Showing posts with label engagement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label engagement. Show all posts
A Look Back / The Pupprosal
Monday, March 25, 2013
It’s so crazy to think that on August 6, 2011, we brought home Vega and got engaged, then we planned a wedding for a year - and now we are married! I loved every little bit of the proposal and our engagement, so here’s a look back...
I have always loved dogs and never really had one growing up. So I knew that when the time was right (if there ever was a right time), that I would want to get one someday. And after Josh and I had bought our first home together, I (secretly?) began researching breeders in Virginia. It wasn't secret for very long, because every week (sometimes every day), I would send emails to Josh: Look at this one!..Sooo cute!...I need this puppy!...That face!
We eventually found a breeder and had made plans to finally pick up the newest member of our family that day - a little girl yellow Labrador Retriever puppy! I had been so busy the past few days with puppy preparations, all while Josh was busy on his own with engagement preparations. But seriously - I would have never thought to be getting a ring AND a puppy on the same day!
Prior to picking up Vega, Josh had suggested that we drive to James Madison University - where we both graduated from - because the weather was supposed to be nice in the afternoon. So a few hours later, we finally arrive at our old stomping grounds with our sweet little Vega.
We get to the quad and begin setting up stuff for a picnic. It was a gorgeous day and we pretty much had the quad to ourselves because fall semester had not yet started. It just so happened that it was our monthly anniversary that day, and usually we try to do something each month around that time - rent a movie, make a special dinner, etc. We are always so busy and set in our ways and normal routines, that I like to take note of this date and do something nice for one another. Anyways, after we had had lunch, Josh mentioned that he had a gift for me. Not surprising at all, because I had a gift for him, too (which was a t-shirt!).
I opened my gift and it was a picture frame with a letter he had typed to me. It was about how excited he was to start this new family with Vega and a bunch of other sweet things about us and our relationship. After I finished reading it, I put the frame down and Josh is down on one knee in the middle of the quad. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing those few moments were (and I don’t remember much) - but I said yes! Lots of happy tears and phone calls later, we could not wait to get home to share the news (and ring! and puppy!) with our closest friends and family.
Whenever I see Vega, I never forget how incredible that day was and she will always be my little engagement pup. GO DUKES!
I have always loved dogs and never really had one growing up. So I knew that when the time was right (if there ever was a right time), that I would want to get one someday. And after Josh and I had bought our first home together, I (secretly?) began researching breeders in Virginia. It wasn't secret for very long, because every week (sometimes every day), I would send emails to Josh: Look at this one!..Sooo cute!...I need this puppy!...That face!
We eventually found a breeder and had made plans to finally pick up the newest member of our family that day - a little girl yellow Labrador Retriever puppy! I had been so busy the past few days with puppy preparations, all while Josh was busy on his own with engagement preparations. But seriously - I would have never thought to be getting a ring AND a puppy on the same day!
Prior to picking up Vega, Josh had suggested that we drive to James Madison University - where we both graduated from - because the weather was supposed to be nice in the afternoon. So a few hours later, we finally arrive at our old stomping grounds with our sweet little Vega.
We get to the quad and begin setting up stuff for a picnic. It was a gorgeous day and we pretty much had the quad to ourselves because fall semester had not yet started. It just so happened that it was our monthly anniversary that day, and usually we try to do something each month around that time - rent a movie, make a special dinner, etc. We are always so busy and set in our ways and normal routines, that I like to take note of this date and do something nice for one another. Anyways, after we had had lunch, Josh mentioned that he had a gift for me. Not surprising at all, because I had a gift for him, too (which was a t-shirt!).
I opened my gift and it was a picture frame with a letter he had typed to me. It was about how excited he was to start this new family with Vega and a bunch of other sweet things about us and our relationship. After I finished reading it, I put the frame down and Josh is down on one knee in the middle of the quad. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing those few moments were (and I don’t remember much) - but I said yes! Lots of happy tears and phone calls later, we could not wait to get home to share the news (and ring! and puppy!) with our closest friends and family.
Whenever I see Vega, I never forget how incredible that day was and she will always be my little engagement pup. GO DUKES!
Taking Your Engagement Photos
Monday, March 25, 2013
Wedding Tips for My Bride-To-Be's
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Now that my wedding is over and because so many of my close friends have recently gotten engaged, people have been asking me for any tips or helpful hints. So, I compiled this little list of things that I've learned from my experience so far that I wanted to share!
