Last Minute

I finally made it to Charleston and have been here for a few days. I feel a million times better because now I get to meet with the people who I have been communication with from Arlington via email or phone and I can now see them in person. The biggest downside to planning a wedding from out of town is the inability to run over to your venue and take measurements or to envision the space decorated the way you want.

Now that I am here were are pretty much assembling and putting together everything. I finally picked up our wedding programs from Kinko's (who are fantastic for those last minute print jobs!). I think I am going to nix the ribbon because that is definitely something I can live without. I finalized the menu (I know, 3 days before is absurd) since we had an additional number of guests who keep kosher. Let me tell you---finding a fully kosher meal is not as easy as it seems! Or at least in West VA! I finally got everything put together with the DJ --- who I really hope turns out to be great---I am a little concerned that he might be WAY too chatty. All I have to do now is hope that this cold spell in the mountains lets up. The one great thing is the foliage---hooray for awesome pictures.

I have my hair trial today as well, so it's a last minute week for me all around. Not for lack of planning (had this one booked since November), but just the strain of planning from 7 hours away and not being readily available to just hop on a plane. Let's hope it all comes together by Saturday!

For all you ladies getting married this weekend or in the next few weekends, what ends are still left untied?

Online window shopping

Mr. 16th pointed out to me last night that I have been slacking on my NearlyWeds posting. It's true and I'm so sorry to have disappeared. But the sad fact is that I haven't had much to say about wedding planning because we haven't accomplished much wedding planning! Yesterday was the six month mark, though, and I expect things to start heating up!

For the past week or so, most of my wedding "planning" has involved me looking at shoes and other fun stuff online! There are lots of great sales right now at some of my favorite online haunts. I'm in love with this dress, from J. Crew, (perhaps as a rehearsal dinner dress?) but sadly they don't have my size.

{on sale here}

I also think I found my top choice for wedding shoes - but Mr. 16th doesn't want to see them - so if you are not the Mr., please click here. (P.S. I'd be jazzing them up a bit with some shoe clips. I thought I wanted flowers but right now I'm in love with these!)

Destination... Reception!

Bring your bridal party or mom out for this exciting tour!
Get Your Tickets NOW! Seats Are Filling Up!

This is an Event you won't want to miss.
http://destinationreception.eventbrite.com

Cydonii and Borris

Another wonderful love story. While trying to get off the slopes and back to her hotel bride Cydonii
found herself on the wrong shuttle in Vail, Colorado. But never fear as gallant Borris, stepped up to assist the fair lady and get her going in the right direction, never to be lost again.
The couple wed in a romantic ceremony in Georgetown followed by a true DC style reception at the Willard Intercontinental. In a word I would say Magical. Take a look.

VAN & NGO

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located on historic Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the nation’s capital, is preparing to host the 2009 WeddingChannel.com and Us Weekly Celebrity-Inspired Dream Wedding for local couple Van Ngo and Eric Oberly, on Sunday, September 27.

The couple, both employed by the US Patent Office, became engaged in October 2008. When the couple discovered they had won the competition, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center was their first choice as a venue. The wedding will take place in the Pavilion, a spectacular octagonal-shaped room with an abundance of natural light, 54 foot ceilings, maple and marble floors, and balconies overlooking the Woodrow Wilson Plaza and Pennsylvania Avenue.

"I am really excited to see how the reception venue will look once its all put together. I am totally blown away by the ideas Janet has thought up for us and I cannot wait to share it with our family and friends! I had sent her [Janet Flowers] several photos of centerpieces that I loved and told her that our color scheme consisted of warm fall colors including red, orange, and gold. She put together these big centerpieces that were lush with flowers and greenery, including tangerine orchids, curly willow branches and cherry love roses." The total floral budget $28,000!

Ngo even got a chance to work with Beyonce's trainer in New York City.

So she would look absolutely FAB in her $3,900 Vera Wang gown!

Invitations

CONGRATS VAN & NGO!!!!!!!!!

