Wedding Preparations

With less than three weeks until Anna and Scott's wedding, 

we are making all the final preparations, mapping these last days out.

 We have done our research and tried to find the best bargains available

 to make the most of our wedding budget.

Our flowers are coming from Costco online, 

where you can buy flowers, or in our case, 

pale pink roses, 

by the hundred.  

Since Anna is a regular candle-holic, and a die hard romantic, 

we will have plenty of candles for the wedding decor. 

 I looked and looked for the best buy on bulk candles, 

and came up with quickcandle.com, where one can buy 2x6 pillar candles for $2.50 a peice, 

and other such wondrous finds.

We have rented tablecloths, at long last, finding Blue Ribbon laundry to have the best price.

The china, punch cups, and chaffing dishes are from AtoZ rental. 

I have asked the wedding coordinator to pick those up for us the day before the wedding.

I bought the flower girl dresses on ebay, quick and easy, 

and having made my order, found the dresses to fit perfectly. 

The key to ebay is finding the right phrase for searching.  

"short sleeve flower girl dress"  ended up to be the best method to find dresses with sleeves. 

Anna found simple, modest, sensibly priced bridesmaid dresses at A Formal Choice. 

The dresses are beautifully made and fit well. 

After shopping all over, resorting to much prayer, 

I bought my Mother of the Bride dress at a wedding shop. 

 I just could not find anything long and flowy, which was what I really desired. 

Anna bought her veil and a portrait collar for her dress from Tidebuy.  

Although most wedding shops only carry strapless dresses, 

there are several online places to purchase 

short jackets,

 lace overlays 

and portrait collars 

if a bride desires more fabric for a modest and original look.

JC Penny has the most variety of wedding style shoes we could find, 

not to mention the sales people in both locations where we shopped were super nice, 

letting us put shoes on hold while we scouted through the mall 

to see if there was anything better to be found,

 which, by the way, 

there wasn't.

Pinterest is a treasure trove of wedding ideas to 

inspire and motivate,

 copy and mimic.

YouTube has great how to videos for just about everything relating to weddings. 

 Do it yourself flowers, centerpiece ideas, church decorations and hairstyle how to's.

The flower girl baskets we bought at Amazon, 

as well as the isle runner, napkins, and flower petals.

The guest book and hurricane lanterns for the centerpieces were purchased at Hobby Lobby, 

a 50% off coupon. 

Oh, the fun of getting box after box by UPS or FedEx nearly everyday! 

 We try to keep something yummy on hand to share with the drivers, 

whom I am sure are tiring of trekking down our long driveway.

We have borrowed tulle, Christmas lights, silver service, crystal, 

and other lovely items from everyone I can think of.  

Putting together a simple yet elegant wedding has been oodles of fun for me, as I enjoy event planning.  Anticipation of seeing it all come together is building day by day.

Last week, Brian and I spent three hours at the church mapping out how we are going to hang all the decorations for the reception and such, making a list for the hardware store as we went.

This week I am ordering flowers, making the ring pillow, finalizing out of town guest arrangements, handing out punch bowls and recipes to all the ladies who have graciously consented to bring food, 

and breathing deeply.

Next week I will do the grocery shopping for the reception and the week of the wedding..

having planned crockpot or freezer meals and paper plates all week, and through the weekend,

well, except Thanksgiving day, 

  Then, I plan on ironing all the wedding clothes and tableclothes, hanging them all up with plastic covers.  Then we will clean the house top to bottom. 

and then, I will drink a good amount of my favorite relaxing tea and eat chocolate.

The week of the wedding, we will be decorating since the church is available all week:  Monday the sanctuary and dining hall, Tuesday the reception hall and Wednesday, anything else that didn't get done, hopefully not a lot since we will be preparing for Thanksgiving here at Providence Lodge. 

 Friday we may have some out of town guests over for lunch, then the rehearsal and dinner.   

Saturday,  

The Wedding! 

 Sunday hanging out with whomever is still around,

 and Monday loading the moving van to haul Anna's belongings off to her new home. 

Then we will crash, no doubt, in a tumultuous mixture of happiness, exhaustion, and tears; 

for my eldest has just moved out on his own, 

our daughter will have left for her new home,

 and our baby will turn two. (boohoo).

There is no doubt in my mind that as happy as I am now,
those issues of transition for this mama's heart will work their way out,
and I will need plenty of tissue and comfort food on hand.

(smile)
In the meantime, though, we are delighted and overjoyed for this young couple
whom God has brought together. 
And we know, most thoroughly, that

Together is a wonderful place to be.