5 days to go....Weather Update

5 days to go...

The rain has stopped for now in Texas, and we are definitely looking forward to Colorado & Jamaica mon. 2 weeks away from work is going to be crazy and amazing at the same time. I just hope our building is still standing when we return.

Weather Update:
We just wanted to give another weather update for those who are trying to figure out what to pack or wear while they are there.

The forecast is:
Mostly Sunny
High 84° - not to hot at all
Low 54° - may want to bring a light sweater for night time activities you plan
10% Chance of rain (no specific time stated)

You can check weather updates at www.weather.com
Use zip code 81212/81215 or city Canon City for details near the wedding.

We believe its going to be a beautiful day! And we are continuing rain or shine!
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Justin or I.

Countdown
5, 4, 3, 2 - MARRIED!

Peace & Love,
Connie & Justin

9 days to go...Weather Update & Work Shower

9 days to go and we are almost ready to jump in the car and drive!

Last night tornadoes were all over Dallas. All I could think of was my family and hope they were ok. One even touched down across the street from my grandma's high rise. Luckily my aunt was there to help her move to safety. I'm so thankful that no one was hurt! I hope Hermine moves along and there is a lot less rain.

Today our co-workers thru us a lovely wedding shower. It was very thoughtful and we feel honored they put so much effort into making us feel special. Everyone pitched in and gave us a beautiful card and gift certificate to Bed, Bath & Beyond! We also received a set of champagne flutes, and flutes for our toast at the wedding, a set of wine glasses, a gift card to Target (Thanks Jason W.)and even a trip contribution to our wedding (Thank you so much Jarrian James).

We also had food (special thanks to the managers Teresa Rogers & Cindy McMillan) and a beautiful wedding cake designed to look like a present (Thank you Christine Payne) from Meringue Bakery. So yummy. She was suppose to order a standard cake, but splurged for the wedding flavor for us. Seriously the sweetest person we know! <3>

What a wonderful way to start our afternoon, it has put us in such an amazing mood.

Special thanks also needs to be sent to Aunt Carol & Uncle Ed Heinrich for the lovely cooking set we received yesterday!! And to Aunt Marcelline & Uncle Gaylord for the check they sent. We couldn't be more excited and thankful for these gifts. Please look forward to a special note in your mailboxes soon.

MOOD: BEYOND THANKFUL, SO HAPPY and SO IN LOVE!

See you all in 9...8.. 7...

Keep the countdown going!

Love,

Connie & Justin

10 days to go....What is love?

Wow, weather in Dallas has been a bit on the wet side. Hermine has brought us some much needed rain; on the downside lots of flooding and bad drivers. But what else should we expect...it is Texas after all!

As I sit here at my desk pondering a conversation with a co-worker, I can't help but think about her question...What is love to you? This instantly made me think of the classic newspaper comic strips, Love is...

What is love to you?

To me:

Love is knowing when not to let that special person get away.

Love is never going to bed angry

Love is always telling each other you love one another before you leave

Love is being patient, kind and understanding..even if things aren't going "your way"

Love is looking back and realizing how far our relationship & love has grown for each other

Love is accepting every flaw without notice

Love is knowing you can count on each other

Love is not worrying about time when you are together

Now, please comment on this post and let us know what love is to you?

I leave you with a few Love is... comics! Enjoy!!

Love is

the reason we are here on earth!

Love is

walking the dog together

Love is

two hearts beating as one!

11 days to go!

Only 11 more days to go...

We hope everyone had a wonderful labor day and extended weekend. While we had three days off work, it seems like the weekend flew by us. Friday night was the first time in awhile that Justin and I were able to spend alone. We went out to eat and had a nice relaxing evening in afterwards, much needed.

Saturday was so much fun! I took all my DIY crafts to my grandma's and we had a craft party to help me finish up some items for the wedding. It was a major fun and a great success. With the assistance of my wonderful mother, Franny, Grandma Gonzalez, JoAnne, Vanessa, Asaia, Arnetha & Breeya; we were able to knock out the favors, programs, treat bags and some of my photo booth art! I can't thank you all enough for dedicating a few hours of your time to help out! It's much appreciated.

We were so happy that we were able to see Justin's uncle Steve before he left Texas. We had a wonderful breakfast at JoAnne's on Sunday morning. The eggs, ham and cheese mix was so yummy. I've been thinking about it every morning since....

Monday was busy day too, we started packing and making sure the house was clean. Checking off our list as we go!

The days keep trickling past us, as we grow closer to the wedding. We are counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds til we are out of here!

Colorado weather is looking great. We are looking at a high of 80 and evening lows about 47! So be sure to dress accordingly. I'll be updating the blog and wedding website daily for the next few days to alert everyone of any weather changes.

XOXOXO

Connie & Justin

33 more days to go

With only 33 more days to go, we are on cruise control, obviously counting down to our special day. It seems like we've been planning a wedding for years now!

