Engagement

This is how it began in early December of 2007.

And this is how it will end just 3 weeks from today, after nearly 2 and a half years.

With rings,

(This one is from Clary, all others are mine)

and vows, which you will have to wait to read.

Catnap

Exactly what I would like to be doing on this rainy day...

For all the haters

I could go on and on about all my stories of people telling us "you can't do that" for the wedding or "that's a wrong choice."  I was even told (to my face) "well, that's stupid!" on more than one occasion!  It seems that weddings must be really good at bringing the worst out in some people, or at the very least their unsolicited opinions.  I'll spare you all the gory details for now, but let's just say we've dealt with more than our fair share of wedding haters.  However, when I saw the picture below in one of Darbi's recent wedding blog posts I knew I had to write about it.  

Dear multiple people who told us the guys could wear nothing but dress shoes at the wedding,

You all thought we had just come up with some crazy idea.  Even though I insisted it was a wedding trend and that it could look really cool you judged us and looked at us like we were insane.  When we bought our guys Vans to wear for our wedding, one of you even went so far as to forbid a guy to wear them because that was just "our dumb idea."  It didn't matter that all our guys were overjoyed to not have to wear dress shoes.  It didn't matter that we were really excited about the shoes and that we had carefully gone to multiple stores to get the right size for everyone.  It's our wedding and we are going to do what we want anyway, but here is proof we aren't crazy.  And see how nice they look!

Love, Jamie

Ok, so I've tried really hard not to let the haters get to me, as incredibly hard as that's been.  But I just couldn't resist posting this after I saw this gorgeous picture from Darbi's post.  Now after that brief pause for a little therapeutic moment, we will be back to regular wedding details tomorrow with a look at our to-do list before our wedding in 27(!) days.  :)

A little color for this cloudy day

We had such awesome weather here in St. Louis last week.  Unfortunately we haven't been as lucky the last few days.  I hate rain, but would rather it rain now than in May of course! ;)

Here's a little gorgeous fall color from our engagement pics to help with this cloudy day.

Photos by Clary

Happy (albeit a bit cloudy) Monday everyone!!!  Hopefully this post will help in getting Mr. Sun back out in STL!

This is what's important.

This is what's important.  In 74 days we will be married.  We will have made it through all of this drama that seems to have attached itself to our wedding no matter how hard we have been fighting it.  We will have survived.  We will meet at a chapel that sits half way between where we each grew up and we will leave it having vowed to be together for the rest of our lives.  Doug will be my husband and I will be his wife.  For better or for awesome, for I have decided to accept nothing less.

Responsible for the photo that reminds me why we are doing this thing is Clary

Like having a crystal ball

I no longer have to wonder all the time what my wedding will look like because today I saw it. Megan Thiele just happened to post a gorgeous wedding today that occurred at the chapel where Doug and I will get married almost exactly six months from today.I had been thinking about something for these doors for a while but now I have an official mental note to figure something out.

Spectacular light.If I were to have a must take photo list, this one with the ridiculous landscaping would top it.If we're making a list add one of these shots with the stairs too please.
And, of course, some on Lebanon's cute main street.
There's a ton more gorgeousness to be found over on Megan's blog so hop over there to enjoy and leave her some love! Oh, and ask her where the reception was because I have a sneaking suspicion it might be the same as our too.

I have a problem

Well, I have several actually, but most I don't think I can safely post about here and/or I can do nothing about. I may very well throw caution to the wind sometime this weekend, out of sheer exasperation with my drama filled life, so check back for a more interesting post soon.

So anyway...

I've been finding myself checking my e-mail as well as a certain blog or two several times an hour. I'm waiting (somewhat) patiently for several important e-mails and an even more anticipated blog post of our engagement pictures. This would probably be extremely detracting from my getting work done if I actually had enough work to fill my time. Unfortunately though I don't have enough to do and this is probably only adding to my problem!

Suggestions, please, because this girl is going crazy.

Words of wisdom

Wedding guest list advice straight from the awesome Clary: Don't invite anyone who you wouldn't have over to your house for dinner, because that's what a wedding is, really, just a big dinner party.

A girl after my own heart, for sure. :)

So what else does this mean? Engagement pictures can be checked off of our list! And the weather was gorgeous, and we had a great time, and Doug really likes Clary (extra yay!), and my feelings that I booked the perfect photographer are only reaffirmed/strengthened! All in all, a good night, wouldn't you say?

Cubs Suck

I don't think kneeling is part of the United Methodist wedding tradition. However, if it was we would so be copying this gesture made by one of Seelen Photography's grooms.

Wanted:

suggestions for perfect fall-ish (maybe?) outfits for one guy and one girl to wear during their engagement pictures with the fab Clary which are occurring in 2 1/2 weeks.

I literally have no inspiration and too many other things going on to figure this out.

There is $20 in gift cards to here in it for whoever makes the suggestion we decide to use. Or another place of your choice, which I can only imagine would be if you don't live in the STL.

And yes, my favorite wedding planner and photographer (i.e. those who introduced me to this amazing place) are certainly eligible.

One exam down and 300 days to go

In non-wedding news, I am one less exam away from my CPA certificate, provided I passed the section I took this afternoon. No rest for the weary though, my corporate tax class final is Wednesday and then one month from now is my second CPA section.

In wedding related news, we are officially 300 days out from getting married! Considering the fact that our engagement will be close to 2.5 years long, this is exciting! In honor of this, here are some pictures of us by Seelen Photography. The purpose of this shoot was to get the perfect picture to solve my Save the Date problem I discussed a while ago, so look for a post soliciting more opinions on that topic after I get all the pictures. Since I will be entrenched in the aforementioned CPA studying until November, I wanted to get them out during September because it is the only month I am only studying and not testing.

Doug loves cake...

but I could care less. I mean, I love to look at them and definitely will enjoy having a pretty one at our wedding. I love to watch them being made and could probably watch a combo of Ace of Cakes, Food Network Cake Challenges, and Cake Boss for an entire day. However, I may not have more than the "ceremonial" bite on our day. What can I say? I hate buttercream icing and have barely any more interest in the cake part. Doug and my's typical routine at any cake having functions is for me to eat as much of the cake without eating icing and then he finishes it or I skip the cake altogether. Weird, I know. Therefore, the cake flavors will be one decision that I will probably have little input on. Doug, on the other hand, can't wait for our cake tasting.

I do, though, know what it will look like. For this one, my inspiration comes from Lauren and Mike's gorgeous cake (photo by the Browers.) This cake is so pretty that it almost makes me think that I would actually like to eat some of it. I'm guessing this one feeds quite a few more than we will need to feed, so it will be a scaled down version of this one with pink ribbon instead of green. I bought the perfect pink ribbon a few weeks ago and am at least very excited that we will have a beautiful cake even if I don't eat much of it.

Holy wedding puppy love, Batman!

While I'm not sure yet how I am going to get my childhood dog into my wedding pictures, I know it will happen somehow. Maybe my bridal pics or maybe getting ready at my parents house. While I think about that, we can both enjoy this major wedding puppy love courtesy of Anna Kuperberg.

Finally got the camera battery

and now I have no time to use my camera! (and I really should be doing homework and not posting)

If a reception location has been difficult to work with but has great natural light, is it worth it to deal with them?

I have full faith that Clary can get beautiful pictures like this one regardless of the light situation...

but shouldn't I do whatever I can to help her?

So, should I book with the frustrating "keepers of the good light," as I have affectionately nicknamed them?