Jus Hearts Cole

The Last One Before the Real One

2010-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

That's how Jus keeps describing the event we are celebrating today.

Can you guess what it is?

Today is our 3 year dating anniversary.

Three years ago we spent the night deciding to try and date. We had spent the previous year flirting and becoming friends. Three months into our friendship I took him home from the bar one night, we had flirted and I was in the "I just want to hook up" stage. That night Jus & I laid in bed listening to Bob Dylan until the wee hours of the morning when we fell asleep spooning. We continued to spend one night a weekend this way, leading to a greater flirtation and a relationship that made many people question our status.

Jus asked me out twice (even though he'll say it was only once) the first time was November 2006, the second was March 2007. I turned him down both times, the second time it stung. Jus was sad and confused, we had spent months flirting and I had obviously led him on.

What did I care? He was a guy I enjoyed throwing darts with and could laugh all night with, he was the guy that was my big spoon once a week, but he certainly wasn't the guy I wanted to date, let alone get married to.

Finally Jus got tired of my hot/cold feelings and started to ignore me. Three years ago today my BFF/BM Beth convinced me to go to a bonfire Jus was having, I agreed only under the circumstance that we could leave after a half hour, but a half hour into the bonfire I was sitting next to Jus, just wanting to be near him, after a week of the silent treatment I missed my friend.

That night I asked if he would be coming to spend the night at our house and luckily he said yes. As we lay in bed I told him that I missed him and wanted to be with him, I knew he didn't believe me but I wanted to give being a couple a chance.

Three years later we're planning the wedding of our dreams, where we can share our love and life with all of our guests. As I look back over the past three years I am so grateful for Jus's patience, love, and understanding. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with this man who was willing to wait for me to come around.

Did it take you a while to love your fiance?

Life Planning

2010-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

There are times in wedding planning when you realize that you're not just planning for a day you're planning for a lifetime. A life together in which you will be supportive, loving team.

The fact that you should act as a team is never more obvious than when one of you is unhappy.

For the past three years Jus has been working for some family friends. The situations started out as a dream, Jus worked for three guys that were close in age and fun, for the past six months the situation has turned into a disrespectful, childish situation. The brothers do not treat Jus well, making petty accusations and taking advantage of his good work ethic.

This week Jus hit the wall, after yet another accusation Jus decided to put in his notice. I am so incredibly proud and support his decision 100%.

Unfortunately this isn't the best economy in which to quit a stable job, but when push comes to shove a happy fiance with worth cutting back. And this is where the tough, relationship stuff comes into play.

In two weeks we will be living off of one stable income and one in flux income. The idea of loosing an income is a little scary, but luckily Jus has some odd jobs that will keep him busy throughout the summer and hopefully by the fall we'll having something more stable where the two of us can work together.

In the mean time we've been trying to think of ways to cut back. We're planning on selling a car, which makes sense anyways, considering we don't really need two cars to begin with. My car is newer and there is a higher likelihood that we can make money off of it, unfortunately this is the car I've wanted since I was 16 and it makes me sad to be giving it up after a year and a half. It actually makes me really sad.

But before you think I'm selfish and materialistic, I know we need to sell it. The loss of a car payment will allow us to have money to do some of the things we enjoy doing. We will be working close to each other and will learn to live with one car.

Fortunately my parents are fitting the majority of the wedding bill so our wedding planning won't be too terribly affected, but after all, this relationship and wedding isn't just about being happy for one day, it's about being happy for a lifetime together.

Have you had any radical changes in your life during your wedding planning?

The Name Game

2010-05-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The name change.

I think most brides would agree that this is a sticky subject.

My grandparents didn't give my mom a middle name and when she got married she slid her maiden name over and added my dad's last name. For a long time I assumed this was what all women did, but as I grew up I realized that this was only one option. I know women who have kept their maiden names, taken their husband's, hyphenated, and combined their last name with their hubby's last name.

Jus and I have talked about our (well, my) options:

1. Jus takes my name.

I can't tell you how many times I've tried to convince Jus to take my easy, not too popular four letter last name. Our town is fairly conventional and Jus comes from a very traditional family and I have a feeling if I were to convince him my FFIL might keel over from a heart attack.

2. Hyphenate our last names.

I've never cared for hyphenating last names, I can't imagine if our hyphenated child married a hyphenated children which would result in our grandchildren being a quadruple hyphen.

3. Combine our last names to make our very own name.

The funniest option would be to combine our last names. I'll throw anonymity to the wind and let you know that if we combined last names our options would be Leyd (pronounced laid), Boyman, or Bleman (bame-man). Clearly, this option is our first choice in terms of touring our children.

4. I drop my middle name, slide my last name over, and add his last name.

Honestly, my favorite option is doing what my mom did. I'm not particularly attached to my middle name and would be happy to become Cole MyLastName Jus'sLastName. I love the idea of having a "team name" and even though I will be loosing the name I have always had it's pretty excited to think of sharing a name with my husband.

5. Jus's option.

One thing I love is when the man takes the woman's last name as a second middle name. I think it is incredibly sweet for the man to acknowledge that he is joining the bride's family just as much as she is joining his. Jus is pretty responsive to this option which makes my heart happy.

While I was calligraphing place cards this weekend I spotted a card that read Cole Jus'sLastName and asked Jus who that was. Seeing my new name is strange and I'm sure I'll be uncomfortable with it for a while, but I've been practicing my new signature (how middle school of me!) and hopefully as the days go on I'll feel more comfortable with my future name change.

How are you handling the name game?

A Little Self Promotion

2010-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm hosting a giveaway on my daily blog Adventures in Love & Happiness. Hop on over and sign up to win one of these gorgeous prints from The Love Shop!

Wouldn't these make dreamy reception decorations?

Flip Flop You Don't Stop

2010-05-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

I think one element that all brides (and women in general) can agree is a good addition to your wedding is a flip flop basket.

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A basket stuffed with different size flip flops so women can change out of their uncomfy fancy shoes and dance the night away.

If you're looking for some flip flops to stuff your basket with head to Old Navy this weekend where you can buy a pair for $1!

Brighten Up

2010-05-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week I was at Target when I spotted something that would be perfect for that colorful, summer wedding I keep planning in my head. (Yes, I am fully aware that we aren't having a summer wedding, I just have trouble NOT planning it. I think I could plan about 7 weddings right now, but that's a whole different post.)

I bought two packs of these mini paper fans brought them home and set to work creating a garland for our living room.

Each fan has a string attached to the back which I hot glued to the top of the fan next to it. I glued crochet yarn on the end without the attached string.

This project took about twenty minutes but I know if I were to make multiple my time would be cut down.

I would love to see these garlands surrounding an outdoor ceremony or reception space. So would someone that is having an outdoor wedding please make these so I can live vicariously through you?

Have you used any of your home decor as inspiration for your wedding decor?

It's a Piece of Steak!

2010-05-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Part of my desire for our other wedding (you know, the one we chose not to have but I keep planning in my head anyways?) was the option for having a fantastic meal.

Before I get into what the meal would entail let me explain the situation. My parents have owned a restaurant for the past 24 years. What started out as a local diner with homemade food has transformed into a Food Network featured restaurant that serves delicious, fresh seafood every weekend.

Our family is very lucky to have access to fresh seafood like we do, every weekend in the summer my dad grills out clams, mussels, soft shell crabs, shrimp & fish. We gorge ourselves on fresh seafood that is prepared simply and tastes wonderful.

When I dreamt about my outdoor beach wedding I knew that we would have a clam bake/grill feast hybrid.

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Even when we decided to have the wedding in our hometown I still couldn't get the idea of grilling the food out of my head.

With access to tons of fresh food we've decided to grill out shrimp, chicken and steak along with a brightly colored vegetable medley. Initially I wanted to serve the meat on long skewers a la a Brazilian steakhouse.

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After months of sitting on this idea we decided that the Brazilian steakhouse idea would require too many servers and could get dangerous with servers trying to stick skewers in between our guests (and skewered MOB doesn't sound too good).

