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March 12, 2011 by Christina Weber

Nearer and Nearer….

I wanted to do something a little different for my engagement pictures and for our wedding invitations as well, but I also did not want to spend a whole lot of money doing it. One of my favorite places in the world is the City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. If you have not been you need to go, as it is a child and adult playground like no other you have experienced. Secret passageways and tunnels open into beautiful caverns, ten story slides and so much more. I knew this was the perfect place to take pictures because there were so many options.

We went with one of my closest friends and bridesmaid Leslie. We spent part of the day posing, laughing, changing clothes and posing some more and got some really great shots. From there, I went to my friend Amanda.

Another bridesmaid, who along with her sister-in-law, edited our pictures. Amanda then turned the pictures into a collage for our wedding invitations that made my eyes well with tears the first time I saw them. They were perfect and we sent them off through an online print shop for printing.

I had them in my hands by the end of the week and was so excited. I had used card stock and made smaller cards to insert with our invitations. On them was a watermark of a peacock, accented with a small rhinestone that Craig meticulously placed on each card and across the top it read, “Wishes for the Bride and Groom” and explained that you could write your message to the new couple and bring it to the ceremony with you.

I have never understood the concept of a guestbook and instead wanted to do something more personal that we could keep and enjoy. I started to have cards for people to fill out at the church but I thought that if they had a little more time to think about what it was they were going to write, then they would be more likely to take part in it.

On our invitations I also included a wedding email address that I had set up so that people could RSVP, ask questions or send in their well wishes(2011WilliamsWedding@gmail.com). We took these things and placed them in their envelopes, sealed them with our monogrammed postage stamps that we had printed complete with peacock feather (thanks zazzle.com!) and sent them off as we anxiously awaited replies.

I work as a columnist at the Democrat Argus, our local newspaper, so the next step was to write our wedding announcement. I kept it very simple, including our children in it as well. I know that is it typical for people to use an up close picture of the two of them but again, I wanted to do something a little different.

This is a small town and most anyone who would care to read it knows what we look like. So instead, I went with a picture of us sitting in a window sill at the City Museum, silhouetted by the outside light. It was also used in the collage on our invitations. It turned out great and I have received several compliments.

No Flowers Here!

Did I mention that I am not a big traditionalist? Well, one thing that I do not care for and find a little wasteful is flowers. I don’t like the fake version and it seems such a shame to waste the real ones that are so expensive and die so quickly. So, I am going with peacock feathers. That is right, not a flower will be found at our wedding!!

I have rented the aisle candles, window centerpieces and front candelabras from a local florist and he will be decorating them with peacock feathers, a little bit of greenery and blue velvet ribbon. Remember the wish cards I mentioned earlier that I included in my invitations? Well at the entrance of the church will be a bird-cage on a stand, sitting on top of it are two ornate peacocks with ribbons trailing down. This is where guest can drop off their cards.

The boutonniere for the guys will be a single peacock eye with an ornate pin to hold them in place. My bridesmaids will be carrying beautiful venetian mask on sticks instead of bouquets and I will have one similar to theirs, that in creams instead of the darker blues and golds. Even my “flower girl” will be wearing a mask. And no, she will not have flowers, instead she will be carrying a shattered glass blue tear drop that will be lit up. I will explain more about her role later on.

Our Reception Decor

For the reception, I discovered that I could rent the tall class Eiffel tower vases for $15 each or I could buy them for $7 each at Save-on-crafts.com. Wanna guess what I did? LOL, I bought the vases for each guest table and my talented mom and two of her sisters, my Aunts, made these great arrangements to place in them with peacock feathers, sword feathers, twisted glittered sticks and lots of sparkle. We are placing a blue floralyte in each one so that the arrangement will glow.

For the head table, we are doing a long, low piece that will stretch across the front of the table filled with greenery, a couple of peacocks and lots of sparkle along with some blue under lighting. This way no one will have to look around anything tall on the table. I am very happy with them and since they are not fresh flowers that will wilt, we were able to do them early on, allowing for less stress as the big day quickly nears. I also purchased these really pretty round glass globes that will be filled with iridescent shred over a small blue light and hung at various heights over the dance floor. The first items that I purchased for our wedding were these beautiful blue Moroccan lanterns that I got on amazon.com for a mere 87 cents a piece! They will be hung from low crooks to light the walkway into the hall.

My Dress

This may come to a shock to many but I still had not found a dress and was starting to worry a bit. For most brides, this is their first buy and something that they had dreamed about for a lifetime. I knew what I wanted as far as color, but that was it. I had tried on many wedding dresses at hundreds of stores to no avail. My bridesmaids were outfitted, my flower girl and even several of my guest were telling me what they were going to wear but I had no idea.

I had decided that the reason I had not found anything yet was because I had not been shopping with my mom. So, she and I planned a day to go dress hunting. We went to Bay, Arkansas where I had been told about this great dress shop in the middle of town called Jessica’s Bridal & Formal. We went and wandered the aisles with some very wonderful and helpful women. I tried on a few but nothing really caught my eye.

