inspire.

As some of you know (ahem, Tig), I subscribe to a daily email type thing called Daily Candy. If you live in a larger city (Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, etc.) you should definitely sign up and even if you don't, it's fun to see the daily updates. There is information about health and beauty, fashion, weather, weekend guides for what to do and of course fashion. Call it the inner "fashion major" in me, but I love getting updates on new designers, retail strategies, etc. Okay, okay, all this does have some kind of tie to the wedding. Believe it or not.

A few days ago, I opened my Daily Candy and read an introduction about the founder of Nettleton Hollow...

"The name Nettleton Hollow comes from a valley in Litchfield County, Connecticut, through which the founder's family drove their cows home from the summer pastures to one of the last dairy farms in the area. "

Seeing as how I am from Litchfield, Minnesota, I of course took upon this as a sign and clicked to the website. Lo and behold my inspiration! Branches and grasses and foliage, oh my! This creator has managed to capture the true essence of nature in an artificial product. After browsing through craft store after craft store, allowing my thoughts to wander and collectively put together a collage of images and ideas for the wedding, I realized how true his words were about not finding true natural items like this in a store.

Pure. Beautiful. Natural. Everything I want our wedding to be.

passion. photography.

One of the most challenging aspects of the entire wedding was finding the perfect photographer to capture all the incredible moments we will have on that special day. Dave and I both said from the very beginning that we knew a good photographer was going to come with a fairly significant price tag but that it was worth it to us. After all, after all the music ends, the cake has been cut and the food has been served, what do we have to look back upon? Pictures.

I started hunting for photographers within a matter of days after Dave proposed. At that point we didn't even know where we were getting married but it didn't matter! I knew I wanted to get in touch with Dana Widman, a phenomenal talent who did my dear friend Sarah's engagement and wedding photos (http://picasaweb.google.com/DanaWidmanDesigns). After much praying and numerous facebook messages, I came to find out she had already been booked.

Not sure where to turn, I googled photographers in the Fargo-Moorhead region for the next month! (Quick Note: I definitely underestimated the amount of talent in this area! SO many amazing people) So, one night, I was just really bummed and browsing through Dana's photos again online and somehow got taken to Eden Photography. I looked. I loved. I contacted.

I am so incredibly drawn to a photographer that is able to catch a personality on camera - I think it is so difficult to do that and do it well and Elisabeth has nailed it on the head! Every time I browse through her photographs I get more and more excited about what she will do for our big day. Although she is a VERY busy woman and I have yet to meet with her, we have her booked and can't wait to discuss her vision as we get closer to the day!

**Note: I have included just a few pictures that I adore and invite you to check out her website for a glimpse of our fabulous photographer!

it's a go!

This shouldn't be a difficult thing for me - to type out my numerous thoughts and ideas as I used to regularly do in my journal, but for no apparent reason I put more thought into it than I used to. Perhaps I am just not used to divulging personal thoughts "out loud" to share with others, but regardless, I am ready for this new adventure I have begun!

When I moved to Fargo, I moved away from the majority of my family and after graduating college, it seems most of my dear friends have made their lives outside the parameters of the Fargo-Moorhead walls. With that in mind, the computer has been my primary form of communication with many of them and wonder how on Earth I would have stayed in touch without the use of technology? Okay, I'm rambling. Back to the main point. I thought this would be a great way to not only keep myself on track over the next 6 and a half months (whoa!) but also a fun way to let all of you know what we are working on and what we have left to do.

So without further ado, welcome to our wedding blog (I know, I know, that was totally corny but like a great movie once said, "I'm looking for a little corny in my life")!