Oh, how I've missed you! Updates Gallore!

Ehllo!

How long has it been? A week or so, huh? Gosh, it felt like an eternity!

Let me explain. I haven't just been neglecting this blog, I've been disconnected from the world for a few days... I visited my mom in the boonies on Monday after word of an unexpected 2 weeks off from work! Wooot wooot! Every bride-to-be's dream, no? Well, the plan is to definitely get a lot done this next week. This past week was all about relaxing and spending some QT with Momdukes. I surprised her. It was wonderful. She had no idea I was off work or coming to her house or anything. It was awesome. We spent ALL day literally from 11am - 4pm trying on wedding dresses Tuesday (lots to share on that front!) and spent most of our other time together either cruising thrift stores or hanging in front of the TV eating home-cooked meals and drinking cheap wine. Like I said, it was awesome!!

I actually need to catch you up on what I was doing before my little road trip to Shenandoah! I was off last Friday and yes, there was lots of fabulous wedding stuff going down! Thursday night Aaron and I went to another tasting. It was our second and a very good experience. We got to see our wedding planner...

Oops! I just let the cat out of the bag, didn't I?? WE HAVE A WEDDING PLANNER and she is G-R-E-A-T!!!! I have so much that I want to share on this subject like the process of finding and hiring her, but that's for another day. I've actually been working on two GIGANTIC posts about the our search for the perfect caterer and the planner, so stay tuned!

The tasting really set the tone for my weekend, because Friday I had a date with my most very special  ever friends in the world to dress shop :-) My MOH and I started the morning off totally pumped about the day literally for an hour in Body Pump @ Golds. She's been telling me about the class non-stop and I was glad to finally experience it. We live too far a part to belong to the same gym :( but I'll definitely go again one weekend. It was intense and trust me, I felt ripped on the way to try on dresses! Then we ate a power breakfast and headed to meet my Double Trouble BMs. We started right in at Leesburg Bridal and pulled DOZENS of dresses off the racks...

It was a really exciting time. I was in HE.AV.EN! I lllooovvvveee my friends and I felt soooo special that they took off work to spend the day focusing on MY wedding! How cool is that? It totally got me hype about the wedding and all the fun we're going to have leading up to it. I always really took to the photos of weddings when there was only one BM or MOH, thinking to myself, "wow! it's so edited! so intimate," but truth be told: that would never be me! I need my girls! I love spending time with them and WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE PICTURES of them trying on BM dresses. The fun we were having is soo obvious. I'm talking good times. We even found a Sandra Dee dress! Any other Grease fans out there? It was such a good laugh!

The reason we all went shopping together and my girls were even available was because my plan had been to attend Filene's Basement Running of the Brides event... Ever heard of it? It's literally Running of the Brides. I really wanted to go because it just looked like so much fun and wild good times in the videos I had seen of previous years. However, I decided against it at the very last minute. No, I'm not a whimp! I am a total runner, and a bride! It's just that I'm not good at making quick decisions. I can't make a decision with my mom and best friend by my side, let alone thousands of screaming running brides. In hindsight, I'm totally glad we opted out of the occasion. It would have been fun, but our day was a better kind of fun. It was relaxing. My girls got to connect and we went to lunch afterward. It was just perfect. I also heard the Running of the Brides was a little sssccaarrryyy.

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rily4X3FaSc&feature=related

The moral of the story here is that while we did a lot of great stuff this weekend towards our wedding,  no real decisions have been made yet. I think we've learned wedding food is just that. Some of it's really good and some of it tastes like dog food (I'm not kidding!). I also know I love LOTS of wedding dresses and have no clue how I'll settle on just one for myself. At first I loved the ball gown, then I loved the backless, then I loved the pickups, and then I loved the mermaid style...

Sigh. I'll find something! I swear I will. And I won't whine the whole way there (not to you guys anyway), like I've done about the invitations.

Yeah, no luck on that front either...

Anyway! In order to keep this positive since the weekend was such a positive one, I'm gonna end this here. I have A LOT on the way. Being off work is definitely not gonna help my wedding obsession so be on the lookout!

Of course, I have to leave you with some of the great stuff I came across scouring the blogs today after a week away.

My colors and my flowers... Soo pretty!

here

Check out that giraffe in the background... Phenomenal!

here

Favorite

ever

engagement shoot...

 Tell me this couple is not adorable!

here

Can our inclimate weather plan and reception please look like this?

I'm think this collage settles the debate on the chiavari vs. banquet chairs. Don't you?

I know I'm probably really late here, but nobody told me Jenna Bush had a custom-made cross at her wedding. Does anyone remember me talking about wanting this? It's exactly what we want!

here

Thanks for stopping by <3

A Dress to Diet For...

Wedding Dress Dreams... Every Girl Has Em!

It might sound foolish, but I have this little wish. More than having beautiful decorations, good food, or rockin music, I want people to look at me when I step into the garden for our ceremony and think, "Wow! She's a beautiful bride!"

There's been so many times that I didn't feel beautiful in front of Mr. Brooch, whether it was because I was sick, had no make up on, or whatever. We've all had those times we didn't feel our best in front of a man. I think women in serious relationships deal with this a lot, because logistically, there's not enough time (or patience) to put yourself together to perfection, when you live with someone and see them every day (at least not for me). Nevertheless, Mr. Brooch has always told me I am beautiful. He loves me more without makeup and in sweats, than when I'm dolled up in jeans and heels. Of course, this means a lot to me and it's one (of the many) reasons I love him.

Ouuu, Ahhh...

With that said, I want others to see me they way he does, especially on our wedding day. There will be people there that we don't see very often and that we haven't seen in years. My wish is that they'll walk away thinking, "Wow, that's a beautiful couple!" I'm not really worried about what my family will think of Mr. Brooch because I am convinced they will adore him (and plus, he always looks good, haha). But I am more concerned with the impression I give his family and friends. I want them to see something beautiful in me.

Of course, every bride wants this! Every bride wants to look her best and feel amazing on her wedding day, duh! Especially during that moment when all eyes are on her. Therefore, I know I am in good company. I know there are experts out there, wonderful bridesmaids, and other bride-entourage members (like the hair and makeup team) that will work to make this happen.

A One, and Two, And Three, and Four...

I've got to do my part though. I know it sounds cliche and I wish I didn't have to say it, but my number one goal is to lose weight. It's not that I am dissatisfied with body, but I am going to look back on these pictures forever! Not only that, but I want to feel comfortable on my wedding day and beautiful everyday of my honeymoon. For me, it doesn't matter what Mr. Brooch says, it's all about how I feel.

To get to where I want to be physically, I'm going to need constant motivation! This dress, which I've seen a thousand times in dozens of bridal magazines, is a dress to diet for! I envision myself wearing it quite often (envision a skinner me wearing it actually, lol). It's very much my style, because I like sleek, somewhat plain, but with a little sparkle. It's elegant and modern, and definitely unique.

But...

There is absolutely no room for back fat or flabby arms in this gown!

You know what that means... it's time to get to work.

I have no doubt that thoughts of this dress will give me the power to turn down dessert and go an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical! What do you think?

{Photo credit: Gabriel Ryan Photography}

Are you dieting for your wedding?

What's your motivation?