Caleb & Meredith's Engagement

Calling all Grooms!

2009-05-21T15:52:00.002-04:00

The men in your life may appreciate Mr. Monkey and his hilarious insight on weddings and marriage.

Custom Guestbook

2009-05-21T15:18:00.003-04:00

How adorable is this?

Let them eat CAKE!

2009-05-21T13:27:00.008-04:00

Hmm, wedding cakes. I thought that I didn't care that much - until it came time to order one. I started pricing out cakes in Charleston - did you know a cake can start at $1375, before the design consultation fee, before the delivery fee, before the craziness?!

So here's a peek at what I have found that I like.

I like the simplicity of this one (minus the flowers):

From the Cake Girls

I love the monogram on this one:

Pink Cake Box Blog

I love the ribbons on this one:

Image found on Southern Weddings

I think I like the pop of color on this one:

From the Knot

But I think most of all, I like the structure of this one:

(I can't remember where I found this! Sorry!)

So I think I am off to the craft store to buy some supplies to see if I can do the whole paper-flower thing... if so my flower girls will have some beautiful pomanders to carry thanks to Martha and WeddingBee.

Flowers

2009-05-16T15:40:00.002-04:00

I got an estimate early on in this wedding planning that the flowers for just my bouquet (white mini-calla lilies) and my 5 bridesmaid's bouquets (mango mini-calla lilies) would be nearly $1000.00 - aka TOO MUCH. At least on this budget-bride's budget, TOO MUCH.

Some people have suggested that I use silk flowers instead, but they cost as much as real stems and don't look like them.

My solution: Wholesale flowers. I am getting my mini-callas for less than $2 per stem, and calla bouquets are SUPER easy to put together. Just check out these youtube clips for corsages, boutonnieres, and bouquets (1 and 2).

My entire floral bill will be about $150 for My bouquet, 5 bridesmaids bouquets, 5 corsages, and 12 boutonnieres. Chump change compared to the $1000 I was quoted for fewer products!

Bridesmaids and Shoes and MY Dress and MORE!

2009-05-12T16:44:00.006-04:00

I know. I know I know I know. It has been FOREVER since I posted anything here - it's been since February! But I am back, I have graduated, I am jobless, and there are 59 days to the wedding so I will be here frequently!

Bridesmaids:
When I was choosing bridesmaids, I automatically had 4 in mind. The 5th girl I was going to ask was going to be out of the country during the wedding, which I learned before I asked her. So I asked another really good friend and she replied that she would love to - but she was moving to ALASKA and wasn't sure she'd make the wedding. Bummer. So I hemmed and hawed (is that a word?) and decided to ask a new friend. She said yes! Good to go with 5 bridesmaids, perfect to even out the 5 groomsmen. Until... 5th bridesmaid all of a sudden has something come up and can no longer make it to the wedding. I am now on 4th string 5th bridesmaid - whoever I ask will know this. Anyway, I regrouped and asked my childhood best friend, less than 3 months before the wedding. Fortunately, she pulled through for me and has been AWESOME! Thanks so much girl!

Dresses they have chosen, in the tentative order they will be standing:

(All dresses are from David's Bridal.)

As far as shoes, I was torn between going with a champagne color that might match the guys' khaki suits (from Belk's) and going with orange shoes that would tie in the other wedding color. Figuring the girls would never go for orange shoes, and knowing my sister was throwing a hissy fit not only about her dress but also about the champagne-colored shoes I had already chosen, I emailed the girls with the following shoes options:

Left: David's Bridal Style Jada
Right: Payless Shoes Style Karaway

Somehow the girls chose the orange shoes, which is fine with me! Now I just have to find myself some hot shoes to wear under my dress.

Speaking of my dress, I ordered it a couple of weeks ago and it should be in on Monday!!! I would post it on here but I don't want any chance that Caleb will see it before the wedding. Which is, coincidentally, in less than 8 weeks!!!

How Fab is Mrs. Newlywed?

2009-02-01T11:29:00.000-05:00

She is giving away some adorable Lilly stationary. Check it out!

