We Are Officially at the One Year 'til Our Wedding Mark!

On this day next year we will be getting married. Anyone who ever told me that the time flies sure wasn't kidding. As a re-cap, this is all that we have done in the first six months of our engagement:

1. We have booked our reception and ceremony sites (which includes catering and the bakery for our wedding cake).
2. We have booked our band.
3. We have booked our photographer and videographer.
4. I have ordered my dress.
5. We have chosen the wedding party.
6. We have decided on our centerpieces and purchased the majority of the supplies (minus the flowers and mirrors).

There is still some ridiculous number of tasks that need to be completed but all in all, I say we're in pretty good shape for the most part. In the last few weeks, we have accomplished or at least started several other tasks as well. Here are the most recent updates on what we are currently working on:

Engagement Pictures: We have scheduled our engagement pictures for Wednesday, October 15th with Rick Helman. They will be shot in Cold Springs, NY in the late afternoon. We are hoping for some good light as the sun starts to set.

Officiant: We would really love to have Judge William Franks officiate the wedding ceremony. Judge Franks not only knows my Uncle but also used to be the Chief of Police for Stony Point before being appointed judge so he and Brian's father knew each other pretty well back in the day. The connection to both of our families makes us feel a bit more comfortable than going with someone who has no ties what-so-ever to either one of us. (Thanks to my Uncle Bill for help arranging this!)

Ceremony: We were able to visit Patriot Hills last week as they were tearing down their afternoon wedding set-up. We wanted to go as close to the one year mark of our wedding date as possible to get an idea as to what it looked like in the fall. The last time we visited, it was at the tail-end of winter so the landscape was a bit dreary. I LOVE how it looks in the fall. We were hoping the leaves would have started to change but it's a bit too early for that. Nevertheless, the grounds are beautiful. They have mums in these large urn-like pots and ficus trees surrounding the patio. I'm almost thinking that minimal decorations for the ceremony would be best - a less is more mentality. It really is beautiful all on its own. Once I get the chance, I will upload the photos.

Ceremony Music: We really don't want to spend money on ceremony musicians given that (1) they aren't cheap, and (2) it doesn't seem worth it for the short amount of time that they would play. Luckily, Patriot Hills has speakers set up on their patio where the DJ (that comes along with the Outlaws) can play the music off a CD for us.

Centerpiece Supplies: We got GREAT deals on our centerpiece supplies and I'm pretty proud of myself for being so thrify. As mentioned below, our vases came from Linens 'n Things at 50% off. The river rock was more than 50% off (got each bag for less than $1.00) and the votives were on sale in twelve packs for 50% off as well (worked out to be roughly $0.33 per votive and holder). Both were bought at Michael's. The newest excitement came when I found the floating candles for dirt cheap at Quick Candles. Even with shipment, they came to less than $1.00 per candle. So the only thing left for the centerpieces are to find cheap 12" round mirrors and pick which stems we want to submerge. I'm really excited about these.

That is all for now! We will be looking for hotel blocks, florists and limo companies next. Before the end of this year, we hope to have created and mailed our save-the-dates.

The Amish Outlaws

Before Brian and I even began discussing marriage seriously, we both agreed how great it would be to have the Amish Outlaws, a local cover band, perform at our wedding. We can’t even begin to express how excited we are that they have agreed to be our band for our wedding. Not only are they amazingly talented but they are some of the nicest guys you could ever meet. They will surely be entertainment in every sense of the word.

Here are some excerpts from their website:

"It is a little-known fact that most Amish practice a tradition, similar to the Christian "Confirmation" and Jewish "Bar Mitzvah," called "Rumspringa" (literal translation: "running around") in which Amish children at the age of 16 have an opportunity to live free of the strict Amish code of conduct before deciding if they want to come back and be baptized into the Amish church. Surprisingly, virtually all of the youths return.

But sometimes they don't.

Four out of the original six of the members of The Amish Outlaws were born and raised in Lancaster, PA and had a strict Amish upbringing. No electricity from land lines, no alcohol, no musical instruments, but their spirits were too wild for the Amish lifestyle. Once they trampled in the Devil's Playground (the Amish term for the American way of life), there was no turning back. In the years since Rumspringa, the members of the Amish Outlaws have become very well acclimated to the pleasures and vices of the modern world... music, most of all.

It was this mutual love of music that brought the Outlaws together in a chance meeting at the 2002 Pocono Vacation Park "Rock and Roll Hootenanny." Needless to say, the Brothers were soon like brothers, sharing not only the bond of having left the Amish life behind, but also the deep mutual love of music, and together they delved deeply into the 16 years of American culture they missed, watching endless hours of classic MTV, listening to the radio, CDs, records, tapes... anything they could get their hands on. But just listening and watching was not enough... the Brothers soon decided to form a band that combined their love of the modern world and their traditional upbringing.

There is no "typical" Amish Outlaws show, but the average crowd can expect to see men in full Amish garb releasing all of their pent up energy with an infectious joy. With a set that is always evolving as the Brothers discover more and more music and culture, The Amish Outlaws constantly surprise the audience and keep them guessing as to what they could possibly play next, from Judas Priest to Jay Z, Neil Diamond to Snopp Dogg and Dr. Dre, Queen and Twisted Sister, to theme songs from the TV shows they have come to know. Throughout, The Outlaws spin yarns about the Brothers' upbringing and adventures since Rumpsringa. Amish Outlaw gigs are less performances than they are initiations into the life of an Amish Outlaw and parties celebrating the Brothers’ newfound freedom."

Here are some Sneak Peeks:

Styx - Come Sail Away

Sir Mix A Lot - Baby Got Back

Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive

It is likely to be a wedding band that many have never seen. For more information on the band, visit the Amish Outlaws. For their set list, please click here.