Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

This afternoon, my 4 in-town bridesmaids and I went to Bridal Extraordinaire to go dress shopping. I'm so proud of my girls, in just one hour they all picked out a favorite! We haven't made any purchases yet, but here are all of the favorites so far...

The picture on the left is from the designer's website, and the picture on the right is the actual dress they tried on- of course the pictures don't do justice to how gorgeous the girls looked!

Jessica (Maid of Honor)
Dress by Saison Blanche


Ashley (Bridesmaid)
Dress by Bill Levkoff

Shelley (Bridesmaid)

Dress by Landa Designs

Caitlin (Bridesmaid)

Dress by Saison Blanche

All of the dresses will of course be in a Chocolate Brown color, and we will find some sort of Coral accent to go with each one.

And in case you need a reminder...click here to see the post that shows the dress Jessie picked out.

Elaine, you're the last one...can't wait until you come in town so we can go shopping too!! :)

The dress is MINE!!!!!!

On Wednesday, while sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself (after having my wisdom teeth surgery on Tuesday), I got the call I've anxiously been awaiting since August 16th. "This is Bridal Extraordinaire calling, we wanted to let you know that your dress has arrived." YAY!!!!! And you better believe I scheduled the very first fitting appointment they had, which was yesterday evening.

I cannot even begin to describe to you how AWESOME it felt to put on MY dress. It is so beautiful, and it's ALL MINE! (by the way, thanks mom ;) I didn't want to take it off. I drug out the picture taking, veil trying on, and oohing and aahing as long as possible. But finally, I had to give it back :( I know it will be in safe hands, but I really kind of wish I could have taken it home (that could have been dangerous, though...I would probably have had to put it on at least once a day...)

Once again, I don't want to risk Matt seeing the pictures on this blog (even though I'm starting to doubt that he'll ever look at it....) so I'll post a slideshow...click here.

I love love love this dress, and now all I need to do is decide on a veil (you'll see in the pictures, I tried on a few veils, but we didn't like any of them) and shoes, and accessories, and I'm sure there's a million more things I haven't thought of yet....


Oh, and just a warning...the in-town bridesmaids and I are going shopping tomorrow afternoon...so be on the lookout for more pictures!!!!!!!!

DIY Centerpieces...attempt #1

Last week Sarah and I went to Old Time Pottery (which, by the way, is the COOLEST STORE EVER!) The plan was to find some cool vases and such for centerpiece inspiration. I did buy 1 vase...and a whole bunch of Christmas stuff...oops.

Then last weekend, while shopping with my family on Saturday, I picked up a few more DIY supplies - coffee beans, ribbon, a cute square votive holder, and the closest thing I could find to a coral colored candle. I had some silk Gerbers at home (yes, I'm obsessed with them...they're everywhere...) so I threw some of those in as well.

Here's my final product....what do ya think???

You'll have to ignore the fact that the large vase isn't entirely full of coffee beans...I didn't quite have enough. You'll also have to ignore the multi colored gerbers, and pink candle...these will all end up being coral. :)

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out... I just need to find some more multi-sized vases. I'm thinking big and square. And I need to find a place where I can find lots of coffee beans really cheap.

The DIY adventures continue...

Centerpiece Ideas

Since I plan to DIY all of my decorations and centerpieces, I've been trying to come up with a "vision" for these centerpieces, so that I can start buying things and trying things out. I think I found that vision...

Right now, here's what I'm thinking...

~Varying heights of the centerpieces (like a tall, medium and short)

~Some with candles, some with flowers (gerbers of course!)

~COFFEE BEANS inside of clear glass vases, like in the pictures. What a cheap and perfect solution for my color scheme!!!!

~Square vases...3 heights like I mentioned above.

I'm sure this will change a million times before I make a final decision, but I'm really excited to at least have SOME sort of idea to start with!!

P.S. Thanks again to the Realies for both of these inspiration pics!!!!!!! :)

Cute Find!

Yesterday Sarah (Matt's sister) and I were emailing back and forth about wedding ideas, and she found these ADORABLE favor boxes that would perfectly match my gerber daisy theme...
I definitely think this is something we can DIY (do-it-yourself). Matt and I aren't thinking we're going to do favors at the actual reception, but I think these boxes would be super cute for a shower favor. :) Thanks Sarah!

