257 More Days

Welcome to the Engagement Anniversary special edition blog post!

As of today, we have been engaged for 1 year.

If you were wondering….that’s
52 weeks, or
365 days, or
8,760 hours, or
525,600 minutes
(how can you measure, measure a yeeeear….in daylights, in sunsets, in midnights and cuuuups of coffee…)

Sorry, I had to have a musical break.

Anyways, it literally feels like just yesterday that we were standing atop that mountain in Sedona at sunset and Steve got on one knee.  Sigh.  (Refer to our wedding website for the full tale if you haven’t heard it before.)  So much has happened in the past year and I can’t believe there is still 8.5 months more before the wedding.

 

Note the ugly crying face and the plastic cups of wine. The indicators of a perfect engagement. 🙂 If you want to witness how it went down you may view our engagement weekend video!

Some of you may think “We know you have done the things you have blogged about, but is that all you have accomplished in a year?!”.  The answer is OH MY GOD NO.  Since the very moment we got engaged I have devoted anywhere between 5 minutes to 10 hours per day planning this wedding.  I have spent many nights staying awake until well past midnight staring at checklists, candle votives, fabric swatches, and scrapbook paper with complete delight.  Call me obsessed if you will, but it has been the biggest and most joyous thrill to be able to devote a good chunk of my life to this.  [Stay tuned for future blog posts on my “wedding planner career” contemplations.]  Really though, some people dread certain aspects of wedding planning that I have not found the least bit tedious and have, in fact, thoroughly enjoyed.  Weird?

 Just to give you an idea, here are (a good chunk of) the things I have accomplished in the past year in no particular order.  I won’t list everything because no one wants to read that many things.

Created a wedding website, picked a wedding date, created a “hashtag”, selected wedding color scheme, titled wedding theme, selected the bridesmaids, selected the groomsmen, purchased wedding planning book, elected “something old”, got ring cleaner, became a member of theknot.com and weddingwire.com, started a blog, selected and booked mens attire, selected and purchased bridesmaid dresses, purchased my wedding gown, purchased my veil, acquired a tiara, selected and sent save-the-dates, selected and booked the venue, selected and booked the photographer, got engagement pictures taken, created and distributed bridesmaid guides, purchased Steve’s wedding gift, reserved videographers, selected first dance song, hosted bridesmaid slumber party,  selected and booked DJ, selected and solidified ceremony readers, selected readings for those readers, selected the flower girl and ring bearer, got “something blue”, got specialty paper for table numbers, selected and booked florist, attended a bridal expo, created a rough wedding day timeline, toured hotels, booked hotel room blocks, selected bridal shower dates, purchased my wedding shoes, selected my makeup artist, selected my hair dresser, committed to a general hair style, began a personal beauty regiment, began a personal fitness regiment, designed centerpieces, acquired wedding flutes, had three engagement parties, purchased garter set, committed to “card box concept”, created and purchased guest book, created signature cocktails, selected “ring bearer attendant”, selected and purchased ceremony music, selected officiant, booked cocktail hour band, purchased my bridal undergarments, committed to an invitation stationer, committed to wedding guest favors, selected rehearsal dinner, created ceremony program, created signage for entrance and reception, etc.

But I won’t bore you with the rest of it.  I’m feeling pretty good about things at this point.  Honestly if there is one thing I can say about the accomplishments thus far, it’s that spreading everything out has been key.  Why did I decide to have a 20-month engagement?  It’s because between working full-time, having an active social life, raising a puppy, traveling, cooking, and cleaning only so much can be accomplished in a limited amount of time.  Of course it’s different for everyone, but I have loved getting to be able to devote entire months to very specific aspects of the wedding, perfecting them thoroughly until I’m satisfied.

Where do you start?  I started by taking as many “timeline” lists that I could get my hands on from the internet, books, etc. and creating my own detailed timeline by month with special designations for things that had to be created or purchased. Not to mention most lists don’t include all of the details that I require in a wedding task list, so compiling my own was important. Excel has been my BFF for the past year.

I also immediately made all of my wedding Pinterest boards private and reorganized them into about 12 different boards. Going through each one meticulously also helped me to put together my timeline task list. But there will be more on my Type-A planning craze later.

For now, I’m thankful to get to spend the weekend in Sedona with my darling fiancé and celebrate all of the amazing wedding things to come!

 

❤

442 More Days

Let’s talk engagement parties!

So the thrill of your engagement has permeated through every social media platform, every family member, and every person you have known since you were 11.  Everyone is all in a tizzy over the joyous news.  This is the perfect time to think about engagement parties.

When I first began thinking about my engagement party (probably around a year or so before I got engaged), I thought of having one giant formal soirée.  Champagne, cocktail dresses, soft jazz…the whole bit.  What I didn’t know then was that I would end up with nearly FOUR engagement celebrations.

About a month after we got engaged, our families took a giant family vacation to Florida.  Many of my relatives live there and Steve has a grandmother that lives there.  We visited Orlando where my grandparents and aunt live, and while we were there we spent a day of fun at EPCOT Center (one of my favorite places).   Little did we know that Steve’s parents had planned a special evening for us.  Hence…Engagement Celebration: Part 1.  They had planned a private boat ride for the whole family that took us out on the lake to watch the fantastic fireworks show.  It was complete with a personalized Disney engagement cake, champagne, snacks, blankets, bride and groom Mickey ear hats, and engraved forks (which we will be eating with at our wedding).

Then if that wasn’t the greatest thing ever, we got to venture to Vero Beach Florida the next day and attend an Easter luau hosted by Steve’s grandmother, complete with leis, limbo, and lots of delicious food!  The luau doubled as Engagement Celebration: Part 2.

After our magical time in Florida, we returned to Arizona for the party that I had planned on having all along.  My parents threw a formal party for friends and family in Arizona at a family friend’s beautiful home.  I planned every detail from the giant array of foods, the decor, the guest list, the cute little picture frames, and the music playlist.  The best part was that my friends and family were taken in groups on a boat ride around the lake community under the starts.  And so it was Engagement Celebration: Part 3.

And finally, after all of that, Steve of course had to get his dream engagement party: a laid back pool party complete with guacamole, lots of friends, pool noodles, and a fill-in-the-blank white board, followed by some drinks at the bar.  And so it ended with Engagement Celebration: Part 4.

Is it necessary to have four engagement parties?  Of course not.  But I like to think that this only happens once in your life and you should share the happiness with as many people in as many ways possible.  I am also incredibly blessed.

Fun little tips:
1. Your engagement party is the perfect time to start getting used to things being “all about the two of you”.  If you’re a moderately reclusive person who doesn’t enjoy the spotlight, you might feel a bit out of your comfort zone (*cough* Steve *cough*).  Try to enjoy the fact that so many people are loving and supporting you at this time in your life and relish in it.
2. Details are key.  Each of our celebrations had a few personal little details to make them special.  Banners, photos of us, a timeline of our relationship, a date jar, a personalized music playlist, etc. can all add a magical touch.
3. Planning this party gets you nice and warmed up for the oodles of planning that lay ahead.  So put a lot into it and see where you strengths are and what areas you’ll need some extra help with.

Thankfully there will only be one wedding.

❤