The first dance

I normally want to gag when couples do those ridiculously corny "surprise" wedding dances, especially since most times they either can not or do not need to dance like that! This couple just looks so cute though, and if FI and were ever to shy away from the traditional first dance we would do something fun like this.

Honeymoon Plans

FI and I just booked one of the most important parts of our wedding...the honeymoon! I'm so excited we found something that fits our needs. FI hates flying and I'm not too fond of it either what with airport security being as crazy as it is and all the little luxuries (even peanuts!) being taken off the planes because of the economy. It just seems like a wasted expense void of any fun and a hassle at that. We did want to go somewhere we haven't been before though, which made it hard because we've traveled to a lot of places in the states and we weren't too interested in flying to any far off locale. Luckily for us, there is a cruise leaving from Jacksonville, Florida (which is within driving distance of our venue) that is going to the Bahamas the day after our wedding. How convenient! We are going to leave our venue right after the reception ends and drive the short distance to Columbia, South Carolina in order to be a little closer to port so we don't have to wake up super early to drive the entire trip the following morning. We'll be spending our wedding night at the historic Inn at Claussen's. It used to be a huge bakery that has since been turned into a bed and breakfast style hotel with two-level loft bedrooms. I don't know of many couples that can say they have spent their wedding night in a bakery! It's going to be a neat experience. The next morning we'll be finishing up the drive to Jacksonville to catch our ship, the Carnival Fascination. This is the first cruise for both FI and myself. I'm hoping it will be an unforgettable experience! So far we are happy with our decision to book a cruise for the honeymoon, as it especially makes sense given this recession we're in. All meals are included and we got an early saver discount for booking so far in advance to help out even more. The excursions also aren't that pricey, and we booked one in both of the ports we're visiting to keep us occupied since we're not the soak-up-the-sun-and-be-lazy-on-the-beach-all-day type of people. Our first stop is Key West where we will be snuba diving. Snuba is a mixture of snorkeling and scuba. It's awesome because it's way more interesting than snorkeling since you actually get to go below the surface of the water and yet you don't need the certification like you do with scuba diving. Our second stop is Nassau, Bahamas. The ship stays in port here much longer so we'll actually have time to sightsee and shop at the Straw Market before the excursion we booked, which I'm soooo looking forward to. Lots of people swim with dolphins but Blue Lagoon Island (where the movie 'Splash' was filmed) offers a sea lion swim and I could not be happier! I've always loved sea lions and I remember those comedy shows at places like Sea World where they do all sorts of tricks and are just so much fun to watch. Now I get to see them up close and personal :) Since the cruise is just a five-day trip and we wanted to prolong our honeymoon a bit, we have decided to make some stops along the coast during the road trip back home. FI and I love road trips, especially together, so it works out well for us that we're not going to be riding a plane during our travels. It's so nice when it's just you, your love, and the open road. One of our definite stops will be in Savannah, Georgia since we've never been and have heard about how gorgeous it is. We'll probably go on a horse-drawn carriage tour of the city and visit Tybee Island to see the lighthouse and swim in the ocean, but FI is a fan of the show 'Ghost Hunters' and found out that one of the houses featured on the show is located in Savannah so now he wants to go there as well. They actually have started offering a tour that begins at midnight and allows you to tour the entire house and its grounds while a guide lets you hear recordings that the TAPS crew caught on tape and tells stories about the history of the house and the ghost who haunts it. Not exactly what most would consider something to do on a honeymoon but I figure, why not?! After all this trip is about doing things that both FI and I enjoy and sharing those experiences together. Not everything has to be uber romantic...it can be adventurous! We'll definitely have a lot of fun and a lot of great memories from the trip, that's for sure. I'm looking forward to our first trip together as husband and wife. It's going to be a huge stress relief after dealing with all the details and worries associated with the wedding. Above all this writing I put together some photos of the things we will see and experience during our nine-day honeymoon. Enjoy the randomness!

Ladies and gentlemen...I think we have a winner!

