Sunday, March 7, 2010

13 1/2 days countdown ON!

I can't believe we are here now. A little under 2 weeks left and I am feeling a little bit of pressure. We have just about EVERYTHING done but there are these few small yet huge things we have left to get. Plus, try and get ready for the honeymoon. We need luggage for one but we also need to get somethings together since we will be traveling outside of the country. I am just starting to feel it a little more than I have this whole wedding planning process. It's been 14 months since we got engaged and while I know that's a long time but it really feels like it flew by. I am getting really excited and nervous about the actual day and everything coming together but I am confident that it will turn out wonderfully. I have total confidence in everyone involved so I am going to take a minute to send a couple of shout outs to be awesome vendors we have had the pleasure of working with.
First of all our wedding planner, Angela Proffitt has been our life saver (http://www.elegantweddingsbyangela.com/). We haven't even made it to the day yet and she has already been worth every penny. I don't know what we would have done without her. Also, Mr. Stilts and I have met one of the coolest and talented photographers who we are SO pumped is taking the pictures for the wedding and one of our engagement sessions. Emily (http://www.emilytphotography.com/) is really laid back and totally cool and easy to work with. We also had my incredibly talented best friend, Anna (aka Mrs. Ski http://www.theskistory.blogspot.com/) who took some fabulous engagement pictures of us as well and it was so nice of her to take some time out of her day to spend with us. She is such a wonderful person who I love to pieces!! You can check out her website (http://www.ajstoryphotography.blogspot.com/). I know, I know this post is FULL of these links but I really wanted to get the word out there. I am going to be finishing out these two weeks giving the word out. We have really done so much already that I feel good about these next two weeks but I know that the day of is going to be hectic. More hectic than I have ever known before. I went and picked out the guest book yesterday and got the ribbon for the bridesmaid bouquets and all I have to do now is send it to the florist and I have to also take the ribbon for the cake to Gaylord this week.
I have another dress fitting this Tuesday (at http://www.facciobridal.com/) and I am hopeful that everything will be ok. Hopefully once I have this one, we will only have the one last one the week of the wedding. I really love my dress and I am only hoping that I am happy with myself in it. I have had a few reservations about how I look in it. NO fault at all to the bridal shop I am just really critical of myself. I am confident that once we have everything put together, the dress, the hair and the make up. I am so excited about seeing it all come together.
Now as we come to an end of this amazing and crazy journey we have, like I said, just a few more things to find/get. Artificial wheat grass for the escort cards to sit in and a signature board to go around the 11x14 engagment picture we have. I am crossing my fingers that we can find everything we need. UGH! So frustrating!!
Anyway, back to post again soon, I am going to kick it in high gear now that we only have TWO MORE WEEKS!! :-)

Friday, February 19, 2010

29 days!!!!