Now our guests will be served a plate with a three short skewers, one shrimp, one chicken and one steak; the plate will also have a cold asparagus vinaigrette and a grilled veggie medley (like that in the first picture). The nice thing about three shorter skewers is that if our guests don't like one type of meat they can pass it to their neighbor.

Like my mad power point skills?

Later this month we're having our first tasting (and by tasting I mean my dad will grill this yummy meal), I'm so excited to be able to serve our guests delicious food that is cooked well, tastes good and isn't all "junked up" with too much sauce and garnish.

The only problem?

We don't have a caterer yet. Yep, we tend to do things ass backwards around these parts. (Don't worry, we're looking!)

Did you pick out your menu before you found your caterer?

My Craziest DIY Project Yet

2010-05-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

I've been working on lots of DIY projects that I haven't shared with you yet but the one that we've been working on lately is pretty crazy.

A couple of months ago I spotted this coffee filter garland and fell in love. I immediately set to work creating a cupcake liner & fabric garland to hang on our headboard.

A little while after I made this I got the idea to make garlands to hang at our reception. If you remember our reception venue has high ceilings and I think it will be romantic to see twinkle lights floating in between fluffy coffee filter garlands.

Fortunately, my parents own a restaurant so they were able to order me a box of 1000 twelve cup coffee filters. I tea dyed about 750 and dyed the rest in red Kool-Aid. I spread them around our kitchen to dry (which took FOR-EV-ER!).

One side of our kitchen (Plus Jack the cat)

And the other half (Don't mind the dirty dishes)

Once the coffee filters were dry Jus & I strung the coffee filters onto crochet string. We try to use 2-4 beige coffee filters for every 1 pink coffee filter, we're also adding a dab of hot glue to every filter so they won't slide around once the garlands are hung.

Half finished coffee filter garland

So far we have made about 6 garlands out of approximately 3500 coffee filters. We're planning to hang them ten feet apart which means we will need about 14 garlands. I can't tell you how excited I am to see our coffee filter garlands hanging in our space all of the hard work is gong to be worth it, I just know it!

Do you have any huge/crazy DIY projects?

Cause the Groom Can't be Naked

2010-05-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

I've known what I wanted Jus to wear for the wedding since Oscar night. While watching the pre-show I caught a glimpse of Tom Ford and fell in love with the simple, classic look of his tux

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I love the large bow tie, the nice shirt without a vest, and the slim fitting black suit. I knew immediately that this would be what my groom would be wearing. All we needed to do was find a store that carried nice quality tuxes.

Unfortunately dressing Jus wasn't this easy, he had his hopes set on wearing tails. At first I was a little surprised, I thought tails were maybe a little too fancy and a little too outdated.

But I kept thinking and realized that if my dress was so fancy why couldn't Jus be all fancy too?

Plus his face lights up when he talked about wearing tails, and if he cares about his outfit this much why shouldn't he wear tails.

We have an appointment for him to try on tails tomorrow so I'll be sure to show you some pictures later this week.

Does your groom have a strong opinion about what he's wearing? Did it surprise you at all?

The 5 Month Mark.

2010-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was exactly 5 months until the wedding. The day came and went without much celebration other than Jus & I working on some reception decorations (a project I'll share later in the week).

The five month mark felt like crunch time this week. The list of things we need to do is not much shorter than it was a month ago and that fact scares me. This past week I was overwhelmed and had Bridal Brain to the extreme. (True story: I literally forgot to shower on Thursday)

But this week is different. I'm jumping into wedding planning with both feet. We have an appointment to try cake and another to see tuxes. We also got started on some DIY projects and have supplies for others. I feel positive about where we're headed and am excited to marry my love in 5 months.

How do you handle the stress of wedding planning?

Bridal Brain

2010-05-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Please forgive me for being a bad blogger this week, but I have a doctor's note.*

I'm suffering from Bridal Brain.

The symptoms include a nervous ball in the pit of your stomach, the inability to multitask, and a one track mind that can't get anything but worrying done.

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I hope this sounds familiar, I hope I'm not the only one slowly going in sane. It's just that I have so much to do and can't help but freak out a little bit. Luckily, we checked off some big things and got some supplies for other things yesterday so next week I'll get my head together and share some of our projects & plans.

Have you ever suffered from Bridal Brain?

*Of course I don't have a doctor's note, my doctor would think I was crazy too.

I Have a Confession to Make

2010-05-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I'm a total jerk to my mom.

My mom and I have a wonderful relationship. We spend at least seven hours a day together during the week and often choose to see each other on the weekends too. Not only do we look alike but our temperaments are almost identical. My mom is truly my best friend.

But wedding planning sometimes brings out my bad side.

My mom is a planner, as soon as she knows the date of an event she is ready to have all of the details flushed out. I am a dreamer and procrastinator, I like to come up with huge ideas and spend time thinking them through.

Throughout our planning there have been many times when I rush to my mother with a crazy idea and every time she has supported me. Unfortunately I can't say the same for myself.

There have been many times when I've told my mom "Oh, that's a cool idea" and she's started asking the questions to make these ideas realities. As soon as she starts asking questions I begin to get defensive. After getting defensive I start to get snappy.

The other day my mom asked about table numbers and after I showed her an idea I had she started flipping through a catalog showing me idea and asking questions. I immediately jumped all over her insisting that I just didn't know what I want.

Obviously this is not something I am proud of. My mom has been nothing but helpful and I've been a big ol' brat. I know part of our disagreements are because of our natures, she wants to get things done while I need to think about them first.

After the first couple of these spats my mom decided to step back and try to give less opinions and more support and I promised to do the same, but I've failed.

So this is my pledge to you, to my mom, and to myself. I promise to be more conscious of what comes out of my mouth. Our wedding is a day to celebrate love, not just the love between Jus & me but all of the love in our lives, and not just one day's love but love that started before and lasts after the wedding.

I am embarrassed that I am at this point, I promise I'm not always mean, I promise I hug my mother far more than I snap at her, I promise she doesn't want to give me up for adoption (trust me, I've asked). But I also promise to work on this, because I love my mom and I want her to enjoy the planning process as much as I do. Our relationship is far more important than wedding planning.

Have you had to check your attitude during the planning process?

I Need a Favor

2010-05-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Almost immediately after we decided to have an October wedding we started talking about our potential favor.

In all of my wedding blog scouring I came to the conclusion that edible favors were the way to go. And of all fall related foods there was one that I knew we had to have.

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I loooooooove me some caramel apples. I always try to snag one at our county fair and love to have my little cousin over to make them in the fall.

We're planning to wrap the apples in cellophane, tie them with bakers twine and add a sweet note thanking our guests.

I want to use local apples and dip them the week before the wedding, but my mom is pretty sure that this will stress me out too much and thinks that we should source the apples out. I'm not sure which way we'll go but I'll be sure to keep you posted on our sticky situation.

Do you have ambitious plans for your favors?

Oh Shoe-t

2010-05-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

(Yeah, I know, corny post title)

In the excitement of ordering my dress my dress consultant asked me what size heel I would be wearing. Since they would be ordering my dress hollow to hem the shop had to send the Sophia Tolli company the exact length the dress needed to be.

The truth is that I'm a really horrible estimator. Sitting in the bridal shop I guessed I probably wore 3" heels normally and that 2 1/2" would be a good idea. I reasoned 2 1/2" heels would be short enough that I could dance all night and tall enough to make me look like an adult.

The reality is that I usually wear at least 3 1/2" heels, I can wear 4" for a couple of hours before I'm ready to ditch them. The other reality is that 2 1/2" heels are really hard to come by, and when you find some they look nothing like what my dream shoes do.

Don't believe me? Here are some options for 2 1/2" heels, and while they are all pretty none of them have the wow factor I want.

Savanna

Claudia

Dayna

The height of my heels has (almost) caused me to loose sleep. Am I going to be able to find gorgeous 2.5" heels or will I have to design my own and loose some drama?

Did you have trouble finding the perfect shoes?

Shake it, Shake, Shake it, Shake it

2010-05-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

Being a Midwestern bride I wasn't very familiar with the idea of a second line until Weddingbee's Miss Star filled me in. I didn't know the tradition of having a band lead the way, the bride & groom carrying parasols or the guests waving hankies, but once we started exploring the tradition of second lines I got more and more excited to incorporate these elements.