We wanted to provide a quick update regarding hotel room blocks at the Holiday Inn Express in Canon City. We have the following rooms still available for booking.

2 rooms - Double beds (two beds in room) for Sept. 16-19

2 rooms - Double beds (two beds in room) for Sept. 17-18

3 rooms - Double beds (two beds in room) for Sept. 17-19

1 room - Single Queen w/pullout sofa bed for Sept. 17-19

If you'd like to book one or more of the following rooms, please call:

Shannon Hinton @ (719) 275-2400 Be sure to refer to the Gonzalez-McKenna Wedding Room Block

If for any reason you are having trouble booking, please call Connie at 817-240-3929

Love,

Connie & Justin

36 more days to go.. Happy Birthday to all my August babies!

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!! Happy Birthday dear August babies!

Happy Birthday too you!

We wanted to send lots of birthday wishes to many of our family and friends with August birthdays. Some past and some coming up.

On a side note, many have been inquiring about gift registries for the Bridal Shower and Wedding. We are registred at:

Crate & Barrel

Target

Bed Bath and Beyond

Honeymoon Wishes

Victoria Secret

Please click here to be redirected to our wedding website for links to our registries.

Hope everyone has a very Happy Friday!

Love, Connie & Justin

There are three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.
- I Corinthians 13:13

Updated due to formatting issues: 38 days to go! Travel and Accommodations Update

Hello Family and Friends,

Only 38 more days to go! We are beyond excited and ready to see you all. As you can see we are very close to September 18th. Travel and accommodations should be booked as soon as possible.

There are still 5 rooms available to book with the wedding block at the Holiday Inn Express. Please either call or email myself so I can set you up with a reservation, or call the hotel directly.

When calling directly please ask for Shannon Hinton, Sales Manager and refer to the Gonzalez-McKenna Wedding block. You may also email her if that is easier. Note that her days off are Friday and Saturday, in which you can leave a message for her. Her contact info is below:

Holiday Inn Express

Shannon Hinton

shannon@hiecanco.com

(719) 275-2400 (phone)

(719) 276-0101 (fax)

Lastly, here are some airline travel deals from Kayak.com. I'll be posting these frequently, since I get a deal alert daily. I'll only post things I feel are a good deal and can save you money on your travel. Please visit Kayak.com to take advantage of these offers.

Sorry all, the deals would not format correctly.

Updated Section:

1. Flights from DFW to Colorado Springs Roundtrip leaving the 16th or the 17th and returning the 19th are $209
2. Flights from DFW to Denver International Roundtrip leaving the 16th or the 17th and returning the 19th are $311

My apologies for the many post being sent to your email address

We sincerely thank each and everyone one of you who will be coming out to the wedding.

Love, Connie & Justin

44 more days to go .. Low Flight Fares

UPDATE:

A quick update on flights:

Thank you JoAnne for the information! Flights from DFW to Colorado Springs Airport are now at a low price.

Go thru CheapOair.com to find flights with Frontier and Midwestern airlines for $193 round trip. This does not include taxes and other airlines fees. This price is if you are flying into Colorado Springs Airport on Sept 16 or 17th and departing back to DFW on Sept. 19th.

Flights into Denver International Airport from Sept. 16-Sept. 19 are as follows:

American Airlines & Frontier Airlines $266

United Airlines & US Airways $267

Continental Airlines $281

Flights into Denver International Airport from Sept. 17-Sept. 19 are as follows:

American Airlines, US Airways & Frontier Airlines $261

United Airlines $267

Continental Airlines $281

Again, please remember that each airport is between 1 to 3 hours away from Canon City and a car rental will most likely be needed.

Good Luck!!

47 days to go...Lodging Update

Hello All,

We have secured a group rate at the Holiday Inn Express. Please be sure to book your hotel now as this particular hotel is filling up fast.

Please contact me or the hotel directly to be added to our block of rooms. Block is limited.

Phone: (719) 275-2400

Rates:

Single beds $77.40 a night

Double beds $81.70 a night.

Please ask to speak with Shannon Hinton in Sales or to be added to the block of rooms for the Gonzalez - McKenna Wedding. If you have any issues please contact us immediately.

In the event our block is full, please click here to view other possible lodging arrangements in Canon City, Colorado.

Kindly,

Justin and Connie

PS: If you have booked your hotel, please send me information on the site so I may spread the word to other guests. Thank you all and see you soon.

Hanging with Grandma G!

Happy Friday all!

I had the pleasure of hanging out with my grandma this week during lunch. She was so excited and showed me all of her paintings which are awesome. She confessed that she sometimes would much rather stay up til 1am painting than watching TV. I feel the same way :) I love anything art related. Justin and I are planning to visit her at least once a week to play some games, help her with some chores and just hang out. If anyone wants to join, let us know, she would love to see everyone.

By the way, if anyone knows where to get the velvet drawing color ins and markers she uses (Rose Art or Fuzzy brands I believe) please let me know. I've searched online and can't find any place that carries them. She is in need of a pink, orange and tan/nude color in the markers, I believe is what she said. Send me and email if you find any related items please!!

