Directions, as promised...

...though a little late.

Here are directions to FBC-Morganton. (You will receive directions to the reception site in your wedding program.)

From Points East of Morganton, NC (including Hickory):
Take I-40 West to Exit 103 (Hwy. 64- Western Piedmont Community College).
At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Burkemont Avenue (Hwy. 64).
Stay on Burkemont Avenue for approximately 1 1/2 miles.
After about 1 mile the road will narrow to two lanes.
Burkemont Avenue ends at a traffic light at West Union Street where First Baptist Church will be straight in front of you.
Parking is available to the right of the church (straight ahead), or turn left onto West Union Street then right into the parking lot.

From Points West of Morganton, NC:
Take I-40 Eest to Exit 103 (Hwy. 64- Western Piedmont Community College).
At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Burkemont Avenue (Hwy. 64).
Stay on Burkemont Avenue for approximately 1 1/2 miles.
After about 1 mile the road will narrow to two lanes.
Burkemont Avenue ends at a traffic light at West Union Street where First Baptist Church will be straight in front of you.
Parking is available to the right of the church (straight ahead), or turn left onto West Union Street then right into the parking lot.

If you are staying at the Holiday Inn where we reserved the block of rooms, you can find directions here.

Welcome, Newcomers!

There are probably several of you who are visiting our blog for the first time after receiving your invitation in the mail. Here you will find information on where to stay in Hickory, how to get there, a schedule of events for the weekend, and maps to where you need to go. There are (or will soon be) shortcuts to each of these things on the right. Additionally, we have been chronicling our engagement with written entries and pictures, so feel free to browse through the story of our life over the past few months. We look forward to seeing you in just a few weeks!

Wedding Day Race

The groom and at least one groomsmen will be running a 10k in Valdese, NC on the morning of the wedding. Anyone wishing to join them is welcome. They also have a 5k (Application Here). The races are part of the Waldensian Festival in Valdese. Valdese is a 15 - 20 minute drive west from Hickory on I-40.

Read the interesting history of Valdese here.

A Little Friendly Competition

As the reply cards keep rolling in (my parents are receiving about 8 cards a day), my fiance, my father, and I have decided to start a little wager. Now, Baptists, don't hyperventilate... this is all in good fun and no actual money is at stake.

Here's the deal. We sent out invitations to 460 total people. Of those, 186 have already responded. 124 have said yes and 62 have said no. (So right now we're at an even 2:1 ratio.) Place your guess as a comment, and I'll keep updating this post as I get guesses in.

Oh yeah, one more thing. The winner gets to wear my Bride-to-Be crown, which my boss Tony is so wonderfully modeling:

Current guesses:
Dan: 203
LB: 247
Andrew: 274
Greg: 282
Debbie C.: 228

Rehearsal Dinner Fun?

After reading this article sent to us by Mr. Davidson, I'm thinking there won't be any frolicking in the Catawba River at the Rehearsal Dinner, even though it runs right behind where the band will be playing. Of course, if the band turns out to be a bust, we could always throw them in...

The Honeymoon

"According to some sources, the honeymoon is a relic of marriage by capture, based on the practice of the husband going into hiding with his wife to avoid reprisals from her relatives, with the intention that the woman would be pregnant by the end of the month." (Wikipedia)

Yes, we will be hiding.
No, the woman will most certainly NOT be pregnant by the end of the month.

For those of you who don't know yet, we will be going to Block Island, RI for a week after the wedding. We both wanted somewhere a little bit "off the beaten path," somewhere not likely to be battered by hurricane season, and somewhere neither of us has been before. So first we narrowed it down to New England, and then after typing in "Where should I go on my honeymoon?" into Google (yes, he actually did that), Andrew read about Block Island and we decided that it looks perfect. At the end of the week, we will come back onto the mainland and spend one day and one night in Newport (home of the Breakers, the America's Cup [1930-1983], the Tennis Hall of Fame, and other areas of interest to the rich and famous... and to wannabes like us...)

There probably won't be much of this going on...

While doing some wedding "research" today (during work--shhh), I came across a blog with a post about how much time to allow between the wedding ceremony and the reception. We will be encouraging our guests to go straight from the church to the reception -- not only to keep your tummies from growling too long, but also to prevent any of this:

(Image acquired from http://weddingupdate.oneperfectday.com.au/?cat=10)

Busy, Busy Weekend

We were in Hickory this past weekend, and we got lots of wedding stuff done. We had two showers, Andrew turned in tuxedo measurements, I had my bridal portraits taken, and we mailed all of our invitations. Andrew's parents were here on Sunday, and our two families enjoyed dinner together Sunday night. Here are a couple of pictures from the shower at First Baptist on Sunday:

My corsage was pulling my clothes off.

