Friday

1 day

It's tomorrow!

As for today, the girls and I have nail appointments at 2 (Jess, Shannon, Cris, and I at 1 for pedicures) at Metro Nails. We're going to go to the hotel and check in after that and get ready for the rehearsal at 4 30 at the chapel. After that we're going to dinner at Waterplace Restaurant at 6. Afterwards, we're going to McCormick & Schmidt's for drinks, which is in the bottom of the Biltmore.

However, the first thing that I need to do is get new shoes for Hannah since her feet grow at the rate of bamboo.

Jess, Cris, and I did the out of town bags this morning as well as the escort cards! We are all set for tomorrow!!

Sunday

6 days

I am close to being done packing for the honeymoon. I have to pack my shower stuff, but that has to wait until the end of the week. I also want a couple pairs of undies that are in the wash which I'll be doing later today.

I changed my dress for the rehearsal dinner last night. I haven't worn the black and white rose print one from 344 yet, so I'm going to wear that instead of the American Eagle one. I want to wear the black pumps that I got from Alloy and they wouldn't really go with the other dress.

I packed part of my overnight bag for Friday and Saturday night as well, however, I need to put in pajamas. Apparently that's my favorite thing to forget lately...like at my bachelorette.

I also relabeled the centerpieces yesterday and took out the extras that we'll no longer need. I'm going to sell most of the extra stuff (or try to) since I don't need 20 centerpieces lying around the house.

AND I addressed the wedding announcements yesterday. Now I just need to buy more stamps for them!

One Week

7 days

After much trouble and miscommunication, I have been waxed! I didn't end up doing my underarms, but I got a brazilian and the bottom of my legs. It was definitely an experience, one that I will not be repeating on my legs. The brazilian, however, might have to been done once in a while.

I'm going to really start packing for the honeymoon today. I need to get almost everything since the end of the week may be a little crazy. I'll probably start packing Matt's suitcase as well, since I know he's working until Thursday.

Pink Panther

15 days

I finished the last issue of the newsletter! I'm sent it to Staples to have a copy printed for my scrapbook as well as for my mom! And here it is:

Paid In Full

16 days

We got the check from my gramma to finish paying the chapel and dj! I'm going to deposit it tomorrow and then send out checks to the two people as soon as it's in the account!

Tomorrow our bachelorette and bachelor weekends begin! I'm really excited! I'll be sure to post a lot of pictures!!

Faithfully

Matt and I wrote our Prayers of the Faithful! It wasn't really that hard once we buckled down and concentrated on it. Here it is:

For the Holy Catholic Church, may they continue to be a beacon of hope, faith, love, and tolerance in the manner of Christ himself,

We pray to the Lord;

For all of the children of the world, may God protect them from hunger, abuse, neglect, and disease, and allow them to live happy and carefree childhoods,

We pray to the Lord;

For those in our armed forces, may God watch over them and bring them home safely to their friends and families,

We pray to the Lord;

For all parents, especially Paul and Allison Mikaniewicz and Mark and Joanne Denver, may the love for their children mirrors the love that God had for his only son,

We pray to the Lord;

For Providence College, may the tenets of our Dominican brothers be a shining example of a life to aspire to,

We pray to the Lord;

For our friends and families, both here and away, may they celebrate our joy with us and be an inspiration for the journey ahead of us,

We pray to the Lord;

For all the sick, especially Barbara Desrosiers (de-row-shay) and John MacLeod, may the healing power of prayer and God’s love bring them relief,

We pray to the Lord;

For our dearly departed, especially James Denver Sr., Dorothy Leab, Anthony Mikaniewicz, Maurice Myers, Mariette Stanton, and Michael Stanton, may they remain in our prayers and memories and may they be here with us in spirit,

We pray to the Lord.

Three Weeks

21 days

240 invited
165 attending
65 declined

We got one more RSVP today in the mail from my parents' neighbors, Kim and Ian.

I got my tattoo and I LOVE it! Thanks to Shannon for coming with me and being my moral support!

Shannon and I went to get our nails done after my tattoo and I loved the place, so I scheduled the appointments for the wedding there. I'm glad to have one more thing checked off my list!

Altered State

47 days

222 invited
127 attending
34 declined

RSVPs today:
-my proxy godfather, Joel, and his wife, Stephanie
-my high school friend, Missy
-my college friend, Adri, and her boyfriend, Neal
I ordered a pretty (and sexy) satin nightie for the wedding night/honeymoon from Frederick's of Hollywood last night! Here's a picture, only I ordered it in black:

I had my alterations appointment tonight! Shannon went with me to take pictures as well as have her dress altered. Mine will be about $290, including a steaming to make the tulle look better. It's about half of what I would have paid at Alfred Angelo. Here's a great picture of the two of us:

 Someone bought our panini press off our registry today! I'm wicked excited because that was one of our favorite items!!

Over the Moon

49 days

I called L.L.Bean this morning and they're sending us another package through the USPS! They said that if we get the other missing one to let them know, I said I'd send it back to them since we don't need two. At least we'll get it this time!!

Matt and I are going to do a little cleaning, shower, and start packing before our meeting with Father Al.