It feels good to finally have time away from work to do the things I love: spend time with my family, exercise and just relax.

Some of us are planning on going to her house on Sunday morning for breakfast. Alfredo is cooking menudo and eggs & potatoes. MMMMMMM. Justin and I can't wait. Hopefully there will be rounds of UNO or Crazy 8's. Everyone is welcome to come, so please contact us if you need her phone number or address. The more the merrier. Just don't forget to bring your own drinks.

If you'd like to bring something for grandma she likes: Dr. Pepper (in the bottle), bottled water, crossword book (large print please), maxwell house pre-packaged (original, no grounds please) and puzzles of any kind.

Love,

Connie & Justin

59 days to go! Update on Flight Prices

Hi All,

Just a quick tip for those who are intending to fly to the wedding, from Frances, Maid of Honor.

Tickets for flying to Colorado have dropped $62 today! It's $249 into Denver International Airport and $288 into Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. This info is available from Kayak Travel Site. Click here to be redirected.

Distance from DIA to Canon City: 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive (about 133 miles)

Distance from COS to Canon City: 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive (about 50 miles)

For those intending to drive. Your drive is approximately 12-14 hours (leaving Dallas to Canyon City) or 723 to 849 miles depending on the route you take.

If anyone has any questions please email or call either of us. Our contact info can be found on our wedding website by clicking here.

Happy Flight Hunting and Road Trip Planning!

Love,

Connie & Justin

Back from vacation and only 72 more days to go!

Vacations always have a bittersweet return. You have fun with friends, see new sites and gain a better experience through your travels. But you always miss the little things, like your own bed, our babies (Bella and Mammacita) and even driving your own car.

We started our drive on Friday July 2nd to Wisconsin. We drove thru Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois to our final destination. I must admit the drive was long, but not half as bad as I thought it would be. We made it to Wisconsin around 4:30am and finally were able to rest our eyes for a bit.

Justin is lucky to have amazing friends from his time spent in Wisconsin. They were kind enough to drive us all around Door County to see as much as possible, give us a place stay (Thank you Jamie!), take us salmon fishing (our first time, so special thanks to the Peterson family and the crew), invite us into their families 4th of July celebrations and take us camping in an amazing state park.

Salmon fishing was beyond cool. Being a city girl, had me anxious to see what I was in for. We woke up at 3am to make it the docks and head out on the water by 3:30am. The bite happened so fast and before I knew it, Justin had caught several fish and I was up next. Just so happens, my first catch was on the longest reel and probably the most difficult fishing I've ever done. It took me almost 20 minutes to reel that sucker in. I felt so accomplished and was ready to do it again! I caught a total of 3 and lost one. Justin brought in an amazing 6. By the end of the trip a total of 35 fish were caught. And seeing the sun rise was amazing on the water, a must see.

I must admit I've spent many years on the lake for my birthday and the 4th, but this had to be the most unique experience ever. The Peterson family took us on the bay to watch the firework show. While waiting, there was an annual water balloon boat fight with another boat. I definitely give the win to the Janet Eileen Too!! You guys kicked ass and took bragging rights for another year. Guess you will need at least 3 to 4 buckets for next year to clean house. The fireworks show was so cool too. The finally rocked.

Pennisula State Park was just amazing as well. Our camp site was right near the water (South Nicolet Bay Campgrounds site# 844) and several hiking trails. While it rained most of the time we were out there, it was still a great time. I wish I had my camera for the hiking trail, but I didn't want to chance it getting ruined from the rain. We hiked Minnehaha Trail which is by far the hardest trail I've done with Justin before. It was so worth it in the end, after hiking the trail we climbed what seemed like a bagillion stairs to the observation tower. Our legs were like jello, but the site from the top was breath taking... or wait, was that the stairs that took my breath away? haha

We didn't want to leave. Not only was the scenery beautiful, but spending it in a relaxing manner with great friends made it so much more amazing. I forgot my camera so many times, but the memories will forever be in our hearts.

Here is to cheese, wine, friends, family and much needed road trips with the one you love.

The wedding is in 72 days, we'll have more information regarding travel, lodging and other fun stuff to do while in Canon City. We can't thank everyone enough for your patience. Please visit the wedding website as often as you can.

Love,

Connie & Justin

PS. For more information on planning your sports or charter fishing in the Wisconsin area please contact Fritz Peterson, of J-E Fishing Enterprises by clicking here. I can assure you will have an amazing time. Happy Fishing!

YAHTZEE TIME!!! and 79 more days to go....

This weekend, Justin and I will be traveling to Wisconsin to visit friends, go salmon fishing and celebrate my birthday. We have been looking forward to our trip for the last two weeks. What a way to spend the weekend. Justin's friends from Wisconsin were nice enough to drive down in May to see him, unfortunately he was called away on business a day after their arrival. Being great friends that they are, they wouldn't want Justin to miss a great opportunity at work, and encouraged him to go. Now we get to make it up to them and head up north!

