This is brittianyshay's Red Wedding!

Here are some of the photos we took... I absolutely cannot wait to get the photographer's. He took some awesome pics. We're off to have some fun today. I'll post the details of the big day later. It really turned out very well, especially for a 3 week wedding.

So, tomorrow is rehearsal. It seems crazy, but it's here. My day is going to start with going to work for two hours, then going to court over my ex-husband...

Once I get that crap out of the way I can get going...

-Pick up the key to the chapel for rehearsal
-pack my kids bags (my son is staying with my FH Friday night at his parents, and then Saturday after the wedding, my daughter will be with me Friday night and then going with her brother to the grandparents on Saturday)
-make sure my FH has everything he'll need when he stays the night with his parents (mainly his dress socks and MY RING)
-get all my stuff that needs to go to rehearsal with us
-meet up with my sisters (BM's) to find shoes for one of them (she told me she had shoes, but when she tried them on with her dress over here tonight... ummm NO)
-I asked them to both bring earrings that will match their new pearl and black crystal necklaces I had made for them. I'm thinking we may end up in search of earrings, too.
-Go out to the chapel to set up before the minister gets there at 7pm
-Leave there and go to a relaxing pizza/fun family thing at my FH grandma's (his family is so much fun to be around)
-My FH goes to his parents with our little boy and me and my girls (my 2 sisters and my daughter the flower girl) will come back to my house for some girl time

I feel like there ought to be more to do, but really, things are all set, I guess. I'll post pics of all my stuff later, but I've gotten a lot done in the last week or so...

well, it's getting late, better go... i'm goig to need my rest, i probably will be too excited to sleep good tomorrow... YAY!!

I need to give my photographer my "must have" photo list, but I want to come up with some more unique photos rather than the just the typical... Anyone have any ideas?? Anyone doing something different? Know of any websites I could get ideas or samples from to show them? Please let me know. Thanks ladies!!

Initially, before I decided on my red dress, I thought if I wore white I'd be getting some rockin' red heels... well, since I went with red I still wanted some pretty heels and definitely something I would wear again. I don't know what it is, but I was really having a hard time finding shoes around here... i don't know if it's because it's right after Derby and most people have gotten all the good stuff or what, but I just wasn't finding what i was looking for. I can't order online because they just never fit right... i looked all over the place. i liked a few pair a little more than these, but my FH has proven to be a little bit of a groomzilla, lol. He said he didn't like the kind I was picking out, they were too flashy or something... He kept going "aren't bridal shoes supposed to be the same as your dress, or aren't they supposed to be just plain shoes, maybe with a little sparkle or something?" LOL!!! My FH does have good taste and is so funny about matching and stuff... He would have a point, but this is 2009, brides can do whatever they want, and if that means taking the shoes up a notch, so be it!! So, these weren't my first choice, but I do really like them, and they are soooo comfortable!! I will definitely wear them again, so I love that. i'm all about being practical about this wedding when I can...

I also got the fascinators for me and my girls. The red one is mine and the black ones are my sisters'. The little black one is for my daughter the flower girl. Again, the FH doesn't like the fascinators, but he's just not seeing my vision at the moment. I sure hope I can pull off my vision at this point, because I've fought for it a bit, lol. For someone who "didn't care" he sure has an opinion about everything, lol!! But that's okay, I love him anyway!!

So, we were really having a difficult time finding a place to have the wedding. We don't belong to a church (we thought we had a little bit to choose and join), plus with the time crunch we didn't have time to go through the counsel and sessions that most wanted us to do. You'd think someone would have been understanding of our situation... but anyways...

So, I found a site, a little chapel that was absolutely perfect!! So adorable, so picturesque!! Only problem was, for my husband anyway, was that it was in a cemetery. I thought that would have been perfect, I mean could you think of the pictures?! Especially we me in my red dress?!OMG!! I was so flippin excited, my FH on the other hand, not so much.

So I found another place...

