Hello?? **Echoooo**

NcsuPsych

Is anyone here?
This place is like a graveyard, which makes me sad

Who is here? Lurkers, introduce yourself.
Actually, anyone reading, update us on what's going on with planning / life.



I've finally graduated and am now just hanging out at home most of the time. DH and I have decided that it'd be good for me to take a break for a couple months because I've been in school so long and also because we're trying to figure out if we want to move in the near-ish future. So now I'm trying to find some volunteer opportunities

We're also going on our 2nd anniversary in a couple weeks. We'll be going to Orlando. I've never been and so I'm really looking forward to it. After that, we'll see what happens!

Your turn!

pirategal03

Orlando will be fun!  Are you going to any of the parks?

I'm here.  Nothing new.  Just work and house and puppy.  

NcsuPsych

How is puppy!? Any new tricks?

We're hoping to go to Orlando Studios (Hopefully also Harry Potter) and maybe Seaworld if we can swing it.

Part of our budget is gettin eatin due to having to board the pups. We thought we had someone lined up, but that's not the case so it's going to be like $500 total just to board them. .  *whimpers

Astrid821

 

I'm here too!! I'm mostly pretty quite here but I've gotten a lot of planning done. I have my dress, picked out my shoes, picked bm dresses, booked our venue, director, caterer, and DJ. Right now I'm looking for a photog.... which is getting harder by the day because I keep calling folks who are already booked for my day.  I think I found a good one though, but in the mean time we're still looking around.

 

You'll usually find me lurking through the old vendor recommendation posts, Olga is still my favorite knot forum find, btw.  

 

My sister just had to give their dog to a pug rescue group because they travel so much for work and he couldn't fly with them.... She was so sad but at least it's a fostering group so he went right to a home rather than a facility.

 

 

 

 

 

StephieDee

Hey there! I'm late to this thread but oh well. I've been lurking for a couple months, getting ideas and such. I'll probably start posting regularly because everyone so far seems pretty cool. So here's a little intro...

I'm getting married near Asheville on May 26. We've been engaged almost 2 years and I'm such a slacker when it comes to the whole wedding planning thing. I still have a lot to do but keep putting it off. I need help, haha.

I live in Asheville and went to school to be a chef. I cooked for a long time but recently quit in search of a new career. I'm burnt out from the restaurant industry and really just want my weekends and holidays back.

I don't have a whole lot of hobbies other than cooking but FI and I love to visit the local breweries on the weekends and drink all day. I'm also pretty good at pool. I play in a league every week and usually play in tournaments when they come to the area.

Nice to meet everyone

SCogs18

Hi!  I've posted several times, but never properly introduced myself!  My FI and I got engaged on July 3, 2011.  He proposed just the two of us in the living room of our first apartment.  We are getting married September 22, 2012, which is just two days after our 3rd dating anniversary.  We met on move-in day our freshman year of college--he lived in the room across the hall.  Adorable, if I do say so myself.

FI convinced me to move to his hometown in VA but we are getting married in my hometown in NC and I'd move back in a second if I could find a job in NC (so if anyone knows anyone hiring in the Triangle, let me know---seriously).

Planning is going really well.  Having lost my job I have a ton of time to get things accomplished/make weekend trips down to meet vendors.  We are having a formal evening wedding for about 160 guests (we are inviting 220 but we know many people cannot come).  The colors are "sunset colors" inspired by a stylemepretty page I found (link below).  My biggest check left is bridesmaid dresses.  I swear is it so much harder to pick a gown for six women than it was to pick my own!  Here are the two options (long dress), opinions are appreciated!

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/01/13/wedding-colors-inspired-by-a-sunset-from-jennifer-lindberg-photography/

This allure gown in this color


or this Alfred Sung number in dark purple ("majestic").

pirategal03

Beka that sucks about the dogs.  I was all 'they can come stay with us!' then I saw when your ticker said.  If  I wasn't going to be out of town for work then they could stay with us.   

Astrid, our photog was amazing and will travel.  www.ericaletchworth.com she's worth the $.

Stephie where did you use to cook?

