Well it is officially 4 months until I am Kathleen Marie Keifer and the plans are coming along.
~The cake is ordered with a 30% deposit already down. You can see it at http://www.celebritycakestudio.com/wdesigns.shtm and go to Gallery 2 and choose WC24. At $4.75 per serving it costs more than my dress!! But I love it's simple elegance.
~We both have our rings to exchange.
~Of course you all know I have my dress, Kimberly's dress and all the bridesmaid's dresses already.
~The caterer has been booked. We are having some awesome food!
~The readings and prayers have been chosen along with all the people involved in the Wedding Mass.
~The flowers are ordered. Deposit down for my hydrangea and lily bouquet, the bridal gals' bouquets, and Kimberly's bouquet as well as all the boutonnieres and corsages.
~The maid of honor's dress has been reordered, and now I am waiting to find out if she can actually come. She now lives in Guam and her husband will be deployed the months surrounding the wedding, so we are trying to figure out how to afford to bring her two kiddos along with her. Airline tickets run $1400 per person, so it is a hefty amount to come up with!
~My aunt is working on coming up with centerpieces.
~The invitations, reply cards, favors, cake top and napkins have been ordered and paid in full. We may have to reorder the invites though. It turns out that the other wedding originally scheduled that day may be cancelled, which would mean we could move ours to later. As it stand, the wedding is set for 10am, but I am all for moving it back an hour to give us all more time to get ready that morning!
~My hairdresser, Pepper (she rocks!) is doing a trial run next Saturday on one of the bridesmaids as well as stripping my hair of all the bazillion colors it has been in the past few years and redying one color.
~I am so excited that Shelley Mauss is doing my photography!!!! She is the most awesome woman! Check out our engagement/family photos at www.shelleymaussphotography.com/kat
~Andrew picked out the tuxes (with input from me before he went, so I am sure he did fine).
~Eileen Dye, the most wonderful woman, is cooking and hosting the rehearsal dinner. I love her!
~Amy and Dave are going to sing at the wedding.
~Kelsey and Dan are going to be lectors.
~Dan is DJing
~Samantha and Cheesy are going to be Eucharistic Ministers.
~Patrick Dye will be the altar server.
~Shannon will be reading the prayers of intercession.
~Donna Hardke will be the wedding coordinator.
On my to do list: Linens, possible reprint of invites, getting together pics for my cousin's to work some magic with, gifts for the wedding party, booking of the honeymoon, a car to ride to the reception in, candy to put in the favor boxes, making sure I can use the church's tables at the hall, addressing invites, finish registering online at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond, shoes, petticoat, church flowers, and I am sure there is much more!
OH - and the most AWESOME NEWS...Andrew signed the book of the elect at the Rite of Election Friday, which means it is official that he will be receiving 4 sacraments at Easter Vigil, with a 5th sacrament this year of Marriage - the associate bishop joked he was in the express lane to becoming Catholic.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
the first freak out....
Well, I dont think it is possible to plan a wedding without something (or several things) not going the way you plan.
The bridesmaid dresses came in last week. They are beautiful. Windra's (Maid of Honor) dress was not - it was not the right color! All the bridesmaids were supposed to be in A-line tea length glass green satin skirts and tops. Windra's was the same skirt, with a ivory and glass green hand painted top.
Well, hers came in celedon, which if you dont know, is a very ugly light olive green! Does NOT match at all! Of course I didnt know this until we got home because the bridal shop was nice enough to bring them to the Tacoma Bridal Show last weekend so I wouldnt have to drive an hour to their shop. I just took them home without checking. After several phone calls back and forth, they are going to re-order Windra's skirt, and I had to pick a new top since apparently the top does not come in glass green. (would have been nice to know a bit sooner). Windra was freaking out as well since she is in Guam and could do nothing to help.