While we are excited for our weekend, we were even more pleased to spend last night with Grandma Zella and JoAnne. We visited Zella at her fabulous new place, had dinner and played some YAHTZEE! I can't speak for Justin and JoAnne, but man Zella has a mean Yahtzee hand. She had two yahtzee's in the first game and three in the second, not to mention rolling almost all of her full house, small straights, large straights 3 & 4 of a kinds right of the cup. We need to take her to Vegas with us! Thanks for having us over and we look forward to next week.

Please be sure to visit our wedding website by clicking on the link below. You will find info on wedding events, Registry information, a map with places to see and things to do, hotel information and the list goes on. Make sure to look through our first set of engagement pictures, there will be more to follow. And don't forget to leave us some love!

79 days will go so fast, the wedding will be here before you all know it.

Connie & Justin's Wedding Website

Lastly, we wanted to send love to Aunt Sharon and Uncle Dale who were here last week, helping with Grandma Zella's move in. It was great to see you two and we can't wait to see you again in September. We miss you ya'll already. Hope you enjoyed the pizza!

With all our love,

Connie & Justin

100 Days to go ....

Invitations are in the mail and on the way!

We are so excited and thrilled to be sharing our special day with everyone.

As a reminder, please include your name on your RSVP reply card. We have received a few

with no name and want to make sure we have the correct responses for the correct guests.

We will follow-up with each of you to make sure you received your invite and go over any questions you may have.

Room rates & Registry info will be coming very very soon. Please stay tuned.

Here are a sneak peek at a few of our engagement photos, we still have one more session this coming weekend. Enjoy!

Photo credits to Gary (TK)

For information please email phtodolphin@yahoo.com

Love,

Connie & Justin

142 days to go ... Invitations are in!

We are so excited the invitations have finally arrived. It took a little longer than expected, but we should have them in the mail by Mid May.

For those of you who have just started following our blog, here are some wedding details.

Ceremony & Reception will be held at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. This will be an Outdoor Rustic Wedding. "Adult" reception to follow ceremony.

The site is located at: 4218 County Road 3A: Garden Terrace Cañon City, CO 81215. Directions can be found by clicking here.

The closest airport is in Colorado Springs. Click here for more info on this airport.

A few lodging options are listed below, please note we will have more information regarding room blocks shortly.

Listed by Distance from the venue, click each hotel name to access each hotels website:

Comfort Inn

311 Royal Gorge Blvd.

Canon City, CO 81212

Phone: 719-276-6900

$89.99-$180 per night

12.1 mi – about 20 mins

Quality Inn & Suites

3075 E. Hwy 50

Canon City, CO 81212

Phone: 719-275-8676 - Toll-free: 800-525-7727

$89-$99 per night

14.8 mi – about 25 mins

Hampton Inn

102 McCormick Parkway

Canon City, CO 81212

Phone: 719-269-1112 - FAX: 719-269-1113

Hours: 24/7

$115-$125 per night

15.2 mi – about 25 mins

Holday Inn Express - Canon City

110 Latigo Lane

Canon City, CO 81212

Phone: 719-275-2400 - Toll-free: 877-422-6665 - FAX: 719-276-0101

Hours: 24/7

$80.99-$134.99 per night

15.6 mi – about 26 mins

Again we can't thank you all enough for your patience as our destination wedding all comes together. This is the most exciting time of our lives and we couldn't be more happy to share it with you all. Thank you again and see you in September 18th, 2010.

Love,

Connie & Justin

PS Registry information coming soon, please stay tuned.

Happy Administrative Professionals Week and Earth Day!!

Happy Administrative Professionals Week!!

To all of you that are the "glue" of your office! Here's to you!

My office was so sweet, they had flowers delivered and everyone signed a wonderful card! How sweet.



Happy Earth Day!!!

Go green today and have fun!

Here are few tips on how to do your part on Earth Day!
~Use recycled bags
~Spend time in your garden
~Water your indoor plants
~Brush your teeth with the water off
~Go paperless with your online bank, bills etc
~Unplug all of your appliances that are not in use



Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

We are always thinking of you...

Justin and I wanted to take a moment and send our love, hugs, kisses, thoughts and prayers to Grandma Zella.

We wish you a speedy recovery from your back surgery and hope you enjoyed the flowers & chocolates!

See you in September!

We love you!

184 days to go: Budget Savvy Bride: How to Get Married for Under $5K - Project Wedding

Budget Savvy Bride: How to Get Married for Under $5K - Project Wedding




What a great article! This will really help us in the next few months on saving tips for the upcoming wedding.

Please keep a look out for invitations in the mail and important information via email!! 184 days to go...we can't wait to see everyone in Colorado.

