I've received many comments on my engagement ring from its antique appeal to the clarity of the rock. One of my favorites coming from my best friend "It is delicate but significant." Sometimes I catch myself staring at it because when I do, I get one of those exciting butterfly moments of reassurance that my man, Mr. GWU, knows me...like really knows me. From the time we discussed taking the next step to become engaged and to the actual engagement, I gave him no guidance as to thee ring; abst... Read Full Story

My dad isn't going to be at my wedding.It's not that we don't get along, or he doesn't approve of the marriage, or anything that. he just doesn't travel. he was born and raised in Maine and he doesn't own a computer or understand the internetz. He's never been in a commercial airplane. etc.I know this. I accept this. I still love him. Like a lot.But sometimes it just hits me that my dad isn't going to walk me down the aisle and there will be no father-daughter dance and blah blah blah boo hoo... Read Full Story

I think the details in one's wedding are such fun. Everything about your personality and your fiance's personality come out in all the little things, from the invitations to the cake toppers. With that being said...The Tour de France is starting on Saturday! (Go Garmin and Astana--and Lance!) . So what does this have to do with my wedding? Nothing, except that Mr. Charleston and I are huge cycling fans (more him than me---he's the one who actually rides with a group every week) and I wante... Read Full Story

I've been on "Mission: Buff Bride" for a few months now. For a while, I was doing really well at getting my tush to the gym but lately? I've been slacking. (That Diet Coke addiction of mine isn't helping anything either...)For those of you who don't know, I'm probably one of the LAZIEST marathon runners ever. I ran marathon #3, a 10k and a 10 mile race in the matter of a month - setting personal records in all three, leaving me beyond pleased. Unfortunately, I didn't train nearly as hard as I... Read Full Story

Mr. NationalHarbor and I are getting married at the Oxon Hill Manor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. We are getting married on Halloween and I was trying to find a venue that had the right feel. A giant hotel downtown could have worked I suppose but this one just felt right from the second we drove onto the grounds. Our wedding planner suggested this location the very first time I met her. We were having cocktails and trading ideas and when I told her I was getting married on Halloween she exclaime... Read Full Story

While we're sort of on the topic of dresses, I'll share the story of how I found mine.I was never against buying a used dress - in fact I was pretty sure that's the route I would go from the beginning. For one thing, in the honest words of Miss Glen Echo, I'm cheap. I could not justify spending thousands of dollars on a dress, no matter how gorgeous it was (not that you shouldn't, if you have the budget for it, I just don't). For another thing, buying a dress already used would help my missio... Read Full Story

I love that Miss OBX knew her wedding date before her engagement date! Reading her post got me to thinking about how we set our wedding date. There are obviously a lot of factors that go into selecting a wedding date. For us, the most important one turned out to be orthodontia. In other words, my braces!When we first told Mr. 16th's parents that we were getting married, we thought we may wait until late 2010 or even 2011. We wanted time to save money so that we wouldn't deplete our house fund... Read Full Story

Most brides these days are incorporating handmade, personally crafted elements into their wedding for a more intimate and down-home feel.I, on the other hand, am cheap...I decided a while back when I first started planning my wedding that I was going to DIY a few things here and there in order to save some money. This idea has turned into quite a laundry list of projects (24 to be exact).So I figured I needed to find a way to avoid the inevitable stress that DIY projects bring...Yes, that's ... Read Full Story

Going along with Ms. Charleston’s post – I thought I’d follow up with some more things to think about when dress shopping. I agree with all of her advice – definitely have an idea of what you think you might like going in – neckline, color, material, embellishments, but try on any and everything you can get your hands on. I had a word document with dress pictures that I loved, and then stores that carried each designer. But we all know that the dress looks WAY different in a glossy magazine,... Read Full Story

DC NearlyWeds has been nominated for the WeddingChannel.com Bridal Blog Awards. WeddingChannel.com (http://www.weddingchannel.com/), the number one wedding & gift registry website, has announced its first annual Bridal Blog Awards program (www.weddingchannel.com/blogs). As a result Yours Truly (DC NearlyWeds) has been nominated for the award. Although the different categories have not been chosen, we are determined to win the “Best Overall Wedding Blog”. Give DC NearlyWeds your nod towar... Read Full Story