Status Update

In our world of social media, this moment is almost as important as the ceremony.

Within seconds of changing my Facebook status to "married", Erica Brown and Adam Schweiss hit"like" and Brooke Likens posted an Instagram photo of the update, so we thought it would be fun to time how long it would take for Shane to get notifications once he hit"accept".

Wedding Eve!

No time for words. Here's pictures from the day:

Getting nails did!

Rehearsal

LaZoom Comedy Tour of Asheville

Rehearsal dinner at Mellow Mushroom

2 Days Until The Wedding: The Day in Pictures

First things first - practice hair styling.

Filling out our form at the Register of Deeds

Signing

We swore on a bible that our info was filled out correctly.

Gift bags ready to go - we treat our guest right.

Families meet for the very first time.

3 Days to Go! Travel Day

Where the F is the long term parking?!

Editing on the plane while Shane watches Battleship

Surprise Party

My coworkers at Brighton threw me a surprise party today! I did not see it coming. They're pretty awesome <3

4 Days Left: 5 Day Forecast

Shane and I have nervously been watching the weather.  Shane would say that the forecast is terrible!  It has been bouncing back and forth between  20%- 30% of thunderstorms.  While I agree that thunderstorms would be a nightmare, I prefer to concentrate on the 70% chance that it won't rain.

Weirdly enough, this is kinda like the evening Shane proposed.  There was a chance of thunderstorms that day too and we came very close to not going to that mountaintop.  If it wasn't for a last minute break in the clouds, I probably would STILL be waiting for his proposal.

5 DAYS! How To Clean a Diamond

After wearing my engagement ring nonstop for 5 months, I had developed quite a film of soap scum.  I took it to the jewelry store twice to get it cleaned, but it still didn't have the sparkle it had when I first got it.   So I decided to take matters into my own hands.  If you want your diamond to look as good as new, here's what you'll need:

Ammonia
Mild dish soap (Ivory is recommended)
A super soft bristled toothbrush (like you would use with a baby)
3 cups/bowls

Step 1:  Mix a small amount of dish soap with super hot water in a bowl and let your ring soak in it for about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Brush your ring with the toothbrush.  Be sure to get the sides of the ring as well as the top.

Step 3:  Soak your ring in a bowl ammonia for 2 - 10 minutes.  It helps to swish the ring around the bit.

Step 4:  Return to the soapy water to get the ammonia off

Step 5:  give it another scrup

Step 6:  Rinse it off in a bowl of water

Step 7: Air dry or dry with a lint free cloth (I used my lens wipe cloth)

These before and after shots are very disappointing. You'll have to believe me that in person, the difference is night and day!

6 DAYS TO GO: Guest book - schmuestbook

Don't be alarmed when you come to the wedding and see that there isn't a guest book for you to sign. Guests books just aren't us.  We decided to go in a whole other direction.

 

We're still working out the details on how this will work, but I can tell you this - there will be a photobooth and there will be a ton of fun props and I want EVERYONE to get their picture taken at least once.  

We actually decided to pay to have someone run the photobooth for us and they will be printing two copies of each photostrip- one copy for you to keep and one copy for us.  There will be post-it notes and pens, so you can write us a note and a clothesline to hang everything.

When it's all over, Shane and I will be putting all the pictures and notes in a scrapbook and I guarantee that we'll get a lot more enjoyment out of our scrapbook than any old guest book.

ONE WEEK TO GO: Schedule of Events

Friday, Sept 28
3:30-4:00 Wedding Rehersal @ Justus Orchard, 187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, NC
5:00-6:30  LaZoom Comedy Tour - 90 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC
7:00            Rehersal Dinner @ Mellow Mushroom, 50 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC

