The Final Countdown

We're at the two week mark and things are surprisingly calm over here at casa SE! I'm settling into the new job, and the training hours have been super conducive to running wedding errands in the afternoon. Our programs were just printed yesterday, and have been mailed to FMIL in Atlanta for assembly.

Mr. SE and I had a fun little adventure yesterday during our lunch break- we got our marriage license! The processes was simple as ever and we were in and out within a matter of minutes. The ladies working at the Davidson County Clerk were super sweet and were sweet enough to take multiple pictures of us. We walked out of there super happy, and it made for a great start to the weekend!{proof that someone needs to keep doing their arm workouts}

Oh and this morning we realized that not only are we getting married in 14 days, but we're going to Mexico in 16! Woot!

OOT Bags

Oh hello there- remember me? I'm the girl that thought she could take on a million things before the wedding (moving, starting a new job, buying a foreclosure, moving again, and starting a new job). What's that? You think I wrote start a new job twice? That's because I did.

I was lucky enough to land a job at one of the "Best Places to Work", and had been working there since last August. But here's the thing- I'm driven, and I worked my butt off to get a degree in business management. I didn't go to college to make packets, punch holes, and be a glorified secretary. That being said- I made the adult choice. Took my life by the reigns, quit my job, and started in a new industry where slackers get fired. Sound amazing? Let me know if you're in Nashville, Denver, Dublin, Singapore, or San Francisco (we have a great referral program).


I started this new job last week and it's been amazing. Like a jump out of bed even though it's early and you're ready to conquer the world amazing! But to say it's been easy to make a career jump with only 19 days until the wedding could be a lie. Yes you read that right, 19. Am I going crazy? Maybe a little bit. Did I make the best decision of my life (other than my handsome groom)? Yes I did. Nobody is going to drop a great career in your lap, you've got to get up and make something out of your life.

Now onto bigger and better things, like out of town bags. If you're lucky enough to be coming to our wedding (you know I would invite all of you readers if I could!), this is what you'll be getting. We wanted the bag to have a Nashville feel from the first instant, so kraft was an easy choice. I picked up a super cute cowboy boot stamp (40% coupon thankyou) at Hobby Lobby, and added some curled white ribbon for the piece de resistance. Here's what's inside:

Visit Nashville booklet
Tourism map
Chocolate and Vanilla Moon Pie (made in TN)
2 bottles of water
Trail Mix
Mixed Nuts
Cheez-its
Minty Lifesavers
Lance Crackers (my fave!)
Pringles (made in TN)
Mr. SE and I are going to add a welcome letter

...and here they are in the bonus room, which has been renamed "room of wedding craziness"

What do you think? Would you be stoked to get one of these babies? I'd love to hear what types of things you did in out of town bags to make them specific for your wedding location!

Rehearsal Dinner: A Solution?

Oh friends, the rehearsal dinner drama has continued for longer than I wish. It was so difficult to find shoes that matched my initial dress (Part I, Part II), and I realized that wearing a white dress wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Case in point- I only wear fancy dresses to our friends' weddings, but I clearly can't wear a white one. Enter- Nordstrom's amazing return policy. This leaves me with no sweat about being able to return the initial dress.
I've visited both Macy's and Dillard's at Green Hills, but they left much to be desired. So while ring shopping for Mr. SE @ Shane Co, we decided to stop at Cool Springs Galleria. Hello- somebody cue the angels. The Dillard's dress shop in Cool Springs is beyond amazing and exactly what I needed to see. It's not as if I have a lot of time to shop around now. Another cool fact- Dillard's will send a dress to your home (no additional cost) if they don't have your size in stock. I tried on both of these dresses below in a bigger size, and decided either one could be a winner.
The first is a Maggy London, and the second is by I CAN'T REMEMBER THE BRAND BUT I'LL POST IT LATER (but it's sort of like this, w/a vneck instead of one shoulder). At first I was concerned that the Maggy dress is basically the same color as my bridesmaids, and I didn't want to steal their thunder. But the nice saleslady at Dillard's informed me that #1: This was my party and #2: Many brides wear a color similar to their bridesmaids at the rehearsal. The first one doesn't settle with me, since I still want the girls' dresses to have a huge impact. But the 2nd one helps it go down a little easier.

What do you think of the bride NOT wearing white to the rehearsal? Did you do it to yours- or will you?

Vendor Spotlight: Gray Photography Part II

In case you forgot how awesome my photographers are, I'm back with more! Zach and Jody shot us an email today with the links for our whole engagement shoot. Not only are the pictures amazing, but can I please give a shout out to their amazing turn around time? We shot these pictures only a couple weeks ago. So when I tell you that they're super ridiculously amazing and talented, don't think that I'm talking things up. It's for real. Check out our Pictage album online and see for yourself!

Sniffly, Sneezy, Itchy, Watery, Yuckiness Bride

Sorry I've been absent for a little while now. I'm still adjusting to summers here in Tennessee, and this one has proven to be the same as the last. Darn those dust, grass, mold, weed, and tree allergies (oh and that's just what I'm allergic to outside). I spent last Wednesday through Friday home from work watching Ally McBeal, blowing my nose, and taking DayQuil/NyQuil in 4 hour intervals. No fun, friends!