Budget Savvy Bride: How to Get Married for Under $5K

A DIY Southern California wedding for 125 guests costing less than $5000 (practical tips for DIY invitations, cake, dessert buffet and more) (community article)

My sister got married last year when she was just 21. Having not attended many weddings herself, she needed a little help with the planning. We ended up having the best time working on it together, and it was an amazing bonding experience. She was sweet and relaxed and not terribly interested in the minutiae, so we put together a very simple, family and friend oriented afternoon ceremony, followed by a dessert and champagne reception in his parent's backyard.
We had about 125 people attending, and the we came in well under $5000, even with the high cost of the private chapel ($1200). Scroll down to the bottom to see a detailed budget breakdown.

Clothes: My sister wore a gorgeously simple cream colored lace sheath dress that she got at Macy*s (not in the wedding section) for less than $200 - no alterations, but my mom added a little band of black velvet ribbon under the bustline. I was her only attendant and I wore one of my favorite J. Crew dresses and my mom made a cummerbund in the same silvery grey as the flower girls' skirts (also made by mom). Sis wore barely any jewelery - just a delicate cameo necklace (we have matching ones from when our parents traveled through Italy after they first got married!).



Food: Food is a huge part of the wedding budget. Rena was having an afternoon wedding, so we decided to keep things simple and stick with a dessert buffet, and offer champagne, cider and coffee to drink. You save money a couple ways. Obviously, you don't have to pay for full meals. You also don't have to rent forks, and you can just get small plates and cocktail napkins. Note: You need two plates for every guest, plus forks for the cake serving, unless you want to ask people to bring back their dessert plates so you can serve them cake. Trust me, you don't. It would back the cake line up significantly, unless your wedding is really small.
We used favorite family recipes to make tons and tons (seriously, tons) of cookies, adhering to the basic color scheme of black and white. I also made hundreds of mini cupcakes. We had copious amounts of champagne and sparkling cider. I wish I had another picture of the dessert tables, because this one is low res and it was taken after people had already started stuffing their faces. Tip: We didn't have a professional photographer at the reception and we got gorgeous photos from family and friends, but they don't usually think to take any detail pictures. If you want detail pictures, make sure to ask (kindly) someone specific to take them.

Making cookies is fun. Making thousands of cookies while living in an apartment is logistically difficult.


The freezer is your best bet, unless you are an actual baker by profession and have an industrial kitchen and lots of time. I looked for cookies that could be either baked and frozen, or doughs that could be rolled into logs, frozen, and then sliced and baked the day before. The goal here is to avoid getting stuck shaping cookies (even drop cookies take time) in the midst of pre-wedding madness.

I made an Excel spreadsheet for myself, listing all the recipes I was going to use, and the number of batches of each, and then had it calculate the total pounds of flour, butter, etc. I needed to buy. I did one or two major shopping trips at Smart and Final and bought supplies in bulk. Knowing my entire list ahead of time saved time and money.

I made one or two different types of cookies per week, mixing up two double batches of each to save time, for the month and a half prior to the wedding. Of course, this meant our entire freezer (and my parents' entire freezer) was filled with cookies and cookie dough.

A few days before the wedding, I made hundreds of mini cupcakes. I cheated and used boxed mix that I picked up when it was on sale for $1 a box but I did make real frosting. The easy way to dole out cupcake batter? Get a gallon size ziploc bag, scrape the entire bowl of batter into it, seal the bag, cut a small bit of one of the corners out and then just use it to neatly dispense cupcake batter into the cups. You wouldn't believe how much time this saves, compared to spooning batter into each cup. You get approximately 75 mini cupcakes per box of cake mix, which makes these really cost effective.

The single, sadly diminished (and incredibly low res) shot
We also picked out classic cookies in black and white (oreos, vanilla sandwich cookies and mini meringues) and put them in huge hurricane vases scattered around the dessert tables. It was cute and not very expensive.

Tips for doing a massive dessert buffet:

1. Unless you are a control freak (I freely admit I have a problem), please get other people to help. I've heard that in the midwest, cookie buffets are a wedding tradition, with family members bringing cookies to share. I think this is a great idea, if you provide the plating set up.

2. Tables look better with lots of height layers. I used my own stash of vintage cake platters and borrowed stands from people, trying to make sure we ended up with a variety of heights. I also bought (from a flower supplier) inexpensive hurricane vases in various sizes, to add a little contrast.

3. Buy little bags or boxes. We had tons of leftovers at the end of the night, and we set out little brown lunch bags, so that people could pack up cookies to take home.

4. Get someone to take pictures! I am still so sad that we don't have any good pictures of the tables, because they were really pretty when they were all set up.

Location: The ceremony was held in a little chapel up the street from the groom's parents' home (the one my sister always wanted to get married in). We all grew up in the same neighborhood, so it was a mere mile from my parents' house, making logistics much easier. The reception was held in the groom's parents' (thankfully large) backyard.