Destination... Reception!

Bring your bridal party or mom out for this exciting tour!
Get Your Tickets NOW! Seats Are Filling Up!

This is an Event you won't want to miss.

DIY Updates and Raves

Wow. I have not posted in a long long time.

First let me thank Miss Glen Echo for suggesting a make-up person after my last post. I did not read your comment until later and actually found someone in the meantime, but I wanted to thank you for the suggestion! I think the makeup artists I chose is going to be good. No makeup artist has gotten my makeup right and she nailed it on the first try.

Anyway the real point of this post is to heave a gigantic sigh of relief and exhale because I have 37 days until my wedding and I have almost everything DIY-related locked down!! I am so happy I can barely stand it. We had a power Sunday last weekend and worked on stuff from 11 a.m. until 8:30 pm. But it is all done. When we decided to "save money" by making everything paper related we had no idea what we were getting into. We ended up making: the invitations, rsvp cards, cd covers for the cd favors, burning 120 cds filled with music we love, programs, menu cards, table numbers stuffed into frames and the escort cards will be done when we get the final headcount. We are also making our centerpiece which is a crystal wedding tree. This sucker is wayyy harder than I thought it would be. I am having a devil of a time finding the "right" crystals. Perhaps I will post a picture in here after I attempt to put it all together this weekend.

I still have to emboss the luminaries I bought, and finish up the Out of Town bags but that is a walk in the park compared to the months of months spent on making all this stuff for the wedding. Mr. NationalHarbor is burnt out but he is hanging with me. He has been be my side cutting ribbon and spraying adhesive every inch of the way.

So that's it. For those still in DIY Hades-- there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Oh- before I forgot. I posted a while back about the exercise program I had just bought and was going to start doing called Insanity. I HIGHLY recommend it. I am not a beachbody coach or anything. I just want folks who are looking for a quick way to lose weight to know this is out there. It's a 60 day program and I just finished Month 1. I am eating normally- no starvation diets for me-- but the inches have come pouring off. 40 minutes a day and in one month this program has helped me wear jeans I have not worn in over 2 years. I squeezed into a pair of jeans I bought too small over 4 years ago and have never worn and I know by the end of Month 2 I will be able to wear those suckers. One of my bridesmaids is getting married next weekend and I am wearing my fave little black dress that has been collecting dust since 2007. This program is not for everyone because it is a killer- but if you need help shedding inches to get into your wedding dress-- try this!

that loving feeling

If there's one photo I've seen the past few days that encapsulates the feeling I want for my wedding, it's this one, by Simply Bloom, via Design*Sponge.

deep breath, sigh. It just says "grounded, earthy, fun, real" to me. Even though, ok, it's not actually real because this was just a photo shoot, not even a real wedding. Also this was a "summer" wedding photo shoot and mine will be in spring. but it doesn't matter. it's got that loving feeling.

Have you come across That One Photo that sums up your wedding ideals?

Destination... Reception!

Bring your bridal party or mom out for this exciting tour!

Get Your Tickets NOW! Seats Are Filling Up!
This is an Event you won't want to miss.
http://destinationreception.eventbrite.com

cool DIY idea

I was just hanging out over at Design*Sponge and can I just say where the heck have I been? I've seen the site referenced before but never really took a look at it - so many awesome projects! I know they appeal to the better-at-thinking-about-doing-it-than-doing-it side of my personality but honestly there are at least a few projects in there that I might. actually. do.

Like this one, from photojojo. uh! talk about a perfect solution to the how-to-display-baby-pics-without-putting-together-a-slide-show dilemma..

(source)

I'm in love with this site. Just wanted to share! :)

I'm a Mrs now!!

Photo via [Megan Garrison Photography]

Recaps to come soon. But the rehearsal, wedding, reception and subsequently, the honeymoon in San Juan...all went off perfectly.



More to come soon (including pictures, and recaps)

Destination... Reception!

Get Your Tickets NOW! Seats Are Filling Up!

