We're Married

And it's awesome:)

All photos by Melissa Pauquette Photography.

Bachelorette Party!

This past Friday night, Will and I had our stag parties.  (His continues today with a Paint-balling trip: here's hoping he comes back unscathed!)  It was such an excellent time hanging with my bridesmaids.  We went downtown to the Short North and had dinner at Betty's, followed by ice cream at Jeni's and then pit stops at the Pint House and Skully's.

The following morning we hung out in the hot tub- it was cool and rainy outside, so you didn't feel so hot in the water.  I'll never forget how nice it was to be out there with these ladies, chatting about the party the night before and watching the trees sway.  Perfect:)  I am so thankful to know these gals and I'm thrilled they'll be standing with me at our wedding.

Our Engagment Party

We had our engagement party at the Renaissance Festival a couple of weeks ago, and the day couldn't have been prettier.  It was so nice to enjoy the faire with our good friends.  

 

The other day Will and I went to get our marriage license.  It was hilarious to be asked to swear that we weren't first cousins, and surreal to stand next to this handsome man and pledge that I am marrying him of my own free will.  It's also crazy to look at our registry pages and see that there are only 5 days till our wedding!  Last year it felt like the day couldn't get here quick enough, and now it seems like the past few weeks have flown by.  I hope you are having a lovely weekend:) 

Bridal Shower

Hello September!!!  I can't believe you are here already!  The summer flew by with loads of fun activities, and the best activity is yet to come: our wedding!  A lot of time has been spent planning and crafting, and the big day is drawing closer.  A few snafus have come and gone, but we've never lost sight of the fact that at the end of the day, on September 27, we will be husband and wife.  

In August, my mama and sister put together a beautiful wedding shower.  It was overwhelming (in a good way!) to be surrounded by so many amazing women, many of whom have had such a large impact in our lives.  We are so grateful to know you, and look forward to many more years surrounded by loved ones.

I'm Blushing

 

Once Wed

As a devotee of navy and black, I was amazed to find myself thinking pink this past month.  This was no surprise to my lovely sister, who was not fooled when I picked Emerald and Blush as our wedding colors last fall and tried to say that the blush was more of a nude:) 

 BHLDN Sweet Tea Gown

I'm loving spotting that perfect shade of peachy ballet pink, like these charming chairs below.

From Top to Bottom: ~Mid Century Mobler ~The Mix Matched Mutt ~JCrew ~Yarn Stories

Do you wear pink?  Would you ever wear a pink wedding gown?

Wedding Dress Shopping

Yesterday my mama, sister and future mother in law went wedding dress shopping with me.  It was a whirlwind of a day, and while overwhelming at times, I was so happy to have the three of them there to share in the ups and downs of the (surprisingly) emotional process that is gown shopping.  Above is a photo my sister snapped of my ring:)  

First stop was Wendy's Bridal in Dublin, where I worked with an amazing consultant named Lila who was extremely helpful and kind.  I was so glad for her guidance- when I walked in, I was feeling anxious about finding the perfect dress.  I had seen some vintage dresses I liked online, but I wasn't able to find anything similar at the salon.  Lila helped me to narrow my choices, and in the end, she picked the dress that was the clear winner.  It was a beautiful ivory lace sheath dress from Allure with a cafe silk charmuse slip underneath.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I have never felt so beautiful and comfortable at the same time!  I truly love the dress, and it is a frontrunner for sure!  Such amazing fabrics and attention to detail.  It looks similar to the dress below, but without the beaded sash.  (I won't be posting any of my real choices just in case you-know-who finds them!)

But I wanted to be sure it is the one for me, so on we went to appointment number two at David's Bridal.  Unfortunately they didn't have the two dresses I really wanted to try- we found out upon arrival that they had been discontinued- but we found some similar dresses and my consultant picked a lovely strapless ballgown with ferns embroidered on the bodice.  It was the best dress of the appointment, but I didn't get that same wow feeling that I got in the lace sheath dress.  (Ok, this one you can see.)

 I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and dissapointed that I didn't walk away with a dress, but my family was good to remind me that we had a fair amount of time (a little over a year!) and that all would be well.  My mom has found some other shops for us to try, and there's a dress online that I really love that looks similar to this one I found on Etsy:

And I know that there's a lovely lace number waiting for me at Wendy's if I find I can't get it out of my mind:)

In the mean time- here is a sneak peak at our engagement photos, taken by our amazingly talented friend Amy Parrish!

Where to go?

I'm finding that one of the more exciting things about wedding planning is deciding where to go on your honeymoon.  Now that Will has his passport, there is a whole world out there we can explore.  Here are our current top picks:

Iceland

Photo from bestourism.com.

 Not only are two of my favorite bands from Iceland- Sigor Ros and Amiina- the landscape is breathtaking and there are tons of natural springs you can relax in.

Sigor Ros' film Rembihnutur.

Sweden

Photo from Olika Gronsaker.

I deeply desire to stay at the eco-hotel Urnatur (you can check out my earlier post about this beautiful place here).  Sweden also boasts many other unique hotels, such as the Ice Hotel and the Treehotel (a mirrored cube tree house).  Not to mention the lifestyle... below is a video on the midsummer tradition, which still thrives in Sweden to this day.

                                    

Australia

Photo from Rainbow Tourism. 

The Great Barrier Reef.  Swimming with sharks.  The outback.  Sydney Theatre Company.  Australia is the ultimate adventure.  Need I say more?

Photo from Perception.

England

Photo from Earth Times.

 What I would give to see the Royal Shakespeare Company perform on their home turf.  And London. And the Queen!  I've read so much about England, going there may be like going home.

 

Photo from ebookers.com.

St. Kitts

  

 

Photo from Nick Ryan.

Our lovely friends Tori and Leah have a family home here, and have generously offered us the use of it for our honeymoon.  I have seen their vacation photos, and St. Kitts seems to be the perfect place to go for a mix of relaxation and fun.  Wouldn't it be thrilling to zip-line through the jungle?

 

Photo from The Planet D.

 Where did you go on your honey moon, or where would you go?  We are considering doing a honeymoon registry instead of a traditional one.  Have you ever done or considered a honeymoon registry?