tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11760242077003395222024-02-19T13:50:58.242-08:00Kalea's WeddingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-60129252982442555922012-04-30T21:17:00.000-07:002012-04-30T21:17:14.232-07:00One Month<br />
This next weekend will be my second bridal shower (I’ll blog about the first one soon, too!) and my bachelorette party was a couple days ago, and so now that they’re over, I feel crazy excited/anxious! I feel sad that these events I looked forward to are now done and overwhelmed with all the nice things my friends and family did for me over the past couple of weekends. Above all, right now I feel overwhelmed with gratitude toward everyone who came to my shower and/or bachelorette party, gave me a gift (even if we’re talking peen straws or casserole dishes), said something nice to me, paid for my fancy bachelorette drinks/hotel suite/gifts, and just generally made me feel so special this month. I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude that the phrase “I can’t thank you enough” comes to mind. No, seriously—I can’t thank these people enough. I have the best family and friends!<br />
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I’m anxious about making sure everybody who comes to the wedding has a good time. I’m so worried I won’t be able to say hello to everyone in attendance, or a friend who doesn’t know anyone else there will be miserable - how can I spend quality time with 250 people? It's sad but I just don't think I'll be able to. I so appreciate everyone who is taking time to drive to Yakima for our wedding - spending their hard earned money and free time to help us celebrate. I deeply appreciate everything our friends and family are doing! And I am so very excited to see everyone flying and driving to Yakima, just for us!<br />
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In the past few weeks, people have been asking me if I’m nervous about the wedding. Nervous? No, the only thing I am nervous about is getting all of my to-dos done. It’s crunch time! I'm 100% excited to marry Nate, that much I am calm about.<br />
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I'm wrapping up work here in Seattle so that I can move home for the 3 weeks before the wedding. I am really looking forward to lots of time to accomplish wedding tasks, workout with my sisters (here I come pilates!), and catch up on sleep so I can be as relaxed as possible when the big day arrives.<br />
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When did you start feeling stressed? Was the last month before your wedding busy and sometimes overwhelming too?<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-21518929946523547422012-03-09T16:15:00.000-08:002012-03-09T16:15:07.311-08:00Less than 100 days!The 100 day mark has come and gone - and let me just tell you, I am so excited!!<br />
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...and, I'm so ready to be done.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, I am <i>loving </i>and have <i>loved</i> being engaged - but a 21 month engagement is very long. I am just so looking forward to the wedding (week!), I can't wait to see everyone - I can't wait for the fun to begin!<br />
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Here's whats going on at the moment:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Invitation Assembly!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2fdq46_vAiK_tABgWUxoo-NbZ8ohLxGbesu_7AUfc37KeaB3i16LzdOpvUj5kcrP3MRX7Z6QAkleP08yBkd8RaCfdfl58U_ZInSmPNA75MHcEoxBjFVcSBrYcLi6kGAcadyQQVlGgdxS/s1600/invite+assembly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim2fdq46_vAiK_tABgWUxoo-NbZ8ohLxGbesu_7AUfc37KeaB3i16LzdOpvUj5kcrP3MRX7Z6QAkleP08yBkd8RaCfdfl58U_ZInSmPNA75MHcEoxBjFVcSBrYcLi6kGAcadyQQVlGgdxS/s320/invite+assembly.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sewing wedding napkins!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_8cjjXc2KeDrQW7WNWHjeu1dYOIhpVMdE-8gObVxgAgD-D6Sy43mXzSgaiQqypvnD4eYLPXheBczBgf7ZEdag3FWwYpN4fj42hSEhMayIgbE8XvupzmWVM42F-tSzgkG_F1fgdiVis7t/s1600/fabric.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_8cjjXc2KeDrQW7WNWHjeu1dYOIhpVMdE-8gObVxgAgD-D6Sy43mXzSgaiQqypvnD4eYLPXheBczBgf7ZEdag3FWwYpN4fj42hSEhMayIgbE8XvupzmWVM42F-tSzgkG_F1fgdiVis7t/s320/fabric.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wait, what did I say? Yes, I think I may have officially lost my mind. I've decided to sew all 250 wedding napkins! It just seems like it will be cheaper than renting and so much less boring! Our tables need a pop of color and pattern, so I'm doing 7 different patterns of napkins all within the color scheme of the wedding. The cuteness factor is through the roof, trust me! Plus it gives me a great excuse to watch lots of Sex and the City while sewing these puppies. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9WdKSNTXs-TURSk3TOKTEwXOInsHVna5Dk8pGJOcQm2t7H6OdKLRk_0FH0aXqJW5SQ0DiwcNDKDgvy54voGOy8rf11tdrwC4LGoy0SPz5liSt_rLjcUEDGEeOPZqtFsTUEYH4Gmh2gIO/s1600/fabric2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9WdKSNTXs-TURSk3TOKTEwXOInsHVna5Dk8pGJOcQm2t7H6OdKLRk_0FH0aXqJW5SQ0DiwcNDKDgvy54voGOy8rf11tdrwC4LGoy0SPz5liSt_rLjcUEDGEeOPZqtFsTUEYH4Gmh2gIO/s400/fabric2.jpg" width="266" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Thats sort of the look I'm going for. Cute right?!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We picked out Nates tux (and the groomsmen, and the ushers, and the Dads...whew!). We went through Mens Warehouse here in Seattle and really had a great experience. I knew going into the appointment that I really have a soft spot for classic black tuxes and bowties (I'm not the biggest fan of vests) - and luckily, Nate agreed!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Here is (essentially) what we picked:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirABdBQE5BjjRoj6HIePThWazOHpB5xDJSzLKIdLjbNUcEuG9SXTZQwUK96FJ17FKkc8KuBEj7OFV7DDSRYlVqtIL_NhI7JmF_lBojbqDVqFW23nY7_GE3sUn6P0Zdb5WN-S03VOvVEJnO/s1600/tux2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirABdBQE5BjjRoj6HIePThWazOHpB5xDJSzLKIdLjbNUcEuG9SXTZQwUK96FJ17FKkc8KuBEj7OFV7DDSRYlVqtIL_NhI7JmF_lBojbqDVqFW23nY7_GE3sUn6P0Zdb5WN-S03VOvVEJnO/s400/tux2.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Nate's going to look so handsome!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And speaking of Nate, I ordered his ring! I'm obsessed with it and hopefully he'll love it too. I was totally nauseous with excitement when I ordered it - everything is so surreal! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRH5Hcd1qQZdYfHylc5BWrouBhTNGxbGyo7QpCokeAQDxG4-gsdBqMKOjXnr2QMpx8YTu1yCwFIdpriOormFqMWpNpDAj7uIgXEH4lGhQjs89P9wFoAG4ZwTqhcK8MHFBUYmfJ38KQ9ET/s1600/Nates+Ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRH5Hcd1qQZdYfHylc5BWrouBhTNGxbGyo7QpCokeAQDxG4-gsdBqMKOjXnr2QMpx8YTu1yCwFIdpriOormFqMWpNpDAj7uIgXEH4lGhQjs89P9wFoAG4ZwTqhcK8MHFBUYmfJ38KQ9ET/s200/Nates+Ring.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just ordered it a little thicker, though it looked more manly that way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some more happenings: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-His parents have booked the rehearsal dinner at <a href="http://creeksidewest.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Creekside West</span></a> (Yay!), it will be such a lovely dinner. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-I've been busy crafting and buying wedding gifts for bridesmaids and Moms (sorry, I can't post pictures until after!). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-My first bridal shower will be next month! Nates sisters (and bridesmaids) are hosting it in April. Excited does not even describe how I'm feeling! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- We've started the process of having all the bridal jewelry custom made. I'm having a necklace made for myself, all the bridesmaids, the two moms, and my junior flower girl. I'll definitely post a picture when I get them! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-The bridesmaids dresses came in! I pick some of them up tomorrow actually. I really hope the girls are all pleased with them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up? Sending our invites out on April 2nd and then on to buying all the alcohol for the reception! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What's on your to-do list?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-65280598080063910042012-02-11T22:54:00.000-08:002012-02-11T22:58:26.569-08:00ObsessionsNow that all the big tasks are taking care of for the wedding, I have moved on to something very fun - putting together all the little details that I am so in love with.<br />
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For example, feast your eyes on these pictures. I have been just drooling over cafe (globe) lights-<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflERduVCyGyptdPi1Rz73rwRVAXAnl6K_KexGMrrKAcePqvLy02gnjIuBbB0BuWxOWr0XgSlQqXvLeG1dlESm02qGzfTQTW3NGiYhS-yFysOhBNXQ8XH3CCc1gB436j4Fv-75ZIG7rLsW/s1600/241998179946466829_Nu81yEKu_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflERduVCyGyptdPi1Rz73rwRVAXAnl6K_KexGMrrKAcePqvLy02gnjIuBbB0BuWxOWr0XgSlQqXvLeG1dlESm02qGzfTQTW3NGiYhS-yFysOhBNXQ8XH3CCc1gB436j4Fv-75ZIG7rLsW/s320/241998179946466829_Nu81yEKu_c.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQMa9LmkAqBmUYvnhKY6Kya8DFa2JELiGgziRvksfNzIwIy4ZNVeV2YA009FP4QAFohUxjwIbVZmGyOQZPvqJZ1xOxBc01boF_hYhopVOIHBb2y05974P3JDNeQRpYSjhb6r8DgCmrWZm/s1600/241998179946519856_ilrZPWow_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQMa9LmkAqBmUYvnhKY6Kya8DFa2JELiGgziRvksfNzIwIy4ZNVeV2YA009FP4QAFohUxjwIbVZmGyOQZPvqJZ1xOxBc01boF_hYhopVOIHBb2y05974P3JDNeQRpYSjhb6r8DgCmrWZm/s1600/241998179946519856_ilrZPWow_c.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lPtR7JeQuQf5XYkg2W1xYnzCyXV3uCE8BHhGhqhchj_UlwIFDO9JvhbxYhDbOtU6rddN3G03f6FGwKcVofQ4jLSG9P-5zbdIpI4_Q5LHSWealMHerKscYoukTZlPF3bH5tyblJAZ5DBr/s1600/lights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lPtR7JeQuQf5XYkg2W1xYnzCyXV3uCE8BHhGhqhchj_UlwIFDO9JvhbxYhDbOtU6rddN3G03f6FGwKcVofQ4jLSG9P-5zbdIpI4_Q5LHSWealMHerKscYoukTZlPF3bH5tyblJAZ5DBr/s1600/lights.jpg" /></a></div><br />
So, I naturally bought four boxes (100 globe lights) to string over our dance floor. So excited!<br />
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Speaking of details, did you all get the newest copy of Yakima Bride magazine? There happens to be quite a fun article written all about wedding details, authored by yours truly :-) Definitely go grab a copy!<br />
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Less than 4 months till the wedding, just details yet to go :-)<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-49440900444788192332011-11-20T15:39:00.000-08:002011-11-20T15:39:23.384-08:00Getting the Party StartedAs you know, one crucial element of the reception that I have been putting off recently, is hiring a DJ. Well, my procrastination is over because we finally made a decision and hired Entertainment Plus! I feel relieved just to have this task taken care of - but I also feel really good about Darin (and the cost was so reasonable!). The DJ really does play a starring role in the success of the reception and so I feel very confident in Darin's years and years of DJ experience. Keeping the party going and the reception schedule running smoothly is pretty important to me and Darin is the right guy for that job!<br />
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<i>Phew, </i>now the reception is pretty much taken care of. All the major decisions for the wedding have been made and I can move on to details. By the way, have you realized there is only a little over 6 months till the wedding?! <i style="font-weight: bold;">6 months! </i>I know I said this before, but I have never been as grateful for such a long engagement as I am now. I feel so relaxed heading into our last 6 months only because I've had so much time to figure everything out. I'd likely be tearing my hair out if my entire engagement was only 6 months long! I remember how fast the first 6 months of our engagement flew by, so I'm hanging on for the ride! Its going to be a seriously fun 6 months.<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-66840014072442610022011-10-22T14:36:00.000-07:002011-10-22T14:36:39.817-07:00Updates!Its been awhile since my last wedding update! Not too much is new though - school seems to be taking the priority right now and I've never been so thankful for our long engagement! Certainly a blessing right about now.<br />
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We have our honeymoon flights and hotel booked! As if I could have been more excited for our wedding, I now have a relaxing vacation on white sandy beaches to look forward to. As a mentioned before, we signed up for a honeymoon registry through Traveler's Joy to help out with the costs of our 5 day stay in Barbados, but thanks to the generosity of my parents, frequent flier miles covered both our flights and so Nate and I just had to book our hotel! We chose a cute little hotel right on the beach, with a small kitchen in the room so that we can buy food from the grocery store near by and save on some food costs. Its close to the nightlife and the major shopping areas. I seriously cannot wait to lay in the hot Barbados sun for 5 days with my new hubby! Bring on the sunglasses and rum punch!<br />
