And two become one

"Marriage joins two hands to make one heart."

The unity ceremony symbolizes the bride and groom joining as one. I believe that it is an important part of the ceremony. Adam and I devoted some time to discussing what type of ceremony we wanted to do: candles, sand, rings, etc. We ended up settling on having a unity ceremony featuring sand. We felt that this fit our personalities. We live in a tropical location and we got engaged on the beach at sunset so we thought it would be appropriate. We’re going to gather sand from the location where he proposed (Captiva Island) and get the sand dyed in our wedding colors. So it will bring a little bit of our engagement day and part of our lives in Florida to our wedding day in Indiana.

Another option we really liked, but weren’t able to do at our location was a candle ceremony with my own unique twist. I got the idea at church last Christmas when we were singing “Silent Night.” Each member of the congregation is given a small candle and the candle lighters light two candles in the back. Each person lights their neighbors candle until the church is filled with candlelight. I thought this would be a neat way to incorporate all of our guests into our unity ceremony. After everyone has their candle lit, Adam’s mother would light his individual candle and my mother would light my individual candle and we would use our candles to light the main unity candle. The Scottish Rite doesn’t allow open flames so this idea wasn’t permitted.

-Penny

Grooving to some great tunes

"The truest expression of a people
is in its dance and music."
-Agnes de Mile

Music is a crucial part of the wedding reception. I recently read that 81 percent of guests say that entertainment is the most memorable part of a wedding. I have to agree with that assessment. I think music is a factor in how much guests have fun during a reception. We booked an awesome DJ that I think will get people's booties on the dance floor. Vance Carlin of V&H DJ Services will be our DJ for the evening. Vance and I have been friends for more than a decade. We met at Vincennes University while I was on the dance team. He was one of the managers for the men's basketball team and served as an emcee/announcer at other sporting events on the VU campus. He'll be providing the musical selections for the evening and serving as the master of ceremonies. He's a great friend and I'm really excited to have him be part of our special day. Adam and I have been trying to narrow down tunes for the main events. Here's what we're thinking so far...

Introduction: I have a great idea for this one, but I'm keeping it a secret.
First dance: The winner from our poll (see the upper right corner of this blog)
Father/daughter dance: I struggled trying to be pick the perfect song, but I think I've settled on "I Loved Her First" by Heartland.
Mother/son dance: I'm letting Adam pick this one. Sorry, Amy. Adam keeps trying to convince me we need a father/father dance. I'm not falling for it.
Bouquet toss: I'm thinking "Single Ladies" by Beyonce or Christina Aguilera's "Can't Hold Us Down." A couple other good ones are "Going to the Chapel," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Wishin' and Hopin'."
Garter toss: I really like "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc, but I also enjoy "Whatta Man" by Salt & Peppa. You could never go wrong with "Baby Got Back" either.
Cake cutting: "The Sweetest Thing" by U2 is winning right now, but I also like James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is." I'm not about to use "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" I feel like that would encourage Adam to smash cake in my face.

-Penny

Spreading holiday cheer

"One seems to hear, Words of good cheer
From everywhere, Filling the air"
-Carol of the Bells

Happy Holidays from the soon-to-be Fishers. We ordered our Christmas cards this week and included the above photo (which was one of our photographer's favorite photos from our recent engagement photo shoot) I'm hoping to receive the photo cards in the mail on Tuesday and get them in the mail the next day. I apologize if you receive it after Christmas. Things have been a little crazy for me with work and I let time slip away before I realized we were this close to Christmas.

I hope all of you have an enjoyable holiday. Adam and I will be staying in the sunshine state since I have to work on Christmas Eve. We're planning to have a nice dinner on Christmas day and maybe even spend some time on the beach in the morning. We miss and love all of you! Merry Christmas!

-Penny

Meet the maids

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

I'm honored to have some of the most amazing women in the world joining me on my wedding day including my maid of honor Josie. We were paired up us suite mates at Vincennes University. It wasn't long before we were best friends. After finishing VU we both transferred to Ball State and decided to be roommates. Since my first day of college she has been there to wipe away tears and celebrate the good times.

The bridesmaids joining her are: Tricia, Rachel, Terry, Amanda and Kara.

Tricia: I didn't know what to expect being on VU's dance team. It wasn't long before this short, fiery blond sat down next to me at a practice and said "How ya doin' honey?" in the voice of a southern belle. By the end of that season we were great friends. She's one of the sweetest most passionate people I know. Her laugh is contagious. After finishing VU, Trish joined me at Ball State and on the Cardettes Dance Team.

