Blah blah blah.

I don't have too much to update on...lots of headaches and indecisiveness! Just a few minutes ago, I wrote our first wedding check! As of tomorrow, we'll have UPJ's Whalley Memorial Chapel secured for our ceremony. It was a little pricey, but totally worth it! The space is beautiful inside and out. It feels a million times more real now! This is so exciting.

Beautiful.

We decided long ago before we got engaged that when we got married (to each other or otherwise I suppose), that our favors would be customized Jones Soda. Again, a little pricey - really pricey- but we want it! Budget? Huh?

While delicious flavors like Black Cherry and Strawberry Manilow are enticing, we're going to stick with our color palate and go with Cream Soda and Root Beer (Ick, I hate both). Hopefully other flavors in our colors become available to give some variety.

I cannot wait to see hundreds of soda bottles with our mugs plastered on them.

Local Schmocal.

I'm slowly but surely realizing that Johnstown does not have what I want and need for my wedding. I want my perfect venue at the perfect price with a million choices. I want to find at least one day-of coordinator. Heck, I'm even finding it difficult to meet a local DJ who doesn't have some sort of...unsavory... reputation.

Maybe it's me? I feel like I'm being super picky. I know I'm being picky. We both are, really. I hate the feeling of settling. I set myself up for disappointment. I expected to see a place and just know. You are 100% with the groom and the dress, and I want that with everything else! Money and location are against us.

Hahah, with that out of the way, I think I found my dress. It's sweet and simple and everything I want.

I'm not committing or anything yet - we have sooooooo long to go. I seriously want to buy that up right now, though!

One thing I think we've committed to is the rehearsal dinner! Mike is all about the local Fuji Japanese Steakhouse (He's mad about that place.). I called and they can accommodate up to 60 in a private room with 8 hibachi grills- and they give a discount for large groups! Excellent.

We have a lot more trivial (and not so trivial) things already decided on, check back soon!

It's hit the fan.

Within 24 hours, we've both had wedding meltdowns. The guest list is this week's (month's? year's?) frustration. Mike has a huge family, and we're running into an etiquette issue with who to invite. The problem at hand is if we invite one relative, do we have to invite them all? If Grandma's sister Milly is invited, do we have to invite Grandma's brother Earl? What if we're close to Milly, but don't know Earl well (or at all?)? For a lot of reasons (MONEY! NOT WANTING TO LOOK OUT AT A SEA OF STRANGERS! MAYBE?), we obviously just want to invite people we know! We're being told we have to invite all or none when it comes to distant relatives, and we're unsure of how to handle it. The last thing we want to do is cause family drama llama.

On a happier note, here are some visuals.

The programs:

These are our invitations! I love the ivory swirls. Despite the pictures having different shades of brown, the programs and invitations are made by the same company and coordinate unbelieveably.