Bridesmaid Dresses

I'm very close to choosing the bridesmaids dresses! I already know that the color will be "berry", but it's the design that I'm debating over. One of my awesome bridesmaids helped me out and went to a bridal shop near her place and tried on two of the dresses that I am considering, and I really like them both! It's going to come down to which one is more comfortable for the majority of my girls. One is more form fitting, while the other might not be so much. Both have a lace up back, which is something that I really want (because my dress laces up). Here are some pictures:

This is the actual color, and the dress would be long (I'm leaning towards this one)

Again, this is the actual color. This one is more form fitting, so I don't know, comfort wise.

My cousin, and maid of honor, is coming up around Christmas time, so we are going to go look for her dress at that time. Then I will make my final decision about the bridesmaid dress. I also have to figure out the dress for the flower girl, but that will probably happen when I decide about the other dresses. I am the worst decision maker, ha!

So, I must say that I have learned a lot about dresses and dress shopping over the past month. I have mine and was so excited that my girls would get a discount on theirs ... until I found out why that was. I went to a local bridal shop with my mom and aunt so that they could check out dresses, and apparently places like Alfred Angelo and David's Bridal offer money off, but jack up the prices on alterations, unlike going to a private bridal shop. I called Alfred Angelo to ask questions about alteration prices, and they were right. So, I'm thinking that my girls will want to probably go to local places for their dresses. I know that I will be bringing my gown to Tattler's Lane in the Falls for my alterations!

Also, I think my mom has come very close to choosing her dress! :) She would kill me if I posted a picture of it for all to see, but it's gorgeous and perfect for the "Mother of the Bride" dress! Love it. She's thinking about going with wine for the color, which I think would complement the color of the bridal party well.

Aside from dresses, I've started working on Save the Dates (I love Shutterfly.com), and on Tuesday Ryan and I are going to go meet with our photographer to put together our engagement portraits for Christmas gifts for family (hopefully they will be done in time!). We have also started talking to a realtor and mortgage consultant to begin planning for buying a house! Because of my school situation, it is unrealistic to start looking until February-ish, and at that time I need to make sure that I at least have a full-time RN position available in case I don't find a nurse practitioner one right away. Our realtor wants us to start looking with her in mid-January though, because apparently sometimes they can talk the sellers into extending the time until closing for us to prove our financial status. Very excited! :) Plus, if we have a contract in by April 30, we can qualify for the new homeowners tax break, which is the goal.

Hmm, well I think I've typed enough, and that's about it for now. More to come after the holidays, I'm sure!