A few small checks, and one BIG one!

Marcus and I managed to get a few more things checked off our wedding planning to-do list without even going to Maryland! First, a few small things:

1. After doing some research online, we have decided what we want to do for our favors! I don't know why we didn't think of it before, because it's SO us. We are going to do playing card decks that have our wedding info on the box (and I think also on the backs of the cards)! This is what we're looking at: http://www.customwedding.com/cards.htm

2. The same day we got that done, I also spent some time researching online for gifts for my bridesmaids. I knew what I wanted to get them, based on their personalities, but surprisingly, it took me a while to find something close to what I was looking for. I eventually found something that worked, so I went ahead and ordered them. They were delivered to me on Wednesday, so that's another check off the list! And no, I'm not posting a link to what they are in case my bridesmaids read this ;-) Now I just have to figure out what to get for my maid of honor (my sister), because I wanted to get her something different/special.

3. Well, I guess this isn't THAT small, but I'm listing it with the small things because we've only made the plans to do something, we haven't actually done it yet. Now that our contract is finally signed with the photographer, we've been emailing back and forth with them to try to set up a time for our engagement photo session. It worked out really well, we are actually going to be able to do it while we're in Maryland Labor Day weekend! We have to get up early on Monday September 6 (photo session starts at 8:00 am, yikes!), but we're going to do it at Washingtonian (which, for those of you who don't know, is this really cute little center with stores and restaurants, a movie theater, etc., and it has a lake with a walking path around it and a walking bridge connecting one side of the center to the other.), which I'm super excited about, because it's a place that Marcus and I have gone together many times, and we both really like it, so it's a significant place for us. Yay!

In addition to all of those small checks, we also have one BIG check: we have officially booked our honeymoon! We will be going to Sandals Halcyon Beach, an all-inclusive resort in St. Lucia, for 7 days! The only bad part is that our flight leaves at 6:00 am the morning after the wedding, but it was the only available flight that wasn't ridiculously more expensive. And we probably weren't going to get a whole lot of sleep that night anyway, right? So we're really excited about our honeymoon, now that it's an actuality instead of just some thing in the future that has yet to be planned. Much thanks to Marcus's mom for helping us plan it and for footing the bill! We are so lucky to have such supportive parents through this whole process!

So it's been a productive week. I also went to Kohls yesterday and got an outfit to wear for the engagement photo shoot. It's pretty simple, and very me (according to Marcus, lol), and I'm excited for the pictures! I hate posing for pictures, but I love looking at them later, so in this case it's a necessary evil. Stay tuned for more updates!