We rented tables and plain white tablecloths from a local rental company. A florist friend helped us pick out flowers (vast amounts of white hydrangeas, with dusty miller and other accents plucked from my mom's yard) and make simple clusters of them in low vases for the tables. Between the vases, we spread trails of glossy black river rocks (from Home Depot).

Halfway through setting up, the morning of the wedding


father-daughter dance on the patio

The cake: My sister picked a recipe from Martha Stewart and my mom and I made it the day before the wedding (and iced it the day of). Luckily, this cake was super forgiving and easy to work with, besides being delicious.
My mom and stepdad kindly transported the cake to the reception while we finished up taking pictures at the chapel. Can I just say I am so glad that I wasn't there to witness this moment? I think I would have had a heart attack watching the cake get moved. That sucker was heavy.


Here I am cutting the cake, after the top tier had been whisked away for storage. I have no idea why I look so concerned. I think I was trying to figure out how big to make the slices.

I know that making a wedding cake sounds intimidating, but here's the thing - it's all about your recipe. And your decorating taste. If my sister had wanted a fancy fondant tower with sugar crafted birds hovering over it, I would have immediately declined, because I am not a cake decorator and I am not insane. But how can you resist this?
Photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, found here.
We had a copy of the actual magazine (since lost, much to my dismay - if anyone has it, I would love a scan of those pages!), and it provided amazingly detailed, easy instructions on how to assemble the cake. Luckily, they still have the basic recipes up on the site. Meyer lemon pound cake, coconut swiss meringue buttercream and meyer lemon curd filling recipes can be found here, here and here.


The mini anniversary cake
We saved the top of the cake for their one year anniversary, but I was nervous about how it might taste, so I made another little cake to give to them. Making one batch of cake is much more fun than making ten, by the way. If you want to make a smaller cake, just make one batch of the cake and a half batch of the frosting - it will be plenty. I made three little cakes from one batch, each six inches in diameter and three inches in height.

Things to think about, if you want to make a giant wedding cake:

1. Pick a recipe you are comfortable with - I highly recommend pound cake if you aren't experienced with making large cakes, because airier cakes are more likely to crack and cause major frustration.

2. Go to a cake store well in advance, because you are going to need large pans (some cake stores will rent pans to you for a fraction of the cost of buying them) and specialty ingredients.

3. Don't rely on your decorating skills too much, unless you are actually a cake decorator. This cake was a dream because I just slathered the frosting on for an amazing, stucco-esque finish and then added some candied lemon peels and flowers for decoration.

The invitations: On a tight budget, letterpress simply wasn't an option, so we decided to go super simple instead. I designed the invitations to maximize efficient use of paper and shopped around online for envelopes.

I designed the invitations in Illustrator and printed them on nicely textured white paper, four to a page. An ink jet printer works just fine, especially if you set the print quality to "best." A thick black paper with lightly embossed columns provided the backing, and I added a couple tiny rhinestones to the fly aways because I am a sucker for sparkles.

The RSVP cards were very similar, but I backed them on thick black cardstock, so that they would hold up to the mailing process. D designed a super simple map for the details card.


Tips if you are thinking about making your own invitations:

1. Try to maximize everything - I started with common paper sizes and then figured out what size to make the final invitations.

2. Research postal rules. We originally thought square invitations sounded fun, but oddly sized envelopes mean extra postage, which adds up quickly. We made the postcard RSVPs, which saves money on postage, but they have minimum and maximum sizes.

3. Invest in a paper cutter and some spare blades - trust me, you cannot do this with scissors.

4. Spray adhesive is a million times less messy than actual glue. We would lay several invitations out face down on a large piece of cardboard, spray them all (outside!) and then quickly lay them down on the backing.

5. Buy a test sheet of paper and print the invite on it before you commit to a bulk quantity. I made the mistake of not doing this and ended up with two unusable reams of paper, because the texture was just too smooth and I couldn't live with it.
*** BUDGET BREAKDOWN: ***
Approximately 125 people attended. I'm always curious about how these things break down, so here's what we spent.

Rentals: $917 (included tables, linens, chairs, coffee cups + saucers, champagne glasses, plates, forks, delivery charge and tax)
Food: $400 (includes ingredients for thousands of home made cookies, plus all the stuff for making the cake, including cake pans)
Drink: $450 (we ordered 70 bottles of decent champagne ($7.50 per bottle) at BevMo. They have great prices and they allow you to return unopened bottles, which was great because we ended up only using 60 bottles)
Flowers, etc: $250 (for bulk hydrangeas, plus buying the vases, the ribbon for the bouquets and the river rocks)
Invitations: $300 (including invitation, inserts, envelopes and postage for 150 invites. We designed our own invitations, shopped around for nice paper, and printed them on our printer - this would have been even cheaper if I had more experience, because I messed up a few times and bought stuff we didn't need)
Dress: $200, plus another $50 for the material for the flower girl skirts, my cummerbund, and the boys' ties, all made by mom. Oh, and $50 for an adorable pair of black Mary Janes that went perfectly with the sweet little wedding dress.

