Vendors in Review (Part 1)

All along we kept saying to each other "we have the BEST vendors!" And it was true! I think it is definitely a testament to Charlottesville and the great people it produces (no joke).  It's far enough south that the people are sweet and patient.  Bur far enough north that people still have a sense of urgency and promptness (haha, sorry to just totally stereotype the north & south!).

I'll start off this review by saying I'd recommend each and every vendor to another couple getting married (or anyone throwing a big party!).  I know I'm biased (hey, this is the first {and only} wedding I'll do!), and that people have different budgets and visions to work with - but every one of these people/companies were amazing to work with!

So, without further adieu...the vendor rundown:


Ceremony: St. Paul's Memorial Church
Reception: King Family Vineyards
Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston (Platinum line)
Wedding Shoes:  J Crew
Groom's Suit: Jos. A Banks
Bridesmaids dresses: J Crew
Groomsmen suits: Jos. A Banks
Groom's & Groomsmen ties: J Crew
Flower girl dress: Priscilla of Boston
Wedding jewelry: earrings- borrowed from my mom; necklace- Priscilla of Boston; engagement & wedding rings: Princess Jewelers
Day of Hair: Bristles (they also did Meredith's, my mom's, and my aunt's hair!)
Day of Make-up: DIY (ha!), but seriously, I did my own.  I didn't want to risk hating the way my face looked!
Wedding Coordinator: Kate FitzGerald from I Do Details Events (and she did way more than just the day-of stuff!)
Flowers: Woodmont Designs
Band: 10 Spot (via Sam Hill Entertainment)
Caterer: 20 South Catering
Rentals: Festive Fare
Cake: Paradox Pastry
Getaway Car: Albemarle Vintage Limousine 
Wedding night accommodations: The Boar's Head Inn
Wedding stationery: some of DIY, but the Save the Dates and Invitations were Wedding Paper Divas
Calligrapher: Left Handed Calligrapher 
Honeymoon (!):  Oxygen Jungle Villas (ok, not really a "vendor" but they were so amazing so they totally deserve a shout-out)


...phew.  I plan to review all of the vendors, but like I said, we LOVED them! And can't thank them enough for helping our entire wedding (from the beginning stages to the actual day) such an amazing experience.
:::round of applause!:::

EEEP!

long lost blog!!  i have not been able to access the editing tool and have been wanting so badly to update this!

wow. we have done so much.  we have everything printed.  we have packaging for s'mores.  we have our readings.  we have our table names.  we have small details. signage. a guest book.  a PLAN!  the count down isn't months or weeks, it is days!  our rehearsal dinner is on the 10 day forecast (which means our wedding day is on the 10 day forecast tomorrow, holy schmoly!).

people will arrive in c'ville next thursday (cinco de mayo!) and we don't have a lot planned for that day except organizing ourselves, putting together the hotel bags, and dinner!  friday starts the wedding-official-fun! bridal luncheon, boys' golf outing, rehearsal, dinner, welcome cocktails, etc!

it's so soon! and I just can't believe it! i am going to try to update this with more behind-the-scenes... but this little BTB is bizzzzy!

So much to catch up on!

This will serve a place holder for the MANY posts I am due to write!  Which will include:

• Bachelorette Party!!  Affectionately dubbed the #BBBB (Blair's Bachelorette Beach Bash). It is safe to say my girls spoiled me rotten!
• Engagement pictures: a good friend took them for us in & around Georgetown on a mild mid-March Saturday.  We got some great shots and now feel more comfortable in front of the camera!  I have trouble uploading pics to Blogger at work, but I'll post a few to Facebook :)
• Bridal Shower: oh boy...what a fun night!  It was "entertainment" themed and we had the best time.  There were so many small touches (Blair & Adam M&M's, napkins, cookies, etc) and the food was outstanding!  We had a ball.
• Whirlwind trip to C'ville: we have another coming up this weekend (hair-trial!), but the one we did in March covered big topics - wedding ceremony, finalizing the cake, tasting the white wines!

I can't believe we are about to hit the 1 month mark!  Which also falls on our 6 year anniversary (dang!).  Not sure we'll be doing any celebrating together, though.  For Adam leaves with his buds for his BACHELOR party. Charleston, SC - you've been warned.

Updates with pictures are next...promise!

Playing Catch Up

This is getting REAL.

We're under 80 days (!) and have been able to keep the productivity in full-gear.  Besides all of the small details we've done over the last few weeks (ordered our sparklers for the send-off, scheduled hair appointments, looked into flower girl baskets and moss letters), I had one HUGE detail to check off my list...MY FIRST DRESS FITTING.

