How to Be the Best Wedding Guest

Between planning my own wedding, and going to 4+ every year since 2008, I consider myself an expert in the field. While the types of weddings are more diverse than ever - loft spaces, Friday or Sunday weddings, private ceremonies with a public reception - certain rules still apply. 

1. If you do not attend, still send a gift or check. The couple wanted you to be a part of their wedding day, that means you are of great importance to them as they move forward with their lives. It is in good taste to send some token, no matter how small, of your well wishes. 

2. Don't be sloppy. While I would think this would be obvious, it is worth mentioning. Weddings are meant to be fun, at least I believe they are. The reception is a fantastic time to let loose, get your dance on, and have a few drinks. However, be a responsible adult. Don't lose total self awareness and control. Being "sloppy" isn't limited to how many adult beverages you throw back. Put a little effort into your attire and look. Girls, don't go beauty pageant crazy, but take some pride in your appearance. Guys, tame your mane and facial hair. Take a shower. Wear a suit, tie and jacket optional depending on dress code.

3. Speaking of dress code, follow it. Abide by what your invitation tells you, look on the couples wedding website before asking dense questions on their Facebook wall. Essentially, be responsible for yourself and your accommodations.

4. Go with the flow. As I said, weddings are getting more unconventional and customized. If the couple integrates something rather unique into the ceremony, go with it. If Great Aunt Myrtle gets schwasted and face plants, go help her up and don't make a big deal of it, and maybe encourage her to read this article before her next wedding. Odds are, something out of the norm will happen on a wedding day, misspoken vows, a trip on a dress, a torrential downpour post ceremony (guilty!). These things only become a big deal if your make them one.

5.  Lastly, have fun. It is a giant party and celebration the the couple's love for each other, so enjoy it! Even if the band is a retro polka band of geriatric gents, go get your polka on. While a wedding gift is mandatory, the best gift you can give the love birds in that moment is creating wonderful memories with them.

Dance on!

It's (Literally) Like Rain on your Wedding Day

I did an earlier post about my wedding planning process about a month ago. Now that our pictures are in, I want to share them. While I absolutely believe food and atmosphere are the top priorities of a wedding, hiring a talented photographer is not far behind. I received the full copy of the pictures after we had been in Germany for a few weeks and it was so fun (and funny!) to go through the pictures of all of our friends and family. I absolutely love the photos.

The week leading up to the wedding Tom (repeatedly) told me rain was expected that Saturday. Okay... What am I going to do about that? At least I went into the day knowing rain was a possibility, but as the sun came out while my bridesmaids and I were getting our hair and make up done the morning of, I assumed we were in the clear.

My lovely mom zipping my dress up.

Once hair and make up were complete, we loaded up in the limo van, hopping over puddles leftover from earlier rainstorms and were on our way to the 1:00 pm ceremony.

My brother walked me down the aisle, and he did a great job. The aisle is notoriously long and while I didn't want to take five minutes getting to the front, I didn't want to run up there either. He takes cues very well and knew when to slow down a bit for my short legs.

We were married at Queen of All Saints Basilica on the far north side of the city. We had a catholic ceremony without a mass and it was really beautiful. One of my cousins is a flawless opera singer and she was kind enough to sing before and during the ceremony. Her vocals were absolutely beautiful.

Once the ceremony was through, we took a handful of pictures with family and the wedding party in front of the alter. I knew some guests were waiting on us to do our send off with bubbles, so I rushed everyone out saying we could do lots of pictures outside. Because, you know, the sun was out and I was looking forward to taking advantage of the church's beautiful outdoor space.

As we settled into our getaway Audi (Thanks, Julie!) and pulled away, a huge boom of thunder came through. We were in a convertible, driving away from cover, and it was going to rain. Tom was a life saver and quickly figured out how to put up the top, we made it back to our limo bus with the wedding party and photographer and were closing the doors as a torrential downpour (no exaggeration) came through.

