Say Cheese

A short engagement calls for quick decisions. So right after we decided on the date of our nuptials, we were 6 months out, which meant that save the dates were "supposed" to go out. (Seriously, can we all agree that the wedding planning "calendar" is a bit ridiculous?) So we tapped the photography skills of Maddie to take our photo down at Green Lake for our Save the Date. She captured some great shots - it was hard to pick our favorite! But I'd have to say that the bloopers may have been my favorite. I'm only sharing a select few, but as you might be able to tell, someone was being quite the goofball. If that makes me Mrs. Goofball, I'll take it.

Thanks for taking our photos, Mads!

He kept bringing out this cheesy (yet adorable) smile.

I don't even remember what this was about. Maybe I fake-dodged a kiss? I don't know. But if he sticks out that lip a little further, a little bird may poop on it! (Did anyone else hear this from their parents growing up?!)

He's a keeper.

Saying Yes to the Dress

We've been engaged for two weeks and we're on a roll! Date: September 7th, check. Location: check. Desserts: check. Cake: check. DJ: check. Photographer: pretty much check, just need to make it final. And dress? CHECK. Well, I have to go back and make the official purchase, but I can't stop thinking about the winning dress (I was torn between two), so I'm taking that as a sign that it's the one. Plus, it's the one that made my Mom cry, so that's gotta say something. And boy, it's so hard to not tell Joe anything about it! I just keep telling him it's bright pink with poofy sleeves :)

Now just a few more logistics and details and then I'm hoping the rest is smooth sailing. I'll just enjoy the company of my lovely fiancé and all of the family and friend time that engagement brings!

P.S. I'm not holding the winning dress - just a photo that Stephers snapped as I was browsing!

Whoa, wedding.

I find it refreshing that Pinterest has normalized wedding planning, even before you're engaged. (Right? Please say yes.) Because I'm not gonna lie, I've had a wedding pin board for quite some time so I have a bit of a jump start. While unintentional, I've gravitated to the same colors and overall look and feel for our big day. Who knows how it will all turn out, but these are a few of my inspirational pins - a citrus color palette and backyard appeal. Oh my goodness, this is happening!

 

He asked, I said yes :)

It's official: we're engaged! After a weekend away in Memphis, I came home to the surprise of a lifetime. (It seriously puts my revenge surprise to shame!) A house filled with roses, balloons and streamers with little notes chronicling our 3+ years that led me through our house. The final note led me to open the door to find my sweets who promptly got on one knee and popped the question. At that point, I was a blubbering mess, so thank goodness my part only required a simple, "yes!" Because that's all I could get out. Needless to say, I'm still on cloud nine - I get to marry him! And we get to spend the rest of our lives together. How did I get so lucky? I guess it's something I'll be asking myself for the rest of our lives.

I love you, Joe! You + me = awesome for eternity. (Too much? :))

Sealed with a Kiss

Between Christmas and New Year's celebrations, we celebrated the marriage of my dear friend, Merith and her sweetie, Andy. It was a beautiful winter wedding, complete with a glowing bride and "this-smile-can't-be-wiped-from-my-face" groom. As always, it was so fun to be a part of their big day. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hall!

The high school crew.

The beautiful bride and me.

Best wedding date ever.

My lovely parents.

Merith partying with her stud of a nephew.

Husband and wife!

A Santa Bachelorette

One of my favorite traditions post-engagement and pre-wedding is the bachelorette party. It's our chance to celebrate the bride without competing with 100 or 200 other people at the wedding. It's our chance to meet all of the important women in her life that we may not know, so we can dance the night away at the wedding. And it's our chance of getting "Santaed" by a random stranger. (This man was hoping the hat would get him an invite to the party. Sorry, buddy.) Merith's bachelorette party covered it all. We ventured to Ballard for cocktails, a nice Italian dinner and a smidggen of dancing. A kick-back bachelorette party, but super fun nonetheless.

Now only a week and a half until Miss Merith Kallshian will become Mrs. Merith Hall. So excited!

P.S. We played the "how well do you know each other?" game, so I emailed Andy several questions beforehand and he sent his answers. We then quizzed Merith to see how many she'd get right - considering how tough the questions were, she did well :) But my absolute favorite Q&A was:

Q: What excites you most about marrying Merith? A: Knowing that the rest of my life is going be with her and that we are going to have so many fun adventures ahead of us!

Queue: Awwwww.... 

Mazel Tov, Jessie and Pete!

There are few things more fun than a friend's wedding. Adding a winery to the equation and a few lively Jewish traditions - like the Hora and lifting the bride and groom on chairs - well, that's when things get even more fun. 

