Hula Hula!

30 days to go till our big day and our honeymoon is completely finalized!

I will do full write-ups when we get back; for now, here's our itinerary!

• Day1: Arrive in Maui! Check Into The Grand Wailea Resort
• Day 2: Morning, Alii Nui Sailing, Snorkel Sail; Evening, Hawaii Fun Planner's Dinner on the Beach
• Day 3: Morning and Afternoon Free; Dinner Followed By the Ulalena Theater Show at the Maui Theatere
• Day 4: Morning and Afternoon Free; Dinner at Nick's Fishmarket
• Day 5: Morning and Afternoon Free; Dinner, Drums of the Pacific Luau at the Hyatt Regency
• Day 6: Valley Isle Excursions: Hana Highway Tour
• Day 7: Check Out of the Grand Wailea and into Ho'oilo House; Alii Nui Sailing, Sunset Sail
• Day 8: Breakfast at  the Ho'oilo House; Fly Home

Do you have your honeymoon all planned out?

Photography Must Haves

I spoke with our photographer John Hoeft, of Hoeft Photo, yesterday, and he reminded me that we need to meet to go over my "shot list," or my "must haves" for our wedding photography.  That got me thinking (and researching) on what I really wanted.  My complete list is over 80 shots long; don't worry, I won't list it all here!

Here is my short list of shots that I really want.  What are the shots you are looking forward to your photographer capturing on  your big day?

• Close-up of details (place settings, name cards, centerpieces, etc.)
• Bride's dress on the hanger
• Shoes shot: bride, bridesmaid, flower girl with shoes on, holding up the dresses
• Close-up of groom's face when he sees bride for the first time
• Close-up of each hand as the rings are exchanged
• The kiss
• Happy couple walking back down the aisle together, as married couple
• Group shot of bride, groom, family and wedding party
• Bride being lifted or carried by groom or sitting on groom's lap
• Bride and groom's first dance
• Best man (or other guests) making a toast to the couple
• Guests dancing and cutting loose on the dance floor
• Bride and groom whispering to each other
• Bride and groom cutting the cake
• Bride and groom in back seat of getaway car

The Dress

Most girls that I have talked to have dreamed of their wedding from the day they were old enough to understand Cinderella.  Most dreams center around "The Dress".  Some picture themselves walking up the aisle in a dropped waist ballroom gown, or in a sexy mermaid.  Strapless or halter, each dress belongs to someone!

I am not that kind of bride.  Sure, I had looked at TONS of dresses and imagined myself in them. Let's be honest!  Who hasn't? :-)  At the same time, I really wasn't sure what I wanted, but I did have ideas of what I liked.  I also knew that I did not want to spend a ton on the dress.  My goal was to spend under $200.

My first time out trying on dresses I took the day off of work and met my future sister-in-law and mom in the South Bay at a bridal store that carried Bill Levkoff bridesmaid dresses.  Did you know you can order several of his dresses in Ivory, Euro Ivory or Euro White?  And coming in between $150 to $300 is a seal for one of these!

Here are some of the "out of the box" dresses that I tried on:

Bill Levkoff, Style 530
Available in Ivory

Bill Levkoff, Style 603
Available in Euro White and Euro Ivory

Bill Levkoff, Style 808
Available in Ivory

Bill Levkoff, Style 966
Available in Euro White and Euro Ivory

Bill Levkoff, Style 919
Available in Ivory

Before trying them on, my favorite was style 808.  After I tried all of them on530 and 603 were my top two; go figure!

We also hit up Gunne Sax, a bridal and evening wear outlet in San Francisco.  This use to be THE place (when I was young) to get dresses! (I guess I'm dating myself, huh!)  Let me tell you.  Unless you are a teenage girl, looking for a cute, short dress for homecoming, this is not the place for you.  They had four wedding dress styles in a ballzillion sizes.  None of them were cute at all.  I was very bummed.

I had not planned to buy a dress that day.  Just to get an idea of what was out there in my budget.  Now I had two dresses that I liked that I could compare with any other dresses I found.  Any other dress would have to "beat" my inexpensive bridesmaid dress option!

How did you feel when you were first starting to look at dresses?  Did you find something right away, or where you in it for the long haul?