I rather enjoy being a fiance. Haven’t you noticed that people get all excited and smiley when you tell them you are getting married? I am showered with congratulations and inquiries about wedding plans all while they are probably reflecting on memories of their own nuptials. It’s pretty cute. I feel like handing out a card with my blog address on it – and saying, “here…this is what I’m thinking…”

via A.Mountain.Bride: 6 months out – recap.

Here is the narrowed down list of photographers. Anyone out in the blog-o-sphere have any feedback on them?

Andy and Angie Wood of A&A Studios

Debi and Amanda of Kokoro Photography

Karie and Natalie of Karie McLain Photography (which will forever mess with my head since I grew up in McLean)

Now I just need to get my act together, figure out (with the dude) when we want to meet with them, and then call and schedule it. I hope that meeting in person is going  to help us figure out who we want to book with.

I told my mom that the biggest part of my personal hang-up about booking things is thinking about $$$. I know I need to pay decent money for decent services, but everything cost so much! The food budget I can think about $/person and justify it, but photography is really just for Ben and I and our families. That makes it seem like the $/person is just astronomically high until you remember that photography is the only thing from the wedding day that will last in perpetuity.

*brain overload, no more thinking about budgets and money that’s not mine except to spend on this wedding fete*

I invited a whole bunch of our friends over on Friday night for Ben’s surprise un-birthday party. It was great! I wish I’d taken more photos though, but I was having so much fun! There were 12 grownups and 2 babies in attendance and we stuffed ourselves. I made 3 batches of pizza dough (two white, one wheat), shredded 2 lbs of mozzarella cheese, had 3 lb.s of tomato sauce, and lots of veggie toppings. I requested that everyone bring either booze or dessert and boy did our friends do well! We had 2 pies, 6 pints of ice cream, 2 six-packs, 2 bottles of sparkling cider, a bottle of wine, a bottle of persecco, and a whole bunch of dollar store noise makers and happy birthday signs. Thankfully we had the willpower to not finish everything all at once, but we did pretty well.

Happy almost-birthday, Ben!

Saturday night we went out to Colterra for First Bite Boulder. Again, no pictures, sorry. The food was too yummy!

I’m not sure that Ben and I are letterpress kinda people. To me letterpress wedding invitations are generally super formal, which we’re not. But, if we won a FREE letter pressing it from iDiY.com, I would be more than willing to a) make our own invites and b) be able to make not formal looking letterpress invites.

http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/11/the-l-letterpress-tool-kit-giveaway/

sequin boots

They look so sparkly, like the ballet flats I’ll change into during the reception. Too bad I’ll look like a street walker wearing these boots with my knee length dress.

Ben and I went to a bridal show yesterday at the Boulderado Hotel. We went mainly to look at photographers, but ended up more interested in invitation stationery and greenery/orchids than the photographers who were there. None of them were bad, just not our style. We also tried some AWESOME cupcakes from some of the bakers, especially from Shemane’s Bake Shoppe who did our friends’ wine and dessert welcome reception. Mmmm, lemon poppyseed cupcake with toasted meringue frosting. Kinda makes me re-think the no cake idea. Oh well, NO CAKE! Not at our reception anyway. Maybe afterwards, what kinds cupcakes go with beer and soft pretzels (the current after party idea)?

I’ve kinda set up a makeshift pedestal for my wedding shoes. An empty box of copy paper with shoes on top of it at the end of the couch in the living room. I see them at least a few times a day. Yes, I think they’re that pretty and yes, they still make me smile.

PS- I’m wearing the heels around the house to break them in slowly (and just to get used to wearing +3″ heels that aren’t wedges or boots)