I actually was proud of the fact that I did not yell or become "Bridezilla." I did cry and rant to a friend before I actually made the first phone call though. And at least it happened now instead of in June, right? I did survive the first upset though, and that is HUGE....lets hope I can hold it together from now on as well!
The bridesmaid dresses came in last week. They are beautiful. Windra's (Maid of Honor) dress was not - it was not the right color! All the bridesmaids were supposed to be in A-line tea length glass green satin skirts and tops. Windra's was the same skirt, with a ivory and glass green hand painted top.
Well, hers came in celedon, which if you dont know, is a very ugly light olive green! Does NOT match at all! Of course I didnt know this until we got home because the bridal shop was nice enough to bring them to the Tacoma Bridal Show last weekend so I wouldnt have to drive an hour to their shop. I just took them home without checking. After several phone calls back and forth, they are going to re-order Windra's skirt, and I had to pick a new top since apparently the top does not come in glass green. (would have been nice to know a bit sooner). Windra was freaking out as well since she is in Guam and could do nothing to help.
I actually was proud of the fact that I did not yell or become "Bridezilla." I did cry and rant to a friend before I actually made the first phone call though. And at least it happened now instead of in June, right? I did survive the first upset though, and that is HUGE....lets hope I can hold it together from now on as well!
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
time flies...
Tax season has started off with a bang, with quarterlies due this month, but wedding planning must continue! My future mother in law, Nancy, met with a caterer on Monday, which was the last of the BIG things needing to be done. Now for details. So many of them! AKK!
Nancy is having her boss's wife put together a centerpiece I saw in a bridal magazine to see if I like it. Nancy, my mom, and I are going to the Tacoma Bridal Show this weekend to see if I can find a florist, or at least some ideas for my bouquet. By the end of this month I should also have invitations ordered.....thank goodness for Costco.com!
We decided pretty early on that we were not going to have alcohol at our wedding. Having a 10:30 am wedding with a buffet luncheon type reception makes it pretty easy to explain. Not only that , but the Parish Hall only allows wine and champagne toasts, which we decided to forgo in favor of sparkling apple cider (which we already have purchased 48 bottles of and are stored in my uncle's basement). A lot easier on the budget too!
Since we are not having alcohol, I wanted to do something memorable at the reception....I wasn't sure just what though. Then I got a movie on DVD from my brother, Thomas, for Christmas and instantly was inspired. The movie? FOOTLOOSE! Thomas has a friend who is the drill team advisor at a local High School as well as a former dance team member at WWU. Thomas is going to ask Joel to teach a bunch of us ("us" includes not only Andrew and myself, but also Thomas, my cousin's and their boyfriends and anyone else I can sucker into it) to teach us the steps from the movie to perform at the reception! I am so excited! (Andrew is gritting his teeth and going along for the ride :)
The guest list is being compiled, which is daunting. There are so many people I dont have addresses for! We met for our pre-marriage counseling this weekend and got the stamp of approval. There is one more all day seminar at the church that we must attend in March. The counseling was great. Donna made us feel welcome and at ease, and we left feeling certain all over again! Andrew did say that I am better at telling other people why he is so great, so I am going to have to work on showing my feelings to HIM a bit...all in all it was a great experience.
Nancy is having her boss's wife put together a centerpiece I saw in a bridal magazine to see if I like it. Nancy, my mom, and I are going to the Tacoma Bridal Show this weekend to see if I can find a florist, or at least some ideas for my bouquet. By the end of this month I should also have invitations ordered.....thank goodness for Costco.com!
We decided pretty early on that we were not going to have alcohol at our wedding. Having a 10:30 am wedding with a buffet luncheon type reception makes it pretty easy to explain. Not only that , but the Parish Hall only allows wine and champagne toasts, which we decided to forgo in favor of sparkling apple cider (which we already have purchased 48 bottles of and are stored in my uncle's basement). A lot easier on the budget too!
