Location, location, location

Time sure flies these days! I'm fairly certain the wonderful summer weather doesn't help - days and nights are packed with things to do before the snow flies again, causing the days to rush by even faster.

It seems like only days ago we were brainstorming a vision for this wedding, and fielding concerns about waiting until 2014 for the big day. And like lightning, 6 months have already passed since the proposal!


Although it only feels like baby steps, here's what has transpired in the past months:

1) Guest List - We've combined lists offered to us by each of our families, as well as our own individual lists. Although the list is larger than we had hoped, we aren't worrying about narrowing it down just yet. People often joke about the guest list, and how hard it is to control, and I can definitely support that. Our plan has been to keep our list around 100 - something that feels a bit more intimate, but is still a big enough crowd for a good party. But it seems that as we developed our lists, names flew freely, and before we knew it, our list passed 200 people. Clearly, there will be some decisions to make before invites!

2) Wedding Party - We've discussed our picks with one another, although waiting until closer to the date to finalize our decisions. This one has also proven harder than imagined - at least for me. Jeff seemed to have his all pre-planned. There's just so many bytes of wisdom on wedding parties out there that serve to complicate and confuse me. "Be sure to have people you know will be around forever...will your children know their names at 10 years old?"; "Family over friends"; "Pick people who will put in the time to support your wedding"; "Choose someone who can handle drama, and the stress of a wedding day"; "Find someone who has been part of a wedding before". Seriously? Can I just focus on the first one? How exactly will I know they will be around forever? Futures change all the time! And now I have to find a friend that I am certain my kids will know the name of to be a bridesmaid? Ugh. It's hard enough having to pick just a few people out and not feel like someone will be upset, but throw in these little tidbits and I start to wonder whether it's possible to pick a bridesmaid, period.

3) Wedding Dress Contest - On a whim, I wrote a short paragraph about Jeff and I, and became a finalist in a contest to win a $5,000 wedding dress from Kleinfeld NYC. If you haven't seen it, the video we later had to submit is posted here. We spent a month seeking out votes, and earning outstanding support from friends, family, and complete strangers. Although we finished in 7th place overall, we averaged about 100 votes per day and were overwhelmed by the support. And luckily, I now have one more fun element to include in the wedding day!

4) Colours - Jeff and I grabbed some paint chips from the local hardware store and attached them to a sheet of paper. In total, we have 7 combinations at the moment that visitors to our apartment are voting on in an effort to help us pick a colour scheme for the decor, dresses, etc. Colours include neutral/pastels, pinks and blues, orange and greys, an emerald green and silver, and an ocean blue and silver. Colours, interestingly, are also a fun challenge - is this combo suitable for an early fall/late summer wedding? Will this colour look good on bridesmaid dresses or will it make people look pale/sickly? What flowers are available to suit this colour scheme? Will these colours fade into the background? Thus, the reason I am holding a vote. Let the popular majority narrow it down, instead of the brain of this over-analyzer. Perhaps I will even have the vote narrow it to 3 and then just close my eyes and pick one.

5) Engagement Photos - We have gotten our plans together to snap some engagement photos during the coming long weekend. As big campers, and with Jeff's love of fishing, we figured it would be appropriate to take our photos while out camping! Our dear friend Jacqueline Dudley has offered to snap the shots for free, which is great as I have likely spent too much money on the outfits. Can't wait to report back on the photos - what was fun and special about the day, as well as sharing some shots. You'd be amazed how many tips also exist in the interwebs for engagement photos - bring one casual outfit and one dressier outfit. Consider patterns. Go timeless. Wear extra make-up. And then of course, there are the thoughts that just run through my nervous brain: Should I get fake nails so that they don't all look broken and chipped as usual? Since my roots are coming in, do I go back to my natural colour, or continue with the lighter option? How exactly will I do my hair and make-up on a campsite?

6) Venue Visit #1 - Finally, yesterday, after a brief appointment in Peterborough, Mom and I decided to fill the rest of the afternoon by checking out a potential venue. Unfortunately, a few months back when I called my first choice venue, I found out that they weren't planning to do weddings after this summer. A bit of a bummer, and something that put me into limbo, until...

I realized that the place we are going camping this weekend, and shooting our engagement photos at, also does weddings. It's not the glammiest of places, but glam isn't what we are looking for. We are looking for outdoors, and able to support our country/camping vibe. We are looking for a place on a lake, with wooded areas, and the ability to have a bonfire. Top those needs off with a hope to stay close to Peterborough, and our list becomes limited. Luckily, yesterday's visited venue met the basic needs plus having the ability to house guests on campsites, or in cottages. There are some logistical concerns and we are waiting on a pricing breakdown, but it's at least a start. According to Wedding Planner wisdom, if it costs right, and the logistics are able to be worked around with a few simple adjustments, the key is...can you picture your wedding here? Check out the view in the photo and tell me what you think - can I? You bet I can! Of course, when planning my own wedding though, I forget that bit of wisdom and focus in on whether other people will be impressed, and the logistics start to worry me. So, there's a little to get over, but the first hump is for Jeff to see it and share his thoughts too. Baby Steps.

Fingers are crossed because once I nail down the venue, I can start thinking about my crafting projects and I'm hoping they will distract me from all of the nerves about the aforementioned elements!

Much love!