Congrats to Jen (Venus909) who is leaving TOMORROW for her awesome wedding!! She is also today's Knottie of the Day. She has some great advice for all of us brides to be and a very cute engagement story!!
1. First Name & Fiance's First Name: Jennifer & Louie
2. Your Age and Fiance's Age: 34 & 36
3. What city were you born in? Chicago
4. What city do you live in? Chicago
5. Where did you go to college? Robert Morris, DeVry University, and Keller Graduate School
6. What was your major? Voice and Data Network Management
7. What is your current job? Program Analyst
8. What is your dream job? Self-Employed
9. How did you and your fiance' meet? We meet in 1999 at Robert Morris College. We had a few classes together and just hit it off right from the start. We talked before class and during breaktimes. He was always my sounding board. But we were just friends. He graduated a term or 2 before I did and we didn't talk much after he left the school. When I graduated he took me out to lunch and gave me a gift (a watch that I still have).. but that day I also noticed he was wearing a wedding ring... YUP! He was engaged all that time and got married... Well we just remained friends.. then I got married and had kids and he got divorced and a few years later I got divorced. Fast forward 11 1/2 years to October of 2010, the stars finally alinged and he asked me out on a lunch date... we have been inseperable since!
10. When did you get engaged, and how did he do it?? We got engaged on April 24th 2011. It was a simple proposal... It was easter morning and the kids woke up real early to open their easter baskets, they noticed there was one extra and brought it into our room. Louie told them it was for me... so 1/2 asleep I opened the basket... there was 3 plastic eggs.. the first one had candy, the second a bracelet and the third a note that said "will you marry me"... he had the ring in his hand ready to give me... of course I said yes! For a few months my son kept telling people that the easter bunny gave me a ring and asked me to marry him...lol
11. When is the Wedding Day? June 29th 2012!!!
12. Where is the ceremony and reception? Jellyfish Beach Restaurant - Puntta Cana, Dominican Republic
13. What are your wedding colors? Fuschia and Mango (Orange)
14. Where are you honeymooning? Manchester and Paris in August
15. Favorite wedding vendor so far? My Photographers. They have been awesome and spend a lot of time getting to know us. We chat often, are friends on facebook and really connected. I can't wait to meet them in person. I know it's going to be easy to relax and be ourselves with them.
16. Biggest wedding splurge? Everything! but seriously... my attire and jewelry...
17. What is something you wish you could have at the wedding but don't? More family... especially my brothers. I don't have very many family members going and I'm ok with that... but I really wish my brothers were able to go or wanted to go. My oldest brother didn't want to go. My middle brother wanted to go but has passport issues and my little brother just didn't get his act together to save the money to go. Makes me a little sad that they will miss it.
18. Another Knottie whose wedding you'd like to attend? Although it would be fun to travel to all the different locations to see everyone's wedding's If I'd have to pick I would say Sam's (although it passed), Kimmy's and Britt's. Sam and I have almost been planning twins that it would have been awesome to attend her wedding. Kimmy's wedding sounds like it's going to be absolutely fabulous Hawaii and all her DIY magic who would want to miss that! and Britt's wedding is so different and elegant I would love to see how it all unfolds.
19. Favorite book? I'm not a big reader... but I definitely want to start reading the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. I didn't have any interest at first, but now I want to see what all the hype is about.
20. Favorite movie? Anything with Channing Tatum... I have a high school girl crush on that guy like for real! All I have to say is MAGIC MIKE!
21. Favorite tv show? Grey's anatomy, so you think you can dance, Mike and Molly, David Tutera... and a few others
22. Favorite wedding dress designer? Maggie Sottero... I wanted a Maggie dress sooo bad but just couldn't find the ones I wanted in stores to try on. I ended up falling in love with my Allure but if I had to pick a designer... definitely Maggie
23. Any advice you can give to other Knotties whose big day is coming up? Don't Stress about the small stuff like I did. I really think I made some things bigger issues than they were just because I stressed so much about it. In the end it all comes together somehow. And just keep in mind that with a DW some family members are just not going to attend or change their minds... it's ok... just remind yourself that the most important thing is that you and FI are there...everyone else is a bonus!
24. Is there anything you wish you could change about your wedding? Nothing... I put alot of work into planning our day that I think I got just about exactly what I wanted.
25. Tell us your Knottie name and how you came up with it. Venus909 has been my screen name for everything... Venus for the goddess of love and beauty and 909 because that was always my "number"... back in the time of pagers, 909 was my pager code LMAO....
26. Tell us about yourself! - I'm a young mom of three and took a long road to get to where I am today (I'm sure Kimmy and Jenn can relate) but I wouldn't change it for the world! I actually enjoy when people freak out when they find out I have a 16 yr old daughter. I love spending time with my family and friends. I'm a very much a hopless romantic and am so glad I found someone that can fulfill my dreams. I'm super excited to get married and to start the rest of our lives!