Escort Cards

A while back, I told you all about our table numbers:


And how we took pictures with them in Maine (where we got engaged!):


And I told you about these rubber stamps from Paper Source (because our venue told us it was a good idea to remind guests of their food choice):


And I also bought a "You are seated at" stamp and numbers (well, quite honestly -- my mom bought them)...

But this is how "we" put them together. And I say "we" because my mom actually did this for me. It was overwhelming haha.

So here we go!

These are the insides of the escort cards. They are tent cards... so the top part says "You are seated at" with the correct number and in the picture on the bottom we're holding the table number that corresponds with where they're sitting! (I printed wallet-sized photos).

Here are the opposite sides of the tent cards, so what you see is the front of the card (on top but upside down) which says the guest's name and the bottom of the card with the stamp of their (plus their date's) preferred food choice(s)!

And here are some pictures of the cards all set up during cocktail hour.

:)

They're here! They're here!

Our engagement pictures came in the mail today! Both the CD with all the pictures && the prints we ordered a few nights ago! I'm so excited! I wanted to rush out and buy a photo album immediately -- but I decided to wait until tomorrow. =)

It's really hard to choose which pictures to post! It also takes a while to upload them to the blog. So for now, I've chosen 30. I'm thinking of ways to upload all the pictures, eventually.

But for now... here are some of them! They were all taken by our wedding photographer, Damien Gaudet.

I LOVE THEM!

I'm obsessed...

As soon as our engagement pictures come in the mail, I'll be able to post more of them -- but until then, I'll post a few every so often.

Let me tell you, it's pretty difficult to copy a picture off a website that has made it nearly impossible to do so. I'm assuming it's set up this way in order to discourage you from taking the pictures -- I'm sure they'd prefer the pictures to be purchased rather than stolen.

However, this website is no match for me. It takes a while [or four more steps than usual] but I was successful.

Tonight, I choose 26 prints out of the 193 to have shipped to us. I choose 17 color pictures and 9 black & white ones. Of course, we'll order more -- the online gallery is available for one year -- but until I figure out what I'm actually going to do with them, I decided just to get a few [for showing off].

Because the prints are $2.25 for colors and $2.54 for black & whites, I we had to be cautious with how many I we ordered right away. They obviously come out of the wedding fund... but I didn't want to diminish this month's contribution on photos -- and photos alone.

After all, for .19 cents I can print them through CVS. Sure... the quality will be less than perfect.

I'm torn... should the higher quality prints go inside frames and the lesser quality prints be kept aside for scrapbooking? Or the other way around...

Hmm -- decisions, decisions.

11 Months from today...

...we'll be married!


I'm not quite ready to do a post about our engagement shoot but there's a sneak-peak!

Engagement Pictures!

I was all set to do a weekend recap. But when I got home and checked my email -- I had a present. And this gift [2 weeks earlier than predicted, let me point out!] was our ENGAGEMENT PICTURES from our photographer!

And now, I'm afraid I can't focus on doing anything other than looking at them over & over...

Once I get the disc in the mail I'll be able to post them!

=) I'm so excited.

[I've already noticed: that I have bad posture & should go to the gym.]

But they're beautiful!

Beautiful!

source

♥

Now that it's finally Monday, a full week has officially passed since our engagement pictures last Sunday. This means that the countdown to our 3-4 week wait time has decreased by a full week... leaving me to wait [somewhat patiently] for only another 2-3 weeks.

Although I've done a relatively good job on the blog not mentioning the fact that I can't wait for these photos to arrive in my email & on a CD in my mailbox downstairs... if you've been around me at all these past eight days, you know that when the conversation has a break in it or I forget that the whole world isn't as invested in this wedding as I am -- I bring up these said photos and how much I am completely anticipating their arrival.

I'm excited for the pictures for a number of reasons. Of course, I'm going to look through them, post them on the blog, on facebook and email everyone I hope cares enough to look through them.

And of course, I'm going to print most, maybe even all, and buy frames and boards and display them all over the apartment until I weird myself out and realize that's pretty creepy and self-centered of us me [but, seriously, who really visits? -- and this method of decorating is completely acceptable in my mind].

But the real reason I can't wait for these pictures is because I want to choose our save-the-dates!

I feel I can't choose the style until I see our pictures... and then, and only then, will I be able to pick what fits best. I don't think our save-the-dates will follow the "theme" of the wedding because I don't really have one and even though our color scheme involves pink I don't think I want the save-the-dates to follow in that direction.

I've found that Wedding Paper Divas has everything & anything and their selection for save-the-dates are sooo cute!

I have to admit that I'm not familiar with good & bad prices for save-the-dates so while I think their products are amazing I don't know if they are good for the cost.

I've known girls to make them themselves and spend $30 on postage and girls who have them made and spend hundreds & hundreds... so I think it's all what's within your budget. For us, cheap is good but if it's amazing... I'll find a way to fit it in the budget, someplace.

source

If the shoe fits... put it back in the box for the wedding day!

You may or may not remember that one of the things pretty high up on someone's wedding wish list is the ability to wear these shoes sneakers during the ceremony & reception.