Saturday, Sept 29

8AM-Noon       Set up ceremony & rehersal space/getting beautiful
                          Shane will be helping the ceremony setup and I will be helping with the
                          reception decorations.  (We can use all the help can get.)
Noon               Hair/Makeup for Sonnet & crew @ 307 Brookside Camp Rd, Hendersonville, NC
5:000 - 6:30     Shuttle bus will pick up guest at the Mountain Lodge, 42 
                            McMurray Road,  Flat Rock, NC and bring them to the Justus Orchard 
                           for the ceremony. Champagne will be served
6:30-7:00         Ceremony @ Justus Orchard, 187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, NC
7:00-8:00         Pre-reception.   Light food & drinks will be served.  Plus there will be 
                            cornhole,  ladder ball, and a photo booth!!!!   
8:00 - 9:00       Dinner. Chicken Parmesan, Penne Pasta, Marinara Sauce, Beef Brisket, 
                            Smoked Gouda Gratin Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Yukon Mashed Potatoes, 
                            Vegetable Medley, Garden Salad & Rolls.
9:00 - 12AM     PARTAY!!!!!
12AM                 Chinese lantern lighting and release in the parking lot.  

12:15 - ???          Guest can hang out as late as the light, but the music has to stop. 

(All times are approximate)

8 Days to Go: Rain Plan

So I hear rain on your wedding day is good luck.  I myself, am not opposed to getting a little wet. It's kind of romantic. Plus, it makes for some interesting pictures. But I'm sure our guests would rather stay dry.

That being said - if there's a possibility of rain, check the blog.  It's the easiest way for me to keep everyone up to date.

Let's hope it doesn't rain, but if it does - we will be getting married in the lobby of the Mountain Lodge.

9 Days Left: 10 Day Forecast

We're finally to the point were we can start obsessing over the weather.

I checked all the 10 day forecasts I could and I have determined that it will most likely be chilly, but hopefully not rainy. There's only a 10% chance of rain, but just in case we DO have a backup plan.  Check the blog tomorrow for more details :)

10 Days to Go: Seating + a Couple More Things

When you come to the wedding, feel free to sit on whatever side you feel like.  A lot of our guest are friends of both of us and we don't want them to have to choose a side.  Plus, it's always awkward when one side has more guest than the other and we want to avoid that.

The ceremony will be short and simple, so we aren't going to have programs, but we will have a basket near the back with bubbles and tissues.  Dab those tears away and be ready to blow bubbles when we walk down the isle as man and wife!

10 more days! Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!

11 Days to Go: Pre-Wedding Activities

FOR THE GALS:
There will be a ladies lunch the day before the wedding.  We will be meeting at Mike's on Main, 303 North Main Street, Hendersonville, NC (http://www.mikesonmain.com/).  This will be followed by message and/or nail time  at Nails On Main.  Let me know if your coming, so I can make reservations and let you know exactly were we are going to be.

FOR THE GUYS:
Shane and friends will be going disc golfing the morning of the wedding. Let him know if you want to join in.  Or email me and I'll let him know.


FOR EVERYONE OVER 13:
From 5-6:30, we will be taking the LaZoom Comedy Bus Tour of Asheville.  The content is apparently PG-13.  You may want to buy tickets in advance, because they do sell out:  http://www.lazoomtours.com

12 More Days: The Wedding Dress

Good News:  I'm not going to be naked for the wedding!

Picked up my wedding dress and it totally fits. I was even able to zip it up all by myself!

13 Days: Checklist

So I decided to download a wedding checklist to see how we are doing and I decided that some couples make wedding planning a lot more complicated than necessary.  Seriously - who hires security for a rehearsal dinner?!  Or plans out traveling clothes?!  As you can see, I crossed out a lot of this list due to the fact those items were useless to us.

I was pleased to see that I was able to check most of the rest of the boxes.  I still have a few things left to do like getting the marriage license. buying hair accessories, making our cake topper, and arranging gown preservation and Thank You Cards (but the last two can wait).

Yeah!  We're in good shape.

2 More Weeks Until the Wedding: Registry

While I was on Amazon this morning buying hair extensions, I just happened to notice that nobody has used our wedding registry yet.  Here's a link in case you need it:  http://www.amazon.com/registry/wedding/LMAJ685CUET

15 days: It's all in the details

When you're at the reception take a moment to appreciate all the decorations.

Of course, I couldn't have done it without a LOT of help from my friends.