What is a wedding party to do in this situation? We had three hours until cocktail hour, a bus full of people, and no real game plan. First stop, liquor store. 

One of our lovely groomsmen took one for the team and sprinted in and out with some beverages for the group. Thankfully, the bus was fully stocked with water as well, which is what I sipped on while we drove around. Our attempt to get into the Chicago Botanical Gardens was not successful as they were not letting people in during the storm. A brilliant idea came from the Best Man. He knew of an area by the lake where there also might be some cover if it rained. 

As we approached, the weather cleared. My long train was not going through the water (imagine how heavy it would become!) so my MoH bustled my gown before we even left the vehicle. This made me late to pictures, and I do not like to be late! So, naturally, I ran to catch up. Not always the smartest idea on wet pavement in heels, but it did make for an entertaining picture!

The photographer captured some amazing shots before the rain set in again, this time it was a lighter drizzle! We sent the wedding party to the bus while Tom and I did additional pictures in a covered area. The rain made everything so wonderfully vibrant and green, I even love how the wet road looks in the pictures. 

A lot of work had occurred since breakfast, and I was quickly becoming hungry, borderline hangry (so hungry you're angry) to be exact. I am a planner and had made perfectly portioned healthy snacks for all of us. Almonds, trail mix, fresh fruit, water, yum! However, in the rainstorm turmoil, they were left in another car. We all needed food, and soon. After some brainstorming, we called ahead to a bar near to our venue. The place was called Tommy Nevin's, I had not heard of it before but they were open, available, and we put in our order over the phone so I was greatly looking forward to my first visit!

I did not want red anywhere near my dress so I had a vodka tonic while 

the girls had vodka cranberries.

I have no idea how I got up there, but it made for a great picture!

We ordered hummus with vegetables and pita bread, sliders, and drinks. The food was delicious and the patrons and staff were very congratulatory to us, albeit a little confused. It's kind of fun to go to a totally normal place in your dress and just relax, to be able look around at some of your closest friends and family laughing and having a good time during an unpredictable day. I will certainly remember that moment for years to come. 

Around 4:45 pm we left for the venue, the Hilton Orrington. Since our cocktail hour didn't begin until 6:00 pm, we hung out at the bar on the first floor of the hotel and it really grew into quite a gathering of all of the wedding guests! Once cocktails began in the smaller ballroom, we all made our way up and I made a beeline for the bacon wrapped dates. 

Dinner was at 7:00 pm and we made our super skilled grand entrance before it began. We decided to slide in from behind the wall for a dramatic effect. They're dancing in from the side of the staircase??? Who knew! Really, I was glad to simply make it down the staircase without face planting.

Salad was delicious and a healthy necessity post bacon wrapped dates. Tom didn't ruin my face or dress while cutting the cake, proving he is a smart man. My entree was the basil and pine nut salmon, but the other options were pesto and arugula french chicken and root vegetable risotto. Everyone's speeches were really heartfelt and touching, including Tom's thank you speech before our first dance. 

Picking out our cake flavors was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning. I gave the bakery, Bittersweet, a rough idea of the design I wanted and told them to put their own spin on it. I think it looked quite lovely, and it tasted amazing. We were both served the German chocolate cake with creme cheese, but we also managed to get our hands on the almond cake with salted caramel and vanilla bean brulee. The second was a huge crowd favorite.

Tom's suspenders came down once the party began, maybe they were impairing his awesome dance moves. The floor was flooded with dancing, laughing, and singing people until midnight. We played our final song "The Parting Glass" and the group demanded an encore. Luckily the staff and DJ were in a jovial mood and allowed everyone to rock out to "One More Time" before leaving for the night.

A year and a half of planning went into this wedding and I find it hard to believe it's already over! I am unbelievably grateful to have had such supportive friends and family to get us through the process, and the curve balls that came our way the day of! I was truly able to enjoy my wedding day and have vivid memories of every last detail, even though it feels like it flew by! Every wedding is beautiful, but mine was my absolute favorite and the ideal beginning to my life with such an amazing man. 

