Tag: Christian Authors

Lizzie’s Wedding Journal ~Dresses

Wedding Journal;

I have a new respect for the brides that I’ve dealt with at Hotel Lago. Most of them have been nice to work with, despite the mountain of decisions they have to make outside of the venue. Dresses, accessories, flowers, bridal party gifts, it becomes  overwhelming. I understand the bride wants to be the most beautiful woman in the room, but do designers have to make bridesmaid dresses so hideous?

After weeks of searching magazines and websites, I finally found five that I could live with. Once I took Stephanie and Mona to the bridal shop to try them on, I was relieved to find one that was quite flattering to both of them. It’s a dove grey/silver color with a fitted bodice and a skirt that falls just above the ankles. We found sandals that are a perfect match, helping to balance out the formality of the high neckline. When the clerk told me I could add a sash at the waist in the Christmas ribbon I’ve been considering as an accent, that sealed the deal.

I don’t know how I will ever choose a dress for myself! In that arena the designers are out doing each other. I have piles of magazines with scads of pages ripped out and pinned up all over my house. I wish I could wear them all. I even tried on a couple while Stephanie and Mona were being fitted for their dresses. It’s a good thing some of them look better on the hanger than on me. Trying them on has helped me narrow my focus, though. I hope I can report a final decision on that front soon. There’s the alarm clock. It’s time to get up and get ready for work. Will write more later.

I almost forgot, here is the link to my pinterest board for bridesmaids

https://www.pinterest.com/itsrebekahlyn/lizzies-wedding-plans/

 

Lizzie’s Wedding Journal~The Venue

We met with Pastor Donovan this weekend and he seems as excited about this wedding as we are. He said he’s never heard of a proposal like ours and was touched to hear our story. I had forgotten about the prayer chapel we have on the campus. He took us to look at it after we finished talking. It’s perfect! He said it can accommodate 150 people and I can’t imagine we’ll have that many guests. There is a lovely stained glass of the nativity that made me certain this was the right place for our ceremony since it will be so close to Christmas.

Finding a place for the reception has been harder. There is an Italian-style country club outside Orlando that I loved, but they are booked almost two years out. It probably would have been a bit fancier than we want anyway. We must have visited close to two dozen places around town before we found something we both liked and that had an opening in December. The Avalon Grove Inn is beautiful.  Originally it was a small, family owned packing house for citrus. In the early seventies it was purchased from the family and renovated as an Inn. Some of the original grove is still maintained, but most of it has been lost to freezing temperatures over the years. The banquet room has hardwood floors and the rafters are all exposed wood beams in the same espresso color. When we were there it was decorated for another wedding, with white lights wrapped around the beams, and draped with white organza. The walls are a warm golden-yellow and at the end of the room is a fireplace surrounded by large stones. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place before . We stumbled on it when we were driving around Winter Park. It’s less than twenty minutes from the church and has plenty of parking in an adjacent field where they had to remove a large portion of the original orange grove. Photos of some of the other places I visited are on my Pinterest board.

The catering manager is an absolute gem. She and I hit it off right away. I can’t wait to start working with her on the menu and the linens. She had some great ideas as soon as we told her our date. I think I will invite her to the next Concierge Club dinner, or maybe I should wait until after the wedding. She might feel uncomfortable mixing business and pleasure, but I know she’ll fit right in.

If I could just decide on who I can ask to be my bridesmaids, then I could start thinking about their dresses.

 The story Lizzie’s romance and proposal is chronicled in the

Seasons of Faith Series

Summer Storms, Winter’s End and Spring Dawn

available on all major online books sites

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