"Frankly, My Dear, I Don't Give A D***..."

2009-02-01T10:37:00.005-05:00

"I'm going back to Charleston, where there is still a little grace and civility left in the world." Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind

Fact is, we ARE going back to Charleston! For Valentine's Day! We are going to the Harbour Club for our tastings for the reception food and I can't wait to go! My family is also meeting us down there to explore and see where we are getting married, because they've never been there.

Click here to see the NYTimes Travel section's Guide to Charleston.

Click here to see what the Today Show and MSNBC have to say about the Holy City.

Failing all that, go there yourself!

My New Baby! =)

2009-01-13T17:25:00.002-05:00

So, Caleb and I were registering at a big-box store which shall remain nameless, and I was considering registering for a printer, since mine is on the fritz and I'm pretty sure it was free, about four years ago. As I was trying to figure out which one would be the best in the trade-off between price and quality, Caleb found this Canon that was on sale for $30 and came with all this extra stuff! IT WORKS LIKE MAGIC! I am so excited. SO excited. I cannot even tell you! So suffice it to say, our DIY invites are going to be GORGEOUS, not just good-looking!!!

Door Monograms

2009-01-04T14:32:00.004-05:00

Um, HOW CUTE ARE THESE???

{ From Martha Stewart}

Love it! So easy too - just buy the initials at a crafts store and paint them, attach a ribbon, and voila! Trying to figure out how these could be incorporated for us...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T11:00:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been so bad about posting lately... seems like I say that all the time. Oh well, I'm here now!

I having been mulling this over for a few days now, and I'm really excited about the new year! Sad to see '08 go though, it was great!

A {brief} recap of '08:

WE GOT ENGAGED!
Meredith began student teaching
Caleb got his awesome new job
We started planning a wedding, but more importantly, our life together!!!

A {brief} teaser for '09:

WE WILL GET MARRIED!!! (in July)
Meredith will finish her student teaching and graduate in May
Meredith will have to make a decision about a job (yikes!)
Caleb will possibly take the LSAT sometime this year

I could not be more excited to be done with school and get married. There is so much that comes with being married that I cannot wait for!!! Getting our own place and not having roommates or their laundry, dishes, trash, etc. Kissing each other goodnight every night and good morning first thing every morning. Getting groceries together instead of splitting it all the time! Its all those little things that I never want to take for granted; I want to always appreciate that I can lay my head down next to his at night.

Also, can I even tell you how excited I am to GRADUATE? I cannot wait for the day when I don't have to worry about writing papers or doing research or or reading textbooks or writing up formal lesson plans.

It's gonna be a great year. Stay tuned.

I'm so not a shoes person.

2008-12-23T13:46:00.005-05:00

As mentioned before... I'm not a shoes person. I think I own like ten pairs of shoes, including flip-flops and two pairs of tennis shoes. But now... I may be a shoes bride. I love these, both from David's Bridal:

Unfortunately the second pair only comes in white, ivory, champagne, or black. Definitely doable, but they won't be orange. Oh well, still gorgeous!

(And the reviews on the 2nd pair say that even for people who don't wear heels these were comfy - how wonderful!)

camping, flat taffeta, and puppy tricks

2008-12-23T12:34:00.004-05:00

so, lots of exciting new things today!

dad is a den leader for my little bro's cub scout troop, and for Christmas they game him a folding checkers table, designed for campouts. so funny!
In wedding-related news, David's Bridal's new spring line is ON THEIR WEBSITE! HOORAY! I chose a specific color and fabric, and then found all the bridesmaids dresses that come in that color, fabric, and are knee- or tea- length for my 'maids. Five girls, six dresses, you do the math. Not a lot of options... UNTIL NOW! two more dresses showed up today in my color/fabric! More on bridesmaid dresses later...

