tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266001891960199042024-03-06T00:02:18.943-08:00Kate and Kenny 2010Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-88565119769160924352010-09-21T11:49:00.000-07:002010-09-21T11:53:35.153-07:00hitched!Kenny and I were married this past weekend, on 9/18/2010. It was gorgeous. Here are a few photos from guests (haven't seen the pro photos yet!):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlCWjSSpYTeOQWzTqYRz8wB5vG6aesakDt3U4zDeo0MAbVIhhPqp-Dc_W1aXbLbouXu0os4K3mVb5lzWK5zm1k3xoOzxq1v7odTRvtZzUkMFC5AU-D9_HnCvhz1Og8mzzkcvsBS2KTV1D/s1600/wedding3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlCWjSSpYTeOQWzTqYRz8wB5vG6aesakDt3U4zDeo0MAbVIhhPqp-Dc_W1aXbLbouXu0os4K3mVb5lzWK5zm1k3xoOzxq1v7odTRvtZzUkMFC5AU-D9_HnCvhz1Og8mzzkcvsBS2KTV1D/s400/wedding3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519437709930592946" border="0" /></a>Hair! I loved the way it turned out but it began falling apart almost immediately. It was a problem all night long, so that was unfortunate, however I just rolled with it and had about 50 bobby pins holding it together by the time the night was over!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH_6U7ix397rmGmJQThRafM4dZSfOGUREvjoOajgunriDXrYJhz9pkoNtmYiczybBlMjKgcIISz30edI502fQUMdzzVosIcl6A_OPleL2nQkcn87weJUi7RoqEQvMdZGpjNzC4H4Pk0ws/s1600/wedding4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaH_6U7ix397rmGmJQThRafM4dZSfOGUREvjoOajgunriDXrYJhz9pkoNtmYiczybBlMjKgcIISz30edI502fQUMdzzVosIcl6A_OPleL2nQkcn87weJUi7RoqEQvMdZGpjNzC4H4Pk0ws/s400/wedding4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519438485572413074" border="0" /></a>Walking down the aisle with my dad. I held it together all through the ceremony but later on when my dad was making his speech, I absolutely lost it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurw37B7v_TV03c2NArdkJNgOv8V1peWIfgcyij_yTNLUH4ihfySHkpwZEB3nMNjkyeZTT5BmAWjeBX-ogo1-DSyaWDOMu1LkCvFVeIHFgtIMFhMcKhQeeQ-joTjPaeikG2et7QlETKPEi/s1600/wedding1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurw37B7v_TV03c2NArdkJNgOv8V1peWIfgcyij_yTNLUH4ihfySHkpwZEB3nMNjkyeZTT5BmAWjeBX-ogo1-DSyaWDOMu1LkCvFVeIHFgtIMFhMcKhQeeQ-joTjPaeikG2et7QlETKPEi/s400/wedding1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519437701244538642" border="0" /></a>Kiss 1 :D<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzJ-VeeQBLiYFu6xCYl2_D_9FQqJdY1vdKUijk_6A0jLb0-2wSuYO2zz0PvFP8qwv8gOQME6LsPxC0k7wlgExvmmRBD9SIrbc0pBqbX-sGBqWFN6zKPNpBXrf19-BaQm2iF_i0DY3Q79G/s1600/wedding2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzJ-VeeQBLiYFu6xCYl2_D_9FQqJdY1vdKUijk_6A0jLb0-2wSuYO2zz0PvFP8qwv8gOQME6LsPxC0k7wlgExvmmRBD9SIrbc0pBqbX-sGBqWFN6zKPNpBXrf19-BaQm2iF_i0DY3Q79G/s400/wedding2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519437719414374434" border="0" /></a>Kiss 2 :D :D :D<br /><br />We are really looking forward to the honeymoon, which we leave for this coming Saturday. I am working a short week and so is Kenny, and we both have Friday off to pack!<br /><br />Thank you to all of our friends and family members who came and celebrated with us. Some of my family came all the way from England, and Kenny's family came from all over NY and as far away as Maryland. We had an absolute blast.<br /><br />If people actually read this blog, I will keep it up with stories of our adventures as a married couple.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-26143542015287610662010-08-24T11:00:00.001-07:002010-08-24T11:01:33.539-07:00hair inspiration<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBZGwBQ-9gEgqtVNfFwhtSCNZjJaSe2Xu5SXCbDZSejhCSy7JCnt2Ock49ipNk_hLEdRterPraOxrfpqTfHYUCpuFMY0dU_m5kiLvnmqy5wATUsZMZJJFfi1dJNvEcLldrzHu15Wf1QYJ/s1600/2008-wedding-hairstyles3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBZGwBQ-9gEgqtVNfFwhtSCNZjJaSe2Xu5SXCbDZSejhCSy7JCnt2Ock49ipNk_hLEdRterPraOxrfpqTfHYUCpuFMY0dU_m5kiLvnmqy5wATUsZMZJJFfi1dJNvEcLldrzHu15Wf1QYJ/s400/2008-wedding-hairstyles3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509037891255270146" border="0" /></a>How beautiful is that?! I love it. I think it will go with my soft, romantic but somewhat structured dress well. My hair should do well in that kind of an arrangement, too.<br /><br />So this is my hair inspiration :DKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-1641313835669711252010-08-02T11:20:00.000-07:002010-08-02T11:42:00.131-07:0047 days to goThe Knot kindly informed me that we have just 47 days to go. I have gotten a lot done recently and of course have neglected to write about any of it here!<br /><br />Most importantly, the invitations went out about three weeks ago and we have already received quite a few back. I am updating our Excel spreadsheet every time more RSVP's arrive. I am also keeping track of what everyones' meal preferences are. Though dinner will be family style (platters of food on the table), the caterer still needs to have an idea of how many people want the chicken vs. beef. We also have a vegetarian option, and a few guests need gluten-free meals, which our caterer is happy to accommodate (they are so awesome :D).<br /><br />The bridesmaids dresses came in this past week and I got to see them for the first time this past weekend. They are so lovely. Jenny, my maid of honour, got a dress that is a bit different from the other four and the five dresses together look amazing. I am so excited, the wedding party is going to look incredible!<br /><br />This past weekend, my maid of honour Jenny and one of my bridesmaids Samera threw me the best Bridal Shower a girl could ask for. They went all out! It was held at Jenny's home and they set up a nice big tent and had tables with linens and chairs. I appreciated their hard work so much. They really outdid themselves. All of Kenny's sisters came, along with his mom. My mum came, as did my brothers lovely girlfriend :D Many of my college friends also came, and a good family friend from MA. I was really so flattered by how far everyone traveled and also their generosity. I got some great gifts, including some of the chinaware we had registered for, some lovely new towels, a really cool frog prince sculpture from Kenny's cousin who traveled all the way from Denmark, and an ice cream maker!!!!!! My mum also got me some very fun and flirty Victoria's Secret items ;)<br /><br />Kenny and I have an engagement session with our photographer on Wednesday that I am really excited about. He'll make a guest book using the photos that he takes to lay out at the wedding for guests to sign.<br /><br />Other than that, I'm just thinking about wedding songs. We also have to meet with the officiant and figure out the ceremony details, in addition to having a final catering meeting (yumm!).Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-81985091786874343192010-07-06T11:02:00.000-07:002010-07-06T11:10:59.259-07:00pillows, baskets, and garters!I consider this the "fun" shopping.<br /><br />My flower girl basket (it will be in lapis, not black, to match the groomsmen):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWPDoSMYyEUXXabuF9PNP3CqM7OmevG0crugytyHCAj_9_L7s7tozQm_PEU7mH2wf7WC2l2OBuLtoilsPBTStvHh3zQxo6_SVtQGR0S_yg5qyOUttSNMSmyNnLuExI13wImyA-aLR0jTM/s1600/basket.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWPDoSMYyEUXXabuF9PNP3CqM7OmevG0crugytyHCAj_9_L7s7tozQm_PEU7mH2wf7WC2l2OBuLtoilsPBTStvHh3zQxo6_SVtQGR0S_yg5qyOUttSNMSmyNnLuExI13wImyA-aLR0jTM/s400/basket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490856794609606642" border="0" /></a>My ring bearer pillow (it will also be in lapis):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yRVfppUIJ9JK0vVIhBV2NX757Fu2fFJK_pHg8imfigF5BwysPvFWc1TiwsX4ogClWyB4OmqrJQJqM-1KJXzUVhCDvm2sCGBn1icf8g9A2INsheK0eKgEShK1QOi4Unb-C-3gkx_v9TG5/s1600/pillow.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yRVfppUIJ9JK0vVIhBV2NX757Fu2fFJK_pHg8imfigF5BwysPvFWc1TiwsX4ogClWyB4OmqrJQJqM-1KJXzUVhCDvm2sCGBn1icf8g9A2INsheK0eKgEShK1QOi4Unb-C-3gkx_v9TG5/s400/pillow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490856801332724178" border="0" /></a><br />Both are made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Allofyou?ref=seller_info">AllForYou</a> on Etsy.<br /><br />And finally, my garter set:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7butTnjWnE8I8_CkTtcchyMAesU0k14iiL2xUrf3cIq4c4LnH4_hS0Hh8a9VeHV5T_5yJ-gvlwUBwr-jX0G8TERcgWDVX9wK3a-aadSRMDvKKbZqUpj0zbxXVx9EZpDn_WlnK5mqnRU1/s1600/garter.