Wedding Day Re-Cap!

Hello! I am writing to you for the first time as Mrs. Dianna Haynes! That is so exciting! I still sit and marvel that I am married. I look at Dusty and am like , "you are my HUSBAND" and he smiles and says, 'and you are my wife." It is crazy, it always felt like the wedding was forever away and now it is 5 days past us! I am surprised to report that I did not cry at the wedding. I predicted that the excitement and hormones would have made me a blubbering baby but rather the happiness that I was finally becoming Dusty's wife kept a smile on my face all evening, that whole day I had not a worry in the world (well...I was worried that a child would trip and get hurt when they were running around but that is every adult's fear when kids run...right?).  If you were unable to make it to the big event or even if you were there let me re-cap for you.

1.) What was the date and time of your wedding? April 11, 2014 at 5:00pm

2.) What was the weather like? The weather was gorgeous. High of 75, partly cloudy, not a rain drop to be seen but a nice breeze to keep us cool! LOTS of pollen though, just ask Dusty's Tux!

3.) What kind of food/beverages did you serve? During cocktail hour we had a cheese and cracker assortment (I stole some cheese cubes while waiting to make our grand entrance because I was STARVING!), drink options were water, sweet tea or lemonade (apparently the best lemonade in the entire world according to everyone who told me about it AFTER the fact!), Dinner was a bacon wrapped turkey tenderloin with a whisky glaze, red skinned mashed potatoes with bacon and cheese on the side as mix ins, macaroni and cheese, grilled vegetables (they gave me my own side of just asparagus) and yeast rolls. It was all amazing! Best wedding food ever in my opinion!

4.) What kind of cake did you have and who made it? We had a 3 layer hexagonal cake from Dewey's bakery, the top and bottom layers were chocolate and the middle was red velvet all with white icing and decorated to match our cinema theme. The cake was fresh, moist and delicious, not to mention the fact that it looked amazing. Dewey's did a great job!

5.) Did everyone who RSVP attend? No, we had a few no-shows but it happens, it did lead to lots of left over delicious food!! We did have some FAR away out of town guests make it in from New York (Lauren and John,) Gabby and Joe), New Hampshire (Alex), Colorado (Katie), Massachusetts (Sam and Mike).

6.) Did your ceremony run smoothly? For the most part, our processional got a little out of sorts when my nephews forgot to push mom down the aisle in her wheel chair so she came in right before me and dad, our flower girl and ring bearer walked down the aisle with our best man and matron of honor (which was absolutely adorable by the way!), I forgot to switch my engagement ring to my right hand before the ceremony so I (probably not so subtly) moved it right before getting my wedding ring, and Noah yawned very loudly after we said our vows which cracked everyone up. All in all it was wonderful.

7.) Did your reception run smoothly? It got a little out of sorts, we didn't have a set order of events which got a little hectic, I didn't bustle my train right away so it got in the way of our first dance and tripped a lot of people during the reception (no one got hurt), no one really danced except Dusty and I with our parents but since we aren't big on the whole dancing thing it worked for us and the kids had the whole front outdoor space to play and run and I can't be sure that I spent enough time with EVERYONE because I kept moving around or being pulled aside for a question or something, hopefully no one felt neglected!

8.) Did you get all of the pictures you wanted? Who knows?? Our photographer was amazing, she came and shot our wedding even though she doesn't do photography anymore and did an awesome job. She had 5 photos to me THAT NIGHT and all of them were amazing. Dusty and I had made signs to use in the photos but realized that we left them in the room so we only used one of them and figured we could add the quotes digitally after the fact. I believe that the rest of the pictures will turn out amazing as well and lots of people have shared their pictures with us on Facebook.

9.) What was your first dance song? Everything Else Disappears by Sister Hazel

10.)What song did you dance with your dad to? I Loved her First by Heartland

11.)What song did the groom and his mother dance to? My Wish by Rascal Flatts

12.) What was your last dance song? We didn't have one, no big deal though.

13.) Who caught the bouquet? Lily McLean

14.) Who caught the garter? We didn't do that.

15.) What were your favors? We had boxes of popcorn and little clapboard picture holders

16.) What did you do for your send off? We didn't have one, we took a picture holding a sign that said "to be continued" in the hall where our room was.