Amanda made some killer paper flowers, painted/cut letters & was a huge help with invitations. Brooke & Tracy worked on invitations too and Tracy punched out about a hundred paper leaves while Brooke made some awesome vases. Even Adam sacrificed his paperbacks and ripped off the covers to make cute bundles and Shane made pinwheels. And don't miss out on April's handy work. She prepped a bunch of pictures of Shane and I growing up that will hang from the centerpieces of each table. Now there can be pictures of Shane and I when we were 1 at table 1, age 2 at table 2 and so on!

Thanks guys for all your handy work!

16 Days: PARKING!

IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT CEREMONY PARKING

As you can tell by the picture above, that there isn't exactly a parking lot at the ceremony location.  Cars can park along the side of the road, but there's also another option.  Shane's Dad rented a bus for us to take guests to the ceremony.  The bus will drop you off only a few steps from the ceremony and CHAMPAGNE WILL BE SERVED!

The bus will start picking up guests at the Mountain Lodge in Flat Rock starting at 5:00 PM and will be making a trip approximately every 30 minutes.  It will also return you to the Mountain Lodge for the reception (and then you will be back at your car too).

Anyone is welcome to take the bus. If you're considering using it, please comment below, so we know how many to expect.

NOT TAKING THE BUS?  Watch the video below and Sonnet will tell  you exactly where to park.

** On second thought - don't park near the house. That's now reserved for the bus**

17 Days to go: Directions

Which Way Do We Go?

DIRECTIONS TO THE CEREMONY:  The ceremony is at Justus Orchard. The address is 187 Garren Road, Hendersonville, NC (Which is south of Asheville).

Take Interstate 26 to Exit 49A (old exit 18A) to 64 East. From 64 East, turn left at North Henderson High School (Fruitland Road). Proceed to stop sign at the end of Fruitland Road. Turn right onto Mills Gap Road. Go up the large hill and turn left onto Garren Road. Look for our signs with the red and yellow apples all along the route.

NOTE: The ceremony isn't at the main entrance.  It's at the first entrance which will be marked with a sign.  The ceremony itself will be at the green pond which you can see on the map (see below). Also, you can see that there isn't any parking, so come back to the blog tomorrow for more details on that.

 

DIRECTIONS TO THE RECEPTION:  The reception is only 9.7 miles away at the Mountain Inn, 42 McMurray Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731.

Turn right on Garren Rd.  Turn right onto Co Rd 1586/S Mills Gap Rd.  Turn left on Co Rd 1574/Fruitland Rd.  Turn right on US-64 W/Chimney Rock Rd.  Turn right onto  I-26 E/US-25 S ramp to Spartanburg. Take exit 53 for Upward Rd toward Hendersonville.  Turn left onto Co Rd 1722/Upward Rd.  Take the 1st left onto Co Rd 1790/McMurray Rd.

18 Days to go: "C" is for cookie!

Mom just finished making her infamous Pfeffernüsse cookies! Aren't you excited?!

For the wedding each mom will be making their signature cookie.  My Mom is bringing pfeffernüsse,  Shane's Mom is making chocolate chip cookies and his Step-Mom is making snickerdoodles, so come with your sweet tooth.  

FYI - Pfeffernüsse has always been a Christmas only cookie, so the fact that she's making them in September is a big deal - don't miss out!

19 days left: New Apartment Oct 6!

We picked out an apartment!

 

Starting October 6th, Shane and I will be living in the Paragon at Old Town Monrovia.

I instantly fell in love with the town of Monrovia.  It has a safe small-town feel to it. In fact, they call it "Anytown USA", because the studios use it whenever they need a generic small town backdrop.  It works because there are no palm trees.

There's tons of shops & restaurants.  There's even a movie theater within walking distance of our apartment.  Plus, every Friday there's a farmer's market right outside our front door! And if that wasn't enough Monrovia has tons of other festivals, car shows, and the library holds outdoor movie nights and concerts.

It's close to hiking and Brighton too!

As of now, we'll be in a one bedroom apartment overlooking the main street.  However, if Shane gets a job before October 6, they'll let us move into a two bedroom instead (if there's one available).

I'm pretty stoked!

Random car show last weekend

Our future window

Granite countertops in kitchen :)

Pool/Outdoor Fireplace

20 Days to Go: Gangnam Style!

Are your dancing shoes ready?

Here's a picture of me practicing my Gangnam Style in front of Capital Records on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.