After only one weekend of rummaging through what seemed like hundreds of dresses, I have found my wedding dress. As in THE dress. The one I will marry my wonderful fiance in and look back on in pictures adoringly for years to come. It is simply gorgeous! I know everyone says that about their dresses, but mine is truly awe-inspiring =D It made my mom-who is not known to be a crying person-break down in tears. Just the reaction I wanted! lol I found my dress at David's Bridal and had looked on the website prior to going to my appointment in order to pick which ones I wanted to try on. What's funny is that I never even noticed this dress because the picture on the website just does it no justice. The dresses that I had picked out just didn't look right on me even though I thought they'd be perfect when I first saw them, so my consultant grabbed one from the rack that still didn't appeal to me until I tried it on. I really just tried it on because I didn't want to hurt her feelings or insult her taste, but it ended up fitting so perfect and being the one! I got to buy it directly off the rack since they already had it in my size and it needs no alterations. It's almost like it was made for me! Now FI is usually good and doesn't try to ruin surprises, but just in case he decides to get sneaky and look through my blog I'm going to post a picture of not only the dress I chose but the "contender dress" too. Both gowns I narrowed it down to were organza with lace-up backs. One is a draped pick-up style with a beaded, strapless, sweetheart neckline. The other is a halter with a trumpet fit and ruched asymmetric bodice. Both were beautiful but ultimately one was more "me" and won out. I guess I'll have to make you wait until August 2nd to see which one I picked! You can click on the links below to see the fronts and backs of both dresses.

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49995498&currentIdx=39&subCategory=-49999486|-49995498&catentryId=1000066

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49995498&currentIdx=49&subCategory=-49999486|-49995498&catentryId=1000064

A worthy cause

As someone who has always been involved with volunteer organizations in school and through work, I'm constantly looking for ways to help others. Even during my wedding planning that's no exception. I had been looking for charitable organizations catered to brides when I stumbled upon the website bridesagainstbreastcancer.org. This organization takes donated wedding dresses and sells them at a discounted price to make a profit to use towards granting wishes for women diagnosed with severe breast cancer. I think it's a very worthy cause especially considering most dresses are worn once then just end up hanging in a closet. I'd like a better future for my dress and this seems like a good option for any bride who'd be interested in making a difference in others' lives. The real honest-to-goodness truth is that the gorgeous wedding dress you've chosen is probably never going to see the light of day again after the ceremony. Might as well pass that joy along to another girl and help raise funds for women in need at the same time! Another way I plan on giving to others courtesy of my wedding is through a business in Asheville called Second Bloom. They take the flowers from the ceremony and reception and reuse them to make arrangements for patients in hospitals and nursing homes. I thought this was such a neat idea since flowers are usually just disposed of afterwards! Flowers are VERY pricey so at least this way I'll feel like by brightening someone's day I'm getting my money's worth haha Just wanted to make this information available to other brides who might want to make someone else's day after "the big day."

Photo Stamps

I think I can add this to the list of totally unnecessary items for the wedding, but nevertheless I think they are too cute and would use them in a heartbeat if it weren't for our tight budget! They don't cost much but as we all know it's the little things that add up, and if I went out and purchased all the things that I've thought were inexpensive and "worth it" I'd be broke by now! We really don't need them but I think it's a nice way to personalize and I might try to find a way to sneak them in if the funds are there for thank-you letters or something.

Wedding band woes

The ring above is the wedding band I was trying to get for FI. He tried it on at Littman Jewelers and we both really liked it. He wanted something more modern and a bit different from the white gold eternity band he has now, and we thought this one fit the bill! Problem is the guy behind the jewelry counter failed to tell us that the company that makes this ring doesn't design them any smaller than a size 9. So basically that means this one ain't gonna work :( It's a little upsetting because we went to four other jewelry stores in our area and he didn't find anything else that he really liked at any of those places either. After looking on the internet he did see the band below that he likes, but part of me has some reservations about ordering something like that online without getting to inspect it and try it on first, ya know? I guess the search continues!

Let there be light!

I've always loved the look of paper lanterns. I think they are perfect for adding color in a fun way to a wedding. Needless to say, I will be using them in my wedding decor. The place where we're getting married has two huge windows and I've seen lanterns used in them before, although I had plans to use them long before I ever saw that done. The main concern, obviously, is that since they will be hanging from a high ceiling I will not be able to light them. I think just the hot pink lanterns alone though, even without being lit, will be bold enough that it won't matter. If it really ends up bothering me there's always those battery-operated LED lights.