Engagement Session One

Here are some un-edited images curtsy of Night Photography, Inc. (a.k.a. my FSIL Hannah)

(This is my "Got him!" pic)








Ev wanted to be a bit silly...


...several times.

Well, it's a start!

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday and started to discuss invites & save-the-dates with Evan, Hannah & Denise (or in knottie terms FI, FSIL, FMIL).

We have a basic idea for the STDs and will get them out by the end of the month! Hannah is going to take the pics for them with us this week. Yea!!

Also, Evan & I went to Hollo's which is a paper store to pick out the supplies we need for everything. And, by the way, if you live in Northeast Ohio and need lots of paper GO THERE! You can get a pound of quality paper for 1.25!!! And there is a HUGE selection.

So, after we got lots of paper and some envelopes we gave the supplies to Denise to fiddle away. I am SOOOO happy that is in motion.

Oh, and I have to mention I now have TWO bridesmaids (BMs) that are BRIDES! Stephanie & Ashley, congrats and I am so very happy for you. And if you need any advice, I'm your gal:).

Pimp Me!

Sorry this hasn't been updated recently, but there hasn't been much new news! My family had some sad time to deal with and ending school for me was taking over everything, including wedding stuff.

But it is a new month and the wedding is getting closer and closer! While I am trying to finalize a guest list to get an idea of who we need to send "save-the-date"s to, I am stuck because my parents haven't given me a list of anyone (friend wise) they want to invite and my mom keeps inviting people to come (family of course, but some cousins I haven't seen for years...and I have a ton of cousins). I don't mind, but it doesn't help with the numbers, which we are trying to keep at a minimal anyway.

STDs (save-the-dates in knottie lingo) are going to be created and hopefully I will get together soon with Evan's mom to do this. She is an art teacher and incredibly crafty. While I would just send out any plain thing, I know that she will come up with something inspired! I want these to go out by the end of July at the latest, since we are inviting a lot of people from out of state and a few from out of country.

We are trying to think of music as well for the ceremony and I know that I want to walk down the aisle to this:



We have an awesome cellist friend, Steve, who is willing to play for the ceremony and I wanted something beautiful, not Wagner or with trumpet, and Bach. Voila! I do still need to okay this with the church though...

I did go looking at bridesmaid dresses with my MOH Adriane two weekends ago where we must have put 40 dresses at least on her. We broke that down to three top choices and I wasn't blown away by any of them...more to come from that.

The next steps when Evan comes back from C-bus (he is finishing up his Masters classes) is cakes, florist & transportation. I am going to plan out hotel information and start making some appointments.

Oh, and I found this video for your viewing pleasure:o).

Springvale!!!

Yes my friends, we have picked our reception location at last. We even got the sample some of the food (yum!). But enough typing, let me show you the amazingness where Ev & I will have our first dance, and all that other mushy stuff.



It is an Ohio historical landmark! Read the front of the sign.


The back side of the sign.


The entrance/exit from the outside.


The entrance/exit from the inside.


Right by the bathrooms (which are located in the hallway outside of the ballroom)


The ladies bathroom...hey, I think a little space to sit and check my makeup is important!


Handicap accessible makes me happy.


How the whole room looks, sans table decor & set up of course.


The head table will be in front of this.


I don't really know what this is for, but it is still neato.


This will be useful in the winter!


A side picture of the band stand. So excited that we are gonna have an actual band to play. YES!


The bar, something we shall all frequent!

Yeah, I hope you are as excited as me! Lots of parking, right off the highway and they are super sweet and we have loved working with them thus far. YEA!!!!

It's all in the details

Evan & I are finalizing some of the reception details, though we believe we have our hall picked out, I'm looking into one other option (to be told when I know what to do). Also, I hope to badger Evan into getting pics of all his groomsmen so I can show off the bridal party.

But until then, and since I haven't written in a while, I shall give you some things that are in progress. God Bless ebay, Craig's List & fellow knotties.


Ty Wilson Cake Topper! (Evan hasn't approved of this yet though...)


Another view ( I love that she has brownish hair and he has blackish, just like us!)


Unity Candle holder (I just put in some candles to show what it will kind of look like, those aren't going to be what I use.)


The pocket folder part of our invitations (we are DIY it since Evan's mom is a paper wiz and super crafty)


I am hoping to have something like this lit at the reception site for family members and friends who have died. I saw it on another knottie's website and that it was filled with things that were symbolic of the person. I might just surround the candles with pictures and memorabilia,


We will have some people with petals or bubbles and some with these bells to ring as we exit.


I was hoping these would be larger. They are icicle ornaments and I wanted to have people sign them and we would put them on our first Christmas tree. Evan's family has multiple Christmas trees and I was thinking each year we could have a little tree just for our wedding ornaments. But I don't know if these will work or not. Sigh! They do give off a pretty glow after being in the light though.

I hope you enjoyed. Remember, these are all works in progress to be used or not. Meaning, everything is subject to change (excepted the couple being married of course!)

Yea for Photography!

Okay y'all we have a PHOTOGRAPHER!

Here is her website and here is her BLOG.

As you will see, she has been doing a lot of boudoir pics right now. If you click on her wedding stuff, you will see it is FABULOUS!

She will be doing our engagement pictures (hopefully in the fall) and her husband will be the second photographer on our wedding day. I am so so so so so excited about it and she is so talented and has our vision. Simple, elegant with attention to detail, plus she is a recent newlywed so she has an appriciation for all the work I'm...er...we are doing.

Let me know what you think of her kiddos!!!

Just Kidding!

Okay, in case you didn't notice the date, the previous post was my little April Fools joke. I have no plans of doing a keg stand, our reception definitely isn't at Hooters and I'm not going to dress my bridal party in shiny gold.

Meanwhile, Evan and I ARE between two places to have the reception, Springvale Ballroom and Clifton Club.

Springvale is an Ohio landmark with beautiful wood flooring, a band stand, a gorgous, huge bar and a towering ceiling.

The Clifton Club is a beautiful facility with a baby grand where the reception would be and is also an old building with wonderful decor. Plus, they decorate for Christmas, meaning very little would have to be done by us.

The trick is that Clifton Club hasn't gotten back to us with a package that would be specific for us, so we don't know exact prices. Both places are great, but they are also very different. Oh, the choices!

We DID find out that we are having one of the best bands ever to do our wedding. While we haven't officially signed them, Scott told Evan it was a go when he had a boys day out at the Indians home opener last Monday.

What band is it? Why Sharp Circle of course!