Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Are they models?

I am not a picture person. I get nervous, make weird smiles, and generally my hair is out of place. The thought of engagement pictures made my stomach drop, but as my wise friend Rose told me "You're only this young & beautiful once". She is absolutely right! With that in mind, Ryan & I decided to take engagement pictures & boy are we glad we did! We met our photographer, Nick Norbert, at Anderson Gardens on a beautiful September day & while we felt weird at first, he helped us get over our engagement picture jitters & take some really beautiful shots!

I have no idea how he got us to sit still & actually smile for this one.



Just laying in the grass...you know, hanging out.


I love this picture. It's so us.



I love this one purely because my hair looks good, ha!


I absolutely love the lighting in this picture!

Thank you Nick Norbert for some of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen! Please make sure to check him out if you're getting married in the Wisconsin/Northern Illinois area, http://www.nicholasnorbert.com/

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Engagement Pictures!!

Ryan hasn't been able to see all of them, but he's said I could post one as a teaser.

Here's a sneak preview.....


Swoon!!

Thanks Nick!! http://www.nicholasnorbert.com/

Friday, October 15, 2010

My lovely, lovely ladies!

Let me introduce to some of my favorite women - my bridesmaids! They are such wonderful friends & family. They have given me support when I needed it, a whack on the head when I needed it, a drink or shot when I didn't necessarily needed it (besides my jr. bridesmaid!), but most of all they have loved me unconditionally since I've met them. Can't ask for much more in friends & family, right?

So lets begin with my favorite- my sister, Catherine aka C-girl, Cat, Cesare.
Catherine has been my lifelong partner in crime. From getting in trouble trying to call Macaulay Caulkin to helping me get back up on my feet after a hard breakup. We are total opposites in many ways, but her love for people, friends, and family is right in line with my own. She's a hot little lady who isn't afraid to speak her mind, which is something I will ALWAYS look up to her for. I couldn't be more excited & honored to have her as my Maid of Honor!!

Next up is my soon-to-be sister, Megan aka Meg or Meggers.
Even though I already consider Megan my sister, I have to wait until May 21st to officially call her my own. I am so excited to have another sister to laugh with, share secrets with, fight with, and eat too many treats with. She's hilarious & such a fun person to be around. I'm sure her wittiness & sense of humor will come in handy for my pre-wedding jitters.

Bridesmaid #3, my lovely cousin Melissa aka Melis.
Melissa is the cousin that I would (and still do!) immediately run to at family parties. We'd play throughout the entire family party & cry when it was time to leave. Even though we don't get to see each other that much we always pick up right where we left off & never skip a beat. She's so much fun to be around & her easy breezy & fun loving attitude is DEFINITELY going to be a necessity on the big day.

Bridesmaid #4, my sweet cousin Megan aka squirts (don't ask!).

Isn't she just beautiful? Megan is my cousin & the day she was born I had such a special relationship with her. I just fell so in love with her the day she was born & since then I look at her as another little sister. Watching her grow up has been so much fun & I couldn't be more proud of how strong, independent, smart, and darling she is. She is wise beyond her years & I could not imagine my wedding day without her.

Last, but not least (at all!) is Elise aka E-dawg, E, and the most fashionable person I know.

Elise & I met post college through work & the minute I was done working I texted Ryan saying "I think I just met a new friend!". Yes, I'm that lame. Thankfully Elise thought the same thing & we started hanging out. She's seriously one of the greatest friends I've ever had. She's honest, trustworthy, and a straight shooter. I like it. She's so much fun to be around & goofy like me. She makes me laugh so much, but also keeps me super calm & level headed when I need it. The day would not be complete without a little E-dawg & her awesome dance moves.

So there they are. The lovely ladies of the Gailey - Tuite Wedding!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Flowers in my hair

No, I'm not wearing flowers in my hair for the wedding but man do I have flowers on the brain. I feel like I have a good handle on the majority of the wedding, but for some reason the flowers/centerpieces/decoration are freaking me out! I love flowers & tend to have them in my place, but I like when other people arrange them & I just get to stick them in a vase.

For the guys I'm thinking something simple & masculine. I am in love with craspedia's & think these would be perfect. They're simple, but eye catching.


The house that I grew up at grew peonies outside of the house, so of course I have always envisioned my bouquet full of peonies. They smell delicious & just look so soft. Ryan thinks they look like little birds.
Soooo dreamy!

For my bridesmaids, I'm thinking yellow flowers but am totally at a loss. I really like dahlia's, but am not sure how accessible yellow dahlia's are. Any suggestions?


For the moms I'm thinking a pretty white corsage. I like something like this, but would like to modernize it a bit. I'm also not sure about how much green is going on & would like to incorporate some yellow to tie in the bridesmaids flowers.

Monday, October 4, 2010

How I found the one!

No, not Ryan! Most of you know that story anyway! I'm talking about the one...my precious, my lovely...my DRESS! Yes, she was shipped, picked up, and is currently laid out all pretty & nice in Rockford, IL on my parents couch. She's absolutely beautiful & I cannot wait to put the dress on that I'm sure will take my breath away. I'll finally be "a bride". So how'd I find her so easily & quickly? I have my mom & future mother-in-law to thank!

Update: Just found out my mom put a sheet over the dress (per the store's advice) with a sign that states "Do not sit or peek". I heard, however, that my brother took a peek!

While Ry's family was in town the girls decided it would be a perfect day to drive to Ottawa, IL to look at wedding dresses. Fully intending just to look, not buy. Boy, did I screw that up - ha! We drove to Bridal Elegance, which is the largest privately owned bridal store in the midwest so I was sure I would find at least something to help narrow down all the bridal dress options there are out there. I tried on a ton of a certain style of dress that I thought I wanted, but none of them were doing it for us. They were all so beautiful & delicate, but none screamed "PICK ME!". I was a little disappointed because not only did the style I thought I wanted turn out to be completely wrong for my body type, but I didn't get to try on any other styles since I was so determined to get this certain style.

Thankfully Ry's mom told the sales lady we were going to keep trying on dresses even though our appointment was over (gotta love New Yorkers!). The sales lady seemed hesitant, but decided to let me have an extra few minutes. Me, Catherine, Mom & Peg ran into all different directions picking out all types of dresses. My mom & Peg chose one dress that looked simple, elegant, and I was immediately drawn to it. I loved the simplicity of the dress along with the light beading, so I tried it on & (cue victorious music) I was "a bride". I felt it. I saw it. I knew she was the one. I looked over & everyone was silent. My sister began to cry (ahhh, I still get teary eyed thinking about this) & Mom & Peg were silent & smiling. I knew I wasn't the only one feeling the way I was. I couldn't have asked for a better group of ladies (besides you Meg!) to be a part of this lovely experience. I will never, ever forget it.

Here are some dresses that just didn't make the cut. Sorry!


Yes! This was a worn as wedding dress!