My Big Fat Wedding Dress

Well. I've discovered the show for the tackiest weddings BY FAR.
My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on TLC.
If you haven't watched it...you should.
It's hilariously funny and addicting.
It follows the lives of European Gypsys, also known as "travelers"
It's really amusing, because despite the fact that the women dress like prostitutes, surprisingly the Gypsy culture have extremely high morals and rules (boys and girls cannot be alone together, girls must travel with a companion, no sex before marriage, etc.)
Their dresses are so poofy though! It's ridiculous :)

Etiquette people...Etiquette.

Wedding Etiquette for Guests
(Inspire from my own opinions and a list I discovered on www.emilypost.com/guests)

1. You do not ask if you are invited to the wedding (Or "I better be invited!!") Cause if you're not = Awkward.
2. You do not ask if you can bring someone to someone else's wedding if they weren't invited, especially if there is a meal involved. That's rude.The invitation will specifically say who is invited (If your children or boyfriend/girlfriend are not on the invitation, then that means they aren't invited)
3. RSVP. Répondez s'il vous plaît. How hard is it to send back the RSVP cards or to pick up the telephone?
4. Parents and Grandparents should not tell the Bride and Groom who to invite. It's their day.Unless the couple asks, keep your suggestions to yourself.
5. MOTHERS OF THE BRIDE. It is the Bride's day. You already had yours. It's her dress: LET her pick what she wants!! (I didn't get this from experience...I got it from watching Say Yes To The Dress. Those mothers on there are so annoying.)
6. If you decide to bring young children or babies to a wedding, keep them quiet and in their seats. If your baby has a habit of crying or your child is hyperactive: Leave them at a baby sitter or take them out of the ceremony! This is speaking from experience. Every wedding I've gone to, there is always an unattended child running up and down the aisle or a baby screaming during the vows.
 

These should be outlawed.

Ok. So I know that when picking bridesmaids dresses, you can't please everyone.
But honestly...there is a point where you cross the line. No bridesmaid should ever have to suffer when wearing a garment.

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about.

 Why?? Why would you do this? What bride honestly thought "Oh I know! I want my bridesmaids dresses to be really pink, really puffy, and really provocative! What a great idea!" Wrong. Bad idea.

 Costumes are never a good idea for a wedding people.

 Ooooooo Rainbow. Not tacky in the least bit.

 More rainbow. People. Rainbow DOES NOT look good.

 This should be considered a sin.

 Why?

Think people think. If you wouldn't wear it out in public on a normal day/normal special occasion DONT make your bridesmaids wear them on your wedding day. Just don't.

I'm horrible at blog titles.

Ok. For my blog today I have decided to discuss something that has greatly affected me. It makes me sick just thinking about it, and I need to share my feelings on this subject with my little audience.

Camo.
Camo is for hunting.
Camo is NOT for weddings.
It's tacky.
Actually I don't even think tacky begins to describe camo used at weddings. Gaudy. Ugly. Repulsive. Take your pick. 

Why? Why would you do that? These cakes don't even look...edible. Gross. And yes. It gets worse.

If one of my friends made me wear a dress like that in their wedding...I would sue. And be very very sick on the day of the wedding and be unable to attend.

Poor child. She doesn't even realize how ridiculous she looks.

Oh they think they are so cool. How...sad.

Lauren's Rant.

My rant for today. (Sorry...its been a bad day)

I hate french class. Do you know what she's making us do tomorrow? A skit. In french. In front of everyone. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate french?
I hate Betty's class.
I hate printing. I loathe printing actually. With a passion.
I hate the people who tailgate me when I'm driving through Grottoes. Really people? Really?? It's just going to make me go slower. Yes. I will go slower.
I hate money. I hate having to pay for things. I like free stuff. Like hugs. And almost free stuff. Like the dollar menu at Micky Dees.

I like hot showers after long days.
And watching shows that make me laugh, like the Office (Though tonight's episodes...Not funny. Just sad.)
I love muddy buddys chex mix.
I love it when it's just about to rain in the summer.
I love wearing my fiance's jackets because they're so big and huge and comfy.
I love sweatpants.

I don't like it when my jeans get wet around the ankles.
I don't like it when I have to get up early for something extremely pathetic (such as french...or printing for Betty's class tomorrow morning)

But I do like mash potatoes and gravy.
Which I want at this moment. :)
Also...why is Hardees closed so early? And why isn't there an Arby's in Verona??

The end. 

And it was late.

So yesterday I wrote this long detailed post explaining how my computer had a virus and how it wouldn't let me write on my blog, blah blah blah, boring boring boring.

And then I accidentally deleted it.
And it was late.
And I didn't feel like re writing it.
So yes.
Virus = No blogging.

But anyways,
Life is going good! Wedding planning is going along smoothly (Check out our wedding website!) and I'm really really excited for August 13th. Really :) I can't wait to be a married girl (I originally wrote "woman" but I really don't see myself as a woman...I mean...I'm not grown up. At all. My fiance just bought me a stuffed lion that I wanted from Wal Mart...I don't usually see married women making their husbands buy them stuffed animals from department stores.) I already have a pile of things at Lee's apartment for when I move in :) Just gifts people have given us from our engagement party, Christmas, or have sent us in the mail...it's not a big pile or anything, but it makes me happy :)

In White Dresses

The past few weeks have been crazy! Just trying to catch my breath with everything I've had to do. Between school work and...well...more school work, I feel I'm a little behind on the wedding planning. I know that's not the case...we're making really good progress...It just feels that way since Lee and I have to keep pushing things forward because of our busy schedules.
It also doesn't help that I tend to get caught up in everything around me that sometimes I forget to crack down and get things done.
My parents have been amazing thank the Lord! I really need help with everything, considering I'm a senior now in college, and things aren't getting any easier! My parents have been very helpful :) Lee has been a wonderful help as well, but he's also been busy with work, as well as working overtime with the new station he's at. So please forgive me everyone if I've seemed very preoccupied recently. I don't mean to be rude it's just been an insane past couple of weeks.
Thank goodness its spring break! I'm going to take this time to relax and also catch up on a few things as well.