I like those dresses, SC.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_north-carolina_hello-echoooo?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:115Discussion:5fe6b50e-49a6-4c12-ab81-ae9a4c659db7Post:0e8d0a55-e87a-42c7-8faf-7e4450ac6a34">Re: Hello?? **Echoooo**</a>:
[QUOTE]Hey there! I'm late to this thread but oh well. I've been lurking for a couple months, getting ideas and such. I'll probably start posting regularly because everyone so far seems pretty cool. So here's a little intro... I'm getting married near Asheville on May 26. We've been engaged almost 2 years and I'm such a slacker when it comes to the whole wedding planning thing. I still have a lot to do but keep putting it off. I need help, haha. I live in Asheville and went to school to be a chef. I cooked for a long time but recently quit in search of a new career. I'm burnt out from the restaurant industry and really just want my weekends and holidays back.<strong> I don't have a whole lot of hobbies other than cooking but FI and I love to visit the local breweries on the weekends and drink all day.</strong> I'm also pretty good at pool. I play in a league every week and usually play in tournaments when they come to the area. Nice to meet everyone :)
Posted by StephieDee[/QUOTE]

<div>How excited are you for the new Sierra Nevada brewery?  FH and I live in Hendo and its going to be about 10 minutes away... friends keep telling me we need to spruce up the guest room so they can come visit after it opens :)</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>SN:  I feel like this board is always pretty quiet, I lurk for new posts but spend most of my time on my month board</div><div>
</div>

[Deleted User]

Oh, planning I forgot!

I'm really over planning.  I've been planning for 14 months and that's just much too long.

Our DJ keeps asking us about song choices, and I just can't muster the mental energy to make them right now.

Ugh.

I was so excited about the wedding for the longest time, but right now I'm more excited about the vacation after!

abcollins08

I'm here too!  I'm not sure if I ever introduced myself.  FI and I got engaged September 17, 2011 and our wedding date is September 15, 2012.  We've gotten a lot done so far, I think.  Venue, caterer, cake baker, dress, scheduled an appointment with Olga for alterations, photographer, and DJ.
We've started looking at rings and are going to register soon.  Figuring out where to register is difficult.  We're thinking Belks and BBB, or maybe Target.  I could spend hours in Target!  It's my favorite store! haha

@harmony0417 - I love your hot air ballon picture!  FI surprised me with a ride last year.  It was so much fun!

pirategal03

harmony, this board hasn't always been so slow.  It can be just as busy and off-topic as people want it to be.  When I was planning there were daily good morning posts, quizzes, games, etc.  Most of those girls only occasionally lurk these days, it's a different dynamic now, that's all.  Make this board what you want it to be.  I promise you won't just be talking to yourself over here.

NcsuPsych

So awesome to see people actually post!

Astrid, I'm sorry to hear about your sisters dog, but you're right, it's better than going to a shelter. I hope the pup gets a great new forever home!

Stephie, that sounds like a good time! We've got a local brewery that we like to go to occasionally. It's more fun with you've got a group going, which is rare for us. They've got one beer that's my favorite, however it knocks you on your @ss. 1 glass = 4 beers. We need to go get our growler refilled

Scogs, those dresses are pretty along with that awesome blog! I too had trouble picking out a dress for my BMs. At one point they were just going to pick their own, but then DH's little sis, who was a BM decided to wear a dress in a close color to what I wanted, but it was very 'promy' and just didn't look right. So we found a basic empire waist dress that everyone looked awesome in .

Harmony, As Mary (Pirate) said, the boards used to be WAY more active. It was amazing while I was planning and I hate that it's so quite now. This board can be whatever you want it to be, wedding or just chit chat with locals (just no vendors ). We used to have GM posts and all sorts of things. I've decided to try and liven it up some, but I'll need ya'lls help! As far as the lull goes for your planning, I would recommend taking a couple weeks away from planning and just having fun with the engagement and life. It's easy to get burnt out, especially when you've got a longer engagement and have most of your big checks done.

Abcollins, I get into a lot of trouble at Target. I've gotten a lot better, but before, I could go in and spend $40 without even knowing what the heck I bought. Sadly, it'd all fit into one bag. I can now go in and resist the urge to buy the cute things I see. I think my favorite registry was either BBB or Crate and Barrel though because Target had soooo many 'seasonal' things that we scanned and were discontinued prior to the wedding.