Finally, they pulled out this dress that at first glance I cringed at because it was ivory. Totally not what I had wanted but I agreed to try it on for mom. It was sleek and simple, comfortable, with a short train and had the most beautiful blue and crystal stones on it that would match the bridesmaids dresses perfectly. Still, I was hesitant because I had been so sure that my dress would be champagne. I had even bought shoes in that color already! We decided to go to one more dress shop, but Mom looked at the woman and with a smile said, “We will be back”. Twenty minutes later we had returned and I finally had my dress! Proving that sometimes what you think you want, may not be what you want and that you should be open to try on other things. Had I not, we might be picking out sneakers to match my wedding jeans!

Let them eat cake!

I had gone to a bakery in the nearby town of Dyersburg, Tennessee on a recommendation from a friend. Craig and I both went to the meeting and had a great time sampling cakes and choosing colors and designs. I was really impressed with the woman as she made suggestions and drew out our cake in the fullest detail. She told me that she would call the next day and give me a price and that in a couple of weeks I could bring her color swatches from the wedding and our cake monograms (the wedding was almost two months away at this point). Time went by, no call, I dropped off our things but she was not there.

Two weeks before the wedding, I was finally able to reach her. Only to have her act as though she had no clue what design, colors or anything about my wedding cake. I was not sure if she had lost our information or what. I go through it all again, she promises to call with a price…again. The next day I call her back because I still had not received a call from her. She tells me that someone will have to pick up the cake because she has since promised to do another wedding and that she won’t have time to deliver ours and that it is going to cost us $500.00. That is $5.00 a slice and NOT going to happen. I cancel, go and pick up my toppers and start making arrangements for something else.

Because we want our kids to have a prominent place in the wedding we had decided to have a kid cake instead of a traditional grooms cake. A friend of ours here in town is a very talented cake artist who is just starting out so we asked her to do this cake for us. It is a three separated tiered cake. Each layer is the favorite flavor of one of each kid and will be decorated with things that they like and a little figure of them. Brittan’s will have him in hunting gear, with guns and race cars and all the things he likes. Brittany’s will have her in her cheerleading uniform and Micah’s will be covered in art supplies. I can not wait to see how it turns out.

Since we had this cake we decided not to go with a wedding cake, but to instead do a cupcake tree. Randall Crawford, a local restaurant owner and all around great guy that I grew up with, offered his services. We decided to go with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcakes that will be placed on this beautiful stand and decorated with ribbon and feathers to match our theme.

Dressing the guys

This could have been the easiest part of our journey yet!! I knew that we wanted to use our local men’s shop for the tuxedo rental. So, we went in and in a matter of mere moments had found the perfect tuxedos and then moved on to looking for vest. Guys are so lucky, one book is all they need to chose their outfit from! GRRR!

I realize that at most weddings the groom wears the light-colored vest in white or cream, but as I have said we do not believe in having to keep with tradition and instead want to do what we like. With blue being Craig’s favorite color and me having blue accents in my dress, we chose the blue vest and tie for him and the silver vest and ties for the groomsmen and my dad. From there, we contacted the groomsmen and had them go by their nearest men’s shops (because they all live a couple of hours away) and had them just call in their measurements to our shop and Walaaa!

The wedding day is drawing near and there is still so much to share! Coming up next…Our final wedding day plans!

March 8, 2011 by Kelly Curtis

Our Wedding – All The Little Details Are Planned & Ready To Go!

Well, here we are, with 2 months to go before our wedding. I’m calm, for the most part. So, since everything is planned, I thought I’d tell everyone on all the little details of our wedding. We, and when I see we I mean me, have everything planned. Also, I like to DIY a lot of things with our wedding being one of them. Wedding invitations are mailed out so I’m ready for RSVPs to start pouring in(hopefully) and finish the last details of our wedding. Here is what “I” have chosen for our wedding and WE are both excited and can’t wait for it to get here!

Wedding Colors: I always knew I wanted pink, it’s my favorite color. So, pink ended up being the main color with accents of cream, black and a bit of gray. Pink and cream will be our main colors. They are featured in wedding invitations, programs, centerpieces, bouquets and pocket squares.

Black comes in with the bridesmaids. I had zero luck finding any bridesmaid dresses that I loved and we’re not ridiculously expensive, so I decided to have the girls pick their own dress. Since black is the easiest color to match, I went with that. There is a little gray in our wedding invitations and our bird seed packages, which I love it paired with everything, so I may try to incorporate it elsewhere.

Wedding Location: Of course, one of my earlier posts explains how we settled on Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, AR. I’m still so excited I picked it and can’t wait to see it in the springtime with all the beautiful flowers. Now, I’m just hoping for a bright and sunny day with no rain.

Dancing & Drinks: While down in Hot Springs, we checked out a few locations for our wedding reception. In the end, we chose The Porterhouse for our reception. It features 3 rooms that will offer a place for eating, dancing and playing pool. I love how the room looks and think it will portray our wedding. Hopefully, our guests will love the room and the food that will be provided.

