update on dress

ahhh, the drama! Long story short:

• I wrote bad review for Eva's on Yelp (love Yelp!)
• manager called me within hours to fix issue
• i picked up dress from seamstress and brought back to Eva's
• Eva's says dress is wrong size
• Maggie Sottero is shipping a larger size within 2 weeks and Eva's is putting in zipper for no charge

Better situation! But still cutting it close! wayyyy closer than i ever intended and why i ordered my dress in MARCH!

Invites go out TOMORROW! Took ONE to post office today and they weigh MORE than a 44 cent stamp! i had to buy 160 17cent stamps... ugh, it NEVER ends!!! Can't wait until they are out though, my house is a MESS! stuff everywhere.

We are going to Augustana in quad cities this weekend for Josh's college homecoming.. will be nice to get away and not think about the WEDDING.

dress woes

i was excited & nervous to get my dress from Eva's today. it took 7 months to get in -it's that "will i still love it? did i make the right decision?" - I do still love it, BUT my fear came true... I ordered a couple sizes bigger than what I am fitted for b/c I planned (and still will!) on removing the corset back to put in a zipper with buttons - that is what I always wanted and love. The salesgirl told me to get a 12 and said that I needed that size for the fabric to match when you put the zipper in... Well, it's too small - not too small if i was to want to wear the corset back, but too small near the top of the back and the fabric does not match up. There's nothing i can do b/c you sign something saying you are aware you are ordering NOT the size you measure for, so OH WELL from them. I was afraid of this all along. panic came over me - i immediately called my seamstress and was able to bring it to her this afternoon, she could sense the panic in my voice over the phone.

it's not an ez solution and unfortunaltely I did not hear from her, "oh no big deal!" like I wished. Not b/c i do not trust her capabilities, but b/c it's not ez to make something larger... She is going to take the 2 seams out on the sides and see how much she has to work with and call me, and we'll go from there. I feel good that it's 2 months to the DAY, and the dress is with her, but it's not the greatest 'picking up MY wedding dress' sort of day I wanted. ahhhh, good times. I pray it will work.

On a better note, i am meeting with a couple of friends/guys that are going to do my decorating the day of, and that is a HUGE relief. one less thing to worry about.

9 week and i'll be married and on my honeymoon at this moment!

OMG! 9 weeks from Saturday!

updates updates! My dress is in - i got a call and a message that it's in and I have to make an appointment to pick it up. I've called two times today with no luck of speaking to anyone that knows what's going on. I really just want to get it out of the store, since it has taken nearly SEVEN MONTHS to come in (just REDICULOUS!), and to my seamstress so she can start - I'm having some sort-of major work by removing the corset and putting in a zipper & buttons... Hopefully i can get it Sunday!

Invites are printed and ready to be assembled at home! Fresh off the press - I can't wait!! There are layers of colored paper, so they need to be put together, with labels on, and then in the mail next week! SOOOO excited and I'm dying to see them!

One BM dress is in - was ordered from David's Bridal only about 2-3 weeks ago - now they are the company to work with if you can find something there!

This week we went over our ceremony and started the outline with our officiant - everything is getting more and more real and I can't wait!

In between I have been slaving away on a project I have due for class today, which has consumed all of my freetime this week. It's over tonight after I give my presentation - ahhhhhh!

where to register...

FH and i spent few hours in Macy's yesterday tidying up our registry... He got the gun and I headed over to lingerie to try on some corset/boustierres (no clue spelling and don't feel like looking it up). I had no luck, they had like 2 items... I want to get a few things to take with me when my dress comes in to see what I like best. The search continues.

We then headed over to Sears, where we thought we wanted to register as well. After walking through the store, where there was 1000 employees working (have no clue how they can afford that?!), we were stuck with not having too much we want from there! I really want an air mattress, since we only have a 1BR apartment - i always have to borrow my FSIL's air mattress when we have guests... so that was the main reason for my registry at Sears. Not really a good reason! So we decided to scratch that store, and to to Target instead - they have everything that was on my Sears registry and are so much more convienent... and they have more stuff too and at reasonable prices.

So, it's final: Macy's, C&B, Target. all with very easy on-line access! I also have been updating our website which i'm about to add to this site - the info is out there people! no excuses!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JamieLamm&JoshuaTate

flower girl dress shoppin'

A couple of weeks ago, my MOH and i took the FG to Davids Bridal, which is the BEST for flower girl dress shopping. They leave you alone, let you take however many dresses with you into the dressing room, and there are mirrors everywhere. It's a dream for a diva like my FG :-)

She must have tried on 8 dresses with the 2 I posted the final choices... Hers is the the sparkly A line dress, where I saw her more in a poofy skirted dress like the other. I am a sucka, and will let her pick what she wants - but her taste does change - Originally she SWORE she had to have as much POOF as possible. Both are adorable on - all the dresses were - so really it doesn't matter! We will most likely tie in a black ribbon in either one of these to match the BMs...

Day 3 since finding my dress!

