All about the Cake.....

So I know that it has been a long time since I posted an update on the wedding plans, I apologize both Karl and I have experienced personal health problems with our grandmothers and to be honest I have not been in the mood to write about anything. With that said I am posting this story to lighten our mood and take my mind off of the situations we can not control.

Approximately three weeks ago, Karl and I start looking into placing our order for our wedding and groom's cakes. At first we had no idea what type of design we liked or even what bakery to go with here in south georgia. I had heard horror stories about some people and also found out that there are very few bakeries in this area.....so what's a couple to do???? Well I started surfing the net and came across Serendipity Bakery on St Simon's Island...I e-mailed the contact person for more information and about five days after that Karl and I started the cake tasting process....mmmmm.....

We arrived at the bakery and it was awesome....there were eight kinds of cake flavors, icing, etc laid out for us to try....there was an album of picture after picture of samples of cakes previously done by this bakery...to say the least we started out a bit overwhelmed....We tried multiple types of cakes...some were awesome...some were just plain out nasty...and it was the last combination of a lemon favored cake...with strawberry filling....and butter cream icing...that we knew was the perfect combination of flavors for our guest.

The second thing we had to do is pick out a design....since we are going with a beach theme we knew white chocolate seashells would have to be used...I also took a piece of fabric I purchased from David's Bridal and asked the baker if she could match the watermelon color and perhaps incorporate it into the over beach design of the cake....and guess what...in a matter of minutes it was done...she was able to match the fabric with a color she had to accent the seashells. The above picture is what our cake will look like with a few changes....instead of blue ribbons we will have one ribbon be yellow, the other be green, and the third be the watermelon color. The yellow and green colors will match what is in the bridesmaid bouquets.

Oh yeah....and the groom's cake is of Sanford Stadium "Between the Hedges"....that was Karl's cake I told him he could pick whatever design he wanted and you see how extreme he went....just kidding....

Well that's enough for now...I will write more later....

Love Yall!

Kimberly

Busy Busy....I love wedding planning

Hello Everyone:

I thought that I would write and update everyone on what progress has been made over the past week and a half regarding the wedding. It was an eventful week last week to say the least. Summer (my maid of honor) and I traveled all over Florida taking care of wedding stuff. We started out at David's Bridal...it was there that we picked up my cousin Brittany's bridesmaid dress...it looks AMAZING. We also purchased some fabric/color samples to have for color matching purposes and for our wedding decorator Evie to have for the reception. We visited a few party stores to look at stuff for the bridal shower and then we headed west...to LC

Next, we traveled to Lake City to drop off the piece of fabric and a bridesmaid bouquet to Evie. By doing this we hope she can come up with the right colors for the reception...the reception is going to be beached themed so lots of pinks, corals, tropical colors...we (Summer and I) also looked over photos of a recent wedding she decorated....and I loved her work...my reception is going to be amazing....

Then we traveled back home....we were exhausted but I believe we got a lot accomplished. Summer spent Thanksgiving with me, Karl and his family and had a blast...we cooked, drank wine, played a great hand of poker and then watched football. Good Times.

Finally, this morning I ordered the gifts for my bridal party including my flower girl and I think they are AWESOME...I really hope the girls like their gifts and I know Pairlon will get a kick out of her surprise....

I could write a book about everything we got accomplished, but it would take forever...my next posting should be interesting....Karl and I are going to meet with a bakery and experience cake tasting for the first time...it should be a memorable experience to say the least...till then.....I love you all!!!

Kimberly

An Early Christmas

Hi All!

Well it's me again the bride to be and I thought that I would post the latest news of how the wedding plans are coming along. It was an eventful two weeks to say the least...it felt like Christmas in November. The wedding plans are coming along pretty well and everything seems to be falling into place. We have started to get our wedding favors in the mail and are super excited. I have found myself hurrying home everyday to see what (if anything) came in the mail today. So our first set of favors came in via UPS on Veterans' day. They looked great (notice I am not telling you what they are because favors are truly suppose to be a surprise)...then over the past week we received the personalized bags for our favors to go in and we love them. We have cleaned out our spare bedroom to pack everything to do with the wedding in it.

With that said we also made a trip back home to Lake City this weekend and was able to meet with the hairdresser. She has committed to coming up the day of the wedding and doing my hair so we are pleased with that decision. That's one less thing we have to worry about. We also met with our wedding decorator and went over the layout of the reception hall colors and more. We hope she will be able to come up to St Simons and stay with us the weekend of the December 6th so we can visit the church and the actual reception site. We are crossing our fingers that everything goes as planned.

