Kari & Jeremy ~ May 9, 2009

[Kari&Jeremy]

I love the idea of a wedding journal, so I'm beginning one. :) Most of my pictures are at home, but I'll post some stuff later this week.

About us:

I'm Kari. He's Jeremy. We met in August of 2008, began dating in September, and, following a whirlwind courtship, became engaged December 10, 2008. We're both very practical and always said we would have a long relationship and engagement whenever the time came. That didn't exactly happen. ;)

I'm a full-time graduate student--pursuing my M.A. in English--and I'm also working as a writing tutor and library assistant. He's currently working at Verizon Wireless and doing graphic design on the side. Our schedules are SO busy between our jobs and being very active in church. I'm afraid I might have to reintroduce myself to him on our wedding day!

For my proposal, he took me down to the Riverwalk (a special place for us) late after church. It was FREEZING, so I knew he had to either be proposing or losing his mind. ;) We walked for awhile until we approached a bridge. When I looked up, two guys from the church were dangling a huge sign that he had designed, asking me to marry him. When I turned, he was down on one knee. It was great. As soon as I said yes, a bunch of our friends and family came out from the bushes, raining rose petals, hugs, and congratulations. He also had a dozen roses for me. It was fabulous.

We're doing an early summer wedding--one week after finals! We initially planned to hold the ceremony in our church, but we received a surprise offer on the building and it may be sold by then. Our second choice is a lovely park, right beside a little lake and bridge. We will be holding our reception in a hall in another park. We're expecting 200-300 people.

I will post more info and pics later on!

[Mrs.Goff]

Nice proposal. Congratulation on your impending nuptials. Looking forward to seeing all your ideas.

[Moon.Dust.]

congrats! w share a wedding date!

[karkar]

Congrats! We are also date twins! :)

[sandy03]

Good luck on everything! I can't wait to hear how you handle the stress of graduation and wedding in such close proximity because I'm about two weeks behind you!

[BarceloMayaPalaceBride]

What a sweet proposal :) Happy Planning!!! :)

[Kari&Jeremy]

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely nervous about pulling the wedding off in such close proximity to finals. :bbeek: It's going to be stressful, for sure!

I thought I'd do some more details about the wedding.

Colors: Victorian lilac and silver, with accents of lavender.

I have fairly simple tastes, so that's what will define the wedding. I like a simple, but classy look--not much frou frou at all.

Reception: It will be held in the early evening at a hall in a local park. We're going to do mainly finger foods, with a chocolate fountain and cake. I'm hoping to encourage more of a casual atmosphere where everyone can mingle and have fun. I'm thinking of doing a kids section with coloring books and more kid-friendly food. I also bought a bubble machine! I would love to do a candy buffet, but I'm having to negotiate that with my fiance, who thinks the guests will be on sugar overkill. lol.

Bridal party: We each have five attendants, plus 4 ushers, 2 flower girls, a Bible bearer, and a miniature bride and groom. The girls will be in street length victorian lilac dresses, and the guys will be in black tuxes. We're still debating the little ones and what color of vests/ties for the guys.

Decor: Pretty simple. We're going to do the pews/chairs with some pew bows and tulle draped between them with rose petals. If it ends up being outside, we will do an arch.

For the reception, I'm still deciding. I know we're going to do lights in tulle across the ceiling and include a lot of rose petals, but I'm not sure what we're doing with it. It will be relatively simple as well.

Here are some pictures of stuff I have:

My flower girl baskets

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/020.jpg

Bible pillow

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/022.jpg

Toasting goblets:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/021.jpg

Cake topper:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/025.jpg

Pew/chair bows (my MIL is making them):
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/019.jpg

And last...a picture of us!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/us7.jpg

Thanks for looking! I'll add more details and pictures soon. :)

[Kari&Jeremy]

Some days I feel like I am really on top of the wedding, and other days I feel like I have a TON to do.

Here is what I need to do over the next couple of weeks:

--Register (hopefully Monday)
--Call for prices on tables/chairs for the reception and chairs for the ceremony
--Call for price on arch
--Put our engagement announcements in both papers
--Hint nicely to my FH that he needs to get his side of the guest list done soon.
--Find my address book (nice time to lose it, eh?)
--Order bubbles and ribbon
--Make appointments for flower quotes
--Make appointments for cake quotes
--Find pattern for flower girls and miniature bride's dresses
--Make appt. with seamstress to get started on the dresses
--Discuss ceremony outline with FH and pastor; make sure my uncle and his dad are willing to participate.

Agh!!

[Moon.Dust.]