We went this past Saturday, which worked out well because Adam was out of town (yep, I totally lied when I said he wasn't going to be doing any more international traveling before the wedding! Whoops!).  So Mere, my mom, and I made a day of it - dress fitting, a yummy lunch, and some wedding-related errands!  The fitting was not only AMAZING (y'all, I love my dress!), but it took a lot longer than we had anticipated.  I was able to try it on with all of my accessories so we really got the entire-package-look :) I go back at the end of March for my next fitting, and then once more before the big day!

We're headed to FLORIDA tomorrow for a wedding weekend - one of Adam's buds from high school is getting hitched.  I can't wait to wear flip-flops, drink a cold drink, and sit by the pool.  The weather is looking niiiice.  Of course, I'll have to stick to strapless bathing suits (if you remember me posting about my tan lines from this ancient post!).

Enjoy the warmer temps!!

100.

In exactly 100 Days I'll be getting ready to walk that aisle and become Adam's wife (!!!!).

Crazy how fast these last few months have gone by, but I knew they would.  And now the real work fun starts :)  We had an insanely productive weekend in Charlottesville (Mere, my momma, Mrs. Matthews, and Kate joined Adam & I for the weekend) - we crossed off lots from our "to-do" list, got great ideas, ate TONS of yummy food, and just got to spend a lot of great time together.

My mom and Mere have all the pictures of the weekend (in all the hustle & bustle of getting ready I completely forgot my camera) but we did document the trip!  It was so great tasting all the food we'll be serving at the reception (y'all better come HUNGRY!), choosing our linens/serving plates/etc (I'm so excited about the final product), and - one of the highlights - meeting with the organist to choose the songs for our ceremony (and on May 7th there will be 100% chance of bride-tears, seriously, no way around it! I started tearing up just hearing the song I'm going to walk out to with my dad).  Sheesh.

With just 100 days to go (well, the weekend actually kicks off in 98 days!), we're trying to cross off as many small tasks that we can get done NOW instead of later.  I've been spending time researching decorations, DIY projects, etc. I can now picture the ENTIRE weekend and it is going to be a dream come true - we just have to get it all done :)

We're off for a weekend of skiing with our family!  We're actually heading to a place we were this summer for my friend & b'maid, Nancy's wedding! Yay!

P is for PRODUCTIVE

Man alive - this whole wedding thing really is starting to come together!!  Adam was out of town for a week with business (hopefully his last international trip before the big day!), so I found myself with some free time on my hands... luckily I used it wisely (instead of just watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).  We conquered a lot!

• I have my rehearsal dinner dress!  It seems funny that I've had my wedding dress for months and haven't really given that much thought to what I'll wear the rest of the weekend.  BUT, did I hit the jackpot a Neiman Marcus :)  The morning we went shopping, I had brunch with a few girlfriends and told them, honestly, I didn't think I was going to buy anything - I didn't know what I wanted!  But when I saw the dress, it hit my like a ton of bricks! I am SO excited about it... but I am not going to post it here :) 
• WEDDING INVITATIONS ARE ORDERED!! Holy-weight-off-my-shoulders.  We aren't really "paper" people, so we had no clue what we wanted these to end up looking like.  We ended up ordering something very "Blair & Adam" that is still simple, modern, and classic.  We also ordered some of our other "wedding stationery" (escort cards, out of town bag labels, etc.) - I love progress!
• The ultimate wedding-vendor meet-up takes place in 4 days - yeehaw!  Both of our moms will be with us as we do our tastings, meet with wedding planner, all of our venues, and more.  Plus, I love a good excuse to head down to Charlottesville ;)
• The smaller stuff: Mere & I went to Michaels to get our craft-on.  I get great ideas from blogs, but really needed to see what was available to us from the stores in our area. There are some things I am not going to make (like monogrammed moss letters), but others I'll definitely tackle (like the rustic wooden "Wedding" sign I'd love to have outside of King Family Vineyards).  For these DIY projects - the earlier you start the better!

The entire day/weekend is really starting to take shape, and I can totally "picture" it now :)  OH, and we're creeping up on 100 days... AHHH!!! :)

Wedding Nightmares

I've read about them, and now I've started having my OWN...wedding nightmares(!!!).  I've only had a few, but they all include:

• Everything running extremely behind schedule
• Adam hanging out with me WHILE I'm getting ready (we're going to stay traditional and have the first time we see each other be walking down the aisle!)
• Having no one to help with my hair & make-up
• Not having the right shoes...or any to wear (thankfully, that won't happen...just got my wedding shoes, yes!)