17.) Where did you spend your wedding night? We stayed in the Johnson Room right at the Manor House. The room was right down the hall from our reception and it was beautiful!! The bed was comfy, Lauren, Anita, Brittany and Katie decorated our room before we retired for the night which was awesome, and breakfast the next morning was AMAZING!! Best breakfast ever of fresh Blueberry scones, eggs, bacon, fruit, toast, and orange juice!!

18.) Did anyone decorate your car? Yes! Our car had been written on apparently NOT by David & Sierra with Noah's help! Noah kept claiming that it was some woman with black hair that had him draw on the windows, we named people and he just said no until he said that David and Sierra let him draw on it. He was tickled that he got to draw on the trunk (the back windshield), and the sides "but not the front" and he apparently drew potatoes.

19. Did you take a honeymoon? Yes, we went to Wilmington, NC and are currently still ON our honeymoon. Note the water at the beach is flippin COLD in April!

20. Would you do anything different? While sitting in a movie theater yesterday we thought it would have been cool to have random movie trivia while people were waiting for the ceremony to begin but besides that nope because our wedding was awesome.

100 Days Left!

Begining to address wedding announcements!

101 days left!!- End of Year Recap (stolen from Hannah Callaway)

1. What did you do in 2013 that you'd never done before? I got the flu shot and planned 3 weddings, lol.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions and will you make more for next year? I don't think I made any resolutions last year but our first year of marriage to do list may start early for a group resolution type thing.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My sister did! Little Ryan Patrick Dunne was born and I became a godmother :)

4. Did anyone close to you die? My dog Belle died :(

5. What countries did you visit? I didn't leave this one.

6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013? I would like to finally have my wedding! Which I will, only 101 days away!

7. What date(s) from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? None, it has been a year of waiting with no specific dates in mind.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? I lost 30 pounds, I gained 10 back because I fell off the wagon hard but I am still proud of my 20 lbs lost!

9. What was your biggest failure? Allowing the little things to get to me, forgetting at times that what matters at the end of the day is that you have your family.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury? I had Pneumonia for a month straight and I dislocated my thumb.

11. What was the best thing you bought? My wedding dress, though I didn't technically buy it, my mommy did.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? I will say mine and Dusty's because we have been thrown some rough curve balls, had to re=plan our wedding twice with most details changing costing us to lose many deposits and we still pushed through, heads high, jumping back on the horse and making new plans. We have also been complimented many times this year for taking the high road when many others would not and making very mature decisions.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Society in general, through there have been a few rays of hope society as a whole has shown its dark, hateful side and it makes me sad how horrible people can be.

14. Where did most of your money go? Wedding plans that fell through, food and rent.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? I was engaged and was planning my wedding!

16. What song will always remind you of 2013? None, I am not big into music.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? I will have to say sadder only because this time last year I had JUST gotten engaged. I am however extremely happy.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Let's go with thinner, though after the wedding I plan on trying to lose some more weight.
iii. Richer or poorer? Definitely poorer, but that is life.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Saving money.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Stressing. Poor Dusty has to deal with stressed out Dianna quite often.

20. How did you spend Christmas? We woke up around 5:30 am and laid in bed for a little bit, around 6 we started a fire and woke up Noah as it was our year to have him Christmas morning, watched him open his gifts, ate some breakfast, gave him a bath and watched a movie and played with new toys until Noah's mom picked him up at 9am. Got dressed and went to Dusty's parents' house for lunch and presents where Noah's mom dropped him off so he could partake, went to my brother's house for presents and dinner, stopped at Dusty's mom's house again for a couple of presents we forgot to give Noah then brought Noah to his MawMaw and PawPaw's house, went home too tired to clean and fell asleep super fast.

21. Did you fall in love in 2013? Yes. While I was already in love with Dusty I would, at times, find myself looking at him sometimes and feel that feeling of falling in love with him all over again. He would ask me what was wrong and I would say, "nothing, I just love you."

22. What was your favorite tv program? Hmm...I was big on HGTV this year watching shows like Love It or List It (NOT LOVE IT OR LIST IT TOO), Property Brothers, Property Virgins and House Hunters.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't think I HATE anyone. At work I often say that I hate people in general for being so petty and hateful but I don't literally HATE them.