--Hint nicely to my FH that he needs to get his side of the guest list done soon.
LOL!
Good luck!

[sandy03]

Everything looks great and it sounds like you're well on your way to getting things done. Good luck!

[Kari&Jeremy]

We had an eventful weekend!

We went to a wedding expo on Sunday, and we got some really helpful information on some details that we need to get done.

We made an appointment with someone who can furnish the chairs, the arch, and the runner for the wedding, and he can also transport the chairs to the reception hall, too!

We also reserved the tuxes. All of the guys will have victorian lilac vests and black/victorian lilac striped ties. Jeremy will be in white, and the groomsmen will be in black. The ushers will just be in suits with the same black/victorian lilac striped ties. Our miniature groom will match Jeremy, and our Bible bearer will match the groomsmen. I am really pleased with the selections!

Now, I need to get cracking on the flowers and cake. I have some cards to make consulation appointments with for the flowers, so I need to do that soon. I looked at cakes at the wedding expo, and I decided I needed to go elsewhere. The prices were pretty expensive. :bbeek: A lady in our church is supposed to get me her sister-in-law's phone number to get a quote, so we'll see how that turns out.

We also registered this weekend at Target. I was really disappointed in their bed and bath selection, though, so I think we're going to do a second registry at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. :) It was a lot of fun--and took a lot of compromise...lol. We have pretty different taste in home decor.

[Mrs.Goff]

WoW, You've been busy. I would like to see your ties they sound lovely. WTG, on getting things done.

[Kari&Jeremy]

Here are some pictures of the tuxes. :)

Here is the tux itself. FH's will be white.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/tux2.jpg

This is the vest and tie (and they will do this type of shirt as well). The vest is actually a bit darker.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/ties.jpg

[Kari&Jeremy]

Initially, we were planning to have our wedding in our church; however, we got a surprise offer on our church building and decided to sell. Since we didn't know what kind of building we would end up having church in until we finished building our new one, I reluctantly agreed to an outdoor wedding.

Well...our pastor's wife told me yesterday that we may have a church wedding after all! We found a building, and, while we need to turn it into a church still, they're hoping it will all be done by our wedding! AND we may have a space available for a reception, too!

I am SO excited! We won't know for sure for a few more weeks, but my hopes are high. I was so worried about an outdoor wedding: the weather is so unpredictable--and usually windy, there will be lots of ducks, which I hate, we both have allergies, etc etc.

I really, really hope it works out!

[Mrs.Goff]

I really hope the new building works out for you all. Good Luck!

[Kari&Jeremy]

We went and looked at our future church building on Monday; it's beautiful (on the outside, anyway...we still have to renovate the interior). It should hold about 350, which would be perfect. I am soooo excited! I'm hoping we'll know relatively soon so we can move forward on decor and invitations.

I'm really working on trying to figure out what to do for the flower girls and miniature bride. The only dresses that I found that are even semi-reasonable in price and that I like are at David's Bridal, and I still would need to order a jacket to go with them. That still makes them really expensive. I can't seem to find a reasonable priced dress with sleeves. :( I found a seamstress, so I should check out patterns before I make any purchases.

[Mrs.Goff]

Check out Ebay for flower girl dresses. They have beautiful dresses for cheap. Here's an example.

http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/cu/foralittleangel/1red609wn.jpg

This one is 27.99 + shipping. The auction ends in about 20 minutes, but there are tons of others.

http://i2.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/f0/43/e8a9_1.JPG
This one is $14.99 + shipping. It still has 25 days left.

There are about 238 pages. Give it a look.

They are red because red is one of my colors. lol

[Moon.Dust.]

that second one is DARLING!

[Kari&Jeremy]

It's been an...interesting weekend.

My FH was laid off unexpectedly yesterday. :( It's scary, but we will deal with whatever happens together.

AND...our church deal fell through. :( So, we're back to an outdoor wedding. *sigh* Oh well.

On a brighter note, we have my bridal shower scheduled! Well, I'm actually having two. The first one is going to be in Minnesota where FH is from. His mom and I are flying out there so I can meet everyone, and they are throwing me a bridal shower. My regular shower will be April 18th! It should be fun. :)

My veil and sash came in, plus a bridesmaid dress and jacket! (They are being ordered at different times.) I LOVE them all--especially my veil. I will have to take pictures. ;)

[Mrs.Goff]

That sucks about your FHs job. Times are tough, I hope he finds something new. As for the outdoor wedding you can totally make that awesome. Have you thought about tents? Either way I hope that works out too.

[sandy03]

I'm sorry about stuff falling through. That really stinks. I can't wait to see the pictures of what you have, though! I know that's really exciting.