The Flowers: Once I started the wedding planning, and I saw pictures of peonies and hydrangeas, I knew I wanted those for my wedding flowers. I love them. A single peony will serve as the bridesmaid bouquets, peonies and hydrangeas will create my wedding bouquet. They will adorn every table as centerpieces at the reception.

I threw in a few branches and lace to create beautiful finishing touches for the wedding. Although, I did throw some carnations in there to represent my sorority flower and use them for the flower girl’s kissing ball and corsages. I can’t wait to see everything together!

Let Them Eat Cake: There will be a wedding cake, groom’s cake and mini cupcakes! We figure our guests will be up moving around a lot so mini cupcakes are great to pop in your mouth and go. We actually have chosen 6 different flavors to fit every taste bud that are sooo yummy!

Of course, there had to be a wedding cake for cutting purposes and it’s a simple 2-tiered cake with a feather cake topper. I forgot to mention that I love feathers and have incorporated them into a centerpiece, corsages, cake and my reception dress. Bart isn’t a big fan like me.

The thing I’m really excited about, because I thought it’d be a nice surprise for Bart, is his groom’s cake. A fun 3D sport’s cake featuring a St. Louis Cardinals hat on a baseball field. Hopefully he’ll love it! I love sweets and can’t wait to eat all the delicious flavors that we’ll have at the reception.

Thank You For Coming: For our wedding favors, we have chosen personalized koozies, setting up a candy buffet and having a photobooth. So excited about everything! That might have been my biggest problem during the planning process, I needed to have restraint. I love photobooths, our fun props and the fact that one of the pictures will go in our guest book and another picture will be something the guest can take home with them. The koozies have our names and the candy is more for looks, but I’m sure people will enjoy it too.

Of course, this isn’t all of our details. There’s the wedding dress, bridal party gifts, photography and all the little details that I’ve included in our wedding that I love. We can’t wait for it to all come together and for the day to get here!

This wedding story was brought to your by Wedding and Party Network. Want to share your wedding story? Contact social@weddingandpartynetwork.com.

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March 5, 2011 by Christina Weber

On To The Basics…

Wedding planning was well under way after the proposal. We knew that we did not want to wait for a long time because we had waited long enough to find one another as it was. We set the date for March 26th, 2011 and started working to get everything together. (Yes, that quick!) There were three basic rules that we were going by.

One, we wanted a wedding that was ours. Traditions and customs were not important to us. What was important was our kids, and that was our number two. We wanted to make sure that they were very much included in the big day, just as they would be for the rest of our lives. And finally, we did not want our wedding to be cheap but we did not want to start out our lives together in debt for one day of fun. So, a DIY wedding it was!

Where We Will Exchange Our Vows

First things first, I have never been an outdoorsy kinda girl (I have this vision of a swarm of bees going straight up my dress like a bad remake of The Bird’s), so we booked the church. I have always loved the Eastwood Memorial United Methodist Church here in Caruthersville, Missouri. It is beautiful, old and the perfect size for our family and friends.

Stained glass windows pointing toward the heavens, an arch of pipes sweeping across the front that connect to the pipe organ, which is the largest in this part of the United States, and beautifully carved wood throughout. This was a place that made you speak in hushed tones and it was exactly where I wanted to exchange our vows.

Next up were the decorations for the wedding, the church is so beautiful that it does not need anything to enhance it. But I have always loved the beauty of candlelight so decided to go that route. As I said in an earlier post, I like things that are different and I also love the theatre. The beauty of it’s dramatics were something I wanted to include. So, an evening candlelit wedding at 6 o’clock it was! I had a lot of ideas for little bits of “flair” to throw in along the way, but I will wait to share those with you as we get closer to time 🙂

All The Little Details

From there, we booked the local community center where we would host our reception. With the backbone of the event taken care of, the rest was just a matter of filling in the blanks. I love party and event planning so to me this was very exciting and fun. My biggest challenge was to slow down and separate things. I am very organized, I love list and checking things off, so on top of my many handwritten and typed list, I also downloaded a couple of wedding planning apps to help along the way. Sometimes, I have to make myself slow down and decide what I really like from what I just think is cute. Often I get over excited and began to collect a hodgepodge of things instead of sticking with my theme.

Next up, was my bridesmaid selection. My maid of honor was simple to choose, my sister Ashley would fill that place. Without doubt or question the next two spots were filled by my daughter, Micah and Craig’s daughter, Brittany. Then my three nearest and dearest friends who had been such an asset to me through the years that it was only fair they share in their time of celebration with me. So Leslie, Amanda and Jennifer were called on to stand with me.

Craig in the mean time wanted to host a competition to decide his line up. He was thinking of something in between Survivor and Fear Factor with a rose ceremony at the end but fortunately he just went with his best friend Shane as his best man, his son, Brittan, his brother, Casey, his cousin Trey and his good friends, Jason and Nic. Putting us at six and six, which was a little larger than we had originally planned but getting them all in was important to us.