This is an Event you won't want to miss.

photographer: check

So it sounds like I'm not alone in the wedding planning slump, the NearlyWeds have been quiet lately. I know Miss Charleston is in the final stretch, less than 2 weeks! I am le jealous.

Good news though - we have booked our photographer! Thanks everyone who responded to my previous posts on the topic - we've gone with Bisou Photography. Our photographer's name is Bong Lee, you can find him on Wedding Wire. His style is simple, not exactly Our Labor of Love or anything like that, but we really enjoyed meeting him and we're excited to have him. Honestly, not gonna lie, biggest factor was his pricing. Right now he just does this on the weekends as a second job, once he gets into it full time his prices will probably go up. I'm thrilled that we get to help him build his portfolio.

My mom and I had a good talk about that whole veil drama, I think she gets where I'm coming from and all is well. She still has opinions about Everything but she seems ok with the fact that I will not agree with her most of the time. She ended up making a quick sketch of the veil she had in mind for me... glad I nipped it in the bud. Not my style. Speaking of my veil though, it's coming along! I think I'm getting a feel for the way the netting behaves..

Random update on the marathon training: ugh! I'm sick right now and haven't been getting my runs in during the week. Supposed to do my 20-mile training run this weekend --> not. gonna. happen. Last long run was 16.5 miles, 2 weekends ago. :-o

Next on the to-do list: book DJ. And then a lot of those other items Miss Glen Echo listed off...

6 Months and Counting...

Life has been kind of hectic the past couple of weeks (hence my lack of posting...sorry guys). My car decided to stop working properly and I spent all day Saturday learning about "negative equity" and how shady car salesmen are. Mr. Glen Echo and I did eventually find a car salesman who is not shady and a genuinely nice guy. We got a brand new car (with a brand new car payment...yeesh!) and we are totally excited about that.

With the car and the new payment, Mr. Glen Echo and I decided to take stock of where we are budget and planning wise. According to our budget, our tax return should take care of the rest of the wedding costs, which is quite awesome! As far as planning...being engaged for a year to date, we have been able to get a ton of things done early. According to Real Simple, these are the tasks we should be working on during the 6-4 month interval:

Seven to Six Months Before
Select and purchase invitations. Hire a calligrapher, if desired.

-Done! No calligrapher...but I found a fantastic calligraphy font from dafont.com that did the trick. I printed the envelopes off my printer and our actual invitations should arrive in approximately 2 weeks (I cannot wait!!!)
Start planning a honeymoon. Make sure that your passports are up-to-date, and schedule doctors’ appointments for any shots you may need.

-Pending...future in-laws are handling this for us and we recently just came across a hick-up with booking our trip...but they will take care of that and I am sure our honeymoon will be awesome!
Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses. Allow at least six months for the dresses to be ordered and sized.

-Done...for the most part. All but 2 bridesmaids have ordered their gowns, but both have picked them out and it's just a matter of ordering the gowns.

Meet with the officiant. Map out the ceremony and confirm that you have all the official documents for the wedding (these vary by county and religion).

-Hmm...this is the area of planning that we have not done well. We do have a meeting tomorrow, so hopefully this will be hashed out.
Send save-the-date cards.

-Done!
Reserve structural and electrical necessities. Book portable toilets for outdoor events, extra chairs if you need them, lighting components, and so on.

-No need...so I guess this would be a check!
Book a florist. Florists can serve multiple clients on one day, which is why you can wait a little longer to engage one. Plus, at this point, you’ll be firm on what your wedding palette will be.

-Done! Post soon to come about our florist and flowers...one of the vendors we booked early on because I am OBSESSED with flowers!
Arrange transportation. Consider limos, minibuses, trolleys, and town cars. (But know that low-to-the-ground limos can make entries and exists dicey if you’re wearing a fitted gown.)

-Done! Reserved the 24 passenger van for myself and my gigantic wedding party last week with ING Limo
Start composing a day-of timeline. Draw up a schedule of the event and slot in each component (the cake-cutting, the first dance).

