too long

It has been far too long since I updated you all on how wedding planning was coming. so sorry.

Since Tux shopping, I graduated from Biola!! Now I can finally focus on wedding planning and getting things done.

Michael and I ordered our wedding rings, invitations have been sent out, we called two bakeries to schedule cake tastings, and we have started talking about favors.

So much needs to be done still, but I have a ton of help and am doing ok staying calm about everything.

Things will get done and I will try to update more frequently

Tux shopping

So, Wednesday, Michael, his best man Jesse, and I went to look at tux's for the wedding.

I am really excited about what we picked out. We went to Men's Wearhouse because they work with David's Bridal and have all the same colors that David's Bridal does. Over the last five months I have discovered that Guava is an almost impossible color to match so I figured we should just go straight to Men's Wearhouse and that way we can tell them we want the groomsmen in guava vests and ties and they will know exactly what color that is.

So, we decided that we are putting the groomsmen in black tuxes with black shirts, guava vests, and guava ties. Michael will be in a black tux with a white vest and white tie. We got some strange looks when we told them that we wanted the guys including the groom in black shirts, but it looks really nice and really makes the Guava stand out. Also, it's an evening wedding so we can get away with having the groomsmen wear black shirts since it's a formal event.

I love watching the little pieces slowly get taken care of. Picking out the tux styles makes us one little step closer to walking down the aisle and we are both so excited.

God is taking care of everything and I mean EVERYTHING. I've never seen God so active in my life before and I am amazed at every little thing He does to reassure us both that this is right. My faith has been incredibly strengthened over the last five months for this I am so thankful.

DJs

so, we're pretty sure we found our DJ for the reception!

My sister Mykie did me a huge favor and called all of the DJs and set up meetings with three possibilities. We had the first meeting Thursday night.

This guy was amazing and just made us feel so comfortable and had everything he does mapped out. He had a million refernces, has DJ'd for some pretty big events including the grand opening for the Shoppes in Chino Hills and the best part was that he didn't try to sell us anything or push anything on us. I didn't feel like I was trying to buy a car. We just talked and laughed and he told some great stories about parties and weddings that he has done before. He also plays baseball which was a big plus for Michael.

He was the cheapest DJ on the list too so we are really excited about Him. We just have to get the deposit to him tomorrow! YAY!

fun times

so, the shower was a huge success. I had so much fun and my sisters and mom did an amazing job putting everything together. Also, thank you so much Iva for letting us use your home.

I had a ton of fun seeing friends I hadn't seen in a while and even a teacher that I hadn't seen in a few years. It was great to have all of the women I care about in one place.

I got some great gifts too and feel like we've got a good little start to our kitchen supplies. Now we just need a kitchen!

Thank you everyone for coming and for all of your gifts! I can't wait until we have a place of our own to put them all. They are currently crowding my room :-)

Wedding shower!

My bridesmaids are starting to plan for my wedding shower already! I wanted to have it sooner rather than later so that my friends from school could go.

Last night Bradleigh (sister/maid of honor) and Michelle (roommate/bridesmaid) and I went out and bought the invitations for the shower and they are super cute!

Also, Michael's aunt Iva agreed to have the shower at her house which I'll be forever grateful for! Thank you Iva!

I'm so excited to get together with everyone and play silly games and eat and just celebrate this exciting time for Michael and I!

Love and Respect

so, for our premarital counseling, Michael and I are reading through the book Love and Respect and doing the workbook that goes with it.

I have read through the first section and am loving it. The whole concept of unconditional love and unconditional respect is so simple, and yet so hard to do. I have already seen the impact of the reading on my relationship with Michael and it's amazing.

It talks specifically about how when a woman doesn't feel loved, her natural reaction is to disrespect her husband and when a husband doesn't feel respected, his natural reaction is to not show love to his wife. When I look at my self as an example, I have to agree with this book. It knows me so well.

We have our next counseling appointment on Saturday and I'm looking forward to talking about the book with our pastor and his wife who have been married for a while and who have read through this book before. I can't wait to hear what they think about certain things and what advice they have to make these tools effective in our marriage.

We're Registered!

Michael and I registered at Bed Bath & Beyond last weekend. We had so much fun going through the store and imagining what kind of things we are going to need for our very first home together.

