Bride on a Mission

I'm getting stuff done! Here are the few things I've checked off my to-do list.


Travel home to RI
This was probably the easiest task on the list. Not going to lie, it was a stressful day of travel (had to deplane the first plane for mechanical issues and got pushed to a flight 5 hours later. Then had a "lost luggage" scare in RI after landing.) A long day, but made it home safely with the gown!

Run to the craft store to buy stuff for reception hall decorations
This has taken us two days. I'm pretty sure we've gotten all the supplies we need. We've been to about 10 different stores buying lots of different do-dads (corkboard, vases, string, sharpies, etc.). We'll probably need to do a few last minute runs, but I feel good about getting almost all the shopping done. 

Make the seating key cards and attach to keys
It's taken me a few hours to get this all together. Yesterday I stamped every one of the envelope cards, then labeled all of them with guests' names. Today I attached the keys to each one. All that's left is adding the table numbers... but we haven't 100% figured out where everyone is sitting yet, so we'll have to wait for that.

Finish bridesmaids gifts 
They're all bagged and ready to go! I had lots of fun putting these together. Can't tell you any more because my b-maids are probably reading this now. 

Have a make-up trial run
It turned out great! This was a pretty easy task too. Just sit in the chair and let the professional make you pretty :) We had to adjust the lip color a few times, but in the end, I think we got it right. Loving the smokey eyes...

Have another final fitting with my gown
Well... there's a bit of craziness to this one. I mentioned a few posts ago that after my final fitting in Houston, I wasn't 100% happy with the way the gown was fitting. So, I set up an appointment at Sassy & Classy here in RI and went in expecting to make just a few small adjustments. An hour later and that wasn't the case... one look at the dress and the seamstress could instantly tell that it needed a lot of work. We took in the sides more, fixed the completely crooked hem, changed the bustle completely, and even discovered some pins that the seamstress in Houston had left in the gown! Talk about crazy. I'm a little stressed about how much it's going to cost to fix it all, but to be honest, by the end of the appointment I felt SO much better about the way the gown was fitting. Looking back on pictures from today, I can finally say that I feel that I look like a bride in my gown, whereas before (after fittings in Houston) I never quite felt that way. Sorry I can't show you pictures of this one, but you only have to wait a few more days to see anyway :) I can't believe I've kept it a secret for this long!!


Tomorrow we have another meeting at the Radisson to finalize plans with Linda, the event coordinator. There will probably be more to report in the afternoon. Stay tuned!

Recent Purchases Have Arrived!

Luggage tags... check! They're perfect.

Bridesmaids gifts... check! Girls, you're going to LOVE them.

Napkins... check... them out :)

 

They're not exactly the right colors, but they'll do. Don't you love the monogrammedness?

Groomsmens' socks... check! And check them out...

They look so cozy and fun. Better prepare the photographer/my brother to take a sweet sock shot of all the boys.

Keys for escort cards... check! They look SO awesome. Can you tell they're wooden?

Other recent purchases include John's belt and shoes and my earrings. He still needs a nice white dress shirt  and I'm on the hunt for some shoes for the reception. After we purchase those two little pieces, our wedding day attire should be all set. John's mom offered me the opportunity to wear her mother's bracelet on the big day. It'll be my something blue, as it's made of sapphires and diamonds. Perfect! I feel honored to wear it :)

Currently, I'm working with my brother to complete the invitations. They should be ordered and on their way to our guests' homes in the next two-ish weeks. All I can say is... they look AMAZING. He's worked so hard on them for us, and it definitely shows. Pictures will be posted after guests have received them... don't want to ruin the surprise.

Also, I forgot to mention that the rehearsal dinner venue has been booked! John's parents (with the help of a few suggestions from my parents) picked out the restaurant 1149 for the event. If you're a Rhode Islander, you know this place is a delicious and hip spot in the middle of the state, and you're aware of how awesome it'll be for a rehearsal dinner. We're very excited about their choice.

Other than that, everything is basically at a lull right now. We're working on getting more paperwork for the church and soon we'll be putting together readings and music for the mass. We'll also start working on getting music together for the reception, pick up some more decorations for the reception, design different paper goodies for the wedding day, and other random things that make the big day go 'round. I know I say this often, but I'm pretty shocked at how quickly time is flying and how nicely (slash easily) the details are coming together. Call me lucky, I guess... or maybe just lucky-in-love. Aww shucks! 74 days to go!

Bridal Showers bring July Weddings

My mom and sister surprised me with a bridal shower yesterday! 


I arrived in RI on Saturday, planning on spending a week wedding planning during my school's spring break. I was already aware that the bridal shower would be happing this week, because it's the last time I'm going to be in RI before the schwedding, but as far as when the shower would be happening this week, I had no idea. 


As my parents pulled into their driveway, I noticed a blue Honda from ME parked in front of the house... and instantly knew Emily was here! I was so excited, I hardly let the car come to a complete stop before jumping out to see her. I ran into the house, gave her big hugs, and started getting more excited about the shower. If Emmy (bridesmaid) was in town to visit, I knew the shower was probably going to be the next day.


