It Suddenly Feels Real

I've had a pretty busy past week or so.  It was All-Star Break, but for Mike and I, it was no break.  There was always something to do, and all of it for the wedding.  There were 7 appointments in 4 days and I'm still not done.  I'm headed right back to my parents in two days to get some more things done.

I've got to be honest, while I fully knew that I was getting married since the day Mike proposed, it didn't really hit me until last week.  Up until that point it was just emailing vendors and getting them picked out.  I hadn't really gone and seen anything or really done any sort of detail oriented stuff.  It was just big things, completely important things, but things that I could easily forget about and not think of for a while.  My photographer is picked out and I'm not getting married until the summer.  Why do I need to be thinking about them every day?  I don't.

The first appointment I had was with the florist.  I walked in without any clue what I wanted to do as far as bouquets and centerpieces.  I had no vision in my head of what any of that would look like.  The florist came up with ideas, but because it's winter she didn't have many flowers in the shop.  That is one reason I'm going back this weekend.  It's just before Valentine's Day so I can go in and see them in person to make the final decision.  I've spent all week checking out pictures of bouquets and centerpieces, and suddenly I can't stop.  I spend all day and night scouring pinterest and wedding websites for pictures.  Flowers seemed like an afterthought, something I wasn't going to care a whole lot about.  Now I'm obsessed.  Oh boy.

The second appointments was the menu tasting.  I knew that the food was going to be good, but I didn't expect it to be as good as it was.  Mike and I were so impressed with everything we tried.  Now knowing the menu we're going to have is awesome.  I can't wait to eat that food again.  I'm also hoping that everyone is just as impressed and happy with the selections as we were.

The next appointment was with the travel agent.  We originally went in thinking we wanted to go to Barbados.  After sitting and talking about it with her for a while our minds started to change slightly.  Especially when we realized that travel to and from there was going to be a major process.  Instead we pretty much decided on Aruba.  It's not booked quite yet, but by the end of this weekend it will be.  I just wanted a beach to lay on, so I'm pretty happy anywhere in the Caribbean, haha.  Being out of hurricane territory and being able to drink water from the tap in Aruba helps too though.

We went straight from the travel agent to the stationer to pick up our invitations.  Funny story about them: my mom placed the order for me since I wasn't in town.  She did it within days after Mike played like 2 or 3 straight games against the Adirondack Phantoms and was a star (at least one first star) in each game.  When they found out who the invitations were for their son jokingly commented that he didn't want his parents doing business with Mike.  When we picked them up we spent a while talking hockey with them.  Now I have a box full of all the stuff to put together.  I'm saving that assembling project for a little later on when it gets closer to sending them out.

Our next appointment was with the bakery.  We had a cake tasting and had chosen three different kinds of cakes and fillings to try.  After we were done with the tasting we met with the owner and designed our cake and put in the order.  Mike and I had already looked through pictures of cakes and we knew pretty much the exact style we wanted.  The owner made a couple of small tweaks that would still give us the look we wanted in our colors and we placed the order.  Then we ate the rest of the cakes, haha.

We had to pick out tuxes, so that was next on the agenda.  We went in and found a style that Mike liked, and I picked out the color that was what we needed.  As soon as the guys in the wedding party call in their measurements, the tuxes will be on order and we'll be set there.

The last appointment of the week was at the potential spot for the rehearsal dinner.  We met with the owner who gave us a tour of the restaurant and showed us the private room we would use.  We went over sample menus they've done before and he gave us the details on how the night would go.  After the meeting we met up with my parents and had dinner there to taste the food.  Holy incredible.  I did not expect to find a steakhouse that good in Glens Falls, NY.  Mike and I are so picky about steakhouses because we both tend to feel that Mike can cook a better or just as good steak than a lot of places.  Everything at this place from the appetizers, to the soups, to the three different cuts of steak tried, to the fish tried, and to the sides was amazing.  It was exactly the meal we want to give for rehearsal dinner.  Another thing checked off the list.

I've literally spent the entire week since we've been back in Binghamton searching through pictures of all sorts of wedding ideas.  I just can't stop.  I was always really excited about the wedding, but every single tiny detail that gets check off the list just makes me more and more excited.  I'm at the point where I just want it to be here already.  It's finally hit.  I'm REALLY getting married.  And I've gone from feeling like I just need to get the planning done, to actually really enjoying it.

So many people are from out of town and have decided to make this their vacation and just thinking of the fact that it's not just going to be a day, but a nearly week long event we get to share with family and friends feels awesome.  We certainly didn't expect so many people to rearrange their work schedules, vacation time, and spend the money to travel to upstate NY just for us, and it means so much.  We couldn't be more thrilled about how everything has been going.  And no fights!  After 8 years together we know what we like.  I think the fact that we've designed our house before planning a wedding helped.  We've already worked out what our aesthetic is so it's been easy so far.

I'm excited to be able to check a few more things off this list after this weekend.  The flowers should be picked out, the honeymoon booked, and I'm meeting up with 2 of my bridesmaids and my maid of honor while they do their fitting for their dresses.  Hopefully I'll be making my final decision on the flower girl dresses as well.  Then all I have to do really is find an officiant (that's kind of important, right?) and someone to do my hair and makeup and I'll be up to date on what should be done by this point in time.  Oh, and my dress should be in by next month.  I'm dying to put it on again.  So absolutely excited for that day.

Time sure is flying by, but I'm not complaining.  Too many good things to look forward to!