I can see clearly now

The rain is gone. So is the fog. We now have a distinct vision of what our wedding reception is going to be like. And how did this epiphany come to us? We finally made a decision on the caterer.

Of course, it was sort of a default decision since the other caterer bailed on us, but it was so reassuring nonetheless. By figuring out what type of food we are having (barbecue) we've been able to figure out the other elements we want in order to set the right type of mood. Since we're going with more casual food, we know we want to do linen tablecloths and real dishes so that the feel doesn't become too informal. But it's also gone a good way to set the mood as a sort of laidback but classy function, making sure that some don't think of the wedding as too "snooter" while others don't think of it as too "low class."

So now that we've got the vision, full steam ahead on making decisions!

Winning people over to my vision of a dress

My idea of what type of wedding dress I'd like has evolved as I've aged. It's gone from a poufy ballgown to a sleek Grecian sheath to a 1950s-inspired dress. And when I started wedding planning, I thought about how cool it would be to have a dress like the one above. And my sister (MOH) totally dug the idea. But my mom seriously disliked the idea (she didn't say hate, but I don't think that emotion was far off). And my grandmother wasn't a big fan either. So I thought to myself, well, I'll look at other stuff.

And the other stuff was tried on. But my grandmother and mother weren't a big fan of the trains since there are so many issues the day of when wearing one (bustling, sitting...peeing). And I would mention the 1950s dress idea again, and could tell that Gram was warming up to the idea. It had no train. It would be easy to move around in. I could dance in it! By the time I showed her my inspiration board, Gram was fully on to the idea. In fact, she's even started hinting to Mom that my mom might want to sew my dress (as she's an expert seamstress).

Mom, though, still required some warming up. I purposefully wore some dresses I own with the same silhouette. And showed my enthusiasm for their danceability. And she's now open to the idea (though hasn't signed on to sew anything). So I'm not sure if I'll end up with a 50s-style dress or not, but I have learned a few things. If you want to sway people to your way of thinking you might want to follow these steps:

1) Be enthusiastic

2) Show pictures

3) Be persistent

4) Work on people one-on-one and bring them to your way of thinking

5) With these new people, keep on persuading the naysayers!

If all else fails, remember, you're an adult and can make your own decisions without others' approval.

Picture from Emily's Junk on Flickr.com