212: Checking it off my list
Things are going very smoothly, minus the bumps and bruises of minor disagreements along the way. Bryan is right in saying that it is frustrating me. I'm very much a control freak and not having my hand in everything 100% is driving me bonkers. I'm finding myself compromising more than I originally thought I would, but it's all turning out for the better.
We selected our photographer: K. Herman Photography. It's actually very interesting how I found her: Facebook ads. No kidding you! Remember how much people complain that Google and Facebook are memorizing the places you go and search on your computer? Well, I don't know if I will ever be complaining again! I had been searching for budget friendly photographers in the area for some weeks and had very little luck. When Facebook put an ad up about a photographer that I might be interested in, I had to check it out. Sure enough, she had gorgeous photos and looked to have a great eye for artistic capture. So I sent her a message and we met up that next weekend!
I am happy to say that she will be a perfect fit for us, and we came in under our budget! The best part is that I get along great with her and I'm sure we'll mesh very well throughout the whole process.
The next topic on my list was a caterer and we've got that list narrowed down to four.....well, three, actually. Apparently, leaving two messages with a caterer is not enough to get them to call you back. So, they have successfully opted themselves out of being part of my wedding: definitely not something I want to deal with in the process.
That being said, we have three options: Hamman's Catering, Hilver's Catering, and Jack's Catering. Bryan is in love with Jack's because we could get steaks for everyone and still be in our budget. Yay. If only I loved steak that much. It is a good deal, but I'm going to base it on our tasting. Right now, Hilver's is my favorite because: A) We already had our tasting with them and it was delicious, B) They have no hidden fees or taxes, and C) They have GREAT customer service!
This Friday we'll be going to Hamman's for a tasting and the final one (Jack's) is on November 10th. Bryan's favorite is also the most difficult. They only offer tastings on Tuesdays and the first time they have available after 5pm (which is when the normal world works till...) is November 10th. So, we will be making our decision on November 11th!
After the caterer is chosen, we'll be moving on to the band (since we've already gone through our list of over 15 bands and narrowed it down to two.....with a slight lean towards one of them). Both of our top two choices are under our budget and VERY good! Dad took a listen and liked them both, so that helps. We are going to see our top choice next Friday and might try to get in to see the other afterwards. So that decision should be pretty easy comparatively.
Our final big decision of the winter is going to be cakes. We've got it narrowed down to 7 and I'm all ready to go to each and every one to try them and see what the designs options are. Bryan? Not so much. We'll see where we end up going on that one. :)
The difference between myself and Bryan is that, to him, it's just a cake, but to me, it has to look pretty! So I'm getting Mom's perspective on this one and we'll go from there! I mean, it's just cake, right? So he'll like it no matter what!
I'm planning to go home again for the holidays, so Mom and I will be able to try on some other dresses....just to make sure I've covered my bases and gotten the one I want! I mean, I'm a girl, so I won't miss a chance to try on some gorgeous wedding dresses!
I'm still very flustered and frustrated, but it's only the normal bride frustrations. I need everything organized in paper and in my hand....and that just doesn't work with Bryan. So I'm learning to manage and we are better for it. I mean, it's probably time I caught up to the 21st century and learned that technology is better, right?
Send me luck and happy thoughts everyone!
