Wedding Planning

So far, I pretty much hate everything about it...seriously everything!

We went and looked at 3 places this weekend and this is after I feel like I have been to every website and list of locations to get married in Dayton (and some toward Cincinnati) and have asked people who live here for suggestions. The first place we loved...it is totally me...very urban with exposed bricks, beams on the ceiling, etc. BUT, the upstairs rooms that we would have to use for our small wedding has blue carpet and it has HUGE stains on it...gross. In the reception room I think that the stains would be covered by tables, chairs, the bar, and the buffet but the other room was open while we were there and there were quite a few stains in there. That is where we will be having the ceremony and since our wedding will be small, there will not be that much to cover it all up. UGH! I don't know what to do about stains on a carpet and I have no creative ability for that kind of stuff.

The same place has a downstairs space with concrete floors that we also love! BUT, it is made for weddings that would be twice the size of ours so we would have to pay a lot more for it (if they even let us do that). So much for saving money by having a small wedding. :-( I have an email in to the coordinator there to see how much more the bottom room would be.

Then there is the second place...yeah, so no one even showed up for our appointment for that one...not very professional so I left them a not so nice voicemail about that but said they could call if there was some sort of emergency and that is the reason no one showed up (which they should have called) so we will see. I have heard nothing but good things about this place but I am not thrilled by the fact that they didn't show up when they should be on their best behavior (before we signed the contract) so how will they act later?

The third place is a family farm that is sort of out in the middle of nowhere. C really liked it. I liked all of the outdoor stuff...they set up tents on a big patio and gazebos and stuff and have lights in the trees and tents. They actually have real animals and they will give tours. The farm is a real farm from the 1800s so that is really cool. BUT, with that one you have to use their house to use the bathroom and the their decor certain leaves something to be desired. It is sort of a rustic, southwest theme. I can't even explain it. Like the room I would get ready in has that southwest diamond pattern bedspread with a buffalo on it. It isn't like we would be hanging out in the house or that the decor reflects on my decorating skills but I just don't love it. I don't know though because the rest of the grounds are so nice. Does the house matter that much since you only go in to pee??? Oh, and there is a port a potty that will be back around behind the barn but I just don't plan on telling anyone about that (other than you guys) cause you won't see it and I don't think we would need it with such a small wedding. She told me that usually the boys use that and the girls use the house...so that is another small thing too.

So, in all that typing the place that didn't show up called me and said that she is sorry, she was really busy and just missed the appointment...um, hmmmm. I guess I will see what Craig says about that one...she offered to let us see it again this weekend right after an event.

Other than the places, I met with one photographer yesterday and I liked him. He edits stuff a little more than I like on some of his stuff but oh well. I have another meeting with one on Thursday and I have one more that I am going to set up a meeting with. The problem (I guess) with them is that being the photography snob that I am, I want someone really good and as we all know, someone really good costs a pretty penny. I know that it will be worth it in the end but when you add up the venue being more and then the expensive photography, I feel like a budget is going out the window.

I would love opinions. I know I sound like a psycho person planning this far in advance but a lot of the places are already booked (I started with 5 places on my list and one of those final 3 only has one Saturday all spring) so I just want the place, the date, and the photographer. The rest of the stuff is fun to look at but I don't need to do any of that until the end.

Anyone have good DIY ideas for other places to cut money on things that don't matter as much (I don't mind paying for things I care about but I hate paying for things that I could care less about).

Ahhhhh...I'm Engaged!!

I am not sure it has totally set in yet...we have been in this little vacation bubble for a week do I don't think I have realized it. We spent a lot of time hiking on this vacation! A LOT! I think that we estimated today that our total miles had to be around 30-40 so far! One more day. When you do that much walking you need downtime at night so i used that time to do a little research on photographers and wedding locations in Dayton. I think that Craig thinks I am crazy but give a girl who was surprised by a ring some downtime and a best friend also planning a wedding and I am not sure what he expected :-). Plus, I just don't want us to have to settle and if I left it up to him then he wouldn't even think about it until 8 months from now :-)

Found out some more things about the planning of all this (some I knew the other night but forgot to write about them). Apparenty Morgan was in the know about all of this because Craig emailed back and forth with her. I have to say that I talk to Morgan daily by a least text if not email and she never let me know anything. Then there was the time after the Flying Pig race where he kissed me goodnight (at like 9 because I was to tired) and he kept telling me tomorrow was the big day....I was so tired but I remember thinking that was weird and asking what he meant. He just kept telling me not to worry about it. The next day was the day he picked up the ring. There were two times when he talked to someone and was telling me about it and would say "and then we talked about other stuff" and would laugh...once was his mom. Later he said that he had told them. He thought it was funny to have these moments that he could laugh at later. Ha!

I have tried to ask little questions to see what he is interested in doing for the wedding...one of the things was the number of people..he was thinking 50 TOTAL! I have a close family and the minimum there is 33. Guess I am going to have to figure that out. I think that I got it up to 75 but it will not be a big wedding at all I don't think...we will see if he changes his mind!! I am sort of hoping that he just doesn't realize how quickly people add up....

THE story....

So I know you all expect a bug engagement story, I mean he had 5 years to plan it :-)

Last night we were in Springdale, UT and it was like any other night...we did that really long hike and were just worn out. We had seen a Mexican place that looked good for dinner so went there, had some beer and went back to our hotel...the whole walk back Craig seemed really disengaged, like it wasn't hearing what I was saying...it was weird and I commented on it several times. Let me back up.....so I was really hoping that he would take the opportunity on this trip to propose but I don't think that I ever thought it would actually happen. Craig hates airports and hates security even more...I didnt think there was anyway he would bring a diamond ring through security!! We even had to step away from our bags during the process and I would have thought he would have been nervous about that....nope. I didnt notice a thing! I did always think that he would like to propose on a trip because it is our quality time and w eare usually in remote places but again with traveling with the ring, so then I had scenarios where he would ask without a ring but knew that wouldn't happen cause he would be so excited to show me :-)

So, anyway, we are relaxing and he asks if I want to take a walk by the river so I relunctantly say yes (we had already walked 10 miles that day and it was getting cold). We walked around for a while and I noticed he had his hand in his coat pocket...weird but he could be hiding the shape of the cigarettes pack since I had pointed that out earlier....then a while into it he stopped, pulled it out and said "I don't really know how I want to do this so I am just going to give it to you". To which I replied "are you serious??". Then I opened the box and was just speechless. I LOVED it...so pretty and I couldn't have iced it out better myself. I think that I don't remember any details (which is what every email back wanted) because I was so shocked...him just handing it to me is so Craig...so non traditional and nervous like but the whle bringing it on the trip was not. I literally was just shocked!!

Later he told me all these ideas that he had and how he had almost done it earlier in the day when we were in a ghost town but then a tour bus showed up and there were lots of other ideas too. In the end he just got nervous and just handed it to me but it was so "him" that I love it.

He went on to tell me all about it and his whole process he went through and the research and I was floored...this man spent hours in a jewelry sotore in town...mr. Non social!! He was so proud of all he had done and it was so sweet....he showed me the final three and he chose the best one.

The worst part is that we had 0 cell reception at our hotel...nothing but e wirelss we could get on our iPads and I couldn't find anyone's email cause I don't have my contacts...so if you didn't get an email you haven't emailed me lately :-). I couldn't wait to tell people so I did it in email instead of phone...it is the modern times, right??

So, I havent announced it on fb, craig said I couldn't until the trip was over....we will see. I am thinking that we might be doing it next spring...to much going on this fall and I hate winter!!