Journey to Jager: A Speakeasy State of Mind

Things just got real: OFFICIALLY getting married on January 28!

Amen, Hallelujah, Praise the Lord God Almighty! (Can you tell I'm excited?)

This morning I got that contract signed, sealed, and delivered over to my new wedding reception venue, Speakeasy on State. Last week I got confirmation from the church. God, it was so much smoother this time around! As you may have remembered from several posts ago, getting a contract inked with a venue has been something of a nightmare. I really had no idea how involved this first step in the process of getting married is. Well, first step of wedding planning I guess. The official first step would have been the decision to get married in the first place! A lot easier ;)

It's a bumpy roller coaster when it comes to finding a venue, one that you have to be ready to ride. There are a lot of opinions, a lot of time must be set aside to properly research and visit each potential space (because there's no way in hell you should spend that amount of money without doing the proper research), and tons of people making you feel like you have to book right now, right this very second, or the place will be gone. To be fair, I did find that event spaces were booking fairly quick if you wanted to be married within the year. January, thankfully, was fairly open and - especially in California - there are perks to being a January Bride. For one, weather is hardly ever an issue in California period. Two, it's technically "off season" so vendors are more willing to negotiate price.

I was fortunate to stumble upon this brand new venue by accident (click hear to read post) that afforded both convenience - I am one of the first, if not the first, bride to book so I had my pick of the calendar - and affordability. It had the same charm I fell in love with at Loft on Pine in Long Beach, but not the price tag. It all feels to good to be true, but I have the paperwork!!

In my jubilation, I have managed to get all sorts of good work done, in the wedding world and otherwise. I started the week 80 cupcakes strong for my nephew's first birthday.

Seeing his enjoyment and receiving a compliment from my aunt, who thought they came from a bakery, was the... yep, I'm going for it... icing on the cake.

[A win for Auntie Bethie]

Prepped for a big fundraiser this weekend with my sorority alumnae chapter and had HUGE success with a fundraiser I held last Saturday at the barre studio. Plie for Relay raised more than $500 for the American Cancer Society! I am pretty dang proud.

[Plie for Relay!]

With my bridal hat on (should I have said veil? I just imagine those wedding hats so many women wore in the 80s... ), I met with a potential wedding coordinator this week as well. Let me tell you, what a breath of fresh air! Several former brides told me that if they were to do it again, they would have gone with a planner. Yes, it's an added expense, but all have told me it saves money, and valuable time (as good as money), in the long run. A current bride (getting married today actually!) said that it was her smartest purchase. Like me, she said she enjoyed the planning and at first didn't think she needed to hire a professional. A month before her wedding date, however, she was breathing a sigh of relief as all the little things began to sneak up on her.

After talking with the planner, Heather, and getting an idea of things she could really help me with - flowers, in particular- I started to get really excited at the idea of having an expert to help me enjoy the whole experience, not just the wedding day itself but the engagement period leading up to the Big Day.

In addition to my meeting with Heather, I have no officially booked appointments at two bridal salons! Let the wedding dress shopping commence! This is definitely the part of the planning process I'm most looking forward to. My first stop will be at Mary Me Bridal, where my sister got her wedding dress. It was such a special experience to be there with my mom and sister as she found her dress. I'm looking forward to having this moment with them as well! Next up will be Bellasposa Bridal in Rancho, where there will be an Allure Bridal trunk show happening! I've always wondered what it's like to be a part of the trunk show experience. We shall soon see! Allure dresses have frequently come up as ones I enjoy when browsing magazines and Pinterest boards. Excited to try some on :) Until next weekend, my vision will be shaded in white.

Countdown to the Big Day: 295. Eep, that number jumped some since the last time I did this questionnare. No longer in the 300s!

Sleep: ... like a baby. Guess that's what happens when you settle big decisions! Oh, and slam yourself with activities haha need to work on getting more sleep, even if the hours I do get are fairly quality.

Best Moment of the Week: Finally seeing the Speakeasy on State go live on Instagram (see it here!), inking that contract with Dawn, meeting Heather, and setting those dress appointments! Ok so I basically just listed all of the wedding stuff I did this week... just goes to show you how happy I am, and how nicely things are moving along :)

Currently on my Mind: Reflecting on DJs, one of our top three wedding priorities, and prepping for those dress appointments. Also running around in that brain of mine: booking a wedding coordinator, planning out my engagement shoot, and money.

What I am Looking Forward to this Week: Moving forward with wedding coordinator and DJ! And touching base with our photographers.

Emotions: Overwhelmed with happiness!!!!