Rachel: She was randomly selected to be my roommate at the Miss Indiana USA pageant. We realized we had a lot in common and by the end of the weekend we were cheering for each other. Although, neither of us went on to win the title that weekend we earned something more valuable a life-long friendship. We continued to keep in touch and root for each other in other pageants.

Terry: While attending Ball State I got a part-time job to earn some extra cash. I was hired as a sales associate at Bath and Body Works. While working there I met another sales associate who helped me learn the ropes. We starting hanging out outside the confines of the North Park Mall. It didn't take me long to find out she is one of the most loyal people I've ever met.

Amanda: I also met Amanda while working crazy hours during the holiday rush at Bath and Body Works. Even though the lines of people were out the door that year we still managed to find time to become friends as we stocked shelves and stayed over our shifts to clean and organize the store. We share a great joy for organization. She is such a sweet soul.

Kara: Kara joined the Cardettes Dance Team during her freshman year. Little did she know the girls from VU were going to change her life forever. Since meeting that first day at practice Kara and I have been great friends. She's one of my biggest supporters and I'm grateful to have her in my corner.

The honored guests are:
Rachael: We met when my family moved in next door when I was 4 years old. Pretty much every childhood memory I have includes her from birthday parties to our crushes on the neighborhood boys. Even though we ended up attending different schools and eventually moving away from our childhood homes we still remained friends.

Kelli: She can be described as the life of the party and she's definitely brought lots of partying to my life. We met on the dance team at VU. She was always around to make me laugh when I desperately needed some sunshine in my life. She also transferred to BSU and the Cardettes Dance Team. I don't know what I would have done without her in college.

Emily: I was introduced to Emily by Kelli. They danced together at VU before transferring to BSU and dancing with the Cardettes. Everyone who knows me knows I have a passion for dance. Emily shares that same passion. We spent countless hours shaking our tail feathers. She's always up for a party or a serious heart to heart talk.

Adam is joined by some pretty amazing guys as well. All of them have been friends since high school (a couple of them since elementary) His best man is Kevin Daly and the groomsmen are: Matt Nicholas, Minh Binh Chau, John Hertig, Pat Corrigan and Timoth Jones. The ushers are Mike Pence, Christopher Dellarocco, Ross Smith and in memory Andrew Pepper.

-Penny

Stamped with a kiss

"It's about personalization. And it's very easy,
so anyone can do it and not be intimidated."
-Author unknown

I’m hoping to have every detail of our wedding be personalized… right down to the stamps we use to send our invitations. Photo stamps are a fairly new product that allows you to incorporate your favorite photos into real postage stamps. All you have to do is upload the photo, customize it and place your order. There are options to zoom, move and rotate the image until it’s exactly perfect. There are also 10 different border colors to choose from. I’m planning to use one of our favorite engagement photo shoot photos. This is such a fun and easy way to add a personal touch to the invitations. I just love it! It makes our stationery ultra-personal.

-Penny

All tanked up

"Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without."

-James C. Dobson

I just love these! My mom sent me these tank tops with "Bride" and "Just married" on them for me to wear at upcoming events and I think they're adorable. I purchased matching red ones for my bridesmaids already... (that I gave them when I asked them to be a BM) so I was excited to get my own. I'm thinking we can wear them for the bachelorette party or on the morning of the wedding for our hair and makeup appointments. And, I can't wait to wear the blue on the plane to our honeymoon.

-Penny

The groom and his men

"A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he's finished."
Zsa Zsa Gabor

Adam and I crossed another task off our to do list today. We selected tuxes for the men in our wedding party. Before our shopping trip, I tried to brush up on tuxedo terms and do a little bit of research so we would at least know what styles we liked best. I knew I wanted a similar and consistent look for all guys and I wanted Adam to stand out. I don't want anyone to question who the groom is (even though I don't know how that could happen... since he'll be the center of the party) We decided to rent tuxes from Men's Wearhouse because they have locations across the country... making it convenient for our wedding party to find a store closest to them for fittings and pick-up. All of the men will wear matching tux pants and jackets featuring a black edged lapel that we really liked. Adam will be wearing a white vest, tie and pocket square. The groomsmen will be wearing a red vest, tie and pocket square (which we thought would match the bridesmaids very well) While the dads and ushers will be wearing a black vest, tie and pocket square. The groomsmen will also be getting two shirts - a white one for the pictures and ceremony and a black one for the reception. The rental price is pretty reasonable and includes everything from socks to cuff links.

