Checks!

Last count, were at 17 days.

Well. . .lots of changes have been made and everything is coming together!

1. Got my dress in for alterations. After she pinned it in a few places it was fitting much better; I can't wait to see the final product! She also pinned up the bustle; a low, 6 point single french with lots of folds. Very romantic, soft, and beautiful.

2. D'Anelli bridals cleaned my dress that previously had a filthy hem and some dirt around the zipper. I can't believe how clean they got it: it looks brand new.

3. Bridesmaid dresses are being cut as we speak. No, they aren't even close to being done. Next week I'll head up to my mom's house and we will get them all finished in one day. . .I can't wait to see them. I'm getting a little frustrated with everybody on my case about this; unfortunately there is nothing I can do until both my mom and I have a free day to get them done.

4. I have a hair trial and makeup trial scheduled for next week! My 2nd fitting in on July 3rd, and that will be my final fitting unless more alterations are needed.

5. I've decided against the green crinoline - fortunately I did a professional job on it and can sell it on craigslist. I love the idea of the colored crinoline, but I have something even better up my sleeve! Not only that, but we all agreed that my dress will fit even better if we sew crinoline directly into the skirt as part of the alterations. The crinoline slip adds bulk around my hips and waist that I don't want; we simply need to fill out the skirt, not my hips!

6. Well, we're getting real bouquets. My mom found out (well, she knew, but it didn't process until last week) that we were doing silk bouquets because of the cost difference. She said 'my daughter is not walking down the aisle with fake flowers!'. So, we spoke with our florist who is adding real bouquets to our floral order; my mom offered to pay for them and we managed to keep them at a reasonable price!

Our florist is providing the following (both photos are from her website):

a. Bouts: purple mini cala with berries and greenery for the guys, large calla with berries and greenery for the girls

b. Bridal bouquet (left): 3 large purple callas, ivory roses, yellow berries, greenery: very mountain-y without being a busy wildflowers bouquet.

c. Bridesmaids bouquets (right) : Purple mini callas with yellow berries and greenery.

d. Centerpieces: our wonderful florist (we LOVE her) suggested sunflowers to submerge in the water. They were cheaper than fake ones, and will be beautiful, bright, and mountain-y!

e. Cake flowers: wildflowers for the cake

f. Toss petals for our flower girl

The reason we went with callas is because the purple ones closely match the bridesmaid dresses and because my engagement ring was inspired by calla lilies growing in California. (Calla by Nelson). I LOVE the berries, and roses, callas, and berries all hold up well in heat.

7. Our seating chart is done, and the table runners are almost finished. I'm going to make a wreath out of the rest of the silk flowers to go on the front door of our venue.

17 days! I can't wait :)

Fudge Favors

Originally Dave and I were going to make truffles to use as favors; we know that everybody likes edible favors, and chocolate is a big hit with Dave.

When this all started we weren't even going to do favors! But decided that by making them at home it would be worth the small expense and effort to give our guests something.

Well, our truffles were a giant FAIL. They were sloppy, and melted on the plate in the kitchen when the outdoor temperature raised above 75 degrees. I spent days debating what to do about this mess, when Kirstin and I ran into a DIY wedding book at (yes) Michael's!

I opened it up right to a page with mini wedding cakes in the photo; only they were made with fudge! We loved this idea, because then I get to satisfy my urge to decorate a wedding cake (ok, well about 70 of them. . .) and we get to give our guests an overload of sugar and chocolate. Fabulous!

So, I set out to do a trial of one, to work out the kinks before I invited Kirstin and Theresa over for a fudge-making day. I determined that if I buy supplies in bulk at Sams Club (my parents have a membership) I can make 70 of these for less than $30.00. Not bad considering that most packaged wedding favors cost $1.75 or more each!

The process:

I made a batch of fudge. For this to work, I will have to spread the fudge mix about 1/2 thick - so instead of using the recommended 13x9 pan I will spread it out on a cookie sheet.