I worked on the scrapbooks this morning! I've been slacking a little bit. I'm going to have the hair trial pictures printed so that I can add them in.

Last, but definitely not least, we paid for the honeymoon!! The money went through and we called this morning to pay off the balance! We're officially ready for the honeymoon: the plane, the resort, and the hotel are all taken care of!

Day Three

52 days

222 invited
118 attending
33 declined

Third day in a row with no RSVPs. It makes me so sad when I open the mailbox and there are none.

I ordered Matt's gift today! It was only $22.95 and shipping was free! It should be here in 5 or less business days! I'm going to give it to him before the wedding, since it's for the honeymoon, so he can actually use it!

I don't know if I mentioned it the other day, but someone bought our camera for us off our registry! It's one of the few gifts I'm going to search for after the wedding so we can use it on the honeymoon! Here's a picture:

I'm super excited about my alterations on Monday! I can't wait to put my dress on again!

I also finished spray painting the rocks last night! They came out great!

Drying Up

222 invited
118 attending
33 declined

AGAIN, no RSVPs. Seriously depressing.

I FINALLY started spray painting the rocks last night. They look perfect, so long as the paint won't wash off of them. I'll have to test that before putting them in the actual centerpieces...

I ordered a new bathing suit today for the honeymoon from Delia's. They sent me a coupon for 20% off, and I just HAD to use it. It's plain black, but super cute and will look good on me:

Favored

59 days

222 invited
117 attending
30 declined

Currently working on: favors (192/192 done)

RSVPs today:
-my dance friend, Komal
-my friend from college, Jason

We went to the grocery store tonight and finally dropped off Nick's invitation. He lives in the same building as Ryan, so we talked to him and found out he never got his invitation. We got their RSVPs as yes, obviously, and their food choices, plus Ryan's plus one's name. So now we are up to 117 guests!!

Finished the favors tonight!! We bought more Hershey Kisses and Starburst Jellybeans to finish the last 21! Here are the jellybean ones:

The Borrower

63 days

225 invited
106 attending
27 declined

RSVPs today:
-my former coworker from Gap, Katie
-Matt's parents' neighbors, Joe and Nellie, and their son and caretaker, Tom (declined)
-Matt's mom's friends, Liz and David
-Matt's cousins, Sean and Julie (declined)

I took Chase, one of our ushers, to get his tux measurements done today. After waiting for 30 plus minutes without being helped, we finally got him measured. Thankfully, the guy was young enough and knew how to measure and use the computer. Now, I just have to drag Ryan in to get his done.

When I got the mail, the rest of the fans had come in from Oriental Trading! I may have to switch the baskets for them and the bubbles, though.

I also got my something borrowed in the mail! My mom sent me one of my dad's name tags and here's a picture:

I also finally sent my mom the skirt for her dress! And then Chase pointed out that he was going back there tomorrow and could have brought it. Gee, thanks.

Last, the girls have found a potential house for the bachelorette! They're thinking this is the one which makes me so excited!!

Done Dressing!

68 days

225 invited
99 attending
21 declined

Currently working on: favors (141/192 done)

RSVPs today:
-my mom's friend, Anne, her husband, Jerry, and her daughter, Avery (decline)
-my college friend, Emily, and her boyfriend Jeremy
-Matt's aunt, Lisa
-my coworker, Paula, and her husband, Frank

The skirt for my mom's dress came in today! Matt and I are going to pick it up tomorrow after work since we had other things to do tonight. That will be the official end of dresses! Now we all just have to have alterations done!

I was in the mall today to deposit a couple checks and saw that the old nail place that I used to go to had reopened under a new name! It looks nice and will be great for all our nail appointments the day before the wedding. I'll try it out this weekend and see if I can schedule our appointments.

Matt and I submitted our reservation to McFadden's for our after party after the reception. They'll be contacting him soon about it!

Purple Rain

81 days

220 invited
69 attending
14 declined

I finished the purple issue of our newsletter! It's been published on the website and now I'll post it here! I'll be printing my copy soon and then emailing them on April 1! Only one more issue to go!

I got an email today that Matt's gift got sent out today! I can't wait to see them!!

Gifts Galore

82 days

220 invited
69 attending
14 declined

RSVPs today:
-my aunt and uncle, Carol and David
-Matt's uncle and aunt, Russ and Melanie
-my friend from college and Matt's groomsman, Rich
-Matt's mom's friends, Lindy and Nick

I got the package from Oriental Trading in today! It was chock full of goodies! It had the black gift bags, so Matt and I put together the groomsmen gifts and the gifts for our parents. It also had the bags for the kids which are HUGE and wicked cute! The sunglasses for the wedding party and the bags for the cookies in the out of town bags were also included. Most important, though, were the favor boxes! They're the perfect size and I'm excited to start them soon!

Matt and I picked up the package from the UPS center today, too, which was from Crate & Barrel. It's the I Spy holders, which are perfect!

I got an email today that the clutches for our moms were shipped today! I can't wait to see what they look like!

