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:

Sixty

60 days

222 invited
112 attending
30 declined

Currently working on: favors (171/192 done)

Only one RSVP today from Matt's former coworker, Shawn, and it was a decline.

I bought more Hershey Kisses for the favors today at Walmart. I finished another 30 which leaves only 21 left! I'm going to buy more candy tomorrow, maybe jelly beans, and finish them up! Here's pictures of the two new kinds (Skittles and Kisses):

Jules sent me a link to a wedding pictures from the Biltmore. It was really sweet of her and there were some good pictures in there. Click here to take a look!

I got an email that my bridal shower photobook shipped today! I'm so excited to see it!!

Silver Rocks

62 days

220 invited
106 attending
27 declined

I think I'm going to finally spray paint the rocks for the centerpieces today. It's gorgeous out so I can have all the windows open (and let all the bugs in) which means I won't get high off the fumes.

I switched the bubbles and fan baskets last night and it works much better. The bubbles fit perfectly in the smaller basket and the large one holds all the fans.

Matt and I started signing the letters for the out of town bags last night. He got annoyed so we had to stop , though. He drives me crazy sometimes, but I still love him.

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.

Planning Potpourri III

100 days

207 invited
21 attending
3 declined

Our RSVPs today were from:
-my aunt, Alicia, and her husband, Frank
-my gramma (dad's mom)
-Matt's college friend Erik (one of the ushers) and his girlfriend, Sophie
-my high school friends, Greg and Liz (he's one of the readers)
-my college friend, Caitlyn, and her fiance, Anthony
-my gram's brother (on my dad's side) and his wife (decline)
With these regrets, we're able to invite Matt's dad's half sister and one of my coworkers.

We got in some of the centerpiece stuff we ordered this past weekend: the white flower candles and the white gems, both for our sweetheart centerpiece.

Saturday is my hair trial! I keep forgetting (I know I have an appointment, but it slips my mind that it's also for the trial) and they called to confirm today! I'll be sure to take some pictures! (Two of my bridesmaids are going with me, so we'll have cameras galore!)

We got an email that another item was purchased for us off our registry! The Mikasa vases that match the fine china we want were ordered! Here's a picture:

On a non-wedding related note, Matt and I went and saw the condo tonight. It is beautiful! The only problem with it is that they don't allow pets. I emailed the company that owns them and asked if there was any way that we'd be able to keep our cats. The condos aren't rented and our cats are quiet and indoor as well as spayed and litterbox trained. I'm praying it might be okay.

Tomorrow, our order from Vistaprint with the menus in it will be coming in! I'm so excited to finish that project! My parents anniversary party invites will also be in there, so I can start addressing them!

Coming In Fast!

102 days

203 invited
9 attending
0 declined

We got two more RSVPs in today: Aunt Dee and Alicia and Dennis! I love opening the mailbox and finding the envelopes!!

I finished the escort card displays tonight! I decided that theirs labels should be laminated and so I did that. I have to stick the escort cards all over them, but that isn't until the final weeks before the wedding. Here is how the display will look (for individual photos click here to go to our DIY site):

Matt and I have a showing on Thursday for one of the condos we were looking at! I'm really excited to go see it and move (as soon as possible)! I'm just worried about getting approved for financing...

First Come, First Serve

103 days

202 invited
5 attending
0 declined

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP BACK! Of course, it's from my parents and siblings, but it was SO exciting seeing the envelope in the mailbox!

I printed the letters for the out of town bags at work today. I needed 40 of them and my printer needs more black ink, so I had to do it at work. They have an industrial copier, so it was like nothing anyway. I'm going to start gluing them on tonight! Here's a picture of the letter:

I'm really getting annoyed that the rest of the bridesmaids' dresses haven't come in yet. I want to be able to pick them up before the shower so I can bring them home with me. I'm hoping for a call from them soon!

Basket Case

I finally found some baskets for the programs! I originally wanted ones from Save on Crafts, but when I went to buy them today they were out of stock. So I went searching (for literally hours) for a different basket that was similar. Matt helped me decide on a slightly different style from Hobby Lobby online and I ordered them tonight. They were $3.99 each and I got 40% off of one of them, so the total only ended up being $12 with shipping. I'm going to spray paint them silver once they come in since I have leftover paint from the frames and I think they'll look better. Then I'll add some ribbon and they'll be done!

Matt and I also went through our music selections for the reception and updated the lists. We are currently listening to the set that we picked for the cocktail hour and enjoying the tv on mute. We're a little strange.

