the planner bride

I've been thinking about a wedding post update for a while now. Mainly because I have so much to cover, and more questions to ask, and thinking about how I just want to come out with it all. And that got me asking myself "what kind of bride am I?"
I am the planner bride.
I can confidently say that I'm on top of it. I know that the next nine months are going to fly by, and I want to make sure I'm part of it all. I'm cherishing this time and my mind is in over-drive planning this day that in the not so distant past I thought would never come. I think the fact that all of this change has happened has made me appreciate what I now have. It's crazy to think about all the details that they are seriously keeping me up at night.
At first the big question was whether or not there was even going to be a wedding. ...my father at first voiced his wishes to have the wedding in Albuquerque with a Catholic ceremony, or he wouldn't helped with the cost. Thankfully since then, he has come around, and is ok with the wedding in Denver with a Methodist ceremony. Most recently my mind is consumed with the wedding dress. The bridesmaid dresses, the gifts, the flowers, the music, the order in which things will go on the day.
Overall though things are good.
While I was in Albuquerque for Christmas my mom and two of my bridesmaid's came with me to try on wedding dresses! This experience was exactly what I wanted. Which was to give me a direction for what I want. Above is my favorite one that I tried on that day. And I'm going again on Saturday to try on gowns here in Denver.
The other major accomplishment that we got done in Albuquerque were the wedding favors. We're doing something with clear glass/plastic Christmas ornaments. So, the day after Christmas my mom and I got up early and went shopping, and got 130 ornaments, some ribbon, and some candles(for the reception) for $70! So the favors are done!
The rest of this month we'll be taste testing and interviewing three different caterers, along with more dress shopping. My mom is coming up at the end of the month to meet us with one of the caterers, continue the dress hunt, and to go to a bridal fair!
Next month we'll be going hotel shopping for our guests to stay at, along with registering.
I think I feel so prepared because of the time Chris and I spent talking about our wedding when we drove back to Denver from Kearney for our Thanksgiving visit. We pretty much spent that 5 hour drive going over all the details and the timeline in which they need to be completed by. We discussed our vision, and what we want for our day.
Our colors: royal blue, silver, with coral accents. My favorite flower is the bird of paradise, and I want that accented in the bridesmaid bouquets along with the center pieces. The over all feel to be romantic and elegant, not tropical.
It was important for me to get married in a church. Because even though I'm technically not practicing a specific religion I've always envisioned myself getting married in a church. For a long time I always thought I would get married in the Catholic church I grew up in, but then shortly after I moved to Denver the church was remodeled, and now it just unattractive, and I knew after seeing it remodeled I wouldn't get married there. So, once Chris and I got engaged I Googled church options, and found this Methodist church. I called and they had our date available, I made an appointment to go check it out. They have this adorable little, intimate chapel, with stained glass, and even though this was the only placed I checked out, I knew it was the one. The other perk, is that it's close to where our reception will be held! That next Sunday, Chris and I went to our first service there, and we really liked it. We then set up an appointment to meet up with a pastor to marry us. We met with the secondary pastor, who honestly I wasn't really impressed with. So after a few more Sunday services and being introduced to the head pastor, Chris asked if he would marry us. He advised us to call the church office so that they could check his availability, and now he is officially going to marry us! This was a big relief for me, as I want our ceremony to have lots of energy, and this pastor will definitely provide that!
Slowly but surely everything is falling into place.
Now the details: I know October 5, 2012 will be here before I know it. Our ceremony is going to be held at the Broomfield United Methodist Church, following will be the reception at The Chateaux at Fox Meadows. I have set up a wedding website, but that isn't quite ready to be shared (I'm waiting for Chris to ask his groomsmen to be his groomsmen!).
More and more I'm getting a clear vision of it all, and I know a huge weight will be lifted when my dress is selected, along with the bridesmaid dresses! Because seriously this is something I just can't get enough of at this moment!
Honestly I take comfort in knowing that in less than 9 months I'll be married. It seems like just enough time. For me, I can't help but think that if I were to be engaged for 13+ months, that time would just drag. But since this is already less than a year a way, time is going to go by so fast. But I still have enough time to put attention on all the details and not feel rushed. Especially since we do have all the big stuff out of the way.
I know that everything else will just fall into place!