I will use two different sized cookie cutters, and a plastic film roll container for the 'top layer'.

I also found that by warming the set fudge a little bit it was more pliable and less likely to crumble. This is literally 5 seconds in the microwave, no more!

I stacked the three pieces and secured them with a toothpick down the center. The flowers on top are wedding flower picks from Michael's.

On our mock up wedding table, Dave and I LOVED how they matched our brown napkins, and how the flowers on top gave some color to the centerpiece and added to the wildflowers feel.

I then made chocolate butter cream frosting, and used a decorators piping tool to add decoration to the 'wedding cake'.

Home made butter cream is so simple to make, and doesn't have any of the garbage in it that you get from store bought icing!

Melt some butter and milk in the microwave in a mug or measuring cup. The more butter, the richer the frosting!

Then, mix some powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa in another bowl. You don't need to measure, taste it!

Add the milk mixture bit by bit and stir until you reach the desired consistency. It's that simple :) You can substitute vanilla or cinamon for the cocoa for variations.

Our final product will be a lot neater than the one pictured above. They are cute though!

Centerpiece Trial #2

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Dave and I set up another centerpiece because we're having trouble figuring out what kind of flower to put in the water. We wanted to maintain the whole wildflower look, and were finding that (naturally) orchids looked much too tropical. In a previous trial, we tried purple iris flowers, however they looked almost navy blue.

At a recent trip to Michael's, Dave and I found these giant yellow flowers. We loved the idea of a large pop of color, and how having one large flower really simplified the centerpiece.

In this photo you can also see our 'table numbers'. We are using photos of Colorado 14ers (14,000 foot peaks) that Dave has taken. Each table is then named after that peak, and displayed in a $1.00 plastic frame from wal-mart (the cheapest place to buy them). On an easel entering the reception hall will be a large board covered in a Colorado area topo-map, and over that the same photos and names of our guests with their table.

On the napkin (in which the menu cards are tucked) will be a large river rock with their name on it. It's a work in progress, but I think we've worked out the big kinks!

Second Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party

I had a very elegant bridal shower in my Fiance's home town that was thrown my by future mother-in-law and her friends. This post is for my second shower, which was thrown by my matron-of-honor Theresa.

Theresa and Kirstin (another bridesmaid) got together on this one and rented a beautiful little cabin in the mountains on Colorado's famous peak-to-peak highway. After holding the shower, we were to stay the night and have a 'girls' evening to celebrate my bachelorette party; I'm not the girl who would enjoy a night of bar hopping in a silly veil and my bridesmaids know that!

That cabin itself was beautiful! It was a 2 bedroom/2 bath house with a living area, kitchen, and patio with a hot tub and fire pit right on the St. Vrain river. A lot of the appliances and supplies in the kitchen were very dated, and some of the furniture was antique. It was very cozy and we have decided that we'll definitely be back to stay again!

Every single guest for this shower came up in my parents motor home, since they all wanted a ride and didn't fit in one car. They came and left together, and were mostly friends of our family.

Theresa planned several games, including one where she had emailed Dave and asked him some questions that I was to answer. Every question I got wrong resulted in another piece of bubblegum I had to chew; which really stinks because I HATE gum.

I answer 8 of the 10 questions accurately, and failed on two. One being his dream car; I knew it was a fast sports car but the actual model? Not a chance. The second question being what he would chose as his 'last meal' if he was on death row. Having already one large piece of disgusting bubble gum in my mouth (I can't believe they didn't accept sports car!) I was flustered and answered Thai food, knowing full well as soon as I said it that the answer was actually going to be steak.

So, two pieces of bubble gum. I had to argue about one other question, that being where our first kiss was, because Dave was wrong! I couldn't believe it, but they let me slide on that one because yes, us girls remember these things better!

