We got our engagement pictures back a couple of weeks ago!  They’re awesome and we are in LOVE with them!  Jason rocks my socks!  Here’s a sneak peek:

To see more & order prints, click here!

Now, on to the “& more” section of this post….

The list further dwindles!  To date we have now:

• Created & ordered our save-the-dates (using one of our engagement pictures)!  I’ll post a photo of the finished design (created by me and approved by Adrian) once I’m sure most of our guests have received them.  
• Chosen our invitations (will order in January).  We’re going with tree-free paper with embedded wildflower seeds from Twisted Limb Paperworks!  Again, no peeking at the design until they’ve been received!
• Our friend, Jon C., got ordained online!  Not sure which site he used, but it’s legit!  
• My wedding  & rehearsal dresses have been fitted!  And believe it or not, I performed the operations myself (eek!)!  But it worked!  Of course, were they not rather simple in design (no boning or the like), I would NOT have even dreamt of touching the dresses with a needle & thread, but thankfully it IS and I have enough experience to have fitted it myself, saving a load of cash!  YAY!  My mantra has been since we started planning (heck, since we purchased our own house):  Why pay someone else to do it if I can do it myself?  Of course, if you follow such words of wisdom, be realistic!  Sometimes it is better to trust the professionals!  
• In the same vein, I have also almost completely finished adding my own personal design aspects to my wedding gown.  I’ve added quite a bit here and there and changed some things about the design, but I am LOVING it more each and every time I touch that thing.  Which is a good sign, because I have been known to not leave well enough alone.  Thankfully with my own wedding gown I’ve done a good job of Keeping It Simple (SILLY)!
• We’ve just about compiled all of our guests’ mailing addresses.  Actually, as of now, we’re just waiting on ONE.  (you know who you are!)
• Decided on a ring holder!  We’re going to order a custom ring bowl from Paloma’s Nest!  I’m so excited because I have been wanting one of these for our wedding since I first saw them!  They’re so cute, so unique, and so reusable (another mantra: reduce, reuse, and….you know the rest!)!  We’re going to engrave it with “Adrian & Jenny / May 16, 2009″ and tie a ribbon in one of our colors through the holes at the top.  After the wedding, we’ll use it as an ornament on our tree every year OR hang it on the wall next to a wedding photo.  Kai will now be carring our rings (he wanted–and deserved–an extra, important job), so now he’ll just carry the bowl with the rings!
• I’ve ordered and received all of my rehearsal & wedding day jewelry (all from Etsy.  Yes, you remember, I’m the Etsy Freak Bride.). 
• I’ve received my headpiece from myrakim (SO pretty!!!)!  It’s made with feathers I gathered from my family’s farm in Michigan City, so it’s extra personal!
• booked a ceremony musician!  We’ll have a solo violinist, a student from IU Music School.   I’m looking forward to this as well because those students?!?  AMAZING!!!
• worked out the timeline/style of our ceremony.  Not the words yet, but the way things are going to go.  We’re doing things a little differently.  More on this later.
• Aaaand last but NOT least, I ordered the oft-raved-about work-the-hell-out-of-you workout DVD:  Jillian Michaels–30-Day Shred.  Yes, that’s Jillian Michaels from “Biggest Loser” TV fame.  Yes, she’s called the “toughest trainer”.  That’s right.  I’m getting in the absolute best shape of my life for our wedding!  

Now, let me explore this tangent a little more, do you mind?  I’m not in bad shape.  I’m a vegetarian, I eat well, I had kept up a pretty decent jogging routine in the warmer months for the past year.  When I wasn’t jogging, I was dancing.  This is the embarrassing part.  I have ANOTHER workout DVD for *ahem* hip-hop dancing *shifty eyes*.  It worked me out, though, and it was fun!  

Then I got this DVD.

I apparently didn’t know what working out was.  

Ho. Ly. Crap (I’ll keep this kid-friendly).