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On a recent trip back to Yakima, I took my wedding dress, veil, and reception dress into Coralie's Alterations to start that whole process. Since I purchased the right off the rack sample of my wedding gown, it needs a few alterations. My reception dress is a tad too big and I am also having my Aunts veil altered slightly so that it looks a little more 2012. With all three of those alterations, I figured the more time I gave Coralie, the better. I love that she is going to alter my gown in steps, having me come in every so often to try it back on and then move on to another alteration. I have complete confidence that my two dresses and veil will be just perfect by June!<br />
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I met with a local designer to start the process of making our wedding invitations. Just like everything else with our wedding (and in life, really), it was important that we make our invitations reflect both our personalities. I just figured going the custom route was the way to go so that we get exactly what we both want. We hired <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.lahappy.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">la Happy</span></a> </span>(and here is her wedding on <a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/gallery/3428"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Style Me Pretty</span></a>!) and I could not be more excited!! I am going the DIY route and Sally was so great about giving me as much control over the assembly as I wanted. My guess is that I will have lots more for her to help me with as the wedding gets closer. (Did you see her amazing calligraphy?!) I will definitely post pictures on here once we get some invitations all put together.<br />
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Next on my to-do list? I need to hire a DJ! I'm having a hard time picking one...and I'm sort of putting it off. I wish I could just snap my fingers and the perfect DJ (with the perfect price) would just fall into my lap! So far it hasn't been any easy decision. A DJ wasn't on our list of top priorities, so we unfortunately didn't allocate a ton of money for one. But a DJ can definitely make or break a reception, so its fairly important not to just go with the cheapest option. What to do? Do any of you have any stellar recommendations? I could use the help!<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-33885531211008740802011-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-19T09:00:10.183-07:00The LadiesAfter we got engaged, the first decision I made was who my bridesmaids were going to be. I asked most of my favorite ladies <i>the day</i> we got engaged! I was just too excited. So naturally, I started the bridesmaids dress hunt pretty early as well. I knew roughly what I was looking for - chiffon, raspberry pink, long length, sweetheart neckline. Lucky/unlucky for me, there are plenty of options and designs that fit that description. How can I narrow all my choices down when they were all what I wanted? So many dresses looked perfect!<br />
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I was able to rule out the more expensive options (like the dreamy chiffon dresses by Amsale at Nordstroms) and found a wonderful boutique in Bellevue that carried a lot of options, without the shocking price tag. Moms, Maids, and More in Bellevue is a dreamy bridal party salon. They are so good at fitting in appointments on short notice and answering any questions I have over the phone. They offer a 10% discount on larger bridal parties (which at 7 bridesmaids, we definitely are) and that helped offset the cost of full length bridesmaids dresses. I ended up choosing a B2 dress that I really think will be flattering on all of my different aged, sized, and shaped bridesmaids. It is important to me that everyone feel comfortable and look pretty! I feel pretty confident that the B2 dress will accomplish that. I'm so excited to see all the dresses together! They are definitely one of my favorite details so far. I'm obsessed with full length chiffon bridesmaids dresses!<br />
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Some other little ladies that I can't forget to mention are our three flowergirls and Jr. bridesmaid. Our little flowergirls will be wearing tutus' (love love love their outfits!) and I picked up a fun summer dress in pink for our Jr. bridesmaid. Yay!<br />
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Did you have a hard time picking your bridesmaids dresses? How did you decide which one would be perfect?<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-43929160453985959442011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:002011-09-12T09:00:01.272-07:00What's for dinner?One of the biggest decisions we were recently faced with was catering. What to eat? Who to hire? How do I get the most food for my money? I don't consider myself a <i>foodie</i> but I definitely had some opinions of what I like and don't like - especially when it comes to wedding food! For instance, I have a serious aversion to eating warm pasta outside in the summer. (weird? Probably). We also don't have an unlimited food budget, so I needed to find someone who could stretch our money.<br />
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So I met with/emailed a couple of local caterers with my <i>No Pasta!</i> rule. After all my research, I finally met with a caterer who helped me jump way outside the "traditional wedding food" box - within budget- and we are both so excited! I'm not going to reveal the exact menu (lets leave some surprises!) but I can tell you, its going to be so scrumptious!<br />
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So drum roll... who is the caterer? We have chosen <a href="http://amidsummercatering.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">A Midsummer Night</span></a> catering! I really feel like we are getting a lot for our money by hiring Betsy and her staff. I love that we will be having a cocktail hour (included in her catering packages) and how on board she is with our unique menu.<br />
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With our catering decision, I'm really feeling like the wedding is coming together! I've got almost all the big pieces in place and I'm feeling so excited! Less than 9 months to go folks!<br />
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How did you choose a caterer? Did you think outside the box?<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-16713379790437273202011-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:002011-09-05T21:37:52.149-07:00Setting up HouseOne To-Do I have been looking forward to for awhile, is setting up our registries. It feels like shopping, but I'm not spending any money... its perfect! I've been really looking forward to setting up a registry at Crate & Barrel (my all time favorite) and we also added a few things at Target (for the Yakima locals).<br />
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But we were feeling torn - we have been living on our own for quite a few years but we are definitely still in housing limbo. Renting apartments and moving around a lot, we don't really need fancy dishes and decorations at this point in our life. Plus, I'm sure some of our guests would much rather gift us with an hour of snorkeling with sea turtles to a set of new bath towels. Solution? We set up a honeymoon registry in addition to our more traditional ones!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e9f6fc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;">"Skip the blender. Create lifelong memories with your honeymoon registry. Our service is similar to a traditional wedding registry, but rather than offer gifts such as housewares and fine china, Traveler’s Joy helps you register for the honeymoon of your dreams."</span><br />
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After researching a bit, I decided I liked <a href="http://www.travelersjoy.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Travelers Joy</span></a> the best for our registry. But there are a lot of good options! I'm sure you remember <a href="http://kadeeswedding.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/victory-10-the-registry/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Kadee</span></a> set up her honeymoon registry with<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.honeyfund.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">HoneyFund</span></a></span>. Honeymoon registries are becoming more and more popular and guests really seem to appreciate being offered a choice of gift options. I think the key is to set up a traditional housewares registry in addition to a honeymoon registry, give your guests choices!<br />
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According to Travelers Joy, a honeymoon registry is similar to a traditional wedding registry, in which you sign up for the gifts you would like to receive for your wedding. With Traveler's Joy, you build a registry with your anticipated honeymoon activities and experiences. Guests contribute monetary gifts towards your dream honeymoon activities and experiences listed on your registry page. <br />
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So what do you think? What are you doing for your registry? Traditional? Or spicing it up with a honeymoon registry?<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-74036463762471432732011-07-27T10:59:00.000-07:002011-07-27T10:59:25.069-07:00Working on my FitnessI've been very blessed in that I can pretty much maintain my weight without too much effort. But lets clarify - being slender does not equal being in shape. So although I don't have a need to loose lots of weight before the wedding, I do feel like there is no time like the present to get my booty in shape finally. Plus, I figured regular exercise would definitely help my stress level as the wedding gets closer.<br />
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I've been itching to learn how to run over the past few years and decided now was the time! I did some research and ended up buying an app for my phone called "Couch to 5k" (the program is available online too, so don't fret if you're Android/iPhone-less!). Its a 9 week running program, three days a week, and by the end of the program, I should be running 30 minutes straight (a little over 3 miles = 5k). So far, I have been really pleased with the program! I feel like I can handle the workouts, and as you may know, learning how to run and getting into shape is sometimes a very mental process. I feel like I am accomplishing my goal and I feel good about my progress. Success!<br />
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As added motivation, I signed myself up for a 5k run here in Seattle on September 11th. I'm going to be really excited when I run that whole race!<br />
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To me, getting in shape right now is more than just fitting into/looking good in a wedding dress (although, that is definitely a factor!) - I want to do this for myself, to feel good about the progress I've made, and the fitness goals I can accomplish. I want to be able to run! And with the wedding coming up, it is a perfect excuse to finally get going!<br />
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What have you been doing fitness-wise to prepare for your upcoming wedding?<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-86120500708758979202011-07-15T20:38:00.000-07:002011-07-15T20:38:35.398-07:00Remember me?Hi Blog! I disappeared for a bit but I'm baaaaaack!<br />
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Wedding planning has taken a really fun turn recently. Now that we are under a year until the wedding, I actually have tasks that <i>need</i> to be done. I have planning to do! <i>Yay!</i> Its actually been really fun and has made the wedding feel a bit more real. I'm finally counting in <i>months (</i>not a year + months)!<br />
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Let me catch you all up -<br />
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1. Save the Dates go out in less than a month! I can't wait to show you all what they look like. It makes the wedding feel so close knowing I'm sending them out soon.<br />
2. We have made a decision about catering! I am really excited about this too. We really thought outside the box and I seriously love it. We found the perfect caterer who is just as excited about our unique menu and plan as we are. (I will write more about that later too!)<br />
