Dancing with Dad

I've tried on more than one occasion to ask my dad what song he wants to dance to at the reception and somehow the subject always gets changed before he has to answer.  Usually this happens after he responds with something like "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" and then pretends to be insulted by my eye roll. Before I know it, we're discussing the do-not-play list or ceremony music, and never really get back to our original topic.

Proud Papa at my college graduation

Save the Date Stumper

Ever since we got our epic engagement pics back, I've been playing around with ideas for our Save the Dates.  All along, I was certain that I'd DIY them.  I have that lovely Silhouette just sitting around, collecting dust after all.  But since then, I've realized that we simply won't have time for me to design, print and cut anything that will meet my perfectionist standards.  We have to get them in the mail ASAP, and there's no time to allow for the trial-and-error period DIY will require.  I'm frustrated with myself for not taking initiative earlier, but there's no use getting worked up over it.

So despite my reservations, we're going to have them printed online.  And now the question remains: which vendor to use?  Let's round up the usual suspects.

Every Bride's Worst Nightmare

Yesterday I got a text message from my FMIL:

"You and your bridesmaids didn't order anything from Interlude did you?  Just saw on the news that the store appears to have closed its doors.  Doesn't look good."

Luckily we are ordering through another store, but I was curious, so immediately I checked online.  The store's website said nothing about being closed, but there was an article on the website of one of our local tv stations stating that the store had closed its doors without notice, and that many local brides were scrambling to find a dress in time for their big day.  It said that several brides had reported being unable to reach anyone at the store for several weeks, so they decided to visit the shop directly only to find the store completely empty.  Yikes.

The highly-anticipated Engagement Pics!

Squeeeeeeeeeee!!  I picked up the disc of our engagement pics yesterday, and couldn't WAIT to share them with all of you!  I'm so beyond excited, not only to see the pictures, but because it means we can finally get cracking on our Save the Dates!  Hopefully those will be going out before Valentine's Day (fingers crossed!).

Now I know I've probably mentioned our photographer a few million times, but I just have to sing her praises a bit more.  When I first met with Trisha of Inspired Photography, the thing about her that impressed me most (besides her portfolio) was how flexible and accommodating she was.  When B and I were uncertain which package would best fit our needs, she custom created one for us that included everything we wanted, and cost less than the maximum dollar figure I had provided her.  Then, when I was worried about scheduling an engagement session because B is only home a couple times a year, she suggested breaking up the standard two-location photoshoot into two single-location sessions: a traditional one over Christmas so we have options for our save the dates, and another one just for fun in the late spring/early summer.

She's been wonderful, and I'm thrilled she'll be capturing our wedding day!  But enough of my blabbing...check out the highlights from our engagement session (round one)!

Wedding Websites 411

Let's review our engagement timeline, shall we?

January 1, 2005 - Started Dating
November 21, 2009 - Got Engaged
July 28, 2010 - GOT A WEDDING DATE

Okay, so that's over eight months of engagement before we had a date, before we could book vendors, and before we could actually have a conversation about the wedding without getting into the Dickens of back stories whenever anyone asked when we were getting married.

I've already discussed how difficult that period was, but now let's focus on the positives.  Sure, there were a lot of things that hinged on the date, but there was plenty of fun things I could do in the meantime.  I could research vendors, contemplate our wedding colors, peruse my favorite wedding inspiration sites, but one task proved much more satisfying than anything else I accomplished over those eight long months: the wedding website.

I knew almost immediately after getting engaged that I wanted we needed one.  I spent more time than I would care to admit putting her together, but I was so happy with the results, and once she was finally finished I really felt like I had accomplished something!

So here's the breakdown of my quest for the perfect website:

Just Breathe...

Let's talk about shoes.  I LOVE heels.  Love them love them love them.  They boost my confidence and make me feel incredibly sexy.  Shoes always fit, which makes them the most reliable wardrobe items in any woman's closet.  You lose weight, you gain weight, it doesn't matter.  Your favorite patent leather pumps are always there to put that extra spring in your step.  Have I made my point yet?  I love shoes, specifically: heels.  The higher the better.

But here's the dilemma:  B does not regard heels nearly as highly as I do.  See, he's about 3 inches taller than me (on a good day), and is a little sensitive about it.  He absolutely hates when I wear shoes that make me taller than he is.  I can't say I blame him, but it's still frustrating having to give up my love affair due to circumstances that are completely outside of my control!

Naturally, this presents a problem for me as I plan my head-to-toe look for the wedding day.  I want to wear super fabulous shoes with my super fabulous dress so that I can inevitably look super fabulous!

Namely, I want to wear these:

{Hello, lover}

Dropping the f-bomb

It took me awhile to get used to the fact that I was engaged.  This is probably extremely common, but it seemed to take me an embarrassingly long time.  In fact (and I can't believe I'm actually admitting to this) a few weeks after I got back from Paris, the checkout clerk at the supermarket pointed to my hand and said "Oh my gosh, that's so pretty!" and I thought she was talking about my nail polish. 

Seriously. 

It wasn't until I got home and was putting the groceries away that I realized that *duh* she was talking about my ring, not my chipped, navy blue fingernails!  I guess I just never really got a chance for the engagement to sink in before B was back in Michigan, and I was back to my everyday life.

{Source}

Dropping the f-bomb was the weirdest.  Fiance...it just seemed so pretentious.  Couldn't I just call him by his name?  For the longest time I avoided the word completely.  And even though a year has passed and it seems less strange, I still stumble over the F-word.

I can't even imagine how weird "husband" will be!

Did you have a hard time remembering that you were engaged?  When did it finally sink in?