Invitation Time!

Now that the invitations are in it's time to start the addressing process. As I was mentioning on my friend Meghan's wall on Facebook, I typically have great handwriting. I mean, I have been in enough boring meetings, car rides and on enough long phone calls to have practiced getting it perfect. However, when it came to addressing these things it's like my handwriting barfed all over the envelop. Actually. It's not THAT horrible looking, but it's certainly not as good as I would've liked them to look. I think Mom is going to be doing a majority of them, and I will be doing assembly and reading the addresses off to her. A task which I am much better at ... and penmanship isn't a necessity.

This past weekend my lovely cousin, and bridesmaid (!!) Ally and my Aunt Susie (her Mom), threw me a beautiful shower in Chestertown, MD. It's about 30 minutes outside of Annapolis. It was at a yacht/country club that is local to the area and it was right on the water and just all around gorgeous. What helped was that we had perfect weather and great company. The New Jersey contingent from my Dad's side of the family came down and it was just delightful to spend time with my family, who we don't get to see too often. I also got to spend time with Ally and Aunt Susie and Ally's daughter Cora, who took on the role of Mistress of Ceremonies, and did a great job! Since it was a bit of a trip, the guys got to come too .. and were able to share the day with us after the gifts were all opened. (During the shower they hung out by and in the pool.) Boy did we get showered! We got so many lovely wonderful presents. We really feel honored and loved and have a lot to be thankful for this year. It's a great feeling throwing our old stuff out (if it's in bad shape or if it's OK donating it) and replacing it with what will be our new life together :)

Later that evening we went into Downtown Annapolis for dinner. The dinner was OK but what was really fantastic was the city of Annapolis. It's definitely a place I'd love to go back and spend a weekend. Quaint, beautiful, on the water ... all the makings of a great time. Some of the restaurants looked really superb. All I really need for a relaxing weekend is to be near water of some sort ... and Annapolis delivered!

So there you have my Fodors review of Annapolis - a must see if you can!

Looking forward to the 65 days we have left until The Big Day!! Can't wait to see you all there!

Up next ... FINAL dress fitting on September 8, and the Bridal Portrait on September 21!! A truly remarkable day that I get to share with my dear friend Leah's Birthday, Nanny & Pop's engagement anniversary and my Aunt Patty's Birthday as well. That right there is the makings a special moment that I'll always remember.

The Whatnot and So Forth

Exciting news at the Duni/Parker residence! Our invitations are in! We're going next weekend to pick them up and do one last check before we take 'em home and start the addressing process. I'm so excited about them. They are very simple and elegant and formal. Actually. Traditional, would be the best descriptor. For those of you who attended my parents wedding - they look almost exactly like theirs. Which, to me is super special. I love things like that.

Only 89 days left till the wedding! Wow. Double digits guys. This thing is right around the corner. I really gotta start getting things in order. Like the engagement announcement out in the newspaper, the photo booth deposit and meet with the florist one more time. I don't know if you guys know but, we are not doing centerpieces. Well, your traditional floral centerpieces. It would just be too ridiculously expensive. So, a great way to cut cost is to have candles and flower petals. I think it's going to look magical when it's all said and done.

This Thursday is my final dress fitting before my bridal portrait on September 21. I just can't wait to put it on again. I love it.

Speaking of dresses!!! My Mom found her dress!! OH my goodness. She looks like a vision in it. And ... it's pink! Well, a form of pink. It's elegant, fancy and perfect. It looks like it was made for her. She has a train on her dress just like me! I'm so happy that she's going to look so, so gorgeous. I could cry just thinking about her in that dress on my wedding day. I just love her so much. And I'm happy that she found a dress that she loves so much too.

Also my dear and wonderful cousin Ally and my Aunt Susie are hosting a bridal shower at the end of August in Annapolis, MD. It will be a great time to spend with them and see some family that I haven't gotten to see in a while. I'm really honored and looking forward to it.

My cousin Chris and his fiance Holly are getting married on August 14 out in Wisconsin. I am so happy for them. They have a precious daughter Lena and are going to make (and already do) such a lovely, beautiful family. It will be such a special day that they remember forever and I can't wait to see pictures. Holly is just a beautiful girl and she's going to look even more so on her special day in that beautiful dress.

So much excitement. I love it.

Shoes!

To be honest. I had totally forgotten about shoes for the wedding until I had a conversation with my Mom last week on my way in to work. But once I realized that I still needed this key component for the big day I was really excited to go shopping for them! Do you go with flats or heels? Open toe or peep toe? Sling back or flip flops? Pumps or high-heels? Fun and flirty or simple and practical?

