My dress has arrived!

While I was on call Friday night I got word from Phyllis at Priscilla of Boston that my wedding gown has arrived! How exciting! Right away I picked up my new iphone (LOVE, LOVE the iphone by the way) and called over to White Dress By the Shore for a beneath the gown fitting. My wedding planner Sarah suggested their services and I am looking forward to the upcoming trip to the Connecticut shoreline where I grew up. I am hoping to leave with some pretty new bridal lingerie!

Now that I have that appointment scheduled I also going to schedule my first fitting, where I will be ready to dree the part with my new lingerie and my shiny silver Manolos!

Thank You!

Just got some Thank You cards in the mail from my stepmother that match the invitations she sent for my bridal shower. Now I've got to sit down and start penning my thank you notes for all the lovely gifts I have received. Bridesmaid F told me that you aren't supposed to use your gifts until after you are married, but she and I agreed that is crazy talk. How can I resist baking a fresh loaf of bread in my new bread maker? How could I sit idle watching my beautiful new dishes and flatware collect dust? It's been like Christmas with all the gifts, and I must say N and I are enjoying our haul.

Thank you to everyone!!!

Bridal shower

I had a lovely bridal shower tea this weekend at the Madison Beach Hotel. Just wanted to tkae a moment to thank everyone for their well wishes! We had a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon to enjoy the company of family and friends.

Now it's back to planning full speed ahead!

Neverending "To Do" list

Currently on the "To Do" list:

1. Select ceremony music. I've got a PDF from Michael Reavey of the music in their repetoire, but other than knowing I want the Pachelbel Canon in D to play as a walk down the aisle, I am unsure of music selections for seating of the grandparents and parents, procession of the wedding party, and the recessional. I'm leaning toward a modern selection for the recessional that the DJ can pick up, creating a smooth transition to cocktail hour. N doesn't want me to tell anyone so he can see if anyone notices!

2. Meet with the officiant to discuss ceremony outline and vows. We've had an initial consultation with Edi and I've set up a meeting for 6/27 to start the process. Check.

3. Groom and groomsmen attire options (so far):

J. Crew white dress shirt and silk navy tie to match bridesmaids' dresses

Land's End suit-nice shade, khaki/oatmeal heather with white shirt and navy tie

Banana Republic suit-possibly khaki or this silvery gray hue with a white shirt and navy tie.

J. Crew suit- nice warm khaki hue with white shirt and navy tie of course

N is really against the rented tux look with the shiny shoes, and I am just happy that he is so passionate about some part of the wedding details. I think the groomsmen will all look very smart in new suits, and then after the wedding they will be a welcome addition to any wardrobe!

4. Rehearsal dinner. N's parents are looking into some options around the city of Boston and have come up with some preliminary ideas. Check.

5. Finish off bridesmaid's gifts. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I think I have come up with a nice gift set for each of my girls to include a custom clutch from a designer I found on Etsy filled with lipgloss, nailpolish, purse-sized perfume spray (I'm going to select different scents for each of the girls based on their very different styles and personalities), and a pashmina wrap. Check.

6. Book alternate hotel rooms (read: cheaper option) and put together concept for welcome bags. This should take high priority since I need to block off some rooms ASAP! Maybe I'll put N on the job, he's always good at finding a deal! For the welcome bags I think I am going to turn to bridesmaid F for inspiration. She's the most creative/crafty girl I know!

The list certainly goes on, but I think that's enough tasks for me to focus on for the weekend and week ahead!

Blog love

So things have been busy around the hospital leaving me little time to update our planning progress...
Shortly after receiving my lovely save the dates from Lucky Luxe I managed to get them addressed, stamped, and mailed to our guests. A few days or so later I got an e-mail from Erin saying our save the date was featured on another blog, Oh So Beautiful Paper! How fun! She's now beginning to work on our invitation suite, and I am excited to get a peek at her designs. For my part I need to work on the wording (i.e. "request the honor of your presence" or "request the pleasure of your company", or something to that effect.) I'm going to consult my Emily Post Etiquette book and Martha Stewart Weddings for ideas.

Evolving inspiration

Sarah's latest inspiration board based on our creative journey. I love it!

Flowers

I finally got the chance to sit down with Kelly of Beautiful Blooms to discuss flowers. We are off to a great start and I am looking forward to the opportunity to walk through the Flower Exchange and Jacobson's with her soon. We talked about using large alter pieces on pedastals during the ceremony and lining the aisle with candles and possibly hanging flowers at alternating rows. I think I am going to go with white calla lillies for my boquet and bright yellow for the bridesmaids. The yellow will be a beautiful contrast to their navy silk taffeta dresses! I brought a pair of the cute mini skis with me to show her so we could talk about how we are going to incorporate them into the boutonnieres. Kelly is a ski fanatic as well (I am jealous of her 75+ days she got this year) and is excited that Nate and I are introducing a ski theme into our wedding. As we sat there flipping through books and magazines I got excited about the creative possibilities.