My mom got right on the idea of the guests waving white hankies. She started scouring the Internet looking for white handkerchiefs until I stopped her dead in her tracks.

A couple of months before I had seen the wedding of Grace Bonney, creator of the much loved Design*Sponge. Grace & her fiance, Aaron sent screen printed handkerchiefs as invitations and I loved the mismatched look of vintage hankies.

Once my mom got on board we started scouring antique malls & eBay looking for vintage hankies and I'm proud to report that we have (almost) all of them.

We want to make sure our guests have them on hand for our second line so the current plan is to wrap them around our ceremony programs as belly bands and attach them with a sticker that instructs our guests to wave them with all of their might as we make our way to the reception.

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Are you incorporating any traditions in a non-traditional way?

Epic E(Pic)s

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Jus and I spent 6 hours shooting our engagement pictures with our talented photographer, Janie (and her hubby, John) from Imagination Photography. Since we knew Janie would be using these photos in her (hopefully awesome) entrance into the WPPI we had a relaxed day with a focus on finding great shots, and in the process had a great time.

Sunday morning Janie put a sneak peek up on her blog and I actually screamed when I saw them. I cannot tell you how much I absolutely LOVE our pictures!

So now, for your viewing pleasure, the sneak peek of our engagement shoot!

We started the day at the National New York Central Railroad Museum.

When we were done at the train museum Janie & John took us to a field full of dandelion fluffys.

And then we went to my parent's restaurant where we had free range.

After the restaurant we headed to my parents to get some with their vintage panel truck.

Then we swapped our vintage duds for the outfit you helped me pick out!

We tried to pogo but were pretty unsuccessful.

Then we headed home to capture some family photos in front of our house.

Are you in love with your engagement pictures?

Hi, My Name is Cole

2010-05-03T15:15:00.002-04:00

And I'm a nervous wreck!

I got the phone call today. You know, the one that says your dress is in? And for some reason I'm incredibly nervous to call back.

I know I loved my dress and cried when I put it on, but that was in January.

Now it's May and what if I don't like it?

What if it's not fabric-y enough?

What if it's too beaded?

What if it doesn't fit?

I would pay someone to let me know how my first dress fitting will go. Or at least to call the dress store back and make an appointment for me to try it on.

Did you have a freak out moment when your dress came in?

E(Pic): Modern Inspiration

2010-05-03T10:10:00.000-04:00

We knew that we wouldn't be doing our entire engagement shoot in our vintage outfits so we started thinking about what we'd like our modern pictures to look like.

I love the playfulness that props add and immediately started searching for props for our engagement shoot.

I love the way big, colorful balloons look, they add such whimsy and surprise.

We had to cancel our first engagement shoot due to thunderstorms and were worried when we woke up to rain on our rain date too, luckily, umbrellas make for great pictures.

There is no way Jus & I are talented enough to ride a bike like this, but maybe two bikes, far, far away from each other would work.

I'm a big reader and since we've been dating Jus has gotten into reading too.

Photos 1-8 via

I loved all of these options but really wanted something unique, luckily, I'm marrying a man that is able to satisfy my desires and Jus came up with the best idea yet.

Pogo sticks.

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I had one of these when I was younger and could just imagine us pogoing throughout our engagement pictures.

Did you have any far flung ideas for your engagement pictures?

Ah Shoes.

2010-04-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love me some shoes, and considering I'm only 5'2" heels are pretty necessary. And good lord there are some gorgeous shoes out there. I've decided that if I'm going to splurge on one pair of shoes in my life it will be the pair I wear to become a Mrs.

I would love to saunter down the aisle in a any of these babies.

Unfortunately I won't be wearing any of these lovelies, but I'll be sure to fill you in on my ongoing hunt for the perfect wedding shoe!

E(Pic) Clothing

2010-04-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Our engagement pictures are scheduled for this Saturday and I have been stressed out about what to wear. Several months ago I fell in love with some shoes.

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The Vivienne Westwood Melissa Lady Dragon Heart shoes, I don't know if I've ever seen such lovely rubber. Since I don't think my wedding dress will match these babies I decided that they would be perfect for engagement pictures. Always one for a deal I scoured ebay for a pair of these and finally (after a couple of months) I came upon a brand new pair for $69.95 (they're originally $150) and immediately bought them.

I really, really love these shoes but now I'm struggling with what to wear with them.

I bought the Who Wants to be a Frillionaire dress from modcloth which I thought would match the shoes well but it's a little shinier than I thought.

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This is what Jus will be wearing:

So, I'm coming to you for some help. What dress should I wear for the modern part of our engagement shoot?

(Commence awkward front yard photo shoot)

Who Wants to be a Frillionaire dress

Black & White one shouldered dress

Red Valentine's Day dress

Coral Bubble dress

Or do I buy this gorgeous Zac Posen for Target dress that also comes in red.

Which would you wear?

E(Pic) Inspiration

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

When we met with our photographer to talk about how we could afford photography Jus & I went with a plan. We had a couple of things we were willing to barter with: my parents restaurant could cater an open house for Imagination Photography; we could trade food for photography; or Janie & John could have full control over our engagement pictures. When I mentioned this last one to Janie she got very excited, she's joining WPPI and in preparation of the 2011 WPPI Convention she is anxious to get some photos that are award worthy.

I mentioned that we could do a vintage inspired shoot and Janie got excited. Janie had seen this vintage inspired engaged shoot and was excited by the idea of doing a vintage styled shoot.

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One thing to know about me is that I never do anything half way. It's a costume party? I'll be the one winning the prize. A bridal shower? I make mini wedding cakes.

As soon as we had decided that part of our engagement shoot would be styled in a 1940s fashion I jumped online and sent Janie an email full of vintage inspiration.

Here's some of the inspiration I included (Green Wedding Shoes and Ruffled are awesome sources for vintage inspiration).

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We still want to have some modern engagement pictures but we'll be shooting the majority of them in a 1940s style.

Would you be willing to have an nontraditional engagement shoot?

On Second Thought

2010-04-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

Jus, this is the last time I'll ask, but this time I mean it...Don't go any further, you'll regret it.

When we left off I had ordered a beautiful wedding dress, I went to bed smiling, but I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. A combination of only trying on 15 dresses + only going to 3 stores left me feeling that I had missed out on the experience. I just couldn't say for certain that the Mori Lee dress was really mine.

I called Greta's and asked them to postpone ordering the Mori Lee dress until I could come back and try it on again.

A week later I traipsed back to the bridal store with a true entourage. My mom, sister, dad, two aunts, two little cousins, and BFF/BM Beth tagged along to see me try the Mori Lee again.

When we got to the store I looked around for other dresses that I might like, and while my consultant wasn't expecting me to try on any dresses other than the Mori Lee she was very patient and gave me all the time and help I needed.

I really liked the Victorian details of the first dress.

The dress had gorgeous detailing and the jacket was divine.

We all agreed that it looked like something out of "Titanic" and this dress was one of my dad's favorite.

Everyone agreed that this dress was just a little too plain.

I loved the shape of this dress, the folds of the top with the sweetheart neckline was beautiful.

But again, the pickups/rouching was just a little too much.

I was getting ready to try on the Mori Lee gown again when my consultant brought in a Sophia Tolli dress. She knew that I wasn't crazy about super lacy or a lot of beading but she also thought Sophia Tolli's Ariel might be unique enough for me.

As she was helping me put the dress on my consultant mentioned that the Sophia Tolli was a little less than twice what the Mori Lee dress was. My parents and I hadn't talked about an exact budget but I knew we were still in a good range.

I slipped on the Ariel, stepped in front of the mirror, and immediately started crying. My BFF/BM Beth started crying and everyone gasped.

It was a mermaid cut with SO MANY beautiful details. I was blown away with how thoughtfully designed this dress is. With so many dresses before I felt that the top didn't go with the bottom or that the designer's goal was to throw lots of "pretty" ideas together that didn't necessarily make a gorgeous dress. This dress is satin with a tulle overlay with pearl beading.

Everything about this dress is so delicate, it is elegant, classic, vintage and slightly sexy, I felt like a true bride.