-Done! Did this for purposes of catering contract and it has really helped to figure out exactly what I need to get and do in the next couple of months. I do, however, need to work on a day of timeline for the entire day...but my day of coordinator will work on that with me.

Five to Four Months Before
Book the rehearsal and rehearsal-dinner venues. Negotiate the cost and the menu. If you’re planning to host a day-after brunch for guests, book that place as well.

-Done! Thanks future in-laws!

Check on the wedding invitations. Ask the stationer for samples of the finished invitations and revise them to suit your needs.

-Too early to hound her on these...

Select and order the cake. Some bakers require a long lead time. Attend several tastings before committing to any baker.

-Done! Using the fantastic Margie of Artistic Cake Creations...good taste and great price!
Send your guest list to the host of your shower. Provided you, ahem, know about the shower.

-Done!

Purchase wedding shoes and start dress fittings. Bring the shoes along to your first fitting so the tailor can choose the appropriate length for your gown.

-Done! First fitting with Angie is in January!

Schedule hair and makeup artists. Make a few appointments with local experts to try them out. Snap a photo at each so you can compare results.

-Trial is scheduled for next weekend!

Choose your music. What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you want—and do not want—played.

-Done! My cousin is working on learning the music and finding someone to accompany him for the ceremony. We have booked our band and will get with them 3 months before to pick out songs.

So it looks like we are on track, with a few minor things pending. How about the rest of you lovely ladies? Are you guys on track?

13 days...

What a perfect month of September! I hope everyone has a had a great month of planning. I am in the last stages of planning and rather than plan, i've been partying!

My wonderful best friend threw me a bridal shower 2 weeks ago. It was a simply bridal brunch that was the most perfect type of shower for me. My future mother in law and my future sister in law drove up and were able to be there which was spectacular.

This past weekend my bridesmaids took me to Philly for a fantastic dinner at Ava, where one my bridesmaids knows one of the chefs. Dinner was divine. We then headed to Atlantic City for gambling and dancing--both were definitely accomplished this weekend.

So now that I have less than two weeks left, I can't believe its almost here. I have everything pretty set except for the seating chart--which is in progress, and the programs. But that is all that I have left to do! I will update in the next few weeks to let you know if there are any snags, but at this point it's smooth sailing... i hope!

How are your plans coming along? Have you had your bridal shower and bachelorette party and where was it at?

What happened?

What happened to the "go-go-go" of wedding planning? I just feel like I'm a rut and haven't been moving too much on the planning side of things.

Work has been pretty hectic recently, so my personal (i.e. wedding) to-dos are just getting pushed back.

We do still have quite a bit to do.

Vendors:
Book the DJ (I think my dear old future hubby has finally narrowed it down)
Find and book a string quartet/trio (Fliers are up in the music department - fingers crossed)
Order the invitations (I picked the ones I want, I just have to play around with the budget a little)
Put a deposit on the florist (more about this coming soon)
Find wedding rings

Still t0-do:
Find more vases and bowls for the flowers (I totally hit the jackpot an an Anthropologie sale the other day)
Find ties for the gents
Find shoes/accessories for the ladies (and me)
Menu and cake tasting
Marital counseling

DIY projects:
ceremony decorations
table numbers
rehearsal dinner invites and save the dates
rehearsal dinner fun and games

I'm sure I'm forgetting about a hundred things, but it's a brainstorm. I just hope work slows down a bit for my sanity and for the wedding's sake :)

Yikes!

BRIDES: Color School

Color me beautiful! Whether berry and plum or navy and jade, color is the hottest thing happening in weddings and can really set the tone for your special day. To help you select the perfect palette, Brides is thrilled to introduce an exciting color-themed event series that will bring our vivid “Color School” editorial feature to life.

This fall, Brides will host four fun-filled soirees across the country where brides-to-be and their ’maids will enjoy delicious wines, themed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and exclusive insight on the hottest color pairings and trends from Brides’ wedding experts!

