Save The Dates

Our Save the Dates are on the way :-) On November 30th, 2010 we mailed our first Save the Dates to our family. Then on December 1st, 2010 we sent out the rest to our out-of-town guests. We will be mailing Save the Dates to our friends on this side of the country in the coming weeks.

There is so much to do and I am thouroughly enjoying the entire process. JJ and I are doing the "Seasons of Our Engagement" Portrait Sessions. So far we did our first engagement session in the winter 2010 in Phoenix, AZ at the Anthem Park by the water.
We did our Summer engagement session in Flint, MI in August 2010. This shoot lasted a little over 3 hours and we have tons of pictures from it. . . About 766 pictures actually. . . We did the shoot Downtown, By the River, near the First Street Lofts, and at For Mar Nature Preserve. Our incredible photographer, Jennifer Walker is also one of my closest friends. We are both so thankful to her for her fabulous work. Also, super excited that my fiance, JJ, is so talented and can do the editing.

So, for our Autumn Engagement Session we went to Stepping Stone Falls. The scenery and backdrops are gorgeous and the Falls are just breathtaking. I am always so amazed at the beauty throughout Flint, MI and Genesee County. I really can't wait to show it off to all of our friends and family from out of state. I feel so lucky to have stumbled across such a great place and happy we have made our home here. . . Now, I just need to figure out where to do our Spring engagement session. . . And, after that we will be married :-)

It is amazing to me that JJ and I just celebrated the 13th anniversary of our first date on Nov. 27th, 2010.

I Won Again :-)

I went to another bridal show on Saturday and had a great time. This one was smaller than most I have attended. I actually found out about it through the florist appt JJ and I went to on Thursday, Nov 18th. Adi, the florist is wonderful. . . But, I'll get to that in a minute. . . So, although the bridal show was small, they had great vendors and a fabulous fashion show! And, the best part was ALL of the brides who attended won prizes. They gave us all enough tickets for 1 per vendor plus 1 extra for a vendor who we will really wanted that extra chance to win. Each vendor had a basket on their table for the tickets. What did I win? I won a 30 min massage at HealthQuest in Grand Blanc, and I won 2 Gift Certificates which they will combine for a Wedding Planner through Merry Events :-) Yay! That is the one I wanted the most and with the 2 gift certificates it brings it within reach :-) And, then I was absolutely elated when Adi, our florist came over to me after the fashion show and told me she knows I didn't win it, but she wanted to give me the beautiful gift set I was eyeing at her table! It is gorgeous. . . It is a white satin gift set with crystals and pearls (just like my dress) which includes a garter, ring bearers pillow, flower girl basket, and guest registry. It is a beautiful criss-cross pattern with the satin ribbons and sparkles with the crystals and pearls bring the whole thing together to match my dress. . . They drew for a couple prizes between each of the sets for the Fashion Show. Then, at the end of the Fashion Show they had all the brides come up to the front to catch the bouquets from each of the models in bridal gowns. It worked out perfectly as there was one bride for each model. . . lol

JJ and I have been working avidly on our Save the Dates. . . We are almost ready to send them out and I am so excited they look even better than I had hoped. . . I am so lucky to have such a wonderful man who is so involved and incredible!

Crafting

We ordered our Save the Dates on Nov. 1st :-)
So very excited about the Save the Dates... I spent months looking through catalogues, ordering samples, and thinking, dreaming, thinking. Thankfully, once I decided on the basics my Maid of Honor help me pick out the details... Took it home to JJ and after a couple more tweaks we finally ordered them! I can't wait for them to arrive! Now, the crafting projects will soon begin. . . Also, planning to review the guest list again... We originally wrote it about a year ago, so I'm sure we need to update it. Next on the agenda is figuring out which picture to put on our personalized postage stamps...LOL

220 Days until Our Wedding!

OMG Had The Best Wedding Planning Weekend!!!!

OMG!!! Had the Best Wedding Planning Weekend :)  On Friday JJ and I went to Rochester and filmed "Our Love Story" with Jospeph F. Banks Studio. . . I can't wait to see it when it is ready!  Then, Friday night we had a great time at Heidi and Andy's house where they had prepared a wonderful steak dinner with twice baked potatos, salad, and cornbread.  We played Phase 10 until 1:30 in the morning and got home around 2:30am. . . It was a lot of fun!  We thouroughly enjoyed the company. . .