We played some other games (how well do you know the bride, name the spice, etc.) and they also put me on the spot with a silly 'getting dressed game'. After being blindfolded, the following story was posed: 'you and Dave are on your honeymoon. He calls you and says that you have 5 minutes to get dressed for a reservation he's made. The caveat? The power is out in the hotel and you have to get dressed in the dark!'

Then they put oven mitts on my hands.

Yikes.

Once I have a picture of this awful outfit I had to put on, I'll surely post it!

Theresa bought the most amazing carrot cake from a bakery in Denver, and I almost went bridezilla and changed our cake order to this bakery! Wow, it was amazing and beautiful.

She also provided large amounts of fabulous food, and ordered a platter of petit fours from another bakery in Denver. Amazing!



After our guests left around 6pm, Kirstin, Theresa and I put some chili in the crockpot and changed into more comfortable clothes.

Our 'bachelorette evening' included talking about our respective husband, fiance, and new date (Kirstin has found an amazing man for herself!) as well as marriage and the usual assortment of wedding stuff.

We spent a good amount of time boiling in the hot tub on the river, and stayed up late. We ate some of the chili, spent another hour in the hot tub, and went to bed. The next morning we had a great breakfast of eggs and bacon, and drove 10 miles to our venue so that Kirstin and Theresa could see where the wedding would take place.

Our original plan included a hike, but once we returned from visiting our venue the rain started coming down. We spent the rest of our day at the cabin chatting on the couch.

Chloe (my mutt) was with us all weekend, and she missed Kirstin (a former roommate) so much that she was glued to her lap for a good portion of the weekend! Chloe knows where to get the best belly-rubs from. . .

Fabric

My mom and I have done nothing on the bridesmaid gowns other than gather measurements. Sounds scary, but my mother is extremely fast and good at sewing. Between her and I, we should be able to get all three dresses done in a day, and follow up in early July with 'final fittings'.

I bought 10 yards of Plum Polyester dupioni from JoAnns.com, after finding out that it was not only cheaper but that they were offering a sale on shipping in addition to a 50% off coupon they conveniently sent via email. This is the online photo of the fabric, of which the color is nowhere close! I double checked it with the one in the store, and plum was actually the color we wanted. For less than $60.oo I got that fabric, and should be able to purchase lining, notions, and lace for less than $100.

Not a bad total for three bridesmaid gowns, especially considering that the Watters gown we fell in love with (left) retails for $300 - $400 each!

I'm meeting my mom on Friday to choose the rest of the materials for these gowns, and sometime in June we'll cut and sew all three in a day. The skirts and sashes are super easy, it's the top that will be the time-consumer.

My future Mother-in-Law found a beautiful Coldwater Creek dress in a pink polyester duipioni with a bit of lace on the top; the style goes well with our bridal party and the pink has just enough grey in it to go with our colors (which are all grey-toned shades of green and purple).

I will post, of course, when we having something resembling a bridesmaid dress created!

Dresses Everywhere!

47 Days.

That's how long I have to get my stuff together for this wedding!

One major thing is that I need to do is get my (store sample) dress cleaned. This terrifies me, because it's silk (which unfortunately = hard to clean properly) and I love my dress so much that I can't imagine having to find another that compares.

Most of the time silk gowns come back fine, but it's a fact that cleaning does reduce the amount of sizing, which is the filler they use to turn silk into silk satin. Sizing provides the sheen and weight to the fabric, which is part of why I love this dress; it photographs beautifully. I'm considering just having it spot cleaned for the wedding, and then having it fully cleaned and preserved after. The dirty spots aren't very noticeable and are both around the hem and by the zipper; spot cleaning eliminates the chance that the sizing will get ruined, and after an hour of being outside getting pictures done the dress will be less than pristine by the ceremony as it is!

