A little project

Ok, so I love the bedazzled cake toppers on the internet, but REFUSE to pay $50-80 for plastic and rhinestones.

So I decided to make my own!

I got a plain letter "g" off of etsy for $5 (free shipping)

And I then picked up some green rhinestones (actually my mother did!)

And..... Ta da!

My how the time does fly!

Ok... Start the one year countdown!

I mean technically it's not one year until the 25th, but I plan on being done with decisions by this time next year.... I mean hopefully I am not making important ones two weeks before my wedding!

I am going to look at a church tomorrow morning. My Mother has already scoped it out. A friend of a friend is actually getting married there tomorrow evening, but the church was really in to me seeing it decorated before the wedding.... I'm excited.

I came to the decision not to get married at Mavris simply because it was going to be a hassle. If we got married out in their wonderful garden, we ran the risk of our ceremony being halted by a passing train. And although their 1st floor is just as gorgeous as the rest of the facility, I really wanted to have cocktails down there, not my ceremony.

In addition, there is a wedding the night before mine. This isn't a big deal except that we would have to have our rehearsal very early on Friday, with hours to kill until the dinner. With so many people having to book hotels, etc., I just didn't feel like making them take the entire day off of work.

So I have narrowed it down to two very traditional churches.. I look at one tomorrow and the other in a few weeks (they are laying new carpet and don't want me to see it until the pews are back in place, etc.)

On another note, I have somewhat officially hired the ladies at Heavy Metal Event Planning to be my day of coordinators. Even though Mavris provides me with one, I really wanted to have someone that sees my vision and knows what I like, not just someone hired to make sure things run smoothly. With all the DIY projects, it's really important to have someone there to make sure things are correctly executed, and I know I can trust Katy and Kathi to be as particular as I am!

I also set up a cake tasting with Jill at Indy Cakes for the first weekend in October. She was referred to me by my photographer and has some pretty neat skills.

I want to start looking at dresses soon, but getting it coordinated with the people I want to be there is probably going to be complicated. As long as I have at least started looking by October I will feel ok.

In the meantime don't forget I am student teaching, showing my horse, and trying to work when life allows for it! I just don't want to wait until next summer to do all of this, so I am going to take it one piece and one step at a time!

I will let everyone know how it goes tomorrow! I'm excited!!

And I just want to take time out to address how grateful I am to be planning this wedding at all.

On a day like today (9/11) I really stop and think about how lucky I am to be alive and have so many loved ones still happy and healthy. I know so many that have suffered such loss and tragedy, and I can only hope that if I ever do experience anything like they have I will handle it with as much grace as they have shown. You know who you are.... and you know I love you.

<3 Jenn

An Apple A Day....

Ok so recently I have become obsessed with the apple green and brown color combo. I really wanted to include the purple, and who knows I might just have a random purple dress in my ceremony, but I have decided to go with just the apple green, dark brown, and ivory.


So I headed to my good old research buddy GOOGLE, and low and behold fell even more in love with the colors.



Then I got to thinking....... Why not just have an apple theme?!?


I mean after all Josh is the "apple of my eye" (barf cheesy), and I am going into a profession that has been represented by the apple forever. So here are some of my b-e-a-u-tiful ideas thanks to the Google Gods!


I love the idea of using apples for place card holder, table numbers, etc.

I also think that they can be used in centerpieces and are in inexpensive filler.

Then come the favors... which can be really pricey! I think that I would love to just make home-made caramel apple (yet another project to add to the ever-growing DIY list!). Mine would be simple, but these are really cute ------->

And finally.... drumroll please..........

The cakes!

How cute is this one?! ----->

It's even already in my colors. I just love how simple and adorable it is.

What I think is really cool is how this cake is displayed (I don't care for the cake). If you look closely there are apples underneath the glass that is held up by clear wine glasses. I mean I'm sure my cake would come toppling down, but still it's an awesome idea!

I think that when people hear Apples they picture something really boring and cheesey. I know my mother is not the biggest fan; But I really like the idea myself. All in all I am very excited, and I think I am getting more of a solid idea of what I want!

On to the dresses: I am happy to say that while in Von Maur the other night I had one of the Maids of Honor (she hasn't been fired yet ;)) try on an apple green dress, and she liked the color! She declined green originally, but since then I have convinced her that the right color could be really cute. Plus it helps that so far all the women I have asked to be a part of the wedding party are gorgeous!

Which brings me to my next point.... I am trying to think of a really creative way to ask everyone else to be a part of the wedding. The two girls that are already in it, well it was sort of a given, but the other ones might not know that I want to ask them. I also have a few family members to ask, as well as the recruitment of ring bearer(s) and a jr. bridesmaid. Plus, if a certain classmates baby can walk by then, I will have a proper flower girl. (Not gonna lie I briefly considered hiring a child actress due to the complete lack of little girls the right age on either side of the family or our friends!)

Oh and yeah, tomorrow my first proper Valentines Day is going to happen! I have never had a good one. There was one year I broke up with someone days before, another I totally spaced getting the dinner res. at the restaurant we had been planning on trying, so we dined on popcorn at the movies, and I got the flu last year (my fiance kindly brought my sick-scary-looking self flowers anyway). So I am pumped! Yeah it's a Hallmark holiday, but who cares? Even if it's just a heart shaped pizza (we're having one tonight) or a lavish surprise date, it's fun to have a person to share it with! Cirque De Solei here we come!!!