Then, on Sat. JJ and I went to Melissa's house in Holt, near Lansing and got to see her Tiki Room. . . It is amazing!  Look great!  It absolutely looks like something Ty Pennington would have put together. . . I can't believe how great it looks!  So, JJ left and the wedding planning began. . .

Melissa and I went through the books, and the lists, and Super Happy news I realized - My Maid Of Honor is a Project Planner =)  Yay!  I am in heaven. . . We figured out the Save the Dates (which will be coming out for everyone soon)  She typed everything in the computer and will put it into a spreadsheet for us.  I think we were up until about 2:30am planning. . . So much fun, and SO much accomplished. . . I spent the night at her house and had tons of company with all the kitties in bed. . . Butter on the pillow next to me, Dilly curled up in the crook of my arm, Rooter on my left, and Lucky next to him. . .

The Bridal Show - I WON I WON I WON!!!!!!!!!!  I can't believe how much stuff I won :-)  I won the runner-up to the Grand Prize :-)  I won a great Tanning Package from - Sun Kiss'D Spray Tan
Gift Certificate for Dinner Theatre for 2 at Genitti's in Northville from - Premier Bride Magazine
Great Gift Bag from - Barely Gentle
Fun kit from - Pure Romance
Free Tux for someone in the Wedding Party from - Brighton Tux
$300 off G/C for a Limo from - Entertainment Express
Gift Certificate for an indoor engagement session w/11x14 wall mount print from - Bak Photography
Beautiful Fall Flower Bouquet from - Art in Bloom

Plus, I recieved a Swag Bag for being one of the first 100 brides to arrive :-)
I had so much fun with Melissa there.  She is an amazing friend, and I am so lucky to have her as my Maid of Honor!

Love, Angela

So excited for the Wedding Planning Weekend

I am sooooo excited for the wedding planning weekend.  Tomorrow JJ and I are going to Rochester to film "Our Love Story" with Joseph F. Bauer Studios.  I won the video package at a bridal show at the beginning of the year. . . I wanted to lose some weight and wait for my hair to get done after the Fashion Show to do the engagement shoot.  Well, I've lost 20 lbs, and love the way Nicole from Don Franco Hair Company did my hair.  So, I called to schedule what I thought was an engagement photo shoot and found out it was actually video!!!  JFB Studios speciallizes in "Movie Style Images".  They create dramatic movie posters where we can look like the movie poster that most resembles us.  I think we should do Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but I don't know if our Michigan friends would get the reference.  Our friends in Phoenix thought we reminded them of that movie. . . lol. . . Anyway, we met with the videographer and his wife and are so excited!  We formed our questions after they provided us some samples and sent our final list to them yesterday.  Some stuff JJ will talk about, some questions for me, and some we'll talk about together.

As far as the weekend. . . I can't wait to spend the night at my Maid of Honor, Melissa's house on Saturday night!  We will go to a bridal show on Sunday and plan and chat all weekend about all things wedding :-)  Oh, it is going to be so much fun!

Mmmm. . .And, after our engagement shoot on Friday we are having dinner at our friend, Heidi's house.  Sounds like a great menu. . . No wonder I can't sleep. . . Save the Dates, Maid of Honor dress, color choices. . . It's going to be fun.  Goodnight everyone. . .

Love,
Angela

We Have a Blog

We have a blog finally. . . To keep a diary of our wedding planning and into our marriage. . . I've been wanting to start a blog for almost a year now.  It's been so crazy with all the fundraisers we've been working on, but now it is finally time to focus a little on us and our wedding which is coming up very quickly!

JJ and I will be celebrating 13 years together next month.  We will have been engaged for 12 years in December.  Last year we decided to finally do it and say our "I do's". . . (Although we said them to each other long ago). . . Our formal wedding will be held on June 11, 2011 at Riverbank Park in Flint, MI.  I'm so happy to have a blog and cannot begin to describe the excitement and love I feel about planning the wedding with the man of my dreams :-) 

Love,
Angela