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 :-)