Yesterday I ordered the jewelry for our readers, greeters, and gift bearers. That is OFFICIALLY the end of buying gifts! Now I'm just waiting on Matt's gift to come in! I'm so excited about it!

Down to the Nitty Gritty

86 days

218 invited
56 attending
14 declined

Only one RSVP today from Shannon and Mason! They're coming! (Obviously.)

I FINALLY got the packages that UPS had been holding hostage for almost a week. And I was right about their contents!

The first was the last of the centerpiece supplies! Which means that I was able to finish them tonight! I'm so happy that they're done and now I'm down to 3 DIY projects! Here's a picture of the finished product:

The second box was our luggage! It was a gift from a family friend for the shower! It is SO nice and I'm really happy with what we picked out!! Now I can't wait to use it for the honeymoon!!

I got two other packages in today that were small: the socks I bought for Cole and the shoes I bought for my sister Hannah. Both are really cute and will go perfectly with the rest of their outfits!

AND I bought the clutches for our moms! I got them from Etsy seller syl2830 and they're going to be in the colors of their dresses. Can't wait to see them, but here is the generic picture:

Only one more day until my shower! Holy crap!

Let Them Eat Cake

96 days

212 invited
31 attending
8 declined

Our RSVPs today:
-my college friend Kara
-my best friend from high school and Matt's groomsman, Lars, and his girlfriend, Natasha
-my proxy godfather and his wife, Wes and Linda (declined because their daughters high school graduation is that weekend)
That gives us another 2 spaces to fill so we're inviting my actual godfather, Joel, and his wife.

We had our cake tasting yesterday with Justin (and Lenny)! We're getting a two tier cake like the one in our inspiration photo. The bottom layer will be chocolate cake with a raspberry cream filling. The top layer will be lemon and the whole cake will be frosted in Italian buttercream. It will be amazing! And Matt and I are the only ones eating it! I also asked Justin to make a small grooms cake for Matt. It's going to be chocolate with peanut butter buttercream frosting: just like his favorite candy, Reese's.

I worked some more on the centerpieces as well! We got the globe vases, silver rocks, and silver diamonds from Save on Crafts today. I completed two of the centerpieces, but of course came across a problem. I have to find some time of waterproof Glue Dots to keep the rocks in the bottom of the bowl. (They're styrofoam and so they float to the top.) I'll be on the lookout, but any suggestions are welcome!

I finished the baskets for the ceremony programs! I spray painted them silver yesterday and then added the ribbon today. I'm going to put the programs in them tonight and hide them in the closet away from the cats. Here are the baskets:

I got my registry exchange gift today! I got the set of 6 rainbow stacking mugs and they're awesome!! Here's a picture of them:

Matt and I were searching around the internet for a song to play for the slow dance between the garter and bouquet toss winners (we picked Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" as a joke) and found another great idea. It's an anniversary dance: all the married/committed couples go on the floor and the DJ eliminates them by how long they've been married (6 hours for us, 5 years, 10 years, and so on) until only one couple remains. The way we saw it, they won the tossing bouquet and garter, but we're going to have another corsage made by Maggie from Etsy and an extra boutonniere I have. We picked "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones fading into "At Last" by Etta James to play during the dance. I'm really excited about this!

Last Man Standing

98 days

210 invited
28 attending
6 declined

I FINISHED THE LAST BOUQUET!! All seven of them are done which means that ALL of the "flowers" are done! SO EXCITED!! Here is a picture (for more click here):

I also had my hair trial this morning! I have pictures (that I have to keep for the big day) that I'll post below!

Looking at the pictures now, I want more hair around the sides of my face. I don't look how pulled back it looks from the front.

We got more gifts off the registry, but I'm too lazy to post pictures. However, they were the luggage set, the serving spoons and forks, and another serving piece for veggies.

Jess and Shannon helped me pick through the M&Ms for the favors to get rid of the brown ones. It didn't take as long as we thought but we may need to buy more in addition to the purple and pink. After I get the boxes, we'll see how it goes!

Double Digits!

99 days

207 invited
28 attending
6 declined

RSVPs today:
-Joel DeFelice, Matt's college friend
-Peggy & Alex, friends from Gap back home (declined because Peggy's brother's wedding is the same weekend)
-Brendan, my cousin (declined)
-Matt's parents
-John & Ann Madden

Jess is here for the weekend and we are going to my hair trial tomorrow morning with Shannon! I can't wait to see how it's going to look! I'm definitely bringing my camera!

Jess and I went to Michael's tonight and got the all the rest of the glass for the centerpieces except for the square vases. I came home and ordered them on Save on Crafts instead since they were drastically cheaper! I'm also ordering the black gems and then I'll be done!

I got the Vistaprint order and finished the menus tonight! They look great thanks to help from Jess! I'm so excited to have another DIY project done!

I also got the LAST brooch for Cristina's bouquet! I was going to finish her bouquet tonight until I realized that I needed to get more silver wiring. So...I'll be finishing it tomorrow.

I got the baskets for the programs today! They're a little small, so I've decided to not tie the fans and bubbles onto them. Instead, I'm going to get a big basket for the bubbles to leave outside and probably lay the fans in the pews, depending on if that's okay.