Mini Vacation

Photo Credit: Carlos Baez

So, for the next week or so, I will be taking a break from the blogging world. The fabulous fiance and I are actually going to take a mini vacation down to South Beach. It is much needed, and we are so excited to have some time together. But what would a mini vacation be without......A Wedding! Yay! So, I will have lots of beautiful pictures and inspiration to share. Look forward to catching up with you all in about a week.

-"Rather it be a good day, a bad day, or a wedding day, let a smile always light and shine upon your face. For it is the day, we should all be grateful for!!"

Beautiful Bridesmaids

Celebrity Bride Guide

Tomorrow, we will be trying on bridesmaids dresses for the second time. I am so excited. I can't wait to find the beautiful gowns that my girls will be wearing on my wedding day. We found several gowns on the first trip, and we are hoping to be able to narrow down the choices and find "the one"!! It is so important to me that all of my friends are happy and feel beautiful. This should be a special day for them, as well. I will be sure to keep you posted on the gowns that we find. Til then, here are some gorgeous celebrity bridesmaids and their beautiful gowns.

Peacock Color Creations

Photo Credit: Studio Wed

As you know, the main colors for our wedding are champagne and ivory!! The ceremony will feature a sea of these colors. However, we will be bringing in some color for both the cocktail hour and the reception. While we won't have a huge variety of colors, I am so in love with the variety of colors in the peacock feather. My dining room is actually decorated with colors from the peacock. So, when I saw these photos, I was so inspired by the colors, and will definitely be using some of the peacock color inspiration throughout the wedding. Where? You will have to wait and see, but it will be beautiful.

Universal Fashion

Miss Universe Pageant 2009

I have never been a huge pageant girl, but I love to watch them. They are so much fun and exciting to watch, and you get fantastic ideas for your wedding. I love to look at the styles of the gowns, the expressions on the girl's faces, and the gorgeous hairstyles! I have looked at a million websites, searching for the perfect hairstyle, and I fell in love with the hairstyle that Miss Universe 2008 wore for her final walk. It was just gorgeous! And the expression on the new Miss Universe's face is the expression every bride should have when she is about to marry the man of her dreams.

Time for Favors!

After our engagement party was over, we sent our friends and family home with love, memories, and chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie favors. For any bride that is having an engagement party, I definitely recommend having a favor for your guest to take home. It is a great way to end the evening and a yummy treat that your guests can either eat on the ride home or save it for later! There are so many different things that you can do for favors, but the most important part is choosing something that both you and your guests will LOVE!! For our favors, we chose to have cookies that we put in clear bags, and tied with our North Carolina blue string. We had cute little stickers made that went on each bag and read, Takila and Chris, 8-8-09. What an amazing day, and we thank everyone in our lives, that came and made this day so memorable.

An Instant Family

Our Beautiful Moms
Chris and I with our parents

No one could figure out which camera! :)

The entire crew! The Wilsons, Williams, & Deans

Our party meant so many wonderful things to us. It was the celebration of our engagement, the celebration of our new home, and it was the first time that our families met. Yes, the first time, and it was absolutely amazing. We were so excited and blessed to be able to have both of our families in the same room together, talking, laughing, bonding, and celebrating together. My brother was married two years ago, and his new inlaws also joined us for the party. It was as if everyone had been both friends and family for years. We are so looking forward to the many parties, family gatherings, and of course, the wedding day, to share in the love that we all have for one another!! Cheers!

More Fabulous Party Food

There just aren't words to describe just how much fun we had at our engagement/housewarming party. It was unbelievable. And the food, most importantly, was so good that I couldn't even put it into words. So here are a few more pictures of the food at our party. Can't wait to share more pics from the party! Our guests were just as fabulous! Enjoy! Yummy! This post should have came with a WARNING!!! :)

Fabulous Party Food

Early Morning Party Food Preparation

My mom and I thought and thought about the menu that we would have for our party. There are so many things that go into choosing your food for any party. First, you have to consider the people that are coming, Second, you should consider the time, and Third you have to consider that whatever food you have, it should be FABULOUS!! My mother was absolutely amazing. She worked so hard on the food for the party, and my soon to be mother in law showed up with some fabulous surprises. We had the perfect party, the perfect guest, and the perfect food!! There are more photos to come!!

Party Party Party!!

This weekend was absolutely amazing! We had our engagement/housewarming party where our families met for the first time!! Yes! You did read that right! Our families met for the very first time in 9 years, and it could not have went better. There is nothing like getting all of your friends and family together in the same place and celebrating the love that you and your significant other have for one another. I can't wait to share all of the details of our party. It was truly amazing!!

Themed Engagement Party

As many of you know, this weekend, we will be having our engagement/housewarming party. We are really excited for this time in our lives. There are so many different ideas for engagement parties and housewarming parties. One of the popular things that brides and grooms are doing today is combining their parties, just as we are. Our families both live out of town, along with over half of our close friends. So, it was really important for us to make things convenient for our guests, and have a great time in our new home.Many couples decide to have a theme for their parties, just as they do for their weddings. So, for all of you themed brides our there, here are a few ideas for themed engagement parties.

* Beach themed with Pina Coladas and grass skirts

* A night out in Paris with wine, stars and romance

* A country boil or barbecue with cowboy boots, cowboy hats and lots of straw

* And for the sports fans, nothing like having a party with your mascot everywhere GO DAWGS!

Whichever theme you choose, I am sure it will be a blast and a night to remember. I can't wait to share everything about our party! So, to the party to come.....CHEERS!!