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7butTnjWnE8I8_CkTtcchyMAesU0k14iiL2xUrf3cIq4c4LnH4_hS0Hh8a9VeHV5T_5yJ-gvlwUBwr-jX0G8TERcgWDVX9wK3a-aadSRMDvKKbZqUpj0zbxXVx9EZpDn_WlnK5mqnRU1/s400/garter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490856800432563298" border="0" /></a>This is made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/bellesandcrystals?ref=seller_info">Belles and Crystals</a>, also on Etsy.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-89408252732214016502010-07-02T22:39:00.001-07:002010-07-02T22:40:29.305-07:00Wedding invitations: check!I have had my invitations designed but on hold while we sorted out the closing on our home. FINALLY, after sixty days of utter nonsense, we closed on our house this week so I ordered the invitations tonight! The hold up was because I didn't want to have the return address printed on the envelopes and then have the house fall through.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.yourinvitationplace.com/Detail.aspx?ItemNum=S2327SA&WebName=invitationsbysalutations">Anyway, here are the invites that I chose!</a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-50171314007449915312010-06-21T10:07:00.000-07:002010-06-21T11:27:36.569-07:00Just under three months to goLong time, no blog. Kenny and I are buying our first house, which has turned into a three month long process. Remind me never to buy a house again, please.<br /><br />With all the house drama, not too much has been happening with wedding plans, but I realized on Friday that we were three months away and really we don't have any time to dilly-dally.<br /><br />Flowers have been on my to-do list for a long time but part of me couldn't even get excited about them. They're expensive and they die within a week, but eventually I came to terms with the fact that I needed to sort it out sooner than later. I made an appointment with a florist at Whole Foods, which is a high-end grocery store chain that specializes in organic food. Their flowers are beautiful and being a grocery store, the prices are more reasonable than an independent florist.<br /><br />I sat down with the florist yesterday and we talked for a good hour about everything. Here's my bouquet inspiration:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNivtu6BxstKojLrkrewyxqwIb6sXGbaUiTDPE5CofQh_LE_jRM_451KrXQKci2-KUTYzLBz1TFk0OBlzx7-rJ2xky8IqiLREJjXlO-cEcWIXuMls5A1VypHN8OBHDBqloBqXAVHwEa93/s1600/purple-roses.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNivtu6BxstKojLrkrewyxqwIb6sXGbaUiTDPE5CofQh_LE_jRM_451KrXQKci2-KUTYzLBz1TFk0OBlzx7-rJ2xky8IqiLREJjXlO-cEcWIXuMls5A1VypHN8OBHDBqloBqXAVHwEa93/s400/purple-roses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485293441944942786" border="0" /></a>The bridesmaids will have similar bouquets but not as flashy. The groomsmen will have lavender rose boutonnieres, and Kenny will have a white rose boutonniere. Parents and grandparents will have white rose corsages/boutonnieres. I think everything will come together really nicely!<br /><br />She's also pricing out some very simple centrepieces for me, based off of these photos:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqapHznLSWOOqfxaklbozZ7zdBV0q7WNm3IMXy9fAZ5li_0CeIi4LUNXXTJa8TzxorcZLrN4VU-Hj06kPPSuqHQ9xXDGhIKmZJbErvc_3tPqGuTv4hzIhxviAO9HDDf2hMXTQGiS-05F6a/s1600/Centerpiece+MS+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqapHznLSWOOqfxaklbozZ7zdBV0q7WNm3IMXy9fAZ5li_0CeIi4LUNXXTJa8TzxorcZLrN4VU-Hj06kPPSuqHQ9xXDGhIKmZJbErvc_3tPqGuTv4hzIhxviAO9HDDf2hMXTQGiS-05F6a/s400/Centerpiece+MS+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485294948047130114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2yoYFm1C4SbADvTFJf6TsrtdtZ_bhxXB2iJ1v-vLhgfFXFObiYHzujZZHTncNnc0306eDkBhPV5JasaMvQilGVinpXsgKrwFKlLbX9sODien8ogPh2_dkRDMGpBYblSI8q7_bIOJ1rmi/s1600/candle-flower.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2yoYFm1C4SbADvTFJf6TsrtdtZ_bhxXB2iJ1v-vLhgfFXFObiYHzujZZHTncNnc0306eDkBhPV5JasaMvQilGVinpXsgKrwFKlLbX9sODien8ogPh2_dkRDMGpBYblSI8q7_bIOJ1rmi/s400/candle-flower.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485294940666153266" border="0" /></a>I like the flowers submerged in water with the floating candle and river rocks, and then I like the mirror on the table with the tiny candles around the edge, so I will combine the two ideas. Having the mirror on the table essentially doubles the amount of light that the candles throw off, and I think the effect will be magical when the sun goes down at our reception.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-31906791002283425922010-04-10T16:50:00.001-07:002010-04-10T17:01:14.691-07:00Finally! A ceremony venue resolution.Ok, so I'll admit I had a quick thought of "why didn't we just elope?" when I learned that our original ceremony venue wasn't going to work. I feel like my mum spent all of last week on the phone talking to people about possible other locations to get married and blocking out hotel rooms. Today, Jenny, Samera and I went down to Mystic to scout out some hotels and also to look at the <a href="http://www.lowerfarm.com/">Inn at Lower Farm</a>, a quaint B&B that does weddings, too.<br /><br />Mary at Lower Farm was so gracious to allow us to stop by and see the property, and also peek in on one of the guest rooms. The grounds are gorgeous and the house is so amazing inside (especially the kitchen! All three of us were drooling over the kitchen and adjoining full-size hearth in the dining room!). I could imagine myself walking across the field where the ceremony would be held to meet Kenny. I instantly felt better!<br /><br />So the ceremony will be there, and I can't wait to see what the Farm looks like when all the flowers are in bloom.<br /><br />We also looked at a few hotels, and have finalized which hotels to block out for our guests. If you're a guest, check out the <a href="http://katekenny.blogspot.com/p/wedding-information.html">Wedding Information</a> page for more on which hotels we've blocked rooms at, including rates and distances to the ceremony/reception venues.<br /><br />In addition to the ceremony venue and hotels, we also checked out a florist! It was a busy day! I have to set an appointment and go back and hammer out all the details with the owner of <a href="http://www.mysticflorist.com/">Mystic Florist</a> because it is apparently a two hour ordeal and we didn't have time for that today! I am excited to decide which flowers we'll use in the bouquets.<br /><br />Other than that, Kenny and the boys went to the tux place this past week and sorted out their tux arrangements. They are going to look so handsome. I had to work but thankfully Jenny and Samera went with them to keep them on track and make sure they didn't come out wearing hot pink vests and wing-tipped shoes. I'm assured that they haven't arranged anything too frightening for their wedding finery.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-63667589447063640402010-04-07T15:04:00.000-07:002010-04-07T15:13:24.857-07:00Bon Voyage, Save-the-Dates!I sent off the save-the-dates today and boy did that feel good. They were delayed going out while my mum sorted out all of the hotel arrangements. Most of our 140+ guests will need to stay overnight because they will be traveling a long way (some coming from out of the country, even!) so blocking out hotel rooms was important to do. I had started the process a few months ago but got frustrated that no hotel seemed to fit exactly what we needed. Some wanted a deposit on all the rooms, some were too expensive, some just plain wouldn't block rooms, etc. When my mum went to finally book rooms, unfortunately a lot of the availability was limited. She persevered, though, and managed to book almost 70 rooms in a few different hotels in the area, so I'm glad that's all sorted out!<br /><br />I included info about hotel bookings in with the save-the-dates so that our guests know which hotels to call.<br /><br />We have also made some progress on the ceremony venue fiasco. I am going down to Mystic on Saturday with two of my bridesmaids to look at a beautiful farmhouse venue that is situated on exquisite grounds with flower gardens. The owners have been very gracious so far on the phone and I am looking forward to meeting them this weekend. If I decide to change the ceremony venue to the Farm location, I will just let the Lighthouse know and we will be all set.