To save a little money OR to buy myself a better wedding dress, i'm just going to have one dress & not buy a second reception dress... Maybe that would be easier.

I haven't been to an actual store to try on dresses yet, I just hope for that "wow" factor" when I do. Hopefully I'll find something beautiful within my budget of $2,000. We'll see!! Also wondering to myself- are fiancees' allowed to go to the fittings??... Andy is paying for it, so I want him to go help me pick something, but I want him to be surprised as well... I just hope his jaw drops when i finally walk down the asile.

It's almost time to tell his family about our engagement- thanksgiving night at dinner!!! I know & love his family & they seem to love me too, so hopefully everyone will be happy.

After we tell the family, we can go look at churches... we have one in mind that we'd like to see, in his hometown, so I'm so excited! I can't wait!!! I'm excited but at the same time I'm drained... keeping our engagement a secret for a while and not being able to plan since it's a secret, you have to watch what you say, I have to take my ring off when I'm with his family, it's exhausting. I'm ready to get it over with & let it out of the bag!!!

Just a quick update... this morning i asked my brother Robert to walk with me, and he said yes!!

It's funny- Robert actually got tears... he's not one to cry or get emotional, but we're all like a big circle actually- he is military, so is Andy. Robert's gf is stuck at home missing her soldier.. so am I. We all understand & love eachother. And he did- my brother actually got misty eyed when he said yes. Very touching, very sweet... made me whole day better.

Update on Andy... he is coming home from Iraq within the next week fianlly!! We're so excited. This week is going by soooooooo slowly waiting for him, ugh! But it'll be worth it to have him back home where he belongs. :)

Those are my updates for the time being... stay tuned :)!!

With the help of my new fellow bride friends- you know who you are, I've had an idea to maybe add small red dried berries to my bouquet, but i'm wondering how? Is this even a cute look, or just a cute idea? 

This is the arrangment I've decided on- orange & red roses. Of course WITHOUT the white ribbons... possibly a gold sheer ribbon to hold. And I would make the bouquet bigger.   Yes?

Oh wow... in the past few weeks we've looked at a million cakes online & have tossed around many many more ideas about decor, and new dress' and everything... I know the basis of what i want, but i keep finding new wedding dresses and new ideas to incorperate... sooo much too choose from!! Sometimes i feel overloaded by all the choices i have to make.

Cathedral veil o fingertip veil... that is the question.

For the ceremony i love the cathedral veil look, since my dress has no train. I think it adds beauty & grace, however at the reception, I dont want to have to hold my veil or wrap it around my arm while im dancing. I dont wanna take it off either. I dont want to buy two, but i think i may have to.... hummmmm

This is Andy... isn't he beautiful?!! He's the absolute love of my life.

He's just the best thing in the world to me... he's the only one in the world who can make me laugh at 3am other than my girlfriends, he's always there good & bad days- even from Iraq while he's fighting a war, he still asks how my day is & if i say bad- he makes me tell him & he's always there to make it better. He's my best friend, he's my rock, he's my love, he's everything to me & now i'd be lost without him. I know we all say it- but i do feel like i'm the luckiest woman alive.

Andy being funny

Andrew in his uniform from his barracks room in Iraq

Here are some pictures of our wedding reception at Slate Creek Lodge. Enjoy!

SLATE CREEK LODGE

the lakehouse

dining room

living/sitting room

reception hall room

Newlywed suite

back deck

 all photos credited to: kbba.com/slatecreek

Just a few ideas we have about our reception location... int he reception room the ceilings are blank and the tables are bare- with some white, red & orange table cloths, chair covers, and these simple decorations- i think it will be lovely. bride.com    I think the gold sheer drapes makes a dim, romatic lighting.

of course with orange/red colored flowers and petals... simply beautiful

Photos: W. Scott Chester Photography and Studio 1923

With a few minor adjustments, this is the style we liked for a cake. The ribbons will be deep orange and ruby red, we'll have a military cake topper- a soldier & a bride. And on the 2nd tier we'll have a C put on for our last name. And the side flowers will be a mix between red & orange assorted flowers.

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