-Penny

It's all in the location

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life
with somebody, you want the rest of your life
to start as soon as possible."
-Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally

I don't know how I didn't notice this before, but I came across this interesting fact a couple of days ago. Country singing sensation Taylor Swift's "Change" music video was shot at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis (where Adam and I will be saying our I do's) The video showcases the South Lounge inside the SRC. Adam and I will be married in the theatre and our reception will be held in the banquet room, but I still thought it was pretty neat that she selected the SRC for her video.

-Penny

I got it!

"After all there is something about a wedding gown prettier than any other gown in the world."
-Douglas William Jerrold

I can’t believe I neglected to post a blog mentioning a very exciting thing that happened a week ago. I picked up my wedding gown from the House of Wu in Fort Myers. I received a call from my friend (who works there) earlier in the week telling me the dress had arrived from China… and that I could come in and try it on. I set up an appointment with her for Friday afternoon after work. I was anxious and nervous that it wouldn’t be as amazing as I remembered when I first tried it on. I slipped the dress on and it was perfect… just as I thought before… I’m still amazed that I don’t need any alterations. It’s the right length and size… which I took to mean that it was definitely “the” dress. How could all this happen if it wasn’t? I’m very pleased with it and am so excited to wear it. I have to convince myself not to put it on and watch TV when Adam isn’t at home.

I want to thank my friend Jessica who is an amazing graphic designer at the House of Wu for introducing me to these gowns and for all the special perks she provided. I’m lucky to be able to call her my friend. I feel very blessed.

-Penny

I'm thankful for

"Though miles may lie between us we are never far apart for friendship doesn't count the miles it's measured by heart."

As Adam and I purchased groceries to prepare for our Thanksgiving Day feast it got me to thinking about all the things in my life I'm thankful for. I have an amazing family and the greatest friends a girl could ask for. I'm also planning to marry my best friend in just 10 months. I live in a beautiful city filled with sunshine that's about six miles from the beach. I have two jobs filled with wonderful colleagues and dependable employees. And, I'm a few months away from celebrating my 30th birthday.

To all my friends and family: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you've done for me. I appreciate your friendship and love. I honest don't think I'd be who I am today without the amazing people I've had behind me every step of the way. You're the BEST!

-Penny

Roses are red and cards to keep

"There are three things that last: faith, hope and love,
and the greatest of these is love."

I’m constantly searching for ways to keep trinkets from our wedding. I have some ideas I'm considering (and I'm always open for suggestions) for preserving my bouquet, the cards we receive and other momentos.

Here are a few ideas I’m exploring for keeping my bouquet.

1. Hanging and drying
I’ll take a snapshot of the bouquet to keep for reference. Then, I’ll take the bouquet apart and hang the flowers upside down. This will help preserve the shape of the flower and prevent drooping. Hanging them in a dark place will also help the petals retain more color. I’ll leave them for a couple of days until they are completely dry. Then, I’ll spray silicia gel (available at Michael’s for $10) on them for protection. Then, I’ll reassemble the bouquet.

2. Potpourri
I’ll take the bouquet apart and hang the flowers upside down to dry for a couple of days. I’ll take the dried petals and put them into sachets. The sachets will be lacy fabric cut in a four inch square. Then, I’ll tie the square with a pretty ribbon.

3. Press ‘em
To keep them as souvenirs I could pick out a few from my bouquet and press them in a thick book. They won’t look the same as they did during the day, but it would be a reminder of our floral decorations.

4. Floral painting
I found this great site that will make a beautiful painting using our flowers. They put our pressed flowers into a painting.

I’m leaning toward the potpourri or floral painting option. I think those would be easiest for me since I’ll be away from our house during our wedding. I love the idea of having a painting, but it’s the more expensive option so I guess it will depend on if I have extra funds to support this.

I’m also planning to keep our wedding cards. Here are some ideas I’m considering:

1. Compile a wedding card album
I’ve been told we’ll receive hundreds of cards and most people don’t know what to do with them. Instead of throwing them out or locking them in a box, I’m going to compile an album, just like I would with photos. This way we’ll be able to flip through the album.

2. Bind them together
There are a couple of companies I found that will bind cards together and put them into a book for us. It’s kind-of expensive, but I think it would be worth it to preserve the warm wishes from family and friends.

3. A piece of artwork
I saw this idea and thought it was really fun. We can take the cards and cut them into pieces and use them to make a collage of art. We could use the pieces to create our last name or our initials and put it in a frame.

I’m also hoping to keep some other memorable items from our wedding such as a napkin, invitation, menu card, ribbons, etc. and put them in a memory box or shadowbox.

