I signed up on Brides.com last night, and I joined perhaps a hundred sweepstakes. Ok, maybe not quite that many. Close. I entered to win two separate honeymoon trips, but I’m really trying to manifest winning the 8 day/7 night honeymoon at Sandals, which I think I already mentioned wanting to do in my Honeymoon post. I find it insanely amusing that that post was one of my highest ranking in comments in a long time, but not a single male answered.

I'm shooting for the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort, which looks very nice. Plus it has two spas, and I was very bummed about not being able to do the spa at our hotel in Chicago (I tried; they couldn't fit me in). If we won the honeymoon for free, we'd be able to go all out on the spa and excursions! And they have Bob Marley tours (Jamaica). So if anyone would like to lend your energies towards seeing us win, I would whole-heartedly appreciate it! :D

It looks like we may be closer to picking a date. We’re thinking it would probably be best to have the wedding in mid to late spring, so probably around this time of year next year if we can get it together by then. But we figure late April or early May is some free space in our family celebrations, situated nicely between birthdays & Mother’s Day, and it comes conveniently after tax returns.

So without further ado,



Josh and I both fell in love with this when we saw it. The picture of the front is in a different color (there are 46 to choose from – thanks, Alfred Angelo!), but we would be going with the Cherry version in the first picture (style 1516):





I’m totally open to suggestions on bouquets. I don’t really want red roses like model, unless I just have maybe like three or four with a ribbon. I think I’d like something softer, but maybe with deep red accents of roses or something used sparsely.

To my surprise (and perverse pleasure), Eden enjoys looking at bridal magazines with me. Hanging out with lahermite’s daughter Jiana has really put some girl into Eden. Not only has she picked out the dress she wants, she’s also picked out the diamond ring she wants. She goes straight to the same two pages every time.

Now obviously I’m not going to be able to get this dress for her, but I’m going to do what I can to get her as close and kid-friendly a version as possible.



Hers is the one in the middle (style 1394):





That’s all I have for now, but it’s a lot more than I did have!