Wedding Madness

Invitations are going out today! Wedding planning is in full-swing and I am already tired of it. At this point, we have a lot of things worked out but it seems like a ton more are just waiting to be done. At least the registry is all figured out.

We went yesterday to register for the items we liked at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They were so efficient! The store was very well-run. We had a very nice experience, albeit a long one as we made some decisions together. I, of course, relished in the opportunity to pick out and mentally design what our future home would look like (we don't have a place to live planned yet, by the way). It was a different story for Fred; toward the end he acted like a sailor who had been lost at sea for weeks- starved and crazed. At the point when I caught him scanning obscure items for fun, I knew it was time to leave.When we got to his parents house, Fred accused his father of never having registry shopped, because he "never warned me about it." Oh brother.

Don't forget to check out our wedding website for answers to some of your potential questions, wedding details & R.S.V.P. options, and some hilarious old photographs of Fred & I.

Important Wedding Registry Tip

Just a note about Target's Club Wedd wedding registry (much thanks to our friends Sy & Kate, who called me immediately after he found out that Fred & I are registered at Target):

If you decide to purchase any Target registry gifts, please obtain a gift receipt.

We have nothing against Target (we love the store!), but apparently there are some issues with returns and the registry's policies are fairly strict. We plan to only register for what we actually need and will use, but in the event of some unforseen circumstance, Fred & I would like the options of return or exchange. If you have any questions about the return policy, check ClubWedd.com.

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

Dressed for Success

After a fun day of trying on an assortment of wedding gowns, I found THE ONE!

I thought finding the right dress would be the hard part, but that turned out to be the easiest. When my sales associate went to order the dress in my size, she was turned down. There weren't any more in stock. The Lord is bigger than my little problem, however, and she kept trying until finally today (5 days after we first started trying them) the dress company found one in my size/color combination partially made in China. It will be finished and shipped here, then be here in "early August." I am still not out of the woods, so let's all pray that God comes through in a big way and that it fits like the glove I am hoping for!

In other news, I can't believe tomorrow is my last day of school for the whole school year. It's crazy, it seems like it just started. I learned a lot this year, I hope I taught half as much as what I learned.

Shop 'til We Drop

I am going to shop for a wedding dress today! My mom, Tess & Mrs. Betcher (my future mother-in-law!!!) will be accompanying me to Davids Bridal (where every gown is on sale, starting TODAY!) & Patty's Bridal Boutique. I've heard that you can get lost in Patty's, it is so large and so full of dresses.

Please pray that I find the best dress TODAY (or soon), so that I don't have to waste time looking. I am also asking God for a dress that I can wear right off the rack, because I don't think I have time for alterations. Plus, if I find one today, I could try it on every day this summer until August 31.

P.S. Fred will NOT be allowed to see the dress (or me IN the dress) until I walk down the aisle, so please don't describe it to him - he's very sneaky, if you couldn't tell by his proposal.

My Favorite Surprise

Everybody's been wanting to hear the story of how it happened, so here it is from my perspective:

I took Friday off of school to attend a photography workshop hosted by three amazing professional photographers (a post about my awesome experience there is sure to come!) both that day & Saturday. After a long day of learning Friday, I was experiencing a little "brain mush." As I drove home from the workshop in Kalamazoo, I called my friend Tess & invited myself over to join her family's pizza & a movie night.

Just after we had started the movie and our dinner, Fred called me on my cell phone. He told me he was taking some stuff up to one of his former students at Faholo Camp & Conference Center. He is still living in Toledo, so it was an hour & a half drive and he wanted someone to talk to. When he found out I was at Sean & Tess's (his cousin & cousin-in-law) house, he asked to speak with Sean and made it sound very convenient that I happened to be there. I told him I'd call him when I left, and let he and Sean talk about "car stuff" for about 5-10 minutes. When they hung up, we all jumped back into the movie.

About an hour went by, and he called me again:

Fred: Hey, what are you up to?

Emily: Um... I'm still watching the movie. (Duh. I told you I'd call you after.)

Fred: So are you in the room with them right now?

Emily: No. (That would be rude.) I am downstairs.

Fred: Well can you do me a favor, then?

Emily: Maybe. (You can't make me.)

Fred: Put on your shoes & turn on the outside light.

Emily: Do I have to tie my shoes? (What?! Why did that even cross my mind, let alone come out of my mouth?)

Fred: Nope.

Emily: Okay...

It was at this time that I opened the front door and my best friend came walking up the driveway, surprising me with an impromptu weekend visit, yet again. We greeted each other with an embrace, and salutations, when suddenly Fred leaned back, told me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. Then he got down on one knee, pulled out a ring, and proposed to me right there - in that floodlit driveway on a muggy night at the end of May.

I told him I'd think about it.

JUST KIDDING! I said yes. I am so honored & excited to be in this stage of our relationship, and am very much looking forward to the new life that God has for us.

*Photos Courtesy of ShutterSam (Samantha VanderList)*

P.S. I love my ring! He picked the PERFECT ring for me, and had it within 40 minutes of looking - further evidence of his impeccable taste (heehee!).