The workouts (there are three levels) are only 20 minutes long.  But, it’s Jillian, and Jillian does NOT mess around!  It’s true, if you want results from ONLY 20 min a day, you’ve got to WORK IT GIRLFRIEND and WORK IT HARD!  No breather allowed!  No mercy!  I’ve only done this once, just started today (in fact only an hour ago) and I can barely even type!  I thought I was in shape and BOY I must have been w-r-o-n-g!

All this is to say, if you want results, if you want your ass kicked hardcore in the comfort of your own home, GET THIS DVD.

OK I think that about covers it for now!  Be back once more is checked off the list!

Thanks for reading.

Jenny the Bride

IS IN!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. Postman dropped off a rectangular box this past Friday.  I went out to meet him because I couldn’t wait.

I squealed.  I ran inside.  I promptly told the dogs that this was my dress and made them go stay in the kitchen so it didn’t get dog hair and paw prints on it. 

I tore it open.  Inside was an opaque vinyl garment bag (how nice of Amanda to send it this way!) and a thank-you card inside (how nice again!).

i quickly zipped the bag open, squealing again, and put it on.  

hmm…it’s beautiful, it’s MY DRESS, without a doubt, but it needs some alterations.  So I pulled it tight to get a better idea, put the accessories on and voila!  

I was a BRIDE!  But I was ME!  And it was AWESOME!  It was everything I ever wanted AND it’s reusable.  The way it’s designed, after the wedding I’ll be able to hem it to the knee and it’ll make a cozy, beautiful sun dress  Wow, I’m such a recycling hippie.

But seriously, I am so relieved.  Every bride, from what I hear has 2nd thoughts and the more I thought about the dress (before it arrived) the more I doubted my decision.  Don’t ask me why.  I was doing exactly what I wanted to do.  I was having my dress made out of the fabric I wanted, into the style I wanted, by a ridiculously talented dressmaker.  But still, the doubts came, but disappeard completely once I put the whole ensemble together.  I mean, completely.  I am in LOVE with my gown.  It’s so ME and it’s SO beautiful!!  I can’t wait to wear it to become Adrian’s wife

In other news, checks we have done so far:

• Ceremony site (Rose Well House on IU campus)
• Reception site (Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall)
• DJ (Tom Marshalek from The Dance Machine)
• Flowers (Harvest Moon Flower Farm)
• Rentals (Master Rental)
• dress (Amanda Archer handmade creation)
• Caterer (Bloomingfoods Co-Op)
• Photographer (Jason Miller with Silvertree Photographics)

Yesterday I received an answer to the question of whether we were allowed to have our wedding ceremony at the greenspace outside of Simon Hall on IU’s campus.

NO.

So while at first both Adrian and I were disappointed, we realized there was nothing we were going to be able to do to change the committee’s mind and decided on another (already pre-approved!) site:

The Rose Well House:

(The Rose Well House set up for a wedding.  Image courtesy of Cathy Teeters Beautiful Weddings)

(A wedding going on–in the middle of a torrential downpour–at the Rose Well House!  Image courtesy of Jessica R. Strickland)

From Bloomingpedia:  “The Rose Well House is a small structure built in 1908 from stone door gates that were originally part of the old College Building. The well house is located over what was the first cistern used on the new Indiana University campus, on the north-eastern edge of Dunn’s Woods. It is situated close to Wylie Hall, Owen Hall and Maxwell Hall.”

As a matter of fact, it all works out for the better.  Even though here we can’t have an in-the-round ceremony based on the shape, Adrian and I went to the Rose Well House on our first date (along with fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies from the Bloomington Bagel Company!), so it’s a spot that means something personal to us. And because of this, we are looking forward to vowing to be together forever in this spot where we, back in the fall of 2004, sat with our chocolate chip cookies and talked for over an hour, learning about one another as we began our relationship.