Thursday, October 15th, 6-8PM
Washington DC
Park
14th 
920 14th Street NW

Washington DC 20005

Maids and colors and styles, oh my!

Thus far in my wedding planning, bridesmaids' attire has been at the bottom of my list, something I didn't want to think about or deal with. Honestly, I just didn't care what they wore, as long as it was attractive/pretty and wedding-appropriate. I told my sister/MOH to take the reins and to leave me mostly out of it. And, as she is much more of a fashionista than I, she kindly obliged. We discussed finding dresses off-the-rack, as my sister refused to wear/buy a hideous bridesmaid dress (she was in a wedding for which the dresses were so bad that she threw hers out in an airport trashcan on her way home!).

I'm not really a fan of traditional BM attire, where all the maids where the same dress in the same color. For me, that's just too formal/posed, and of course, different styles fit different bodies. I was inspired by Miss Powder Puff's maids, who all wore different dresses in coordinating colors:

(photo from her photog, Shutter Sam)

My sister spent an August weekend at the beach outside of Charleston, SC, and she went shopping on King Street one day where she popped into LulaKate, a small boutique that carries its own line of BM and ready-to-wear attire. And she loved the BM dresses! LulaKate has about 20 styles (3 skirt styles - A-line, full, and party, in a few lengths; a dozen or more bodice styles) and dozens of colors in 3 different fabrics. So over Labor Day weekend, when I was at the beach, I stopped by LulaKate too. And I'm relieved/excited to say that I found my BM dresses! I'm still going to have different colors/styles, but all in silk dupioni fabric and complementary/similar colors:

(images from LulaKate's website and compiled by me in PowerPoint)

Unfortunately, the colors on the website are not nearly as bright or vibrant as the fabric swatches, so the image makes my dresses look a little bland, but hopefully you all get the idea. I've chosen a bunch of colors that all look good together, so each maid can wear a different color in her style of choice, and no one has to get stuck with last pick (I have more colors than maids). My plan is to ask the girls to rank the colors in order of preference, and hopefully I can assign the colors so everyone is happy and gets first or second choice. At least, that's the plan ... and according to the Fashion Queen (my sister) the dresses are very re-wearable. Coming from her, that's saying something.

The only LulaKate location is in Charleston, but the dresses are carried by Bella Bridesmaid shops (there's one in Baltimore if any DC brides want to check out LulaKate), and there's a Bella Bridesmaid shop in the home city of most of my Bridesmaid (not the one in Benin, but that's a story for another time).

Are any of you opting for non-traditional BM dresses? How are you going about it?

Destination... Reception!

Holy Matrimony and Haute Minded Events Present:

Destination… Reception!

Monday, October 12, 2009
Check-in: 8:45AM
$40 PER PERSON
PICK-UP: 1725 I Street NW.

Destination...Reception! is a daytrip for local brides looking to find the Perfect location at which to host their special day.

Join us for a guided tour with professional wedding planner Vicky Johnson of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? Get her insight and tips to assist in creating your vision at any one of the 12 venues to be visited including The Mansion on O Street and Top of the Town.

Lunch is on us, but wear your walking shoes as we will stepping off the beaten path.

Seats are limited and a steal at $40 per person

Register Today!

To reserve seats or more information please visit:
www.dcnearlyweds.com or
E-mail: Lyndsey@holymatrimonyonline.com
202.517.9189

Still Looking For A Venue????

Are you still in search of the perfect reception venue?


Don't feel like driving to different venues?


Do you need expert advice on how to pick a great wedding location?

If so..........

A Paper Party!

We are still dragging our feet weighing our options about a reception venue, but I'm leaning towards one. It would give me a chance to do some decorating - not that I have the time and talent for that sort of thing. I do love these ideas, from Martha of course!