3. On a trip home to Yakima this month, my mom and I headed out to buy local strawberries and raspberries...and then we canned almost all of our jam favors! I can say first hand, they taste delicious. Our wedding favors will look so stinking cute all tied with bakers twine and kraft hang tags. Fun project! I'm so glad my mom was on board and helped me make jam favors a reality. (Thanks Mom!)<br />
4. We also started our gift registries - which was definitely more fun for me than Nate. :-)<br />
5. I've ditched the veil I bought in February for a much better option... my Aunts wedding veil! Its incredible, I'm still speechless at how gorgeous it is. Its cathedral length with a stunning lace around all the edges. So its like my old lace mantilla veil, but a different length - and way more jaw dropping beautiful! It means a lot to me that I can wear my aunts wedding veil (41 years later!) and I'm in awe at how perfect it is.<br />
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I think that is all that is going on currently. I'm just putting finishing touches on our wedding website, sending out our Save the Dates, and finalizing more of our catering information.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">What are all of you up to? What kind of projects are you working on? </div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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Side note: have you all gone out and gotten the new issue of the Yakima Bride magazine?? Do it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-81881629254503143932011-06-06T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-15T15:37:56.492-07:00Welcome Willkommen Bienvenidos<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In preparation for our Save the Dates to be mailed out, I've been working on our wedding website. Its not finished yet (so you'll have to wait to see it) but the reason brides have been making websites is really for the convenience of the wedding guests. Its important to just take a moment to recognize the special effort made by those guests who will be arriving by planes, trains, and automobiles in the days preceding the main event. The wedding website holds all sorts of information - like directions to the ceremony and reception, registry information, weather, local attractions, and really importantly, information about hotel accommodations.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You can start making your guests feel appreciated even before they arrive in town by reserving a block of rooms at a local hotel (or two). A hotel room block is a group of hotel rooms that have been temporarily held for the convenience of wedding guest. Many hotels offer reduced group rates, and since you know the area better than out-of-towners, booking accommodations in advance is an all-around great idea. A room block is arranged by a contract between the engaged couple and the hotel then guests book and pay for the rooms themselves. Unreserved rooms are released back to the public after a specified date, such as one month prior to the wedding. Hotel blocks are also nice because then guests stay in one location, making it easier for them to socialize and making transportation and other issues easier.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We are wanting our wedding to feel kind of like a family reunion and so we are encouraging family and friends to come into down a couple days before the wedding - lets all have some fun together! Its important to us that our guests have a great all around experience in Yakima, not just at the wedding. So, I just recently called and arranged our hotel blocks and we decided the Hilton Garden Inn! The Hilton hotel is right downtown Yakima, close to wine tasting, restaurants, and shopping. They gave us discounted rates per night and have reserved 10 room blocks (but will add more rooms if/when all 10 rooms are booked). I feel really good about the hotel, the area of Yakima it is in, the discounted per night rate, and the Hilton offers personalized websites so that guests can book their rooms directly through that site. We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to be able to come!<br />
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Want to know what else is fantastic about the Hilton Garden Inn? Their customer service. I have spoken to two different ladies and they both were <u>so</u> helpful, easy to work with, and friendly! So if you're undecided about where you want your guests to stay the weekend of the wedding - do yourself a favor and call Alysia Cantu, their Group Sales Manager. She is fantastic to work with!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Another way to make guest feel really appreciated is to have Welcome Bags. The front desk may distribute OOT Welcome bags to guests in the room block. Welcome gifts are a wonderful way to extend a special thank-you to those guests who have traveled long distances to join you on your big day, and there are lots of options to choose from beyond the standard fruit basket. With a little extra time and energy, you'll not only be able to help your guests find comfortable lodging, but pull together a present that brings a smile to your travelers' faces (without placing a sizable dent in your wallet). Whether you opt for humorous, helpful, or just plain delicious, you will ensure that your friends and family remember the wonderful time they had at your wedding, not the stress and aggravation of the preceding journey.</div><div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here is my list of things to include in our Welcome Bags : </div></div><div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1. A Welcome note. Include important phone numbers and addresses.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2. Water bottles.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3. A map (they’re often free). Also, directions from the hotel to the venue and information on shuttles.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4. Mints and snacks.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5. Decent coffee (or tea). The Starbucks Via coffee comes in small packets of 3 and there’s also a pack of 48 for $34.95 on their website.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6. A weekend timeline if OOT guests are invited to rehearsal dinner and/or other wedding events.</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">7. Advil or Tylenol (for the morning after the wedding)</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Other cute additions I thought of - </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1. A bottle of wine from a local winery </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">2. A couple little bottles of 5 hour energy</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3. Homemade treats - like a couple cookies or brownies</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">4. Coupons/gift certificates for restaurants or spas within walking distance of the hotel. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">5. Shout wipes and a list of local dry cleaners (accidents happen!)</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">6. A list of local shopping malls (for the guest who forgot some article of clothing)</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Did you reserve hotel blocks? Did you make OOT Welcome bags?</div></div></div></div><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-54552350682903768252011-05-24T18:30:00.000-07:002011-05-24T18:30:23.827-07:00Paper straws, Matchbooks, and Other frivolous thingsOh hey! Hi! Sorry I'm a day late this week - I'm making a few changes in my personal life and its been a little consuming these last couple of weeks, trying to fit everything together in a perfect little puzzle. Its been sort of like a tennis match, I hit the ball on the "wedding" side of the court and it travels back over to my "school/job" side of the court... and then back again. Right now with no huge looming wedding tasks, school/job have the ball. My brain can only really focus on one major task at a time, unfortunately.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJD3WxyJFqVGB0pob9S0gN3XOLqRLJnyO87-8y5c6YRIto6Y5ZL9ebWNTl2rqcjS3hTM9tOzpSZ6hTxbvnwPDMtMLftFlVPplzCqjfG7WrgQk0qoMVEk0tVDVGpYbx-3SC-AeU8VD_iHO/s1600/2843386782_86dd41b034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJD3WxyJFqVGB0pob9S0gN3XOLqRLJnyO87-8y5c6YRIto6Y5ZL9ebWNTl2rqcjS3hTM9tOzpSZ6hTxbvnwPDMtMLftFlVPplzCqjfG7WrgQk0qoMVEk0tVDVGpYbx-3SC-AeU8VD_iHO/s320/2843386782_86dd41b034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I've got a lot on my plate right now. Get it??)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But, you know me, even when I don't have big wedding tasks to accomplish, I manage to still do something. Like ordering little custom matchbooks for our reception cigar bar and paper straws for our drinks bar! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQZ5ZBCcHwe8w6MhJIdVAqDmqo8EOwgVFSIeMt544iTSwxyfHF9XVZee60Mz9L8VKeSInlPpHlX91a5wMa13QfSrZvZ8rQHcPyvDARkcdJRc3aLOH5MsqR2ecN1h1fQK7rH2lIPtgU26j/s1600/il_570xN.238916564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQZ5ZBCcHwe8w6MhJIdVAqDmqo8EOwgVFSIeMt544iTSwxyfHF9XVZee60Mz9L8VKeSInlPpHlX91a5wMa13QfSrZvZ8rQHcPyvDARkcdJRc3aLOH5MsqR2ecN1h1fQK7rH2lIPtgU26j/s200/il_570xN.238916564.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Raspberry Sherbet striped paper straws - It's love at first sight</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And I need to rant about square envelopes. Remember how I mentioned that our Save the Dates are square? Well when I took one into the post office to assess the stamp situation - I learned that they are a tad oversize and are considered <i>a package</i>. Now, I knew I was getting into something a bit more expensive with these square envelopes... but I didn't know these tiny, 6in x 6in square envelopes would cost me .88cents per invite to mail. Thats right, TWO STAMPS! Ugh. So I left the post office $130 poorer, cursing square envelopes under my breath. The good news is that since each envelope requires two stamps, I purchased the King and Queen of Hearts stamps and every envelope will have one of each. Cute, right? </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQmCrMmboc5vTk5nudjs8Ny96Bd5o8Uo4b8LEpaMbsI76vNJ2TD7VDVoQ00_nZ7N6DVE-_I1kT99TEcwMe9xuh_ztiKN_N9yKCYOR4CYE60h020jtuh-nm6Jh8g5gQLmSxM_JJu5vzm_x/s1600/inviteenv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQmCrMmboc5vTk5nudjs8Ny96Bd5o8Uo4b8LEpaMbsI76vNJ2TD7VDVoQ00_nZ7N6DVE-_I1kT99TEcwMe9xuh_ztiKN_N9yKCYOR4CYE60h020jtuh-nm6Jh8g5gQLmSxM_JJu5vzm_x/s320/inviteenv.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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As our "One Year Until" mark approaches quickly, I am definitely getting more and more excited. This time next year I will be one week away from my wedding - oh boy am I ready for that day! I can't wait to see everything come together and to be married finally.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Did you find it hard to juggle wedding planning with the rest of your hectic life sometimes?</div><br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-61001702012483015422011-05-16T07:00:00.000-07:002011-05-16T19:31:07.370-07:00Decisions, DecisionsWedding planning can be so fun and exciting while being overwhelming and kind of stressful at the same time. Right now I'm feeling a little bit in limbo. On my master "To-Do" list, I've broken the tasks into three month segments and June means two things - 1) It's our one year until the wedding date! and 2) it means a whole new set of tasks are ready to get checked off the list. I have a lot of wedding decisions on my horizon!<br />
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Guess what?! We ordered our save the dates! I'm so pumped about this. I won't give too much away until I mail them (no spoiler alerts here!) - but we ordered them from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.minted.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Minted</span></a> </span>and we will get them sometime next week. Yay! But this means we are now trying to finish our guest list and then gather all those addresses. And since I am wedding detail oriented and our save the dates are square (which means they require extra postage) I'm on the hunt for the perfect combination of stamps for the envelopes. I can't wait to mail them out in August!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOenxmu_uRv7s0v17vJ_zEDp5z8osF_UYDljTv4VyggMgBSP4281VFbiU_zY7CPVNG-T3JefLDGEJnXULOb23gZmrLXEDxwmFL8cXZWlU4Kz-mBLCuNXbhESTLf7nW5WDhuPEusMzYAF1/s1600/MIN-M68-STD-006_A_PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOenxmu_uRv7s0v17vJ_zEDp5z8osF_UYDljTv4VyggMgBSP4281VFbiU_zY7CPVNG-T3JefLDGEJnXULOb23gZmrLXEDxwmFL8cXZWlU4Kz-mBLCuNXbhESTLf7nW5WDhuPEusMzYAF1/s320/MIN-M68-STD-006_A_PD.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A sneak peek at our envelopes and wrap around labels, <i>woop woop</i>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>But before we mail them I need to reserve blocks of hotel rooms for out of town guests and finish our wedding website. Whew! Who knew save the dates were so much work??<br />