Jenny the Bride

]]> http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/a-decision-has-been-made/feed/ 3 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/updates-ceremony-site-the-dress/ http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/updates-ceremony-site-the-dress/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:02:56 +0000 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/?p=28 ]]>

Remember when I said we’d been approved for that beautiful circular grassy space on IU’s campus?  Ah, those were the days!  Turns out, I was mistaken.  I’ve since been contacted by the Student Activities committee and filled out a form stating how many guests we would have (75 or less), if we would have a tent (NO), and how long we would need the space for (not very).  Adrian and I are now awaiting approval from the Board of Trustees at IU and whomever else needs to go through our form and decide if we should be the lucky ones to have the first and likely only wedding in this area.   Currently, there are only THREE (!) approved outdoor ceremony spaces on campus, and this is NOT one of them.  Their decision could go either way, though, and that’s the problem.  We’re waiting….waiting….waiting….. and on THE MOST important detail of the wedding day (besides each other)–where we’re having our ceremony!

I will update further once a decision has been made.  Keep your fingers crossed that it’s SOONER rather than LATER!

As for THE DRESS update……..

My mom came to visit this past Saturday through Tuesday.  We had a GREAT time just hanging out and celebrating my birthday on Sunday (it was seriously one of the best ever!)  And on MONDAY she and I traveled 2 hours to Cincinnati, OH to visit the largest bridal salon in the country: Bridal & Formal!  I’ve been wanting to come here ever since I first heard of the shop years ago and it truly was an amazing experience.

Upon arrival, I was given a form to fill out with my name, wedding date, and contact info.  Then I was shown the (over 3,000) gowns!  Thankfully, they were organized by designer & price to make the search a little easier   I chose 8 Pronovias gowns rather easily, as this designer is heavy on my style of vintage lace & European design.  They had every single one of their styles I’ve been wanting to try on for FOREVER!  I was thrilled and SO EXCITED to start trying them all on!  Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long, because my consultant Tracie was ready to take me back to the LARGE communal dressing room minutes after I chose the dresses.  She was hilarious.  She said I had a beautiful “olive skin tone”!  Pff!  yeah right!  Not with these freckles!

Well, the first one I tried on back there was IT.  It just was.  It was amazing.  It was unique.  It was ME in every way.  This was the dress.  Although I’d tried on about 4 or 5 more dresses afterward, I knew I’d found my dress.  Tracie took me back to another lady who is in charge of accessorizing.  This was a part of the shopping experience that made Bridal & Formal stand out among other bridal salons.  They took me in this gorgeous gown I’d chosen and sat me down on a plush stool in front of a vanity set with mirrors surrounded by veils & jewelry of all kinds.  Here I was adorned with a chapel-length veil, gorgeous earrings & a bracelet to go with my gown.  And here is where I couldn’t keep the tears from coming as I was led to the bridal platform area to see it all put together.  Of course, my mother was in tears herself   It was definitely one of those moments everybody’s been telling me I’d have but I never believed would happen.  Well, it did.  You all were right. 

After all of that, even though super-sweet and helpful Tracie kept trying to get the price of this amazing gown down, it still was more than we were wanting to spend (I just cannot see spending four figures on a dress that will only get worn once) and we left the store.  Of course, I have resources upon resources and am certain I won’t have a hard time finding this exact gown elsewhere for a friendlier price.  So the search is on!

The great thing is, if I don’t find it for a better price, I have another just-as-exciting option:  I have found an amazingly talented dressmaker on Etsy who is more than willing and more than capable of creating a very similar and just as beautiful gown out of a material I’ve always LOVED and yet a material that is very very hard to find in wedding gowns.  This seller has sent me sketches, I’ve seen her work, and I would be just as thrilled to work with her to create a one-of-a-kind gown for our wedding day as I would to find that Pronovias gown in a more reasonable price range.

So now I’m down to two.  Two beautiful, exciting options.  Of course, I will not post any further information and certainly no photos of these gown options here, as Husband-in-Training could and would stumble upon them, but if anyone is interested in seeing what I’m talking about, please feel free to contact me: jlnowak [at] gmail [dot] com.

Jenny the Bride

]]> http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/updates-ceremony-site-the-dress/feed/ 0 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/ceremony-site/ http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/05/28/ceremony-site/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 05:23:08 +0000 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/?p=25 ]]>

We are SO EXCITED to have finally decided on a ceremony site!