But I was hesitant to say yes, I didn't want to jump the gun again, and with the price increase I wanted to spend time and talk to my parents about it.

We left the store with intentions to come back and when we went back a week later I knew that the Ariel would be my dress.

One of the deciding factors was that the Mori Lee gown would be shortened from the bottom which would mean I would loose some of the beautiful swirly fabric.

There's a plastic stool hidden under the dress

The delicate, lacy trim of the Sophia Tolli gown meant that it would have to be ordered hollow to hem so it would be the perfect length for my short body.

I left Greta's knowing that I would be happy walking down the aisle in this dress, but also knowing that having such a delicate dress would influence the entire wedding.

Did you have a tough time finding your dream dress?

Cause the Bride Can't be Naked: Going Shopping Again

2010-04-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

Step away from the computer, Jus.

When we left off I was feeling rather discouraged. I knew that it was only my first shopping trip and that it would most likely take me several trips to find the dress of my dreams but I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever be able to find a delectable dress to wear down the aisle.

We headed home to drop of my FMIL and decided to stop by one more store. Greta's in known to be the best bridal store in our area. We were an hour away and it was two hours before they closed, we knew we'd be cutting it close but thought we could at least look around before the shop closed.

We hopped in the car and took off (going the speed limit, of course), we arrived without an appointment an hour before the shop closed (bad bride, I know). We arrived at Greta's we were greeted by the owner, she asked to see my inspiration and set us up with an attendant.

She pulled several dresses for me (which we neglected to take pictures of) and then I tried on a Mori Lee Blu dress.

I loved the mix of vintage and modern that this dress incorporates.

Even though I had originally said no beading I loved how the beading on this dress accented my waist and bust.

The sweetheart neckline and lace up back added some sexiness to the dress without being quite as blatant as the previous dress I had tried on. My favorite part of this dress is the swirl of the fabric. I love that the fabric starts at my waist and swirls all the way down my body and onto the train.

I couldn't bear to take this dress off. I felt so incredibly glamorous and loved every moment I wore it.

We ended up staying at Greta's three hours after they closed, Greta herself stayed to help ensure that my questions were answered. In the end my mom looked at me and asked if this was the one, I said yes, we put half down and left with big smiles. We went out to dinner and I couldn't believe that I had found my wedding dress on my first day of shopping.

Did you find your dress on your first day of shopping?

Just Thought You Might Like to Know

2010-04-25T12:42:00.003-04:00

I'm holding a giveaway on Adventures in Love and Happiness for this beautiful hair piece.

I think this would be a gorgeous addition to a bridal look so be sure to hop on over and sign up!

Cause the Bride Can't be Naked: Going Shopping

2010-04-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

As my sister and I looked through the racks of dresses at our first bridal store I started to become a little disappointed. Most of the dresses were not what I was looking for but we gave it our all and started pulling some dresses.

Jus, I am warning you, LEAVE NOW!!!!

The first dress I tried on was Maggie Sottero's Fiorella

I really liked this dress, partially because it was the first wedding dress I put on and partially because it came in oyster. I loved the depth that the darker color added.

Fiorella has a beautiful beaded strap but all of the rouching and pickups were confusing me. I knew I didn't want either but I still kinda liked this dress.

The second dress I tried on is from Maggie Sottero's Destinations collection. My sister LOVED this dress and even though I didn't think it was appropriate for an October wedding I tried it on.

Perhaps if we had gone with our "other wedding" this would've been my dress, but it was too breezy for a fall wedding.

I tried the next dress on because it was different, it was light pink and had more pickups than a county fair.

Clearly, I didn't take this dress too seriously.

Before we left this store I tried on the first Maggie once more. I think part of my feelings for this dress had to do with the fact that it was the first wedding dress I ever tried on. I felt a little magical and a little bridal. I loved the color but couldn't help but feel that the pickups were a little odd, and there was a gathered part that hit me in an awkward spot.

I'm sure this dress looks lovely on someone that is taller, but as a 5'2" bride it looked like I was pooping out fabric.

We went to lunch, regrouped, and got ready to go to our second bridal shop. My sister's best friend had just gotten her dress from this shop and so we had high expectations, but as soon as we walked in my hopes dropped. Every dress looked the same, the attendant barely noticed us (even though I had an appointment!) and there was a dress that looked like this but in white.

via

Needless to say, I was ready to leave, but as we looked through the dresses once more we found a dress that had the ruffly layers I was looking for.

This dress is a Private Collection and is obviously too small but I loved the fit. I liked that it was a little sexy, a little vintage, a little girly, and a little modern. Everyone agreed that Jus would love the way my booty looked (he's a total butt man).

I've gotta admit, my butt looks SEXY in this dress, but do you really want that much sexy in your wedding dress? A normal dress, yes; a prom dress, yes; a wedding dress, some sex is ok, but does your groom's grandma really need to see this much of your booty?

We headed home a little discouraged, the two shops we stopped by had little to offer, and I had to wonder, would I ever find the right dress?

Were you discouraged after your first dress shopping trip?

Bridal Stress

2010-04-22T14:32:00.004-04:00

Stress headache, nervous nausea feeling, & knots in the stomach are not feelings you generally associate with a happy, glowing bride to be, but that's how I've been feeling today.

via

With less that six months to go until our wedding I have realized that I have a lot of stuff to do.

This morning I was stressed out, we don't have a caterer, I haven't even started looking for a florist, we haven't tasted cakes, there are no wedding bands picked out and the way it stands Jus will be naked at the wedding. And we're not even going to mention invitations.

I spent the morning with a sick stomach but then I took a deep breath, made a list and got to work I know I can't sit around and wait anymore. Once upon a time the wedding was in the distant future but now it's only a couple of months away. So I made a list and got to work (I also went to yoga to de-stress a bit).

Was there a point where you realized you had to get on the planning?

Not the Only Bride I Know

2010-04-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

My best friend and bridesmaid, B, and her fiance got engaged 6 days before Jus & I did. B has been planning her June wedding while we have been planning ours. While it's been fun swapping stories of vendors, disagreements with our moms, and our wedding finds there have also been times when I've had to swallow my pride and move on.

I'll delve into the emotional aspects of planning at the same time as your best friend later, but for now I wanted to show you a couple of their adorable engagements photos!

(Please keep in mind that while I don't mind if you bash me and my ideas, this is my BFF and I'll come after you if you bash her-haha)

All photos are courtesy of David Schertz Photography (a central Illinois photographer)

Do you have any engaged friends?

Cause the Bride Can't be Naked: Being Prepared

2010-04-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

I went on my first dress shopping trip three weeks after we got engaged. My little sister/MOH was home for Christmas break and we were all itching to look at some lovely dresses.

Armed with my inspiration, my little sister, my mom, FMIL, & aunt I went dress shopping.

Our first stop was a local store that has been in business for almost 80 years. I have to admit, I was a little naive about the whole dress shopping experience.

Luckily, I had asked the hive for some help prior to my shopping trip so I knew to wear undies that covered my booty and a strapless bra; to bring a snack and a camera (just in case I could take pictures); and to take my time and look for the one I loved (no matter what anyone I was with said).

Prior to my shopping trip the only experience I had with wedding dress shopping was TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress." This show prepared me for a private appointment with a knowledgeable salesperson who wanted nothing more than to put me in a gorgeous dress and tighten up the back with orange clips.

via

What I got was a shop that didn't take appointments, a salesperson that only helped when I asked and dresses that looked nothing like what I wanted.

But I promise the trip turned out to be much better than it sounds.

Next up: I finally show you some pictures!

Six Months From Today...

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

...I will wear a white (well, off white) dress, have some killer shoes, be surrounded by all of my loved ones, and become a Mrs.

Holy smokes, saying it that way makes it sound a little scary. We have so much to do before our day and I know that these next 6 months will fly by. I am so excited to marry Jus that I cannot believe how lucky I am.

And now, some little notes for our wedding elements.

Dear DIY projects,

Please don't make me crazy. Please come together easily. Please do yourself.

Dear Invitations,

Please design yourselves, preferably in letterpress. Preferably on crazy thick paper.