This is Apple Patch Chapel. It's in a community for developmentally challenged individuals. The community is there for these people to lead normal lives and have the resources they need to lead their lives right in their own backyard. All proceeds from the rental of the chapel go to this community. I feel pretty good about this.

It only holds 88 people, but with us having to downsize and everything anyway, this kind of works out. My FH went Friday and put the deposit down. So, once I had that booked I could move forward a little better. I went today and took a look myself since I didn't get to go Friday. It is pretty small, but that's okay. It has a cute little gazebo right there with benches all over the place. It'll make for some cute pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I booked the photographer today. A friend recommended him. He's usually pretty pricey (because he's worth it from what i can tell), but when I explained we're only doing the ceremony, no reception, and I'd like just the cd of images (I can do my own albums) he cut us a pretty good deal- $650. I don't think it's too bad. I just want really, really good pics.

We went to place the order to rent the tuxes today... our colors are obviously red and black. I'm wearing red so my FH should match. We did a black tux and shirt with the red vest and tie. With the groomsmen I let my FH handle it but now I'm rethinking... He put them in the black tux, white shirt and black vests and ties. My girls are wearing little black dresses. My question is... will that look weird with them in white shirts and my FH in black? I'm not giving up on the black shirt for him because it looks sharp! Just what I was envisioning. So then he gets to thinking, well, we could have them in black shirts too, but put them in white vests/ties. (We're steering away from the black on black, he thinks it'll be too much...) I was thinking them all in black with red vests/ties, but he really wants to stand out, which is completely understandable. But until now we were trying to go with just red and black, preferably no white. I'm even having the flower girl's dress made in black and red, no white... so I'm at a loss here... what should I do?

I went today to put some more money down on my band (black and white diamond ring enhancer). I still cannot get over how excited I am that I got just what I wanted. I wanted black diamonds from day one, and people kept telling me it would look good, it would take away from my ring, blah blah blah. How wrong were they?!?!! I think it's beautiful!! Anyone else doing something a little less traditional with their rings or bands?

So, before you get excited about the dress in the pic, that is not my dres. It was my dream dress... due to the sudden jump in the date, I was afraid I was going to have to forego my red dress dream. The only dresses I had even tried on yet were red. The ones I had tried on were very expensive, too, and do to the small budget I now have to work with since I do not have the year to pay for things as I was planning, I really thought I could kiss the dream goodbye.

So, I set out yesterday to try to find a dress. With the short time frame I knew I was going to have to buy off the rack because I wouldn't be able to order anything in time. That automatically limited me quite a bit, then to add to it, my budget is pretty small. I didn't want to spend a lot anyway, but whatever...

Well, I tried on a white dress and was so disappointed. It just wasn't the dream. Once I told the woman why I was so disappointed she got a little giddy and went and got a red dress, my size, I tried it on and was smitten. To top it off it was cheaper than the white one, then it was also on sale!! It was meant to be. So I have them hold it.

I went and picked up my two sisters, they my MOH and BM, and we go looking for them some dresses. While we were out I tried on another white dress. This one wasn't quite as bad once we put a red sash on it, but still not impressed. I showed my sisters the pics the woman took for me earlier and they really liked it. That was that, I paid for my dress today!!

The dress is a red strapless ballgown with the pick up bottom like the one shown, just no beadwork anywhere.

I would put the pics on here, but the only ones she took were when I had this awful veil on. I'm too short for a long veil. I think I may do something with a red and black feather fascinator or something. I'll post pics after I get it altered. Everything fits, except the it'll need to be hemmed a bit, i'm pretty short, lol. it's coming together...

So we went and got our marriage license Monday! It's good until June 2nd. I know it was just going to get a piece of paper and it's not really it until it's signed by all parties and what not, but it seemed like a big step. So exciting!!

So, just a little update... found out we don't have to do it by the 22nd, so now we're trying to push it back to the 23rd, so my fiance's brother can be in town to be his best man. Only issue now is, the church that I secured for the 16th may not be available on the 23rd, so now I'm back to trying to find a place to have the wedding. Any places that will marry us without being members is priced outrageously. Places we can afford are already booked... I'll figure it out, hopefully...