Eat, Drink, and Become A Grego

In the weeks leading up to our wedding, I had a few vacation days to use at work, as I was leaving early August. Naturally, I was greatly looking forward to taking some time to relax and have some low key days to myself. My first vacation day, I had a meeting at the church to discuss the ceremony outline and options with their wedding coordinator.

My wedding planning binder went everywhere with me. In the initial months of the engagement, I didn't use it much outside of having a contained area to throw samples of invitations and ideas for my dress or reception decor. The two months before the wedding, the planning and assembling of the binder was well worth it. My binder included everything from ceremony details, timelines, gifts, notes, vendors, attire, and any other detail that crossed my path. Thankfully, it was the perfect size for my purse, making it easy to always bring my binder along!

Later in the month, my mom and I met with the music director at Queen of All Saints Basilica. We were able to enjoy this gorgeous, unique view of the church while choosing songs for the ceremony. Queen of All Saints is known for their unusually long aisle, making the music selections extra important. Our families were seated to Fireworks Overture Suite, while my bridesmaids and I walked to Canon in D. I always loved Canon in D, and while the organ version of the typical Bridal March was striking and overpowering, it didn't feel right for me.

My final fitting. The designer was Demetrio's. See more about it here. My veil was very light and simple, with a triangular shape at the bottom to mirror the back of my dress. I wore Blue by Bestey Johnson heels in ivory.

I purchased my dress eleven months before the wedding, and actually selected the first dress I tried on (don't worry, I did try on others as well!). While eleven months wasn't a huge amount of time in advance, it could have been a risky move. Many brides are more trendy, or unsure of what they want. For me, I tried on two kinds of dresses: satin A-lines and lace fit-and-flare styles. If you check my Pinterest wedding boards, you will see lace gowns with specific details repeated throughout. I adore button detailing on the back and while I did want a train, I wasn't looking for anything too grand. I wanted the dress to be totally me and totally comfortable.

The two weeks before the wedding were all about preparing for the move and finalizing wedding details. Some things went smoothly: my final meeting with the florist took eight minutes. Some tasks went not so smoothly: seating charts. I'm not going to lie, I was dreading doing the seating for some time. You think you have everyone figured out and then you realize you totally don't. We did have last minute additions and subtractions based on changing family circumstances, but honestly that didn't phase me whatsoever. Once that initial seating chart is in place, it is quite easy to swap things around. 

Although I wasn't working, I woke up by seven and didn't go to bed until after midnight or one. Between our late night of packing, cutting out escort cards, hand trimming programs, and assembling welcome bags, there was always a task keeping me up at night. Two days before the wedding, I finally had everything done. Our venue, The Hilton Orrington, had the cake toppers, escort cards, and card box. The hotel staff had the welcome bags. Our bridal party gifts were assembled. Plus, most importantly, I had my dress and Tom had his tux (which looked perfect). I felt such relief to look around and realize everything was done. There is no greater feeling. 

While I was constantly busy, I never felt stressed. So many people talk about brides becoming Bridezillas and often women seem to think they must have some sort of wedding melt down because they are entitled to do so, it is their day after all! False. Yes, this is your wedding day and when marrying the right person you do only get one in a lifetime. But I never wanted to look back at my planning and have stressful or unhappy memories accompany those times. There were absolutely moments that did not pan out smoothly, but you have your reaction and move on. Weddings are about so much more than trivial matters. 

The day before, I scheduled mani/pedi's at my favorite nail salon for my bridesmaids, the moms, my grandmother, and myself. I ended up choosing a no chip french manicure for my nails, you can't go wrong with a classic! I did a light pink on my toes and all of the girls stayed in the light pink or purple range as well. Some of my girls traveled in for the wedding from California or Indiana, and even the ones in the city I didn't get to see as often as I liked. The nail salon was a nice way for us all to chill together before the weekend really kicked off. After a small lunch and checking into the hotel, we headed to the rehearsal. The walk through was an hour, the standard amount of time, but I could not believe how quickly the hour flew by! Thankfully, I felt as though I did get any questions resolved. 

