Florist

Saturday we met with my florist, who is also one of my mom's long time best friends!  We met at the vineyard so she was able to check it all out for the arrangements we'll need.  I can't wait to see what our flowers will look like!  I'm not a big flower person but I'm quite anxious about this!  Maybe because it's for our wedding?  Haha.

One of my 'maids' came with me, Shannon.  You can barely tell she's pregnant, but that's why I'm holding her belly :)  AND she just found out today that she's having a baby GIRL!!!  SUPER excited for her and her husband, Danny!

Pre-Marital Counseling

Jason and I had our one and only pre-marital counseling on January 21st!  I was quite anxious and actually excited to go to see what it was all about.  Him on the other hand, not so much!  Ha!  There was another couple with us, so it made it not as bad for Jason.  It was a long day, our session was from 9-3 but we only had to go once, so it wasn't too bad.

We both learned so much more about each other that we didn't know; good and bad, even after three and a half years!  It was pretty amazing!  Our relationship has always been great, of course we have our arguments just like any other couple but having gone through this counseling, we learned ways to deal and ways to avoid certain things, it's brought us so much closer!  I am so glad we went and that we both actually got something out of it!

The Monday after counseling, Jason left for a week for school for work.  I was of course devistated and Bryce and I stayed at my parents, I'm a big sissy!  When Jason got home that Friday, I was so tired and laying on the couch but he insisted I get up to get him a cup of coffee.  So I did, bitching all the way to the kitchen.  I pulled out a mug, went to the Keurig and found this:

... a card entitled "honey" and a pack of gum :)  Yes, girls usually get a box of choclates but my Honey knows I'm not a chocolate eater, I love my gum :)  The card was so sweet and thoughtful, and everything that he wrote was so sweet and made my heart melt and yes, I cried... with happy tears of course :)

It's always the small things that mean the most!  Jason most definitley knows the way to my heart, and always has!  I am such a lucky girl to be able to spend the REST of my life with such an amazing man!

Holy Pinterest; II

Me and my MOH in a nutshell...

... yup ...

30+ dresses before THE one

First stop, David's Bridal; didn't find much.  Basically it was a learning experience for me, I learned what I liked best on my body, color, style, and material.  My mom and sister were with me, that was a huge help!

Next stop, Occasions Bridal Boutique; shady!  We can't take pictures?!  You can't tell me who the designer is and this dress cost HOW much?  Yeaaa, didn't fly with my momma!  I did find one though that I was in love with I liked best so far, but wasn't sold.  I didn't get THAT feeling!  Went to Occasions TWICE before realizing, this isn't it.  Brought my future MIL and SIL on the second go 'round, and my mom was there both times, of course :)

Next up, Serendipity; not impressed.  I heard so many great things about these dresses that Serendipity has, guess they just weren't for me?  Bridesmaid Shannon was with me, along with momma (she doesn't miss anything, literally!).  I did find a few that I liked only certain detail on the dress, if I could've taken the dress apart and made it into what I wanted, it would've been perfect!

--  After leaving Serendipity and having tried on sooo many dresses, I was exhausted.  I called Jason crying.my.eyes.out.  He reassured me, whatever dress I wear, I will be beautiful and it's not worth getting worked up about.  GOD love him! --

Last stop (thank the LORD), Katherine's Bridal Boutique; get comfy - of course I couldn't have a great experience when actually purchasing my dress!  Here we go...

After venting to girlfriend Brandy about the dress scenarios, she sent me a link to the collection where she found her dress, almost four years ago!  I found a store that sold their collection, made an appointment, made SURE momma could be there, along with Amber (MOH).  I had a good feeling about this trip, I hadn't got that feeling yet.

Walked in, told Shana (lovely lady who helped me) what I want in my dress; by this point in time, I KNEW what I wanted, damn, done tried on millions of dresses!  She pulls a few dresses, the first one I put on I got "THE" feeling, I knew it was it!  I cried, I actually pictured myself for the first time ever walking down the aisle with my dress and for the first time out of all those other dresses I put on, I thought "Jason would love this on me!" 

In the meantime, another bride was trying on dresses as well, her friends were talking to momma and Amber, asking when I was getting married and vise versa; other bride was getting married Nov 17th.  I had tried on about 5-7 dresses at this point and had on the first dress that I tried on that I knew was the one!  Other bride and I had similiar taste in dresses, she had this dress on (NOT even anything I would've liked or wanted) so my mom asked that I try that dress on JUST to make sure the first dress I tried on was the one.  What the hell?  What's 1 more dress to try on?