I found a dress for the rehearsal dinner, a $130 Calvin Klein dress that I got at Burlington Coat factory for less than $40! They had it in white, yellow, and brown; I got it in brown because yellow is an awful color for my complexion (very fair) as is the white (had it been ivory instead it would have been my first choice). I plan on dressing it up with a flower in my hair or pinned to my waist (or a bright colored sash), a nice clutch, a shawl, and some nice shoes. Please excuse the fact that it's wrinkled! When I bought it the rain was coming down like crazy and I didn't have an umbrella, so the clerk folded it super small and double-bagged it.

What was really fun was trying it on in my old size, and having to try on 3 more until it was small enough to fit! Even now it's a little big, and I have to get the straps shortened (not an uncommon problem for me). I have another cute dress (black with polka dots and pink ribbon accents, in the old size) that I wore to my first bridal shower; it's now too big and will have to be taken in if I don't give it to one of my friends (who loves it anyways!).

This brown Calvin Klein dress will also serve as my bridal shower dress for this coming weekend, a two day event organized by my Matron of Honor that includes my 'Bachelorette Party'.

My Matron of Honor (MOH) paired with one of my bridesmaids to rent a beautiful little secluded cabin in the mountains near our venue. They are hosting my second shower there, which will be followed by a girls night. My MOH knows me well enough to know that I would not be the least bit interested in the traditional (if it can be called that) night of bar hopping and silly games; instead we're spending the night in this cabin, watching some fun girly movies, and going for a hike the next day.

I'm excited for this coming weekend!

The RSVP's are coming back, usually coming in piles of two or three per day. It's been very fun to check the mail box each day, although today was mildly dissapointing. Mixed in with a few that we knew were going to be definite 'yes' and definite 'no' replies was one from Daves former boss and his family. We thought they would likely come, and because Dave has a good relationship with this boss both of us were dissapointed that they declined. Included in their response was a wonderful note explaining a previous obligation; however it was the first 'decline' we didn't expect.

All par for the course: it did open up some space on the guest list and I'm getting to work on a few more invitations *just in case*.

Unity Ceremony

Dave and I didn't want to do a Unity Candle, because if you really get into the symbolism of it what does it mean when you blow it out after the ceremony? Not only that, but it's not allowed at our venue where the meadow site is prone to wildfires.

I've seen the sand ceremony done, and think that it's a bit trendy (not to mention the fact that for a mountain wedding it makes no sense whatsoever. For a beach wedding, it works).

Well, one thought led to another and after many revisions (Small rocks? Large rocks? Rocks in buckets? Rocks in vases? Eeeek!) we've come up with the following:

Before taking the 2 minute nature walk to our ceremony, guests will be greeted by a table, covered in large, flat polished river rocks where they will be directed to write their names and a wish, prayer, saying, or piece of advice on it. They will take this stone with them, and hold it during the ceremony until after our vows where some of our attendants (flower girl, ring bearer, etc) will gather them for us.

Our officiant is preparing a speech for it, about how bringing all of these stones and prayers together symbolizes the coming together of two groups of friends and family, as well as how each and every one of our guests has taken part in us as individuals and helped us build a foundation for our marriage. It goes with our mountain theme, gives us a unique unity ceremony that includes everybody who is special and important to us, and even serves as a guest book! Dave and I will keep the stones in our home as a decorative item (probably in a vase) and can look through them when we need a 'boost'.

The stones we will use are the same ones that guests will find at their place setting with their name and entree selection: they are flat, polished rocks that are usually used for home decorating.

On Sunday, after meeting with our officiant and really nailing down this process Dave and I went 'marker shopping'. I had tried using a metallic sharpie pen, and while it looked beautiful the markings rubbed off. I could only imagine our guests writing something thoughtful on it, holding it during the ceremony, and then finding their writing all over their hands instead!

We stood in the Michael's for about an hour and tried every marker and paint pen they had until we found something that dried quickly, didn't rub off, and looked nice. The only thing that worked were black and white 'slick writer' pens.

We got gold and silver for the 'escort cards' at the reception. . .more on that in another post.