CAUGHT UP!

So we are now in real time, HOORAY! I have now filled you in on the past 6 months (holy crap! I can't believe it's been that long since I got engaged!!!!!!!!!!) of wedding planning. We have just over 8 months to go, and I'm sure things will be getting much more hectic and chaotic in the coming months, but I know it will be lots of fun!

So come on back, and I'll be sure to keep you updated on everything. And if you have any ideas, suggestions, or just want to tell me how cool my wedding is going to be...leave me a comment!

I'll leave you with one more family picture :)

10/30/08: Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

One of my bridesmaids, Jessie, was in town for a few days recently, so I took the opportunity to snatch her up and take her dress shopping! I still haven't been able to gather all of my in-town girls for a shopping trip, but I had to get Jessie trying on dresses while I had the chance.

We went to David's Bridal and Bridal Extraordinaire, and found quite a few cute dresses! My original plan was to put the girls in coral colored dresses, but once I saw one on Jessie I changed my mind. Not that Jessie looked bad in it, but the coral was just WAY too bright - and imagining 6 of them in a row was mind-boggeling. So I decided brown dresses and coral accents would be better. I'm happy with that decision (and I'm pretty sure the bridesmaids are now letting out a sigh of relief...). I'm still hoping to find some HAWT coral shoes they can wear, though! ;)
So here's the dress Jessie picked out...It's the one on the left, the short one.
Darling, isn't it!? It will be in the brown that's shown, but the band will be in coral instead of turquoise. It looks great on her, but I don't have a good picture - you aren't supposed to take pictures while you try dresses on at B.E., so I had to be sneaky about it, and my pictures didn't really turn out. Just trust me, it looks FABULOUS on her!

Love my Realies!

So for anyone who doesn't know, I frequent a message board called Real Brides, which pretty much is where I get any and all of my wedding ideas, advice, etc. The girls I have met on there (the Realies) have already helped me SO MUCH with planning my wedding, I can't imagine where I'd be without them. Seriously. I wouldn't have found my photographer, DJ, minister, idea for my guestbook, and the list goes on.

Well, one of the Realies I've met, Amber, is starting a video-montage business (check out her website!) and is going to put together a montage for us for our reception! I'm so excited! I was originally planning to do this myself, but had no idea how to do it, or where to begin really. Now I have a checklist and an experienced pro to put it together for me. And of course I'm always happy to support a Realie! So thanks KUAmber, I can't wait to see our awesome video!! :)

Here's Jake and Amber, the video montage team.

I stole this picture off of their website. :)

Check!

Man, when I write these accomplishments out one after another it sure feels like I'm marking things of my list left and right! I love it! Our most recent decision was another easy one (those are my favorite!)

I was a little worried that it would be tough to find a minister (since we don't belong to a church, and aren't particularly religious...) but it actually wasn't! Thanks to some more Realie recommendations we found Dennis Hanna. He was exactly the guy we were looking for, and he's already got some great ideas for our ceremony. We didn't even meet with anyone else. We left Panera that night, looked at each other and said "Yep! That's our guy!" Now that's what I call an easy decision!

I booked a DJ!

Well, luckily, this decision was a lot easier than the photographer. :)

We met with 3 different DJs, but we knew after meeting with Craig from Elite Sounds that we were going to book him. He is just the guy we were looking for. He's laid back, not too cheesy, and understands the feel of our wedding. He also has worked with the Solars a lot, so that's an added bonus! We're really looking forward to working with him.

Now for the funny story that goes along with it...

After meeting with all 3 DJs, and deciding on Craig, I went to email him to let him know. Then I thought of a question, and then another one, so I actually sent him 3 emails - or so I thought. The first one went to him, the second went to the DJ we had met that night (and decided not to book...) OOPS. So that DJ basically thought I was emailing to book them, when in fact I wasn't. That was an embarassing situation to explain. Go Brooke. Blonde move of the day.

9/29/08: Engagement Session with the Solars!

You can not imagine how excited I was for this day to come. Our first time shooting with The Solars. I waited until the last minute to prepare everything, but I still think everything turned out ok. :)

I decided to have CaraSue Hall, fellow Realie :) do my hair and make-up (and while I was at it, I booked her for the wedding). That was a GREAT decision. She did an awesome job, and I can't wait to see how beautiful she makes me look for the wedding.

