on this list will work out or it's back to the drawing board again....

E Pics

I'm very excited that we now have a date confirmed with our photographer for our engagment pictures. We'll be taking our pictures on 10/23/09 - Our future anniversary! We're going to be taking our epics at a local apple orchard near our photographer. Apple picking has always been something we've looked forward to every year, it was one of our first dates and has become an annual tradition. So I couldn't imagine a more fitting location for our epics! Our photographer is so creative and he's already told us about these great ideas he's got for the pics including taking some by a beat up barn in the orchard.

And then afterwards I've convinced Mike we should go to The Manor for dinner and celebrate our one year mark! I'm so excited, I can't wait!!!

Coming Up

Not too much new to report on the wedding front, still just slowly looking around for ideas & vendors. This week we do have a few wedding related tasks on the agenda:

1. Tuesday 8/25 - Going to look at our first DJ after work. We'll be meeting with Elite Sound Entertainment, who was recommended on The Knot NJ community board. I've been looking into the option of doing uplighting (Up lighting "washes" the walls of your reception room with stylish colors that can totally change the atmosphere and overall look of your room) and this particular DJ company does offer that option. I'm thinking uplighting might not be a bad idea since our room at The Manor is very dark and has dark wood paneling on the walls. I mentioned it to Mike and he seemed open to the idea - so we'll see how much it costs. More pictures of uplighting demos can be found here as well.
   
2. Wednesday 8/26 - Music preview at our church (although it's a bit far in advance they must do these every few months or so). Assume we will be going there with other brides and grooms getting married there and will meet with the Organist and Cantor - which will be a good opportunity to hear them play/sing together and see if we like them. In the meantime I'm going to try and make a loose list of songs we'd potentially want for the wedding.
   
3. Sunday 8/30 - Last but not least this week will be my trip to Kleinfelds in the city - which I'm very excited for! My mom and future-mother-in-law will be joining me and potentially my best friend and matron of honor Bridget. Even if I don't find my dress, I'm still excited to be trying on more wedding gowns. I've been compiling pictures of styles of dresses I like to bring with me.

What's Next

I know there is an endless list of things that will need to get done for the wedding. However, I'm not entirely sure what I am supposed to be doing next? I feel like we've gotten the most crucial & important items tied down (Reception Hall, Church, Priest, Photographer) and also feel like we have a lot of time to plan. Is it too early to plan? Lately I have just been slowly checking things out online and looking at pictures for inspiration. I have been looking at anything from wedding shoes, to headpieces, jewelry and tons of other things that I'm in no position to buy now, considering I haven't picked a gown yet!

I've also been making lists of vendor recommendations and those that I want to meet with. I guess the next major vendors we will have to tie down in the future will be the florist and DJ. I'm thinking I'll prob reach out to Florists in the September/October timeframe so I can get an idea of some of the flowers that are in season for when I will need them.

Florists I want to meet with:

1. Blooming Brides
2. Romantic Garden
3. Rose Petals & Lace (Possible)

DJ's I want to meet with:

1. Body Rock (Bridget's DJ)
2. Cisco DJ (Recommended by our photographer)
3. Elite Sound (Recommended on The Knot NJ Board)

Flower Ideas

As part of my countless hours spent on wedding sites I've compiled a lot of pictures of flowers & ideas that I like, here's a few that I thought I'd share

Table Centerpieces

Def looking at low centerpieces that will blend well with the traditional look of The Manor. I also like the look of the square vases. I also like the votive candles surrounding the flowers for additional ambiance.

Bridesmaids

I'd like the flowers to be wrapped versus having the lose stems as shown in below. 

Def looking to have the oranges, reds, all the fall colors

Groomsmen

Simple orange callalilly

Bride's Flowers

I haven't decided yet on what I would like for my flowers in terms of a white bouquet versus a larger make up of what the Bridesmaids will carry. I do love the traditional white flowers but I think it will be too much of a stark contrast against the girls colorful and vibrant flowers that it won't blend well together.

Say Yes to the Dress

Having watched many episodes (probably all of them now - our DVR is always full of episodes) of Save Yes to the Dress, I will be making my own trip to Kleinfelds in Manhattan, NY. It may or may not end up being my say yes to the dress moment but every bride to be in NY area has to go (or so I've been told). So on Sunday, August 30th I will make my own journey there. Along with my mother, I've asked my future Mother-In-Law to come along, which I'm very excited about - I know she's also watched many episodes of Save Yes to the Dress as well! I'm looking forward to trying on more bridal gowns which so far has been a lot of fun and seeing if they have a dress that will meet all my expectations. More to come on my appointment!

More Bridesmaids Dresses

After trying on Bridal Gowns I headed over to the Bridesmaid Section of the store. I wanted to at least point out the one bridesmaid dress I had in mind for the girls to my my mom (Bill Levkoff style #410 - shown in an earlier post). I found the dress no problem, and I while I do love the style of it and think it will be comfortable and flattering on all my girls, I'm still somewhat disappointed by the fact that there is no sash (which I love on a dress). I inquired again if a sash could be added and no such luck so I will have recognize that fact.