<br /><br />Also this week I have been talking with officiants in the area, but nothing has been set yet.<br /><br />So it's been a busy week! In addition to all this wedding planning, Kenny and I have been looking at houses to buy and made an offer on one yesterday, so now we just get to play the waiting game and go back and forth with counter-offers. I am not too excited about that process but once we are all moved in to our very first home, it will be worth it.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-49250666403241374382010-04-05T20:05:00.001-07:002010-04-05T20:14:36.164-07:00Ceremony Venue HeadachesPersonally I've never heard of a ceremony venue that doesn't allow chairs or flowers, but that is what our ceremony venue is telling us is the case. Does it say this in the contract or did anyone ever say "hey, you know your guests will have to sit on the grass or stand the whole time, right"? No, but I am just glad I'm not finding out about this on September 18th. Good thing my mum even called to ask for a recommendation for a chair rental company, because otherwise a major meltdown I mentioned above would have been imminent on my wedding day, and seriously, who wants to cry over chairs or the lack thereof?<br /><br />So now we're on the hunt again and thinking about changing the ceremony venue. We're looking at a couple different places, and this weekend two of my Bridesmaids and I are going down to Mystic to scope a few possibilities out. We'll also be looking at hair salons and florists.<br /><br />My life has gotten exponentially more insane because Kenny and I have been house-hunting and this week we'll most likely put an offer in on one that we've fallen in love with. Bring on the endless documents to sign our lives away to!<br /><br />In other news, the entire town of Mystic apparently has no more hotel availability for blocking out rooms, but my mum has spent literally days on the phone calling around to every possible hotel in the area and has managed to book 50 rooms. Since 90% of our guests will need to stay overnight, this is a huge relief. I never thought hotels would be so packed this early for a date that's past Labour Day.<br /><br />So if you're a bride-to-be planning a wedding, make sure that you can have chairs for your guests to sit on during your ceremony (I wish I were kidding) and block your hotel rooms asap.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-36767269915788971482010-03-25T14:02:00.001-07:002010-03-25T14:04:25.837-07:00The Save the Dates are Here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-KtOl4aD7PdAFZ7DV4p2oyaGb_yQohHdmWGNgYLq83qWSboRE2M8Tp4LOsFeyFDbNi0uQqum3paqDqM3Jv0hcMvrGnDPpBe20LsmELCgtX1O4DBBL1Rr7T1C0NaASV2HNaLntXpa4MA7/s1600/IMG_0448small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-KtOl4aD7PdAFZ7DV4p2oyaGb_yQohHdmWGNgYLq83qWSboRE2M8Tp4LOsFeyFDbNi0uQqum3paqDqM3Jv0hcMvrGnDPpBe20LsmELCgtX1O4DBBL1Rr7T1C0NaASV2HNaLntXpa4MA7/s400/IMG_0448small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452679955299849170" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAT-rCZqH1Fea0gGbHzk24wmcG1y_6tns_jBXcT9YclI2K32DG9wXE1d6T2KXLBuAr2rbGQFWFrvwYzoOpMc5FPMk-qBvIYT6rmbjpob3lzRFENgDXvBjoaJR5CpPesI4OxH33ueYKwfj/s1600/IMG_0444small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAT-rCZqH1Fea0gGbHzk24wmcG1y_6tns_jBXcT9YclI2K32DG9wXE1d6T2KXLBuAr2rbGQFWFrvwYzoOpMc5FPMk-qBvIYT6rmbjpob3lzRFENgDXvBjoaJR5CpPesI4OxH33ueYKwfj/s400/IMG_0444small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452679961962415538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj6nJed_pdiwxToClrTVrRbXaZl7WCRTeFMWBxnjXwqOlGswFRkRcsTxRx9QeMVei0yCETEXepyjfUqxKCmxpZ6Vf346UUCIWxw2Rq1c2R0AWAIySS5AxzpU_rL6CaGGs2knupAe6IIBa/s1600/IMG_0447small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyj6nJed_pdiwxToClrTVrRbXaZl7WCRTeFMWBxnjXwqOlGswFRkRcsTxRx9QeMVei0yCETEXepyjfUqxKCmxpZ6Vf346UUCIWxw2Rq1c2R0AWAIySS5AxzpU_rL6CaGGs2knupAe6IIBa/s400/IMG_0447small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452679965571644578" border="0" /></a><br />I LOVE the way they came out. These were ordered through VistaPrint, whom I've worked with on a few projects. I would highly recommend them to anyone.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-20395054095890967532010-03-19T09:19:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:27:09.322-07:00Gift RegistriesKenny and I attended a "Sip & Scan" event at the nearest Macy's location last night. It was a good way to kick off our registry experience, because to be totally honest, I was intimidated by the thought of having to create a gift list.<br /><br />Macy's provided appetizers and lots of consultants to help us through the process. We checked in, got a scanner and list of recommended gifts, and were sent on our merry way. We were there for almost two hours scanning stuff. It was hard to get started but once we scanned a few things, we started enjoying ourselves.<br /><br />The cool thing was that after we were done, we handed the scanner in and the consultant uploaded all of our choices to the computer. She then printed out an updated list of gift categories that we didn't have a lot chosen in, so that we know what we need to work on or register for at other places.<br /><br />We didn't register for everything at Macy's, because we also want to register at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and also Crate & Barrel.<br /><br /><a href="http://www1.macys.com/registry/wedding/guest/?registryId=131340">If you want to check out what we picked, here's our page!</a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-18161448592073310692010-03-15T07:25:00.000-07:002010-03-15T07:27:47.137-07:00Finally!Here is the finalized design for our Save the Date's, which will be printed on magnets and sent out to our guests. I am soooo glad to finally have these things done. My mum has graciously offered to deal with ordering them and sending them out, which is a huge weight off my shoulders, since I really ought to be looking at invitations soon and they are going to drive me crazy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/std3_e.jpg?t=1268662512"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 347px; height: 447px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/std3_e.jpg?t=1268662512" alt="" border="0" /></a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-18573955759651900782010-02-22T08:34:00.001-08:002010-02-22T08:48:59.420-08:00Goals for this weekVisiting Kenny's family in NY this past weekend was good because his family delivered a much needed kick in the butt to get going on this wedding planning. It's funny that we had a rush of bookings (caterer, photographer, venues, etc) in the fall and then we have done nothing recently. His family was mostly concerned about the save-the-dates, which I wasn't even keen on doing until I realized how many people want them. My mum has graciously volunteered to be in charge of the save-the-dates project and I just recently gave her the finalized guest list, so I am hoping they'll be sent out soon. Kenny really wants to do magnets that people can put on their fridge.<br /><br />During the 4-hour drive home from NY last night, we set goals for ourselves. September seems like a long way away but it's really not, and it will be here before we know it. We decided we really need to book the rest of the vendors (like, yesterday) and Kenny also needs to ask whom he wants to be his groomsmen and start looking at tuxes. We also need to block hotel rooms, since that information will be included on the save-the-dates so that guests can book their rooms and plan their trips.<br /><br />This morning I got right to work and booked the DJ. Neil Roma from <a href="http://www.spinenterprise.com/">Spin Enterprise</a> came very highly recommended, and has worked at our venue many times before. The thing I liked most about our reception venue (the Mystic Yachting Center) is that they are very selective with the vendors they work with, and make recommendations only for people/companies that deliver a great product for a great price. At least now I know our guests won't be sitting in silence and staring at each other for the entire reception :) and instead will be entertained with a good selection of music.