Our rehearsal dinner was at Monastero's, an Italian restaurant just down the road from Queen of All Saints. Guests were waiting for us to arrive and the waitstaff promptly asked what we would like to drink, always a nice way to begin the evening! After a delicious dinner, my MOH, bridesmaids, family, and I headed to the hotel while Tom stayed at our apartment the night before. While I wasn't nervous, I wasn't able to fall asleep until after midnight and was awoken during the wee morning hours by a lovely, drunken rendition of "Fat Bottomed Girls" being sung in the neighboring hotel room. Turns out, my room that night was next to some of Tom's fraternity brothers. The whole thing was truly hilarious and very fitting, as if my life were really coming full circle: from college fraternity and sorority kids to grown adults getting married.

The big day came. I got up at 5:30 am and didn't have enough time to finish my last cup of coffee before putting on my dress, people got stuck in traffic, there was a torrential downpour with flooding between the ceremony and reception. Did any of that matter? Absolutely not. Everything was perfect and exactly as it should have been. We partied until after midnight, singing, drinking, and dancing for hours. I didn't stop smiling the entire time.

This guy was well worth the wait.

Did you survive that entire post? Awesome. High five.

Our super awesome, now lost, cake toppers.

The One with Arianna's Surprise

Our summer schedule seemed endlessly jammed with wedding events, so it was no surprise when I was told we were going to a ceremony planning meeting one Saturday afternoon. The drive to the church was thrown off course when Tom received a call from his mom asking us to stop by his aunt and uncle's house to help them carry something up from their basement. They live right by the church so I didn't mind, thinking it would be a nice gesture for us to do.

As we walked up to the house and rang the bell, the door opened and there stood an adorable little lady. After standing frozen and confused for quite a while, I realized the adorable little lady was indeed my 94 year old grandmother with throngs of people behind her yelling "Surprise!". I was so shocked I don't remember my next reaction, but I allegedly began to actually back away, and then I inevitably started crying. Every corner I turned there were more and more people who had showed up for, and pulled off, this awesome shower.

I come from a very small family so I knew it wouldn't be worth it to do a shower back in Indiana, and half of my bridesmaids lived in Chicago, anyway. It occurred to me at some point a bridal shower might happened, but didn't give it too terribly much thought with everything else going on! 

As a die hard Friends fan, one of the first details I noticed was not only did my shower have a name, but a blatant Friends reference. All of their episodes begin The One... except for the pilot, which was called simply The Pilot. Welcome to my shower: The One with Arianna's Surprise.

We had salad, pasta, an assortment of drinks and desserts, and these adorable monogrammed cupcakes. 

After eating and regaining my composure a bit, I opened gifts. Now, our registry was somewhat unusual. Our registry included 23 items. The recommended number of items? 300. Between moving immediately after the wedding and not having a specific house in mind to purchase items for, we didn't want to register for gifts we would regret or never use. We just selected a small number of nicer things. As for china sets, I am getting a few full sets from my family. We had no need for more. So, understandably, when it came time for gifts, I was unsure of how things would unfold.

That day I received nearly every item on our registry, along with some other useful items like a luggage set. I didn't have any luggage of my own and these were a life saver when we packed and moved, they are sitting under our apartment staircase now! A bridesmaid also got me a Europe travel book, Europe Through The Back Door by Rick Steves, which I am using to plan our trips.

My grandmother. Seriously, how cute is she? She's my life.

My flawless momma, grandmother, and me.

Once things died down, I had some time to reflect on the happenings of the day. Wedding planning can be a crazy and frustrating process. Moments like these allow you to know how much support you have from loved ones.

Bachelorette and the City

If you ever need to know how to throw a successful bachelorette party, just ask my MOH. I am not a go-crazy-and-rage-all-night sort of gal, but I also told myself to relax, go with the flow, and enjoy one of my last official girls nights ever.