Well, due to certain unexpected circumstances... my wedding has been pushed up... to two weeks from now!! I'm not necessarily freaking out, but oh my gosh!!

My fiance and I have discussed him adopting my daughter when we got married, but my ex-husband, who is a douchebag, has all of a sudden (Thursday) decided he wants to terminate his rights. In order for a parent to terminte rights here, there has to be a stepparent ready to adopt. Well, like I said, we weren't planning on being married until next year. We already have a court date set for May 22 for some other matters, so my attorney said it would be best to go ahead and take care of this then. That means... our wedding is May 16th!! Crazy, right?!

I am so blessed to have a man who wants to adopt my daughter, but then to be forced to do it within a matter of weeks... he's a saint. The way he sees it, nothing's changing. He's the one here tucking her in at night, helping with her homework, she's calling him daddy. Where's my ex been? Who knows... I am so lucky!!

So, down to business!! The church I was planning on being married in, you have to be a member, so I was planning on doing that soon. Clearly there is no time to join and do the counseling sessions now. Some family friends founded a church some time before I was born. Not a big, nice church, but it's a church nonetheless. My mom actually got married there. So, I've spoken to my grandmother's friend and she said she'd be glad to let us use the church, no fees or anything. She normally does 6 weeks counseling, but due to our situation she just wants to meet with the two of us. Only thing is, she's out of town until the 7th. So, my plan is to have my cermony stuff figured out so we can go over as soon as she gets back.

We found wedding bands over the weekend. I am so in love with mine!!! From day one, I wanted something with black diamonds in it. I LOVE black diamonds! When we first looked last month some time the only place I found that had black diamonds in the band it was like white, black, white, black and it looked like a checkerboard or something. The jeweler thought it really took away from the ring, which really, it did. i was kind of disappointed. I asked around other places, but noone carried bands with black diamonds. They said because people thought it made their rings look too dark. So, I started looking at other styles. Well, we were looking for his band yesterday at Zales and I glanced over at the women's and saw two with black diamonds, one was a band, and one was an enhancer that you drop the ring in and it kind of encases it. I tried the band on first and really liked it... I was debating this one with another that was all white diamonds but with some baguettes (my ring is all round diamonds though). The sales woman insisted I at least try the enhnacer on. It has a row of black diamonds on the sides of the ring and a row of white diamonds on the outside... as soon as I put it on I fell in love!! I had to have that ring!! It is just what I wanted!! Absolutely gorgeous!! My fiance didn't even realize it was my ring when I showed it to him. I could not be happier with my set. So, that's one thing down. We still have to go back to another place to get his. He wears a 12 1/2 and hardly anyone carries it in the store. They'd have to order and can't guarantee it would be in in time. JC Penney actually had a 12 in the store and it was one he liked. He really didn't want to go to JC Penney for any kind of jewelry, but I talked him into going in there just to see if he could try one one since none had any to even try on to see what felt good. Once we got in there he found one he actually liked and liked the way it felt. It's a titanium band and was the same price as other jewelers. He's an electrician and can't wear his band most of the time anyway. So, I guess we'll go back there and get it.

I think we'll tackle the marriage license tomorrow. The county clerk's office closest to us has their late hours tomorrow.

I'm going to have to go look for a dress. My fiance is laid off work right now, so I may not get the dress of my dreams, but to marry the man of my dreams is all I really want anyway. I think I'll go look and see if I can find any simple, elegant prom dresses or something on sale since prom season is over around here. If I can't find anything, I may go on to some bridal places. I never wanted to spend that much on a dress anyway. i'm not much one for spending a small fortune on my dress since I'll only wear it once. I originally wanted to do a trash the dress shoot afterward. I think I'll still do that...

Well, that's all I've tackled so far. i'll have to get my act together tomorrow.... Wish me luck ladies!!