Choose You Own Adventure (I Mean Dress)...

I have decided to let my bridesmaids choose between 6 different styles at The Wedding Shoppe. The dress are all by the designer Alfred Angelo, short and solid charcoal. I think my maids are all going to look fabulous! Check them out:

Dresses for My Girls

This Saturday I will be heading out to a couple of stores to hunt for dresses with my bridesmaids. I am thinking pewter colored, cocktail length dresses. Since I have 9 bridesmaids, I want each gal to pick out her own style (probably from the same designer) because I want everyone to feel comfortable. We have appointments at The Wedding Shoppe, Rush's and David's Bridal. It is going to be a long day! I have been scoping styles on the internet.

Here are a few that I liked from David's Bridal:





There is a website, www.dessy.com, that I really like for bridesmaid dresses. I am particularly interested in their After Six collection, which is available at both The Wedding Shoppe and Rush's Bridal. There are so many styles to choose from! Here are a few that I liked:












Finally, I am also considering JCrew. I am especially fond of their silk chiffon collection because there are 4 adorable dresses available in graphite that I think would work. Unfortunately, there is not a store in MN that stocks wedding attire, so I would have to order them sight unseen. Of course, they could always be returned to a JCrew store but that seems like a hassle.

I'll let you know how it all goes after next weekend. I hope I have one more item to check off my list!

Inspiration Board

A while back, my dear friend Jenna over at www.eatdrinkpretty.blogspot.com created a photo inspiration board for my wedding. My color palette consists of pewter, Tiffany blue and shades of red. I have 9 bridesmaids and they will be wearing either cocktail length or tea length pewter dresses in different styles.



My fiance and I went to a cake tasting today at Queen of Cakes in Edina, MN. We are still planning on trying some other places. I am still not sure whether we will go with cake, cupcakes, or a combination.

On another note, my flowers will be done by Tara over at www.adayinprovence.com We have some great ideas cooking and I am excited to see the end results!

THE Dress!

Well, after much deliberation, I chose the dress from The Wedding Shoppe! It is from the Spring 2009 Casablanca collection (style 1942). The dress is ivory and all lace:







So, there is a little ribbon under the bust. I am considering removing that and tying a thick satin ribbon around the waist to define it. Plus, I like the little bow in the back. THat took me by surprise because I have never been a bow person. I LOVE the Cathedral length veil and my friend Kristin (visit her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/PoppyandPeony) has agreed to make one for me! So excited! Thanks to my girlfriends for all their opinions and helping me narrow down my decision.

Say Yes to the Dress...Don't Mind if I Do!

Those of you who know me may consider me one of the most indecisive people you know. That being said, I actually picked a dress within about a month of being engaged! It probably helps that I have thinking about my wedding day for awhile, tehehe. Going in, I was pretty sure that I wanted lace and I did not want strapless. My first dress shopping trip was to L'Atelier Couture on Selby Ave in Saint Paul...big mistake! The dresses were so gorgeous but I don't think I tried on one for less than $2500! Here are some from that trip:









I really liked the last one, but alas, it was not meant to be. The next place I went was The Wedding Shoppe on Grand Ave in Saint Paul. By then, I had narrowed down my preferences and ended up liking the following two the best (they did not allow pictures so we had to take them on the sly--they looked much better in person):




The next weekend I went to Mestead's Bridal in Rochester, MN. Here were a couple of my favorites:







Agghhh, decisions, decisions! I will reveal tomorrow which dress I ended up choosing! Thanks for reading:)

I Said Yes!

For those of you that end up reading my blog but don't know me, I thought I better tell the story of my engagement. In October of 2009, my friends from undergrad and I went on a much needed girl's getaway to the sunny, beautiful area of Clearwater, FL. There was much wine drinking and reminiscing of days past. We were staying at the house of the aunt of one of my girlfriends, Michelle. It was on the intercoastal highway and it was gorgeous!






We were hanging out by the pool, jet skiing, eating fabulous cuisine and having a great time. I talked to Tim every day and was rubbing it in his face that I was in 80-90 degree weather, while he was back home undergoing the first snowfall of the year (in early October!).
On the Friday of our trip, my friends decided that we should go to Clearwater beach the next day. Some people (ahem, Michelle) were opposed to this idea because they wanted to keep hanging out by the awesome pool with drinks just steps away:) My friend KJ (Kristin) kept on insisting. On Saturday, we packed up the cars and made the short drive to the beach. Michelle was turning 30 in a couple of days, so we brought champagne and o.j. for mimosas. We set up camp and were reading, goofing off in the water and taking pictures. I didn't know it at the time but my friends were all in on a plan that would take me by surprise!
I was on the blanket reading and heard Tim call my name. I wasn't sure if it was the heat or my mimosa getting to me! I looked up and saw Tim coming towards me, dressed in a full suit in 90 degree weather! My first inclination was that something was wrong. He asked me to come over to him, started saying a bunch of sweet things, got down on one knee and proposed. Of course I said yes and the rest is history! Luckily for us, KJ spilled the beans to the other girls the night before and Michelle, who happens to be an extremely talented photographer, took pictures of the whole thing. We all toasted with champagne afterwords.







Thanks for a memorable trip!

MN History Center

Here are some pictures of the History Center where my wedding reception will be held. I would have put them on the post from yesterday, but being a technology dunce, I just figured out how to do it today:) I am contemplating holding the cocktail hour outside on their grand patio but am not sure if the weather will cooperate. The patio has gorgeous views of downtown Saint Paul and the Cathedral. I would be required to rent outdoor furniture and if it did happen to rain, I would be out that money. Thanks to my maid of honor (MOH), Jenna, for the lovely photos and for all the help thus far in planning!