24. What was your greatest musical discovery? "First Day of my Life" by Bright Eyes- OK so I am not actually not positive as to when I first hear this song but it was on a Zillow commercial and now it will be played at our wedding :)

25. What did you want and get? A big TV to make our love of movies more exiting at home!

26. What did you want and not get? A house

27. What was your favorite film of the year? Either The Conjuring or Catching Fire

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I worked, will probably do the same thing this coming year, I turned 25

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Buying a house rather than moving into an apartment, though I do LOVE my apartment (minus my downstairs neighbor)

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013? Um, I wouldn't.

31. What kept you sane? Dusty Haynes (and he is a who, not a what)

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? No idea- Jennifer Lawrence maybe because she is really down to earth and seems like a really good person.

33. Who did you miss? I miss abby doodles as she doesn't live with  me since I moved. 

34. Who was the best new person you met? Dusty's friend Katie, she is pretty awesome.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013: Plans need to be changed sometimes, get over it, make the best of it and remember what is important.

36. Quote a song lyric movie quote that sums up your year: "When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

114 days left! Meet the Cast Double Feature: David and Lauren

Cast Member: David Cox
Role in Wedding: Best Man
Relationship: friend of the groom
How we met: Dusty met Dave on the bus Dusty's sophmore year of high school.
How he got the gig:  Dave is Dusty's best friend, any other questions?

Cast Member:  Lauren Dunne
Role in Wedding: Matron of Honor
Relationship: Sister of the Bride
How we met: Lauren is Dianna's big sister!
How she got the gig:  Being Dianna's big sister, Lauren was Dianna's first friend and she was the only one to fit the role :)

115 Days left!- Meet the Cast Double Feature- Brad and Brittany

Cast Member: Bradley Leonard
Role in Wedding:Groomsman
Relationship: friend of the groom
How we met: Dusty went to school with Brad and they became close friends in middle school.
How he got the gig:  It was a no brainer! Brad is one of Dusty's oldest friends!









Cast Member:  Brittany Mixon
Role in Wedding: Bridesmaid
Relationship: Friend of the bride
How we met: Dianna met Brittany in college, they were in the ASU college of education together and Brittany became one of Dianna's best friends!
How she got the gig:  Brittany is an amazing lady and an inspiration to Dianna. She also may have strong-armed her way in, haha, JUST KIDDING BRITTANY!

116 days left!!! Meet the Cast Double Feature: Lyle and Lily

Cast Member: Lyle Davis
Role in Wedding:Groomsman
Relationship: Step-father of the Groom
How we met: Lyle is married to the grooms's mother.
How he got the gig:  Lyle is Dusty's step dad and it was important to Dusty that he be a part of his wedding.

Cast Member:  Lily McLean
Role in Wedding: Bridesmaid
Relationship: Friend of the bride
How we met: Dianna met Lily on the bus after moving to North Carolina her sophomore year in high school and they have been friends ever since!
How she got the gig:  Lily is on of the bride's best friends and they have been through a lot together so it made sense to heave her at the bride's side on her big day!

117 Days left! Meet the Cast: Double Feature! Michael and Heather

Cast Member: Michael Naglieri
Role in Wedding:Groomsman
Relationship: Brother of the Bride
How we met: When Dianna was born, Michael got to meet her as he is her big brother! Dianna introduced Dusty to Michael on July 4, 2012.
How he got the gig:  He is the bride's brother and she really really wanted him and Dusty's sister (below) in the wedding and to accommodate this Dianna and Dusty added 2 people to the bridal party they had already decided on!

Cast Member:  Heather Haynes
Role in Wedding: Bridesmaid
Relationship: Sister of the groom
How we met: Heather is Dusty's little sister so it is similar to the story above but backwards.
How she got the gig:  It was important to the couple that their siblings were in their wedding so the extra spots were created just for them!

150 days left!!- Extreme Makeover, Wedding Edition.

When I left you last you knew (or we thought you knew) all of our wedding vendors and we were working on introducing the wedding party. As of recently just about ALL of our vendors have changed! Due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances our entire wedding has been re-planned so almost everything you thought you knew was... 

Here's a list of what stayed the same:

1. Dusty and I are still getting married.
2. Our bridal party
3. Our Officiant
4. Our Photographer
5. Our cake

Short list, eh?

