Hi all!

Invitations are on the way!  The only major thing I have left to order at this point are the favors!  It's getting down to the time where excitement and nerves run the show!

Dress fitting went well.  I shrank a little bit and have some major alterations to have done, but I am absolutely still in love with my dress!  :) 

The detailing meeting with the hotel has been scheduled for 8/21/13. 

Speaking of the hotel....there are a block of rooms set aside for the wedding date!  Please take advantage of this and use our names when you book your stay! 

We are winding down to the final few months of wedding planning and both of us are getting nervous.  The planning process has been a test of patience on both of us, but we are managing to keep it together and trying to calm each other down when one of us starts getting spastic.

I go for my dress fitting on July 29th.  I just ordered a second pair of potential wedding shoes yesterday, not sure the first pair I ordered are going to be comfortable enough for me... 

We are in process of picking out and ordering invitations.

Registries are set up with Target and Honeyluna.com

The bridesmaids all ordered their dresses.  And I am about to set up hair appointments for all of us that would like to be at the salon that morning!

Gianny is excited about ordering his tux! 

We had some "insta-family" pictures taken by my coworker Danielle around September 2012.  This one was cropped down to use for our Save the Date cards that went out this month.

Danielle M. Bostic will also be the wedding photographer in October as well!

EEeeeeK!  The dress came in!!!  I took my available entourage to J&B Bridal in Chambersburg and everyone got to try on veils and see "the" dress.

It fits...was actually too big! and I am super happy about it!!!!  I LOVE THIS DRESS!  Can't say it enough.

Excited!

Jen, Jenny, and Lauren and I set out on a bridesmaid dress hunt.  Another trip to Chambersburg was made while Lauren was home for the holidays.  Attempting to take advantage of the potential discount at J&B if they found a dress there.  No luck at J&B. 

We stopped at Davids bridal and I randomly looked at a picture of a fluffy, fru-fru dress and sure enough.....this is the first one they tried on and they all loved it!  :)  Happy Bridesmaids (well..at least these 3)...was a good sign!  SOLD! 

I knew the hardest thing for me to do would be to find a dress that I loved and that looked good on me...so I wanted to start there. 

I did not have a very good experience at Davids Bridal and felt like the dresses were hot, scratchy, and just weren't very flattering on me.  Day one was a bust...and there were too many cooks in the kitchen on that trip too!

The next attempt at the dress hunt was with Amber and Jenny (two of the bridesmaids).  Honest opinions...and less of them in the same space was what I needed! Gowns By Design on Carlisle pike had the Maggie Sottero dress I fell in love with!  I was only able to hold it up in front of me and pretend I knew what it would look like on...but I absolutely fell in love with it!  I didn't want to order it until I could possibly try it on though....so I left with that dress in the back of my mind.....

My coworker told me about J&B Bridals in Chambersburg where her friend had such a great experience.  I scheduled an appointment for myself and decided I would tackle it alone.  They carried the Maggie Sottero brand and off I went!   I tried a dress on there that was similar....but it just wasn't giving me the same feeling as that first one. 

I called my mom and debated back and forth with her on whether I should order the dress I wanted without having it on...or not.  Back and forth, back and forth.  And finally... I just did it!  I had to have that dress that I couldnt get out of my mind!   September 2012....the dress was ordered!

The bridesmaids were an easy choice for me...a sister that has known me since I was a bump in our mama and my new little sis.  And a posse of best friends that I have known anywhere from 27years to 5years...but have all been a part of my life and seen me through the ups and downs of growing into who I am today!

I picked my color scheme of black, white, and red and made up "would you be my bridesmaid?" boxes....  this color scheme is the one thing that I have remained firm on....changed the date once...and almost did it twice for a new venue.....however....I was able to stay with this concept in mind!

Kristen wanted a "barn" reception, but without the actual barn... We made an appointment for the Ribbon Mill in Carlisle and I really loved the space...but after talking logistics and prices... and all the fine details, we didn't want to nail down that location just yet.

On the drive home from the Ribbon Mill, we stopped at the Park Inn on the Carlisle Pike, "just to check it out."  We were immediately assisted by a wedding coordinator and listened to what they had to offer.  Relief swept over both of us because they really made it feel like we would be taken care of, rather than having to worry about a thing!

We booked it! 

To confirm that was the right choice....On the way home from that Park Inn consultation, we received a phone call from the Ribbon Mill reporting that the people that came in to tour after us booked the date we were asking about.  Oh well!  ....next!

We didn't want to be too hot, and we didn't want to be too cold.  Gianny has horrible allergies and Kristen hates the heat of summer.  We initially chose a date of April 19, 2013.  The first signs of Spring, mid 60s weather and far enough away from our friends' wedding date that was just announced.

but...as things happen, the finances weren't gonna make it for that soon!  Sooooo...keeping with the not too hot, not too cold theme we had to push the date back for another 6 months to give us enough wiggle room.

New date of October 18, 2013 was set!  The week before Kristen's birthday! And the actual date of her niece Miren's birthday!  One of the flower girls is gonna have a great party to attend for her special day! 

We both love fall and are happy to be getting married in our favorite, seasonal weather!

I had a feeling that "something was up" this day because we had my future stepson for the weekend and Gianny went out of his way to make sure that we were able to have some time to ourselves to grab a quick lunch...I wasn't complaining!  He took me to Passage to India on Front St in Harrisburg to grab a quick bite.  This happens to be the location that we went on our first date in October 2010 and I had a hankering for Indian food.

Towards the end of the meal, Gianny tells me that he has something for me, and I think to myself...is this it?  Is he gonna propose?  He surprises me and pulls out a watch from his coatjacket.... He asked me to pull the pin on the watch to stop the time.  It was 2:12pm. 

The next thing I know he is down on one knee and asking me to make him a happy man and do him the honor of marrying him.  I got so excited that I flailed my arms all around and knocked over my water glass all over everything!  From there on out I just stared at the beautiful engagement ring that was on my finger....and of course....I said yes!

and....  I absolutely love that watch and wear it everyday!