Finding The Dress

I had begun looking for my wedding dress first online, then in a few bridal shops. The only thing that I knew for sure was that I wanted it comfortable and I wanted it a champagne color. Not so much because of it being a second wedding, as I said customs do not mean a lot to me, I simply liked the color. I got together with the girls and we went bridesmaid dress shopping. Craig and I both loved the color blue and chose it for the main color scheme of the wedding.

Our bridesmaids are very different in their sizes and my sister will be well into her first pregnancy by the time the big day comes. We wanted everyone to feel good about their dresses, to look good and comfortable.

I felt that the best way to do this was to let them choose their own style of dress, just simply keep them all long (which to me seems more formal) and in the same color of blue. Fortunately for us, David’s Bridal does just this and made it very easy for the girls to go to the one nearest them to try on and order their dress. In the end, I was very happy with their choices, they all picked very similar dresses and looked beautiful.

My dress however was still no where in sight and I was beginning to get a little frustrated. I did however find a great pair of shoes while shopping with them at David’s Bridal. They were on sale for $20.00 and were not only comfortable but were the exact champagne color that I loved so much. So as of that moment, I was getting married in a pair of really cute heels…not good!

Stay tuned for the rest of my wedding details, planning and stories that you’ll enjoy!

This wedding story was brought to your by Wedding and Party Network. Want to share your wedding story? Contact social@weddingandpartynetwork.com.

February 26, 2011 by Christina Weber

Our Once Upon A Time…

As a single girl who had been divorced for a couple of years, I had developed the belief that there were no good guys left out there in the world. That the stuff that made movies was nothing more than the romantic fantasizing of a wishful writer and that I would never find that “one” who would make everything bright and bubbly. After a series of rough spots, I was at a very low point in my life and was beyond even wanting to date much less looking for someone to spend a lifetime with.

Until…Cue one Craig Williams, a rice grader from DeWitt, Arkansas, a place that I had never even heard of. In his line of work he traveled a lot, going from one grain elevator to another, grading the rice barges that were being loaded. He would usually be there for one week a month, sometimes more.

During that time, we got to be pretty good friends. We found that we had a lot of the same interest, the same sarcastic humor and always had a lot of fun talking. But there was never any discussion about dating and when he was away I would never hear anything more than an occasional text asking about river stages, barges or maybe a movie that he had watched at my suggestion.

After one visit, I could tell something was on his mind, but didn’t want to pry. A day later, I received a text asking for advice on how to ask a girl out, after a brief discussion he finally said, “Have you not figured this out yet?” Two days later, he drove three hours to meet me for our first date. It was through the week and I had to make it an early night because of my daughter but it was the most I had laughed in a long time.

When I met my Mom that evening to pick up my daughter Micah I said, “Now this one has potential!” Shortly after, we went on our second date, my family reunion!! I told him repeatedly that we could wait and do something another time, but he insisted that it was fine. By the end of the day, I knew that this guy was a keeper. He had been great to Micah and to my family. He had pitched in and helped out and never once did I feel the need to mediate or keep him involved. After that, we started seeing more and more of one another.

Sometimes he’d drive for hours to meet, only to have to turn around and immediately drive back for work. We continued to get closer and I was constantly amazed by all the little things that seemed to fit together so perfectly. The similarities that I had never realized and by how much fun we had trying new things together. I had finally found someone that I could spend hours sitting and talking with, never realizing how quickly time had passed. But still, I was hesitant and insisted that I would never “settle” again. Although somewhere, deep down inside, I knew that this was the guy not only for me, but for my daughter as well. I watched as he melted her heart and mine and we settled into the glow of contentment together.

In the next months, I met some of his family and friends and instantly felt that I had known them for years. The only concern that I had was in meeting his children. I loved listening to Craig talk about them. He always beamed such love and pride when he spoke about his daughter Brittany and son Brittan.

On September 25th, 2010 we joined our families for the first time and all of my worries were forgotten. These two great kids that I had grown to love before I had ever met them were nothing short of the wonderful that I imagined them to be. Beautiful, smart, talented, kind and so accepting.

After the first weekend, Micah, who was 11 at the time, began imitating everything that Brittany, then 16, did from hairstyles and dress to gestures and slang. And Brittan was the perfect compliment to her tomboy side, ready to hunt and race. Little by little, I began to realize that the crazy, fun kind of love from the movies I once cringed at, was very possible.

On October 20th, 2010 in the same spot that Craig and I had spent so many hours lost in conversation, where he had first told me he loved me, he asked me to be with him forever. I said yes, and to my surprise he pulled out a ring that he had been carrying with him for two weeks.

After a lot of laughs, hugs, kisses and tears, he asked if the ring was ok. I laughed and jumped up telling him to wait there. I came back with a ring that I had bought for a Halloween costume a couple years before. The evening I wore it I had told everyone, “I will never marry again unless I am presented with the real version of THIS ring.” The ring Craig had bought was almost identical, another sign that things were just as they were supposed to be.

Stay tuned for the rest of my wedding details, planning and stories that you’ll enjoy!

