275 days 'til my wedding!

Logan leaves for Ft. Benning in less than two weeks, and even with my travel schedule being so hectic for October, I think we have the biggest bases covered. I wanted to do as much planning with him as possible before he left so if he is unable to communicate with me a whole bunch while he's at training he'll have input on the important things.

Here is a quick recap of what we're thinking so far. They won't all be official photos - I want to keep SOME of it a surprise - but the photos are our inspiration.

Wedding Style: Southern Chic.
Venue: Sweet Briar College Memorial Chapel

The interior of the Chapel - the photo is from my co-worker's wedding.

The exterior - just ignore the cars.

Reception: We will have the reception at the Elston Inn and Conference Center at Sweet Briar. 

The courtyard - where the cocktail hour will be. Then we'll move inside for dinner and dancing.

Entertainment: We'd love a live band, and after hearing a blue-grass string band play at a friend's wedding are looking at local musicians to play for the cocktail hour and dinner. From there, we're looking at less expensive alternatives to keep the party going.

Invitations/Save the Dates: We wanted these to all be cohesive. We wanted something classic but not too stuffy. We found a local graphic designer who will design custom invitations for us and address them in calligraphy.

A sample invite from Leen Jean.

Flowers: I always wanted tulips, but of course they couldn't be more out of season for an August wedding. So since then, I have fallen in love with hydrangeas. I want very simple bouquets - which will be easy since hydrangeas won't require much additional "fluff". They're also super in season and will make the most perfect centerpieces.

Dress: I found my dress at a local shop, Celebration, and got a great deal on it. Right under budget :) It was exactly what I was looking for, but you'll understand why I won't include any photos. I'm banking on the element of surprise on the 17th!

Something Old: I will be wearing the tiara my grandmother wore in her wedding in my hair as my Something Old. We're having the pearls and jewels repaired on it this spring.

Something Blue: When my parents got married, they eloped on the beach. My Mom wore a blue dress, so we'll cut a heart out of her dress and sew it on the inside of my dress. That will be my Something Blue.

My parents on their wedding day. 

Overall, things are going well! Of course there is much more ironed out at this point, but I'll update more later!

XX - C