[Kari&Jeremy]

I just bought the bags for my bridal party gifts! I have already purchased stuff to put in them: foot care products (scrubs, brushes, poofs), plus a keychain with their initial and a small notebook. I plan on including flipflops as well, plus a personalized thank you note.

They don't match my colors, but they are so cute that I couldn't resist. They were also on sale! :)

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/bridesmaidtote.gif

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/maidofhonor.gif

[Kari&Jeremy]

I just found a sand ceremony set that I LOVE! It's a little pricier than I had intended, but I may splurge. I'm saving the link for future reference: http://www.foreverwedstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=F&Product_Code=FWUSCSCH

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/sandceremony.jpg

[amunet]

I just found a sand ceremony set that I LOVE! It's a little pricier than I had intended, but I may splurge. I'm saving the link for future reference: http://www.foreverwedstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=F&Product_Code=FWUSCSCH



That is a really cute sand ceremony set! I've just been browsing for them lately. And also were did you buy the BM totes??

[Kari&Jeremy]

That is a really cute sand ceremony set! I've just been browsing for them lately. And also were did you buy the BM totes??

www.ninashopechest.com (http://www.ninashopechest.com)

I've seen them in quite a few different stores, but this was the cheapest price!

[Kari&Jeremy]

2 months and 19 days! I'm officially flipping out now. I sent a long e-mail to my mom and my fiance detailing all of the things that occurred to me that will go wrong with our reception! We're planning a DIY reception with a finger food buffet--but our reception hall doesn't have a kitchen! I'm freaking out over how we are going to get all of the food over there between the ceremony and the reception with all of the family and bridal party occupied with the wedding/pictures, etc.

PLUS. We're renting chairs for the ceremony, and the guy we're going to rent them from said he would just use the same chairs for the reception.

However, it just occurred to me that it will take a little bit to pick them all up, transport them, and set them up....so we may have people showing up with NO chairs and NO food. SO NOT COOL.

Plus, we can't get into our hall until 12:30. Our ceremony is at 3:00. Which means that the bridal party can't do any decorating--it's just going to be in the hands of...someone. Two of my mom's coworkers have volunteered to help, and I plan on having everything organized, but...still! That's not much time at all to get set up.

OY! I'm freaking out.

We also have a ton of stuff to do, and my fiance and I really, really need to sit down and get stuff done. It just hasn't happened yet, though, and I'm threatening to start making executive decisions. School is really starting to pick up, and if I"m doing all of this stuff around finals...I'm going to lose my ever loving mind....

I have done a few things. I'll post some pictures in the next post.

[Kari&Jeremy]

Here is how we are going to do the back of my hair (this is a photo of one of my bridesmaid's hair...and she's going to do that on mine):

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/curls.jpg

This is the inspiration picture for my programs! I've started putting them together in Word. I just need to figure out if I'm going to use cardstock or regular paper.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/programlove.jpg

This is the flower girl dress I found at JC Penney! It's cute, and they will be able to wear it again:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/dress.jpg

I found this sweater online that I'm going to look for in the store for them to wear over it:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f271/kari_86/cardigan.jpg

[Kari&Jeremy]

Things are starting to move along! I went and picked up my flower girl dresses--I ended up getting different sweaters. They're shorter, and they show the front of the dress better. They are so cute! I almost couldn't get one for the oldest flower girl. I ended up getting the last one in the state:bbeek: and had to call my FMIL to pick it up for me, since it was at a store a couple hours away, close to where she lives.

One of my bridesmaids went and ordered her dress yesterday, and the last two will go with me on Friday to order theirs! I'm also ordering the dress for the miniature bride, as well as her veil. :)

I had my flower consultation on Tuesday as well. I'm hoping she gives me a good price, so I can just go with her instead of shopping around. I suppose it's smarter, but I'm so busy that I'm going with easier. I panicked a bit because, apparently, the color rose I wanted doesn't exist...so she ended up spraying the color she had with an other tint, and it was perfect! My bouquet will be white and purple roses with white stephanotis, and the girls will carry bouquets of a dozen white roses with silver ribbon. Jeremy will have a purple rose and stephanotis bout, and then the guys will have simple purple bouts. I will post pictures of my ideas when I get a chance. :)

I also got the guest list from my FMIL, so that's almost done. I just need to get the church roster from our pastor's wife to finish it up. We're going to send out invitations March 14th!

Now, I need to get cracking on the cake!

[sandy03]

It sounds like you have everything well under control. I'm really glad it worked out with the sweaters. I can't wait to see the new one you picked!