This is wifeytobe's Orange Wedding!

I will be arriving in this really great 1959 Chevy, Impala. I am so excited! My FH will be getting a sweet surprise during the reception too, he's a Chevy man, so in honor of that the groom's cake will be a replica of a1969 Chevy short bed truck. I hope he likes it!

What are you guys doing for your grooms cakes?

Save the dates are in! Total cost (before stamps) $60.00

Here's the run down-

250 business cards from vista print- $14.95
Envelopes x 200 (orange)- $12.99
Rhinestone embellishments self adhesive- 18.00
Magnet self adhesive sheets- $14.50
Hotel info and map- free
Macy's registry inserts- free


The business cards get a magnet strip stuck to the back, rhinestones on the front to make them a little more fancy, smallest orange envelope available to send through the mail- super cute! And then the insert cards from the hotel (ceremony and reception site) and also the Macy's inserts.

It's a little cluttered but I think they will be just fine. The stamps are going to be the killer.

I thought I would throw this idea out there for you girls. I was totally stoked on the whole thing. Actually the vista print cards don't have to cost you anything, if you can find something in the freebie section that you like and goes with your theme! It's really easy to figure out..

Let me know what you guys think!

Maybe I am just being silly, but do any of you worry about all of the DIY stuff actually becoming overly cheesy at your wedding? My FH and I are on a beer budget, with champagne taste. This has led me to a lot of art and crafts projects to actually make it all happen. The colors we have chosen are also being smudged around a little due to the fact that they aren't readily available. The green- yes, we can find green anything for a wedding, but the burnt orange has been changed into just plain orange. Although I love these colors together, I am a weary of everything becoming TOO bright and bold. I guess I am afraid of it looking more like a birthday party for two over sized children than a wedding for two adults. Le t me know what you all think. Do any of you have these fears, and should I continue to have faith that it will all turn out? I want my vision to become a reality, not a circus!

So I am back into the swing of things! The girls and I went to Davids bridal last weekend (some what reluctantly) and although we received shotty service (as expected) even with an appointment, I think we have narrowed it down! Actually maybe I narrowed it down. My Maid of honor will wear the dress with straps, (#2) the youngest of the three will be wearing the printed, and the other BM is on the fence about the two styles. She will be in the solid orange, but she doesn't know which one she wants to go with. She's still trying to talk me into letting her wear a style totally inappropriate for a garden wedding. Let me know what you guys think! Is anyone else ordering from DB?

I am too happy about finding our ceremony/reception site all in one afternoon! It is so beautiful, there are so many fantastic things about booking everything here. For about $4000.00 we will receive a gorgeous wedding garden for our ceremony, on the Sacramento River, the reception hall inside, food (chef-carved) for all 120 guests, set-up, and clean-up staff in great formal attire, all chairs and tables, and even the ceremony arch is provided, a no-host bar service (were providing beer only, guests will pay for anything hard), fantastic rates on rooms for all of our out of town guests (about half the price of a normal rate), and a Bridal Suite for one night of our choosing! I think my favorite part is the day spa, and the salt water pool and jacuzzi. Ohooo, I almost forgot there are huge Swans that roam around the garden area and in the pond that wraps in and out of all the buildings on the property, that I absolutely fell in love with. This hotel is so cool, it's all eco-friendly, it's beautiful, the staff is so nice, and their event coordinator for the hotel doubles as my wedding planner (in a very basic sense), of course i won't take advantage of her!

The only downfall is that the date we had picked was booked. I took it for what it was, and realized the only reason I choose the date was because It sounded good. The FH and I agreed that it wasn't a big deal, and settled on the 12th of September, instead of the 19th. However, I came away feeling a little guilty, as the couple who did book the 19th had to come up with the deposit money within 72 hrs (because we had the money for the deposit in hand for the 19th). I guess I feel so bad because I wouldn't want to be placed in that position. I told the event coordinator not to push the subject, but due to hotel policy she had to. Anyway, I hope I didn't rain on anyone's parade, especially a bride-to-be, it's already enough stress without running into problems, or dilemma.

Let me know what you all think about the pics (they don't do this place justice), is this gonna be great or what?

What are you all paying for for your ceremony/reception sites? And are you doing all the rentals separately, or are you able to find someplace to do the bundle packaging?

So I have found THE dress! I am sooo excited, over the weekend my mom, BM's and MOH and I all went dress shopping. I absolutely love this dress, it's so elegant, and not too over the top. It's simple, and timeless, but so beautiful. It fit like a glove as soon as I put it on also, which was fantastic, so there won't be alterations unless I loose a little weight...;)

I can't belive it was as easy as it was to find. I really didn't try on too many before this one, but as soon as I put it on -I knew. They say that that's how it's supposed to happen right? I mean, it took me longer to find the dress I wore to the last wedding I attended, than it did for me to find my own wedding dress, crazy huh?

The really great thing is I get to put half down at the time of ordering, then I can put it on Layaway until right before the wedding and have it payed off! Which is right up our alley in the budget department.

Let me know what you think girls! ( I was able to post it because the FH has no idea what a wedding blog is... or how to find one...lol)

Today I "announced" who my bridesmaids would be, and although it was a little silly... They were all excited. I was just excited to make my first decision as a bride, and know that this one would stick.

I chose my cousin, as my MOH, my future sister in law (her hubby is my fiance's brother-he's a groomsman) one of my best girlfriends, and my future neice as a Jr. bridesmaid. I have three flower girls, and although I still haven't figured out how to organize them in the ceremony, there too cute to leave out. My brother will be a groomsman, which I am so excited about. I love that our families get along so well!

I'm on my way to another decision making adventure!

So I think I have come up with the colors. Burnt orange, lime(ish) green, ruby red, and ivory to tone them down a little...(see the boquet pic) Is this too much to deal with? Should I choose just two, and stick with them? Arrrh, I am so indecisive! I'm leaning toward an ivory dress, my favorite colors are orange and green and his fave is red. I think that if I use the right colors, and the contrast, they should be fine! Right? The pictures are a meadly of things I've liked here and there, I think that if I stick to selected textures, that they will make a beautiful fall wedding.

Let me know what you think!

He was gone all day one Saturday. We both work during the week so weekends we usually relax and hang out, run errands, whatever, but we're usually together. We were looking for a new car around the same time, and I figured that's what he was out doing. By 7pm that night I was a little upset when he walked in the door. He litterally pushed me out the door, into the car and drove north to a nearby city, leading me to belive that he had found a car, and he wanted me to test drive it. Were halfway there and he asks what I want for dinner, I would have been happy with drive-through, but he insisted on going in somewhere and sitting down. Thats when I got a little curious, but it only lasted about a minute before I forgot, and didn't think anything more of it. We had a really great dinner at one of the nicer italian resurants in town. We left the resurant, and he made a comment about the bridge in the area that goes over the river, and then he asked me if it lit up. I have been there numerous times, and said "yes it lights up, dork..." He insisted that it didn't, so we drove down to the bridge to see, and it of course the bridge lights up at night. We walked out, (Stupid me walking briskly because I wanted to go check out this new car he supposedly had picked out for me to test drive) we were about half way out when he just stopped.. I was like "okay lets go, are you happy now? The bridge lights up..." we stood there for a seccond and talked, and then he grabs me, looked me in the eyes and said "I'm not getting down on one knee in front of all these people" I was a little confused, and then realized what was happening!!! He pulled the ring from his pocket, and popped the question. I laughed so hard and cried all at the same time, I don't think I have ever said yes so many times in my life. I couldn't stop saying yes! So the next weeked he went out and bought me a new car as an engagement gift! I couln't be a more lucky girl!!!