An Awesome Day

That was AWESOME! The rain stayed away and everyone had a great time. Even the 4 year old ring bearer figured out his how to do his job and very well may have stolen the whole show. The beach was beautiful and calm. The slight cloud cover made it a comfortable temperature, and if you will believe it there were dolphins jumping in the background. The food even turned out to be delicious and everyone danced and had a great time at the reception. I was very fortunate and greatful we could share our day with 65 close family and friends. Thanks to all that attended and everyone with all the well wishers.

It's All Good...

I have been asked about a hundred times,"So are you freaking out?" And, my answer is honestly, No! Planning a wedding can be stressful if you let it be, but if you decide early on this is suppose to be fun, it can be. I enjoyed spending weekends and afternoons prepping and planning for one evening, so I believe I should go ahead and enjoy the in between time as much as the actual event. There will be flaws and mistakes, and all I have to say is maybe there will be a good story or two to tell later. I think this whole wedding planning business has been a really good process for me. It has really taught me not to fret so much because things will all work out in the end, even if there are a few good stories and lessons along the way. Considering I am a pretty extreme type A, over achiever this is a good life lesson to carry on into the future life events and career endeavors that are to follow. I encourage anyone who may plan a wedding or any major event someday to enjoy the process. As they say life is a journey and not a destination. So, enjoy the journey because most likely the destination is eating and drinking for four hours while your friends and family get blitzed and dance to Cool and the Gang's "Celebration".

Also, to all the guests: I can't wait for next weekend! See you all soon in sunny Florida!

Hi Family and Friends,

By now everyone should have recieved the invitation in the mail and as you make your plans to attend here are some helpful answers to the most common questions I have been receiving:

1. Fly into Ft. Meyers, it is a ~40 cab ride to Naples but it is the closest airport there is. Also, if you are staying at the Inn on 5th I don't think you will need a rental car; just a cab to and from the airport should do the trick. One other note on flight booking Southwest seemed to have pretty cheap fairs, just FYI.

2. Activities: I am guessing about half the guests ~20-30 people will be coming in Thursday evening so we are going to have a very informal happy hour at Truluck's in the Inn on 5th (it is located around the backside, not the front Irish Pub, but that is a fun place to grab a drink as well).

3. As for attire the wedding party will be in shades of blue, white and tan. Business casual type attire is fine. Guys you don't have to wear a tie and if people want to wear or bring flip flops to dance in at the reception that is great by me! You need to be comfortable because there will be dancing.

Let me know if there are any other questions I can help with!

-Alli

Job Hunting Update

I have a new non-wedding update since I realized for the most part future employers and my friends are the only people who are checking up on my blog (Hi Katy and Allison). I am embroiled in one of the most challenging efforts of my life, searching for a career. By career I don't mean just another job. If I wanted to sell insurance just to earn a paycheck there are 6 companies as of yesterday on Career Builder ready to interview me. I got a undergraduate and graduate degree in marketing because I love it, I am passionate about it and if someone would give me a chance I think I have a lot to offer. Since graduating last month I have continued to read up on social media and return on investment driven marketing. I have been leveraging every networking connection I can find. I am optimistic the economy has to slightly turn around this first and second quarter 2010 ,but if anyone out there has any advice or direction please give me a shout! I guess the main purpose of this rant is to ask anyone who may stumble onto my blog for help getting my name out there. Tell your brother, your parents, your friends who work in KC to give me a look. Hope you all had a happy holiday and for some of you, I look forward to seeing you in Naples FL.

Invitation Development

I have a new development to report on. Just finished invitations and since I can't write a novel on the invite, I thought it would be helpful to clarify the event flow. The invite says to be at the Inn on 5th at 5pm this is to board the trolley which will take 3 trips to drop off 2 rounds of guests and 1 round of the wedding party so the first ship out time is 5:05pm. The wedding will offically begin at 6pm and last about 1/2 an hour where the 2 rounds of guests will be taken back while the wedding party takes some pics. Once everyone gets back starting about 6:45 drinks and appetizers will be ready to go. Hope this helps to clarify exactly what is going on at the event. Also, hope everyone had a great holiday, I sure did! Happy New Year as well!

-Alli Kat

Okay done with grad school and ready to spend time doing other things like planning my wedding! (And Job Hunting, advice is welcome) For my friends and family that are starting to book flights and hotels down to Naples, FL I have some answers to the commonly asked questions:

1. You do want to fly into Fort Meyers. Southwest Airlines has had some great rates, so I recommend checking there.
2. The hotel for the reception is The Inn on 5th, a block of rooms has been set aside under Swain for a discounted rate. Feel free to call them at (239) 280-2705 or book online at www.innonfifth.com.
3. There are several less expensive hotel options in the area. One option was Inn of Naples phone: (239) 649-5500 or www.innofnaples.com Also, there was a DoubleTree and a few others call me if you have any issues with finding a hotel.
4. If anyone wants to get pampered while enjoying the area there is a nail salon called 5th Ave Nail Spa. Phone: (239) 732-6245 or www.5thavenailspa.com. For hair salons there are Salon on Fifth, phone:(239) 403-0799 or Southern Exposure (239) 263-1888
5. Also, registery was a common question. We are at BedBath&Beyond and Crate&Barrel.

More details will get nailed down as we get closer to the date. Also, feel free to send me any questions. I will be updating again soon, Thanks!

-Alli