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More to-do's and decisions on my wedding horizon? Registering (also known as setting up house) and booking a caterer! But more on those later.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Whats on your to-do list?</div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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UPDATE:<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>Help! </b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I need help deciding which method we should use to address our Save the Date envelopes - printing directly on the envelopes, using clear sticky address labels, or handwriting them. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>What do you think??</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">(official poll is on the right hand side of the blog) </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-48743604532548662872011-05-09T07:00:00.000-07:002011-05-09T07:00:06.230-07:00April ShowersYou know the saying, April showers bring May flowers - but it also brought be right into <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.meliasfloral.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Melia's</span></a> </span>office one late April Saturday to chitty chat about wedding flowers. I don't think I honestly considered having anyone else be our wedding florist - I have been following <a href="http://www.meliasfloral.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Melia's</span></a> work since way before I got engaged, so I knew when the time came, I'd insist she was our florist.<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP-qOV3bxSd0at8mtJKaZDR2DhDbJ8bR64fpfYfI26UcttTVOq0KPLFd58_vLUVRh3AVDCDTCLqfYe0bNUVnAo2pMbT_kf8_IhSjCeGbixOYjVBRXq8jveuSzIgWs8nZJgag4wV3Cs64m/s1600/flowerssss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqP-qOV3bxSd0at8mtJKaZDR2DhDbJ8bR64fpfYfI26UcttTVOq0KPLFd58_vLUVRh3AVDCDTCLqfYe0bNUVnAo2pMbT_kf8_IhSjCeGbixOYjVBRXq8jveuSzIgWs8nZJgag4wV3Cs64m/s320/flowerssss.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">That was <a href="http://www.meliasfloral.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Melia's</span></a> work! (insert jaw drop)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">April showers bring May flowers - but more importantly, they bring peonies. That’s right, marrying in June makes me lucky enough to have peonies for my wedding flowers. Perfect pinks and classic whites, these ruffly blooms pack a lot of pretty, feminine power in a short blooming season. And guess what? I'm obsessed. Truth be told, I insisted on a spring wedding just so that I could carry these drop dead gorgeous blooms. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXzxMw0h3dG3i8eXfyORE-sP688jMTplLGeV9PwtdZWqcXVOl0eo1KuI6vVtCX2bjjm-TOdWAq03alOH4vLz2Tz6VkDAP61wiHROXgtEGw0pdgCzPWHlwwG3oa76neN_74imo59Bi79Y0/s1600/mosaic57e69f6559c20a26da5a9511af9252c3fd431069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXzxMw0h3dG3i8eXfyORE-sP688jMTplLGeV9PwtdZWqcXVOl0eo1KuI6vVtCX2bjjm-TOdWAq03alOH4vLz2Tz6VkDAP61wiHROXgtEGw0pdgCzPWHlwwG3oa76neN_74imo59Bi79Y0/s640/mosaic57e69f6559c20a26da5a9511af9252c3fd431069.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">We decided that I will carry a bouquet of the dark pink/fuchsia peonies, my two maids of honor/sisters will carry a mix of white and light pink peonies, my 5 bridesmaids will carry all white peony bouquets, and finally my junior bridesmaid will carry a small bouquet of three white peonies. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5L_Fi5qCc6Urikt6M5thv3PGUqQdpDudS8Bndi9dfCgKvrncK41nPhmLd-JWNDxn6cEzA2j4GUV8cUpBFxKjkrPexE35sHOsLMCwt8RRWecGIJ8iUp27sM05pi2CDu2bqz0vdAESjtSJ/s1600/mosaicddbb2f20b23f0ef0dd3e6109946366fffd775563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5L_Fi5qCc6Urikt6M5thv3PGUqQdpDudS8Bndi9dfCgKvrncK41nPhmLd-JWNDxn6cEzA2j4GUV8cUpBFxKjkrPexE35sHOsLMCwt8RRWecGIJ8iUp27sM05pi2CDu2bqz0vdAESjtSJ/s400/mosaicddbb2f20b23f0ef0dd3e6109946366fffd775563.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boutonniere inspiration</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodrSDm_FUbDowDtkkcVIE0NAAaIgS0LzcaFT4SdrNaEUq11g7nZNXRNf2LSseO-stH6MUMNoOxu0uwWZRSrIa_M49DvrYB6TH-rJ2VxBOODL-w7tt8jUDpnbxf2_5al9NWggUdLJ6szjG/s1600/mosaic77681ce050c400f8d1b38688054917692e0d18ea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodrSDm_FUbDowDtkkcVIE0NAAaIgS0LzcaFT4SdrNaEUq11g7nZNXRNf2LSseO-stH6MUMNoOxu0uwWZRSrIa_M49DvrYB6TH-rJ2VxBOODL-w7tt8jUDpnbxf2_5al9NWggUdLJ6szjG/s400/mosaic77681ce050c400f8d1b38688054917692e0d18ea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See how those white peonies have hints of dark pink in them? We will be using those for our centerpieces and we may have a couple floating peony centerpieces too. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Melia is so super fun to work with and her prices are very reasonable - for all our bouquets, 32 centerpieces, church flowers, boutonnieres, corsages, etc her quote came in a whole $35 under budget! :-) If thats not perfect, I just don't know what is. </div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">How did you pick your wedding flowers? Did you pick by color or by type of flower? </div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-74118030560574370442011-05-03T21:07:00.000-07:002011-05-03T21:08:13.048-07:00Eat Dessert First!Thats what every email from <a href="http://christiescakes.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Christie</span></a> is signed with. "Eat Dessert First!" I had a meeting with her on Saturday to finalize our cake flavors and design (we put our deposit down back in January at the After the Rock wedding show), and let me just say, if I had cake lying around that tasted as good as hers, I'd definitely eat that first! I'm talking before breakfast, lunch, and dinner! (here I come obesity!)<br />
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Remember how I wanted a simple two tiered cutting cake? Well as soon as I tasted Christie's cake samples Saturday, I knew I'd have to add on another tier. No joke! Its just that yummy. And her prices are so affordable (starting at only $2 a serving!) adding another tier still didn't break the bank. I just know as soon as my wedding guests discover how yummy our cake is, there will be a stampede towards the dessert table!<br />
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We decided on two flavors - the top and bottom layer will be vanilla bean cake with raspberry filling while the middle layer will be lemon poppyseed cake with lemon curd filling. With of course, her <i>to-die-for</i> yummy, light as air, whipped buttercream frosting. (I'm drooling on my keyboard).<br />
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Topping the whole delicious cake off will be a couple big peony blooms. Swoon. Its going to be so gorgeous.<br />
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What will you be doing for your wedding cake? Make sure you first check out Christie at <a href="http://christiescakes.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Christie's Cakes</span></a>!<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-21855960566925175452011-04-25T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-25T07:00:10.677-07:00What comes next?So, I've bought my dress. Big check mark! So what comes next?? What else do I need to make myself look as fantastic as as can be?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Shoes and a veil! Of course! </div><br />
First, let’s talk about veils. Or headpieces. Or flowers. Or fascinators. Or hats. Or headbands. Or any other type of adornment that you wear on your cranium the day of your wedding.<br />
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When I first started thinking about veils, I had in mind the huge, long, traditional cathedral-length veil. You know, like the one Princess Diana wore that basically stretched around the church. These veils are super formal and just so dang elegant.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"> But then! I discovered mantilla lace veils. It was love at first sight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5IGl7Lft2E7I9WIkWWvcjDUCeVdm8jW2MCOvid2csGJjbjHZGVYeACK2riUdX1XFfm5VY_tixUj_XTRHFrcY3sd7BCWugZ4eEncfs9isevLn27OxDxrTrNPrria45ALZiqYOBGjZxXqn/s1600/tumblr_lazclhJBzx1qcf9ito1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5IGl7Lft2E7I9WIkWWvcjDUCeVdm8jW2MCOvid2csGJjbjHZGVYeACK2riUdX1XFfm5VY_tixUj_XTRHFrcY3sd7BCWugZ4eEncfs9isevLn27OxDxrTrNPrria45ALZiqYOBGjZxXqn/s400/tumblr_lazclhJBzx1qcf9ito1_1280.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISlH5uiDNWyUGmUp7IdOsiVVE1V30_7bjwDXJTeE-pTGGRAKaNpYmvIlcz_1Nk4WP6-PSsGAobswUS9xPk2O-yy5ms0FRNNCEi0D2LL3BQF5EdLNnlQpjhj9s8WieDXE7h8Ojm7RV39wf/s1600/Kristen_Front_1386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISlH5uiDNWyUGmUp7IdOsiVVE1V30_7bjwDXJTeE-pTGGRAKaNpYmvIlcz_1Nk4WP6-PSsGAobswUS9xPk2O-yy5ms0FRNNCEi0D2LL3BQF5EdLNnlQpjhj9s8WieDXE7h8Ojm7RV39wf/s400/Kristen_Front_1386.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV0V3LBurW50ks_TKKU10VkE-u5he08HBN9zrSM-XMEITNmBUF_sM9rR1WgIqGtGHZDTsK7JU6rtERp67f0VufumS1URIw4gAFQ0J_m6IbSpXeDiodRigkDLL51pCaZEXuGfECl-7ZJXp/s1600/veillll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV0V3LBurW50ks_TKKU10VkE-u5he08HBN9zrSM-XMEITNmBUF_sM9rR1WgIqGtGHZDTsK7JU6rtERp67f0VufumS1URIw4gAFQ0J_m6IbSpXeDiodRigkDLL51pCaZEXuGfECl-7ZJXp/s400/veillll.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F8oo98n8wmk2cL2JXdFvmNTtDOw6YHtbsxz8saMr2vezHBqaff95F-SlmbpQhhC8uqzo0EbDC3QtXaFLWIWEDOJcRJHdFGcobZyEIkqT4sxU51cP_jadCLl5GfHOJS1nciNPE1k3DT2A/s1600/veilll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9F8oo98n8wmk2cL2JXdFvmNTtDOw6YHtbsxz8saMr2vezHBqaff95F-SlmbpQhhC8uqzo0EbDC3QtXaFLWIWEDOJcRJHdFGcobZyEIkqT4sxU51cP_jadCLl5GfHOJS1nciNPE1k3DT2A/s400/veilll.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div>The wonderful thing is that since I didn't end up buying a lace gown, I could get a lace veil! Yippee! So I got online and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Rohm?section_id=6394551"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">ordered this beautiful veil</span></a> - and I'd be lying if I said I haven't tried it on at least once a day since I got it in the mail, just to wear it around my house. I'm smitten! </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now, onto shoes. Sticking with this "look" ...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpxbpkNTxosHu9jeb0rUe7eh8nqHw627Jhw2ObTt9nZ75Obz8NZwtIDAMOusEQjnaHyREjXARHI6G1_Wwl42v4F10KNh574cWq7YAe8fdU9sKK7vYSmpX4FpbOtA4qdi0qs-671WAIye/s1600/INSPIRATION.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlpxbpkNTxosHu9jeb0rUe7eh8nqHw627Jhw2ObTt9nZ75Obz8NZwtIDAMOusEQjnaHyREjXARHI6G1_Wwl42v4F10KNh574cWq7YAe8fdU9sKK7vYSmpX4FpbOtA4qdi0qs-671WAIye/s320/INSPIRATION.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh1d978gQG_Xk96i3sbm1ypXCgv7bxzhXuYdI7Oa3nsHHlU_p8E6hMvPr83HTPrOR7_vwuKl9E0H8nYaAJrITnZiyMfZ0zcJggVgZqkShl3sQScl5FAcQa6C4B5Lw8Wlqv57TXRsHXJ07/s1600/christian+louboutin+wedding+shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh1d978gQG_Xk96i3sbm1ypXCgv7bxzhXuYdI7Oa3nsHHlU_p8E6hMvPr83HTPrOR7_vwuKl9E0H8nYaAJrITnZiyMfZ0zcJggVgZqkShl3sQScl5FAcQa6C4B5Lw8Wlqv57TXRsHXJ07/s320/christian+louboutin+wedding+shoes.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am set on wearing colored wedding shoes - ie pink! - but since these Christian Louboutin shoes are <i>a little</i> out of budget... the hunt was on for the perfect, pink, peep toe, preferably slingback, wedding shoe! And guess what I found on <a href="http://www.zappos.com/me-too-jeanette-fuchsia-satin"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Zappos.com</span></a>? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">THESE! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo6HN_zN09VEn4fsBNGsayF45G8hRvbdlrRNula2I0NlhmXWKthGz4YpJQRgpTfTOlC2TzgYzHH-BQVwvwFcoW949Fj44rea-frd4y0ozf3mSwf6bFG3ZZybhRv5z3g48GJtk8PMdjflK/s1600/shoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbo6HN_zN09VEn4fsBNGsayF45G8hRvbdlrRNula2I0NlhmXWKthGz4YpJQRgpTfTOlC2TzgYzHH-BQVwvwFcoW949Fj44rea-frd4y0ozf3mSwf6bFG3ZZybhRv5z3g48GJtk8PMdjflK/s1600/shoes.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Holy wedding shoes, Batman! They're perfect! The ideal color, with a girly bow, peep toe, and slingback, <i>plus</i> they are high, but not high enough to make me look the same height as Nate (which is the case with one pair of skyhigh heels that I own). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My look is coming together, piece by piece. Now, jewelery - I have no idea what earrings and bracelet and/or necklace I will wear. I'm leaning towards classic pearls - Any suggestions? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How did you choose your veil and shoes? Are you going for colored shoes or traditional white? Heels or flats?