In ORANGE news, I found on i-do-it-yourself.com a link to this amazing tool, that lets you pick your colors (up to ten) and then it spits out all the pictures it can find in those colors! I put in navy and orange (duh!) and it spat out this beaut:

ok, so i've already strayed from the title of this post. the title was divined as i was playing with dad's new puppy (of which I promised pics but have yet to share any...oh the guilt). but her newest trick is a great one: when i let her out, she hides under the middle of the trampoline. my parents live on a large lot of woods (incidentally, a tree farm, but not Christmas trees). said lot is on a mountainous road with little to no traffic. our 6 year old dog roams free, and we had planned on letting little Ruby roam as well. but now she hides under the trampoline! might i add that as of late it has been about 11-13 degrees (fahrenheit!) and there is a great deal of snow and ice on the ground. i am not crawling through snow, ice, and rotting fallen leaves under the trampoline to catch the little bugger! it's a fun trick alright...

ORANGE!

2008-12-21T22:04:00.002-05:00

Here they are! The aforementioned shoes. Maybe a brooch on the toes for a little sparkle?

"Natural Bling"

2008-12-20T17:45:00.003-05:00

So I'm totally copying this from Once Wed, but with a twist. While roaming IKEA the other day they had a bundle of decorative sticks that I would love to use as reception decor. But would they be too plain? Not with this so-called "natural bling"! Orange rock candy hung by navy ribbon on white branches would be cool, maybe? Actually now that I'm typing that I'm wondering what that would look like. Maybe not my best idea ever. How could I use this idea?

SHOES!

2008-12-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

While I am not a huge fan of David's Bridal for my dress, I am a fan for the fact that my bridesmaids (scattered across the East Coast) can all go and get the dresses I picked out without a great deal of travel - I think my sister might have to travel a whole 45 mins to get to David's.

ANYWAY, their new Spring line is in magazines, but not yet on the website, and I am SO SO SO anxious! Why, you ask? ORANGE SHOES! My dress will be long enough so that you don't see my feet that much, and Caleb (wisely, knowing how much I hate wearing shoes) suggested just wearing rainbow flip-flops. I cannot deny that this might be a fabulous idea for the reception... but I want some orange shoes! How often do us normal people (who don't spend a fortune on one shoe let alone two fortunes on a pair of shoes) get to buy ORANGE SHOES! I will post a picture as soon as I can find one on the web - or get to a scanner!

Bridesmaid's Gifts?

2008-12-19T17:54:00.003-05:00

So I am thinking about these for bridesmaids gifts, since I can't decide between silver or pearls. My alternative would be some tiffany-inspired starfish, but I think I like these better.

Mom has a friend who might be able to do these on the cheap for me, which would be amazing! Because as much as I love my bridesmaids, I am not working next semester and am feeling very broke.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-19T09:50:00.004-05:00

IT'S SNOWING!!! Hip-hip-HOORAY!
And my Christmas shopping is done, save for one last thing I need to pick up for Caleb at Target. But I am afraid to go to Target during these last few days before Christmas, for fear that I will be trampled! I won't see Caleb again till the 26th, (SO SAD!) so I will stop at Target before flying back to grab that.

In other news, mom surprised dad with his Christmas present the same day I flew in: a PUPPY! She is adorable and there will surely be some pics of her up here soon.

In wedding news, mom and I stopped at IKEA after she picked me up from the airport, and they have a lot of things that could work for the reception decor. I suggest, if you are getting married on a (relatively) little budget like we are, definitely go to IKEA before making any hard-and-fast decisions on how you will decorate. Why?

Candles for cheap.
Candle holders for cheap.
Vases for cheap.
EVERYTHING YOU COULD WANT! CHEAP!

IKEA also has the bedroom set that I want for Caleb and I when we move in together after the wedding:

How cute is the yellow linen cabinet? It's the perfect mix of contemporary and country home that I love, and I'm pretty sure Caleb loves it too!

I just had a wonderful idea.