During my conversation with Mom last week, I had already decided I was going to forgo high heel for comfort. But comfort when it comes to shoes is ambiguous, as it doesn't always mean flats, it could be wedge, kitten heel, slight heel.

I have never tried on so many shoes in my whole life. But I had a great time doing it. I started at TJ Maxx which was a strike out. They had one pair that was kinda cute and kinda comfy but not really wedding day cute. I did find a super cute dress though! It was so calling my name.

Next stop was Macy's. They have so many sales, and I had a coupon and I'm a recent Macy's card holder - all excellent reasons to pop in for a shoe trip. Well, in the shoe department it was a total strike out. Not a lot looked comfortable and not a lot looked wedding. They had a great variety if I was going to go clubbing or if I needed a great pair of Power Pumps - and let's face it. That doesn't exactly scream comfort. I did find a great pair of earrings (they match my new dress perfectly!), a bikini - it was marked down a ton and will look great in Costa Rica!, and I got Mike a shirt. So, it wasn't a total wash out.

Being more of a self-service kinda gal, DSW was a total win. I found The Shoes. They are super comfy (pillows people, pillows), quirky (just like me!), and overall perfect for the big day. Plus, I found a pair of cute flip-flops and some shoes to go with my new dress from TJ Maxx. However, tomorrow I have to go get a 1/2 size larger in The Shoes from a DSW on the other side of town. I can't wait for you all to see them!! I can't wait to have them in my possession!! I can't wait for Saturday!! I can't wait to be married to Mike!! I just can't wait!!

Showered!

So, last post I said that I would write about what it feels like to have a bridal shower. I can tell you that it's the greatest feeling in the whole wide world. There's nothing more heartwarming than having your closest friends, family friends and family gathered to spend an afternoon with you. It was so good to catch-up, and let's be honest - eat cake. My best friend Jec-Jec and her mom (who is like my 2nd Mom) put on the shower and what a sight it was! The venue, Willow Oaks, never looked better - from the flowers, to the colors, to the cake to the food, to the treats scattered around and just the thought and love and time and effort they put into it - I was in tears from the moment I arrived. I was just so touched by the obvious outpouring of love and support for my and Mike's upcoming wedding. And boy did we get showered with gifts. Oh good lordy. Everyone was beyond generous. We got so much. My heart just swells with the love. There aren't enough words to show my gratitude for the shower that was thrown. It was just perfect from start to finish. Such a fond, lovely memory that I will have forever.

Also, I can now update you and tell you what it feels like to be wedding ring owners - freaking awesome. What a great reality it is when you finally get those rings. We bought them today and took them home with us - they will reside in our safe deposit box until the big day. They are going to look so good on. Mike chose a white gold band with a brushed thick center part and some shiny detail on the sides. Since my engagement ring is so insanely sparkly I chose a curved band that will hug the rings curves but has no diamonds. It looks amazing. I can't wait to wear it forever and let the world know that I am married to an amazing man.

In other bridal land news ... My first dress fitting is Saturday, July 10 (eek!!!). My bridal portrait is set for Tuesday, September 21 at 5:30pm. These two dates alone have me oozing with joy and happiness. I can't wait!!

Shower Bands

This is not in reference to storm cells. It's in reference to the events that have taken/are going to take place.

Tomorrow is the day of my first ever bridal shower and I am ridiculously excited for it. For one all my closest family and friends will be there. Which is just insanely heartwarming. For two, it's being thrown by two of my most favorite people in the whole wide world, Jec-Jec and her Mom. For three, it's going to be so great. For four, the invitations were just amazing. So classy and beautiful. Lastly, I got a new dress just to wear for the shower. And I always get excited for dresses.

Bands is in reference to the fact that we picked out our wedding bands today. It was a lot of fun and they are going to look just great. Wedding bands really suit Mike - which if there's something that has to suit you - good thing it's a wedding band. We go to a really great local jeweler who has really taken the time and patience with us through the whole engagement ring shopping project, Mike's engagement watch project and now the wedding bands. He looks out for us and genuinely enjoys helping us out. We are so grateful and excited to work with him again.

More to come later on how the shower went and what a bridal shower feels like. Right now it feels fortunate and grateful for my friend's & family's love.

Where Everyone Knows Your Name

All throughout my high school and college career my friends called me by my last name. Why? Because it's little and fun sounding and hard to spell if you go at it phonetically. I love my last name, and admittedly, I'm really going to miss it. I know I could keep it, but I wouldn't really feel right.

I'm excited about my new last name too. I think it sounds like a movie star name. But I've enjoyed my tenure as a D**i. I guess you could say I'm passing the torch to my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Katie. She also will have the same initials as my Mom ... KCD ... when she becomes a D**i.