Dear Wedding Dress,

Please fit. Please make me look HOT. Please don't fall off of my body on my wedding day.

Dear Shoe Industry,

Please design some kick ass shoes with a 2 1/2" heel. Preferably ivory, but I'll settle for a pastel.

Dear Wedding Dreams,

I have had 6 of you and I am months away. Pleasant ones are welcome but the nightmares need to stop.

Dear Future Caterer,

I know it's a little silly we haven't really found you yet, but we're trying. Please loose your ego and try to do things our way. I know you think you know best but things are going to happen the way I've decided, I promise I'm not a bridezilla.

And now, for the sake of being a little sappy, a little love note to my future hubby.

Jus,

I love you. Lots & Lots. I know you wish the wedding was tomorrow but I can't wait to spend the next six months planning for the day that will start the rest of our lives together. You and I already have a wonderful life. I love our little family, I love the fun we have together, and I love that you make me a better person. Thank you for supporting me in all of my crazy adventures, I'm lucky to have you next to me for the rest of our adventures.

I love you babycakes.

Love, me

Did you start to feel the pressure at 6 months?

Cause the Bride Can't be Naked: The Elements

2010-04-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

Find the first part here

I ripped page after page out of bridal magazines searching for my dress. (And of course like a bad blogger I have since thrown all of my inspiration dresses out). I started to accumulate a list of "must-haves" and "heck-nos."

Must-Haves:

Strapless (preferably sweetheart)

Or one strapped

Ivory

Or darker

Unique

Mermaid or Fit & Flare silhouette

via

Heck-Nos:

NO pickups

via

NO beading

via

NO lacey stuff

via

HECK NO open back (this is one bride with cleavage and I'm not trying to skip the bra on my wedding day-even though I LOVE them)

via

No ruching (I get the purpose but it's not my favorite)

via

And with this list my mom, my sister, my FMIL, & my aunt went dress shopping.

Did you have a crazy list of requirements when you went searching for your dress?

Cause the Bride Can't be Naked: Initial Inspiration

2010-04-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Well, I guess you could be but I'd rather make a splash in a dress than in my birthday suit.

I'll tell you a secret, I'm the type of girly girl that loves to wear dresses. I try to avoid pants at all costs and for a dress wearer there is none more special than your wedding dress.

Wedding dresses are all so lovely, and in my initial search I found two that I love love loved. Like loved so much I just knew I had to have one for my wedding day.

Let me introduce you...

Giselle Couture's Toulouse

Can you believe how yummy this dress is? I found this dress on face book and couldn't stop showing it to everyone. I love that the layered fabric is two colors and how feminine yet sexy it is. Unfortunately you can only buy some of this gorgeousness for $10,000+ and while I hadn't discussed budget with my parents I had a feeling this was way over it.

Besides drooling over Toulouse I spent a lot of time folding down pages that held Vera Wang's Diana. Talk about gorgeousness! I knew this would be my dress, I could imagine floating down the aisle and into my reception in this beauty. Plus it was a Vera Wang and can you get any more bridal than that?

My mom is convinced that this dress would overwhelm me (considering I'm only 5' 2 1/2") and once again the nasty "B" word came up. There is no way a budget bride can wear a current season's Vera Wang.

PS I do not NOT understand why they put such a light dress on such a pasty girl in front of a white wall, you loose all of the detail!

I set these two aside and starting tearing through wedding magazines searching for my dress.

What is your dream dress?

The Thing About the Venue

2010-04-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

I understand most brides wouldn't touch our reception venue with a ten foot pole. Not only do we have to paint, sand and varnish the floors & rewire the building but it doesn't come with a caterer, chairs, tables, plates or anything else that is essential to feeding 200 people.

But I like to make things hard on myself (and my parents & Jus).

One thing about our reception venue that does bother me is the size, it's 21 feet wide by 160 feet long which is an odd shape for socializing.

Luckily it's the perfect shape for one of my favorite wedding trends, long tables.

I love the elegant, intimate dinner party setting that long tables offer. I love the seamless flow of centerpieces, place settings and chairs.

Via

My step grandma insists that long tables are "unfriendly" because round tables facilitate conversation better. But realistically, round tables only seat 8 people and you don't necessarily scream across the table to talk to the two people on the far side which means you're talking to 5 people. At a long table you'll talk to the people on either side of you, the person across from you and the two people next to that person which is also 5 people. (Like my justification?)

As of now we will be having 4 tables with approximately 50 people at each table, the tables will be divided in the center around a dance floor where Jus & I will sit at a sweetheart table which will be later removed to make some room for some moving & shaking.

I'm really excited to be able to fill the space with long tables. I can't wait to have candles and flowers line the tables.

Were there any problems with your venue that worked out better than you hoped?

I Heart our Photographer

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

When I saw this teaser from our photographer I couldn't help but smile.

via

I am so excited to have a photographer that takes such beautiful pictures.

And Pretty 'Maids All in a Row

2010-04-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

One trend that I absolutely love is mismatched bridesmaids dresses.

I love brightly colored dresses

Mrs. Powder Puff's Bridesmaids via

via

I love different dresses in the same color

via

I love different dresses in different but similar colors

via

I even love it (albeit think it a little strange) when all the bridesmaids wear white!

via

But would it work with only two bridesmaids?

via

Me thinks yes!

What style trends do you love?

It's a Party After All

2010-04-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Pretty quickly after we became engaged we started getting questions about who would be in our bridal party. Our families & friends kept asking how many people would be standing up with us and who would be the lucky ones.

And let me tell you, this ended up being much more stressful than I thought it would be.

I knew that my little sister would be my maid of honor. She and I fought like cats and dogs as children but in the years since she has gone to college our relationship has turned from fighting sisters to friends.

Other than my sister I don't have many girl friends, I tend to fall out of contact with people when I stop seeing them every day.

Jus, on the other hand, keeps in contact with all of his elementary and high school friends. Jus chose to have his brother, who is 8 years younger than he is, as his best man.

That was where we started, I would have my sister as my MOH and Jus would have his brother as his best man.

And then we tried expanding the ranks.

I added my best friend who lived with my family one summer. She's getting married this June and I am her MOH. Jus added a guy who he has been friends with since high school and who spent a lot of time with us at the beginning of our relationship.

Jus added the two guys he spends the most time with now, and then the three guys he's been friends with since elementary school.

The score was Me-2 Jus -7

I thought about adding a girl I used to be close with but had a falling out with and now have been working at getting back to where we were. I could also ask my aunt who is 7 years older than me and who I see a lot and value her opinion, but is it ok for me to ask my aunt but not her sister (my other aunt)?

Score: Me-4, Jus-7

I could drop the friend I fell out with and my aunt and add 5 of my cousins. These cousins live in Philadelphia, and while I con't see them very often they are all super excited for the wedding and we always have fun when we are together.

Score: Me-7, Jus-7

Our flower girl & ring bearer situation was similar. Jus has 2 little girl cousins, ages 4 & 6; I have two girl cousins, ages 2 & 7, and two boy cousins, both 5; and we have friends that have a 5 year old boy that LOVES Jus. If you've lost count that totals 7. Four flower girls, three ring bearers.

7 bridesmaids + 7 groomsmen + 7 kiddos + Jus + me= 23

That is a boatload of people. Like a huge freaking boat.

SO slash slash slash went our bridal party.

I decided to have my sister as my MOH and my best friend as my bridesmaid. Jus decided on his brother and his friend from high school.

2 bridesmaids + 2 groomsmen + Jus +me= 6

We feel pretty comfortable with where our bridal party is now. The two guys Jus spends his time with now will be our ushers and we'll keep the flower girl/ring bearer situation to just the ones that live in town and we see a lot (2 or 3).

Since making this decision I have felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, it's great to know that only our siblings and closest friends will stand behind us.

Did you have a lot of trouble deciding on your final bridal party?

Saving the Date: Part 3

2010-04-08T08:00:00.002-04:00

Part 1

Part 2

Ok, I promised I'd stop stalling and show you our save the dates so here you go!