We started out in the kitchen section and I pretty much let Michael lead the way. I already know he is going to be the main chef when we're married so I let him pick out the pots and pans he wanted and whatever other cooking tools he wanted. He loved it. It was fun discussing the pros and cons of the different crock pots and cooking knives. We didn't realize how long it would take to go through the millions of kitchen utensils they had there and so we had to leave the job unfinished so Michael could go to work. When I got home that day, I was looking over the list of things we had registered for and started to see things I didn't remember registering for. It turns out Michael had been scanning items when I wasn't looking. Apparently he really wanted a lemon zester, garlic press, and a soap squirting dish brush. The least I can do is let him have those things. It's not like he doesn't deserve to have them and he's the one that will be using them (especially the dish brush :-))

We went back a few days later and finished up with the kitchen section and moved onto bedding and bathroom stuff. This is where I kind of took over. Michael is also very good at coordinating colors and decorating which is good because I'm not that great at either of these things. I'm lucky to have him around to help me out in this department. It was so much fun picking out bedding and towels and bath mats and soap dispensers.

I can't wait until we get to set all this stuff up in our first little home and actually start using it.

Next on the list of things to do is have a second meeting with the florist.

Until next time...

Counseling

Michael and I had our first session of premarital counseling on Saturday night and are very excited about how God is going to work in our relationship during this time.

Our good friends (our officiant and his wife) Danny and Patty met with us at Panera in Chino Hills for our first session. We ordered dinner and got caught up on each others' lives. We really enjoy their company and they are such godly role models for Michael and I to look up to.

We spent three hours talking about things in our lives that will have an impact on our marriage and how we can foster the good and minimize the bad in order to develop a healthy marriage. They had such great advice and were so open with us about their struggles in marriage. Michael and I know that this is not going to be easy, but with God's help, it will be fun and rewarding for both of us.

We also talked about the book we are going to be working through together called "Love and Respect." It's about how a man needs to feel respected and when he doesn't, his natural reaction is to not show love to his wife and when a woman feels unloved, her natural reaction is to show disrespect to her husband. It sounds very interesting and I know it will help us avoid this cycle.

I can't wait to start reading!

oops

So, I just realized I forgot to post about taking engagement pictures. I guess better late than never, right?

I think it was January 17th that we ended up taking pictures, but I'm not exactly sure.

Mike's aunt has a very nice camera and so we asked her to take some pictures for us. We went down to English Springs Park which is very beautiful and had a blast. His aunt is hilarious and we were completely comfortable so we were able to get a lot of really good pictures where both of us are smiling so big.

We had so much fun and she ended up taking over 400 pictures for us.

Thank-you so much Iva!

Photographer

Saturday, my mom and I finally booked the photographer for the wedding!

This is such a relief for me because this has been on my list for a long time.

We went with the photographer that did my sisters wedding and my friends sister-in-law. I liked the pictures of my sisters wedding and I think they will do a great job for us. They've also been around a long time and have a lot of experience shooting weddings. I'm so excited!

Also, while we were there the photographer was showing us a sample of a preview album and just happened to pull out an example that was full of pictures from my sisters wedding. It was so cool to see their pictures randomly in this book.

The next big decision is which dj to go with. Any suggestions?

Finally

So, I started my final semester at Biola University on Monday and I am so grateful to be back.

Interterm was so crazy for me and I wasn't really able to do any wedding planning because of the other obligations that I was already committed to. Now that I'm back at school though, I feel like I can finally relax a little and really get some wedding stuff done.

This weekend I am going to reserve/schedule a photographer (hopefully, lol)

Bridesmaid dress shopping

So, last Saturday My three sisters, my mom, and two of my other bridesmaids went to David's Bridal and looked around at bridesmaid dresses. I had already decided that I was going to pick the color and the length and then let the girls pick their own style. I told the girls that the dresses were going to be Guava (tropical pink) and floor length and then sent them on their way to pick out the style that they wanted to wear.

Well, after trying on a bunch of different styles all five of the girls that were there decided on two styles, so I decided to have three girls in one style and three girls in the other style. It actually worked out pretty well. There will still be different styles, but also a sense of unity. I think they will all look amazing.

One of my bridesmaids wasn't able to make it that Saturday so I still need to go back with her to get her dress size and have her try the dress on and order it, but other than that I can check that off the list until we do a fitting sometime in May.

How quickly I forget...

So the same day as the honeymoon miracle, I sat down with my mom and dad to go over the reception hall packages.

The package that we wanted ended up being 3K more than what was originally estimated. This immediately made me tense and upset as we had to start thinking about not getting the things we wanted for the reception or to cut our numbers way back.