This wedding story was brought to your by Wedding and Party Network. Want to share your wedding story? Contact social@weddingandpartynetwork.com.

February 20, 2011 by Hannah Taylor

Taylor-Johnston Wedding: Down To Two Digits

99 are the official number of days until the Taylor-Johnston wedding. For so long, I have counted with three digits, but the long-awaited break through of getting into 2 digits is finally here. While I must admit that I am extremely excited, I suddenly feel an immense pressure because I realize all that is left to do and plan. This is the point where the thought of eloping enters the mind, but it is way too late for that now. So, on with the planning we go.

Hannah and John

First Meet Hannah (Me)

I’m a “DIY (or at least try to), change my mind a million times, brightly colored, not so organized (though I’d like to claim to be), procrastinating and most importantly unique” kind of bride.

Meet John, The Groom

He is a builder in the Navy and has allowed me to plan every part of our wedding. This is in part due to him being deployed to Asia for the past 9 months of our planning process. Every now and then I will ask him “What do you think about this” or “how do you like that” and every response I get is quoted as “It’s whatever you want babe”. He is the most laid back person I have ever met and could care less about planning anything as long as I pick what I like-so I must not complain.

How We Met.

We met in the spring of 2007 in Gulfport, MS while we were both attending “A-School” for our jobs in the Navy. John “claims” he had his eyes on me then, yet the only memory I have of him is when he tackled me on the beach during a volleyball game and made my knee bleed. Tear, I know. However it was not until May of the next year that we met up again.

I had gone to Gulfport for a friend’s baby shower and ran into him there. After a few weeks of trying the long distance thing (I go to school in Memphis and he was stationed in Gulfport), we both knew we could and would make it work. He “popped the question” in October of 2009, so here we are after many weekends of driving the 5 ½ hours back and forth between Gulfport and Memphis planning our wedding.

Now that you have all of our not so important back ground information, it is on to the planning process. These are just the basics for now.

Location, Location, Location

When making my decision for my wedding venue, I knew I wanted it outside. However, since I wanted to have my wedding in Paragould, this has narrowed my options to very few. Luckily, my parent’s friends, David and Patti Snodgrass, have graciously allowed me to have it at their new house in Bronze Leaf Estates. After looking at many reception locations, we decided on Sage Meadows. Despite the small size, I was in love with the large patio and interior décor. I am determined to make everything fit. Like I said early, I am great at procrastinating. Therefore, we are still unsure about where we will hold our rehearsal dinner. So any suggestions/ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Wedding Colors

Oh colors, why must there be so many to choose from? Anyone who knows me can easily say that I am anything but plain. White and black were just out of the question when I was deciding on my colors. I originally wanted to have a “rainbow” wedding, where each of my bridesmaids wore the same dress just each in a different color.

However, after looking at thousands of bridesmaid’s dresses, I realized that it was impossible. I could not find a dress that I liked that came in all the colors that I wanted. So, the colors I decided upon were bright blue/turquoise, key lime, and a grape purple. Just a little bright don’t you think?

I have six bridesmaids; two girls will wear blue bridesmaid dresses, two girls will wear key lime and the other two will wear purple. When it comes to my colors, I want each one used equally. I am weird about all things being “symmetrical or parallel”. Everything in my wedding will incorporate these colors including, invitations, flowers, tuxedos, decorations, etc. My main thought behind my wedding is that I want everything to be colorful and FUN. I think these colors will help do both.

The Wedding Vendors

Choosing all of my vendors came as a fairly easy task to me. For my wedding cake and food, I chose Lea Ann Tyler. She has been a friend of the family for many years and runs a small catering business out of her home. If you want to find food that is “melt in your mouth” delicious, she’s the one.

Her husband, Scott, does an impeccable job of decorating the cakes, as well. If you do not have a caterer yet, I strongly suggest you check her out and her prices are very reasonable. I believe her business has really flourished here lately, and I would recommend her to anyone.

For my wedding flowers, I chose Miss Rosie’s House of Flowers out of Lepanto, AR. Miss Rosie is exceptionally helpful, especially for me, the kind of person who has absolutely no idea when it comes to flowers.

All I knew is that I did not want roses, the rest I could honestly care less about as long as the flowers are pretty and are created with my colors. She has prepared flowers for others in my family and they were beautiful. So, I have no doubt in her.

And for my wedding planner, I chose none other than the one and only (in my opinion) Mrs. Alice Miles. She was my 5^th grade teacher way back when and has done many weddings in the past. She knows all the etiquette rules, registry tips and everything else in between. I truly believe she is going to be my lifesaver throughout this process.

Stay tuned for the rest of my wedding details, planning and stories that you’ll enjoy!

This wedding story was brought to your by Wedding and Party Network. Want to share your wedding story? Contact social@weddingandpartynetwork.com.

January 10, 2011 by Kelly Curtis

Say Cheese, For Our Engagement Pictures!

One of the first things after I got engaged, I started researching photographers. To me, that’s one of my top priorities for our wedding. Pictures are very important to me since they capture your whole day and you’ll always have them to look to for a reminder. I LOVE pictures and don’t mind being in them.

