Wedding Planning – 7 Months To Go

I apologize for the lack of posts the last few weeks!  Work has been crazy (post to come) and I didn’t get a chance to sit down and write. I am back with lots to talk about — work, life, wedding. Exciting times and not so exciting times… So, this post will be a happy one because it’s about the wedding!  

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The other weekend Kyle and I were able to check off two pretty important boxes on the Wedding To-Do list. We found the person who will be marrying us, secured the church and we registered at The Bay! It felt really good to see more progress being made as we continue to creep closer to the big day. (211 days to go!)

Tons of Kate Spade prettiness! I wanted it all.

It seems like with each step we take to get towards the wedding day, it feels ‘more real’. Up until I got The Dress, it just felt like I was planning a really big party. Meeting the Pastor made me a bit nervous.  The venues booked, the dress ordered, bridesmaid asked but without someone to marry us, there is no wedding. It was quite a relief once we finished meeting with the Pastor and he agreed we could get married at the church with one of the pastors there!

Saturday, we had an appointment with The Bay to learn about their registry program.We got our Starbucks and sat down with our Consultant. She was incredibly professional and very thorough going the registry and completion program.  So many things about the completion program that I didn’t know about before. She got us all set up with the scanning gun and off we went!

Honestly, it was overwhelming at first. We didn’t even know what section to start in.  We ended up starting in the middle of the store and working our way around.  I did call my Mom a few times because there were certain things we didn’t know much about.  Like pots and pans.  So many to choose from, ranging in prices.  With my Mom’s help, we put some pretty pots and pans on the registry.. well, as pretty as a pan can get!  

We are basically starting from scratch… we both have lived in on our own and have some things, but we decided to start fresh.  Instead of using all the Dollarama kitchen supplies, I figured we could use some new things too.  I was also very excited about all of the Kate Spade products The Bay had.  Just because I’m moving to a small farming community, doesn’t mean I can’t bring some fun things! I probably won’t be having tea parties or dinner parties, so I won’t need the gorgeous Kate Spade china I found. BUT, I will be drinking lots of coffee and will need pretty mugs.   

Once we got the hang of things, I found registering was pretty fun (and exhausting). After a few hours we decided to get some food and then head home. If I were to do this again, I’d make sure I ate more breakfast… I got hungry!

At home, we went through the gift registry package we were given. There were some tips, advice and contests to enter. There was also a Weddingbells magazine that was included! I asked my Mom more questions… which is better: Kitchenaid or Cuisinart?  What type of blender should I get? For those of you who know me, I am not very domestic and I have no idea what appliances are good.

With that being said, I do plan on working on becoming domestic. My plan is to do a lot of baking, cooking, and creating in the kitchen once I get all my kitchen things. I want to learn how to make bread, roast a turkey and make the food my Mother and Grandmothers make. I sort of gave myself a complex about being a terrible cook. I’m not. I just need to practice more!

What were some of the essentials and fun things you put on your registry? Or if you haven’t experienced that yet, what will be the first thing you scan?!

Our next step is to…figure out invitations! What did you do for your invites? DIY? Used a website? I’m hoping to keep costs as low as possible on this area... Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Alex

Say Yes to the Dress!

As a girl, I always dreamed about my wedding and since the discovery of Pinterest, I’ve had my dream wedding planned out. Everything from the center pieces to food, to bridesmaid dresses, to flowers and of course, the dress.

If you went on my Wedding board on Pinterest (it’s a secret board so you can’t actually see it.. sorry folks!) or saw my last wedding update post, you would see a huge variety of dresses. Ivory dresses, blush dresses, strapless, ball gowns, slinky dresses, chiffon dresses, lace ones, plunging necklines, low backs.  You name it, I’ve probably been interested in it. 

Not too long ago someone asked if I had tried on dresses yet and I said no… they gasped a little gasp and said I should get on that. Apparently, it takes awhile for these dresses to come in. So I had to see when my Mom, Sister and Mother-in-Law to be would be able to get together. I figured out a date and I set up an appointment with Exquisite Fashions and Bridal.  I had heard some great things about this new-to-Saskatoon, bridal boutique and figured I should check it out.

When I got there, I showed the Sales Lady the styles I liked and off we went! She let us loose in the store and we just pulled anything that we wanted. I started trying on dresses and fell in love with some…others not so much.  It’s hard to get the true sense of a dress when they were all 10 sizes too big.  Eventually, the owner brought me a dress that he thought I may like. I gave it a whirl and fell in love. I may have even teared up a bit and said, “Ohh so this is how it feels when you know ‘it’s the one’.”

I must admit, I felt incredibly nervous to try on dresses. The opposite of what I should have felt. Even though I had the ring, and venues booked…it still didn’t feel too real. Trying on that dress made the wedding tangible and I knew this was for real. At the same time, I also realized how many things I still had to check off the list!

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Yesterday, I ended up checking off a few things on The List. I booked my photographers – Matt and Janna but Julie has joined their team, so she will be at our wedding!  I have had my little heart set on them for probably 2 years. Actually, before I even was dating Kyle. I love their style and they seem to really capture the true sense of a couple. A lot of the photography portfolios I looked at seemed way too serious and seductive. It’s my wedding day. I want you to see the joy and love!

I officially ordered my dress and set a date to meet with the Pastor. It’s all coming together and now it’s time for more fun things! Invitations, relaxing a bit, and just enjoy being engaged!

Alex