This is what our guests saw when they first went out to their mailbox (sorry for the ugly coverup, it kind of grosses me out)

I ordered vellum envelopes from envelopemall.com, they were easy to work with and had quick shipping. Luckily they were also the cheapest spot to find vellum envelopes, which was good because I accidentally ordered one envelope PER GUEST instead of per save the date (FAIL!).

I printed the addresses off on my home computer in the fonts that matched our card, then we ran them through my xyron and stuck them to the envelopes.

Jus spent many nights punching the confetti out of patterned paper we got at Michael's.

The finished product. I designed the postcard on Adobe Illustrator and then ordered them from VistaPrint. I had heard some bad things about VistaPrint's quality but the price was right and they were the only place that offered postcards that would fit in my already ordered A2 envelopes. I was glad to be able to order the postcards on recycled paper that was matte on both sides.

I love love love our save the dates. I think they show our personalities and are lots of fun. All of our guests have loved them and some have even asked if they are supposed to keep the confetti!

The only problem now is how are we going to top them with our invitations?

Do you love your save the dates?

Saving the Date: Part 2

2010-04-07T08:00:00.005-04:00

Read the first part of our Save the Date debacle here

While we had some cute pictures from the shoot with my mom, I felt like we were still missing something. I liked the pictures with the banner but I also liked the hoola hoop pictures.

But wouldn't our guests think it was a little odd to see a picture of us hoola hooping as our save the date?

And then it hit me, what if we used a silhouette? Here are some great examples of silhouette save the dates:

via

I couldn't help thinking that standard silhouettes, while lovely, were a little too common for my liking, so I started looking for other options.

via

And then it hit me, silhouettes of us hoola hooping, I popped the picture into photoshop and turned Jus & me into silhouettes.

I couldn't believe how much I liked the silhouettes, these would be our save the dates!

Next up: I'll stop teasing you and just show you the finished product!

Saving the Date

2010-04-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Considering I spent 4 years studying graphic design the paper products for our wedding are something that keeps me awake at night.

Since our save the dates would be the first thing most of our wedding guests would see relating to our wedding I knew I wanted something fun and colorful. I made a felt heart banner with our wedding date and we recruited my mom to take some pictures of us. We spent two nights visiting places around our town trying to get the perfect shot.

(Warning this is picture heavy)

We started at my parent's farm...

Moved to our town's main street...

Went to a building my grandpa owns...

And ended up at my aunt's fitness studio...

Where we kissed,

And smiled,

Kissed some more

And played around with some hoola hoops.

We finished our little photo session feeling pretty good, we had some cute shots so I went home and started to edit the pictures.

This one became the front runner, it used our date, we both looked cute, and it was a little different.

But it still wasn't as unique as it could be, so I rethought my idea and got to work.

All pictures courtesy of my mom

Fall-ing in Love

2010-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of the main reasons we decided to get married in our hometown was that I wanted a fall wedding. Fall is maybe my favorite season (I've always had trouble picking, I like summer & winter an awful lot but hate spring). I love the changing leaves, the tasty apples, & the crisp air that makes it perfect timing for a romantic stroll or curling up with your lovah.

I was especially in love with the idea of a fall wedding after seeing Mrs. Cowboy Boot's wedding on Weddingbee.

While dark reds, oranges and browns are pretty the soft romanticism of this wedding was too much to pass up. It's also hard to pass up the fact that the bride is gorgeous, the dress is dreamy, the bridal party is smokin' hot, the ranch is awesome and Tec Petaja shot the wedding (can you tell I'm totally in love with this wedding?)

So a romantic fall wedding it would be.

How did you choose which season to get married in?

Ugh, I suck

2010-02-23T15:12:00.002-05:00

I know I suck, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything about our wedding. I really want to share and am excited to show you how our wedding is coming together, I've been really busy trying to make my daily blog, Adventures in Love & Happiness, a quality blog that has a consistent readership and really contributes to the world which means that Jus hearts Cole has fallen by the wayside.
I promise to step it up (again) I've got lots of things I've been working on for the wedding that I'd love to share with you. So if you'll forgive me I promise I'll try.

Finding a Photographer: Part 3

2010-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Around the same time we met with Jer I got an email from Janie at Imagination Photography. Remember how much I loved her work?

Well, it turns out Janie loved Jus & me as much as we loved her. She was really excited about our wedding, she loved the idea of the second line and wanted to help showcase our hometown. Her email offered to meet with us again in order to help come up with a plan to help us afford her service.

I emailed her back immediately. I was going to make this work. I spent the time between the email and the meeting dreaming up ways we could barter to cut costs.

I went into the meeting as prepared as possible: we could trade gift certificates to my parents restaurant for photography; I could cater an open house for potential brides; and she could do our engagement shoot any way she wanted to just in case there was something she really wanted to add to her portfolio.

When we got to Imagination Photography's office Janie informed us that her second shooter had quit so her husband, John, was working with her again. John has done some work for my grandpa and uncle and we immediately liked him.

The four of us sat down and within fifteen minutes we had agreed to a price that is $1,400 less than what she normally charges. We will be paying $1,500 for an engagement shoot and unlimited time with two shooters and one runner on the wedding day. Janie will edit all photos and we will receive discs with the edited images plus we will have an online album.

But that's it, we cut all of the albums, proof books, and photos. As part of our contract agreement Janie said that she will offer all photos and albums at cost following the wedding.

We ended up sitting and chatting for the next hour and a half and Jus & I left feeling excited. We know that Janie and John will be able to capture all of the moments on our day and are glad that we're able to use local artists to shoot our local wedding.

Moral of the story? Be willing to get creative with your vendors. Think about bartering, ask for a custom package, be open and friendly. You never know what could happen.

And just cause I love you (and our photographer!) so much, here are some more lovelies...

Finding a Photographer: Part 2

2010-01-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

As I continued my photography search, there were often times I felt that it was impossible to find reasonably priced photographers. I felt stuck, I couldn't find a photographer that we could afford that offered the quality I wanted. Sometimes, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, I would pout and say that if I couldn't have the photographer I wanted then why should we even bother.

But I trudged on, I had heard good things about finding reasonably priced photographers on craigslist so I turned there first.

Unfortunately, most of the photographers I found weren't very professional looking but I did stumble upon Nico Studios.

Here's some of their work:

While the price was right and some photos were cool Nico Studios just wasn't what I was looking for.

So back to the drawing board I went, perhaps to the most obvious solution. Jeremy VanAndel went to high school with Jus & me. During our senior year Jer (as he was known way back then) and I sat on the newspaper together, and he had even asked me to our senior year prom. Since college Jer has been shooting weddings for reasonable prices.

I know you want some love so here you go:

Jus & I set up a meeting with Jer to go over prices. As it turns out the high school connection came in handy. Jer never officially said how low he would drop his prices but Jus and I got the impression that he was willing to cut us a pretty good deal.

Jus and I agreed that we could see the progression of Jer's work. His improvement was apparent, however there were still some elements I was uneasy with. Jer prefers to shoot in black and white and I knew there would be too many colorful elements in our wedding to loose such a big part. Also, I really wanted the a second shooter and while Jer could find one he usually flies solo.

Were we ready to sacrifice some things in order to have a photographer that we could afford? Did you face any troubles in finding your photographer?

First 4 photos Via, Last 3 photos Via

Shameless Plug

2010-01-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

Not entirely wedding related but I wanted to make sure you check out my giveaway on Love & Happiness. I'll be sharing a tutorial on these lovelies later on, but you can win one now!

Finding a Photographer: Part 1

2010-01-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

After getting some quotes back from photographers I realized we needed to start looking closer to home. Unfortunately most of the photographers around our home town are not what I was looking for.

Luckily, my aunt turned us on to Imagination Photography, after browsing through their online albums I was ecstatic. Here was a talented photographer right in my hometown. I emailed them immediately and received a response saying that they weren't accepting any more weddings for 2010.

I was broken hearted, I just knew this would be our photographer, so I wrote them an email including a little name dropping and a little begging (I know, shameless), and it worked! Jus & I met with Janie from Imagination Photography and we clicked.

I know you're anxious to see some lovelies, so here goes:

Jus & I (okay, I) were so excited. Janie got our vision, she was excited for our second line and knew why we were trying to incorporate our hometown as much as possible.