Here are somethings that have changed:

Wedding date (now April 11th rather than 12th), Wedding size (much smaller venue means more intimate wedding, went from about 200 people to 50), Hotel accommodations (no special rates, book at your own risk, we booked a room AT the wedding venue location), Venue, DJ, and Caterer. There will be no alcohol at the wedding, there WILL be seating for guests during the ceremony. Our honeymoon has changed as well but you won't be invited to that anyway. 

We have all new plans in store for you so here is a compilation of our NEW Cast and Crew!

Venue- We have moved our venue to the lovely Manor House in Tanglewood Park.

Crew title: The Manor House at Tanglewood Park
Address: 4201 Manor House Circle, Clemmons, NC 27102
Phone: 336-703-6400
Role in wedding: Venue
How we met: I first heard of Tanglewood due to the lovely Festival of Lights! I had driven past the Manor House many times but never entered until the day before we booked it as our venue. What to expect: The Manor House is the former country home of William and Kate Reynolds which now serves as a B&B that is very elegant inside. We are aiming to have our ceremony outside on the front veranda then open all of the French doors to have dancing in the front relaxing in the house and food set up in the back Veranda. There are rooms that can be rented if you are planning on spending the night and Dusty and I are doing just that! Our room is booked and the old fashioned feel will make for some beautiful pictures! The Manor house is located behind the Rose Garden and in front of the arboretum so beautiful flowers will not be lacking!

DJ- My beyond awesome brother in law has decided he would be our DJ for the big day. 

Crew title: John Dunne
Address: n/a
Phone: n/a
Role in wedding: DJ and MC
How we met: John is my Brother in Law.
What to expect: Nothing short of awesome. John is a very talented musician who was originally just going to play the ceremony music for us but once he heard we were canceling our DJ stepped in and offered to make our wedding ROCK. 

Caterer- Still deciding on that one, check back another time for more info.

All for now my dears! 

181 Days Left!! Meet the Cast and Crew: DOUBLE FEATURE Noah Haynes and Karlee Naglieri

Cast Member: Noah Haynes
Role in Wedding: Ring Bearer
Relationship: Son of the Groom
How we met: Dusty was in the room when he was born. I met Noah one day when Dusty brought Noah in to the office on his day off because he forgot his phone charger.
How he got the gig:  He is awesome, fun, brave, adventurous, inquisitive, smart, polite, handsome, beautiful and all around wonderful. Oh yeah, he is also Dusty's 3 year old son and my soon to be step-son. He is going to be an very handsome ring bearer!

Cast Member:  Karlee Naglieri
Role in Wedding: Flower Girl

Relationship: Niece of the Bride
How we met: Dianna met Karlee in a delivery room at Forsyth Medical Center the night she was born right before she was taken to Brenners to begin her long journey with CHD. Dusty met Karlee on July 4th 2012 when he met the rest of the Naglieri crew.
How she got the gig:  Karlee is an amazing miracle baby! She is the strongest little girl I know and given her adorableness plus the fact that she is the youngest little girl in the Naglieri/Dunne/Haynes clan, she was the perfect fit!

201 Days Left!!!- Meet the Cast: Perry Hardison

So you are planning a wedding, you have the dress, the venue, someone to marry, what else do you need? How about someone to make it official? Cue our next cast member, our officiant.

Crew title: Perry Hardison 
Address: PO Box 374, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27515
Phone: 919.618.3359
Role in wedding: Officiant
How we met: The internet. Since neither Dusty or I attend a church regularly we did not have anyone in mind when it came to someone performing our ceremony. We used wedding venue websites to check out our options for an officiant who would suit our needs and once we found Perry we knew we were on the right track. We met up with Perry in Chapel Hill at a Starbucks, talked it over and booked him to marry us.

What to expect: Perry Hardison is an ordained Baptist minister who will custom write our ceremony to fit our personality and wishes. Perry is a good guy and we are blessed to have him as part of or ceremony.

210 days left!!- Meet the Cast: Leah Robbins

What are some things that you take to a wedding? Tissues? A gift? A camera? I personally LOVE pictures and while I may not be the best at taking them, I sometimes pretend I am and adore having these frozen moments in time to remember a friend's special moments. With this in mind, it is not too hard to believe that the very first vendor that was booked was our photographer.