<br /><br />Kenny's task for this week is getting the hotel rooms blocked, and arranging transportation for our guests from the hotel to the reception site, since there is limited parking at the Mystic Yachting Center, and we'd feel better if people weren't driving after a long night of partying, anyway. I had called various hotels back in September and didn't end up booking any of them for a number of reasons that I have briefed Kenny on so that he can deal with them. I am confident that he'll be able to get the rates we're looking for and breakfast for our guests.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-35841083268226888452010-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:47:40.606-08:00Rings!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XyW0te3W9HpYIeCPYIXRDlpUn5T_4TneFgtXwuXQvKPbihp6nNKazydpXM-BBKeZ602tLh-JpYmywCuCu3nAFbCDKpqkg3EoGwYBS4dCOohQX9ntcbex0FAo1Obg6DuOtC6JQ9AQeJmK/s1600-h/weddingrings_001small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XyW0te3W9HpYIeCPYIXRDlpUn5T_4TneFgtXwuXQvKPbihp6nNKazydpXM-BBKeZ602tLh-JpYmywCuCu3nAFbCDKpqkg3EoGwYBS4dCOohQX9ntcbex0FAo1Obg6DuOtC6JQ9AQeJmK/s400/weddingrings_001small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440445355054608098" border="0" /></a>We picked our rings up this morning!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDUV0-YqRJjZm4k7cebfoiXy-iV4TjWHcEC6u2kzECg45UWhyLpJO52HgfGY-sJRvIpw1Wn7790eV2lTt-9Fs2b31DX2cSHBmlt5Ux2MXgTMqG6bUsM-_nLw6LHPL4Lnc7FExQaI4ifeR/s1600-h/weddingrings_007small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDUV0-YqRJjZm4k7cebfoiXy-iV4TjWHcEC6u2kzECg45UWhyLpJO52HgfGY-sJRvIpw1Wn7790eV2lTt-9Fs2b31DX2cSHBmlt5Ux2MXgTMqG6bUsM-_nLw6LHPL4Lnc7FExQaI4ifeR/s400/weddingrings_007small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440445513634470322" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4V6lJYSbw4iDHIs1RW8lbnTpszWmzWMROlMTpi94BcbH8zGItRqJctGPQ_sJFA5PcTYr-S7HKGIjA5sC7UkArKU60SIH9oHkRp577CiqBtpaSZkfubbhvtZV_NSrjYc4xAWBCT0mFkVJp/s1600-h/weddingrings_005small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4V6lJYSbw4iDHIs1RW8lbnTpszWmzWMROlMTpi94BcbH8zGItRqJctGPQ_sJFA5PcTYr-S7HKGIjA5sC7UkArKU60SIH9oHkRp577CiqBtpaSZkfubbhvtZV_NSrjYc4xAWBCT0mFkVJp/s400/weddingrings_005small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440445509559882754" border="0" /></a>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-74971279168886833012010-02-18T12:48:00.001-08:002010-02-18T12:51:57.996-08:00Thinking about hairI am very excited because this weekend we will supposedly get to pick up our rings when we go to NY to visit Kenny's family. I am really looking forward to trying my wedding ring on and seeing how it goes with my engagement ring. Kenny is excited to try his on, too (I think). :)<br /><br />I got my hair cut yesterday and briefly discussed with the stylist what kinds of styles I had been thinking about for the wedding. I have long, thick hair that can't decide if it wants to be wavy or straight, but with the right styling expertise and products, it can really go either way. I am leaning towards wearing it down with some romantic loose curls, maybe with a half-updo to support the veil. Hopefully I will have some time this week to look through a few online galleries and see what I like!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-85451969176967518712009-12-27T08:47:00.000-08:002009-12-27T09:00:58.015-08:00rings and dressesKenny and I are in New York for Christmas, and yesterday we ordered our wedding bands from a family friend of his who is also a jeweler. We picked out exactly what we wanted, and the jeweler (who is the same person Kenny bought my engagement ring from) is going to order it in our sizes.<br /><br />I picked out an 18k white gold band with .56 carats of diamonds going across the top. It's gorgeous, and it compliments my engagement ring beautifully. My ring can be re-sized, but he said he'd prefer to order a new one that's already the correct size so that he doesn't risk loosening any of the stones like he would if he re-sized the other one. Kenny picked out a two-tone 18k yellow gold and 18k white gold band, and that style cannot be re-sized, so it must be ordered anyway.<br /><br />We got a fantastic deal on the rings, almost half off retail price (yay for knowing people in the business!).<br /><br />I haven't updated about the catering, but we went down to CT for a meeting with Cloud Nine Caterers last week. We talked about menus a bit and had a tasting (the food was delicious). Now we are just trying to work out a menu that is in our budget. I really like Cloud Nine because they handle the food, the cake, the alcohol, AND all the rentals, so my life is really easy.<br /><br />After the rings and the caterer are all set, we just have to pick a DJ, decide on flowers and centerpieces, rent chairs for the reception venue, and set up hotel accommodations for out-of-town guests.<br /><br />For my bridesmaids dresses, I have decided to give each of the five girls a swatch of fabric that I have already picked out at a local fabric store, and then they can go and find a dress that is as close as possible to that colour. Some people think I am crazy for doing this, but honestly, the bridesmaids dresses were what I stressed out over the most for some reason. I wanted to find something pretty but that wasn't too expensive and that the girls would want to wear again, and to do that for five people is really difficult. This way, they can hopefully find something at a department store and pay a lot less for it than if they ordered it through a bridal shop. Best of all, my Maid of Honour, Jenny, is going to be in her brother's wedding earlier in the summer, and they have the same colour dresses. I told Jenny I would be totally fine with her wearing the same dress in my wedding. It looks really lovely (she showed me a photo online), it's the right colour, and that way at least she'll get her money's worth!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-72461590281165649542009-11-24T09:34:00.001-08:002009-11-24T09:38:56.901-08:00We have a photographer!!I am SO thrilled! I was starting to wonder if my dream photographer existed when I came across the website for <a href="http://www.jameshazelwood.com/">James Hazelwood Photography</a>. James' images had my attention and admiration immediately and I could not be more excited that he has agreed to shoot our wedding next September.<br /><br />His style is a mix of the classic wedding photography (portraits, posed family photos) and journalistic photography ("following" the bride and groom for the day and "documenting" their wedding). It is exactly what I have been searching for. Kenny is really happy with our decision, also. My mum is happy because James is a member of several professional photography organizations just like she is.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-57112564809482183962009-10-05T10:59:00.001-07:002009-10-05T11:46:17.392-07:00Proper IntroductionsI never really considered that there might be some people whom we don't personally know reading this blog, and now that I know there are, I thought I'd introduce us a bit more thoroughly.<br /><br />About Kenny:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/rhodeisland/newport053109_005small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 394px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/rhodeisland/newport053109_005small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Kenny in Newport this past summer</span>.<br /><br /></div>Kenny is originally from Long Island. He is extremely athletic and grew up playing soccer and wrestling competitively. He has three sisters. He came to Rhode Island to attend the University of RI in Fall 2005, and graduated in Spring of 2009 with a BS in Kinesiology. He is considering Grad School but in the mean time is buffing his resume with his work as a Cardiac level EMT and also as a Cardiac Rehab Specialist at our local hospital.<br /><br />Other than working, he spends his time surfing, practicing at the shooting range (he's an excellent marksman), spearfishing, and hanging out with his friends. He loves football and is slowly turning me into a Jets fan (we went to a sports bar last night all dressed up in our Jets stuff and got some really nasty looks. New England fans don't easily forget a good whopping like the one they got from the Jets a few weeks ago). He will sometimes ride the horses with me but lately he has been so busy that we haven't gone riding together in ages.