{both images: Martha Stewart Weddings Pop-Up Party Decorations}

OK maybe I am DIY-talented enough to hang up paper garlands! The price is completely do-able too at $26 for 24 garlands, each one 12 feet long. That's a lot of garland for the price!

I'm also determined to at least try my hand at these pretty paper flowers. I like the idea of using them as escort cards - place them in vases inside the door with a little tag on each stem that has the name and table number. All these ideas are making me appreciate that my wedding is in March - I can spend the winter in my warm house in front of the TV with some DIY experiments!

Beautiful Love Stories

Check out this contest from Estee Lauder.

Click here to the contest details.

Productive weekend plus event alert!

I'm pleased to report that we had a fairly productive Labor Day wedding planning weekend. No new vendors booked BUT we sent out our Save the Date email! woop woop. And for the few who don't do email, we made a postcard from the JPG. Ever since we put it together I've been bouncing to get it out, but we were waiting on finalizing the wedding website to include pictures of the groomsmen. So we got that done, and sent out the email. We're really committed to that guest list now, we basically sent the thing to everyone on our lists.. So much for "B-listing" people.. There are maybe 3 or 4 people who didn't get the Save the Date. Whatever! I'm pleased with the way we've done things.

Also, spent some time going over DJs and photographers - found a photog that sounds promising, anybody heard of them? Photo Bisou - found them on Craigslist originally, then looked them up on WeddingWire and was pleasantly surprised to find 6 very positive reviews. So I've sent an inquiry, we'll see.

Event Alert! Got an email from Crate & Barrel announcing their upcoming "wedding parties" coming up at the Clarendon location (and probably other local ones) on Sept 13, Oct 4 and Oct 18 - we've already done that but wanted to pass it along to any newly engaged couples who don't know about these. They're amazing - you go in on a Sunday before they open and they serve you pancakes and coffee and all kinds of other goodies, and you and your betrothed go around with the zapper and scan in everything you want on your registry. So. Much. Fun. Honestly anything with free food = awesome, but this was 10 times better because it was about me and Mr. Fairfax getting married. Which naturally = bananas. Big bananas.

The Countdown

The Countdown is on!

We're at the 40 day mark and things have been surprisingly calm. I'm hoping that it stays that way, but I'm anticipating that final panic about getting everything done right--- simply because I'm a worrier by nature.

While I'm still feeling sane, I have a question to ask....

How did you guys devise your wedding day schedule and where did you find information about how to do so? The hairdresser is asking when she should come, I have no idea when the limos should leave the hotel, and I haven't developed a exact schedule.

Any hints, tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated.

By the Numbers

I am 29 days away and it feels like I am adding more things to my "to do" list than getting rid of them! Today I am looking at table numbers. I was going to print them myself--but I was never good at the whole DIY thing, so I am looking at etsy for some help.

Here is a seller on etsy who makes table numbers based on different cities:

Seller: sweetsanity

What are you doing for table numbers? Traditional numbers? Places? Things?

Crafty Event Alert

All you DIY-ers and lovers of things handmade, thought I'd pass along this event I just learned about: Crafty Bastards! Arts & Crafts Fair. Saturday, Oct 3, 10am - 5pm, in Adams Morgan. I'm so excited! Tons of great local Etsy shop keepers are on the vendor list.

Invites are in!

Haha yes I jumped the gun in a big way and ordered our invites already. I was just so excited I couldn't wait. I can't recommend Artful Beginnings enough!! Kati is great to work with and the product is amazing and a nice way to do something a little different, if that's what you're looking for.

So we're below the 200 days mark, pretty crazy. My recently married friend told me the 100 days mark is pretty exciting, and then the 30-day mark is terrifying. haha.

I was reading some of my old posts and realized I have already gotten behind on my goals - I had said I wanted to have all my vendors booked by the end of August! woops. Still need a photog and a DJ, but we're sort of stalled on that. Not for lack of options, we just sort of... stopped working on it. Which is fine I think, but now I really do want to get these squared away. Mr. Fairfax and I are sitting down This Weekend to look at our options and set up appointments. It's going to happen.