That said I also saw two other potential bridesmaids dresses that do have a sash. I seem to be drawn to the Bill Levkoff dresses. The first one is a v-neck halter dress (with a sash) (style #602) - I'm not sure about the neck line, I would have to see it on one of the girls.

And the second is a strapless (also with a sash) (style # 966) - however they said they could easily add straps to the dress which could be an option for the girls that want to wear straps. So I'll just have to poll the girls and see what their preference would be on the dresses.

Any of the dresses we'd pick would be in a chocolate brown color. However with the Bill Levkoff dresses would prob be looking at a cream colored sash mostly likely (somewhat the inverse of what is shown in the pictures below). My original thought was potentially a burnt orange type color for the sash but Bill Levkoff doesn't carry any color like that.

Love at FIRST sight

Last Saturday was my very first day of trying on Bridal Gowns. It was an exciting experience. I traveled home to Long Island to go with my mom to a store near where my parents live. We went to Bridal Reflections in Carle Place. The consultant we worked with was wonderful, she was really nice and completely understood what I was looking for in a dress.

I absolutely fell in love with the first gown I tried on. There was something about it. It absolutely had all the elements I was looking for. When I walked down the mirrored hallway and watched myself in the bridal gown it really spoke to me. I loved the simplicity of the gown and especially loved the way that it fit me. It was very A-line, and went out at just the right spot on my waist so perfect for a midget like me. The dress is designed by Simone Caravelli (style #7072 - Mike if you are reading this - which I'm sure you're not - do not click that link!!!) So as of right now that is the dress to beat. But of course a girl is not going to stop at the very first dress!

I tried on several other dresses, probably another 7 or 8, but none of them spoke to me the same way. I kept going back to dress #1. Although my Mom loved another dress, which was absolutely beautiful, it just wasn't my wedding dress. It was very fitted and had tons of beading, again beautiful but not for my wedding day. I tried on a few other fun dresses, including one that was literally a GIANT tutu, which was fun! Some I knew right away and others it took trying it on to at least rule it out. I think it is pretty clear what silhouette I loved and fit me the best. I can't wait to try on more gowns!

Not Just a Pie

In keeping with my fall ideas for the wedding (and in my boredom tonight) I've decided to elaborate on my idea for table names/ numbers to be after different types of apples. People do different places they've been on vacation, so why not take it a step further and go with types of apples for table assigments. It's very fall festive!

Do you know how many different varieties there are of apples? I was expecting a small handful but no there are tons, which works out well for my latest idea. Here's a look at some of the most popular types of apples. (Which I'm sure you'll be seeing as our table names).... And in case you're bored, here's some useless apple trivia for you :-)

The apple is one of the oldest fruits in the world. Apples have been around for thousands of years. Apple is mentioned in many religious texts including the Bible and also in most of the myth creation stories of the ancient world. Apples are associated with temptation, wisdom, fertility, health, luck, beauty and love.

In 1620, the English pilgrims introduced apples to the United States. In 1741, the apples were commercially exported to the West Indies from the United States. Today, there are over 7000 varieties of apples grown worldwide. Gaius Plinius Secundus, known as Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist had listed over thirty-six varieties of apples in the first century AD. Eighty percent of the people around the world consume apples. It is one of the most popular fruits enjoyed as a dessert or a snack by the young and the old - yours truly included!

My Wedding Bible

"The Wedding Book: The Big Book For Your Big Day" By Mindy Weiss

"The Wedding Book covers everything, in a voice filled with understanding: announcing the engagement, and what to do when someone isn't happy about the news; creating a budget; the pros and cons of destination weddings. Drawing up the guest list; planning the ceremony (and how to personalize your vows); menus to inspire; contracts and wedding insurance. Shopping for the dress, six great hairstyles, tuxedo vs. dinner jacket, the etiquette of invitations. Style tips for flowers, the tabletop, linens; a cake that says "you"; the crucial "Sixty Days Until I Do"; rehearsal dinner strategies; plus freezing the cake and preserving the bouquet."

I cannot say enough how much I love this book! Any girl freshly engaged & planning a wedding should pick this book up and use it as her bible throughout the planning process. I carried this book around with me everywhere the first few weeks and constantly flipped through pages for all kinds of information, tips and fun tidbits. In preparation for my initial wedding gown shopping trip tomorrow I was able to go to the gown section and read all about the different styles and find out what they are actually called. Anyway, I was just enjoying flipping through my favorite wedding book so I thought I would share....PS.... The book retails for $20 or more in stores - I bought mine on Amazon for $8. And this book has been worth every penny so far!

Gowns, Gowns, Gowns

Tomorrow will be my first trip to go look at Wedding Gowns!!! I'm going home to Long Island and probably won't be making another trip there for quite some time (I surely won't miss the traffic) So Mom and I have decided to start the hunt for my perfect dress.