This is one of my favorite photos of them that day, taken candidly right before they walked into the reception. She just looks so quiet and contemplative (and lovely).

There were other random incidentals that came up, so I don't know the real total, just that it clocked in under $5000, including the exorbitant cost of the private chapel ($1200 for just 2 hours of use time, but it was my sis's dream location) and the vintage rings they found for each other at an antique dealer in our hometown.

Of course, we did all the work ourselves, so I don't really know how to come up with a cost for that. I loved planning this wedding, but it convinced me that wedding planners more than earn their money. This took major planning, thinking ahead, researching, dozens of my nerdy organizational spreadsheets, plus a scale drawing of the backyard layout in AutoCad. We had three families and innumerable friends helping out, which was amazing, and fun, and more than a little crazy. Everything was simple and a true labor of love. No one seemed to mind not having plated service or a wedding band. We forgot to toss the bouquet. No one cared. After we saw off the happy couple (they camped out on the beach for their honeymoon), lots of people stayed to help clean up a bit and someone ran out and ordered massive amounts of In'n'Out burgers and fries and we all sprawled around and finished off more champagne.

205 Days to go and I've found "The Dress"

Finding your gown is on of the most exciting times during the wedding planning process.

I was very lucky to find it on my first time to try any dresses on. Not only was I lucky, but thankful that my grandmother, mother, sister, cousin and future mother-in-law were there to see me.

It was amazing to try on such beautiful gowns and see the joy in everyone's eyes. Just glad no one cried or else I would have been a complete mess.

Thank you all for your honest opinions! It means a lot to me.

When I stepped into "the dress" I instantly knew it was "the one!" Not only did I feel beautiful, but confident and so excited. It really hit me this day, that wow I am getting married in a few months and can't wait for the day to get here.

I hope Justin likes the dress!

"I . . . chose my wife, as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well."
-Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield, ch. 1.

<3 <3 <3 <3

P.S. If you'd like to see the pictures of the dress or a link to the store site send me an email or leave a comment on this site and I'll forward it on.

Love Always,
Connie

5 Simple Stress Reducers: Plan Your Wedding Stress-Free - Project Wedding

I thought this might be a great article regarding stress reducers for all you lovely brides to be!!

I find that concentrating on wedding planning on only the days I've chosen really helps out too. Not to mention all the support I receive from my family, dear friends and wonderful wedding coordinator!

If you are in need of an wedding or events coordinator please contact:

Celestial Events "Where The Party Begins...And The Memories Never End"

Kathleen Arellano
Event Coordinator

214-500-2004
celestialevents.kathleen@gmail.com


5 Simple Stress Reducers: Plan Your Wedding Stress-Free - Project Wedding

When you’re planning a wedding, there are a ton of things you have to deal with! From choosing the perfect dress to determining which people to invite, ordering invitations and booking entertainment, caterers, etc – it’s no surprise that brides get a little stressed out. However, stress is a dangerous thing to deal with and can lead to many health and emotional issues – and you don’t want that right before your wedding! Here are 5 simple stress reducers to help you plan your wedding stress-free.

1. Exercise

Not only is exercise an amazing stress reducer, but it also helps you look wonderful! When you feel stressed out, overwhelmed or ready to rip out your hair – try jumping rope or walking very quickly. You can relieve your stress and stay in shape all at the same time!

2. Deep Breathing

It’s truly amazing what deep breathing can do for you. Taking a step back and spending a few minutes really breathing can relieve stress and center you so that you feel calm and collected. Breathe in as slowly as you can until your lungs are full – then release the breaths, taking just as much time as you did to breathe in. Repeat this about ten times, feeling yourself growing calmer with each breath. That’s it – a few breaths and you’re good to go!

3. Create a Comfort Zone

During all the chaos and hustle of wedding planning, you can sometimes feel as if you will explode at any second. Find a quiet place to sit for a few minutes and create a comfort zone. Where would you rather be? See yourself there, alone – whether it’s a quiet park full of flowers or a breezy sea shore. Smell the fragrances, hear the noises and feel yourself touching things in your comfort zone. Each time you feel stressed out, close your eyes and conjure up this comfort zone.

4. Do Some Performing

When you’ve had enough, find a room with a stereo to lock yourself in. Choose a very upbeat song and scream the lyrics of the song. Feel the tension draining out of you with the words of the song. The neighbors may think you’ve completely lost it, but you will feel much better when the song is over.

5. Create Something

Art is a great way to express yourself and let go of tension and stress. Try different types of art to see which makes you feel better. Whether you paint, draw, scrapbook or something similar, you will probably notice how it calms and relaxes you. This is a much-needed thing in the middle of wedding planning.

Stress is not only frustrating to us mentally and emotionally but it can be physically damaging as well. Trying these 5 simple stress reducers while you’re planning your wedding can help keep you calm, cool and collected.

