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We're so close now - only 4 more days until the wedding!

Since our theme is Halloween we've been spending most of our free time buying Halloween decor at Dollar Tree. Luckily they have so many things to choose from so we can indulge and not spend too much. Even so, it's adding up so I'm glad we only have a few more days.

We even stopped at a local thrift store 5 minutes before they closed and scored some spooky stuff including a cake knife that's perfect for our theme.

We've taken care of most of the important details like getting the marriage license. In Florida there's a 3 day waiting period but then the license is good for 60 days so, as of October 23, our license was ready to go. My new sister in law is a minister and she's going to officiate the ceremony which is a really special detail I'd never planned on but it's perfect. As I've said before, I'm thrilled that my brother has found love again so including his new wife just seems right.

I've put together playlists for pre-wedding, ceremony and then the Halloween party afterwards because I can't imagine a party without awesome music and spooky Halloween music is the best.

We spent Sunday morning out at our wedding venue taking measurements and making plans. We had found these cute little glass pumpkins on Saturday and planned on having 6 of them on either side of the altar but Chris came up with the idea of lining them all along the railing which surrounds the covered deck since we figure people will spend most of their time outside. I love this idea, it's going to be so romantic to have flickering lights surrounding us and since the pumpkins came from Dollar Tree buying 11 more wasn't going to make us broke.

We still haven't been inside the venue but it's basically a big room with brick walls and hardwood floors. It has 2 beautiful wooden tables where we can put the food and 8 folding tables for people to sit at. We'll put most of those tables outside but have a couple inside. We have a great Nightmare Before Christmas backdrop for pictures along with cute props so that people can take selfies. We can't afford a professional photographer so we're hoping our guests will take lots of pictures. Having beautiful wedding photographs was important to me but it's a dream I had to give up so we'll just have to find alternatives.

The wedding beauty prep has begun! I made appointments for my sister, sister in law and me to have our nails done on Friday but I went ahead and got a pedicure on Sunday and I just love my black sparkly toenails! My wedding shoes are sandals (with skulls!) so my toes need to shine.

I have given up the dream of having my hair and makeup done professionally and I'm just going to do my best. I tried to put on false eyelashes this morning and it was a laughable fail so I guess I'll just pile on the mascara. LOL

I finally get to pick up my wedding dress today! When I took the dress to the alterations lady in late June she said she had a big wedding the middle of September so she'd start on my dress after that. I emailed her at the end of September for an update and she said it would be ready soon, then crickets for almost a month. I finally texted her Saturday morning (1 freaking week before the wedding) and asked if it was ready and she said no, could I get back to her on Tuesday which, to me, meant that she hadn't even started it yet and was giving herself a few days. Luckily when I texted this morning she said I could come this afternoon. I can't wait to get that dress back in my hands. I didn't freak out too much because I actually have a backup dress. I don't love the backup dress as much as I LOVE my real wedding dress but I like it well enough that I could have been ok if it had been my only option. Luckily it didn't have to come to that though.

The only item hanging out there is the wedding food. My stepdaughter offered to do the food for us and I left all the decisions up to her but she won't be in town until Thursday and I have no idea what she's going to make or how/where she's going to do it but I'm just trusting that it will all be lovely. I know she's very talented and that's enough for me.

I'm taking off work Thursday and Friday to do last minute things. My family gets into town Thursday afternoon and have rented a vacation house near us. I plan on spending as much time as possible with them and I'll be sleeping there Friday night. Chris will be busy coaching basketball Saturday morning (he loves it so much and he's now coaching 2 different teams) but I plan on having a lazy quiet day with my family until it's time to get ready and leave for the wedding.

It's happening! It won't be the wedding I dreamed of but it'll be the wedding of my dreams.