Count Down to the Wedding!

This is a complete 360 from my usual topic of books to focus on my upcoming nuptials. There are only five short weeks, and I am finding more and more things to do to get ready for the wedding! My fiance, Brian, and I are getting married on the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, one of my favorite places in the entire world. Since I was around 4, my family has traveled to Florida, Alabama, and/or Mississippi to vacation along the emerald green waters and sugar white sand beaches.

We are going with tans and whites for the color scheme (what other colors would you need when you have that gorgeous ocean behind you), and the photo above is actually very similar to what our ceremony will look like. We will be having burlap chair sashes, but the arbor will have white fabric. Our wedding planners have been absolutely amazing! Robert and Amy at Paradise Beach Weddings have been nothing but supportive and accommodating for our big day.

Before we make our trip down to the Emerald Coast in five short weeks, I have a few things to do. First, Brian and I actually have a wedding to attend this Saturday. One of my best friends is getting married, so I am really excited to see her tie the knot!

 (This isn't her exact wedding, but this is what I picture in my mind!)

Next on my list, is the wedding shower! I am actually having my shower at a restaurant here in Tennessee, and I am excited to eat snacks and socialize with all my favorite girls. Getting this together is probably a huge check off my list. The only thing Brian and I have left to complete our wedding is to book our getaway car/ limo. Not sure exactly what we are going to do as of today, but I think we are leaning toward a limo. One thing I am excited for is to eat at the reception venue we booked for after the wedding! Initially, we had decided not to do any type of reception, only a small dinner for immediate family, but since our guest list mainly involves family except for a few friends, we decided to book a place for dinner after wards.

Louisiana Lagniappe has an excellent menu, and they have a nice deck that we reserved for our party (Let's start praying it doesn't rain today shall we). The staff there was friendly and easy to work with. They are printing custom menus for our dinner free of charge.

(Just look at that view of the harbor)

So, while most of the big things are taken care of, I still have a hundred tiny things to do and prepare for like remember to steamer for my dress; buy sunscreen, literally jugs of it to prevent sunburn before the wedding; practice hairstyles; get my hair highlighted (this was demanded by my mother, good thing she's a beautician); find shoes to wear to the dinner (barefoot wedding on the beach, possible I might forget shoes); figure out flowers (I am just going to make my own bouquet, but I need to plan the type of flowers); pick a shirt for Brian, unless he finally decided what to wear with his sear-sucker suit; and the list goes on with meticulous things.

So, with only 5 weeks left, excited is not even the right word to explain how I feel right now. Not to get all sappy, but Brian is my best-friend and our wedding will be the start of the rest of my life with him. After almost five years of long-distance, I can't wait to FINALLY live in the same state, let alone zip code.