and more dresses...

So, the dress is officially paid for and ordered!

I went and tried my two favorites once again just to make sure and it confirmed what I thought, so we ordered and paid for it. Its the Enzoani gown from before and stunning. When we went to the bridal shop I mention bridesmaid dresses and then they had Ande try on a few, and I decided on my bridesmaid dresses as well. (I had some in mind already.) They are Mori Lee gowns and I decided on 784 in Vintage Silver taffeta. You can go to the link and change the color to the last switch. Also, you can add the halter and see it there. Otherwise this is the wrong color, but its the dress.
On a different note, we went to Coles Garden today for another visit. And, we are 90% sure that we are going to change the wedding and have it there. That means the wedding date will change too. Kris and I have two anniversaries one is our first date which was April 19, and then the day we had "the talk" date which was Cinco de Mayo. So, at Cole's Garden the date would be April 24, 2010. Right between our anniversaries which I think is perfect. They have three different gardens but we would have to use the Royal garden since we are going to have 150+ people. And, Kris and I like the walled in garden for a more intimate feel.

Keep in mind my colors are light pink, gray, and white(because that is the color of linens Coles uses) with lime green accents.

setback

Minor setback...since my Mom is a teacher and has been in school until now I think she just now started to think about wedding plans, and is freaking out. A lot. With deciding on the Myriad Gardens we do have to everything from catering, to cleanup, to decorations, to booze. Now that she has had time on her hands to think this through she is thinking it is too much work, plus with it being outside in Oklahoma in April, is stressing her out. Especially all the finer details.

Perks of Myriad are
-we have control of everything
-allowed to bring in our own booze
-outside is awesome
-cheap

Drawbacks are
-parking is a bitch
-inside not so hot for a ceremony inside, if it rains
-finding catering
-finding flowers
-finding etc.

She has now decided that despite the higher price tag of Coles Garden, they might be the better choice because they do everything for you. It will make our wedding more expensive, but I told her if her sanity is worth a couple thousand extra dollars then its worth it. But, all of use are going to have to think about it. Sigh. And, we have to decide by the end of the month because she has a meeting with the Myriad to sign contracts.

I knew things were going too smoothly.

Dresses, dresses

I did go dress shopping at three places.

My first appointment was at 11:30 at JJ Kelly the high end store. The customer service was awesome. Except, I could only afford to try on sale Monique Lhuillier dresses, etc. with stains or something wrong, and then they would have to be greatly altered. Then my next stop was Bella Rose, where they claim to have affordable indulgence or something like that... Their dresses were definitely more in my price range. Although they did made you put the dresses on yourself, which is no easy task, and they were really nice and helpful. Then just to be on the safe side we went to the Walmart of bridal stores, yes, David's Bridal and it was awful. I felt like I was a lab rat, and that's all there is to it. Although they did have the cheapest dresses, they only had one with sleeves and lace they called the jenna bush dress and my mom vetoed it upon hearing the name.

The dress I decided on was actually not quite what I was expecting, but you never know until you try it on, and it was at Bella Rose. Its an Enzoani gown, reasonably priced in my range and stunning on. The bridesmaid dresses I think are going to be vintage silver taffeta by Mori Lee.

wedding website

So, besides this fabulous blog I have created a wedding website for good measure at that fancy place called theknot.com if you are interested.

Kate and Kris

Honeymoon and dresses, dresses, onto dresses

We had been discussing many different options for the honeymoon that we both liked from different cruises including a European cruise, which would be awesome but too expensive, to Maui. Kris really isn't a beach person though, and me being super pale and anti-tanning am pretty okay with that. We haven't booked anything yet, but we did decided where we wanted to go officially. California Wine Country, Northern Sonoma County, here we come, in less than a year. It's perfect for us really, since we are both wine lovers and met at the liquor store. I have narrowed down the city and some of the places that we could possibly stay. I want to stay in Healdsburg because is located near a few awesome vineyards and within walking distance of the city you can visit all sorts of little shops.

Some possibilities for hotel or B & B are...
Les Mars Hotel This one is the most expensive, but really nice
Madrona Manor I like this one a lot, just look at the outside
Camelia Inn This is one of the cheaper ones, and adorable, I love the atmosphere
Hotel Healdsburg This one would be Kris' favorite because of its modern flair, I would enjoy the spa
Honor Mansion This one is really expensive as well, and awesome

I'm leaning towards staying a couple nights at one and a couple at the other for the week. And I like Camelia, Madrona, and Hotel Healdsburg the best.
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On dresses, I finally made some appointments for next Wed, which should please my sister since she has been bugging me about it since we got engaged. Though, I will admit, I'm really excited as well. I'll keep you posted on what happens next Wed. And, onto the catering!

I am lucky to know some amazing people who are helping to keep my costs down, and its one less thing to have out of the way.

-Kris has a friend who will be the DJ
-My sister is going to the photographer and Maid of Honor, with assistance
-My sister's friend makes amazing cakes, and will make mine, which I want to be modern and simple

the date

We have a date!!!! April 3, 2010. We signed the ceremony date with Myriad Gardens at the Water Stage. And, we are leaning towards having the reception there as well. Then having an after party at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel downtown, for all of us youngsters who still want to party and hang out. The people staying at the Renaissance could literally walk to the wedding since it is two blocks away. At least, one thing is down, now we just need to make the reception final and then catering and the dress that everyone keeps bugging me about! Until the next news...