Wedding Details: The Honeymoon!

After much thought and consideration Ryan and I have decided where we are going for our honeymoon. We recently decided that we would both rather go on a shorter, US trip for now. We wanted to have a few days at home just to relax and recoop and we wanted more time to save more money to go on our "big" honeymoon trip next year.

So we thought and we thought and we decided on a place that we both have always wanted to go. Not only will this be the perfect place for the nerds that we are but what better place to spend our nation's birthday than in our nation's capital...

WASHINGTON, D.C.!!!

Yes we will be spending the 4th of July on the National Mall watching a brillant display of fireworks. We will be there for 4 days and we intend to hit up as many tourist spots as we can. We both love history so we want to take it all in. On our "must see" list are the National Mall, the Smithsonian, the Holocaust Museum, the White House, Arlington Park and a few others.

Ryan did a lot of research and everything he found said that the hotel we chose is the best in DC. We will be staying at the Hotel Palomar which is located in Dupont Circle. When we called to make the reservations Ryan told them it was our honeymoon and the instantly upgraded our room. A+ for customer service so far.

Needless to say we are super excited about the honeymoon! Our next goal is to find some great restaurants. Anybody got any suggestions?

SURPRISE!

Ryan and I were in Dallas this weekend at our good friends' wedding. When I got home on Sunday I found this on my door step. It is our very first wedding gift! We got a dinner plate of my fine china from my good friend Bekah's mom, Anne. I guess this means that the wedding is getting closer. Ahh! So exciting!!

100 Days!

I can't belive that we are 100 days away from the wedding! I am getting really excited but I am also starting to get stressed.

I have a very long to do list at the moment. Here is what I am working on currently:

• picking the food to serve at the wedding - we meet with the caterer later today
• picking out rentals and linens - also meeting with the rental people today
• Family picture display for the reception
• Rehersal Dinner arrangements
• Wedding video - I have taken this project on myself and it is just about to drive me crazy!
• Guest Bags for out of towners
• Reception Gifts

I have also made a lot of headway recently. I am proud of myself for getting this accomplished:

• met with the florist and negotiated the contract
• secured the Band!
• SET HONEYMOON! (more to come on that later)
• Found the perfect hair piece to wear at the reception
• Had all my alterations done on my dress
• Taking my Bridal Portraits NEXT WEEK
• Secured my make-up artist and hair stylist
• Ordered personalized napkins
• secured special musial talent for the ceremony
• started our pre-martial counseling - not at all what I expected
• ordered sparklers for our exit - its 4th of July weekend so of course we had to have some sort of fireworsk
• finished my cake topper and it looks fabulous!
• Ordered personalized thank you cards - I think I went overboard and ordered way too many

Next week is crazy busy for me with wedding hoopla. I am getting my bridal portraits made on Friday which means I have several "beauty" appointments that week - spray tan, nails, makeup, eyebrows, hair, etc. Also on Friday my aunt and uncle and grandmother are coming in town because I have my first bridal shower on Saturday. I'm so excited to spend the weekend with my family and to do some more planning.

Tomorrow means we are in the DOUBLE-DIGIT countdown. Wahoo!!

Get Ryan Out of Jail!

Ryan is going to "Jail" on April 6th and won't be able to leave until his "bail" of $1,600 is met. Help him get out (I really need my fiance by July 2)!

Ryan was chosen as a jailbird by the MDA of Fayetteville. By making a tax-deductable donation by clicking here, you will get Ryan out of jail and help many who suffer with Muscular Dystrophy.

This is a great cause and I am so proud of Ryan for taking on this responsibility. If you have any questions or would like to donate, please contact me or visit here.

Thanks again!

Need a Lawnmower?

Wedding Details: The Band

I am so excited to announce that Full House will be the band playing at my wedding!! Ever since I started planning my wedding in oh.....1995....I knew I wanted a band for the entertainment. Once I really started planning in 2010 I wasn't sure if it was going to work out but thanks to my Dad and his mad negotiating skills and my brother Spencer for getting us a discount, we were able to book them!

I first heard Full House a few years ago when I went to listen to them at George's because Spencer started working for them. Yep, he is their roadie - he sets them up and breaks down for them for every gig they have. Spencer's good friend's dad plays in the band so they are roadies together.