If you like them, book them. There are all these guidelines for when you need to book things and so on. I got in touch with the makeup artist that did my friend Jenna's wedding to see what her availability and pricing were. It was pretty average from what I researched around this area. I emailed her, she said she was available - so I booked her for my September wedding. In January! Even before I booked a DJ or caterer. But you know what, one less thing I have to worry about later!
Everything requires a deposit. If you find someone you like, but you're worried about the deposit to book them, always ask if you can either split up the deposit or set up payment plans. Most of the time, people are pretty flexible if they know you're committed. Some may be stricter, it just depends. We were supposed to put 50% down for our wedding planner, DJ, and photographer, but we could only at the time commit to 25%. So we did 25% when we signed the contract, and then the next 25% 3 months later - so it's not a huge hit on your bank account.
Hire a day of coordinator. Even if you're not planning on getting a wedding planner, I suggest at a minimum hiring a day of coordinator. You need someone there to make sure everything is running smoothly and that all the vendors are where they need to be at the right times. You are going to be doing 1,000 other things that day and I highly, highly recommend hiring someone because it will make your life so much easier!
Print out all of your contracts and save all of your email communications. I have a huuuuuuugeeeeee binder with all of the information of each vendor, contract information, all of their proposals, and any receipts from online payments/check images. Your other vendors will probably ask for information about other vendors, so start compiling a list of all of that information as soon as you start to lock down vendors.
Make a timeline of all your wedding vendor due dates. This was something I did once all of the big vendors were set. I ended up making a table of all the due dates and balances for all items related to the wedding on a per month basis. It was helpful to visualize when things were due, how much we had left to account for, and also made me realize that 70% of remaining balances were due 30 days prior the wedding. August will be a tight-budgeted month!
Do as much as you can, but don't overdo it. Be practical and know what your personal limits are. I have all these great ideas in my head of so many DIY projects I want to do - but thinking about time and money, some of it just won't happen. Don't compare yourself to how far along other people are in their wedding planning - you will eventually get there! And ask family and friends for help on little things you don't mind sliding off your plate. If you know me, you know I am a PERFECTIONIST when it comes to these things. I'd rather do everything on my own - but sometimes, it just doesn't work that way!
If you like them, book them. There are all these guidelines for when you need to book things and so on. I got in touch with the makeup artist that did my friend Jenna's wedding to see what her availability and pricing were. It was pretty average from what I researched around this area. I emailed her, she said she was available - so I booked her for my September wedding. In January! Even before I booked a DJ or caterer. But you know what, one less thing I have to worry about later!
Everything requires a deposit. If you find someone you like, but you're worried about the deposit to book them, always ask if you can either split up the deposit or set up payment plans. Most of the time, people are pretty flexible if they know you're committed. Some may be stricter, it just depends. We were supposed to put 50% down for our wedding planner, DJ, and photographer, but we could only at the time commit to 25%. So we did 25% when we signed the contract, and then the next 25% 3 months later - so it's not a huge hit on your bank account.
Hire a day of coordinator. Even if you're not planning on getting a wedding planner, I suggest at a minimum hiring a day of coordinator. You need someone there to make sure everything is running smoothly and that all the vendors are where they need to be at the right times. You are going to be doing 1,000 other things that day and I highly, highly recommend hiring someone because it will make your life so much easier!
Print out all of your contracts and save all of your email communications. I have a huuuuuuugeeeeee binder with all of the information of each vendor, contract information, all of their proposals, and any receipts from online payments/check images. Your other vendors will probably ask for information about other vendors, so start compiling a list of all of that information as soon as you start to lock down vendors.
Make a timeline of all your wedding vendor due dates. This was something I did once all of the big vendors were set. I ended up making a table of all the due dates and balances for all items related to the wedding on a per month basis. It was helpful to visualize when things were due, how much we had left to account for, and also made me realize that 70% of remaining balances were due 30 days prior the wedding. August will be a tight-budgeted month!
Do as much as you can, but don't overdo it. Be practical and know what your personal limits are. I have all these great ideas in my head of so many DIY projects I want to do - but thinking about time and money, some of it just won't happen. Don't compare yourself to how far along other people are in their wedding planning - you will eventually get there! And ask family and friends for help on little things you don't mind sliding off your plate. If you know me, you know I am a PERFECTIONIST when it comes to these things. I'd rather do everything on my own - but sometimes, it just doesn't work that way!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
