Planning like crazy!

The way Joshua and I have been planning our wedding, you'd think the wedding was next month!

Joshua and I have been working very hard to plan our wedding for two reasons:
1. The sooner we have everything booked, the less we have to worry about.
2. When you book around the time of the bridal shows, 90% of the places you're looking to book, they offer GREAT specials so you save money.

It has been a very good experience for Joshua and I. We have been going to appointments together, talking with vendors and trying to find the perfect people who can bring out all the elements of our special day that we want. It sounds kind of weird thinking that a DJ or a photographer could bring out your personality in what they have to offer, but it is something I've learned very quickly.

Joshua and I have been led to some amazing people that, I'm sure, after our big day, we'll be willing to pass on their names to people we know in the future.

So far Joshua and I have secured:

• Reception Hall
• Photographer
• DJ (contract to be filled out this week)

While this doesn't seem like a lot, it really is.  We have had meetings with a lot of people just to get this list of people we like.  We've also secured something very cool for the reception for our guests, but we'll leave that as a surprise until the big day so there's some suspense :-)

We have just a few more vendors to secure and then we'll be good....for now.  We have a cake tasting set up for February and I have some names of florists that I would like to check out.  Oh and I have an appointment with my maid of honor to check out some bridesmaid dresses Tuesday.  Joshua and I also already set up an account with Men's Wearhouse for the men and their tuxedos.  Oh and did I mention, we've also been busy beavers checking out wedding bands already?

It may sound crazy that we have so many things picked out and established but I feel like the more we can plan ahead, the less time we'll spend running around like crazy trying to find people and we'll end up with our 6th and 7th choices and spend 3 times as much.  While this girl may come across a little high maintenance and divaish (which I am both of those things to a point) I'm the kind of girl that asks "What can I get for my money?"  I want the most bang for my buck and Joshua i the exact same way.

As the wedding continues to be planned and come together, I'm continuously thanking God for the man that He has placed into my life.  I never once take for granted that I have someone so special in my life.  For so long I longed for someone like Joshua.  I wanted that someone special to care for me and to take care of myself.  I wanted to have someone to hold my hand and cuddle up with while watching a movie.  It seemed that once I found my little dog Lucy, that spot had been fulfilled (to some extent) because she loves to cuddle and gives me some of the most honest and amazing unconditional love there is.  But, she couldn't fill the void that I had in my life for someone.  That someone, who I have met and fallen in love with, is Joshua.  God knew when to bring him into my life and at the exact moment in time, our paths crossed and the rest is history.

Just 412 days and counting :-)

Reception Halls and Bridal Show #1

Joshua and I are hard at work getting some of the bigger "things" for our wedding.  Last weekend (1/5) Joshua and I went to three different reception halls.  They were all within about 15 or so minutes of my church, where the wedding is going to be held.

Each place had their own positives and negatives, however, we were able to come to a decision after we spent over an hour at our last hall we visited.  We were thrilled with the customer service, the facility and how everything would work perfectly for us at this hall.  We are so excited that we've booked them for our reception!  One less hassle for us to worry about trying to find when they're all booked up.

This past weekend my mom, maid of honor (Brianna) and I went to my first bridal show (Joshua wouldn't have anything to do with it.....which I can't blame him)  There were so many great vendors there to check out.  I went in wanting to find information for three things: DJ, cake and flowers.  I found information for all of them and will be reviewing everything I found over the next few weeks.  My goal for the wedding is to have every vendor picked out, booked and given a deposit by the summer.  For me, this puts my mind at ease over trying to find someone who is available as time goes on and too we are able to take care of everything in a timely manner.  If all the bigger things are taken care of by June, all that's left are smaller things that can be taken care of over the next nine months beyond that.

If you can't tell, I'm a planner.  I plan out things so nothing gets missed.  Just like with my students in my classroom, I create lesson plans and have an idea of where I am now and where I want to go.  However, the best laid plans always have to have some flexibility to them, just as wedding plans do :-) 

I'm so excited that things are coming together piece by piece for our wedding.  It may seem like so far away, but as each day passes, I know that that's one day closer to our wedding day and, at least I can say this, I'm excited!  From the time I was a little girl Disney promised me my handsome prince.  I found several frogs over the course of life but finally found my handsome prince and Joshua and I get our happily ever after :-)