First and Final meetings

We just got home from a busy weekend in St Louis, and it feels great to have accomplished so much! The 5.5 hour drive from Milwaukee is a lot easier than the 8 hours from Oklahoma, and for that I am thankful.

First, we went to our venue, the 9th Street Abbey, for a meeting with our event manager. She was wonderful! We went through a long checklist of details and she was more than helpful in suggesting ways to make the day run as smoothly as possible. She is going to be on-site for our whole event, which I feel is really an added benefit to choosing an experienced team like Patty Long Catering Company. We essentially got a Day-of-Coordinator included in the cost of our venue and catering. Then, we made a quick stop at Square One Brewery and Distillery to meet the event coordinator for the rehearsal dinner. Although new to the position, she was also delightful and we were happy to snag some refreshing beers - try the Oh Hawaii, brewed with pineapples! - before moving on to our appointment with the pianist, Dave Becherer. He played through our song selections and was amazing. Once I told him I had played in many wedding quartets, he really spoke to me like a musician and was open to my ideas. I can't wait for him to unveil (har har) our unique song choices on October 5!

The following day, Ben was off playing golf with friends, so I spent the rainy morning coordinating RSVPs and decor ideas with my future mother-in-law. Since it's a hobby of hers, she has generously offered to make us wreaths for the beautiful green Abbey doors. Speaking of floral projects, Ben and I also made a trip to Harold's Wholesale Florist to scope out flower quantities. I came in with a spreadsheet of approximate quantities and types of flora I will be using in the bouquets and boutonnieres, and the employee who helped us was so enthusiastic and encouraging. The $75 second prize we won from the Blooms By the Box contest doesn't go nearly as far as it would at the local wholesaler, so if you have one in your area I would highly encourage checking there first! I left feeling really confident about this DIY project and I look forward to doing it! I will have to do an update about planning for bouquets after I place both orders (which should come in at around $100 out-of-pocket! For reference, some bridal bouquets alone cost that much.).

Finally, we got to see a few close friends (including the bride and groom in the photo below) for puppy playing, dinner, and birthday drinks. I can't believe it has been 2 years since this picture was taken and that now it's almost our turn!

Checking off the to-do list

Since the 2-month mark has come and gone, I have been on a mad dash to check some things off of our To-Do list. Here's a quick rundown of what I've accomplished!

• We're going to St. Louis next weekend to meet with our venue and rehearsal dinner venue, deliver more supplies to my gracious in-laws' basement, and get a few other plans in place. I can't wait to visit the 9th Street Abbey in the summer since we have only seen it with dead-ivy and empty flower garden!
• Remember the green split-pea vase filler I decided on for our centerpieces? I found almost the exact amount I was looking for on Craigslist from a seller in Rockford, Illinois - which happens to be on our route to St Louis. We'll pick them up on our way next weekend, and I'm thrilled with the deal! 
• Speaking of Craigslist, I also found two 49" tall vases being sold for $50, which was half of what I had already paid when I bought the identical vases at Pier One just a few weeks prior! I returned the originals and saved $50. 
• I also purchased a cake knife and server from Pier One for $13, which is just $3 more than renting them from our venue. I thought about borrowing these from a friend, but figured that since they are generic-looking we'll have use for them in the future.

• I found the final touches for my Bridesmaids' gifts. My goal was to find something practical, non-cheesy, and still reminiscent of our wedding theme or St. Louis itself (without being overtly '10-5-14 bridesmaid #benandnicoleforlife'). I should have known that Target would have the answer. Let's just say that my solution is both seasonally-appropriate for autumn and adorable.
• I laid-out for the first time in Wisconsin. Oh-my-gosh I needed a tan. It's still a work in progress.
• I found turks-head cuff-links for Ben for $10 at Stein Mart. He likes the style because of his experience with knot-tying as a Boy Scout.
• We got a lot of RSVPs, and I began the seating chart using The Knot's guest list manager! At this point, I can estimate the remaining responses and guess that we will have around 150 guests, which is what we budgeted for (phew!). But hey, if you're one of the ones who hasn't responded, we'd still love to hear from you! You've got 3 more weeks!
• Aside: I am so sorry to every friend who has ever suffered from my RSVP procrastination. When I knew my response had to be disappointing, I waited as long as possible to reply. I think that's human nature to not want to "let down" your friend or loved one. What I know now is that declining two months before means the bride and groom can re-designate funds to a toasted ravioli bar; declining two days before the RSVP deadline doesn't help them much at all. Sometimes guests really do need as much time as possible to decide if they can make it, and sometimes it's better to just rip off that band-aid. I get it now.
• I started collecting music for the playlist. It's been so fun to see people's RSVP responses to "what song will get you on the dance floor?"
• I sent some feedback to our officiant regarding the first draft of our ceremony script and started working on my vows. After all, that 'getting married' part? THAT'S the important stuff.

We Did It: Dress Fitting #1

Even though "we" did accomplish a big milestone this weekend, Ben had nothing to do with it! Rather, my friend Kristen came to visit from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area so that I would have someone to attend my first dress fitting with. She was immensely helpful and I was so thankful she was able to visit.

First, we attended my fitting in downtown Milwaukee at Zita Bridal Salon. The seamstress there welcomes gowns purchased outside of the store and I felt really comfortable talking to her from the first time I called to inquire. Once we arrived, my worries about picking 'the right' dress increased, as every gown in the store was more beautiful than every dress I had looked at - I bet they were also more expensive than every dress I looked at, too. But, I put my dress on and I still loved it! The pinning began, and then we experimented with accessories. The seamstress was great at suggesting jewelry and had some insightful observations about styling that I never would have considered; she even complimented my homemade veil, saying, "Good for you - you only wear it for an hour anyway!" [I know, I know. I still owe you all a veil tutorial.] We celebrated the fitting success with drinks and bruschetta, but unfortunately, thunderstorms cancelled our plans to attend a food truck beach party near downtown. We spent the rest of the weekend laying out on the beach, grilling, shopping for bridal accessories, and watching Animal Planet's Too Cute on Netflix. It was a great weekend spent with a great friend.

Luckily, Kristen is able to join me again for my second fitting before we head off to the Chicago bachelorette party that my friends from Oklahoma planned. Speaking of which, can you believe that all 6 girls traveling to Chicago will be running the Magnificent Mile Women's 5k while we're in town?! I think it will be an amazing girls' weekend and I can't wait!