After rushing to get CaraSue booked at the last minute, ordering a dress online that came in and was too big, buying some awesome shoes, and basically running around like a chicken with it's head cut off all day, we met with Josh for our shoot. We went to 2 parks nearby our house and then stopped off along the side of the road a couple of times (photographers - they see potential in the most random places...). It was a LOT of fun, and Josh did a great job! We love our pictures!

So here are a few teasers...the same ones Josh teased us with...

This was Josh's favorite of the day. I kind of love it too... :)

Our first "family photo." Aren't we just a happy little family!?

My dog is spoiled, what can I say.

Yes, she is wearing a shirt in this picture.
Rub My Belly for Good Luck
If you know Daisy, you understand. :)

See what I meant when I said AWESOME PHOTOS?!

Josh Solar, you rock my world. :)

And I will leave you with an image Josh captured perfectly.

This is what I wake up to on a regular basis...

Oh, and if you'd like to see all of the pictures, click here and go to Portrait Photography. Then click on Proofing, and our password is henry.

Ladies and Gentelmen...we have a photographer!

Whew. I hope the rest of the wedding decisions are not as involved as this one was.


I started with a pile of about 50 photographer's brochures from the Bridal Show and a list of at least 30 recommendations from other brides, and began the process of narrowing them down. Boy was that a process. I went to each photographer's website to look at their work, and decide if they fit my style (and I'll admit I wasn't exactly sure what my style was at the time...). I eventually narrowed that list down to about 20, and then looked up more specific information on each of those to find if they had some of the most important things (i.e. copyrights, 2 photgraphers, etc.). Then I managed to narrow that list down to the 6 that we met with - and might I add that the list was longer than 6, we just happened to find the one we loved before I got through scheduling all of the interviews. :) Matt was a true trooper and went on every interview with me, asked good questions, and gave me his honest opinion.

Well... you're asking... who the heck did you end up booking??


The amazing and wonderful Josh Solar Photo. It's funny, too, because they weren't even on my list until the last minute, after several Realie recommendations. :) Right after we met them, we fell in love. Josh and Jenny are the nicest, most down to earth people, and they take amazing photos. No, seriously. AMAZING photos.

Check out their website: http://www.joshsolarphoto.com/


So we did it. We made the decision (and a great one at that) and booked them! And so far, they have been AWESOME to work with, and I know it will only get better!!

8/23/08: Engagement Party

On August 23rd we had both families out to our house in Olathe for a BBQ to celebrate our engagement. It was so much fun!! Luckily both of our families get along GREAT. We grilled out burgers and dogs, and the families got to know each other a little better. We really are blessed to both have such great families, and for them to get along as well as they do is so wonderful! We love you all!!

Now for some pictures of our fun day...

The happy couple...

Some of our cool gifts...our favorite wine and those adorable wine glasses, a wedding scrapbook, a cute wedding picture frame, and a movie bowl!

And last but not least...Matt wanting to feel special and read a card before everyone else. :)

8/16/08: THE dress!

On August 16th (The day after Mom's birthday...) I gathered ALL the troops and went to Bridal Extraordinaire for round 2 of dress shopping. I didn't expect to buy a dress that day, but what can I say...I found the one. And let me tell you, it. is. gorgeous. I love it!!! Since there's a good chance Matt will be looking at this blog at one time or another, I'm not posting pictures of the dress (duh, he can't see it until the wedding!) but if you want to see a slideshow of pictures you can click here.

The dress is by Saison Blanche, and here's a description of it from their website:

Exquisite beauty unfolds in this richly embroidered bodice with Swravski crystal accent. Encircling satin band around a full A-line skirt completes the look with long chapel train. Available in DUCHESS SATIN: IVORY or WHITE.

I ordered it in Ivory (I think) but it looks white to me. :) It is supposed to come in sometime in mid-November, and I cannot wait! I have been anxiously waiting the day I get to put it on again :)

P.S. Bridal Extraordinaire was a DELIGHTFUL place to go dress shopping. I've never felt more like a princess in my life! I had my whole family (mom, aunts, cousins) and all of my in-town bridesmaids with me, and we got our own room complete with lovely couches and my own personal consultant! I got to stand on the platform in front of a huge mirror while everyone "ooh"ed and "ahh"ed at me...it was GREAT! :)

8/1/08: Dress Shopping...Round 1

On August 1st, my mom, aunts, cousins and I went to Natalie M's in Overland park, for my very first round of dress shopping. It was so much fun!! Mom cried at least 4 times, and I felt like a princess the whole time getting to try on such beautiful dresses.
Here are some of my favorites (all by Alfred Angelo)...