I knew God had just done an amazing thing for our honeymoon, but for some reason it was so hard for me to trust God with this hurdle.

so, I went over to Mike's mom's house to go over wedding invitation ideas and we ended up cutting our guest list down by a lot. I thought this was the answer to our reception hall dilemma. When I told my dad we had cut the numbers down he still said that he wanted to call and negotiate price with the country club. I was a little discouraged this morning, but Michael was going to take the contract and deposit over to country club in order to reserve our place.

At lunch I got a text saying that the guy who works at the country club as the reception coordinator knows my older sisters and went to school with them. When my dad called they were talking and he knows our whole family and is willing to let us customize our reception however we want it. Praise God!

Once again, God opened a huge door for us and is showing us over and over again that he approves of our marriage. I can't believe how quick I was to doubt the control He has over this entire wedding. He didn't get upset with me, he just showed Himself in a mighty way once again!

I can't even believe how blessed I am with a God who is sovereign in all things, a fiance who loves me and a family who is doing everything to make sure our wedding goes perfectly. I'm so grateful

Honeymoon Miracles

So, Sunday night I had a panic attack. Our wedding is in less than seven months and we had not booked our honeymoon yet. We are getting married in August and planned to use Michael's grandpa's time share in Kauai. We were so excited, but August books up very fast for Hawaii (naturally) so we were not even sure anything would be available for us. I panicked. I immediately started texting Michael's mom who was helping us book the time share and she started looking for available places in August.

As we were texting, it didn't look like there was anything available for Kauai except for two options. The only problem with these two places is that they weren't available until four days after our wedding. We considered this, but finally we decided that we wanted to be able to get away right after the wedding. We didn't want to stay in town and kill time before our honeymoon.

So, she started looking at the other islands in Hawaii. We found one available right after our wedding, but it was for the main island. Most people that I've talked to have said to avoid the main island because it's more like a city than a tropical relaxing getaway. We decided to take it, but we couldn't book it until the morning. Either way, this was Hawaii and we were going to have a blast.

The next morning I had to work really early so Michael went over to help his mom book our honeymoon. I got a text that morning saying that they had one option available for the day after our wedding on Kauai! I couldn't believe it. I don't even know how that happened, but I knew it was God. This is going to be our dream honeymoon and it's going to be perfect and it's only because God is opening doors for us.

I was in awe at how easy it was for God to take care of us and I am still so excited that I will be in Kauai on August 16th with my new husband!

Meeting the wedding coordinator

So Sunday, Mike and I met with our wedding coordinator. She is the same woman who coordinated Dani's wedding and I knew she was great right away. She is outgoing and bold and has a ton of great ideas which is good because I pretty much don't have any ideas.

Basically all we talked about is what needs to be done in the next month before we meet with her again. It was extremely helpful though. She brought up a lot of things that I had never thought about before like where I want to get dressed for the wedding, or what song we want to have for our recessional. There are so many decisions to be made and as Michael probably knows best, I am the most indecisive person on this Earth. These next seven months are going to be challenging.

Before we meet with her again, we have to pick and reserve a photographer, a DJ, ask all of our bridesmaids and groomsmen to be in the wedding, and get bridesmaid's dresses. Nothing like a little added stress, right?

I am very thankful for our wedding coordinator!

Mrs. Cameron

Someone called me Mrs. Cameron the other night and I didn't respond because I thought they were talking to someone else. I didn't even realize this person was talking to me. It's so weird to me that this will be my name in seven months and I'm sure this is not the last time I won't respond when someone calls me Mrs. Cameron. lol

A Friday full of Errands

So, last Friday Michael and I both took off of work in order to get a couple of wedding errands done.

First stop, the bank! Michael and I set up a joint bank account. I know there are still seven months until the wedding, but we're pretty sure we will go through with it. This will also help us start saving money because we agreed that my entire paycheck is going into savings and we will just live off of his paycheck from now on. I haven't gotten my debit card in the mail yet though and so I have been without access to any money for a few days. If I'm desperate though I can just go borrow his card. It will be interesting setting up a budget and seeing what expenses need to be cut out and where we can pinch pennies. I'm sure we will be having a lot of conversations with my dad in the future about budgeting.

Second stop, the florist! This was just a preliminary consult and it is a client of Michaels so hopefully he will cut us a deal. He gave me some really good ideas for bouquets and even had some ideas about how to keep cost down. We are going back sometime in the next month or so to lay out some more specific plans for the wedding and reception. i had no idea that it was a common practice to get a corsage for the bride and groom's aunts. That's crazy. Sorry aunts, I don't think you're getting a corsage from us. lol

Third stop, the church! We stopped by my parents' church because this is where we decided on having the ceremony. Unfortunately they were closed when we got there. We were standing outside talking about what to do next when the office lady poked her head out the door and asked if we needed help. I mentioned that we were interested in getting married on August 15th and she said "oh ya, your dad called earlier, we gave him all the info you need." This was hilarious to me because Michael and I had not even decided about the church until earlier that day and we hadn't told anyone yet. Just another example of how my dad always knows what I need and what I want and takes care of me so well. Thanks Dad!