<br /><br />About Kate:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/kate/mcf062009_052small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 376px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/kate/mcf062009_052small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Me (left) with my Maid of Honour, Jenny<br /></div><br />I moved around a lot as a kid so I'm not sure where I'm "originally" from, but I was born in Hong Kong, grew up for the most part in the Cotswolds region of England, lived for three years in the beautiful Annapolis area in Maryland, and then moved to Massachusetts. I have one younger brother. I started riding horses when I was three years old in the UK and much to my parents' disappointment it turned out not to be a passing phase. I am still horse crazy and showed Hunter/Jumpers competitively all throughout grade school. I was also always infatuated with art, so it was only natural that I go to college for art and design.<br /><br />I came to Rhode Island for school in 2004 and graduated in 2008 with a BA in Fine Art and concentrations in Photography and Digital Design. While in school, I rode for a semester on the Equestrian Team and also volunteered all four years on the campus ambulance, reaching Lieutenant status the beginning of my senior year.<br /><br />I now work for URI on a Federal grant where we are developing a curriculum of courses for University and EMA officials from around the country to take to help them create disaster plans for their individual institutions. Many Universities and Colleges don't have disaster plans and if they do, they are often not very comprehensive.<br /><br />I also have a small design and photography business, <a href="http://www.polarsquaredesigns.com/">Polar Square Designs</a>. I photograph weddings throughout the summer through a company I work for that is based out of Boston, MA.<br /><br />About Us:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/rhodeisland/skydiving_012resize.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 439px; height: 350px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/rhodeisland/skydiving_012resize.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Us during one of our crazier moments, right before jumping out of an airplane at the Newport Skydiving Center this summer.</span><br /></div><br />Kenny and I met at EMS when he was a freshman and I was a sophomore. Neither of us expected to fall in love but we turned out to be perfect for each other! He proposed after three years together in Narragansett, RI on a beautiful rocky outcropping with the waves crashing around us. It was so perfect and romantic.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a367/unionjack042/IMG_0300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 456px; height: 304px;" src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a367/unionjack042/IMG_0300.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The night he proposed to me, we came back to the house to find that all of our friends were waiting there to congratulate us!</span><br /></div><br />We did not actually start planning the wedding until he had graduated but at this point we are well on our way in the planning process!Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-65190545197995307512009-09-18T09:37:00.001-07:002009-09-18T10:13:42.307-07:00BridesmaidsI am so excited about the group of girls I am privileged to have as my Bridesmaids.<br /><br />Jenny is my Maid of Honour. We have been close friends since my freshman year at URI and she has always been there when I needed her. We took the EMT class together and sang Mandy Moore's <span style="font-style: italic;">Candy </span>more times than I can count while driving back and forth to Lincoln RI three days a week. We enjoyed many late night get togethers and Kenny and her boyfriend John are also good friends. They are the quintessential double date couple and the four of us always have an awesome time together.<br /><br />Sarah is my best friend from high school and while we haven't remained as close during college, I still value her friendship more than anything. I love her sense of humour and whenever we chat on the phone it's like we never even lost a day. She lives in Boston and is a huge Red Sox fan and I am so happy she's going to be able to be a part of our wedding.<br /><br />Samera is another close girlfriend from college whom I met Freshman year through URI EMS. She is so much fun to be around and always amazes me with her perseverance and passion. She is super organized, which will come in handy when I am going crazy during the final week!<br /><br />Kaitlyn is another really good friend from URI who is now all the way in Colorado going to med school. Our whole group of friends is SO proud of her for following her dreams, even if she had to go all the way to CO do to so. We miss her dearly and I am SO happy she can be a Bridesmaid!<br /><br />Kristen is one of Kenny's sisters. She currently lives in the DC area and Kenny and I went to visit her last summer. She is one year older than me and we have a lot in common. I really wanted to include her in the wedding party and I am thrilled that she can do it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6628small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 233px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6628small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">I sent each girl a card with one of these paper fold-out people chains. Each little "person" represents one of the bridesmaids. From L to R we have Kaitlyn (she loves surfing), Samera (she loves soccer), Jenny (she is always wearing adorable dresses and is a RN), Sarah (she is showing her team spirit by wearing a little Red Sox hat), and Kristen (she is an athletic trainer at GWU).<br /></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6626small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 233px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6626small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6627small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 526px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/IMG_6627small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I couldn't ask for a better group of girls. We are going to have the best time and make some fantastic memories.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-75676684780173258092009-09-11T18:19:00.000-07:002009-09-11T18:35:14.777-07:00Ceremony Venue...check!Wow, we are on a roll. This week not only did we secure our reception venue, but we also found the perfect spot for the ceremony!! We decided on the <a href="http://www.stoningtonhistory.org/light.htm">Old Lighthouse Museum</a> in Stonington, CT. I came across it by chance on the internet and immediately loved it, so yesterday Kenny and I drove down there to check it out, and then today I sent out the deposit!! I can't believe it. I feel so accomplished!<br /><br />Here are some shots I got of the Lighthouse building and grounds:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQILun0FJY_5XpsYvJRoAdn8LyIkKi3EnlLsTFnv41ixxVJqFLlQLRAuMan3jsaGQC1PqfT6qFohnRzZ1bbY7PYLMlO0Qn1aWBO5-EbsTOcCRmLUHeVgTqmDHgLOyhIPgUaeeGYCPOm84g/s1600-h/stoningtonlighthouse005small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQILun0FJY_5XpsYvJRoAdn8LyIkKi3EnlLsTFnv41ixxVJqFLlQLRAuMan3jsaGQC1PqfT6qFohnRzZ1bbY7PYLMlO0Qn1aWBO5-EbsTOcCRmLUHeVgTqmDHgLOyhIPgUaeeGYCPOm84g/s320/stoningtonlighthouse005small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380387433917431602" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Lighthouse!