semi-planning a wedding....... the dress

when we first got engaged and were planning our wedding (some time ago) this was the dress that i found and fell in love with. the detail was just amazing to me. the beading and that bustle were oh so pretty and because i didn't want something too princessy and poofy this dress was perfect. until i tried it on. i had just given birth to my handsome son not more than 4 months before, so needless to say i wasn't the shape/size i wanted to be. with my lovely mom pouch in the front and beautiful back rolls showing through the see through back of the gown, i was the picture of not-so loveliness. i was devastated. i drove all of those miles to get THIS dress and now it wasn't a option.

so i ended up buying a dress, after trying on what felt like a million, but i am still not 100% about it.

i wanted something sleek and stunning, and not a dress that i had to have 10 girls hold up just so i could go pee. i have been looking around and have totally fell in love with the 30's and 40's old Hollywood glamor gowns. I've been looking on wedding websites, photographer websites and realized that this was the bride i wanted to be. not a cupcake bride, not a country bride, not a goth in a purple wedding dress bride (I've seen it and it's hideous), those are not my styles. i wanted a timeless look, i didn't want my grand kids to be looking through my wedding album and by snickering at me, like I'm doing to ALL of the 80's brides( that was SOME hair and lace back then wasn't it).

also while looking around i fell in love with 2 things this gorgeous ostrich wrap

and these types of veils, cage veils i think they are called

i really love the ostrich wrap because 1. it will cover my tattoos for the photos, 2. it just beautiful, and it beats that whole sash around my shoulders bit. and 3. it just adds even more to the old Hollywood glamor effect I'm going for. so there is where i am on the dress for my wedding. what do you think?

semi-planning a wedding...... the location.

isn't this what you start with first? or is it you pick a date first? either way, I've got nothing. i know what i want.... or do i? well i like garden style weddings. i think that they are beautiful and there are a couple of location around here that fit my liking, like this one.... Hummingbird House....

or like this one.... Rancho Llano DE Los Robles.....

then there is another part of me saying that because I'm in wine country why cant you have it at a winery? a lot of the places are VERY pretty. the perfect time to have one would be in the fall, but for us that is a bad time of year.... everyone in our family has a birthday in the fall/winter. but the problem for me is how pricey it is. i know of one that is so pretty, but because it is also a bed and breakfast, you have to rent the whole place( rooms included) if you are going to have a wedding/reception past 4 pm. like to the tune of 30k. too rich for my blood . at most of the wineries you can only drink their wine and champagne (understandable, they run a business not a charity)and you can't have hard alcohol ( i thought this was a celebration) and some allow beer (whoo hoo). it 's not a huge deal i know, but my family isn't the wine type so now this REALLY wouldn't work.

but there is also the beach. we live SO CLOSE to the beach , it would almost be a crime not to do it there. but there are a few things detouring me from this option. 1. the weather, it can be so unpredictable. windy, foggy, rainy, extremely hot. 2. you couldn't have a reception there, so that's 2 sets of directions you have to give people who have already driven hundreds of miles to see you. 3. there are miles of beautiful coastline how could i pick just one spot.

argh. too many choices for this very indecisive mind of mine. help!