That was a very eventful day.

Now, between working forty hours a week and taking an interterm class, I have had practically no time for wedding planning lately. Luckily my class ends next week and I only have two more weeks of working full time. I know it's weird to say, but I'm looking forward to starting school because I will actually have more time to wedding plan than I do now. I've worked harder during my break than I ever have during a college semester. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and am counting down the days until I am Mrs. Cameron! 213 days left

Which church?

So, Michael and I had a list of about five places where we would love to get married, so Tuesday on my lunch break at work, I started calling around.

My first call was to Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. This was our first choice because Michael's grandma's memorial service was there and so it was special to him. I loved it also because it was beautiful inside with an amazing courtyard area where we could probably get some great photos. Unfortunately, that phone call did not last long because the secretary told me that they only do in-house weddings. This means that they only allow people who attend that church to get married there.

My second call was to Inland Hills. This is where Michael and I have been attending for the past year. When I called, things sounded very hopeful. I had Michael go and pick up a wedding brochure later that day and when i read it, I discovered that they don't do weddings on Sundays. So, that option was out.

Michael and I had also considered getting married at Los Serranos Country Club where the reception is going to be. They have a beautiful courtyard and gazebo that would be perfect. Unfortunately, it would cost us an additional $1000.

Now we are considering getting married at the church I grew up in and the church my parents attend now. There is no fee and it is also very beautiful inside. It is just a matter of sitting down with Michael and making our final decision now.

Overall, things are going smoothly so far and I'm keeping in mind, that the wedding is not the most important thing, the marriage is.

My Dress!

so, yesterday I went to David's Bridal with my three sisters, my mom and dad, and Michael's mom. I wasn't expecting to find anything because I had no idea what I even wanted. I just wanted to look around and get some idea of what I wanted for my wedding.

On the way there, I felt myself getting extremely nervous. I knew that trying on wedding dresses was really going to cement the fact that in seven and a half months I will be walking down the aisle to promise myself to Michael for the rest of my life. I also was so nervous about everyone watching me and being the center of attention while I tried on dresses.

When we got there we were greeted at the door by the woman who would be my personal helper for the day. She gave me a catalog and I dog-eared the pages that had dresses I would potential pick. Then, we were off to the dressing room. I was still extremely bashful and nervous about walking out in front of everyone and having them all look at me and the dress I was wearing. The only other time I had experienced this shyness/bashfulness was when Michael and I walked into BJ's when both of our families were there right after he proposed.

First, she brought me the huge bra and slip/poof skirt which I only got into because of my MOH's help. She had to hook all 28 hooks on the back of the ginormous bra. I would have been in there forever if I had to do it on my own.

Then my consultant brought me the first dress which I also needed help getting on. I'm usually pretty self sufficient so to not even be able to get dressed on my own was a little humbling. lol. I had to put my hands together over my head and have my consultant put the dress on me and hook it up in the back.

I liked this first dress a lot. It was the closest to what I pictured myself wearing in my head, but I still wanted to try on more. The second dress she brought in wasn't my favorite and I don't even really remember what it looked like.

The fourth one that I tried on was so beautiful. It was definitely in the top two for the dress I wanted to wear on my wedding day. It was a simple A-line with a sweetheart strapless top. It had the corset lace-up in the back and a beautiful medium sized train. I loved it, but I was also a little disappointed because I didn't get that feeling that all brides talk about where they put the dress on and they just know it's the one. I didn't get that, but I loved this dress.

I wanted to try one more on just for fun because it was the first one that I picked out of the catalog. When the consultant brought it in I was just ready to be done trying dresses on. I was tired. There were no mirrors in the actual dressing room, but the second I had that last dress on I got that feeling I wanted. I knew this was my dress. I couldn't stop smiling. When I walked out of the dressing room and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I knew for a fact that I would be walking out with this dress. I loved it and I could totally picture myself wearing this dress and walking down the aisle to meet Michael at the alter. It was an unbelievably feeling.

I can't describe it here just in case Michael ever reads this, but it is absolutely beautiful :-)

My herd of supporters then helped me choose a veil and we were done.

It was such an awesome experience. Thank you mom, dad, dani, mykie, bradleigh and Sherri for going with me to pick out my wedding dress!!