The Bridesmaids

I am so blessed to know all of these beautiful women and have them in my life. Starting from the top, Karen Brooks, has quickly become one of my very favorite people in life. We've been friends for about 5 years now, but I feel like we've known each other our whole lives. Sometimes you just meet people and you become instant friends. That's how Karen and I are. Karen is known as the one in our group who's the coolest of us all. She's hip and trendy and fashionable, she pretty much puts us all to shame! :) She's so loving and has that special kind of caring that only a mother can have (she's got this amazing son, Justin, who I also get to call my friend). Karen is so very special and important to me and I am thrilled that she'll be standing by my side on my wedding day :)

Next is Adriana Huntley (in the middle of the picture). I've known Adriana for literally like, ever. We've been friends since we were 12 years old! I don't even remember life without her in it. Adriana is an amazing amazing woman and I am in awe of her every day of my life. She is the mother of two incredible little boys, Luke and Jude, and her husband, Jarrod, and her are currently in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. She is one of those people who will always be there, no matter the time or distance between us. She's beyond special and I wouldn't want to live a day of my life without her friendship. We've shared so many memories, literally a lifetime's worth, and the older we get the more incredible the memories become. I am so blessed to have Adriana in my life.

The bottom picture is me with Steve's sister, Laura (middle), and sister-in-law, Kathy (right). I'm getting some new sisters, y'all! Growing up an only child I always wanted to have a sister and now I get two! I can't tell you how excited I am to join Steve's family and to have these wonderful women be a part of my life. They are kind, beautiful and generous, and have welcomed me into the fold with open arms. I am beyond grateful for their warmth and loving natures. They are incredible mothers and I have already learned so much from each other them. I cannot wait to develop that special sisterly bond with them and have a lifetime of memories together!

Maid of Honor - Becca Helzer

This is me and my Becca. We have been friends for about 12 years now and I cannot imagine my life without her in it. She's an amazing friend, an amazing person and she's everything I want to be when I grow up. Recently, Becca started her own business, KC Cake Pops (www.kccakepops.com) and I can't tell you how proud I am of her! You'll get to taste some of her delicious treats at the wedding :) Thank you, Becca, for being the greatest friend a girl could ask for and for being my maid of honor. Steve and I love you so much and we're so happy you will be a part of our wedding and our lives forever and ever!

I said Yes to the Dress!

This past Friday evening I got to do something super fun that I never thought I would do when I started this whole wedding-planning process - I met with a designer about having a custom wedding dress made. As any woman who's been patiently waiting for the man of her dreams to actually pop the big question, I may or may not have been looking for the perfect dress for quite awhile :) Ok ok, so I have an entire folder in my email full of links to gowns.

Here's the problem with shopping for gowns online. 1) You have no idea what the price is and 2) You have no idea what it's actually going to look like on. I've been putting off going to look for a gown for quite awhile. Steve and I have been engaged for almost 4 months and I still hadn't gone. I guess I realized it was time to get started but, I still had all these nagging questions running about in my head... Would I be able to afford the dress I like? Will I even find a dress that will look good on me? Will I find something that has all the elements I'm looking for? So much uncertainty. The longer I waited, the more I started considering the idea of having a custom dress made. Although I will miss the fairly tale moment of putting on a dress in a store and knowing I found "the one", I think this process will be a fairy tale all on its own.

Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I contacted Janay - a local Kansas City designer - and got set up for an appointment to come visit with her. Obviously, I can't tell you about the dress (that has to be a surprise) but I will tell you that I know I made the right decision to go this route. I am going to get a completely handmade item by an incredibly talented designer and seamstress that has every element I wanted in my dream dress. I left there absolutely giddy and cannot wait to get started! Best of all, my mom came with me and helped in the designing process. I am also hoping to incorporate elements of her gown into my gown for an extra-special touch.

So, I'll keep you posted on how the process is going, but you'll have to wait until the big day for the reveal. In the meantime, if you want to look at some examples of her work, visit Janay's website at www.janay-a.com!

Crate & Barrel Registry

Yesterday, Steve and I got to do something really fun...register! Crate & Barrel-during the month of February-has been having special bridal events where engaged couples come to the store before it's open to the public for the day. They serve you breakfast (we had waffles, sausage and very yummy treats from La Bodega, not to mention mimosas) and then you get to walk around and pick out your items. It was nice to have the store to ourselves (and about 15 other couples) and be able to take our time picking out things without being in anyone's way.

In true Krista & Steve fashion, we argued and bickered the entire time. The great cheese dome debate still ensues.... And why, exactly, do we need a salt cellar? How does Steve hate green plates that are exactly the same color as his favorite coat? Apparently green on clothing is acceptable but on a dessert dish it's an assault to the eyes. Hopefully these questions will be resolved before the wedding :)

Oh, and the furniture on the list....just a joke!

Hotel Information For Our Out-of-Town Guests

If you are planning on coming to our wedding and do not live in the Kansas City area, Steve and I first want to say Thank You!!! It means so much to us that you are going to travel to be there with us on our wedding day. We know it's a sacrifice of time and money and we cannot thank you enough.

If you are an out-of-town guest, we have reserved a block of hotel rooms at the Downtown Kansas City Mariott Hotel. This hotel is close to our wedding venue and in the heart of downtown KC, with easy access to the highway and a multitude of dining and entertainment options, including being within walking distance of the Kansas City Power & Light District (www.powerandlightdistrict.com) and the Sprint Center (www.sprintcenter.com). You will also be within close driving distance to the Country Club Plaza (www.countryclubplaza.com) for first-class shopping and dining options and Crown Center (www.crowncenter.com) for a family-friendly experience. Steve and I will make some recommendations for some of our favorite spots later!

I cannot stress this enough; PLEASE book your hotel room early if you know for sure you will be attending our wedding. The weekend of our wedding is NASCAR weekend at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and hotels across the city will be sold out and/or blocked for these dates. I have managed to secure a small room-block at the Marriott for a reasonable rate of $134/night for this weekend. If you wait to reserve a room, this rate could go up astronomically and you also run the risk of not finding a room in town. Trust me, I work in the hospitality industry, I know what I'm talking about! :) We want all of you who can attend and want to attend to have a comfortable, easily-accessible and reasonably-priced room for the weekend you are in town. Please please please don't wait!

To reserve a room at the Downtown Kansas City Marriott Hotel, please use this link:
https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=3295664

If you have any problems or would like some other hotel suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact Steve or myself. You can reach Steve at steve.agocs@gmail.com or me at kporter35@gmail.com.

Thanks again and we can't wait to see you at our wedding!

The Grisly Hand

For anyone who doesn't know, Steve and I have hired a band for our wedding...The Grisly Hand! They are one of our absolute favorite local bands, playing Americana/Blue Grass/Folk/Country-type music, with instruments ranging from the banjo (which Steve and I are both obsessed with) to the fiddle, mandolin and more. We hope you will love love love them as much as we do. Get ready to put on your dancing shoes for our reception!

To learn more about them, visit www.thegrislyhand.com.