2008-12-08T12:50:00.006-05:00

So... it occurred to me that after Christmas all the ornaments will be on SALE and who doesn't love a sale? Since Caleb and I had discussed a large vase filled with oranges for our centerpieces, why not get both our wedding colors in there and stock up on dark blue Christmas balls after Christmas? We both live right near a Garden Ridge (which, side note, has a really really random inventory. Couches, ornaments, and popcorn all under one roof, but not at Target? random) and they sell ornaments essentially in bulk. If they don't have it, I'm sure we could find them somewhere. The closest thing I could find to give a visual is this lemon centerpiece on Martha's website.
So readers, if you are out there, click on the little buttons under this post to let me know if you think this might be a good idea...

What it takes to teach...

2008-12-04T19:18:00.003-05:00

Let me start this out by saying I love Caleb. And I love my first graders. If these two statements were false, the majority of my time would not currently be consumed with wedding planning and hanging out with / thinking about the first grade class with which I am student teaching.

Now let me tell you about my day.

Every once in a while, Caleb feels the need to vent, which is TOTALLY understandable. We all have to do that sometimes. And yes, he did have a rough day: he's working with his not-favorite judge all week and said judge made him work through lunch because he decided it would be cool to never end the morning session of court but just continue hearing cases into the afternoon. But still, Caleb got to leave work at, oh, what time? Four o'clock. An hour early. As he was venting about how awful his day was (and I am admitting it's not the best day ever) all I could think was,

"Were you sitting down to eat lunch as a first-grader threw up on your hands, not only COMPLETELY grossing you out but also removing all desire to eat, ever? Hmm? No? That's what I thought."

"Did your day start with a first-grader making a repulsed face while asking what's on your eye and then telling you that 'teachers aren't allowed to wear make-up'? Yeah."

"After all that, did you then take these precious first-graders out to recess only to find that some hooligans had spray-painted the playground equipment with bright orange misspelled cuss words?"

"And during recess did you watch two of your boy students run and full-out tackle a girl in your class?"

So if anyone ever tells you that teaching is easy, do me a favor and drop-kick them. Hard. Don't get me wrong, because as I said earlier, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my first-graders. I look forward to spending five days a week with them in the spring semester. Some think I am insane, and maybe I am, but I love them. I'm just sayin' teachers have days like this.

It's DECEMEBER!

2008-12-01T16:40:00.004-05:00

Welcome to December! Ok, all together now, let's sing "It's the Hap- Happiest Seeeeeason of Aaaaaall!"

I love Decemeber. I love Christmastime. And if you've ever met Caleb, you KNOW how much he loves Christmas music!
Anyway, I started this post to catch up because I haven't written in a little bit.

We went to my parents for Thanksgiving, which was an adventure in and of itself. Before that, we went to the Biltmore for their Candlelight Christmas Evenings, which was SUPER FUN!

While we were at home though the family decided to do family pictures, and we got a BUNCH of really good ones! Here's just a few, maybe I'll put more up later...

Maybe more later... we'll see!

Reactions? Anyone?

2008-11-19T11:33:00.010-05:00

So Blogger started this cool new thing I LOVE called Reactions. At the bottom of each post now you can "react" with the click of a mouse - no time "wasted" leaving comments. Just tell me whether you think the idea I've posted is "sweet!" or maybe "i dunno..." or even a "definitely not."

Let's start with this thing of how a ring bearer delivers the ring. I've seen ring pillows all over the place, but seriously, why spend $20 or more on a pillow with ribbons attached that you are not going to want the day after the wedding? I kind of like this idea:

with one my orange Calla lilies instead of this Gerber Daisy.
I also think the boys could just straight up carry the ring boxes down the aisle.

What do you think?

PANIC!

2008-11-14T08:40:00.004-05:00

So, Meredith saw that her dream dress is no longer listed on the website, and maybe she jumped to conclusions, but she got the impression that it had been discontinued. Since she was between sizes and waiting to get into one or the other to order it, she PANICKED! (Can we be done with the 3rd person voice now?)
So I (Meredith) rushed to the store to desperately plead for them to find me one...only to find they still have it. They rotate what they have online, apparently. But the salesperson working with me is so sweet. I feel like we would be friends if I was going to see her more than a handful of times. Have you ever met somebody and thought, we would be friends, but...?
I am so excited for my dress. I am going to try to order it this afternoon! I would put pictures here if I didn't think they might find their way to Caleb...