It had a real pineapple in it.

What could it be??

No way! My KitchenAid mixer!!! Thank you, Mrs. D!

My future mother-in-law and future cousin Jenna.

Future aunt Barb (Check our her art.)

Opening the gift from my hostesses (one of whom was Bootsie, in the green). It's a beautiful red salad bowl and a cute matching apron.

In the next 50 days...

...I have lots to do to prepare for a wedding, including (but not limited to):

-225 invitations to mail
-2 more bridal showers to enjoy
-1 bridal portrait to smile for
- 6 or 7 more hours in the sun to obtain a skin tone that will not blend in with my dress
-2500 more reps of 5-lb. weights to transform my arms to a non-stick-like state

I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot, but those things are on my mind at the moment.

As for Andrew, I think I'll let him post his own to-do list, but I have a feeling it will consist mostly of items synonymous to "Nod head and smile when asked questions by the bride or her mother" and "Give bride hugs when she is at the point of tears." (So far, he's mastered both of these.)

See you in 50 days!

A Real American Hero

While straightening up his downstairs in preparation for my move into his house, Andrew got a little bit distracted by his shoeboxes of G.I. Joe men and weapons.

By the way, none of this was posed. I went upstairs to get the camera, and when I came back down, Andrew was still hard at work setting up his men.

Cuttin' a Rug

After 2 weeks of dance lessons, Andrew and I showed off our new skills at the Jonesborough Magnolia Ball. We're excited to demonstrate what we've learned at the reception in less than 2 months!

Unfortunately we didn't get any action shots...

At the Presbyterian church...

...they sprinkle you when you're baptized and shower you when you're engaged.

Here are some pictures from our shower at Erwin Pres a couple of weeks ago:

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

This is Margaret, one of Andrew's nieces. She likes to tell everyone she meets (including the grocery store clerk) that they "might find this rather unbelievable, but she is going to be a flower girl in Uncle Andrew's wedding with Laura Beth." We got to play with her at Granddad's birthday party in Pennsylvania over Memorial Day weekend.

I am so excited that Margaret lets me be her friend. Apparently I follow all of the rules. (She has been known to tell other kids that if they want to be her friend, "Here's the thing: Friends don't hit. Friends don't yell. And friends don't argue with me.")

This is Katie, Maggie's little sister. According to Maggie, "Katie is just a guest at the wedding" (i.e. not a flower girl). I think Katie will make a very cute guest...

...especially if she wears these.

Why Andrew Isn't Allowed to Plan the Wedding:

If you don't see anything above, click here to watch the video.

No Boys Allowed

Last weekend, Julie hosted my lingerie shower, and we all had a wonderful time. Here are some of the pictures from the evening. (I wanted to keep things rated PG, and Andrew's not allowed to see any of the gifts yet...)

(I thought this one would be okay to post... Mary Kate apparently couldn't bring herself to buy me anything more risque than a pair of cotton paisley pajama pants...)

(The beautiful hostess with the mostess and her sweet Mama)

Pampered Chef Shower

Last Thursday night, several of my Junior League friends gave me a Pampered Chef shower. Jen hosted it at her house, and we had delicious food and a great time. Here are some pictures Kimily took:

Well, this picture is absolutely hideous of me.
I look like I'm about to throw up.

I can just hear my mother saying "pull your shoulders back!"
Oh well. My posture is bad, but my apron is cute!

me and Kathryn

An Update on Registries

Well, Andrew and I originally wanted to register at Home Depot, but unfortunately, their system is quite a bit less than user-friendly. We found lots of great stuff in the store, but the only way to register is online, and the website has hardly anything on it that we saw in person! So, alas, we will leave our registry open with the few items we found, and for those of you who would like to shower the groom, Home Depot (or Lowe's) gift cards will be greatly appreciated.

Also, for all of you Hickory friends, if you haven't visited Jenny's Gifts & Accessories downtown, you should. The owner (Jenny Hines) is the sweetest lady in the world, and her store is packed full of beautiful things. AND, we're registered there! And by registered, I mean that Jenny walked around the store with me and Mama and took notes on things that we ooh-ed and ahh-ed over. If you would like to get us something that you can't get just anywhere, I would recommend a stop into Jenny's. She will be glad to help you pick something, although I doubt that you could choose anything that Andrew and I wouldn't be happy with. The shop's address is 436 Main Ave NW. It's near the railroad tracks, about a block from First Baptist.

CBC Shower

On Saturday, the Central Baptist ladies hosted an "Around the Clock" shower. (Each person invited was given a specific time of day for which to bring a gift.) We had lots of fun, and Andrew and I got a ton of great stuff. Everything was decorated beautifully -- with hydrangeas, of course -- and the food was excellent. My mom, sister, both grandmothers, and great-aunt all made the trip into Tennessee to join the party. Thank you to all of you wonderful gals who made the morning so fun!