Bart on the other hand, is not a big fan. Whenever we go somewhere, I always have pictures of me with my friends, but none of me and him together. What a picture downer. Anyways, I wanted to share our story of how I researched photographers. Plus, all the details on our engagement session.

Again, pictures are very important to me. I researched, researched and researched to find the one. Thankfully, I’ve had a lot of friends recently get married or get engaged so I’ve gotten to to look at their pictures to see what I like. I figured out what type of photography style I liked and found the perfect engagement photographer, Megan Burges Photography.

I emailed Megan, telling her how much I loved her work and asked if we could schedule a date. I didn’t ask for references, samples or anything like that. I just knew, same with my wedding photographer. Falling in love with their work and imagining you in their photos is a must. So I scheduled a date and now it was time to start picking out outfits. Bart was thrilled!

Another thing I love, besides photography and Bart are clothes. I have a ton of clothes and probably buy something new once a week, if not more. Something I need to control, but only in Bart’s opinion. Of course, he’s total opposite and only gets new clothes whenever I buy him something. With that being said, I knew he would NEVER in a million years want to change clothes for these pictures. I’m lucky I even got some sort of smirk out of him.

Anyways, that’s a whole story on it’s own. I love dresses, fur vest and boots. So why not include them in our picture? I also am big on off the shoulder tops, I think I’ll include that too! I went to my favorite store and had them help me find something. A good reason to go shopping. For Bart, I chose a button up shirt with jeans. He looks good in blue and always has a pretty casual look. I was satisfied and he didn’t know what he was wearing until the day of. Typical boys. I think we looked cute.

We went for an urban sort of feel in the downtown area and then took it outside to the park. I let the photographer take over. She knew exactly what she wanted and what poses looked good. So I went with it, I was up for anything and knew she would get amazing shots. She did.

We narrowed down our favorite pictures, including the one with our favorite dog, and ordered our pictures. However, it did take us a few weeks to select the ones we wanted, we loved them all. All my expectations were beyond exceeded!

So when searching for an engagement photographer or wedding photographer, research. Find someone who represents your style. Someone that you’re truly in love with. That’s how you find the photographer for your engagement and wedding.

This post is brought to you by Austin Wedding Photographers
Not in Austin, TX? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network’s handy wedding planning directory to help you find wedding photographers near you!

Photos taken by Megan Burges Photography.

December 4, 2010 by Kelly Curtis

I Said Yes To My Dress!

Wedding planning is in full force and I hope you’re ready to hear what I’ve done next. Since my location and date are set, the next thing I wanted to check off my wedding to-do list was my wedding dress. This won’t come out of a lot of bride’s mouths, but wedding dress shopping was extremely easy for me. However, wedding dress shopping is a must for all weddings. It provides a memorable experience that you won’t soon forget throughout your wedding planning process. Here’s my wedding dress shopping experience that I got to share with my mom. I absolutely loved that I got to share this time with her and there were even a few tears. Hope you enjoy!

Style Number And All!

I’m probably unlike many girls and knew exactly which dress I wanted when I walked through the door, style number and all! Even though I knew which dress was for me, I still wanted to try on all the beautiful dresses that I saw. I loved browsing through all the different styles and did somewhat question my choice, since there are a tons of different gowns out there.

A Little Researching

So, I’m sure you’ve read that I have a lot of friends getting married. Which, benefited me because I saw the exact style dress I wanted on one of my friends. I searched beautiful wedding dresses online through various websites to find a similar style, which is unique and a new wedding trend. Exactly what I wanted! However, I always said since I was a little girl I wanted a princess, extremely poufy wedding dress.

I’m sorry, I don’t want to explain my wedding dress at all since me and the groom are doing the not seeing each other the night before the wedding and especially my dress. I want it to be a surprise and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I finally walk through those doors.

Finding The One

Anyways, I was so set on this dress that I was just going to order it without even trying it on. Mom talked me out of that afraid that I wouldn’t like the fit on me. I trusted her and found a bridal gown shop close by and scheduled a time to go look at it. We went one Saturday and when I walked through those doors, and my dress was the first dress I saw. It was fate!

I grabbed it up and immediately put it in a dressing room. We then started browsing through different styles, I seemed to be picking out the same style of dress and mom started picking out long-sleeved gowns. Not really what I had in mind, but I offered to try it on if she absolutely wanted me too. Thank goodness she didn’t care.

The dress I picked out before I even got to the store was the first one I tried on, mom’s tears began to fall. I tried on several more and it was narrowed down to two dresses that I loved. However, I had to stick with the one that I knew was “the one”. So the dress is ordered and the waiting begins for the arrival!

Well, here is my “say yes to the dress” moment, and if there is anything you can possibly take away from this dress story, it would be to look at a lot of wedding gown photos to get some sort of an idea of what style you would like.

However, it could all change once you get in the dressing room. It’s moments like these that makes wedding planning all worth while, and especially once you walk down that aisle. Can’t wait for everyone to see my dress!