I ordered a dress yesterday from Forever 21 for the honeymoon and it's already shipped! Here's a picture of it:

Forever 21 "Weekend Islander" dress

I also finished ordering everything from Vistaprint tonight! I finished getting the thank yous (including some extras) and oversized postcards that I'm using for wedding timelines for the wedding party, parents, and grandparents! Here's the timeline:

front

back





Center Spotlight

104 days

202 invited
0 attending
0 declined

Matt and I bought some supplies for the centerpieces today! We went in to Michael's to look for baskets for the programs (which we didn't find) and picked up some of the glasses and fillers. I got three of the cylinder bowls (that's all they had) and two of the low bowls as well as the black sand for the globe vases. When we got home, I bought some of the other things from Save on Crafts: all 5 of the globe vases, the silver diamonds, and silver glitter rocks. I ordered white rose floating candles for the centerpiece on our sweetheart table from ebay. And last I bought the white gems from a different site online that are for the sweetheart table as well. Of course, I'm still looking for two baskets for the programs!

low bowls (2)

cylinder vases (3)

black sand

white rose floating candles (3)

globe vases (5)

silver diamonds

silver glitter rocks (12)

Quickie

107 days

202 invited
0 attending
0 declined

Just a quick post on the first day of March (just a little over three months to go). I sent out the invitations yesterday after I left work, so they got to the post office about 6. A couple coworkers that live in the area got them today! I was seriously amazed at how fast they got out! So excited!

Another small tidbit: out of 22 diy projects I have only 7 to finish (not including the newsletters which are spaced out). A small detailed list:
1. bouquets which I have only Cristina's to finish as soon as the brooch comes in
2. ceremony programs which I need to buy fans for and then attach those and the bubbles to each
3. out of town bags which will be done closer to the wedding
4. escort card displays which will be finished once I get RSVPs back and can make escort cards for them
5. menus (for the tables) that I only need the menu insert for
6. centerpieces which will also be done closer to the wedding
7. favors which are another project to be done closer to the wedding

Mark the Occassion

110 days

Currently working on: escort card frames titles

Our mothers' corsages came in today!! They are GORGEOUS! I am so happy that I went with these instead of real flowers: they have meaning, will last forever, and they go so well with the bouquets and boutonnieres! Here is the picture:

I also bought Shannon a new hair accessory for the wedding. The headband that I originally had was for Margaret and so I went to get a flower for Shannon. All the other bridesmaids have flowers and Shannon doesn't like headbands, so it worked out well. Here's the picture:

Matt and I are going to go through the invitations tonight to see which we will hand out to guests. I'm also planning on finishing the escort card frames! And tomorrow is our meeting at the Biltmore! So excited!

Mommy Dearest

113 days

Currently working on: escort card pictures

Our mothers' jewelry came in today! It is so pretty and I know that they will love it! Here are pictures of the actual jewelry that took me forever to take:

my mom

Matt's mom

I printed the pictures for the escort card frames at work today, so I'm going to work on them and, hopefully, finish them tonight!

Tomorrow is girls' day! Shannon and I are going to my gram's to hang with my mom, gram, aunts, sisters, and Jess to eat and plan the shower!

The Grass is Always Greener

I finished Shannon's bouquet! It looks great and I love the colors of the brooches! Now I'm down to ONE! AAAAHHHH! And, of course, the picture:

You Can Quote That

114 days

Currently working on: escort card frames quotes (7/7 done)

I finished the quotes for the escort card frames since the last two frames came in today! I was going to start working on the pictures, but the printer is running low on black ink and so I'll need to print them elsewhere. (I sent it to myself to try and print at work since it's a more industrial model and has a lot more ink.) I think I'm going to do the small signs for the frames tonight, instead.

Matt also got the last addresses that we needed while I got the invitation weighed, so we can send them out! It's going to be about what I thought so we'll have to start buying them now since it'll probably total around $85.

I received the original last brooch for Shannon's bouquet so I'll be able to finish her bouquet later tonight! Another one done! Yay! Here's the brooch that I finally got in:

Roses are Red

I finished Jules' bouquet! I got the brooches in last night, but Matt and I were really busy with the honeymoon, so I waited to finish it until tonight. I'm so excited to have another one done! Here is a picture:

I also got an email that our mothers' corsages will be shipping out tomorrow! I cannot WAIT to see them! I'll post pictures when I get them in!