Venue? CHECK!

A decision has finally been made on our venues!! Collin and I will be getting married at Clearview Baptist Church, and our reception will be held at Old Natchez Country Club. :) I'm sooo excited that we were able to make Old Natchez work! It was definitely my top choice, and it's going to be way less stressful than the Factory, though the Factory is very pretty. We will make the deposit this week - thereby making it official - and then start tackling everything else on my lengthy list... But I already feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that the venues are set, which means our date is set as well!

So, mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE: September 4, 2010!!! :)

Also, I tried on dresses Saturday for the first time, and it was actually a big success! I was kinda nervous about it for some reason, and I ran late to my first appointment, which stressed me out even more. But everything went really well, and I started feeling like a bride for the first time since getting engaged. :) I think I feel a little self-conscious sometimes because I am a younger bride; I feel like people don't take me as seriously, or assume that I have no idea what I am doing. And maybe I don't, but who really does?! I'm doing the very best I can, and I'm super excited, so anyone who judges me or tries to bring me down can just go find another target! Plus, I just secured two venues in two weeks, I have a binder full of all the paperwork and policies of everywhere I've looked (highlighted and with questions), I have started research in all areas (from cake to DJ to photographers), and I am always finding new ways to stay under-budget. Take that, naysayers! ;)

On the other hand, I fully realize that for every person who tries to rain on my parade, there are five more people handing me an umbrella. I have more support now than I've ever had before - from my family, my friends, my sisters, my awesome future family, and of course, my sweet fiance. :) I am more blessed than I deserve, and I am forever grateful for the wonderful people in my life who encourage me daily. Collin, in particular, is really stepping up to the plate by putting up with my freak-outs, breakdowns, and constant wedding chatter, which I appreciate more than he could possibly understand. Though the stress gets to us sometimes (it's inevitable), we've managed to keep our priorities in line, and we always come out stronger than before. I definitely couldn't do any of this without him; he is the most important person in the world to me.

Thank you to everyone for all of your support and encouragement! We're definitely making progress, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes us next.

God bless!

C & A