Full House plays all cover songs and are so much fun! Definitely a band you dance all night too. They were playing at George's a couple of weeks ago and my whole family went so we could give them our contract and to listen.

Now, I am ever more excited about my wedding, if that is even possible.

Express Delivery

I must have some sort of ESP. For some reason on Thursday night last week I felt like I needed to put together the "birth day" gift for Carma and Tim for when baby Whitt was born. I knew he wasn't due until April 8 but I just had a feeling. I was sooooo right. Whitt came 3.5 weeks early and was born on March 11 in the afternoon and weighed 5 pounds and 11 ounces.

The Meitzens were on my previous post and list of families to pray for for a healthy delivery. Everything went well and mommy and baby are doing great.

Baby Whitt came so quickly that neither Carma or Tim's parents were able to get to Fayetteville soon enough so these pictures are some of the very first ones of Whitt. When we arrived at the hospital, Carma was analyzing her new baby boy. It was so sweet to see her take him all in. We are all so happy that everybody is healthy and I am so excited to get to get to babysit this little man.

The Best of the Best

Mitchell Communications Group was named the best of the best last night in NYC!! We won the PRWeek Small PR Agency of the Year award. This is the most prestigous award any PR agency can win. It is crazy to think that we were recognized as #1 out of all the other small PR agencies in the country. I work for a truely amazing compnay and incredibly inspirational leaders. Congrats to our entire team!

Elise Mitchell, president and CEO, with Michael Clark, COO of Mitchell Communications Group accepting the award

Click here to read an article about our victory.

Babies, Babies, Babies

Am I am crazy or did EVERYBODY get baby fever all of a sudden?? It might just be the stage of life I am in but I mean I feel like we are in another baby boom. I love it and I love babies - but none for me anytime soon!!

I have 2 cousins on different sides of my family who are pregnant.Whitney and Jared live in Knoxville and are due in August. I was with Whitney for almost a week over Christmas break and never knew it. They didn't have their doctor's appointment confirming it until a week later so they called us over New Year's to let us know the good news. This is Whitney and Jared's first and the first grandbaby for this side of our family. Whitney will be handing out programs at my wedding so you will get an upclose and personal view of her belly :)

Nathan and Sarah are expecting their second due in October! They have this handsome little man Hudson and his gender was a suprise until the day he was born. I asked Sarah if they were going to find out the sex of this baby and she said YES! The Harrimans live in Fayetteville so I am excited I get to see this baby grow too.

One of my good friends Jeni and her hubby Sam are due in August. Jeni called me the day after I heard about my cousin Whitney. Jeni is a bridesmaid in my wedding so she is going to be good and big come July. When she called me she said "Don't worry Meredith, when I ordered my bridesmaids dress I thought I was pregnant so I ordered it way too big" She is so cute and I can only imagine the cutest pregnant lady ever!

Ryan and I have 2 good couple friends who are both due in April - Tim and Carma Meitzen and Stephen and Kristin Butler. Tim and Ryan work together so it is really funny hearing the pregnancy stories from Tim's side. Stephen was the guy who picked up my engagement ring in Searcy and delivered it to Ryan. The bad thing is that Carma and Kristin have different doctors at different hospitals so they better not go into labor on the same day - that could be tricky for visitation. They are both having boys so I am sure they will grow up to be little buddies - Whitt Meitzen and Eli Butler.

Not only do I have several family members and friends pregnant, I also know of FOUR, yes FOUR, girls I graduated high school with who are all due in July and another who just delivered a baby girl in February! Whatever was in the water in November was caught by the FHS class of '03.

Now this one makes me feel old and behind the times. Two of the girls who were in my Gamma Chi group during rush of 2006 are now pregnant. They are 3 years younger than me!

I guess I have moved out of the wedding gift stage and into the baby gift department. Too bad there isn't a Bed Bath and Beyond for Babies!

I only wonder now who will be next. I have my guesses but I will keep them to myself for now. I ask that you pray for all of these couples and their precious bundles of joy as they grow. Pray for health and for uneventful deliveries. I love you all and can't wait to meet your new additions!

Oh and by the way - any of you preggos who are having a girl - I give you full permission to name her Meredith.