Since we are not having alcohol, I wanted to do something memorable at the reception....I wasn't sure just what though. Then I got a movie on DVD from my brother, Thomas, for Christmas and instantly was inspired. The movie? FOOTLOOSE! Thomas has a friend who is the drill team advisor at a local High School as well as a former dance team member at WWU. Thomas is going to ask Joel to teach a bunch of us ("us" includes not only Andrew and myself, but also Thomas, my cousin's and their boyfriends and anyone else I can sucker into it) to teach us the steps from the movie to perform at the reception! I am so excited! (Andrew is gritting his teeth and going along for the ride :)
The guest list is being compiled, which is daunting. There are so many people I dont have addresses for! We met for our pre-marriage counseling this weekend and got the stamp of approval. There is one more all day seminar at the church that we must attend in March. The counseling was great. Donna made us feel welcome and at ease, and we left feeling certain all over again! Andrew did say that I am better at telling other people why he is so great, so I am going to have to work on showing my feelings to HIM a bit...all in all it was a great experience.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
six months and counting...
That's right...six months from now I will be walking down the aisle of St Andrew Catholic chuch towards Andrew and a lifetime of love, friendship, trust and commitment. In the past few weeks I have been reflecting on just how far I have come in the past 3 years.
Three years ago, I packed up my two kiddos and moved from Guam to Washington. I left my 9 1/2 years as a Navy wife behind after a sudden and unexpected divorce and moved into my parent's home. I battled a full range of emotions including sadness, anger, bitterness, and a lack of self confidence. It was not an easy road.
I look at my life now and feel truly content. I have found my way back to the church and finally understand a personal relationship with God. I have two lovely children who surprise me regularly with their intelligence, thoughtfulness and talents. And God has blessed me with a man who has taught me what real love can be like. I have survived 7 months of supporting myself and the kiddos in our own home. I just began my senior year at Saint Martin University, studying Accounting, while working in a small bookkeeping firm full time.
My life seems crazy busy, yet I wouldn't have it any other way...well that is a lie, but I am surviving. With work, school, kids, homework, spending time with Andrew, teaching junior high youth group, and participating in the church's Young Adults group; planning the wedding does not really have first priority. Yet, somehow, details seem to be falling into place. I just keep putting my trust in God, and he keeps placing people in my path to help me along the way.
The next few months, I plan on blabbing about all the details as they fall into place. So far, I have my dress, veil, my daughter's dress, the photographer, the DJ, Andrew's ring, and two vocalists. I am so blessed to have met such wonderful people at Young Adults. They have offered to help with so much, and agreed to do things at my request. I love you all!
Three years ago, I packed up my two kiddos and moved from Guam to Washington. I left my 9 1/2 years as a Navy wife behind after a sudden and unexpected divorce and moved into my parent's home. I battled a full range of emotions including sadness, anger, bitterness, and a lack of self confidence. It was not an easy road.
I look at my life now and feel truly content. I have found my way back to the church and finally understand a personal relationship with God. I have two lovely children who surprise me regularly with their intelligence, thoughtfulness and talents. And God has blessed me with a man who has taught me what real love can be like. I have survived 7 months of supporting myself and the kiddos in our own home. I just began my senior year at Saint Martin University, studying Accounting, while working in a small bookkeeping firm full time.
My life seems crazy busy, yet I wouldn't have it any other way...well that is a lie, but I am surviving. With work, school, kids, homework, spending time with Andrew, teaching junior high youth group, and participating in the church's Young Adults group; planning the wedding does not really have first priority. Yet, somehow, details seem to be falling into place. I just keep putting my trust in God, and he keeps placing people in my path to help me along the way.
The next few months, I plan on blabbing about all the details as they fall into place. So far, I have my dress, veil, my daughter's dress, the photographer, the DJ, Andrew's ring, and two vocalists. I am so blessed to have met such wonderful people at Young Adults. They have offered to help with so much, and agreed to do things at my request. I love you all!
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