It's all in the details.

Wedding planning is difficult and fun and stressful and stress-relieving and about a million other contradictory things all at once.

Without Etsy and some craftiness on my part, I'm not sure how I'd accomplish a wedding.

Thankfully, most of the details are finished. I have some hands-on work left to do, but not much in the way of actual planning is left.

We've had our cake tasting, and those cakes are going to be delicious!

I have my garter, headpiece, shoes, and under the dress essentials.

We have the decorations (and supplies to make decorations) purchased.

Invitations only need to be addressed at this point! And save-the-dates are being designed currently...they'll be mailed as soon as we get the printer the address list!

Our engagement photo session will take place in just a couple weeks.

My dress is in process. I'm very lucky to be able to work with a dress designer, and even luckier that she happens to be my aunt! My Aunt D (Debbie) is my mom's sister and lives in Chicago. She's been making beautiful dresses for 30 years as a side hobby, and has made around 300 wedding gowns and countless other bridal party dresses. It is amazing and overwhelming to have the opportunity to design your own gown. I can't wait to see the finished product!

The reception menu is planned...pretty much.

I think the wedding party dinner has been booked (Chris?).

The registries are complete, but might need a little adjusting.

The bridesmaids' dresses have been chosen, and they have until December to order and send in their measurements.

Honeymoon plans have not been made.  We may have to hold off on an official honeymoon.  Chris may be right in the middle of a school semester.

We're currently figuring out plans for beyond next summer.  Charlotte will be going to pre-school, so I will be out of a job and leaving a sweet family!  We've pretty much decided what we think should happen, and as soon as things are iron-clad, I can fill you in. 

Good reads.

This is definitely something I should write about more, mainly because I should read more. And truthfully, the last few books I've read have a limited audience. For example, with a pregnant best friend (until about 5 weeks ago!) I read "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" in order to be the informed, supportive friend. I suggest the latter if you're looking for humor with some real-life tips, and the former if you want just the facts.

The book I'm currently reading is also utilitarian, of sorts. For our pre-marital counseling, our good friend and minister, Walt (the husband of my best friend!), suggested "Real Marriage" by Mark and Grace Driscoll and "A Celebration of Sex".

So I've started "Real Marriage", and it is fantastic. It's hard. It forces you to deal with some heavy stuff, but it is so worth it. I would recommend it to any couple who is married or close to being married.

And speaking of that, we're going on a little more than 5 months! Yay!

(We're supposed to wait until about a month before the wedding to crack open "A Celebration of Sex", but I've heard great things about it)

The Sweetest Day (aka: the proposal)

This boy did a wonderful job.  Just let me say that first.  Even though I knew it was coming (at some point), I was completely surprised.  Even though I think I saw him reach for his pocket, I was completely surprised.  A planner, this fella is.

So...Chris has been teasing for quite some time that he would be waiting until Christmas to propose.  This made me crazy!  Which was his goal.  Now, I knew he wasn't serious, probably.  He's always told me he wouldn't waste a holiday on that.  I deserved to have a separate day just for that.  Sweet one.  But in any case, he's been known to throw me off track by doing the exact opposite of what I expect.  So I didn't know what in the world he was going to do.

Early last week, I got a call from my bestie asking if Chris and I wanted to meet her and her husband for dinner on Sunday night, because they didn't have church and wanted to come to the city.  I thought that was a great idea, especially since Chris and I had just had a discussion about some LivingSocial deals we needed to use before they expire.  We decide to go try this new restaurant, and I ask Chris to make the reservation.  As far as I know, we have a 5:30 reservation for Sunday night.  I did think it was odd that church was cancelled on a random Sunday night, and that it was very suspicious that we discussed the soon-to-be-expired vouchers the day before, but I put it out of my mind.

On Sunday afternoon, I looked at the website for the restaurant since we'd not been there before.  According to the site, they were not open for dinner on Sunday night!  I brought it to Chris' attention, but he assures me he called the restaurant and spoke with them, instead of using OpenTable.  He blamed it on a lazy webmaster.  Again, I think it's a bit fishy, but I go with it.