The morning of, it was down pouring throughout the city, you will soon see rain is a common theme when it comes to my summer wedding activities. I wasn't told what was on the agenda so the added weather challenge was throwing me off my game. Finally, I settled on pink pants (which are actually capris but on my stubby legs come across as pants), and an off the shoulder white top with sandals. Versatile, a hint of bridal white, and cute.

Around noon some of the girls and I met up at Navy Pier for the first adventure, a boat cruise luncheon. We went on the Odyssey and it was a very classy event, reminding me of cruises I used to go on with my family back in the day. Lunch was delicious and had three courses. I had a salad, salmon, and a berry dessert, plus a couple of beverages!

The obligatory cruise ship photo!

A black car picked us up and drove us to the hotel where we would be staying that evening. I didn't realize there had been some scheming going on and walked into a fully decorated room. Penis straws, phallic shaped cookies, endless wine, and a perfect assortment of snacks were some of the many things awaiting our arrival!

For party favors, there were hangover kits accompanied by a box of chocolates to help you get through the following morning. The boxes were a beautiful lilac color, holding true to my wedding colors of cream, gray, and shades of purple.

The lovely, delectable spread that awaited us! Even though I wasn't quite hungry, I ate a hefty quantity of brie, crackers, vegetables, and hummus! Plus one of the girls brought my favorite Trader Joe's treat: goat cheese smothered in blueberries. It's pure antioxidants, people!

We chatted, drank wine, and played some very entertaining card games before I opened up gifts. Each girl got me a piece of lingerie or sleepwear and I had to guess who purchased what, I guessed nearly all of them correctly! 

Dinner was rapidly approaching so we changed and prepared ourselves for the evening ahead. I wore a classic white dress I found at Nordstrom Rack and was feeling pretty damn good about myself. Then, I got a mysterious black stain on my dress. Thankfully, one of my bridesmaids saved me and scrubbed it out. The black must have come from the lovely shot necklaces I was wearing because before too long, the stain was back. After replacing my necklaces with some untarnished ones and cleaning the dress one more time, we were ready to head out.

Luckily, the restaurant was close by, as it had started to rain again. We ate at Untitled, a speakeasy type supper club just a couple of blocks from our hotel. I've lived in Chicago for three years and I had never been to Untitled and I have to say, it was such a cool experience. They will have different theme nights and while we were there there was an amazing jazz band playing. While the band would take breaks, burlesque style dancers came out on stage. The whole vibe was very retro and I loved it. We ordered a plethora of dishes and ate family style, after finishing we headed to a side room to check out the bar. In the mean time, the band's stage was converted to a dance floor. The floor was jammed with people. We crossed paths with some other bachelor/bachelorette parties, it's always fun to celebrate with other people!

A few hours of dancing later, we decided to call it a night. Some girls headed home while the rest of us walked back to the hotel, in the rain. The wine and snacks welcomed us once again, so we refreshed and nourished ourselves before heading to bed.

I give a lot of credit to all of the girls who came out with me that night. I had so much fun and it was exactly how I wanted my bachelorette party to be. I was able to enjoy the city I love so much, yet never have enough time to explore. That weekend was a perfect send off for one of my last nights as an unmarried lady!

Blue Grass in the Mountains

The last weekend in June we flew out to Colorado for Tom's cousin's wedding. We landed late Friday morning and went to pick up our rental car. A piece of advice: when renting a car that will be driven through steep mountains, do not get a four cylinder engine! With five people and our luggage for a long weekend, it is a miracle the car survived all of those winding roads.

We all stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies. We were surrounded by mountains and they were a glorious sight to wake up to each day. The morning of the wedding we went on a short family hike, exploring waterfalls while bundled up in ample layers of clothing. Temperatures were not as high as I expected, luckily there were spare hoodies up for grabs! 