Finally when I was home I was able to touch base with some great friends of mine, get last minute addresses and have some heart warming conversations. So all in all everything went well and we are pleased with the progress that has been made with the wedding. So I am going to take next week off and prepare for Turkey Day. Happy Holidays Everyone!

XOXOXO

Kimberly

It's all about great conversations

Hey:

Well I thought that I would update everyone on the latest happenings regarding the wedding. This past weekend proved to be eventful from start to finish...on Friday afternoon I arrived home in a panic, I still needed to pack for a trip Karl and I were taking down to Lake City that weekend...I knew because I had not packed prior to going to work it was going to cause me to be uptight and stress that afternoon. So I came in rushed upstairs and started throwing clothes in a bag like a mad woman....I could hear Karl saying "Hey I have something to show you...could you come down here"..but I just ignored him...after repeating himself like 5 times he came upstairs and put his hand on my shoulder....this is when I saw his surprise...his wedding band had come in the mail. He had it on and it looked amazing and fit great....I was speechless....it was a priceless moment...so we headed down to Lake City made it to the game.

The next day I, along with my cousin (also a bridesmaid) Brittany headed to Jacksonville to David's Bridal to pick up my wedding gown and to purchase Brittany's dress. When we got there it was a mad house...every salesperson was so busy, but we managed to get her dress ordered and I was able to pick up and try on my gown and GREAT NEWS no additional alterations were needed...so I was excited....we left went and had lunch and came home....we had an awesome time...on the way home we went over the wedding day details and just really bonded.

So the rest of the weekend was spent showing people the dress (I DID NOT TRY IT ON) and letting people see my wedding band (which I brought home for my family to see)..everyone loved them...some tears were shed, great conversations were had about relationships and marriage...you know it's amazing what weddings can do for people...I had some on the best conversations with my grandparents this weekend that I have ever had in my whole life....

So this week is a short work week for Karl and I....we have taken Friday off to go down to Lake City and meet with the preacher and hopefully get something set with the hairdresser (cross your fingers)...other than that all is well...we plan on sending out our Save the Date Cards soon...so be on the look out....

Till later....I love you all!!!

The Bride to Be Kimberly

Work Hard to Play Hard

Hello Everyone!

Well it was another productive wedding weekend...from visiting the place where it all began...to buying the rings it was all it was built up to be and more.

The weekend started out a tad bit early as Karl and I took a half a day off from work on Friday to go to Jacksonville to share in the FL/GA festivities and also get stuff done for the wedding. We arrived at our first stop in J-ville and it was the St Johns Towns Center specifically Jared's Galleria of Jewelry...and we had a great feeling about what type of rings we wanted and thought "hey this is going to be painless"...well it wasn't quite that easy....once inside Jared's we got stuck with the salesperson from hell!! She was so pushy and wouldn't work with us...after finding out that the original ring I picked out in Atlanta wasn't at the Jacksonville store...she resorted to show us the most expensive rings she could find... well after about 10 mins I was about to pull my hair out....I had tried on so many wedding bands and I just was not satisfied with anything I saw....Karl was getting frustrated too... so we told her that we were going to have to think about things and would come back...well then all of a sudden her whole tone changed...she pulled out a whole other "behind the counter" collection of rings and we started the whole process again...this time I was a lot more forceful...I told her that I had money to spend...but I was not paying a crazy amount for the rings...so then out of no where she pulls out this amazing band that matched perfectly with my engagement ring...Karl and I both knew it was the one...and decided that we would go ahead and buy it...well this is when the sh*t hit the fan again...when she rang up the ring...the price totaled $100 more dollars than what we expected...Karl lost it...I almost had a meltdown...Karl was like "What the heck...was the tax $100 or what"...well the lady (without even asking us) added on a "service" plan to our total which jacked the price up...we debated on getting it...but after it was all over we just paid it...left with the rings and went and enjoyed ourselves at the Landing...

...About the landing...well this was a very special day for us not only was it FL/GA weekend (being that we are a house divided made it awesome)...this was the first time since our first date that we had been to the landing...yes that's right...our first date was in June of 2007 at the landing...so it was special for us...brought back a lot of memories....we had an awesome time....we went to the Corey Smith concert and then came home and watched the football game in St Simons Island on Saturday.

So other things we got taken care of for the wedding....

1. Purchased our wedding bands

2. Paid off the photographer

3. Paid off our DJ

4. Purchased our first round of wedding favors**

**We are going with 3 types of favors...I think our wedding guests will be really up for a treat where favors our concern.

Well I love you all and well update with more news later.

Kimberly

Cold Weather + Warm Wishes = Good Times

Hello Everyone...it's the bride to be again spreading some love to everyone and sending a brief update on the wedding plans. So with all of this cold weather we are experiencing, my visits to the beach have been limited, but it has allowed me to catch up on my Internet surfing and wedding planning.