Once I'm nearly ready, Chris tells me we need to go by the Peristyle (the location we're using for our wedding) to snap a few pictures for his mom.  She is having dinner with a wedding coordinator friend, and she'd like to show pictures of the space, but has lost the pictures we sent previously.  I agree, worrying we'll be late for our reservations, and curiously suspicious because his mother does not lose things.

All day Sunday, I was at war with myself...trying not to get my hopes up too high.  I thought he might propose at dinner with friends that night, but I surely didn't want to be too disappointed if he didn't.  So, I was trying very hard to stay cool and grounded.

When we arrive at the Peristyle, a wedding is just about to start.  It's beautifully set for a very formal wedding.  It was the first time we've seen it set for a wedding.  Absolutely gorgeous.  I follow Chris around as he snaps pictures and obviously contemplates walking in to this wedding.  I keep my distance, being quite underdressed for the occasion.

We walk down to the waterfront, and just look across Bayou Metairie, taking in the view.  On the other side of the bayou, there is a gorgeous stone bridge that crosses over to Goldfish Island.  Chris says he's always wanted to see it up close, and he'd like to see the Peristyle from across the bayou.  So we walk over.  I worry we'll miss our reservation, but Chris assures me it's fine.  I wonder again, if maybe, just maybe he'll propose, but try not to get too excited.

It is just lovely from across the water, and we stand there talking about how it is just the ideal spot for our wedding and how lucky we were to see it all set up.  Then after a few seconds I think I might have just seen him reach for his pocket...heart stops.  Brain follows.  He tells me he would get down on one knee, but he might die because the bridge is actually pretty steep and really rocky.  We both laugh, and he holds out the ring.  He asks if I would do him the immense honor of becoming his wife.  I think I reply, "umm...of course?"  And I just grab the ring and try to put it on the correct finger, which already has a ring on it.  (as soon as that ring came out, I got really weird)  He suggests maybe he should do that, and I agree.

It's pretty freaking amazing, right?!

Chris tells me that the original plan was to propose in the Peristyle, precisely where we'll be married in under 200 days (!).  I'm really pretty ok with the way things worked out, because it is perfect.  I also learn that the dinner reservation is just an excuse to get me ready on time (and probably not in pajamas).  He does have a reservation for a sunset gondola ride through City Park, complete with champagne.  He knows his audience well.

 The gondolier serenades us and encourages all the passersby to congratulate us.  So sweet.

It's Italian tradition to kiss as you pass under bridges, or else you'll have 7 years bad luck.  There are 10 bridges in City Park.  And you pass under them twice.

The ceremony has just ended as we are passing.

The wedding party congratulates us!  I'm getting married there!

Seriously, can't stop looking at it the entire time.  Except for all the kissing.  And the drinking of the champagne.  Which doesn't help with the weirdness.  Also, I need a manicure.

We do have dinner reservations!  Only they're at 8:00, because our friends do have church.  And at Court of Two Sisters, not Apolline.  He made this plan because we'll be having dinner with our wedding party at Court of Two Sisters after our wedding.  So precious.

Needless to say, it was truly the sweetest day yet.  Absolute perfection.

Where I've been.

First, I apologize for my sudden radio silence. I knew if I wrote anything at all, I would give away stuff that I shouldn't. But no worries now!

As you may know, Chris and I are now engaged! What you may not know, is we've already been wedding planning for months. Pretty much right before I stopped writing, in June, we began our wedding plans.

We've known for quite some time we wanted to be married...I mean, we have been together like a hundred years... And finally the time was just right. He had my ring made, which was a process that took a couple months, as he had it designed. I knew he was doing so, and while I didn't pick it out specifically, I gave him plenty of options and information to choose the perfect one. And he certainly did!

Since he had the ring, he told me to begin planning. We knew what we wanted would take some time to plan, and we also knew that we would have to work around the crazy hot New Orleans weather and a best man currently serving our country as a Marine.

All that to say, we know when, where, and how we'll be married, and you will also. Very soon!