Decisions, decisions...

As a new bride, it was absolutely necessary for me to attend the Fall 2010 Wedding Fair at the South Town Expo Center on Saturday. I was incredibly grateful to have my mom along to accompany me on this journey. Just for your information, when dozens of vendors are eager to show you their work, you get a paper bag so full of brochures, cards and pricing sheets that it begins to rip the bottom out, as well as leave permanent marks on your arm where you have been holding it for the past two hours.

When we had either seen, or run from, nearly every vendor in the place, we left the building with the same awestruck look on our faces. Thank goodness to the Buca di Bepo vendor who gave us a rockin' deal for dinner, because mom and I were in need of a serious calorie overload.
When I asked what ideas she liked most at the expo, she said, "I have no idea, I am completely overwhelmed at the moment." And that was true, it's difficult to take in that much information at one time. No wonder I'm breaking this down into priorities.

If I focused on ceremony/reception/flowers/dress/tux/cake/caterer/decorations/music/
honeymoon/apartment all at once I swear I'd drop dead. I need manageable bites please!

I think most brides would agree that the first few steps of planning a wedding are probably the most difficult. Choosing a date and picking a venue are the biggest decisions (besides agreeing to marry the groom of course) you come up against immediately following your choice to say "I do." All other plans fall behind these first two because season, location and time frame become what everything else is based upon.

As for a date, I can't believe the pressure that I have felt this past week to confirm a time frame. It's the first step of course, but it is something that I want to be exactly perfect. Convenience (as far as school goes) and season (as far as weather goes) are difficult to peg because there are so many factors! I won't go into that just yet, because frankly I don't want the opinions of others to sway me from what is best for Jason and I. I hope that doesn't offend anyone! However, we are doing our best to make a decision, and to do so in a fair and compromising manner.

Anyways, venue is second on my list of priorities at the moment. In the words of Alex at Kay Jewelers, the beauty of being an LDS bride is that you just have to pick a temple. Simply stated. As for me, I have dreamt of being sealed in the Salt Lake Temple since I was five. Luckily, my fiance is kind enough to participate in that dream. ;)

Depending on our decided season, I have two places in mind for reception centers. One, at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square. The room I like has an incredible view and is somewhat private, allowing the reception to take place in a beautiful setting if we just so happen to pick a date with cold weather. Second, is a quaint reception center in my hometown of Ogden. I like this idea because we would have the option of both indoors and the available outdoor garden area. I always loved the idea of an outdoor reception, but this would give of the security of indoors if it just so happened to rain.

Besides my choice in temples, I feel the only decision I really have a grip on is my choice in color scheme. A month ago I was really liking the idea of aqua and lime, two of my very favorite colors together. Thrown in with a touch of white, these pure colors are happy and fun.





But then I came across this inspiration board of purple, and I decided maybe I should incorporate this royal color for a touch of elegance. It just so happens to be the exact color of my birthstone, and if we were to wed in February, its' cool tone adds a bit of winter wonderland.



Unable to give up my adoration for all things aqua and lime, I found this combination of all three colors, and fell in love!

Wouldn't that be gorgeous?

Since Jason always suggests the same two colors, I didn't really expect him to like this combination. But surprisingly he did, especially with the addition of purple into the mix.

Date and venue are still my first priority, but until they are decided, I'll continue to peruse and search color schemes. I'm always up for comments and suggestions if you have any!