A few memory cards later...

Today on our 8th anniversary, Brandon and I decided to celebrate it with an engagement shoot! The very talented Nick Gerber from Orange 2 Photo met us at Architectural Artifacts, and despite the clouds we were able to catch some sun and a bunch a great pictures! 


From 2 to 6, Nick took us to some great spots and I can't wait to post them later this week!

Less than a year away...

Nine months from today, Brandon and I will be exchanging our vows in the Ivy Room's courtyard, in front of about 150 of our closest families and friends—hidden from the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. While we are still in search of the perfect minister, I already know our ceremony will be just the beginning of an amazing marriage.

I can't wait to step around the corner of the brick path and begin my walk towards the same boy who used to push my books off my desk in the 6th grade. After our ceremony, we'll all munch on great food and sip on some cocktails while we mingle with all of the people we care about. Then we'll head inside for dinner, dancing and of course more cocktails! 

Time has flown by since we booked our date in May! And while we are already thinking about our wedding day nine months away, there's still so much left to do until then (wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, cake tastings, invitations, flowers, tuxes, etc.), so stay tuned...

A little bit of retro style....

After a few months of prodding, Brandon finally gave in—we are thrilled to add 312Photobooth to our list of vendors! Ever since I found out it was possible to rent photobooths, I knew that I wanted one the minute we got engaged. 

What's great about this company is that they designed their digital-retro booth themselves. So while it's not the old-school chemical booth (which they also have available for rent), it looks just like one with all the benefits of digital. 

Every strip taken is printed twice so guests can add a copy to a provided scrapbook. Then we get a DVD of all the pictures taken so we can click through and laugh at everyone's drunken pictures—even the ones people were too ashamed to add to our scrapbook! They even provide an FTP site where people can download their strips at no additional charge.

And since there are no walls, my goal on the night of our wedding is to get the whole wedding party in one photo—all 19 of us!

My new favorite Web site!

My co-worker and fellow bride-to-be, Chi-an turned me on to this amazing site! So if you're tired of the usual wedding frill and want unique, non-traditional accessories and accents in your wedding then you definitely need to check out Etsy.  This site is an online community that connects custom artists and craftsmen from over 150 countries to buyers like you and me. All of the items found on the site are handmade, and absolutely beautiful. They have an entire section dedicated to weddings where you can find everything from veils to guestbooks to custom paintings of your wedding gown.

A few of my faves:

This is an original, silk hairpiece created by Etsy artist
Virginia Geiger Jewel . It has a Swarovski pearl and crystal center, with a touch of soft feathers adding the perfect finish to a vintage bridal ensemble.

Paloma's Nest handcrafts unique, ceramic mementoes, including the Ring Bearer Bowl™ (seen right) which can be used later as an ornament or wall decoration—try hanging a dinky silk pillow on your Christmas tree...

 

And for the nerdiest of groomsmen, how about a pair of Lego cufflinks by artist qacreate. They come in a bunch of different colors that would look great when paired with Chuck Taylors of the same hue!

Finally getting married....

They say every girl dreams about her wedding day, but I never really did until I met Brandon. And after 16 years of knowing each other—with four years of constant teasing/minor bullying and a little over 8 years of courtship—we are finally tying the knot next June!

As crazy as it sounds (if you're planning a wedding you will know what I am talking about), not a day goes by without me spending a few hours searching for wedding ideas. Here, I plan to document our wedding ideas, plans, thoughts, etc. 

Hopefully, you can get a few ideas yourself or leave me some of your own!