Wait a minute- did July even happen? Because I don’t remember a thing. These months are flying by!

July was a month filled with Bachelor/Bachelorette parties, dental surgeries (yuck), lotsss of work, and wedding planning! It’s hard to believe that the wedding is ONE month away. This has felt both like the longest process ever and the shortest. The nerves are starting to set in, as well as the crazy excitement- I get to marry John in one month!

July.

• Hannah’s Bachelorette Party
• John’s Bachelor Party
• Final Guest List + Seating Chart
• Finding a New Officiant
• Lots of Miscellaneous

Hannah’s Bachelorette Party

I went back to New Mexico for a weekend of fun with my girls! After spending 3 months basically glued to John, it was so nice having a girl’s weekend.

I was joined by some of my bridesmaids (Grace, Meredith, Angie), my MOH (Ria), and a couple close friends (Shelly and Vicky) for a fun and relaxing weekend in Santa Fe. We rented a big Airbnb in the Santa Fe countryside and had a blast.

Everyone arrived on Friday, and by Friday evening we were drinking beer, playing games, and having the most fun drunk chats. Having a hot tub at the Airbnb didn’t hurt either!

Saturday we spent the day at the most luxurious spa- the Ojo Santa Fe. We spent the day relaxing by several of the mineral pools on property, and enjoying massages. It was truly perfection.

That night, we went to downtown Santa Fe for a fun dinner out- margs included, of course! We were all pretty exhausted by that night, so we had a more lowkey night before our brunch on Sunday. After that, we all went our separate ways.

It was amazing finally getting almost everyone together and watching strangers turn into besties. I loved seeing my girlfriends who I haven’t seen in years due to Covid, and getting to gab about wedding things with them. I also thoroughly enjoyed bonding more with Grace, John’s sister! She was definitely the favorite during the weekend.

Having a bachelorette party thrown for you is so odd. This wedding still doesn’t feel real, so it honestly felt like I was there celebrating someone else. I also realized I may not like attention as much as I thought- shocker! Overall, it was truly the perfect weekend. Everyone got along well, there was no drama, and we all had a blast. 10/10 would do this again!

John’s Bachelorette Party

Since I obviously was not there for this event, I had John tell me about it so I could include it in this blog.

John was joined by Angus (his best man), Noah (groomsman, my brother), and his buddy Ajay for a weekend of fun in Bend, OR! They rented an Airbnb in Bend that was walking distance to everything. They lounged by lakes, rented a boat for a day, and spent much time drifting down the river with beers in tow.

My favorite story from their weekend is when my brother drunkenly had a serious chat with John, telling him that this was his last chance to back out, and once he’s married there’s no backing out. Classic Noah behavior. John obviously took this as his out….. Just kidding :p

They had a great weekend in Bend and came back exhausted and happy!

Final Guest List / Seating Chart

This month we got our final numbers from our guests (phew- almost everyone RSVPed!). We started putting together the seating chart and quickly realized just how difficult this part is going to be. As a people pleaser, I want everyone to sit with the people they enjoy (no forcing friends at my wedding!).

Although we weren’t going to do a sweetheart table (a table just for John and I), we decided that this would be the best way to have everyone sit with their ‘people.’ I did rent fun chairs for John and I, so I think our little sweetheart table will be adorable (although I doubt we’ll be sitting there much).

We’ve been white-boarding all seating arrangements, ensuring that everyone will be happy with their placement. Get excited!

Finding a New Officiant

With a month to go, it’s not looking good for anyone abroad to travel to California for the wedding. That includes our officiant, Janet, who lives in London, and my bridesmaid, Faye, who also lives in London. We’re pretty crushed. We will miss them both dearly.

We decided to move forward with a new officiant. We asked a couple family friends, and found the most wonderful new officiant for our wedding. Madeline is a close family friend and someone I’ve known for the entirety of my life. We’re having lunch soon to discuss the entire ceremony, but we’re sure she’s going to do an incredible job. She’s just the sweetest!

I’m also sad that I’ll be missing a bridesmaid (who is going to record all my Tiktoks now?!). Although, this does even out our numbers since John lost a groomsman in June. Down to 4 and 4!

Miscellaneous

I’ve been taking care of lots of small details with only a month to go!

I’ve been working with the most amazing seamstress to take care of my dress alterations. They’re not quite done yet, but I wish I could show you!! She’s doing the most amazing job and I can’t wait to wear those dresses!!

I found a dress for the pool party/ rehearsal dinner! I decided I probably don’t want to stay in my swimsuit the entire night. Y’all it’s SO CUTE. Go Lulu’s!

We’ve been opening sooo many wedding gifts. Our guests are truly spoiling us!!

We had our final meeting at Park Winters with the venue coordinator, Amber! I loved walking through everything with her and asking my giant list of questions. I also just love being at Park Winters- it’s my happy place!

The vaccine situation hasn’t been great. If you missed my previous blogs, we are requiring vaccinations for all guests. This has been a problem for some key guests, but we really believe that the health and safety of our guests is of the upmost importance, especially now that so many vaccinated people are getting sick from the unvaccinated. We’re holding firm, but in all transparency, there have been a lot of tears. This is not something I expected to be dealing with in the months before my wedding.

August is sure to be a busy month! John and I will be working on some wedding DIYs, lots of beauty appointments, and final dress fittings! I can’t believe the next blog I write will be my second to last (yes, I’ll be writing one after the wedding!).

Stay tuned, and we sure to watch my Instagram to see various wedding updates during the month!

Xoxo,

Hannah