This is inside the church where Kevin and I will be married. It's hard to tell very much from it. There are actually three center isles and four rows of pews. There are several stained glass windows. I just took a picture of one so you could get the idea. The carpet is the same color as the girls' dresses. Of course most of the furniture on the stage will be removed and there is a large center stair that will be added to the front of the stage. I was so excited when I got to go back inside the church to take pictures this afternoon. I just sat in one of the pews for a little while and imagined the whole thing. Only 80 more days!
Kevin and I ordered our wedding invitations today. I am so excited! I think they look simple and elegant, much like my dress. We chose them a while back. In fact, they were the first thing we really decided about the wedding. I still need to finish logging all of the addresses for the invitations, though. The last time we visited Kevin's mother in Tupelo I went McRaes to register for all the folks there. They don't have a Dillard's or a Bed, Bath, and Beyond (where we're registered in Alabama). Mrs. Riley went with me. Well, the whole thing was a little overwhelming for me. So, I told her that I'd just finish it in Alabama. At the time I didn't realize that the McRaes in Montgomery had closed. So, today, when I took Kev to the airport in Birmingham, I went to Galleria where they have another McRaes. Only when I got there I discovered that it is closed for the week because there is a Profits (owned by the same company) opening at the Galleria as well and they're moving merchandise around. Lucky me...On to plan C...Kevin has promised me that we will go to the McRaes in Tupelo next weekend when we go to the Jack Riley Charity Golf Tournamentto help raise money for a sanctuary for the Hospice House.
I cannot believe there are only 84 more days until the wedding! This week I met with the florist and ordered the flowers for bouquets, boutineers, corsages, and the like. I can't tell you how relieved I am to have that out of the way. I hope they'll look nice. I have no doubt that the arrangements will be beautiful, because Dunn's always does a fabulous job when Kevin sends me flowers from there. However, they can only do what I tell them to do, and making up my mind was the hard part. Now I know why so many people get married in the spring...there are so many flowers in season to choose from. I wanted fresh flowers and that's exactly what I got. The bridesmaids will have dark red classy roses and white roses. My bouquet will have white roses (like I originally wanted) and red and white minuette roses with Christmas greenery and sweetheart roses. I decided not to go with the stargazer lilies because they're so expensive. Kevin is still taking it all in stride. He's excited about the wedding too. He even acts interested when I show him things. Tonyell, my "mintee," at school came into my classroom the other day and I was dusting. I told her since I didn't feel like I could get all my teacher stuff done, I'd demoted my self to cleaning lady. That just felt more manageable at that particular moment in time. She said, "Well, Cindy, you've go a whole lot going on right now. " I asked her what she meant. T said, "Well, you know, with the wedding and all." I said,"Girl, I am not worried about that wedding. Worst case scenerio...the punch will spill, the cake will fall, the flowers will be ugly, but in the end I'll still be Mrs. Riley." I don't want to jinx the wedding, but I truly meant that. I'm so excited!
Monday, September 20, 2004
Saturday, I went to David's Bridal with my mother, sister, and niece. We ordered Katelyn's flower girl dress and Amanda's maid of honor dress. Katelyn was especially precious. She was on her best behavior. She calls it her "princess wedding dress." Of course, all the women in the shop made a special point to tell the precious 4-year-old how beautiful she was. She ate it up, just loved all the attention. I can't wait for the big day. It's getting closer and closer. Kevin and I tried to scale down the invitation list this weekend, but we just couldn't. I guess it's a good thing to have that many friends and family. Amanda was beautiful in her dress as well. I am really happy with the color I chose. I think the girls' dresses look very feminine. I even tried one on myself. I ordered a veil for myself and bought my shoes. Stopped by Chocodelphia to find out if they can order chocolate pine cones for the groom's cake. They are supposed to call me back. I also need to get the cake topper, and some other things for the reception. I'm meeting with the florist after work on Wednesday. I have to call about the bridesmaids' luncheon and decide on music. I still have so many things to do.
As I sit and wait for Ivan the Terrible to visit. I think about the unofficial plans Kevin and I have to go to New Orleans after the wedding. Right now, I'm glad they're unofficial. I hope there is still a N'Orleans after the hurricane. We may have to change our destination to something else, though. Of course, we're still hoping to go back to St. Kitts in Jan. I was supposed to meet with Patsy the Florist after school today to discuss flowers. Decided to cancel for now, too many other people out running around for hurricane necessities. This week is the deadline for my girls to go in and order their shoes and dresses. So, by Monday, that'll be another check. Still need a volunteer to video the wedding. Haven't found anyone yet, of course, haven't looked very hard either. I have purchased candles for the reception lately, another check. I've also made some final decisions about the Bridesmaids Luncheon. Now, I just have to call and make the reservations. My neice, Katelyn, is still excited about her "princess" dress. She's also excited about the hurricane. On the phone today she said, "Aunt Cindy, somethings coming, and me and bubby have a bed in momma's room with snacks!" Bless her little heart. I don't know if she's more excited about sleeping in her mothers room or eating snacks. Ahhh, the life of a 4-year-old. Can't wait until Kev and I have one of our own. Between the two of us she won't be able to sit still or be quiet. :)
Today we secured a block of rooms at a nice nearby hotel for out of town guests. I'm so excited...another check off our list. I also talked to the photographer this afternoon. I'm not sure what package we'll get, but at least we've got the date reserved on his calendar. That makes me feel better. Flowers...those dadgum flowers. Still not sure what to do about them. I haven't been able to talk to any other florists yet. I really need some ideas. At this point I say do without them. I know I like starfighter lilies and calla lilies, but I'm not sure what else goes with them. It's only 108 days away; I can't believe how fast the time has flown by since June 24th in the Big Apple. We've still got so many things to do before the the big day. No matter what happens, as long as Kevin's there I'll be happy.