My mom and Meredith assure me they won't let any of the above actually happen, but still! It's consuming my thoughts, eeeka!

Besides wedding nightmares, we've done some other things for the big day!  The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went back to KFV, did some wine tasting, and chose the wines to be served at the wedding!  'Twas a very fun task, and I think our guests will be happy with the vinos we've selected.  With the holidays coming up, and the countdown to 2011 quickly approaching, we are trying very hard to make sure we've got everything covered!  I see many very busy weekends in our future... ;)

Happy Holidays!

...Creeping In...

We're creeping in on the 6 month countdown!

But I'm feeling pretty good about our progress!  We've addressed ~80% of the save-the-dates (which turned out ahhh-mazing!!), our wedsite is ready for launch (minus a few more pics Adam and I need to scan in), we've narrowed in our invitations (thanks to this lovely store), and we're in the midst of finding wedding cake designs!  We all know that from Nov 1 - Jan 1, time basically fast forwards and flies by more quickly than any of time of the year.  PLUS, we've got all 4 Reilly kids bday's, plus the holidays, plus trips to Atlanta, West Palm, Richmond, and of course Charlottesville.  The weekend of Dec 4th we have our big tasting with our caterer and our first visit to Festive Fare (it's where we will rent all of our "stuff" from - linens, cups, plates, decor, etc!).

The first of the save-the-dates are being mailed yesterday/today/tomorrow (I left them at my parents, haha, and I'm not sure when my mom will get to the post office!), I can't wait for people to get them!!

STDs (not those...!)

My friends...I think we're almost there(!).  Adam and I are down to our two FAVORITE layouts for our STDs (ahem...save-the-dates).  They are both postcards (I love how you can fit so much information on the backside of the postcard), and they both feature the same picture (taken of us during our weekend in Greenwich, CT).  However, one is vertical and black & white, and the other is horizontal and in color.  And gosh almighty it is hard to choose!  In the end, though, I know we're going to be verrry happy :)  Added plus - these puppies don't look like they'll cost a fortune to produce & send!

I am also happy to announce we have a meeting with a cake baker!! If you'll remember, that was one of our BIG things to accomplish this fall.  Much like when we met with the florist, I have no "vision" of what I want for our wedding cake.  I am crossing my fingers our consult will end with us having a much clearer picture of what we want!  Our first consult is with Paradox Pastry, which is just off of 29 South (har har har).

AND, we're making headway with our engagement pictures!...sort of.  There is an awesome photographer in DC who I've actually been able to "work with" (i.e. he has taken my pic) a few times.  But, now Adam and I need to decide whether we want to spend the money on an engagement session OR take the money and buy our own nice camera (something Adam has been wanting to do for a long time!).  If we bought our own camera, we'd have to find a friend or family member to take the pics for us (which could be fun!).

Lots of progress, but as always, lots still left to do... 214 days!! :)

We've been "featured!"

Hello!  I am so excited right now!  Our AWESOME wedding planner & day of coordinator, Kate Fitzgerald, recently launched her company's website and blog!  And she was gracious enough to do a little feature and US!  Here's the link - we're so excited to work with you, Kate!

Happiness is...

...the fact that in less than 24 hours I'll be reunited with dear friends to celebrate for a bachlorette weekend!  Indeed, one of my b'maids is getting hitched this July, and we're headed to The Greenbrier for some relaxation, games of black jack at the casino, and much more for the bride-to-be!  Her gracious MOH has a cottage at The Greenbrier and is hosting us for the weekend.  I used to go to The Greenbrier when we were younger (my mom's lawfirm would host retreats there) and I remember it being sooo gorgeous!! Can't wait!

AND, happiness is the fact that I'll be driving straight from the bachlorette party to THE BEACH!!  It is one of my most favorite times of the year!  Our family and my mom's sisters' families all crammed into one house.  Days full of reading good books, drinking cold drinks, bocce, crabbing, and just plain old fun.  It's funny, right after Adam and I got engaged, this week at the beach was one of the things I was looking forward to most!  Not that I imagine we'll be doing a lot of wedding planning at the beach, but just that it'll be us with our extended family, having fun!  Hopefully just like we'll be doing on May 7 ;)

Before I forget! I need to post soon about our recent weekend trip to Charlottesville!  My mom and I met with almost all of our vendors, and OH MY GOSH.  They all blew me away.  I've said it once, I'll say it 1 million more times - they are all so nice and put out the best vibes!  It is making this whole "planning a wedding" thing much less stressful :)

Engagement Party Plans!