Crew title: Leah Robbins
Address: N/A
Phone: N/A
Role in wedding: Photographer
How we met: Leah had been the photographer to capture the pictures of Mrs and Mr Callaway's wedding and engagement and Hannah's Bridal shots! The pictures were wonderful so when Hannah told me of an amazing deal that her photographer was having that included 7 hours at the wedding a Bridal Shoot and an Engagement shoot I had to jump! Dusty and I looked through her work and determined that she was perfect for us! We had talked though what we wanted and had Leah booked even before Dusty asked me to marry him! While Leah is no longer accepting new business she is still going to be shooting our wedding making it even more special!

What to expect: You can expect to see a lovely lady setting up and taking amazing pictures at the wedding. We still want you to take pictures but please be mindful that if Leah is trying to set up a shot these are the pictures that WE get to keep, her job is to take the pictures that we will have forever as we wont be toting around a camera to capture the moment. Now she isn't going to stand directly in your way as we are having our first kiss but she may move around if she needs to get a different angle for a shot.

247 Days Left! - New Series: Meet the Cast and Crew

Picture this: You are going to this wedding of a friend or family member and you spend a good chunk of time looking at the bride, groom and the select people they decided to have participate in the ceremony and you think to yourself...WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!  You have never seen most of them before in your life and you can guess who is who but you may really want to know which bridesmaid was once kidnapped by real pirates and which groomsman used to date Kiera Knightly (briefly of course).

To make it a bit easier, for the next 21 weeks I am going to have a series starting next week entitled: "Meet the Cast and Crew" where I will tell you who is who, how I (or we) met this person, a little info about them and what role they will be performing in the wedding. Please note that just because someone is not featured in this series does not mean they are any less important, in the same way as just because you may not be a bridesmaid does not mean you are not an important person in my life.  I may also introduce you to some vendors we are using, you never know when that information may come in handy!

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the road ahead!

250 Days Left!! - What to Expect- Seating

Ah, the dreaded topic of our seating plan. I think if this wedding has one more area in which to stress me out it is going to be in making the seating plan. Since we are having plated meals that will be submitted beforehand, everyone must be in the seats to which we assign them, which makes our job much harder. Just in case sitting 10 random relatives at a table wasn't already stressful there comes the issue of seating during the ceremony and THAT is where I expect complaints.

Background: Our ceremony and reception are being held in the same room which means we will have it set up almost exactly the same all night. The Crystal Ballroom at our venue is perfect and it was kind of special to be able to have our table in the exact spot that we exchanged our vows. It was also going to be much more money and hassle to either pay for another room in the building for 30 minutes or make guests travel from one location to another for these events. We landed on the single room option and our event coordinator at the venue has instilled confidence in how it will turn out.

What to Expect: You may be standing for our entire ceremony, but it will be probably max about 30 minutes, if that. We will have some chairs moved from tables into rows to create an aisle for immediate family and for anyone with VERY young children or anyone who is injured but these seats will be filled at primarily our discretion. I know it may seem silly that you may have to STAND but this will give you more freedom as to where to be, you can be on the second floor or the first and maybe see the wedding from a POV that you have never experienced! This is one thing about my wedding that I KNOW is going to upset people but honestly, as mean as it sounds, I don't want to hear it, I have stood in line longer to get into a crummy movie or to pay for some groceries so I feel that standing (while I am doing the exact same thing), isn't too much to ask someone. After the ceremony, Dusty and I will make our escape to get some photo's done with our bridal party and family while our guests are offered some snacks, will have access to the pub and can take their seats inside when they are ready waiting for cocktail hour to be over so they can see us again and eat some yummy food then dance it all off!

280 Days Left!! - What to Expect: Drinks

After reading hundreds of wedding related posts I can tell you something that they all mention that kind of ticks me off. Every one tells me how tacky, inappropriate, and inconvenient cash bars are. They all say how you should go all out and offer a full bar to all of your guests to ensure they have fun. Well, this morning I had the last straw, and to clear anything up I determined what my next "what to expect" post would be.