Wait a second, that reminds me of something I wanted to ask up here! Somebody asked Caleb and I the other day if we were "doing that" - meaning him not seeing the dress-or me-until I walk down the aisle. OF COURSE we are "doing that"! I think we both lean towards the traditional side. My favorite part of a wedding (and this is becoming more and more cliche) is the look on the groom's face when the bride glides into the back of the room. I am of the opinion that if you take pictures together before the wedding, or see each other at all that gets ruined.

What do you think? Did you see each other before your wedding? If you could do it all over again, would you do it the same or would you do it differently? How?

Southern Weddings

2008-11-10T18:23:00.006-05:00

Ummm, so can I just say, I love the Southern Weddings blog? They have the prettiest pictures. They give me great ideas. They are just fun. They also give me illusions of grandeur. Some of the weddings are things I would NEVER EVER do, but they all have something that makes me say "Ooh!"

Another picture...

2008-11-07T10:09:00.005-05:00

So, it is currently 10:09 and that means I have been sitting at this Caribou for roughly 4 1/2 hours. Ouch. The upside is, I am getting a lot of work done...
The downside is, there is SO SO SO much more to do.
The big upside is I am sitting in a comfy leather chair by a big stone fireplace with my feet propped up on the coffee table and my (long empty) coffee cup by my side... does it get better than this? (Answer: only if Caleb were here and I was closer to being finished with my homework.)

For anyone following, I am working up to finding the time to post pictures of bridesmaid dresses. For now I will stop procrastinating and just post this one picture:

How much do I looooove this?! Callalilies and tulips in ORANGE! Will definitely look magnificent on the background of the girls' navy dresses... what do you think?
I was leaning towards going with all one type of flower, and was thinking about either tulips or callalilies, but should I mix them in together?
Keep in mind it will be July in Charleston and they may not be constantly in cool air-conditioned facilities!

I love pictures!

2008-11-04T23:23:00.003-05:00

Ok, just a few more. I can't resist!

This is very similar to what our guys will be wearing. I know. Khaki suits - not tuxes - for a Friday evening wedding. I love it!

This here is the park across from where we are getting married.

How wonderful is the grass and the water and the cobblestone next to it? You can't even see the rustic dock on one end and the upscale dock on the other end! GORGEOUS!

Pictures to come!

2008-11-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

In looking at so many wedding blogs as of late, I have found that my faves have lots of... PICTURES! So I have decided to add lots of pictures here of my inspirations, things we've decided on, and just fun things that make me smile! No time tonight, (lots of hwk that Caleb thinks I'm diligently doing right now) but soon to come! I PROMISE!
-Mer

Ok, at second thought I should leave at least one here for you now...

{ok two. this inspiration found on swsmag.net.}

Caleb and I LOVE these tulle swags behind the bride and groom. Since we are not able to get married in a church (due to budget, not b/c we're heathens or anything) we were struggling with a way to designate the front of the room as a sacred space. We think these might work for our space and our budget - YAY!

Just to reiterate...

2008-11-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

So... I know, I just posted last night. But I awoke this morning with no motivation to get out of bed and instead just got online. I was super excited that my favorite wedding blog, {Southern Weddings}, is back up! That prompted me to go in search of other wedding blogs, because, hey, if you're gonna waste some time, do it in style right?
Aaaand, I'm back. I wrote that much, and then got distracted because I had another blog loading in another tab and had to go read it. Anyway, I have garnered much inspiration today and it makes me wish we had an unlimited budget - but I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have one. Otherwise, I would go crazy with the number of things to keep track of! This way, I know when the money's out, we're done.
In reading others' blogs, I stumbled across this magnificent synopsis of wedding planning from Amy Frank of {with the pixie grin}: "i love planning my wedding. it's fun that i get to make every little decision on a day that reflects ..us. but that's just it. i have to make every little decision..."
As she says, that's just it. As I posted last night, the centerpieces have been the hardest decision for us thus far (aside from the unity candle, but that's a super long story not to be rehashed here). AND THEY ARE DONE! Aside from actually buying the stuff and putting them together, which ought to be the easiest part of the whole thing. The knowledge that we have decided on centerpieces is huge to me. HUGE.
Adding to the craziness that is this week, Obama is on campus today. Convenient for me, because you know I have class on less than half the days of any given week but he chose today, a day when I have class, to bring the Secret Service and create a parking nightmare. Not that I don't love Obama, but it's hard enough to find a $300 parking place on campus.
Rest assured, we will get through the week and I will get all my homework done (even if it means not sleeping!) and we will get through the rest of this semester, Lord willing. All to make it to next semester - when the wedding planning will get intense!!!