By mid afternoon the sun was shining and the weather was much warmer, just in time for the ceremony to begin. Chairs were set up outdoors and the view was one of a kind, mountains and trees at every turn. The bride was walked down the aisle by both of her parents and the couple recited a quote from the Dalai Lama. I loved the personalized touches!

Cocktail hour was very relaxing with kegs, wine, appetizers, and two bags sets for guests to use as entertainment. Wildflower arrangements were at each table in glass mason jars, they were beautiful. At the reception, local pizza was cooked on site and totally to die for. I had one slice of each kind, there were at least four varieties! For dancing, a blue grass band performed. Dancing to blue grass? The craziness! But let me tell you, the floor was packed all night with various moves such as jumping over a bottle, doing a jig of sorts around the bottle; and you cannot knock it over, or else! Everyone's feet were covered in remnants of dirt from all the dust we kicked up in the festivities. After staying through a few strongly demanded encores, the band packed up and we went back to our room. 

The next morning, the four cylinder car was all loaded and we headed out. Getting the dirt out of my shoes took a few weeks, but that night was well worth it!

A Summer Wedding in Cabo

As I type this from my couch in Stuttgart, Germany, I am in awe of all of the fun memories and once in a lifetime experiences this summer held. Allow me to catch you up to speed over the next few posts.

Tom, my now husband, and I  traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in early June for my sorority sister's wedding. I had the honor of being a bridesmaid and, with my own wedding rapidly approaching, was looking forward to gaining a bit of wedding insight. Since Tom and I had never been to Cabo before, we were looking forward to some sun and relaxation. Upon arriving we took a shuttle bus to the resort, Cabo Villas. For whatever reason, I expected the climate to be humid and borderline sweltering. I had not done my research. The drive to Cabo Villas was full of desert landscapes and views of other hotels and resorts. Our first night in Cabo consisted of the wedding rehearsal and an unbeatable rehearsal dinner.

The bride is pure class, so naturally the rehearsal dinner was on a catamaran, allowing us to eat and relax while taking in the amazing view.

A beach ceremony was the following day, it was beautiful. The bridal party danced in to "Happy" by Pharrell, which was no easy feat in my three and a half inch wedge heels! She chose the perfect bridesmaids dresses for us. They were light and airy; ideal for a hot, summer wedding.

Cocktail hour and the reception followed at the Hacienda Cantina y Cocina. Pictures were a blast, we did races down the beach and narrowly avoided getting wiped out by incoming waves! I cannot wait to see how the pictures turn out. The bride and groom absolutely wowed all of us with a choreographed dance to "Save The Last Dance For Me" by Michael Buble. The fresh fish at dinner was delicious and all the guests joined in the dancing, with some encouragement from their tropical beverages.

Tom's favorite part? The late night churros. He downed easily half a dozen fresh, warm churros with chocolate and caramel sauce. I nearly had to roll him home down the beach that night.

My Thighs Are On Fire!

I did something rather crazy this weekend. I paid for workout classes. WHAT? Such insanity! I know, I never saw myself doing such a thing either but with less than four and half months until the wedding, I needed a change. Admittedly, I was becoming bored with home workouts and my level of intensity throughout my sweat sessions has not been at it's full potential. I was over it. 

Enter late night online purchases.

This afternoon I went too my first Pure Barre class. I took ballet growing up, I do pilates regularly, and while my arms and abs leave some room for improvement my legs have always been solid and strong. Ho. Ly. Crap. The arms were a bit tough, core work was a struggle, but my legs literally went to jelly, nothing like looking at yourself in a mirror and being terrified your lower half will give way under you as it shakes like crazy! Regardless, I loved it. I am super crazy and going back tomorrow morning and every day the rest of the week (it's my spring break, I have to take advantage!). 

I have a month unlimited pass and I am hoping this will be my wedding workout match from heaven. Because, although it snowed/hailed on me as I was walking (dragging myself) home, swimsuit season is also approaching! Yay beaches, warm weather, and SUN!