I made an appointment at Bridal Reflections, in Carle Place, NY. I was surprised when I called for an appointment I had to leave my credit card information, shows my wedding gown shopping virgin-ness.

So I'm sure I will probably end up with nothing I think I want, so as it stands right now not having tried on any dresses yet here is what I think I am looking for in a gown:

1. Must be strapless, I think preferably sweetheart
2. LOVE LOVE LOVE A-Line
3. Def no fit and flare or mermaid type styles
4. I liked beading more than lace so I'd like some embellishment
5. No "pick-up's" on the bottom
6. I'm not sure about about asymmetrical
7. Probably not ball gown - I think I'll get lost in it
8. Something proporiate for a midget - I'm only 5 foot tall ya know
9. Probably chapel length train - cathedral is too long for me

Ok so I think that's it, thats not too much to ask for right? I would describe my style as traditional & classic, elegant but with a Rachel flare - But I'm sure that is how almost every bride would describe their style. Oh and I have no clue about designers. Somehow I am sure that I will find the dress. I'm honestly hoping I don't find it too soon, I want to enjoy it and keep looking and trying on all the pretty dresses. I wonder if I will cry when I try them on or what will go through my head. Time will tell - so here goes nothing!

Favorite Fall Drinks

Being a big fan of the fall season I have got TONS of fall themed ideas for the wedding. One of the ideas I've been toying around with is the idea of a "Featured Fall Drinks" menu at the bar. So far I've been thinking about having a few different seasonal drinks. On the top of my list of ideas are the following:

1. Sam Adams Octoberfest
2. Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale
3. Hard Apple Cider
4. .... Still searching for a good fall liquor drink.... maybe a pumpkin martini :-)

Baskets of Petals & Love

Ok because I have far more important things to be picking, I've chosen to sidetrack and look at much easier things to pick out, such as flower girl baskets and dresses. Plus it doesn't hurt that we have the most adorable little flower girl who is so cute & I can't wait to see her all dressed up! I am actually hoping that she tries to clean up the flowers after she throws them since that would be absolutely adorable!

It All Began

Last night I went to the HR invitational dinner. All of the interns at the company are flown in to attend the event and interview for full-time positions. It's hard to believe that 5 years has gone by already since the HR invitational both Mike and I attended. That was the very first night that we ever met. Although it was perhaps not love at first sight it was the very first time we laid eyes on each other. It was at the Route 22 Restaurant in Armonk, NY that we first met for the dinner.

Looking back, I remembered Mike from the events the following morning. We had breakfast with the Senior Vice President of HR. In preparation for the breakfast we had to submit a digital picture of ourselves and the only picture Mike had was of him wearing a baseball hat -- backwards. Well the SVP called him out on this picture and told a story about someone coming to pick his daughter up for a date wearing a backwards hat.

It would be nearly 10 months after that day before we would see each other again. We met again the following spring on the softball team. And Mike was still wearing (and still is) his favorite Brooklyn Dodgers hat backwards.

A Blog About Blogging

Ok so I am not the best at this blogging thing. There are WAY TOO MANY blogs & websites full of wedding resources. It can be so overwhelming to go through all of it, and overwhelming to even know where to start from. Today I had the brillant idea to change the template on my blog which then led to countless hours to trying to undo my 'mistake.' And alas here I am with a plain old boring white background. I certainly have not mastered the ability to update my blog and get all fancy. But maybe one day I'll figure it out with messing up my blog....

Packages and Other Fun!

We've gotten a few fun things in the mail this week, including our first two registry item gifts. Earlier in the week we received our first engagement gift off our registry, there was a giant (and heavy) Macy's box sitting outside our front door the other day much to our surprise. I will say it is exciting to get packages in the mail.

Not soon after we got our first package we found another box outside - this time with a beautiful Waterford Ballet Ribbon picture frame and our matching knife and cake server to be shipped shortly! That was very exciting and eventually we'll take them to be engraved. I loved seeing the Waterford set - they're really beautiful!

We also had the pleasure of stopping by earlier today to see our photographer, John Arcara - who is absolutely awesome & incredibly talented. John is so much fun to stop by and chat with - we can't wait to hang out with him for the wedding and take lots of fun pictures!!!

As if that wasn't enough fun - We got our Save the Date proofs in the mail - and they are perfect! The only hard part is going to be holding onto them for a few months before we can mail them. I've already got ours up right on the fridge :-)

My Beautiful Bride Bridget

On Friday, July 31, 2009 my best friend Bridget married her Price Charming in the most beautiful ceremony. Everything from her dress, to the flowers, and every other detail was perfect. It was a beautiful day a true fairytale come true watching my best friend marry her best friend. I was honored and so happy to be part of their special day. I'm happy to say that absolutely everything went perfectly, even a little bit of rain couldn't ruin their day as the bride and groom started their happily ever after together!