Ninty Day Engagement Check-In

We’ve been watching this show “90 Day Fiance” where Americans bring their fiancees to the country with a K1 visa and then have to get married within 90 days. As a multi-national couple we can relate to a few of the issues the couples are facing like missing family members and friends from abroad that can’t attend their weddings here. But then they also deal with issues like creepy ex-wives, the girl not eating in front of her future in-laws or them just marrying for green cards. Us, not so much! In fact, I vividly recall stuffing my face with glorious southern food at the waffle house in front of Michael’s parents while my green card was in my purse. Smothered, covered, loaded, gravied, …., hash browns?! Bring it on!!

But they all achieve one thing very nicely: planning their weddings in 90 days. Kudos folks! Our planning is progressing really well going into 90 days of engagement, I’d say but I am sooooooo glad we still have 6 months until our big day.

We knocked out a few big items very fast. I had wanted to beat the rush from the newly engaged couples on Christmas so I was stressing out about a venue immediately after we came back from Vermont. I searched for venues around town and requested available dates and proposals right away. I loved the ones that had their rental fees published on their website! Sooo much easier! Luckily our barn had a few Saturdays in September open and after we snug out there to check it out I literally caught the lady during her last half hour in the office before leaving for the holidays and put our deposit down. Phew! Most important thing covered!

The next big item of the list that I was concerned about was the photographer. It seemed like either people’s photos were so average that I could take better photos (and I don’t want to pay for something I can do myself though that’d be hard on your own wedding day… It’s like going out to eat and you keep thinking I could do a better job. Just agitating.) The other extreme were beautiful story telling photos but at double our budget. Uffda! If you are one of my married friends I probably asked you who your wedding photographer was. Googling “wedding photographer” gets old when there are 181 million results and everyone with an iPhone calls themselves Wedding Photographer.

Will and Sara to the rescue! A friendly couple we know is getting married in May (yay congrats!) and their photographers a) had a great portfolio of beautiful wedding shots b) were in our price range and c) were open on our wedding day! Oh-mi-gosh! We spoke to them on the phone and drilled them with the obligatory “questions to ask your wedding photographer”, which they all answered to our full satisfaction. (ie Do you have back-up equipment? What happens if you are sick on our wedding day? Can we see a few complete weddings shots instead of just the highlights? ….. google a list, it’s helpful!) So bam, wedding photographer contract signed. Now we just have to figure out our complimentary engagement photo session.

We also talked to a few local hotels about blocks and picked the best deal for our guests. They were surprisingly terrible when it came to negotiating – I must be losing my German fear-inducing side. Hmpf! Michael found super awesome transportation between our venue and hotel. This was important to us, we didn’t need anyone to not have a glass of wine because of having to drive and a barn isn’t really a place that taxis hang out at….

We also have my dress and the bridesmaids dresses, our wedding bands, rental furniture and decoration, cake topper, save the dates and a few cool ideas for the reception. All in all, not bad for 90 days in and the more we plan and the big day comes together the more excited we are getting. *Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaal* 😀