</span><br /><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDFUY1O6IgRjHr5C1JL79Vgck2Vine6qMdq6SC3kaXTYR5cbfR0JQ1zr-Ea3AwuyLJQKR1bzFH8ClNT4dghbcNNaN_FP1CLqD9Ef7zgVv3s85DqVHgfvcwOtu2w6_USLH-mCvAnBUP0n/s1600-h/stoningtonlighthouse004small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HDFUY1O6IgRjHr5C1JL79Vgck2Vine6qMdq6SC3kaXTYR5cbfR0JQ1zr-Ea3AwuyLJQKR1bzFH8ClNT4dghbcNNaN_FP1CLqD9Ef7zgVv3s85DqVHgfvcwOtu2w6_USLH-mCvAnBUP0n/s320/stoningtonlighthouse004small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380387431551921666" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY74i-NT7CnT0kZWlqg_nFhmBRk4IKB3yHeWEjAvZFOIvWHfmvU2aXZtUPn1Mws-GVD8mV9ou3kEmxW_2kYtA01t5uFpeP3-8i1eAyeUR3exQ7ENZhp1k0xktTYcvrM35a_1C_x3Lcy49i/s1600-h/stoningtonlighthouse003small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY74i-NT7CnT0kZWlqg_nFhmBRk4IKB3yHeWEjAvZFOIvWHfmvU2aXZtUPn1Mws-GVD8mV9ou3kEmxW_2kYtA01t5uFpeP3-8i1eAyeUR3exQ7ENZhp1k0xktTYcvrM35a_1C_x3Lcy49i/s320/stoningtonlighthouse003small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380387421555637762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">This is the view from the back yard.</span><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQv9MsRWR-EcdPvFOon5FdRzeud51TSfEyF-vsQlWtdAXNDKyBCtkBcRVyU4WyFrLpIRPfChM5_fSDD2dvrc6yIdM9Kfv9WdBFhuobJFzQu0FK33GbibLucgrpL7F-qc8JDwKeAGeElfM/s1600-h/stoningtonlighthouse002small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQv9MsRWR-EcdPvFOon5FdRzeud51TSfEyF-vsQlWtdAXNDKyBCtkBcRVyU4WyFrLpIRPfChM5_fSDD2dvrc6yIdM9Kfv9WdBFhuobJFzQu0FK33GbibLucgrpL7F-qc8JDwKeAGeElfM/s320/stoningtonlighthouse002small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380387414099796850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8ITFjHX9Ibk8EUclh7iIgTjuuXx1TneUKymxgeBUeTAQqRqBKXPgsflxhSrxUdFpOGUlP8bKsdlExfI7xh6ubEIuYmVoD-8Osv7OWejoE69TZa-es3bD8nFdJkT8GGpWKTqCYbQEzVmZ/s1600-h/stoningtonlighthouse001small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8ITFjHX9Ibk8EUclh7iIgTjuuXx1TneUKymxgeBUeTAQqRqBKXPgsflxhSrxUdFpOGUlP8bKsdlExfI7xh6ubEIuYmVoD-8Osv7OWejoE69TZa-es3bD8nFdJkT8GGpWKTqCYbQEzVmZ/s320/stoningtonlighthouse001small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380387409171353410" border="0" /></a><br />We will set up the ceremony right on the waterfront overlooking the Little Narragansett Bay. Let's hope for good weather because the only downside to this location is that there is no rain plan!<br /><br />The Lighthouse is about 15 minutes from the Mystic Yachting Center (where we are holding the reception) so here is our tentative time line:<br /><br />4:00 pm: Ceremony<br />4:30: Ceremony ends, wedding party leaves to take photos<br />5:15: Cocktail hour begins at the Mystic Yachting Center<br />5:30: Wedding party returns, visits with guests<br />6:00ish: Reception begins (paaaar-ty!)<br />10:30: Last dance<br /><br />On top of that, we have more or less decided on a caterer. <a href="http://www.cloudninecatering.net/">Cloud Nine Catering</a> in Old Saybrook, CT can do everything we need, and under the budget!! Woohoo!<br /><br />Kenny has taken on the task of finding a DJ and coordinating the cake.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-86483629709122456132009-09-09T10:09:00.000-07:002009-09-09T10:26:02.097-07:00decision time!On Sunday we went to Mystic again to visit the <a href="http://mysticaquarium.org/">Mystic Aquarium</a> after I had fallen in love with it through photos I had seen on a brochure and their <a href="http://www.oceanbluecatering.com/sec/10">wedding website</a>.<br /><br />It was a very nice place and luckily we were able to see it all decked out for a wedding that was happening that evening, but in the end we decided not to go with it. I highly recommend anyone in the area check it out if you are looking for a venue, though. Kathy Lloyd, the Mystic Aquarium Director of Sales, was so helpful and positive, and I really enjoyed meeting her. I appreciated the time she took to show us around even though she was trying to put the finishing touches on the space for a wedding at the very same time.<br /><br />Here are some photos of the Aquarium:<br /><br /><img style="width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticaquarium_001small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The ceremony is held right in front of the Beluga tank!<br /><br /><img style="width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticaquarium_002small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The aisle.<br /><br /><img style="width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticaquarium_004small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />One of the resident Beluga whales.<br /><br /><img style="width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticaquarium_005small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />Ceremony area.<br /><br />Looking down from the second floor balcony to the reception area:<br /><br /><img style="width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticaquarium_007small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />(this is an awful photo; there are much better ones on their website, liked above)<br /><br />So, after careful deliberation, we have booked the Mystic Yachting Center for September the 18th, 2010!!!!!! We are both thrilled.<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Kate/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Kate/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Kate/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-3.png" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Users/Kate/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-4.png" alt="" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_winner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 400px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_winner.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I spent most of my evening yesterday contacting bands, caterers, and hotels. I also need to find a photographer and florist. We want to do the ceremony on a local beach so I have to figure that out. I think Kenny's job will be the cake. He is notoriously colour blind but thankfully that does not affect his tastebuds so he should be fine picking out a cake flavour, and then I will help out with the cake colours!<br /><br />So now that we get to move on to planning the real details of the wedding, how much do you lot want to know about this? I'm afraid if I sit here happily rapping away at the keyboard, there will be no surprises for our guests when they come to the actual event.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-37360257887544288082009-08-30T11:55:00.000-07:002009-08-30T12:02:39.850-07:00more venue searches!It's been a while since I have updated this but that's because it's been a while since we have accomplished anything wedding-related. This summer was very busy between both of us working and then we moved on August 1 to our very own adorable apartment. Now that we are nearing September, we realized it's time to get cracking on this stuff because realistically we are nearing the one year countdown. This means we are no longer ahead of the game!!<br /><br />Today we went to see another venue, this time in Mystic CT. Mystic is a charming sea-side town just over the Rhode Island border. It's famous for being the location of the real life Mystic Pizza from the movie by the same name (in fact, we drove past that pizza place today!).<br /><br />The venue in question was the <a href="http://mysticyachtingcenter.com/" _fcksavedurl="http://mysticyachtingcenter.com/">Mystic River Yachting Center</a> and I have got to say, it was one of the best for the price that we have seen so far. I really liked the layout of the place, and it is right on the water at the Mystic Shipyard.<br /><br />Pros:<br />-on the water<br />-very well-priced ($2500 to rent the entire space for the entire day)<br />-price includes tables and chairs, and there is no extra charge for the ceremony to be there<br />-beautiful views<br />-lots of space<br />-I really liked the event manager who showed us around, and so did Kenny<br /><br />Cons:<br />-no bridal or grooms suites to get ready<br />-would have to hire outside caterer<br />-not really a great set-up for the ceremony, so we'd most likely have to get married off-site then come to the MYC for the reception<br />-second floor is not handicapped accessible<br /><p>I snapped a few photos:<br /></p><div text="click!" class="ljcut"><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_009small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_009small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The building from the outside<br /><p><br /><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_006small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_006small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The entrance hallway. I love the staircase!