Let me back up a bit. Last week we met with Timothy Womock to look at the Grand Hall at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center for our reception. I already knew I loved it, as I’d photoed two wedding receptions there. Adrian wanted to have a look to be sure it was what he was envisioning, and sure enough, it was! Timothy was absolutely terrific; laid-back with a sense of humor. Isn’t that what Adrian and I are all about? Perfect match. We had a great time and he was super helpful.

BUT!! Important piece of info for our female guests–because of the gorgeous blond hardwood floors in the hall (and hey, also because of our outdoor ceremony site), stiletto pumps are not recommended if you will be dancing (and you are expected to dance it up)! If you receive an invitation to our wedding, please keep this in mind! Plus, we’re keeping things pretty casual, so nice sandals or going barefoot (or slippered, or flip-flopped) at the reception is totally encouraged!

After we left the Grand Hall, Adrian, being the sweet, thoughtful man that he is, made me an offer I could not refuse: Why don’t we recreate our first date? It was a beautiful day, sun shining, not a cloud in the sky and 70. Really. Perfect. So we walked from the Grand Hall to Laughing Planet Cafe in downtown Bloomington and enjoyed the most wonderfully delicious burritos.

After, we walked over to the Bloomington Bagel Co to get two huge warm chocolate chip cookies!!

We walked around campus again while eating cookies trying to find the perfect outdoor site for an in-the-round ceremony when we came across it! There is a new, beautifully-landscaped area on campus nestled in the center of four gorgeous limestone buildings, one of which is the new Simon Hall (the newest scientific research facility on the Bloomington campus).

In the first picture below you will see an arrow pointing to the location of our ceremony in-the-round. You can easily see the wide-open circular shape of the area which really drew us to the site (photo from IU’s live webcam):

The rest of the photos are photos I took from ground level at various angles:

YAY!!!!!!! I love it SO MUCH! And after e-mailing my contact at IU (you get “contacts” when you’ve got a career in the wedding industry), the ball is rolling on getting it reserved! She herself said we were very lucky to be given the permission to marry here, though I’m not entirely sure why. I guess it’s mostly because there are huge restrictions with this space, as a large part of Simon Hall is underneath it (water lines and the like). But we got the go-ahead and now we’ve just got to get it in writing!

Now, of course, for those of us getting married outside, we understand the importance of a back-up plan in case of inclement weather. Adrian and I will be able to rent out the entire Neal-Marshall Center since it’s after school lets out and the plan is to get married there, on the stairs, as our back-up.

Photos of the back-up site (we would be on the stairs and guests would sit on chairs out on the floor there):

It’s so awesome, because we both LOVE each of the sites! Plus, the way we both feel, we don’t care if we have to get married in a sewer, we’re just so excited to marry one another. That’s really all that matters.

Well, to bed for me!

Jenny the bride

OK, so we’re getting VERY close to the one-year mark (as in one year until our wedding date!)!

The goal this week is to get our ceremony & reception sites booked. I have filled out the form for the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall (pictured below–photos by Grise Photography (me)) and have been in contact with Timothy Womock who is in charge of booking at Neal-Marshall for Adrian & I to come view it before paying for it. Hopefully we’ll be able to do so this week and get it booked!

I, personally, LOVE the space and have photographed two receptions here, one of which Adrian attended. He wants to go back, though, since the last time he saw it was 2 years ago. Can’t blame him.

As for a ceremony site, we’re firm on an outdoor campus (IU) location, just not sure WHICH outdoor campus location yet. We should be able to come to a final decision by Friday though (the dreaded One Year Mark).

I’ll update as it happens!

Jenny

I am so excited!

WE HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHER!

Adrian’s good friend from high school is a professional photographer (Jason Miller of Silvertree Photographics) and has agreed to photograph our wedding!  I am THRILLED for two reasons:

1) I know this has been something that has meant a lot to Adrian,

2) Jason is extreeeemely talented, personable, and fun (all the things I was looking for in a photographer!).  All that and he’s a personal friend, so we’ll feel comfortable around him and have a great time!