</div><div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-81258115987172638892011-04-18T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:43:13.594-07:00Spread the LoveYou know, there are probably a few things on my wedding To-Do list that may be negotiable. One item that is not normally <i>a must</i> - but I'm not budging on - is favors. More specifically - homemade jam favors. You heard me right! My mom and I will be making homemade jam this summer and then giving them away as favors at the wedding. So far the only kind I am set on is raspberry, but I'm also thinking strawberry (or strawberry rhubarb!). I bought the cutest bakers twine from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/AnniesPaperBoutique?section_id=7490874"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Annes Paper Boutique</span></a> and some hang tags from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/katskreationkorner?ref=pr_shop"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Kats Paper Trail</span></a> (both on etsy), then stamped "Thank You!" on all the hang tags.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The project will eventually look a little something like this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Kon_IavQMMP6AVr6ljBtPnNWMJZBaBAluL_iW9A1ibaHH7iCopH_MPf1VHZOEoNN6UyeEnFVlKCKvehyphenhyphenqLqaKV3TaEv6dOIhElpXzDrfko222Jr3LA-9tFwRpd6r_PovPhES7AHqRG-R/s1600/jam+favor+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Kon_IavQMMP6AVr6ljBtPnNWMJZBaBAluL_iW9A1ibaHH7iCopH_MPf1VHZOEoNN6UyeEnFVlKCKvehyphenhyphenqLqaKV3TaEv6dOIhElpXzDrfko222Jr3LA-9tFwRpd6r_PovPhES7AHqRG-R/s320/jam+favor+3.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheoXcGZJb3AEVM44r9xYSLoLYYW8Uwdp0byhXjIjsQBllEQ2mWviKaSH8w0TCzrD8JS0XUNxoFcOgVj_sxiYyG7xsjfboFL6e3SIJFadqgtxSzZk8PDgiKOUiGmjD8GKfS9s0QjhTSEXA/s1600/jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheoXcGZJb3AEVM44r9xYSLoLYYW8Uwdp0byhXjIjsQBllEQ2mWviKaSH8w0TCzrD8JS0XUNxoFcOgVj_sxiYyG7xsjfboFL6e3SIJFadqgtxSzZk8PDgiKOUiGmjD8GKfS9s0QjhTSEXA/s1600/jam.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love the idea of homemade jam as wedding favors for so many reasons - 1) By getting all our berries at local <a href="http://www.pickyourown.org/WAcentral.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">u-pick farms</span></a> and farmers markets, we are supporting Yakima 2) I've always thought that edible wedding favors are the way to go. Honestly, who doesn't want homemade jam?? 3) One of the wedding colors will be raspberry/deep fuchsia pink. Our favors match the wedding? Score! 4) I like that it will be homemade. Canning all our jam will be a fun project for my mom and I this summer and 5) I will get to make a cute sign that says "Spread the Love"!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTcgOfSADxI7scM5q-_MDQR-nExGb6K7LggRRtwpeIgnNZA5JjWmatNPM1qfn-YSvALE5rj7iOsTP64V6zfrVioNDjreMHn-e0rTKDy7gCBDp4ujrUw3VczH0OCmKzcmBxfCDI1wF_Xa4/s1600/spread+the+love+jam+favors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTcgOfSADxI7scM5q-_MDQR-nExGb6K7LggRRtwpeIgnNZA5JjWmatNPM1qfn-YSvALE5rj7iOsTP64V6zfrVioNDjreMHn-e0rTKDy7gCBDp4ujrUw3VczH0OCmKzcmBxfCDI1wF_Xa4/s320/spread+the+love+jam+favors.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Are you planning on having favors at your wedding? What kind?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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Update: What do you think about using fabric to show what flavor the jam is?? (<a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/04/12/wedding-jam-favors/#more-193782"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">WeddingBee</span></a>)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-42031679965058740832011-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-11T07:00:10.130-07:00The Wedding Party Draft<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Who are your MVP's?</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div> While some agree that a good rule of thumb is to have one groomsman and one corresponding bridesmaid for every 50 guests, it’s definitely not a mathematical formula. Loosely, all it means is that a large wedding party fits in better at a large, formal wedding. So if you’re planning a small, intimate gathering, you should opt for a smaller bridal party. Bridal parties can range anywhere from a single maid or matron of honor to more than a dozen attendants. Think about how many guests you’re expecting and the formality of the event. We both have large families and coincidentally I also have a large bridal party (I'm talking 7 bridesmaids, 1 junior bridesmaid, and 3 flowergirls)!<br />
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But, more isn’t always merrier. The more bridesmaids you have, the greater the potential for complications. You’ll need to get more people to agree on a dress, decide on a shower date, and coordinate all the other joys of bridal party-dom. If you’re on a limited budget, think about who has to pay for all those bridesmaids bouquets. That’s right—you.</div><div><br />
Blood is thicker than water. If you’re close to your sister and future sister-in-law, the thought of not including them in your wedding party, probably never even occurred to you. I am having both my sisters, all three of Nates sisters, and my cousin... phew, thats a lot of family! </div><div><br />
No, you don’t have to return the invitation. Just because someone asked you to be in her wedding doesn’t mean that you must have her in yours. This isn’t a dinner party invitation that you need to reciprocate. Don’t ask the college roommate you haven’t spoken to in years just to return the favor. Weddings are no time for quid pro quo.</div><div><br />
</div><div>You can have two maids of honor (I will!). There’s no reason or rule that says you can’t. If these are the two women you feel closest to (or if you have two sisters like me), of course you want them both by your side on your wedding day. Just be aware that they may squabble over honor attendant duties: who gets to hold the ring, the bouquet, stand right next to you, sign the license, and so on. Just tell them both what you specifically want each to do. </div><div><br />
Life will go on if you have uneven numbers of groomsmen and bridesmaids. There’s no law of symmetry when in comes to wedding parties—no planned out Lord-of-the-Dance routine that requires everyone to have a partner. If you’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, remember that, as cliché as it sounds, any true friend will understand whatever decision you ultimately make. As it stands right now, I have 7 bridesmaids while Nate is only sure about 6 groomsmen. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In my case, I think of it as the girls that are standing up there by side are not only my friends but they will be Aunts to my children, they will make an effort to stay in touch and be connected (I call them "forever friends"), but most of all they will be there to support my marriage through the good and the bad. By their presence they are not only saying that they love and want to be there for you on your big day but also they are making their own commitment to be the cheerleaders for your marriage. You need to remember that this is your wedding day, so you need to think about what is important to you and make sure you will not have any regrets with the girls you choose.</div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">How did you pick your bridal party? Did you ask them any special way? Was it a tough decision?</div></div><div><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-38421773470215507942011-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:002011-04-04T07:00:00.168-07:00Our Guest TreeI kind of yawn when I see a guest book. I’m not sure why anyone needs a book full of congratulations and I certainly don’t think couples frequent this book more than once or twice in their lives. I know several people who have made photo books (from sites like <a href="http://www.blurb.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">blurb!</span></a>) and a couple people who used photo signing mats (like <a href="http://weddingshop.theknot.com/weddingwarehouse/ProductPage.aspx?scId=Guest%20Books(KnotShop)&pId=P1124(KnotShop)&cId=Ceremony(KnotShop)&cTypF="><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">this one</span></a>)... but I wanted something still a bit more creative.<div><br />
</div><div>According to <a href="http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/customs.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hudson Valley Weddings</span></a>, the guestbook originally served a legal purpose. Historically, every guest at a wedding was considered an official witness to the marriage, and guests left their names and addresses on the marriage certificate because they were legally required to do so.*</div><div><br />
Though an actual book is the most traditional form of guestbook, recently brides and grooms have been getting more and more creative (yay!). After all, a guest book is simply a place for guests to leave their names and good wishes for the bride and groom at the wedding... so, that could be anything, right?<br />
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Luckily, the trend of wedding guest "trees" was showing up everywhere on wedding blogs, so I was really excited when we decided that a guest tree would be our form of a guest book for our wedding.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Not sure what I'm talking about?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A wedding tree is a drawn picture of a tree with no leaves (ours is poster size) - and guests "leaf" their thumbprint on your tree then sign their name next to it. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Wanna see??</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9gwbHjxmLnZ_ptkAiK3Jxw_VGcF39ABXjgB0cIddNtsgSCafYbVsytabnZwxPjv2YhmhPGn8gW-qQ_HX0iBrzPQ8w5NBmpSKbjmz6ZxkgEIKoMFzNxdyykXw1UiJzJsLqVZvpzcfoSac/s1600/wedding+colorful+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9gwbHjxmLnZ_ptkAiK3Jxw_VGcF39ABXjgB0cIddNtsgSCafYbVsytabnZwxPjv2YhmhPGn8gW-qQ_HX0iBrzPQ8w5NBmpSKbjmz6ZxkgEIKoMFzNxdyykXw1UiJzJsLqVZvpzcfoSac/s400/wedding+colorful+tree.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9e3xyz7Qh3-Wonys5AwabZ35ifNcz06RniKMG6zK8cyonOh2WD9qjtWyjnhBX7AIXRWpWrQI6JRAclV2l-y206WCRQFxPfB7ZJZYTVPD6IqrNvnvTa4Sl_SnD8bYMQYdM5gtwJsZYWSX/s1600/420479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9e3xyz7Qh3-Wonys5AwabZ35ifNcz06RniKMG6zK8cyonOh2WD9qjtWyjnhBX7AIXRWpWrQI6JRAclV2l-y206WCRQFxPfB7ZJZYTVPD6IqrNvnvTa4Sl_SnD8bYMQYdM5gtwJsZYWSX/s400/420479.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpXLKtRf8Q4h5xfk52dctFZqeBkEZx8binWVmwpx3ulBeDK7xNl30nv5Jc7D_LhIcxYf3X0pZ5jd6MZDCbbb8CWeopa-A7mCFknrykdj6ktEuxNQ3nd2HA1EednrA2kcUzTn5O-vMjUOg/s1600/diazwedding10082010-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqpXLKtRf8Q4h5xfk52dctFZqeBkEZx8binWVmwpx3ulBeDK7xNl30nv5Jc7D_LhIcxYf3X0pZ5jd6MZDCbbb8CWeopa-A7mCFknrykdj6ktEuxNQ3nd2HA1EednrA2kcUzTn5O-vMjUOg/s400/diazwedding10082010-007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_T_grK5W2AoCd2fPvh3ZJ65enjO6C_SlBq0SKzBwvB-_8aRiSoNg68NI-kl6XnQgd-UWFBp5LUWEXQhCvlaZwonohZMhogoLMhdl3AfjjueK-7NztUoXvhyphenhyphenOrBBTuFvJH5jkyR42EUTG/s1600/GuestBookTree2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_T_grK5W2AoCd2fPvh3ZJ65enjO6C_SlBq0SKzBwvB-_8aRiSoNg68NI-kl6XnQgd-UWFBp5LUWEXQhCvlaZwonohZMhogoLMhdl3AfjjueK-7NztUoXvhyphenhyphenOrBBTuFvJH5jkyR42EUTG/s400/GuestBookTree2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnxQFG9s0tn42V0QBdlq0gpJ3m5xkXWkguR6uuwCouSJA7pYALnM0BSBMXr4I3Ik7LZUFyBSzNHu8i-CdYY4eYzMq0FeCspHou-5lwoaDomnRjCnrQpaD8Q2SjsvYO3BtcExE2GN6lHdo/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnxQFG9s0tn42V0QBdlq0gpJ3m5xkXWkguR6uuwCouSJA7pYALnM0BSBMXr4I3Ik7LZUFyBSzNHu8i-CdYY4eYzMq0FeCspHou-5lwoaDomnRjCnrQpaD8Q2SjsvYO3BtcExE2GN6lHdo/s400/tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjKeDtJG0JqIULjycSnZ682NXXChQsFJj7qsL4HOB8HRMDlYDKPTWT-xP7aAW8jEjFrk7kCQTaQYXRMAXU9CKGc63-IAtly3dwp7OUeQ-J88bGQVhlNumnojq1nB3XUBM_KV5mKk0yPZ2/s1600/tree-blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjKeDtJG0JqIULjycSnZ682NXXChQsFJj7qsL4HOB8HRMDlYDKPTWT-xP7aAW8jEjFrk7kCQTaQYXRMAXU9CKGc63-IAtly3dwp7OUeQ-J88bGQVhlNumnojq1nB3XUBM_KV5mKk0yPZ2/s400/tree-blog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdwszPo1B3EGaxpFX5rraJ2OyGQb7KC4EeJ6BW_fYmfAlS-b1KDWT-kWyu9yRW3ZdFY8BLOfi6b4vaiJWczhKjIZOxVWwDxwYrXZVg87hydwyLf6GRAFtJSICkaZRF0IURyGwgks6Z_EH/s1600/0124-500x333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdwszPo1B3EGaxpFX5rraJ2OyGQb7KC4EeJ6BW_fYmfAlS-b1KDWT-kWyu9yRW3ZdFY8BLOfi6b4vaiJWczhKjIZOxVWwDxwYrXZVg87hydwyLf6GRAFtJSICkaZRF0IURyGwgks6Z_EH/s400/0124-500x333.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pictures found <a href="http://katcarneolovesweddings.