One Year Until the Wedding!! SLNW!?

We’ve been engaged for a year, and on Friday, we’ll be a year out from the wedding.

Considering I started a wedding binder in high school, you could say that I was prepared. When we met with our parents last February to establish a budget, I came with folders, Excel sheets, blueprints, cost comparisons, and pens! They weren’t prepared for that.

Planning my wedding has been my dream, but that doesn’t always mean it runs smoothly or comes easy. Sometimes I want to throw in the towel and skip to the courthouse.

There are plenty of times when I prepare to go full diva and throw all my papers in the air, declaring I am done.

But that’ll never happen. I want a wedding. Of course, I want marriage more, but I can’t imagine not starting it with a magical wedding.

We’re a year down and have a year to go.

So, Like, Now What?

I have a lot done, a lot to go, and much to share.

Wedding Details

If you knew me in middle school, you know that I love playing guessing games. People ask me for wedding details, and I’ll usually share, but I don’t want all the surprises to be gone – what’s a solution for this? Well, telling you guessing game style, of course.

We have two wedding colors – named after beverages. Both drinks have made it onto my Instagram page since my 21st Birthday in September.

My dress is one of two styles that I demanded I’d never get, but I repeated my past tendencies when choosing it.

The designer of my dress parades her dresses at a large retail store.

Our Save the Dates will be sent in July, and they are cuter than 1, 2, 3.

When I visited the Mid-America Windmill Museum in the wintertime, there was a 12ft decoration that had me light up and say, “this is it!”

Wedding Mishaps

Through this journey, there have been many mishaps and mess-ups.

When the wedding is decorated and in full swing, know it was not without several “oh shit” moments.

Since Dawson and I have talked about our wedding, we have known what caterer we wanted. It is perfect for the season, and we could down leftovers for decades on end. We were pretty much all set with them until last month when they were like, “Hey! Just wanted to let you know we may go to a different country during your wedding!!” My mind was racing uncontrollably, “So, like, now what! So, like, now what!! So, like, NOW WHAT!?!?” I decided not to stress past level 100 until they confirmed either way, then they finally said, “Hey! Plan on us being there. We will go on vacation after!”

When my wedding dress finally came in, I was pumped. My mom and I headed to the bridal boutique, and they had me try on the dress. When I walked out, a consultant looked at me and said, “Oh, well, that’s way too big.” When she retook my measurements, she noticed that someone had ordered a dress two sizes too big! Thank goodness I picked it out a while ago, and if not, I could always drink more wine and eat more chocolate or get it altered – I’d do it gladly.

That same day, at the bridal store, they brought out my veil. Only, it wasn’t my veil. I just stared at it because I thought I must have remembered it severely incorrectly until the consultant noticed the designer had two veils with the same product number! She got it all sorted out, swore the designer drank too much, and then I won an additional free veil from them months later.

Quick fact: When sticking to a budget, I try to be as close as possible. Sometimes it adds way too much stress because I worry about spending an extra $30 and repeatedly remind myself that it happens! Especially because we saved a lot on our cruise, giving us about an extra $1,000 for the wedding, which is nice because we have more invited guests than we initially expected.

Anyways, we stick to this budget, and I was thrilled when we had all 30 centerpieces for a little under budget! When I set these centerpieces up on the tables’ length, I was shocked when I noticed they were smaller than the plates. Damn it, Chloe, this is why we need math tutors. It was an easy fix, though, don’t worry! I just put three to a table then spent like $400 more on two other sets of centerpieces – no big deal, right! (Actually, we are doing super well on the budget, and I’m obsessed with all three groups of centerpieces and think I can sell them after the wedding. So, it is, in fact, no big deal, and I can stop hyperventilating.)

Do you know how hard it is to find a tux/suit? It’s actually relatively easy, but not in the color we want for Dawson. We’ve tried Men’s Warehouse, and that didn’t work. Do you know what did work? Walmart. Just kidding, of course, Walmart didn’t work. Why did I think they would have a tux (with all sizes picked for you) that would work! Finally, I threw in the towel, and Dawson claimed this as his primary wedding responsibility.

Feedback

You know the feedback I’ve gotten from my wedding? It’s been super helpful. Here are some examples:

Everyone picks that color for weddings!

You thought your neck looked average size in those engagement photos?

Oh, you liked that wedding dress vs. the other?

That dessert just isn’t very good.

There actually has been sweet feedback that makes me feel like I’m crushing this. Most people are super kind and supportive, which I really appreciate.

The negative comments do suck, but those Barbs can remember it’s free alcohol, food, dessert, and photo ops.

Overall, I can’t wait to go through this next year. Wine tasting, Catholic retreats, buying a home, graduating college, putting together bouquets, probably getting a dog, bridal showers, making honeymoon plans, and celebrating the love that we have!

This year is going to be crazy. It’s going to be filled with love. Love from our family, from our friends, from our church, and from each other. I can’t wait to strengthen our relationship and prepare for a marriage that begins with a wedding!

But it all begins this Friday when Dawson and I go out to celebrate our future anniversary. That’s a thing, right!? 

Lmao, cheers!