If yesterday was any indicator of how crazy our wedding day is going to be, I better get my rest now.

me

If yesterday was any indicator of how crazy our wedding day is going to be, I better get my rest now.  It started with my makeup and hair trials with Leah and Kristen of Orange County’s own Vanity Belle.  Though we had exchanged a few emails in early September, it was already apparent the makeup and hair trials were going to be more fun than just the clear obvious of officially preparing for the actual wedding day.   And as it turned out, “fun” was an understatement.  Now, I cannot wait to spend the morning of 12.12.12 getting done up and drinking mimosas with the bridal party and the two lovely Vanity Belle ladies, as they promised me they would after applying my eyeliner, of course!

Afterwards, I ran off to get a quick manicure, then got some lipstick to reapply later in the day, and picked up a much needed Venti White Chocolate Mocha for Josh.  In all honesty, it was extremely tough for me to go out in public – a nail salon, South Coast Plaza, and Starbucks – with the massive amount of makeup I had on.  Mind you, it looked great in pictures as it was intended for the engagement shoot later in the day.  But seeing me first hand with the naked eye, I looked like a red cheeked clown.  Josh’s descriptor for my photo ready makeup was not as kind, but it did anything but offend me.  I could only imagine how thrown off people must have been with the amount of makeup I had on and the perfectly coifed hair before noon.

Having dated and lived with Josh, I have grown accustomed to the way he functions, and instead of getting mad or being frustrated, I’ve worked the system.

me

As usual, Josh was anything but prepared for the day’s engagement shoot and was picking out his outfits shortly before leaving for L.A.  I anticipated things turning out that way, so it wasn’t anything out of Katrina’s master plan for the day.  Having dated and lived with Josh, I have grown accustomed to the way he functions, and instead of getting mad or being frustrated, I’ve worked the system.  Instead of telling him we had to be out the door by 1:30pm, I told him 12:30 and sure enough we were on our way when we needed to be.

…it was nerve racking for me to actually confront the final decision about keeping my last name, taking his, or hyphenating.

me

Before the engagement shoot, we made a quick stop at the LAX Courthouse to pick up our confidential marriage license.  Having filled out the paperwork online expedited the process exponentially, but it was nerve racking for me to actually confront the final decision about keeping my last name, taking his, or hyphenating.  As to what I decided, I will leave it up to your imagination…for now.

I rented a couple dresses from Rent the Runway for the shoot in Venice Beach with Laura Grier of Beautiful Day Photography.  One was a lacy, vibrant blue dress by Nicole Miller and the other was a LBD by Pencey.  I also brought along a white dress my big brother bought for me and I was fortunate enough to change into all three for the shoot.  Josh got to wear three typical Josh outfits – a shirt and tie, a relaxed button up, and a tee with a great graphic design.  I don’t want to give away too much about the shoot until we get the pictures in a few days, but I will say it was a wonderful success with a handful of fortunate occurrences.  As soon as we receive the pics, you’ll be the first to see it!

Essentially, yesterday was the day it all began to feel real and the feeling was a mix of peace, excitement, calm, and elation.  And just as several people have told me, “It’ll come faster than you know it,” I cannot believe 12.12.12 is right around the corner.  But for now, I’ll rest up and take each day as it comes because it is only going to get crazier.