November 15, 2010 by Kelly Curtis

The Next Step In My Wedding Adventures: Our Wedding Party!

When choosing your wedding party, it can be a difficult thing. You feel as though you have obligations to old friends, new friends and family members. I say, forget all that. It’s your wedding day and so you may hurt a couple people’s feelings along the way, but never lose sight that it’s your day. So either add them all or choose who YOU want to be in your wedding party. Always remember, it’s your day.

We LOVE Our Wedding Party!

With that in mind, I chose my wedding party. I did have some difficulties with who I wanted or had to put in the wedding. My philosophy was suck it up, I’ll put everyone in it. So that wasn’t a big deal, I’m quite happy and thrilled with my wedding party.

The major problem was Bart only had 4 groomsmen, while I had 5 bridesmaids and 2 maid of honors. Totaling 7 altogether. He did not want to add anymore guys as much as I asked him to just come up with 3 more guys. However, it didn’t happen.

My solution was pairing up our maid of honor and best man together and pairing 2 girls to one guy.I’m over how it may look because I’m 100% happy with our wedding party and am confident all of them will be there while planning my wedding.

The Interesting Part

The part that I couldn’t wait to share with everyone is how I asked my bridesmaids to be in my wedding. Searching high and low through different wedding websites and blogs, I kept seeing cute ideas on how to ask bridesmaids to be in your wedding. My idea was to create a bridesmaid newsletter along with a greeting card that asked them to be in my wedding. From the very get go, I wanted to do something special for my bridesmaids. I love my friends dearly and wanted to make my whole wedding process fun for them.

My newsletter contained my wedding colors, location, time, wedding dress, their wedding attire, flowers and ALL the details. I even contained information down to what favors I had picked out. Also, I included pictures to give them an idea of everything. Most importantly, it had all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. This wedding newsletter seriously had ALL my wedding details.

The main feature of my wedding party, is they live all over. Wyoming to Nashville and everywhere in between. So the main thing I wanted to include, was all their contact information for planning sake. Living all over the place and not knowing each other very well will be hard at planning my sure to be amazing showers. Why not make it a little easier and provide all their contact information for each other.

The wedding card included a cute “Will you be my bridesmaid” poem and a hand-written message from me. Some I had to mail and some got theirs in person, but everyone loved it. I’d like to say the same for Bart, but he’s a boy so he asked them through text messaging or just whenever he saw them, I think? I told him I could make them a newsletter too, but he laughed. I’ll take that as a no.

Show your bridesmaids that you appreciate them for being in your wedding, throwing you a shower and buying whatever bridesmaid dress I pick out. I loved doing it and my bridesmaids loved receiving it! It’s just a fun and unique way to keep your bridesmaids in the know and show them how much you appreciate them.

November 14, 2010 by Kelly Curtis

A Romantic, Bumpy and Crazy Wedding All-In-One

I wanted to share a fun, bumpy and crazy wedding story that everyone I know will enjoy. They are very good friends of mine and she is one of my best friends. In fact, I’m just going to call myself her wedding planner and decorator and maid of honor, because I was just that and loved every second of it. So, I couldn’t resist sharing it on Wedding and Party Network and hope everyone enjoys it and hope you can take one thing away from it, PLAN!

Josh & Abby’s Engagement Story

This is a couple that has known each other since they were in 5th grade. Josh always liked Abby throughout high school and I’m pretty sure she felt the same way, but it was never the right timing for them. However, I do remember when our high school play was going on and they got “pretend” engaged.

Obviously, it was fate right then. Unfortunately, they didn’t start dating until a couple of years after high school and since then they have never spent a day apart. Pretty much the rest is history.

I knew that the engagement was coming because she had talked about it a little so I bluntly asked him when he was going to propose. Josh told me when and I’m very proud of myself for not telling her. It was New Years Eve and they had went out to dinner with another couple and just went back to their hotel room, a pretty low-key New Years Eve.

It was midnight and he casually asked “what’s your New Years resolution?” She rambled on about who knows what, maybe to not procrastinate so much or not to speed as much, who knows? Josh answered with “Well, mine is to be the best fiancé ever.” He then got down on one knee and proposed. Starting the year off perfect.

Wild & Crazy Wedding

This wedding was nowhere near wild and crazy, it was actually really low-key. The wild and crazy part came from the planning. It was set for October 2, 2010 in her dad’s backyard. Next it was moved up from October to July 17,2010, their 2 year anniversary. It was then set for Destin, Florida, nut the oil spill happened. Next it was the Memphis Botanic Gardens, but it turned out to be a bigger hassle since it was for a smaller wedding and they have a huge family and absolutely couldn’t cut anyone.

Abby being aggravated and wanting to elope from the beginning decided on Jamaica. That was changed because no one wanted to miss seeing them get married, of course! I’m sure it was switched around some more, but you get the picture.

After a whirlwind of locations, it was set for July 17, 2010 in her dad’s backyard. Now on to colors, decorations and cake. Abby’s motto: “It will all work out.” and it did, even with her procrastination. Wedding planning isn’t really her thing. I felt like anytime I asked her something she would say “I don’t know yet.”