Howdy!

I survived Memorial Day weekend without any tan-lines (see previous post), so +1 for me :)  And it is a good thing because this weekend my mom & dad are hosting our Engagement Party!  It has been so fun planning it with them over the last few weeks, so excited that it is finally here!  They have been busy beautifying the house (it looks great), ordering food & drinks, and gathering RSVP's.  We're serving Margaritas & Fajitas and looking forward to celebrating with everyone!  I still haven't seen all of our family and family-friends yet!

We made other big "moves" over the long weekend, including the BAND (yesssssss).  Sadly we didn't get a chance to view them live (I know, serious wedding faux pas), but I completely trust the booking-agent (I worked with him when I was social chair for my sorority!), and he said the band will have us all on the dance floor all night!  That's all we want.

Also, two of my dear friends got married this weekend!  While we weren't at the wedding I've seen some pics and omgosh.  Too precious for words.  They make the cutest, happiest couple, and I wish them nothing but happiness!

AND, one of my b'maids celebrated her 1-year anniversary with her hubby!! How has 1 year gone by already?!  Here's to 101 more years :)

(don't they look like models?! I stole this from her facebook, shhh)

Happy Monday Tuesday!!

Photographers

One thing I know for sure - the world does not have a shortage of awesome photographers! Wow. Just WOW.  The styles!  The different options!  Do we want an engagement shoot ("e-shoot")?  Do we want a photobooth (we're thinking yes)?  How many hours? Do we even know what style we want? Omgosh.

Here are the photographers I am currently crushing on.  Their styles are all so different (...or at least I think they are?), and they all have different pricing/packages/offerings.  THIS.IS.GOING.TO.BE.DIFFICULT.  At the end of all this, it'll be the photos we keep going back to to remember the day! So we don't want to mess this up :)

• Patricia Lyons: She is a master and I am literally drooling over her stuff. We've already contacted, and I'm not sure she's in our budget (crying real tears).
• Jack Looney: A Charlottesville boy!  His stuff rocks.  He comes highly recommended from a few of our friends, so we know he's a gem to work with. 
• Dominique Attaway:  I really like this lady!  She's French, likes cowboy boots, and lives in Cville!  She actually does some work with Jack Looney (fun!), and has won some local Cville photography awards.
• Michelle Lindsey:  She came recommended from another photographer we chatted with.  She looks like she could be one of our friends :) I really like her style!

...and many many more!

I love that each of these photographers has their own blog/sites!  I have spent hours on them.  Pouring through other people's wedding albums (that's not creepy, right?! I'm considering it homework...and inspiration!)  They all seem so wonderful, it really will be hard to choose someone.  But, amiright in thinking we can't go wrong with any of these choices? :)


Photo from Patricia Lyons and it is from a totally swoon worthy wedding
*don't you dare hire one of these guys for your wedding next year if it is on May 7, 2011 ;) We'll pick ours soon, promise!

Progress!

After our great meeting this weekend between the two sets of parents, I felt like we had a lot left to do and plan.  But Adam and I (with some super help from my mom, sis, and one of our BM's) made some some progress today!

First - we have our rehearsal dinner location!!! It has a special place in our hearts, it's on the University's Lawn, and super convenient for all of our guests.  I've been to a few receptions and cocktail parties here before and it works out perfectly! Weeee! So excited!

Second - we've started our band search and reached out to booking agents!  I know this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it feels good to get that ball rolling.

Third - I think we've found places for all of our families to stay for the wedding weekend.  Now, nothing is set in stone, but this was something that had been nagging all of us! 

Phew.  Do you feel more accomplished now, too? :)

Planning The Rehearsal Dinner: Part 1

This weekend, my FFIL and FMIL were in town on their way back from a long weekend on the Jersey Shore.  They made a pit-stop in the DC area so that our two families could get together to discuss the progress of the BIG DAY.  Our major topic of discussion: the rehearsal dinner.

It's pretty tricky planning for a rehearsal dinner when we've never been to one (!).  What do we want to include? What do we NOT want to include?  Should it be a sit down, formal dinner? Should everyone be able to make a toast if they want to?  Do we want music and dancing? AHHH!  Mere has been to 2 R-Dinners, and she said both were totally different.  One was massive (100+ people!), and all of them said something about the couple.  The other was much smaller and more intimate, and only the "designated" people gave toasts (side note to me: find out who said-designated people are!!).

I need to do some serious soul-searching (ok, I guess it's not really soul-searching) to figure out what I we want our R-Dinner to be like!  We do have an idea of where we'd like it to be held...that's a start, right?! ;)