-Penny

A photo is worth a thousand words

"A good snapshot stops a moment from running away."
-Eudora Welty

I met with one of our amazing photographers (from Narrative Image) for lunch today to discuss our pending engagement photo shoot… and I have to say after our meeting I’m more excited than ever for our upcoming shoot. We’ll be spending this Saturday at Sanibel and Captiva Island… where Adam proposed. I’m really thankful we’ll have photos from the proposal location that we’ll be able to cherish forever. We may not live here forever so at least we’ll have some photos of the beautiful place where Adam decided to propose. I’ll be sure to post some of our favorites when we get them back.

-Penny

With this ring

“With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow”

I convinced Adam to go shopping with me last Saturday night to look for some new outfits for our upcoming engagement photo shoot. We only had a couple hours to run through the mall and see what they had to offer. On our way out the door... I noticed a Kay Jewelers and said... "Why don't we go in and check out wedding bands for you?" He agreed.... and 30 minutes later we had his band. We both really like it. It has a touch of diamonds, but not too many (according to him - he's not that into bling) and he says it feels comfortable when he's wearing it. The ring has been ordered and is expected to arrive in a couple of weeks. He purchased my wedding band when he got my engagement ring.

-Penny

Hotels for our nuptials

"If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters."
Jim Davis

For those of you that aren’t aware Adam and I have been struggling finding hotels to accommodate our guests. We originally selected the Canterbury Hotel after being told that they had plenty of rooms and offered us a reasonable price. One week later, they went back on their word and told us they had less rooms that they originally anticipated and that they had to adjust the price. Unfortunately, we don’t have many options due to the convention in town during the weekend of our wedding.
I even explored renting a house for the weekend for the wedding party. I found an awesome one in a great location at a wonderful price, but Adam feared it wouldn’t be big enough for everyone so we opted for hotel rooms instead.
At the moment… we’ve decided to have the wedding party and immediate family members stay at the Canterbury. We have 15 rooms each night and are on the list for any additional rooms that open up during the next 10 months.
I’ve blocked rooms at a few other hotels for the remaining family members and other close friends who plan on attending the wedding. We have 25 rooms each night at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Ave. We have seven rooms on Friday and 15 rooms on Saturday at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. We also have eight rooms on Friday and 15 rooms on Saturday at the Courtyard by Marriott. I’m hoping to secure a few other blocks of rooms at some other hotels in the next couple of weeks. I’ll keep everyone posted and let you know if any changes are made.
I’m planning to create a spreadsheet that will go in your hotel welcome bags that will list all the guests and what hotel they’ll be staying at so you’ll be able to get in touch with other guests. I hope this will be beneficial since we couldn’t all get rooms at the same hotel.

-Penny

Hanging around

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”

I’ve seen hundreds of pictures of wedding dresses hanging in doorways or windows. I think it’s one of those customary photos that are shot at every wedding… so I decided to spruce up our wedding dress photo by purchasing a personalized hanger with Mrs. Fisher on it. I found it on Etsy and fell in love with it. I thought it was such a clever idea…

-Penny

Trash the dress

A happy marriage is a new beginning of life, a new starting point for happiness and usefulness.
- Dean Stanley

Now that I have selected the wedding gown of my dreams I figured I could share my after wedding plans with everyone. I’m planning to partake in a fairly recent trend called “Trash the Dress." For those of you who aren’t familiar with the trash the dress concept… brides select a location or two and have some fun “getting dirty.” It’s a style of wedding photography that combines elegant attire in an environment that it doesn’t belong in. It’s typically shot in the style of fashion or glamour photography. The most popular location for the photo shoot is at a beach, but other popular locations include city streets, rooftops, fields, abandoned buildings, bodies of water, bridges, woods, mountains and areas with urban decay. The word “trash” may sound misleading… considering the dresses only get wet or dirty… nothing a professional cleaning service can’t restore, enabling me to preserve the dress or follow through with my plans to donate it. Of course some people take it to the extreme by tearing and destroying the garment. I’m definitely not planning to do that. I just love the idea of having some artsy photos of me in my dress in unique locations. My shoot is being scheduled a couple of weeks after we return from our honeymoon. I’ll be sure to share the pictures.