Phew.

2008-11-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

Am I tired or what?
Contributing factors:

I just wrote one of the most exhausting lesson plans I have ever written.
We turned the clocks back an hour in the middle of last night, so while Caleb's DVR box says it's only 10:15 I feel like it is MUCH later.
Caleb and I, along with John and Gina and several other people, went to BoogerWoods last night. After 2 hours and 45 minutes of standing in line, the 30 minute Haunted Trail did not live up to the expectations of last year. Still, a good time was had by all - while waiting in line.

Anyway, it's the start of a new week and I can't wait for that (last week was rough) though I'm anticipating a lot of stress this week with projects due. Blech.
Why am I writing? GOOD NEWS: Caleb and I have had more trouble deciding on centerpieces for the reception, keeping it on the cheap. However, this weekend turned that all around because we have reached a decision - a fabulous one at that!
For now, though, I think we'll keep it under wraps. (Were you expecting a spoiler? Haha.)

Also, you have GOT to check out our photographers - they are wonderful. Go to {Bella Loren} to see some of their work!

2008-09-23T10:07:00.000-04:00

Gosh, it has been FOREVER since we wrote!
Sorry folks, life has been crazy.
Since then, let's see...

we booked the Harbour Club (which you already knew if you linked from our website)
Caleb's mom apparently booked the super secret rehearsal dinner
we chose colors: orange and navy
Meredith has been dress shopping several times, think she's found the [other] one
we chose a bunch of bridesmaids dresses for the girls to pick from
we chose flowergirl dresses Meredith's mom is supposedly willing to make
Caleb has maybe narrowed down what the groomsmen are going to wear
we have decided on a photographer we like (we just have to meet with them to make sure they come in under budget)
we booked the pastor

and... I think that's it.

It's been an exciting time!
If you haven't seen it yet, we have posted some new cool stuff on the website, like our weddingmapper.com customized map, the option to suggest a song, and more. Check it out and make sure to bookmark it so we don't spend so much time on keeping a website updated for nothing!

Hmmm...

2008-07-14T15:05:00.000-04:00

Caleb and I had a great weekend! We haven't been up the mountain in quite a while, and it is always both refreshing and somewhat of a whirlwind to head up the mountain - but ALWAYS a good time!
This particular weekend was the only weekend all month that I wasn't scheduled to work (though that may change) and conveniently coincided with Memaw's Surprise 80th Birthday Party at the church! The whole thing went off without a hitch and Memaw was thoroughly surprised (or so she says) even though two of her daughters called her in the same week for her party punch recipe.
Knowing we were headed up the mountain this wknd I urged Caleb to get in touch with his dad and paternal grandmother, since I hadn't seen them since just after Christmas and we weren't ure whether they had yet heard the big news. So we met them for lunch and the four of us had a good time chatting and catching up - not nearly as awkward as Caleb had anticipated.
Overall a good weekend.

Last week came some big news though: Caleb wrote my parents a FABULOUS email. I mean, he knew it was a good email, but had no idea it was THIS good! The next day my parents called me and let us know that the budget figure they could offer was, in fact, more than Caleb and I had asked for or anticipated! CHARLESTON, HERE WE COME!