Background:
I for one have never been much of a drinker. The most I have ever had was two or three weak drinks in one night. Dusty isn't a huge drinker either, not that he doesn't like to drink occasionally, it is just not a priority. I know it can be relaxing or even a bit fun to indulge once in a while but it isn't what I think of when I think of my wedding.

What to expect:
Two words for you: cash bar. As inconvenient as it may be for a guest at my wedding to break out their wallet for a jack and coke, it is ten times more inconvenient and costly for me to budget an entire wedding's alcohol intake. At our reception there is a full bar literally two doors down from the ballroom that would be very accommodating of guests wishing to acquire some spirits for the occasion. We have worked out that water, soda, tea and champagne punch will be free and unlimited and I for one think that is more than reasonable. Weddings are expensive and pumping guests full of booze is not at the top of my priorities. I don't mind the drinking, I just don't want to pay for it.

285 Days to Go! - Dieting

Ah, we have reached that horrible "D" word. Like most women in the world, I too feel that I need to loose some poundage,  as I have for quite a while now, but with the wedding comming up and any future plans to have kids it seemed like a good place to start and stick to it. Since June 3rd Dusty and I have been on a Diet. We are using the MyFitnessPal app from the android market to set our weight goals, record our calories and our excercises. The app is pretty awesome as once you tell it your weight, what you want to accomplish, and how fast you want to accomplish it, it tells you how many calories you are allowed to eat each day. At the end of each day when you "complete your entry" it tells you what you could weigh if every day was like that day (which, on days where you gave up and ate a Baconator for dinner, can be very discouraging).  My goal is to have lost 64 lbs by December 15th (the day I have my first Bridal Gown fitting).

Now, when I first got engaged I was going to try to get in shape, then decided not to because by February (a couple months after my engagement) I had found and purchased my wedding gown which was already a size too big for me. I figured that my fiancee loves me like I am so who else am I trying to impress? On many occasions Dusty and I would have conversations about dieting and how we often fail at it but probably should do it and whatnot. We have access to a health coach at work who gives us advice, gives us someone to talk to and helps set attainable goals. I found that my motivations that were most...well.. motivating were not just the ones that included "because I want to NOT buy size 22 jeans," but rather, "I want to like my wedding pictures," "because being so much overweight will put any children I try to have at higher risk for defects," and "because I want to be able to run around with my kids and not be winded in two minutes." Apparently when you have good reasons to do it, you are more likely to succeed.

Committing to dieting was difficult for me, not just because I was lazy, but because I was scared (and still am). If/when I lose weight, my engagement and wedding rings may not fit me anymore (they are already getting loose). If/when I lose weight, my wedding dress may be more difficult to alter and may end up looking terrible. If/when I lose weight, I may have to use our savings to buy clothes that fit. These things scare me to death, but they are not good enough reasons NOT to do it. SO what if my gown is a little different than when I first tried it on, I am having professionals alter it and they should be able to make it work. My ring set, if it needs to be bought again, is not going to break our bank and clothes, a small price to pay for being healthy for yourself and your family.

We began using the app to record our food intake in May, not setting a goal, just recording to get into the habit. Since officially starting on June 3rd Dusty and I have lost about 10lbs each following MyFitnessPal, taking walks and just paying attention to what we were pumping into our bodies. Have we gone over calories? YES, sometimes by much more than I am willing to admit but it is ok. Dusty keeps reminding me that just paying closer attention to your calorie intake tends to make you make healthier choices, even if you are above your 'goal.'

Dieting is hard, especially when you only have x amount of calories to consume (and that number goes down with the numbers on the scale! 11.5 pounds lost lost me 40 calories every day! Having someone to do it with makes it a little easier, I would have never lost an ounce without Dusty.

DO you have any dieting tips? Any recipies that are low calorie? Any favorite low calorie meals or snacks? Share away!

292 Days Left!! - What to Expect: Theme

When you hear that a wedding has a "theme," what comes to mind? For some a scene from 27 Dresses pops in their head where she has tried on all her "Gone With the Wind" dresses;

 for others it may be princess, beach or country that comes to mind. Sometimes the thought of a themed wedding is scary because it can be way, way, WAY over the top. I am willing to admit our wedding has a theme, but not one that should be feared.