-Penny

The fashionable bridesmaids

"The truly fashionable are beyond fashion."
-Cecil Beaton

Can I get a drum roll please.... The bridesmaid dresses have been selected. I've spent the past couple of months exploring different fashionable options looking for the perfect dress. I found it a few weeks ago and shared pictures of it with bridesmaids which earned rave reviews. But, I wasn't convinced because I was worried it might not be as fabulous in person since I had only seen pictures of it online... so my amazing maid of honor volunteered to check it out for me... and she fell in love with it! I'm so excited about the dress because it fits all the requirements I had set: It compliments my wedding gown. The bridesmaids will be able to wear it again and it's reasonably priced. We're planning to get sashes (belts) in red or silver and the ladies have talked about getting cute red shoes too. I'm also considering having the ladies carry red clutches down the aisle instead of flowers. I can't wait to see what Adam picks out for the guys to wear!

-Penny

How sweet it is...

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."

I hope you have a sweet tooth because we’ve decided to participate in the latest trend for wedding receptions – hosting a self-serve candy buffet for our guests. We’ll have a tower of sweets in 8 to 10 heaping bins. We’re planning to purchase five to10 different types of candies in our wedding colors. I’ve spent the last couple of months buying glass apothecary jars from our local Michaels store. It’s been tricky trying to find ones with wide enough mouths to allow for easy access. We also have these adorable metal candy scoops with a heart on the handle. There will be small bags or boxes so guests will be able to grab their personal favorites. I can't wait to start decorating the jars and setting up the buffet.

-Penny

Fisher wedding accommodations

“And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
-T.S. Eliot

Accommodations are currently available at the Canterbury Hotel for our upcoming nuptials. Please reserve your room as soon as possible. I can't stress enough the importance of booking your room NOW! There is a very large convention in town the weekend of our wedding with 7,500 people. If you neglect to reserve your room early... there might not be any rooms available for you downtown. We're planning to distribute our Save the Dates in December or January to give our guests adequate time to book their rooms. We have rooms available for the Fisher-Moore wedding for Friday and Saturday nights at the Canterbury Hotel located at 123 South Illinois Street. The Canterbury is a fabulous hotel that offers great amenities for their guests. The hotel is attached to the convention center and the Circle Centre Mall. It has served many celebrities including most famous natives David Letterman and Michael Jackson and now will be serving the Fisher-Moore wedding guests.

You can make your reservations by calling 317-634-3000 or by clicking here. Please reserve your rooms IMMEDIATELY!

-Penny

Remembering Andrew Pepper

"May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again,may God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

We have some very sad news to share with you. A member of our wedding party died this week. Andrew Pepper touched my life in such a way that I'll never be able to put into words. He meant so much to Adam and I. We have so many wonderful memories that we'll cherish forever. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet him and be able to call him my friend. He will be missed so much. The world won't be the same without him in it. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and was in Adam's pledge class at Ball State. Pepper and I became good friends when I started dating Adam. He's one of the main reasons why I survived moving to Florida three years ago. On my trip relocating to the sunshine state I stopped for the night and day in Atlanta to visit with Pepper (he lived there at the time) He and his sister opened their house to me. Pepper found out that I didn't pack anything with me except my clothes and my furniture wasn't set to arrive for a few days so he gave me a CD player/radio. That little musical pleasure came in handy when my furniture was "lost" for several weeks. I slept on the floor of my new apartment all alone with nothing but that CD player. I don't know what I would have done without it. He even called every couple of days to make sure I was adjusting to my new life. He was such a wonderful person and showed me so much love and compassion these past five years. I can't believe he's gone. He was going to be joining a couple other SAE's to be an usher at our wedding.

There has been a memorial fund set up to help his family. Checks can be made payable to the

Andrew Pepper Memorial Fund.

Send them to:
1925 Lincoln Ave
Evansville, Indiana 47714

What's a bride without a cute handbag?

“Give a girl a handbag and a great pair of shoes
and she can take over the world”

While on a retail therapy session last weekend with Adam I spotted the perfect clutch for our wedding day at this really great store called Charming Charlie The store opened a couple of months ago and it's fabulous. It's really similar to Claire's but for adults with better quality items. They even have some clothing and shoe options. The prices are really reasonable. Sorry Hoosier friends, but there aren't any stories in Indiana, but are some in nearby states if you're willing to travel. The clutch I purchased is awesome. I love it and am so excited to use it.

-Penny

CHEERS!

"Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world."
-Kaiser Welhelm

The Fisher wedding will be hosting a cocktail hour immediately following the ceremony. This will allow our guests to spend 60 minutes mingling with other guests sipping on drinks and nibbling on hors d' oeuvres while the wedding party and family members partake in a photo shoot. I've heard the cocktail hour is one of the best times of the night for the guests so I'm really excited we'll be able to offer this to our guests. It gives everyone an opportunity to unwind with a festive drink while waiting for the party to start. We're in the beginning planning stages, but I'm really hoping for a sultry lounge setting with soft music. There will be beer and wine options available and we're even considering offering a signature cocktail with a fun name like "Fishertini." We're both beer lovers and would love to offer some craft brews, but aren't sure if that will be an option for us. I am trying to convince the homebrewer (Adam) to whip up a few batches for everyone. If you'd like to try a delicious pint of his finest mention something to him.

-Penny

Where is the love?

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli

I feel so blessed to be where I am today with a supportive family, loving friends and a wonderful fiance that I'm planning a lifetime of happiness with. I really want to share this love and blessings with others during our wedding.
I heard about a service called Special E which re-purposes leftovers from the reception. The staff will deliver extra food to homeless shelters, recycle bottle and cans, take floral arrangements to nursing homes and hospitals and even donate bridesmaid dress to disadvantaged teens. I loved the idea of contributing our blooms. Before hearing about Special E I wanted to appoint a close friend or family member to transport the buds to help spread some cheer. Some other options I'm considering are incorporating some charity work into my bridal shower by asking each guest to bring canned foods to donate to a nearby food bank. I've even contemplated forgoing favors for the guests and donating the money we would spend on trinkets to our favorite charity. I'm definitely planning to make care packages for some troops overseas when compiling packages for our out-of-town guests.
Adam and I both have family members that have been affected by breast cancer and I would love to do something to remember those loved ones. I'm seriously considering donating my wedding dress to Brides Against Cancer. The organization will resell my dress and accessories and use the proceeds to help a woman with cancer. The bridesmaids can donate their gowns to the Glass Slipper Project that provides prom dresses for disadvantaged girls. Feel free to share any other suggestions you have that would allow us to give back during this joyous occasion.

-Penny

P.S. This is a photo of my mother and I. She's a breast cancer survivor.

Capturing the Memories

"Photography takes an instant out of time,
altering life by holding it still."
-Dorothea Lange

Two of the most amazing photographers we know (and trust me we know dozens of photographers - being in the newspaper business you tend to meet a few here and there) have graciously agreed to shoot our wedding. Our engagement photo shoot has been scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 23 and 24. We're planning to spend the day on Captiva Island where Adam proposed. I think we're going to get some amazing shots there. It's a beautiful place and I'm really excited about having some professional photos from our proposal location. I'll be sure to post some of our favorites after the shoot.
Our photographers from Narrative Image are based out of Bonita Springs, Florida. They are amazingly talented and we feel blessed that they've agreed to capture the memories from our wedding day for us. Follow the Narrative Image blog.
-Penny

Chirp, Chirp

"Next in importance to having a good aim is to recognize
when to pull the trigger."
-David Letterman, Ball State University Alum

It's almost October and you know what that means it's time for Ball State homecoming. To commemorate BSU's homecoming weekend I thought I would share how we're planning to incorporate our alma mater into our upcoming wedding. For those of you that don't know Adam and I met at BSU while we were both studying journalism. We were introduced in the newsroom of the campus newspaper in the spring of 2003. But, it wasn't until after he graduated that we started dating. Since we met at Ball State we felt like some of our wedding details should pay tribute to our alma mater.
Some of those details include our wedding colors. Those are based off our schools colors: red, black and silver. Our ringbearer will be carrying a Ball State Daily News with the rings attached to it and we're planning to play the fight song at some point during the evening. I also mentioned this in a previous post, but I'll be wearing a BSU garter too.
For our fellow alums: What would Ball State be without the hot dog man? Nothing, right! I really wanted the hot dog man to make an appearance at our wedding as a surprise send-off for our guests, but he was unavailable. Apparently, he can only distribute his hot dog goodness in Delaware County. We were really bummed about this, but maybe we'll come up with another send-off.
-Penny

And the countdown begins...

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”

-Denis Waitley

Adam and I will be in wedded bliss in a little less than a year. I still have to pinch myself every once in awhile to make sure it's really happening. I'm so thankful to have found someone like him. I feel very lucky and blessed he loves me just as much as I love him. We've been enjoying the planning process so far and I think we're ahead of schedule. I'm hoping we can keep that up with our busy schedules this fall. He'll be in the midst of covering high school football and I've taken on additional responsibilities at my second job that include traveling on the weekends. We still have lots of items left to figure out and complete on our to do list, but we're both really excited about it. Of course, I'm hoping everything comes off flawlessly but I wont' be discouraged if it doesn't. I've been warned by lots of people that this year will fly by so I'm going to attempt to enjoy every minute of it. I'll continue posting our planning updates on this blog and we'll be making some additions to our website in a couple of weeks.

