So we figure we are just about done with wedding planning!   WEEK 9 is probably my favorite week so far because Michael is actually in town the ENTIRE WEEK!!!! Best Christmas gift EVER! Another sweet Christmas gift was being around both of our families. It was nice to have some time to be with everyone and just play. We went to Michael’s parent’s home for Christmas Eve and my mom’s for Christmas day so it worked out perfect! Both parties were a lot of fun! We watched some home videos at Michael’s parent’s house Christmas Eve and oh my goodness, the Doxey kids are hilarious! Little Mikey was such a cutie! Apparently he loved wearing this certain cowboy hat when he was little and I’m going to use that against him for the rest of his life because he always teases me for loving the country life. And…I just liked this quote below:

So we figure we are just about done with planning everything! Kind of crazy to think we’re that close! We just need to do the following things (I’m sure other things will come up as we get closer, but here’s what we have left so far)

What’s left to do:

1. Get Michael’s tuxedo
2. Send final payments and info to all vendors
3. Get our marriage license (apparently you can get this  within 30 days of getting married)
4. Michael is creating our slide show for our wedding dinner & reception – he loves doing that kind of stuff!
5. Music play list for the reception
6. Make the quote decorations for the reception
7. Figure out if we’re doing a guest book of sorts
8. Figure out if we’re doing favors…
9. Get my wedding dress after the last fitting this Saturday – hopefully!!
10. Make sure all the family has their wedding attire and/or if they need any help finding anything
11. Determine any assignments for the big day – fam and friends to help set up reception, buy coloring books or something for the  kids room, protector of the gift table, etc…
12. Figure out if we want a cake topper… ?

WEEK 9 – Everything we accomplished this week

• Handed out a few more wedding invitations – saves you a little money on stamps!
• Talked with my cake friend about personalizing our wedding cake in a subtle way
• Continue adding people’s names to the thank you list for received gifts
• Pick out more music for reception and wedding video
• Bought some things for the  home like our bed!
• Got Michael’s ring! It looks awesome! I had him try it on Christmas Eve and it looks great on him!
• Celebrated Christmas with family!! Planning a wedding during the holidays isn’t that bad. It’s actually really nice to have other big things to look forward to as you’re waiting for your wedding day to arrive! Plus, it’s a fun time to be together and get to know each other’s families even more.
• Finished planning with our  coordinator, Chris, from the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We finalized the food for the reception and confirmed everything else.
• Religious preparations – I went through the temple for my first time yesterday. It’s a very large event in our LDS religion when you can go through for the first time. It was absolutely amazing! My family, Michael and his parents were all able to attend with me. I’m so grateful for that sweet experience  and all the help I received.

For additional info and the video, go to
http://www.templesquarehospitality.com/blogs/weddings/?p=1818