An Update on Wedding Planning

Things are moving along fairly well in terms of planning for the big day! Not knowing where I would end up starting Summer 2015 for internship (stay in Baltimore or off to Miami for a year), I wanted to get as much done as early as possible. (Good news -- I'm staying in Baltimore!!) Plus, knowing that New Year's Eve can be a big party night, it couldn't hurt to start planning early! Here's a rundown of what we've accomplished so far & when:

 

 

 Venue & Date: after visits to several places and being in contact with others, we are super excited to be holding our wedding at Normandy Farm (Blue Bell, PA)!! It's quite a popular place, and when we went to visit on 09/14/14, the earliest available Saturday on 2015 was in mid-December! We found out that they had New Year's Eve available; after giving it a few seconds to sink in, Doug looked like he just won the jackpot in poker! How fun would it be to ring in the new year with friends and family!? Plus, the venue has a restaurant & bar at which we can watch the ball drop! So we decided -- Normandy Farm on Thursday, December 31, 2015! (officially confirmed 10/06/2014!)

Setting up the grand ballroom for a wedding!

Outdoor ceremony space & patio

Catering/Cake: All catering is done by Normandy Farm, so it was easy to check that off the list, too! We still haven't decided which food options we'll choose, but at least we know who will be doing the cooking & baking! What are your thoughts -- Buffet, Served Meal, Food Stations?? Comment with your thoughts below!

Photographer: The great thing about Normandy Farm is they have an on-site photographer (and florist...see below) - Tyler Boye Photography. Why not make it easy & go with them, right?! Not only is it convenient, but they look to be great photographers as well! Doug and I met with Jamie, their sales manager, on Sat. 01/17/15, and decided on Andy for our primary photographer!

DJ: I ventured onto The Knot to check out some preferred/recommended DJs in the area. After sending out some information requests to a few companies, I quickly heard back from Fred Alvisi, owner of VIP DJ Entertainment. Even after a quick phone call (and quick read through of online reviews), we knew he was the one! (And even better, Doug's sister booked him for her wedding as well!) Music is checked off the list as of 01/27/14. 

 

Florist: We're going with the on-site florist - Willow & Thistle - for our venue décor! My mom, Doug, and I met with Steven on Sat., 02/07/15 and worked on some great ideas for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. Steven was amazing at hearing all of our thoughts and coming up with some great concepts. Mom likes the big, fancy, florally things while Doug and I prefer a little more low-key; I think we came up with a good compromise & I'm excited to see how everything comes together on the big day!

SAY YES TO THE DRESS!! My second trip to try on wedding dresses was a success! I went on an impromptu dress excursion on Friday 01/09/14 with my Mom, Sheen & Trey while we were in Florida for an internship interview. Found a dress I really liked, but was still open to trying on a few more. I made another appointment at the Van Cleve Wedding Pavilion in Paoli, PA; right after the appointment with the florist (02/07/15) we ventured down the road to try on some dresses. My Mom, Aunt Vick, Sheen, Whit, Tiff, Lauren, & Brody joined in, and I'm so happy they were all there when I found my dress!! It was the second dress I tried on that day, and every other dress after that one didn't compare! I can't wait until it comes in and I can try it on again!!

 

Me as a mini bride...speak peak of the dress?!

 

 

...So what's left?

            Bridesmaids dresses

            Groom & groomsmen suits

            Outfits for my bubble boys, ring bearer, and flower girl

            Optional things: videography, photo booth

            Am I missing anything??