It seems like just yesterday that we got engaged, but in reality it's been 2 years! My family will start arriving Monday and to be honest, I am ready for it just to be over! The last few weeks have been extremely crazy and hectic and yes, I will admit, there was a point in which last week, I was ready to call it off! But the last week or so, people can't get over how calm, cool and collected I appear!
Here is how I have stayed calm the last few weeks:
Every time I start to get anxious or nervous, I close my eyes and start breathing big deep breaths! I probably look absolutely ridiculous doing it, but hey! It has helped me through some difficult ones the last week (ie, my mom's veil not matching my dress, my shoes not being ordered when I ordered them a month ago, etc)
2. AC DC
Ahhh.. My favorite band of all times! These guys can help ease the stress by rolling down the window's and blasting it as loud as your radio can take it!
3. And last...
Ice cream from Sonic with this guy! This is my 95lb lab Rudy! Isn't he the cutest! Best of all, he doesn't talk back about any of my ridiculous ideas and actually thinks they are great as long as he gets his Ice cream and you pet him! :)
Now a day's brides and grooms are struggling with the concept of including (and even inviting) children to their wedding. When we were figuring out our wedding party we had no question whether or not we would include children in our wedding party. This is why:
Meet Kenny who is our ring bearer
and Jessie, our flower girl. (How could you not want these cute kids in your wedding?)
Attire for the children is just as important as the groomsmen and bridesmaids. For Jessie, we are considering a very flowwy pretty party dress that she can have fun in. Kind of something like this:
I am going to DIY this flower girl basket that I found online. I don't like the birds though so those will definitely stay off! I think adorned with some beautiful blossoms it will make for a very rustic but elegant flower girl basket, which is definitely what we are going for.
Now for Kenny, I really do not want him to match the groomsmen, but want him to be his typical cute self.(This little boy yells Amen in church at the most appropriate times and the whole church dies laughing)
This Eton Suit is adorable and at a price of only $35.00 who can beat that. Kenny will not carry your traditional ring bearers pillow. I was looking for a way to incorporate more green into the wedding and found this beauty online. Another DIY project but unfortunately this can not be completed until the day before. Isn't it cute? I will adorn it with a pretty pink ribbon and voila! Now, how are you outfitting the kids for your wedding? I would love to hear your ideas!
That's right folks, it's time for yet ANOTHER count down contest! We are at 10 months from today until we get married! So excited!
Last month's winner Cassandra won a fabulous dinner and a movie package to Regal Movie Theatres and the Melting Pot! Congratulations Cassandra!
So what is this month's you might ask? Well, another thing that James and I enjoy doing is going to good ol Wal-Mart or Target and Acting like total goofballs!
With that being said, this month's contest if for a $25 gift card from either Wal-Mart or Target.
To enter: Leave us a comment telling us what you and FI would do with your gift certificate and how it would strengthen your relationship. We will randomly select one winner using a randomized method.
(** Entries MUST be posted by 11:59 cst Sunday December 20, 2009 to be eligible. Engaged couples only please.**)
In the mean time, What do you think about this bouquet for a springy outdoor wedding?
While the holiday season is rapidly approaching us, the engagement season is as well. “Silver Bells” and “Merry Christmas” are familiar phrases of the holiday season, but “Will You Marry Me” is a very popular phrase for couples.
This holiday season will be a penny pinching one for many, requiring many people to get creative in their search for affordable engagement rings. But, there are ways to get a quality ring without breaking the bank. Take into consideration these 5 easy pointers to save money on your soon to be fiance’s engagement ring!
1. Be educated! - You hear everyone talking about the 4 C’s (Clarity, Cut, Color and Carat) engagement ring shopping. If you don’t know what those are, stop reading right here and visit Shane and Co.’s website (shaneco.com) for jewelry education. This website will teach you everything you need to get the best bang for your buck when engagement ring shopping. Going in uneducated on the ins and outs of ring shopping could land you with a bad buy for your money. Know what kind of ring your fiancé wants and what color most of her jewelry is. If she has a right hand ring that is yellow gold, buying a white gold engagement ring could end up costing you more money than you anticipated. Talk to your fiancé’s family and friends about what type of engagement ring she would like as well.
2. Choose a smaller stone to propose with- There is no shame in buying your future fiancé a starter ring and updating the ring on an anniversary to come, such as 1 year or even 5 year. Shane Co. offers this service and also a free lifetime warranty.
3. Don’t be afraid of higher end department stores. Some higher end department stores such as JcPenney, Macy’s, Belk, and Dillard’s offer quality rings at a fraction of the price. When we got engaged last December, James told me that it was a temporary ring and that he wanted to get me a different ring eventually. We were out shopping one Sunday at JcPenney and found a great 1/3 of a carat nearly colorless, small inclusion ring for $300! That was too For example this Blue Nile (www.bluenile.com) ring sells for $1600.
www.bluenile.com
Did you know that you can find similar rings for around $500 or $600. This ring below can be found at Wal-Mart (Don’t cringe, read below) for $398!
