Sneak Peak

Yesterday our photo session was perfect! The sky was a beautiful blue and we had a nice breeze too.  We took a ton of fun pictures at the Jefferson and we had a little fun when we went to the Roosevelt because we got into one of the fountain. We even got a beautiful sunset picture on our way back to the car. We had a great time with our photographer and her husband!  Thankfully we took our pictures yesterday because our back up date was today but with the 5.9 earthquake today they closed most of the monuments in D.C. along with the bridges into/out of D.C.  It would have been a nightmare if we were planning to go today.  Our photographer sent us a little sneak peak today. Hope you enjoy!

Jessica Schmitt Photography 

Jessica's husband took pictures of her taking pictures of us for her website :)

Engagement Shoot Today!

Will and I are taking our engagement photos today!  It has been a long month of picking out just the right outfit for the shoot but with the help of my brother I was able to find my dress at White House Black Market. I am excited about my cute shoes too!  The plan is to take our photos at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and then head over to the Roosevelt Memorial to take some pictures by the waterfalls there.  Hopefully everything goes as planned.  Our photographer recommended using some props so Will and I went to Michael's this morning and bought a cute little chalk board to write messages on.  Here is a example of using a chalk board.

stylemepretty.com

On another note Will's Tungsten ring came in and we didn't like it.  It doesn't look like it did in the photo.  We wanted a brushed finish ring but the ring that came has a shinny polish finish.  Today we went to a jewelry store and found something closer to what he wants and ordered it.  Hopefully this time when we see the new ring it will be more what we were expecting.  Now we just have to return the old one.  We are still looking for a ring to match my engagement band exactly.  

Stay tuned for an update after our photos today!!!! :) Keeping my fingers crossed the sky stays bright blue!

(p.s. it's my last week of freedom/summer before I go back to school next week. I am secretly excited to get back to my classroom, I have lots of new plans for my room this year!)

August = Productivity!

This month has been a productive month so far and it's not even over! With 2 weeks left until I am back at school working to get my classroom all set up I have been busy getting some wedding planning done. So far this month:

1. Research photographers
2. Meet with 3 photographers
3. Pick photographer and sign contract
4. Engagement shoot (to be done August 22nd or 23rd!)
5. Officially ask bridesmaids to be apart of the wedding
6. Bridesmaids order dresses and shoes
7. Start wedding website (to be released after engagement photos are added to it)
8. Look at wedding rings and order Will's
9. Begin to research DJs


I love checking things off the list! The biggest accomplishment was choosing our photographer! We are really excited to begin working with her and we are excited to say that she inspired us to have a "photo guest corner" where our guest can take pictures and download them at home after the wedding.  It is not like a regular photo booth where you go inside of a booth to take pictures.  Instead it is an area at the reception with props, frames, white boards and a 2nd photographer to take your picture.  We are excited about this because it is something we hadn't considered before.  It is going to be a lot of fun :) Check out this awesome photo booth!

After my wonderful bridesmaids ordered their dress this month so I could check it off the list and not have to worry about the dresses being discontinued, I took them for some wine tasting and we had a great time :)

Sharing some Sangria at Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, VA 

Bridesmaids and their wine glasses I made :)

And last but not least, Will's wedding band has been ordered and is on its way! Here is the band he picked

www.tungstenworld.com

More updates to be added after we taking our engagement photos next week :) 

Finally The Colors Are Picked!

So for the last 4 months I have been unable to make up my mind about the color theme for the wedding.  I started wanting a rust orange, then switched to brown, and then to green, and now have finally made up my mind. (I know it's not a big surprise that I couldn't make up my mind... it was a big decision) About 3 months ago, sometime early May, Joey, my Mom and I went to look at dresses to start thinking more about colors.  We had a blast and Joey looked great in some bridesmaid dresses ;) as you can tell he was thrilled.

We did successfully find the bridesmaid dress that I would like but they didn't have a sample in the colors I wanted.  My Mom modeled it for me.

We left thinking we would go with green so we could add pops of orange and brown to go with my fall theme  and not to mention Will's favorite color is green.  But then the more I thought about it I wasn't sold on the green idea because I didn't want my bridesmaids to look like they were in camouflage when we take picture on the green golf course.  

Yesterday, however, we went back because my Mom's MOB dress came in.  She looks absolutely stunning and sassy! :)  We brought one of the bridesmaids, Miss Ana Godlewski, to look the bridesmaid dress we picked out and to get her input on the color theme since the green wasn't working for me.  She modeled a few dresses but she looked wonderful in eggplant purple so finally the colors have been settled. We are going with eggplant purple with accents of silver and rusted orange (because I want pumpkins). The dress below isn't the dress I chose, it is just shows the colors the bridesmaids will be wearing.  The actual dress style is the one my Mom is wearing above. 

 The dress will have a silver sash

Thank you for being such a great model Ana! :)

After our eventful day of dress trying on I went home and found some shoes that I like on zappos.  I am so excited about my zappos find because they have free shipping!! I think I am going to order one pair to make sure the purples match before having all the bridesmaids order their shoes.

Annie Betsy Purple Satin from zappos.com

Overall, yesterday was very eventful and I am excited to cross another thing off my summer to do list :)

My Wedding Dress Is IN!!!!!!!!

I got a call on Thursday that my wedding dress is in!!! It was not suppose to be in until next August but the place I bought my dress made a mistake when they were ordering.  They did not look at the year of my wedding therefore they ordered it and it is HERE!!! :) My mom and a few bridesmaids are going to see it next Wednesday. I am not doing a fitting until this time next year but I want to go see it and put it on because the store is going to be holding it for a year.  I began my shoe hunt and every pair of shoes I have fallen in love with are quite pricey. If price wasn't a worry (because Will and I are saving to buy a house) then I would buy these Benjamin Adams shoes.

myglasssliper.com

My moms MOB dress is also in so we are going to pick it up this weekend! 

On another exciting note Will and I have made our first appointments to meet two photographers.  We are meeting them on July 30th and I can't wait :) 

Hello Again!

I can't believe the last time I posted was May 1st! Life went crazy in May and June!  First, I finished my first year of teaching, YAY! :) It was a great year and I miss my kiddos but I sure am enjoying my time by the pool now.  Second, Will graduated from the academy and is back home after 4 months of training.  His parents, my parents, and I all went up to New Jersey for his graduation last week on June 24th.  We are all so proud of him!

Congrats Will :)

Now that Will is back home and school is done so I have finally gotten back to wedding planning. Next on my to do list is to find a photographer.  I have started the photographer hunt but it is very overwhelming.  There are millions of photographers and after about 30 minutes of looking at their websites they all begin to look the same.  Will and I have decided that we are going to take our engagement photos down in D.C. by the monuments so now we just have to find the right person to take the photos.  If anyone has any photographer suggestions or recommendations please feel free to leave us a comment.  

William's HOME!!!!!!

This weekend Will came home, it was the first time I have seen him in about 10 weeks.  It was a long wait but it is worth it because he is doing an awesome job at work!! It's weird to think it was the first time we have seen each other since the weekend we got engaged.  Will road the Grey Hound home and decided he was never going to ride it again because "it smelled like feet the whole bus ride." It was an eventful weekend home because Will bought a new car and now he doesn't have to take the bus back and watch Saquatia eat noodles with her 3 inch finger nails. :)  I love his new car because it has heated seats...my favorite car feature.  Will loves it because it gets 42 miles a gallon because it is a TDI.  Overall, a fabulous weekend together :)

PS. we found our future dog...I named her Bailey