So we are hoping that this coming weekend I will not have to work in order to go spend some time (more substantial amount of time) looking around Charleston, and perhaps meet my mom there, with or without small children. So much fun!

Fourth of July in Charleston

2008-07-05T13:03:00.000-04:00

With wedding planning at a CRAZY point right now, Caleb and I spontaneously decided to go to Charleston for the fourth, provided I (and my coworkers) met our leasing goals and I had off from work.
We hit the road at 7am, and arrived in Charleston at Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum aboard the USS Yorktown at nearly 11am. It was HOT! We were rushed onboard to meet with the woman in charge of event rentals, because we were tossing around the idea of a reception on board. We liked the fantail and loved the hangar, but like I said, it was HOT. Finding that the only air-conditioned room smelled like a hospital's cafeteria, we continued our search for the perfect venue. A cool place to visit, a neat museum, awesome place for their weekly boyscout camping trips, and a great place to see genuine military aircraft up close, but no longer a frontrunner in our race for the perfect venue.
We then went to the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon to sneak a peek at their Great Hall. It's pretty! This building is STEEPED in history: The British built it before the Revolutionary War. SC seceded from the Union here, and then later ratified the Constitution in the same room. George Washington threw a party in the Great Hall. We liked the Exchange a lot, although to get to the Great Hall you have to walk through a couple museum-esque informational displays, and I was not a huge fan of that. Still in the race though!
After lunch we had some time to pass until our 3:00 meeting at First Baptist Charleston, which we used to wander the area and scour for potential reception venues within walking distance. The gorgeous church was in the process of being set-up for a wedding the following day, and as we stood in the balcony we could almost see our bridal party up at the front, with Chloe and Eliese sitting on the left side of the steps, giggling and fussing with their dresses, with Jack and Dustin on the right side, itching in their formalwear. We could imagine the organ playing as I walk up the aisle. We could envision us walking back down the aisle, holding hands and glowing, having been pronounced "husband and wife". But we asked ourselves: is this church, where we will spend roughly 2.5 hours and our guests will spend under and hour, worth the incredible expense? We haven't yet decided...
After touring FBCharleston we headed over to the market, only to find most shops closing up early. Having picked up a map we found a restaurant on the bay and headed over there, only to find that it was their Grand Opening and they didn't have a table left! So we headed back into town and ate at the Southern Brewery, which was pretty good and had a fun atmosphere.
Anticipating fireworks, we went down to the Battery and walked around a little bit there, but then we heard the guy at the Yacht Club directing somebody else to the Waterfront Park. Taking the advice of a local, we found a great spot at the end of the dock in Waterfront Park, and settled in to listen to babies and dogs getting tired, families having fun, and the sound of boats' wakes lapping against the dock. We were able to see five or more different fireworks shows going on across the bay in Mount Pleasant while we waited for the fireworks show at Patriot's Point.
It was a fun day, and we learned a lot (one lesson learned: Charleston is not a daytrip).

This is all new to me...

2008-06-16T09:43:00.000-04:00

The whole idea of blogging is something I have tried to stay away from... until now. People can find out WAY too much information about anybody on the internet. Just think: you update your status on Facebook and all of a sudden everybody can see what you're doing. Our engagement is so new to me, I expect it to be new to everyone else. On the contrary, my excitement to make a picture of the ring my profile pic on facebook ensured that everyone I have ever met and friended on facebook knows we are engaged.

So this whole blogging thing is new to me. And maybe this is where Caleb and I will post wedding updates as things are finalized. But maybe not.

Today is Monday, and I am procrastinating on my homework due tomorrow, but it's not yet 10 am. So I'm good for now.

And Wednesday I fly up to Jersey for a couple reasons: mainly because Emily is graduating high school, but also to talk to my parents face to face about that dreaded b-word: ...BUDGET.

As always, Caleb and I just ask that you keep us in your prayers. Right now things are good, but it is going to be a rough and exciting year ahead as I begin student teaching, Caleb finds out more from the police departments with which he has applied, we both find careers (as opposed to just jobs), and possibly move. Oh, AND plan a wedding.