Mary, No worries about the dogs. I wish we knew more people that had pets though, or that had a mature teenager or friend that could just come stay at our house while we're gone. D is able to stay out in our room while we're gone, but Lucy has to go in her kennel because she's the trouble maker or 'schemer'. It'll all work out, hopefully they wont hate us when we get home though. I think the longest we've boarded them before was like 5 or 6 days.

aleighk1

I'm pretty late to this but I'll play. 

We're done planning all the big stuff. I just have to order my paper bouquets off of Etsy, go to Men's Warehouse and get his/GMs stuff, finish my invites, and some DIY projects. I also have to get my dress altered. I'm calling next week to set up an appointment. We've been engaged for 18 months and I'm way over planning.

NcsuPsych

aleighk, what do your paper bouquets look like? I almost got a button one and wish I had now. They're so pretty and unique!

lacey3eb

Planning for our November 17, 2012 wedding in Concord, NC is well under way.  All major vendors are booked and we have a good idea about what we will do for the rest of our planning.  Booked our P*nta Cana honeymoon recently and we're super excited for that trip!  Next up is finishing registering, rings, bridesmaids dressing, my shoes & accessories, suits for the guys, invitiations, and lots more.  I work in a school so I plan to get a lot done over the summer.  This school year is flying by!  Got some fun weekends planned and looking forward to lots of fun times leading up to the big day.  I have a feeling the next 9 months will go very quickly

NcsuPsych

Lacey, there will be days that it feels like time if flying and then there will be some that it feels like its crawling. Then your wedding day will arrive and you'll be like 'where on earth did the time go?'.  It sounds like you're doing awesome planning wise! What's your favorite thing been so far?

StephieDee

Pirate - I've cooked all over...Richmond, Wilmington, Puerto Vallarta, and Niagara Falls. My most recent job was at a catering company here in Asheville, I'd rather not give specifics, internet safety and all. I've probably made the wedding food for a lot of Asheville brides on this site

Harmony - I had no idea Sierra Nevada was coming to Asheville! It will definitely be on my to do list when it opens.

NCSU - Those high gravity beers will get ya. I once drank a beer that was like 13% or something crazy like that. It had the consistency of cough syrup and was seriously nasty stuff. I'm not too adventurous when it comes to beer. I like light beers and can do a few IPAs but that's about it.

NcsuPsych

Stephie, yeah the one I like is 9.2. It's thicker than some of the other beers I've had, but overall, it's one of my favorites. We actually meant to get the growler refilled tonight for tomorrow, and completely forgot. *eye roll. Oh well.

What was your favorite meal that you've both enjoyed making and enjoyed eating? Im trying to be more adventurous with the food I make, but Im still a beginner

kelsey+brandon

I pop over every once in a while to see of anyone's posted something new (which is never). Sad face. Planning's going well, but a little stressful. We have most of our stuff done, I just need to pay the deposit for our tent and find a lighting person. I ordered our invitations last week and got supplies to make DIY projects, so I'm ready to get started on those. We're meeting with Wendy at TSC to talk logistics and menu and other details and have meeting with our minister of music and minister in March. I also have my first fitting the end of March. Other than that we just have our secondary appointments to finalize things more. Oh, we also need to find a cake baker. Meh. They cost way too much. I'm sure there's way more to do, but I dont want to think about everything. An I agree with Aleigh. We've been engaged for almost 15 months and I'm just ready to marry FI.

StephieDee

NCSU - Wow, 9.2 is a lot. We get our growlers filled at the Heinzemannchen Brewery which I think is the best beer in this area. I make ice cream out of their stout beer, it's so good.

We both enjoy pork tenderloin a lot. I'm always experimenting with different marinades and/or stuffings. Honestly though, at home I make comfort foods and normal stuff rather than anything fancy. We're also really big on casseroles, pot pies, etc. I've been doing those DIY preplanned freezer meals and it has been amazing. Our grocery bill was easily cut in half and making dinner is so convenient now.

Let me know if you ever need some dinner ideas

Kelsey - I feel you. I'm pretty much in the same boat, we've been engaged since Nov 2010 and I'm just ready to be married (our wedding is May 26). I'm really over the whole wedding planning part of it. I'm also stressed out and I'm not sure why, I get worried about the logistics part of the everything.

