Guess what?

We've set our wedding date!


It will be July 16, 2011!


Did your jaws just drop? Yeah, I'm still in shock too. We were planning on a fall/September wedding, but I suppose I am just one of those girls who is not at all a wedding planner plus I just saw how much crap and stress my good friend went through in her planning for 1.5 years so we decided that we would both love to get away and have a wedding/honeymoon with the sand between our toes and take our closest, bestest friends and family with us. 


We're going to be married around sunset on the beach in Gulf Shores, Ala. The next weekend, we'll have a reception back here and share video, photos and more.


I am so excited! 


And this planning has been totally up my alley and it just seems meant to be. 
J was able to trade vacation with a co-worker. ALL of our bridal party (except maybe one :( ) had the weekend off, which is a big deal when two of them work shift work and two weekends a month. 
In the past week, I've not only found and booked the wedding venue in Alabama, we've also booked our amazing beach house, I've met with a lady who designs bouquets and she has everything she needs to make my bouquets (I'm going with silk flowers), I've bought everything we need for the reception centerpieces other than the buckets, I've purchased my dress, veil and shoes, and picked out the bridesmaid dresses. Also, with some stroke of luck the local venue where I wanted to have the reception which is typically booked is open. We have a few things to do this week but other than that, everything is going beautifully.


Have I mentioned how awesome my friends are too? Bel, who lives in Va., is designing my invites and helping with some projects for the reception. The rest of the bridesmaids are scoping out spas so we'll have a place to get our hair and nails done and have a sort of bach party the day of the wedding. 


Did any of you have a beach wedding? How did it go? And any must-visit places in Gulf Shores?