I was super excited to report back to my parents, I knew they'd be happy with the reasonable prices, I was just sure they'd give me the A-OK.

Turns out, my wedding blog obsession had influenced my idea of "reasonable." After getting quotes of $5,000-$12,000 I thought $3,000 was a drop in the bucket, especially when it included a second shooter. My parents, who are footing most of the bill, did not see this as reasonable.

While my parents appreciate good photography they were blown away by the prices, and when it came down to it photography fell pretty low on the list of wedding needs.

So I wrote Janie an email letting her know that we wouldn't be able to afford her services and started the photography search once again.

All photos Via

Picture This

2010-01-20T08:00:00.001-05:00

One element of our wedding I was super excited to plan was our photographer.

Well before Jus & I were engaged I was addicted to wedding blogs. At present I have over 30 wedding photographer's blogs bookmarked.

There are so many talented photographers that shoot gorgeous weddings. Want some proof?

The always wonderful Max Wanger:

The lovely Nichols:

Bobbi & Mike who look about as fun as their pictures look awesome:

I love Our Labor of Love:

The delightful Olivia Leigh Photographie:

The AH-MAZE-ING Tec Petaja:

And my numero uno all time favorite Simply Bloom Photography:

Unfortunately our budget doesn't include a primo photographer plus travel fees so the search continues.

Who's your dream photographer?

Point A to Point B

2010-01-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons we were so excited to have our ceremony at The Chouse was it's proximity to our reception venue.

Our reception venue is literally two blocks from our ceremony venue, so in an effort to carry on the party and be green we're having a walking parade ala a New Orleans' Second Line.

Second lines started in the 19th century when African American jazz bands started participating in funeral processions, the bands would proceed down the street followed by the family and close friends (known as the first line) who were followed by others known as the second line. Currently the band still leads the way followed by the bride and groom (first line) and the wedding guests (second line).

I'm not gonna lie, Jus & I are kind of excited to surprise the heck out of all of our guests. I'm pretty sure* that none of our guests have participated in a second line and I have a feeling this is really going to get the party started.

I'm so excited! Just look at how much fun we'll have.

Via

So let's add parasol to the list of necessary wedding items and get ready to dance our way down the street.

*I'm probably really about 99% sure considering our wedding guests are almost all East Coasters & Midwesterners

Ceremony

2010-01-19T00:10:00.006-05:00

As soon as we figured out where we would be holding our reception we started thinking about where to have the ceremony. Since neither Jus not I really go to church we decided that was out. We tried to think of somewhere close to our reception venue that would hold a lot of people.

We weren't having much luck until I remembered about our friends L & J's house.

L & J are our family's good friends and a couple of years back they bought an old Baptist church that had been transformed to a local theater company's theater and transformed it to their house (they call it The Chouse, which is how I'll refer to it from now on).

Can you spot Jus?

Their living room is now where the sanctuary was. They've transformed the space to a cozy, family home. The Chouse is used for some community events but they've never had a wedding there. Luckily for us they were extremely excited to have our ceremony there.

As soon as we decided to have the ceremony at the Chouse we called J up and went to check the space out. Once we were there we knew it would be the place where we got married.

We'll arrange chairs facing this stained glass window and Jus & I will stand in front of the window to say our vows.

(I promise this isn't selective color, I had to lighten up the picture so much so you could see anything but the stained glass window!)

What's even cooler is that our friend (and Chouse owner) L is going to do the officiating.

So that was that, we had a ceremony venue, a reception venue and an officiant.

Once you started planning did everything start falling into place?

The Tale of Two Weddings: The Part Where We Actually Figure It Out

2010-01-17T12:23:00.005-05:00

The most obvious choice for where to have our wedding is our hometown. Our town is home to about 30,000 people and our downtown is in the process of being revitalized. Jus bought a house here last year and we try to support local business and our community as much as possible.

My family is in a unique position in our town.

My parents have run our diner for the last 24 years and it is an institution among locals. Three years ago their restaurant was featured on national tv and since then we have seen a lot of tourists.

My grandpa owns about a dozen buildings in our downtown and is really responsible for the revitalization of our downtown. My uncle sits on the city council and he and my aunt own about 6 buildings downtown.

When Jus and I started reconsidering the location of our wedding the possibility of having our wedding in our hometown came up. We were kind of mixed. Neither of us is an active member at a church and most of the wedding venues in this area are a little over used. But then we remembered one of the buildings my grandpa owns.

The first floor of the building is home to a meat shop and the second floor is one huge room that totals 2300 square feet. Neither Jus nor I had been to this building in a couple of months but we remembered it as a possibility.

You enter through a door on the side of the building

into a little lobby area that will be cleared out.

The second floor has two walls of windows, a wooden herringbone floor, dark wood trim, and the original tin ceiling. We swung by the space with my parents and within five minutes of being there we had decided to use the space for our reception.

(I don't know why it looks like it was snowing inside)

I know what you're thinking. It doesn't look anything like a wedding venue. It's going to be a lot of work. My grandpa restores buildings and Jus and I have already volunteered as much time as needed over the summer. We're going to sand and varnish the floor, paint the walls, and my grandpa is going to rewire the room and fix the tin ceiling. This is truly going to be a DIY wedding.

I have no doubt the building will look awesome come our wedding. I have visions of draped fabric, candlelight, long tables, and twinkle lights.

So if you'll trust me a a little I'd love for you to come along for the ride.

The Tale of Two Weddings: Part 3

2010-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

When we left off I was starting to feel stressed out about planning a Northern Michigan wedding in 8 months at a resort.

Jus and I want our wedding to be a display of who we are, personal touches and a showcase of the places and people we love.

The reason I love Northern Michigan so much is it's wildness, the small towns and the lack of people. When my family goes on vacation we try to stay in small places that give you a feel of the land and the people. The more I thought about a resort wedding the more I worried that it would be too cookie cutter and wouldn't express my love for the wilderness of Northern Michigan.

The resorts we looked at are very beautiful, they offer amenities that smaller venues don't and would have someone on staff to help me plan our wedding. But the thought that kept playing over and over in my head was that between the distance and having someone I had never met helping to plan that the wedding would not truly be an expression of Jus & me.

How could I convey the breezy, colorful, elegant, vintage feeling I wanted when I had trouble expressing my vision to Jus?

I was loosing sleep thinking about planning a wedding in Northern Michigan in 8 months and in order to maintain my sanity we started talking about other options.

A further destination with a smaller guest list, a hometown wedding with a large guest list or scratch it all and elope.

Did you hit a lot of roadblocks in figuring out where to hold your wedding?

The Tale of Two Weddings: Part 2

2010-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

The more I thought about it the more I wanted a Northern Michigan wedding even though it seemed impractical. But all of the things I was so excited about were stressing me out.

How on earth was I going to be able to plan the wedding of my dreams in 8 months. I would only be able to make the 6 hour drive once or twice before the big day which meant that most of my planning would be done over the phone and email with people I didn't know who offered services I hadn't seen.

The stress was keeping me up at night and I hadn't even started planning the wedding, the more I thought about it the bigger the pit in my stomach got.

So instead of looking at small venues like I had before I started to look at resorts. Even though I had never been excited about having my wedding at a resort I knew this would be an easier option. There would be someone I could be in contact with that had done this before and could organize everything for me. And let me tell you, Northern Michigan is full of beautiful resorts.

Boyne has three resorts in Northern Michigan. My family goes to Boyne Mountain every winter to ski and there are many wonderful Boyne memories I have.

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Boyne Mountain is gorgeous in the winter and it's really hard to pass up the adorable pictures you can get on a ski lift.

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But the fact remains that a gorgeous snowy mountain in the winter is a big green hill in the summer.

Stafford's Bay View Inn was another possibility. Located in Petoskey, my family passes Stafford's every summer on our way up north.

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The Bay View Inn is located right on Little Traverse Bay and can accomodate 250 guests. We could rent the entire inn and have our wedding in their garden on the bay.

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As beautiful as it is I don't feel a strong connection to the Bay View, my family and I have never been on the property and it's a little too manicured for my tastes.

