Engagement Pictures, Catering, Cakes... OH MY!

It's been a while since I last updated but, with "The Big D" right around the corner, my priorities have changed a bit. I had a second and wanted to share with you some of the REALLY awesome stuff that we've been able to do while visiting his family in South Carolina. I won't talk about all the delicious food, the amazing desserts, and the family time.... but I'll give you a few pictures so you can see what we've been doing.

 A little baseball action

 A little spinning action

 A little you be Superman & we'll hit people w/ the bat action

A little, "Hey, I'm cute. Take my picture." action

Needless to say, we've had lots of family time and that's been really nice (& much needed for both Mr. O and his fam). During the other part of our trip we've taken our engagement photos because we were lucky enough to have his sister offer to take them! We talked to 2 bakers, 1 catering service, a few florists, our wedding planner, and a photographer. Sounds hectic, but it really wasn't that bad. 

I met with the planner on my own so that Mr. O could have some "boy" time and go play golf with his dad and brother-in-law. She was ah-maze-ing. Seriously, she's already helped me tremendously and I only hired her for "day-of" planning... I am more than pleased that I made the decision to hire her.

We enjoyed both bakers, but I think I like one a little more than the other. She was a little bit more friendly and into what we really wanted. She's also a small(er) business and I love the idea of using someone local. The catering service was amazing, too. I'd be satisfied with using them and not looking anywhere else.... is that acceptable? Eh, I don't seem to be playing by many "wedding rules," so if we do decide to do that I wouldn't be upset!

My florist experience: I really just wanted someone to be friendly and help me get a grasp for what kind of things that I should expect. Yes, I am well aware that my wedding is over a year away but if I walk in and tell you that I'm looking for a florist and plan on spending a lot of money in your shop I expect to act like you want my service. If you haven't caught on, the first place I went to acted completely uninterested in me and my business... so I will take it elsewhere. 

The other place we went was FANTASTIC. The woman, Barbara, was the sweetest lady. She was pulling flowers from the back, giving me suggestions, writing everything down, etc... She was awesome. The prices were reasonable, too! Ummm, where do I sign? haha -- j/k. I'm not signing anything just yet.

Our engagement pictures: I don't know how to say amazing besides.. well.. amazing. They turned out just the way I wanted them and Mr. O was pleased, too. I couldn't have been happier. It was also a really pleasant trip. We just drove around with a few places in mind, but no one was opposed to stopping along the road if we saw something we thought would be nice... which ended up getting us some of my favorite shots. I'll leave you with a few "sneak peek" photos.

Oh! Not to mention, I found my dress already!! I won't see it again until August, but ohemgee... it's awesome <3