Hotel Information near The Royal Gorge

Hope everyone's near year is going well. We wanted to give everyone a head start on finding lodging near the Royal Gorge. Below I've listed a few lodging options. As of right now I do not have blocks of rooms at any location, but will inform you in the upcoming weeks if any are made.

When making reservations be sure you know the cancellation policy, in case there is an emergency or you would like to move to another location.

Holiday Inn Express
110 LATIGO LANECANON CITY, COLORADO 81212UNITED STATES
Hotel Front Desk: 1-719-2752400Hotel Fax: 1-719-276010


Hampton Inn Canon City
102 McCormick Parkway, Canon City, Colorado, USA 81212
Tel: 1-719-269-1112 Fax: 1-719-269-1113


COMFORT INN Canon City
311 Royal Gorge Blvd , Canon City, CO, US, 81212 | Phone: (719) 276-6900
Fax: (719) 275-7364


Best Western Eagleridge Inn & Suites
4727 N Elizabeth Street,
Pueblo, CO, 81008, United States
Distance from City Center: 32.86m / 52.9km


Lyn and Wendy Burnett
Jewel of the Canyons Bed and Breakfast Inn
429 Greenwood Avenue
Cañon City, Colorado 81212
719-275-0378
Toll Free 1-866-875-0378
info@jewelofthecanyons.com

Love,
Connie & Justin

Happy New Years!

Goodbye 2009, and hello 2010!! And we're back in business...finally.

Both Justin and I were able to take some much needed time off to spend with our families over the holidays.

We couldn't have asked for a better Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Below are a few highlights from the holidays that really stick in our minds:

~Thanksgiving~

It's so funny to see Justin challenge my grandma to a mean game of Uno or crazy eight's! She kicks every one's butt several times .... at least!

Wii Bowling with the McKenna's.

My Aunt Josie's Sweet Potato crunch! Yummy

Justin and I writing a note to each other on what we are thankful for: Life, Family, Friends and each other! What else do we need?!

Finally confirming our wedding site! Royal Gorge here we come...

~Christmas~

Thank you Bianca and Derek for hosting Christmas at your home. We appreciate the invite and had a great time playing cards. No more 2's for Connie :D

Aunt Josie and JoAnne's Famous Fruit Salad. They are both so different but sooo good. We had at least two serving of both.

Making my first green bean casserole :) Not a success but was lots of fun learning.

We missed our annual sleepover with Jess! Next time, for sure.

My new hand mixer! Now I can make JoAnne's Famous Fruit Salad!!!

Justin's two new pair of slippers thanks to my mom and Kendra! He loves them, I almost can't get him out of them to go anywhere :P

Starbucks card from Aunt Mary and family! Thank you!

My Old Navy Gift card fro my mom! It's perfect for some sweaters and the black plants I need.

Sharon and Dale's lovely card and surprise inside. We appreciate it so much. Thank you!!

The snow on Christmas Eve! I've always dreamed of a white Christmas :)just no more ice, Texas people can't handle it.

Grandma Schneider your cards are always so thoughtful. Can't wait for next years!

Seeing JoAnne open her Wii and all the other goodies!

Celebrating Kendra's birthday and Barry's Christmas brunch at Justin and I's favorite lil Mexican restaurant. Along with the family walk thru the farmer's market. I know everyone enjoyed the berries and ice cream!

JoAnne's famous "Death by Chocolate!" best dessert I've ever had.

My new picture frame, I can now put above my fireplace! So exciting.

Our new helmets and camel back backpacks!! These were much needed for our bike rides. Thank you JoAnne.

Fran and Brian, I love the new lotion and perfume you game, I smell so sweet now!

I love love love my new hoop earrings! They go with everything.

Justin finally got his wedding ring, now he has to wait to wear it in September :P

Jessica we appreciate your gift too, its much needed! Thank you so mucho.

Lastly, the Honey baked ham experience! Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. We put our blood, sweat and cold rears standing in line for almost 45 minutes to get it for everyone :P haha it was sooo worth it.

Barry it was fun taking pictures with the dogs, hopefully we can let them run around at our place again next time your in town. We still have a rematch of tennis to follow!

TK next time you need to wear your Wii pajama's when
~New Years~

Staying home, warm and safe for New Years. Sorry we missed out Cris and Jared, but glad we got to hang out that weekend.

Playing Super Mario Bros Wii with Justin!!

Starting our 30-Day Workout Challenge with Justin's New EA Active for Wii. Our legs are soooo sore! In a good way.

New Years Fondue!!!!

Last, but definitely not least! Getting Lasik from Justin, what a wonderful Christmas gift and way to start of the year - being able to SEE!! It's a whole new world.

Hope every one's holidays were as joyous and plentiful as ours was. We are so thankful to have such thoughtful, loving and and wonderful family and friends! Til our next holiday...

Love
Connie

P.S. I still haven't had a chance to upload pictures, but will update this post with some shortly. You will receive two emails regarding this post if you are registered for notifications. Just an FYI!