</p><br /><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_001small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_001small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_003small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_003small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />They had a wedding the night before so it hadn't quite been fully cleaned up from that, but I used my imagination!<br /><br /><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_004small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_004small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><img style="width: 350px; height: 280px;" src="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_005small.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu136/unionjack43/wedding/mysticyachting_005small.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The outdoor deck/porch area. It was very overcast today.</div><br />The event manager gave us a packet full of info about other vendors in the area, mostly to help us choose a caterer. We looked through it and found a brochure about getting married at the <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.oceanbluecatering.com/sec/10" href="http://www.oceanbluecatering.com/sec/10">Mystic Aquarium</a>. I was like, WHAT!? coolest idea EVER! so now I want to go talk to the Aquarium people about weddings there. It's the same price to rent the aquarium as it is to rent the Yachting Center, AND you can get married right in front of the Beluga tank! How incredible would that be??<br /><br /><img src="http://www.oceanbluecatering.com/g/4/TalieseJoe_wedding4.jpg" _fcksavedurl="http://www.oceanbluecatering.com/g/4/TalieseJoe_wedding4.jpg" style="width: 335px; height: 501px;" alt="" /><br /><br />(from their website)<br /><br />So that is where we stand at the moment! In typical Kate fashion I created more pieces of the puzzle instead of solving it with the pieces we already had but I am really excited about finding out more about the Aquarium, and if that doesn't work out, I really liked the Yachting Center and I can definitely see us getting married there.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-3923016901687075202009-07-01T08:06:00.000-07:002009-07-01T08:25:10.566-07:00playing dress-upAgain this is only semi-related to our wedding, but it is certainly relevant to weddings in general!<br /><br />My mum emailed me a few weeks ago to ask if Kenny and I would be interested in being "models" for a wedding photography seminar to be held in Natick, MA. I asked (aka begged and pleaded) Kenny to do it with me and he agreed, even if a bit reluctantly.<br /><br />This past weekend on Sunday we headed out to Massachusetts to stay overnight with my parents. The seminar was on Monday but my mum wanted to get some shots of us all dressed up, so we went out for a test run on Sunday. We stopped at a few locations and at one point we had parked the car on the side of a rather main road in Groton and people were honking their horns at us and yelling out "Good Luck!" It was so funny, and the best part was that it was a Sunday so for all they knew we had actually gotten married that day!<br /><br />My mum got some really nice shots even though the weather wasn't all that cooperative and it was fun to traipse around in all our finery.<br /><br />Speaking of the finery, the dress belongs to my friend's cousin, who generously donated the use of it for the day. The veil is also hers. Kenny's suit was bought at Men's Warehouse a couple of years ago.<br /><br />On Monday we had to be at the seminar at 1:30. The photographer running the seminar was teaching the people attending it how to pose a couple, and there were all sorts of lessons built in like masculine vs. feminine posing, how to make any couple seem size proportionate in photos even if they're not in real life, and how to set up lighting properly.<br /><br />We posed for about three hours and it went really well.<br /><br />I had my camera with me and I handed it to one of the participants so that he could get some shots of us. The camera was kind of handed around the room and a variety of photographers took photos with it. I didn't get any of their names but thank you to everyone who got a shot of us!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mMOWsl5RS2ecMtJTq7J1WOSjgvtb0PuTefYZROKTXXzvEHIgPX_BlNNJ2nCjCfs9feVJdNIRQ87wHtDz-wN-RW661WT4TQH974OPIB1pyTOfzI988IKeoDjlMTOhqkeCOU1T57WoxY-K/s1600-h/modeling_024small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mMOWsl5RS2ecMtJTq7J1WOSjgvtb0PuTefYZROKTXXzvEHIgPX_BlNNJ2nCjCfs9feVJdNIRQ87wHtDz-wN-RW661WT4TQH974OPIB1pyTOfzI988IKeoDjlMTOhqkeCOU1T57WoxY-K/s320/modeling_024small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353511316656406850" border="0" /></a>Being posed by the instructor.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cgN3Ti1aSlryMDSBB4995GU6B5ArRSeCe7QhhMpu9M1f85gvAYsl14dPtsnt1LzhZ31l1BXd9aKmpQAoeD85om9_FgTNt4ULLPLG8ugQQQsHYIom_9d6VzKNW2J9XyEJ38AQjk_1SQf8/s1600-h/modeling_021small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6cgN3Ti1aSlryMDSBB4995GU6B5ArRSeCe7QhhMpu9M1f85gvAYsl14dPtsnt1LzhZ31l1BXd9aKmpQAoeD85om9_FgTNt4ULLPLG8ugQQQsHYIom_9d6VzKNW2J9XyEJ38AQjk_1SQf8/s320/modeling_021small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353511310512278242" border="0" /></a>Kenny looking like a GQ cover model and me looking like a contorted Barbie.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMCwN7rsHpGuMuWB6hIrGyWcLUqeL8jVMRq3CoLn3qdNne-hddmPxfszvM1Z7UU5v_r2cMWudMOPQSlglV5u1Zy0tVspZtpybNJL3U7zBNxyIkdblAGlXULiRyFek7MHxQZSzLEDo46k7/s1600-h/modeling_010small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMCwN7rsHpGuMuWB6hIrGyWcLUqeL8jVMRq3CoLn3qdNne-hddmPxfszvM1Z7UU5v_r2cMWudMOPQSlglV5u1Zy0tVspZtpybNJL3U7zBNxyIkdblAGlXULiRyFek7MHxQZSzLEDo46k7/s320/modeling_010small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353511309016154226" border="0" /></a>One of the best shots.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dRXj9uylaux3GU7Vmkh9pwhMG5YSiOzOd0pefIslfO7h58eD6-IWk29F1f2B0J9BED3OLVVeFa-bHLYO0s79oaoTxMlVtI_CS-S980gwrRp0rBDsbJGIUqQ7YuSQ9OvVAtAHlfYIgD9V/s1600-h/modeling_002small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dRXj9uylaux3GU7Vmkh9pwhMG5YSiOzOd0pefIslfO7h58eD6-IWk29F1f2B0J9BED3OLVVeFa-bHLYO0s79oaoTxMlVtI_CS-S980gwrRp0rBDsbJGIUqQ7YuSQ9OvVAtAHlfYIgD9V/s320/modeling_002small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353511117695791394" border="0" /></a>A wider angle to show you how the room was set up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Not much has changed on the planning front. We have been trying to get in touch with the Chester House in Westerly, RI, but the wedding person has been away. She was supposed to be back this week, so I am hoping we can get an appointment to see it either this week or next. It would be really nice to book a venue so I can move along with my planning!<br /></div><br /></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-43569299661856089152009-06-25T07:45:00.000-07:002009-06-25T08:07:21.157-07:00on a semi-related note...On Monday Kenny and I will participate in a wedding photography workshop in Natick, MA. We got the opportunity because my <a href="http://www.axfordphotography.com/">mum</a> is going to the workshop and heard that they needed models. She immediately emailed me and I contacted the instructor and he said he'd be delighted to have Kenny and I participate! I am really excited; Kenny is very tolerant haha. I doubt this is what he really wants to do on a day off, but we are being compensated and it will be a great experience for both of us (at least that's what I keep telling him).<br /><br />The workshop is for professional photographers to go to to learn lighting and posing techniques specifically geared towards wedding photography. Kenny and I will be the "bride and groom" and pose for all the photographers. I am excited because I get to dress up like a bride for the day and I might also meet a photographer whom I want to hire for my wedding, since I have not found one yet. Again I know I am jumping the gun a bit here because we haven't booked a venue (still working on that) but it doesn't hurt to do some research.