waaaay overdue update...

Okay, so since my last post - I gratuated from Bible school in Oklahoma, moved back to Michigan to live with my parents until the wedding and have been working 5 days a week while completing wedding projects! I have managed to change my processional a minimum of 5 times, the communion/candle lighting songs that many times combined and did I mention I still haven't found sound equipment to rent? EEK!

On the upside, my flowers are 95% completed, I only have corsages for groomsman and for mothers/grandmothers to complete - rest is DONE! :) prelude song list is done, reception song list is getting there - and yesterday I found the finishing piece for the ceremony decor! 4 old nasty shutters from someone's home remodel laying by the side of the road (yes, I did ask first before taking them!). After a good hose-down and a fresh layer of white paint they'll work perfectly for an idea I had. I'll post a link to my photographer's site when she's got pictures up after the fact but until then no more pics ;)

My fiance, Daniel is still in Oklahoma working but he'll be back next Wednesday, which means Thursday we'll be driving down to Allegan to apply for our marriage license :) This thursday is my final dress fitting - next week is make up and hair trial-run... goodness, details coming together like crazy - and in the middle of all this potential opportunity for chaos, I am grounded by the words to one of my favorite hymns, "I will soar with You above the clouds... when the oceans roar, still You are God". I know wedding planning isn't a storm but the waves of emotions certainly can make one feel like it. Talk about preparation for Happily Ever "After" right?! Learning to trust God in a whole new way!

Engagement Pictures!!!!

::idea spots::

www.theknot.com
here's why - under the reception ideas and ceremony ideas tabs, they have tons and tons of pictures of actual successful ceremonies and receptions... not some designer's ideas, but ones that brides across the USA have actually done! I've gotten most of my ideas there... they have another site called thenest.com that's for the next stage, married life. Tons of cute decorating ideas - used that to help set up my registry at Target (big help!).
Here's some pictures I tagged for future reference...some I'm using, some I just think are super pretty...

some of the pictures are from my photographer's blog, - a great idea if you're not sure what you want to go with...
Sometimes I've found that seeing what someone else did can put in a picture what you've already been thinking of... then you just add your own flair!

I like the painted initials... I've been looking at card catalogs for DIY ideas on those... the vase to the right with the pictures is from my photographer's display at the Tulsa Wedding Show back in January...she is insanely creative (see her blog on how she remodeled her master bedroom and you'll see what I mean) - thinking to try something like this for my centerpieces but on a smaller scale with one or two of our engagement pictures on twigs in a mason jar with some gerbera daisies??

PROGRAMS...
Then there's the programs... we're doing an outdoor ceremony so I'm thinking to do something along these lines... A fan that doubles as our program, a picture on one side and the ceremony info on the other??? There are many variations from the ideas I've seen so I'm not sure where we'll go with it :)

Ideas? Please post...

intro...

I will go by Ani, it's a nickname from childhood as a missionary's kid in South America...short for Anita. It's not my given name but I like it so there.

I've thought about starting a blog for a while - especially after seeing Julie & Julia... I want to chronicle the planning of my wedding. And after the wedding, of starting my and Dan's life together.

This is the stuff dreams are made of. As girls we feast on romance books and chick flicks... we get all googly-eyed at any and every boy that's nice...and for some of us at ones that aren't so nice but look cute :)

Any way. So, Dan and I dated for a little over a year before he proposed but we'd been talking about it since about the 6 month mark. I was ready to go at that point, at least I thought I was. He wanted to wait, pray, plan...all that stuff. Come January 4, he was ready, he had the ring, my parents were in town, so he did it.

I don't remember much - just being really super happy and wanting to take tons of pictures with it - typical girl, I can't help it.

So - since January 4, we have set our date (July 17), bought my dress, his tux, and we have our location. Through the entire process, God has given us so much direction, and then so much blessing when we follow it... my dress was paid for within 24 hours of my trying it on and deciding it was "The Dress" by someone from school. His tux was originally $950ish - we paid $120.

I'm designing the invites myself - benefits of being a graphic designer, and printing them through a former job connection... I've examined every detail to the last degree - I can't find anything wrong or that needs adjusting so I'm about to email them off for printing...

Until next time... "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge the Lord and He WILL direct your paths" (emphasis mine)

~Ani