Aruba, Jamaica, oooooh I wannna take you....

Honeymoon reservations are one item on the list for November. We want to go tropical, and we're thinking Caribbean. I'm wondering if any of you have suggestions on resorts, packages, locales, etc. that were fabulous honeymoon spots or wonderful vacations. I'm definitely not an expert in the luxurious travel department, so bring on the comments!

Real conversation.

P: “I slept so well.”

Me: “Mmm…me too.”

P: “That’s the first thing I thought when I woke up. And then I thought, ‘I’m so lucky to have someone like this next to me in bed every morning.’”

Me: Smile, sigh.

(Will somebody please pinch me?... :) )

Another one bites the dust

It's amazing that after so many years of knowing Amanda and Ryan as a couple, it can still feel a little strange to know that Amanda is now Mrs. Olton. The wedding was beautiful, especially the heartfelt ceremony. She cried through the vows ... and so did I! I was going to wait until later this week to post about the wedding, but was editing photos tonight and found this magical one of their first dance (prior to the moment they busted out with a coreographed routine to Sir Mixalot's "Big Butts," of course.) Wishing them a wonderful life together. 

Pretty thing of the day #3: cute cookie bar

Since Patrick and I are now consulting bakers, I've had desserts on the mind. Sweets aren't really our thing, especially cakes. We do both have favorite cookie recipes from moms and grandmothers and family members. Maybe you'll see take-home cookie bar at our reception? I was actually thinking ... why all that trouble ... until I saw the above picture on Snippet and Ink wedding blog. The bride had her family members pitch in to each make a few dozen cookies. Isn't it cute? 

My glass slippers

An exciting message awaited me earlier this week. My wedding gown has arrived (!!!!!!!) at the adorable Something Old Something New bridal boutique in Pendleton, Ind. So, today it only seemed natural to post about bridal shoes. I've seen lots in magazines and blogs lately about wearing a vibrant colored shoe to coordinate with the color palette. I love the idea of concealing that surprise burst of color under the pristine white dress. Someone like Anna (my fashion-pro of a sister) could choose the most outrageous shoe and dazzle. My other MOH, Emma, could sport a pair of fuzzy wedding slippers under her dress and be comfy and chic. However, true to my coordinated self, I placed an order earlier this week for a simple, ivory shoe with a modest heel. They're similar to those pictured above. Nothing wrong with a little tradition, right? Perhaps I can provide a surprising pop of color in other concealed places ... wink, wink. Happy Thursday!

Cohabitation part III: the shower lever

Confession: I always forget. I always forget to take my finger and plunk down the little lever on our bathtub faucet that makes the water run through the shower head. Why is this significant? It's the tiny thing that my fiance asks of me.

He brews me coffee, leaves the porch lights on for me, deposits his clothes in the hamper, places the toilet seat in the down position, and has even vacated his former t-shirt drawer for my use. The problem with my leaving that little lever up is that when said beloved pokes his head past the shower curtain to turn on a hot shower in the morning or evening, he is soaked unexpectedly. When I hear a heavy sigh or agitated grunt, I wince. "Woops, I meant to put that down. Sorry!"

My dad lovingly refers to this kind of forgetfulness as "booby-trapping." I believe all women do it. Not intentionally. I have a hunch that booby-trapping can wear on a marriage/relationship because it preys on individual preferences rather than joint decisions. I don't really care if the lever is already up...one less task for me to complete at 6 a.m. It currently is THE MOST ANNOYING thing in Patrick's life. So, I am going to try harder to remember. I would like to report: this morning, I nudged it to the down position. Sigh. Now, if only I could promise that tomorrow I'll do the same.

Awfully wedded dreams

This morning I felt compelled to write about wedding dreams. Many friends have shared their nightmares with me. The dream-state scenarios range from "I'm about to walk down the aisle and I cannot find my shoes!" to "my bridesmaids ditched their dresses in favor of camo-printed outfits!" (Yes, both are real dreams of my friends!)

Last year, amidst a sea of wedding preparations (remember, 2007 was the 'year of weddings'), I found their stories hilarious. When the scenes play in your own subconscious, though, they become a little more disturbing. Especially if dreams mean something deeper than the absurd.

I mean, my dream that some random lady was practically running me down the aisle before I was ready ... that was funny. The one when wedding day came but none of the details (hair, makeup, flowers, etc.) had been arranged ... yep, that one was my OCD-paranoia coming into play. And then last night I dreamed that my veil wasn't ready and I had a giant crater-zit on my chin ... sadly, the zit is a current reality. Oy.

All brides must have these dreams, they all must wake up flushed and confused or remember the dream hours after waking up and think, "Was that real? What does that mean?"

Pretty thing of the day #2

Love this! Not sure I will use it ... but I think it's so pretty and would add texture and dimension to an entry table in the right venue. More fun and extravagant details on the Style Me Pretty blog today if you are bored (or slacking). Thanks, too, for the many wonderful e-mails and comments about the ceremony music! It's so fun to hear different perspectives and get out of my own head. I'll post an update when we decide.

Ceremony music

Help. I'm getting ready to research ceremony music options/musicians. Some favor the booming pipe organ, but I'm a little less traditional when it comes to music in church. I love the sound of a piano or strings or a flute. A harp? Soloist?

Questions for my blogstalkers (you know who you are ;)): 1) Do you find it strange when a bride/bridal party doesn't enter to Canon in D or "Here Comes the Bride"?; 2) does anyone even notice the music/is it worth going against the grain?; 3) Any suggestions?

Dum, dum, dum, dum

There it is. The long aisle I'll walk down with Dad. Staring down it in this photo, for me, evokes the same pit-of-stomach feeling I had when we scheduled our first premarital counseling session. Yet, so far the fear was unfounded. The sessions shake me back to the reality that we are planning for a marriage as well as a wedding. We're on the path to a deeper appreciation for one another. I'm sure that in the same way, my aisle-anxiety will cease, and I'll float joyfully to the front of the church on May 2.

On the subject, I want to share a really poignant question posed by Fr. Todd in pre-canna session #3: "What do you believe?" A daunting question. We both sat speechless for a moment, pondering how exactly a person articulates faith. On the drive into work the next day, I thought more. I think that faith is vital in a marriage, but it's about more than a church or denomination. It's about faith in one another, in something bigger, in the institution of marriage. So, I'm glad for that deer-in-headlights moment. We still have work to do on defining our answers, but I think both of us agree that we believe in unconditional love and in what we have together. That's a good starting point. And those two things alone make that long aisle seem shorter, the weight of those questions lighter.