Well, the next morning, my mom told me to put on the nice dress that I packed, and two more of my bridesmaids showed up... first Justine, then Kate. I was so excited to have some of my girls together! And I definitely knew what was going on. We left the house and Kate blindfolded me in the car! She and my mom figured there had to be some sort of surprise to the day (since I already knew the shower was happening). But their plan was foiled by my great sense of direction! Even with Kate driving around in a circle at one point, I knew exactly where we were the whole car ride. 


When they took the blindfold off, I was standing in the Remington House Inn, in front of all my loving female friends and family. After walking around the room to hug everyone, Lauren gave a wonderful mimosa toast (I teared up a little bit!) and the eating began! Then, gifts! Then, cake!


All in all, it was a lovely afternoon. It was so great to be surrounded by family and friends, who were so excited for me and more than generous with their gifts. And to have almost all my bridesmaids (missed you Kathleen!) in the same place for the first time, now I'm even more excited for the wedding!


Here are some of my favorite pictures from the bridal shower...

They blindfolded me!

Ready to remove the blindfold

My cousins and aunts waiting to say SURPRISE!

SURPRISE!

Lauren giving her toast

Trying to be cute

A fake gift! My Aunt and cousin sent me these plates from
Crate & Barrel in the mail (to help me avoid shipping costs).
In order that I had a gift to open from them at the shower,
they printed the pattern of the plates and pasted it onto paper
plates. It was so confused, then greatly impressed by creativity :)

My bridesmaids told me each ribbon I broke represented a
baby for John and me. We're making silly faces because I
thought I had just broken a ribbon!

Bride robe :)

Trying on my new lingerie 

Matt, my photographer and brother

Memere (my grandmother) and Lauren (sister and MOH)

Justine and Emily - bridesmaids extraordinaire :)

The bride &  bridesmaids :)

Thanks to Lau and Mom for a great shower! <3

Dressing the Schwedding Party

So, I have my dress. It's gorg. That detail is out of the way. Now it's time to deal with the rest of the wedding crew. What's on my mind, you ask? Well, here we go.

The bridesmaids will be in an elegant, chic, and simple dress in navy blue:

Would you believe I found it on target.com? Did you even know Target (pronounced Tar-jay) made bridesmaids dresses? I was having so much trouble finding something simple, navy blue, with straps, and affordable. On a whim I checked out target.com and voila! I find this gem. The ladies all seemed happy with it, so it's been ordered and will hopefully be a hit down the aisle on July 16th! And here's a secret: you can see me wearing it in the pictures from the engagement party post. I bought the dress for myself to try it out and wore it to the engagement party. So, obviously that means it can TOTALLY be worn again... I know, I'm such a nice bride!

The girls will all hopefully be wearing these cute flowers in their hair (to mimic the white flower that'll be in mine):

I'm also thinking that a shoe with some glitter would look amazing on the girls and be so flirtatious/fun for the big day. What do you think of these?

I love the first pair because they're so sexy and shiny. And the second pair is great too... they'd be comfy AND sparkly. Stylish AND practical. I have another secret: I own the second pair of shoes and I feel like a princess every time I slip them on. They're amazing! Basically, I'm open to any glittery shoe that the ladies find... and the shine on the shoes will compliment the shine of my bling ring. Just sayin'...

You're probably wondering about the boys now. John and I have chatted and we're leaning towards gray suits. We know it's not as dressy as black tuxes, but gray suits just look more vintagey and more stylish (in my opinion) in general. So, as John and I were sitting down to enjoy our delish Panera lunch yesterday, I have this vision of the wedding party. As you already know, the ladies will be in navy blue. I'm thinking, boys in their gray suits with navy blue ties (to matchy match the ladies). I should admit now that I've always thought the groom should have something different about his wedding suit that makes him stand out from the rest of the men in the party (as the bride definitely stands out from her bridesmaids). Then it hits me... have him wear a green tie instead of the blue. This way, we're incorporating the forgotten green into the bridal party's attire for the day and it's on my favorite person :) But it doesn't just stop right there... then I think, wait a second... I'll have my shoes dyed green to match his green tie! The bride and groom will match in their own special way, just as the bridesmaids and groomsmen will match. AMAZING. Here are some pictures I found that help the inspiration:

 

 

Except that's not my shoe. I bought these beauties last week (to wear to my first fitting this weekend!!): 

 

Now I just need to have them dyed. Let's hope they're comfy shoes, as I didn't get to try them on and they're not returnable. They'll be arriving in the mail hopefully by tomorrow. 

And to tie it all together, how fun would it be for the groomsmen and my handsome groom to be wearing these saucy socks:

Ahhh! I'm so in love with all these ideas. I'm so thankful that they came to me over Panera lunch yesterday. It took me a few minutes to convince John that it was going to be a delicious combo of greens, blues, gray suits, and sparkly shoes, but I think he's on board now. 

So the wedding-day attire is basically decided. Now I just have to figure out jewelry for the ladies and myself, flowers (probably just green and white), make-up, and the hundreds of other details that play into the big day. Any suggestions for jewelry, flowers, etc. are more than welcome!

