Now that most of the major aspects have been decided upon, the next step is the details. Decorations, flowers, and lighting – certainly a lot to be done! If anyone has any suggestions of websites that sell these types of things, let me know.
Officially bought my dress today! Decided to check out one last place with just my mom, and boy am I glad that I did! Though I had already tried on several dresses that were great, none had really given me that “bridal” feeling. But when I tried on this last one, I instantly fell in love. It had all the different elements I wanted, and of course it passed that ever crucial test of making my mother cry ;) An exciting and emotional day all around.
Hard to imagine we have been engaged for three months already! Time is absolutely flying by these days. Thankfully we have amazing families who can help with all the planning and brainstorming. Don't know what we would do without them! Have a couple of the major aspects researched and nailed down. Shout out to all those who have given advice throughout this whole process.
Starting to look into DJs/musicians, so if anyone has any recommendations just let us know! Well went dress shopping with my mom and sisters! Definitely one of those moments where all of the sudden it hits you, and you realize "I'm going to be a bride". Had so much fun trying on different dresses. This was suppose to be a preliminary search, just to get an idea of the styles I would like best. But I ended up finding a few dresses that seemed perfect! Haven't said yes to the dress quite yet (I know, don't mock, but it kept going through our heads all day). But excited to know that I have some that I already love. This sisters were great at giving honest opinions and being objective, but they definitely had a favorite.
I am going to kick start this blog with my version of the story - I will let Ethan post later about his grand plan and schemes to surprise me. To start I'm going to give a short description of our fantastic road trip, somewhat forgotten in the midst of the engagement excitement. For my 25th birthday Ethan planned four different road trips, and let me choose which one to take this summer. I decided to go on the Great Lakes road trip, taking us west to Cleveland, Dearborn, and Chicago, then up to Mackinac Island, and through Canada to Toronto and Kingston. Our first day we drove out to Cleveland, OH. We checked out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is definitely worth a day trip in the future. We saw everything from Michael Jackson's glove to Bruce Springsteen's guitar. Then we had the opportunity to tour the Great Lakes Brewery, which thrilled Ethan to no end. The next day we were in Dearborn, MI touring Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. This place was incredible, with lots of interesting sites and facts. It had everything from Henry Ford's first car (called a quadricycle) to the oldest windmill in the US. The next few days saw us being hosted by my awesome father in Chicago, IL. We hit all of the key sites - Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Michigan Ave, and Navy Pier. We even had the chance to take a architectural river tour and hear some of the history of the city. Also experienced outrunning a midwest thunderstorm while on a water taxi - terrifying yet exhilarating. And of course a few days in Chicago allowed us the chance to have my Dad tour us around his home away from home. The following day was a major car day, but with one very special stop. We got to visit with Ethan's grandparents, where I learned a little bit more about the Blanchard history. After lunch with them at a old mill, we drove up the Michigan coast. We took the scenic route, driving through several fishing lake towns and even stopping at a winery. We finally ended the day in Mackinaw City, MI. That morning we awoke to a gorgeous sunrise over Lake Huron. Then we took a ferry over to Mackinac Island, where no cars are allowed. We saw a historical fort, ate some delicious fudge, and spent a relatively relaxing day exploring the island. The day after that we crossed the border into Canada and began our great trek through the Canadian wilderness. This was our longest day in the car as we made our way up and over to Toronto. But amazingly our random stop to find food had us stumble upon a BBQ ribs festival, so Ethan was pretty happy. Toronto day was interesting to say the least. Unbeknownst to us, that weekend the city was host to both a Blue Jays - Yankees series AND Fan Expo (ie comic con). Such a unique mashup of characters roaming the streets that day. But we still had the chance to see the Hockey Hall of Fame and Casa Loma. Our last full day of the trip we drove out to Kingston, ON. Initially started off a little rainy, but mostly cleared by the time we got to town. We walk around for a little, checking out some of the store fronts (and buying Kinder eggs - woo hoo!). Then we got ready for our last evening aboard a 3 hour dinner cruise through the Thousand Islands of Kingston. Little did I know just how special that evening was going to be..... The sunset was beautiful as we boarded the ship. An entertainer cracked jokes and sang songs while telling us some of the history of the islands. Later Ethan casually suggested that we take go to the top deck to take in the sunset before dinner arrived. As we took in the fantastic view, a women taking pictures approached us. She introduced herself and said that she worked for the cruise line, asking if she could take our picture for some promotional shots. I immediately agreed, thinking it would be fun. After talking and joking of a bit, she wanted to get one more and positioned us to look out over the water - little did I know that Ethan had the ring on his finger hidden behind my back! After a second, he confessed that the photographer was hire - I thought, yeah I know she works for the cruise line. He smiled and corrected me, saying he had hired her. Then he said "Two and a half years ago you made a wish on a falling star. And since then so many wishes have come true. One of the greatest joys has been that I get to put a smile on your face every day. And if you will let me, I want to keep making you smile. Katrina Heidi Kumpf (down to one knee) will you marry me?" Happiest moment of my life! I immediately screamed yes, hugged and kissed him before even putting on the ring. It was a custom design, since Ethan know that I wanted a twisted band but there was none to be found in the Pittsburgh area. I was in such shock I started shaking, and it took a while for my mind to fully comprehend what had happened. It felt like a dream, and the perfect way to end our trip :) |
About the BlogSome of this will be both of us, some will be individual observations. Mainly just a way to keep document that chaos that is planning a wedding, and the ability to look back in a few years and laugh at all the craziness! Archives
January 2015
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