I am happy to announce that we have set our menu for the reception and after much discussion are very happy with it. We are going to have a "Shrimp & Grits" bar, as well as, a "Mash Potato" bar...different huh? We hope so...our main goal with the reception is to make it as fun and as laid back as possible...from music to food we want it to be everything a true island wedding should be..

...speaking of the reception we took a trip over to Jekyll Island this weekend and had an awesome time. We were able to visit the reception site and even do a "trial run" of how we envisioned the layout of the room to be. We are so pleased with what we want and the fact that it can really happen and is not just a wish or a dream...

In closing I want to share that this week I have been in contact with my closest girlfriends from back home (LC) and I could hear the excitement in their voice about the wedding...gosh their excitement means so much to me.

XOXOXO,

Kimberly

Watch out your head will spin!!!

Hello Everyone!

Plans plans plans...pay this and pay that...finding wedding rings, ordering passports.....that's what the bride to be and groom have been up to this past week. We made some progress in regards to the wedding. On Friday we ordered our passports....which completes are "fall" schedule of budgeting...we also visited Jared's Galleria of Jewelry in Atlanta and picked out our wedding bands. We have started on our contract for the DJ which is like completing a dissertation (1st dance song, mother/son song, etc.)...ahhh all this planning can be exhausting both physically and to our bank accounts...but all is well and we are very happy with our choices.
We also completed a photo shoot for our Save the Date Cards-see below the link to view the photos.

So what's next for the happy couple...this is our schedule for the next month....I hope it doesn't make your head spin:

• Week of October 20th: Bride & Groom finalizing food choices for the reception
• Week of October 27th: Bride & Groom selecting and ordering wedding favors and getting prepared for the FL/GA game -HUGE DEAL in our house.
• Week of November 3rd: Bride & Groom meets with Videographer to discuss payment and placement for the wedding. Bride goes for 1st dress fitting. Brides Cousin Brittany who is a bridesmaid orders her dress.
• Week of November 11th: Bride and Groom travel to Lake City to meet with the preacher and hair stylist to discuss their travel arrangements for the big day-yes they are traveling two hours to be a part of our big day. YEAH!

So yeah we are SUPER busy for the next month, but are excited about it being done and know that it will be exactly what we want and hope that everyone will have a good time with us on May 16th.

Websites to view:

Wedding Bands: www.weddingwire.com/kimberlykarlwedding -click on the wedding bands and more link.

Save the Date Photo shoot: http://www.naturallyposhphotography.com/

Love ya'll!

~The Bride to Be- Kimberly~

Excitement-Spring is Right Around the Corner

Hey all...it's me again the bride to be...I just thought that I would touch base with everyone and give updates on what's happening with the wedding...

So we are really excited...we picked out our save-the-date templates this weekend and you know what that means the mass mail outs are starting soon. We have enlisted the help of great family members to get last minute addresses and then we are off and licking-envelopes that is. I just want to give a special thanks to Thea & David our wonderful matron of honor and best man for agreeing to help design our save the dates for us.

BTW check out www.naturallyposhphotography.com to see our engagement photos. Thea has done a terrific job on the website and her help and support means more to me than she will ever know.

So where do things stand with all of the planning??? Well check out our wedding website ( www.weddingwire.com/kimberlykarlwedding ) and you will see a few updates and changes. We have updated the photo slide show and now have listed our vendors...just glancing at the list makes me feel like we have accomplished a lot and really are under budget for now :)

A Bridal Shower is in the works from what I have been told by my maid of honor Summer. She will be working with my mom to plan everything out...so be on the look out for information regarding that GREAT event.

Well gotta go...I love you all and will send updates again when I can.

XOXOXO ~Kimberly~

Great Friends are Great no Matter Where They Live

So after a stressful week at work I am finally getting refocused on the wedding and all the planning that goes along with it....I am enjoying looking at Save-The-Date templates...signing contracts....picking out favors...and communicating with all of my bridesmaids.

However, what has been odd to me is that I have had numerous people (some of my closest family members and girlfriends) say to me..."I am sorry that I haven't been there for you...I know this is the most important time in your life....what can I do to help you plan...." Well the reality is that "It's all good". The planning is coming along fine...just because I haven't talked to you about the wedding doesn't mean that you are failing me as a friend.

The wedding is one day out of my life that yes is VERY important...but there is no reason to put unnecessary strain on friendship because of lack of communication about the wedding....

So with that said I encourage all of those individuals who believe that they are letting me down to let go of that thought...send me ideas...view my wedding website....contribute to the reception play list....that's the help I need....

To all of you GREAT GIRLS...I love you all and will touch base with you again real soon....