Wedding dreams have gotten worse! Still the same theme for the most part, preparations not done before the day - but a recent one featured my dad showing up in white and yellow polka-dotted pants! No idea where that came from.

Cutting out Pictures

i decided to go through and edit all the pictures on my laptop that i have pulled from the many many blogs i have been getting lost in during the days since mr. uva popped the question. there were many. it's crazy to me that so many of the pictures i pulled toward the beginning of my research don't even appeal to me any more and then some still make my heart pitter-pat just as they did when i found them.

i printed the ones i still love and taped them into my notes notebook - unexpectedly, i have my own sort of inspiration board and my vision for the wedding has now landed perfectly on the pages of my notebook.

mr. uva looked at the notebook and said "oh, i get it".

what an awesome feeling to know that we really are on the same page and i really do have a clear vision for the wedding.

i highly recommend it.

Indecision 2009: The Dress

I have sort of alluded before in previous posts about my shaky relationship with my gown. My initial reaction to my gown was an overwhelming feeling of...something... I loved the gown and I thought it was gorgeous. I changed our wedding theme because of this gown! My favorite part of the dress was the bodice and the beading. I felt it was definitely bohemian chic and it gave me that ethereal, flowy feeling that I wanted. Something afterwards, however, just did not feel...right...

And, I admit, I am not good at making decisions. I am an impulse buyer and I often suffer from buyers remorse. In fact, one of my girlfriends refuses to go shopping with me because she says that I always end up returning everything that I buy, so giving her opinion on what things look good and enjoying the shopping experience is moot.

So after I purchased the gown, I freaked out! I began having screaming matches with myself in my head..."This was my wedding dress!," "OMG! This was it!," "Am I sure this is the one I want to wear?," "I cannot return it!" "I have paid HOW MUCH!? "...so on and so forth.

The long wait after ordering the gown did not help either. I kept staring at pictures of myself in the dress sample and finding reasons why I now HATED this gown. It caused so much anxiety that I finally went behind my fiance's back and against all advice and ordered another gown online. Granted, this gown was cheap, (comparatively speaking) it was much more traditional and in a shape that I thought looked good on me.

Well, the second dress arrived before the first...I loved the neckline, but that was about it. It was just not as special as the first. The fabric was not as nice, the bead work was ok, and the lack of a waist line did not help my figure. So, not only did I have one gown that Iwas freaking out about...I had TWO! After several attempts to sell the second dress on ebay and other avenues, I decided to take the dress to I Do I Do in Gaithersburg to be sold via consignment.

This course of events did not take care of my frustration with my first gown. The dress arrived and I took pictures of myself in the gown at the salon when I picked it up. My step-mother and cousin both love the gown and at the time I picked it up, I started to feel those initial feelings of elation I had before. After obsessing over pictures of myself in the dress, however, I started to hate it again... What I don't like are the over the shoulder straps and the neckline. I feel it does not flatter my shape and looks matronly.

I had a LONG discussion with Mr. Glen Echo about my concerns and expressed to him that it was not just me being crazy and over obsessive...well...at least not all of it. He could tell that this was not just something that I was concerned about, but something that was causing me much anxiety and sadness. He agreed that if I find THE ONE and it is reasonably priced, I can purchase another gown and we will just take a loss on the money I already spent (OH, how I love this man!).

It is hard to agree to waste that much money on something that is so incidental in a way...but I could not rest until I got this right...no matter how stupid or badly I felt about it. I feel crazy about buying three dresses and I would judge me too if I were you reading this...but this is the only area of planning so far that I have regretted.

I still have the first gown and I plan to see what Angie can do with it. However, I did purchase the third (and final) gown through Netbride.com for a much less price than I would have through a salon. The funny thing is, I initially had a large budget for my wedding gown and I have purchased THREE gown within that initial budget.

Has anyone else gone through dress drama? What did you do about it?