The Schwedding Party

We've chosen a wedding party! We will have 5 ladies and 5 guys to help us celebrate our big day. I've written up a little background info on each of the bridesmaids and a reeeeally little intro to each of our groomsmen. If you notice, we actually have two Best Men.  I like to joke and say that we have a Best Man (Eric Schweitzer) and a Great Man (Mike Corte), but both are technically Co-Best Men. John just couldn't choose between the two (and I can't blame him... they're both awesome). So, without further adieu...

Lauren Ferrara Maid of Honor

Lauren and I have known each other since the day she was born. Though we didn't always have the most loving of relationships in our younger years (i.e. bottle-stealing, gum-stealing, shouting matches, etc.), we have grown to share a beautiful bond that only sisters (15 months apart) could share. I couldn't have asked for a better sister or better person to share my big day with. Even though she probably doesn't realize it, she has taught me patience, unconditional love, and compassion. She currently lives in Coventry, RI and is a wonderful mother to my favorite little niece, Lindsey Marie. 

Kathleen Schweitzer Bridesmaid

Kathleen is probably John's favorite sister and will definitely be one rockin' bridesmaid on the day of our wedding. She has been so friendly and fun since the day we first met (for stir-fry at Crazy Bowls) and has recently become someone I go to often to share wedding planning details. She currently lives in St. Louis and is studying at St. Louis University as an undergrad in communication sciences and disorders. Can't wait to call her sister!

Kate Arsenault Bridesmaid

Kate and I met at a training in 2006 for our summer jobs at Camp Westwood YMCA. We were both camp counselors to kiddos (ages 7-10) and instantly bonded over the craziness of our job. Although I only worked at Westwood for one summer, our relationship continued to strengthen after the job ended. We would hang out in coffee shops, go on shopping sprees, drive around RI, and talk about life, love, and all the in betweens. Although we live over a thousand miles apart, we still share a strong bond, especially in our chosen professions: she's an English teacher in RI while I'm a math teacher in TX. Kate's been a loyal friend since day one and I know I'll be able to rely on her during all this wedding planning stuff!

Emily Gagne Bridesmaid

Emily and I met at URI back in 2005. I was in a sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma, and she was thinking of pledging. The first time we really bonded was at an ugly sweater party (see picture) and were basically inseparable after that. We would spend hours with each other, listening to the Wicked soundtrack, sewing quilts, and just being silly. After Emily's sophomore year, she decided to move back to Maine to enter nursing school, but we continued to stay close. I was honored to be bridesmaid in her wedding about a year a go and now she'll return the favor by being a beautiful bridesmaid at our wedding in July! 

Justine Capraro Bridesmaid

Justine and I go waaay back, to the 7th grade in fact. I remember the day we met so clearly: I walked into English class and the only seats left were at an empty group in the back of the room. Justine left her group to join me in the back and we've been friends ever since. Back in our younger years, we spent endless hours on the phone and hanging out. We would watch movies together, talk about any- and everything, and even take trips to CT (or maybe just one, scary, sleepless trip). As we grew older, our busy schedules took us separate ways, but we continued to stay in touch (through snail-mail, phone calls, facebook, etc), and over two years ago, I was asked to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. It was so wonderful to be a part of her special day and I can't wait to have her be a part of ours! 

Eric Schweitzer Best Man

Eric is John's little brother. John loves his little brother like, well, a brother. They enjoy video gaming together, mainly of the zombie-killing variety. Eric also looks really good in orange (... and John told me to say that). 

Mike Corte Best Man

John and Mike have known each other since freshman year of undergrad at St. Louis University. They've been besties ever since. As far as I can tell, John looks up to Mike as much as Mike looks up to John. It's really a beautiful thing. Whenever John speaks of Mike Corte, he always speaks in hyperbole (i.e. "Mike Corte once killed a grizzly bear in an arm-wrestling match") and ends with, "Mike Corte, Great Man."

Reuss Anderson Groomsman

Reuss and John also go way back. They've known each other since freshmen year as well. They met in the halls of Marguerite Hall on the SLU campus, becoming good friends instantly. Reuss was studying aviation science, and John, computer science. Recently, John took a trip to Florida to hang out with Reuss for a International Fall Festival at Epcot in Disney. Rental of a bright yellow Corvette and drinks around the "world" ensued. 

Jay Sherfy Groomsman

Jay Sherfy is also a Great Man, according to John and others. John met Jay in Marguerite Hall as well. You could say he was a pseudo-floormate. They've known and enjoyed each other's presence for many years now. This is a picture of them after almost being mauled by a bear. Luckily, they blubbered like little girls and the bear had mercy on them. 

John Derus Groomsman

John and John were neighbors during John's senior year and quickly became good friends. John D. once threw a bag of trash onto John S.'s balcony and it smelled bad. John S. retaliated by doing the same. John S. doesn't actually know why it happened, but it was funny at the time. Their friendship was sealed in an "animated discussion" on the relative merits of Van Halen during different time periods. Also, this picture has no relevance to their relationship, but it's nice... no?