However, they couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding fit for them. The weather was great since it did downpour on our rehearsal dinner. The lawn had been perfected, chairs were in place and their gorgeous deck was decorated with summary daisies and beautiful daisy pomanders. It was a perfect Summer wedding and they even got Jamaica for a honeymoon.

An October to July wedding at various locations with a lot of “I don’t knows,” ended up absolutely perfect. Their Summer wedding was too pretty to describe and completely fit them as a couple. Abby and Josh will have an absolutely amazing and happy marriage that will last a lifetime.

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October 14, 2010 by Kelly Curtis

Location, Location, Location!

The wedding location was one of the most important things to me, right behind finding an amazing wedding photographer. The wedding location paints a picture-perfect setting for anyone’s wedding day. A wedding location can set the tone and provide a feeling that everyone will be able to feel. Plus, it’s in all your wedding photos as a background so it has to show off the style of the couple.

My Picture Perfect Setting!

I wanted to do something different and we both wanted a smaller wedding, so that was our starting point. Normally, everyone gets married in their church and has the reception at the community center. Which is completely fine, but would have ended up being way too big of a wedding for us. We’re definitely a little shy and not an attention stealer. People have even asked our parents if we even talk when we’re together, we’re both so quiet. I’d like to say that is definitely not the case, he says I talk too much!

Anyways, a year or so ago I ran across a wedding that was in Hot Springs, Arkansas at a gorgeous chapel. I have been to Hot Springs when I was younger with one of my bridesmaids and her family, so I was already familiar with the location and really enjoyed it.

Anyways, I immediately googled it and found Anthony Chapel at Garvan Gardens. It was absolutely beautiful so right then I knew that’s where my wedding was going to be held. Also, it suited our smaller wedding preference. It’s around a 4 hour drive from our hometown so we knew the people who meant the most to us and wanted to be there would be there. The absolute perfect wedding location for us!

After Bart finallyyyy proposed, we set a weekend to look at the chapel and explore Hot Springs. My parents and Bart had never been there so it was fun! It was even more beautiful in person! My parents loved it and so did Bart. However, there were reservations in making everyone drive 4 hours. My parents gave their opinion on finding a closer location if not at home. Once I get my mind-set on something, there’s no going back. I did research other locations, but nothing compared. I presented all my counter arguments and won the battle, like I knew I would.

Finding A Reception Venue

Wedding reception venue was important to me too. I wanted a fun place that had a great feeling and had the perfect layout. However, I would like everyone to be proud of me because the room I chose is not the one we went with. Bart won! While we were in Hot Springs, I scheduled a few appointments to visit several wedding reception sites. We already ruled the gardens out, which would have been convenient and beautiful.

However, we are planning around 50 guests and didn’t want it to be outside and all of their inside spots were way too big for our wedding size. This is a good thing to think about when planning a wedding because if you get a wedding venue too big for your small wedding, it’ll look like you have 10 guests in the place.

First stop was one of Hot Spring’s bath row houses. It was so pretty and would have been really convenient for my wedding day prep since it is a spa, but this place was just a little too small. Me, my parents and his mom loved it. It was bright, big windows and absolutely gorgeous. Bart liked it but thought it was too small and we would have been cramped. However, it was so so pretty!

Next stop was one of Hot Spring’s delicious restaurants, The Porterhouse. They showed us 2 rooms and provided the catering, which was a big plus for us. This place was the opposite. It was dark and had an old, vintage feel. The first room had a place for all the tables, dancing and the dj. This was the room I chose because I liked everyone being together.

Next, it was on to the second banquet room. There were 3 separate rooms, including a place for dining, dancing and a billiards room. It was neat and provided tons of entertainment for everyone but I didn’t want anyone to miss our first dance and just not be altogether. Bart shared his arguments, which were his friends might get a little crazy so it might be a good idea to separate our parents and grandparents from them. Good thinking! I gave in!

My Mind Was Set On The Perfect Date!

I had it all planned out in my mind when I wanted our wedding to happen. April 2011 or January 2012 were the months I picked out. I had January pictured as the perfect winter wedding month. I picked April because I wasn’t into a Summer wedding, plus a ton of people I know are getting married in the Summer of 2011. Very, very busy!

My mom suggested I wait until April 2012, which would give me plenty of time. However, me being stubborn wanted it the next year because waiting over a year would just be too long for me. April 30th was picked because that was one of the 2 weekends still open for the chapel. In the end, it worked out so great because April 30 is Bart’s grandparent’s anniversary. They were absolutely thrilled!

Finding the perfect wedding location was on the top of my wedding checklist. It means a lot to get married in a beautiful chapel and to have our close family and friends there. Plus, sharing a wedding date with his grandparents makes it that more special. Now, what I’d like you to take away from this is don’t settle on just any old location. This is YOUR wedding day and you’ll remember it a lifetime. Now, to take care of the million and one things left on my wedding to-do-list!