The Dress

The day I actually bought "The Dress"

After trying on more dresses than I could count, I finally decided on one!  I was pretty sure that it was "the one" the first time I put it on, but the downside of planning your wedding 17 months in advance is that you feel like you have enough time to try on every dress in town... which I think I did!  I kept coming back to this one though, and I probably went back and tried it on 5 times before I was certain nothing out there could top it.  So, I paid for it and then waited the long 4 months before it came in.  Finally, I got the call that the dress had arrived in the store, and I could come in and try it on now that it was in my size.  I was so excited!  This would give me such a better idea of exactly how it will look after alterations instead of the sample in the store that swallowed me. 



So, once again, I dragged the whole family up there to watch me try it on.  Good thing I had my support system with me, because things didn't go exactly as expected!  I put the dress on and then peeked out the door to tell the consultant to come zip me up.  She was no where in sight, so Loren came in to help.  She quickly pulls the zipper up and then slowly comes to a stop mid-back.  "Ok, suck in." she said.  Oh, no!  I suck in.  "Uhh, it's not going any further..." she mutters.  What?!  I suck in again.  "Try it again", I tell her.  Nope.  Not gonna work.  She's got the zipper up as far as she can.  The boning in the dress is digging into me from every angle.  I can only take small, short breaths, and I'm sure I'm about to pass out.  My mind is reeling, and I'm realizing that unless I have a couple of ribs surgically removed, this dress isn't going to fit!  Finally, the sales consultant comes around the corner.  I show her our slight problem and she calmly says, "Don't worry, we can take it out 1/2 an inch."  1/2 an inch?!  Is that enough to allow me to breathe?  The panic attack is well underway by this point.  I look at Loren and slowly say, "Get - this thing - off of me!" 

Not exactly how I had planned this day in my head, but it wasn't anything a margarita didn't cure!  Luckily, Uncle Julio's is right next door, and that was our next stop! 

A few days later I went back in with Lindsay to meet with the lady that will be doing the alterations.  Going in this time, I was already mentally prepared that the dress wasn't going to fit.  I just need to see exactly how much could be taken out of the dress, or see if we need to order the next size up...which would take another 4 months to get in.  She assured me that she could let out at least 1/2 an inch on each side and that I would be able to exhale on my wedding day.  That's all I needed to hear!  They don't start dress alterations until 3-6 weeks before the wedding.  Sounds scary waiting that long, but I'm trusting the experts! 

Engagement Pictures

We had our engagement pictures taken at the Las Colinas Canals by Mishelle Schmidt.  She was amazing!  It was SO windy that day that I was really afraid we weren't going to get any good pics!  They turned out great!  Mishelle took so much time with us.  We brought 3 different outfits to change into.  Ray was such a trooper too, and we ended up having so much fun! We've asked Mishelle to be our wedding photographer and have referred her to everybody!  Thanks again, Mishelle!  We can't wait to have you capture our Big Day!

Dress Shopping

Outside of LuLu's Bridal

Today I went dress shopping for the first time!  I was so emotional all day!  Yesterday was exactly a year until our wedding, and I think that is what started things.  All day I kept looking at the clock and picturing what we will be doing at that time next year.  It just all spilled over to today.  I think I cried 3 times before I made it out the door this morning, and then when I got to Mom's to meet the girls, it started again!  When I walked in, Lindsay was sitting there waiting, and I jumped up and down with excitement when I saw her.  I instantly teared up when she smiled back at me.  It was that "I'm so happy for you" look that she gave me that started the water works again!  And that was just the beginning!  I got all teary eyed when I saw Mom and Loren, on the drive to the dress shop, and then again when we pulled up in front of it!  I guess I am just so happy and excited!!  Sharing this with my family means the world to me!  In the end, I didn't find my dress today, but I had a blast looking for it!  I'm sure this is the first of several attempts, I just hope that now I've gotten all of the tears out of the way!

The Venues

It's official!  Ray and I have decided on both the chapel and reception site!  It's sooo exciting! 

For a long time I have loved the Robert Carr Chapel and always fanatized about getting married there.  It is a beautiful, little chapel on the TCU campus.  I was hoping that Ray would love it just as much as I did.  When he saw it, he agreed that it was perfect! 

Visit The Robert Carr Chapel

Finding a reception venue wasn't as easy!  I looked on-line since the day after we got engaged!  We made lots of appointments and looked at lots of places, but nothing really felt right.  One day Lindsay wanted to go with us to look at a few places on our list in downtown Fort Worth.  After another day of not finding anything we were impressed with, she suggested that we drive over to the Ashton Depot.  It was only a few blocks away from where we were.  When we got there, they were setting up for an event, and they let us come in and take a look around.  Once I stepped in, I knew it was the place!  It is formerly the Santa Fe Railroad Depot and opened in 1899.  It has now been restored and is a historic landmark.  We fell in love with the history of it, the original marble  floors, stained glass and vaulted ceilings. 

  It's going to provide the perfect atmosphere for our wedding reception! 

  Visit The Ashton Depot   

We're Engaged!!!

I think I'm still in shock!  I had no idea that this was coming and was completely surprised!  Lindsay called me this afternoon and asked if I wanted to go to the mall to do a little Christmas shopping.  On the way up there, Loren called me to see what I was doing, so I of course invited her to join us.  I had no idea that this was all part of the plan to get me out of the house!  We did some shopping, and then sat down to get a bite to eat.  Naturally, we all had our phones sitting on the table, and I was too busy reading my emails to realize that they were getting texts from Ray and then texting each other back and forth from across the table!  Ray told them that he was already home and couldn't wait any longer to pop the question!  Texting each other, the girls came up with a plan to get me home.  After we got our checks, Lindsay started complaining that she felt sick after eating so much, and she just wanted to go home.  I completely fell for it!

 Ray had supposedly went into work for over-time today.  I found out later that he went to pick up the ring!  Knowing that the girls had got me to leave the mall, he called me right as I was getting in my car to make sure I was headed home.  He told me that he had just gotten off work and was already at the house.  So, of course, I went straight there!

When I pulled into the garage, I noticed a note taped to the door.  From my car I could read "Hank left you a present on his bed".  What??  I didn't know what to think.  I expected to see Hank's dog bed sitting by the garbage, but when I walked towards the door, it wasn't there.  I was really confused.  I walked inside to find Hank and Ray standing there with the video camera.  Ray directed me to Hank's bed where I found another note, and from there the scavenger hunt began!  One note led to another, and I went racing and laughing all over the house until I ended up in front of the Christmas tree.  I found an ornament that said "Keep Looking"!  This is the moment where I actually considered that I might be looking for a RING!  My eyes were scanning that tree as fast as they could!  Ray told me that I should try the back side of the tree.  And then I spot it, an ornament that says, "Will you"  and I turn it around to read, "Marry me?"  I'm shocked!!  I step around to the front of the tree and there he is on his knee holding an open ring box!  "Will you marry me?" he asked.  "Are you serious?" is all I could say!  I dropped to my knees too and said, "Yes!". 

I'm on cloud 9!  This proposal couldn't have been scripted any more perfectly!  The best part is that it is all on video, so we can re-live it over and over!  I've waited my whole life to find Ray, and now I get to spend the rest of my life with him!