E-Pic Dress!

After a long day of shopping with Lee, I think I have found a dress for my engagement photos.  Best parts about the dress are it fits and my mom approves.  :)

I got it at the Ann Taylor Loft outlet in Woodburn.  I was initially hoping for a brighter color than purple, but I think this will look nice with Lee's black shirt.  Plus, the dark colors will contrast with our blonde hair.  I'm still deciding on what shoes I want to wear.  I got these shoes at Payless earlier this summer.  I might go with a simpler black heel. 

In other wedding planning news, Lee and I have chosen our first dance song!  We went with "Blue Eyes" by the Cary Brothers.  This song was featured in the movie Garden State, but I first heard it in my ballroom dancing class at the U of O.  It will be a great song to waltz to. 

Last, but definitely not least, I put together a booklet of my wedding inspiration pictures today.  I will take this back to North Dakota with me to show my parents some of my inspiration ideas.  Then, I will be able to decide what kinds of crafts and projects we want to tackle over the next 11 months!

Bits and Pieces

I still am not any closer to choosing a color.  I made a trip to David's Bridal to look at some of the colors in person, and I decided not to make my choice until this summer.  One of the sales associates told me the colors change every quarter based on fashion trends, so if I picked a color now, it might not be around by the time my bridesmaids order their dresses.

I talked to a few more djs, and the best-priced dj around Grand Forks is XL93 (the main popular radio station).  They were the dj for Becca and Tyrone's wedding, so I know they would do a good job. 

Lee sent an email to our first choice for a photographer, Shawna Noel Photography.  Lee's brother Neil is a commercial photographer, and Neil worked at UND's student newspaper with Shawna.  We have yet to hear back from her, but I am hopeful our wedding date is not taken yet!

I have been perusing the internet looking at invitation ideas.  I really like the invitations with pocket folder envelopes, but the pocket envelopes are expensive (average $1.50 per envelope). 

 

I also like the modern invitations.  Here's a design I personalized on FedEx.com.  I was surprised to find FedEx/Kinkos has really great prices (the invitations average 65 cents for the quantity I would be purchasing) and a wide variety of wedding invitations to choose from!  They also have coordinating save the dates, rsvp cards, wedding programs, menus, etc.  The invitations are easy to customize. 

 

I also like this simple, elegant invitation:

If I were to go a more elegant route, I have always liked damask patterns:

Here's another FedEx invitation in white on black damask:

Finally, here's a save the date magnet from FedEx.  I'm not sure if we would do magnets, cards, or postcards, but I would like to personalize the save the dates with an engagement picture.  These magnets would be 34 cents each!

Fine Dining and Dancing

If you haven't read my previous post concerning where to have the ceremony, please look at the post below and read!

Also adding to the "where" factor: the reception venue. I feel this venue will be easier to determine once the ceremony venue has been decided. Here again are pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Touch of Magic

Pros: Beautiful venue, one of the most sought-after venues in Grand Forks, really tasty food, romantic atmosphere, feels intimate even though the venue can hold a large number of people, wood dance floor, buffet-style service
Cons: None that I can think of!

Ralph Englestad Arena

Pros: Beautiful venue with marble floors, unique
Cons: Large space for people to get spread out in, echoes because of marble floors

Hilton Garden Inn

Pros: A fun place to dance, place where Lee and I first met, intimate setting, decent food
Cons: Holds only ~100 people

Alerus Center Ballroom

Pros: Large enough for all guests, can be decorated really cute
Cons: Feels too large because of cavernous ceilings, have to pay for everything from the tablecloths and napkins to the pieces of the dance floor

North Dakota Museum of Art

Pros: Architecture of this building, can host dinners, built-in dance floor, balcony overlooking the main floor
Cons: May be too small (would have to check), museum's in-house catering service isn't very good, don't know what art would be on display