Walmart.com
4. Don’t Settle for a Ring that is not “the Ring”- Too many men regret that they did not take longer in searching for the perfect ring for their fiancé. If you don’t find the ring by when you wanted to propose, don’t worry about it. She will still love you if you propose at a least expecting time. Be 100% sure before you buy.
(Bravo Bride.com)
5. Scout eBay, Craigslist or pre-owned bridal sites, like Bravo Bride - Many recent divorcees sell their engagement rings and wedding bands on these websites for sometimes as much as 75% off. Just be on the look out and make sure everything is legitimate before purchasing.
6. Remember- No matter what amount you spend on an engagement ring, it is the love and thought that you put behind it and how happy you will be when you are husband and wife.
I have had the pleasure over the last 3 months to really get to know Mark and Noelle McCoy of McCoy Made (http://www.mccoymade.com). You might remember them from their previous name of McCoy Studio. Their new name and website are very user friendly and I just love their video blog series "Mondays with the McCoy's." In fact, here is the Monday with the McCoy's that we were featured on!
Here are some questions I asked the McCoy's in our interview!
1. Who are you and what do you do?
We are Mark and Noelle McCoy, of MCCOY MADE. We are a husband and wife photography team who travel the globe doing what they love to do, capturing couples uniting themselves in marriage.
What budgets do you work with?
We will try and work with anyone!But, we do have a base starting point that we believe is geared towards the bride who is recession savvy but still wants fabulous imagery.We take on a limited number of weddings per year, therefore ensuring that we work with brides who love our work and who like our personalities!
How many weddings have you been involved in?
So far for 2009 we have shot 25 weddings and we will 5 more this year!
What is one of your strengths in the industry?
Being a husband/wife team, we like to take pride in the fact that we pay just as much attention to the groom as we do the bride!There will always be two perspectives of the same moments, and we can be in two places at once.We have started several new polices for 20
10 here in our studio, one of our favorites is that we will be scheduling your GALLERY PREMIERE within two weeks of your wedding date!So, everything will be completely edited and ready to go shortly after you return from your honeymoon.
What makes you different from other vendors in your category and why should a bride and groom hire you?
The most important difference MCCOY MADE has that no one else has, is us.We take our jobs very seriously, but we love to laugh at ourselves as well.We strive to serve people with our hearts, and keep communication lines open.
Our style is simple but we believe that our images speak volumes.We always take time to get to know our clients so that their gallery can be a personal reflection of who they are.While we cover weddings in a journalistic way, we don’t like to limit ourselves by a “genre” of photography.We are hands off and unobtrusive in our coverage, but we do believe that there is a time for gorgeous casually posed images of the bride and groom and bridal party.We understand that family images are heirlooms that record your family in one of the most important events of your life.
What areas of Middle Tennessee do you service?
We serve all of Middle Tennessee, and beyond!We have captured a bride and groom in Italy, and at the latter part of the year will travel to Guatemala to cover a wedding!
Describe your favorite wedding or special event you have worked with?
This one is hard.I don’t think we’ve worked with a bride and groom that we didn’t fall in love with!Our favorite part of any wedding, is the people.But, if we had to pick just one, it would be a wedding we shot this past summer on a horse farm.The farm was theirs, and the horse drawn buggy the bride arrived to the outdoor ceremony in, was theirs.They all wore cowboy boots, and the groom wore a Stenson hat.All theirs.They were so true to who they are, not a single detail was a forced replica out of the latest magazine.That it made the entire event special (and more fun to be a part of and capture)!
Do you have any money saving tips to offer couples planning a wedding?
Do your homework.Hire a coordinator.One option that we offer, is that a bride can register with us!People can buy gift certificates to be put towards helping the bride and groom purchase their pictures or album after the wedding!
One more last piece of wisdom for the couple…
Always interview people.For photography, knowing that you “click” is important (no pun intended!).You want to get along, and feel comfortable, with your photographer, as they will be with you all day long.Always ask to look at sample wedding albums so you can get a feel for what you’re signing up for.
Thanks Guys! If you are looking for a photographer, definitely give Mark and Noelle a call! They are wonderful and funny people and even better photographers!
Thank you for coming to our blog! We are so excited for you that you are entering this new stage of your life and embarking on wedding planning! We are here to help you along the way or when it gets down to that final week/month. The purpose of this blog is to provide vendor recommendations, DIY tips, and also to give you the perspective of a bride planning her own wedding!
In the mean time, What do you think about this bouquet for a springy outdoor wedding?