I'll just secretly look forward to the times when old college or high school friends, who don't know I'm married, call out "Hey D**i!" I'll smile and it'll be the perfect segway into my good news that "Well, now I'm a P****r!"

Wedding Season

There's nothing going to a wedding to get you excited for your own. Yesterday, May 29, my dear friend Amy got married. She's a coworker of mine, and we immediately bonded over quick-wit and commisseration - it's a happy union (and our significant others are both named Mike!!). She couldn't have had a more perfect day, nor could she have looked more beautiful. I was so happy we were there to help celebrate her marriage.

Seeing her walk down the aisle, watching them recite their vows and then partake in the reception festivities got me more excited than I could imagine for my wedding to Mike. It's going to be a great party to celebrate a wonderful lifetime of joy and happiness.

Can'ting waiting for November!!

Registering ...

I really wish I wasn't so indecisive. Life would be so much easier and pleasant. Or maybe it's not me. Maybe it's the layout of Bed, Bath and Beyond that drives - no forces - one to BE indecisive. Rows upon rows of walls upon walls with trinkets that they make you think you really need. Colors upon colors of different dish towels in hundreds of different sizes, textures, prints. It really makes a fun process exhausting and my brain literally hurt. It's like a land of kitchen SAT's ... ouch! Luckily, once your registry is created at where ever you create your registry you can go online and modify it, because we don't need 6 different spatulas or 4 different whisks or to choose from 6 different crock pots that ALL look alike online. Even if Bed, Bath and Beyond would like you to think otherwise.

The GOOD thing about BB&B is that they link to your registry if you are registered at Macy's. Which is great because even though we registered for our fine china and flat wear and stem ware at Macy's it shows up at BB&B. Which is the only good thing thus far about BB&B.

The other GOOD thing about registering in general is that Mike is very adept at manipulating the registry gun. Which was very helpful. That way I could focus on being indecisive.

All is Fair in Love and Procrastination ...

I know it has been some time since I have last updated on what's going on in the land of wedding planning. You hear from everyone how it ramps up at first getting the venues and then slows down and then it starts to pick back up again. That seems to be fairly accurate. I don't think I would recommend a lot of time between when you get engaged and when you married, at least if you are like me and interpret "time" as "time to procrastinate." These next few months are going to be filled with To Do's, but! at least they will be fun and a definite learning experience.

Like flowers. I don't know a lot about them. What's in season when, what smell and what don't ... all I know is that a.) I like to receive them at work, b.) White roses are my favorite and c.) Smelly flowers, i.e. fragrant flowers, give me a headache. So, it'll be good to talk to a florist about what they recommend. One thing I am willing to do is let the professionals do their job. As long as they are pretty and fit with my general "elegant, formal, classic" theme we're good to go. Luckily just about anything goes with Black & White.

One thing is for sure however, my bridesmaids are NOT procrastinators. I think I have the most "on top of it" group of gals in the history of ever. They all have their dresses already! Which is great news. And not one reminder e-mail had to be sent. Rock stars they are. Which is why I love each and every one of them :)

A few weeks ago our Save the Date's came in. I ordered them on-line at Pioneer Color. Talk about reasonable. I got 200 photo magnet Save the Dates and 200 return address labeled envelopes for $199 including shipping costs. Maybe I am naive but that sounded like a deal to me. They look great too, we have them all over our metal door and fridge. I can't wait to send them out! I read somewhere that it's a good idea to send out photo Save the Date's if you have a lot of out of town guests and/or family that you haven't seen in a while. This way it lets them see what you look like now, and if some of your guests haven't met your fiance they get a preview of what they are going to see on your wedding day. I thought this was a capital idea and since we had that fantastic engagement shoot - we couldn't let all those glamor shots go to waste!

The other fun thing we are about to embark on is registering. Which we are doing tomorrow night (starting - this will likely carry over into next weekend too). Very exciting. I have wanted my whole life to register for my very own fine china place settings and I am so glad that I am getting that chance. I have it all picked out and I am very much in love with it - Bellina by Lenox if you want to see it on-line, or head to your nearest Macy's to see it in person. It's much, much prettier in person than it is on-line ... FYI. My Mom was a total doll and gave me a list of some everyday dishware that is led and SARS free so we'll check that out too tomorrow. We need everything though. And I mean EVERYTHING. Mike has all bachelor stuff and I have all "graduated from college, attempting to live on my own" stuff. It'll be nice to have cabinets full of stuff that I am proud of and that is a fresh start, to signify our new beginning together.

Welp, we'll end on that good note. There's lots more to come, and I promise I will be better about updating this site! Love to you all! Goodnight!

Welcome to the Family!