Kisses ~The Bride

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Success with wedding planning is all about NOT sweating the small stuff. Over the past few days I have been worrying a lot about the "details" the little things that I believe will make a difference in our special day being looked at as amazing or just average....what a joke...what a waste of time....

*Over the past week I have stressed about having chair covers for the reception, how should we decorate the church, wedding favors what should we give...and is it even going to matter....are people going to remember any of it??? -what I have been told is NO...the chairs won't feel "that" different with covers....decorating the church is not a requirement...and let's see favors...some people won't even take them home...

*The second thing that I have experienced is dealing with a bride to be (not me) that said to me in an e-mail that she has not had any fun in planning her wedding....with this I think about what she will be thinking in regards to the wedding planning 30 years from now...my guess is that she will be able to laugh and be amused at how brides always sweat the small stuff when they should just sit back and enjoy the craziness...because with soul mates you only get to experience crazy wedding planning blunders once....

So just to update...there will be no chair covers at my wedding reception...the church will not be decorated with tons of flowers...and the wedding favors well that is yet to be determined.

I'm out -the bride-

The Groom's To Do List

So you know how stressful it can be to give the groom a to do list? Well if I am being honest when Karl and I decided to approach the wedding duties in a divide and conquer type manner I was a little afraid that well how can I say this nicely..."some of Karl's stuff wouldn't get done"....BOY was I wrong. He has approached the wedding with such a calmness I mean sometimes it leaves me speechless. For instance, today I sent him an e-mail and asked nicely to call our "prospective" DJ and he did and now a contract is in the mail to us. I was shocked...wow I asked and he got it taken care of....TYPICAL Karl he always come through....so here are the things we can check off our to do list:

1. Reserved Church (done)
2. Reserved Reception Site (done)
3. Reserved Photographer (done)
4. Booked a Preacher (done)
5. Booked DJ (in the works)

....Now back to the seat cover issue....still thinking about how I can make them myself :) Just kidding....

Less than 8 months to go...where do things stand?

So in less than 8 months I will be known as Kimberly Anne Burgess. I will taken on a new name and become a wife...I am beginning to believe that I have to go crazy before this can happen...the stress of planning this wedding is driving me nuts. Here's why:

It is a universal rule that "weddings have to be perfect"...whether people want to admit it or not everything about the most important day of a person's life is that everything is the way they want it to be on that day...so with that said how does someone go about planning something that is suppose to be perfect if they have never done it before??? This question leads me to my first shared story of searching for new chairs for my reception or chair covers for the ugly ones we have been given.

So yesterday was an interesting day and was devoted to venturing out in Brunswick to find party rental stores. I left work at noon and took my lunch break (an hour) to find two party rental stores that had ads in the Coastal Island Living magazine "Bridal Edition"...boy was I in for a treat. I showed up at the first place (with the help of map quest-that's right I don't know my way around Brunswick yet) and it was a spooky dump (to put it nicely). I felt weirded out by the whole atmosphere...I was there long enough to get prices and the leave...not a good experience...so then I head to the next store (again with the help of mapquest) just to find that the entire store closes at noon for lunch...so no luck with that store....

What's a girl to do...well I headed to Michael's' Arts and Crafts store (my home away from home) to go looking around...and needless to say I wasn't in the right mindset to be in Michael's (having just been disappointed by the only two party stores that I knew of in Brunswick) so I left came back to work and vented to my maid of honor Summer and I put her to work to find me deals on chair covers for the wedding reception....and guess what she is the BEST...she found some information in like a matter of minutes and didn't even complain!

I then enlisted the help of a former bride, my best friend Chase's wife Amanda...I sent her an e-mail and within like 10 mins I got a response with information that I believe is going to work out great....so with all this said...I didn't find chairs or actual seat covers...but I have a sense of direction...thanks Amanda and Summer...you're the BEST!

...next blog will include information on the DJ....but I have to wait on Karl to call him...it's on his to do list :)

~Kimberly

Hello From the Bride to Be-Kimberly

Hello Everyone!

So I decided to start blogging as of like 5 mins ago...I have never done it before (go figure), but was inspired by both my maid of honor Summer & my matron of honor Thea (both of whom are constantly updating their blogs and sometimes even using Karl and I as topics of them).

So with that out of the way, I want everyone to know that from this point forward I will be using this blog space to update everyone on the constant every changing wedding planning that Karl and I have found ourselves in since the day we became engaged. I am excited and hope that everyone who reads the updates feel like they are apart of all of the preparation and maybe even gets a chuckle out of my crazy ventures every now and then.

This blog will be posted on my personal myspace page: www.myspace.com/gatorbabe813
and the wedding website: www.weddingwire.com/kimberlykarlwedding