3 1/2 More Things Checked Off the List!

WARNING! LONG post! =)

Today was a VERY productive (read: spendy) wedding purchase day!* And we managed to check 3 1/2 more things off the "To Do" list! =)

*For those of you who remember the "no spend" pact that Jacob and I made for this month, I should mention that wedding related purchases were NOT covered by that since we're keeping our eyes open for the best deals and don't want to miss something!

Our first stop today was Men's Wearhouse. At the bridal show Jacob and I went to a couple weeks back we put down a deposit for their "Rent 5 tuxes get a free suit" deal they had going on. So, the plan was originally to go look at possible tuxes. However, when we got to the store there was a big sign in the window advertising 50% off all suits. Now originally I wanted a more casual, non-tux sort of affair... but Jacob really wanted a nice suit so the prospect of getting a free $400 suit just by renting tuxes appealed to him. However, when we saw the deal we determined that we could afford to get him a really nice suit and still stay to the original vest idea for the groomsmen. So we went in to look for a suit for Jacob and the shopping began! lol

Jacob tried on about 10 different suit jackets and found "the one". (Funny thing is, it was more obviously "the one" than any of the wedding dresses I tried on! lol)... a 3-button, charcoal pinstriped Perry Ellis suit (the bride-to-be was VERY happy about his selection... couldn't stop grinning... it very much accentuated his gorgeous derriere! lol) He also found a couple shirts, a couple ties, some socks and shoes (all on sale). We went over our anticipated budget a little bit, but that's o.k. I wanted Jacob to look and feel as good on his wedding day as I was going to feel in my pretty dress... it is his day, too after all! And, as he mentioned, his investment can be worn over and over again. Very true... as much as I may want to, I don't think you'll see me grocery shopping in my wedding dress any time soon. =)




So, we bought his suit and accessories and got the alternations to the slacks ordered... should be ready to pick up in a week or two. I told Jacob that he wasn't allowed to wear the suit until the wedding... I think he was a little disappointed and asked if he could at least try it on. lol

Next we went over to Jared's to take a look at some men's rings to get an idea of style that he liked. He has been a fan of titanium or tungsten, I knew this, but I'm glad that we looked together because it turns out he also wanted a carbon fiber inlay... I had no idea about this! He tried on a couple rings, but we were simply "window shopping" at that point, so we left.

We then took a nice hour long forested hike and a picnic lunch to enjoy the BEAUTIFUL day in Oregon! =)

On the way home we stopped at JCPenney's to take a look at vests for the guys... they had a few, but nothing popped out at me. We then stopped by another jewelry store to look at more ring styles. There Jacob discovered black ceramic and he did a little shift on the type of ring he wanted. ;) Again, glad we looked!

Back at home, with the new knowledge I'd gained, I set to work looking for fantastic deals online for what we wanted. On Overstock.com we found a handful of rings and Jacob decided to order one specifically... tungsten with a "spinner" of black ceramic.

After ring shopping, I made a couple calls to Kinkos and Staples for invitation price quotes... I discovered that the quote doesn't change if I bring in my own paper... soooo.... decided not to order white linen paper and save the extra $15. I'm sure I can find something that will work well in Staples or Kinkos supply. BUT I did order paper for the programs and to wrap my invitations in, as well as envelopes, from Paper and More!

I want to design our programs like these from Becoming His Mrs. For the covers I ordered cardstock in cobalt blue and (get this!) sunflower! (I was pretty excited about this one. lol). Thanks to the option to purchase single sheets, I was able to get both colors in just the amount I needed... saves myself about 50% of the cost. I also ordered cobalt blue sheets for the invitation wraps, and recycled sand-speck envelopes to tie in the beach-y theme just a little more. =) I can't wait to start on the invites!

So that's our three things... grooms suit, ring and invitation/program paper. I also did a little research for groomsmen wear and we decided on this vest from Macy's and this tie from The Tie Bar. The groomsmen will also wear black dress slacks of their choice and a solid white dress shirt (no textures/stripes/etc.)



However, I noticed on Macy's website that the current sale on the vest is over TODAY. So, before we send out the e-mail to the guys telling them what to buy, I want to make sure the price doesn't jump TOO dramatically tomorrow and that they are still available. But, hopefully we have this "done" as well!

I'm so excited... and feeling so accomplished! Woo hoo for productive days! =)