NcsuPsych

Mind if I ask what kind of recipes you're using?
I'm also trying to get into making pre-meals and freezing them to help with costs and eliminate the late night food argument of 'what do you want? . . I dont know, what do you want?. . . etc).

Beer Icecream? I never knew there was such a thing!

StephieDee

Yes! Beer ice cream is so good. You can make ice cream with any type of flavoring. Our wedding cake is also beer flavored so there's that, haha.


I don't use recipes but here's a list of the stuff I made the last time. I can give you more details on any particular thing if you want.

Soups
Chicken Curry
Tomato Basil Bisque
Chili
Chicken Peanut Soup
Entrees
Pork Tenderloin/Balsamic and Molasses Marinade
Pork Tenderloin/Stuffed with Cranberries and Smoked Turkey Sausage
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Enchiladas
Meatloaf
Lemon Chicken
Teriyaki Salmon


We spent $130 on everything and it made 45 meals. It's convenient because instead of just making meatloaf for one dinner, I make enough for 5 dinners. You can also make more of a variety so you don't get burnt out on eating the same things every week. Soups are my favorite because they are easy to make and it makes for a quick and cheap lunch.

Also, I don't cook anything and then freeze it unless it's a casserole. For example, I'll just make the marinade, add the raw tenderloin and throw it in a baggie then freeze it. I thaw everything out the night before and just pop it in the oven before dinner. You're still technically cooking dinner but it takes all the leg work out of it and eliminates that "what's for dinner" dilemma.

I just wing the sides. If it's the summer months I'll get local veggies from the market but during the winter I just buy those frozen green giant ones. Sometimes I will make the sides in bulk and freeze them in portions but it's really trial and error about what can freeze and what can't. I've made some poor choices in the past, haha. I also do the salad mason jar thing that's on pinterest. I love it.

Sorry this turned into a novel but hope it helps!

lacey3eb

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_north-carolina_hello-echoooo?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:115Discussion:5fe6b50e-49a6-4c12-ab81-ae9a4c659db7Post:5a49b3fe-3adc-4b06-bd15-4799655dd9cd">Re: Hello?? **Echoooo**</a>:
[QUOTE]Lacey, there will be days that it feels like time if flying and then there will be some that it feels like its crawling. Then your wedding day will arrive and you'll be like 'where on earth did the time go?'.  It sounds like you're doing awesome planning wise! What's your favorite thing been so far?
Posted by NcsuPsych[/QUOTE]

Hmm...I'm really psyched for the honeymoon!  It felt great to book that.  We're really excited for our DJ (All the Right Grooves) and look forward to partying with all of our favorite people :)

*This is actually my 2nd wedding so unfortunately/fortunately I've had practice planning a wedding which has made planning a breeze. 

Happy Bun

Lacey- Where in Concord are you getting married?  I grew up there and I'm curious

If you don't have a cake yet, check out Icing on the Edge, http://www.icingontheedge.com/
Sharon does her baking out of her house and it is AMAZING.  She's doing my cake and I can't wait, her prices are very reasonable too.

What is everyone's favorite wedding detail so far?  Mine is my brooch bouquet, I can spend hours fiddling with them to see where I want them to be positioned.  My grandma gave me a styrofoam head to practice on so I now have a mutilated head in my living room with brooches all over it.  It's kinda creepy if you don't know why it's there, lol!

careyblackmar

Lacey - we used Bethany at ATRG and she was amazing!  You'll definitely have a great party!  We got married in Charlotte/Huntersville, let me know if you need any vendor recs.

And totally I agree with all the girls who are just ready to get married - we were engaged for 16 months and I just felt like enough was enough, let's just do it already!  As everybody says though, it'll be here before you know it.

lacey3eb

Happy Bun, our wedding and reception are at Vintage Motor Club it's an old mill turned event center...love it!  We are using a cake lady that works out of her house as well and for a great price. 

Careyblackmar, we will have Jill from ATRG.  We've booked all of our vendors already which is great.  Just lots of little things to do.  Time is flying now, but it will move slower this summer since I work in a school and will have some time off.  But I'm looking forward to the break and having time for projects.