Amanda and Tyler's Wedding Recap

As all of you were well aware, my college roommate and one of my best friend's got married last weekend! I didn't get to update sooner as I was detoxing myself from technology, but there's no time like the present!

Friday I picked up my dear friend Denise and we drove to the homeland to begin our weekend of wedding festivities! A few of the girls came over to my parents house and we finished a few last second crafts for the wedding like these cute cans to tie to the back of their car as they left from the reception.. except I was silly and forgot to actually take pictures of our look-alikes! so tadaaaa

After we finished crafting we jetted over to the church for rehearsal followed by a fabulous dinner downtown at the coffee shop. I was so excited to see everyone again. Let me tell you, this couple has some of the FUNNIEST friends and family. We were laughing the entire night! After dinner, everyone went over to the country club, which was where they were going to be holding their reception and to help decorate for the next day. Well, the girls decorated, the boys performed quality control over the bar to make sure that it was going to be suitable for the party the following night. Figures.

As gifts from Amanda, she gave us these adorable monogramed pocket shirts and sandals to wear at the reception

Saturday was the big day! We woke up bright and early to head over to Amanda's aunt and uncle's house on Lake Hartwell for a delicious home cooked wedding day brunch! You could not have asked for a prettier location or better weather!

Billy, myself, and Blake who is pretty much a brother to me. I can't describe what he and his family mean to me.

 Us with Amanda's crazy aunts. I've known them since I was a squirt! 

One of my favorite pictures from the morning. Tyler and Amanda's dad having a last second heart to heart. 

After brunch, we all went and got ourselves ready for Amanda and Tyler to start their forever together. Here are a few pictures from the precious ceremony and their absolutely adorable reception. She made such a beautiful bride! I love the way Tyler looked at her all day. I am so glad they are so happy together and that their day was as perfect as it could be for them. I had a blast and was so excited to be a part of such a special, sentimental part of them starting their lives together.

These two goofballs make my heart so happy

Some of us with my Godmother, Mama Dee

Leaving for their honeymoon in their favorite city, Las Vegas!

Stephanie Hicks did SUCH a fabulous job caputuring their special day! I highly recommend her to anyone in the Athens or Atlanta Area!

Her big day is almost here

Saturday is Amanda's big day! Though, she has a lot of planning, well more like executing, than I do left I still have a few more things to knock off my list of bridesmaid things to do before we can call them hitched.

Pick up Dress

Nails

Spray Tan

Hair Cut

Make Wedding Hair Appt

Gather materials for the get away car (about halfway there)

Pack all wedding day necessities (including the goodies from my Influenster box)

Pick a dress for Brunch

Practice my surprised face for when I catch the bouquet (It's so happening)

Pack for 4th of July Vacation

Pick up Denise

Is there anything else I am forgetting or things I need to do to help make her day extra special? I'm looking at you brides!

I am having more fun with this than I think is legal. I'm so happy for my best friend. I know she has been waiting so long for this day and has been planning out every little detail so meticulously. I cannot wait to see all of her dreams executed before her eyes. The next chapter of their lives is going to be starting so soon, and I cannot wait to stand by her on her special day! 

Bridesmaid-zilla

So my beautiful, smart, amazing college roommate got engaged in February. I talked about it here. Literally just 2 or 3 days after her now fiance popped the question, she picked out her bridesmaids dresses at David's Bridal. All but one of the dresses were purchased that day, and the last one was purchased a day or two after that. So seriously, we wasted NO time. She chose this extremely precious dress and started planning her what is to be stunning blush and gray wedding to take place on June 29th. The Bride knew it there wasn't going to be a lot of time before the wedding date, and chose this dress because it was one they were able to guarantee to be available for her wedding date.

When she initially chose this dress, the sales girl (who was total ditz through the entire consultation, so I'm told) told the bride and reassured her multiple times the dress would be here in plenty of time for the wedding and with ample time to spare for  alterations specifically for me, because the dress didn't come in my size. When I purchased my dress at a different location than she was at, but on the same day, my sweet sales girl told me that it would be here by May 20th at the absolute latest, and that dresses always arrive sooner than that expected time. She said she had never, ever seen a dress take that long to arrive in the store. I also asked how long to expect for alterations, she said 4 to 6 weeks, which would be JUST enough time to allow for 1-ish week of me being able to practice walking down the isle in it in my apartment. KIDDING.. ok, seriously, not kidding.

In case you haven't been able to draw this conclusion on your own, the expiration date for Mr. David to sew up one of these dresses was Monday. I called yesterday to just check and see, what was up--I had a week to spare, so a day or two was no big deal. The very nice customer service rep at the store I purchased my dress from told me that the dresses had yet to leave the warehouse because they were delayed by weather, but ALAS, they would be here before the end of the week. Okay, cool. I understand crap and weather happens. Whatever weather they are having, I'm not sure, but I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and pretend their warehouse is in Oklahoma. Another bridesmaid that called about her dress (purchased at a different location) was also given the same alibi, so our anxiousness was subsided and we were patiently waiting for the end of the week.

The bride's sister is also planning a wedding. They picked out their dresses a month after we purchased ours. Their dresses arrived in the store the same week they ordered them. So that doesn't help the situation any.

Today, 3 days after the initial latest possible arrival time, someone called the Bride during one of her wedding showers and told her;

"I'm not sure why they told you your dresses would be in this week or all of this about weather and what not, your dresses have not even been shipped and will not be in the store until at least June 20th or sometime." 

{queue the record scratch}

Okay, I may not have been a math wiz, buuuuut that is not going to cut it. 

I paid for a dress that was supposed to be here on May 20th. I paid for a dress that was to be worn in a June 29th wedding!!

No. No. nonononono. Heeeeeell no. 

Also, why have we been given some other story if it isn't true. Way to throw your own employees under the bus there, boss. 

Now how can I have the dress altered by then if it is supposed to take 6 weeks?! I can't even go to someone other than Senor David to have my dress altered, because that's not enough time for ANYONE!!

I am livid that myself, and the rest of the bridal party paid for these dresses that we can't wear anywhere much less to the wedding they were purchased for. I have no idea what we are going to wear now! I am even more mad on my friend's behalf than I am my own.  As far as I am concerned, David's Bridal has done a fantastic job of ruining, not only the shower they blindsided her out, but also a very huge part of my best friend's wedding by not holding up their end of the contract. 

Never will I ever do business with David's Bridal again! Or men's warehouse or shutterfly or any of it's partner companies.

Nor will I allow my friends to give them the opportunity of potentially ruining their wedding too! Consider this your public service announcement.