Since I'm posting this after the fact, I can tell you that I didn't end up with any of these dresses. I loved them all, but once I went shopping for round 2, I found "the dress" :)

7/26/08: The KC Bridal Spectacular!

On Saturday July 26th, the family and I (and one bridesmaid, Ash) went to the Overland Park Convention Center for the KC Bridal Spectacular (put on by KC Weddings). It was a GREAT time!! That is, if you like being on your feet for several hours and being bombarded with everything wedding related :) It's not a good place for the groom-to-be, unless of course you don't mind hearing complaints all day... But we made a girls day out of it, and it was lots of fun.

I got more information than I could ever use, but that's the whole point, right? I got probably 50 Photographer flyers, 20 honeymoon brochures, and countless other vendor's information. We also got to taste test several cakes (the best part!) and see a fashion show of wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and flower girl dresses (which Mom cried during.......). We stopped by the booth of Natalie M's (bridal shop in Overland Park) and found out they were having a special event soon, so I made an appointment for my first round of dress shopping :)

The Perfect Venue...

Evergreen Events

Paola, KS

As soon as I saw this place, I knew it was the one. Check out some pictures from their website...

This location is really beautiful, and really unique. It is also in Matt's old "stomping ground" in southern Johnson County, making it that much more special to us. The Ceremony will be upstairs, and the reception downstairs. We will be serving an hors de oeuvre buffet, and of course there will be an open bar! There is a beautiful park right across the street, hopefully we will be able to take some pictures there. Evergreen Events is right in the middle of Paola's Town Square, a really neat atmosphere. There will be an antique car show the day of our wedding, so that will add to the atmosphere even more! Hopefully some of the car owners will let us take some pictures next to their beautiful cars...

The ceremony will start at 7:00pm, and the reception will follow at 8:00pm.

Julie, the owner has been a pleasure to work with so far, she is so kind and knowledgable. We are really looking forward to going through this process with her!

We Set a Date!

July 18, 2009

That's it! That's our date!

It wasn't very hard to pick, I just closed my eyes and pointed to the calendar. (then I had an OCD attack, and had to find some kind of pattern in the numbers since 2009 is an odd numbered year..AHH!)

The Ring

Yes, I'm devoting an entire post to my ring. That's how awesome it is.

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!

Matt went through a lot to get the ring without me knowing. He initially purchased it on February 22nd, and kept it from me all the way until June 9th!!! I still can't believe he pulled it off. But I'm SO glad he did!! It was the best surprise of my life.

I picked the setting out at Helzberg, as well as the diamond. Matt was able to get exactly what we picked out, even though it was months later. I love this ring, it is EXACTLY what I wanted. I also love that there are 2 bands rather than 1 to go with it...me and my OCD...have to have everything even!

A few more pics of this beauty...

We're Engaged

We got engaged on June 9, 2008...

We went to the park after work that day to walk our dog, Daisy. It is the park I love to go to, because it has great scenery, and there is a big lake to walk around. We stopped at a bench to sit and 'rest' (I have to admit, I was a little confused as to why we needed to rest!) and right as I was about to get up, he told me that he had been working on something for a long time, and wanted to ask me something. Then he got down on one knee and asked if I would be his wife, and of course I said yes!! It all happened so fast and I was so excited that I didn't even cry, I just couldn't stop smiling. Later I found out that he had made a special trip to my dad's work earlier in the day to ask his permission to propose. My dad actually managed to keep the secret from my mom, so after the park I went home and took a shower (I couldn't believe he proposed with me looking all gross! My hair was pulled back, I was sweating...yuck...) and headed to my parents' house to surprise my mom. In retrospect, I wish I would have had a video camera rolling to capture the look on my mom's face, it was PRICELESS! The rest of the evening was spent calling family and friends, and telling the story over and over (luckily it's not a long one).



It was the most special Monday I've ever had!!!!



Here we are right after it happened...ok, not right after it happened, but right after I showered and changed. :)