They gave me hydrangea slippers to wear. Ha!

The cake was decorated with little clocks to fit the theme.

A.T. even made an appearance!

We got so much great stuff!

Airports

Two airports serve the Hickory/Morganton, NC area:

The closest airport and your best bet is Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT), which is a hub for US Airways. The Charlotte airport is about a one-hour drive from Hickory.

Asheville airport (AVL) is a small, regional airport and is a one-hour and 20 minute drive from Hickory.

When it rains, it pours...

...especially when it comes to bridal showers! I have 3 showers planned in the next 2 weeks -- very exciting. Tomorrow night, a bunch of my Junior League girls are throwing me a Pampered Chef shower. Then Saturday morning, the sweet ladies I work with are giving me a shower at Central Baptist, and all of my favorite friends I've met since working there will be attending! Then next Saturday (after Joey and Jen's wedding), it's off to Asheville for the ooh-la-lingerie shower that my dear Julie is hosting. The fun never ends! Not only do I get to enjoy the parties (and presents!), but Kathryn and Angela and the ladies of my family are all doing a lot of traveling to attend the festivities, and I can't wait to spend time with everyone. The bridal party will all be together next weekend at Julie's, and I'm sure hilarity will ensue.

We'll keep you updated with pictures of all of the excitement as it happens...

Non-Wedding Fun

Here we are enjoying the Johnson City high life at the American Heart Association gala over the weekend.

Where to Stay...

We have reserved a block of 30 rooms at the Holiday Inn Select in Hickory. The hotel is located at the intersection of Highway 70 and Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard, just off of Interstate 40. It is convenient to lots of restaurants and shopping. To reserve a room at the group rate (which is a good price -- the best value we found in the area), call the hotel at (828) 323-1000 and request a room held under the Christian-Davidson party. Reservations must be made at least 2 weeks prior to the wedding (July 28 is the deadline).

Click here to visit the hotel's website.

Points of Interest

Downtown Hickory:
http://www.downtownhickory.com/
Area Shopping:
http://www.discoverourtown.com/NC/Hickory/Shopping-201.html
Hickory Museum of Art:
www.hickorymuseumofart.org
Catawba Science Center:
www.catawbascience.org
Library:
http://www.hickorygov.com/library/
Waldensian Heritage Wines:
http://www.valdese.com/winery.htm
Minor-League Baseball:
http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t448&m=08&y=2007

Hickory is located within an hour of Charlotte, Blowing Rock, and Winston-Salem, so there are lots of great places to visit that are within an easy day's drive if you are planning on staying in the area prior to or after the wedding.

A short update

Well, we're about a week away from having a double-digit number of days until the Big Day. We're currently at 108, which I know because my dear friend Ann gave me this countdown clock for Christmas.

It sits on my desk counting down by the millisecond, and I fluctuate between feeling panicked that I have too few days until the wedding and feeling impatient that I have too many days until we're married. Of course, all of these feelings end up just making me happy.

Lots of the big things have been done, but there are still some details to be worked out -- just enough to keep things busy and exciting.

Keep checking back as we add information soon about hotel accomodations, things to do in the Hickory/Morganton area, etc.

Meanwhile, check out our engagement announcement that ran in the Charlotte Observer.

And by "overruled"...

... he means "ignored."

Let me also point out that my dear fiancé often asks if I'm sure I don't want to go to Gatlinburg and elope.
(www.cupidschapeloflove.com)

And he is obsessed with camouflage wedding apparel.
(www.justcamousa.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=569)

So don't let him fool you into feeling sorry for him when his "suggestions" are vetoed...

:)

Naming the blog

I would like to point out that I (Andrew) wanted to name this thing 'yankeeguy-rebelgal' instead of august11 but obviously I was overruled.

Some of my other name suggestions included
gettinhitched
fixintogethitched
rockytopwedding

Registries

After much deliberation, we have decided to register at the following stores:

Bed, Bath, & Beyond (www.bedbathandbeyond.com)

Crate & Barrel (www.crateandbarrel.com)

Belk (www.belk.com)

Home Depot (www.homedepot.com)

193 days and counting

As Andrew and I were discussing how to provide our guests with information about our wedding, it became clear that our save-the-date cards would be an appropriate place to provide a link to a website. Our page on theknot.com site already has a lot of the pertinent information, but seeing as its address is 60 characters long, we decided to opt for something a little more succinct (and easy to remember). Thus the genesis of august11.blogspot.com.

Here you will find everything you need to know (and probably some stuff you didn't...)