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/wedding-guestbook-idea-the-leaf-thumbprint-tree/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">here</span></a>, <a href="http://www.emiliekate.com/blog/2010/10/26/wedding-details-thumbprint-tree-guest-book.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">here</span></a>, and <a href="http://onedressoneday.blogspot.com/2010/09/wedding-tree-guestbook.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">here.</span></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We ordered ours from the Etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovliday?section_id=6498770"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Lovli Day</span></a> - I opted for the printable pdf, then my dad had it locally printed in Yakima, and I'm still on the hunt for the perfect brown poster frame for it. I love how it fits our reception theme and its way more representative of our personalities than a typical guest book. Plus I'm super excited to hang it in our house after the wedding!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's ours! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vM7slNOF7PTtUOZhPomoinjDy2rs8FYFOTqFk9rajMnSsPwtgHYa5WUensa_dySA2DFL_S5czC-mjUKg8hyphenhyphenV0MpHZ0bn2M2TkfKacjoO-mu3_DvOWAdXEamNhyphenhyphenrCx40om4wxUOs4MeGa/s1600/our+wedding+tree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vM7slNOF7PTtUOZhPomoinjDy2rs8FYFOTqFk9rajMnSsPwtgHYa5WUensa_dySA2DFL_S5czC-mjUKg8hyphenhyphenV0MpHZ0bn2M2TkfKacjoO-mu3_DvOWAdXEamNhyphenhyphenrCx40om4wxUOs4MeGa/s400/our+wedding+tree.png" width="275" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fNa7CWdGXT69ZIoqzp6lGx3jdHPNldSjBRmnqX4Eo1SPEo70S3eWr4UlbibfOep0TbkJcklQq3ekU2-d4UsnXuZ8UvRbkZ2haby25fvCArebFNsoH_tlvphEUAuUH7d_WxzAmMPl03AC/s1600/2-+family+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fNa7CWdGXT69ZIoqzp6lGx3jdHPNldSjBRmnqX4Eo1SPEo70S3eWr4UlbibfOep0TbkJcklQq3ekU2-d4UsnXuZ8UvRbkZ2haby25fvCArebFNsoH_tlvphEUAuUH7d_WxzAmMPl03AC/s1600/2-+family+tree.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Want your own wedding tree? What you'll need :</div>1. Image of a tree with no leaves. Make sure its a big enough tree for all your leaves (aka guests!) - <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovliday"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Lovli Day</span></a> recommends : 11x14 : under 50 guests, 16x20 : 50-100 guests, 18x24 : 100-199 guests, 24x36 : over 200 guests. Make sure you put your names and wedding date at the bottom! Etsy is a great resource for <a href="http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?ref=auto&q=fingerprint+guest+tree"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">wedding trees</span></a>.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">2. Various ink pads. Choose the colors of your wedding or traditional leaf colors. I purchased three different shades of green ink pads for our thumbprints</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. A fine tip sharpie marker for guests to sign their names</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Instructions for guests. I think its especially cute to use the play on words "<i>Leaf</i> your thumbprint"</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Last but not least, baby wipes! No one wants to spend your whole wedding with a green thumb, give them something to wipe the ink off with. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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* For the record, I can't promise you that the history of the guest book according to HVW is 100% correct, but its the only explanation I could find on how the tradition of the guest book started. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-28073823398877350362011-03-28T07:00:00.000-07:002011-03-28T07:00:07.766-07:00First comes love, then comes dessert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cc1j3hG_SCtEsANP-cih_RLs2LsO2UmCvaWawTDfsysrnOe7sh9_XYIUeZxlYuvvXSIDXuWRN2BU4wBQGtgJOOOt4XV5XKaGKOISdvKNW90WkJqqAZm-ddazIY-ZttDiCFyX3D_klY82/s1600/wedding+dessert+table+11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cc1j3hG_SCtEsANP-cih_RLs2LsO2UmCvaWawTDfsysrnOe7sh9_XYIUeZxlYuvvXSIDXuWRN2BU4wBQGtgJOOOt4XV5XKaGKOISdvKNW90WkJqqAZm-ddazIY-ZttDiCFyX3D_klY82/s1600/wedding+dessert+table+11.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Lets say you and your groom aren't wild about cake - and certianly not wild about wedding cake with fondant at $4.75 a slice. Solution : opt for a smaller, simple cake and provide lots of different homemade cakes, pies, chessecakes, cupcakes, cookies, you name it... and it becomes a dessert table!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-d4XRvUjmjZfWj2t6LtdCO1965L3AYCg25r6JFYC45kckDA0fpMFaix6WiUHUvv9eaaRXejYicoiYvLyUO9ToXjNLmFUhTTlKTYo5prE-RjyrjQsQ9wMoYrnUIFpXclz1Pbce0C6pAkV/s1600/another+dessert+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-d4XRvUjmjZfWj2t6LtdCO1965L3AYCg25r6JFYC45kckDA0fpMFaix6WiUHUvv9eaaRXejYicoiYvLyUO9ToXjNLmFUhTTlKTYo5prE-RjyrjQsQ9wMoYrnUIFpXclz1Pbce0C6pAkV/s400/another+dessert+table.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2ZWAIUTTQ9omrvE34hBu0tH4Me2pYfakyyRBH52330gBrJHJs6OB5_k4SAQ6ECOVsn2t-IgYF3wlA3NlLQZJYLw-gpx0BYULBtUJPyTOTPmb05NAsQ28nrqblUS0tRdY6ngSDqk1H5ap/s1600/snapshots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2ZWAIUTTQ9omrvE34hBu0tH4Me2pYfakyyRBH52330gBrJHJs6OB5_k4SAQ6ECOVsn2t-IgYF3wlA3NlLQZJYLw-gpx0BYULBtUJPyTOTPmb05NAsQ28nrqblUS0tRdY6ngSDqk1H5ap/s400/snapshots.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I've loved the look of dessert tables for quite awhile now. I especially love when there is a small, two or three tier cutting cake right smack in the middle. I like the tradition and meaning of having a wedding cake - the joint task of the bride and groom cutting the cake is meant to symbolize their first joint task in married life and the gesture of feeding cake to one another is a symbol of the commitment the bride and groom are making. Plus, it is typically the last "item on the agenda" at your wedding reception and so some of your older guests will wait to leave until after the cake is cut.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiix7FpTk91yVCPwU4Fh3g1NaZnG5t1gqzhlLOKZDOo7qs6al90xYZE6dHwTCS3l-lxeswGs80PQNTdNleXQ-HV3UL9FfDXesmYYPRlbzUqdtis5Fu6Q6ey-j8F3PgjtjK4MSLM7zVudy/s1600/dessert+table+with+initials.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiix7FpTk91yVCPwU4Fh3g1NaZnG5t1gqzhlLOKZDOo7qs6al90xYZE6dHwTCS3l-lxeswGs80PQNTdNleXQ-HV3UL9FfDXesmYYPRlbzUqdtis5Fu6Q6ey-j8F3PgjtjK4MSLM7zVudy/s400/dessert+table+with+initials.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWg__L04nT7uTjWcGlNvCuatjqr4eVz7kKPyYrJGouxYqVQCRz0Rjj-FPNPjaEVXL_wV88qrJb-KlhYZ1KGaUzwSfjzctlppEiMXfDwYtXJc8xiDQj6Ij7x5PCgc0CVtluMiIRoUEPaIF/s1600/modest+cake+with+pies+to+chose+from.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWg__L04nT7uTjWcGlNvCuatjqr4eVz7kKPyYrJGouxYqVQCRz0Rjj-FPNPjaEVXL_wV88qrJb-KlhYZ1KGaUzwSfjzctlppEiMXfDwYtXJc8xiDQj6Ij7x5PCgc0CVtluMiIRoUEPaIF/s400/modest+cake+with+pies+to+chose+from.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I love the DIY route you can take with dessert tables too. Feature that delicious cheesecake that only your Aunt can make or get you bridesmaids together and have a baking party two days before the wedding. Is there a special dessert recipe in your family? Pick desserts that sound delicious to you and then make (or buy) them!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJSVyqsr4CFfUH1CCbDjPPSisrnNGcTAxA4cm2dZkLieHMOemlJCL1Xqxoh8VqPRPnJe2HrNxeq7KcWLPuqc5WzJ40RAdVojTaZkAQWY0EqBgCIPrdoXjHOqWEoBTsmuJ8hc4om035Fbs/s1600/dessert+table+with+the+cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJSVyqsr4CFfUH1CCbDjPPSisrnNGcTAxA4cm2dZkLieHMOemlJCL1Xqxoh8VqPRPnJe2HrNxeq7KcWLPuqc5WzJ40RAdVojTaZkAQWY0EqBgCIPrdoXjHOqWEoBTsmuJ8hc4om035Fbs/s400/dessert+table+with+the+cookies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJxp8Rbk-eREUP8BFiZPBBjOmI7_4hSOK6fcPppQooHlJ8LWFQllzM4-I0_PjKni6xsDV3RMgFhoC5WhJ82jtFqYywBReLwF15WirY9h9-ZACq_HyOrqzE3ngrrVUmDz_tIqhhsuJ9joq/s1600/another+dessert+table+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJxp8Rbk-eREUP8BFiZPBBjOmI7_4hSOK6fcPppQooHlJ8LWFQllzM4-I0_PjKni6xsDV3RMgFhoC5WhJ82jtFqYywBReLwF15WirY9h9-ZACq_HyOrqzE3ngrrVUmDz_tIqhhsuJ9joq/s400/another+dessert+table+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Some tips for creating a memorable dessert table:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Create visual levels. What this means is to use different heights to display the desserts on the table. Try to make the heights varying so the lower elements are not being blocked by something just barely taller than it. This creates windows of space so everything has a place and is equally visual weight. Try using different serving trays to help create the heights and also distinguish each dessert from one another. </li>
<li>Customize your paper goods. A great detail to add to your table is personalized tags, signage, cupcake toppers, favor bags, etc. This way you can tie in the theme of your wedding, along with the color scheme you've selected, and also let people know what it is that they are having the pleasure of eating! </li>
<li>Also remember to keep your theme in mind. If you are having an event with a really romantic feel, you probably wouldn't want to have a really whimsical decoration style on your table.</li>
</ol><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSR70goG5qQ96h9SeyV_ncjHPG6wzj9xJGJEKyy3yDCV3etzSMvVK3t2NbIc8omlmlmydmefIU3hNBBJdfJsWM939OmEDI5hfWk3KEcQkPNItxMIDG1zYeNYaPKbAG21YQeo9cYtCBO58/s1600/desserts+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSR70goG5qQ96h9SeyV_ncjHPG6wzj9xJGJEKyy3yDCV3etzSMvVK3t2NbIc8omlmlmydmefIU3hNBBJdfJsWM939OmEDI5hfWk3KEcQkPNItxMIDG1zYeNYaPKbAG21YQeo9cYtCBO58/s400/desserts+sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY_NBJB_StSnSP1HHJmEF3Ch7v4oIbiljP4gGQ0INv6u0ZDPH2gqfMywVJw7qdYIkPK7cKrsm55Nai45Q3-PM9VslyCLyOQqEMqp8dWxmpCUViGBa9SLVrgaPQJtd6d997ltqaoreXlYB/s1600/wedding-desserts-cakes-tables-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVY_NBJB_StSnSP1HHJmEF3Ch7v4oIbiljP4gGQ0INv6u0ZDPH2gqfMywVJw7qdYIkPK7cKrsm55Nai45Q3-PM9VslyCLyOQqEMqp8dWxmpCUViGBa9SLVrgaPQJtd6d997ltqaoreXlYB/s400/wedding-desserts-cakes-tables-08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>So I bet you're wondering... will we be doing a dessert table? ...You betcha!! With help, I <a href="http://www.pepperdesignblog.com/?p=4524"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">made my own cake stands</span></a> of varying heights, booked the <i>oh so delicious</i> <a href="http://christiescakes.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Christie's Cakes</span></a> to make us a fabulous two tiered cutting cake (with an incredible tasting buttercream rough frost like the one below, obviously!), and have asked a few bridesmaids, cousins, and even my Dad (!) to make various desserts (like cupcakes, cheesecake, and cookies). I can't wait to see our dessert table come to life at our reception - its one of the details I am most excited for!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9vky_P7YQGpjqv6cPLt4MoBcGpETsQmFSyLnm2NtW95JQb6xsUOSItScKVims6FSNb83rB1IYswx10Dl5l_k-RDNfp8tdsJmO5QK70Is0G6GOswsWpRITlmpzlRUgNYxD7U8P6Gxv-Uz/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9vky_P7YQGpjqv6cPLt4MoBcGpETsQmFSyLnm2NtW95JQb6xsUOSItScKVims6FSNb83rB1IYswx10Dl5l_k-RDNfp8tdsJmO5QK70Is0G6GOswsWpRITlmpzlRUgNYxD7U8P6Gxv-Uz/s1600/cake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">What are you doing for your wedding dessert? Sticking to cake for everyone? How about a candy buffet? </div><div style="text-align: center;">Or are you a dessert table fanatic now?? </div><br />
<div><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-54816217019051869272011-03-21T07:00:00.000-07:002011-03-21T07:00:11.499-07:00The DressUnfortunately for my pride, everyone (especially my mom) was right. They were right when they said "Don't set your mind on one style of wedding dress, try everything on first". Well me being A Very Decisive Bride, disagreed. I knew what I wanted for a wedding dress - I wanted lace, lace, and more lace! I wanted sheath, I wanted flowing fabric, I wanted a classic, timeless, elegant dress. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJlylhqwCBmZI-nC1XWXdST0smfGZs3hFukdaHr6nJlHlCbUduBErkhxYI8_v70AVTqzulR_AZ13dNqJkE1O0psJVuNHuUZBUvsrf7dtf-TPth3Hg9AFQRAFKmr9SUrVDEPGU3hXq7Bbi/s1600/Monique_Lhuillier_Scarlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJlylhqwCBmZI-nC1XWXdST0smfGZs3hFukdaHr6nJlHlCbUduBErkhxYI8_v70AVTqzulR_AZ13dNqJkE1O0psJVuNHuUZBUvsrf7dtf-TPth3Hg9AFQRAFKmr9SUrVDEPGU3hXq7Bbi/s320/Monique_Lhuillier_Scarlet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Like this Monique Lhuillier 'Scarlet' gown!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="text-align: left;">On a random Saturday in January, my mom, sister, and I decided to drive to the Tri-Cities to "just try on" some wedding dresses. I tried on so many beautiful gowns but I fell deeply, madly in love with a form fitting, trumpet, 100% silk (no lace!), Rivini wedding dress. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And I simply couldn't leave the store without it... so I bought it! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just like that, I had my wedding dress (<u>way</u> ahead of schedule) and its nothing like what I was so sure I wanted. But its perfect! Absolutely, one hundred percent, perfect. Its so timeless and classic - it makes me feel elegant and mature. No bling, no beading, just me and a form fitting silk gown. Its everything I never knew I wanted, plus a whole lot more.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I bought it off the rack and although it needs a few alterations (I'm going to give it a true sweetheart neckline, shorten the length an inch or two, and let the seams out around my thighs just a tad so that I can dance the night away), its already a dream come true.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Guess what else?? </div><br />
