Slowly and steady...we begin.

I began looking at dresses and went and bought some bridal magazines along with a few organization items to help me keep track of everything.  When I googled top bridal magazines, it popped up a top ten list, from which I chose three (geez magazines, you've gotten expensive!)  I'll start perusing those in the next few days and, as I make my own scrapbook-ish organizer of things I like, I'll be sure to post everything up here so you can help me!  There's no new recipe, and just a little rambling in the get healthy spot, so don't worry about checking those until the end of the week probably.  On to the main event!

Since the dress is going to take a while, I assume, I scheduled an appointment on Sunday at David's Bridal.  I figured they would be an easy starting point and somewhere safe to dip my toes in the proverbial water before going on a the true hunt.  Besides which, I'll need people to go with me once I've narrowed it down (MOMS).  In the mean time I hope you'll settle for this brief compilation of dresses I saw in the catalogue that I liked--though when I went to make the appointment today, I saw a few I had dismissed pictures of that were OMG SO PRETTY once I saw them.  Bear with me!  And, of course, when we get down to the finals---don't show Bruno!

Liz pointed out to me that I apparently like sweetheart necklines.  I do not plan on having my hair up, especially since it's gotten so long, so I'm hoping I can get away with strapless, but I am open to everything.  One thing I'm really hoping for, though--and I know people say not to get fixated on details--is buttons.  I really, really, really love the small buttons that go down the centerline of the back of dresses.  I even like them more than the corset-tie type ones.  I'm just saying.  Also, it appears that ruching is having a moment again...I'm neither here nor there on that, but I think almost every dress I'm about to show you has it in some form or another.

Here's from the David's Bridal catalogue--these are all individual dresses, but I put them together into pairs that were similar:

First, I just have to show you the buttons....aren't they pretty?  I saw the one on the right in person, and it's an invisible zipper that the buttons sit over top, which I thought was quite clever.

Here are two more sets:  the pair on top I liked for how simple (I can live without that bedazzle belt), and the ones on below I liked the detailing/silhouette

And these ones I liked, but not loved.  The top two I liked the silhouette (but I don't think my expansive bosom needs a bling encrusted bra on its outside...and I'm not sure I like that crumpled paper looking gather, though I like the top half of the dress and I have seen other people with those gathers and it looks quite nice).  The ones on the bottom have that crazy amount of ruching, but still look simple and sweet.  I'm just not sure about the giant bow--the pink flower belt is an accessory, not part of the dress, but I think the bow is not optional.

Location, Location, Location

I'm pretty much fixated on Ardenwood Historic Farm as our location, which Bruno sounds fairly excited about (he loves their gazebo).  Ardenwood is one of my favorite places, and we still go there every year for our Halloween pumpkins.  Here are a links to two websites showcasing weddings that take place there--it looks like Ardenwood has its own event planning company and you can use the main historic house on site to get ready.

This is a July wedding.

This one was in August.

I haven't really started looking any further, because I love Ardenwood so much.  Then again, if anyone knows a place similar that's here in the south bay, please let me know!

First Post!!!

Thank you all for the congratulations!  We're very excited to share the news with you.  Because I'm still working on my degree, the actual wedding probably won't be for a while.  I'm going to try and keep up an area around my cooking and fitness, the dress, the location, and styles-themes-colors-etc that we like.

 I'll keep everything updated here, so keep checking in for news or to see how things are coming along.