Becoming one of THOSE people

I now obsess over table linens. Oh yes, table linens. We are turning the corner into the final countdown to wedded bliss. We are getting legally married this weekend (long story) but in  a way it's super awesome. After over seven and a half years it's kind of fun to do this twice, and my name change paperwork and appropriate documents will be in order before summer even hits. I love getting things done ahead of time! 

Now, back to the linens. Our venue requires us to rent chair covers and ties. Fear not, I have found a virtual online builder to appropriately envision the colors and now want to rent table cloths because, why not??? On the upside I nearly have the bridesmaids gifts figured out and assembling invitations will begin over my spring break in a couple of weeks. I can't even complain about our progress, we're accomplishing a lot each month! But I am still freaking out over mundane things and need to calm down.

One area I am NOT thrilled about? My diet and exercise. To be honest, winter has wreaked havoc on my weight. I have also had the flu for about a week and am feeling miserable. Such things are not too great for my desired washboard abs. After my body heals itself a bit, I look forward to implementing (and strictly following) a healthy, manageable regimen. But considering I just ate some full fat, full delicious coffee ice cream, I plan to begin tomorrow. With a 6 am workout. Can't wait. 

Vanity absolutely plays a role in considering myself bridal material, but more importantly I just want to feel amazing. There is a lot of build up for one day to kick of the rest of my life with the one perfect person, but I want to begin feeling confident and healthy. 

Blame It On The Wedding Brain...

I ordered my wedding invitations a while back and I just received them today as I had them shipped to my future in law's house. The anticipation of finally seeing my glorious invites, response cards, reception cards, pearl lined envelopes (and we wonder why weddings are a multi-million dollar business..) was killing me. I read through the invitation. Success. The stark white envelopes were gorgeous and our response cards and envelopes were on point. What am I leaving out? Oh yes, the reception cards. You know, the card where you tell your guests where your reception is located. I may have been extremely hungry and tired when I placed the order, then became frustrated when I lost the entire order and had to start over. I failed to properly proofread everything and put the WRONG ADDRESS on our reception cards. So close to perfection! If this is the only thing that goes wrong in our wedding planning adventure, I know I can count myself lucky. I have ordered the proper cards and they should be shipped out soon.

This is why you do things very far in advance. If there is a mistake, you have time to correct it. At least I am only frustrated at my own oversight instead of panicked about rush ordering new cards. Life lesson learned.

My (almost) magical box of wedding invitations!

IT HAS ARRIVED!

Oh yes. The day I have been waiting for. My wedding dress is in! Now sadly, I have to wait until President's Day to have my initial try on as I (obviously) want my mom to be there for the big moment and they only do these appointments during the week. In a completely unfair and totally ironic fashion, I got the call right before heading out to an indulgent rib dinner with friends. Oh well. I enjoyed my half slab and pepper jack creamed spinach anyway. 

While the first try on is obviously not going to require me to be in "wedding shape", no one wants to put on their dress for the first time and feel unworthy of such glorious perfection. I clearly love my dress... Regardless, I do plan on toning up and being aware of what I am putting into my body. My biggest obstacle is going to be eating out. More often than not, I prefer to cook at home. Many of my dishes are similar to, or better, than what we over pay on a date night out. With Chicago's Restaurant Week a couple of weeks away and two nights out planned during that time, some extra attention must be granted to my menu choices. I plan to menu creep on some healthy options before hand and do my best to not devour everything on my plate. Either way, at least I will have a good time catching up with friends I haven't seen in a while!

Speaking of weddings, I may have been a bit overly ambitious when it came time to address our save the dates. As in, I wanted to hand address over one hundred. I have completed 39 and my goal was to have them mailed out a week ago. Yikes. Check out my Instagram for a picture of my battle wound I incurred while working for hours on my crazy project. Now, I am off to address some more envelopes! Wish me luck...

Oh No, SNOW!