However, I did have special weekend plans which had been in the works for months- my bachelorette party! Even though I was feeling super duper stinky, I couldn't exactly tell my friends (who all bought plane tickets) that this needed to be pushed to another weekend. So I did what any good bride would do: pumped myself full of Gatorade, put on my big girl panties, and prepared for a weekend of fun. And fun was certainly had for all.

I'm still a little out of commission though, although I can say it feels like I'm on the tail end of this huge allergy blowout. I'll be back later this week with some recaps of the most amazing bachelorette party in the history of the world, the best friends a girl could have, and some fun and exciting news in the SE household.

***Please don't forget to comment on our engagement pictures. Visit the Gray Photography Blog to leave a sweet little note after our pictures. If we reach 50 we'll get a free canvas***

Vendor Spotlight: Gray Photography

Wow- this post has been a long time coming. I've written and re-written it over and over, trying to find the right words to use. Essentially, Mr. SE and I had a falling out with our initial photographers, one that has carried on for over 9 months now. It's something that no bride should have to deal with, and I hope none of you incur this same type of situation during what should be the happiest months of your life together. But being the optomist that he is, Mr. SE has encouraged me to take our lemons and make some great lemonade.

We decided to take a deeper look at the people who would be involved in our wedding, especially our photographers. They play a big part in capturing the emotions and actions on the day we commit to spend the rest of our lives together. I received some great advice from my planner, and took it to heart. And who else should do that besides the best photographers in Nashville (and maybe even the country)?

So now, Mr. SE and I are very honored to introduce you to our fabulous photographers, Zach and Jody Gray. After lots of praying and hard thinking, we feel like they were placed in our lives by something bigger than ourselves. And we couldn't be happier! If you've interacted with the Gray's before, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. They have such a warm and calming spirit, and it's really a blessing to have them in our lives and involved in our wedding.

ps. Head over to their blog to see the rest of our engagement shoot. We'll get a special gift if we reach 50 comments, so help me out and leave one too.

Three Day Weekend

This weekend has been an A++ for the SE's. Saturday started off with a dress fitting, and some shopping at the Banana outlet. What's that? You know I've been mourning the loss of our Opry Mills outlet, so how could I have shopped there? Friends, an amazing coworker was kind enough to let me know they've been temporarily moved to our outlets in Lebanon. On the same street as my dress shop- I think it's fate! It's safe to say Helena and I cleared out the store, especially considering it was all 50% off. After shopping, we met our lovely fiances for lunch at La Hacienda and capped of the afternoon sitting by the pool.Yesterday, our friends had a Groupon for Sky Blue Cafe and we gladly tagged along. We've never eaten here before, and the food was great! I had a vegetarian omelet and Mr. SE had eggs/bacon/and french toast.

FMIL SE has decided to give us a patio set as a wedding gift, so we figured this was the perfect weekend to find it. There are some fabulous deals to be had right now, and we found one for ourselves at Home Depot (sssh don't tell Lowe's).

This is our gorgeous set, by Martha Stewart Living. We also picked up a super cute red umbrella.
Did you have any fun plans this weekend? Also- let's not forget the reason that our country is such an amazing, safe place to live. Please pray for the men and women who are currently protecting and fighting for our country, along with those who have already served.

Drumroll Please...

The winner of these gorgeous earrings is *PDX Bride*! I used the fabulous random number generator at random.org and the 12th entry was the winner. Also, Crissy has been nice enough to extend free shipping to anyone who mentions my blog. So head on over to her shop, Gypsy's Closet and get a little something for yourself (or a friend, or your bridesmaids).

Day of Blogging Silence for Cohen

Today I'm participating in a day of blogging silence in honor of Megan, Brent, and their baby Cohen. It's the smallest thing that we can do to support this family that's been through so much. I've read Megan's blog throughout her pregnancy, and once Cohen was born I checked multiple times a day hoping for good results after each surgery. Megan and Brent have been through something that nobody should have to experience, and right now they need a blanket of prayer and support. Today is the memorial service for their sweet baby boy. Please lift up Megan, Brent, Cohen, and their family today.

Thank you for all the comments on my giveaway, I'll reveal the winner tomorrow.

An Etsy Giveaway!!!

Our wedding is getting closer and closer (46 days- but who's counting?) and I'm getting more excited by the minute. There's some exciting things coming down the pipeline for the SE's and I can't wait to share with you. But because I'm in a super happy mood, I've decided to host a giveaway! Crissy at Gypsy's Closet on Etsy has graciously allowed me to give away a pair of her earrings. I stumbled across her shop last week and haven't look back since! All of the earrings are too cute and I want them all- they're perfect for summer.


To enter- head over to Crissy's shop to pick your favorite item, and leave me a comment letting me know which one it is. 1 extra entry if you tweet about the giveaway and 2 extra entries if you blog about it. Contest will end at 11pm (CST), June 30th. If you tweet or blog about the giveaway, please leave a comment letting me know. Here's the pair I'll be giving away:

Spring Fever Bobble Earrings