So What Wednesday::Wedding Overload

Hi ladies! How's the week going for you? I can't believe it's already Wednesday. We don't have a lot planned for this weekend, which is so nice. I love having a few days to just relax!
Today's post is so exciting for me! I haven't been doing a lot of planning over the last week or so because I've done some serious work since we got engaged. You know, I didn't plan on planning until a few months in. What was I thinking??! I'm pretty sure I'll have this whole thing planned out in another month or two. Hello a few months of relaxation before the big day! 

via

Alright alright, I'll stop blabbering. Here's the first part of this week's Wednesday post---So What Wednesday. So What if I haven't done a So What Wednesday post in a while.
So What if pretty much this whole post will be about our wedding!
So What if I can't wait until my bachelorette party. We've been discussing locations and it makes me beyond  excited!!
So What if it still makes me sad that I don't get to buy new school stuff this time of year. I miss you college.
So What if I am going to CA the same weekend of our trip for the Mumford & Sons concert. Having 100% percent awesome in one weekend is waaaaay better than having too little!
So What if I am pretty much done looking at wedding stuff on Pinterest. There are just too many ideas--I really don't want to risk changing my mind!  {Check out my Pinterest wedding board here} {Check out my wedding photography Pinterest board here}
So What if I didn't add a flashing caution message to the beginning of this post. Wedding. Wedding.  Caution: There will be tons of wedding information in this post!  --------
And now onto the second part of this week's post....Wedding Overload!

Everyone had a blast at our party! We had a guest list of around 50 people, which included our wedding party, our closest friends, and our closest family. The boys spent the day smoking a ton of meat on one of our groomsmens BBQ smoker. People are still talking about how delicious the smoked meat was! 

I really wanted the party to have a laid back atmosphere and to be fun for everyone involved {especially because it was 95+ that day} hence a backyard BBQ! We had cornhole boards set up, a tent for shade over the tables, and lots of yummy food. I opted for simple navy tablecloths, yellow cups, lemonade & sweet tea for the drinks, and some precious wooden baskets for the centerpieces--full of napkins, BBQ sauce, silverware, and other condiments.

I am so happy that we had the opportunity to gather our favorite people to celebrate with. I just hope I learn to handle the stress of a large party by the time the wedding gets here! {I know that 50 people is nothing to some people who plan events, but it was a lot to me!}

Here's a look at our invitations. I teamed up with Josie, an awesome Etsy shop owner--she was so great to work with and helped me achieve exactly what I wanted with the invitations. Be sure to check her out if you need invitations--we got a ton of compliments on these beauties :)

Pretty Southern, right? ;)
Invitation Front

Invitation Back

Here are a few pictures from our party. My camera died early on, but it was so hot I didn't mind not taking many pictures.

Future and present mommas!

Minus one bridesmaid, this is our amazing bridal party!

I found this idea on Pinterest and decided to incorporate it into our party. I didn't want to wrap the photos around a tree, so I used the twine and clothespins to create a line of photos. The best part? The 1st photo on the left is of us the night we met and the last photo on the line was the day after we got engaged. I picked around 50 pictures to show our relationship over the years {all in chronological order, of course!}

We've managed to check the following big deal items off of the list... Colors: Navy, Grey, and Yellow Ceremony: Centennial Park, Nashville Reception: Centennial Park, Nashville Decorations: I know what I want for the ceremony and reception, and we've picked out the reception linens+tables. We've even tested the rental vendor (we used the same company for the engagement party). The Cake: We've picked a style, color, quantity and baker! THE DRESS: Done! Beautiful! I'm so in love and can't wait to wear it. I feel like a princess and can't wait to spend the first day of the rest of my life in that dress. The Bridesmaids Dresses: We had a very successful shopping trip the day after the engagement party. With the exception of one of the 5 bridesmaids, everyone knows what they are getting! And yes, they are mismatched dresses, so no one has the same dress as anyone else :) P.s. They're navy! The Groomsmen Suits: We've picked out the vendor and colors. And we've got the pricing. Now, all we need is for all of the guys to get sized, which we don't need to do for a long time. P.s. They're grey! Save the dates: We've picked the design and they've even been mocked up--I'm just waiting 'til the right time to submit the order! Invitations: We also picked these! They match our save the dates, of course!  Musician: We booked a friend that I love listening to live. He has the perfect sound and will sound beautiful singing for our ceremony and reception. Photography: We finalized the photographer!!! This was definitely at the top of my list. I'm so so so excited about our photographers. And our engagement pictures=in the fall. I am on the edge of my seat excited about them!!  {Check out my engagement photography idea Pinterest board here}

Here are some of the big items we're still trying to check off of the list... Caterer: I We fell in love with a great local caterer that fits exactly what we want and need----I just can't decide on the last item on the food list. Once I find a great vegetable item that matches our menu we'll sign the contract! Flowers: I know what flowers I want, I just haven't found them in my price range yet. I'm doing my own arrangements and boutonnieres, so I need to find the best price for the flowers. I can't wait to find them so I can get started :)
Bridal Accessories: I am still deciding what feel I want and what will go with my dress color {ivory}. I'm hoping to find some beautiful family pieces to add to my something borrowed list! Rehearsal Dinner: We've narrowed the location down to a list of 3. We just need to decide on the location that best fits our style and group size. Oh, and that meets my audio visual requirements. What's a good rehearsal dinner without a slideshow of embarrassing childhood pictures and pictures of your bridal party in college over the years?? ---- What do you think? Do you have any wedding advice for me?! Spill the beans! I feel like this whole process is going really slowly, yet really quickly at the same time!
P.s. My guest post for Carly at Lipgloss and Crayons was moved to today, so swing by and check it out!