I've been thinking I might create another blog. As many of you guys know, I'm a photography major, and want to start posting some of the pictures I've been working on. A blog seems like a great place to do it sooooo I'm either going to keep this one and create another one, or combine them both. Not sure, I haven't decided. I haven't had time to do a lot of photography, but I'm planning on dedicating a part of my summer to this very subject (as well as getting a job and preparing for the wedding of course)

Also please pray for me. I filled out an application for a job that I think I would really like. Not going to get my hopes up or anything, but I really need a job and this one seems perfect. If you guys could keep me in mind that would be wonderful, as well as keeping me informed with any job openings that you are aware of!

Thanks to everyone who reads this :) It really means a lot!

<3

Check.

The wedding planning process is still going smoothly. We're getting things checked off our list left and right. We're going to be looking into caterers this week, and we think we've finally settled on what we're going to be doing with the florist. The bridesmaids will also be ordering their dresses this week as well Yes, I've finally found them (The dresses, not the bridesmaids....I've had those picked out since the day I got engaged. Ask my fiance!) Anyways...back to the subject of the dresses: They're the ones I've wanted since the beginning, but wasn't to sure if I could get them. They're all the same color and length, but different styles. I felt that way they could wear something that fit with their body type, as well as not being forced to wear something completely hideous that they didn't like. I would post pictures, but I don't want to ruin it. I think the girls are going to look great :)

Anyways, that's it for now. Sorry this post is so short!
Oh and I got my comment thing fixed, so please leave me lots! I like to know if people are actually reading this, or if I'm just blabbing to the open web.

This just needed to be posted.

Mrs. Hodge: "Who's your valentine this year?"  Seth: "Pam Beesly, but if she is busy than Danielle is my back up, and Lauren is my safety." 

Seth Ryan Hodge was a great kid. A wonderful son. A good brother. An awesome grandson. A amazing friend. And a true child of God. I'm not his parent, or sibling, or grandparent...but I was his friend and I saw through the way he lived his life that he was all of those :) And most importantly, a young man chasing after Christ with all his heart. <3
Sethie left us in March of last year, and we all miss him so much and cannot wait to see him again. 

I love you Sethie :)

 

Nyquil should come w/out taste.

Well all the Save the Dates have been finished :) Going to mail them out on Monday. We also got our DJ! :) I feel like we're really on a roll here.
Hopefully by the end of this upcoming week we'll have our florist booked. <3

Anyways, I have a cold which is ridiculous, and it slowing me down. This is the second time I've been sick this year and its only February. What a joke.
I probably caught it from some loser at school, who caught it partying up at JMU over the weekend, who caught it from the kid sitting next to them in Biology class who never showers and only occasionally brushes his teeth.
Thanks dirty, cavity filled freshmen.
Thanks a lot.

Wedding Website

Here is our wedding website if anyone wants to look at it:   

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/LeeKelley&LaurenWells

It is also posted on the side of my blog if you ever want want to see it, as well as on facebook! It's got some information about the wedding, as well as our registries. Be sure to check the main page, as we update it often :)
(I know I sound a little silly right now: But I don't care :D Cause I'm getting married and I can be happy about it!)
200 days :)

The Battle of the Ballgowns

Finding Bridesmaids dresses is a lot harder then I thought it would be. First off...has anyone ever noticed how UGLY some of the bridesmaids dresses are? I keep finding big bows or tacky flowers stuffed at some odd corner of the dress. I would never be caught dead in any of those dresses, and I'm not about to force any one of my friends to suffer the same fate. Then there is color. I have an idea in mind of what I want, its just a matter of finding the correct shade. Which is hard because what may look like (for example) a pale spring green on the computer screen (green is not one of my colors btw) might turn out to resemble the shade of fuzzy mold growing on a suspicious casserole in your mom's refrigerator. Then of course, there are the styles of dresses. I want my girls to feel comfortable in what they're wearing, and to actually LIKE the dresses. That's one of my biggest worries. What if they all hate the dresses? But then I think, well its my day, I'll eventually have to wear a dress they've picked out for their big day...
But I pray to God it's not going to be a hideous collaboration of teal and orange with a puffy skirt and matching parasol. But really, if that's what they want then I would wear it without complaining.
So it's really a battle here.

Save Those Dates and Fingers Crossed

Soo...It's been a little bit since I've written in here. Partly because I'm not sure anyone reads this thing, and also because I've been sick, or taking care of my sick fiance.
But everything is going well, especially with the wedding planning!
We found a venue for the ceremony and reception. It's going to be beautiful :)
We're now in the process of looking for caterers and florist. If any one has any suggestions, please share. I've been looking for photographers all week, and I finally found one who I liked and didn't cost an arm and a leg. Fingers crossed that it'll work out.
Lee and I got our engagement pictures done as well. Can't wait to see how they turn out :)
We also created our Save the Dates, and plan on ordering them this week.
This wedding planning process has been so much fun. I'm blessed with such a wonderful fiance who has been so helpful, and I couldn't ask for a more supportive family and friends. (Thanks Calvin for creating your own photography business just for us. You are trying very desperately to get in this wedding. :D )