I also just recently purchased a second "reception dress" - its a short, white battenburg lace (yay!) Betsey Johnson dress that I will change into at some point in the reception so I can really bust a move! AND my wedding shoes and a veil - but I will save those two for another post :-)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Was wedding dress shopping time consuming for you or was it way easier than you thought it would be?</div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-1102794866904718832011-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:002011-03-14T07:00:12.060-07:00When STD's are a good idea<div style="text-align: center;">Wedding acronyms are everywhere online. Most are self explanatory, but some can be slightly confusing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Since most of my FH's family, most our BP, almost all our friends will be coming OOT to the wedding, and we are getting married in a popular wedding month, STD's are essential. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Did you understand what I said?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Since most of my <b>future husband<i>s</i></b> family, most of our <b>bridal party</b>, almost all our friends will be coming <b>out of town</b> to the wedding, and we are getting married in a popular wedding month, <b>save the dates</b> are essential. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So now lets chat about STD's! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Save the dates are cards sent to potential wedding guests ahead of your formal invitations. This pre-invitation mailing officially announces your wedding date and lets guests know that they will, in fact, be invited to the celebration. Their purpose is literally to ask guests to "save the wedding date" and not book another event on that date. Of course, you don't have to send one if you don't want, but it will give guests the heads up about your wedding plans. Between travel arrangements and busy schedules, sending a save-the-date will increase guests' chances of attending your celebration. And that's the goal, right?<br />
<br />
Save the dates are usually sent out six months to a year before the wedding. They are especially important for a destination wedding, a wedding with a large number of out-of-town guests, or a wedding around a holiday. Save the Dates provide guests sufficient time to make travel arrangements, and may even include information about the nearest airports and hotel blocks. They do not need to include much more than Who, What, Where, When, and your wedding website.<br />
<br />
If you choose to include a picture of you two on your save the date, its nice to have taken your engagement pictures and use them. I knew that I wanted to take snowy engagement pictures and since Nate and I will be sending our save the dates in September, that meant we had to take our pictures this winter - a whole 18 months earlier than our wedding! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><br />
<div>So one snowy day in December, <a href="http://www.jenniferdagdagan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jennifer</span>,</a> Nate, and I headed up to Camp Roganunda (which is empty and for sale!) - and here are some of our engagement pictures!</div><div><br />
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text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some of my favorite sites for save the dates : <a href="http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Wedding Paper Divas</span></a>, <a href="http://www.minted.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Minted</span></a>, and<a href="http://www.magnetstreet.com/"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Magnetstreet</span></a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here is a <a href="http://diybride.com/2008/wedding-community-acronyms"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">helpful cheat sheet</span></a>, if wedding acronyms are confusing you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So what are you doing? Are you planning on sending out STD's? </div><div><br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-39140732956335738682011-03-07T07:00:00.000-08:002011-03-07T07:00:09.257-08:006 down, 15 to go<div style="text-align: center;">I'm almost a third of the way through my engagement! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">As a sit here and think back over our 6 months of engagement, I'm actually surprised at all I/we have gotten done - and more importantly, without any stress. Just within the first month we had a concrete budget, figured out a date, booked our reception site and an incredible photographer, and even more! My good friend Andrea got married in October after 6 months of engagement and I have <u>so</u> much appreciation for all she accomplished in such a short time. One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my 6 months of engagement is that there is <b>no right or wrong way to plan a wedding</b>. I am very "list oriented", I love having schedules and organized to-do lists, so when I (almost immediately) strayed from The Knots "order in which things should be planned", it surprised me a little bit. It was my first wedding lesson : I learned how to <i>just let things go</i>. It doesn't matter if I do things "in order" - as long as it all gets done. Do what feels good to you, make decisions as they come (when you have time and energy), and relax. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I've still got a lot of details to catch you up on - but I want to know, what was your first major "wedding lesson"? Did something surprise you? Is there anything you had to just <i>let go of?? </i> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Remember : There is no right or wrong way to plan a wedding, so just let it go. It just doesn't matter because in the end of all the planning, we will all (hopefully!) end up married to a wonderful person. <u><i>That</i></u> is what matters.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-51917386529121226532011-02-28T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-28T07:00:30.243-08:00My Photography ObsessionSince I had been completely immersed in the wedding planning world for over a year by the time Nate and I were engaged, I had countless planning ideas floating around my head from engagement day 1. One of the things I had spent a fair amount of time researching was Yakima area photographers. My family has hired both <a href="http://memorymp.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Memory Montage Productions</span></a> and <a href="http://stonecastlephotography.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Stone Castle</span></a> at two different times, I knew quite a few people who booked <a href="http://michaelfisk.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Michael Fisk</span></a> as their wedding photographer, and my best friend hired <a href="http://www.parsonsphotography.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Parson’s Photography</span></a> (just to name a very select few).<br />
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Over a year ago, I saw an engagement session that blew my mind...and it was done by a photographer I had not <s>stalked</s> investigated yet! My favorite part of photography is when the photographer can go beyond excellent shots and really capture personalities. The engagement shoot was of two people I knew - and what made it so incredible, was that it captured their personalities better than I had ever seen. And that my friends, is when <a href="http://www.jenniferdagdagan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jennifer Dagdagan</span></a> became the love of my life.<br />
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I then featured her work on my other blog (<a href="http://www.lovemadevisibleevents.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Love Made Visible</span></a>), time and time again being blown away by her family, engagement, and wedding shoots all the same. Jenny is primarily a family photographer, taking only a few weddings a year. She doesn't take the same pictures over and over, she thinks outside the box, focuses more on people than making people fit her vision, and let me just say she is one of the coolest chicks to hang with. My friend Katelyn (whose engagement session started my Jenny obsession), said <i>"Jennifer is absolutely amazing and has the best personality for a photographer, she makes everything feel so comfortable!". </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">So long introduction short, booking<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.jenniferdagdagan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jenny</span></a></span> as our wedding photographer was a no-brainer. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Fast forward a couple months to November and my parents were throwing us an incredible engagement dinner at <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.google.com/search?aq=f&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=the+carousel+yakima+wa"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The Carousel</span></a> </span>- and so I invited Jenny and her husband Larry to come along. She, being the incredibly rad lady she is, of course came, enjoyed the delicious meal, and snapped some pictures for us. <i>What?! Jenny quality pictures of my engagement party? Someone pinch me, she is too good to be true! </i><br />
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<b><i>As if</i></b> I could love her any more, less than a month after our beautiful engagement party, I got a disk with these pictures -<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsqJbBtD5XIe_xt3q2Z7tFP9BnqOZhguIf_QXfOqwxRSepZZEBtJh0j6PxbjW74KinDrvZA7c87h4ng0gFvtkcPkyyBBgol8UZsVz00gfKTq95PnktBgko-6ik724LayJm3u7fBE91BTx/s1600/Engagement+dinner+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsqJbBtD5XIe_xt3q2Z7tFP9BnqOZhguIf_QXfOqwxRSepZZEBtJh0j6PxbjW74KinDrvZA7c87h4ng0gFvtkcPkyyBBgol8UZsVz00gfKTq95PnktBgko-6ik724LayJm3u7fBE91BTx/s400/Engagement+dinner+058.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImTo4ZIWiCFTtNCmsxDbSclfiEYlyNHkdqGtnbbiFffvYlpu6VzL84fRQ75Qn6ffilkRSawDpnM6rbfEuDYFV7RLS5FoDEvO9gy-veeh6XlgyEM7IIHx7Lu_2551aoPDJOrav-H1bjX52/s1600/Engagement+dinner+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImTo4ZIWiCFTtNCmsxDbSclfiEYlyNHkdqGtnbbiFffvYlpu6VzL84fRQ75Qn6ffilkRSawDpnM6rbfEuDYFV7RLS5FoDEvO9gy-veeh6XlgyEM7IIHx7Lu_2551aoPDJOrav-H1bjX52/s400/Engagement+dinner+043.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoo-UNRaL1DZsC24izoXfcUgyaKl6viMuXCg-oCmDgsdFtZAZtuqRUpcnHXvN_cbAL2rBlQXchOVTF5hMAdWz8y_tfT9y9lcTguF2T0cyjX8aCtuVZN5o0ikCfGY1Z8JMX8vBf1ECRG96/s1600/Engagement+dinner+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoo-UNRaL1DZsC24izoXfcUgyaKl6viMuXCg-oCmDgsdFtZAZtuqRUpcnHXvN_cbAL2rBlQXchOVTF5hMAdWz8y_tfT9y9lcTguF2T0cyjX8aCtuVZN5o0ikCfGY1Z8JMX8vBf1ECRG96/s400/Engagement+dinner+048.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWsQ8qzsTkAGCaRak6NQueVwOPvvuEa9U0qBIai1RuEM1FRmEzqzz9pVoqwUnAICGynjwBAhugr8eLRomHr_Xu7q2CFzFTtMtnVPQ_p9XydlS7ule3xiuWkJzm3kyvqRow15TeDD95maV/s1600/Engagement+dinner+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWsQ8qzsTkAGCaRak6NQueVwOPvvuEa9U0qBIai1RuEM1FRmEzqzz9pVoqwUnAICGynjwBAhugr8eLRomHr_Xu7q2CFzFTtMtnVPQ_p9XydlS7ule3xiuWkJzm3kyvqRow15TeDD95maV/s400/Engagement+dinner+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8Q-4smomHz_m4UvB0LVZ95TeH4fVTYwQck7t5naf2oyrYTnm10-yneSCCYmoL38yfA29a4EV69ovqvTutsk8snm7B1pL9Ca-1IJY4O2sKB4kKPjlt07yZ0IPyaPUkfezarI1lI2khNH9/s1600/Engagement+dinner+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8Q-4smomHz_m4UvB0LVZ95TeH4fVTYwQck7t5naf2oyrYTnm10-yneSCCYmoL38yfA29a4EV69ovqvTutsk8snm7B1pL9Ca-1IJY4O2sKB4kKPjlt07yZ0IPyaPUkfezarI1lI2khNH9/s400/Engagement+dinner+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyBTMITBh3NQ73PZ39IY_4phVQpyJSrHsfrU4K3aKwpPAewCaT6fn80VuRV1fcwv8k0woKilQXnUy0Nhy832uIpiyU5DKBZcDyYaiiiaige_jmOuaywPV_gsmb0XG-HHQyQ7hD6s8xu_m/s1600/Engagement+dinner+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyBTMITBh3NQ73PZ39IY_4phVQpyJSrHsfrU4K3aKwpPAewCaT6fn80VuRV1fcwv8k0woKilQXnUy0Nhy832uIpiyU5DKBZcDyYaiiiaige_jmOuaywPV_gsmb0XG-HHQyQ7hD6s8xu_m/s400/Engagement+dinner+036.