The Dubious Bride

By Jessa Goodworth

Jason and I met on Memorial Day weekend of 2008.

At that point in my life I had become a serial blind-dater.  Everyone I knew wanted to set me up with someone.  I had become accustomed to fancy first dates and sugar-coated conversations with complete strangers that I was not attracted to.

In this case, it was my friend Haley who was setting me up... with a guy Jason who used to date one of her friends. I knew the drill and I was up for the challenge.

Continue reading "First Comes Love..." »

Jess writes her last post as she starts her life as a newlywed!

By Jessica Solloway

When the opportunity came along to blog about my wedding many months ago, the big day seemed so far away. And now it's pretty hard to believe I'm a married lady, and this is my last post as "The Dubious Bride".

At first I couldn't imagine having something to write about every single week. But I quickly learned that wedding planning is a non-stop whirlwind that's fun, stressful, exciting, and hectic all in one. From showers to shoe shopping, dress fittings to invitations, there's always something to write about.

Continue reading "The Mrs. Signs Off" »

Help! Jess has a major case of the post-wedding blues! 

By Jessica Solloway

I knew it would happen. The high from the wedding would eventually wear off, and my fairy tale weekend would become a distant memory with each passing day. My friend warned me about this ... a cruel, cold world where no one cares about cake tastings, centerpieces, or how I'm wearing my hair.

Continue reading "Post-Wedding Blues" »

Jess recaps a few of her favorite things about the wedding weekend.

By Jessica Solloway

While the whole weekend was a blur of fun, I do have some standout moments that deserve a shoutout. In no particular order...

The Rise ... and Fall
One of my least favorite Jewish wedding traditions is dancing to The Hora. It's when everyone holds hands and dances in a raucous circle, as the bride and groom are lifted on chairs in the center. Everyone else loves this part of the wedding. But when I hear that song play, I promptly beeline it for the bar. So naturally, I was a little on edge when it was my turn to be hoisted into the air on a flimsy chair, held up by the likes of Seth's drunk friends. And sure enough, within three seconds of being elevated above the crowd, the chair tipped forward and down I flew. Luckily, my dad's "protective" gears shifted into full effect. Petrified that his first born would get hurt in such an activity, he raced to the center in case of emergency. And as I went flailing out of the chair, he actually caught me! And it was one of my favorite moments because my dad said, "See, even though now you're married, I can still be there to catch you." So, even when you "grow up", you don't really have to ... right? Your parents are always going to be there for you. And luckily he was ...or there could have been some broken bones for sure...

Continue reading "The Wedding Top 10 List" »

Jess and Seth's whirlwind wedding weekend arrives!

By Jessica Solloway

I am still in a state of shock as I sit here writing this blog entry that my wedding weekend already happened. Who pushed the fast forward button on my life? It seems like I was just boarding the flight to Cleveland last Wednesday, bursting with excitement about what the weekend would bring. When the flight attendant saw our garment bags, she asked if we were going to a wedding. When we told her it was our wedding, within seconds, the pilots were announcing to the entire flight that "the couple in seats 8B and 8C" were on their way to get married.

Continue reading "The Wedding: From Bride-to-Be to Bride! " »

See how our bride-to-be is holding up with less than a week to go before the big day!

By Jessica Solloway

I seriously can't believe that my wedding day is less than a week away. Where did the time go? It feels like just yesterday that I had my first dress fitting, or was looking forward to my showers, or having a blast with my best friends at my bachelorette party. And now, I am handling all the very, very last minute details in preparation for my trip to Cleveland.

Continue reading "T Minus 1 Week! " »

Advice from a friend helps Jess enjoy the last two weeks of her engagement.

By Jessica Solloway

The other night, I was talking to one of my friends about some things I was nervous about leading up to the wedding (dreary Cleveland weather, catching the swine flu, etc...) and she had great advice. She said, "Don't stress out about the what-ifs. Just enjoy being special for two more weeks, because before you know it, you'll just be another boring married couple that no one cares about." Hmph. She had a point.

Continue reading "Just Another Boring Married Couple" »

Seating charts, RSVPs, and last minute shopping keeps Jess on her toes.

By Jessica Solloway

It is truly mind boggling the amount of things that need to get done for a wedding. It was so nice at the beginning when I thought we had it all covered once we booked the basics -- the band, the florist, the photographer and the venue. But as it gets closer (less than three weeks!) I can't believe the amount of "to-dos" we are consumed with. The overriding themes of this week were seating and shopping ... neither of which I was bursting with excitement to deal with.

Continue reading "Confessions of a Shopaholic" »

With one month to go, Jess and Seth handle the last minute details.

By Jessica Solloway

I can't believe it, but Seth and I went home for the last time before the wedding. We had tons of appointments scheduled and literally did not stop moving from one place to the next (in our very un-cool rented minivan). I need a nap! The craziest part was leaving our meetings and saying, "Ok, see you at the wedding!". So strange!

Continue reading "The Finishing Touches" »

The invitations are out, bringing the big day even closer!

By Jessica Solloway

When I first started planning my wedding, the actual date seemed so far away. It was barely winter when I got engaged, so thinking ahead to next fall felt like an eternity. But now it's like I've been propelled through some kind of wedding planning time machine, and it's hard to believe that in five short weeks, I'll be hitched! Everything seemed to speed up when the invitations went out. And that's when it all started feeling real.

Continue reading "Signed Sealed Delivered!" »