-Penny

P.S. This photo was taken a couple months after we started dating.

Sharing our day with us is the best gift

"Our vows will be said and sealed with a kiss
Your presence there will make it a day of sheer bliss."

First, let me say that Adam and I aren't expecting gifts. Having you share our wedding day with us is the best gift you can give us. We're so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family and hope you can join us when we tie the knot.
The majority of engaged couples will say registering was one of the fun parts of the wedding planning process. The bride gets to select nice items for the home and the groom gets the power of a scanning gun with the opportunity to scan any and everything in the store. It was a relatively painless process for us besides how long it took. A few weeks after getting engaged we were "pressured" to start a registry so family members could start purchasing gifts. We decided to devote a Saturday for this task. I did some research to see which registries offered the best perks and had products we liked. We selected Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohls and Sears. We were planning to knock out all three registries in one day... looking back... I guess that was pretty optimistic. We started the day with bagels and coffee and headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond for what seemed like days...
Our associate was very helpful and knowledgeable, but we had no idea how long it would take. We started in the kitchen department by selecting china and glassware. This was a lengthy process, but I love our selections. We followed that by walking every inch of the store - exploring our options, picking things up and testing them out. At one point, I "vacuumed" the store floor. We grabbed lunch and decided to opt out of the other places until the next day. We set out for Kohl's the following day. They have a do-it-yourself approach. They handed us a gun and we were off. Then, we headed to Sears only to find out the machine was down so we headed up to make our selections via the Internet. Our registry at Sears has expensive items that we're totally not expecting to receive... but it was fun dreaming about having them someday. We're also in the process of setting up a honeymoon registry... more on that later.

-Penny

My bridal weekend in Miami

"To love someone deeply gives you strength.
Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage."
- Lao Tzu

One of the biggest tasks for the bride-to-be is selecting the perfect wedding gown. There are so many options and styles to choose from that it can turn into a daunting task. My friend Jessica came to my rescue to help me locate the perfect dress. She planned an extravagant bridal weekend trip to Miami. We ventured across the state on Friday and spent the night before our shopping excursion relaxing poolside.
While relaxing, I read a magazine article with tips on selecting the perfect gown. It said the dress is the focal point of the wedding. I'm not sure I agree with that, but I do think it's a big part of the wedding. The gown makes a statement about who the bride is. It showcases her style and personality and I really want a dress that captures all of that for me.
We woke up early Saturday for our retail therapy. She made appointments at some fabulous boutiques that treated me like a princess. I tried on dozens of gowns including ones from Vera Wang and Oscar de le Renta. The fabrics and detailing were amazing. Sure they come with a price tag, but some of them are worth it.
There were so many choices except for straps - like 90 percent of the gowns are strapless. Good thing... I'm not against strapless. I had so much fun looking at accessories, hair pieces and experimenting with sashes. These are relatively new and I love the idea. These sashes come in a variety of colors and with all different types of embellishments. They completely change the look of the gown and add some personalization. Plus, you can change the sash for a different look for the reception instead of wearing a different gown.
We had such a great trip and I have a better sense of what will work best for my body and what type of dress I want. I think I have it narrowed down to a few choices, but am still going to do a bit more exploring before deciding on "the one."

-Penny

Our first dance

"Dancing with the feet is one thing,
but dancing with the heart is another."

Adam and I have spent the last few weeks listening to romantic ballads trying to find the perfect tune for our first dance. We don't have similar tastes in music so it has been challenging for us. We started the process by writing down all of our favorite love songs. We spent a couple evenings listening to all the selections and kept eliminating until we narrowed it down to a top six.
In random order they are:


-I Believe in You and Me - Whitney Houston
-Quit Your Life - MxPx
-Let's Stay Together - Al Green
-Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Martina Mcbride
-What a Wonderful World - Eva Cassidy
-No One - Alicia Keyes

We have a poll on our blog so you can vote for your favorite tune. Let us know which one is your favorite. The winning song will be used for our first dance as husband and wife.

-Penny

Our first bridal show

"Let this be our destiny, to begin each new day together
to share our lives forever."

