20% wedding planning, 50% design, 30% randomness
We found our photographer weeks ago, but I never wrote about it on the blog. 
We are so excited about her and know she will do a great job! Leah Stern, of Leah Stern Photography will be shooting our photos at our wedding. She is an experience portrait photographer in the DC area. She has decided to branch out into wedding and other events, and she clearly has a knack for it! I have seen some of her wedding photos on her blog as of recently and they look great! 
Our “Save the Date” postcards probably should have been sent out a little sooner, but now they are sent!
The wedding related appointments have been pouring in and taking up most of my free time lately. This weekend my mom and I are meeting with two florists and a wedding photographer. I am excited to see the flowers at the florist’s, that will be something new!
My goal in the next two weeks is to finally narrow down my choices and book a photographer. I have three I am choosing from now, all at varying degrees of talent and price points. I have met with two so far and have scheduled a consultation with the other photographer for this weekend so that I can make a decision soon. After that I am determined to scope out hotels and reserve blocks of rooms.
Last week I found out that not only is there an ORIOLES GAME that weekend but it’s FELLS POINT FUN FEST as well! AHHH it is going to be interesting but I’m sure it will work out. The only thing I can do is plan around it So I am going to put up all the pertinent info as soon as humanly possible so that guests can plan and book their accomodations soon.
Last Saturday Chris and I went to the Baltimore Aquarium again to check out a wedding that was happening that night in the same spot that ours will be. We were only there for a few minutes, but I think it was worth it to see how beautiful it was! And we got to meet the Vice President, Larry, who helped us out.
Here are some pictures of their set-up:
I thought I liked the white wood folding chairs the best, but now that i’ve seen the black ones and the way they fade into the background, I can’t decide!
On Wednesday afternoon around 12:15pm I pulled up to the new Chick-fil-A on Johns Hopkins Road in Laurel with my bags and a couple of folding chairs, prepared to camp out and become a winner! The first 100 people in line there were to win a years supply of food from Chick-fil-A! My mom had told me about the promotion and planned to do it with me, but ended up changing her mind, so I told a friend about it instead and we went for it. It was really fun, and not difficult at all.
The company made sure we were comfortable, with lunch, dinner, a snack, outdoor space heaters, games, a DJ, water, coffee, hot chocolate, sweet tea, an ice cream social, bathroom access, the list goes on. Around 9pm we got to hang out in the restaurant while we listened to Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A gave a question and answer session, along with an awkward 15 minute prayer that made me very uncomfortable.
We actually didn’t realize that we needed to be there as early as we were. But my mom drove by around 10am to check out the situation, and said there were already 20 tents set up! So I called my friend Kristina and we got our stuff together and headed out. The first contestant was there around 12am the night before, waiting in her car, because you weren’t allowed to wait on the property until 24 hours in advance (6am) Eventually a group came to wait in line that brought a generator, a projector and screen for entertainment. I watched part of Entrapment in the Chick-fil-A parking lot.
A good time was had by all, from families with young children, college students, engineers from the physics lab across the street, and the unemployed, like me! At 6am we gathered in line to claim our prize! I packed up my stuff and headed to my rents place nearby to get some sleep since I had none in the parking lot.
I just wanted to write an update on the showcase I went to on Tuesday night for the Pros. In a word, it was okay. I wasn’t really blown away. I don’t think they’re really my style, but it would be a good choice for someone that is on a budget for sure! I guess i’ll have to keep looking…
Here is a terrible picture of the DJs giving a demonstration of their “dance moves.” Imagine YMCA playing in the background.
I’m finally finished editing the photos from our e-pic session with our friends Russell and Kristina! Thanks soo much guys, they turned out really well… even though I had to cut and paste Chris’s face from different photos in a few (he thinks it’s funny to make dumb faces) But actually he did really well. Thanks babe, I know how much you hate getting your picture taken.
We started the photo shoot at Centennial Park where we walked around looking for some nice spots to take photos. Chris and I go on walks there when the weather’s nice. Afterward we drove over to Main Street Ellicott City to take some more shots walking around the historic district. This is another spot that we frequent, since we live so close. They have the coolest little shops and restaurants there. We had a fun time.
Let me know what you think… i’m gonna need help deciding which ones to use in the save-the-dates!
I have asked a good friend of mine if he would take some engagement photos of Chris and I. Thanks Russell!! We have been engaged for two years now, but I think I might want to use them for Save-the-dates and to display at our wedding reception. Plus, they’re just nice to have.
So the shoot is scheduled for Sunday, November 9th, which gives me less than two weeks to decide on a spot. Hopefully it won’t be as cold and windy as today!
I really like the urban shots with brightly painted concrete, fire escapes, bricks, but then I also love the fall foliage at different parks in the area. I am in love with the red bridge at Centennial Park..
Here are my ideas for locations and some photos i’ve found of them:
If you have any other ideas that you think we might like, send them my way!
I just snagged some complimentary tickets for a Photography Showcase for The Pros. They are one of the vendors I found from the Bridel Expo I went to a couple of weeks ago. They have this amazing deal where you can get Photography, Videography, and a Disc Jockey for a little less than 2k! With a price like that, who knows if they’re any good… but you know me, always being thrifty when I can, so naturally this deal wasn’t something I could pass by without a little research. So I am dragging a friend along with me to check them out. Plus… we get free wine and cheese!
The event is November 18th, I’ll write about it afterward.
The National Aquarium (source: rocket9.net)
I have been MIA on here for a bit I know! I had some things going on that were keeping me busy. One being planning my trip to LA to see one of my best friends next week!
Anyway, I am soooo excited to announce that my wedding ceremony and reception will officially be at The National Aquarium in Baltimore next October!! I can’t express how excited I am. I did a ton of research and went through a bit of a snag along the way but now it’s set! This was mine and Chris’s #1 choice so we are ecstatic.
I had thought that the catering company (the aquarium works with them exclusively) was going to be too expensive, and then once I started talking with them, it didn’t go very well. It’s a bit of a long story, and I wrote about my troubles in a previous post. Anyway the Vice President of the company contacted me, and assured me of their services and was super helpful. It all worked out pretty well, and we were able to work something out.
Here are some images of the space:
Ceremony and Reception area (source: Aquarium)
Underwater Dolphin viewing area (source: Anja Lendvay)
Chairs set up for ceremony (source: Anja Lendvay)
Aquarium Cafe for cocktail hour is a possibility (source: my cell phone camera)
As I read the article, I started to become offended, was Chris trying to tell me that he thought I was becoming a crazy bridezilla (gasp)?! Did he not want to see me in a beautiful white dress?! Does he not want flowers?!
But I read on. This is one interesting article. They are obviously going for shock value. But the point that I think they are trying to make is that a man and woman shouldn’t feel like they are supposed to have a traditional wedding with calligraphist addressed invitations, flower center pieces, an individual favor for each guest, and a white dress.
The bottom line though, is this: Every bride and groom should plan the wedding that they want. Not the wedding that the wedding industry leads them to think they want. It makes it difficult when anything with the word “wedding” stamped on it comes with a higher price tag. I think that the writers are trying to change this fact, or at least take the first step to it. Because everyone doesn’t want the OTT wedding. But the ones that do, that’s great too!
This is definitely making me rethink some things that I have been planning for my wedding. Because I want the event to reflect the couple that Chris and I are and have every guest remember our special day for its uniqueness. Our location is one thing at least that won’t be at all traditional.
