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Monday, April 09, 2007

4 Weeks Down; 16 to Go!

It's been 4 weeks since Stuart and I set the wedding date. Last week, I shared a few things about what we had accomplished. Since the majority of my time to work on the planning falls on the weekend due to my work schedule, I've decided to use Mondays as my update days.

Some of you have told me privately that planning a wedding in under 5 months might be stressful and difficult. So far, it's been the exact opposite! In fact, things have gone so smoothly, there's no doubt in my mind that this is what God wants for both Stuart and me. It's exciting to be traveling that path and having that assurance.

By the end of the first week, I had the church booked, the reception hall done and my gown purchased. By week two, we added the photographer, caterer and cake decorator as well as the selection of the tuxes for the men in the wedding party. When week three came to a close, the florist and bridesmaid dresses could be checked off the list as well. And now comes week four.

I'll confess that for these past four weeks, I've been feeling so disconnected from everything--like I was planning someone else's wedding. A lot of that was because 3 out of 4 of my bridesmaids are scattered across the country and my fiance is 2000 miles away. So, I haven't had a "touch point" here for camaraderie. Email and instant message are fun and help, but nothing beats the in-person contact. That all changed this past weekend.

I had a wonderful phone conversation with Stuart Friday night, and we didn't want to say goodbye. Then after a dream-filled sleep, two of my bridesmaids (Robin, from Nashville, and Angie, who lives here) joined me Saturday morning for dress shopping from the styles I'd selected. The moment we were together, my spirits lifted, and I started feeling much better. An hour later, they'd purchased their dresses and we had the selection nailed down. We parted ways after discussing a bridal shower in early June when Robin will be in town again. There was a spring in my step and a light feeling in my heart. Finally, I was feeling a true part of things.

The rest of the day was spent buying wedding favor components and other decorative essentials at 30% off with a coupon! Saved over $100 plus whatever we're saving by doing a lot of the decorations ourselves. Then, I spent 2 hours going over invitations and selected those. The order will be placed this week. Also found a possible hair stylist company that will bring their salon to us on the day of the wedding at the church, made an appointment with a possible DJ, and settled on a theme for the wedding. This alone helped with the "connection" of everything.

So, my spirits are much better and it's starting to feel "real" for maybe the first time. Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I'll be back next week with more.

2 comments:

Shauna said...

Tiff, I remember those moments where it seems that everything is swirling around you in a fog. It feels hard to grab hold of something tangible. There will be more moments where you think, "Is this really happening?" But soon you'll be married to the love of your life! I was surprisingly, NOT nervous on my wedding day! Just excited and relieved that it was finally here!

Anonymous said...

Hi Tiffany,

My family was 1200-2000 miles away from here when Jim and I got married. Having a girlfriend to share and experience your wedding with makes a big difference. I really didn't have that for my 1st wedding, in Amarillo. However for my marriage to Jim, I had a close, fun, friend to share with. She was a hugh help me in making the wedding details happen. She was there to help my future mother-in-law, who lived 5 hrs. away, when she needed something done. It was so much better to have someone to laugh with.

The way your plans are going, you may be able to sit back and relax the last few days before the wedding. Great going!!

Aunt Paula