Now we’ve just gotta meet with him and discuss specifics (or really, Jason and I need to talk shop!).  We’re also thinking of doing an engagement session somewhere down the line at the IMA grounds where we spent the weekend we got engaged!  But I’m getting ahead of myself…

So what’s the ceremony site update?

All of the sudden we’re open to IUB’s campus for our outdoor ceremony.  What changed our minds?  The trouble we’re running into finding an alternative!  That and it really is a gorgeous campus, and by that time there will hardly be any students (our wedding falls after graduation on purpose), AND it’s CLOSER to our desired reception location (the Grand Hall at IU’s Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center).

Still have to talk about it and view possible locations, but I think we’re getting nearer making a decision!  We’ll, of course, keep you updated

Jenny

The Bride

So, remember how I said we were going to check out Deer Park Manor for a possible ceremony site?  We didn’t actually go until Thursday because we had to reschedule, but anyway…. I’ve photographed two weddings there, and while the grounds are gorgeous and the mansion is beautiful, it is NOT worth the price they charge.  No way, no how.  We knew how much it was going into it, but we wanted to have a look anyway.  It’s just not for us.  So we went by another possible location today.  There is a gazebo at Century Suites here in Bloomington, and they do weddings, so we checked it out.  Ehhh…. I mean, it’s pretty and all, but not enough privacy.  Two busy streets are just feet away.  The price was MUCH better, but we just weren’t feeling like this was where we want to get married.

So we’re running out of ideas for outdoor locations.

There is another one to check out, but after that, we’re just going to have to drive around looking for a place.  This can’t be that hard!  Come on!  It’s Bloomington!  There are so many beautiful places here!

We just have to get ceremony & reception sites & officiant out of the way.

The one-year mark is coming up!  Less than two weeks away!  I’d like to get those things squared away by then so we can relax

If anyone anywhere has ANY ideas for outdoor ceremony locations in Bloomington, Indiana (besides campus) PLEEEEASE let me know!!!

Jenny

The Bride

]]> http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/ceremony-sites/feed/ 1 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/sites-officiants/ http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/sites-officiants/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:36:03 +0000 jennythebride http://adrianandjennyswedding.wordpress.com/?p=15 ]]>

Well, we have our first appointment to view a possible ceremony site!  Tomorrow at 10am Adrian and I are going to have a guided tour at Deer Park Manor.  We are set on an outdoor ceremony (with a backup plan of course in case of inclement weather!) and could go either way for the reception (indoor/outdoor).  I’ve photographed two weddings at Deer Park and love the grounds.  It’s a beautiful 40-acre nature preserve with a gorgeous limestone mansion.  And the entire estate would be ours for the weekend if we do decide to go with them.

BUT–it’s only ONE of our options right now.

We also love the idea of a reception at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall on IU’s campus.  I have photographed two receptions there and it’s just loooovely!  Hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows!  And extremely budget-friendly ($75 per four hour period).  If we do the reception here, though, we’re not sure yet on where to hold the outdoor ceremony.  Adrian doesn’t like the idea of an on-campus ceremony and I’m not in any way stuck on the idea either.  Eagle Pointe Golf Resort here has some pretty options and I’m currently in communications with Jake King, the director.  We will likely set something up with him to view our options soon.  The only issue with Eagle Pointe is that it’s pretty far from Neal-Marshall, so we’d have to keep that in mind.  The Terrace at Eagle Pointe is a great place to have a reception, too, so we could do both there.   So see, we have lots of options to look into.  At least we have one appointment made!

As for a ceremony officiant, we are looking into the idea of getting one of our friends ordained online at ULC.net as one of the options.  All in all, we want our ceremony to be really personal and reflect us as a couple, and all of us as a family.  We’re still looking into officiants who do this as a living, Justices of the Peace, judges, county clerks, or even our Mayor.  With all that in mind, the idea of a close friend of ours officiating the ceremony still sounds like the most personal option.  And yes, it’s legal.

I’ll let you know how tomorrow’s appointment goes!  I’ll bring my camera.

Jenny

The Bride

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