<br /><br />I mentioned I have to dress up like a bride for the day. Well clearly I am not going to wear my wedding dress a) because it's still off being cleaned and b) Kenny cannot see the dress! so a friend hooked me up with her cousin's wedding dress that she got married in two years ago and what do you know! it fits perfectly!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVg5Wam0lS-ronPhBrX4C8Q2CWE8yk89f48U6Dh4CBqqwgdWvS5O6LPO4ylKcN6kgaoq16hyphenhyphenjslD2xm_bE9WVLid0JO8MW_875Nn003G5REkDi9UeaK0DaDgU2cS81W_BUZGKBIflvBnH/s1600-h/IMG_3881small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVg5Wam0lS-ronPhBrX4C8Q2CWE8yk89f48U6Dh4CBqqwgdWvS5O6LPO4ylKcN6kgaoq16hyphenhyphenjslD2xm_bE9WVLid0JO8MW_875Nn003G5REkDi9UeaK0DaDgU2cS81W_BUZGKBIflvBnH/s320/IMG_3881small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351278166227165746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(Please don't pay any attention to our room or me...I had just worked a 12 hour shift)</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Not bad, huh?! Kenny will wear a suit that he already has that he looks so handsome in. I'll be interested to see how these photos come out.<br /><br />I was feeling a bit crafty the other night (always a dangerous thing) and I decided to make my own birdcage veil. I want to wear a more traditional veil on my wedding day but I thought that the birdcage veils looked easy to make and they are pretty. They sell for about $80-100 but I thought I could make one for around $20. I went to Michael's and got all the supplies I needed for just under $20 and got to work. It took a few hours but for my first try I don't think it's bad!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdQ7_R539u5wNyKt5Ka9M3GAOwZ6p0lEp2on7iGt8FNiDHMGiU-kFNJ4c6RGktVtLrSw1XUlDktRRCDQjggVGJWwt4-iEBO_Ogl0B8EbgPsbMJMOR4m1p1MSz9snDbpRD5wuogVyeINMV/s1600-h/IMG_4067small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdQ7_R539u5wNyKt5Ka9M3GAOwZ6p0lEp2on7iGt8FNiDHMGiU-kFNJ4c6RGktVtLrSw1XUlDktRRCDQjggVGJWwt4-iEBO_Ogl0B8EbgPsbMJMOR4m1p1MSz9snDbpRD5wuogVyeINMV/s320/IMG_4067small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351280324261233202" border="0" /></a>So it started as a plain comb, loose beads and feathers, and bulk netting. I attached the netting first and then sewed all of the beads, pearls, and feathers onto the comb. Then I secured the feathers with a few dabs of crazy glue because they would have fallen out easily had I not.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEfwQ1Yv1Rex7TEW1mnO-E4MBPd3yKFAIY_eulK1Qx6cEDFoGJ6AR-asetof4OdKf6Llk15NFkUnVYktCpW7FGKJRq1Wm4FgGiLlmzRzDTE18xlRhSnduAQrtI0q38YjBiRQtkGX2bSuQ/s1600-h/IMG_4061small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEfwQ1Yv1Rex7TEW1mnO-E4MBPd3yKFAIY_eulK1Qx6cEDFoGJ6AR-asetof4OdKf6Llk15NFkUnVYktCpW7FGKJRq1Wm4FgGiLlmzRzDTE18xlRhSnduAQrtI0q38YjBiRQtkGX2bSuQ/s320/IMG_4061small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351280861889953218" border="0" /></a>It's difficult taking a photo of yourself in a mirror but you get the idea. It covers to the top of my lips and then goes across my face covering both eyes. Pretty snazzy!<br /></div></div>Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426600189196019904.post-40748010101668598632009-06-24T13:13:00.000-07:002009-06-24T14:14:55.002-07:00fun, non-floral centerpieces to fit our budget and colour schemeWe estimate that we will have about twelve tables at our wedding. Floral centerpieces for all twelve tables would be between $700 and $1500 depending on what flowers we wanted. I know I'm going to have to figure out where I can start trimming the budget (oh darn) so I have been looking at non-floral centerpieces online. I've found that I actually like the centerpieces with no flowers better than those with flowers!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl223UfrVT6rWaJLYDC_clz4pLVkbE8I76AG7y34ABZqRpBuH5XpJy7TR18XC2phLHF72KrNZJhPYxMWn9MVUxlbxuTidt-t7C5zDaAF9zKEiYJLrgp1py_-EHe9xU6qJX9WYLHW9IHwO/s1600-h/fish-centerpiece01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl223UfrVT6rWaJLYDC_clz4pLVkbE8I76AG7y34ABZqRpBuH5XpJy7TR18XC2phLHF72KrNZJhPYxMWn9MVUxlbxuTidt-t7C5zDaAF9zKEiYJLrgp1py_-EHe9xU6qJX9WYLHW9IHwO/s320/fish-centerpiece01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350989975873114722" border="0" /></a>I love this fabulous fish centerpiece that I saw featured <a href="http://www.wedding-flowers-and-reception-ideas.com/fish-centerpiece.html">here</a>. It has a bit of height, it's something nice to look at in the center of the table that will last (hopefully) longer than cut flowers will after the wedding is over, and each centerpiece could be raffled to a guest at the table so that the winner could take home a nice beta fish for a pet.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.brillianteventplanning.com/blogpics/centerpieces--citrus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://www.brillianteventplanning.com/blogpics/centerpieces--citrus.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.brillianteventplanning.com/">Photo Credit</a></span><br /><br /></div>Another fun and fresh idea is using citrus fruits. If we have green as our colour, I would love to use lemons since the yellow will go well with it. I keep hearing that my wedding decor should go along with the month we are getting married in. I think this is true to a certain extent but I am not going to write off a really great idea just because it doesn't "feel" like September. A centerpiece like this would add height colour and fun to the tables, and generally in RI it's still so nice and warm even in September that I'm sure it would go well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.brides.com/images/editorial/2007_brideslocal/09_fall/ny_p092_rachelmicah/00_main/007_primary.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 340px; height: 340px;" src="http://www.brides.com/images/editorial/2007_brideslocal/09_fall/ny_p092_rachelmicah/00_main/007_primary.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://bridalcheek.wordpress.com/">Photo Credit</a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">I also love curling vines like these curly willow clippings. These have orchid blooms attached to them and they almost look like dogwood. Beautiful!<br /></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.theknot.com/blogs/stylefile/Blog_033109.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 317px; height: 398px;" src="http://images.theknot.com/blogs/stylefile/Blog_033109.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/blogs/wedding_style_file/archive/2009/03/31/wedding-centerpieces-outdoor-lanterns-and-candles.aspx">Photo Credit</a></span><br /></div><br />Depending on the kind of venue we end up booking, I also really love lanterns, but that may be too rustic for some of the places we are considering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83jh9Knij9qgAJCOrIdrAwSzaYvaAfJklHhR0P55tkSIWSojUaU90rMdgecfmG4tK-HYU91jXt_EOMEHLfX22uoniDPXcq4m-R3ty3fxztSqexT56Dds0InXd_9mM_Of0GTDyaChnkIqO/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 66px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83jh9Knij9qgAJCOrIdrAwSzaYvaAfJklHhR0P55tkSIWSojUaU90rMdgecfmG4tK-HYU91jXt_EOMEHLfX22uoniDPXcq4m-R3ty3fxztSqexT56Dds0InXd_9mM_Of0GTDyaChnkIqO/s320/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351001684880535010" border="0" /></a>I am thinking about using the colours above as our colour scheme but can't decide if I might replace the yellow with a cream colour. I would love a sage green for bridesmaid's dresses and then purple and yellow (or cream) flowers in the bouquets. Deep purple table cloths (or a more traditional off-white) would tie everything together.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlncRrQzh9ioITzBpuhMCsJQDurU3jFlmt6nQNERCu2C0XR-ql-lTL-Fq-DaZIgF4xNM4p1MEAOd2rc-PpoQDp81C_QOik3e1avbiG3uLtoGTov0lwfwtaL7JCCHo3lFpW-dgBd27t68DK/s1600-h/Picture+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 67px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlncRrQzh9ioITzBpuhMCsJQDurU3jFlmt6nQNERCu2C0XR-ql-lTL-Fq-DaZIgF4xNM4p1MEAOd2rc-PpoQDp81C_QOik3e1avbiG3uLtoGTov0lwfwtaL7JCCHo3lFpW-dgBd27t68DK/s320/Picture+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351005007887692466" border="0" /></a>I think I might like this palette better.Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08707037151404133158noreply@blogger.com3