According to Kasi

9 months to go

Wedding

9 months from today I will marry my best friend

We were engaged on May 19, 2012

And from ~~the time we started speaking about weddings~~ that day

I've been trying to collect everything wedding I can, starting with my wedding planner

In it, is a very helpful checklist of what should be done for the wedding

So here is my checklist and where I am at, excluding stuff I am not doing

Nine months and earlier

Select a date for the wedding Well obviously that's a big fat CHECK. How would you know its nine months before your wedding if you didn't have a date?

Hire a professional wedding consultant Um sort of check. Robert's cousin does this for a living and she's assisting me and doing a fabulous job I might add.

Determine the type of wedding you want: location, formality, time of day, number of guests I'd say check. We've done almost all of this... except our guest list grows daily- I think number of guests is going to be something we finalize the day of.

Determine the budget and how expenses will be shared Checkity Check Check. Although my wonderful mother surprised me and bought my dress. And since I can't post my dress online because my groom doesn't want to see it (isn't he precious?) I will show you a sneak peek

Develop a record - keeping system for payments made I usually tape my receipts in the section they belong to in my planner... but I've recently had to involve Microsoft Excel just because theres too much to keep up with and my sticky notes were unsticking.

Consolidate all guest lists kind of check. I've split them up into mom's family & friends, dad's family & friends, Roberts family & friends, and then our friends to be invited. But theres no putting priority on guests. We're just inviting everyone...

Decide if you want to include children among guests NO. I mean... of course your lovely children can come. But if they're bad I'll probably feed them mountain dew and pixi sticks and send them back!

Select and reserve ceremony site We haven't come to a definite decision on this. More on this subject as things get decided or potentially built : )

Select and reserve your officiant This we would classify as a halfway check. Yeah we're pretty sure who we want but I think that depends on the ceremony site. We have a meeting over Thanksgiving break for this.

Select and reserve reception site CHECK. We're having our reception where we got engaged! At the barn! We're renting a tent (hopefully air conditioned). His mom and step-dad got married there and his sister also had her reception there (the wedding I attended right before Robert and I started dating. aww, where it all started).

Select and order your bridal gown and headpiece CHECK. Mom bought my gown in June. and veil and everything that goes with it. I have been creeping on longer veils for the ceremony though...

Determine color scheme Its mostly figured out. The accent colors change with the color of bridesmaids dresses, how much peacock I want to incorporate, etc but I would give this a CHECK.

If ceremony or reception is at home, arrange for home or garden improvements as needed Although this is not a check for my list I'm pretty sure my future mother-in-law is taking charge of this one. No events after Easter at the barn, etc. I'm sure we will do more planting of things and freaking out on the dirty men in our lives in the spring.

Select and book a photographer My wonderful childhood (and current) friend Britt Brown is doing my photography for the wedding. She really is amazing and I love how none of her pictures are too posed. Everything seems natural and candid.

Order passport, visa, or birth certificate if needed, for your honeymoon or marriage license No checks here. We don't even know where we want to honeymoon. Dream honeymoon: probably Italy. I already have my passport though so Robert would just need his. We will probably not take one right way though, especially if I want to go to Italy!

six to none months before wedding

Select maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, and ushers That's a recent check! I just asked the last bridesmaid last weekend. Robert had already asked his groomsmen via phone the second we decided.

Select flower girl and ring bearer Also asked my flower girls. I'm having two! We opted out of having a ring bearer for now. Somehow something always goes wrong with those. Little boys have a mind of their own.

Reserve wedding night bridal suite not yet.

Select attendants' dresses, shoes, and accessories CHECK. I found these dresses I love in a color that works with my wedding colors. I'm letting them pick their own shoes and jewelry.

Select and book a caterer, if needed Kind of doing a mix of homemade food and ordering what we can. So this is a half check too

Select and book ceremony musicians Uhh no check here either

Select and book reception musicians or DJ Still just don't know what I want.

Select and book florist We are using sunflowers that Robert's family grows as our centerpieces and I'm having the bouquets made from a florist. So another half check.

Okay wow. Another lengthyyyyy post about weddings.

Can't help it I'm obsessed.

And on top of it we bought Robert's wedding band

And I'm getting my dress alterations done

And creeping on some new veils

So I am in wedding mode.

Get over it.

Bye Ya'll