Me - Can I try that dress on, Shana?
Women helping other bride - NO, you cannot try that dress on, she's buying that dress!!!
Me - What, she's going to WALK out of the store with this dress?!
Kathleen (other worker) - well, it just fits her perfectly so we don't want it to stretch or anything.
Me - WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?  I'M FAT?!  Shana, come over here please and take this dress off of me.
Shana - I'm so sorry, you wouldn't have liked that dress anyway, plus she's getting married in April so she needs the dress right away.
Me - That's not the point, I KNOW I wouldn't have liked that dress, it's just the point and that was so rude and disrespectful!  NOT to mention, other bride is getting married ONE and a HALF months after me, NOT April, don't lie to me.

We left, immediately, and I lost it before I made it down the steps, bawled my eyes out; I was upset, frustrated, disrespected, mad and more exhausted then ever now!  Am I EVER going to find my dress?!

Momma being the best she is says "WE'RE going back in there, let's go eat and we'll go back!"  She knew how bad I wanted that dress.  Going back in, her goal was to get the dress I loved for the price of the dress they wouldn't let me try on because that dress was $200 less!

We go back, walking in like we're real big and bad, ha!  Momma walks up to Katherine (owner) and let's her know that we need to talk to her.  MIND YOU - Katherine sat there through all the drama and did not say not ONE word - ignorant right?  And she's the owner?!  Katherine asked me what happened, I gave her the run down and told her exactly how I felt about her staff, but that Shana was nothing but excellent! 

Katherine asks that I put the dress back on that I loved and she was going to do something for us, regarding the price of the dress.  She came back, took $100 off the dress and said she'd do the alterations for $250 rather than $400!  I still wasn't sure at that point.

In the meantime, Kathleen (b*tch that was rude) came to apologize to me, she went on for a good 5 minutes, I didn't pay her no mind, literally, I said not one word.  Go somewhere b*tch!

Shana was walking back and forth between us and Katherine trying to negotiate the price of the dress - was I there to buy a car or a wedding dress?  HA.  She comes back in...

Shana - Do you want THIS dress?
Me - THIS dress, like this one right here that is on me right now?
Momma - Is that possible, can that even be done?  Diana are you sure you don't want one ordered for you?
Amber - (looking confused) What?!  Can they do that?!
Shana - Yes, do you want this dress?
Me - How much?
Shana - How much do you want it for?
Me - I offered her $500 less than what the dress was going for.
Shana - Be right back.
Momma - DIANA, she's not going to go for that, there's no way!
Shana - Okay, it's yours!
Momma - THAT'S my girl (hugging me, Shana and Amber)!
Me - I get it from my momma (smiling ear to ear).
Amber - (crying) OMG OMG!

Not only did I get the dress for $500 less than the original price, but I got the alterations for $200, rather than $400, after she told us $250!!  And all alterations will be done, ALL of them!  YAY!  It was a great feeling!  Even though we had to go through all the drama we did, I have my dress, literally - yes, it is at my parents house!  Shana told me that I could leave it there until I go in for alterations, but I made SURE I was taking it with me, I will be DAMN sure NOBODY is trying MY dress on!  HA!

Shew - praise the LORD that I finallyyyy got my dress :)  It was worth ALL of the tears!  Now, I'll stop watching Say Yes To The Dress, that show makes my mind go crazy, but there is no going back now, I am too much in LOVE :)

Holy Pinterest; I

Have you been on pinterest?  If not, go, Google it right now; amazing, I have a new addiction and have gotten two friends addicted, too!  Ha, and you thought Facebook was addicting?!  The only thing that sucks big time is that I cannot actually "pin", you have to have a Facebook or Twitter account in order to do so, well that's just stupid!  But whatever, I guess instead of "pinning", I can "save picture as" and post them on my blog :)  Genius!

Wedding Pinterest...

[ super cute; but already have my centerpieces ] 

[ precious ] 

[ true fact?! ] 

[ my momma got us these for Christmas; our cake forks with our wedding date at the bottom ] 

[ totally doing this, ha! ] 

 [ LOVEEEE; must get the paper the day of ]

[ gotta have your girls ]

The Ring!

GOSH!!  One of the biggest things another girl wants to see/hear about when talking about an engagement is THE RING!

He went to Jared's ;)

Jason did SUCH an amazing job picking out my ring, I couldn't ask for something more beautiful!  Like I mentioned before, him and his mom were in Jared's for two hours, that's a damn long time in a jewelry store!  We'd never been "ring shopping" before so I had no idea what to expect when he did propose!  The only thing I mentioned was that I wanted white gold.  I am still so pleased and will be for the rest of my life with my ring; it's amazingly perfect!  Every time I look down at my ring, I get butterflies and it takes me back to the evening he proposed!  SUCH a memorable time in my life!