The city has been covered in falling snow and unbearable temperatures every day in the new year. I am not a fan of this pattern to say the least. While I barricaded myself indoors Wednesday and Thursday, Friday finally forced me to venture into the world. After grabbing some groceries in the morning and working out, my MOH and I headed to a possible florist. It went well, and if my fiance would actually look over the flower details we may be able to check "book florist" off our to do list. We're keeping the flowers simple yet elegant and prioritizing delectable food over overwhelming floral arrangements. Friday night my MOH and I headed downtown to meet one of my bridesmaids and her husband for dinner. If you're in the city and don't mind some spice in your food, I recommend Heaven on Seven. Perfect every time. 

Saturday morning was bridesmaids dress shopping and we found a flirty, flattering dress for the girls which was available in a beautiful shade of plum. The dress was slightly pricier than I had hoped at $260, but I plan to make it up to them later! After a lunch out in the neighborhood, some of us crashed hard for a two hour nap, wedding planning is quite exhausting! We ordered Thai food, relaxed, and enjoyed Dirty Work over dinner and ice cream. 

Five of my six lovely bridesmaids.

Today, the snow has returned heavier than ever. Secretly, my fingers are crossed for a snow day in the morning. Chicago does a decent job clearing the roads, but with a projected -50 windchill, I hurt for my coworkers taking public transit to work and my wee ones who walk to school. We will have to see what the weather has in store for us in the morning, but I would love to be able to stay cozy warm indoors!

Tis The Season For Engagements!

Fa la la la la la la la laaaaa. Christmas, Valentine's Day, and birthdays. The trifecta of popular times to propose. Me, my fiance proposed on a birthday vacation. I never saw it coming, well played sir. With engagements come presents. Some are awesome...some are platters or gift cards to stores you will never use. As your loved ones get accept proposals this holiday season, get them some congratulatory gifts that don't suck.

1. Tiffany and Co. Champagne Flutes. This is a pricier option, but very classy. One of my bridesmaids purchased them for us. As a person who has never received anything in a little, much less a big, blue box, I was thrilled. 

2. Ring holder. Think about their style. I personally am a fan of this Kate Spade ring holder, but a friend of mine who received the same gift preferred a simpler, etsy style holder. 

3. Bridal/I Do/Mrs jewelry. Kate Spade has super cute wedding jewelry, I am a big fan of their Mrs. necklace. Most stores or boutiques will carry their own take on this idea.

4. Monograms. I swear, I possess a little bit of my grandmother's southern spirit with my love of all things monogrammed. A notepad, necklace, or cozy pullover sweater would be a perfect choice.

5. Money. I don't care how tacky it sounds. Weddings are expensive. Many couples would rather have $25 cash instead of the same value on a gift card to a store they may or may not frequent.

6. Helpful tips and insight. Brides enjoy pointers from people who have been there. But, I don't need to hear gossip from your wedding or a minute by minute recap. You know a way to save on flowers, DIY something cute, or what worked and didn't work? By all means, let me in on your secrets!

A Wedding Filled Weekend

We are just over nine months from our wedding and while we are actually ahead of schedule, (thank you long engagement!) I catch myself panicking we are falling behind. For no good reason. Thankfully, this weekend eased my unnecessary planning anxiety. Most importantly, I found and ordered my wedding band! 

I tried on a few, then fell in love with one that complimented my ring perfectly, very similar to the one pictured above, minus the eternity style. Too bad I have to wait nine months to wear it! Our save the dates also came in, they look classy and elegant. I almost had invites figured out enough to order samples...then The Walking Dead came on and I lost my fiance's attention. Damn. We are meeting with a DJ next Saturday so I need to just calm down.

Wedding hysteria can so easily become just that, hysteria. I always wanted a long engagement to be able to simply enjoy the moment. My fiance and I have been together over seven years and I cannot wait to finally marry him. Spending the rest of our lives together should be the priority and focus in all this. Not stressing out over minuscule details no one but me will ever notice. This is fine and easy to say now, but in a few more months I am sure I will be over reacting and over analyzing everything regardless. It's what I do. What got you through wedding planning stress? I foresee a lot of working out and deep breathing in my future.