Jessie's creativity brought the wedding to the next level - every little decoration and detail was perfectly planned - the cake display, candy bar, flowers, bunting, table runners and even the late-night root beer floats! All of it, just perfect.

But the real show stopper was the bride, herself. Her simple, yet elegant dress (with a gorgeous sheer back!) certainly made her glow. Simply stunning.

Congratulations, Pete and Jessie!

The ceremony took part on top of a hill, overlooking a valley of vineyards.

The cake display was adorbs.

My hot date. (And my hot tan line, still from Hawaii)

  

Carol and I had a blast catching up and enjoying the festivities. (Plus, Nick and Joe had the chance to get to know each other more!) But we weren't able to snag a picture of us with the bride!

Excuse the poor lighting, but the bride and I made a few attempts of getting a good picture. I sort of love this "outake."

Despite the darkness, I'd say it's still a cute picture of the two of us :)

The Palm Springs of Washington

This weekend we made the journey over to the Palm Springs of Washington - Yakima. (Seriously, that's what they call themselves!) We were going to celebrate Jessie and Pete as they became hubby and wife, so thought we'd take the opportunity to go a night early, so we could have a little extra time to relax and explore the bustling metropolis.

On Saturday, we took our time to get up and get ready (which felt so luxurious!) and then hit up a few wine tasting rooms - Gilbert Cellars, which had the most amazing Grenache. And Treveri Cellars, which has mastered the bubbly - they even a delicious sparkling syrah. I'm already regretting not picking up a bottle. In between, we took a little lunch break at a hoppin' local pizzeria. An afternoon well-spent.

We eventually made it back to our hotel to get ready for an evening of fun - details to come, but I will tell you this: you would have never known this was a DIY wedding - gorgeous!

Lizzie and Nick tie the knot

There are few things more heartwarming than seeing two people who are so incredibly in love tie the knot. And I'm so happy to have had the chance to celebrate Nick and Lizzie become husband and wife this past weekend. It was a night filled of dancing and cheersing to the happy couple - let's not forget the scream-singing to Call Me Maybe, dougie teaching, and the Chi O tradition of singing "Shades."All in all, it was a magical wedding.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Battaglia! (Or are you opting for a combined last name? After all, Battcat does have a nice ring, no?)

  

Isn't she absolutely beautiful?!  

P.S. Did I also mention that Erin made the wedding cake?! She's amazing.
P.P.S. Ahem, guess who caught the garter?! :)

Lianna and Matt Tied the Knot

On Saturday, we celebrated Lianna and Matt as they took the plunge to become husband and wife. I am pretty sure that Lianna had a smile on her face the entire time, which naturally put a smile on my face. These two are perfect for each other.

The wedding was at Pravda Studios, which was filled with candles and classic wedding white. It was simply gorgeous, as was the bride! Gorgeous. Top it off with catering by Veraci Pizza, some awesome dance floor moves, catching up with old friends and late night burgers from Dick's - it was a great time!

P.S. This was our third wedding at Pravda - first Carol, then Meredith!

Li and her Dad :)

Yellow and Gray

They are the wedding colors of 2011: Yellow and Gray. (If you remember, Autumn also chose the same colors.) But honestly, I completely understand why - the color combo looks so chic and romantic, but still fun and fresh.

My pictures don't do Olita's wedding decorations justice, but needless to say, they were simply gorgeous. The darling cake arrangment, candlelit room, homemade limoncello favors, table placards and even the table assignments board - where you take down your name strung from a rope and replace it with a fun mini-polaroid, all on top of one of their engagement photos! Brilliant, right? Bring it all together and you have yourself a lovely wedding.

Virtual high five, Olita! (Because you're still on your honeymoon, but for the record, I'm having major withdrawls.)

Happily Ever After

I remember Olita saying if there was only one thing her guests would remember as they leave her wedding, it would be: "Wow, they are just so in love." Well, I have good news, Olita - the two of you looked like you were sooo madly in love. A true happily ever after.

But I have even more good news - I also left thinking that was AN AMAZING WEDDING. It goes beyond the decorations and food (decorations post to come!), but the crazy fun we all had together. I guess it's easy to celebrate when you're celebrating two fabulous people. Congrats!

Steve looked like he was on Cloud 9 when Olita walked down the aisle.

Once again, my fella was the best darn date ever.

The GMMB cast and crew (minus Susie and Megan!). We knew how to boogie.

I wanted to put this little man in my pocket and take him home; he was so adorable! This tiny couple liked to entertain us all with their break dancing moves!

Oops.

I couldn't help but laugh at this, so I had to share. Despite the stress that wedding planning can cause, this bride didn't lose her sense of humor. I love that.

(Four more days 'til Olita gets hitched!)

via/Pinterest