Booking the Venue

On the way home from Atlantic City, Jason and I talked about where we would and would not want to get married.  Neither of us are super religious so we knew from the start we wouldn't want to be married in a church.  We both love the water and outdoors, so we figured outside somewhere would be best!  So many people get married on the beach or by the water, so we knew we didn't want to do that.  I didn't want another beach wedding.  I've seen and been to SO many.  I've always had a fear though, and been to numerous weddings where the ceremony is held outside with a huge chance of rain - but those are the chances you take, right?  But you should always have a back up plan, right?

When we got home, we started talking to my parents about booking our venue!  I knew it needed to be booked sooner than later because venues usually book a year out and at this time, it was September 2011 and we wanted a fall wedding... of 2012, not 13 (I don't like odd numbers, weird, I know).  I've always dreamed of a fall wedding; the tempature and leaves changing, it's just amazing!  And everything that has to do with our wedding is what I want - NOT according to me, but according to my fiance :)  He's the best!  All he wants is family, friends, good food, beer and a delicious cake :)  I can deal!  What bride-to-be wouldn't be okay with that?!

September of 2010, Jason and I went to a wedding at the Running Hare Vineyard and I immediately fell IN LOVE!  It has that Tuscan/Mediterranean feel and I LOOOOVEE it!!!  My family is "that" Italian family by the way :)  It was perfect!  I told my mom I wanted to go look at the Running Hare and basically had my mind and heart set that THIS is where I will marry the man of my dreams :) 

We went Tuesday, September 27, 2011, three days after we were engaged, checked it out, talked to Barb (the owner), looked over the contract, made sure an October date was available, there were; October 7th and 27th, and went on with our evening.  I called my dad on the way home and told him he HAD to see this place, I knew he'd love it as much as me, Jason and my mom did!  We didn't book anything that evening, but first thing the next morning, I called Barb to make another appointment (I literally woke her up, haha) to go back Wednesday evening so my parents could sign the contract :)  She doesn't hold dates, but she held the date for us because she KNEW I'd be back!

That Wednesday while I was at work, I contacted the two caterers that the venue contracts with - kinda sucks we would have to choose between two and couldn't pick on our own, but at the same time it's comforting knowing that these companies KNOW the venue and have a lot of experience with the place, PLUS their price includes basically EVERYTHING; from linens to table settings to the food and alcohol.  I talked to Dave at the one caterer that we liked the best, asked him millions of questions, was probably on the phone with him for over two hours straight at one time and let him know we were going back to the venue that evening.  He agreed to meet us there so we felt comfortable with everything - he's GREAT!

So that evening, me, Jason, Bryce, my mom and dad went back to the venue!  My dad I think saw how I lit up when we got there and told me "if this is where you want to get married, this is where you will be married", my dad is seriously the best!  They have an area for the ceremony to be held outside, but if it does rain, we will get married inside and we are perfectly content with that!  The building holds 260 people which is perfect for us because when we did our draft guest list, we had approximately 220... my family is H.U.G.E!  This is our venue:

HOW beautiful?!

Seven foot wide chandelier inside - SEVEN FOOT!  If you didn't think the outside was beautiful - I'm pretty sure you'll think THIS is!

We decided to go with October 7, 2012.  YES I said I don't like odd numbers, but 7 has always been a favorite number of Jason's so if it's special to him, it's special to me :)  It is a Sunday but we figured before we booked that it is a holiday weekend (Columbus Day) and Sunday's are a little bit cheaper for weddings... can't complain about that ;)  NOT to mention - the same holiday weekend back in 2008 is the very first weekend that Jason and I hung out!  HOW ironic; it was meant to be :)  The contract was signed that evening, we were totally in love and everything was MORE than perfect :)

My mom and I have never been big whino's but we're learning real quick to become one :)  My mom quickly became a VIP member of the tasting room and gets 20% off of every bottle of wine that she purchases!  Whenever she goes, she always picks me up my most favorite:

Jack Rabbit Red; it is soo delish!  I highly recommend it!

We've been for a couple tastings; I love to go back as much as I possibly can to see where we will be married :)  Every time, I get butterflies and it is an amazing feeling!  I fall more and more in love with our venue every time I see it!

My mom and I wine tasting :)  She's one of my best friends, I love her and don't know where I'd be without her!