Now, I have to admit these shoes have a special place in my heart as well. I don't remember Sean ever wearing another shoe -- in the winter I beg him to wear boots & on special occasions I remind him to wear his dress shoes [which he refers to as his pilgrim shoes]... but by choice & routine these shoes are on his feet from morning to night, weekday to weekend, work to play. He wears them so often that he's gone through four pairs of these very shoes since we've been together.

Because of his attachment to these shoes -- we knew they had to make an appearance in the engagement pictures as well. But on Saturday morning we looked down at his feet and saw seven-month old, ratty, torn, dirty sneakers and realized -- that will not do.

We ran to the store to buy a new pair and decided that rather than continue to wear these brand new spiffy-sneaks... they should be put back in the box only to be taken out again on the day of the wedding. The upside: we're saving money, we already have his shoes & he loves them. Three positive things out of one purchase makes everything a little brighter.

Along with his kicks, he sported jeans, a black shirt and a black Redsox hat.

I ended up wearing extremely casual clothes. While I'd love to say that dresses and stilettos are what I feel most comfortable in -- it'd be a lie. I always feel like my dress is too short even if it's below my knees and my shoes always feel too high even if they're flats. I'm just not a fancy-clothes-type girl. And when I try, I feel as though pictures can always capture exactly how uncomfortable I am.

So, I opted for metallic ballet flats, dark jeans, a gray short-sleeved shirt with a black tank top underneath. OBVIOUSLY, I wore my ring but my other jewelry included sapphire earring studs and a silver bracelet.

I, not only, enjoyed my outfit -- but I felt completely comfortable and satisfied that in five years I won't regret my clothing choice because its' since gone out of style.

Successful? I think so...

I'm slacking & I'm not even busy.

Lately, I've been feeling like I have nothing to post. Which makes me sadder than one would assume.

Before Sunday's engagement shoot [which was absolutely successful & I can't wait to see the results in 3-4 weeks], I worked on our seating charts... for real.

A few months ago, I tried and just really felt like I failed.

Now, I know what you're thinking! It's so early to do those pesky seating charts! You don't know who will come and who will decline! It's a waste of time!

However, I kindly disagree. This is why:

When I can take my guest list and put each name to a table & a table name it really helps me envision how the reception will go. I feel like putting certain people together or apart, close to the dance floor or further away, or near the bar or on the other side of the room -- really puts our reception in perspective for me. I think the seating chart can make or break the reception. I really want people to feel comfortable, know the people they're sitting with and genuinely enjoy their time. I want to get it right.

I don't know how I feel about putting people who don't know each other at the same table. But some couples won't know anyone other than the person they came with. So what am I to do? They cannot sit alone... so I'm torn.

I know most people wait & wait [& wait some more] to do these seat assignments. But in the effort of over-planning... I thoroughly enjoy practicing. Plus, The Knot's seating chart makes it easy to set-up mock charts and change them as many times as necessary.

Tomorrow I plan on posting about our outfits for yesterday's photo shoot. And, toward the end of the week I'll share with you what I recently mailed out to all my bridesmaids! [After all, I have to give the post office some time to get it to them before I post all about it and ruin my surprise].

Sunny weather makes me smile.

Nice weather this weekend means that we can move forward with our plans to have our engagement shoot on Sunday. That is very exciting.

The not-so-exciting part [& maybe the difficult part] is that we need to figure out what to wear and what not to wear...

I've read on websites to stick to solid colors because patterns go out of style quickly and [twenty years from now] I don't want to be embarrassed about the outfit I wore.

I've read that we shouldn't be too "matchy-matchy"... but at the same time we need to somewhat coordinate so we don't clash.

And, I've read that we shouldn't be too dressed up if that's not how we normally dress -- which it isn't -- because it's important to be comfortable and look comfortable.

So, along with a project for the bridesmaids that I'll be completing and sending out in the next few days... I'm going to buy someone a new outfit. Something tells me a black metal band t-shirt and a faded Transformers hat won't do.

No, no. It won't do.

Weekend Update!

I know I've posted these before but I think these shoes would be a perfect item for my something blue! My only concern is that I need shoes with a bit of a heel so that I don't have to hem my dress. But they would be perfect shoes to change into during the reception! I could dance the night away... as long as I don't trip on my dress, that is.

Yesterday, Lizzie came to David's Bridal with me to try on the bridesmaid dress. It looked really great on her! I thought it was going to be huge but it fit pretty well. I'm so excited!

Let's see... what else is new?

I'm in the process of putting something together for all my bridesmaids that I hope to get finished before my trip to Seattle this Wednesday. We'll see... we'll see. More on that once it's sent out, of course!

I'm getting really excited about our engagement photo shoot which is scheduled for the first of August. I'm not really sure what to wear but I know I'll figure it out soon enough!

I've also asked Christina's if I could come in this week to look at the ceremony area now that it's summer and the flowers have [most likely] bloomed. Last time I was there, it was cold and there were definitely no flowers in sight. So I'd love to see what I can expect for next year around this time. We'll see... we'll see.

Exciting news!

Our engagement shoot is scheduled for Sunday, August 1st! [With a rain date of August 8th]!!

I can't wait!!!