So, we are coming down to the wire. 29 days and counting down. I can't believe that in a month Mr. Stilts and I will be taking our vows as husband and wife. I have gotten a lot done lately. This week Mr. Stilts and I purchased our wedding bands (and they are gorgeous by the way)and we have already picked them up and put them in a safe place. Next I went to the church and met with the wedding person there. She is the sweetest women I have ever met! Her and her husband were so great to us and were really open to any ideas or suggestions we had. My wonderful Mom went with me and she helped keep track of everything we discussed by taking notes. We got to see the brides room and the groom's room as well as talking and finalizing how we want to have the alter set up and the unity candle. So, I am feeling really good about getting that done and I know they are going to do everything they can to make us happy.
I had my hair trial this week also and I LOVE IT. My hair stylist, Ashlie at Aqua Bella, did such an amazing job and I can't wait to see it all come together with my make up and the dress. I am getting so excited and anxious about the day. I know it's going to be wonderful and it's going to be a day I am going to remember forever. Hopefully Mr. Stilts will remember the date on our anniversary. HA HA
I have also been having dress fittings every couple of weeks and slowly my dress is becoming more and more fitted to me. I can't wait to see the finished product and see it on me. The seamstress told me that her goal is to make this dress "fit me like a glove" and that I was the only woman in Nashville who has purchased this dress. So neat. I really, REALLY love my dress. I have all the accessories which I never thought I would decide on and I am going with some beautiful earrings and a really pretty silk flower in my hair. I tried on a necklace too just to see how they would look together with the earrings and it just felt like too much so no necklace for me! I think it will be fine without it. There is plenty of other stuff to look at on the dress and on me!
So my bachelorette party is next weekend and I AM SO EXCITED!! Not all my bridesmaids could come but I have a few others who are coming and I think it's going to be so much fun. We have about 6 or 7 girls going and we are going to a cabin in Center Hill lake for the weekend. Just my close friends and lots of good times!! My sister has planned the whole thing and she is such a good planner!! All of my bridesmaids have told me how wonderful she has been putting this together and planning everything. She has been so wonderful and I honestly don't know what I would do without her. Our invitations are the most beautiful things I have ever seen and I know I couldn't have designed something better if I had tried. I mean, don't get me wrong, my sister get me in the loop during the whole design process but it was her creative eye that made it all happen. We have had so many people tell us how great they look and all I can say is, "I know, they are AWESOME". :-)
So, as the days tick down there is more and more stuff being added to our "to do" list but we will get it all done and I am feeling good that everything will come together and our day will be the most wonderful day I have ever had. I sure know this, I am so happy to be 29 days away from being Mrs. Stilts.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Things are a movin' and a shakin' now!

It's amazing how fast time is going by now. I mean, it's been going by quickly but for some reason, time has kicked it into high gear. We are almost close enough to say we are getting married next month! Nuts. I can't believe I am so close to this big day that I have thought about for so long and that I am so close to finally being Mrs. Stilts. It feels weird saying it too. I am sad about saying good bye to my maiden name but I plan on keeping it and dropping my middle name. Sorry, "Samantha" it's been nice having you a part of my name but as we've grown we have run out of room for ya!
So Monday night I had my first actual "fitting" appointment at the bridal salon (shout out again to Faccio- you guys are AWESOME!!) I met with the alterations woman and first of all, she rocks. Anyone that calls me gorgeous repeatedly, I am a huge fan of. My dress still fits me really well considering we just got through with the holidays. I can't believe I haven't gained weight! I mean, I'm pumped about it but I was a little nervous that it would be a little snug. My alterations woman, Faye, told me that it was the "nature of the beast" and that I would definitely lose more weight before the wedding. Mostly because of the high stress I will be in the closer we get. Nice. I mean, I'm on board with losing weight but the stress part, not so much. I am feeling pretty good at this point except I know I will feel better once the invitation are out. We still have some time before we send them out but I know once they go out, there's no going back (HA HA) and we can actually start working on the seating charts and all that jazz.
Last night Mr. Stilts, my Mom and I had our tasting. It went really well. Our florist made a mock up of what our tables will look like and we were really impressed. I feel like I am being way too happy with everything! I know that sounds crazy but people keep talking about how I can make changes and blah blah blah but so far I have really liked everything and I honestly don't know what I would change. So I guess that's good but since people keep telling me I can change things, I feel like I should change something. Anyway, the tasting went really well. We thought the food was delicious and looked gorgeous and I feel like they are going to capture my "vision" for the cake perfectly. Mr. Stilts is going for a grooms cake shaped like the "Power T" from the University of Tennessee Vols. Shocking. My cake is going to be four tiers with white buttercream cake with a strawberry creme filing (it was AWESOME AND DELICIOUS) with a white chocolate buttercream icing decorated with fresh flowers and a blue ribbon on every layer. I can't wait to see what it looks like completed mostly because I haven't seen the cake I want, I just took parts of multiple cakes that I liked and made it my own. Mr. Stilts' is going to be white cake with a "UT ORANGE" icing. Nice.
So, I have my make up trial and some of the bridesmaids are getting fitted for their dresses this weekend so it will be a busy weekend but a fun one. I am excited about all the fun things coming up and I am getting nervous that I am going to get stressed out. I know that sounds funny but I am REALLY trying to just sit back and enjoy this whole process because I know I will only get it once.
I am going to try and post more and more often the closer we get (I know, that sounds possible) because I really want to be able to look back later on and reminisce about this period of my life as the future Mrs. Stilts.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

