Check, check, and check

My week off between jobs was not as relaxing as I thought it would be, but I got a lot accomplished wedding-wise. We went down to Williamsburg and finally decided on a reception site... Colonial Heritage Club. I was leaning towards Williamsburg Lodge originally, but after weighing the pros and cons Colonial Heritage was the clear winner. Our parents came down for the day and we showed them both sites we were considering. Colonial Heritage was everyone's vote. Of course, I was still undecided even after everyone's input. It was a HUGE decision to make, but I think it fits "us" best. Despite all the time touring reception sites and hotels, Chris found some time to play 9 holes of golf with Thomas. I had my clubs too, but Kingsmill was a bit intimidating for me... So I was caddy.



While down there, we also came across a travel agency that specializes in cruises. Chris and I have always planned to do a Mediterranean Cruise even before we got engaged. So, we found the perfect cruise for us with all the ports that we would want.. Barcelona, Spain, Nice, France, Florence, Italy, Rome, Italy,Naples/Capri, Italy, Athens, Greece, Istanbul, Turkey, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, & Venice, Italy. It would be a 14 day cruise, but how often do you get to see all these wonderful cities all in one trip!

And last, but not least... I bought my dress. Yes, my wedding dress. I first saw it in the Bridal Showcase fashion show and it was the first one I tried in the store. I tried some other dresses, but this one just fit so perfectly. It's simple & sophisticated, and princess-y :-)

Bridal Showcase

Yesterday I attended my first bridal show at George Mason. I had my entourage with me -- my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. However, I was the lucky one and got to wear the "hand her the various information/price sheets" (heart-shaped "bride to be") pin. Thanks to my sister and cousin, I didn't have to carry too much of the stuff I was collecting.

It was definitely an experience. We started making our rounds of the various vendors of catering companies, bakeries, florists, photographers, deejays, videographers, travel agents, etc. It's unbelievable how crowded it was early on... I was starting to get claustrophobic. We tasted a lot of cakes, but nothing really wowed me. I think the next time I go, I will have Chris come with me. It would be nice to have his input on some of the vendors i.e. there were some pretty neat things that photographers were doing with wedding albums now.

We saw one fashion show and they showcased this one designer, who's dresses were non-traditional. Seriously, I don't know what bride would even consider wearing a dress that was see-through then again maybe if I were Lil' Kim or a porn star... might be a different story ;-)

I'm not sure if this bridal show was of much help to me since we are having a destination wedding in Williamsburg. Most of the vendors were from the DC Metro Area. I think there's a show coming up in Williamsburg if my wedding mags are correct, so we will have to check that one out.

363 Days & Counting...

It's amazing how fast these last 3 months went and we are a less than a year from our wedding day. We are planning on heading down to Williamsburg in the next few weeks and make a final decision on a reception site. It's between two sites.... one's a country club and another is a hotel & conference center. Both have their pros and cons, so we'll see.

I'll be heading to my first bridal expo show next weekend. I'll hopefully get some ideas for things. Most importantly, I need to start looking for a dress and getting into shape for the big day! I should have more time to work out... now that I won't have a 2 hour round trip commute each day. I gave my notice on Thursday and will start the new job a week later. I never thought I would leave SRA, but I think it's time. Luckily, it'll still give me enough time to build up leave for the wedding and honeymoon next year.

That's about all for now. We should have more to blog about in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!