more photos added.

I added some photos from Nicole to the Flickr site. If you can't see them, it's because I think I set them to "family/friends" view only, so add me to your flickr contacts and it should work. Let me know if there are any issues with that.

Thanks!

engagement party!

Last night was our engagement party/get together for the bridal party, our immediate families, and some friends.  We started out at Greek Islands with our parents for dinner, then moved on to Lombard Roller Rink for open skate night.  We ended the evening with some drinks and bowling at Lucky Strike at the Yorktown Mall.  It was really really fun, and we want to give a humongous thanks to everyone who attended: Mom Leban, Mom & Dad Miller, Lisa and Greg, Bobby and Jeri, Michelle and Jason, Nicole, Angela, Deanna and Matt, Sam, Ray, Toth, Joe, and Andy and Jill!

Check out photos of the party at our flickr site.  If you have any other photos to share, please let us know!

scoping out the location.

Last Thursday night, we went to Willby's with Nicole for dinner, which just happens to be the restaurant at the Willowbrook Holiday Inn.  So of course we looked around and anticipated set up ideas for the wedding.  Nicole took this photo outside the atrium windows, which is where the ceremony will be taking place.

In other news, we're in the process of planning a wedding party & friends get-together next month (an "unofficial" engagement party of sorts, a chance for the wedding party to all meet up and get to know one another and hang out...), and we have the save-the-date cards to mail.   We just have to get the envelopes, print out mailing labels, and get our list of addresses finalized.  Oh, and buy stamps.  Can't send them out without those.

Bridesmaid's Dresses

Yesterday, we went to finalize plans for the bridesmaids dresses.  Michelle and Nicole met us (me, Todd, and my mom) at the bridal shop.  There, we looked at another possibility (I've been freaking out that maybe I didn't like the dress I had picked), but discovered that the original selection is actually the best one.  It's one of those situations where you have to see it in person to appreciate it, and it really will be the most flattering choice for all of the girls.  So the bridesmaid's dresses are chosen, along with a cute little jacket for the girls who would like one to go with their dress.  And, of course, the shoes, too.  Nicole and Michelle were able to get measured right away, so now the other girls only need to stop by whenever they can to get measured as well.  Then it's just waiting until it all comes in!

Oh, I ordered and paid for my shoes in full!  It's nice to know that I have at least one less thing to burden us financially, no matter how small...

View more pictures of bridesmaid dress shopping with Michelle, Nicole, Todd, and my mom at our flickr page.  Thanks to Nicole for taking photos yesterday and sending them to us!

correction.

The bridesmaids (whomever can make it, at least) will be meeting this Monday, 7/14 at 5:00 in the evening at Francia to try on/decide the FINAL dress and jacket/wrap option for those who would like one.

So assuming all goes well, an update on dress finalization will be coming shortly thereafter.  Stay tuned!

being wishy-washy about the clothing choices...

...So I have a bridesmaid's dress all picked out, but I was sitting reading a bridal magazine the other night (to which Nicole called me on the phone and yelled "Put the bridal magazine down!" and Lisa M. asked why I'd read a bridal magazine when I'm not like other brides anyways...) and started thinking that the dress I picked out for the girls is cute, but maybe not REALLY what I had in mind?  I don't know, I'm being wishy-washy, so I went online and found another one that had a more gathered wrap-style top as opposed to the more plain style top that the original choice has.  

So to ease my mind and make sure that I have explored all options, Lisa (Perez) Moline is going to go to the bridal shop with me on Monday (and if weather doesn't agree with her trip, Nicole has offered to come along as well!) to look at what's available and try on some options.  I think that would make me feel better.  We also need to choose a wrap or jacket for the dress as well, as an option for any of the girls who wish to do so.

I'm also excited because when I go I can order the shoes I picked out.  They're called "Royal" and I want to get them in ivory satin and have them dyed the same red as my dress.  Cool.  So some things I am pretty set on, and I'm not being wishy-washy about everything... just some.

We have some other cool things going on with the wedding, as far as ideas go.  We got our first order of custom guitar picks in, and we're looking into the possibility of utilizing candle light as an accent to the setting/decoration.  We'd love to get solid red novena candles (you know, the kind you can buy in the hispanic section of the grocery store - we also have a Dollar Buster store over by us on Harlem that has them in a wide variety) and use them as part of our centerpieces.  We're also shooting around some other favor ideas as well.  It all comes down to money, though, which isn't in plentiful amounts!

Also, we're in the brainstorming/designing process of our wedding rings, too, which is fun.  I have some cool ideas I won't share just yet.

we have no money.

it looks like right now, the plans for an engagement party are not going to be a go.

i looked into a few places, like the Hillside Bowl for a bowling party, or restaurants, such as Papaspiros (my favorite Oak Park Greek restaurant!) and most places are charging $20 per person for a party/dinner/etc... the guest/invite list I came up with was between 40-50 people (bridal party & their families, plus our families, aunts, uncles, etc...) - that means $800 - $1000 for a party, which we simply do not have, especially when we're trying to plan the darn wedding (and boy, is it NOT cheap!)!!!

...and since we don't have a house to have the party at, simply getting some catering is out of the question - we need a location and food, and preferably something fun to do, which is why the Hillside Bowl would've been a great place (bowling, pool tables, etc)...

Todd and I talked to Greg and Lisa, and they didn't have an engagement party, so it's not a necessity... just something we thought would've been fun.  but in case anyone was wondering what was up with that, Todd and I talked and we sadly agreed that it isn't the most fiscally responsible thing to do, considering all other plans and things going on.

if only this damn condo would sell so we could focus on that!!! 

:)

dresses and tuxes.

yesterday i put a deposit down on a wedding gown, which is actually a BALL GOWN, according to the lady at the bridal shop.  wish i had known this several days ago when i called a gazillion bridal places looking for a red wedding gown.  ...freakin' technicalities... !!!

but anyways, i DID find a red gown, which was my goal.  unfortunately, i cannot describe it here, because the dress is going to be a surprise!  the good news is that the woman (Camille Francia of Francia Bridal in Hinsdale) does her own alterations and is very confident that anything that I do not like about the dress (if anything) can be repaired/altered/fixed by her, and has even made a few suggestions already, so i am very excited about the final result...  and you will have to wait!

p.s. we did buy a veil to go with the dress, which is cool because we even found a way to coordinate a veil with a red gown.  very nice.

p.p.s. i did select the bridesmaids dresses and shoes (Flamingo or Riviera in black), so bridesmaids can go and get fitted and order their stuff as soon as they'd like to.  as soon as i find a link to a photo, i'll post it here.

part 2 - tuxedoes!

we stopped by Men's Wearhouse Tux today in the Oakbrook Mall, and the lady there was so nice and told us a bunch about tux rentals.  this isn't something that needs to be done until 3-4 months before the wedding, but it's nice to know ahead of time.  we're mulling over some sweet red/black/white combos at the moment...