I have officially looked at my dress pictures on snapfish at least once everyday since Sunday! I can't stop looking and need something else to focus on (i.e. MANY more things to do on the checklist!). I have plenty to focus on, although it is my spring break for school this week! We had our first "online" counseling session with our wedding officiant. Everything went great - it was FH's first time meeting him! We are so excited about everything! My next thing to tackle is the flowers - I'm only doing flowers for my wedding party (which is still to be determined at this point....FH!) - but I'd like to start looking so I can even get an idea on what I can/cannot do [in Winter] and in my price range! here's something simple that I am loving: they are Dahlias - no clue if available in DEC, but I love the color and simplicity!

Dress.... check!

I got my dress! I'm soooo excited! I love it - you're suppose to, right? I ended up purchasing it from Eva's in Oak Lawn on Sunday - we had an appt at House of Brides after visiting Eva's, but cancelled it after thinking it over at Panera for lunch... Yeah! And it feels great to not have to search anymore :-) It was fun, don't get me wrong, but after trying on at least 40 dresses, I was thinking there must be something wrong with me to not have found it yet!

TO DO LIST

not much to update. i have been severly slacking in updating, even if nothing! I have been working on a "wedding website" that will provide all the info for the wedding. Will somehow send it out in the invites, whether it is on the map & directions - prob not on the invite itself. There is a link to this blog on the website. We have a lot we need to do - My "knot.com" list is growing, and I have not been able to check things off lately... including:

• Choose your bridesmaids & groomsmen (OVERDUE)
• Finalize guest list (OVERDUE)
• Start auditioning DJs or bands (OVERDUE) - we are debating on trying to do a "ipod" wedding or not...
• Set up appointments with florists (OVERDUE) ... but I only plan on having flowers for myself and my party, so i don't think i need to do this 9months before?
• Narrow down gown choices and make final decision [working on this!]
• Book band or DJ and send deposit
• Start looking into registering for gifts
• request demo tapes for cememony musicians (no clue what we're doing!)

So, I def have things to do. I have given my FH about one more month on choosing a wedding party.... He hasn't felt it necessary yet, and it's not, but getting there! Going this weekend to look at dresses at 2 new places, i hope i can find my dress then!

no dress!

not set FOR SURE on a dress yet, found a couple that I liked, but not sure they are the ONE yet... if there is the ONE when it comes to a dress -there are SO many and all are pretty in their own way! it's hard. at least for me. My FG thought that every dress I tried on was the ONE and every dress she tried on was the ONE. Too cute.

we were suppose to go register at C&B on Sunday, but did not. for a couple reasons. one being i needed a break after spending all day saturday at bridal stores, and i did not feel like being around a bunch of couples scanning items they wish for. so we woke up, got ready, then I decided that i didn't feel like it - we have so much time for that. oops.

Not doing anything for a bit - going to Utah to see my family this weekend. Leave thursday, can't wait - looking forward to getting away.

weekend! so close!

Here are some flower girl dress ideas - I love love love the first dress, esp if I end up getting an ivory dress... it's by UsAngels.

Other than that, we (her mother & I) are digging the sash - either being black (BM dresses) OR red... and accent color I'm using.

Tomorrow: having dinner (sushi!) with a couple of old friends :-)

Saturday: 2 dress appointments starting at 11:30 am with my mom, a close friend & the flower girl! yeah! I'm excited.

Sunday: 9-11am Wedding Registry event at C&B - one more thing off the list! Then onto a 1y.o. bday party :-)

I'm taking a hiatus from grad school this weekend - was given no HW in one class, and we just had a large presentation last night in the other BUT just got a 100+ page book to read (quickly) from the Rev for our counseling sessions, so going to get a head start on that!

It's thunderstorming outside right now, and it's March this weekend...... please let that mean it's SPRING very very soon!!

contracts......... signed!

We are SET. Contracts signed and in the mail for both 19thCC and caterer. ahhhhh, relief! Sunday have another bridal show in Tinely at Odessey Country Club and then... taking a break until next dress appts on Sat. 2/28:

• The Dress by Nicole (Wheaton): http://www.shopthedress.com/


• Wolsfelt's (Aurora): http://www.wolsfelts.com/

There is a brand I'm really liking (http://www.saisonblanche.com/) that I will be trying on at The Dress :-) I'd post the picture of the dress, but I don't want to in case it's the ONE, but it's similar to the Melissa Sweet Becca that is in a previous post.

have a great weekend! I'm having a girls weekend as my BOY is away for a boys weekend!

still need a dress!

So i am beginning to think about setting a date to begin dress shopping. I was discussing this with my mom the other day on the phone expressing my concern with going to one of the bridal megastores like Bridesmart or House of Brides or even Eva's... I know some people have had a good experience with them, but I feel like I hear more bad things than good. The reviews online (every review site) are not good generally, and it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

I have decided to try out the smaller boutiques first - there are some around where I live. I feel like if i can't find a dress at one of them, then I will possibly try the larger less personal stores with the bad reviews. BUT I am optomistic and think I can find "the dress" while avoiding the bride megastores - plus it always feels better to give $ to the small business owner and not the corporation :-)

my dress.... got $6,000 to give me?

ha! so just random searching - i LOVE this dress (of course I have not tried it on). Priscilla of Boston shows the models walking down the runway on their website. Just a little out of my price range, but it's ok to admire...