A Postmarked Reality Check

Who doesn't love getting mail?

Whether it's a surprise / ransom note from your bridesmaids, bridal magazines, something (or lots of somethings) bought from Etsy or RSVPs, there seems to be a lot more "fun" mail in the year of your wedding. I'm going to be very disappointed come June.

Anyhow, last week I was greeted at my mailbox by a vellum envelope with a brightly colored invite inside. What ever could it be?!?!

So springy and fun!

NAILED IT!

Excuse the corny title...can't help myself.

I am a big fan of having my nails done. We're not talking full-out, expensive manicures every week, but it is a guilty pleasure. 

Some nail shots

As soon as Mr. Turkey "put a ring on it", the need to have pretty digits seemed even more important (this goes along with the obsessive need to clean my diamond). 

I would really like to be able to justify buying this

So, I found a little "trick" that wouldn't break the bank - polish change. Much cheaper than a usual manicure, it makes me feel better when I go a little more often (than I probably should).

Rain on your wedding day

No bride hopes for rain on her wedding day, but the truth is, the possibility is there.

According to weather.com, the month of May in Philadelphia sees an average of 3.71 inches of rain, making it the 3rd highest month for precipitation (on a positive note - the average temperature is 74). Instead of stressing about a rainy day, my goal is to embrace the fact and be prepared.

Hoping the rain doesn't look like this, though
(Personal photo - I was pummeled by rain on the Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios)

1001 Ways to Use Your Engagement Photos

OK, 1001 is a slight exaggeration. We'll start with 1.

Let's face it, many couples take engagement photos and despite loving the way they turn out, often these images can end up underutilized. Maybe they find residence in a save the date or make their way into newsprint, but more frequently it seems as though they are just "squatters" in your iPhoto library (seriously, those files are HUGE).

My iPhoto library is bursting at the seams

One year ago today...

Dear Mr. Turkey,

It is so hard to believe it was 365 days ago when, on that balmy 70 degree Friday evening, you got down on one knee in Fitler Square. 

After the proposal

Our names in...newsprint

A week or so ago, Turkey Mom and I were speaking about engagement announcements.

I'm not sure how common these are everywhere, but they seem to be the norm where I grew up. Almost every week Turkey Mom sees an announcement that involves a classmate of either mine or my brother's (yup, it's the age - this and birth announcements). So, it was an easy choice to go down the announcement path for us; we decided to post in both my hometown's city paper and the small local paper.

The process was pretty easy for the city paper - fill in the required information and they write you a draft: name of bride and groom, parents' names, degrees, etc.

The form sent to us by The Times Union

To what song shall we dance?

This post could also be titled "The Second Most Difficult Wedding Decision" (next to the guest list).

Since we didn't have a song that was "ours", we were starting from scratch. And it was a rouuuuuuugh process. Almost every song that I suggested to Mr. Turkey as a first dance song was either:
A) "Too girly": Seemed to translate to anything sung by Michael Buble
B) "Too common": Anything by any artist our parents would know
C) "Too sappy": Vague term used to capture anything that didn't fall into A or B

Honestly, if I left the first dance up to him, we may have started our life as Mr. and Mrs. dancing seventh grade swaying rocking out to AC/DC. Awesome.

With my initial failed attempts, I clearly needed a different approach.

Health, wellness...and avoiding smoke detectors

With about 3 months to go, staying healthy is a top priority. It's definitely hard during the winter months, too, with colds, flus and stomach bugs running rampant in the office. Yuck.

Since there are things you can do to ward off illness, the Turkeys are doing everything possible to keep from the sick bed. We are drinking lots of water, taking our vitamins, eating well (and at home more than out), getting lots of sleep and exercising several times a week. I also swear by Zicam every time I feel a sniffle or tickle in my throat (yes, it's likely mind over matter that I end up OK, but whatever).

However, it's not just health that we're worried about in the Turkey household. This concern comes with a confession: I am a giant klutz.

[Insert Happy Face Here]

The smile on my face today has looked something like this:

Engagement Session photos by Philip Gabriel Photography

or this:

At the finish of my leg of the Walt Disney World Marathon Relay in January

But it didn't come because of something sweet that Mr. Turkey said or the joy of completing my first half marathon...so, why the big smile, Miss Turkey?

Honeymoon Dreamin'

I thought February would be a good time to start sharing our honeymoon ideas since, well, who doesn't like reading about vacations in the dead cold of winter?

Mother Nature seems to have different thoughts, as Philadelphia has experienced uncharacteristically warm weather lately. In fact, I'd take some of the recent weather days for our wedding day!

The last time the Turkeys wore their heavy winter coats - January 2 for the Winter Classic

But back to the honeymoon.

Ceremony programs (for dummies) - slightly adjusted

I was so excited to see that my post on Catholic ceremony programs was helpful to other brides struggling with the same issue.

Just wanted to pop back in quickly and share with you the final draft, as it was approved by the priest this weekend...with just a couple changes.

Gifts for the (special) guests

Now that we've past the 100 day mark until our wedding, there are a number of things that have started creeping up on the "to do" list.

We interrupt this post to say, AHHHHHH!!!
When did we get into double digits?!?!?!

One of the things that has been coming up in conversation recently is "thank you" gifts. We've finished the bridal party gifts already, but there are a number of other people involved in our day that we want to thank in a special way. The question becomes...how?

Dear Turkey family and those involved in the wedding…please read no further!

Love, Mr. & Miss Turkey

Ceremony programs (for dummies)

Before I get to the central topic of this post, let me back up a little.

As I mentioned, we are getting married in the Catholic Church. However, we are not doing a full mass, but decided on a wedding ceremony instead. According to the church, this is called a "marriage outside of mass", but to most people, it means no Holy Communion and about 30 minutes versus an hour (or more).

We made this decision for a few reasons. First, Mr. Turkey is not Catholic. Not that this fact always precludes you from having a full mass, but, depending on the church (or priest), it may. However, this fact wasn't what ultimately drove the decision. 

The decision to do a ceremony came from the time of our "slot" at the church. When we secured our date, almost 14 months before the wedding, all of the afternoon times had been taken and the only time remaining was 6:30pm.*

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