Southern Hospitality

Last week I got an exciting call from Blue Bell Creameries in Brehnam, Texas. A few weeks ago my mom sent a letter to them (yes, as in snail mail, they don't have a phone number listed online) and made a small special request for something for the wedding. Last week they called us and said they can complete our request!


So, today I made a trip here to take a look at our product! Now, you will have to wait until after the wedding or maybe just a little closer to find out exactly what we bought.

When I called Clay to tell him about this he just kind of laughed at me because I was so excited over something so small. Well, it is small but I am VERY excited. 

Change Of...Buttons

This weekend I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my 2 MOH, Mom, and Future MIL (post on that coming soon.) One place we went was Serendipity Bridal which is where I bought my dress. I saw my dress from afar as I'm keeping it from a secret from my maids. I was however browsing the stores new collection of Priscilla of Boston dresses. One word....all amazing! I love P of B. Probably my favorite designer. Sadly, my P of B dress I liked didn't end up being the one.


Ok...back to the post. As I was looking at the dresses, I loved the buttons on the back. I thought 'oh, I wish my dress had buttons. Wait, I should be able to add buttons. That should be easy.'


My mom walked over to my dress and confirmed that buttons would look good and easy to do. My bridal consultant called the designer on Monday and even better, they can add them for me. 

{Source}

I'm just adding buttons to my bodice and think it will make it even that much better. The best part of it all was going in Monday and being able to look at my dress again!. It should be shipped in the middle of September. I can't wait for it to get here. Now...I need to work on the shoes!

I Guess Our Guests Need To Eat

{Source}

This weekend Clay, my parents and I met with Shannon from Crave and the meeting couldn't have been better. We didn't know what we wanted, I just had a few ideas and even more things that I knew I didn't want. 


1. No chaffing dishes
2. No Buffet
3. No cliche wedding food


Simple as that. 


Our first decision was to go with stations. We will have four stations with completely different options. All the stations will be in the same area but the layout and station option should avoid having people wait in one long line as if they were in a cafeteria. 


{Our Stations}


1. Comfort Station (or I like to call it Clay's station)
2. Carving Station
3. Pasta Station
4. Salad Station


We will also have a round table that plates will go on, along with a large focal centerpiece of some sort and a pretty chalkboard such at this one!

{Source}

I would love to reveal the menu but the menu was formed by just bouncing idea off of each other and I didn't even write them all down! Once the menu is finalized I will be sure to post it.


I knew from the start that this was a meeting that I wanted my parents to attend. There were way too many decisions being made and way too much money being spent for Clay and I to decide everything. It was wonderful having them there along with Clay and I because we were really able to develop a menu that reflected us. We all agreed on the menu and then each chose an appetizer to try at the tasting. 


How was your menu developed? 

Happy Friday

I'm sure just like everyone else, I'm so glad it's Friday!

I thought I would leave everyone with this picture. This is the lake house my wonderful bridal party and friends have rented for my bachelorette party and I couldn't be more excited!

Wedding Related Weekend Plans:


-I'm meeting with a potential caterer which is really exciting. I just don't know what I want to eat on my wedding day so I'm excited to talk about the options.


-I'm taking my MOH's, Mom and Future Mother-in-Law to go bridesmaid dress shopping. Figures crossed it is as easy as finding my wedding dress but I have a feeling that it may not. 


If both of these tasks were accomplished, those would be two big checks off our list. 

My Fair Ladies

There are so many decisions to be made as soon as the wedding date is set. But if I'm being honest, the wedding party was decided on about 36 hours after Clay proposed. My list was pretty easy to choose. Being a bridesmaid requires a lot more than being a groomsmen so I didn't want to add anyone just so I matched Clay's numbers. In fact, I have one less that Clay does and I don't even care. One of my girls will walk down the aisle with two guys. I'm sure she won't be complaining about that!

{My Girls}

{My MOH's Amy and Kristen also my future Sister-In-Law's} 

{BM Carey who I have know for what seems like forever}

{BM Jenny -  I only have one cousin on my Dad's side and she is it! On a side note, this is a very old picture of all of us!}

{BM Whitney -  We met before my freshman year in high school and ended up going to college together}

{BM Kaitlin - My wonderful college roommate}

I love all of my girls for all different reasons and can't imagine spending my wedding day without any of them! In fact, one thing that I have always pictured when thinking about my wedding day is spending all day hanging out and getting ready with my wedding party.

{My Flower Girls}

{McKenize will be almost 3 when we get married}

{Collin will be 16 months when we get married and is definitely the youngest member of our bridal party}

Both flower girls are Clay's nieces and the daughters of my MOH's. A lot of brides seem to be stressed out about their FG and RB walking down the aisle. Me on the other hand could care less. If they don't walk down than they don't walk down. Collin hasn't even started walking yet so hopefully by April she will be a pro!

The Ring {Part 2}

Right after we were engaged, our lives were pretty busy.  We didn't have time to drive to Houston to finish the ring. 

A few weeks passed and I started to get really antsy and really wanted to finish my ring. We finally decided that we would drive to Houston early one morning so that I would get back before I needed to be at work.

I called the jewelry shop that we were recommended to and asked if I need to make an appointment. I was told no and then I asked if I could make one anyways. I was told no again. Ok then! I called three times before we actually made the trip up to Houston to make sure that the guy we were told to work with would be in and they said yes.

We drove to Houston early one morning and were there right when they opened. We walked in, pictures in hand, and asked for our guy.

He wasn't going to be in today.

Clay was about ready to walk out, I was lost and confused, and there we stood, 3 hours away from Austin, not knowing what to do.

Finally, we decided that we would start working with someone else.

Clay and I took a look at what they had and just like every other jewelry store, they didn't have what we were looking for. We decided that the best option would be to purchase an eternity band and cut it in half. We picked the diamonds for the band and suddenly it was all over and time to leave my ring with the store. 

It was really scary leaving Houston, without my ring and really not knowing what my ring would look like. 

A few days later I received an email with pictures of my ring.

My heart sank, it was absolutely perfect. If I wasn't in a public place, I would have screamed and jumped up and down. 

A few days later, my ring arrived at my parents house.  It was like getting engaged all over again!

The Ring {Part 1}

Clay and I have talked about getting married and engagement rings for really as long as I can remember. 


Secretly about two years ago, Clay's brother and sister-in-law were making a trip to a private jeweler in Austin and Clay and I went with them. I was sized for a ring and we even talked about what I liked. 


Since then, my tasted has changed a little but and I actually ventured out to a large jeweler with one of my bridesmaids to try on some rings about a year ago. I must say, rings look totally different on your hand than they do in a picture. 


I decided on what my dream ring would look like and sent it to Clay. This was last January. When I told him what I wanted, I also told him that I didn't want to discuss this anymore so that I didn't really know when it was coming.


In January, little did I know Clay had gone to our jeweler to start talking about my ring. 


Some point between January and May when he proposed, the jeweler found what he thought was the perfect diamond. 


Clay went over to take a look at it and decided that indeed it was perfect.


Next started the process of designed the remaining part of the ring. Once Clay had decided on what it would look like, there wasn't going to be enough time between that day and proposal day.


From what I have heard, Clay was a little stressed about it but made the right decision in the end. He had our jeweler place the diamond on a simple silver band.


When Clay actually proposed to me, he kept telling me 'this isn't the ring' 'this isn't the ring.'


In order to finish the ring we need to go to Houston, so, off to Houston we went...