Drum Roll Please....

After a day full of touring locations and weeks of serious discussions, we finally did it!  We officially have a date and location for our wedding.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE...


We are getting married June, 4 2011 at First Baptist Church in Waynesville!!!

On Saturday the 25th, Dustin and I met my parents at Homewood to get the tour.  It was a pretty place and the guy in charge really knew his stuff.  However, I was a little disappointed.  Maybe I set my expectations too high.

Then he took us to Coleman Place.  It was modern and cool, and we really liked it.  The only problem was timing.  And it is weird to me to have the ceremony and reception in the same room (no matter how fast they could change it).

So that night, we made a pro/cons list and it just became more apparent that us getting married at FBC Waynesville was the best option.  And it will make the guest list sooooo much easier.  Now anyone who would want to come is invited!

SO.... SAVE THE DATE!!!

What do I need to know again???

On Saturday, Dustin and I (with a little help from my mom) are going to be touring locations to decide where we are going to celebrate our wedding.  Here's a subject where I know I'm going to need some help from you guys.

What do I need to ask them?

My amazing book has a good list of questions we need for guidelines in getting our estimate request.

CEREMONY LOCATION:

• Are our preferred date and time available?
• Does the space accommodate our number of guests?
• Do you provide an officiant?
• Are chairs or pews provided?
• Is ceremony music included?
• What time can we set up our ceremony?
• If outdoors, is there a Plan B in case of inclement weather?
• What staff will be on-site on the wedding day?
• Is there a place fore the bridal party to get dressed? To wait before the service begins?
• Are there decor or other restrictions?
• Can we see photos of previous ceremonies?
• Can unwanted decor be removed? 
• Can we have a written contract?

RECEPTION LOCATION (not listed above):

• How many events might take place here at the same time?
• Do you provide the food and beverages? Service and staff?
• If not. can we choose whomever we prefer?
• Are elevators necessary?
• Do you provide parking services and a coat check?
• Can we have a written list of any restrictions or regulations?
• Do you have exclusive vendors, such as florists, or may we choose our own?
• Could we see photos of the space set up for a reception?
• Is the room lighting adjustable?
• Can we move furniture or other items if we want to?
• Could we see a sample contract?

Any addition tips and questions would be grateful!

Step 1: Location & Date

Okay.  So before you can hire a photographer, florist, caterer, officiant, musician, videographer - I think you get the idea - you need to know two very important pieces of information.
       1. Where are you having the wedding?
       2. When are you having the wedding?

This information is vital when it comes to planning your wedding because everything revolves around it.  It'll determine themes, decorations, who can or can't attend, if the bridesmaid dresses are cocktail or full length - just everything.  So... let's start with the easier of the two: when?

WHEN: Late spring & early summer vacation.
One thing that we have always agreed on was we want to get married in the spring/summer months.  It has always seemed nicer to us.  We also need to plan around Dustin's school schedule (as well as his sister's).  We are trying to be a little flexible because what if your ideal date does not work with your ideal location?  You're out of luck.  So our dates that we are looking at are May 21, June 4 & June 11.

WHERE:  Who really knows???
We like the idea of historic places.  They just have this nice atmosphere and look about them.  The problem is we will have to limit guests.  Also, we are thinking of having the wedding in the mountains (mainly because my family is paying for it so I have a bigger say in this).  So here are just a few of the places we have been considering.

1. Biltmore: Don't get too excited because there is a 99.9% chance this is not going to happen.  If it did, it'll be only the ceremony.  There's this location on the property called Lioncrest and it is gorgeous!  But just to let you know, Biltmore is WAY EXPENSIVE!!!

2. Homewood: I absolutely LOVE the pictures of this location.  It is amazing!  It has a historic charm without the huge price tag.  They have three locations on the property and I am more than excited to see this in person.

I think I've been rooting for Homewood all along.

BACK UP PLAN!!!

3.  FBC Waynesville:  If everywhere is too expensive, there's always good ol' First Baptist Church in Waynesville, NC.  I don't really want to get married at a church, but as I have started the process, this sounds better.  

Why?  1. It's free to me.  2. I can invite ALL of the guests I want.  Which means... 3. More presents!  Bad I know.  But can't a girl get excited. :D

So long story short.  Dustin and I are going up to Asheville September 25 to look at locations.  Hopefully we'll know the first two pieces of information soon. 

Um... what do I do next???

So you're engaged now.  Everyone's excited for you.  And even though you've been secretly planning your big day your entire life, you have no idea where to start.

It's not just that I don't really know what I'm doing.  Maybe I just get intimidated when everyone asks me all of the little details about my wedding.  Fact of the matter is I've only been engaged a week and there's not much I can do until I have a date and a location set.

I'm working on that... I promise!

However, I do have a little help.  I bought the most amazing book at Barnes and Noble.  It's called the Simple Stunning Wedding Organizer.  This binder/book includes checklists for everything, what to ask all of the vendors, a timeline, a final contact list for the wedding party, master guest list, and pockets for everything.  It's AMAZING!

To those people who are out there, what did you do (or would you do) for your wedding?  Did you go to a wedding coordinator, use websites like the knot, or did you simply do it all yourself?  If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Congratulations! You're Getting Married!!!

The day you have been waiting for - dreaming of - since you were a little girl has finally arrived: the day when the guy you are crazy about gets down on one and asks you one very important question.

"Will you marry me?"

When Dustin proposed to me, it wasn't a complete surprise.  We did everything backwards when it came to this.  In June, while in Cozumel, we went to look at rings.  I picked it out, and he bought it.  Not many girls get to know the exact ring that will one day be on her finger for the rest of her life.

After the trip, we continued our long distance relationship.  I have a job in Greenville, and Dustin started grad school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia in August.  However, we've been apart since graduation.  By July we couldn't stand it anymore, and quickly began planning our lives together.  Which led to the events of September 4.

How did he propose?  Everyone always asks that question.

On September 4, Dustin took me to the nicest restaurant.  It's called Rio Grille, and is a Brazilian steakhouse located in downtown Greenville.  We gorged ourselves, and then we went to Falls Park.  After walking around we settled on a bench in a semi-private area.  There were a million kids around, but after they left he asked me.  No big speech.  However, it was perfect.

This is my first blog... ever.  So please hang with me.   Over the next several months I will be blogging about the wedding planning process - all of the ups and downs that go along with it.

With this blog, I am looking for feedback.  Any tips, pointers, and suggestions as to what I can do to make my wedding memorable.  Please help me make my dreams from childhood a reality.

- Kristen