The Homestead in Glen Arbor is the resort that peaked my interest the most. The Homestead is both a ski and summer resort that is situated on Lake Michigan among the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Cafe Manitou is right on the lake and is available in May, June, September & October and seats 50 people.

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The Mountain Flowers Lodge Ceremony Site is on the top of the mountain and is available May-October and seat 150 people.

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Imagine the photo opportunities with both Lake Michigan and a mountain.

Cute groomsman skipping stones.

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Jus waiting for me.

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What's that you say? They have a ski lift?

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Oh yes oh yes oh yes.

Unfortunately the site fee is $3,900 with a 125 person minimum and 60 rooms must be booked, and excuse me for saying but that just seems like a LOT of money considering all of our guests will be traveling at least six hours.

And ultimately won't someone else be planning my wedding? I mean come on, a girl only gets to plan her wedding once and I don't know if I want to relinquish my control just yet.

And Then We Got Engaged

2010-01-13T18:56:00.000-05:00

I went through most of my teenage years sure of what my wedding would be. A hot summer day, my groom and me up on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and then all of our guests heading to the beach for a party. It was going to be perfect.

And then we got engaged.

The funny thing about dreaming about your wedding and planning your wedding is that very rarely do the dream and actuality line up.

Jus proposed on December 4th. That night, as we drank champagne with our parents I kept repeating that we wouldn't do any planning until after Christmas, I wanted to enjoy being engaged without the stress of planning a wedding.

So that's what we did...

For about 24 hours.

In the first 24 hours of being engaged we were asked the same question dozens of times. "When?" I'd respond saying we weren't planning until after Christmas but the question came up so much that Jus & I started talking about it.

I had always thought I'd have at least a year engagement so that automatically put us at 2011. We'd have almost a 2 year engagement and then get married in Northern Michigan in August of 2011. Easy peasy.

And then Jus had to open his mouth, turns out 2011 was too far away. Since he was the one to buy the ring he'd had more time to get used to the idea of getting married than I had and he was ready to do it. So we started talking about getting married in 2010.

This was when stress started slinking its way into my mind. Plan a wedding 6 hours away in 8 months? This was going to be tough.

But was it really realistic to plan a wedding for Northern Michigan in August? This is prime vacation area. People from all over the midwest head to this resort area to spend their summer.

So in an effort to keep costs down we started talking about getting married after Labor Day.

Getting married after Labor Day provided some pluses: less money, less people, more planning time, and unfortunately one gigantic minus: the weather.

Northern Michigan's weather is a little crazy. In the summer it usually rains until noon when you get about a 75% chance the sun will start to shine. After August don't expect much.

So thats where it stood. 8 months to plan an August wedding that will hopefully have good weather or 9 months to plan a wedding that will cost 75% less and most likely be held indoors (which sort of kills the "married on a bluff" thing).

Missing

2010-01-06T23:06:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately. I've been sick & a little stressed out with wedding planning. I'll get my stuff together and be back in full force this weekend.

I promise.

The Tale of Two Weddings: Part 1

2009-12-28T09:33:00.015-05:00

As a girl I dreamed of having my wedding in Northern Michigan. My extended family loves to spend time in the dinky little towns throughout Northern Michigan and we try to get up to the area as much as possible.

The western coast of northern Michigan is dotted with small towns set on picturesque bluffs with gorgeous views of Lake Michigan. I had always dreamed of having my wedding on the beach. As I got older I started to think that maybe a wedding on the beach wasn't the most practical and maybe the view would be better if the wedding was on the bluff and then we could traipse to the beach for the party.

The more I dreamed about this the more excited I got. A wedding in the middle of the summer heat with a beautiful ceremony on top of a bluff and a wonderful party on the beach.

So well before I was engaged, or even dating Jus, I tried to find a venue that wouldn't be too resort-ish and would be a better expression of me and whoever I would marry. I knew a resort would be easier to plan a wedding at but to me resort=cookie cutter and there's not too much that's cookie cutter about me.

My first thought was Blisswood, a lodge in between Goodhart and Cross Village, about thirty minutes south of the Mackinac Bridge.

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Blisswood was built in 1929 and features the large Lodge and three smaller cabins that in total sleep 16 people. There is also a small chapel on the property that seats about a dozen people.

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The problem with Blisswood is that you have to rent the entire property for three days and its capacity is 50 people, and while I know a destination wedding doesn't draw the crowd that a hometown wedding does I also know that my side of the family is 60.

So my next thought was Legs Inn. Legs Inn is a funky Polish restaurant in Cross Village that was built in the 1920s.

Its called Legs Inn because the owner lined the roof with legs from cast iron bathtubs. The inside is full of bent wood.

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Talk about unique and interesting. And the garden behind Legs Inn is gorgeous, perfect for a sunset wedding.

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Legs Inn also has four cottages on the beach that each sleep four people. Which would be wonderful for the bridal party/family to stay in. I imagined marrying in the garden at dusk going inside for a cocktail hour and then partying the night away on the beach.

The problem with this is that the rental fees for the cabins during "peak season" (June 26-September 7) are almost twice that of the rest of the year. And once you get much past Labor Day in Northern Michigan you don't want to spend much time outside.

Once we started dating we seriously talked about including Legs Inn in our wedding day. There are also two sweet little churches that we love in the area.

The first is St. Ignatius Catholic Church.

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St. Ignatius Church is located on the beach in Goodhart and is several hundred years old. It's right next to a creepy old Indian cemetery, which is actually pretty cool.

The second church is literally down the street from Legs Inn.

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The Redpath Memorial Presbyterian Church is a sweet little stone church with beautiful stained glass windows.

Luckily for me I had Weddingbee's local boards to help my search. I poked around the Northern Michigan boards and was pointed in the direction of the Headlands in Mackinaw City.

The Headlands is a county park with 550 acres situated right on Lake Michigan.

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There are two houses you can rent, one that houses 20 people and another that houses 22. The only thing about the houses is that they're kind of hard to get to and not really set up to host weddings.

So it was back to the drawing board, do we find another unique place in Norther Michigan, suck it up and go to a resort, or have the wedding somewhere else...

Wild Horses

2009-12-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Before we get into the planning I thought I'd start with our engagement story. I've posted this on my other blog but wanted to share it here too.

Fridays are long days for me. I usually work thirteen hours so when I come home I just like to shower and zone out in front of Say Yes to the Dress.

The day of December 4th was pretty typical, except I was worried about Jus because he had a stomach ache all day and I couldn't really get a hold of him.

That night Jus was in his guitar room when I got home. I went in and plopped myself on the sofa complaining about how long my day was.

The Rolling Stones' Wild Horses* came on and Jus asked me to dance.** I said that I didn't really feel like it and so he asked me again and I finally relented and got up to dance. I could feel Jus' hands shaking and started to worry that he was really sick.

While we were dancing Jus turned me around so that my back was facing him and I felt him pull something out of his pocket. We kept dancing and he wrapped his arm around me and opened his hand. He was holding the most beautiful ring and asked if I'd marry him. I started laughing hysterically and finally said yes some 20 minutes later.

Before we go any further on our little adventure I wanted to share some ring pictures with you, even though my stinky camera does not do my gorgeous ring justice.

*Wild Horses is one of those songs that we always say should be "our song" even though our song is Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay." Now I think Wild Horses will forever be our song.

**When good songs comes on I usually make Jus get up and dance, this has resulted in dance parties in the kitchen, living room, and guitar room many times.

Introductions all around

2009-12-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Cole, a 24 year old from northern Indiana.

This is Jus, my fiance.

We're planning our wedding for October of 2010 in our hometown. We'll be DIYing a lot of projects and trying to use as many local vendors to help our wedding become a great expression of ourselves and our love for one another.

Along the way I'll tell you about our planning, projects and life. I'll probably throw some bits in about our dogs too so here's a short introduction.

This is Layla, our rescued mutt, who loves Jus almost as much as I do.

And Edie Sedgwick, our Bassett Hound puppy, who is pretty spoiled and pretty crazy.

So that's a bit about us, I'll expand more later, I promise.

But won't you join us on this ride that's a little crazy, a lot of fun, and full of love?