Good news continues to abound...recently in February my brother and his then girlfriend, Katie got engaged! I still can't believe how grown up my little brother has become. And I am so happy that he chose Katie as his wife - she has certainly help make him the man he is today. She's funny, kind, beautiful and down-to-earth...all good qualities in a sister-in-law!

I've always admired my brother Johnny. He's smart, handsome, TALL(!) and has never let what other people think: a.) bother him or b.) affect him and who he is. Did I mention he's smart? There's not a sport he can't excel at, and the level of concentration he has for video games is astounding. I could watch him play Guitar Hero on Expert for hours and I love going home and staying up late and having late-night chats. When I had Lovie and lived at home the amount of love he showed towards Lovie was incredible, and provided a wonderful example of an honorable man to Lovie. He will make such a good husband, and one day, father, and continues to be a wonderful uncle. I look up to him and commend my Mom and Dad for doing such a good job on both my brothers.

It truly is a wonderful experience watching your siblings grow up right before your eyes. One minute they are little kids eating "cup of o's" on a bench watching Wizard of Oz with you and the next they are joining you on the journey towards marriage.

I'm very happy for them and tickled to add Katie to the list of bridesmaids on the right-hand side.

It's exciting having a sister - another girl in the family - and hopefully, in years to come we'll get another...one brother down...one to go!

Love you Katie and Johnny!

(Note: I am fortunate to have two wonderful brothers who I love very, very much. This post is about my excitement and happiness for Katie and Johnny and in no way means that I don't have equally loving, and admirable comments for Michael. Just wanted to make that known :))

Non Planning Planning

Lately life has been pretty busy and so has mother nature - leaving little time for wedding planning. There is so much to do still, short list:

1.) Send out Engagement Party invitations
2.) Send out Save the Dates after Engagement Party
3.) Contact photographer about photo for Save the Dates
4.) Choose Bridesmaid dresses
5.) Flowers...

Those are just some of the long list of things to do. Luckily, TheKnot.com has a great checklist by month. So far I am doing pretty good. I just have to make sure I stay on top of things.

Most of you know that we had Engagement pictures taken back in January when it was 60 degrees and not snowing...imagine that. I have a link and tab to them on my Facebook page - if you haven't seen them and want to let me know and I'll hook you up! That was a really fun time.

We have an Engagement Party date! March 27 at my parents house. I can't wait to see everyone and for everyone to meet each other - for those who haven't met each other yet. It'll be a good time with good food.

Hopefully, before then we will have picked the bridesmaid dress style. If it ever stops snowing for us to get out and actually do that :)

We're going to have snow drifts until June I'm convinced.

See you all in March - if not sooner HOPEFULLY!!!

Lots of love to all!

Escapades in Bridal Land

I must say. I really am enjoying being a bride. Not because of everyone wanting to see your ring or congratulating you - actually that tends to get old and makes you want to post a sign on your forehead with your wedding date. But because of the guarantee to see good friends and family all along the way. Today defined one of those great bridal moments - at a bridal show here in Richmond. With my mother-in-law-to-be in town for a visit, my maid of honor Jec-Jec and bridesmaid Crystal, and my Mom and Jec-Jec's Mom, we were able to look at a lot of vendors for the services we still need: flowers, cake and stationary. It was a lot of fun but definitely sensory overload! Thankfully, I am ahead of the game so I didn't need 80% of the services there, it felt good to not have to worry about a photographer or dress or even reception site - I could see how something like this could make a bride into a bridezilla. It was a nice day to be inside with it being so cold 'n all.

The other great thing about being a bride is the dress - what a great time trying on dresses. They all looked great but then I tried on "the one" and my heart melted and I didn't want to take it off. It's so funny how you do "just know." I certainly didn't expect to find one so soon - which is why neither my Mom nor I were excited about the experience (sample sale) nor did we have high hopes (sample sale again). Thanks to the sample sale though we were able to get a dress for 3x's less than it would've been if we had paid full price. Which is great because it leaves some of the budget open for the question mark of the moment - head count at at the reception. That's the next big check on the list.

What probably has me MOST excited right now is our photographer. He was at the bridal show today and was so warm and welcoming and his photographs are so natural that I feel even more fortunate to have him on our big day. On the 18th of this month we have our engagement pictures taken and I can't wait to see how they turn out. I am looking forward to a third party capturing my love for Mike and his for mine on camera. Especially with downtown Richmond, the city that enabled us to fall in love, as the backdrop. Plus, the name "Mike" tends to be a lucky charm in my life - and that's his name. He used to be the White House photographer and you can tell in his level of professionalism and ability to capture picture perfect moments that aren't posed. It's just very, very exciting.

I guess this post is just to say that I'm having a lot of fun and more and more I can't wait to share this day with all of you.