Adam and I loaded the car and headed North to Tampa last weekend for our very first bridal show experience. We picked up his parents so they could join us on this adventure. We arrived at the hotel in downtown set up to accommodate the show. We lined up behind dozens of other brides-to-be waiting to attend the "Ultimate Bridal Show." We didn't have to wait long... and I was one of the first 100 brides to enter (no. 98) so I received a goodie bag with Clinique makeup, a guest book and other wedding odds and ends. The holding area was equipped with appetizers and a jazz musician performing in the back. Finally, the doors opened. To be honest, we both thought it would be bigger. There were less than 25 booths scattered along the sides of the room with a runway in the center. The majority of the booths were devoted to photographers. I really enjoyed the ones showcasing local bakeries. They brought samples that were delicious. I tasted the best red velvet cake with buttercream icing. I'm seriously considering that flavor for our wedding cake. Adam really enjoyed the champagne fountain at one of the booths. The show lasted several hours that were split up by a fashion show of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. I really liked a couple dresses from Demetrios. At the conclusion of the show prizes were awarded. I was really hoping for the $1500 honeymoon package... that was about the only prize we could use since all the prizes were for local vendors. Maybe we should attend a show in the Hoosier state.

Wish me luck talking Adam into that...

-Penny

A wedding tradition

"Love is a smile to share, An ear to listen and a heart to love."

Tossing a garter is considered to be the oldest surviving wedding tradition so I wanted to personalize this detail of our wedding. I spent a month searching for the perfect customized garter. There are so many choices out there. If you can dream it someone can make it. Adam and I discussed lots of options including going with something sports releated like the Colts, Bills or Pacers. We considered honoring Adam's fraternity with the purple and gold of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Then Adam suggested we commemorate our alma mater and get a Ball State University one. It was the perfect choice because we met in college and our wedding colors are the same as the school's colors. We're also planning to attach an SAE pin to the garter so we can still honor Adam's fraternity. I purchased our garter from Let's Dance Garters. They have beautiful products, great quality and excellent service. They didn't have one for Ball State, but she agreed to make one special for us and no additional cost. (The picture is of the Arizona Cardinals, but ours looks just like this minus the pin in the middle)

-Penny

The Fisher Dozen

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave,
and impossible to forget.”

The wedding party for the Fisher wedding has been notified and accepted. Adam talked to his six groomsmen the weekend we got engaged and asked each of them to participate in the wedding festivities. He's called them friends since high school.
I wanted to do something extra special when asking the ladies to be part of our special day. So I compiled a package for each of them with a card saying: "You've been by my side through so much and I can't imagine you not being by my side when I get married."
I also sent my maid of honor a "survival kit" a few weeks after we got engaged. I tried to include everything she might need while helping me. I included things like flip flops for when her feet got tired of wearing heels, ear plugs for when she wanted to tune me out, coffee to stay awake during all the late nights we'll spend working on projects, a disposable camera to document all the important events and tons of other items. I put everything in a giant pink cosmetic bag and tied ribbons around each of the items with a short description of why the item might come in handy.
I sent out packages to my bridesmaids a few weeks later. These packages included a bridesmaid rhinestone tank top and some Bath and Body Works lotion.
I feel so blessed to have these ladies by my side and with me during this journey of my life. I'm sure Adam feels the same way about his guys. We have the best friends in the world and I can't imagine the day without them.

To find out more about who is in our wedding party check out our website in the coming months.

-Penny

We have a venue

"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life,
love gives us a fairytale."

One of the hardest parts of the wedding planning process so far was deciding on the location:

Indiana or Florida. We discussed this for weeks trying to make the best decision for us and our families. We finally decided to have our ceremony in Indiana. The next item on our agenda was finding a venue. We had a trip planned to Indiana in May so we set up some appointments. We were starting to get a little discouraged because every place we wanted had very expensive catering minimums knocking it out of our budget. A couple locations didn't have our date, but we finally found the perfect place... the Scottish Rite Cathedral in downtown Indianapolis. I knew it was the one from the moment I walked in the door. Every detail is breathtakingly beautiful. I feel so blessed we'll be able to share our vows there. Our ceremony will take place in the theater followed by a cocktail hour and then our reception will be in the banquet hall. Another benefit of the Scottish Rite is they have an exclusive caterer so we can cross that off our list too. Now on to planning all the fun little details...

-Penny

It's official we're getting married!

"Walking on the beach together hand in hand we'll be forever."

After five wonderful years together, Adam and I are looking forward to having our dream wedding on September 10, 2011 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana. We're thrilled and honored to be able to share with you the celebration of our wedding. We've set up a website for our upcoming wedding. We will continue to update it with information and photos as we prepare for our wedding day and our future together as husband and wife. We've also set up this blog to keep our friends and family updated with our planning process.

We feel so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for sharing this journey with us.

-Penny