Hey Y'all!

Hey guys! Long time no post! If you were wondering where I went, I have been oh so busy planning my semster in Jordan, aaaand, I'm finally here! It's totally amazing! I've smoked some hookah, seen some camels, and even floated in the Dead Sea! But, since this isnt a travel blog, I won't go on about all that here.

I will say that weddings here are impossible to overlook! There are a few traditions I've seen in action although I haven't actually been to a wedding here (yet). Coming from the airport I encountered a tradtion that would never fly in America. We passed a long line of cars with the flashers on all honking and driving slowly. I assumed somthing was wrong, but when we got to the front of the line, our driver pointed out a white antique car with a bride and groom sitting in the front. The bride would stand up and wave at the cars behind her like a pageant queen!

Wedding tradition number two I discovered through the window of an upstairs apartment--fireworks! That's right! No Jordanian wedding is complete without a fireworks display! This all happens right in the middle of the city (I'm totally jealous) and yes, you may think that sounds dangerous, but it sure beats the original tradition. Before, celebrations included firing guns into the air! The government decided that was dangerous and introduced fireworks as an alternative. I think this one is much prettier anyhow!

Well, soon I'll be back tracking to tell you all about the wedding details I sorted out before hopping the pond over here! Next up? Dresses!

Today I met with Shana Bailey, owner of Pink Cookie Box out in Shallowater, Texas. She's going to making my wedding cake, and I know it's a bit far in advance, but I needed a budget outline at the least. So, I had to convey what kind of cake I wanted. I did some poking around her website and also other cake pics and had in my head what I wanted. So, to convey that, I drew it!

Now, I know what you're thinking "Erin! Where did you get that high quality image?" I drew it free hand and took a picture of it on my phone. ...the more I stare the more structurally unsound it looks....

Anyway, I just needed to convey some key designs and elements I wanted, and it did that just fine. However, I will later design a fourth tier! Yaaaay!! Did I mention I LOVE cakes. I've been dreaming of my wedding cake for years.

Here are my main points:

Hexagonal or octagonal

Blue =) non-fondant topping

Fun white piping

Monogram on the side

Observe my inspiration!

Shana assured me all these things were easy peasy! She even suggested some designs from her CAKE CRICUT. Yeah, you heard me right. A cake cricut. I had no idea those existed! She also had me taste her white chocolate ganache topping which she can color and use as a topping! It's to die for!

I am going to have a different flavor on every tier. Now, I don't plan on keeping the top tier to eat in a year....I know lots of people do, but 1) It's always skeeved me out, honestly, and 2) I don't have a way of getting from Lubbock to California without a ton of hastle. So, all flavors are open to all! They are...... *drumrollllllll*

Chocolate with a Hazelnut Filling

Lemon with Rasberry Filling

Strawberry with White Chocolate Ganache Filling

and...

French Vanilla with a Passionfruit Filling!

I decided to incorporate the passionfruit after trying my first spoonful of passionfruit syrup in Hawaii this summer and realizing it was nectar from the gods.

So, my mission is to find her passionfruit jam for her to make the filling from. I mean, fresh passionfruit would be nice, but rather unavalible in Texas...Nonetheless! I am hoping it will be a knockout!

Also, if you note the cake topper. I mean, in case you're crazy and can't tell from my beautiful work, the cake topper is actually two round picture frames. In them I will frame cameo sillouettes. I'm not sure whether I'll do actual ones of us, or just some other stock image, but I hope for it to be very cute, and original! Ummm, think this! But...smaller and cuter, hahaha!

Ready, Set, BOOK!

So there's this venue in Lubbock that's fairly new: the Legacy Event Center. Now, up until about a week before I was engaged I had the Watson Historical Building in mind for my future wedding.

The only problem is that with all the guests I am inviting, I would not have room to have the ceremony and reception in the same place (which I REALLY REALLY wanted).

About a week before David proposed, Mom called and told me about a girl from church getting married at "Legacy." Now, Legacy Play Village is a large wooden playground in Lubbock, so my first thought was "Ummm, you have to book that?" Then she explained.

Legacy Event Center is owned by the YWCA. It was an old church that had been closed down for several years, but the YWCA renovated it and added on and now its a beautiful all-in-one venue for my wedding!

I was terrified of losing my chance to grab it in June so I reserved my date right away! Now, I know maybe I should have shopped around more, but I don't have one iota of regret!

Here's a few pics I found of it while stalking around photographer's sites. There's some more at this link! http://www.ywcalubbock.org/atf/cf/{F40F9F4E-F56B-4947-A78E-209232F7B67B}/Legacy%20Brochure%20for%20web.pdf

Choice Number Two!

My fabulous wedding party!!

Here's our plan! We aren't having "bridesmaids" and "groomsmen" per say (although I will use those words because it's easier to know what I'm talking about) instead we are having a collective "wedding party!"

FACT: Not all my best friends are girls and not all of David's best friends are boys.

Our solution has boys and girls on both sides allowing me to have my guy friend Alex and my little brother Tucker on my side and David's old friends Ashley, Lauren, and Katy on his!

Part of my reasoning is my quasi-feminist rejection of gender roles... The other part is that it's unconventional, and David and I are a bit unconventional. ^_^

We ended up having a pretty large wedding party: 14 in all! It's going to be a blast!!

Well, here goes!

So, it may seem I am starting this blog late in the game. I've already found my venue, my dress, my bridesmaids dresses, pianist, and am meeting about my cake this week! However, I have actually only been engaged a month as of tomorrow!

The reason I'm barreling headfirst into wedding planning is because I'm getting married next June and in about three weeks I am leaving the country to study abroad a semester! I leave for Amman, Jordan on September the 12th and I won't be back until Christmas! Also, once I get back, I have to finish my last semester of college (CANNOT WAIT) in a city six hours away from where me and my fiancé are tying the knot! Whew!

So, long story short, I'm trying to get as much done while I'm here in Lubbock for the summer as I can. However, I skipped a lot of fun things to talk about in there, so for now, we are going to backtrack to my very first choice in my wedding planning: the groom.

David and I met in high school when I moved from Plainview to Lubbock. We quickly became friends which we soon realized just wasn't going to cut it anymore. We started dating right before our junior year and have stayed together ever since!

The sad thing is that "long distance bride" doesn't just apply to the wedding planning. David joined the Air Force after high school and I went to school in San Antonio. He was stationed in California and for the past 3 years we've been far apart. Last December, he went to Afghanistan for six months and upon his return....

I think he put it best when he told me "I'm tired of being apart."

So, here we are! I'm so excited to be marrying David! And I can't wait to fill y'all all in on the planning I've been doing! But, before I go, you have to see the ring, right? =)