Wedding Update Part One: Thank God for Etsy

bride1 I finally feel like I'm making some ground on the Whole Wedding Thing. In the past couple of weeks, fast approaching my two-month engage-iversary, we've checked several big items off our to-do list.

Premarital counseling: Because everyone needs a good counselor. Our Pastor from Canvas Church, Chris Parrot, will be leading out premarital counseling. Unfortunately since Jarrod is in North Dakota and not traveling to Houston as often as he thought he would, we'll be doing perhaps the first-ever teleconference premarital counseling. We've got that scheduled for June.

Wedding dress: By Olivia Zavozina at Nordstrom. This was the fifth place I went (David's Bridal, Blush in Austin, BHLDN, Impressions and finally Nordstrom). I was so burnt out on wedding dress shopping I was seriously considering just buying one online. Then my bridesmaid Sarah Neill asked if she could go dress shopping with me and she set up the Nordstrom appointment. We were all the way at the end of the appointment when I showed my consultant Rachel a dress I liked online. She went and pulled the dress and said, "let me tell you why you won't like this." Well, I did like it and I'd finally found my dress.

Shoes and earrings: In the moments following purchasing the dress, I had a mild freak-out in the Houston Galleria parking garage and started The Endless Scroll which is when you (I) scroll for an embarrassingly long amount of time looking for The Perfect Thing. Sitting in the parking lot, I bough a pair of shoes, earrings and brooch to wear with the dress. Though the purchases were for sure impulse buys, it's a weight off of my shoulders that I know longer have to worry about those things.

Veil: I bought mine on Etsy. It's a dead-ringer for the pricey veil I fell in love with at BHLDN but cost only only a fraction of the price.

Reception tables: I'm thrifting glass from Goodwill and that is going well. And its just another reason to hit all of the thrift shops...like I needed a reason.

Reception site: AvantGarden. This art house is really special to me because my church has done art shows at this venue for several years. It's cool that now I can do my wedding reception here as well.

Ceremony site: First Christian Church. The ceremony will be held at First Christian Church. This is where Canvas Church has held Christmas Eve services the last several years. Our church meets in an elementary school, so unfortunately that was not an option, but we are both so excited to be able to have our ceremony at First Christian.

Room block: We have a room block set at Hilton Americas in downtown Houston.

Save the Dates: Ordered those today!

Meanwhile, I have a million little projects going on. I'm learning calligraphy so I can hand-address the Save the Dates - so don't you dare open it and chunk it in the trash. Really though, I might cry. Just kidding.