5 Months and Counting

Well, here we are...five months away from the big day, December 18, 2004. I'm so excited! I can't wait to be the next Mrs. Riley. When we set the date, it seemed so far away. Now I think about all there is to do and I wonder if there is enough time. As Kevin would say, we've got a lot of checks:

• I have found and ordered my wedding gown. It's ivory....a great big thank you to my friend Robin Harp who went with me and forced me to try on countless dresses, some I even hated, until we found the right one. It turned out to be the 3rd dress I tried on at the first stop.
• My bridesmaids will be my little sis Amanda, high school friend Joannie Garner, teacher friend Robin Harp, and partner in crime girlfriend Carolyn Ford. The flower girl is my 4-year-old adorable curly headed niece, Katelyn Mitchell.
• I found the bridesmaids dresses at David's Bridal. They're very feminine. I chose apple for the color. It's a deep red color, appropriate for the season. Katelyn will wear an ivory colored dress like me, complete with tiara, gloves and ballerina slippers, of course.
• Kevin has chosen his groomsmen, brothers Tim and Mike Riley, good buddies Kevin Egan and Joey Morris. The ring bearer is my handsome 7-year-old nephew, Christian Mitchell.
• The tuxedos are standard without tails and will come from Afterthoughts. Kevin will wear a platinum 4-hand tie and vest. All the other men and ring bearer will wear apple ties and vests.
• We found a cake lady. Diane will make the bride's cake and the groom's cake. You'll have to come to the reception if you want to see it. It's definitely worth the calories!
• We found a church we like and are just waiting to hear from the minister of the church. He had to petition the church elders for permission. This seems to be taking longer than we expected it would.
• We found a reception place we think we like. We've scheduled a meeting to discuss the details on Monday afternoon. We'll know more then. I've discovered it's not easy finding a place in December, especially one that will allow you to serve champagne. Cross your fingers and pray for us.
• We have a minister, Ron Prevatte of First Baptist Church in Prattville. I taught his two youngest sons and feel very close to him. I'm honored he's agreed to perform our ceremony. We begin meeting with him Tuesday afternoon.
• We have registered at Dillard's and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

I told you we had a lot of checks. Right now the big hold up seems to be the church. I'm very nervous about that. It's not easy finding a place to wed in December. I wonder how much more I can get accomplished before school starts...