370 Days.

Welp! It looks like we've got a tentative date. Things are beginning to pick up, but we'd like to save a bit of money first, so our (for now) date is: 04.20.2013
Of course, this depends on the availability at our possible venues. But, if that date is available, that's what it will be! I also got my wedding dress yesterday! Fits perfectly, meant to be. Now we'll be getting into some real planning. Can't wait!
(Also edited my layout quite a bit--much cleaner!)

Wedding Party.

(For our wedding party, we decided to include only family. We've each got a brother and a sister, so it worked out perfectly!)

Bridesmaids


Elizabeth Phillips is Paul's sister. She has always looked out for her two little brothers. She currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida and works at Guardian ad Litem.


Michelle Bommarito is Alex's sister. She got engaged about a month after Alex did, and will be getting married in July 2012! She works as a middle school band director in Ocoee, Florida.

Groomsmen


Peter Phillips is Paul's brother. He's the comedian (and baby) of the family. He works with tile in Tallahassee, Florida.


Bill Jones is Alex's little brother. Alex can't believe how fast he's grown up! He's currently in middle school in Palm Coast, Florida.

Love Ever After.

Love Ever After is going to be a book of photography sharing the love stories of couples who have been together for over 50 years.



Paul and I dream of growing old together, just as these couples have. I hope they inspire you all just as much as they've inspired us.

Linear Park in Palm Coast.

Photo by Barbara Salter

It looks like our wedding is going to take place in Palm Coast, Florida. We're extremely excited about this, as it significantly cuts down on costs. I was perusing inexpensive venues this morning, trying to find something other than the beach.

Suddenly, I remembered driving past a park nestled between the two branches of Palm Coast Parkway. A quick google search brought me to the St. Joe Walkway/Palm Coast Linear Park. I think Linear Park sounds cooler, so I'll keep calling it that. The above photo was taken along the walkway, which is over two miles long.


The walkway is in blue!

Reserving the ability to hold our wedding there would be $75 for the day, until around 6-7pm when the park closes. Depending on what we decide to do for the reception, there would be an additional cost to have alcohol present, but still! So inexpensive!



I took a quick Google Maps tour of the park, and it seems lovely. I'd love to be married between some trees along the path. We'll check it out ourselves when we move there this month, but for now, I'm pretty enamored with it.

Have you ever been to a park wedding?

Tools.

I never realized there were so many products targeted at bride-to-bes. Countless magazines, books, wedding planners, favors, stationary, and more! I've definitely indulged in some of them, but found most of it is junk.

Obviously, I love the magazines. I've gotten plenty more since this photo was taken, and luckily I get a discount on them. I also subscribe to some via Nook, which also cuts down on cost and storage!


The Knot Book of Wedding Lists @ BN.com
This is the only "planning" item I've picked up, and I'm pretty sure it's all I need. I love lists. My fiance thinks it's hilarious that I have entire notebooks dedicated to daily lists. If I'm bored, I make a list. If I'm worried or stressed, I make a list. This was a no-brainer purchase.


I picked up the Le Petit Prince Limited Edition Moleskine at work months and months ago, but couldn't ever decide what to use it for. It's become my dedicated wedding notebook. I stash ideas, lists (shock!), quick sketches, and more inside of it. I've even been making small journal-like entries about the process. I hope I'll be able to look inside it years later and feel every moment over again.


Handmade Weddings @BN.com
This book was a total Christmas splurge. My reasoning? It's Employee Appreciation Week, why not?. I don't regret it at all. The book is beautifully made. The photographs are lovely, and there are so many wonderful ideas. I've bookmarked quite a few, and hope I'll be able to use them!

More than anything, I've been using the internet for most of my inspiration. There are some beautiful wedding blogs out there. Brooklyn Bride and Style Me Pretty: Bridal Inspirations are two of my favorites.

Do you have any other blog suggestions?
Are there any tools I'm desperately missing?

How we met & started dating.

Me at Gamestop, Nov. 2010

Paul and I met around the beginning of November 2008. I applied for a job at Gamestop, and he happened to be the assistant manager. For my interview, we were cramped (along with the store manager) into a closet-sized space in the back of the store. It was slightly awkward staring at each other with hardly any room between us, and there was an immediate spark.


Paul at Gamestop, Nov. 2009

We mutually crushed on each other for about a year. Each of us was very shy, and I got a boyfriend rather soon after landing the job. Neither of us ever believed the other was interested.

Almost a year later, I was single again. Paul invited me to go see A Christmas Carol. It was such fun, and afterward he invited me to dinner. I declined, because I couldn't figure out if he actually liked me or not. Another night when we closed together, he invited me to dinner again. I accepted, and we had a great dinner at El Jalisco's. Still nothing happened, though.

During dinner, he said he'd take me out for sushi for my birthday. On November 13th, we met up after I got off work for dinner. He drove me to Japanica, and I finally got him to confess he liked me! It was much more comfortable afterward, and we went to see Where the Wild Things Are. After that, we went to campus to lay on the stage of the ampitheatre and look at the stars.

It was perfect.

Changes.

By now, many of you know what is going on in our lives. It's been a difficult time, but with the help of our families, everything is going to be okay. We're both so very thankful for what everyone has done and is doing for us.

No matter what, we'll be moving house. We're in the process of packing everything up and attempting to pare down our belongings. It's frustrating that we have no idea where we'll end up, but we're taking it in stride. No matter what, everything will turn out just fine. We've got each other, our families, and Lily.

You'd think that with all of this stress, we'd be arguing or something. It's the exact opposite. We're stronger than ever. We're getting closer than we were before. When Paul is down, I cheer him up. When I'm feeling badly, Paul turns it around for me. We support each other no matter what.

I've still been planning our wedding, but in a much more abstract manner. Since we can't plan anything specific right now, I've been putting ideas on an inspiration board on Pinterest. It's a great site! If anyone needs or wants an invite, let me know!

Since the wedding is going to be smaller no matter where we move, I've been considering some non-traditional dresses. These two from Urban Outfitters are gorgeous, with unexpected open backs. I love the vintage vibe from the second one!

Whether we get married in Florida or New York, everyone will still be invited. We realize that most of you won't be able to come, but if you'd like to make a vacation out of it, feel free!

Again, thank you everyone for supporting us. You're all amazing.