66 DAYS AND COUNTING!!

I can't believe that it's getting so close! Now I am seeing what it's really like to be a bride-to-be! I feel like every weekend is spent going somewhere or doing something that it wedding related. It's a lot but I am loving every second! This is the only time in my life I will get to do this stuff so I am trying to relish every moment because I know soon, it will all be over. I can't believe how fast 2009 went by. Mr. Stilts and I have been engaged for over a year and it still feels like he only proposed last week. As far as progress goes, we went to Men's Warehouse the other day and picked out the tuxes. I was so excited that we were able to find almost exact matches to both the matron of honor's dress and the bridesmaids dresses. Mr. Stilts' Dad AKA the best man will be in a black tux with a royal blue vest and tie and the rest of the groomsmen will have an ocean blue vest and tie. I can't believe we were able to find such close matches! As far as my Dad and Step Father, they will have ivory vests and ties and Mr. Stilts himself will be in all black. Once we finished at the tux shop we went to the jeweler and Mr. Stilts picked out his wedding band. It's simple and beautiful. I plan on going to purchase it probably next month. I am going to need enough time to have something engraved on it.
In the upcoming weekends I have quite a bit of things coming up. First, I have my first dress fitting on Monday and then Tuesday is our tasting at the reception location. I am really excited because at this tasting our florist is going to do a mock up of what our tables are going to look like. I am SO excited about seeing what they are going to look like on our wedding day! Plus, it will be an opportunity for us to make any changes. I am also going to be going with some of my bridesmaids for their fittings next weekend and the weekend after that. Then Sunday, the 25th I have my make up trial for the wedding. Seriously- SO MUCH STUFF! It's all fun stuff though!!
Oh and Mr. Stilts and I met with our minister who is going to marry us and have started our counseling. It was nice to be able to go over how we want the ceremony to go and we are so confident that it's going to be so wonderful. We both really love that the person who is going to marry us is someone who knows us well and loves us.
There are so many exciting things going on right now and I know it's just going to get more hectic and more fun! I might be coming back in a few days or weeks totally going against everything I have said about it being fun but right now I am going to live it up and enjoy it while I can! I know I am going to look back on this and wish time had gone by slower and I know I am really looking forward to starting this new chapter in our lives. Being a friend, a companion, a wife and eventually a mother. Life is good.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Happy New Year!! Now let's get to work

I know it has been a LONG time once again since I have posted but this time I really do have a good excuse. The HOLIDAYS. And a crazy one it has been, as usual. Now that they are over, it's time to really get moving when it comes to wedding activities. First, the bridesmaid dresses are in so we have to get my ladies fitted so we can check that off our list. My sister, while she was in town got fitted for hers and so we can check her off the list. They look fantastic and I can't wait to see all my girls in them. I am attaching the picture of my sister wearing hers (as the Matron of Honor) and then the the other dress that the rest of the bridesmaids will wear:


Imagine them without the straps. I think they turned out even more beautiful than I imagined. Mr. Stilts and I are also in the process of getting some of our vendors paid off so we won't have a ton of money to pay put all at once. We are also working on the music for our ceremony and reception. Plus, we have to work on sending out the invites. I am going to be working with my sister on these and if they are anything close to our save the dates- then they are going to equal AWESOME.
Also, we have to get a groomsmen to get measured for their tuxes. I can't wait to see Mr. Stilts in his tux! He is going to look so handsome! I keep thinking about all the things that we have to start doing now that 2010 has come. I can't believe it's going to be here in 76 days!! That is so nuts to me. I feel like we went from over a year to now in NO time. I have to start getting fitted for my dress, we have to work on the invitations, the seating charts, etc. Geez!! My head is spinning JUST a little bit. I am starting to get a little nervous and anxious but at the same time SO excited. I am ready for March 20 to be here but again we have so much left to do maybe not so much ready for the actual day.
I will be posting much more as we start this journey towards the end of the "wedding planning" part of my life and I am so ready for the next part in our lives..as Mr and MRS Stilts. :-)