the shower is the best place for ideas

I'm launching my blog site with the above title because it's so true! I was in the shower this morning, planning my wedding (of course), and I thought of what a photographer said to me this past week. After I had rambled on and on about my research and organization and projects (the fiance was rolling his eyes the entire time), the photographer smiled and suggested that I blog for The Knot. I laughed it off at the time but today, as I was rinsing out my shampoo, I opened my eyes (which caused the suds to burn my pupils) and whispered, "I SHOULD write a blog!"

Sooo to start us off - allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicole and I originally hail from Staten Island, NY. I now live in Northern New Jersey, where I met my fiance. We got engaged in February of 2009 and are currently planning a January 2011 wedding. The purpose of this blog is to let me release any random thoughts, ideas or just observations I'm experiencing along the way. I figured that I would not only share my ideas with my friends, family, coworkers and random strangers on the street, but would now include surfers of the net.

We already have a date, a church and a hall. January 15, 2011, St. Clare's Church and The Venetian, respectively. We've formally asked our bridal attendants to be part of the wedding. We're having a slightly larger-than-average bridal party - 8 groomsmen, 8 bridesmaids, 2 junior bridesmaids and a flower girl. Including us, the bride and groom, we are 21 total. Look, it's a lot better than my original plan to have 12 bridesmaids and groomsmen!

My sister is the maid of honor, his best friend is the best man, and my mother is a MOMZILLA. I don't know if I've created that term but I frequently use it to describe this woman who somehow seems to think we're back in 1981 where she's planning HER wedding. Weird, right? Maybe time travel CAN happen! In all seriousness, she's calmed down a lot (after a million "this is MY wedding, Mom!" arguments) and she's got a lot of great ideas that I'm sure we'll explore during this whole process.

So what's the first order of business?! PICTURES! Photography has been my obsession even before we got engaged so I've been doing a ton of research to ensure I select the right photographers. More to come on that.

For now, just be glad I now have an outlet for the hundreds of wedding ideas I have...so that you're not stuck listening to them!