An Online Ordering FOOL!!! (and other updates)

It's hard to believe that in 2 months, 1 week, and 5 days our magickal wedding day will be here! I am SO excited for it. :-)

In the meantime, I'm getting the "smaller" details checked off the list! "Smaller details," but details that have been running through my head since we were engaged. As I sit here and run through that checklist, I realize that I can't go into too much detail about it, or share pictures by chance any of our guests or my MOHs read this blog! I promise I will show-and-tell AFTER the wedding! :-) But I CAN announce that favors, bridal shower hostesses gifts, and centerpiece items were purchased! I've received everything but one part of the shower hostesses gifts and the centerpiece items. AND we officially approved our invitations today!!! So, they'll be going into print and delivered SOON!!!

Several weeks ago, we picked up Andrew's wedding band!!! Here's a pic of our wedding rings set!
Andrew and I finally went through Disney's Banquet Event Order. Did I call it Budget Event Order at some point (or more)? I meant "banquet." We signed off on everything and started to contemplate other possibilities for our wedding. I'm excited to say that we will now be having a Catholic mass incorporated into our wedding! I know the non-Catholics (and maybe a few Catholics) will groan at this, as Catholic weddings are known to be super long (meaning, 1 hour). However! our officiant, Father Brian is able to shorten the mass by 15 minutes, thus making it a 45 minute ceremony. Without the mass, it would've been a 30 minute ceremony. So, 15 minutes extra...who's really counting? So what if I want to relish in the wedding ceremony? ;-) It's important to me, it's meaningful to me, and I know it will also make my parents very happy!

Another option we're looking into (cost dependent) is using a colored dance floor. Not too long ago, our wedding planner, Traci updated one of her statuses (Twitter? Facebook?) raving about a white dance floor one of her couples used. If we do decide on a dance floor, I believe it will be the chocolate dance floor... Look at the deliciousness of it!!! (yes, I know I can't eat it...)Finally, Andrew is trying to find the answer for us of "To use a DJ...or not to use a DJ? That IS the question." We realize the benefits of using a DJ...and our only "con" is that we could save that money by using our iTunes playlist and have a friend man it and MC when need be.

We're checking things off, one by one...I now wonder: is this the quiet before the storm? Or has my diligency of staying on top of things going to make things smooth sailing?

The Steps Between & Getting Closer

I feel that anytime someone asks me how wedding planning is going, I'm always stumped and seeking for an answer. I really don't know if this where I'm supposed to be...there's no progress being made if I'm not doing anything... but what is there TO do? Guess I could check the checklist in Mindy Weiss's book, since there's not much I can do from The Knot checklist. Most things have been done...or we have nothing to do BUT wait. For example...

Andrew and I decided on an invitation design. As soon as we did that, I contacted the designer only to receive an "Out of Office" reply. FANtastic! Okay, so I patiently wait one week (I heard back from her today, and it will be soon be underway!).

Wedding planning started to pick up again this past weekend. For one, I bought Andrew's wedding band!!! It will arrive next week. He picked a tungsten ring, plain, straight-up design. Tungsten is known not to knick, scratch, or dull. Lucky guy!!! This isn't THE ring he got, but it's very similar.

Second, our parents met for the first time! My parents drove to his parents' house in Baltimore for a grand lunch. On the menu was - what I heard - a delicious roasted lamb, and the parents got along very well!

My MOHs have started their dress hunt ~ woohoo!!! On Wednesday, I'll be joining Andrew's sister, Linette to see her in her two final dress choices, and I will make my decision. Sharon, being on the east coast, will hopefully be able to sneak some pics of the dresses she tries on. (saving the pics till decisions are made ;-))

On a beyond-marriage note, Andrew and I went townhouse/condo shopping yesterday! We were originally going to just drive by these places, see what the exterior looks like, and get a feel of the neighborhood. Now, I don't think I mentioned several months ago that we did visit one condo down the street from him ~ of the units available, one was out of our price range, the other was IN our price range, but the condo layout wasn't really for us.

So, as we were driving around, we passed by two buildings on one street that were having open houses. The first building we entered was completely renovated and was beautiful! Wooden floors on the first floor, carpeted on the second. Our two favorite units had a balcony off of the master bedroom ~ one balcony being bigger than the other. Our #1 unit choice had a huge patio outside of the dining room area. Going in and out of units and talking to the realtor, we spent almost an hour there! The price is in our budget, and yes, I could picture us living there. :-) (sorry, couldn't find pics)

Our next stop wasn't quite as long. It was another beautifully renovated building...and the views of the Santa Monica Mountains from the loft-designed condos were BREATHTAKING! Sadly, we couldn't get attached with what they were asking for. Their least expensive unit, which the realtor urged us to look at *just in case* the price went down, was still gorgeous, but for me, not the same after seeing the views from the loft units. Besides that, roaming around their model unit on the bottom floor, we heard the obnoxious foot STOMPS of others viewing the units above us. So, thanks, but no thanks!

The hunt will continue after Andrew talks to a lender!