Background:
When Dusty and I got engaged, or maybe even in the months before, we had discussed ideas for our wedding. We didn't specifically discuss a "theme" at first but as we considered, and reconsidered one kind of fell into place. Now I had considered many ideas for my wedding over the last 25 years including fairytale, Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas,

Dr. Seuss, and Disney, but none of these really fit for Dusty and I when it came down to it. They were fun to think about pre-engagement but when realistically picturing this incredible event, they didn't work. I think this is true about a lot of pre-relationship wedding ideas because when you plan before a relationship you are only thinking about you, when you actually plan for real you have to take into account what the other person likes and what will represent you and your partner. Now if you watch Bridezillas or some of these other wedding shows, they may not have quite that same bearing.

What to Expect:

If you know me and or Dusty, you know that we love movies and going to the movies. Some people have a misguided idea of our wedding theme. Many people think it is "movie," like you would be able to see a story line (boy waits at alter, girl walks down alter, evil genius has secretly kidnapped the officiant and is planning on using his love-me-not-inator to make everyone in the tri-state area be unable to love, Platypus in a fedora saves the day, the bride and groom get married, the end),

or scenes/quotes that are from beloved movies (To have and to hold, and I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go). That isn't the case. Rather than movie, think the movies, that's right, think the cinema, the experience you have going to the Grand, Regal, AMC or Wynsong, and watching magic unfold before your eyes because that is the experience we want you to have when you leave. You just came to a showing of a never before seen movie, you laughed, you cried and you felt, if only for a few hours, that the rest of the world didn't exist, you only existed in that room and got to experience something truly amazing.  While we won't be going too over the top (I don't think), you will see nods to the movie going experience throughout our wedding and wedding process.

297 Days Left! - Don't Believe Everything you Read

So yesterday I read an article on The Knot about "16 Ways Your Groom will Misbehave." I thought it might be funny or mention some things that a groom might not feel comfortable deciding because it is not something they have experience with, I even expected the whole "he will leave the wedding planning to you," thing as this is a common stereotype. What I found instead was an article making grooms seem like 2 year olds that cannot be trusted, need to be babysat and have their hand held through everything. What made the article worse was their guide to how to respond such as "do not even dignify that with a response, just laugh it off" when  it comes to a groom voicing concerns about possible ring allergies, and lying straight to their face to get your way. I considered writing a whole blog post bashing the article, instead I decided to focus on the positive, why my groom is so amazing that reading this article was a waste of time.

I hear a lot of brides and brides to be declare that their grooms were less than useless in the wedding planning progress, well in my experience my groom has been the reason we are so well planned and organized. Every decision about our wedding, minus the ones regarding my attire, have been made together after discussions of our options. We have encouraged each other to share any ideas for the wedding to open them up for discussion. I've said it before but this is not MY wedding, it is OUR wedding and as such we have molded the event to fit our own likes and style. Neither of us have tried to push an idea onto the other or tried to take over the event.

As far as the guest list goes, we were open to inviting anyone we wanted. It is a standard rule to expect maybe 25-70% of your guests will not come for one reason or another. I think this is dangerous to consider because when you assume that many people will not show you invite a lot of people and when you sit down and add up how many people COULD show up it can be crazy! Even with that being said there was not a time where Dusty or I have said "Hey let's invite random girl A" and was met with a "ARE YOU CRAZY THAT IS STUPID!" Our wedding is an important event that will only happen once so if one of us feels like they want someone at their wedding, they are invited.

Dusty has been so enthusiastic with all of our planning. One day I woke up from a nap and found that he had spent the time I was asleep designing 4 versions of our RSVP cards. He is now working on designing all of our table number cards. Together we worked on the invitations, inserts, address labels, table decor, room decor and everything! Before we were engaged Dusty came with me to Barnes and Noble to pick out a wedding planner binder and has helped me accomplish every check we have in that book. We picked rings together, and he is so excited to wear his all the time, we have planned, planned and re-planned budgets, planned and re-planned our wedding themes and colors and wedding party, and planned and re-planned and re-planned again our honeymoon.

While some other TheKnot users have told me I missed the humor and I was taking the advice too seriously, I truly believe that "advice" like that is what makes not only for bridezillas but for stressful, unhappy weddings between two people who will resent eachother and have no respect for eachother and the beginings of a divorce and what can I say...that is NOT for me.