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E-L3eKiAVczsI4Ba5UIqZQDNF_RVmzusouusTaLZJiWgUJI2T-G3kYiumCxdz34zrG02O3Z_PhaqTXiAFCwUAEPNgrsA0O8JvT2qO31DrEKEwesp9Rshr_jLSIwYHaZQKCp6ybQnp3Cj/s1600/Engagement+dinner+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-E-L3eKiAVczsI4Ba5UIqZQDNF_RVmzusouusTaLZJiWgUJI2T-G3kYiumCxdz34zrG02O3Z_PhaqTXiAFCwUAEPNgrsA0O8JvT2qO31DrEKEwesp9Rshr_jLSIwYHaZQKCp6ybQnp3Cj/s400/Engagement+dinner+038.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> haha, Jenny caught me <i>not really loving </i> the escargot.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCG9dMozkmdT7yaVI2OFcmiFtHqj7SjsAcofOU8axYcdK8LAe2ZdRHNMmPCUQv8XKrR7CulGIhUpGMNBLtrOtDVTl7NWIjWj-7vxbx4aphVV4tOSzpDP3pxvFzahj0EHaa7QHDfyU0V6T/s1600/Engagement+dinner+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCG9dMozkmdT7yaVI2OFcmiFtHqj7SjsAcofOU8axYcdK8LAe2ZdRHNMmPCUQv8XKrR7CulGIhUpGMNBLtrOtDVTl7NWIjWj-7vxbx4aphVV4tOSzpDP3pxvFzahj0EHaa7QHDfyU0V6T/s400/Engagement+dinner+044.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqezOvpK5toIlWEmsXE3T7u69RFu4fYLi7yiIZdfAA4FYdGDtFUjwMyBqklxfzL-AkT_hz5INeZF0MF3tL8dMJRoCtkyRaJ_LFUAOx0OAdog43219Ij2ChnEE61iAurA0HIzV6tV2KiJv/s1600/Engagement+dinner+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqezOvpK5toIlWEmsXE3T7u69RFu4fYLi7yiIZdfAA4FYdGDtFUjwMyBqklxfzL-AkT_hz5INeZF0MF3tL8dMJRoCtkyRaJ_LFUAOx0OAdog43219Ij2ChnEE61iAurA0HIzV6tV2KiJv/s400/Engagement+dinner+054.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Nate and I </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh962NNB88P_iapk8bY1ru5FCn_dq-ufScFSbL-8Fhq4gLV_akcQUk06rJgxhaFYcwnPOpcMj1YLTwHS8w90SZApxA1rLaidOKyEYLoOqlPC-szVrjIUI2jZ6x8MPzh2QivYsJPvjm_rF9P/s1600/Engagement+dinner+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh962NNB88P_iapk8bY1ru5FCn_dq-ufScFSbL-8Fhq4gLV_akcQUk06rJgxhaFYcwnPOpcMj1YLTwHS8w90SZApxA1rLaidOKyEYLoOqlPC-szVrjIUI2jZ6x8MPzh2QivYsJPvjm_rF9P/s400/Engagement+dinner+057.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> My best friend Megan and I </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt25tEpvsPr2NrvwjRr2eO1EYh0CGlCVeGkYqsRcNU5GxPlgRVOujd8V91fDS6xwWjkeIslPiXME2lPX1QMn-lTvmkU1Rx2dkzFnLohZwjcF91DLSTmar0fP-KJR6W9mpTjw74A2HSXo-9/s1600/food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt25tEpvsPr2NrvwjRr2eO1EYh0CGlCVeGkYqsRcNU5GxPlgRVOujd8V91fDS6xwWjkeIslPiXME2lPX1QMn-lTvmkU1Rx2dkzFnLohZwjcF91DLSTmar0fP-KJR6W9mpTjw74A2HSXo-9/s640/food.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And of course, the yummy food!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>So there you have it! A formal introduction with our wedding photographer/love of my life/raddest chick ever : <a href="http://www.jenniferdagdagan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Jennifer Dagdagan</span></a>!<br />
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Disclaimer : I cannot be held responsible if you have now formed an irreversible photography obsession and start stalking her work. Don't feel bad, it happened to me too.<br />
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<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/?action=view&current=signature.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/KaleaLinn/signature.png" /></a><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">For a very extensive list of area photographers, check out YVB - <a href="http://yakimabride.com/2009/01/28/photography/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">photography</span></a>. </div><div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1176024207700339522.post-55830005512693455152011-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-21T07:00:20.603-08:00The VenueOkay, where did I leave off in my story? (I promise we are almost getting caught up to <i>real time </i>planning!) Oh yeah! Armed with two possible wedding dates and our budget for the reception venue, Nate and I set off to Yakima not really planning on booking a reception site, but wanting to look at some options. We after all, had (and still have!) <u>plenty</u> of time.<br />
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You may notice that I am only referring to a reception venue - so, where is our ceremony to take place?? I am lucky enough to be very connected to a church in Yakima. And by <i>very connected</i>, I mean that my Dad is the pastor - so our ceremony location was a no-brainer. We are having our wedding ceremony at <a href="http://www.yakimafmc.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Mountianview Christian Fellowship</span></a> (unless we can't fit 250-275 chairs in the sanctuary, but thats a whole other blog post).<br />
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I had originally thought that a Yakima vineyard wedding reception would be great - perfect views, Yakima wine, it sounds ideal! - and there are quite a few beautiful wineries in the valley that do host weddings. For instance, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://fontaineestateswinery.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Fontaine Estates Winery</span></a>,</span> <a href="http://hyattvineyards.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hyatt Vineyards</span></a>, and <a href="http://maisondepadgettwinery.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Maison de Padgett Winery</span></a>. I also wrote down some non-wineries on our "list of reception sites to check out" - like <a href="http://appletreeresort.com/index.php?page_id=88"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Apple Tree</span></a> and <a href="http://cascade-garden.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Cascade Gardens</span></a>.<br />
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But lets go over some venue basics first before I get too far - here are some questions to ask:<br />
<ol><li>Do they have your date available? What is their max. capacity? Don't book a site thats too small, unless you are willing to do some major guest list editing. </li>
<li>Do you have to use their caterer or can you bring in your own? Often you can save money by being able to hire your own catering company. </li>
<li>What is their policy on alcohol? Wine and Beer only? Do they have a liquor licence or do you need to get your own? Can you bring your own alcohol in? Again, this can be a way to save some money if you are able to bring in your own. Although the convenience of food + alcohol packages can be very appealing. </li>
<li>Set up and clean up - does their staff take care of that for you? Do they have any rentals available such as tables, chairs, flatware, and tableware? </li>
<li>What are the available hours the day of your wedding? When would you be able to get into the site and when would you have to leave your reception by? Do they charge a fee for going late into the evening? </li>
<li>What type (if any) restrictions do they have? Some venues don't allow open flames, certain decorations, etc. Make sure you know what you can and cant bring into the site. </li>
<li>How about parking? Or handicap accessible bathrooms? Think of your guests! </li>
</ol><div>Okay, back to the story. Since I was leaning towards a vineyard reception, we (Nate, myself, my Mom, and Dad) drove to those sites first. I had emailed them ahead of time, letting them know we would be stopping by to check it out. All three of the wineries we visited were absolutely gorgeous - Maison de Padgett was setting up for a wedding that afternoon so it was great to really be able to see what our reception would look like and Fontaine Estates even let us sample some of their wines! All four of us really liked all the wineries, but nothing really blew us away. None of them were <i>perfect </i>for us. Running out of energy, we decided to head back into Yakima and have some lunch and talk over what we had seen. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Over lunch, my Dad mentions a new location that although he nor my Mom had never seen (and I had never heard of), some of their friends had driven past and thought it was gorgeous. It was brand new, along the canyon river, and maybe we should drive past just to see. It couldn't hurt right? </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dad: "<i>Maybe its called something different, but it's connected to <a href="http://www.redsflyshop.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Red's Fly Shop</span></a>.</i>"</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kalea: "<i>I refuse to write "Red's Fly Shop" on our wedding invitations!</i>"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I agreed to see it, nonetheless. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I think before we even got out of the car at the <a href="http://www.canyonriver.net/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Lodge at Canyon River Ranch</span></a>, we all knew it was <i>The One</i>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvfjygdFujvk1bqxF0F1JNdtvcDWrYv6mkclYPa_A5vL3V63BWT2R5lvw1HAEawjnBR44shzBxzFMQqpPoAnv5Xj1CkgpOyeVEuYf_R_jl1fJpVoKhc8YJaTsUQurSRVbezjSx-Qepzx4/s1600/lg-09-10-08-201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvfjygdFujvk1bqxF0F1JNdtvcDWrYv6mkclYPa_A5vL3V63BWT2R5lvw1HAEawjnBR44shzBxzFMQqpPoAnv5Xj1CkgpOyeVEuYf_R_jl1fJpVoKhc8YJaTsUQurSRVbezjSx-Qepzx4/s640/lg-09-10-08-201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3VrawzXHVbTj6UHnKR2bvAPUZsHjdBu-iu2rBvo1iYN4B1abkUQ58qGv2nQLG1-kCDH6ta1N-88b1U89vOYMX-W9HFGKzdSOMMoMOsZae1T9oqp8IF0cWjymTbttU8uK27mGOfRIABSq/s1600/lg-Sm-Lodge-from-cliff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3VrawzXHVbTj6UHnKR2bvAPUZsHjdBu-iu2rBvo1iYN4B1abkUQ58qGv2nQLG1-kCDH6ta1N-88b1U89vOYMX-W9HFGKzdSOMMoMOsZae1T9oqp8IF0cWjymTbttU8uK27mGOfRIABSq/s640/lg-Sm-Lodge-from-cliff.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNA2JzaYXt99lALf8UHcyYZqZGzjL5Ru1OQZzif5TzE9ECvVrfW_spIGMt-pizr-9bfQVEZvHJ47gVGombNZ4fQ1GkFemjEM6dvhpsUJbKfQNYiC0uGBiFw1ax0STCZu6prjlWVVkU0wy/s1600/crr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihNA2JzaYXt99lALf8UHcyYZqZGzjL5Ru1OQZzif5TzE9ECvVrfW_spIGMt-pizr-9bfQVEZvHJ47gVGombNZ4fQ1GkFemjEM6dvhpsUJbKfQNYiC0uGBiFw1ax0STCZu6prjlWVVkU0wy/s640/crr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"Located between Yakima and Ellensburg, Washington, east of the Cascade range in the center of Washington state, the 15-mile Yakima River Canyon is one of the country’s most scenic and diverse natural areas. Canyon River Ranch is located 13 miles south of Ellensburg along SR 821, a designated Scenic Corridor. Less than a two-hour drive from Seattle, the area is known for the range of activities it provides, from wine tasting to river rafting. This unique private property provides over 1,000 feet of private waterfront, your own vineyard, and spectacular canyon vistas."<br />
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Not to be completely cheesy, but once we walked around The Lodge, chatted with their staff, and viewed one of the 10 condos - it was clear that it was everything we could have ever imagined in a reception site. It has incredible views of the rolling Yakima hills and the river, it has this amazing upscale, yet comfortable outdoor rustic feel, we can easily fit our large guest list, there are no restrictions on catering, alcohol, decorations, time, etc, and best of all, we rented all 10 of the 2-bedroom condos for Friday and Saturday night of our wedding weekend so that all of our immediate family and bridal party can stay on-site. Its everything we could have ever dreamed of. And I don't have to write Red's Fly Shop on our wedding invitations!!<br />
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The <u>only</u> downside, is that there are no rentals included in the site fee. They mentioned that maybe by the time we have our wedding they may have some tables and chairs available, but we can't count on that. This means we will be renting everything - from tables and chairs to plates and knives - and although this is not only an added expense but also an added hassle, the Lodge is still worth it in our minds.<br />
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We then sat down (at the lodge) and picked our wedding date so that we could reserve the site - and we decided on June 2nd, 2012! So that was that - we had our reception venue picked out over 18 months in advance. Its just like what they say, <i>when you know, you know</i>. </div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">How did you pick your wedding reception site?? Did you <i>just know</i>? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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And as always, for more ideas check out the Yakima Bride Magazine's list of <a href="http://yakimabride.com/2009/01/28/ceremony-reception-sites/" style="color: blue;">Ceremony and Reception Sites</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0